Hong Kong: Algernon Yau to visit Japan

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau will depart for Tokyo tomorrow to forge closer economic and trade ties with Japan and deepen regional co-operation.

To achieve that goal, he plans to update the Japanese political and business sectors on Hong Kong's latest development.

As a result, the commerce chief will meet senior government officials and business leaders there to promote Hong Kong's business advantages and opportunities.

As part of his agenda, he will also officiate at a reception to mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Tokyo.

Mr Yau will return to Hong Kong on June 21. During his absence, Under Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Bernard Chan will be Acting Secretary.

This story has been published on: 2023-06-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Chinese envoy calls for favorable conditions for constitutional referendum in Mali

Xinhua) 10:21, June 17, 2023

UNITED NATIONS, June 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday called on parties in Mali to resolve their differences through dialogue and create favorable conditions for Sunday's constitutional referendum.

The constitutional referendum is an important step for Mali to advance the transition process and maintain lasting stability. China welcomes the progress in Mali in drafting the constitution, preparing for the referendum, and building electoral institutions, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

"We encourage all parties concerned in Mali to resolve differences through dialogue and create favorable conditions for the constitutional referendum," he told the Security Council.

The constitutional referendum is an internal affair of Mali. The international community should respect Mali's sovereignty and ownership. China encourages relevant regional organizations to strengthen communication with the Malian government and play a constructive role in supporting Mali's political transition, he said.

Mali is at the forefront of counterterrorism in the Sahel and West Africa, and has made considerable efforts to curb the spread of terrorism. The international community should give full recognition to these efforts and step up efforts in funding, equipment, intelligence, and logistics to support Mali in strengthening capacity-building in its security sector, said Zhang.

Without a doubt, human rights need to be protected in counterterrorism operations. But China has consistently opposed the politicization of human rights issues in counterterrorism. There should not be double standards on counterterrorism. More importantly, there is a need to avoid stigmatization of counterterrorism operations, which would only play into the hands of terrorist forces, he said.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, has been deployed for 10 years with a lot of investment. In June 2022, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2640, which requests an internal review of the mission to analyze new developments and optimize and streamline the mandate. The current mandate of the mission expires at the end of this month. China hopes members of the council will fully listen to Mali's views and concerns, have constructive and responsible discussions on the future arrangements for the mission, and make decisions grounded in broad consensus.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Sheng Chuyi)
Some of the prize winners of the 22nd edition of the Chinese Bridge competition pose for a group photo with University of Zimbabwe officials during the event in Harare, Zimbabwe, June 16, 2023. Chinese language learners in Zimbabwe on Friday showcased their passion and enthusiasm for Chinese language and culture at the 22nd edition of the Chinese Bridge competition held at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. (Photo by Shaun Jusa/Xinhua)

HARARE, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese language learners in Zimbabwe on Friday showcased their passion and enthusiasm for Chinese language and culture at the 22nd edition of the Chinese Bridge competition held at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe.

The "Chinese Bridge" is an annual worldwide international competition in which non-Chinese students demonstrate their comprehensive ability to use the Chinese language and their knowledge of Chinese culture.

The contestants from primary and secondary schools, as well as colleges across Zimbabwe, impressed a diverse audience of Chinese and Zimbabwean nationals with their grasp of the Chinese language and their Chinese cultural performances.

Besides speech performances, the competition also included a quiz section to test participants' knowledge of China and a talent show in which they performed Chinese dances, martial arts, and songs.

Winners of the three categories of the competition received prize money. First-prize winners will be invited to the semi-final and final contests in China.

In his keynote address read on his behalf by Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Zimbabwe Victor Mugari, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities Fainos Mangena said the widespread learning of the Chinese language in the country spearheaded by the Confucius Institute at the University of Zimbabwe (CIUZ) demonstrates the ties between China and Zimbabwe.

"We are glad to be part of this competition, as has been the case all along since the inception of Chinese teaching at the University of Zimbabwe, and the inception of the CIUZ," Mangena said. "As a country, we have enjoyed a cordial relationship with the People's Republic of China, and the establishment of the Confucius Institute at the University of Zimbabwe is a testimony to that."

Mangena also said Chinese language learners are part of a force that is advancing relations between China and Zimbabwe. "It is our hope that the winners today become the torchbearers in championing the education that is meant to change people's lives."

Mangena acknowledged the role that the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe is playing in supporting the teaching of Chinese.

To promote the learning of the Chinese language in Zimbabwe, the University of Zimbabwe became one of the first institutions of higher learning in Africa to host a Confucius Institute in 2006, and to date, more than 16,000 students have attended Chinese language classes. 
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday gave its backing to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBNs) exchange rate unification policy.

The policy, which collapsed all exchange rates into the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window, allows market forces to determine exchange rate.

The IMF said it stands by and supports the implementation of the policy.

In a statement, IMF Resident Representative, Nigeria, Ari Aisen, said: The Fund greatly welcomes the authorities decision to introduce a unified market-reflective exchange rate regime in line with our long-standing recommendations. We stand ready to support the new administration in its implementation of FX reforms.

READ ALSO: Tinubus advisory council recommends extension of old Naira notes validity

With the policy, all applications for medicals, school fees, Business Travel Allowance/Personal Travel Allowance, and SMEs would continue to be processed through the I&E window.

A circular to authorised dealers signed by CBN Director, Financial Markets, Angela Sere-Ejembi, said all exchange rate segmentation is abolished with immediate effect.

She said the operational changes to the foreign exchange market also include the re-introduction of the Willing Buyer, Willing Seller model at the I&E Window.

Operations in this window shall be guided by the extant circular on the establishment of the window, dated 21 April 2017 and referenced FMD/DIR/CIR/GEN/08/007. All eligible transactions are permitted to access foreign exchange at this window, she said.
The burial of the mother of former Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha in Mbutu in Aboh Mbaise Local government Area of Imo State, Friday witnessed the assemblage of political heavy weights across the country.

The burial of Dame Dorothy Nnsonma Ihedioha could be described as near stampede owing to the massive turnout of visitors who thronged the the venues of the event.

Former Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha in his remarks, reiterated the importance of forgiveness among humans.

The burial attracted the presence of Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa; PDP Acting National Chairman, Amb. Damagum, Prince Uche Secondus, Mr. Peter Obi, Senator Liyel Imoke, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Chairman of PDP BOT, Senator Adolphus Wabara, PDP Acting National Chairman, Amb. Damagun, former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, among others.

Ihedioha said his late mother taught them forgiveness, humility and service.

My mother, lived a worthy and eventful life, as has been testified by so many people. She taught us quite a lot, especially prayers, humility, service and forgiveness.

I want to urge you to imbibe these virtues for a peaceful living on earth.

I, my siblings and the entire Ihedioha family are humbled and indeed grateful for the support, prayers and solidarity, shown to our family since the passing of our matriarch, he stated.

In his homily, His Grace, Rev. Henry Ndukuba, Primate of the Metropolitan of All Nigeria, Anglican Communion, admonished on the need for a life of service, adding that death is necessary end.

He called on citizens to prepare themselves for the day death will call, so as to be able to find a place in the bosom of the Lord.

Other guests include, Prof. Jude Njoku, Justice Chioma Nwosu Iheme, Chief Olisa Metuh, Senator Osita Izunaso, Support groups, Various interests groups, leaders of thought, PDP and other party chieftains.
Daily Trust reports that thousands of intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia have been left stranded in Lagos.

They are currently stranded at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos State.

The affected pilgrims were those of the private tour operators under the umbrella of Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON).

Some of the tour operators had booked Arik Air, one of the airlines approved by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), for the airlift of pilgrims to the Holy Land.

In anger, the pilgrims have stormed the Arik Air office at the domestic airport, protesting against the delayed airlift.

Arik was allocated pilgrims from the private tour operators. They are to airlift pilgrims from Lagos, Kano and Abuja zones.

There are fears most of the affected pilgrims may miss the Hajj as the closure of the Saudi airspace inches near.

As of the time of filing this report, thousands of to pilgrims are still stranded at the airport where they have been sleeping for the past four days, awaiting their airlift.

One of the pilgrims who spoke with our correspondent said some of them who were to be airlifted on June 14 are still at the airport.

They have been sleeping in the Mosques and other open places around the international airport even as the facilities are said to be overstretched, with the departure hall crowded.

One of the tour operators who spoke with our correspondent in confidence said the situation is getting out of hand and called on NAHCON to intervene as most of the pilgrims are becoming restless.
The Recording Academy, organizers of the Grammy Awards, has sparked outrage on social media for decribing Nigerian music stars, Wizkid and Rema, as up-and-coming artistes.

The Grammy Awards recently introduced three new categories for their upcoming 2024 award show, namely Best African Music Performance, Best Pop Dance Recording, and Best Alternative Jazz Album.

In a recent social media post, the Academy shared photos of up-and-coming black artists everyone should watch out for, featuring Wizkid and Rema.

This announcement did not sit well with some Nigerians, particularly Wizkids fans, who found it demeaning considering his status as one of the most successful music artists in Africa.

They took to social media to criticize the organizers for what they described as a disrespectful post, stressing that the post should be immediately deleted.

See some reactions below:

KanyiDaily recalls that rising Nigerian hip-hop artiste, Odumodublvck had recently recounted how he almost lost his life before God used Wizkid to boost his music career.

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Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George has expressed that he has no intention of seeking an appointment under President Bola Tinubus administration. However, he acknowledged his willingness to recommend competent individuals to work with the president.

Chief George, a vocal critic of Tinubu, revealed that his reconciliation with the president was primarily driven by the pursuit of peace and respect for those who intervened in the matter at Tinubus request. Senior indigenes of Lagos State and a delegation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) visited George to end the longstanding dispute and sought his support for the Tinubu government. The former Deputy National Chairman emphasized that at his age, he couldnt have asked for anything more.

Addressing speculations about his desire for a government appointment, Chief George dismissed such claims as baseless. He explained that his focus lies in fostering opportunities for the younger generation. He expressed his readiness to offer assistance to President Tinubu by recommending individuals with profound knowledge of the party, drawing from his years of experience as a party manager. However, he firmly asserted that he himself is not seeking employment.

When asked about accepting a government appointment if offered, Chief George clarified that he would consult with party leaders and collectively nominate a capable and energetic young individual who can contribute positively to the country. He emphasized that his role would be to facilitate the selection process rather than vie for a position.

Additionally, Chief George highlighted his loyalty to the PDP and stated that he refrained from congratulating or visiting Tinubu at the presidential villa while his partys legal challenge to the outcome of the presidential election was ongoing. He believed that such actions would constitute a betrayal of his party.

Chief Olabode Georges reconciliation with President Tinubu underscores the importance of peace and unity in political circles. As he focuses on the well-being and empowerment of the younger generation, his influence and recommendations could play a crucial role in shaping the future administration.

Kanyi Daily recalls that Bode George earlier announced that hell relocate from Nigeria to Ghana if Tinubu becomes the President.

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The Lagos State Police Command on Saturday said it has arrested a dismissed corporal allegedly impersonating a serving Inspector of Police.

Spokesman of the command, Benjamin Hundeyin disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.

Hundeyin said police operatives arrested the suspect on June 4 at Gaskiya College Road Junction, Ijora-Badiya.

According to him, a preliminary investigation showed that the suspect had been using the uniforms since his dismissal from the police in 2017.

He said the 35-year-old suspect and resident of Sango Ota in Ogun was arrested while riding an unregistered motorcycle.

He added that a police stop-and-search team accosted the suspect and interrogated him to establish why he was riding a motorcycle on a major road despite the order banning such activity.

The suspect identified himself as a Police Inspector and brought out a police identification card bearing his name and photograph and depicting him as an Inspector of Police.

During the investigation, police got a court order to search his home at Sango Ota and conducted the search on June 8.

In the process, a pair of uniforms with Sergeant rank, one operational jacket with inscription `SARS LAS SCORPION, one pair of camouflage with Inspector rank, and one jacket with `Special Forces inscription were recovered.

Also recovered from the suspect were one police belt, a pair of police boots, one camouflage tee-shirt, one police beret with crest, and one pair of unsewn blue uniform, he said.

He added that the investigation also showed that the suspect had been changing his rank anytime the police promoted his serving recruited mates.

The police spokesman further disclosed that the suspect would be arraigned upon completion of the investigation.

In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has disclosed the reaction he got from most of his classmates when he told them he wanted to join the Nigerian army.

According to him, his classmates believed he was insane when he said that.

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All is not well in Ndigbo Lagos All Progressives Congress (APC) as a group, Ndigbo in APC ( Authentic) has accused Mr Joe Igbokwe, the Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainages of selfishness and working against the interest of the Igbo in the APC.

The group said Igbokwe has been working to ensure that he remained the only prominent Igbo son in Lagos APC, even as it said Igbokwe has not done anything tangible for Ndigbo in the over 20 years he has been working closely with the Lagos State Government.

The group at a press conference in Lagos urged the Lagos State Government and the APC not to relate with Ndigbo APC through Igbokwe as he does not represent the interest of Ndigbo.

Deputy National Chairman of the group, Chief Anselm Njoku said that since Igbokwe assumed the position of Igbo leader in APC Lagos, things has taken a turn for the worst for Ndigbo Lagos APC.

He said, As at 2015, Ndigbo Lagos APC had factions. It was Asiwaju Bola Tinubu that then mandated me to rally Ndigbo APC as one. It was in 2022 that Joe Igbokwe became apex leader of Ndigbo Lagos APC after Mr Jude Idumogu the member representing Oshodi-Isolo II constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly yielded the position to him. Since Igbokwe assumed the position, things has turned for the worst in Ndigbo Lagos APC.

Joe Igbokwe is presenting himself as the only Igbo man in Lagos APC, he wants to be the only prominent person. What has he done for Ndigbo in the more than 20 years he has worked closely with the Lagos State Government? Joe Igbokwe practices meonlyism.

However, Mr Joe Igbokwe described members of the group as a bunch of drowning haters, betrayers, and foolish entities and noted that he will not dignify them with a reply.

He said, Please ignore the drowning haters and foolish entities without life, or soul, and without character. I will not waste my precious gift of time on uneducated scoundrels and betrayers.

A statement jointly signed by Eze Uche Dimgba, Chief Anselm Njoku, Mrs Francesca Ossai, Chief Emeka Odoemelam, and Pauline Obi, National Chairman/ Leader, Deputy National Chairman, National Secretary, National Treasurer, and Secretary BOT respectively, while pledging the groups unalloyed support and loyalty to the Lagos State Government, and the APC, urged Gov Sanwo-Olu and the party leadership not to relate with Ndigbo Lagos APC through Igbokwe as he does not represent their interest.

The statement read, Ndigbo in APC (AUTHENTIC) is borrowing a leaf from our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is right now overhauling the country so that the renewed hope and vision he has for the country can be achieved. The group believes that the overhauling is going to yield good results that will bring about Ndigbo being inclusive in the party structure in Lagos as this is very necessary for Igbos working for the party to have a sense of belonging knowing that the party ha_ a reward system in place for those who contribute to her growth.

This is a new dawn for Ndigbo and this group is determined to make it work. We, therefore, use this opportunity to draw the attention of the Lagos state Government and the nation at large that after the meeting of members of B.O.T in Ndigbo in APC Lagos, State Excos, Council of Ndi-Eze loyal to our party; Local Government Excos and members unanimously agreed that Joe Igbokwe is no longer our leader and does not represent us; neither the interest of the party because he does not have the capacity to mobilize Igbos vote for our party.

We use this medium to call on Joe Igbokwe to return all money, vehicles, and materials he collected from the government on our behalf. Ndigbo in APC (AUTHENTIC) remains the only bridge between the Igbo community, Lagos State Government and our party APC for a smooth and cordial relationship.
Ronald Reagan shared a racist exchange with Richard Nixon in a newly leaked phone conversation from 1971 in which the former president describes African delegates to the United Nations as monkeys.

Mr Reagan, who was governor of California at the time, was angered that African delegates at the UN sided against the US in a vote.

Members of the Tanzanian delegation started dancing after the UN voted to recognise China and expel Taiwan.

Mr Reagan, who was a supporter of Taiwan, called the president the following day to express his apparent frustration.

To see those, those monkeys from those African countries  damn them, theyre still uncomfortable wearing shoes!

[embedded content]

Mr Nixon, who quit as president in 1974, can then be heard laughing.

The recording was unearthed by Tim Naftali, a clinical associate professor of history at New York University, who directed the Nixon Presidential Library from 2007 until 2011.

He published his findings in The Atlantic and wrote that the racist exchange was removed from the original tapes for privacy reasons.

The tapes were released by the National Archives in 2000 while Mr Reagan was still alive.

But he said the recordings were ordered to be reviewed following a court order. Reagans death, in 2004, eliminated the privacy concerns, Mr Naftali said.

I requested that the conversations involving Ronald Reagan be re-reviewed and, two weeks ago, the National Archives released complete versions, he added.

According to Mr Naftali, Mr Reagan called Mr Nixon to press him to withdraw from the UN. But the president later said Mr Reagans complaints about Africans became the primary purpose of the call.

Mr Naftali also said the president later told his secretary of state that Mr Reagan had described the Tanzanian delegation as cannibals that werent even wearing shoes.

Mr Reagan publicly defended the apartheid states of Rhodesia and South Africa in the 1970s, and Mr Naftail said the newly-revealed recording sheds new light on this stance.

He served as president from 1981 to 1989, at a time marked by the climax of the Cold War and the beginning of the end of Soviet communism. He died in 2004 aged 93 after a long battle with Alzheimers disease.
The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Monday claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari was yet to arrive Japan, 24 hours after departing Nigeria.

IPOB stated this while rubbishing the pictures making the round of Buhari in Japan.

Buhari had departed Nigeria yesterday for Japan to participate in the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) holding in the City of Yokohama, August 28-30, 2019.

However, IPOB claimed that the Presidency was deceiving Nigerians with those pictures because Buhari was not in Japan.

IPOB stated this in a statement titled: The Grand Deception has Begun: Jubril-Buhari Still Missing in Japan over 24 Hours after Departure from Nigeria and signed by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful.

Wondering why there was no video coverage of Buharis arrival, the separatist group insisted that the photographs of the President in Japan were photoshopped.

The statement reads: As with previous photoshopped visit of the impostor Jubril Al-Sudani on behalf of the dead Muhammadu Buhari, the much-publicized presidential visit to Japan has kicked off with another round of deceit, well-crafted lies and photoshop.

We must recall the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, issued a statement a few days ago regarding this visit. In that statement he said and I quote, President Buhari will be accompanied by governors Babagana Zulum, AbdulRaham AbdulRazaq and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Borno, Kwara and Lagos States respectively; ministers and other top government officials.

Yesterday Femi Adesina went ahead and published photographs allegedly taken inside the presidential jet as those mentioned above sat with Jubril-Buhari on their way to Tokyo.

More than 24 hours after the widely reported departure of Jubril-Buhari presidential jet from Abuja and without any confirmed landing at Tokyo airport or elsewhere in Japan, where IPOB had camped waiting to receive him, shockingly another set of pictures have emerged from Aso Rock claiming to be pictures of Jubril-Buhari being welcomed by a group of Japanese, this time Gov. Ortom makes a mysterious entry as part of the entourage.

Incredible! Which country on this earth welcomes a head of state with a banner?

Gov. Ortom that wasnt mentioned as part of the original entourage has miraculously appeared in Japan seated to the left of the Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama. The world can now see how fraudulent politicians have been deceiving gullible Nigerians with their photoshopped pictures over the years. The public should not be deceived, Jubril-Buhari is not in Japan and if he is, he is in hiding. He should come out to address the people or make known his presence.

Note, there is no video coverage of him being welcomed to Japan as protocol demands but out of the blue pictures have emerged of a 45-year-old man claiming to be Buhari, all smiling, in an undisclosed location somewhere they claim is Japan. Where is NTA News? Nigeria is a country founded on lies and will die by lies.

Aso Rock should stop hiding Jubril-Buhari, they should bravely announce or disclose where he is staying as every genuine head of state would. They should proudly tell us where their Sudanese president is hiding that we may give him proper IPOB welcome.
President Muhamadu Buhari, has ordered an immediate forensic audit of the accounts of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

He gave the hint in a series of tweets issued via his official Twitter page, noting that the Nigerian people would like to know how all the billions of naira that were allocated to the NDDC between 2001 and 2019 have been utilized.

Without a doubt, a lot of money has been allocated to the region throughout the near two decades it has been in existence. Interestingly, many Nigerians have always felt that the rate of development is not commensurate with the amount of money allocated.

Unfortunately, no President has ever felt the need to probe the NDDC until now. It is highly possible that instances of corruption and financial mismanagement will be uncovered at the end of this probe. And President Buharis government may not hesitate to prosecute those found to have played a part in committing fraud.

In the meantime, Nigerians are already commending the president for the decision.

Reacting, Tunji Tunde Ayeni opined that a lot of people could end up being jailed if the probe is properly conducted.

Meanwhile, even though Gabriel M God believes this is a necessary step to take, he is highly doubtful that it will accomplish anything.

This is because there is a high level of corruption in the NDDC which may eventually end up being covered by the powers that be. The government should, perhaps, prove him wrong by ensuring that those who have perpetuated corruption in the Commission get exposed and prosecuted.

The NDDC was established in 2000 by the Federal Government under President Olusegun Obasanjos administration. Its major responsibility is to facilitate developmental goals in the Niger Delta region which, for years, was left underdeveloped even though the majority of the countrys national wealth comes from there.

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MOGADISHU, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Some 35 officers serving with the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) wrapped up a five-day training here Friday aimed at protecting human rights and promoting gender equality in peace support operations in the country.

The head of ATMIS Protection, Human Rights and Gender Division Omar Abdulle Alasow said the training was aimed at enhancing the observance of human rights in the current AU peace mission to enable them to better discharge their duties in Somalia.

"I urge you to utilize this knowledge and bolster your effectiveness and efficiency in delivering your tasks and cascade the knowledge from the training to the Somali security forces during the transition period," Alasow told the officers during the closing ceremony. "As Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) and gender officers, it is our duty to support the protection of civilians through continued mentoring of the Somali security forces and promoting community engagement, sensitization, awareness raising, advocacy, and specific activities."

The training, which was held in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, gathered gender focal points and CIMIC officers from all the ATMIS Areas of Responsibility. The participants will now form a pool of trainers who will in turn train their counterparts and the Somali security forces on the promotion and protection of human rights, and gender equality, the AU mission said.

Sam Okiding, ATMIS force commander, said the promotion and protection of human rights is one of the core values of the mission, and urged the participants to translate the knowledge and skills gained during the training into actionable activities. Okiding also said the Protection, Human Rights and Gender Division plays a crucial role in ensuring that the mission's planning and operations are conducted in compliance with international and regional obligations.

The course included sessions on gender in peace support operations, aspects of sexual and gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence, as well as sexual exploitation and abuse, and civilian casualty tracking. 
Odunayo Akintayo, a Nigerian woman has dragged her estranged husband to the Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan, accusing him of trying to use her for ritual.

Alleging that her husband made efforts to use her for ritual, the wife said;

The greatest blunder I made in life was my decision to exchange marital vows with Sunday who has exposed me to bitterness and horror since 2004. The whole problem began when he had disagreements with some members of his extended family.

Then things changed negatively for Sunday because he started misbehaving. The most striking of his misbehaviour was when Sunday cut some strings of hair from my head and also seized my pant. I asked him why he took my hair and pant, but he offered no cogent reason.

Besides, Sunday is a deadly drunkard, who often goes mad anytime he drinks alcohol. Most of the time, he returns home n*ked with vomit all over his body from his drinking joint. Anytime he asks me for money and I am unable to provide it, he breaks into my shop to destroy my goods.

In addition, Sunday constantly threatens to harm me and if he doesnt see me when in need of money, he sends messages, cursing me. I have been solely responsible for the childrens sustenance, please, separate us, Odunayo begged.

However, the respondent was not in court to defend allegations levelled against him.

The courts registrar said that it was the third time the case was coming up for hearing without any message from the respondent. The courts bailiff told the arbitrators that the respondent told him that he would never appear before the court.

Consequently, the President of the court, Chief Ademola Odunade on Tuesday dissolved the 15-year-old marriage between Odunayo and Sunday Akintayo over attempted ritual and drunkenness.
Amid COVID19 social distancing protocols being observed across the world, an Italian priest has been pictured with photographs of his parishioners.

A recent tweet by data storyteller, Norbert Elekes, quoted the priest as saying its too sad to celebrate mass in an empty church.

So he asked parishioners to send him their photos. The church is now full of selfies, the tweet added.

Italian priest said its too sad to celebrate mass in an empty church. So he asked parishioners to send him their photos. The church is now full of selfies. pic.twitter.com/PDAKkGtL8m  Norbert Elekes (@NorbertElekes) April 5, 2020

Four weeks into a nationwide lockdown, very few Italians are still singing from their balconies or banging pots and pans in solidarity. Instead, flags were lowered to half-staff this week for the nearly 15,000 coronavirus victims including doctors, nurses and health care professionals who have perished since February 23.

The lockdown, which was originally scheduled to end Friday, April 3, has now been extended to beyond Easter, and Italians from north to south are nearing a breaking point just as the draconian measures have begun to show signs of stopping the spread of Covid-19.

Italys wealthy northern provinces have taken the brunt of the coronavirus outbreak with more than 75% of overall cases and deaths north of Tuscany, in the center of the country, per the Italian Civil Protection agency.

More than 10,000 health care workers in the northern provinces have been infected with the virus, according to the Italian Doctors Federation, as a lack of proper protective gear made contagion inside healthcare facilities a contributor to the rampant spread. Some of the best health structures in all of Europe are in northern Italy, but they were pushed to near collapse with the sheer number of Covid-19 patients in need of urgent care.

Had the initial infection cluster started in the poorer southern regions, which do not have the same strong infrastructure, no one disputes that the crisis would have been even worse.

But the southern regions are struggling, too. The so-called mezzogiorno is where organized crime syndicate hubs are based and where unemployment hovers around 20% for adults and up to 50% for those under 24 during the best of times, according to figures from the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT).

Even with the outbreak in some southern communities affecting only a few thousand, the facilities are stretched and care for non-Covid patients has been severely compromised.

With a huge part of the southern population working in the so-called black economy off the books, a whole segment of people lost jobs for which they cannot legally claim unemployment benefits. Those who do have legitimate employment have been given a path to ask for the suspension of some bills, but black economy workers of whom there are an estimated 3.7 million, according to ISTAT  have no such outlet for relief.
The Lawmaker representing Badagry constituency 02 at the Lagos state House of Assembly, Hon Setonji David, has described critics of the palliatives of Lagos State government as mischief- makers.

Setonji made this known while donating emergency food relief to his constituents in Lagos.

The food relief contained rice, beans, semovita, spaghetti, noodles, tomato pastes, sanitisers and a host of other ingredients, provided to ease the burden on the masses.

He beseeched the critics to desist from such as it is not the right time for politics because the health of the nation is of paramount importance.

There are mischief makers who are out to take advantage of every situation. This is not the right time for politics.

This has to do with the health of the nation and should be devoid of political influence and manipulation. Those claims are not genuine.

While speaking on the gesture, Hon Setonji said there is a need to bring succour to the people, describing the palliative as a little gesture but should be gladly accepted.

I am the representative of the people. I feel for them, nobody is spared by this pandemic hence I must do my best to bring succor to my people.

Essentially, what I have done is the least expected of a leader at this perilous time in the Essentially, what I have done is the least expected of a leader at this perilous time in the history of our nation.

I feel the pulse of my people. I know how hard a time like this is. My coming late into the scenes is to give to you what could satisfy you for some days, if not weeks. Please, accept my little gift with love .

He further stated that the food was distributed devoid of party sentiment, family or friends.

Believe you me there was no room for partiality or party affiliation in the process. Thank you all, May God satisfy us all and heal our land. 

Setonji finally advised all constituents to take precautions and adhere strictly to instructions against the COVID-19 pandemic.

I want to plead with our people to adhere strictly to instructions and regulations of all levels government in order for us to get over these dangerous times.

I pray fervently that we shall overcome this evil and get back to our normal life, he said.
US president Donald Trump has been discharged and acquitted by the US senate over the charges of obstruction of congress and abuse of power leveled against him by the House of Reps.

On Wednesday, the Republican majority senate voted against impeaching the president, bringing the impeachment trial to an end.

48 senators have pronounced Donald John Trump, president of the United States, guilty as charged. 52 senators have announced him not guilty as charged. 2/3 of the senators present not finding him guilty, the Senate judges Donald John Trump  the president of the United States  is not guilty as charged in the first article of impeachment, Chief Justice Roberts announced after the vote.

But in a remarkable move, Republican Mitt Romney, who has been critical of the president in the past, voted against the president in the charge of abuse of power

He was the only Republican to do so in a move that stunned Capitol Hill.

The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor, Romney said ahead of the vote. Yes, he did.

He voted to acquit on the obstruction of Congress charge.

Mitt Romney, a deeply-religious Mormon, said his faith as the reason behind his decision.

The allegations made in the articles of impeachment are very serious. As a senator juror, I swore an oath before god to exercise impartial justice. I am profoundly religious. My faith is at the heart of who I am. I take an oath before god as enormously consequential.

I knew from the outset that being tasked with judging the president, the leader of my own party would be the most difficult decision I have ever faced, he said in his remarks on the Senate floor.

Romney said he was convinced President Trump abused his power as because it involved Joe and Hunter Biden, Trumps political rivals.

Theres no question in my mind that were there names not Biden the president would never have done what he did, Romney said.

Romney acknowledged in a pre-taped interview with Fox News Chris Wallace that aired just immediately after he voted against the president, that he could lose his next election campaign for not supporting Trump and that his life in Washington D.C. was about to get lonely.

Its going to get very lonely. The consequences are significant. They are enough that it made it very difficult process for me. Theres not been a morning since this process began that I slept beyond 4:00 a.m., he said.

The impeachment process initiated by House speaker Nancy Pelosi started on the 24th of September after a whistle blower complaint alleged that Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine in exchange for launching investigations into his political rival, Joe Biden.

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PEKIN  A man and a woman from Pekin have been identified as the victims in a fatal scooter crash on Thursday morning in Pekin.

Authorities were alerted at around 1:42 a.m. that a motorized scooter with a passenger had been struck by a vehicle in the 100 block of Caroline Street, according to a news release from the Tazewell County Coroner's Office.

The passenger, 35-year-old Christina Kolesar, of Pekin, died at 3:30 a.m. Thursday from "multiple blunt force injuries" sustained in the crash, according to the news release. Toxicology testing is pending.

The operator of the scooter, 47-year-old Justin Barnhart, of Pekin, was transported to OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, where he was pronounced deceased at 3:21 a.m. Thursday, the Peoria County Coroner's Office stated on its Facebook page. The coroner said Barnhart "suffered multiple blunt force trauma injuries."

The coroner also said "due to the nature of the incident, this case is being investigated as a homicide."

The incident remains under investigation by the Pekin Police Department, Illinois State Police, Tazewell County Coroner's Office and Peoria County Coroner's Office.

Photos: 10 most dangerous intersections in Bloomington-Normal Bloomington: No. 5 Bloomington: No. 4 Bloomington: No. 3 Bloomington: No. 2 Bloomington: No. 1 Normal: No. 5 Normal: No. 4 Normal: No. 3 Normal: No. 2 Normal: No. 1
BLOOMINGTON  A man who was previously convicted of murder has been accused again of failing to register in McLean County.

Wayne M. Damron, 52, is charged with one count of violation of the Illinois Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act (Class 2 felony).

Damron was convicted and sentenced to 45 years in prison in 1993 for the murder of 49-year-old Michael Grady. According to court documents, he failed to report in person to the Bloomington Police Department in June.

He has the same charge pending in a separate case where he failed to report in person to Bloomington police in March.

His bond was set at $5,000 with 10% and fees to apply for release. He is listed as homeless in court documents.

An arraignment was scheduled for July 7.

Updated mug shots from The Pantagraph Bryant Lewis Derek Roesch Justin M. Mata Marcus D. Wesley Phillip Tinch Trisha L. Hanke William B. Givens David L. Oliver Kenneth E. Funk Jordan R. King Holly M. Isaacson Kenneth L. Minton Tony L. Jackson Britley L. Hilger Jasmine L. Smith Jackie S. Claypool Noah R. Demuth Brandon L. Parsano Alexander N. Williams Carlos Sanchez-Solozarzano Jaylin S. Bones Jordan R. King Dominique M. Banks Austin T. Daugherty Sandra M. Lewis Samantha E. Morris Nolan C. Love Nikkita L. Sandefur Katlin M.B. Wilson Eli C. Garozzo Tysean T. Townsend Curtis J. Byrd Noral K. Nelson Charles J. Tankson Davis, Micah S Livingston, Joshua D. Kevin L. Ewen Emmanuel K. Mpay Ahmad S. Manns Dylan R Mann Tony L. Jackson William R. Linden Zadek U. Moen Zachary T. Willis Cecily M. Sexton Tonisha A. Jackson James A. McConnaughay Jessica M. Longberry Barry D. Guyton Keon E. Spiller Melina Aguilar Carlos D. Cregan Wayne M. Damron Terrance L. Ford Stanley M. Miller Darryl R. Vinson Jarvis K. Heads Wesley M. Noonan Brad Carter
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

June 17, 1923: Swimming will start at Miller Park on Sunday provided the weather is fair, Park Custodian Uhrie said. A lifeguard will be out in a boat as on previous years. The charge will be the same: 15 cents for swimming and an additional 15 cents if suit is furnished by the city.

75 years ago

June 17, 1948: Miss Sue Williams of 308 Water St., Normal, was crowned Dairy Queen at a Junior Chamber of Commerce banquet held on the Illinois Wesleyan campus. The queen received $50 and the runners-up, Miss Betty Clesson of 1005 Howard St., Normal, and Miss Mary Ellen Gerth of 514 E. Walnut St., received $10 each. There were 21 contestants, all between the ages of 16 and 23, judged on "a basis of health and beauty."

50 years ago

June 17, 1973: The investment firm of Loewi & Co. Inc. will hold an open house on Tuesday at its new facilities at 1500 E. Empire St. The office has equipment which provides up-to-the-minute information on all stocks listed on the principal exchanges.

25 years ago

June 17, 1998: By a 10-4 vote, the McLean County Board placed a controversial referendum that would consolidate townships within the city of Bloomington on the November ballot. The referendum could return land valued at $143 million to the City of Bloomington Township. Opponents plan to attack the state law permitting the vote in court.

101 years ago: See vintage Pantagraph ads from 1922 Gerthart's Union Gas and Electric Co. Hoover Dr. J.A. Moore Dentists Moberly & Klenner W.P. Garretson W.H. Roland Pease's Candy Thor 32 Electric Washing Machine The Kaiser's Story of the War Ike Livingston & Sons Gossard Corsets Cat'n Fiddle 'Stolen Moments' Case Model X The Johnson Transfer & Fuel Co. The Pantagraph want ads Franklin Motor Car Co. 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' Calumet Baking Powder Mayer Livingston & Co. Newsmarket 'The Emperor Jones' 'California Fig Syrup'
BLOOMINGTON  Hundreds gathered in Bloomington's Miller Park for the annual celebration of Juneteenth, marking the day the last enslaved people in the Confederate South learned of their emancipation.

Saturday marked a long-standing tradition dating back to the early 1990s in which Bloomington's African American and Black communities gather to celebrate the nation's "second independence day."

Willie Holton Halbert, second vice president of the Bloomington-Normal NAACP, said the day is to "celebrate our freedom for African Americans."

June 19, the official state and federal holiday marking Juneteenth, is called so because on that day, in 1865, Union Troops marched into Galveston Bay, Texas, and informed the last group of enslaved people in the Confederate South of the Emancipation Proclamation, telling them of their freedom a full year and a half after it was granted.

Halbert said, "Instead of getting upset or sad, they decided to celebrate, throw a big celebration and just let people know that we have the right, just as every human being has, to be free."

This year's celebration included singing and dancing as well as the reading of historically significant speeches like Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream."

There were also community resources and vendors from Black-owned businesses selling goods and food.

Tony Jones has coordinated the Juneteenth celebration for the past three years, but has attended the celebration's various forms since 1993.

"It used to be on the quad at Illinois Wesleyan University, that's when Juneteenth was introduced to me," Jones said. "It had a mixture of educational performances and things of that nature.

"In that sense, it was more of a showcase of the community."

He said that, for a variety of reasons, the celebration fell off in the late 1990s, came back as a smaller event in Forrest Park, but ended again in the 2010s.

"It was revitalized recently by the Bloomington-Normal Black History Project, the group that first started it," Jones said.

Reverend Elexis F. Wilson of Wayman AME Church in Bloomington gave the opening invocation.

"It is a remembrance that our ancestors fought hard, long and strong with God on their side to be free Black Americans," Wilson said. "Yet, Juneteenth is more than a remembrance celebration. It is a celebration of Blackness."

Wilson said Juneteenth celebrates the ways that African American culture has affected American culture, citing the likes of Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Miles Davis, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X all the way to modern artists like Erykah Badu and the Wu Tang Clan.

"It is the celebration of collard greens, mac 'n' cheese, ham hocks, ribs and chittlins," Wilson said.

Although the day has been celebrated for nearly 160 years, it was not a federally recognized holiday until 2021.

Halbert said, "It's unfortunate that there are people that don't know what Juneteenth is, that it is technically our freedom; that we say that we are free."

Nicole Flowers, data coordinator for Heartland Head Start in Bloomington, said she has seen regression in recent years.

She said her son, a businessman, developed anxiety in recent years due to police brutality in the news.

"He started having anxiety thinking, if he got pulled over, he won't get a ticket, they'll just shoot him," Flowers said. "And something's wrong with that."

Flowers said Juneteenth pushes back against attempts to "erase" or "dismiss" the Black experience. "I think that's what hurts more than anything, let alone to take free people and make them enslaved. And then to keep them enslaved ... because the Southerners didn't want to let us go."

She said, "We're still trying to dig out (of that) muddy hole. And people keep pouring water in that hole."

In her speech, Wilson said, "This is the celebration for African American people. So, celebrate today and forevermore, because your Blackness cannot be denied.

"Celebrate today and forevermore because the beauty of being Black is the power of our story. Celebrate today because systemic injustices cannot hold us down."

10 notable Juneteenth celebrations across the US How Juneteenth is being celebrated across the US Juneteenth and Beyond Guided Tours - Galveston, Texas Opal's Walk for Freedom - Fort Worth, Texas Memphis Juneteenth Festival - Memphis, Tennessee Juneteenth Music Festival - Philadelphia Macknificent Freedom Fest - Fort Wayne, Indiana 52nd Juneteenth Street Festival - Milwaukee Las Vegas Juneteenth Festival - Las Vegas 7th Annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival - Columbia, South Carolina Omaha Freedom Festival - Omaha, Nebraska FABA Fest - Barbados
SPRINGFIELD  On Friday, a few weeks short of one year since the mass shooting in Highland Park, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law a bill giving law enforcement greater leeway to use surveillance drones at events such as races, concerts and parades.

Illinois Sen. Julie Morrison, who was walking in the Highland Park July Fourth parade when gunfire rained down from a rooftop, killing seven, and injuring dozens of others, said in an emailed statement that Its simple: drones will save lives.

As we enter parade and festival season, its more pertinent than ever that law enforcement are equipped with the most modern tools and training to keep communities safe, said Morrison, a Deerfield Democrat.

Illinois law previously limited drone use by law enforcement to instances that included where it was needed to counter a high risk of a terrorist attack, if a specific probable cause warrant was issued, or to assist in disaster response.

The allowed uses by law enforcement will be expanded to include planned special events such as parades and races, non-crime related search and rescue operations and to conduct infrastructure inspections if requested to do so by another public agency.

Many restrictions still apply. Drones cannot be weaponized, can only be operated by a law enforcement agency and cannot be used at political events. In addition, the public would have to be notified when they were in use at public events.

This is not going to be just a drone that can be in anyones community for whatever reason, Democratic Rep. Barbara Hernandez of Aurora and the bills chief sponsor in the House said during floor debate. This is a specific purpose.

The bill passed in the House by a 84-7 vote after an earlier 56-1 vote in the Senate.

Democratic state Sen. Rachel Ventura of Joliet, the chambers lone no vote, said in an interview that she fears that when we pass legislation that allows law enforcement to potentially overstep privacy, I get a little wary about the slippery slope of what that could look like.

My heart goes out to everyone who was out at the Highland (Park) parade that day and I cant imagine the terror and trauma it is, she said. But at the same point, we have to find that balance on the spectrum between freedom and safety.

Democratic Rep. Curtis Tarver of Chicago expressed frustration that this bill was not proposed after a mass shooting in one of Chicagos Black neighborhoods.

Democratic Sen. Linda Holmes of Aurora, the bills chief sponsor in the Senate, said the measure gives police and other first responders critical information in a chaotic situation where lives are at stake.

This could spare another community the suffering and trauma we experienced here  it has the potential to prevent more chaos and death, she said.

The new law includes extensive language regulating the facial recognition capabilities of law enforcement drones, allowing it only in cases where there is a identifiable high risk of a terrorist attack or to prevent imminent harm to life.

Morrison said the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois was concerned that facial recognition could be used to track immigrants who are in the country without legal permission and have them turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Also under the measure, drone footage must be erased after 24 hours except in specific cases, such as if the footage contains evidence of a crime. A report must also be made by a law enforcement agency as to why, where and when a drone was used.

This may be one of the most important bills Ive worked on in my Senate career because it can make a difference in how law enforcement and first responders can gather information and take lifesaving actions swiftly, Holmes said.

Photos: Pritzker sworn in for second term
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 16)  The balance of payments (BOP) deficit for this year won't be as bad as earlier thought, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), indicating improving conditions.

The BSP on Friday said it now expects the BOP to end 2023 with a deficit of $1.2 billion, or 0.3% of gross domestic product (GDP)  narrower than the previous forecast of a $1.6 billion deficit equivalent to 0.4% of GDP.

"The financial account is now projected to continue to post inflows. However, it is lower than the previous forecast," BSP Director of Economic Research department Hanesha Botocan said.

Botocan said this is underpinned mainly by the projected lower net inflows of foreign direct investments at $9 billion from the previous $11 billion, mainly due to dampened investor sentiment from external headwinds, in particular power politics through economic means.

The BSP, meanwhile, kept its BOP deficit projection for 2024 at $0.5 billion, accounting for 0.1% of GDP.

The BOP is the record of all international financial transactions made by residents and entities of a country, comprising of the current account, the capital account, and the financial account. The BOP measures if a country has a deficit or a surplus from its economy, which is a factor in formulating policies.

The central bank revised its projections for the current account  which monitors the inflow and outflow of goods and services into a country  to a deficit of $15.1 billion for 2023, or 3.4% of GDP. That's narrower than the $17.1 billion the BSP previously announced.

The forecast was lowered as the trade gap will likely be thinner  with growth in both goods exports and imports moderate "amid weak global activity and decline in commodity prices."

The BOP, however, will be supported by a sustained growth in travel and BPO receipts, remittances and net inflows in foreign direct investments.

The BSP kept its projections for the Philippines foreign exchange reserves or gross international reserves at $100 billion, enough to cover seven months of imports.
Answer: In an 1857 trial in Metamora at which Goings was accused of killing her abusive husband, her lawyer, Lincoln, believed the killing was in self-defense but that Goings was going to be found guilty anyway by an unyielding judge. So, after a court recess, Lincoln returned to the court alone, without her, and explained: "Your honor, I did not chase her off. She simply asked me where she could get a good drink of water, and I said, 'Tennessee has mighty fine drinkin water.' A year later, Lincoln persuaded the Woodford County state's attorney to drop the charges against Goings.
The number of men seeking paternity tests in Uganda has recently increased by 70% Ugandas spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Simon Mundeyi, says.



Three years ago, three tests per month were carried out, now it is close to 100 every month, Uganda's Monitor newspaper quotes him as saying.



The government said it was unsure why these numbers were rising.



Some men now are now waking up to the fact that they are looking after children that do not actually belong to them, Mr Mundeyi told NTV Uganda.



He mentioned that out of 12 results that they had got back this week so far, only two confirmed the father was the biological parent.



Speaking to NTV Uganda, Josephine Kasaato, president of the Mothers Union in Buganda region, said there should be counselling to support families that had gone through the testing.



Tests are carried out at the Government Analytical Laboratory in the capital, Kampala, and cost $100 (78).

Source: BBC









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A South African Airlines (SAA) plane carrying President Cyril Ramaphosas security detail and media representatives that has been grounded in Poland since Thursday will remain at Warsaw airport until Sunday, an airport spokesman told the BBC.



The SAA chartered flight was part of the delegation of the African peace mission to Ukraine and Russia. President Ramaphosa flew on a separate plane, and then travelled to Ukraine on Friday via train from south-eastern Poland.



The Polish foreign ministry said some of the passengers on board the security and media aircraft were not notified to the Polish authorities ahead of time as being on board.



The Polish Border Guard said some of the presidents security detail did not have permits to carry weapons in Poland and were told they could not disembark while carrying their firearms.



Warsaw Chopin Airport spokesman Piotr Rudzki told the BBC that some of the passengers, including journalists, had now got off the plane and gone to a hotel.



Weve received information that they have decided to stay in Warsaw until Sunday. The journalists have disembarked, we dont know about the other passengers, Mr Rudzki said.



He said the aircraft had refuelled and had started to move when the cockpit informed airport staff that take-off had been cancelled and the plane would stay in Warsaw.



Earlier a South African official had said the plane would fly to Russia, where President Ramaphosa is due to meet Vladimir Putin on Saturday.



Mr Rudzki said there were passengers on board without the necessary paperwork to carry their firearms in Poland, whilst others had photocopies of their permits.



We cannot let passengers with illegal firearms into the EU, he said.



He said he had received information the South African authorities were in the process of sending the necessary paperwork to Warsaw.



Some of the delegation didnt want to be separated from their firearms. They were given the chance by the Border Guard to disembark without their firearms," he added.



"The firearms would have remained on the plane, they were not going to be confiscated as some reports in South Africa have said."

Source: BBC









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The Office of the Attorney General has closed its case in the trial of former Chief Executive Officer of Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, who is being tried in absentia for allegedly causing over GH93 million financial loss to the state.



Charged along the former John Mahama appointee is Daniel Axim who was the former Operations Manager at MASLCO under whose watch the alleged misuse of public funds took place.



The prosecution led by Stella Ohene Appiah, a Principal State Attorney yesterday closed its case after the court discharged the case investigator, Kodua Panyin, following the failure of counsel for Mr. Axim to show up and conclude his cross-examination.



Augustines Obuor, counsel for Mr. Axim had one hour left to cross-examine the case investigator but did not show up for the trial yesterday and the accused told court the lawyer was indisposed although he could not provide any proof to the court.



The Court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, a Justice of the Court of Appeal sitting as an additional High Court Judge then asked the accused to do the cross-examination himself as she was not going to adjourn the case.



She said she has to manage the case in way that would allow the substantive judge in that court to also get time to do his work.



My Lady, respectfully, I wont be able to do that. My lawyer would be the best to do that. As he has indicated that he will come on 22 (June), I pray that, that will be granted for me, Mr. Axim requested.



Justice Asare-Botwe indicated that the case was adjourned to yesterday at the instance of Mr. Obour so she would not adjourn the case when there is no report before the court and the accused could not also show even a text message from the lawyer showing that he was indeed indisposed.



She added that Mr. Obuor could have sent any of his juniors to conduct the case for him but failed to do so, adding that What you people are doing is making the court ineffective.



She, therefore, ordered Mr. Axim to conduct the cross-examination himself but the accused said my Lady, personally I dont have any question for the witness.



The court subsequently discharged the witness and the prosecution indicated that would be the end of their case after calling four witnesses.



Parties in the case were given up to July 7, to file their submissions while the court has set July 31 to rule whether the prosecution has made a case against the accused persons for them to open their defence.



Charges



Ms. Attionu and Mr. Axim are facing 80 counts of conspiracy, stealing, unauthorised commitment resulting in a financial obligation for the government, improper payment, money laundering and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.



They allegedly stole a total of GH3,198,280 whiles at MASLOC and willfully caused a GH1,973,780 financial loss to the state.



Again, Ms. Attionu and her accomplice according to the facts while in charge at MASLOC made unauthorized commitments resulting in financial obligations for the government to the tune of GH61,735,832.50.



The charges against the two also include GH22,158,118.85 loss to public property and improper payment of GH273,743.66 as well as money laundering of GH3,704,380.



Trial In Absentia



The court on February 24, 2023 granted an application by the prosecution conduct the trial in the absence of Attionu, after she fled to the United States in 2021 and has since refused to return for the trial.



The court, prior to that on January 24, 2023, ordered the former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Alex Mould and actor, Gavivina Tamakloe to pay the GH5 million bail bond to the state for their failure to produce the accused person whom they stood sureties for.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









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The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon Samuel Abu Jinapor has mentioned that since 2017 his government has been developing a systematic policy framework in the Mineral resources sector to maintain the highest earn of value chain.



According to the Member of Parliament for Damango Constituency in the Savannah Region of Ghana, this will keep investors and partners under a particular framework in regards to exploitation of lithium and other green minerals and also helps the country to earn much than exporting the minerals in its raw state.



Ghana over the years has been exporting minerals in their raw state to other part of the countries for refinery purposes and this has been making the mineral endowed country to lose much in terms of revenue.



Speaking at Bloomberg New Economy Gateway, Africa at Marrrakesh in Morocco with highlight on Ghana, Hon Samuel Abu Jinapor reiterated that under no circumstances will Ghana export lithium resources or other green resources in their raw state.



He said the Ghanas government is keen to keeping the greatest earn of this newly found mineral.



The Minerals Income Investment Fund has revealed Atlantic Lithium has discovered lithium in commercial quantities in Ghana and is on track to become West Africa's first producing mine. The Ewoyaa discovery in the central region has significant amount of lithium spodumene located on the Cape Coast lithium belt



Bloomberg New Economy Gateway, Africa brought together leaders from the private and public sectors to discuss the Worlds most pressing issues and evaluate potential solutions in the context of local and regional priorities.



Later he touted the democratic dispensation of Ghana to the part of World saying it has been trap cut in attracting investors to the country.



According to the Damango Legislator, Ghanas Democracy is very rooted and robust like countries like Germany, England among others and to him, Rule of law, good governance and sanity of contracts are the major features of this robotic democracy.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), has supplied relief items to flood victims in the Ketu South and Keta municipalities in the Volta Region in the wake of the flood disaster that struck there last week.



The Director-General of NADMO, Eric Nana Agyemang Prempeh, led a team to deliver the items at the Ketu South municipal assembly at Denu yesterday.



This came less than 48 hours after the Daily Graphic highlighted the plight of the displaced persons, some of who were living in the flooded rooms more than a week after the incident.



Items



The items included bags of rice and maize, cooking oil, blankets, mosquito repellents, life jackets, plastic plates and cups.



The cost of the items was not disclosed.



Mr Agyemang Prempeh gave an assurance that some mattresses were on the way from Ho for the victims.



He said that the items, which were meant for the displaced persons were not for sale.



The Chief Executive of the Keta Municipal Assembly, Emmanuel Gemegah, received the items on behalf of the two municipalities.



He pledged that the items would reach the targeted beneficiaries as soon as possible and that steps would be taken to ensure they did not get into wrong hands.



Appreciation



Mr Gemegah expressed gratitude to the government for the prompt response to the plight of the victims and appealed for more support for them.



He described the flood situation as unprecedented which had affected a greater section of the area.



That, Mr Gemegah said, calls for more relief items.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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Charles Owusu has fired salvoes at the former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation and a former Chairman of the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng over his recent report indicting some persons within government of their involvement in illegal mining (galamsey).



Prof. Frimpong-Boateng has over the months become a topic for discussion following the release of his report mentioning names of government officials who he accused of sabotaging his work on clamping down on illegal miners due to their interferences and other behaviours they exhibited while he was in office.



In the report was the late former General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party, Kwadwo Afriyie Owusu, popularly called "Sir John", and Charles Owusu, by his association with Sir John, was also cited.



In line with this development, the office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) invited Professor Frimpong-Boateng to assist with investigations into his claims but the latter, who according to information by the OSP was invited a month ago, weeks ago disclosed to Ghanaians that he was arrested by the Special Prosecutor to court sympathy for himself.



Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show Friday morning, Charles Owusu expressed his distaste with Prof. Frimpong-Boateng and his report on Sir John.



He wondered why Prof. Frimpong-Boateng thinks he was mistreated because the Special Prosecutor (SP) invited him to his office over his own claims.



As if to quote the popular saying "what is good for the goose is good for the gander" to say Prof. Frimpong-Boateng is not above investigations, Charles Owusu blasted the former Minister saying "just recently when 'Saint' Frimpong-Boateng wrote his useless report as Head of Inter-ministerial and brought it into the public domain saying, even within the report, that illegal gold mining is happening in President Akufo-Addo's house at Kyebi which provoked the President's family to release statements; Ghanaians didn't say anything because he is a 'Saint'.



"Even about my boss who has died and is gone, if he were even alive and you were making those claims, he would have the opportunity to respond. Look at how he described him (Sir John) because he (Frimpong-Boateng) is more human being? . . . I have been invited by Police. I've gone to write my statement because of his report . . . if a State-authorized entity is also investigating him, what is he hiding?"



To him, the Special Prosecutor has done nothing wrong to investigate Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, thus scolding him for trying to paint a bad image about the office of the Special Prosecutor to Ghanaians.



Charles Owusu also slammed Ghanaians for supporting Prof. Frimpong-Boateng's version of the story.



"Somebody sat in his office to write things that when written about him won't make him happy to describe a dead man who has no voice to defend himself, disgraces him and then if that person (Frimpong-Boateng) is invited, you come out to defend him . . . if it is somebody else, we should crucify him but when it turns to another person, then you want us to support that person because that person doesn't sin? Is that so?"



Watch video below





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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An Accra High Court has adjourned the matter involving Charles Nii Armah Mensah, known in showbiz as Shatta Wale to June 27, 2023, to enable the parties file terms of settlement.



The adjournment was requested by the lawyers for the dancehall artiste.



Lawyers for Shatta Wale made the request for two weeks to enable them file the terms of settlement.



Mr. Frank Atese Kwabena, Counsel for Shatta Wale, who held brief for Madam Cynthia Quarcoe, told the court that, they had made some progress in their engagements.



The court, presided over by Justice Joseph Agyemang Adu Owusu, after hearing the respondent, said since settlement was still in progress, the case has been adjourned to June 27, 2023.



On November 2, 2022, Shatta Wale made some publication on his Facebook page, implicating his former Manager, Lawrence Asiamah Hanson, also known a Bulldog, in the murder of Fennec Okyere, among others.



Bulldog then sued him for defamation, but the parties have in various sittings, especially counsel for Shatta Wale, told the court that the parties are willing to settle the matter out of court.



Since March 7, 2023, when the request was made, the parties have appeared in court at least three times, saying talks on settlement was progressing.



On April 18, 2023, lawyers for Shatta Wale again requested for a month for further negotiations after lawyers for Bulldog indicated the parties failed to reach an agreement.



Back in court after a month, on May 16, 2023, lawyers for Shatta Wale indicated that, the parties have now agreed on settlement terms in principle. He, therefore, prayed the court for a month adjournment for the parties to draft the terms of settlement and same filed to the court for its adoption as a consent judgment.



The plaintiff is seeking a declaration of the court that the series of publications made by the defendant as particularised in the statement of claim are defamatory to the plaintiff.



He is also praying for a declaration of the court that the series of publications made by the respondent in the statement of claim are malicious.



An order of the court directed at the respondent to on all his social media pages or accounts, make a publication on seven consecutive days of an unqualified retraction of and unreserved apology for the defamatory words that the defendant has published about the plaintiff, such retraction and apology to be vetted and approved by the plaintiffs lawyers.



An order of the court for perpetual injunction restraining the respondent, his agents, workmen, assigns and servants from publishing or further publishing any defamatory words against the plaintiff.



He seeks general damages for defamation, special damages for defamation and punitive damages for malicious publication of falsehood against the plaintiff.

Source: GNA









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" " Participants in the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade march up 5th Ave. on June 11, 2017 in New York City. Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

It's National Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States (September 15 through October 15), a time for Americans to celebrate the richness of Hispanic and Latino culture at home and abroad through art exhibits, food festivals, Spanish-language film and theater productions, and more.

It's also a time for politicians and the media to stumble over the subtle differences between the terms Hispanic and Latino. The confusion is real, because the dictionary definitions of Hispanic and Latino don't always jibe with the way the terms are understood and used in the real world.

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Let's start with the main difference between the official definitions of Hispanic and Latino. The term Hispanic covers anyone from a Spanish-speaking country or their descendants. So you're considered Hispanic if you or your ancestors are from one of more than 20 Spanish-speaking countries around the world. That list includes countries in Latin America (which consists of South and Central America, plus Spanish-speaking islands in the Caribbean) and Spain.

Latino, on the other hand, refers specifically to people from Latin America. Confusingly, this includes people from non-Spanish-speaking countries. So someone from Brazil (where Portuguese is the main language) or Suriname (where they speak Dutch) is considered Latino, but not Hispanic, because they don't speak Spanish.

To sum up:

Somebody from Spain is Hispanic, but not Latino.

Somebody from Brazil is Latino, but not Hispanic.

Somebody from Mexico is both Hispanic and Latino.

But before you get too comfortable with those definitions, you need to understand how each of those terms is loaded with its own history and politics. The U.S. census officially began using the word "Hispanic" in 1980 as an umbrella term for Americans with origins in Spanish-speaking countries. But not everybody was comfortable with that term.

Rolando Romero was chair of the Department of Latina/Latino Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign when we spoke to him in 2018 (he is now associate professor emeritus). Romero was born in Mexico and emigrated to the U.S. at 13 years old. For him and many others, the word "Hispanic" is too tied to Spain and doesn't reflect the lived experience of Latino communities in America, most of which have ties to Latin America.

Romero prefers "Latino," but believes it should only be used to describe Latinos in the U.S., not people living in Latin American countries. And even then, he thinks that Latino falls short of describing most Latinos' self-identity.

He says that if you ask a Latino person about their background, most won't say, "I'm Latino." They'll say "I'm Mexican-American. I'm Puerto Rican. I'm Cuban." When describing himself, Romero uses "Chicano," a term for Mexican-Americans that arose during the Civil Rights movement and still carries a note of pride and political defiance.

"If you go to the Rogers Park neighborhood in Chicago, you'll see Cuban food, you'll see Colombian food, you'll see Salvadoran food," says Romero, "but you'll never see 'Latino food.' Latino has become the umbrella term in the U.S. to refer to all those groups, but it's hardly ever used in real life."

Romero's impression is backed by 2019 survey data from the Pew Research Center, which found that 47 percent of all Hispanics and Latinos would describe themselves using an "origin term" like Mexican or Dominican, while 39 percent used an umbrella term like "Hispanic" or "Latino."

More recently, the term Latinx has been tossed into the mix. It was born of the LGBTQ movement and a desire among some Latinos to create a more inclusive term outside of the gender binary Latino or Latina. Romero worries that it's impossible to rid the Spanish language of gendered words and that Latinx is confusing to native Spanish speakers.

But Maria R. Scharron-del Rio, a counseling professor at Brooklyn College, disagrees, seeing the new word as a way of reaching out to people who haven't always been embraced by Latino immigrant communities.

"By using Latinx, nobody is telling you how to identify. It's up to you if you want to be Latinx, Latino, or something else," she told NBC News. "It's really a way to be inclusive. For people who are traditionally marginalized, that millisecond of politeness and recognition towards someone who is gender queer, tells them that you see them, that you are an ally."

Now That's Interesting A 2018 Pew survey found that 27 percent of Hispanic/Latino respondents preferred the term Hispanic, 18 percent prefered the term Latino and 54 percent had no preference. Just 3 percent of Hispanic/Latino adults use the term "Latinx" according to a 2019 Pew survey.
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Internal evolution of Europa. Credit: Kevin Trinh/ASU

Jupiter's moon, Europa, is slightly smaller than Earth's Moon and is one of the most promising places to search for alien life.

Amid the Jovian system, Europa is of particular interest to scientists because of the strong evidence for nutrients, water and energy to potentially provide a habitable environment for some form of life beyond Earth. In addition, Europa is believed to be made up into four layers (from surface to center): an ice shell, salt water ocean, rocky mantle, and metallic core.

Like Earth, Europa's ocean touches the rocky seafloor, which may allow for rock-water chemistry favorable for life. Some scientists also believe that the seafloor may host volcanoes, which can provide more energy and nutrients for a potential biosphere.

ASU scientists Kevin Trinh, Carver Bierson and Joe O'Rourke of the School of Earth and Space Exploration investigated the consequences of Europa forming with low initial temperatures, using computer code that Trinh wrote. Their findings have been recently published in Science Advances.

Hydrated rocks may be a key ingredient

Europa may have a metamorphic origin for the ocean. While some scientists speculated this, Trinh and his team show that if Europa indeed formed from hydrated rocks (i.e., rocks have hydrogen and oxygen), then enough of Europa's interior should get hot enough to release water directly from the hydrated rocks to form the ocean and ice shell.

"The origin of Europa's ocean is important because the moon's potential to support life ultimately depends on the chemical ingredients and physical conditions during the ocean formation process," said Kevin Trinh, graduate associate at ASU's School Of Earth and Space Exploration.

Credit: Arizona State University

Metallic core formation requires high temperatures

Many scientists studying this icy moon assumed that Europa formed with a metallic core during or shortly after accretion. This ASU study contradicts that prediction, instead arguing that Europa may not have started forming its metallic core until billions of years after accretion (if it happened at all).

"For most worlds in the solar system we tend to think of their internal structure as being set shortly after they finish forming. This work is very exciting because it reframes Europa as a world whose interior has been slowly evolving over its whole lifetime. This opens doors for future research to understand how these changes might be observed in the Europa we see today," said Carver Bierson, postdoctoral research scholar at ASU's School Of Earth and Space Exploration.

The existence of a metallic core is deeply tied to Europa's internal heat, which may also be used to drive seafloor volcanism and contribute to a habitable seafloor environment. However, it is unclear whether Europa generated enough heat to form such a core. Trinh's code calculates how heat is generated and distributed throughout a moon, which uses the same governing equations that many geodynamicists used for decades. The team's novel result, however, comes from challenging the assumptions common to Europa modeling: A small moon like Europa could form as a cold mixture of ice, rock, and metal.

However, all of these processes require a hot interior. A small moon like Europa (~1% of Earth's mass) may not have enough energy to trigger or sustain Earth-like processesmetallic core formation, seafloor volcanism, and ongoing rock-water geochemistrywhich implies that Europa's habitable potential is uncertain. The exact time at which Europa formed determines how much heat is available from the radioactive decay of a short-lived isotope of aluminum. Tidal heating (from gravitational interactions with Jupiter and other moons) also governs how quickly Europa's interior separates into distinct layers.

Europa's seafloor may be cool, hydrated, and experience limited (if any) seafloor volcanism

This study implies that there may be limited hydrothermal activity and seafloor volcanism at Europa, which may hinder habitability. However, confident predictions require more data.

"Europa is not just a wet, baby Earth. It is its own special world, full of mysteries to unravel," said Joseph O'Rourke, Assistant Professor at ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration.

In October 2024, NASA plans to launch a spacecraft called Europa Clipper, which should arrive at Europa in April 2030. With the recent work by Trinh, Bierson and O'Rourke, scientists will be better equipped to interpret incoming data from Europa Clipper, whose main objective is to evaluate Jupiter's icy moon Europa for the potential conditions to host life.

More information: Kevin T. Trinh et al, Slow evolution of Europa's interior: metamorphic ocean origin, delayed metallic core formation, and limited seafloor volcanism, Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf3955 Journal information: Science Advances
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 16)  More than 20,000 people have fled their homes as Mayon continues to spew lava, latest data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed.

According to the NDRRMC's situational report on Friday, the volcano's unrest has displaced 20,267 individuals from the 6-kilometer radius permanent danger zone. They are temporarily staying in 27 evacuation centers in Albay.

The disaster agency added that the government has so far provided 57.6 million worth of food and non-food relief assistance.

To date, a total of 38,391 people were affected from the eight cities in the province: Bacacay, Camalig, Ligao, Daraga, Guinobatan, Malilipot, Sto. Domingo, and Tabaco.

No death or injury has been reported at this time.

READ: The beauty is a beast: Mayon Volcano's unrest in 2023

On Friday, Albay Gov. Edcel Greco Lagman ordered the designation of disaster response desks in all evacuation centers.

The governor said this will help address internally displaced evacuees' concerns such as sanitation, ventilation, and security. He added that this will also ensure relief goods are well-distributed.

State volcanologists earlier said there is still no cause to raise Alert Level 4 over Mayon but its restiveness could take a several weeks to a few months.

With its current status, the volcano has an increased tendency towards a hazardous eruption, and potential explosive activity can occur within weeks or even days.

READ: Albay gov't eyes permanent relocation for residents within Mayon danger zone
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

The components in the GPS wildlife tracker. Credit: Rasmus W. Havmller)

Keeping up with the journeys of wolves and welfare of wild horses has never been easier. With a GPS wildlife tracker powered by an animal's own movements, University of Copenhagen researchers have solved a problem faced by biologists and wildlife managers seeking to track wild animals year after year: dead batteries.

The wolf's comeback in Europe has preoccupied people all across the continent over the last years. Where is it? What is its range? What does it live on? The only way to get solid answers to these questions is through GPS tracking. In December, it was a cause for celebration when a GPS collar was fitted onto a wolf for the first time in Denmark. Only three months later, the signal stopped.

GPS trackers that stop working or run out of power prematurely are a frequent problem and source of frustration among researchers who want to track mammals for longer periods, says biologist and postdoc Rasmus W. Havmller of the University of Copenhagen. Typically, batteries are the problem:

"When studying wildlife with GPS technology, the biggest limitation is always going to be the battery. It's enormously frustrating. It is not uncommon that one gets to track an animal for a few months at most before the GPS device goes dead. But tracking an animal for a longer period of time is often important, as in the case with wolves here in Denmark. Therefore, we need a more reliable power source," says Rasmus W. Havmller and continues:

"Solar cells work fine for birds, but solar cells are so fragile that mammals tend to crush them. Moreover, many mammals are nocturnal. So we needed to come up with an alternative. I had long thought about the cleverness of the automatic wristwatches that many of us wear, which harvest energy from our own body's movements."

Together with research colleagues at UCPH, the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and DTU, Havmller developed a battery-free GPS wildlife tracker that runs on kinetic energyi.e., the energy generated when an animal moves. The scientific article on the research has been published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Rasmus W. Havmller mounting the GPS device on a bison. Credit: Rasmus W. Havmller

Lasts a lifetime, at a tenth of the cost

"It sure as heck works! The more an animal moves, the more energy it generates and the more GPS location messages it sends. Unless the equipment itself breaks, it will work throughout an animal's lifetime. At the same time, it only weighs 150 gramssignificantly less than most other GPS trackersso it can even be fitted onto small mammals," says Havmller, adding that the device costs less than a tenth of traditional GPS collars, which run up to 3,5004,000 apiece.

Rasmus W. Havmller and his colleague, lead author Troels Gregersen, are assembling the GPS trackers themselves in a small laboratory at the Natural History Museum of Denmark.

The device, dubbed "KineFox" by the researchers, has been fitted onto one of the Danish Nature Agency's wild horses and has been sending data on the horse's position for the past six months. The tracker has also been tested on dogs and a bison. The plan is for it to be long-term tested on several animal species.

Ideal for rewilding of animals

Rewilding is one area that the researchers envision the GPS tracker making a difference. The lack of supervision of animals released into the wild is a problem that has given rise to heated debate in recent years.

"The systematic human supervision of wild horses and cattle, to keep them from starving for example, is extremely resource intensive. Our tracker is ready to address this task," says Rasmus W. Havmller.

Because the tracking unit contains an accelerometer that measures how an animal moves, wildlife managers can get a glimpse of an animal's condition through its activity pattern.

"Studies with cows and pigs show that they begin moving differently when ill. In this way, it is likely that the tracker will also be able to tell something about an animal's health. This means that you can comply with supervision legislation without having to get people out there every single day to find and inspect animals," says the researcher.

Kinefox tracker on bison. Credit: Rasmus W. Havmller

Can help us protect endangered species

Havmller points out that Kinefox can also lend a hand to endangered species, wherever knowledge about the way they live and move about is lacking. "There is no good alternative to this GPS device when it comes to serious long-term studies and studies of how animal species disperse. Because either the equipment is too big, too heavy or too fragile. But it's really important to understand how a species moves from one place to another, and where they are shot or poisoned, for examplenot least if we want to protect them better."

He himself has been frustrated by GPS devices whose batteries died suddenly while studying both endangered leopards and wild dogs. "There are endangered species where we know incredibly little about what they do for most of their lives. These include tigers, which can travel thousands of kilometers, as well the Asiatic wild dogs and leopards that I'm involved with. When wild dogs reach sexual maturity, leave their mother and set out on their own, they are very vulnerable. But from that moment on, we know nothing about what they're up to and why some die while others make it. It is a black box. I hope that this invention can remedy that," concludes Rasmus W. Havmller.

Havmller and his research colleagues are now in contact with several potential stakeholders about the long-term testing of Kinefox on various animal species.

More information: Troels Gregersen et al, A novel kinetic energy harvesting system for lifetime deployments of wildlife trackers, PLOS ONE (2023). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285930 Journal information: PLoS ONE
Nominations for presidential and parliamentary candidates started over the weekend with the People's Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC), United Democratic Movement (UDM), the United National People's Party (UNPP) and the Revolutionary United Front Party (RUFP). On Monday it was the turn of the main opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP). Politico hopes to be able to speak to all the candidates. But today we begin with the RUFP who, for the first time, convened a delegates' conference to elect their presidential candidate. He is Eldred Collins, a former spokesman of the rebel organisation. POLITICO: Mr. Collins you want to tell me why you are running for president of Sierra Leone? Collins: Yes of course! I have so many reasons and also without reasons. It has been bestowed on me by God that I should take my people out of bondage. You can see the present situation in Sierra Leone  the living condition. We came from a crisis - a war. And for the past 15 years we see things are dragging feet and we the R.U.F.P. have an ideology. An ideology which says that power belongs to the people and the wealth of the country belongs to the people and should be utilized and I have seen that there is no utilization of these our blessed mineral resources that should take care of the welfare of the people. In [the areas of] education, health and other minor issues. That is the reason why in the Lome Peace agreement [it is stated that] there should be a commission of strategic mineral resources. A commission that is supposed to control the mineral wealth of the nation, which has not come true. And then we are hungry. The people of Sierra Leone are struggling without survival and struggle without survival is a crime and we feel guilty that we have to use our political will, our democratic will to make sure that the power goes back to the people and the people will control their destiny. POLITICO: When you say you feel guilty, what do you mean? Collins: Guilty of not defending the people. POLITICO: You mean the R.U.F.P.? Collins:All Sierra Leoneans! Meaningful Sierra Leoneans, intellectuals, academics, etc. It is their responsibility to make sure that they create the avenue, the scenario where the welfare of the people should be met. POLITICO: Some people believe that the kind of bondage or poverty you refer to that goes on in Sierra Leone is largely due to the activities of your R.U.F when it was a rebel organisation. What would you say to those people? Collins:Those people do not know the historical background of our country. POLITICO: But they do know that there was a rebel war in Sierra Leone unleashed by the R.U.F. which was actually represented by you, and you were yourself a key player in those rebel times? Collins: If there was not a reason for the revolution, or the war the international community and the other people during the peace agreement would not have said that the R.U.F. should be transformed into a political party. POLITICO: That was probably a way to bring back peace, a peace which you and your rebel movement had suffocated. Collins: The people of this country until before the war were suffering without survival. Things were going from bad to worse, even the common Sierra Leonean in the street was saying that in krio if war nor fet tin nor go bete. And that's been done.

POLITICO: Meaning if the country did not go to war things would not improve?

Collins: Yes that was the saying of Sierra Leoneans in those days.

POLITICO: But probably they believe now that they probably had wished for something which they ought to not have wished for because of the orgy of violence and terror unleashed by R.U.F. Collins: The R.U.F. was not the only fighting force in Sierra Leone, and let me tell you, my brother, things have to change. The people said those things without even knowing the consequences of war and the have now realized what the consequences of war are. POLITICO: Exactly, meaning wanton destruction. And do you feel guilty that the R.U.F. unleashed terror on the people of Sierra Leone  do you personally as Eldred Collins feel guilty? Collins: Those people that caused this war that caused this country to go down the drain in the holes making Sierra Leone to become a dark country within the continent, do they feel guilty that they are the cause of the revolution or revolt of the people? Because this was a purely Sierra Leone issue. POLITICO: Be that it may be, do you feel guilty for being a part of the R.U.F. rebel movement and you yourself were quite known in Sierra Leone for having declared Operation No Living Thing - meaning to kill everything that was living. Do you regret the role you played? Collins: You are talking about Operation No Living Thing, where were you when the Nigerians were bombing and killing people? Where were you when we were pulling out of Freetown when the Nigerians were bombing? That was the reason why we said that we would look for them. We were talking about those that were killing the people of Sierra Leone at that time. But things have changed.

POLITICO: Have you changed? You say things have changed, have you changed?

Collins: My question is has Sierra Leone changed, because Im a Sierra Leonean. If Sierra Leone has changed then I will be changed. POLITICO: What is your answer to that  has Sierra Leone changed? Collins: It is my duty to contribute towards the total changing of the system in Sierra Leone and that is why I am going for the presidency to make sure that we have serenity. We have welfare and the welfare of people of this country should be met by those who represent them. They are not masters of the people  they are servants of the people. I am a servant of the people. I have given up my life in making sure that what belongs to the people gets back to the people. POLITICO: I ask you this again: with the benefit of hindsight, do you regret joining the R.U.F rebel movement and taking part in the orgy that was unleashed on this country and its people. Do you regret that at all? Collins: There are so many revolutions in the world, there are so many wars in the world. I do think that most of these leaders in Iraq, name them so many countries that were destroyed by war, and Im asking if they have regretted or not? As I told you before, my mission is to make sure that serenity [and] the welfare of the people of this country [are] met and I have taken the onus. You are talking about regret, the government of the day at that particular time, was it a violent government or a peaceful one? Even you the press, there was no press freedom, there was so many things under the one party system you know and now we have made sure that the awareness is now in the minds of the people of this country. POLITICO: You are talking about the government of the 1980s to1990s that you say led you to take up arms and that was a government led by the APC party. There has been a rumor that you have associated yourself with the APC party which is in government. Is that true? Collins: The APC of the 1980s to 1992 was a one party government that was a composition of all political parties that came together under Siaka Stevens to be a one party system. So there was nothing like multi parties. POLITICO: Are you saying the APC of the day is different in the sense therefore you are comfortable associating with them? Collins: My association is with all political parties because we are preaching political tolerance. It doesnt mean we are allies to any political party. Let me tell you, the RUFP is an independent political party and we have ideology behind our cause. POLITICO: So it is not true that you have an affinity with the APC party  the government right now? Collins: They are a party on their own and the RUFP is a party on our own. POLITICO: Is it true that the government now is bankrolling your party in any way. Collins: That is not correct! That is wrong! It is misleading. It is done by those who are against the system to make sure that we pursue political tolerance in the country. We are not an ally to any political party and we are warning those people who are spreading those ugly messages of the RUFP alligning itself with the APC or any other political party that they have to be very careful with the security of our country. It is not yet time to be pointing fingers at political parties. We do believe that it is time for us to share ideas because at the end of the day this is our country. After election we will all have to come together and build this nation irrespective of party. When election comes we go to our various parties. But the RUF has no alliance with any political party. We are going for the race, we are going for the presidency, we are going for parliament and councils in the coming election. Dont forget we are now completely transformed into a political party. We have just held our national delegates' conference in Kenema, where for the first time we brought the whole of the RUF family together and we will make sure that we are not part and parcel of any violence in this country. We are now a political party. Anyone who thinks the RUFP is going towards violence is making a big mistake. A mistake that he or she would never forget, because we will shun you, we will not talk to you, we will keep out of your way. The idea is let us have a peaceful democratic system in our country where issues would be debated. You give your views your ideas. Sierra Leoneans are now aware. I dont believe that Sierra Leoneans at this time are going for colours. Their minds have changed, therefore lets give them a chance. Whomsoever presents their manifesto let the people hold them to it. POLITICO: Finally when you go around the country particularly those areas hardest hit by the countrys civil war  I mean especially like places like Kailahun district where the war started  when you visit those areas and then you see the scars or remains of the civil war, do you say to people you are sorry or the RUF is sorry or do you just ignore those things? Collins: After the Second World War mass infrastructural development started, we believe that it is now time that those areas that were destroyed during the war [be rebuilt]. In fact what type of infrastructure was there before? POLITICO: Whatever there was... Collins: Excuse me, with the wealth we have in this country we do believe that after the war or now we have stability, we have peace, we have political process that is democratic. We will make sure that all areas that were destroyed during the war, and I will be hasty to tell you that it was not only the RUF that fired guns in those areas. You had the ECOMOG that were ...bombing those areas. They were not taken to the special court, destroying villages with bombs, you understand? Most of the destruction up there was done by those things. The truth has not come out, the truth will come out about how those areas were destroyed. But now ... [it] is our housing policy that it is the right for a government to have a housing project or housing policy laid out so that at least they will have some estate where you can get people to live and to improve the infrastructure of our colonial towns up country. POLITICO: It is amazing Mr. Collins, if I could ask you again, you dont sound regretful. You have not used the R word to say you are remorseful or regretful for what the RUF did to Sierra Leoneans? Collins: Is it the RUF that fought the war in Sierra Leone? POLITICO: There may have been other groups, [but] do you feel sorry for what you did? Collins: Have you asked them whether they are sorry for coming and shelling their bombs and destroying those villages? POLITICO: Be that as it may, do you as RUF regret at all what you did  your own part of the destruction of Sierra Leone. Do you regret that as Eldred Collins, presidential candidate of the RUFP? Collins: The war, no one knows the consequences of war. Those that caused the war did not regret it and the RUF was not the only faction that fought in the country. POLITICO: And you have not regretted it? Collins: Regretting what? Regretting when the people were living in dark days! You are talking about regretting, now the awareness has come into the minds of the people of the country they are aware. Everyone in this country took part in the war including you because you are a Sierra Leonean either for the good or for the worse. So the issue of regretting leads towards the new Sierra Leone that we are about to build as a nation. POLITICO: Mr Collins, thank you very much for your time. Collins: Thank you too.

NOTE: This interview was conducted before Eldred Collins appointed a woman as his running-mate.
ALBANY  A Granville man was sentenced on Friday to nearly 11 years in prison for conspiring to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine and possessing firearms.

Victor Aguero Vasquez, 48, had previously pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court. He admitted that between November 2018 and September 2019, he obtained at least 5 kilograms of cocaine from his New York City-based drug supplier that he then sold to cocaine redistributors in the Northern District of New York. The defendant also admitted to possessing multiple firearms in a shed behind his home to protect over 1 kilogram of cocaine that was stored with the firearms.

In addition to 130 months in prison, Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Scullin Jr. also sentenced Vasquez to a 4-year term of supervised release to begin after imprisonment.

Nestor Cordero-Hernandez pled guilty in March 2020 to conspiring with Vasquez to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, and was sentenced in July 2020 to 87 months in prison.

William Gonzalez pled guilty in August 2020 to conspiring with Vasquez to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 13, 2023 before U.S. District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby.
FORT EDWARD  Volunteer members of fire companies, fire departments, or incorporated ambulance services, will qualify for a 10% county property tax exemption on their home, according to a law passed Friday by the Washington County Board of Supervisors. The exemption requires a membership of at least two years before applying.

The new local law follows a new state law allowing taxing entities such as counties, cities and towns to grant the exemption. Un-remarried spouses of volunteers killed in the line of duty or deceased volunteers may also qualify.

Hartford Supervisor Dana Haff asked whether a volunteer firefighter in his town who belongs to a fire company in Argyle could receive the exemption. County Attorney Roger Wickes said the firefighter could not, since Argyles company doesnt cover Hartford. On the other hand, in a town such as Easton, which contracts with fire companies in several surrounding towns, residents could qualify as long as their fire company has a contract with Easton.

The law passed unanimously after approval of a minor amendment requested by Haff.

In other business:

The board approved purchasing new voting machines from Hart Voting Machines for $604,883. The money will come from a $5.6 million appropriation from the fund balance. Most of the appropriation, $5 million, was allocated to the barn (highway garage) repair and replacement capital project, to fund current and future barn projects and reduce the need for borrowing. Haff cast the sole vote against the voting machine purchase, saying he was originally in favor of the purchase but changed his mind because the Board of Elections keeps changing its story. Haff also was the only nay vote on the resolution to transfer the funds from the fund balance, because it included the voting machines.

Haff was the only supervisor opposed to a proposed fund balance policy. The policy would maintain a fund balance of at least 20% of budgeted appropriations for most funds, 10% to 20% for the county roads fund, and 30% to 50% for the countys self-insurance fund. Haff called the policy very lengthy and said he was worried that a Trojan horse could be hidden in the wording.

The board held a public hearing on a proposal to apply for a federal Community Development Block Grant housing rehabilitation grant. Haff complained that there was no information on the grant proposal in the supervisors meeting packets. Wickes said the public notice of the hearing said details were available on the county website and from the county clerk. This is legally proper, Wickes said. It doesnt have to be convenient. Argyle Supervisor and board Chairman Robert Henke said the grant proposal had been discussed at length in committee. (It can be viewed on the county website at https://www.washingtoncountyny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/23794/CDBG-First-Legal-Notice?bidId=

.)

Pride of Ticonderoga would file an application for $500,000 for housing activities on the countys behalf. Nicole Justine, executive director of Pride of Ticonderoga, and Laura Oswald, the county economic development director, said the public hearing was to give the public a chance to comment on whether this would be a good use of the funds. The board would have to pass a resolution to apply at its July 21 meeting. Grants would be announced at the end of this year, with individuals able to apply in 2024. Justine said homeowners who are on the Home Energy Assistance Program and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program automatically qualify, but those arent the only ways to qualify for a CDBG grant. I dont want to discourage anyone from applying, Justine said. There may be other programs that could help you.

The board accepted a bid of $319,700 from Eastern Heating and Cooling, Albany, to replace two rooftop HVAC units at the county law enforcement center, and a bid of $586,500 from T. McElligot, Inc., Troy, to replace the chiller at the municipal center.

The board appointed Susan Mowry as county youth director. Mowry is the incumbent assistant director.

The board set a hearing on proposed Local Law C of 2023, regulating sewer use for Washington County Sewer Districts 1 and 2, for 10:05 a.m., July 21, at the Supervisors Chambers.
A SUNY Fredonia professor, barred from campus and teaching since his comments last year about whether adult-child sex is always wrong, wants to resume teaching at the public university.

Stephen Kershnar, who has taught philosophy courses at Fredonia since 1998, filed a lawsuit this week in U.S. District Court in Buffalo asking the court to declare that Fredonias administrators violated his First Amendment rights by removing him from the classroom after the comments he made on a podcast kicked off a social-media firestorm.

The lawsuit seeks to prohibit the college from barring Kershnar from teaching, entering campus and communicating with members of the university community.

Named as defendants are two university administrators: Stephen Kolison Jr., the president, and David Starrett, the executive vice president and provost.

For years, the State University of New York showered Kershnar with accolades touting his academic skills and prolific work, and in 2014 selected him as one of only 19 professors in the university system to be named SUNY distinguished teaching professor, SUNYs highest academic honor.

But when Professor Kershnars comments on a philosophy podcast caused a passing storm on Twitter, Kolison leapt onto the online dogpile, attorney Barry N. Covert, a member of Kershnars legal team, said in court papers. He reflexively decided that Kershnars comments  off-campus, unrelated to his job duties and making arguments he had made for decades  outweighed decades of scholarship.

Kolison immediately joined in denouncing Kershnar on Twitter, then summarily barred him from teaching, exiled him from campus, directed campus police to search his office, and prohibited him from communicating with the campus community, according to the court filing.

For 16 months since the February 2022 podcast, Kolison and Starrett have continued Kershnars exile, according to the lawsuit, citing unnamed safety concerns that the university cannot describe and refuses to identify. Meanwhile, SUNY Fredonia struggles to find an instructor to fill the classes that Kershnar mastered.

Added Kershnars lawyers: It is time to end SUNY Fredonias apparent imposition of a social media hecklers veto, which is anathema to scholars ability to offer ideas unpopular with administrators, lawmakers and the public.

When asked for comment, the university, through its Communications Office, provided this statement: SUNY Fredonia, President Kolison and Provost Starrett firmly believe that protecting our campus community is an essential part of creating a safe environment in which academic freedom can truly flourish. We will vigorously defend ourselves against the false accusations in this lawsuit.

Kershnars lawyers cited the role his pedagogical approach plays in the universitys sifting and winnowing of ideas.

Fredonia critic gets professorship A Fredonia State College associate professor who claimed he was denied advancement because he criticized campus policies has ended up with his promotion after all. Stephen Kershnar, who teaches philosophy, recently was elevated to the rank of professor shortly after the commotion over his promotion turned public. I am glad that the university and I were able to reach

His works cover a wide spectrum, including politics, ethics, religion, law and sports. It is said that he is known for promoting unpopular or previously ignored positions that often leads those who disagree with him to sharpen their own views when reacting to his reasoning.

What he said on podcast

On Jan. 30, 2022, Kershnar appeared on the Brain in a Vat podcast, which is promoted as a philosophy smorgasbord during which the hosts interview experts about ethics, the theory of knowledge and other issues.

Kershnars appearance was recorded while he was at home using his own computer on his own time.

During the podcast, Kershnar said: Imagine that an adult male wants to have sex with a 12-year-old girl. Imagine that shes a willing participant. A very standard, very widely held view is that theres something deeply wrong about this, and its wrong independent of being criminalized. Its not obvious to me that it is in fact wrong.

Two days later, a Twitter account shared a 28-second video clip from Kershnars Brain in a Vat appearance.

The tweets caption said the SUNY Fredonia professor questions the widely held societal belief that its deeply wrong for an adult man to want to have sex with a 12-year-old girl.

Within six minutes, the video clip was shared by a popular Twitter user, Libs of TikTok, which then had some 500,000 Twitter followers, according to the lawsuit.

Libs of TikTok then tagged Kolisons Twitter account, tweeting: Hi @DrKolison, it appears you have a problem at your university.

After Libs of TikTok shared it, the video clip garnered some 1.5 million views.

About three hours after the first video was posted, SUNY Fredonia tweeted a message from Kolison:

SUNY Fredonia is aware of a video posted online involving one of its professors. The views expressed by the professor are reprehensible and do not represent the values of SUNY Fredonia in any way, shape or form. They are solely the professors views. The matter is being investigated.

Over the next 24 hours, according to the lawsuit, the video clips generated negative media coverage for SUNY Fredonia, with articles and broadcasts from Fox News, online conservative media outlets and local TV news stations. In a prime-time broadcast on Feb. 2, 2022, a Fox News host denounced Kershnar as part of a new movement forming ... to normalize one of the most depraved and sickening acts a human can commit: pedophilia. It starts, as most bad ideas do, in the minds of university professors.

In a phone call the next day, SUNY Fredonias Chief of University Police Brent Isaacson ordered Kershnar not to come to the SUNY Fredonia campus, and said that he was barred from campus until further notice. Isaacson told Kershnar that he had concerns about security but declined to discuss them or offer any specific information about threats to Kershnar or his students, according to the lawsuit.

That same day, Isaacson, a SUNY Fredonia police lieutenant and several information technology staff members searched Kershnars office and campus police seized Kershnars desktop computer, according to the lawsuit.

Fredonias human resources director sent Kershnar a letter stating that until further notice, Kershnar was to perform an alternate work assignment from an alternate location and not to be on college property or have contact with the campus community without her permission.

Professor claims criticizing policies cost him a promotion A Fredonia State College instructor said he is being denied a promotion for speaking out against campus policies in the media. Stephen Kershnar, an associate professor of philosophy, was nominated in January for promotion to the rank of professor. While he received support from his departments chairman, dean and vice president, the request was turned down by Fredonia President

Also, SUNY Fredonia tweeted a second message from Kolison saying the college would continue to investigate the situation and that in the meantime, the professor was being assigned to duties that do not include his physical presence on campus and would not have contact with students while the investigation is ongoing.

When President Kolison separated Kershnar from the campus community, he had no basis to believe that Kershnar was a danger to any member of the campus community, according to the lawsuit.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Expression (FIRE) sent Kolison a letter Feb. 3 calling Kershnars statements protected by the First Amendment and SUNY Fredonias commitment to academic freedom. The Academic Freedom Alliance, a coalition of faculty members from across the ideological spectrum committed to upholding academic freedom, also sent a letter to Kolison, saying the universitys responsibility is to shelter its faculty from harassment and not add to it.

The next day, some 158 university professors from around the world and across disciplines sent Kolison a letter saying scholarly enterprise broadly requires the freedom to ask uncomfortable questions and explore unpopular arguments, and that if Kershnars ideas are wrong, then we all benefit from seeing those errors exposed through intellectual engagement.

Sixteen months later, Kershnar remains barred from the classroom and banned from campus, according to the lawsuit.

On April 3 of this year, Kershnars department chair informed faculty that the administration has decided Kershnar wont teach any courses in the fall 2023 semester.

Instead of teaching, Kershnar was instructed to conduct off-campus research consisting of a review of the philosophy curricula at each of SUNYs 64 regional campuses and 12 other public universities, purportedly to consider what courses should be offered at SUNY Fredonia, according to the lawsuit.

SUNY Fredonia has never served Kershnar with a notice of discipline but has effectively terminated him, according to the lawsuit.
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A federal judge has agreed to delay court proceedings against an Ocean County man charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot until next month.

A status conference in the case against Larry Fife Giberson, of Stafford Township, was pushed to July 20, according to a court filing.

The conference was originally scheduled to take place Thursday.

Giberson was indicted in April for allegedly partaking in the riot, in which supporters of former President Donald Trump broke into the building, interrupting the certification of current President Joe Bidens victory in the 2020 election.

He is charged with felony civil disorder and related misdemeanor offenses.

Giberson is represented by Charles Burnham, who, when reached by phone on Friday, directed questions to his email address. He later declined to comment.

In their motion for an extension, Gibersons defense team sought more time for evidential purposes, according to court documents.

Prosecutors and the defense have also discussed a possible settlement in the case, the document states.

Ocean County college student indicted in U.S. Capitol attack WASHINGTON  A federal grand jury last week indicted an Ocean County man and Princeton Unive

Giberson was indicted on six counts. He pleaded not guilty to all of those offenses when he was arraigned in late April, according to court records.

Giberson was charged with participating in the riot through an investigation by the FBI, which found images of him at the U.S. Capitol posted on the internet, according to the governments criminal complaint. Giberson was a Princeton University student at the time. Some photos matching his profile were found on Instagram and the universitys website, the complaint states.

Investigators further linked the photos to his profile from Southern Regional High School, the complaint states, finding he graduated from there in 2019. His identification was later confirmed through New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission records.

Giberson later confirmed himself as being the person in the collection of photos the FBI gathered, the complaint states.

Giberson was wearing a Make America Great Again hat and had a Trump flag around his neck when prosecutors say he conspired with the mobs assault on police officers in a tunnel on the Capitols Lower West Terrace. He also waved other rioters into the tunnel before joining a second round of pushing against police, trying to start a drag them out chant before the crowd used pepper spray against officers, prosecutors allege.

Since the riot, nearly 1,000 people from almost every state have been arrested for allegedly participating in the insurrection, the U.S. District Attorneys Office has said.

On Friday, a Florida man was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison for storming the Capitol and attacking a police officer.

Mason Joel Courson, 27, pleaded guilty in November to assaulting, resisting or impeding a law enforcement officer with a dangerous weapon.
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP  New Jersey has been working to promote transparency by requiring its police officers to wear body-worn cameras, but not all departments, including the townships, have had a quick rollout of the devices.

Citing a need for community trust and expanding public safety, former state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal authorized a directive in 2021 requiring that all uniform patrol officers be equipped with body-worn cameras. That directive builds off a pair of bills Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law in 2020.

The state, in the past few years, has moved to have cameras worn on all of its nearly 33,000 officers in 530 departments.

As of March, the Attorney Generals Offices most recent update, 23 New Jersey agencies were not in full compliance with the directive, said Michael Symons, a spokesperson for the agency.

The township is now coming in line with the state mandates.

All but a handful of officers are now equipped with the body-worn cameras, Lt. Cherie Bergen said. It is my understanding that (those) not equipped at this time are either out on injury, military or some other type of leave. Upon their return, they will receive the cameras and refresher training for the same.

Results of a survey released by the Attorney Generals Office in September 2020 showed 70% of departments and agencies in Atlantic County have body-worn cameras, with Cape May and Cumberland counties at 85% and 80%, respectively.

Under the legislation signed by Murphy, every uniformed state, county and municipal patrol law enforcement officer is required to wear the cameras, and those devices are to be activated while responding to a call for service or initiating a public encounter.

Wildwood police seek people of interest in shooting WILDWOOD  Police are looking to identify several people of interest in a May shooting.

In signing the legislation, Murphy called them a wise all-around investment in public safety and justice.

According to data from township police, the force has 103 functioning cameras. It has 69 patrol cars, 42 of which have dashboard cameras.

Bergen cited a delay in purchasing devices and a need for officer training as the reason the department had delays in meeting the state mandate.

Administrative personnel and detectives, who mostly assume office-related work, are not required to wear the body cameras daily, Bergen said.

Since the data was provided, Bergen said, 47 dash cameras are now being used in their vehicles fleet.

Vehicles that are operated by detectives or those in administrative positions do not have dash cameras installed in their vehicles, Bergen said. Some of the spare vehicles also do not have the dash camera (MDVR as we call it) as they are not required to have them on a construction detail.

As part of a seven-month investigation, Lee Enterprises and Type Investigations contacted more than 170 law enforcement agencies across most of the U.S. seeking information on topics including diversity, citizen complaints and the use of cameras. Of the 142 agencies that answered questions on camera availability or use, 93 said they had both body and dashboard cameras for at least one of their members and vehicles.

Agencies most frequently experienced challenges with obtaining equipment, training of officers, or software and technical needs, Symons said, explaining various reasons for why the statewide rollout is unfinished.

Mantua cop faces manslaughter charges in on-duty shooting A Mantua police officer faces charges in the shooting death of a 49-year-old man outside his

To help bring law enforcement within state regulations, the Attorney Generals Office awarded more than $57 million in grant funding to support the effort in 2021, Symons said.

The Attorney Generals Office continues to work with agencies to overcome barriers to compliance in order to promote the transparency and accountability ensured by body cameras, Symons said.
Village Super Market is again asking the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to select its plan to build a full-service grocery store in Atlantic City, only months after the two sides walked away from a deal that would have sent nearly $19 million in tax dollars to the company for construction.

The Springfield, Union County-based company was among four firms to respond to CRDA's latest request for proposals for the development and operation of a grocery store in the resort.

In 2021, CRDA had agreed to provide $18.7 million to Village Super Market for the construction of a 44,000-square-foot ShopRite in a parking lot at Baltic and Indiana avenues. The authority had planned to retain ownership of the site, leasing it to Village Super Market for $1 per year.

But in late 2022, more than three years after the two sides began negotiations, CRDA decided to end its talks and seek new proposals.

At the time, state officials said Village Super Market would be able to enter a new proposal if it chose to do so.

Company representatives did not return a request for comment.

The three other bidders that are now vying to build Atlantic City's first full-service grocery store in nearly two decades are JAS Group Enterprise, Save Philly Stores and Bailing International Firm, according to CRDA, which listed the respondents to its RFP during a meeting June 8.

Michael Sawyer, president and CEO of Princeton-based JAS Group Enterprise, said it pitched, in partnership with The NRP Group, of Ohio, a mixed-used development that includes a roughly 35,000-square-foot grocery store, additional retail space and 120 apartments.

CROPS gets CRDA support for urban farming proposal ATLANTIC CITY  A vision of urban farms and island-grown produce took a step closer to reali

"We think Atlantic City deserves better than a supermarket," he said.

Acknowledging that this proposal went beyond the scope of CRDA's RFP, Sawyer said JAS Group's vision is flexible.

Save Philly Stores, of Broomall, Pennsylvania, owns and operates the Save-A-Lot in Atlantic Citys Renaissance Plaza and another dozen stories around Greater Philadelphia.

When CRDA last solicited grocery developers and operators in 2019, Save Philly Stores was the only other respondent besides Village Super Market.

"As a company, we are a lot more advanced than we were in 2019," Shawn Rinnier, president of Save Philly Stores, said in a phone call.

He declined to provide specifics on the 2023 proposal, except to say its Save-A-Lot in Camden is an example of what he hopes to accomplish in Atlantic City.

"We have the team to give Atlantic City residents the supermarket they deserve," Rinnier said.

A representative of Atlantic City-based Bailing International declined to comment on its proposal.

Atlantic City awarded 2 food security grants from state ATLANTIC CITY  The city has been awarded two Food Security Planning Grants by the state Eco

CRDA did not immediately respond to questions on when to expect its staff to recommend one of the bids to its board, but Karen Martin, the authority's acting communications director, previously said the process typically takes about 12 weeks from the proposal to an in-house review process before being brought to the board for a vote.

In October 2021, the authority approved $18.7 million in funding for Village Super Market to build a full-service grocery store adjacent to the Atlantic City Convention Center.

A month later, Gov. Phil Murphy, Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver and more state and local officials gathered at the site for a ceremonial groundbreaking, where leaders hailed the future ShopRite as an end to Atlantic City's status as a "food desert."

"Getting the supermarket built is something that I take great pride in, because it's going to mean so much to this community," Murphy said in November 2021.

Yet over the next 12 months, there was little movement at the site, and CRDA and Village Super Market declined to provide updates. Sources told The Press of Atlantic City that the developer-operator had requested additional funds, including a $500,000 annual subsidy to offset expected losses at the site. Then, in December 2022, CRDA said it was suspending negotiations.

The termination of this arrangement with Village Super Market was a difficult but responsible decision informed by careful consideration of economic obstacles and our acute understanding of the urgency of food insecurity in Atlantic City, Murphy said in a statement in December. In light of this, we were forced to pivot and honestly reassess the best path forward to deliver affordable and nutritious food for the citys residents.

Meanwhile, leaders of the food security advocacy nonprofit Communities Revolutionizing Open Public Spaces, or C.R.O.P.S., have urged state officials to consider other solutions to Atlantic City's food desert status besides a large retail supermarket. C.R.O.P.S. in October 2022 opened its own produce store at Tanger Outlets The Walk, and last month, CRDA set aside up to $308,000 for the organization's urban farming proposal.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 16)  Washington's request for Manila to temporarily host its former Afghan employees while awaiting their resettlement in the United States is still under review, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

"The Philippines has not entered or finalized any agreement with the United States on that matter," the DFA said in a statement Friday. "Consultations with relevant Philippine Government agencies are ongoing."

Philippine envoy to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez earlier said the request was made in October 2022, noting that "all are destined" to return to the US after their special immigration visas are processed.

In Senate inquiry on Friday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said US President Joe Biden also raised the request with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the latter's state visit to Washington in May.

The US government will shoulder all the costs should the Philippines agree to assist in the processing of US visas of its former Afghan employees fleeing the Taliban.

The DFA pointed out that the arrangement "will not involve the admission or hosting" of Afghan refugees.

Moreover, Manalo said there may be a "pilot group" of Afghan nationals if ever Manila and Washington made an agreement.

"All I can say at this point, and I say that because there's nothing really agreed yet, but it seems that there's a possibility, if we are able to find an arrangement, we would be having, perhaps, a pilot group, maybe a limited number," he told the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

If that happens, the US and the Philippines will look for a site to house the Afghans while their visas are being processed.

"Also the United States, with Philippine officials, would try and select a suitable site where they can be located while they are being processed or vetted...It would be up to the Philippines to impose mobility restrictions and internal movements within the Philippines," Manalo said.

Romualdez added that 1,000 to 1,500 Afghans per batch would be allowed in the country.

"Nasa atin na kung ilan ang gusto natin, pero ang request nila ay anywhere between 1,000 to 1,500 per batch. Ipo-process nila and they will go the United States. Kung gusto natin ng less, pwede rin," the envoy told senators.

[Translation: It's up to us on how many Afghans we will allow, but they requested to allow the entry of anywhere between 1,000 and 1,500 per batch. They will process their visa applications and they will go to the United States. If we want less, that's fine too.]

The Afghans will be issued a non-immigrant visa to the Philippines that is good for only 59 days.

"So, there's a time limit for that visa. Once it expires, the United States, I assume, is obligated either to process it immediately or they have to leave the country," Romualdez said.
ATLANTIC CITY  The new executive director at the troubled Atlantic City Housing Authority knows how to talk to a crowd, even when its made up of angry residents of public housing, fed up with years of infestations, broken appliances, and heat and hot water outages.

So, about that hot water and heat, I heard there was a problem with hot water and heat, said Matt Doherty, with the delivery of a stand-up comic, in his first meeting with Stanley Holmes Village residents last month. Is that true?

Laughter went through the room, and feelings of tension and anger lessened a bit.

He also joked about a microphone malfunction.

It wouldnt be a Housing Authority meeting if something wasnt screwed up, he said, but then fixed the mic and told the crowd the authority is a mess but he intends to make things right.

Doherty, 49, recently took over the authority after four years leading the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, where he was credited with greatly increasing cooperation with the city, particularly helping fund additional police officers.

Doherty also led the authority through the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant dramatic changes to how staff worked and the use of the Atlantic City Convention Center as a vaccine mega site.

He has also been mayor of his hometown of Belmar in Monmouth County, where he led the effort to rebuild after Superstorm Sandy.

Atlantic City Housing Authority hires emergency contractors ATLANTIC CITY  The board of the Atlantic City Housing Authority met Thursday evening and hi

Residents at that first Stanley Holmes meeting left feeling cautiously optimistic.

Weve been dealing with this for years. How do you trust people? asked resident George Harrod after the Stanley Holmes meeting.

Hed like to think problems will be fixed, but he said when he called recently about his mold problem, the authority sent a couple of maintenance men with a squirt bottle of mold killer.

They sprayed and left, said Harrod, and the mold continues. Harrod is part of a residents lawsuit against the authority over conditions, he said.

Doherty has spent his first month in his new job talking to residents and listening to their stories of frustration and anxiety over their living conditions.

One of the first things he did when he started May 8 was give his email and cellphone number to every resident via flyers sent to every authority address.

The problems he faces, however, will take more than good communication skills to fix.

The eight complexes owned and run by the authority all have serious problems, he said in a recent interview.

The scattered sites have mold and pest problems too, Doherty said of the 153 newest public housing residences in the city, made up of townhomes and single-family homes. They also have roofing and siding issues.

When I came on (several floors in senior citizens building Jeffries Tower) had no hot water for 10 days, Doherty said. Thats not acceptable. They had a bad pump. ... The elevators are not working as well as they should.

Sometimes residents cause problems, he said.

At Altman Terrace (a high-rise on Arctic Avenue), one woman was using a washing machine in her apartment, he said of an appliance she wasnt supposed to have.

The wastewater from that machine came up in the toilet in the unit under her, causing a sudsy flood.

Residents have to help themselves, Doherty said, by following rules and using common sense.

While Doherty walked around Stanley Holmes Village recently, tenant Troy Williams came out to say hello in front of his apartment on Adriatic Avenue.

Williams has been living there 24 years, he said, and doesnt have mold or pest infestations like some of his neighbors. His problems are structural.

Stanley Holmes Village seniors will no longer be forced to move ATLANTIC CITY  Senior citizens living in the troubled Stanley Holmes Village public housing

My windows dont work at all, Williams said. In winter its like being outside.

Other than fixing the problems in units, Williams suggested employing residents to do maintenance jobs, such as landscaping, and adding more trash cans to the property and dog stations so people will be encouraged to pick up after their pets.

Doherty has been listening to all the input, but his first priority is getting the heating system replaced at Stanley Holmes Village for the fall.

He plans to scrap the ancient boilers there that have been breaking down for years, replacing them with gas-powered tankless hot water heaters in each building.

Doherty wanted to have the new units installed by the end of August, tested in September and working by Oct. 1.

This week, however, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development told the authority it cannot use an emergency contract for the project, but a regular bidding process. That will take a month or so longer, he said.

I went from confident to hopeful, Doherty said Friday. The best case scenario, come Oct. 1, all the (31) buildings will have the new system. The worst case is we rely on the old boilers until the new one is up and running sometime in October.

Other work by contractors hired under emergency provisions, such as roach and mice control contractors, had to stop work this week as well, he said. The contracts will be put out under a regular bidding process, but treatment will be delayed.

HUD rejects emergency contracts for Atlantic City Housing Authority work ATLANTIC CITY  Work on testing gas lines, remediating mold and fighting pest infestations h

Doherty also plans to beef up the maintenance department with many new hires but cannot do that until a new maintenance director is hired.

That job has been advertised and applications have come in, he said. Other open positions have been advertised as well, and an interview process will soon start for human resources director, chief financial officer, contract administrator and management specialist, he said.

The ads will end on the 12th. We are hoping to start interviewing next week, Doherty said.

Doherty admits he doesnt have experience in public housing but said he knows about running a public agency that is accountable to residents, and knows about using federal dollars.

The Housing Authority is funded and overseen by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

I was mayor of Belmar after Sandy, Doherty said. I dealt with rebuilding ... that was all federal dollars.

He is counting on new second-in-command Chief Operating Officer Tom Sahlin to know the ins and outs of public housing law and requirements. Sahlin left his job as executive director of the Asbury Park Housing Authority for the job here. The two started at about the same time.

City leaders greeted Dohertys hiring by the Housing Authority board with hope.

This is the first meeting with the new director, and Im going to say something I havent said in a long, long, long time. I am optimistic about the future of Stanley Holmes Village with Director Doherty here, said City Council Vice President Kaleem Shabazz at Dohertys first authority board meeting last month.

Council President Aaron Sporty Randolph, who represents the 1st Ward, also attended the board meeting.

I have a lot of seniors in all the high-rises uptown, Randolph said. He gave them his phone number. Ive been getting great feedback.

A graduate of Georgetown University, Doherty said he grew up in a two-bedroom home in Edison, Middlesex County, where his parents and four kids shared one bathroom.

This reminds me of where I grew up, he said, sitting in an outside common area at Stanley Holmes Village.

Doherty feels a camaraderie with the residents and knows he has a lot of healthy skepticism to overcome.

Residents frequently ask why conditions were allowed to deteriorate for so long under previous executive directors.

But thats in the past, Doherty said.

What may have happened in 2019 and 2020 there is nothing I can do about it, Doherty told residents at the Stanley Holmes meeting. There is nothing I can do to unwind the past. What we can do is put a plan in front of you and make improvements from this point forward.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will jointly work with the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited in order to identify and take legal action against property tax payers who are paying residential tax despite using their homes for commercial purposes. The property taxes are different for housing and commercial usage.

According to reports, MSEDCL would give PMC details of the customers who utilise their home for business purposes. The civic authority will launch an inquiry and take appropriate measures against them.

Most of the residential property holders utilise their houses for doing business. They pay housing property tax even if these properties have commercial meters placed. The tax rates for commercial and residential buildings are different. Therefore, to save tax people use their residential property for commercial purposes.

The PMC is making a number of attempts to collect property tax. Residential property owners who use their homes for business should disclose this and pay the appropriate taxes. If not, a threefold tax will be imposed on them in addition to taking legal action against them.
An Andrew Wold-owned property in the Village of East Davenport was evacuated and ordered closed by the city after complaints from former tenants.

Yellow signs from the city posted Thursday at 1105 Christie St. and 2200 E. 11th St., warned the public not to enter as the premises are declared unsafe or unfit for human occupancy.

The buildings share an owner with the downtown Davenport building that partially collapsed, including a one-story blue building that housed candle and soap store 99 Proof and was previously the location of restaurant Bayside Bistro, which abruptly closed in June 2022.

The two-story building with an 11th Street address earlier this year housed a jewelry store, Versailles Jewelry and Gems. Built in 1858, it was once a saloon, according to county and historic preservation records.

City records requested by the Quad-City Times/Dispatch/Argus show the city ordered Wold in April to submit an engineering report on the buildings basement by May 25 to outline structural repairs needed for a floor beam that had cracked & deflected, other beams with multiple cracks, a column that had deflected from its base. Plus, constant standing water was causing the support steel columns to rust.

Wold provided no such report, nor were any permits pulled for structural work on the building, according to records.

Records arent clear on the reasons for the evacuation. Inspection logs simply note on June 15 vacate property.

Davenport fire and city inspectors reviewed the property on April 13 to follow up on a complaint from tenant Jessica Kinney, the owner of Versailles Jewelry and Gems.

She moved into a unit above her business in the summer of 2022, she said. There were some problems  a shower and tub werent installed until months after she moved in, she said, leaving her to get creative to bathe. When it was installed, it leaked into the jewelry store below, she said. By the fall, she started noticing cracks appearing, and by February, she said, one crack had grown into a 7- or 8-foot crack that was wide enough you could put a half-dollar in it, she said.

The basement, however, was worse. She said it filled with water every time it rained, pouring in through the wall and sounding like a waterfall. She was concerned about rusted supports and a big wooden floor beam that looked as if it splintered in half. She warned property management but said they didnt do anything to fix it.

She asked city inspectors to come take a look at the property, and they did in March. To Kinneys surprise, they said Wold was not allowed to let anyone live upstairs, she said.

City records show Wold was notified of 27 code violations at the property, including failure to hold a valid rental license, missing drywall or sheetrock, exposed electrical wiring, excessive trash and structural deterioration in the basement.

She moved out her business in April, she said, and is now reopened at 3018 Rockingham Road.

The most recent building permit pulled for that address, according to online city records, was for electrical work in June 2022, which appeared to both pass and fail inspections. On the failed inspection, the city inspector wrote breaker blanks, labeling required.

Bayside Bistro abruptly closes in June 2022

Bayside Bistro owners LaTisha and Darryl Howlett sued Wold in May 2022 in an ongoing case, alleging Wold broke their lease agreement by failing to provide trash services and forcing them to pay utilities for more than just their leased property. Wold, through his attorneys, denied those allegations. A trial is set for the fall in that case.

The Howletts opened Bayside Bistro in 2018 under the previous building owners, Creel Properties, which sold the property to Wold in 2020. That is when problems began, LaTisha Howlett said.

The floor in the center of their dining room bulged upward, she said, and Wold asked the Howletts to pay for the repairs.

Then, she said, the couple discovered they were paying for the utilities for not just the aquamarine-colored Bayside Bistro building but also the two-story building next door. The Howletts said they hired electricians and plumbers/HVAC professionals to assess the building, who determined they were paying for more than their fair share. Wold, in court filings, said the Howletts were receiving payments from Kinney and denied they were paying for more than their own electrical service.

The Howletts stopped paying rent in May, they said, because no other methods were working to get Wolds attention to make fixes.

After a tense interaction in mid-June with Wold when he came with electrical workers to assess the breakers, the Howletts decided they were done.

They abruptly closed their Davenport restaurant, packed up their things, took down the sign and left the building by the first of July. Theyd just opened a Rock Island location and have continued serving their Louisiana-style food from there.

I no longer wanted to be in that predicament, LaTisha Howlett said.

Reporters Thomas Geyer, Sarah Watson and Rachel Cormier contributed to this story.
CHICAGO  An Illinois man was arrested Thursday and charged with participation in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and will be transported to Washington, D.C., to face the charges.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, Nicholas Von Keudell, of Hampshire, is the latest of at least 38 arrests in Illinois of individuals accused of crimes committed at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.

Von Keudell is the son of Trudy Castle, 57, who was earlier sentenced along with her sister, Kimberly DiFrancesco, 55, to 30 months of probation. Castle and DiFrancisco confirmed to FBI agents that Von Keudell traveled to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 5 with the pair and spent part of Jan. 6 at the Capitol with them.

According to the complaint, law enforcement body-worn camera footage of the Jan. 6 crowd, along with supplementary footage, displayed an individual alongside Castle and DiFrancisco who appears to be Von Keudell. Multiple images appeared to show Von Keudell inside the Capitol building and outside on restricted Capitol grounds between 2:24 and 3:49 p.m. At one point, the video allegedly shows Von Keudell attempting to reenter the building and being turned away.

The U.S. Department of Justice reported that in the 29 months since the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for involvement in the breach, including nearly 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

The specific charges Von Keudell is facing include entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

There was no attorney listed for Von Keudell on the court docket as of Friday.

The arrest came a day before another Illinois resident, Thomas B. Adams Jr., 41, was sentenced to prison for felony and misdemeanor charges during the breach of the U.S. Capitol. Adams, of Springfield, was sentenced Friday to 14 months in prison, according to court records.

Chicago Tribunes Jason Meisner contributed to this story.

Photos: Pritzker sworn in for second term
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Whiteside County Sheriff John Booker has released the name of the man who died early June 10 in a single-vehicle crash.

Mario E. Toney, 18, of Dixon, Illinois, was killed when the vehicle he was driving crashed and burned in rural Sterling.

At 5:50 a.m. June 10, Whiteside County Sheriffs Deputies were sent to Illinois Route 40 north of Fulfs Road in rural Sterling to investigate a single-vehicle crash.

Deputies arrived on the scene to find that the vehicle had struck a tree and was engulfed in flames as a result.

Toney was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Sterling Fire Department, CGH Ambulance and Whiteside County Coroner Joe McDonald assisted at the scene.
Experts for plaintiffs in several lawsuits related to the May 28 Davenport apartment collapse will have access to the site as early as Monday.

Lexus and Quanishia Berry are suing the city and numerous other defendants because of the May 28 collapse at 324 Main St., alleging the defendants were negligent. When a large portion of the west exterior wall fell that day, Quanishia Berry was pinned beneath the rubble, and rescuers amputated one of her legs to free her. Three other residents died. This week, the Berrys attorneys began seeking access to the site for their experts to evaluate. They also wanted materials from the site preserved and wanted information on the steps taken by the city to preserve evidence relevant to the case. Their motion argued the loss of that evidence would damage the Berrys ability to pursue their case. The city, through its own legal counsel, resisted the effort. Scott County Judge Jeffrey Bert granted the access during a Friday afternoon hearing. He also granted access to experts retained by plaintiffs in the other lawsuits that have resulted from the collapse. The plaintiffs experts and one from the city must develop a protocol for the site visit. Only attorneys and experts will be allowed to participate in the site visit, Bert said. The plaintiffs experts then have until 8 p.m. on Tuesday to complete their examination. In the meantime, removal of material from the collapse site will be halted, Bert said.

Previous arguments

The Berrys attorneys filed a motion Wednesday, asking for:

A meeting between the suits parties to arrange for the plaintiffs experts to examine the collapse site. A requirement that Davenport preserve materials from the building until a sampling and inventory protocol can be developed between the parties or brought before the court. A requirement that the city produce information on the protocols, procedures and steps it took to preserve evidence from the site; what has been done with the evidence from the site; and efforts to segregate and preserve relevant tangible evidence at the site.

On Thursday afternoon, attorneys representing the city filed a resistance to the Berrys motion. Davenports attorneys argued in their filing that the plaintiffs motion did not explain what they wanted to examine at the site. The Berrys motion also did not acknowledge the state of the property, according to the resistance. The building does not exist anymore; demolition left a pile of rubble and other debris. In short, there is nothing to inspect, measure, survey, photograph, test or sample on the property, the citys resistance states. Thus, there is no basis for a site visit. The Berrys attorneys initially attempted this week to halt the demolition, in addition to trying to preserve other materials from the collapse, but Bert rejected that motion because plaintiffs had not notified the city and other defendants.

More details about the Berrys motions to halt demolition and preserve evidence are available on the newspapers website. The city also argued in its resistance that it was unclear what materials the plaintiffs wished to preserve. Tons upon tons of materials are on site, the citys filing states. It is not practical or necessary to keep tons of rubble. Some material has been preserved at the direction of engineers, according to the resistance. That material will be preserved. Davenport announced Wednesday that it had hired White Birch Group LLC and SOCOTEC Engineering to produce a cause and origin report on the collapse at 324 Main St.

The plaintiffs request for information on the protocols and procedures used to preserve evidence at the site was premature and potentially too broad, according to the citys response. The resistance also stated the query was essentially a discovery request, and it was too early in the case for such a request. Discovery is the sharing of materials and information between opposing parties in a legal action. When the discovery phase of the case begins, the citys attorneys will respond to requests for that information, the resistance states. The citys resistance also argued that there was no basis for releasing the information before the discovery phase and the plaintiffs had not cited one.

Further developments from Fridays hearing

Bert also ruled that those involved in the visit must sign a liability waiver and the plaintiffs must cover expenses incurred during the visit  for the removal and storing of any material, for example. No one can conduct any destructive testing. Bert denied the Berrys request for information on the steps taken by the city to preserve evidence relevant to the case. He said that issue could be addressed during the upcoming discovery phase of the case. Before Berts ruling, Steven Hart, one of the Berrys attorneys, and Jason ORourke, an attorney for the city, further elaborated on the arguments they made in the motion filings. Harts arguments included that theres no mystery about what the plaintiffs want: access to the site and whatever was left of the building as of Friday. They also want to collect samples for testing. Among ORourkes arguments was that city experts have identified materials relevant to the incident and those have been preserved. Anything remaining on the site has been moved, run over by heavy equipment and otherwise altered by the demolition process, ORourke said. It is just rubble. Allyn Kilsheimer, the Berrys expert, said during the hearing that he could still use the materials remaining on the site to assess their strength and condition.

Experts for plaintiffs in several lawsuits related to the May 28 Davenport apartment collapse will have access to the site as early as Monday.

Lexus and Quanishia Berry are suing the city and numerous other defendants because of the May 28 collapse at 324 Main St., alleging the defendants were negligent. When a large portion of the west exterior wall fell that day, Quanishia Berry was pinned beneath the rubble, and rescuers amputated one of her legs to free her. Three other residents died.

This week, the Berrys attorneys began seeking access to the site for their experts to evaluate. They also wanted materials from the site preserved and wanted information on the steps taken by the city to preserve evidence relevant to the case. Their motion argued the loss of that evidence would damage the Berrys ability to pursue their case.

The city, through its own legal counsel, resisted the effort.

Scott County Judge Jeffrey Bert granted the access during a Friday afternoon hearing. He also granted access to experts retained by plaintiffs in the other lawsuits that have resulted from the collapse. The plaintiffs experts and one from the city must develop a protocol for the site visit.

Only attorneys and experts will be allowed to participate in the site visit, Bert said. The plaintiffs experts then have until 8 p.m. on Tuesday to complete their examination.

In the meantime, removal of material from the collapse site will be halted, Bert said.

Previous arguments

The Berrys attorneys filed a motion Wednesday, asking for:

A meeting between the suits parties to arrange for the plaintiffs experts to examine the collapse site.

A requirement that Davenport preserve materials from the building until a sampling and inventory protocol can be developed between the parties or brought before the court.

A requirement that the city produce information on the protocols, procedures and steps it took to preserve evidence from the site; what has been done with the evidence from the site; and efforts to segregate and preserve relevant tangible evidence at the site.

On Thursday afternoon, attorneys representing the city filed a resistance to the Berrys motion.

Davenports attorneys argued in their filing that the plaintiffs motion did not explain what they wanted to examine at the site.

The Berrys motion also did not acknowledge the state of the property, according to the resistance. The building does not exist anymore; demolition left a pile of rubble and other debris.

In short, there is nothing to inspect, measure, survey, photograph, test or sample on the property, the citys resistance states. Thus, there is no basis for a site visit.

The Berrys attorneys initially attempted this week to halt the demolition, in addition to trying to preserve other materials from the collapse, but Bert rejected that motion because plaintiffs had not notified the city and other defendants.

More details about the Berrys motions to halt demolition and preserve evidence are available on the newspapers website.

The city also argued in its resistance that it was unclear what materials the plaintiffs wished to preserve.

Tons upon tons of materials are on site, the citys filing states. It is not practical or necessary to keep tons of rubble.

Some material has been preserved at the direction of engineers, according to the resistance. That material will be preserved.

Davenport announced Wednesday that it had hired White Birch Group LLC and SOCOTEC Engineering to produce a cause and origin report on the collapse at 324 Main St.

The plaintiffs request for information on the protocols and procedures used to preserve evidence at the site was premature and potentially too broad, according to the citys response.

The resistance also stated the query was essentially a discovery request, and it was too early in the case for such a request.

Discovery is the sharing of materials and information between opposing parties in a legal action.

When the discovery phase of the case begins, the citys attorneys will respond to requests for that information, the resistance states.

The citys resistance also argued that there was no basis for releasing the information before the discovery phase and the plaintiffs had not cited one.

Further developments from Fridays hearing

Bert also ruled that those involved in the visit must sign a liability waiver and the plaintiffs must cover expenses incurred during the visit  for the removal and storing of any material, for example. No one can conduct any destructive testing.

Bert denied the Berrys request for information on the steps taken by the city to preserve evidence relevant to the case. He said that issue could be addressed during the upcoming discovery phase of the case.

Before Berts ruling, Steven Hart, one of the Berrys attorneys, and Jason ORourke, an attorney for the city, further elaborated on the arguments they made in the motion filings.

Harts arguments included that theres no mystery about what the plaintiffs want: access to the site and whatever was left of the building as of Friday. They also want to collect samples for testing.

Among ORourkes arguments was that city experts have identified materials relevant to the incident and those have been preserved.

Anything remaining on the site has been moved, run over by heavy equipment and otherwise altered by the demolition process, ORourke said. It is just rubble.

Allyn Kilsheimer, the Berrys expert, said during the hearing that he could still use the materials remaining on the site to assess their strength and condition.
Davenport and Bettendorf police departments and the Scott County Sheriffs Department are returning, post-COVID, to hosting their annual law enforcement camp to give hands-on experience to young people considering a career in law enforcement.

This years camp will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 10-13, and from 9 a.m. to noon July 14.

Davenport Police Lt. Nick Shorten said the camp was a one-week, 27-hour program that would give high school and college students interested in law enforcement a look into a day in the life of a police officer.

It will give participants hands-on experience, Shorten said, by allowing participants to engage in activities that will help lead to a deeper understanding of police policies and procedures as well as investigative and patrol practices.

This is a great opportunity to engage the community and show young people what we do and helping to build positive relationships, Bettendorf Police Chief Keith Kimball said. It also allows those that may be interested in law enforcement to ask questions and learn about the profession so that they can better prepare themselves for the future career opportunities in law enforcement.

Topics will include police and jail facility tours, arrests and handcuffing, building searches, traffic stops, crime scene investigations, firearms safety and range experience, mock trials and forensics.

The Police Camp is an excellent way to get the next generation interested in law enforcement, Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane said. For those who eventually choose not to go into this career, its still a great way to create an understanding between law enforcement and young adults.

The camp costs $65 for the week, but scholarships are available.

To register, visit the Iowa Quad City Law Enforcement Camp on the City of Davenports website at https://www.davenportiowa.com/government/departments/police/iowa_quad_city_law_enforcement_camp and follow the registration link.

The registration deadline is June 26.

For more information contact Nick Shorten at 563-888-3565.
The citys decision to condemn a building in the Village of East Davenport put Matt McClanahans business in limbo.

He is a partner in 99 Proof Designs, which is located at 1105 Christie St.  attached to 2200 E. 11th St. Both were condemned Thursday and are owned by Andrew Wold, whose downtown apartment building partially collapsed last month.

McClanahan received the following email, telling him he would not have access to his store:

Good morning, this is Chris with the City of Davenport Neighborhood Services Division. I was giving you a quick courtesy call to let you know that we required back in March of your landlord to request to provide a structural engineers report today was the deadline to do so, and he has not done that, so I was forced to tag the building as unsafe for entry. So I was trying to give you as much heads up as possible. Otherwise, you can reach me on my cell. Once again, this is Chris with the City of Davenport Neighborhood Services Division. Thank you much.

I look forward to speak with you soon. Have a good day.

By the time McClanahan got to his store, a sign was taped to the door: Official Notice Do Not Enter. These premises are declared unsafe or unfit for human occupancy.

He had no access to the stock in his store, which offers candles and other hand-crafted items. He also couldnt get to the equipment he needs to make products for upcoming events and shows.

My storefront is a relatively small part of our business, he said. But a huge part of the business is selling at events, like Village Hops, which is this weekend in the village, not to mention the fact that this weekend is Fathers Day. What we sell is very popular at that time, and this is really going to hurt.

McClanahan moved 99 Proof Designs into the building, which housed Bayside Bistro, at the end of November 2022.

The store is on a slab and does not have any space above it, he said. It is nothing like the building where the jewelry store was, nothing at all. We never had any structural issues that I know of. Everything was fine.

He has no idea, he said, why the city condemned it.

I have reached out to a number of people at Neighborhood Services, he said. I have heard nothing back.

McClanahan said he planned to ask Wold for half of the June rent, his deposit, and then he plans to move his business out of Davenport.

Im fed up with the city. This situation has been poorly handled, he said. I want to be in a city thats better managed and has better communication with business owners.

I would also like to have a business in a city where the city pays attention to what landlords are doing with their properties. It seems to me a lot of this could have been avoided if the city had been a little more involved with Wold and what he was doing.

By late afternoon Friday, McClanahan was notified by the city that he was permitted inside his business to fetch his belongings. It did not change his mind about the way the incident was handled.

Shock and surprise

Three building owners in the East Village said they didnt see the citys decision coming to condemn two neighboring buildings.

I was shocked and surprised, Kim Wessel said. I cant speak to the condition of the building, but that location is a prime spot in the East Village and the businesses there have always been anchors.

Wessel owns Calla Design Shop and the Mezzanine Boutique, which is located at 1026 Mound St. She also owns the building at 1030 Mound St., which houses the Village Corner Deli.

She thinks both building were built in the early 1900s.

Old buildings do have issues, Wessel said. But you have to be attentive to the issues and listen to what tenants are telling you about the property. Both properties were inspected when we bought them, and we are very comfortable with their condition and maintenance.

Dianna Donahue and Dustin Roelle said the same about the buildings they bought on the same block of Mound Street as Wessels two buildings.

Roelle owns the Five Star Salon and has owned the building it occupies at 1020 Mound for eight months.

I bought the business four years ago, and Im familiar with the building and actually did some work on it for the previous owners, he said. I have no concerns about this building, and Im not concerned about the other buildings in the village.

Donahue said it was her dream to own a business in the village since 1998  the first day she sat in the Java Station at 1018 Mound St.

She owns Fleur de Cor Interiors at the same spot. She started the business in 2017 and bought the building last year. It was built in 1850.

Actually, I feel the older buildings are more structurally sound, she said. I dont want to have anything to do with a new build that took a few days to put up.

We know maintenance is a priority. But I fell in love with the East Village. We own a home here.

Like Wessel and Roelle, Donahue expressed shock at the citys decision to condemn the property at the corner of 11th and Christie.

I cant speak to what might be the problem there, she said. But I really hope it can be worked out because those properties are wonderful. I love them, and I would hate to see anything drastic done if the problems can be repaired.
The state hopes to bring improvements to Illinois Route 92 within the next few years, with potential changes including lane arrangements and a roundabout.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is planning to do road reconstruction on Illinois 92 from 48th Street in Moline to Illinois Route 84/19th Street in East Moline. A preliminary engineering study was done on the corridor, examining transportation needs and recommended solutions.

A virtual public meeting was held on the reconstruction project Wednesday, June 15. Project team members broke down what improvements would take place and why they are needed. IDOT Project Engineer Chad Spreeman said the route was not serving the community as effectively or safely as it should and that it had not received improvements for several years.

The pavement of Illinois 92 is in very poor condition and is in need of full construction, he said. Operationally speaking, traffic flow can be improved along the corridor and overall safety improvements can be made to ensure that the roadway and the several intersections along the corridor can accommodate traffic well into the future.

Other improvements include reconstructing sidewalks to make them wider and ADA compliant with ramps at intersections, addition of bicycle lanes and improving overall safety at intersections and residents and businesses driveways.

A comprehensive study on the corridor began in 2020, collecting data such as crash history, traffic volumes and patterns, existing roadway drainage and pavement conditions. One of the most common findings was the roadways and sidewalks being in poor condition in various spots along the route.

No parking or traffic lanes will be removed and bike lanes will be added.

Spreeman said crash data was collected over a five-year period, 2016-2020, in which 370 total crashes occurred with nearly 70% of crashes involving turning or rear-end crashes. Those two types of crashes were found to be most common at intersections or driveways.

Ryan Jacox, roadway project manager at Ciobra Group, presented the tentative reconstruction for the corridor and broke it up into four segments. Land use along the corridor mainly consists of single-family homes and commercial properties.

Segment one extends from 48th Street to 55th Street in Moline. The road provides two travel lanes in each direction with no median.

Jacox said the sidewalk existed in some locations and were absent in others.

Improvements from 48th to 55th Street would include:

One 11-foot travel lane in each direction.

A 6-foot bike lane in each direction.

A 6-foot sidewalk on both sides of the roadway.

A 12-foot bi-directional left turn lane.

At the 55th Street intersection on Illinois 92, a roundabout is being recommended to increase safety and minimizing conflict points at places where a crash might potentially occur.

Segment 2 extends from 55th Street/1st Street to 7th Street in East Moline. It will consist of westbound traffic on Illinois 92 using 16th Avenue and eastbound traffic on Illinois 92 using 17th Avenue.

Improvements for westbound traffic on 16th Avenue include:

Two 12-foot travel lanes.

A 10-foot parking lane on the south of the road.

A 7-foot bike lane along the north side of the road.

5-foot sidewalks on both sides.

Traveling east on 17th Avenue, there are two travel lanes and parking on the north side with sidewalks on both sides.

Improvements for eastbound traffic on 17th Avenue include:

Two 12-foot travel lanes.

A 12-foot center bi-directional left-turn lane.

A 10-foot parking lane on the north side of the road.

A 7-foot bike lane on south side of the road.

5-foot sidewalks on both sides.

Segment 3 extends from 7th Avenue to 11th Avenue in East Moline. It also consist of westbound traffic on Illinois 92 using 16th Avenue and eastbound traffic on Illinois 92 using 17th Avenue.

Improvements traveling west would include:

two 11 foot travel lanes

two 8 foot parking lanes

7 foot bike lane along the north side

5 foot sidewalks on both sides

Improvements traveling east on 17th Avenue include:

two 12 foot travel lanes

10 foot parking lane on the north side

7 foot bike lane on the south side

5 foot sidewalks on both sides

Segment 4 extends from 11th Street east to 84 in East Moline. The road has two travel lanes in each direction and sidewalks on both sides.

Improvements would include:

An 11-foot traveling lane in each direction.

A 12-foot center bi-directional left-turn lane.

A 6-foot bike lane in each direction.

The project has a rough estimate of about $40 million. It currently does not have any funding set aside since it is not included in IDOTs multi-year program. The multi-year program is a fiscally constrained six-year program that details how it will invest in the state and local highway system. Projects have been planned through 2028.

Once construction does begin, IDOT will have to maintain access to local homes and businesses throughout the project.

Since the project is more than 2 miles long, IDOT is looking at breaking it up into multiple projects and possibly doing one segment at a time.

Next steps include finalizing alternatives analysis, selecting the preferred alternatives, performing environmental studies, and preparing an engineering report. Another public meeting will be held in the fall for further public input.

Photos: Mississippi river flooding continues Saturday around the Quad Cities
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 17)  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Saturday cautioned the public against buying some clackers or "lato-lato" that could possibly contain harmful materials for children.

In an advisory, the FDA said some brands of the popular toy  one that glows in the dark and another with lights  have not gone through the agency's notification process.

"Potential hazards may come from ingredients that are not allowed to be part of a toy and childcare article product," the FDA warned.

"The use of substandard and possibly adulterated toy and childcare article product may result to health risks including, but not limited to, endocrine disruption and reproductive or development effects; or may result to injury, choking or suffocation due to its small or broken parts," it added.

The FDA told the public to always check if a product is notified through https://verification.fda.gov.ph.

It also warned establishments against distributing "violative toy and childcare article products until they have fully complied with the rules and regulation of the FDA."
DES MOINES  Abortion will remain legal in Iowa until roughly 20 weeks of pregnancy  for now  after the Iowa Supreme Court could not agree in an opinion Friday whether to reinstate a law what would have largely banned them.

The Iowa Supreme Court was divided, 3-3, with one justice recusing herself, on the question of whether to revive a 4-year-old law  previously blocked by state courts  that would have banned abortions once a fetus heartbeat can be detected.

By state law, the Supreme Courts split opinion means the lower courts ruling remains in place: a district court judges ruling in 2019 and again earlier this year that the so-called fetal heartbeat law violates the Iowa Constitution is upheld and final.

Advocates for legal access to abortion services, along with statehouse Democrats, celebrated the outcome Friday.

We know that many Iowans were depending on the outcome of this case today. And we are celebrating the preservation of our freedom, health and safety, said Rita Bettis Austen, legal director for the ACLU of Iowa, which was a part of the legal team that represented the plaintiffs fighting the law.

Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds  who asked the courts to reinstate the 2018 fetal heartbeat law after 2022 decisions by the Iowa and U.S. Supreme Courts opened the legal door to stronger abortion restrictions  and Republican statehouse leaders joined abortion opponents in expressing their disappointment with Fridays outcome.

To say that todays lack of action by the Iowa Supreme Court is a disappointment is an understatement, Reynolds said in a statement. Not only does it disregard Iowa voters who elected representatives willing to stand up for the rights of unborn children, but it has sided with a single judge in a single county who struck down Iowas legislation based on principles that now have been flat-out rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court.

There is no fundamental right to abortion and any law restricting it should be reviewed on a rational basis standard  a fact acknowledged today by three of the justices, she added. Still, without an affirmative decision, there is no justice for the unborn.

The three justices who voted to let stand the district court ruling that said the so-called fetal heartbeat law remains unconstitutional were Chief Justice Susan Christensen, Thomas Waterman and Edward Mansfield. In their opinion, written by Waterman, they note the unprecedented scope the legal asks made by Reynolds.

The State appealed, and now asks our court to do something that has never happened in Iowa history: to simultaneously bypass the legislature and change the law, to adopt rational basis (legal standard of) review, and then to dissolve an injunction to put a statute into effect for the first time in the same case in which that very enactment was declared unconstitutional years earlier, Watermans opinion said. In our view, it is legislating from the bench to take a statute that was moribund when it was enacted and has been enjoined for four years and then to put it into effect.

The three justices who voted to overturn the lower courts ruling were Christopher McDonald, Matthew McDermott and David May.

My three colleagues who decline to grant the States writ of certiorari begin their opinion with the declaration, This case is extraordinary, and then proceed to explain why this case is so unextraordinary that we shouldnt bother to exercise our discretion to decide it, McDermott wrote. Refusing to exercise our discretion to take on this case  more pointedly stated, ducking it  is, in my view, wrong.

It isnt for us to dictate abortion policy in the state, but simply to interpret and apply the law as best we can in cases that come before us. We fail the parties, the public, and the rule of law in our refusal today to apply the law and decide this case, he added.

Justice Dana Oxley recused herself from the case. She did not publicly state a reason for her recusal, and a spokesman for the court did not elaborate. But Oxley previously worked for the Cedar Rapids-based law firm of Shuttleworth and Ingersoll, which represented one of the plaintiffs in the case, the Iowa City-based Emma Goldman Clinic.

All seven Iowa Supreme Court justices were appointed by the states past two governors  Reynolds and Terry Branstad, both Republicans. Waterman and Mansfield are the last remaining justices who were appointed by Branstad. The other five justices were appointed by Reynolds, who has been governor since 2017.

What comes next

Among the biggest questions now are when and how statehouse Republicans will begin another legislative effort to place more restrictions on abortions.

Republicans could write another law that further restricts abortions. That law surely would also be challenged in the courts, and likely would ultimately return to the Iowa Supreme Court, where justices may be required to determine whether a different legal standard of review should now be applied.

Republicans also could see through a proposal to amend the Iowa Constitution to clearly state it does not guarantee an Iowans right to abortion. Amending the state constitution requires passage through consecutive two-year sessions of the Iowa Legislature, plus a public vote. Lawmakers have approved the proposed amendment once; they would need to pass it again by 2024 and then put it to a public vote.

Republicans also have multiple options as to when they take their next step. The regular work of the 2023 Iowa Legislature concluded in early May, but Reynolds could call for a special session. Otherwise, the next regular legislative session begins in January.

In her statement, Reynolds said statehouse Republican leaders are reviewing our options in preparation for continuing the fight.

What state lawmakers and party officials are saying

Reactions to the Iowa Supreme Courts opinion issued Friday were abundant.

Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, a Republican from Grimes, and Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley, a Republican from New Hartford, issued statements alongside Reynolds, also expressing their disappointment in the split opinion.

I disagree with the Supreme Courts opinion today, Whitver said. Their decision a year ago, correctly overturning the 2018 decision, should reasonably be considered a substantial change in the law and the injunction should have been lifted. Senate Republicans have a consistent record of defending life, including the passage of the heartbeat bill. We will work with Gov. Reynolds and the House to advance pro-life policies to protect the unborn.

Said Grassley, Im extremely disappointed in the Supreme Courts opinion today. We feel strongly that the heartbeat bill is a good piece of legislation that would save the innocent lives of unborn children. Going forward, we will work together to pass legislation that will protect life, support new mothers, and promote strong families in Iowa.

Minority-party Statehouse Democrats celebrated the ruling and said they would continue pushing to preserve abortion rights. They warned Republicans would move to pass further restrictions on abortion.

Iowa House Democratic leader Jennifer Konfrst, of Windsor Heights, said the decision should be a wake-up call for the Governor and GOP lawmakers to start listening to Iowans. Polling shows more than 60 percent of Iowans support abortion rights in all or most cases.

While todays ruling is a victory, I know the fight for reproductive freedom is far from over, Konfrst said. Gov. Reynolds and Republican politicians will never stop playing politics to strip away our rights.

House Democrats made protecting abortion rights a key piece of their legislative agenda earlier this year, introducing a constitutional amendment that would enshrine the right to an abortion and reproductive health care.

Iowa Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, a Democrat from Waukee, said she expects Republican lawmakers to set new restrictions on abortion, and suggested Reynolds may call a special session to do just that.

Senate Democrats stand with the majority of Iowans who support safe and legal access to abortion. Now is the time to defend our rights, she said in a statement. Tell your legislators that you refuse further attacks on abortion rights.

What policy advocates are saying

Groups that advocate for strong abortion restrictions lamented Fridays split opinion.

The conservative Christian organization The Family Leader in a statement called the ruling profoundly disappointing.

Unfortunately, todays ruling will result in more children killed, more women wounded, and only delays the day when all innocent life is cherished and protected by law, the organizations statement said.

Maggie DeWitte, executive director of Pulse Life Advocates, called the courts split opinion extremely disappointing, but referred to Republican lawmakers ability to attempt to pass another abortion restriction that will pass legal muster.

We will continue to fight for all Iowans. This ruling only delays the day when all innocent life is cherished and protected. We continue our work in Iowa to educate on the sanctity of human life, DeWitte said.

Matt Sinovic, executive director of liberal advocacy organization Progress Iowa, said the ruling was a call to action for every Iowan who values their freedom.

Governor Reynolds and other MAGA, anti-abortion Republicans in Iowa want to change both the courts and the constitution, he said in a statement. As supporters of abortion access, we are the majority and we arent going anywhere. We hope everyone who values their freedom will join the fight to secure the right of every Iowan to be in charge of their bodies.

Caleb McCullough of The Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau contributed.

Abortion in America: How access and attitudes have changed through the centuries 1980s-2000s: Legal challenges to Roe v. Wade introduce restrictions 1970s: Roe v. Wade protects women's right to abortion; politics shift 1960s: 'Back-alley butchers,' birth control, and protests 2020s: Roe v. Wade is overturned; Postal Service allowed to mail abortion medication The evolution of abortion in America Pre-1850: Abortions in early America are commonplace Mid-1800s: Birth of the American Medical Association shifts abortion oversight from midwives to doctors; abortion is criminalized
Iowa Democrats intend to forge ahead with a plan for both a mail-in and an in-person 2024 caucus process, despite national Democrats on Friday finding the plan fails to comply with national party rules and could lead to sanctions.

The Democratic National Committee's Rules & Bylaws committee met Friday in Minneapolis to review and vote on a dozen or more state's delegate selection plans for the 2024 presidential nominating calendar. The committee approved a DNC staff recommendation, finding Iowas delegate selection plan noncompliant.

The Iowa Democratic Party will have 30 days to work with DNC staff and come back to the committee for approval but could be granted additional extensions by the panel.

State party chair Rita Hart, in a statement, said she was not surprised by the decision, given missing pieces in our draft delegate selection plan.

She also criticized Iowa Republicans for passing and signing into law a bill requiring in-person participation in Iowa caucuses when selecting presidential preference, calling it a partisan attack to meddle in our party business.

Republicans expressed concerns that New Hampshire  which is required by its state law to hold the nations first presidential primary election every four years  would try to supersede Iowa if the new Democratic Party caucus process was put in place for fear it would be too similar to a primary.

"No matter what, Iowa Democrats are united in moving forward with the most inclusive caucus process in our history, Hart said in a letter read by Iowa DNC member Scott Brennan during the meeting. We will do whats good for Iowa, whats good for Democrats and whats good for democracy."

Under the plan, Iowa Democrats would caucus on the same night as Iowa Republicans, and at least eight days before any other states presidential nominating contest, as has historically been the case and as prescribed in Iowa law.

Democrats would meet to pick delegates to the state primary convention and conduct other party business, but no expression of presidential preferences would be tabulated at the precinct caucuses.

Iowa Democrats would calculate and announce the results of the presidential preference card votes and assign delegates to candidates at a later unspecified date. When presidential preference mail-in cards would be sent to Democrats or returned to the party is also not yet clear.

Hart, in her letter, said that was intentional to provide flexibility and an ability to adapt to uncertainty still surrounding the Democratic presidential nominating calendar.

While the national party has announced a new slate of five early-voting states  South Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Georgia and Michigan  there have been issues with the implementation of that schedule as states wrestle with their own laws, including New Hampshire.

The DNCs rule committee voted Friday to give New Hampshire Democrats at least 90 more days, until Sept. 1, to change when and how the state plans to hold its 2024 Democratic presidential primary.

Rules committee co-chair Minyon Moore said while theres disagreement between the national party and New Hampshire Democrats on when the state should hold its primary, President Joe Biden, who is running for reelection, had made clear he wanted New Hampshire in the early window.

In Georgia, the states Republican secretary of state has set the battleground state's 2024 presidential primary for March 12, rebuffing the wishes of Democrats to move the Southern state into the early weeks of the nominating calendar as a part of elevating a more diverse electorates.

It doesnt seem to make sense to extend the Georgia waiver at this point, Moore said. Regardless, I think the foundation has been laid for 2028, and it is a discussion we need to continue.

The Iowa Democratic Party had put forward the mail-in proposal to make the caucuses more accessible, which was one of the main criticisms from national Democrats, in an effort to maintain its first-in-the-nation status after the national party decided to rewrite the early nominating calendar.

Following the 2020 presidential election, many national party leaders expressed a preference for primary elections over party-run caucuses. National Democratic Party leaders also said they wanted to elevate diverse states that better reflected the makeup of the party.

Though Iowa Democrats were eventually knocked off the coveted spot, state Democrats kept their plans  even though it risks being sanctioned by the national party, which has warned state parties it could strip them of delegates to the national convention if they jump the gun.

During the mail-in portion, Iowa Democrats would be able to request a presidential preference card through the mail or online. Hart, in her letter, said the Iowa Democratic Party is working with potential vendors to ensure the mail-in part reflects a classic in-person caucus while also increasing accessibility for all Iowans.

The second part will be traditional precinct caucuses held in person on the same date as Iowa Republicans, who kept their spot as the lead state in the party's presidential nominating calendar.

During the caucuses, Democrats would elect unbound delegates to county conventions, precinct committee persons to county conventions and discuss platform resolutions.

For the first time, a police officer or firefighter working a third shift, a single parent who may not have access to child care or those in the disability community who may be unable to leave their homes will be able to participate in the Iowa Democratic Caucuses and make their voices heard in the presidential selection process, Hart wrote.
Rapid City's administrative offices will be closed Monday, June 19, in observance of the Juneteenth Freedom Day.

With the federal, state and city observance of the holiday, the Rapid City Councils Monday meeting will be moved to Tuesday, June 20 at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall.

The Rapid City Landfill will be closed as part of the holiday observance. Trash collection operations will be suspended next Monday with Mondays collection taking place on Tuesday. Tuesday through Friday collections will take place on normal rotation; residents are asked to leave cans out until they're collected. Some routes may be delayed until the following day.

Rapid Transit Services, including RapidRide and Dial-A-Ride services, will not be operating. The Rapid City Public Library and The Monument will also be closed.

The Roosevelt Ice Arena has scheduled public skate from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. The Roosevelt Swim Center will operate regular hours from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. with open swim scheduled on the holiday from 3:30 to 8:45 p.m. The outdoor swimming pools at Horace Mann, Parkview and Jimmy Hilton at Sioux Park will be open from noon to 6 p.m.

The Rapid City Airport will be open with administrative offices closed. Rapid City Police and Fire departments will be operating on normal shift schedules with administrative offices closed.

In May, Mayor Steve Allender announced the City of Rapid City will observe Juneteenth Freedom Day and Native American Day as official city holidays.

Juneteenth commemorates and observes the official end of slavery in the United States, when three months after the Civil War ended and two and a half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, word of freedom finally reached enslaved people in Texas.
The City of Piedmont's attempt to involuntarily annex land north of its current city limits has received pushback from residents in the area.

The land the city is trying to annex includes five unplatted lots, two having ag status and one platted lot with ag status.

The reason for the annex, according to the city, is to regulate the area with consistent development and enforcement throughout the territory.

We're in it to try to maintain the small town feel of our community, said Phil Anderson, president of the Piedmont Board of Trustees, at the Meade County Commission meeting Tuesday. We're trying to protect the citizens that we have, we're not looking at expansion, and the growth model that everybody supports. We don't necessarily believe that, we believe we represent the people that elected us, not the people that are trying to expand."

Many residents oppose the annexation because they feel the property targets the lowest population and the highest land mass. While residents of the proposed annexation would also have to pay city taxes, there could also be an additional financial burden to the community to bring costly services to the area. Piedmont Board of Trustee President Phil Anderson says the city is not taking the action for the tax dollars.

Im very concerned about the potential financial burden and risks that this poses to my current and future small ag enterprise, said Keith Swett, a resident of the proposed annexation area, Tuesday. After a long search, we [Swett and his family] found this unrestricted 40-acre parcel already set up with yards, outbuildings, shop and hay ground. Unfortunately, to get these attributes, we had to pay a premium for that."

He explained that they moved in this past winter and have a handful of things to do this spring. Their next goal would be to attain the ag status once they grow their efforts and get an income from it.

"Then we receive a letter in the mail that caused a lot of concern. Piedmont is trying to annex our property," he said. "Being brought into city limits, we're losing one of the most desirable attributes that this property came with  the lack of restrictions. I'm honestly worried that adding outbuildings infrastructure and having to check with the city before I can expand or adjust my operations will increase the time and cost and hassle in order to be able to be successful."

The issue has been discussed at two meetings with the city, and Tuesday, the Resolution of Intent to Annex Real Property was brought to the Meade County Board of Commissioners.

According to state Codified Law 9-4-5, annexation of unplatted territory cant be adopted until it has been approved by the board of county commissioners. Unplatted territory is any land that has not been planned or mapped out by a duly recorded plat or any agricultural land.

After hearing from the city and residents, the Meade County Board of Commissioners asked a few questions regarding city ag zoning, water hookup fees and road districts within the proposed area.

The county board then made a motion to not approve the plan as presented, which Commissioner Gary Deering (Dist. 1) said was because theres too many questions for me to vote to approve it.

The motion carried with four in favor while Commissioner Talbot Wieczorek (Dist. 3) abstained.

The city can still have public hearings to adjust boundaries to not include the lands that are subject to approval by the county.

Following the countys decision, Anderson said they will "move forward with our annexation of everything except the ag property."

Prior to this, the city held a special hearing about the Resolution of Intent May 30, giving residents a chance to get answers to some of their questions. According to the meeting's unapproved minutes, Anderson started by recognizing that people are mad and explained why the city was looking at annexing the land.

People asked about what residents of the area get with this annexation, zoning and the procedure. It was also mentioned that more information would be nice at the next meeting, like city limit maps.

Over 10 people shared their concerns and asked more questions during the public comment session of Piedmonts Board of Trustees June 6 meeting. The board answered the main reason for annexation was orderly growth.

Another question asked was: When annexing, why not get upper Main Street or the housing subdivision off Chimney Canyon Road?

The board answered that those areas were already developed, are already effectively zoned and have a commonality of use. The board doesn't want to annex locations just to increase tax revenue; those areas don't want to be annexed. The crowd responded that they also didn't want to be in the city limits.

There is currently no set date for a special meeting or public hearings to adjust the boundaries of the annexed land.
Rapid Citys Juneteenth observance, Still We Rise, invites the community to come together to celebrate freedom through arts, history, performances and food.

Still We Rise: Juneteenth Celebration takes place from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the third floor parking entrance for the Studio Theater at the Performing Arts Center in Rapid City. The event is free and open to everyone.

Juneteenth is an opportunity for the entire community to celebrate our shared freedom. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.

Juneteenth derives its name from June and 19th. On June 19, 1865, enslaved people were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation. Since January 1863, Union soldiers, many of whom were Black, had been reading aloud the proclamation on plantations and in cities across the south as the Confederacy lost territory. It took until June 19, 1865 for the enslaved people of Texas to be proclaimed free. The day was then celebrated as Juneteenth.

On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday.

Still We Rise invites the community to learn about the roots of Juneteenth with a historical reenactment of the black experience by storyteller, performer and speaker Joyce Jefferson of Rapid City, and through spoken word by Leah Williams. These will be followed by a discussion led by Michelle Porter.

A food for the soul lunch will be provided by A&D Jamaican Restaurant in Rapid City.

A talent showcase begins at 12:30 p.m., featuring Donovan Washington, Dan Snethen, Kiyan Pittman, Bernie and Alena McFarling, Anverrea Bennett, Denali Green and more, with emcees Michelle Porter, Manasseh Dyse and Kherdine Weber.

A Kids Zone will be open from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with a variety of activities for children including a bouncy house, goat petting zoo, balloon animals and theater games.

The Juneteenth Celebration program is funded by a grant from the South Dakota Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction that prevents Minnehaha County from enforcing designated areas and check-ins for petition circulators as part of what opponents called an overly restrictive policy at the countys administration building in central Sioux Falls.

The petition policy, recommended by County Auditor Leah Anderson and passed unanimously by the Minnehaha County Commission on May 2, came in response to what some county employees and customers characterized as increasingly aggressive behavior from circulators and counter-protestors as signatures are sought for a proposed ballot amendment to enshrine the right to abortion in the South Dakota Constitution.

The rules restricted petition circulation to two designated rectangular areas: one about 50 feet from the main entrance to the building in the parking lot off Minnesota Avenue, and the other southeast of the main entrance to the courthouse.

The policy mandated that circulators check in at Andersons office prior to conducting political activity to permit the placement of safety markers and to verify space availability within the designated areas.

Dakotans for Health, the organization behind the proposed abortion amendment, responded with a lawsuit in U.S. District Court and was granted a temporary restraining order May 11. The group claimed that the new policy prohibits speech in 99.3% of the outdoor space that was available for First Amendment activity before the new policy was implemented.

In his June 13 ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Roberto Lange wrote that Dakotans for Health representatives have shown a likely violation of their First Amendment rights, and the public interest is served by protecting these rights. He added that his ruling restrains the county from enforcing any part of the policy that requires check-in with Andersons office or restricts petition circulators to designated areas.

The ruling does not prevent the county from enforcing its previous policys rules regarding the behavior of petition circulators, Lange wrote, noting that the county already had provisions in place requiring signature gatherers to conduct themselves in a polite, courteous and professional manner and not obstruct individuals as they enter and exit the building.

The public  has an interest to enter and leave the county buildings without undue traffic flow problems that overly aggressive petition circulators or those protesting these petitions might create, Lange wrote. But enforcement of the prior policy should blunt such behavior by petition circulators.

Judge Lange wrote that the county could develop a different policy that passes constitutional muster if they wish.

Another option would be to appeal the decision to the Eighth Circuit within the next 30 days. Anderson didnt immediately respond to a request for comment from News Watch about the ruling.

The legal tussle over the countys petition policy was viewed as crucial to the battle over South Dakotas abortion ban and whether reproductive rights should be decided by voters in 2024.

This is a very important decision, Jim Leach, the Rapid City lawyer who represents Dakotans for Health, told News Watch. It recognizes the peoples First Amendment right to circulate petitions and recognized that the government has severe restrictions on what it can do to try to impair those rights. While Dakotans for Health brought this case, its significant for everyone in South Dakota who might want to sign a petition or have the opportunity to vote on these issues.

Dakotans for Health needs to collect a minimum of 35,017 signatures to place the abortion constitutional amendment on the ballot, and the goal is to submit 60,000 or more to ensure that ballot access isnt foiled by invalidated signatures or other technicalities. The deadline to submit signatures is May 7, 2024.

Called the gold standard of petition circulation by groups soliciting signatures for ballot measures, the county administration building features a steady flow of foot traffic from the parking lot to its main entrance, where circulators are often stationed with clipboards and requests for support of their political cause.

Some of the petition circulators have clashed with volunteers from the anti-abortion Life Defense Fund, whose founders call the proposed amendment a grave threat to life in our state. The group aims to thwart petitioners through its Decline to Sign campaign.

Much of the debate focused on the yellow-striped rectangular box in the parking lot that was a designated area under the new policy. Dakotans for Health claimed it would force circulators to shout at potential signers to go out of their way and potentially walk through parking-lot traffic to engage in conversation.

All were saying is that people should have an unimpeded right to decide whether to sign petitions and then to vote on issues that affect them, said Leach.

If passed, the abortion measure would enshrine the right to abortion in the South Dakota Constitution and supersede a 2005 state trigger law that took effect when Roe vs. Wade was overturned and made it a Class 6 felony to perform an abortion except to save the life of the mother.

This article was produced by South Dakota News Watch, a non-profit journalism organization located online at sdnewswatch.org.
Update (6/19/23 at 9:30 a.m.): Michelle Thomson has replaced Liz Hamburg as the Citys representative on the recount board.

Rapid City's Finance Director announced Friday a recount board has been established and the mayoral race recount will move ahead next week after a short delay.

City Finance Director Daniel Ainslie announced today the recount will be held Thursday, June 22 at 8 a.m. at the Pennington County Auditors Office.

The three members of the recount board will be Liz Hamburg (citys representative), Chuck Parkinson (representing Armstrong) and Kevin Thom (representing Salamun). Mayor Allender previously told the Journal a "delay in communication" with Armstrong resulted in the recount being moved to next week.

The Rapid City Council officially canvassed the votes from last Tuesdays municipal election during a special session this week. Salamun claimed 32% of voters with 4,888 votes, topping Laura Armstrong by only 269 votes. Armstrong filed a request for a recount Thursday, June 8. Regardless of that pending request, the city is required to canvass the votes within seven days of the election.

The recount board meeting will open with board members approving the recount procedures followed by the recount itself. Those procedures will likely come from a guidebook prepared by the South Dakota Secretary of State's Office. Pennington County Auditor Cindy Mohler explained that state recount statutes don't apply to municipal or school recounts.

There is no timeline scheduled for when the recount board will complete its work. The cost of the recount will depend on the length of time it takes. If the recount takes eight hours, the cost is estimated around $2,500, according to Ainslie. That money will be paid out of the city's general fund and will come out of the Finance Department's budget.

If the results of the recount indicate that Jason Salamun received the most votes, no further action will be taken. If the recount changes the outcome of the election, the canvassing of the recounted votes will occur at a later date and will replace the previous canvassing resolution.
As Pride events take place in Missoula this weekend, members of state and local criminal justice and administrative personnel gathered on Friday to discuss how hate crimes in Montana are investigated and handled by law enforcement.

Anti-LGBTQ+ laws swept the nation during the last round of state legislative sessions, but hate against LGBTQ+ individuals in Montana is documented locally, too.

We havent just had national and international incidents grounded in hate, Montana U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said at the panel, hosted at the University of Montanas Alexander Blewett III Law School. Weve experienced them right here, in Montana, as theres been an increase in hateful rhetoric against historically marginalized groups, such as our LGBTQ+ community members.

With the recently concluded Montana legislative session, new laws have targeted transgender youth and the drag communities.

Montana Pride President Kevin Hamm asked the panel what theyre doing to address hateful rhetoric from neo-Nazis that show up to Pride events in Montana.

How are you taking that seriously? Hamm asked.

Missoula Police Detective Ethan Smith serves at the departments LGBTQ+ Community Liaison.

Smith said he monitors social media posts and decides what to focus resources on.

My biggest concern, of course, is if theres going to be something dynamic, its going to happen at an event like this, Smith said of Missoulas Pride events. So we do investigate that stuff.

He said the department has safety measures and a security plan in place in the event a large protest gets violent.

Specific to Montana, there were 17 reported hate crimes in 2021, Assistant U.S. Attorney and Civil Rights Coordinator Paul Vestal said.

This week, a Montana man was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for threatening a woman with violent, homophobic slurs and shooting at her house with an AK-47 assault rifle as part of a self-described mission to clean the small town of its LGBTQ community.

In May, Zephyr faced swatting threats. Swatting refers to a dangerous prank-call tactic where a caller falsely reports that a crime is happening at an area, usually someones house, with the intention to trigger a law enforcement response to the persons location.

An individual reported an anonymous tip targeting my home in Missoula, and the police recognized that it was likely a hoax and called me, Zephyr wrote on Twitter. I will say again. We will not be deterred. The fight for trans rights goes on.

When asked if those threats were investigated, Smith said it was determined not to be a direct threat.

Vestal noted underreporting of hate crimes is an issue across the country, citing data that 38% of victims didnt report because cases were handled a different way, and roughly 23% of people declined to report citing concerns that police could not or would not do anything to help.

An audience member asked what officers are doing to ensure hate crimes in Montana are being taken seriously.

The best thing that we can do is make ourselves available and participate in events like this and open up communication with members of our community because I absolutely agree with you, Smith responded. Theres a lot of under-reported stuff and I think that thats our fault, not the communitys fault.

Montana itself doesnt have a specific state-level hate crime law, but cases can be investigated for possible federal hate crime penalties.

If a federal agency determines that a crime has been committed, a federal crime has been committed, they would refer it to us at the U.S. Attorneys Office for prosecution, Vestal said.

Locally, there is something called a sentencing enhancement for hate crimes, which means if someone is charged with another crime such as assault with a weapon, theres a possibility the enhancement might be applied if the crime was based on hate. Local agencies like the Missoula Police Department investigate crimes that happen in communities, which are then referred to county attorney offices for possible prosecution. Laslovich said his office is steadfast in protecting Montanans civil rights.

Vestal and other panel members encouraged people to report any suspected hate crimes to their local authorities or the FBI.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 17)  Mayon Volcano continues to show unrest as it recorded at least two volcanic earthquakes and other seismic events in the past 24 hours, state seismologists reported.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) noted that the lava continues to flow up to 1.5 kilometers from the volcano's summit crater.

Aside from the earthquakes, there were also 280 rockfall events, and nine pyroclastic density current events since 5 a.m. of Friday, June 16, according to Phivolcs.

The volcano also emitted 978 tons of sulfur dioxide in a day, it added.

State seismologists also observed plumes rising up to 100 meters high and drifting to the general west.

Alert Level 3 is maintained over Mayon Volcano which means that it is "in a relatively high level of unrest as magma is at the crater and hazardous eruption within weeks or even days is possible."

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Friday said 20,267 people have been evacuated from the 6-km radius permanent danger zone and are currently staying in 27 evacuation centers in Albay.

Phivolcs earlier said Mayon Volcano's restiveness could take several weeks to a few months.




By M A Hossain





Ever since the initiation of Russia's conflict against Ukraine, the Nova Kakhovka Dam has been identified as a high-value target due to its strategic importance. It was seized by Russian forces during Moscow's invasion in February 2022 and has remained under their control since then. In the early morning of June 6, 2023, the Nova Kakhovka Dam, located on the Dnipro River, collapsed, resulting in one of the most significant human and environmental disasters since the war began in Ukraine. The dam, situated 30 km east of the city of Kherson, holds substantial implications for the broader war effort. Both Moscow and Kyiv have started accusing each other of what could arguably be considered a war crime. The destruction of the dam occurred just as Ukraine was preparing for a long-awaited counter-offensive in this strategic region.





Civil engineering experts, intelligence analysts, and officials have proposed three main theories regarding the cause of the collapse. Firstly, it is suggested that Russia might have blown up the dam. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his government, and the country's military swiftly blamed Moscow for the dam's destruction. They pointed out that the dam had been under Russian control for the past year. So, it was an easy task for the Russian army to plant explosives accurately. People in the area reported hearing explosions at the time when the dam was presumed to be damaged. Moscow may have sought to impede Ukraine's anticipated counter-offensive. Moreover, the reservoir supplies cooling water to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest nuclear power station, making its safety crucial.





Secondly, it is possible that artillery attacks by Ukraine caused sufficient damage to the dam. The Kremlin accused the Kyiv regime to deprive Crimea of water, which Russia annexed in 2014. It also brought the worst disaster to the Russian-controlled area, which had served as a launching pad for Russian military operations in the past. There were reports that Russian forces were caught off guard during the collapse. Thirdly, the destruction could be attributed to structural failure. The dam had already sustained some prior damage, as satellite images showed partial damage from June 1 and 2. Additionally, the water level had risen to a record 17.5 meters in April, which had poised a risk to the dam intact.





Now let us analyze the military tactical implications for both parties concerning the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam. Firstly, Russia has historical precedents for such actions. In 1941, Stalin ordered to destroy of a dam across the Dnipro River to make the approach inaccessible for advancing German forces. Furthermore, during Napoleon's invasion in 1812, Russia implemented a "scorched earth policy," leaving the French Army with little sustenance and only the smoldering ruins of Moscow to capture.





By destroying the dam, Russia gains tactical advantages in this strategic region. The resulting flood has created obstacles that may slow down the long-awaited Ukrainian offensive, impeding the movement of troops, armored vehicles, and heavy machinery for the next few weeks. This has compelled the Ukrainian army to allocate resources to address the humanitarian emergency and reassess their counter-offensive plan. Undoubtedly, it is a morale victory for the Russian army and represents a significant strategic achievement. Maintaining the status quo on the occupied territories will place Ukraine under pressure, as it has been preparing for a counter-offensive with Western-trained troops and advanced weaponry. Ukraine is facing a 1,000 km line of Russian defense. If Russia could repulse the offensive maneuver of the Ukrainian army, then it will increase the political pressure on Ukraine and the West. This will be potentially leading to the consolidation of Russia's gains and Ukraine has to accept the ceasefire proposal of China.





However, if Ukraine is indeed behind the destruction of the dam, it is crucial to consider the tactical advantages achieved by the Ukrainian forces. This act could potentially facilitate the relocation of the Ukrainian army to the north bank of the Dnipro River, enabling them to sustain a long-awaited counter-offensive. Ukrainian forces intent to recapture significant portions of territory in the south of the country. Kyiv's objective is to breach Russia's defense lines to the south of Zaporizhzhia, effectively splitting the territory and isolating Crimea, thereby achieving a major strategic victory. The resulting flood could also aid the Ukrainian side in dispersing Russian troops and retaking areas that connect Crimea to the eastern Donbas region.





While the details and background of the dam's destruction remain unclear, but the wider multifaceted short-term and long-term consequences are catastrophic. The destruction of the dam has disrupted the livelihoods of residents in Kherson, Dnepropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia. It has devastated the ecosystem, basic infrastructure, irrigation systems, and clean water facilities. Furthermore, it has impacted significantly on the country's energy security. The breach of the dam will have long-term effects on agricultural production and food security. A massive volume of freshwater will flow into the Black Sea, affecting the salinity of the Dnipro Delta. It is more likely that hundreds of thousands of people will become ecological refugees in southeastern Ukraine in the coming years. Additionally, it is worth noting that the Geneva Conventions explicitly prohibit attacks on dams, dikes, and nuclear power plants where this incident would comply with an act of war crime.





As the extent of the destruction becomes evident, the International Committee of the Red Cross has warned of a 'significant' threat to civilians. This act appears to be an attempt to inflict long-term damage on the viability of Ukraine as a functioning society and economy. The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam has taken the conflict to new heights since the war's inception.





M A Hossain, political and defense analyst based in Bangladesh.
From childrens books to memoirs, one persons story is anothers plight.

When people begin banning books and poetry, theyre doing so out of fear, said Yasmin Angoe, a mystery and thriller author whose work has earned accolades, including a spot on the Amazon Best Books lists and honors from the Eleanor Taylor Bland Award for Emerging Writers of Color. Her trilogy follows the Ghanaian Nena Knight and has earned critical acclaim.

Angoe was among Virginias most popular and prolific authors interviewed by the Richmond Times-Dispatch after the Hanover School Board earlier this month moved to ban 19 books from school libraries, as book banning has been debated nationally for the past couple of years.

Angoe, a Virginia native and author and a finalist in the Library of Virginias 20th Annual Peoples Choice Awards, believes schools and libraries should not be allowed to ban books.

As a lifelong writer and reader and having always attended schools and libraries, she said there have not been many books and characters who looked or lived as she did.

Now that there is an influx of diverse literature that speaks directly to and for marginalized communities, to silence those voices is a travesty and a direct attack on ones personal right to knowledge, Angoe stated.

Richmond resident Meg Medina, a New York Times best-selling author of picture books as well as middle grade and young adult fiction, believes it is a mistake to put obstacles between kids and books.

Parents are entitled to be in conversations with their kids, but its different to make decisions for everyones families, said Medina, a national ambassador for young peoples literature and a Newbery Medal winner, adding that books offer a powerful space for conversations, thinking and sharing ideas.

Shauna Robinson is another Library of Virginias Peoples Choice Awards finalist and Virginia resident. She writes contemporary fiction featured in multiple must read lists. She believes book banning is incredibly harmful, adding that the practice limits the diversity of perspectives readers can access and from which they can learn.

Banning these books sends the damaging and untrue message that these marginalized voices dont matter, Robinson stated. Diverse voices and stories shape our world, and schools and libraries need to carry books that reflect that.

Author and Richmond resident Rachel Beanland wrote 2023s The House Is On Fire, which follows the lives of four characters impacted by the Richmond Theater fire of 1811. The book was selected as an Indie Next pick by the American Booksellers Association and deemed most anticipated by a number of outlets, including The Washington Post, Good Morning America, E! News and more. Beanland believes that books can bring the country together, and is against the practice of books banning.

Reading books builds empathy, Beanland said.

Some titles banned by the Hanover board earlier this month include Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye, one of the most banned in the country; This Book is Gay, a guidebook for young people discovering their identity; and John Greens young adult novel Looking for Alaska, which explores themes of grief, hope and relationships.

Close Jim's parking lot on Grace between 3rd and 4th streets. This November 1926 images shows the view down Grace Street, the Fifth Avenue of Richmond, near Third Street downtown. Merchants in the district were anticipating a number of large buildings, including a new Loews Theatre, for the thriving thoroughfare. This July 1961 photo shows the corner of Second and Grace streets in downtown Richmond. At the time, the local parking board recommended the corner for a parking garage to help expand capacity in the area. This August 1964 image shows Southern Bank & Trusts main office at Second and Grace streets in downtown Richmond. A Wells Fargo bank branch occupies the site today. In January 1950, the Bank of Virginia branch at Fourth and Grace streets in downtown Richmond was just days away from its opening ceremonies. In January 2017, the building became home to Champion Brewing Co. In September 1977, the former Flair Inc. womens clothing store at Fifth and Grace streets in downtown Richmond was closing. The building would soon house Worths, another womens clothier. In 2016, Secret Sandwich Society opened in the space. This May 1957 image shows a stretch of businesses along Third Street between Broad and Grace streets in downtown Richmond. Among them were a locksmith, optician and beauty salon. Cafeteria plans August opening - The new cafeteria of Hot Shops, Inc., a corner shop in the Grace Street Parking, Inc., garage at Seventh and Grace Streets, probably will be ready for occupancy in August or September, Edwin Hyde, president of the parking facility disclosed yesterday. Hyde said that Doyle & Russell, the contractors are rushing the finishing work on the cafeteria. It will seat approximately 300 persons and will contain the latest in cafeteria equipment, Hyde said. June 10, 1951 12-11-1965 (cutline): Surge of Christmas shoppers heads for Richmond stores today. This view is near the corner of Fifth and Grace Streets. 02-12-1957: Grace Street 07-24-1949 (cutline): Grace Street between Fourth and Fifth was deserted on a usually busy Saturday afternoon while Richmonders sought cooler spots. 12-22-1962 (cutline): City streets became crowded yesterday as some offices closed early. Traffic was slow moving on slush-covered Grace Street after 4 p.m. 05-05-1963 (cutline): The same view today found one child-toting woman coatless in warm but wet and windy weather...The temperature was in the 60s. 08-18-1953 (cutline): Trees planted a year ago on Grace Street appear to be flourishing. 11-28-1959: Grace Street 08-19-1966: Grace Street 12-01-1962: Grace Street 01-15-1953: Grace and Fourth Streets 02-12-1957: Grace Street 09-23-1958 (cutline): Parking garage, other business were built in 1950. May Co. and Hot Shoppes Cafeteria occupied first floor space. 12-13-1954: Grace Street 09-03-1954: Grace Street 11-28-1959: Grace Street 08-18-1953 (cutline): A year ago last week, the city trimmed some of the trees in the 700 block of West Gracee Street. The cutting provoked sharp woods of complaint from some of Richmond's tree lovers. The city said the trimming was all for the best. Grace Street. Year unknown. From the Archives: Scenes from Grace Street A look back at Grace Street in downtown Richmond. Jim's parking lot on Grace between 3rd and 4th streets. This November 1926 images shows the view down Grace Street, the Fifth Avenue of Richmond, near Third Street downtown. Merchants in the district were anticipating a number of large buildings, including a new Loews Theatre, for the thriving thoroughfare. This July 1961 photo shows the corner of Second and Grace streets in downtown Richmond. At the time, the local parking board recommended the corner for a parking garage to help expand capacity in the area. This August 1964 image shows Southern Bank & Trusts main office at Second and Grace streets in downtown Richmond. A Wells Fargo bank branch occupies the site today. In January 1950, the Bank of Virginia branch at Fourth and Grace streets in downtown Richmond was just days away from its opening ceremonies. In January 2017, the building became home to Champion Brewing Co. In September 1977, the former Flair Inc. womens clothing store at Fifth and Grace streets in downtown Richmond was closing. The building would soon house Worths, another womens clothier. In 2016, Secret Sandwich Society opened in the space. This May 1957 image shows a stretch of businesses along Third Street between Broad and Grace streets in downtown Richmond. Among them were a locksmith, optician and beauty salon. Cafeteria plans August opening - The new cafeteria of Hot Shops, Inc., a corner shop in the Grace Street Parking, Inc., garage at Seventh and Grace Streets, probably will be ready for occupancy in August or September, Edwin Hyde, president of the parking facility disclosed yesterday. Hyde said that Doyle & Russell, the contractors are rushing the finishing work on the cafeteria. It will seat approximately 300 persons and will contain the latest in cafeteria equipment, Hyde said. June 10, 1951 12-11-1965 (cutline): Surge of Christmas shoppers heads for Richmond stores today. This view is near the corner of Fifth and Grace Streets. 02-12-1957: Grace Street 07-24-1949 (cutline): Grace Street between Fourth and Fifth was deserted on a usually busy Saturday afternoon while Richmonders sought cooler spots. 12-22-1962 (cutline): City streets became crowded yesterday as some offices closed early. Traffic was slow moving on slush-covered Grace Street after 4 p.m. 05-05-1963 (cutline): The same view today found one child-toting woman coatless in warm but wet and windy weather...The temperature was in the 60s. 08-18-1953 (cutline): Trees planted a year ago on Grace Street appear to be flourishing. 11-28-1959: Grace Street 08-19-1966: Grace Street 12-01-1962: Grace Street 01-15-1953: Grace and Fourth Streets 02-12-1957: Grace Street 09-23-1958 (cutline): Parking garage, other business were built in 1950. May Co. and Hot Shoppes Cafeteria occupied first floor space. 12-13-1954: Grace Street 09-03-1954: Grace Street 11-28-1959: Grace Street 08-18-1953 (cutline): A year ago last week, the city trimmed some of the trees in the 700 block of West Gracee Street. The cutting provoked sharp woods of complaint from some of Richmond's tree lovers. The city said the trimming was all for the best. Grace Street. Year unknown.
In May, environmental advocates hosted an event to raise awareness about toxic gases coming from a medical sterilization facility in eastern Henrico County.

Now, the Environmental Protection Agency says it will host a community meeting virtually via Zoom on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

During the meeting, EPA staff will discuss revised risk information related to the Sterilization Services of Virginia commercial sterilizer facility, located at 5674 Eastport Boulevard in Henrico, said an unattributed EPA press release.

The meeting will likely serve to clarify confusion around the facility that has residents concerned: a sterilization company that takes in used medical equipment, washes the payload in ethylene oxide, and then releases it back to its client hospitals and medical centers.

The ethylene oxide used in the process has been shown by the EPA to be a hazardous air pollutant known to cause respiratory issues and increase cancer risk. Because its a gas, it can easily leak from these sterilizing facilities, which often run around the clock to handle high demand.

There are estimates it is currently releasing nine times the acceptable amount of ethylene oxide into the community, the Times-Dispatch reported in May.

In 2021, 5,000 pounds of the harmful, colorless gas leaked into the eastern Henrico neighborhood, affecting a radial region extending several miles. Numerous schools and childcare facilities are located within that circle.

The Eastport Boulevard facility is called Sterilization Services of Virginia. Its one of three owned by parent company Altair Engineering. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reached out to the facility several times in May but did not receive a response to questions.

Initially, the EPA said the facility published a note online saying the facility had installed controls to prevent so much gas leakage. But when asked, spokesperson David Sternberg said that it has not installed new controls, raising questions about the validity of the online note.

The EPA is also doing an in-person meeting in August to address PFAS, the forever chemicals found in water, and ethylene oxide, the press release said. That date has not been announced.

Residents can join the Tuesday meeting via Zoom link, which is posted on the EPAs website under News Releases for June 6.

PHOTOS: Richmond International Airport
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described the composition of the Richmond City Council. This version has been updated.

With a mayor wielding CEO-like powers, its by-district voting rules and a large nine-member city council, Richmond is unique in that it operates and conducts its business like no other in Virginia. But all that could soon change.

Richmond may be shifting gears and reestablishing a system that more closely resembles its sister cities. For the past seven months, the Charter Review Commission has been researching other governments, compiling information, collaborating with key city figures, hosting public meetings and receiving counsel from legal representatives in drawing up a new plan on how Richmond should govern itself.

With a July 31 deadline looming for presenting its findings to the city council, the commission is nearing the end as it wraps up its findings and prepares to make final recommendations.

On Wednesday, the commission released a 42-page outline that sheds light on its two frontrunner recommendations that would fundamentally change the power structure of city government  one calling to remove three city council seats and adding the mayor to the council.

The establishment of the commission can be understood as an opportunity to take stock of the strengths and challenges of the existing charter and consider whether amendments to it may be advantageous to the city and its residents, a recent report released by the commission states.

Role of the Commission

The Charter Review Commission, a city-appointed, citizen-led volunteer board, came to fruition last year at the request of the city council.

Its goals were simple: to determine what does and doesnt work for the city and how can its charter be amended to better streamline city government. This includes taking a look at city governance, how each political entity functions and how they are paid.

The commission began the daunting task of revising the city charter, deemed the constitution of the city, by establishing a plan and dividing the group into two separate committees: governance and electoral.

The governance committee was tasked with improving and adjusting the citys current mayor-council form of government. The electoral committee was charged with designing a new form of government.

Currently, the city operates with an elected mayor, a chief administrative officer and a nine-member city council who all share varying degrees of power.

Essentially, under this system, the elected mayor operates as the executive branch. Similarly to the president, he or she is the face of the operation, in charge of his or her cabinet (city departments) and crafts the budget. Likewise, the chief administrative officer functions within the mayors circle and is often the go-between for city hall and the city council.

The elected city council functions as the legislative body and is tasked with governing through the adoption of public policies. While they cannot amend the budget, they have the final say as to whether it passes.

According to the commissions report, after 20 years with this system, those directly involved said there are some drawbacks.

Commission conversations with stakeholders established widespread concern that the Mayor-Council system is structured to be excessively adversarial, the report states.

In order to fix some of the key problems, the commission is pushing two different options.

Weighing its options

The first option comes from the governance subcommittee which set out to improve the current government system without affecting the citys current Mayor-Council system.

In its findings, the subcommittee recommends six potential areas that need improvement including:

Strengthening the ability of the mayor to act as hands-on executive;

Altering the structure of the city attorneys office;

Adjusting the hiring and removal process for the chief administrative officer;

Increasing compensation for elected officials;

Updating the budget process; and

Promoting better public deliberation and communication.

While several of these items are relatively simple fixes, like adding extra verbiage to the charter to specifically outline which government entity is in charge of which procedure, others are more crucial to ensure equity across the board.

This includes updating the budget process, which served as one of the key factors that led to the commissions creation and the need to amend the charter.

The commissions report says numerous government officials, from both the mayors office and the city council, expressed concerns with current budget procedures, specifically, the fact that only the mayor can introduce a budget amendment during the fiscal year and the need to provide the administration more flexibility to move funds in response to changing conditions.

In an effort to alleviate some of the issues, the subcommittee recommends the chief administrative officer, under the direction of the mayor, develop the budget after the city council has time to provide input on key priorities.

The second option sees a more drastic approach to address the citys political power imbalance  essentially, restructuring both the mayors office and the city council.

After taking into consideration nearly 10 different possible restructuring options as well as the citys current system, the governance subcommittee recommends the city adopt a council-manager form of government.

A council-manager form of government is also ubiquitous in Virginia. It is how all Virginia cities, except Richmond, are structured, the report states. The council-manager form was created to combat corruption and unethical activity within local government by promoting nonpolitical management that is effective, transparent, responsive and accountable.

This form of government can take on many different forms, with varying numbers of council members, differing degrees of mayoral powers and voting practices, but all see the city council acting as the governing body making all policy decisions and a city manager overseeing administration.

According to the report, to best meet the citys needs, the subcommittee recommends the city adopt a seven-person council with an at-large mayor serving as one of the members. This is to ensure that the city maintains an odd number of seats, keeps an elected at-large mayor and creates a city manager position to ensure equitable power between the two bodies.

But, to do so, the city would need to eliminate and consolidate three of its current districts to drop from a nine-member council to a six-member council with one at-large mayor.

While the mayor would have to relinquish some power over city hall and become a member of the legislative body, the subcommittee recommends he or she still retain significant authority by leading the council.

Richmonders would still cast their ballots the same with council members elected by their sole district and the mayor by a citywide election. But, the subcommittee recommended the city update its vote tallying.

Currently, the mayor is elected by a majority-of-districts requirement that was established in 2004 to ensure minority voters have more of an equal say by diluting the voting power of certain communities of interest.

However, in the past 20 years, the subcommittee said there have been significant demographic shifts in the city that call into question the effectiveness of this practice. As a result, the commission recommends returning to a popular vote in which the candidate will need 50% or more of the vote to take office.

The city manager, in this proposed system, will take over some of the current roles delegated to the mayors office and the chief administrative officer. This includes the hiring and firing of city employees, the supervision of government departments and the development of fiscal budgets.

While this potential shift in power may seem drastic, the subcommittee argues it is more on par with other cities across the state and is reflective of other cities of comparable size across the country.

For example, Norfolk, which has the closest population size to Richmond at 235,000, currently operates with five council members and one at-large mayor.

Researchers have consistently found that more managerial council-manager governments feature higher-measured economic stability, the report states. Studies frequently link measures of government innovation to more managerial systems.

Although the two options differ in severity, the two subcommittees shared some overlapping goals including increasing the salaries of both the city council and the mayors office.

According to the report, for the government to function effectively, city council members salaries should be on par with the surrounding localities. The committees recommend an average $55,000 salary as it is on par with the citys average median household income.

Additionally, the commission reports that the mayors current salary is less than the top five city executives. As the mayor is in charge of city hall, the commission argued their salary should reflect that.

In 2021, the average reported salary for the top five executives was $200,000. The same year, the mayors salary totaled $125,000.

We believe that a significant pay increase to assure that the mayor is better compensated both makes sense from an organizational perspective and would potentially increase the pool of talented individuals with executive-level experience willing to seek the office, the commission report states.

Charter changes through the years

While the city has taken up the is this government working baton numerous times throughout its history, this years Charter Review Commission is one of its more extensive deep dives in a long time and the first since it first adopted its current form of government 20 years ago.

Since the establishment of the Mayor-Council form of government in 2004, no comprehensive assessment of the Charter as a whole has been undertaken, the commissions outline states.

The citys current charter dates back to 1948. Since then, it has seen numerous amendments in its time. While some were minor, others resulted in large-scale shifts of power including shifting from an at-large council to a district-based council in 1977.

In the citys most recent history, it adopted the current Mayor-Council system, the first and currently only in the state, in 2004. Since then, the city has operated under this model.

Whats next?

While its objectives were clear, the task of changing the citys charter is a large undertaking. For the city council to make adjustments to the document, it needs to weigh its options, hear from the public and then make a final decision at the local level.

From there, any changes to the charter need both public and state approval. So, any decisions made will not be finalized until the General Assembly signs off.

Thad Williamson, a University of Richmond political science professor and commission chair, said the commission strongly recommends the city hold a referendum before sending the proposed changes off to the General Assembly.

While it is not mandated by law that the city allow Richmonders to weigh in by an elected vote, Williamson said it is the best practice when such drastic, controversial, long-term decisions are at play.

Additionally, the city is more likely to get the go-ahead from the state if a majority of city residents are in favor of the shift.

Before the commission presents its final recommendation, it plans to hear from the public through a series of public hearings as well as through an online survey.

The survey closes on June 21, and Williamson said the commission has seen good community engagement. Residents can share opinions at bit.ly/3NdGuOI.

Likewise, the commission will hold an in-person public hearing June 22 at 6 p.m. The meeting will also be streamed online via Zoom.

The commission is set to present its final recommendation at the city councils regular meeting July 31 at 6 p.m. From there, the commission will absolve unless reestablished by council for further deliberation.

Photos of the Downtown Expressway construction in the early to mid-1970s
IN THE NEWS

Mom of boy who shot teacher in court

The mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot his Newport News elementary school teacher pleaded guilty Monday to a federal charge of using marijuana while possessing a firearm.

Deja Taylor, 25, is accused of lying about her marijuana use on a form when she bought the firearm. Her son used the gun in January to shoot first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner at Richneck Elementary.

Marijuana is still a controlled substance under U.S. law, which also prohibits users of a controlled substance from possessing a firearm. She faces up to 25 years if convicted.

Taylor faces separate felony child neglect and reckless storage of a firearm at the state level. A trial is scheduled for August.

An attorney for Taylor has said she thought her gun was secured on a high closet shelf.

The school district said Zwerner, who is suing the school system for $40 million, resigned from her position.

FRANCE: Gov. Glenn Youngkin is traveling to France to visit the gravesites of Virginia service members killed during World War IIs D-Day invasion and attend the International Paris Air Show.

With four of the top five major U.S. aerospace and defense leaders based in Virginia, I look forward to engaging with aerospace leaders at the Paris Air Show and reiterating our commitment to be partners in building a safer, more connected world. Virginia has the capabilities and talented workforce for all aerospace companies to expand and grow, Youngkin said in a statement.

ODDS AND ENDS

SENTENCE: A Spotsylvania County mother has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after her 4-year-old child died with a large amount of THC in his system. Dorothy Annette Clements, 31, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and felony child neglect. Authorities said Clements called Poison Control on May 6, 2022, and said the child took a bite of a cannabidiol gummy, but that he did not swallow it. The child died later that day.

OUTAGE: Amazon's cluster of data centers in Northern Virginia were rocked by an outage Tuesday, causing wide-ranging problems across networks. The problem was with cloud computing unit Amazon Web Services and caused some publishers to be unable to operate their sites. The outage lasted about two hours.

BY THE NUMBERS

$22 million

Amount raised by Virginia legislative candidates in just over two months in the run-up to next week's primary election.

$1 billion

Amount increase in Virginia tax collections as fiscal year 2023 nears its June 30 end.

THEY SAID IT ...

"This is truly vulgar language, vulgar pictures, vulgar depictions. We did not and do not take this decision likely. It is very tough.

 John Axselle III, chairman of the Hanover County school board, which voted to ban 17 books from libraries

"There's been a definite uptick in violent crime."

 Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis, pointing to a recent surge in gun crimes in the community

IN THE NEWS

CASE: A wrongful death lawsuit that says a Roanoke County police officer shot an unarmed man who was having a mental breakdown can move forward, a judge ruled.

The lawsuit alleges that Shawn Smith did not pose a threat as he stood at a screen door of his home about 50 feet from Officer Matthew Jennings, who fired two rifle shots from a hiding spot in the dark, on the night of Nov. 26, 2021. U.S. District Judge Michael Urbanski in his ruling said: Under the circumstances alleged, no officer could reasonably believe that deadly force was necessary." Urbanskis decision allows the case to move forward to the discovery stage.

INVASION: Rest easy. Virginia is the best-equipped state in the nation to handle an alien invasion.

That is according to NJ Casino, which looked at various factors  from population density to number of UFO sightings to defense and public safety personnel  to rank each state.

Virginia topped the list because of the number of caves and caverns (29) and the large military presence, which means "Virginia is well-equipped to defend and protect its territory against extraterrestrial threats and enables a faster response time to an alien invasion, meaning the state can mobilize and deploy troops more quickly."

Nevada ranks at the bottom of the list.
The idiom like father like son has a whole new meaning for James M. Busic and James Jim W. Busic.

Whether it was the elder Busic regularly making the 16-hour round trip in one day from Buffalo, New York, to Long Island just to visit his son, or speaking on the phone almost every day while the father lives in Florida and his son remains in New York with children of his own, the duo have always cherished a close relationship.

But their bond reached new heights on April 18, when Jim Busic donated a portion of his liver to his father.

In addition to helping save his fathers life, Jim Busic became the first patient at the Virginia Commonwealth University Hume-Lee Transplant Center to undergo a fully robotic living donor hepatectomy.

James Busic, a Vietnam War veteran, had suffered from cirrhosis of the liver for decades. His health took a turn for the worse when he was diagnosed with liver cancer over two and a half years ago, he said. He received initial treatments through a Veterans Affairs hospital in Orlando, but the cancer returned last summer. James Busics doctors recommended that he receive a liver transplant. He was placed on the national organ donation waiting list in November.

But the waitlist is over 100,000 people long, which means people often wait months or years for transplants. Approximately 17 people die each day while waiting for an organ.

So when Jim Busic learned about an opportunity last fall to become a living organ donor through a partnership the VA has with transplantation centers across the country  including Hume-Lee  he jumped at the chance to help his father.

Ive had a few family members die of cancer, and there was nothing I could do about it and this was something I felt I could do something about, he said. It was a no brainer  I was going to do it no matter what.

As opposed to the process for non-living organ donation, in which the sickest patients on the waiting list receive the first available organs from deceased people, living organ donations transfer organs from living volunteers to those in need of transplants.

Fully robotic hepatectomies

Though not as many organs can be donated through living transplantation, recipients of living organ transplants reportedly have better outcomes and the process helps shorten waiting times, Dr. David Bruno, Hume-Lee interim chair and one of the surgeons who performed James Busics transplant, said

The Busics could have chosen any of the three transplant centers in the U.S. that have partnered with the VA to offer veterans living liver transplants. They said they agreed on Hume-Lee upon the recommendation of James Busics doctors.

Hume-Lee is one of the oldest transplant centers, and its liver transplant and living donor programs both have ranked among the top ten in the country, according Hume-Lee reports.

Now, after the Busics successful procedures, Hume-Lee is one of just three transplant centers in the country conducting fully robotic hepatectomies for living liver transplants, said Dr. Vinay Kumaran, Hume-Lee living donor liver transplantation surgical director. Kumaran performed the operation alongside Dr. Seung Duk Lee, Hume-Lee associate director of liver transplantation. Combined, they have performed over a thousand liver operations.

While it is a relatively new technique that requires a lot of training and skill, robotically-assisted surgery tends to be safer because it is less invasive and offers surgeons better visibility, Bruno said.

During a robotic surgical procedure, a doctor controls a robot, which has four arms that are inserted into the abdomen through four incisions that are approximately 1 centimeter in length each. One of the arms holds a scope that allows surgeons to see where they are operating, Kumaran said.

The smaller incisions compared to traditional operations mean less pain and bleeding, and expedited recovery times for patients because less muscle and tissue is cut.

The procedures also reduce the scarring from mark-stretching across patients abdomens to just a few dots below their beltlines. Because recipients transplant procedures are more complex, they are still performed traditionally, Kumaran said.

In a living donor operation, one of the most important parts is making sure the donor is comfortable, and doing it robotically is one more step in that direction, Kumaran said. Donors are amazing people. Improving the experience for them will hopefully attract more and increase the number of living donor transplants.

Doctors around the world have been performing robotically assisted procedures for the past several years. At Hume-Lee, robotics have been used in other abdominal surgeries, including kidney transplants. And there are two more fully robotic living donor liver transplants planned for this summer, Bruno said.

This is a tough job, but these are the greatest moments when you recognize youre not only helping the individual, but helping move science of saving peoples lives forward, Bruno said. This is the future standard of care. In the next decade I think almost all surgeries will be done robotically.

Extensive testing and screening

In preparation for the procedure, Jim Busic said, he and his father went through months of extensive medical testing and screening. Jim Busics procedure was originally planned as only partially robotically assisted, but Kumaran said his anatomy was just right to perform the surgery fully robotically.

While going through cancer treatments and receiving an organ transplant can be daunting, James Busic said he was most concerned about his son throughout the entire process.

I was glad, but I was more worried about my son than me, he said.

This Fathers Day will mark two months since the procedure, and both Busics have reported smooth recoveries so far. Kumaran and Bruno are also optimistic about James Busics prognosis, and said he will undergo periodic scans to monitor the cancer.

Regardless of how the procedure was performed, both James and Jim Busic said they are grateful for the extra time they have to spend with each other.
Applicants who are denied employment or employees who are disciplined or disgruntled will frequently threaten to sue their prospective employer or employer, contending they have been discriminated against or harassed in some way due to a protected characteristic, including race, gender, national origin, religion, color, disability.

Under federal discrimination laws, applicants and employees cant just roll into federal court and file a lawsuit. The complainant must first file a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission within 300 days of the last incident of alleged harassment or from the date of the alleged discrimination. In some states, like Georgia, the filing deadline is 180 days.

Applicants or employees for an employer with 15 or more workers can file a Charge of Discrimination within this time period. For alleged age discrimination, the employer must have at least 20 employees. For alleged violations of the Equal Pay Act, employees can either go straight to federal court or first file a Charge of Discrimination with the EEOC.

Upon receiving a Charge of Discrimination, the EEOC will then ask the employer to provide a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for the alleged offenses.

There are several considerations when responding. These are my top 10:

1. Dont do nothing. Some employers just ignore the request for a response altogether, thinking that theyve done nothing wrong. The employer must respond, and on time.

2. Seek an extension, if necessary. Employers will usually be given 30 days to submit a Statement of Position. Sometimes the employer will need to investigate further, and this might take some time. Employers can upload a request for an extension on the EEOC Respondent Portal and will typically be granted a two-week extension.

3. Consider mediation. In most cases, the EEOC offers the parties the opportunity to mediate. Both parties have to agree to this, and mediation is free to all parties. If the mediation is successful, the employer will not be required to respond to the charge. Even if you think your company has done nothing wrong, consider mediation.

4. Dont mention at-will in your response. Too often employers will attempt to articulate that they dont need a reason since the employee was probationary or generally at will. You need a reason. This is why I tell employers to document performance conversations even in at-will or probationary situations because you might need to provide a reason for your companys actions.

5. Tell your story. The Statement of Position is your organizations chance to explain the facts and the events. Dont be overly emotional. Tell your story in a narrative.

6. Avoid a bunch of legalese. The EEOC investigators know the law and must determine whether the facts show a violation of it. I typically refer to certain legal standards (such as the standard for retaliation, or to the fact that disability is not an excuse for misconduct, or that the company was not on notice of harassment), but I generally rely upon the EEOCs own guidance. I will occasionally cite case law if it is directly on point or necessary. I have seen many Statements of Positions written by lawyers who are trying to prove how smart they are by using language that is bombastic and not simple to read.

7. Be accurate. Dont embellish anything or misstate facts. If you are receiving information from a witness, make sure the witness is able to review what was put into the position statement to confirm its what the person observed or can testify to. Verify everything that can be verified.

8. No specific format is necessary. There is no form response letter that the EEOC requires. Employers should consider including an opening statement, summary of the situation, explanation of the organization, the organizations policies against harassment, discrimination or retaliation or its policy on reasonable accommodations or compensation, the facts demonstrating legitimate, nondiscriminatory reasons for the organizations or managers actions (including employer policies that may have been violated, such as the Code of Conduct or attendance), and a conclusion statement wrapping up the narrative.

9. Tell your story in documents, if possible. The best Statements of Position include exhibits demonstrating that the organization took progressive discipline or showing that it conducted a thorough investigation and took appropriate action. The Statement of Position is shared with the complainant, but confidential attachments are not.

10. The EEOC is not out to get your organization. Frequently, employers complain that the EEOC is an advocate for the employee. The EEOC investigators are objective. If the EEOC determines there is a violation of law, it might then turn into an advocate for the complainant. Until then, the EEOC serves a great purpose for both parties and can help the employer avoid expensive litigation.

The EEOC will host its annual EXCEL conference in Washington, D.C., beginning July 30. Employers looking to stay abreast of the laws and to learn best practices should consider attending. More information can be found at EEOC.gov/training-institute/excel-conference.

PHOTOS: Recognize these Richmond-area places?
Major airlines already adding more U.S. to Cancun routes for upcoming winter travel season

Cancun, Q.R.  Three airlines have increased air connectivity with new routes and greater frequency of flights into Cancun. For the 2023 winter season, American Airlines and Arajet will head for the Mexican Caribbean more often.

State Secretariat of Tourism Bernardo Cueto Riestra said that as of November 5, American Airlines will add another weekly direct flight from Austin, Texas, in response to the growing demand for Cancun travel.

On December 5, American Airlines will add new frequencies from Charlotte, North Carolina. For the upcoming winter season, they will offer five direct flights per week.

More flights from Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and the Caribbean have been added to the 2023 winter Cancun schedule.

Photo: Sedetur

As of December 9, American Airlines will inaugurate new direct routes from Nashville, Tennessee, and Cincinnati, Ohio, thus increasing connectivity with travelers from these cities.

Arajet is also expanding its presence in Cancun. Starting October 4, the airline will inaugurate direct flights from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and will offer connecting flights to St. Marteen, Jamaica , Aruba and Curacao, also providing travelers with more options to Cancun.

On June 15, airline Avianca inaugurated its new direct Quito-Cancun route. The flight will be operate three times a week, offering Ecuadorians 4,000 sets per month for Cancun travel.
Growing concerns over deteriorating human rights situation in Hong Kong, and the persecution of political dissidents, prompt EUs call for immediate action.

The European Parliament condemned the persecution of jailed newspaper publisher and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, calling for his immediate and unconditional release from prison and the repeal of Hong Kongs national security law (NSL), in a resolution passed on June 15, according to Voice of America.

The resolution passed with 483 votes in favor, 9 against, and 42 abstentions.

Emphasizing the gravity of the situation, the EU denounced the imprisonment of Lai, a prominent pro-democracy figure and outspoken critic of the Chinese government. Lai, who had been a staunch advocate for freedom of the press and was arrested and convicted on charges widely seen as politically motivated. Lai is set to face a trial on alleged violations of the NSL in September.

The EU further voiced its apprehension over the deteriorating human rights situation in Hong Kong, particularly the erosion of civil liberties and the stifling of independent journalism. It expressed solidarity with the people of Hong Kong, recognizing their legitimate aspirations for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

The EU urged the Hong Kong authorities to respect and protect freedom of expression, press, and assembly and called upon the authorities to release all individuals who have been detained for exercising their rights and to ensure a fair and impartial legal system.

The European Unions call for Lais release comes amid escalating international concerns about the erosion of democratic norms and the curtailment of civil liberties in Hong Kong. Governments and organizations around the world have been voicing their support for Lai and condemning the crackdown on dissent in the region.

As the world watches Hong Kong, the international community continues to advocate for the restoration of democratic freedoms and the release of individuals unjustly imprisoned. The EUs resolute stance serves as a reminder that the fight for justice and human rights is a collective effort that transcends borders and underscores the importance of safeguarding the principles that underpin free and open societies.

The Hong Konger, the Acton Institutes new award-winning documentary, tells the story of Jimmy Lais heroic struggle against authoritarian Beijing and its erosion of human rights in Hong Kong. Banned by TikTok, the film premiered worldwide at freejimmylai.com on April 18, 2023, and is available in full on YouTube here.
A Maryland man is charged with capital murder of a Wintergreen Police Department officer in a Friday night shooting.

Virginia State Police announced shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday that Daniel M. Barmak, of Towson, Maryland, is charged with one count each of capital murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony in connection with the shooting death of officer Mark Christopher Wagner II.

Barmak, 23, also is accused of two felony counts of malicious wounding, state police said. He is being held at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.

The incident began shortly after 10 p.m. Friday when an emergency call came into the Wintergreen Police Department about two people being assaulted at the residence they were all staying at on Arrowood Lane in the Wintergreen community of Nelson County, a news release from state police said.

After calling police, the two injured men fled the residence on foot. The two 23-year-old men were both taken to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, the release said.

Wagner, 31, was the first law enforcement officer to arrive at the residence. He encountered Barmak in the woods and a struggle ensued, the release said.

"During the course of the struggle over Wagner's department-issued handgun, Barmak shot and killed the officer," the release said. "Barmak was also shot during the encounter."

Wintergreen police and the Nelson County Sheriff's Office took Barmak into custody without further incident. Barmak was taken to UVA Medical Center for treatment of a non-life threatening injury sustained during the incident, the release said.

"Inside the residence, state police recovered illegal narcotics," the release said. "Wagner's department-issued handgun was recovered at the shooting scene in the woods."

Wagner's remains have been transported to the Office of the Medical Examiner for examination and autopsy, the release said.

A fundraiser the Wintergreen Police Department posted on its Facebook page Saturday raised $16,530 for Wagner's family as of 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Nelson County Commonwealth's Attorney is working with the Virginia State Police during the ongoing criminal investigation, the release said.

"We extend our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Officer Wagner's family, the Wintergreen Police Department, and Wintergreen community," a statement from the prosecutors' office said. "The Commonwealth Attorney's Office is committed to pursuing a just and legal resolve to this case."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 17)  The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Saturday proposed turning Mayon Volcano's 6-kilometer radius permanent danger zone (PDZ) into a natural park.

The OCD said discussions on the feasibility of the proposed development project are ongoing.

More than 20,000 individuals living within the PDZ have already been evacuated due to Mayon's eruption.

OCD Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno said the danger zone should not have inhabitants in the first place.

If the proposal materializes, the OCD said it would lessen the burden of evacuating residents and would help the local and national governments manage disaster and relief funds.

"Nakakapagod din talaga, tanggapin natin, na pag mag-evacuate, pakakainin natin sila, madi-disrupt yung pag-aaral nila. Madi-drain yung resources ng mga barangay, ng munisipyo, ng national government," Nepomuceno pointed out.

[Translation: It's tiring that whenever we need to evacuate people, we have to feed them, their studies will be disrupted. So, the resources of the barangay, of the municipality, and of the national government will be drained.]

The OCD said local government units affected by Mayon's unrest back the proposal.
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The magma that comes out of Mauna Loa comes from a series of magma chambers found between 1 and 25 miles (2 and 40 kilometers) below the surface. These magma chambers are only temporary storage places with magma and gases, and are not where the magma originally came from.

The origin is much deeper in Earth's mantle, perhaps more than 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) deep. Some scientists even postulate that the magma comes from a depth of 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers), where the mantle meets Earth's core.

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Earth's crust is made up of tectonic plates that are slowly moving, at about the same speed as a fingernail grows. Volcanoes typically occur where these plates either move away from each other or where one pushes beneath another. But volcanoes can also be in the middle of plates, as Hawaii's volcanoes are in the Pacific Plate.

The crust and mantle that comprise the Pacific Plate crack at different places as the plate moves northwestward. Beneath Hawaii, magma can move upward through the cracks to feed different volcanoes on the surface. The same thing happens at Maui's Haleakala, which last erupted about 250 years ago.

" " This illustration suggests what Hawaii's mantle plume might look like. Joel E Robinson/USGS
FLORENCE, S.C.  Movement Mortgage has given away about $1 million this year to organizations that make a difference and two of them are in Florence.

Wednesday afternoon the Foster Childrens Clothing Closet and House of Hope each received a $10,000 grant from the organizations Grace Works program supported by the K.M. Foundation.

Florence may have been the only community served by Movement Mortgage to have received two grants.

Just a way to give back to communities that need the help, said Sandra King, with Movement Mortgage in Florence. She was one of two people who nominated a Florence organization  the clothing closet.

They sent out an email companywide and said they had some grants to give away, please nominate a local charity. I reached out to Nicole (Griggs) and said hey, I want to nominate the Foster Care Clothing Closet and I gave her my reasons. I got the information I needed from her.

That was earlier in the year.

The way we found out, our regional director was here from Raleigh visiting us, whod never been here to visit us before, King said.

He said you did nominate a charity and he said, you won. And then immediately tears came to my eyes, King said. He kept scrolling because they put them in alphabetical order and then he came upon Kevins and hes like so did you.

My situation was a little bit different. I didnt reach out to anyone. Id talked to Bryan Braddock before as well as John Weiss, said Kevin Medlin, also with Florences Movement Mortgage office. He nominated House of Hope. I mentioned I wanted to do something. I thought at the time it was probably going to be something of me giving my time more than anything else.

Didnt turn out that way, though.

Then whenever I got the news over email about the opportunity to offer a nomination I felt like it was divinely inspired and clearly was. I never won anything in my life, and its just like God to to allow me to win something but for it to be something greater than, Medlin said.

The two grants are, in some ways, connected to the same issue.

To Kevins point, the Foster Care Clothing Closet sees these children at the beginning of this potentially vicious cycle where as adults they end up with higher propensity to end up where the House of Hope is trying to make an impact, King said.
JOHNSONVILLE  A large manufacturing warehouse at PRET Advanced Materials in Johnsonville, the former Wellman plant, was heavily damaged in a fire Friday night and Saturday morning.

The fire involved all Florence County fire departments in addition to units from Marion, Williamsburg and Horry counties.

Johnsonville firefighters were dispatched to the plant at 7:28 p.m., along with automatic mutual aid from Hannah-Salem-Friendfield firefighters, and arrived at 7:35 p.m. to find that a fire in Building 12 was already through the roof, said Sam Brockington with Florence County.

Johnsonville firefighters initially called for assistance from South Lynches and ultimately from Olanta, Howe Springs, Sardis-Timmonsville, Windy Hill, Brittons Neck-Gresham, Williamsburg County, Horry County and Florence County Emergency Management Division, Brockington said.

In all, 71 firefighters, four ladders, eight engines, four service rescues, four tankers and eight support vehicles responded along with units from Florence County EMS, Johnsonville Rescue Squad and Florence County Public Works, which sent a trackhoe and a fuel truck.

Horry Countys unit was able to refill air bottles for the agencies on scene while Florence County EMD provided radios and batteries for the event.

Fire departments not directly involved in battling the blaze stood by to cover calls in the districts that were involved, Brockington said.

The fire was declared under control at 2 a.m. and all units had cleared the area by 4:59 a.m.

Brockington said the building was home to a large piece of machinery and resin used in the manufacturing process.

Brockington said no injuries were reported and no pieces of equipment on scene suffered mechanical difficulties.

The working relationships between Florence County fire departments allows the firefighters to work seamlessly together on such events, Brockington said.

The cause of the fire is undetermined but not suspicious, Brockington said.
FLORENCE, S.C.  While people ate a free meal on Friday, they also learned about Alzheimers disease, the effect it can have and resources for caregivers struggling to take care of their loved ones.

South Carolina Sen. Mike Reichenbach, Florence City Councilman Bryan Braddock and others spoke at the eight annual Alzheimers Disease Awareness and Educational Lunch and Learn. The event, which was put on by Debbie and John Ross, was held in The Palmetto Room on West Palmetto Street.

Our mission is  why we keep doing this annual event  to share information with people one at a time. Fighting Alzheimers through faith, fact, family, friends, finances and fitness, Ross said.

The roughly 30 attendees ate wings, mac and cheese, cake and more. They each also received gift bags from sponsors like Zaxbys and Planet Fitness.

Reichenbach told attendees about recent news from the state house: the passage of the Alzheimers State Plan bill.

The bill, signed into law on May 19, will require state agencies to create a plan on how to combat the effects of Alzheimers disease and related issues on the states public.

The state is also looking into creating an Alzheimers Disease Research Center in South Carolina with the partnership of the University of South Carolina, MUSC and Clemson University, Reichenbach said.

The South Carolina chapter of the Alzheimers Association and its legislative partners are seeking $10 million from the state to help the program along.

Braddock, who is also the executive director of the House of Hope, a nonprofit that helps homeless people in Florence, said employees of his organization have recently gone through de-escalation training to help calm down people who are in mental crisis, including Alzheimers disease.

He also said the new Florence Behavioral Health Hub, which the state is planning to invest up to $100 million in, will help to bring mental health care to the people of the Pee Dee region.

Theyre going to find situations where people have been marginalized because of some mental or behavioral deficiency that could have been treated, that could have been medicated, Braddock said.

Rodney Berry, president of Berry Strategies, spoke about the importance of showing up, especially when caring for loved ones. He said showing up is way more than half the battle.

To illustrate how the disease starts and where it can go, Ross told the story of his younger brother who had early onset Alzheimers disease, and the stages he went through before he died.

For information about Alzheimers disease, visit alz.org/sc or call the Alzheimers Associations 24-hour helpline at 800-272-3900.
FLORENCE, S.C.  Francis Marion University marked Juneteenth by playing host Friday to a traveling exhibit on the history of civil rights in South Carolina. On Saturday the university played host to a moderated talk between Rep. James Clyburn and former state Senator Maggie Glover.

Both were at the universitys Performing Arts Center in downtown Florence.

Weve been invited to participate in a Juneteenth celebration at Francis Marion University and what we wanted to provide was an exhibit and it was our Justice for All Traveling Exhibit which is an exhibit that highlights civil right history for the state of South Carolina from Reconstruction to present day, said Frank Gause, the Center for Civil Rights History and Research coordinator for research and education.

Friday morning Gause was putting the finishing touches on the exhibit, which occupies the Black Box Theater at the PAC.

The exhibit featured a series of display boxes arrayed on tables along with loose items all associated in some way with the fight for civil rights.

We illuminate the history and activism of so many local individuals but also we focus on highlighting the national presence in South Carolina. Many of those national figures that came to South Carolina worked alongside South Carolinians to bring about change for everyone, Gause said.

South Carolina has been a leader in civil rights and change, but the states history is fraught with times when the state hasnt been a leader.

What I will say is that South Carolinas history is very peculiar, Gause said. In many aspects South Carolina took on the lead in order to bring about change when you consider the period of Reconstruction, South Carolina was one of the first states to actually implement public education free regardless of race. That would later change and would revert to a way of life that entrenched segregation which created inequities.

Weve been on that see-saw. Weve had times when we had many gains and times when weve had many setbacks and to fast forward to the time right before integration which was brought about by Brown v. Board of Education, the governor at the time decided to try to create more equitable opportunities in education so there was an investment in schools at that point but now were reverting in a lot of ways, Gause said.

We see where there is this push-pull effort throughout history, especially in South Carolina, that shows our state sometimes leans in the right direction and sometimes doesnt, Gause said.

The exhibit will be open to the public again Saturday at the PAC from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Seguin police, fire and EMS respond to a call for man who was reportedly shot on Friday, June 16, 2023 in the 100 block of Seidemann Street.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 17)  The remaining oil in the cargo tanks of MT Princess Empress has been siphoned off, marking the completion of oil removal operations of authorities in the massive oil spill that hit waters off Oriental Mindoro.

The final inspection was conducted on Friday but the announcement was made by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) the next day.

"Based on the ROV (remote operating vehicle) live videos, all eight cargo oil tanks were now empty, and the only remaining observations were oil drips from the cargo piping line," the PCG said.

"During the inspection and briefing, the Malayan Towage and Salvage Corp. (MSTC) assured the PCG of completing the oil removal/recovery operations by showing all eight cargo oil tanks and the ship's operational tank with no trace of oil," it added.

Vice Admiral Robert Patrimonio, the PCG's marine environmental protection commander, along with the incident management team, led the inspection aboard the Diving Support Vessel (DSV) Fire Opal.

Officials from the Environment and Science and Technology departments, Office of Civil Defense, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and Oriental Mindoro government were also present.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said he wanted the completion of the oil spill response in four months.

The MT Princess Empress, owned by RDC Reield Marine Services, Inc., sank in the waters off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro on Feb. 28, after sailing off from Bataan en route to Iloilo.

It was carrying 900,000 liters of industrial fuel oil. Slicks have reached the coasts of Palawan, Antique, and even Verde Island, which has been described as being at the heart of the global center of marine biodiversity.

The marine disaster affected 200,000 locals in Mimaropa, Calabarzon, and Western Visayas, disrupting the livelihood of 24,700 fisherfolk for months, the latest data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed.

RELATED: Groups: Residents say socio-economic impact of Mindoro oil spill worse than COVID

Disaster management officials said the oil spill caused nearly 5 billion worth of agriculture damage.

Once the oil spill has been "permanently contained and terminated," the Environment department is expected to report the actual value of the damage to vulnerable habitats such as mangrove areas, seagrass beds, and coral reefs. In April, it pegged the possible amount at 7 billion.

In early June, the Department of Justice said it received criminal complaints against 35 respondents from the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), the PCG, and the RDC. The accusations included falsification of public documents, use of falsified documents, and perjury.
NEW YORK  Check fraud is back in a big way, fueled by a rise in organized crime that is forcing small businesses and individuals to take additional safety measures or to avoid sending checks through the mail altogether.

Banks issued roughly 680,000 reports of check fraud to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, also known as FinCEN, last year. Thats up from 350,000 reports in 2021. Meanwhile the U.S. Postal Inspection Service reported roughly 300,000 complaints of mail theft in 2021, more than double the prior years total.

Early in the pandemic, government relief checks became an attractive target for criminals. The problem has only gotten worse and postal authorities and bank officials are warning Americans to avoid mailing checks if possible, or at least to use a secure mail drop such as inside the post office. Meanwhile, as the cases of fraud increase, victims are waiting longer to recover their stolen money.

Check usage has been in decline for decades as Americans have largely switched to paying for their services with credit and debit cards. Americans wrote roughly 3.4 billion checks in 2022, down from nearly 19 billion checks in 1990, according to the Federal Reserve. However, the average size of the checks Americans write rose from $673 in 1990  or $1,602 in todays dollars  to $2,652 last year.

Despite the declining use of checks in the United States, criminals have been increasingly targeting the U.S. Mail since the COVID-19 pandemic to commit check fraud, FinCEN wrote in an alert sent out in February.

Todays check fraud criminals are not small operations, or lone individuals like the Leonardo DiCaprio character in the 2002 movie Catch Me If You Can, counterfeiting checks from his hotel room and apartment. They are sophisticated criminal operations, with participants infiltrating post office distribution centers, setting up fake businesses or creating fake IDs to deposit the checks. Walkers, or people who actually walk in to cash these checks, receive training in how to appear even more legitimate.

In one case in Southern California last year, nearly 60 people were arrested on charges of committing more than $5 million in check fraud against 750 people.

Criminals are getting the checks or identification information by fishing mail out of U.S. postal boxes, looking for envelopes that appear to be either bill payments or checks being mailed.

The most common type of check fraud is whats known as check washing, where a criminal steals the check from the mail and proceeds to change the payees name on the check and, additionally, the amount of money.

Some criminals are going further and using the information found on a check to gather sensitive personal data on a potential victim. There have been reports of criminals creating fake entities out of personal data obtained from a check, or even opening new lines of credit or businesses with that data as well. This allows fraudsters to create new checks using old account data.

Thats why check fraud experts are saying Americans should avoid sending checks in the mail or at least take additional safety steps to avoid becoming a victim.

If you need to mail a check, do not put a check in your residential mailbox and raise the flag to notify the postman. Drop off checks inside a post office if you have to, said Todd Robertson with Argo Data, a financial data provider.

Banks, keenly aware of the problem, are increasingly watching for signs of fraud at branches and through mobile check deposit services, including large check deposits. Theyre training branch employees to take steps such as looking at check numbers, because checks are typically written in order, or noticing when a check is being written for a much larger amount than the customers previous history would indicate. Banks also now deploy software at their branches that can tell how risky a check might be.

But those systems become moot if criminals are able to persuade tellers  often at the front lines for check acceptance  to look past any red flags.

These fraudsters are much more aggressive than they were in the past, and they are pressuring tellers to override internal systems that might flag a potentially suspicious transaction, Paul Benda, a senior vice president at the American Bankers Association.

Banks generally reimburse customers if they are victims of check fraud within days. However, due to the growing number of fraud cases, refunds have slowed down in recent months. In March, a trio of Democratic Senators asked the banking industry to be more prompt in reimbursing victims of check fraud whenever possible.

Another safety tip for businesses is to opt in to a banks positive pay services with a business checking account. Positive pay means you pre-authorize checks for a certain amount as well as the check number, cutting down criminals ability to wash the check and withdraw money for an amount that isnt pre-authorized.

The biggest scams today and how you can protect yourself from them The biggest scams today and how you can protect yourself from them #27. Charity (tie) #27. Tax collection (tie) #26. Yellow Pages/directories #24. COVID-19 (tie) #24. Health care (including Medicaid and Medicare) (tie) #23. Moving #21. Family/friend emergency (tie) #21. Utility (tie) #20. Foreign money exchange #19. Credit card #18. Debt collection #17. Identity theft #16. Sweepstakes, lottery, and prizes #15. Counterfeit product #14. Romance #13. Rental #12. Credit repair/debt relief #11. Phishing #10. Travel and vacation #9. Tech support #8. Government grant #7. Advance fee loan #6. Fake check/money order #5. Investment #4. Home improvement #3. Employment #2. Cryptocurrency #1. Online purchase
DES MOINES  Abortion will remain legal in Iowa until roughly 20 weeks of pregnancy  for now  after the Iowa Supreme Court split in an opinion delivered Friday morning.

The court considered Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds request that the courts reinstate a law blocked immediately after it passed in 2018 that would ban abortions once a fetus heartbeat can be detected.

In its opinion Friday, three Iowa Supreme Court justices voted to let stand the district court ruling that said the so-called fetal heartbeat law remains unconstitutional. And three justices voted to reverse the district court ruling.

Justices Susan Christensen, Thomas Waterman and Edward Mansfield voted to uphold the district courts ruling. Justices Christopher McDonald, Matthew McDermott and David May voted to overturn the district court ruling.

A seventh justice, Dana Oxley, recused herself from the case.

The 3-3 decision means a 2019 ruling by a Polk County District Court Judge against the law remains in effect, meaning abortion in Iowa remains legal until the 20th week of pregnancy.

To say that todays lack of action by the Iowa Supreme Court is a disappointment is an understatement, Reynolds said in a statement. Not only does it disregard Iowa voters who elected representatives willing to stand up for the rights of unborn children, but it has sided with a single judge in a single county who struck down Iowas legislation based on principles that now have been flat-out rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court.

There is no fundamental right to abortion and any law restricting it should be reviewed on a rational basis standard  a fact acknowledged today by three of the justices, the Republican governor added. Still, without an affirmative decision, there is no justice for the unborn.

Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, a Republican from Grimes, and Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley, a Republican from New Hartford, issued statements alongside Reynolds, also expressing their disappointment in the split opinion.

Iowa Statehouse Republicans, who have agenda-setting majorities, now must decide whether to write new abortion restrictions into law. The 2023 session of the Iowa Legislature concluded its regular work for the year in early May. They are not scheduled to return to the Iowa Capitol until January.

However, Republican leaders could call for a special session in order to enact abortion-related legislation, if they choose.

In her statement, Reynolds said statehouse Republican leaders are reviewing our options in preparation for continuing the fight.

However, Planned Parenthood, which argued against the blocked law, was overjoyed by the courts ruling.

Todays order is an enormous win, and it means that Iowans will be able to control their bodies and their futures, said a statement from Ruth Richardson, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood North Central States. Your ZIP code shouldnt determine who controls your uterus. Each person deserves control of their body, and Iowans have that right, based on todays court decision.

Said a statement from Rita Bettis Austen, Iowa legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union: "This law was dangerous, cruel, and unconstitutional when the district court blocked it four years ago, and its still dangerous, cruel, and unconstitutional today. Many Iowans were depending on the outcome of the case today, and we are celebrating the preservation of our freedom, health, and safety."

Abortion Iowa The Iowa Judicial Branch Building is shown, Friday, June 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. Abortion will remain legal in Iowa after the state's high court declined Friday to reinstate a law that would have largely banned the procedure, rebuffing Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and, for now, keeping the conservative state from joining others with strict abortion limits. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

How we got here

In 2018, the Republican-majority Iowa Legislature passed and Reynolds signed into law a bill that would ban abortions once a fetus heartbeat can be detected.

Supporters of so-called fetal heartbeat laws say they ban abortions roughly around the sixth week of pregnancy, which often is before a woman is aware she is pregnant. Abortion rights advocates say such a prohibition would end 98 percent of the now-legal abortions in Iowa.

However, some major medical organizations, like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, note that what is detected at six weeks is not a heartbeat, but instead electrical impulses, and that an actual heartbeat does not occur until roughly 17 to 20 weeks of pregnancy.

That law was immediately challenged in the state courts by the womens reproductive health care and abortion services provider Planned Parenthood.

In 2019, a Polk County District Court Judge ruled the fetal heartbeat bill unconstitutional, saying it violates the due process and equal protection provisions of the Iowa Constitution.

Reynolds did not appeal the ruling at that time because, she said, of recent precedent. In June 2018, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that another Republican-proposed abortion restriction  a three-day waiting period before a woman could have an abortion  was unconstitutional. Then-Chief Justice Mark Cadys opinion described the constitutional right of women to terminate a pregnancy.

Just one week apart in June of 2022, the Iowa Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court handed down separate rulings that effectively eliminated guarantees to a womans right to an abortion at both the federal level and in Iowa.

The Iowa Supreme Courts decision overruled that 2018 opinion that said Iowa women have a state constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy. And the U.S. Supreme Court turned the issue back to states to decide, overturning the Roe v. Wade decision of five decades ago.

In the wake of those rulings, Reynolds asked the Iowa courts to lift the injunction and allow the 2018 fetal heartbeat bill to become Iowa law. In December of 2022, a district court judge rejected Reynolds request, a ruling appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court.
Iowa Democrats intend to forge ahead with a plan for both a mail-in and an in-person 2024 caucus process, despite national Democrats on Friday finding the plan fails to comply with national party rules and could lead to sanctions.

The Democratic National Committee's Rules & Bylaws committee met Friday in Minneapolis to review and vote on a dozen or more state's delegate selection plans for the 2024 presidential nominating calendar. The committee approved a DNC staff recommendation, finding Iowas delegate selection plan non-compliant.

The Iowa Democratic Party will have 30 days to work with DNC staff and come back to the committee for approval, but could be granted additional extensions by the panel.

State party chair Rita Hart, in a statement, said she was not surprised by the decision, given missing pieces in our draft delegate selection plan.

She also criticized Iowa Republicans for passing and signing into law a bill requiring in-person participation in Iowa caucuses when selecting presidential preference, calling it a partisan attack to meddle in our party business.

Republicans expressed concerns that New Hampshire  which is required by its state law to hold the nations first presidential primary election every four years  would try to supersede Iowa if the new Democratic Party caucus process was put in place for fear it would be too similar to a primary.

"No matter what, Iowa Democrats are united in moving forward with the most inclusive caucus process in our history, Hart said in a letter read by Iowa DNC member Scott Brennan during the meeting. We will do whats good for Iowa, whats good for Democrats and whats good for democracy."

Under the plan, Iowa Democrats would caucus on the same night as Iowa Republicans, and at least eight days before any other states presidential nominating contest, as has historically been the case and as prescribed in Iowa law.

Democrats would meet to pick delegates to the state primary convention and conduct other party business, but no expression of presidential preferences would be tabulated at the precinct caucuses.

Iowa Democrats would calculate and announce the results of the presidential preference card votes and assign delegates to candidates at a later unspecified date. When presidential preference mail-in cards would be sent to Democrats or returned to the party is also not yet clear.

Hart, in her letter, said that is intentional to provide flexibility and an ability to adapt to uncertainty still surrounding the Democratic presidential nominating calendar.

While the national party has announced a new slate of five early-voting states  South Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Georgia and Michigan  there have been issues with the implementation of that schedule as states wrestle with their own laws, including New Hampshire.

The DNCs rule committee voted Friday to give New Hampshire Democrats at least 90 more days, until Sept. 1, to change when and how the state plans to hold its 2024 Democratic presidential primary.

Rules committee co-chair Minyon Moore said while theres disagreement between the national party and New Hampshire Democrats on when the state should hold its primary, President Joe Biden, who is running for re-election, has made clear he wants New Hampshire in the early window.

In Georgia, the states Republican secretary of state has set the battleground state's 2024 presidential primary for March 12, rebuffing the wishes of Democrats to move the Southern state into the early weeks of the nominating calendar as a part of elevating a more diverse electorates.

It doesnt seem to make sense to extend the Georgia waiver at this point, Moore said. Regardless, I think the foundation has been laid for 2028, and it is a discussion we need to continue.

The Iowa Democratic Party had put forward the mail-in proposal to make the caucuses more accessible, which was one of the main criticisms from national Democrats, in an effort to maintain its first-in-the-nation status after the national party decided to rewrite the early nominating calendar.

Following the 2020 presidential election, many national party leaders expressed a preference for primary elections over party-run caucuses. National Democratic Party leaders also said they wanted to elevate diverse states that better reflected the makeup of the party.

Though Iowa Democrats were eventually knocked off the coveted spot, state Democrats kept their plans  even though it risks being sanctioned by the national party, which has warned state parties it could strip them of delegates to the national convention if they jump the gun.

During the mail-in portion, Iowa Democrats would be able to request a presidential preference card through the mail or online. Hart, in her letter, said the Iowa Democratic Party is working with potential vendors to ensure the mail-in part reflects a classic in-person caucus while also increasing accessibility for all Iowans.

The second part will be traditional precinct caucuses held in person on the same date as Iowa Republicans, who kept their spot as the lead state in the party's presidential nominating calendar.

During the caucuses, Democrats would elect unbound delegates to county conventions, precinct committee persons to county conventions and discuss platform resolutions.

For the first time, a police officer or firefighter working a third shift, a single parent who may not have access to child care or those in the disability community who may be unable to leave their homes will be able to participate in the Iowa Democratic Caucuses and make their voices heard in the presidential selection process, Hart wrote.
Its more fun via email (promise). This article first appeared in our Slatest evening newsletter, which seeks to surface the best pieces published across Slates digital and audio journalism. We publish it there to help you cut to the chase at the end of each day. To get it in your inbox, along with more of the best work we published that day, sign up below.

At a school board meeting in Michigan last fall, Hassan Aoun had a sudden political awakening. He grew angry that people were defending books with LGBTQ+ themes in schools, and went viral when he joined a group of protesters who shut the meeting down. Now hes emerged as a particularly vocal Muslim advocate against what he calls an attempt to indoctrinate children.

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Aymann Ismail tells Aouns story, and looks at how rhetoric about LGBTQ+ advocates alleged grooming of children through books and other media is bringing new voters into the Republican fold.

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Budget bluster

The Freedom Caucus has been at it again. Jim Newell explains what they have to show for annoying Kevin McCarthy all weekand the budget drama that lies ahead for all of us.

Location, location, location

Jack Smith looks down in front of flags.

The Supreme Court just made a decision that Jack Smith could really have used a week ago! Its about the constitutional consequences of a criminal trial being conducted in the wrong location. Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern unpack what it could mean for the Trump documents case.

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Plus: Stern walks us through the surprising reason why Justice Neil Gorsuch has been so good on Native rights.

Farewell to a whistleblower

More than 50 years ago, Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers, the Defense Departments top-secret history of the Vietnam War, and changed the course of American history. He died Friday at age 92.

Fred Kaplan, whos known Ellsberg for 43 years, shared some reflections on his life and legacy, including some words of life advice from their last Zoom call. Its worth your time.

Cormac McCarthys trash

Yes, his trash. On a few occasions in the 1990s, Debbie Nathan rooted through the local literatos garbage can. Shes here to share what she found.

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A unique GOP challenger

The mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez, is one of the more interesting GOP presidential candidates, Nitish Pahwa writes. (Hes sort of like Ronald Reagan with a crypto wallet. YMMV!) Join Pahwa as he takes a close look at what Suarez has that the rest of the primary field doesnt.

Cone of shame

Dan Kois dismay with the state of Pixar Studios continues!

Not only is Elemental quite bad, the short that plays right before it is, too.

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Today, Slate is FAR RICHER AND STRANGER THAN THE MOST COMPLEX ONLINE DATABASE*

much like Wes Andersons imagination as he tackles existential questions about our place in a vast, chaotic universe.

Thanks so much for reading! We hope your weekend feels pleasantly vast, and not so chaotic.

This newsletter will be off on Monday for Juneteenth, and back again on Tuesday (but Slate dot com is here for you all weekend long).

In the meantime, well leave you with some Juneteenth-related reading:

From our archives

* Mary Harris speaks with Adam Serwer about the history and meaning of Juneteenth.

* Jonathan Coleman recounts how, in 1981, a Juneteenth celebration in Texas ended in a very American tragedy.

* Rebecca Onion remembers how even sympathetic Northerners made Emancipation a painful process.
Do you think we want to make this galoot No. 1 for the second week in a row? You think we like this? We have no choice. He deprives any of us of choice. We wont make a guess of how Trumps two (for the moment) indictments will affect the GOP presidential primary in the long run. But just look at what it does to his competitors in the short run. Is anyone writing stories about Ron DeSantis tax plan this week? Are we getting an in-depth look at Asa Hutchinsons formative years in Congress? Is anyone asking Nikki Haley anything about her views? Yes, on one topic. She and others are being asked about their views of Trumps handling of classified documents, the deservedness of the Trump indictment, whether they would pardon Trump, and what needs to be done to the DOJ and FBI in the wake of its Trump indictment. Each indictment reinforces the inescapable structure of the race: Trump is the sun, and the others are just a bunch of stupid planets. The more embattled he is, the more the primary becomes a referendum on him. And in a growing primary field, he can win that referendum with a plurality. This guy! We miss writing about, like, Dr. Oz.
Donald Trump is charged with what even many conservatives and past defenders of his behaviorfor instance William Barr, his former attorney generalare describing as an open -and-shut case of willfully mishandling top-secret documents. After years of wriggling out of jams, the former president seems to be a few steps away from going to prison for years. (Theres even some modest polling evidence that somesomeRepublican voters believe the allegations against him are concerning.) Its probably the closest hes ever been to truly facing consequences in a lifetime of escaping them.

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This is good in the narrowest sense. It is better than Trump not facing consequences at all. But if ones perspective broadens to encompass the condition of the entire United States, bobbing along just above water level in an ocean of unresolved problems, some of its shine begins to fade. In this wider context, the documents cases fast advancement towards justicepending, of course, a jurys decision, after hearing the vigorous defense to which every defendant is entitledreads more like a country taunting itself. We can act competently when we want to, it says. But we only want to when it comes to classified documents! Its the exception that proves the rule. And the rule is that things around here dont usually work!

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Trumps case has been addressed with speed and efficiency. In January 2022, National Archives officials received a shipment of documents from Trump that led them to believe that he might still possess top-secret material. By May 2022, hed been subpoenaed for that material. Mar-a-Lago surveillance footage was obtained with another subpoena soon after. More than a dozen FBI agents searched his home in August 2022, and a special counsel was assigned to the case in November. This week, Trump was formally taken into custody and charged.

It took less than a year and a half from start to finishan evidently seamless operation that passed between multiple agencies and branches of government, seemingly without limitations or delays imposed by bureaucracy, resource shortages, or the influence of special interests. Can you recall anything like it?

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Can you recall anything like it in reference to Donald Trump? He was recorded on tape asking the top elections official in Georgia to find ten thousand votes for him three years ago in a case that is, at the earliest, not going to result in charges until the end of this summer. Prior to his presidency, he and his family specialized in avoiding admissions of guilt while settling allegations that they had harassed Black tenants, ripped off students at an unregulated pyramid-scheme university, lied to buyers, failed systematically to pay debts, and more. Returns uncovered by the New York Times indicate that he has gone years without paying almost anything in taxes.

Related from Slate Ben Mathis-Lilley Unsealed Indictment Formally Accuses Donald Trump of Keeping National Secrets Near a Toilet Read More

That Trumps treatment of classified files may be, as far as we know, the least tangibly harmful of his alleged crimes and swindles is not to say it is trivial. The people, as embodied by the laws passed by their duly elected legislature and administered by their duly elected chief executive, have a keen interest in preventing, lets say, ISIS or a terror cell of incel white supremacists from finding information about storage protocols for nuclear devices in a poorly secured resort bathroom. (The white supremacist hypothetical, in particular, is not that far-fetched.) Trump has also given indications that he prioritizes personal and business relationships with certain foreign leaders over the well-being of Americans who have been, or may be, killed by these leaders intelligence services. Its probably good that Saudi Arabias friends and business partners in the Trump family dont get to decide which American national security material Mohammad Bin Salmans bone saw team gets to review.

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And the U.S. and its citizens face many other problems, too. Imagine if some of these other issues, selected more or less at random from recent news, got the classified documents treatment: executive compensation thats barely distinguishable from embezzlement (as in the case of Adam Neumann, who took $700 million in compensation from WeWork while mismanaging it to the point that its stock is now worth 22 cents); profit-driven cost-cutting creating catastrophic threats to health and safety (as in the case of the railroad Norfolk Southern and derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio); children working overnight shifts cleaning slaughterhouses (something called Packers Sanitation Services did this in Nebraska); children being denied medical care because of medical debt (this was the Allina system in Minnesota, which after being covered in the New York Times now says it is subjecting its policy of withholding treatment from kids whose parents owe money to a thoughtful pause).

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Picture a can-do nation, its gears greased by a commonality of purpose and moral conviction, using its know-how and financial resources to rectify these depredations! Or to make justice work more speedily for regular people, build a railroad from San Francisco to Los Angeles, or vaccinate citizens of developing countries for COVID. Againjust throwing out some stuff at random!

Are there practical reasons why a special counsel-like figure, a Jack Smith, cant be appointed to address climate change, epidemic gun violence, or mass homelessness, to name even more of the problems? One must concede there are. National defense is a bipartisan voter prioritya subject of agreement in a way that the regulation of fossil fuels, guns, and housing are not. The Cold War, with some justification, incentivized the creation of a self-perpetuating security and intelligence apparatus that doesnt exist in other realms. As a matter of criminal law there are reasons that document cases, like drug cases, lend themselves to speed and simplicity: The question of whether someone was discovered in the act of possessing contraband is a fairly simple one to litigate compared to cases that rely on circumstantial evidence and conflicting accounts of an event.

Maybe not everything can be treated as if it were as important as a map of Iran being stored near a toilet. But how beautiful is it to imagine?
Vandalism can be a major challenge for small business owners with prominent storefronts. However, a new grant program in Portland aims to support business owners dealing with this issue. Read about the opportunity and more small business grants in the list below.

Prosper Portland Small Business Stabilization Restore Grant

Businesses in Portland, Oregon that have faced vandalism or graffiti can soon apply for relief grants. Prosper Portland is opening applications for the Small Business Stabilization Restore Grant. The city originally launched its Repair Grant program last year. And this companion program offers funding for an even wider array of projects. For example, businesses can use funds for inferior repairs, inventory loss, and increases in insurance premiums. Eligible businesses along the commercial corridors of 82nd Avenue, East Portland, east of Interstate-205, North/Northeast Portland, Central City, or the inner westside of Portland can apply for up to $25,000 in funds.

Beyond Open Grant

Foundation for the Carolinas is launching a new round of funding for its Beyond Open Grant. The program supports local, minority-owned businesses throughout Charlottes six Corridors of Opportunity. The organization has already awarded $6 million, with businesses receiving between $5,000 and $250,000 in the first round. The application period is slated to open August 1 and will close on August 31.

Sell Your Business Power Up Your Event's Success Conduct Market Research

Mississippi Power Shine A Light Minority Business Grant

Mississippi Power and the Area Development Partnership are teaming up to support Mississippi businesses through the Shine A Light Minority Business Grant. The program is open to minority-owned small businesses in Lamar and Forrest counties. Eligible businesses can receive up to $10K, which they can use for upgrades like property enhancements, marketing, and equipment purchases. To qualify, businesses must be ADP members for two years and be a current Mississippi Power customer in good standing. Businesses must also have 100 or fewer full-time employees and be at least 51 percent ethnic minority-owned. The application deadline is June 16.

Moore County Small Business Revitalization Grant Program

The Moore County Chamber of Commerce in North Carolina is facilitating a $100,000 Small Business Revitalization Grant Program. Eligible businesses can apply for between $500 and $5,000 to cover location upgrades, new technology, or other investments. The program is funded through a donation from Duke Energy Foundation. To qualify, businesses must operate a storefront in Moore County and have less than 100 employees. Businesses do not need to be chamber members to apply. Funds can reimburse previously incurred expenses or projected expenses, as long as projects are scheduled prior to December 31, 2023. The application deadline is August 31.

Burien Pandemic Recovery Grants

Burien, Washington is dedicating some of its American Rescue Plan Act funds to a small business grant program. Local businesses that were negatively affected by COVID-19 can apply for $5,000 in pandemic recovery grants. To qualify, businesses must have ten or fewer full-time employees, have at least two years in business, and be able to prove a 25 percent decline in gross revenue over a three-month period since the start of the pandemic. Brick and mortar businesses and home-based child care businesses within Burien city limits are welcome to apply. The application period is scheduled to open on June 20 and will run through July 11.

California Technical Assistance Program

California is opening applications for its Technical Assistance Grant Program. The program aims to expand consulting and training options for small businesses throughout the state. Funds can be used to create new consulting and training services or enhance existing programs. Organizations must also provide matching funds from federal or private sources. This grant does not provide funding directly to small businesses, but instead funds programs through local Small Business Technical Assistance Centers. Applications are due by August 2023.

For the latest, follow us on Google News.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/-death-toll-from-terrorist-attack-on-ugandan-school-rises-to-41---reports-1111249068.html

Death Toll From Terrorist Attack on Ugandan School Rises to 41 - Reports

Death Toll From Terrorist Attack on Ugandan School Rises to 41 - Reports

The death toll from a terrorist attack by Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels on a school in Uganda's southwestern Kasese district has risen to 41, media reported on Saturday.

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The terrorist attack on Lhubirira secondary school in the city of Mpondwe has claimed the lives of 41 people, including 17 pupils who died in the bomb blast, the local broadcaster reported. The report added that two local residents died as a result of the terrorist act. Interpol has condemned the deadly terrorist attack in Uganda and expressed its willingness to provide the necessary assistance in the investigation of the incident, Secretary General Jurgen Stock said. Earlier in the day, Ugandan police said the attack had killed at least 25 people and injured eight, who were hospitalized in critical condition. Uganda's armed forces and police continue to pursue the attackers, police said. Founded in 1995, the ADF operates in both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, where it is listed as a terrorist organization. The United Nations accuses the ADF of killing hundreds of civilians since 2014. The ADF has close ties to other jihadist groups.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230401/ugandan-troops-enter-dr-congo-as-part-of-east-african-regional-force-media-report-1109024238.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230326/eac-mission-in-dr-congo-extended-mandate-to-be-reviewed-1108796084.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/blinken-discusses-regional-issues-with-south-korean-counterpart-before-going-to-china-1111246974.html

Blinken Discusses Regional Issues With South Korean Counterpart Before Going to China

Blinken Discusses Regional Issues With South Korean Counterpart Before Going to China

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin held a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about Seoul and Washington's relations with Beijing, as well as about North Korea, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

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"South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a telephone conversation on Saturday, June 17, on major global and regional recurring issues, including South Korea-US relations, South Korea-China relations, US-China relations and the North Korea issue," the ministry said in a statement. Both sides also agreed that North Korea must stop "military provocations" and that Pyongyang's denuclearization will benefit the international community, including China, the statement read. Diplomats also agreed that Seoul, Washington and Tokyo should jointly urge China to play a constructive role in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the issue of North Korea's denuclearization, the ministry added. Blinken will arrive in Beijing on June 18 for a two-day visit. This will be Blinken's first visit to China in his current role, and also the first visit to Beijing by a US secretary of state since 2018. It took the Biden administration almost six months to put this visit back on the schedule, as it was originally set for February. The ministry said that Blinken promised to immediately share the results of his visit to Beijing with Seoul. On May 31, North Korea unsuccessfully launched the Malligyong-1 military reconnaissance satellite mounted on a Chollima-1 carrier rocket. After the separation of the first stage, the engine of the second stage failed to ignite, causing the rocket to lose thrust and fall into the Yellow Sea, North Korea's space agency said. On June 2, Anna Yevstigneeva, the Russian deputy ambassador to the UN, said that the root cause of tensions on the Korean Peninsula was the desire of the United States and its allies to increase pressure on Pyongyang.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230603/south-korean-defense-minister-calls-for-unified-response-to-dprk-provocations-1110877788.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230611/japanese-defense-ministry-extends-order-to-destroy-north-korean-missiles-in-case-of-threat-1111056395.html

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(CNN)  Fathers matter.

A new study  a rare effort that focuses solely on the fathers involvement in an infants life  shows a striking link between the support that dads offer and better infant outcomes.

The research sought to answer several questions about paternal participation in breastfeeding and the use of safe sleep practices for babies. The results showed that fathers play a crucial role in both  and it highlights the need for bolstered parental leave policies in the United States, according to the study, which published Friday in the journal Pediatrics.

The results of the survey, which included 250 fathers, were suboptimal, the study concluded, revealing only 16% of dads followed all the recommended safe sleeping practices for infants. And many could do more to support mothers who breastfeed, which can provide key health benefits for babies, the study indicated.

The reason the researchers asked these questions in the first place? Moms wanted them to, said study coauthor Dr. Craig Garfield, a pediatrician at Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago and professor at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine.

For more than 30 years, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has carried out a Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System  or PRAMS  survey that seeks to gather data from mothers before, during and after birth.

The moms actually started to write in the margins of the survey, Garfield said. The only question they asked (originally in the survey) about dads was: Did your partner hit, kick, beat or slap you during your pregnancy? 

Mothers knew that a fathers active support could be critical in the early months of an infants life, and they wanted that data reflected, too, Garfield said. Ultimately, the CDC reached out to the Northwestern researchers for help, providing funding for the study.

The findings

We focused on breastfeeding and infant sleep because they are two key national health targets, said lead study author Dr. John James Parker, who is a pediatrician, internist and researcher at Northwestern.

The study started small: Researchers collected data, via a survey, from 250 fathers in Georgia within the first two to six months after the birth of their child. Fathers were eligible if the infants mother also took the PRAMS survey.

It found 99% of fathers had put their child to bed, but less than a quarter of them used all the methods recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. These recommendations include:

 Always place infants to sleep on their backs.

 Use an approved sleep surface, one specifically designed for infant sleep (i.e., crib, bassinet, bedside sleeper).

 The surface should be firm with no soft bedding or other items, such as blankets or stuffed animals.

Those are all recommended strategies for preventing sudden infant death syndrome, which causes about 3,400 deaths in the United States every year, according to the CDC.

The research also found racial disparities in sleep practices, with Black fathers less likely than White fathers to follow those practices.

I think that more needs to be done in this space to understand some of the reasons between the disparities, Parker said. But I think one scenario that weve seen play out is that racial and ethnic minorities have less availability to things like paternity leave  so its possible that it gets harder to get to appointments, or to be at the newborn nursery, the OB-GYN office.

Those are key places where fathers learn about these best practices, Parker said.

Overall, almost a third of the fathers involved in this survey did not receive enough or any advice about safe sleep practices, according to the study.

Dads role in breastfeeding

Breastfeeding can be a huge boon for an infants health, aiding immunity, overall well-being and parental bonding. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusively breastfeeding a child for at least the first six months.

Previous studies have suggested that fathers can play a key role in helping mothers breastfeed. But researchers in this new study were struck by how strong the correlation appeared to be.

In this survey sample, the study found that among fathers who wanted their infants mother to breastfeed, 95% reported breastfeeding initiation and 78% reported breastfeeding at (eight) weeks, which is significantly higher than fathers who had no opinion or did not want their infants mother to breastfeed, of whom 69% reported breastfeeding initiation and 33% reported breastfeeding at (eight) weeks.

The difference is dramatic, Parker added.

Going forward, Parker said he hopes we can tell fathers how valuable they are in the successful breastfeeding  tell them that this is a team effort.

Fathers can play an active role, ensuring mothers have food to eat and a comfortable place to breastfeed, and they can help with other household work to give moms the time and space to breastfeed their child.

Parker urged fathers to continue breaking down the barriers on roles that society typically assigns to men and women.

Weve made a lot of progress, promoting the importance of women in the workplace, Parker said. And I think to continue that  and for it to be as accessible  we need to have fathers who are equal parents and contributing in many ways at home.

Putting it in perspective

Dr. Jennifer Lansford called the study results sobering.

Were still not meeting guidelines and recommendations for these very basic physical caregiving practices, said Lansford, director of the Center for Child and Family Policy and research professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University in North Carolina. She was not involved in the study.

Lansfords own research focuses on parenting cultures across nine countries, and she said this study is just more evidence that the United States lags behind others when it comes to supporting and educating parents.

For example, in this country, we still dont even have universal paid leave for mothers, let alone for fathers, Lansford said. Even if individual parents want to do the best they can  we dont always have societal supports in place that let that be possible.

She added that another key takeaway from this study should be that, while the historical paradigm may have emphasized mothers as the caregivers, fathers are not just supporters.

More contemporary views suggest there are healthier ways to think about fatherhood  fathers are important in their own right, not just as helpers for mothers.

Whats next for fatherhood research

The Northwestern researchers are looking to expand their fatherhood research beyond Georgia, rolling out surveys into other states.

But Garfield acknowledges that this information may not be particularly helpful for same-sex couples or single mothers with no other paternal support.

It took the CDC and the country 35 years to recognize we had a very biased  and not gender equal  approach to collecting this data, he said. My hope is (that its not another) 35 years till we start to understand whats happening in (all) sorts of families.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Fathers role in breastfeeding and infant sleep is key, study finds"
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/blinken-embarks-on-2-day-visit-to-china-to-revive-bilateral-contacts-amid-rising-tensions-1111236604.html

Blinken Embarks on 2-Day Visit to China to Revive Bilateral Contacts Amid Rising Tensions

Blinken Embarks on 2-Day Visit to China to Revive Bilateral Contacts Amid Rising Tensions

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to China at the start of next week in hopes of increasing dialogue between the two countries amid rising tensions.

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asia

antony blinken

joe biden

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beijing

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The visit will take place amid ongoing tensions in bilateral relations, including US sanctions to limit technology exports to China, as well as Washingtons military support for Taiwan, which Beijing has repeatedly described as unacceptable. This will be Blinkens first visit to China in his current role and also the first US Secretary of State visit to Beijing since 2018. It took the Biden administration almost six months to put this visit back on the schedule as it was originally set for February. It remains unknown though who exactly Blinken will meet with and whether he will have a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. As the secretary said himself, his plan in Beijing will be to build up on the dialogue between the nations commenced by US President Joe Biden and Xi during their interaction in Bali, Indonesia last year. US Appears to Seek Diplomatic Thaw On Friday, Blinken outlined three objectives of his upcoming trip. First, he will seek to establish open and empowered communications between the countries to responsibly manage the relationship, including by discussing challenges, addressing misperceptions, and avoiding miscalculations. Second, Blinken plans to advance US interests and values, including speaking directly and candidly about "very real concerns" on a range of issues. The last objective is to explore the potential for cooperation on transnational challenges between the United States and China, including global economic stability, illicit synthetic drugs, climate, and global health. The US top diplomat believes that the achievement of all three goals is in the national interests of both China and the United States, as it will make it possible to secure both countries and the whole world in the face of growing strategic competition between the two superpowers. Ukraine is also expected to be the focus of discussion in China. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink said on Wednesday that the United States expects a "full and robust" exchange on the situation in Ukraine and Blinken will once again reiterate US expectations regarding Chinese actions and potential consequences in that regard. While it remains impossible to predict what the outcome of this trip will be, Kritenbrink on Wednesday advised not to anticipate a long list of deliverables coming out of it. From Beijing, Blinken will travel to the United Kingdom, where he will take part in the international Ukraine Recovery Conference that will take place on June 21-22 in London.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230614/chinas-xi-puts-forth-proposal-to-settle-israeli-palestinian-conflict-1111161224.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/indonesia-expects-russias-participation-in-asean-summit-in-fall-1111252441.html

Indonesia Expects Russia's Participation in ASEAN Summit in Fall

Indonesia Expects Russia's Participation in ASEAN Summit in Fall

Indonesia, this year's chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), expects Russia to take part in the summit in Jakarta this fall, chairman of the Russia-ASEAN Business Council Ivan Polyakov told Sputnik.

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russia

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spief 2023

spief

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Indonesia "beyond any doubt" expects Russia at the ASEAN forum, the official said, adding that Jakarta has always stressed that its stance on political issues is "balanced."He also recalled that Indonesia hosted the G20 summit on the resort island of Bali in November 2022, which was also attended by a high-level delegation from Russia.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/iran-cuba-sign-package-of-bilateral-documents---reports-1111236281.html

Iran, Cuba Sign Package of Bilateral Documents - Reports

Iran, Cuba Sign Package of Bilateral Documents - Reports

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi have agreed on multilateral cooperation, including in the field of IT and telecommunications, the Cuban media reports.

2023-06-17T02:46+0000

2023-06-17T02:46+0000

2023-06-17T02:46+0000

world

ebrahim raisi

iran

cuba

bilateral relations

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Six bilateral documents - a general program of comprehensive cooperation and five industry agreements - were signed by the two leaders on Friday following official talks in the Cuban capital of Havana, Granma said. The parties agreed to deepen bilateral ties and expand consultations through the ministries of foreign affairs and justice ministries. Memorandums of understanding were signed between the customs of the two countries; a new agreement between the communications ministries of the two countries implies cooperation in the field of telecommunications, IT and postal services. On Wednesday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in the capital of Cuba on an official visit, after traveling to Venezuela and Nicaragua as part of his three-nation tour of Latin America. During the Iranian president's visit to Nicaragua, the leaders of the two countries signed three documents concerning joint work in the legal, economic and healthcare spheres. In Venezuela, Raisi and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signed 25 agreements on cooperation and investment in the production and processing of oil and gas, mining, metallurgy, and the creation of a joint shipping company.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20220324/iran-boosting-economic-security-ties-with-venezuela-bolivia-cuba---southcom-chief-1094160170.html

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cuban president miguel diaz-canel, iranian president ebrahim raisi, multilateral cooperation, telecommunications, it
More than 900 deals with a total worth of $45 billion were struck during SPIEF-2023

"Over 900 agreements worth ... 3.86 trillion [rubles] were signed during the forum, including 43 agreements with representatives of foreign companies, including firms from Italy and Spain. [The calculations are based on] agreements, the ones that I am talking about now, which are not commercial secrets. Many representatives of so-called unfriendly countries have come under the guise of companies that are not their own", Russian presidential advisor and SPIEF executive secretary Anton Kobyakov said.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/peskov-says-full-potential-of-cooperation-between-russia-arab-world-yet-to-be-unlocked-1111253727.html

Peskov Says Full Potential of Cooperation Between Russia, Arab World Yet to Be Unlocked

Peskov Says Full Potential of Cooperation Between Russia, Arab World Yet to Be Unlocked

The full potential of the relationship between Russia and the Arab world has yet to be unleashed and Moscow will continue working in that direction, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday.

2023-06-17T21:57+0000

2023-06-17T21:57+0000

2023-06-17T21:57+0000

russia

dmitry peskov

moscow

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kremlin

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"Russia has long historical and very close relations with the Arab world. Russia  assisted these countries in the development of their industry, the development of the national economy  with many, Russia continues very close, advanced, partnership relations," Peskov told Russian broadcaster RT Arabic. He said that Russia will continue to work in that direction and considers Arab countries to be Moscows friends and partners. He specified that Russia will continue to work with many Arab countries within the framework of OPEC+ in order to ensure fair prices. Peskov also said that Russia will continue its efforts to provide assistance to Syria, to return it to the "Arab family."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230613/saudi-arabia-syria-agree-to-resume-economic-cooperation---state-media-1111104322.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/putin-kiev-threw-possible-russia-ukraine-settlement-deal-into-dustbin-of-history-1111251774.html

Putin: Kiev Threw Possible Russia-Ukraine Settlement Deal 'Into Dustbin of History'

Putin: Kiev Threw Possible Russia-Ukraine Settlement Deal 'Into Dustbin of History'

Russian President Vladimir Putin presented the African delegation with the draft of the Istanbul agreement on the Ukraine settlement, rejected by kiev

2023-06-17T17:47+0000

2023-06-17T17:47+0000

2023-06-19T12:48+0000

russia

vladimir putin

ukraine

south africa

ukrainian crisis

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"Here it is! It exists!" Putin said, showing the document signed by a Ukrainian representative. "And it is called accordingly - the treaty on permanent neutrality and security guarantees for Ukraine. Exactly about guarantees. Eighteen articles," the Russian leader noted."But after we withdrew the troops from Kiev, as we promised, the Kiev authorities, as their masters usually do, threw it all into the dustbin of history. Let's put it clearly. I'll try to put it intelligently. They gave it up," he added.The president also addressed the root of the crisis, reminding his audience that the violence engulfed Ukraine after the bloody 2014 coup, which was backed by the US and the EU.Earlier on Saturday, Putin personally received and greeted the African delegates at the Konstantinovsky Palace to discuss the joint African peace initiative on Ukraine. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa revealed a ten-point plan for peaceful settlement.One of the points relates to the fact that all sides in the conflict are entitled to security guarantees. The fourth point refers to the fact that the authors of the plan recognize the sovereignty of all sides of the conflict. The sixth point refers to the "free movement of grain across the Black Sea" so that there would be no obstacles to it.Putin also underlined the issue of the grain deal, noting that about 31.7 million tonnes of agricultural products were exported from Ukrainian ports - while only 3% of this volume was sent to needy African countries, so the United States has "deceived the international community,"Putin also said that 38.9%, or 13.3 million tonnes, went to EU countries.The grain deal was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022 to facilitate the export of agricultural products from Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea during hostilities. The package agreement also included a memorandum of understanding between Russia and the United Nations to unblock Russian grain and fertilizer exports via the Black Sea.While Russia kept its part of the bargain, the other side struggled to allow Russian exports, undermining the accord, so Moscow announced recently that the deal is likely not to be extended, since it has "no chances".

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/scott-ritter-ukrainian-counteroffensives-second-week-ends-in-failure-1111243899.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230605/russia-sees-no-prospects-for-extending-grain-deal---foreign-ministry-1110918614.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/russian-forces-repel-attacks-from-ukrainian-assault-groups-blow-up-stronghold--1111236093.html

Russian Forces Repel Attacks From Ukrainian Assault Groups, Blow Up Stronghold

Russian Forces Repel Attacks From Ukrainian Assault Groups, Blow Up Stronghold

Units of the Russian Yug Group of Forces have repelled attacks of Ukrainian assault groups near five different villages in the Artemovsk area, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson told Sputnik.

2023-06-17T03:36+0000

2023-06-17T03:36+0000

2023-06-17T03:35+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

russian defense ministry

ukraine

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"Units of the Yug Group of Forces have successfully repelled the attacks of the assault groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of settlements - Razdolivka, Veseloye, Yakovlivka, Berkhivka and Yagodnoye," the spokesperson said. In addition, aviation of the Yug Group of Forces has struck strongholds and clusters of Ukrainian military equipment, the spokesperson told Sputnik. "The Group's aviation has carried out missile and bomb strikes against strongholds and accumulations of weapons and military equipment of the enemy in the Soledar-Artemovsk, Aleksandro-Kalinovsky and Avdiivka directions," the spokesperson said.The latest also came as video published by the Russian Defense Ministry on Saturday showed Russian service members from the engineering and sapper unit of the Central Military District destroying a Ukrainian stronghold using a captured armored personnel carrier (APC).The seized armored personnel carrier was filled with explosives and sent to enemy positions. The explosives were detonated remotely after the vehicle reached the Ukrainian stronghold.The video from the Russian Defense Ministry captures the moment the armored personnel carrier, used in a similar way to kamikaze drones, exploded.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230616/putin-on-ukraines-counteroffensive-kiev-lost-186-tanks-418-armored-vehicles-losses-mounting-1111221996.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/russian-president-putin-hold-talks-with-african-leaders-1111254054.html

Putin and African Delegation Discuss Ukraine Conflict, Developing Relations and BRICS

Putin and African Delegation Discuss Ukraine Conflict, Developing Relations and BRICS

The talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and an African delegation on Ukraine peace initiative have finished in the Konstantinovsky Palace in St. Petersburg.

2023-06-17T23:24+0000

2023-06-17T23:24+0000

2023-06-18T04:44+0000

world

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ukraine

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cyril ramaphosa

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south africa

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The talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and an African delegation on Ukraine peace initiative have finished in the Konstantinovsky Palace in St. Petersburg after 2.5 hours, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Saturday.The meeting was followed by a bilateral talks between South African President and Vladimir Putin regarding Moscows stance on the Ukraine crisis.The South African leader added that he discussed a number of both Ukraine-related and BRICS-related issues with Putin and that discussions will continue during the Russia-Africa summit in July."Dear Mr. President, first of all I would like to thank you for making it possible for you to come to Russia with this noble mission, to which we devoted several hours today. It seems to me that both in the formal and in the informal part, we discussed in almost detail many, the main, in any case, aspects of the problem related to the [Ukraine] crisis, for the resolution of which you came to Russia," Putin said.BRICS unites the world's largest developing economies  Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. A number of other countries intend to join the economic bloc, including Argentina, Iran, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.The topic of BRICS expansion will be on the agenda of the 15th summit in August, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday.The August 15th BRICS summit in will be hosted by South Africa, which assumed the rotating BRICS presidency in January.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/peskov-says-full-potential-of-cooperation-between-russia-arab-world-yet-to-be-unlocked-1111253727.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230607/new-brics-currency-can-challenge-dollar-hegemony-of-us-led-g7-economic-gang-1110984675.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230616/lavrov-outlines-new-world-emerging-from-wests-geopolitical-war-on-russia-1111226783.html

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putin, south african cyril ramaphosa, senegalese macky sall, comoros othman ghazali and zambian hakainde hichilema, egyptian mostafa madbouly, new world order, brics expansion, russia africa relations, august 15th brics summit
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/saudi-foreign-minister-pays-first-official-visit-to-iran-in-7-years---reports-1111248800.html

Saudi Foreign Minister Pays First Official Visit to Iran in 7 Years - Reports

Saudi Foreign Minister Pays First Official Visit to Iran in 7 Years - Reports

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud arrived in Iran on Saturday for his first visit to the country since Riyadh and Tehran severed diplomatic ties seven years ago, Iranian media reported.

2023-06-17T13:53+0000

2023-06-17T13:53+0000

2023-06-17T13:53+0000

world

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saudi arabia

iran

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The Saudi minister arrived in the Iranian capital of Tehran, Iranian news agency reported. The agency said on Thursday that the top Saudi diplomat would arrive in Tehran on June 17 to hold talks with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The Saudi embassy in Tehran is also expected to reopen during the visit, the report said. In early March, Iran and Saudi Arabia, with China's mediation, agreed to resume diplomatic ties that were severed in 2016 after Saudi Arabia's diplomatic missions in Iran were attacked following the execution of Shiite preacher Nimr al-Nimr. The agreement to restore diplomatic relations and prepare for the opening of diplomatic missions was signed by the foreign ministers of the two countries at a festive ceremony in April. Among other things, the agreement provides for the resumption of direct flights between the two countries, reciprocal visits by top diplomats and security cooperation. Earlier in June, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that the Iranian embassy in Riyadh, as well as the Consulate General in Jeddah and the country's permanent mission to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, would reopen on June 6-7.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230519/from-syria-to-sudan-what-is-the-arab-league-summits-agenda-1110456153.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230529/building-brics-of-new-world-order-saudi-push-to-join-brics-bank-will-benefit-kingdom-world-1110778405.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/scott-ritter-ukrainian-counteroffensives-second-week-ends-in-failure-1111243899.html

Scott Ritter: Ukrainian Counteroffensives Second Week Ends in Failure

Scott Ritter: Ukrainian Counteroffensives Second Week Ends in Failure

Operation enters the second week of Ukraines long-awaited and highly touted counteroffensive, some basic conclusions can be drawn even though the fighting continues, and will continue to rage, for some time to come.

2023-06-17T12:00+0000

2023-06-17T12:00+0000

2023-06-19T12:48+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ukraine

russia

russia-nato showdown

ukrainian crisis

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First and foremost, the counteroffensive gambit has failed. While there is still considerable combat strength left in the Ukrainian military, including more than 75% of the NATO-trained and -equipped 60,000-strong cohort Ukraine had assembled in the past eight months, fundamentally flawed assumptions about the quality of the force on which Ukraine and its NATO allies had placed their collective hopes for victory over Russia have been exposed. In short, Ukraine lacks the military capacity to overcome Russian defenses. Ukraines most elite assault brigades, equipped with the latest Western military technology, failed to advance out of what Russian defensive doctrine calls the cover line of defensethe buffer that is designed to channel and disrupt an attacking force prior to reaching the main line of defense. Ukrainian casualties were extremely heavy, with Russia achieving a 10:1 kill ratio in terms of manpower, which is unsustainable from the Ukrainian perspective. The reasons for the Ukrainian failure are fundamental in nature, meaning that they cannot be overcome as things currently stand and, as such, the Ukrainian military has zero chance of success, no matter how hard they press subsequent attacks. First and foremost is the quality of the Russian defenses, especially in terms of the barrier network (minefields, obstacles, and trenches) which, when combined with the tenacity of the Russian defender and the overwhelming superiority Russia enjoys in terms of fire support (both artillery and air-delivered), is the reason the Ukrainians are unable to advance beyond the cover layer of the Russian defenses. Ukrainian equipment and tactics are insufficient to the task of breaching the Russian obstacle barriers in any meaningful manner, dooming the attacking forces to be destroyed piecemeal by Russian artillery and air strikes, as well as local counterattacks mounted by Russian special forces. Besides the poor tactics and equipment deficiencies (yes, the Leopard tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles were not the miracle weapons Ukraine and its Western supporters had hyped them up to be), the Ukrainians are paying the price for Russias impressive suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) campaign that has been ongoing for many weeks now. Russia has not only neutralized Ukraines ability to defend strategic targets far beyond the front lines, but also to project any meaningful air defense capability into the actual zone of conflict. This, combined with the lack of any viable air force, leaves the attacking Ukrainian ground forces exposed to the full weight of Russian air power. Russian fixed-wing aircraft have been able to deliver precision-guided munitions with deadly effect to the assembly areas used by Ukraine to gather their attacking forces prior to committing them to the battlefield. It is estimated that between 25-30% of Ukraines casualties occur from these strikes. Russian helicopters can use their anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) with lethal effect on Ukrainian forces operating in the zone of contact, and Russian loitering munitions (i.e., kamikaze drones) have taken a heavy toll of Ukrainian forces as well. Unless Ukraine can reassert some semblance of air defense onto the battlefield, both in the rear areas as well as the frontlines, and sortie its own air power capable of challenging Russian air superiority over the battlefield, then no amount of courage and tactical innovation on the part of the Ukrainian ground forces will alter the deadly calculus of war that currently prevails today.One of the many tragedies of the ongoing Ukrainian-Russian conflict is the fact that much of what Ukraine does on the battlefield is dictated not by military necessity, but rather political imperative. The recently concluded months-long Battle for Artemovsk (Bakhmut) is a case in point, where Ukrainian President Zelensky insisted on pouring manpower and equipment into a battle for a town that most military experts believed to hold minimal strategic military value. The geography, however, did not dictate the scope and scale of the battle, but rather the perception of Ukrainian defensive tenacity, and as a result between 60-75.000 Ukrainian soldiers lost their lives in what was a losing effort. Similarly, the Ukrainian army is being asked to make what amounts to a suicide attack against well-prepared Russian defenses under conditions which, as detailed earlier, can only result in a decisive Ukrainian defeat. This time, the culprit is Ukraines NATO allies who, on the eve of their annual summit, are desperate for any sign that the multi-billion-dollar investment they have collectively made in the Ukrainian military can pay even the most rudimentary dividends. For this reason, NATO will continue to pressure Ukraine to double down on defeat, pressing the Russians offensively even though any gains, if in fact any can be had, would be pyrrhic in nature and unsustainable over the long run. The reality is that when NATO gathers in Vilnius on July 11, the Russians will be well into the process of destroying the third Ukrainian army built by NATO. The first was assembled during the buffer provided by the diplomatic sham of the Minsk Accords, from 2015-2022. Some 260,000 strong, this force was largely destroyed by June of 2022. The second army, consisting of some 80,000 newly trained and equipped Ukrainian soldiers backed by thousands of foreign mercenaries, the direct result of tens of billions of dollars of military aid provided by NATO, was able to launch the successful Ukrainian counterattack in the fall of 2022, before being decimated in the positional war that followed (including the Bakhmut slaughter). The 60,000-strong 12-brigade Ukrainian counterattack force currently operating against the Russians, again the result of tens of billions of dollars in military equipment (including modern Western tanks, artillery, and infantry fighting vehicles), will most probably be destroyed, or facing imminent destruction, by the time the NATO summit convenes. The primary question facing NATO is does it have the political, economic, and military capacity to raise a fourth Ukrainian army, and after its demise, a fifth, sixth, and more? NATO is politically committed to waging a proxy conflict with Russia to the last Ukrainian. This tragic reality means that, regardless of the battlefield reality that exists in Ukraine, NATO will continue to push Ukraine to sacrifice its manpower in a fruitless struggle against Russia for the simple fact that NATO is unwilling to willingly lose political face at home and abroad. However, this political will does not automatically mean that NATO will be able to sustain this objective either economically or militarily. While recent statements made by US General Mark Miley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, indicate that there are tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers in the US/NATO training pipeline, and that the US/NATO is assembling equipment sufficient to equip these soldiers, they will not be ready for combat for several months yetlong after the third Ukrainian army has met its fate on the field of battle. Miley spoke of new air defense systems for Ukraine, and other NATO officials speak of the possibility of providing Ukraine with (old) F-16 aircraft. New air defense systems, however, cannot in and of themselves alter a military reality imposed by Russia on Ukraine through its strategic SEAD victory. Ukraine will simply continue a losing struggle against Russian air power. The same holds true of any F-16 fighters that might be provided to Ukrainetoo little, too late, and in any event incapable of achieving a meaningful battlefield result. In Vilnius, NATO will be confronted with the reality of its impotency as a military alliance when it comes to countering Russia in Ukraine. Any military analyst of any competence will know that, as things currently stand, Ukraine simply cannot prevail over Russia. NATO illusions of a frozen conflict that seem to drive their insane desire to arm Ukraine to infinity and beyond, moreover, are driven by fundamentally flawed assessments regarding Russian economic competence and capacity, Russian military proficiency, and the will of the Russian people to sustain this conflict. Here is the root cause of NATOs strategic failure in Ukrainea complete lack of understanding about the reality of Russia today. Russia will be able to out-produce NATO from a standpoint of military technology until which time NATO nations fully transition into a wartime economy, something NATO nations neither have the political will nor economic means to accomplish. The Russian military has largely overcome the deficiencies which plagued it in the initial phases of the Special Military Operation, and the Russia armed forces assemble in the Special Military Operation zone are highly trained, well-equipped, and properly trained for the tasks they have been assigned. Moreover, the Russian nation has rallied around the leadership of Russian President Vladimir Putin in an overwhelming fashion, united in the belief that the proxy war NATO is waging against Russia in Ukraine is existential in nature and, as such, one that Russia cannot lose.NATO will not alter course in the immediate period following the Vilnius summitthere is simply too much political momentum in place to bring about any meaningful alteration of the current trajectory in Ukraine. But neither will NATO produce a winning formula in Ukraine. Rather, NATO will continue to pursue little more than a variation of an existing themeto arm Ukraine so that it can fight as long as it is capable of sustaining the fight. This short-sighted posture will result in the inevitable military collapse of Ukraine, probably sometime between late summer/early fall of this year. When this happens, NATO will be left scrambling to construct some sort of face-saving mechanism to salvage its weakened geopolitical position vis-a-vis Russia. What that will look like is unknown at this time. But one thing is for certainbecause NATO refuses to consider an off-ramp from the Ukrainian conflict today, there will be no future for Ukraine tomorrow. NATO political pride will be the downfall and destruction of the Ukrainian nation, its military, and its people.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230612/ukraine-urges-germany-to-spare-many-more-leopard-tanks-after-military-setback-1111085590.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230612/watch-russian-ka-52-helicopter-blast-afu-armored-vehicle--1111076952.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230615/report-biden-administration-weighing-israel-model-for-ukraine-instead-of-nato-membership-1111165251.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230611/watch-russian-kamikaze-drone-destroy-ukrainian-stronghold-1111064615.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230527/ukrainians-may-fly-f-16s-with-wing--prayer-but-wont-be-effective-in-combat-1110641779.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230616/spief-moderator-tells-sputnik-what-putin-is-prepared-to-do-to-protect-russias-interests-1111228470.html

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UNICEF chief calls for renewed commitment to crisis-stricken Haiti

Xinhua) 10:36, June 17, 2023

UNITED NATIONS, June 16 (Xinhua) -- UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Catherine Russell on Friday called for a renewed commitment of the international community to Haiti, which is plagued by multifaceted crises.

"Decades of successive crises, including earthquakes, hurricanes, public health emergencies and political turmoil, have plagued Haiti. But for the sake of the millions of Haitians whose lives and well-being are at stake, we must respond not with fatigue or resignation, but with renewed commitment," she told a special session of the UN Economic and Social Council on Haiti's food security needs.

"We should start by shifting our perspective, and move away from treating Haiti's crises as separate events. Instead, we should view the situation as a longer-term development crisis exacerbated by recurring acute emergency phases. The years-long decline in access to basic services and livelihood opportunities, as well as poor governance and social exclusion, have created extreme vulnerabilities for millions of people. Any shock, like an earthquake, hurricane or public health emergency, pushes them over the edge," she said.

With humanitarian needs in Haiti now even greater than after the 2010 earthquake, far more must be done to ensure that people have safe and sustainable access to essential services in their communities. This requires timely, flexible funding to support the UN humanitarian response plan for Haiti. The plan, which requests 720 million U.S. dollars, is less than 23 percent funded, she noted.

Life-saving humanitarian assistance must go hand-in-hand with development solutions that build resilience of Haitian communities and social service systems. There is also a need to strengthen the capacity of Haitian organizations and institutions, and to facilitate a more efficient response that reflects the local context and experience of the Haitian people, he said.

Russell said she and World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain will travel to Haiti next week to meet with key stakeholders and assess the collective response on the ground.

Haiti is on the precipice of catastrophe. Half the population needs humanitarian assistance, including 3 million children. But half of those in need of assistance are not getting it -- in large part because of insecurity and insufficient humanitarian funding, said Russell.

Two million people, including 1.6 million children and women, live in areas controlled by armed groups -- their lives under constant threat from violence. Children are being killed on their way to school. Women and girls are being subjected to staggering levels of gender-based and sexual violence. Insecurity is also compromising the operations of humanitarian actors to meet the growing gap in the delivery of essential services, she said.

"This life-threatening mix of conditions has caused an intensifying food security and nutrition crisis, especially for children. Since last year, we have seen an unprecedented 30 percent increase in the number of children suffering from severe wasting to more than 115,000 across the country. Nearly a quarter of Haiti's children are chronically malnourished, which can have devastating consequences for their physical and cognitive development."

The malnutrition crisis coincides with an ongoing cholera outbreak, in which nearly half of the more than 46,000 suspected cases are children under the age of 14. Severely malnourished children are five times more likely to die from cholera without urgent treatment. Yet the national health system is on the verge of collapse and does not have the capacity to adequately respond to the health and nutrition needs of vulnerable children and families, she said.

The time for action is long overdue. The Haitian people need an immediate scale-up in both regional and international support, which includes full funding for the humanitarian response plan, said Russell. "Together we can join the Haitian people to break the cycle of crises and begin building toward a more peaceful and hopeful future, for Haiti, and most importantly, for its children."

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Sheng Chuyi)
(CNN)  A Kenyan court has ordered 64 followers of a controversial starvation cult to undergo psychiatric evaluation as they continue to refuse to eat.

The followers were charged with attempted suicide on Monday after persistently refusing meals offered to them following their rescue from the Shakahola forest in April.

The cult leader, controversial televangelist, Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, allegedly brainwashed hundreds of his followers into starving their children before themselves, according to court documents seen by CNN.

Authorities have now uncovered the bodies of 318 people after exhuming 15 further bodies on Wednesday. local media reported.

In a tweet Thursday, the Office of the Kenyan Director of Public Prosecutions said the court ruled that the 64 followers should be returned to the rescue center and subjected to mental assessment.

The judge also ordered a confidential psychiatrist report for each of the victims be filed in court, stressing that these reports should not be shared with the media unless directed so by the court.

One follower who prosecutors say declined to comply with court set rules including eating and drinking will be detained in prison until her case is heard on June 29, according to to the tweet.

Meanwhile, Mackenzie and 29 other suspected accomplices have been moved from a police station to prison following a request from prosecutors, according to CNN affiliate, Citizen TV.

Only Mackenzie and his assistant, Smart Mwakalama, have been accepting meals as the other suspects continue a hunger strike, it reported.

Video aired on Citizen TV, showed some accomplices collapsing on their way into a court hearing on Wednesday; sixteen suspects have reportedly been left increasingly weak by their hunger strike.

Neither Mackenzie nor his accomplices have been formally charged as prosecutors continue to seek an extension of custody period to allow further investigation.

The next hearing for Mackenzie and his accomplices is set to take place on June 21.

Questions have now arisen about the next steps in the controversial case after it emerged that the two lawyers representing the accused have withdrawn from the case.

Mackenzies lawyer, George Kariuki, told CNN Wednesday that he had withdrawn from the case, citing frustration by the state.

According to Citizen TV, lawyer Elisha Komora also withdrew from the case, citing intimidation and threats.

Authorities began investigating the groups activities in April after receiving a tip-off that land belonging to Mackenzie contained mass graves. Mackenzie closed his Good News International Church (GNI) and moved the cult deep into the Shakahola forest in Kilifi County, eastern Kenya, after acquiring a vast amount of land there last year.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Psychiatrists to assess starvation cult survivors as they continue to refuse food"
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/south-african-spox-blasts-missile-attack-claim-during-kiev-visit-as-deliberate-misinformation-1111233865.html

South African Spox Blasts Missile Attack Claim During Kiev Visit as 'Deliberate Misinformation'

South African Spox Blasts Missile Attack Claim During Kiev Visit as 'Deliberate Misinformation'

A spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that his team did not hear air raid sirens or an explosion, in contrast to a Reuters report.

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South African presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya accused Reuters of spreading lies after the outlet said a Russian missile strike sent his delegation running for a bunker.Magwenya shared a video of the city and denied there was an attack on the city:As we expected this mission was never going to be easy but some of the hurdles are deeply disturbing, like the treatment you all received and others outright amusing, like this so called explosion."Ukrainian officials had touted the alleged missile attack as proof that Russia is not interested in peace. Russian missiles are a message to Africa: Russia wants more war, not peace, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba wrote on Twitter.Zelensky has made it clear during the visit that Ukraines position on peace talks has not changed: the country will not negotiate until the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. Ukraine has also pushed back at peace roadmaps from other countries such as Brazil and China, whereas Russia has expressed an openness to third-party peace mediation.The latest comes as South African President Cyril Ramaphosas security detail was detained in an airport in Poland on Thursday, with authorities demanding they hand over their weapons. After a standoff lasting more than 24 hours, they were allowed to depart Friday afternoon. Ramaphosa arrived in Ukraine by train.Ramaphosa, meanwhile, has pointed out that even during the apartheid, Nelson Mandela said that peace proposals should always be on the table.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230408/south-africa-gearing-up-to-host-all-brics-leaders-in-august-including-putin-says-sherpa--1109262670.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/us-submarine-that-crashed-in-south-china-sea-two-years-ago-wont-be-ready-until-2026-1111236413.html

US Submarine That Crashed in South China Sea Two Years Ago Won't Be Ready Until 2026

US Submarine That Crashed in South China Sea Two Years Ago Won't Be Ready Until 2026

The USS Connecticut attack sub that crashed in the South China Sea in 2021 will not be ready for deployment after repairs until 2026, at the earliest.

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The US attack submarine that crashed traversing the South China Sea in 2021 will reportedly not be ready for redeployment until at least 2026.The USS Connecticut wont be repaired until 2026 and will cost $80 million, according to a recent US media report. The delay is due to US Navy shipyard backlogs filled with other repairs and routine maintenance that predate the USS Connecticut.One of three Seawolf-class submarines, the nuclear-powered attack vessel is armed with tomahawk cruise missiles and torpedoes. Its crash in 2021 injured 11 of its crew and was not only embarrassing for the US military but also inflamed relations with China, which took issue with the US operating clandestine nuclear-powered attack subs so close to their shores.China also accused the United States of being less than forthcoming with details about the crash, including the objectives assigned to the attack submarine.The US Navy took five days to make a statement on the accident and then gave no details on how the submarine crashed or what it hit. More than a month later, a US Navy investigation stated that the vessel had struck an underwater mountain. Senior members of the submarines command were relieved of duty due to a loss of confidence.Roughly a month before the crash, the USS Connecticut crashed into a pier in San Diego, California. An investigation by the Navy determined the crash in the South China Sea was avoidable.The accident led the Navy to issue a temporary stand down order for its submarine force.After the crash, the $3 billion submarine limped itself to a port in Guam. It arrived at Bremerton, Washington, in February 2022 for repairs, but its current status hasn't been publicly disclosed.A statement given to a US military news outlet last year said repairs were expected to start in February of this year and finish by no later than September 2025 and cost around $50 million, but the more recent report indicates that additional delays have occurred.US Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) decried the long delay on Twitter. It will have taken AT LEAST 5 YEARS of repairs for the USS Connecticut  one of our most formidable submarines  to return to the fleet, he said. This delay is a reminder of the kinds of monumental investments we need to make in maritime infrastructure.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/xi-gates-meeting-us-billionaire-will-continue-to-be-friend-to-china-1111245828.html

Xi-Gates Meeting: US Billionaire 'Will Continue to Be Friend to China'

Xi-Gates Meeting: US Billionaire 'Will Continue to Be Friend to China'

Its no surprise that Gates was quick to seize the opportunity of visiting China after Beijing lift COVID restrictions late last year, analyst Ross Feingold told Sputnik.

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President Xi Jinping of China met Microsofts co-founder Bill Gates on Friday, expressing hope that the friendship between Chinese and Americans will continue. During the meeting, Xi, in particular, told Gates that the billionaire is the "first American friend" that the Chinese leader has met in Beijing this year.COVID-19 restrictions on foreign visitors to China were removed after Beijing discontinued its "zero Covid" policies in late 2022, and "there appears to be a lot of pent-up demand" to visit the PRC, Feingold said.As far as Gates is concerned, given that he made positive statements about Beijing's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, "it's no surprise that as soon as there was an opportunity to do so, he would visit China and seek to expand joint initiatives between institutions in the PRC and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation," according to Feingold.In this vein, the analyst recalled about the announcement that over the next five years, the Gates Foundation will provide $50 million to the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute (GHDDI), a Beijing-based organization set up by the Gates Foundation, the Beijing municipal government and Tsinghua University, "to improve health outcomes worldwide through lifesaving therapies for infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria, which disproportionately affect the worlds poorest."When asked whether Gates pursued his personal goals or acted as an ambassador of sorts when meeting Xi, the analyst reminded that with the billionaire's "departure from the Microsoft board in 2020, Gates has generally turned his focus to his charitable endeavors, most notably public health."Dwelling on visits to the PRC by Tesla's Elon Musk, JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon and Apple's Tim Cook earlier this year to meet senior government officials, Feingold suggested that the goal of all these trips was to entice the Chinese customers.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230616/chinas-xi-jinping-welcomes-old-friend-bill-gates-in-beijing-1111205913.html

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Driver Travis Cullen's homebred Blue Glamber opened the second leg of the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series for three-year-old pacing fillies with a 25-1 upset on Friday night (June 16) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Blue Glamber was the fastest of six Grassroots winners, prevailing off a pocket trip and dropping her lifetime mark to 1:51 for Cullen.

The quick-leaving Blue Glamber gave way to even-money favourite Starlight Dancer, who was dropping down from the Gold Series, at the quarter pole in :26.4 and followed from the pocket through middle splits of :54.2 and 1:21.4 before retaking the lead in the stretch for her first Sires Stakes victory. Mist Amber closed from the backfield to finish second, 1-1/4 lengths behind the upset winner, with Twin B Echo finishing third.

Blue Glamber was a third-place finisher in the opening leg of the Grassroots last month at Western Fair and came into the second round off back-to-back wins at Grand River Raceway. She returned $53.50 for a $2 win ticket.

The daughter of All Bets Off out of the $780,000-earning mare Sayitall BB is trained by Cullen's mom Jodie. Blue Glamber now has five wins from 20 career starts with the lion's share of the $22,600 purse bumping her earnings to $54,776.

Shawn Steacy had a training triple on Friday's 11-race card that included a pair of repeat Grassroots winners. Hutt Racing Stable's Twin Delight (Bettors Delight-Twin B Cheeks) turned in a 1:52 career-best performance in her division with Bob McClure in the bike and Century Jamila (Bettors Delight-Exotic Pleasure) took a new mark of 1:52.4 in rein to James MacDonald for owners K And K Stable, Landmark 15 Racing Stable, A K Malik Stable and David Reid.

Doug McNair drove the other three winners in Grassroots action, prevailing in 1:52.1 close calls with Bala (Sportswriter-Muskoka Moonlight) for trainer Peter Brickman, Mending Fences (Artspeak-Bridges To Tomorrow) for the Meg Crone stable and Sunburnt (Sunshine Beach-Amber Blue Chip) for conditoner Paul Cameron.

The three-year-old pacing fillies will meet again on July 25 for the third leg of the Grassroots Series at Mohawk.

To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.


The opening round of the Quebec-Bred Series for older trotters took place at Hippodrome 3R on Friday, June 16 with 18-1 longshot Orlys Pride surprising the field and the fans in the first division.

The Quebec-Bred Series is for trotters fours year old and up. There are three preliminary rounds of competition followed by $30,000 finals. Each preliminary round races for a purse of $6,500.

In the fourth race, first division of the series, Orlys Pride and driver Jocelyn Gendron took no chances at the start and went right to the lead from post four as both La Bromontoise (Jerome Lombart) and Royalty Beer (Kevin Maguire) had made breaks at the start of the race from their inside positions.

Easily getting the lead, Orlys Pride trotted to the first quarter in :29 with Stella Alpha (Pascal Berube) taking the two-hole. The field raced single-file to the half-mile in :59.2, where the race favourite, Only For Justice (Robert Shepherd), went first-over and flushed out Stella Alpha as they thought they could pass Orlys Pride, but that was not happening.

Passing the three-quarters in 1:29.1, Shepherd swung Only For Justice three-wide around the final turn. Starting down the stretch, they were three-across the track, but Orlys Pride proved to be too strong on top, going on to win by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:59.2 over Only For Justice with Stella Alpha third.

It was the second start and first win of the 2023 season for Orlys Pride. The seven-year-old Archangel gelding is trained by Paulo Jutras for the Orlando Stables Inc. of Lasalle, Que. Orlys Pride returned a generous $38 to win.

In the eighth race, second division, former Quebec champion Seeyou Men (Guy Gagnon) battle neck and neck with race favourite Frido PV and Jonathan Lachance for the last quarter-mile right to the finish line.

Seeyou Men, the oldest competitor in the series at age 11, left from post six and easily made the lead before the opening quarter in :28.3. Capteur De Reve (Stephane Brosseau) secured the two-hole trip.

As they passed in front of the grandstand the first time, Seeyou Men was in command with Frido PV starting up first-over from third and X O X O (Robert Shepherd) following second-over after the half-mile in :59.1.

Heading down the backstretch, Frido PV continued to gain on Seeyou Men, collaring the pacesetter at the three-quarters in 1:28.2. Those two then raced eye to eye around the final turn and down the stretch with Seeyou Men looking for the upset but Frido PV proved hes the best, surging to the lead at the wire to win by a head in 1:58.2. Lune Duharas (Loic Gueriel) finished 1-1/4-length behind in third.

Frido PV earned his second straight victory and fourth in just five starts this season. The six-year-old son of Muscle Mass is trained by Yves St Jacques for owner/breeder Marcel Brouillard of St-Marcel-De-Richelieu, Que. He paid $3.20 to win.

Pascal Berube, Stephane Brosseau and Jocelyn Gendeon all had driving doubles while Serge Houde had a training double.

Live racing resumes Sunday at 12 noon with three divisions of the Quebec-Bred Series for three-year-old pacers. There are two male divisions and one for the mares. For a free race program, visit hippodrome3r.ca.

To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Hippodrome 3R.

(With files from Quebec Jockey Club)
I still wake up wondering if it actually did happen. Its still very surreal to me, said trainer Kathy Cecchin when asked about Desperate Mans 2021 Pepsi North America Cup win, 22 months after the Shadow Play gelding took his connections on the ride of a lifetime.

The future Pepsi North America Cup winner with the famous ownership story  Cecchin and her husband John gifted their daughter Nikki Davies and son-in-law Paul Davies half ownership of Desperate Man as a wedding present  came from humble beginnings.

We didnt really ever have very high expectations, said Cecchin. Hes a May 31 foal, and so because he was a late foal, and he was quite big even as a two-year-old, we were just always day-to-day with him.



The tide started shifting when Trevor Henry, a friend of the Cecchins who trains his horses at their Arthur, Ont., farm drove Desperate Man in his first qualifier, and he paced the final quarter in :26.

He was still flopping around out there, couldnt keep up with the starting gate, and his own gait was not very organized, said Cecchin. But after that baby race Trevor said he wants to do it, if he could just get a little bit sorted out.

He sorted himself out enough to make six starts in his pandemic-disrupted freshman season, all in the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS), winning three of them, and hitting the board in two other efforts.

Then his two-year-old season ended with an injury that required a full winter of stall rest.

By next June, the standard time for the Pepsi North America Cup, which was moved to September due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was a step or two behind his divisional rivals.

Through two conditioned starts and an OSS Gold division, all at Woodbine Mohawk Park, he failed to hit the board before heading to Georgian Downs for an OSS Gold leg.

Going to Georgian Downs, I dont know if it was the change of scenery, but it seemed to really wake him up, said Cecchin. He was off the gate, then he was first up, and things didnt go his way. Hed shown he could be fast when things went his way, but he hadnt shown the heart of a fighter just yet. That race just changed him, gave him more confidence, and he continued to get better after that race.

After that, Desperate Man hit his stride. He finished second in consecutive starts, an OSS Gold division, and a division of the Somebeachsomewhere, setting him up for the Pepsi North America Cup.

Even then, Cecchin was nervous about putting him in the big race, but her partners trusted her decision making.

When I said to Nikki and Paul, what do you think about the $8,000 starting fee? They said, you do what you think is right, and I was like what if I dont know what is right.



Cecchin had never had a horse in this position.

The build up from the Somebeachsomewhere to the [Cup] elimination to the Final, it was stressful, said Cecchin. I just kept saying all along I didnt want to put him in the Cup if he wasnt going to be competitive. I didnt want to put him in if he was going to be 99-1 just so we could say we raced in the North America Cup.

The decision was made to enter him, and he proved up to the task, qualifying for the final with an impressive runner-up in his elim, chasing Bulldog Hanover home in an eye-popping 25.4 final quarter.

On race night, Cecchin still was wary of thinking he could win. The betting public was less so, he was the 7-1 third choice. When the race started Cecchin was in his paddock stall, unable to watch.

Nikki was with me, and as they were in the backstretch, she was like we have to go now. I could see he had power, but it wasnt that I thought he would win, I thought he was going to be there.

Desperate Man cleared the field in deep stretch, crossing the line in 1:49.3.

I was in complete shock when he won, said Cecchin. So many people who saw it will say they thought I was going to pass out. I dont really remember any of it. I remember hugging Nikki, and hugging Paige Austin and the wind kept blowing the cooler off, and my friend was trying to tie the cooler, and I remember all of this because I watched it on the replay. I dont really remember it.

The win in the $1 million race was by far the biggest of Cecchins career, and a huge group of people converged in the winners circle to celebrate, something that wouldnt even have been possible under pandemic restrictions had the race been in its traditional June slot.

I felt really blessed there were so many people there to support him, said Cecchin. Sometimes its really surprising because you think it just matters to you, and I was so focused on him.

Looking back on the experience, Cecchin has fond memories, but is also candid about how stressful and intense competing at the highest level of harness racing was.

Honestly, if I had to do it over, it would be a different experience, said Cecchin. We had never been involved with a horse that was in the NA Cup, and it was very overwhelming. If youre Ron Burke or Tony Alagna, they do it every year, and are professional about it. We knew it was once in a lifetime, and there would never be another horse like him, and it seemed so heavy.

(OSS)
Breakfast With The Babies continued at The Meadowlands on the morning of Saturday, June 17 under perfect conditions with the Svanstedt stable sending out four winners on the morning. Temperature was in the low 70s under clear skies with a mild wind against the horses in the stretch.

Making her debut for the Svanstedt stable, Slip Sliding Away, first foal of champion mare Ice Attraction who also hailed from the barn, led all the way for Ake Svanstedt trotting away from rivals through a :28.2 quarter on the end of a handy 1:59.3 win over Walla (Dexter Dunn). Bred by Svanstedt and Little E, LLC the Father Patrick filly was sold at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale for $510,000.

Svanstedt also drove the Chapter Seven filly Senorita Palema to a 1:59.3 rallying win through the stretch over Landaluci (Brian Sears). The winner was a $150,000 Lexington purchase by Bender Sweden, Inc. from Winbak Farm.

Dolce Amara (Tim Tetrick) was a 2:01.2 winner off a stalking trip, going by the early leaders and battling Sierra Girl (Sarah Svanstedt) who split horses late to secure the victory. Lucas Wallin trains the Muscle Hill homebred for Kjell Magne Andersen, who was Lucas' partner on the great Rebuff.

Tetrick and Wallin connected again with Father Patrick filly The Moment, who rallied impressively from well back to swoop the field and nail Go For Gaagaa No (Yannick Gingras) at the wire in 1:59, her individual last quarter in a speedy :28.1. The winner is owned by the partnership of Al Libfeld, Marvin & Lynn Katz and Sam Goldband who paid $95,000 to get her at the Harrisburg sale. Shmuel Farhi is the breeder.

Ake Svanstedt sent Pantoran right to the front and the Walner colt bounded along happily from pillar to post in 1:57.3 with an effortless :28 end to win over another very willing colt in Magic Hill (Gingras). Timot Stable paid $110,000 to breeders Southwind Farms to secure the winner.

Svanstedt wrapped up his four-winner morning with another impressive son of Walner, putting Amazing Catch on the point through even fractions then closed the 2:00.1 mile out with a :29.1 end into what had become a discernible stretch head wind as the day progressed. Alfaromeo (Wallin) came through the inside to be second. Al Libfeld and Marvin & Lynn Katz own the winner, a $310,000 Lexington yearling bred by Winbak Farm.

The Father Patrick colt Security Protected (Tetrick) prevailed over four rivals, all by Greenshoe, in a front-stepping effort to win in 2:01.2, trotting home in :29.1 to hold sway over the fast close of Call Of The Wild (Sears). The winner was a $250,000 Harrisburg yearling, purchased by Howard Taylor, Brad Grant and breeder Order By Stable.

On the pacing side, Mirage Hanover (Tim Tetrick) picked right up where his brother Mad Max Hanover left off in last nights 1:47.4 Graduate Series leg win for the same connections, albeit 10 seconds slower, winning from the pocket behind Total Stranger (full brother to Tall Dark Stranger) as those two very good colts hooked up and were just flying the last sixteenth of a :27.2 final quarter. Jake Leamon trains the Hanover-bred Bettors Delight colt for Marvin Rounick, who gave $175,000 for him at the Harrisburg sale last fall.

Booming Economy (Dunn) followed along through the slow pace and blew the last turn but still mowed down the competition with a wide :26.4 rally through the stretch for the win over stablemate Prince Of Memories (Gingras). Nancy Takter trains the winner, a Captaintreacherous colt from the accomplished mare Economy Terror went through the Lexington yearling sale for $180,000 but remains in the name of the breeders, Chuck Pompey, Howard Taylor and Ed Gold.

Flawless lived up the billing this morning in the opener for Gingras, who moved the Katz-Goldband homebred filly to the top just past the quarter and held sway late over stablemate Stonecoldtreachery (Dunn) through a :27.4 end to a 1:58.4 mile, both with something left. Nancy Takter trains both Captaintreacherous fillies.

In a few qualifiers after the babies, 2023 Cutler Memorial winner Venerate kinda took off with Brian Sears and hauled him through a :53.4 middle half before coasting in for a 1:53 win in what could be considered the ultimate speed tightener.

2022 U.S. Horse of the Year Test Of Faith went around the oval in 1:51.4, home in :26.4, for David Miller in her preparation for the upcoming stakes season.

Live harness racing resumes tonight at The Meadowlands at 6:20 p.m.

(Meadowlands)
The field has been finalized with post positions drawn for the 40th edition of the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup, which will headline a star-studded stakes card tonight (Saturday, June 17) at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Who do you think will win?

Post positions were drawn on Tuesday afternoon at a press conference at Mohawk. Three-year-old pacers Christchurch, Confederate, Fulton and Its My Show won their respective North America Cup eliminations last Saturday and earned the opportunity to draw for posts two through six in the 10-horse field. After the elimination winners received their posts, the remaining horses and post positions were drawn.

The complete field is listed below with final drivers and odds in post position order.

$1 million Pepsi North America Cup

Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer

1. Moment Is Here - Daniel Dube - Bob McIntosh - 20-1

2. Its My Show - Scott Zeron - Linda Toscano - 3-1

3. Christchurch - Todd McCarthy - Nancy Takter - 6-1

4. Fulton - Dexter Dunn - Linda Toscano - 9-2

5. Confederate - Tim Tetrick - Brett Pelling - 5-2

6. Voukefalas - Jordan Stratton - Michael Russo - 5-1

7. Lyons Surfing - Andrew McCarthy - Jim King Jr. - 20-1

8. Redwood Hanover - James MacDonald - Anthony Beaton - 12-1

9. Save America - Yannick Gingras - Nancy Takter - 15-1

10. Ammo - David Miller - Joe Holloway - 15-1

AE. Hungry Angel Boy - Todd McCarthy - Tony Alagna - 20-1

Who do you think will win the 2023 Pepsi North America Cup? Have your say in the SC web poll.

Post time for Saturday's 13-race card at Mohawk is 6:30 p.m. EDT. The North America Cup will go as Race 11, with an approximate post time of 10:40 p.m. The Cup will be broadcast on TSN3 with race coverage starting at 10 p.m. The lucrative undercard will include the $420,000 Fan Hanover Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies, the $305,000 Roses Are Red Stakes for older pacing mares, the $250,000 Goodtimes Stakes for three-year-old trotting colts and the $210,000 Armbro Flight Stakes for older trotting mares.

To view Saturdays harness racing entries, click one of the following links: Pepsi North America Cup Night -- Saturday Entries || North America Cup Card Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT).
Harness racing fans across Canada will be able to watch all the excitement of the 2023 Pepsi North America Cup this Saturday (June 17) on TSN.

The 40th edition of Canadas most prestigious harness race will air nationally on TSN3 from 10 to 11 p.m. The show will feature hosts Laura Diakun, Greg Blanchard and Mark McKelvie live from Woodbine Mohawk Park.

This years Pepsi North America Cup is arguably one of the deepest in event history and will see a field of 10 battling for the winners share of the $1 million purse. The Cup is the headline event on a $2 million-plus card of racing.

Post time for Saturdays card is 6:30 p.m. To view Saturdays harness racing entries, click one of the following links: Pepsi North America Cup Night -- Saturday Entries || North America Cup Card Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT).

(Woodbine)
In my first speech on the U.S. Senate floor, I promised Nebraskans I would reject every effort to restrict our liberties and always fight for the freedoms of the Nebraskans I serve. There are few freedoms more important than those outlined in our U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Earlier this week, I was proud to follow through on that commitment by fighting a Biden administration attack on Nebraskans Second Amendment rights.

Our Second Amendment is rooted in the truth that individuals have an inherent right to defend not just themselves, but also their families and property. Our Founding Fathers recognized that self-defense is a natural and unalienable right, not a privilege given by government. In fact, the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental part of individual liberty and, like all of our other rights, we have a duty to exercise those rights responsibly.

When I was governor, we worked tirelessly to safeguard our Second Amendment rights in Nebraska. I signed bills to protect the identities of gun owners with concealed carry permits and provide them better notification and information regarding permit renewals. We created an online process to renew, update, or replace a Concealed Handgun Permit, saving gun owners across the state valuable time. Additionally, I signed an order declaring Nebraska a Second Amendment Sanctuary State, promising to stand up to federal overreach and attempts to regulate our rights. While the fight to protect our rights is never over, I am grateful that Nebraska continues to be a state that cherishes our first freedoms.

As U.S. Senator, I have continued to defend the rights of law-abiding gun owners. Ive co-sponsored Senator John Cornyns (R-TX) Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2023 to ensure Nebraskans concealed-carry rights remain protected when they cross state lines. Im also supporting Senator Cindy Hyde-Smiths (R-MS) Gun-owner Registration Information Protection (GRIP) Act. With anti-gun proposals on the rise in Democrat-led cities and states, the GRIP Act would prohibit federal funding to maintain gun registries. My fear is these kinds of registries could be weaponized in the future to target people who at the time owned or purchased firearms legally.

In addition to getting laws on the books to protect our rights, Im also fighting the Biden administrations bureaucratic attacks on the Second Amendment. I recently co-sponsored a Congressional Review Act resolution led by Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) that would block enforcement of an anti-Second Amendment pistol brace rule issued by President Bidens Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) earlier this year. For a decade, ATF approved of pistol braces that allowed disabled veterans and other Americans to handle a firearm more safely. Due to these past approvals, millions of Americans, including many disabled veterans across Nebraska, have purchased these braces. Now, the Biden administration has decided to issue a rule that reclassifies pistols as short-barreled rifles if they have a stabilizing brace attachment. This classification change would threaten otherwise lawful gun owners with up to a decade in jail and huge fines if they fail to register, return, or remove their already approved pistol brace. Bureaucrats have no business burdening Americans constitutional rights with such regulatory whiplash. While a federal judge issued a ruling temporarily blocking the rule, Congressional action would block it permanently.

Our right to keep and bear arms is protected in our Bill of Rights. I will not stand by and let the Biden administrations attacks on law-abiding gun owners go unchallenged. The oath I swore to defend the Constitution of the United States demands it. Nebraskans respect our constitutional rights and exercise them responsibly. I will continue to oppose any attempt to erode or dismantle our cherished freedoms.

Along with Senator Fischer and the rest of my colleagues in the Nebraska delegation, my team and I are here to serve you. Contact my team and I anytime by phone at 202-224-4224 or on my website at www.ricketts.senate.gov/contact. I am honored to serve our great state and will continue to work to protect the Good Life from Washington overreach.
(CNN)  Ukraines counteroffensive against Russian forces has not yet gained the momentum that some overly optimistic observers anticipated. So far it feels like the prelude to a more expansive act.

Offensive operations so far have yielded modest gains in the southern regions like Zaporizhzhia with multi-layered Russian defenses proving tough to crack. The area is seen as a major target for Ukraine as it would mean breaking Russias land-bridge between annexed Crimea and eastern Donetsk.

But there are also signs that Ukrainian forces are spreading their bets, looking to pare back Russian gains around Bakhmut and exploiting what they perceive as vulnerabilities elsewhere in the east.

Rather than a display of overwhelming force that concentrates newly-formed brigades in one direction, the Ukrainians appear to be trying to pull Russian units in different directions, working out which might be weak or exploiting lines separating different battalions.

On Thursday, an adviser to the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys office, Mykhailo Podolyak, said the first goal was to wipe out as many Russian draftee units as possible and increase the psychological pressure on the Russian army.

At the same time, he said, Ukrainian units are testing to see which areas are the weakest.

This has included fresh assault operations around Bakhmut designed to force the Russians to send more units to defend a city they took more than six months to destroy and occupy. On Friday, the commander of Ukrainian Land Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said the Russians continue to move some of the most combat-ready units to the Bakhmut direction.

Perhaps more surprisingly, there are indications that the Ukrainians are on the front foot near the city of Donetsk, long a frozen line of contact, and further south around what has been the equally static but highly kinetic Vuhledar front.

The Ukrainians have the luxury of picking areas to attack; the Russians must try to defend a meandering front-line nearly 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) long, with some units that have already been mauled and patched up.

Still it is a formidable task: in the south especially, Ukrainian forces must conduct a frontal assault against deeply prepared defensive positions, and critically they lack air superiority. The Russians have had months to fortify defenses here; there was never a chance that the Ukrainians would make the sort of lightning advances they enjoyed in Kharkiv last fall.

The Institute for the Study of War also cautions that its far too early for take-aways.

Ukraine has not yet committed the vast majority of its counteroffensive forces and Russian defenses are not uniformly strong along all sectors of the front line, it said this week.

Matthew Schmidt, associate professor of national security at the University of New Haven, agrees there are more questions than answers at this early stage.

Are the Russians reacting strategically? Are they moving troops and supplies as though they see the current focus of the fighting as the main thrust? he says.

Only a quarter or so of the total Ukrainian force is apparently engaged, what are the rest doing? Are the Russians confused about where theyll be used?

The Ukrainians will be hoping that the Russian military command under Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov, now in direct command of forces in Ukraine, will get some calls wrong.

As Mick Ryan, a former general in the Australian armed forces observes: There is an old saying that when your enemy is making mistakes, dont get in their way. For some time, Gerasimov has shown an aptitude for making strategic mistakes, not least with the ill-conceived initial assault in February 2022.

So far the Russian approach to defending their lines in the south appears to have worked relatively well, with the Ukrainians losing mine-clearing tanks and other armor that have become prey to artillery and aerial attack as they try to break through. Available open-source video suggests high use of anti-tank munitions is taking a toll on Ukrainian front-line units.

A first [Russian] echelon of forces repels or slows attacking forces before a second echelon of forces counterattacks against any enemy breakthrough, says the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

One Ukrainian officer has acknowledged the challenge, writing that While obstacles can be effectively bypassed using mine-clearing vehicles, bulldozers, mine plows, and other engineering equipment, it becomes challenging to do so with the presence of drones which provide real-time data to enemy artillery and aviation.

Its worth noting that Russian units in one heavily-contested area  belonging to the 58th Combined Arms Army  are among the most effective in the military.

After a lackluster performance to date, the Russian air force may be a critical factor in the weeks to come, says Matthew Schmidt, associate professor at the University of New Haven. That will depend on whether they are effectively employing glide bombs. Are their rotary aircraft able to safely operate? In other words, is their Air Force back in the mix because theyve learned how to counter Ukrainian air defense measures?

A senior Ukrainian officer acknowledged to CNN Friday that Russian air strikes and artillery were making it hard to advance.

Their aviation works in waves, as it was in Vietnam, Afghanistan. Continuously, all day long, they work either by helicopters or by airplanes and they work all day, a deputy battalion commander with the Separate Territorial Defense Brigade told a CNN team near Zaporizhzhia.

He also underlined Ukraines lack of aerial assets.

Aviation support is sorely lacking, he said.

Ukrainian units in the area have had to adapt, often breaking down into smaller groups that are less easily detected.

Schmidt says the Ukrainians will have to learn fast. Are troops learning the tricks they need to successfully breach Russian lines so they can teach and lead the next wave of the offensive? This learning effect is crucial to the success of the main thrust of the counteroffensive.

The Ukrainian commander told CNN, We are advancing, knocking the enemy out of positions, not as quickly as we would like, but we are moving forward. In places, the enemy is already panicking, throwing reserves [in] here.

If this is true and widely replicated, Russian forces may be pulled in too many directions to sustain a coherent defense.

Early Days

For sure, the Russians have learned some hard lessons in nearly 18 months of conflict. Russian military bloggers, who are frequently critical of the militarys performance, have commended the use of electronic warfare capabilities that have disrupted Ukrainian communications and targeting, because precision-guided munitions require GPS coordinates.

The Institute for the Study of War said this week that its unclear if continued successful Russian EW tactics are a result of superior capacities or improved Russian employment of these systems, but theres some evidence that they have become a priority target for the Ukrainians.

But a lot of what matters in the coming weeks will depend on events far from the front lines. Ukrainian targeting of rear positions  command centers, ammunition and fuel dumps  will impact Russian capabilities, as will the decisions and survival of mid- and senior officers on both sides.

Mick Ryan, who also writes the blog Futura Doctrina and follows the conflict in detail, says that if they can limit fuel and ammunition availability for Russian combat forces, the Ukrainians will restrict Russian responses to their tactical or operational penetrations and constrain the mobility of Russian reserves.

Nor will we able to see the counteroffensive evolve in real time. There will be scraps of information, geolocatable video thats often several days old, but secrecy will be paramount for both sides. Added to which, as one Ukrainian officer says: Operational success isnt just capturing positions, but also maintaining momentum and advancing after breaching enemy defenses.

Where that momentum develops will be the story of Ukraines initiative to wrest control. How far it develops may well change the path of the conflict and influence how it ends.

Foreign policy veterans Richard Haas and Charles Kupchan suggest that by the time Ukraines anticipated offensive is over, Kyiv may also warm to the idea of a negotiated settlement, having given its best shot on the battlefield and facing growing constraints on both its own manpower and help from abroad.

Even if the West steps up its military assistance, Ukraine is poised to fall well short of vanquishing Russian forces, they say.

Others say that Ukraine has no option but to deliver a stunning blow to the Kremlin that ultimately includes regaining Crimea (or at least turning it into purgatory for the Russians).

While some observers see this as a dangerous fantasy, others argue that only such a humiliation will dissuade the Kremlin from a fresh bout of aggression.

Bottom line: few would contend that this is the last battle.

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, has said that if the offensive succeeds in expelling Russian forces from Ukrainian land, It will be the last. If not, there will be more. If our weapons supplies get cut off, Ukraine will just shift to lower intensity war."

This story was first published on CNN.com. "Ukraines counteroffensive is now underway. Heres whats happened so far"
During the Festival of Hope on Saturday, the owner of a black Camaro prominently displayed it in front of the Scotts Bluff Event Center in Mitchell. A poster near the car shares the story of Barb Jensen, a local cancer survivor.

Jensens car is adorned with a pink ribbon decal on the hood with the date 5-24-11 and more decals wrapping around the sides of the car.

May 24, 2011, is when she was diagnosed with cancer, according to the poster hanging next to the car. The ribbon wrapping around the car symbolizes how she felt like she had arms wrapped around her, keeping her safe during her cancer treatments.

Jensens story is just one of many for those attending the Festival of Hope.

Zandra Pullens mom, Londa Maron, is a breast cancer survivor. Marons bout with cancer was 40 years before the Festival of Hope was founded, but Pullen said the cause of supporting cancer patients resonates with her.

My dads currently suffering from prostate cancer from Agent Orange in Vietnam, she said. Weve got a lot of (history with) cancer in our family. We try to come out here every year to support the festival so that other families can get help.

Jacquie Hartman took part in the live auction, the victor in a bidding war for a German Chocolate cake in honor of a longtime friend.

The late Dr. Todd Sorensen and I would get in a bidding war for the blackberry pie. This year, like most years, the festival is on Fathers Day weekend. My husbands favorite cake is German chocolate, so I had to have that, she said. The (cake) goes down a little bit easier after the Pony Express from earlier this week.

Hartman, an original board member for the Festival of Hope, was there to support her husband, Dr. Mark Hartman who is the radiation oncologist at Regional West, and do her part to raise money for the organization.

(Proceeds from the live auction) help families in need, especially those that need to go for services that may not be provided in this area. For instance, we dont (treat) pediatric cancers here. They do get sent to the Front Range. Their staff is just trained for that specialty, she said.

To help ease the financial burden from battling cancer may come in the form of help with mortgage, car payments or other expenses families may need help with, she said.

The Festival of Hope kicked off with a 5K run in the morning followed by the festival inside the event center. It culminated with the releasing of butterflies around noon.

This years event was shorter than previous years. It used to be a full-day event.

As a committee and board, we decided we needed to shorten it, Jennifer Hiltgen, a Festival of Hope board member, said. Were losing people because its a busy weekend, being Fathers Day weekend. There are lots of great activities in our wonderful communities going on.

The Festival of Hope isnt the only chance for those wishing to donate to the organization.

Donations may be made at festivalofhope.net or at the Cancer Care Center, and at the Oregon Trail Community Foundations website, otcf.org.

PHOTOS: Festival of Hope 2023
 I dont know where Im a-gonna go when the volcano blows.  Volcano, Jimmy Buffett

It was Sunday afternoon, June 9, 1991. My family and I were enjoying a post-baccalaureate reception at the Clark Air Force Base Chapel in the Philippines. The Wagner High School Class of 91 would be graduating in a few days; underclassmen still had three days of exams.

A few minutes into the socializing, the assistant principal called me aside. He seemed unusually serious, and in a hushed tone said, We need to speakprivately. My mood changed immediately. We found an empty room a few doors down from the social hall.

Speaking mostly in fragments, he said, At 0600 tomorrow the base commander will announce a base evacuationmilitary will go to Subic (the US Naval Station about 25 miles south  as the crow flies) civilians can go wherever they choose, but will need to tell the SPs (Security Police) where theyre going. I need you to go to the school tonightcheck senior recordsprepare a list of those in danger of not graduatingput the list in my boxdont tell anyone except Harlene.

For several months wed been seeing the ribbon of steam meandering skyward from the long-dormant volcano less than nine miles away. A month or so before, a scientist from the USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) had spoken to our faculty. Basically, hed said the data from their instruments indicated Pinatubo, though dormant for more than six centuries, was going to blow we cant tell exactly when, but we think itll be pretty soonmaybe a few weeks, maybe longerwe also think itll be big. He acknowledged that predicting a volcanic eruption was always a challenge not a perfect science. By mid-May, however, volcanologists were convinced that Pinatubo was building toward an eruption sooner, rather than later.

On Sunday, June 9, 1991, wed met the pre-determined criteria for evacuating the 20,000+ military and civilians from the base. A few weeks before, the military had issued a booklet outlining evacuation/return procedures.

Returning to the reception, I suggested we leave early since Emelee had exams the next day. Once home, I shared the sobering news with Harlene. We changed clothes, and made excuses for needing to go to school. In less than an hour I completed my assigned task and retrieved a few items of memorabilia from my desk in the counselors office.

On returning home, we began packing. We told Emelee the base commander would make a special announcement at 10 p.m. on the base TV station. At that time, he noted the increasing severity of Mt. Pinatubo data, and said that a final decision would be announced at 0600. We urged Em to begin packing  just-in-case.

Naturally, we were up for the 0600 announcement: We would be evacuating per the instructions in the aforementioned booklet. Id later learn the military named this mammoth undertaking, Fiery Vigil. Some months later, a base publication known as the Philippine Flyer would describe this day succinctly, but quite well:

(The emissions from Mt. Pinatubo on Sunday, June 9. 1991) triggered a sequence of events unlike anything wed ever experiencedor dreamed possible.

The sprawling base of nearly 10,000 acres had been divided into four to five areas to facilitate an orderly evacuation. It began at 0800 with area No. 1. Our area was 2 or 3 and we departed at 0900 or 1000. Wed decided to go to Manila (about 50 miles south), and learned that a colleague was also headed there to a favorite hotel. We agreed that whoever arrived first would reserve two rooms. It would be much later before we learned we were definitely in the fortunate minority; with the exception of a few hundred, more than 19,700 of the evacuees (military and civilians) headed to Subic Bay.

Our exit from the base was quite orderly. As required, I gave the guard an index card with my name, social security number, the names of family members accompanying me, and our destination. In return, we each received bottled water and a few snacks.

The first 20 miles of our trip south was bumper-to-bumper and moving at 25-30 mph. This included both of the southbound lanes. After roughly an hour the vast majority of traffic exited for Subic, and we had a normal drive to Manila. We arrived at the Philippine Plaza around noon to find we had reservations. After checking in, we finalized plans over lunch. The base booklet stated the evacuation would be for a minimum of three days. We reasoned the system couldnt normalize end-of-school requirements in just two days.

Unlike Buffetts song Volcano, we knew where we were gonna go. Emelee had been accepted to a summer program at the University of Arizona, in Tucson. Since it started Sunday, June 16, wed made flight reservations for Phoenix soon after her acceptance. In the most daring move in our more than two decades with DoDDS (Department of Defense Dependent Schools), we decided to leave the Philippines ASAP!

Consequently, I drove to the nearby Northwest Airlines office and changed our reservations for the next day! I returned to the hotel with truly mixed emotions: excited to be getting away in less than 24 hours, but knowing we might be risking our jobs, and possibly our careers, by going AWOL (Absent Without Leave)!

Before I could share my good news, Harlene had even better news. The regional director in Okinawa had placed all DoDDS personnel in the Philippines on administrative leave. This meant that schools would not re-open for the current year. We were now free to leave the country, and would get paid for this, the final week of the school year!

A short distance from our hotel was the Seafront, the huge compound containing the U.S. Embassy, some living quarters of embassy personnel and a wonderful restaurant. We decided to have dinner there. After dinner I drove our Mitsubishi Gallant behind the restaurant; placed the keys under the floor-mat (very original); closed the door (remembering not to lock it), and returned to the restaurant. We walked to the front gate, and hailed a cab.

Back at the hotel I notified some colleagues of our Tuesday morning departure, and of the free car available at the Seafront. We were glad to hear later on it proved very useful to numerous evacuees over the next few days. There would be several eruptions during the next few days, but the mother of all eruptions would wait in the wings until the early morning hours of June 15, 1991. Again, I quote the Philippine Flyer:

The end began on Saturday morning at 5:55, when the mountain erupted again  this time with a different look from the previous explosions. Instead of plumes of gray ash steadily climbing ever higher, the darker-than-usual cloud immediately began spreading laterally. Wide-eyed ash warriors (those designated as mission essential at Clark) looking at the volcano that morning saw a wall of ash about five miles across rising into the leading edges of Typhoon Yunya, which just happened to be closing in on Clark with swirling winds and nearly 7 inches of rain.

Fortunately, when Mother Natures double-barreled assault occurred on central Luzon, wed been in Mesa, Arizona for three days.

Wed spent 17 years in the Philippines, but our Tagalog was quite limited  so many Filipinos spoke English. Considering the circumstances, however, we remembered the Tagalog word similar to aloha, used for both hello and good-bye. So, as we lifted off Tuesday morning, June 11, 1991, we said, Mabuhay (mah-boo-hi) to the Philippines. As we leveled off sometime after leaving Manila International Airport, another local expression came readily to mind  Bahala Na. Comparable to the Spanish, Que Sera, Sera, it means, Whatever will be, will be.

In answering the question, Where ya gonna go when the volcano blows? For us, the short answer was Arizona. The longer one Bahala Na.
A Longview motorcyclist is dead after he reportedly rear-ended an SUV around 10 p.m. Friday on Industrial Way near the 26th Avenue intersection in the Highlands.

Zachary C. Davis, 34, died at the hospital after his 2003 Honda bike struck the rear of an SUV while both vehicles were headed westbound, according to a Washington State Patrol press release.

Davis and his motorcycle went in the slough on the right shoulder, while the other vehicle  a 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander  flipped over, landing on its top on the left shoulder.

The driver of the Outlander  Whitney R. Petersen, 28, of Longview  and her passenger  Tyler J. Weaver, 32, of Longview  were not injured, the press release reports.

Both vehicles were reported to be totaled.
The formation of Longview wasnt the only notable piece of Cowlitz County history that took place 100 years ago.

The Cowlitz County Historical Museum highlights how the planned city shaped the area in its latest exhibit 1923: The Year that Changed Cowlitz County, which opened Saturday and runs through the end of the year.

Museum Director Joseph Govednik has been working with staff on the new exhibit for several months to coincide with Longviews centennial celebrations. Govednik said that as they looked at the local history, the museum wanted to highlight the other changes that were happening in Cowlitz County at the same time.

We thought it was important to give the context of the building of Longview, curator Bill Watson said. It was Longview coming in that led to moving the county seat to Kelso from Kalama. It was Longview workers who were crossing when the Allen Street Bridge collapsed (in 1923).

Unique features of the exhibit include a top hat and tuxedo jacket worn by Long-Bell Vice President Samuel Mark Morris and a formal dress worn by his wife. A large table in the corner holds the only known surviving pieces of a massive topographic map used by Long-Bell to plan out their logging work.

It was Long-Bell Lumber Company President R.A. Long who planned and financed the building of Longview to coincide with the companys giant lumber mill he also planned to build on the site. Longview would be a beautiful city, not a squalid mill town that typically popped up around industrial sites, according to Longs plan in a historylink.org article.

A major section of the historical museums exhibit is about Ryderwood, the sister logging town to Longview that was also built in 1923 and designed as a counter to the traditional logging town full of lone transient workers.

R.A. Long liked the idea of having men who were family men, married men, that lived in a community. He felt they would be better workers, so he wanted to create a town that would support that, Govednik said.

Several items from Ryderwood were loaned to the museum for the exhibit, including historic logging gear and memorabilia from Ryderwood High School.

Govednik and Watson pulled dozens of pictures from the museums archives to go with the exhibits artifacts. A slideshow of around 30 pictures on a display screen focuses on showing the construction in Longview over the course of the year. Other pictures are placed on signs explaining the biggest events of the year.

The year Longview was dedicated by its founder was also when the final section of the Pacific Highway was completed in Cowlitz County. Pacific Highway was the first road that reached from Canada to Oregon and was decommissioned in the 1960s as Interstate 5 was built along a similar route.

Govednik has been working with the Longview Centennial Committee on some of the citys other celebrations, including the large gala planned for September. A look back on Longviews history that was published in the 1940s will re-run in the next edition of the Cowlitz Historical Quarterly.

If you go What: "1923: The Year that Changed Cowlitz County," a historical exhibit. When: The exhibit runs through 2023. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Where: Cowlitz County Historical Museum, 405 Allen St., Kelso. Cost: Free admission.
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:

In this image from video provided by the House Financial Services Committee, Steve Huffman, chief executive officer and co-founder of Reddit, testifies during a virtual hearing on GameStop in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021. Reddit is facing an ongoing blackout from some of its most active users. After outrage erupted over plans to charge some third party apps for API, thousands of communities within the online discussion network went dark this week  and many organizers say their protest is not over. Credit: House Financial Services Committee via AP, File

If you hopped on Reddit to scroll through your favorite forums this week, you may have encountered "private" or "restricted" messages. That's because thousands of subreddits chose to go dark in an ongoing protest over the company's plan to start charging certain third-party developers to access the site's data.

But Reddit's CEO Steve Huffman told The Associated Press he's not backing off.

"Protest and dissent is important," Huffman said. "The problem with this one is it's not going to change anything because we made a business decision that we're not negotiating on."

Organizers of the protest say Reddit's new policy threatens to end key ways of historically customizing the platform using an API, or application programming interface, which allows computer programs to communicate with each another. Third-party developers rely on API data to create their apps, which offer access to features that are unavailable in the official Reddit app, particularly for content moderation and accessibility aids.

But Reddit says that supporting these third-party developers is too expensive and that the new policy is necessary to become a self-sustaining business.

Reddit has more than 100,000 active subreddits, and nearly 9,000 of them went dark this week. While some returned to their public settings after 48 hours, others say they plan to stay private until Reddit meets their demands, which include lowering third-party developer chargesset to go into effect July 1so that popular apps don't shut down.

As of Friday, more than 4,000 subreddits were still participating in the blackoutincluding communities with tens of millions of subscribers like r/music and r/videosaccording to a tracker and live Twitch stream of the boycott.

Reddit notes that the vast majority of subreddit communities are still active. And while Huffman maintains that he respects users' rights to protest, he also says that the subreddits currently participating in the blackout are "not going to stay offline indefinitely"even if that means finding new moderators.

The company's response to the blackout has fueled further outrage among protest organizers, who accuse Reddit of trying to remove moderatorsor "mods"of subreddits who are protesting this week. Subreddit "mods" are volunteers who often use tools outside of the official app to keep their forums free of spam and hateful content, for example, and many of them are angry with Reddit's new fees.

"A lot of what's going on here is ... (Reddit) burning goodwill with users. And that's so much more expensive than trying to collaborate," said Omar, a moderator of a subreddit participating in this week's blackout who asked not to be identified by their full name due to safety concerns that have come up while moderating their subreddit.

Reddit denies that it is removing moderators for protesting, asserting that it is simply enforcing its code of conduct.

"If mods abandon a community, we find new mods. If mods keep private a large community with folks who want to engage, we find new mods who want to reinvigorate it," the company said in an email. "The rules that allow us to do this are not new and were not developed to limit protests."

Most people visiting Reddit probably don't think about APIs but access to these third-party resources is critical for moderators to do their jobs, experts note.

"Reddit is built on volunteer moderation labor, including the creation and maintenance of many tools," said Sarah Gilbert, postdoctoral associate at Cornell University and Citizens and Technology Lab research manager, in a statement. "Without Reddit's volunteer moderators, the site could likely see less helpful content, and more spam, misinformation and hate."

The Reddit app icon is seen on a smartphone, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, in Marple Township, Pa. Reddit is facing an ongoing blackout from some of its most active users. After outrage erupted over plans to charge some third party apps for API, thousands of communities within the online discussion network went dark this week  and many organizers say their protest is not over. Credit: AP Photo/Matt Slocum

Reddit has pushed back on some of these concerns, saying that 93% of moderator actions are currently taken through desktop and native Reddit apps.

Huffman and Reddit management also note that the new fees will only apply to eligible third-party apps that require high usage limits. According to Thursday metrics published by the company, 98% of apps will continue to have free access to the Data API as long as they're not monetized and remain below Reddit's data-usage threshold.

The company has also promised that moderator tools and bots will continue to have free access to the Data API and has made agreements with some non-commercial, accessibility-focused apps to exempt them from new fees.

Still, some moderators say they rely on popular apps that are shutting down over the new costs. Apollo and Reddit Is Fun, for example, have already announced plans to shutter at the end of June. Apollo developer Christian Selig estimated fees would total about $20 million a year.

Huffman has pushed back on that estimate and Reddit argues that the upcoming fees for high usage third-party appswhich stand at a rate of 24 cents for 1,000 API callsis reasonable.

With more than 500 million active monthly users globally, Reddit is one of the internet's top sites. It's hard to anticipate the total amount of money Reddit will saveand earnafter implementing the new fees. But Huffman says the "pure infrastructure costs" of supporting these apps costs Reddit about $10 million each year.

"We can't subsidize other people's businesses," Huffman said. "We didn't ban third-party appswe said, 'You need to cover your costs.'"

Reddit's changes to its API coincide with the San Francisco-based company's reported plans to go public later this year. While Huffman couldn't directly address the rumored initial public offering, he underlined the need for Reddit to become self-sustaining.

"I think every business has a duty to become profitable eventuallyfor our employees shareholders, for our investors shareholders and, one day as a public company, hopefully our user shareholders as well," said Huffman, who co-founded the site in 2005.

Reddit first filed for an IPO in 2021, but paused its plans amid a plunge in tech stocks. With eyes on the possibility of a renewed IPO for the second half of 2023, finance experts speculate that the company may be trying to display increased revenue and profitability to investors.

"My guess is that they feel strong pressure in advance of the IPO to show that they can generate revenue from other sources," Luke Stein, a finance professor at Babson College, told The Associated Press, noting that monetizing API could create another avenue for revenue streams, rather than relying on advertising and new users as Reddit has done in the past.

Experts also pointed to the significance of Reddit showing a way to charge AI companies that have historically used Reddit data at no cost to develop large-scale and for-profit AI models.

Still, the IPO is uncertain and the API changes could have consequences as well.

"If they actually manage to make the changes stick, (they could) increase their revenue," said James Angel, an associated professor at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. "On the other hand, if they alienate their best users, it could cause issues down the road, especially if those users decide to move to other platforms."

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
A Caldwell police officer was injured and a suspect is dead after an officer-involved shooting early Saturday, according to Caldwell police.

Police said the officer is in stable condition. The identity of the officer and the deceased suspect have not been released due to the ongoing investigation.

Officers responded to several vehicle burglaries and found two suspects who fled on foot, police said.

One officer had a physical struggle with one suspect when they pursued them, police said. The suspect shot the officer, who then returned fire and fatally wounded the suspect. The officer was then taken to an area hospital for treatment.

Caldwell police have asked the Texas Rangers to take over the investigation.
As a Texas Senate committee works in secret to devise rules for an upcoming impeachment trial, allies for suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton are lobbying hard for the ability to dismiss the allegations against Paxton without the need for a trial.

House impeachment managers are pushing back, warning the committee against adopting rules that would pave the way for a sham trial.

The seven-member committee is expected to issue its recommendations to the full Senate on Tuesday. Because the panel has wide latitude in crafting those rules, many observers expect its work to be critical to Paxtons chances of saving his job in a trial that is expected to start no later than Aug. 28.

Paxtons lead attorney, Tony Buzbee, has been on a media tour in recent days, arguing that the House impeachment process was so flawed that the Senate should create rules that allow members to effectively dismiss the case pretrial.

Were told this is supposed to be like a trial, Buzbee told Dallas radio host Mark Davis on Thursday. Well, in every court across the United States, if the case thats brought is so terribly weak, flimsy, it shouldnt be in court, there should be a mechanism at the beginning to throw it out. So Im suggesting that that should exist here.

Buzbee has called for rules that allow a summary proceeding, or a speedy procedure by which senators could decide the case based on the evidence so far. Some county Republican parties have passed resolutions that go further, saying the Senate should not even consider rules and return the 20 articles of impeachment to the House.

On Thursday, the House board of impeachment managers sent a memo to the Senate committee that served as a response to Buzbees comments. The memo encouraged the committee to take guidance from the tried-and-true rules of Texas trial procedure and evidence and offered 17 examples of rules used in past impeachment trials for District Judge O.P. Carrillo in the 1970s and Gov. James E. Ferguson in 1917.

We fully appreciate that progress on the proposed rules is at or nearing completion; however, given Mr. Paxtons counsels alarming public request for a sham trial, we wish to share with the committee the findings of our research of the rules that were used in the impeachment trials of Carrillo and Ferguson, the memo said.

As for the county GOP resolutions, the top impeachment manager, Republican Rep. Andrew Murr of Junction, responded in a Dallas Morning News op-ed Friday, noting the resolutions focus entirely on the process rather than the facts of the case. He said he was perplexed by Paxton supporters calling for no trial at all, saying it was the only way to reach a resolution that is fair to Paxton.

One of the 17 rules that the managers memo suggested addresses the issue of when a Senate member is disqualified or subject to recusal. The memo specifically cited state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, the wife of the impeached attorney general.

Buzbee has said that decision is up to Angela Paxton. Texas GOP leaders have echoed that, but some also have nodded at the possibility of a rule addressing it.

That will be up to her as well as the rules created by the Senate, Gov. Greg Abbott told reporters Thursday.

The House voted 121-23 to impeach Paxton on May 27, alleging a yearslong pattern of misconduct and lawbreaking. The vote immediately led to Paxtons temporary suspension from office, and Abbott appointed John Scott, the former Texas secretary of state, as interim attorney general.

A two-thirds vote in the Senate is required to permanently remove Paxton from office. If all 31 members vote and all 12 Democrats support removal, that would require nine of 19 Republicans to cross over.

An opaque committee

The rule-making process was created by a resolution that the Senate passed in the final hours of its regular session. Passed unanimously, the resolution allowed the president of the Senate, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, to appoint a seven-member committee to prepare and present rules for consideration to the full Senate on June 20.

Patrick named five Republicans and two Democrats to the committee, picking an ally, Republican Sen. Brian Birdwell of Granbury, as its chair.

The resolution says the committee shall meet subject to the call of the chair and is authorized to meet in closed session for purposes of deliberation.

Beyond that, there is little known about the committee and its deliberations. Birdwells office has not responded to a request for comment, and the committee is not mentioned on the official Senate website.

The resolution does not explicitly say the Senate has to vote on the rules Tuesday. But once the rules are approved, the resolution allows Patrick to set a trial date no later than Aug. 28.

Paxtons legal team takes the offensive

Paxtons side has been the most aggressive in trying to influence the rules. Buzbee has warned that if the committee does not create a possible pretrial off-ramp, the Senate could be in for a painstaking process featuring more than 60 witnesses, thousands of pages of documents and a time frame that could last up to a year.

Two other lawyers defending Paxton  Chris Hilton and Judd Stone  have personally appealed to Patrick as the rules were being crafted. They sent a letter to the lieutenant governor last Saturday asking him to put a stop to investigative actions the House has taken post-impeachment, arguing the House has no authority to do anything regarding the impeachment proceedings until the Senate establishes the rules.

Hilton and Stone, who recently left positions with the attorney generals office, also said they were available to answer any questions or provide the attorney generals position on the appropriate rules for these proceedings, if desired.

Patrick apparently did not respond, according to a letter Paxtons attorneys sent a day later that repeated their request for intervention by the lieutenant governor.

Buzbee added Thursday that Paxtons team has asked to appear before the rules committee.

Also Thursday, Paxtons team sent reporters an email highlighting a Federalist article by prominent conservative attorney Harmeet Dhillon that urged the Senate to allow both sides to have input on the rules. Dhillon also suggested a number of rules herself, including the exclusion of live witnesses in favor of testimony by deposition.

Patrick has promised a fair trial but otherwise has largely declined to comment on the Senates preparations. He briefly waded in during a news conference Thursday in Dallas, denying that his previous campaign loans to Paxton compromised his neutrality to preside over the trial.

House impeachment managers push for transparency

The House also has been well aware of how important the rules could be. When Rusty Hardin and Dick DeGuerin were unveiled as the Houses top lawyers earlier this month, Hardin said he hoped for a full, public hearing that allows both sides to present the evidence that allows the public and the world to know just what happened here.

They have been quieter about the rules since then, but their Thursday memo made clear they did not want to cede the public debate to Buzbee.

Some of the 17 rules the memo suggested have to do with transparency. They say senators should be required to deliberate in open session, that proceedings should be recorded, transcribed and frequently published and that cameras should be allowed at the trial.

Other suggested rules have to do with witnesses  that they should be required to be under oath, for example  and parties entitlement to legal counsel.

The memo also pointed out that in the Ferguson trial, the House was allowed to adopt additional articles of impeachment beforehand.

Blake Brickman, an attorney generals office executive fired in 2020 after he and other agency leaders met with FBI agents to accuse Paxton of misconduct, said in a statement Friday that he hoped to testify in person at the trial. And he challenged Paxton do so as well.

After the House impeachment vote, Paxton claimed he wants a full accounting of the truth, Brickman said. This begs the question: Will Ken Paxton agree to testify on his own behalf? Or will Ken Paxton continue to be a coward and hide behind his lawyers and their bogus process arguments?
Sometime in the next few weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on two cases challenging whether it is legal for public and private universities to consider a students race in college admissions.

The American public has debated the question ever since affirmative action was introduced after the Civil Rights movement to correct racial imbalances in education and the workforce that were born out of a segregated society. Since then, the nations highest court has weighed in periodically on the legality of the policy and narrowed its scope but has allowed it to stand for nearly 60 years.

This time, legal and education policy experts are preparing for the courts conservative majority to possibly put an end to the use of race in college admissions, which would change how some universities select their students.

If that happens, it would largely impact Texas private institutions and its most selective public university: the University of Texas at Austin, which is the only public university in the state that still considers race in undergraduate admissions.

Education policy and admissions experts across the state and country are concerned that eliminating race-conscious admissions could have broader impacts on the already slow progress many universities have made to diversify their student bodies. In Texas, state lawmakers recently decided to dismantle offices on college campuses that try to make colleges more diverse and welcoming to all types of underrepresented students. Experts worry that the ban on those efforts, combined with the end of race-conscious admissions, could cement the impression that students of color are not welcome in the states higher education institutions and walk back decades of efforts to build more diverse campuses.

The Supreme Court decision is almost the least of our worries and its still a huge worry, said Stella Flores, a higher education and public policy expert at UT-Austin. These attacks on DEI policies  are really going to destroy the culture of any form of attempts to provide more equity from kindergarten all the way to the workforce.

As universities await the Supreme Court decision, here are a few things to know about what the end of race-conscious admissions in higher education could mean for Texas:

The cases before the Supreme Court

In the past, the Supreme Court has banned racial quota systems and said schools cannot admit students to correct systemic racism or give an advantage specifically to students of color. But the court has largely sided with universities and supporters who argue that considering race in admissions is a way to increase student diversity and provides educational benefits to all students. Opponents have argued that the practice is discriminatory and believe admissions should be based primarily on merit.

The two lawsuits before the Supreme Court were filed by the group Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA). The group is led by lawyer Edward Blum, who recruited Texan Abigail Fisher to file a lawsuit against UT-Austin, alleging she was unfairly discriminated against when the school denied her admission in 2008 because she was white. Ultimately, the court narrowly ruled in favor of UT-Austin, finding the university had met legal scrutiny requiring that race considerations provide an educational benefit to students.

In one lawsuit, SFFA alleges the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill violated the 14th Amendments equal protection clause, which prohibits governmental entities from discriminating based on race, by considering race in admissions when it doesnt need to do so to achieve a diverse student body. The Supreme Court has previously ruled that race-conscious admissions are acceptable only if there is not a race-neutral alternative to achieve diversity.

In the second case, SFFA alleges that Harvard University violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which bars the federal government from providing money to private entities that discriminate based on race. Blum is alleging that Asian American students are less likely to be accepted into the private university than similarly qualified students of other races.

Most public universities in Texas dont consider race

The vast majority of Texas public universities, including Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University and the University of Houston, do not consider race in their undergraduate admissions process.

In 1996, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled against using race in admissions, which banned universities in its jurisdiction, including Texas, from using affirmative action in college admissions for a few years. The Supreme Court took a different stance in 2003 when it ruled the University of Michigan could consider race in its law school admissions, nullifying the 5th Circuits earlier decision.

Despite the change, many schools in Texas, like A&M, decided to continue to ignore race in their admissions process.

At the time, A&M leaders pointed to a statewide admissions process that had been developed recently known as the Top 10% Plan, saying they could use it to build a diverse student population without the need to implement affirmative action policies.

Under the plan, Texas students who graduate in the top 10% of their high school class are automatically admitted to a public university. The thinking was that since Texas public high schools are still de facto segregated because people largely live in neighborhoods divided by race, pulling the top students from a wider selection of high schools across the state would be an effective way to create diverse student bodies at the states public universities.

Over time, A&M has grown by tens of thousands of students, with large gains in its Hispanic and Asian populations. But Black student enrollment has largely remained flat. Meanwhile, studies have shown the Top 10% Plan has not done enough to help A&M or UT-Austin better reflect the states diversity.

Unlike Texas public universities, many private schools in the state still consider race in admissions, including Rice University in Houston, where university leaders already pledged a commitment to continue their diversity efforts regardless of the Supreme Courts decision.

Our admissions office and general counsel are preparing for various outcomes, Rice University leaders wrote in an open letter in March. We will strive to do all we can, within the bounds of the law, to continue to recruit and retain a widely diverse student body. Rices student body, faculty and staff are a multicultural reflection of the world, and our goal every year is to enroll a diverse class of the most talented students as well as hire and retain faculty and staff from across the country and around the globe.

Southern Methodist University in Dallas and Texas Christian University in Fort Worth also consider race in admissions. Notably, the largest private university in Texas, Baylor University in Waco, does not consider race in admissions.

The University of Houstons Law Center is one of the only public graduate programs that currently considers race in admissions.

Schools that do consider race use it in limited ways

The first time the Supreme Court was asked to weigh in on affirmative action in college admissions was in the 1970s in a case known as Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. In that case, a white student who was denied admission to the universitys medical school twice challenged the schools policy to set aside a certain number of seats for students of color.

The court banned the use of racial quotas in admissions but did say that universities could consider race as one of many factors in a college application, including students grade-point average, personal essays, letters of recommendation and extracurricular activities.

Yet experts say the perception that universities still use racial quotas or decide to admit some students solely based on their race has persisted.

Its sort of a black box that not a lot of people understand, said Liliana Garces, a legal and education policy expert at UT-Austin. It is not this process of placing a thumb on the scale  Its just sort of understanding the entirety of the circumstances.

Admissions offices at some of the most selective schools often have to decide between highly qualified applicants, which means the smallest details can make a huge difference in their determinations. Factors they sometimes consider include whether the student lives in a state farther away from the school, whether they play an instrument or whether they want to major in a unique field.

Little things can have a great deal of impact, said James Murphy, deputy director of higher education policy at Education Reform Now, a national education nonprofit. That does not mean that theyre giving some unfair preference to students of color.

At UT-Austin, admissions officers consider race to admit only a portion of their freshmen. Today, 75% of each freshman class at the university are automatically admitted through the top 10% plan (However, due to the highly selective nature of their admissions, the state has allowed the university to only automatically accept students who graduate in the top 6% of their class.)

Most of the other 25% of students are admitted through a holistic review that considers race, along with a students grade point average, extracurriculars, personal essays and letters of recommendation.

During this years legislative session, Texas lawmakers adjusted the states education code to allow UT-Austin to continue admitting students using this method in anticipation that the Supreme Court might overturn race-conscious admissions policies. Without that change, state law wouldve required UT-Austin to accept 100% of students that qualify for admission through the Top 10% Plan, which wouldve drastically increased enrollment and leave no room for the university to consider other students, such as out-of-state students or student-athletes.

Enrollment dropping among students of color

In 1996, California voters banned the use of race in admissions at its public universities. Since then, research shows the share of Black and Native American students at the states schools fell.

A 2020 analysis from Yale University found the decision deterred students of color from applying to University of California system schools. By the mid-2010s, the number of underrepresented students who were earning more than $100,000 in their early careers dropped by 3%, showing the ban on affirmative action may have enhanced socioeconomic inequalities.

Garces also studied the impact of bans on race-conscious admissions in graduate programs like law and medical schools. In one analysis, she found that bans on affirmative action in college admissions in Texas, California, Washington and Florida over time reduced the average proportion of graduate students of color across the natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, business, education and humanities by 12%. She also found that when individual schools stopped considering race in admissions, it made administrators feel as if they couldnt discuss issues of race and racism in decisions about admissions, academic support and beyond.

That ended up kind of muting and silencing your work in these areas and I know from research that its very important for that work to be intentional, in order to be able to support students experiences, she said.

Those who oppose race-conscious admissions argue that there are other factors that universities can consider to draw a diverse student body, such as socioeconomic status. But according to an analysis by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, that wouldnt be enough. If highly selective schools cannot consider race, the center found, they would need to completely reform their admissions processes to generate the same level of diversity achieved when considering race. That would include implementing measures like eliminating legacy enrollment, which gives preference to students whose family members also attended the school. Ultimately, the center concluded, there is no good substitution for the consideration of race.

In Texas, public universities have largely banned legacy admissions. Some private schools, including SMU, Rice and TCU do consider legacy along with race.

Baylor, which does not consider race, does consider legacy in admissions. The fall 2022 freshman class was 64% white, 4% Black and 16% Hispanic. According to the university, 30% of the fall 2022 freshman class were related to a Baylor graduate.

Murphy said selective schools are going to feel renewed pressure to eliminate legacy admissions if the Supreme Court bans race-conscious admissions.

Universities and colleges commitments to diversity are going to be truly tested. Not that getting rid of legacy will fix the problem  not even close  but because [the admissions process] is so competitive, he said. If theyre not getting rid of legacy preference, in my book, theyre essentially saying, diversity is a nice idea to our university, but it is not an important practice.

Experts are worried about broader impacts

While many higher education experts are preparing for the Supreme Courts conservative majority to end race-conscious admissions, some are hopeful that wont be the case.

Leonard Baynes, the dean of UHs Law Center, said the Supreme Courts recent ruling to keep a portion of the Voting Rights Act intact in an Alabama redistricting case suggests that this is not a slam dunk to end affirmative action as we know it.

Other experts are less hopeful that race-conscious admissions will survive, pointing to justices skepticism about the need to consider race during oral arguments last fall.

If the Supreme Court does rule against race-conscious admissions, Baynes said it will be harder to achieve a diverse student body through other factors besides race. He believes its possible, but said it will take an intentional commitment to make it happen.

Some higher education policy experts worry about other unintended consequences. Admissions experts are concerned that if schools can no longer consider a students race, many students of color will be discouraged to apply to highly selective schools and will instead opt for less selective schools. Experts say historically Black colleges and universities could see an uptick in applications.

They also worry that universities, in an attempt to avoid future legal challenges, might take a narrow ruling from the court and apply it more broadly.

Murphy said some experts are concerned that states or universities would not just remove the portion of their applications where students are asked to identify their race, but also remove any mention of race in other parts, like essay prompts. Universities might even stop asking students to list their extracurricular activities or even the ZIP code in which they live, Murphy said.

My fear is that an overzealous legislature might, in the spirit of these well-funded attacks on diversity and civil rights  say, Oh, if colleges cant consider race, then were going to need to scrub applications and remove all of these elements.

Right now, Texas universities are trying to interpret recently approved legislation that bans diversity, equity and inclusion programs in public colleges and universities that try to help underrepresented students  including students of color  succeed when they come to campus. Schools are still figuring out to what extent they need to eliminate or alter existing programs to comply with the new law.

Flores, the higher education policy expert at UT-Austin, said society is becoming more diverse, and actions that ignore that  like banning universities from how they consider race in admissions or discuss it in classrooms  will result in negative social and economic consequences for the state.

A majority of our children are nonwhite, and a majority of all [students] are not white, and now the majority of our entire population is nonwhite, Flores said. You cant function as a society if its poorly educated and does not have equal opportunity.
Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:SHJBF  Get Rating) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 969,400 shares, an increase of 28.5% from the May 15th total of 754,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently  days.

Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Stock Performance

Shares of Shanghai Junshi Biosciences stock remained flat at C$3.65 on Friday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is C$3.65 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$4.73. Shanghai Junshi Biosciences has a 52 week low of C$3.65 and a 52 week high of C$6.00.

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Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co, Ltd., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of various drugs in the therapeutic areas of oncology, metabolic, autoimmune, neurologic, and infectious diseases in the People's Republic of China. The company offers JS001, a recombinant humanized anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody under the trade name of TUOYI for the indication of melanoma, mucosal melanoma, soft tissue sarcoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, urothelial carcinoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma, triple negative breast carcinoma, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma.

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D.R. Horton (NYSE:DHI  Get Rating) had its price target raised by Bank of America from $122.00 to $130.00 in a research note published on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on D.R. Horton from $99.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. UBS Group increased their price objective on D.R. Horton from $122.00 to $134.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on D.R. Horton in a report on Wednesday, May 31st. They issued a buy rating and a $150.00 target price for the company. Barclays upped their price target on shares of D.R. Horton from $131.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 24th. Finally, Wolfe Research cut shares of D.R. Horton from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 22nd. They noted that the move was a valuation call. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $113.22.

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D.R. Horton Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of DHI stock opened at $116.40 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $39.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a current ratio of 6.80, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The businesss 50 day moving average is $108.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is $98.52. D.R. Horton has a twelve month low of $59.25 and a twelve month high of $117.96.

D.R. Horton Dividend Announcement

D.R. Horton ( NYSE:DHI Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 20th. The construction company reported $2.73 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.83. D.R. Horton had a net margin of 15.39% and a return on equity of 25.94%. The company had revenue of $7.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.48 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.03 EPS. D.R. Hortons quarterly revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that D.R. Horton will post 11.21 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 3rd were given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 2nd. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.86%. D.R. Hortons dividend payout ratio is presently 6.74%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Michael J. Murray sold 54,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.21, for a total value of $5,951,340.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 257,294 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $28,356,371.74. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, COO Michael J. Murray sold 54,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.21, for a total value of $5,951,340.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 257,294 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $28,356,371.74. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, COO Paul J. Romanowski sold 40,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.16, for a total transaction of $4,486,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 84,268 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,451,498.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 94,203 shares of company stock worth $10,457,362 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.61% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of D.R. Horton by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 35,902,967 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $2,675,130,000 after acquiring an additional 406,429 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in shares of D.R. Horton by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 25,817,653 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $2,522,127,000 after acquiring an additional 194,412 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of D.R. Horton by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 13,712,390 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,339,558,000 after acquiring an additional 480,247 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in shares of D.R. Horton by 168.1% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 10,978,102 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,072,451,000 after acquiring an additional 6,883,719 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parnassus Investments LLC increased its stake in shares of D.R. Horton by 208.9% during the 4th quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC now owns 9,903,292 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $882,779,000 after acquiring an additional 6,697,209 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.87% of the companys stock.

About D.R. Horton

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D.R. Horton, Inc is a homebuilding company, which engages in the construction and sale of single-family housing. It operates through the following geographical segments: Northwest, Southwest, South Central, Southeast, East, and North. The Northwest segment includes Colorado, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

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Everence Capital Management Inc. trimmed its position in Kimberly-Clark Co. (NYSE:KMB  Get Rating) by 11.5% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 17,370 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,260 shares during the period. Everence Capital Management Inc.s holdings in Kimberly-Clark were worth $2,331,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KMB. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 123,302.7% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,430,158 shares of the companys stock valued at $601,394,000 after purchasing an additional 4,426,568 shares in the last quarter. Cowa LLC purchased a new position in Kimberly-Clark in the 1st quarter valued at about $54,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Kimberly-Clark in the 4th quarter valued at about $441,478,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 20.6% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 9,628,171 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,307,025,000 after acquiring an additional 1,643,311 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 11.2% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 7,095,043 shares of the companys stock valued at $963,152,000 after acquiring an additional 715,624 shares during the last quarter. 74.16% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on KMB shares. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $118.00 to $125.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $131.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. Berenberg Bank upped their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $132.00 to $144.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $134.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kimberly-Clark presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $134.45.

Kimberly-Clark Stock Up 1.0 %

KMB opened at $137.68 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $139.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $134.74. The company has a market cap of $46.45 billion, a PE ratio of 23.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 0.41. Kimberly-Clark Co. has a 1 year low of $108.74 and a 1 year high of $147.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.23, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.82.

Kimberly-Clark (NYSE:KMB  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $1.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $0.35. Kimberly-Clark had a net margin of 9.75% and a return on equity of 279.42%. The company had revenue of $5.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.06 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.35 earnings per share. Kimberly-Clarks revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Kimberly-Clark Co. will post 6.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Kimberly-Clark Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 9th will be given a $1.18 dividend. This represents a $4.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.43%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 8th. Kimberly-Clarks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 80.82%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kimberly-Clark

In other Kimberly-Clark news, insider Doug Cunningham sold 1,504 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.48, for a total value of $218,801.92. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Michael D. Hsu sold 46,508 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $144.28, for a total transaction of $6,710,174.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,668 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,111,459.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Doug Cunningham sold 1,504 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.48, for a total value of $218,801.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 59,416 shares of company stock valued at $8,580,971 over the last 90 days. 0.67% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Kimberly-Clark Company Profile

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Kimberly-Clark Corp. engages in the manufacture and marketing of products made from natural or synthetic fibers. It operates through the following segments: Personal Care, Consumer Tissue, and K-C Professional. The Personal Care segment offers disposable diapers, training and youth pants, swim pants, baby wipes, feminine and incontinence care products, and other related products.

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Ormat Technologies (NYSE:ORA  Get Rating) had its target price boosted by Bank of America from $85.00 to $87.00 in a research note released on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Ormat Technologies from $91.00 to $88.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 27th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Ormat Technologies in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a sell rating on the stock. UBS Group upgraded shares of Ormat Technologies from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $103.00 to $105.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on shares of Ormat Technologies from $106.00 to $96.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 24th. Finally, Roth Mkm dropped their price objective on shares of Ormat Technologies from $104.00 to $93.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $91.25.

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Ormat Technologies Stock Performance

NYSE ORA opened at $85.44 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $5.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 63.29, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a 50 day moving average of $85.23 and a 200-day moving average of $86.90. The company has a current ratio of 2.07, a quick ratio of 1.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Ormat Technologies has a 1-year low of $67.28 and a 1-year high of $101.81.

Ormat Technologies Announces Dividend

Ormat Technologies ( NYSE:ORA Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 9th. The energy company reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $185.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $212.86 million. Ormat Technologies had a net margin of 10.39% and a return on equity of 4.86%. The companys revenue was up .8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.35 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Ormat Technologies will post 2.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 6th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 22nd. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.56%. Ormat Technologiess dividend payout ratio is presently 35.56%.

Institutional Trading of Ormat Technologies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Ormat Technologies by 8.2% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 8,528,140 shares of the energy companys stock worth $722,930,000 after buying an additional 643,171 shares during the period. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Ormat Technologies by 7.7% during the 1st quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 2,318,362 shares of the energy companys stock worth $196,528,000 after buying an additional 166,625 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc boosted its holdings in shares of Ormat Technologies by 17.5% during the 1st quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 2,119,477 shares of the energy companys stock worth $178,845,000 after buying an additional 315,055 shares during the period. Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Ormat Technologies by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. now owns 2,001,707 shares of the energy companys stock worth $169,533,000 after buying an additional 77,456 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Ormat Technologies by 7.6% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,947,280 shares of the energy companys stock worth $165,071,000 after buying an additional 137,486 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.74% of the companys stock.

About Ormat Technologies

(Get Rating)

Ormat Technologies, Inc engages in the geothermal and recovered energy power business in the United States, Indonesia, Kenya, Turkey, Chile, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Ethiopia, New Zealand, Honduras, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Electricity, Product, and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment develops, builds, owns, and operates geothermal, solar photovoltaic, and recovered energy-based power plants; and sells electricity.

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The Roanoke County School Board was lambasted by dozens of speakers Thursday evening for allowing a parent to call certain staff from Glen Cove Elementary groomers and sexual predators at its meeting last month.

Several of the speakerssome employed by the school systemalso spoke about the divisions handling of the removal of rainbows and other symbols at Glen Cove deemed to show support for LGBTQ+ students and employees.

Northside High School biology teacher Ashley Hendrix said she fully supports the Glen Cove employees.

As a proud member of the LGBT community, I am appalled and disgusted by the slander and remarks that have been said against our community, and I am also appalled by the silence of the school board who claims to be in support of all students and staff in Roanoke County, Hendrix said.

Damon Gettierfather of a student at the school who made the original complaint about the symbolsbroached the issue during the public comments section of the May 18 school board meeting.

Gettier said he became aware of rainbows in some classrooms in mid-April, while conversing with his son and another student.

What Im here to talk about is the child abuse, grooming, conditioning and indoctrination by sexual predators disguised as teachers and staff at Glen Cove Elementary, he said at the May 18 school board meeting.

While Gettier did not mention staff by name, he named jobs that only have one person in those roles at the school.

It became apparent that the guidance counselor, the school psychologist, the assistant principal and the music teacher were bent on indoctrinating our children on LGBTQA and not on reading, writing and arithmetic, Gettier said.

Gettier distributed to school board members four photos he said were from this years Glen Cove yearbook. Three depicted teachers wearing rainbow-style clothing, jewelry or accessories. The fourth was a rainbow-colored sign declaring EVERYONE WELCOME.

That is the yearbook that is being published, it was published and given out to children this year, Gettier said in May. Who would approve that? Who thought those pictures were appropriate?

A protest at Glen Cove Elementary in May that included more than 200 people was held to protest Gettiers comments and what some believe was the boards lack of response.

Other people who spoke at Thursdays meeting said the school board allowing Gettier to go after particular employees unfettered made the board complicit, and said their silence was akin to supporting his words.

I do believe right is right, wrong is wrong. Defaming others with vile baseless accusations is wrong. Providing that designation and allowing it to sit unchallenged is wrong, parent Jon Hutchens said Thursday night. Shunning children and treating them with cruelty to their most vulnerable moments is wrong. Showing children kindness and mercy is right.

Student Ravenne Weddle said ignoring LGBTQ+ students is not going to make them go away.

Maybe if we bothered to teach this in sexual education or at home in a safe place, it wouldnt seem so offensive and inappropriate when it comes up for the first time in your childs classroom ... I shouldnt have had to hide to be deserving of love and support. Supporting students is not indoctrination, but choosing to be ignorant and shielding children from learning about these very real topics is indoctrinating them to be normal, giving them no opportunity to be different from how you want them to be, Weddle told the board.

Others expressed similar concern for pretending LGBTQ+ students dont exist in schools, and said it can cause harm to students who are already at a higher risk for bullying and suicide.

Roanoke County resident Decca Knight said she is a mental health professional and is worried about the countys school system.

Im very concerned about the events that have transpired at Glen Cove Elementary and throughout the district over the past school year. I have recently become aware that the events that happened [at Glen Cove] are just part of a larger movement to restrict any LGBTQ plus discussions and awareness throughout the division ... The Trevor Project found that LGBTQ+ youth are four times as likely to attempt suicide as their peers. In fact, having one accepting adult can lower the risk of suicide by 40%. LGBTQ+ youth are also more likely than non LGBTQ+ youth to experience violence at school and have lower levels of school connectedness, she told the board.

School board Chairman Brent Hudson did not respond to an email last month about why he allowed Gettier to call out specific staff members or why he allowed him to call them sexual predators and groomers.

Hudson and board member David Linden did not address the audience during board comments either, though board members Tim Greenway and Mike Wray thanked those in attendance for speaking.

Wray was the only board member to speak to those in attendance after the meeting. He thanked Weddle for being brave and speaking to the board.

When Hudson was asked if he had time to answer a few questions after the meeting, he responded no, I dont.
Former Sacombank leader nominated for Bamboo Airways board

By Trang Nguyen Sat, June 17, 2023 | 11:05 am GTM+7

Phan Dinh Tue, who resigned as deputy general director of Sacombank on Thusday, has been nominated by a group of shareholders holding an over 55% stake in Vietnamese private carrier Bamboo Airways to the airline's board of directors.

Tue will continue as a board member of the private bank for the 2022-2026 term. Tue, born in 1966, has nearly 40 years of experience in the financial and banking sector. At Sacombank, he was deputy general director from mid-2012.

Phan Dinh Tue has been nominated for the Bamboo Airways board. Photo courtesy of Sacombank.

Major shareholders in Bamboo Airways Le Thai Sam (38.28% stake) and Doan Huu Doan (16.85%) also nominated six candidates for board of members for the 2023-2028 term.

Sam and Doan have nominated themselves for the new term, along with Nguyen Ngoc Trong and Le Ba Nguyen. All four candidates have recently resigned from the board for the 2019-2024 term.

This majority shareholder group also put forward Tran Hoa Binh and Hideki Oshima as candidates.

Hideki Oshima, born in 1962, is the former director of international relations and aviation alliance at Japan Airlines, the second largest airline in Japan. In May, Bamboo Airways chairman Nguyen Ngoc said that Oshima would join the airline's board of directors and executive board. Former chairman of Japan Airlines Masaru Onishi is also expected to take on the role of senior advisor to the board.

Bamboo Airways has reported a loss of VND17.6 trillion ($748 million) in 2022, about $84 million higher than the combined figure of Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air. The figures will be officially released at the airline's annual general meeting of shareholders on June 21.

In 2022, Bamboo's revenue increased by nearly 3.3 times compared to 2021, reaching VND11.73 trillion ($498.96 million). Despite this improvement, Bamboo Airways has not been able to post a gross profit. The carrier said it suffered a gross loss due to difficulties in the Northeast Asian market and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which caused jet fuel prices to skyrocket.

Bamboo Airways currently owns a fleet of 30 aircraft, while Vietnam Airlines has over 110 planes, and Vietjet has over 80.

At the end of December 2022, equity stayed at negative VND835 billion ($35.5 million), while at the beginning of the year it was VND16.78 trillion ($713.78 million).

Bamboo Airways currently has a charter capital of VND18.5 trillion ($789 million), equivalent to 1.85 billion shares.

At a Bamboo Airways extraordinary shareholder meeting on April 10, the airline's plan to increase its charter capital was rejected by a 56.42% majority. The firm had presented plans to issue 996.2 million shares in 2023 in order to raise nearly VND10 trillion ($425.55 million) and increase its charter capital to nearly VND28.07 trillion ($1.2 billion).
Power cuts to lessen in northern Vietnam

By Huong Dung Sat, June 17, 2023 | 10:06 pm GTM+7

State utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) said it plans to continue cutting power in the northern region due to lingering hot weather and low hydropower reservoir water levels, but will strive to keep disruptions to a minimum.

According to weather forecasts, the northern region will experience another heat wave from June 18 with temperatures of 36-37 degrees Celsius for nearly a week. Meanwhile, water levels in hydroelectric reservoirs have improved, but remain low.

In a report submitted to the government on Friday, EVN said it will still have to cut off electricity in the North until reservoirs fill up. The power cuts are estimated at 2,000-2,500 megawatts, about 20-30% lower than the average cuts in the first days of June and half of the peak daily cut level of 5,000 MW.

EVN plans to continue cutting power in the coming days as hot weather lingers. Photo courtesy of Vietnam Communist Party online newspaper.

Since the end of May, the northern region has been experiencing power cuts due to soaring demand in the hot season. Hydroelectricity output, one of the two main sources of electricity for the North, has fallen due to drought.

However, on Wednesday, water levels in hydroelectric reservoirs rose by 3-10 meters compared to the end of last week thanks to heavy rainfall, but some power plants are still operating at a low capacity to ensure supplies and save water.

EVN said that power cuts in the North decreased gradually from June 6 to 15. Cool weather helped ease the demand for electricity, leading to an average capacity reduction of about 1,825 MW in the North.

Notably, Hanoi had no power cuts from June 13-15, it said.

However, power demand increased again on June 16. According to data updated on Saturday morning by EVN and the National Load Dispatch Center (A0), the country's demand on Friday reached more than 861 million kWh, with nearly half in the North, 8% in the central region, and 44% in the South.

The country's peak usage capacity on Friday was at 41,569 MW, of which the North accounted for nearly 47% (19,367 MW).

According to the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), on Friday, water levels in all major reservoirs were above dead levels. However, they was only enough for hydropower plants to operate at full capacity for 2-4 days. The reservoirs are storing more water to ensure power supplies for the hot summer.

Currently, the water level is 277 meters in Lai Chau reservoir, 178.1 meters in Son La, 102.7 meters in Hoa Binh, 94.8 meters in Tuyen Quang, and 436.3 meters in Ban Chat.

Meanwhile, some thermal power plants are still facing disruptions due to problems like shortages of coal, with a total affected capacity of 600-2,100 MW.

EVN said that in the coming days, it will continue to closely monitor hydrological developments to make timely adjustments, ensuring minimum cuts.

With the hot weather over the weekend pushing up demand for electricity, experts advised people and businesses to save electricity to avoid pressure on the national power grid, especially in the North.

Earlier, the government requested the MoIT, the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises, EVN, and Petrovietnam to resolve current power shortages in June. The ministry and the relevant units were asked to accelerate power and transmission projects, and mobilize more rooftop solar power.

The MoIT was also required to speed up the progress of the Quang Trach II power plant in the central province of Quang Binh. The MoIT and the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises (CMSC) have been assigned to supervise the implementation of a 3,500-kilovolt transmission line from the central region to the North, which is part of Vietnams newly-approved Power Plan VIII.

The government instructed the ministry to work on a mechanism in July to encourage the use of rooftop solar power to serve residents and public offices, and another mechanism for direct power purchasing agreements.
South Korea's DB Insurance to buy 75% stake in Vietnam insurer BSH

By Tri Duc Sat, June 17, 2023 | 12:25 pm GTM+7

Shareholders in Vietnams Saigon-Hanoi Insurance (BSH) are set to sell 75 million shares, equivalent to a 75% stake, to DB Insurance Co., Ltd., a major non-life insurer in South Korea.

A deal for the transaction was signed on Tuesday, according to a company release on Friday.

The deal is now subject to approval at the firm's annual general meeting of shareholders slated for June 20 and from relevant state agencies. The Vietnamese insurer disclosed the information after the State Securities Commission (SSC) of Vietnam okayed the foreign ownership limit at BSH at 100% in May.

Among the 21 stakeholders, the biggest is Saigon-Hanoi Securities JSC (SHS) with 9.98 million shares. Both SHS and BSH are connected to Saigon-Hanoi Bank (SHB). SHB co-founded Vinacomin-SHB Insurance JSC in 2008, which was then changed to BSH in 2013. Meanwhile, SHS was established in 2007 with SHB as a co-founder.

DB Insurance headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. Photo courtesy of the company.

Prior to the deal with BSH, DB Insurance had already conducted similar deals with other insurers in Vietnam. In 2015, the South Korean insurer marked its presence in Vietnam with the purchase of a 37.3% stake in Post and Telecommunication JSC (PTI), an insurer founded by state-run telecom giant VNPT.

In February 2023, DB Insurance entered an agreement to acquire a 75% stake at Vietnam National Aviation Insurance Corporation (VNI), after VNI had received approval to raise its maximum foreign ownership level to 100%.

Insurance premiums in Vietnam grew 6.8% year-on-year to VND59.46 trillion ($2.53 billion) in the first quarter of this year, according to the General Statistics Office. Of this, the figure for life insurance increased slightly by 3.1% year-on-year to VND39.59 trillion ($1.69 billion), versus growth of 15% in Q1/2022. Premiums for non-life insurance went up 15.2% to VND19.87 trillion ($846.79 million).
Vietnam-South Korea business ties to strengthen at landmark forum

By Tuong Minh Sat, June 17, 2023 | 12:15 pm GTM+7

South Korean companies, including global giants Samsung, LG, and SK Group, will attend the Vietnam-Korea business forum in Hanoi on June 24 along with more than 200 other firms to further expand bilateral economic ties.

South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol will attend the event as part of his state visit to Vietnam from June 22-24 to boost the two countries multi-faceted relations, marking his first trip to an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member.

Yoon's largest-ever economic delegation will include Samsung Electronics executive chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group executive chairman Euisun Chung, LG Group chairman Koo Kwang-mo, Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin, and other top Korean business figures.

A Samsung Electronics plant in Thai Nguyen province, northern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Samsung Vietnam.

Choi Sang-mok, South Koreas senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, provided the names of the top business figures at a press briefing in Seoul on Tuesday. According to him, the major business forum will be attended by some 500 businesspeople from the two countries, and the South Korean President will reflect on economic achievements and a partnership vision for the next 30 years, which includes enhancing trade vitality and advancing cooperative relations.

Choi stressed that Yoons state visit to Vietnam, Korea's third-largest trade partner, will focus on expanding services and infrastructure exports, supporting the solidarity of future generations of the two countries, and strengthening digital leadership.

Yoons agenda also includes meetings with Vietnam's top leadership, including Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and State President Vo Van Thuong, in order to discuss ways to deepen bilateral relations that were upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership last year.

During his three-day working trip, the two sides are also expected to sign a series of memoranda of understanding in areas including supply chain cooperation such as rare metals, infrastructure exports, and new industrial technology, according to the South Korean presidents office.

He will also attend a series of business events, meet with young researchers and entrepreneurs working at the new Samsung R&D Center in Hanoi and the Hanoi-based Vietnam-Korea Institute of Science and Technology, which was established as an official development assistance project.

Samsung Electronics executive chairman Lee Jae-yong launched the new $220 million R&D Center in the Vietnamese capital in December 2022. The electronics giant is turning the facility into a global R&D hub for its new-generation products.

Samsung is the biggest Korean investor and the largest single foreign investor in Vietnam with total registered capital of nearly $20 billion. More than half of Samsung smartphones are made in Vietnam. Meanwhile, LG Electronics is ramping up R&D in Vietnam to serve its rapidly growing electric vehicle-related business by inaugurating an R&D facility also in Hanoi this March.

Choi, South Koreas senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, noted that around 9,000 Korean companies in Vietnam are the "backbone of economic cooperation" between the two countries, contributing to the creation of 700,000 local jobs and to Vietnam's exports and GDP.

The two countries have set a goal of achieving $150 billion dollars in trade by 2030. On the occasion of the South Korean presidents state visit, the two nations expect to expand the horizon of cooperation to new fields such as core mineral supply chains, new and renewable energy, innovative science and technology, and smart cities, Kim Tae-hyo, Koreas principal deputy national security adviser, said, when outlining the details of Yoon's trip at the Tuesday press briefing in Seoul.

SK Group, South Koreas second-largest conglomerate, is going all-out to secure funds for facility investments in the semiconductor and battery sectors, the giant told an expanded management meeting for the second half of this year in Seoul on Thursday.

The meeting was presided over by the groups chairman Chey Tae-won, who is among the top Korean business figures attending next weeks forum in Hanoi.

SK Groups SK Hynix, the worlds second-largest memory chipmaker, recorded a cumulative loss of 5 trillion won ($3.94 billion) over two consecutive quarters, raising concerns about financing.

Chips made by SK Hynix, an arm of South Korean conglomerate SK Group. Photo courtesy of SK Hynix.

According to a recent report by the Bank of Korea (BOK), Vietnam is quickly becoming a significant market for South Korean semiconductor makers, who have been grappling with lackluster demand in China. As tensions between the U.S. and China accelerate, the bank emphasized the importance of diversifying export markets for industry giants like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

The BOK underlined Vietnams emergence as a new source of demand for South Korean semiconductors, highlighting the Southeast Asian countrys growing status as an international hub for IT device production and potentially positioning it as an alternative to China.

Vietnams abundant low-wage workforce and its proximity to the Chinese market are attracting global businesses, including South Korean firms, to establish manufacturing facilities in the new global production hub, according to the BOK report.

On Monday, SK Groups SKC Co., a manufacturer of advanced materials, signed a preliminary agreement with Vietnam's Hai Phong city to explore potential investment in advanced materials for semiconductors, secondary batteries, and other green sectors. SKC said it will consider ways to invest in Hai Phong, a major port city and logistics hub in the north, as a site for the Korean firms expansion into high-tech materials.
CARBONDALE  On Friday, officials from the City of Carbondale hosted a groundbreaking for the Southern Illinois Multimodal Station (SIMMS).

SIMMS will be located on the southeast corner of Illinois Avenue and Wall Street. The new building will extend to just outside the north wall of the current Amtrak station.

We are thrilled to have you here to witness the beginning of a significant project that has been in the works since 2010 when the City of Carbondale purchased property just adjacent to where we are standing, said Carbondale Mayor Carolin Harvey. Nine years ago tomorrow, the city held its first meeting with Amtrak officials to propose a new station.

She said so many people and agencies deserve credit for SIMMS, including:

Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Rep. Mike Bost and their staff, who helped receive a BUILD grant award of over $18 million.

The State of Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Omer Osman of IDOT and the IDOT Transit Division who will provide an additional $2.8 million in funding.

State lawmakers Sen. Dale Fowler and Rep. Paul Jacobs

Amtrak officials

Laborers Local 773 and the Egyptian Building Trades who advocated for this project.

Regional agencies that include our transit providers, Greater Egypt, the IDOT District 9 office, and USDA Rural development who recently awarded the project $95,000 to help furnish a co-working space.

The local advocacy group that includes Murphysboro Mayor Will Stephens, SIU Chancellors Office, Southern Illinois Healthcare, Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, and labor agencies.

Speakers at the ground breaking included Durbin, Duckworth, Katie Main from Rep. Bosts office, State Sen. Dale Fowler, State Rep. Paul Jacobs, Illinois Secretary of Transportation Omar Osman, Dr. David Handora of Amtrak, Shawn Freeman of Jackson County Transit and Phil Gilbert, president of the SIU board.

During his speech, Durbin said that he and Duckworth have a softball team together at the Capitol that only sometimes wins, but that the SIMMS project is a win.

The U.S. Department of Transportation originally awarded the city $14 million for the station. They then awarded a second sum of $4.3 million, bringing the total amount of money allocated up to $18.3 million for the SIMMS project.

This was a joint effort. The rivers and railroads have a lot to do with the way of life and the economy of Southern Illinois, Durbin said.

I am thrilled to celebrate SIMMS, which will be good for Amtrak, Greyhound, transit, bikes and even wheelchair users. This will make getting around Carbondale and the region easier, faster and safer, Duckworth said.

She added that this is the kind of thing we can do when everyone works together.

Fowler said the project is a revitalization for all of Southern Illinois. The project, like the Rise Market in Cairo, brings hope to the community and the region.

Im thankful to live in Gods country in beautiful Southern Illinois, Fowler said.

Jacobs said the project is good for all areas of Southern Illinois and will help people shop in Carbondale.

Omar Osman, the Illinois Secretary of Transportation, said the drive to Carbondale on Friday reminded him why Illinois needs a multimodal station.

This is another safe, reliable option to get people to where they are trying to go, Osman said. Carbondale is home to one of the finest universities in the state. This is the only option connecting people to education, medical care and employment, Osman said.

Handora said Amtrak also is investing $3.5 million into a 1,000 foot platform for the new station.

After the speeches, dignitaries donned hard hats and shovels for a ceremonial ground-breaking.

After the ceremony, a site plan was available for viewing, showing what SIMMS will look like and its layout.

SIMMS is expected to open in late 2024 or early 2025.
CHICAGO  A group of people were gathered Saturday morning in the Lincoln Park neighborhood when an argument started and someone opened fire, striking five victims, Chicago police said.

The shooting happened about 4:40 a.m. in the 1900 block of North Stockton Drive, Chicago police said.

At least three men got themselves to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where they were listed in critical condition. A 44-year-old man suffered wounds throughout the body, a 27-year-old man also was shot multiple times to the body, as well as a 31-year-old, police said.

A 23-year-old man who also suffered multiple wounds to the body got himself to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition, police said.

The fifth victim, a 17-year-old girl, suffered a wound to the buttock, and was taken in good condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

No one was in custody and detectives were investigating.

Photos: Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - File Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022
Several Orangeburg County Fair Association board members have resigned, but the fair will still go on in October.

We aint going to stop the show, OCFA President Matt Stokes said.

The fair is going to be bigger and better than ever, he said.

Stokes, Vice President John Shuler, board secretary Savon Gramling and board members Darol Campbell and Dean Hutto have all resigned from their positions, effective immediately, according to Stokes.

Fair Office Manager Dawn Burnette also resigned, according to Stokes.

The resignations leave the 12-member fair board with seven members remaining.

Stokes, who also serves as the Orangeburg County treasurer, says the resignations are not expected to negatively impact the October fair.

Stokes expressed his confidence the remaining members of the board will, do a fine job running the fair into the future.

Remaining members on the board include: Gene Atkinson, Paul Gramling, Lin Hair, Bill Jackson, Ricky Pooser, Candice Roberson and Tommy Williams, according to the OCFA website.

Stokes, who served as the president, chief executive officer, manager and member of the OCFA executive committee, offered his resignation June 12. Stokes has served as president for about 7-1/2 years.

I enjoyed doing it, he said. I was glad to serve and proud to have served.

I wanted to give my all to Orangeburg County, Stokes continued. I was elected county treasurer and I wanted to make sure the fair was not taking priority over the job I was elected to do for the taxpayers. I felt like my loyalty should lie with them.

Stokes noted fair presidents have come and gone, but the fair has been a mainstay since 1911.

That will continue, he said.

In addition to Stokes, Hutto, Campbell and Burnette also resigned June 12. Gramling and Shuler resigned June 5.

Gramling, Campbell and Burnette could not be reached for comment. An attempt to reach remaining board members was also unsuccessful.

OCFA Vice President John Shuler had his resignation ready in January and officially announced on June 5 that he would be resigning.

Shuler noted he is a senior citizen and cited his desire to spend more time with his family and allow younger individuals to get involved with the fair.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the young people at the fairground and the fair board, Shuler said. We have excellent young people and I felt like we needed a younger person in there.

I know they will run just as well without me as with me being there, Shuler continued. That is the confidence I have. There is no animosity there. This is strictly a personal decision I had to make.

Shuler said the fair will go on.

The money is in the bank for the fair, he said. They will definitely have a fair. Nobody will know there is a change on the board. It wont miss a beat.

Shuler said with five members of the board no longer present, the board does not have enough members to take any official action. Individuals are already willing to step up and serve, he said.

Dean Hutto, a Providence row crop farmer, has served on the board for about a year. He said the time commitment needed to serve was beyond his current capabilities as a husband, father and farmer.

The way the meetings have fallen, I was not able to participate, Hutto said. I dont want to be involved in something and not give it all my effort.

Hutto said he has informed the Fair Association that he will continue to be supportive and a resource for the fair, especially the fairs agricultural component.

One of the oldest continuously running fairs in South Carolina, the Orangeburg County Fair had its beginnings in 1871.
(TBTCO) - Sau qua trinh chuan bi khan truong, quyet liet, nhat la sau 3 ot kiem thu a cho thay he thong ang ky, luu ky va thanh toan giao dich trai phieu doanh nghiep phat hanh rieng le (TPDNRL) tai Trung tam Luu ky Chung khoan Viet Nam (VSD) hoan thanh ve mat chuc nang va tich hop thong suot voi he thong cua cac ben lien quan. Theo o, en nay he thong ang ky, luu ky va thanh toan giao dich a san sang hoat ong theo ung ke hoach van hanh chinh thuc thi truong giao dich thu cap TPDNRL ma co quan quan ly giao nhiem vu
French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as "MBS," called for a "rapid end to the institutional political vacuum in Lebanon," Elysee Palace said Friday.

The statement came after Macron hosted Saudi Arabia's de facto leader for talks in Paris, where he had been expected to seek support from MBS to find a solution to Lebanon's leadership crisis.

Lebanese lawmakers on Wednesday failed for a twelfth time to elect a new president, as bitter divisions between Iran-backed Hezbollah and its opponents risk miring the country in a protracted power vacuum.

The prolonged absence of a president "remains the major obstacle to resolving the country's severe socio-economic crisis," the French presidency said.

Macron reportedly informed bin Salman that he told Iran that Hezbollah needs to "soften its stance to allow the arrival of a new president," according to a diplomatic source at the Elysee Palace.

Hezbollah supports the presidential candidacy of Marada Movement leader Sleiman Frangieh in the election that has been stalled for months. According to the diplomatic source, two world leaders agreed that "the Iranian-Saudi detente should benefit" Lebanon.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, Macron's new special envoy for Lebanon, was not present at the meeting.

The pair also discussed the war in Ukraine. Macron expressed his "profound concern in the face of Russia's war of aggression ... its disastrous impact on the civilian populations and its repercussions on food security," his office said.

Macron and MBS "also reiterated their shared commitment to security and stability in the Near and Middle East and expressed their desire to pursue their joint efforts to bring about a lasting easing of tensions."

They intended to "develop and deepen the partnership between the two countries," said Elysee Palace.

France was also prepared "to support Saudi Arabia in strengthening its defense capabilities," the statement said.

Cautious on Ukraine

The 37-year-old crown prince's trip came less than a year after his last visit to Elysee Palace and underlines the warm relationship between Paris and Riyadh that has irked rights activists in the wake of the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

His stay in France appears set to be a long one, with MBS due to attend a Paris summit on a New Global Financing Pact hosted by Macron on June 22-23.

On Monday, he will also attend an official Saudi reception for Riyadh's candidacy to host Expo 2030, a bid for which Saudi Arabia wants strong French support.

Marcon's entourage had made it clear he would try to persuade his guest to take a stand on Ukraine.

But Saudi Arabia has maintained a cautious stance, stopping short of condemning the assault while emphasizing the importance of Kyiv's territorial integrity.

MBS hosted President Volodymyr Zelensky last month in Jeddah during an Arab League summit, the Ukrainian leader's first visit to the Middle East since the invasion began.

But Saudi Arabia also retains close ties with Russia, particularly through Moscow's involvement in the expanded OPEC+ format of the oil cartel that includes 10 non-OPEC members.

In Russia, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, known as MBZ and a close political ally of MBS who has had a similar stance on Ukraine, was holding talks with President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of an economic forum in Saint Petersburg.

Macron last month named his former foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian as his personal envoy for Lebanon in a new bid to end the political crisis. The veteran politician is due to visit soon.

Saudi Arabia and its regional rival Iran are also in the throes of an unexpected rapprochement  brokered by Beijing  that has caused huge interest among Western governments still seeking to revive a 2015 deal on the Iranian nuclear program.

"In Saudi Arabia's normalization with Iran, there is potential for easing tensions in the region," said the French official, expressing hope it could also smooth the path to an election of a Lebanese president.

Shadow of Khashoggi killing

Despite championing rapid economic and political reform, a shadow remains cast over the prince by the case of Khashoggi, who was killed and dismembered inside Riyadh's Istanbul consulate in 2018.

It was described by a UN probe as an "extrajudicial killing for which Saudi Arabia is responsible."

US intelligence agencies determined that MBS had "approved" the operation that led to Khashoggi's death. Riyadh denies this, blaming rogue operatives.

"Shaking hands, acting as if nothing has happened, with a leader whose responsibility in the barbaric assassination of a journalist has been demonstrated is regrettable," Ahmed Benchemsi from Human Rights Watch told AFP.

Amnesty International had meanwhile urged Macron to pressure MBS to spare seven young men facing execution in Saudi Arabia for crimes committed while minors.

Amnesty's secretary general Agnes Callamard told AFP that MBS' visit to Paris left a "very bitter taste" and Macron "must intervene" to save the lives of the men.

"[Macron] is the main architect of the re-legitimization of the Saudi prince since 2018 and the murder of Khashoggi," she said.

Reporting contributed by Elie Masboungi, president of the Association de presse etrangere (APE) in France
A small but growing list of big-name companies like BlackRock Inc., Walt Disney Co. and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. are taking their return-to-office mandates up a notch, calling employees back to their desks four days a week.

It's a form of RTO creep, as companies test what has emerged as the post-pandemic norm of two to three days in the office and fan the debate over remote work. It's also a sign of employers gaining more power in the labor market as layoffs mount and a potential recession looms.

As the Great Resignation took hold, quit rates soared and staffing shortages hamstrung businesses, companies were forced to embrace flexibility to keep workers. Now a cooling labor market has emboldened executives determined to get back to a semblance of pre-pandemic normalcy. But these moves could backfire among employees who've grown fiercely protective of the work-life balance that remote work affords.

Among the firms instituting more aggressive RTO policies, Chipotle ratcheted up its on-site requirement to four days a week last month from three since March. Disney made its four-day move, up from two or three previously, shortly after the return of Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger. BlackRock has said employees must be in the office four days a week starting in September, following nearly two years mandating three days on-site. Snap Inc. and top law firms like Davis Polk and Skadden also have broken ranks to require four days. JPMorgan Chase & Co., meanwhile, has ordered managing directors back to the office five days a week.

Other companies may be watching to see how these policies play out as they consider their own.

I wouldnt be surprised if some organizations take their peers lead if they wanted to increase the frequency of on-site work, said Caitlin Duffy, research director in the human resources practice at consulting firm Gartner Inc. They may have not wanted to be an outlier.

At the same time, many workers have made major life changes around their hybrid work policies, rearranging everything from child care to where they live.

Going back on something that influential to day-to-day life for employees  and not just in work life, but also their life more holistically  this causes so much disruption, Duffy said.

Employees have voiced fierce opposition through public protests at companies like Amazon.com Inc., Starbucks Corp. and Disney. At Disney, over 2,300 employees signed a petition urging reconsideration of the policy, saying the mandate will result in forced resignations among some of our most hard-to-replace talent and vulnerable communities while dramatically reducing productivity, output, and efficiency.

Two or three days a week is the sweet spot for employee engagement and wellbeing, according to a Gallup survey of over 16,000 full-time U.S. employees conducted last year. Its data also show that remote-capable employees who dont work in their preferred location are more prone to burnout and a desire to quit.

This emerging norm is also reflected in data from WFH Research, a group of experts from Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Chicago and other institutions, that show workers desire and employers plans for the average number of days worked remotely has stabilized at somewhere between two and three days per week.

Though companies who increase their in-office requirements might not see an immediate exodus  switching jobs takes time  it might be the line at which employees start looking, Duffy said.

While four-day-a-week mandates have made headlines and may provide some cover for other companies who want to do the same, theyre still rare, according to Scoop Technologies Inc.s Flex Index, which tracks the remote work policies of over 4,500 companies.

The call for more in-office time comes as other firms make clear that their existing mandates are compulsory and have started enforcing them  or at least indicating working from home isnt the best way to get ahead. Google announced last week it will include in-office attendance in performance reviews while International Business Machines Corp.s Arvind Krishna has said that not showing up will hurt employees chances of promotion.

The rationale for returning to in-person work includes what many company leaders see as greater opportunities for learning, career development and mentorship.

Recent research from economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the University of Iowa and Harvard University provides some backing for this view: The paper, titled The Power of Proximity, argues that working in the same building has an outsized effect on workers on-the-job training, especially for younger workers. Data from WFH Research shows that those in the office spend 25% more time on career-development activities than remote counterparts.

Duffy advises executives to carefully consider what theyre trying to achieve with in-office requirements and to be intentional about that, beyond just mandating a set number of days.

What do you really want from your hybrid model? is a question I always ask every leader who's grappling with this kind of decision. What outcomes are you trying to drive? she said. If the outcome is just, make your leaders happy because they want employees on-site, that might not be necessarily the best rationale.

10 jobs with the most remote work opportunities Intro #10. Project management specialists #9. Computer and information systems managers #8. Lawyers #7. Software developers #6. Management analysts #5. Architectural and civil drafters #4. Market research analysts and marketing specialists #3. Software quality assurance analysts and testers #2. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products #1. Web developers
AN aviation company plans to run commercial flights using an electric engine that creates no carbon emissions by 2025.

ZeroAvia has flown nine test flights with its hydrogen-electric engine at Cotswold Airport, near Cirencester.

The only emission created by the engine is water.
The water crisis in which 250,000 people were without water one week ago would have lasted for months if the Government had not bypassed the procurement procedure outlined in the procurement act.
strategy session: In a screen shot from yesterdays public briefing, Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine admits that the conversation in a leaked audio tape did in fact take place more than a year ago. Journalists were not invited to the briefing. In the background are other

members of the Assembly.
Public procurement law is one of the most vitally important pieces of legislation enacted since our Independence.

Our civil society groups worked long and hard in the vineyard calling for the introduction of public procurement law, in the hope that this would be the catalyst to reverse the corruption and squandermania in government spending which threatens to ruin our country.
A new University of Arizona study shows severe grief can increase a persons risk of heart problems.

Experts are encouraging people in mourning and their loved ones to take symptoms seriously and prioritize self-care.

The studys senior author, UA associate professor of psychology Mary-Frances OConnor, said she hopes the results will help clinicians better treat their bereaved patients, who are at higher risk for hypertension and other heart-related problems.

Broken heart syndrome, also called stress cardiomyopathy, can happen when a person experiences sudden acute stress that can rapidly weaken the heart muscle, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Local hospice providers and grief workers say theyve seen plenty of evidence that broken heart syndrome is real, but they hope the study will provide additional validation and help facilitate conversations about grief and effective ways to manage it.

Emotional stress test

OConnor said shes always been fascinated by the way a persons emotional life can effect their physical health, and bereavement is a particularly powerful example.

In the first six months after the loss of a partner, a man is almost twice as likely to die compared to a man who has not experienced a similar loss, OConnor said.

Knowing that dying of a broken heart is a real phenomenon  theres no doubt theres this profound impact of such an emotional and important event in our external lives thats getting under our skin and into our organs, she said.

After losing her mother after a long terminal illness, OConnor said she was more comfortable talking about death and loss and sitting with grieving people than most other 26-year-olds.

This allowed her to interview people in-depth about their experiences and see how what they were telling her mapped against clinical findings of their overall health.

OConnor called this most recent study the latest in a long line of efforts to understand the connection between the loss of a loved one and medical consequences. She was motivated by the idea of dying from a broken heart.

From before, we know that overall, bereaved people in that six-month window tend to have slightly higher blood pressure and heart rates than non-bereaved people, but they seem to return to their own baseline around that time, OConnor said. It made sense that the extra stress on the heart from grieving might be a cause of medical outcomes, including mortality.

The study included 59 participants who had lost a close loved one in the past year. Researchers used a process called grief recall, talking to each participant for 10 minutes and asking them to share a moment when they felt very alone after the death of their loved one. Researchers then measured the participants blood pressure.

It was kind of an emotional stress test, OConnor said.

After grief recall, participants systolic blood pressure  the amount of pressure that the heart exerts on the arteries while beating  increased by an average of 21.1 millimeters. This is roughly as much of an increase as would be expected during moderate exercise, OConnor said.

Among participants, the people who showed the highest level of grief symptoms experienced the greatest increase in blood pressure during the grief recall. This means it isnt just the death of a loved one that impacts the heart, but also the emotional response to that loss, OConnor said.

Thats important because all of us get upset when we talk about a really important loss in our life, she said. If we know people experiencing more severe grief might be at more risk, thats something we can assess or track, even in a primary care office.

A time of increased risk

OConnor studies an intervention called progressive muscle relaxation in her Grief, Loss and Social Stress Lab. This technique teaches grieving people to tighten and then fully relax the major muscle groups in their body, an intervention that can be helpful for curbing stress levels.

Learning to manage ones grief is key, but its important to keep in mind that hypertension during grief is still hypertension, she said.

So its also appropriate to give them hypertension medication. The heart doesnt know where that stress is coming from, OConnor said. Sometimes people think they feel something going on with their heart and its just grief  but if you feel that youre having heart-related symptoms, take those very seriously because this is a time of increased risk.

For many people who lose a loved one, all their attention and care has been focused on the person who was ill, but that can come at the expense of the caretakers own medical needs.

When you know someone who is bereaved, its appropriate as a form of support to remind them of their annual exam or dentist appointment or mammography screening, OConnor said. Most health consequences we see would be detected in just a normal office visit.

OConnor, whose book The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss was published last year, is finishing up work on a second book that will include the research from this study. The Grieving Body will include her findings about cardiovascular and immune consequences of bereavement.

I continue to look for interventions that will help address the physical and medical side of grieving, in addition to the emotional side, she said.

Helping people manage their grief

The staff at Harmony Hospice, 1200 N. El Dorado Place, is well acquainted with OConnors first book, saying they use her solid, peer-reviewed research to further understand how they can help people manage their grief.

Owner and CEO Brianna Henderson opened Harmony Hospice seven years ago, after working as a social worker for people with Alzheimers disease.

A self-proclaimed touchy-feely holistic grassroots lover, Henderson said hospice work has since become both her life and her passion.

Hospice is that grassroots, that community-based care, she said. And we want to help our community, educate our community and be a part of our community.

Henderson said that while its a Medicare requirement for hospice providers to offer bereavement care to patients and families, it was always her goal for Harmony Hospice to have a separate community education component.

A lot of (hospices do the) bare minimum. But weve made these amazing connections with so many of our families, and then to just leave them hanging after their loved ones pass is doing them an injustice, Henderson said. Not all hospices are created equally. I think the difference is Im local and Im a social worker. I never got in it for the money.

Henderson said her goal of providing community education has been super successful, thanks to Murray Flagg, director of education and grief support. Harmony has now been offering in-person and virtual groups, special presentations and continuing educational units to the community for free for the past several years.

They also regularly visit assisted living communities and hold events meant to inspire joy. Last week, staffers and volunteers  including Nellie the miniature horse  spent time with residents at Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging.

Flaggs groups include information about the science and biology behind grief, including anticipatory grief, which is the distress a person may feel in the days, months or years before the death of a loved one or an impending loss.

Harmony Hospice offers 10 in-person and virtual group sessions every week, including grief and anticipatory grief, pet grief and Hooponopono, a Hawaiian exercise for reconciliation and forgiveness.

The ripples of one persons end-of-life journey spread throughout a much larger segment of our town, community, church, whatever, than we even realize, said Flagg, who spent years traveling the world as a minister in The Salvation Army. Those ripples need to be dealt with, and that includes the people who provide care.

Henderson said one of her favorite things about Flaggs work is that he defies the stereotype of traditional grief groups.

I think a lot of people have this misconception and when they think about grief groups, they think about siting in a circle and everyone has to share and cry, Henderson said. Murray always has some awesome education, so it feels more like learning, but you can also process and talk. Its not like that traditional scary group feeling that people dont want to come and share.

Broken heart syndrome

Henderson and Flagg said theyve seen plenty of examples of broken heart syndrome, but that the medical community long has been skeptical of its validity.

Now with all the (medical testing), theyve come to say its a real condition. But society still doesnt teach people about grief, Flagg said. We dont talk about it. Its a painful conversation to have with your loved one about what they want when they die. And with anticipatory grief, the majority of the country has no idea its a real thing you deal with as you approach the loss of a loved one.

Henderson and Flagg are hopeful OConnors research will help educate people about the effects of unmanaged grief and the importance of having conversations about death and loss.

Theres so many emotions when were in the process of losing someone and after that, Henderson said. I just dont think our society is good at exposing some of those feelings.

A grief illiterate society

Tucsonan Patrick Cunningham has been a hospice chaplain for nearly 40 years and has seen the toll grief can take on people leading up to and following a loss.

We are a grief illiterate society and even those who are literate in grief and how to communicate, its often the situation that people still dont talk about it, Cunningham said. Its interesting, since its such a common occurrence. There are very few areas in life we share with so many others, but grief is one of them. Weve all had losses.

Talking about grief has a powerful and healing effect, Cunningham said, but its important to continue those conversations in the days, weeks and months after a loss.

Typically people rally around the bereaved at the time of the memorial service. They bring the casseroles over and all that, which is very nice, theres nothing wrong with it, he said. But even six days later, its kind of forgotten and the bereaved is still walking around with his or her pain.

Cunningham said talking about grief and loss can be uncomfortable, but its more uncomfortable for the person who has suffered the loss to feel like friends and family are avoiding them or wont have those conversations.

Even if a person is uncomfortable talking about loss, there are other ways to support a person in mourning, Cunningham said.

One of the simple things is just in any way that you can, convey to someone some solidarity with them and some sense of just a little bit of community, he said. That sends a clear message that you are not alone.

Being silent with a person in mourning is a perfectly valid response, Cunningham said, adding that its especially important to not try to change the bereaved persons feelings about the situation or fix them.

If someone says, Oh, my life is over, and I say, No, its not. Youve got so much ahead of you in life, Im trying to change your feelings and your thoughts, he said.

Cunningham said that after working with thousands of patients and families, hes seen the stress that grief can place on the heart and has long believed in broken heart syndrome.

Hes hoping the UA study will help bring a greater understanding to the effect grief can have on the body and help facilitate more conversations about loss.

When people start telling their stories, its amazing how many of us have have layers of grief, he said.
The man accused of setting fire to two neighboring historic churches in Douglas last month was motivated by animosity toward inclusive policies the churches have, specifically toward women and gay people holding authority positions, prosecutors allege in court documents.

Eric Ridenour, 58, was arrested May 23 and taken into federal custody in connection with arson fires that significantly damaged Saint Stephens Episcopal Church and First Presbyterian Church.

The Douglas Fire Department responded to a fire at St. Stephens on May 22 after large amounts of smoke was seen coming from the structure and the attached two-story residence. While crews worked to put out the blaze, smoke was also seen at an adjacent church, First Presbyterian, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court.

The fires continued to re-ignite throughout the evening and into the next day. The structure of St. Stephens was almost completely destroyed while the roof of First Presbyterian collapsed, the complaint said.

Though no one was injured, a daycare center that is next door to St. Stephens was open and had children in it at the time of fire. First Presbyterian had also set up cots on-site in anticipation of housing migrants families following the end of Title 45. No migrants, however, were in the church.

Special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with Douglas law enforcement agencies investigated the fires and found a bottle of lighter fluid behind the offering table near the altar at First Presbyterian, the complaint said. Remnants of what appeared to be lighters were also found.

The day after the fire, investigators obtained surveillance footage that showed a blue Pontiac Aztec arrive in the alleyway near St. Stephens about 10:38 a.m., the complaint said. A few minutes later, a man exited the vehicle carrying a plastic bag.

The man was then seen walking in the area near the churches and later drove away in the Pontiac Aztec. As the vehicle left the scene, smoke was seen coming from the two-story residence attached to St. Stephens, the complaint said.

ATF agents later found that only one blue Pontiac Aztec was registered to an individual living in Douglas. The individual was later identified as Ridenour and agents served a search warrant on his house and vehicle, the complaint said.

While searching his residence, an ATF canine found the presence of accelerants on pants that matched the pants worn by the man in the surveillance footage, the complaint said. Accelerants are flammable substances used to aid the spread of fire.

The canine also found accelerants on shoes worn by Ridenour and a green hat that matched the one worn by the man in the video was found in his vehicle, the complaint said. Agents noted that Ridenour had a distinctive gait to his walk that also matched the subject seen on video.

On Wednesday, the state requested that Ridenour continue to be detained.

There is strong evidence that, in committing this act, the defendant was motivated by his animosity towards the churches inclusive policies towards all individuals, including women and gay people, the detention motion said.

A letter written by Ridenour was found during the search of his home in which prosecutors say Ridenour wrote about how he and his wife attend a church in Bisbee and described how he believed culture was creeping into the church, according to the motion. It says he also spoke to the pastor of his church about his beliefs and was asked to leave and find another place to worship, the motion said.

On June 2, special agents interviewed the pastor of the Bisbee church who said Ridenour asked him to lunch and told him he didnt believe women should be in positions of authority in the church, the motion said. After that day, Ridenour and his wife never returned to the church.

The pastor told agents that at that church, women are involved with the service and sometimes led readings and prayer, the motion said.

Some of Ridenours neighbors also said that he was unhappy with the churchs views toward worship and believed that women should not be preaching or leading prayer.

Another neighbor stated the defendant had started his own church, as he was unhappy with the local churches, and that the defendant didnt like gays, didnt like politicians and didnt like women in general leading the church, the motion said.

The motion claims that evidence exists that shows that Ridenour had visited St. Stephens in 2021 to asked about their beliefs. Some time that same year, the pastor at St. Stephens said he had met with Ridenours wife and a man who matched Ridenours description, the motion said.

During that meeting, the man, who is believed to be Ridenour, took photos of the churchs interior and asked if women could be pastors in the Episcopalian Church as well as other questions regarding participation in politics and religion by women and gay people, stating he would not attend church with a gay pastor, the motion said.

The motion noted that the pastor of First Presbyterian is a woman, and the pastor of St. Stephens is openly gay.

Prior to his arrest, Ridenour had also been convicted for misdemeanor criminal damage involving a domestic violence incident with an ex-girlfriend where he kicked down the womens door during a domestic dispute, the motion said. He had also been arrested for allegedly pouring sugar in the gas tank of another ex-girlfriend and threatening to beat up an ex-wifes fiance during a dispute.

Although these incidents happened more than two decades ago, the motion said they show a pattern of someone who caused or threatens harm when he encounters conflicts with others.

On Thursday, a hearing was held in federal court in Tucson to determine whether Ridenour would be released pending trial or stay detained.

St. Stephens pastor, John Caleb Collins, told the court that the church as well as community members feared for their safety following the fires. Peggy Christiansen, the pastor at First Presbyterian, echoed Collins concern, saying the incident had deeply shaken the community and she was scared.

Adam D. Rossi, the prosecutor, said it was shear luck no one was injured in the fires, and claimed Ridenour had a cold indifference for human life and property.

Nancy Janeth Arce, the attorney for Ridenour, argued that there were no eyewitnesses who saw Ridenour set the fires and there was no forensic evidence that tied him to it. Arce also said he is free to have his beliefs and has been a law-abiding citizen for the past 25 years.

Ultimately, Judge Lynnette Kimmins found that Ridenour is a danger to the community and ordered that he stay detained.

Collins described Thursday as a tough day, and it was a sigh of relief to hear Ridenour would be detained.

Collins also said there was a lot of heartache and pain when he learned about the possible motive of the fire. At St. Stephens, Collins said they dont ask about peoples views and show the same hospitality to anyone who comes in, stating that it hurts to know that people would take advantage of them.

Since the fire, he said they have been receiving mostly love from the community but had received some online hate comments about the fire. One comment in particular said the fire was Gods judgement on us, Collins said.

While those in the community have expressed fear about attending mass, Collins said they have been in contact with the proper authorities and are having more conversations about being safe and more alert.

Although they have received some support from other community churches, Collins said they havent heard much from the more conservative churches in the area.

Silence is complicity, Collins said. If you hear hate, you have the right to tell them its wrong.

As for the rebuilding process, Collins said the structure at St. Stephens is a total loss and they are currently working with the insurance company.

For now, they have been holding mass at Grace Methodist Church and are accepting donations through their website.

First Presbyterian has a Go Fund Me page set up where donations are accepted. On the page, they say they have also been holding mass at Grace Methodist Church.

While it is too early to know how much of the structure can be saved, the Go Fund Me page says they are working with a great insurance company and restoration experts.
In one of the many quiet subdivisions of Tucsons far east side, a certain home started causing consternation around Halloween.

A series of people, apparently unhoused and unrelated, began living there, neighbor Karen Gregory and others noticed. Things quickly went downhill.

They were dealing drugs. There was trash on the street. Mattresses in the alley, she said. People would come up to the front yard, turn on the hose, take a bath, put their clothes back on and leave.

It was way out of character for this cul-de-sac. When she asked, Gregory said, she was told that it was a sober living home.

This phrase should ring a bell if youve been following Arizona news lately. In May, Gov. Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes announced a crackdown on fraudulent billing by sober living homes.

They focused on the most outrageous activities of this blossoming business. The operators of these homes, purportedly transitional housing for people overcoming addictions, had apparently rousted Native Americans from the streets, registered them as residents and started billing the states Medicaid program for them.

At the time, the reimbursement for outpatient treatment of tribal members was astronomical, up to $1,300 per day. But part of the scheme, Mayes said, was that they often didnt even provide services to the clients. In other cases, the operators didnt even have real clients  they just bought lists of people with identifying info and claimed them as residents receiving services.

In fiscal year 2019, the states Medicaid program paid $53.9 million for this sort of outpatient behavioral health service. Just three years later, Medicaid paid out $668 million for the same category of services.

Its not just Phoenix, Mayes told me Friday. Its happening in Tucson and Pima County.

She said investigators have found at least 10 homes operating fraudulently in the Tucson area. But the problem isnt just about Native Americans.

You have people being lured across demographic categories to these facilities, she said. You also have a lot of ghost billing going on.

Unwelcome neighbors

Not every sober living home is a scam  they serve a legitimate purpose of helping people in the process of recovery, often after leaving an inpatient program. And some homes that are known by that phrase dont actually fit under that category under the states licensing scheme.

Under state law, sober living homes dont offer medical care. As the Arizona Department of Health Services explains, they provide a supervised setting to a group of unrelated individuals who are recovering from substance use disorders, and may provide activities that are directed primarily toward recovery from substance use disorders.

When discussing the fraud involving sober living homes, Mayes was also making reference to a separate category, behavioral health residential facilities. These are different under state law in that they must provide behavioral health services onsite.

The difference often goes unnoticed. On Friday I stopped by a handful of east-side homes that neighbors had flagged as possible sober-living homes, including one just southwest of Broadway and Houghton Road. When I knocked on the door, a person inside acknowledged it was a sober living home.

Later, though, the owner of the home called me, and scoffed at that categorization. Its a behavioral health residential facility, he said. He told me the facility just started operating recently, and it gets clients from reputed local behavioral-health agencies such as COPE and La Frontera.

Neighbors of this home, about a mile from the one that Karen Gregory described, were also unhappy with it. They told me people gather outside and smoke, talk loudly during the night and move in and out of the home frequently. Its odd and unwelcome on a residential street.

A major flaw in accountability

But in truth, the complaints around this house were not too severe. They raise the question of what residents should be willing to tolerate as the city and country grapple with an addiction epidemic.

We need places where people can go and be in supportive housing with others in recovery. Its not always going to be comfortable.

There are legitimate licensed behavioral health facilities and substance abuse facilities, Mayes said. We have a list of what we consider good actors. Theyre out there, and we need them to be out there. One of the reasons we need to shut down the bad actors is we need the good guys to flourish.

One of the issues in sorting out which home is what type, whether theyre licensed and if theyre doing things right comes from state law. ARS 36-2066 requires homes to provide the health department with a phone number and website listing, but it prohibits the health department from disclosing the address of these homes.

Will Humble, the former state health director and executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association, said keeping addresses secret can protect bad operators.

One of the main things that makes a licensing system work is complaints about facilities, he said. That part of it is a major flaw in accountability. The public is part of what keeps the system accountable. If its secret they cant do that.

More oversight possible

That law only applies to the state health department, though, and several Arizona cities have passed their own ordinances requiring sober living homes and similar facilities to get licensed. Phoenix passed its ordinance in 2018 amid a wave of concern and similar ordinances.

Tucson, though, has nothing like it. City Council Member Paul Cunningham, who represents the east side neighborhoods where these homes are located, met with Gregory, other residents and Tucson police recently to discuss the new sober homes in the area.

Cunningham, who himself has gone through a substance-abuse recovery process, said he sees the need for good sober homes, but there is apparently not enough oversight or information available. Hes planning to put a discussion of sober living homes on an upcoming study session.

An ordinance that at minimum requires home operators to inform the city where they are would seem like an easy start. That way there will be pressure to operate right, or face consequences, from the get-go. Requiring some amount of separation between homes also seems sensible.

Gregory eventually became fed up with the home on her street and complained to the state health department and to city code enforcement in early March.

March 27, a city inspector reported no interior violations, found 4 shopping carts and 2 mattresses in the alley behind the property, requested special B&B pick up, found no C of O (certificate of occupancy) or state approvals to run this type of group home at this moment, sent notice of violation to the owner.

The place was empty by mid-April. When I knocked on the door Friday, nobody answered, and there was nothing unusual about the place.
WASHINGTON  A Bureau of Land Management rule that would, for the first time, count conservation as a legitimate use for public lands, along with mining, logging and other uses, is an offensive overreach of federal authority, Republicans said Thursday. The comments came at a House Natural Resources Committee hearing on a bill that would force the BLM to rescind its proposed Conservation and Landscape Health rule, unveiled by the agency in April and now set to take effect in July.

For decades and decades and decades the good people of Utah have managed these lands in a responsible way, said Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, who said he was having a hard time literally having my head not explode at the rule.Curtis, sponsor of the bill that would block the rule, said bureaucrats in Washington who have hardly been to the West other than to fly over it on their way to California, tell us that they know better than we do how to manage these lands.

But others defended the rule, saying its classification of lands for protecting intact landscapes and restoring degraded habitat would not keep those lands from also being used for mining, forestry or any other uses.

They say the rule will merely bring balance by introducing conservation as a consideration when deciding on land usage. They said Republicans who are concerned about restrictions on land use like mining and ranching have nothing to fear.

This rule provides an opportunity for local communities to look at restoration and conservation as a legitimate use of BLM lands. Thats all it does, Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Tucson, said at the hearing. It doesnt change the fundamental ground were working with, but it provides an opportunity for the future.

He described the mythology that Western states have always been a certain way, and that will never change.

The West has changed, the dynamics are different, Grijalva said. He pointed to his own experience as a county official, saying that peoples anger at conservation plans always subsided when they saw how beneficial the plans were.

The new rule, proposed in April, would add conservation as a category by which land can be classified for protecting landscapes and restoring habitat. The BLM promises the designation would not preclude the areas from also being used for mining, forestry, ranching or any other uses currently allowed under the existing framework.

The new rule would help the agency responsibly manage energy development, grazing, mining, recreation, conservation, and other uses that are part of the bureaus responsibility, Nada Wolff Culver, principal deputy director of the BLM, said in prepared testimony for the committee.

But Jeff Eisenberg, policy director at the Arizona Cattle Growers Association, said assurances from the BLM ring hollow when the agencys past actions have damaged ranchers livelihoods.

There is no special designation they have made in land use on public lands that has not resulted in reducing or eliminating grazing, he said, and for that reason, ranchers are against it.

Ranchers are already conserving land, Eisenberg said, by following land-use health standards.

They (BLM) want intact land, they want that, he said. And our ranchers are out there meeting those standards. By definition, thats conservation use of the land  by their own definition.

If theyre making additional special designations, it always, without fail, has the effect of driving ranching out, Eisenberg said. Ranching is 155 out of 245 million acres on BLM land, so theres a significant conflict there.

Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Bullhead City, was more direct in his criticism of the agency, which he accused of overstepping its authority with the new rule. He is a co-sponsor of the bill to overturn it.

Gosar, one of a chorus of Republicans on the committee who oppose the proposed rule, told Culver to stay in your lane. He encouraged states to take the BLM and Forest Service to court to reverse the rule.

I find this offensive, said Gosar, who called for an in-person meeting between Arizonans and the BLM. I think we deserve it and we demand it.

Were the people that are making the laws, not you, he told Culver. Weve got this all backwards. Really backwards.

Culver told the committee that the public comment period on the rule, originally set to expire next week, had been extended for another 15 days.

Other witnesses at the hearing included Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, both Republicans and both opposed to the conservation rule.

Their testimony led Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Phoenix, to say the committee should hear from witnesses who believed in climate change.

Id like to emphasize the importance of inviting witnesses that follow the science and have expertise in the issues we are discussing, Gallego said, pointing to the importance of this rule in Arizona, which has more than 12 million surface acres under BLM management.
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed such a proposal Friday, along with vetoes on other issues involving public access to teacher training materials and restrictions on state contracts and investment strategies.

She has now vetoed 119 measures approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature this year.

Rep. Gail Griffin, a Hereford Republican, had proposed allowing whatever official is in charge of elections to do a hand count rather than use automatic tabulating equipment. Hobbs said that was unacceptable.

"Hand-counting ballots is unquestionably less accurate and more time consuming than machine tabulation,'' Hobbs wrote. "Arizona voters deserve to know that their votes are being counted accurately and efficiently.''

The veto is unlikely to end the legal fight.

Griffin, in writing the measure, insisted state law always has allowed for hand counts. She said her proposal would simply "clarify existing law.''

But Griffin acknowledged she worked with Cochise County Recorder David Stevens, a fellow Republican, to craft the measure. Cochise County sought to do a full hand count of the 2022 general election after its two Republican supervisors questioned the accuracy of machine counting and wanted to count all the ballots by hand.

That ended only when a judge blocked the move. The judge said state law allows election officials to take only a 2% random sample of ballots from the entire batch, count them by hand, and then compare the result with the machine tally.

The issue has not gone away. Earlier this month the Mohave County Board of Supervisors voted to explore doing a hand count of the 2024 election.

That came after backing by state Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli, R-Lake Havasu City. He told the supervisors that electronic tabulating machines are vulnerable to being hacked.

Borrelli, who called it a "national security issue,'' argued that the state cannot block such a hand count.

That's not the position of Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat. In a letter to the board, he said a hand count could increase the risk of error.

Fontes also said a full hand count would put county officials "in serious legal jeopardy, including possible criminal liability, for violations of state law.''

During committee debate on the issue, Sen. Anna Hernandez said she had a more basic reason for voting against the measure. The Phoenix Democrat said she could not support anything "pushed by those who advance conspiracy theories.''

Teacher training

Separately on Friday, Hobbs vetoed a proposal by Rep. Justin Heap, R-Mesa, that would have given parents access to all the materials school districts used to train teachers.

Heap showed colleagues what he said was a list of subjects in training sessions that teachers from Mesa Unified School District were being required to attend. They included anti-racism, non-binary, unconscious biases, restorative justice and equity.

All those are issues with which parents may disagree, Heap said.

Rep. Judy Schwiebert, D-Phoenix, asked him what is wrong with teachers learning about some of these issues like equity.

Heap said it would be fine to provide instruction on issues of equality. But equity, he said, is different, dealing with issues of being fair rather than of being equal.

"Who decides what's fair and what's not?'' Heap asked. He said equity gets into things like whether a group that has been historically marginalized should get special treatment.

Heap also said what is in his bill is no different than existing laws that already give parents access to the curriculum being used in classrooms.

Hobbs, in her veto message, said her objection was more basic. She said making these training materials available to the public would put schools at risk of violating copyright law.

State contracts, investments

The governor also rejected a proposal by Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, to prohibit government agencies from refusing to contract with private firms unless they have or adopt environmental, social or governance standards policies.

"I do not believe that tying the hands of the state's procurement and investment professionals is in the best interests of the people of Arizona,'' Hobbs wrote.

She also vetoed a similar proposal that would have barred the state treasurer, whose investments include buying corporate stocks, from using the voting right that comes with those shares to support proposals that would advance social, environmental, political or other goals. Under that bill, the state also could not in any way use its investment funds to boycott a company involved in fossil fuels or nuclear energy.
1. Do not run, that could cause the bear to chase you.

2. If attacked, do not play dead. Fight back instead.

4. Attempt to deter the bear, then back away slowly facing forward if the bear keeps approaching.

5. Make yourself look as big as possible by raising your arms or pulling your shirt or jacket higher than your head.

6. Throw items such as rocks or sticks and yell at the bear.
TEP gets a pass

Re: the June 8 article Does TEP owe Tucson citizens $300 MIL.

Ron Proctor wonders in his opinion article if TEP owes us $300Mil? First, thanks to Ron for his work as a climate activist. I count myself in this group working with Citizens Climate Lobby, and others. Now, the question. When looking at a for-profit monopoly, like TEP, it pays to be suspicious. Billing practices, profit levels and more are fair game for questioning. Ron wonders if TEP billing a franchise fee to pay the citys contract is suspicious if not worse. For me, billing a franchise fee is simply a pass-through charge like TEPs energy fee. When the market price for natural gas goes up (something TEP does not control) our bills go up, and reverse when the price drops. Pass through charges are a common billing practices in many industries and at least for this specific concern, I believe TEP deserves a pass.

Bill Krauss

Downtown

A sad day

In response to the federal indictment of Trump, congressional Republicans are voicing not only support of Trump but promising some form of retaliation and payback. It is a sad enough day for America that a former president would engage in behavior resulting in allegations of a crime without adding such reckless and inciting threats by elected officials who are charged with enacting the laws of this country. The Republican party, once known as the party of law and order, have succumbed to behavior appallingly unbecoming of elected officials. Their need for civics class is evidenced by accusations of the weaponization of the DOJ by President Biden. As the Republican party continues down a road to further extremism, the result is the continued erosion of the pillars of our democracy. This next election will determine to what extent our democracy exists. Vote wisely.

Sherri Schamel

Northwest side

Equal justice Trump vs. Clinton vs. Biden?In discussing former President Trumps indictment, Special Counsel Jack Smith stated laws that protect national defense information are critical to the safety and security of the United States, and they must be enforced. Violations of those laws put our country at risk. Ok, why was this standard not applied to Hillary Clinton? The FBI found numerous classified documents on her private server, classified markings on documents were removed when faxed, emails deleted, cell phones destroyed, etc. No search warrants were done nor a Grand Jury impaneled. Just a couple weeks before the decision was announced not to charge Hillary, USAG Lorretta Lynch met clandestinely with Bill Clinton on a tarmac at Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix. FBI investigators found classified documents at four locations associated with Joe Biden, including in boxes at his Delaware homes garage. No reports of a Federal Grand Jury being convened. The Biden administration knew of the documents investigation before the November 2020 election but purposely waited to go public about it until afterward. Unequal justice!

David Garcia

Foothills

Water that we dont have

Re: the June 12 article Overhaul to zoning rules up for vote.

These plans to encourage infill are all well and good. But, no new house or apartment block should be built that is not fully equipped for water harvesting and solar panels for starters. Developers will complain about increased costs. But how about a big room instead of a great room? How about a one-car garage instead of three? How about much higher urban density? While were at it, lets call a moratorium on new developments outside of infill. No more bulldozing our beloved desert. No more sucking up water that we dont have.

Maggy Zanger

Midtown

Equity is not equalityRe: the June 12 letter Equity.

The writer says, the Democratic Party champions equity while the Republican Party champions opportunity. He continues, Equity means everyone gets a C   and Equity means all should have equal income  .

It appears the writer has confused and conflated equality and equity. Equality, according to Merriam-Webster, is the quality or state of being equal. Equity is justice according to natural law or right, specifically, freedom from bias or favoritism.

Its that part about freedom from bias and favoritism thats important. Equity means everyone gets the same opportunity to get a decent education, win medals, compete in the job marketplace, buy a home and save for retirement.

Worth noting that one statement by the writer is correct. Yes, the Democratic Party champions equity  and for that, I say, more power to them.

Thea Chalow

Oro Valley

Where is that MAGA violence?

President Joe Biden repeatedly refers to the 70 million Republicans and independents that voted for Trump in 2020 as MAGA Republicans. He uses it inferring they are violent right-wing extremists, and Democrats swallow it hook, line and sinker. Other than the Capitol protests on Jan. 6, there has not been any significant MAGA violence. No violence on its first anniversary or second. None after Democrat prosecutor Bragg in New York City indicted Trump and none after Special Prosecutor Smith indicted Trump in Miami.

So where is the Make America Great Again (MAGA) violence that Biden, Democrats and their news media lapdogs have hoped for? MAGA Republicans in Congress peacefully outfoxed Biden on the debt ceiling deal and have passed numerous pieces of legislation. The violence, of course, has come from Democrats, looting and burning across the country during the summer of 2019, causing over $2 billion in damages and dozens of police officers injured. And the angry, violent protests that ensued after SCOTUS overturned Roe v. Wade.

Amanda Blakely

Vail

IRS

On April 19, 2019, IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig told the Senate Finance Committee he believed it would not be outlandish to think that the actual tax gap could approach and possibly exceed $1 trillion on an annual basis. We are not going to close the tax gap if the IRS is always underfunded. No one likes taxes, but our visceral hatred of the IRS and our refusal to resource it does significant financial and political harm to this country. An underfunded IRS allows tax cheats to flourish. How is that acceptable, responsible or even reasonable?

Robert Bishop

East side

Health insurance

United Health Care is our nations biggest health care provider. In 2022 they earned profits of 21 billion. About equal to Ford and GM combined. The United States has the highest health costs of the 14 largest economies in the world, we pay more, yet is ranked 38 in world health care, including longevity of life. We have made health care an industry rather than a service. We are good at creating profits but lack far behind in actual care. Any ideas?

Robert Johnson
This will likely be the weekend that summer makes itself truly felt in Oklahoma, with forecasters predicting temperatures hovering in the vicinity of triple digits and humidity to such a degree that walking outside will feel as if one has been wrapped in a steaming wet blanket.

And yet  people still gotta eat, which is why the Made in Oklahoma Coalition has come up with a quintet of recipes designed to make getting dinner on the table, and helping everyone keep their cool, a little easier.

A popular summertime supper is a seafood boil, loaded with vegetables, seafood and spices. But with a bit of ingenuity and some MIO Coalition ingredients, one doesnt need a beachside boiling pot to create this meal at home.

This months recipes also include a couple of classic desserts dressed up with local ingredients, as well as two cooling beverages  one for adults, and one for all ages, and both made using Oklahoma-brand sodas.

For more information on the Made in Oklahoma, as well as where to find its members products: miocoalition.com.

Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil

1 stick Hiland Salted Butter, melted

6 minced garlic cloves

2 tablespoons creole seasoning

2 pounds Mountain View Meat Co. Cajun-Style Andouille Sausage, sliced

2 pounds tri-colored mini-potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

6 ears corn, husks and silks removed, cut into segments

2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

 cup Scissortail Farms parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray two large baking sheets with nonstick baking spray.

2. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with garlic and creole seasoning.

3. In a medium bowl, toss together the sausage and potatoes with half the butter mixture. Spread onto baking sheets. Add ears of corn. Cook 25 minutes.

4. Toss shrimp with the remaining butter mixture. Remove baking sheets from oven. Add shrimp to both sheets. Place back in oven, cooking for 8 minutes or until shrimp are pink and cooked through. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

 cup Hiland Unsalted Butter, melted

 cup packed brown sugar

1 medium pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced into rounds

3 large Equally Yolked Eggs, separated, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon Griffins Vanilla

 cup pineapple juice

1 cup Shawnee Mills All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

 teaspoon salt

9 maraschino cherries

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan, combine butter and brown sugar. Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer over sugar. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Blend in vanilla and reserved pineapple juice. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to batter, beating well.

3. In a small bowl, using clean beaters, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Spoon into pan.

4. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before inverting onto serving plate. Place a cherry in the center of each pineapple slice.

Summer Fruit Tart

For the pastry:

1 cups Chisolm Trail Milling Co. White Whole Wheat Flour

 cup sugar

1 stick Hiland butter, cut into small pieces

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

 cup ice cold water

1 teaspoon Griffins vanilla

For the fruit mixture:

 cup Miller Pecan Co. pecans, coarsely ground

1-2 pounds assorted stone fruit (peaches, plums, nectarines), thinly sliced.

 pint fresh raspberries

 cup sugar

1 Hansens egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon sugar

1. Make a pastry crust: Place the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the vinegar, water and vanilla and process until dough just begins to form. Turn out onto a clean surface, and gently bring the dough together. Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the pastry between 2 sheets of nonstick baking paper to a 14- by 16-inch oval, and about -inch thick. Place on a large lightly greased baking tray lined with nonstick baking paper.

3. Spread pastry flat and sprinkle with ground pecans, leaving a 5-centimeter border.

4. Place the stone fruits and sugar in a large bowl and toss to coat. Top the pecans with the fruit mixture, discarding any excess liquid, and fold over the edges of the pastry, pressing lightly to seal.

5. Brush the pastry with the egg and sprinkle with sugar. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until firm. Cook for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Serve with Hiland Vanilla Ice Cream.

Summer Sparkler

 gallon Hiland Dairy Raspberry Sherbet

1 (12-oz) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate

2 cans OKC Soda Co. Lemon Lime Soda, chilled

4 cups (1 quart) rose wine, chilled

1. Set out sherbet so its slightly softened before making the drinks.

2. In a 2-quart size pitcher, combine pink lemonade concentrate, soda and wine. Stir to combine.

3. Pour into individual sugar-rimmed glasses. Add a scoop of sherbet to each glass. Stir, or leave the sherbet on top. Garnish with fresh Scissortail Farms mint or raspberries. Also good served over crushed ice.

Old Time Soda Floats

1 Carton Hiland Vanilla Ice Cream

6 cans soda from Okola-homa Soda or OKC Soda Co. Soda (flavors include Root Beer, Orange, Cream Soda, Strawberry, Cherry and more)

Hiland Whipped Cream

Fresh Fruit for Garnish

1. Dish generous portions of ice cream into 6 large chilled mugs or glasses.

2. Pour a can of soda over the top of each mug, allowing it to settle a little and fill.

3. Top with whipped topping and garnish with fruit.

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The deployment of more police officers and increased patrols during special events were among several initiatives announced on Friday by the Tulsa Police Department to improve public safety downtown.

We are excited to see the increased activity in downtown Tulsa this summer, Police Chief Wendell Franklin said in a press release. We know that people are looking forward to enjoying all that our city has to offer, and we are committed to keeping them safe. We also want to remind everyone to be aware of their surroundings and to report any suspicious activity to the police.

Police also plan to expand relationships with business owners to better respond to their needs; work with the Tulsa County District Attorneys Office to ensure that individuals who repeatedly commit serious crimes are prosecuted; and continue meeting with downtown residents and stakeholders.

The initiative is a response to concerns shared by downtown stakeholders and responses to a citywide survey, according to the press release. Over the last three months, the top concern listed in the survey has been homelessness.

This is a complex issue. Fortunately, we have strong relationships with our community partners, and our focus will be to educate and enforce, said Capt. Richard Meulenberg. Part of our responsibility for educating is to help connect individuals who are unhoused with available resources.

Another key component of the initiative will be to ensure that the public understands that being homeless is not a crime while at the same time providing guidelines for what activities are illegal, Meulenberg said.

For the downtown area and all throughout Tulsa, through proactive policing and responding to community concerns, we will continue to enforce the ordinances and statutes and hold individuals accountable for violating them, he said.

Mayor G.T. Bynum thanked the Police Department for its proactive effort to address community needs.

During the summer months, we have a lot of people out and about in downtown Tulsa, Bynum said. We want them to feel safe while enjoying all that downtown Tulsa has to offer.

Brian Kurtz, president and CEO of Downtown Tulsa Partnership, also thanked police for responding to the downtown communitys call for additional police resources.

Our neighborhood has been significantly impacted by crime and safety concerns  real and perceived  and we know that a visible community policing effort is critical to maintaining the vibrant city center where so many live, work and visit, Kurtz said.

The downtown community stands ready to partner with and support city leadership in prioritizing permanent public safety resources that meet the needs of an evolving neighborhood and will continue offering solutions focused on addressing the homelessness crisis across our downtown and our city.



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Entrepreneurs pitched their company and product ideas to a panel Thursday in an event similar to the television show Shark Tank.

The Black Wall Street Pitch Competition was formed to showcase people finding solutions to problems, said Kelsey Davis, CEO of CLLCTVE. Her company connects creators with paid opportunities. Davis worked to transform the pitch event from an idea into reality and was the event's moderator.

What we wanted to do today is showcase people already doing that by having the pitch competition but also having the education and the knowledge so that people can say, If I want to get into technology and entrepreneurship, how do I do that? Davis said.

She said the event recruited industry professionals as judges and panelists to impart that education.

Five entrepreneurs gave their pitches for the $10,000 prize. Olaoluwa Adesanya won after presenting his technology product Palmplug. The technology goes on the user's hand and has applications for music learning and interacting with technology, Adesanya said during his pitch.

Palmplug is moving to Tulsa from Seattle, Washington, and Adesanya plans to launch it in January.

If you think about the history of the city, that just speaks greatly to being able to build here with the understanding of Black history, Adesanya said.

The event was formed in the image of Black Wall Street, an early 1900s community of Black entrepreneurs in Tulsa.

Other entrepreneurs also received funding through the competition. Food service company BiteWay Nutrition won $5,000 for placing third. FundHub, a grant writing program, won $7,500.

Additionally, three companies that did not compete in the larger competition won a $1,000 peoples choice prize.

CultureVations, a company that creates opportunities for investment in underrepresented founders and businesses, is a sponsor of Tulsa's Juneteenth celebration, said Tyreek Moore, CEO of the company.

It's about finding the diamonds that exist out there that otherwise would exist out there trying to make their way but wouldnt have the necessary highlight, the necessary application and potentially the necessary funding resource that were going to provide to them, Moore said.

Most of the entrepreneurs that were at the event are based in Tulsa. Davis moved to Tulsa two years ago, and Adesanya is in the process of moving his company here. Moore told the Tulsa World that his company would be announcing its move to Tulsa at the Black Wall Street Homecoming Gala on Friday.

Ashli Sims, managing director of Build in Tulsa, was one of the judges who selected the pitch competition winners.

Black Wall Street is not history; its a blueprint, Sims said to kick off the event.

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International tourists are experiencing attractive non-cash shopping with diverse incentives at the Cashless Town festival that kicked off Friday in Ho Chi Minh City as the first of its kind in Vietnam.

The three-day event has been taking place on Le Loi Avenue in downtown District 1, attracting numerous visitors including foreigners.

Cashless Town is among a series of events being held within the framework of the annual Cashless Day (June 16)  an initiative launched by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in 2019 to promote digital payments and contribute to Vietnams transformation as a cash-free society.

This image shows a group of Singaporean youths excitedly shooting video clips of the making of Thai ice cream at a culinary booth of the Cashless Festival in Ho Chi Minh City on June 16, 2023. Photo: Nhat Xuan / Tuoi Tre

Among a lot of stalls that have received large numbers of visitors, Saigon Co.op's booth entertained its cashless customers with a special music program, MoMo E-Wallet offered coffee at only VND1,606 (US$0.07) per cup for its clients, and the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS) provided its guests with an attractive Lucky Winning Wheel program.

This festival is unique, strange and very exciting, Marc Rush, 29, from the UK, said after he and his Vietnamese girlfriend won a prize and received a promotional gift at MoMo's booth.

After walking around at the stalls, we plan to visit the culinary space to taste Vietnamese specialties, said Rush's girlfriend.

The young man said that although he has worked in Ho Chi Minh City for 10 months, he still cannot get used to using Vietnamese money and still often has troubles making payments.

However, his life in Vietnam has become a lot easier since the day he knew how to scan QR codes and make non-cash payments.

After scanning the QR code, the payable amount will appear on the phone screen. I merely have to press the transfer button to make payment, he added.

A couple from Singapore, Kim Ricafort, 28, and her 33-year-old companion Alex Aaltonen, said they chose the Cashless Festival as their next destination in the city after visiting Ben Thanh Market, also in District 1.

Kim Ricafort and Alex Aaltonen, a couple from Singapore, are seen in front of a Vietnamese sweet soup booth at the Cashless Festival in Ho Chi Minh City on June 16, 2023. Photo: Nhat Xuan / Tuoi Tre

The couple said they were quite surprised as everything at the festival, from dishes to various services could be paid using QR codes.

Thats amazing, Kim exclaimed.

Pointing to the large bag strapped to his chest, Aaltonen said that whenever traveling, he is very afraid of pickpockets and is often keeping his bag that way.

It's nice that this festival allows 100 percent transfer payment. I can enjoy buying everything without worrying about carrying enough cash, he said with a smile.

As for 74-year-old John from the U.S., he liked an event like this very much as he could enjoy shopping with rapid and convenient cashless payment.

The Cashless Festival also attracted many YouTubers, including Chris, an American who made a vlog to introduce the event.

Chris is the owner of the Fat and Broke channel with 42,000 followers.

Meanwhile, many foreign and domestic non-cash payment service providers are making good use of the festival to promote new products and attract more clients.

This image shows Chris, an American YouTuber, making a vlog to introduce the Cashless Festival that opened in Ho Chi Minh City on June 16, 2023. Photo: Nhat Xuan / Tuoi Tre

They include National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS), Japan Credit Bureau (JCB), and Saigon - Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB), among others.

The event has been jointly organized by the municipal Department of Industry and Trade and Tuoi Tre.

Among other noteworthy events of the Cashless Day is the 'Data Connection, Smart Payment to Promote Social Development' national conference that took place at the Rex Hotel in District 1 on Friday.

The same day also saw the launch of the Big Boom promotional program that allows consumers to purchase goods with incentives from sellers and intermediary payment service providers, as well as take part in other attractive activities offered by banks, card issuers, e-wallet companies, and retailers.

In addition, the 'Cashless Warriors' contest opened Friday and will last until July 15, whose results will be announced on July 21.

Notably is the Promotion Month that has been scheduled for June 15 to July 15 nationwide, with focus on Ho Chi Minh City, during which users of non-cash payment methods in shopping will be given diverse incentives from banks, retailers, e-commerce floors and trade centers, among others.

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Vietnam served a total of nearly 4.6 million international tourists in the first five months of the year, a 12.6-fold increase year on year but equal to 63 percent of the figure in the same period in 2019 when COVID-19 had yet to hit the country, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

International travelers to Vietnam by air occupied the largest portion, at 88 percent, while those by road and by sea represented 10.9 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively, the GSO said.

South Korea remained the largest source market of Vietnams tourism in the five-month period with 1.3 million tourists, followed by China with 399,000 and the U.S. with 307,000.

The number of foreign tourists in January-May met 57 percent of the full-year target of eight million foreign visitors.

The local tourism sector can achieve, even exceed, the target thanks to the peak international tourism season at the end of the year and policies facilitating the tourism sector in the coming time, news site Kinh Te & Do Thi (Economics & Urban Affairs) cited Nguyen Trung Khanh, head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, as saying.

The strong growth of the Chinese market was a positive signal and laid a foundation for a stronger recovery of the tourism sector in the rest of the year, Khanh added.

Data from the GSO showed that 916,300 international tourists came to Vietnam in May alone, down 6.9 percent month on month but surging 5.3 times over the figure in the same month in 2022.

The growth can be explained by the fact that Vietnam did not fully reopen its door to international tourists after the pandemic until March 15 last year.

The number of tourists entering the country after the reopening was also modest due to their hesitancy.

As for the domestic market, the tourism sector served 50.5 million local travelers, Kinh Te & Do Thi reported.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed a resolution on solutions to accelerate tourism recovery and develop tourism sustainably and effectively.

The resolution includes many solutions to develop tourism into a key economic sector and turn Vietnam into one of the worlds 30 leading countries with the highest tourism competitiveness.

However, the country has reported a slower recovery compared with other countries in the Southeast Asian region despite reopening its doors to international tourists early.

Economic and tourism experts and representatives of airlines and lodging facilities agreed that Vietnams visa policies are not as friendly as those in regional countries, slowing down the tourism recovery pace, even slower than in Cambodia and Singapore.

Easing visa policies are the first and foremost job to attract foreign visitors to enter and stay longer in Vietnam, they proposed.

In particular, Vietnam should expand the list of nations eligible for e-visa application and visa waiver, extend the e-visa validity, and simplify visa application procedures, among others.

The Vietnamese government has recently requested the National Assembly, the legislative body responsible for creating laws, to grant approval for extending the validity of visitor e-visas for foreigners entering Vietnam from one month to three months.

It also sought to grant e-visas to citizens from all countries and territories.

Foreign visitors hailing from countries and regions eligible for Vietnam's unilateral visa waiver program would be able to enjoy an extended maximum stay of 45 days, surpassing the current limit of 15 days.

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About 360 metric tons of durians grown in Vietnams southern province of Dong Nai were exported to China on Friday, marking the provinces first shipment of durians to the Chinese market through official channels.

The Peoples Committee of Dong Nai Province held a ceremony for the official export of durians to China on the same day.

Accordingly, 20 container trucks transported Dong Nai-grown durians to China through the Tan Thanh, Huu Nghi and Mong Cai border gates in northern Vietnam.

20 container trucks transport the first 360 metric tons of durians grown in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam to China. Photo: A Loc / Tuoi Tre

Boasting a total durian cultivation area of 11,345 hectares, Dong Nai Province is considered the southern regions durian growing hub.

Over the past few years, the province has enhanced its efforts to earn durian planting area codes, and build packaging facilities to bring its durians to the Chinese market.

Until now, the province is home to six packaging factories and 11 durian growing area codes of a combined 820 hectares.

Some 20,000 metric tons of durians in Dong Nai Province are eligible for entering the Chinese market.

The official export of Dong Nai-planted durians to China is expected to stabilize the consumption of the fruit in Dong Nai Province, and raise farmers income.

The province is moving towards sustainable agricultural development by employing high technology to beef up the yield of farming products, including durians, said Vo Van Phi, vice chairman of the Dong Nai administration.

As such, Phi expects the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and other relevant ministries and agencies to back the provinces farming development, while calling on enterprises to boost their investment in science and technology in production to enhance the quality of farm produce; and further tap the farming industry in the province to ship more farming products to the global market.

Vietnam has exported eight fruits, including mango, dragon fruit, longan, lychee, watermelon, rambutan, jackfruit and durian, to China, according to a representative of the Dong Nai Province Peoples Committee.

Dong Nai Province alone has shipped mangoes, jackfruits, dragon fruits, and rambutans to China, the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Employees prepare to freeze durians at a facility in Dong Nai Province. Photo: A Loc / Tuoi Tre

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Catch up on the news in Vietnam today:

Society

-- A man caught a massive black carp weighing over 40 kilograms from an irrigation pond in Tan Ky District under the north-central Vietnamese province of Nghe An on Thursday evening. This has been the largest fish to be caught in the pond in three years.

-- Officers from the Ho Chi Minh City Firefighting and Rescue Police successfully rescued a 33-year-old woman trapped in a gap between two house walls with a width of 35 centimeters in District 10 on Friday. The woman fell from the fourth floor of a house while she was searching for her pet cat.

-- Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi admitted a 44-year-old woman who was in a comma and convulsions after drinking the water from a jar of pickled bamboo shoots on Friday.

-- A total of eight suspects of the recent armed attacks in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak have turned themselves in to police in Krong Buk District so far, the Vietnam News Agency cited the police as saying on Friday.

Business

-- About 360 metric tons of durians grown in Vietnams southern province of Dong Nai were exported to China on Friday, marking the provinces first shipment of durians to China through official channels.

--The Peoples Committee of Dong Thap Province in Mekong Delta region officially put the 700-bed Dong Thap general hospital into operation on Friday with an attempt to offer in-depth treatment services to local patients.

-- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the second phase of a social housing project for workers in the new urban area in Nenh Town in Viet Yen District under Bac Giang Province, northern Vietnam on Friday. The project is set to cover 12.6 hectares of land and feature 16 20-storey apartment blocks with 7,000 units, at a total cost of some VND5 trillion (US$212.4 million).

-- The 19th international precision engineering and manufacturing reinvented exhibition and conference (MTA Vietnam) will take place at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh Citys District 7 from July 4 to 7, featuring nearly 300 exhibitors.

Tourism

-- Some 4.6 million international tourists traveled to Vietnam in the first five months of 2023, a year-on-year surge of 12.6-fold, according to statistics from the General Statistics Office.

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Ho Chi Minh City and its neighboring Binh Duong Province will join hands to study the development of an urban space along the Saigon River, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee Phan Van Mai said at a meeting in Binh Duong on Thursday.

Ho Chi Minh City supports and will assign the relevant agencies to work with those in Binh Duong to realize proposals to enhance traffic connectivity between the two localities, especially those for urban development along the Saigon River.

The two localities will jointly exploit the advantages of riverside areas and quickly review the status quo of these areas.

They will later draw up and publicize specific development plans and carry out the plans consistently.

Chairpersons of southeastern provinces will also meet late this month to discuss the planning of areas along the Saigon River and then weigh the development of an urban space there.

Regarding inter-provincial road projects, such as National Highway 13, Mai said Binh Duong can develop the road section in its precinct first.

Ho Chi Minh City will not hinder its neighbors plans, the municipal chairman added.

The expansion of the National Highway 13 section in Binh Duong is expected to be completed at the end of this year.

Ho Chi Minh City has included a project to expand the section in its precinct in its investment plan and will execute the project in the coming time, Mai informed.

At the meeting, representatives of Thu Duc City, under Ho Chi Minh City, and Di An City, Binh Duong Province also mentioned the situation in the border area between the two cities, saying that they reached a consensus to frequently exchange information for mutual development and security maintenance.

Security and social and traffic order in the area remain complicated with many hidden criminals, according to Nguyen Huu Hiep, secretary of the Thu Duc City Party Committee.

If we join hands in traffic infrastructure development, the economy and locals lives will improve and criminals will definitely reduce.

I hope leaders of the two localities will regularly meet each other to remove obstacles.

If a draft resolution on special policies for Ho Chi Minh City is approved, the two localities should allocate more capital for traffic infrastructure development and social welfare in the border area in a bid to reduce and prevent criminals, Hiep proposed.

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The Peoples Committee of Dong Thap Province in Vietnams Mekong Delta region officially put the general hospital with 700 beds into operation on Friday.

Work on the hospital started in April 2018, with a total capital of over VND1.7 trillion (US$72.1 million).

The hospital covers a floor area of 55,650 square meters, and features various in-depth treatment departments to serve inpatients and outpatients.

Doan Tan Buu, director of the Dong Thap Province Department of Health, said that the Dong Thap general hospital would offer numerous techniques for intensive therapeutic intervention to meet the needs of patients, mainly severely ill ones.

Among treatment measures applied by the hospital are percutaneous coronary intervention, chemotherapy, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, and interventional endoscopy, Buu said.

Specially, the hospital will offer a series of training courses to advance medical workforce, he added.

Pham Thien Nghia, chairman of the Dong Thap administration, said that the hospital would make life easier for residents to access advanced medical equipment and intensive treatment and checkup services, leading to a decrease in referrals. Accordingly, patients will save much time and costs.

A photo of the 700-bed Dong Thap general hospital. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre

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Rescuers freed a young woman who was found trapped between the walls of two houses in Ho Chi Minh Citys District 10 on Friday morning.

The citys firefighting and rescue police agency was notified of the incident at around 8:30 am on the same day, said a police officer.

The young woman was stuck in a 35cm-wide space between the walls of two houses along Ngo Quyen Street, after falling from the roof of a four-story house.

The rescuers used a hydraulic crimping tool to break a window on the third floor and pulled her out of the space within 30 minutes.

The victim, named N.T.T.H., suffered minor injuries on the legs and was conscious.

She was taken to a local medical center for a health checkup.

Police officers used a hydraulic crimping tool to break a window on the third floor to rescue the young woman. Photo: Supplied

They used a string to pull the woman out of the 35cm-wide space between the walls of two houses. Photo: Supplied

The victim receives first aid. Photo: Supplied

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Some weeks back Hindu nationalist groups falsely accused Muslims of causing a train accident in Odisha, India, and how this reflects a broader trend of stigmatizing Muslims for any tragic incidents under the BJP government.

Aamir Shakil and Sharib Ahmad Khan, Twocircles.net

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A devastating train accident occurred in the Balasore district of Odisha, India on 1 June, claiming the lives of 288 people and injuring more than a thousand. The incident elicited global sympathy and solidarity with India. However, some Hindutva groups attempted to communalize the tragedy by circulating false images of a mosque, which was actually an ISKCON temple, and alleging that the accident was caused by the Friday prayers of Muslims.

It was really disheartening to see how quickly the Hindutva group associated the most heart-wrenching incidents with their Islamophobic agenda. Instead of holding the government and its functionaries accountable, a section of Hindu right-wingers blamed Muslims for the train accident. Even when the fact-checking website Alt News fact-checked and found that the shown mosque in the viral picture was ISKCON temple but hate mongers didnt stop sharing hate against Muslims on social media.

The incident of showing their hatred towards the Muslims is not new in India. After coming into power, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its like-minded associated Hindutva organisations such as Bajrang Dal, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Hindu Yuva Vahini etc. left no stone unturned to demonise Muslims.

One such example of hatred against Muslims by these outfits can be seen in the period of the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020. When the world was looking for ways to stop the deadliest pandemic in the human history, these groups blamed a Muslim outfit named Tabligi Jamat (An organisation aimed to reach out to the ordinary Muslims to revive their faith) for the spread of the pandemic.

Numerous incidents have occurred where Muslims have been falsely accused or stigmatized without any evidence of their involvement. It has been noted that, following the establishment of the BJP government in 2014, a pattern of scapegoating Muslims for unfortunate events has emerged among various actors, such as Hindu nationalist groups, ruling elites, and pro-government media.

This leads to two critical questions: what are the reasons for the governments inadequate response to the anti-Muslim sentiment? And who are the beneficiaries of politicizing any tragic incidents along communal lines?

Recently in an interview with the Indian Express, Bollywood veteran actor Nassiruddin Shah rightly depicted the current state of Islamophobia by saying It has become fashionable to hate Muslims. He slammed the BJP government for using hate against Muslims to get votes.

On the question of why the government is unable to stop Islamophobia, political commentators believe that the answer to this said question is crystal clear. When the prime minister himself used derogatory remarks like Kapde se pehchane jaate hai (referring to anti-CAA protesters) then anyone can understand how and where the hatred against Muslims is coming from. When the Prime Minister of India makes comments like this then whom do Muslims of this country believe?

Each and every day the leaders belonging to the saffron organisations make certain remarks to appease Hindus and at the same time to vilify minority communities, especially the Muslim community.

The Muslim community faces various challenges and threats to their well-being and security, such as the alleged phenomenon of Love Jihad, the economic marginalisation and discrimination, the anti-encroachment drive that targets their properties, the hostile slogans and chants during Hindu religious processions, and the controversy over the Hijab and other symbols of their identity.

While writing this article, in the garb of the alleged phenomenon of Love Jihad, the right-wing Hindu mob forced Muslims to vacate their shops and homes and flee Uttarakhands Purola. The acts of destruction and violence by these perpetrators have persisted for over two weeks now.

The silence of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on this issue also raises doubts about the governments intention and willingness to curb the anti-Muslim hate. Well, not the silence. Just a week back, Dhami said that he will conduct a verification drive in the state.

Ours state is a peaceful one and we should work towards preserving our religion and culture. We will conduct a verification drive to check if people from outside of Uttarakhand have encroached illegally, Dhami told reporters.

However, a pertinent question that emerges from this situation is the lack of adequate and effective action by law enforcement agencies against those who spread and incite hatred against the Muslim community. On the question of not taking strict action against the hate mongers, the political commentators observe that there are unsaid or unwritten commands given to law enforcement agencies not to take strict action against the perpetrators as it will go against the majority communitys will and eventually it will affect the political prospect of the ruling BJP.

It is evident that right-wing politics have gained more popularity and influence in the recent global political scenario. The political landscape of India has also witnessed a shift towards right-wing ideology in the recent decade.

The roots of anti-Muslim sentiment and divisive politics in India can be traced back to the pre-independence era, but they have become more visible and pronounced since the BJP came to power in 2014.

Given the increasing prevalence of inter-group conflict, some political analysts argue that the likelihood of social cleavage along religious lines is higher and that this often benefits the BJP which employs divisive politics and Islamophobia to appeal to the majority electorate and win elections, from Gujarat, the epicenter of its ideological agenda, to Uttar Pradesh, to the rest of the Hindi-speaking states, and eventually to the national level.

Uttar Pradesh, a state where caste-based politics was prevalent, witnessed a remarkable shift in the electoral dynamics when the BJP managed to overcome the caste barriers and mobilise the voters along religious lines. As a result, the BJP became the first party to secure consecutive victories in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.

The BJP has been instrumental in promoting Islamophobia as a strategy to consolidate Hindu nationalism and construct India as a Hindu-centric nation. This reflects the BJPs ideological orientation, which advocates the cultural and political hegemony of the Hindu community. Islamophobia often distracts public attention from other urgent issues, such as economic difficulties or governance problems. This diversion of focus can potentially favour the BJP by altering the narrative and reducing accountability on other domains where they might face opposition.

Aamir Shakil and Sharib Ahmad Khan are independent journalists based in Delhi, India. They can be reached at: @amir_shakil09 (Twitter), @amir_shakil (Instagram); and sharib_khann1 (Instagram) @sharib_khan1(Twitter)
BEN TRE  The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Ben Tre is expanding the development of value chains for key agricultural products.

The key agricultural products include coconut, rambutan, green-skin and pink-flesh grapefruit, longan, flowers and ornamental plants, pigs and cattle.

Ben Tre, which is the countrys largest coconut producing province, has more than 78,000ha of coconut with an annual output of 688 million nuts. More than 70 per cent of the provinces population earns their income related to coconut growing and production.

Thirty-two co-operative groups and 28 co-operatives, with a total of more than 6,200 members, have developed value chains for a total of more than 5,648ha of coconut.

More than 348ha of rambutan, 98.5ha of longan and 374ha of green skin and pink flesh grapefruit in the province have value chains to secure the quality of the fruits, buyers and stable prices for farmers.

Nguyen Van Nhip in Giong Trom Districts Phuoc Long Commune has linked with a processing company to grow coconut under organic methods for two years.

After linking with the company, he has secured buyers and gets a selling price of VN5,000 - 8,000 per dozen of coconut higher than the market price.

The company teaches him organic growing techniques, and this helps reduce the cost of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

The province has 67 co-operative groups and 67 co-operatives which link with companies to develop value chains for their agricultural production, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Ngo Tuong Vy, general director of the Chanh Thu Export and Import Fruit Company Limited in Cho Lach District, said her company supported the linkage between farmers, co-operatives and companies, and this linkage needed to focus on the long term and sustainability.

The company hopes the department will assist it to develop a value chain for 100-200ha of durian.

It is willing to invest in co-operatives and assist in managing and operating them properly, according to Vy.

Huynh Quang uc, deputy director of the department, said co-operative groups and co-operatives were weak in linkages with other related stakeholders in their production.

The linkage between farmers and companies in some localities was not sustainable and effective, he said.

Most companies participating in value chains which buy agricultural produce, except coconut, were small or medium sized, did not have stable buyers and were easily affected by many reasons, he said.

The province will strengthen implementing advocacy activities, transfer farming techniques and provide consultancy for developing value chains, he said.

Nguyen Minh Canh, deputy chairman of the province Peoples Committee, said the province would take measures to effectively develop value chains for key agricultural products and improve the lives of people.

The measures would include developing linkages among farmers through co-operative groups and co-operatives, between co-operative groups and co-operatives and companies, and developing companies which lead related stakeholders to develop strong value chains, he said.

am Van Hung, owner of Huong Mien Tay in Mo Cay Bac District, which is the provinces largest establishment specialising in exporting green skin and pink flesh grapefruit, said that to develop a value chain for an agricultural product, it should be developed through the collective economy.

His establishment has linked with co-operative groups and co-operatives which grow green skin and pink flesh grape fruit to buy the fruit, and this secures both buyers for farmers and quality fruits for his establishment to export, he said.

The province aims to get production value of $1 billion for coconut and shrimp each in 2025, and $500 million for cattle, and flowers and ornamental plants each.

It will develop six concentrated coconut growing areas, including five organic coconut growing areas for a total of 1,826ha and a 20ha coconut growing area for harvesting young nuts for drinking juice.

More farmers in the province have switched to growing their agricultural produce with good agricultural practices (GAP) standards, along with origin traceability and brand names, to improve value.

The province has more than 24,240ha of coconut, fruits and aquaculture which are cultivated under GAP or organic standards.  VNS
HA NOI  The demand for industrial real estate has begun to pick up steam in recent months as foreign manufacturers are expanding their presence in Viet Nam.

Foreign investors are hunting out industrial land lots to expand their operations in the country. Most of them operate in the electronics, semiconductors, textiles, and solar energy sectors.

Remarkably, Quanta Computer reached a deal with Nam inh Province in April to build a factory of US$120 million in My Thuan Industrial Park. Boltun Corporation and QST International Corporation followed suit with an investment of $165 million in Bac Tien Phong Industrial Park.

The quest for land lots was more arduous in the South as most of the lots in industrial parks had been occupied. Notably, the industrial parks in Binh Duong and ong Nai Provinces had reached 95 per cent in occupancy rates.

The rising demand for industrial real estate has given a big boost to the segment of ready-built factories. Many lessors in the North have taken one step ahead by building more ready-built factories to cater to the growing need for facilities.

Cold storage warehouses are another category of facilities coming back in favour recently. However, the supply of cold storage warehouses remains tight as their construction requires so high an initial outlay that few lessors can afford.

Thomas Rooney, Senior Manager of Industrial Services, Savills Ha Noi, said Viet Nam had spent around 5.8 per cent of its GDP on facilities. The effort significantly improved the country's trans-provincial ties.

Part of the money went to 12 projects of the North-South Expressway, whose construction began in January this year. The projects would go through 15 provinces and act as a catalyst for local economic growth.

The senior manager also said labour costs in the country were increasing but very slightly. Although the costs remained modest in comparison with those in other regional countries, the shortage of well-trained workers discouraged many investors.

He urged the Government to take active measures to expand its skilled labour pool, thereby staying on par with other regional countries in attracting investors.

He also said the Socio-Economic Development Strategy for 2021-2030 would serve the country well in improving access to education and training, but it takes time for the strategy to take effect. A better workforce can not be achieved overnight.

Trang Bui, Country Head of Cushman & Wakefield Viet Nam, was concerned that the global economic instability and falling consumption would gradually dent the demand for industrial real estate, weighing on facilities for lease.

She forecast that the industrial real estate market would lose steam for the rest of 2023 as a result of the weakening demand. Lessees would become more cautious with money, leading to fierce competition in price among lessors.

She reckoned that the rent of ready-built factories would either level off or plunge owing to the surge in supply and drop in demand. However, the same doesn't go for land lots, whose rent would remain high regardless.  VNS
THUA THIEN-HUE  A ceremony will take place at Ngo Mon Square in Hue City today to celebrate the Complex of Hue Monuments and nha nhac being honoured by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

This year is the 30th anniversary of UNESCO recognition of the Complex of Hue Monuments as a site of world cultural heritage and the 20th anniversary of nha nhac (royal court music) being recognised as a world cultural heritage.

Hue has been hailed by UNESCO as the leading Vietnamese locality in terms of heritage preservation, which turned it into a model centre for technological heritage transfer in the Asia-Pacific region, said the Director of the Hue Department of Culture and Sports.

Over the past few years, around 170 works of different sizes have been restored  most notably Ngo Mon, Thai Hoa Palace, Hien Lam Cac and Duyet Thi uong as well as the royal tombs of Kings Gia Long, ong Khanh, Thieu Tri, and Tu uc, among others.

The complex was recognised as World Heritage by UNESCO in 1993. It is the 410th heritage inscribed onto UNESCO's list and the first world cultural heritage in Viet Nam.

A traditional show entitled Di San Co o - Trao Truyen va Hoi Tu (Ancient Hue Capital's Heritage - Transmission and Convergence) features nha nhac performances by artists from the Hue Royal Traditional Art Theatre.

The audience will be immersed in the sounds and colours of the cultural and artistic space within the ancient Imperial City to thoroughly enjoy Hue's intangible cultural heritage  nha nhac.

Nha nhac refers to a broad range of musical and dance styles performed at the Vietnamese royal court from the fifteenth to the mid-twentieth century. It was generally featured at the opening and closing of ceremonies associated with anniversaries, religious holidays, coronations, funerals and official receptions.

UNESCO announced its recognition of the Hue royal court music or nha nhac as an oral and intangible heritage of humanity in 2003.

Among the numerous musical genres that developed in Viet Nam, only nha nhac can claim a nationwide scope and strong links with the traditions of other East Asian countries, according to UNESCO.

Viet Nams royal court music has the meaning of refined music. Among various kinds of music developed in Viet Nam, only nha nhac is considered the national music, reported UNESCO Councils evaluation.

Over the past 20 years, the staff of the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre has collected, researched and preserved dozens of important royal music works to perform during important ceremonies of the court such as the Nam Giao Ritual, the The Mieu Ritual, the oan Duong and Van Tho ceremonies, Lunar New Years Festival and rituals for the kings longevity.

The centre set up the Hue Royal Art Theatre, upgraded the Duyet Thi uong Royal Theatre while organising a range of programmes and research projects in an effort to preserve the court music.

During Hue festivals, royal art forms, especially nha nhac, greatly contribute to the success of the festivals and are highly appreciated by both domestic and foreign tourists. As an academic art performance, nha nhac has become a typical example of Hues culture in dialogues and exchanges with international friends.

"Over the past decades, nha nhac has been revived and brought into its full glory in modern life thanks to joint domestic and foreign efforts," said Le Thi Minh Ly, deputy-chairperson of the Cultural Heritage Association of Viet Nam.

In particular, old artisans have tried their best to help raise young musicians awareness of heritage and have handed down their performance skills to younger generations.

There will be a number of exhibitions held in Hue City displaying royal antiquities, paintings, and the poetry of King Thieu Tri through traditional Taiwanese calligraphy.  VNS
HA NOI  Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on Friday emphasised that the great national unity was the strategic policy of the Party and the key factor determining the success of national construction and defence.

He stated that the solid foundation of national unity lay in the alliance of the working class and intellectuals, as well as the strong bond between the Party and the people.

Trong made these remarks on Friday during the Politburo meeting, which reviewed the 20-year implementation of the Party Central Committee's Resolution No23-NQ/TW, dated March 12, 2003, aimed at promoting the great strength of national unity towards the goals of a strong nation, prosperous people, and a democratic, fair, and civilised society.

After receiving the report from the Steering Committee on the implementation of the resolution, the Politburo agreed that over the past two decades, the strength of national unity has been continuously consolidated and enhanced. This has contributed to the advancement of socio-economic development, ensured national defence, handled foreign affairs, and improved the well-being of the people.

The gaps between regions have gradually narrowed; comprehensive attention has been given to the development of mountainous and island areas, ethnic minority areas, and disadvantaged areas. Political stability has been maintained, social consensus has been strengthened, and the people's trust in the Party and the State has been consolidated.

The mechanisms for promoting people's right to mastery and expanding direct democracy have been gradually improved, it said.

It highlighted that the Fatherland Front, political and social organisations, and mass organisations continued to innovate their methods of operation. They mobilised and gathered people to participate in patriotic movements, awakening the peoples potential and creativity.

The Party building and rectification work, as well as the political system, have been particularly valued and have shown positive changes, ensuring that the Party truly became the core leadership of national unity.

However, Trong said, there were still limitations and shortcomings.

These included the need to concretise and organise the implementation of the Party's guidelines, State policies and laws regarding socio-economic development and the promotion of the strength of the great national unity in certain sectors and areas remained ineffective. Some of the population still faced difficulties, and the gaps between regions remained wide. People's democratic rights were still violated.

In addition, the Fatherland Front, political and social organisations had not fulfilled their roles and responsibilities in mobilising, uniting, representing the legitimate interests of the people, and conducting social oversight and criticism that met practical requirements, he said.

The Politburo affirmed that the great national unity represented the people's trust in the Party and the State, and the unity between social strata, ethnic groups, Vietnamese people within and outside the country, and peace-loving people worldwide.

The tradition of the great national unity would continue to be promoted in order to make the country wealthier, stronger, more prosperous, civilised, and happy. The legitimate and rightful interests and satisfaction of the people would be the centre of all orientations and policies, ensuring fairness and equality for every citizen in accessing resources, and development opportunities, contributing and enjoying the achievements, it stressed.

It also noted that the great national unity was based on promoting socialist democracy, respecting human rights, and implementing people's rights to mastery. It was the cause of the entire nation, and nurturing, protecting, and preserving the unity bloc was the responsibility of the political system and every citizen.

The Vietnamese Fatherland Front and socio-political organisations played a pivotal role in mobilising, uniting, and harnessing all resources, potentials, and creativity of the people in building and defending the nation, it said.

The Politburo assigned the Steering Committee to incorporate the opinions to finalise the project and report to the Party Central Committee's 8th meeting in October 2023.  VNS
HA NOI  National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue has urged the press to continue moving forwards and serving as a bridge between the Party, the State and the people.

Hue made the request at a meeting in Ha Noi on June 16 with leaders of the Party Central Committees Commission for Information and Education, the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Vietnam Journalists' Association, central and local press agencies, and members of the jury board of the first Dien Hong Awards, on the occasion of the 98th anniversary of the Viet Nam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21).

The NA Chairman affirmed that over the course of 98 years of development, the Viet Nam Revolutionary Press, founded and led by President Ho Chi Minh, had always accompanied the revolutionary struggles, making significant contributions to the cause of national construction and defence, affirming and elevating Viet Nam's position, strength and reputation.

He expressed his profound gratitude to veteran journalists, leaders of press agencies and members of the jury board of the first Dien Hong Award - the national press award on the National Assembly and Peoples Councils for carefully selecting the 67 most outstanding works out of 3,328 entries to be honoured at the award ceremony on June 9, with their dedication, high sense of responsibility, fairness, objectivity and extensive experience.

The top legislator suggested press management agencies continue to fine-tune policies and mechanisms regarding press and information activities in the new period, firstly amending the Press Law with regulations on taxes, fees, and charges that are in line with the nature of each type of media and development trends of the press economy.

The immediate and long-term urgent task would be to accelerate digital transformation in the press field in line with the vision and roadmap linked to the digital economy and traditional press economy, while enhancing the application of artificial intelligence, big data, and new technologies in the field in a synchronous and effective manner, he said.

Hue noted that leaders and managers of the press system must keep improving their political mettle, sense of responsibility, and management skills. They should also pay even more attention to improving the quality of journalists and editors in terms of political astuteness, professional competence and ethics.

The NA leader believes that in the near future, the press will continue providing full and timely coverage of the activities of the NA and People's Councils at all levels for the public and international friends, promptly conveying the thoughts and aspirations of voters and people to the NA, helping to improve the operational efficiency of the NA and People's Councils and building images of the NA that is increasingly democratic, rule-of-law oriented, professional, modern, friendly and close to the people.

In conclusion, Hue wished that journalists would always keep the flame of enthusiasm burning in their hearts and make even greater contributions to the noble cause they have chosen, deserving to be "revolutionary soldiers" as President Ho Chi Minh once expected. He also hoped that veteran journalists would continue guiding younger generations of journalists so that they would confidently and steadfastly accompany the Party, people, and the country. VNA/VNS
NEW YORK  Ambassador ang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations, has expressed concern that recent developments in the East Sea could affect peace, security and development.

Addressing the 33rd meeting of States Parties to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) which took place in New York from June 12-16, Giang affirmed that over the past four decades, the UNCLOS, often referred to as the "Constitution for the Oceans," had provided a legal framework regulating all activities at sea. The Convention and its implementation agreements had laid a foundation for cooperation and actions by nations, regions, and the global community in maritime affairs.

The ambassador highlighted Viet Nam's efforts in implementing the UNCLOS, including the National Strategy on Climate Change until 2050. As one of the founding members of the UNCLOS Group of Friends, Viet Nam reaffirmed its commitment to the Convention and the preservation of its universality, integrity, and full implementation, Giang said.

Reiterating Viet Nams stance on the settlement of disputes by peaceful means in line with international law, especially the UNCLOS, he affirmed that "respecting the sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction of coastal states over their territorial waters established by the Convention is a prerequisite for maintaining and ensuring peace, security, and prosperity in the East Sea".

On this occasion, the head of the Vietnamese delegation called on all relevant countries to exercise restraint and refrain from engaging in activities that could complicate the situation or escalate tensions.

At a discussion on the report of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the Vietnamese delegation stressed that the ITLOS had well performed its role as the judicial organ established under the UNCLOS and acknowledged the capacity-building programmes for developing countries conducted by the ITLOS. Furthermore, given the increasing challenges and emerging issues at sea, the role of ITLOS as the guardian of the integrity and comprehensiveness of the Convention had become increasingly important.

The Vietnamese side hoped that the ITLOS would seriously consider the request of the Pacific Island States for opinions on climate change and international law, thereby clarifying the obligations of countries in protecting the marine environment while considering the legitimate rights and interests of developing nations. They also announced their intention to submit the national position on this matter to the ITLOS.

Regarding the report of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), the Vietnamese delegation highlighted the need for improvements in the CLCS's process of examining submissions on the limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles to ensure the full and effective implementation of the UNCLOS. This is especially important in determining the "outer limits of the continental shelf" to proceed with the implementation of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) after its adoption and entry into force in the near future.

The meeting reviewed the UN Secretary-Generals annual report which called for urgent efforts to address challenges faced by developing countries, including building capacity, developing a sustainable blue economy, and innovative financial solutions.

Delegates underlined the need to comply with the UNCLOS and enhance regional and global cooperation in maritime and ocean-related affairs to address challenges such as marine pollution, climate change, rising sea level, contributing to realising sustainable development goals related to the conservation and sustainable development of the oceans and marine resources.

On this occasion, UNCLOS member states elected seven judges for the ITLOS for the 2023-2032 tenure. VNA/VNS
BINH THUAN  President Vo Van Thuong on June 17 attended a flag-saluting ceremony at a sovereignty flag pole on Phu Quy Island, an island district of the south central province of Binh Thuan.

The pole is one of the sovereignty flag poles built on outpost islands from the North to the South as part of projects launched by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Association of Vietnamese Students and the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV).

Later, President Thuong planted a bang vuong (cubic-fruit Malabar Almond) tree which symbolises the strong spirit, vitality, and unwavering love for the Fatherland, its seas and islands.

Also in Phu Quy island district, the President visited and presented gifts and over 1,000 national flags to local fishermen.

He also handed over gifts to officers and soldiers of Radar Station 55 of Battalion 292, Division 337 of the Air Defence - Air Force stationed on Phu Quy Island.

Talking with the Party organisation, administration, officers, soldiers and people of Phu Quy island district, the State leader praised them for building Phu Quy into the first new-style rural district of Binh Thuan and the second island district nationwide to achieve the status.

The President stressed the need to clearly define the task of ensuring defence and security of and firmly safeguarding Phu Quy Island as a top priority of the Party organisation, officers, soldiers and people of the island district along with economic development.

Phu Quy must implement well the task of the rear and an important transhipment point for Truong Sa (Spratlys) and DK1 Platform and serve offshore fishing vessels, he said.

Apart from stepping up the adoption of sci-tech in fishing, seafood preservation and processing, Phu Quy Island needed to pay special attention to the development of tourism as a spearhead industry, offering diverse and quality tourism products and services that reflect the local unique identity, he said. VNA/VNS
HCM CITY  If anyone ever saw Nguyen Mai Van Tam and Nguyen Thi Nam on the streets of HCM City making their living, you would swear they were related.

However, 86-year-old Nam's bond with Tam is not by blood, but by something more profound, built over the past six years.

According to Tam, he had a very strange life. Although the 43-year-old couldn't read or write after dropping out of school early, he speaks English very well. At the age of 13, he lost his biological mother, but life gave him an unexpected gift when he was nearly 40, a new "mother".

In the early 2000s, he joined friends selling clothes, stickers, etc. on ong Khoi Street to foreigners. Through this, he became acquainted and close to Nam's son. In Tam's memories, when she was healthy, Nam was a gentle and generous woman who cared deeply for everyone.

Friends such as Tam would often visit, and Nam would often invite them to have a meal and stay for a nap. One time, while riding his motorbike near the Hang Xanh intersection, he collided with a woman riding a bicycle.

Tam was thrown a considerable distance after the collision, and had to be rushed to the emergency room. Nam, upon hearing the news, immediately went to visit him, waiting by his bedside.

"That was the first time I felt the motherly warmth and care," Tam recalled.

Over 20 years passed, and their communication was frequently interrupted. Due to business losses, Nam decided to sell her house in District 4 and divide the proceeds among her four children.

She moved to live in a rented room in Thu uc City with one of her sons and her biological daughter. According to Nam, her children had started their own families but were facing many difficulties in life.

In 2017, she began experiencing frequent leg pain and had to receive injections from the doctor. One morning, she woke up in shock, discovering that her legs were no longer movable.

She needs help to carry out all her daily activities such as eating, using the restroom, bathing, and more. Later on, Nam's daughter suffered a traffic accident, affecting her health, and she couldn't regularly take care of her mother.

As Nam's son had gone to Thailand for business and rarely returned home, he asked Tam to take care of their mother. Tam didn't hesitate and agreed. Every morning and evening, he would come to their house and cook meals, clean the house, take care of Nam's hygiene.

At that time, Tam was working at a restaurant and could only visit Nam after finishing work. He installed a camera in the house for easy monitoring, and would occasionally check on the cameras and ask if Nam was fine. He also instructed her that if anything was wrong, she should throw a towel to the right, and he would rush back immediately.

Later on, Nam's son encountered some difficulties in Thailand and gradually lost contact with his family. Tam only remembered that in their last calls, his friend asked him to take care of his mother.

"I couldn't bear to leave an over 80-year-old paralysed woman alone in a rented room. My conscience and love wouldn't allow me to do that. So, I decided to come back and live with her," Tam said.

As Nam's health continued to deteriorate, Tam decided to quit his job at the restaurant and sell lottery tickets. It was the only job that allowed him to be by Nam's side 24/7.

In a small rented room on Nguyen Trung Nguyet Street, Thu uc, Tam placed his bed next to Nam's bed for easy supervision. On cold nights, when her pain intensified and she shivered, Tam would always stay awake to massage her, administer medication, and massage her hands and feet.

"Tam takes care of me meticulously as if I were its own flesh and blood," shared an emotional Nam.

"Things like emptying bedpans, taking out the trash and changing diapers, people are usually afraid to do these things, let alone someone who is not even of the same bloodline. But he does everything without hesitation."

Nam moved to a nursing home in ong Nai Province. However, after living there for a few days, she felt lonely and sad, so she decided to return.

A year ago, both of them were given an electric wheelchair, which Tam used to carry Nam to a nearby area close to Le Van Thinh Hospital in Thu uc City to sell lottery tickets. Tam would bring his "mum" back home at noon for lunch.

In this way, the "mother and son" pair, Tam and Nam, overcame many hardships and shared tears and laughter, supporting each other to live.

Tam said: "The elderly are like oil lamps hanging in the wind. I only hope that my mother can live with me forever."  VNS
HA NOI - o Hai Nam, a student in Ha Noi, impressed many people by achieving two perfect scores during the entrance exam for the specialised Mathematics programme at the High School for Gifted Students, Hanoi National University of Education (HNUE High School).

With perfect scores in both test rounds, Nam not only secured admission but also qualified for a scholarship and became the valedictorian at HNUE High School.

Founded in 1966 as a national public institution to nurture Vietnamese students gifted in mathematics, the school is the second oldest gifted school in Viet Nam.

The school boasts a list of alumni, including political leaders, entrepreneurs, world-class university professors and artists. Established as a school for math talents, in recent years, HNUE High School has expanded to include other subjects such as physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, English and literature.

According to teachers, very few students were able to achieve perfect scores in both rounds of the exam for 10th-grade admission to specialised schools.

Prior to this, Nam also passed the entrance exam for both the specialised Mathematics and Physics programmes at the High School for Gifted Students, Hanoi University of Science, and ranked among the top.

Speaking about his scores in mathematics, Nam expressed his surprise and overwhelming joy upon learning his results.

His mother Phan Thanh Thuy, said that the family did not impose any pressure, but Nam set clear goals and demonstrated a strong desire to ace this exam. He aimed to do his best in the entrance exam for HNUE High School.

Thuy said that Nam had had a love and passion for mathematics since he was young. "He enjoys finding ways to solve difficult maths problems, and when he succeeds, he feels very happy, as if he has overcome a challenge."

Since a young age, Nam has won numerous awards in mathematics competitions at various levels. In 6th grade, he won a Silver Medal in the Olympic and International Mathematical and Science Olympiad (IMSO). In 9th grade, he achieved Second Prize in the district-level and city-level mathematics competitions for outstanding students.

Thuy said that her son is introverted, self-motivated, and independent. Nam does not study excessively, but when needed, he can focus intensively.

Nam's simple secret to studying mathematics is using a scientific approach, focusing on mastering the core knowledge before delving into new concepts.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Linh, Nam's homeroom teacher and mathematics teacher said she wasn't surprised by his exam results. Nam's outstanding abilities had been evident throughout his learning journey, and these results were well-deserved, she said.

Linh described Nam as an intelligent student with excellent qualities who is diligent and determined. "Nam is quite introverted. He is always engrossed in doing mathematics and physics exercises."

She often encountered the sight of Nam deeply immersed in solving difficult maths problems, even during leisure time.

Currently, Nam is awaiting the results of the entrance exam for Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for Gifted Students and has not yet decided which school he will attend. However, he has already determined that he will continue to pursue his passion for mathematics in the future.  VNS
U.S. school reinforces inequalities between Black children, their peers: VOX

Xinhua) 10:52, June 17, 2023

NEW YORK, June 16 (Xinhua) -- For many Black children in the United States, their first encounter with the discrimination that will trail them their whole lives comes from the school system, where they are five times more likely to attend a segregated school than their white counterparts, reported VOX on Wednesday.

"This early exposure to segregation is one of many possible factors contributing to what's known as the racial achievement gap -- the gap between Black and white students' test scores," said the report. "Education experts have looked to a number of factors as root causes of the gap: family income, single parenthood, school resources."

A study by Francis Pearman, an assistant professor at Stanford University's Graduate School of Education, showed other components may be at play. According to Pearman, it comes down to what he refers to as "sorting mechanisms." These are the ways students are separated from one another and into different academic experiences.

"Why is it that communities with elevated rates of racial bias have higher levels of Black-white test score disparities?" Pearman asked.

"It's partially explained by the fact that this is partially a story of racial segregation. But there's a couple other sorting mechanisms that also play out," he added.

Black children are less likely to be tested for gifted programs and more likely to be put in special education than their white counterparts. The gap decreases when children are tested for gifted enrollment across the board, according to the report.

"The other big pathway is with regard to discipline," Pearman said.

Communities where residents have higher levels of anti-Black bias also see a major difference in how Black and white students are disciplined: While Black students make up about 15 percent of total students, they make up 36 percent of all expelled students, the report said.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Sheng Chuyi)
HCMC  The Government Office has released documents highlighting the outcomes of the meeting on measures for maintaining macroeconomic stability, with a strong focus on the urgent need to completely address the electricity shortage in June 2023.

The Government Standing Committee has instructed the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group, Vietnam Electricity Group and relevant agencies to expedite the progress of power plant development, 500 kV transmission projects, and the implementation of rooftop solar power initiatives.

To ensure an additional power supply for the northern region, the Government has directed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to accelerate the development of the Quang Trach II power plant.

Furthermore, the ministry, in collaboration with the Commission for The Management of State Capital at Enterprises, has been tasked with providing guidance and overseeing the implementation of the 500 kV circuit transmission project from the central to the northern region.

As a short-term solution, the Government has instructed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to promptly introduce incentives for electricity investment, promote the utilization of rooftops in households and public institutions, and establish a direct power purchase agreement mechanism starting from July.
Can Tho University signed agreement with NIC (under the MPI)

Under a workshop on sustainable development in the Mekong delta taking place on June 16, Can Tho University signed an agreement with the Ministry of Planning and Investment's (MPI) National Innovation Centre, with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Can Tho, with Rynan Technologies Vietnam JSC to utilise resources of all sides, and deliver better value for socioeconomic development.

With the vision and mission of these units, the cooperation will promote the resources of the parties, connecting and implementing activities to make practical and effective contributions to the development of innovation and the startup ecosystem in the Mekong River Delta region and the country in general.

"Innovation and startups are key drivers of the economy, contributing to resolving global woes and challenges, towards the sustainable development of the region and the country," said Ha Thanh Toan, rector of Can Tho University.

"Promoting collaboration is an inevitable trend to solve the regional and global issues of the Mekong Delta. Under the new context, the recent strategies, resolutions, policies, and master plan from the government are a strong driving force for the new development of the Mekong Delta."

Can Tho University has been playing a key role in education, research, technology transfer and community services for the development of the region. It is also actively leading and implementing many national and international collaborative programmes and projects, to contribute more effectively to the Mekong Delta, country, and region.

MPI deputy minister Tran Duy Dong speaking at the workshop

Tran Duy Dong, MPI deputy minister, said with the goals of the digital transformation across the country, developing digital economy should be based on innovation and science technologies, improving productivity, quality, performance, and competitiveness of the economy, closely connecting local and overseas markets.

The Mekonng delta is the biggest centre for producing rice, fruit, and seafood in the country, with a key role to ensure food nationwide. Despite its great advantages and opportunities for the development, the region also struggles with numerous challenges.

"Many policies of the Party and state have been carried out to enable the region to become a sustainable agricultural economy hub of the country and ASEAN by 2030," Dong said. "Cities and provinces in the region should utilise science technologies and innovation to catch up and surpass the development of other localities."

ADB agrees on loans for important projects in Can Tho The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed on loans for important projects in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.
Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics

President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea graces Vietnam with a state visit from June 22-24. This marks President Yoon Suk Yeol's maiden voyage to the vibrant nation of Vietnam, symbolising the dawn of a new era in their bilateral relations.

What sets this visit apart is the illustrious entourage accompanying the president on this diplomatic expedition. It boasts leaders from 205 of South Korea's most pre-eminent corporations, including industry titans such as the chairman of Samsung Electronics, Lee Jae-yong; chairman of the SK Group, Chey Tae-won; CEO of Hyundai Motor Group, Euisun Chung; chairman of LG Group, Koo Kwang-mo; vice chairman of Hanwha Group, Kim Dong-kwan; chairman of Hanjin Group, Cho Won-tae; and vice chairman of Hyosung Group, Cho Hyun-sang.

Kim Tae Hyo, national security advisor to the president, said that the primary objective of the visit was to forge an alliance between South Korea and Vietnam, encompassing multifaceted sectors such as finance, cutting-edge technology, information, robust, and sustainable energy.

The country is firmly solidifying its position as one of the foremost contributors of foreign direct investment in Vietnam.

South Korea's unwavering commitment to Vietnam's economic development is evidenced by its diverse array of investments spanning multiple sectors. From pivotal contributions in the energy industry, spearheading innovative renewable energy projects, to bolstering the financial sector with cutting-edge technologies and expertise, South Korean investments permeate various domains including manufacturing, technology, infrastructure, and beyond.

This comprehensive approach showcases South Korea's foresight in harnessing the full spectrum of opportunities in Vietnam, solidifying their position as a strategic partner in the nation's rapid growth and progress.

Vietnam's market becomes ray of hope for South Korean semiconductor manufacturers Vietnam's emergence as a growing market for South Korean semiconductor manufacturers provides a much-needed boost amidst sluggish chip demand in China.
On June 16, VIR held a talk show themed New Opportunities in the Job Transition with a focus on finding potential areas and solutions for sustainable jobs for employees, especially workers whose jobs have been cut in the textile and footwear sectors.

There are signs that workers are keen to transition to other areas of employment, photo Chi Cuong

At the event, Hoteljob.vn CEO Le Quoc Viet, who also runs Vieclamnhamay.vn, and said that labour recruitment demand among enterprises on Vieclamnhamay.vn has fallen to one-third, while the demand for jobs of workers has tripled, according to his websites statistics from April to the middle of June.

According to a survey on the opportunity and need to change jobs of workers by Vieclamnhamay.vn involving two online worker fanpages, conducted from April to mid-June with about 1,000 people, up to 83 per cent of those surveyed are unemployed. Among them, nearly 40 per cent are from sectors that are undergoing sharp cuts such as electronics, textiles, and footwear.

The survey results also showed that out of 77 per cent of workers in need of assistance in finding a job and training for new career transitions, over 40 per cent want to work in the tourism industry.

Tourism is recovering quickly and creating an attractive job market to make up for the large loss of staff during the pandemic, although it has not yet fully recovered, Viet commented.

The tourism industry is short of about 485,000 employees for its tourist accommodation centres, according to statistics from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT). It is forecasted that by 2025, the demand for accommodation workers will be more than 800,000 people and more than one million in 2030. On average, this field needs to add more than 60,000 workers each year.

Tourism includes a variety of positions that range from entry-level to leadership roles except for management positions, other positions can be trained for a short time and can work immediately after training. It is possible to convert jobs for workers working in other fields to tourism because this industry is in a hot development stage, so it needs a lot of human resources, said deputy director of the Hotel Department under the VNAT, Nguyen Thanh Binh.

Trinh Cao Khai, rector of Hanoi Tourism College, said that factory workers could move into the tourism sector if the transition is carefully prepared.

Labour in the manufacturing industry has good pressure resistance and high discipline, which are necessary factors for working in the service industry, Khai said.

Just be ready, and after a short professional training course and a short practice time at service businesses, they can equip themselves with basic skills to enter a new profession.

Nguyen Hoang Ha - Programme officer, International Labour Organization in Vietnam One of the challenges of the local labour force is the failure to meet the demand of enterprises, especially foreign-invested companies. At present, the labour force with certificates and being methodically trained account for just over one-quarter of the total labour force. It is also a common pending issue in many other developing countries. Thus, one of the important requirements is to improve the manpowers quality and the authorities have to build an overall strategy for this work. This requirement become more urgent in the context of Industry 4.0. It is also necessary to build basic skill groups to train employees so that when they are laid off, they can apply these basic skills to a job in another sector and catch up with the other work in a short time. Another factor to improving the labour forces quality is to create an environment for people to explore their personal capacity. Nguyen Thanh Binh - Deputy director of Hospitality National Administration of Tourism There is still a shortage of workers in tourism and hospitality. The recruitment of the experienced and qualified labour force has yet to meet the demand because the people who were laid off in the pandemic changed their jobs, impacting tourisms quality of service. Thus, increasing the quantity and improving the quality of human resources is an urgent requirement. Vietnam has become a particularly attractive destination, belonging to the group of 30 countries with the worlds leading competitiveness in terms of the tourism sector. Tourism workers need three factors: knowledge, skill, and a good attitude. Each job position from top to bottom in this sector needs particular knowledge and skills. It is possible to move people from other sectors to offset the shortage in hospitality; however, they need to be trained and practice methodically within 3-6 months. Nguyen Thu Huong - Senior programme manager Oxfam Vietnam There is a reality that a part of workers still have a low income, do not have money saved, and even have to look for loans to make a living. Authorities should review the effectiveness of vocational training programmes. The training courses need to be methodical, synchronised, and systematic countrywide. The vocational training facilities also need to update the recruitment markets demand to build suitable training programmes. They have to train what the market needs instead of training what they have. For example, the current trends are green economy, automation, digital transformation, and net zero, and they should catch up with the trends to provide a suitable workforce. The collaboration between these facilities and business communities will contribute to fostering the effectiveness of training programmes. Le Quoc Viet - Founder & CEO Vieclamnhamay.vn & Hoteljob.vn It is possible to take advantage of the labour surplus in industrial parks to offset the shortcoming in terms of hospitality. The important thing is how to train them effectively. An effective solution is the connection of recruiters, the labour force, and vocational training facilities. We are trying to become a bridge for these parties. We also need to have solutions to help people who have been dismissed, to help access recruitment information as much as possible. We open portals to consult people, listen to them about their capacity, experience, and expectations about a new job, and then we connect them with suitable businesses. Short-term training courses which last for one month for people wanting to improve their skills and capacity designed flexibly in order that they can work half of the day and study for the remaining half. Trinh Cao Khai - Rector Hanoi Tourism College Many manufacturers are proactive in inviting experts and lecturers from universities and colleges to directly go to facilities to train their employees. To expand this work, the mindset of leadership is a crucial factor and they also need the support mechanism from authorities. We also see that workers in industrial parks often have a trend to change jobs when they are over 40 years old. There is potential for them to work in tourism and hospitality. However, it needs the readiness of labourers to join training courses as well as the readiness of businesses in these sectors. The pending issue in recruitment is the lack of connection between labourers, training facilities, and firms. If entire labourers are trained in basic skills and the connection between parties is close, taking advantage of the labour force between sectors is more feasible.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said Friday that more than 30 letters containing suspicious white powder were sent to lawmakers and other public officials across Kansas.
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates  On a boat off the coast of an island near Abu Dhabi, marine scientist Hamad al-Jailani feels the corals, picked from the reef nursery and packed in a box of seawater, and studies them carefully, making sure they havent lost their color.

The corals were once bleached. Now they're big, healthy and ready to be moved back to their original reefs in the hope they'll thrive once more.

We try to grow them from very small fragments up to  now some of them have reached  the size of my fist, al-Jailani said, who's part of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi's coral restoration program.

The nursery gives corals the ideal conditions to recover: clear waters with strong currents and the right amount of sunlight. Al-Jailani periodically checks the corals' growth, removes any potentially harmful seaweed and seagrass, and even lets the fish feed off the corals to clean them, until they're healthy enough to be relocated.

The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, or EAD, has been rehabilitating and restoring corals since 2021, when reefs off the United Arab Emirates' coast faced their second bleaching event in just five years. EAD's project is one of many initiatives  both public and private  across the country to protect the reefs and the marine life that depend on them in a nation that has come under fire for its large-scale developments and polluting industries that cause harm to underwater ecosystems. There's been some progress, but experts remain concerned for the future of the reefs in a warming world.

Coral bleaching occurs when sea temperatures rise and sun glares flush out algae that give the corals their color, turning them white. Corals can survive bleaching events, but cant effectively support marine life, threatening the populations that depend on them.

The UAE lost up to 70% of their corals, especially around Abu Dhabi, in 2017 when water temperatures reached 37 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit), according to EAD. But al-Jailani said 40-50% of corals survived the second bleaching event in 2021.

Although the bleaching events did wipe out a good portion of our corals, he said, it did also prove that the corals that we have are actually resilient  these corals can actually withstand these kind of conditions."

Bleaching events are happening more frequently around the world as waters warm due to human-made climate change, caused by the burning of oil, coal and gas that emits heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. Other coral reef systems around the world have suffered mass bleaching events, most notably Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

How to limit global warming and its effects will be discussed at length at the United Nations climate conference, which will be held in Dubai later this year.

The UAE is one of the worlds largest oil producers and has some of the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions globally. The country has pledged to have net zero carbon emissions by 2050, which means all carbon dioxide emissions are either slashed or canceled out somehow, but the goal has been met with skepticism from analysts.

But bleaching due to warming weather is not the only threat to coral reefs around the gulf. High oil tanker traffic, fossil-fuel related activities, offshore installations, and the exploitation of marine resources are all putting marine life under intense stress, according to the U.N. Environment Programme, causing them to degrade.

Environmentalists have also long criticized the UAE, and Dubai in particular, for its large-scale buildings and huge coastal developments.

The building of the Palm Jebel Ali, which began more than a decade ago and has been on hold since 2008, caused an outcry among conservationists after it reportedly destroyed about 5 square miles of reef.

"More than 90 million cubic meters (23.8 billion gallons) of sediments were dredged and dropped, more or less on top of one of the remaining reefs near Dubai, said John Henrik Stahl, the dean of the College of Marine Sciences at Khorfakkan University in Sharjah, UAE.

Development company URB has announced it wants to grow 1 billion artificial corals over 124 square miles and 100 million mangrove trees on a 50-mile strip of beaches in Dubai by 2040.

Still in the research and development phase, the project hopes to create 3D technology to print materials that can host algae, much like corals.

Members of Dubai's diving community are also encouraging coral protection efforts.

Diving course director Amr Anwar is in the process of creating a certified coral restoration course that teaches divers how to collect and re-plant corals that have fallen after being knocked off by divers fins or a boats anchor.

I dont want people to see broken corals and just leave them like that," said Anwar. Through the training we give people, they would be able to take these broken corals that they find and plant them elsewhere, and then see them grow and watch their progress.

But experts say that unless the threat of overheating seas caused by climate change is addressed, coral bleaching events will continue to occur, damaging reefs worldwide.

You have to make sure that the cause for the degradation of the coral reefs in the first place is no longer a threat," said Stahl, the Khorfakkan University scientist. Otherwise the restoration effort may be for nothing.

Photos: Coral evolution tweaked for global warming
Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (16 June 2023)

During the past 24 hours, AFU units continued to suffer significant losses as they unsuccessfully attempted to conduct an offensive in South Donetsk and Donetsk directions.

In Vremevka salient, the most active combat operations took place in the areas of Rovnopol and Urozhaynoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic), where five attacks by Ukrainian Armed Forces were repelled as a result of courageous actions by the Russian Vostok Group of Forces, air strikes and artillery fire.

More than 200 Ukrainian servicemen, five tanks, seven infantry fighting vehicles, five armoured vehicles, four motor vehicles, and two mortar batteries have been neutralised in the past 24 hours.

In Donetsk direction, the Yug Group of Forces has successfully repelled five enemy attacks close to Pervomaiskoye, Petrovskoye, and Staromikhailovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic) during the past 24 hours.

Up to 215 Ukrainian personnel, three armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, and two D-20 howitzers.

Moreover, an ammunition depot of the 109th Territorial Defence Brigade was neutralised close to Novogorodskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

In Kupyansk direction, the ground-attack aircraft, artillery and units of the Zapad Group of Forces have foiled actions of two Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups close to Novosyolovskoye (Lugansk Peoples Republic).

Up to 45 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and a U.S.-made M777 artillery system were destroyed during the day.

In Krasny Liman direction, aviation and artillery of the Tsentr Group of Forces engaged the units of the enemy close to Nevskoye, Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic), and the Serebryansky forestry.

During the day, up to 65 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured personnel carriers, one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and one D-30 howitzer have been neutralised.

In Kherson direction, up to 30 Ukrainian troops, five motor vehicles, one Msta-B howitzer, and one U.S.-made M777 artillery system have been neutralised over the past 24 hours.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Group of Forces have engaged 96 AFU artillery units at their fire positions, manpower, and military hardware in 104 areas during the day.

Russian air defence forces have intercepted four HIMARS shells during the day.

In addition, 22 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were obliterated in the areas of Sladkaya Balka, Tokmak (Zaporozhye region), Volnovakha, Artyomovsk, Verkhnetortskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Svatovo (Lugansk Peoples Republic), and Novaya Kakhovka (Kherson region).

In total, 444 airplanes and 238 helicopters, 4,652 unmanned aerial vehicles, 426 air defence missile systems, 10,018 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,124 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 5,128 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 10,983 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

WtR
To support the SPCAs mission to find homeless pets their forever families, Subaru paid for all of the adoptions that took place at the event.
The bill was one of the governors key priorities which he first announced during his first State of the State.
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While Kelley has yet to open up about her new relationship, a source told PEOPLE, 'They met officially at a mutual friends wedding in Mykonos, Greece last summer and rekindled recently.'

Jun 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Kelley Flanagan has found a new man in her life. Months after she broke up with Peter Weber, "The Bachelor" alum debuted her new boyfriend by sharing a cute photo of the two on Instagram.

In the said picture, which was shared on Thursday, June 15, the 31-year-old and her beau could be seen smiling as they stared at each other in matching black outfits. The reality star simply captioned the snap with three red heart emojis.

Kelley's mother, Connie, even gave the new romance a seal of approval. "Great looking couple! Best of the lot! Guy of my dreams for my daughter. Greek, Greek, Greek! What else can I ask for! He's a dreamboat! That's my generation describing one great catch! Go get him Kelley! We're all behind you!" the proud mom replied in the comment section.

While Kelley has yet to open up about her new relationship, a source told PEOPLE, "They met officially at a mutual friends wedding in Mykonos, Greece last summer and rekindled recently." The source added, "They've been together for a couple months now. He's also Greek, and her Greek mother is thrilled to keep the Greek tradition going!"

Kelley rose to fame after landing in fifth place in Peter's season of "The Bachelor". The two began dating in April 2020, but split in December of that year.

In October 2022, Peter let the world know that he and Kelly had gotten back together. At that time, he shared a photo of him holding up his then-partner at Yankee Stadium during a post-season game against the Cleveland Guardians. However, the pair called it quits once again earlier this year.

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For the record, the 'Bloody Valentine' rocker threw a jab at the 'Industry Baby' hitmaker after the latter described himself as the 'hardest white boy' on 'They Don't Love It'.

Jun 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Jack Harlow was aware of Machine Gun Kelly's diss track, but he couldn't care less about it. When addressing the matter, the "First Class" emcee said, "Everyone's entitled to their own opinion."

For the record, MGK threw a jab at Jack after the latter described himself as the "hardest white boy" on "They Don't Love It". On the track, he raps, "Ya boy's strivin' to be the most dominant ever/ The hardest white boy since the one who rapped about vomit and sweaters/ And hold the comments 'cause I promise you I'm honestly better than whoever came to your head right then."

Unhappy with Jack's declaration, MGK dropped a freestyle called "Renegade Freestyle" in which he spits, "I see why they call you Jackman/ You jacked man's whole swag, give Drake his flow back, man." The "Bloody Valentine" rocker continues, "I eat rappers like Pac Man/ Must I regurgitate and show you who's in my stomach from the last dance?"

Responding to the diss, Jack said on "Rap Radar Podcast", "How do you take it in? I guess you just f**king take it." The 25-year-old hip-hop artist added, "Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, and I feel great about what I said, and I feel great about the reaction. It just is what it is."

The "Industry Baby" hitmaker also made it clear that he's not backing down on the title. "It was a stream-of-consciousness sort of verse," the Kentucky native stated. "Not that I don't stand on my statement. I'm an MC! I'm talking my s**t. This is not a new concept to feel yourself. I feel no reservations about what was said at all."

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The 83-year-old actor, who also starred in the TV mini-series 'Roots', declares in a new video that his daughter is 'the one that I would attribute my elderly abuse to.'

Jun 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - John Amos has spoken against his daughter once again. Shannon Amos recently lodged a complaint with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation that her dad was allegedly being abused, but the "Good Times" star believed that she's the one who did that to him.

Making use of Instagram, John's son, K.C. Amos, shared a video of him in a hospital. In the clip, he said, "She would be the primary suspect - if you would... I don't know if that's the right term to use or not. But she's the one that I would attribute my elderly abuse to. It's definitely a case of elderly abuse."

In a statement to PEOPLE, John elaborated, "To all of my fans, I want to share this video with you to show you that I am not in the distressed condition as described in the GoFundMe page." He added, "As a matter of fact, I am doing well."

Just days earlier, John made it clear that he's "doing well." He told the outlet, "To all of my fans, I want you to know that I am doing well. I am not in ICU, nor was I ever fighting for my life. First, I want the GoFundMe campaign about me to stop immediately and the funds subsequently returned to those who made donations. My son and I will reveal more information at the appropriate time."

Shannon, however, took to social media last week to reveal that she'd received a distressing call from her dad. She wrote on Instagram at the time, "On May 14th, I would receive a distressing call, from my dad, sharing that he was hospitalized in Memphis, Tennessee, in immense pain. Despite being out of the country, I arranged for help to reach him. ICU revealed his life hanging by a thread (sic)."

Shannon claimed that her dad - who also starred in the TV mini-series "Roots" - was the victim of "elder abuse and financial exploitation." She wrote, "The past two weeks shattered our world. My dad, a victim of elder abuse and financial exploitation."

"We are collaborating with the Colorado Bureau of Investigations and local authorities, determined to bring the perpetrators to justice. Legal assistance is crucial to ensure their prosecution and protect my father's future," she added. "His home, stripped bare, necessitates a safe space for his return."

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After directing Ezra Miller in 'The Flash', Andy Muschietti will return to DC by sitting behind the lens for a movie that will introduce a new version of the Caped Crusader.

Jun 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - "The Flash" director Andy Muschietti is booked to helm the new Batman movie. Muschietti - who previously sat behind the lens for the two-part "It" reboot as well as 2013's "Mama" - stepped into the world of comic book heroes by taking charge of new blockbuster "The Flash" starring Ezra Miller and now's it's been confirmed he's returning to the DC Universe by taking the reins of a new big screen Batman project titled "The Brave and the Bold".

"We saw 'The Flash' even before taking the reins at DC Studios, and knew we were in the hands of not only a visionary director but a massive DC fan," DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran confirmed Muschietti's long-rumored connection to the project after he finalised a deal to direct the movie.

"It's a magnificent film - funny, emotional, thrilling - and Andy's affinity and passion for these characters and this world just resonates through every frame. So, when it came time to find a director for 'The Brave and the Bold', there was really only one choice. Luckily, Andy said yes. ... We couldn't have better or more inspiring partners as we embark on this thrilling new adventure in the DCU."

Muschietti has already worked with two Batmans - both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck make appearances as the superhero in his movie "The Flash".

"The Brave and the Bold" will introduce a new version of the Caped Crusader as well as murderous youngster Damian Wayne, who is actually Batman's son. He later becomes Robin and eventually takes over the role of Batman himself. When announcing the movie earlier this year, Gunn said of the film, "It's a very strange father-and-son story."

A separate Batman movie starring Robert Pattinson called "The Batman: Part II" is due out in 2025.

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The family of former US military analyst Daniel Ellsberg, who became popular for leaking the Pentagon Papers to the press during the Vietnam War, confirmed his death Friday at 92. Ellsberg was previously diagnosed with "inoperable pancreatic cancer" in March 2023.

"Daniel was a seeker of truth and a patriotic truth-teller, an antiwar activist, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, a dear friend to many, and an inspiration to countless more," the statement read. "He will be dearly missed by all of us."

Military Analyst Daniel Ellsberg Dies at 92

His 1971 disclosure of the Pentagon Papers, which were confidential documents during the time, revealed secrets about how the United States found its way into Vietnam and got stuck there and cast light on how US leaders deceived the country about the casualties in Vietnam.

The release of the documents led to a high-stakes legal battle over the freedom of the press, as well as the downfall of President Richard Nixon over the Watergate scandal.

"He had concluded the violence in Vietnam was senseless and therefore immoral. His conscience told him he had to stop the war," wrote Neil Sheehan, the first journalist who published parts of the Pentagon Papers, in his book 'A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam.'

Ellsberg, a military analyst before the Pentagon Papers, has been disillusioned with the excessive alarmist sentiment of the US government that he decided to become a peace activist later in his life.

Daniel Ellsberg was born in 1931 in Chicago. His first memory was the death of his mother, Adele, and sister, Gloria, after his father, Harry, fell asleep at the wheel of their car in July 1946. Ellsberg went to Harvard and received a doctorate in economics. He also served in the US Marines, becoming a top marksman.

These backgrounds landed him a job as a strategic analyst at the Pentagon, where he met and became close to retired US Army officer John Paul Vann, who led military operations in Vietnam as a civilian. Vann noticed the concerning and misguided American policies in Vietnam and saw Ellsberg as "another [one] in the small band of Americans who dared and cared," according to Sheehan.

In Vietnam, Ellsberg observed the disparity between how the war was being told in the US and the reality on the ground. He also noticed the utter disregard of American troops toward civilians. "Nothing else," he wrote in reflection later, "seemed so purely incomprehensibly evil as the deliberate bombing of women and children."

Read Also: Edward Snowden Aims To Make A Spy-Proof iPhone Case

The Pentagon Papers Saga

Returning home to Washington, Ellsberg was shunned despite his firsthand experience. His disillusionment came to a head after leaking a 1967 report commissioned by then-US Defense Secretary Robert McNamara that sought to trace the history of US involvement in Vietnam and comprehend the ongoing mess. The final report was 7,000 pages long and spread over 47 volumes. Only 15 document copies existed, and all were classified as top secret.

Ellsberg had access to the Pentagon Papers through his job at RAND Corporation and was appalled by the "pattern of deception" US officials were doing at the time, wrote Steve Sheinkin in "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War."

He was increasingly conscious that the Pentagon Papers should be publicized, and he had them photocopied with the help of RAND colleague Anthony Russo in October 1969. He unsuccessfully tried to submit the material to antiwar lawmakers, but they declined.

He then contacted Sheehan, who worked at the New York Times. The newspaper published parts of it beginning on June 13, 1971. When the Times was ordered to stop publishing it, Ellsberg gave some material to the Washington Post, which started its series of articles on June 18. Several newspapers followed suit, and it ended up being mentioned in the US Congressional Record.

The US government was hit with a dilemma of whether or not it could stop newspapers from publishing material in advance. The US Supreme Court opted to hear the case expedited on June 30. The justices voted 6-3 in favor of the newspapers.

"In revealing the workings of government that led to the Vietnam War, the newspapers nobly did precisely what the Founders hoped and trusted they would do," Justice Hugo Black wrote in the ruling.

Ellsberg eventually revealed he was the man behind the leaks. "I hope that truth will free us of this war," he told Walter Cronkite on CBS on June 23, 1971. This led to his arrest at Nixon's behest in September of that year.

Despite this, the charges laid on Ellsberg were dismissed in May 1973, partially due to the revelations of corruption and misconduct by the Nixon administration, which led to Nixon's resignation in August 1974.

Ellsberg's Legacy

Ellsberg remained an activist until the end of his life, with a particular interest in preventing nuclear war and criticizing government outreach and military interventions.

In the 1960s and 1970s, his actions became the subject of several documentaries and films, including "The Most Dangerous Man in America" and the 2017 Steven Spielberg film "The Post." They proved to be an inspiration for the HBO 2023 miniseries "White House Plumbers."

Upon the declassification of the Pentagon Papers in 2011, Ellsberg urged others to follow his example and publish secrets of ongoing US conflicts in the Middle East. "The personal risks are great," he wrote in The Guardian. "But a war's worth of lives might be saved."

He has also been a resource person whenever a whistleblower leaked government or military secrets, such as Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, and Bradley Manning, among others.

Ellsberg did one final interview with Politico's former national editor Michael Hirsh a few months before he died. Despite trailblazing the path towards accountability, he lamented how American society and government remained adamant in its "desire to keep secrets."

"People in all governments in all of history have been willing to take all actions necessary...to keep people from knowing what will lead to their being blamed for a mistake, for a lie, or a crime or their incompetence," he said.

Related Article: Julian Assange Loses US Extradition Challenge
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The 49-year-old adult movie star enjoys cooking delicious food for her partner, finding it satisfying to see her loved one eat the meal she lovingly prepared for her.

Jun 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Jenna Jameson enjoys to satisfy her wife... with her food. The legendary porn star married her partner Jessi Lawless at the Church of the West in Las Vegas, Nevada, last month, and has no lifted the lid on what their home life is like.

Knowing a thing or two about satisfying someone, Jenna says she takes immense pleasure from watching Jessi eat her food. "I'm pretty well-known for being a chef. I cook. So it's my love language, I guess. It's very satisfying to me to watch the person that I love eat the food that I made. I don't know why. So I love doing that," she told PEOPLE.

Despite spending decades having sex on camera, Jenna has claimed that she is really an "introvert." The 49-year-old blonde beauty - the star of such films as "Briana Loves Jenna", "I Dream of Jenna", and "Conquest" - explained, "I'm a homebody. I just like being with Jessi - I guess it's I'm an introvert. I think that so many years of being in the public eye has made me into this person that just enjoys the simple things."

Meanwhile, Jessi described her partner as someone who feels "like home" and she struggles to put her feelings into words. The 40-year-old social media star told the publication, "The very second that I was in her presence - there's something about this woman, there's no words to describe the energy that she has - but the very second that I was in her presence, I was like, 'Oh, f***. This woman was made for me.' Everything about her felt like home."

Since their wedding, Jenna - who has twin sons Jesse Jameson and Journey Jette, 14, with ex-partner Tito Ortiz, and daughter Batel Lu, six, with ex-fiance Lior Bitton - has updated her Instagram page to Jenna Jameson Lawless, calling herself "Jessi's Girl."

She was previously married to Brad Armstrong from 1996 until 2001 and Jay Grdina from 2003 until 2006.

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After police officers watched his social media livestream back on May 6, the 'Wipe Me Down' rapper and his team were found having loaded Glock and Hellcat with them.

Jun 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Boosie Badazz's gun arrest was apparently caused by his own social media livestream. A few days after the "Wipe Me Down" rapper was taken into federal custody outside of a San Diego courtroom following the dismissal of his gun case, the details of his arrest were brought to light.

On Friday, June 16, new documents obtained by TMZ uncovered the reason federal agents arrested the 40-year-old artist, who was formerly known as Lil Boosie. The documents showed that he was charged with gun possession by a felon, similar to his previous case that the San Diego Police Department dismissed on June 14.

Per the federal files, Boosie was spotted with a gun tucked into the waistline of his red pants during an Instagram Live streaming on May 6. As a result, officers from the San Diego PD were sent to pull over a Mercedes SUV car that had Boosie sitting in the back seat. Right before the vehicle was stopped, an officer spotted movement in the back seat that appeared like someone "attempting to conceal firearms or illegal contraband."

After his car was stopped, Boosie assured the officer that he did not have any guns with him, but his guard did. The cop, however, discovered a loaded Hellcat 9mm in his guard's bag as well as a loaded Glock 9mm on the back seat of the car.

Police reviewed Boosie's Instagram Live and found that the loaded Glock matched with the gun tucked in Boosie's waistline. Boosie, his guard and his driver were all arrested. Investigators further claimed that they heard the spitter shouting at the guard, "You told me they were in the bag."

Boosie's June 14 arrest was later confirmed by his representative who released a statement to XXL magazine. In it, his rep stated, "Boosie asks for prayers as he deals with this unfortunate circumstance in his life. He hopes that he can rejoin his family soon and knows that God got him."

The "Out Here Grindin" rapper himself has since apologized to his children via social media. "I WANNA TAKE THIS TIME TO APOLOGIZE TO MY KIDS," he tweeted hours after his arrest. "IM SORRY AND I LOVE YALL FOREVER [folded hands emoji]."

That same day, Boosie put his Rolls-Royce Cullinan up for sale on Instagram. Along with photos showing the condition of his luxury vehicle and its odometer, the hip-hop artist wrote in the caption of his post, "240k CASH DM ME AND SEND ME CONTACT IF INTERESTED!!!! @1saturdays."

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The '7 Rings' hitmaker and her real estate agent husband's marriage 'has definitely taken a back seat' after she lands an iconic role of good witch Glinda in upcoming movie 'Wicked'.

Jun 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Ariana Grande's busy career apparently puts distance in her relationship with husband Dalton Gomez. The "7 Rings" hitmaker and the real estate agent's marriage is strained because of her hectic schedule after landing a role in "Wicked".

"The movie has completely taken over her life," a source said to Radar Online of the film adaptation of the 2003 musical which will see Ariana as Glinda. The source added, "Ariana has been in Australia and England for almost a year, and she still has months left to go. Her marriage has definitely taken a back seat, and it's been a huge strain."

It was said that the couple, who got married in a super secret at-home ceremony in May 2021, hardly enjoyed the newlywed life even before Ariana was cast in the flick. Even when Dalton visits the 29-year-old musician, they allegedly barely get to spend time together.

The source added that Ariana goes all in for her role. "She tries not to speak unless she is filming to preserve her voice, so they hardly talk to each other, either," added the source. While it's good, her commitment to the project puts her connection with her husband to the test.

"While Dalton is used to her career being a priority, his patience has worn thin," the insider noted. "He just wants his partner back."

Ariana's decision to go great lengths for the movie is understandable considering that she's taking on an iconic role. Kristin Chenoweth, who received a nomination for a Tony Award for her role of the good witch in the smash hit musical, shared that the pop star was "really scared" at the idea of taking on the role in the upcoming two-part movie adaptation.

"She didn't call me for advice but she was really nervous. She said she wanted to pay homage to me but said 'I'm really scared, I wanna make you proud.' Well, she's already made me proud. Done. Check," she said on "The Kelly Clarkson Show".

The former "Pushing Daisies" actress, who has known Ariana since she met her backstage at "Wicked" as a young fan almost 20 years ago, urged the "Thank U, Next" hitmaker to make the role her own. "I said 'What I want to encourage you do, Ariana, is make Glinda your Glinda. I want you to do you.' I've known her since I was 10, and now I see the full circle. She called me [crying] like 'I got it!' I went 'Oh my God, what?!' We sounded like dogs! But I'm so proud of her," she shared.

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Cover Images/Abby Grant Celebrity

The 'Yellowstone' actor has been asking the court to get his ex Christine Baumgartner out of their house because she violated the terms of their prenup by refusing to do so.

Jun 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - A lawyer of Kevin Costner's estranged wife has defended her decision not to leave their home amid divorce. Christine Baumgartner's attorney, John Rydell, said the "Yellowstone" actor has no "legal basis" to kick out his ex.

"This RFO (request for order) seeks to kick Christine and their three children out of the house that the children have lived in for their entire lives," John wrote in a court document obtained by Insider. "Although the legal basis for Kevin's request to kick his wife and children out of their home is all but nonexistent, this is still a matter of critical importance for Christine."

Kevin filed his request to kick Christine out of his house because she allegedly violated the terms of their prenup by refusing to do so. According to their prenup, Christine had 30 days to vacate the home he owns and they used to share when she filed for divorce on May 31. However, after more than 30 days, she still hasn't moved out of the house.

The 68-year-old is now asking for the court to get her out, claiming that he has given her over $1 million to find a new place. He goes on to accuse Christine of using her position as leverage to make him agree to her "various financial demands."

Kevin claimed he's already given his ex a whopping $1.2 million per his obligations under the prenup and the amount he's shelled out has grown to around $1.45 million, which he claimed is more than enough for her to find somewhere else to live. He's also willing to contribute as part of his child support obligations $30K per month for a rental house and is willing to advance another $10K for her moving costs.

Christine filed for divorce from Kevin due to his alleged infidelity. His representative, however, has denied the allegation by telling Yahoo, "Any suggestion of infidelity on the part of Mr. Costner is absolutely not true."

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Fathers Day is an exceptional occasion that serves as a heartfelt tribute to the significant role fathers play in shaping our lives. It is a time to honour and celebrate the unwavering love, support, and guidance fathers provide throughout our life journey. On this special occasion, Adgully reached out to leaders of the industry to delve into their profound relationships with their own fathers, share some cherished memories, and also the unique bonds they share with their children. This exploration not only unravels heartwarming tales of love and connection, but also highlights the passing down of legacies from one generation to another.

Bond with their fathers

Ashish Bhasin, Founder of The Bhasin Consulting Group, shared how he used to spend hours with his father, listening to stories of his ancestors and the area he came from. He said, The most recent and refreshing memory was when I took my children to the Sound of Music show that recently came up in Mumbai. I remembered that more than 50 years ago, my father had taken me as a child to watch the Sound of Music movie at Regal. I had a very close bond with my father.

Sandeep Goyal, MD, Rediffusion, shared his fondest memory with his father, saying, I was very young, maybe 3-4 years old. My dad used to have a Rajdoot motorbike. Every morning before leaving for work, he would take me on a joyride on the bike. Every day. Just him and me. I would feel like a prince. It is my fondest memory of him.

As most patriarchs in a family business want their children to join their family business, ProfitWheel Co-Founder Vivek Bhargavas father, too, encouraged him to become an entrepreneur. Sharing what his father said to him, Bhargava said, Chalti Gadi mein toh koi bhi baith sakta hai, tum apna kuch kar ke dikhao. Bhargava recalls, I started Communicate 2 (now iProspect) in 1997, and we struggled for almost a decade. My father faced a lot of criticism for my struggles, and everyone told him that he should let Vivek join the family business. Selling my company to Dentsu sort of vindicated him.

He further shared (with tears in his eyes), After the money had hit the bank, we were sitting together, the sun was setting, and he told me, Beta tum ne meri shyaam rangeen kardi. He passed away the next year, but this memory of him will always be my fondest memory with him.

Sam Balsara, Chairman, Madison World, remembers playing with his father in bed after returning from school in the afternoons. Remember, this goes back 68 years. It is my fondest memory with him, he added.

Bond with their children

Speaking about his bond with his children, Sandeep Goyal said, We are pals. Comrades in arms  both at home and at work.

On the bond that he shares with his daughter, Vivek Bhargava said, I believe my father was perfect, He was my friend, philosopher and guide. I have tried to create a similar bond with my daughter. We learn things together, things like mentalism, stand up comedy, Harvard courses, etc. We both love the finer things in life. The key to a great relationship with your children is respecting them and giving them total freedom, after all it is their life.

Sam Balsara added here, I believe I enjoy a strong bond with both my daughters, and in many ways they are similar to me and like to do the same things. I think the relationship is defined by trust and similar objectives of what we want from life  lead an active, purposeful work life, sprinkled with fun and enjoyment.

Ashish Bhasin said, It is very close, just like the bond that I had shared with my father, I would like to replicate the same with my son as well.

Chip off the old block

Bhasin pointed out that children get influenced by their parents. Every family has a value system. Both my son and daughter share the same value system that I do, which I have inherited from my father. One thing that I have always told them is devotion to duty determines your destiny, so whatever is your duty at that point of time, you have to be completely devoted to that. I find that both my children do carry a value system, that is my motive and both my children live up to that.

My daughter and I work very closely at Rediffusion, said Sandeep Goyal, adding, Shes learning the business very quickly. I see the same traits that made me successful in her too: passion to be the best, innovative and inventive, good client handling skills. And she has genes from my father too: very orderly, very precise and very meticulous.

Vivek Bhargava calls his daughter to be totally a chip off the old block. He added, She has 500k followers on Instagram - she loves the limelight as much as me, she has started her own company  influencive.io, so already an entrepreneur at 20.

I believe all 3 of us are focused on whatever we do and want to do it well, said Sam Balsara proudly of his children. I believe they also have a heightened sense of wanting to do the right thing, he concluded.
Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) has reached an agreement to sell its European broadband retail activities to an experienced private operator. The activities to be disposed of by Eutelsat include the affiliate Bigblu Operations Ltd and the other European retail activities in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, and Greece.

The disposal comes in the wake of the considerable success of Eutelsats wholesale go-to-market model to distribute its satellite broadband capacity over Europe, underpinned by major wholesale deals signed with Orange (France), TIM (Italy), Hispasat (Spain) and Swisscom (Switzerland) for the capacity in their respective markets on the Eutelsat KONNECT satellite. The private operator will also become a wholesale distributor in existing markets.

This strategy will be further bolstered by the entry into service of KONNECT VHTS expected in the second half of 2023, with 230 beams over Europe and MENA, representing a Ka capacity of 500 Gbps, adaptable according to demand and specific needs in each country. Firm commitments have already been secured for part of this incremental capacity by important European telecom operators, (e.g., Orange, TIM or Swisscom), confirming the ability of KONNECT VHTS to provide a compelling and competitive solution for broadband to under-served regions of Europe.
Ember and Wade, the two main characters in Disney and Pixars Elemental, are visual effects in and of themselvesone Fire and one Water. From the outset, director Peter Sohn emphasized Ember is fire (not on fire) and Wade is water (not a vessel holding water), while also challenging the crew to strike a balance between reality and unique stylization.

It was really important for Pete that Ember be made of fire, and that when she moved, she moved in a fire-like way and not adhere to a strict, skeletal structure, visual effects supervisor Sanjay Bakshi explains. For example, when she reaches for something, her arm can stretch and get really narrow, like fire can. Ember needed to be able to really change shape and be amorphous. While our animators have a lot of tools at their disposal to make a character like Ember angryfrom changing her posture, her eyebrows, and her facial expressionwe also wanted to change the characteristics of the fire when she got angry.

Thats where effects supervisor Stephen Marshall and his team came into play. A lot of it was asking ourselves, How do we make Fire and Water sentient characters that have relatable emotions that arent ultra-distracting? Marshall says. We developed a lot of that technology very early on, and it required a lot of facility resources to figure it out. This was technology we had never used before, like machine learning. A lot of it was about blowing up what we knew about our effects pipeline and building a new pipeline around it, knowing we were going to be working with departments we had never worked with before.

In order to realize Ember and Wade, in addition to a complex backdrop, another phase of production was added to run simulations on the characters in every frame of the film. As Marshall notes, filmmakers adjusted their pipeline to allow more time after animation to tackle the massive effects and complex lighting needs. Of course, all of their efforts were in service of the story as artists, storytellers, and technicians worked hand-in-hand to tell the story of a spirited Fire woman and her journey of self-discovery alongside a chill Water guy.

To achieve Ember and the other Fire characters unique, stylized look, Pixar tapped resources at Disney Research Studios in Zurich, Switzerland, to help shape ideas into technological innovations. According to Bakshi, this allowed them to organize the flames into more stylized shapes using a machine learning technique called Volumetric Neural Style Transfer; its something we havent done before. If the flames were too realistic, he adds, it would be distracting and not as illustrative as we would have wanted. Utilizing techniques developed by crowds technical supervisor Paul Kanyuk and the Disney Research Studios team, he says, It organizes the flames into much more appealing shapes. It really unlocked a lot for uslike a magic trick! Theres no other way to do this that Im aware of.

Throughout the production, Marshall adds, There was a loop between technology and the art department trying to discover what was working and what wasnt. It was about getting a bunch of expertsa fire expert, a shading expert, an animation expert, a rigging expert, and a lighting expertin the same room and iterating until we struck the right balance. It was about putting the different technologies together and training them to work together. Were it not for the teams unwavering efforts to balance realism with stylization, Bakshi concludes, I dont think people could connect with the characters on an emotional level.

Disney and Pixars Elemental is now playing in theaters.
Insecticides India Limited (IIL), one of India's premier crop protection companies has launched an anthem for its revolutionary umbrella brand Tractor Brand. The anthem, which also features the brand's ambassador and Bollywood superstar Ajay Devgn, covers several leading IIL products under the Tractor Brand, including Shinwa, Mission, Izuki, Hercules and Sofia. This comes as the company continues to seek more innovative ways to connect to farmers across India and beyond.

The campaign, conceptualized by BEI Confluence, a leading advertising agency with 360 integrated solutions with long experience in FMCG & Agri/Rural Category, would be transmitted across multiple platforms to provide the much-needed education and enlightenment to its teeming farmer population and raise awareness about the Tractor Brand. The anthem comes in a colorful potpourri of dance, music, laughter, and happy faces, performed in multiple languages to appeal to India's incredible diversity.

The bright scenery of the ad triggers an eruptive emotion of joy and abundance, the result that comes from applying the right crop protection products to their farms. IIL has been on a mission to help transform agricultural practices by offering cutting-edge innovation. "Our Tractor Brand is the hallmark of our innovativeness in finding practical solutions to the challenges that farmers face. By helping to protect their crops, and boosting yield, we're playing our role in safeguarding their livelihood and contributing to the rural economy.

"This is why this anthem is necessary and I am happy with its execution. Today Tractor Brand has its credibility and is popular among the farming community now we need to take this relationship to next level. It is a great way to connect with them, and give them a sense of belonging to our Tractor Brand. We hope this will better take our message of the Tractor Brand and help the farmers understand the need to use our Tractor Brand range of products for increased productivity.," said Mr. Rajesh Aggarwal, Managing Director, Insecticides (India) Limited.

The anthem was packaged with a well-thought-out strategy to make it easy for Indians to sing along and have a feel-good feeling, reflecting the brand's desire to uplift the farmer's spirit every time they use a Tractor Brand product. Mr. Aggarwal adds that the overall aim of the company is to extend its support to the nation's agriculture sector by educating farmers on developing sustainable crops, and providing the products that will help them achieve such crops.

IIL has reiterated its commitment once more to agricultural growth through farmers welfare and empowerment. The popularity of the Tractor brand stems from its position to make the mandate of IIL a reality, as well as its "hand-in-hand" with farmer's strategy. The brand hopes that the campaign will be a catalyst as it hopes to consolidate on its 105+ branded formulations, 380+ SKUs, and an impressive FY 2022-23 with about 5 new products and further growth in 2024.
Riding high on the grand opening and outpouring love coming from the audience for Janaki, Kriti Sanon is currently the talk of the town. Winning over the hearts of the people with her dignified persona and effortless dominant sceeen presence, the actress has beautifully captured everyones attention in every frame possible.

The audience from all over the country are in praises of Kriti Sanon being an amazing choice for Sita. In a recent screening done last night, Kriti visited one of the theatres for a special screening with her family where the actress was mobbed by her fans who had raving reviews about her performance. As they right said, Excellent, excellent film. Very beautiful, ver different. Sita is amazing 



In the span of just 9 years, Kriti Sanon has established a name of herself in the Indian Film Industry. The actress is known for her versatility and leaving an imprint of her roles in the minds of the audience.

With so much talent and brilliant acting prowess, the audiences love for the actress just gets bigger with each performance of hers.



On the work front, Kriti Sanon will next be seen in Vikas Bahls Ganpath -Part 1, The Crew starring next to Kareena Kapoor, Tabu and Rajkummar Rao. She also has an untitled project with Shahid Kapoor in the line.
Meta has launched Voicebox, a cutting-edge generative AI model designed to revolutionize the field of speech generation. Voicebox demonstrates remarkable capabilities in audio editing, sampling, and styling, unlocking a wide range of possibilities for creators and users alike.

Voicebox leverages state-of-the-art AI algorithms to perform tasks such as editing, sampling, and stylizing audio content, even without explicit training for these specific functions. By utilizing in-context learning, this groundbreaking model can produce high-quality audio clips and manipulate pre-recorded audio while preserving the original content and style. For instance, Voicebox can seamlessly remove unwanted background noises like car horns or barking dogs, offering a transformative audio editing experience.



One of the most remarkable features of Voicebox is its multilingual capabilities. The model can generate speech in six languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, Polish, and Portuguese. This versatility opens up a world of possibilities for future applications. Imagine virtual assistants and non-player characters in the metaverse speaking with natural-sounding voices or visually impaired individuals receiving written messages from friends read aloud by AI in their own voices.



The potential use cases for Voicebox are vast and include:

1. In-context text-to-speech synthesis: With Voicebox, a mere two-second audio sample is sufficient to match the audio style and use it for text-to-speech generation.

2. Speech editing and noise reduction: Voicebox can recreate interrupted speech segments or replace misspoken words without requiring the re-recording of an entire speech. It acts as an audio editing eraser, effortlessly enhancing the listening experience.

3. Cross-lingual style transfer: By providing Voicebox with a speech sample and a text passage in different languages, the model can produce a natural reading of the text in any of the supported languages. This breakthrough technology fosters authentic communication across language barriers.

4. Diverse speech sampling: Voicebox has been trained on diverse data, resulting in the generation of speech that accurately reflects how people speak in real-world scenarios and across the supported languages.

Meta's Voicebox represents a significant leap forward in the realm of generative AI research. This breakthrough technology not only paves the way for enhanced audio editing and manipulation capabilities but also offers numerous possibilities for enriching human interactions, accessibility, and creative expression.

Meta looks forward to further exploring the audio space. The company encourages other researchers to build upon this work and collaborate in pushing the boundaries of generative AI.
Fox News producer responsible for the chron dubbing President Joe Biden a "wannabe dictator has exited from the conservative network.

The former "Tucker Carlson Tonight" managing editor Alexander McCaskill confirmed that he parted ways with Fox News.

Fox News Producer Out After Biden 'Wannabe Dictator' Incident

A Fox News producer has parted ways with the network after a controversial incident involving a chyron referring to President Joe Biden as a "wannabe dictator." The incident, which sparked outrage and raised questions about journalistic integrity, has left the network grappling with the aftermath of a decision many deem as crossing the line.

According to Associated News (AP), the long-time producer for Tucker Carlson, McCaskill announced his exit from Fox News in an Instagram post following the misleading label against Biden.

He wrote in his recent IG post that "[it has been a wild ten years and it was the best place [I have] ever worked because of the great people I met." He confirmed, "Today was my last day at FOX," noting that he will miss his friends on the network.

As per the Daily Beast, Carlson talked about the incident in his latest "Tucker on Twitter" episode without naming names. The former TV anchor abruptly parted ways with Fox News last April.

He discloses, "The women who run the network panicked." He narrates that the big bosses of the news channel "scolded" the producers who authored the chyron, calling the President a "wannabe dictator."

Surprisingly, DeSantis' close rival in the Republican presidential race, former President Donald Trump, thanked him for the "very insightful" video.

The former Fox News anchor claims that the producer offered himself to stay at the network for two weeks. However, the news channel reportedly asked him to "leave immediately."

Read Also: Fox News Dubs Joe Biden as 'Wannabe Dictator' Amid Donald Trump's Post-Arraignment Speech

Chyron Calls Biden 'Wannabe Dictator' Amid Donald Trump Speech

The chyron, which appeared on Tuesday night, was part of a split-screen broadcast of Biden's speech at the White House and Trump's post-arraignment speech. The chyron read: "Wannabe dictator speaks at the White House after having his political rival arrested."

Variety reports that White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to the incident, calling it "wrong." She says, "There are probably about 787 million things that I can say about this." But despite that, she kept this to herself. In her own words, "I [do not] think [I am] going to get into it."

The right-wing network stated that they immediately took down the misleading chyron, noting that it has been "addressed." The news channel has yet to comment on the revelation of its long-time producer.

Related Article: Biden Bribery Scheme: Audio Recordings with Burisima Exec Prove That Allegations Exist

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Beginning in the first week of July, the Housing Society Cooperation Department will launch a portal for members of state housing societies to register their complaints on the cooperation departments grievance redress portal.

A cooperation commissioner, Anil Kawade, said the testing of the portal is in the final stages and it will be open to the public by the end of the month or by the first week of July.

This will allow housing society members to sit in the comfort of their own homes and register their complaints on the dedicated web portal. The complainant must enter area-specific information, which will then be assigned to the appropriate deputy registrar. The official must respond to the complaint within a certain time frame, Kawade added.

Currently, over 1,500 complaints are filed at the deputy registrars offices each month. The cities with the most complaints are Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nashik, and Aurangabad.

The members will have to log into the online portal and enter their personal communication details along with the society information and the complaint in short. They will also have the option of uploading PDF documents in support of their complaints.
Vending machines are usually filled with salty treats or cold beverages. But what could be sweeter than the gift of knowledge?

Jefferson Countys Childrens Policy Cooperative installed a childrens book vending machine in a local courthouse in May in an effort to give more children free books and help families build at-home libraries.

The childrens book vending machine is an excellent example of community collaboration to support grade-level reading, said Shelly Mize, executive director of the cooperative. Caregivers at Family Court can sign up for a free token and children can use the token to select a book from the vending machine to take home.

The cooperative provides support, information and opportunities for advocates who want to help Jefferson County children. It has partnered with state agencies and the University of Alabama at Birmingham to help more children read and have access to books.

Presiding Family Court Judge Janine Hunt-Hilliard endorsed installing the vending machine, along with other collaborative efforts from Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson (District 2) who provided the initial funding.

Professors at the UAB School of Education helped select book titles along with additional family resources to support reading. Alabama Public Television donated a six-month supply of books geared toward pre-K through third-grade readers.

Presiding Family Court Judge Janine Hunt-Hilliard said she thought court was a good location. Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson provided initial funding for the machine.

The vending machine is located in the second-floor family waiting area of the family court at 120 2nd Court North, Birmingham, Alabama.

If you would like to sponsor childrens books for the machine, you can donate at: jeffersoncountychildren.org or contact Shelly Mize at mizes@jccal.org. For additional information, contact CPC Board Chair Greg Townsend at gcarlostownsend@gmail.com or 205-586-1043.
OK, so it rained. And pretty hard, too.

But that didnt stop Foo Fighters from performing at a sold-out show on Friday at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Alabama. Nor did it prevent about 10,500 fans from waiting out the weather, anticipating a concert by the hard-driving rock band.

A soggy and steamy night in Pelham meant the agenda was delayed for a couple of hours, with opening act The Pretty Reckless starting at about 8:45 p.m., and Foo Fighters taking the stage around 9:45 p.m. But Foo Fighters, led by Dave Grohl, played a full show for all to remember, with more than 20 songs on the setlist.

(See photos of Foo Fighters playing at Oak Mountain in the gallery at the top of this post.)

Related: Your guide to 50+ summer concerts in Birmingham

Thanks for sticking around, Pelham! the band said in a tweet on Saturday. But Foo Fighters fans were unlikely to quit in the face of a little thunder and lightning, as long as the rockers were willing to follow suit.

Thanks for sticking around, Pelham!

Photos Josh Weichman pic.twitter.com/7o8mRFkohV  Foo Fighters (@foofighters) June 17, 2023

This, after all, was a rare appearance for Foo Fighters in Alabama, and a date on their first tour since last years tribute concerts honoring the bands late drummer, Taylor Hawkins. Josh Freese  a studio and touring vet whos played with Nine Inch Nails, Guns N Roses and A Perfect Circle  is at the drum kit now, and Grohl has urged fans to welcome him.

Hawkins, the longtime drummer for Foo Fighters, died in March 2022 at age 50. The musician, who was overseas with the band, had an assortment of opioids in his system, according to Colombian authorities. At the time, Foo Fighters were readying for a headlining set at Lollapalooza Brazil.

Although some fans have been critical of Freese on this tour, it would likely be difficult for any drummer to follow Hawkins, who loomed large as a powerful presence in the band.

The crowd at Oak Mountain seemed to have few complaints about Foo Fighters, though, posting rapturous comments on social media after Fridays show. As a bonus, the concert included an appearance by Grohls daughter, Violet Grohl, who contributed vocals to the song Show Me How. (At least one fan at Oak Mountain captured the moment in a YouTube video. Watch it here.)

Heres a sampling of fan reactions to the show on Twitter:

Thank you @foofighters for going above and beyond as usual. You couldve cut the show short but didnt.you keep coming well keep comingthats the promise.  GeauxTigersGo (@_GeauxTigersGo) June 17, 2023

Awesome show! Thanks for waiting out the rain and giving it your all pic.twitter.com/21a4ivVcwN  Rod (@grc4bama) June 17, 2023

Thank you for the most awesome show ever! It was phenomenal to watch everyone stick to their guns and not leave. Ya'll made it all worth it. pic.twitter.com/RicYeEEK6x  Clark W (@clarkw7766) June 17, 2023

Iconic @foofighters show with my love. We waited out a rainstorm and so worth it  pic.twitter.com/GuF7SAAKjk  Kate Gregory (@k8sg97) June 17, 2023

Foo Fighters at Oak Mountain last night was probably the most fun Ive ever had at a concert. pic.twitter.com/q20JX9VUS9  Jake Quillen (@JCubBraves) June 17, 2023

#DaveGrohl the Badass  blew my mind last night.  I'm so glad I got to cross this one off the bucket list. What an amazing show. Everyone in the band gave truly incredible performances. Thanks for waiting out the storms, @foofighters !!  Julie (@MyCupOfTwinings) June 17, 2023

First time seeing @foofighters was last night at Oak Mountain Amphitheater. The rain didnt stop the show! THE. BEST. CONCERT. EVER!!  pic.twitter.com/aLSNmWq1fN  Heather Hudson (@HMHudson_10) June 17, 2023

Fans also commented on the Oak Mountain show via Facebook:

Thank you. Last night was therapy with the best damn rock band in the world. We LOVE you Foo Fighters! -- Cyd Quick

Such a great show! Fourth time seeing you guys since 1997 and Ill keep coming as long as my heart is still beating and youre still rocking! -- Steven Bennett

Best concert ever! Thx Foo Fighters . Worth the 3 hr wait in my car due to lightning and rain. -- Sherry Tapia

Amazing show! Ill stick around for the Foos always!! -- Jamie Surface Symons

Thank you for an amazing show! Was my 10th show I think, but first waiting out a nasty thunderstorm! Well Worth it! See ya next time! -- Jamie C. Bunch

It was an amazing first Foo experience! Thank you guys for sticking around to give us exactly what we needed!! --Charity Dandurand

Thanks for not cancelling!!! Fantastic show and well worth the wait, even from the nosebleeds! -- Clay Gentry
A Madison County teen died early Saturday in a single-vehicle crash two miles north of Huntsville, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said.

The 17-year-old from the Toney community was fatally injured when the 2015 Hyundai Sonata the teen was driving left the road and hit a telephone pole, ALEA said.

The accident happened on Jeff Road at approximately 4:15 a.m. The teen was not wearing a seat belt.

ALEAs Highway Patrol Division continues to investigate.
A pastors six-minute invocation before the June 6 Mobile City Council meeting included indirect criticism of the LGBTQ community ahead of a public hearing in which speakers blasted an LGBTQ Pride-themed event.

The prayer is now drawing criticism from secular groups and is raising questions about whether the council should even have a pre-meeting prayer.

Related content:

Pastor Travis Johnson of Pathway Church delivered the invocation and asked for prayer in protecting children from ideologies that have zeroed in on them. His remarks drew applause from people attending, many of whom were at the council meeting to oppose an LGBTQ Pride-theme Art Walk and drag queen show on June 9 in downtown Mobile.

The pre-meeting prayer also occurred during a month in which Johnson is highlighting on social media a month-long series of sermons at his church entitled, Awake, Not Woke. The most recent of those sermons, occurring last Sunday, was critical of the LGBTQ lifestyle.

Johnson also used his most recent sermon to criticize Visit Mobile and accused them of using taxpayer funds to promote Pride Month celebrations.

Bad idea

But its his pre-meeting prayer before the council meeting at Government Plaza that is drawing the biggest rebuke this week. Organizations such as Washington, D.C.-based Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF), are calling Johnsons invocation divisive and questioning whether the council should even open their meetings with a prayer.

The questions about the prayer are also likely to come up during an Alabama Queer Town Hall hosted by the City of Mobiles two LGBTQ liaisons at 5 p.m. town hall Thursday at the Innovation Portal in downtown Mobile.

Mobile residents should be able to have confidence that they will be welcomed and treated equally when attending City Council meetings, said Rachel Laser, president and CEO at Americans United for Separation of Church and State. " But that was not the case at the June 6 Mobile City Council meeting, which began with a 6-minute-long, explicitly Christian prayer that included anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.

She added, This is the risk the City Council runs by unwisely choosing to incorporate official prayer as part of its meetings. Invocations, which are almost always delivered by Christian faith leaders, are divisive for residents of different faiths or who are nonreligious. By having an invocation, the Council risks clergy like Pastor Johnson using the platform to advance a personal political ideology. Theres an easy way to avoid this: Stop including invocations in official meetings.

Ashley Flores, spokeswoman for the Mobile City Council in response to Lasers remarks, said shes entitled to her opinion.

Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the FFRF, echoed Lasers comments.

In this instance, it shows how divisive the prayer practice can become, when pastors or other invokers take advantage of the podium to promote political agendas in the name of religion, she said. This kind of prejudicial, inflammatory situation shows precisely why governmental prayer is a bad idea.

Council reacts

Mobil City Council President C.J. Small speaks out in support of an annexation plan during the Mobile City Council's meeting on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at Government Plaza in Mobile, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

The Mobile City Council was confronted about the prayer during Tuesdays meeting, when Mobile resident Elizabeth Luther questioned them about their policy and time limits for the invocation. The council allows the public to speak during the public comment session of its weekly meetings for three minutes but does not have a time limit on pastors during the invocation.

I was watching it and thinking that when it was at three minutes, it would stop, said Luther. It didnt. It went on and on. I was disturbed by that. It didnt seem very positive or uplifting. No one should have a target on their backs just because they are different.

She added, It turned into a sermon and when (Johnson) was finished, he got an applause.

Mobile City Council President C.J. Small told Luther that it was the first time in his tenure on the council that he experienced that, adding we have never came across this before. Small joined the council in 2012.

Clearly, there was an objective behind it, Small said. Its something well look at in the future.

Mobile City Clerk Lisa Lambert said that her office, before each council meeting, speaks with the ministers and ask them to provide a brief prayer. She said there is no time limit imposed.

Flores, the council spokeswoman, said in an email to AL.com on Friday that upon extending the invitation to give the invocation, pastors are told to keep it between three to five minutes.

She said pastors who are chosen to deliver the invocation are referred from a council member or a council employee or from past interactions. There is no rotating roster of pastors who deliver invocations, she said.

Flores said it was unknown ahead of the June 6 meeting that Johnsons invocation was aligned to a sensitive topic that was part of the public comment period later during the session at Government Plaza.

Flores said that Johnson was asked during the month of May to give the invocation. Johnson was advertising the Awake, Not Woke sermon series on Facebook late last month.

Bryan Fuenmayor, an LGBTQ activist who spoke during Tuesdays council meeting, said that allowing Johnson and other pastors to speak is concerning and the process should be addressed.

It makes sense to not have pastors who target marginalized communities in their prayers, Fuenmayor said. Its something Ill discuss (with the City of Mobiles LGBTQ) liaisons at the town hall next week.

Promotion

Johnsons sermon at Pathway Church last weekend also drew questions on whether Visit Mobile should utilize its social media platforms to promote LGBTQ-themed events.

Johnson, during his sermon, pointed to an AL.com article last week that quoted Clark saying Mobile  as a travel destination  aims to promote a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment.

I would like to give the benefit of the doubt to Visit Mobile that this is an oversight or a misunderstanding with our taxpayers money, Johnson said. You wonder what would happen if Pathway Church applied to the city and county saying we want our budgets to be funded exclusively by the city and county taxpayers. You think anyone would be upset with that? I think we should pay our own bills, not our hard-earned tax dollars.

Clark, who stands by his comments following the councils June 6 meeting, declined further comment saying he had not seen Johnsons sermon.

But promoting inclusive travel by destination organizations and convention and visitor bureaus like Visit Mobile is nothing new. Similar organizations in Huntsville, Birmingham, and Montgomery are promoting LGBTQ events on their websites this month.

Destinations International, the global association for destination associations with over 800 members including Visit Mobile, is highlighting equity, diversity and inclusion leadership as one of its 2023 strategic goals.

Johnson questioned, during his sermon, whether promoting inclusivity should be Visit Mobiles role.

This is the Bible Belt, right? Johnson said during his sermon. Whether youre Republican or Democrat, this is a very family-friendly community. But this is what we are going to promote?
A Birmingham man was shot to death Saturday during a domestic dispute inside his home.

Birmingham police identified the victim as Eugene Holiday. He was 71.

Officers were dispatched just after 1 p.m. to a residence in the 4700 block of Avenue T.

Officer Truman Fitzgerald said West Precinct officers arrived to find the victim unresponsive inside. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service pronounced Holiday dead on the scene.

Fitzgerald said it appears the deadly shooting stemmed from a dispute between the victim and his adult son. The suspect fled the scene before police arrived, but they know who they are looking for.

At least one other person was inside the home at the time of the slaying but no one else is injured.

We have a great idea of who we are looking for, Fitzgerald said. This is an isolated incident.

Other family members gathered outside the crime scene. A woman ran into the scene yelling, Thats my daddy.

Fitzgerald said any killing is tragic, especially when it happens during a holiday weekend.

Here you have a father who was shot to death right before Fathers Day. This family will never be the same, he said. This is something theyre always going to have to keep with them every time Fathers Day weekend comes around - theyre going to remember their loved one being taken from them.
A federal judge blocked Indiana's ban on transgender medical care for minors, which prevents doctors from providing gender-affirming care to kids.

The ban also blocked access to puberty blockers and hormones, apart from gender-affirming surgeries.

Federal Judge Blocks Indiana Trans Gender-Affirming Care for Minors Ban

As per a report by USA Today, the law, signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, was set to take effect on July 1. But on Friday, US District Judge James Patrick Hanlon issued an order blocking most provisions of the law.

The District Judge issued a preliminary injunction to a suit filed by transgender youth, their parents, and a medical provider, arguing that the ban violates the US Constitution.

The American Civil Liberties of Union of Indiana legal director, Ken Falk, who represented the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, dubbed the federal judge's ruling a "victory." He says it is "a testament to the trans youth of Indiana, their families, and their allies, who never gave up the fight to protect access to gender-affirming care."

Falk also notes that it serves as a victory as well for those who continue to defend the rights of trans people to express their true authentic selves without grappling with discrimination.

According to The Independent, the US District Judge, appointed by former President Donald Trump, issued the ruling that temporarily blocks the ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth. However, the preliminary injunction skips the prohibition of gender-affirming surgeries for minors.

The ruling comes as a relief for countless transgender youth in Indiana who were at risk of being denied access to the critical care they need. Advocates argue that gender-affirming care is essential in helping trans minors navigate their gender identity and reducing the alarming rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide that disproportionately affect this vulnerable population.

Read Also: Dylan Mulvaney - Bud Light Discussions Banned in Indiana Bar: Here's Why

Indiana's Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

As The Hill reports, Republican Gov. Holcomb signed Senate Bill 480 into law last April.

The bill was supposed to be in effect starting July 1, preventing healthcare providers based in Indiana from administering medical care for gender transition for trans youth.

But hours after signing the law, The ACLU brought the state to court, citing a violation of the US Constitution.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, one of the lawsuit defendants, told The Hill that the ruling, which temporarily blocks the gender-affirming ban, is "a disappointment. However, the Attorney General warns that it is not "the end of the story," noting that they will continue to defend the passed law and "fight for the children."

Related Article: Texas Bans Transgender Medical Care for Kids: the Largest State To Do So?

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and author of Just Mercy, the story of an innocent man on Alabamas death row, said a new rule allowing more time for executions will not solve the states problems with capital punishment.

Stevenson, in an interview with AL.com, said Alabama has not fully explained why it had to stop two lethal injections in progress last year or why a third took more than three hours to complete. In all three cases, the Alabama Department of Corrections said it had difficulty starting the intravenous lines.

If state personnel cannot access someones vein after poking and prodding for two or three hours, they should stop, Stevenson said. And they should stop  not because the clock is running out  but because they do not have the capacity to, in a humane and constitutional manner, carry out that execution. And so I dont think weve solved any of the critical problems that need to be solved by this adjustment.

After the second failed lethal injection in November, Gov. Kay Ivey called for a moratorium on executions for a top to bottom internal review. In February, Ivey announced the review was finished. A new rule adopted by the Alabama Supreme Court gives the state more time to put inmates to death. Instead of limited to a single day, the governor picks a time frame with a 30-day window set by the court.

In May, the governor announced Alabamas next execution, of James Barber, would happen within a 30-hour period that ends at 6 a.m. on July 21. That will end the longtime practice of scheduling 6 p.m. executions that have to be finished by midnight.

I do not believe the problem with any of the executions that we have seen had anything to do at all with the length of time the Department of Corrections had to carry out these executions, Stevenson said. Secondly, theres a reason why we provide clarity and certainty around execution dates. Because a well recognized form of torture is to say, Oh, were going to execute you, but were not going to tell you when. It could be in the next hour. It could be in five hours. And I dont think what were doing is moving in the direction of respect for basic human rights. I think its the opposite.

The moratorium and new rules came after the prolonged execution in July 2022 of Joe Nathan James Jr., followed by the failed attempts to execute Alan Eugene Miller in September and Kenneth Eugene Smith in November. The execution of James started three hours late because of difficulty starting the IV lines. The ADOC called off the executions of Miller and Smith after 11 p.m. because of concerns they would not be finished when the execution warrants expired at midnight.

Ivey blamed the failures on appeals filed by death row inmates. In Millers case, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the execution at 9 p.m., three hours after the scheduled start. For Smith, the Supreme Court lifted the stay on his execution at 10:23 p.m.

Far too many Alabama families have waited for far too long  often for decades  to obtain justice for the loss of a loved one and to obtain closure for themselves, Ivey wrote in a letter to Attorney General Steve Marshall in February, announcing the end of the execution review. This brief pause in executions was necessary to make sure that we can successfully deliver that justice and that closure. Now it is time to resume our duty of carrying out lawful death sentences.

Ivey wrote that she had assurances that the ADOC is as prepared as possible to carry out death sentences going forward, consistent with the Constitution and even knowing that death-row inmates will continue doing everything within their power to evade justice.

Stevenson said Alabamas response to the lethal injection failures is part of a larger problem  a lack of commitment to a humane and constitutional criminal justice system. Stevenson and the the Equal Justice Initiative have taken that position for years and have documented problems in Alabamas prison system that sparked federal interventions. The Department of Justice alleged unconstitutional conditions in the states prisons for men in a lawsuit in 2020, a case that is ongoing.

I dont think theres any question that there has to be a different orientation to how (executions) are carried out, Stevenson said. But I also think the underlying problem, to be honest, you have to care. It has to matter to you that you do things right. This is a global problem with our corrections system. We have one of the highest murder rates in the country. We have an unbelievably high assault rate. We dont have enough staff and so the prisons are not well managed. They are in chaos. And its been that way for seven or eight years.

And you can blame funding, he added. You can blame recruitment. You can blame this and blame that. But the truth is, if you dont care enough, these problems will never get solved. And I just think we havent done enough to express a real commitment to being humane and just.

Marshalls office sent a statement in response to questions about Stevensons comments that Alabamas problems with executions reflect a lack of commitment to a fair criminal justice system.

The State of Alabama will continue to carry out the death penalty, as that is what justice demands, Marshall said. If you commit and are convicted of a capital offense here, then you will receive your just punishment. For that, we offer no apology.

Stevenson said there is a glaring lack of information about why Alabama needs more time to carry out executions after doing it the same way for years..

No one has really talked about the fact that there are dozens of people that have been executed in the state without the problems that weve seen over the last year, Stevenson said. And no one has answered, why now, why are we now having these problems? Weve never needed a 30-hour window before. If youre not prepared to ask hard questions about what are we doing wrong now, whats happening, how are we failing, were not going to get the answers. I just dont think the state has said enough about what the real problems are and how those problems are going to be addressed. So that makes me very fearful and very anxious about any effort to execute another person on Alabamas death row.

With every execution, public statements from the governor and the attorney general focus on the decades it takes to carry out a death sentence, justice for the victims and their families, and the brutality of the crimes. For example, James shot and killed his ex-girlfriend Faith Hall in 1994 after stalking and harassing her, according to court records. Miller killed three men in Shelby County in a shooting spree in 1999. And Smith was convicted in the stabbing and beating death of Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett in 1988, a murder-for-hire committed for $1,000.

Before James was executed, Faith Halls daughters asked Ivey to commute his sentence to life without parole.

With any execution case, I look very closely at the history, the cold-hard facts and all other information or correspondence I may receive, Ivey said after James was executed. I also take deeply seriously the feelings and position of the victims family and loved ones. However, we must always fulfill our responsibility to the law, to public safety and to justice. Tonight, a fair and lawful sentence was carried out, and an unmistakable message was sent that Alabama stands with victims of domestic violence.

Stevenson was asked why the public should care that an inmate who committed a brutal crime suffers because of a prolonged, delayed, or bungled lethal injection procedure.

Because we have to be better than the people who have committed violent crimes, Stevenson said. We cant become murderers and rapists just because someone has committed murder or rape. We dont rape people who have been convicted of rape, because most of us recognize that that would be indecent, that we would lose something valuable, like our dignity and integrity and character and humanity, if we engaged in that. And we cannot replicate the worst behaviors of people in our society and still claim to be an evolved society, an evolved government.

People have done horrific things. But if you simply tolerate their horror by engaging in horror, or respond to their horror with horror, you become more like them than the kind of just society I think most of us want to live in.

Stevenson said the failed and delayed executions and the states response undermine trust in government.

The measure of a government, of a society, you cant measure them by how well they treat talented, gifted, privileged, wealthy people, Stevenson said. The character of a government has to be judged by how you treat poor people. Abused people. Marginalized people. Condemned people. Those are the people that actually reveal what kind of society we live in.

Stevenson grew up in a poor, rural, Black community in Delaware. He came to Alabama after graduating from Harvard Law School and founded the Equal Justice Initiative in 1989. The nonprofit organization represents inmates who are impoverished, reports on violence in Alabama prisons, and opposes the death penalty and long sentences that have filled state prisons beyond capacity.

Stevensons book, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, published in 2014, tells the story of Walter McMillian, a Black man from Monroe County who sat on death row for six years, wrongly accused of the murder of an 18-year-old white woman. Stevenson and EJI helped win McMillians release in 1993. The movie based on the book, Just Mercy, was released in 2019 and featured Michael B. Jordan as Stevenson and Jamie Foxx as McMillian.

Stevenson and the EJI have launched several public projects in Montgomery. In 2018, the EJI opened the National Memorial to Peace and Justice, an outdoor monument to lynching victims, and The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration. In 2021, the EJI reopened an expanded Legacy Museum in a new location.

Related: Slave trade to mass incarceration, museum tells grim truth

More recently, EJI has started an anti-poverty program to help families who struggle to obtain healthy food, and a health clinic for people who have been released from jail or prison.

In May, former Govs. Don Siegelman and Robert Bentley co-wrote an op-ed column published by The Washington Post to express regret for executions during their times as governor. Siegelman and Bentley said the state should commute the sentences of 146 inmates on death row to life sentences, those sentenced to death by less than a unanimous decision by a jury and those sentenced to death by a judge who overrode a jurys recommendation of life in prison.

The Alabama Legislature banned judicial overrides in 2017, but the change was not retroactive. Alabama law requires a unanimous jury verdict for a criminal conviction, but allows for sentencing a person convicted of a capital offense to death by a 10-2 jury vote.

Stevenson said the concerns expressed by the former governors are not unusual for those who have been involved in executions.

What I found interesting about that is that it actually fit the pattern of a lot of people who were involved in this process, Stevenson said. Its not just Governor Bentley and Governor Siegelman. Its wardens who carried out executions for years. Its correctional officers, some of whom have quit as a result of depression and trauma, as a result of being involved in these executions.

I dont think theres a way to kill another human being that we dont have to kill and not have it impact you, to not have it compromise you, to not have it injure you. And for me, its just one other reason why we should abolish this practice of killing people to show that killing is wrong. Because not only do we not advance anything thats moral and just. We create a lot of pain and anguish and injury for a lot of other people, including the participants in that execution process.

Read more: Why is Alabama so bad at executions? They do a terrible job, and they just hide it

Alabama could execute Robin Rocky Myers soon. A juror says hes innocent

Alabamas new execution rule gives state unprecedented power, Equal Justice Initiative says

Alabama faces uncertainty in 2023 after year of death penalty troubles

Alabama Death Row inmate James Barbers execution date set: First to get 30-hour time frame

Bryan Stevenson hopes to use Just Mercy platform to promote reforms
Another national news report late this week dives into the growing Washington battle over moving the military headquarters of U.S. Space Command from Colorado to Alabama.

NBC national security and military reporter Courtney Kubes lengthy and detailed report is headlined, Space Commands leader is building out his Colorado HQ even as Congress tries to force the HQ to move to Alabama. Kube says the basing decision has become a political liability with the Biden administration pushing for Colorado and many senior military leaders standing behind the process that selected Alabama.

Among the issues raised as the decision remains unfinalized are Alabamas strict abortion laws and their possible effect on command personnel and their families and money already spent to upgrade a temporary Colorado headquarters now being promoted as ready to support the command permanently.

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., said this month Space Command commanding Gen. James Dickinson confirmed to Alabamas congressional delegation in a private meeting that the headquarters of U.S. Space Command belongs on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala.

The Republican-run House Appropriations subcommittee on defense went even further Wednesday, Kubes story says, including a provision that (Air Force Sec. Frank) Kendalls decision must be consistent with findings from a Government Accountability Office report and a Pentagon inspector generals review, both of which found Huntsville, Alabama, was the preferable location. The language makes it impossible for Kendall to select any location other than Huntsville.

The story also reports that the headquarters would be at Huntsvilles Redstone Arsenal, where there is no base hospital, leaving staff members and dependents to rely on local civilian medical providers. The military would have to pay for female service members and dependents to leave the state for abortions and some reproductive care.
A woman was hospitalized Friday after she drove over the cliff in Bluff Park.

Firefighters and police officers from Birmingham were dispatched about 2:15 p.m. to Tyler Road, across the street from Mr. Ps.

Authorities said the woman left the roadway for an unknown reason and plunged about 60 to 70 feet down the ravine. Her vehicle landed on its side.

A woman was injured when her car plunged off the cliff in Bluff Park on Friday, June 16, 2023. (Carol Robinson)

Firefighters used a haul system with a stretcher and a rope to pull her up to the waiting rescue unit.

She was out of the car and on the way to the hospital within 15 minutes.

She suffered a head laceration but is expected to be OK.
A Florida sheriffs deputy is being praised for his exceptional courage after rescuing a victim trapped in flood waters when both he and the victim were sucked into a drainage pipe before emerging on the other side of the highway.

I almost died, the man rescued by Escambia County Sheriffs Deputy William Hollingsworth says shortly after their ordeal early Friday morning on U.S. 98, which was captured on Hollingsworths body camera.

On Friday afternoon, the sheriffs office released Hollingworths body cam.

The sheriffs deputy exited his patrol vehicle to approach the citizen, who was trapped in rising flood waters.

Hollingsworth then saw the man go underwater when he rushed to the victims aid without regard for his own safety, the sheriffs office said.

During the rescue attempt, both men were sucked into a drainage pipe and swept underneath U.S. Highway 98.

I never held my breath like that in my life, Hollingsworth says in the footage.

After traveling nearly 100 feet underwater, they reemerged about 30 second later on the other side of the highway.

The sheriffs office hailed Hollingsworths rescue as an example of the exceptional courage displayed by the men and women of law enforcement every day.

The storms that hit the panhandle included two tornadoes in the area that left one person killed. Another person was also struck by lightning.
The A&E documentary special, Exposing Parchman is set to premiere Saturday, June 17 at 8/7c.

According to A&E, Exposing Parchman is an investigative documentary that explores the efforts to reform the Mississippi correctional system led by a team of attorneys on behalf of the inmates of Parchman Prison.

The film tells the inside stories of the families, the legal team and Roc Nation across three years of legal battles to end the deadly conditions for those incarcerated at Parchman, the series description states.

Exposing Parchman will also include interviews from Shawn JAY-Z Carter, Mario Yo Gotti Mims, U.S. Representative Benny Thompson, family members of incarcerated individuals, activists and more.

Where can I watch Exposing Parchman without cable?

Those who want to watch tonights documentary special, but have already ditched regular cable, can stil live stream the premiere with Philo, Sling or DirecTV Stream.

If youre unsure which live streaming service to go with, heres a quick rundown.

What is Philo?

Philo is one of the cheaper live-streaming services available as it allows users to stream over 70 live TV channels for only $25 a month.

Popular channels offered with Philo include MTV, VH1, AMC, HGTV, the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, CMT, BET, TLC and more.

First time subscribers can also take advantage of Philos 7-day free trial and stream for free before making any commitments.

What is Sling?

Sling is also considered one of the cheaper live-streaming services available.

It offers three different channel packages, Sling Blue and Sling Orange that are each $40 a month and Sling Orange + Blue that is the first two channel packages combined for $55 a month.

However, youll need a Sling Orange or Sling Orange + Blue subscription to access A&E and watch the Exposing Parchman premiere live.

Be sure to check out the full breakdown between Slings channel packages here.

What is DirecTV Stream?

DirecTV Stream is for those looking for a cable alternative with more channel options. Its base channel package comes with over 75 live channels for $64.99 a month after its free trial.

Popular channels that come with DirecTV Stream include FOX, CBS, Showtime, NBC, ESPN, ABC, A&E, TLC, Food Network and more. The streaming service also allows its users to watch certain content on-demand and comes with the option to record your favorite TV shows.
As radio personality Jesse Kelly remarks on Twitter, there are two ways to view what is happening with Donald Trump right now:

Either you see what's happening to Trump as being about Trump or you see it being about a weaponized government planning to make any opposition a crime. Only one of those views is correct. You don't have to be a Trump fan to see it's the latter.

For most Americans who've paid the slightest bit of attention these past years, that's an obvious statement. But as George Orwell said of his own time, we've "sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men."

That particular phrase derives from a 1939 review of the book Power: A Social Analysis (1938), by Bertrand Russell. What makes his observations interesting, and why it serves as another example of Orwell's prescience, is how precisely his commentary reflects what we are witnessing at this moment.

While he offers praise to Russell as among the most "readable of living writers," and notes that his not being in jail signifies "that the world is still sane in parts," he does critique his "pious hope" that the madness of the world in 1938 could not endure, much less descend into a deeper madness. "He is inclined to point to the past," Orwell writes, and to say that "all tyrannies have collapsed sooner or later," and "there is no reason to suppose [Hitler] more permanent than his predecessors."

Americans today, like Russell, cling to the fading hope that common sense will prevail and that the weaponization of our institutions and our obvious march toward an authoritarian state cannot continue. And Orwell wouldn't have been surprised, given the extent to which he feared the potential for tyranny represented by "radio," at the algorithmic propaganda dissemination that we've seen tech companies employing in collusion with the federal government, coupled with the unchecked government control of the education system. Add to this the potential for tyranny in deepfake technology and the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, and it becomes clear that all signs, as Orwell recognized in 1939, point to things getting significantly worse before they get better.

Our once-free citizenry no longer has any means of holding our representatives accountable. Americans have never had less faith in the integrity of the electoral system, but even if we could trust election results, the truth is that we live under the rule of faceless, unelected politburos that are immune from any efforts toward accountability via the ballot box. These institutions exact punishment upon anyone who dares to oppose the growing power of the government.

It has been that way for some time. Consider the now largely forgotten revelations that the Obama administration, in the years leading up to the 2012 election, weaponized the IRS to go after his political opponents. Forty years earlier, an allegation that Nixon "attempted to misuse" the IRS for political purpose constituted the second of three articles of impeachment brought against him. Where Nixon failed, Obama had "very effectively screwed Obama/Biden's political opponents," writes attorney Cleta Mitchell, who investigated this criminal conduct of the IRS.

We know there was subversive and damaging criminal conduct, but Obama escaped accountability for two reasons. The first is that the media had no interest in pursuing anything that would damage their anointed leader, and in fact, they supported his weaponizing our institutions against their mutual enemies in the Tea Party, whom both the Obama administration and the media viewed as "domestic terrorists."

The second reason is that the media running cover for the administration allowed for an unconvincing, but very effective, defense mechanism. Obama rushed to claim ignorance as to what had happened within his own agency. If the American people demanded accountability, they'd have to look to those directly overseeing IRS. Obama then set his Department of Justice, headed by his self-described "wingman" Eric Holder, to investigate the head of his IRS, Lois Lerner. After 12 months of searching for evidence, wouldn't you know it? It was announced that 28 months of her emails had been lost. Whoopsie-doodles!

Cleta Mitchell "regarded the politicization of the IRS as the most dangerous change in her lifetime and perhaps in the history of the U.S. because Obama/Biden did liberals' bidding and the press was willing to endure a wide variety of their non-democratic, dangerous practices." She's not wrong, most importantly because it set a precedent that has only gotten worse.

When Hillary Clinton was accused of using a private email server to conduct business during her time as secretary of state, her emails were subpoenaed by the State Department. These emails were of particular interest due not only to their sensitive nature, but also to allegations of bribery and influencing-peddling involving the Clinton Foundation, a name that had all but become synonymous with corruption by that time. Rather than surrendering them, though, she and her lawyers destroyed 30,000 emails, citing without evidence that they were of a "personal nature." They used a "digital shredding" mechanism called BleachBit to do the deed, so that "even God couldn't read them," as Trey Gowdy said. This is the purposeful destruction of evidence, and once again, the Justice Department shrugged its shoulders at obstruction of justice that would have carried a long prison sentence for anyone not under its political protection.

Donald J. Trump's election in 2016 was the American people's defiant scream in opposition to the corruption of the Obama years. The media and Obama-era institutions' efforts to destroy him and anoint Hillary Clinton as a continuation of the Obama era had proven futile.

The left would have you believe that Trump was a radical tyrant bent on destroying norms, but in reality, he made efforts to return to the pre-Obama norms. For all his bluster in 2016, he did not aggressively seek to prosecute Hillary Clinton, though she and the media set to work in convincing the American people that the Trump presidency was illegitimate. They refused to make the same mistake in 2020 and set in place an elaborate conspiracy to elect Joe Biden as president.

This isn't a conspiracy theory, mind you, because the conspirators are so brazen and unfearful of any reprisal that they openly proclaim the methods involved in the conspiracy. "A well-funded cabal of powerful people," wrote Molly Ball at TIME, worked "behind the scenes to influence perceptions, change rules and laws, steer media coverage, and control the flow of information" in order to prevent Trump from winning in 2020.

Joe Biden's election* allowed for a return to Obama-era corruption and guaranteed a continuation of the rot in our institutions that had taken hold during the Obama administration. As such, his Justice Department has now indicted Donald J. Trump, Biden's chief political rival for the presidency in 2024, for mishandling of classified documents.

Meanwhile, ample evidence has arisen that Joe Biden had taken part in a complex bribery and money-laundering scheme involving Ukrainian energy company Burisma and his son, Hunter. There appear to have been seventeen audio recordings of conversations between Hunter and a "foreign national" who kept the recordings as an insurance policy. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) alleges that not only did the FBI hide Document 1023, which details the corruption, from Congress, but when it was submitted, it was "filled with redactions," including a redacted reference to the "foreign national who allegedly bribed" the Biden family.

In other words, the Justice Department is actively covering up evidence of a bribery scandal involving the sitting president, while aggressively trying to imprison the former president (and the administration's top political opponent) for allegedly committing the same crime that the Justice Department was uninterested in investigating when Hillary Clinton was accused of it, though she purposefully destroyed the evidence "in such a way as to preclude complete forensic recover," according to thenFBI director James Comey.

We all know what this means, but we watch helplessly as our beloved country descends deeper into tyranny. If we Americans saw any foreign nation whose dictator did what Obama did to throttle conservatives in 2012, we'd have accused it of being a banana republic. We now live in something beyond a banana republic  a tyranny in which the government exists only to serve its own ends and to punish enemies of the state. And while most Americans maintain a "pious hope" that the world will cure itself of its current madness, and that this doesn't mean eventual gulags for the parents who don't submit to the government's claim that their little boy is actually a little girl (i.e., that "two and two make five"), the fact that Donald Trump is facing the very real prospect of dying in a jail cell while Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton will likely never have to answer for their crimes should crush that hope for even the most optimistic of our countrymen.

Image via Pxfuel.
(Photo : GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images)

As African leaders visited Ukraine on Friday, at least two explosions shook Kyiv and air raid sirens blared, sending them to bomb shelters.

Russian hypersonic and cruise missiles bombarded Kyiv as a delegation of African leaders and senior officials arrived in Ukraine to discuss peace options.

The dignitaries, including the presidents of South Africa, Senegal, Zambia, and the Comoros Islands, visited Bucha, a Kyiv suburb where the bodies of slaughtered civilians, some bearing signs of torture, were discovered in the streets last year after the withdrawal of Russian troops.

Russia Bombs Kyiv

While in Bucharest, the African officials lit candles at a modest memorial in front of St. Andrew's Church, close to one of the mass grave sites. After that, sirens began to sound in Kyiv. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported an explosion in one of the city's earliest communities, Podilskiy.

Six Russian Kalibr cruise missiles, six Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missiles, and two reconnaissance drones were destroyed, according to the Ukrainian air force. There have been no reported fatalities, according to NY Post.

However, two children and an elderly woman were injured in the attack, and more than thirty homes were damaged in the Kyiv region as a result of the airstrikes, according to Andriy Nebytov, the local police commander.

On the eve of the arrival of the African delegation, Ukrainian forces continued their newly launched counteroffensive, which has already resulted in the recapture of at least even settlements.

Two persons were slain and two others were injured in Kherson as a result of Russian shelling; in a separate incident, a man was injured in the Zaporizhia region.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged a group of African leaders to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to release political prisoners from Crimea and elsewhere, stating that it could be a crucial part of their Saturday travel to Russia.

Read Also: Xi Jinping Meets 'Old Friend' Bill Gates as US-China Tensions Intensify

African Leaders Promote Peace Plan

On Friday, seven African leaders, including the presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa, and Zambia, as well as Egypt's prime minister and top envoys from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, visited Ukraine as part of a self-proclaimed "peace mission" to both Ukraine and Russia in an effort to help end their nearly 16-month-long war.

Per Washington Post, the African leaders were scheduled to meet with Putin in St. Petersburg, Russia. The mission to Ukraine, the first of its kind by African leaders, comes in the wake of other peace initiatives such as one by China, and it carries extra significance for the African countries: They rely on food and fertilizer deliveries from Russia and Ukraine, whose war has hindered exports from one of the world's most significant breadbaskets.

"This conflict has a deleterious impact on Africa," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a news conference with Zelensky and four other African heads of state or government on Friday afternoon, following closed-door discussions.

Ramaphosa and others acknowledged the ferocity of the conflict and the animosity between Russia and Ukraine, but insisted that all hostilities must come to an end - something the delegation hopes to hasten.

Related Article: Vladimir Putin Assassination Plot Prompts Russian Agents To Shut Down Internet Amid Fears of Ukraine Drone Attack

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
In times like these -- especially during Pride Month -- its uplifting to encounter someone like Bill Whatcott, who has won against a tyrannical government pushing LGBT madness.

Canada has been even more militant than the U.S. against citizens who push back against that ruthless agenda. Canada has no First Amendment. And its Charter Rights that should guarantee free speech are easily ignored.

On July 3, 2016 the annual Toronto Gay Pride Parade took place. It was one of the foulest imaginable. It included blasphemous anti-Christian imagery, groups of completely naked men marching in front of young children, and much more. Prominent parade marchers included Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Premier of Ottawa, and the Attorney General of Canada.

Bill Whatcott and several friends registered to march in the parade under the name Gay Zombies Cannabis Consumers Association. They dressed in head-to-toe green bodysuits. As they marched, they handed out 3,000 safe sex packets to onlookers.

Inside each packet was a folded two-sided flyer that included medical-related information, graphic images of the medical consequences of homosexual behavior, and positive religious messages. It also denounced the prominent political figures for their public pro-homosexual activism.

If Bill and his friends had done this in any U.S. gay pride parade, they would just be banned from future parades and the officials would complain to the media. But this was Canada.

A month after the parade, some prominent homosexual activists held a press conference announcing the lawsuit in the press gallery of the national Canadian Parliament in Ottawa. They announced they had filed a $104 million civil lawsuit charging Whatcott and his supporters with defamation, conspiracy, and intentional infliction of mental suffering.

The purpose of the $104 million claim, they said, was to smoke out and extract monetary damages from the wealthy financial backers of Bill and his group. They assumed that Bill was being bankrolled by a cabal of big right-wing donors -- because thats how the Left does things. But in fact, the Gay Zombies accomplished their mission on a shoestring budget, funded by the participants themselves. (Bill freely admitted his role, but refused to name the others -- who are unknown to this day).

As the lawsuit dragged on, it become clear that there were no wealthy right-wing donors to go after. In 2019, after three years of effort, the gay activists dropped the lawsuit.

But as that lawsuit was dying, the Ontario government decided to jump into the fight. In June 2018 (two years after the parade incident!), the Ottawa attorney general formally charged Bill with the crime of inciting hatred under Canadas criminal code.

The AG then issued a nationwide arrest warrant for Bill, who was living in Alberta. In Canada, that kind of warrant is reserved for very serious crimes like murder. They could have just called him or contacted his lawyer. So Bill travelled to Calgary to turn himself in at the local police station -- while supporters (including well-known Pastor Art Pawlowski) protested outside.

Bill was held in custody for four days while being transported to Toronto. Calgary police denied him food and his blood pressure medicine for 24 hours. He was also denied sleep for 24 hours.

At the bail hearing the prosecution insisted on a gag order to protect gays from psychological harm. Bill refused those terms, and the judge finally ruled in Bills favor.

Bill was then fired from his truck-driving job (the company refused to give a reason) and was banned for life from using GoFundMe to raise money.

Bill fought back. John Rosen, the most prominent criminal defense attorney in Canada, agreed to represent him -- if Rosen could get a government subsidy (since Bill had no money). Rosen is a true liberal -- he does not necessarily agree with Bills opinions, but he believes in free speech. Rosen was granted the subsidy, and he got to work.

Then came COVID. Criminal trials across Canada for drug offenses, property crimes, and even sexual assaults were simply cancelled. But not Bills trial. The government was determined to convict him.

On Oct. 4, 2021, Bills eight-day trial for willful promotion of hatred finally started. Because of the unfriendly Canadian jury laws, Rosen declined a jury trial.

The Ottawa AG offices prosecution was very aggressive. But Rosens defense was brilliant.

The AG brought in an infectious disease doctor as an expert witness to testify that Bills medical claims were incorrect. But Rosen cross-examined her and forced her to admit that Bills information was actually reasonably accurate.

Rosen brought in a professor of theology and ethics at McGill University who testified that the religious elements in Bills flyer were not hateful, but consistent with Judeo-Christian tradition.

The AG attempted to bring in a leftist gender professor from York University as an expert witness on anti-gay discrimination. Rosen successfully argued that the professor was too biased to qualify as an expert witness.

In their closing arguments, the AG attempted to establish that Bill had spread dehumanizing propaganda that demonstrated his underlying hatred. Rosens rebuttal skillfully took those arguments apart.

All this judicial expense, effort, and drama was basically about a flyer handed out at a parade four years before.

On Dec. 10, 2021, the judge delivered his 23-page verdict: Not guilty! After five years and enormous expense to the government, the effort failed.

But Bills ordeal wasnt over. Two weeks later, on Dec. 24, 2021, the AG filed paperwork to appeal the Not guilty verdict!

The U.S. Constitutions Fifth Amendment prohibits putting a person on trial twice for the same crime. In Canada, if a court acquits a defendant, the prosecution can appeal and try to convict him again.

On January 5, 2022, AGs office filed its 45-page formal appeal. It appears to basically be a gay-activist approach to attempt to discredit the judges decisions during the trial and his ultimate ruling.

On May 16, 2022, Attorney Rosen filed a detailed 37-page response. It meticulously debunks all the AGs reasons for appeal and demonstrates that the judged acted properly in every instance.

The appeals trial will take place this month -- on Wednesday, June 21, 2023.

Attorney Rosen and his staff have put months of work and expense into preparing for this trial, though Rosens government subsidy does not extend to the appeal. The money to pay for it will come from whatever Bill can raise. This work would normally cost at least $100,000. But they are willing to charge half their rate. The case could theoretically go all the way to the Canadian Supreme Court.

As we all know, the wealthy donors of the Left generously fund all their criminal legal cases -- from Antifas destruction, to illegal aliens crimes, and everything else in between. But there are no wealthy conservatives willing to fund our side -- as the J6 defendants have found out. Its no different in Canada.

LifeSiteNews has set up a funding page for Bill. Over the last several months he has raised about $21,000 from individual supporters. Bill Whatcott -- and John Rosen -- are doing Gods work. Any donations to Bill would be greatly appreciated.

Brian Camenker is President of MassResistance, a national pro-family activist group.

Image: Keepcases
If Donald Trump wants an encore performance in the Oval Office, he has a vulnerability that he needs to address. It isn't classified documents, election interference, hush money to a washed-up porn star, or urinating Russian hookers. It's his response to the COVID pandemic.

Republican voters seem to be forming into four major groups. There is the "NeverTrump" contingent of establishment Republicans. Their hatred of Trump supersedes their conservative principles (looking at you, Bill Kristol). They would vote for Josef Stalin before they'd vote for Donald Trump.

Next are the MAGA loyal  the "only Trump" contingent. They think The Donald is the universal solution to every American problem. They would vote for Trump even if he ran on a platform of sacrificing virgins to the sun god to reverse global warming  sorry, climate change.

There are the undecided conservatives who have no particular hatred or affection for Trump but fear for our country and want whoever will defend it best. They're waiting to see how the primaries play out.

Finally, there's a fourth group, which isn't being addressed by the media much. It comprises the former Trump voters who have soured on him because of the pandemic response he triggered. When Donald Trump announced "two weeks to flatten the curve,"  and Democrat governors took it as a green light for two years of feeding their God complex  people lost livelihoods, property, educations, family fortunes, and personal freedoms. I receive tons of email from people who voted for him in 2016 and 2020 but claim they will never vote for him again  because the pandemic protocols ruined them. That's a problem that Donald Trump needs to address.

No one (except the Dems) is accusing Trump of being a Bond villain, determined to destroy anyone not current on his Mar-a-Lago country club dues. It's hard for a CEO of such a vast enterprise to know if every "public servant" is really serving the public. People might be inclined to give the Donald a pass for the misdeeds of Anthony Fauci, if it weren't for his constant plea for credit. If he demands recognition for the "greatness," he also gets blame for the not-so-great. That leaves the fallout from the COVID pandemic hanging around his neck like an anchor.

But rather than address the mistakes that were made, and showing sympathy for the devastation it wrought, Trump is on the campaign trail claiming that the MAGA vaccine could have never been deployed without his MAGA leadership. He's demanding credit for the vaccine that doesn't prevent the illness, or prevent the spread of the virus, but which may have dangerous side-effects (see, for example, my vax story).

We don't know the whole truth about COVID yet  and neither does Donald Trump. But it's starting to look as though the truth is too big to hide much longer. It's coming out in the drip, drip, drip fashion that the truth always comes out when people who know the truth fear our learning it. Our understanding of what may turn out to be the biggest scientific scandal in history is slowly evolving.

We were told that COVID was a spontaneous variant that occurred in a Chinese wet market and did not originate in a lab. Now we know that was false.

We were told that the NIH ceased doing gain of function research when Barack Obama banned it. Now we know that the NIH just changed the name and funneled gain of function grants to the Wuhan Institute of Virology through EcoHealth Alliance.

We were told that COVID may have come from a lab but was not the result of bio-weapon research. The Sunday Times has discovered that the Chinese military collaborated on COVID research, using funding provided by the United States.

We were told that our NIH is staffed by unbiased scientists, concerned only about the well-being of Americans. Now we know that its scientists receive royalties for medical advances made with our money.

Trump's opponents aren't pouncing on him for his COVID response  yet. That would require the sacrifice of a few of their own  those who found the chance to play dictator for a day too tempting to resist. But if they get desperate enough to stop Trump, that will change (see Al Franken). I'd be nervous if I were Gretchen Whitmer, Andrew Cuomo, Gavin Newsom, or the "Big Guy" who tried to mandate the vax.

Trump's Republican challengers aren't attacking him over COVID, either  yet. They're letting him bask in his "greatness" while the drip, drip, drip continues. They may not realize that COVID is Trump's Achilles heel. Or they may just be letting the truth continue to emerge for a few months, waiting for the right time to use it.

Could this hypothetical chain of events become a reality? A House committee completes its investigation of our pandemic response and publishes its final report. The investigation concludes that

Anthony Fauci facilitated the creation of the virus using our tax dollars.

The research was done at a facility with questionable safety protocols and Chinese military connections.

Researchers at the NIH received royalties for vaccine patents  and those royalties were boosted by Joe Biden's mandate.

Anthony Fauci used his position at the NIH to hide his involvement in the greatest humanitarian crisis in recent history  which resulted in almost 7 million deaths worldwide and incalculable financial damages.

An hour after the House report drops, Ron DeSantis releases a campaign video about Trump awarding a Presidential Commendation to Anthony Fauci for his "service" during the pandemic.

The media may want to hold off on those DeSantis political obituaries  at least until the drip is over.

John Green is a political refugee from Minnesota, now residing in Idaho. He has written for American Thinker and American Free News Network. He can be reached at greenjeg@gmail.com.

Image via Raw Pixel.
One of the chief characteristics of the stereotypical "banana republic" is that, whether or not it has bananas, it is not a republic, but rather a military dictatorship. "El presidente" may speak Spanish, Russian, or Korean. Soon, another language may be added: American English.

One of the core values that has kept us a republic (if we can keep it) is that of civilian control of the military armed forces. Generals and admirals take orders from the commander-in-chief, who is the president of the United States, just as surely as "buck privates" obey orders from the general.

It is shocking to witness the decline of that principle in practice. When General Milley assured our potential wartime enemy, China, that he would give them advance warning if President Trump gave any orders concerning China, orders of which Milley might personally disapprove  when he did that, he was not charged with any of the numerous crimes, from insubordination upward, that he should have. Because of that, other high-ranking officers have been emboldened, not only to follow in Milley's steps, but to incrementally increase their open hostility  hostility not against their woke president, but against the Constitution and the American voter.

Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt, U.S. Space Force, made the following comments at an official so-called "pride event," paid for by your tax dollars

Transformational cultural change requires leadership from the top, and we do not have time to wait. Since January of this year, more than 400 anti-LGBTQ+ laws have been introduced at the state level. That number is rising and demonstrates a trend that could be dangerous for service members, their families, and the readiness of the force as a whole.

This statement is a travesty on so many levels that it is difficult to find where to begin. Let us ask Gen. Burt why, instead of a military career, she is not running for a seat on a legislature. Generals do not make laws; they obey them, or at least, that is the principle on which depends our survival as a republic.

Generals also do not institute "transformational cultural change." They do not decide for us whether, or which, cultural changes should be accelerated or resisted. That is a job for voters, of which Burt is only one, and in which she has no greater authority than do you.

She (or zim or whackadoodle) seems to be in a panic that the representatives of the American voter are more concerned with protecting our children from sexual deviants than with funding the kind of event at which Burt made her comments. Time is short, she says, implying that action must be taken swiftly. What kind of action? A palace coup? Martial law?

Burt is not the only military commander flaunting, perhaps suborning, insubordination to the Constitution.

General James Dixon, also of the Space Force, seems to be resisting congressional plans to move his headquarters from woke-friendly Colorado to heartland Alabama. The issue seems to be the ready availability of abortion in Colorado, as opposed to strong legal restrictions in Alabama.

Quoting from NBC News online, "[i]f the headquarters moved to Alabama, it would be at Redstone Arsenal, which does not have a base hospital, leaving staff members and dependents to rely on local civilian medical providers. The military [i.e., your tax dollars] would have to pay for female service members and dependents to leave the state for abortions."

It would have to? Would we also have to pay for irreversible gender-mutilation of children of military members? Even if that mutilation were to be coerced? How far will this go?

The proper procedure for Dixon is to present his professional judgment through official channels. It is not to ignore the Congress and seek a "workaround" to thwart lawful civilian oversight over him.

While the generals are advocating for LGBT inclusion, where is their advocacy for the First Amendment rights of conservative service members? Are conservatives in uniform allowed to voice their opinions during "Pride" events, opinions with which General Burt disagrees? Where are the celebrations of that group's importance?

Both generals, Burt and Dixon, would be well advised to ask why military recruitment is suffering its worst shortfalls in decades, and at a time when military pay, benefits and incentives to join are at or near an all-time high. Are LGBT celebrations on military installations going to reverse that decline in enlistments or exacerbate it?

There is actually a simple, one-word correct answer: reverse or exacerbate. The generals will refuse to say it. They, after all, have their own plan, and defending the Constitution from foreign enemies is not, by all indications, at the top of their agenda.

Are they warning us of an impending coup d'etat? After all, as General Burt openly stated, "we do not have time to wait."

Image: DeAnna Burt. Credit: Twitter video from MSNBC.
Today's ray of hope number one:

Students at Edison High School in Huntington Beach, California, a coastal city famous for its surfers, audibly groaned in protest of their teacher foisting an LGBT Pride video on them  in math class.

The students told their indoctrinator instructor to "stop" and "turn it off." One even asked the "educator," "Why are you showing this to kids?"

Sadly, yet predictably, the "teacher" then tells the students to be quiet  and warns them that they will be forced to come back and watch the video on Saturday if they continue to express their opinions and feelings.

According to reports, the unnamed teacher said, "Hey, I'll warn you guys now, if you're going to be inappropriate, I will have supervision down and give all of you Saturday school for [indiscernible]. So knock it off."

The tolerant, inclusive "educator" essentially snarls, Stop it! Stop with your input! Or we will compel you to come back and watch this important video again this weekend!

This happened in math class? That is shockingly "inappropriate."

"Supervision"? "Saturday school"? Sounds a little Nazi-like if you ask me. "Vee haff vays of, how you say, making you comply viss our vishes, ya?"

If a teacher forced his kids to watch an explicitly pro-heterosexual  or Christian  video in his math class, I would also say that would be inappropriate.

In California, stealing from retail stores is all but sanctioned, but one can't question a pro-LGBT video being played in math class.

Kiss California goodbye. And America, too?

Maybe not just yet.

Today's ray of hope number two:

Students at Marshall Simonds Middle School in the Boston suburb of Burlington, Massachusetts revolted against the school's over-the-top "Pride" month spirit day indoctrination celebration on Friday, June 2. The kids reportedly glared at their indoctrinators teachers, tore down posters, and chanted "U.S.A. are my pronouns!" while wearing red, white, and blue clothing and face paint. The protest was reported to be, in part, a response to the school totally ignoring Memorial Day two weeks prior while going all in on LGBTQI+ propaganda  so much so that the entire school had been decorated with "Pride" signs and stickers, including the "Progress Pride" flag. Moreover, students were encouraged to wear rainbow-colored clothing.

What's more, a sign with a quote from gay playwright Tennessee Williams's play, A Streetcar Named Desire, itself adorned with "Pride" flags, hung on the walls of the school. The quote mocks heterosexual folks, reading, "What is straight? A line can be straight, or a street, but the human heart, oh, no, it's curved like a road through mountains."

Good one. Just kidding. What an idiot. A blight on the great state of Tennessee. Had Williams ever heard of linear thinking vs. circular? Or a roundabout way of getting to a conclusion vs. getting straight to the point? Etc.? Unless one is talking about the difference between women and men, curved isn't necessarily better than straight. But T.W. probably would've disagreed.

That even (a relatively few) young people are, finally, pushing back against the ubiquitous, overwhelming, incessant, violently aggressive, and ultimately dangerous LGBT indoctrination they are being exposed to  in everything, everywhere, all at once  is a good sign.

Indeed, it is possibly the most rebellious, revolutionary, hip, courageous, decent, and important thing they will ever do.

Sic semper tyrannis. Whatever their pronouns are.

Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License.
As a stroke victim, Senator John Fetterman has my deep sympathy. As well, he has my best wishes for recovery, a task to which he should devote himself full-time. But as he demonstrated yesterday in a hearing covering the damage to Interstate 95 in Philadelphia  a link vital to many of his constituents  he is incapable of representing them in the Senate. I watched with a mixture of pity and horror as he was unable to form basic sentences in English, much less pronounce simple words correctly, when Senator Carper from neighboring Delaware asked him to comment:

Senator John Fetterman on the I-95 bridge collapse in Philadelphia:



"I, uh, would just, um, really like to, you know  the 95, 95, 95. You know?" pic.twitter.com/QN84NhBmpS  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 16, 2023

The citizens of Pennsylvania deserve representation in the Senate for the next five years. Senator Fetterman deserves the time and support needed for a full-time commitment to therapies for the damage his stoke has done.

Hat tip: The Right Scoop.

Photo credit: Twitter video screen grab.
In a just and sane world, the people trying to rip the country apart should never be near the reins of power. The fact that we have descended into a clown world tells you what happens when they do. It also tells you what they are capable of in keeping a death grip on power and why that is extraordinarily dangerous.

The number-one rule for understanding the fascist far left is that they will always accuse the pro-freedom right of what they are doing. And they take charges of hypocrisy as indications of success in this endeavor. So when they incessantly scream on the national socialist media that we're out to destroy democracy, it means they're out to destroy democracy by depriving the people of the candidate of their choice in the next election.

We've documented how the Democrats are increasingly emulating the National Socialist German Workers' (Nazi) Party. But they are also working out of the playbook of a third-world banana republic, taking the worst ideas from around the globe. This is their idea of "Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity"  taking authoritarian schemes from every culture to be the baddies across the board.

If there is one fact on the Trump persecution to keep foremost in your mind, it is this: they can and will take this action against any opposition candidates to the far left. President Trump is just their primary focus at the moment.

It's been said that the average person commits three felonies a month. Gov. Gavin Newsom has "seemingly" threatened Gov. Ron DeSantis with kidnapping charges for sending illegal invaders to Sacramento. They'll just "show you the crime" if you show them the man.

So the solemn discussions of the serious charges are just a distraction. Were President Trump to drop out of the race tomorrow, they would pivot and go after the next top challenger. Everyone should know that this isn't about one man and "mean tweets."

The fascist far left have clearly gotten over the ugliness of acting authoritarian, and they've found their new low, freeing in many ways, with many advantages of acting like the worst of any banana republic. They're like a prostitute who's become used to a certain lifestyle or a drug addict who needs his next high  a party that embodies the ethos of Hunter Biden but without the class and artistic skills with brush and canvas. The benefits they've gained from doing this are going to be a crutch for them, and something they will use from now on until their party is replaced with something decent. So let's cite them specifically so that everyone understands the full importance of why they keep doing this.

1. A ready-made distraction.

Just think about it. All they need are some "trumped up" charges (isn't it funny how words work?) and an ever-eager national socialist media, and any bad Biden news can be driven off the news cycle. Back in the day, President Clinton had to use military force to sink news of his scandals. All it takes these days is some creative charges, and it's off to the races, illustrated by the last few days of reportage on the charges, reaction to the charges, analysis of the charges, reaction to the analysis of the charges, and so on.

This works a lot better than their usual tactic of the trivial distraction game. This is where the fascists of the far left repeatedly emphasize trivial instances from the pro-freedom right to hide egregious examples from their side, such as claiming that age-appropriate categories are "book bans" to cover their rampant censorship.

2. Designed to infuriate everyone on the pro-freedom right.

There's an old joke about government alphabet agencies like the ATF and FAA: "They're not happy until you're not happy." What better way of making people mad than continually going after the people from the pro-freedom right while they laud the far left?

How many times do they have to repeat the cliche "no one is above the law" when anyone with common sense knows that doesn't apply to the anti-liberty left side of the aisle? Would it shock anyone to find out later that they were just saying that to provoke the pro-freedom right?

The nation's socialist media spent a stunning 291 Minutes on Trump Indictment, 0 Seconds on Biden Burisma Bribery on June 8, demonstrating that they no longer care about objectivity, much less if Biden is "above the law." If that doesn't infuriate the fair-minded, nothing will.

3. Showing their power and subjugating the people.

What better way of acting like fascist authoritarian dictators  and accusing the right of doing that at the same time (see reason number 2)? Then they ignore the rule of law and do whatever they want. The other night, Tucker Carlson referenced a man being fired for committing an undefined offense that no one knew was a crime. Compare that to criminals in the revolving door of justice.

Even worse, we have President Trump being charged with crimes that pale in comparison to those of Beijing Biden, a darling of the Chinese Communist Party. This is the man who threw open the border to fentanyl and a Chinese illegal invasion.

4. Hoping it becomes a provocation like Jan. 6, 2021.

The last and most dangerous benefit is that they are hoping all of these infuriating distractions designed to show our subjection will cause us to lash out. This is a case of their belief in their own bovine soil enhancement.

Remember, these are people who marinate in their echo chambers 24/7. We're surrounded by the nation's socialist media sources, inundated with their lies and propaganda, no matter what we do. Such is not the case with our "comrades" of the collectivist far left. They can listen to National Propaganda Radio, read the best bird cage liners, watch CNN and MSNBC, and consider that they are getting a "balanced" view on the news, between the fascist far-left viewpoint and the slightly less fascist far-left viewpoint.

Part of their echo chamber ethos is that they are "peaceful" and "tolerant" while they burn down cities. Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, epitomized their attitude of needing to "force behaviors." This is what happens with bad ideas: you either have to lie about them or force them on people. The far left do both in spades, and then they project that on the pro-freedom right  sort of like the ladies of The View talking about people not reading the Constitution.

Thankfully, most of us on the pro-freedom right aren't going to take the bait and act like leftists after all. We're simply going to assess the situation and realize that this is a desperate crybully move that is going to make them look far worse in the end.

D Parker is an engineer, inventor, wordsmith, and student of history, the director of communications for a civil rights organization, and a long-time contributor to conservative websites. Find him on Substack.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
We're midway through pride month. Oy, vey! Bludgeon me over the head with it a little more! The AllTrails app wants me to "bring my pride on the trail"  huh? My gym management wants me to display my pride there  really? We come there to exercise, not flaunt our preoccupation with weird sexual fetishes. TV news features a Pride story nightly. Our government flies a rainbow flag, as do some of our virtue-signaling neighbors.

You can't ignore "Pride." Pride is no longer the sin. Not giving it enough attention is the sin.

I'm a proud American, a human who does her best to contribute something positive to family and to society. Isn't that enough? Shouldn't we be emphasizing our best qualities rather than our sexuality, our race, our ethnicity? Let's end our tedious months of torture! Black History Month, Asian-Pacific Islander Month, now Hedonistic Exhibitionist Month. What's next?

I'm a wife, a mother, a grandmother. I have some quirks and foibles. I don't check all the femininity boxes. I hate dressing up, preferring jeans and a tee. I rarely wear make-up, and (gasp!) I go to a barber because she understands my hair and cuts it the way I want her to. I'm not confused by my personal contradictions. Defining myself to fit a stereotyped sexual "orientation" pattern other than "woman" doesn't work. Nope, not LBGT or Q.



Image by freepik.

I grew up in the '50s, when life was far more conservative. It wasn't until the drug-infused '60s that things started to change, and I started experimenting with those changes, albeit briefly. It seems to me that since that time, we've lost all self-restraint, decorum, and propriety. Those things just don't seem to count in modern life.

I don't think we can survive without common sense, self-control, and respect for our inherent qualities as men and women. Pretending we're something we're not is causing our collapse  you can't build a house on a fake foundation, to use a simple metaphor. It's no wonder the kids are confused. No wonder we have such a violent society. No wonder so many people are on one or another type of drug. Destabilizing society wreaks havoc.

It all melds together, so you can't separate one delusional fake reality from the rest. If you think there are no consequences to acting out sexually, think about what flows from doing away with consequences for crime. Permissiveness in one area breeds it in others.

One example: Nine people were arrested for viciously beating and robbing about 50 people recently in Oakland, California. Eight were "youths," and despite the mayhem, all were released, back on the street maybe a week after their arrest. Surprise!

Similar attacks have commenced. A couple was walking down a very nice business district street when someone walked up and slashed the man's face with a knife. Not a robbery  just vicious, terrorizing violence. Our society permits it, even encourages it. The same "youths" or different? The message was anything goes  and that message was received.

It now takes a conscious effort to patronize stores in any business area. Surprised that good businesses are closing everywhere? Can they survive their customers being attacked in broad daylight? Or being burglarized equally relentlessly?

Thieves just drive a stolen car through the front window in the night and clean out everything. How can a businessperson survive all that? Work for years to create something good, and it's taken in moments by thugs just because they can do it without consequences.

Where is our pride in a good society? Wouldn't that be a better thing to re-create and then celebrate? Instead, maybe we should just call it what it is, yeah? How about Violent Thug Pride Month? Followed by Homeless, Drug-Addicted Rotting Near-Corpse Month? Or maybe Illegal, Violent Migrant Month? Oh, wait...those last two could be consolidated into NGO Money-Pit Month. Those folks may act like Robin Hood on the surface, but they are making bank.

I remember when Rudy Giuliani became mayor of NYC, my old hometown. His broken windows theory  that if you don't stop the small stuff, it will escalate out of control  should be a lesson to all. He was right, and, surrounding us, we have proof of that. A half-naked trans "performance" on the White House lawn? Why not?

Last week, an Alameda County judge parked his car in the garage servicing the county admin office and was robbed at gunpoint. Did I mention that we have a D.A. in the county who is a Soros devotee? You probably figured that out from the eight "youths" who are back on the street. The perps in this latest robbery are still at large, of course. I wonder if they're wearing rainbow flag clothing they stole from Target and couldn't manage to sell to anyone!
With the unhinged forces of the Deep State now apparently intent on forcing Trump-appointed judge Aileen Cannon off his trial in Miami, attention might well be directed to a curious ruling by another federal judge, Beryl Howell, accepting the argument of the Justice Department that former President Trump  to quote from a CNN account of that ruling  "may have committed a crime."

The New York Times reported:

A federal judge has ruled that prosecutors overseeing the investigation into former President Donald J. Trump's handling of classified documents can pierce assertions of attorney-client privilege and compel one of his lawyers to answer more questions before a grand jury, two people familiar with the case said on Friday. In making her ruling, the judge, Beryl A. Howell, found that the government had met the threshold for a special provision of the law known as the crime-fraud exception. That provision allows prosecutors to work around attorney-client privilege when they have reason to believe that legal advice or legal services have been used in furthering a crime.

Judge Howell's ruling, arguably, denied the attorney-client privilege to Mr. Trump, delimiting his rights to a fair trial under the Sixth Amendment.



Judge Howell (photo credit: U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia).

An indictment merely alleges charges. An indictment does not determine the fact of criminal conduct. It is for the jury to determine the facts, "beyond all reasonable doubt." Has Judge Howell, by accepting the anti-Trump mindset of the Justice Department, taken a shortcut to a finding of guilt in the Trump case  a shortcut based on her own anti-Trump bias?

A review of the record of the anti-Trump zealots, from the Russia hoax until today, makes it clear that the anti-Trump zealot will always, without evidence, conclude the worst about Donald J. Trump. He is regularly accused of criminal conduct: anti-Trump zealots like Mark F. Pomerantz compare him to a mafioso. Speaker Pelosi projected the accusation of Ukraine bribery, probably applicable to the Bidens, onto Trump at the time of Impeachment I. Trump also is regularly accused of obstructing justice  see, for example, Muellergate, now discredited by the Durham Report.

The list of Trump vilifiers goes on and on and on. Just read the hate-filled columns and news reports in the New York Times. Don't forget the reflexive charge from the foes of American liberty that Mr. Trump is a threat to democracy. And let's not forget the left's "no one is above the law" blather  that should have two words added: "except leftists."

What the anti-Trump zealots are doing, of course, is weaponizing the law to destroy an American patriot. The issue is not Donald J. Trump. The issue is our survival as a constitutional republic  freed from Deep State hegemony.

In view of the record of the spewers of daily Trump-hate, shouldn't this test have been applied to Beryl Howell's ruling piercing the attorney-client relationship for former president Trump? Is it more likely or less likely that the Obama-appointed Judge Howell, sitting in the very blue jurisdiction of Washington, D.C., has accepted the DOJ's argument to deny Mr. Trump his full Sixth Amendment rights, because she accepts conclusory allegations assuming the worst of Donald J. Trump?

Shouldn't we demand that Judge Beryl Howell explain why she has acted to tilt the Scales of Justice against Donald J. Trump  in the manner of a Nancy Pelosi, or Adam Schiff, or Andrew Weissmann, or William Barr  and the rest of the corrupt Deep State establishment? Presently, the Deep State is so unhinged as to be confident it will railroad Donald J. Trump into prison. God forbid the foes of our freedoms succeed  for if they do, their success will blow the Constitution into smithereens.
Google staff should be more cautious when using AI chatbots, including the companys tool Bard. The tech giant has issued a warning to Google staff to warn them about sharing business data with AI chatbots.

Using AI-driven chatbots is booming among users. However, even the employees sometimes use these tools to gather information about a topic or solve a glitch. The problem is employees might share confidential company data with a chatbot. As you might know, data shared with a chatbot remains in the chatbot servers and will be used to enrich the database.

It was reported in early April that ChatGPT leaked Samsung semiconductor information after the companys employees shared source codes with the tool. At the time, Samsung applied precautionary measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. Now, Google is taking the same path by asking employees not to enter confidential materials into AI chatbots.

Google employees should not enter confidential data into AI chatbots

The tech giant is also asking engineers and programmers not to use the codes generated by AI chatbots. Google noted that it prefers to stay transparent about its products limitations while knowing Bard can make undesired code suggestions.

Dont include confidential or sensitive information in your Bard conversations, Google noted in its updated privacy notice.

Google Bard is yet an experimental product for the company that aims to expand to more markets in the coming years. Bard could soon be available in 180 countries and 40 languages.

Unsurprisingly, the European watchdogs have recently asked Google to explain Bards impact on privacy before an official launch in the continent. The company met with Irelands Data Protection Commission to discuss the topic.

Googles rivalry with Microsoft in the search market is becoming increasingly sensitive for the company. Relying on ChatGPT and OpenAI initiatives, Microsoft is turning Bing into a stubborn rival for Google Search. In the coming years, traditional search engines might be wiped out complementary and replaced by an AI chatbot.
Twitter appears to be gearing up for adding digital payment transfers to its app, according to a recent report from Reuters. This would be another source of revenue for the company in addition to its growing focus on advertisements in the past few months. As well as its Twitter Blue subscription.

Commerce is just one potential new way for Twitter to bring in cash. The company also looks to be ramping up its push for more video content. Vertical video now accounts for 10% of the time people spend on Twitter. With the apps hundreds of millions of users, 10% could be a sizeable chunk of revenue if used for ad placement.

Musk also believes video content growth could be an avenue for securing sponsorships for the platform through creators. Similar to the way YouTube and Twitch content creators get sponsorships from brands to plug their products. The details about Twitters new revenue plans were recently presented to investors, Reuters says.

Musk furthers plans for Twitter to offer digital payment transfers

Its not clear right now if this is something that will ever come to fruition. But Musk has been open about wanting Twitter to offer payment transfer features for months now. Back in the beginning of this year Musk stated his vision for allowing users to both buy products on Twitter and send money to each other.

Now it looks like the company is taking the next step to further those plans. Reuters notes that Twitter has now applied for money transmitter licenses in all 50 states. If those licenses get approved, then it would certainly open some doors. Twitter could become more than just a social media app. It could also essentially become a peer-to-peer payments platform.

Its unclear when those applications were made. Or if theyre poised to gain regulatory approval. But the action showcases Musk, and Twitter, are absolutely serious about bringing these features to users.
Marianne Williamson, a well-known American self-help author, and politician, recently announced her 2024 presidential campaign.

With this, she is now one of the three Democratic presidential hopefuls. Since campaigning is stressful, she decided to take a break from it in the United Kingdom.

She also used her free time for the birth of her granddaughter. After this, the American best-selling author plans to attend an event at the Cambridge Union.

Although her schedule is quite hectic, Williamson was able to speak with Newsweek for an interview regarding her vision for the U.S.

Marianne Williamson Calls Biden 'Selfish' If He Runs For 2nd Term

In the wide-ranging Newsweek interview, Marianne said that Joe Biden is "selfish" if he plans to run for the U.S. presidency again.

Read Also: Biden Bribery Case: POTUS Berates Reporter for 'Dumb Question' Over 'Big Guy' Reference

"For me, running for president at that age is a bit selfish," said the 70-year-old Democrat.

Current U.S. President Joe Biden will turn 82 weeks after the 2024 U.S. election day.

If he decided to run and win his second presidential term, she will be 86 years old at the end of it. He is already considered the oldest U.S. president when he won at the age of 78 back in 2021.

Williamson's Other Concerns

Aside from being too old for the U.S. presidency, Marianne also shared her concerns regarding Biden's policies.

"It's his policies that concern me. The president is taking an incremental approach to our society's repair," said the American politician.

She said that U.S. residents who are already okay with Biden's policies are usually those who have enough healthcare and can afford to send their children to college.

Williamson further stated that if the United States lets Joe Biden win another presidential term, it will be like watching a "slow-motion crash reminiscent of 2016."

Not An Average Political Candidate

The Guardian reported that Marianne is not an average political candidate. Unlike other politicians, she is an author and wellness guru.

Williamson explained that she wants to run for the presidency because the recent U.S. election was only about Democrats defeating Donald Trump.

If you want to learn more about Marianne and her presidential campaign, you can click this link.

Related Article: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Set To Visit Top Chinese Officials in Beijing Regarding Open Communication

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A Government Bill aimed at banning councils from imposing boycotts on Israeli goods is expected to be unveiled next week.

The proposed legislation could prevent public bodies from adopting their own approach to international relations including through sanctions and divestment campaigns.

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Bill was first set out in the Queens Speech last year following a commitment in the 2019 Conservative general election manifesto.

The Telegraph reported that Communities Secretary Michael Gove will introduce legislation on Monday.

He told the paper: It is simply wrong that public bodies have been wasting taxpayers time and money pursuing their own foreign policy agenda.

The UK must have a consistent approach to foreign policy, set by UK Government.

These campaigns not only undermine the UKs foreign policy but lead to appalling antisemitic rhetoric and abuse. That is why we have taken this decisive action to stop these disruptive policies once and for all.

Sir Keir Starmers predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, supported targeted action against illegal settlements on the West Bank, though did not back a blanket boycott on Israel.

The current Labour leader has said the party does not support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

A party spokesperson said: We havent seen the Bill yet so will have to study it, but we have always opposed BDS and tabled an amendment to the public procurement bill last year to prevent councils from singling out Israel for special treatment. We were disappointed that the Conservative government didnt support it.

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Bill is aimed overwhelmingly at campaigns targeting Israel, which ministers say could legitimise antisemitism.

Accompanying documentation released with the speech last year said the Government has zero toleration for discrimination which pits different communities against each other.

It cited motions passed by Lancaster City Council in support of such campaigns in 2021 and by Leicester City Council to boycott goods from Israeli settlements in 2014.

The Bill will give the Government the power to ban public bodies which are already subject to public procurement rules from conducting their own boycott campaigns against foreign countries and territories.

It will also stop them from taking a different line from the Government on sanctions and foreign relations.
Police officers rushed to the scene to help free residents. (West Midlands Police/swns)

This is the moment three brave police officers ran into a burning building to rescue residents.

Body-cam footage showed the officers entering the block of flats in Lea Village, Kitts Green, Birmingham at around 4am on Thursday.

As the flames took hold, the officers helped get eight people safely out of the building.

A total of 25 people were also evacuated from nearby properties with the help of West Midlands Police, West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) and Birmingham City Council.

Footage captured the moment the heroic officers searched through the premises as it filled with thick black smoke.

A male officer can be seen banging on doors to wake up residents while a female collegue shouts: "There's a fire, out please."

She can be seen making her way up flights of stars as the fire tears through the block of flats telling her colleagues: "There's more upstairs."

After clearing the building, they notice one woman is still in her room downstairs and run back in to rescue her with the building now fully ablaze.

Officers bravely enter a burning building in Lea Village, Birmingham. (West Midlands Police/swns)

Partner agencies were called in to make the scene safe and allow those displaced residents to later return to their homes.

The force said it was working with the fire service to investigate the cause of the blaze, but at this stage they believe it was not started deliberately.

Birmingham Superintendent Dave Twyford said: Without a thought for their own safety, these officers placed themselves at great risk in order to save lives.

Their courage, professionalism and calmness when faced with significant danger is to their credit.

Thankfully no-one was seriously injured and were grateful to our colleagues at West Midlands Fire Service for their support and swift work getting the fire under control.
Scotlands First Minister has written to the Prime Minister urging him to ask the Indian government to release a Scottish Sikh blogger who has been in jail there for more than five years.

Humza Yousaf said that Jagtar Singh Johal has been wrongfully imprisoned and urged Rishi Sunak to take a direct approach to make progress in the case.

Mr Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, was in Punjab in northern India for his wedding in 2017 when his family say he was arrested and bundled into an unmarked car.

He said he has been tortured, including through electric shocks, and faces the death penalty over his activism and campaigning for Sikh human rights.

Scotlands First Minister Humza Yousaf met with Gurpreet Singh Johal (left) in June (Scottish Government/PA)

Mr Yousaf met Gurpreet Singh Johal, the brother of Jagtar Singh Johal, earlier this month and vowed to keep lobbying for his release.

In his letter to Mr Sunak, the First Minister said: Jagtar has now been imprisoned in India for over 2,000 days.

In May 2022, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Jagtar Singh Johal had been arbitrarily detained and his detention breached international human rights law.

The clear recommendation of the report was that Jagtar Singh Johal should be immediately released. Yet Jagtar remains in prison.

I am therefore writing to ask that you make a direct approach to the Government of India to ask for Jagtars immediate release in line with the UN Working Groups unequivocal recommendation.

This would give the family the reassurance of knowing that the UK Government is prioritising the protection of a citizen who has been wrongfully imprisoned.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: We have consistently raised our concerns about Mr Johals case directly with the government of India, including his allegations of torture and his right to a fair trial  we are committed to doing what we can to assist him.

The Foreign Office said it has raised its concerns, including Mr Johals allegations of torture, with the Indian government on more than 100 occasions and will continue to do so.

It said consular staff visit him regularly to check on his welfare and did so most recently on May 1. They also continue to attend relevant court hearings in an observer capacity.

The Foreign Secretary most recently discussed Mr Johals case with the Indian external affairs minister in New Delhi on March 1.
The King has received the official birthday wishes of the nation during his first Trooping the Colour ceremony as monarch.

Pomp and pageantry were on display during the military spectacle where the most prestigious regiments in the British Army honoured their Colonel in Chief by parading to mark his anniversary.

Charles had deputised for Queen Elizabeth II at last years event, also known as the Birthday Parade, but now rode onto Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall as the nations head of state.

The King leads, from left, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal down The Mall (Yui Mok/PA)

He was joined on horseback by the royal colonels  the Prince of Wales, Colonel, Welsh Guards; the Princess Royal, Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel of The Blues and Royals; and the Duke of Edinburgh, riding for the first time in his role as Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards, formed last year.

Travelling in a carriage were the Queen, who is Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and the Princess of Wales as Colonel of the Irish Guards, along with Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, eight, and five-year-old Prince Louis.

Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales wore red and green in honour of their regiments (Victoria Jones/PA)

The royal party were in the midst of a sovereigns mounted escort, formed by troops from the Household Cavalrys Life Guards and Blues and Royals, in their shining breastplates and plumed helmets, and a ripple of cheers followed them when they travelled along The Mall.

Soon after the King arrived on the parade ground the national anthem was played as a mark of respect and Charles had to steady his horse but it would not settle and a groom stepped forward to help.

Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte are escorted across Horse Guards to the dais (Aaron Chown/PA)

The King began the ceremony by inspecting the lines of guardsmen on the parade ground, casting a critical eye over the soldiers, formed in two lines, as he rode past.

William, Anne, and Edward rode behind Charles while Camilla and Kate were in a carriage  a symbolic image of the royal family supporting their King as another milestone was reached.

The Kings horse became unsettled at times (Yui Mok/PA)

The Queen and the princess wore contrasting outfits, with Camilla in a red silk dress that took inspiration from her regiment, the Grenadier Guards, while Kate was in a striking green dress by Andrew Gn and matching hat by Philip Treacy in honour of her Irish Guards.

The pair later took their seats on a dais with the Duke of Kent, Colonel, Scots Guards, to watch the march past of the troops  a first for the royal women  while the King and the other royal colonels remained on horseback alongside.

The sight of a monarch riding throughout Trooping the Colour had not happened since 1986 when the Queen rode her charger Burmese for the final time.

Queen Elizabeth II riding Burmese in 1981 (PA)

It was a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Charles horse Noble was also from the Commonwealth countrys famous Mounties.

Trooping the Colour is a social as well as a ceremonial occasion and in the stands overlooking the parade ground were around 8,000 wives, girlfriends and parents of the guardsmen and officers on parade.

The event featured around 1,500 soldiers in total and hundreds of Guardsmen were lined up on the parade ground waiting to be inspected by King, who will be joined by the mounted royal Colonels, including the Queen and Kate in a carriage.

The royal party departs Buckingham Palace (Victoria Jones/PA)

For the first time since 1989, all five regiments of Foot Guards  the Welsh, Scots, Irish, Coldstream and Grenadier  were on parade together for Trooping.

The colour, or regimental flag, that will be trooped in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers will be the Kings Colour of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

Among the guests was Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and senior military figures.

Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte during the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade (Aaron Chown/PA)

The colour was first trooped through the ranks of soldiers before the guardsmen marched past the King, first in slow then in quick time, with the King acknowledging the command of eyes right with a salute.

The massed bands of the Household Division and the Mounted Band of the Household Calvary provided the musical backing for the ceremony.

Also taking part was the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery, who will fire a 41-gun salute in Green Park to mark the Kings official birthday, while a further 62 volleys will be fired from the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company.
The King marked his first Trooping the Colour as sovereign with a Buckingham Palace balcony appearance where a boisterous Prince Louis stole the limelight yet again.

Charles and the Queen acknowledged with a wave the thousands of well-wishers in The Mall who sang the National Anthem and gave three cheers after the Kings official birthday was celebrated with a display of pomp and military pageantry.

The King and Camilla were surrounded by the familys core working royals including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Louis.

The Princess Royal, and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, also joined her brother the King on the balcony, alongside the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.

But all eyes were on the Kings five-year-old grandson, Louis, who rose to the occasion by saluting during the traditional Trooping flypast, which was extended because the coronation aerial display had been cut back in May due to bad weather.

The young royal, whose antics during some of the late Queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations last year endeared him to many, also seemed to pretend to ride a motorcycle or bike with his arms outstretched and covered his ears as planes roared overhead.

And when he travelled in a carriage with his siblings and mother, Louis held his nose to possibly ward off the smell of horse manure from the many military mounts.

Prince Louis salutes from the balcony (Victoria Jones/PA)

The day saw many milestones, from the King becoming the first monarch in more than 30 years to ride a horse throughout Trooping the Colour and it was a similar period since five of the nations most prestigious regiments had gathered to celebrate the sovereigns official birthday.

Camilla and Kate  appointed royal colonels following the death of the Queen  were given prominent new roles during Trooping, no longer just spectators.

Charles had deputised for Queen Elizabeth II at last years event, also known as the Birthday Parade, but now rode onto Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall as the nations head of state.

Charles riding Noble along The Mall during Trooping the Colour (Yui Mok/PA)

His first task was to inspect the lines of guardsmen on the parade ground  hundreds of servicemen and women from a total of 1,500 taking part in the day  casting a critical eye over the soldiers, formed in two lines, as he rode past.

Royal Colonels William, Anne and Edward rode behind Charles while Camilla and Kate travelled in a carriage  a symbolic image of the royal family uniting to support the King as he completed his first Trooping.

The Queen, Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and the Princess of Wales, the Irish Guards Colonel, wore their regimental brooches and were dressed in outfits that paid homage to their military associations.

Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales wore colours associated with the regiments for which they are now royal colonels (Aaron Chown/PA)

Camillas Fiona Clare red silk dress took inspiration from the scarlet tunics of the Grenadier Guards and even had military-style buttons, collars and cuffs while Kate wore a striking emerald green dress by Andrew Gn and matching hat by Philip Treacy in honour of her Irish Guards.

The pair later took their seats on a dais with the Duke of Kent, Colonel, Scots Guards, to watch the march past of the troops  a first for the royal women who in past years had joined other royals in the Duke of Wellingtons former office overlooking Horse Guards.

Trooping the Colour is a social as well as a ceremonial occasion and in the stands overlooking the parade ground were around 8,000 wives, girlfriends and parents of the guardsmen and officers on parade.

Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte during the Trooping the Colour carriage procession (Aaron Chown/PA)

Interest in the recently crowned King saw Trooping spectators camp out on The Mall for the first time in decades to get a prime vantage spot and 250,000 people had applied for the 8,000 tickets for the ceremony staged in Horse Guards.

For the first time since 1989, all five regiments of Foot Guards  the Welsh, Scots, Irish, Coldstream and Grenadier  were on parade together for Trooping with the honour of trooping their colour, or regimental flag, falling to the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

During the pageantry the colour was first trooped through the ranks of soldiers before the guardsmen marched past the King, first in slow then in quick time with the King acknowledging the command of eyes right with a salute.

Guardsmen taking part in Trooping the Colour (Aaron Chown/PA)

Later, a 41-gun salute was fired from Green Park by the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery to mark the Kings official birthday, and a further 62 volleys will be fired from the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company.

One of the highlights of the fly-past saw 18 Typhoon fighter jets spelling out the Kings monogram CR for Charles Rex.

Another was the sight of famous planes associated with the Second World War  Spitfire and Hurricane fighters with a Lancaster bomber, all from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Louis appears to be enjoying his moment on the balcony (Victoria Jones/PA)

As the planes roared overhead Kate encouraged Prince George to wave to the crowds and smoothed down Prince Louis hair and ushered him to turn around and face the spectators.

The finale was precision formation flying from the Red Arrows who trailed red, white and blue smoke over the capital.
Labour has ended its boycott of the crisis-hit Confederation of British Industry (CBI) to discuss changes the lobby group is making in the wake of a sexual misconduct scandal.

Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds met with new director general Rain Newton-Smith this week.

Both Labour and the Conservatives previously cut ties with the confederation  which claims to represent about 190,000 businesses  after a string of harassment allegations in March.

CBI boss Rain Newton-Smith (Jeff Overs/BBC)

Since then, dozens of women have come forward claiming to have experienced misconduct while working at the CBI, including two who said they were raped.

Ms Newton-Smith has told MPs she is confident the business group can recover from its recent crisis with a turnaround plan after it survived a key confidence vote by members over its future.

But it later emerged that just 371 votes votes had been cast for its plans, intended to help it regain its position as a lobbying powerhouse  indicating that fewer than a third of members took part in the vote.

Labours meeting, first reported by the Financial Times, is an early sign relations could be starting to thaw with the business group.

A party source said: Jonathan and Rain met to discuss the changes the CBI are making. Labour have resumed staff level contact as per the Government and will continue to review political engagement as the CBI work to restore the confidence of their members.
LGBT+ badminton clubs across the UK are helping members of the community feel confident and comfortable with who they are.

Long Yang Club Badminton London (LYC) has been in existence since the mid-1980s and serves to unite queer Asians and Westerners with an interest in the sport.

For James Yeung, who has been playing at the club for around a year and a half, if it was not for LYC he would not have been able to grow in a way where Im confident and comfortable with who I am.

LYC members (Andrew Eastwood/PA)

I came out very late in life  when I was 29  and it was tough,! the 34-year-old, who is based in Camden Town, London, told the PA news agency.

I came out to my parents, my mums still accepting that Im gay and fast forward to now, Im making real connections here.

I feel more comfortable telling people Im gay, Im queer, and that would have not been the case if not for LYC and other clubs similar to this, where you are speaking to individuals who have gone through similar experiences and that has helped me grow in a way where Im confident and comfortable with who I am.

James Yeung said the club has helped him to embrace his sexuality (Andrew Eastwood/PA)

Malcolm Salamon, 65, has been attending sessions at LYC for about two-and-a-half years, but has played badminton for seven years.

I was made to feel welcome and I didnt feel terribly out of place, although I think I probably was the oldest person here by far, the Londoner, who identifies as non-binary, told PA.

Now Im part of the furniture  its just my home.

He said having an LGBT space means you dont even have to think about what you have to say or what someone might say to you.

Its just a feeling of freedom, he added.

Members play at Queensbridge Leisure Centre in Dalston on Wednesdays and at Kensington Leisure Centre on Sundays.

The club also has its own league team, which takes part in three competitions annually, as well as hosting social activities throughout the year.

Malcolm Salamon said he feels like part of the furniture at the club (Andrew Eastwood/PA)

Mr Salamon added: Its also nice that our club is so inclusive  we have people here who would describe themselves as heterosexual and there is this freedom to be relaxed around whoever comes here.

He said that although he used to see Pride in a more political way when he was younger, he now views it as a festival.

I think its a rare commodity sometimes for people to just be themselves and Pride represents that people can be just that, he said.

In Leeds, Rob Wilson, 47, helped to set up The Bad Mittens, an LGBT+ badminton club, around seven years ago as he felt that society kind of pushes LGBT+ people towards the bar scene going thats your space, thats where you find you sense of belonging. Its just not true.

Rob Wilson said it is humbling to see the enjoyment people get from being on the team (The Bad Mittens/PA)

Theres so much else out there that people can get involved with and have that safe space for them to meet other people in the community thats not alcohol fuelled.

The group plays across three different sites  Armley, Morley and Kirkstall  and has grown hugely since starting off with a mere 20 to 30 members.

We have about 50 people every week across four sessions and from those, weve probably got around 80 people who are regulars, he said.

Its really lovely when you see them playing together, or on Facebook tagging people, making friends with others in the group, going out for a meal and its humbling to think you created that space.

Having an LGBT+ led environment creates that safety net for people to feel that theyre not being judged and theyre not going into an environment where they keep needing to come out.

Members of The Bad Mittens (The Bad Mittens/PA)

He added that now more than ever there is a need for people to be allies to those in the community.

Theres plenty of opportunities to speak up and speak out and support LGBT+ people, he said.

So grasp those opportunities, encourage your network to support that  dont shy away from it.
MiGs (Mikoyan-Gurevich) fighter planes are commonly linked to Russia.

But, Russia is not the only country that uses MiGs. In fact, other countries, such as Iraq, Bangladesh, and Germany, also have this fighter aircraft.

If you ever watched action movies, such as "Top Gun," "Air Force One," and other similar Hollywood films, you will notice that MiGs usually chase the main characters.

Since it is commonly portrayed as the aircraft counterpart of airplanes used by NATO forces and the U.S. government, it received the nickname "bad guy" aircraft.

What To Know About MiG Soviet Fighter Plane

Slash Gear reported that the first MiG model is called MiG-1. However, information about this fighter airplane is still limited.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin Assassination Plot Prompts Russian Agents To Shut Down Internet Amid Fears of Ukraine Drone Attack

It was upgraded as it entered the Soviet airborne arsenal back in 1941; its flight tests were successfully conducted in 1940.

The upgraded MiG-1 version (dubbed the MiG-3) was further enhanced as conflict with the German Nazis worsened during Germany's invasion of Europe.

However, the enhancements that MiG-3 received were not enough, making its performance less efficient compared to the U.S.-made P-40 and Britain's Spitfire.

MiG-3, having only one 12.7 mm gun and two 7.62 mm guns, was insufficient to keep up with the German aircraft Messerschmitt Bf 109 during WWII.

Despite its ineffectiveness, the Soviet Union still used MiGs out of necessity since the war was fought at closer distances than expected.

Although MiG-3 wasn't considered a "fantastic" fighter plane, its successors became some of the most ubiquitous aircraft models across the globe.

Flying Newer MiGs

According to Popular Mechanics, some U.S. Air Force pilots-who were under the "Constant Peg" program were able to operate MiGs secretly.

One of them is retired Air Force fighter pilot Captain Brian McCoy.

"Small airplane! Small cockpit, archaic instrument panel, high canopy rails," said McCoy in an exclusive interview.

He said that MiGs are at a disadvantage compared to U.S. fighter airplanes and jets, especially F-16s.

You can click this link to learn more about McCoy's experience with the MiG fighter aircraft.

Related Article: U.S. Nuclear Submarine Returns to South Korea After North Korea Resumes Missile Tests

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Britain's King Charles III and Britain's Queen Camilla wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after attending the King's Birthday Parade, 'Trooping the Colour', in London on June 17, 2023. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II. Since 1748, the Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign. Over 1500 parading soldiers and almost 300 horses take part in the event. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP) (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Camilla was, for a long time, never expected to be Queen, but her dedication to King Charles and her new roles as Queen and Colonel of the Grenadier Guards has never been clearer than at this year's Trooping the Colour.

Also known as the King's birthday parade, Trooping the Colour is the first set-piece event the Royal Family have embarked upon since the coronation of Charles and Camilla in May, and it officially marked the start of the next chapter for the House of Windsor.

The birthday parade saw the 74-year-old King ride on horseback and take the salute from the seven regiments of the Household Division.

Charles rode on horseback for his first Trooping the Colour as King, the first time the monarch has done so since 1986. (Getty Images)

Camilla led the fashion pack at the annual event, opting for a chic, military-inspired look as a nod to her honorary position as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, which she took on in January.

The scarlet, silk coat dress is directly influenced by the uniform of the regiment and featured the rank insignia of a colonel on the epaulettes and gold bullion embroidery of the 'Grenade Fired Proper' on the collar and further embroidery on the back of the piece.

Her hat was designed by Philip Treacy and is inspired by the bearskin hats worn by the regiment and features a feather plume 'grenade' style design. The understated version of the uniform presented a united front with her husband as the family watched the flypast from the Buckingham Palace balcony.

Camilla's chic, military inspired look stole the show at this year's parade. (Getty Images)

Camilla's recently shown an evolution and growing confidence in her own personal style, and Trooping the Colour only reinforced how she is bringing her own personality to her royal duties: by throwing her support behind the Grenadier Guards she also showed her commitment to supporting her husband and his reign.

The Princess of Wales also nodded to her new honorary military role with her choice of look, an emerald green coat dress designed by Andrew Gn which contrasted glittery embellishments with minimalist lines.

She, like Camilla, opted for Philip Treacy design: a bespoke dramatic hat in a matching green. Along with her Irish Guards Shamrock brooch, she also made sure to honour the regiment of which she has recently been made Colonel.

Kate donned a pair of Princess Diana's earrings in tribute to her late mother-in-law. (Getty Images)

Kate's look showed how similar her personal style is to that of her late mother-in-law, and she further paid tribute to Princess Diana by finishing the look off with a pair of sapphire drops earrings that once belonged to her.

The Duchess of Edinburgh wore a cream dress designed by Beulah which featured a simple round neck and whimsical bell sleeves and a hat with floral embellishments designed by Jane Taylor.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were all dressed smartly in coordinated red and white outfits. The two boys wore double breasted navy jackets and red ties, with George wearing matching navy suit trousers and his little brother Louis in red shorts and navy socks.

Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte wore colour coordinated outfits for their Grandfather's first Birthday Parade as monarch. (Getty Images)

Princess Charlotte wore a sailor style white dress with red embellishments around the colour and waist, and wore her hair neatly plaited and pulled into a bun  a style similar to the smart look chosen for the recent coronation.

Trooping the Colour has been the official celebration of the monarch's birthday for over 260 years. Although Charles was born on 14 November, it's customary that if the sovereign is in born in the winter time, their official birthday parade takes place in the summer, when the weather is better.

Last week, the Colonel's Review  the final evaluation of the parade before Trooping the Colour  was undertaken by Prince William, and at least three guardsmen fainted because of the high temperatures.

The royal family watch the RAF fly-past from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. (Getty Images)

The public gathered to watch the traditional fly-past. (Getty Images)

The parade travelled from Buckingham Palace down the Mall, to Horse Guards Parade, where the King took the royal salute.

He was then joined by Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales where they watched the First Battalion Welsh Guards troop their colour.

Colours in the military were initiated as a way for troops to recognise their regiments on the battlefield, long before modern communications were invented.

Trooping the Colour is a traditional parade held to mark the British monarch's official birthday. (Getty Images)

After the parade was completed, the Royal Family returned to Buckingham Palace, where the King and Queen appeared on the balcony with Princess Anne, her husband Vice-Admiral Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children.

The family watched the RAF fly-past from the balcony and waved to the public who had gathered outside the palace.
A 44-year-old man has appeared in court charged with stalking and impersonating a law enforcement officer while threatening to arrest former education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson.

Simon Parry, of no fixed address, persistently followed the Conservative Party MP on two occasions between May 24 and June 14 of this year, Westminster Magistrates Court heard.

He is also said to have impersonated a police officer on June 14.

Ola Oyedepo, prosecuting, said that Parry produced a warrant card, telling Sir Gavin he would arrest him.

The MP had walked away from the House of Commons, she said.

He went down a number of roads.

He noticed that the defendant was following him. He was trying to speak to him.

(Sir Gavin) was on the phone, he kept saying he was on the phone.

The defendant told him he would arrest him and brought out a warrant card.

The MP said you are not a police officer. This is when the defendant left.

Sonia Larbi Aissa, defending, told the court that her client lives in a protest encampment in Westminster.

However, she said that an acquaintance of Parrys had offered to put him up at his home address in south-east London ahead of his next court appearance.

Parry denied one count of stalking and one count of impersonating a law enforcement officer.

He was bailed on condition that he not enter the City of Westminster or approach Sir Gavin.

During a lull in proceedings, Parry asked Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram if he could read one of his poems aloud to the court.

The judge denied his request.

Parry will next appear for trial at City of London Magistrates Court on October 18.

Sir Gavin has been MP for South Staffordshire since 2010 and served in cabinet as defence secretary before becoming education secretary under Boris Johnson in 2019.
A man has been charged with attempted murder after a police officer was stabbed in Maidstone.

Robert Jenner, 48, of Albion Place, Maidstone, will appear at Medway Magistrates Court on Saturday, Kent Police said.

The officer, a police constable in his 50s, was airlifted to London with serious injuries but has since been discharged from hospital.

His injuries, reportedly caused by a pair of scissors, occurred at around 8pm on Thursday when officers attended a property in Albion Place, the force said.

Kent Police deputy chief constable Peter Ayling said the incident showed that policing can, at times, be dangerous and unpredictable.

He added: Our thoughts are with the officer and his family at this time.
Rishi Sunak will use a summit in London to call on investors and businesses to match Ukraines bravery on the battlefield by stepping up support for the countrys economic recovery.

The Prime Minister is set to say the private sector must use its vision to embrace rapid innovation that can be used to make the nation financially stronger and technologically advanced, No 10 said.

More than 1,000 foreign dignitaries from 61 states along with business chiefs and global investors will join Mr Sunak at the Ukraine Recovery Conference next week  the largest international conference the UK will host this year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend virtually and both European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken are also expected to speak in the opening session.

Mr Sunak is expected to make the case for greater innovation targeted at the country, which was becoming a major player in the global IT industry prior to the Russian invasion.

President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky (Carl Court/PA)

No 10 said one example of such an approach which is expected to be announced at the summit is a digital platform that will connect Ukrainian businesses with global companies.

The match-making platform is aimed at supporting Ukraines recovery through virtual networking and collaboration on matters like supply chain issues and business expansion.

The UK will also use the summit to launch a 10 million green energy challenge fund aimed at speeding up the development of low-carbon, affordable energy projects for Ukraine.

Mr Sunak is expected to say: Ukraines bravery on the battlefield must be matched by the vision of the private sector to help the country rebuild and recover. Time and time again, Ukraine has shown its ability to rapidly harness innovation and creativity, and I know its recovery will be no different.

The illegal invasion of Ukraine has devastated businesses and livelihoods throughout the country, but it has not destroyed the ingenuity or determination of the Ukrainian people.

A financially stronger, technologically advanced Ukraine will bolster its ability to drive Russia back behind its borders and build a brighter future for a sovereign and modern Ukraine of the future.
Some areas of the country could see as much as 80mm of rain in just hours on Sunday, the Met Office has warned.

A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms almost entirely covers England and Wales between noon and midnight on Sunday.

Lightning, strong winds and hail are all to be expected, with the forecaster saying London through to the Midlands as well as eastern England, east Wales and lower areas of northern England are most likely to experience disruption.

The warning states that while some places may miss the rain, others could see 30mm in an hour or less and a few spots may even see 60 to 80mm within three to six hours.

The storms will follow this weeks humid heatwave, which has caused some to experience heavy hay fever and even worsened asthma attacks.

Grahame Madge, a spokesperson for the Met Office, said: What were seeing is a change of air mass from last week.

Weve now got much more moist air, thats coming up from warmer latitudes in the Atlantic so its quite humid.

Heat and humidity are the key ingredients for thunderstorms. Theres a warning out for Northern Ireland today, but tomorrow that extends to essentially the whole of England and Wales, apart from some areas around the Lake District.

He added: Some of the storms have the potential to be quite intense, with high rainfall rates.

Some locations may well miss them all together but all we can do now is indicate that there is a risk across both countries.

 Yellow weather warning UPDATED Thunderstorms across England and WalesSunday 1200  2359Latest info  https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs Stay #WeatherAware https://t.co/5jEzT18eBo pic.twitter.com/Wqi31Ty2vo  Met Office (@metoffice) June 17, 2023

He added: We will keep the yellow warning closely monitored and if we need to escalate that for local areas then we will.

Members of the public have taken to social media to complain that their hay fever symptoms are worse than usual this year. Mr Madge put this down to the hot, dry weather over the last few weeks.

Pollen season is certainly with us, he said. The fact weve had very dry conditions means that grasses can release pollen on mass into the air column.

Around 70% of hay fever sufferers are allergic to grass pollen, and will likely have symptoms continuing from mid June into July during grass season.

The heat and humidity has also led to a surge in the number of people presenting at hospital with lung problems. More than five million people in the UK have asthma, leaving them more vulnerable to the weather conditions.

People with asthma who have hay fever can experience much more severe symptoms during thunderstorms, said Emma Rubach, head of health advice at Asthma + Lung UK.

This is because thunder breaks pollen into smaller particles, which can then be inhaled deep into the lungs, causing wheezing, coughing, a tight chest and shortness of breath.

If there is also higher pollution in the atmosphere  which tends to be the case when the weather is warm  this is an added threat.
Thousands of people will join a protest on Saturday to keep up the pressure for an inquiry into one of the most violent clashes of the miners strike 39 years ago.

Police confronted pickets outside a coking plant in Orgreave, South Yorkshire, on June 18 1984, in what the miners said was a military-style operation to attack them.

The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (OTJC) continues to call for an inquiry, claiming years of lies and cover-ups over the Conservative governments role in policing of the year-long strike.

Former miner Kevin Horne, one of 95 miners arrested at the so-called Battle of Orgreave, said: We were only striking for the right to work.

Pardons by the Scottish government for Scottish miners arrested during the miners strike, continuing anger in ex mining communities, papers from the time of the strike embargoed from public release until at least 2066 and growing numbers who support this campaign for truth and justice, show it is in the public interest to hold an Orgreave inquiry to have a full and authoritative review of what happened and why we were treated so badly.

The OTJC has submitted evidence to the Home Office about why it believes there should be an inquiry.

The campaigns secretary, Kate Flannery, said: Our powerful and detailed evidence seems to have been ignored by the Home Office and after giving the OTJC false hope  any kind of Orgreave inquiry was categorically ruled out.

No-one in Government or the police has ever been held to account for what the government directed and the police did. The Tory Governments attempts to sweep malicious and dangerous government and police conduct under the carpet will not make it go away. It is a serious threat to our already declining democracy.

Another ex-miner, John Dunn, said: The Tories are clearly afraid that an Orgreave inquiry would further expose their scandals, corruption and attempts to stifle dissent.

They have recently and very quickly organised a whole raft of draconian policing, anti-strike and anti-protest legislation to criminalise us and shut us up.

The annual march and rally will be held in Sheffield on Saturday.
Teachers in England are to stage fresh strikes in their long-running dispute over pay.

Members of the National Education Union (NEU) will walk out on July 5 and 7, causing disruption to schools in the current term.

The NEU is currently re-balloting its members to see if they want to continue taking industrial action for the rest of the year.

The other education unions  ASCL, NAHT and NASUWT  are also balloting their members for strikes over pay and funding for teachers in England.

The unions have warned of co-ordinated action in the autumn term if there is no settlement to the dispute.

Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, said it was within the grasp of Education Secretary Gillian Keegan for the action to be halted.

Time and again the National Education Union, alongside its sister unions, have called for the Education Secretary to get around the negotiation table to settle this dispute for a fully-funded teacher pay increase. Time and again our calls have fallen on stony ground, they said.

The Education Secretary refused to re-enter negotiation on the grounds that she and her department were waiting for the publication of the School Teachers Review Bodys (STRB) recommendation on pay.

The NEU said the minister had received the bodys report and recommendations, but would not comment on speculation that it was suggesting a 6.5% pay rise.

The union leaders said they were worried that the Government was contemplating not implementing the report or not funding it properly.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan (PA)

They added: Gillian Keegan also says that she will publish the report in her own good time, which by her departments recent record will be at least another month.

This causes huge uncertainty for schools and is hugely disrespectful to headteachers. None are able to properly plan for next year.

Unlike her counterparts in Scotland and Wales where the pay disputes have been settled, this Education Secretary has wilfully turned her back on teachers in England.

No one wants to take strike action but when faced with an Education Secretary who clearly has no interest in settling this dispute, teachers are left with no option.

Gillian Keegan could avoid the strikes in July by publishing the STRB report, entering substantive talks with us and the education unions ASCL, NAHT and NASUWT to find a settlement on its response to the report, its funding and this years pay rise.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: Further strike action will cause real damage to pupil learning and even more disruption for parents right across the country.

Thousands of schools are receiving significant additional funding as part of the extra 2 billion of investment we are providing for both 2023/24 and 2024/25 which will take school funding its highest level in history next year, as measured by the IFS.

As part of the normal process, the independent School Teachers Review Body has submitted its recommendations to Government on teacher pay for 2023/24. We will be considering the recommendations and will publish our response in the usual way.
Sir Ben Okri says to be honoured means helping the human race to be better and more civilised after being made a Knight Bachelor.

The renowned Nigerian-born writer and cultural activist, considered to be one of the foremost African authors in the post-modern and post-colonial traditions, said he was delighted by the honour.

His best-known work includes The Famished Road novel trilogy, the first of which  The Famished Road  won the Booker Prize in 1991.

Sir Ben has been made Knight Bachelor in the Kings Birthday honours for services to literature, having previously been made OBE in 2001.

Sir Ben Okri (Jeff Spicer/PA)

Im delighted to be given this honour. I think of the illustrious writers who have preceded me and the gifted writers to come, he said, in a statement shared with the PA news agency.

The writer does not write for honours but for truth, the mysterious truth of the human condition.

For me the main value of this honour at this moment is necessity to remind my fellow human beings that we are living on the cusp of a world wide environmental crisis.

If we dont do something radical about it now, within ten years nothing will be the same.

Art is a reminder that the human destiny has to go upwards. This is the moment to reverse our backward thinking and create a new future.

If being honoured means anything it means helping the human race to be better, more civilised, more beautiful.

Sir Ben was born in Nigeria and came to England as a child, growing up in London, but later returned to his home country with his parents on the eve of the Nigerian civil war  which had a defining impact on his life.

Originally set for a career as a scientist, he found his true vocation in writing and began producing poetry and articles about the living conditions in the slums of Lagos.

He then turned his hand to short stories and eventually what was to become his first novel, Flowers And Shadows in 1980, two years after he returned to London.

Over the next decade, despite a period of homelessness, he wrote a second novel and two collections of short stories.

His most well-known and successful novel, The Famished Road, was published in 1991 and was awarded the prestigious Booker Prize.

The book was the first Booker Prize winner to go straight to number one in the paperback bestseller lists and has been highly influential in the decades since its release.

The Famished Road is the first book in The Famished Road Trilogy, which also includes Songs of Enchantment and Infinite Riches.

Despite his success as a novelist, Sir Ben thinks of himself primarily as a poet having produced multiple collections.

In 2009 he invented a new form called a Stoku, a cross between a short story and Haiku, which first displayed in his book Tales of Freedom, now re-titled The Comic Destiny.

Sir Ben was made a CBE in 2001 (Astley Galloway/PA)

Sir Ben is also an influential essayist and has written multiple film scripts and plays.

He was a Fellow Commoner in creative arts at Trinity College, Cambridge from 2001 to 2003 and is an honorary Fellow at Mansfield College, Oxford.

In 2019, Sir Bens novel Astonishing the Gods, first published in 1995, was selected as one of the BBCs 100 novels that shaped our world.

Other writers to be recognised on the Kings birthday honours list include William Dalrymple and Sally Magnusson.

Historian, author and art curator Dalrymple was made CBE for services to literature and the arts.

Broadcaster and author Magnusson was made an MBE for services to people with dementia and their carers.
An activist who highlights the health and safety of tenants living in social housing across the UK said he has been compelled to decline an offer to become an MBE.

Kwajo Tweneboa, 24, took to social media to say he was offered an MBE last month, but made the decision to decline it  saying he could not receive the title off the back of an issue which should never have existed.

Mr Tweneboa, from Mitcham, uses his online platform to highlight the issues of tenants living in social housing across the country, but he has also raised problems for those living in private and temporary accommodations.

Mr Tweneboa speaks out for tenants who feel their living conditions are unsafe, which can pertain to black mould, leaks, flooding, asbestos, pests and rodents, or other circumstances where they feel their rights are being challenged.

In a statement posted to Twitter, Mr Tweneboa said he felt compelled to turn down the offer, adding that some people across the UK are living in what he said could only be described as slum conditions.

Last month, I was offered an MBE I made the decision to decline. Heres why: pic.twitter.com/XViuiIIdSH  KWAJO- Social Housing (@KwajoHousing) June 17, 2023

Mr Tweneboas statement reads: I want to start by thanking whoever chose to nominate me, as I have no doubt it came from a good place.

So much grief and suffering has happened as a result of the poor state of Housing in the UK, with the vulnerable and poorest most ignored.

Some living in, what can only be described as: slum conditions.

On the 14th of June 2017, 72 innocent men, women and children, tragically  and prematurely  lost their lives in Grenfell Tower, through no fault of their own.

A disaster that never should have happened.

Since then, campaign groups like Grenfell United, Shelter and many others have stood side by side demanding systemic change.

While brave tenants have shared their own experiences, in order to highlight the sheer lack of progress and accountability since Grenfell, many continue to suffer

Therefore, I cannot accept being honoured or receiving a title off the back of an issue, which realistically, should never have existed, and in saying that, I felt compelled to turn it down.

Mr Tweneboas statement added that he has written to the Prince and Princess of Wales to inform them of his decision and to express his interest in working with them to raise awareness surrounding the social issues which he said cause needless suffering to minority groups across the UK.

He continued, saying he wished to acknowledge the Prince of Wales recent work surrounding homelessness.

It can only be positive to see meaningful change across lots of other important Social issues, whilst giving a platform, an ear, and a hand to help those most ignored and neglected, he wrote.

Thanks to all who continue to support.

In 2021, Mr Tweneboa was living in a council house in Mitcham with his two siblings.

At the time, he described the conditions to the PA news agency as being unlivable and not even fit for animals.

He said he was driven to share pictures on social media of his dilapidated housing out of sheer desperation, images which depicted his rotten kitchen, mouldy wallpaper and waterlogged cabinets.

The housing association responsible took action and as a result, the flat was repaired.

Since then, Mr Tweneboa has become a champion for those living in similar conditions up and down the country, prompting landlords and housing associations to take urgent action and make repairs.
Local officials report that an Isis-affiliated rebel group attacked a school in Uganda, killing at least 38 students and three adults.

The assault happened at Lhubiriha School in the Kasese district of western Uganda, not far from the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

According to Fred Enanga, a spokesman for the national police, the attackers burned down a dormitory and stole food from the school's shops, as reported by The Independent.

According to Major General Dick Olum of the Ugandan army, several students, especially girls, have been kidnapped by the organization while others of the children were burned or hacked to death.

The attack happened on Friday night, and 25 people were first reported dead. Later on Saturday, authorities reported that 41 fatalities had been found, including 38 schoolchildren, one security officer, and two locals who had been shot outside the building.

The attackers were members of a terrorist organization known as The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has sworn allegiance to Isis, according to the authorities.

According to officials, bodies were transferred to Bwera Hospital. There are still eight persons in critical condition.

According to Ugandan army Major General Dick Olum, some youngsters were burned or hacked to death.

He claimed that the organization has also kidnapped other students at the institution, especially girls. It is unknown how old the victims were.

DNA tests will be required to identify some of the victims because they were allegedly severely burned.

The attackers are alleged to have set the students' bedding on fire and are suspected of having planted bombs nearby. Social media is rife with images of the school's structures on fire.

Read also: Uganda's Ebola Outbreak 'Rapidly Evolving' a Month After Disease was First Reported, WHO Warns

Attacks in Uganda

Uganda has been plagued by a series of attacks in recent years, most of which have been carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan rebel group fighting the government for years.

The ADF is a group that has been accused of carrying out massacres, beheadings, and other atrocities. The group is believed to have links to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

The attacks have caused widespread fear and displacement in Uganda. The government has responded by deploying troops to the affected areas and launching airstrikes against the ADF. However, the group remains a serious threat to security in Uganda.

The attacks in Uganda are a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by terrorism in Africa. The continent has been a hotbed of terrorist activity in recent years, with groups like the ADF, Boko Haram, and al-Shabaab carrying out deadly attacks.

The international community needs to do more to help African countries combat terrorism. This includes providing financial and logistical support, training, and expertise.

Related article: Uganda Passes Law Imposing Imprisonment, Death Penalty Against LGBT+ People

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A three-year-old boy and a girl, 11, found dead along with their parents in a flat in west London have been named by police.

Metropolitan Police officers forced their way into the home in Staines Road, Bedfont, Hounslow, at just after 3pm on Friday after being called to concerns about the family.

They have been identified as Michal Wlodarczyk, aged 39, and Monika Wlodarczyk, aged 35, who are believed to be the parents of Maja Wlodarczyk, aged 11, and Dawid Wlodarczyk, aged three.

The family were Polish, according to neighbours, who said Mr Wlodarczyk worked as a builder, while Mrs Wlodarczyk was a cleaner at a hotel.

Flowers at the scene in Bedfon (Lucy North/PA)

A tearful mother said her daughter  who was in year six with Maja at nearby Southville primary school- attended a sleepover party at the house on May 31.

Maria Gouveia, 37, told the PA news agency: Its tragic, her parents were really good people, hard workers, the mother was a cleaner in a hotel, I think the father was a builder.

Maja was a lovely, beautiful girl, with a strong personality, but she had not been in school for a few days.

People in her class were texting her, my daughter messaged her on Snapchat, it was not like her to go quiet.

I think they were going to Mallorca for the dads 40th birthday very soon, thats where I hoped they were when I heard about this.

Its shocking, the little boy was so sweet, he was going to start nursery in a few months, we are praying for them.

Another mother, Naura Hooper, 46  who attended the scene, said she used to take Maja out with her daughters.

She said: Maja was a nice girl, very intelligent and well-liked, the family were nice whenever I met them.

Police forensic investigators at the scene (Lucy North/PA)

Officers are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

A police officer was stood with his arms folded outside the property on Saturday, while forensic investigators, wearing masks and gloves, worked at the scene.

A man who lives next door, who did not wish to be named, told reporters: They were just normal neighbours  we just had greetings here and there, that kind of stuff.

I came home from work and there were police everywhere. It was really busy. Nothing like that happens here.

I have no idea what happened.

Naresh Regmi, 49, who lives nearby, told PA: The police were here yesterday with forensics, working on the property.

We didnt know the people who lived there  maybe they were new to this area?

Detective Chief Inspector Linda Bradley, who is leading the investigation, said: I would like to assure the community that specialist detectives are working to establish the circumstances which led to this tragic incident and we will provide further updates as soon as appropriate.

Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by what has happened.

Their next of kin have been informed and are being supported by family liaison officers.
A triple murder suspect has been remanded in custody by magistrates after two students and a school caretaker were killed in knife and van attacks in Nottingham.

Former University of Nottingham student Valdo Calocane, who gave his name as Adam Mendes, appeared in the dock at Nottingham Magistrates Court on Saturday wearing a grey T-shirt and grey jogging bottoms, and flanked by three security officers.

The 31-year-old is accused of murdering first-year students Grace OMalley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber and school caretaker Ian Coates in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Calocane is also alleged to have attempted to murder three pedestrians, Wayne Birkett, Marcin Gawronski and Sharon Miller, after Mr Coates van was used to drive at people in Milton Street and Upper Parliament Street.

A prison van arrives at Nottingham Magistrates Court on Saturday (Ben Birchall/PA)

The defendant, who remained calm throughout the hearing, spoke only to confirm his name as Adam Mendes, his date of birth and that he was of no fixed abode, and was not required to enter any pleas to the charges.

Medical student Ms OMalley-Kumar, from Woodford in London, and history student Mr Webber, from Taunton in Somerset, who were both 19, were found fatally knifed on Ilkeston Road at around 4am.

Grace OMalley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber were killed in the attacks on Tuesday (Family handout/Lucy Sheffield/Southgate Hockey Club/PA)

Mr Coates, 65, was then found stabbed to death in Magdala Road after his van was allegedly stolen.

Calocane is alleged to have used the van to drive at a pedestrian in Milton Street and a further two people in South Sherwood Street.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust said two patients are stable and one has been discharged following the van incidents.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the driver of a marked police car had sight of the vehicle for less than a minute before it collided with the pedestrians in South Sherwood Street.

A police officer outside Nottingham Magistrates Court (PA)

Magistrates heard Calocane is also charged with assaulting a police constable following an incident in Nottingham in September 2021.

The charge of assaulting an emergency worker will next be heard at the same court on June 26.

The family of Mr Webber described their complete devastation at the senseless murder of our son, saying he was a beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to.

Ms OMalley-Kumars family described her as a truly wonderful and beautiful young lady and that she would be so dearly missed.

Two of Mr Coates sons said his death had rocked everyones world, adding: Nobody deserves this but he definitely didnt.

Police revealed the suspect is a former University of Nottingham student, but said this is not believed to be connected with the attack.

Chairwoman of the bench of magistrates, Allison Folkett, remanded Calocane into custody to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday.
Despite the lack of sufficient support in Congress to pass a new assault weapons ban, President Joe Biden on Friday said the US has reached a tipping point in the fight to strengthen Americas gun laws, due to the activism of the gun violence prevention movement that has gathered increasing strength in recent years.

Mr Biden, who was delivering remarks at the National Safer Communities Summit in Hartford, Connecticut, at the invitation of Senator Chris Murphy and a coalition of gun safety groups including Everytown, Moms Demand Action and Giffords, recounted some of the more than 20 executive actions his administration has taken to stem the tide of mass shootings since he took office. He said those politicians who claim to be concerned about crime should realise that crime cant be tackled without dealing with gun violence.

Its a simple proposition, he said.

The president also lamented how since 2020, firearms have been the leading cause of death for children in the United States  more than automobile accidents or cancer.

He recalled how the assault weapons ban he wrote into the 1994 crime bill enacted under then-president Bill Clinton cut mass shootings significantly only to see their number triple when Mr Clintons successor, George W Bush, allowed the ban to expire with the aid of a Republican Congress, allowing military-style rifles and high-capacity magazines to come back into vogue.

Mr Biden also called for a repeal of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which immunises gun manufacturers from lawsuits filed by gun violence victims, and for the enactment of universal background checks before anyone can purchase high-powered rifles, many of which are modelled off of those issued to American soldiers, as well as safe storage requirements for such weapons.

The United States of America has the finest fighting force in the history of the world [and] provides  service members with the most lethal weapons on Earth. We also require them to receive significant training before theyre allowed to use them. We require extensive background checks and mental health assessment that before they can  use them [and] require them to lock them up or store the weapon responsibly, he said.

Every gun owner should be required to have the same requirements held to him or her, he added.

The president also hailed governors who have taken action to strengthen state gun laws, including Connecticuts Ned Lamont, who recently signed more than 12 separate bills to strengthen his states firearm regulations, and praised state governments in Illinois and Washington for passing assault weapon and ghost gun bans, as well as the 21 states that have enacted so-called red flag laws to allow courts to temporarily disarm people who are determined to pose a risk to the community by a judge.

Though chances of a federal assault weapons ban making it to his desk are slim to none given the composition of Congress, Mr Biden promised the gun safety advocates that he will never stop fighting.

We will ban assault weapons in this country  we will hold gun makers liable, we will beat the gun industry, he said.
File: Mark Swidan has been detained in China since 2012. / Credit: Photo provided by Swidan family

Mark Swidan, a 48-year-old Texas businessman, is on death row in China and has been behind bars since 2012 on what the U.S. says are trumped-up charges.

As Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Beijing on Sunday morning for the highest-level diplomatic visit to China since 2018, Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Michael Cloud, both Republicans of Texas, were imploring America's top diplomat to take all measures necessary to secure Swidan's release.

"Your visit represents perhaps the final opportunity to end the injustice of Mr. Swidan's imprisonment," the two Republicans wrote in a letter delivered Thursday night to the State Department.

Prior to his departure, Blinken said he will personally raise the cases of the wrongfully detained Americans, though he did not mention Swidan by name.

"This has been an ongoing conversation with the PRC and something that for me is always at the top of my list, that is, looking out for the security and wellbeing of Americans around the world, including those who are being detained in one way or another, including arbitrarily," Blinken told reporters Friday.

The State Department considers Swidan to be wrongfully detained and has raised concerns about his health.

A United Nations working group also characterizes his detention as arbitrary and unjust.

Swidan has denied the charges of narcotics trafficking leveled against him. But in April, a Jiangmen Intermediate Court denied his appeal and upheld the death penalty with a two-year suspended death sentence. Yet, as Cruz and Cloud point out in their letter, Swidan's passport shows he was not even in the People's Republic of China during the time of the alleged offenses. No drugs were found to be in his possession or in his hotel room.

Swidan was first detained during the Obama administration; the Republican lawmakers argue that the U.S. government has "long shown" an unacceptable lack of urgency surrounding the case.

File: Pastor David Lin has been held prisoner in China since 2012. / Credit: Photo provided by Lin family

Swidan is one of three wrongfully detained American prisoners in China caught in the middle of what may be the single most consequential and complicated geopolitical relationship for the U.S. In addition to Swidan, 67-year-old David Lin, a pastor who has been imprisoned in China since 2006, and 60-year-old Kai Li are also behind bars.

China has proved particularly challenging for the U.S. when it comes to negotiating on prisoner releases or exchanges.

File: The State Department says Kai Li has been wrongfully detained in China since September 2012 and is serving a 10-year sentence at a Shanghai prison. / Credit: Photo provided by Li family

Li's son Harrison told CBS News in an interview on Wednesday that an in-person appeal by Blinken might make a difference to his father's prospects for release. Li has been held in a Chinese prison since September 2016.

The years in detention during COVID lockdown were particularly difficult for Li, his son said, and even now, his communication with the outside world is extremely limited and constantly monitored by Chinese authorities. Harrison Li said that his father is being held in a very small cell with eight to 12 other prisoners and is permitted to call home just twice a month for a total of 7 1/2 minutes. In recent years, Li has grown skeptical of the U.S. government's public pledge that there is no higher priority that the wellbeing of U.S. citizens.

"What matters to our family is that my dad is an innocent American who's being wrongfully detained. And, you know, our government has failed for, you know, almost seven years now across three administrations to bring them home. And that's what needs to be done."

Harrison Li hopes that President Biden will also agree to meet with his family as he has done in the case of certain prisoners held in Russia and Syria.

The topic of the wrongfully detained Americans and other U.S. citizens who have been prevented from leaving China under so-called "exit bans" was raised earlier this month during a visit to Beijing by Assistant Secretary Daniel Kritenbrink and National Security Council senior director Sarah Beran. Kritenbrink told reporters Wednesday that the issue is consistently raised at the highest levels and "there is no higher priority for the U.S. government than protecting U.S. citizens overseas."

On "Face the Nation" in February, Cruz said, "China, if they want to demonstrate that they're not bad actors, if they want to demonstrate that they can aspire to being a great nation, they should release Mark Swidan, because great nations and great powers don't hold political prisoners."

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Our long, international nightmare  aka Outlanders ongoing saga of the Brown familys hatred for the Frasers, particularly Claire  comes to a tidy end in the shows Season 7 premiere. And thank Gabaldon, because I dont know about you, but Im kinda ready to head back to the Ridge and chill for a bit.*

Read on for the highlights of A Life Well Lost.

*Before the horrors of the Revolutionary War are upon us all.

NO NOOSE IS GOOD NOOSE | Claire is hanged for murder in the episodes opening moments, but JK! Its really just Jamies worst fears about how his wifes current situation might end, made visual to fake us all out. In a voiceover, he tells us that even though theyre still separated, hed know if she were no longer alive. Young Ian is with him, and he reports that the Cherokee are on board to help with a task to which were not yet privy. Jamie seems steeled by this. Lets go get my wife, he says, and they ride off. (Side note: Did that make anyone else flash back to Season 1s Ill thank you to take your hands off my wife? scene like it did me?)

Meanwhile, Claire is in prison, tossed in a cell with a forger named Sadie Ferguson. We learn that in the pre-war tumult, the courts have shut down and the justices have gone into hiding. So its not likely that Claires case will see the light of day anytime soon. Shes worried that shell languish in the dank cell without hope of rescue, but then some British officers come and ask for the healer. Claire stands up, and when they question her about whether shes the murderess or the forger, Sadie quickly pipes up that she is the killer in the house. (Though it seems altruistic, we later learn that forgers have a much lower chance of escaping the gallows than do murderers.) So, before the ladies can even begin rehearsing their rendition of Cell Block Tango, the Redcoats take Claire in a hurry.

Jamie arrives in town the next morning and is incensed to learn that Claire was moved overnight, when Tom Christie  whos been keeping an eye on her from outside the jail  wasnt there to do anything about it.

ALL AT SEA | Claire is ferried out to a ship where the governor and his very pregnant wife are hiding from anti-British sentiment. But shes taken ill, so Claire is their best bet for medical care. After a bit of nervous back-and-forth, Claire asserts that she didnt kill Malva  the governors wife has heard the story and thinks Dr. Fraser is quite notorious  and diagnoses a mild case of food poisoning. The two women develop a mutual respect, leading Mrs. Governor to say she wont tell her husband about the real accusations against Claire.

But that doesnt matter, because Major MacDonald arrives on board, outs Claire to the governor and stirs the pot by mentioning Jamies wavering loyalty to the Crown. Even worse: The governor announces his plan to sail away from danger, potentially putting more distance between the Frasers. So Claire asks him to send someone ashore and pick up a few medical supplies shell need. On the list, which is delivered to Tom Christie, she includes vir meus  Latin for my husband. So Tom delivers the secret message to Jamie, who rows out to the governors ship.

A SELFLESS ACT | Jamie is relieved to find Claire alive and well. He is less happy about the way the governor says hell release her as long as Jamie gathers 200 men from his area of North Carolina and bring them to support the British forces. Very well, Big Red says, telling Claire not to despair as he kisses her on his way back to shore.

A worried Jamie and Ian head to a bar and run into Tom Christie, who is kind of drunk. Jamie pulls him outside and learns that Tom plans to confess to Malvas murder himself, thus freeing Claire. Jamie forbids it, saying hell honor his promise to protect Claire himself, but Tom is firm. Allow me to do this, he says, and Jamie realizes he cant stop his fellow Ardsmuir man. Send Claire back to me, Jamie whispers, a little overcome. Tom is openly crying by this point, and he asks Jamie to give him a eulogy, though Jamie hesitates. COME ON, DUDE, HES TAKING ONE FOR YER TEAM. Eventually, Jamie relents, giving a lovely speech that ends with how, despite their differences, Tom was a man I respected and whose respect I hope I had in return. The tribute seems to make Tom happy.

ARE YOU INSANE?! | When Tom arrives at the ship and announces his intentions, Claire canna believe what shes hearing: Are you insane?! she cries. He talks about how Malva and her mother were both witches, and how the girl was really his brothers child, conceived while Tom went to fight for the Stuarts during The Rising. Malvas mother was hanged for killing his brother, and hes sure that Malva was behind both Claire and his own near-fatal illnesses in Season 6.

Anywhoo, hes ready to sacrifice himself for Claire, whom he has decided is more than worthy. I have waited all my life in search of, no, in hope of a thing I could not name but I knew must exist, he tells her. I was convinced it was God I sought, but the love of God alone could not sustain me. No, now I know that I love you. I will say, he looks pretty damn peaceful now that hes come to this conclusion. He adds that hes left a written copy of his confession with the Wilmington newspaper. When he leaves her room, shes nearly crying.

ONE LAST THING | And, uh, thats that. Jamie is waiting by the docks when Claire returns via rowboat. That night, as they lie on the bed, a little shellshocked, she wonders if Jamie made Tom confess but he quickly disavows her of that idea. He loves you. Its plain to see, Sassenach, he tells her gently. Id have done the same, and counted my life well lost. Once shes resting, he slips out and finds Richard Brown in his room at an inn; hed clocked Browns horse in town earlier.

Brown scoffs that Jamie wont hurt him, because the zillion other Browns will hunt him down. But Fraser has news for him: Ian and the Cherokee are paying your men a wee visit at that very moment. And when Brown starts to realize that his time is up, he makes a plea to the better angels of Jamies nature. Youre a good man. A moral man, he says, freaked. Im also a violent man, Jamie replies calmly. The goodness that prevails in me is because of my wife. You tried to take her from me. Then he quietly instructs Brown to make peace with God, steps toward him menacingly, and the episode cuts to black.

HOLY ROLLING | What about Roger and Bree, you might ask? Theyre attending to some business related to his becoming a pastor when they run into Wendigo Donner, the guy who got away the night that Claire was gang-raped. He maintains that he didnt hurt her, and  after recognizing Roger as a fellow time-traveler  asks for help getting home, or at least help getting free from his prisoner-of-war status and shackles.

Roger is going to help him until Brianna finds out his plan and shames him into helping someone who stood by while her mother was violated. Roger admits that he did nothing to intervene when Bonnets crew threw a baby overboard, and says that sometimes theres nothing you can do in the face of terrible violence, but shes not hearing it. So in the grand history of men being dominated by Beauchamp women, he decides hell help Wendigo by praying for him  and nothing else  and Bree happily tells him hell make a great minister.

Now its your turn. What did you think of the premiere? Grade it via the poll below, then hit the comments with the rest of your thoughts!
Pat Sajak shocked TV viewers Monday when he announced he would retire from hosting Wheel of Fortune, which he's done since the early '80s, after next season. He said then that he would explain more soon.

Now, he's sharing a few more details.

Speaking to news station KHON2 in Hawaii, where he's currently starring in a stage production of The Sunshine Boys, Sajak offered some insight on how he's feeling about his decision.

"Yeah, it's a celebratory mixed with melancholy," Sajak said. "I've been thinking about this for a long time. I've known that this was coming and I talked about it with good friends and [play co-star Joe Moore] and my family. So I've had time to get used to the idea. It's not like I woke up the other day and said you know it's over. So there's that. But it's mixed emotions sure."

Sajak's co-starring role in the Neil Simon work marks his return to the stage at the Hawaii Theatre Center, where he has acted five other times with Moore, according to the news outlet. The production is a benefit for the venue, and it runs through June 25. The run kicked off Thursday, after having been delayed for three years because of COVID.

Pat Sajak hosts a game of "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" that aired in October. (Photo: Christopher Willard/ABC via Getty Images)

When Sajak was asked what he plans to do after his time on Wheel ends  show producers said he will serve as a consulting producer for three years beyond his hosting stint  the 76-year-old said he planned to, well, live the life of a retiree.

"I'm realistic enough to know the people aren't gonna be banging my door down. But I'll take projects if they come," he said. "But I suspect most of my time will be whittling on the front porch, but I don't know how to whittle and I don't have a front porch so that'll be a challenge."

Pat Sajak and Vanna White attend the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony for former "Wheel of Fortune" executive producer Harry Friedman on Nov. 1, 2019 in Los Angeles. (Photo: David Livingston/Getty Images)

The show has not yet named a replacement, although Sajak's co-host, Vanna White, his daughter and Wheel of Fortune social correspondent, Maggie Sajak, and Ryan Seacrest are among those in the unofficial discussion.
Kourtney Kardashian is pregnant with her and Travis Barkers first child together.

The Lemme entrepreneur, 44, surprised her husband, 47, with the news during the Friday, June 17, Blink-182 concert while he was on stage. Kardashian held up a handwritten sign that read, Travis, Im pregnant as she danced in the crowd with her daughter, Penelope. (The sign takes inspiration from the bands All the Small Things music video, where a fan held up a similar sign during a gig.) The Kardashians star and the Barker Wellness founder shared footage from the exciting reveal in a joint Instagram post early on Saturday, June 17.

Kourtney and Travis Celebrate Anniversary of Courthouse Wedding

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Hey Travis, you got an announcement! Barkers bandmate Mark Hoppus exclaimed during the show after he first noticed the sign. Weve got an announcement that somebodys dk still works! Lets hear it for Travis  somebodys having a baby!

A shocked Barker immediately climbed down from his drumkit to find Kardashian in the crowd, where they celebrated with a kiss.

The twosome, who celebrated their first wedding anniversary last month, were immediately toasted by their famous family. Kardashians sister Kim Kardashian shared heart and pregnant woman emojis in the Instagram comments while Barkers daughter, Alabama, reposted her dads video via her Instagram Story. She captioned it, Baby #7!

Courtesy of Stephanie Suganami Shepherd/Instagram

Kourtney and Barker made their relationship public in January 2021 and got engaged nine months later. The Poosh founder, 43, and the Blink-182 drummer, 47, held an unofficial Las Vegas ceremony after the Grammys in April 2022 before exchanging vows during a Los Angeles courthouse wedding one month later. In May 2022, the twosome had another celebration in Italy that was attended by their family and children.

The Grammy nominee shares son Landon, 19, and daughter Alabama, 17, with ex-wife Shanna Moakler. The musician was married to the former pageant queen, also 47, from 2004 to 2006. As they coparent their kids, Barker has also continued to have a relationship with Moaklers 23-year-old daughter with ex Oscar De La Hoya, Atiana. Alabama and Atiana both attended Fridays show as well, sharing concert footage via their respective Instagram Stories.

Kourtney, for her part, shares three kids with her ex Scott Disick. The former couple dated on and off from 2006 to 2015, welcoming Mason, 13, Penelope, 10, and Reign, 8, before ultimately calling it quits.

Back to School Bliss! Kourtney K. and Travis Gear Up for Fall With the Kids

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Since breaking things off with the Flip It Like Disick alum, 40, Kourtney has denied pregnancy rumors multiple times via Instagram. When social media users speculated that baby No. 4 was on the way in August 2021, the former E! personality replied, Im a woman with a BODY.

In March 2022, she sparked speculation again after attending the Oscars with Barker. Fried olives for two, she captioned an Instagram Story photo from their post-Academy Awards dinner.

In a trailer for The Kardashians that same month, Kourtney attended multiple doctor appointments with the musician, saying, Travis and I want to have a baby.

The University of Arizona grad previously froze her eggs, explaining during an Ellen DeGeneres Show segment in March 2021 that she got peace of mind from the process.

I froze mine and hopefully theyre sitting there OK just for  you never know, Kourtney said at the time. I really got talked into it. I was like, OK, whatever, Ill do it one time since everyone else is doing it. I might as well.  After I did it, the doctor was like, I would love you to do one more round just to have good healthy batch, a good amount, and I was like, You guys had me one time, thats it. Thats more than I was gonna do.

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Kardashian wasnt sure at the time whether she even want[ed] to have another kid, adding, Im someone whos like, Whats Gods plan? Am I supposed to get pregnant on my own at 41? Maybe thats Gods plan.  I live in a Disney world.

In September 2022, however, the Lemme creator revealed that she and her husband had pressed pause on their fertility process. We started an IVF journey, but I stopped, the reality star told WSJ. Magazine at the time. It was a lot. I took a break to just focus on our wedding and getting married.

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The duo made headlines for allowing cameras to film some of the more intimate moments of their fertility appointments, but Barker said they kept it real for viewers going through the same process. Its real life. And if any of that can help people  seeing Kourtneys journey through IVF, which is super hard for a woman, he explained to GQ in November 2022. You saw her struggle with it and talk about it. Thats real. And theres however many millions of dudes that have to go give their semen for this same procedure. So its, like, relatable, you know? Ive never been fazed by any of that.
The Formula 1 (FWONK) season is in full swing with round 9 of the championship, the Grand Prix of Canada, on tap for this weekend.

Though Red Bulls Max Verstappen appears to be walking away with the drivers championship, for the constructors'  or team  championship, many of the outfits are still battling to establish the pecking order. For you see in F1, the more competitive the team is, the more prize money they get.

McLaren Racing, one of the legendary teams up there in F1 lore like Ferrari and Williams, is celebrating its 60th year as an F1 constructor. CEO Zak Brown, a long-time vet of the racing scene both in F1 and other series, is slowly trying to bring the team back after a recent lull in its history.

For Brown, F1s popularity, and his own teams success, depends on a strong US  one that many automakers involved in F1, and McLarens own road car business, depends on for a majority of sales.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown speaks during a news conference in advance of the Formula One Miami Grand Prix auto race, Friday, May 5, 2023, at the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

"I think it's early days, which is amazing," Brown says of Formula 1s US appeal, which started around the time Netflixs Drive to Survive series started five years ago. "A lot of people are saying, 'How long do you think it will continue?' And my answer is, 'I think we're actually just getting started, right?' We haven't even had Las Vegas yet."

The inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix is coming this year, under the lights, in mid-November. This follows F1s return to the US with a semi-permanent race in Austin, and two races in Miami which began last year. Brown notes F1s success has led to a new TV contract in the US with ESPN, with ratings still relatively strong.

This of course has led to blue-chip US companies like Oracle, Chipotle, Workday, and AutoNation joining the sponsorship ranks.

Brown, who cut his teeth bringing in sponsors for various race teams he worked for after his career as a racer, has seen McLaren boost its sponsorship numbers tremendously since he took the reins a few years back. And the big names appear here to stay.

MONTMELO, SPAIN - JUNE 04: Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren drives on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Catalunya on June 04, 2023 in Montmelo, Spain. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images)

"The Googles, the Goldman Sachses, the Coca-Colas  these are unbelievable companies that are now entering the sport and seeing how big and powerful our sport is," he said. Alphabets Google and Goldman joined McLaren last year as official sponsors, with Coke joining two years ago.

From McLarens end, even a somewhat uneven global macro environment hasnt dissuaded corporate sponsorship.

"Not yet, and I keep saying not yet because I'm waiting for it to come," Brown joked. "I think the sport is doing so well, that the good stuff in life seems to be  I don't want to say a recession proof because I don't want to jinx it  but we're not seeing it. Our numbers are up. We're a profitable Formula 1 team for the first time in about 10 years."

MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JUNE 16: A crowd enjoys the atmosphere at the fan stage prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 16, 2023 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

One of the big reasons why US sponsors are excited is, as mentioned above, the third race coming to the US  and thats Vegas. And with the checkered flag dropping on a Saturday night (a first for F1 that usually races on Sunday), its going got be all eyes on the Strip.

"I think it's going to be probably the largest global sporting event in the world this year, I can't think of something that's going to be bigger," Brown said. "The excitement is going to be off the charts, and I can't wait to see everyone who shows up - it's going to be the celebrities, the athletes, the CEOs, and, of course, hundreds of thousands of fans."

Case in point  if you want to get tickets for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, you are out of luck  its sold out. The only tickets available are standing room, and special VIP packages that cost thousands of dollars.



Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  Abortion providers in North Carolina filed a federal lawsuit Friday that challenges several provisions of a state law banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy in the dwindling days before the new restrictions take effect.

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and Dr. Beverly Gray, an OB-GYN at Duke Health, are asking a federal judge to block numerous provisions they argue are unclear and unconstitutional, or to place an injunction on the law to prevent it from being enforced.

Though the law may be commonly referred to as a 12-week abortion ban, the plaintiffs argue that it actually includes additional restrictions that many patients are not aware of  hurdles that will impede health care professionals from providing quality care, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.

Many of these provisions are going to constrain an already very constrained abortion ecosystem in this state, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic CEO Jenny Black told The Associated Press on Friday. And so we really thought it was important that we challenged the elements of the law that do that.

North Carolina has been one of the few remaining Southern states with relatively easy access to abortions in the wake of last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision to strip away constitutional protections for abortion. With the new restrictions set to take effect July 1, many out-of-state patients who had once viewed North Carolina as a refuge for care will soon have to travel even further up the coast to access abortions later in pregnancy.

The lawsuit comes one month after the Republican supermajority in the states General Assembly fast-tracked the measure through both chambers and overrode a veto from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who called it an egregious, unacceptable attack on the women of our state.

He and other abortion-rights supporters have raised concerns about several provisions addressed in the complaint, including one that the plaintiffs argue could prevent providers from performing a medication abortion after 10 weeks of pregnancy, despite another provision stating its lawful through 12 weeks.

That is one example of the contradictory and confusing nature of the law, said lead attorney Brigitte Amiri, deputy director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project. The lack of clarity and vagueness run through, she said.

Among the named defendants are North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, state Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley and the district attorneys who represent every county in the state where Gray and Planned Parenthood provide abortions.

Kinsley's and Stein's offices did not immediately respond Friday to emails seeking comment.

In the lead-up to July 1, Black said Planned Parenthood staff members have been coming in early and working through lunch to treat as many patients as possible, while stressing to others that time is of the essence.

Republicans had pitched the 47-page measure as a middle-ground change to an existing state law banning nearly all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, without exceptions for rape or incest. The new law adds exceptions, extending the limit through 20 weeks for rape and incest and through 24 weeks for life-limiting fetal anomalies, including certain physical or genetic disorders that can be diagnosed prenatally.

But abortion-rights advocates say limits on those exceptions, as well as new hurdles for patients and providers, make the law much more restrictive than the headline-grabbing 12-week limit conveys.

The lawsuit challenges a requirement that sexual assault survivors obtain abortions at a hospital after 12 weeks of pregnancy, rather than at one of the many clinics Planned Parenthood and other providers operate around the state.

Gray, an OB-GYN who provides care in a hospital setting, told the AP there is no procedural or medical difference between the unrestricted care she is able to provide miscarriage patients and the newly restricted care she provides abortion patients.

Similarly, Planned Parenthood clinics will be able to continue treating miscarriage patients after 12 weeks in cases where the fetus has already died but will be prohibited from providing identical care to rape and incest survivors in the context of an abortion.

Its the same care, and theres zero regulations about caring for patients with miscarriages, Gray said. This is not about safety. This is about limiting access to abortion.

Their complaint also seeks clarity on a provision that prohibits providers from advising how a person can access an abortion after 12 weeks, which Amiri said could violate the First Amendment if the court interprets it as preventing providers from helping patients access care in other states where it remains legal.

Amiri also raised concern about what she said was likely a doozy of a drafting error related to the states existing fetal homicide statute, which considers it homicide to willfully cause the death of an unborn child. That law contains exceptions for lawful abortions, but Amiri said when legislators replaced the abortion law, they removed the statutory reference for those exceptions.

It leaves open the question of whether lawful abortion could be prosecuted under the fetal homicide statutes, she said. And thats very concerning for everybody.

___

Hannah Schoenbaum 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.
(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday gave African leaders seeking to mediate in the war in Ukraine a list of reasons why he believed many of their proposals were misguided, pouring cold water on a plan already largely dismissed by Kyiv.

The African leaders were seeking agreement on a series of "confidence building measures", even as Kyiv last week began a counteroffensive to push back Russian forces from the swathes of southern and eastern Ukraine that they occupy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said after meeting them in Kyiv on Friday that peace talks would require Moscow to withdraw its forces from occupied Ukrainian territory, something Russia has said is not negotiable.

Putin opened Saturday's talks with representatives of Senegal, Egypt, Zambia, Uganda, Congo Republic, Comoros and South Africa in a palace near St Petersburg by stressing Russia's commitment to the continent.

But after presentations from the Comoran, Senegalese and South African presidents, he stepped in to challenge the assumptions of the plan - predicated on acceptance of internationally recognised borders - before the round of statements could go any further.

Putin reiterated his position that Ukraine and its Western allies had started the conflict long before Russia sent its armed forces over the border in February last year, something they deny.

He said the West, not Russia, was responsible for a sharp rise in global food prices early last year that has hit Africa especially hard.

He told the delegation that Ukrainian grain exports from Black Sea ports that Russia has permitted for the past year were doing nothing to alleviate Africa's difficulties with high food prices because they had largely gone to wealthy countries.

And he said Russia had never refused talks with the Ukrainian side, which had been blocked by Kyiv. Moscow has, however, repeatedly said any peace must allow for "new realities", meaning its declared annexation of five Ukrainian provinces, four of which it only partially controls - a red line for Kyiv.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in televised remarks that Moscow shared the "main approaches" of the African plan, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying it was "difficult to realise".

Peskov said Putin had shown interest in the plan, whose 10 points South African President Cyril Ramaphosa laid out in his presentation, and Russia would continue dialogue with the African countries.

Lavrov said they had not brought the Russian leader any message from Zelenskiy.

Putin said Moscow was "open to constructive dialogue with anyone who wants to establish peace on the principles of fairness and acknowledgement of the legitimate interests of the parties".

There was no immediate word on the bilateral talks that Ramaphosa, host of a summit in August featuring Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, had said he would have with Putin.

Since the International Criminal Court indicted Putin in March on war crimes charges - which he rejects - South Africa, as a member of the court, finds itself in the awkward position of being obliged to arrest him if he sets foot there.

(Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Andrew Heavens)
Power companies inject 215 mln dollars into U.S. politics via dark money groups: The Guardian

Xinhua) 11:14, June 17, 2023

LONDON, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. power companies have made political donations of at least 215 million U.S. dollars to dark money groups, which helped utilities increase electricity prices, hinder solar schemes and helped elect sympathetic legislators in recent years, British newspaper The Guardian has reported.

Sometimes, power company dark money giving hides illegality, said the report published on Thursday, quoting a new analysis of 25 for-profit utilities, amid growing concerns around how they wield influence.

In 2021 in Ohio, FirstEnergy Corporation pleaded guilty to using dark money groups to bribe politicians in exchange for bailouts, according to the report.

Meanwhile, Florida Power and Light used dark money to interfere with ballot initiatives, and the elections of five politicians who in part aimed to tackle the high prices of electric bills and environmental and climate goals.

"We are captive payers. To be funding lobbying against clean energy and climate that customers actually want goes against the public interest," Jean Su, a senior attorney at environmental group Center for Biological Diversity was quoted as saying.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Sheng Chuyi)
A whistleblower shared new details about the controversial Partygate scandal of former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson.



Now, a former Downing Street official claimed that he knows the "true scale" of the parties that happened at 10 Downing Street (No. 10); the official residence of the U.K. prime minister.

Reports about the Partygate scandal first appeared on November 2021, with numerous sources claiming that parties and other gatherings happened during the peak of COVID-19.

With the latest revelations shared by the whistleblower, more specific details about the Partygate scandal are becoming clear.

Whistleblower Reveals Details About Boris' Partygate Scandal

According to The Independent UK's latest report, the whistleblower claims that Boris was aware of the parties happening during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read Also: Ian Blackford Not to Contest as SNP MP at Next UK Election

The former Downing Street official added that the ex-PM was "happy" to have his staff drinking to the point that some of them passed out on the stairway.

The No. 10 insider said that he was embarrassed to be a part of the charade that Boris and his staff organized to cover up their COVID rule-breaking activities inside the office.

Here are the specific details that the whistleblower revealed:

No. 10 staff were commonly ill. However, they were ordered not to wear masks.

Staff who were traveling with the former U.K. prime minister were told to wear masks when riding trains in case of cameras.

Some staff panicked and started deleting pictures, as well as shredding material showing the previous Partygate stories.

The ex-U.K. leader oversaw a toxic masculine culture at the Downing Street office.

Johnson was aware that parties were regularly happening at the Downing Street office during COVID-19 lockdowns.

Johnson Allegedly Misled UK Parliament

Reuters reported that Johnson is accused of deliberately misleading the British parliament over the Partygate scandal.

The privileges committee (the main disciplinary body for lawmakers) said that the former PM should be stripped of having automatic access to the U.K. parliament.

"We conclude that in deliberately misleading the House Mr Johnson committed a serious contempt," said the committee.

Related Article: Boris Johnson Knowingly Misleads Parliament Over COVID Lockdown Violations: UK Report

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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday met with a group of leaders of African countries who traveled to Russia on a self-styled peace mission the day after they went to Ukraine, but the meeting ended with no visible progress.

The seven African leaders  the presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypts prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda  visited Ukraine on Friday to try to help end the nearly 16-month-old war.

The African leaders then traveled to St. Petersburg on Saturday to meet with Putin who was attending Russia's showpiece international economic forum.

Details about the delegation's proposals were thin.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after the three-hour meeting that the Africans' peace plan consisted of 10 elements, but was not formulated on paper.

The peace initiative proposed by African countries is very difficult to implement, difficult to compare positions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. But President Putin has shown interest in considering it.

He spoke about our position. Not all provisions can be correlated with the main elements of our position, but this does not mean that we do not need to continue working, Peskov said.

The main conclusion, in my opinion, from todays conversation is that our partners from the African Union have shown an understanding of the true causes of the crisis that was created by the West, and have shown an understanding that it is necessary to get out of this situation on the basis of addressing these underlying causes, Lavrov said.

Russia says that it was effectively forced to send troops into Ukraine because it was threatened by Ukraine's desire to join NATO and by the country's support from the United States and Western Europe.

Speaking at the economic forum on Friday, Putin declared that the first Russian tactical nuclear weapons have been deployed to Belarus, describing the move as a deterrent against Western efforts to defeat Russia in Ukraine. He previously said that the deployment would begin in July.

Asked if he could order the use of battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Putin said that there was no need for that but noted that Moscow could use its nuclear arsenals in case of a threat to the Russian statehood.

In that case, we will certainly use all the means that the Russian state has. There should be no doubt about that," he said.

The mission to Ukraine, the first of its kind by African leaders, comes in the wake of other peace initiatives  such as one by China  and carries particular importance for Africa, which relies on food and fertilizer deliveries from Russia and Ukraine. The war has impeded exports from one of the worlds most important breadbaskets.

This conflict is affecting Africa negatively, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a news conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and four other African leaders after their closed-door talks on Friday.

Ramaphosa and others acknowledged the intensity of the hostilities but insisted all wars must come to an end and emphasized their willingness to help expedite that.

I do believe that Ukrainians feel that they must fight and not give up. The road to peace is very hard, he said, adding that there is a need to bring this conflict to an end sooner rather than later.

The delegation, including Presidents Macky Sall of Senegal and Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, represent a cross-section of African views on the war.

South Africa, Senegal and Uganda have avoided censuring Moscow over the conflict, while Egypt, Zambia and Comoros voted against Russia last year in a U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning Moscows invasion.

Many African nations have long had close ties with Moscow, dating back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union supported their anti-colonial struggles.

Speaking during Friday's news conference, Comoros President Azali Assoumani floated the idea of a road map to peace, prompting questions from Zelenskyy who sought a clarification and insisted he didnt want any surprises from their visit with Putin.

Chances for peace talks look dim as Ukraine and Russia take sharply different stands. Ukraine demands that Russia withdraws its troops from all its occupied territories as a condition for peace talks. The Kremlin, in turn, wants Ukraine to recognize the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as part of Russia and acknowledge other land gains it has made.

China presented its own peace proposal at the end of February. Ukraine and its allies largely dismissed the plan, as the warring sides look no closer to a cease-fire.

The African peace mission comes as Ukraine launches a counteroffensive to dislodge the Kremlins forces from occupied areas, using Western-supplied advanced weapons in attacks in several sections of more than the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line.

In the village of Blahodatne, taken by Ukrainian forces in the counteroffensive six days ago, soldiers said they have orders to keep advancing and not retreat, indicating long grueling battles ahead in the direction where Russians have built up dense lines of fortifications.

Morale is really strong because the guys know theyre moving forward to liberate their lands, said a Ukrainian soldier with the callsign Skripal (Violinist). We have an order not to retreat and to move forward, so were trying."

Village roads are punctured with craters, buildings are caved in and bullet holes peppered nearly every residence. Inside a cultural center, a Ukrainian commander with the call sign Lermontov said that theyd captured many Russian soldiers during the liberation of the village and showed journalists four bodies whom he said were Russian fighters who had been recruited from prisons.

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Sam McNeil in Blahodatne, Ukraine, and Jim Heintz in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this story.

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Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
DUBAI/CAIRO (Reuters) -Air strikes killed civilians and pummelled multiple parts of the Sudanese capital on Saturday, residents said, as warring military factions agreed to another ceasefire in a series that have failed to stop the violence.

Fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is entering its third month with neither side gaining a clear advantage.

The war has displaced 2.2 million Sudanese and sent the war-weary Darfur region into a "humanitarian calamity," the United Nations has said. It has killed more than 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000, Sudan's health minister said.

Late on Saturday, the United States and Saudi Arabia said the two factions had agreed to a new 72-hour ceasefire that would begin on Sunday morning. Previous truces have not managed to bring fighting to a complete halt.

The army has the advantage of air power in Khartoum and its neighbouring cities Omdurman and Bahri, while the RSF has embedded itself in residential neighbourhoods. On Friday and Saturday the army appeared to ramp up air strikes, hitting several residential neighbourhoods.

In a speech posted by the army on Friday, top general Yassir Al-Atta warned people to stay away from homes the RSF had occupied. "Because at this point, we will attack them anywhere," he said to cheers. "Between us and these rebels are bullets," he said, appearing to dismiss mediation attempts.

The Khartoum health ministry confirmed a report by local volunteers on Saturday that 17 people including five children were killed in the Mayo area of southern Khartoum and 25 homes destroyed.

The strike was the latest in a series of air and artillery attacks on the poor and densely populated district of the city where most residents are unable to afford the cost of leaving.

AIR STRIKES

Late on Friday, the local resistance committee said 13 people had been killed by shelling in al-Lammab in western Khartoum, calling the neighbourhood an "operations zone". Residents reported air strikes elsewhere in southern and western Khartoum into the afternoon.

The RSF on Saturday said it brought down an army warplane in the Nile, west of Khartoum.

Plumes of smoke could be seen rising near fuel depots in Southern Khartoum, a resident said and video shared with Reuters showed.

Air strikes in central and southern Omdurman continued from Friday into Saturday, impacting homes and killing one person, according to the local committee in the Beit al-Mal neighbourhood.

Residents said three members of a family were killed in the Sharq el-Nil district after an air strike on Friday.

In El-Geneina, in West Darfur, more than 270,000 have fled across the border to Chad, after more than 1,000 people were killed by attacks that residents and the United States have blamed on the RSF and allied militias.

A Chadian military source and a local official in Adre, Chad, where many of those fleeing have sought refuge, denied reports that Chadian soldiers had clashed with the RSF.

Chadian president General Mahamat Idriss Deby visited the area to witness the unfolding humanitarian crisis there and ensure the closure of the border, the presidency said.

Within Khartoum, the war has cut off the millions who remain from electricity, water, and access to healthcare, and residents have had to ration food. They report widespread looting.

(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz in Dubai, Nafisa Eltahir, Omar Abdel-Razek, Adam Makary, and Hatem Maher in Cairo, Mahamet Ramadane in N'djamena; Writing by Nafisa Eltahir; Editing by Mark Heinrich, David Holmes and Andrew Heavens)
By Nandita Bose and Jarrett Renshaw

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will address union members in Philadelphia on Saturday in his first political rally since announcing his re-election campaign, aiming to shore up a key part of his political coalition and bolster support among white working-class voters.

The AFL-CIO, which includes 60 unions representing more than 12.5 million workers, endorsed Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday, the earliest it has ever endorsed in a presidential election, and is hosting Saturday's event.

Biden's frequent appearances at union events, including at a labor conference in Washington right after announcing his re-election campaign, shows how important he thinks the labor movement is to a second term.

Hailed as the most pro-union president in history by labor leaders, he has supported collective bargaining at companies, reversed Trump-era rules that weakened worker protections, pushed to reverse a decades-long decline in union membership, and made it easier for union labor to build bridges and ports around the country.

White working-class union voters were divided on Biden in 2020, but some union leaders say he now has their support.

Some building trades unions, whose members traditionally vote Republican, did not endorse any candidate in 2020 after local leaders couldn't agree over backing Biden or Donald Trump.

Ryan Boyer, head of the influential Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents 50 unions including boilermakers and steelworkers, said Biden's track record as president has erased any doubt among his members about who to support in 2024.

"It's a different electorate this time around," he said. "There is not one labor leader worth their salt in Philadelphia that hasn't recognized just how much President Biden has supported men and women in labor. It's much different."

Union voters helped Biden win critical swing states, including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan in 2020, and labor is expected to play an important role in the Democratic Party's grassroots operations in the run up to 2024.

Biden won 57% of union households nationwide in 2020 compared with 40% for Trump, according to Edison Research.

His relationship with labor as president has not always been smooth.

In December, some unions criticized Biden for signing legislation preventing a nationwide rail strike. Separately, the United Auto Workers said in May that it wasn't immediately endorsing Biden because of his push to transition the U.S. into a nation reliant on electric vehicles.

Seth Harris, a law professor at Northeastern University, who until recently served as Biden's top labor policy adviser at the White House, said the president's infrastructure, chips and climate bills, which helped create millions of jobs that do not require a college degree, will help him win over holdouts.

"The building trades... are one of the largest groups representing men who have pursued their careers without a college degree," he said. "A substantial part of the president's economic strategy has been focused on men and women who are not going to get a college degree."

Harris said he expects to see Biden making his case in the months ahead in front of union audiences in Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona and other states.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Heather Timmons and Bill Berkrot)
Blinken lands in China on rare trip with hopes low for any breakthrough

By Humeyra Pamuk

BEIJING (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed the importance of keeping open lines of communication to reduce the risk of miscalculation in talks with the Chinese foreign minister on Sunday, and the two agreed to meet again in Washington.

As the first U.S. secretary of state to visit China in five years, Blinken held "candid, substantive, and constructive talks" with Peoples Republic of China (PRC) State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, a State Department spokesman said.

Before the talks, U.S. officials saw little chance of any breakthrough on the long list of disputes between the worlds two largest economies, which range from trade and U.S. efforts to hold back China's semiconductor industry to the status of self-governed Taiwan and Beijing's human rights record.

"The secretary emphasized the importance of diplomacy and maintaining open channels of communication across the full range of issues to reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

"The secretary raised a number of issues of concern, as well as opportunities to explore cooperation on shared transnational issues with the PRC where our interests align," Miller added in a statement.

He said Blinken invited Qin to visit Washington "to continue the discussions, and they agreed to schedule a reciprocal visit at a mutually suitable time."

Blinken, who postponed a February China trip after a suspected Chinese spy balloon flew over U.S. airspace, is the highest-ranking U.S. government official to visit since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021.

Qin greeted Blinken and his group at the door to a villa in the grounds of Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guest House, rather than inside the building as is customary.

The two made small talk as they walked in, Qin asking Blinken in English about his long trip from Washington. They then shook hands in front of a Chinese and an American flag.

After heading into a meeting room, neither Blinken nor Qin made comments in front of reporters who were briefly allowed in. Their meeting lasted 5-1/2 hours, a State Department spokesperson said, before they moved to a working dinner.

Chinese assistant foreign minister Hua Chunying, who is attending the meeting, tweeted above a picture of Qin and Blinken shaking hands: "Hope this meeting can help steer China-U.S. relations back to what the two Presidents agreed upon in Bali."

Biden and Xi held long-awaited first face-to-face talks on the sidelines of a summit of the Group of 20 big economies in November on the Indonesian island of Bali, engaging in blunt talks over Taiwan and North Korea but also pledging more frequent communication.

During his stay through Monday, Blinken is also expected to meet with China's top diplomat Wang Yi and possibly President Xi Jinping.

U.S. officials have since last week played down the prospect of a major breakthrough during the trip, but said Blinken's primary goal was to establish open and durable communication channels to ensure strategic rivalry between the two countries does not spiral into conflict.

U.S. officials and analysts expect Blinken's visit will pave the way for more bilateral meetings between Washington and Beijing in coming months, including possible trips by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. It could also set the stage for meetings between Xi and Biden at multilateral summits later in the year.

(Reporting by Humeya Pamuk; Additional reporting by Dominique Patton and Mike Stone; Editing by William Mallard, Christopher Cushing and Bill Berkrot)
SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he supports South Korea's efforts to develop a "healthy and mature" cooperative relationship with China, South Korea's foreign ministry said on Saturday.

Blinken, who arrives in Beijing on Sunday for the highest-level visit by an official of President Joe Biden's administration, discussed bilateral relations, relations between China and South Korea, and North Korea in a call with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin on Saturday, the ministry said in a statement.

Blinken and Park strongly condemned what they consider North Korea's repeated provocations, the ministry said, and agreed the U.S., South Korea and Japan should continue to urge China to play a constructive role in the U.N. Security Council on denuclearisation. The statement did not elaborate.

U.S. officials say they do not expect Blinken's trip to China, the first by a secretary of state in five years, to yield a breakthrough in how Washington and Beijing deal with each other. Blinken said on Friday the trip was aimed at establishing "open and empowered" communications.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by William Mallard)
By Roberto Samora

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A Brazilian coffee research institute has started a decisive stage in a two-decade project to develop arabica coffee varieties that are naturally decaffeinated, a development the researchers think could have significant commercial potential.

The program is being developed at the Instituto Agronomico de Campinas (IAC), a leading coffee research center that has provided many of the high-yield coffee plants that have helped Brazil become a powerhouse in the global coffee market, supplying more than a third of the trade.

Researchers at the IAC said they are starting regional field trials of some of the varieties they have been developing for several years by crossing different coffee plants that naturally have very low caffeine content, using the germplasm bank at their facilities.

If successful, the resulting varieties could find a market niche in large consuming regions such as Europe and the United States among consumers that would prefer them instead of current decaffeinated brands that are the result of chemical or industrial processes.

Companies selling decaffeinated coffee as well could benefit with reduced costs, since they could skip the industrial processes to remove caffeine from regular coffee varieties.

"The results we had so far look promising, we are upbeat," said Julio Cesar Mistro, a researcher overseeing the project at IAC.

Some of the clones developed in the center are being planted in different regions in Brazil. Coffee trees usually take two to three years to produce the first fruits, so there are still some years ahead until the researchers can harvest that coffee and test it.

Consumption of decaffeinated coffee accounts for around 10% of the market in the United States, according to data from the National Coffee Association (NCA).

Although many drink coffee specifically seeking the energy boost provided by caffeine, some people are intolerant to it, or prefer to have "decaf" when later in the day to avoid potential sleeping disruptions.

(Reporting by Roberto Samora, writing by Marcelo Teixeira in New York, editing by Sandra Maler)
By Harold Isaac

PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) -As Haiti's police struggle to contain powerful armed gangs, a disagreement between the Dominican Republic and Canada spilled out into the public on Friday, further complicating an international plan to boost Haiti's outgunned police force.

A day after Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced plans to set up a Canadian office to coordinate support for Haiti's national police this summer in the neighboring Dominican Republic, her Dominican counterpart denied any deal authorizing an office on Dominican territory.

In a post on social media, Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez said no deal been struck, adding that the Dominican government has not even discussed such a plan.

In a subsequent statement to Reuters, Canada's foreign ministry said it continues to work with 20 countries and international organizations to strengthen the Haitian police and boost security, pointing to ongoing talks "to finalize a location that will support the group's work in geographical proximity to Haiti."

The statement did not say whether the location would be in the Dominican Republic, which shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

Haitian-Dominican relations have long been strained. Since gang violence escalated last year in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Santo Domingo has stepped up border security and deported tens of thousands fleeing the crisis back to Haiti.

On Thursday, Joly announced plans to coordinate a police support operation from a base in the Dominican Republic and thanked Alvarez for providing it, according to a transcript from a Canadian government official.

Since last year, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has called for an international force to rein in the gangs. The groups now control large parts of the country, which has fueled a humanitarian crisis that has displaced tens of thousands of Haitians.

The United States has pushed Canada to take a leading role, but to date no country has offered to lead an international force.

(Reporting by Harold Isaac; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Sandra Maler and William Mallard)
By Anna Mehler Paperny

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's Supreme Court on Friday upheld a border pact under which Canada and the United States send back asylum seekers crossing the land border, finding the agreement does not violate asylum seekers' right to life, liberty and security of the person.

But it sent the case back to a lower court to determine whether the contested agreement violates asylum seekers' right to equal treatment under the law.

The ruling came as Canada was taking steps to more tightly manage its border with the United States. In March the two countries amended the Safe Third Country Agreement so it applies to the length of the 4,000-mile (6,440-km) land border, rather than just at formal crossings.

WHAT DOES THE RULING SAY?

The Supreme Court found that built-in "safety valves" that allow some asylum seekers to avoid being turned back in certain circumstances mean the agreement does not violate their right to life, liberty and security of the person under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

But the court also found an unaddressed question when it comes to whether the agreement violates equality rights.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The agreement stands and the case will return to federal court to determine whether the agreement violates asylum seekers' right to equal treatment under the law.

Refugee advocates claimed the agreement violates that right because they argue the United States is less receptive to refugee claims predicated on gender.

A lower court could find in favour of refugee advocates or the government, a decision that could be appealed either way. The case could wind up back at the Supreme Court, lawyers told Reuters.

WHAT PRECEDENT DOES THE RULING SET?

It could prompt courts to pay closer attention to challenges under the equal treatment section of Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, said lawyer Jamie Chai Yun Liew, who represented some of the parties intervening in this case.

"Now the court is saying, 'You should do the work.' ... By ignoring it, you're dismissing very important claims."

HOW HAVE MIGRANT MOVEMENTS CHANGED?

The expansion of the Safe Third Country Agreement is already having an impact on migrant flows into Canada. In March, Royal Canadian Mounted Police intercepted 4,173 asylum seekers on their way to file refugee claims in Canada after crossing irregularly. Last year, almost 40,000 people crossed into Canada between formal crossings to file refugee claims.

Between March 25, when the amendments took effect, and May 28, 618 asylum seekers crossed between ports of entry and were referred to the Canada Border Services Agency, according to agency figures. As many as 283 were sent back to the U.S., 247 were allowed to file refugee claims in Canada under exceptions to the agreement, and another 88 were being processed.

At the same time, the number of people caught crossing southbound into the United States spiked in March to 992 from 630 in February and stayed high in April, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol figures show.

The number of people apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol near the northern border in the first seven months of fiscal 2023, which began in October, is more than double the total for fiscal 2022, the figures show.

A Customs and Border Patrol spokesperson could not give a reason for the increase.

(Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; Editing by Denny Thomas and Jonathan Oatis)
By Rich McKay

(Reuters) - Months after a grand jury declined to indict eight police officers in Akron, Ohio, who shot dead Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old Black man, his family is seeking at least $45 million in a federal lawsuit - $1 million for each bullet that hit him, the lawsuit says.

The case, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, says that excessive force was used, and sues eight officers, the City of Akron, Mayor Daniel Horrigan and Police Chief Stephen Mylett, alleging systemic misconduct and failures in the department.

Neither the police chief nor the mayor could be immediately reached by Reuters. A spokeswoman for the city told the Akron Beacon Journal that there would be no comment on the litigation from the city.

In a press conference on Friday, Bobby DiCello, the family's attorney, said that the lawsuit will begin to tell the "true story" of what happened to Walker that night.

"Jayland Walker's death has been mischaracterized as his fault," DiCello said.

The officers pursued Walker on foot after an attempted traffic stop in June 2022 and shot him dozens of times, including five times in the back, police officials said.

Police opened fire after mistakenly thinking Walker reached into his waistband for a gun, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said during an April briefing to announce the grand jury's decision.

"Only then did the officers fire believing Mr. Walker was firing again at them," said Yost, whose office was asked by local prosecutors to investigate the shooting.

Earlier, while driving his car with officers in pursuit, Walker had fired at least one shot at them, but he left the gun in the car when he fled on foot, Yost said.

State law allows officers to use deadly force against a deadly threat to themselves or others, he added.

Walker's death garnered national attention and roiled the city amid heightened tensions with police over the killing of another Black man, after a spate of such deaths across the United States.

This week, police in Minneapolis came under federal oversight after a Department of Justice (DOJ) review found routine use of excessive force against Black and Native American people, ending a two-year investigation prompted by the police killing of George Floyd.

In March, the DOJ found similar problems in the Louisville, Kentucky, police department, following the 2020 shooting death of Breonna Taylor.

Walker's mother, Pamela Walker, attended the press conference, breaking down in tears as she hugged her attorneys. She declined comment to Reuters when reached later by telephone.

The city has not released the names of the officers involved in Walker's shooting. A media lawsuit seeking the names of the officers is pending before the Ohio Supreme Court.

(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday she wants the state to have regulatory authority over boats that operate in caves and similar waterways following a fatal tour boat accident in an underground water tunnel off the Erie Canal.

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation regulates commercial boats, Hochul's office said, but lacks authority to inspect those operating on non-navigable waters, like in the privately owned Lockport Cave.

The Democrat will propose legislation to close that loophole, her office said.

Earlier this week, a 65-year-old man died and nearly a dozen other passengers were taken to hospitals, mostly with minor injuries, when a flat-bottom boat with 29 people aboard flipped while inside the historic, human-made cavern system in western New York.

After the June 12 accident at the Lockport Cave, a human services agency confirmed that a similar incident had occurred during a 2015 outing for clients and staff.

"As we mourn the loss of life resulting from the boat crash in the Lockport Caves, my administration is proposing legislation to prevent future tragedies, Hochul said in a statement. The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has the tools to keep us safe and this legislation will ensure they have the legal authority to use these to keep passengers safe on boats in caves.




North Korea has convened a key party meeting to discuss the country's diplomatic and defense strategies in response to the "changed international situation," with its leader Kim Jong-un in attendance, state media reported Saturday.







Kim took part in the enlarged plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) that opened Friday, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).







The meeting will discuss "the issue of the state diplomatic and defense strategy to cope with the changed international situation," and review economic projects in the first half of this year, KCNA said in an English-language report.







It said participants unanimously approved agenda items, and that the meeting entered discussions, indicating that it will likely be held for multiple days.







The meeting comes as North Korea has been seeking to strengthen ties with Russia and China amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry and Russia's war on Ukraine.







Pyongyang also faces increasing security cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan, with the three countries' defense chiefs agreeing to operate a system to share North Korean missile warning data in real time within the year as they met in Singapore early this month.







The North has continued to dial up tensions in recent weeks, firing two short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday, and launching a space rocket carrying a purported military spy satellite on May 31, which ended up crashing into the Yellow Sea. (Yonhap)


ATHENS, Greece (AP)  Authorities continued to search Saturday for victims and survivors of a trawler that sank off the coast of Greece with as many as 750 migrants on board, as conservative leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis blasted critics of the rescue operation.

Naysayers, Mitsotakis said at a campaign stop in the town of Sparta, should turn their ire against traffickers he called human scum. The vessel sank on Wednesday.

The Greek coast guard announced Saturday that one Greek Navy frigate and four other vessels were operating 47 nautical miles (54 miles; 87 kilometers) southwest of the town of Pylos in Greeces southwest. Earlier, two helicopters from the navy and coast guard joined the operation, the coast guard said.

The rescue operation is taking place in rough seas, with near gale-force winds, and in some of the Mediterranean Sea's deepest waters. at over 5,000 meters (3 miles).

To date, 104 survivors have been rescued and 78 bodies have been recovered. The trawler carried as many as 750 men, women and children from Syria, Egypt, the Palestinian territories and Pakistan. No survivors or bodies have been found since the day of the accident.

The survivors have been taken to a migrant reception center outside Athens. A few have been visited by relatives residing in other European countries.

The Egyptian embassy in Athens on Saturday shared a list of 43 Egyptian migrants, including minors, who survived the shipwreck. The survivors are all men from Cairo and the Nile Delta provinces of Sharqia and Menofia, the list shows. The embassy said the list was provided by Greek authorities.

Greek authorities continue to face criticism, however, over their failure to act more quickly. They say the migrants insisted they didn't need any help, but non-governmental organizations say they received a number of calls for help.

On Saturday, parts of the Greek rescue vessel captain's testimony were published by Greek media. In it he said the migrants refused help, saying they were going to Italy, and untied a rope loosely tied to the trawler's bow when the coast guard ship had gone closer to inspect.

It is very unfair for some so-called people in solidarity to insinuate that the (Coast Guard) did not do its job. ... These people are out there battling the waves to rescue human lives and protect our borders, Mitsotakis said.

Mitsotakis, the favorite to win a second four-year term in elections on June 25, attacked the main opposition party Syriza for its own record on migration while in government.

Those who today appear as the so-called authentic humanitarians are those who allowed detention camps such as Moria to exist. The same who, a few days ago, were condemned by the European Court of Human Rights for the wretched conditions at Moria.

The notoriously overcrowded migrant camp of Moria, on the island of Lesbos across from the Turkish coast, opened in January 2013 under a three-party coalition government led by New Democracy. It saw its population swell during the migration crisis of 2015. It operated throughout the Syriza administration from 2015-19 and burned down in September 2020. Just before it did, it was estimated that 20,000 people lived in a camp designed to accommodate 3,000.

Mitsotakis also attacked Syriza for opening the doors to millions of people in 2015 and defended his own more restrictive policies, vowing to continue them.

We followed a different migration policy ... fair and strict, of monitoring and guarding our borders. A policy which resulted in illegal crossings dropping 90 percent, he told the crowd. This policy has been acknowledged (by Europe) as the right one. Because if we leave Europe's borders to allow in everyone, then the numbers of those wanting to cross the Mediterranean will rise exponentially and so will the chances of tragic shipwrecks.

Separately on Saturday, a successful rescue operation took place in Italy, where a coast guard vessel from the port of Roccella, in Calabria, rescued 96 migrants on a sailboat more than 100 nautical miles (115 miles; 185 kilometers) from the port.

Turbulent seas made the rescue difficult but with the assistance of a Portuguese coast guard vessel operating for Frontex, the European Union's border agency, and several commercial vessels, the rescue was completed.

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Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo and Nicole Winfield, in Rome, contributed to this report.
By Robertson Henry

KINGSTOWN (Reuters) - Humanitarian aid to Haiti will need to take into account the influence of heavily armed gangs who control large parts of the country, the president of a regional bloc said ahead of planned talks with the European Union next month.

"If anybody wants to deliver humanitarian assistance to Haiti, they have to come to terms with the gangs," Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and current president of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), said in an interview.

He did not give more details on how the gangs should be addressed.

Gonsalves will travel to Brussels for an EU-CELAC summit on July 17-18, expected to cover the volatile security situation in Haiti, where powerful gangs are driving a crisis that has displaced over 160,000 people, according to United Nations estimates.

Local activists are among those who have fled the violence while international aid organizations such as Medecins Sans Frontieres have shut down operations saying they cannot guarantee the safety of their patients or staff.

"There are gang leaders who are also political operatives, who control important communities," said Gonsalves, warning that "you have to be careful you don't set about to engage with gangs in Haiti and provide some legitimacy to them."

Gonsalves said people with ties to gangs were likely present at talks between representatives of Haiti's civil society and government in Jamaica this week, at which Prime Minister Ariel Henry pledged to broaden the country's transition council to make the government more inclusive.

Henry has since October called for an international force to help police restore security and establish conditions for long-awaited elections, but no country has offered to lead such a force.

Meanwhile, Gonsalves said, Haitian migration is threatening security in neighboring Caribbean countries.

Gonsalves said his country could help Haiti run eventual elections, and once stability is established, countries would need to coordinate a "Marshall Plan" of foreign aid.

This would involve serious talks about reparations from France, Gonsalves said.

Haiti spent over a century paying France a costly "debt" as plantation owners demanded payment for property - including slaves - lost in the Haitian Revolution, often described as the world's first and only successful slave rebellion.

(Reporting by Robertson Henry in Kingstown; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
Costco Wholesale revealed a rare glimpse into how big real estate deals are made when it submitted an offer this month to lease state-owned land in Richlands Queensgate area.

It would be the chains second Tri-City store.

The Issaquah-based warehouse club wants to lease 28 acres at the northwest corner of Kennedy Road and Truman Avenue, in the June 1 letter of interest signed by Bruce Coffey, corporate counsel.

The letter was obtained by the Tri-City Herald under Washingtons Public Records Act.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources previously confirmed negotiations with Costco after public documents obtained from the city of Richland this month showed it assessed potential traffic impact fees last fall for a Costco at Queensgate.

The state agency received Costcos offer letter on June 6 and negotiations are ongoing, Kenny Ocker, communications manager told the Herald.

A Costco spokeswoman declined to comment on the offer, citing the companys policy of not sharing details about new locations until about two to three months before they open.

The offer letter confirms Costco intends to build and operate a membership warehouse club and last mile delivery facility, as well as gas station at the Richland site.

Costco Wholesale wants to lease 28 acres at the northwest corner of the Kennedy Road and Truman Avenue intersection, according to a June 1 letter of interest.

Financial terms

Costco offered annual lease payments of $400,000 in the first five years of the proposed 55-year deal, rising to about $585,600 in Years 21 through 25.

As currently proposed, the offer would generate $12.2 million for Department of Natural Resources in the first 25 years.

A new lease rate would be set in Year 26 based on a new appraisal of the propertys value, followed by 10% increases in Years 36, 41, 46 and 51.

The triple net lease would make Costco responsible for all expenses, including maintenance and other costs such as leasehold excise taxes, which are paid in lieu of property taxes. At the current rate of 12.84%, it would generate about $1.6 million in taxes.

Costco requested the option to buy the property if Washington state law is changed to allow DNR to sell it.

The Benton County assessor values the property at $5.5 million, though as a public entity the state does not pay property taxes.

The Costco deal could be a significant source of revenue for DNR, which manages state-owned lands to benefit public schools.

Timber sales account for the majority of its revenue, but leasing commercial real estate brought in nearly $11.3 million in 2021, according to its most recent annual report. Total revenue topped $373 million.

Costco has offered to lease the state-owned former orchard land for 55 years.

Vinter Square retail strip

Costco proposes a 55-year deal for the property, which is behind Vintner Square, the retail strip mall anchored by Target on one end and Grocery Outlet on the other.

Proposed terms include an initial term of 25 years, with the option to renew for one 10-year term followed by four consecutive five-year terms.

Once a lease is negotiated, Costco will have a due diligence period to assess the sites suitability.

Costco Wholesale, the Issaquah-based warehouse club, wants to lease 28 acres at the northwest corner of Kennedy Road and Truman Avenue, according to its letter of interest.

That could lead to additional negotiations beyond the current ones. Notably, the letter indicates Costco will upgrade area roads and seek city help with that.

Costco will seek financial assistance from the City of Richland for the construction and/or improvement of the (roads), it said in its offer. If the city declines, it said it will preserve the right to recover its investment from future tenants who benefit from the infrastructure it builds.

The city released a short statement in response to a Tri-City Herald request for comment on its willingness to support road construction: The city does not know what Costcos plans are and weve not had discussions with them on this subject, it said.

Costco Wholesale submitted a letter of interest to lease 28 acres at Kennedy Road and Truman Avenue in Richlands Queensgate area for up to 55 years in June 1, 2023. The Washington Department of Natural Resources is negotiating lease terms.

Costcos Tri-Cities history

Costco operates a single store in the Tri-Cities, in Kennewick. It has long been rumored to be scouting for a second site to relieve pressure. It was expected to buy land in Pascos Broadmoor development area before talks reportedly broke down.

The city of Pasco is investing $40 million to bring utilities, roads and other infrastructure to the area, financed through taxes on the new development that will happen later.

Customers head to their vehicles with their purchases recently at Costco in Kennewick. Rumors are swirling on social media and around the Tri-Cities that a Costco will be building a new Pasco store.

A city official said Pasco still hopes to secure the second store, but is confident Broadmoor can succeed without it.

Costco has never commented on a second Tri-City store, but that hasnt stopped rumors from circulating about potential locations.

Its preferred location at Queensgate is the site of a former orchard, which was removed after the lease expired.

Richland rezoned the area that includes the Costco site for commercial, residential and public use in 2018. DNR advertised it to prospective tenants in 2020.

Richlands transportation impact fee estimate contemplated a 160,000-square-foot store and a 50,000-square-foot warehouse, along with a gas station and car wash.

Costco did not mention a car wash in the offer letter though it indicated it could build other commercial uses beyond the store.

Costco would generate an estimated 652 vehicle trips during peak hours.

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Flames from the Oak fire consume a home on Triangle Road in California's Mariposa County last July. A 71-year-old man was arrested Friday on suspicion of arson. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)

A 71-year-old man was arrested Friday on suspicion of arson for igniting the massive Oak fire in Mariposa County last year that destroyed 127 residences and dozens of outbuildings, prosecutors and investigators announced.

Arson investigators took Edward Frederick Wackerman, a longtime Mariposa resident, into custody without incident after a nearly yearlong extensive probe into the blaze that also consumed 19,244 acres of vegetation, officials said.

Edward Frederick Wackerman was arrested Friday on suspicion of arson in the Oak fire, which raged in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Yosemite National Park. (Mariposa County Sheriff's Office)

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials announced that Wackerman was arrested on suspicion of multiple felonies, including aggravated arson, arson that caused great bodily injury and arson that caused damage to an inhabited dwelling. The "investigation is under review by our office," the Mariposa County district attorney said in statement.

Investigators said they wouldn't be offering details at this stage on how the massive fire was set.

An ancient oak tree burned by the Oak fire in Mariposa County on July 27. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

No one was killed by the devastating blaze, but Cal Fire officials reported at least three firefighters were injured and thousands of people were evacuated.

The Oak fire began in the shadow of Yosemite National Park at about 2:10 p.m. July 22 in the area of Midpines. A combination of heat, low humidity and parched vegetation bedeviled firefighters battling the inferno that spread through the Sierra Nevada foothills, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency for Mariposa County. The blaze burned until early August before being fully contained with more than 2,000 firefighters battling the flames at its height.

Local and federal investigators plan to provide more details in a news conference Tuesday outside the courthouse.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
NEW YORK (AP)  The next round of COVID-19 vaccines will target one of the latest versions of the coronavirus, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.

FDA's decision came one day after an agency panel of outside advisers supported the recipe change. The agency told vaccine makers to provide protection against just one omicron strain, known as XBB.1.5.

Today's shots include the original coronavirus and an earlier version of omicron. They do still help prevent severe disease and death even as XBB variants have taken over. But protection gradually wanes over time and was short-lived against milder infection even before the virus, inevitably, evolved again.

The three U.S. companies that make COVID-19 shots said this week they had geared up to make the formula change, in anticipation of making many millions of doses available for the fall. One company, Pfizer, said it could have at least some doses ready as early as next month.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will eventually decide whether to recommend the shot for nearly all Americans or just for certain high-risk groups.

___

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.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  With leader Kim Jong Un in attendance, North Korea opened a key political conference to discuss improving its struggling economy and reviewing defense strategies in the face of growing tensions with rivals, according to state media reports on Saturday.

The enlarged plenary meeting of the ruling Workers Partys Central Committee came as the United States sent a nuclear-powered submarine to South Korea in the allies latest show of force against the North, which has ramped up its testing of nuclear-capable missiles to a record pace in recent months.

During the first day of meetings on Friday, North Koreas official Korean Central News Agency said, party officials reviewed the countrys economic campaigns for the first half of 2023, and discussed foreign policy and defense strategies to cope with the changed international situation.

The agency didnt specify what was discussed or mention any comments made by Kim. It said the meeting will continue for at least another day.

The arrival Friday of the USS Michigan in the South Korean port of Busan came a day after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern seas in response to U.S.-South Korean live-fire drills that took place near the inter-Korean border this week.

With the deployment of the USS Michigan, the U.S. and South Korean navies are planning to conduct exercises focused on sharpening their special operation and joint combat capabilities in the allies latest combined training to cope with growing North Korean threats.

Pyongyang has condemned the allies combined exercises as invasion rehearsals. North Korea has used the expanding U.S.-South Korean drills as a pretext to ramp up its own weapons demonstrations, including test-firing around 100 missiles since the start of 2022. Weapons tested by the North this year include a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile designed to reach the U.S. mainland, and various shorter-range weapons targeting South Korea and Japan.

Experts say Kims aggressive weapons push has put further strain on North Koreas isolated economy, which was already damaged by decades of mismanagement, crippling U.S.-led sanctions over his nuclear weapons program, and pandemic-related border closures that reduced trade with China, its main ally and economic lifeline.

Thursdays missile firings were North Koreas first rocket activity since May 31, when a long-range rocket carrying the country's first spy satellite crashed off the Korean Peninsulas west coast.

South Koreas Defense Ministry said Friday that military search crews have salvaged what it believes is part of the crashed North Korean rocket. The debris was to be analyzed by the U.S. and South Korean militaries. The ministry released photos of the white, metal cylinder, which some experts said would have been the rockets fuel tank.
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea convened a key party meeting to decide its diplomatic and defence strategy "to cope with the changed international situation", with leader Kim Jong Un attending, state media KCNA said on Saturday.

The enlarged plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) opened on Friday and plans to also review the country's economic projects during the first half of this year, KCNA said without further elaborating.

The meeting will likely be held for multiple days.

North Korea fired two short-range missiles off its east coast on Thursday, less than an hour after Pyongyang warned of an "inevitable" response to military drills staged earlier in the day by South Korean and U.S. troops. North Korea has said the drills were escalating military tensions.

Last month, Pyongyang unsuccessfully tried to launch a spy satellite, in its first satellite launch since 2016.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Rick Warren, founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Orange County, makes an appeal at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention on Tuesday to reinstate his church. The convention expelled Saddleback for ordaining women. (Peter Smith / Associated Press)

At their annual meeting in New Orleans this week, Southern Baptists doubled down on their crusade against female clergy. "Messengers" (delegates) of the nations largest Protestant denomination ratified the expulsion of two congregations  one of them Saddleback Church in Lake Forest  for condoning the ordination of women.

The venue was significant. In New Orleans in March 1967, Paul Pressler, a Texas judge, and a seminary student named Paige Patterson met at Cafe du Monde and, according to durable legend, strategized the conservative takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention. Fundamentalists within the denomination insisted its membership was on a slippery slope to theological liberalism by allowing women pastors and by refusing to affirm biblical inerrancy.

Although I contend that the term liberal Southern Baptist is an oxymoron, the conservative takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention in the '70s set in motion a purge of all vestiges of liberalism from the denomination. The fundamentalists, exploiting the powers of the denominations president, systematically began to populate church agencies and especially seminary boards with like-minded conservatives.

Many lifelong Southern Baptists still bear the scars of those purges.

Once the denominations agencies and educational institutions were locked down, the fundamentalists trained their sights on the supposed scourge of women pastors. Abandoning the bedrock Baptist principles of liberty of conscience and congregational autonomy, which vested the powers of ordination in local churches not the SBC, the new regime passed a resolution in 1984 that restricted women to work other than roles entailing ordination.

A resolution isn't a commandment, however, and some congregations, asserting the Baptist principle of autonomy, refused to comply. Besides, even an inerrant Bible offers more than one way to interpret women's roles.

Saddleback Church went further than most. Founded in 1980 by Rick Warren, and one of the largest congregations in the denomination, Warren told me years ago that the church wore the label Southern Baptist lightly. They need us more than we need them, he said.

No longer, apparently. After Saddleback ordained three women and announced that a husband-and-wife pastoral team would replace the retiring Warren, the denomination found the church "not in friendly cooperation" with the SBC. Warren appealed the ouster at the annual convention in New Orleans.

If doctrinal disagreements between Baptists are considered sin, we all get kicked out, he reminded the famously contentious Baptists, adding that the denominations doctrinal statement contains more than 4,000 words. Saddleback disagrees with one word, he said, speaking metaphorically. Thats 99.9999999999999 in agreement! Isnt that close enough?

The delegates roared back, No!

The issue of women serving in the pastorate, R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, told the crowd, is an issue of fundamental biblical authority that does violate both the doctrine and the order of the Southern Baptist Convention.

It's also an issue of fundamentalists' cultural fears.

As Joshua Abbotoy, a pastor whose congregation left the Southern Baptist Convention because it had become too liberal, told the New York Times, conservatives regard women pastors as an early harbinger of a raft of other changes, including questions about whether the human person is differentiated between two genders.

Another pastor suggested that permitting female clergy would soon allow the marriage of homosexuals, too, and then even allowing homosexuals to serve as pastors. Slippery slope.

As the New Orleans meeting ended, the Southern Baptists still hadn't fully grappled with a damning 2022 report detailing sexual misconduct among prominent figures within the denomination. But they overwhelmingly upheld the ouster of Saddleback and Fern Creek Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., where Linda Barnes Popham has served as pastor for 30 years.

The convention also for the first time approved an amendment to its constitution  taking the issue beyond a mere resolution: All congregations must have only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture. The amendment must pass two years in a row to go into effect.

Why is it, I wonder, that conservatives believe slippery slopes apply only to liberals? The sad history of the Southern Baptist Convention over the past four decades suggests that narrow, constricted readings of the Bible lead to anger, condemnation and exclusion, even abuse.

The Jesus I know said, Come unto me.

Randall Balmer, an Episcopal priest, teaches at Dartmouth College and is the author of "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America."





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
EAST BOSTON, Mass. (AP)  A New England Patriots player was arrested Friday evening at a security checkpoint at Bostons Logan Airport after two guns were found inside carry-on luggage, Massachusetts State Police said.

Police said 25-year-old Jackie K. Jones of Arizona was arrested Friday evening, WCVB-TV reported. He had been planning to travel from Boston to Arizona, according to police.

Police were called to the Transportation Security Administration security checkpoint in Terminal B at about 5:30 p.m. after two firearms were found in a travelers carry-on luggage. Police said they identified the person as Jones and arrested him.

Jones is facing charges including unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm, possession of a large-capacity feeding device and possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, police said. He was booked at the State Police Logan Airport Barracks and had bail set at $50,000, police said.

It wasnt immediately known if Jones has a lawyer to comment on his behalf. He is scheduled to be arraigned in East Boston District Court next week, according to police.

The Patriots confirmed the arrest in a statement.

We have been notified that Jack Jones was arrested at Logan Airport earlier today, the statement said. We are in the process of gathering more information and will not be commenting further at this time.

Jones is entering his second year as a cornerback for the Patriots. Patriots minicamp practice was held this week at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Saudi Arabias foreign minister arrived in Iran's capital on Saturday, the latest step in the restoration of diplomatic ties between the two Mideast rivals, Iranian state media reported.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan was officially welcomed by his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Iran TV said. He carried a message from the Saudi king to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the two were due to meet later Saturday, Iran TV said.

Later, Prince Faisal said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and King Salman officially invited Raisi to visit Saudi Arabia, according to the state TV broadcast of a joint news conference.

The visit comes after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Saudi Arabia earlier in June. In March, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions. The move sent shock waves through the Middle East, especially Israel, Iran's arch-enemy.

Prince Faisal was expected to officially inaugurate the kingdoms embassy in Tehran later Saturday. Until the mission is completed, employees were working from a Tehran hotel, Iran TV said.

Both nations reopened their diplomatic missions in recent weeks.

The agreement to reestablish diplomatic relations was a major breakthrough brokered by China that lowered the chances of further conflict between Riyadh and Tehran  both directly and in proxy conflicts around the region.

Soon after exploding in 2014, Yemens conflict turned into a proxy war between Saudi Arabia, which led a military coalition backing Yemens internationally recognized government, and Iran, which has aided the countrys Houthi rebels.

Iran has been blamed for a series of attacks in recent years following the United States unilateral withdrawal from Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. One of those targeted the heart of Saudi Arabias oil industry in 2019, temporarily halving the kingdoms crude production.

Relations between the predominately Shiite Iran and the majority Sunni Saudi Arabia have long been tense. The kingdom broke ties with Iran in 2016 after protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic posts there. Saudi Arabia had executed a prominent Shiite cleric along with 46 others days earlier, triggering the demonstrations.

Amirabdollahian said at a joint news conference that the two sides discussed cooperating on regional security and other topics. We voiced our concern about the continuation of war in Sudan and discussed some regional and international topics of interest, he said.

Raisi, in a meeting with Farhan the Saudi foreign minister, welcomed the establishment of relations between Tehran and Riyadh, according to the president's website. He said the only enemy of Muslims is the Zionist regime, referring to Israel.

Israel and Iran are archenemies and Raisi said the normalization of relations with Israel by some countries is not only a security issue but also against the Islamic communitys wishes.

One of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus greatest foreign policy triumphs remains Israels U.S.-brokered normalization deals in 2020 with four Arab states, including Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. They were part of a wider push to isolate Iran in the region.
Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul, June 2. Newsis



A Hong Kong man was sentenced to one year and six months in prison Friday for beating two airport workers in a dispute over the handling of his luggage in March, judicial officials said Friday.



The 33-year-old was arrested on charges of beating the two officials at Seoul's Gimpo International Aiport in Seoul and obstructing their duties on March 21 while complaining that his luggage was not transferred to the airport from the nearby Incheon International Airport.



After entering South Korea through Incheon International Airport, the man had planned to travel to the southeastern city of Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on a domestic flight from Gimpo, and erroneously thought his baggage would automatically be transferred to Gimpo.



The assault left one of the airport workers, identified by the surname Yoo, 39, with rib fractures, requiring four weeks of treatment, and the other worker, surnamed Lee, 31, with bruises requiring two weeks of treatment.



On Friday, the Seoul Southern District Court handed out the prison term, saying the man used an extreme level of violence in a situation that would not have angered a normal person as much and that a prison term is unavoidable given his potential threat to the public in the case of his stay in the country.



The court also said it took into account that the man used indiscriminate violence less than a month after he was released from prison in Japan in late February after three years behind bars for stabbing a Taiwanese woman. (Yonhap)


FREETOWN (Reuters) -Sierra Leone's leading opposition candidate has called for the country's electoral commissioners to resign a week before a presidential poll, saying his party did not believe in their ability to hold free and fair elections.

Samura Kamara, head of the All People's Congress (APC) party, said he wanted the chief electoral commissioner and all regional commissioners of the national election body to be replaced by "an independent internationally accredited team".

"We do not have a credible final voters register," Kamara told Reuters late on Wednesday, following an address to the nation.

"The production of blurred and substandard voter identity cards, the repeated failure to meet deadlines regarding the submission of credible voter registration data, and the subsequent release of highly questionable data, have raised serious doubts about the Commission's commitment to conducting free and fair elections," he said.

The West African country will go to the polls on June 24 to decide whether President Julius Maada Bio will get a second term. Kamara was the runner-up to Bio in a close race in 2018.

Bio's ruling party said that Kamara's claims about the electoral commission were "preposterous".

"The Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) is gravely concerned about the deliberate attempts by the All People's Congress to disrupt the peaceful elections and reverse the democratic gains Sierra Leone has made," it said in a statement on Thursday.

Sierra Leone's chief electoral commissioner Mohamed Kenewui Konneh also rejected Kamara's accusations and said none of his team would resign.

"We have addressed all these issues  in person and in writing," he said. "The ballot papers will be here over the weekend and we are going ahead with the elections."

Kamara said that if the officials did not resign within 72 hours, the APC party would meet and "decide the next steps".

On Tuesday, dozens of young people were arrested following opposition protests in several cities calling for the electoral commissioner to resign, local media reported.

(Reporting by Umaru Fofana; Additional reporting by Cooper Inveen; Editing by Nellie Peyton and Alex Richardson)
By Tim Hepher

(Reuters) -Spanish startup PLD Space aborted a test launch of its reusable Miura-1 rocket at the last moment early on Saturday in the latest setback to European attempts to develop mainland launch capacity for small payloads.

The launch in Huelva in southwest Spain was scrubbed after the countdown had reached zero, with flames and smoke briefly shooting sideways from the launchpad, images showed.

Raul Torres, CEO and co-founder of PLD Space, said in a statement that: "99.9% of all processes have been successful. Launching a rocket is very difficult, but we are getting closer and closer. We will try harder again."

The launch was halted after not all the "umbilical cables in the avionics bay were released," the company said.

The suborbital mission from a military aerospace research centre would have been the first of its kind in Western Europe.

Europe's efforts to develop capabilities to send small satellites into space are in focus after a failed orbital rocket launch by Virgin Orbit from Britain in January. That system involved releasing the launcher from a converted Boeing 747.

PLD Space's Miura-1 rocket, named after a breed of fighting bulls, is as tall as a three-storey building and has a 100-kg (220-pound) cargo capacity. It can also be used to carry out zero-gravity experiments.

An earlier attempt to carry out a suborbital test mission in late May was postponed due to strong high-altitude winds.

The setback at the smallest end of the size scale came hours after the postponement of the last ever launch of Europe's largest, the premier Ariane 5 space launcher, from Kourou in French Guiana.

Operator Arianespace said it had discovered a "risk to the redundancy of a critical function" and had decided to postpone the roll-out.

Analyses are underway to determine a new launch date, it said on its Twitter feed.

The end of Ariane 5 will leave Europe without autonomous access to space for several months after the Ariane 6 successor was delayed.

The smaller Vega-C has been grounded following a failed launch in December and Russia withdrew access to its Soyuz programme in a rift with Europe over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The European Space Agency has transferred two launches to Elon Musk's SpaceX including next month's deployment of the Euclid space telescope, designed to explore the dark Universe.

(Reporting by Tim HepherAdditional reporting by Graham KeeleyEditing by Sandra Maler, William Mallard and Frances Kerry)
By Steve Holland and Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Jens Stoltenberg is expected to be asked to remain as NATO secretary general for another year, according to a source familiar with the discussions and a U.S. official, as the alliance has struggled to decide on a replacement ahead of a mid-July summit in Lithuania.

Stoltenberg's term has already been prolonged three times and he is due to step down in September after nine years as secretary-general of the military alliance.

The Norwegian has broad support among the alliance and continues to be an effective leader, the source, who requested anonymity, told Reuters.

"The (Biden) administration is coming around (to) the idea of Stoltenberg staying on for another year," said the U.S. official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

"It doesn't look like there is consensus at the moment within the alliance on his replacement."

The chances of Stoltenberg being asked to extend his tenure for a fourth time have increased as the summit in Vilnius has neared, with allies fearing a show of disunity as NATO continues to respond to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Stoltenberg said in February he was not seeking a further extension to his term. But he has declined to say what he would do if NATO members asked him to stay on.

He stuck to that stance in a press conference on Friday when asked about increasing talk of an extension.

"I have stated again and again that I don't seek (an) extension and there are no other plans than to end my work, and my tenure ends, this fall," he said at NATO headquarters.

Whoever is in the role faces the twin challenges of keeping allies together in supporting Ukraine while guarding against any escalation that would draw NATO directly into a war with Russia.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace declared openly that he would like the job. But, as some governments push for a first female NATO secretary-general, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also emerged as a serious contender.

But Frederiksen on Thursday backed the idea of Stoltenberg staying on, describing it as a "really good solution".

Frederiksen met U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington earlier this month, before Stoltenberg visited the White House this week for talks with Biden.

U.S. officials believe there is a range of different candidates and that Biden thinks highly of all of them, including Denmark's prime minister, the source said.

Biden believes Stoltenberg has done a tremendous job during a challenging time, a view held by many other allies, the source added.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Holland and Andrew Gray; Writing by Simon Lewis; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Mike Harrison)
By Andrew MacAskill

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's security minister, Tom Tugendhat, met Taiwan's digital minister on Wednesday, people with knowledge of the talks said, a meeting that breaks with conventional British foreign policy and risks infuriating the Chinese government.

Britain only has formal diplomatic relations with Beijing, but maintains a de facto embassy in Taipei. Although junior British ministers hold talks with their Taiwanese counterparts, the convention was that senior British ministers do not meet with Taiwanese officials.

One source said the meeting with the Taiwanese minister, Audrey Tang, was about mutual security interests.

China considers democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory and fiercely objects to perceived foreign interference with the island.

Tugendhat, who was sanctioned by China two years ago for speaking out about alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang, is not a full cabinet minister but attends cabinet meetings in his role as security minister, where he is responsible for countering terrorism, domestic state threats and economic crime.

Luke de Pulford, the executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, a group made up of lawmakers from democratic countries concerned about Beijing's behaviour, said to his knowledge it was the first time a British minister who attends cabinet had met with a Taiwanese minister.

"This is extremely welcome and sends the right message," he said. "The security minister should be congratulated for facing down pressure from other departments and setting a new precedent, which all ministers can now follow."

The sensitivity of the meeting was borne out by the reluctance of several serving officials and departments to talk to Reuters about what was discussed.

A spokeswoman for the Home Office said: "We do not routinely comment on private ministerial meetings."

Tang's office declined to comment.

Tang on Thursday posted a picture on Twitter of her reading "The New Technology State: How Our Digital Dreams Became Societal Nightmares - and What We Can Do about It," a soon-to-be-published book whose author, Bill Raduchel, says it evolved from conversations with Tugendhat in 2019.

"Learning from @TomTugendhat delivers dividends," she said in the tweet. "Let's #FreeTheFuture  together!"

Tang was on a rare high-level ministerial trip to Britain this week. Her office said she was expected to visit government departments and meet a company specialising in low-earth orbit satellites.

The last Taiwanese minister known to have visited Britain was Taiwan's top trade negotiator, John Deng, who came last June.

Last November, Britain's then-junior trade minister, Greg Hands, went to Taiwan and met President Tsai Ing-wen. China denounced the trip, as it does with all such interactions.

(This story has been corrected to fix the description of Britain's relations with China and Taiwan to show that Britain only has diplomatic relations with Beijing in paragraph 2)

(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill in London; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  The United States ambassador held a U.S. flag high as he marched in the yearly Pride parade in Warsaw on Saturday, a clear message of Washington's opposition to discrimination in a country where LGBTQ+ people are facing an uphill struggle.

America embraces equality, Ambassador Mark Brzezinski said, as he marched with more than 30 other members of the U.S. Embassy and alongside representatives from Canada, Austria and other Western countries in the Equality Parade.

In recent years Western governments have been alarmed as the conservative government in Warsaw depicted gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people as threats to the nation and its children.

The participation of the U.S. ambassador sent a clear message to the government of Poland, a NATO member on the alliance's eastern flank where the United States has increased its military presence since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year.

Poland has for decades considered Washington its key guarantor of security, but the importance of U.S. protection has only grown with the war playing out across its border in Ukraine.

The U.S. is also seen as a guarantor of protection to the LGBTQ+ community, which a few years ago was fighting for the right of same-sex union or marriage, but recently has been more concerned about a climate of hostility from the government and Catholic Church.

The colorful and joyful parade was a brief moment of celebration and relief for a community that has been criticized by elected leaders as a threat to nations traditional Catholic identity.

LGBTQ+ members have been especially worried because of elections this fall. The conservative nationalist ruling party, Law and Justice, has openly criticized the community ahead of past elections, an attempt to mobilize its conservative base.

Brzezinski told The Associated Press that his embassy has heard disturbing reports of an organized campaign targeting Polands LGBTQI+ community with hate, lies, and slander in an attempt to divide Polish society. These attempts to sow divisions only strengthen the hand of those who seek to weaken democracy.

We hope these reports are not true. We hope disagreement does not devolve into discrimination or worse," Brzezinski said. "Words matter. Hate masquerading as morality can play no productive role in our societies.

Some participants in the parade that numbered many thousands said they were not aware that the ambassador took part. A couple noted that the U.S., which is seeing a backlash against transgender rights in some states, also doesn't have a perfect record. But a handful interviewed said they appreciated the support.

The fact that he supports basic human rights  thats a great thing," said Aleksandra Jarmolinska, 33. She added that the ambassador is probably one of the few people able to pressure Polish politicians.

As Polish President Andrzej Duda campaigned for reelection in 2020, he called the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights an ideology more destructive than communism. The education minister, who oversees schools, was appointed to that job after saying LGBTQ+ members are not equal to normal people."

Last summer, the ruling party leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, mocked transgender people, saying we must protect ourselves from madness.

And this spring, Polands commissioner for childrens rights ordered an inspection of schools that were ranked as the most LGBT-friendly in the country, saying he wanted to make sure principals were checking their employees against a pedophile registry.
The U.S. intelligence community routinely acquires "a significant amount" of Americans' personal data, according to a new report released this week by a top spy agency.

The report outlined both privacy and counterintelligence concerns stemming from the ability of U.S. government agencies and foreign adversaries to draw from a growing pool of potentially sensitive information available online.

Absent proper controls, commercially available information, known as CAI, "can reveal sensitive and intimate information about the personal attributes, private behavior, social connections, and speech of U.S. persons and non-U.S. persons," the report, compiled last year by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, found.

"It can be misused to pry into private lives, ruin reputations, and cause emotional distress and threaten the safety of individuals," it said. "Even subject to appropriate controls, CAI can increase the power of the government's ability to peer into private lives to levels that may exceed our constitutional traditions or other social expectations."

Dated January of 2022, the report was written by an expert panel convened by Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence. It was declassified earlier this month and publicly released this week.

Redacted in places, the report noted that the market for online data is "evolving both qualitativelyand quantitatively," and can include meaningful information on American citizens and be acquired in bulk. Even when anonymized, agencies can cross-reference data sets to reveal information about specific individuals.

"Today, in a way that far fewer Americans seem to understand, and even fewer of them can avoid, CAI includes information on nearly everyone that is of a type and level of sensitivity that historically could have been obtained, if at all, only through targeted (and predicated) collection, and that could be used to cause harm to an individual's reputation, emotional well-being, or physical safety," the report said.

Information from social media, digital transactions and smartphone software for medical, travel, facial recognition and geolocation services are among the types of data widely available for purchase. It can be used to identify individuals who attend protests or participate in certain religious activities. Adversaries can use it to identify U.S. military or intelligence personnel, or build profiles on public figures, the panel wrote.

The report recommended that the intelligence community develop a set of standards for its purchase and use of online data, noting it would be at a "significant disadvantage" --- to those such as foreign adversaries --- if it lost access to certain datasets.

"CAI is increasingly powerful for intelligence and increasingly sensitive for individual privacy and civil liberties, and the [intelligence community] therefore needs to develop more refined policies to govern its acquisition and treatment," the panel wrote.

In a statement, Haines said the intelligence community was working on a framework governing the use of such data. Once finalized, Haines said, "we will make as much of it publicly available as possible."

"I remain committed to sharing as much as possible about the [intelligence community]'s activities with the American people," she said.

Haines first promised to evaluate the intelligence community's use of commercial data during her confirmation hearing under questioning by Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon in 2021. She again committed to publicly releasing the findings earlier this year.

"If the government can buy its way around Fourth Amendment due-process, there will be few meaningful limits on government surveillance," Wyden said in a statement this week. "Meanwhile, Congress needs to pass legislation to put guardrails around government purchases, to rein in private companies that collect and sell this data, and keep Americans' personal information out of the hands of our adversaries."

Pittsburgh synagogue gunman convicted; penalty phase to begin soon

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The Texas sheriff who last week recommended criminal charges for those behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis so-called migrant relocation program is collaborating with California authorities who announced a similar criminal investigation following recent flights that brought migrants from El Paso to Sacramento.

Bexar County sheriff Javier Salazar met with California Gov. Gavin Newsom this week to discuss their concurrent investigations, according to a statement released by the sheriffs office late Wednesday.

This humanitarian crisis affects the entire country, Salazar said in the statement. I was fortunate to be in a position to meet and confer with Governor Newsom to discuss our respective cases regarding the migrant flights. Among topics discussed was the status and the nature of the criminal investigation.

The Texas sheriffs office will provide information on their investigation to the California Department of Justice regarding commonalities in the case, according to the statement.

Salazar launched his criminal investigation into DeSantis controversial program last year after 49 migrants living at a migrant resource center in San Antonio were allegedly lured onto two flights headed for Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts, with false promises of jobs and other assistance. Last week, Salazar turned over his case to the Bexar County district attorney, recommending charges related to unlawful restraint.

After months of dormancy following the news of the investigation and several legal challenges, the state of Florida last week revived its relocation program with two flights that brought 36 more migrants from Texas to Sacramento. The flights prompted Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta to announce their own criminal investigation.

State-sanctioned kidnapping is not a public policy choice, it is immoral and disgusting, Bonta said in a statement confirming the investigation into whether migrants had been misled or coerced onto the California-bound flights. Newsom called DeSantis a small, pathetic man.

The Florida governor has disputed the claim that the migrants were tricked and said they flew willingly.

Migrants, their faces obscured, outside the plane that ferried them from Texas to Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts. Florida taxpayers paid for the charter.

Newsom, a Democrat, is a political foil to DeSantis, who is currently vying for the Republican presidential nomination against former President Donald Trump. For years, the two governors have taken shots at each other over their differing views on everything from COVID-19 response to how to understand and manage crime rates in their respective states.

The sheriff met with Newsom while in California for Major County Sheriffs of America Conference, which began Monday and wrapped up Wednesday, the statement said.

I met with him to compare notes yesterday because its exactly the playbook that DeSantis and his staff did to send migrants in California. I find that disgraceful, Newsom said to KTTV anchor Elex Michaelson.
The first official day of summer isn't until Wednesday, but the warm weather season has already provided a slew of volatile  and sometimes violent  weather.

"It started raining here a little bit, and it had a little bit of hail, like five or six little pellets of hail and a thousand raindrops. It was barely sprinkling. And all a sudden, the tornado formed, and it just dropped on us. It came out of nowhere," said Jamie James of Perryton, Texas.

More than 50 million Americans were under a severe weather threat Friday, with dangerously high heat, high winds and hail expected in some places.

This weather threat comes after severe storms already hit a number of states within the week. The National Weather Service says two tornadoes hit Thursday in Texas, four hit Oklahoma and one hit Michigan.

In the Texas panhandle town of Perryton, at least three people were killed, and as many as 200 homes were destroyed. The local hospital used a generator for power as it treated dozens of people injured by the storm.

"There was a time when I thought that I was going to die, and I was going to leave a lot of things undone," said James. "I know there's people here who died today serving our community."

SEE MORE: 3 people dead after tornado strikes Perryton, Texas

In the Florida panhandle, there was flooding, and at least one person was killed as a tornado cut through Escambia County.

In northwest Ohio, utility workers scrambled to restore electricity to thousands as trees knocked down power lines and blocked streets.

These storms hit as dangerously high heat smothered the South, with record-high temperatures in the triple digits across central to southern Texas.

Landscaper Felix Dominguez said he carries plenty of water and tries to get into the shade as much as possible.

"It's important because, I mean, we can drop dead in any second, or we could get heat stroke," he said. "It's really hot here, especially in Texas."

The weekend may also bring strong storms to Oklahoma and along the Gulf Coast beaches.

On Sunday, powerful thunderstorms could come to the lower Mississippi River Valley, and more 100-degree temperatures could be hitting Texas.
Anheuser-Busch's United States CEO Brendan Whitworth said new summer advertising will reinforce 'what you've always loved' about Bud Light. Associated Press

Anheuser-Busch's US CEO outlined steps the brand is taking to alleviate Bud Light backlash.

The brand angered some conservatives since partnering with a transgender influencer for a promotion.

This week, Bud Light lost its title as the best-selling beer brand in the US.

The US CEO of Bud Light's owner, Anheuser-Busch, released a statement outlining steps the company is taking to alleviate backlash the brand has faced over the last two months since a single promotion with a transgender influencer.

"Over the last two months, the discussion surrounding our company and Bud Light has moved away from beer, and this has impacted our consumers, our business partners, and our employees," Brendan Whitworth wrote in the statement.

To alleviate the impacts Anheuser-Busch's employees and business partners have faced, Whitworth said the company will provide financial assistance to the beer brand's independent wholesalers that would support their employees.

Whitworth also directly addressed Bud Light's customers: "We hear you. Our summer advertising launches next week, and you can look forward to Bud Light reinforcing what you've always loved about our brand  that it's easy to drink and easy to enjoy."

The statement follows months-long backlash the Bud Light brand has faced from some conservatives since it partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney on a promotion that featured a custom Bud Light beer can featuring Mulvaney's face, which was given to her but never sold in stores.

In the video, Mulvaney, 26, talked about a March Madness contest sponsored by Bud Light, and how she was celebrating her "day 365 of womanhood." She said the beer cans, including the one which featured a custom design of her face, had been sent to her from the brand to celebrate her one year of transitioning.

Since April 1, when Mulvaney posted the video, fallout from the backlash has plagued the brand: Bud Light executives have been placed on leave; employees and distributors have reported incidents of harassment from customers and lost sales; and the anti-LGBTQ+ backlash has spread to other brands.

A decline in Bud Light sales has persisted. Earlier this week, the Bud Light beer brand ceded its title as the best-selling beer brand in the US to Modelo Especial beer, after the beer brand's sales dropped by 23% in May, according to data compiled by consumer-behavior research firm Circana and shared with Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Courtesy of Janis Rozenfelds



By David A. Tizzard




Biden administrations internet initiative seeks to lay 12,000 miles of new fiber through 35 states and Puerto Rico

The massive federal effort to expand internet access to every home in the U.S. took a major step forward on Friday with the announcement of $930 million in grants to shore up connections in remote parts of Alaska, rural Texas and dozens of other places where significant gaps in connectivity persist.

The so-called middle mile grants, announced by the Department of Commerce, are meant to create large-scale networks that will enable retail broadband providers to link subscribers to the internet. Department officials likened the role of the middle mile  the midsection of the infrastructure necessary to enable internet access, composed of high-capacity fiber lines carrying huge amounts of data at very high speeds  to how the interstate highway system forged connections between communities.

These networks are the workhorses carrying large amounts of data over very long distances, said Mitch Landrieu, the White Houses infrastructure coordinator, in a media Zoom call. Theyre the ones that are bridging the gap between the larger networks and the last mile connections, from tribal lands to underserved rural and remote areas to essential institutions like hospitals, schools, libraries and major businesses.

White House infrastructure coordinator Mitch Landrieu speaks during a briefing at the White House, May 12, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

The grants were awarded to a cross-section of state government agencies, tribal governments and telephone and electric cooperatives. They are intended to trigger the laying of 12,000 miles (19,300 kilometers) of new fiber through 35 states and Puerto Rico.

The largest grant, of nearly $89 million, was awarded to an Alaska-based telecommunications company that hopes to build a fiber network through a remote section of the state where an estimated 55% of people lack access to basic internet.

The expansion is one of several initiatives pushed through Congress by President Joe Bidens administration to expand high-speed internet connectivity to the entire country.

The Middle Mile program is a force multiplier in our efforts to connect everyone in America, Commerce Assistant Secretary Alan Davidson said. These grants will help build the foundation of networks that will in turn connect every home in the country to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.

The grants were set in motion by the $65 billion allocated by Congress for broadband as part of the $1 trillion infrastructure measure Biden, a Democrat, signed into law in 2021. Most of that money, $42.5 billion, will be distributed to states as part of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment, or BEAD, program partly based on new federal maps identifying areas that arent connected.

States allotments from BEAD are expected to be announced at the end of this month. States will then run their own programs to identify recipients that would then build out last mile networks to unserved communities.

Winners of the middle mile grants announced Friday will have up to five years to complete their projects once they receive those funds, though a one-year extension may be requested under certain conditions.

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Violence mars Assembly election

New Delhi: With the TMC-led West Bengal witnessing violent scenes and political clashes in the run-up to the panchayat polls, the BJP on Friday lashed out at chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her government for being insensitive.

Condemning the state government and the police, the BJP said that the way they are acting is a "dark chapter in the history of democracy and elections in India". Rubbishing the BJP's allegations, Ms Banrjee claimed that the panchayat poll nomination process in her state was "peaceful" and slammed the Opposition parties for trying to make an issue out of "one or two stray" incidents.

Panchayat polls in West Bengal are scheduled for July 8 and the counting of votes is on July 11. At least three people were shot dead and several others injured in poll-related violence in the state on the last day of nomination filing on Thursday.

Taking cognisance, the Calcutta high court directed that prospective candidates who were allegedly prevented from filing nominations at Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district be allowed to file their papers for the panchayat elections in West Bengal by 4 pm on Friday.

The court thus extended the nomination process for these candidates by a day after it ended on Thursday.

Slamming the Mamata government over the poll-related violence, the BJP asserted that in the "land of Rabindra Sangeet, bomb blasts can be heard now."

The BJP also blamed the State Election Commission (SEC) for not taking note of the irregularities and remaining unresponsive to the incidents of violence, which indicate how the TMC government has taken "the system" into its own hands.

"The kind of violent scenes that are being seen in the panchayat elections of West Bengal are extremely painful. There is violence all around Even more disappointing is the insensitivity of the TMC government towards the incidents of violence that took place on the last day of filing of nominations on Thursday," said BJP national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi.

The BJP claimed that several of its workers faced fatal attacks on the last day of filing nominations, but both the state government and the SEC remained inactive towards these incidents.

"The way the West Bengal government and the state police are behaving, this is going to be remembered as a very dark chapter in the democratic and electoral history of the country," he charged.

The BJP leaders termed the prevailing situation in West Bengal "unfortunate".

"We have a list of 2530 incidents in which our party workers were injured in fatal attacks... I want to say this to the TMC government and Mamata ji that this game of violence that you are playing, the communist government used to do the same... Look at their condition today," the BJP leader added.

Raising questions on the nomination process, the BJP claimed that of the 341 blocks in the state, on Friday, within 4 hours, more than 40,000 TMC candidates filed nominations, that too in 340 blocks, meaning the average timing of the filing of a nomination per person was two minutes.

"The filing of nominations at such a pace shows how the government has taken the system into its own hands," the BJP leader charged, asking, "Is it not a mockery of democracy?"
The writer is a development and communications consultant and the author of Kabul Blogs: My Days in the Life of Afghanistan

The fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression means citizens can express themselves, in peaceful ways.

In India, protests are legal under the exercise of two fundamental rights: freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 (1)(a) of the Constitution. (PTI File Image)

Growing up in rural West Bengal, I first encountered protests when I heard the word gherao, which literally means to encircle. In the mid-1960s labour activists, union leaders and workers, wanting improved working conditions, better pay and benefits, would surround a person in authority and/or a building until their demands were met.

These protests, in different forms and by diverse groups, continued into the late 1960s and early 1970s when I was a student and later, working in Kolkata. Almost every day there would be a protest, a demonstration, a march, a sit-in, to get the government to pay attention to the protesters demands. Often there were bandhs, which meant the entire city shut down.

Gherao, as a word and as a concept, took on such importance that it was added to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary in 2004, Gherao: n (pl. gheraos). Indian; a protest in which workers prevent employers leaving a place of work until demands are met.

In India, protests are legal under the exercise of two fundamental rights: freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 (1)(a) of the Constitution and the freedom to assemble peacefully under Article 19 (1)(b). India has an extended history of protests and as a nation was born out of civil disobedience movements in the struggle for an independent country, free from the British colonisers.

Indian citizens, disenfranchised groups with little political, economic, social or religious influence, take to the streets in various forms of protest when they feel they are not being heard. The fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression means citizens can express themselves, in peaceful ways. Sometimes, protesters -- when they think they are not being heard -- may resort to violence. Or, even if they are committed to non-violence, other anti-social elements see it as an opportunity to riot and loot.

Two recent and substantial protests in India were against the Central governments proposed policies or policies adopted without sufficient interaction with the concerned parties: the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the three farm bills (that were subsequently withdrawn). Other protests focus on violence against women, student and minority rights.

In December 2019, the government proceeded to enact the CAA, which amended Indias citizenship law to accept illegal migrants  Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists, and Christians -- from neighbouring Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, and those who entered India before 2014, following religious persecution. Excluded from these categories were Muslims and other communities who were refugees -- the Sri Lankan Tamils in India, Rohingyas from Myanmar and Tibetan refugees. Under the CAA, a National Register of Citizens (NRC) was to be an official record of all legal citizens of India. Individuals would need to provide a prescribed set of documents before a specified cutoff date to be included in it. There were protests all over the country and sit-ins in New Delhi, over the obvious targeting of Muslims and activists. To the governments advantage, these were disbanded due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown in March 2020. This year, the government has yet to frame the rules for the CAA.

The 20202021 farmers protest was a response to the three farm laws acts passed by Parliament in September 2020. Often called the farm bills, they were described as anti-farmer laws by many farmers unions. On November 20, 2020, an all-India 24-hour general strike was called, and an estimated 250 million people around the subcontinent participated in solidarity. A year later, in November 2021, the Union government moved to repeal the laws.

These two recent protests highlight the lack of public discussion and inclusion of the affected parties by the government in designing policy. The protesters must resort to various methods to get the attention of the government and the public. The government responds by stalling the protesters, appeasing them with promises, and using the police force to threaten and demoralise them.

The blocked roads, closed shops, traffic jams and calls for day-long shutdowns and strikes are bad for the economy, public morale and the governments image.

Unlike protests of the past, today the Internet and the social media have enabled protesters to garner support, locally, regionally, nationally and globally. The two large and recent protests -- the three farm bills and the CAA -- have brought criticism of the policies and the governments handling of the protests. Excessive violence by the police violates the fundamental rights of citizens to protest. Deliberate disinformation campaigns by the government to discredit the protesters is shameful and unfortunate. With smartphones, WhatsApp and Twitter, these incidents can be recorded and circulated.

The right to protest is a protection of citizens social, political, economic and cultural rights. Policies which are proposed and passed without the due process of law that discriminate against vulnerable groups will draw protests. The government sees protests as inconveniences to be handled and controlled and threats to be removed, and does not seem to believe in the basic tenet of democracy  participation by the people.

In India and globally, governments can expect more protests as peoples needs are unfulfilled. Shrinking economies, internal and external conflicts, migration, joblessness, all mean more conflict. According to its global protest tracker, carnegieendowment.org reports that since 2017 there have been over 400 significant anti-government protests; in 132 countries significant protests; 23 per cent lasted over three months and of these, 135 were significant economic anti-government protests.

Governments, especially democratic ones, have a choice. They can either become more participatory while designing policy, seek ways to reduce inequality and promote justice, or face the consequences of increasing protests by their citizens.
Shreya Sen-Handley is the author of the award-winning 'Memoirs of My Body', short story collection 'Strange', and new travelogue 'Handle With Care', and a columnist and playwright. Her Twitter and Insta handle is @shreyasenhan.

The size of our beds has grown over the ages, and thats as much about evolution as it is about socioeconomics.

Remember the bewilderment of the Three Bears coming home to the mess Goldilocks had made in their woodland cottage? Wouldnt you feel just as upset if your sleeping arrangements had been changed without your consent?

Our guards are down in our sleep, rendering us vulnerable and afraid. We are also very dependent on it for our mental wellbeing and health.

In Kolkata this month, where the temperature is hovering near forty, sleep is proving elusive for many. My septuagenarian parents, who are like Jack Sprat and his wife, are facing a quandary. My mother likes the AC on in the summer, but my father is convinced it makes him ill. And yet, though shes struggling to sleep without it, she refuses to desert his side for the comforts of the spare bedroom. This isnt from an excessive attachment on my mothers part, but is, in fact, about love. My father sometimes has epileptic seizures at night, so my mum insists on sleeping by his side.

Love and sleeping arrangements have always gone hand in hand. We sleep together in every sense of the phrase when we get hitched. But sleeping habits have as much to do with health, history, culture and economics.

The size of our beds has grown over the ages, and thats as much about evolution as it is about socioeconomics. Humans are larger today than at any other time in history, having soared four inches in height in prosperous countries in the last century. Breadthwise too theres been abundant efflorescence, with global obesity tripling in the last five decades.

Yet, peek into one of the many beautifully preserved historic homes in Britain, and the beds you see are bijou for other reasons. The Tudors slept sitting up because of the range of respiratory diseases prevalent. As a result, headboards were essential but reclining space, not so much.

Did you also know that folk in the middle-ages rarely slept eight hours at a stretch? That it is the bare minimum anyone needs is a modern belief. With electricity a distant dream, medieval people went to bed at sundown, getting up in the wee hours to do their chores  feed livestock, go to church  before diving back under the covers for another shift. In the hotter countries even today, be it India or Spain, it isnt considered unhealthy to break up your sleep into an afternoon siesta and a nighttime stint.

Talking of cultural differences in sleeping, Indian families can snooze very differently to their Western counterparts. Although the gulf is not as wide as the strident film Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway would have you believe, co-sleeping with your children is undoubtedly discouraged in colder climes, where youd imagine huddling together to be commonplace.

If concerns over paedophilia drive the unease around it, it is also about drinking habits. The more alcohol you consume, the more dangerous it is to have your baby in your bed, whom you might suffocate or crush in your sleep. Im guessing this is a smaller problem for cultures that drink less.

As an Ingo-Bongo family ourselves, we chose to take a page out of the best practices of both worlds; we co-slept when our childrens tender age or ill-health, and our own ability to stay alert or take necessary precautions, made it appropriate. But they also slept in their own beds from early on, because as they develop, children need their own space, including at night.

Some co-sleeping with children is understandably down to space and financial constraints. Bunk beds dont work in rooms with ceiling fans, for example, as we found out on our return to Calcutta from Manila when we were children. Settling back in, sleeping space for the four of us consisted of one master bedroom, and one cupboard-sized childrens room. For the latter, our parents lovingly bought us bunk beds  a ton of fun till Teddy lost his head! Teddy, being a toy bear, could be patched together again, but one of us had to relocate as well, to a cot by our parents bed, till the house was extended.

Traditionally, the seriously rich, had not only separate bedrooms for spouses, but depending on their wealth, separate wings in their homes, even different houses! You wouldve seen it on Emmy-winning Downton Abbey if you havent anywhere else, where Lord Grantham was sent back to his own bedroom from his wifes, every time he disgraced himself. The conjugal arrangement of successful pair, film director Tim Burton and actress Helena Bonham Carter was interesting as well. Buying two houses side by side in London, and carving a passage between, they lived together happily over a decade. The distance between partners at night, obviously, is as much about the fullness of our love as our wallets!

Yet, tight squeezes can be a blessing, like when our children, each with their own room, still occasionally crash into bed with us on weekend mornings, if only to prod us awake. That our adored canine kiddie, shedding hair and tracking mud in, has never tried it, is equally a relief. Best of all are our weekly family movie evenings, when we grab our popcorn and slushies and pile onto a sofa into which we now barely fit. In these instances, furbaby too jumps in!

Makes me feel richer than Midas, Bezos, or Ol Musky!
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the plenary session of The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 16. EPA-Yonhap



President Vladimir Putin on Friday proclaimed the end of "neo-colonialism" in international politics and praised Russia's economic strategy following its ruptured ties with the West.



The Russian leader addressed an annual economic forum in Saint Petersburg, a shadow of its former self since Putin sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022 and the West pummeled Russia with unprecedented sanctions.



"The ugly neo-colonial system of international relations has ceased to exist, while the multi-polar global order is strengthening," Putin said.



"This is inevitable."



Putin has repeatedly denounced the dominance of the United States in international politics and sought to present Moscow's offensive in Ukraine as a battle against the decadent West.



He accused Western countries of refusing dialogue with Russia and suggested that the West would like to hold talks in the future.



"And we will see at what point and what we can talk with them about," Putin said.



Speaking about Russia's economy, he admitted that the second quarter of last year had been "the most difficult" as the West punished Russia with unprecedented sanctions.



"Today we can confidently say: the strategy chosen at the time by both the state and Russian business worked," he added.



He also claimed that around half of Russians who had left the country after the start of the offensive in Ukraine had already come back.



"This process is continuing, but if someone wants to live in another place  suit yourself," Putin said.



Many Russians now lived in the United Arab Emirates as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, he added.



"I don't see anything wrong here, let people live where they see fit."



The slogan of this year's forum was "The sovereign development is the foundation of a just world", the Kremlin said.



AFP and representatives of other countries the Kremlin deems "unfriendly" were not accredited to cover the forum. (AFP)


Other news of the day: Japan redefines the crime of sexual violence. In Pakistan, journalists continue to be accused of "sedition". In the Philippines, former Senator Leila de Lima will go before a new court after trial judge steps down. In Indonesia, President Widodo wants to eliminate second-hand trade. Kazakhs forced to queue for water.

CHINA  AFGHANISTAN

The governor of Afghanistan's central bank met with China's ambassador this week to discuss financial relations. In this meeting, economy, banking relations, business and some related topics were discussed," the bank's spokesperson Hassibullah Noori told Reuters. After the Taliban seized power again, the central banks assets were frozen. China does not have formal diplomatic relations with the Islamic Emirate but has maintained its ambassador in Kabul.

JAPAN

Japan passed a law redefining the crime of sexual assault and raised the age of consent from 13 to 16. Like in other countries, the definition of rape has been extended to "non-consensual sexual intercourse" as opposed to "forcible sexual intercourse". The change comes after a series of rape acquittals in 2019 spawned a countrywide protest movement called Flower Demo.

PAKISTAN

Human rights activists have expressed "extreme concern" over sedition charges against several journalists and political commentators. Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders have slammed the government for an unprecedented crackdown on critics of the Pakistani government and military. The wave of repression began following protests over the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was later released by order of the Supreme Court.

PHILIPPINES

Yesterday, a judge who rejected a bail application from a former Philippine senator stepped down. Leila de Lima has been in prison for six years for drug trafficking on what her lawyers call fabricated charges meant to silence her. The jailed former congresswoman had been one of the most vocal critics of former President Rodrigo Dutertes war on drugs". The case will now go another court.

INDONESIA

The authorities are putting increasing pressure on vendors of second-hand clothing imported from around the world and sold at a fraction of the original price. The goal is to ban such sales to protect the countrys garment industry. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has vowed to stop this kind of business, but risks crippling the informal sector, which, according to the World Bank, accounts for 60 per cent of the Indonesian economy.

ISRAEL  PALESTINE

Ryanair apologised after a crew member on a flight from Bologna to Tel Aviv announced, in Italian and English, that the plane was about to land in occupied Palestine". Several passengers complained. Despite the crews apology, the police were called in.

RUSSIA

In Belgorod, a Russian region where pro-Ukrainian partisans have carried out guerrilla warfare, three young conscripts, sent to the area for regular basic training, have died, this according to Sverdlovsk human rights ombudsperson Tatiana Merzliakova, who noted that President Putin had promised that "the war would not touch them".

KAZAKHSTAN

In many Central Asian cities, water shortages continue to get worse with local governments unable to address the problem. In Astana, residents have been forced to take turns to shower according to a schedule and queue once a day to get water from water tanks. A scorching heatwave has hit the region, with a baseline average of 35 Celsius and maximum temperatures touching 45 degrees.
by John Ai

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Banks global communications chief, Canadian Bob Pickard, quit and fled to Tokyo fearing retaliation. On Twitter, he slammed the financial institution. Meanwhile, pending a probe, Canada has frozen all government-led activities involving the bank. Sino-Canadian relations hit rough waters.

Beijing (AsiaNews)  While the United States is trying to improve relations with China with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on his way to Beijing, Canadas relationship with China has hit another snag.

Canada has frozen ties with the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) after its global communications chief, Canadian Bob Pickard, resigned earlier this week saying that the institution was dominated by the Communist Party."

In resigning, Pickard, harshly criticised the financial institution. As a result, the Canadian government has decided to investigate his allegations and has hinted that it might quit the bank.

The Bank is dominated by Communist Party members and also has one of the most toxic cultures imaginable, Pickard tweeted. I dont believe that my countrys interests are served by its AIIB membership.

After his resignation, Pickard hurriedly boarded a flight to Tokyo for safety reasons. Speaking to Reuters, he said that he had been advised not to set foot in China anytime soon.

He also mentioned the "two Michaels", Canadian Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, who were detained in China for about three years in retaliation for the arrest of Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, in Canada at the request of the United States.

According to Pickard, whose LinkedIn profile says he joined the AIIB in March 2022, the AIIB is a tool used by Beijing to achieve its geopolitical goals by funding the Belt and Road Initiative, the mega infrastructure project launched by Beijing in 2013.

Pickard further claims that the Communist Party interfered with his work and that it has a strong influence on the bank's decision-making body. However, he did not give any example because of his confidential agreement with the bank.

The AIIB issued a statement saying Pickard's allegations were "baseless and disappointing".

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin responded to Pickard's remarks by saying that the AIIB abides by the principles of openness, meritocracy and transparency in employee hiring and management.

Wang said the bank has employees from 65 countries and that its achievements have been widely recognized by the international community. The Chinese embassy in Canada said Pickards statements were lies.

In the wake of the affair, Canada's Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, said that Canada had put on hold all government-led activity at the bank. The Canadian government is also reviewing the allegations and its involvement in the organisation.

Freeland said she did not rule out any outcome of the investigation, suggesting that Ottawa could leave the international institution set up by China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the AIIBs creation in 2016. Its current chief is Jin Liqun, China's former vice finance minister. The institution is considered an alternative to Western-led entities like the World Bank.

The AIIB, which claims to be "apolitical", currently has 106 members. The United States has urged its members to rethink their participation.

Canada joined the bank in 2018, but the countrys Conservative opposition party has repeatedly called on the government to withdraw, saying the bank is a tool for China to exert influence.

Sino-Canadian relations have deteriorated in recent years. Ottawa recently accused Beijing of interfering in the countrys elections and setting up secret police stations on Canadian territory.

Canada expelled a Chinese diplomat, claiming foreign interference, and China responded by expelling a Canadian diplomat.
by Nirmala Carvalho

Card Alencherry announced the request made by the bishops at the end of their meeting for the archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, where the "unified" rite for the Eucharistic celebration has been rejected. Meanwhile, the local basilica closed for more than 200 days will reopen, but the Holy Qurbana can only take place in accordance with the rite established by the Synod.

Kochi (AsiaNews)  The bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church want the pope to appoint a delegate to the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, Major Archbishop Card George Alencherry writes in a circular issued following the Churchs recent special synod.

The great diocese has been at the centre of a major dispute that has divided this Eastern Rite Catholic Church.

The bone of contention is a unified Holy Qurbana, the local traditional Mass, which is the result of a decision reached by the Syro-Malabar Synod in the summer of 2021 in response to Pope Franciss repeated calls for unity.

In his statement, Card Alencherry explain that the task of the delegate would be to promote true synodality, understood as "walking together with the people of God". The Synod insisted that the unified form service will be implemented and that opposition from any diocese will not influence its decision.

The crux of the liturgical dispute is the direction of the priest during the celebration. In the "uniform" or unified liturgy  a compromise between the different practices previously in use  the priest is turned towards the faithful during the first part of the service and in the liturgy of the Word, then turns towards the altar (in the direction in which the faithful also look) during the central part, that of consecration and Eucharistic rites. At the end, after communion, the celebrant turns around again to look towards the assembly.

This solution  in force since Advent 2021  has been strongly opposed in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, whose clergy has so far refused to apply it, backed by the faithful.

On this matter, Representatives of the Synod held discussions at various levels," Alencherry writes. We urge the Holy Father to create a situation in which more productive discussions can be held.

To this end, the prelate urges the pontiff to allow a papal delegate for the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese in order to correct anti-Church stands and explain the necessity of synodality. The Holy Father has given assurances that he will consider this.

The Synod does not intend to divide the archdiocese or change its geographical boundaries. Instead, it intends to appoint an archbishop with independent governing powers; for this reason, it has urged the Holy See to make arrangements to this effect.

In the meantime, the Synod on Wednesday decided during a meeting of the episcopal committee appointed by the Syro-Malabar Synod and representatives of the basilica to reopen the Basilica of Ernakulam, which was closed for 202 days due to the ongoing dispute.

The Synod announced that no Eucharistic celebration will be held in the basilica until the unified liturgy decided by the Synod is implemented. No other rites will be interrupted.

Vicar Mon said that the Qurbana can be officiated only in accordance with the rite approved by the Synod. If this is not the case, the basilica will be closed again.

This decision was greeted by protests in front of the church.
by Stefano Caprio

The real measure of Ukraines counteroffensive will not be military but its psychological and informational impact on public opinion, at home, in the West, and in Russia itself. Meanwhile, the aura of Ukraines top military man, General Zaluzhnyi, is shining almost as brightly as Zelenskys.

For more than a week, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (ZSU[i] in Ukrainian, VSU[ii] in Russian, AFU in English) have launched a counterattack on all fronts, signalling the start of the reconquista of the territories invaded by Putin and his imperialist forces.

Ukraines counteroffensive has been front-page news for months, announced by politicians, generals, propagandists on both sides, war correspondents, Western analysts, and Kremlin officials.

The Ukrainians are attacking in several directions. They began in May shelling Bakhmut, a place covered by Russian media multiple times, that saw the Wagner Group pull out amid recriminations and accusations against Russian generals.

Now Wagners boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, pulled out altogether, announcing a "holiday" for his mercenaries until August, a way to avoid having to sign the mandatory contract imposed by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who has not been spared Putins grumbling in public.

On 4-5 June, Ukrainian forces began their first push of the campaign, southward towards Zaporizhzhia and Orekhovo, Donetsk Oblast (province), Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said.

On 6 June, the Nova Kakhovka dam was blown up, ostensibly by the Russians to prevent the enemy from passing, even if it meant flooding the entire region, Russian fortifications included. On 9 June, Putin reported "huge losses" among Ukrainian forces, claiming that they had failed to reach their goal.

On 11 June, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence announced the liberation of two villages in south-western Donetsk, Blahodatne and Makarivka, south of Velyka Novosilka. The following day, the village of Storozheve was liberated, and, according to some sources, Novodarovka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast as well.

In Russia, the propaganda machine seems to be preparing for the loss of part of the occupied territories. On 4 June, one of Putin's loudest megaphones on television, Margarita Simonyan, called for an end to the fighting in order to proceed with "referendums in the disputed territories", as if those of last year, with subsequent annexation, no longer mattered even for the Russians.

Some have accused her of defeatist propaganda, but there is a growing feeling that the Kremlin's own mouthpieces are preparing for a "shameful betrayal".

Beyond the strategic importance of Ukrainian attacks, which are still very hard to measure even for military experts, since this is more of a phase with exploratory forays rather than a full-blown attack, the talk of Ukrainian reconquista varies according to the target audience.

For months, Zelensky has been trying to convince his Western partners that Ukraine can win, if only its military could get enough tanks, armoured vehicles, drones, assault planes, and every weapon it needs to start operations.

For their part, the Russians have fortified some 1,500 kilometres to withstand the assault, investing more than 10 billion roubles; yet raids by Ukrainian saboteurs, the diversanty, in the Belgorod and in other areas, have shown that it is possible to get through them, but not to attack them in force.

Russians boast of great victories, against Napoleon and Hitler, but Russia has always been successful in defence, never in attack; even the historic victory by Peter the Great against the Swedes at Poltava (Ukraine) in 1709 was achieved following a retreat.

For Ukraine, liberating its territories occupied by Russia will depend not only on the successes of its military, but also the continued flow of financial and military support from is allies, now that the country is seen as NATOs eastern tip.

Nevertheless, sources in the Biden administration believe that if the Ukrainian attack is not effective enough, supplies of weapons and money will likely be significantly cut, and calls for peace talks with Russia will become louder and from more quarters, heeding the initiatives by Pope Francis and his envoys.

For Ukrainians a successful counteroffensive means freeing all the lands, Crimea included; in Western eyes, it would be enough to free Ukraines south-western regions on the Black Sea, or at least causing Russia such military losses that the Kremlin would have to think hard whether pursuing the war was worth it.

European countries in particular look at Ukraine not as an instrument of fighting, but as a people with whom they can finally engage in dialogue, especially after coming into direct contact with so many thousands of refugees who have come over the past year and half, joining other Ukrainians already present for many years.

The impact of Ukraines action will be less military than psychological and informational on public opinion, starting at home, where people have suffered immensely since the start of the war, and have seen no victorious move after the Russians were forced from the western bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson six months ago.

The fighting spirit of the Ukrainian military is still very high, much more than that of the Russian forces, but no one can tell how long it will hold up  what is needed is hope, comforted by some good results on the ground.

Then there is Western public opinion, hooked on the war via mainstream and above all social media. Decisions by Ukraines allies are largely shaped by the latest developments carried on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok and their impact on political decision-makers.

Ukrainians have tried to present their case via every media platform with global reach. Social media have become the conduits for fundraisers, appeals for volunteers, calls for equipment, drones, weapons, vehicles, and logistic material of all kinds in what Meduza's Signal column calls the "subculture of Ukraine's allies".

A third target group is Russians, for whom the counteroffensive counts more for its panic effect" than all the drones over the Kremlin or distant regions, sabotage, or guerrilla attacks. All this tends to unnerve Russian military bosses, unsettles the countrys political leaders, and shake the complacency of the indifferent and apolitical masses.

Russian propagandists themselves have no idea where Ukrainian attacks will come from, and seem rather bewildered.

For Russians, the important thing is to hold on as much territory as possible in order to claim it. Compared to the start of the war, the situation has reversed: huge cohorts of Ukrainian soldiers are now threatening Russias borders", and it is not clear how it will end.

Amid all this, a major figure is emerging in Ukraine, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. If President Zelensky is the embodiment of Ukrainian resistance and cooperation with allies, Zaluzhnyi is the face of military salvation against the invaders.

In February 2022, he was known only in military circles, with the moniker Lord Voldemort", the dark wizard in the Harry Potter saga, the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

When Russian troops were closing in on Kyiv, Zelensky and his advisers suggested blowing up the bridges on the Dnipro, to prevent the enemy from entering the capital. Zaluzhnyi came out openly against this, saying that he would defend the bridges. Since then the Russians have been in retreat, leaving behind the bodies of those they slaughtered in places like Bucha, Mariupol, and elsewhere.

This earned Zaluzhnyi the front cover of Time magazine, and an in-depth reportage on "The General and the Ukrainian Way of War," the face of a victorious Ukraine.

The general says he is a "disciple of Gerasimov", his counterpart in the Russian Armed Forces, whose "books he has read", a believer that "all true military science is in Russian-Soviet manuals".

In this war, he personifies the true nature of the conflict, the impossible synthesis of the West and the East of Eurasia, the great geo-political, philosophical, and religious problem of this war.

The Ukrainian general has performed the miracle of combining the wisdom of endless spaces with the undercurrents of neighbouring states, the great distinction between Asia and Europe.

He is the commander with a human face, who jokes with the troops even in the direst situations, much more ironic and iconic than Zelensky, the professional comedian, who instead has taken on the aura of the severe and unwavering president, in a surprising role reversal that might even herald a future rivalry at the ballot box, once the current crisis is over.

The Russians have multiplied fake reports that he was seriously injured, undergoing brain surgery, but this is certainly not the only piece of dezinformatsiya in this brutal, hybrid war.

The picture of the general making the victory sign with the caption God and Ataman Zaluzhnyi are with us is a hit across Ukraine. Ataman is the historic title given to the supreme military commanders of Cossack forces.

In a war of symbols and images, Putin is now the Lord Voldemort who turns to dust, the sorcerer wiped out by the victorious Ukrainian wizards.

RUSSIAN WORLD IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO RUSSIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY SATURDAY IN YOUR E-MAIL? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE

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How to Be a Gentleman Today

Here Are the Top 5 Ways to Be a Gentleman Today

With all the shifting norms in society, the idea of what constitutes being a gentleman is a bit murky.

Once upon a time, the standard narrative was that a man needs to woo a woman and impress her. If all went well, marriage and kids could be on the horizon and everything else that comes with that storyline.

But now, with gender fluidity and more universally accepted sexual orientations, the expectation of how a man should conduct himself throughout the courting process and even in day-to-day life has changed dramatically.

Despite the changing times, the classic gentleman stereotype can still inspire you and is something you can apply to your unique romantic life if you wish to separate yourself from your dating competition.

RELATED: Heres What Modern Chivalry Looks Like

So here are five simple ways to keep chivalry alive and embrace your inner gentleman in the early stages of courtship and beyond.

Mind Your Manners

One of the easiest ways to step into your baddest gentleman self is through your manners.

These are the little actions you take that can make a big difference to your date, significant other, or people around you in general. They range from holding the door for your date when you enter or exit a building to chewing with your mouth closed.

So whether youre opening the car door for your date or keeping your date on the inside of the sidewalk when walking down the street, youre integrating little actions that classic gentlemen embodied and that tell your date you value them.

Maintain Basic Hygiene

Some may disagree that keeping basic hygiene is gentlemanly, but it's listed here for the (ever increasing) number of folks who dont consider how their personal grooming habits may influence the people around them, especially while dating.

A gentleman, on the other hand, is self-aware when it comes to how he looks and smellsand when it comes to datingknows he has a higher success rate when he demonstrates hygienic self-care.

How are you  a prospective date  supposed to infer a man is capable of caring for you at his best when his teeth arent brushed, he hasn't bothered to shower and theres a stain on his shirt?

RELATED: Grooming Tips All Men Need to Know

This isnt superficial all about looks, its basic hygiene that a gentleman knows and practices for himself and others. Smell pleasant, look clean, exude confidence.

Pick Up the Tab on the First Date

Splitting the bill  aka going Dutch  is more common than its ever been, and thats totally acceptable.

However, if youre on a first date, a gentleman knows to take care of the tab by default. Sure, its fine to be wary of someone whos only looking for a free meal  theyre out there, folks  but if youre interested in a potential partner and youve asked them to go on a date, pick up the tab.

By not paying for the first date  unless its been discussed in advance  youre sending the message that you see this person more as a friend than as a potential love interest. A gentleman knows this and will always try to keep it classy by picking up the first bill.

RELATED: How to Handle the Check on a First Date Without Making It Awkward

Maintain Emotional Maturity

A true gentleman knows how to express himself and his feelings authentically, and hes able to do so in a way that doesnt demand or expect his date to reciprocate immediately on the spot.

This is because a gentleman has high emotional intelligence and can communicate the truth about his feelings without needing them to be validated externally. He can share his feelings, his views  and most of all, himself  and know that hes enough.

The opposite of being a gentleman is being emotionally reactive or lashing out when your date does not respond in the way that youd prefer or does something that upsets you. A gentleman knows that the key here is to emotionally regulate and to lead with curiosity.

The gentleman is able to detach and view his own upset from afar, and then asks his date what they meant by something she said or asks for clarification as to why they acted a certain way. In doing so, he creates a strong man within himself whom his partner can be their most authentic and vulnerable with as well.

Be Respectful

Being respectful is a sneaky gentlemanly quality that pays fantastic dividends and goes well beyond maintaining your pleases and thank yous.

A true gentleman shines when his default programming is urging him internally to react unfavorably to external circumstances. By remaining respectful to your date or significant other  even when its challenging  youre setting a strong foundation for a healthy potential relationship and also looking like an OG in any circumstance.

If your date or someone else is reacting in an emotionally immature way, you dont have to match them. Instead, you can recognize their reactiveness, keep your cool, and respond thoughtfully. You cant control what others say or do, but you can control yourself, and remaining respectful  even in the face of disrespect  is powerful.

RELATED: How to Have a Healthy Argument With Your Partner

But being a gentleman takes work. Like with any positive habit, the more you do it, the easier and more second nature it becomes. The more you incorporate a gentlemanly mindset into your day-to-day lifestyle and focus on taking gentlemanly actions, the more you will embody a gentleman today.

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The Rimac Nevera's record from 0 to 400 kph and back to 0 was short-lived. Koenigsegg announced on June 16 that the Regera broke it. There is no word on the quarter-mile record, but that probably has to do with the Swedish automaker not talking about that. On May 25, I wrote about two world records that the Aspark Owl broke related to the highest average speed in the quarter mile and the eighth mile. Theoretically, the Nevera was beaten by the Japanese electric hypercar, but not officially  and the reason may surprise you.

Photo: Aspark

Photo: Rimac Automobili

Let me clarify that a bit further. Apart from the 0-400-kph-0 record, the Rimac Nevera broke 22 other automotive achievements. Among them, there were two closely related to those of the Japanese electric hypercar: the lowest times in the 1/8-mile and 1/4-mile for a production car. However, think about that with me for a while: if the Aspark Owl scored the highest average speeds in the quarter mile and eighth mile, it must also have the lowest time to reach those distances. It would be illogical to have any other outcome.Guinness World Records granted the Japanese electric hypercar its records after UKITA verified these average speeds at Elvington Airfield, York, UK, on May 2, 2023. I contacted the entities responsible for certifying the Aspark Owl's record. Although UKITA never got back to me, the answer Guinness World Records gave me was educational and frustrating at the same time.The equipment used in these evaluations is either the VBox, from RaceLogic, or something very similar. Car magazines also use it to perform their tests. The VBox simultaneously measures several parameters of a run, whether you want it or not. All you have to do is extract the data you need: time, speed, distance, G forces... You name it. That said, UKITA certainly knows how much time the Owl demanded to reach 1/8-mile and 1/4-mile. According to Guinness World Records, the problem is that it makes no difference to have the time if the proper governing body for each record attempt is not involved.For you to have an idea, the fastest electric car to run the quarter mile is a modified BMW M3 E30. It set the best time in 2012, and it was driven by Mate Rimac. If all that sounds familiar, this electric M3 was the vehicle that led Rimac to develop the automaker with his name and, eventually, to the Nevera. Although the founder was aware of the procedures to have the records verified, he apparently did not ask FIA to confirm what the Nevera achieved. In other words, Guinness World Records does not recognize its numbers. It probably also does not consider what the Koenigsegg Regera achieved.For that to happen, the vehicles should have followed the protocol. In other words, "the fastest time records must be carried out under the auspices of the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, or the International Automobile Federation)." Koenigsegg even said that the record was official because it was measured by a VBox, but that is not that easy. Guinness World Records said that Rimac should approach FIA if it wanted its Nevera records certified. Koenigsegg could have made that unnecessary if it cared to contact FIA for its record attempt.So there you have it: more than establishing a record, the companies doing that have to consider the bureaucratic requirements to have it recognized. It is like auditing numbers in any automaker. They may claim to make a fortune with each car they sell, to be highly profitable, and so forth. That is (theoretically) only credible if certified accountants confirm the figures are correct. With some of these accounting behemoths also facing credibility issues, not even that sort of precaution helps.Would these carmakers pursuing world automotive records be ignoring FIA and other governing bodies due to costs? It may be the case that the investment in getting proper certification does not pay off in terms of media or brand awareness targets. Would credibility also be playing a role in their decision not to have these entities conduct these record attempts? I may turn this into a new story in the future, but I confess it is not a priority right now. There are more interesting things to cover in the automotive world.Regardless of the reasons, the deal is that these records are not composed only of a VBox, a camera, the car, and a talented pilot willing to take it to its limits. That may have been the case when GPS tech was not available, and chronographs were all they had to check which vehicles were quicker, faster, and more efficient at performing everything that made a car remarkable. These romantic times are long gone. Believing you have the best car and trying to prove it without governing bodies is as effective as an ashtray on a motorbike.
THE long arm of the law finally caught up with fugitive Gweru businessman Peter Dube, who is wanted in connection with three counts of murder, one attempted murder case and violation of immigration laws, after he was arrested in Ireland last Wednesday.

He now faces extradition after the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) successfully secured a provisional international arrest warrant. Dube (37) was arrested last week after nearly three years on the run for allegedly gunning down his second wife, her suspected lover and a female friend in cold blood.

He subsequently skipped the country and ended up in South Africa, where he changed his identity, then relocated to Ireland. Police in Ireland  who are referred to as An Garda Siochan (Guardians of the Peace of Ireland)  launched a criminal investigation following The Sunday Mails expose published in April detailing how Dube used an alias (Xolile Mtsali) to dupe Irish officials into granting him asylum after allegedly killing three people in Zimbabwe. Shane Lyons, a Press officer with the Irish police, told our Harare Bureau that the suspect has since appeared in court.

A male in his late 30s was arrested on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, for alleged offences, contrary to the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act of 2001. The male has appeared before the district court and is currently remanded in custody. As the male is currently before the court, An Garda Siochana has no further comment at this time.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has since initiated legal proceedings to extradite the suspect.

NPA head of the international co-operation and anti-terrorism unit Mr Clement Chimbare yesterday confirmed that a provisional arrest warrant had been issued against Dube. ZRP is now expected to transmit the warrant to Irelands law-enforcement authorities through the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol).

Dube had been placed on Interpols Red Notice, a request to law-enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition. Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said police were waiting for the extradition process to take place.

It is alleged that on April 23, 2021, Dube, who was a car dealer, approached his second wife, Nyasha Nharingo, and her suspected lover Shelton Chinhango  also a car dealer  who was seated in a minibus parked outside a flat in Gwerus central business district, where she lived. He fatally shot Chinhango at close range and turned the gun on his second wifes best friend, Gamuchirai Mudungwe, whom he shot in the chest. She died instantly.

He went on to shoot Nyasha and her sister Nyaradzo.

The two sisters were rushed to hospital, where Nyaradzo died on admission. It is believed Dube and Nyasha had a long-standing dispute, with the former convinced that she was involved in an adulterous affair.

Earlier investigations by our Bureau indicated that five months after the shootings, Dube allegedly changed his identity and acquired a passport (A09465267) in Eswatini on October 28, 2021. He later used the passport to move to Ireland, where he applied for asylum, before being accommodated at Red Cow Moran Hotel in Dublin. The fugitive also later assisted his wife, Nomatter Chawana, and children to acquire new identities. His luck, however, ran out on Wednesday last week, when he was taken into custody by police. Sunday News
A quick look at all the major industries of our world will paint the picture of a species fighting to undo the harm that's been done to the planet, in the decades since we discovered we could burn fossil fuels to move around, warm up, and light up our nights.

Photo: NASA

It's the transportation sector that seems most committed to this. Its car manufacturing component is embracing electricity as a means of power for automobiles like there is no tomorrow (and, in some respects, there isn't); freight haulers by means of large trucks are slowly embracing electrification too; the naval shipping industry is trying to find ways to go cleaner.Air transportation remains however one of the largest polluters in the world. Just consider how, on average, planes alone are responsible for about two percent of the yearly global CO2 emissions. It may not seem that much, but take this into account: that's two percent of 36.3 billion tonnes. That's how much of the harmful gas was released into the atmosphere in 2021 by all human activity on this Earth.The big players in the aviation industry know this cannot continue, and some of them are actively searching for alternatives. Some are diving deeper into the wonders of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), others are researching electric airplanes, and a smaller bunch is even considering hydrogen as a fuel for future aircraft.NASA has a different approach, and is focusing on research that may one day allow airplanes to use the same kind of fuel as today, yet need much less of it to cover the same distances. One approach is called HyTEC , and calls for the creation of a smaller core for a turbofan engine that could help aircraft cut down fuel consumption by at least ten percent, while maintaining the same power levels as today.The other approach, the one we're here to take a closer look at today, has to do with a new wing design. It's an approach currently being researched as part of something called the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project.The goal of the project is simple: come up with a way of cutting fuel consumption and the emissions that come as a result by as much as 30 percent compared to today's best-in-class aircraft. The class would be that of single-aisle airplanes, which is the most widespread in civilian aviation, and responsible for almost half of the emissions the industry is responsible for.NASA plans to do this with something called Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW). You know what civilian airplanes' wings look like, right? Well, the ones being developed for the project will have the same general shape and orientation, but will be longer and thinner.Most importantly, though, they will feature the TTBW, which are nothing more than diagonal struts that link the main wings to the fuselage. This will generate more lift and, together with a series of other technologies that are yet to be detailed, should account for the reduced fuel consumption and emissions mentioned above.The TTBW concept already proved what it's capable of during scale tests conducted by NASA not long ago at the Armstrong Flight Research Center facility in California. The concept was a 6-foot (1.8 meters) wing that was subjected to load testing to see how "forces transferred from the main wing to the strut," and the results make NASA confident a larger, 10-foot (3 meters) variant of the wing will be put together by the end of the year.Under a $245 million research deal, the space agency had Boeing commit to actually building the airplane with this strange wing design. A demonstrator should be ready for flight by the end of the decade, because NASA plans to have the thing actually contribute to America's goal of turning its aviation sector net zero by the middle of the century.To give us a better idea of how serious it is about this, the agency had the U.S. Air Force issue a special designation for the upcoming machine. Following a tradition dating back to the 1950s, when it was still called the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), NASA now officially calls the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator the X-66A For reference, the X designation is only awarded to technologies meant to "create revolutionary experimental aircraft configurations," and was slapped over the years on a very large number of machines, starting with the Bell X-1 in 1946 and ending with the X-65 Crane earlier this year. And each and every one of them is a wonder in itself, machines that have in one way or another reshaped our world.Because of this, in the near future, we here at autoevolution will start running a comprehensive coverage of each of the 66 X-planes made over the decades, so keep an eye out for incredible details and accomplishments made possible this way.
Someone once said horsepower is how fast you hit a wall, but torque is how far you move the wall. That may not be a perfect explanation for the difference between horsepower and torque, but If you love the feeling of your stomach being pushed into your spine, join me, and let's look at this 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu as it has plenty of both. All thanks to an engine swap that is terrific in its insanity.

Photo: apappas1988/Bring a Trailer

Photo: apappas1988/Bring a Trailer

Photo: apappas1988/Bring a Trailer

But, before getting into this deranged car, we should do the mandatory quick history lesson about how the Chevelle came to life. Back in the '60s, Chevy was making a quick buck. GM products made up around 53% of new cars sold in North America - more than all other automakers combined.But, this market monopoly that GM created made the competitors' big wigs, like Ford, AMC , and Chrysler, a little mad. They were jealous of the bow tie's sales figures, so an answer was in order. But not in a "let's make better cars" form. In the face of this threat, the other companies filed an anti-trust suit, so GM decided that if they stuck to their self-imposed racing ban from 1957, the government would stay off its back.Thus, while the other manufacturers were battling it out on the track, GM was stuck behind the fence, weeping at how much fun the other kids were having - at least, that was the perception from the outside. In reality, GM was still building big horsepower cars with extremely potent engines, but without supporting race teams directly. The prime example of this charade was the Pontiac GTO, released only one year after the anti-racing policy was made mandatory.The GTO was the bee's knee, and Chevy got slightly jealous of Pontiac. Brands battled each other back in the day, even under the same company. Even though Chevy was the primary source of sales, each brand under GM would fight it out for the spotlight, and Chevrolet's answer to the GTO was the Chevelle, as a car to fill in the spot between the small Chevy II and the larger offerings, like the Impala.Unlike the GTO, a Tempest with an options package, the Chevelle was its own car. You could get it in everything from a wagon, to a convertible and a two-door station wagon, with power ranging from 220 hp to a peppy 350 ponies. You also had quite a few trim levels, with the top-of-the-line pack being the Malibu, on top of which you could opt for the SS option - and today, we are talking about one of these Malibus from 1970.The 1970 model year means that this Chevelle is from the second generation, which meant a complete redesign. The body on this particular one was repainted in black, with two white stripes running down the middle of the hood and trunk. This painting showcases a muscular body with tapered fenders, a long hood, and a short deck. Making it pop are chrome fenders, a blacked-out rear tail panel, and a cowl induction hood - which is necessary for feeding all of those ponies under the hood, but more on that later.Tying the outside look, youll find a set of 18-inch alloy wheels. Behind those wheels, even more, modifications make an appearance. Stopping power is provided by cross-drilled and slotted rotors on all four corners with beefy Wilwood calipers over them. Moving on even further, it showcases a pretty impressive suspension system, with Aldan American coilovers complemented by tubular front control arms and rear traction bars.Step on inside, and custom work is the norm here, also. The front bucket seats and rear bench are upholstered in black vinyl. There are a lot of chrome accents complementing all of that black, like a billet shifter and a three-spoke steering wheel, which front a Dakota Digital gauge cluster.Now, it's time we get to the engine of this thing, and you should take a seat and hold onto your horses. The 1970 Chevelle came with anything from an inline-six to a 454 ci (7.4-liter) V8 that produced 450 hp (456 ps) with the RPO Z15 package.But, this Chevelle has none from that large spectrum of power plants. Powering it is a beastly, 6.6-liter (402 ci), twin Garret-turbocharged, Duramax V8 - yes, you read that right, it's a diesel! In stock form, this engine produces 450 hp (456 ps) and a whopping 910 lb-ft (1234 Nm) of torque - I repeat, that's in stock form, and this one is heavily modified, so that number most surely skyrocketed, but a specific power figure wasn't disclosed.If you want crazy torque, an ultra-cool retro look, and a mob of angry environmentalists to come at you with pitchforks, this car might be for you, and if that is so, you are in luck. This one is up at auction in Costa Mesa, California, and it is currently sitting at 60,000 dollars with three days left on the auction. It is offered on dealer consignment and a California title - oh, it also comes with no mercy for tires.
17 June 2023 08:30 (UTC+04:00)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

Armenia, which is constantly causing concern to the environment, terrorizing not only people, but also nature and ecology, which is an integral part of it, has been on the agenda in recent days with the metallurgical plant that it started to build illegally in the area bordering with Azerbaijans Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (AR).

Armenia intends to continue the environmental terror it has carried out in our occupied lands for more than 30 years at the border with the Nakhchivan AR. According to estimates, the annual production capacity of the aforesaid metallurgical plant built in the village of Arazdayan is over 180,000 tons. This means quite a lot of waste and toxic gas. Although the Azerbaijan Republic has repeatedly appealed to international organisations, no serious measures have been taken in this regard. Despite all this, Azerbaijan cannot turn a blind eye to this kind of environmental crime.

It should be emphasized that by building a large metallurgical plant in the area, Armenia once again grossly violates international legal norms and principles, especially the Convention of the UN Economic Commission for Europe on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context. According to the convention, if such projects have a negative environmental impact on the territory of other countries, this activity should be agreed with the relevant institutions of that country. In other words, Armenia, as a member of the Espoo Convention, had to ensure the participation of our country in the procedure of assessing the impact of the project on the environment before starting the mentioned activity. However, the so-called Yerevan authorities are accustomed to such illegal actions, so they persistently continue their activities that can cause serious damage to the environment.

The Republic of Azerbaijan respects the internal affairs of each country. Armenia's internal economic and political issues also apply here. However, if the problem is related to the proximity of the border and the rivers, lakes and other natural elements shared between the two states, Azerbaijan's indifferent approach here is considered impossible. Of course, if the pollution caused by the metallurgical plant is not important for official Yerevan, and the health of its population is not important, then they can build the plant far from the borders of Azerbaijan, in the depths of Armenia.

Armenia should not forget that the territory of Arazdayan, where the metallurgical plant was built, is also the historical land of Azerbaijan. For this reason, the sensitive approach of the Azerbaijani public to the ecological situation of these areas is understandable and logical. The members of the West Azerbaijan community, who were once displaced from their homeland, will return to different regions of Armenia, including Arazdayan, when the time is appropriate.

The mentioned metallurgical plant also seriously threatens the already scarce drinking water resources in the region. World experience shows that 4 thousand cubic meters of water are used to produce one ton of non-ferrous metal. Only 34% of metallurgical industry waste is completely disposed of, while the remaining 66% remains forever in the environment as waste.

The pollution of other environmental terrorist incidents committed by Armenia, especially Okchuchay, has been on the agenda for a long time.

The Okhchuchay River, an 83-km left tributary of Araz River, has a basin area of 1,175 square kilometers. The river begins on the Zangazur ridge's Gapijig mountain (3,285 meters).

The river flows through liberated Zangilan into the Araz River, with the majority of it located in Armenia's Syunik region (Azerbaijan's historical Zangazur District).

Because of transboundary water flows, approximately 70 percent of Azerbaijan's groundwater resources are formed in neighboring countries. The transboundary river Okhchuchay, which serves as a collector of industrial waste in Armenia, is constantly polluted by waste from the Kapan and Gajaran mining industries.

Industrial wastewater is discharged into the river untreated, which occasionally increases the level of pollution. As a result, these water resources are deemed unfit for use on Azerbaijani territory. Furthermore, Okhchuchay flows into Araz, the second-largest river in the South Caucasus, and pollution has a direct impact on its quality and water reserves.

On April 12, President Ilham Aliyev stated at a meeting dedicated to the results of the first quarter of 2022 that a special report on Armenia's environmental terror against Azerbaijan was prepared and adopted a few years ago by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

He stated that the rivers in Azerbaijans Karabakh were occupied and mercilessly exploited by Armenians. The catastrophe of the Okhchuchay River is before the eyes of the world now. We have raised this issue, the President said.

Cronimet is the company that contaminated the Okhchuchay River. It is a large company, and according to some foreign media, it had an illegal business relationship with representatives of Armenias former president Serzh Sargsyan, the former junta regime using corruption schemes. Together they operated the copper plant there.

All the mentioned facts once again show that Armenia is not an independent state in the region, but a predatory and terrorist regime that is fighting for the acquisition of what is temporarily in its hands. When Armenia left the occupied territories after the Second Karabakh War, the damage they caused to nature was a scene that showed their true character.

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Elnur Enveroglu is AzerNews deputy editor-in-chief, follow him on @ElnurMammadli1

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17 June 2023 16:16 (UTC+04:00)

Russias Ulianovsk region intends to expand relations with Azerbaijan, said Governor of the Ulyanovsk oblast Aleksei Russkikh as he met Azerbaijans trade representative in Russia Ruslan Aliyev, Azernews reports.

At the meeting held on the sidelines of the Petersburg International Economic Forum, the parties discussed the state of trade and economic relations.

Ruslan Aliyev said Azerbaijan is interested in opening a trading house in Ulyanovsk. He further mentioned that the country seeks to expand its logistic potential.

As the meeting wrapped up, the sides reached an agreement to arrange bilateral business missions and involve Ulyanovsk producers in the exhibitions to be held in Azerbaijan.

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17 June 2023 16:59 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

In a short time, Baku International Piano Festival has earned an enviable reputation for hugely impressive lineups that feature some of the biggest music stars.

Headed by eminent jazzman, Honored Artist Shahin Novrasli, the music festival unites a multitude of renowned musicians to create a wonderful feast of piano art.

In his interview with AZERNEWS , Honored Artist Shahin Novrasli provides insight into the festival's history, its diverse program and further prospects for expansion.

Q: How did the idea for the festival come about?

A: Azerbaijan has always been famous for its incredibly talented and professional pianists. The country's piano school has always been strong and top notch. Undoubtedly, Azerbaijani classical and jazz pianists stand out for their talent. As a musician, who regularly performs at international piano festivals, I have always wondered why such festivals are not held in our country. So, I decided to launch a piano music festival that would cover various musical genres.

A: What festival program did you come up with for music lovers this time?

Musicians from different countries are taking part in the festival. Together with Helene Mercier, I performed George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue For Two Pianos at the festival's opening ceremony. Helene Mercier is one of the most outstanding pianists, who represents Canada and France. The festival program also includes a flamenco show, which has already managed to fall in love with the audience last year.

Q: Are you planning to expand the festival's geography in the coming years?

A: The 2nd Baku International Piano Festival gathers very highly acclaimed musicians from Azerbaijan, Turkiye Germany, Austria, Brazil, France, Spain, Latvia, Hungary and Norway, who captivates the audience with a wide variety of music. I would like to invite more international musicians to join the festival in the coming years. I hope that music lovers will enjoy the Baku Piano Festival immensely.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az

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17 June 2023 09:33 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Cameroon Paul Biya has sent a letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28 - Independence Day, Azernews reports.

The letter reads:

His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Mr. President,

I have a good chance to offer You my sincere congratulations on the occasion of the national holiday of your country  the Independence Day.

Using this opportunity, I extend my wishes for felicity to the people of Azerbaijan.

Mr. President, please accept the assurances of my highest consideration.

Sincerely,

Paul Biya

President of the Republic of Cameroon

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17 June 2023 12:11 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter of congratulations to His Majesty Charles III, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Azernews reports.

The letter reads:

Your Majesty,

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I am happy to convey my most sincere congratulations and best wishes to You and through You, all your people on the occasion of the national holiday of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - King's Birthday.

We attach special importance to the development of relations between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom. I am sure that the friendly relations established between our countries and our multifaceted cooperation will continue to strengthen and expand in line with the interests of our peoples.

I wish You good health, happiness, success in your activities, and the friendly people of the United Kingdom everlasting prosperity,

Sincerely,

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

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17 June 2023 13:57 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter of congratulations to the participants of the 1st Symposium of World Azerbaijani Doctors, Azernews reports.

The letter reads:

Dear participants of the symposium!

I sincerely greet you on the occasion of the start of the first symposium of Azerbaijani doctors living abroad in the capital of our country, and wish each of you success in your activities in the interests of protecting people's health.

The organization of this first symposium as part of events to celebrate the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev has a deep symbolic meaning. The complete renovation of Azerbaijan's healthcare infrastructure and its establishment on modern foundations are associated with the name of the Great Leader.

As a follow-up to the work successfully carried out in the past, the development of healthcare is one of the priorities of the social policy of our state today. In the regions of our Republic, new diagnostic and medical centers have been put into use, healthcare institutions have been provided with state-of-the-art medical equipment, and compulsory medical insurance has been introduced as a key component of social protection of the population. In recent years, the fact that our country has hosted international conferences and meetings on relevant issues of medicine has created favorable grounds for the integration of Azerbaijan's healthcare into the global healthcare system.

It is a matter of pride that hundreds of our compatriots, who have received medical education and scientific knowledge in Azerbaijan, are now working in the most prestigious clinics in different corners of the world, representing our nation with high professionalism. Although they are far from the borders of our country, their hearts always beat with native Azerbaijan. This was further evidenced when our white-robed heroes voluntarily went to the front during the 44-day Patriotic War.

The symposium you are participating in aims to share innovations in different fields of medicine and reveal potential opportunities for our compatriots living abroad to contribute with their theoretical and practical knowledge to the work being done in the direction of further improving the healthcare system of Azerbaijan together with our highly qualified medical personnel.

I do hope that a broad exchange of ideas and experience and comprehensive discussions involving the use of innovative methods will be held in the light of the challenges of medical science and that you identify new prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

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17 June 2023 15:14 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation Rustam Minnikhanov, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, have attended the inauguration of Auto Leasing Azerbaijan LLC in the Araz Valley Economic Zone Industrial Park in the Jabrayil district, Azernews reports.

Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov highlighted the works done here.

The Industrial Park occupies an area of 200 hectares.

President Ilham Aliyev and Rais Rustam Minnikhanov cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of Auto Leasing Azerbaijan LLC.

Auto Leasing Azerbaijan LLC, a joint venture of Russia and Azerbaijan, has established a technical service center on the 3-hectare area of the Araz Valley Economic Zone Industrial Park. The center will serve as a hub for trucks and agricultural machinery.

More than AZN 9.4 million out of total investment worth AZN 10.2 million has already been invested in the construction of the enterprise.

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17 June 2023 18:30 (UTC+04:00)

Turkish intelligence "neutralized" a senior wanted terrorist in northern Syria over his alleged links to the MLKP, a far-left terror group, security sources said on Saturday, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

Osman Nuri Ocakli, codenamed Yilmaz Behrares, was neutralized in an operation by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in Syrias Ayn al-Arab district, said the sources on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Ocakli was behind many attacks in Turkiye, including the 2022 attack on a vehicle carrying the prison guards in the northwestern Bursa province, and was in the red category on Turkiye's wanted terrorists' list, the sources said.

He operated as the so-called leader of FESK, the armed wing of the MLKP, since 2000.

Having close organizational relations with the PKK, Ocakli moved to the Qandil region of Iraq in Nov. 2014 and started carrying out terrorist activities in the Rasulayn region of Syria in 2015.

As of April 2018, the terrorist responsible for illegal crossings between Turkiye and Syria on behalf of MLKP, became the "right-hand man of Bayram Namaz, code-named Baran, the former MLKPs so-called Syria leader. He became the 3rd man of the organization in Syria.

After Bayram Namaz was neutralized in 2019, Ocakli started his activities as an assistant to Zeki Gurbuz, codenamed Ahmet Sores, who was appointed as the so-called Syria Officer of MLKP, and continued his activities in Ayn al-Arab last year.

The MLKP was founded in 1994 and was added to Turkiye's active terror list in 2007.

The terror group is responsible for many attacks in Turkiye and northern Syria, including the 2004 bombing of a public bus in Istanbul that killed three civilians.

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17 June 2023 18:02 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has shared condolences post on his Twitter to Uganda in connection with a terrorist attack in this country, Azernews reports.

"We strongly condemn the terrorist attack at school in Uganda. We are deeply saddened by the loss of life of students, & express our condolences to the families of victims & wish a speedy recovery to the injured," the ministry said.

We strongly condemn the #terrorist attack at school in #Uganda.



We are deeply saddened by the loss of life of students, & express our condolences to the families of victims & wish a speedy recovery to the injured.



We stand in solidarity w/Government & people of  @UgandaMFA  MFA Azerbaijan  (@AzerbaijanMFA) June 17, 2023

As a result of the terrorist attack, 37 people were killed and eight injured.

To recall, militants linked to Islamic State killed 37 people and abducted six others in an attack on a school in western Uganda near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, the military said on Saturday.

Military personnel found the bodies of the dead when they arrived at the school, defence spokesperson said in a statement.

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17 June 2023 19:55 (UTC+04:00)

Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Saturday said the bloc needed to receive good news from Georgia regarding its progress on the conditions outlined by the EU last year for granting Tbilisi its membership candidate status, in order to create a positive atmosphere for future relations between the sides, Azernews reports, citing Agenda.ge.

In his comments to the local media, Herczynski highlighted the great progress on some priorities while noting the bloc was waiting for results on others.

The Ambassador also made comments on the domestic deoligarchisation bill, which was adopted in its second reading earlier this week, a day after the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe recommended the Georgian authorities to drop the legislative piece.

The Commission said the bill was using a personalised, instead of systemic, approach to curbing oligarchic influence on the domestic politics, and called on the countrys authorities to instead implement a wide range of systemic reforms to prevent concentration of power in the hands of wealthy individuals.

Herczynski said the European Commission agreed with the Venice Commission in recommending a transparent, responsible approach and a systematic approach on oligarchs, adding he sincerely hoped the Georgian political elite would also choose this approach to fulfil the EU priorities.

His comments followed claims by Irakli Kobakhidze, the ruling Georgian Dream party head, who on Wednesday said the opinions of the Venice Commission and the European Commission on the Georgian bill contradict each other.

Kobakhidze said the European Commissions condition on the matter had urged the Georgian authorities to implement the commitment to deoligarchisation by eliminating the excessive influence of vested interests in economic, political, and public life, which he said implied a personalised and not systemic approach to the problem, in an alleged contradiction to the Venice Commissions opinion.

The Georgian Dream party pledged it would drop the bill after its final approval if the European Commission removed the requirement on deoligarchisation from its conditions for granting the country its membership candidate status by December.

In its remarks on Wednesday, the EU representation in Georgia urged the countrys authorities to follow the Venice Commissions recommendations against adopting the bill, and expressed the blocs readiness to support the countrys Government to find a better way forward with a systemic approach.

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17 June 2023 21:44 (UTC+04:00)

Only some OPEC countries and Russia have the potential of long-term growth of oil output as their resource base on new projects is comparable with all promising global production, Chief Executive Officer of Rosneft Igor Sechin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Azernews reports, citing TASS.

"Only some OPEC countries, as well as Russia, where the resource base of new projects is comparable with the resource base of all new promising output regions in the world, in fact have the potential of long-term growth of production of liquid hydrocarbons globally," he said.

Meanwhile, Sechin noted that even despite the record crude oil supply of Middle Eastern countries (with Saudi Arabia and UAE boasting reserves for 70 years, Kuwait and Iraq - for around 100 years), the world will face the issue of the shortage of production capacities as early as in coming years. "And OPEC countries will no longer be able to meet the growing demand," he stressed.

The 26th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) - Russias showcase annual economic and business event - is being held on June 14-17. 'Sovereign Development as the Basis of a Just World: Joining Forces for Future Generations' is the theme of this years forum. TASS is the official information partner of the event.

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Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Mainly clear. Low 76F. NNW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear. Low 76F. NNW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph.
Limit elective abortions in the second and third trimesters

Establish an exception for rape and incest through 20 weeks

Establish an exception for fetal life-limiting anomalies through 24 weeks

This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal . The author of this post is Alex Baltzegar On Tuesday, both chambers of the North Carolina state legislature voted to override Governor Roy Cooper's veto of Senate Bill 20,which restricts elective abortions after 12 weeks of fetal development.The vote was along party lines, with all Republicans in both chambers voting to override the veto while all Democrats voted to uphold Cooper's veto.The House voted 72-48, and the Senate voted 30-20 to override Cooper's veto.Legislators in both chambers often miss votes for various reasons but no one was absent on Tuesday.Senate Bill 20 makes the following changes to North Carolina's abortion laws:The bill maintains an exception to save the life of the mother through the duration of her pregnancy.Sens. Joyce Krawiec, R-Forsyth, Lisa Barnes, R-Nash, Amy Galey, R-Alamance, and Vickie Sawyer, R-Iredell, released the following statement on the override:Following the final House vote, one Democratic state senator said North Carolina was entering theHouse minority leader Robert Reives, D-Chatham, said Republicans would not stop with 12-week restrictions.Reives said.Many Democrats spent the last two weeks arguing that Senate Bill 20, which restricts abortions after 12 weeks, was a total ban. Governor Cooper referred to the bill as a ban again after Republicans overrode his veto.Although the vote was not bipartisan, Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, said there was significant outreach to Democrats, and some even wanted to vote for the bill.Speaker Moore said.Sen. Galey said she emailed a key Democratic senator to ask if the Democrats wanted to discuss the legislation, but they declined.In the House, several key swing Republicans received pressure from leftwing activists, Democrats, and the media to change their minds on Senate Bill 20; however, none did.Rep. Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg, a longtime Democrat who made headlines earlier this year when she announced she was switching parties, released a long statement explaining her vote.After saying she cannot support a complete ban orCotham said she feels that Senate Bill 20 is a middle ground approach.Cotham said.Cotham also said that she hadLt. Governor Mark Robinson, a Republican running for governor, said he was glad to see RepublicansRobinson also credited Republicans with creatingFormer Congressman Mark Walker, who is expected to enter the Republican primary for governor this weekend, was among the pro-life advocates who attended the Senate's override vote.Speaker Moore said.Following both override votes, Senate Bill 20 will be enrolled to become law.
This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal . The author of this post is Zach Rounceville The City of Asheville recently launched a 60-day program in order to combat recent spikes in violent crime, particularly in the downtown area.This announcement comes as many residents in the city have raised concerns over the increase in crime, demanding that swift and decisive action be taken to halt the violence.The Downtown Safety Initiative, which launched on May 1, is a multi-layered effort by various stakeholders throughout the city to bolster public safety.The plan lays out several objectives the city hopes to accomplish during the 60-day period. In an emailed statement to Carolina Journal from Kim Miller, a communications spokesperson for the city, many entities are assisting with the effort. These include the Asheville Police Department (APD), the fire department, and the community at large.Miller said.CJ spoke with Asheville Police Chief David Zack, who feels that the initiative has been well received thus far.Zack said.Zack believes the Fire Department has also been proactive in their community safety response.Zack said.Miller said they will learn a lot from the early implementation of the program.Miller said.Police staffing deficienciesThe city has also been dealing with staffing shortages in their police force, in part due to themovement of the last several years, which has required utilizing other city and county resources in order to meet the demand for effective policing.Zack said.Zack also emphasized the importance of police visibility, which has been decimated by the rising crime levels.Zack said.According to previous reporting citing crime statistics, Asheville saw aggravated assaults rise by 21.8% and armed robberies increase by 20% from 2021 to 2022.Miller said the city fully supports its police department and has demonstrated such through funds via the city's latest budget proposal, which includes incentives such as a 6% salary increase for existing employees, a wellness incentive pilot program, and additional pay for intermediate law enforcement certification.Miller said.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA Cotton candy vendor Rowan Milton patiently bided his time until the most important play of the game before positioning himself squarely in front of all the fans in section 207.said Mr. Milton, leaping into action.The fans of section 207 immediately leaped to their feet, futilely trying to see over Mr. Milton's towering cotton candy edifice.shouted Mr. Milton.A piercing crack of the bat then rang throughout the stadium, leaving the fans of 207 desperate to find out what was happening.shouted Dave Coleman, scrambling for a view.At publishing time, Mr. Milton had offered to remove the view obstruction for the nominal cost of someone purchasing the entire tray of cotton candy.
Jeffrey Elmore launches campaign for North Carolina Lieutenant Governor

Press Release:



NORTH WILKESBORO State Representative Jeffrey Elmore (R-North Wilkesboro) today announced the launch of his campaign for North Carolina Lieutenant Governor. Elmore, a staunch conservative Republican, will be seeking his party's nomination on March 5, 2024.



"North Carolina deserves a strong conservative voice in the Lieutenant Governor's office, and I have a proven track record of being a conservative who can get things done," said Elmore. "I was born and raised in Wilkes County, and my family has deep roots in North Carolina. I understand the needs of North Carolinians and will be a principled voice in Raleigh as we all work to build a bright future for our state."



Conservative Republican Jeffrey Elmore grew up in Wilkes County, and was first elected as a Commissioner in the Town of North Wilkesboro in 2007. He is a distinguished North Carolina Teaching Fellow and an alumnus of Appalachian State University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. Upon graduation, he started working in the classroom and is currently in his twenty-third year as a dedicated teacher in Wilkes County Schools.



Elmore is committed to protecting life and upholding our Second Amendment freedoms. As Lieutenant Governor, Elmore will be a fierce advocate for fiscal responsibility, working to lower taxes and cut wasteful spending, allowing hardworking North Carolinians to keep more of their hard-earned money.



A keen advocate for education, Elmore held the presidency of Professional Educators of North Carolina (PENC). His commitment to moving North Carolina forward is echoed in his service on the board of the Blue Ridge Opportunity Commission (BROC), an organization that supervises the Head Start program and supports underprivileged citizens in Wilkes, Ashe, and Alleghany counties.



"Growing our economy, ensuring safer communities, strengthening our public schools, and upholding our traditional values will be priorities for me as Lieutenant Governor. When we remember our roots, remain true to our convictions, and serve with integrity, we can accomplish great things for all North Carolinians. You have my word that will always be my focus. I am excited to travel the state, meet with voters, and hear what is on their mind and how we can make the future of North Carolina bright," said Elmore.



Jeffrey and his wife, Laura, live in North Wilkesboro with their children. For more information, please visit www.ElmoreForNC.com.


After being closed for nearly a year, the bridge over the railroad on U. S. 17 Business is open. We'll wait and see now if the local businesses who suffered while this tragedy played out will return.
The industry leaves authorities asking what image do we want to project of city

Belfast has made strides in recent years in encouraging its citizens to ditch the car for two-wheeled transport with cycle lanes and pedestrian areas dotted throughout the city centre. And while theres been the classic debate between driver and cyclist, theres another one that has been stepping up a gear as summer season gets underway.
The Strategic Manager of Lough Neagh Partnership on the best chippy in the country, the beauty of the North Coast, and Belfasts transformation.

Breakfast or brunch?

I used to be a big Ulster Fry guy on a Saturday morning and loved the whole experience of getting the big pan out and making it for all the family. But my kids are all grown up now and I was seriously ill three years ago. So, these days I try to stick to just good Lavazza coffee and maybe a bit of muesli. However, I will still bring my wife up some tea and toast in bed as she still likes a wee lie in bed.

What does an ideal Saturday look like?

For most of my adult life, I have lived in Omagh, although I am originally from north Belfast. However, I have also worked on Lough Neagh for most of that time and have had to travel nearly two hours a day there and back. So, after my kids were grown up and away, I moved from Tyrone after 23 years and bought a house in Toome, much nearer to my work. I quickly worked out that Toome was a great place to live, as I could get to Ballycastle or Glenarm within a 40-minute drive.

So, for the last two years, most of my Saturdays have usually involved becoming acquainted with the beauty of the North Coast of Ireland, walking Ballycastle beach, or Whites Rocks beach. In fact, for the first time in my life, this year, I went to the North West 200 and absolutely loved it. So, my Saturdays are now taken up with long walks and visits along the most beautiful beaches and strands in Ireland, which are sitting literally on my own doorstep.

What do you get up to on a Sunday?

Growing up in North Belfast I always hated Sundays. They always started off in the morning with dressing up in tight itchy polyester trousers and shirts and attending church listening to a boring little man telling us all from his high pulpit that we were just a mass of sin and the real action was not in this world but the one to become.

The afternoons were always quiet, boring and dead, everyone stayed in their house, and nobody played or had fun. In fact, fun was clearly banned. By the late evening, it just got worse, as I realised that I had done none of my homework and scrambled late into the night to cover myself for the next day of teacher interrogation and sarcasm.

Do you prefer indoors or outdoors?

The good news is that once I left school, things slowly got better to the point that now I think Sundays are just the loveliest of all the days of the week.

Sunday mornings still involve an early rise, but all my clothes are loose, beautiful to touch, and Ive given up God for touching base with nature. Sunday mornings still involve an early rise, followed by a smaller local walk with my dog. My brother and sisters are also great walkers and so I would often spend Sunday afternoon with them at Antrim Clotworthy Castle, Lough Beg Strand or Portglenone Forest.

How have weekends changed as you have gotten older?

After my serious illness three years ago, I cut back on the booze but not totally. Certainly not as much as my wife would have liked. I am very lucky to have a good set of friends, one a group of old St Malachian school friends that still meet on the last Friday of every month and the other friends from around Lough Neagh where I work.

So, at the end of every month, I can be found drinking in Kellys Cellars in Belfast on the last Friday and in Stellas Bar in Ballyronan on the last Saturday.

Both, I have to say are great weekend experiences. Just old boomers still solving all the problems of the world. But when I come home a bit tipsy, my wife still gently reminds me that she thinks I drink too much.

If you could eat out anywhere at the weekend, where would you go?

Whilst I dont eat much during the day on the weekends, on most Saturday evenings both myself and my wife usually indulge we and take a quick drive into Belfast for an evening meal. With the new dual carriageway extension onto the M2 motorway, it is now so easy to jump into the car and be in Belfast in no time at all. Some of our best and enjoyable eating experiences have been in Coppi, Zen, AM/PM and Villa Italia. All well worth a visit.

And you would have?

Since I go out in Belfast with old school friends for a meal at the end of every month, I have noticed that many of the restaurants are very similar and all becoming a bit bland. I now try out restaurants with a specific spicy cuisine such as Indian or Chinese. Zen Belfast and the Nu Delhi are worth checking out.

At the weekend, you always make time to?

I always make time to catch up on the news. I have given up on mainstream news, so I love to just browse my favourite podcasts which are the Economist and the New Statesman for an update on news and events happening all around the world. For local news, of course, I still buy the Belfast Telegraph.

Are you a weekend cook?

Not really. I used to be a big cook when my boys were young but now I prefer something simple or maybe to not even eat at all during the day and go for a meal or have a takeaway on Friday or Saturday evening.

Who would you most like to go for a drink with?

There are so many people that I would love to have a drink with. I am a big fan of clear thinkers and people who have a bit of an edge and are a bit anti-establishment. So, of those still alive I would love to have a drink with Jordan Peterson and get a feel for where he sees the culture wars ending up. And of my dead heroes, I would really love to have been present in the most famous of all drinking sessions, at the Symposium with Socrates in ancient Greece.

Too tired to cook  what are you ordering from the takeaway?

As I live in Toome, Im lucky to be beside one of the best fish and chip shops in the whole of Ireland, the Fried Fish Warehouse. Not only does it make the best fish supper but also specialises in fish from the Lough including Lough Neagh Trout and Pollan.

Heading for the cinema? What are you going to see?

I went to the Queens Film Festival with my son last Sunday afternoon to see the fortieth anniversary of the making of Local Hero. This is my number one film of all time and after forty years it still didnt disappoint. A film well before its time and still has a strong message for us all about how to live a good, fulfilled, flourishing life.

What are you reading?

Sounds a bit ponsey but I am browsing through Plutarch, the Fall of the Roman Republic. Its a lovely little Penguin Classic book and easy to read. I have a big interest in ancient Greece and Rome and reading the book really gets you right into a long lost and fascinating world.

Whats your bedtime routine?

I grew up in North Belfast during the heart of The Troubles and witnessed a very violent and brutal city. When I go into Belfast now on a Saturday evening, I see a new transformed, thriving city, fully at ease with itself. Its almost a miraculous transformation, a new Shining City Upon a Hill. So, if I am honest, and I am a well-travelled person, I cannot think of no better city in the whole of the world to hang out in at the weekend.

Lough Neagh Partnership helps to manage and protect the lough and its shoreline. For more information, see loughneaghpartnership.org
The Belfast Telegraph has reached 10,000 subscribers in the same week that it was announced that belfasttelegraph.co.uk has won Best Local/Regional News Site in the Drum Awards.

We have 10,000 reasons to celebrate at the Belfast Telegraph this week.

Our website, belfasttelegraph.co.uk broke the 10,000 subscriber mark, just three years after we launched a paywall. Thats 10,000 people who have chosen to pay for our journalism online, in addition to thousands who still buy the print edition and our sister paper the Sunday Life.

Weve broken new ground in Northern Ireland and its something we are very proud of. Theres no great mystery behind our record-breaking audience: good journalism.

Our owners Mediahuis Ireland have invested in local journalism.

We hired some of the best local talent with Sam McBride, Allison Morris, Aine Toner, Ciaran Dunbar, Sharon ONeill, Steven Beacom all recruited in the last couple of years, joining established names like Suzanne Breen, Ciaran Barnes and John Laverty.

We believe that journalism is a force for good in society and quality journalism will always attract an engaged audience.

The Belfast Telegraph is now a multi-platform media brand, producing content seven days a week in print, online, on our podcasts and on video. Our readers come first, no matter who they are or where they live and its our mission to give them the news that matters to them.

We will continue to report without fear or favour. Were not afraid to challenge those who scourge their communities. We let victims have their say. But we also inform and entertain on everything from politics to pop music, schools to sport. All of it tailored to a Northern Ireland audience. By doing this, we have built up the trust of our readers.

So 10,000 thank yous to those of you who have subscribed.

For those who have not yet done so, you can subscribe right here.

Trust me, its worth it.
Demonstration at the steps of Parliament Buildings at Stormont remembering those who have died through addiction and homeless. Pic: Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX

Cllr Paul McCusker lays shoes at the steps of Stormont during the event (Pic: Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX)

Ella McMahon and her granddaughter Abbie holding an image of Shea McMahon during Saturday's event at Stormont (Pic: Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX)

A city centre facility is needed in Belfast to stop people turning their backs on those affected by drug addiction, a woman who lost her grandson to drugs last year has said.

An event organised by The Peoples Kitchen Belfast at Stormont saw 212 pairs of shoes placed on the steps of Parliament Buildings to represent the number of drugs-related deaths in 2021.

Among those present was Ella McMahon, whose grandson Shea McMahon (20) died in July 2022 after a long struggle with addiction which began following the death of his uncle Gerard in 2016.

Ella said a hub in Belfast city centre would help people like Shea.

He had started to spiral out of control. It was just terrible. He talked to his mother like he had a devil inside of him; it wasnt him, she said.

It was pure helplessness. You are pulling your hair out because you know the only way out of this is death. The flesh was falling off him: he wasnt able to hold a dinner in his stomach. All he wanted was drugs. Hed have done anything as long as there were drugs at the end of it.

Unable to cope living at home and with the grip of his addiction strengthening, Shea took to living on the streets.

He was found passed out and unresponsive on the Dublin Road one time. His heart wasnt beating and the [paramedics] gave him that injection and got it beating again, said Ella.

We knew then there was no going back. He was in different hostels, but they all allowed drugs; they were no good for anybody. This addiction kept chasing him. He used to sit at the table, with his head in his hands, and cry, saying: Im not well. I cant do this.

People cant keep turning their backs on these wee girls and boys. Theyre only kids  they havent matured.

Ive seen a lot of kids like Shea, and you only have to talk to them and theyll tell you why its happening and why they need help.

They want to be back in their mammy and daddys arms again in the house, lying slouched on the chair, but they cant do it because of the addiction.

Cllr Paul McCusker lays shoes at the steps of Stormont during the event (Pic: Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX)

Independent Belfast City councillor Paul McCusker said the event held at Stormont was about remembering those who had died.

Some families think their loved ones are remembered as a statistic  and that should never happen, he said.

They deserve to be remembered and they also deserve a better chance in life.

We know its a significant problem in Northern Ireland, in terms of people caught up in drug addiction who quite often cant access support.

Having no Executive doesnt help either. People are dying because there are no decisions around how services are delivered.

The devastation drugs are causing in communities is ripping them apart; its ripping families apart.

And when we see, year on year, more people dying, we worry for the new figures coming out. Unfortunately, we feel that they are going to rise.
A campaigner for victims of historical abuse who witnessed two teenagers being injured on Bloody Sunday has declined the chance to be made an MBE in the Kings Birthday Honours.

Jon McCourt is the chairman and co-founder of Survivors North West, a campaign group that advocated for a formal inquiry into historical abuse in institutions in Northern Ireland.

The Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry (HIAI) went on to reveal sexual, physical and emotional abuse at state, church and charity-run homes from 1922 to 1995.

Mr McCourt said his experience working with victims of state abuse, as well as his personal experience, informed his decision to decline the MBE title.

Abuse victim and campaigner Jon McCourt of Survivors (Liam McBurney/PA)

He stated he was alongside Joseph Mahon and Micheal Quinn, two teenagers who were injured on Bloody Sunday in Londonderry.

Thirteen civil rights protesters were shot dead by British soldiers and 15 injured in the Bogside area of the city on January 30 1972.

Another man shot by paratroopers that day died four months later. While many consider him the 14th victim of Bloody Sunday, his death was formally attributed to an inoperable brain tumour.

Mr McCourt added: I remember not too long ago, one of the soldiers actually involved in Bloody Sunday got an MBE.

I mean, for me, theres absolutely no equivocation at all. Theres nothing at all that would make me want to accept that.

Certainly with all of the HIA (historical institutional abuse) stuff, and the child migrants and the propagation of empire and all of that, but Bloody Sunday particularly.

Other campaigners from the HIA inquiry have accepted MBE titles, and Mr McCourt stressed that his decision was a personal one.

He also stated that the true recognition for him was the establishment of a redress board under the Historical Institutional Abuse (Northern Ireland) Act 2019 that would allow victims to claim compensation.

Since its establishment in March 2020, the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board has received more than 3,700 applications and made award determinations totalling some 68.8 million.

People can make their own choices, you know, what I mean, my personal history, my political history and my involvement with the HIA inquiry, I mean, quite succinctly, for me the recognition was being in Westminster the day the redress legislation was passed, and for me, that was a recognition that what weve done was the right thing and the fact that it was worth doing, he said.

He added: Having spoken with the commissioner for victims and survivors last week, the fact that thousands of people have now reaped the benefit of what it was that we fought for.

That theres people there who have a voice now, who had a voice, who needed their voice heard, and at least have acknowledgement in some form from the government, that what happened them when they were in institutions was wrong, and it should never have happened.

Abuse victim and campaigner Jon McCourt (Liam McBurney/PA)

Despite declining the MBE title, Mr McCourt said he was pleased for the recognition of his work and that of other campaigners.

I am pleased that the work we have been engaged in on behalf of Victims and Survivors of Historical Institutional Abuse has been recognised by the Government, he said.

It was a privilege to work with many representatives across the political spectrum to ensure that the long search for justice for some of the most vulnerable children in our society, abused while in the care of the State and religious institutions.

Mr McCourt stated that his activism for survivors of abuse was not party political.

The campaign for justice for victims and survivors of Historical Institutional Abuse crossed the religious and political divide in this country, he said.

We were clear at the outset that we were not seeking an Inquiry into solely Catholic run institutions. Victims and survivors came from a broad section of state and religious Institutions each with their own traumatic experience to recall.

We stayed away, I believe successfully, from anything political that would have detracted from our cause.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is to host a group of African leaders who travelled to Russia on a self-styled peace mission after their trip to Ukraine.

Seven African leaders  the presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypts prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda  visited Ukraine on Friday to try to help end the near 16-month-old war.

The African leaders travelled to St Petersburg on Saturday to meet Mr Putin, who was attending a business forum in Russias second-largest city.

The mission to Ukraine, the first of its kind by African leaders, comes in the wake of other peace initiatives  such as one by China  and carried particular importance for Africa, which relies on food and fertiliser deliveries from Russia and Ukraine.

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The war has impeded exports from one of the worlds most important breadbaskets.

This conflict is affecting Africa negatively, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a news conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and four other African leaders after their closed-door talks on Friday.

Mr Ramaphosa and others acknowledged the intensity of the hostilities but insisted all wars must come to an end and emphasised their willingness to help expedite that.

I do believe that Ukrainians feel that they must fight and not give up. The road to peace is very hard, he said, adding that there is a need to bring this conflict to an end sooner rather than later.

The delegation, including Senegals President Macky Sall and Presidents Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, represented a cross-section of African views on the war.

South Africa, Senegal and Uganda have avoided censuring Moscow over the conflict, while Egypt, Zambia and Comoros voted against Russia last year in a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Moscows invasion.

Egypts Prime Minister Mustafa Madbuly, Senegals President Macky Sall, President of the Union of Comoros Azali Assoumani, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Zambias President Hakainde Hichilema attend a news conference during their meeting in Kyiv (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Many African nations have long had close ties with Moscow, dating back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union supported their anti-colonial struggles.

Speaking during Fridays news conference, Comoros President Azali Assoumani floated the idea of a road map to peace  prompting questions from Mr Zelensky, who sought a clarification and insisted he did not want any surprises from their visit with Mr Putin.

Chances for peace talks look dim as Ukraine and Russia take sharply different stands. Ukraine demands that Russia withdraws its troops from all its occupied territories as a condition for peace talks.

The Kremlin, in turn, wants Ukraine to recognise Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as part of Russia and acknowledge other land gains it has made.

China presented its own peace proposal at the end of February. Ukraine and its allies largely dismissed the plan, as the warring sides look no closer to a ceasefire.

The African peace mission comes as Ukraine launches a counter-offensive to dislodge the Kremlins forces from occupied areas, using Western-supplied advanced weapons in attacks in several sections of more than the 600-mile front line.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday met a group of leaders of African countries who travelled to Russia on a self-styled peace mission the day after they went to Ukraine, but the meeting ended with no visible progress.

The seven African leaders  presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypts prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda  visited Ukraine on Friday to try to help end the nearly 16-month-old war.

The African leaders then travelled to St Petersburg on Saturday to meet Mr Putin who was attending Russias showpiece international economic forum.

Details about the delegations proposals were thin.

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Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said after the three-hour meeting that the Africans peace plan consisted of 10 elements, but was not formulated on paper.

The peace initiative proposed by African countries is very difficult to implement, difficult to compare positions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

But President Putin has shown interest in considering it.

He spoke about our position. Not all provisions can be correlated with the main elements of our position, but this does not mean that we do not need to continue working, Mr Peskov said.

The main conclusion, in my opinion, from todays conversation is that our partners from the African Union have shown an understanding of the true causes of the crisis that was created by the West, and have shown an understanding that it is necessary to get out of this situation on the basis of addressing these underlying causes, Mr Lavrov said.

Russia says that it was effectively forced to send troops into Ukraine because it was threatened by Ukraines desire to join Nato and by the countrys support from the United States and western Europe.

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Speaking at the economic forum on Friday, Mr Putin declared that the first Russian tactical nuclear weapons have been deployed to Belarus, describing the move as a deterrent against western efforts to defeat Russia in Ukraine.

He previously said that the deployment would begin in July.

Asked if he could order the use of battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Mr Putin said that there was no need for that but that Moscow could use its nuclear arsenals in case of a threat to the Russian statehood.

In that case, we will certainly use all the means that the Russian state has. There should be no doubt about that, he said.

The mission to Ukraine, the first of its kind by African leaders, comes in the wake of other peace initiatives, such as one by China, and carries particular importance for Africa, which relies on food and fertiliser deliveries from Russia and Ukraine.

The war has impeded exports from one of the worlds most important breadbaskets.

Vladimir Putin with Zambias President Hakainde Hichilema (Evgeny Biyatov/Photo host Agency RIA Novosti/AP)

This conflict is affecting Africa negatively, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a news conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and four other African leaders after their closed-door talks on Friday.

Mr Ramaphosa and others acknowledged the intensity of the hostilities but said all wars must come to an end and emphasised their willingness to help expedite that.

I do believe that Ukrainians feel that they must fight and not give up. The road to peace is very hard, he said, adding that there is a need to bring this conflict to an end sooner rather than later.

The delegation, including Presidents Macky Sall of Senegal and Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, represent a cross-section of African views on the war.

South Africa, Senegal and Uganda have avoided censuring Moscow over the conflict, while Egypt, Zambia and Comoros voted against Russia last year in a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Moscows invasion.

Many African nations have long had close ties with Moscow, dating back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union supported their anti-colonial struggles.

Speaking during Fridays news conference, Comoros President Azali Assoumani floated the idea of a road map to peace, prompting questions from Mr Zelensky who sought a clarification and said he did not want any surprises from their visit to Mr Putin.
The world has changed so much in a decade... it is sobering to think what the future holds

So much of the stability we took for granted just ten short years ago is gone; so many of those then central to our politics are also gone

World Leaders Meet For G8 Summit at Lough Erne (from left) Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, US President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Sam McBride Sat 17 Jun 2023 at 08:00
An assistant bar manager has been charged with stealing more than 10,000 from his employer.

Stuart Francis was charged with two counts of theft at Newtownards Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

It was alleged that between November 1, 2021, and December 12, 2022, he stole 10,000 from the Jamaica Inn in Bangor, while on December 12, 2021, the 33-year-old is accused of stealing 34.

None of the circumstances were opened in court and the defence applied for the case to be adjourned for three weeks.

The court was told that Francis, from Manse Road in Carrowdore, could be arraigned then.

Bail was granted, with the case listed for July 4.
Accused changed his name in bid to dodge heat over past when he attempted to groom child

A convicted sex offender and thief has been charged with driving offences.

David Hatch is accused of three driving offences allegedly committed on January 21 this year.

The well-known pervert, from Dobbins Grove in Armagh, had changed his name from Richard McCrea to try to deflect the spotlight off himself.

Armagh Magistrates Court was told on Tuesday that Hatch has been charged with driving a Honda Civic on the Newry Road in the city while disqualified, without a licence and without insurance.

The circumstances of the case were not opened in court and Hatchs solicitor asked for an adjournment for two weeks, which was granted.

Previously, the PSNI confirmed that it was well aware of the perverts dual identity.

While the name Hatch is not well known at court, the 44-year-old is no stranger to the criminal justice system, with more than 50 criminal convictions.

Those include multiple entries for breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which was originally imposed in 2017 when the creep was jailed for sexual communication with a child and attempted grooming.

And at one stage, he was assessed as a high-risk sex offender.

The last time Hatch found himself in court was just two months ago when he was handed a two-year conditional discharge after driving off with 70 of petrol.
Xi sends congratulatory letter to 15th Straits Forum

Xinhua) 13:40, June 17, 2023

BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, sent a congratulatory letter to the 15th Straits Forum on Saturday.

Calling the Straits Forum an important platform for people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to broadly engage in exchanges and promote cooperation, Xi expressed his hope in the letter that the forum will constantly inject vitality into people-to-people exchanges and the integrated development across the Strait.

We will continue to respect, care for and deliver benefits to the Taiwan compatriots, promote cross-Strait economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation, and advance integrated development in various fields, he said.

Xi called for joint efforts to promote the Chinese culture and forge closer bonds.

He called on people from both sides of the Strait to work together to keep pace with the trends of history, safeguard the overall interests of the Chinese nation and contribute to the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and the cause of national reunification.

The 15th Straits Forum was jointly held by the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, Fujian provincial government and 82 institutions and organizations from across the Strait. The forum's main conference commenced on Saturday in the coastal city of Xiamen.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Sheng Chuyi)
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We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.
The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming that President Joe Biden withheld 1,850 boxes of classified documents from his time as vice president.
It was one of the last one-room schoolhouses still standing and functioning, said Gail Gelburd, co-chair of Otis Historical Commission. We have people that live in town that were still going to school there when it was open.
This Story in History is selected from the archives by Jeannie Maschino, The Berkshire Eagle.
Stay up to date on Berkshires news with Berkshires in Brief, our free daily newsletter

WASHINGTON  Around 40 activists converged at October Mountain State Forest Saturday to protest the states proposal to open bids to private companies to log on hundreds of acres here of forestland.

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreations plan to cut trees on 343 acres of the 447-acre section of the states largest forest is billed by the agency as a way to diversify the forest structure to save it from disease and for climate resiliency.

Leave the forests alone, protesters said. The states euphemistic language for forest health is propaganda and greenwashing, said activist Glen Ayers. The state, he said, is priming the area for current and future logging for private profit at the expense of taxpayers.

The plan to chop down ash trees that might be prone to the emerald ash borer disease, for instance, is preemptive logging, said James Thornley of Wendell, one of the activists who unsuccessfully sued the state over its logging plans in Wendell State Forest.

None of them survive if you log them, Thornley said of the trees, noting that the state cant know which ones are immune.

The Berkshires-based group Preserve October Mountain State Forest  which is circulating a petition to Gov. Maura Healey and DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo  organized the event with Save Massachusetts Forests and Concord-based RESTORE. The groups are collectively asking that state forests be placed in reserve to spare them from logging and to boost carbon reserves. Lawmakers are currently weighing three pieces of related legislation.

The DCR proposed the Ant Lot plan last year but, like all state cutting projects, it was paused by Gov. Maura Healey to give the state time to study forest offsets to climate change and develop new policy. Healey extended that moratorium on June 7 for another six months.

If the October Mountain logging is approved it would be completed in two or three phases that would last multiple years each, according to a DCR spokesperson, and that not all trees will be cut. It is still in its proposal phase, they said, and has not yet been put out to bid.

Herbicides would be used to rid the area of invasive species, according to the DCRs proposal, and the state would pay for repairs to the Lenox-Whitney Road so logging machinery and trucks can pass.

The main purpose, the agency says, is to maintain a diverse resilient forest for the future. This includes getting rid of ash trees since they are prone to the Emerald Ash Borer, a beetle that has killed millions of the trees. The cutting also would get rid of trees that are at risk of toppling, the proposal says, and damage from ice storms is another reason to cut here, as is beech bark disease.

Michael Kellett of Lincoln believes the state is going after beech because it isnt prime timber.

Its all about future timber sales, Kellett said, noting that oak brings in the most money for loggers.

Dr. William Stubblefield, a biologist, told those gathered that the trees shouldnt be disturbed. They are, he said, the planets essential allies for removing greenhouse gasses.

James Kelly, a longtime forestry consultant from Sheffield held up a small sign that said, Keep Doing Proper Logging. Kelly doesnt entirely agree with the activists. He thinks nuances are missing, careful logging can be good and that too much is expected of the forests.

Forests are not going to solve our climate crisis, Kelly said as others gathered around to challenge him. Not unless you say, Well, lets take the whole east coast and plant it back to trees.

One child at the protest is sure leaving trees alone is the answer. Nahara Kurland-Klepetar, 10, who started an Earth Club at Becket Washington Elementary School, thinks even this is not enough, and said, I wish we could do more.

Here's a rare glimpse into the emerald ash borer's damage at Peru State Forest Pease Road in Middlefield and Curtin Road in Peru is flanked by white pine, hemlock, spruce, fir and mixed hardwoods, including ash. A 200-foot swath on either side of the road is being cleared of large ash and other hazard trees.

Forestry, biomass bills rerouted to proposed commission PITTSFIELD  Not yea. Not nay. This decision went sideways. After failing to secure a legislative panel's backing, a bill that would shelter state-owned forests from timber harvesting was 
Lee earns Appalachian Trail Community designation, the fifth in the state and the 56th nationally
Nathan Carman arrives in a small boat at the US Coast Guard station in Boston in 2016. Carman spent a week at sea in a life raft before being rescued by a passing freighter.
Addressing the huge need for infusing values into healthcare

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India's first free medical college, Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SMSIMSR), to jointly work for undergraduate and postgraduate education in healthcare.

M. Srinivas, Director of AIIMS Delhi, and Madhusudan Sai, founder of SMSIMSR, signed the MoU to jointly work for undergraduate and postgraduate education in healthcare.

Both AIIMS and SMSIMSR will strive to promote and promulgate modules of teaching methodology, to work on and facilitate projects of national importance in healthcare services with a special focus on primary healthcare, preventive health and telemedicine to give combined impetus and augment research and innovation, and to promote and enhance scientific and academic collaboration, training, and interaction in healthcare services and medical education.

Srinivas said, "The collaboration between the two institutions will transform good doctors into extraordinary healers. Spirituality and compassion are keys to flourishing in any field."
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said on June 5 that the FBI has a file on an informant that accuses President Joe Biden and his family of accepting millions of dollars in bribes.

It suggests a pattern of bribery where payments would be made through shell accounts and multiple banks, Comer said last week.

Comer described the informant as a trusted and highly credible source to the FBI.

FBI Director Christopher Wray initially refused to hand the committee the document, known as an FD-1023 form, which was dated from June 2020. Comer threatened to hold Wray in contempt of Congress over it. The committee even drafted a contempt resolution. But Wray yielded last week and allowed members of the committee to review the document.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), a Republican member of the House oversight committee, tweeted The (FBI) is afraid their informant will be killed if unmasked, based on the info he has brought forward about the Biden family. Neither Comer nor any other committee member have echoed that sentiment.

The draft of the contempt resolution and memos from Committee staff provided a few details about the GOPs latest allegations against the Biden family.

Without having custody of the FD-1023 formthe Committee cannot assess whether the allegations in the document pose a national security risk, the resolution stated. Because of the FBIs refusal to cooperate with our investigation, the Committee cannot use the allegations in the FD-1023 form to evaluate whether anyone from the Biden family received payments from the foreign national, how much those payments entailed, if they were made, and what, if any, companies (including shell companies) were used to make such payments.

A memo dated March 16, 2023, detailed bank records that the committee subpoenaed. According to the memo, one of Biden family business associates, Mr. John Robinson Walker (Rob Walker), transferred over $1.3 million in payments to Biden family members and their companies between 2015 and 2017, which he received from foreign companies and foreign nationals. The Rob Walker accounts made payments while then-Vice President Biden held public office.

A second memo dated May 10, 2023, outlined additional bank record subpoenas:

Through the Second Bank Records Memorandum, the Committee released several new findings. First, Biden family members and business associates created a web of over twenty companiesmost of which were limited liability companies formed during Joe Bidens vice presidency. Bank records showed the Biden family, their business associates, and their companies received over $10 million from foreign nationals companies. The Committee has identified payments to Biden family members from foreign companies while Joe Biden served as Vice President and after he left public office.

After reviewing the FD-1023 form last week, Republican committee members confirmed that the allegations involve Hunter Bidens relationship with the Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings.

Its no secret that the Biden family has profited from business overseas, especially in Ukraine. But according to mainstream media reporting, all of this is perfectly fine and has nothing to do with corruptioneven when a $5 million bribe shows up to shut down an investigation into the company that paid the presidents son $1 million a year.

On June 13, 2020, Reuters reported that Ukrainian authorities detained three individuals for offering $5 million in bribes to stop a corruption investigation into Mykola Zlochevsky, the founder and former president of Burisma Holdings..

The presidents son Hunter Biden joined the board of directors of Burisma Holdings in 2014, a position he held until 2019.

In 2020, Ukrainian anti-corruption officials were quick to exonerate the Bidens from any connection to the bribes.

Lets put an end to this once and for all. Biden Jr. and Biden Sr. do not appear in this particular proceeding, said Nazar Kholodnytsky, head of the anti-corruption investigations in 2020.

The New York Post reported last week that Burisma paid Hunter Biden $83,333 per month while his father served as U.S. Vice President, according to invoices on the famous abandoned laptop. Those payments dropped by half after his father left office. Hunter Biden resigned from the Burisma board in 2019 while his father announced his presidential campaign.

In addition, Fox News reported last week on emails found on the laptop between the Presidents son and Vadym Pozharskyi, an advisor to the Burisma board. In one exchange, Hunter Biden asked Pozharskyi to pass along his thanks to Burisma founder Mykola Zlochevsky for birthday gifts he received in 2016.

Finally- thank (Zlochevsky) for the beautiful birthday gifts it was far too extravagant but much appreciated, Hunter Biden said in the email dated February 4, 2016.

The emails did not indicate what the gifts were.

In March 2016, then-Vice President Joe Biden famously leveraged $1 billion in aid to Ukraine in order for the country to oust its top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin. Shokin had investigated Burisma Holdings in 2014 for money laundering.

In 2018 Biden bragged to the Council on Foreign Relations about his strong-armed negotiations with then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to get Shokin removed: I looked at them and said: Im leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, youre not getting the money. Well, son of a bitch, he got fired.

But those close to the president said the threat to withhold aid had nothing to do with Burisma or Hunter Biden. A USA Today Fact Check from 2020 claims the reason was because Shokin did too little to fight corruption:

Mike Carpenter, who served as a foreign policy adviser to the then-vice president, told USA TODAY that Shokin never went after any corrupt individuals at all and never prosecuted any high-profile cases of corruption.

Thats rightthe Ukrainian prosecutor who investigated Burisma for money laundering never went after any corrupt individuals at all. To say so otherwise would imply that Shokin may have had a case against Burisma and the Presidents son.

Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) dropped a bombshell on Monday, saying that a Burisma executive at the center of the latest allegations has audio recording of then-vice president Biden accepting bribes, and that the FBI redacted this information in the FD-1023 form that the House Oversight Committee reviewed last week.

The 1023 produced to that House Committee redacted reference that the foreign national who allegedly bribed Joe and Hunter Biden allegedly has audio recordings of his conversations with them17 total recordings, Grassley said in a speech on the Senate floor.

These recordings were allegedly kept as a sort of insurance policy for the foreign national in case he got into a tight spot. The 1023 also indicates that then-Vice President Joe Biden may have been involved in Burisma employing Hunter Biden, Grassley said.

Reporting on the development, Kerry Picket of The Washington Times wrote, Mr. Grassley smelled a political double standard.

Special Counsel Jack Smith, who indicted former President Donald Trump on 37 counts, used an audio recording against former President Donald Trump and alleged Mr. Trump retained nuclear secrets and papers on foreign weapons systems at his Mar-a-Lago estate and waved around military plans to persons without proper clearance in 2021, the article continued. Mr. Grassley asked whether Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss was doing anything with respect to the alleged recordings of the Bidens that are apparently relevant to a high-stakes bribery scheme.

It should be noted that the GOPs investigation into Biden family corruption all began with tech companies efforts to censor stories about the Hunter Biden laptop in the leadup to the 2020 elections. Photos from the laptop purport to show Hunter Biden smoking crack and cavorting with hookers during the time when he sat on Burismas board of directors.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, proposed a Global Digital Compact, (GDC) to push sweeping international laws against hate and lies online.

The proliferation of hate & lies in the digital space is causing grave global harm. This clear & present global threat demands clear and coordinated global action. We dont have a moment to lose, he wrote in a tweet announcing the compact.

The UN policy brief, which was released on June 12, called for handing control of the internet to international bodies, as part of the UNs 2030 Agenda.

Guterres also referred to another UN brief, Information and Integrity on Digital Platforms (IIDP), which he said will be used as a guide to coordinate global efforts against hate.

The IIDP warned about what it calls, the darker side of the digital ecosystem, which could enable the rapid spread of lies and hate, causing real harm on a global scale.

Guterres said that the internet is being misused to deny science and spread disinformation and hate to billions of people, in a veiled reference to vaccine skeptics and growing populist movements.

The proliferation of hate and lies in the digital space is causing grave global harm. This clear and present global threat demands clear and coordinated global action. We dont have a moment to lose, he declared in his call for global censorship.

UN Calls for Nations to Suppress Online Disinformation

The GDC is focused on eliminating the divide across regions, gender, income, language, and age groups regarding internet access and decries the fact that some 89 percent of people in Europe are online, but only 21 percent of women in low-income countries use the internet.

Inequality is rising, it claimed, adding that enormous investments in technology have not been accompanied by spending on public education and infrastructure.

Digital technology has led to massive gains in productivity and value, but these benefits are not resulting in shared prosperity, said the brief.

The GDC blamed hate speech and disinformation, on malicious hackers, criminal activity, authoritarian state controls, and predatory business models, calling them serious risks to human rights.

It believes that the only solution is to develop robust accountability criteria and standards for digital platforms and users to address disinformation, hate speech, and other harmful online content.

IIDP expanded on that point by claiming that social media-enabled hate speech and disinformation can lead to violence and death. The ability to disseminate large-scale disinformation to undermine scientifically established facts poses an existential risk to humanity.

However, the writers of the UN report admitted that the distinction between mis- and disinformation can be subtle and difficult to determine, without providing any further details.

These statements raised alarm for those concerned with freedom of speech and in countries that have long traditions of free debate and expression.

Some countries with state-controlled media, like communist China, could utilize the international bodys panel on online censorship to crush overseas opposition to its views and policies worldwide.

Climate and Vaccine Skeptics to Be Targeted

The UN policy brief condemned any criticism of international climate change policy, which the international body sees as a settled science.

Skeptics of green policy were accused of being guilty of greenwashing, which was defined as misleading the public into believing that a company or entity is doing more to protect the environment, and less to harm it, than it is.

The report also called for banning online disinformation during key elections, where the spread of mis- and disinformation can undermine public trust in electoral institutions and the electoral process itself.

This proposal would definitely interfere with the internal politics of sovereign states, at a time when election disputes are still being hotly debated, such as with the 2020 and 2022 U.S. elections.

The UN further proposed a digital code of conduct, which laid out some of the proposed rules, but provided little detail on how they would be enforced or how violators would be judged.

The code of conduct only suggested that member states ensure that responses to mis- and disinformation and hate speech are consistent with international law, including international human rights law, and are not misused to block any legitimate expression of views of opinion.

The paper also called on major tech companies to invest in human and artificial intelligence content moderation systems, which could be programmed to block any views in opposition to the globalist agenda.

Digital platforms should move away from business models that prioritize engagement above human rights, privacy, and safety, it added.

From health and gender equality to peace, justice, education, and climate action, measures that limit the impact of mis- and disinformation and hate speech will boost efforts to achieve a sustainable future and leave no one behind, the report concluded.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer revealed Thursday that he expects there is evidence of at least $20-$30 million being made in illegal payments by foreign nationals to the Biden family.

Appearing on Fox Business, Comer stated We have more bank records coming in but were gonna exceed $10 million this week but I think well get up to $20-$30 million.

He further noted that it is becoming clear that the Bidens potentially engaged in bribery, influence peddling, and money laundering.

This is going to be hard for Biden to explain, this is not going to go away, and I think eventually the mainstream media is going to start asking the real questions, Comer added.

They know theres something wrong here. They know all the allegations have merit, because of where Joe Biden was, because of what weve seen on tape before, where Joe Biden bragged about firing that prosecutor, he added,

They know that this family created these shell companies. They know this family was money-laundering, they were profiting off Joe Bidens influence, Comer asserted, adding The media knows that  theyre just not covering it.

I can assure you: there is more money that were going to be able to identify, that was transferred between foreign nationals in other countries and the Biden family, Comer further emphasised, adding I think, eventually, the mainstream media will turn on Joe Biden and start asking the real questions: What did your family do to receive all this money?

Watch:

James Comer expects to uncover $20-30 million in illicit payments made to the Biden Crime Family:



"This is going to be hard to Biden to explain, this is not going to go away, and I think eventually the mainstream media is going to start asking the real questions." pic.twitter.com/QY3udwYct8  Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) June 15, 2023

Full interview:

Meanwhile, Biden himself snapped at New York Post reporter Steven Nelson Thursday when he opened a line of questioning on the matter

"Why did the Ukraine-FBI informant file refer to you as 'the Big Guy'?"



BIDEN: "Why'd you ask such a dumb question?" pic.twitter.com/vuLRP1N7xV  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 15, 2023

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Three years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting an underage prostitute in Florida, Cecile de Johngh, the wife of then- Three years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting an underage prostitute in Florida, Cecile de Johngh, the wife of then- Virgin Islands Gov. John de Jongh Jr ., allegedly asked Epstein if he approved of specific changes to the sex offender monitoring laws.

"This is the suggested language; will it work for you?" Cecile de Jongh allegedly wrote in May 2011.

In Wednesday's scathing filing, JPMorgan Chase attempted to turn the tables on the Caribbean islands' government.

JPMorgan Chase alleges in new court filing that the Virgin Islands facilitated Jeffrey Epstein's abuse of women and girls. His compound, right, on Little St. James Island, was his primary residence. (Booking photo/Gianfranco Gaglione both via / AP Images)

The Virgin Islands sued the worlds largest bank in December in the Southern District of New York, alleging it knowingly facilitated Epsteins exploitation of women and minors.

The lawsuit argues that JPMorgan Chase "turned a blind eye" to human trafficking for more than a decade because of the business Epstein brought and promised to bring to the bank.

But the financial behemoth accused the Virgin Islands' highest ranking officials of maintaining a "quid pro quo relationship" with the notorious child predator.

"He gave them money, advice, influence and favors," the filing says. "In exchange, they shielded and even rewarded him looking the other way when he walked through USVI airports accompanied by girls and young women."

The briefing points specifically to the exchange with de Jongh when she allegedly solicited Epstein's input on updating the government's sex offender laws to bring them in compliance with federal standards.

After Epstein was released from jail in 2009, he changed his primary address to the Virgin Islands and registered as a sex offender there as required by law, putting him under the local government's jurisdiction.

He famously entertained celebrities and abused women and girls on his compound on Little St. James island.

In response to de Jongh's request for input on the sex offender bill, Epstein responded, "We should add out of country for more than 7 days, otherwise I could not go for a day trip to Tortola at the last minute."

He made additional suggestions to try to limit information available to the press about his whereabouts. Although Epstein monitored the bill closely, he was disappointed in the final form.

De Jongh apologized for "how things panned out" but promised to find a way to "get around these obstacles," the filing says.

She allegedly came up with a plan to circumvent the legislation and give Epstein freedom of movement in and out of the country, while young women and girls accompanied him, according to the briefing.

De Jongh even worked for him, earning a salary managing his local companies from 2007 to 2015. Epstein paid her children's tuition  including when her husband was the sitting governor, the filing says.

"For two decades, and for long after JPC [JPMorgan Chase] exited Epstein as a client, the entity that most directly failed to protect public safety and most actively facilitated and benefited from Epstein's continued criminal activity was the plaintiff in this case  the USVI [United States Virgin Islands] government itself," the filing charges.

Venetia Velazquez, a spokesperson for the Virgin Islands attorney general's office, said that JPMorgan Chase had a responsibility to report evidence of Epstein's misconduct and failed to do so.

"JPMorgan Chase has cherry-picked and mischaracterized Epsteins interactions with U.S. Virgin Islands officials and residents in an attempt to distract and shift blame away from its role in facilitating Jeffrey Epsteins heinous crimes," Velazquez wrote in a statement.

The bank reached a separate $290 million settlement this week to resolve a class action lawsuit filed by Epstein victims to prevent potentially damaging information about its relationship with the sex offender from coming out at trial.
Washington reportedly opposes offering NATO membership while the nation is at war but may vow to arm it for years to come

US President Joe Bidens administration is reluctant to offer Ukraine full NATO membership and is instead pushing for the Israel model, meaning a time-limited commitment to maintain the flow of Western weapons to the country, the New York Times has reported.

The pledge would fall short of a collective defense guarantee, which Kiev and some Eastern European members of NATO are advocating, the newspaper said on Wednesday, citing officials familiar with the deliberations. A possible commitment to Kiev would be shorter than the ten-year agreement that is signed with Israel, the report explained.

Opponents of Ukraines accession to NATO are concerned it would further escalate the crisis with Moscow. They have argued that by joining the organization, Ukraine would play into [the] Russian narrative about the nature of the conflict, according to the report.

Russian officials have described the hostilities in Ukraine as part of a US-led proxy war against their country. Moscow has called NATOs expansion in Europe one of the key causes of the conflict.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky reportedly threatened to boycott the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, unless his country was given a roadmap to membership. The NYT sources said Germany was the only member of the military bloc that has fully sided with Biden on the issue.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who met the US leader earlier this week, reportedly suggested a compromise proposal to Kiev. It would entail a pledge to maintain arms flows regardless of the outcome of the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Kievs representation in the bloc would also be upgraded to council level, which is what Russia used to have before its relations with the West deteriorated. Then, Ukraine could be playing the role inside NATO that Russia once did, the newspaper suggested.
Via: Conservative Review:

Over 10,000 categories of nearly 1.6 million adverse events  many of them serious and debilitating  brought to you by Pfizer!

You might not have heard it in the news, but in recent months, Pfizers pharmacovigilance documents requested by the European Unions drug regulator, the European Medicines Agency, have been released. They show that Pfizer knew about a sickening level of injury early on. An August 2022 document shows that the company already had observed the following scope of vaccine injury:

* 508,351 individual case reports of adverse events containing 1,597,673 events;

* One-third of the AEs were classified as serious, well above the standard for safety signals usually pegged at 15%;

* Women reported AEs at three times the rate of men;

* 60% of cases were reported with either outcome unknown or not recovered, so many of the injuries were not transient;

Highest number of cases occurred in the 31-50 year age group, and 92% did not have any comorbidities, which makes it very likely it was the vaccine causing such widespread, sudden injury.

Related Articles:

Wednesday, June 14, 2023 - J&J's COVID vaccine taken by 19 MILLION Americans is pulled by FDA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revoked authorization of Johnson & Johnsons Covid vaccine after it was paused over rare blood clot concerns, which sent demand plummeting.

Dr. Naomi Wolf has uncovered hard evidence within Pfizer documents that the company has intentionally designed its mRNA shots to target the reproductive cycle of women in their child-bearing years. This puts intense depopulation pressure on entire societies. There are many other effects such as myocarditis, paralysis, stroke, blood clots, up to and including death

Wednesday, May 31, 2023 - Why The Media Is Attacking Free Speech

Governments around the world are cracking down on free speech. What they are demanding includes the ability to read private encrypted text messages and invade homes in search of wrongspeech. Their demands thus go far beyond what the Censorship Industrial Complex was able to get away with over the last six years.

In 2014, the organisation GRAIN revealed that small farms produce most of the worlds food in its report Hungry for land: small farmers feed the world with less than a quarter of all farmland. The report Small-scale Farmers and Peasants Still Feed the World (ETC Group, 2022) confirmed this.

New evidence suggests the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Food and Drug Administration may have violated the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act when they withheld knowledge about myocarditis safety signals from the public and from COVID-19 vaccine fact sheets.

In 2014, the organisation GRAIN revealed that small farms produce most of the worlds food in its report Hungry for land: small farmers feed the world with less than a quarter of all farmland. The report Small-scale Farmers and Peasants Still Feed the World (ETC Group, 2022) confirmed this. Small farmers produce up to 80% of the food in the non-industrialised countries. However, they are currently squeezed onto less than a quarter of the worlds farmland. The period 1974-2014 saw 140 million hectares  more than all the farmland in China  being taken over for soybean, oil palm, rapeseed and sugar cane plantations.

While the civilian population only in recent years began haggling over de-platforming incidents involving figures like Alex Jones and Milo Yiannopoulos, government agencies had already long been advancing a new theory of international conflict, in which the informational landscape is more importantly understood as a battlefield than a forum for exchanging ideas. In this view, spammy ads, junk news, and the sharing of work from disinformation agents like Jones arent inevitable features of a free Internet, but sorties in a new form of conflict called hybrid warfare.

Ex-Pfizer VP Dr. Michael Yeadon, while attending a Truth be Told Rally in London, said that the COVID vaccine push is a supranational operation intended to maim and kill deliberately.

Naomi Wolf's Viral Hillsdale Speech + Partial Transcript + Why I Think She May Be Controlled Opposition Gatekeeping the Posse Away from the True Culprits

The Cleveland Clinic study, which I fully explain in this article, shows that the more vaccines you get, the more likely you are to be infected with COVID. This was not a fluke. As I pointed out in my article, the results were consistent with three other large studies, two of which (the Qatar and Pfizer studies) were general population and not just healthcare workers.

A new investigative report has the details.

Wednesday, April 26, 2023 - Pfizer Quietly Financed Groups Lobbying for COVID Vaccine Mandates

Many of the supposedly independent consumer, medical and civil rights groups that created the appearance of broad support for the mandate received funding from one of the vaccines manufacturers.

U.S. President Joe Biden raised $61.8 million for his inauguration events, receiving large contributions from corporations, labor unions and wealthy individuals, according to a financial disclosure.

Sunday, April 23, 2023 - Moderna hid serious side effects suffered by its Covid vaccine recipients when it reported clinical trial results for the shot

In February 2021, Moderna scientists published results from the Phase 2 trial of the companys mRNA Covid jab in the journal Vaccine. Moderna had started the P201 trial with 600 healthy volunteers on May 29, 2020, mostly to examine if the shots were safe.

Friday, April 14, 2023 - Only A Handful of Companies Control the Global Propaganda

In her book "One Idea to Rule Them All, Reverse Engineering American Propaganda," Michelle Stiles reveals how the American public (and indeed the global population at large) have been indoctrinated and conned by public relations (PR) companies that run the globalist cabals propaganda campaigns. I will be interviewing Michele shortly for this book.
It also comes soon after Elon Musk's visited earlier this month. Gates had previewed that the meeting would focus on global health and development challenges. Subsequently after the Friday meeting's conclusion, Bloomberg has cited Chinese state media to report, "China is willing to engage in extensive cooperation on technology and innovation with other countries, Peoples Daily reports, citing Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting with Bill Gates in Beijing on Friday."

Via AP

Cooperation on tech might be among the very few final areas the geopolitical rival powers can find common ground on.

President Xi greeted Gates on Friday by saying, "I am very happy to see you. We havent seen each other for more than three years  and you are an old friend of ours. He noted, "You are the first American friend Ive met in Beijing this year."

"As the world is emerging from covid, people should move around more, communicate more, and enhance their understanding of each other," the Chinese leader added.

Xi spelled out that China stands ready and willing to engage in "extensive technological innovation cooperation with countries around the world" and "actively participate in and promote the response to global challenges," particularly in the areas of public health and the climate.

A report in American media gave some background on Gates' visit as follows:

This is not the first time Xi has called on American business leaders to help improve relations between their two countries. In 2021, Xi wrote to Starbucks (SBUX) former chairman and CEO Howard Schultz, suggesting he help promote bilateral ties, according to Chinese state media. Gates meeting with the leader of the worlds second largest economy came a day after his familys foundation pledged $50 million toward research in China for drug discovery and treatments of "infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria, which disproportionately affect the worlds poorest," according to a statement from the Gates Foundation.

But also what potentially makes the visit awkward in terms of timing is just last week the FT reported that "Microsoft is moving some of its best artificial intelligence researchers from China to Canada in a move that threatens to gut an essential training ground for the Asian countrys tech talent."

"Beijing-based Microsoft Research Asia (MSRA) has begun seeking visas to move top AI experts from Chinas capital to its institute in Vancouver, said four people with knowledge of the plans," the report detailed, as the 'AI wars' and rivalry between China and the US heats up.
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 Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada

Postal Code
A clear majority of Irish voters support the retention of Irelands current model of neutrality, the latest Irish Times/Ipsos opinion poll has found.

However, voters also want to see the State significantly increase its military capacity to defend airspace and territorial waters.

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Asked if they support the States current model of military neutrality or if they would like to see it change, 61 per cent of voters said they favoured the current model, while just more than a quarter (26 per cent) said they would like to see it change.

A total of 13 per cent of respondents expressed no opinion.

Among voters who favour a change in the policy of neutrality, there is majority support for joining Nato and closer EU defence co-operation.

Among these voters 71 per cent are in favour of joining a closer EU defence co-operation, while 56 per cent support joining Nato.

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Though the poll findings represent a decline in support for neutrality of five points since last year, strong support remains for the status quo as the Government prepares to hold a series of public discussions about the future of Irelands neutrality and defence policy in general, which begin next week

Ireland Man arrested after seizure of drugs worth 70,000... Read More

However, there is also strong support (55 per cent) for significantly increasing Irelands military capacity to defend airspace and territorial waters.

But a majority of voters who expressed an opinion are also in favour of seeking help from other countries for our defence needs.

Asked if Ireland should seek help from other countries to protect our undersea internet cables  a mounting concern in Europe and the United States  48 per cent said we should seek help, with 36 per cent saying we should use our own Defence Forces. Three per cent said the cables do not require protection, while 13 per cent said they do not know.

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Asked about the arrangement, under which the British Royal Air Force defends Irish airspace, 40 per cent said they were happy with the arrangement, 12 per cent said they were unhappy, 12 per cent said they were neither happy nor unhappy, while 33 per cent said they were unaware of it.
Flash flooding and torrential rain is causing havoc in Tralee in Co Kerry.

A Dunnes Stores supermarket had to close reportedly due to its roof partially collapsing, according to the Irish Examiner.

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A local councillor said the town's cinema also had to shut and people had to be evacuated from it.

Two lifeguards were slightly injured by lightning on Banna Beach.

Dunnes Stores in Tralee was evacuated after flash flooding hit. Reports of intense rainfall and local flooding coming in from many areas now as thunderstorms hit. pic.twitter.com/I55tX4DYXz  Carlow Weather (@CarlowWeather) June 17, 2023

Kerry County Council asked people to take shelter and stay away from beaches and other open spaces due to the ongoing conditions.

Tralee Councillor Cathal Foley described the impact of the downpours.

'Biblical'

"Well today around 2.30pm the skies opened, people described it as biblical.

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"It was over very quickly, but a tremendous amount of rain fell in a matter of minutes, floods down into the centre of the town in Tralee, and it affected many businesses and residents in the area."
Russian president Vladimir Putin on Saturday met a group of leaders of African countries who travelled to Russia on a self-styled peace mission the day after they went to Ukraine, but the meeting ended with no visible progress.

The seven African leaders  presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypts prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda  visited Ukraine on Friday to try to help end the nearly 16-month-old war.

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The African leaders then travelled to St Petersburg on Saturday to meet Mr Putin who was attending Russias showpiece international economic forum.

Details about the delegations proposals were thin.

Today we are at the Konstantinovsky Palace in St. Petersburg to hold peace talks with President Putin of the Russian Federation as part of the Africa Peace Initiative.#AfricanPeaceMission pic.twitter.com/m8xKo7OOpj Advertisement Advertisement  Cyril Ramaphosa  (@CyrilRamaphosa) June 17, 2023

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said after the three-hour meeting that the Africans peace plan consisted of 10 elements, but was not formulated on paper.

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The peace initiative proposed by African countries is very difficult to implement, difficult to compare positions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

But President Putin has shown interest in considering it.

He spoke about our position. Not all provisions can be correlated with the main elements of our position, but this does not mean that we do not need to continue working, Mr Peskov said.

The main conclusion, in my opinion, from todays conversation is that our partners from the African Union have shown an understanding of the true causes of the crisis that was created by the West, and have shown an understanding that it is necessary to get out of this situation on the basis of addressing these underlying causes, Mr Lavrov said.

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Russia says that it was effectively forced to send troops into Ukraine because it was threatened by Ukraines desire to join Nato and by the countrys support from the United States and western Europe.

Having met and listened to the President of Ukraine, @ZelenskyyUa in Kyiv, were now on our way to St. Petersburg, Russia to meet & listen to President Putin, in our continued quest to finding a lasting solution to ending the conflict between #Russia and #Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/KahQtQKESs Advertisement  Hakainde Hichilema (@HHichilema) June 17, 2023 Advertisement

Speaking at the economic forum on Friday, Mr Putin declared that the first Russian tactical nuclear weapons have been deployed to Belarus, describing the move as a deterrent against western efforts to defeat Russia in Ukraine.

He previously said that the deployment would begin in July.

Asked if he could order the use of battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Mr Putin said that there was no need for that but that Moscow could use its nuclear arsenals in case of a threat to the Russian statehood.

In that case, we will certainly use all the means that the Russian state has. There should be no doubt about that, he said.

The mission to Ukraine, the first of its kind by African leaders, comes in the wake of other peace initiatives, such as one by China, and carries particular importance for Africa, which relies on food and fertiliser deliveries from Russia and Ukraine.

The war has impeded exports from one of the worlds most important breadbaskets.

Vladimir Putin with Zambias President Hakainde Hichilema (Evgeny Biyatov/Photo host Agency RIA Novosti/AP)

This conflict is affecting Africa negatively, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a news conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and four other African leaders after their closed-door talks on Friday.

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Mr Ramaphosa and others acknowledged the intensity of the hostilities but said all wars must come to an end and emphasised their willingness to help expedite that.

I do believe that Ukrainians feel that they must fight and not give up. The road to peace is very hard, he said, adding that there is a need to bring this conflict to an end sooner rather than later.

The delegation, including Presidents Macky Sall of Senegal and Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, represent a cross-section of African views on the war.

South Africa, Senegal and Uganda have avoided censuring Moscow over the conflict, while Egypt, Zambia and Comoros voted against Russia last year in a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Moscows invasion.

Many African nations have long had close ties with Moscow, dating back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union supported their anti-colonial struggles.

Speaking during Fridays news conference, Comoros President Azali Assoumani floated the idea of a road map to peace, prompting questions from Mr Zelensky who sought a clarification and said he did not want any surprises from their visit to Mr Putin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is to host a group of African leaders who travelled to Russia on a self-styled peace mission after their trip to Ukraine.

Seven African leaders  the presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypts prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda  visited Ukraine on Friday to try to help end the near 16-month-old war.

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The African leaders travelled to St Petersburg on Saturday to meet Mr Putin, who was attending a business forum in Russias second-largest city.

The mission to Ukraine, the first of its kind by African leaders, comes in the wake of other peace initiatives  such as one by China  and carried particular importance for Africa, which relies on food and fertiliser deliveries from Russia and Ukraine.

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Every position retaken from the occupiers and every height occupied by our forces are new and new arguments for the world that Ukraine can, can win.



Thanks to every soldier! To everyone who fights with the enemy, rescues our soldiers after wounds, trains our soldiers, and pic.twitter.com/QNtX2OG2Yc Advertisement    (@ZelenskyyUa) June 17, 2023

The war has impeded exports from one of the worlds most important breadbaskets.

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This conflict is affecting Africa negatively, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a news conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and four other African leaders after their closed-door talks on Friday.

Mr Ramaphosa and others acknowledged the intensity of the hostilities but insisted all wars must come to an end and emphasised their willingness to help expedite that.

I do believe that Ukrainians feel that they must fight and not give up. The road to peace is very hard, he said, adding that there is a need to bring this conflict to an end sooner rather than later.

The delegation, including Senegals President Macky Sall and Presidents Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, represented a cross-section of African views on the war.

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South Africa, Senegal and Uganda have avoided censuring Moscow over the conflict, while Egypt, Zambia and Comoros voted against Russia last year in a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Moscows invasion.

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Egypts Prime Minister Mustafa Madbuly, Senegals President Macky Sall, President of the Union of Comoros Azali Assoumani, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Zambias President Hakainde Hichilema attend a news conference during their meeting in Kyiv (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Many African nations have long had close ties with Moscow, dating back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union supported their anti-colonial struggles.

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Speaking during Fridays news conference, Comoros President Azali Assoumani floated the idea of a road map to peace  prompting questions from Mr Zelensky, who sought a clarification and insisted he did not want any surprises from their visit with Mr Putin.

Chances for peace talks look dim as Ukraine and Russia take sharply different stands. Ukraine demands that Russia withdraws its troops from all its occupied territories as a condition for peace talks.

The Kremlin, in turn, wants Ukraine to recognise Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as part of Russia and acknowledge other land gains it has made.

China presented its own peace proposal at the end of February. Ukraine and its allies largely dismissed the plan, as the warring sides look no closer to a ceasefire.

The African peace mission comes as Ukraine launches a counter-offensive to dislodge the Kremlins forces from occupied areas, using Western-supplied advanced weapons in attacks in several sections of more than the 600-mile front line.
Johnny Depp will donate $1 million (912,000) of his legal settlement with his ex-wife Amber Heard to charity, the PA news agency understands.

The Hollywood star was awarded $10.3 million in damages following the high-profile defamation case in June 2022.

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He had sued the Aquaman star over an article she had written in the Washington Post in 2018, which his lawyers said falsely accused him of being an abuser.

Following a six-week trial in Fairfax County, Virginia, jurors returned a verdict in Depps favour.

The Hollywood star was awarded $10.3 million in damages following the high-profile defamation case with Amber Heard last year (Doug Peters/PA)

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In December, Heard said she had made the very difficult decision to reach a settlement in the case, which PA understands to be in the amount of one million dollars.

A source close to Depp confirmed to PA on Friday that the money would be split between five charities.

They include the Make-A-Film Foundation, Red Feather, The Painted Turtle, the Tetiaroa Society, and the Amazonia Fund Alliance.

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After the settlement was announced, Depps lawyers said they were pleased to formally close the door on this painful chapter.

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Britain's King Charles marked his first Trooping the Colour as sovereign with a Buckingham Palace balcony appearance where a boisterous Prince Louis stole the limelight yet again.

Charles and the queen acknowledged with a wave the thousands of well-wishers in The Mall who sang the English national anthem and gave three cheers after the kings official birthday was celebrated with a display of pomp and military pageantry.

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The king and Camilla were surrounded by the familys core working royals including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Louis.

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The Princess Royal, and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, also joined her brother the king on the balcony, alongside the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.

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But all eyes were on the kings five-year-old grandson, Louis, who rose to the occasion by saluting during the traditional Trooping flypast, which was extended because the coronation aerial display had been cut back in May due to bad weather.

The young royal, whose antics during some of the late queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations last year endeared him to many, also seemed to pretend to ride a motorcycle or bike with his arms outstretched and covered his ears as planes roared overhead.

And when he travelled in a carriage with his siblings and mother, Louis held his nose to possibly ward off the smell of horse manure from the many military mounts.

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Prince Louis salutes from the balcony (Victoria Jones/PA)

The day saw many milestones, from the king becoming the first monarch in more than 30 years to ride a horse throughout Trooping the Colour and it was a similar period since five of the UKs most prestigious regiments had gathered to celebrate the sovereigns official birthday.

Camilla and Kate  appointed royal colonels following the death of the queen  were given prominent new roles during Trooping, no longer just spectators.

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Charles had deputised for Queen Elizabeth II at last years event, also known as the Birthday Parade, but now rode onto Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall as the nations head of state.

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Charles riding Noble along The Mall during Trooping the Colour (Yui Mok/PA)

His first task was to inspect the lines of guardsmen on the parade ground  hundreds of servicemen and women from a total of 1,500 taking part in the day  casting a critical eye over the soldiers, formed in two lines, as he rode past.

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Royal Colonels William, Anne and Edward rode behind Charles while Camilla and Kate travelled in a carriage  a symbolic image of the royal family uniting to support the king as he completed his first Trooping.

The queen, Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and the Princess of Wales, the Irish Guards Colonel, wore their regimental brooches and were dressed in outfits that paid homage to their military associations.

Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales wore colours associated with the regiments for which they are now royal colonels (Aaron Chown/PA)

Camillas Fiona Clare red silk dress took inspiration from the scarlet tunics of the Grenadier Guards and even had military-style buttons, collars and cuffs while Kate wore a striking emerald green dress by Andrew Gn and matching hat by Philip Treacy in honour of her Irish Guards.

The pair later took their seats on a dais with the Duke of Kent, Colonel, Scots Guards, to watch the march past of the troops  a first for the royal women who in past years had joined other royals in the Duke of Wellingtons former office overlooking Horse Guards.

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Trooping the Colour is a social as well as a ceremonial occasion and in the stands overlooking the parade ground were around 8,000 wives, girlfriends and parents of the guardsmen and officers on parade.

Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte during the Trooping the Colour carriage procession (Aaron Chown/PA)

Interest in the recently crowned king saw Trooping spectators camp out on The Mall for the first time in decades to get a prime vantage spot and 250,000 people had applied for the 8,000 tickets for the ceremony staged in Horse Guards.

For the first time since 1989, all five regiments of Foot Guards  the Welsh, Scots, Irish, Coldstream and Grenadier  were on parade together for Trooping with the honour of trooping their colour, or regimental flag, falling to the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

During the pageantry the colour was first trooped through the ranks of soldiers before the guardsmen marched past the King, first in slow then in quick time with the king acknowledging the command of eyes right with a salute.

Guardsmen taking part in Trooping the Colour (Aaron Chown/PA)

Later, a 41-gun salute was fired from Green Park by the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery to mark the kings official birthday, and a further 62 volleys will be fired from the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company.

One of the highlights of the fly-past saw 18 Typhoon fighter jets spelling out the Kings monogram CR for Charles Rex.

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Another was the sight of famous planes associated with the Second World War  Spitfire and Hurricane fighters with a Lancaster bomber, all from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Louis appears to be enjoying his moment on the balcony (Victoria Jones/PA)

As the planes roared overhead Kate encouraged Prince George to wave to the crowds and smoothed down Prince Louis hair and ushered him to turn around and face the spectators.

The finale was precision formation flying from the Red Arrows who trailed red, white and blue smoke over the capital.
What makes a living legend of British comedy, much-decorated and beloved by millions, decide to cross the globe to make her next project in Australia? The answer, as should have been obvious, lies in Canada. In Queen of Oz, Catherine Tate plays Princess Georgiana, the black sheep of the British royal family, punished for her public scandals by being sent to Australia to reign over the restless colonials. But had the show followed its original conception, Georgiana would have been headed to the Great White North.

The idea for Queen of Oz was brought to Tate by Canadian producer Borga Dorter. I got an email out of the blue, she says. He said, I dont know if you would ever be coming to Toronto, but Id love to meet you because Ive got this idea. And bizarrely, I was going to be in Toronto in about three weeks time. Serendipity having brought them together, Dorter pitched Tate Queen of Canada, but the star felt that an Antipodean vibe would suit the story better. We just felt it would work better in Australia. I said, Do you know what, I reckon we should pitch it to Australia, because Queen of Oz trumps as a title. Who knows, it mightve been absolutely brilliant in Canada, but it just sort of made more sense to make it in Australia. And Im delighted that we did.

In Queen of Oz, Catherine Tate plays Queen Georgiana, the black sheep of the British royal family who is exiled to Australia as punishment for her numerous public scandals. Credit: Lorenzo Agius

Obviously, an Australian writer has some bias on this question, but its hard not to agree. Somehow, Georgianas horror in the first episode when she is told she has to head to Australia would not have felt quite the same had she been ordered to Ottawa: popping across the Atlantic is no match for being exiled to the ends of the earth. And Australia does, of course, have a history of being the place where Britain deposits its unwanted citizens.

Not that Tate, obviously, shares her characters antipathy for our homeland. Indeed, it was partly her recent experiences Down Under that convinced her it would be an ideal place to make a show. Id just come back from a tour of Australia and New Zealand, and I had no idea that I had a fanbase out there. I had absolutely no idea, or I would have done many other things in Australia many years ago.
Editors note: A previous version of this article contained certain comments about Mr Dan Ryan and an incomplete quote which was attributed to him. The Age would like to apologise to Dan Ryan for the comments about him.

After every election loss, seemingly half the commentariat pen obituaries for the vanquished major party.

Most of the time, ubiquitous calls for urgent renewal and change are significantly overblown. But now  given the scale of the Liberal Partys challenges  there is a genuine, indeed pressing, need for an intelligent discussion about the way forward for our movement.

Surely the Liberals can revere our partys founder while acknowledging that not every idea of a man born in the late 19th century withstands modern scrutiny. Credit: R.L. Stewart

A common trope of these reflections is the originalist question: What would Robert Menzies do? Its as if the only path to electoral redemption is the reanimation of the political corpse of Ming the Merciless. Weekend at Bobs, anyone?
She added: I worry for the driver; his life is ruined. For the sake of the other people it wont heal them to be vicious to him. Thats not the balm that is going to heal the hurt, it doesnt assuage your grief. GP Ray Jones was first on the scene at Grafton and credited with saving Bradfords life. I still remember the scene as clear as a bell, he said. I see that scene vividly, frequently. Some rescuers werent affected at the time but many years later they were. Ten people were killed in Sundays bus crash in the Hunter Valley. Credit: Nick Moir I am 67 years old, and I dont think Ive slept through since 1989. I suffer from chronic anxiety, depression from time to time. I acknowledged that and I sought treatment. The effects of these accidents are not something you can measure in months. I am still working, I am still functioning as a GP, Ive just been up to Kakadu working in an Aboriginal community. I enjoy working in remote places, maybe that is a result of the accident. Jones, who lives in Woolgoolga, north of Coffs Harbour, added: The emergency services have learnt over the years that they have got to address these issues and provide adequate counselling and follow-up for their employees.

All we had after the accident was a briefing by a psychologist sent up from Sydney who briefed the ambulance [crews] on their experience, and he was there for a day and never came back. I think people have learnt since then thats not satisfactory. They need to address these problems now, not in five years time when the problems arise. GP Ray Jones, who was first on the scene of the Grafton bus crash. Credit: Lindsay Moller Professor Alexander McFarlane, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Adelaide and an expert in PTSD, said research since the Granville train disaster in 1977, in which 83 died, had resulted in an enormous amount of knowledge in the treatment of first responders. The problem that has plagued the care for emergency service workers was the belief that debriefing in the immediate aftermath had a significant preventative value, he said. There is very little evidence that it makes any difference at all. The problem is once they [employers] have made that effort they then forget about the long-term consequences. I dont think the systems have become as good as they should have at predicting the long-term costs to individuals who have to go into these horrific circumstances.

Professor Alexander McFarlane, psychiatrist and disaster psychology expert. If you are an emergency service worker and you have been into a horrendous scene, you dont want somebody immediately sitting down with you focusing on the gore and the horror. You need to focus on what you have done well  you have used your professional skills  and to withdraw from that scene and to withdraw back into the normality of your normal life and a sense of safety. Often the people they get in are not very well trained. You can imagine if you are a very experienced police officer or ambulance officer and some 25-year-old psychologist walks in to speak to you. The psychologist can be more upset because they cant cope with what you are telling them. A survivor is lifted clear of the rubble above the crushed carriage at the Granville train disaster, January 18, 1977. Credit: Russell McPhedran, Fairfax Media Stirring up the memory of the scenes that you have witnessed can make the memories worse and are really misplaced. They come out of the provision of acute battlefield care for psychiatric casualties in World War One with the idea of getting the soldiers back into battle again. When you are fighting a war of attrition, keeping people on the front line has got a certain logic to it, but applying that logic in the circumstances we are talking about doesnt work.

McFarlane believes there is the misconception that people who develop PTSD become acutely unwell. He says the evidence is that many people will cope in the immediate aftermath, but it is in the following months that symptoms emerge. The real issue is with the cumulative exposure that you have [in the emergency services]. I think people underestimate the challenges of day-to-day policing, of ambulance work and of being a firefighter. There is now a large body of evidence suggesting that with time, a significant percentage of those workforces progressively develop low-grade symptoms and are at particular risk if they go into an accident like the one that has just happened. Barry Gobbe, first ambulanceman on scene of the Granville train disaster. Credit: Gene Ramirez, Fairfax If they have been to an event like that one previously where it has been highly distressing, but they have managed it, the next event that has some similarity can really reactivate their memories, and thats what the emergency services really need to think about. Sometimes you have actually just got to take them out of that front-line role  the trouble is that these organisations are not structured to have those roles to allow them to escape into. In the police, many of the roles that older police officers would have gone into have been civilianised. These organisations need to, on an annual basis, monitor people. If there is an incident like the one weve just had you might want to speak to those people at three months, and you need experienced people who understand how people might try to hide their distress.

Barry Gobbe was the first ambulance officer to arrive at the scene of the Granville Train Disaster and author of Revisiting the Granville Train Disaster of 1977. Now retired and aged 76, he said: I suppose secretly Ive got PTSD [from Granville] but Ive had a lot worse treating people over the years. Ive seen many scenes after Granville; they might not have been as big but were also tragic. Ambulance officers are doing it every day. I class it as being on the front line. Loading Its a big thing that has been overlooked. Ambulance officers are under a lot of pressure, basically, their whole career. I wake up in the middle of the night, and Im thinking about one of the jobs that I did. PTSD, if you know youve got it, and you are able to handle it [is one thing]  but its the things that creep up on you that you have got to watch out for. Of the people I spoke to writing the book, I would say 80 per cent of them are divorced. Police, fire and ambulance have now got a lot of chaplains, and they respond to scenes. Theres a lot of follow-up and a lot of counselling taking place. We made it known to the commissioner of ambulance that the Granville responders were never thanked or given counselling.

Last August we were brought in to a presentation and were given the ambulance commissioners commendation for courage. They decorated us with a medal and colours and all that, but thats 46 years later that four of us were finally recognised for our courage. A spokesperson for NSW Ambulance said it was committed to recognising those involved in challenging incidents. In 2018, the Commissioner introduced the NSW Legacy program for former officers and established a historical awards process. Gary Raymond, chaplain and counsellor to emergency services. The nominations for the recent commendations regarding the Granville train disaster were received by NSW Ambulance last year so were considered by the committee, and awarded, last year, he said. Gary Raymond, chaplain, former ambulance officer and the first Police Rescue worker at the Granville train disaster, has spoken to first responders at the Hunter Valley crash.

Some retired ambos who have covered multiple incidents get flashbacks. The brain stores memories like filing cabinets but, once something like this happens, the brain alerts you to a similar tragedy, and it opens the filing cabinet and brings out the memory. We try and stick in the present tense because if we start probing, we call it traumatic probing, it brings out brain responses again, physiologically and emotionally. We try and talk about now and coping with the future. Talking about it is really big, physical exercise helps to burn out the stress chemicals, deep breathing, and switching off all screens, phone, [and] television to allow the brain to switch off for a while and deal with it. The tribute left by Cessnock ambulance workers at the site of the Hunter Valley crash. Credit: Nine News Some get a bit of fear and anxiety about the future. Will I have to face something like this again? Part of chaplaincy and the other wellbeing services is reassuring them that they will deal with the future as well as this. One particular ambo, retired, [was] sitting on the edge of the lounge watching coverage of the Hunter crash and his wife said to him, Its OK darling, you arent there, and you cant go there. And he turned around and said: I want to be there. I want to help my colleagues, like Ive done for years.

Ken Peterson, in his 70s, was the second ambulance officer at Granville and was badly injured, then spent 45 years in rescue. I never returned to the scene of Granville until the 20th anniversary. It took me 20 years to go back, he said. I only stayed a short time because I didnt want to be involved with the very painful memories. In the early years there was no counselling. Absolutely no counselling. Nowadays, the services provide the counselling and I think that is absolutely wonderful. Loading He sums up the thoughts of many after the Hunter crash. I was extremely proud of the ambulance officers attending the scene. They broadcast the call from the scene. That took me back to memories of Granville. Barry and I were the ones who put the call out 46 years ago over the radio declaring it a disaster. The emergency services at the scene last week were absolutely magnificent. I felt extra proud of all the services. I hope they get some recognition.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday is set to host a group of African leaders who travelled to Russia on a self-styled peace mission after their trip to Ukraine.

Seven African leaders presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypt's prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda visited Ukraine on Friday to try to help end their nearly 16-month-old war.

The African leaders travelled to St. Petersburg on Saturday to meet with Putin who attended a business forum in Russia's second-largest city.

The mission to Ukraine, the first of its kind by African leaders, comes in the wake of other peace initiatives such as one by China and carried particular importance for Africa that relies on food and fertiliser deliveries from Russia and Ukraine.

The war has impeded exports from one of the world's most important breadbaskets.

This conflict is affecting Africa negatively, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a news conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and four other African leaders after their closed-door talks on Friday.

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Ramaphosa and others acknowledged the intensity of the hostilities but insisted all wars must come to an end and emphasised their willingness to help expedite that.

I do believe that Ukrainians feel that they must fight and not give up. The road to peace is very hard, he said, adding that there is a need to bring this conflict to an end sooner rather than later.

The delegation, including Senegal's President Macky Sall and Presidents Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, represented a cross-section of African views on the war.

South Africa, Senegal and Uganda have avoided censuring Moscow over the conflict, while Egypt, Zambia and Comoros voted against Russia last year in a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Moscow's invasion.

Many African nations have long had close ties with Moscow, dating back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union supported their anti-colonial struggles.

Speaking during Friday's news conference, Comoros President Azali Assoumani floated the idea of a road map to peace, prompting questions from Zelenskyy who sought a clarification and insisted he didn't want any surprises from their visit with Putin.

Chances for peace talks look dim as Ukraine and Russia take sharply different stands. Ukraine demands that Russia withdraws its troops from all its occupied territories as a condition for peace talks.

The Kremlin, in turn, wants Ukraine to recognize Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as part of Russia and acknowledge other land gains it has made.

China presented its own peace proposal at the end of February. Ukraine and its allies largely dismissed the plan, as the warring sides look no closer to a cease-fire.

The African peace mission comes as Ukraine launches a counteroffensive to dislodge the Kremlin's forces from occupied areas, using Western-supplied advanced weapons in attacks in several sections of more than the 1,000-kilometre (600-mile) front line.
Delhi Education Minister Atishi visited a community-based school for children from low-income groups in London, to gain insights into its "successful education model" with an aim to improve civic schools here, her office said on Saturday.

The Delhi minister is currently on a visit to the UK.

She visited the Tollgate Primary School, "a community-based institution catering to the academic needs of children from low-income groups and diverse cultural backgrounds in London, known for providing high-quality education," her office said in a statement.

During her visit, she was deeply impressed by the school's unique approach to education.

"The school challenges the conventional 'blackboard-faced' model of a classroom, instead fostering group-based, community learning, allowing children to interact and learn with remarkable freedom.

"The most captivating aspect of classroom learning at Tollgate is the use of roundtables, where students sit and learn together in a group," Atishi was quoted as saying in the statement.

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She said the insight gained during the visit will help reinvent primary education in schools run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), according to the statement.

AAP is the ruling party in Delhi government and the MCD.

Moreover, the school's commitment to promoting students' excellent work was evident throughout the galleries and classrooms, she said.

The students' artwork and achievements were prominently displayed, celebrating their accomplishments. Teachers at Tollgate are trained to cultivate basic skills in each student through diverse methods and practical applications in everyday knowledge, the minister said.

"Learning from Tollgate Primary School will aid us in reinventing our MCD schools and creating a conducive learning environment for our students. Following the success of Delhi government schools, our primary focus is now on developing MCD schools into world-class institutions, with the aim of eliminating long queues outside private schools for nursery admissions," Atishi added.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said the state government has decided to allot 33 per cent ration depots to women in the future.

The self-help groups applying for a ration depot will be given priority. Additionally, if the help group applies for the contract for fish farming of panchayat land or pond, they will receive a 10 per cent discount on the auction amount.

The Chief Minister said if the family income of a member of the self-help group increases by more than Rs 1.80 lakh, their ration card and Ayushman card will not be quashed for one year.

The Chief Minister made these announcements while virtually interacting with beneficiaries of self-help groups.

Furthermore, he said 25 per cent of the shops allotted at the bus stand through lottery or any other means would be reserved for self-help groups.

In the case of auctioned shops, the self-help groups will receive a 10 per cent discount on the auction amount.

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During the interaction, the beneficiaries of the self-help groups expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for the significant announcements made for them.

They appreciated the financial assistance provided by the government through the Revolving Fund, Community Investment Fund, and Credit Linkage Scheme, which has helped them run their businesses without facing any problems.

The Chief Minister also announced the establishment of a call centre in the office of the Haryana State Rural Livelihood Mission to provide various types of information to beneficiaries belonging to self-help groups.

He highlighted the growth of self-help groups in the state, stating that while there were only 812 SHGs in 2014, the number has increased to more than 57,000 in the last eight and a half years.

Khattar said in 2014, there were 812 self-help groups in the state. Since assuming power in 2014-15, the government has focused on the development of self-help groups, resulting in the formation of 2,100 new self-help groups in the first year.

They have been provided with a revolving fund of Rs 54.57 crore, a community investment fund of approximately Rs 285 crore, and bank credit linkage of around Rs 880 crore.

Additionally, the government has increased the revolving fund amount from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000.

The Chief Minister emphasised that self-help groups have become instrumental in providing social support.

By joining self-help groups, women not only take care of their families through self-employment but also create employment opportunities for other women.

Therefore, he suggested referring to them as social help groups, instead of self-help groups.

--IANS

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The Delhi High Court has directed the chief executive officer of Delhi Waqf Board to come before it and explain the reasons for non-payment of salaries to board employees for several months in spite of a court order directing clearance of the outstanding dues.

Justice Jyoti Singh said the petition of the Delhi Waqf Board Employees depicts a "very sorry" state of affairs as admittedly the employees have not received their salaries for nearly nine months. The authorities were totally insensitive to the plight of the employees who were finding it difficult to make two ends meet, the judge said.

Prima facie, the court said, there is scant regard for court orders, as despite there being an assurance on the last date of hearing, there was no certainty as to when salaries would be paid and now the usual and casual response is that the matter is under consideration and there is deficiency of funds.

In this view of the matter, this Court deems it appropriate to direct Md. Rehan Raza, Chief Executive Officer/Respondent No. 1 (Delhi Waqf Board) to remain present in Court on the next date of hearing i.e. 11.07.2023 at 02.30 PM, to explain the alleged non-compliance of the orders passed by this Court and non-performance of the statutory obligations of the Delhi Waqf Board to pay salaries and allowances to its employees, said the court in its order passed on June 1.

It appears that the Respondents are totally insensitive to the plight of the employees who are without their salaries and it needs no emphasis that they are finding it difficult to make two ends meet and fend for themselves and their families," it said.

It said prima facie the court is of the view that the respondents have scant regard even for the orders passed by it as despite an assurance given on the last date of hearing that the dues will be cleared within two weeks, even today there is no certainty as to when the petitioners will receive their salaries.

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The petitioner association along with an individual employee had moved the court earlier this year, claiming they had not received their salaries since October last year and were facing unfathomable financial hardships.

The petitioners alleged there was non-compliance of an order passed by the court on March 27 directing the respondents- the city government and Delhi Waqf Board authorities- to clear the outstanding salaries of board employees of over six months within two weeks.

Advocate M Sufian Siddiqui, appearing for the petitioners, argued before the high court that the aggrieved employees have been robbed of their right to a dignified life in a brazen infraction of their fundamental and constitutional rights.

The employees of Delhi Waqf Board falling in Category I (Permanent employees recruited against the sanctioned post), II (Permanent employees whose recruitment is approved by the Divisional Commissioner), III (Employees who were recruited on contractual basis but are waiting for their absorption) and IV (Contractual employees who continue to be contractual) have not received their salary from October 2022, the petition has said.

It said it was imperative for the Board to meet and take necessary measures for the release of salaries of its employees and paucity of funds cannot be an excuse.

It submitted the entire functioning of the board has collapsed and its staff has been in a grim situation because of unresolved issues.

The functioning of the Delhi Waqf Board has come to a standstill as its business is to be transacted at its meetings. Staggeringly, after 05.01.2022 no meeting of the members of the Board has taken place. Hence, as a necessary corollary, the Board has not been able to meet and transact its business, as such, revenue generation of the Delhi Waqf Board has taken a blow, the petition has said.

The budget of the Delhi Waqf Board is also not prepared and forwarded to the State Government in a timely manner as required by the Waqf Act, 1995 and the Delhi Waqf Rules, 1997 which has caused inordinate delay in sending requisition for the Grant in Aid to the Delhi Government for first quarter of Financial Year 2022-2023. Furthermore, there are delays on the part of the Government of NCT of Delhi also in releasing the Grant in Aid, it added.

The plea stated the payment of salary to the employees is necessary to enable them to maintain their livelihood and denial of the same amounts to denial of Right to Life Guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US visit, Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday said that the honour that the Prime Minister will get there, only a few have got in the past.

Speaking to the media here while travelling in a bus, Jaisdhankar said, "The Prime Minister will be on a state visit to the US. State visit means it is the highest level in terms of honour."

He said, "The respect that the Prime Minister gets, only a few people have been given in the past."

The Minister asserted that in an unprecedented move, an Indian Prime Minister will address the US Congress for the second time. "Earlier, eminent people like Nelson Mandela and Winston Churchill have addressed the US Congress twice or more. That is the reason why its importance is huge," he added.

Jaishankar, along with Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, LoP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri took the Vikas Tirath Yatra in south Delhi by travelling in a bus.

Prime Minister Modi will be visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. The visit includes a state dinner as well as an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on June 22.

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Modi's state visit to the US will commence in New York, where the Prime Minister will lead celebrations marking the International Day of Yoga at the UN headquarters on June 21.

--IANS

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National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval said on Saturday that India would not have been partitioned if Subhas Chandra Bose had been the leader at the time of the country's independence. British decided to leave India in a hurry because of what Bose had done and India would have been militarily better prepared for 1962's Sino-Indian War if the leadership shared Bose's commitment to building a strong army.

Delivering the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Memorial Lecture organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham), Doval bemoaned that history had been "unkind" to Bose.

Doval's comments are likely to trigger a debate, especially his claim that former British prime minister Clement Attle told the acting governor of West Bengal in 1956 how Britain gave India its independence as it was scared that the spark Bose had lit could lead to an uprising, while Mahatma Gandhi was not as important an influence on the events at the time.

NSA Doval said India's greatest strength is its human resource, which he said was committed to nationalism. He appealed to the gathering that they were in a "unique position" to skill them to make the country's workforce globally competitive. Doval said India's current workforce comprises 495 million, while China's is 850 million. He said, in 2050, India's workforce will be 1.1 billion, while China's will drop to 500 million. "We will contribute 40 per cent of the global workforce," the NSA said, pointing at how India's semi-skilled and unskilled workers in West Asia remit more money than the country's annual defence budget.

"Our companies and people should strive to be innovative and cost-effective. Let us embrace critical and emerging technologies to secure a prominent position in the global market," he said. The NSA said the country needed inspiring personalities who can transcend personal interests and engage in actions that go beyond business and industry.

Speaking about Bose, Doval said he was proud to be associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative to install Bose's statue at India Gate and rename an island in Andaman and Nicobar after the freedom fighter. The NSA said he admired Bose's audacity and tenacity in fighting for the country's freedom, citing his disagreements with the Congress establishment of the time, including with Gandhi.

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According to Doval, Bose wanted to attain freedom by fighting the British, "not beg" for it as such freedom would then be "conditional". "India would not have been partitioned if Subhas Bose had been there. (Muhammad Ali) Jinna said, 'I can accept only one leader, that is Subhas Bose'," Doval said.

According to NSA, Attlee, the British prime minister at the time of the Indian Independence Act (in February 1947), visited Calcutta in 1956, five years after he had demitted office, where he was the guest at the Raj Bhavan. According to Doval, Attlee told his host that the British left India because of the nationalism Bose had inspired, even if he had died in a plane crash in 1945, and many Indians would have walked that path. The 1946 Naval uprising had the British notice that there were 2.5 million trained Indian soldiers who had fought the Second World War for the British cause, and a repeat of 1857 was possible, he said.

The NSA said Bose was a devout Hindu who had read the Vedas and Upanishads but did not believe in publicly displaying his beliefs. Doval said Bose was inspired by Aurobindo and Vivekananda, carried a copy of the Bhagavad Gita and was secular when it came to the question of statecraft, that none should be discriminated against on the basis of their religion. Bose believed in building a strong military and defence industry, which the leadership ignored between 1950 and 1962 because of its faith in non-violence, Doval said.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday wrote a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, urging him to set up AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) in Raichur.

He requested the Union Minister to instruct the concerned to take steps in this regard.

"Being one of the aspirational districts of the country, Raichur has lower health, education level and per capita income than other regions. The area is also at a geographical disadvantage since it experiences extreme weather conditions," Siddaramaiah said in the letter.

"Such disadvantages have put Raichur in dire need of robust medical institutions. Establishment of AIIMS will ensure world class facilities in the region," he said.

There is a growing demand from the people and representatives for seeing this proposal to fruition, he further said, adding that Kalyan Karnataka region is one of our top priorities.

Karnataka Minor Irrigation, Science and Technology Minister N S Boseraju had recently written to Siddaramaiah urging him to take up the matter. Accordingly, the Chief Minister has written a letter to the Union Minister, the Chief Minister's office said in a statement.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said collective efforts by legislators in sharing best practices in good governance will help India scale remarkable heights of success.

In a written message to the National Legislators' Conference here, the prime minister said it was remarkable that public representatives of different political parties have gathered here to strengthen democratic practices by keeping topics such as good governance, successful legislative studies and novel models of development at the forefront.

The three-day National Legislators' Conference, organised by MIT-School of Governance and attended by more than 1,500 legislators from across the country, concluded here on Saturday.

The prime minister's message was read out at the conference on Saturday.

"In the Amrit Kaal of independence, I am confident that such collective efforts help a massive democracy such as ours scale remarkable heights of success, he said.

Modi said continuous development at the grassroots level strengthens the concept of a magnificent and developed India.

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"People's representatives play an important role by maintaining easy and continuous dialogue with the people and raising their issues effectively, he said.

"This NLC will be an appropriate platform for legislators from across the country to know each other and understand their style of work. I am confident that by directly understanding each other's working practices, the legislators can march ahead with a better model of development, Modi said.
The Mizoram government on Friday urged the Centre to expedite the release of funds to provide relief to over 11,000 displaced people from violence-hit Manipur, an official statement said.

The state government has sought Rs 10 crore as immediate relief for those who are currently staying at shelters in different parts of Mizoram since ethnic clashes broke out in the neighbouring state on May 3.

During the day, state Tourism Minister Robert Romawia Royte called on Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla in Delhi and urged him to sanction the fund at the earliest, the statement said.

Bhalla, on his part, told Royte that the Centre will soon sanction the relief package, it said.

During the meeting, Royte said that more than 11,000 people from Manipur, mostly women, children and elderly persons, are currently staying at shelters in Mizoram due to the ethnic violence in the neighbouring state.

The Mizoram government, NGOs and churches are providing shelters and food to the displaced people, he said.

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Stating that Mizoram is in "dire need of the Centre's help", Royte said that the state government could face a crisis if the proposed relief fund is not provided to the displaced people.

He also urged the Centre to take measures for the restoration of peace in Manipur.

According to the Mizoram home department, altogether 11,503 people from Manipur have entered the state till Friday.

Of them, 8,634 people live outside the relief camps, while 2,869 have lodged in 35 camps set up by the government and villages, it said.

Kolasib district currently hosts the highest number of displaced people at 4,109, followed by Aizawl at 3,825 and Saitual at 2,809, the statement said.

The displaced people, who belonged to the Kuki-Hmar-Zomi-Mizo group, took shelter in 11 districts of the state.

The Kuki-Hmar-Zomi-Mizo community, collectively known as Kukis, share ethnic ties with the Mizos.

Two Mizoram districts- Aizawl and Saitual - share a 90 km-long border with Manipur's Churachandpur and Pherzawl districts.

At least nine people were killed and 10 injured when suspected miscreants attacked a village in the Khamenlok area of Manipur in the early hours of Wednesday.

More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in the state that broke out a month ago.

The government has imposed a curfew on 11 districts and banned the internet in a bid to stop the spread of rumours in the state.

Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals - Nagas and Kukis - constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.
Industry body FICCI and real estate consultant JLL India have pitched for formal training and certification courses for property brokers to upgrade their skills, enabling them to help clients in taking informed decisions.

FICCI and JLL India have jointly come out with a white paper titled '(Re)Shaping Real Estate Professionals', which highlighted that the real estate agent registration grew from 33,270 in January 2019, to 71,514 in January 2023, across the country under the Real Estate (Development and Regulations) Act, 2016, known as RERA law.

A delegation led by Vineet Nanda, Chairman - Regional Urban Infra Committee, FICCI, recently presented the white paper to Arun Kumar Gupta, ACS, Town & Country Planning, Haryana, according to a statement.

Nanda, Director Sales & Marketing of realty firm Krisumi Corporation, briefed Gupta about the education programme available currently to skill brokers, also called as channel partners.

"Presently, despite the RERA, only 30 per cent of the channel partners are registered across India," Nanda pointed out.

"The team members associated with the channel partners are not skilled. Contrary to this, all other investment instruments such as stock market, commodities market, financial markets have to take certification courses to become acquainted with the market and its regulatory environment," he observed.

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Nanda recommended that the state government should further regulate the environment by spreading the education programme and tie-up with universities that offer certified courses.

This will ensure upgradation of skills to earn more as well as creation of new job opportunities, he added.

The report highlighted that real estate agents/brokers are one of the most important parts of the ever-growing real estate sector, which is witnessing a huge interest from domestic and global investors.

"While the real estate market is evolving and customer demands are shifting, the services supplied by brokers are falling short," it pointed out.

The report emphasised on the need to educate the real estate sales professional who act as intermediary between seller and buyers in each real estate transaction.

"This will help in bringing more trust and comfort to both buyers and sellers and help them make informed decisions," it said.

The report suggested that training programmes should be curated in a comprehensive manner, enabling brokers to get a thorough knowledge of the real estate sector, including current regulations; communication and marketing skills; and use of social media and other digital tools.

"Training programmes must include accreditation or certification, which can help brokers market themselves as industry experts," the report said.

At present, it said there are limited government and commercial institutes that help to upskill brokers.

However, real estate brokers in most of the developed countries undergo a formal training and certification program after which they are eligible to get a license.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the investigation into a series of attacks carried out by Khalistani elements in Indian missions in the US and Canada, Delhi Police sources told IANS on Saturday.

The Delhi Police Special Cell had previously registered two FIRs under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) regarding the attacks that took place in March in San Francisco and Toronto in March.

Following a careful examination of the case, the police decided to transfer the investigation to the NIA, given their expertise in dealing with cases involving terrorism and transnational elements, the sources said.

In recent times, there have been instances of pro-Khalistan supporters in the US issuing threats towards New Delhi's Ambassador to Washington, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, during their protests.

On March 20, multiple videos captured a large mob launching an attack on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, while loud Punjabi music played in the background.

The assailants had vandalised the outer wall of the building by spray-painting a prominent graffiti that read "Free Amritpal", referring to the jailed Waris De chief Amritpal Singh.

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The attackers used the wooden butts of Khalistan flags, which they had been waving earlier, to smash the glass doors and windows of the Consulate.

Despite the mob breaching a barricade, they could not enter the Consulate premises.

Also in March, pro-Khalistan supporters organised a protest outside the Consulate General of India in Toronto during which they reportedly engaged in acts of aggression towards Indian-origin journalists who were present at the scene.

In response, the External Affairs Ministry had lodged a "strong concern about the actions of separatist and extremist elements" and also "sought an explanation on how such elements were allowed, in the presence of police, to breach the security of our diplomatic Mission and Consulates".

--IANS

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A notice warning of attachment of property was pasted on the houses of fugitive BJP MLA Raj Kumar Singh aka Raju Singh and six of his aides in their native village in Mokama village under Paro police station in the Muzaffarpur district on Friday, police said.

Raju Singh, the MLA from Sahibganj Assembly constituency, was allegedly involved in kidnapping of RJD leader Tulsi Rai on May 25 and an FIR in this regard was registered in Paro police station.

Following this, Raju Singh and six of his aides have been absconding. The district police have raided several places but have not managed to find any of them.

On Friday, a team headed by a SDPO rank officer reached his village with a band and pasted notices on their houses.

"The notice was issued from a special judge of MLA-MLC court Muzaffarpur to surrender before the police or the court. If they does not surrender before police or court, we will approach a court with a request to issue the warrant of property attachment," said Kundan Kumar, SDPO of Paro range, Muzaffarpur.

As per the FIR lodged by Tulsi Rai, he claimed that he went to a marriage function in Rasoolpur village in the district on May 25 where Raju Singh was also present. While he was returning, Raju Singh and his men kidnapped him, took him to an undisclosed location, and beaten him up. He also alleged that Raju Singh and his men tried to kill him as well but he escaped.

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Following the incident, Tulsi Rai lodged named FIR against Raju Singh and 6 others and also mentioned 12 more unidentified persons involved in his kidnapping cum attempt to murder.

Raju Singh has been absconding since then. He has applied for anticipatory bail from a sessions court but his plea was rejected.

--IANS

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Members of the Grameen Vikas Samiti held a protest outside the High Commission of Canada here to register their resentment against the Canadian government and against Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for not objecting to a tableau parade in Ontario celebrating the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi.

A group of people gathered outside the High Commission of Canada and raised slogans against Justin Trudeau and his government. They also sloganeered against the Khalistani elements allegedly being given protection by the Canadian government.

The protestors were seen holding posters boycotting Trudeau and condemning the Khalistani activities in Canada.

Pradhan of Gramin Vikas Samiti, Bacchu Singh, who led the protest told ANI that they collected here to protest against those demanding for Khalistan.

"We will not allow India to be divided. There are some politicians in Canada who making attempts to divide Indians but we will not let it happen. We are boycotting the Canadian PM because he has extended his support to those citizens raising demands of Khalistan. If they continue to make some demands, we will prove to them their intentions will not come true," Singh added.

Another protestor, Shahid Lodhi told ANI, "Our demand is... Justin, who is misleading the citizens, urging them to raise demands for a Khalistan...but we will not that happen as people have become aware now."

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Earlier the issue of the parade float in Canada was also condemned by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

The EAM while expressing his concern said there is a larger underlying issue about the space which is given to separatists and "it is not good for relationships".

Answering queries during a press conference, held earlier on nine years of Modi government, Jaishankar slammed Canada over the incident and said giving space to extremists is not good for the country.

"I think there is a bigger issue involved...Frankly, we are at a loss to understand other than the requirements of vote bank politics why anybody would do this...I think there is a larger underlying issue about the space which is given to separatists, to extremists, to people who advocate violence. I think it is not good for relationships, not good for Canada," Jaishankar said, adding it isn't only incident in Canada "however egregious it may be".

Earlier, the issue was also addressed by MoS MEA Meenakashi Lekhi, who while hitting out at the Canadian government, said that an offence cannot be celebrated, adding any assassination or murder is a crime in any democratic governance and the government of Canada must act against it.

She further said that all that is happening in Canada falls within the purview of law and order and the Government must act upon it.

"Any assassination or murder is a crime in any democratic governance. So, something which is an offence cannot be celebrated and thus all that is happening in Canada falls within the purview of law and order and the government must act upon it," the minister said speaking to ANI earlier.

Indira Gandhi served as the first and only woman Prime Minister of India from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984. She was shot dead by two of her own bodyguards at her official residence on October 31, 1984.

A video shot at a parade in Canada's Brampton city on earlier this year on June 4 celebrated the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

Khalistan supporters in March, protested outside the Indian Embassy in Canada. They raised pro-Khalistan slogans and allegedly assaulted Indian-origin journalists present on the spot.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State Visit to the US will have "significant outcomes", External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday.

Interacting with reporters on the sidelines of a function here, he also said that it will be the first time that an Indian prime minister will be addressing the US Congress twice.

Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. They will host Modi at a State Dinner on June 22. The visit also includes an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on June 22.

"The prime minister is going on a State Visit, which signifies the highest level of honour. So, the honour that he will receive, has been accorded to a very few people, so far," Jaishankar said after the function that was held at Badarpur in South Delhi as part of the BJP's mega outreach campaign -- 'Sampark se Samarthan' -- to mark the completion of the nine years of the Modi government.

"The prime minister will address a Joint Session of the US Congress. No Indian prime minister has addressed it twice. So, it will be the first time. World over also, very few people have done that... Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela. So, there are very few people who have addressed the US Congress twice," Jaishankar said.

It assumes "huge importance" and outcomes will be seen later, the external affairs minister said.

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Asked about the implications of the State Visit on India-US relations, he said this State Visit will have "significant outcomes" and added that "what outcomes these will be, I cannot tell that right now".

Prime Minister Modi will arrive in New York on June 20 and will lead the 9th International Yoga Day celebrations at the UN headquarters on June 21. He will then travel to Washington DC where he will be welcomed by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on June 22 for the State Visit.

Asked what message will this State Visit by Modi to the US send to China and Pakistan, the Union minister said, "When a prime minister visits a country, it is to take our (India's) relationship forward. I understand that it is a globalised world, so if something happens, it may or may not have an impact on others. We see it for our interests, from perspective of our relations".
Sadhus from across the country have started flocking to the winter capital Jammu to join the annual Amarnath pilgrimage which is scheduled to start in the Valley next month.

Over 200 Sadhus, including women, have arrived at their traditional Ram Mandir base camp in the old city's Purani Mandi area and are upbeat to offer their prayers at the 3,880-metre high holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, housing the naturally formed ice-Shivling.

The 62-day long pilgrimage will commence on July 1 from the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in the Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steep Baltal route in the Ganderbal district.

The first batch of pilgrims, including a group of Sadhus, is leaving for the Yatra from Jammu on June 30.

I am performing the Yatra for the first time and waiting eagerly to reach Kashmir, the name of which fills our chest with pride as Kashmir to Kanyakumari is India, a 58-year-old sadhu from Andhra Pradesh, Vasudevanand Sarawari, told PTI.

The sadhu reached the Ram Temple after conducting Char Dham', a pilgrimage of four holy places -- Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath -- by foot.

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I am thankful to my Lord for giving me an opportunity to seek his blessings by joining the Amarnath pilgrimage this year. One should perform the Yatra at least once in the lifetime, he said amid chants of Bham Bham Bhole and Har Har Mahadev from his fellow sadhus, staying in small groups inside a large hall at the temple complex, in praise of Lord Shiva.

Authorities have beefed up security across Jammu and Kashmir in view of the Yatra from Lakhanpur the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir bordering Punjab to the cave shrine including various base camps enroute for a peaceful pilgrimage.

I am satisfied with all the arrangements. I paid my obeisance at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine after reaching here some days back. Jammu and Kashmir is an abode of holy places and we, in Andhra Pradesh, have high esteem for the region, he said.

Purnima, a resident of Assam, said she has been religiously visiting the cave shrine every year for over the past 13 years, barring one year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

When I was seven-year-old, I was not able to speak or walk and my mother took a pledge to undertake Amarnath Yatra till I am cured. She used to take me to the shrine on her back and after 10 years of pilgrimage, I regained the strength to walk and speak as well, she said, expressing her excitement to embark on the Yatra once again.

Kanchan Chohan, a Sadhvi from Indore, said she had renounced the worldly life and is looking for peace. This is my first yatra and I will come again and again till my last breath.

Radey Sham Maharaj, the priest at the temple said, so far 207 Sadhus and Sadhvis have reached the Ram Temple for the Yatra.

Like yesteryears, all arrangements for the devotees for their lodging and boarding at the temple have the capacity to accommodate over 2,000 Sadhus, he said.

Besides food and shelter, medical facilities and proper sanitation will be ensured in active coordination with the district administration so that there is no inconvenience to the sadhus, the priest said.

He said coolers and air conditioners are available in good numbers to help the sadhus to beat the heat.

The registration counter will be opened (by the authorities) on June 30 to facilitate the sadhus, he said.

Many of the sadhus have already conducted the Yatra many times and said they will pray for everlasting peace while paying obeisance at the shrine.
Shiva devotees coming for Kanwar yatra to Haridwar in Uttarakhand this year have been asked to carry their identity cards and keep the height of their 'kanwars' less than 12 feet to avoid accidents, officials said on Saturday.

These decisions were taken at an inter-state coordination meeting of police officials chaired by Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar at the state police headquarters here on Friday.

The Kanwar yatra begins on July 4 and will go on till July 15.

The DGP said the yatra is a big religious event and police departments of all states concerned should start acting in total coordination well in advance for effective crowd management and the safety of devotees.

Drones and CCTVs will be used and social media will be monitored for the purpose, he said.

Limiting the height of kanwars to less than 12 feet was necessary due to 100 per cent electrification of the railway tracks in Uttarakhand. Bringing higher kanwars with totally electrified railway tracks could be risky, an official who attended the meeting said.

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Kanwar yatra is an annual event during which devotees of Shiva, known as 'Kanwaris', travel by foot to pilgrimage sites in Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand. They carry two containers attached to a single pole usually made of bamboo on their shoulders to fetch waters form the Ganga river. The water-filled containers are then carried for hundreds of miles to offer the water to local Shiva temples.

Around four crore kanwariyas are expected to come to Haridwar for the Kanwar yatra this time, Haridwar's Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh said.

The entire Kanwar area has been divided into 12 super zones, 32 zones and 130 sectors, he said, the officials said.

A QR code has also been issued by Haridwar Police for the yatra in which all information related to vehicle parking spaces, route diversion and lost and found cell phones have been made available, they said.

As many as 333 CCTV cameras will be installed in the Kanwar fair area and more than 5,000 police personnel deployed in and around Haridwar to maintain a vigil, the officials said.

Twelve companies of central paramilitary forces have been sought from the Centre besides three bomb disposal and dog squads, the meeting was informed.

The meeting was attended in person or virtually by police officials from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, they said.
The West Bengal government and the State Election Commission (SEC) have decided to approach the Supreme Court (SC) against the order of the Calcutta High Court directing deployment of central forces throughout the state for the forthcoming panchayat elections.

The fresh decision to approach the Supreme Court is a U-turn from the SEC's earlier stand of abiding by the order of the Calcutta High Court. In fact, on late Thursday evening, state election commissioner Rajiva Sinha said that he would abide by the Calcutta High Court order.

The e-filing might be done on Friday night or at the maximum by Saturday morning, a source said.

Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari and the Congress MP from Malda (South) Lok Sabha, Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury have already filed caveats with the SC apprehending that the state government and SEC might approach the apex court challenging the Calcutta High Court order.

The decision of the state government and the SEC was taken after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a public rally on Friday afternoon questioned the justification of the deployment of armed forces in the state.

The decision to approach the SC was taken on late Friday evening after Sinha had a meeting with the State Chief Secretary BP Gopalika and the Additional Director General (law & order) Jawed Shamim at the office of the SEC.

Also Read WB panchayat polls: HC asks SEC to deploy forces in all districts in 48 hrs Bengal panchayat polls: BJP questions justification of all-party meet now Bengal: 34% of seats uncontested in 2018 panchayat polls, claims Suvendu BJP slams TMC's Abhishek Banerjee over his remark on Bengal Panchayat polls All-party meeting over West Bengal panchayat polls scheduled for today Notice posted on houses of fugitive Bihar BJP MLA Raju Singh, aides Situ rehab: Request for water supply, laying sewer lines 'pending' with DJB UP CM discusses power distribution with energy minister, UPPCL chief UN Convention needs to define concept of reasonable opportunity, says India Assam flood worsens as incessant rain continues, 34,000 people affected

The single-phase panchayat polls are scheduled to be held on July 8. The votes will be counted on July 11.

--IANS

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West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose said on Saturday that he witnessed "deterioration of democracy" in certain pockets of the state during his visit to places which saw violent clashes over the week in connection with the filing of nominations for July 8 panchayat elections.

The Governor went to Canning in South 24 Parganas district on Saturday evening and interacted with the locals over the violence witnessed for the past few days. He also held a meeting with the administration and police officials of the district.

"Unfortunately, in certain parts of the state I have witnessed deterioration of democracy. But I want to tell the people that there is no scope for fear in democracy. I am with the people of the state. I will not tolerate atrocities, intimidation or violence," he said.

Bose indirectly took a dig at the state government and the State Election Commission for their reluctance to abide by the Calcutta High Court's order to deploy central forces throughout the state for the panchayat polls in the wake of the continued violence.

"The Calcutta High Court has given certain directions to ensure free and fair polls. These have to be achieved at any cost," Bose said.

Trinamool Congress spokesman Kunal Ghosh, meanwhile, ridiculed the Governor for making such statements, saying, "The Governor is adding fuel to the false allegations levelled by the Left Front, Congress and BJP.

Also Read Mamata Banerjee to leave for three-day tour to West Bengal districts Mamata meets Patnaik, calls to strengthen India's federal structure West Bengal violence: BJP demands Mamata Banerjee's resignation, NIA probe BJP trying to replicate Manipur-like situation in Bengal: Mamata Banerjee I have very good working relationship with govt: Bengal Governor Bose Cyclone Biparjoy: IMD issues heavy rainfall warning for multiple states VHP launches protest against Karnataka govt repealing anti-conversion law Max temp in Delhi at 39.2 degrees Celsius, Met predicts thunderstorm on Sun Karnataka CM writes to Union Health Minister on setting up AIIMS in Raichur Karnataka minister hits back at BJP over criticism on rice scheme

"Is the Governor a political agent? He did not visit the spot when the horrific train accident took place at Balasore. He does not make spot visits when anyone from Trinamool is murdered."

--IANS

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Indias social safety in the absence of well-grounded development, Europes vehicle future, developing an alternative capitalism, and Indians base attitude towards nature. This is what we have for the weekend

This week, T N Ninan says it might be argued that India is moving in an unplanned and haphazard way towards setting up a social safety net  The constraint, as always, is money  There is an urgent need for public debate on this central political-economy question

R Gopalakrishnan says developing and perpetuating SHE (sustainable, humane and enlightened) values (in a company) is like a long river, from its origin till it rushes to meet the sea.

Instead of retiring every internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle in the EU, Germany has proposed a switch to a carbon-neutral synthetic fuel for them. Devangshu Datta explores the issue.

Kanika Datta looks at the feral instincts of Indians when they are exposed to nature and wildlife.

QUOTE

Also Read Best of BS Opinion: Fumes of failure, setting standards, and more Best of BS Opinion: Laws and order, corporate battles of 2023, and more Best of BS Opinion: Dumping ground, defending constitutional order, & more Best of BS Opinion: Unintended consequences, green growth conundrum, & more Best of BS Opinion: Tapping global trade, confirming compliance, and more Best of BS Opinion: Pathways to a Viksit Bharat, rules of recovery, & more Best of BS Opinion: Needless intervention, tackling waste problem, and more Best of BS Opinion: Govt in election mode, the right incentive, and more Best of BS Opinion: Facing the El Nino threat, growth driver, and more Best of BS Opinion: Unable to connect, Israel's Apartheid 2.0, and more

Some undesirable incidents (concerning panchayat elections) have happened in some parts of Bengal. I have made my inferences about them. No violence will be tolerated and we will have to end it.

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose

There is no other state other than Bengal where the panchayat poll nomination process is so peaceful.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
Despite a formal declaration of not contesting in the West Bengal panchayat polls as an expression of solidarity towards Trinamool Congress, as many as 13 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates have filed nominations so far for the different tiers of the rural civic body system in the state.

Of the 13 candidates, nine are for Gram Panchayat level and four for panchayat samiti level.

However, there is not a single nomination for the highest ties of the panchayat system which is Zilla Parishad.

Although the number is negligible compared to the total number of seats in the panchayat system, the development has embarrassed the AAP leadership in West Bengal especially when the earlier non-contest declaration came from the highest leadership of the party.

According to the central observer of AAP for West Bengal, Sanjay Basu, they will approach the West Bengal State Election Commission with the plea that the nominations for these 13 candidates be cancelled following scrutiny as these nominations do not have the endorsement of the party leadership.

"We are a national party and how could anyone file nominations without the endorsement of the party. We will initiate necessary legal action against them. If they are party members strict disciplinary action will be initiated against them" he said.

Also Read Legal crisis erupts in Bengal over slander campaign against HC judge TMC will not join CPM-Cong alliance in Tripura, Mamata to visit on Feb 6 Calculations that cost Trinamool Congress its national party status Won't answer to legal notice from non-existent 'TMC': Suvendu Adhikari In cash-strapped Punjab, CM Mann sits tight on OPS, focuses on freebies AAP demands K'taka BJP MLA Muniratna's immediate arrest over fake bill scam BJP fleecing people in name of Lord Ram, says AAP leader Sanjay Singh Manipur requires a political solution, not mere deployment: Surjewala Trying to destroy history: Raut after Centre renames Nehru Memorial Museum WB rural polls: Adhikari seeks probe into TMC's abnormally high nominations

To recall, immediately after the polling dates for the panchayat elections were announced on June 8, the AAP leadership made a formal announcement that it will not be contesting in the rural civic body polls as an expression of solidarity towards Trinamool Congress.

It was learnt that AAP's state leadership made this announcement following an instruction from the party's national high- command. Now with 13 candidates filing nomination an internal probe has started on how these candidates managed to procure certificates to contest as the party candidate.

--IANS

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BJP leaders on Saturday staged a protest at Kangra district headquarters in Himachal Pradesh, demanding a probe by the National Investigation Agency in the Chamba murder case.

The protesting leaders and workers also submitted a memorandum to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla.

The opposition party has demanded the immediate arrest of the main accused and called for a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Criticising the functioning of the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led state government, the BJP leaders accused the administration of obstructing the Opposition leaders, including the Leader of Opposition (LoP) and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, from entering Salooni town in Chamba to meet the family of a murder victim.

The chopped body of Manohar, a resident of Bhandal village, was found in a drain in Bandal panchayat of Salooni on June 8, two days after he went missing. The 28-year-old was murdered over a love affair.

Police have arrested three persons, including Hussain. The others are Hussain's wife Farida, and Shabir.

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Kangra BJP president Chandrabhushan Nag alleged that whenever the Congress government comes to power in the state, incidents of anarchy and hooliganism increase.

He pointed out that the Gudiya rape and murder incident took place during the previous Congress government and the recent murder in Chamba district, adding that both the cases have disturbed the peace in Devbhoomi.

Nag emphasised the need for an NIA investigation, citing the suspicious background of the main accused in the Chamba episode, who possesses substantial property and faces allegations of encroachment on government land.

State BJP's media in-charge Rakesh Sharma raised concerns over the fact that the accused in the case had not been arrested yet, questioning the intentions of the administration and the government.

He alleged that Chief Minister Sukhu himself has not visited the family of the victim.

The incident has led to communal tension in the area. Section 144 of CrPC was imposed in Salooni on Thursday after a mob burned down the house of Musafir Hussain, accused of killing the man over an affair with his niece.
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Friday called Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy "brother" of Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader of North Korea while accusing Reddy of ruling by "intimidating" people of the state. During an interaction with the media at Kuppam, the Telegu Desham Party chief said, "No one can continue to rule by simply threatening the people. Jagan is the "brother" of Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader of North Korea".

Observing that the people of Kuppam are electing him with affection, the TDP supremo felt that Jagan, however, is getting elected as he has become a constant threat to the voters of Pulivendula. The citizens of Visakhapatnam, who did not care for the Hud Hud cyclone, are now getting scared of the YSRCP leaders, he remarked.

"When I said that these demons will be attacking the people, you did not believe me. One can see now what is happening," Chandrababu observed. The latest incident in which the family members of the YSRCP MP have been kidnapped reflects the prevailing situation in the port city of Visakhapatnam, the TDP supremo alleged.

Jagan has till now ruled the State by simply threatening the people and the public is no longer ready to bear it, Chandrababu alleged, adding that they are now getting prepared to revolt against the State Government. The people will soon chase Jagan out of the State, he stated.

Is it, not a fact that all the developmental works in Kuppam have been brought to a grinding halt, Chandrababu asked? "The responsibility of bringing the State back to normalcy is on me. If I too leave the State in this condition Andhra Pradesh will totally get destroyed," the former chief minister maintained.

Stating that the manifesto was released at the recent Mahanadu after closely observing the condition of the people, Chandrababu Naidu asked whether it is not a fact that the conditions in Hyderabad had improved a lot after he took up the developmental works. "I will develop Andhra Pradesh too on similar lines," he said and felt that borrowing funds is nothing great but assets should be created for the progress of the State.

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Chandrababu demanded an answer from the State Government as to why the revenue has fallen so low now and claimed that had the TDP continued in power the difference in revenue between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh would not have been so high. Chandrababu admitted that it is a fact that he did not concentrate much on the party as he was more focused on the development of the State as the chief minister.

Chandrababu took strong objection to the "highly objectionable attitude" of the State Government towards the Jana Sena chief, Pawan Kalyan. The Cabinet Ministers have made it a habit to simply use highly "objectionable language" against the TDP leaders and Pawan Kalyan, Mr Chandrababu Naidu said.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Saturday slammed Congress for its criticism of the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society in Delhi and said that the museum earlier showcased only former PM Jawaharlal Nehru's contributions, whereas now contributions of all PMs have been displayed.

The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society in Delhi have been renamed as Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society.

While talking to ANI, Sushil Modi said, "Congress did not showcase his (Jawaharlal Nehru) contributions properly in the museum. I visited the museum and some of his documents, and chairs were kept but now it is very well displayed."

"Earlier it was focused only on Jawaharlal Nehru but now the contributions of all PMs have been shown and hence name can't be only on the name of Jawaharlal Nehru," he added.

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla launched a scathing attack on the grand old party, terming it a "Family Ltd Company".

Poonawalla said, "Congress cannot see beyond one family. It is a Family Ltd Company, a Family Ltd Enterprise. If respect is given to PMs HD Deve Gowda, Inder Kumar Gujral, Charan Singh, Chandrashekhar and others who contributed to this nation but did not have the fortune of belonging to one family, if their contribution is celebrated in a museum why is it a dictatorial attitude?"

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The Culture Ministry said on Friday that it had been decided to change the name of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society to Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society. The decision was taken at a special meeting of the Memorial Museum and Library Society presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Vice-President of the Society.

This project was approved by Executive Council, NMML in its 162nd meeting held in November 2016. The Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya was opened to the public on April 21 last year.

During the inauguration, despite receiving an invitation from the government, no member of the Nehru-Gandhi family was present for the function. Three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi have served as Prime Ministers of the country.

The Culture Ministry release said that the Museum is a seamless blend which begins at the renovated and refurbished Nehru Museum building, "now completely updated with technologically advanced displays on the life and contribution of Jawaharlal Nehru".

"Housed in a new building the museum then goes on to tell the story of how our Prime Ministers navigated the nation through various challenges and ensured all-round progress of the country. It recognizes all the Prime Ministers, thereby democratizing the institutional memory," the release said.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda on Friday slammed Congress over its remarks on the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library as Prime Minister's Museum and Library Society and said that its inability to accept that there are leaders beyond "one dynasty" is a classic example of "political indigestion".

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday slammed the Centre and said that the move shows the "cheap mentality and dictatorial attitude" of the BJP and RSS.

"Classic example of political indigestion- the inability to accept a simple fact that there are leaders beyond one dynasty who have served and built our nation. PM Sangrahalaya is an effort beyond politics and Congress lacks the vision to realise this," Nadda tweeted.

In a series of tweets Nadda further said, "In PM Sangrahalaya, every PM has got respect. The section relating to Pandit Nehru hasn't been altered."

"On the contrary, its prestige has been enhanced. For a party which ruled India for over 50 years, their pettiness is really tragic. It's also the reason people are rejecting them," he further said.
Hitting out at the Central government, Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Saturday said that the violence-hit Manipur "requires a political solution, not a mere deployment of police-military to handle law and order".

Surjewala's remark comes after former Army Chief Ved Prakash Malik and Lt General of Army L Nishikanta Singh (retired) dubbed the condition in Manipur as "stateless".

In a Twitter post, the Congress General Secretary said: "Manipur's destructive violence has left a long trail of blood, deaths, destruction, distrust in Govt forcing a Lt. General of Indian Army to call Manipur as 'stateless' & comparing it to Lebanon-Nigeria-Syria an Ex Chief of Indian Army to plead for action. IS ANYONE LISTENING?".

In the post, Surjewala noted that since the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, "over 115 dead, over 50,000 displaced, over 121 churches of 15 denominations burnt down, more then 5,000 weapons looted (only 1,100 have been returned), home of even Union MOS for External Affairs has been burnt down, besides destroying large number of government buildings".

"The confusion in handling Manipur is best described in the statements of ruling BJP's CM and our Army General's perception of why is Manipur burning? Manipur BJP CM has described the violence as an act of terrorists.

"But our Army General, Anil Chauhan says it has, 'nothing to do with counterinsurgency and is primarily a clash between two ethnicities'. But PM Modi remains 'oblivious' to Manipur," he added.

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Targeting the Prime Minister, Surjewala went on to say that the Modi has "neither visited Manipur (he found time to visit Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia and is now headed to US), nor once took stock by calling for a meeting or Chairing a meeting to review the situation in Manipur, nor once expressed dismay over violence or spoke about it in last 45 days since May 3".

Also hitting out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Congress leader said: "HM, Amit Shah found time to visit Manipur only 27 days after the death and destruction. His solutions have yielded zero result and since then, he has completely ignored Manipur as if it is not his charge. BJP Chief Minister Biren Singh has definitely failed miserably to handle the situation and any semblance of government has crumbled in the state.

"BJP National President, J.P. Nadda maintains a 'stony silence' over Manipur as if nothing is happening. Everything has been dumped on the shoulders of our Army and police to maintain law and order and Modi government appears to have washed its hands off."

Firing salvos at the governkent, Surjewala added: "But will this work? Is this expected of PM Modi? Should PM not take initiative? Should PM and Union Government not initiate a fresh dialogue with both ethnic groups? Do the victims of violence not require a direct healing touch from PM and Union government assuring them of support and rehabilitation? Should PM not acknowledge that State BJP government has utterly failed to run the government in accordance with the Constitution?

"Should PM and Union government not ensure that raging violence and disruption comes to an end and normal political process is restored, instead of dumping its responsibility on our Army?."

He further said that question is same as raised by Nishikanta Singh. "Is Modi government even listening? Does PM even care? Is government even concerned? Time to act in National Interest."

The remarks by the Congress leader came after former Army Chief Malik said on Friday that the law and order situation in Manipur needs "urgent attention at highest level".

Gen Malik (retd), refferring to a tweet by Lt Gen L. Nishikanta Singh (retd), tweeted: "An extraordinarily sad call from a retired Lt Gen from Manipur. Law & order situation in Manipur needs urgent attention at the highest level."

Gen Malik, who served as the 19th Chief of Army Staff from September 30, 1997 to September 30, 2000, tagged Prime Minister Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Shah in his tweet.

Earlier, Lt Gen Singh (retd) tweeted: "I'm just an ordinary Indian from Manipur living a retired life. The state is now 'stateless'. Life and property can be destroyed anytime by anyone just like in Libya, Lebanon, Nigeria, Syria, etc. It appears Manipur has been left to stew in its own juice. Is anyone listening?"

The devastating ethnic violence began after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised by a tribal student body in the hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community's Scheduled Tribe status demand.

--IANS

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Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's mediocre communication skills and the 2G spectrum allocation scam paved the way for PM Narendra Modi's rise, said former CEO of Prasar Bharati Shashi Shekhar in an exclusive interview with ANI, adding that PM Modi has rewritten the rules of communication with the use of technology.

A technocrat and author of a book based on Prime Minister Modi's monthly radio address 'Mann Ki Baat', Shashi Shekhar Vempati is a leader in the media and technology space.

"Dr Manmohan Singh's communication abilities were I mean very very mediocre let's put it that way. He was not a public speaker. He was very uncomfortable. He didn't inspire confidence so clearly that was also playing and then of course what happened with the 2G scam and the Radia tapes all of that I think added up to create the perfect set of conditions for PM Modi to rise", Shekhar said.

Shekhar said that PM Modi plays the role not just of 'Chief executor but also as Communicator in Chief' which has been very effective in the administration process.

"I think you can see that in fact even in the book I mentioned this that Mr Modi plays that role not just as Chief executor but also as Communicator-in-Chief. I think it is two roles you have to play to lead the administration and you also have to communicate what you're doing and I think it has been very effective at doing both of his roles", he added.

The former CEO of Prasar Bharati said that PM Modi is India's first Prime Minister as well as a politician to think digitally which is very important in today's communication world.

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"...when I talk about him being the Communicator-in-Chief there's one aspect which is very distinctive. He's perhaps India's first not just the Prime Minister but also as a politician who thinks digital first. I think that's very important in today's communication world. It's not just about you know broadcast or print you have to think digital first. Your first statement on any given incident is 140 characters on Twitter. Your first reaction to something is an image on Instagram or you know or a live stream on YouTube and so on so that digital-first I think is a very distinctive aspect about his communication..." Shekhar said.

Shekhar further highlighted how over-communication is sometimes the right thing to do in the digital era.

"...I think it has to do with the fact that in this digital era where attention spans are so small where there's just so much of overload of information so many things that are crowding up your timelines, your WhatsApp groups and so on for you to get your message through you have to over-communicate in the hope that out of those 10 things that you would create maybe one will get noticed. I think that's the reality we are seeing I mean forget politics... Even in the media business, I've run a media company as well and you see the analytics, the data, the attention span is so small. It is so hard. Unless you know it's a phenomenally controversial subject you just can't get the attention of the audience and the audience is fragmented across you know a wide variety of topics so that is perhaps the reason why it's important to flood the audience because something will stick out, something will stand out. Also, I think there is an element of people also overreacting that they're too sensitive to some of this communication...", he added.

Shashi Shekhar is also a member of Team Modi and worked in the 2014 campaign for the general elections. Shekhar has also been CEO of national broadcaster Prasar Bharati and is credited with having brought a change in the working style of the national broadcaster.
The NCP will observe June 20 as "gaddar day" (traitors' day) to mark the first anniversary of the rebellion in Shiv Sena which was led by Eknath Shinde and culminated in the collapse of the then Maha Vikas Aghadi government in June 2022.

The MVA comprises Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), NCP, and Congress.

State Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Jayant Patil has asked the party cadres to protest against the rebel MLA of Shiv Sena.

"NCP workers should organise protests in the nook and corner of the state by displaying symbolic 'khoke' (boxes of money) based on which the Eknath Shinde government has come to power," he said on Saturday.

Patil appealed to NCP workers to tell people that the temporary happiness of the Shinde camp, which was recognised by the Election Commission as real Shiv Sena, is on the wane and their days in government are numbered.

The Sharad Pawar-led party had earlier organised public meetings explaining the Supreme Court verdict on the political crisis in Maharashtra and how speaker Rahul Narvekar is duty-bound to disqualify 16 rebel MLAs.

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The Supreme Court last month ruled that then Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari was not justified in calling upon then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove a majority in the Assembly on June 30, 2022. A constitutional bench had also observed that it cannot restore the Thackeray government as he resigned without facing a floor test.

On June 20, 2022, Shinde and some MLAs of Shiv Sena (undivided) reached a hotel in Surat, hours after Maharashtra Legislative Council polls saw the BJP winning a fifth seat despite not having enough numbers in the Assembly.

After the Council poll results, Shinde went incommunicado and later it came to light he is camping in the hotel along with some party MLAs. The number later swelled and MLAs loyal to Shinde were flown to Guwahati.

Shinde and other MLAs returned to Mumbai on June 29 after Uddhav Thackeray resigned as the chief minister without facing the floor test.

It emerged later that Shinde has the support of 39 out of 56 MLAs of Shiv Sena, which is headed by Uddhav Thackeray.

Later, Shinde took oath as the chief minister and Devendra Fadnavis of BJP as his deputy on June 30.
The BJP on Saturday slammed the Tamil Nadu government over the arrest of its Tamil Nadu leader S G Suryah, alleging that Chief Minister M K Stalin has taken "revenge" for the arrest of his Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.

Suryah was arrested by the police in Chennai late on Friday under sections of the IPC and the IT Act. Police sources said the action was based on a CPI(M) complaint against a social media post by the BJP state secretary.

Reacting to the arrest, BJP national spokesperson Tom Vaddakan told a press conference at the party headquarters here, "I call it a vendetta arrest. The chief minister has said in a statement after the arrest of Balaji that he will take revenge."



The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested Balaji under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in an alleged cash-for-jobs scam in the state transport department when he was the transport minister in the AIADMK government during 2011-15. He later joined the Stalin-led DMK.

Vaddakan said the action has been taken against Suryah for his tweet about the death of a sanitation worker in Tamil Nadu, while Balaji was arrested "for his involvement in cash-for-jobs scam".

On the minister's arrest, the BJP spokesperson said, "This is not the case that we brought about. It was a case in which Chief Minister Stalin himself wanted Balaji to be arrested for corruption when he was in the opposition."



With Suryah's arrest, a message has been sent out that "if you raise any issue, then Stalin will strike," he charged.

Vaddakan alleged that the Tamil Nadu Police has arrested Suryah for his tweet in a retaliatory action because Stalin is "worried that Senthil will expose him".

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"Today, when Senthil is a minister in the DMK government, he has connection with the chief minister and a lot of expose is going to happen," the BJP spokesperson claimed.

"That is why he (Stalin) rushed to the hospital to meet the minister (Senthil).... He is worried that Senthil will expose him," he alleged.

"And worried he should be because his acts of omissions and commissions that he has committed jointly will take him to the place where he deserves to be," the BJP spokesperson said, adding, "this is a message to the Tamil Nadu chief minister that he should concentrate on governance".
Hours after Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi on Friday opposed arrested state minister V. Senthil Balaji continuing as a member of the council of ministers as "he is facing criminal proceedings for moral turpitude and is currently in judicial custody", the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dubbed it as yet another case of "tyranny of the unelected".

In a series of tweets, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said, "Another case of tyranny of the unelected. Tamil Nadu Governor has unilaterally remarked that an MLA can't continue as a minister - something which is unheard of. Constitutionally, council of ministers is CM's sole prerogative, not Governor's."

He said the recent events in Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have shown that some Governors are excessively overstepping their bounds.

"In Punjab, the Governor had refused to summon the budget session of the Assembly and rejected the cabinet's resolution to this effect. In Delhi, the L-G has consistently and systematically paralysed governance and crippled the elected government. What we are witnessing across non-BJP states is a dangerous trend. Governors are not above the law," he said.

"The people of India elect their governments and Governors are bound by the aid and advice of the council of ministers. The tyranny of the unelected Governors must not go unchecked," Chadha added.

His remarks came after the Tamil Nadu Governor approved the re-allocation of the portfolios of Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Direcrorate (ED) in a money laundering case on Wednesday.

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However, the Governor did not agree to Balaji continuing as a member of the council of ministers as "he is facing criminal proceedings for moral turpitude and is currently in judicial custody", according to a Raj Bhavan release.

Balaji is presently admitted to a Chennai hospital following complains of heart ailment.

--IANS

aks/arm
President Joe Biden made a passionate call for tougher gun restrictions Friday, celebrating the one-year anniversary of the first significant piece of federal firearms legislation in nearly three decades but declaring it was only an important first step. He urged voters to defeat lawmakers who resist.

Prayers are fine. They're important ... but it's not going to stop it," Biden said, pressing Congress to take more aggressive steps to restrict access to guns. You have to take action. You have to move. You have to do something.

If this Congress refuses to act, we need a new Congress.

Biden applauded the crowd at a gun safety summit in Connecticut full of survivors of gun violence and family members of victims for turning your pain into purpose and vowed not to let up on his advocacy for tougher laws.

He spoke on the anniversary of last year's legislation that tightened gun access, signed a few weeks after a gunman took the lives of 19 elementary school children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. A decade earlier, 26 children and staff were killed in the Sandy Hook school massacre less than an hour's drive from Hartford.

Last year's law toughened background checks for the youngest gun buyers, sought to keep firearms from domestic violence offenders and aimed to help states put in place red flag laws that make it easier to take weapons away from people judged to be dangerous.

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Biden ticked off several ways that he said the 2022 law had already made an impact.

Stepped-up FBI background checks have blocked more than 200 transactions of attempted purchasers under the age of 21. Prosecutions have increased for unlicensed gun sellers, and new gun trafficking penalties have been charged in more than 100 cases around the country. Prosecutions for those who sell firearms without a license have doubled.

If this law had been in place a year ago, lives would have been saved, Biden contended.

He also pointed to provisions that increased funding for mental health services and safety measures as well as the enhanced background checks for buyers under 21. He pushed anew for universal background checks for purchasers and the banning of so-called assault weapons.

Those are part of a 2024 political platform that was all but unthinkable to Democrats as recently as Barack Obama's term.

Friday's gathering was led by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and major gun safety groups hoping to build on recent gains.

"We actually had it wrong for a long time. We left an opportunity on the table for decades, Murphy said of the push for gun safety legislation. He said there was an impression after Democratic election losses that dogged the party following passage of a crime bill in the 1990s that voters weren't interested in gun safety and it was a losing issue politically.

That was just a lie," Murphy said. "But it was a lie the gun lobby did a great job of selling, with some help from Democrats.

In particular, Biden wants to ban so-called assault weapons, a political term to describe guns most often used in mass shootings with the capacity to kill a lot of people quickly. However, the idea of further action or unilateral action by the White House makes some Republicans who voted for the 2022 gun legislation uneasy.

I'm a little apprehensive, said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. I don't want them writing a rule that basically deviates from what we've negotiated or voted on.

Millions of new dollars have flowed into mental health services for children and schools. On Friday, the departments of Health and Human Services and Education sent a joint letter to governors highlighting resources available to them to help support mental health in particular if a student has been impacted by gun violence.

I think there's no question about it, the passage was a watershed moment, said John Feinblatt, head of Everytown for Gun Safety. The law clearly broke a log jam.

Yet since that bill signing last summer, the tally of mass shootings in the United States has only grown. As of Friday, there have been at least 26 mass killings in the U.S. so far in 2023, leaving at least 131 people dead, not including shooters who died, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

That puts the country on a faster pace for mass killings than in any other year since 2006, according to the database, which defines a mass killing as one in which four or more people are killed, not including the perpetrator, within a 24-hour period.

Firearms are the No. 1 killer of children in the U.S., and so far this year 85 children younger than 11 have died by guns and 491 between the ages of 12 and 17 have died. As of 2020, the firearm mortality rate for those under age 19 is 5.6 per 100,000. The next comparable is Canada, with 0.08 deaths per 100,000.

After his speech in West Hartford, Biden headed to a fundraiser in Greenwich. In the coming days, he will accelerate his campaign travel, making stops in New York, California, Illinois and Maryland before the end of the month.
Russia has already stationed a first batch of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russian President Vladimir Putin was quoted by a media outlet as saying.

Putin made the remarks during his speech at St Petersburg International Economic Forum. He told the forum that they (tactical nuclear weapons) would only be used if Russian territory or state was threatened, the BBC reported.

The US government says there is no indication that the Kremlin plans to use nuclear weapons to attack Ukraine.

"We don't see any indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after Putin's comments.

Putin said that transferring the tactical nuclear warheads would be completed by the end of the summer, the British news broadcaster reported.

The Russian President said that the move was about "containment" and to remind anyone "thinking of inflicting a strategic defeat on us".

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When asked by the forum's moderator about the possibility of using those weapons, he replied: "Why should we threaten the whole world? I have already said that the use of extreme measures is possible in case there is a danger to Russian statehood."

Tactical nuclear weapons are small nuclear warheads and delivery systems intended for use on the battlefield, or for a limited strike. They are designed to destroy enemy targets in a specific area without causing widespread radioactive fallout.

The smallest tactical nuclear weapons can be one kiloton or less (producing the equivalent to a thousand tonnes of the explosive TNT). The largest ones can be as big as 100 kilotons. By comparison, the atomic bomb the US dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 was 15 kilotons.

--IANS

sha/
Mali's top diplomat demanded on Friday that UN peacekeepers who have been in this West African country grappling with an Islamic insurgency for more than a decade leave immediately, claiming they had failed in their mission.

Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop made the request in a speech to the United Nations Security Council. He said the UN mission had not achieved its objectives and was sowing distrust among the people.

Mali has struggled to contain an Islamic extremist insurgency since 2012. Extremist rebels were forced from power in Mali's northern cities the following year, with the help of a French-led military operation, but they regrouped in the desert and began launching attacks on the Malian army and its allies.

The UN peacekeepers a contingent of more than 15,000 came in a few months later in what has become one of the most dangerous UN missions in the world. At least 170 peacekeepers have been killed in the country since 2013, according to the UN.

The Malian government asks for the withdrawal without delay" of the peacekeepers, Diop said in his speech at the council. He said the mission has not "been able to adequately respond to the security situation in Mali and that its future outlook doesn't seem to respond to the security needs of the Malians.

Mali has been ruled by a military junta following two coups, starting in 2020, led by Col. Assimi Goita, who now runs the country.

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Since Goita seized power, relations with the international community have become tense in part also because the junta brought in mercenaries fromRussia's Wagner Group, who are engaged in Moscow's war on Ukraine.

In recent months, Mali's government has constrained the peacekeepers' ability to operate, and countries such as Benin, Germany, Sweden, Ivory Coast and the United Kingdom have announced troop withdrawals.

Diop's demand came as the Security Council began discussing the mission's mandate, which expires on June 30.

US Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis told Friday's meeting that Washington was especially frustrated by Mali's ongoing restrictions" against the freedom of movement and access for the peacekeeping mission, known as MINUSMA.

Conflict analysts see Mali's demand as worrying.

It's a grim development," said Laith Alkhouri, CEO of Intelonyx Intelligence Advisory, which provides intelligence analysis. Alkhouri said the demand appears to be a result of the junta's "aspirations to keep a tight grip on power, as well as a response to increasing public pressure after multiple protests".

But many Malians say the peacekeepers have brought no stability.

What I can see is that despite the presence of the (UN), we don't have peace," Mohamed Sissoko a resident of the capital, Bamako, told The Associated Press.

The spokesperson for the UN mission in Mali, Fatoumata Kaba, said the UN would respond to the request but couldn't immediately comment.

On Sunday, the African nation is to hold a long-awaited referendum on a new constitution as a path to elections, scheduled for February next year.
NATO launched a new center Friday for protecting undersea pipelines and cables following the still-unsolved apparent attack on the Nord Stream pipelines and amid concern Russia is mapping vital Western infrastructure for energy and the internet in waters around Europe.

The threat is developing, Lt. Gen. Hans-Werner Wiermann, who heads a special cell focused on the challenge, said after NATO defense ministers gave the greenlight for the new center, located in Northwood, northwest London.

Russian ships have actively mapped our critical undersea infrastructure. There are heightened concerns that Russia may target undersea cables and other critical infrastructure in an effort to disrupt Western life, he told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

NATO was spurred into action after an apparent attack on two Baltic Sea gas pipelines in September.

The suspected attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, which were built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany, are still being investigated. No blame has been officially attributed, but NATO has boosted its presence in the Baltic and North Seas since then, with dozens of ships, supported by maritime patrol aircraft and undersea equipment like drones.

About 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) of oil and gas pipelines crisscross the North Sea alone, and systems, networks and grids are impossible to watch 24/7. Around 100 cable cutting incidents are reported every year around the world, and it is often hard to tell whether they are deliberate.

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There's no way that we can have NATO presence along also these thousands of kilometers of undersea infrastructure, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters after chairing the meeting.

But we can be better at collecting intelligence, sharing information, connecting the dots, because also in the private sector there is a lot of information about ship movements and maritime surveillance, he added.

Rather than trying to watch it all, the new center and NATO allies are focusing on high-risk areas. Pipelines in shallow waters that can easily be reached by divers are considerably vulnerable. Potential damage to data cables can be mitigated more easily by simply dropping in more cables.

Whatever the target, NATO believes it's important to catch saboteurs as they prepare their attacks.

To support the center, allies have decided to set up a critical undersea infrastructure network, bringing together NATO, allies and private sector actors. This will help to help improve information sharing about evolving risks and threats, Wiermann said.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has said that his brain-computer interface company Neuralink is likely to begin the first human trial this year.

Addressing the VivaTech trade fair in Paris late on Friday, Musk said that "it's looking like the first case will be later this year".

Last month, Neuralink received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to begin its first-in-human clinical study, which means that actual humans could have a Neuralink device implanted in their heads.

"We are excited to share that we have received the FDA's approval to launch our first-in-human clinical study," Neuralink said.

"This is the result of incredible work by the Neuralink team in close collaboration with the FDA and represents an important first step that will one day allow our technology to help many people," it added.

On receiving the FDA approval, Musk also tweeted congratulating the Neuralink team.

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In March, the FDA had rejected Neuralink's bid to implant a chip in a human brain over safety risks.

In December last year, Musk had claimed Neuralink's device is ready for human trials and he was expecting to do so in about six months after experimenting it on pigs and monkeys.

However, Musk's Neuralink would not be the first to implant a brain-computer interface into humans.

Neuralink rival Synchron launched human trials on six severely paralysed patients in the US to enable them to control digital devices hands-free, using just thoughts last year in May.

--IANS

na/shb/
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday picked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the party's president while Maryam Nawaz was chosen as the senior vice president.

The decision was taken in a meeting of the PML-N general council, which also chose several office bearers, including Ahsan Iqbal as secretary general.

Among other party leaders, Marriyum Aurangzeb was picked as the secretary of information, Ataullah Tarar as the deputy secretary, and Ishaq Dar as the secretary of finance and overseas affairs.

The elections were uncontested, apparently indicating a show of unity within the PML-N, but actually an indication of the iron grip by the Sharif family members who virtually hand-picked every office holder of the party.

Shehbaz was elevated in 2018 to hold the reins of the party after his elder brother as well as former premier Nawaz Sharif was first disqualified as prime minister and later barred by the country's apex court to lead the party as the president.

It is believed that Nawaz Sharif, who is living in London since 2019 when he went there for treatment, actually calls the shots in the PML-N by working in the shadows and every decision in the party is taken with his consent.

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Insiders say that he even makes top appointments in the government and was instrumental in the elevation of Ishaq Dar as finance minister last year in place of Miftah Ismail.

Prime Minister Shehbaz speaking after the election as president expressed his earnest desire to work as a soldier of his elder brother who, he said, would come back before the election to lead the party.

The political and economic landscape of the country will see a major change once he (Nawaz) returns to Pakistan, he said.

The prime minister talked about the economic challenges and the efforts to fulfil the conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to get a stalled loan and said the effort was to make a "short-term agreement" with the global lender.

He also praised Dar for improving the economic conditions of the cash-strapped country.

Maryam Nawaz, who is considered the real heir of Nawaz Sharif, in her address said Shehbaz never made any decision without consulting his brother, highlighting their close partnership and the overarching role of the self-exiled former premier.

She also condemned the May 9 violence and said those responsible would be punished.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to a group of African leaders to ask his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to free political prisoners from Crimea and beyond saying it could be an important part of their trip to Russia on Saturday.

Seven African leaders presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypt's prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda visited Ukraine on Friday as part of a self-styled peace mission to both Ukraine and Russia to try to help end their nearly 16-month-old war.

The African leaders were traveling to meet with Putin on Saturday in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.

The mission to Ukraine, the first of its kind by African leaders, comes in the wake of other peace initiatives such as one by China, and it carried extra importance for the African countries: They rely on food and fertilizer deliveries from Russia and Ukraine, whose war has impeded exports from one of the world's most important breadbaskets.

This conflict is affecting Africa negatively, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a news conference alongside Zelenskyy and the four other African heads of state or government, after the leaders met for closed-door talks Friday afternoon.

Ramaphosa and others acknowledged the intensity of the fight and the animosity between Russia and Ukraine, but insisted all wars must come to an end and that the delegation wants to help expedite that.

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I do believe that Ukrainians feel that they must fight and not give up. The road to peace is very hard," he said, adding that "there is a need to bring this conflict to an end sooner rather than later.

The delegation, including Senegal's President Macky Sall and Presidents Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, represents a cross-section of African views about the war.

South Africa, Senegal and Uganda have avoided censuring Moscow for the conflict, while Egypt, Zambia and Comoros voted against Russia last year in a U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning Moscow's invasion. Many African nations have long had close ties with Moscow, dating back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union supported their anti-colonial struggles.

The tenor of the press conference soured when Comoros President Azali Assoumani floated the idea of a road map to peace, prompting questions from Zelenskyy who sought a clarification and insisted he didn't want any surprises from their visit with Putin.

Zelenskyy then urged them to help free political prisoners from Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

Would you please ask Russia to liberate the political prisoners?" Zelenskyy said. "Maybe this will be an important result of your mission, of your road map'.

Zelenskyy expressed thinly veiled frustration about their trip, saying they would have conversations with the terrorists on Saturday.

International human rights organizations claim Russia has targeted the Crimean Tatar ethnic group with arbitrary detentions and unjustified prosecutions since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Many have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

The Russian Federation misuses its legislation for political purposes, in particular to suppress the nonviolent struggle of the Crimean Tatars and their protest against the occupation of Crimea, the Crimean Tatar Resource Center said in a statement last year.

Ramaphosa, who laid out 10 priorities to help pave the way to ending the war, said he planned to have a bilateral meeting with Putin in part to discuss the Russian leader's possible attendance at a planned August summit, hosted by South Africa, of the so-called BRICS countries, which also include Brazil, China and India.

The International Criminal Court in March issued an international arrest warrant against Putin over Russian abductions of Ukrainian children, which could complicate any trip by Putin to South Africa. Ramaphosa said he alone would decide whether to invite the Russian leader, saying it was still under consideration.

Before meeting with Zelenskyy, the African leaders went to Bucha, a Kyiv suburb where bodies of civilians lay scattered in the streets last year after Russian troops abandoned a campaign to seize the capital and withdrew from the area.

The delegation's stop in Bucha was symbolically significant, because the town has come to stand for the brutality of Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Russian occupation of Bucha left hundreds of civilians dead, with some showing signs of torture.

While in Bucha, the visitors placed commemorative candles at a small memorial outside a church near where a mass grave was unearthed.

On their way back to the capital, air raid sirens went off in Kyiv prompting them to briefly return to their hotel as a precautionary measure, Ramaphosa spokesman Vincent Magwenya said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted: Russian missiles are a message to Africa: Russia wants more war, not peace.

The Ukrainian air force said it shot down six Russian Kalibr cruise missiles, six Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missiles and two reconnaissance drones. It gave no details on where they were shot down.

Germany will deliver another 64 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Friday, to help shield it against Russia's relentless aerial attacks.

Officials who helped organize the delegation's talks said the African leaders not only aimed to initiate a peace process but also to assess how Russia, which is under heavy international sanctions, can be paid for fertilizer exports that Africa desperately needs.

They are also set to discuss the related issue of ensuring more grain shipments out of Ukraine, and the possibility of more prisoner swaps.

Life is universal, and we must protect lives Ukrainian lives, Russian lives, global lives, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema told The Associated Press. Instability anywhere is instability everywhere.

The African peace overture comes as Ukraine launches a counteroffensive to dislodge the Kremlin's forces from occupied areas, using Western-supplied advanced weapons in attacks along the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line. Western analysts and military officials have cautioned that the campaign could last a long time.

China presented its own peace proposal at the end of February. Ukraine and its allies largely dismissed the plan, and the warring sides look no closer to a cease-fire.

Ukrainian troops have recorded successes along three stretches of the front line in the south and east, Andriy Kovalev, a spokesman for the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces said in a statement Friday.

According to Kovalev, Ukrainian forces moved forward south of the town of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia province, in the direction of the village of Robotyne, as well as around Levadne and Staromaiorske, on the boundary between Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk province further east.

Kovalev said Ukraine's troops also advanced in some areas around Vuhledar, a mining town in Donetsk that was the site of a key tank battle.

It wasn't possible to independently verify the claims.

Russian shelling on Thursday and overnight killed two civilians and wounded two others in southern Ukraine's flood-hit Kherson region, where a major dam was destroyed last week, according to the region's governor, Oleksandr Prokudin.

Russian forces over the previous day launched 54 strikes across the province, using mortars, artillery, multiple rocket launchers, drones, missiles and aircraft, Prokudin said.

Floodwaters in the Kherson region have continued to recede, with the average level in flood-hit areas standing at 1.67 meters (about 5 feet) down from 5 meters (16 feet) last Tuesday, the Ukrainian presidential office said.
Saturday, June 17, 2023 at 7:00AM

Google Domains, a service that lets people easily create websites, is shutting down. Website builder and hosting provider Squarespace has announced that it will take over about 10 million domains from Google. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2023.

Squarespace promises to keep the same pricing for existing customers for at least a year after the acquisition. It also says it will use Googles technology to ensure the domains are transferred smoothly.

After everything is set, Squarespace will become the only option for people who want to buy a domain and use Google Workspace. Squarespace will also handle billing and support for Google Workspace customers who have domains from Google Domains. However, these customers may have to switch to Squarespaces payment system when their subscriptions renew.

The acquisition will undoubtedly strengthen Squarespaces position in the websites and domain market. Googles decision to sell is surprising but not unheard of. The company has a history of discontinuing popular products without warning.

Source
Taiwan youth see mainland as land of opportunities

Xinhua) 13:47, June 17, 2023

Guests attend the opening ceremony of the 21st Straits Youth Forum in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 16, 2023. The 21st Straits Youth Forum kicked off Friday in Xiamen. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- In a singing competition held for students across the Taiwan Strait last year, Mao Chih-yuan, a Taiwan student at a university on the Chinese mainland, won the award for the best original song in the division of college students.

"It is more than just a plane ticket that connects both sides of the Strait. Riding a motorcycle on the serene mountain slope, I feel my horizons broadened with dreams in my mind," sang the postgraduate of the School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU).

Born in Taitung County of Taiwan, Mao chose to study on the mainland because he found that the mainland "is full of opportunities and challenges."

Like Mao, an increasing number of young people from Taiwan have come to the mainland to pursue education, find jobs or start businesses, embracing ample opportunities offered by the other side of the Strait with an open and enterprising mindset.

GREATER ACHIEVEMENTS ON A BETTER PLATFORM

Mao set foot on the mainland for the first time after being admitted to the SJTU in 2015. After completion of his undergraduate program, he continued his studies at the SJTU for a master's degree.

"The top-notch faculty and abundant learning resources of the SJTU have benefited me a lot," said Mao, adding that the outstanding alumni inspired him to become a doctor proficient in both clinical practice and scientific research.

In the past year, Mao has been actively engaged in conducting experiments, publishing papers, and writing popular science articles. "Aiming high and working hard, one deserves greater achievements on a better platform," he said.

At his leisure, Mao would write songs to record his life in Shanghai and express his love for the city.

Speaking of his future plans, Mao said he would stay in Shanghai for further studies after completing his master's program and "strive to become an excellent medical practitioner in the future."

SERVE AS DRIVING FORCE

The past year has witnessed the busy life of Lai Yen-chun, a young instructor at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in central China's Hubei Province, who juggles her roles as a teacher, a lawyer, a mediator, and a volunteer of law education.

Coming from Taiwan and having lived in Wuhan, capital city of Hubei Province, for 14 years, Lai received higher education at Wuhan University, where she was elected as vice president of the student union in the School of Law, the first Taiwanese ever elected to the position.

During her master's program, she passed the national judicial examination and became the first legal practitioner from Taiwan in Hubei.

She has since dedicated herself to public interest services, providing legal consultations and law education for Taiwan compatriots on the mainland.

"When I came to Wuhan alone to pursue my studies, I felt at first confused and frustrated since I was unfamiliar with the city," she said. "Thanks to the care and encouragement from my teachers, classmates, friends, and the local Taiwan affairs office, I overcame the challenges and reach where I am today."

In 2022, Lai was awarded the Hubei Youth May Fourth Medal, the highest honor for outstanding individuals in the province.

Now, Lai often shares her experience with youth in Taiwan through the media. "I would like to serve as the driving force behind every youngster in Taiwan," she said.

SUPPORT DREAM SEEKERS

Coming to the mainland from Taiwan in 2009 as a dream chaser, Fanchiang-Feng, now general manager of the Qida Straits Youths Entrepreneurial and Incubation Center, has now become an entrepreneur helping others to chase their dreams.

Since establishing a start-up incubator in Xiamen in 2016, he and his team have assisted more than 40,000 young people from Taiwan to come to the mainland for exchanges and communication, and supported Taiwan youngsters in launching hundreds of start-up projects on the mainland.

Fanchiang's entrepreneurship experience enabled him to realize the importance of cooperation between Taiwan and the mainland in starting a business. "By working together, young entrepreneurs from across the Strait can learn from each other and achieve greater progress."

At Qida, each department is staffed with directors from both Taiwan and the mainland, and Qida's subsidiary companies are encouraged to have partners from both sides.

"They act as 'translators' to each other who can narrow the unnecessary information gap to the greatest extent and enhance efficiency in their work," Fanchiang said.

He believes that as the integrated development across the Strait deepens, more and more aspiring young people from Taiwan will come to the mainland to pursue their dreams on the fertile ground of opportunities.

"We youth from across the Strait should join hands to shoulder the missions of the times and live up to our youth," Fanchiang said.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Sheng Chuyi)
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) is looking for male Indian residents to apply for the position of Constable in the General Central Service Group 'C' Non-Gazetted (Non-Ministerial). The ITBP has issued a job announcement for 458 Driver positions as Constables on a contract basis, with the prospect of permanent employment with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force.

Overview

Type of Employment Defence Jobs

Total Vacancies 458

Location All India

Post Name Constable (Driver)

ITBP Official Website http://itbpolice.nic.in/

Apply Online Starting Date 27th June 2023

Apply Online Last Date 26th July 2023

Notification

On June 12th, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) issued an official notification for the ITBP Driver Notification 2023. The ITBP Recruitment 2023 effort seeks to fill Driver positions across the organisation. The official notification details the eligibility criteria, application process, selection method, and significant dates for prospective candidates

Salary

The selected candidates will receive a salary in the range of Rs. 21700 to Rs. 69100 (Level-3).

Age Limit
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Postgraduate (NEET PG 2023) result-cum-scorecard is released for All India 50% quota seats. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) conducted the PG medical entrance exam on March 5 and declared NEET PG results on May 14.

NEET PG category-wise rank list has been uploaded for admission to All India 50% quota MD, MS, postgraduate diploma courses for the academic year 2023-24. Candidates will be able to view and download the NEET PG scorecard from the NBE official websites, natboard.edu.in or nbe.edu.in.



NEET PG Results 2023: Cut-off

General/EWS 50th Percentile 291

General-PwBD 45th Percentile 274

SC/ST/OBC (IncludingPwBD of SC/ST/OBC) 40th Percentile 257

Steps to download NEET PG category rank list
Toyota Motor Philippines has introduced one of its most important new models of the year: the all-new Wigo. As Filipinos seek to become more...
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13 Hamilton County high school students graduated from BASFs TECH Academy program which, in partnership with Chattanooga State Community College, introduces students to technical and craft careers through skills classes, workshops and industry tours.

TECH Academy gives high school students a unique opportunity to explore a wide range of career opportunities through hands-on activities with industry professionals, said Brittany Davis, operations manager at BASFs Chattanooga site. BASF sponsors this program in collaboration with Chattanooga State Community College in hopes that students interested in technical careers feel more prepared and empowered to pursue jobs within STEM fields.

TECH Academy began each day with a hands-on classroom session with experiments and demonstrations led by Chattanooga State instructors. Students then participated in afternoon field trips to local manufacturing facilities where they gained insight into different industry procedures and practices and learned about career opportunities. Students toured Tennessee American Water, Nokian Tyres, Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga Bakery, and BASFs Chattanooga facility.

In addition to industry tours and classroom demonstrations, the students learned soft skills and technical skills such as engineering practices, welding, mechatronics and more.

BASFs TECH Academy helps kids my age decide what type of career they may want to pursue, said Tauheedah Brady, high school senior at Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy. Im interested in a technical career path and this program allowed me to see various opportunities up close. I think its great that BASF and Chattanooga State Community College offer TECH Academy every summer. Everyone should take advantage of this program.

TECH Academy is part of BASFs STEM education and workforce development efforts in North America to support industry growth and regional investment. The program is funded annually by BASF and is free for students. The application process is open to any local student going into their junior or senior year of high school interested in technical careers. Applications for the 2024 TECH Academy will open in February.

The following students completed TECH Academy 2023:
Virginia Estelle Coflin Wooden passed away peacefully at her home on Thursday, June 15, 2023 at the age of 96.

She was born in Atlanta in 1926 to Luther and Fannie Coflin, originally of Illinois. She moved to Signal Mountain in 1938 where she lived for the rest of her life. She joined Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church and was an active member until her health declined. She was awarded a Presbyterian Women Life Membership in 1996 as was her mother before her.

Virginia was a graduate of Central High School Class of 1943 and the University of Chattanooga in 1947 where she majored in English and Spanish and was a member of the Phi Mu Sorority. She met her future husband, Milton, in high school and after he served in the Navy in WWII, they married in 1950 and had four children. She taught Spanish at GPS before starting a family. When her youngest entered kindergarten in 1965, she taught English and Spanish at Red Bank Jr. High and Red Bank High Schools until her retirement in 1988.

Virginia loved to play bridge, to read and always had a houseful of animals.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband of 41 years, Milton.

Survivors include her daughter, Laura; sons: Dennis (Marsha), Alan (Teri) and Robin (Susan); grandson, Jason; three great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

She will be deeply missed but is in heaven with her parents and husband.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Educational Society of Chattanooga or Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church.

Graveside services will be held at noon on Monday, June 19, at the pavilion in Chattanooga Memorial Park with Reverend Margaret Ferguson officiating.

Arrangements are entrusted to Lane Funeral Home, 601 Ashland Terrace, Chattanooga, Tn. 37415, 423 877-3524, lanefh.com.
Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett on Friday hosted the first Sheriffs Citizens Academy Graduation for the nine members of the first Sheriffs Citizens Academy.

The creation and implementation of a Sheriffs Citizens Academy was part of Sheriff Austin Garretts vision to make our agencys policies, operations, and activities more transparent to our community and give our citizens the opportunity to learn more about how their sheriffs office works on a daily basis, it was stated.

The inaugural HCSO Citizens Academy was comprised of nine local leaders representing a diverse group of community organizations, churches, businesses, and public service agencies. Throughout the 40-hour academy, attendees learned about every aspect of our agencys history and operations including Patrol Services, School Resource Deputy Unit, Narcotics, and Investigative Services.

Sheriff Garrett said, As Sheriff, I want our citizens to know we are your Sheriffs Office. The HCSOs purpose is to serve and protect the entire community of Hamilton County and a large part of our mission is to build trust and positive relationships. As part of my vision to always add value in all we do, I created and implemented of a Sheriffs Citizens Academy to help reinforce our ability to foster meaningful relationships with the citizens we are so proud to serve.



Participants also took part in numerous training exercises covering active shooter response, vehicle stops, firearms and weapons drills, building clearing and tactics, and less lethal actions for deputy self-defense. Lastly, attendees learned about the HCSOs Peer Support & Employee Health and Wellness program, General Counsels Office, and toured numerous facilities related to the safety and security of Hamilton County.



Sheriff Garrett said, I am very proud of the commitment these nine individuals made to complete this 40 hour academy and we appreciate the important contributions and conversations that their individual life experiences and perspectives have brought to our agency and our operations. My staff and I have fostered many new positive relationships with these graduates and we look forward to working together in the future.

Those graduating from the Sheriffs Citizens Academy are:

Mr. Freddie Brooks

Retired Chattanooga Firefighter, (28 Years)

Executive Director of the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters

Mr. James Howard

Host, Sunny 92.3 WDEF Radio

Host of WTVCs This N That

Reverend Sterling Jetton

Pastor, Shelter Church, East Brainerd

Ms. Stacy Johnson

Executive Director, La Paz  Chattanooga

Mrs. Candy Johnson

President & Chief Executive Officer, Chattanooga Urban League

Mr. Kelvin Scott

Host, 93.5 FMs Intouch with the Community Show, Brewer Media

Administrative Assistant to Bishop Kevin Adams, Olivet Baptist Church

& employed full-time by TVA in the Nuclear Division

Dr. Robert Sharpe

Chief Operations Officer, Hamilton County Department of Education

Dr. Jeffrey Wilson

Pastor, New United Missionary Baptist Church

Former Hamilton County School Board Member

Mr. Lacy Word

Transportation Manager II, Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT)
The Soddy Daisy Commissioners have approved making several changes related to commission meetings upon the recommendation of City Attorney Sam Elliott. City Manager Burt Johnson said some of the changes are in response to recent legislation and are the practice in other cities in Tennessee.

The meetings will now be more formal following the most recent version of Roberts Rules of Order, which provides parliamentary procedures for meetings. Other changes are in regard to public agendas. An agenda will now be posted on the citys website at least 48 hours in advance of a meeting. Once it is posted, nothing can be added unless there is an emergency, and that change must be made at least six hours prior to the meeting. Additionally, all business that will be voted on will be on the agenda. In the past some items were brought up and voted on during the meeting during reports from the city manager or commissioners.

Soddy Daisy had TWM Engineering conduct a traffic study for roads around the citys schools before making changes to speed limits. That study has been completed and the council voted to accept the recommendations for school zones that came from the report. The speed limit will be increased from 25 to 30 mph in the school zones on Sequoyah Road. The speed limit will be decreased from 40 to 30 mph at all times on Dayton Pike between Montlake Road and Charlies Restaurant in the Ivy Academy school zone. License Plate Recognition (LPR) cameras will be used to monitor these speeds.

Police Chief Mike Sneed applied for a grant to purchase a camera system for security in all the city parks. He told the board that Soddy Daisy will receive the $104,000 grant for the cameras. This will be an upgrade to cameras that are currently in use. This will be a single system which uses 4-K cameras. Images can be viewed remotely on a phone and the devices will be able to send messages to the police. The cameras will not be ordered until the grant money has been received.

Construction of a new building to house the Soddy Daisy Police Department had been approved. City Manager Johnson sent the plans for locating the 7,500 square foot building behind the current city hall, to the Planning Commission. He said it will be large enough to provide for future growth. The planners approved the building and location.

A reminder was given that the July 4th celebration in Soddy Daisy will take place on July 1 at Soddy Lake.

Volunteer Curtis Cecil, co-founder of the Soddy Daisy Community Library and Kelcurt Farms, spoke at the meeting to present upcoming community events that have been planned by the organizations. On Saturday, July 15, a Movie in the Park will be held. The Super Mario Brothers Movie will be shown at Veterans Park at 9 p.m.

The Kelcurt foundation has established Kelcurt Farms, the food security arm of the foundation. A ribbon cutting ceremony for their third hoop house will be on Saturday, June 17, at 2 p.m. at 606 Lee Pike, Soddy Daisy. The Soddy Daisy Food Bank will receive 10 percent of everything that is produced and some of the proceeds from sales. The farms are growing tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, squash and pumpkins.

The SDCL Summer Celebration is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 19, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. There will be food trucks a variety of vendors and non-profits that serve the community. Activities include games, craft stations, a scavenger hunt and live music.

Halloween EEKstravaganza! Will take place Saturday, Oct. 28, from 3-8 p.m. at Soddy Municipal Park. This event will be an updated version of Trunk or Treat that has been held in the past. The movie Goosebumps will be shown and there will be a tractor show, celebrating agricultural heritage in Soddy Daisy. There will also be a chili cook-off and a pie baking contest along with other planned activities.

Mr. Cecil is asking for sponsors to step up for these festivals. He said in the past, money has been lost on all the events Kelcurt has held and sponsors will help to keep them going. He said he would like to at least break even.

The company Custom Stone Handlers has stopped gathering stone from a location in Soddy Daisy and has been closing down its operations since December. The location is behind Ivy Academy and is adjacent to state property, bordered by a creek. A reclamation project for the quarry contains conditions that would stabilize the creek bank and satisfy other requirements.

Susan Crowell, representing the North Chickamauga Conservancy, was at the meeting questioning if the city had inspected the site to make sure the conditions of the reclamation had been met. She said what has been done so far is unacceptable to the conservancy after Public Works Director Steve Grant responded. She asked for proof from the city that the results match the plan. It is the responsibility of the contractor to verify it, said Commissioner Marcus Keith. Mr. Grant will meet with Ned Rich from Custom Stone along with the contractor for confirmation the plan is satisfied.
French Montanas new documentary, For Khadija, debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 16. It looks back on the rappers extraordinary storyfrom emigrating to the Bronx from Morocco and finding his way into the music industry.

[The doc] has a lot to do with my music, French told Rolling Stone, but its mostly an immigrant story about a mother that struggled for 20-something years and didnt see her family to make sure her kids is good.

French Montanas thoughts on immigration

Immigration affects anybody that doesnt have an equal opportunity  and havent done no crime, he said. Criminals that go to jail for murder come home and still have a better opportunity than the immigrant that came from another country with a dream of making this land a better land.

Immigration is the main theme in Frenchs documentary. But French hopes people who dont have personal experience with immigration watch the film, too.

People who dont know what immigrants go through should watch this, he said. Theyre going to see this type of struggle I went through. And a lot of immigrants are going to see themselves in this story. And we planning to make a change on that, or at least spark the brain of the person that can make a change.

French Montana has a lot of love for both the Bronx and Morocco

Today, French feels the love from both Morocco and the Bronx. But he had to earn his spot in New York.

You get the love after you work hard in the Bronx, he said. This is the mecca of hip-hop. When I came from Africa, you got to think of Tupac, Biggie, Jay-Z, and Nas. It was like the 96 Chicago Bulls. It was like me trying to rap was a joke, [as] a kid who just came from Africa. Embracing the love from [the Bronx] and the love in Africa is a wonderful thing. It was a great journey, man. Its a journey that seems impossible, but everything seems impossible until the fool come along and do it.

What French loves most about New York City is the melting pot of cultures.

Its the hunger, its coming in here with their own visions and adding different flavors, he said. Whats New York without going to get a pizza from the Italians down the street? Or going to get Jamaican food or Haitian food? These beautiful cultures are what make the states. It would be wack just to have one culture in New York City.

For Khadija looks at French Montanas assimilation into the New York hip-hop scene

French didnt have an easy time breaking into the hip-hop scene in New York. As he puts it, You almost have to come in through somebody. He didnt have that. Still, he was determined to make a name for himself.

So I started here and there with the DVDs and with the music, he said. I had to battle like crazy. Whoever could rap would come to my block, [and] we would battle for money. I would lose money. I would win money. I would just keep battling. So to make it through those offenses was the hardest thing ever. I wasnt one of them artists that found a record and didnt have to go through the ropes. I went through every step of the way as a rapper.
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Being a waitress can be a challenge at times, between dealing with unhappy customers and trying to balance large plates of heavy food around the restaurant. Most servers can tell you at least one story from their time in food service that left them embarrassed.

TikTok creator Linda Rahimi (@lindirahimi) shares a storytime from when she used to work as a waitress that made her want to disappear!

When Linda was 17-years-old and still in high school, she worked as a waitress at an Italian restaurant.

Everyone who ever worked as a waitress knows how humbling that experience is, Linda says.

One day while she was working, the restaurant hosted a large group of about 10 people for a birthday party. They were all there to celebrate the birthday and were excited to enjoy their meal together.

Since it was a celebratory occasion, the group ordered champagne for the entire table. Lindas boss asked if she could take the champagne to them. Not thinking much of it at first, she agreed.

However, Linda soon realized that her boss did not mean simply bringing over the bottle of champagne. Instead, he wanted her to bring 10 filled champagne glasses on a tray over to the table!

Listen, my arms are not the strongest. I have very weak arms. Plus, you also have to keep the balance when you have 10 filled glasses of champagne, Linda explained.

At this point, Linda was worried about her ability to do this task but felt that she couldnt just say no to her boss. So, she starts heading over with the heavy tray, trying her best to keep everything steady.

Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
Pixabay/Gerd Altmann

A unique training center for people was founded through collaboration between Christians and Jews in Samaria. They can motivate physical and spiritual development within the framework of their courses.

Physical and Spiritual Growth in Christian-Jewish Partnership

An article from My Jewish Learning stated that the second half of the 20th century witnessed a fundamental reappraisal of the Christian perspective on Jews and Judaism, which resulted in a revolutionary change in the relationship between the two religions. Christian theologians have renounced or reinterpreted age-old ideas that generated violence against Jews throughout the centuries because of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust and the acceptance of pluralism and diversity as positive characteristics. Regardless of the tensions between the two religious' communities, Jews in today's world can, for the first time in human history, have a fair expectation that these tensions will be resolved via interfaith discussion rather than the bloodshed used in the past. Accordingly, the current status of Jewish-Christian relations differs from group to group. Still, looking at how Jews and Christians interact today, one may identify certain overarching behaviors.

According to CBN, Jews, and Christians collaborated to construct a one-of-a-kind educational facility in the central region of Israel. Ariel, widely regarded as the capital of Samaria since its founding in 1978, recently celebrated a significant historical achievement in the context of that training institution. As mentioned, JH Israel was started by Heather Johnston, the organization's creator. JH Israel's mission is to encourage future generations of Israeli leaders to live with a purpose and a biblical identity. Among the essential ways they achieve their goals is through an institution known as the National Leadership Center (NLC). At that organization, over one thousand Israelis have already participated in a physically demanding team-building program known as the Odyssey. This program includes a series of rigorous obstacle courses.

Moreover, Johnston is reportedly astounded by the progress made in the past 13 years due to the collaboration between Christians and Jews. The JH Israel program is built on learning from one's experiences, and the Odyssey obstacle course requires participants to collaborate to complete it. People from different walks of life work together to overcome hurdles that are trying, entertaining, and emotional growth opportunities. The curriculum, which Israel's Ministry of Education supports, centers its instruction around biblical figures to facilitate learning.

Also Read:Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations Urges Churches to Denounce Antisemitism

Christian-Jewish Relationship

Christians and Jews have been influential in the development of American culture ever since the country was founded. Tikvah stated that the Christian religion and Christian principles have always played a significant role in shaping both the cultural and civic character of the United States of America. It includes the Hebrew concept of establishing a brand new and extraordinary nation. Even though they live in a secular period, the influence of Christianity can still be seen in many aspects of society, including how they think of freedom and responsibility, the relationship between religion and democracy, and even some aspects of public policy. Jews have, for the most part, done rather well in this predominantly Christian culture. Although anti-Semitism and mistrust of Jews have been prevalent in specific subsets of American Christianity, particularly in times gone by, Jewish people in the United States have profited tremendously from Christian tolerance and friendliness.

In addition, concerning the current state of Israel, Christians have become known as some of the most ardent supporters of the Jewish people. These Christians view the support of the United States for the Jewish state as a religious objective and a political obligation. The growth of Christian Zionism may be traced back to a combination of appreciation for the Jewish success in re-founding the Zionist State and Christianity's fundamental engagement with its anti-Jewish history and its transformative hopes for the future. This admiration for Jewish achievement has allowed Christian Zionism to expand. However, there is also a rising segment of American Christians who call their Zionism into question and whose allegiance to the Jewish state is becoming less firm.

Related Article:Spiritual Growth: Understanding the Principles of the Kingdom of God in the Bible
Pixabay/Dzoko Stach

A former Christian missionary in Iowa has been sentenced to 25 years for the heinous crimes of child abuse and infecting a preschooler with a sexually transmitted disease. Jordan Webb, 31, was handed his sentence last week in Webster County following his conviction by a jury on charges of second-degree sexual abuse, incest, and child endangerment.

Former Christian Missionary's Court Ruling

On Friday, Jun 8, the court ruling mandates that Webb must serve at least 17.5 years behind bars before he becomes eligible for parole. According to a report from WYCB News, upon his release, he must register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. These severe penalties reflect the gravity of the crimes committed and protect society from potential harm. Court documents reveal that Webb and the young victim tested positive for gonorrhea in April 2022. Additionally, this shocking revelation further substantiates the victim's claims and adds another dimension of harm caused by Webb's disgusting actions.

The Messenger reported that on April 28, a jury in Webster County convicted Webb. Based on a report from the Webster County Sheriff's Office, he was taken into custody a year ago after an investigation was launched by the Sheriff's Office and the County Attorney's Office of Webster County. The investigation was initiated due to some health concerns related to a minor. Jane Doe, the alleged victim of Webb, was reportedly diagnosed with gonorrhea in early April 2022. During the trial, Taylor revealed that Webb had been diagnosed with gonorrhea just a few days before Doe was diagnosed. Webb has been accused of engaging in a sexual act with the victim, resulting in the transmission of a sexually transmitted disease.

Moreover, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported that gonorrhea is a prevalent sexually transmitted disease that affects the mucous membranes of various body parts, including the reproductive tract, mouth, throat, eyes, and rectum. Last week, Dean Stowers, the attorney for Webb, filed a motion for a new trial. Stowers argued that the decision made by Polking to allow the victim's statements to a nurse practitioner at the Allen Child Protection Center in Waterloo violated the confrontation clause under the U.S. and Iowa constitutions. According to Stowers' argument, the victim's statements were considered hearsay and did not fall under a medical exception to hearsay since she was not called to testify at the trial.

Also Read:Former Minister Has Child Sex Abuse Charges Dropped

Recent Child Sexual Abuse

In a similar story, a set of charge sheets were made public, outlining 34 charges brought against Mr. Woods in Ballarat. Mr. Woods, who formerly served as the Head of Performing Arts at Ballarat High School, is the subject of child sexual abuse, ABC News reported. According to the first charge, Mr. Woods has been accused of communicating with an individual under the age of 16 to facilitate sexual misconduct by either himself or another individual who is 18 years or older.

As mentioned, there are allegations that the incident occurred from January 1, 2019, to January 27, 2021. Additionally, 33 other charges are related to alleged offenses between August 1, 2022, and December 26, 2022. Woods has been accused of 10 counts of intentionally sexually touching a 17-year-old child under his care, supervision, or authority. The alleged incidents were "contrary to community standards of acceptable conduct."

Related Article:Former Youth Pastor From Pennsylvania Convicted Of Child Sex Abuse
Pixabay/Sergei Tokmakov

Incorporated Trustees of the Anglican Church in the Diocese of Trinidad are being sued by their former project manager for allegedly not being paid for over 10 months. However, the church said the project manager was overpaid by $29,000.

Lawsuit Against Trustees of the Anglican Church

The lawsuit alleging that Kendal Lindsay breached an agreement was initially filed at the end of February. On Thursday, Jun 13, it was brought before Justice Frank Seepersad for handling the case. Justice Seepersad issued the parties instructions for additional files during the brief hearing and then postponed it until November 20. According to the court documents that Lindsay filed, which the Guardian Media acquired, Lindsay asserted that in late 2017, he agreed on a verbal contract with Ernest Williams, who was serving as the chairman of the management board of the complex at the time, to supply his services on two projects that were being undertaken by the complex.

Among the tasks involved is the construction of a building with a cost of $4.5 million to house a well-known coffee chain, and the additional project involved the renovation of the complex's wastewater treatment plant for $800,000. Lindsay asserted that under the agreement, he was released from the obligation to send his $20,000 monthly fee to the engineering company hired for both projects. The former project manager also revealed that he had been compensated for several months. Still, he decided to stop working in January 2020 because he had not been paid for the previous 10 months.

Based on a report from Daily Express, Lindsay indicated that he was asked many questions concerning the project during a virtual meeting in February 2021 between him and the new chairman of the CSC board. However, he asserted that no decision was taken regarding settling his unpaid payments. In April of 2021, the church refuted his claims that they were in debt to him and suggested that Lindsay had received excessive compensation.

Also Read: Christian Lawyers Foundation Files Lawsuit Against Artists for Allegedly Mocking Christian Faith

Anglican Church Trustees' Defense of the Allegations

News Day reported that the church stated that it was the owner of the shopping center, which is managed by a board that is accountable to the established trustees of the church. As mentioned, in 2017, the church blessed a variety of initiatives that would be carried out at the complex, and the board chairman would be in charge of managing those initiatives. Accordingly, the finance board was unaware of an agreement that had been formed between the engineer's company and Lindsay; once it became aware of it, investigations were carried out.

According to the defense, the engineer decided to opt out of his settlement agreement with Lindsay in August 2018. At this point, Lindsay began submitting his invoices to the CSC's board of directors. They argued that the former chairman of the CSC exceeded his position of power by hiring Lindsay's services without first seeking the approval of the CSC. The church also mentioned that any direct involvement with him was not authorized, nor had the company's finance board been given a contract to review. Furthermore, while it does not dispute that Lindsay was recruited to perform services by the previous chairman of the CSC, investigations reveal that the project manager was compensated by $29,000.

Related Article: Word of God Church Takes Legal Action Against Cryptocurrency Bank For Losing $25 Million Deposit
Pixabay/Filmbetrachter

In a bold act of theft, a thief was caught on camera stealing pride flags from The First Christian Church in Katy during broad daylight. The incident sparked tensions in the community and prompted Rev. Heather Tolleson to speak out about the recurring issue.

Stealing of Pride Flag

The surveillance footage in the church shows a black Chevrolet Silverado entering the parking lot. A report from Click 2 Houston stated that a black-clad man exits the truck, cuts down the pride flags, and accumulates several before driving away in the car. Reverend Tolleson voiced her concerns: "There are tensions in the community, and people want to express their discontent with what we are doing, who we are, and who we portray." As mentioned, it is not the first time the church has been the target of an attack.

According to a report from Khou, the First Christian Church, located near Katy's Morton Ranch Road, has always supported the LGBTQ+ community, especially during Pride month. Reverend Tolleson emphasized, "There is always a splash of color on the street." We always fly a pride banner; the rainbow flag will always fly in front." However, the unwavering support of the church has made it a frequent target. Reverend Tolleson disclosed that 16 pride flags had been taken in the past ten days alone, and at least 40 flags have been stolen in the past ten months. The most recent incident occurred at 10:41 a.m., as captured by surveillance cameras.

Reverend Tollesono explained that the flag is a sign and symbol of love and hope. It's not about changing who you are; instead, it's about celebrating who you are and providing an opportunity for everyone to be who they are at all times. Fear is something that the church and the community that it serves have not given in to. It originated from the demonstrations during a drag bingo night in September last year.

Also Read: Church's Opposition on LGBT Rights Allegedly Influence Banning of Pride Flags

Pride Flag

The rainbow flag, now an international symbol of LGBTQ pride, has a rich history that dates back to 1978. Designed by artist Gilbert Baker, the flag was inspired by a suggestion from Harvey Milk, an openly gay elected official. Baker saw flags as powerful symbols of pride and wanted to represent the gay community visually. The flag initially featured eight colors, each with its meaning, but was later simplified to six stripes due to production issues. As per Britannica, the current six-striped flag, with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet stripes, represents the diversity and unity of the LGBTQ community.

On June 25, 1978, the first rainbow flags were flown during the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day parade. Baker and a team of volunteers handcrafted the flags, and their popularity grew rapidly. Over time, the rainbow flag became widely recognized as a symbol of LGBTQ pride. In 1994, Baker created a mile-long version of the flag to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, further solidifying its status as the symbol of LGBTQ pride.

Today, the rainbow flag is displayed prominently during LGBTQ Pride Month and at LGBTQ events worldwide. It serves as a beacon of hope, celebrating the progress made in LGBTQ rights and providing a source of strength during challenging times. The rainbow flag inspires and unites the LGBTQ community, symbolizing visibility, authenticity, and the collective pursuit of equality and acceptance.

Related Article: Pride Flag Vandalized Outside Federal Hill Church, Community Reacts

Pride Flag Vandalized Outside Federal Hill Church, Community Reacts
46 Christians killed by terrorists amid 2 days of attacks in Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria  Fulani herdsmen on June 3 and 4 killed 46 Christians in attacks on a cluster of villages in Benue state, Nigeria, sources said.

The herdsmen invaded Imande Mbakange village in the early hours of June 3, killing 28 Christians, according to a press statement from the Shitile Development Association, signed by Samuel Door, SDA president, and Ephraim Zuai, secretary of the association.

On June 4, Fulani herdsmen killed another 18 Christians, six in each of the villages of Michihe, Achamegh and Mbagene Kpav, they said.

Altogether, 46 Christians were killed by the terrorists in the two days of attacks on our communities, they said. Most disturbing also is the fact that the identity of the perpetrators is known to security agencies and the Nigerian government, and yet nothing has been done to end this carnage.

Those who escaped death have fled the areas, leaving their homes and farmlands for safety, they said.

As our people are fleeing, herders are occupying these areas and grazing freely on our farms, the two community leaders said. Though due to the fear of general insecurity, it is difficult to move from village to village to gather exact statistics, hordes of lives have been horrendously eliminated in several villages across the land, such that the whole land is thrown into wailing and mourning.

Alfred Atera, council official of the Kastina-Ala Local Government Area, confirmed the attacks in a press statement.

In the early hours of 3 June, there was an attack on Imande Mbakange community and other neighboring communities in Mbacher Council Ward by gunmen believed to be herdsmen, which claimed at least 46 lives and left several others injured and houses burnt with properties worth millions, Atera said. These senseless killings by the terrorists are inhuman and barbaric. I call on all security agencies to double their efforts in combating these renewed attacks as a matter of urgency.

Catherine Anene, spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, said police had received reports from Katsina-Ala about a breakdown of law and order in the area.

Police personnel and other security agents have been deployed to the area to end the attacks, Anene said.

Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith in 2022, with 5,014, according to Open Doors 2023 World Watch List (WWL) report. It also led the world in Christians abducted (4,726), sexually assaulted or harassed, forcibly married or physically or mentally abused, and it had the most homes and businesses attacked for faith-based reasons. As in the previous year, Nigeria had the second most church attacks and internally displaced people.

In the 2023 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to sixth place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 7 the previous year.

Militants from the Fulani, Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and others conduct raids on Christian communities, killing, maiming, raping and kidnapping for ransom or sexual slavery, the WWL report noted. This year has also seen this violence spill over into the Christian-majority south of the nation.  Nigerias government continues to deny this is religious persecution, so violations of Christians rights are carried out with impunity.

Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdoms All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a 2020 report.

They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity, the APPG report states.

Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigerias Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds.
Minnesota stops enforcing law blocking faith-based colleges from offering free enrollment program to high schoolers

Minnesota has agreed not to enforce a law restricting the ability of faith-based colleges to participate in a dual enrollment program in response to an ongoing lawsuit.

In a statement released Wednesday, Becket Law announced that the state has agreed not to enforce revisions to the Minnesota Post Secondary Enrollment Options program.

The program enables high school students to obtain no-cost college credit at an institution of their choice for college-level work completed in high school.

However, the recently approved revisions prevent colleges and universities from participating in the program if they either require students to agree to a statement of faith or specifically select students on the basis of religious preference.

The amendment to the dual enrollment program prompted parents Mark Loe, Melinda Loe and Dawn Erickson, as well as the faith-based institutions Crown College and the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, to file a lawsuit last month in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota against Minnesotas Democrat Gov. Tim Walz, Minnesota Commissioner of Education Willie Jett and the Minnesota Department of Education.

The suit contends that changes to the program violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitutions Free Exercise and Establishment Clause and the Equal Protection Clauses ban on discrimination based on religion.

U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Brasel, appointed to the bench by former President Donald Trump, issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday preventing the state from enforcing the revisions to the program while litigation moves forward.

Diana Thomson, senior counsel at Becket, concluded that the effort to walk back changes to the program proves that the state didnt do its homework before it passed this unconstitutional law.

The Loes were quoted in the Becket statement expressing gratitude that Minnesota has agreed not to punish our children and many students like them for wanting to learn at schools that reflect their values.

The parents insisted that they should be able to pursue the same great opportunities as all other students in the state without politicians in St. Paul getting in the way, adding: We hope the court will eventually strike down this law for good and protect all religious students and the schools they want to attend.

Critics of the lawsuit include the Minnesota Legislatures Secular Government Caucus, which released a statement last month in which they argued that the state was "not restricting these schools from practicing their religious beliefs in any manner."

"Most of the religiously affiliated colleges that participate in the PSEO program have not excluded PSEO students, and they are not involved in this lawsuit. They recognize that the public funding requires them to treat students equally," stated the Caucus.

"Religious freedom guarantees all people the right to believe and practice any faith or none at all, and institutions participating in this program must abide by that."
SBC leader denounces divisive groups in convention sermon, draws backlash and praise

A Baptist state convention leader has drawn backlash and praise for a sermon he gave at the Southern Baptist Convention's Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, in which he denounced the presence of "divisive groups" within the denomination.

Todd Unzicker, executive director and treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, gave the convention sermon on Wednesday morning before thousands of attendees.

After discussing his walk of faith, his history of ministry with the SBC and the importance of missions, Unzicker expressed concern that "some of us in this room live more for the convention than the mission."

"Will we be on mission together to reach others or are we going to incessantly fight and quarrel?" asked Unzicker. "Are we going to give weight to people in this convention who tweet more than they tithe? Who post more than they pray?"

"What if we spent half the amount of time tweeting and posting on Facebook and spent that time sharing the Gospel, soul-winning? What if we spent half the time reading and reacting to the daily airing of grievances and, instead, we got serious about making disciples?"

Unzicker asked attendees if they were "going to be shaped by divisive groups on social media" and those who "sue the saints or are we going to be a people who sow seeds of the Gospel?"

Later, he referenced multiple Bible verses describing the multiracial nature of Christianity, declaring that "God will destroy racial pride" and that God "sent His Son to die for people of all nations and all tribes."

"This isn't a political issue. This isn't a social issue. It is a Gospel issue, a 'blood of Christ' issue. This isn't 'woke.' This is wonderful," Unzicker, who previously served on staff at The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham led by former SBC President J.D. Greear, continued. "One day there will be no more tears, no more sin, no more sickness and death."

"No more fear-mongering. No more divisive podcasts. No more abuse. No more racial pride. No more systemic injustice. No more gender confusion. No more politics. No more lawsuits. No more amendments. No more disfellowshipping."

Terri Green, a conservative Christian activist, took to Twitter to denounce Unzicker's sermon as "slander" that wrongfully "called whistle-blowers and people with concerns liars and of Satan."

"He made accusations that people like me are prayerless and do not tithe to our churches," she tweeted. "His list included anyone who tweets concerns, anyone who questions what is taught at the seminaries, Founders Ministries, and anyone who may not be on board with SBC elite decisions."

"This is the state of the SBC. Slander is dressed as sermons. Get out."

Jim Cummings, senior pastor at Dotson Memorial Baptist Church of Maryville, Tennessee, posted to Facebook that a pastor "learns that the pulpit is not to be used to rant about your enemies and mock them."

"When and if a believer matures he has more discernment to recognize when one is using the pulpit in this ungodly way. Those who have never matured will cheer," wrote Cummings. "This was evident in Todd Unzicker's convention message. The immaturity and flesh filled message was cheered by some, but grieved by many."

"Brothers and sisters, I'm not speaking as one who has never preached that way, but over the years I've learned it is much better to simply preach the biblical text and let the Holy Spirit use the Word as He sees fit, instead of going on a childish rant."

Daniel Darling, an author and director of The Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas, defended Unzicker on Twitter, arguing that "I always am convicted by my need to pray more."

"You are mad because a preacher said we should pray more than post? That sober warning applies to all of us, on all sides of things. I was convicted by it," Darling tweeted.

Matthew Daniel, the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Whitwell, Tennessee, wrote on Facebook that he considered Unzicker's sermon "one of the most Spirit-filled convention sermons that I have ever heard."

"His sermon was gospel-centered, challenging, and convicting. I thought that he said a lot of things that have needed to be said out loud for a long time," Daniel wrote.
David Platt explains why people who never hear the Gospel won't see Heaven

Pastor and author David Platt says that God won't condemn people to Hell simply because they haven't heard the Gospel but rather because they are still lost in their sin, warning that the American church should be more invested in bringing the good news to the unreached.

The 44-year-old pastor of McLean Bible Church in Virginia and former head of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board preached a sermon last week before the Watermark Community Church group The Porch, which holds meetings every Tuesday for young adults.

"Somebody will say to me: 'What do you think happens to the innocent man or woman or child in X part of the world who never hears the Gospel?' And if you ask me that question, I would say, based on the Word of God, that person without question goes to Heaven, even though they've never heard the Gospel," Platt said.

"Of course, they go to Heaven. The only problem is they don't exist. There's no innocent people in the world waiting to hear the Gospel. There's guilty people all over the world. That's why they need to hear the Gospel."

Humans have "no clue of the depths of the sinful [nature] of their own hearts and in the world around [them]," according to Platt, stressing that "there is no one who is innocent before God."

"Not only are all people guilty, but there's no amount of good we can do to overcome our guilt. All people are condemned for rejecting God. And that's true regardless of whether or not someone has heard the Gospel," Platt said.

Platt questioned the audience if they think it would be just for God to condemn someone to Hell if they never heard the Gospel.

"I think the answer to that question is 'no.' They're not accountable for what they've not heard," he said. "At the same time, that doesn't mean they go to Heaven because they're condemned for rejecting the God that has been clearly shown to them."

"People start to think, well, 'Well maybe, if, because they haven't heard the Gospel, God will let them into Heaven. God is loving [and] gracious. We know He wants them in Heaven. They haven't heard the Gospel. Maybe He will let them in because they haven't heard,'" Platt continued.

The pastor warned that the problem with this reasoning is that would mean "the worst thing we could do for all the people" who haven't heard the Gospel would be to "tell them the Gospel."

"If they have not heard the Gospel and that is some kind of pass into Heaven, and we get there, and we're like 'we want to tell you the good news,' and because we've come with the good news, now there's a chance we can go to Hell, they would be like: 'Just keep it to yourself,'" he continued.

Citing Romans 3:19-20, Platt said that everyone "stands condemned for rejecting God."

"This is good news that we proclaim to people who have rejected God," he said. "The point here is that regardless of whether or not someone has heard the Gospel, all people stand guilty before God and sin and deserve eternal separation from Him."

"I picture Paul writing the book of Romans. It's been two chapters worth of the sinfulness of man all the way up to Chapter 3, Verse 20," Platt continued. "I picture him with tears in his eyes, but then I picture him picking up that pen and writing, 'But now a righteousness from God apart from the law has been made known, and this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe."

Platt said every Christian should make an effort to "reach the unreached" people groups worldwide with the Gospel before it's too late for many souls.

"What that word 'unreached' means is not just lost. It's not just that they're sinners who are separated from God by their sin," Platt explained. "People are just like that in Dallas, Texas."

"The difference is; there's Christians in churches in Dallas, Texas. [But] in the middle of Saudi Arabia, there's very few Christians and very few churches. And what that means is if you live in Saudi Arabia, the likelihood is you've not been reached by the Gospel."

When someone is unreached, Platt noted, it means that "you'd be born and you'd live, and you'd die, and the likelihood is you'd never hear the Gospel."

Platt continually expressed throughout his sermon that if someone dies without the opportunity to hear the Gospel before dying, they will be permanently separated eternally from the Lord.

"I think for most Christians in America, where the Gospel has come, either we don't realize there are 3 billion people in the world who have never heard the Gospel, or we think they'll be OK when they die, [that] they'll go to Heaven," Platt preached.

"That's the only answer I can come up with for why we are not talking about this all the time in our churches. And everywhere in Christianity today, if we believed 3 billion people were dying and going to Hell without ever hearing about Heaven, I think we'd be talking about that all the time."

Platt asked if there is "any greater injustice than 3 billion people going to an eternal Hell while all the people who know how to go to an eternal Heaven sit back and do little to nothing?"

"We spend most of our money on ourselves. We give some of our money to churches and ministries. And we spend most of that money in churches and ministries on making ourselves more comfortable in our churches and ministries. And then there's a small percentage of the money that we give to churches and ministries that goes toward what we normally call missions overseas to other countries," Platt said.

He added that roughly 1% of American Church funds regularly go to missions to reach the unreached people groups overseas.

"We're fooling ourselves if we think we're passionate about giving to missions while we're ignoring 3 billion people who've never heard the Gospel," he stressed.

As his sermon came to a close, Platt told the crowd that they "have been put in a time and a place where there are more opportunities to get the greatest news in the world to people in the world than ever before."

"Jesus is saying to the room full and other gatherings full of young adults who have this good news: 'I've left you here for a reason. And it's not to waste your life [carving] out a comfortable Christian spin on the American dream. You were created for so much more than this,'" he concluded.
David Platt's megachurch faces lawsuit alleging improper ties to SBC, violations of church bylaws

David Platt's McLean Bible Church is facing a new lawsuit filed by members who take issue with the Virginia-based nondenominational megachurch's current leadership and alleged donations to the Southern Baptist Convention.

Six McLean members filed a new lawsuit against church leadership, as reported by The Capstone Report. The church was served the amended complaint last week.

In a statement emailed by a spokesperson to The Christian Post, church leadership acknowledged the new lawsuit, saying it comes from "a small group of members and former members" who have filed other complaints in recent years.

"We are aware of yet another recent lawsuit filed by this same small group, which again seeks to 'make changes to the church and its leadership,'" the statement from church leaders reads. "And just as before, we will respond to the suit as a unified church committed to our future direction."

At issue in the new lawsuit filed in Virginia are allegations that the multi-campus church, under Lead Pastor Platt, violated its constitution and retaliated against members opposed to certain financial expenditures, among other issues.

These include McLean forging ties to the Southern Baptist Convention  the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.  and donating to SBC entities even though the church's constitution says it cannot join any denomination.

The lawsuit alleges that elders inappropriately transferred at least $375,000 to SBC entities. Before being hired at McLean in 2017, Platt served for years as the president of the SBC's International Mission Board.

The lawsuit also alleges the church disciplined members who raised questions about the financial issues at the church.

"Upon information and belief, the Church made additional transfers of large amounts of funds to SBC entities and agencies, in amounts specifically unknown to Plaintiffs at this time," stated the complaint, as quoted by Capstone Report.

"This misuse of Plaintiffs' charitable donations, in violation of the Constitution, is a breach of the contract between the Church and Plaintiffs. The only remedy is to fully disclose this information to the membership of the Church so that they can review the information and make, as needed, any necessary changes to the Church and its leadership."

McLean's leadership contends that, similar to their past lawsuits, the plaintiffs seek to "overturn the church's continued and overwhelming affirmation to move forward under new leadership."

"However, each and every one of these prior complaints have been dismissed with prejudice," the church leadership stated.

"[W]e are grieved that our brothers and sisters are still choosing to file lawsuits rather than meet with us, our prayer is that we are soon nearing a day where this kind of thing is behind us for good."

As a nondenominational megachurch located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, there has been some question as to what ties McLean Bible Church has to the SBC given Platt's ties to the denomination.

When Platt was hired at McLean in 2017, an IMB spokesperson said at the time that "IMB trustees mutually agreed that it would be a good, wise, and right use of his time to be a part of leadership in a local Southern Baptist church."

The spokesperson stated that McLean "began cooperating with Southern Baptists in 2016" and became "the hub for the North American Mission Board's church-planting efforts in the Washington, D.C., area."

Last year, Ashley Clayton, the executive director for church affiliation for the SBC Executive Committee, wrote in a letter to McLean Board Chairman Larry Cooper that McLean was considered a "partnering" church but not a member church.

"As background, the SBC Executive Committee Office for Church Affiliation exists to identify and facilitate 'partnering relationships' with like-minded evangelical churches for the purpose of gospel advancement, church planting, sending missionaries, offering theological training and giving hope and relief to broken and hurting people," wrote Clayton.

"We intentionally do NOT use the term 'membership' in these partnership initiatives, as we know many/most non-SBC churches are looking for a 'fraternal' status, again, a working partnership with the SBC, and do NOT intend to join our denomination, or otherwise identify as Southern Baptists."

Clayton clarified that McLean was "included in the SBC church database, with an identifying SBC ID number," but that this was "purely for the sake of accounting purposes as MBC partners together with SBC entities on mission."

In late June, a Virginia court dismissed a lawsuit against McLean leadership over claims that a 2021 election of elders was improperly performed, with other allegations claiming that Platt and others were causing the church to go into a leftward drift.

"Amidst a divisive culture around us, members of our church family have clearly stated that they want to move forward together as a thriving, united church bringing hope to the nations, starting here in Washington, DC," said Platt in a statement following the lawsuit dismissal.

"I know that many churches across America have faced and are facing similar challenges during these days, and it is vitally important that we move past division and live out John 13:35, demonstrating love for one another and love for a world in need of Jesus."
Lawsuit seeking to overturn elder election at David Platts McLean Bible Church dismissed

A lawsuit filed by disgruntled longtime members of the multi-campus McLean Bible Church in Virginia over last year's election of new elders amid allegations of leftward drift and attempts to purge conservatives from the church has been dismissed.

In a statement to The Christian Post, MBC's three lead pastors, David Platt, Mike Kelsey and Wade Burnett, expressed their delight with the court's decision. On Friday, a state court dismissed the lawsuit filed by disgruntled current and former members with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled.

"By God's grace, our church family has come together in ways far beyond what I could have imagined to resolve conflict as biblically and peacefully as possible," noted Platt. "Amidst a divisive culture around us, members of our church family have clearly stated that they want to move forward together as a thriving, united church bringing hope to the nations, starting here in Washington, DC. I know that many churches across America have faced and are facing similar challenges during these days, and it is vitally important that we move past division and live out John 13:35, demonstrating love for one another and love for a world in need of Jesus."

Last summer, MBC announced that three new elders  Chuck Hollingsworth, Ken Tucker and Jim Burris  had been affirmed by more than 80% of the church family in a congregational vote after a previous election on June 30, 2021, was marred by alleged "irregularities."

In his message to the congregation on July 4, 2021, Platt said a group of activists inside and outside the church coordinated a campaign to vote down the new elders and seize control of the church.

Platt said the campaign mainly targeted the Tysons campus of the multisite megachurch as the other four campuses  Arlington, Loudon, Montgomery County, Maryland, and Prince William  were "almost unanimous in their affirmation" of the three elders.

Platt said the dissidents got unauthorized access to a database of contact information for the members and told them lies ahead of the June 30 vote. Platt said this included a false claim that if members voted for the three elders, the Tysons campus building would be sold to Muslims, and the proceeds would be given to the Southern Baptist Convention.

Five longtime church members  Steve Gaskins, Michael Manfredi, Roland Smith, Deborah Ash and Kevin Elwell  alleged in the dismissed complaint that McLean Bible Church and its board of elders denied members the opportunity to cast a secret ballot in the elder election held July 18, 2021. The lawsuit claims that the 2021 elder election violated the church constitution

The complaint further alleged that Platt and the current elders tried to purge the church of conservatives to win the elder election. The plaintiffs contend that the church board sought to disqualify members from voting, "attempting to purge members by designating them 'inactive' on an arbitrary basis, with no record that the members had missed eight consecutive Sundays, and without investigation into whether the members had 'reasonable excuse,' such as missing services for fear of the coronavirus, or even from the Church's own cancellation of in-person services due to the coronavirus."

The church says it made efforts to resolve the complaint and invited the plaintiffs to pursue "Christian mediation and reconciliation." The church contends the plaintiffs didn't respond to the invite, which prompted MBC to approve a "formal Plan for Lawsuit Resolution."

Approved by a substantial majority of the church, that plan included the resignation and a re-vote for the three elders. On June 5, all six nominees were approved by the church with a 86% vote, according to the statement.

"As a result, the new board is now officially serving and leading alongside Lead Pastor David Platt," the statement shared by MCB reads.

"The final step in the Plan for Lawsuit Resolution involved pursuing the actual dismissal of the lawsuit in light of the church's clear desire to move forward under the leadership of the new board. Because the plaintiffs would not agree to meet or discuss a dismissal, MBC filed a formal motion on June 10 asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit and to recognize the clear desire of the MBC congregation to move forward in unity under the leadership of elders who were nominated and elected by church membership."

The plaintiffs filed a motion opposing the church's request to dismiss the case on June 15.

"[L]ast month, the Board concocted its latest strategy to deny this Court opportunity

to grant effective relief. The Board announced a euphemistically-titled 'Plan for Lawsuit

Resolution.' The Plan proposed to allow a new vote on the Elders  but one that would not only include the hundreds of new members selected by the Board in December, six months after this action sought to preserve the status quo, but would also conveniently elect hundreds of new members selected by the Board in May, just before the sham Elder vote in June," the plaintiff's motion reads.

"Further, any persons who were members in June of 2021 would be required to declare that they were still members in good standing if they wished to vote. Any member who had changed churches due to the tainted election of June/July 2021 would be required either to lie or not be allowed to cast a vote  despite the fact that they would have been entitled to do so at the tainted 2021 election."

Plaintiffs contend that the church obtained a greater than 75% majority for the new proposed slate of elders only "after twice adding hundreds of carefully selected new members."

"In the meantime, Defendants steadfastly resisted Plaintiffs discovery requests," the plaintiffs added. "Plaintiffs sought discovery to identify members illegally purged or placed in inactive status. Nothing has been forthcoming up to the date Defendant filed its Motion for Plea in Bar  nearly a full year since this action commenced."

The church's motion to dismiss was granted, and a formal order was issued last Friday.

"This has been a difficult season for our church, as well as for the broader Church here in the U.S. And yet, I'm so thankful for the growing unity and enthusiasm we've been experiencing in the midst of it all," Kelsey, the lead pastor of the Montgomery County campus, said in response to the dismissal.

"I have had the privilege of serving this church family for 15 years and I'm excited to see how God will continue to work in and through us in this next chapter. We are incredibly diverse, with different backgrounds, perspectives, and personal convictions on a variety of issues. But we are unified in our commitment to obeying God's Word, loving our neighbors, and bearing witness to the amazing grace that can only be found in a relationship with Jesus."

The rift at McLean comes amid concerns over Platt's and other pastors' approaches to racial justice issues. The pastor was among many who participated in protests against police brutality following the 2020 death of George Floyd.

Burnett, the lead pastor of the Tysons campus, said that the conflict is "just one more picture of the larger differences we see all over the country."

"Families and friendships and congregations and countless other foundational parts of our lives have been upended and changed in ways that have been both painful and disorienting," Burnett added. "But through it all, God has been both present and faithful, and in His Word we are provided with a clear call to pursue peace so far as it depends on us. I'm incredibly grateful for the courage of our church in staying together and persevering, in pursuing peace in ways that required numerous steps of faith, and for trusting God all the way through to the actual dismissal of the lawsuit."

In what appears to be a response to the lawsuit's dismissal, critics of MCB posted on the "Save McLean Bible Church" Facebook page a post reading: "When men say its over, God takes over and when God takes over the battle is over."

"We believe that although Satan intended to harm and destroy McLean Bible Church, God intended it for good," another Facebook post reads. "Why He allowed it, we don't understand, but we know that God has the final say."
Lawsuit against David Platts megachurch revived by appeals court

The Court of Appeals of Virginia has revived part of a lawsuit filed by disgruntled longtime members against the multi-campus McLean Bible Church in Tysons Corner led by Pastor David Platt, reversing a lower court decision that dismissed the entire case as moot.

The lawsuit, initiated by five members of the nondenominational megachurch, accuses Senior Pastor David Platt and the board of elders of violating the church's constitution during a 2021 leadership election.

The plaintiffs allege that the church leadership unjustly classified some members as "inactive," thus depriving them of their voting rights and denying them the secret ballots guaranteed by the church's constitution.

A year after the litigation commenced, the church agreed to adopt a "Plan for Lawsuit Resolution" and conducted a new election under many but not all of the terms the plaintiffs sought. This action, according to Judge Frank K. Friedman of the Court of Appeals, rendered much of the initial complaint moot.

However, in the opinion released this week, Friedman states that the lower court erred in dismissing the entire lawsuit because "factual disputes" still exist between the two sides "regarding alleged ongoing member disenfranchisement." The judge argued that MBC failed to convincingly refute allegations that it continued to wrongfully classify members as "inactive."

"For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the circuit court's ruling that appellants' request that the court award a reconstituted 2021 election is not available relief  and that the issue is moot," the ruling reads. "We reverse the circuit court's ruling that the entire case is moot. MBC bore the burden of establishing that appellants' claims were moot. On this record, MBC's evidence was insufficient to establish that the alleged 'ongoing' violations of MBC's constitution failed to present a justiciable controversy."

The three-judge panel in Fredricksburg remanded the case back to the Fairfax County Circuit Court for further deliberation on the matter.

Rick Boyer, a conservative attorney representing the plaintiffs, celebrated the decision, stating that his clients eagerly anticipate a jury trial.

"God through the Holy Spirit ought to be able to lead his people to vote their consciences and choose the direction of the church that way," Boyer said in a statement shared with WUSA9. "You don't really need to purge people from the voting lists if you don't think they'll vote the right way that in the context of the church, there is no need for this. And unfortunately, that's what happened. And that's where the breach of contract comes in."

Boyer and his clients maintain that they represent about 400 church members who, they argue, were wrongfully deemed inactive. Church leaders, however, dispute this figure, suggesting it is significantly smaller.

The lawsuit contends that the church "purge[d] members by designating them 'inactive' on an arbitrary basis, with no record that the members had missed eight consecutive Sundays, and without investigation into whether the members had 'reasonable excuse.'"

After the court's decision this week, MBC expressed regret over the harm caused to their community due to the ongoing lawsuits but reiterated a commitment to refute the "repetitive lawsuits and claims," which the leaders believe lack merit.

The church states that the appellate court's decision only revives minor issues not addressed in the resolution plan.

"As we continue to seek ways to fully and finally move past all of this, our church family will respond in the same ways we have from the beginning: working with courts to show that this group's repetitive lawsuits and claims are completely without merit, while at the same time remaining steadfast in our commitment to show the love of God in our city and the world around us," the church said in its statement to WUSA9.

Platt, a popular author and former head of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board, was hired as pastor at McLean in 2017 and succeeded longtime senior pastor Lon Solomon.

Critics argue that Platt has moved the church away from its founding ethos. He has refuted claims that he wants to take the church in a "liberal" direction and change the church's stance on abortion, sexuality and race as "unquestionably untrue."

Platt and church leaders also refute allegations from a separate lawsuit filed in December that they have not been transparent about the church's monetary transfers to the Southern Baptist Convention as part of a church-planting partnership.

That lawsuit alleged that elders inappropriately transferred at least $375,000 to SBC entities. It also alleged the church disciplined members who raised questions about the financial issues at the church.

"We are aware of yet another recent lawsuit filed by this same small group, which again seeks to 'make changes to the church and its leadership,'" the statement from church leaders to The Christian Post reads. "And just as before, we will respond to the suit as a unified church committed to our future direction."

The megachurch, which attracts a weekly attendance of around 8,000-10,000 people, has incurred about $750,000 in legal fees due to these lawsuits, elders recently told members.

In an attempt to address the issues raised in the lawsuit, the church members voted last month to adopt an amended constitution that removes the requirement for members to miss eight consecutive weeks of church before being classified as "inactive," WUSA9 reports.
Bible scholar Michael Heiser, author of The Unseen Realm, dies of cancer

Michael Heiser, a professor of biblical studies and author of the highly acclaimed 2015 book The Unseen Realm, has died not long after being diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Heiser's official Twitter page confirmed his death, noting that the scholar died at 3:45 p.m. EST Monday, with the tweet receiving over 463,000 views as of Tuesday morning.

Heiser received a master's from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992 focused on Ancient Egypt and Syria-Palestine, a master's from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 centered on Hebrew and Semitic Studies, and a doctorate from UWM in 2004 in the same field, with a dissertation titled "The Divine Council in Late Canonical and Non-Canonical Second Temple Jewish Literature."

Heiser authored multiple nonfiction and fiction books, including The 60 Second Scholar: 100 Insights That Illumine the Bible, I Dare You Not to Bore Me with The Bible, The Facade and The Portent.

In 2015, Heiser released The Unseen Realm, which has a 4.8 out of 5 rating on Amazon out of nearly 6,500 reviews as of Tuesday morning.

Christian apologist and author Jay Atkins wrote a column for The Christian Post recommending The Unseen Realm as "a full treatment" of "the breadth of the spiritual universe."

"Heiser lays out in detail the full expanse and implications of the spiritual realm as presented in biblical text. The bottom line is the Bible makes clear there is vast and eternal spiritual world that exists both apart from, and integrated with, our own," wrote Atkins.

Heiser was also a lecturer, scholar in residence at Logos Bible Software, host of "The Naked Bible" podcast and founder of a Christian nonprofit known as MIQLAT.

On Jan. 3, Michael's wife, Drenna, posted on his Facebook page that he experienced a serious medical emergency shortly after Christmas in which he had "approximately 4 pints of blood in his body when he should have 12-14 points for a man his size."

"To say the least, this was shocking. A blood transfusion was ordered. He received 3 units on Sunday and, almost immediately, he was so much better," she wrote.

In January, Heiser announced on Facebook he had stage 4 "of a very aggressive pancreatic cancer," with the tumor having "now invaded the upper GI and stomach areas causing slow, uncontrollable bleeding."

"In essence, I am bleeding out at a slow rate with no solution. I am presently not in pain, but am very week, a condition that will worsen until I am gone," stated Heiser.

"Since there are no further treatment options available to us, we have chosen to spend my remaining time at home. We are guessing (we have not been given a number) that this means I'll live anywhere from a week to several weeks."

Heiser added that while "this news is depressing," he "will die happy to have served the Lord and you all in the ways I have."

"God has been very good to us, gifting me in discernible ways and, I think just as importantly, given me heart for the lay community  all of you," he continued.

"I desired nothing more than to empower all of you to study Scripture more deeply, to unlock the Bible for you in ways inaccessible to all but scholars. This brought me a special joy."
Will Artificial Intelligence Write A Totally New Bible, Spark Cults, And Create Bizarre Religions? Inside The 'Dangerous' Potential Fallout

link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 12:55 12:55

Artificial intelligence is dominating headlines. But what should Christians make of it  and are there notable dangers afoot? Some experts are warning about the rise of new cults, entirely new "holy" texts, and other dangerous developments stemming from the rise of AI.

Christian Post reporter Ian Giatti joins the show to discuss the complex issue.

"AI might actually formulate ... a brand new theology itself. And that should be extremely alarming," Giatti said. "The threat is to take these sacred texts and literally replace them with a new kind of truth claim. That is disturbing."

Listen to Giatti break it all down.

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Artificial intelligence is dominating headlines. But what should Christians make of it  and are there notable dangers afoot? Some experts are warning about the rise of new cults, entirely new "holy" texts, and other dangerous developments stemming from the rise of AI.

Christian Post reporter Ian Giatti joins the show to discuss the complex issue.

"AI might actually formulate ... a brand new theology itself. And that should be extremely alarming," Giatti said. "The threat is to take these sacred texts and literally replace them with a new kind of truth claim. That is disturbing."

Listen to Giatti break it all down.
Who replaces Pat Robertson?

Christian leader, media personality and former candidate for President Pat Robertson passed away at the age of 93, leaving behind a 60-year legacy of moral courage. Much to the chagrin of those outside Christianity  as well as many within  God has infused Christians with the vision to see (and speak) the harsh reality of a fallen world through the lens of the hope of Christ.

No matter what you think of Robertson, it cannot be denied that his voice spoke to the conscience of America through politics and media. He helped the nation contextualize, even scrutinize, the decisions she was making and the course she charted. In this way, Robertson stood with the likes of recently deceased prophetic American figures Rev. Billy Graham, Rev. Jerry Falwell, Rev. Charles Stanley and Rev. Lou Sheldon. These Christian men touched the very heart and soul of the nation, often calling her back to God in Christ. Every time one of these men passes from this life, we must ask ourselves, Who is filling their shoes?

Over 30 years ago, Robertson covered my story when I was denied First Amendment religious liberty when my high school in Florida refused to let the schools Christian club and I distribute Christian literature about the Gospel of Jesus Christ between classes.

I filed a lawsuit against the Pinellas County School Board and won at the Florida Supreme Court. This became a precedent-setting case protecting the religious liberty of students in public schools nationwide. Robertsons "The 700 Club" television program helped the nation understand exactly what was at stake for America in the story of an unknown high school boy in small-town Florida. It was not the mission of Robertson or Graham or Stanley to build empires but to bring America into a right relationship with God, helping us understand what it means to be human to the benefit of both the individual and nation.

Today, America has lost her soul. She no longer shares a common purpose or identity. We need look no further than the violent identity crisis mutilating itself through the transgender movement. America has lost her way, exacerbated by the loss of the moral compass provided by men like Robertson. The heart monitor of society sounding the alarm of cardiac arrest is silenced with the death of men like Robertson.

As we honor his legacy, we must ask not who will take their job at the organizations they built and leave behind, but rather who can take up their mantle. Is God going to raise up a prophetic voice to fill the moral silence, pointing the nation back into the light or will He leave us to the destructive consequences of the vain pursuit of our own appetites? Who is willing to pay the cost of saying the emperor has no clothes, especially when the empire is ostensibly ruled by the people and for the people? Who is willing to suffer ridicule and rejection, for the prize of a repentant nation or a deeper fellowship with his suffering Savior? Where is Americas Jeremiah or Apostle Paul?

Whomever this person is, three key attributes will be needed in order to become the culture-shaping voice required for America to keep her freedom:

First, the ability to articulate the truth that every person is made in the image of God, and equally valuable. Without a firm grip on this foundational truth, conviction crumbles into opinion and the powerful begin deciding which class of people qualify for equal protection under the law and which ones do not. President Joe Biden knows this truth to be key to swaying the conscience of the nation, which is why he recently attempted to co-opt this truth, twisting it as other pro-abortion politicians do to exclude preborn babies from equal protection under the law.

Second, the courage to reject the cowardly temptation to sacrifice what is morally correct for what is politically expedient. This temptation can only be overcome by people of deep faith in God, believing that God, not government is our protector and provider. All the moral issues of our day are merely symptoms of the fact that we have forgotten what it means to be human under God, insisting that we can create ourselves and control the terms of our own universe. In the resulting void of human value, the social foundation erodes manifesting itself in the mutilation of children in the name of freedom, the destruction of the family in the name of marriage equality, and the targeting of pro-life Christians in the name of reproductive rights. Standing against the emerging Orwellian ministry of truth and the maelstrom that awaits, is a life-long endeavor.

Third, the resolve to maintain a reputation of excellent moral character. Moral character is the cornerstone to carry the content required for social change. Therefore, character assassination is the primary weapon used by tyrants to silence the voice of truth. The fiery darts of character assassination can be extinguished in only one way: a life lived unto God rather than to man. To be morally upright means we take seriously what it means to be made in Gods image and endeavor to reflect Gods good character back to Him and to each other, all the time.
Royal College of Surgeons drops opposition to assisted suicide

The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS) has announced it is dropping its official opposition to assisted suicide and will instead be neutral.

The organisation's council approved the shift after a survey of its members earlier this year found that nearly three quarters (72%) supported a change in stance.

Over half (52%) said they were in favour of the RCS supporting a change to the current law on assisted suicide.

Three in five members (61%) said that they personally supported the legalisation of assisted suicide, against 29% who said they were opposed.

The most common reasons for supporting assisted suicide were patient choice and autonomy, and the belief that "patients should not have to suffer/experience poor quality of life".

The RCS had previously adopted an official position of opposition to assisted suicide in 2014.

The change to a neutral position means that the RCS will neither support nor oppose attempts to change the law.

"As a professional body we have a duty and a responsibility to reflect all members' interests and concerns in any future legislative proposals and we will continue to engage with our members to understand their views," it said.

The RCS of England follows in the footsteps of the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Nursing, which have all adopted a neutral stance in recent years.

Christian groups like The Christian Institute and CARE are strongly opposed to assisted suicide, warning that it will remove protections for vulnerable people and be the start of a slippery slope towards ever widening criteria, as seen in places like the Netherlands and Belgium where the practice is already legal, including for minors and mentally ill people.
by Vijay Prashad

On July 11-12, 2023, the 31 members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will hold their annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. To prepare for the summit, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss the agenda for the summit. They spoke about the importance of Western support for Ukraine for the long haul and Stoltenberg told Biden that he looks forward to welcoming Sweden as a full member of NATO as soon as possible.





File Photo of NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Mons, Belgium [ Photo: Special Arrangement ]

In their joint press conference on June 13, neither Biden nor Stoltenberg mentioned anything about Ukraines membership of NATO, although both hoped that Sweden would become a member, hopefully.very shortly, as Biden said. Despite noises in the German Bundestag from Christian Democratic memberssuch as urging by Roderich Kiesewetterto bring Ukraine into NATO, there seems to be no appetite for any such move at present, least of all from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who is being very cautious. Germany is wary of allowing Ukraine into NATO during a war, but has no problemin principlewith Ukraines membership in NATO. With Sweden, the chessboard is far more complicated.





Finland Joins, but Not Sweden





In May 2022, Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO, a military alliance that hadat that timeconsisted of thirty countries (the most recent entrant being North Macedonia in 2020). At that time, Stoltenberg said of the applications, It is great to see you both. Indeed, it was widely expected that these applications would be fast-tracked and that all four Scandinavian states would be within the military camp of NATO. Norway and Denmark were both founder members in 1949 (Denmarks accession was particularly necessary so that the U.S. could build a vast base on Danish colonized GreenlandPituffik Space Base, the northernmost U.S. military basein 1951, displacing the local Inuit population).





Just short of a year lateron April 4, 2023NATO welcomed Finland into the alliance. Joining NATO is good for Finland, said NATOs Stoltenberg. It is good for Nordic security, and it is good for NATO as a whole. Finland shares a very long (832-mile) border with Russia, the longest border of any European Union or NATO state. By joining NATO, Finland has doubled the NATO-Russia border. Finland began to build a border fence along the riskiest areas, notably where Russian migrants might try to cross over. Social media in Finland mocked pictures released by the Border Guard of the fence, saying that it was just about useful for stopping horses; the fence is not for horses, responded Lieutenant Colonel Jukka Lukkari.





At the ceremony to welcome Finland into NATO, Finlands President Sauli Niinisto said that his countrys membership is not complete without Sweden. Standing beside him, NATOs Stoltenberg said, I look forward to also welcoming Sweden as soon as possible.





Why was Sweden not taken into the Western military alliance? In 1949, when NATO was established, the principle of decision-making adopted by the members was that of consensus, which means that all countries must agree to any decision; this consensus decision-making applies particularly to the question of membership. Two NATO membersHungary and Turkeyratified Finlands entry into NATO but blocked that of Sweden. That they allowed NATO to welcome Finland, whichunlike Swedenhas a direct border with Russia, shows that it is not the war in Ukraine that troubles these two countries. They have other problems, directly with Sweden.





The Sweden Problem





At a press conference in Washington with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATOs Stoltenberg, Vivian Salama of the Wall Street Journal asked, Are you concerned that Turkey is increasingly becoming a disruptive ally? Both Blinken and Stoltenberg ducked the question, which led Kylie Atwood of CNN to ask directly about NATO membership for Sweden. Stoltenberg obliquely noted Turkeys concerns regarding the presence of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Sweden. All NATO allies are of course ready to sit down and address those concerns, including the threats posed to Turkey by PKK, Stoltenberg said.





In 2009, when Sweden held the presidency of the Council of Europe, then-Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt promised to shepherd Turkey into the European Union. Relations, at that time, were robust. Turkeys war in recent years on the Kurdish minorities in the southeast of the country and in northern Syria roused the exiled Kurdish community in Sweden. Protests in Stockholm have annoyed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has repeatedly called in the Swedish ambassador to Ankara to complain about these protests. When an effigy of Erdogan was burnt by the Rojava Committee of Sweden, Swedens foreign minister Tobias Billstrom wrote on Twitter, Portraying a popularly elected president as being executed outside City Hall is abhorrent. This statement was not sufficient. Swedens Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that his country had weak anti-terror laws and that his government was in talks with Ankara to see what could be done.





On his way to Azerbaijan on June 14, Erdogan dismissed the possibility that Sweden would be allowed to enter NATO this July.





In May 2023, Hungarys president Viktor Orban went to Doha to attend the Qatar Economic Forum. He was asked why his ruling alliance, Fidesz-KDNP, which dominates the parliament (135 out of 199 seats), refuses to ratify Swedens entry into NATO. Orban bluntly said that he would not back down because Sweden unfairly expresses a damaging opinion about the situation of democracy and the rule of law in Hungary. Sweden is not alone in these concerns, which have been made very strongly by thirteen Hungarian intellectuals in a powerful book (Igazsagossagdemokraciafenntarthatosag) last year.





Orban was very upset with Sweden for its support of a European Union parliamentary report from September 2022 that described the Hungarian political system as a hybrid regime with parliamentary autocracy. Unless Sweden revokes this attitude, Budapest says, it will not allow it to join NATO.





Source: Globetrotter
Chinese courts pledge to better protect victims of domestic violence

Xinhua) 13:50, June 17, 2023

BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- China's top court Thursday made public 10 typical judicial cases as part of the country's efforts to protect victims of domestic violence.

The cases published by the Supreme People's Court (SPC) involved illegal acts including intentional homicide and intentional injury as well as cases regarding personal safety protection orders and divorce disputes.

In one intentional homicide case, a court judgement noted that individuals convicted of domestic violence crimes should not receive a lighter or mitigated punishment if their limited criminal responsibility is a result of self-inflicted behavior, such as alcohol consumption.

In another case in which a domestic violence victim was accused of intentional injury, a court judgement reads acts stopping ongoing violence in the family, as long as they are in line with the Criminal Law, can be justified as self-defense and exempted from criminal charges.

In recent years, Chinese courts have been working to improve the system of laws and regulations regarding anti-domestic violence.

In March 2015, the SPC and other authorities jointly issued China's first comprehensive judicial document on domestic violence, providing guidance for the handling of domestic violence crime cases in accordance with the law.

In July 2022, the SPC issued judicial interpretations on personal safety protection orders, which further clarified the forms of domestic violence and highlighted protecting the rights and interests of domestic violence victims in a timely manner.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Sheng Chuyi)
UN officials insist that the current force of 16,000 UN peacekeepers will withdraw from Congo "as quickly as possible", but responsibly in that the withdrawal must not create a security void. UN peacekeepers first arrived in Congo in the 1960s but left after about four years. UN peacekeepers returned in 1999 and are finally departing, at the request of Congo, sometime in 2024.

The peacekeepers will leave behind a lot of unresolved problems. For example, over 80,000 people have recently fled North Kivu province and are now seeking refuge in South Kivu province. The surge has created an emergency refugee crisis, one of several in Congo caused by several armed and angry rebel, Islamic terrorist or tribal groups.

Most of Congo is at peace and because of that the government has made progress in dealing with several lingering problems. For example, the government said it is about to settle a five-decade old oil rights dispute with Angola. The dispute involves an offshore drilling block in the Atlantic Ocean. Congo has a very small coastline at the mouth of the Congo River. Highly productive oil fields lie off Angolas shore to the south and off Angolas Cabinda exclave to the north. The government indicated Congo and Angola will each receive a 30 percent royalty from the disputed block. The oil company handling production gets the other 40 percent.

Other countries in the region are also seeking to settle old problems. For example, Malawis (a small landlocked nation in southeast Africa) government reported that neighboring Rwanda has asked for help in arresting 55 people wanted in connection with the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Rwanda believes the genocidaires are living in Malawi. On May 25 South African police arrested Fulgence Kayishema, an extremist Rwandan Hutu accused of massacring over 2,000 people. Rwanda and South Africa reported Kayishema used a fake Malawian passport with a pseudonym to travel between South Africa from Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). Kayishema was living in Eswatini. (Austin Bay)

In eastern Congo (North Kivu and Ituri provinces) the army soldiers claim to have killed over a thousand ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) Islamist rebels since May 2021 when President Tshisekedi declared a state of siege (martial law) in North Kivu and Ituri provinces. Tshisekedi argued the rampant, daily violence justified his decision. The army focused on its own actions but the Ugandan Army has participated in joint operations against the ADF in North Kivu. The army report said it used body count numbers and over 1,000 ADF rebels died in anti-ADF operations. Note the Congolese usually refer to ADF fighters as terrorists. The press statement also claimed FARDC had arrested (captured) 702 ADF rebels. Men identified as Jordanian, Pakistani, Kenyan and Afghan nationals were among the captured ADF fighters.

June 10, 2023: In eastern Congo (Ituri province) CODECO militiamen attacked an army unit guarding civilians. No soldiers were hurt, but CODECO killed seven civilians.

June 8, 2023: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) ADF terrorists hacked twelve people to death in a remote village.

Angola announced that it has signed an agreement to share military intelligence information with Egypt.

June 7, 2023: In eastern Congo (Ituri province) ADF rebels attacked three towns, looted them and killed at least 18 people.

June 6, 2023: In Burundi, the CNL (National Council for Freedom), the main political opposition coalition, claimed Burundis Interior Ministry has forced it to suspend political activities. The CNL said the government has violated Burundis constitution.

June 5, 2023: In Angola, leaders from ICGLR (International Conference of Great Lakes Region) praised SADCs decision to deploy peacekeeping troops in eastern Congo

June 3, 2023: Uganda confirmed that 54 Ugandan peacekeepers were killed in an attack by al Shabaab Islamic terrorists on an AU (African Union) peacekeeper base in Somalia. The base was 120 kilometers southwest of the Somali capital Mogadishu. Ugandan forces counterattacked and retook the base. Al Shabaab used a car bomb and several suicide bombers to lead the surprise attack.

June 1, 2023: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) the M23 rebels withdrawals from some occupied areas has not convinced many refugees to return home. That are still about a quarter-million of these displaced people in refugee camps. Since October 2021 M23 militiamen have killed nearly three hundred people in eastern Congo.

At a meeting of East African Community (EAC) senior leaders Rwanda insisted representatives from the M23 rebel group participate in peace talks regarding eastern Congo. The meeting was held in Burundi.

In Congo the government confirmed that in late 2022 it granted a firm from the UAE (United Arab Emirates) an exclusive 25-year deal to export artisanal gold. The government said it hopes the deal will curb the smuggling of artisanal (informally mined) gold. An organization that monitors resource sales said the contracts time span was too generous. The UAE firm also received tax advantages. The announcement comes as Congo continues to renegotiate the China Deal. This is what the media call the unfair minerals and resource-for-infrastructure agreement with China. The China Deal dates back to 2007-2008 and was negotiated by the thoroughly corrupt government of President Joseph Kabila. The deal definitely shortchanges Congo.

May 31, 2023: Congos Ministry of Mining issued a study of national mineral production and sales during 2022. Fifty percent of diamonds exported went to the United Arab Emirates while 46.3 percent went to Belgium. India purchased around 3.5 percent. The other 0.2 percent was divided among Israel, Canada and the U.S. These are legal diamond exports. Congo produced 2,516,000 tons of copper. It also produced 115, 371 tons of cobalt.

May 30, 2023: The CAR (Central African Republic) announced that CAR will hold a national referendum sometime in July. The referendum will address proposed changes to the constitution as well as an end of term limits. For the record, the CARs highest court ruled that these proposals are unconstitutional. If the CAR ends term limits the current president could run for a third term in 2025.

Burundi reaffirmed its "neutrality" in the Russo-Ukraine war. The Burundian government made the statement while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was visiting the country.

May 29, 2023: In Russia, the CAR ambassador said that CAR needs a Russian military base with 5,000 to 10,000 soldiers. The base would promote military-technical cooperation.

May 28, 2023: In southeastern Congo (Virunga National Park) poachers ambushed and killed two park rangers. Another six rangers and guards were wounded in the incident. A Congolese conservation organization blamed a Mai-Mai militia for the murders. The poachers were in the park hunting a hippopotamus.

May 27, 2023: Uganda reported its forces had suffered heavy casualties when Al Shabaab Islamist rebels in Somalia attacked a military base manned by Ugandan Army peacekeepers.

May 23, 2023: Congo formally requested the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigate and prosecute M23 rebels and Rwanda Army (Rwanda Defense Forces) personnel who have engaged in systematic pillaging of natural resources in Congo. TO government asked the ICC to focus on 2022 and 2023. Congo accuses Rwanda of backing M23. Rwanda denies the allegation.

May 19, 2023: Russia announced that its foreign minister has signed a bilateral declaration with Ugandas foreign minister that commits both countries to refrain from initiating the deployment of weapons in outer space. Uganda has a satellite program.

May 18, 2023: Mai-Mai militiamen ambushed a vehicle convoy in Virunga National Park and killed three rangers. Another individual in the convoy was also slain. Six people were wounded.

May 15, 2023: In southwestern Congo (Kwango province) there has been a n upsurge in tribal violence during the last week. The Yaka tribe Mobondo militia attacked several villages in Kwango province.. The army is trying to clear the militiamen from National Route 1, the main highway to the national capital Kinshasa. At least 11 civilians have been killed this time. In nearby Mai-Ndombe province (north of Kwango province) there has also been intermittent violence between the Yaka and Teke tribes for at least four years.

May 10, 2023: Congo and Uganda are discussing shipping Congolese oil through Ugandas planned crude oil pipeline. The EACOP (East African Crude Oil Pipeline) will run from the Lake Albert oil fields to Tanzanias Indian Ocean seaport of Tanga. Thats about 1,445 km (900 miles). Uganda estimates the pipeline will cost $3.5 billion. Uganda will start oil production and oil exporting in 2025.

May 9, 2023: In Botswana (north of South Africa) the government supported the possible deployment of Southern African forces to replace the EACRF. He said there are problems with the East African force. He said his government believes there is a cohabitation between some EACRF contingents and the M23 terrorists.

May 6, 2023: The East African Community praised its East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) peacekeeping contingent for forcing the M23 rebel group to withdraw from villages. The EAC is referring to the M23 rebels as occupiers, which implies the peacekeepers are liberators. Residents in these areas began returning to their homes around May 1. Despite the success, EAC leaders are not pleased with Congolese president Tshisekedis recent call for a regional force that will target armed rebel groups, especially M23 Tshisekedi seems to want the EAC to deploy a unit like MONUSCOs Force Intervention Brigade (FIB, or FBDE). The UN gave that unit a mandate to conduct offensive operations. Tshisekedi wants a force that can impose peace in the region. (Austin Bay)
Poland is evaluating the Swedish GlobalEye AEW (airborne early warning)/ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) aircraft, and also joint coordination of airborne surveillance over the Baltic with Sweden. The current version of GlobalEye can handle aerial, maritime and land surveillance. Aircraft can be detected up to 500 kilometers distant. Flying lower, GlobalEye can use its Synthetic-aperture surface search radar to obtain detailed depictions of the surface and target-detection by identifying which objects are moving and how fast. The radars can also detect ballistic missile launches. The ELINT system detects and identifies electronic transmissions from aerial or surface vehicles. While the aircraft has five onboard operator stations, the operators can be ground based via a real-time data transmission of what the sensors are detecting.

Both Sweden and Poland want to monitor Russian operations over or on the Baltic Sea and a pair of GlobalEye aircraft would do that. In 2021 the Swedish Air Force ordered two GlobalEye aircraft to replace its two 1990s-era Erieye AEW aircraft. Both were flown by twin-turboprop Saab 340 aircraft. The Erieye radar and associated electronics were designed and built in Sweden. The Erieye AEW system was also available in the Brazilian EMB 145 twin-jet regional aircraft. This 21-ton aircraft is used for Erieye AEW by Brazil, Mexico, and Greece. Most Erieye AEW export customers used the Saab 340 or the larger (22-ton) Saab-2000 turboprop regional airliner.

Globaleye entered service in 2019 using an upgraded Erieye ER radar which can detect aircraft over 400 kilometers distant and do so in greater detail. Globaleye can detect and track more aircraft at one time and better deal with ECM (electronic countermeasures) carried by detected aircraft. Another new feature is the ability to detect ballistic missile launches as well. Globaleye includes a maritime search radar as well in addition to more SIGINT (Signals intelligence) equipment for detecting and identifying a wide range of radars and ECM equipment. Since a combined AEW/maritime search/SIGINT system is heavier and needs more space, as well as operating farther from land, Globaleye is carried in the larger 45-ton Global 6000 aircraft which has a cruising speed of 900 kilometers an hour and endurance of about ten hours. Like the basic Erieye system, Globaleye can be carried in any number of similar twin-engine jet or turboprop aircraft. The two GlobalEye aircraft for Sweden will apparently use the Global 6000 aircraft so the aircraft can stay in the air longer over the Baltic Sea, where Sweden and Poland must deal with an increasingly aggressive and well-equipped Russian military aircraft and ships.

While Sweden was the first customer for the Erieye system, the UAE (United Arab Emirates) was the first to order GlobalEye, based on their experience with two Erieye systems they ordered in 2009. The Erieye system is built around an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar which consists of thousands of tiny radars that can be independently aimed in different directions. This is like the AESA radar used on the American JSTARS aircraft, a system that can locate vehicles moving on the ground. The Swedish AESA is cheaper because it's built like a long bar, mounted on top of the aircraft, rather than a rotating assembly inside a dome as on the JSTARS. This means the Swedish AESA radar can only see, in a 120-degree arc, off both sides of the aircraft. A 60-degree arc in the front and back is uncovered. The Erieye ER radar can spot large aircraft out to nearly 500 kilometers, and more common fighter-sized aircraft at about 400 kilometers. The UAE used their Erieye aircraft to manage air campaigns, including the one underway in Yemen in early 2015. The primary use for UAE AEW aircraft is to deter an attack by Iran and if that does not work, to manage an aerial campaign against Iran.

With all that in mind, the UAE ordered new Globaleye systems in 2015. At that time Globaleye was still in development. Given the UAEs experience with the reliability of Erieye, it seemed a good idea to be first in line for the new version. Globaleye completed development and testing in 2019 and the UAE received the first one in early 2020.

At the end of 2020 the UAE ordered two more GlobalEye AEW systems for about $500 million each. All six of the UAE GlobalEye systems use the Bombardier 6000 jet which can stay in the air longer and proved effective in detecting Iranian air and naval activity in the Persian Gulf. The UAE also backs a wider program to link ground and air-based surveillance radars of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE) into a cooperative surveillance network that provides all GCC members with better information on that is going on in the skies over their nations and the Persian Gulf in general. Saab told the UAE that they could help with integrating Globaleye data into the new GCC system because both Erieye and Globaleye were designed to be used by NATO members and integrated into the joint NATO air defense system. The 2020 recognition of Israel by the UAE makes possible the incorporation of Israeli data into the GCC system as well. In 2022 Sweden joined NATO, although official membership is being blocked by Hungary and Turkey because of accusations that Sweden harbors Turkish terrorists and Swedish criticism of how Hungary is ruled.

The first two UAE Erieye systems were carried in the 13-ton Saab 340 airliner, which had a cruising speed of 290 kilometers an hour and was able to stay in the air about five hours per sortie. This was the aircraft used when Erieye was introduced in the late 1990s. Saab had been working on a lightweight AESA AEW radar since the 1980s, as was Israel and the United States. The Erieye ER used in Globaleye was a major upgrade, as well as the addition of maritime search and SIGINT capabilities.

The UAE appreciated the Globaleye using a Canadian Bombardier Global 6000, which is a business jet that normally carries 13 passengers plus a crew of two. The Globaleye version can carry a payload of 2.6 tons which is sufficient to cover a maritime search radar, the Erieye AEW radar and other electronic sensors.
NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio  A 40-year-old man is charged with kidnapping and aggravated arson following a June 14 standoff with police, including a SWAT team, at the Radisson Inn on Country Club Boulevard.

The standoff resulted in hotel guests being evacuated.

Officers responded to the hotel at 11:21 a.m. on June 14 after learning that a man was allegedly using fraudulent information and fraudulent credit cards to rent a room. He was staying at the hotel with an unidentified woman.

Upon further investigation, officers learned the male suspect and the woman had been driving a U-Haul truck that was reported stolen. The truck was discovered in the hotel parking lot and towed.

Police learned that the man had an active felony warrant out of Cuyahoga County for fraud and was wanted for questioning by the Cleveland Police Department in a homicide investigation.

Detectives at 1 p.m. on June 14 contacted the male suspect by telephone and asked him to leave his hotel room. However, the man responded by barricading himself in the room and refusing to let the woman leave, according to a police press release. Officers confirmed through communications that the suspect had a firearm.

At that point, a police SWAT team responded, and hostage negotiators were able to get the woman out of the room safely after about an hour.

Approximately 50 minutes after the woman was released, officers noticed smoke coming out of the suspects hotel room. The North Olmsted Fire Department responded but remained on standby.

A short time later, the suspect, whose last known address was in Cleveland, exited the room and police took him into custody. At that point, firefighters entered the room and extinguished a fire in a small trash can and a bathtub.

Officers recovered a semi-automatic handgun during a search of the hotel room.

The North Olmsted Police Department, in a written statement, said that the suspect was charged by their department with kidnapping and aggravated arson. They said additional charges could be filed in the future.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Dads from around the area certainly were fearless when they strutted their stuff down Euclid Avenue dressed as Taylor Swift as part of an Alan Cox Show contest, to win -- thats right -- tickets to see Taylor Swift in Pittsburgh.

Sean Fitzgerald, of North Olmsted, won the tickets to Swifts Saturday concert at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.

For his winning outfit, Fitzgerald donned a blonde wig, a shiny dress and, for some reason out there, plaid pajama pants.

The Alan Cox Show and 100.7 WMMS were giving away the pair of tickets on Friday afternoon. The show asked dads to strut down Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland dressed like Taylor Swift, and entertain the radio hosts.

Cox called them Super Bowl tickets because of how many dads wanted them, he said on his show Friday before the festivities began.

Swift is in the home stretch of her tour. She will be very close to Cleveland in the next couple of weekends as she performs in Cincinnati June 30 and July 1.
On March 5, The Plain Dealer/cleveland.com editorial board argued in an editorial that Gov. Mike DeWines proposals on literacy instruction should not be mandatory. That recommendation and approach are not in the best interests of the young people of Ohio.

The science of reading is not an ideological construct, nor is it this new shiny thing, as the editorial put it. Rather, the science of reading is a body of empirically based literature that documents clearly what a young person needs to be able to do to read independently.

What the governor is proposing is that science of reading needs to be followed and that we should only be using evidenced-based practices. The evidence is clear that the other methods are not working. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the majority of Ohios fourth-graders are failing as readers. The reality is that, if current methods were effective, the results would demonstrate as much. They do not.
EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Two elderly women were killed in an early Saturday morning house fire, officials say.

The fire happened about 4 a.m. at a home on East 135th Street near Hayden Avenue, according to the East Cleveland Fire Department.

When firefighters arrived, they found heavy fire and smoke coming from the first floor and spilling out onto the front porch, the department said. Officials did not say where they found the women in the home.

The women have not yet been identified by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiners Office.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
COLUMBUS, Ohio  Ohio House lawmakers have launched a bipartisan effort to nix a piece of the state Constitution that allows for slavery as a punishment for a crime.

Dayton Republican Phil Plummer and Columbus Democrat Dontavius Jarrells, plus a long list of bipartisan cosponsors, introduced what they described as a symbolic fix to Ohios founding document. If approved, it would place Ohio among a handful of states that recently have changed their constitutions to bar slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for crime.
MBABANE  Corporal punishment or prison term?

This is a question a civil servant *Jomo is alleged to have been asked for allegedly being in a sexual relationship with a pupil from a school in the Hhohho Region. The name of the school will not be mentioned as the head teacher expressed concern that this could affect the concerned learner as she could be victimised. It is alleged that relationships between adults and pupils at the school are very common. This is said to be blamed on the schools location in, relation to the town centre and also government buildings.

The school is said to be situated near houses used by civil servants, and that concerns are said to have been raised by the school that older men were taking advantage of pupils, who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is alleged that recently, Jomo was caught to have been in a relationship with a pupil and was reported to the school, allegedly by a relative of the pupil. The said civil servant is said to have been called to the school to answer to allegations that he was allegedly dating the pupil. It is alleged that he was told that dating a pupil was an offence and that he could be arrested for it. Fearing the arrest, the civil servant is said to have opted to be whipped instead and vowed not to ever be involved with a pupil.

Disciplinary

He was whipped on a bench, an official who asked not to be mentioned confirmed. The alleged whipping is said to have been done by the schools disciplinary committee (DC). However, it is alleged that despite serving the punishment, the civil servant is said to be hounded by some teachers, who are said to have demanded money or they would report him to the police. It is also alleged that the teacher then reported the matter to the anti Domestic Violence and Childrens Welfare Unit of the police. The civil servant is also said to have expressed concerns on why he was punished yet the pupil was older than 18 years and, therefore, consented .

Relatives to the pupil are also said to have been involved in the matter and they were also asked about what should be done to the civil servant. It is alleged that the civil servant was warned that should the matter be reported to the police, he could be locked up and charged under the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act No. 15 of 2018. It is alleged Jomo was then asked what he would choose between being whipped or being reported to the police. Jomo is said to have been warned about the consequences of being arrested and that should this be the case, he would end up losing his job. The civil servant is said to have opted to be whipped with a stick properly prepared for pupils corporal punishment.

It was also gathered that this was not the only incident in which a man was punished for allegedly dating pupils at the school. This publication gathered that in a separate incident, another man was also punished for allegedly dating a pupil, and he, *Jack, was also summoned to the school after he was found to be dating a pupil.

Pleaded

Jack is alleged to have also pleaded for leniency and asked not to be reported to the police. It is alleged that instead of being reported to the police, he was asked to clean the school hall. Both Jack and Jomo could not be reached for comment on the matter. Meanwhile, it is not the first time the Times of Eswatini had reported on a situation where men accused of dating pupils were punished at a school instead of being reported to the police. In the past, a now deceased former head teacher of Mhlatane High School is also said to have ensured that men found guilty of dating pupils were offered either to be whipped or handed over to the police.

All the culprits opted to be whipped instead. This publication also previously reported an incident at Timpisini High School, where two men, including a civil servant, were offered to be either whipped or reported to the police. The men were allegedly whipped and released. According to information sourced online, whipping is an acceptable form of punishment administered by courts. Whipping is also referred to as caning or corporal punishment. This is said to be practised in some African countries mainly in the north but also Botswana and Tanzania. It is also said to be practised for juvenile offenders in Eswatini and Zimbabwe.
A few people walk on a street as fighting continues in Khartoum on June 13, 2023.

An airstrike in Sudan's capital Khartoum on Saturday killed at least 17 people, including five children, health officials said, as fighting continued between rival generals seeking to control the country.

The attack was one of the deadliest of the clashes in urban areas of Khartoum and elsewhere in Sudan between the military and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces.

It was not clear whether the attack was by aircraft or a drone. The military's aircraft have repeatedly targeted RSF troops and the RSF has reportedly used drones and anti-aircraft weapons against the military.

The conflict in Sudan broke out in mid-April, capping months of increasing tensions between the leaders of the military and the RSF.

Saturday's strike hit the Yormouk neighborhood in southern Khartoum, where clashes have centered in recent weeks, according to Sudan's Ministry of Health. The area houses a military facility controlled by the army. At least 25 houses were destroyed, the ministry wrote in a Facebook post.

The dead included five children and an unknown number of women and elderly people, and some wounded people were hospitalized, the ministry said.

A local group that calls itself The Emergency Room and helps organize humanitarian aid in the area, said at least 11 people were wounded in the strike. It posted images it said were of houses damaged in the attack and people searching through the rubble. Other images claimed to show a wounded girl and man.

The RSF claimed in a statement that the military's aircraft bombed the area, killing and wounding civilians. It claimed it downed a military MiG fighter jet. The paramilitary group's claims couldn't be independently verified.

A military spokesman didn't respond to messages seeking comment.

The conflict has plunged the African country into chaos and turned Khartoum and other urban areas into battlefields. The paramilitary force has occupied people's houses and other civilian properties since the onset of the conflict, according to residents and activists.

The clashes have killed hundreds of civilians and wounded thousands of others. More than 2.2 million people have fled their homes to safer areas inside Sudan or crossed into neighboring countries.

Along with Khartoum, fighting has raged in Darfur, a sprawling area in western Sudan. Genena, the provincial capital of West Darfur province, has experienced some of the worst battles in the conflict, with tens of thousands of its residents fleeing to neighboring Chad.

Arab militias known as janjaweed have recently joined the clashes in Genena on the side of the RSF, according to residents and activists.

On Wednesday, West Darfur Gov. Khamis Abdalla Abkar was abducted and killed hours after he accused the RSF and allied Arab militias in a televised interview of attacking Genena.

His slaying was blamed on the RSF, a charge the paramilitary force denied.
MBABANE  The LGBTQI+ communitys hope for recognition now rests with the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Manqoba Khumalo.

This after the Supreme Court yesterday referred their association registration application to the minister, since the Registrar of Companies, Msebe Malinga, declined to register the Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities (ESGM), which is a company in the course of formation. The application was referred to the minister because Malinga already made a decision over the matter. The court ordered the minister to consider the application for registration afresh and advise the appellants of his decision in writing within 60 days of the judgment. The Supreme Court also found that the registrar of companies decision to decline the registration of the association is null and void.

Judgment

The appeal against the decision of the High Court full bench to dismiss their application by a majority judgment, issued by Judge Mumcy Dlamini and Judge Mzwandile Fakudze, was set aside. The office of the attorney general (AG) has indicated that it will file a review of the decision of the Supreme Court. Judge Cyril Maphanga, who formed part of the bench at the High Court, found in favour of the applicants. However, his minority judgment was dwarfed by his colleagues judgment and it could not stand.

Melusi Simelane, in his capacity as the directors of ESGM, together with Senele Mdluli, Mbali Dlamini, Thuthu Magagula, Mary Da Silva, Sibongile Nxumalo and Thandekile Maziya were the applicants in the matter. They had taken the registrar of companies, minister of Commerce Industry and Trade and AG to court to review and set aside the registrars decision to refuse to register their association. When they were unsuccessful at the High Court, they approached the Supreme Court on appeal. The appeal was heard by Judge Phesheya Dlamini, who, during the hearing of the matter, said there is something wrong with anybody who says there are no gays and lesbians in Eswatini.



Other judges who heard the appeal are Majahenkhaba Dlamini, Stanley Maphalala, Robert Cloete and Acting Judge Luke Simelane. The appellants were represented by Human Rights Lawyer Sabelo Nhlabatsi, while Principal Crown Counsel Ndabenhle Dlamini appeared for government.

The Supreme Court was called upon to consider whether the High Court committed any misdirection in dismissing the applicants application to review and set aside the decision of the registrar and if the latters actions complied with the elements of the law. If the answer was in the negative to one of both questions, the court was to determine the remedy that the High Court ought to have granted the appellants.

The appellants arguments, according to Judge Phesheya, were largely in line with the conclusions in the minority judgment. Their slight departure from the minority judgment was that the court concluded that since the decision of the registrar stood to be reviewed and set aside in terms of the common law, there was no need to venture into possible constitutional infractions. It was contended for the appellants that the constitutional infraction on their rights were relevant and that indeed Judge Maphanga, while stating that it was not necessary to make such a determination, ventured into the constitutions infractions and determined in their favour.

Decision

Their contention, therefore, was that the registrar's decision was reviewable under both the common law and was being unconstitutional. In this regard, it was submitted for the appellants that; they desired to associate within the parameters of the law and sought that the registration of their association (ESGM) as a non-profit organisation with the objective of protecting human rights that include the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender queer intersex (LGBTQI+) persons.

They further contended that registrar fell short of the elements of interpretation advocating for broad, generous and liberal interpretations when it comes to sections pronouncing on human rights and freedoms and the converse ought to apply to sections that limit such rights. They also argued that the registrar abdicated his responsibilities as contained in Section 37 of the Companies Act of 2009 by referring the matter to the principal secretary (PS) and the AG. Their attorney, Nhlabatsi, told the court that the registrar's decision to refuse the registration was irrational as he relied on the tags of promoting same-sex relations.

He said the ESGM objectives were not unlawful and did not encourage sodomy as concluded in the majority judgment; and that the refusal to register ESGM amounted to a violation of the fundamental rights of affected persons as enshrined in the Constitution, 2005 namely; freedom of expression and association, the right to dignity, right to equality; and the prohibition against discrimination. Nhlabatsi stated that there was no legitimate justification for the violation of his clients rights and government failed before the High Court to discharge the onus that the limitations of the rights was justifiable.

On the other hand, government, through Principal Crown Counsel Ndabenhle, submitted that while the appellants favoured the minority judgment, government favoured the majority judgment. He said, according to government, the majority judgment was just and correct. Ndabenhle also submitted that the name and objectives of the association were calculated to mislead as it was not a lawful purpose and contravened Section 37 of the Companies Act.

Government further contended that the Constitution subjected the nation to God, yet ESGM advocated for what is against the order of nature and their actions are traceable to the Bible; as depicted in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by God; in the Book of Genesis. According to the Roman-Dutch common Law, what ESGM was seeking through registration was morally unacceptable. The principal Crown counsel argued that freedom of assembly and association in Section 25 of the Constitution was limited by the right of others and public interest found in Section 14(3). According to government, the appellants had not shown that the provisions of Section 37(3) of the Companies Act and Sections 14 (3), 24 (3) and 25(3 of the Constitution were not reasonably justified on an open and democratic society.

Legislature

Ndabenhle said: If there is a lacuna in the law, the appropriate organ to address such is the Legislature and not the court. Therefore, the appellants ought not to use judicial craft to legitimise gay and lesbian liaisons and such other indecent offences and create a new breed of rights which do not exist in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini. Out of the nine grounds of appeal, Ndabenhle said only one was a proper ground of appeal, namely the ground on lawful purpose, and the rest were reasons for the majority judgment.

He stated that the minority judgment was fraught with misdirection. In his analysis, Judge Phesheya said he fully agreed with the conclusion of Judge Maphanga in the minority judgment regarding the registrar's dereliction of duty. However, Judge Phesheya said he respectfully disagreed with how Judge Maphanga proceeded with the matter after this finding. In my view, the finding should have ended any further enquiry and the decision of the registrar declared null and void ab initio as it was irretrievably and incurably tainted, said Judge Phesheya.

Judge Phesheya said, clearly Section 37 only made mention of only two functionaries, where the registration of a company or an association was concerned, namely; the registrar and the minister. Therefore, it was not legally permissible for the registrar to either perform this function conjunction with persons not so empowered by the Act or delegate his powers to such persons. In this regard, one does not have to look any further than what is argued for the respondents (government) in their papers, said the judge. Judge Phesheya agreed with Judge Maphanga that the registrar of companies conduct amounted to a dereliction of duty and in my view legally fatal to the entire process in the determination of the appellants application.

Hierarchy

This is more so in consideration of the fact that the two government officials who were enlisted by the registrar are senior to him in terms of the hierarchy of the government. The registrar does not take the court into confidence as to the advice and an assistance sought and/or given. On the one hand, the attorney general is the principal legal representative and advisor of the State. On the other hand, the principal secretary is the administrative head of the ministry.

This is complicated by the fact that the attorney general, whose advice was solicited and admitted by the registrar, is now representing the registrar and the minister in court in defence of a process he was invited to participate in. The registrar's qualifications are prescribed such that he is expected to be conversant with the law, said Judge Phesheya. During arguments of the appeal, Lawyer Nhlabatsi said government seemingly emphasised on sexual intercourse and ignored the objects of the association they intend to register. He told the court that the court that the LGBTQI members were Christians and they fellowshipped. He said they were not calling upon the court to legalise what was illegal.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks at the release of the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 15, 2023.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has embarked on a high-stakes diplomatic trip to China to try to cool down escalating tensions between the two powers that have set many around the world on edge.

Blinken will be the highest-level American official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office, and the first secretary of state to make the trip in five years.

Yet prospects for any significant breakthrough on the most vexing issues facing the planet's two largest economies are slim, as already ties have grown increasingly fraught in recent years. Animosity and recriminations have steadily escalated over a series of disagreements that have implications for global security and stability.

Blinken arrives in Beijing on Sunday for two days of talks. He expects to meet with Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Sunday, top diplomat Wang Yi, and possibly Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, according to U.S. officials.

Biden and Xi Jinping agreed to Blinken's trip early at a meeting last year in Bali. It came within a day of happening in February but was delayed by the diplomatic and political tumult brought on by the discovery of what the U.S. says was a Chinese spy balloon flying across the United States that was shot down.

The list of disagreements and potential conflict points is long: ranging from trade with Taiwan, human rights conditions in China to Hong Kong, as well as the Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea to Russia's war in Ukraine.

U.S. officials said before Blinken's departure from Washington on Friday that he would raise each of them, though neither side has shown any inclination to back down on their positions.

Shortly before leaving, Blinken emphasized the importance of the U.S. and China establishing and maintaining better lines of communication. The U.S. wants to make sure "that the competition we have with China doesn't veer into conflict" due to avoidable misunderstandings, he told reporters.

Biden and Xi had made commitments to improve communications "precisely so that we can make sure we are communicating as clearly as possible to avoid possible misunderstandings and miscommunications," Blinken said Friday.

Xi offered a hint of a possible willingness to reduce tensions, saying Friday that the United States and China can cooperate to "benefit our two countries" in a meeting with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

"I believe that the foundation of Sino-U.S. relations lies in the people," Xi said to Gates. "Under the current world situation, we can carry out various activities that benefit our two countries, the people of our countries, and the entire human race."

Since the cancellation of Blinken's trip in February, there have been some high-level engagements. CIA chief William Burns traveled to China in May, while China's commerce minister traveled to the U.S. And Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Yi in Vienna in May.

But those have been punctuated by bursts of angry rhetoric from both sides over the Taiwan Strait, their broader intentions in the Indo-Pacific, China's refusal to condemn Russia for its war against Ukraine, and U.S. allegations from Washington that Beijing is attempting to boost its worldwide surveillance capabilities, including in Cuba.

And, earlier this month, China's defense minister rebuffed a request from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for a meeting on the sidelines of a security symposium in Singapore, a sign of continuing discontent.

Austin said Friday he was confident that he and his Chinese counterpart would meet "at some point in time, but we're not there yet."

Underscoring the situation, China rejected a report by a U.S. security firm, that blamed Chinese-linked hackers for attacks on hundreds of public agencies, schools and other targets around the world, as "far-fetched and unprofessional"

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson repeated accusations that Washington carries out hacking attacks and complained the cybersecurity industry rarely reports on them.

That followed a similar retort earlier in the week when China said Qin had in a phone call with Blinken urged the United States to respect "China's core concerns" such as the issue of Taiwan's self-rule, and "stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop harming China's sovereignty, security and development interests in the name of competition."

Meanwhile, the national security advisers of the United States, Japan and the Philippines held their first joint talks Friday and agreed to strengthen their defense cooperation, in part to counter China's growing influence and ambitions.

This coincides with the Biden administration inking an agreement with Australia and Britain to provide the first with nuclear-powered submarines, with China moving rapidly to expand its diplomatic presence, especially in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific island nations, where it has opened or has plans to open at least five new embassies over the next year.

The agreement is part of an 18-month-old nuclear partnership given the acronym AUKUS  for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Speaking before Blinken's departure, two U.S. officials downplayed hopes for major progress and stressed that the trip was intended to restore a sense of calm and normalcy to high-level contacts.

"We're coming to Beijing with a realistic, confident approach and a sincere desire to manage our competition in the most responsible way possible," said Daniel Kritenbrink, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia and the Pacific.

Kurt Campbell, the top Asia expert at the National Security Council, said "intense competition requires intense diplomacy if we're going to manage tensions. That is the only way to clear up misperceptions, to signal, to communicate, and to work together where and when our interests align."
Japanese stocks are rallying, and some small- and mid-cap names could start participating in those gains, some investors say. Corporate governance reforms and a weaker yen initially helped the sector surge and started investors buzzing about the market's prospects. This week, the Nikkei 225 topped the key 33,000 level  a figure investors haven't seen since July 1990. Separately, the Topix also reached new 2023 highs. .N225 YTD mountain Nikkei 225 this year While the rally has mostly swept up large-cap names, some small- and mid-cap stocks could start to catch up  and even outperform  larger-cap stocks should enthusiasm continue. The iShares MSCI Japan ETF , which focuses on larger cap stocks in the market, is higher by 16% in 2023. Meanwhile, the iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF is up more than 7% over the same time period. "I believe that should efforts at improving corporate governance extend more broadly to the mid- and small-cap space, those groups are likely to put on stronger outperformance versus their larger cap peers," wrote Carlos Asilis, investment chief at Glovista Investments. SCJ YTD mountain iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF this year What's more, cyclical stocks are more heavily represented in small- and mid-cap Japanese equities than among large-caps. That's a group that's set to outperform should global recession concerns ease. To be sure, the investor clarified small- and mid-caps are a near-term opportunity for traders. Over the long term, large-cap Japanese stocks such as industrials will continue to outperform given the weakening demographics story in the country, he said. Ways to play One passive investment for investors is the iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF (SCJ) , which tracks a market-cap weighted benchmark for small-cap equities in the country. With just $98 million in assets, it's a small index that has seen just $27.31 million in fund flows year to date, according to FactSet data. However, it's relatively cheap with a 0.5% expense ratio. And, it's higher this year by more than 7%. However, Glovista's Asilis said investors might instead prefer to gain exposure to the market by searching for some highly rated mutual funds. One example is Fidelity Japan Smaller Companies (FJSCX) . The fund has a total of $379.3 million in assets under management, and has a four-star rating from Morningstar. As of March, the fund's top holding, with a 3% allocation, was Renesas Electronics, a chipmaker for cars and other industries. However, the FJSCX, which has an expense ratio of 0.910%, is underperforming this year. It's up by roughly 13%, while its category is up by 16%. Another actively managed fund is the Hennessy Japan Small Cap Investor (HJPSX) . It has $111.2 million in assets under management, and it's up by 9.5% this year. In March, its top holding was transportation equipment maker Musashi Seimitsu Industry, with a 2% stake. HJPSX has just three stars from Morningstar, as well as a 1.580% expense ratio.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after meeting African leaders in Kyiv on Friday that peace talks with Russia would be possible only after Moscow withdraws its forces from occupied Ukrainian territory.

Zelenskyy added that he failed to understand what could be gained from the leaders meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday in St. Petersburg.

"...This is their decision, how logical it is, I don't really understand," he told reporters.

Zelenskyy's comments signaled no change in Ukraine's long-held stance on peace talks, despite the African delegation's hopes of mediating an end to the war that has raged since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

"To allow any negotiations with Russia now while the occupier is on our land is to freeze the war, to freeze everything: pain and suffering," Zelenskyy told a joint press conference with the delegation.

"We need real peace, and therefore, a real withdrawal of Russian troops from our entire independent land."

Ukraine stood by its own peace initiative, based on a complete Russian withdrawal, but invited the African leaders to take part in an international peace summit that is being drawn up.

The delegation, including leaders of Senegal, Egypt, Zambia, South Africa and the Comoros, met Zelenskyy after being greeted in Kyiv by a volley of Russian missiles.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the leaders had come "to share the African perspective" and saw talks with Russia as part of the mission.

He recalled that South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela favored negotiations and that "even when the conflict becomes most intense, that is when peace should be made."
In April this year, Paudel was flown to Delhi to seek advanced treatment for chest and abdominal problems at a premier government hospital, officials had said.

Nepal President Ram Chandra Poudel was admitted to Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Center in Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital after he complained of chest pain early Saturday.

"His health condition is normal," Chiranjibi Adhikari, Personal Secretary of Nepal President, told news agency ANI.

In April this year, Paudel was flown to Delhi to seek advanced treatment for chest and abdominal problems at a premier government hospital, officials had said. He was was shifted to AIIMS Delhi from Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu's Maharajgunj as his oxygen level dipped.

Paudel, 78, had earlier spent five days in April in the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) in the Nepali capital of Kathmandu, after complaining of a chest problem, Reuters reported.

Poudel of the Nepali Congress was elected as the new president of Nepal in March 2023, in a relief to the fragile coalition government headed by Prime Minister 'Prachanda'.

Poudel, a common candidate of the eight-party alliance that included the Nepali Congress and Prime Minister 'Prachanda'-led CPN (Maoist Center), received the vote of 214 lawmakers of Parliament and 352 provincial assembly members.

(With inputs from agencies)
Putin confirms moving first batch of nukes to Belarus as a deterrent for the hostile West

Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed that his country has moved the first batch of nuclear weapons to the territory of its ally Belarus, as a tactical move in its war against Ukraine. However, he added that these were deterrents against the West, and not for unleashing nuclear warfare.

United against the West  Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (left) with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo courtesy: Twitter/ @onlydjole

Putin said, I see no need for Russia to resort to nuclear weapons for now. These would only be used if Russias territory or state was threatened. He was talking yesterday at a business forum in St Petersburg.

The news agency Reuters quoted Putin as saying, As you know we were negotiating with our ally [Belarusian President Alexander] Lukashenko, that we would move a part of these tactical nuclear weapons to the territory of Belarus  this has happened.

The first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus but only the first ones, the first part. We will do this job completely by the end of the summer or by the end of the year.

He emphasised that the nuclear weapons were being positioned in Belarus not for use on Ukraine, but as an element of deterrence, so that all those who are thinking about inflicting a strategic defeat on [Russia] are not oblivious to this circumstance.

Lukashekno had said on Wednesday that his country had started taking delivery of the Russian nuclear weapons. Reuters reported that these nuclear warheads placed in Belarus were shorter-range less powerful nuclear weapons that could potentially be used on the battlefield, and that this was the first time they had been positioned outside Russia.

The Belarusian president said in a televised interview, We have missiles and bombs that we have received from Russia. The bombs are three times more powerful than those (dropped on) Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Far from being imposed on Belarus, these Russian nuclear weapons were wanted by his country as a deterrent, said Lukashenko. We have always been a target. They (the West) have wanted to tear us to pieces since 2020. No one has so far fought against a nuclear country, a country that has nuclear weapons.

Alexander Lukashenko speaks to the media. Photo courtesy: Twitter/ @Reuters

Lukashenko faced protests in his own country in 2020, after a hotly disputed presidential election, and he was helped by Putin to stay in power. He has been a key ally for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.

Referring to the Ukrainian counteroffensive, which began around June 4 and which he has always dismissed as ineffectual, Putin said that the adversaries were suffering heavy losses and stood no chance against the Russian military.

Also read: African peace mission asks Ukraine, Russia to settle the war through diplomacy

Also read: Ukraine alleges kidnapping of 150 children by Russia; SA president brings peace mission

Also read: Ukraine counteroffensive slows down as Russia responds with fierce attacks

According to reports today, the Ukrainian counteroffensive had some success with advancing in the south, after being forced to slow down by the manoeuvres of the Russian military. The Ukrainians are being bombed from above by the Russians and do not have the fighter jets required to counter this.
MBABANE  In an online broadcast on Wednesday, Mlungisi Makhanya made a myriad of threats, insinuations of war and used coercive language towards two top detectives.

The Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) hosted its President, Makhanya, on their Facebook page, where he spoke on a number of issues including the arrest of Thabo Kunene, the self-styled commander of a group known as the Swaziland International Solidarity Forces (SISF), that claimed to be at the forefront of killing members of State security forces. Makhanya made life-threatening utterances on two senior police officers, who were at the forefront of the crackdown on perpetrators of the recent attacks. The two officers are Senior Superintendent Clement Sihlongonyane and Manzini Regional Crime Branch Officer (RCBO) Senior Superintendent Thabo Hlophe.

He alleged that the two were part of a team of police officers who joined forces with traditional healer Andile Nkomonye, popularly known as Dr Mkhulu, to orchestrate the arrest, detention and smuggling of Kunene into the country. Kunene was reportedly arrested by the local police, led by Sihlongonyane, in one of the informal crossings at the borderline to Eswatini. He was allegedly arrested after illegally entering the country following an arrest and detention by Dr Mkhulus security. Kunene and his co-accused Sibusiso Nkomonye were apprehended in Rustenburg, South Africa, after allegedly trying to steal guns at Dr Mkhulus compound.

Illegal

Makhanya said Kunenes apprehension and the method used to take him into the country were illegal and the two police officers would face the wrath of freedom fighters. He said a previous hit on Sihlongonyane might have missed the target but the next one was not going to miss. Regarding Hlophe, Makhanya said his day was coming and it was very near. He said Kunene was a freedom fighter and not a murderer and, therefore, deserved to be supported by all those calling for democracy. He further mentioned that all those in police custody under the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008 were freedom fighters and not terrorists.

We want to speak directly to one Clement Sihlongonyane and one Thabo Hlophe, who were a part of the team that crossed the border to apprehend and smuggle Kunene and Nkomonye into Eswatini. You might have been missed as a target before but there wont be a miss again; Thabo, your day is coming too. You will never deter us, we are freedom fighters and we are not cowards. We do not hide behind balaclavas but we come face to face with anyone who is against us. You should try again and come with your witch doctors, we are waiting for you and we will make sure that you return everyone under your custody back to us. This is a liberation war, he said.

The PUDEMO president stated that every commander had generals under him and, therefore, the police officers should be mindful of how they approach them in future. He warned the officers to remember that they were in a liberation battle. He alleged that Kunene was being tortured by the police in a bid to force him to implicate some members of his political party. We will not rest as an organisation and we will do everything within our powers to support all those in the hands of the police. It is for that reason that we encourage the nation to denounce the notion that the commander is an enemy of the nation.

Support

We also want to assure the nation that there are still a lot of emaSwati who worked with the commander and who are willing to do anything to support the calls for democracy. This group of emaSwati has restored the dignity of the nation and people respect us as a nation now, he said.

He said Kunene was not the only one but there were others who were left to continue where he left off.

He further issued another threat to Dr Mkhulu, who was instrumental in the arrest of Kunene and his co-accused. He said weapons of freedom fighters were available and ready to be used. He said the month of June marked an anniversary of the lives that were lost during the June 2021 political unrest.

He thanked the Concerned Citizens Forum group for delivering a petition to the South African High Commission in Eswatini, in protest against the arrest of the self-styled commander.In an interview with our daily publication, The Times of Eswatini, after his Facebook remarks, Makhanya said the statements he made regarding some senior police officers were not a threat, but commitment.

The leader of PUDEMO also claimed that he was not speaking for himself, but he was just a conveyer-belt for people of Eswatini, in particular members of his political party and the mass democratic movement (MDM). He said the commitment he conveyed was just prayers of the people he represented and those who were affected by the alleged criminal activities, which were committed by the senior officers in question.

Emphasised

The PUDEMO president emphasised that he was assuring the officers that sooner rather than later, fate would catch up with them. He alleged that they received purportedly verifiable reports from people around what the officers did. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said though they were not aware of the video where Makhanya made the threats, they frowned upon any threat made against any citizen. I have not seen the video but it is public knowledge that a threat to anyone is a crime. The police service considers any form of a threat as a criminal offence, she said.
Tehran, June 17 (UNI) Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi have agreed on multilateral cooperation, including in the field of IT and telecommunications, the Cuban Granma newspaper reports.

Six bilateral documents - a general program of comprehensive cooperation and five industry agreements - were signed by the two leaders on Friday following official talks in the Cuban capital of Havana, Granma said.

The parties agreed to deepen bilateral ties and expand consultations through the ministries of foreign affairs and justice ministries. Memorandums of understanding were signed between the customs of the two countries; a new agreement between the communications ministries of the two countries implies cooperation in the field of telecommunications, IT and postal services.

On Wednesday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in the capital of Cuba on an official visit, after traveling to Venezuela and Nicaragua as part of his three-nation tour of Latin America.

During the Iranian president's visit to Nicaragua, the leaders of the two countries signed three documents concerning joint work in the legal, economic and healthcare spheres. In Venezuela, Raisi and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signed 25 agreements on cooperation and investment in the production and processing of oil and gas, mining, metallurgy, and the creation of a joint shipping company.

UNI/SPUTNIK AKS
New Delhi, June 17 (UNI) Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has called for an early election, three and a half years before the end of his term, a statement said on Saturday.

The announcement came in the wake of the historic April 30, adoption of a new Constitution based on a nationwide referendum. Mirziyoyev signed the decree to hold early Presidential elections in the country, on July 9, it said.

According to the President, the full implementation of the new norms defined in the adopted Constitution requires the continuation of reforms with renewed power and enthusiasm.

On being asked about the necessity of holding an early presidential election and the reasons for voluntarily giving up the remaining three and a half years of his term, the President said, In accordance with the updated Basic Law, all the links of power are being reformed, the relations and the balance between them are seriously changing. Also, the updated Constitution poses urgent, new political and socio-economic challenges to the President, parliament, government, ministers and khokims (governors of the regions).

Mirziyoyev, who came to power in 2016 following the death of his predecessor Islam Karimov, has promised more significant social and legal protections.

After all, our Basic Law stipulates that the people are the sole source of state power. From this point of view, it is quite natural that in the system of the renewed state power our people, I repeat, only the people will elect the leader they trust, he said.

The President also showed his confidence in the political parties and presidential candidates putting forward new ideas and initiatives during the election campaign which will help in prevailing peace and prosperity in the country and assist in the welfare of the people.

The Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan considered the issue of admitting political parties to participate in the Presidential elections, the release said.

Bakhrom Kuchkarov, Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission informed that the Peoples Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, the Social Democratic Party of Uzbekistan Adolat, the Ecological Party of Uzbekistan, the Democratic Party Uzbekistan MilliyTiklanish submitted documents with a request for admission to participating in the early elections, it said.

In accordance with the electoral legislation, the Central Election Commission reviewed the documents, after which these parties were allowed to participate in the early elections of the President of Uzbekistan, it added.

The Presidential election campaign in Uzbekistan started on May 10, the statement said.

UNI DS KK
According to experts the Caribbean will see hotter-than-normal temps this summer
The American Bully XL is a monstrous killer that MUST be banned...the government must act now to outlaw the breed before more innocent people are killed

Britain is a nation of dog lovers. Millions give care and gain comfort from canine companions.

Nevertheless, recognising that not all dogs are harmless, laws have been in place for 1000 years to protect people and other animals from dangerous dogs.

The earliest edict aimed at tackling the risks that dogs may pose dates all the way back to Alfred the Great  a ruling made that ''if a dog tear or bite a man, for the first misdeed let six shillings be paid'.

Victorian legislation, most notably the 1839 Metropolitan Police Act and the 1871 Dogs Act, handed authorities for the first time powers to fine owners who failed to control an 'unmuzzled ferocious dog', and, later, allowed the police to seize such violent creatures in the public interest.

Sir John Hayes (pictured above) is calling for the Government to pass new legislation to ban the breeding and sale of the American Bully XL

Some celebrities see these breeds as status symbols, thus simultaneously legitimising cruelty and making the fighting dogs more popular

So far this year, there have been at least two fatal Bully dog attacks  and there are fears that the breed may be responsible for three other dog killings

In more recent times, the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act was passed in the wake of a savage Pit Bull Terrier attack on six-year-old Rucksana Khan in Bradford. This followed similar incidents, leading to a Government promise to 'to rid the country of the menace of these fighting dogs'.

The 1991 law, though a huge step in the right direction, bans the owning, breeding and selling of just four breeds  the aforementioned Pit Bull Terrier, the Japanese Tosa, the Dogo Argentino, and the Fila Brasilerio. Critics of that legislation say it doesn't do enough to deal with the owners who are often culpable, by negligence, for dog attacks, whilst others rightly question whether enough dangerous breeds are included on the prohibited list.

Tragically, the subject of dangerous dogs is salient again. The UK saw 10 dog attacks last year  of which seven were believed to be from the American Bully XL breed.

Last year 17-month-old Bella-Rae Birch was killed by an American Bully XL, as was ten year old Jack Lis, in late 2021. In just the last few weeks, a 37 year old man was killed by such a dog in Greater Manchester.

So far this year, there have been at least two fatal Bully dog attacks  and there are fears that the breed may be responsible for three other dog killings.

Closely related to the banned Pit Bull Terrier, the American Bully XL can weigh up to 9 and a half stone.

The Bully is bred for fighting, and so poses a particular safety risk. Indeed, some experts -including those who advised on the Dangerous Dogs Act- have warned that breeders are making the Bully XL's bigger and more muscular. Make no mistake these dogs are bred to fight and kill.

The cruelty knows no bounds as, in turn, selective breeding may make them more fierce by instinct, as the dogs are in pain resulting from the way they are spawned.

One expert warned that amateur breeders are 'tinkering with DNAtrying to create monsters and they've managed it.'

There were reports that over 1,700 children were treated in hospital after being bitten by dogs last year

Some senseless so-called 'celebrities' see these breeds as status symbols, thus simultaneously legitimising cruelty and making the fighting Bully dogs more popular.

Empty minds on empty minded social media have amplified this dreadful trend.

As the Daily Mail recently reported - deaths cause by dog attacks have more than doubled in the past two years; from four in 2021 to a record ten in 2022.

Experts are clear that the Bullies are to blame.

This is on top of recent reports that over 1,700 children were treated in hospital after being bitten by dogs last year  startlingly, that's four children every day!

What's worse, we don't even know how many of these dangerous dogs there are in our country.

It is time for the 1991 law to be updated to reflect this new threat to public safety.

I am calling for the Government to pass new legislation to ban the breeding and sale of these dangerous dogs.

It is also time to look at updating Public Spaces Protection Orders - previously called Dog Control Orders for the specific purpose of protecting the innocent from such vicious animals.

Certainly, owners must take greater responsibility for their animals.

It is said that a dog is a 'man's best friend', and so many bring so much joy - pets which are a loved part of families. Contrast this with the brutal culture of raising vicious dogs which are 'man's worst enemy'.

Maulings at the hands of ferocious dogs should be consigned to our past.

Banning the American Bully XL is just plain common sense.

Ministers must act before more innocent lives are lost to savagery.
There is still just time for our Government to do a good, brave deed, which will be recognised as such decades hence. There is still just time for prominent figures in politics and the media to place themselves on the side of justice and liberty, where they ought always to be.

Julian Assange must not be extradited to the US, for such an action will shame our country.

If in doubt they should consider the very similar case of Daniel Ellsberg, who has just died. Mr Ellsberg was excoriated, hounded and put on trial when, half a century ago, he publicised documents revealing the nasty truth about the Vietnam War. President Richard Nixon mobilised the law to silence and punish him. Ellsberg died a much-honoured hero of liberty. Nixon died in shame and disgrace.

PETER HITCHENS: Julian Assange must not be extradited to the US, for such an action will shame our country

Yet the shadows are closing fast around Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder who infuriated the US government by revealing a trove of embarrassing material about its misdeeds.

A few weeks from now, he could be bundled into a van at Belmarsh prison, the high-security fortress where he has been cruelly held for years. And then he could be led on to an aircraft and flown to the US, where there is a strong chance that he will spend the rest of his life buried alive in some federal dungeon.

I wrote here in September 2020: 'Do we really want the hand of a foreign power to be able to reach into our national territory at will and pluck out anyone it wants to punish? Are we still even an independent country if we allow this? The Americans would certainly not let us treat them in this way. It is unimaginable that the US would hand over to us any of its citizens who had been accused of leaking British secret documents. Yet if Mr Assange is sent to face trial in the US, any British journalist who comes into possession of classified material from the US, though he has committed no crime according to our own law, faces the same danger.

PETER HITCHENS: If in doubt they should consider the very similar case of Daniel Ellsberg, who has just died

'This is a basic violation of our national sovereignty, and a major threat to our own press freedom. I think that no English court should accept this demand. And if the courts fail in their duty, then I think that any self-respecting Home Secretary should overrule them.'

Please raise your voices while you can. This is a political prosecution and we should not permit such a thing against anyone on our soil.

Glenda classic that's strangely gone missing

Reading the obituaries of Glenda Jackson, I realised that I must have actually seen her on stage before she was a superstar.

PETER HITCHENS: What on earth has happened to the 1971 film Sunday Bloody Sunday, starring Jackson and the great Peter Finch

If only I'd known, perhaps I'd have enjoyed the evening more. It was a mad, ghastly agitprop play called US, about the general wickedness of America, in which (as I recall) everybody shouted all the time and I seem to remember a large cardboard model of a nuclear missile and the burning of a butterfly (later revealed to be a fake). Gosh, the 1960s were bizarre.

I've no wish to see that again.

But what on earth has happened to the 1971 film Sunday Bloody Sunday, starring Jackson and the great Peter Finch  a terrific prophecy of the new era then just beginning?

How come, in an age when we can supposedly watch anything, that such things can just disappear?

A lax law destroys two more lives

Abortion is the only legal medical procedure in which a human being is intentionally killed. We have lied to ourselves about this for decades, by using the dismissive, harsh Latin term 'foetus'  instead of recognising that what we are destroying is a future human being.

In almost all cases, I really cannot see why adoption would be worse than abortion, if the mother truly does not want the baby.

So how should we view the case of Carla Foster, a mother of young children sent to prison for 14 months for unlawfully aborting her baby, long after our very liberal law permits this? You might be interested to know that, in this case, the aborted baby's name was Lily. I think this helps us to realise that we are dealing with two human beings, not just one.

PETER HITCHENS: I think it is precisely our lax abortion laws which put Carla Foster in the terrible circumstances that led her to panic and then entangled her in an impossible knot of lies

The abortion lobby thinks the case may damage its cause and its relentless efforts to make abortion even easier to obtain. I hope it does damage that cause. I think it is precisely our lax abortion laws which put Carla Foster in the terrible circumstances that led her to panic and then entangled her in an impossible knot of lies. That is why she did something we know she now deeply regrets.

Those laws encourage women (and also irresponsible, selfish men) to think they can behave just as they like, and be rescued from any consequences, by aborting the resulting child.

If they did not think this, I believe they would be more careful in the first place. You cannot blame this sad, hard case on the severity of the law, which is anything but severe. It is important to know that if only Carla Foster had pleaded guilty sooner, her sentence could legally have been suspended and probably would have been. Plainly, she lied because she panicked and her private life was in a dreadful mess and who cannot sympathise with that?

But why was she in this plight in the first place? I believe it is because abortion is too easy, not because it is too difficult.

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You never forget your first sip. Of raw milk that is, fresh from the cow, simply filtered, cooled and bottled.

No pasteurisation, homogenisation or standardisation, meaning it still contains the full complement of vitamins, minerals and natural digestive enzymes as well as providing the most lusciously creamy mouthful of pure dairy delight; rich, sweet and voluptuously full bodied.

For someone who was ambivalent about milk, the raw stuff was a revelation. And that revelation came courtesy of Stephen Hook, a fourth-generation Sussex dairy farmer, way back in 2011 at Selfridges, in London.

A manager of the store's food hall had tried his raw milk at the Abergavenny Food Festival, fallen in love and, after a few meetings sorting out the legalities (the law stated that raw milk could 'only be sold from the farm premises'), it agreed that Mr Hook could rent some floor space in Selfridges' food hall, install his own raw-milk vending machine and sell direct to his customers.

And it was from that machine, after plugging my coin into the slot and filling up my own glass bottle, I took my first taste. The punters couldn't get enough. 'For 50 years, the pasteurising industry had been bedevilling the image of raw milk as a dangerous food,' explains Mr Hook.

For someone who was ambivalent about milk, the raw stuff was a revelation

And it was from that machine, after plugging my coin into the slot and filling up my own glass bottle, I took my first taste. The punters couldn't get enough

But then, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) demanded that the machine was removed from Selfridges because it was illegal. It wasn't  as by renting the space, Mr Hook was selling from his premises.

Anyway, to cut an epic story short, thanks to circumstances beyond Mr Hook's control (and involving an entirely unrelated issue), he withdrew the machine in March 2012, although Selfridges agreed the venture had been a great success and no laws had been broken.

However, the prejudice against raw milk goes back many years, a mixture of scare stories, misinformation and, once upon a time, some very legitimate fears, too.

'The idea that raw milk is unsafe and poisonous is ingrained in the British psyche,' says Jon Cook, who runs Dora's Dairy in Wiltshire with his wife Sarah. 'But there was a good reason for pasteurisation.

'During the Industrial Revolution, when dairies moved into towns, the cows were fed brewery and bakery waste, not grass. And they became ill. And ill cows produce ill milk.'

Add in hygiene standards that ranged from the poor to the non-existent, and pasteurisation became an essential and life-saving innovation. These days, though, English and Welsh raw-milk producers (the milk is still illegal in Scotland, for some unfathomable reason) operate to some of the highest hygiene standards in the world.

In 2014, once the FSA had visited Hook and Son (as well as Ellie's Dairy in Kent), its officials were, in the words of Mr Hook, 'incredibly impressed. And began to understand that farmers could produce raw milk safely, train staff, have food management systems in place, that they understood pathogen risks and mitigated those risks, and carried out independent testing to validate their raw-milk sales.'

Mr Cook points out that pasteurisation destroys goodness, adding: 'Raw milk is a complete food, perfectly designed to grow a baby mammal for up to a year.'

His dairy herd is made up of a mix of Jerseys and alpine breeds, such as Fleckvieh and Brown Swiss.He says: 'Your farming practices have to be very high and to make good food, you need low-stress systems. Whereas a commercial cow can produce up to 3,000 gallons of milk per year, we get only 440 to 660 gallons. But, once people have tasted it, there's no going back.'.

By 2018, the demand for raw milk had grown five-fold and the number of licensed farmers went from 70 to 200. Now, with FSA support, there's a Raw Milk Producers Association, which offers guidance to anyone new to the sector. As well as Hook and Son there is the Morwick Dairy, Northumberland, where Ben Howie started with an ice-cream parlour and then began selling raw milk in 2016.

He says: 'It's an intensely local product. All I can say is 'give it a go'. Once tasted, you'll be hooked.'

Rebecca Mayhew and her family have been farming in Norfolk since the 1940s and now produce raw milk from their Jersey herd.

As to the health benefits of raw milk, its supporters, of which there are many, claim it can lower your cholesterol, fight infection and offer an incredible source of protein, as well as help with eczema, asthma and many allergies. It's even suitable for those with lactose intolerances.

I've spoken to many people who swear by its beneficial properties, but as Mr Hook points out, 'the only real claims that pasteurised milk can legally make is it being a good source of calcium and possibly a good source of protein'. The problem is that there has been no serious research into raw milk's benefits.

'Why is raw milk such a mystery?' Mr Hook asks. 'Very simple. It's not in the corporate food world's interest for this knowledge to be out there.'

In the meantime, give raw milk a chance. Not only will you be supporting a dairy industry already on its knees, but you'll be giving those taste buds an experience they'll never forget. The fact that it may have other benefits simply makes raw milk taste all the more sweet.
Trooping the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign for more than 260 years.

But today will be the first time in seven decades in which the late Queen Elizabeth II does not take pride of place as sovereign.

Instead, it is her son, King Charles, who will review the Guards as they parade. He will be on horseback, as is traditional, but no one doubts it is the start of a new era.

One highlight of the ceremony - and the climax - is the spectacular finish with an RAF fly-past, watched by members of the Royal Family from the Buckingham Palace.

These balcony photos through the years are a telling portrait of the times, from a young Princess Elizabeth through to Prince Louis's debut.

1935

A young Princess Elizabeth waving to the crowds on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with her mother, the Duchess of York

1935 was the final Trooping ceremony for George V, great grandfather to King Charles.

George V died on January 20, 1936, and his eldest son Edward succeeded to the throne as Edward VIII - a development which would lead to gathering abdication crisis.

Here, we see a four-year-old Princess Elizabeth - who at this point had no notion of becoming Queen - waving to the crowds on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with her mother, the Duchess of York during the 1935 Trooping the Colour.

1951

Princess Elizabeth (centre) tries to interest two-year-old Prince Charles by pointing to the planes overhead. Also pictured is her grandmother, Queen Mary and her mother, Queen Elizabeth

This year was the last Trooping the Colour before the then Princess Elizabeth ascended to the throne following the death of her father, King George VI, in February the following year.

For this year's celebrations, Princess Elizabeth deputised for the King who was at the time recovering from a recent illness.

In this photo, Her Highness is pointing out planes flying over Buckingham Palace during the fly-past to a two-year-old Prince Charles, who was making his balcony debut.

1952

The British Royal Family look up from the balcony of Buckingham Palace to view a flypast

In February 1952, Princess Elizabeth received the news of her father's death and her own accession to the throne while on an official visit to Kenya.

Later in the year, the date was set for the June Coronation at Westminster Abbey. The ceremony was broadcast around the world on television for the first time.

Yet to be crowned, this was the Queen's first Trooping. She is seen here, far left, as members of the Royal Family gather to view the RAF fly-past afterwards.

Also photographed here are Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, a young Prince Richard of Gloucester, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Margaret.

1954

The Royal Family on the Balcony of Buckingham Palace after the 1954 Trooping the Colour

The Queen, Prince Charles and Princess Anne wave from the Buckingham Palace Balcony

A poignant year for the new Monarch, in 1954 Queen Elizabeth undertook a much anticipated Royal Tour, including the first-ever visit to Australia by the British royals.

That year, the Queen and Prince Philip visited 13 countries in the West Indies, Australasia, Asia, and Africa, covering more than 40,000 miles by land, air and sea.

This year's Trooping the Colour marked the return of Philip and the Queen as they were reunited with their children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne.

1957

For the 1957 Trooping the Colour, the royal family gathered on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the ceremony

For the 1957 Trooping the Colour, the royal family gathered on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the ceremony on the Queen's official birthday.

Pictured from left to right are: The Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Princess Anne, the Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Margaret, the Duke of Gloucester, Prince Philip and Prince Charles.

1959

Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and Princess Margaret watching an RAF flypast from Buckingham Palace in 1959

For the 1959 ceremony, the Duchess of Kent, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and Princess Margaret gathered to watch an RAF flypast from Buckingham Palace balcony.

Also in attendance were the Queen's children, Princess Anne and Prince Charles.

1962

The year 1962 marked the 10th Trooping the Colour since Her Majesty was crowned

The year 1962 marked the 10th Trooping the Colour by the Queen since she took over the throne from her father, King George VI.

The Duke of Edinburgh was not present that year as he was away in North America.

In his place, the Queen was joined on the balcony by other members of the royal family, including Princess Alexandra, Princess Margaret, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, as well as her children Princess Anne and Prince Andrew.

1964

Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Andrew and a baby Prince Edward waving to the crowds from the balcony at Buckingham Palace

The Trooping the Colour in 1964 witnessed its youngest royal attendee to date, as a proud Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip showed off their fourth child to the world, Prince Edward, who was just three months old at the time.

A young Prince Andrew also happily waved to the crowds from the balcony.

1966

The Royal family look up on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as 16 Lightning aircraft of Royal Air Force Fighter Command make a ceremonial fly-past. The children at the front are Prince Andrew, six, Viscount Linley, four and two-year-old Prince Edward

For the 1966 Trooping, the three royal children present, Prince Andrew, Viscount Linley and Prince Edward, were eager spectators as they looked up from the balcony of Buckingham Palace as RAF 16 Lightning aircraft made a ceremonial fly-past.

Also in attendance were the Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Princess Margaret, the Queen Mother, Lord Snowdon, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Benedikte of Denmark, her father King Frederick and Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh.

1981

The Queen was riding Burmese down The Mall during a Trooping the Colour parade in 1981 when unemployed Marcus Sarjeant fired six blank shots. When arrested, he reportedly said: 'I want to be famous. I want to be a somebody'

This year was Princess Diana's first Trooping the Colour appearance as a working royal

One of the Queens best-remembered moments during Trooping the Colour was in 1981 when a young man fired six blank shots at her as she rode down The Mall during the procession.

Despite the commotion, the Queen did not falter and she calmed her horse, Burmese, and continued riding to the Horse Guards Parade to watch the Trooping.

17-year-old Marcus Sarjeant was quickly arrested at the scene and charged under the Treason Act of 1842. He was later jailed for five years.

This year also made history for being Princess Diana's first Trooping the Colour debut just four months after getting engaged to Prince Charles.

1982

A pregnant Princess of Wales joins the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the 1982 Trooping the Colour ceremony

A pregnant Princess of Wales joined the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the 1982 Trooping the Colour ceremony.

Here, Diana was nine days away from giving birth to Prince William, a future Prince of Wales.

Among the group were the Queen, Prince Philip, Princess Alexandra of Kent and Angus Ogilvy

1984

Members of the Royal Family gathering to watch the 1984 RAF fly-past for the Queen's birthday

Prince William pulling a face on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 1984

The year 1984 marked Prince William's Trooping the Colour debut when he was just days away from celebrating his second birthday.

Dressed in a delightful blue outfit, William stayed at the side of his mother and father, and even in Prince Charles' arms during the fly-past ceremony.

The young William stole the show with his heartwarming expressions, which are reminiscent of his son Prince Louis during his first trooping in years to come.

1985

The Royal Family welcomed an additional member to the balcony when Prince Harry made his Trooping the Colour debut in 1985

Just a year later in 1985, the royal family welcomed an additional member to the balcony when a nine-month-old Prince Harry made his Trooping the Colour debut.

1986

Members of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Colour ceremony in 1986

The Queen's birthday parade in 1986 was the last time Her Majesty was mounted on horseback with her horse Burmese. The Queen rode in a carriage from 1987 onward without a uniform.

Queen Elizabeth was giiven the horse by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and she rode Burmese for Trooping the Colour from 1969 up until the mare's retirement in 1986.

1988

A young Prince Harry surprised Princess Diana with a cheeky surprise on the balcony in 1988

By 1988, the royal children were beginning to come into their own stride, as seen here with a cheeky Prince Harry pulling his tongue at the cameras much to the amusement of his mother.

Also enjoying the ceremony at Buckingham Palace were Prince William, Lady Gabriella Windsor, and Lady Rose Windsor.

1991

The Princess of Wales and the Duchess of York smiling on the balcony of Buckingham Palace

Princess Beatrice was just two months away from turning three when she made her debut

Princess Beatrice was just two months away from turning three when she made her debut, and can be spotted poking her head over the balcony as she waves to the crowds.

The Princess of Wales and the Duchess of York were also spotted having a great time on the balcony during the Trooping the Colour ceremony.

1992

1992 was Princess Diana's final appearance at Trooping the Colour in the official royal party

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and Diana, Princess of Wales, travelling in a carriage

A day that royal fans will always remember, as 1992 was Princess Diana's final appearance at Trooping the Colour in the official royal party. It was that December that Diana and Prince Charles officially announced their separation.

This year was also the Queen's 40th Trooping anniversary as she celebrated four decades as the United Kingdom's Monarch.

This year's ceremony had the balcony filled to the brim with royals, including Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, Duchess of Kent, Prince Edward, Princess Alexandra, and Angus Ogilvy.

Also pictured are Prince Charles, Duke of Gloucester, Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Diana, Lord Frederick Windsor, Lady Gabriella Windsor, Prince Harry, Lady Rose Windsor, Lady Davina Lewis, Alexander Earl of Ulster, Prince Michael of Kent, and Princess Michael of Kent.

1998

The Royal Family watching the flypast after the Trooping the Colour ceremony in June, 1998

For the first time in 1998, an eight-year-old Princess Eugenie appeared at Trooping the Colour and stood proudly beside Lady Marina-Charlotte Windsor and her grandparents, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

1999

Prince Edward and his future wife Sophie Rhys-Jones as they watched the Queen's birthday salute in 1999

Sophie, the now-Duchess of Edinburgh, is among the very few royals - alongside Princess Diana - to have made her Trooping the Colour debut before marrying into the family.

She joined her now husband, Prince Edward, on the Buckingham Palace Balcony just weeks before their wedding in 1999.

2003

The royals wave to the crowd gathered in London for the Trooping the Colour ceremony

For the first time during Her 50 year reign, Queen Elizabeth II was joined by Prince Philip

For the first time commencing in 2005, the Duke of Edinburgh arrived with the Queen in a carriage and not on horseback. However, he remained in his full dress uniform and bearskin.

Waving to the crowd as they gathered on the balcony were Prince Harry, Prince William, Princess Anne, Timothy Laurence, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Sophie, then then-Countess of Wessex, Prince Edward and Prince Charles.

2005

Camilla attends the Trooping the Colour for the first time in 2005 and appears on the Buckingham Palace balcony with King Charles and Prince William

Queen Camilla, the then Duchess of Cornwall joined her husband, King Charles and Prince William on the balcony for her debut at Trooping the Colour in 2005.

Unlike Charles' first wife, Camilla did not make her debut until two months after she and Prince Charles tied the knot.

She arrived at Buckingham Palace in a horse-drawn carriage with Prince William and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

2009

Prince Edward and Sophie with their then five-year-old daughter Lady Louise Windsor

The Earl and Countess of Wessex's daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, then aged five, couldn't stop smiling when she appeared on the balcony for the first time at Trooping the Colour in 2009.

2011

The Royal family watch a flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London, after attending Trooping the Colour, in 2011

Without a doubt, 2011 was a momentous time for the royals as Prince William and Kate made their debut as a newly-married couple at that year's Trooping the Colour.

Prince William, the then Duke of Cambridge rode in escort behind the Queen's carriage as the colonel of the Irish Guards.

Arriving in a carriage, Kate chose a white ruffled Alexander McQueen coat dress and a black hat by Sylvia Fletcher for Lock & Co.

2012

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip watch a Royal Air Force flypast with their family from the balcony in 2012

In 2012, the Queen brought extra cheer to her official birthday celebration as she celebrated 60 years on the throne for her Diamond Jubilee.

Celebrating the Queen that year were Prince Andrew, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince Edward, Princess Anne, and Prince Philip.

Also in attendance were Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Lady Louise Windsor, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Princess Eugenie.

2015

Prince George stole the show as he waved to the adoring crowds gathered below in 2015

In 2015, Prince George made his highly-anticipated debut at Trooping the Colour. Sat in his father's arms, the young royal stole the show as he waved to the adoring crowds gathered below.

The Prince was wearing a baby-blue outfit trimmed with white frills, in a deliberate echo of Price William's own outfit when he first appeared on the balcony held by Charles 31 years ago.

Georges appearance came just weeks before his second birthday in July.

2016

Kate Middleton Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, stand on the balcony during the Trooping the Colour in 2016

Thousands of people lined the streets of London today to take part in the Queen's birthday celebrations - but it was Princess Charlotte who was the centre of attention.

Charlotte made her official debut on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 2016 as the Royal Family observed an RAF flypast to mark Her Majesty's 90th birthday.

It was also this year fans witnessed the moment the Queen told William off as she tapped him on the arm gesturing him to stand up as he crouched down to tend to a boisterous Prince George.

An examination of the moment appears to show the monarch saying: 'Stand up William.'

2017

Members of Britain's Royal family from left, Princess Eugenie, Queen Elizabeth II, background Timothy Laurence, Prince Philip, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William watched a flypast in 2017

While the 2017 Trooping the Colour was a delightful day, it was also the last one Prince Philip would attend before he announced his retirement from royal duties.

2018

Meghan makes her bow: The Duchess of Sussex made her debut on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside Prince Harry and an assortment of royals

One of Prince Harry and Meghan's first appearances as the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex after their wedding was at Trooping the Colour 2018.

Fresh from their honeymoon, the newlyweds cut happy and relaxed figures as they paid tribute to Her Majesty.

The Duchess looked stunning in a powder pink Carolina Herrera off-the-shoulder outfit for the occasion.

2019

Queen Elizabeth II was joined by members of the Royal Family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their children in 2019

In 2019, four generations of the royal family then gathered on Buckingham Palaces balcony to watch the traditional RAF fly-past which featured modern Typhoon jets and historic aircraft such as the iconic Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster bomber.

Both Prince George and Princess Charlotte were having the time of their lives as they watched the show and waved to the crowds, accompanied by Prince Louis who made his debut appearance.

William and Kate's youngest son stole the show with his enthusiastic waving.

2020

Queen Elizabeth II attended a small ceremony to mark her official birthday at Windsor Castle on June 13, 2020 in Windsor, England. The Queen celebrates her 94th birthday

The military ceremony in the grounds of Windsor Castle, as part of a scaled-down celebration to mark her official birthday

Following the Covid-19 outbreak, the Queen's official birthday was marked by a different ceremony in 2020 - a short parade held at Windsor Castle.

The event featured a small number of Welsh Guardsmen and military musicians in a display of precision marching created to observe social distancing rules.

This was the first time since 1955 that the Trooping did not take place in its traditional form.

2021

Queen Elizabeth II attended a military ceremony in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle to mark her Official Birthday on June 12, 2021

Again in 2021, a shorter and private Trooping parade was held at Windsor Castle due to the pandemic and the need for social distancing.

The Duke of Kent took the place of the recently deceased Duke of Edinburgh alongside Her Majesty.

2022

The Queen smiled as members of the Royal Family attended Trooping the Colour in 2022

The prince's moods ranged wildly from excitement, to annoyance and despair as the youngest Wales child watched the flypast from a spot right next to the late Queen

The Queen's final Trooping the Colour came amid the Platinum Jubilee. Tens of thousands of cheering Britons packed the streets for the celebrations marking her 70-year reign.

Her great-grandson Prince Louis, then four, was another focus of attention.

The youngest Wales child, known for stealing the show at royal engagements - was on fine form for the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June.

Louis grumpily covered his ears during a fly-over at Trooping the Colour. He was also scolded by his older sister Charlotte for waving too much in a carriage procession.
Agnes Poirier at The Guardian:

Is there a more excruciating period in modern French history than what we call Frances darkest hours? And is there more wretched a name associated with them than that of Philippe Petain? After his critically acclaimed biography on General de Gaulle, the British historian Julian Jackson has written a 480-page-long analysis of Petainism, with the trial of Marshal Petain at its heart. This is not a pretty story. And if you feel like the American diplomat who refused to attend the trial because he did not wish to relive the decay of French democracy in a hot courtroom, this book is not for you. If, however, cowardice, bad faith, dishonour and moral ambivalence is your thing, read on.

It all starts on 24 October 1940 in Montoire with Marshal Petain and Adolf Hitler shaking hands.

more here.
A woman whose marriage broke down the day before she was due to meet her adopted children has spoken about the pain of discovering she was no longer going to be their mother.

Bali-based Alice Readman, 55, had her dreams of motherhood dashed overnight following the end of her relationship with her husband of five years, 'Andy'.

The couple, who lived together in England, broke up the day before they were due to meet their two adopted children - and the next morning, when Alice rang her social worker to inform them about the split, she was told that she wouldn't be allowed to continue the adoption as a single parent.

Too upset to stay in her marital home, Alice soon moved in with her sister, recalling: 'I was constantly telling my family that I was OK. But I was also in deep shock. I couldn't sleep at night, and during the day I felt like I was going to die.

Alice Readman (pictured with her husband), 55, who now lives in Bali, was sectioned for 28 days after losing her marriage and her dreams of motherhood overnight

'My heart constantly raced. Physically, I even started bleeding, as if I were going through a third miscarriage. To me, these were already my children, and I'd lost them,' admitted Alice.

After her life spiralled out of control, she was eventually sectioned for 28 days under the Mental Health Act - before later being diagnosed with an 'acute stress reaction' from the circumstances.

But to add insult to injury, Alice fell then fell victim to a conman who targeted her while she was on the psychiatric ward.

Alice met her husband through a mutual friend. They enjoyed a whirlwind romance before tying the knot.

Although Alice describes them as 'chalk and cheese' personality wise, one thing they did have in common was a desire to start a family.

In her 20s, Alice travelled the world as the bass player for the indie band The Auteurs. Her then boyfriend Luke Haines was the frontman. But even then, she knew that one day she would settle down and start a family.

As she was already over 40 when she married Andy, they discussed the possibility of adoption should she failed to conceive.

She was over the moon to fall pregnant soon after the wedding, but tragically, she suffered a miscarriage just six weeks in. A second pregnancy the following year ended the same way.

In 2012, when Alice was 44, she and Andy decided to start the adoption process. Two years later, they were approved to adopt and matched with siblings, a girl of three and an 18-month-old boy.

As a way of introducing themselves to the children, the couple put together an album containing photos of them doing fun things like painting and hanging out at the beach.

Alice's (pictured) life spiralled out of control after her and her husband, 'Andy', split the day before they were due to meet their adopted children

'When in turn we were shown photographs of the children together, I felt an immediate connection with them,' Alice explains. 'It was like winning the lottery. I already felt like their mother.'

The final stage of the process involved Alice and Andy meeting the children as part of a two-week handover process.

For the first week, they would visit the children at their foster home, gradually building up the time they spent with them and helping with their daily care.

For the final week, the children would move into the couple's home with the help of their foster mother.

'We'd prepared their bedrooms and filled them with toys,' Alice recalls. 'Everything was ready and waiting for them.'

In the weeks before the adoption, the couple had a final holiday in Greece before becoming parents. However, the day before they were due to adopt, the couple broke up and the adoption didn't go through.

Alice moved into her sister's home. One day, she was with her sister when her phone started to ring. Convinced her calls were being monitored, she threw away her phone.

'My sense of safety had been literally blown out of me and I was becoming paranoid,' Alice says. With her sister unable to cope with her erratic behaviour, Alice went to stay with a friend.

Alice met her husband through a mutual friend. They enjoyed a whirlwind romance before tying the knot

But unbeknown to her, her family had given her friend strict instructions not to let her leave the house.

When she then set off into town, her friend's husband phoned the emergency services, concerned she was about to walk into oncoming traffic.

As a result, an appointment was made for her to see a psychiatrist, but when she walked into his office, a sense of fear overtook her, and she ran out into the street.

'I know my friends and family were trying to help me,' Alice explains, 'but at the time it didn't feel like they were on my side.'

After fleeing her appointment, she was apprehended by the police and ambulance services once again and this time told she was being taken to a psychiatric ward. 'I didn't resist,' Alice recalls. 'I just let out a big scream and gave in.'

While on the ward, she was forced to take drugs usually given to people with bipolar disorder and put on suicide watch, which involved being checked every half an hour through the morning and night.

Her mental health deteriorated further, she suffered a major panic attack and her blood pressure rocketed to dangerous levels.

After 10 days, she got a solicitor and applied to come off the section, which was successful, though she agreed to stay on the ward for a further week so she could gradually get used to the outside world.

After a lunch out one day, she went to the hospital canteen where she got chatting to a fellow patient called 'Jamie', who told her he'd voluntarily admitted himself after being found on a bridge about to jump off.

'He told me he'd recently lost his father,' Alice says. 'My heart went out to him.'

In her 20s, Alice (pictured recently) travelled the world as the base player for the indie band The Auteurs. Her then boyfriend Luke Haines was the frontman. But even then, she knew that one day she would settle down and start a family

Jamie offered Alice a listening ear and she agreed to accompany him on an evening out.

'We were in a bar when he told me he'd phoned the unit pretending to be my brother,' Alice recalls. 'He'd told them I was staying with family.'

The pair booked into a hotel, which Alice paid for, and that night their relationship became physical. When they left the unit, Jamie announced he had nowhere to stay so they booked into another hotel together, which Alice also covered.

'He took me to see his father's grave and the graves of other dead relatives,' she says. 'Looking back, I think it was all a lie. He was an excellent manipulator and played the victim card to gain a hold over me.'

Jamie managed to worm his way into sharing Alice's former marital home. He also borrowed money, promising to pay it back when his inheritance came through.

At one point, the couple travelled to London, with Alice believing Jamie was taking her abroad for the Christmas break.

'He told me his daughter was going to meet us at the airport and give him his passport, but unsurprisingly, she failed to turn up and the trip never happened.'

Over the course of their six-month relationship, Alice spent around 10,000 on hotels and loans, which were never repaid.

She says: 'Even when I knew for sure Jamie was lying to me, I was too scared to go to the police or tell my family and friends in case I got sectioned again. I kept giving him money and asking him to leave, but he always came back again.'

Eventually, Alice told her sister everything and then reported Jamie to the police, who advised her to change her locks and send him a message asking him to stop contacting her.

Too scared to return home, she stayed with her sister for a month, where she started the long road to recovery by practising yoga, meditation and breath work.

When her blood pressure returned to normal, she decided to leave the UK.

'I needed to find a new reason to be,' Alice explains, 'and I wanted to absorb the magnificence of mountains and beautiful sunsets.'

In January 2017, she was in India when the police called her to ask if she'd give evidence about her relationship with Jamie, which she'd documented in her journal, along with all the money she'd loaned him.

It turned out he'd conned multiple other women, both in the UK and abroad, and deliberately targeted vulnerable women. He pled guilty, which meant Alice didn't have to attend court, and was sentenced to four years behind bars.

Today, Alice lives in Bali, where she has trained in sound therapy and runs personalised Bali retreats.

She has written a memoir about her experiences to reassure others there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

'I think a lot of people will relate to the isolation and shame I felt,' Alice says. 'I'm talking about it now because it's the sort of stuff that often gets swept under the carpet.

'I would not wish what happened to me on anyone else. I was locked up for having what my therapist has called a normal reaction to an abnormal situation, but I've made peace with that now, and with not being a mother.

'I feel this was the life I was meant to be living and my purpose is to help others through their own dark times,' she concluded.

The names of Andy and Jamie have been changed.

Alice's memoir, I Am Alice: Break up, Breakdown, Breakthrough. A True Adventure Story is available to purchase on Amazon. For more information about Alice's work, see travelwithalice.com

For confidential support call Samaritans on 116123 or go to samaritans.org.
Katie Piper would 'love' a seat on the This Morning sofa. She was working in the States when the Phillip Schofield scandal began to engulf ITV's flagship daytime programme, so missed much of the furore that ended his 'bestie' friendship with co-presenter Holly Willoughby  and his ITV career.

Katie is a panellist on ITV's Loose Women, and her Breakfast Show was a big success for the channel last year, but she says she doesn't feel qualified to comment on Phil's fall from grace and the fallout at ITV.

'I don't know them personally and I don't think it's right to comment on people's lives when you don't know the full story.'

She returns with a second series of the Breakfast Show later this month. 'I really enjoy it,' says Katie.

'I'd love to do something like This Morning. Projects like that are appealing because they fit around the school run and you're always here in the UK with the kids.'

Katie has spent weeks apart from her husband of eight years, Richard, and her two daughters Belle, nine and Penelope, five, as she has been filming Jailhouse Mums in the USA

Katie has two daughters  Belle, nine, and Penelope, five  with Richard, her builder/carpenter husband of eight years, but she's spent many weeks apart from them this year in the USA, filming five-part documentary Jailhouse Mums.

'The last few days I've felt really tired,' she confides. 'I've had a cough and felt run down. I get ratty and irritable, and sometimes feel a bit sorry for my husband because everyone at work gets the best of me, then I go home and I'm like, "Oh my God" We can be sort of resentful with one another, like, "I've done the washing", that passive-aggressive thing that's typical in a marriage.

'We try not to be because we're very busy and don't see each other, so when we're together there's no point sulking. But, of course, we don't have this hearts-and-flowers marriage. We've been together 11 years.'

I suspect for all that passive-aggression they get on pretty well. He 'steps in' when she's had enough. Tonight he'll be doing bath and bedtime for the girls. 'We do it in shifts,' says Katie.

For Jailhouse Mums, which airs this week, she spoke to women in some of America's toughest prisons who 'had regrets, felt guilt and had fractured relationships with their children, which made me think about my kids.

'I was always around six hours behind them so I had to set my alarm to crazy o'clock to keep up with them on FaceTime. It was hard; I really missed them. Being a mother is the most important thing to me. It's something I always wanted and I don't take it for granted.'

Ive lived two lives  Katie the middle-class, attractive blonde girl and Katie with the facial disfigurement

Katie, you see, never really thought she'd be a mum. In 2008 at the age of 24, she was the victim of a horrific sulphuric acid attack when a man she'd dated for only two weeks raped her then paid a hitman to attack her.

The acid melted away her features, burnt her oesophagus and blinded her in her left eye. Doctors doubted she'd survive, let alone be well enough to get pregnant.

But Katie is a fighter. After seven weeks in intensive care and countless operations to rebuild her face and vision, she set about rebuilding her life and relationships.

'My fertility was questionable because I didn't have normal menstrual cycles after what happened,' she tells me. 'Then because I had a cornea transplant I was on anti-rejection drugs  which affect your fertility  for two years. So I was unsure if I'd have kids, but I conceived Belle naturally.'

At the age of 24, Katie was a victim of a horrific sulphuric acid attack when a man she'd dated for only two weeks raped her then paid a hitman to attack her

Katie's very pretty face lights up when she speaks about her family. After being introduced to Richard by a mutual friend in 2012, Katie conceived when they'd been dating for less than a year. She was 30 when she gave birth by Caesarean section.

'It was the easiest operation ever,' she says. 'Nothing went wrong. It was a great feeling and weird in a way. I'd never had a medical procedure that had joy and elation attached to it.'

Katie has had more than 400 operations since the acid attack. When we meet she's fresh from hospital after surgery to repair a perforation in her eye with a cornea tissue graft. But you'd think she'd only had a bit of dust removed.

'A long time ago I got to the point of acceptance, whereby the life of a burn survivor is going to be one of constant surgery if you were burnt in areas of function like ear, nose, throat, eyes. So I know that's part of my life and I'm OK with that,' she says.

'I suppose there's an element of gratitude. Without it your health's going to go downhill. Your quality of life is too. I'm 40 this year. It's such a privilege. I really followed Deborah James's story. She would have loved to continue to age.'

She's referring to Dame Deborah James, who died last year aged 40 after being diagnosed with incurable bowel cancer six years previously. She was awarded a damehood for her efforts raising awareness of the disease.

Katie's mother Diane suffers with bowel cancer too. 'I related to Deborah because she's a mother and we've got cancer in our family. It's a real waste of life to moan about still being here. My face is only 15 years old anyway.' She laughs.

After being introduced to Richard, left, by a mutual friend in 2012, Katie conceived when they'd been dating for less than a year. Pictured: Katie with Richard in 2016

When Katie first saw her damaged face she told her mum she wanted to die, but Diane  who took leave from her job as a teacher to look after her  was having none of it. Instead she and Katie's father David showered her with love and told her 'you're just going to have to get on with it'.

'My mum and dad are brilliant,' she says. 'They gave me unconditional love and support. When I was well enough I was able to move back home but there was an element from my parents of, "You can't just stay here forever and do nothing. This support won't stop, but there needs to be progression." My mum said I'd have to think of a way forward, and I think that's really helpful.'

She says she feels she's 'lived two separate lives'. Katie the 'fairly privileged, white, middle-class, blonde, attractive girl' and Katie 'with the facial disfigurement'.

'When you're inflicted with a disease or disability you're not born with, life stops suddenly. I was in my 20s, quite a formative time for a woman. I probably became more ambitious with more capacity to do things because I know what it is to be incapacitated.

'I was in hospital for a long time, then in and out. But in a way, I never was incapacitated because my spirit, my soul, they're untouchable. So I was always alive. Always busy.'

In 2009 Katie's abusive ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch and his accomplice Stefan Sylvestre, the man who threw the acid, were both given life sentences for the attack, Lynch with a minimum of 16 years and Sylvestre with a minimum of six.

Sylvestre was released on parole in 2018, but went on the run when recalled to prison for breaching his licence conditions last year. His whereabouts are unknown.

A year after the attack, Katie gave up her anonymity to increase awareness for burns and scars victims and established The Katie Piper Foundation to provide them with services such as physiotherapy and psychotherapy.

When her story was televised in the 2009 Channel 4 documentary Katie: My Beautiful Face, the country applauded her courage. She was filming another documentary, Katie: The Science Of Seeing Again, when she was introduced to Richard.

'I went to America to make it and we stayed in touch on the phone,' she says. 'When I came back from America we picked up. He lived out in Essex and I lived in west London so we only saw each other at the weekend.

'We'd just stay in and get a Blockbuster meal for a tenner  crisps, popcorn and two videos. It was nice to get to know someone in a slow way.

'I liked it that he was busy and independent. I didn't really need a boyfriend. He didn't need me either. But when we came together, we had a laugh. We enjoyed each other's company. We didn't take things too seriously. That was sexy and attractive.'

Richard also looked at her and saw past her scars. They married in November 2015. Katie says as far as her daughters are concerned, 'I've had operations all their lives, and bandages and recoveries, so it's never been, "Oh Mum, what happened to you?" It's more a case of, "Other mums don't have scars, that's weird."

'Your mum is your anchor for normality. Even when you become a mum you need your own mum. I always go back to a support network. What was great for me was that, when I was desperate, I had my parents and siblings.

'I had a great NHS doctor. After I made My Beautiful Face I had the support of the British public which, when you have a facial disfigurement, is massive.

For the documentary Jailhouse Mums, Katie spoke to women in some of America's toughest prisons who 'had regrets, felt guilt and had fractured relationships with their children' Pictured: Katie at the screening of the documentary last week

'It was this thing of not looking like other people but being supported to go out into the world, to build relationships and a career. When I compared myself to the women I met in America, they didn't have that.'

She took an interest in the plight of women in prison when becoming an ambassador for Women's Aid, a charity supporting survivors of domestic abuse, in 2020.

'With Women's Aid I've realised that women sometimes become perpetrators of crime when they've been victims of domestic violence for years and just snap. Speaking to those women in the States I'd think, "life could have taken me in that direction".

'People do irrational things in the moment, make bad choices. I had my support network. I had my mum. She didn't want to allow me to stop living but her love was always there.

'I have my partner. He's a big support. He alleviates the stress and chaos in my life. Like with my operation the day before yesterday, he drove me to outpatients and to the pharmacy later. He made me dinner.

'You know, that important stuff you need to just rely on somebody. It's not that exciting but it's the backbone of being able to be who you are.'
For years, all Chris Mason knew about his family history was that he'd been found in a London phone box as a newborn just before Christmas 1966.

It seemed particularly poignant that at a time of year when the world is celebrating a joyous birth, a desperate mother felt she had to abandon her six-day-old child.

'It must have been horrendous for my birth mother to do that,' says Chris, now 56, an engineer from Surrey, speaking exclusively to Weekend.

'I've always been more concerned for her than for me. You don't know what situation she was in.'

Chris's tear-jerking tale features in next week's first episode of a new series of Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace, the spin-off show that tracks down the family members of foundlings.

Chris Mason was found in a London phone box as a newborn just before Christmas 1966 and that was all he knew about his family history

Chris was adopted by loving parents who brought him up with their two birth children in Wimbledon, southwest London, but over the years his efforts to find his blood relatives had drawn a blank.

Chris's wife Alison and their four children aged 23 to 29 were so eager to find out where Chris really came from that he applied to Long Lost Family.

Chris admits he had anxiety about being rejected by any relatives the experts dug up. 'My only fear doing this show was that they'd say, 'We don't want to know,' he admits.

A DNA test Chris undertook a few years ago revealed Irish and Italian roots, but no close relatives.

Its hard to explain what its like to have the door opened and see someone who made you. Its amazing

The show's experts followed up the DNA matches, learning that Chris's mother Elizabeth was an Irishwoman who married a US airman and moved to Maine, USA. That's where Chris was conceived, but then questions arose: why was he born in England, and who was his father?

Long Lost Family's team cracked the mystery through further research and put Chris on a plane to Florida to meet Elizabeth's daughter Marie, Chris's half-sister, who is nine years older. She was overjoyed. 'I knew about Chris from hearing my mom talking about him in my earlier years,' says Marie. 'When I was in my teens I went to the library and tried to find him via newspapers, but I was looking in the wrong area.

'So when I received the picture of Chris from Long Lost Family, I was amazed at how much he looked like our grandfather John, my mother's father. Also, Chris has my mother's eyes. I couldn't believe it was real.'

Chris was bowled over to meet Marie and his half-brother Bobby (another sister had died) and learn about his heritage. 'I never dreamed it would happen,' he says.

Chris with his wife and family including dad Dominic (second from right) and half-sister Marie (third from left)

'To have siblings alive, it's amazing. I was so moved to find out Marie had looked for me, too.'

Marie showed Chris an album stuffed with his relatives' photos. 'The big thing for me was to see the photo of my mother,' he says. 'Never did I imagine I'd see someone who looks like me or like my children.'

The sadness in his story is that Elizabeth died in 2008. Trapped in an abusive marriage, she became an alcoholic and passed away aged 69.

But there was happiness to come, when Long Lost Family identified his birth father, Italian-born Dominic, now 79 and a businessman in Florida. Dominic had no idea Chris existed until Long Lost Family matched up their DNA.

'Meeting my father was the icing on the cake,' says Chris. 'It's hard to explain what it's like to have the door opened and see someone who made you.'

It transpires that Elizabeth had left her marriage at one point, and Chris was conceived during a brief relationship with Dominic.

Elizabeth was an Irishwoman who married a US airman and moved to Maine, USA

But after Elizabeth reconciled with her husband, he kicked her and the children out when he learned she was pregnant. They fled to England where Elizabeth gave birth before returning to the US and her husband.

'Marie told me that Elizabeth did not have a happy life, but that in the six or seven months she spent with Dominic she was happy,' says Chris. 'And I told Dominic that. That moved him. He mentions that still.'

Chris has kept in touch with his birth family, and Dominic, Marie and his other half-siblings will soon visit him in Surrey. A family trip to Italy is also on the cards.

This experience has meant closure for him, as well as a new beginning. 'I had two sentences about my life  I knew the telephone box, I knew the street and sort of the date,' he says. 'But now I could fill books. It's amazing, a big turning point.'
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Prince William's visit to the Centrepoint housing charity in London this week showed that, for all the recent changes in royal life - including his growing seniority - his commitment to one particular cause remains undimmed.

In fact, he dedication to the issue of homelessness seems to reflect a need to continue the work started by his late mother.

On Tuesday, the Prince of Wales attended the opening of Reuben House, a new independent living project established by the charity.

William has admitted that Diana, who remained a patron of Centrepoint after her divorce from Charles, would be disappointed that, decades later, homelessness remains a major problem.

Princess Diana had taken young Princes William and Harry along with her on visits to homeless shelters to show them the realities of a life on the streets.

Prince William has continued his mother's work and attended the opening of Centrepoint's Reuben House in London

Prince William's unfaltering dedication to helping eliminate homelessness seems to reflect a painful need to finish the work started by his late mother

Princess Diana saw taking her sons, William and Harry, to visit homeless charities such as The Passage (pictured) as a vital part of their education

The Prince of Wales has now made homelessness one of the key focus points in his public work, which serves as a poignant tribute to his mother's memory

'She didn't want the boys to grow up thinking the whole world was 4x4 range rovers, shotguns, and nannies,' according to royal biographer Andrew Morton, speaking on Channel 5's Diana: Queen of Hearts?

They visited homelessness charity The Passage together in 1993, which William said 'showed me another part of society that I probably wouldn't have exposure to'.

Speaking on the Listen Up podcast, he added: 'It piqued an interest at the time, because the kind of characters that I met were incredible, they were wonderful people.

'And the stories, albeit, obviously, at the time it was kept quite light for me at that age, gradually as my interest got deeper into it, and I spent more time talking to people, I've always come away hugely inspired by what I've heard.'

She became known for her numerous visits to shelters, one night slipping out of Kensington Palace to visit the homeless who had managed to find a bed at the Parish Hall of Westminster Cathedral.

Many of the residents did not initially recognise the Princess, who arrived unannounced at 11pm wrapped in a heavy black coat and left just before midnight.

Diana talks to a young homeless person at a Centrepoint homeless hostel during a visit to the centre in 1997

She was joined by Prince William during a visit to a Centrepoint hostel in Soho, London in 1996

He was pictured talking to young people at the opening of the new development, which forms a key part of the strategy for combatting youth homelessness

The Princess became a patron for Centrepoint in 1992 and it was one of a handful of charities for which she kept her position after her divorce.

As well as her attachment to The Passage, she was also a regular visitor to Depaul UK, a homelessness charity dedicated to supporting young people, and opened the first Depaul Trust Hostel in Willesden in June 1995.

Taking her sons to her visits was viewed as a crucial part of their education by the Princess and her dedicated charity work made a clear impression on William and Harry.

Former BBC Royal Correspondent Jennie Bond told Channel 5: 'I think both the boys had a huge admiration for what their mother did, they watched her take on these causes that weren't fashionable and were very difficult and I think now they really get involved in the charities they do get on.'

Continuing his mother's work, Prince Harry visited Lesotho in 2004 and met with AIDs orphans, much like Diana did 20 years prior, and in 2019 he retraced his mother's steps by walking through the former minefield where she had walked in 1997.

Meanwhile, William has taken over Diana's role as patron of Centrepoint as well as being made patron for The Passage, more than 25 years after his first visit.

But is attempts to sympathise with the struggles of a life on the streets have gone further than royal titles and in December 2009 he spent a night sleeping rough in London, accompanied by Centrepoint's chief executive, Seyi Obakin.

Speaking to the Mail at the time, Mr Obakin said: 'William asked whether there was anything he could do to help understand what our young people go through.

Prince William spent the night sleeping rough alongside Centrepoint CEO Seyi Obakin in December 2009

He was pictured talking to young people during a visit to homelessness charity Centrepoint in 2005

William was made patron of Centrepoint - a position previously held by his late mother - in September 2005. He is pictured in the kitchen at a Centrepoint hostel in 2006

Prince William is seen dancing with Vanessa Boateng as Kate looks on laughing during a visit to Centrepoint

At the Winter Whites Centrepoint Gala in 2013, Prince William joined in singing with Taylor Swift and Jon Bon Jovi

'I thought on my feet and came up with the thing that I thought he was least likely to do. To my surprise, he said yes. We took as much precaution as possible - finding a relatively secluded spot in an alleyway, shielded partly by a collection of wheelie bins.'

Dressed in jeans, trainers, a hooded sweatshirt and beanie hat, William went unrecognised as he laid a piece of cardboard down on the floor and climbed into his sleeping bag and the pair stayed out in temperatures as low as minus 4 degrees.

William, then 27, said in a statement afterwards: 'I cannot, after one night, even begin to imagine what it must be like to sleep rough on London's streets night after night.'

Yet he has continued in his efforts to engage with the experience of those living on the streets and over ten years later, he went undercover as a Big Issue seller on the streets of London.

He sold 32 copies of the magazine and wrote a candid essay explaining why he wanted to shine a light on the issue of homelessness for his 40th birthday, posing for a special edition of the publication.

Writing on his experience selling the magazine last year, William said: 'People recognised a familiar face and were happy to give me the time of day. But that isnt the case for the vast majority of Big Issue vendors...

'And while I may seem like one of the most unlikely advocates for this cause, I have always believed in using my platform to help tell those stories and to bring attention and action to those who are struggling. I plan to do that now I'm turning 40, even more than I have in the past.

He since made secret visits to homeless centres, helping prepare food and chatting to residents, as well as speaking publicly about the issue.

Prince William joined Big Issue vendor Dave Martin (right) to sell copies of the magazine in London last year

He sold 32 copies of the magazine and wrote a candid essay explaining why he wanted to shine a light on the issue of homelessness for his 40th birthday

Writing on his experience selling the magazine last year, William said: 'People recognised a familiar face and were happy to give me the time of day. But that isnt the case for the vast majority of Big Issue vendors...'

According to the Telegraph, the Prince is preparing to launch a homelessness project at the time of his 41st birthday and has discussed the issue in meetings with Sir Keir Starmer and Michael Gove.

He is previously also said to have been considering housing homeless people in properties owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, even before his father became King.

Working with charity Groundswell for a short film on BBC One for Red Nose Day, he spoke of his late mother, saying: 'I think she would be disappointed that we are still no further on in terms of tackling homelessness and preventing it than when she was interested and involved in it.'

The Prince of Wales has vowed to educate his children on the plight of homeless people, in the same way that he and his brother were taught by their own mother.

Speaking to Dame Mary Berry in 2019 for her Christmas special A Berry Royal Christmas, he said Prince George and Princess Charlotte would ask: 'Why can't they go home?'

He explained at the time: 'On the school run already, bear in mind they're six and four, whenever we see anyone who is sleeping rough on the streets, I talk about it and I point it out and I explain why and they're all very interested. They're like: "Why can't they go home?".'
The Princess of Wales paid a sweet tribute to her late mother-in-law as she attended the Trooping the Colour for the King's birthday today.

Kate Middleton, 41, was elegant in a bright green, satin-look dress and matching hat as she travelled to the Horse Guards Parade with Queen Camilla and her three children.

Her husband, the Prince of Wales, was nearby on horseback with King Charles.

Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, were well behaved as they made their way down the Mall in the carriage - waving and smiling at onlookers.

The mother-of-three made a nod to Princess Diana with her outfit, accompanying it with a pair of sapphire drop earrings which once belonged to her late mother-in-law.

Gorgeous in green: Kate, Princess of Wales, opted for a monochrome outfit in green for today's festivities

The royal was snapped beaming widely, underneath the brim of her hat, which was perfectly coordinated with the rest of her ensemble

The Princess of Wales (pictured, right) donned an all-green ensemble as she attended the Trooping the Colour celebrations today (pictured with Queen Camilla, left)

The Wales family later appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch a flypast

Today's event is the first Trooping the Colour following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last September - and King Charles' inaugural Birthday Parade.

Kate opted for a bold single colour look, donning green from head-to-toe, representing her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards - a role she took over from her husband at the end of last year.

In a further nod to her Irish role, Kate wore a gold brooch, in the shape of a clover.

Finishing her look, the royal wore her chestnut locks in a low bun, tucked beneath the brim of her hat.

Kate's three children were also spotted arriving at the event together, waving enthusiastically at royal fans.

She later took to the Buckingham Palace balcony for a military flypast, which involved around 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force.

The mother-of-three was joined by her husband, the Prince of Wales, George, Louis and Charlotte and King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, also appeared on the balcony with her husband Prince Edward, Princess Anne and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence.

The Princess of Wales rode to the event in a carriage alongside her three children (pictured) and the Queen Consort (pictured)

Kate opted for green today, representing her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards, which she took over from her husband at the end of last year

Kate's green jacket featured a military-style design

Kate Middleton, 41, was snapped beaming as she waved at bystanders while making her way to the event

Today's event is the first Trooping the Colour following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last September - making it King Charles' inaugural Trooping

Kate looked stylish as she joined other senior members of The Firm for the historic event today

The King, Queen and other members of the royal family are expected to watch as the aircraft fly over The Mall and Buckingham Palace in a six-minute display

Kate made her way to Horse Guards Parade by carriage, accompanied by Queen Camilla, and her three children Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the aircraft took off from 15 locations up and down the UK before meeting in the south-east of England and flying across London.

The event featured a mix of aircraft, ranging from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight dating back to the 1940s and the C-130 Hercules on its final ceremonial flight to multiple Typhoon fighter jets and the Envoy IV CC1, which made its flypast debut.

At the front of the flypast was a Juno HT1 piloted by Flight Lieutenant Tom Knapp from 60 Squadron, No 1 Flying Training School based at RAF Shawbury.

The King, Queen and other members of the royal family are expected to watch as the aircraft fly over The Mall and Buckingham Palace in a six-minute display

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the aircraft will take off from 15 locations up and down the UK before meeting in the south-east of England and flying across London

Kate appeared to be rewearing a pair of sapphire drop earrings, which used to belong to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana

Princess of Wales watches on as the King's Birthday Parade takes place in London

She was joined by her three children, George, Louis and Charlotte for the occasion

The event ended in a show of red, white and blue from the pilots of the Red Arrows.

The MoD said many of the aircraft taking part in the flypast have been involved in operations around the world this year, including the Nato air policing mission in Eastern Europe and the evacuation of British citizens from Sudan.

Charles will be joined on Saturday by the Queen and members of the royal family to view the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards Troop their Colour.

Louis was in typically high spirits, pulling faces and pointing at the sky as the carriage moved

Troops advance down the Mall during Trooping the Colour on Saturday morning

King Charles rides back to Buckingham Palace after his Birthday Parade in London

The annual event of Trooping the Colour has marked the official birthday of the sovereign for more than 260 years.

More than 60 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force had been due to take part in the coronation flypast in May but 'unsuitable weather conditions' saw that plan abandoned.

Instead, helicopters from the three services and the Red Arrows took part in the display, which lasted for around two and a half minutes.

Footage from Royal Navy helicopters showed how poor the weather was in the skies above London.

What is Trooping the Colour? The Trooping the Colour ceremony takes place to celebrate the birthday of the reigning monarch in the UK and has been held every year for the past 260 years. This year, the display will take place on Saturday June 17. It will feature the King's personal troops, the Household Division - who will be situated on Horse Guards Parade - with the King himself set to attend and take salute. The popular event will attract big crowds, who will be seen waving flags as the parade moves from Buckingham Palace and down The Mall to Horse Guard's Parade, alongside Members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages. Some 113 words of command will be given by the Officer in Command of the Parade. The parade route extends from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and back again. During the ceremony, Charles will be greeted by a royal salute, before carrying out an inspection of the troops, who are fully trained and operational soldiers wearing the ceremonial uniform of red tunics and bearskin hats. After the massed bands have performed a musical 'troop', the escorted Regimental Colour is carried down the ranks. The Foot Guards and the Household Cavalry will march past His Majesty, The King's Troop and the Royal Horse Artillery. Subsequently, the King shall ride back to Buckingham Palace at the head of his Guards, before taking the salute at the Palace. His Majesty will then join other members of the Royal Family on the palace balcony for a fly-past by the Royal Air Force. Advertisement

Rain streaked the windshields of the aircraft as they flew low over the heart of the capital.

The MoD said the birthday flypast has been increased in size to pay tribute to the new monarch.

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, said: 'We are very proud to be able to showcase our capabilities to our Commander-in-Chief, on this historic occasion for his majesty the King.

'We have planned a fitting and appropriate tribute for our monarch, that should be a true spectacle for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.'

Air Officer Commanding 1 Group, Air Vice-Marshal Mark Flewin, said: 'It is a great honour to be part of his majesty the King's birthday celebrations, where the flypast is an opportunity for us to showcase formation, precision and excellence in the air to our Commander-in-Chief on such a special occasion.'
Young George stole the show once again today while excitedly watching the planes in the magnificent 70-aircraft Trooping the Colour flypast.

Heart-warming footage shows the nine-year-old prince eagerly identifying aircraft on the royal balcony as this Saturday marked King Charles' first Birthday Parade.

Standing beside his two younger siblings, George was filmed pointing up to the sky before saying something to his parents.

While the audio isn't clear, some believe that George is identifying a plane, to which the proud Prince of Wales appears to say 'yes it is, good boy!'

All three of the royal children were in high spirits this morning as they arrived in a carriage to Buckingham Palace, ready for the celebrations.

Heart-warming footage shows Prince George eagerly identifying aircraft on the royal balcony

Young George stole the show once again today while excitedly watching the planes in the magnificent 70-aircraft Trooping the Colour flypast

Prince Louis holds his nose as he and his brother George and sister Charlotte travel

Some 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and the Royal Air Force took part in the six-minute spectacle today.

Crowds gathered below as Hurricane and Spitfire jets took to the skies and soared above Buckingham Palace.

Eighteen Typhoon fighter jets also drew out 'CR' for Charles Rex in a mesmerising display - with 'Rex' referring to King in Latin.

A squadron of Red Arrows then brought the event to a close as they ejected red, white and blue smoke over London.

This morning, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis travelled to Horse Guards Parade with their mother the Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla for the Trooping the Colour.

They waved enthusiastically at thousands of spectators who gathered outside Buckingham Palace and on The Mall, while the King and the Prince of Wales travelled on horseback.

Today was the first time a monarch had ridden on horseback at Trooping the Colour since Queen Elizabeth's horse Burmese carried her during the 1986 ceremony.

A squadron of Red Arrows then brought the event to a close as they ejected coloured smoke

Prince Louis, five, is pictured as he travels along in a carriage with his siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte

Cheeky Prince Louis looks out at the crowd alongside his siblings, George and Charlotte

The royal children were in high spirits today as they arrived in a carriage for their grandfather's very first Birthday Parade

The three royal children later appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony with their parents

Prince Louis, five, is sat in-between Princess Charlotte and Prince George

After the King's Birthday Parade, the royal children will travel to the Buckingham Palace balcony for a flypast expected to last around six minutes

The royal party travelled in the middle of a Sovereign's Mounted Escort formed by troops from the Household Cavalry's Life Guards and Blues and Royals.

George, Charlotte and Louis then took to the Buckingham Palace balcony for a flypast - after one set for the King's Coronation was scaled back in May.

The three royal children were joined by their mother and father, the Princess and Prince of Wales and King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Princess Charlotte, eight, wore a white dress with red detailing, while her hair was pulled back in intricate braids that came together in a low bun.

Her brothers George, nine, and Louis, five, wore matching navy suits, white shirts and red ties - with their hair combed neatly to the side.

Her brothers George, nine, and Louis, five, wore matching navy suits, white shirts and red ties - with their hair combed neatly to the side

George, Charlotte and Louis will later take to the Buckingham Palace balcony for a flypast - after one set for the King's Coronation was scaled back in May

Princess Charlotte, eight, smiles as she travels along The Mall to the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade

Prince Louis leads his older siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte as they walk along Horse Guards Parade during the ceremony

Prince George and Prince Louis look around at the crowd as they attend Trooping the Colour

Louis points at something in sky above as he and the royal children arrive for Birthday Parade

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis travelled to Horse Guards Parade with their mother the Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla for the Trooping the Colour

George, Charlotte and Louis chat amongst themselves as they travel to Horse Guards Parade

Princess Charlotte smiles at crowds as she and her siblings attend Trooping the Colour

Princess Charlotte, eight, wore a white dress with red detailing, while her hair was pulled back in intricate braids that came together in a low bun

Her brothers George, nine, and Louis, five, wore matching navy suits, white shirts and red ties - with their hair combed neatly to the side

After the King's Birthday Parade, the royal children will travel to the Buckingham Palace balcony for a flypast expected to last around six minutes

Some 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and the Royal Air Force took part in the six-minute flypast today.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said today's aircraft took off from 15 locations up and down the UK before meeting in the south-east of England and flying over London.

The event ended in a show of red, white and blue from the pilots of the Red Arrows.

The MoD said many of the aircraft taking part in the flypast had been involved in operations around the world this year, including the Nato air policing mission in Eastern Europe and the evacuation of British citizens from Sudan.

Charles was joined on Saturday by the Queen and members of the royal family to view the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards Troop their Colour.

The Trooping the Colour has marked the official birthday of the sovereign - which takes place in June despite Charles being born in November - for more than 260 years.

Camilla wore an outfit inspired by the grenadier guards, in bright red with a black headpiece

Kate was gorgeous in bright green as she waved to those who had arrived to greet the royals

King Charles travelled to the Horse Guards Parade on horseback, the first to do so in decades

Members of the Welsh Guards, a regiment of Household Division, march to Horse Guards Parade during Trooping the Colour

Some 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and the Royal Air Force are poised to take part while members of The Firm watch on

It was the first time a full flypast had been possible in the reign of King Charles, after a Coronation flypast had to be scaled back in May due to bad weather.

Helicopters and the Red Arrows had been displayed instead, with footage from the skies illustrating just how poor the weather was over London.

The birthday flypast has been increased in size to pay tribute to the new monarch.

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, said: 'We are very proud to be able to showcase our capabilities to our Commander-in-Chief, on this historic occasion for his majesty the King.

'We have planned a fitting and appropriate tribute for our monarch, that should be a true spectacle for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.'

Air Officer Commanding 1 Group, Air Vice-Marshal Mark Flewin, said: 'It is a great honour to be part of his majesty the King's birthday celebrations, where the flypast is an opportunity for us to showcase formation, precision and excellence in the air to our Commander-in-Chief on such a special occasion.'
The Buckingham Palace balcony was rather scaled back for the King's Birthday Parade flypast today

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The Royal Family were out in full force today as they watched the King's inaugural Birthday Parade - and viewed the Trooping the Colour flypast from the Buckingham Palace balcony.

The number of royals on the balcony, however, was relatively scaled down compared to the King's Coronation in May - and last year's Trooping the Colour.

There was also a sizeable gap between older members of The Firm - the Duke of Kent, 87, and Duke, 78, and Duchess, 76, of Gloucester - and the new generation of royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

Moments on the balcony are iconic, as well-wishers gather around to catch a glimpse of the royals.

It could be that the King and Queen are making a clear point about the future of the Royal Family with their selections, and the distance between senior royals and less active members of The Firm.

In 2022, 17 members - and the late Queen - were present, but missing from this year's balcony was the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's children, James, Earl of Wessex and Lady Louise Windsor.

James, 15, and Lady Louise, 19, also made an appearance on the balcony for the Coronation last month.

Also absent from Trooping the Colour this year was Princess Alexandra, 86, a cousin of the late Queen.

Around 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force flew across the Palace, including the C-130 Hercules on its final ceremonial flight.

Here, FEMAIL talks through who made the cut for the Buckingham Palace balcony...

1. Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence: Princess Anne's husband travelled alongside the Duchess of Edinburgh to Horse Guards Parade this morning.

2. Princess Anne: The King's sister, who is often regarded as the 'hardest working royal', looked both happy and relaxed as she celebrated the annual event with her family. Anne rode horseback alongside Prince William and Prince Edward.

3. Prince George: Eldest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales and second-in-line to the throne, George was also pictured alongside his family on the balcony.

The Prince has been taking on more important roles since the Coronation last month, where he was one of four Pages of Honour for his grandfather, a ceremonial position which required the young boys to attend to King Charles, largely by carrying his heavy robes.

Pictured: The Trooping the Colour balcony in June 2022, with Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex in attendance

Members of the royal family looked excited and overjoyed to be watching the flypast on the Buckingham Palace balcony during Trooping the Colour today

Prince George and Prince Louis, greet the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace

The Prince and Princess of Wales, their children and the King and Queen smile and wave to wellwishers

Left to right: The Duke of Kent, the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Gloucester, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Princess Royal, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, the Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy, the Duke of Edinburgh

4. Prince Louis: Often referred to as the 'cheeky' royal due to his mischievous antics, Louis was on the balcony today alongside his mother, father and siblings. Last year, his moods ranged from excitement, to annoyance and despair as he screamed and put his hands over his ears next to the late Queen.

5. Kate, Princess of Wales: Kate, 41, looked regal as she sported green from head-to-toe, representing her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards - a role she took over from her husband at the end of last year.

6. Princess Charlotte: The Princess, who turned eight last month, was also pictured alongside Louis and King Charles on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

She rode in a carriage with the Queen, Princess of Wales and her siblings Prince George and Prince Louis. During the coronation, Charlotte appeared to take on a protective and reassuring role for her younger brother Prince Louis.

Members of the public cheer as they watch the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows

Prince Louis was being his usual cheeky self on the Buckingham Palace balcony today

7. Prince of Wales: Prince William, heir to the throne, took part in the procession, riding horseback while his wife and children travelled in a carriage alongside the Queen.

8. King Charles: He is the first monarch in more than 30 years to take part in the Colour on horseback. It was the first time a reigning monarch has ridden at the Colour since Queen Elizabeth's horse Burmese carried her during the 1986 ceremony.

9. Queen Camilla: The Queen, 75, stood proudly with her husband King Charles and marvelled at the flypast as they stood on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. She was recently appointed to the Order of the Thistle, Scotland's greatest order of chivalry, by her husband. She donned a donned a red Fiona Clare outfit today, inspired by the grenadier guards.

There was a sizeable gap between older members of The Firm - the Duke of Kent, and Duke and Duchess of Gloucester - and the new generation of royals

The Duke of Kent and Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were stood on the balcony, away from other members of the royal family

Crowds gathered to enjoy the flypast alongside the royals at Buckingham Palace today

10. Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh: He rode during the ceremony in his role as Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards, formed last year. He would usually travel with his wife, Sophie, but could not this year due to his new role in the procession.

11. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh: Sophie, 58, wowed in white today as she travelled in a carriage alongside Timothy Laurence, Princess Anne's husband, on their way to Horse Guards Parade.

12. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent: The 87-year-old was present on the balcony alongside the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, however there was a sizeable gap between them and the other members of The Firm.

13. Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester: The Duke travelled in a carriage alongside his wife, Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, for Trooping the Colour.

14. Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester: The Duchess donned a straw-like hat, a pearl necklace and brown and white patterned dress as she stood on the Buckingham Palace balcony today.

The slimmed-down balcony perhaps isn't so surprising, after experts said King Charles's coronation portraits clearly showed he was clearly surrounding himself with 'the people he can depend on'.

This one is a strong forceful portrait of a monarch who knows his own mind and is very experienced,' royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline.

Mr Fitzwilliam said Princess Anne's proximity to the King in the group portrait 'is no accident', adding the fact she is 'experienced and hard-working' will have been noticed by Charles.

The Buckingham Palace moment came after a packed day for senior members of the Royal Family, who had earlier travelled to Horse Guards Parade to watch the King's Birthday Parade - his very first as monarch.

It had been a significant day for the King, who was the first monarch in decades to attend his Birthday Parade on horseback rather than in a carriage. He was joined by his son Prince William, and brother Prince Edward.

After an elaborate display, the Royal Family headed back to Buckingham Palace to appear on the balcony.

Prince Louis was on his typically fine form, scrunching his nose at the smell of the horses - and later covering his ears from the sound of 70 aircraft passing overhead.

Planes from the Royal Navy, British Army and the Royal Air Force took part in the six-minute flypast today.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said aircraft took off from 15 locations up and down the UK before meeting in the south-east of England and flying over London.

The event ended in a show of red, white and blue from the pilots of the Red Arrows.

The Trooping the Colour has marked the official birthday of the sovereign - which takes place in June despite Charles being born in November - for more than 260 years.

It was the first time a full flypast had been possible in the reign of King Charles, after a Coronation flypast had to be scaled back in May due to bad weather.

Helicopters and the Red Arrows had been displayed instead, with footage from the skies illustrating just how poor the weather was over London.

The birthday flypast has been increased in size to pay tribute to the new monarch.
The Duchess of Edinburgh was elegant in a simple white ensemble as she attended the King's inaugural Birthday Parade today.

Sophie Wessex, 58, looked a vision as she travelled in a carriage alongside Timothy Laurence, Princess Anne's husband, as the Duke of Edinburgh rode in on horseback.

Prince Edward was participating in Trooping the Colour in his role as Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards, which was formed last year.

She would typically have travelled with her husband, but he had a very different role in the procession this year. The couple's two children, Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex, were not spotted.

Today is the first Trooping the Colour the Royal Family marks without the late Queen Elizabeth II, following her death last September.

Sophie, 58, looked a vision in white as she travelled in a carriage alongside Timothy Laurence, Princess Anne's husband

Last year's celebrations marked seven decades since the late Monarch's ascension to the throne, meanwhile this year heralds a new era for the family, with King Charles at its helm.

The Trooping the Colour has marked the official birthday of the sovereign - which takes place in June despite Charles being born in November - for more than 260 years.

Sophie donned a white long-sleeved dress, which she paired with gold and silver jewellery and an oversized stylish hat.

She wore her blonde hair in a stylish updo and smiled at the excited crowd as she made her way to Horse Guards Parade.

And the King is the first monarch in more than 30 years to take part in the event on horseback.

Charles will take the royal salute as Colonel in Chief of the Household Division's seven regiments during the ceremony, staged on Horse Guards Parade, as members of the royal family and 8,000 spectators watch.

The colour, or regimental flag, that will be trooped in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers will be the King's Colour of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

It will be the first time a reigning monarch has ridden at the Colour since Queen Elizabeth's horse Burmese carried her during the 1986 ceremony.

Burmese, a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was the Queen's favourite steed for ceremonial occasions and she rode it for 18 years until its retirement in 1986, and decided to use a carriage for rather than train another charger.

Sophie would usually travel with her husband, Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, but he has a different role in the procession event this year

Sophie donned a white long-sleeved dress, which she paired with gold and silver jewellery and an oversized stylish hat

The Duke of Edinburgh rode on horseback during the procession today, representing his role as Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards, which was formed last year

When the King rides from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards, he will be joined on horseback by the royal Colonels - Prince of Wales, Colonel, Welsh Guards and the Princess Royal, Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel, The Blues and Royals.

The senior royals on horseback will be joined by a carriage expected to be carrying the Queen and the Princess of Wales and her children.

The royal party will travel in the middle of a Sovereign's Mounted Escort formed by troops from the Household Cavalry's Life Guards and Blues and Royals, with two divisions riding in front and two behind.

She wore her blonde hair in a stylish updo and smiled at the excited crowd as she made her way to Horse Guards Parade

The Trooping the Colour has marked the official birthday of the sovereign - which takes place in June despite Charles being born in November - for more than 260 years

Sophie looked regal in white as she travelled in a carriage for Trooping the Colour - without her children

Prince William, left, Prince Edward, centre, and Princess Anne leave Buckingham Palace to take part in the Trooping The Colour parade, in London

The Duchess of Edinburgh looks elegant as she smiles and waves at wellwishers

King Charles salutes as he departs Buckingham Palace towards Horse Guards Parade

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh travels to Horse Guards Parade with Princess Anne's husband

Wellwishers look in high spirits as they hope to catch a glimpse of members of The Firm

Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, rides horseback down the Mall during the event

Members of the Household Division during the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade

During the ceremony, the King will inspect the Guardsmen, in their scarlet tunics and bearskins, standing in two rows on Horse Guards before the colour is trooped.

The massed bands of the Household Division will provide musical backing during the day and also taking part is the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery who, following the parade, will fire a 41-gun salute in Green Park to mark the King's official birthday - while from the Tower of London the Honourable Artillery Company will fire 62 volleys.

Following the ceremony, the royal family will head back to Buckingham Palace and gather on the balcony to watch an extended military flypast after the display on coronation day had to be scaled down due to bad weather.

Around 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force will take part - including aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the C-130 Hercules on its final ceremonial flight, modern Typhoon fighter jets with a red, white and blue finale from the Red Arrows.
Queen Camilla donned a bold red outfit as she attended Trooping the Colour in London today.

The Queen Consort, 75, travelled to Horse Guards Parade in a carriage alongside Kate, Princess of Wales and her children, Prince Louis, five, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince George, nine.

Camilla beamed as she waved to royal fans who had been lining up early this morning, no doubt hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the members of The Firm.

She opted for a red ensemble, donning a Fiona Clare outfit, which was inspired by Grenadier Guards.

In a nod to their black hats, she also opted for headgear in the dark tone, created by milliner Philip Treacy.

The Queen donned a red Fiona Clare outfit today, which was inspired by grenadier guards, as she made her way to Horse Guards Parade

In December last year, Buckingham Palace announced that Camilla would become the new colonel of the Grenadier Guards, replacing Prince Andrew.

Today is the first Trooping the Colour the Royal Family marks without the late Queen Elizabeth II, following her death last September.

Last year's celebrations marked seven decades since the late Monarch's ascension to the throne, meanwhile this year heralds a new era for the family, with King Charles at its helm.

The Trooping the Colour has marked the official birthday of the sovereign - which takes place in June despite Charles being born in November - for more than 260 years.

The King is the first monarch in more than 30 years to take part in the event on horseback.

Charles will take the royal salute as Colonel in Chief of the Household Division's seven regiments during the ceremony, staged on Horse Guards Parade, as members of the royal family and 8,000 spectators watch.

The colour, or regimental flag, that will be trooped in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers will be the King's Colour of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

Camilla and The Princess of Wales were pictured smiling and waving as they made their way to Horse Guards Parade

She travelled in a carriage alongside Kate, Princess of Wales and her children, Prince Louis, five, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince George, nine

It will be the first time a reigning monarch has ridden at the Colour since Queen Elizabeth's horse Burmese carried her during the 1986 ceremony.

Burmese, a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was the Queen's favourite steed for ceremonial occasions and she rode it for 18 years until its retirement in 1986, and decided to use a carriage for rather than train another charger.

When the King rides from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards, he will be joined on horseback by the royal Colonels - Prince of Wales, Colonel, Welsh Guards and the Princess Royal, Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel, The Blues and Royals.

The Duke of Edinburgh will also be riding during the ceremony in his role as Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards, formed last year.

Kate smiles alongside Camilla as the arrive at Horse Guards Parade

Camilla travelled alongside the Wales's children Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte

The Queen also wore a black hat by hat designer Philip Treacy, which had a gold emblem on it

King Charles salutes as he departs Buckingham Palace towards Horse Guards Parade

Camilla, colonel of the Grenadier Guards, stands alongside Kate at Trooping the Colour

Wellwishers look in high spirits as they hope to catch a glimpse of members of the The Firm

Prince William did not travel in a carriage with his wife and children, but rode horseback alongside Prince Edward and Princess Anne

Prince William, Prince Edward, and Princess Anne rode horseback during Trooping the Colour

The royal party will travel in the middle of a Sovereign's Mounted Escort formed by troops from the Household Cavalry's Life Guards and Blues and Royals, with two divisions riding in front and two behind.

During the ceremony, the King will inspect the Guardsmen, in their scarlet tunics and bearskins, standing in two rows on Horse Guards before the colour is trooped.

The massed bands of the Household Division will provide musical backing during the day and also taking part is the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery who, following the parade, will fire a 41-gun salute in Green Park to mark the King's official birthday - while from the Tower of London the Honourable Artillery Company will fire 62 volleys.

Following the ceremony, the royal family will head back to Buckingham Palace and gather on the balcony to watch an extended military flypast after the display on coronation day had to be scaled down due to bad weather.

Around 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force will take part - including aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the C-130 Hercules on its final ceremonial flight, modern Typhoon fighter jets with a red, white and blue finale from the Red Arrows.
Prince Louis delighted royal fans once again today as he pulled faces at his siblings and grumpily covered his ears while celebrating Trooping the Colour - at one point covering his nose making it appear as though he'd smelt something unpleasant.

The five-year-old was on fine form as he travelled to Horse Guards Parade in a carriage with Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, eight, on Saturday.

They were accompanied by the Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla, but that didn't stop Louis from getting up to his usual antics at the King's Birthday Parade.

In one moment, the youngest Wales child covered his nose and mouth in what is thought to be disgust, after he caught a whiff of horse poo.

A photo of the unexpected moment shows the five-year-old clasping his nose with one of his hands.

Lively: Prince Louis (centre) often steals the show during public events, and today was ni different, as he was snapped pulling funny faces

In another image, the five-year-old can be seen grimacing as he looks out of the carriage - the snap is bound to delight royal watchers

The young royal has become a favourite among royal watchers thanks to his adorable and funny antics

Louis - who turned five on St George's Day on April 23 - is a favourite among royal watchers, thanks to his enthusiasm during public appearances. Here, he appears to hold his nose - perhaps in response to an unpleasant smell

Underneath his hand, Louis looks as thought he may be grimacing slighty.

Meanwhile, his old sister Charlotte looks on, seemingly unfazed by her brother's behaviour, and looks on nonplussed.

Louis - who turned five on St George's Day on April 23 - is a favourite among royal watchers thanks to his enthusiasm - and cheeky antics - during public appearances.

Today was no different, and the young royal was spotted pulling a range of faces at his siblings.

Prince Louis gasps as a flypast continues above the Buckingham Palace balcony

Prince Louis (pictured) was snapped covering his ears against the noise during the flypast today

Prince Louis, five, broke into a passionate dance on the Buckingham Palace balcony

Brothers: Prince George and his younger brother Prince Louis, who were perfectly coordinated for the day) watch the flypast from Buckingham Palace's balcony

At one point during the flypast, the young prince (pictured) posed while pulling off a military-style salute

Parents: Louis' parents appeared to be touching him as he posed while doing a salute (pictured L-R: Prince George, Prince Louis, the Princess of Wales)

At another point, while the other royals watched the flypast with interest, Louis simply looked at the floor, with his hand over his mouth

The young royal appeared confident and happy during Trooping the Colour today, as he watched the flypast with members of his family

The five-year-old has made an increasing number of public appearances in recent times

Photos of the young royal certainly suggest that the five-year-old has plenty of personality

The five-year-old, who has been regularly snapped in recent times, does not appear to be lacking in confidence

There was also some scene stealing behaviour from the five-year-old while he was on the Buckingham Palace balcony, where he was spotted doing a small dance, as well as a military-style salute.

Photographs captured Prince Louis grimacing from the back of the carriage as he sat beside his brother and sister, who were unperturbed by his spirited behaviour.

The eight-year-old is equally unfazed in other photos, which shows the youngest sibling shouting and covering his ears as a royal flypast travelled overhead.

The royal party travelled in the middle of a Sovereign's Mounted Escort formed by troops from the Household Cavalry's Life Guards and Blues and Royals.

The lively five-year-old was accompanied by his older siblings Prince George and Princess Charlotte , as well as his mother the Princess of Wales, and Queen Camilla

Little Louis also gave a Royal Salute to onlookers who had gathered in London

George, Charlotte and Louis then joined other royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony for a flypast - after one set for the King's Coronation was scaled back in May.

Images from the balcony also show Louis engaging his fun side, as he covers his ears at one point to block the extremely loud noises.

Meanwhile, another photograph taken during the flypast shows the prince holding out his arms in a funny pose, and later appearing to break into a dance.

Some 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and the Royal Air Force took part in the display, which lasted around six minutes.

The three royal children travelled in a carriage with their mother and Queen Camilla

At one point, Louis was seen pointing up at something he had spotted in the sky

The royal children waved to those waiting on The Mall as they travelled today

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said today's aircraft took off from 15 locations up and down the UK before meeting in the south-east of England and flying over London.

The event ended in a show of red, white and blue from the pilots of the Red Arrows.

The siblings appeared to be carefully coordinated for the day when it came to their outfits.

Princess Charlotte, eight, wore a white dress with red detailing, while her hair was pulled back in intricate braids that came together in a low bun.

Her brothers George, nine, and Louis, five, wore matching navy suits, white shirts and red ties - with their hair combed neatly to the side.
China advocates safeguarding human rights through security, promoting human rights through development, promoting human rights through cooperation

16:04, June 17, 2023 By He Yin ( People's Daily

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the Forum on Global Human Rights Governance on June 14.

Offering Chinese propositions in the letter, he stressed that China advocates safeguarding human rights with security, promoting human rights with development and advancing human rights with cooperation, which demonstrated China's sense of responsibility in participating in global human rights governance and promoting the progress of human rights development of the world.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, a document that has played an important role in the world's development of human rights.

Foreign students experience traditional Chinese embroidery in Licang district, Qingdao, east China's Shandong province. (Photo by Zhang Ying/People's Daily Online)

The document stresses the equality and indivisibility of human rights, and emphasizes that the international community should promote effective international cooperation to realize the right to development and remove the barrier hindering development.

It represents the will of developing countries that account for the majority of the global population and lays a foundation for international cooperation and for reaching the goals of protecting human rights and basic freedom set in the UN Charter.

Children in Dushan village, Shawan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region play Dombra, a traditional musical instrument. (Photo by Lan Ling/People's Daily Online)

Today, mankind is once again at a pivotal crossroads, where global human rights governance is facing severe challenges.

Human rights development has encountered accelerating confrontation and divide. The politicization and instrumentalization of human rights is seriously poisoning the healthy development of the global human rights cause.

To improve global human rights governance, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action should be followed, and it's also important to steer global human rights governance toward greater fairness, justice, equity and inclusiveness.

Security is the most basic need of mankind. Human rights can never be safeguarded without peace and stability. Only by safeguarding human rights with security, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, following the path of peaceful development, and putting into action the Global Security Initiative (GSI), can the world create a tranquil environment where human rights are well protected.

The Cold War mentality would only wreck the global peace framework; hegemonism and power politics would only endanger world peace; and bloc confrontation would only exacerbate security challenges in the 21st century.

The GSI proposed by Xi stresses that humanity is an indivisible security community. It offers Chinese plans for narrowing security deficit and tackling security challenges, and contributes Chinese wisdom to global human rights governance.

The international community should stay committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and jointly safeguard world peace and security, so as to better protect and promote human rights.

The right to development is universal and indivisible. It is a part of basic human rights. Global development is still unbalanced, uncoordinated and inadequate, which is to the disadvantage of the full enjoyment of human rights in the world, especially the developing countries.

China advocates for promoting human rights with development, puts into action the Global Development Initiative (GDI), makes development more inclusive, beneficial to all and sustainable, and ensures fair entitlement to human rights by people of all countries through modernization paths with their own characteristics.

The GDI has received wide support and is forcefully refocusing international attention on the issue of development and speeding up the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It has become an important international public product ensuring that people of all countries enjoy human rights equally.

Only by adhering to solidarity and cooperation, communicating sincerely and profoundly on human rights issues and seeking consensus and managing disputes, can countries improve their human rights protection and promote the development of the global human rights cause.

China stands for advancing human rights with cooperation in the spirit of mutual respect and equality, putting into action the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), and deepening exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. It is committed to building consensus through dialogues to promote human rights development with the rest of the world.

The GCI proposed by Xi champions equality and mutual respect, and also strengthens dialogue and communication. It respects the right of all countries to independently choose their own path of human rights development, and is conducive to promoting the healthy development of the global human rights cause.

China is an active participant and advocate of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, as well as a staunch upholder and practitioner of the spirit of the document. China puts the people first, follows a path of human rights development that conforms to the trend of the times and suits its national conditions, and has continuously strengthened human rights protection and promoted the unimpeded and all-round development of people in the process of advancing Chinese modernization.

Seniors of a nursing home in Yichun, east China's Jiangxi province dance with staff members of the nursing home. (Photo by Zhou Liang/People's Daily Online)

China actively joins global human rights governance. The visions it has proposed, including promoting human rights with development, have won broad support and made important contributions to the development of the global human rights course.

All people in the world aspire to the entitlement of human rights. It's a common cause for humanity to promote and protect human rights. China is willing to work with the rest of the world to promote the shared values of all humanity, stay committed to the vision of equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness, mutual learning, win-win cooperation and common development, and inject positive energy to the healthy development of the global human rights cause.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Sheng Chuyi)
Jeffrey Herlihy-Mera in the LA Review of Books:

SINCE NYU PROFESSOR John Guillorys book Professing Criticism: Essays on the Organization of Literary Studies appeared last fall, perusing the ensuing debates has been like eavesdropping on a tiff among academic stars. Critique of the book has added important context on political and cultural topics, as well as on the authors tenuous attempt to link the notion of profession to criticism. Essays have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, the London Review of Books, and The Chronicle of Higher Education, by faculty at Cambridge, Wesleyan by way of Oxford, two from the same professor at Columbia, and a follow-up from Guillory himself. This is evidence of a remarkable level of commercial demand for literary critique across popular media. But that traction is deceptive. The circumstances of those authors, the experiences they draw upon for context and reference, are unlike those of nearly everyone else in the academy. This popular focus on perspectives honed at prestigious universities frames the discussion of the purported crisis of literary studies in misleading ways.

The New Yorker recently ran a piece, focused largely on Harvards English program, that used a binary top/bottom comparison to English at Arizona State University. (The piece was written by Nathan Heller, a Harvard grad.) Comparisons like this complicate things. In many ways ASU is superior to Harvard: the formers Humanities Lab is among the most innovative in the country, and the school has resources superior to those at many flagship campuses. James Marino at Cleveland State University has observed how damaging the pervasiveness of views like these can be for public institutions.

More here.
Royal watchers online are questioning whether the Duchess of Edinburgh told Princess Charlotte to 'sit down' during the Trooping the Colour celebrations today.

The video, which shows the two royals watching the parade, is only several seconds long.

It shows Charlotte and Sophie watching from a building, after arriving at Horse Guards Parade.

The clip follows the Wales children travelling to the Parade in a carriage with Queen Camilla and their mother the Princess of Wales.

However, neither of those two senior royals are in the clip, nor can Charlotte's brothers Prince George or Prince Louis be seen.

Royal watchers question whether the Duchess of Edinburgh told Princess Charlotte to 'sit down' during the Trooping the Colour celebrations

The video, which is only a few seconds long, shows Sophie and Charlotte watching the parade from the balcony

The clip appears to show the younger royal asking the duchess a question. The respond led many to believe that she was given a telling off

During the video, Charlotte can be seen leaning over and speaking to Sophie, though it is not clear what she said.

It appears as though the younger royal asks something, and then the Duchess responds.

When Sophie then responds, a number of people believe she is telling the younger royal to sit down.

However, others believe the clip simply shows the warm connection between the family members.

Twitter users were divided over whether Sophie had been telling the younger royal to sit down, or whether they had enjoyed a more friendly interchange

Taking to Twitter, one royal watcher wrote: 'You can tell they spend time together as families. Charlotte is utterly comfortable with Sophie.'

Another agreed, adding: 'Seems the duchess of Edinburgh has quite a close connection to the children lovely to see.'

And a third chimed in simply to say of the interchange between the royals: 'Love it.'

However, a number of other Twitter users felt the older royal had snapped at the younger one.

One tweeter said: 'Well she being told to sit down very sharply.'

Another agreed, writing: 'Is Sophie telling Charlotte to sit down?'

According to lip reader Jeremy Freeman, who spoke to the Daily Star, Sophie did not tell the younger royal to sit down.

In fact, he says, Charlotte asked her aunt: 'Sophie how long will it be?'

And then Sophie replied: 'I think it's now.'

Today marked the first Trooping the Colour following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last September - and King Charles' inaugural Birthday Parade.
Prince Albert of Monaco was flying solo as he attended the opening ceremony of the 62nd Monte-Carlo Television Festival in Monaco on Friday night.

The reigning monarch is the honorary president of the four-day festival, which celebrates the very best of television from around the world, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo.

Paying tribute to his late father on stage, the royal, 65, said: 'This year is particularly special for me, for my family and for the people of Monaco, as 2023 marks the centenary celebration of the birth of my father, Prince Rainer III.

'My father was among the first to recognise the incredible capacity and power of television to entertain, inform and educate people throughout the world.'

He added: 'By creating the Monte-Carlo Television Festival in 1961, he pledged to honour the outstanding men and women who build cultural bridges between countries throughout the world.'

Prince Albert of Monaco, 65, (pictured) paid tribute to his late father, Prince Ranier III, during a speech at the 62nd annual Monte Carlo Television Festival last night

Missing from the festivities was the prince's wife  Princess Charlene of Monaco who has attended the TV festival in previous years including last year  when she wore a striking toga-style emerald green Lavin Green gown.

The Zimbabwean, 45, married Albert II, whose mother was Hollywood actress Grace Kelly, in 2011 and the pair welcomed twins Jacques and Gabriella in 2014.

The Princess usually accompanies her husband to major state and international events, such as the Monaco Grand Prix and attended King Charles's coronation in London in May.

Delivering a speech to the attendees, Prince Albert II of Monaco praised his late father, Prince Ranier III for founding the festival in 1961

Prince Albert posed on the red carpet with other attendees at the awards, while Princess Charlene was nowhere to be seen

The Monegasque monarch beamed as he presented an award winner with a plaque at the ceremony

Earlier this year, French magazine ROYAUTE reported the royal couple's 12-year marriage was coming to an end.

The report prompted a spokesman for the Monaco Palace to issue a statement saying the couple 'formally deny the malicious rumours peddled by the magazine'.

While the festival lacked Charlene's presence it made up for her absence with cachet of both Hollywood and French glamour.

As the opening ceremony saw the juries for this year's prestigious Golden Nymph Awards be introduced on stage, including Hollywood star John Goodman, who is this year's president of the fiction jury.

The former Roseanne star, 70, told Mail Online, he was feeling 'petrified' to get on stage.

He was also joined by Emmy and Peabody award winning documentarian Tom Jennings as president of the news and documentaries jury.

The International Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent was presented to French actor Julia de Nunez, who recently played Brigitte Bardot in 'Bardot'.

Guests in attendance at the ceremony then watched the world premiere of the first episode of the eight-part drama series, Harlan Coben's Shelter. Based on the bestselling series by Harlan Coben.

Laurent Puons, CEO of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival says: 'Our festival continues to raise the bar each year. It is a real honour to have such a wealth of global talent, both in and out of competition, joining us to celebrate the incredible diversity of television across all genres. We look forward to delivering an exciting and very special event this coming week in Monaco.'
Growing numbers of NHS and social care workers have revealed they are abandoning their healthcare roles in favour of selling home-made porn and saucy pictures.

Swapping exhausting and poorly paid jobs for OnlyFans, some are making in excess of 1,000 a day thanks to their mountain of subscribers who pay in the region of 10-a-month.

Charities said they are receiving 'regular calls from NHS workers  especially nurses'  about the website. Most are mothers, they claimed.

But the English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP), a campaign group supporting women in adult work, also warned it was concerned by the increasing levels of 'stalking and harassment' these women face.

OnlyFans is a social media platform, used primarily by adult content creators.

Last month, former ambulance workers Kayley Winterson, 26, (left) and Emily Rose, 28, (right) from Norfolk, revealed they both turned to OnlyFans after the exhausting demands of the frontline role, which saw them endure 15-hour shifts, 'destroyed' their mental health. The couple took their joint account full time earlier this year in February after seeing 'other people change their lives on the platform' and are now 'a million times happier'

James Cowe, 25, left his full time healthcare assistant role at a dementia care home, after making his entire monthly salary in just the first 24 hours on OnlyFans. Earning under 1,100 per month, he quit in 2021 after the government offered staff a one per cent pay rise

Hollie Munroe, 26, from Hertfordshire, quit her job caring for the elderly to jet off to Marbella in Spain, where she lives off her cash earned on OnlyFans

Swathes sell personalised pictures and videos  often while naked  to followers who pay a monthly subscription. Famous users include former glamour model Katie Price, who currently charges subscribers around 7 per month.

Other celebrities, musicians and comedians also use the site for non-sexual content.

A spokesperson for the ECP told MailOnline: 'We get regular calls from NHS workers, especially nurses, who are starting sex work including by joining OnlyFans.

'Women describe how their NHS wages have been cut severely over the last 10 years and they can no longer cover essentials like rent, food and heating.

'Most are mothers supporting families.'

They added: 'Women speak about the money they can earn on OnlyFans as life-saving but it isn't all a rosy picture.

'Women we speak to working in the NHS have to be particularly careful not to show their face and be identified, and that means they have to work harder for less income.

'Plus, we have seen an increase in complaints from women about stalking and harassment.'

NHS will be short of 570,000 nurses, doctors and dentists within 15 years unless ministers urgently fix staffing crisis plaguing health service, leaked document warns In March a leaked version of the NHS's long-awaited workforce plan warned England will be short of 570,000 NHS workers by 2036 without a massive boost in recruitment. Staff shortages have been blamed for the ailing service's struggles in dealing with the Covid backlog and deteriorating A&E performance. The NHS currently employs around 1.6million people. However, the Treasury and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) were in disagreement over proposed hiring plans. Jeremy Hunt's department reportedly considered it too ambitious and wanted to get it watered down. The leaked 107-page document warned that without radical action, England's NHS will have 8,000 less GPs, 44,000 fewer community nurses, and an even greater lack of paramedics in the next 15 years, according to the Guardian. It added that unless action is taken, the health service will be unable to meet the needs of England's growing and ageing population. Rural areas, which already struggle to attract health staff, will also suffer disproportionally, the plan warned. The document also stated the NHS is currently running with 154,000 fewer full-time staff than it needs, 30,000 more than the official figure. It also called for the UK to end its over-reliance of recruiting overseas staff and using agency workers, which costs the taxpayer billions. To combat these problems the document recommends a massive boost in funded training places for England to grow its own health workforce. Advertisement

No figures exist on how many have left for OnlyFans.

It comes amid a widespread staffing crisis engulfing the health service.

As well as OnlyFans, carers and NHS staff have been leaving roles paying just 10 an hour for higher salaries at supermarkets, restaurants and online retailers.

Other medics and nurses have gone abroad, swapping the UK for locations including Australia for better pay, working conditions and work-life balance.

Hospitals are already short of more than 70,000 staff across England, according to the latest workforce data, with another 40,000 across the wider NHS.

The problem in social care is even worse, with an estimated 165,000 vacancies.

Since December, ambulance workers, nurses, junior doctors, physiotherapists have taken to the picket lines in disputes over pay and working conditions.

Some have said they have been unable to pay their rent, with others forced to rely on food banks.

While three days of junior doctor strikes came to a close on Friday, hundreds of thousands of RCN members began voting last month on whether to continue holding strike action, after the existing six-month mandate ran out at the start of May.

NHS unions under 'Agenda for Change' contracts collectively opted to accept the Government's offer of a five per cent pay rise plus a one-off payment worth up to 1,600 in England earlier this month.

But nurses in the RCN rejected the deal by a slender majority, leading the general secretary to admit she had 'underestimated' members.

James Cowe left his full time healthcare assistant role at a dementia care home, after making his entire monthly salary in just the first 24 hours on OnlyFans.

Earning under 1,100 per month, he quit in 2021 after the government offered staff a one per cent pay rise. He called it a 'kick in the teeth' and warned other social care and NHS staff members were quitting to move into different careers where they felt more appreciated.

The 25-year-old, from Bournemouth, told MailOnline he had 'reached breaking point at the peak of Covid'.

He now spends between 12 to 16 hours a day creating custom content for his 900+ followers, charging subscribers as little as 9 ($11.99) per month.

'I left my job with the knowledge that if my employers found out I would have been sacked,' he said.

NHS data shows efforts to get more nurses into the health service are only barely keeping pace with the number of experienced nurses quitting

While the headcount of full-time-equivalent adult nurses, who account for most nurses in the NHS in England, has gone up the number of total nursing vacancies has remained stubbornly high, official figures show. This has left the NHS essential treading water in terms of addressing staffing shortages

A leaked version of a long-awaited NHS workforce plans says there needs to be a dramatic increase in the number of health professionals trained in England, a 55 per cent boost in total, with particularly high increases in doctors, nurses and GPs

Last month, former ambulance workers Kayley Winterson, 26, and Emily Rose, 28, from Norfolk, revealed they both turned to OnlyFans after the exhausting demands of the frontline role, which saw them endure 15-hour shifts, 'destroyed' their mental health.

The couple, who currently charge subscribers around 10 ($12.50) per month, took their joint account full time earlier this year in February after seeing 'other people change their lives on the platform' and are now 'a million times happier'.

They told MailOnline: 'There are 100 per cent faceless content creators out there on the platform to subside their wages from the NHS.

'Working standards in the NHS are poor and turnover is high. I expect to see a lot of people leave over the next few years and find avenues of earning money that are not so detrimental to their wellbeing.'

Meanwhile, 32-year-old Michaela Ogilvie, from Ramsgate, left her role as an NHS mental health social worker earlier this year after becoming 'depressed' by her role.

Since making the switch, the content creator has amassed nearly 20,000 followers on Instagram and 30,000 on TikTok.

But her income comes from OnlyFans, where she claims she is also in the top two percent of creators on the site and earns up to 1,000 a week.

She said: 'I enjoy it so much more than social work - it's so freeing. For me it's about taking back control.'

NHS's reliance on foreign nurses is 'not sustainable', experts warn as data shows international recruits now make up TWO-THIRDS of all new hires Last month officials also warned the NHS's over-reliance on nurses and midwives from overseas is 'not sustainable'. Figures suggest that the number of UK-trained nurses registered to work in Britain has risen by 22,000 since 2019. Yet, this is half the increase seen in staff trained abroad over the same time-frame, which sits closer to 44,000. It means that international recruits make up two-thirds of the growth. Health bodies said the figure signals that the NHS is leaning on foreign recruits too heavily to plug vital staffing issues. They issued fresh calls for the Government to tackle the spiralling workforce crisis, which insiders say is fuelling poor performances across the health service. Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, said: 'Chronic staff shortages have meant that the health service has become increasingly over-reliant on nurses and health workers from across the world to deliver care to patients. 'The contribution these staff make is invaluable but an over-reliance on international recruitment is not sustainable.' Meanwhile, Dr Billy Palmer, senior fellow at the Nuffield Trust, said: 'Turning off the taps to international recruitment is just not feasible nor desirable for the NHS. 'Our health services rely on overseas nurses, who on average stay longer with the NHS than their counterparts trained in the UK. 'But we know international recruitment can't be the answer to ensuring we have the staff we need to keep services going.' Advertisement

Forum users are also sharing their experiences of their 'cushy side job' on OnlyFans in online chatrooms, dubbing it 'a graft' and 'a lot of hustle, blood sweat and tears'.

Increasing numbers of Reddit threads are also filled with questions from healthcare professionals looking for advice on how to set up accounts and 'make more money'.

One user on the forum said 'I live a double life as a medical professional', detailed how they balanced their role with creating content on the adult website.

In another, 'OnlyFans as a junior doctor', one said 'I've been desperate to try and hustle few quid here and there from OnlyFans for years'.

Another questioned, 'if I don't disclose that I am a doctor, would the GMC (General Medical Council) have an issue with either? Could it impact my career in any way?'

Users equally questioned how medical regulators would react if they were identified via their OnlyFans profile.

Under guidance for doctors published by the General Medical Council, 'if a concern means a doctor could pose a risk to patients or to it should be raised with us', the regulator warns.

'If you identify yourself as a doctor in publicly accessible social media, you should also identify yourself by name,' it adds.

'Any material written by authors who represent themselves as doctors is likely to be taken on trust and may reasonably be taken to represent the views of the profession more widely.'

Anonymous content 'can in many cases be traced back to its point of origin', the regulator also cautions.

Equally, 'using social media also creates risks, particularly where social and professional boundaries become unclear'.

And in March, Australian nurses and midwives were warned against posting on OnlyFans by the industry's professional complaints body.

Medical workers risked being 'a distraction for patients', the Nursing and Midwifery Council of New South Wales said in an email to the state's nurses and midwives.

Headlined 'OnlyFans  Are you breaching the professional standards by subscribing to online content services?', workers were also urged to discuss scenarios with their colleagues in which they might be recognised by a patient due to their presence on the platform.

'If a practitioner is the content creator, then being recognised or publishing photographs in uniform, they could be reported for their conduct  deemed by the complainant as unprofessional, or as one said, a distraction for patients,' the email read.

'The social media guidance is clear on the obligation of nurses and midwives to maintain professional boundaries, and where relevant the Nursing and Midwifery Board may consider social media use in your private life - even when there is no identifiable link to you as a registered health practitioner - if it raises concerns about your fitness to hold registration.'

In the US, Allie Rae, 38, was also forced to ditch her 15-year-long nursing career in 2021 after her employer discovered her OnlyFans account and gave her an ultimatum.

The senior neonatal nurse from Boston, who worked in intensive care throughout the first two years of the pandemic, was told she would be fired if she did not delete her raunchy account.

But the mum-of-three instead turned to sex work full-time and now creates content exclusively with her husband, earning up to 270,000 per month.

Meet the Brits who've traded in NHS and social care jobs to earn thousands online on OnlyFans

James Cowe

The 25-year-old spent six years working as an assistant in dementia care before quitting in March 2021 to embark on his OnlyFans venture.

He told MailOnline: 'I initially started working in healthcare part time whilst I was studying at college.

'I was attracted to the role because I have a great relationship with my grandparents and loved the idea of being able to look after and care for elderly people.

'We have a family-run care home in which I worked at for six months before moving onto various other homes. Then when I finished college I became a full-time healthcare assistant.

'All of my roles provided care for vulnerable adults and some with challenging behaviour.'

James Cowe now spends between 12 to 16 hours a day creating custom content for his 900+ followers, charging subscribers as little as $12 per month. 'I left my job with the knowledge that if my employers found out I would've been sacked,' he told MailOnline

The 25-year-old, from Bournemouth,said: 'Both my mum and dad were worried about all the risks involved in essentially being an OnlyFans creator. But when they saw the success they came around and now my mum films a lot of my content for me and helps me come up with new ideas for Instagram reels'

But after a 'tough day at work', one evening that March he 'opened a bottle of wine, signed up but made the link private', he said.

It meant followers had to request his OnlyFans link directly from him.

'This gave me a chance to see if there was any interest before fully taking the risk of my family or colleagues finding out,' he added.

'Within the first 24 hours I had made over a month's salary.'

Just three days later he made his OnlyFans link public, handed his notice in with immediate effect and in his first month creating content online, 'made well over my annual salary'.

He told MailOnline: 'I reached breaking point at the peak of Covid. With the new guidelines forcing us to wear masks, aprons and gloves for the full 12 hour shifts, it made our jobs extremely uncomfortable in the heat.

'The demands of the role had changed and became increasingly wearing. At this point I was working full time and earning under 1,100 a month.

'With the pressure of never having any money and being in a substantial amounts of debt I felt the one per cent pay rise offered by the government was an insult.'

He added: 'I was looking around on social media to see what other creators were doing to make money and the concept of OnlyFans made me feel uncomfortable.

'But after a few months of more gruelling poorly paid shifts it was a concept that I was finding increasingly harder to ignore and more attractive.'

Now boasting over 900 subscribers, this count has fluctuated over the last two and a half years and 'all depends on the amount of hours I put in', he noted.

In February he revealed he had earned 160,000 since turning to OnlyFans full-time.

On some days he can spend up to 12 to 16 hours 'creating content' and 'engaging' with his followers.

'I feel my healthcare shifts prepared me for such long hours,' he told MailOnline.

'OnlyFans is a full time job, you get out what you put in. But it provides autonomy and freedom in how you work - which is something I didn't have or had experienced in any of my previous jobs.'

He said: 'I told my parents a week before I made the jump to OnlyFans and they were really upset about it in the beginning, to be honest.

'Both my mum and dad were worried about all the risks involved in essentially being an OnlyFans creator.

'But when they saw the success they came around and now my mum films a lot of my content for me and helps me come up with new ideas for Instagram reels.'

He added: 'My advice to any healthcare worker with an an OnlyFans account would be don't get caught.

'I left my job with the knowledge that if my employers found out I would've been sacked.'

Kayley Winterson and Emily Rose

A couple who worked as emergency medical technicians (EMTs) for the ambulance service ditched their roles to take OnlyFans full-time in February.

Kayley Winterson, 26, and Emily Rose, 28, from Norfolk, claim they are now a 'million times happier' and rake in four times more than what they earned in the NHS, which was around 11-an-hour.

Speaking about their health service roles, they told MailOnline: 'We both really enjoyed the challenges the pre-hospital environment would send our way.

'No day was ever the same and we were able to make a meaningful difference to peoples lives especially during the lockdown.'

Ms Winterson set up an account initially in March 2022, and after leaving the 999 service, worked at a Covid testing centre.

Kayley Winterson and Emily Rose currently charge subscribers around 10 ($12.50) per month and took their joint account full time earlier this year in February after seeing 'other people change their lives on the platform'

They told MailOnline: 'There are 100 per cent faceless content creators out there on the platform to subside their wages from the NHS.' Working standards in the NHS are poor and turnover is high. I expect to see a lot of people leave over the next few years and find avenues of earning money that are not so detrimental to their wellbeing'

It wasn't until January 2023, that Ms Rose followed suit after a particularly traumatic call on the job and months of 'anxiety breakdowns' and in February, they launched a joint account.

'We saw other people change their lives on the platform,' they said.

'Everyone's goal is to be secure and working for the ambulance service our wages were poor and the work to life balance was zero to none.

'As a couple, by February 2023 we realised if we were going to do it now was the time.

'We missed the opportunity so many people took on this platform during lockdown because we were still working for the ambulance service.'

They currently boast an average of 1,000 subscribers, 'but this goes up and down as all OnlyFans creators will say,' they added.

'We don't really focus on the numbers, we focus on making great content and having that connection with our subscribers.

'Our work life balance is outstanding, we recently bought a campervan and spend a lot of our time resting on different beaches around the UK.

'OnlyFans is great because you can schedule content ahead so you can really focus on your wellbeing and rest days.

'We dedicate two days a week to content creation and editing and that would then be scheduled so we can enjoy our weekends - every weekend.'

There have however been learning curves since taking the role full time, they warned.

'We had to learn how to separate OnlyFans from our personal relationship and remember to spend time as just us again.

'We give people all access to our relationship but recognise we need some things that are just for us.'

They told MailOnline: 'Anyone that's spoken to our face has been rather positive. We can't and don't imagine what people are saying behind our backs because we don't care.

'This is our life and we are doing what makes us happy. If people chose not to support us because of our job I think it's a reflection of their emotional intelligence and not ours.'

But they warned not to expect to early 'instant big money' when creating an OnlyFans account.

'It has no internal traffic so if you're not bringing your audience across you will not achieve anything. Start by building your social media platforms and really do your research before taking the jump.'

They added: 'There are 100 per cent faceless content creators out there on the platform to subside their wages from the NHS.'

'Working standards in the NHS are poor and turnover is high. I expect to see a lot of people leave over the next few years and find avenues of earning money that are not so detrimental to their wellbeing.'

Michaela Ogilvie

Michaela Ogilvie was an NHS social worker but now earns up to 1,000 a week on OnlyFans.

The 32-year-old from Ramsgate, who also has a masters degree in adult social work, claimed her role became 'depressing', and following a series of events in February 2023, she started looking for a new income.

She told KentOnline in April: 'I wasn't happy - I was really depressed going to work.

'You have a lot of responsibility as a social worker so it's not a job you can do half-heartedly.

A series of events involving a 'rude' manager and an accident involving an ambulance triggered the decision, she said.

Meanwhile, 32-year-old Michaela Ogilvie, from Ramsgate, left her role as an NHS mental health social worker earlier this year after becoming 'depressed' by her role. Since making the switch, the content creator has amassed nearly 20,000 followers on Instagram and 30,000 on TikTok. But her income comes from OnlyFans, where she claims she is also in the top two percent of creators on the site and earns up to 1,000 a week

'On the way home an ambulance hit the side of my car as it came out of a junction - completely writing it off.

'That meant I couldn't get to my job any more anyway.

'Also, one of my clients passed away. She died in a care home but wanted to be at home, and I realised you can't do what you want to do to help people in the job.'

The content creator had already built a large TikTok following of almost 20,000, with a further 25,900 on Instagram.

But her income comes from OnlyFans, where she claims she is also in the top two percent of creators on the site.

She said: 'I enjoy it so much more than social work - it's so freeing. For me it's about taking back control.'

'Sometimes you get in your head and feel a bit cheap. Sometimes I worry what people think of me.

'Men ask me to do things with them in person, and people think I'm a s*** - but I'm actually celibate.'

@kkutiepie

Other NHS workers who set up accounts while still working in the health service, have remained anonymous.

A middle-aged single mother from East Yorkshire, known only as @kkutiepie, sends pictures and videos to men on the service alongside her day job as a health worker.

The woman, who prefers to stay anonymous, also offers sex advice to couples whose sex lives have turned stale.

She told HullLive last year: 'People might think it's crazy, but this is about empowering myself as a woman and finally doing something for me, that I want to do.

'This is a real liberation for me, it's about taking control of my life and my independence and not being reliant on anyone else financially or emotionally.

'With this secret job I can keep a roof over our heads and not be forced to ask anyone else for help or money.'

A meagre NHS pay rise left her with no other option but to turn to OnlyFans she said, as her salary was nowhere near enough to pay for her house and bills and didn't want to have to ask anyone for money.

Starting the account was 'liberating', she added, allowing her to be more adventurous after coming out of a long-term relationship.

She said she wants to help women using the site to give them sex advice and act as a 'therapist'.

Hollie Munroe

For some carers, switching to OnlyFans hasn't just allowed for a better life in Britain.

Hollie Munroe, now 26, from Hertfordshire, quit her job caring for the elderly to jet off to Marbella in Spain, where she lives off her cash earned on the site.

After five years of being a carer  in which she would work up to 60 hours in a week  she decided to give it up for the adult website.

She told the Daily Star last year: 'I was going to loads and loads of houses for really s*** money.

'Of course, there are bits to it that I miss. I enjoyed my job, I liked all of it because it was rewarding.

Hollie Munroe said she has no plans to move back to the UK because she is enjoying the Spanish lifestyle too much. Charging subscribers around 7.80 ($9.99) per month, she is ranked in the top eight per cent of all OnlyFans accounts

'But it was the money for me - I only got paid 8 an hour.'

Charging subscribers around 7.80 ($9.99) per month, she is ranked in the top eight per cent of all OnlyFans accounts.

Her monthly income varies depending on how much she chooses to post on the site.

But she said she had no plans to move back to the UK because she is enjoying Marbella too much.

'I get paid for doing basically nothing. I just sit on my phone for a few hours and that's about it really,' she said.

'Every day I get up, go to the beach, go shopping and come home. I just got sick of England and thought I could rent in Spain while doing a lot less. I don't miss England at all.'
Parents of a cancer-stricken toddler have today revealed how they assumed her symptoms were down to a virus instead.

Ava Bolton, from East Ayrshire, Scotland, had bruising around her eyes and started walking with a limp around Christmas time.

Soon after, the three-year-old became sick, pale and lethargic.

Her parents, Scott and Natalie, both 34, thought it was a virus but after the little one refused to walk they took her to a GP.

Ava was referred to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow in mid-January.

Ava Bolton, from Scotland, was diagnosed with with high-risk, stage four, neuroblastoma

Doctors initially thought it was Transient Erythroblastopenia of childhood (TEC) - a slow developing anemia meaning she had low iron in her blood

Ava, who is pictured with her brother Lucas, had bruising around her eyes and started walking with a limp around Christmas time, before becoming sick, pale and lethargic

Blood tests and a bone marrow sample revealed she had stage four neuroblastoma which had spread throughout her body.

A CT scan showed it had reached her back, shoulders, pelvis, hip and shin.

WHAT IS NEUROBLASTOMA? Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer that affects children and usually starts in the abdomen. Around 100 children, who are typically under five, are diagnosed every year in the UK. The disease affects approximately 800 new children annually in the US. In around half of cases, neuroblastoma spreads to other parts of the body, particularly the liver and skin. Neuroblastoma's cause is unclear. There may be a family-history link. The main symptom is usually a lump in the abdomen, which may cause swelling, discomfort or pain. If the disease affects the spinal cord, it can lead to numbness, weakness and loss of movement in the lower part of the body. Treatment depends on how advanced the cancer is and the risk it will return after therapy. Surgery, and chemo and radiotherapy, are commonly used. Source: Cancer Research UK Advertisement

Natalie, a primary care nurse, said their family's 'whole world collapsed' and they are 'utterly devastated'.

Ava is said to have been very healthy and only ever caught the odd cold before the diagnosis.

Doctors also initially told the parents they suspected it to be transient erythroblastopenia of childhood (TEC)  a type of anaemia.

Neuroblastoma mainly affects babies and young children. It develops from specialised nerve cells  neuroblasts  left behind from a baby's development in the womb.

By stage four, the cancer has spread to parts of the body that are some distance from where it started  most commonly to the bones, bone marrow or liver.

Some 100 children in the UK and 800 youngsters in the US are diagnosed with the rare cancer every year, which is most common in under-fives.

Around half of those diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma will live for five years after their diagnosis.

Discussing her daughter's diagnosis, Natalie said: 'She takes it all in her stride.

'She has made us very proud of how she is coping with everything.

'She's always had a smile on her face and is a little chatterbox  keeping all of the staff amused with her antics.

'But she does miss being at home spending time with her brother, Lucas, five, and her nursery friends.'

Ava will spend six weeks in an isolation room for six weeks in hospital and once she has recovered from chemo, she will have targeted radiotherapy before having six months of immunotherapy.

Her mother Natalie, 34, knew something was right with her little girl when she refused to walk

Natalie and Scott, 34, said their 'whole world collapsed' and they are is 'utterly devastated'

Ava will spend six weeks in an isolation room for six weeks in hospital and once she has recovered from chemotherapy, she will have targeted radiotherapy before having six months of immunotherapy

Ava's family are now raising money to send her to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York for a new vaccination treatment which aims to stop neuroblastoma from returning

Scans show the toddler's disease is 'moving in the right direction'.

Her family are now raising money to send her to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York for a new vaccination treatment which aims to stop the disease from returning.

The vaccine is designed to trigger the patients body to make antibodies to attack the cancer cells.

It is not currently available in the UK, but the family have raised 107,000 to date  nearly half of their 250,000 target.

Natalie said: 'We are hopeful that we will reach our target  we are almost halfway after only two months and have had an amazing response from our local community.

'We have spoken with various families who have been through or are currently going through the treatment from MSK in New York with great results so far which gives us hope and confidence in the treatment.

'Without this treatment, Ava is more likely to relapse reducing her chances of survival  this is something we are not willing to take a chance on.'
While most of us have been out enjoying the sunshine this past fortnight, 27-year-old Christopher Hawksley has been mostly sitting in one room, watching TV.

In fact Christopher, who has multiple severe disabilities and uses a wheelchair, must wait for his parents weekly visit just for a short trip around the block.

The care staff where he lives have limited resources so cant take him to the shops or the music lessons he loves.

At this point, readers might be struck by a sense of deja vu.

The Mail on Sunday first told the story of Christopher  the son of former BBC foreign correspondent Humphrey Hawksley  back in February.

The talented pianist was born with a number of conditions, including cerebral palsy, and requires round-the-clock medical assistance to help him walk, eat, communicate and use the toilet. He is on the autistic spectrum and often bites and scratches himself when frustrated.

FRUSTRATED: Christopher Hawksley, 27, pictured with his parents Jonie and Humphrey, a former BBC foreign correspondent, has struggled to access services

Back then we revealed that, thanks to a series of catastrophic failures by the care system, Christopher was technically homeless. After he graduated from his specialist residential college in 2019, the local authority struggled to find a suitable home, so he was placed in an emergency respite centre an hour and a half away from his familys West London home.

These facilities are meant to provide basic care for disabled people for just a few weeks.

It now means that Christopher cant enjoy activities such as swimming and walks in the park because there is no one available to take him.

In the days following The Mail on Sundays first report, the family received a flurry of apologies from local MPs and health chiefs, who promised to find Christopher a home. But nearly six months on, little has changed.

My son is rotting away, his father Humphrey told The Mail on Sunday. The care team do what they can  and are brilliant, given the circumstances.

But there are no activities for him, or anything to do. He is constantly asking when he can go home, and his outbursts continue.

Shortly after Christophers birth he suffered a build-up of fluid on his brain and had to be kept alive by a machine. Doctors gave Humphrey and his wife Jonie, both then 41, a stark choice: give the go-ahead for a series of risky operations that might save Christopher but leave him severely disabled, or have the machine turned off.

In February, Humphrey, 68, admitted, hauntingly, that at times he has questioned whether they made the right decision.

It is something Im still thinking about all the time, he says. My wife and I are in our late 60s now  we cant lift a grown man several times a day. Im worried now that theres nowhere suitable to look after my son.

The past three years have brought a series of disappointments for the Hawksley family. One potential home promised by Hammersmith and Fulham Council  an apartment in a supported living facility for people with disabilities  fell through. Then another private care provider withdrew its offer. Both services said they didnt have enough staff to provide Christopher with the round-the-clock care he needs.

Christopher, who has multiple severe disabilities and uses a wheelchair, must wait for his parents weekly visit just for a short trip around the block (pictured with his father Humphrey)

Humphrey Hawksley, 68, a former BBC foreign correspondent, says he and his wife are worried about the options for their son's care

After publication of our last article, Humphrey and The Mail on Sunday received supportive emails from the familys local MP, Shadow Solicitor General Andy Slaughter. He promised to write to local providers to demand they help and ensure the NHS is able to offer a placement for Christopher.

Both Hammersmith and Fulham Council and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman  an independent body that investigates complaints about Government departments and healthcare providers  said they would conduct investigations into the failures in Christophers care.

Within two months, a new home was on the table. The council offered a flat, a 20-minute walk from the familys home, which was part of a new social housing development with some homes designed for wheelchair users. But a plan for Christophers care is yet to materialise.

At a meeting, someone from the council suggested six carers coming in and out of Christophers flat in one day, working shifts, says Humphrey. But given my previous experience, that would be impossible to finance for one person. We are also concerned hell be isolated there, with no community or activities.

Things to do are essential for Christopher  without them he can become agitated and aggressive towards himself and others. When he was at college his days were filled with piano lessons, swimming and physiotherapy, among other activities, says Humphrey. Back then, hed only show signs of agitation during the school holidays, because he had nothing to do. In term-time he expressed far less frustration. He knew what he was doing, and where he was going.

This month the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman said it would not be investigating Christophers care after all. It is not clear why.

After Christopher graduated from his specialist residential college in 2019, the local authority struggled to find a suitable home, so he was placed in an emergency respite centre an hour and a half away from his familys West London home

The situation is a nightmare, says Humphrey, but it is far from unique. The Mail on Sunday has heard from other families in similarly dire positions, with disabled young adults stuck for long periods in hotels, psychiatric wards and old peoples homes.

Families are so burnt out after doing the caring themselves they accept the first placement the council offers, which often ends up being inappropriate, says Danny Dooney, a case worker from the charity Access Social Care which provides free legal advice.

So why is this happening? Experts say its partly due to a shift, over the past three decades, toward supported living: flats and houses where people with disabilities can live independently, with the help of on-site carers. Campus-style care homes were shut down.

While this has been positive for many, campaigners argue it has made life harder for a minority of those with severe disabilities who need more support.

The few remaining residential facilities for disabled people are run by private providers or charities. But they may refuse to take challenging NHS patients.

Kari Gerstheimer, chief executive of Access Social Care, says it is not uncommon for severely disabled people to be turned away from residential facilities at the last minute and told their needs are too complex.

And there is another major challenge  the national care staff shortage. Between spring 2021 and 2022, the shortage of carers rose to roughly 165,000, according to a report by The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services. Low pay seems to be an issue.

In the week after Christophers story was first published, The Mail on Sunday ran a report detailing the failures of all four Ministers for Disabled People and calling on politicians to take action.

Christopher (right) getting treatment in 2000 with help from his dad Humphrey (left) and mum Jonie (rear)

The MoS demanded that Ministers from all relevant Government departments take part in a parliamentary debate about the standard of care, housing, education and financial aid for disabled Britons.

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Disability backed our call and wrote to the Minister for Disabled People, Tom Pursglove, to request the debate. His press team got in touch to arrange a meeting with The Mail on Sunday about our campaign  but so far he hasnt been able to find time.

Labours Jonathan Ashworth MP  the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions  also showed initial support. He is very passionate about supporting disabled people, according to a letter written by his political adviser.

A meeting with him was promised, but no date has been offered. We called again last week and were told to contact the Shadow Department of Health and Social Care.

Next month, the Hawskleys are due to visit another potential home for Christopher  in a supported living service, an hour from home. A care package hasnt been discussed, says Humphrey. And weve been in this position twice before and its fallen through, so who knows if it will come off.

Mr Slaughter, Labour MP for Hammersmith and Fulham, said that he has been working consistently to get Christopher settled in a suitable home, adding I wish more progress had been made. I am resolved to redouble efforts  both on his behalf and to improve the living conditions and quality of life for people with complex needs.

'My wife can't move or eat but NHS won't fund care'

By Eve Simmons

Maureen Kirby cannot move unaided. The 82-year-old former fashion journalist has lost the ability to speak, feed herself or use the toilet, and no longer recognises her husband of 50 years. Yet the NHS refuses to pay for the vital round-the-clock care she needs.

It is a situation that affects thousands across the UK  a scandal that The Mail on Sunday first highlighted in May last year. A 3 billion-a-year pot of cash, known as NHS continuing healthcare (CHC) funding, is specifically allocated to pay for those who dont just need care but also have specific medical needs.

But we revealed that many elderly, disabled people were having to fork out thousands in legal fees in order to fight for CHC funding.

We told of several desperate families who have been denied the cash  including a frail man with bone cancer and dementia, and a bed-bound stroke victim.

Campaigners hoped that the situation would improve once new legislation came into force in December 2022 that transferred CHC funding disputes to the Care Quality Commission  the independent regulator that can crack down on failing hospitals and trusts.

A LIFE TOGETHER: Jim and Maureen Kirby on their wedding day

The body was expected to be harsher on local health boards. But according to a report last month, four in five CHC applications are still rejected.

Maureens husband Jim, 84, has been battling with his local authority since she collapsed while out walking the dog in June 2021.

An ambulance took Maureen to the hospital, where she was admitted to intensive care and diagnosed with an unexplained brain stem injury.

Jim, a former advertising executive, says: I was told she wouldnt live longer than a year.

Doctors decided that Maureen should move to a care home, but the NHS would pay for only the first six weeks. And they wouldnt let me choose which one, says Jim. The one they picked was 20 miles from home. Several were much closer, but I was told if I didnt accept the recommendation, they wouldnt pay a penny.

Jim decided to use the couples savings to pay for Maureen to live in a care facility closer to home. He also wrote to the council, local hospital and GP, asking for CHC funding.

Maureen subsequently underwent two CHC assessments, in which a nurse and a social worker judged her needs. On both occasions she was denied the funding. Since September 2021, Jim has spent 140,000 on care fees  almost the entirety of the couples savings. Ill be cleared out by September, he says.

The local authority will only fund care if the patient has assets worth less than 23,250. Those assets can include their savings, stocks and shares and the value of the property they own.

Jim says: The NHS is denying care to those who desperately need it. Were lucky because we had some cash. What about the thousands who dont?
A group of doctors have criticised an influential study that cast doubts on the effectiveness of antidepressants, claiming it contains errors that amount to misinformation - one of them has even called for the study to be retracted.

Last year, researchers at University College London said they had disproved a theory dating back to the 1960s that depression is caused by low levels of serotonin  a chemical in the brain believed to control mood.

Led by Prof Joanna Moncrieff, a respected consultant psychiatrist, the study had analysed decades worth of research involving tens of thousands of patients with depression and controversially concluded that there was no convincing evidence of a link between the illness and serotonin.

Most antidepressants, taken by more than seven million Britons, are designed to boost serotonin levels. But now nearly 40 experts have put their name to an open letter which accuses Prof Moncrieff and her colleagues of substantial bias against antidepressants.

Professor Joanna Moncrieff, pictured, a consultant psychiatrist at University College London, led a study last year which claimed to have disproved a link between low serotonin levels and depression

One of them, Prof David Nutt, head of the centre for neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London, told The Mail on Sunday: This paper is full of flaws and it should never have been published in the first place, he says.

Yet it has been frequently cited and people believe it is true. Its essentially misinformation. Thats why Im calling on the journal to retract it.

The letter, sent to the scientific journal Molecular Psychiatry, argues that Prof Moncrieff and her colleagues selectively chose to analyse only historical studies which backed the theory that there was no link between serotonin and depression.

The authors of this study made repeated mistakes in their research which suggests they dont understand how depression affects the brain, says Dr Sameer Jauhar, a clinical lecturer in affective disorders and psychosis at Kings College London.

These are drugs which can save lives. The evidence backs that up, too.

Prof Moncrieff said: The bottom line is that the authors didnt want us to do the review because they didnt want to let the cat out of the bag that there is no evidence of a biological basis to depression.

We used approved and well-accepted methods and it is incorrect to say we missed out studies. No one believes the serotonin theory of depression any more, but no one wants to let it go because it provides a convenient myth to support the prescribing of antidepressants.
Jeremy Smith, Columbia Threadneedle's head of UK equities, has warned British firms looking to the US that there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

According to Smith, only a handful of British companies have ever made a success of the move across the Atlantic, adding that most have made no impression whatsoever.

Instead, Smith believes there is plenty of life in the London stock market but he acknowledges that the rules need shaking up.

Old school: Jeremy Smith has called for the return of personal equity plans

Smith has called for the return of personal equity plans, or Peps, which allowed people to invest tax-free in the stock market, and in particular encouraged direct ownership of shares over holding funds.

As Chancellor, Gordon Brown got rid of them, thereby undoing Maggie Thatcher's efforts to turn the country into a shareholder democracy.

Sir Howard Davies' Ann Widdecombe connection

Little-known fact: NatWest chairman Sir Howard Davies lived in the same north London house as politician and Strictly star Ann Widdecombe four decades ago, when both were in their salad days.

Before the gossip-mongers go into overdrive, the pair resided in two separate flats.

Whispers hears that Widdy, now 75, was in those days much admired by Islington gents for her smart outfits and her shapely calves.

Horta-Osorio in Lakes restaurant

Who should be spotted at the Lake Road Kitchen in Ambleside  whose 12-course tasting menu for 165 a head has restaurant critics salivating with delight  none other than suave banker Antonio Horta-Osorio?

A fellow diner tells Whispers that the former Lloyds Bank and Credit Suisse supremo seemed to be less than delighted with the fare on offer at the foodie haven in the Lake District unlike the rest of the clientele who were tucking in with gusto.

Vaizey does it

Ed Vaizy is in the market for another banking role after leaving the New York advisory company LionTree.

'Lazy Vaizey', as the Tory peer is dubbed by some of his rivals, joined the firm in 2016 to hunt down tech deals across Europe.

LionTree, founded by Aryeh Bourkoff, has advised on mergers including Verizon's take- over of Yahoo.

Bourkoff is known for the company he keeps over lunches in New York, who include the glamorous former White House communications director Hope Hicks.

How many deals Vaizey got over the line during his stint is unknown.

Contributors: Ruth Sunderland and Anne Ashworth
The government's public health body is investigating sickness among British families who stayed at a five-star hotel in Turkey, as it's revealed that more than 100 holidaymakers are threatening legal action against tour operator TUI.

Fourteen families who recently returned from the Rixos Sungate Hotel in Antalya have tested positive for salmonella, E. coli and campylobacter, their lawyers said. Further guests have also confirmed cases of food poisoning to MailOnline.

Many who have suffered horrific symptoms including diarrhoea and vomiting have shared their stories with MailOnline in recent weeks, and now the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed it is looking into the cause of their illnesses.

Guests have reported food being left uncovered at buffet restaurants, fresh food being piled on top of old servings, dirty tables, plates and cutlery, and also shared images of what they say is undercooked food being served at a hotel restaurant.

It comes after TUI last week said that food poisoning was not confirmed at the hotel and that the illnesses were thought to be norovirus. Accor Group, which runs the all-inclusive resort, has made no attempt to respond to the allegations.

Dominic Brackley from Leighton Buzzard tested positive for salmonella after staying at the resort. He is pictured with his daughter, Blythe, who was on an IV drip at the hotel's clinic

Jenny Hopkins' little girl was rushed to hospital and was put on at least nine IV drips, her mother says. The family are now seeking compensation

The Rixos Sungate (pictured) is a five-star rated resort in Turkey where families spend as much as 5,000 on TUI package holidays

Guest Dominic Brackley, who is from Leighton Buzzard, tested positive for salmonella when he came back from a holiday at the luxury resort two weeks ago.

During the nightmare stay his two young daughters, aged six and nine, had to be put on IV drips as they were so unwell.

He said the first night his youngest daughter had the illness he 'thought she was dying she was so bad'.

Vdara, six, became unwell on May 30, a few days after the family arrived at the resort, and was soon taken into the hotel's clinic and put on an IV drip.

The dad said he 'then spent the next five nights watching her sleep, making sure I could see her tummy move.'

Dominic's nine-year-old, Blythe, was also unwell and had to be put on a drip in Turkey.

He went to his GP at home and tested positive for salmonella, with the whole family experiencing the same horrible symptoms.

He said his holiday cost him a total of 4,700 and that he has now added his name to the lawsuit.

Dominic also shared a picture from another guest of what he says was an undercooked burger at the kids' restaurant in the resort.

Multiple guests have said they suspect their sickness began after eating food at the hotel's restaurants, with a number blaming egg-based desserts.

Jenny Hopkins, whose young daughter was unwell during their stay at Rixos Sungate, said she is considering legal action after asking TUI to refund their holiday.

'We did ask TUI to cover the cost of the holiday, which would have been 5,400, which fell on deaf ears,' she said.

Dominic with his partner and daughter Vdara in the clinic at the Rixos Sungate Resort in Turkey

During their holiday, Jenny says her eight-year-old daughter was passing green diarrhoea and became so dehydrated she began 'fitting'.

She spent days on IV drips and the family were forced to fork out over 3,000 in medical bills.

The mother-of-two said her daughter was unable to go back to school for over two weeks as she was too drained, and that she herself still has an upset tummy after they fell ill around May 30.

But, she said, both of their tests came back negative for salmonella, which she 'couldn't believe'.

Another guest, Holly Laird, from Essex, said her husband Ant was suffering from 'sickness, diarrhoea, fever and dizziness' since eating at the hotel's buffet, and had to be hospitalised.

After his sickness worsened, she said, she took him to the Medical Park Hospital, where she says doctors confirmed to her that he has a 'serious infection - food poisoning'.

Dominic shared a picture of what he says was an undercooked burger at the kids' restaurant in the resort

Now Holly has said they are '100 per cent' considering legal action and that they 'need compensation for this absolute disgrace of a mess'.

Katie Harrington's husband James also fell ill while staying at the resort, and was unable to move or eat, suffering from kidney pain, a fever and diarrhoea.

He was put on two drips in the hotel's clinic and prescribed numerous antibiotics, and has since tested positive for salmonella.

Families staying at the hotel first began reporting sickness during the Easter holidays, when law firm Irwin Mitchell said they had been approached by 'dozens' of holidaymakers.

The law firm is now representing more than 100 tourists who stayed at the resort between March 30 and June 8, and is liasing with public health bodies as part of its investigation.

Vdara, 6, became unwell on May 30, a few days after the family arrived at the resort, and was soon taken into the hotel's clinic and put on an IV drip

Jatinder Paul, an international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: 'To hear of the number of families being struck down by illness, and their reports of the health and hygiene standards at this hotel, is concerning and definitely not something you expect from a five-star resort.

'We're currently instructed by more than 100 holidaymakers who have stayed at the Rixos Sungate over the last few months and have suffered from gastric illness. We're now investigating how they became so unwell.'

Dr Lesley Larkin, Head of Surveillance, Gastrointestinal Pathogens and Food Safety (One Health) Division at UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said last week:

'The UKHSA is investigating of reports of holidaymakers returning from Turkey with possible food poisoning symptoms. If you have recently returned from Turkey and are concerned about any health symptoms, please contact your GP or contact NHS 111.

'If you are experiencing diarrhoea and vomiting, make sure to wash your hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and water, especially after using the toilet and before eating or touching food.

'Please avoid returning to work or sending unwell children to school or nursery until at least 48 hours after symptoms have cleared and where possible try to not prepare food for others during this time either.'

Accor and Rixos have been contacted for comment.

A spokesperson for TUI said: 'We were very concerned to hear of small number cases at Rixos Sungate in Turkey, as the health and safety of our customers is our highest priority.

'As this is now a legal matter, we are unable to comment on the specific cases.'
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to back his embattled minister Katy Gallagher '1,000 per cent' as she swats away a storm of criticism over whether she misled Parliament about what she knew about Brittany Higgins' rape claims.

Senator Gallagher faced an onslaught of questions every day this week from the Opposition, with the Coalition hoping she'd stumble over her involvement in Ms Higgins' decision to go public with her allegations.

Finance Minister Ms Gallagher maintains she did nothing wrong, and flatly denies misleading parliament when she famously said 'nobody knew anything' during senate estimates in 2021.

She also says she had no direct involvement in her department's compensation payout to Ms Higgins in December 2022.

In spite of her response, the Opposition have repeatedly insisted she still has questions to answer, and must be held to account.

Questions have been raised about Mr Albanese's willingness to stand by her so steadfastly in the face of such adversity. Not once has he, nor any other Labor politician, appeared to falter in their support.

Ms Gallagher's 'toughness' may play a part in that decision. Her colleagues describe her as a person of 'extraordinary integrity', a 'trailblazer' and a 'fierce advocate for women'.

Ms Higgins' now-fiance David Sharaz - who claimed to be 'friends' with Ms Gallagher - described her as 'politically savage' in leaked text messages.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to back his embattled minister Katy Gallagher '1,000 per cent' as she swats away a storm of criticism over whether she misled Parliament about what she knew about Brittany Higgins' rape claims

Ms Higgins' now-fiance David Sharaz - who claimed to be 'friends' with Ms Gallagher - described her as 'politically savage' in leaked text messages

Life marked by hardship

She herself admits there's little that rattles her, after an early adult life marked by tragedy and hardship.

Speaking to City News in 2012, ahead of her move into federal politics, she said: 'Some of my colleagues in the Assembly probably underestimate me a little bit, that I am probably not as tough as I am, but I am actually really, bloody tough.

'It doesn't mean I am not sensitive or I don't get hurt, but you have to do something pretty serious to rattle me.'

At the time, Ms Gallagher was the Chief Minister of the ACT, having climbed her way through the political ranks in a swift but methodical way.

Born and raised in Canberra to parents who emigrated from England, Ms Gallagher followed her mother's footsteps by becoming entrenched in her community.

But it wasn't until the tragic death of her fiance - when she was just 27 and 13 weeks pregnant - that she was thrust into politics, almost by accident.

She couldn't bear returning to her old job, nor the house she'd shared with her fiance, Brett Seaman.

Ms Gallagher is a political ally of the PM and the pair enjoy a close working relationship

Mr Seaman was killed on his bicycle when he was hit by an 87-year-old motorist, as the couple holidayed on the NSW south coast.

'I was completely destroyed,' she told the Australian Financial Review. 'It was so unexpected. So traumatic and so the opposite of what I expected my life to be. It absolutely smashed me. For a long time.'

His employer, the Community and Public Sector Union, offered her a job to help her get back on her feet, and eventually she was approached by Labor operatives seeking women to stand for the 2001 ACT legislative assembly.

Her late father, Charlie Gallagher, had been a member of the Labor party, and that inspired her to run. She never thought she was in with a shot. Of the 17 women put forward, eight were elected - including Ms Gallagher.

In 2006, she was appointed deputy chief minister under Jon Stanhope and upon his resignation in 2011, landed in the top job herself. By 2014 she, too, had resigned with aspirations of a tilt in federal politics.

Ms Gallagher lost both of her parents to cancer. Her father, Charlie, died when in 1995, she was 25, of lung cancer.

Ten years later, her mother died of peritoneal cancer.

It wasn't until the tragic death of her fiance - when she was just 27 and 13 weeks pregnant - that she was thrust into politics, almost by accident

Ms Gallagher was one of the politicians caught up in the parliamentary eligibility crisis between 2017 and 2018. The High Court of Australia determined she was not eligible for election in 2016 because she was still technically a British citizen.

Prior to the election, Ms Gallagher had completed her form to renounce citizenship, but the UK Home Office had not processed the application until August, deeming her ineligible.

She returned to parliament in 2019, and was appointed into the Albanese ministry following the 2022 election.

Gallagher's response to 'Mean Girls' claim

Colleagues say she is a woman of 'utmost integrity', but back in 2022, she was dogged by allegations she, along with Penny Wong and Kristina Keneally, were 'Mean Girls' who 'bullied' their colleague, Kimberly Kitching.

All three senators vehemently denied the allegations.

Ms Kitching tragically died aged 52 from a heart attack on March 10.

Ms Gallagher was particularly shocked by the allegations, claiming she'd never been described as a 'mean girl' in the past and that it was 'an unfortunate term which diminishes women'.

'I don't think I did anything that would deserve that name, but I don't think any person deserves that name on any side of the political chamber,' she said.

In parliament this week, Ms Gallagher appeared to crack once under the pressure of the line of questioning, holding back tears as she pleaded with senators to consider the implications of the line of questioning.

But she said she was 'prepared to withstand this line of questioning and the coverage from the media'.

'I've answered probably more questions than many of the people who knew much more than me,' she said.

'When I give a commitment to someone about confidentiality, I keep it.'

Ms Gallagher has maintained all week that she would not provide further answers as to her conversations with Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz out of respect for their privacy.

She did reveal key details, however, including:

Here, read how Senator Gallagher was questioned each day of this sitting week

Tuesday

Katy Gallagher's response to 'misleading Parliament' claim During Senate Estimates in June 2021, Ms Gallagher was quizzed by then-Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, who said: 'I was told by one of your senators two weeks before about what you were intending to do with the story in my office. Two weeks before.' In response, Ms Gallagher said: 'No one had any knowledge. How dare you.' She has maintained those comments do not constitute misleading parliament, even though she now admits she did have prior knowledge of the allegations. 'I was not involved in any way with the story that went to air on the night, or reported online that morning. I was in no way involved with the timing in which this story was published or aired,' she said on Tuesday. 'Any allegations or assertion that I did is wrong and I reject it in the strongest possible terms.' Advertisement

Katy Gallagher refused to reveal whether she was provided a full transcript of Ms Higgins' interview with The Project prior to its release after being asked point-blank in the Senate.

The finance minister argued doing so would breach the confidence of a vulnerable young woman who confided in her about claims she'd been sexually assaulted in Parliament House.

But Ms Gallagher did confirm during Question Time on Tuesday that it was Ms Higgins' boyfriend David Sharaz who first alerted her to the allegations - asking her to 'keep the information confidential'.

Ms Gallagher was hit with four questions about the matter in a fiery session, hours after she formally denied misleading parliament in a statement delivered in the Senate.

Ms Gallagher was asked about the apparent contradiction between her telling a Senate estimates hearing in 2021 that she had no prior knowledge of the accusations, to her now acknowledging she was aware of them before they became public.

'I came into... the information through the partner of the young woman who was going to raise those allegations,' Ms Gallagher said on Tuesday. 'It was asked of me to keep that information confidential, and I did.'

Ms Gallagher said she did not want to breach Ms Higgins' confidence by discussing her knowledge of the matter, adding: 'If you confide in anybody, seek help from anybody... that information can be placed on the public record.

'The issues the Opposition are having is that someone might have actually acted with some decency or integrity in here.'

Mr Sharaz boasted of informing Ms Gallagher of the circumstances in leaked texts to his now-fiancee on February 11, 2021.

Ms Gallagher cannot remember exact dates she had conversations with Mr Sharaz or Ms Higgins, but acknowledged it was in the week prior to the allegations being made public.

Wednesday

Katy Gallagher forgot she received an invitation to David Sharaz's wedding because at that time in her career she was inundated with invitations to random events.

The Finance Minister also criticised leaked text messages in which Mr Sharaz described her as a 'friend' to then-girlfriend, now-fiancee Brittany Higgins.

'Can I start by saying I'm not responsible for how people describe their relationship with me,' the under fire cabinet minister told the Senate during Question Time on Wednesday.

Daily Mail Australia revealed last month Ms Gallagher was invited to Mr Sharaz' wedding to ex-wife Alexandra Craig in 2018. She addressed the invitation for the first time in public today, revealing she 'didn't recall that until [she] heard it reported'.

David Sharaz is pictured with his ex-wife Alexandra Craig. They got married in 2018 and invited Katy Gallagher to the wedding

'I had to ask the people I worked with at the time, I think I was Chief Minister. I got a lot of invitations to a lot of things, some I was able to go to and others I couldn't.

'That one I didn't go to. It was declined.'

She told the Senate on Wednesday her relationship with Mr Sharaz was not out of the ordinary - and likely equal to relationships he had with many other politicians.

'I had a professional relationship with Mr Sharaz, as did many in this place as he worked here for a period of time,' she said.

'It is a professional relationship with a journalist I knew in the ACT and I came across him again when I moved up to the Senate. I expect that relationship exists for a number of Senators.'

Embattled Finance Minister Katy Gallagher (pictured) distanced herself from her supposed 'friend' David Sharaz during Question Time on Wednesday

Thursday

Katy Gallagher finally appeared to crack under the onslaught of Liberal criticism and questions.

Her voice finally quivered toward the end of the session in response to a question raised by Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie.

'I am very disappointed this week,' she said, her bottom lip trembling.

Ms Gallagher battled to maintain her composure, going on to say: 'The work we've done on [the Kate Jenkins report] Respect@Work, asking women to come forward when something happens to them, and then treating women the way they are being treated right now.'

Ms Gallagher said she was under the impression the bombardment of questions - particularly Thursday - stemmed from Senator Linda Reynolds.

Brittany Higgins alleged she was sexually assaulted inside Ms Reynolds' office by Bruce Lehrmann after a night out in 2019 while they were both staffers.

He has always strenuously denied the allegations, and they were never proven in court after a mistrial.

Ms Higgins also accused Ms Reynolds of mishandling her complaints, and Ms Reynolds famously called her junior staffer a 'lying cow', resulting in a payout.

Ms Gallagher said: 'I'm sorry Senator Reynolds is clearly upset about what happened to her.

'I am sorry about that, and I told her that. But I am also very sorry for Brittany Higgins, I'm sorry documents about her personal life have been leaked, I'm sorry a confidential draft claim for compensation found its way onto the front pages of a national newspaper.

'The insinuation... today is that we caused harm to Senator Reynolds, that's what she feels.

'When that was brought to our attention, we took that on.'

Katy Gallagher's voice finally quivered toward the end of Thursday's Senate session in response to a question raised by Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie. 'I am very disappointed this week,' she said as her bottom lip trembled

Friday

Ms Gallagher told the Senate she believes Brittany Higgins' allegation of rape.

'I believe Ms Higgins,' she said during a fourth day of questioning over her handling of the allegation.

Again, she claimed she did 'nothing' with the information Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz told her before going public.

'I did nothing with the information because I was asked to keep the information confidential. I did that,' she said.

'I know it's hard for you to understand that someone given those two given the nature of the information given to me would actually do that, but that is what I did. I don't intend to go into any further detail.'
As well as the UK, strike action is taking place in Italy, Portugal, France and Spain

Brits should 'brace for a summer of travel mayhem' as countries across Europe face months of transport strikes during peak holiday time.

Italy, France, Portugal and Spain are facing air, rail and public transport strike action in the coming months - potentially proving disastrous for holidaymakers.

With soem 30million Brits travelling abroad every year, millions jetting off have been increasingly met with airport chaos - ranging from last week's Gatwick Airport flight cancellations to nightmare queues caused by e-gate malfunctions.

Thousands of UK train drivers have voted overwhelmingly to continue walkouts over the next six months in their long-running dispute over pay, Aslef announced.

It comes amid the threat of 29 days of Heathrow Airport security guard strikes.

On June 6, Ryanair was forced to cancel 400 flights when French air traffic control workers walked out over Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms, leaving passengers facing long delays or stuck on planes with dwindling food supplies.

Brits should 'brace for a summer of travel mayhem' as countries across Europe face months of transport strikes during peak holiday time

In May, passengers were waiting long queues, sometimes for hours, when e-gates stopped working

Queues of unlucky EasyJet passengers were seen at Gatwick on Sunday as several flights were axed

James Brockbank, founder of The Family Vacation Guide, told MailOnline: 'With workers across Europe protesting inadequate pay and working conditions, Brits must brace for a summer of travel mayhem.

'My advice would be to stay updated about the news as well as the latest information from your airlines and follow the advice of your travel operator.'

Mr Brockbank recommends travel insurance that covers unforeseen events or disruptions and looking up the forms of compensation you can claim if you are affected by travel disruptions.

'It's worth noting that strike actions are dynamic situations, and the dates and extent of disruptions may change,' he added.

Ross Matthews, chief sales and marketing officer for Eurocamp, told MailOnline: 'With strike action at Heathrow airport nearly every weekend of the summer holidays and various walkouts scheduled across Europe at the same time, it's understandable that holidaymakers are increasingly concerned about how this will impact them.

'To end the chaos, unions and airports need to work together to find a solution. Its clear there is a need to address under-staffing concerns whilst also reaching a fair payment agreement for valuable airport workers, passport officials and security staff.'

He added: 'It is not fair to disrupt what should be a wonderful holiday experience for families and holidaymakers across the country.'

And it's not just strike action that could impact travellers holiday plans, as destinations popular with Brits, Italy and Spain, have seen flash flooding in recent weeks.

Roads in parts of Spain were turned into rivers in May, after record hot weather on the Iberian peninsula moved to the UK, replaced by torrential rains, breaking a prolonged drought.

And in Italy, thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in the popular holiday region of Emilia-Romagna. The Italian Grand Prix in Imola was also cancelled after the deadly floods turned streets into fast-moving rivers.

But with no end in sight to many worker pay disputes, strike-induced travel disruption is likely to continue this summer across Europe.

Portugal is facing a host of travel strikes, including walk-outs by border control at Lisbon Airport for six days this month, from June 17 to 19 and June 24 to 26.

Other airports in the popular holiday destination will also see walk-outs, with strike action planned at Porto, Faro and Madeira airports on June 19 and 26.

Misery was caused for at least 15,000 passengers, with EasyJet axing 54 flights scheduled to take off and land at Gatwick on Sunday, with a further 55 grounded on Monday. Pictured: Holidaymakers stuck at Gatwick

Staff walkouts in France by forced hundreds of Ryanair flights to be grounded on June 6, the budget airline said

In Italy, whilst laws are in place to ensure minimum service levels during public transport strikes, disruptions are likely to still occur.

A 24-hour strike by public transport staff, for trains, ferries and metro services, is planned for July 7.

Security staff at Milan Malpensa Airport will strike for four hours from 11am to 3pm on June 18, while baggage handlers at all airports will stage a 24-hour-long walkout on June 20.

Staff at Italy's main air traffic control operator, ENAV, are going on strike for 24 hours on Saturday July 15.

And in Spain, the Spanish Airline Pilots Union (SEPLA), which represents Air Europa pilots, are considering strike action.

It has been suggested that these walk-outs will take place between June 19 and July 2 but no specific dates have been announced as of yet. Air Europa operates flights across the world.

There is also a continuous strike from SEPLA against Air Nostra, a regional airline run by Iberia, which is running from Monday to Friday every day and has cancelled 20 per cent of the airline's flights so far.

Travel chiefs are also keeping an eye on whether planned strikes by security guards at Heathrow Airport go ahead and cause disruption.

The action for June 24 and 25 was postponed following an improved pay offer.

But more than 2,000 Unite members could still walk out if the latest offer is rejected by the union.

If rejected, walk-outs could go ahead on June 28 to 30, July 14 to 16, 21 to 24 and 28-31, and August 11 to 14, 18 to 20 and 24 to 27.

Over 4 million travellers are at risk of their holidays being disrupted.

During previous strikes, Heathrow has made contingency plans to deploy office staff to assist travellers at security checkpoints. However if the strikes do go ahead, they could still lead to flight cancellations, delays and overall congestion at the airport, impacting travellers' departure and arrival plans.

In Toulouse, France, public transport workers are also set to strike on June 20 and 21.

It was not just Ryanair that faced issues due to French ATC strikes, as EasyJet flights were cancelled and passengers were stranded in Nice last night

A view of electronic passport gates at Gatwick Airport as they failed across the UK over the Easter bank holiday weekend

Air travel was heavily impacted on June 6 when air traffic controllers in France went on strike over pension reform to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64.

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary expressed frustration that overflights across Europe were being cancelled, rather than French domestic flights. The airline was forced to cancel hundreds of flights last minute.

He said: 'It's absolutely indefensible that flights going from Ireland to Italy, from Poland to Portugal, or from Spain to Germany are being cancelled simply because the French want to prioritise their domestic flights and cancel all the overflights.'

Air traffic controllers are needed to make contact during overflights, where planes are flying through the French airspace. Airline EasyJet also saw cancellations and delays.

No further strikes have been announced for the summer yet in Germany, but there is a deadlock between Deutche Bahn, the national railway company of Germany, and trade union EVG - which represents workers for 50 rail companies.

On June 2, the union threatened further industrial action if DB refused to come back to negotiations, saying: 'If nothing happens at the negotiating table, we have to apply pressure with #Warnstreiks.'

Lufthansa pilots had agreed not to strike until June 2023, so there could still be strikes announced by the airline for this summer.

And for British travellers hoping to jet to the US, both American and Southwest airlines have voted for strike action - though no date is set as of yet.
Today's Trooping the Colour is set to be a spectacular national occasion, and the first with Charles III as King.

The event, marking the monarch's official birthday, will include all seven regiments of the Household Division for the first time this century.

With them, there will be an extended RAF flypast likely featuring Spitfires and the Red Arrows, which the Royal Family will watch from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Find out all you need to know about the spectacle, including the route, below.

The late Queen with other members of the Royal Family for 2022's Trooping the Colour flypast

The Red Arrows will crown the flypast in customary fashion with a red white and blue display

Prince Louis stole the show with his reaction to the flypast last year

What is the flypast's route?

The exact route of the Royal Air Force flypast is yet to be disclosed, but it is suspected that it will follow the route originally planned for the King's Coronation, which was scaled back due to the weather.

In that case, the aircraft would set off from 15 locations across the UK, before starting to assemble off the coast of Lincolnshire and Norfolk.

They will then sweep in over Norfolk and Suffolk towards London, going over areas of Essex before reaching the capital.

After Buckingham Palace's flypast, the planes will carry on through, offering sightings in the home counties and perhaps even as far as Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

The flypast will aim to be over Buckingham Palace at 1pm, and could be seen as far as Wiltshire later in the day

What time is the flypast?

The flypast should be overhead for the King at around 1pm, and will last approximately six minutes.

But if you are not going to be in London for the occasion, then you may be able to spot it, weather permitting, if you are en route.

If you are on the part of the route before London, you might see the flypast as early as 11.30am, but more likely from 12.45pm.

If you are to the west of London, and hoping to see the display, you will want to be keeping your eyes open in the hour ad a half after the main event at Buckingham Palace.

READ MORE: How the Princess of Wales' hat style at Trooping the Colour has evolved since 2011 Advertisement

What aircraft will be involved?

A mixture of approximately 70 aircraft dating back as far as the 1940s will feature in the six-minute show, including a final ceremonial flight for the C-130 Hercules.

The Ministry of Defence said many of the aircraft taking part this year have been involved in operations around the world in 2023, including the Nato air policing mission in Eastern Europe and the evacuation of British citizens from Sudan.

A Juno HT1 piloted by Flight Lieutenant Tom Knapp from 60 Squadron, No 1 Flying Training School based at RAF Shawbury will front the flypast.

The Envoy IV CC1 will make its flypast debut, and Typhoon fighter jets will also play a part.

The show will end with a customary display of red, white and blue from the Red Arrows.

Spitfires were initially planned to take part in the King's Coronation flypast, but were one of the casualties to the bad weather, so should be expected this time

How can I watch it?

If you want to watch the whole ceremony, people can stand along The Mall or see the pageantry from the edge of St James's Park overlooking Horse Guards Parade.

Advice is that anyone intending to do that arrives at about 9am for the event to begin from 10am.

For those wanting to watch from home, BBC One will be showing the whole event from 10.30am, with programming scheduled to end just after the flypast.
Campaign groups have urged the UK Government to scrap the 'disturbing' use of AI and claimed it was 'behind the curve' on regulating its use by public authorities.

The groups, like Public Law Project and Big Brother Watch, warned that UK public bodies have been using AI in 'disturbing' and 'secretive' ways for 'years'.

It comes after Rishi Sunak announced plans this week to make Britain the home of 'global AI safety regulation' amid rising concerns over its use in the private sector.

But the technology is already used in opaque ways across Britain in areas such as policing, housing, welfare, and immigration, according to the groups.

In one case, South Wales Police's 'Orwellian' use of AFR (Automated Facial Recognition) was found to have breached privacy rights, data protection laws and equality legislation.

It comes after Rishi Sunak announced plans this week to make Britain the home of 'global AI safety regulation' amid rising concerns over its use in the private sector. Pictured at London Tech Week on Monday

But the technology is already used in opaque ways across Britain in areas such as policing, housing, welfare, and immigration, according to the groups. Pictured: a facial recognition van at a protest in 2021

Shameem Ahmad, CEO of the Public Law Project (PLP), said: 'AI is hugely powerful. Chat GPT has caught everyone's attention, but public authorities have been using this tech for years and right now the Government is behind the curve on managing the risks.

'We have seen public bodies using this tech in disturbing ways, from the use of discriminatory facial recognition by South Wales police to the Department for Work and Pensions using AI to investigate benefits claimants.

'Government use of AI can be secretive, it can backfire, and it can exacerbate existing inequalities, undermining fundamental rights.'

In a document addressed to cross-party MPs, thirty groups including Public Law Project and Big Brother Watch have now urged the Government to adopt stronger regulation and transparency around AI use by public authorities.

They call for 'clear mechanisms for accountability' and a 'specialist regulator' with a way for the public to seek redress when AI use goes wrong.

Last year, the DWP was found to be trialling a machine algorithm to predict whether universal credit claimants should receive benefits based on their perceived likelihood of committing fraud in the future.

The trial was 'problematic' and risked discriminating against people with genuine claims, according to PLP.

The group also said there was a lack of transparency around the DWP's use of the technology, meaning it was not possible to tell if the system worked 'reliably, lawfully or fairly'.

And in 2019, four out of five people identified by the Metropolitan Police's facial AFR technology as potential suspects were innocent, according to a report.

Last year, the DWP was found to be trialling a machine algorithm to predict whether universal credit claimants should receive benefits based on their perceived likelihood of committing fraud in the future

And in 2019, four out of five people identified by the Metropolitan Police's facial AFR technology as potential suspects were innocent, according to a report

Madeleine Stone, legal and policy officer at Big Brother Watch, told MailOnline: 'The Government's approach to AI is confused, vague and will do nothing to protect us from the growing threat the use of AI poses to our rights.

'Instead of taking the urgently needed action to protect us from out-of-control algorithms, the Government is seeking to scrap data rights and weaken safeguards.

'The Government must outlaw the most dangerous uses of AI that have no place in a democracy, such as live facial recognition surveillance, and ensure the public have strong, legally enforceable rights when AI is being used to make decisions.'

In contrast, the European Union is moving to ban AFR in public spaces through its upcoming Artificial Intelligence Act.

It would ban public authorities using AI to classify citizens' behaviour and bring in strict limits on AI-powered facial recognition used by law enforcement.

Professor Sampson, the biometrics and surveillance camera commissioner, has also previously warned the UK has the 'scantest' regulatory framework for public authorities using this kind of technology.

He said: 'We may not be that far away from using an AI like ChatGPT to draft warrants or witness statements, yet we have the scantest regulatory framework under which those using the technology will be held to account.'

A Department for Science, Innovation and Technology spokesman said 'The Governments AI Regulation White Paper sets out a coherent approach to AI regulation to support its responsible development and deployment in the UK, as well as addressing the potential risks it presents.

'AI is a fast-moving technology and we need our rules to be equally agile to keep people safe from these emerging risks while also being able to harness the benefits as this technology develops.

'The AI Taskforce has also been equipped with an initial investment of 100 million to manage its safe development and deployment.'
King Charles III will experience his first Trooping the Colour as king in 2023, with the annual event set to return on Saturday June 17.

The ceremony, which will take place on Horse Guards Parade, will feature over 1,400 officers and 200 horses.

So, what exactly is Trooping the Colour and how long does the royal parade actually last?

Here is everything you need to know about Trooping the Colour, explained.

Trooping the Colour, which will take place on Horse Guards Parade, will feature over 1,400 officers and 200 horses.

What is Trooping the Colour?

The Trooping the Colour ceremony takes place to celebrate the birthday of the reigning monarch in the UK and has been held every year for the past 260 years.

This year, the display will take place on Saturday June 17. It will feature the King's personal troops, the Household Division - who will be situated on Horse Guards Parade - with the King himself set to attend and take salute.

The popular event will attract big crowds, who will be seen waving flags as the parade moves from Buckingham Palace and down The Mall to Horse Guard's Parade, alongside Members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages.

Some 113 words of command will be given by the Officer in Command of the Parade. The parade route extends from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and back again.

During the ceremony, Charles will be greeted by a royal salute, before carrying out an inspection of the troops, who are fully trained and operational soldiers wearing the ceremonial uniform of red tunics and bearskin hats.

After the massed bands have performed a musical 'troop', the escorted Regimental Colour is carried down the ranks.

The Foot Guards and the Household Cavalry will march past His Majesty, The King's Troop and the Royal Horse Artillery. Subsequently, the King shall ride back to Buckingham Palace at the head of his Guards, before taking the salute at the Palace.

His Majesty will then join other members of the Royal Family on the palace balcony for a fly-past by the Royal Air Force.

The Trooping the Colour ceremony takes place to celebrate the birthday of the reigning monarch in the UK and has been held every year for the past years 260 years. Pictured: the late Queen Elizabeth II performs a smart salute during the Trooping the Colour ceremony in 1986

How long does Trooping the Colour last?

Every year in May and June there are three Trooping the Colour parades.

The first is the Major General's Review, which is the first public rehearsal for the parade and takes place on the Saturday two weeks before the King's Birthday Parade.

This is followed by the Colonel's Review, which is the second public rehearsal and takes place on the Saturday before the King's Birthday Parade.

Trooping the Colour culminates with The King's Birthday Parade on Horse Guards Parade - this is the actual parade attended by The King

The parade is set to last for two hours, starting at 10.25am and ending at 12.25pm, when the royals will then head to the balcony at Buckingham Palace.

The RAF flypast is scheduled for approximately 1pm.
Years later, Kaczynski was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia after he went on a 17-year-long bombing rampage that claimed the lives of three people and injured 23 others

It suggests he was used as a guinea pig in the CIA's atrocious brainwashing program known as MK-Ultra

In the wake of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski's suicide on June 10, a little-known aspect of his life has emerged from his time as at Harvard University

Just a few blocks east of Harvard sits an unassuming three-story Victorian apartment house that to the casual observer is nothing of note.

But in 1958, No. 8 Prescott Street's most notorious tenant moved into a gloomy single room dormitory on the first floor. His name was Theodore 'Ted' Kaczynski, a brilliant but timid 16-year-old math prodigy that would later become infamously known by his nom de guerre  'the Unabomber.'

Now, in the wake of Kaczynski's suicide on June 10 at the age of 81, a sinister little-known aspect of his life has emerged from his time as an undergraduate at Harvard University, that suggests his involvement in the CIA's atrocious brainwashing program known as MK-Ultra.

Led by a maniacal psychologist named Dr. Henry Murray, Kaczynski was one of 22 coeds subjected to, in Murray's own words, 'vehement, sweeping, and personally abusive' mock interrogations between 1958 and 1962.

Patients were dosed with potent mind-altering drugs, subjected to extremes of temperature and sound, high and low pressure, oxygen, food and sleep deprivation, strapped to electroshock machines and forcefully interrogated under a blazing spotlight for hours at a time.

While very little is known of the clandestine experiment and the potential effect it had on Kaczynski during his formative years; it is well known that he eventually retreated to the wilderness of Montana in 1971, where he began a 17-year-long bombing campaign that resulted in three deaths, 23 injuries and the longest and most costly manhunt in American history that spanned two decades.

In the years since his 1996 arrest, there has been no shortage of discourse dedicated to understanding Kaczynski's unique criminal profile.

Could an esteemed institution known for nurturing some of the greatest minds, also unwittingly have served as a breeding ground for dark experimentation?

Could Kaczynski's harrowing experience in the MK-Ultra program, combined with his already fragile psychological state, set the stage for his eventual radicalization from lonely boy genius to lethal domestic terrorist.

Long before became radicalized as the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski was a quiet but brilliant 16-year-old math prodigy from Chicago who entered Harvard on scholarship in 1958. It was there that he was recruited to be a human guinea pig for the sinister CIA led experiments in brainwashing, mind control, torture, and interrogation known as Project MK-Ultra

Kaczynski was arrested in 1996 after he waged a 17-year-long bombing campaign that resulted in three deaths, 23 injuries and the longest and most costly manhunt in American history that spanned two decades. Some experts say his undergraduate years at Harvard incubated his anti-tech ethos after he was subjected to three years of harrowing abuse during mock interrogations under the guise of a research project

From a remote cabin in the Montana wildness, Kaczynski sought to bring about the collapse of modern society through a series of homemade mail bombings. He focused his early attention to universities and airlines which earned him the moniker 'Unabomber' from the FBI

Within a year of studying at Harvard, Kaczynski still an impressionably young teenager at the timehad been recruited by the CIA as a human guinea pig to study mind control under intense interrogation, psychotropic drugs, hypnosis and psychological coercion in the top-secret government project known as MK-Ultra

Kaczynski was a shy but brilliant wunderkind from Chicago when he entered Harvard University on scholarship at the tender age of 16.

Raised in a working-class Polish-American family in the suburb of Evergreen Park, Kaczynski demonstrated exceptional intelligence from an early age.

Kaczynski said his childhood was an unhappy one in part because his parents pushed him hard academically, which contributed to his intense anger towards his family later in life.

He had outpaced his peers by skipping the 6th and 11th grade back home, where scholastic achievement also meant social exile.

'By the time I left high school, I was definitely regarded as a freak by a large segment of the student body,' he later admitted to Sally Johnson, a forensic psychiatrist with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

Thus, filled with intellectual ambition, the academic whizkid entered the hallowed halls of America's most prestigious university in hopes that his uncanny genius would finally a challenging match and nurturing home.

Far from it, Harvard became an incubator for Kaczynski's virulent pathology and anti-tech ethos which further isolated him from his peers.

It began with his placement in special housing at No.8 Prescott Street which was designed to offer its youngest students a nurturing, intimate environment.

Instead, it siloed the socially-awkward boys from their fellow classmates who were living a more conventional college experience in dormitories. Social adjustment proved difficult for Kaczynski.

Within a year, Kaczynski still an impressionably young teenagerhad been recruited by the CIA as a human guinea pig to study mind control under intense interrogation, psychotropic drugs, hypnosis and psychological coercion in the top-secret government project known as MK-Ultra.

Raised in a working-class Polish-American family in the suburb of Evergreen Park, Kaczynski (center) demonstrated exceptional intelligence from an early age. Kaczynski said his childhood was an unhappy one in part because his parents pushed him hard academically, which contributed to his intense anger towards his family later in life

Kaczynski had outpaced his peers by skipping the 6th and 11th grade back home, which only made him more of an outsider among classmates. 'By the time I left high school, I was definitely regarded as a freak by a large segment of the student body,' he later admitted to Sally Johnson, a forensic psychiatrist with the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Kaczynski (bottom right) with other merit scholarship finalists from his high school

Kaczynski lived in a dank and gloomy single room dormitory on the first floor of this building reserved for the university's youngest and most gifted students. Instead the move only further alienated the boys from their peers who were living in dormitories on campus. Today, No. 8 Prescott Avenue is a popular spot for student housing

Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union reached new heights in the wake of WWII.

Fearful of falling behind in the realm of mind control and interrogation techniques, the CIA initiated MK-Ultra, a program aimed at exploring the boundaries of human manipulation through various means, including drug administration, hypnosis, and psychological coercion.

DR. EVIL: The Harvard professor who conducted sinister psychological experiments on students for the CIA Dr. Henry Murray was a preeminent Harvard professor who led the viscous interrogation of Kaczynski as part of the CIA-run brainwashing experiment known as Project MK-Ultra. Murray, an affluent New Yorker with scientific and humanitarian interests, was a critical figure before and during World War II in the field of psychology. During the war Murray served in the Office of Strategic Services (a precursor to the CIA) helping to develop psychological screening tests and a rigorous stress test for potential applicants. Soon after Murray's experiments on Kaczynski and his classmates were under way. Timothy Leary returned to Harvard in 1960 and began his experiments with psilocybin under Murray's purview. According to Timothy Leary, Murray 'expressed great interest in our drug-research project and offered his support.' He described him as 'the wizard of personality assessment who, as OSS chief psychologist, had monitored military experiments on brainwashing and sodium amytal interrogation.' Advertisement

Perverse human experiments were conducted on prisoners, addicts, mentally and terminally ill patients, unwitting citizens and even children.

Of the most horrific were those done on children diagnosed with schizophrenia that were given LSD everyday for six weeks. Others were fed cereal laced with uranium and radioactive calcium.

Doctors were paid enormous stipends to administer drugs to their unwitting patients on the behest of the CIA.

Under that dark umbrella, a myriad gruesome 'subprojects' were launched across the country at institutions such as: Massachusetts General Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital, the Universities of Pennsylvania, Berkeley, Harvard, Columbia, MIT, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Cornell, John Hopkins New York University. At one point the agency attempted to buy the world's entire supply of LSD, which they called the 'truth drug.'

One such collaborator was the preeminent Harvard psychologist Dr. Murray who aimed at understanding a human subject's breaking point under intense interrogation.

Kaczynski told biographer Alston Chase that he felt 'pressured into participating.'

Unwitting participants were asked if they wanted to take part in a study where they would be paid hourly for their time. But the nature of the experiment was withheld as the intent was to catch them by surprise.

Unbeknownst to participants, they faced grueling mock interrogations by a well-prepared adversary, not the peer debate they were led to believe.

Subjects were escorted to the basement of a non-descript house on campus known to students as 'the Annex.'

They were assigned monikers to protect the highly classified, illegal nature of the experiment. Kaczynski was code named 'Lawful.'

Seated in front of a one-way mirror under a blinding spotlight Kaczynski was given to brutal interrogation while hooked up to a series of electrodes that another former participant un-fondly remembered as 'somewhat akin to someone being strapped on the electric chair.'

A motion-picture camera recorded every move and facial expression through a hole in the wall. Electrodes leading to machines that recorded heart beats and respiratory rates.

As instructed, the unsuspecting subject was told to defend his personal philosophy of life. Only to be assaulted in a withering and vitriolic attack on their egos and most cherished beliefs.

The goal was to see how well they held up under pressure, to understand a human's breaking point.

'I had a sensation somewhat akin to someone being strapped on the electric chair with these electrodes...I really started getting hit real hard...Wham, wham, wham! And me getting hotter and more irritated and my heartbeat going up and sweating terribly,' one of them, codenamed Cringle, recalled to Chase.

Another participant nicknamed Drill told Chase that he still suffered from 'very vivid general memories of the experience...I was startled by my interlocutor's venom. I remember responding with unabating rage.'

Kaczynski must certainly have been among the most vulnerable of Murray's experimental subjects. He was among the youngest and the poorest of the group. He came from a dysfunctional home.

Kaczynski was certainly one of the more vulnerable test subjects in the Harvard experiment. Not only was he one of the youngest and poorest of the group but he also came from a troubled family life.

And gradually, while immersed in the Murray experiment, Kaczynski began to put together a theory to explain his unhappiness and anger. Inwardly, he began to seethe.

Harvard classmates recalled him as a lonely, thin boy with poor personal hygiene and a room that smelled of spoiled milk, rotting food and foot powder.

Forensic psychiatrist Sally Johnson, who evaluated Kaczynski, noted his growing health concerns. He started experiencing dreadful night terrors and harbored fantasies of retaliating against a society he perceived as malevolent, which he believed was fixated on enforcing conformity through psychological manipulation.

Though most of the MK-Ultra records have been destroyed, leaked government files from 2018 revealed that the US government had been experimenting with 'remote mind control' and 'forced memory blanking'

Such weapons claim to use electromagnetic forces (illustrated) to achieve their aims, including inducing intense pain, itching or even rigor mortis

The files detail a number of proposed devices and techniques that aim to manipulate the human mind. They range from the implausible, like a strange technique for 'microwave hearing', to the potentially possible - including 'remote brain mapping' (illustrated)

Upon his graduation from Harvard, the foundation was laid for his transformation into the sinister figure that would become known as the Unabomber.

His mindset had crystallized around a set of beliefs, compounded by profound unhappiness and an enveloping sense of isolation. His resolution to commit violent acts followed shortly after.

He went on to graduate school at the University of Michigan, before he got a job teaching math at the University of California at Berkeley.

Becoming convinced that technology would spell the end of civilization, Kaczynski retreated to a remote area in the woods of Montana in 1971, where his closest neighbor was ten miles away.

For decades, he lived in a small dingy cabin without electricity or running water. He foraged for food and lived off only a few hundred dollars a year.

Kaczynski's reign of terror began in 1978 when he began mailing and hand delivering bombs to targets that he felt advanced technology. He focused his attention to universities and airlines which earned him the moniker 'Unabomber' from the FBI.

He managed to evade federal authorities for 17 years while claiming the lives of three victims and seriously maiming 23 others.

Becoming convinced that technology would spell the end of civilization, Kaczynski retreated to a remote area in the woods of Montana in 1971, where his closest neighbor was ten miles away. For decades, he lived in a small dingy cabin without electricity or running water. He foraged for food and lived off only a few hundred dollars a year. He began his campaign of terror in 1978 when he sent a bomb to Northwestern University

Kaczynski was officially arrested in 1996 after his brother David (pictured) turned him into the FBI upon recognizing chilling similarities to the letters he had received from his estranged brother over the years

In 1995, Kaczynski released a twisted 35,000 word manifesto titled, 'Industrial Society and Its Future,' and promised to stop mailing bombs if it was published. His credo excoriated modernity and the industrial revolution.

Upon reading it, Kaczynski's younger brother David and his wife Linda Patrik recognized chilling similarities in the letters they had received over the years and turned him into the FBI.

Kaczynski was officially arrested in 1996. When investigators raided the cabin, they found 'a wealth of bomb components; 40,000 handwritten journal pages that included bomb-making experiments and descriptions of Unabomber crimes; and one live bomb, ready for mailing,' according to the FBI.

He was sentenced to life behind bars without the possibility of parole before he was found dead in his cell on Saturday, June 10, aged 81, by suicide.

During his trial, Kaczynski was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia (even though he often denied the diagnosis). Experts said he was prone to delusions and pointed to his irrational fear of mind control...though given his haunting experience as a test subject in MK-Ultra, perhaps he wasn't wrong.

As experts continue to grapple with the complexity of Kaczynski's motivations, we are left to wonder whether his alleged involvement in MK-Ultra played a role in shaping one of the most enigmatic and dangerous figures in American history.

Very few records remain of Project MK-Ultra as CIA Director Richard Helms ordered the destruction of most files related to the controversial study in 1973.

The potential effects of Kaczynski's participation in the MK-Ultra experiments which aimed to manipulate and control the human mind, cannot be underestimated.

The clandestine operation raises broader questions about the ethical boundaries of experimentation and the far-reaching consequences of programs carried out in secrecy.

Alden Wessman, a former research associate of Murray who had long been bothered by the depravity of the study, told Chase: 'Later, I thought: 'We took and took and used them and what did we give them in return?'
Now Wilvich claimed she was denied access to the nude spa over the phone

A transgender woman who accused a female-only Korean spa of discrimination after claiming she was barred from entering never even set foot on the property.

Olympus Spa in Washington state was ordered by a judge to admit pre-op trans women with penises despite nudity being required in communal areas.

That came after activist Haven Wilvich complained to the Washington State Human Rights Commission that Olympus Spa discriminated against her by refusing her access during a visit in January 2020.

But a lawyer for the spa, Tracy Tribbett, whose suit against the commission was thrown out by a federal judge on June 5, has said Wilvich never actually visited the spa in person - a position its owners have held for years.

Since that order this month, Wilvich has herself admitted that she never visited the spa. Now says she was denied access by the spa's owner over the phone.

Tribbett told DailyMail.com that Wilvich's confession that she lied in the complaint is evidence that she did not make an honest attempt to report a violation of her rights, but instead a calculated attack on a business with values that she did not like.

Haven Wilvich originally claimed that she was denied entry to a traditional Korean female-only spa in Washington after a visit in January 2020. She has now told the Lynnwood Times that she was actually denied access after making a phone call, and not an in-person visit

A copy of Wilvich's complaint made to the Washington State Human Rights Commission. Highlighted is the sentence in which she says she 'went' to the spa

She also cast doubt on Wilvich's latest claim, saying that the owner of the business does not take phone calls and is prepared to review telephone records for proof of that call and also hopes to take the case to the Supreme Court.

'This is not a direct attack on Haven Wilvich, other than to say that she's not being truthful and was just looking for trouble,' said Tribbett.

'It adds fuel to the concept that the Human Rights Commission is playing with activism, rather than investigating complaints accurately,' she said. 'They're not a proactive entity or agency of the state that goes out and polices.'

To support her client's position that the spa came under an unsolicited attack she pointed out that within months of January 2020 Wilvich completed gender reassignment surgery, according to her own blog, and that would have allowed her access to the spa.

According to Tribbett that invalidates the complaint to the commission since there was no ongoing 'live case or controversy' at the time it was being investigated.

Tribbett says the spa's owner has always been clear that post-op trans women are permitted into the venue and that its denial of certain groups in the past has never been an issue.

'Olympus Spa is not open to the public, nor has it ever been. The spa discriminates against men and it discriminates against those under the age of 13,' she said. 'This is different from other cases, like a cake baking shop or a flower shop'.

Judge Barbara Jacobs Rothstein upheld the ruling made by the WSHRC and said that the measures taken by the spa had been lawful

'What we seem to have here is an activist trolling online to find different businesses that might not be complying with what they perceive to be the law,' she said.

The Washington State Human Rights Commission, the individual investigator responsible for overseeing the case and Wilvich all declined invitations from DailyMail.com to comment on the inconsistency.

Wilvich first confirmed in an interview with the Lynnwood Times that the basis of the complaint was that she was denied access after a phone call and not a physical visit.

'The story now is that she called ahead of girl's day at the spa with her girl mates. And we don't know what the day was. If we had that information, we could check the phone records,' she said.

The family-owned spa, which has a branch on the outskirts of Seattle and one in Tacoma, is modeled on Jjimjilbang - sex-segregated bathhouses in Korea - and offers monthly memberships and day passes.

The facilities include 'a bath area containing multiple whirlpools, a traditional Korean body-scrub service area, standing showers, sit-down showers, a steam room, and a dry sauna.'

Patrons are 'typically fully naked' while in these areas and 'have visual access' to other nude patrons, court documents suggest.

In the order earlier this month federal Judge Barbara Rothstein wrote, 'Ms. Wilvich's complaint alleges that she went to Olympus Spa in January 2020 in search of services but was discriminated against.'

The spa had always disputed Wilvich's claims that she was denied entry to the premises, and there was no record of her attempted visit on the electronic system it uses to track customers.

The president of Olympus Spa (pictured is its Lynnwood branch), Sun Lee, wrote to the commission after the complaint and said nudity was an important part of the business, which had been set up by his parents

In an order throwing out the spa's case against the Washington State Human Rights Commission on June 5 (pictured), the federal judge suggested that Wilvich made a physical visit to the spa

Tracy Tribbett, who represented Olympus Spa in a lawsuit against the Washington State Human Rights Commission, claimed Wilvich never actually visited the spa and that her complaint was therefore an attempt to 'light a fire'

Since making her confession to the local newspaper, Wilvich told Fox13 this week that she had been inundated with hateful messages including threats on her life.

She also said that people who are victimized or suffer human rights abuses should be able to make complaints to the commission anonymously.

'I called ahead to see if I would be allowed to attend as a trans woman, unfortunately, I was told no,' she told the station.

'It's still disappointing to see the amount of animosity that goes towards our community every time these laws are upheld, she said. 'I think minority people who report hate crimes and violations of human rights laws should be protected from public disclosure.'

Tribbett expressed remorse for Wilvich, but said that putting her in the limelight was part of the necessary process in which her client could claim justice.

'She's upset that there's a bunch of smoke being attracted around her situation and we didn't want this situation to happen,' she said. 'We're just trying to clear our client's name and protect their business interests and protect the interests of women in general.'

She emphasized that Wilvich was never a target.

'Haven Wilvich was the person who started it, but it's not about persecuting her or lighting her up in any way. But we do want to make mention of the fact that she lied,' she said.

Pictured is the pool area within the Olympus Spa in which nudity is required, according to its website

Lee wrote in March 2021 that 'the cultural underpinnings' of the services offered at the spa originated in Korea

In a letter addressing the original complaint from the commission, Lee wrote in March 2021 that 'the cultural underpinnings' of the services offered at the spa, started by his parents, originated in Korea and go back many generations.

'Our spa traditions are closely tied to the Korean tradition known as "jjimjilbang,"' wrote Lee.

'This holistic health therapy is offered in a sex-segregated public bathhouse furnished with hot pools, showers, Korean traditional kiln saunas and massage tables. An essential part of the experience requires full nudity.'

In her initial complaint to the commission, Wilvich said she was a transgender woman who was 'biologically male' and had not undergone sex reassignment surgery.

She claims that Olympus Spa told her that 'transgender women without surgery are not welcome because it could make other customers and staff uncomfortable.'

In March 2021, the WSHRC had served the spa owner Myoon Woon Lee and the spa's President Sun Lee with a Notice of Complaint of Discrimination.

Lee explained that Olympus was a family-owned 'women's Korean traditional health spa' and noted that nudity was required for certain treatments.

He wrote: 'We firmly believe it is essential for the safety, legal protection, and well-being of our customers and employees that we maintain adherence to this adaptation of a females-only rule.'

Wilvich alleged that she had gone to the spa in January 2020 in search of a service but was discriminated against, claims she has now retracted

Wilvich had previously boasted about the success of her complaint on Facebook after the initial WSHRC ruling

Despite now seeking the ability to make reports to the commission anonymously, Wilvich had previously boasted about the success of her complaint on Facebook.

She said: 'I did it! I worked with the WSHRC and got Olympus Spa (the main naked lady spa in the area) to change their policies and allow all self-identified women access regardless of surgery and genitals.'

After Rothstein's ruling on July 5, Olympus Spa will have an opportunity to amend its complaint and refile it to the court, an opportunity Tribbett said her client will take.

'It will go to a panel in the Ninth Circuit, and then it will be reviewed there. If we obtain the same outcome, then we will appeal to the Supreme Court for review,' she said.

This weekend a protest is scheduled to take place at the strip mall in Lynwood in which the Olympus Spa branch is located. The spa and other units will remain closed throughout the demonstration.
Children spent more than five weeks in the jungle after the May 1 plane crash

In the early hours of May 1 a plane crash-landed nose first in the Amazon in Colombia pitting four indigenous children, aged one to 13, against the forces of the jungle after they had abandoned their dying mother in a bid to stay alive.

The psychological struggle that the siblings endured in the 40 days leading up to their rescue is one that only a select few people on the planet will ever have to face, and it is one that British explorer Benedict Allen experienced back in 1983.

Allen is a world-renowned adventurer whose expeditions have included the first recorded crossing of the Amazon basin at its widest and the first known traverse of the entire Namib in Southern Africa on foot.

Aged 22, he flew to South America to cross between the Orinoco and Amazon river mouths.

He was attacked by gold miners carrying knives at night and spent weeks trying to navigate his way out of the jungle, famously being forced to eat his adopted dog to keep himself alive after delivering a blow to the back of its skull using the butt of his machete and slitting its throat.

Allen, who rose to fame through his books and TV series, has explored jungles on every corner of the planet, with much of that time spent in isolation and coming up against life-threatening situations.

He is known for expeditions achieved without a phone or GPS and has studied indigenous communities throughout his four decades as an explorer.

Here are his tips on how to survive if you get lost in the rainforest.

Benedict Allen alone in the Amazon in 2022. Allen is a world-renowned adventurer whose expeditions have spanned around four decades

On June 9, Colombian military soldiers attend to child survivors from a Cessna 206 plane that crashed in a jungle in Caqueta

Stay put

Generally, stick where you are. If you do move, you mark where you are before you move off because then you have some frame of reference.

I usually have a survival kit. The trouble with rainforests is... they are very, very difficult to navigate.

You can't really see where the sun is usually. So you've got to mark your trail. It's a basic sort of thing  just walk forward, just keep on.

[You can] snap twigs all the way along  just keep marking what you've got, so that you can retrieve. It's always about being able to retrieve if necessary.

[In the event of a plane crash] There should be a transponder on it. Of course, these children wouldn't have known that.

I'd say definitely stick with that wreckage [in most plane crash scenarios]. I would definitely stick with the plane because even if the transponder doesn't work, the wreckage will probably be strewn around so any search party [can find it].

There will be a search party  someone will come looking. They will probably see the wreckage, which might be strewn [across the area that you are in]. You might not see much of it but it's probably there to be seen.

But furthermore, there will be a flight path. The flights have to say where they are heading and there will be a flight path that searchers head along looking for it.

Basically, I would stick with the wreckage. I myself, because I'm more experienced, I would investigate the area.

But always marking my route back very, very clearly. I would look around for resources.

I've been around doing my expeditions for something like 40 years.

Last year, I went back for the first time ever to that place where I had to eat the dog. So I was alone again for probably about 10 days in the rainforest.

I was out there for about a month in the northeast of the Amazon in Brazil. So I'm still regularly going off and keeping myself informed and interested.

Benedict Allen exploring the South American rainforests in 1983. Allen's expeditions include the first recorded crossing of the Amazon basin at its widest and the first known traverse of the entire Namib in Southern Africa on foot

Build a safe camp

[For shelter overnight you can use] palm leaves. You can do it even without a machete, even without a bush knife.

You just find some poles and dead wood if necessary if you can't snap live wood. And just prop it against the tree.

Lay on palm leaves, like sort of tiles, to keep off the rain and keep in your warmth.

But always, always, you've got to build up a bed. Again, palm leaves are good. They keep you away from the ants.

In the soil, there will be snakes, possibly scorpions, spiders, ants. So you've got to look for a campsite, where [there are] none of these.

Generally, what you've got to do is kick through the leaf litter to make sure nothing's going to bite you in the night and you build up a layer of palm leaves as a sort of bed  sort of put fronds of palms over you.

If you're by the riverside, there will be more snakes generally.

To be absolutely honest, a greater danger is a flash flood. And crossing rivers and sleeping on a riverbank  these are dangerous things.

Crossing the river you can get carried away, but sleeping on the riverbank in the rainforest, because it's heavy rain, sometimes the water will rise incredibly quickly.

Sleeping near a river is interesting but also rivers attract wild animals.

Probably of all the animals you have to worry about is snakes. Sleeping somewhere where there are roots can be quite dangerous.

Snakes often sleep in holes around the roots of the tree. You look around for anything that looks like a big hole, and it might just be a mouse hole, but you never know if a snake is in the mouse hole.

Any holes you just sort of avoid. Although it's tempting just to camp against a tree, that can be a bit of a danger for snakes.

So generally you make a camp just slightly away from a tree. You clear the leaf litter, as I said earlier, with a stick.

You don't use your hands ever to clear leaf litter because you just get stung or bitten or something, and bearing in mind you only need one scorpion bite, one spider bite.

Although it may just make your hand swell up, that can be enough to kill you because you're meant to be looking for food, so you cannot afford even to get a spider bite.

[For snake bites] Don't get into that situation. There's no reason why you need to be bitten by a snake generally.

What you don't do is look around with your hands in the leaf litter.

Use a stick to clear the leaf litter, scrape it all away. Away from any roots.

And then you lay on some bedding. So that's how you avoid being bitten by a snake.

I've spent perhaps longer than anyone alone in rainforests.

Even indigenous people don't walk alone very much in the rainforest because it's not necessarily very sensible. And I've never been bitten by a snake.

I don't think you'd get attacked by a caiman. In Australia, New Guinea you might get attacked by a saltwater crocodile.

They really are a problem. Stay away from water [in those places].

Benedict Allen alone in the Amazon in 2023. Allen, who achieved fame through his books and TV series, has explored jungles on every corner of the planet

If you can't stay put, float down a river to escape

You look for a river and follow it downriver. Eventually you will find people along a river so you follow it down.

The problem with that  the Amazon is very, very flat. A big flat floodplain.

Nearly all of it is flat. So what happens is the river meanders hugely.

So you're going to spend a lot of time following downriver.

If it wasn't for children, what I would do, especially if I had a rucksack [is use a bag to float downriver]. Certainly on a plane [in the event of a crash] you should be able to find some sort of bag.

Put air in it, swing it around so it's got air in it, tie it with a bit of cord  there will probably be some sort of cord on that plane  and you make a sort of water pillow, as it were, and then you can float down the river on it.

It's probably your best chance in any situation. Find a river and try and float down it. You're likely to get rapids in somewhere like the Amazon.

If you haven't got a rucksack, you just have to look around for whatever you've got.

If it's a plane crash, you might obviously have life vests.

And there may be something you can use out of a seat cushion as a flotation device.

But otherwise there are woods that are very light in the Amazon  balsa-type woods that you'd use to float.

In terms of rapids, if they are severe, you hear them up ahead.

The Amazon is fairly flat. It's not a rapid-strewn place.

You try and keep to the sides. You don't get into the centre of the river, so hopefully you can move yourself to the side.

There's not much you can do. If they're huge rapids, they're huge rapids. Generally it's not such a common thing.

You can try to stabilise yourself by floating down the river with poles, for example, even if they don't help you float. They can give you more balance.

The rivers can bring their own problems because you have stingrays, for example [so you can pick up injuries]. But it's a good way of not spending too much energy and it will eventually get you to pass human habitation and that's the key thing.

An aerial view of the Ecuadorian Amazon river basin. Allen said floating down a river is probably your best chance if you get lost in the jungle

Stay motivated

In the end survival is really 80 per cent about the mind  your attitude. If you've got a fighting attitude you can believe that you can survive. Then you're sort of two thirds of the way.

Obviously the first thing you do is look around for what you've got in that personal situation. You have to calm down and look what you have in your mind on your side.

Again, so much of it is psychological and the big thing is for the children [who survived the plane crash] to have had motivation. They had their mother  I think she spoke to them  so she would have motivated them saying: 'Look, you've got to find a way out of here. You can do this.'

And that 13-year-old would have known her big thing was that somehow she had to keep that one-year-old alive.

As a huge motivator for me when I disappeared in the Amazon when I was 22, I just thought: 'I can't let my mum and dad down.' I just thought: 'Somehow I've got to keep walking for their sake.'

What happened was, I was attacked by gold miners and they chased me in the night.

I still don't know why they attacked me, but they were drunk and they probably thought I'd stolen something or they were worried about me reporting they were there.

They came for me in the night with knives and I jumped into my canoe and escaped but my canoe capsized and I lost everything and I had to walk out of the forest.

And famously, I ended up having to eat my dog to survive. The Daily Mail did a huge story on it. This was way back in 1983.

It was terrible, terrible thing and I wouldn't really wish it on anyone. But the fact is I had two sorts of malaria and I had to somehow get out of the forest. And I knew that the dog was dying and I was dying so my one chance was to kill the dog and get a bit of flesh and get a bit of food and that's how I survived.

But I was only 23 [having started the trip aged 22]. So in a way I was like one of these indigenous children. I didn't have a clue.

Well, they probably knew a lot more than me, in fact I'm sure they did. But I was like a child and I just thought: 'I've just got to get out to my mum and dad.'

Benedict Allen on a Papua New Guinea expedition in 2017. He was found 'alive and well' near an airstrip 20 miles northwest of Porgera, Enga Province, four days after he was reported missing

[My mental state during that incident] changed a lot. At the beginning, total despair and shock.

I was on the riverbank and this must have been like this for these children.

They had just lost their mum, or the mum was dying, and that must have been just a shock. You're secure one moment and then suddenly you find yourself bewildered.

That is a critical moment. You sort of almost have to decide you're going to survive. You just think: 'Can this be real?'

And then you sort of have that anger and feeling of despair and you sort of have to make up your mind  I'm gonna get out of here.

I couldn't believe I could walk probably about 100 miles, a bit less, out of the forest. I really couldn't believe that. But I remember thinking I can believe in walking the next 100 paces.

You can almost see 100 paces through the rainforest, although it can be quite thick.

Generally, the rainforest, if it's primary rainforest  you can see 100 paces.

And so I walked 100 paces and notched up 100 paces on a stick.

And every 100 paces I made another notch on the stick, following a bearing southeast with my compass, just counting every pace.

And that's the way I did it. Slowly, slowly, slowly, every day. Walking, walking, counting every pace.

Because what happens is the whole thing's overwhelming. That's what it feels like at first. You just think: 'I can't do it, I can't do it.'

But you can do the next pace and you can do the next 100 paces, so gradually you work away at that target and eventually I got out.

It was about tricking myself into believing that I had a future. Because at first rainforests  the big, big thing about them is that you feel like the odd one out.

You feel really oppressed by those trees. It feels like a prison. Because anything there is adapted.

A human doesn't hardly belong, even indigenous people, they make a clearing in the forest. They don't just live within the forest.

Every species there  every ant and every wasp  is all adapted and you're not. And you really feel it because there is no horizon.

If you're in the desert or the Arctic you can see your way forward. In the Amazon it's tree after tree after tree, a bit like prison bars.

You've got to get through that with a mental game, with a trick. You've got to believe somehow there's a horizon out there, which there isn't.

I mean you can't see the horizon because of the trees, so you've somehow got to think of your family, think of your loved ones, think of the world that's waiting out there for you. And head towards it.

It's very hard to think of clear strategies because you just get those feelings of being overwhelmed.

It's sort of somehow about keeping that faith in yourself.

There are certain strategies. I usually have a bit of paper in my survival kit reminding me of basic rules of survival and resilience.

They are things like: have a clear vision of where you're going. Adapt to changing circumstances as you go along. Look to the resources around you. Look to the resources within you.

And there are about nine of these. I have them clearly in my head.

And it just reminds me of basic rules. Otherwise you lose a sense that you have any sort of say in your destiny.

You've got to keep reminding yourself of these basic rules.

In 1983, Allen flew to South America to traverse the 600 miles of the Orinoco river to the mouth of the Amazon

Think of the forest as a resource

In this case it was very fascinating because these people [the children from the plane crash] were indigenous people so they understood the basic premise, which is that if you start using words like 'survival' in a way you've lost because you've got to think of the forest as a resource.

They would have been brought up in that way to think of the forest as not your enemy  you can't fight something as massive as the rainforest. So they would have had the right mindset  there are things there on your side.

You have to calm down and list in your mind what you have on your side. And then they had the manioc (cassava) flour.

So they could have for example used petrol from [the plane]. There's probably petrol there. Obviously if you can create a spark [after extracting it] you've got an instant ready-made fire.

You can find a container and use that petrol and fire suddenly helps you hugely.

A lot of berries, especially palm berries, are nearly all edible.

[On trying to guess which plants are poisonous] That's a dangerous game.

I remember climbing a mountain in the Amazon and I was so desperate and I saw the berries and they looked absolutely wonderful. It's a dangerous thing.

They look just like bilberries, but they weren't, they were a type of hallucinogenic purple berry  very, very dangerous.

You can get survival experts that say what you do is squeeze a little bit of juice on the end of your tongue to see if there's any reaction on your tongue. You see if there's any acid, bitter taste.

It's true, if you've got a day or two to spare you can do that sort of thing, you just put that little bit of berry on your tongue. It's a dangerous thing though.

You are sort of playing the odds and you haven't got time for that to mess around. And what happens is, in a survival situation, you don't think clearly, especially with children.

They would have known it's not a time to play around. It's not a time to experiment, really.

So you go for what you really do know, which is look for wet bits of forest which will have these palms in.

There is a basic rule there that all palm fruit is edible. Snails, generally very safe. Worms, generally safe.

A lot of bark beetles, especially if you can cook them, the larvae are good. A huge amount of protein and energy.

Benedict Allen in the Amazon learning from the Matses people. There are around 2,200 Matses living on the Peru-Brazil frontier in the Amazon rainforest

In the lowlands of New Guinea you've got these amazing sago grubs.

They're like big maggots and they're such a sort of treat if you're trying to survive.

You wouldn't really want to eat them raw but they are very amazing, to keep living off these things.

You pull off a bark of sago palm and there are hundreds of these maggots.

What happens in a survival situation is all the things you worry about... you wouldn't really want to eat them normally, but if you're desperate then you will.

I had a little survival kit [on the infamous 1983 trip]. If there's one thing, just as a sort of central tip, it's take a survival kit. Just a little bag around your waste.

Not too big because the temptation is to shove everything in like Mars bars in there.

But it's really meant for survival and you don't want to be tempted just to leave it aside, so it's got to be really small.

Fishing hooks, fishing line, small blades you can use for cutting things or for putting on a spear [are good things to have in it].

A torch, a little notepad and pencil. That's to leave messages to say you've left that place on a certain day and you're heading northwest or whatever.

A compass. Distress flare if it's the right habitat. If you're in the Amazon it doesn't help having a distress flare. No-one's going to see it.

They might on a river but you'd be better off waving, frankly.

That is about it. Keep it very, very simple.

But also waterproof matches and tinder. A bit of cotton wool.

And funnily enough, the weird things you could put in, which does sound a bit strange, are women's Tampax.

Very, very brilliant for getting a fire going because they are compacted cotton wool.

And actually a condom, weirdly, because with a condom you can carry a huge amount of water.

Anyway, yeah, I had one of these and I had my survival kit and that's what saved me.

I walked something like three weeks alone to get out of the forest and I survived because I was eating piranhas with my fish hook.

Benedict Allen: 'In the lowlands of New Guinea you've got these amazing sago grubs. Big maggots and they're such a sort of treat if you're trying to survive' (Stock image)

Take in as many calories as you can while spending as few as you can

A lot of the tricks that survival experts film on TV are sort of fun but a bit irrelevant.

Basically if you spend time trying to rig up traps that catch food, all this sort of stuff, it uses up a huge amount of energy.

What you've got to try and do is take in as many calories as you can without using a lot of calories. I've lived so long with indigenous people  it's amazing how they don't spend any unnecessary energy.

So for example, I remember this little girl, who's probably the age of one of those children. She's probably about five.

I remember her mother asking her to go and fetch water from the river.

She didn't have a container but what she did was run off to the river, sucked in a huge mouthful of water and brought it back, so that water was actually to use for washing her mother's hands. She was cutting some fish.

This sort of economy of effort is absolutely amazing.

Things that I have done. I have used my socks to fish with, to scoop up.

You look for a small pool of water and use your socks like a sort of net to catch fish.

I found myself with virtually nothing in the Amazon and I had a water bottle, a bit of manioc flour, a bit of oil and just a couple of batteries.

And out of that I made a trap for fish, just a way of quickly catching small fish.

You just make a hole in that water bottle and put manioc flour, a bit of oil in there, and the fish will come into that water bottle and you can trap them.

So for very little energy you've converted that manioc flour into more energy because of the fish.

You can eat pretty much all fish raw, just about.

[Your chances of survival are] increased by not going off to hunt anything, but simply gathering.

You sort of gather what berries you can. A lot of palms you can actually eat the inner core of. You get the palm, you slice it open, you can eat that raw, the core of the palm.

You'll pretty well always find life on the Amazon.

Most of the dangers that I've been talking about, the snakes and the jaguars, these things avoid humans.

Jaguars avoid humans. Snakes  you're really unlikely to be bitten. So it's not a big worry.

But you can get seriously weakened by sleeping on the ground. Indigenous people would note, you build a sort of nest on the ground.

Doesn't so much matter about covering yourself but build a nest so that you're off the damp because that wastes your energy. If you're in a cool environment you're wasting calories.

So you insulate yourself from the ground.
Former President Donald Trump made a clear demonstration that former 'body man' Walt Nauta was with him last week as the two jointly faced a 37-count indictment in court.

But that doesn't mean there aren't still reasons for Nauta to testify against his boss.

That included riding with him in a motorcade to their historic arraignment, dining with him at his Doral club, and flying with him to Bedminster, New Jersey on Tuesday where Trump railed against an 'evil and heinous' abuse of power.

'It does feel like he's making a show of: Look how close we are,' former federal prosecutor Barbara McQuade told DailyMail.com.

Former 'body man' Walt Nauta is identified as a Trump 'co-conspirator' and is accused of lying to the FBI about boxes of classified material

That could be an effort to keep the Navy valet who followed Trump from the White House on Team Trump, as the former president seeks to marshal his legal team and beat charges he says could put him away for 400 years. But despite being charged with the former president, Nauta still has the opportunity to switch sides and testify against him  which could gain him leniency when it comes to charges that could land him in jail.

Lanny Davis, the Washington lawyer who represented former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, had a message for potential cooperators: tell the truth.

Cohen famously split with his former boss after serving as his legal enforcer for years, then testified to Congress about Stormy Daniels 'hush' payments and served time in a New York prison.

'I wont comment specifically on this or any advice to Mr. Nauta  but would offer general advice to anyone failing to tell the truth about Donald Trump out of loyalty: the truth shall set ye free and loyalty to Trump is not worth the price - and wont be returned by him,' he told DailyMail.com.

It may limit Nauta's options at this stage that he lied when meeting with the FBI, according to the indictment.

'His delay may have cost him,' said McQuade. 'It doesnt appear they need him any more. They can win this case without him.'

My contigo: Nauta was with Trump in court, and joined him at the Versailles restaurant in Miami where a crowd of supporters sang 'Happy Birthday' to Trump

Nauta's cooperation might be less valuable to the feds since they already have access to his text messages about moving boxes around Mar-a-Lago

Nauta is a former Naval valet who now works for Trump

He arrived in Miami June 12 the day before Trump's historic arraignment

Trump has kept a small number of aides by his side since leaving the White House

The indictment said Nauta gave false statements to FBI agents who asked him about boxed material at Mar-a-Lago

Experts say Trump faces a strong indictment, although he has drawn a judge who's earlier order about a special master in Trump's favor got overturned

Nauta remains in Trump's orbit and the two could end up having their legal teams work together. Or, Nauta could choose to cooperate with the government and seek favorable treatment

His value as a potential government witness could diminish now that defense lawyers could try to impeach him based on his past alleged false statements Nevertheless, prosecutors could still reach a cooperation agreement with him in order to put up the best possible case.

The indictment identifies Nauta as 'Trump's Co-Conspirator' and lays out numerous times he packed and moved boxes of material around Mar-a-Lago.

It contains text messages from Nauta's cell phone that are both incriminating and anodyne. 'Can we get new box covers before coming these to them on Monday? They have too much writing on them,' he wrote in one January 2022 missive.

It charges both men with a conspiracy to obstruct the recovery of documents, saying the pair 'hid and concealed boxes that contained documents with classification markings' from the FBI and the grand jury, and even Trump's own lawyers.

According to the indictment, Nauta when he met with the FBI made 'a materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statement.'

Nauta told the FBI he didn't know how boxes of material got to Pine Hall inside Mar-a-Lago  when in fact he had moved the boxes there himself. He also helped pack boxes when Trump left the White House.

At one point he also avoided a general question about where the boxes were kept, how they were secured, and whether they were locked.

'I wish, I wish I could tell you. I don't know. I don't  I honestly just don't know,' he said.

Nauta has yet to enter a plea, and has a court date set for June 27 as he seeks a local Florida lawyer.

Washington lawyer Stanley Woodward, who accompanied Nauta on Tuesday, declined to comment about the cooperation issue and whether Nauta had identified a Florida lawyer.

Trump famously railed against cooperators in a Fox News interview while he was president following Michael Cohen's guilty plea.

'It's called flipping, and it almost ought to be illegal,' he fumed. 'They make up things, and now they go from 10 years to now they're a national hero.' He said Cohen 'makes a better deal when he uses me' and avoided longer jail time (he got a three year sentence for campaign finance violations at a federal penitentiary in Otisville, New York).

If he changes course, Nauta may still find he is able to secure a better deal for himself if he splits from Trump  but that may require he testify against his boss.

He could also choose to simply plead guilty without cooperating at some point. Or, he can fight the charges and maintain his place close to Trump  a proximity that was made clear in portions of the indictment, including while strategizing how to move boxes with an unidentified Trump 'family member.'

'Good afternoon Walt, Happy Memorial Day!' the exchange began, as Trump prepared to make an annual move north from West Palm Beach amid the summer heat.

'I just saw you put boxes to Potus room ... Not sure how many he wants to take on Friday on the plane. We will NOT have room for them ...'

'Good Afternoon Ma'am,' he responded with a smiley face emoji.

I think he wanted to pick from them. I don't imagine him wanting to take the boxes. He told me to put them in the room and that he was going to talk to you about them.'
A martial arts expert who is believed to have choked a British father to death in a luxury hotel in Thailand after a row over his opera singing has evaded prosecution in Thailand and is enjoying his freedom in Norway after nearly four years on the run, MailOnline can reveal.

Roger Bullman, 58, cheated justice by jumping bail in 2019 before he could stand trial for the murder of Amitpal Singh Bajaj, 34, in an early hours row on the holiday island of Phuket.

The horrific incident happened after Mr Bajaj who was with his wife and 20-month-old son heard Bullman singing and yodelling in the room next door and then ranting at his girlfriend for four hours.

Heavily-tattooed Bullman burst into the familys room through a balcony door at 4am and strangled Mr Bajaj in a chokehold as his victim tried to defend himself with a flimsy butter knife.

He was held by police and allegedly admitted killing the London-born IT consultant, but he was incredibly given bail and fled before a court appearance.

Bullman, a bodybuilding former soldier, was at the centre of a worldwide manhunt as he initially stayed in Cambodia and Laos before hiding in Vietnam for more than three years.

Now MailOnline can reveal the extraordinary details of the Norwegian killer's bid to evade justice and back to Norway last month using another mans passport - despite being on an Interpol red notice list to alert police forces around the world that he was on the run.

Amitpal Singh Bajaj (pictured with his wife Bandhna) was brutally beaten to death in his hotel room in Phuket in 2019 after getting into a row with Bullman in the next room over his singing

Mrs Bajaj has previously told how her husband died a hero when he fought off the naked stranger who got into their room - and saved her life and that of their two-year-old son, Veer

This is Roger Bullman on his journey back to the UK, pictured in June of this year

MailOnline can reveal the extraordinary details of the Norwegian killer's bid to evade justice - despite being on an Interpol red notice list

Bullman (pictured) and his lover Elvira had flown to Phuket from Oslo via Bangkok on August 17 on a two-week package holiday. His wife told police she slept through the whole incident

He is said to have enlisted the help of Vietnamese gangsters and used an inheritance from his late mother to pay for his flights to freedom.

Bullman who is now using the name Kurt Harald Hansen presented himself to local police on his arrival in Oslo and revealed that he was wanted in Thailand.

Incredibly he was not held in custody and was allowed to leave after giving officers an address where he is staying in Norway.

His lawyer is now insisting that he cannot now be sent back to Thailand to stand trial for the murder of Mr Bajaj because there is no extradition treaty.

But if police in Norway decide there is strong enough evidence to charge him over Mr Bajajs death, he could stand trial in his home country.

If convicted, he would then potentially serve time in a Norwegian prison instead of having to endure a potentially longer sentence in a far tougher jail in Thailand.

His arrival in Norway after his years of freedom in south east Asia has allowed him to be reunited with his daughter.

But it is said to has sickened relatives of Mr Baja who grew up in London, but lived in Singapore before his death.

Bullman, a Norwegian martial arts expert, is pictured by a Thai police officer in the hotel after being stabbed in the shoulder with a butter knife during the scuffle with his victim Mr Bajaj

Bullman killed Mr Bajaj by putting him a choke hold during a melee as his victim stabbed him with a butter knife. Bullman then dragged him on to a walkway in front of their rooms (above)

Police in Thailand searched the room where the British father - who was on holiday celebrating his tenth wedding anniversary - died from his injuries

Sketch shows the rooms, balconies and where Mr Bajaj was found on a walkway outside his room

A source close to the family in Southall, west London, said: We are shocked that he has escaped and remained free for so long.

I am not confident that he will ever face a murder charge now. Interpol and the Thai police have a lot of questions to answer as to how Bullman is free in Oslo. This is just terrible.

Bullmans lawyer John Christian Elden believes Thai police will no longer be interested in pursuing a case against him, and would see it as a task Scotland Yard or authorities in Norway.

Mr Elden told MailOnline told how Bullman had reported to police on arrival at Gardermoen Airport in Oslo to avoid being taken into custody.

He said: He wanted to give an explanation to the police and wanted the police to investigate this case.

He wanted to tell them that he was not a flight risk as he had just come home. There should not be a risk that he will be arrested at this time.

But the police (in Norway) will get all the documents from Thailand and Scotland Yard as there must be some documents in England as well. Then they will open a case in Norway and investigate.

He said Bullman could be charged in Norway if there was sufficient evidence, although he was claiming that he acted in self-defence.

But he added: His explanation is that this was a struggle between the two of them and he (Mr Bajaj) died during the struggle and that he was attacked.

Mr Elden said: The police will investigate and if they believe him in that or if they cant prove that it is not true, then they will have to close down the case.

The English police and the Norwegian police will have to co-operate in some kind of way to see how to deal with it.

I think Thailand doesnt have very much interest in the case and will just be happy to send all the papers here and to keep the problem in England or Norway.

I dont think Thailand will make any kind of arguments like asking for him to be extradited back.

Mr Elden said he expected Bullman to receive a sentence of between ten and 12 years if charged and convicted in Norway.

He added: He just doesnt want to be in a Thai jail.

The burly 6ft 2ins tall bodybuilder is said to have killed Mr Bajaj when they were staying in neighbouring rooms at the at the five star Centara Grand Hotel in Karon, Phuket.

Police in Thailand said the Norwegian was singing opera on his balcony up until 4am on August 21, 2019, although Mrs Bajaj insisted that she only heard swearing and shouting which kept her and her husband awake.

Mrs Bajaj called security second before Bullman who was on holiday with his girlfriend burst naked into their third floor room and began grappling with her husband.

She fled with their toddler son Veer after her husband urged her to escape, telling her: Go, go, go.

Mr Bajajs widow Bandhna did not want to talk to MailOnline about her feelings this week

She heard him screaming for his life when she reached the ground floor to seek help.

Bullman who had been drinking dragged Mr Bajaj into a corridor where hotel staff found the pair. Mr Bajaj was lying lifeless with Bullmans arm still gripped around his neck.

It later emerged that Mr Bajaj had picked up a thin metal butter knife and stabbed Bullman in the shoulder, bending the blade in half during the struggle.

Bullman admitted killing Mr Bajaj when interviewed by police and was told he was facing a manslaughter charge.

He was freed on bail and was due to attend Phuket Provincial Court to discuss possible bail arrangements before a potential trial.

But he failed to attend and MailOnline found him sunning himself beside a pool at the Ikon Hotel in Karon when he should have been in court.

A warrant was issued for his arrest, but he disappeared before he could be detained. It later emerged that his manslaughter charge had been upgraded to murder.

Bullman reportedly ended up hiding for 23 hours a day in a tiny flat at Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, telling friends in Oslo that he would only venture out for an hour each night to avoid being detected.

Suffering poor health, including a stomach ulcer and dental problems, he allegedly made contact with Vietnamese gangsters who had connections on Norway and offered to help get him home.

Bullman reportedly ended up being held hostage by the gangsters who threatened to hand him over to police unless they were paid a ransom.

Bullman was released on bail by police in Thailand 12 hours after the killing. Here he is pictured relaxing in a hotel swimming pool just before vanishing

This is the holiday home in Skjeberg which was sold and funded Roger Bullman's journey back to Norway

Sources said Bullman kept in touch with friends in Norway by using the secure phone app Signal and begged them to help get him back

After two months, he claims, he was released and made three separate attempts to receive a false passport to allow him to leave, visiting Norwegian consulates.

Sources said he kept in touch with friends in Norway by using the secure phone app Signal and begged them to help get him back.

He also received money from the estate of his mother Turid Hansen who died aged 79 in April 2021. The inheritance included 125,000 from the sale of his mothers holiday home in Skjeberg, south east of Oslo.

Describing his time in Vietnam, a friend said: He would speak to his daughter on the phone app and she would beg him to give himself up to the police and then come home. Being a child, she didnt understand the problems and just wanted her father home.

The Covid-19 pandemic was good for Roger. There were huge enforcements to ensure people stayed indoors in Ho Chi Minh, so it fitted in with his lifestyle.

When he went out, which was rare, he could cover his face with a mask like everyone else.

But it also meant that he was lucky that food would be delivered free to his door because of the lockdown.

Roger Bullman went on the run after killing Amitpal Singh Bajaj in Thailand

His landlord saw that his passport wasnt correct and asked him several times to report to the police, but he ignored it as he was very scared that he would be caught.

Bullman allegedly flew home after being given a Norwegian passport in the name of a man who was 23 years his junior.

He disguised himself on his journey with a face mask, giving the impression he was still concerned about Covid, and long shirt sleeves covering his distinctive tattoos stretching from his left shoulder to beyond his elbow.

Crucially, the illicit passport he was given had an entry stamp into Vietnam so it could stamped with an exit visa for his flight from Hanoi to Paris.

Bullman passed through security checks, despite the passport picture showing a a man many years his junior.

But his return to Norway was almost derailed on the last leg of his journey by electronic passport security systems at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris

Sources said he realised his best chance of evading capture was to have his passport manually checked and to avoid electronic scanners which transmit passenger photos onto screens.

He was apparently warned by his backers to wear a face mask until being asked to lower it at the last moment and to ensure he arrived in the early hours as night shift staff might be tired.

Bullmans passport was initially rejected by one scanner because his features did not match, and he was directed to a manual passport desk.

The source claimed he was then waived through because the woman and a policeman on the desk were flirting and not paying proper attention, allowing him to board a Norwegian Air flight to Oslo.

Bullman declined to be interviewed by MailOnline in Olso, but he told podcasters Avhort of his shame at killing Mr Bajaj.

He said: May I first be allowed to offer my condolences to the family and tell them how sorry I am.

I am very ashamed, and it should never have happened that a little boy should lose his father and a young woman has become a widow because of me.

The Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket, where the horror incident had place in 2019

Image shows the fruit knife supplied by the hotel to cut Guava fruit which Mr Bajaj used to try and fend off Bullman with a backward stabbing motion as he was being choked

Sometimes I damn well wish it was me, so I wouldn't have to deal with this. I see that man (Mr Bajaj) as some kind of hero. I think he tried to protect his little family, which I didn't even know was there.

I think he wanted to put an end to my screaming and my behaviour. If I could ever talk to that little boy, I would explain to him that his dad was a hero who tried to save you and your mother.

He gave an exclusive interview to MailOnline the day after he was given bail in Thailand, saying: Adrenalin took me over.

Bullman added: I didn't want to kill him. I didn't know he was dead until the police told me he had died in hospital.'

'I have worked with psychiatric patients for 14 years and that is how you must restrain them (choke hold).

Recalling the night of the killing, he said: 'I was with my girlfriend and we were happy that night.

'I am not a monster. I have a nine-year-old daughter who I may not see again for a long time.'

He added: 'I am going to jail for between three and ten years and at my age of 54 it is not going to be easy. They make it tougher for you, the other guys, if you are older.

'I am lost. My girlfriend has gone home and I am alone here.'

Mr Bajajs widow Bandhna did not want to talk to MailOnline about her feelings this week.

But in her only interview, given to MailOnline in Singapore in 2019, she heaped praise on her husband, saying he wanted his courage to be recognised against Bullmans brutality.

This is the block of apartments where Bullman used to live

Bullman (pictured in June this year) declined to be interviewed by MailOnline in Olso, but he told podcasters Avhort of his shame at killing Mr Bajaj

Bullman (pictured) allegedly flew home after being given a Norwegian passport in the name of a man who was 23 years his junior

She said: When I saw Amitpal protect me and my son like that, I think I have never loved him as much as I loved him at that moment.

I dont think everyone could do what he did. I dont think I could have done that.

The fact that he gave me time to run with our son, shows that he put our lives before his.

I have a lot of respect for him because even in our (Sikh) religion we are taught to have courage and be selfless. But to actually act upon it is a different thing.

My husband named my son Veer which means strength and he always wanted him to be a warrior with his mind.

He said. If you are strong in your mind you will be strong in your life so I will always remind Veer of that. 

Mrs Bajaj said they had been scared by Bullmans aggressive shouting and swearing which went on from midnight for over four hours from the room next door

She recalled how she and her husband met at a mutual friends wedding in Singapore when she was a student in Sydney, and clicked straight away.

They became friends and had a long distance romance with him living in the UK and her in Australia before getting engaged three years after they met when she was aged 21

The couple initially lived in Southall for six years and shuttled between Malaysia and Singapore for his IT consultancy work, before they moved to be with her family in Singapore.
Japan has raised the age of sexual consent from 13 to 16 after it remained unchanged for more than a century and was among the world's lowest.

The country's parliament on Friday passed the revision of the laws amid calls for greater protection of children and women.

The revision was part of a revamping of laws related to sex crimes. Separately, Parliament passed a new law on Friday to increase awareness of LGBTQ+ issues which activists criticized for not guaranteeing equal rights for sexual minorities.

Reforms providing greater protection for victims of sexual crimes and stricter punishment of assailants have come slowly in a country where the legislative and judicial branches have long been dominated by men.

Japan in 2017 revised its criminal code on sexual crimes for the first time in 110 years. A series of acquittals in cases of sexual abuse and growing instances of sexual images taken of girls and women without their consent have triggered public outrage, prompting the new revisions.

Lawmakers stand as Japan's Parliament on Friday raised the age of sexual consent to 16 from 13

The changes enacted Friday make sexual intercourse with someone below age 16 considered rape. They specify eight scenarios of 'consentless sex crimes,' a new term for forced sexual intercourse, including being assaulted under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fear, or intimidation.

They also ban the filming, distribution and possession of sexually exploitative images taken without consent.

The statute of limitations for sex crimes was also extended by five years, to 10 years for consentless sexual intercourse. That crime is now subject to up to 15 years in prison, while 'photo voyeurism' can be punished by up to three years' imprisonment.

The changes were sparked in part by a case in Nagoya in which a father who raped his 19-year-old daughter was acquitted by a court which ruled that while the daughter did not give her consent, she did not resist violently. The decision prompted nationwide protests.

Activists said the new LGBTQ+ law threatens them instead of promoting equality because of last-minute changes which apparently catered to opponents of transgender rights.

Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations which does not have LGTBQ+ legal protections.

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) stands with his cabinet members. The country's parliament on Friday passed the revision of the laws amid calls for greater protection of children and women

Support for same-sex marriage and other rights has grown among the Japanese public, but opposition remains strong within the governing Liberal Democratic Party, known for conservative values and a reluctance to promote gender equality and sexual diversity.

The final version of the law states that 'unjust discrimination' is unacceptable but doesnt clearly ban discrimination.

It says that conditions should be created so that 'all citizens can live with peace of mind,' which activists say shows the governing party prioritized the concerns of opponents of equal rights over the rights of sexual minorities.

'The law does not look at us or our ordeals, and instead looks to the direction of those causing us pain,' said Minori Tokieda, a transgender woman. 'I'm deeply concerned about how the law treats us as if our presence threatens the people's sense of safety.'
The son of a woman whose body was donated to Harvard Medical School has launched a class-action lawsuit on behalf of families whose loved ones' remains may have been mishandled by the school's former morgue manager.

It comes after Cedric Lodge, who worked at the esteemed college from 1995 until May this year, was indicted Wednesday after allegedly selling heads, brains, skin and other body parts stolen from the morgue.

John Bozek filed the lawsuit Friday in Suffolk Superior Court in Boston, and claims families from up to 400 donated cadavers could join his class-action.

The lawsuit states his mother, Adele Mazzone, arranged to donate her body to the medical school for research before her death in February 2019. Although her ashes were returned in April 2021, Bozek, of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, thinks that his mother's body was one of those desecrated at the morgue.

His suit alleges negligence, breach of duty and infliction of emotional distress.

Cedric Lodge (pictured) is said to have stolen the remains from cadavers donated to the prestigious university for scientific research and education.

The new lawsuit filed against Harvard Medical School (pictured) alleges negligence, breach of duty and infliction of emotional distress

Bozek's lawsuit comes after several families have expressed concerns in recent days their loved ones' body parts may have been sold on the black market.

The filing states that he is launching the class-action suit for people 'whose family members donated and entrusted their deceased bodies into Harvard's custody for medical research and academic study.'

The lawsuit is seeking damages for those whose 'cadavers were then mishandled, dissected, and/or sold by the HMS morgue manager,' the suit says.

A Harvard spokesperson said via email that the university had no comment on the lawsuit.

When someone loses a loved one, 'sometimes the only thing they can latch onto, is that their loved ones' remains are going to be used for an important scientific purpose,' Jeff Catalano, a partner at Keches Law Group, which is representing Bozek, said in a statement.

He added that Harvard owed a duty of care to the families who entrusted the school with custody of their loved ones' donated bodies.

'Medical schools like Harvard have a duty to ensure donated remains are handled properly and with decency and to ensure they are used for their intended purpose of scientific study,' he added.

Among those who fear their relatives may have been victims of the depraved scheme was Sarah Hill, who said she felt 'sick' at the thought of her beloved aunt Christine Eppich's remains being stolen from the research center.

'You know you give your loved one to a program like Harvard and you think that everything will be done properly, and that people would never profit from something like this,' she told Boston25.

'We as family members gave her body to Harvard thinking that she was in the best hands possible.'

Sarah Hill (right) said her aunt Christine Eppich (left) may have been a victim of the depraved scheme, which she said made her feel 'sick'

Denise Lodge, left, covers her face with a printout of the indictment against her as she walks from the federal courthouse, Wednesday, June 14, 2023

News of the black market scheme has shocked the nation following Wednesday's indictment, with Harvard deans George Daley and Edward Hundert condemning the incident on the school's website as 'morally reprehensible.'

'We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus - a community dedicated to healing and serving others,' the deans wrote.

'The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research.'

The former morgue manager, 55-year-old Cedric Lodge, his wife and three other people are facing federal criminal charges. Harvard said Lodge was fired May 6.

According to prosecutors, the defendants were part of a nationwide network of people who bought and sold remains stolen from Harvard Medical School and an Arkansas mortuary.

Lodge sometimes took the body parts - which included heads, brains, skin and bones - back to his Goffstown, New Hampshire, home.

Some of the remains were allegedly even shipped through the United States Postal Service and were paid for on platforms including PayPal.

Lodge also allegedly allowed buyers to come to the morgue to pick which remains they wanted to buy, authorities said.

Several buyers have also been named in the indictment including Jeremy Pauley (pictured)

Pauley, 40, had previously been arrested and charged for abuse of a corpse, receiving stolen property and dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activities

Alleged buyer Katrina MacLean, of Salem, Massachusetts, who owned and operated a business called Kat's Creepy Creations in Peabody, Massachusetts (pictured)

Maclean is also accused of selling on the remains he obtained to other buyers in multiple states including to Jeremy Pauley

Also included in the disturbing indictment was Katrina Maclean, 44, who ran ominous small business Kat's Creepy Creations in Peabody, Massachusetts.

Maclean is also accused of selling the remains to other buyers in multiple states, including to Jeremy Pauley of Enola and Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.

Pauley, 40, had previously been arrested and charged for abuse of a corpse, receiving stolen property and dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activities last summer.

In October 2020 Maclean sold two dissected faces and skin to Pauley for $600, who was hired to tan the skin and make it into leather before shipping it back to Maclean.

The indictment states that Pauley transferred $8,800 to MacLean and 25 payments totaling $40,049.04 to Taylor via PayPal.

Pauley also purchased body parts that were stolen from a crematorium in Little Rock, Arkansas, by Candace Chapman Scott, according to a statement from the Department for Justice.

'Some crimes defy understanding,' United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam said in a statement about the indictments.

'The theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the very essence of what makes us human.

'It is particularly egregious that so many of the victims here volunteered to allow their remains to be used to educate medical professionals and advance the interests of science and healing.

'For them and their families to be taken advantage of in the name of profit is appalling. With these charges, we are seeking to secure some measure of justice for all these victims.'

In a statement George Q. Daley, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Harvard described Lodge's behavior as 'an abhorrent betrayal' and 'morally reprehensible.'

'We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus  a community dedicated to healing and serving others.

'The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research.

'We are so very sorry for the pain this news will cause for our anatomical donors families and loved ones, and HMS pledges to engage with them during this deeply distressing time.'
The 12-year-old girl was hauled from the water to safety, and officials say she is recovering well

With her mother desperately pleading for help, the police selflessly dived into the reservoir and shot out the back window

Stunning police bodycam footage captured the moment two hero cops scrambled to save a girl from a submerged van

Stunning footage has revealed the moment two hero cops rescued a 12-year-old girl from a submerged van while her mom frantically pleaded for help.

The officers, from the Tooele City Police Department in Utah, arrived on the scene moments after the van had rolled into a reservoir.

With the girl's mother watching on, the desperate situation dawned on the heroic cops, as one of them was heard in the bodycam video telling the other: 'We're doing this.'

After several minutes of manic effort, one of the officers decides to shoot out the van's window, allowing the girl to be hauled to safety.

Police bodycam footage captured the moment two hero cops leapt into a reservoir to save a 12-year-old girl inside a submerged van

The daring rescue effort unfolded earlier this month at the Settlement Canyon Reservoir near Salt Lake City, Utah.

Footage of the incident began with an officer hastily pulling up to the scene on the banks of the water, where the girl's mom repeatedly screamed 'Oh my god' as she hurried police from their vehicle.

'Hey, take your boots off, we're doing this', one of the officers says, becoming seemingly more alarmed to learn the victim inside is just 12-years-old.

Initially calling for goggles and a crowbar, it then became clear the situation required urgent action, leading the officer to shoot through the window instead.

'We got to shoot it out, you are not going to break it with the water in here,' one of the cops could be heard saying.

Video showed the officers selflessly scrambling to save the girl's life, while her mother desperately pleads for help from the banks

Police were able to shoot the window out and retrieve the girl in time, before the van was recovered hours later (pictured)

With several bystanders joining the effort, minutes of anxious bodycam footage is concluded when someone triumphantly shouts: 'We got an arm!'

'We got her out of the car, we are starting CPR', one of the officers says.

The Tooele Police Department told KSL-TV that the girl is now recovering well, and that investigators believe the van accidentally rolled into the reservoir.

The reason the officers were thankfully able to arrive on the scene so quickly was explained by the officer's captain to ABC4.

Colbey Bentley revealed that the two cops were checking water levels near the reservoir, when a witness flagged them down after the van slid into the lake.

The daring rescue effort unfolded earlier this month at the Settlement Canyon Reservoir near Salt Lake City, Utah

Trained lifeguard Rebecca Sweat (pictured) said the emergency was a 'life-or-death situation'

Another member of the rescue effort, Rebecca Sweat, told Fox13 that it was a 'life-or-death situation'.

'I jumped out of our car, I then run down, to the water and I saw a woman in the water up to her chest and shes saying, my daughter, my daughter, is in the water,' she said.

Sweat, who has been a lifeguard for 17 years, added: 'With that training, I believe that's what helped save a life.

'So Im yelling, just get her to me, just get her to me. I then performed the two rescue breaths, the other officer was out of the water about that time, and started to perform CPR.'

'It was a scary situation to put myself in, but having the experience that I do... I kind of felt that I knew what I was doing, but there was a lot fear, shock, and then just being a mother, that feeling of just needing to save that baby.'

'I was in between the whole area trying to run back the tools,' said her husband, Bryton Sweat. 'Trying to get a hammer to them, to keep that safety line as close to them as possible.'

'She definitely has a place in our hearts,' he added. 'Were so grateful shes still with us. couldnt be any happier.'
Two junior cops who stopped for a roadside mid-shift coffee break on a quiet Sunday night would minutes later be the first two people on the scene of Australia's worst bus crash in decades.

The pair had pulled into a service station at Greta, near Singleton in the NSW Hunter Valley, about 11:30pm on the foggy winter night, reports The Daily Telegraph who interviewed first responders.

As they drove back out onto Wine Country Drive they were confronted with a scene of devastation they had trained for but hoped never to encounter.

A white bus they had seen drive by the petrol station not five minutes earlier was on its side at the edge of a roundabout, the front windscreen smashed out and its headlights piercing through the fog.

Passengers, who had been at a wedding that afternoon, had already managed to crawl out, at least one by smashing a window, and were wandering the edge of the road in a daze.

Two junior highway patrol officers were the first on the scene of the horrific Hunter Valley bus crash

The two patrol officers, neither of whom had attended a 'major trauma event' before, sprang into action by shepherding the survivors to safe areas, setting up exclusions zones and assessing and relaying the scene to base.

By 11:40pm two more highway patrol cars were on the scene followed by a general duties car, ambulance officers and an off-duty paramedic who stumbled across the scene.

Six helicopters, 11 ambulances and three ambulance rescue units were dispatched to the scene.

There were soon more than 30 paramedics at the crash site along with fire crews, police, and other medical experts.

Running on adrenaline they assessed each passenger - discovering four had already died from crush wounds - and triaged the survivors.

One man they found was pinned under the bus but was still alive.

NSW Fire and Rescue crews used twin-tonne airbags to raise the wreck before securing it with wooden blocks and pulling the man free.

NSW Ambulance Inspector Joel de'Zuna, a paramedic with 18 years experience, was among the first wave of responders.

On his way to the crash site he was told by the dispatcher: 'We've got multiple passengers, up to 40. There are people trapped under the bus.'

He asked how many triple-zero calls there had been, hoping one might be some kind of mistake or exaggeration.

'Multiple calls,' the dispatcher told him.

Once at the scene he helped direct the ambulance response, setting up safe areas were paramedics could stop and treat patients and constantly radioed in the situation.

By midnight he had declared a 'major incident'.

Within an hour of the first emergency calls all the survivors had been freed from the wreck and were receiving treatment

By 12:15am two more patients had been declared dead, the death toll would be 10 by the end of the night.

By 12:20am the helicopters were approaching to land at nearby Green Ridge Estate where specialist doctors would be met by police to race them back to the crash site.

De'Zuna told them a woman, now intubated, with multiple chest injuries would be their first critical patient.

One firefighter recalled holding up drips and carrying patients on stretchers to assist paramedics and doctors as they 'did their work saving lives'.

He asked not to be named out of respect to 'ambulance officers, police officers and particularly those first highway patrol guys at the scene who did much more than me'.

Police officers were reportedly racing between hospitals and the crash site to replenish blood stocks in between comforting survivors.

Within an hour after the first emergency crews arrived on scene all the surviving passengers were freed from the wreckage and receiving treatment.

By 2am the last of the patients were transported from the scene.

Acting Superintendent Matt Zimmer, who was in command of the NSW Police response on the night, said support was now being offered not only to the victims and their families but to emergency crews.

'Our first responders were faced with confronting and challenging scenes,' Act Supt Zimmer said.

'A number of them are very young officers and this is the first occasion that they have been exposed to such a traumatic incident.

He said some of the officers have been granted leave and will be welcomed back when they are ready.

'We have people who are hurting and will continue to support these people who need it most.'

The crash site was awash with flowers this week as a makeshift memorial to the victims who had been at a wedding that afternoon

NSW Ambulance Hunter New England Chief Superintendent Luke Wiseman said for many officers it would be the most confronting scene of their careers.

'The wedding party has taken all reasonable and responsible steps to ensure their guests are safely transported to and from their most special day. Unfortunately, this has ended in tragedy,' he said.

'I have absolute respect for the collaboration that occurred to provide patient care and ensuring the injured involved were taken to receive the most appropriate care.'

He thanked all those involved in the emergency response including NSW Ambulance Control Centres, Aeromedical teams, interagency teams including NSW Police Force, Fire and Rescue NSW, the Rural Fire Service, NSW Health, and the Local Health district hospitals in particular John Hunter Hospital, Calvary Mater Hospital and The Maitland Hospital.
Civil servants have been warned against sharing state secrets with artificial intelligence programs like ChatGPT and told to 'rigorously' question the software's output to avoid bias, leaked official guidance has revealed.

Whitehall officials were reportedly told to be wary of the answers such AI bots might return and to always double check them to avoid being misled.

A six-page document, seen by The Daily Telegraph, was circulated to all departments in April and suggests a concern in the heart of government about the power of the new technology and the companies behind it.

The warning comes as workplaces across the country are having to navigate the pitfalls of the new technology as they try to employ it into their workflows.

Government officials have, however, also been given the go ahead to use the technology in their work, and were encouraged to be 'inquisitive' and 'explore' it.

Whitehall officials were reportedly told to be wary of the answers AI bots might return and to always double check them to avoid being misled

ChatGPT's launch last year was seen as a democratising moment for the technology, with the free program allowing users to make requests and get answers immediately (file image)

One part of the guidance reportedly read: 'You should never input information that is classified, sensitive or reveals the intent of government (that may not be in the public domain) into any of these tools. You should have regard to the principles of GDPR.'

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules dictate how people's personal information can be used by companies and public bodies.

Another part read: 'You should never put sensitive information or personal data into these tools. Beyond existing data protection laws, government has no oversight over how data, which is entered into web-based Generative AI tools, is then used.

'Therefore, you should not put information into Generative AI tools that, if compromised or lost, could have damaging consequences for individuals, groups of individuals, an organisation or for government more generally.'

It also warns of the risk of bias, cautioning that Generative AI outputs can be susceptible to providing users with misinformation.

Mandarins have been told to cross-reference and cite their sources as information obtained through the programs may come from sources they 'would not trust in other contexts'.

Answers may seen convincing, the guidance says, but officials should always apply 'high standards of rigour' when checking them.

Civil service workers were encouraged to ask three 'H' questions when considering how they might be able to use the programs appropriately.

According to the newspaper's report, these questions are: How your question will be used by the system? How answers from Generative AI can mislead? And: How Generative AI operates?

The guidance also said: 'We encourage you to explore this technology and consider the implications for your organisations and the services you provide.'

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been vocal about the technology's importance and brought it up in a conversation with President Joe Biden earlier this month

Governments and companies around the world are just starting to come to grips with how AI tools can be used in their day-to-day work.

Administrations are also working out how best to legislate around the technology, which has come on leaps and bounds in the past year.

READ MORE: Keir Starmer warns of 'staggering' job losses from an AI revolution Sir Keir Starmer warned of 'staggering' job losses from an Artificial Intelligence revolution set to affect the world in the 'next 12 or 18 months' Advertisement

ChatGPT's launch late last year was widely seen as a democratising moment for the technology, with the free program allowing users to make requests and get answers immediately.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been vocal about the technology's importance and brought it up in a conversation with President Joe Biden earlier this month.

He has been attempting to position the UK at the forefront of the discussion around the technology, and used a trip to Washington to push the country as a global centre for its regulation.

Britain is set to host a summit later this year to discuss what regulation frameworks may be adopted for it.

Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, has also made been clear about the usefulness of AI, saying: 'It is really important we focus on the benefits, as well as the risks.'

It comes after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer this week warned of 'staggering' job losses from an Artificial Intelligence revolution set to affect the world in the 'next 12 or 18 months'.

He acknowledged 'many' workers would be replaced in their current roles by technology as he called for a 'much more informed discussion' about AI's impact on employment.

Starmer shied away from supporting widespread payouts for Britons - through a Universal Basic Income - as AI takes over work and said there should instead be an effort to 'retrain and reskill the workforce into other areas'.

He also insisted AI would be 'a real gamechanger for the country' and outlined how the technology could be used to increase cancer detection rates or even drive buses.

Speaking at London Tech Week, the Labour leader claimed Britain was 'slightly behind the curve' on the development of AI despite recent efforts by Rishi Sunak.
Kmart has ditched its independent living range across the country prompting backlash from Australians struggling with mobility issues.

The retail giant removed the entire section from its online stores and shops due to the products - which included wheelchairs and mobility walkers - not being in 'demand'.

But a pensioner lashed out at the store in the wake of the move saying she was worried about 'how I'm going to afford these items'.

The store was plugging the products in March last year saying, 'make everyday life easier with a range of independent living products - all at our famous low prices!'

Its stock included a $169 wheelchair, $15 foldable walking sticks, $89 mobility walkers and $79 shopping trolleys with seats.

Kmart removed the entire section of its 'independent living' range from its online stores and shops due to the products not being in 'demand'

Its 'affordable' range included $89 mobility walkers and $79 shopping trolleys with seats (pictured)

Kmart offered wheelchairs at $169 (pictured) while other specialty websites and stores sell them at prices starting from $299 to $325

But no results could be found on its website for these independent living products during a quick search on Saturday.

'I went onto the Kmart website to purchase some items for my husband who is in hospital and has mobility issues as a result of his illness,' a pensioner told 7News.

But she could only find a discounted foam cushion at the time.

'I was pretty upset ... and am now worried how I'm going to afford these items for my husband.

'It makes me angry that Kmart isn't catering to a whole group of customers who need them.'

Kmart also sold other specialty items including rails and bathroom safety accessories to help those living with disabilities and mobility issues.

The wife said she has friends who have bought walkers and shower seats from Kmart because they were so affordable.

Kmart sold mobility walkers for $89 while other competitors sold them from $289

A spokesperson for Kmart confirmed a 'small number of products' have been taken away from shops and online stores

Other online brands selling similar products showed Kmart's pricing was competitive.

Harvey Norman has mobility walkers going from $289 and its cheapest wheelchair retails for $299, while other specialty sites sell them from $325.

A spokesperson for Kmart confirmed to 7News a 'small number of products' have been taken away from shops and online stores.

They said there had been no demand for those particular products and spruiked items still available that 'promote inclusivity, wellbeing and exercise' for customers of all ages and abilities.

A Kmart spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia it had stopped selling a 'small number' of products in the independent living range.

'Unfortunately at this time there hasn't been a demand for those particular products, but we still have several products that promote inclusivity, wellbeing and exercise to help support customers of all ages and abilities that sit across other categories,' the spokesperson said.

'Being able to give our customers access to the everyday products they need is at the core of who we are.

'We are constantly looking for new and innovative products and ranges that we think our customers will love and will make their everyday living brighter.'
The Duke of Sussexs High Court battle to hire police protection is expected to cost taxpayers more than 1million.

The bill has already hit 502,236 and his appeal against a court decision last month is set to cost an additional 500,000.

The court ruled it would set an unwanted precedent to allow millionaires to fund their own police protection.

As a result, Harry will have to fork out some court costs  but only 10,000. A Freedom of Information request showed that the case has cost the State 492,000  with Harry paying the other 10,000.

The duke had claimed it was unfair and illegal to remove his armed guard when he visits the UK. The Home Office and Metropolitan Police both argued it was not in the public interest to protect him.

Prince Harry's High Court battle to hire police protection is expected to cost taxpayers more than 1million. Pictured: The Duke of Sussex, leaves the High Court in London, March 27, 2023

The duke had claimed it was unfair and illegal to remove his armed guard when he visits the UK. Pictured: Harry and Meghan attend Commonwealth Day Service, March 09, 2020

According to The Sun, the Home Office cannot get the costs back due to an unspecified loophole.

Both Harry and Meghan stepped down as working royals some three and a half years ago.

Prince Harry's representatives have since been contacted by MailOnline.

The news comes after it was revealed Meghan's lucrative Spotify podcast Archetypes will not be renewed for a second season.

The audio giant and the Sussexes' audio production company Archewell Audio released a joint statement on Thursday night saying they have 'mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together'.

Meghan and Harry reportedly signed a 15million ($20million) deal with Spotify for the project in late 2020 but insiders close to the audio giant claim the royal couple did not meet the productivity benchmark required to receive the full payout, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The move to ditch the Duchess of Sussex's show, which explores the 'labels that try to hold women back', follows discussions months ago about renewing it for a second series.

The talent agency that recently signed Meghan, WME, told the Wall Street Journal: 'The team behind Archetypes remain proud of the podcast they created at Spotify. Meghan is continuing to develop more content for the Archetypes audience on another platform.'

The podcast reached the top of Spotify's charts in the week it premiered.

Spotify, Archwell and WME have been contacted by MailOnline.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit the track and field event at the Invictus Games in The Hague, Netherlands, April 17, 2022

Meghan Markle's Spotify podcast Archetypes will not be renewed for a second season, it was announced

Archetypes launched in August last year, exploring the 'labels that try to hold women back'. The Duke and Duchess reportedly signed the deal for $20million but will not receive the full payout as it did not reach the productivity benchmark

It follows speculation that Duke and Duchess of Sussex will now stop making tell-all Netflix documentaries, publishing memoirs and sitting down for interviews that bash the Royal Family, according to sources close to the pair, as they have 'nothing left to say'.

Since officially leaving the Royal Family and moving to California in 2020, the Duke and Duchess have pursued a number of different avenues to bring in revenue.

This includes Prince Harry's bombshell memoir Spare which he created as part of a $20million deal with Penguin Books.

The couple also teamed up with Netflix to produce the docu-series called Harry And Meghan, with the streaming giant reportedly paying the pair $100million for the six-episode series.
Elon Musk was in Paris on Friday with his mother Maye and ex-wife Talulah Riley - meeting the French president, lunching with the world's second richest man, Bernard Arnault, and addressing a tech conference where he warned about the dangers of AI.

Later on Friday evening the group attended an event at the National Library.

Musk, 51, is in the midst of something of a European tour, as leaders try to court the Tesla boss and encourage investment in their countries. On Thursday he was in Rome to meet the Italian prime minister and foreign minister; the day later, he met Emmanuel Macron for the second time in just over a month.

'Let's work together!' tweeted the French president, with the hashtag: '#ChooseFrance.'

French officials are hoping to convince Musk to pick France for the construction of his next Tesla gigafactory in Europe.

Elon Musk and his mother Maye are seen leaving their Paris hotel to go to the National Library on Friday evening

Musk and his mother are seen getting into their car on Friday evening

Talulah Riley, Musk's ex wife, changed into a brown spotted number for the Friday evening event

Musk had lunch with Arnault, 74 - the CEO and controlling shareholder of LVMH, which consists of about 75 luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, and Christian Dior - and two of Arnault's sons, Antoine and Alexandre.

All of Arnault's five children hold important positions in LVMH, with each closely watched for any sign of pulling ahead of others to one day succeed the 74-year old CEO, who has not indicated he plans to step down any time soon.

The group lunched at five-star hotel Cheval Blanc, part of the LVMH portfolio, before Antoine, 46, appeared on stage with Musk at the VivaTech conference.

He was accompanied at the conference by his mother and by Riley, 37. The British actress was married to Musk from 2010-12, and then from 2013-16.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, tweeted a photo of himself meeting Musk on Friday

Antoine Arnault, far left, is seen with Musk (right) and Christel Heydemann, CEO of Orange, on Friday

Antoine Arnault posted this photo of his father Bernard (left), the world's second richest man, with Musk, the world's richest

From left: Alexandre Arnault, Maye Musk, Bernard Arnault, Elon Musk, and Antoine Arnault

Maye Musk (right) and Talulah Riley (in white) are seen listening to Musk's discussion

Riley was married to Musk twice: she and her former mother-in-law are seen sharing a joke on Friday

Riley is seen awaiting the start of the VivaTech conference on Friday

Musk used the forum to warn about the dangers of Artificial Intelligence, urging a 'pause' on development and insisting that the AI sector needed regulation.

'There is a real danger for digital superintelligence having negative consequences,' said Musk

'I am in favor of AI regulation,' he added.

He also addressed progress with Tesla, saying that his company is close to achieving fully autonomous vehicles.

Musk said autonomy was the 'main driver' of the brand's market value.

The company's shares rose by as much as 3 percent on the announcement, to their highest level in more than eight months.

The world's most valuable automaker, Tesla has a market capitalization of around $800 billion, but for years has missed Musk's targets to achieve full self-driving capability.

'Although I've said this before, I think we will solve autonomy soon,' he said.

'The value of the company is primarily on the basis of autonomy.

'That's really, I think, the main driver of our value.'

The electric car manufacturer says that what it calls 'Full Self-Driving' software does not make its vehicle autonomous and requires driver supervision.
History teacher Roy Huggins can't stop having night terrors. The last episode was two weeks ago. His wife Julie reached out to him as he lay beside her shouting and screaming in bed.

'I just try to calm him like this,' says Julie, rubbing his shoulder gently. 'I say, 'It's OK, it's OK' and try to stop him because sometimes he jumps out of bed. It's been terrible. We've had several times over the last few months where you felt your heart was going to explode, haven't we?' Julie's anguish for her husband is writ large on her face.

For the past two months, Roy, a truly dedicated, 54-year-old teacher who hasn't so much as received a verbal warning in his outstanding 32-year career, has been worrying himself sick as he faced an investigation by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) which has the power to ban teachers from working with children.

His crime? Telling a class of 11 and 12-year-olds, during a science lesson about how a body changes in puberty: that women have wider hips to allow them to child bear and men have broader shoulders to carry their extra muscle.

Being the sort of gifted teacher who contextualises learning, he gave examples about the size his grandson Joey was at birth and how his 23-year-old son Thomas gains muscle more easily in the gym than he can, as an older man, with less testosterone.

For the past two months, Roy, a truly dedicated, 54-year-old teacher who hasn't so much as received a verbal warning in his outstanding 32-year career, has been worrying himself sick as he faced an investigation by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) which has the power to ban teachers from working with children (Pictured with wife Julie)

He also drew upon his experience as a history teacher, explaining that archaeologists identify a male and female skeleton by looking at the size of the hips and the shoulders. In short, he told the children biological facts.

But, unknown to Roy, who was working part-time as a supply teacher at Retford Oaks Academy in Nottinghamshire and was filling in for an absent colleague, two children in the class had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria.

Several pupils lodged complaints about 'inappropriate' comments he made in the lesson which caused offence.

Two weeks later he received a letter from the DBS stating: 'We have received information from Retford Oaks Academy about allegations of a safeguarding concern about comments made whilst teaching a class.

'We are now considering whether to include you in one or both barred lists [the Children's and/or Adults' Barred Lists]. Inclusion in either or both of these lists will prevent you from engaging in regulated activity.'

After previously being graded by Ofsted as 'outstanding' or 'good to outstanding' in 27 inspections, Roy was sent into such a state of shock by the letter, his legs would not support him and he fell to his knees.

Roy's crime was telling a class of 11 and 12-year-olds, during a science lesson about how a body changes in puberty: that women have wider hips to allow them to child bear and men have broader shoulders to carry their extra muscle (Pictured with wife Julie)

'I'd come into an empty house and opened this letter. I stood over there.' He points to the sitting room doorway in this warm home that has the photographs of a happy family life on the walls. 'My heart just literally jumped. It was like being kicked from the inside. I was stood up and fell to my knees.

'The shame, the embarrassment of what they'd done to me was such that I wondered what people would think of me.' There was a moment  that moment  when you think about suicide but you know that those thoughts are irrational. I knew I had to be with someone.

'Julie was teaching so I texted my daughter [Rebecca] and said, 'Sweetheart, I need to see you now.' She was in Costa, with my grandson Joey, seeing a friend so I went there.

'I was just hurting, hurting inside. It was so painful. I just asked to hold my grandson. I was looking at him with all my might trying to assuage this pain inside of me.'

He hands me a photograph his daughter took at the time. The sheer anguish ages him a decade. 'I was holding that little boy to save my life. He stopped me from sort of leaving. I wanted to die. I held him saying to myself, 'I need to be here for you.' You're clutching onto an anchor which is life.'

Roy is the sort of no-nonsense man who, as he says, 'calls a spade a spade and a shovel a shovel'. He does not easily weep but his eyes are wet with tears now.

Roy was working part-time as a supply teacher at Retford Oaks Academy in Nottinghamshire and was filling in for an absent colleague

Last week Roy was rightly cleared. 'Elation' is the word he uses to describe how he feels, but there is fury, too. For the next five years, he must declare to any future employer that he has been investigated by the DBS.

'I now have this question mark over me for the next five years even though I was found innocent,' he says. 'I have to report I was investigated over an issue of abuse. People might think I have somehow fiddled with a child, hit a child or sworn at a child. Wherever I go I have a slur on my reputation.'

He looks at me. 'I was only filling in for a teacher who hadn't turned up. That class had been unsupervised for 40 minutes. I asked the Head of Science if I could teach something else when I went to the classroom because I'm not comfortable teaching that sort of subject. Normally, I'd avoid classes about sex education like the plague. They're a minefield these days.'

As a father of two grown-up children and grandfather to a five-month-old with 25 years of marriage under his belt Roy is no prude, but, as Julie, who has taught in primary schools for 35 years, points out, times have changed. 'You can't say breastfeeding any more, you have to say chest feeding,' she says. Roy raises an eyebrow. 'Boys can apparently chest feed,' he says.

'You can't say vaginal birth. It's frontal birth,' Julie, 56, continues. 'And there are so many different identities  about 62 or 63 different genders.

'For many teachers it's quite a lot of new information. Twenty years ago, there wasn't any of this information.'

Roy agrees. 'The Government used to set the curriculum and teachers tailored it to fit their students but now academies run by interest groups pick and choose what parts to follow and dictate how it's to be taught. In some academies, if you deviate from their programme you receive a warning. Three warnings and you lose your job.

He read from a national curriculum textbook about the physical changes to the bodies of boys and girls during puberty and provided some additional explanation to help the pupils at Retford Oaks Academy, pictured

'What's happening is that, like the Civil Service, they want you to have right thinking.

'I'll give you an example. Every Monday after school we have guest speakers who come in to give us training for an hour and a half. One said: 'If you're over 50 and white you benefit from white privilege'. I said: 'I came from a really poor working class background and worked hard to get where I am.'

'They told me that white privilege is the fact that when I go into a shop, people aren't staring at me because I'm black, thinking I might be a shoplifter.

'I said: 'I just see a black person.' It's weird. I don't understand it. Going into a school now I feel seriously out of date. Since Covid it's become normal to see boys walking round in skirts and tights dressed as girls.

Roy adds: 'There was a lovely RE teacher who was only about 21 who, every day after school, used to cry because the kids were so horrible to her. I used to say, 'Don't worry. It's just experience. Give it time and you'll establish a relationship.'

She said: 'Roy, you're so unwoke. You don't get gender do you?'

'I said: 'No, I don't. But I won't discriminate against anyone'.'

Roy didn't have a clue he'd upset children in that science class until the next day when he was driving home from the Academy, which is part of the Diverse Academies Trust and works with Stonewall 'to promote the wellbeing of children who identify as LGBTQ+', and received a call from his supply agency.

Despite being cleared he has never received an apology and must inform any school of the investigation if he applies for work in future

'They said there had been a complaint. They wanted to email it because they didn't want to tell me over the phone.

'That was shocking. You start thinking, 'What have I been accused of? Have I been accused of some sort of sexual inappropriateness? What have I done?'

'I was quite terrified. I got home, dashed upstairs, logged onto the computer and two minutes later it came through.

'I read it and thought, 'Really? Is this how my career is going to end?' '

He was accused by 'several students' of saying, 'boys must be muscly to attract girls', 'boys must start at the gym at 12 to get muscly', 'girls get hips to allow them to child bear. Something all women should do', 'stay away from women at the time of the month,' 'boys should be clean shaven and girls must shave too', 'make sure you smell nice to attract the ladies'.

Roy points out that the task the class was set was to design a poster explaining the changes that boys and girls go through during puberty, using the information in the textbook.

He responded to the claims in an email, maintaining the comments were either taken out of context or 'untrue'.

Roy Huggins, 54, pictured, a history teacher with more than 30 years experience, filled-in for an absent colleague to teach a class of 11 and 12-year-olds

He ended his statement, which was passed on to the local authority safeguarding body, with the words: 'I feel my conscience is clear and that I have not done anything wrong.

'I am always happy to reflect and learn from my mistakes, but I am at a complete loss over the allegations that have been made and why they were not addressed at the school level as they are pretty laughable.' Four days afterwards, on March 28, common sense prevailed. He received a call from his supply agency to tell him he'd been cleared by the local authority which had been critical of the school for raising the complaint.

'I hadn't slept for days. You lose your confidence. You become frightened. You start second guessing everything you do. You think, 'Is there really something wrong with me? Should I be put in front of a class of children?'

'I kept telling myself I was going to be cleared  that there shouldn't be any problems  but my emotions were all over the place. When the agency told me there was no case to answer I was emotionally drained. Then they said the head teacher didn't want me back in the school. That was a slap in the face. I knew people there. I had relationships there. They didn't want me back on site. That hurt.'

And the academy's headteacher wasn't prepared to leave the matter there. He referred the complaint to the DBS, plunging Roy into what can only be described as a dystopian nightmare.

When approached by the Mail, a spokesperson for Retford Oaks Academy issued a statement: 'At all times, we follow the national curriculum and therefore strongly refute the claim of a radical agenda being pursued. As such, we do not recognise the account of events as described.

He was so embarrassed about the accusation he only told his wife Julie, right, a primary school teacher

'If, as happened here, a concern or complaint is made by any individual, we will always take such matters seriously. In the event of an allegation about the professional conduct of a member of staff, it is standard practice in all schools to seek and follow the advice of professional bodies.'

Yet Roy says he still feels betrayed. 'If you were to ask me what my Achilles heel is, I probably would say pride. I am proud of my career and reputation

'I've worked in some of the toughest schools in South Yorkshire, in former pit villages where the children were suffering with everything from county lines to deprivation. You couldn't imagine a tougher place to work but I went to work every day in those schools.

'I was offered a deputy headship. I got offered jobs at other schools, I served that community and I went the extra mile for 27 years because I signed up to be a teacher to make a difference.

'I've written seven or eight textbooks and have led training sessions in Edinburgh, London, Birmingham, Paris and Toulouse. Can you imagine the shame of being investigated for this?'

Julie touches Roy's shoulder. They didn't tell a soul about the investigation, such was Roy's humiliation. 'He's been so up and down, snapping over little things. It isn't him. You didn't feel good at all, did you?'

He shakes his head and his eyes are red-rimmed again.

'I felt I had been badly let down by the system. I was very much a lapsed Catholic before this started but found myself being drawn back to the Church. Instead of going once or twice a year I started going every week. I felt so low I wanted some sort of spiritual strength to get through this difficult time and to try to understand it because you question everything, all your fundamental beliefs about kindness, relationships, loyalty and trust. I've been thinking, what mistakes did I make?

'The conclusion I've come to is that none of this makes sense unless you have an agenda. Maybe it's some sort of social change that is the agenda. Who knows.'

He shrugs. 'When I got the letter saying I was cleared I was going to meet a friend who's a teacher for a coffee. She'd been checking up on me every day. She told me I had to tell someone about what had happened. So, ten days later, I emailed the Daily Mail because all I, all any of us, have left, is free speech.' For now.
Rishi Sunak last night postponed a proposed ban on 'buy one, get one free' deals after colleagues condemned the 'nanny state' plan.

The Prime Minister said it was not right to press ahead with the plan, part of an obesity crackdown, amid the cost of living crisis.

The policy had already been delayed until October 2023. This will now be extended for a further two years.

The PM has been facing a revolt over the issue after a government impact assessment found the move would save people three calories a day. Tory MP Philip Davies branded the policy 'bonkers'.

Mr Sunak said last night: 'I firmly believe in people's right to choose  and at a time when household budgets are under continuing pressure from the global rise in food prices, it is not fair for government to restrict the options available to consumers on their weekly shop.

The PM (pictured on June 14 at PMQs) has been facing a revolt over the issue after a government impact assessment found the move would save people three calories a day

Britons have been struggling with soaring food prices amid the Ukraine war and fallout from Covid (file picture)

'It is right that we consider carefully the impact on consumers and businesses, while ensuring we're striking the balance with our important mission to reduce obesity and help people live healthier lives.'

The delay means shoppers will be able to continue taking advantage of multi-buy offers, which some health experts say can be unhealthy and contribute to obesity.

Government sources insisted that tackling obesity remains 'a priority' as it will help to reduce strain on the NHS.

This month the Government announced the rollout of a new generation of obesity drugs to support people to lose weight and reduce pressure on hospitals. Boris Johnson, in his first column for the Daily Mail, backs the move.

He writes: 'The obesity crisis in this country is appalling: more than three-quarters of older people are overweight or obese  and the numbers are terrible among the kids.

'Yes, the drugs will cost a bit to begin with, but those who can afford it should pay; and think of the savings for the NHS in diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

'We are performing terrible invasive and destructive surgeries and treatments  all because people could not restrain their appetites. Why not help them?'
Police say she was tracked after leaving her phone number on the illegal transaction, and she now faces various fraud charges

The stripper then allegedly hacked into his phone and transferred over $60,000 to herself

Yannelin Rivera-Bosaw, 34, allegedly plied a client with so much tequila he couldn't stand up to leave her strip club

A Miami stripper has been arrested after allegedly plying a client with tequila during a raunchy lap dance while covertly funneling over $60,000 from his bank accounts.

Yannelin Rivera-Bosaw, 34, was one of several dancers who performed for the unwitting victim in a private VIP room at Miami gentlemen's club Playmates last week, police say.

The strippers then relentlessly supplied him with tequila shots, until he became so drunk he couldn't stand up to leave, according to the police report.

While the women distracted their target, Rivera-Bosaw allegedly stole his cellphone and wallet before using his credit card and PayPal information to steal $62,000.

Yannelin Rivera-Bosaw, 34, is facing varying fraud charges after allegedly stealing over $60,000 from a drunk strip club client

After his dizzying night of partying, the victim was finally able to make his way out of the Florida hotspot at around 4am.

But when he realized he was missing the items, he began to check his bank account, only to realize he had lost a lot more than his wallet.

According to Miami police, he noticed six unauthorized PayPal payments had left his account, alongside several more charges on his Wells Fargo, Chase and American Express balances.

He was able to trace the swindle back to Rivera-Bosaw, however, because she had entered her number into his phone to send herself the cash, cops claimed.

In total, $62,345 was drained from the man's accounts.

According to the club's website, Playmates is 'the best strip club in Coral Gables', around 7 miles outside the Miami city center.

The racy establishment promises that its 'warm and hospitable staff is sure to accommodate your every need', while its VIP service will provide an 'unforgettable night'.

Playmates Miami has been contacted by DailyMail.com for comment.

The swindle allegedly occurred in the VIP section of Miami strip club Playmates, which says high-rolling clients will enjoy an 'unforgettable night'

When questioned by police, the stripper reportedly admitted to detectives that she sent the money, but that the victim authorized the transactions.

This theory was allegedly thwarted when investigators found texts to her husband and a friend moaning how one of the PayPal payments was cancelled by the man.

Investigators also said they found her story inconsistent when she detailed the other women's involvement, only to then struggle to remember their names.

The probe into her phone also allegedly uncovered that she had an illegal side-business selling growth hormone and steroids to clients from the strip club.

She is now facing charges of committing an organized scheme to defraud, fraudulent use of a credit card for $100 or more, grand theft and selling narcotics without prescription.
Greek authorities have denied that one of its boats inadvertently caused a boat carrying up to 750 migrants to capsize, killing up to 650.

Reports had claimed that a rope was attached to the overcrowded vessel when it was around 50 miles from the coast of Greece, and that this played a role in the sinking.

But authorities have denied this was the case, saying a rope was only used to approach the boat and ask if those on board wanted assistance.

Earlier the Mediterranean Sea was described as a 'mass graveyard' after the boat capsized on Wednesday.

So far, 78 people have been confirmed dead but with just 104 survivors plucked out the ocean that figure is expected to rise significantly.

The boat is seen in a photograph taken by the Greek coastguard as it attempted to rescue the hundreds of people onboard before the tragedy happened

Coast guard workers are seen on Wednesday night dragging carrying bod bags containing the dead from the tragedy

Women and children were likely trapped in the hold as the vessel (seen on Tuesday) overturned and went down in the early hours of the morning, which could make the sinking one of the deadliest ever in the central Mediterranean Sea

Syrian survivor Fedi, 18, who was rescued with other refugees and migrants at open sea off Greece after their boat capsized, cries as he reunites with his brother Mohammad, who came to meet him from Italy, at the port of Kalamata, Greece

Government spokesperson Ilias Siakantaris last night vehemently denied any coastguard vessel was involved.

He insisted the crew used a rope briefly 'to steady themselves, to approach, to see if they wanted any help,' the Mirror reports.

He continued: 'There was no mooring rope. They refused it, they said: "No help, we go to Italy" and went on their way.'

Women and children were likely trapped in the hold as the vessel overturned and went down in the early hours of the morning, which could make the sinking one of the deadliest ever in the central Mediterranean Sea.

More than 100 children remain missing in the disaster.

Nine survivors of the sinking have been arrested on suspicion of people smuggling - including the ship's captain - as attention turned to Greece's failure to act before the overcrowded vessel capsized.

Figures show that more than 1,000 deaths have been recorded this year of people crossing from Africa to Europe. Speaking to BBC's Today Programme on Friday, Julia Black of the International organisation for Migration said the true figure is far higher.

'We have hundreds of records of bodies that are washed up to Mediterranean shores when we don't know of any known shipwreck,' she told the BBC's listeners.

'The problem continues, it seems to be worsening, and there's no responses in place to actually prevent these deaths that I have seen.

'The Mediterranean at this point is really a mass graveyard,' she added.

In the aftermath of Wednesday's tragedy, a huge search-and-rescue operation initially recovered 78 bodies and picked up 104 survivors - all men and boys.

But no more have been found.

Meanwhile, Greek authorities were criticised for not acting to rescue the migrants, even though a coast guard vessel escorted the trawler for hours and watched helplessly as it sank in minutes.

Greek officials argued that the migrants repeatedly refused assistance and insisted on continuing to Italy, but legal experts said that is no excuse.

The coastguard said on Thursday that it had arrested nine survivors on suspicion of belonging to the smuggling ring that arranged the voyage.

Among them was the boat's captain, the BBC reported.

State-run ERT TV said the suspects were all Egyptians, adding that the ship originally left an Egyptian port for the area of Tobruk in eastern Libya.

It was there that it picked up the migrants, who each paid thousands of dollars for passage on the battered vessel.

Relatives of the migrants gathered in the southern port city of Kalamata to look for their loved ones. Kassem Abu Zeed said he caught the first flight from Germany to Greece after realising that his wife and brother-in-law were on board the trawler.

A helicopter operated by the Hellenic Coast Guard is seen during a rescue operation to save migrants onboard the packed boat

'The last time we spoke was eight days ago, and [my wife] told me that she was getting ready to get on the boat,' Mr Abu Zeed told the Associated Press. He said she had paid $5,000 to smugglers 'and then we all know what happened'.

Mr Abu Zeed, a 34-year-old Syrian refugee living in Hamburg, said Esra Aoun, 21, and her 19-year-old brother, Abdullah, risked the dangerous crossing from Libya to Italy after they failed to find a legal way to join him in Germany.

The chances that his wife survived the sinking about 45 miles offshore are low. None of those rescued were women.

Now he hopes Abdullah may be among the men from Syria, Egypt, Pakistan and the Palestinian territories who are being temporarily housed in a Kalamata warehouse or recuperating in hospitals from hypothermia and exposure.

On Thursday, a British man said he feared his missing cousins could be among the hundreds of people thought to be dead. Aftab Khan, from Wolverhampton, also flew to Greece as soon as he heard the news.

Khan said two of his cousin are among the hundreds of people still missing from the capsized boat, which was carrying as many as 750 people.

'We don't know where the rest of them are at the moment,' he told Sky News. 'We're just trying to find out.'

The chances of finding more survivors 'are minimal', retired Greek coast guard Admiral Nikos Spanos told ERT.

The UN migration agency, known as IOM, estimated the number of passengers based on interviews with survivors and said the complement included at least 40 children.

Erasmia Roumana, head of a United Nations refugee agency delegation, said many of the survivors have friends and relatives unaccounted for.

'They want to get in touch with their families to tell them they are OK, and they keep asking about the missing,' said Ms Roumana.

Mohamed Abdi Marwan, who spoke by phone from Kobani, a Kurdish majority town in Syria, said five of his relatives were on the boat, including a 14-year-old. Mr Marwan said he has heard nothing about them since the vessel sank.

He believes his nephew Ali Sheikhi, 29, is alive, after family members spotted him in photos of survivors, but that has not been confirmed.

'Those smugglers were supposed to only have 500 on the boat and now we hear there were 750. What is this? Are they cattle or humans? How can they do this?' Mr Marwan said. He said each of his relatives paid $6,000 for the trip.

Greek authorities said the vessel appeared to be sailing normally until shortly before it sank and refused repeated rescue offers. But a network of activists said they received repeated distress calls from the vessel during the same time.

Aftab Khan, from Wolverhampton, flew to Greece as soon as he heard the fishing boat that departed from the Libyan port of Tobruk had capsized and sank early on Wednesday morning

Around 70 exhausted survivors bedded down in sleeping bags and blankets provided by rescuers in a large warehouse

Paramedics set up tents outside the warehouse for any of the survivors who need first aid

Katerina Tsata, head of a Red Cross volunteer group in Kalamata, said the migrants were given psychological support. Pictured: Survivors of a shipwreck stand outside a warehouse at the port in Kalamata town

The Greek coast guard said it was notified of the boat's presence late Tuesday morning and observed by helicopter that it was 'sailing on a steady course' at 6pm.

A little later, Greek search-and-rescue officials reached someone on the boat by satellite phone, who repeatedly said that passengers needed food and water but wanted to continue to Italy.

Merchant ships delivered supplies and observed the vessel until early Wednesday morning, when the satellite phone user reported a problem with the engine.

About 40 minutes later, according to the coast guard statement, the migrant vessel began to rock violently and sank.

Coast guard experts believe the boat may have run out of fuel or experienced engine trouble, with movement of passengers causing it to list and capsize.

Alarm Phone, a network of activists that provides a hotline for migrants in trouble, said the problems began much earlier in the day.

The network said it was contacted by people on the vessel seeking help shortly after 3pm. They said they 'cannot survive the night'.

Around 6.20pm, Alarm Phone said migrants had reported the vessel was not moving and that the captain had left on a small boat. The two accounts could not immediately be reconciled.

Experts said maritime law would have required Greek authorities to attempt a rescue if the boat was unsafe, regardless of whether passengers requested it.

Search and rescue 'is not a two-way contract. You don't need consent', said retired Italian coast guard Admiral Vittorio Alessandro.

An aerial photograph of the vessel before it sank released by Greek authorities showed people crammed on the deck. Most were not wearing life jackets.

Overcrowding, a lack of life vests, or the absence of a captain would have all been reasons to intervene, Mr Alessandro said.

Men carry the body bags of those who died after their boat capsized at the port of Kalamata, Greece

Greece's caretaker minister for civil protection, Evangelos Tournas, defended the coast guard's conduct, saying it could not intervene with an unwilling vessel in international waters.

'Consider also that an intervention by the coast guard could have placed an overloaded vessel in danger, which could capsize as a result,' he said.

The trawler sank near the deepest part of the Mediterranean where depths of up to 17,000 feet could hamper any effort to locate a sunken vessel.

Human rights groups say a European Union crackdown on smuggling has forced people to take longer, more dangerous routes to reach safe countries.

The Mediterranean's deadliest shipwreck in living memory occurred on April 18, 2015, when an overcrowded fishing boat collided off Libya with a freighter trying to come to its rescue. Only 28 people survived.

Forensic experts concluded that there were originally 1,100 people on board.

And earlier this year, 94 people were killed off the coast of Calabria when their migrant boat sank amid harsh weather conditions.

Coast guard, navy and merchant vessels fanned out for a vast search-and-rescue operation that also included a plane and a helicopter. A mega-yacht rescue dozens from the sea

Authorities said 104 people have been rescued so far after the boat sank overnight. Here, survivors receive urgent medical attention as the disembark a mega-yacht

Some in Italy blamed the country's right-wing prime minister Giorgina Meloni and her party's hardline policy against migrant boats, while she pointed the finger at 'inhumane' human traffickers.

Laws in Italy require rescue vessels to request access to a port and sail to it 'without delay' after a sea rescue.

The law complicates efforts by humanitarian boats to make multiple rescues in the central Mediterranean by assigning them ports of disembarkation along Italy's northern coasts. That means the vessels need more time to return to the sea after bringing migrants aboard and taking them safely to shore.

Humanitarian organisations have lamented that the crackdown also includes an order to the charity boats not to remain at sea after the first rescue operation in hopes of performing other rescues, but to head immediately to their assigned port. Violators face stiff fines and confiscation of rescue vessels.
...Demand Over US$200,000 from Gov't

Four defendants in the famous US$100 million cocaine case unexpectedly reappeared less than a month after being freed by jurors of Criminal Court "C."

The recently released men in the Cocaine case are requesting that the Liberian Government return the US$200,000 that was allegedly taken as ransom by members of the Joint National Security of Liberia at the time of their arrest last year.

The defendants recently filed a Bill of Information in Criminal Court "C" alleging that the government had failed to return about US$211,000.00 as requested by the court.

It was reported by government agents on May 24, 2023, that the four accused drug dealers who were detained in Liberia on accusations of smuggling US$100 million worth of cocaine have disappeared without a trace after a jury unexpectedly ruled them not guilty. The men were detained in an operation last year that involved US and Brazilian intelligence.

Those arrested and placed behind bars include Lebanese, Liberian, Guinean, and Portuguese nationals. They were accused of bringing 500 kg of cocaine from Latin America in a pig's foot container.

Before the start of the trial, the Ministry of Justice acknowledged that it has the sum of US$113,045.00 in its possession, which was deposited in the Central Bank of Liberia. This amount was illegally taken from informants during their arrest by state securities working under the Ministry of Justice.

On May 18, 2023, the jury returned with a "Not Guilty" verdict in favor of the defendants for the crimes of money laundering, criminal conspiracy, and unlicensed possession of controlled substances. Criminal Court "C" then ordered the Liberian Government, through the Ministry of Justice, to immediately return the defendants' US$210,000.00.

According to the defendants, the Ministry of Justice had more than enough time-12 days to take the money from the Central Bank because there was proof that it had been put there.

However, the defendants informed the court that the Ministry of Justice, represented by Attorney General Cllr. Frank Musah Dean and Solicitor General Cllr. Nyenati Tuan of the Republic of Liberia did not make any attempt to withdraw the funds from the Central Bank of Liberia within the time allotted to them in order to present the money to the court as it was ordered.

Respondent added that the money had been deposited in the National Security Escrow Account held by the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL). The Respondent also informed the court in its submission that "the sum of US$1000.00 was arrested on the order of Co-Defendant Oliver A. Zayzay in the Republic of Sierra Leone," in addition to the sum of US$113,045.00.

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They asserted that the Ministry of Justice's declaration in open court that it has US$113,045.00 and US$11,000 that was wrongfully taken from Co-Defendant Oliver A. Zayzay in the Republic of Sierra Leone is conclusive proof that these sums are available and that the Ministry of Justice should have fully complied with the court's order by taking the aforementioned sum of US$113,045.00 out of the Central Bank of Liberia.

The defendant claimed in their Bill of Information that the Ministry of Justice's deliberate disregard for the court's order to bring the sum of US$113,045.00 on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, is a demeaning and disrespectful act.

"That the act of the Ministry of Justice to intentionally ignore this court to bring the amount of US$113,045.00 on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, is an act which belittles and degrades this Honorable court as well as embarrasses this court in the administration of Justice. Such an act makes it appear as though the Ministry of Justice is above the law which shows that said Ministry has no respect for the court" they noted.

The defendant requests that the Minister of Justice and the Solicitor General be called to explain why, if any, he should not be held in contempt for disobeying the Court's order from June 1, 202,3 to present the sum of US$113,045.00 to the court on Tuesday, June 13, 202,3.

To further grant Informants any relief that Justice and rights may require on the property, they added, "Made available within the next 24 hours and said receipt was issued to this court as evidence of the US$11,000.00."
More than 600 community and charity heroes are honoured today in a list that reflects the volunteering themes of the Coronation.

They include retired music teacher and composer Paul Harvey, whose hit single at the age of 80 raised more than 1.5million for dementia charities, after he was diagnosed with dementia. He receives an OBE.

Mr Harveys piano composition, Four Notes, went viral after it featured on BBC Radio 4s Broadcasting House in 2020. It was then released as a single, featuring Mr Harvey with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.

The youngest recipient is 18-year-old Junior Jay Frood, from Merseyside, whose campaign against bullying began after he was verbally and physically bullied from the age of six because of his love of dancing.

Now a successful dancer who has appeared on the West End stage and alongside stars including Justin Bieber and Little Mix, Junior created the social media movement #BoysCanDance to support other young male dancers. He receives a British Empire Medal for his work.

The youngest recipient is 18-year-old Junior Jay Frood (pictured) who is from Merseyside

The oldest recipient is Joan Willett, 106, who receives a British Empire Medal for raising more than 60,000 for the British Heart Foundation

Junior said he hoped his crazy honour would inspire others to follow their dreams, adding: It shows my voice is being heard, and that the bullies havent stopped me.

The oldest recipient is Joan Willett, 106, who receives a British Empire Medal for raising more than 60,000 for the British Heart Foundation after surviving two heart attacks. She walked more than 17 miles up and down a hill outside her care home in Hastings, East Sussex, after she was inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore.

Other community awards recognised the response to the war in Ukraine, including an MBE for Alice Good, who founded Sunflower Sisters, a support group for families fleeing the country.

Ms Good, 55, from Northumberland, said she had been inspired to help after seeing a picture of a mother with a child the same age as her six-year-old daughter Molly. The group has helped around 14,000 Ukrainians come to the UK. She also drove to Odesa to deliver aid.

There was also an MBE for Suzanne Richards, whose 19-year-old son Joel, her father Patrick and her brother Adrian were all killed in the 2015 Tunisian beach shootings.

Ms Richards, 54, from Wednesbury in the West Midlands, set up a charity, Smile For Joel, to support other families affected by terrorism and murder. She said the award was bittersweet, adding: Its lovely, but ... Id change it all if I could and get them back.
ABC insiders believe the real reason former Political Editor Andrew Probyn was let go is because of disputes with bosses over a beer fridge and coverage of Lidia Thorpe's bikie ex-boyfriend.

Probyn's position was made redundant by ABC management on Thursday in a move they said was to make room for the employment of more social media reporters.

However, some ABC employees believe Probyn's termination was more personal, the Weekend Australian reports.

It's understood Canberra Bureau Chief Michelle Ainsworth proposed Probyn's redundancy which was later signed-off by the ABC's top bosses.

Earlier coverage suggests Ainsworth and Probyn had a strained relationship with the newspaper reporting in October that Probyn was 'incredulous' after she removed the Canberra bureau's office beer fridge.

ABC insiders claim former political editor Andrew Probyn (above) was made redundant after several tiffs with top bosses

The fridge had run on an honesty system where staff could pay $3 to enjoy a beer at the end of the day.

The former editor was the only employee to speak-out against the decision at a 10am meeting where staff were told the move was made under the recommendation from Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins' Set The Standard parliament review.

Ainsworth sent a follow-up email to staff, saying: 'It does compromise our reporting of the culture in this building if we are still running a beer fridge It's no longer acceptable to drink alcohol in the office these days.'

However, ABC have since said the removal of the beer fridge was 'proposed by the News Executive, endorsed by the Director of News and approved by the Managing Director', not Ainsworth.

In a statement the ABC also said changes to Canberra bureau positions were not proposed by Ms Ainsworth but instead 'by the News Executive, endorsed by the Director of News and approved by the Managing Director'.

'Michelle Ainsworth does not sit on the News Executive.'

Another rumoured point of contention in the Canberra office was Probyn's outspoken nature.

An on-air personality told the Australian Probyn's redundancy was because of his habit of 'standing up to management over some of their more stupid editorial and staffing decisions'.

One recent stand-off between Probyn and ABC heads saw him fight to publish a junior reporter's scoop about the relationship between former Greens-now-Independent MP Lidia Thorpe and ex-president of the Rebels bikie gang in Victoria, Dean Martin.

Thorpe denies the pair had a romantic relationship, having only kissed on one occasion.

Probyn and Canberra bureau chief Michelle Ainsworth, who reportedly suggested his redundancy, clashed in October over the removal of an office beer fridge (stock image)

Sydney bosses reportedly told Probyn they didn't want to go ahead with the story 'because they didn't want to be seen to be punching down on a black woman'.

'They kept putting hurdles in front of the story, they just didn't want to run it at all. So 'Probes' kept digging until it was impossible to shelve it,' an ABC source said.

'Eventually it ran  and so it should have, it was a legitimate news story  and of course every other news outlet followed it up.'

However, News Director Justin Stevens has since denied the ABC was hesitant to publish the story.

'The claim that the ABC was reluctant to run an exclusive story that we prominently broke and followed is simply ridiculous,' he said.

'We rigorously interrogate the public interest test for our stories and if they pass that, as this one did, we back them in.'

Probyn's position is just one of 120 jobs that have been made redundant by the ABC, 40 of those being newsroom roles.

The company's top journalists and executives met in Canberra on Friday where news boss Justin Stevens justified the shake-up as a move towards 'digital and social content' creation.

Probyn also reportedly fought against Sydney bosses to reveal the supposed romantic relationship between former Greens-now-Independent MP Lidia Thorpe and ex-president of the Rebels bikie gang in Victoria, Dean Martin (pictured together)

Managing director David Anderson described it as 'an opportunity to transform our political coverage to engage new audiences - including younger audiences, who are increasingly seeking their political news from other platforms and outlets - while also continuing to serve our broadcast audiences'.

Following Friday's meeting, an ABC employee said amongst staff 'the view was that (Probyn's redundancy) is personal. The executives were sitting there justifying the unjustifiable.'

In a statement, ABC said the redundancy was part of the move towards social media.

'The Political Editor role was a job title created in 2015, primarily to report for the 7PM News at a time when the majority of our audience was primarily serviced by the 7PM News,' it said.

'We retain the roles of Editor, Politics and Deputy Editor who manage and have editorial responsibility for coverage.'
Embattled Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman sparked fresh health concerns after stumbling through his tribute to the I-95 bridge collapse.

Months after he made a headline grabbing six-week hospital visit for clinical depression, Fetterman was asked in a Senate Environment Committee hearing Wednesday if he had any remarks about the overpass disaster.

'I, uh, would just, um, really like to, you know  the 95, 95, 95. You know?' he responded.

'Obviously, you're pretty much preoccupied with 95, and I, I certainly am too... and we know its a major atery (sic), not just for Pennsylvania, but for the East Coast.'

The Senator's mumbled statement trailed off as he neared the end of his sentence, amid concerns that he has still not fully recovered from a debilitating stroke in May 2022.

Sen. John Fetterman (pictured) stumbled through his remarks on the I-95 bridge collapse during a Senate Environment Committee hearing on Wednesday

A section of the I-95 highway collapsed Sunday after a truck carrying gasoline exploded

Fetterman's incoherent remarks came days after a truck carrying gasoline overturned and caught fire on the I-95 highway, killing the driver and destroying an overpass used to ferry over 150,000 vehicles every day.

But it was the senator's disjointed reaction that captured attention, with many outspoken conservatives criticizing Fetterman for his apparent struggle.

'Great choice Pennsylvania!' said Republican activist Amanda Larreni.

'Keep voting for brain dead Democrats like John Fetterman & Joe Biden & this is what you get!'

Podcast host and Outkick founder Clay Travis echoed Larreni's comments, sarcastically saying: 'John Fetterman weighs in on the I-95 collapse as only he can. Profound, trenchant, eloquent. Good choice, Pennsylvania.'

Fox News hosts Jesse Watters and Tomi Lahren also chimed in on the bungled statement, with Watters admitting he 'feels terrible' for the floundering lawman.

'It's painful to watch, and everyone knows how painful this is to watch,' added Lahren.

'The fact that these people are still serving, Diane Fienstein being another one, this isn't fair to the people they are representing.

'These people are likely going to vote for a Democrat, but my goodness, could you at least give us a Democrat who can put together a complete sentence - and maybe even lie with some coherence?'

'We'd rather have a liar than someone who can't even talk' added Watters.

Conservative media outlet Daily Caller also criticized Fetterman's blunder, while noting he swapped out his usual hoodie and shorts look for a suit.

'Fetterman swag - suit straight off the rack,' the outlet tweeted alongside video of the fiasco.

The lawmaker's appearance has been a hot-button issue for conservatives since he joined the Senate in January.

Last month, Fetterman wore his favored Carhartt hoodie as he appeared alongside several Democrat heavyweights including Bernie Sanders to tout progress on debt limit negotiations.

GOP Congresswoman Lauren Boebert took to Twitter to express her disapproval at his sartorial decisions, calling his outfit 'truly unbecoming'.

By comparison, his four Democratic colleagues were all dressed in suits, ties and more formal footwear.

'John Fetterman redefined Casual Friday on a Thursday morning. It's truly unbecoming for someone to show up like that to any job, let alone a job that only 100 people are elected to do. There's just no excuse for it,' she railed.

Fetterman came under fire last month for wearing a hoodie and shorts while his Democrat colleagues opted for a traditional suit

Fetterman has become known for the casual look, which he wore throughout his successful Senate campaign in 2022

John Fetterman (left) sparked health concerns during his blundering debate with Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz (right) in October

Criticisms about Fetterman's mental competency reached fever pitch before he was even elected to the Senate, when he appeared to struggle to finish his thoughts during a debate with Republican rival Mehmet Oz in October.

After opening the night by addressing the crowd 'Hi, goodnight everyone', it became apparent Fetterman was still suffering lingering speech and auditory issues from the stroke he suffered in May 2022.

Fetterman at times struggled to get through his hour-long debate with Oz, with his delivery often halting and choppy.

At one point Fetterman was asked to clarify his position on fracking, as moderators pointed to a 2018 interview where the lieutenant governor expressed broad opposition to the practice, but not a ban.

'I do support fracking - I don't, I don't - I support fracking, and I do support fracking,' he answered.

A month later, he was slammed by Donald Trump Jr., who branded the then-candidate 'brain dead'.
They confronted attendees to the Victorian Labor State Conference

The group spray-painted the pathway with pro-refugee slogans

Protesters have smeared the statue of racehorse Winx with the slogan 'deportation = death' in a bid to call attention to federal Labor's 'tortured refugee' policy.

Masked members of Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance stood outside the Moonee Valley Racecourse on Saturday morning lambasting the Labor party.

Less than a dozen protesters gathered near the Victorian Labor state conference where Premier Daniel Andrews and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the party faithful.

Online vision showed them using megaphones to chant and heckle attendees arriving at the meeting.

'Hello, welcome to the conference on how to torture refugees just like the Liberal Party,' one of the protesters shouted.

The statue of Cox Plate legend Winx was sprayed with red paint (pictured) which read, 'deportaton = death' overnight amid protests over federal Labor's refugee policy

Protesters held up signs that read, 'no more racist refugee policies' and 'Different government same s***' (pictured)

Online vision showed a group of people from the Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance using megaphones to chant and heckle attendees arriving at the meeting (pictured, in front of the defaced statue as it was getting cleaned)

Activists also painted red and black graffiti on the pavement with the messages (pictured)

Others held up signs that read, 'no more racist refugee policies' and 'fund communities not prisons or police'.

The graffitied statue of Cox Plate legend Winx was defaced with pro-refugee slogans in red paint, including messages that read 'deportation = death' before it was cleaned off.

Activists also painted red and black graffiti on the pavement and walls with the messages, 'different government same s*** ' and 'humans don't belong in cages'.

'What is the point of the Labor Party, if the best they can do is keep people locked up on islands with uncertain futures on bridging visas, what is the point,' a masked protestor yelled.

Meanwhile, Victorian Labor members heard speeches from Mr Andrews and Mr Albanese as the conference got under way.

Mr Andrews addressed the Victorian Labor faithful at the first state party conference in four years as speculation swirls about his political future.

The Victorian premier and Mr Albanese were among hundreds to converge at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne on Saturday for the two-day conference.

Mr Andrews, who led Labor to another crushing election win in November, used his speech to speak glowingly of the party's candidate gender quota and his government's elevation of women's issues.

Nearby walls were also graffitied (pictured) with messages like 'people don't belong in cages'

'I am so proud that my cabinet, our cabinet is almost two-thirds women as is more than half of our caucus,' he told the crowd.

Mr Andrews has repeatedly reaffirmed his pledge to serve a full four-year term despite the Herald Sun reporting his deputy Jacinta Allan was advised to begin building a team as part of transition planning.

In his speech, Mr Albanese announced a $2 billion social housing fund along with a promise to deliver the extra cash to state and territory governments within the next two weeks.

He stressed his optimism Australia would rise to the moment to vote for the Voice and spruiked the Victorian government's major infrastructure pipeline.

Meanwhile, police are investigating the overnight criminal damage to the Winx statue and surrounds and are encouraging anyone with information to come forward.

A Victorian Labor state conference has not been held since 2019 after a federal takeover of the party over allegations of branch stacking against former minister Adem Somyurek.

The federal takeover resulted in the expulsion of 1,700 'non-genuine' members and suspension of voting rights for state party members until administrative control was handed back in late January.

State conference delegates are scheduled to vote on urgent resolutions, discuss policies and debate party rules over the two days.

The Victorian premier Daniel Andrews (pictured) and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese were among hundreds to converge at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne on Saturday for the two-day Labor party conference

In his speech, Mr Albanese announced a $2 billion social housing fund along with a promise to deliver the extra cash to state and territory governments within the next two weeks
Ron DeSantis charmed a Nevada rodeo crowd alongside his all-American family during a presidential campaign stop on Friday evening.

The Florida governor, his wife Casey DeSantis and their three children Madison, 6, Mason, 5, and Mamie, 3, were hosted by one of the sponsors of the Reno Rodeo in a box with premium views of the arena, where a slew of attendees could walk by and shake his hand or take a selfie.

'They're in the right place,' a rodeo-goer told DailyMail.com when asked how he felt about the 2024 GOP presidential candidate attending.

Before bringing their kids to the rodeo, Ron and Casey stopped to drink beers with veterans in Reno at VFW Post 9211, also known as 'The Bunker'.

The Friday festivities came the day before Florida Gov. DeSantis will be the featured guest at the 8th Annual Morning in Nevada PAC's Basque Fry in Gardnerville, Nevada  just under an hour outside of Reno.

Ron DeSantis, his wife Casey DeSantis and their three children Madison, 6, Mason, 5, and Mamie, 3, attended the Reno Rodeo on a campaign swing through Nevada

Ron DeSantis charmed a Nevada rodeo crowd alongside his all-American family Friday evening

Spotted alongside DeSantis at the rodeo was former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, a longtime Donald Trump ally who has defected to support DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

Laxalt and DeSantis roomed together while in naval officer training, and they have remained close friends through the years.

Both men were officers in the Navy's Judge Advocate General's Corps, and they served in Iraq.

Laxalt chaired Trump's 2020 campaign in Nevada, but this time around he is backing DeSantis, and heads up the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down.

The ten-day Reno Rodeo is a coveted annual event in western Nevada with attendees pulling out their best boots, largest cowboy hats, pressed jeans and flashiest belt buckles to watch the competitions, which includes bareback riding and barrel racing, as well as bull and Bronc riding.

Past rodeo president Scott Patterson confirmed that DeSantis is the first-ever presidential candidate to visit the Reno Rodeo.

Event organizers told DailyMail.com that DeSantis wanted to stay throughout the duration of the festivities Friday evening because his kids are big fans of bull riding, which is the finale event.

The ten-day Reno Rodeo is a well-loved annual event in western Nevada

Spotted alongside DeSantis at the rodeo was former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt (right), a former Donald Trump ally who defected to support DeSantis, his longtime friend

Laxalt (right) chaired Trump's 2020 campaign in Nevada, but this time around he is backing DeSantis, and heads up the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, wife Casey and children Madison, Mamie and Mason attend Patriot Night at the Ren Rodeo in Nevada on Friday

Many in the crowd eagerly anticipated DeSantis' arrival, while a few others that seemed apolitical told DailyMail.com that they were only vaguely aware of the 2024 candidate.

The general manager of a local Reno and Tahoe-based business who was attending the rodeo on Friday evening said that he plans to change his registration from independent to Republican so he can vote for DeSantis in the primary election.

Richard Harrison, 45, told DailyMail.com that he voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election, but said he's 'too crazy,' so he switched his vote to Joe Biden in 2020.

But the Nevada voter said he fears that Biden is 'too old' to continue being president, and now backs DeSantis.

At the rodeo, DeSantis shook hands as he walked out to the bleachers after privately meeting with the event's sponsors.

Many prospective voters approached DeSantis to take pictures as he settled into the box.

Though far from the Sunshine State, DeSantis looked to be right at home, donning the black pair of boots he is often seen wearing at campaign events with jeans, along with a white quarter zip on top of a light blue and plaid button down.

Casey, who is quickly becoming a fashion icon and drawing comparisons to former First Ladies Jackie Kennedy and Nancy Reagan, wore a cobalt blue zip-up over a white t-shirt and jeans.

Earlier in the day, DeSantis stopped to drink beers with veterans in Reno at VFW Post 9211, also known as 'The Bunker'

Ron, Casey, and Adam Laxalt are seen serving drinks behind the bar at the VFW post

The three kids were in matching 'RD24' navy blue shirts promoting their father's 2024 bid for the Republican presidential nomination. The family of five all wore cowboy boots and jeans.

DeSantis will join Laxalt and other conservatives and Nevada leaders at the 8th Annual Morning in Nevada PAC's Basque Fry on Saturday morning about an hour outside of Reno.

Other attendees at the Basque Fry will include Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo; pro-Second Amendment media personality Dana Loesch; and Steve Cortes, the national spokesperson of the biggest PAC backing DeSantis' presidential run, Never Back Down.

Nevada's presidential primary is scheduled for February 6, making it among the earliest states on the Republican schedule, as well as the newly revamped Democratic primary schedule.

The Basque Fry, a festival where fried lamb testicles are served among other foods, is considered a key event in the lead-up to the Silver State's primary.

Also known as 'lamb fries', the dish is a signature one in Europe's Basque culture, and the event, modeled after cookouts held by Laxalt's grandfather, former Nevada Governor Paul Laxalt, pays tribute to the family's Basque heritage.

The event typically draws thousands of conservatives, who come from around the state to have a ball.

DeSantis is headlining the festival, an encroachment into turf that Trump won decisively in the past two primaries, in a move drawing bitter scorn from the Trump camp.

'Not surprised Ron DeSantis is looking for a set of b****,' Trump senior adviser Chris LaCivita told NBC News when asked about the Florida governor's visit to the Basque Fry.

That comment didn't sit well with Erin Perrine, the communications director for the pro-DeSantis PAC Never Back Down. 'The Trump team's obsession with men's genitalia is more perverted than a woke grooming book,' Perrine told NBC.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will headline the 8th annual Basque Fry in Nevada on Saturday. The event features 'lamb fries' - stewed and fried lamb testicles

Republicans supporters gather to savor lamb fries at the seventh annual Basque Fry at the Corley Ranch in 2022. The event includes live music, an inflatable rodeo ride and Basque cuisine, and is modeled after former Nevada governor Paul Laxalt's cookouts

The larger issue at play is whether DeSantis can make inroads in Nevada, where Trump has had strong support in the state Republican Party, but lost the state in both general elections.

'Trump hasn't won Nevada the last two go-arounds,' Laxalt told NBC. 'I was a two-time Trump chair. I don't see a path for him to win Nevada in a general election.'

Laxalt's grandfather Paul Laxalt was Nevada's governor and represented the state in the US Senate, and the modern-day Basque Fry is modeled after his grandfather's cookouts.

Trump's advisor LaCivita cast Adam Laxalt as a loser.

'So Adam Laxalt, who lost the governor's race in '18 and lost the Senate race in '22, is lecturing President Trump?' LaCivita said. 'That's the pot calling the kettle black.'

Taylor Budowich, the CEO of MAGA Inc., the top Trump super PAC told NBC of DeSantis: 'There's no sign that he can win in any state.'

'It's evident in their kind of ham-handed approach,' Budowich said. 'They're just largely spinning their wheels without articulating a path to winning a single state.'

MAGA Inc.'s spokesperson Karoline Leavitt even mocked the pro-DeSantis Never Back Down PAC for advertising in the state, with it's most recent ad highlighting the Florida governor's participation in the Basque Fry.

Leavitt called it a desperate attempt 'just to get people to show up for DeSantis' events.'
A top judge has unleashed on the handling of former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins's rape allegations against Bruce Lehrmann.

NSW District Court acting judge Paul Conlon said the prosecution was 'doomed' to fail because the allegations had been widely discussed by public figures before it went to court.

In particular he took aim at the 'incredible naivety' of Labor leader Anthony Albanese and his Liberal predecessor in the nation's top job, Scott Morrison, who both formally apologised to Ms Higgins in parliament.

An inquiry into Parliament House culture by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins in the Set The Standard report called for a 'statement of acknowledgement' by top politicians over alleged misconduct and past inaction.

In February last year, Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese in response both addressed Ms Higgins directly in parliamentary speeches as she sat in the gallery, telling her they were 'sorry' for her experiences before any allegations had been proven in court.

Brittany Higgins pictured after her speech at the Canberra Womens' March 4 Justice in 2021

Their comments were protected under parliamentary privilege but Judge Conlon said they were still widely heard by the public.

'In the Lehrmann/Higgins case, that was doomed to failure as soon as it was thought appropriate to ventilate the issues in the public domain and attempt to influence public opinion,' Judge Conlon told The Weekend Australian.

He also took aim at the 'stupidity' of 'some sections' of the media, saying the legal principal of an accused person's presumption of innocence was cast aside.

Judge Conlon added that he was 'staggered' by criticism of the Australian Federal Police officers who had questioned the strength of the case against Mr Lehrmann, saying that is what they should be doing as part of their job.

An inquiry has been held into the prosecution on the Higgins case as it was led by ACT director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC.

Mr Drumgold told the inquiry he was concerned about the 'objectivity' of police who had voiced strong doubts over the evidence and alleged there was a 'skills deficit' among investigating detectives.

The trial against Mr Lerhrmann, who has denied the allegations, was abandoned due to juror misconduct after one jury member brought a research paper on sexual assaults into deliberations after being instructed not to do outside research.

A retrial was also abandoned after medical experts warned Ms Higgins's health and wellbeing was at risk.

Bruce Lehrmann has denied the allegations against him and has not been convicted of any crime

Judge Conlon said he had seen, in his experience, an increasing number of cases brought before courts in which prosecutors had little evidence and which would cause increased trauma to victims because of likely acquittals.

Judge Conlon slammed public figures commenting on the case

He said prosecutors have a duty to the community not to bring persons to trial on flimsy evidence.

'It's easier for prosecuting authorities to send the matter to court and let the jury decide. They then don't have to confront the difficult task of telling a complainant that the matter will not proceed and explaining why that decision has been reached,' he said.

He added there was also a belief by some prosecutors they could escape criticism by allowing the matter to be decided in court.

Judge Conlon, who was a Crown prosecutor for 20 years before joining the bench in 2006, said it was his understanding that every Department of Public Prosecutions in the country works on a similar guideline.

The guideline instructs that if on a professional assessment by the department there was no reasonable prospect of conviction, the matter should not be brought to court.

An inquiry into the prosecution of the case as it was led by Shane Drumgold SC, will deliver its findings on July 31

Fellow NSW District Court colleagues Judge Penelope Wass and Judge Gordon Lerve have expressed similar concerns.

Judge Wass, in a recent judgement in which an accused was acquitted by a jury after 25 minutes, said prosecutors should do more than 'shepherd' allegations through the justice system.

'Such was the state of the evidence that I formed the view during the trial that had the jury returned a verdict of guilty on any count, I would have presided over a clear miscarriage of justice,' Judge Wass said of that case.

The Sofronoff inquiry into the handling of the prosecution of Mr Lerhmann will deliver its findings on July 31.
A young woman who spent the last years of her life spreading awareness about melanoma has died.

Brisbane advocate Gina Savage, 28, died on Monday, eight years after she was diagnosed with incurable metastatic melanoma.

Her foundation, the Six Hour Project, shared a memorial post on Saturday.

'We are deeply, deeply saddened to share the news that we lost our gorgeous light, Gina, on Monday 12 June after an eight year battle with melanoma,' it read.

'Gina lived every day to the fullest and truly squeezed every minute out of life, all while remaining a true advocate for melanoma prevention and awareness, after being diagnosed with the insidious disease at just 20 years old.

'She was dedicated to raising funds and awareness for those facing the same fight as her, or those that might still have it ahead of them.

'There are no words to describe this insurmountable loss in all of our lives and the lives of her enormous circle of family and friends.'

Young advocate Gina Savage (above) died from an incurable melanoma on Monday after spending the last years of her life spreading awareness about the disease

Ms Savage completed four rounds of radiation, tried five systemic drugs and had 60 lymph nodes, 17 melanoma tumours and both ovaries removed (pictured, a melanoma on her back)

The Melanoma Institute Australia also shared a tribute, writing: 'We are extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Gina Savage at the age of just 28.

'During her eight-year battle with melanoma Gina was dedicated to driving awareness of melanoma and fundraising for melanoma research.

'We are so grateful for everything she did, including supporting MIA at the National Press Club of Australia address in Canberra last year.

'We still have much to do but the work of Gina Savage, and others like her, inspire us all to double our efforts and get to zero deaths from this awful disease.'

Ms Savage was diagnosed with melanoma in 2015, when she was 20, after she found a small bump on her scalp.

The cancer spread through her body and she underwent three major surgeries to remove tumours from her abdomen and pelvis.

During her treatment, she completed four rounds of radiation, tried five systemic drugs and had 60 lymph nodes, 17 melanoma tumours and both ovaries removed.

Ms Savage's passion was spreading awareness about melanoma and sun safety.

Ms Savage (above) founded the Six Hour project to spread awareness about melanoma and slammed the 'glamorisation' of tanning on social media

A memorial service for Ms Savage (above) will be held at the Brisbane Powerhouse on Thursday

In particular she slammed the 'glamorisation' of tanning on social media, describing it as a 'kick in the guts'.

'Watching people glamorise a tan across social media is honestly a kick in the guts, when myself and so many others are fighting for our lives,' she said last November.

The Melanoma Institute Australia warns one Australian is diagnosed with melanoma every 30 minutes and one Aussie dies from the cancer every six hours.

A memorial service for Ms Savage will be held at the Brisbane Powerhouse on Thursday, June 22.
A gunman who killed his wife, her daughter and three kids in an horrific murder-suicide in rural Tennessee posed in a 'Friday the 13th' mask only months before he went on the rampage and carried out the murder-suicide.

Gary Barnett, 48, took to Facebook to make the posting only days before he massacred his estranged wife Regina Barnett, her daughter Britney Perez and three children before torching the home in Marion County at around 9pm on Thursday.

Barnett then turned the gun on himself. A fourth unidentified adult was found by cops with three bullet wounds and flown to hospital.

In a posting made in October 2022, several months before the deadly shooting, Barnett is pictured wearing the Jason Voorhees mask from the 'Friday the 13th,' horror film franchise.

The movies see the masked killer terrorizing people by stabbing them to death with a massive knife.

In a TikTok video that Barnett also posted to his Facebook last week a woman says: 'One really messed up things that guys experience after a breakup is when their ex not only pretends, but spreads word that he is a bad man just so she doesn't feel guilty over how she treated him.'

A gunman who killed his wife, her daughter and three kids in an horrific murder-suicide in rural Tennessee posed in a 'Friday the 13th' mask only months before he went on the rampage and carried out the murder-suicide

Barnett also posted on his Facebook a quote from Marvin Heemeyer: 'I was always willing to be reasonable until I had to be unreasonable. Sometimes reasonable men must do unreasonable things.'

Gary Barnett, 48, was named as family annihilator who massacred his estranged wife Regina Barnett, her daughter Britney Perez and Perez's three kids before torching the home in the Sequatchie area of Marion County

Now it has been revealed that Regina had filed a restraining order against her husband a month ago, court records show. A judge had approved a 'no contact order' against Barnett which was still active at the time of the killings. Regina wrote in court documents: 'My soon to be (ex) husband threatened to shoot me and he verbally abuses me every day. He also threatened to shoot my dog. He also has anywhere from 50 to 60 guns in his room. I am afraid he will get drunk and shoot me'

The horrific scene in Sequatchie, Tennessee, following the deaths of six people in what authorities have described as domestic incident

Barnett also posted on his Facebook a quote from Marvin Heemeyer: 'I was always willing to be reasonable until I had to be unreasonable. Sometimes reasonable men must do unreasonable things.'

Heemeyer was an American automobile repair shop owner who demolished numerous buildings with a modified bulldozer in Granby, Colorado in 2004.

Meanwhile, ex-wife Regina had filed a restraining order against her husband a month ago warning that she feared he would kill her in a drunken rage, court records show. A judge had approved a 'no contact order' against Barnett which was still active at the time of the killings.

Regina wrote in court documents: 'My soon to be (ex) husband threatened to shoot me and he verbally abuses me every day. He also threatened to shoot my dog. He also has anywhere from 50 to 60 guns in his room. I am afraid he will get drunk and shoot me.'

In a TikTok video that Barnett also posted to his Facebook last week. a woman says: 'One really messed up things that guys experience after a breakup is when their ex not only pretends, but spreads word that he is a bad man just so she doesn't feel guilty over how she treated him.'

Gary Barnett, 48, took to Facebook to make the twisted postings in the months leading up to the massacre of his estranged wife Regina Barnett, her daughter Britney Perez and three children before torching the home in Marion County at around 9pm on Thursday

Gary and Regina Barnett are pictures during happier times in pictures from Facebook

It was earlier revealed that Regina's daughter Perez had been visiting her at the home at the time of the murders.

A neighbor, Sylvia Cooper, told WTVC that she heard glass smash and then around five gunshots.

Shortly afterwards, flames could be seen coming from the home. Fire teams from multiple communities were called to the scene to put out the fire.

At least two of the victims died as a result of smoke inhalation, officials said.

'It's a domestic situation, evidently that has been ongoing for a pretty good while. We have six people confirmed dead. They have been removed from the scene and they have been taken to Nashville for an autopsy. The scene has been turned over to the TBI,' Sheriff Burnett told the media.

'This is one of the worst things I've seen. You hear about these things but this is one of the worst I've been involved in all my career as a law enforcement officer,' the sheriff added.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is in taking the lead in the investigation. The sheriff said that there is no further threat to the community and that everybody involving in the incident has been accounted for.

The victims have been taken to Nashville for autopsies.

Police say that the perpetrator set fire to the home after shooting some family members, two of the victims died of smoke inhalation

Marion County Sheriff Bo Burnett described the scene as 'one of the worst things I've seen'

Family mass killings have become a disturbingly common tragedy across the country. They've happened nearly every 3.5 weeks for the last two decades on average. In 2022 there were 17 of them, according to a database, compiled by multiple media organizations.

Ten were murder-suicides, and 14 were shootings. The database defines a mass killing as four or more people slain, not including the assailant. \

Sequatchie, Tennessee, is one of more than 30 communities sent reeling by a family mass killing in the last two years, a list that includes communities of wealth and poverty and spares no race or class.

A family mass killing  where four or more people were killed, not including the perpetrator  happened each of the last two years in places as large as Houston or as small as Casa Grande, Arizona.

Motives can remain speculative in family killings in which assailants take their own lives, but police often cite financial or relationship issues as the causes.

Family mass killings immediately capture the attention of people in a community, but rarely garner the level of national attention received by mass killings at schools, places of worship or restaurants, said James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University who has studied familicides and mass killings for decades.

Fox, who helped compile and maintains the database for the AP and USA Today, said that's because it doesn't carry the same kind of fear with the public. He noted police often issue messages saying there is no danger to the public shortly after the killings are discovered.

'It's a nice safe community, but family massacres are independent of the crime rate in the local area,' he said. 'We are talking about internal factors, and I think that's why it's hard for people to see themselves in these situations and why the response is to mourn instead of fear.'

Family mass killings are in fact the most common type of mass killing, making up about 45% of the 415 mass shootings since 2006, according to the database. They happen twice as frequently as mass shootings in which members of the public are killed.

Most, but not all, involve handguns, only about a third involve households with a previous occurrence of domestic violence and most of the assailants have no violent history or criminal past, Fox said.

There is no governmental agency tracking murder-suicides nationally, so a few years ago policy analysts at the Violence Policy Center  a nonprofit educational organization that conducts research and public education on violence in the U.S.  began tracking details from news accounts to produce an annual report. The latest version from 2020 looked at murder-suicides including many mass killings during the first six months of 2019.

Michael Haight, 42, fatally shot his wife, her mother and the couple's five kids after he was investigated for child abuse in one of the most infamous murder suicides in recent years

The study found 81 percent of murder-suicides happened at home and 65 percent involved intimate partners.

The study also found that among murder-suicides where more than three people aside from the assailant were killed, six of the 10 during those six months were incidents in which a person killed their children, partner and themselves.

Fox said most of the killings fall into two categories. The first is murder by proxy, in which the killer is motivated by anger or resentment and kills the children who are seen as an extension of their partner.

The second is suicide by proxy motivated by despondency or depression, most often a job loss, and the assailant kills the children as an extension of themselves.

'He wants to spare them the misery of living in this awful world,' Fox said. 'Over the years, there's been an eclipse in community. There was a time decades ago if you had trouble feeding your family or if you had lost your job, neighbors would come over with casseroles and they would offer emotional support. Many people don't know their neighbors these days.'
More details are being learned about the Mexican resort hotel where an American couple was mysteriously found dead from carbon monoxide poisoning allegedly has a bizarre 'wellness' program that involves encouraging guests to get drunk.

Abby Lutz, 28, and John Heathco, 40, were discovered unresponsive in their hotel room at the five-star $780-a-night Hotel Rancho Pescadero near Cabo San Lucas on Tuesday.

Heathco ran a health supplements website - and is described as a 'wellness junkie' - while girlfriend Lutz worked as a nanny.

Hotel Rancho Pescadero is located in the village of El Pescadero, by the Pacific Ocean on the Baja California Peninsula.

The boutique hotel features a 'cornerstone' program that guests participate in called the 'Mayan hangover cure.'

More details are being learned about the Mexican resort hotel where an American couple was mysteriously found dead from carbon monoxide poisoning allegedly has a bizarre 'wellness' program that involves encouraging guests to get drunk

Abby Lutz, 28, and John Heathco, 40, were discovered unresponsive in their hotel room at the five-star, $780-a-night Hotel Rancho Pescadero near Cabo San Lucas

It's unclear if Heathco and Lutz participated in the tradition, which involves guests working together to prepare their next day's meal, according to Bloomberg.

The catch is that the meal is going to be the supposed 'hangover cure' for them after they spend their time preparing the meal drinking various exotic liquors to the point of intoxication.

Lisa Harper, the hotel founder, pitched the experience in an interview last year as a cure for what ales you.

'The bartender is like our hotel doctor, they know just what to serve to make you feel better and not worse,' she said.

Guests are then not woken up until after 9 a.m. the next morning.

'Of course, we plan to bookend the whole thing with more drinking,' Harper added.

'The idea is that you're engaging with rituals,' says Harper. 'We want people to feel like they're living it up but also taking part in something that carries historical legacy and feels, for lack of a better word, authentic.'

While getting drunk is 'baked into the premise' it's more of an extreme version of a team-building exercise, as Harper tells it.

Hotel Rancho Pescadero is located in the village of El Pescadero, by the Pacific Ocean on the Baja California Peninsula

The boutique hotel features a 'cornerstone' program that guests participate in called the 'Mayan hangover cure'

The cure features guests working together to prepare their next day's meal, which will be their 'hangover cure' after spending the prep time drinking

Guests are then not woken up until after 9 a.m. the next morning

While getting drunk is 'baked into the premise' it's more of an extreme version of a team-building exercise

'You're forming community with new people, learning about drinks and foods that you may not have heard of before, and getting taken care of in a whole different way.'

It was revealed that Heathco and Lutz were hospitalized days before their passing with what they had thought was food poisoning.

Rancho Pescadero, which is owned by Hyatt, disputed suggestions there may have been a gas leak, saying in a statement it does 'not believe that the cause of death was related to any issues with the hotel's infrastructure or facilities, including carbon monoxide or a gas of any kind.'

Paramedic Fernando Valencia and his partner, who was his sister, told ABC they were among the first people to enter the couple's room where Heathco was found in the shower and Lutz in the bed.

'My partner and I, we started to feel dizzy and we came out. We went out of the room soon as possible and I was afraid for my partner because my first thought in mind, was are we gonna die?' Fernando told ABC's Good Morning America.

He and his sister were so concerned they sought medical treatment themselves.

'It was one of the worst experiences that I've felt,' he said.

Heathco and Lutz had been dead for about 10 or 11 hours and when they were found and there were no signs they had been fighting.

Heathco and Lutz were hospitalized days before their passing with what they had thought was food poisoning

It's unclear if Heathco and Lutz participated in the 'Mayan hangover cure' tradition

The State Attorney General's Office of Baja California Sur said in a statement on Thursday that the cause of death was 'intoxication by substance to be determined.'

Lutz's family say that she had been messaging her father the day before she was found dead, claiming she was feeling sick and had visited a hospital.

'She had been texting her dad and telling him the same thing, that she was feeling sick and went to the hospital, stayed one night on IV, and felt so much better,' her stepmother told ABC.

'She texted him Monday night to say good night, love you, and then we hadn't heard from her again,' she added.

Her stepsister, Gabby Slate, said the family now wants answers: 'We want to know exactly what happened and we just don't know that yet.'

Hotel Rancho Pescadero is located in the village of El Pescadero, by the Pacific Ocean on the Baja California Peninsula

Lutz's family has said they now want answers as to what led to their death in the hotel. The hotel's manager has said he does not believe there was a gas leak but the AG's office said that there was an unidentified intoxicant involved

Abby, 28, with her younger brother, who paid tribute to her on Thursday

In a statement, her sister told DailyMail.com: 'We are shocked and saddened to hear about the passing of our beloved Abby. Abby had an adventurous spirit and a wonderfully kind heart.

'She loved to travel, see new places, and share her zeal for life with those around her. We ask for your thoughts and prayers for our family during this very difficult time.

'In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to GoFundMe to help us lay Abby to rest.'

The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion.

They can often be described as 'flu-like,' according to the CDC. People who are sleeping can however die from carbon monoxide poisoning before they present symptoms.
Police are desperately searching for a mum who made an anonymous call to triple-0 after giving birth before hanging up the phone.

An unknown woman called police from a phone box located on the corner of Shelley Street and North East Road in Tea Tree Gully - in Adelaide's north-east - at about 12.35am on Friday.

Police said she was in a 'distressed state' and told the operator she had just given birth.

However, she hung up the phone before police could obtain any more details.

'Police have grave concerns for her welfare given the information she has provided in this call and believe she is in need of urgent medical assistance,' an SA police spokesman said.

An unknown woman called police from a phone box located on the corner of Shelley Street and North East Road in Tea Tree Gully - in Adelaide's northeast (pictured)

Police have grave concerns for her welfare given the information she has provided in this call (pictured, a stock image)

Police have searched the area surrounding the phone box with assistance from the SES but have not been able to locate any physical evidence.

Investigators have conducted extensive inquiries but have not been able to identify the woman.

They are asking for the woman to contact triple-0 (000) again so they can confirm that she and her baby are safe.

Anyone who can identify the woman or who may have dashcam or CCTV footage in the vicinity of the phone box is being urged to contact police on 1800 333 000.
Mogadishu (Smn)  Al-Shabab publicly executed five people for alleged spying, in southern Somalia 9n Thursday, according to local media.

The men eged between 28-52 were executed by firing squad in Kunyo-Barrow town in the Lower Shabelle region with hundreds of residents watching the mass executions.

An Al-Shabaab Court convicted the men of spying for the Somali government and foreign intelligence agencies, and providing intelligence on the militants.

The group's courts do not allow any defense of the accused. They usually depend on confessions obtained through torture, according to fighters who surrendered to the government.

AlShabab has been waging insurgency against government for 16 years with aim to conquer the country and impose a sharia law.

The government vowed to wipe out the militants from entire nation in the coming Months as it plans major military offensive backed by frontline states.
A beaming Kathleen Folbigg is enjoying her newfound life as a free woman after spending 20 years behind bars over the deaths of her four children.

Ms Follbigg was all smiles as she was spotted out in public for the first time, embracing friends in the historic NSW north coast village of Nana Glen on Saturday, with Sunrise host Natalie Barr also in her entourage.

The Seven Network is rumoured to have paid significantly more than a reported $400,000 to secure the exclusive rights to interview Ms Folbigg.

It appears Barr will be helming the segment, though no camera crews were with the group as they stopped to chat in the village's main street.

The 55-year-old's interview will air sometime on 7News Spotlight after the network won an intense bidding war with its rivals including Nine Network.

Nana Glen is a short drive from the Glenreagh property of her best friend Tracy Chapman where she has been staying since her release earlier this month.

Kathleen Folbigg was out and about in the historic NSW north coast town of Nana Glen on Saturday after her release from prison earlier this month

Sunrise host Natalie Barr and talent rep Nick Fordham were part of her entourage on Saturday

She hugged friends out walking their dogs as they met near a cafe in the sleepy historic town

NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley confirmed Ms Folbigg would be released from jail following new scientific evidence that cast a 'reasonable doubt' over her case after she was first imprisoned in 2003.

Folbigg was convicted of three counts of murder and one of manslaughter after her babies Patrick, Sarah, Laura and Caleb died in suspicious circumstances between 1989 and 1999.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the case was 'extraordinary'.

'This has been an extraordinary case where new evidence has led the Attorney-General of NSW, Michael Daley, to intervene and to pardon Ms Folbigg,' Mr Albanese told the ABC's 7.30.

'She's been in jail for some 20 years and Michael Daley has chosen to show mercy and to intervene in this case.'

Ms Folbigg was released from a Grafton prison after new scientific evidence led to the NSW attorney-general granting her a pardon

Sunrise host Natalie Barr is seen with Ms Folbigg in Nana Glen - Channel 7 has reportedly paid more than $400,000 to interview the former inmate

The former inmate was convicted of killing her four babies, her convictions remain in place

Ms Folbigg had been sentenced to 30 years in jail and was not eligible for parole until 2028, but had consistently maintained her innocence.

Her convictions have not been quashed. Her prison pardon was granted because of 'reasonable doubt' over her children's death.

The decision came after an inquiry - set up by Supreme Court Justice Tom Bathurst KC - found there was new evidence to suggest the children died from natural causes.

It was revealed soon after her release that Ms Folbigg would sit down with Channel Seven, with reports suggesting the price of the exclusive interview was $400,000.

No camera crews were with the group as they stopped to chat in the village's main street

She is staying at the property of her friend Tracy Chapman - a short drive from Nana Glen

Ms Folbigg is rumoured to have been paid a lot more than the previously reported figure of $400,000 to tell her story in an exclusive interview with Channel Seven

Ms Folbigg was convicted of the murder of her son Patrick (right), as well as manslaughter of her first child Caleb (left)

Sources close to the negotiation have since told The Age's CBD column other networks pulled out when Ms Folbigg's team reportedly set a figure of $1.5million for the interview, security expenses and some archived footage.

A Seven spokesperson declined to comment or give an official figure when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.

Ms Folbigg may also receive a hefty compensation fee from the state government for her time behind bars.

In the wake of the pardon, which does not quash her conviction but frees her from jail, lawyer Rhanee Rego revealed compensation could be on the cards.

'We haven't spoken to her about this. She is very much trying to focus on taking one step in front of the other and not rush into things because she has just been waiting to feel the grass on her feet, look at the sky and watch the sunrise for the first time in 20 years,' Ms Rego said on June 6.

'Kathleen is still having a cup of tea, acquainting herself to normal life, and we are just getting used to not speaking to her in a prison over an AVL call.

'We are taking it one step at a time, but in due course, we will certainly be thinking about all options available to her.

'We won't be rushing her and pushing her to do anything. She does not need to do until she is ready.'

Ms Folbigg (pictured in 2005) was convicted of three counts of murder and one of manslaughter in 2003 after her babies Patrick, Sarah, Laura and Caleb died in suspicious circumstances between 1989 and 1999

Medical experts say there might have been a genetic mutation which caused the deaths of Sarah (left) and Laura Folbigg (right)

Ms Folbigg's convictions need to be quashed in the Court of Criminal Appeal before compensation avenues can be discussed.

Figures from as little $1million up to $20 million have already been speculated in the media.

'She not only lost one child, she has lost four and been in jail for 20 years. The system has failed her at every step,' Ms Rego said.

'Instead of trying to understand why her children died, potentially through an inquest... we threw her in jail, locked her up and called her Australia's worst female serial killer.'

Robyn Blewer, director of the Griffith University Innocence Project, pointed to two recent cases to indicate the extent to which Ms Folbigg could be compensated for her 7,300 days in jail.

West Australian man Scott Austic in May received $1.3million on top of an earlier payment of $250,000 after serving nearly 13 years for the murder of his pregnant secret lover.

He had sought $8.5million after being acquitted in 2020 on appeal.

Both payments were voluntary, while David Eastman was awarded $7million in damages by the ACT Supreme Court in 2019 after his wrongful conviction for the murder of Australian Federal Police assistant commissioner Colin Winchester.

Dr Blewer said the amount Ms Folbigg received could depend on what the government was willing to pay.

'Twenty years is a substantial amount of time lost,' she said.

'It might depend on the good grace of the NSW government.'
A grief-stricken mother is demanding answers after losing her newborn son following complications during a horror 18-hour labour that she claims staff at a Queensland hospital were 'not equipped for'.

Tim and Rebecca Spreadborough are now pushing for an independent review after her baby boy Alby died at Emerald Hospital in central Queensland on February 5.

She claims staff 'missed all of the signs' during her 18-hour obstructive labour.

After Ms Spreadborough's water broke at 39 weeks she claims hospital staff told her she had only 'peed herself' and to wait until the morning.

The couple arrived at the hospital at 5.30am, with staff initially reassuring the couple the baby was 'happy' despite signs pointing to an obstructive labour - when the baby is unable to exit through the birth canal, or pelvis.

Doctors ultimately performed an emergency caesarean and cut Ms Spreadborough's placenta to get baby Alby out, who was unable to be resuscitated postpartum.

A coroner has since informed the couple the cause of death was obstructed labour.

Ms Spreadborough (pictured) claimed she was not told about the complications during her labour that lead to the death of her newborn Alby

The Queensland couple (pictured) are now calling for a statewide policy to manage obstructed labours and dedicated bereavement teams for grieving parents

WHAT IS AN OBSTRUCTED LABOUR? Obstructed labour is when the baby cannot descend down the birth canal due to being physically blocked during contractions. It can occur during prolonged labour and lead to severe complications for both mother and child Advertisement

The incident is being investigated by the Health Ombudsman following an internal review by the Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service.

A final report on May 25 stated: 'The antenatal, intrapartum, and neonatal care for RS her baby mostly demonstrates reasonable clinical care and decision-making in alignment with clinical practice standards.'

However, Ms Spreadborough has since taken issue with the findings and says the report recognised many signs of an obstructed labour.

She claims complications were not adequately communicated to her during the 18-hour labour.

'I developed Bandl's Ring, my contractions were so strong they were pushing the baby down, I had meconium, my dilation stalled, I had abnormal cardiotocograph (CTG) scans, cervical oedema,' Ms Spreadborough told the Courier Mail.

'It's like they failed to see all of the signs.'

The grieving mother claims staff only told her she was experiencing meconium and that her baby was in distress when she asked why a CTG monitor - which tracks the baby's heartbeat - was placed on her.

Ms Spreadborough says she was reassured by hospital staff that she could continue to give birth vaginally despite knowing there had been no foetal descent.

'After he was out all I could hear after that was 3,2,1 over and over,' she recalled.

'We were never able to hear him cry.'

The Queensland couple are now calling for a statewide policy to manage obstructed labours as well as dedicated bereavement teams for grieving parents.

Staff at the Emerald Hospital (pictured) in central Queensland reassured her the baby was 'happy' despite scans and examinations pointing to an obstructed labour

A review by clinical experts both internal and external to the Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service recommended the Emerald maternity team undertake regular emergency drills for neonatal resuscitation and regular clinical audits.

Other recommendations include an assessment of compliance against the CTG interpretation, documentation, escalation, and education policy, specifically that all maternity care clinicians undertake regular annual CTG updates.

The review also recommended that a foetal pillow is used as first-line management in cases where foetal head elevation is required.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said it was a 'heartbreaking' story.

'I know that the hospital is working with the family,' she said. 'I also know that there's an independent investigation underway including with the health ombudsman.

'We need to let that investigation take place, but I want to be very clear that I expect the very highest standards for women and for women's health.'
A filthy rental property has left prospective tenants stunned as the landlord is accused of 'taking advantage' of Sydney's deepening housing crisis.

The $700-a-week rental in Penrith, west of the city, appeared not to have been cleaned properly before people were invited to inspect the home this week.

One of the rooms, which had been converted into a home salon, was littered with hair trimmings and clippers, which tenants would have to remove themselves.

The property also featured a shed still full to the brim with the landlord's belongings, including a rusty lawnmower, a chainsaw and various bottles of chemicals.

An unimpressed Sydneysider posted photos of the rental to social media.

'Just went and had a look at the house that is ready to be moved into,' they wrote.

'This is what I came across. There was also a room converted into a hair salon with clippers and hair everywhere.'

A filthy rental property has left prospective tenants stunned as the landlord is slammed for the 'disrespectful' listing amid the deepening housing crisis (pictured is the shed at the property)

The $700-a-week rental in Penrith, west of the city, appeared not to have been cleaned properly before people were invited to inspect the home this week (pictured)

Internet users were quick to agree the property wasn't worth $700 a week.

'So basically they want you to clean the property they are meant to have reasonably clean and free from mould before renting it out,' one person wrote.

They also want you to dispose of all the junk/sh*t that someone has left behind or leave it there and then you can't use the space.

'And for that, you get to pay $700 per week. Pass.'

'Wow that's awful and landlords are just blatantly taking advantage of desperate tenants seeking a property,' another added.

'Just shows total disrespect for rental tenants.'

A third simply stated: 'That's disgusting.'

Internet users were quick to agree the property (pictured) wasn't worth $700 a week

This 'cabin' near Cygnet, Tasmania, was advertised for $175 per week for desperate tenants

It comes as a tiny shack 'barely wider than a two seater couch' was advertised for $175 per week near Cygnet in Tasmania.

The property didn't have a bathroom and was located half an hour out of the small town which has little public transport.

Furious renters slammed the exorbitant listing for the subpar home as a 'disgrace'.

'This tiny wooden box is barely wider than a two seater couch, has no bathroom, no kitchen, and is a 25 minute walk from Cygnet,' one commenter wrote.

'If you had tried that on as little as five years ago, someone would have tossed you directly into the Tasman Sea.'
Prince Louis, five, saluted and made funny faces as Kate looked at him with pride

King Charles celebrated his first official birthday since becoming sovereign

Prince Louis stole the show as he gave a cheeky salute to the adoring crowds cheering for his grandad King Charles's official birthday - as the royal family appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

The King, Kate, William, Charlotte, Louis and George took pride of place in a slimmed-down group of royals as they watched a magnificent 70-aircraft flypast.

Five-year-old Louis was seen saluting as he waved at crowds to celebrate the Trooping the Colour parade.

The adorable royal was also seen throwing his fists in the air and pouting as his mother Kate looked at him with pride and amusement.

On their Instagram page, the royal family reflected on the event, writing: 'A spectacular flypast of 70 aircraft from @royalnavy, @britisharmy and @royalairforceuk!'

One of the main highlights of the flypast above Buckingham Palace saw 18 Typhoon fighter jets spelling out the King's monogram 'CR' - short for Charles Rex.

As the planes zoomed overhead Kate encouraged Prince George to wave to the crowds as she smoothed down Prince Louis' hair and urged him to face the crowd.

Prince Louis stole the show as he gave a cheeky salute to the adoring crowds cheering his grandad King Charles's official birthday

The cheeky royal was also seen throwing his fists into the air and pouting as his mother Kate looked at him with pride and amusement

The King, Kate, William, Charlotte, Louis and George took pride of place in a slimmed-down group of royals as they watched a magnificent 70-aircraft flypast

Prince Louis grinned at the crowd as he stood out on the balcony with his family

King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla greeted the crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace

Charles waved at the crowds surrounded by his eldest son William and his family

Prince William, Kate and their three children looked happy as they watched the magnificent flypast

George and Louis looked up at the sky to see the spectacular flypast

Members of the public cheered as they watched the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows during the King's Birthday Parade

The flypast looked stunning as it zoomed over crowds celebrating the ceremony

Trooping the Colour is a traditional parade held to mark the British Sovereign's official birthday

The royals looked up at the stunning flypast which flew over the crowds to celebrate Charles' official birthday

William and his family waved to the crowds as they stood on the balcony to watch the flypast

King Charles looked pleased as he stood on the balcony with Queen Camilla and greeted crowds

King Charles saddled up to become the first monarch in more than 30 years to take part in the ceremony as his official birthday parade began this morning.

The King rode onto Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall as the nation's head of state.

He was joined on horseback by the royal colonels, including the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh, riding for the first time in his role as Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards, formed last year.

Travelling in a carriage were the Queen, the Princess of Wales, along with Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, eight, and five-year-old Prince Louis.

Today is the first time a reigning monarch has ridden on horseback at Trooping the Colour since Queen Elizabeth's horse Burmese carried her during the 1986 ceremony.

Pomp and pageantry were on display during the military spectacle where the most prestigious regiments in the British Army honoured their Colonel in Chief by parading to mark his anniversary.

The royal party were in the midst of a sovereign's mounted escort, formed by troops from the Household Cavalry's Life Guards and Blues and Royals, in their shining breastplates and plumed helmets, and a ripple of cheers followed them when they travelled along The Mall.

Soon after the King arrived on the parade ground the national anthem was played as a mark of respect, and Charles had to steady his horse but it would not settle and a groom stepped forward to help.

The King began the ceremony by inspecting the lines of guardsmen on the parade ground, casting a critical eye over the soldiers, formed in two lines, as he rode past.

RAF jets spell out 'CR' as part of a flypast during Trooping the Colour today

The Red Arrows flew over Buckingham Palace

King Charles saddled up to become the first monarch in more than 30 years to take part in Trooping the Colour as his official birthday parade began

Kate, Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla sit together in a carriage for Trooping the Colour

Travelling in a carriage were the Queen, the Princess of Wales, along with Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, eight, and five-year-old Prince Louis

Princess Charlotte smiles to the crowd as she arrives for the ceremony with her family via carriage

Prince Louis is seen sitting in the carriage with his siblings George and Charlotte

Prince Louis, the Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte ride in a carriage as they take part in the Royal Procession as it returns to Buckingham Palace after the Trooping the Colour ceremony

Prince Louis, 5, is seen holding his nose while he rides in the carriage

Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte during the Trooping the Colour ceremony

Queen Camilla and Catherine, Princess of Wales, attend the Trooping the Colour parade

The royal family look delighted as they ride together in a carriage for the ceremony

William and Kate's three children are seen smiling as they arrive for the big event by carriage

Queen Camilla chose a red outfit while Catherine, Princess of Wales went for green

King Charles leads on horseback, leaving Buckingham Palace to process to Horse Guards Parade

King Charles smiles as he rides his horse during the parade

Today Charles was joined on horseback by the royal colonels, including William, the Prince of Wales (left) and the Duke of Edinburgh, riding for the first time in his role as Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards, formed last year

The King rides back to Buckingham Palace after the Birthday Parade

The King is seen travelling back to Buckingham Palace via horseback

The King looks relaxed nd composed as he travels back to Buckingham Palace after the parade

Members of the Blues and Royals ride back to Buckingham Palace after the ceremony

King Charles salutes during the Trooping the Colour ceremony

Anne, the Princess Royal, rides on horseback along The Mall following the Trooping the Colour ceremony

Charles and the Prince of Wales ride horses at Horse Guards during the Trooping the Colour parade

Members of the Welsh Guards perform on Horse Guards Parade for the King's Birthday Parade

Prince William leaves Buckingham Palace on horseback to process to Horse Guards Parade

King Charles salutes as he rides on horseback as part of Trooping the Colour ceremony

King Charles travels along The Mall to the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade

William, Anne, and Edward rode behind Charles while Camilla and Kate were in a carriage - a symbolic image of the royal family supporting their King as another milestone was reached.

The Queen and the princess wore contrasting outfits, with Camilla in a red silk dress that took inspiration from her regiment, the Grenadier Guards, while Kate was in a striking green dress by Andrew Gn and matching hat by Philip Treacy in honour of her Irish Guards.

The pair later took their seats on a dais with the Duke of Kent, Colonel, Scots Guards, to watch the march past of the troops - a first for the royal women - while the King and the other royal colonels remained on horseback alongside.

The sight of a monarch riding throughout Trooping the Colour had not happened since 1986 when the Queen rode her charger Burmese for the final time.

READ MORE: Trooping the Colour 2023 LIVE: King Charles celebrates his first Birthday Parade with Red Arrows flypast and display of pageantry Advertisement

It was a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Charles' horse Noble was also from the Commonwealth country's famous Mounties.

Trooping the Colour is a social as well as a ceremonial occasion and in the stands overlooking the parade ground were around 8,000 wives, girlfriends and parents of the guardsmen and officers on parade.

The event featured around 1,500 soldiers in total and hundreds of Guardsmen were lined up on the parade ground waiting to be inspected by the King, who was joined by the mounted royal Colonels, including the Queen and Kate in a carriage.

For the first time since 1989, all five regiments of Foot Guards - the Welsh, Scots, Irish, Coldstream and Grenadier - were on parade together for Trooping.

The colour, or regimental flag, that was trooped in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers will be the King's Colour of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

Among the guests was Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and senior military figures.

Royals gathered on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to witness a stunning flypast.

King Charles (centre) , Prince William (left), Prince Edward (centre left) and Princess Anne (right), leave Buckingham Palace to take part in the Trooping the Colour parade

Members of the Household Cavalry travel along The Mall to the Trooping the Colour ceremony

A member of the Household Division performs on Horse Guards Parade for the King's Birthday Parade

Members of the Household Division during the Trooping the Colour ceremony

Since 1748, the Trooping of the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign

King Charles III leads Britain's Prince William, Britain's Prince Edward, and Britain's Princess Anne, leaving Buckingham Palace

King Charles III during the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade

Today is the first time a reigning monarch has ridden on horseback at Trooping the Colour since Queen Elizabeth's horse Burmese carried her during the 1986 ceremony

Prince William is seen on horseback as he arrives for the parade

Prince William salutes the crowd as he appears on horseback

Members of the Welsh Guards perform on Horse Guards Parade for the King's Birthday Parade

The Royal procession make its way down the Mall to take part in the Trooping the Colour parade

George and Louis stare at something in the distance as they arrive by carriage

King Charles III waves from the car as he arrives at Buckingham Palace for the King's Birthday Parade

The Duchess of Edinburgh during the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Timothy Laurence appear for Trooping the Colour today

Sophie is seen arriving by carriage as she stuns in a cream outfit

The Duchess of Edinburgh waves to the crowds as she arrives to the parade by carriage

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester and Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester travel down The Mall

Today King Charles will become the first monarch in more than 30 years to take part in Trooping the Colour on horseback when he rides in his inaugural Birthday Parade. Pictured: Charles salutes during the late Queen's Birthday Parade

Members of the Welsh Guards, a regiment of Household Division, march to Horse Guards Parade this morning

The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery are seen

Charles waves to the royal fans who have gathered to witness the historic day

Members of the Household Cavalry on The Mall before the Trooping the Colour ceremony

Excitement builds as the buildup to the event starts to kick off

Members of the Welsh Guards, a regiment of Household Division, march for the parade

Members of the Welsh Guards, a regiment of Household Division, are seen marching to Horse Guards Parade ahead of Trooping the Colour today

The Blues and Royals, a regiment of the Household Cavalry, leave Buckingham Palace to parade down The Mall during the King's Birthday Parade

Members of the Household division at Buckingham Palace

Police officers riding horses patrol along The Mall as they arrive prior to the King's Birthday Parade

Today will be the first Trooping the Colour held for King Charles III since he ascended to the throne

Guards of the Household Division arrive to take part in the King's Birthday Parade

More than 1,500 parading soldiers and almost 300 horses are taking part in the event

More and more royal fans are seen gathering on The Mall ahead of Trooping the Colour today

People have set up camping chairs and picnic blankets as they prepare to watch the event

Well wishers in fancy dress express excitement at witnessing the event today

Royal Fan Andrew Thompson poses on The Mall prior to the King's Birthday Parade

Troops marching down the Mall to Horse Guards Parade

A royal super fan poses at the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace

Charles was pictured saluting to the crowds as he arrived for the ceremony.

Burmese, a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, was the Queen's favourite steed for ceremonial occasions and she rode it for 18 years until its retirement in 1986, and decided to use a carriage for Trooping rather than train another charger.

READ MORE: Kate is gorgeous in green! Princess of Wales puts on an elegant display as she attends Trooping the Colour Advertisement

When the King rode from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards, he was joined on horseback by the royal Colonels - Prince of Wales, Colonel, Welsh Guards and the Princess Royal, Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel, The Blues and Royals.

The Duke of Edinburgh also rode during the ceremony in his role as Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards, formed last year.

The senior royals on horseback were joined by a carriage expected to be carrying the Queen and the Princess of Wales and her children.

The royal party were set to travel in the middle of a Sovereign's Mounted Escort formed by troops from the Household Cavalry's Life Guards and Blues and Royals, with two divisions riding in front and two behind.

During the Trooping ceremony, the King inspected the Guardsmen, in their scarlet tunics and bearskins, standing in two rows on Horse Guards before the colour is trooped.

People are waiting on The Mall ahead of the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade, central London

Today King Charles III celebrates his first official birthday since becoming sovereign

One woman is seen dressed up in the British flag to celebrate Charles's big day

Police officers walk along The Mall prior to the King's Birthday Parade

Royal fans gather ahead of the Trooping the Colour event today

Charles will take the royal salute as Colonel in Chief of the Household Division's seven regiments during the ceremony, staged on Horse Guards Parade, as members of the royal family and 8,000 spectators watch

People are gathering on The Mall ahead of the royal celebrations today

Preparation work begins on the balcony at Buckingham Palace this morning before the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade, central London

The massed bands of the Household Division provided musical backing during the day and also taking part was the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery who, following the parade, fired a 41-gun salute in Green Park to mark the King's official birthday - while from the Tower of London the Honourable Artillery Company fired 62 volleys.

Following the ceremony, the royal family headed back to Buckingham Palace and gathered on the balcony to watch an extended military flypast after the display on coronation day had to be scaled down due to bad weather.

Around 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force took part - including aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the C-130 Hercules on its final ceremonial flight, modern Typhoon fighter jets with a red, white and blue finale from the Red Arrows.
Under-fire senator David Van has unleashed on the Liberals as he quits the party following accusations of inappropriate behaviour towards women in parliament.

Mr Van said he quit the party 'effective immediately' following a 'disregard for due process and natural justice in relation to allegations made against me'.

In a letter addressed to Greg Mirabella, the president of the Victorian division of the Liberal Party, the senator reiterated that he denied the allegations.

'I cannot remain a member of a party that tramples upon the very premise of which our justice system is predicated,' Mr Van wrote on Saturday afternoon.

'This is a travesty of justice and I reiterate that I deny the accusations made against me.

'I resign also acknowledging the cruel irony of doing so amidst public discourse about the weaponisation of allegations and the role of the rule of law which has at its centre the presumption of innocence.'

Under-fire senator David Van (pictured) unleashed on the Liberals as he sensationally quits the party after being hit with sexual assault allegations

In a letter addressed to Greg Mirabella, the president of the Victorian division of the Liberal Party, the outgoing senator reiterated that he denied the allegations

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton took steps to remove Mr Van from the Liberal party room on Thursday and called on him to resign 'sooner than later'

The senator said he was 'deeply distressed and hurt' that he had not been afforded procedural fairness in relation to these claims.

He thanked the 'hundreds' of Liberal party members who had supported him over the last week and said he was grateful for their 'belief in my honesty and integrity'.

'I have worked tirelessly for the Party and fought hard for its beliefs over many years.

'I will continue to fight for what I thought were the Party's values - just not under its banner.'

Senator Lidia Thorpe and former LNP senator Amanda Stoker this week came forward with accusations Mr Van had inappropriately touched them in previous years. He has denied the allegations.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who took steps to remove Mr Van from the Liberal party room on Thursday and called on him to resign 'sooner than later', confirmed he was aware of further allegations beyond Ms Stoker and Ms Thorpe.

'I made a decision yesterday based on all of the information that was available to me... that's a decision I don't regret at all,' he told the Today Show on Friday.

'I believe it is in the best interests of the Liberal Party and that's what I have acted upon and I don't want Senator Van sitting in our party room. I have made that clear.'

Mr Van then issued a statement on Friday stating his 'good reputation' had been 'wantonly savaged without due process or accountability'.

'I am utterly shattered by the events of the past days,' he said.

'I will fully cooperate with whatever process Mr Dutton proposes to determine these matters as quickly and fairly as possible.'

The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee had been set to meet over the weekend to discuss the allegations brought against Mr Van.

READ DAVID VAN'S FULL RESIGNATION LETTER: Given the Liberal Party's wholesale disregard for due process and natural justice in relation to allegations made against me, I write to resign my membership effective immediately. I cannot remain a member of a party that tramples upon the very premise of which our justice system is predicated. This is a travesty of justice and I reiterate that I deny the accusations made against me. I resign also acknowledging the cruel irony of doing so amidst public discourse about the weaponisation of allegations and the role of the rule of law which has at its centre the presumption of innocence. I am deeply distressed and hurt that I have not been afforded procedural fairness in relation to these claims. I acknowledge the hundreds of members who have shown me support during my final days as a member. I am grateful for their belief in my honesty and integrity. I have worked tirelessly for the Party and fought hard for its beliefs over many years. I will continue to fight for what I thought were the Party's values - just not under its banner. Yours sincerely, David Van. Advertisement

Mr Van (pictured with his wife) issued a statement on Friday stating his 'good reputation' had been 'wantonly savaged without due process or accountability'

Allegations levelled against David Van: A timeline Wednesday, June 14 3.30pm: Lidia Thorpe accuses David Van of being a 'perpetrator' as he attempts to deliver a speech in the Senate

7.30pm: Ms Thorpe returns to the Senate to withdraw her allegations, citing parliamentary standing orders. A senator cannot make comments on the character of a colleague. She vows to make a follow up statement on Thursday Thursday, June 15 7am: David Van appears on 2GB to publicly reject allegations

12.15pm: Lidia Thorpe makes tearful admission in Senate that an unnamed colleague 'followed her aggressively, propositioned and inappropriately touched' her

1.45pm: Opposition Leader Peter Dutton reveals further allegations and expels Mr Van from Liberal party room. Simultaneously, Mr Van gave a speech in parliament, again refuting all allegations

6.30pm: Amanda Stoker comes forward to allege she was groped 'twice on the bottom' by Mr Van at an event inside a parliamentary office in November, 2020. She claims to have dealt with the matter privately with Mr Van Friday, June 16 Peter Dutton reveals there is at least one further allegation against Mr Van, and calls on him to resign from parliament altogether

8.30am: Mr Van issues a final statement, vowing to 'fully cooperate' with an examination into all claims levelled against him Advertisement

It comes after Sky News host and former senator Amanda Stoker hit out at Mr Van after he claimed to have 'no recollection' of squeezing her bottom twice during an informal drinks.

Ms Stoker, who was a Queensland Liberal National senator from 2018 until 2022, urged women not to 'take any s***' during an editorial on Sky News on Friday.

Ms Stoker alleged on Thursday evening that Liberal senator Mr Van had groped her twice at an informal gathering in a parliamentary office in November 2020.

She said the senator's public denial of her groping claims had validated her decision to come forward, after Lidia Thorpe on Wednesday told the Senate Mr Van had sexually harassed and assaulted her.

'Ladies, don't put up with behaviour that you don't deserve. Don't take s**t,' Ms Stoker told viewers on Friday evening.

'Now, I am not out to make this a bigger deal than it is. I am not scarred for life and I am not out to get anyone.

'I never wanted this to be public. But I'm also not about to cover it up.'

Ms Stoker said despite 'burying the hatchet' with Mr Van she felt compelled to speak about her own alleged experience after she was contacted by journalists.

'Senator Van apologised to me and said I could be confident he wouldn't behave that way in the future. I accepted his apology and got on with the job,' she continued.

'Senator Van is right to say that he and I buried the hatchet. We were able to work constructively. He didn't repeat the behaviour.

'I've even interviewed him on this channel recently. I am a professional and I don't hold a grudge.'

In light of Lidia Thorpe's allegations in the Senate on Wednesday - in which she said under parliamentary privilege that Mr Van was a 'perpetrator' - Ms Stoker felt it was 'no longer tenable' to remain silent about her own alleged experience.

Ms Stoker said Mr Van acted inappropriately toward her 'by squeezing my bottom twice. By its nature and repetition, it was not accidental'.

She informed a senior female colleague of the alleged incident but did not feel the need to take it any further, confident the matter had been dealt with.

Mr Van said he had no memory of having had such an encounter with Ms Stoker, but that they had had a 'frank and open' discussion about her recollection of the evening at the time.

Lidia Thorpe doubled down on her allegations she was sexually assaulted under parliamentary privilege, claiming she was 'followed aggressively, propositioned and inappropriately touched' - but insisted she would not make a complaint with police

On Wednesday, Ms Thorpe tearfully told parliament she had been harassed and assaulted when she arrived in 2020.

She said parliament 'was not a safe place for women'. 'You are often alone in long corridors, with no windows, in stairwells hidden from view where there are no cameras.'

Ms Thorpe never spoke publicly about her alleged experiences, which she said happened around the time Brittany Higgins came forward with rape allegations, to avoid taking focus off that case.

Instead, she placed her faith in the Liberal Party that her complaint was being taken seriously.

Ms Thorpe said she has no intentions of taking the complaint to the police.

She said there are 'different understandings of what amounts to sexual assault' and that when she raised her complaint with the government of the day - the Coalition - 'it was recognised as such'.

'I was afraid to walk out of the office door. I would open it slightly and make sure the coast was clear before stepping out,' she said. 'I had to be accompanied by someone - that is how the Greens supported me and I thank them for that.'

Peter Dutton expelled Senator David Van from the Liberal party room after a second woman came forward with allegations against him

Ms Thorpe told the Senate she was sure the then prime minister Scott Morrison had been informed. He said in a statement on Wednesday he did not recall if this was the case.

'I was convinced the government believed me... my faith in the Liberal Party was not the right decision,' Ms Thorpe said.

'Until yesterday, I thought they took the issue seriously.'

Ms Thorpe said she was prompted to speak out on Wednesday when Mr Van 'had the gall to stand up in parliament' to address the handling of Ms Higgins' complaint in parliament this week.

She will not pursue legal action or go to police, but vowed to 'continue to speak out against the abuse and harassment that happens in this building'.

'That is my choice. I want to focus on making this place safe for everyone,' she added.

'And at this moment, it is not a safe place for women and I call on the government to immediately increase the number of security guards in the building and cameras in the corridors and to consult women who work here on what measures can and should be taken.'
A man has been tasered by police after he boarded a tram and allegedly threatened to kill his fellow passengers while armed with a knife.

The 57-year-old man boarded the tram on Collins Street, inner-city Melbourne, at about around 8.25am on Saturday before demanding the driver open the doors.

After the driver refused, the man allegedly wielded a knife and was heard threatening to 'slit the throat' of terrified passengers nearby.

In footage of the tense ordeal, police officers are seen conversing with the man from outside the carriage before two officers in tactical gear take control.

As the man attempts to grab a woman's hair two male officers rush into the carriage before deploying a taser on the 57-year-old.

A man has been tasered by police after he boarded a tram and allegedly threatened to kill his fellow passengers while armed with a knife (pictured)

Witnesses claim the man started getting aggressive shortly after boarding the tram.

'Get me out of here,' he screams in the footage.

'Open this f***ing door or I will slit this woman's throat.'

Officers urge the man to put the knife down and exit the carriage.

The man responds: 'No. Get the car out of here or I'll start killing these girls.'

Two large officers then storm the tram, with one deploying a taser on the knifeman.

Up to 10 passengers and the driver are evacuated as the man is put in handcuffs.

The 57-year-old man boarded the tram on Collins Street, inner-city Melbourne, at about around 8.45am on Saturday before demanding the driver open the doors (pictured)

Passenger Jamara Janic said people had remained frozen in their seats over fears any sudden movement would catch the man's attention.

'Hearing someone say, and thinking, that they are going to kill someone is so scary,' she told 7News.

'I was looking at the passenger beside me, he started ducking so I ducked as well and just started praying.'

The man is alleged to have stolen from a 7-Eleven before boarding the tram.

He has been charged with armed robbery, false imprisonment, making threats to kill, and assault and is set to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court.
A man has been fined after a 10-week-old French bulldog puppy was found living in 'squalid' conditions with no access to food or water.

The 38-year-old was found guilty of keeping the dog in 'squalid and potentially dangerous conditions' and fined $7,500 in Armadale Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Lilly, the French bulldog, was found locked in a bedroom with no food and water and surrounded by cannabis, faeces, rubbish and other harmful objects.

Police found the puppy withdrawn and whimpering with an extremely enlarged stomach, prompting concerns she may have ingested the drugs.

She was rescued from the home by officers who handed her to the RSCPA in May 2022 to receive treatment for several health concerns.

Staff at the Animal Care Centre in Malaga discovered Lilly was suffering from intestinal infection giardia, an illness caused by a parasite in the bowel.

A 10-week-old French bulldog (pictured) was seized by the RSPCA after police received a report that a dog was being kept in a bedroom with no access to food or water

Cannabis, harmful objects and rubbish was found strewn across the floor of the home (pictured)

The man, from Maddington about 20km southeast of Perth, had reportedly been gifted the dog just a few days before a report was made to police.

RSPCA WA Inspector Manager Kylie Green said such 'blatant disregard' for a puppy's health and wellbeing was 'hard to comprehend'.

'This home was a dangerous environment for any pet but especially such a young puppy,' she said.

'The floor was littered with dog faeces and other harmful items, such as cigarette butts and alcohol.'

Lilly has made a full recovery and remains in foster care. She will be ready for a new home pending a 28-day appeal period.

Her previous owner has been banned from having pets for five years and was ordered to pay $655.30 in court fees and care costs to the RSPCA.
Rebels linked to ISIS have killed 41 people, including 38 students who were burned, shot or hacked to death with machetes in a sickening attack on a school in Uganda.

Ugandan authorities have recovered the bodies of 41 victims, which included 38 students, one guard and two members of the local community who were shot outside the school, Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Mayor Selevest Mapoze said today.

An unknown number of people were abducted by the rebels, who fled across the porous border into Congo after the raid on Friday night.

Police said the rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), who have been launching attacks for years from their bases in the volatile eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and have ties to the Islamic State group (ISI), carried out the raid on Lhubiriha Secondary School in the border town of Mpondwe, late on Friday.

Mr Mapoze said that while some of the pupils suffered fatal burns when the rebels set fire to a dormitory, others were shot or hacked with machetes.

Ugandan authorities have recovered the bodies of 41 victims following an attack by suspected rebels on a secondary school near the border with Congo. The victims included 38 students, one guard and two members of the local community who were shot outside the school, Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Mayor Selevest Mapoze said today (file image)

'A dormitory was set on fire and a food store looted. So far 25 bodies have been recovered from the school and transferred to Bwera Hospital,' police said in a statement, adding that eight others were in critical condition (file image)

The school, which is co-educational and privately owned, is located in the Ugandan district of Kasese, about 1.2 miles from the DR Congo border.

'A dormitory was set on fire and a food store looted. So far 25 bodies have been recovered from the school and transferred to Bwera Hospital,' police said in a statement, adding that eight others were in critical condition.

Officers said Ugandan troops tracked the attackers into Congo's Virunga National Park.

The military confirmed in a statement that Ugandan troops inside Congo 'are pursuing the enemy to rescue those abducted'.

Joe Walusimbi, an official representing Uganda's President in Kasese, said some of the victims 'were burnt beyond recognition'.

Winnie Kiiza, an influential political leader and a former lawmaker from the region, condemned the 'cowardly attack' on Twitter.

She said 'attacks on schools are unacceptable and are a grave violation of children's rights', adding that schools should always be 'a safe place for every student'.

The ADF has been accused of launching many attacks in recent years, targeting civilians, in remote parts of eastern DR Congo.

The ADF has long opposed the rule of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, a US security ally who has been in power since 1986.

The group was established in the early 1990s by some Ugandan Muslims, who said they had been sidelined by Mr Museveni's policies.

At the time, the rebels staged deadly attacks in Ugandan villages as well as in the capital, including a 1998 attack in which 80 students were massacred in a town not from the scene of the latest attack.

A Ugandan military assault later forced the ADF into eastern DR Congo, where many rebel groups are able to operate because the central government has limited control there.

In March, at least 19 people were killed in DR Congo by suspected ADF extremists.

Ugandan authorities for years have vowed to track down ADF militants even outside Ugandan territory. In 2021, Uganda launched joint air and artillery strikes in DR Congo against the group.
A Chinese military scientist who was reportedly thrown to his death from the roof of a Wuhan institute is at the centre of mounting evidence that the Covid pandemic resulted from a lab leak.

Intelligence obtained by members of the US Senate reveals that Zhou Yusen filed a patent for a Covid-19 vaccine on February 24, 2020, barely a month after China put Wuhan into lockdown because of the outbreak.

US vaccine developers told investigators that it would have been impossible to have generated the data cited in the patent so swiftly  it would have taken about three months' work, meaning that scientists at the Wuhan Institute for Virology were secretly working on a Covid vaccine in November, two months before Beijing told the world about the pandemic.

Zhou, who worked for the People's Liberation Army and was collaborating with Wuhan scientists at the time of the outbreak, died in mysterious circumstances in May 2020, aged 54.

US investigators are said to have been told 'Zhou fell from the roof of the Institute', although this has not been confirmed.

Zhou Yusen filed a patent for a Covid-19 vaccine in February 2020, intelligence has revealed

Zhou died in mysterious circumstances in May 2020, aged 54. US investigators are said to have been told 'Zhou fell from the roof of the Institute', although this has not been confirmed

READ MORE: Chinese military scientist 'filed a patent for a COVID-19 vaccine BEFORE the virus was declared a global pandemic Researchers are seen at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Biden's new 90-day probe will examine whether evidence supports the lab leak theory of the pandemic Advertisement

Scientists increasingly believe that the pandemic, which claimed at least seven million lives, was triggered by an accident at the Wuhan Institute, which had teamed up with the Chinese military to carry out controversial 'gain of function' work, aimed at increasing the infectiousness of viruses.

In April 2020, The Mail on Sunday became the first mainstream media outlet in the world to reveal fears that the virus had leaked from a Chinese laboratory after a member of Cobra, the Government's secret emergency committee, said Ministers were studying intelligence about an accident at the institute.

It was dismissed by China  and Western Governments scared to upset Beijing  as a 'conspiracy theory'.

Now the report by the Senate Health Committee has highlighted there was a marked increase in cases of flu-like illness in Wuhan in October and November 2019. Satellites showed an increase in vehicles parked at hospitals in the city.

On November 19, the safety director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences visited the institute, addressing its leaders with 'important oral and written' instructions from President Xi Jinping on 'a complex and serious situation'.

Earlier this year, the director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, said that 'the FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan'.

And last week it was reported that three of the Wuhan scientists who were genetically altering the Covid virus were the first to fall sick with it. A member of one of the researchers' families later died.

The researchers' case is expected to feature in previously classified material being released by the US Director of National Intelligence in the coming days.
A creepy human skeleton at the heart of a ongoing neighbourhood dispute is terrifying children, a Sydney mother has complained.

The woman and her family have been unable to convince their next-door neighbour to remove a plastic skeleton hanging from their garage.

She says the Halloween-style prop faces directly into her backyard and is scaring her children - however her neighbours have refused to take it down.

The fed-up mother took to Facebook this week to ask how she could resolve the problem after police told her there was nothing they could do.

'My neighbour has put a human skeleton on his garage closer to (our) fence. It's an old building, so it is not 900mm away from the boundary,' she wrote.

'Only we can see the skeleton as it directly facing our backyard, and it is scary for our children.'

A creepy human skeleton (pictured) at the heart of a ongoing neighbourhood dispute is terrifying children, a Sydney mother has complained

The fed-up mother explained that her fence was already the maximum height for a fence in NSW and that bamboo would take a year to grow.

The fierce dispute recently took a turn when the same neighbour installed a security camera also pointing directly into the woman's backyard.

'Neighbours have said they aren't going to remove it and, in addition to that, have put a security camera next to the skeleton  after we asked them to take the skeleton down,' the woman continued.

'Police came out, and they can't do anything as it's his property, and he can hang anything he wants.

'He put on the security camera the day after the police came. So, I'll probably have a chat with the police again about that.'

The Halloween-style prop faces directly into the woman's backyard and is scaring her children - however her neighbours have refused to take it down (stock image)

Social media users agreed the skeleton's presence was unsettling.

'Oh wow, how insensitive to your children,' one commented.

'This is disgusting; I don't like your neighbours,' a second wrote.

A third user encouraged the woman to recast the skeleton as a friend of her children by giving him a name and greeting him each morning.
Dili (Timor-Leste)  The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, H.E.Mrs. Adaljiza Reis Magno received Friday in the Capital Dili, the Ambassador of Sahrawi Republic (S.A.D.R), Mr. Abba Malainin and reaffirms the support for the struggle of the Sahrawi people to Self-determination and independence.

The Sahrawi Ambassador briefed the Timorese Minister about a range of issues related to the recent developments of the Sahrawi just cause and expressed the gratitude and appreciation of the Sahrawi Government and people for Timor-Leste's Government unwavering support stand for the struggle of the Sahrawi people to achieve Self-determination and full sovereignty over the Sahrawi Republic.

The Sahrawi Ambassador also commended the recent stand of Timor-Leste in the UN decolonization Committee, the (C-24) Substantive Session on the question of Western Sahara, in the Statement by H.E. Mr. Karlito Nunes, the Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to the United Nations, which states:

"We believe that the only viable, realistic, and enduring solution to the decolonization of the Western Sahara is the solution that fully respects the sovereign will of the Saharawi people to determine their own future through a free and fair referendum on self-determination."

"We believe that this Special Committee can also contribute significantly to helping the people of Western Sahara to enjoy their inalienable right to self-determination and independence, within this fourth decade for the eradication of colonialism."

"Having gone through the same journey, we believe that the only viable, realistic, and enduring solution to the decolonization of the Western Sahara is the solution that fully respects the sovereign will of the Saharawi people to determine their own future through a free and fair referendum on self-determination."

The Audience was attended by high officials from the Timorese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.
Five British Airways crew suffered serious injuries and passengers screamed in terror after a plane flying at 30,000 feet was hit by the worst turbulence the airline had seen in 'years'.

The crew, on board the BA12 flight from Singapore to Heathrow, London, were hurt after the plane was struck by 'severe' and 'sustained' turbulence over the Bay of Bengal.

One of the in-flight team suffered a dislocated ankle and another is now undergoing an MRI to check severe bruising on her hip.

And a different crew member was still in hospital yesterday following surgery on their ankle and femur.

The flight was forced to turn back to Singapore at around 3am on Friday where the plane was checked for structural damage.

Were you on the flight? Email oliver.price@mailonline.co.uk

The crew, on board the BA12 flight from Singapore to Heathrow, London, were hurt after the plane was struck by 'severe' and 'sustained' turbulence over the Bay of Bengal

READ MORE: Turbulence is on the rise: How worried should we be? Advertisement

The Boeing 777-300ER had passed over the Andaman Sea and was flying over the Bay of Bengal when it was hit by turbulence.

The airline had not experienced anything like it in 'the last five years' and the severity was 'obscene', according to the Sun.

The source told the paper: 'From no-where, the plane was shaking as it suddenly dropped five feet and rose again in uncomfortable jerked motions.

'There were screams from the passengers and great upset spread through the cabins.

'The 'fasten seat belt' signs were on but the heroic crew were carrying out essential duties when they were thrown around the cabin.

'Five crew were hurt, with three flyers suffering serious injuries. The captain had no option but to try and turn the plane around, and abort the scheduled service to Heathrow.'

The Boeing 777-300ER had passed over the Andaman Sea and was flying over the Bay of Bengal when it was hit by turbulence

Stunned passengers were given hotel accommodation and were re-booked onto later flights.

A British Airways spokesman told The Sun: 'Safety is always our priority and we're looking after our crew after one of our flights experienced a rare episode of severe turbulence.

'Our highly trained team on board reassured customers and the aircraft returned to Singapore as a precaution.

'We've apologised to customers for the delay to their flight and provided them with hotel accommodation and information on their consumer rights.

'We're re-booking customers onto the next available flights with us and other airlines.'

Severe turbulence increased 55 per cent between 1979 and 2020 and is expected to get more intense, more frequent and last longer in future.
The father of a 16-year-old boy who was handcuffed after being banned from traditional school leaving shirt signing for poor attendance due to a broken leg has slammed the school and police.

Students at Ormiston Horizon Academy in Chell, Staffordshire on Wednesday had gathered to celebrate finishing their GCSEs - although some were not permitted to attend the leaver's assembly, due to poor behaviour or attendance.

Shocking footage shows officers handcuffing hauling a teenage girl who had been banned from the event from the premises, leaving her parents furious after the school did not contact them.

They said they had to go and fetch her from Burslem Police Station after police attended the school.

The school said they were aware of a 'minor disturbance' and Staffordshire Police confirmed they had detained two students but that no further action would be taken.

The police attended Ormiston Horizon Academy in Chell, Staffordshire on Wednesday. They were called after a group of students refused to leave the premises

A picture of Ormiston Horizon Academy. The school said it was aware of a 'minor disturbance'

The police were called after a group of students refused to leave the premises, leading to a standoff with school staff because the pupils wanted their shirts signed and to say goodbye.

The father of a teenage boy who was briefly detained by police said his son had been prohibited from attending the event due to 'poor attendance' as a result of a broken leg.

He said: 'They had an assembly to sign shirts and say bye to their friends. But because of his attendance, they wouldnt let him in.

'He had broken his leg, it was quite serious, and he had to take time off school. It was only three weeks but that affected his attendance and that's why he was not allowed to go.

'He asked to go to the assembly and the teacher said "no". He rang me to say they wouldn't let him in, I said "I cant do much about it, its the school rules".'

Principal of the school, Andy Fitzgibbon, who has worked at the academy since April 2016

The father then received a second call to tell him that his son had been handcuffed and was being held on the floor by police officers.

He said: 'I didn't realise it was for my son. He was put on the floor and handcuffed. My son was crying and asking for the police to let him go. They let him go because he agreed to leave the premises. After he ran away home, back to me.'

He said his son had been a good pupil and didn't deserve to be treated that way.

He added: 'I'm angry and ashamed. My son has been at that school and taken part in fundraisers and charity stuff. Hes been a good pupil.

'If my son had been taken to the police station he could have been charged which would have affected the rest of his life, for simply wanting to spend time with his friends on leavers.'

The father of 16-year-old girl who was also detained said they had 'no contact through the school' and only found out about the incident through other children.

He said he went down to the school and nobody knew where she was.

He told Stoke-on-Trent Live: 'They are more bothered about the school's name. But they've made a mockery of the children, made a circus of them, that's all they've done. It's all over the internet before they even know it. She was just being a kid, all just having a laugh and a joke. It's the last day and they were excited.'

He noted that the pupils involved are only 16, adding: 'My daughter is quite a bit shaken, she's a bit scared of the police. How are these kids going to look at the police when they want help?'

Some pupils had been barred from the leavers' celebration either for bad behaviour or poor attendance, according to the publication.

The girl's mother was at work when the incident unfolded and found out when she was called by another student.

The mother said she then went down to the school on Thursday morning and told administrators that they had three or four contacts on her form and still had not phoned to tell the 16-year-old girl's family about the disturbance.

She said: 'If something is in place for the day and the kids are looking forward to it and then they take it away it's going to upset them. Signing t-shirts is a big thing at school and they've missed out. I've still got my shirt from when I was at school.'

She added that there was a lack of communication over such a big incident and said it could have been avoided if they had just reached the parents first.

A spokesperson from Staffordshire Police said: 'The group were trying to force entry into the building and were causing disruption within the school grounds'

A spokesperson from Staffordshire Police said: 'Patrolling officers were made aware at 11.40am on Wednesday of a group of students who were refusing to leave Ormiston Horizon Academy. The group were trying to force entry into the building and were causing disruption within the school grounds.

'We spoke with the group at the scene and made proportionate attempts to bring the incident to a safe conclusion. As a result, a number of them left the area voluntarily, whilst a small group stayed in the area and continued to cause disruption to officers.

'We spoke to a 16-year-old girl, from Stoke-on-Trent, about breaching the peace. Her parents collected her from Burslem police station a short time later.

'One teenage boy was also detained at the scene and spoken to about breaching the peace. After speaking with them both, no further action was taken.'

An Ormiston Academy Trust spokesman said: 'We are aware of a minor disturbance which took place on the school grounds. It coincided with a celebratory leavers' assembly for our outgoing year 11s.

'Throughout this academic year, students have been consistently informed of the high standards of behaviour and conduct we expect as a school and repeatedly told that a continued failure to meet these standards would result in individuals not being invited to be part of the celebrations. As a result of these clear rules, a small number of students were not invited to be part of the leavers' assembly.

'This decision was communicated in a timely and sensitive manner and all families were made aware of our academy's expectations. Despite this, some of these individuals attempted to enter the school and were subsequently asked by the local police to leave the school grounds. While the majority did so, a small number remained and the police therefore took further action. This issue has now been resolved.

'At Ormiston Horizon Academy, we are wholly committed to fostering high standards of behaviour and have always set clear expectations for our students. Though these events were unfortunate, we would not like them to detract from the brilliant success of our outgoing year 11s.'
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Mesmerising cockpit pictures have shown the Red Arrows in their glory as they soared above Buckingham Palace to mark King Charles' official birthday.

Photographers snapped a birds-eye view from above this afternoon when 70 aircraft took to the skies amidst the royal Trooping the Colour event.

Today also marked the final ceremonial flight for the C0120J Hercules which will soon be replaced by newer models after 56 years of service to the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Hercules was among numerous other aircraft that flew from 15 different locations in the UK before uniting in south-east England to fly over the capital in Saturday's celebrations.

Images taken from inside the cockpit show the pilot to be completely focused on the path ahead, soaring above a great expanse of fields and vegetation.

Photographers snapped a birds-eye view from the cockpit today amidst the Trooping the Colour event

Coloured smoke trailed from the Red Arrows above the crowded Mall and Buckingham Palace in celebrations today

While a similar flypast was planned for the King's Coronation last month, this was scaled down due to bad weather conditions.

That's why the RAF took things up a notch for the Trooping the Colour event to pay a huge tribute to King Charles.

Air Vice-Marshal Mark Flewin said: 'The flypast consisted of rotary assets from all three Services, training aircraft from No.22 Group, in addition to No.1 Group aircraft from the Air Mobility, ISTAR and Combat Air Forces.

'The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight reflected our proud heritage, and there was also be a special "Signature Formation" to honour His Majesty the King, immediately prior to the iconic Red Arrows.'

As part of the spectacle, 18 Typhoon fighter jets drew out 'CR' for Charles Rex in the sky- with 'Rex' referring to King in Latin.

Second World War Hurricane and Spitfire aircraft were part of the six-minute flypast as well, with crowds watching in awe as they approached London.

A squadron of Red Arrows then brought the event to a close, ejecting the very British colours of red, white and blue smoke in the sky.

This special moment was also captured from the cockpit, with vibrant smoke trails displayed above the crowded Mall and Buckingham Palace where the Royal Family watched.

In the midst of the spectacle, the RAF Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton said: 'We are very proud to be able to showcase our capabilities to our Commander-in-Chief, on this historic occasion for His Majesty The King.

'We provided a fitting and appropriate tribute for our monarch, that was a true spectacle for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.'

RAF Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton said: 'We provided a fitting and appropriate tribute for our monarch, that was a true spectacle for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth'

Images taken from inside the cockpit show the pilot to be completely focused on the path ahead

Second World War Hurricane and Spitfire jets were also part of the six-minute flypast, with crowds watching in awe below

In the midst of the spectacle, the RAF Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton said: 'We are very proud to be able to showcase our capabilities to our Commander-in-Chief, on this historic occasion for His Majesty The King'

Their Majesties the King and Queen, alongside other members of the Royal Family watched from Buckingham Palace

A squadron of Red Arrows then brought the event to a close, ejecting the very British colours of red, white and blue smoke

READ MORE: RAF's transport giant stands down after spectacular flight over UK as critics say move to ditch much-loved workhorse leaves SAS 'exposed' The Hercules' aircraft made a spectacular flight over Britain to commemorate their service Advertisement



While the RAF's mighty Hercules has served as the main carriers for decades, they will be taken out of service on June 30.

Critics have hit out at the 'extraordinary' decision to retire the much-loved workhorse planes that have been used by the RAF since 1966.

In a letter to The Times, UK defence chiefs called the decision to cut the huge planes 'perverse' at a time of 'great international tension'.

Defence sources speaking to Sky News also slammed the push to take the planes out of service as they claimed the decision would leave Britain 'dangerously exposed'.

The criticism followed an admission by the RAF that the decision to retire the Hercules planes would leave a 'gap' in the abilities of Britain's special forces.

In their letter to The Times, RAF chiefs said: 'Of the many cuts to our armed forces in recent years, one of the most perverse is the disposal of the RAF's remaining 14 C130 transport aircraft.'

'At a time of great international tension, the decision to remove a proven and effective workhorse is extraordinary,' the letter said.

The decision to take the Hercules planes out of service will see the carriers replaced with newer Airbus A400M Atlas airplanes.

Air Marshall Sir Richard Knighton in March warned there will be a 'gap from when the Hercules goes out of service to when the A400M picks up all of those capabilities.

'The niche issues where the gap is is around the airdrop and the kind of things we can drop from the aircraft.'
A New York millionaire was separated from his wife and kept isolated in hospital without a cellphone by two of his sons, who got the philanthropist to change his will in their favor, their sister alleges.

Thomas E Hales was moved by his sons, William and Terence Hales, from Westchester to Baltimore Hospital for the final months of his life for 'the express purpose of causing Mr. Hales to alter his estate plan document' according to a lawsuit brought by Lianne Hales.

Ms Hales alleges that her brothers behaved like 'tyrants', banning their mother, Alice, from visiting her husband of 60 years alone, 'relegating her to a chair in the corner of his hospital room.'

The suit also claims Alice was banned from using a private jet to fly to Baltimore over cost concerns - and ordered to make the journey by car instead.

Liane alleges the pair used 'financial threats and coercion to bully and punish  anyone  that raises any question or requests any information' about the family money since their fathers death in 2020.

Hales, who lived with his wife in Westchester, amassed a $70 million fortune by investing and growing Union State Bank from about $23 million to $3 billion in assets, before a $575 million merger with Key Bank in 2007.

Lianne Hales is suing her her 'tyrant' brothers for access to the family books

Thomas and Alice Hales were married for 60 years before the millionaire died in 2020

When his health deteriorated in 2015 William and Terence falsely claimed their dads medication needed to be 'tweaked' and moved him to a Baltimore hospital, according to the court filings.

Once in the hospital William and Terrence allegedly got their father to change his will.

The new will made them the 'de facto' heads of the Hales familys assets 'with extensive levels of control and power' despite generating 'zero' of the family wealth.

The sons also changed Hales' state residence from New York to Maryland so as to avoid New York State estate taxes upon his death, Ms Hales alleges.

William and Terence had Hales change his state of residency, apply for a drivers license and register to vote 'even though he did not have the physical or mental capacity to do either,' she states.

'The fact that Mr. Hales  a titan of industry and wonderful, personable man  was denied his own cell phone so he could speak with his wife, friends, and family privately without [the brothers] involvement, control, and monitoring speaks volumes,' the Manhattan Supreme Court filing states.

Ms Hales is suing her brothers in an attempt to get them to open the books for the Hales Family Foundation and the individual trusts set up for Hales' six children, she is not contesting the new estate documents.

Alice and Thomas built up a reputation as generous philanthropists by spending their 'significant wealth' on Hudson Valley institutions such as Iona College and Phelps Hospital.

Liane states in the court documents that part of the charitable giving to medical causes was inspired by Mr Hales receiving a 2007 double lung transplant at the University of Maryland Medical Center which helped Hales survive pulmonary fibrosis.

William Hales is accused of moving his father to a Baltimore Hospital and denying him a cellphone before his death

Terence Hales seen with his philanthropist father at a Pulmonary Fibrosis fundraiser
Devastated friends have paid tribute to a 'wonderful' gym worker who was found dead by police yesterday after her car was discovered abandoned.

Thea Newton, 29, was last seen at around 1.30am yesterday at her home address in Warrington and Cheshire Police confirmed they found a body in their search, which is believed to be Ms Newton. Her next of kin have been informed.

Since the news of her death broke last night, hundreds of people have paid tribute to Ms Newton on Facebook, saying she was died 'too soon'.

Her friend Alex Standring posted on social media with the caption 'absolutely devastated'.

One person said: 'So many young lives being lost how can you ever start to make sense of all this. Heartbreaking news my thoughts are with her family and friends.'

Thea Newton (pictured), 29, was last seen at around 1.30am yesterday at her home address in Warrington and Cheshire Police confirmed they found a body in their search, which is believed to be Ms Newton

Since the news of her death broke hundreds of tributes have been paid to Ms Newton who was taken 'too soon'

Ms Newton, who is originally from Clitheroe, worked at Absolute Fitness in Clitheroe and her friend Alex said: 'I have known Thea for a long time and I always saw her in the gym'

Another person commented: 'So sad she was my good friend and I can't believe it I'm still shocked. Thank you for being my friend and I'll miss you.'

Ms Newton, who is originally from Clitheroe, worked at Absolute Fitness in Clitheroe and her friend Alex said: 'I have known Thea for a long time and I always saw her in the gym.

'She was amazing with my brother who has moderate special needs and would keep an eye on him.

'Thea was a wonderful person and I am thinking of her close friends and family. It was such a shock to all of us.'

Her car was found parked near Sunflower Drive and officers, along with a rescue team searched the area.

Police also searched the Trans Pennine Trail and the surrounding areas in Warrington.

Cheshire Police launched a major appeal earlier on Friday as they searched for Thea Newton, 29

'Thea was a wonderful person and I am thinking of her close friends and family. It was such a shock to all of us', her friend Alex said

Police had previously appealed for the help of the public to trace Ms Newton, saying they were 'increasingly concerned' for her welfare

Police had previously appealed for the help of the public to trace Ms Newton, saying they were 'increasingly concerned' for her welfare.

Inspector Daniel Richardson said before the discovery: 'We're increasingly concerned for her welfare and are currently searching for her.

'If you are out on the Trans Pennine Way and see a woman fitting this description, please contact us.

'Her family and friends are extremely worried about her and just want her home safely.

'I'd also appeal directly to Thea, please let us know you are okay, we're all very worried about you and want to get you back to your family.'
Humorous photographs reveal a group of minor royals who did not make the cut for the King's main birthday grouping - as they were spotted in a hidden gallery inside the depths of Buckingham Palace.

King Charles, Kate, William, Charlotte, Louis and George took pride of place in a slimmed-down group of royals this afternoon as they greeted crowds on the royal balcony.

But images show that the Kents - Timothy and Flora Vasterberg, the Earl of St Andrews, Lord Nicholas Windsor, Lady Gabriella and Thomas Kingston - also attended the Trooping the Colour parade.

While Charles and his immediate family waved at spectators and looked up to watch the event's flypast, the group of six minor royals stood directly behind them on a more discreet balcony.

Flora Vasterberg, married to Timothy, is the late Queen Elizabeth's 28-year-old cousin, who wed her husband in a small, private event in 2021.

Humorous photographs reveal a group of minor royals who did not make the cut for the King's main birthday grouping - as they were spotted in a hidden gallery inside the depths of Buckingham Palace

Images show that the Kents - Timothy and Flora Vasterberg, the Earl of St Andrews, Lord Nicholas Windsor, Lady Gabriella and Thomas Kingston - also attended the Trooping the Colour parade

King Charles, Kate, William, Charlotte, Louis and George took pride of place in a slimmed-down group of royals this afternoon as they greeted crowds on the royal balcony

While Charles and his immediate family waved at spectators and looked up to watch the event's flypast, the group of six minor royals stood directly behind them on a more discreet balcony

Guests at their wedding included Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.

The Earl of St Andrews, George Windsor, 60, is the son of the Duke and Duchess of Kent. He is also a respected philanthropist and former diplomat.

Also on the hidden balcony was Lady Gabriella Windsor, 42, the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

Lady Gabriella was accompanied by her husband Thomas Kingston. Their wedding, attended by Queen Elizabeth II, took place at St George's Chapel in Windsor, which also hosted the weddings of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex just months earlier in 2018.

It comes as little Prince Louis, five, stole the show on the royal balcony today as he gave a cheeky salute to the adoring crowds cheering for his grandad King Charles's official birthday.

The adorable royal was also seen throwing his fists in the air and pouting as his mother Kate looked at him with pride and amusement.

One of the main highlights of the flypast above Buckingham Palace saw 18 Typhoon fighter jets spelling out the King's monogram 'CR' - short for Charles Rex.

King Charles saddled up to become the first monarch in more than 30 years to take part in the ceremony as his official birthday parade began this morning.

The King rode onto Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall as the nation's head of state.
Bosses of Britain's biggest banks have told the Prime Minister that technology firms such as Meta should pay more in the battle to combat the 'pandemic' of online fraud that costs consumers 1.2billion a year.

Rishi Sunak was sent a letter signed by the chief executives of nine financial institutions, including Barclays, NatWest and Nationwide, warning him that the UK is now a 'global hotspot for fraud and scams'.

They accused the government's new National Fraud Strategy, which was revealed last month, of not be strong enough to fight back against fraudsters.

The finance bosses said that scammers stole 2,300 stolen from British consumers every day last year - and noted a UK Finance report which concluded that 1.2billion was lost to fraud of all kinds in 2022.

The banks also warned that they could take further action to 'protect' their customers if the government do not intervene to a larger degree.

Bosses of Britain's biggest banks have told the Prime Minister (pictured) that technology firms such as Meta should pay more in the battle to combat the 'pandemic' of online fraud that costs consumers 1.2billion a year

Many frauds start with contact being made on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, which are under the umbrella of Mark Zuckerberg's Meta

Measures could include slowing down payment speeds, which they said was a 'useful but blunt instrument' as it would mean consumers and businesses will see completely legal transactions being delayed, according to the letter seen by Sky.

The letter, which was sent on June 6, told Rishi Sunak that online fraud is a 'strategic threat' to economic prosperity in the UK and that it undermines the economy and the financial sector.

Many frauds start with contact being made on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, which are under the umbrella of Mark Zuckerberg's Meta.

And banks now want technology firms to be accountable for stopping these at the earliest opportunity, and contribute to the refunds owed to victims of fraud where the scam used their platform.

They have also called for a public register which shows how the tech giants fail to prevent these scams.

The banking boss's letter to Rishi Sunak reveals their frustration that companies such as Meta do not bear much of the financial risk for fraud.

Bank TSB wrote to Meta this week demanding that they better moderate social media operations. And their chief executive, Robin Bulloch, was among the people who signed the letter to the PM.

Other people who signed the letter include NatWest CEO Dame Alison Rose, Nationwide chief executive Debbie Crosby, Lloyds Bank Group's Charlie Nunn, HSBC boss Ian Stuart, Barclays UK chief Matt Hammerstein, Santander UK CEO Mike Regnier, Handelsbanken boss MIkael Sorensen and the outgoing CEO of Starling Bank Anne Boden.

Rishi Sunak was sent a letter signed by the chief executives of nine financial institutions, including Barclays, Natwest and Nationwide, warning him that the UK is now a 'global hotspot for fraud and scams'

The banking boss's letter to Rishi Sunak reveals their frustration that companies such as Meta do not bear much of the financial risk for fraud

Also signing it were the chairman and chief executive of banking lobby group UK Finance, Bob Wigley and David Postings respectively.

They said that most scams that target British people start out through the use of a a limited few technology, social media and telecoms companies.

The banks also complained that the Financial Ombudsman Service places a disproportionate burden on the banking industry, and little to none on other sectors which contribute to fraud figures.

They urged the PM to make voluntary measures for telecoms and technology sectors designed to clamp down on fraud mandatory - adding that they should be made to inform consumers on digital security risks.
Hallucinogenic drugs taken by Prince Harry were key in the search for four children rescued from the Colombian jungle 40 days after the plane they were travelling in crashed, killing their mother and two others, their father has revealed.

Manuel Ranoque, 32, admitted resorting to yage, a bitter tea made of plants native to the rainforest that is more widely known as ayahuasca, in a bid to have visions which would lead the team to the children.

This is the same drug which Prince Harry claims helped him process the death of his mother Princess Diana. It is illegal in the UK as it contains DMT, one of the world's most powerful known hallucinogens.

The team of searchers, made up of more than 70 Indigenous people and 120 military personnel, are said to have taken the drug 39 days after the children disappeared into the southern Colombian jungle.

The revelation comes after Mr Ranoque, who also took the drug and is father to the two youngest children, yesterday confessed to having an affair behind Mucutuy Valencia's - his deceased wife - back.

Manuel Ranoque admitted he cheated on his wife before she died in a small plane crash in the Amazon jungle in Colombia

Exclusive photos show the four siblings, Lesly, 13, Soleiny, nine, Tien Noriel, four, and baby Cristin, one, safe in their hospital beds at a military hospital in Bogota, Colombia

A shaman in the Coafan region boils leaves for their psychoactive proporties as used in ayahuasca, Ecuador, 2009

Members of the Indigenous community, to which children Lesly, 13, Soleiny, 9, Tien, 4, and Cristin, 11 months, belonged, led the search of the dense rainforest, initially finding a baby's bottle, half-eaten fruit and used diapers which convinced them the youngsters had miraculously escaped from the light aircraft.

They, alongside authorities, hoped the children's understanding of the jungle gave them a higher chance of survival - but punishing rains, harsh terrain and the passing of time had diminished their spirits and drained their stamina.

Volunteer Henry Guerrero, 56, who joined the search from the children's home village near Araracuara, said his aunt prepared the yage for the group on day 39 after the crash.

That night at camp, Mr Ranoque joined others in taking the ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic cocktail that has been used as a cure for all ailments by people in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Brazil.

Mr Ranoque credits the yage and the vision of the elder among their group for finding the children.

'This is a spiritual world,' he said, and the yage 'is of the utmost respect. It is the maximum concentration that is made in our spiritual world as an indigenous people.'

That's why they drank the tea in the jungle, he said: 'That was so that the goblin, that cursed devil, would release my children.'

Soldiers of the Colombian Air Force and employees of the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF) give medical attention inside a plane to the surviving children of a Cessna 206 plane crash

Magdalena died in the plane crash along with the pilot and an Indigenous leader

Ranoque has appeared outside the military hospital several times since the children were taken there on Saturday after their astonishing rescue. He has been highly vocal about claiming his rights over all four children

Before drinking the yage, Mr Guerrero said he told the group: 'There's nothing to do here. We will not find them with the naked eye. The last resource is to take yage'.

He continued: 'The trip really takes place in very special moments. It is something very spiritual.'

What is ayahuasca? Class A psychoactive drug Prince Harry claims helped 'clear the misery' of losing his mother In his bombshell memoir Spare and interviews in its aftermath, Prince Harry revealed that substances including ayahuasca and magic mushrooms were like 'medicine' after Diana died in a car crash in 1997. But ayahuasca, a South American psychoative drink which is consumed in line with shamanic practices, can cause hallucinations, anxiety and intense nausea. Earlier this year, a coroner warned against the potentially deadly consequences of shamanic 'healing' rituals after hearing how a young artist, Katie Hyatt, 32, suffered a mental breakdown and took her own life as her parents told the inquest they believed she had consumed ayahuasca. Harry told Cooper he would not recommend people take the substances 'recreationally' but added: 'But doing it with the right people if you are suffering from a huge amount of loss, grief or trauma, then these things have a way of working as a medicine.' The drink, which is illegal in the UK, is made by boiling together vine stems along with leaves from a chacruna shrub  both native to the Amazonia region. The psychedelic brew contains the compound N,N-Dymethyltriptamine (DMT) which is one of the world's most powerful known hallucinogens. Similar to drugs like LSD and psilocybin, DMT has demonstrated its ability to increase connectivity between different brain networks and boost synaptic plasticity. The powerful psychedelic combination affects the central nervous system and leads the user to feel a different statpowerful psychedelic brew that affects the central nervous system, leading to a different state of consciousness. As well as hallucinations, people who have tried the drink have reported out-of-body experiences and feelings of euphoria. Advertisement

Mr Guerrero told how the hallucinogenic effects did not help that evening.

But the next morning, 40 days after the crash, an elder reached for what little was left of the yage and drank it.

Elder Jose Rubio was convinced it would eventually help find the children, who had been travelling to Bogota with their mother to join up with Mr Ranoque.

Rubio dreamed for some time. He vomited, a common side effect. This time, he said, it had worked. In his visions, he saw them. He told Guerrero: 'We'll find the children today.'

Magdalenas brother Dairo Mucutuy, 30, revealed Ranoque first went to Bogota alleging he was being threatened by a dissident group of FARC guerrillas in his southern tribal area.

But once in the sprawling city sitting 8,600ft above sea level on a plateau in the Andes he had an affair behind the back of his wife of seven years.

Ranoque then took the woman back to their community in the Amazonian village of Araracuara which shattered Magdalena, insisted her brother.

He later left for Bogota again, but kept his wife dangling with hope that they could re-establish a relationship.

And it was that hope amid her partners affair that led her suddenly  and without her familys knowledge  to gather up her children for the fateful light aircraft journey to the town of San Jose del Guaviare en route to the nations capital on May 1.

They were on their way when the pilot of the Cessna single-engine propeller plane declared an emergency due to engine failure. The aircraft fell off the radar a short time later.

The Colombian military launched a search for the plane when it failed to arrive at its destination. About 10 days later, with no plane and no signs of life found, the Indigenous volunteers joined the effort.

They were much more familiar with the terrain and the families in the area. One man told them the plane was making an odd noise when it flew over his house. That helped them sketch out a search plan that followed the Apaporis River.

Sixteen days after the crash, with morale running low among all search parties, searchers found the wreckage. The plane appeared to have nosedived - it was found in a vertical, nose-down position.

The bodies of three adults were recovered from inside the aircraft. But there was no sign of the children, nor any indications they were seriously injured, according to the preliminary report.

The military's special operations forces changed its strategy, based on the evidence that the children might be alive.

On day 40, after Elder Rubio took the yage, the searchers combed the rainforest again, starting from the site where they found the diapers. But as the day went on, they returned to base camp with no news.

The Cessna crashed into thick jungle in southern Colombia, killing all three adults on board, but the four children all miraculously survived

The four indigenous children are pictured after being rescued. They were missing for six weeks in the Colombian Amazon jungle after the plane crashed

Then a soldier heard via radio that the four children had been found - five kilometers from the crash site, in a small clearing. Rescue teams had passed within 20 to 50 meters on several occasions but missed them.

The solider told Mr Guerrero, who ran to Mr Ranoque. 'They found the four,' he said, through tears and hugs.

A helicopter lifted the children out of the dense forest. They were first flown to San Jose del Guaviare and then to the capital, Bogota, each with a team of health care professionals.

They were covered in foil blankets and hooked to IV lines due to dehydration. Their hands and feet showed scratches and insect bites.

Read more: Colombia jungle dad admits he DID have affair and wife took children on fateful flight to try to win him back as he reveals rescued kids are 'delicate' and too sick for visitors as they recover in hospital Advertisement

Mr Ranoque said Lesly reported that her mother died about four days after the crash. The children survived by collecting water in a soda bottle and eating cassava flour, fruit and seeds. They were found with two small bags holding clothes, a towel, a flashlight, two phones and a music box.

Tien and Cristin had birthdays while searchers looked for them. All four remain in hospital.

A custody fight has now broken out, with some relatives claiming Ranoque was violent against the children's mother. He has admitted to verbal and occasional physical fights, which he called 'a private family matter.'

Officials, medical professionals, special forces and others have praised Lesly's leadership.

'The jungle saved them,' President Gustavo Petro said. 'They are children of the jungle, and now they are also children of Colombia.'

The youngsters grew up in Araracuara, a small Amazon village in Caqueta Department that can be reached only by boat or small plane.

Mr Ranoque said the siblings had happy but independent lives because he and his wife, Magdalena, were often away from home.

Weeks before the crash, Mr Ranoque had fled his home village, an area where illegal drug cultivation, mining and logging have thrived for decades. He said he feared pressure from people connected to his industry, though he refused to provide details about the nature of his job or business dealings.

'The work there is not safe,' Mr Ranoque said. 'And it is illegal. It has to do with other people ... in a sector that I can't mention because I put myself more at risk.'

He said he left Mucutuy $9 million Colombian pesos, about $2,695 US dollars, before leaving to pay for food, other necessities and the charter flight. He wanted the children out of the village because he feared they could be recruited by one of the rebel groups in the area.
Security forces have confiscated pigs, fighting cocks and more than two dozen bladed weapons from an Ecuadorean prison.

The farm animals and weapons, among other items, were removed from a high-security wing of Bellavista prison in the city of Santo Domingo, the country's military said on Friday.

Police and operatives of the SNAI prison authority were shown wheeling out two pigs from the prison in images shared by Ecuador's military in a message posted on Twitter.

Some 12 fighting cocks and a dog were also removed, the military tweeted without saying how the animals ended up there.

As well as the animals, 26 bladed weapons, 16 electrical items, and a selection of other objects were also confiscated.

Two pigs were confiscated by members of Ecuador's security forces in a high security jail, in Santo Domingo, Ecuador

Police and operatives of the SNAI prison authority were shown wheeling out two pigs from the prison in images shared by Ecuador's military on Twitter

Ecuador's prisons are plagued by poor conditions and violence, the latter leading to the deaths of hundreds of inmates.

Just two months ago at least 12 inmates were killed in one of the country's jails amid a new clash between gangs.

The confrontation occurred in April in the prison known as La Penitenciaria, in the city of Guayaquil, one of the country's most dangerous.

Ecuador has been plagued by prison riots since 2021, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of inmates, which the government attributes to clashes between drug gangs fighting for territory and control.

Last year, a United Nations delegation found that the violence in Ecuador's prisons was caused by years of state neglect of the penitentiary system.

The existence of self-governance within Ecuador's so-called mega prisons, including by inmates belonging to criminal gangs, has led to human rights violations, the UN said in a statement.

President Guillermo Lasso has struggled to address the growing violence in Ecuador, a country used as a transit point for cocaine moving to Europe and the United States.

Lasso, in May, dissolved the legislature and cut his term short to avoid impeachment proceedings against him after he was accused of corruption. He denies the charges.

Ecuador's security forces confiscated animals and two dozen bladed weapons from a high-security wing of Bellavista prison in the city of Santo Domingo

Some 12 fighting cocks (pictured) and a dog were also removed, the military tweeted without saying how the animals ended up there

Eight candidates have since registered to run in the country's presidential elections in August, the electoral court said on Wednesday, kicking off a campaign to fill the spot to be left early by Lasso.

Ecuadoreans will hit the polls on August 20 to vote for their new president as well as all members of the 137-seat Congress.

Those elected in August will hold office until May 2025, when regularly scheduled elections will take place.

Lasso and his party will not participate in the elections.
Teachers in England are to stage fresh strikes in their long-running dispute over pay, just weeks before the annual six-week summer holidays.

Members of the National Education Union (NEU) will walk out on July 5 and 7, causing disruption to schools in the current term. GCSE and A Level exams will finish on June 27 and will not be disrupted by the action.

The NEU is currently re-balloting its members to see if they want to continue taking industrial action for the rest of the year.

The other education unions - ASCL, NAHT and NASUWT - are also balloting their members for strikes over pay and funding for teachers in England and have warned of co-ordinated action in the autumn term if there is no settlement to the dispute.

On March 27, following negotiations, the government offered teachers a 1,000 payment on top of a pay rise, a commitment to cut work loads and a pay increase of 4.5 per cent next year.

Striking members of the National Education Union (NEU) on Piccadilly march to a rally in Trafalgar Square (picture from March 15)

Striking members of the National Education Union (NEU) South East Region at a rally in Chichester, West Sussex, in a long-running dispute over pay on March 2

Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, said it was within the grasp of Education Secretary Gillian Keegan for the action to be halted.

'Time and again the National Education Union, alongside its sister unions, have called for the Education Secretary to get around the negotiation table to settle this dispute for a fully-funded teacher pay increase. Time and again our calls have fallen on stony ground,' they said.

'The Education Secretary refused to re-enter negotiation on the grounds that she and her department were waiting for the publication of the School Teachers' Review Body's (STRB) recommendation on pay.'

The NEU said the minister had received the body's report and recommendations, but would not comment on speculation that it was suggesting a 6.5% pay rise.

The union leaders said they were worried that the Government was contemplating not implementing the report or not funding it properly.

They added: 'Gillian Keegan also says that she will publish the report in her own good time, which by her department's recent record will be at least another month.

'This causes huge uncertainty for schools and is hugely disrespectful to headteachers. None are able to properly plan for next year.

Teachers in the UK and Wales go on strike as part of the ongoing dispute between the National Education Union (NEU) and the government on May 2

Kevin Courtney, joint General Secretary of National Education Union (NEU), with teachers on the picket line outside Bristol Cathedral School on April 23

'Unlike her counterparts in Scotland and Wales where the pay disputes have been settled, this Education Secretary has wilfully turned her back on teachers in England.

'No one wants to take strike action but when faced with an Education Secretary who clearly has no interest in settling this dispute, teachers are left with no option.

'Gillian Keegan could avoid the strikes in July by publishing the STRB report, entering substantive talks with us and the education unions ASCL, NAHT and NASUWT to find a settlement on its response to the report, its funding and this year's pay rise.'

The government offered schools further funding of around 620million in 2023 to 2024, including a grant of 530million for a one-off payment.

A Department of Education spokesman said: 'Further strike action will cause real damage to pupil learning and even more disruption for parents right across the country.'

The spokesman said that thousands of schools are receiving additional funding from an extra 2billion of investment being provided for 2023/24 and 2024/25.

'As part of the normal process, the independent School Teachers' Review Body has submitted its recommendations to government on teacher pay for 2023/24. We will be considering the recommendations and will publish our response in the usual way.'
-In halting human trafficking

The Government of Liberia does not fully meet minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so, says the latest US Human Trafficking report.

"The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore, Liberia remained on Tier 2", the document released here Thursday, June 15, reads.

Liberia remaining at Tier 2 means it has failed to advance from that level in its fight against human trafficking, says the 2023 trafficking in persons report released by the U.S. Department of States.

The report further details that these efforts included prosecuting and convicting an official complicit in human trafficking and identifying more victims and referring them to services.

However, the State Department notes that the Government of Liberia did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas, as investigations decreased and law enforcement officials continued to lack adequate resources and understanding of trafficking to effectively investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes, observing that victim services, especially shelter, remained insufficient.

Meanwhile, the report recommends that government expand victim services, particularly for victims outside the capital, males, and victims requiring long-term care.

It also calls for increase efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking cases, including those involving internal trafficking, sex trafficking, related criminal networks, and officials accused of complicity.

"Train labor inspectors and social workers on standard victim identification procedures and the national referral mechanism", the report reads.

It also wants improved collaboration between anti-trafficking police units, immigration, labor, and judicial authorities, as well as increased financial or in-kind support to NGOs that support trafficking victims.

The U. S. State Department also recommends training for law enforcement and judicial officials on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting trafficking cases under the revised 2021 anti-trafficking law, and increased labor inspections in the informal sector and mining regions to improve identification of trafficking cases, including child forced labor, among others.

On question of prosecution, the report says authorities here maintained law enforcement efforts, and that the 2021 Revised Act to Ban Trafficking in Persons Within the Republic of Liberia criminalized all forms of sex and labor trafficking and prescribed minimum sentences of 20 years imprisonment, which it notes, were sufficiently stringent.

The report details that the Liberian government during the period under review, investigated eight trafficking cases, involving 12 suspects, including five for labor trafficking and three for unspecified forms of trafficking, and continued investigations of seven cases involving eight suspects.

"This compared with investigating 13 trafficking cases involving an unknown number of suspects in the previous reporting period. The government initiated prosecution of 13 defendants and continued prosecuting three defendants from the previous reporting period. This compared with prosecuting 12 defendants in the previous reporting period."

It says of those prosecuted, 15 individuals were prosecuted under the Revised Trafficking in Persons Act of 2021 and one was prosecuted under the previous 2005 law, while courts in the country convicted four traffickers, three for labor trafficking and one for an unspecified form of trafficking, compared to eight convictions during the previous reporting period, with sentences ranged from three to 25 years' imprisonment, adding "Three of the convictions were obtained under the Revised Trafficking in Persons Act of 2021 and one was obtained under the previous 2005 law."

At the same time, the report says for the first time, the Government of Liberia prosecuted and convicted a complicit official on human trafficking charges, including a former National Security Agent for accepting money for his role in a human trafficking scheme involving facilitating transport of Liberian women to Oman.

"The former official was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to pay a fine and restitution. However, corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remained significant concerns, inhibiting law enforcement action", the State Department notes.

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The report notes that as reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Liberia, and traffickers exploit victims from Liberia abroad, revealing that trafficking within the country is more prevalent than transnational trafficking, and the majority of victims are children.

"Traffickers recruit and exploit most trafficking victims within the country's borders in domestic servitude, forced begging, sex trafficking, or forced labor in street vending, gold and alluvial diamond mines, and on small-scale rubber plantations. Traffickers typically operate independently and are commonly family members who promise impoverished relatives a better life for their children or promise young women a better life for themselves."

It says they take the children or women to urban areas and exploit them in forced labor in street vending, domestic service, or sex trafficking, and that those involved are also often well-respected community members who exploit the "foster care" system common across West Africa.
A monster who raped women as young as 17 after luring them to job interviews has been jailed for 19 years.

Raghu Singamaneni, 50, from Luton, was found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting four women at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday.

He met the first victim, aged 17, during a bogus job interview where she was asked to return the next day.

The teenager met Singamaneni at the parlour, where he insisted that she should have a glass of prosecco which made her sick and intoxicated.

The 50-year-old, who ran two massage parlours in Islington and Wood Green, took the minor to a hotel where he sexually assaulted and tried to rape her.

Raghu Singamaneni, 50, from Luton, raped women as young as 17 after luring them to fake job interviews and 'trial massages' in hotels

He was convicted of three counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration and one count of attempted rape at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday

Another victim of the prolific rapist was a 19-year-old who said he assaulted her at a massage parlour on High Road, North London.

She said Singamaneni had asked for a massage, insisted that she drink some vodka and then raped her.

The attacker also raped a 23-year-old after meeting him at a hotel in Golders Green for another bogus job interview.

When they were alone in the room, Singamaneni filled her with alcohol before he forcibly took off her clothes and raped her.

Another 17-year-old also became a victim to the rapist after she applied for a job as a masseur.

After speaking to a woman about the possibility of an interview, she was told to meet Singamaneni at a hotel for a 'trial massage'.

She was plied with drugs and alcohol in the hotel, where she was then raped.

Singamaneni was convicted of three counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration and one count of attempted rape.

Detective Constable Hussain Sayem, who led the investigation, said: 'This man used his position of authority to carry out a string of sexual assaults on young women. Many of these women were lured by the hope of employment, but were then subjected to the most dreadful sexual assaults.

'I have no doubt that Singamaneni thought these women would never speak out against him or would never be believed. He was wrong, these women did have the courage to speak out and the jury found him guilty by a unanimous verdict.

'Some sexual predators believe they can get away with their crimes, but this case shows they cannot and will be brought to justice. Lastly, we know Singamaneni is a serial offender and it is entirely possible he has attacked other women who have not felt able to come forward and report their ordeal to police.

'I would urge anyone in this position to get in contact and quote Operation Sting  you will be listened to and supported by specially trained officers.'
Ron DeSantis served drinks at a VFW post in Sparks, Nevada  but joked with the veterans that he wouldn't serve them 'woke' beer Bud Light.

Before heading to Reno Rodeo on Friday evening, DeSantis was joined by former roommate and once Nevada's Attorney General Adam Laxalt at the Veterans of Foreign War Post 9211.

'Just so you know, I'll serve you anything except Bud Light. I just can't do that,' DeSantis said to widespread laughter from patrons at the post known as 'The Bunker.'

The Florida governor was making reference to the ongoing Republican boycott of Bud Light after the company celebrated transgender social media personality Dylan Mulvaney's one-year anniversary of 'being a girl.'

Nevada is one of the earliest primary contest states  and DeSantis already visited the other three with a swing earlier in June through Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis played bartender at a VFW post in Sparks, Nevada on Friday before taking his family to the Reno Rodeo

The governor joked with cheerful veterans that he would 'serve you anything except Bud Light'

Video released by the campaign shows DeSantis playing bartender as he and Laxalt took spots behind the bar serving beers to veterans and taking their payment to the cash register.

'Does anybody want a draught on the house?' DeSantis asked before giving a beer over to a veteran for free.

The two cheered their beers and took a drink together.

Just an hour later, DeSantis charmed a Nevada rodeo crowd alongside his all-American family.

The Florida governor, his wife Casey DeSantis and their three children Madison, 6, Mason, 5, and Mamie, 3, were hosted by one of the sponsors of the Reno Rodeo in a box with premium views of the arena.

Attendees frequently walked by to shake DeSantis' hand or take a selfie with the 2024 presidential candidate.

'They're in the right place,' a rodeo-goer told DailyMail.com when asked how he felt about DeSantis attending.

The campaign stops at the VFW and rodeo came the day before the Florida governor headlines the 8th Annual Morning in Nevada PAC's Basque Fry in Gardnerville, Nevada  just under an hour outside of Reno.

Adam Laxalt, a longtime Donald Trump ally who has defected to support DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, also joined DeSantis for the Rodeo and is hosting him at the Basque Fry he started eight years ago.

Other attendees at the Basque Fry will include Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo; pro-Second Amendment media personality Dana Loesch; and Steve Cortes, the national spokesperson of the biggest PAC backing DeSantis' presidential run, Never Back Down.

DeSantis' joke with VFW patrons was a callback to the ongoing conservative boycott of Bud Light after the beer company celebrated transgender social media star Dylan Mulvaney (pictured) for reaching one-year of 'being a girl'

DeSantis, his wife Casey and their three children Madison, 6, Mason, 5, and Mamie, 3, attended the Reno Rodeo Friday evening during a campaign swing through western Nevada

Ron DeSantis charmed a Nevada rodeo crowd alongside his all-American family Friday evening. Nevada is among the four early primary contest states

Laxalt and DeSantis roomed together while in naval officer training, and they have remained close friends through the years.

Both men were officers in the Navy's Judge Advocate General's Corps, and they served in Iraq.

Laxalt chaired Trump's 2020 campaign in Nevada, but this time around he is backing DeSantis, and heads up the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down. He also ran an unsuccessful Senate campaign in 2022.

The ten-day Reno Rodeo is a coveted annual event in western Nevada with attendees pulling out their best boots, largest cowboy hats, pressed jeans and flashiest belt buckles to watch the competitions, which includes bareback riding and barrel racing, as well as bull and Bronc riding.

Past rodeo president Scott Patterson confirmed that DeSantis is the first-ever presidential candidate to visit the Reno Rodeo.

Event organizers said DeSantis' kids wanted to attend the rodeo because they are big fans of bull riding.

The ten-day Reno Rodeo is a well-loved annual event in western Nevada

Spotted alongside DeSantis at the rodeo was former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt (right), a former Donald Trump ally who defected to support DeSantis, his longtime friend. Laxalt chaired Trump's 2020 campaign in Nevada, but this time around he is backing DeSantis, and heads up the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, wife Casey and children Madison, Mamie and Mason attend Patriot Night at the Ren Rodeo in Nevada on Friday

Many in the crowd eagerly anticipated DeSantis' arrival, while a few others that seemed apolitical told DailyMail.com that they were only vaguely aware of the 2024 candidate.

The general manager of a local Reno and Tahoe-based business who was attending the rodeo on Friday evening said that he plans to change his registration from independent to Republican so he can vote for DeSantis in the primary election.

Richard Harrison, 45, told DailyMail.com that he voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election, but said he's 'too crazy,' so he switched his vote to Joe Biden in 2020.

But the Nevada voter said he fears that Biden is 'too old' to continue being president, and now backs DeSantis.

At the rodeo, DeSantis shook hands as he walked out to the bleachers after privately meeting with the event's sponsors.

Many prospective voters approached DeSantis to take pictures as he settled into the box.

Though far from the Sunshine State, DeSantis looked to be right at home, donning the black pair of boots he is often seen wearing at campaign events with jeans, along with a white quarter zip on top of a light blue and plaid button down.

Casey, who is quickly becoming a fashion icon and drawing comparisons to former First Ladies Jackie Kennedy and Nancy Reagan, wore a cobalt blue zip-up over a white t-shirt and jeans.

Earlier in the day, DeSantis stopped to drink beers with veterans in Reno at VFW Post 9211, also known as 'The Bunker'

Ron, Casey, and Adam Laxalt are seen serving drinks behind the bar at the VFW post

The three kids were in matching 'RD24' navy blue shirts promoting their father's 2024 bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

Nevada's presidential primary is scheduled for February 6, making it among the earliest states on the Republican schedule, as well as the newly revamped Democratic primary schedule.

The Basque Fry, a festival where fried lamb testicles are served among other foods, is considered a key event in the lead-up to the Silver State's primary.

Also known as 'lamb fries', the dish is a signature one in Europe's Basque culture, and the event, modeled after cookouts held by Laxalt's grandfather, former Nevada Governor Paul Laxalt, pays tribute to the family's Basque heritage.

The event typically draws thousands of conservatives, who come from around the state to have a ball.

DeSantis is headlining the festival, an encroachment into turf that Trump won decisively in the past two primaries, in a move drawing bitter scorn from the Trump camp.

'Not surprised Ron DeSantis is looking for a set of b****,' Trump senior adviser Chris LaCivita told NBC News when asked about the Florida governor's visit to the Basque Fry.

That comment didn't sit well with Erin Perrine, the communications director for the pro-DeSantis PAC Never Back Down. 'The Trump team's obsession with men's genitalia is more perverted than a woke grooming book,' Perrine told NBC.

The larger issue at play is whether DeSantis can make inroads in Nevada, where Trump has had strong support in the state Republican Party, but lost the state in both general elections.

'Trump hasn't won Nevada the last two go-arounds,' Laxalt told NBC. 'I was a two-time Trump chair. I don't see a path for him to win Nevada in a general election.'

Laxalt's grandfather Paul Laxalt was Nevada's governor and represented the state in the US Senate, and the modern-day Basque Fry is modeled after his grandfather's cookouts.

Trump's advisor LaCivita cast Adam Laxalt as a loser.

'So Adam Laxalt, who lost the governor's race in '18 and lost the Senate race in '22, is lecturing President Trump?' LaCivita said. 'That's the pot calling the kettle black.'

Taylor Budowich, the CEO of MAGA Inc., the top Trump super PAC told NBC of DeSantis: 'There's no sign that he can win in any state.'
A United Airlines business class passenger has been criticized for watching hard core porn throughout a long-haul flight.

A fellow passenger, going by the social media handle @WWJenD called the man out on Twitter and asked United airlines 'are there no consequences for watching porn on your planes?'

The woman said the unnamed passenger 'watched porn on and off for most of the flight' despite being asked not to by a flight attendant.

'The flight attendant did tell him you cant watch that after I complained & showed him these pics that I took from my seat' she wrote on Twitter.

The use said he temporarily stopped but was back at it, even leaving the sound on loud.

A United Airlines business class passenger has been criticized for watching hard core porn throughout a long-haul flight

Moments later, the pervert was snapped leering over another porn clip, which DailyMail.com has further pixelated

A United Airlines flight attendant reportedly told the business class passenger to stop watching the porn

'There were people up and about in the cabin including minors who could have seen what this man was doing.

The female passenger asked the airline 'to take further action' since 'as a woman, this behavior made me feel unsafe!'

In a comment made on the women's post United Airlines said: 'We're truly sorry that this has been your experience. This is very concerning to hear' and promised to 'look into this and pass this along to the appropriate teams.'

The airline did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

United Airlines is used to some in-air drama after recently having to turn back a plane from Israel because a passenger refused to get up from the airline steward's seat while waiting for the bathroom.

United Airlines flight 90 was on its way to Tel Aviv from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey in April this year when it made a U-turn, the airline confirmed.

United said the 'disruptive' passenger was escorted off the plane first but that all the other passengers also had to disembark as the flight needed to be rescheduled.

One passenger told Israeli website Ynet that a man wanted to use the bathroom, but because none were free he sat and waited in a seat intended for the cabin crew.

United Airlines said: 'We're truly sorry that this has been your experience. This is very concerning to hear'

The passenger vented her frustration on social media

United Airlines offered to look further into the incident

When a flight attendant raised their voice at the man and asked him to get out of the seat, he shouted back and would not get up, she said.

'Crew members told him that if he did not return to his seat, the plane would be turned back to New York,' the eyewitness told Ynet.

She said the unruly passenger did not believe the threat, so stayed in the seat. But to everyone's surprise, the crew member followed through by instructing the pilot to turn around.

The witness also said passengers were not notified of the change of course and were surprised to see the plane had altered its heading.

'No one bothered to inform us,' she said. 'We just noticed it on the map showing our flight path and when we landed, we saw the police waiting for the plane.'

United Airlines provided a statement to DailyMail.com that read: 'United flight 90 traveling from Newark to Tel Aviv returned to Newark shortly after takeoff due to a disruptive passenger.

'Law enforcement met the aircraft and removed the passenger.'
Two people have been charged over the murder of a 35-year-old man who was shot dead at a secluded Kent holiday resort on the Isle of Sheppey.

Jonathan Lawlor, 42, of no fixed address, was today charged with the murder of Sam Petrou, whose body was discovered in Eastchurch last Sunday.

Daisy Donohoe, 35, from Welling, southeast London, was also charged with assisting an offender.

Police arrested five people in total over the death of the father after his body was discovered in a caravan at Cliff Cottage in Chalet Park at around 9.40am.

Both suspects have been remanded in custody and will appear before Medway Magistrates Court on Monday.

Sam Petrou, 35, died after being shot dead at a holiday park in Kent

On Friday afternoon, a 42-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were taken into custody on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.

Kent Police said the man was apprehended more than 300 miles away in Newcastle while the woman was arrested in London.

Kent Police previously said that they arrested a man in his 50s at around 1pm on Sunday, the same day Sam's body was found, on suspicion of murder.

A man, 42, from Sidcup, south east London, and a 33-year-old woman from Greenwich, have also been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

They remain under investigation by the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate and have been put on bail with conditions to return to a police station on September 11.

Tributes have poured in from people in Bromley, southeast London, where Sam is believed to be from, following his death.

In a post shared to Facebook, Sam's dad Nick Petrou wrote: 'He was so loved, the amount of posts and heartfelt comments that people have put up of him has blown me away and lifted my broken heart.

'I would like to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my broken heart, for loving my beautiful son Sam from boyhood to manhood and beyond.

'I can remember like yesterday when he was born with colic and in pain.

'I held him in my arms every night for hours until he fell asleep. I have loved him and wanted to hold him in my arms, and did everytime I saw him. He was so loving and I miss my baby.'

In another tribute, a friend of Sam's told MyLondon: 'Sam was a bubbly and happy go lucky man and he was always smiling.

'We are all devastated to hear what has happened to Sam its so sad and such a shock for us all.'

Friend Ben Hyland added: 'Devastated is an understatement - I can't remember Sam not smiling and laughing.

'He was such a nice man and would do anything for anyone, so I'm proud to call him my friend - I'm going to miss him dearly.'

One friend wrote: 'Some amazing memories with you, this is just one of many, you were like family RIP Sam Petrou. You'll never be forgotten.'

Another friend said: 'Where do I start? I played my first Sunday league match and had my first legal pint with you.

'You looked after me and took me in - I just want to say thank you for letting me be a part of your story. Sam my brother, fly high you'll be forever with me.'

He was found dead with a gunshot wound in a caravan at Cliff Cottage Chalet Park on the Isle of Sheppey at around 9.40am on Sunday

Around 20 police and forensic officers were seen investigating the area near Eastchurch Holiday Centre on Tuesday.

It is not yet known if the suspects knew the alleged victim.

Detective Inspector Adam Marshall, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, appealed for anyone with footage of the scene the evening before the body was found to come forward.

He said: 'We are continuing to appeal to drivers who may have been in this area, between 7.30pm and 9pm on Saturday, June 10, to check for any dashcam footage which may assist our investigation.

'It is important we identify the movements of people or vehicles in the Warden Road and Fourth Avenue areas, within this period.'

A Kent Police spokesperson said: 'Three suspects arrested in connection with the death of a man in Sheerness have been bailed as part of an ongoing murder investigation.

'Kent Police was called at around 9.40am on Sunday 11 June 2023, to an address in Fourth Avenue, Eastchurch, where Sam Petrou was found deceased.

'Mr Petrou, aged 35, had suffered injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.

'Since then, an investigation by the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate has led to the arrests of two men and a woman.

'They all remain under investigation and are currently bailed, with conditions, to return to a police station on 11 September.'

Kent Police have asked anyone with information to submit this online via the Public Portal or call them on 01622 652006, quoting reference 11-0449.

People can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or complete an online form on their website.
It was hailed as Britain's hippest nightclub when it opened its doors in 1991 and still attracts 300,000 revellers a year.

But the Ministry of Sound in South London now faces closure in a plan to sell off the site to make way for luxury flats.

A consortium of companies that owns the 1.34-acre freehold site in Southwark where the former warehouse stands has put the land up for sale for 50million.

As the club's lease runs out in September next year, it's likely the developers who buy the land will see the venue as an obstruction to plans to build an apartment block.

Launched by Eton-educated entrepreneur James Palumbo (now Lord Palumbo of Southwark) in 1991, the Ministry of Sound is where some of the world's most famous DJs, including Fatboy Slim and Pete Tong, cut their teeth.

PICTURED:Rulin at Ministry of Sound London in August 1999. It opened its doors in 1991 and still attracts 300,000 revellers a yea

As the club's lease runs out in September next year, it's likely the developers who buy the land which is up for sale for 50million

Film stars and supermodels flocked to the club, which famously turned away those it didn't consider trendy enough, including anyone from Coronation Street and EastEnders.

But the Ministry no longer enjoys the cool allure it once did, and one consultancy recently called it 'the Marks & Spencer of the nightclub world', adding: 'It's a tired brand.'

However, Lord Palumbo, who launched a petition signed by more than 25,000 people when a previous redevelopment plan threatened the club's future in 2013, is still determined to fight off any attempt to close it down.

He said: 'We have a right to stay where we are. The club has been here for over 30 years and is part of the Southwark furniture. We have been through this before and are not afraid of a fight.'

The Ministry no longer enjoys the cool allure it once did, and one consultancy recently called it 'the Marks & Spencer of the nightclub world', adding: 'It's a tired brand'

Top DJ Judge Jules said: 'My long-standing connection with the Ministry of Sound opened me up to a global audience that I probably wouldn't have reached otherwise.

'Ministry of Sound should not be under threat from greedy developers and should stay open.'

Lord Palumbo himself has moved into the world of politics, becoming a Liberal Democrat peer in 2013. after donating heavily to the party.
The former head of the Royal Navy has launched a blistering attack on the state of the fleet, following the revelation that a quarter of the country's frigates never spent a day at sea last year.

Admiral Lord West said Britain needed a Navy which would 'make someone's eyes water if they crossed us at sea'.

Instead, the former First Sea Lord said, the number of operational vessels was 'pathetically low' and questioned whether these were enough to keep Britain safe at a time when Russia is targeting pipelines and Beijing is flexing its muscles in the South China Sea.

Lord West spoke out after the Ministry of Defence released figures showing that of the 12 Type 23 frigates, three  HMS Iron Duke, HMS St Albans and HMS Sutherland  did not spend any time at sea last year.

Another, HMS Argyll, spent just 21 days away from port. And of the six Type 45 destroyers, one, HMS Daring, spent no days at sea while undergoing a refit, and HMS Dragon left port for just 18 days.

OUT OF ACTION: HMS St Albans did not leave port last year

Admiral Lord West said Britain needed a Navy which would 'make someone's eyes water if they crossed us at sea'

Last night, Lord West told The Mail on Sunday that years of defence cuts, recruitment issues and a lack of planning had left the Royal Navy with too few ships to protect the country's sea lanes and territorial waters.

He said: 'The number of ships we have is pathetically low. We do not have enough ships in our territorial waters, exclusive economic zone or to ensure, with our allies, the security of the sea lanes and that is something that is crucial to this country. The danger is we have forgotten that we are a maritime nation which relies on the sea.

'More than 90 per cent of all of our imports and exports go by sea. We have a huge tapestry of cables going across the Atlantic and to Europe.

Pipelines bringing gas to this country. All of these things we know the Russians are looking at and we should be very concerned

'The Royal Navy has had insufficient money for too many years and I worry that in the new Defence White Paper there will not be enough money to resolve these issues.'

The Navy said: 'The fleet continues to meet all operational requirements.'

New Type 26 frigates were due to enter service this year, but have been delayed until 2028.
Rishi Sunak is facing a new by-election headache after a Tory MP embroiled in a sex and drugs scandal told The Mail on Sunday that he is quitting.

David Warburton, 57, says he is resigning his seat because he was denied a fair hearing by a parliamentary harassment watchdog investigating allegations that he made unwanted advances to two women.

But in an exclusive interview with this newspaper, he admitted taking cocaine after drinking 'incredibly potent' Japanese whisky with a third woman  who secretly photographed and recorded him after he visited her flat following a late-night vote in the House of Commons.

'I was set up, but I have been naive and incredibly stupid,' said Mr Warburton. He vehemently denies the harassment claims.

His departure, which follows that of Boris Johnson and two of his allies just over a week ago, will trigger a by-election in the Somerset constituency of Somerton and Frome which Mr Warburton first held in 2015, securing the country's biggest swing to the Tories. He won again in 2019 with a majority of more than 19,000.

David Warburton admitted taking cocaine after drinking 'incredibly potent' Japanese whisky with a third woman  who secretly photographed and recorded him after he visited her flat following a late-night vote in the House of Commons

'I was set up, but I have been naive and incredibly stupid,' said Mr Warburton. He vehemently denies the harassment claims

The Prime Minister must now fight four potentially damaging by-elections in the run-up to the party conference.

Today, Mr Warburton accuses the parliamentary authorities of being 'terrified' of the MeToo movement, saying he 'didn't stand a chance' from the outset. In his resignation letter, he said the 'malicious allegations' and a 'flawed' 14-month investigation 'has inflicted unimaginable and intolerable destruction on my family and on me'.

He added: 'I have been prevented from revealing that the first investigation against me was dismissed, that the claimant falsified evidence or that the second claimant was witness to the first and vice-versa.

'I have been prevented from saying that in the remaining case, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards [Daniel Greenberg] himself declared its year-long investigation as 'flawed'  that it ought to be reinvestigated  but that due to its own lethargic pace and delays, we must accept it as it is.'

Mr Greenberg accepted the claims of a political aide who alleged the MP coerced her into returning to his Westminster flat, where, she says, he kissed her forehead, stroked her hair and rubbed her thigh. She says he touched her bottom and thigh on separate occasions. Mr Warburton, who has appealed the inquiry's findings, denies her claims and says that in the days after the alleged harassment she sent him dozens of friendly texts and offered to run errands when he was confined to bed with two broken ribs.

His wife, Harriet (pictured with him in 2013), said: 'They shut down every way David had of defending himself. I feel the party completely hung us out to dry'

Today, Mr Warburton accuses the parliamentary authorities of being 'terrified' of the MeToo movement, saying he 'didn't stand a chance' from the outset

The claims of a second woman  who says the MP caressed her and physically stopped her from leaving his flat  were rejected by the parliamentary authorities. 'She filmed herself pretending she was in my bathroom,' he said. 'But I was able to prove it was a fake.'

A third woman who photographed Mr Warburton alongside lines of cocaine which she laid before him never made a formal complaint. Her claims  denied by the MP  appeared in a newspaper, however. None of the women went to police.

'While they have published their claims across the media, I have been prevented from speaking out,' said Mr Warburton in his letter.

After the scandal broke, he contemplated suicide. Thoughts of his family pulled him from the brink.

He claims that Mr Greenberg 'decided against considering my witnesses because they work for me, most of them, and might be trying to protect their jobs.

'He said my character and behaviour as described by the women was enough to prove I did it. He thought I should face a heavier sanction because I didn't show remorse. I didn't show remorse because I didn't do it.'

Mr Warburton added: 'My constituents who elected me have for a year been deprived of the voice they need. It is with sorrow that I have to provoke the upheaval of a by-election. I hope that, in so doing, I can freely illuminate the methods of an oversight system not fit for purpose.'

His wife, Harriet, said: 'They shut down every way David had of defending himself. I feel the party completely hung us out to dry.'

A Tory Party spokesman said: 'The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme is an independent body set up by Parliament and the Conservative Party respects its processes. Mr Warburton had the whip withdrawn over these complaints last April and has not sat in Parliament as a Conservative since.'

A UK Parliament spokesman said: 'Parliament remains absolutely committed to the ICGS. It is there to ensure that all complaints are dealt with in a manner that is fair, thorough, independent and efficient, offering support to all parties.

'The target to reduce the length of investigations must always be balanced against the paramount requirement to ensure that investigations are rigorous and robust. The scheme always seeks to learn from cases, and is mindful of the impact investigations may have on those involved.

'The ICGS remains focused on ensuring that investigations can progress as efficiently as possible, as well as ensuring greater transparency and confidence in its processes. Significant work has already been undertaken to improve the scheme, including the recruitment of additional independent investigators

'Combined with oversight and appeal functions delivered by the Commissioner for Standards and the Independent Expert Panel, we now have strong, fair and independent processes in place that we encourage all those in Parliament to use if needed. We remain committed to ensuring that lasting cultural change can be delivered for all of those in Parliament.'
A mother-of-two has said she thought she was 'going to die' after her British Airways flight from Singapore to Heathrow 'fell out of the sky' while cruising at 30,000 feet after being hit by the worst turbulence seen in 'years'.

Jade Crosland, 31, was flying with her partner and their two young children on the BA12 flight from Singapore to Heathrow, London when it was struck by 'severe' and 'sustained' turbulence over the Bay of Bengal.

She clutched her one-year-old daughter Harper to her chest for dear life after the plane went into 'freefall' for what felt like 'a thousand feet at around 3am on Friday morning.

Ms Crosland, who is British but now runs a hair salon business in Australia, told MailOnline that she was sat with Harper, who was sleeping in a bassinet - but her partner Henry Trier, 32, and their son Hugo, three, were sitting a few rows behind.

Mother-of-two Jade Crosland (pictured with daughter Harper, one) has said she thought she was 'going to die' after her British Airways flight from Singapore to Heathrow 'fell out of the sky' while cruising at 30,000 feet after being hit by the worst turbulence seen in 'years'

Ms Crosland was flying with her partner and their two young children on the BA12 flight (cabin pictured after returning to Singapore) from Singapore to Heathrow, London when it was struck by 'severe' and 'sustained' turbulence over the Bay of Bengal

'It was a completely normal flight at the beginning - the cabin crew were serving drinks and I was half asleep and my daughter was in the bassinet,' she said.

READ MORE: British Airways crew suffer serious injuries and passengers scream in terror at 30,000 feet as plane is hit by worst turbulence in years on flight from Singapore to Heathrow Advertisement

'The seatbelt sign came on with no announcement as I was half waking up, so I thought I had better get Harper out as when the sign is on you have to strap your infant to you.'

Ms Crosland got up to strap her daughter in but then: 'As I stood up the plane dropped literally a thousand feet.

'Everyone flew up in the air, everyone was screaming.'

She said: 'One of the cabin crew was knocked out when a trolley hit him in the head. It all happened so quickly that they were still out with their trolleys.'

After the devastating bout of turbulence the worried mother hurriedly tried to get her infant daughter out of her crib that fortunately did not fly out of, to then strap her in, but Ms Crosland struggled to do so in her panicked state.

'I was in complete panic trying to unstrap her and the cabin crew said "it's her arm, it's her arm!" as I was trying to get her out.'

She managed to get her daughter free and strap her to securely strap her chest within a few minutes.

'And then it dropped again,' Ms Crosland said.

'It was shaking the whole time and there was this massive drop and everyone screaming.

The shaking of the plane caused trays of food to fly everywhere across the cabin.

'I honestly thought we were going to die,' Ms Crosland said. 'I strapped her to me squeezing holding her thinking we're going to die and "this is it".

'The passengers were all looking at each other and we were all thinking "this is it we're all going to go into the sea and die".

As it dawned on the young mother that she was not sitting with her partner and son, she then thought: 'I'm going to die and I'm not going to be able to see them.'

Ms Crosland, who is British but now runs a hair salon business in Australia, was sat with Harper, who was sleeping in a bassinet - but her partner Henry Trier, 32, and their son Hugo (left), three, were sitting a few rows behind (the family pictured at the airport prior to the flight)

Ms Crosland praised the care and professionalism of the 'amazing' BA crew who immediately attended to their injured colleagues and assisted frightened passengers

The Boeing 777-300ER had passed over the Andaman Sea and was flying over the Bay of Bengal when it was hit by turbulence that the airline had not experienced anything like it in 'the last five years' and the severity was 'obscene', according to the Sun.

The flight was forced to turn back to Singapore at around 3am on Friday where the plane was checked for structural damage.

Ms Crosland praised the care and professionalism of the 'amazing' BA crew who immediately attended to their injured colleagues and assisted frightened passengers.

She said: 'The crew were highly professional and very organised and really held it together. They were amazing and very helpful.'

One of the in-flight team suffered a dislocated ankle and another is now undergoing an MRI to check severe bruising on her hip.

And a different crew member was still in hospital yesterday following surgery on their ankle and femur.

Another passenger, Tom Owens, 27, told MailOnline explained how he saw the crew member, who had a food trolley, fly into the air and fall back down injuring his ankle.

'His foot was at a 90 degree angle to his leg,' Mr Owens said.

'He was screaming for crew to come and help,' he said. They went to check on him as the turbulence died down.

Fortunately a doctor in the opposite row was able to 'stabilise the injured cabin crew member and get his leg in a good position'.

Stunned passengers were given hotel accommodation and were re-booked onto later flights.

Ms Crosland, who is a frequent flier, bravely arranged the next flight she could to get her family to the UK to see her mother-in-law for her 60th birthday, but she felt anxious about pockets of turbulence she would normally not notice.

Somehow, both her children managed to stay asleep during the traumatic incident.

However, she said that throughout one of the drops 'there was a little girl going "wee" - I suppose it was exactly like a rollercoaster'.

The crew, on board the BA12 flight from Singapore to Heathrow, London, were hurt after the plane was struck by 'severe' and 'sustained' turbulence over the Bay of Bengal

The Boeing 777-300ER had passed over the Andaman Sea and was flying over the Bay of Bengal when it was hit by turbulence (file photo)

A British Airways spokesman said: 'Safety is always our priority and we're looking after our crew after one of our flights experienced a rare episode of severe turbulence.

'Our highly trained team on board reassured customers and the aircraft returned to Singapore as a precaution.

'We've apologised to customers for the delay to their flight and provided them with hotel accommodation and information on their consumer rights.

'We're re-booking customers onto the next available flights with us and other airlines.'

The plane is understood to now be flying back to London with no passengers and a reduced crew.

Severe turbulence increased 55 per cent between 1979 and 2020 and is expected to get more intense, more frequent and last longer in future.
A sheriff's deputy in Florida was sucked into a storm drain and submerged underwater for nearly 30 seconds after he tried to help another man who was pulled in.

Escambia County was hit by severe flooding after a thunderstorm produced a tornado and brought heavy rain on Thursday.

David Boss left work and was making his way through water that was chest-deep on Highway 98 when he got pulled into the drain which is designed to get rid of excess ground water.

Escambia County Deputy William Hollingsworth was on the scene and tried to help when he was dragged in too.

They were propelled underneath four lanes and travelled nearly 100 feet underwater before the pair resurfaced.

A sheriff's deputy in Florida was sucked into a storm drain and submerged underwater for nearly 30 seconds after he tried to help another man who was pulled in

David Boss left work and was making his way through water that was chest-deep on Highway 98 when he got pulled into the drain which is designed to get rid of excess ground water

They were propelled underneath four lanes and travelled nearly 100 feet underwater before the pair resurfaced

The sheriff deputy's bodycam captured the terrifying moment they were swallowed.

It shows Hollingsworth helping stranded motorists before Boss was sucked into the drain.

He rushes to help get him out but ends up being pulled in himself and the footage goes dark but you can hear muffled noises underwater.

The pair resurfaced 30 seconds later after travelling 100 feet in pure disbelief at what just happened.

Hollingsworth is heard screaming: 'David, David! Can you f****** believe what has just happened to us?

'Just breathe. Just breathe man. Oh my god! Oh thank you Jesus.'

And Boss replies: 'I almost died,' before the deputy responds: 'I almost f******died too buddy, it sucked me in!

'I never held my breath like that in my life.' Boss adds: 'Me neither.'

The pair then embraced and celebrated the fact they made it out alive.

The sheriff deputy's bodycam captured the terrifying moment they were swallowed

Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons (pictured) said the current was strong enough to swallow two grown men

David Boss' friend Cameron Tillman (pictured) was there to pick him up during the storm and could do nothing but watch as he got sucked into the drain

'The current was strong enough to suck not one, but two grown men under it,' Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons told Wear News.

Boss recalled the terrifying experience and said his life flashed before his eyes.

'Life flashes before your eyes,' he said.

'Thats the truth. You really do think about your life if you think youre about to die.'

He is thankful for Hollingsworth going in there to try and save him.

Boss added: 'When I came out the other end, he was there. That means without thinking, he wanted to save me. He was doing his duty. That changed my whole perspective on people.

His friend Cameron Tillman was there to pick him up during the storm and could do nothing but watch as he got sucked into the drain.
Three Britons  including a young mother  face spending the rest of their lives in jail in Albania for their alleged role as part of a gangland murder hit squad, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Businessman Ardian Nikulaj, 51, was blasted six times by a gunman in April, with the crime captured on CCTV cameras.

Albanian detectives claim three Britons  including the mother of a seven-year-old girl  were involved.

British-Albanian Edmond Haxhia, based in the Midlands, approached Harriet Bridgeman, Steven Hunt and Thomas Mithan to help him settle a decades-old score with Nikulaj, prosecutors claim.

The Albanian government wants to extradite the three Britons to stand trial for murder in Albania.

Businessman Ardian Nikulaj, 51, was blasted six times by a gunman in April, with the crime captured on CCTV cameras

British-Albanian Edmond Haxhia, approached Harriet Bridgeman, PICTURED, Steven Hunt and Thomas Mithan to help him settle a decades-old score with Nikulaj, prosecutors claim

If convicted, they face a minimum of 31 years in prison. Westminster Magistrates' Court heard relatives of Haxhia and Nikulaj were locked in a violent 'blood feud' dating back to a shooting at a petrol station over money.

On June 25, 1997, in the Albanian city of Lezha, Gezim Lekstakaj and Lorent Gjetja allegedly gunned down Pellumb Nikulaj, the brother of Ardian Nikulaj. Then in September that year Lekstakaj and Gjetja were both shot dead in a revenge attack, which Nikulaj is said to have organised.

In March 1999, in a village in Albania, two members of the Lekstakaj family  Gjovalin and Pjeter  fired at Nikoll Nikulaj, Ardian's uncle.

Nikoll returned fire with a hunting rifle, killing Gjovalin and wounding Pjeter  who fled to Birmingham.

In 2007, Albania attempted to extradite Pjeter Lekstakaj for the attempted murder of Nikoll Nikulaj but failed.

Lekstakaj's lawyers argued that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and Albanian prisons would not be able to treat the condition. The judge hearing the case agreed.

Bridgeman, Hunt and Mithan are said to have travelled to Albania to carry out surveillance of Ardian Nikulaj at his bar, Coral, in Shengjin.

Haxhia is said to be the organiser. Another man, Ruben Saraiva, 27, born in Portugal but a UK resident for years, is the gunman, Albanian police believe.

Zoe Lash , representing the Albanian government, told the court: 'On April 19 at 1.23pm at the Coral bar in Shengjin, Ardian Nikulaj was shot six times and killed. The security footage from the bar shows the murder take place.

'You can see someone enter the bar in a motorcycle helmet and a fluorescent vest, shoot six times and leave on a grey motorcycle.

'This was clearly a premeditated attack that had a significant degree of planning and specifically targeted the victim described as being involved in a blood feud in Albania between rival families.'

Ms Lash added: 'Mr Haxhia is suspected to be the organiser of the murder. Edmond Haxhia is a cousin to a family called Lekstakaj.

'We say they are in a blood feud with the victim's family since 1997, when they allegedly killed the victim's brother.'

Haxhia, 37, Hunt, 49, Bridgeman, 27, and Mithan, 35, all deny carrying out surveillance leading to the murder. Haxhia denies organising the hit and the alleged gunman is under arrest in Morocco.

Haxhia, Hunt and Mithan remain in custody but Bridgeman was granted bail after her father offered the court a surety of 20,000.

The extradition hearing is due in November.
Over 230,000 motorcyclists and tricycle operators have endorsed the Presidential bid of opposition leader Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai at an elaborate ceremony Thursday, 15 June 2023 in Paynesville, Montserrado County.

Boakai and several opposition leaders on different party tickets are seeking to battle incumbent President George Manneh Weah out of the Executive Mansion during the polls on 10 October 2023.

The 78-year-old lost to Mr. Weah at the run-off in 2017, and he is making his second and possibly final try for the nation's highest seat.

Through a press release issued Thursday, the Office of the former Liberian Vice President said the Federation Of Motorcycle and Tricycle Unions of Liberia pledged to support Mr. Boakai's bid, a boost to the Unity Party campaign.

The release said the President-General of the Union, Mr. John A.F. Kenyor introduced the officials of the Union and coordinators from the fifteen counties to the Unity Party Standard Bearer.

According to the release, Mr. Kenyor told Mr. Boakai that the battle is not his, but for the Federation of Tricycle and Motorcycle Unions of Liberia.

It noted the Union's commitment to making sure that Mr. Boakai is elected president of Liberia.

"The President-General told the crowd that the decision is about the nation and not about individuals," the release said.

According to the President-General of the Federation of Motorcycle and Tricycle Unions of Liberia, "Liberia will rise again."

He pointed out that motorcyclists will no longer be exploited for the selfish ambitions of politicians and that they will no longer be blind loyalists to selfish individuals and political institutions because they have in the past exhibited a wrong way of leading people.

Kenyor stated that his Union will be on the campaign team of the Unity Party and call on the party to recognize all the Union's Coordinators in the fifteen counties to attain maximum political dividends ahead of the October 10 polls.

Speaking at the occasion Thursday, Amb. Boakai said Liberians must recognize the value of people, and praised the over 230,000 motorcycle and tricycle union members for the immense services they are rendering to the people and country.

He gave special recognition to their services in the absence of a reliable transportation system in the country.

The Former Vice President lamented the unbelievable and dangerous conditions of transporting critically sick people at night.

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Mr. Boakai told the Union that they will be on the right side of history when it is written because the leadership of the Union refused to be induced by money or vehicles.

He said he refers to this as putting the country above personal interest.

He told the Union that because of the level of organization that has been attained by the Union, it can now speak with one voice.

Mr. Boakai expressed happiness with the level of inclusion of women in the Union's administration.

While the ceremony was in progress, the UP leader was joined by his running mate, Nimba Senator Jeremiah Koung.

Mr. Koung also spoke to the Union's Officials and recognized some of his classmates in the gathering.

The occasion was attended by the Chair of the Unity Party, Rev. Dr. Luther Tarpeh, the force behind the Union, and a corps of JNB advisers and support staff.-Press release
A public school teacher and her family have been evicted from a home in Houston that they squatted in using a fake lease.

Amberlyn Prather, who is a fourth-grade teacher at a Houston public school, remained silent as she was confronted by ABC13 outside eviction court last month after a judge ordered the family to leave the house by the end of the month.

Prather, who arrived at the property in January while it was vacant and listed for sale, still managed to drag her heels and remain for a few weeks longer.

But she has now finally been evicted.

Realtor Shanequa Garrett, who is authorized to sell the house, had not been inside in months because of the squatters and had been fighting for months to remove them.

But on June 15, the teacher and her family left the house, which allowed Garrett to go inside and finally figure out how the family broke into the home.

Shameless Amberlyn Prater, pictured in red t-shirt and mask, refused to comment on why she'd squatted in a Houston home after being ordered to leave the property by a judge during a court hearing in May

The property that Prater squatted in is pictured. A property management company repeatedly changed the locks to try and keep her out, but she climbed back in through a window

'They could climb on a trash can and climb on the roof,' Garrett told ABC13, speaking from the second-floor bedroom of the house.

'From this window (which was loose), they can just open it from the outside and jump in. Because we kept getting the house rekeyed, and they kept getting in.'

It all began when the home was listed for sale in January. Prather was able to get into the house and then moved her entire family in.

Neighbors saw the moving truck and called the police, but the squatters were allowed to stay until Garrett took the case to court.

Prater, pictured being confronted by a reporter outside a courtroom, is said to have used a fake lease to trick cops into believing she had the right to remain at the property

Trash is pictured outside the property after Prater and her family were ordered to leave

Realtor Shanequa Garrett, who managed the property on behalf of its unidentified owners, is pictured in its living room after the squatters were finally given the boot

A no trespassing sign was erected on the property. It's unclear if Prater stuck it up in a bid to stop people from evicting her from the property that wasn't hers to begin with

A neighbor told ABC13 earlier this year that he recorded one of the squatters showing his lease to police - which was later ruled by a judge to be fake.

'It's insane,' Garrett said at the time, and who has since had to go to court several times over the issue.

While the judge ruled that the family should have never been in the house, it took months before the squatters were removed.

'Finally, they're out,' Garrett said. 'Now it's to keep the squatters out completely. We don't want another situation like this.'

Legal experts told ABC13 that to avoid such situations, prevention is best. If you know you'll have an empty house for long periods of time, post no trespassing signs and install security cameras inside and outside, and to check them frequently.

Squatting is generally investigated as a civil matter, rather than a police one. Civil courts can generally evict squatters quickly - but those who know the system can deploy various stalling tactics to remain where they are for longer.

Squatters who retain control of someone's property for long enough can even sue to obtain ownership.

In March, Melissa Schrock successfully obtained a $125,000 parcel of land next to her Delaware home that belonged to her neighbor after erecting a goat pen there for 20 years.
Simon Parry was arrested after an incident was reported to Parliamentary police

A man has has appeared in court charged with stalking and impersonating a law enforcement officer while threatening to arrest former education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson.

Simon Parry, 44, 'persistently followed' the Conservative MP on two occasions between May 24 and June 14 of this year, Westminster Magistrates' Court has heard.

Parry was arrested after the incident was reported to Parliamentary police on Wednesday.

After allegedly following Sir Gavin, Parry produced a warrant card and told him he would arrest him, the prosecution told the court.

'The MP had walked away from the House of Commons,' Ola Oyedepo said. 'He went down a number of roads. He noticed that the defendant was following him.

Sir Gavin Williamson has been MP for South Staffordshire since 2010 and served in cabinet as defence secretary before becoming education secretary under Boris Johnson in 2019

'He was trying to speak to him. (Sir Gavin) was on the phone, he kept saying he was on the phone.

'The defendant told him he would arrest him and brought out a warrant card.

'The MP said "you are not a police officer". This is when the defendant left.'

Sonia Larbi Aissa, defending, told the court that her client, who is of no fixed address lives in a protest encampment in Westminster.

However, she said that an acquaintance of Parry's had offered to put him up at his home address in south-east London ahead of his next court appearance.

Parry denied one count of stalking and one count of impersonating a law enforcement officer.

He was bailed on condition that he does not enter the City of Westminster or approach Sir Gavin.

During a lull in proceedings, Parry asked Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram if he could read one of his poems aloud to the court. The judge denied his request.

Parry will next appear for trial at City of London Magistrate's Court on October 18.

Sir Gavin has been MP for South Staffordshire since 2010 and served in cabinet as defence secretary before becoming education secretary under Boris Johnson in 2019.

Simon Parry, 44, was arrested after an incident was reported to Parliamentary police on Wednesday. Pictured: The Palace of Westminster, home to the Houses of Parliament

Parry, of no fixed address, was remanded in police custody to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday, according to the Met Police.

He was charged with one count of stalking and one count of impersonating a police officer today, police said.

A spokesman for the force said: 'An investigation was launched on Wednesday, June 14, following a report by an MP into the Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team relating to an incident involving the MP and another man in the Westminster area earlier that day.

'Fast-time enquiries were carried out and officers on deployment in Westminster on Thursday, June 15, identified and arrested a man in connection with the incident.

'He was taken into police custody and charged on Friday, June 16.

'He has been remanded in police custody to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday, June 17.

Chief Superintendent Elisabeth Chapple, who leads the Met's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, said today: 'We take the safety and security of MPs extremely seriously and our officers have acted swiftly to identify, arrest and charge a man in relation to this incident after it was reported to us.

'I'd like to thank the teams involved for their fast action and hard work on this case.

'More broadly, we continue to work with MPs and their offices, the Parliamentary Security Department and with local police forces through the Operation Bridger network to provide MPs and their staff safety and security advice.'
Britain's calendar of summer sport often just records a litany of disappointments  yet there is one unexpected area where we reign supreme... paintballing.

The men's team will defend their world title in France in August and our women, ranked second in the world, hope to win gold too.

Paintballing is best known in the UK as a stag and hen-do activity.

'But we're coming out of the woods,' says Ainsley Baddeley, who runs the UK league and is European Paintball Federation president. 'There's more to it than you realise  speed, skill and strategy.

'When it started 30 or 40 years ago, there was this perception it was a war game, military based, using guns. Today it's more like a fun, fast-paced game of chess.' Team GB men and women's teams will travel to Dreux near Paris in August with the veterans (over-40s) and youth squad (under-19s).

Paintballing is best known in the UK as a stag and hen-do activity. PICTURED: Stag Do in Bristol celebrating a win before the big day

Our men's champions are aged 19 to 41 and when not paintballing work in jobs such as carpentry, plastering and teaching.

Their 50-minute matches are in a 36m by 45m arena with 50 inflatable obstacles. Some are two metres high, others 50cm, and shapes include a brick and snake.

I'ts perception as a war game put people off

Two teams, with five players each on the field at any time, take shelter behind them while trying to 'mark' opponents with paintballs  a gelatine shell containing environmentally friendly polyethylene glycol.

It is usually dyed yellow but never red, so as not to look like blood.

Ainsley says: 'What has perhaps put people off in the past is the perception of paintball as a war game.

'But today we use 'markers' which are bright and colourful. There's nothing you'd class as a gun, that's the message to get across.' The markers fire about ten paintballs per second and cost anywhere between 100 and 2,000.

Team GB's amateurs provide their own, along with their protective kit, and pay for their air tickets, car hire and accommodation when they compete abroad.

They also cover the cost of training at the Central Premier Paintball Series tournament venue near Penkridge, Staffordshire.

Now the teams are appealing to businesses for help. The UK league has three sponsorship packages: gold, (1,000) platinum (2,500) and diamond (5,000).

To assist, visit teamgbpaintball.com.
Russia's siting of nuclear weapons in Belarus is a 'blackmail tactic' to threaten the West, a leading academic warned yesterday.

Mark Almond, director of the Crisis Research Institute in Oxford, said President Vladimir Putin's decision to station them close to the Polish border was designed to add 'layers of uncertainty' about Russia's strategy.

Because the weapons are tactical medium-range devices they present no risk to American cities  unlike the intercontinental ballistic missiles that are housed in Siberian silos.

'The Belarussian weapons are a far bigger threat to Western Europe,' said Dr Almond.

'It poses the question to Washington  if they are not directly threatened, how far are they willing to go in risking nuclear suicide in the defence of European allies?

Speaking at Russia's flagship economic forum in St Petersburg on June 16, Putin told those gathered that the first warheads had arrived in Belarus

Belarus has already started taking delivery of Russian nukes, some of which President Alexander Lukashenko (with Putin on June 9) boasted are three times more powerful than the atomic bombs the US dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Pictured: Russian Yars intercontinental ballistic missile systems drive along a street before a military parade in Moscow, May 9

'It is a blackmail tactic dating back to when Putin was a KGB agent in East Germany during the Cruise Missile crisis of the 1980s.

'This is a ploy to try to decouple the Western alliance over Ukraine by threatening neighbours like Poland that act as supply routes for our military aid.'

He said the Kremlin's move offered Russia other advantages  including to its key ally in the region, Belarus's President Aleksandr Lukashenko.

These include ambiguity about control of the weapons. Russia has oversight, but Belarus may claim it could deploy them if fighting spills across its border from Ukraine.

Abramovich blocks aid Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich is reneging on a pledge to send the 2.3 billion from his sale of Chelsea FC to victims of Putin's war on Ukraine. Roman Abramovich, pictured in 2021, had pledged to send 2.3 billion from his sale of Chelsea FC to war victims Abramovich, forced out of the club because of his close links to the Russian president, received the funds over a year ago. The Mail on Sunday understands they could be released to Ukraine with his permission but he is refusing to sign them off unless a sum is gifted to Russian citizens affected by the war. Neither the UK nor the European Commission will agree to this. Last night Labour MP Chris Bryant said: 'The people of Ukraine need help to rebuild their nation and their lives now, not in some distant future.' Abramovich's UK company Millhouse Capital has been approached for comment. Advertisement

Western allies will also be wary of supplying arms to Ukraine if there is a danger that they could be directed at Belarus and raise the threat of nuclear attack.

In addition, Belarussian protest groups will be deterred from overthrowing their government, which would force Russia to intervene to protect its nuclear assets.

Mr Putin told the St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday that the transfer of the warheads to Belarus would be completed by the end of summer.

He insisted they would be used only if Russia's territory or state was threatened, adding it was a warning to anyone 'thinking of inflicting a strategic defeat on us'.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he didn't see 'any indications' that Russia was preparing to use a nuclear weapon.
A crowd of 2000 turned out to hear the President speak at a labor rally

Biden attempted to fire up his base in Philadelphia by touting infrastructure projects and exports

President Joe Biden finally hit the road to deliver a campaign-style speech in a battleground state after launching his reelection in April.

Biden visited Philadelphia, near where he grew up, to tout his agenda and new labor endorsements at a labor rally in a state that was key to his 2020 win.

The 80 year-old president raced through remarks, railed against billionaires, and joked with the crowd as he hammered home his economic message to a crowd of about 2,000 members.

'I'm more honored by your endorsement than you can imagine,' Biden told a crowd of about 200 members of organized labor, most decked out in T-shirts with their union names, a day after the AFL-CIO endorsed his reelection campaign.

With polls showing Biden with low popularity, the president is firing up his base by touting infrastructure projects and exports.

President Joe Biden finally hit the road to deliver a campaign-style speech

Biden visited Philadelphia, near where he grew up, to tout his agenda and new labor endorsements at a labor rally in a state that was key to his 2020 win

'We've got a fight on our hands. And my question to you is simple: are you with me in this fight,' he said, to cheers of 'We love Joe!' from the union crowd.

He blasted Republican economic and budget plans throughout his remarks.

Biden told his labor troops, who he credits with bringing him to the White House: 'I need you badly. Are you with me?' he asked.

Biden repeated his vow to hike taxes on billionaires and not raise taxes on families earning less than $400,000 per year, after pointing to their growth in number from 750 to 1,000 'because of the last administration.

'Guess what. They're coming for your jobs. They're coming for your future,' he said.

One pro-Biden heckler yelled out: 'What do you pay, Joe?'

'I pay a hell of lot more than that man,' he joked.

'It's about time the super-wealthy pay their fair share,' he intoned, where the president seemed determined to move swiftly through his remarks without some of the trailing anecdotes that sometimes get him in hot water.

The event  organized by unions who endorsed Biden  brought him onto a stage outside of Washington while Republicans are already campaigning in early voting states.

Biden repeated his vow to hike taxes on billionaires and not raise taxes on families earning less than $400,000 per year

'It's about time the super-wealthy pay their fair share,' Biden told the crowd

The president is firing up his base by touting infrastructure projects and exports

But a White House official told DailyMail.com Biden will continue to focus on being president, and pointed out that Barack Obama didn't hold his first campaign reelection event until 2012 after announcing in 2011.

It won't be until later this summer that Biden's campaign likely sets up shop in Wilmington.

But a Biden campaign official attended the event, and it was the campaign  not the White House  sending out background information about Biden's pro-labor policies.

It comes after Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman stumbled over his words, mispronouncing 'infrastructure' and 'delegation', as he spoke to the media earlier on Saturday after showing up in a hoodie and shorts to tour the collapsed I-95 bridge with President Biden.

Fetterman, who continues to recover from a stroke, was slammed earlier today for his casual outfit choice while his fellow Democrat politicians were all smartly-dressed in suits.

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman stumbled over his words, mispronouncing infrastructure' and 'delegation' as he spoke to the media on Saturday after showing up in a hoodie and shorts to tour the collapsed I-95 bridge with President Biden

Fetterman was slapped for wearing his trademark shorts and hoodie to meet a smartly-dressed President Biden on Saturday, as the two lawmakers toured a collapsed freeway in Philadelphia

The politicians were all dressed in suits except for Fetterman who was casually dressed in shorts and a hoodie. His appearance drew harsh criticism online with one person tweeting that Fetterman 'showed up ready for a game of hoops'

In his remarks to the media, Fetterman said that Biden 'is here to commit to work with the governor and the 'delegadation' to make sure that we get this fixed quick, fast, as well, too. This is a president that is committed to 'infructure,' yeah, and then on top of that the jewel kind of a law of the 'infration.'

Biden - no stranger to verbal gaffes - nodded politely as Fetterman stumbled over his speech.

It comes just a few days after the embattled senator sparked health concerns at a Senate Environment Committee hearing Wednesday when he stumbled through his remarks about the I-95 bridge collapse.

The stretch of the East Coast's main north-south highway collapsed last Sunday after a tractor-trailer hauling gasoline flipped over on an off-ramp and caught fire. State transportation officials said the driver was trying to navigate a curve and lost control.
A 'naive' mother from Blackpool has been handed a four-month community order after being caught with 100,000 of knockoff items as she tried to sell 20 'Prada' tracksuits out of her car boot.

Aiva Sarapnicka, 43, sold the fake designer goods she received from Turkey via a friend, but 'didn't think she was doing anything wrong', a court heard.

Sarapnicka was caught by Trading Standards officials at a car boot sale, where she was selling the copies of genuine Prada, which sell for 1,000 each, fake Nike Air trainers on the stall for 20 a pair as well as goods branded up as Adidas, Calvin Klein and Alexander McQueen.

She has now been handed a four-month curfew for her role in the scam.

On May 25, 2022, Trading Standards officers visited the stall at the Norcross car boot sale in Thornton Cleveleys, where an officer was sold a fake North Face T-shirt for 5.

Aiva Sarapnicka, 43, sold the fake designer goods she received from Turkey via a friend, but 'didn't think she was doing anything wrong', a court heard

Sarapnicka sold fake Nike trainers for 20, when they would usually retail at 135 - 190

Blackpool Magistrates Court heard a genuine T-shirt in that style and make would retail between 20 and 30.

The officer returned to the stall a short while later to seize 637 items of clothing, footwear and bedding. Samples were handed over to the trademark owners, with 441 of them being declared as fake.

Sarapnicka answered written questions under caution and claimed she asked a friend to order the items for her from various suppliers in Turkey.

She said due to a language barrier she had not done any research into the items, which she had been selling on the car boot and Facebook Marketplace for two months.

The defendant showed Trading Standards officials documents, including receipts from Turkish suppliers and bank transfers to a friend for 5,500.

She also produced import tax invoices from HMRC and a receipt from TK Maxx for five items, which were later returned to her as genuine.

Claire Box, prosecuting, said: 'She accepted the items seized were her property. She had been charging 20 for a tracksuit, 20 for a pair of trainers and 5 for a T-shirt.

'She said she bought cheap so she could sell cheap and said she wasn't sure if the items were genuine. '

Nike's trademark representative said if the trainers Sarapnicka was selling were genuine, they would retail at 135 - 190. An Adidas rep said the tracksuits would be worth 70 and T-shirts around 30. A Hugo Boss T-shirt would be worth 250 and the Ralph Lauren items around 65, the court heard.

An Adidas rep said the tracksuits she sold would be worth 70 and T-shirts around 30

Trading Standards officials seized 100,000 of fake goods, which the judge ordered to be destroyed

As well as clothes, Sarapnicka was also selling bedding at car boots and on Facebook Marketplace

Sarapnicka pleaded guilty to 16 offences of possession of goods bearing a false trademark and one count of selling goods with a false trademark.

Defending, Gary McAnulty said: 'She has been very naive in relation to the whole situation. She didn't think she was doing anything particularly wrong.

'She was getting items from a physical store in Turkey and paid import tax to bring them into the country.

'She was selling 1,000 Prada tracksuits for 20. It doesn't work at all that anyone would thing they were genuine.'

As a result of the seizure, the defendant has had to declare herself bankrupt, as she was 10,000 out of pocket.

District Judge Michael Buckley said: 'Clearly in setting up your business operation you didn't take proper regard to the need to ensure the items you were purchasing were genuine.

'The offence is made more serious by the number of items and the potential harm caused to legitimate businesses in terms of potential loss of business, and to the owners of the trademarks in terms of potential loss of revenue and reputational damage.'

The court heard Sarapnicka, who works 16 hours a week in a cinema, would not be able to do unpaid work as she has no childcare at weekends.

However the judge said the offence was so serious it must be marked with a community order and placed the defendant on a four-month curfew from 8pm to 7am.

He also ordered her to pay 595 costs and ordered for the items which were seized to be destroyed.
Relaxed, smiling and very clearly colour-coordinated, the Prince of Wales and his three adoring children strike a joyful image for Father's Day.

In this photograph, released to mark the occasion, Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, eight, gaze up at their father while Prince Louis, five, beams directly into the camera as he throws his arms around Dad in a giant bear hug.

The image also contains a subtle but poignant tribute to the children's great-grandmother, as they are posing on a bench installed at Windsor to commemorate the late Queen's 90th birthday on April 19, 2016.

It was taken by photographer and family friend Millie Pilkington earlier this year on the Windsor Estate  possibly at the same time she took the images of Louis in a wheelbarrow to mark his fifth birthday in April.

He's certainly wearing the same outfit: a 75 Fair Isle sweater from Lallie London over a collared white-and-blue checked shirt.

Relaxed, smiling and very clearly colour-coordinated, the Prince of Wales and his three adoring children strike a joyful image for Father's Day

Last year, the image captured a joyful moment on a family holiday in Jordan. All three children were seen roaring with laughter at a joke that, given William's blushes, might have been at their dad's expense

For Father's Day 2020, William released a picture of the children clambering on his back on the grass

George mirrors dad in shirt and jeans while Charlotte is wearing a pretty but unfussy daisy print dress by Rachel Riley London, one of mum Kate's favourite children's designers.

There was already a wait of up to eight weeks to get hold of the 59 puff-sleeved button-front dress, even before this image was released late last night.

The Princess of Wales might not be in the picture  it marks Father's Day, after all  but as an amateur photographer she has an eye for a good shot and had the final say on which picture would be released.

A similar photograph was issued last year. Then, the image captured a joyful moment on a family holiday in Jordan.

All three children were seen roaring with laughter at a joke that, given William's blushes, might have been at their dad's expense.

For Father's Day 2020, William released a picture of the children clambering on his back on the grass.

Every photo is evidence of the carefree childhood William is so determined to provide his sons and daughter. But he has also pledged to 'expose' them to homelessness in the same way his mother the late Princess of Wales did for him.

Prince Louis stole the show as he gave a cheeky salute to the adoring crowds cheering his grandad King Charles's official birthday on June 17

Prince William, Kate and their three children looked happy as they watched the magnificent flypast

In an interview with The Sunday Times ahead of a launch of a campaign to 'end homelessness' in Britain, Prince William said he wanted to do this so 'they [will] grow up knowing that... some of us are very fortunate, some of us need a little bit of a helping hand, some of us need to do a bit more where we can to help others improve their lives'.

Last year, not long before his 40th birthday, William released a very happy photo taken during a family holiday to Jordan.

It showed William sitting between Prince George, eight, and Princess Charlotte, now seven, with his youngest, Prince Louis, now four, perched on his shoulders. He beams contentedly as his children roar with laughter.

This image differed from other official photographs at the time in that it was not taken by the Princess Kate, a keen amateur photographer. Instead, Kensington Palace said that the delightful portrait was captured by a private, unnamed photographer during a getaway the previous autumn.

A similar image of the Cambridges, seemingly taken on the same day and showing Kate in a khaki green dress and William in an olive shirt and beige shorts, was used for the familys most recent Christmas card.

This portrait, however, offered a more informal, relaxed view of family life. While the exact location has not been revealed, the picturesque sandstone backdrop suggests it may have been taken in Petra, the ancient archaeological site in Jordans southwestern desert.

The Cambridges have a personal connection to Jordan, as Kate lived there for three years when her father, Michael, was posted to the capital Amman for his job with British Airways in May 1984 when she was two and her sister, Pippa, was eight months old.

William (centre) is pictured beaming with George (right), Charlotte (left) and Prince Louis (on his shoulders) in Jordan in a photo released for father's day last year

A photo of Prince William and Prince Harry pictured in happier times, during a childhood visit to Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate, was posted by Prince Charles to mark father's day last year

The first photo to appear in the Instagram gallery from Charles last year was a black-and-white picture of Charles with his late father, Prince Philip with both pictured in military uniform

The Duchess of Cornwall also shared a photo of her with with her own father, the late Major Bruce Shand, last Father's Day

And at the same time last year, Charles shared poignant photos, including including one of himself in happier times with sons William and Harry, to mark Father's Day.

He shared Clarence House Instagram page, captioning them 'Wishing everyone a very happy Father's Day!' - with a photo of his sons appearing as the final image in the gallery.

The picture shows a laughing Prince Charles, wearing a kilt, hugging his sons during a trip to Birkhall, the home of The Prince of Wales on the Balmoral estate, in the Eighties.

Charles and Camilla also published photos of him with with the Prince Philip, both in military uniform, and of Camilla with her father Major Bruce Shand.
Ron DeSantis made a good first impression in Nevada as he introduced his family and his presidential platform at an annual GOP event where attendees can try fried lamb testicles.

The Florida governor warned the federal government to 'buckle your seatbelts' because 'accountability is coming to Washington, D.C.'

'I'm asking for your vote and your support,' he wrapped his remarks as he vies to overcome a polling deficit with top 2024 Republican candidate Donald Trump.

In what has become a recognizable stump speech, DeSantis vowed to 'send the IRS off into the sunset,' lauded his policy banning the Chinese Communist Party from buying land in his state and offered to send those who rebuilt a Hurricane-hit bridge in three days down to the southern border to expedite wall construction.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis impressed a few thousands Republican Nevada voters during the 8th Annual Basque Fry

The 2024 presidential hopeful brought his wife and three kids on stage before making the case for why deep Trump country should flip their vote in the 2024 primary

DeSantis was introduced by 'longtime friend' and former Navy roommate Adam Laxalt, who served as Attorney General of Nevada before making an unsuccessful bid for the Senate, at the 8th Annual Morning in Nevada PAC's Basque Fry in Gardnerville.

The event has quickly become known nationally for serving 'lamb fries,' which are fried testicles - a Basque ethnic staple that has become tradition in rural areas of Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas and Kentucky.

Adam Laxalt started the Gardnerville Basque Fry eight years ago to pay homage to his roots. Laxalt's grandfather Paul Laxalt served as a U.S. senator and governor for the state of Nevada and was the child of Basque parents,

DeSantis' wife and Florida first lady Casey DeSantis came up on stage with their three children  Madison, 6, Mason, 5, and Mamie, 3  before taking their seats to listen to DeSantis' remarks.

DeSantis appeared to win over some pro-Trump supporters during his speech. He is pictured speaking at the Corley Ranch, Nevada rally on June 17, 2023

DeSantis was briefly joined on stage by his family before he delivered his remarks in front of a picturesque backdrop at the Nevada Basque Fry

Nevada is one of the earliest primary contest states  and DeSantis already visited the other three with a swing earlier in June through Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

'We are also going to usher in a reckoning for the federal government and its associated agencies,' DeSantis said, seeming to win over some of the pro-Trump factions of the crowd with this line.

'The handling of the COVID-19 pandemic was wrong, lock downs were wrong, mask mandates were wrong, school closures were wrong  and yet nobody has been held accountable,' he lamented.

'Buckle your seatbelts, accountability is coming to Washington, D.C.,' DeSantis vowed.

Attendees, many wearing pro-Trump garb, were impressed by DeSantis  engaging in several standing ovations and enthusiastically cheering as he railed against the 'woke' establishment and vowed to 'produce results' instead of 'virtue signal.'

Basque Fry attendee Bob, 80, told DailyMail.com that 'much of western Nevada is a little bit more Trump than DeSantis country.'

'This is pretty much still Trump country. It's mixed though, like much of western Nevada. A little bit more Trump and DeSantis country,' he added.

'I'm absolutely open to switching my vote in 2024,' Bob said after casting his primary election ballot for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020.

DeSantis, his wife Casey and their three children Madison, 6, Mason, 5, and Mamie, 3, attended the Reno Rodeo Friday evening during a campaign swing through western Nevada

The Florida governor stopped off in Nevada as his 2024 presidential campaign heats up

Asked what could make him switch the vote, he said: 'As things stand now, probably not anything could switch my vote.'

'But if DeSantis comes out with something that's truly unifying, I could switch my vote to him,' he continued. 'Because that's the quandary right now  the Party's really split.'

The Florida governor joked that his state is tied with Nevada for in migration from former California residents.

'You know the one thing that Florida and Nevada have in common is we are both areas that receive a lot of disgruntled Californians,' DeSantis earned some laughs. 'It's actually kind of new for us  you have been having that for many, many years.'

'I was born and raised in Florida  I don't think I ever saw a California license plate, all the time I was growing up,' he said, which is a line that has become a mainstay of his stump speech. 'Well when I became governor we started seeing these license plates  my supporters were a little bit spooked about that, because they're wondering how are these people going to vote.'

DeSantis, however, assured: 'Most of the people from California who've come to Florida have come for the right reasons.'

Keeping in line with the 'ranch casual' dress code for the event, DeSantis wore a light blue, short-sleeve button down with jeans and his black cowboy boots.

The DeSantis family attended the Reno Rodeo the night before the Basque Fry - and the governor helped serve drinks at a VFW post in Sparks earlier on Friday.

The 2024 presidential hopeful told the crowd of a few thousands Republicans at the Basque Fry that his son Mason was disappointed that he didn't get to see bull riding at a rodeo in Oklahoma last week  so they tried to catch it this time.

Madison and Mason were able to stay up late enough for the bull riding at the Reno Rodeo, their father said.

Republican attendees at the Basque Fry were split between those supporting the Florida governor and those who plan to vote for a third time for Donald Trump, both wearing opposing garb.

DeSantis was spotted behind the bar at Nevada bar 'The Bunker' before his appearance at the Reno Rodeo

The White House hopeful poured beers for patrons during his stop in Nevada

Never Back Down PAC national spokesperson Steve Cortes appealed to the pro-Trump arm of the crowd to consider DeSantis, and insisted that a 'competitive primary' is good for the country and the Republican Party during remarks about an hour before the governor hit the stage.

Cortes worked for Trump in the 2016 and 2020 elections, but said he decided to work for DeSantis because he sees him as a person who can win and achieve things while in office.

'I want to especially speak to the Trump supporters here, again, I respect you. I understand your allegiance because I lived it  I understand that,' Cortes said. 'And competitive primaries are a very good thing by the way, we should welcome competitive primaries, it's good for our country. It's good for our party.'

'But I want to respectfully appeal to you, because it is so imperative that we win,' he said. 'Think about where our country is heading  culturally, economically  it is imperative that we elect who gives us the best chance to win, and that you use that power effectively. I submit to you  it is Governor Ron DeSantis for President.'

The crowd was respectful, cheering for their preferred candidate but opting not to boo or jeer for the other candidate when mentioned by speakers ahead of DeSantis' remarks.

While serving drinks alongside Laxalt at VFW Post 9211 in Sparks, Nevada, DeSantis joked with veterans that he wouldn't serve them 'woke' beer Bud Light.

'Just so you know, I'll serve you anything except Bud Light. I just can't do that,' DeSantis said to widespread laughter from patrons at the post known as 'The Bunker.'

The Florida governor was making reference to the ongoing Republican boycott of Bud Light after the company celebrated transgender social media personality Dylan Mulvaney's one-year anniversary of 'being a girl.'

Video released by the campaign shows DeSantis playing bartender as he and Laxalt took spots behind the bar serving beers to veterans and taking their payment to the cash register.

'Does anybody want a draught on the house?' DeSantis asked before giving a beer over to a veteran for free. The two cheered their beers and took a drink together.

Just an hour later on Friday evening, DeSantis charmed a Nevada rodeo crowd alongside his all-American family.

The Florida governor, his wife Casey and their three children were hosted by one of the sponsors of the Reno Rodeo in a box with premium views of the arena. Attendees frequently walked by to shake DeSantis' hand or take a selfie with the 2024 presidential candidate.

'They're in the right place,' a rodeo-goer told DailyMail.com when asked how he felt about DeSantis attending.

The campaign stops at the VFW and rodeo came the day before the Florida governor headlined the Basque Fry  just under an hour outside of Reno in Gardnerville.

Laxalt, a longtime Donald Trump ally who has defected to support DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, joined DeSantis for the Rodeo.

Laxalt and DeSantis roomed together while in naval officer training, and they have remained close friends through the years.

Both men were officers in the Navy's Judge Advocate General's Corps, and they served in Iraq.

Laxalt chaired Trump's 2020 campaign in Nevada, but this time around he is backing DeSantis, and heads up the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down. He also ran an unsuccessful Senate campaign in 2022.

The ten-day Reno Rodeo is a coveted annual event in western Nevada with attendees pulling out their best boots, largest cowboy hats, pressed jeans and flashiest belt buckles to watch the competitions, which includes bareback riding and barrel racing, as well as bull and Bronc riding.

Past rodeo president Scott Patterson confirmed that DeSantis is the first-ever presidential candidate to visit the Reno Rodeo.

The general manager of a local business who was attending the rodeo on Friday evening said that he plans to change his registration from independent to Republican so he can vote for DeSantis in the primary election.

Richard Harrison, 45, told DailyMail.com that he voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election, but said he's 'too crazy,' so he switched his vote to Joe Biden in 2020. But the Nevada voter said he fears that Biden is 'too old' to continue being president, and now backs DeSantis.

Though far from the Sunshine State, DeSantis looked to be right at home, donning the black pair of boots he is often seen wearing at campaign events with jeans, along with a white quarter zip on top of a light blue and plaid button down.

Casey, who is quickly becoming a fashion icon and drawing comparisons to former First Ladies Jackie Kennedy and Nancy Reagan, wore a cobalt blue zip-up over a white t-shirt and jeans.

The three kids were in matching 'RD24' navy blue shirts promoting their father's 2024 bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

Nevada's presidential primary is scheduled for February 6, making it among the earliest states on the Republican schedule, as well as the newly revamped Democratic primary schedule.
A serial criminal accused of murdering a restaurant owner who was eight months pregnant glared and nodded his head at a camera as he was perp-walked.

Cordell Goosby allegedly fired several shots into a family's car at an intersection in Belltown and killed Eina Kwon, 37, in a random attack.

Her baby died in the shooting on Tuesday and her husband Sung Kwon, 34, was injured but has since been released from hospital.

Goosby was arrested later that day and allegedly repeated the words 'I did it'. He glared at a television camera and nodded his head as he was put into the back of a police car.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged him with first degree murder and attempted murder over the incident.

Cordell Goosby is accused of murdering a restaurant owner who was eight months pregnant. He glared and nodded his head at a camera as he was perp-walked

He allegedly fired several shots into a family's car at an intersection in Belltown on Tuesday and killed Eina Kwon, 37 (left) in a random attack

Her baby died in the shooting and her husband Sung Kwon, 34, (right) was injured but has since been released from hospital: Pictured with her husband and two-year-old son Suhjin

He is being held in King County Jail with his bail set at $10million.

Police described Eina's killing as an execution in a King County Superior Court filing and Goosby is accused of approaching the family's white Tesla as they waited at a red light.

Detectives claimed surveillance footage shows the suspect shooting into the driver's side window several times without any interaction.

Goosby has not been charged with the death of the baby as prosecutors are yet to determine if the baby was alive when she was delivered.

Washington state law says a person can only be charged with homicide for the death of someone who was 'born alive'.

Medical records surrounding the delivery of the baby are still being reviewed by the King County Medical Examiner's Office, Seattle Police and prosecutors to see if additional charges can be brought.

The career criminal has fallen foul of the law a number of times. He is pictured in mugshot booking images from October and January 2017, respectively

Casey McNerthney, director of communications at the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, said: 'Right now weve charged the crimes we believe that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt.

Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz described the incident as the worst he's seen in 26 years.

He revealed that officers had previously dealt with Goosby over reports about his mental health.

'They know of the subject in the past, so they are very well aware of some of the mental health issues hes had,' he added.

The gun Goosby used to kill Eina and her daughter was stolen from Lakewood, according to the arrest report.

Memorial for pregnant mother and restaurant owner Eina Kwon, 34, who was fatally shot in Seattle, outside her restaurant, Aburiya Bento House

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell issued a statement on the shooting which said: Our response to this tragedy must be to come together in unity, honor the lives of Eina and the unborn child'

Investigators are looking at the gun to see if it can be linked back to other crimes in the area.

He has a criminal history in Illinois and was previously charged with domestic battery, drug offenses and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon

A march was organized to honor Eina on Saturday morning and mourners walked to the Kwon family's restaurant and held a public gathering.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family and $192,000 has been raised so far.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell issued a statement on the shooting which said: 'Times like this are challenging for us all as we search for answers and seek to rationalize the irrational.

Our response to this tragedy must be to come together in unity, honor the lives of Eina and the unborn child, and continue with action to keep our families and communities safe from violence.'
Boris Johnson's chief Partygate inquisitor is facing an investigation over a lockdown-busting drinks party for his wife, after a leaked invitation blew apart claims that it was a 'work event'.

Tory grandee Sir Bernard Jenkin, the most senior Conservative on the Commons Privileges Committee that so vehemently condemned the former Prime Minister last week, had denied breaking Covid rules at a Commons function.

But his defence that he was attending a work event is torpedoed by an invitation sent out by his wife, the Tory peer Anne Jenkin, which The Mail on Sunday can reveal today. In a WhatsApp message, Baroness Jenkin explicitly invited her 'favourite people' to a 'birthday drinks' bash.

When the bombshell allegations against Sir Bernard first emerged, Mr Johnson called for his resignation from the committee, accusing him of 'flagrant and monstrous hypocrisy'. Hours later, the committee ruled that the former PM had deliberately misled the Commons over gatherings in Downing Street during the pandemic.

But an ally of Mr Johnson, who quit as an MP before the report was published, said The Mail on Sunday's revelation 'invalidates the findings' of the 14-month investigation.

Sire Bernard Jenkin is facing an investigation over a lockdown-busting drinks party for his wife, after a leaked invitation blew apart claims that it was a 'work event'. He is pictured with his wife, Anne, at the Conservative Party Summer Ball at the Natural History Museum, London, June 6, 2011

Tory grandee Sir Bernard Jenkin had denied breaking Covid rules at a Commons function. Sir Bernard is pictured in the Commons, September 30, 2020

Boris Johnson quit as an MP before the report was published. He is pictured returning to Downing Street following a cabinet meeting on December 8, 2020

The gathering Sir Bernard attended was in Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing's office on December 8, 2020, when indoor socialising was banned in England. In her invitation, Baroness Jenkin offered 'birthday drinks' for 'a few of our favourite people next Wednesday 8th 6.30 to 7.30 in Eleanor Laing's conference room in [the] Commons'.

The message concluded 'x anne.'

Although the invitation said the drinks would be 'v small and socially distanced', this newspaper has been told that at least ten people were in the room throughout, preventing effective social distancing. At the time, all indoor social gatherings were against the regulations.

A Johnson ally said last night: 'Bernard Jenkin appears to have attended an unlawful social event. If so, he has withheld this crucial information from Parliament while sitting in judgment over Boris Johnson for more than a year.

'This revelation invalidates the findings of the Privileges Committee because its process has been corrupted. Sir Bernard's entire case was that Boris 'must have known' he was attending an allegedly illegal gathering. Well, clearly Sir Bernard must have known he was attending one too. This matter must be investigated by Parliament immediately.'

One of the people who witnessed the event said they had made a formal complaint to Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle yesterday  and were planning to offer their evidence to the police. Scotland Yard has so far only received a 'third party' complaint, rather than from someone claiming to have direct evidence of wrongdoing, and say they are 'assessing' it.

Sir Bernard Jenkin's defence that he was attending a work event is torpedoed by an invitation sent out by his wife, the Tory peer Anne Jenkin (pictured together), which The Mail on Sunday can reveal today

Sir Bernard Jenkin has refused to answer any more questions since, and neither he, his wife (pictured together), nor Dame Eleanor would comment last night

A Johnson backer last night said the revelation about the true nature of the party would increase pressure on police to investigate.

When Sir Bernard was confronted about his attendance at the event last week, an 'ally' was quoted in The Guardian as saying that it was 'a work event held by senior figures in the Women2Win network, which encourages more Tory women to stand for political office' and that Sir Bernard 'arrived to collect his wife'.

Speaking briefly to the Guido Fawkes website, Sir Bernard said: 'I did not attend any drinks parties during lockdown.' Asked to confirm whether he had drunk at his wife's party, he replied: 'I don't recall.'

He has refused to answer any more questions since, and neither he, his wife, nor Dame Eleanor would comment last night.

But a source told The Mail on Sunday: 'That is absolute rubbish. He was there at the start and for the whole thing. Drinking.' Dame Eleanor told Guido Fawkes she had held a 'business meeting', where 'I was so strict with my two metre ruler and told everyone we will adhere to those rules and be very careful'. When asked whether any drinks were served, she said: 'I don't know. I will have to check.'

However, a source said: 'There were at least ten people in a small room, so social distancing went out of the window. There was no sign of that ruler. People were quite close to each other. There were four or five bottles of prosecco and nibbles were laid out, and everyone was given a piece of birthday cake.'

Mr Johnson is pictured as he returns to his home after running Oxfordshire, June 14, 2023

Sir Bernard Jenkin responds to then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson's statement to MPs in the House of Commons on the Sue Gray report, January 31, 2022

Two MPs said to have been present  former Cabinet Minister Maria Miller and backbencher Miriam Cates  did not respond to a request for comment last night.

Mr Johnson, who branded the inquiry into his conduct a 'witch-hunt', told the committee Sir Bernard should have recused himself as he could not be considered 'a valid judge or investigator'.

MPs will debate the report tomorrow and are expected to approve it, including the recommendation Mr Johnson be denied the pass to the Palace of Westminster usually given to ex-MPs. To the relief of many Tories fearful of an angry reaction from grassroots members still loyal to Mr Johnson, the report may be approved without a formal vote.

During the investigation, headed by former Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman, Sir Bernard said: 'The rules were clear, they were there for everyone, and no one is above the law' and that 'it's only right that those in power should lead by example'.
Margibi  Liberia's premiere technical school, Booker Washington Institute (BWI) in Kakata, Margibi County has been shortlisted among the ten best high schools in the world by the T4 Education and World's Best School Prizes.

BWI which got qualified from the first three stages of the T4 Education and World's Best School Prizes is set to participate in the final round of the competition which will see five schools being qualified as the World's best five schools.

Schools qualifying amongst the finalists will receive US$50,000 each. The rationale behind the prizes by the institution is to share the best practices of the schools that are transforming the lives of students and making a real difference in their respective communities. The prizes were established in 2022 by T4 Education which is also a digital media platform.

A certificate signed by the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the World's Best School Prizes, informing BWI about its selection in a category that also has about five schools from India forming part of the process, reads: "This is to certify that Booker Washington Institute has been shortlisted as one of the top 10 schools selected for the 2023 World Best School Prizes."

Vikas Pota, Founder and CEO of the Prizes said: "The schools shortlisted for the World's Best School Prizes, no matter where they can be found or what they teach, all have one thing in common. They all have a strong school culture. Their leaders know how to attract and motivate exceptional educators, inspire change and build excellent teaching and learning environments."

He congratulates the Booker Washington Institute on being named in the top 10 shortlists for the world's Best School Prizes 2023 and notes that Schools across the globe will learn from the story of this trailblazing Liberian institution and the culture it has cultivated.

BWI, a Liberian government technical secondary school, is empowering students with the necessary skills and knowledge to break the chains of poverty and unemployment.

Every year, over 60% of the graduates of the school successfully launch their own businesses, secure employment or move into tertiary education.

Speaking to the NEW DAWN on the campus of the BWI during a celebration on the day of the announcement of the award, Vice Principal for Students Services, Foday K. Roger, said there are many things that qualified the institution, including learning environment, kind of education provided and impact it is making on global society, including Liberia.

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He said the institution which currently offers associate of arts and associate of science degrees as an affiliation of the University of Liberia provides post-secondary professional diploma programs, has been appointed as the molding center of TVET in Liberia.

He said this means that anyone who wants to teach at any TVET school in the country must make sure to graduate from the BWI.

He noted that products of BWI are actually impacting Liberia and the world at large.

Mr. Roher recalled that about six months ago, BWI Principal Atty. Dr. Harris Fumba Tarnue was awarded the African Legend of Education Award which is a continental.

At that event, according to him, international educational institutions announced that they were going to open entry and set criteria for schools to participate and the backgrounds of participating schools would be investigated, an opportunity BWI took advantage of.


She's rarely seen without a stylish Chanel bag  which makes this picture of Jenna Coleman something of a rarity.

While strolling in London last week, the Victoria star spurned her usual accessory of choice for an oversized, 385 personalised tote bag which has become one of the must-have items of the summer.

However the 37-year-old has not abandoned her favourite brand altogether: she still wore Chanel sunglasses and Chanel 'Dad' sandals with her vintage blue dress.

The oversized corduroy tote by designer brand London Velvet has won fans such as Sienna Miller and Zendaya, thanks to its hand-stitched leather initials and 'subtle slot for your yoga mat'.

A fashion source said: 'Over-sized branded beach bags are everywhere.

BAGS OF ROOM: Is there no space for Jenna's phone in that huge tote?

'The London Velvet bag is a classic summer bag. You can put everything in there and still have room for more.'

Jenna, 37, is known for her love of expensive Chanel bags, showing off an impressive collection worth a total of more than 10,000 in recent months.

But she is no stranger to oversized totes, using a 3,500 Christian Dior Union Jack bag to lug a blanket to a picnic in 2020.

The Serpent and former Doctor Who star is dating director Jamie Childs, who she met on the set of Netflix series The Sandman last year.

She previously dated her Victoria co-star Tom Hughes, who played Prince Albert in the ITV series.
Speculation was rife in Hollywood last night that Netflix may be preparing to follow Spotify in severing links with the Sussexes.

A source at the streaming giant, which signed a reported 80 million deal with the couple in 2020, told The Mail on Sunday: The relationship hasnt always been great.

Harry is no problem but Meghan thinks she knows how to run Hollywood.

Senior executives were reportedly unhappy the pair chose to give their bombshell first interview to Oprah Winfrey on the CBS network. That ruffled feathers, the source said.

There were some unhappy executives who felt Netflix should have been given the first bite of the cherry.

Harry & Meghan is Netflix's second most-watched documentary ever. Pictured: Harry and Meghan attend Commonwealth Day Service, March 09, 2020

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit the track and field event at the Invictus Games in The Hague, Netherlands, April 17, 2022

The couple made last years six-part series Harry & Meghan for Netflix, which became its second most-watched documentary ever. Then they narrated the Live To Lead series about inspirational leaders, and Harrys documentary about the Invictus Games is due to air in August.

But Meghans animated childrens series, Pearl, about a girl inspired by historical female figures, was cancelled.

The former Suits star was also allegedly unhappy Netflix did not call on her to participate in high-profile shows about diversity, including Queen Cleopatra, a recent series in which the Egyptian ruler was played by black actress Adele James.

The source said: There are ongoing reviews of all major contracts. Netflix was very happy with the performance of their docu-series.

Contracts like this are multi-part deals which usually allow either side to walk away once certain contractual milestones are met.

Meghan Markle's Spotify podcast Archetypes will not be renewed for a second season, it was announced
A Vermont man accused of killing his mother and grandfather in a scheme to get his hands on a $7million inheritance is said to have hanged himself.

Nathan Carman, 29, died 'on or about' Thursday at the Cheshire County Jail in Keene, New Hampshire, according to court documents filed Saturday.

Carman was accused of killing his mother, Linda, 54, while on a fishing trip off the coast of New England in 2016.

Eight days after they set off from Rhode Island marina, he was found clinging to an inflatable life raft by a passing freighter. His mother's body was never found.

According to police, he was discovered dead at around 2:30am Thursday morning by a corrections officer who was on his routine inspection rounds.

The Cheshire County Sheriff's Office did not give a cause of death, but Martin Minnella, one of Carman's attorneys, confirmed he took his own life.

Nathan Carman, 29, died 'on or about' Thursday at the Cheshire County Jail in Keene, New Hampshire, according to court documents filed this morning

'The medical examiner is saying that he hung himself,' Minnella told the Boston Globe Friday. 'I don't understand why or how.'

David Sullivan, another lawyer for Carman, spoke to him the night before he died and said he 'had no inkling whatsoever' the 29-year-old was in a condition where he might take his own life.

'I am so distraught by the thought that at some point after 7 o'clock something in his mind brought him to that moment,' Sullivan said. 'I don't understand it.'

Sullivan, who doesn't blame the Cheshire County jail and said to his knowledge his client was treated well there, said his last words to Carman were 'okay my friend, sleep well.

Minnella also said that Carman had been positive leading up to his death and was set to defend himself at an October trial.

Carman has Asperger's Syndrome, which Minnella said may have impacted him on longterm lockup.

'My only concern right now is getting him out of [the morgue] and getting him a proper burial, so he can rest in peace,' said Minnella, who says he will pay for the funeral. 'I feel like I owe him that.'

In 2019, a federal judge decided that Carman contributed to the sinking of the 31ft fishing boat, ruling in favor of an insurance company that refused to pay an $85,000 claim for the boat's loss.

Carman was accused of killing his mother, Linda Carman (pictured left), 54, while on a fishing trip off the coast of New England in 2016. Eight days after they set off from Rhode Island marina, he was found clinging to an inflatable life raft by a passing freighter. His mother's body was never found

The indictment in Burlington, Vermont, also claims Carman shot and killed his grandfather John Chakalos (right), 87, as he slept at home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013

Carman is seen after his 'rescue' at sea in 2016. Prosecutors say he killed his mother and intentionally sank his boat as part of a scheme to gain a $7 million inheritance

In 2022, six years after the sinking, he was arrested for murder. Carman's murder-on-the-high-sea trial was set to take place in October. Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of his death.

He was also accused of killing his wealthy real estate developer grandfather, John Chakalos, at his home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013 as part of a scheme to obtain money. Carman inherited $550,000.

Carman was found clinging to a life raft eight days after going on a fishing trip with his mother, who was never found and presumed dead.

A passing freighter collected Carman, before he was charged with multiple fraud counts and murder in May 2022.

During his arraignment at a federal court in Rutland, Vermont, he told reporters that he was 'not guilty'.

His death was cited as a reason for federal officials dismissing an indictment against him, according to court documents.

Fabienne Boisvert-DeFazio, public affairs officer for the Vermont U.S. attorney's office, said in a statement: "Mr. Carman was in the custody of the U.S. Marshal, as is the case for all pretrial defendants who are detained.

The U.S. Marshal confirmed Mr. Carman's death this morning. We have no further comment beyond our public filing.

A lawyer for Carman spoke to him the night before he died and said he 'had no inkling whatsoever' the 29-year-old was in a condition where he might take his own life

The unsealed indictment claimed Carman shot Chakalos, 87, in a bid to secure money and property from his grandfather's estate - but was never charged with the killing.

In September 2016, Nathan Carman was found in an inflatable raft eight days after leaving a Rhode Island marina to go fishing with his mother.

Prosecutors allege Carman killed her on the boat, which he had altered to make it more likely to sink that day.

He denied that he did anything to intentionally make the boat unseaworthy, with the indictment stating he 'removed two forward bulkheads and trim tabs from the transom of the hull.'

Court documents claim his inheritance scheme spanned nearly a decade, and began with Carman buying a rifle in New Hampshire that he used to shoot Chakalos on December 20, 2013, while he slept.

He then discarded his computer hard drive and the GPS unit that had been in his truck, prosecutors said.

Police have said Carman was the last person to see his grandfather alive and owned a semi-automatic rifle similar to the one used to kill Chakalos - but the firearm disappeared.

A will showed Chakalos left an estate worth $42million to his four adult daughters. Carman received $550,000 from two bank accounts that his grandfather had set up and that he was the beneficiary of.

Prosecutors allege Carman killed his mother on his boat, dubbed the Chicken Pox (above) which he had altered to make it more likely to sink that day

Carman and his mom Linda frequently took fishing trips together (above) and prosecutors say he used it as a pretense to lure her to her death in 2016

He moved from an apartment in Bloomfield, Connecticut, to Vernon, Vermont, in 2014, but was unemployed and squandered the money.

By the fall of 2016 was low on funds when he hatched the scheme to kill his mother, prosecutors said.

In September 2016, Carman arranged to go on a fishing trip with his mother on his boat named the 'Chicken Pox.'

'Nathan Carman planned to kill his mother on the trip,' the indictment reads. 'He also planned how he would report the sinking of the 'Chicken Pox' and his mother's disappearance at sea as accidents.'

'After leaving the marina, Nathan Carman killed his mother, Linda Carman, and eventually sank the Chicken Pox,' it states.

Carman was a suspect in his grandfather's murder and his mother's disappearance for years, but before his death always insisted he is innocent of any crime.

In 2019, a federal judge in Rhode Island decided that Carman contributed to the sinking of the Chicken Pox.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell issued a written decision in favor of an insurance company that had refused to pay an $85,000 claim to Carman for the loss of his 31-foot fishing boat.

Carman's grandfather made his money building and selling nursing home properties

Carman, left, arrives with his lawyer, David Anderson, at US District Court for his federal civil trial in Providence in August 2019

Carman denied the allegations, telling the Coast Guard that when the boat filled quickly with water, he swam to the life raft and called for his mother but never saw her again.

He was found floating in the raft off the coast of Marthas Vineyard, a Massachusetts island, by the crew of a freighter eight days after the boat was reported missing.

Chakalos, who was a real estate developer, left behind an estate that was worth nearly $29 million, which was to be divided among his four daughters.

Carman was in line to get about $7 million of the estate, as his mother's only heir.

Chakalos' three surviving daughters sued Carman in New Hampshire probate court, seeking to bar him from receiving any money from Chakalos estate.

A judge dismissed the case in 2019, saying Chakalos was not a New Hampshire resident. The probate case was refiled in Connecticut, where it remains pending.
French President Emmanuel Macron is plotting to block Defence Secretary Ben Wallace from becoming the next boss of Nato because the UK left the European Union, it was claimed last night.

Mr Wallace has been touted as Nato's next secretary-general after winning plaudits for his tough stance on Russia. But French officials have reportedly told Nato officials that they want a figurehead from the EU in a move to make the bloc militarily independent and less reliant on Washington for its security.

'He [Ben Wallace] is not from an EU member state,' a source told The Daily Telegraph.

'Many countries, mainly France, insist the next secretary-general must come from an EU country.'

Jens Stoltenberg, the former Norwegian prime minister who has headed the alliance since 2014, is due to stand down in September, although US President Joe Biden is said to have asked him to delay his departure until next spring. Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen has been named as a potential successor, but is reported to not have Mr Biden's backing.

Ben Wallace, a former officer in the Scots Guards who served in Germany, Cyprus, Belize and Northern Ireland, is widely respected within the alliance (pictured on June 15)

Germany and a majority of EU states in Nato are said to back the French position  but the Netherlands and Poland could back a British candidate (President Macron pictured on June 17)

Mr Wallace, a former officer in the Scots Guards who served in Germany, Cyprus, Belize and Northern Ireland, is widely respected within the alliance and has signalled that he is interested in the job.

Should he be appointed, he would be the third former British Defence Secretary to hold the post, after Lord Carrington and Lord Robertson. But he appears to face a concerted campaign by France to scupper his prospects.

Germany and a majority of EU states in Nato are said to back the French position  but the Netherlands and Poland could back a British candidate.

Senior Tory MP Sir John Hayes told The Mail on Sunday: 'We have an excellent Defence Secretary who would be a very good head of Nato. The last people to tell us what to do when it comes to defence are the French.'

Fellow Tory MP Sir Julian Lewis said: 'To prevent Ben Wallace from becoming Nato secretary-general, just because we have left the European Union, shows wilful disregard of the different roles of the two organisations and undermines the cohesion of the alliance.'
Joe Biden has downplayed the recent Chinese spy balloon that drifted across the US as Antony Blinken headed to Beijing in a bid to smooth over recent tensions.

In remarks to reporters on Saturday morning, the president suggested Chinese leaders may have been unaware of the spy balloon, which was shot down by US fighter jets in early February after floating of the length of the country.

'China has some legitimate difficulties unrelated to the United States. And I think one of the things that that balloon caused was not so much that it got shot down, but I don't think the leadership knew where it was and knew what was in it and knew what was going on,' said Biden.

'I think it was more embarrassing than it was intentional,' he added.

Amid frosty relations between DC and Beijing, Blinken is due to arrive in China on Saturday, four months after the balloon incident derailed plans for bilateral talks in Beijing.

President Joe Biden has downplayed the recent Chinese spy balloon that drifted across the US, as his Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to Beijing

The spy balloon, which US officials say had rudimentary flight controls, passed over a number of US nuclear missile facilities in late January and early February, before it was shot down by an F-22 Raptor fighter off South Carolina.

With his visit to Beijing this weekend, Blinken is set to become the highest-ranking US government official to visit China since Biden took office in January 2021.

During his June 18-19 trip, he is expected to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Chinas top diplomat Wang Yi and possibly President Xi Jinping.

The US side hopes to establish open and durable communication channels to ensure the strategic rivalry between the two countries does not spiral into conflict.

Beijing has expressed resistance to such 'hotlines' for communication, believing they could embolden the US to take provocative actions

Blinken's trip will also closely followed by the rest of the world as any escalation between superpowers could have worldwide repercussions on everything from financial markets to trade routes and practices and global supply chains.

'There's a recognition on both sides that we do need to have senior level channels of communication,' a senior State Department official told reporters during a refuel stop in Tokyo en route to Beijing.

'That we are at an important point in the relationship where I think reducing the risk of miscalculation, or as our Chinese friends often say, stopping the downward spiral in the relationship, is something thats important,' the official said.

The spy balloon, which US officials say had rudimentary flight controls, passed over a number of US nuclear missile facilities

The Chinese balloon flies in the sky over Billings, Montana on February 1

It was shot down by an F-22 Raptor fighter off South Carolina on February 4

Navy sailors recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in the Atlantic ocean on February 5

Ties between the countries have deteriorated across the board, raising concerns that they might one day clash militarily over the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which China claims as its own.

They are also at odds over issues ranging from trade, US efforts to hold back China's semiconductor industry and Beijings human rights track record.

Particularly alarming for China's neighbors has been its reluctance to engage in regular military-to-military talks with Washington, despite repeated U.S. attempts.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday before departing for Beijing, Blinken said the trip had three main objectives: Setting up mechanisms for crisis management, advancing U.S. and allies interests and speaking directly about related concerns, and exploring areas of potential cooperation.

'If we want to make sure, as we do, that the competition that we have with China doesnt veer into conflict, the place you start is with communicating,' Blinken said.

He said he would also be raising the issue of U.S. citizens detained in China on charges Washington sees as politically motivated.

But US officials in a briefing call previewing the trip earlier in the week played down any expectations of much progress.

While Blinken's main goal will be 'candid, direct and constructive' discussions, the officials said, breakthroughs are not likely on any major issues, including the flow of fentanyl precursors and Americans detained in China.

With his visit to Beijing this weekend, Blinken is set to become the highest-ranking US government official to visit China since Biden took office in January 2021

But there is an expectation that Blinken's visit will pave the way for more bilateral meetings in coming months, including possible trips by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

It could also set the stage for meetings between Xi and Biden at multilateral summits later in the year.

Biden and Xi's Bali meeting last November briefly eased fears of a new Cold War, but following the flight of an alleged Chinese spy balloon over the United States in February that led Blinken to postpone a Beijing visit planned for that month, high-level communication has been rare.

The US official also said trying to secure China's cooperation on stemming the flow of fentanyl precursors was going to be a key item on the agenda.

The Chinese side has been reluctant to cooperate on the issue, US officials have said.
The Chief Rabbi previously issued guidance to schools telling them they should not tell children's parents if they come out as trans at school due to safeguarding risks, amid fears transgender pupils could face transphobia and abuse from home.

The guidance states that 'any information about staff or pupil sexuality or gender identity should be treated as confidential' - but the Chief Rabbi's office added this only refers to disclosures around identity and not to changes of pronouns or names.

The publication, which has been in force since 2018 without issue, described how informing parents of a child's sexuality or gender identity 'can itself be a safeguarding risk', as teachers can never know how a parent will react.

The Office says that a disclosure about being a member of the LGBT+ community should not be shared with anyone.

It comes as the Department for Education is due to publish its own guidelines to schools on pupils questioning their gender identity by the end of the school term.

Britain's Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis's office released guidance in 2018 which recognised the serious risks to children questioning their sexuality or gender identity at home

A spokesperson for the Chief Rabbi's Office said: 'Teachers must of course communicate with parents but think carefully about how and when this is done'

In a section discussing how teachers should treat a disclosure around sexuality or gender identity, the guidance states: 'All staff should be clear that a pupil coming out is not a safeguarding issue.

'They have simply shared an aspect of their identity.

'Like any other personal information, any information about staff or pupil sexuality or gender identity should be treated as confidential.

'Unless there is a risk of harm, this should not be disclosed to anyone, including their parents.

'Making a pupil's parents aware of their child's sexuality and gender identity can itself be a safeguarding risk, particularly as the school cannot know how parents or carers might react.

'However, if the young person has shared that they have been threatened or are at risk of harm because of other people's reactions to their sexuality or gender identity, this should be discussed with the school's designated safeguarding lead, and advice can be sought from local children's services.'

It also discusses offering support to children who come from LGBT+ families who may suffer from homophobic abuse.

Some have criticised the guidance, accusing the Chief Rabbi of sanctioning an 'attack on families'.

The transgender community is widely viewed as the most vulnerable section of the LGBT+ community.

Leading figures from within and outside the wider community have warned children may be placed in danger if their families are told they are questioning their gender.

But Prime Minister Rishi Sunak disagrees, and said previously he is 'very concerned' about teachers not contacting parents or guardians when a child confides in a teacher about their gender identity.

He said he has been clear that 'parents must be able to know'.

It is expected the guidance will say parents must be informed if a child asks to change their names or uniform.

It is understood the Chief Rabbi's Office will review its own guidance once government guidance has been published.

Tanya Carter, of Safe Schools Alliance, told the Telegraph that the Chief Rabbi's advice runs counter to basic safeguarding principles and accused the Chief Rabbi of 'attacking' families.

The Safe Schools Alliance claims to have 'no religious or political affiliation' but is open in its opposition to what it calls the 'adoption of gender identity ideology' in schools.

There is no evidence that suggests this is happening in schools, or that there is a safeguarding risk to children from learning about the LGBT+ community.

The Alliance was previously described as an 'anti-trans lobby group' by Pink News.

The SSA has been robustly criticised for what many view as its anti-trans stance and denial of gender identity. The body states its aims for any 'reference to 'gender identity' as if it were fact' to be removed from current school guidelines.

It also demands that children be introduced to 'gender-critical' ideology and that they must study it as part of Religious Education in secondary schools.

The SSA has also been highly critical of members of the LGBT+ community reading stories to children, claiming it is 'damaging' to children and 'promotes the transgression of boundaries.'

A spokesman for the Chief Rabbi's Office said: 'It is certainly not the case that our guidance advocates withholding important information about students' lives from parents.

'Parents are unquestionably the primary guardians of their children's welfare and it would be irresponsible for a school to regard them as anything else, unless there are specific safeguarding concerns.

'It is the case that where a child confides in a teacher about their sexuality or gender identity, it could be harmful for that teacher to share details with a parent before the child is ready to do so.

'Teachers must of course communicate with parents but think carefully about how and when this is done.

'When we review this particular document following the imminent publication of the DfE's own guidance on the matter, we will look at whether we need to make the section on this point clearer.'
Ukrainian soldiers were castrated by Russian troops while prisoners of war

Vladimir Putin's twisted troops are castrating Ukrainian prisoners of war with pocket knives in Russian torture camps.

Two survivors, aged 25 and 28, who had been Russian prisoners for one and three months, revealed their horrifying experience to be worse than hell.

The two Ukrainian soldiers were returned to Ukraine in a prisoner swap and were then referred to psychologist Anzhelika Yatsenko, 41, who helps young men who have faced serious hardship.

Based on her previous experience, she knew that it was likely that they had both been tortured as they were suicidal and the younger soldier had tried to kill himself.

The men were unable to tell her what happened for a month, but told her: 'If there's hell somewhere, its worse than that.'

Vladimir Putin's twisted troops are castrating Ukrainian prisoners of war with pocket knives in Russian torture camps (file photo of Russian troops trained in Chechnya)

A high-rise residential building lies partially destroyed after a missile strike on January 15, 2023 in Dnipro, Ukraine

When she found out what their evil captors had done, she went to the bathroom and 'cried and cried' - as it was the most horrible thing she had ever heard.

After beating the two Ukrainian soldiers to within an inch of their life, drunk Russian troops castrated them with a knife, The Sunday Times reports.

One of the victims said they did not know how they were still alive as there was 'so much blood'.

And the sick Russians doubled down on the indignity, by telling them they were doing it so they could not have children, which Ms Yatensko described as 'genocide'.

The older of the two men has returned to duty in the Ukrainian army.

The Russian military have used a number of inhumane and disgusting tactics during the war with Ukraine.

Russia is also reportedly using electric shocks, hoodings and mock executions on Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war, UN experts warned this week.

A group of UN experts said on Thursday they had written to Moscow raising concerns about the use of torture by Russian military forces in their attacks on Ukraine.

They said in a statement the torture included electric shocks, hoodings and mock executions and had been carried out to extract intelligence, force confessions or in response to alleged support for Ukraine's forces.

It had resulted in damage to internal organs, cracked bones and fractures, strokes and psychological traumas, they said.

In April, a Russian soldier admitted executing Ukrainian prisoners of war by cutting their throats in a phone call, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said.

In the intercepted phone conversation, the serviceman, identified by the SBU as Yevgeny Suchko, who was deployed to Ukraine in 2022, can be heard describing in detail how he slit the throats of Ukrainians.

The 28-year-old soldier says in the intercepted call that there is 'no point' in keeping prisoners of war and that they 'need to be disposed of'.

The SBU said it was working on bringing 'every war criminal from Russia' to justice and ensuring that they receive 'well-deserved' punishment.

Moscow has previously denied torturing or mistreating prisoners of war and says it does not deliberately target civilians in Ukraine (pictured, Putin on April 27)

Moscow has previously denied torturing or mistreating prisoners of war and says it does not deliberately target civilians in Ukraine.

While torture allegations have previously been levelled against both sides in the 15-month conflict, the team of U.N. independent experts said Russian forces' methods may be 'state-endorsed'.

The consistency and methods of alleged torture suggested 'a level of coordination, planning and organisation, as well as the direct authorisation, deliberate policy or official tolerance from superior authorities', according to UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Alice Jill Edwards, who sent the letter on June 12 alongside several other independent experts.

'Obeying a superior order or policy direction cannot be invoked as justification for torture, and any individual involved should be promptly investigated and prosecuted by independent authorities,' she said.
A six hour storm is expected to dump a month's rain on parts of Britain today  but won't lift the threat of hosepipe bans.

Experts say the ground is so dry in the hottest start to June since 1976, today's deluge won't be enough to replenish water supplies and 1.3 million will still face hosepipe bans in South East England.

Half today's torrent is expected to fall in just an hour, prompting warnings of flash flooding and danger for drivers.

A yellow warning for thunderstorms this afternoon and evening was issued across England and Wales, with temperatures remaining at 28C (82F). Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: 'The average rainfall for the UK in June is 77mm and for England it is just 65mm.

'But it is possible that 60mm could fall in six hours, which is not far from a month's worth of rain. And we could even see 30mm in one hour, which is the equivalent to a couple of weeks.'

How Londons Millennium Bridge could look today: People with umbrellas walking in the rain last August

WEYMOUTH: Holidaymakers in the sun on Weymouth beach in Dorset on Saturday

NOTTINGHAM: A general view of Centre Court as the rain falls during the Rothesay Open, Day Six

A yellow warning for thunderstorms this afternoon and evening was issued across England and Wales

He said there was a flood risk because the deluge will run off dry surfaces at a rapid rate, rather than soak into the ground.

Just 9mm of rain fell in the first two weeks of this month, the hottest start to June since the heatwave summer of 1976.

Many parts of Britain met the threshold for a heatwave last week and the above-average temperatures are expected to continue into next week, despite the unsettled conditions. Mr Petagna added: 'Further thunderstorms could be seen on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and it is possible that further warnings could be issued.'

Temperatures have been more than 10C above average in recent days. Despite threats of hail and lightning, maximum temperatures are expected to be between 27C and 29C going into next week.

The deluge follows a month of fairly dry weather, with England seeing 65 per cent of its average rainfall in May. The Environment Agency urged people to check its website for flood warnings throughout today.

A stunning lightning strike hitting the sea at Freshwater Bay on the Isle of Wight

ISLE OF WIGHT: Crowds enjoyed the sun at the Isle of Wight festival on Saturday

The Met Office also warned that hay fever sufferers have a long weekend ahead, with pollen levels being high or very high across much of the UK over the weekend

Sarah Cook, the agency's national flood duty manager, said: 'On Sunday afternoon and into the night, slow-moving heavy showers and thunderstorms could lead to localised surface water flooding across England.

'Environment Agency teams are out on the ground and will support local authorities in responding to surface water flooding.

'We urge people not to drive though flood water  it is often deeper than it looks and just 30 centimetres of flowing water is enough to float your car.

ISLE OF WIGHT: Revellers made sure to get plenty of rest in the heat at the Isle of Wight Festival today

DORSET: Kayakers paddled out to sea on Saturday morning on a Dorset beach ahead of expected rain and thunderstorms this weekend

WINDSOR: Rubber ducks on board a barge moored on the River Thames in Eton

WINDSOR: It was an overcast but hot afternoon in Eton on Saturday as visitors and locals were out and about

BIRMINGHAM: Rain covers on the pitch before day two first Ashes test match at Edgbaston on Saturday

'People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest flood updates.'

The Met Office's three month outlook predicts there is a 45 per cent chance that this summer will be hot  2.3 times higher than the normal chance.

Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said: 'The long-range forecast suggests that there is a good chance of it being an above average summer when it comes to temperatures.

'An area of high pressure has been dominating for quite a while and so temperatures have remained elevated.'
Costly VAT charges on sunscreen must be scrapped to help save lives from deadly skin cancer, campaigners have urged.

Cancer charities, MPs and skin experts last night called on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to remove the 20 per cent tax  which was imposed as a result of EU legislation.

Too much UV radiation from the sun is a leading cause of skin cancer, which leads to 2,300 avoidable deaths in the UK each year.

But research by charity Melanoma Focus reveals half of UK adults believe sunscreen  which dramatically lowers the risk of getting the disease  is too expensive, with one in ten not wearing sun protection due to the cost.

Professor Mabs Chowdhury, president of the British Association of Dermatologists, told the MoS: 'Sunscreen is one of the important tools at our disposal against skin cancer. Removing VAT from all high-protection sunscreen could really make a difference.'

Cancer charities, MPs and skin experts last night called on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to remove the 20 per cent tax on suncream (file image)

Which? tested 19 popular suncreams, with one being identified as a 'don't buy' because it failed safety protection tests

Sunscreen is classified in the UK as a 'cosmetic' product, meaning it carries a 20 per cent tax that adds around 1.50 to the cost of a bottle.

Dermatologists say sunscreen should be free to protect all Leading dermatologists who fear that deprived families could miss out on protection have said sunscreen should be made free. Professor Mabs Chowdhury, president of the British Association of Dermatologists, told The Guardian it was 'concerning' that people might not be buying suncream as a result of increasing prices. A survey by Melanoma Focus found that 50 per cent think sunblock is too expensive - and 10 per cent don't use it because of the cost. Julian Peace, deputy chair at the Primary Care Dermatology Society, said ideally the protective cream would be given out for free. He added: 'The highest piority would be organising a provision for children... There is a voucher scheme available for vitamin D supplements - under the 'healthy start' scheme - and this may be a system by which supplies of sunscreen could be allocated to those most in need.' Advertisement

In 2021 Tesco absorbed the cost of VAT on sunscreen, so far saving customers more than 1 million.

Last month Superdrug also cut the price of its Solait suncare range by 20 per cent until the end of the year.

But MPs want the Government to issue a national exemption of VAT on sunscreen to bring the UK in line with Australia and the US  where sunscreen is classed as an essential product and free from the tax.

Tory MP and former Brexit Minister David Jones said: 'The case for protecting people's health is irrefutable. Making sun cream cheaper would encourage more people to use it and thus protect more of the population from skin cancer.

'Before Brexit, removing VAT from any product was impossible because Brussels set VAT rules.

'Post-Brexit, we can  and should  take this important, sensible step.'

He compared the call to the successful removal of VAT from women's sanitary products two years ago  a post-Brexit abolition that was widely welcomed.

Tory MP Maggie Throup, who has had treatment for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, said: 'I would appeal to Ministers to take VAT off sun cream products.

'The Treasury will argue that it will lose much-needed revenue if VAT is removed.

'However, we will save money if fewer people need to have NHS treatment for preventable skin cancers in the first place.'

A Treasury spokesman said: 'High-factor sunscreen is on the NHS prescription list for certain conditions and is already provided VAT free when dispensed by a pharmacist.'
King Charles III is preparing to celebrate his first official birthday as monarch with the Trooping the Colour ceremony.

Although the monarch was born in November, he continues the longstanding tradition which honours the Sovereign in June.

The annual spectacle dates back hundreds of years and involves 1400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians, all gathering in an epic display of military precision.

Members of the royal family will participate in the parade, and watchers are likely to see King Charles, Prince William and Princess Anne on horseback

The celebration closes with an RAF flypast, watched by members of the Royal Family from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

But where can royal fans watch the parade? Here is everything you need to know about where to watch Trooping the Colour.

The King presents new Sovereign's Standard to the Blues and Royals at Buckingham Palace, the regiment will provide the Sovereign's Escort at Trooping the Colour

Charles will appear on horseback for the royal tradition - the first time a monarch has ridden at the iconic parade for more than 30 years

Pictured: Horse Guards Parade in London on June 10, 2023 ahead of The King's Birthday Parade

How to watch Trooping the Colour on TV

Coverage of His Majesty's birthday parade begins at 10:30am on Saturday June 17.

BBC 1 will show uninterrupted coverage of the day's events starting from 10:00am.

The BBC will also show highlights of the spectacular ceremony on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 6:10pm.

Audio description commentary is available for the blind and partially sighted to watch.

It is unconfirmed who will host the event but last year veteran broadcaster Huw Edwards introduced the esteemed military display, along with Kirsty Young.

How to live stream Trooping the Colour

Trooping the Colour will also be available to stream on BBC iPlayer throughout the day.

However this is geo-restricted to UK residents only, so if you're overseas and wanting to watch on BBC iPlayer you will have to use a VPN.

Various TV and online coverage will be available in countries around the world, including the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

US-based news channels may provide more coverage, Good Morning America and ABC aired their own coverage of the Platinum Jubilee, so overseas royal fans can expect the same this year.

For fans who are not UK based, the easiest way to watch is through a live stream on YouTube.

Queen Elizabeth II performs a smart salute during the Trooping the Colour ceremony on 14 June, 1986

The Duchess of Cambridge pictured at the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony on June 17, 2017

Regiments from the Household Division participate in the Colonel's Review at the Horse Guards Parade in London on June 10, the first rehearsal before the ceremony

How to watch Trooping the Colour in London

For anyone lucky enough to be in the capital during the special parade, the best spot will be The Mall or at the edge of St James' Park.

It is expected to be bustling with royal fans, so you may need to get there early to find the best view.

The King will return to Buckingham Palace and will be joined by other members of the royal family on the balcony to watch a 41 gun salute by the King's Troop located in Green Park, before watching the Royal Air Force fly past.

If you're wanting to catch a glimpse of the royals on the balcony, be sure to get there before 1pm as they are likely to head inside shortly after the ceremony concludes.
The MSF in Khartoum, Sudan, has been under fire.

El Geneina / Khartoum  Sudanese rebel leaders, politicians, lawyers, and journalists have strongly denounced the killing of Khamees Abakar, Governor (Wali) of West Darfur, in the state capital El Geneina on Wednesday. UNITAMS and the European ambassador to Sudan condemned the killing as well. The Sudanese army, the Darfur Bar Association, and a rebel bloc accuse the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of the murder.

Former rebel leader Abakar, appointed as governor of West Darfur following the signing of the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) in October 2020, was taken from his home in El Geneina on Wednesday by armed men and killed.

He was abducted a few hours after he had accused, in an interview with Al Hadath TV, the RSF and allied Arab nomad militants in the region of being behind the violence in West Darfur and requested the international community to intervene.

Video footage on social media shows Abakar being held by a group of men wearing RSF uniforms and entering an office. Later, Gen Abdelrahman Juma, RSF Commander in West Darfur, was identified as the main person of the group.

The RSF has denied responsibility for the killing of the West Darfur governor.

"The Sudanese Military Intelligence operating in the state has orchestrated these tribal battles, including the recent incident leading to the assassination of Abakar.

However, our forces promptly intervened, rescuing him from the outlaws and ensuring his safety. Despite our efforts to protect the governor, the outlaws launched a large-scale raid that escalated into clashes with our forces, resulting in his abduction and tragic assassination, devoid of any humanity," the RSF tweeted early yesterday morning.

"We extend our deepest condolences for the loss of life and urge both conflicting parties in West Darfur to exercise restraint, pursue reason, and seize the opportunity to prevent the escalation of this tribal conflict into a full-fledged civil war, as desired by some elements."

Accused

Army chief Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan and the spokesperson for the Sudan Armed Forces, in separate statements, accused the RSF of liquidating the governor, and underlined that the killing has nothing to do with the ongoing conflict between the army and the RSF.

The Darfur Bar Association also accused the RSF of committing the crime.

The West Darfur Rebels Bloc said that West Darfur RSF Commander Abdulrahman Juma and Deputy Governor El Tijani Karshoum ordered the RSF soldiers to storm the house of Abakar and bring him to the office where he was killed before the eyes of the RSF commander.

In a statement on Thursday, the West Darfur Rebel Bloc countered descriptions of the violence in the region saying they are "tribal" and blamed the Sudanese army for failing to protect "statesman Khamees Abakar".

Journalist and political analyst Ashraf Abdelaziz tod Radio Dabanga that the assassination must be thoroughly investigated "by a local or international committee, although all accusations are directed towards the RSF, which tried to deny the fact, but so far the justifications seem to be illogical".

The Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) alliance of rebel groups that signed the JPA with the Sudanese government on October 3, 2020, did not accuse any party. Instead, it demanded the formation of an independent investigation commission into the assassination.

The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) that split later from the SRF, accused "armed militiamen" of abducting and killing Abakar.

The National Umma Party stated on social media that it holds "an armed group" responsible.

'Appalled'

The United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) said in a statement yesterday that it "is appalled and deeply shocked" by the killing of Governor Abakar, "a key interlocutor in the region and a signatory of the Juba Peace Agreement".

The statement says that "Compelling eyewitness accounts attribute this act to Arab militias and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), even though the RSF communicated a denial of their involvement to the mission.

"The UN Mission in Sudan calls for the perpetrators to be swiftly brought to justice and the cycle of violence in the region to not expand further. We appeal to the wisdom of the Sudanese people not to be drawn into the vortex of hate speech and ethnic polarization."

Aidan O'Hara, Ambassador of the European Union to Sudan, condemned the violence in West Darfur in a tweet on Thursday.

"Amid reports of appalling large-scale violence in Darfur, the brutal murder yesterday of Khamis Abubakar, the Governor of West Darfur, is shocking. The Governor was among those who welcomed me to El Geneina in January.

"We condemn his murder and the killings of an untold number of civilians in the conflict. The protection of civilians in Sudan and humanitarian access are obligations under international law and those responsible for violations will be held accountable.

Rebel leader

Abdulwahid El Nur, head of the mainstream Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-AW) that has not signed the JPA, praised Abakar's courage. "He was martyred inside the capital of his state, the land of his ancestors. He did not leave it, despite the horrors, suffering and hell," the group said in an obituary* yesterday.

In a eulogy yesterday, he described "the party that assassinated him" as "a coward who does not know the values and morals of war".

El Nur lauds the leadership qualities of Abakar, who not only participated in the establishment of the Sudan Liberation Front (later to become the Sudan Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/SLM) in 2002.

He was assigned as vice president of the SLM in 2004, while Minni Minawi, a Zaghawa tribesman, was secretary-general of the movement. "Abakar's appointment came as part of the movement's tribal balance as the position of deputy head of the movement was assigned to the Masalit," El Nur wrote.

"We went to all rounds of peace negotiations in Abuja (2004-2006). After the negotiations, he decided to form their own organisation."

Later, Abakar announced his presidency of a new Sudan Liberation Movement faction and refused, like El Nur, to sign the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur in mid-2011.

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Abakar, who brought together 13 rebel groups under the name the Sudanese Alliance, joined the Juba peace negotiations in early 2020 after signing an agreement in the South Sudanese capital with the SM faction headed by Minni Minawi concerning "joint cooperation and unification of their visions on Sudanese issues". He had positive relations with RSF commander Mohamed 'Hemedti' Dagalo during the Juba negotiations and also after his appointment as governor of West Darfur, El Nur stated.

The Sudanese Alliance, presided by Abakar, was one of the signatories of the December 2022 Framework Agreement with the military junta about the formation of a civilian government, but instead led to the current war between the army and the RSF.

* The Sudanese Alliance, headed by Khamees Abakar, consisted in 2020 of 13 rebel groups: SLM-Abakar, the SLM faction led by Hafiz Lazem, the Revolutionary Forces Front (RFF) led by Hafiz Abdallah, who is currently the Minister of Animal Resources, the RFF faction under the leadership of Mousa Hasan, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N)-Abu Tareg faction headed Maj Gen Saeed Mahel, the SPLM-N faction headed by Ma Gen Abukora, the SPLM-Darfur Region headed by Doudin, the Sudanese Revolutionary Council led by Muhyeldin Karama, the New Justice and Equality Movement under the leadership of Tajeldin Ibrahim, the Justice and Democratic Equality Movement led by Dr Azraq, the Sudanese People's Democratic Front led by lawyer Mohamed Haroun, the Kordofan Development Gathering led by Abdelbagi Shenibo, and the Reform and Development Movement under the leadership of El Sadig Shayeb.
King Charles III is preparing to celebrate his first official birthday as Sovereign with a traditional ceremony given in respect by the armed forces.

While the King was born in November, he is continuing the long standing tradition of Trooping the Colour.

The event first began in 1748 and now involves 1400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians in a display of military precision to honour His Majesty The King.

On Saturday 17 June the streets will be packed with supporters, so if you're wanting to get a good look at the royals, here is a guide on when to get there and where to stand.

A map of where Trooping the Colour will take place on Saturday June 17, 2023

The King presents new Sovereign's Standard to the Blues and Royals at Buckingham Palace, the regiment will provide the Sovereign's Escort at Trooping the Colour

King Charles III is joined by Princess Anne during the ceremony at Buckingham Palace on June 15

Charles will appear on horseback for the royal tradition - the first time a monarch has ridden at the iconic parade for more than 30 years

What is the Trooping the Colour route?

The ceremony begins at 10:00am and lasts until around 1pm, the route is as follows:

The King will travel down The Mall from Buckingham Palace on horseback, with an escort from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

Once the clock on the Horse Guards chimes King Charles III will arrive to take the Royal Salute from the officers and men of the Household Division.

Following the salute, The King will ride up and down the ranks, inspecting the troops.

The bands will perform a musical 'troop' and the Regimental Colour is escorted up and down the ranks of Guards.

The Foot Guards and the Household Cavalry then march past His Majesty, The King's Troop and Royal Horse Artillery with their guns.

The King will ride back to Buckingham Palace ahead of his guards before taking salute in front of the Palace railings as the troops march past on their way to their barracks.

The King joins other members of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a flypast by the Royal Air Force at approximately 1pm.

Best places to watch Trooping the Colour

Pictured: Horse Guards Parade in London on June 10, 2023 ahead of The King's Birthday Parade

For those who haven't managed to get tickets for Trooping the Colour, you will be able to watch from the sidelines.

As the days' events commence at 10am, members of the public wishing to watch are advised to stand on The Mall or at the edge of St James' Park, overlooking Horse guards.

To get the best spot Royalists should try to get there at 9:00am or earlier, but can still find a decent spot around 11pm.

Make sure to wait until 12pm and you will be able to see different members of the royal family pass by in their carriages.

Once reaching The Mall, you should try to find a spot about three-quarters of the way up near the barricades, which will open after The King has passed.

Enjoy the ceremony, and wait until the police have opened the barricades to walk to the Palace.

Walk down to Buckingham palace and aim to get there before 1pm, if the air show begins before you get there you can stay put to watch it.

But if you're still wanting to catch a glimpse of the royals on their balcony, speed up to catch them as they may shortly go inside.

However, as this is His Majesty King Charles' first Trooping the Colour, they may stay on the balcony slightly longer.

Where else can I watch Trooping the Colour?

Those living outside of London can enjoy the events on TV and Live Streaming.

Trooping the Colour is broadcast every year by the BBC, with live coverage of the entire event on BBC1 or via iPlayer for free online streaming

There is also widespread TV and online coverage of the event in countries across the world including the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Locals living on an East End estate have said the community atmosphere in the area is disappearing as landlords are buying up flats and putting them up for short-term rents.

The rise of AirBnB is part of the problem and is encouraging a trend that is now damaging relationships between local residents in and around the Boundary Estate in Shoreditch.

When construction of the estate was finished towards the end of the 1800s there were 1,069 tenements made to house over 5,500 people.

But some these flats have now been purchased by landlords and are being used for AirBnBs, with some being rented out as full apartments or contained rooms which are available as part of a larger space.

Local residents told MyLondon that they have noticed a rise in the number of AirBnB flats on and around the estate and this is contributing to the loss of a sense of community.

Locals living on the Boundary Estate in Shoreditch (pictured) have said the community atmosphere in the area is disappearing as landlords are buying up flats and putting them up for short-term rents

Daniel Jefferson (pictured), 51, lives just next to the Boundary Estate and his block of flats also used to be ex-council.

Josh Brind, 32, who has lived on the estate for the last six years, said: 'Loads of people have bought their flats so they have rent them out.

'There's still loads of people here, people have always rented their flats out that way and that's not really what's changed, it's just Airbnb has become more popular.'

He added: 'It still holds a sense of community [the area], it does, it's still a nice area to live and there are nice people around here. It's just a prime location and a bit nutty on the weekend around here..'

Aimee McWilliams, 42, who has lived around the Boundary Estate for two decades, said: 'I love living around here, on a Sunday it feels like being at Glastonbury from a festival vibe of people and crowds.'

She said that Airbnbs 'taking over' the community was only a small part of the problem, adding: 'I think these problems are there but there are still a lot of original East End people and a lot of people who are long termers like me.

'I think you do get a load of pockets of it [Airbnb] and I definitely agree that it is happening. I just don't think it's happening everywhere, I don't think it's a mass takeover.

'If you want to dip into those things it depends on your attitude to life. If you want to go away over the summer, maybe you would Airbnb your house.

'I think it's a nicer way to see modern life to incorporate that flexibility so you can depart and go somewhere else.

'So especially now with zoom and everything like that you could be on the beach in Thailand while renting your place.'

When construction of the estate was finished towards the end of the 1800s there were 1,069 tenements made to house over 5,500 people

The Arnold Circus Bandstand is at the centre of the estate

Aimee feels that there is a great community feel to the area and that comes from being a mum and bringing up children around there.

She said: 'I feel like I live in a tiny village in the centre of London. I know all my shopkeepers, I know everyone who goes to the pub, I have a lot of kids so I know everybody on the school run.'

She continued: 'I love it in terms of being a parent around here. I had two decades as an adult round here without kids and now it's particularly great having kids round here because the schools are amazing and a lot of the parents do really progressive things and are willing to collaborate and communicate with each other to create a sense of community around here.'

Daniel Jefferson, 51, lives just next to the Boundary Estate and his block of flats also used to be ex-council.

When he was asked about the community feel and Airbnb he agreed with Aimee and said that there were some Airbnbs but it would only be a small factor in damaging community relationships.

He said: 'There are people in my block who have been there for 40 years, I've been there for six years and even then the people in my block I don't know that well - which is probably more my fault - but that community thing, it's probably not as strong as it could be but I don't think that's Airbnb.'

He continued: 'I wouldn't say there's a strong sense of community but maybe that's just the lifestyles that people live now. You're working, and you just go to your job and want to come home.

'I imagine Airbnb does have some effect on lowering the sense of community but I imagine it's not just that.

'I think the way people lives are now, there's a lot of professionals moving in now and it's just they have busy lives.'
Death Valley is the hottest place on Earth, baking in temperatures of more than 120F (49C) during the summer.

Aside from the heat, Death Valley is also home to numerous horrifying scorpions, tarantulas and venomous sidewinder snakes that silently lurk in the Californian desert.

And you might want to watch your step too, as mineshafts filled with poisonous gas are in more places than you might expect.

So, how do people survive in a place like this?

MailOnline explores the tops threats of Death Valley National Park and what park rangers advise to get by in the extreme conditions.

Death Valley is one of the hottest places in the world, baking in temperatures of 20F

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1. Weather that can kill

'Travel prepared to survive' is the guidance of the National Park's service as they warn of killer local temperatures.

Death Valley is famously known as the hottest place on Earth and the driest place in North America.

It's not unheard of for people to die here, but the real toll of heat-related illnesses remains unknown.

The valley's top temperatures peaked at 134F (57C) almost 110 years ago at the tiny village of Furnace Creek, before dropping to around 32F (0C) at night.

These hot-to-cold temperatures are quite normal in the region, with its sand cooling so rapidly at night that freezing conditions often occur.

'Don't become a Death Valley victim,' rangers advise.

'Drink at least one gallon (4 litres) of water per day to replace loss from sweat, more if you are active. Be aware of balancing fluid and electrolyte levels.

'Stay on paved roads in summer. If your car breaks down, stay with it until help comes. Carry extra drinking water in your car in case of emergency.'

Although winter is a little milder in Death Valley, the area continues to be plagued by occasional thunderstorms and huge flash floods.

Even still, rangers urge visitors and locals to always watch out for trouble, as nausea and dizziness can be a sign of heatstroke.

The real toll of heat-related illnesses remains uncertain in Death Valley, California

2. Gnarly animals

The 140-mile desert is home to some pretty creepy creatures, from rattlesnakes to scorpions and even black widow spiders.

That's why park leaders warn that anyone venturing through this harsh terrain should never place their hands or feet in something they can't see clearly.

The Wernerius inyoensis scorpion was newly discovered in the Inyo Mountains of the valley in 2009, and is one of the smallest to be discovered in the US.

Although it is venomous, this species probably won't kill you - unlike numerous others in the park - though its pincers still risk a hospital trip.

Tarantulas and Mojave desert sidewinder snakes also lurk here, with the latter potentially capable of killing a young child or animals up to 30Ibs.

The Wernerius inyoensis scorpion was newly discovered in the Inyo Mountains of the valley in 2009, and is one of the smallest to be discovered in the US

Mojave desert sidwinder snakes also lurks here, with the potential to kill a young child

But you may be surprised to know that rodents actually pose a huge risk of death in the area as contact with them or their excrement can spread hantaviruses.

Fatigue, fever and muscle aches are among the symptoms of this, in addition to chills and abdominal problems.

While it's unclear if anyone has contracted this in the valley, researchers have found traces of a hantavirus variant in local cactus mice.

TOP TEMPERATURES EVER RECORDED 1) 134F (56.7C), Death Valley, California, July 10, 1913 2) 131F (55C), Kebili, Tunisia, July 7, 1931 3=) 129.2F (54C), Ahvaz Airport, Iran, June 29, 2017 3=) 129.2F (54C) Tirat Zvi, Israel, June 21, 1942 4=) 129.02F (53.9C) Mitribah, Kuwait, July 21, 2016 4=) 129.02F (53.9C), Basra International Airport, Iraq, July 20 & 21, 2016 5) 128.66F (53.7C) Turbat, Pakistan, May 28, 2017 Advertisement

3. Treacherous roads

With scorching temperatures and countless scorpions, you may expect these to be the leading cause of death in the aptly named Death Valley.

But park leaders say that car crashes actually kill the most people here, having reported numerous incidents over the years.

Poor phone signal limits efforts to get help, with the valley completely isolated from neighbouring Las Vegas.

'More people die in single-car accidents than by any other means,' they claim.

'To avoid an accident, follow the speed limits, shift to a lower gear on steep downhill grades, and wear your seatbelt.'

4. Poisonous mineshafts

During the late 1800s, many eagerly flocked to Death Valley in an attempt to mine for gold and silver.

But these efforts were met with failure, thanks to the scarcity of water, fuel and technology that made it impossible to find anything valuable.

To this day, abandoned mines are scattered all across the desert.

One of the most controversial is the 500ft-deep Boraxo Mine, which reportedly caused public outcry over the exploitation of national parks.

The 500ft-deep Boraxo Mine reportedly caused public outcry over the exploitation of parks

While these historic sites may seem interesting to explore, rangers say they should be avoided at all costs.

They're not only unstable but may contain 'pockets of bad air' and even poisonous gas, they claim.

This bad air can consist of insufficient oxygen and potentially carbon-monoxide, with the University of Nevada warning that someone may not feel the effects until they leave a mine.

'A person may enter such areas breathing the good air above the gases but the motion caused by walking will mix the gases with the good air, producing a possibly lethal mixture for him to breathe on the return trip,' they explain.

'Because little effort is required to go down a ladder, the effects of "bad air" may not be noticed, but when climbing out of a shaft, a person requires more oxygen and breathes more deeply. The result is dizziness, followed by unconsciousness. If the gas doesn't kill, the fall will.'

Some areas of Death Valley are home to Breaking Bad-esque illegal marijuana growing sites

5. Dangerous cannabis farms

If you've watched Breaking Bad you may be familiar with Walter White's cannabis farm planted at the centre of an isolated desert.

As it turns out, some areas of Death Valley are home to very similar sites, which rangers claim are potential hazards.

If a local stumbles upon one of these, the service advises them to 'run, walk, crawl or hide' just to make themselves safe.

Lingering to take photos or grab location coordinates is also a bad idea, with a physical description good enough to alert authorities.

Rangers add: 'Hikers, backpackers and drivers need to be self reliant and well prepared. Always plan ahead, carry detailed maps, and let someone know your plans.'
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This talented photographer captures mountainscapes so otherworldly that its hard to believe they exist on planet Earth.

As a matter of fact, professional photographer Aytek Cetin says that some people question whether the landscapes hes captured are real, as they look so unearthly.

The 41-year-old Turkish photographer, who also tutors fellow photographers in private photography tours and online classes, tells MailOnline Travel: Sometimes we can be prejudiced about geography that we have not seen before. For example, for a photograph I took in Cappadocia [a region in Turkey], someone claimed that it was not a real place I explained to this person that it was a real place and that I took others to this place to take pictures.

Detailing why hes drawn to epic mountain scenes, Cetin says: What impresses me the most about mountains is that they are the most powerful beings of nature. They have been there in all their glory for millions of years and will continue to be.

The photographer, who is drumming up a sizeable Instagram following  87,000 followers and counting - explains that he sets out to draw viewers into a mountain scene and make them feel [like] they are there with his photography. He notes: To do this, I try to use different perspectives than the scenes other people are accustomed to seeing.

Capturing these remote landscapes is not without its challenges. As theres often no transportation to off-grid peaks, Cetin regularly has to walk long distances carrying his camping gear and his camera equipment, which can weigh more than 70lb (31 kilos). The hard work is worth it, however, for the magical photographs he can capture. Scroll down to see evidence of a photographer at the peak of his powers...

This dramatic mountain shot was captured in the Kackar Mountains National Park - a hotspot for hiking and climbing - in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. Cetin describes the location as one of the 'undiscovered valleys of [the] Black Sea'

LEFT: This mystical picture shows the bizarre rock formations in the Goreme National Park of Turkey's Cappadocia region in the first light of the morning. Cetin says: 'As a landscape photographer, I can say that I feel at home when I am in nature. I like to take pictures away from the crowd, where I feel like I can breathe.' RIGHT: Cetin turned his camera on Lake Meke, a volcanic crater lake in Turkey's Konya Province, for this mesmerising photograph

Ama Dablam, a 6,812m- (22,349ft) high peak in the Himalayas in Nepal, is the subject of this enchanting photograph. Cetin admits: 'I dont remember any sight giving me joy more than watching the magnificent Ama Dablam at sunset'

LEFT: This transfixing shot was taken in the Goreme National Park in Turkey's Cappadocia region. RIGHT: Cetin describes this scene - captured in the Svaneti region in the Greater Caucasus mountain range in Georgia - as 'unforgettable'

This spectacular panorama shot shows the wooden houses of the 2,170m- (7,119ft) high Pokut plateau in the Turkish province of Rize

LEFT: This otherworldly photograph was taken in the Martian Mountains - also known as the Merrikhi Mountains - in the southeastern Sistan and Balouchestan province of Iran. Cetin describes them as the 'razor-sharp mountains of Iran'. RIGHT: Iran's distinctive Martian Mountains are also the subject of this stunning photograph

LEFT: Khumbila, a 5,761m (18,901ft) mountain in the Himalayas in Nepal, is cleverly framed by trees in this spellbinding photograph, which was captured during a sunrise. RIGHT: Daisies spill over a grassy hilltop in this beautiful shot by Cetin, captured in Turkey's Kackar Mountains National Park. Cetin reflects: 'You can always get dramatic [weather] conditions in the Black Sea mountains'

This atmospheric picture shows the mountain of Taboche (background) in the Khumbu region of the Himalayas in Nepal. It was taken at an altitude of 4,500m (14,763ft), Cetin reveals

LEFT: Turkey's 'wild' Kackar Mountains National Park was the setting for this astonishing photograph. RIGHT: This epic photograph was captured near the small town of Mestia in the Caucasus Mountains in northwest Georgia

This stunning shot shows Mount Kazbek, a stratovolcano in the Caucasus Mountains in Georgia, illuminated by the first light of day
New research by Skyscanner shows travellers could be missing out on savings

With holiday season upon us, millions of Brits will be looking for somewhere hot and sunny to spend a few days away this summer.

The super-organised among us will know that an early flight booking can save a pretty penny, in the same way a last-minute jaunt can shave pounds off the price.

According to new research by travel agency Skyscanner, holidaymakers could be missing out on big savings by not taking advantage of the cheapest travel times.

So, when exactly is the right time to book a flight, and when is the best way to travel?

Sunday is usually the cheapest day to go abroad and the quietest - meaning you have the double bonus of saving cash and face fewer queues at the airport (File image)

Skyscanner reports that holidaymakers could save 226 on a trip to Spain for a family of four on return flights to Malaga late August by travelling from London Gatwick instead of London Southend (File image)

Almost three-quarters of Brits are planning to jet off somewhere hot this summer, but only 10 per cent of searches are for the cheapest week of the school holidays.

With around 31 per cent of those yet to book a getaway, Skyscanner has shared its findings, based on the 80 billion prices searched on its system every day.

It shows that the first two weeks of the school holidays are the most popular, despite the fact that it is the most expensive time to travel.

Therefore, according to the price comparison site, travellers can, on average, save around 16 per cent by travelling in the last week of the holidays.

This would work out to a saving of up to 220 for a family of four.

And for those that are flexible with their timings, traveling on the less popular days of the week can mean that you'll save around 15 per cent.

Sunday is usually the cheapest day to go abroad  meaning families are not only forking out less money, but also enjoying a quieter airport.

A Skyscanner spokesman says it really does pay off to do your research around the cheapest and best days to travel this summer, especially as 84 per cent of those surveyed say they would be willing to change their dates to save money.

With holiday season nearly upon us, it's time to start looking for somewhere warm and sunny to spend a few days with the family - if you haven't already (File image)

For comparison, the research shows that jetting off to Spain on a Tuesday instead of a Friday would save a family of four an average of 372 for their return travel this July and August.

And the airport you depart from matters too.

Northerners who head across the border to Scotland could save a substantial chunk; for example, return flights to Alicante from Edinburgh (22-29 August) cost 170 per person on average, whereas from Newcastle they come out at 218.

Meanwhile Skyscanner reports that holidaymakers could save 226 on a trip to Spain for a family of four on return flights to Malaga between 15-22 August by travelling from London Gatwick (219 per person) instead of London Southend (276 per person).

Speaking out about this research, Laura Lindsay, Skyscanner's travel trends and destination expert, said: 'Our research shows that over a third of Brits cut back elsewhere, including fewer meals out and less takeaways and coffees, in order to save for their summer holidays, but are less likely to shop around for holidays in the way they would when doing their weekly shop or clothes.'

Ms Linsdsay added that 'we encourage all travellers to take note of our savvy tips'.

The research coincides with the launch of Skyscanner's 'Savings Generator' tool, which the company says 'help travellers save big this summer'.
Fasten your seat belt  because were in for some bumpy flights. Rising temperatures and changes to the jet stream have dramatically increased the amount of turbulence in the sky, according to research from the University of Reading.

Severe turbulence increased 55 per cent between 1979 and 2020 and is expected to get more intense, more frequent and last longer in future.

Thats the bad news, But, fortunately, pilots and cabin crew say were safer than we think  however turbulent life gets at 35,000 feet.

Modern aircraft are incredibly strong and pilots are trained and ready for turbulence, says British Airways captain Steve Allright, who runs the airlines Flying with Confidence course for nervous passengers. He says most turbulence is triggered by changes in the speed or direction of winds around a plane, and is a bit like a car driving over bumps in the road. It can be uncomfortable but its totally safe.

Virgin Atlantic cabin crew member Jennie Jordan says that although passengers can be terrified by turbulence shes never seen anyone injured by it in nearly two decades of flying.

Severe turbulence increased 55 per cent between 1979 and 2020 and is expected to get more intense, more frequent and last longer in future

The big thing is to buckle up and stay seated when the fasten seat belt signs go on mid-flight, she says. Other crew have had passengers stumble and fall in the aisle during a bumpy patch. Anything more serious is incredibly rare.

WHEN DOES TURBULENCE HIT?

Pilots say there are two main types of turbulence. The first is triggered by high winds near the ground and storms in low-level clouds, so it tends to hit in the first and last 30 minutes of a flight.

The second is clear air turbulence above the clouds, when high-level winds change pace without warning. While it can happen at any time its most common over mountain ranges and oceans such as the Atlantic and Pacific.

WORST ROUTES

There are two main types of turbulence. The first is triggered by high winds near the ground and storms in low-level clouds, so it tends to hit in the first and last 30 minutes of a flight. The second is clear air turbulence above the clouds, when high-level winds change pace without warning

The skies over the Atlantic are getting wilder as the jet stream moves, probably due to climate change. So key holiday routes to America, Canada and the Caribbean could become bumpier.

In Europe, flights going over the Alps can be rocky with routes to Switzerland and Austria seeing the most turbulence.

Long-haul routes including London to Johannesburg and Durban can be bumpy, while the skies over Japan are notoriously lumpy. Fly to Australia and you may be turbulence-free all the way Down Under  but expect to hit bumps on the last legs to Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne.

SMOOTHEST ROUTES

It's rare for short-haul flights to Europe to suffer more than a short stretch of light turbulence. Meteorologists inform pilots in advance of bad weather, allowing planes to re-route and avoid the worst.

Passengers can get their own predictions on websites such as turbli.com. It scans the skies up to 36 hours ahead of flights, looks for thunderstorm forecasts, predicts whether take-offs and landings will be smooth and if turbulence will be light, moderate or strong.

TRICKY AIRPORTS

The skies over the Atlantic are getting wilder as the jet stream moves, probably due to climate change

Pilots say landing anywhere near the equator can be tricky, as wind speeds change fast and storms break suddenly.

Holiday airports including Miami, Orlando and Cancun can be bumpy along with Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore. Strong winds mean Madeira airport is tricky for pilots, with planes often diverting to nearby Porto Santo island until the weather improves.

Gibraltar airport can get pulses racing (the sea looms at each end of the runway and pilots have to slam on the brakes fast) while high winds can rock planes near the Canary Islands.

The final approach to Athens airport is also notorious for bumpy skies.

BEST PLACE TO SIT

Frequent fliers say seats near the centre of a plane promise the smoothest flight and those at the back are bumpiest. But experts say the difference is so slight it wont be noticed, especially on big planes like Boeings Dreamliner or the double-decker Airbus A380.

Some say window seats (and even the dreaded middle seat) could be safer on bumpy flights. Thats because items in the overhead lockers can move during flight and fall out causing injury  often to those in aisle seats below. Cabin crew say metal water bottles falling from lockers are one of the biggest causes of in-flight accidents.

Mid-air thunderstorms can be terrifying, especially if lightning flashes outside cabin windows. But planes are designed to brush off storms. If struck, electricity passes through the aircrafts exterior without affecting the interior. Most planes are struck at least once a year with no ill effects

BEST TIME TO FLY

Turbulence can strike at any time but weather experts say night-time and early morning flights can be the smoothest.

Meteorologists say changes in air temperature are less extreme after the sun has gone down, and thunderstorms tend to break at the end, rather than the start, of the day.

AVOIDING TURBULENCE

Pilots try to dodge it. Pre-departure weather forecasts and mid-flight updates show where stormy skies lie with routes and altitudes chosen accordingly. Planes further ahead on the same route pass tips back to air traffic control for those following.

The amount of time flying through bumps can also be cut as turbulence tends to occur in long, shallow layers of air as little as 100m deep. Moving above or below the layers can put planes back in smoother air.

AIR POCKETS A DANGER?

No, because they dont really exist. The term was coined to describe the feeling of planes lurching down suddenly during a turbulent flight. In reality, pilots say there are no pockets of air to fall through and, however dramatic the jolts may feel, planes rarely lose more than a few meters of altitude in turbulent skies.

LIGHTNING STRIKE FEARS

Mid-air thunderstorms can be terrifying, especially if lightning flashes outside cabin windows. But planes are designed to brush off storms.

If struck, electricity passes through the aircrafts exterior without affecting the interior. Most planes are struck at least once a year with no ill effects.

The only time thunderstorms cause big problems is when they cluster round airports. Thats when air traffic control can limit landings and take-offs, triggering delays and cancellations.

CABIN CREW CODE

When the seat belt signs go on mid-flight, cabin crew should break off from other duties to check everyone is strapped in. That includes waking sleeping passengers if crew cant see their belts and checking babies are out of cots and strapped to parents.

If the fasten seat belt signs stay on for a long time crew can continue serving meals, though they shouldnt pour hot drinks.

But if you hear the announcement, Cabin crew, take your seats in the middle of a flight then flight attendants must strap in as well. Its rare, but means a bad patch lies ahead.
Netflix is moving into new territory this summer by opening a pop-up restaurant in Los Angeles.

The restaurant, called Netflix Bites, will host celebrity chefs who've appeared on the streaming platform's most popular cooking shows.

The restaurant's tasting menu has been created by chefs including Curtis Stone, Dominique Crenn, Rodney Scott and Ann Kim, who have appeared in hit shows like Iron Chef and Chef's Table.

Joining the chefs will be mixologists who have appeared in the show Dink Masters, including Frankie Solarik, Julie Reiner, LP O'Brien and Kate Gerwin.

Netflix is opening a pop-up restaurant in Los Angeles on June 30

Chefs have curated a 'tasting menu' for the restaurant, including the likes of Curtis Stone (pictured), who starred in Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend

Michelin-starred Australian chef Curtis Stone said the restaurant intends to deliver a 'screen-to-table experience'.

'The talented chefs and mixologists assembled means there is something for everyone, and I'm wildly excited that my team at Curtis Stone Events is involved in bringing NETFLIX BITES to life,' said Stone in a statement.

'Netflix is already a destination for beloved food programming, from documentaries to competition shows,' Josh Simon, a Netflix vice president said in the statement.

'From episode to entree, with NETFLIX BITES we are creating an in-person experience where fans can immerse themselves in their favorite food shows.'

Ming Tsai, who also appeared in Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend, will also have input on the tasting menu at Netflix's pop-up restaurant in LA

Nancy Silverton, Ann Kim, Chris Bianco and Evan Funke attend Netflix's Chef's Table: Pizza LA reception in September 2022

Other chefs involved include Nadiya Hussein (from Nadiya Bakes), Jacques Torres (Nailed It!) and Andrew Zimmern (Iron Chef).

The restaurant is located at the Short Stories Hotel in LA's Fairfax district.

It will open on June 30 and reservations are available via Resy through July 24. It will be open from 5pm to 10pm seven days a week.

On Saturdays and Sundays it will offer a separate brunch menu from 10am to 2pm.
Arnold Schwarzenegger shocked the world in 2011 when he announced he had fathered a secret child behind his then-wife Maria Shriver's back.

The actor, now 75, notably had an affair with their housekeeper, Mildred Baena, and she gave birth to their son, Joseph Baena, 25, in 1997.

Joseph has wowed the world with his strong resemblance to his father, shared interest in bodybuilding and has even followed in the action icon's footsteps by pursuing a film career, while juggling a solid career as a real estate agent.

However, while Joseph has formed a close bond with his Terminator star father, the actor's four other children with Shriver have maintained fractious relations with him - with Arnie candidly explaining the crushing impact his infidelity had on his family in his new Netflix documentary.

Katherine Schwarzenegger, 33, the eldest of the clan, famously didn't invite Joseph to her 2019 wedding to Chris Pratt - although he sent well-wishes.

Last month it was claimed the children 'didn't love' their brother after their separately attended their father's FUBAR premiere.

As Joseph's star looks set to rise even further, DailyMail.com looks inside the life of Arnold Schwarzenegger's lookalike son...

Just like dad: Arnold Schwarzenegger shocked the world in 2011 when he announced he had fathered a secret child behind his then-wife Maria Shriver's back - son Joseph Baena, now 26

Seeing double: Joseph, now 26, has wowed the world with his strong resemblance to his father, shared interest in bodybuilding and has even followed in the action icon's footsteps by pursuing a film career (Arnie pictured R in 1970)

2011 - JOSEPH BAENA'S IDENTITY IS REVEALED AFTER 1996 AFFAIR

Baena is the son of Schwarzenegger and his longtime housekeeper, Mildred who kept his identity secret for the first eight years of his life.

The affair happened in 1997, while Schwarzenegger was still married to his ex-wife Maria Shriver.

After realizing she was pregnant, Mildred left Schwarzenegger's home to keep the link between the two secret, until the link between the two became apparent.

Baena was born on October 2, 1997, only a few days after Shriver gave birth to the couple's fourth child, Christopher.

Schwarzenegger reportedly found out about his son when Baena was eight years old and his ex-wife became suspicious.

During a marriage counseling session in 2011, the counsellor had stated at the time, 'Today Maria wants to be very specific about something,' he reveals. 'She wants to know if you're the father of Joseph.'

Family first: Baena is the son of Schwarzenegger and his longtime housekeeper, Mildred who kept his identity secret for the first eight years of his life. The affair happened in 1997, while Schwarzenegger was still married to his ex-wife Maria Shriver

Proud of co-parenting: Maria Shriver and Arnold married in 1986. They have four children together: Katherine, 32, Christina, 30, Patrick, 28, and Christopher, 24

Candid: Arnold spoke about his marriage imploding due to his affair on Netflix documentary, Arnold

The former governor of California expressed, 'I thought my heart stopped. And then I told the truth. "Yes, Maria. Joseph is my son." She was obviously crushed by that.'

The star explained that at first, both himself and Mildred assumed the child was her husband Rogelio's, and she continued to work for the Schwarzenegger family. 'In the beginning I really didnt know, but the older he got, the more it became clear to me.'

'It was then just a matter of, "How do you keep this quiet?"' Arnold stated in a snippet from the documentary.

It wasn't Joseph until was in his teens that he learned the truth, in an interview with Yahoo News, he said: 'I remember the day very vividly. I was in the eighth grade.

'And I get called out of class to leave. And my mom's there, and she's like, 'We gotta go  everyone is finding out about you and who your father is.''

Bond: Joseph has previously revealed it took a while for him to get close with his dad and the two only connected later in life

Joseph grew up in a Guatemalan household, in Bakersfield, California, he told Men's Health: 'It was a humble home and we didn't have much.'

The two didn't connect until later in life, as Joseph revealed during an appearance on Unwaxed podcast in January 2022. He said: 'It took a little while for me and him to get really close and just (feel) like I can joke around with him.'

Schwarzenegger detailed his affair with Mildred in the Netflix docuseries, Arnold, which premiered in June 2023.

Regarding the affair, Arnold admitted that it was his 'biggest failure' and stated, 'I have caused enough pain for my family, because of my f**k-up. Everyone had to suffer. Maria had to suffer, the kids had to suffer, Joseph, his mother, everyone.'

The True Lies star revealed, 'Im going to have to live with that for the rest of my life.' Following the affair, Mildred left her husband and Schwarzenegger provided for both her and Joseph, purchasing them a home with a pool in California in 2010.

The housekeeper retired in 2011, the same year that Maria ended her relationship with Arnold, prompting their separation. She filed for divorce in July 2011, which wasn't officially finalized until 10 years later in 2021.

'People will remember my successes and they will also remember my failures. I've had failures in my career but this was a whole new dimension of failure. I am very happy within this sad story that Maria and I were able to raise the kids well,' the former professional bodybuilder stated.

Following their split, both Arnold and Maria have maintained a positive relationship, from attending to children's graduations to celebrating birthdays together.

Arnold also revealed that he was 'very proud' of his son, Joseph, who is also an actor and bodybuilder, like his own father. 'I saw Joseph developing into a fantastic human being.'

'It was wrong what I did but I dont want Joseph to think hes not welcome in this world because he is very much welcome and I love him. He has turned out to be an extraordinary young man,' the star sweetly added.

JUST LIKE DAD - JOSEPH THE BODYBUILDER

Seeing double : Joseph is no stranger to flaunting his chiselled abs, and often shares snaps of himself working out in the gym (Arnold pictured R in 1976)

Joseph is no stranger to flaunting his chiselled abs, and often shares snaps of himself working out in the gym.

He is noted for his striking resemblance to his former Mr Olympia father - and is often cited as the child of Schwarzenegger that bears the most similarity to him.

Arnold has continued to have a strong relationship with his son. He has paid for his education and expenses, and they often spend time together and work up a sweat at the gym.

A family insider said that 'Arnold loves all of his children. He has a great relationship with all of them.'

'Arnold is really close to Joe. Ive been at several events where hes brought him along,' added Page Six's first source.

'Its not fair, but I guess its understandable  hes the product of something that should not have occurred,' they said of his estrangement from his half-siblings.

Go time: He is noted for his striking resemblance to his former Mr Olympia father - and is often cited as the child of Schwarzenegger that bears the most resemblance to him

Style star: Joseph has racked up an impressive 443,000 Instagram following - as he makes waves in acting, dj'ing and real estate

Cheers: The star is seen in a relaxed Instagram snap

However, another source claimed: 'The Schwarzenegger kids have consistently navigated the situation with respect and class.'

In March 2021, Baena started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu at Checkmat Northridge and was featured on the cover of the Men's Health March 2022 issue, with the star discussing his fitness and his bond with his father.

Arnold has closely mentored his son during his bodybuilding journey and gave him the book he co-authored - The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding - to help him.

Baena appeared as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars in 2022 - a decision he said was to 'break the barriers in his family' - due to his body type and fitness training making his frame far from perfect for ballroom dancing.

He previously said how he was bullied over his weight in school, saying: 'I was like the chubby kid in my crew, and, um yeah. It wasn't until I joined swim my sophomore year...'

2019 - JOSEPH IS EXCLUDED FROM SISTER KATHERINE'S WEDDING

Joseph shared a sweet message of congratulations to his half-sister Katherine on social media, after seemingly being left out of her lavish nuptials to Chris Pratt.

The bride married Pratt in a lavish star-studded ceremony in Montecito, California and shared a photo from the big day on Instagram.

In the caption, she detailed how the couple felt 'blessed' to be joined by their family as they became 'husband and wife in front of God'.

Joseph did not attend the ceremony, but posted a kind note under the photo.

'Congratulations!' he commented, under his username, 'Projoe2', adding two love hearts and a bottle of champagne emoji.

Message: Joseph shared a sweet message of congratulations to his half-sister Katherine on social media, after seemingly being left out of her lavish nuptials to Chris Pratt

While Katherine didn't respond back to the message, fans were quick to weigh in with their thoughts on the difficult family dynamic.

One user wrote: 'I hope they invited you.' Another chimed in: 'He wasn't invited. I think Arnold is the only one that acknowledges him. Heart breaking.'

At the time, a source who had worked with the family told Page Six that Schwarzenegger's children with Shriver 'have really no relationship with Joseph,' though they also noted that Patrick and Christopher appeared to be somewhat closer than his sisters. A source also said that Patrick and Joseph had been spotted working out together.

A family source claimed that 'They are trying to navigate a private relationship before its a public one,' though there appears to have been little progress on the public front in the four years since then.

At the time, a source who knew Katherine said, 'Why should she have a relationship with this kid? Joseph is the product of an affair that Arnold kept hidden for years! This was a deeply damaging and shameful situation that destroyed her family. I cant say I blame her for not wanting to embrace this living reminder of that.'

However, Joseph was not a new fixture in their lives, as he was presented as their housekeeper's son before they knew of their father's affair and Joseph's parentage.

'He grew up around them,' an insider told the publication at the time. 'He was a regular at the mansion in Pacific Palisades, where the family lived from 1986 until 2003.'

While Joseph previously followed all his half-siblings on social media, none of them follow him back.

Rocky start: Both Arnold and Mildred attended Joseph's graduation from business school in April 2019

Joseph took to social media on Katherine's wedding day to document himself working out at the gym at Malibu's Pepperdine University, even though he graduated back in April 2019 with both Arnold and Mildred there to show their support.

He was later spotted with his model girlfriend Nicky Dodaj on a night out around Los Angeles.

It's not the first time Katherine has come under fire for excluding her half-brother from family recognition.

Back in April on National Siblings Day, she shared two sweet childhood snaps alongside her sister Christina and brothers Patrick and Christopher.

But many of her followers took to the comments to question why Katherine hadn't included Joseph, who was born merely five days after Christopher in September 1997.

'All hypocrites! They preach all this love, happiness, forgiveness, acceptance crap but yet they never ever acknowledge their youngest brother!! It's not his fault, he didn't ask to be born but he's here.'

Not invited? Joseph took to social media on Katherine's wedding day to document himself working out at the gym at Malibu's Pepperdine University

Where's Joseph? And it's not the first time Katherine has come under fire for excluding her half-brother from family recognition. Back in April on National Siblings Day, she shared two sweet childhood snaps alongside her sister Christina, 27, and brothers Patrick, 25 and Christopher, 21

Kindness first: At the time, Katherine hit back at the commenter reminding her to be kinder with her words

User rosa_hdz_fashionista continued: 'And if you notice Joseph always likes all their photos and follows them. But They always like most of Arnold's photos except the ones with Joe in them.'

At the time, Katherine hit back at the commenter reminding her to be kinder with her words.

'@rosa_hdz_fashionista saw in your profile it says "god always". Just wanted to remind you of Gods presence in all of our lives and even in yours as you come spreading hurtful words and judgement.

'He does not judge you or any of us. I am praying for you and sending you love not because what you said is okay, but because i believe you need love to heal whatever is causing you to post comments like this. god bless you!'

Arnold has continued to be open about the uncomfortable situation, telling Howard Stern in 2015: 'He's [Joseph's] terrific and he totally understands the situation.'

'So, it all has worked out. It's a very tough situation for him. It's a very tough situation for my kids. Very tough situation for my family. It was tough for everybody. But it has happened and now we have to figure it out, right?'

MAY 2023 - SCHWARZENEGGER AND SHRIVER'S CHILDREN 'DON'T LOVE' HALF-BROTHER JOSEPH

No Joseph: The LA premiere of Schwarzenegger's new actioncomedy series FUBAR provided an even more awkward look at the family dynamics as the action legend's daughters Katherine, 33, and Christina, 31, joined him on the red carpet with Katherine's husband Chris Pratt , 43.

Painful words: In surprisingly brutal terms, a source who knows Arnold claimed to Page Six that his children with Shriver 'don't love' their half-brother Joseph, even though his father reportedly has a strong and supportive relationship with him; seen Monday

His biggest fan: He praised the first episode and his father's performance

The LA premiere of Schwarzenegger's new actioncomedy series FUBAR provided an even more awkward look at the family dynamics as the action legend's daughters Katherine, 33, and Christina, 31, joined him on the red carpet with Katherine's husband Chris Pratt, 43.

However, Joseph had also attended the premiere to support his father, but he walked the red carpet solo without meeting up with his half-siblings.

In surprisingly brutal terms, a source who knows Schwarzenegger claimed to Page Six on Friday that his children with Shriver 'don't love' their half-brother Joseph, even though his father reportedly has a strong and supportive relationship with him.

DailyMail.com reached out to Baena and representatives for Schwarzenegger and his other children.

Schwarzenegger also shares his actor and model son Patrick and his younger son Christopher with Shriver, though they did not attend the FUBAR premiere this week.

The source described Arnold and Joseph as being 'very close.'

'But, to be honest, the other kids dont love Joe,' they continued. 'Its a shame as hes a really good kid, and Arnold has always treated him like all his other kids  very fairly. But for whatever reason, the other kids take [the affair] out on Joe.'

Despite the apparent tension at the premiere, Joseph didn't let on at all in his jubilant Instagram post after the event.

He shared a photo of himself beaming ear to ear and flashing dual thumbs up for the camera.

'I give FUBAR a 2 thumbs up!!!' he wrote. 'Had an amazing time last night at the FUBAR premier!'

Choosing sides: Although Joseph didn't even mention his half-siblings, several top comments on the post called out their behavior while praising him for staying above the fray

Making a statement? It's common for public figures to delete controversial comments from their posts, but Joseph opted to leave the statements about his absent siblings in place

He went on to praise the first episode that was screened at the premiere for its balance of action and comedy, before adding that he was 'especially proud' to see his father and costar Gabriel Luna 'bring this amazing show to life.'

'Just remember Heros dont retire. They reload,"' he concluded.

Although Joseph didn't even mention his half-siblings, several top comments on the post called out their behavior while praising him for staying above the fray.

'Joe is Arnolds true legacy and his rich lazy kids are clearly butthurt. Keep on trucking Joe,' wrote one fan.

Another said it was 'disgusting' how he was 'treated' by his 'own blood.'

No rush: A family source claimed in 2019 that (LR) Patrick, Katherine, Christopher and Christina were working on their relationship with Joseph privately, but little appears to have changed after four years

Baby steps: Although a source who knew Katherine defended her for not wanting a relationship with Joseph in 2019, another source told Page Six that her brother Patrick has been seen working out with his half-brother in the past; seen in April

'Completely ignored due to something out of your control. Is it racial hostility?' they mused, before urging him to 'use this bulls*** to fuel you.'

One user said they just started following Joseph to 'support' him after his 'snobby siblings' opted not to.

'You are a great example for many. You train hard, have made it on your own without taking your father's last name, you have a job, you support your father and look up to him,' they wrote. 'In my eyes, you are an exemplary son.'

It's common for public figures to delete controversial comments from their posts, but Joseph opted to leave the statements about his absent siblings in place.

Witnesses reportedly saw Joseph stay at the after-party at the swanky outdoor mall The Grove, but Katherine, Chris and Christina all left shortly after the premiere wrapped.

FOLLOWING IN ARNIE'S FOOTSTEPS - ACTING ODYSSEY

Number one gun: Deadline reported that Baena (pictured in January) had been cast in the film Gunner which was written and will be directed by Dimitri Logotheti

Buff: He will portray a character named Wally who is a young, wet-behind-the-ears Deputy Sheriff; he is seen in a gym photo posted last month

Becoming a working actor: While Joseph currently works as a real estate agent, he has been putting in the footwork to become a working actor like his Terminator dad

Joseph is set to star in an action film alongside Luke Hemsworth and Morgan Freeman.

Deadline reported in April the bodybuilder had been cast in the film Gunner which was written and will be directed by Dimitri Logotheti.

He will portray a character named Wally who is a young Deputy Sheriff.

According to the industry news publication, the film is centred around Special Forces veteran Lee Gunner (Hemsworth) as he takes his two sons on a camping trip where they stumble upon a fentanyl lab and are kidnapped by drug runners.

However, Gunner will stop at nothing to get his boys back safely as he not only faces off against a criminal cartel but also the FBI and local police as he uses his special training to bring his family back together.

While Joseph currently works as a real estate agent, he has been putting in the footwork to become a working actor like his famous father.

Last year Joseph had landed his first major role in John Malkovich's upcoming sci-fi film Chariot.

He also starred in Bully High and one episode of Scam Squad.

His acting career is certainly starting off well as he has five upcoming films including Gunner and another action flick titled Called To Duty which is currently in post-production.
Several marquee franchises titles are leaving streaming giant Netflix next month.

Netflix - which saw daily sign-ups double recently - will axe many films and television shows including Austin Powers, Resident Evil, Kindergarten Cop, and Chappelle's Show to name a few.

Many fans on social media have already expressed devastation about the cult favorite films and television shows being axed from the streamer.

Among those were all three Austin Powers films including: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), and Austin Powers In Gold Member (2002) which stars Beyonce.

Not groovy: Several marquee franchises titles are leaving streaming giant Netflix next month including Austin Powers starring Mike Myers and Beyonce (pictured in 2002's Austin Powers In Gold Member)

Another massive franchise that the streaming giant will be losing is Resident Evil starring Milla Jovovich. Those titles which will be unavailable for streaming are: Resident Evil (2002), Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), and Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010), Resident Evil: Retribution (2012).

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence's Bad Boys films are also being axed including the 1995 original and 2003 sequel Bad Boys II.

Classic comedy films will also be taking a hit including 1990's Kindergarten Cop starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, 2003's How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, and 2009's The Hangover.

On the television front, one of the most iconic sketch comedy shows Chappelle's Show starring Dave Chappelle will have the first two seasons taken off the platform.

The omissions come at an interesting time as it was reported last week that daily

sign-ups for Netflix surged in the first few days after the streaming giant's password-sharing crackdown came into effect, new data show.

After it began alerting subscribers of the crackdown on May 23, Netflix had the four single largest days of US user acquisition on record, according to research firm Antenna, which has been tracking the data since 2019.

On both May 26 and May 27, Netflix had nearly 100,000 daily sign-ups, and over the four-day period, average daily sign-ups reached 73,000, an increase of 102 percent from the prior 60-day average.

Not back from the dead: Another massive franchise that the streaming giant will be losing is Resident Evil starring Milla Jovovich. Those titles which will be unavailable for streaming are: Resident Evil (2002), Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004; pictured), and Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010), Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

Whatchu' gonna do? Will Smith and Martin Lawrence's Bad Boys films are also being axed including the 1995 original (pictured) and 2003 sequel Bad Boys II

The news sent shares of the company up nearly 3 percent, to $421.50, in afternoon trading on Friday, June 9.

Prior to the crackdown, Netflix had estimated that more than 100 million households had supplied their log-in credentials to people outside their homes.

Seeking to boost revenue in a saturated streaming market, Netflix last month launched its password-sharing crackdown -- a drastic turnaround for a company that once tweeted 'Love is sharing a password'.

Under the new rules, US users can add a member outside of their homes for an additional fee of $8 per month.

Stunner: Classic comedy films will also be taking a hit including 2003's How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey (pictured) and 2009's The Hangover

The party pooper: 1990's Kindergarten Cop starring Arnold Schwarzenegger will also be cut

Hilarious: On the television front, one of the most iconic sketch comedy shows Chappelle's Show starring Dave Chappelle will have the first two seasons taken off the platform

The strategy seems to have paid off, as new sign-ups surged in late May, even topping the prior record numbers seen in the early days of COVID-19 lockdowns, according to the data from Antenna.

Antenna noted that while account cancellations also increased during the period from May 24-27, they did not rise as quickly as new signups.

The ratio of signups to cancels since May 23 is up 25.6 percent compared to the previous 60-day period, the firm said.

Here is the list of what is leaving Netflix in July 2023 in full:

July 1, 2023 #AnneFrank  Parallel Stories (2019) A Touch of Green (2016) Against the Tide (2014) Ali Baba ve 7 Cuceler (2015) American Gangster (2007) Austin Powers in Gold Member (2002) Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) Bad Boys (1995) Bad Boys II (2003) Battleship (2012) Breakout (2010) Bruno (2009) Chappelles Show (Seasons 1-2) Cleo & Cuquin (Seasons 1-2) Closer (2004) End of Days (1999) For Colored Girls (2010) Friday Night Lights (2004) Friends with Money (2006) Heroes (1977) Home Again (2017) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003) How to Train Your Dragon (2010) I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) Inside Man (2006) Inside Man: Most Wanted (2019) Jerry Maguire (1996) Kindergarten Cop (1990) Last Action Hero (1993) Legal Eagles (1986) Lemony Snickets A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) LOL (2012) Marnie (1964) Matilda (1996) My Birthday Song (2018) Mystic Whispers (2014) National Lampoons Animal House (1978) National Security (2003) Out of Africa (1985) Peeples (2013) Pek Yaknda (2014) Pitch Perfect (2012) Psycho (1960) Puss in Boots (2011) Red Dragon (2002) Resident Evil (2002) Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) Shrek Forever After (2010) Spice Up (2014) The Birds (1963) The Departed (2006) The Hangover (2009) The Oath (2011) The Silence of Others (2019) The Stepfather (2009) The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009) The Truth Seekers (2016) The Ultimatum (2009) Tower Heist (2011) Twins (1988) Unriddle (2012) Wild Card (2015) World at Your Feet (2014) World War Z (2013) Yes We Can! (2014) You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010) Yours Fatefully (2012) Advertisement
But Terry's decision proved divisive, with some crying that the act was subpar

Chioma, eight, the group's leader, said getting the gold buzzer was his 'dream'

Terry Crews is taking some heat for what many feel was the America's Got Talent host's unwarranted use of the show's signature golden buzzer.

This week's episode featured an audition from The Atlanta Drum Academy, which teaches kids how to play the drums, with the troupe of 20 students led by eight-year-old Chioma.

Prior to taking the stage, Chioma told Crews, 54, that he 'had a dream that I was on America's Got Talent, winning the golden buzzer.'

The kiddo further gushed how much he 'love[s]' AGT,' then proceeded to explain how he made 'a vision board with [his] mom, and [he added] some glitter to make the golden buzzer' as part of the cute, crafty composition.

Host Terry Crews, 54, couldn't help but smash the golden buzzer on this week's episode of America's Got Talent to fulfill the dream of one eight-year-old hopeful

The audition featured a group of 20 students from The Atlanta Drum Academy

Chioma, the eight-year-old who led the troupe in their performance, had told Crews he'd made a vision board with his mom on which he'd illustrated the golden buzzer with glitter glue

The act, which last just under two minutes, forayed from an acoustic solo by Chioma to the whole ensemble drumming in sync, all the while carrying out complex physical choreography in time to the rhythm.

The final stretch saw the energetic company dance and drum to the tunes of 2010 chart-topper OMG by Usher and will.i.am and Tag Team's 1993 hit Whoomp! (There It Is), the latter concluding the performance.

When OMG came on, a reaction cam showed Terry begin to enthusiastically bounce along to the beat as he watched the group from the wings of the stage.

Judge Heidi Klum, 50, enthused how she 'love[s] that you do something with your extra time outside of school - instead of being on your computers you're putting this amazing act together!

'I love that!' she added, giving two thumbs up.

Judge Sofia Vergara, 50, similarly expressed enthusiasm for the crew.

'I didn't like it,' began judge Simon Cowell, 63, eliciting boos from the audience.

He briefly paused for suspense before finishing the thought: 'I absolutely loved it!' - prompting the crowd to burst into cheers.

Simon Cowell, 63, pulled a fake out with his feedback, initially saying 'I didn't like it' - then pausing before finishing his thought: 'I absolutely loved it!'

Terry seized the moment to fulfill lead-drummer Chioma's 'dream' of getting the golden buzzer on AGT

After Terry awarded them the golden buzzer, the troupe of student drummers began jumping up and down as gold confetti rained down on them as a symbol of their victory

'I mean seriously, what's not to like? They're so much fun and they're so talented. This is one of my favorite, favorite auditions this year. I really mean that!'

He continued, 'Okay, I think I know where this is going ,' implying that he was certain The Atlanta Drum Academy would garner enough 'yes' votes from the judges panel to advance.

Suddenly, Terry burst on to the stage, frantically waving his arms as he bellowed, 'No, no, no, no, no, no NO! There is NO need to vote! NO NEED!'

He then addressed Chioma, recounting how the pint-size percussionist had told him prior to taking the stage about his 'dream' to get the golden buzzer.

'And the Atlanta Drum Academy, I am honored to make that dream come true!' Terry continued before smashing his hand down on the golden buzzer.

Chioma's expression changed from thrilled to over-the-moon as the group began to jump up and down in victory - with the pressing of the golden buzzer unleashing a torrent of gold confetti from above.

The Twitter mob lashed out at Terry for his call

However, not everyone was as enthusiastic about the Terry's move - and many took to Twitter to make their feelings known.

'You have to have some of the most undeserving Golden Buzzers in AGT history. And that is really saying something. The group was good but you are clearly there to make a statement, not to actually pick the most talented,' one viewer fumed.

'The weakest golden buzzer ever,' griped another.

As yet another armchair critic put it, 'You did a nice thing. But it's a talent show. Supposed to send the best acts through. Their routine wasn't together. Never seen any gold ticket winner not completely smash it.'

The original concept behind AGT's golden buzzer was that each judge gets one chance per season to use it on a contestant they deem particularly deserving - resulting in the act being automatically advanced to the next round of the competition.

And, even though some felt the performance was lackluster, the act seemed sure to advance either way in light of the encouraging feedback from Heidi, Sofia and Simon - given that three 'yes' votes also meant that they would have stayed in the running.

That said, plenty of positive-minded AGT fans chimed in to praise Terry's decision.

'Thank you for making these amazing kids dreams come true,' one wrote.

Another gushed, 'What a amazing beautiful thing for these babies. You give them hope and the confidence that they will carry for the rest of their lives. This is a wonderful boost to help these kids really achieve greatness. God Bless you sir.'
World's hub for small commodities embraces more prosperous development

16:12, June 17, 2023 By Li Zhongwen, Yang Kai, Han Weizheng ( People's Daily

Foreigners buy commodities in a shop at the Yiwu International Trade Market, east China's Zhejiang province. (Photo by Yang Meiqing/People's Daily Online)

The Yiwu International Trade Market, the world's largest wholesale market of small commodities located in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang province, is constantly crowded. Vehicles enter and exit the market 88,600 times each day on average, or once every second.

"Since the first quarter of this year, the market has been receiving about 200,000 visits per day on average, including 2,000 made by foreign merchants, which is equivalent to the pre-pandemic level," said Huang Haiyang, deputy general manager of Zhejiang China Commodities City Group, the company that manages the market.

The thriving business at the Yiwu International Trade Market, dubbed "the world's supermarket," comes from the sound business environment, the high-level opening up, and the application of digital technologies.

How long does it take to establish a company in Yiwu?

In the Yiwu municipal administrative service center, a woman named Yang Xiaomin finished business registration at a self-service counter in just less than 20 minutes, and was told that the license would be delivered to her later for free. She said the service was convenient and caring.

A Jordanian merchant nicknamed Mude has been doing business in Yiwu for 21 years. He's quite satisfied with the business environment in the city.

"Yiwu is a fantastic city for business. Your problems can be well settled here," the man told People's Daily.

It was echoed by an Indian businessman by the name of Loki, who said that government departments of the city have established a number of chat groups on social media WeChat, so as to ensure that merchants can be reached soon once they encounter difficulties.

This year, the freight trains via the Yixin'ou (Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe) route, a symbol of the city's opening up, have made a total of over 700 trips, carrying nearly 60,000 twenty-foot equivalent units.

Facing sluggish foreign demand, Yiwu has firmly encouraged its enterprises to explore more possibilities overseas. Since November last year, Yiwu has sent seven business delegations comprising a total of more than 320 enterprises to Germany, the UK, the United States, Japan and other foreign markets, where they inked deals totaling over 100 million yuan ($13.98 million).

Commodities to be exported are manufactured in an intelligent workshop of an enterprise in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang province. (Photo by Wang Songneng/People's Daily Online)

In the first four months of this year, Yiwu's exports increased 13 percent year-on-year to 147.64 billion yuan, said Yang Yanxiang from Yiwu's customs.

Digital technologies also contribute to the prosperity of "the world's supermarket."

"Over 30 percent of our new clients are from online channels," said Fu Miaoling, who runs a woodwork company in Yiwu. Her company is laying more and more emphasis on Chinagoods, the official online platform of the Yiwu International Trade Market, which has brought it more business than before.

"Through the intelligent transformation of workshops, the production efficiency of our company has jumped 55 percent, while the production cost has been lowered by 28 percent, which significantly strengthens our competitiveness in the market," said deputy director Zeng Jian'gen of the IT center of Huading Nylon, a manufacturer of premium nylon materials headquartered in Yiwu.

Zhu Rongfang, general manager of a supply chain management company in Yiwu, told People's Daily that the company helps Chinese suppliers make targeted sales strategies based on analyzing consumer preferences in the overseas market.

"Such information services can lift domestic suppliers' profit by 10 percent," Zhu said.

In Yiwu, all government departments, enterprises and individuals are working for progress and innovation.

High-quality development calls for efficient reform mechanisms, which require quick fixes to assist enterprises with their problems. Yiwu authorities have paid regular visits to enterprises and provided each with a servant. Difficulties can be solved with a phone call.

Many foreign traders are doing business in Yiwu. To solve foreign-related commercial disputes, the city has creatively set up a specialized mediation committee, which invites credible experts that speak foreign languages and excel in foreign trade to help solve disputes related to foreigners.

So far, the committee has handled 1,170 disputes that involve transactions totaling 128 million yuan, with the rate of dispute resolution reaching 96 percent.

A fully loaded China-Europe freight train departs from Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang province, for Central Asian countries, April 21, 2023. (Photo by Hu Xiaofei/People's Daily Online)

Yiwu merchants have fully developed themselves in fierce market competition. Ten years ago, they had to visit other countries to learn the design of hats, but today, about 90 percent of hats in foreign countries are manufactured in Yiwu. "Yiwu is already at the forefront of fashion," said Chen Xinping, who runs a hat company in Yiwu.

Relying on Yiwu's advantages in commodity supply and logistics, the city has established a complete industrial chain of livestream commerce, attracting many entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams.

Today, Yiwu is actively embracing new business forms. It has set up the first livestream commerce college of Zhejiang province and encourages various types of enterprises to build livestream commerce bases.

In the first four months, 195,000 livestream shows were hosted in Yiwu with total retail sales of 13.91 billion yuan, up 24.93 percent year on year. The city's e-commerce transactions in the same period went up 10.74 percent from a year ago to over 130.3 billion yuan.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Sheng Chuyi)
analysis

Even the worst of President Bola Tinubu's critics will admit that he has proved to be a man on a mission. Within two weeks of assuming duty, he has removed subsidy on fuel causing the price to rise by over 150 per cent. He has announced the unification of FX window putting an end to multiple exchange rates; suspended the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and signed into law the Student Loan Bill, among others.

The student loan act is worthy of attention because it is the first major policy targeted at Nigerian youths whom the President claimed to have heard loud and clear following the outcome of the 2023 presidential election in which the younger generation pushed their political advocacy beyond the social media to the polls.

In his acceptance speech after emerging the President-elect, President Tinubu promised to grant education loan to Nigerian students and ensure that university lecturers no longer go on strike. "Four years course will be four years, no more strikes. Education loan will be available," he had said among others. So, signing the student loan bill into law on Monday was indeed a promise fulfilled.

Tagged "Access to Higher Education Act, the law makes provision for interest-free loans to indigent Nigerian students. It is also available to all students seeking higher education in any public institution in Nigeria provided they meet the criteria for qualification. The loan according to the document in public space is only for the payment of Tuition fees.

The Act provides for the establishment of a Nigerian Education Bank to be funded by the Federal Government. The Bank is expected to start with a share capital of N1 billion at N1/share with the Federal Government holding 100 per cent of the shares.

Beneficiaries are expected to start paying back two years after their compulsory national youth service. Payments will be 10 per cent direct deductions from their salary account. Self- employed graduates are expected to document their income for deductions within 60 days. They will also remit 10 per cent of their monthly profits. Defaulters will face two years imprisonment or N500,000 fine.

To be eligible, applicants must have secured an admission into any tertiary institution either federal or state. This could be universities, polytechnics or colleges of education. The student must also come from a family with an annual income of less than N500,000 and provide at least two guarantors who must either be civil servants above Level 12 or a lawyer with at least 10 years post-call experience.

The education bank will get its supply from education bonds, all interests arising from deposits in bank and education endowment fund schemes. Also, one per cent of taxes, levies and duties to the Federal Government through the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Nigerian Customs will go to the bank. It will also be funded by one per cent of profits from oil and other natural resources as well as grants, gifts and any other endowments.

Applications are to be done through the Students Affairs Offices of the respective institutions to be forwarded to the Chairman of the Education Bank in their territory. These applications will thereafter be forwarded to the Minister of Education for approval within 30 days of submission and disbursement made immediately after Minister's approval.

Students are disqualified from applying if they have defaulted in any loan before; have proven case of exam malpractice; ever been convicted for any offense of dishonesty or fraud; convicted for drug abuse; or their parents have any history of previous default on any loan.

President Tinubu believes this loan is capable of ensuring that every Nigerian has access to higher education. Considering its multifaceted sources of revenue, the Education Bank is not likely to suffer a draught. Afterall, other Federal Government initiatives with lesser funding channels still run successfully today. Take for instance the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) whose major source of funding is the two percent education tax paid from the assessable profit of companies registered in Nigeria. With this, TETFUND has done incredibly well in uplifting essential physical infrastructure for teaching and learning in many tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

If not for TETFUND, perhaps many public institutions in Nigeria may not have new structures. I was once at the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro in Ogun State, and all the new buildings there were built by TETFUND. The story is similar in many institutions. The fund has also helped in training many Nigerian academics abroad, though many of these lecturers have also been lost to these foreign countries no thanks to the unconducive learning environments back home. Perhaps, the only area where Nigeria is yet to feel the worth of TetFund is in the area of research and development.

Likewise, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has been sustained over the years despite being funded solely by two per cent of Nigeria's Consolidated Revenue. In fact, UBEC has so much money in its kitty that it is always begging state governments to come and access it. The management of the commission recently lamented that about N110bn of the intervention funds for the 2021 financial year had yet to be disbursed in 2023. So, we can imagine the amount of funds that will come to the education loan bank through all the government agencies and other sources that have been mandated to contribute towards it.

But money is not enough. There should be a clear definition of what the scheme aims to achieve and how it intends to succeed. Right now, the first major threat to its survival is nonrepayment of loans. An average Nigerian graduate earns between N30,000 and N50,000 a month. This is less than $100. These are the fortunate ones. Many of them are unemployed. Unfortunately, this problem is not ending soon. Unemployment rate is projected to reach 40.6 per cent in 2023. Without jobs, the loans may end up as students' own share of Nigeria's national cake. Besides, what happens to student dropouts who could have enjoyed the loans for years and never get employed or engaged in business.

Yet as big as the concern over repayment is, it is just a minute part of a bigger issue. The real question is how is this loan going to ensure that lecturers are well paid as at when due and that they do not go on strike. The government has always complained of inadequate fund to honour the different agreements it signed with university lecturers. How is a student loan scheme intended to boost the revenue base of Nigeria's public institutions?

Secondly, Nigeria's public tertiary institutions are currently tuition free. Agreed, students pay for course registration, accommodation, etc. but that is not tuition. So, what is the purpose of this loan. Is it to help students pay registration fees? Or is it a precursor to introduction of tuition in Nigeria's tertiary institutions? If students will pay tuition, how much is government projecting?

The act says the loan will ensure access to education for all Nigerians. How? Currently, less than half of about 1.5 million candidates that sit for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination yearly, gain admission to tertiary institutions. While some candidates don't meet the cut-off mark for admission, majority are left out due to lack of space in the institutions they applied to.

In 2019, over 1.8m candidates sat the UTME, but only 612,098 representing 33.7 per cent were admitted. A report, shows that about 367,499 candidates applied for the 43,717 slots available in Medical Departments in Nigerian universities in 2022. Likewise, 231,907 applied for social science courses that had only 93,277 slots while 204,734 applied for science-related courses that had just 132,796 vacancies.

Likewise, 81,653 applied For Law-related courses that had 8,529 vacancies; 103,891 students applied for technology-related courses with 60,199 vacancies; 72,014 applied for courses under Arts and Humanities despite the 48,744 vacancies in this programme.

For now, the only courses that have lesser candidates than available slots are Agriculture and Education. For Agriculture, 21,568 applied despite the 31,217 vacancies that were available while only 53612 applied to fill the 111,601 vacancies existing for education courses.

When it comes to accessing tertiary education, the real problem is limited carrying capacity of our institutions which limits the number of students that can be admitted per time and lack of students' interest in certain courses which results in undersubscription of such courses.

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Solving this problem requires boosting the carrying capacity of our institutions and making courses like agriculture and education more attractive to students. This means employing more lecturers to boost student-lecturer ratio; constructing more lecture theatres; investing in teaching aids; and enlarging accommodation spaces on campus for students among others. Giving students loan will not solve any of these problems.

Interestingly, the loan act states that students can only benefit from the scheme if their family income is not more than N500,000 per annum. In other words, a family where both parents are minimum wage earners are automatically exempted from the scheme since their total income is more than N500,000. If children of people earning less than $100 a month cannot benefit from a loan, who then can, or who should?

The law also says guarantors should be above Level 12 or lawyers that have over 10 years post call experience. How easy will it be for people that earn less than $100 a month to get senior civil servants as guarantors.

The act is silent on both the minimum and maximum amount of money that can be drawn by a beneficiary. Maybe these details will be provided when the law is gazetted.

From all indications, President Tinubu is planning to introduce tuition in Nigerian universities. I have nothing against this. I have always advocated it. It is the way to go if we are sincere about rescuing our education system from its current state of rot. But this process should be well-thought out. Existing laws that provide for free tertiary education in federal-government owned public institutions should be amended. Also, the tuition should be reasonable. Education is a public good. It can't be funded with tuition alone. Tuition can never be the alternative to government funding and student loan will not do any magic in this regard!

Olabisi Deji-Folutile is the editor-in-chief, Franktalknow.com and director at AF24NEWS.COM.
Strictly's Amy Dowden has opened up on the terrifying wait she had to endure for surgery following her recent breast cancer diagnosis.

Professional ballroom dancer Amy, 32, confirmed the diagnosis in May after discovering a lump while preparing for her honeymoon with husband Ben Jones in April.

She revealed that she was left in tears and worrying the disease was 'spreading inside' ahead of her single mastectomy.

Surgeons removed two tumours from her right breast as well as cancer 'specs' and lymph nodes, which have since been sent for analysis.

Amy told The Mirror: 'The cancer is in the lab now, which is the most important thing, the hardest time was waiting for surgery, thinking "I have cancer inside me".

Scary times: Strictly's Amy Dowden, 32, has opened up on the terrifying wait she had to endure for surgery following her recent breast cancer diagnosis

Candid: Professional ballroom dancer Amy, 32, confirmed the diagnosis in May after discovering a lump while preparing for her honeymoon with husband Ben Jones in April

'Youre thinking "Its grade three, what if its spreading, what if it spreads tonight?"'.

'The feeling of it made me feel disgusted, disgusting. Thats the time I was randomly crying, emotional'.

Amy went on to tell the publication she hadn't yet looked at her reconstructed breast out of fear of 'upsetting' herself.

According to the NHS a mastectomy is an operation to remove a breast. It's used to treat breast cancer in women and breast cancer in men. The operation usually involves removing most of the breast tissue and skin, and the nipple.

It comes after Amy credited her Strictly Come Dancing colleagues for their incredible support after informing them of her breast cancer diagnosis during a group meeting.

She has since received a wave of public support from her co-stars on the BBC flagship, with Strictly producers confirming her position on the show will remain vacant until she returns.

Acknowledging their response, she told HELLO: 'The pros have been amazing. They all told me how they would be there every step of the way until I join them on the dancefloor again.'

Husband Ben, who exchanged vows with the dancer in South Wales last July, also credited family members for helping them maintain a positive outlook.

Honesty: She revealed that she was left in tears and worrying the cancer was 'spreading inside of her' ahead of her single mastectomy

Happy: Professional ballroom dancer Amy, 32, confirmed the diagnosis in May after discovering a lump while preparing for her honeymoon with husband Ben Jones in April

He said: 'Amy has had a lot to deal with in her life and, as I expected, has shown great resilience in the past couple of weeks.

'We are both surrounded by lots of family and friends who are going to be an important support to us in the coming months. We are both staying very positive and remain optimistic moving forward.'

The Strictly Come Dancing professional shared her diagnosis on Instagram in May and discussed the possibility of returning to the BBC show for its new series later this year.

She wrote: 'Hey all, I've got some news which isn't easy to share. I've recently been diagnosed with breast cancer but I'm determined to get back on that dance floor before you know it. Welsh love Amy.'

The dancer has battled gut condition Crohn's disease since she was a child and said she has already been through 'quite a lot' in her life with health struggles.

She told HELLO at the time: 'You just don't ever think it's going to happen to you. I hadn't thought it was possible to get breast cancer at my age. My mum has had breast cancer, but she had it at a later age, in her 50s.'

Amy said it was taking part in the CoppaTrek! walk last June in support of breast health awareness charity CoppaFeel! that led her to discover her own cancer.

Tight knit community: Amy has credited her Strictly friends for their support (L-R Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova and Amy Dowden in 2017)

She realised that she doesn't 'check her breasts' and then made a conscious effort to check herself, saying CoppaFeel! has 'potentially saved her life'.

'I don't know how long this lump could have been there before I would have noticed and done something about it,' she added.

Amy said she found a lump in her right breast in April, a day before she and her husband flew to the Maldives for a belated honeymoon after their wedding last July.

The dancer said she was 'in shock' and decided to keep an eye on the lump, before going to the doctor when the lump grew on her return home.

She was immediately sent for an emergency referral, where she was told the lump looked 'suspicious' and to 'prepare for the worst'.

After a biopsy, Amy was told she had grade three breast cancer, saying her first question was when she could get back on the dance floor.

Grade three cancer is when the cells look very different to normal breast cells and tend to spread more quickly. The grade describes how a cancer cell looks under a microscope.

It is different to a cancer stage, which describes the size of the cancer and how far it has spread. Amy is yet to find out what stage of cancer she has.

Amy said her cancer has been caught 'early' and she is now waiting for more information before she is given a full treatment plan, which will include surgery.
Julie Bishop is living her best life following her shock breakup from David Panton, as the politician posed with a group of sexy muscle men on Friday.

The former Minister for Foreign Affairs, 66, jetted off to Sentosa Island in Singapore for a luxury holiday where she decided to join an early morning boot camp.

To her delight, the class was filled with attractive men who she gleefully posed with in a jaw-dropping photo she uploaded to Instagram.

In the snap, the fashionista sported a huge smile on her face and donned black athleisure wear as she stood in front of four towering studs who flaunted their ripped muscles.

'Morning boot camp. Singapore style,' she captioned the image, which boasted a luxury resort as the backdrop.

Julie Bishop, 66, (right) is living her best life following her shocking breakup from David Panton, 61, (left) as the politician posed with a group sexy muscle men on Friday

The former Minister for Foreign Affairs jetted off to Sentosa Island in Singapore for a luxury holiday where she decided to join an early morning boot camp. To her delight, the class was filled with attractive men who she gleefully posed with in a photo

It comes after Julie's ex David, 61, allegedly dumped her over dinner in Sydney last year, putting an end to their eight-year relationship as he moved on with a 38-year-old woman just months later.

During their partnership, Julie took David to the United Nations to meet world leaders, Buckingham Palace to hobnob with British royalty, and to the White House where he met Donald and Melania Trump.

The pair first stepped out publicly in 2014, and were pictured at countless celebrity events over the years including the 2018 wedding of Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough.

They had appeared to be going strong when they visited St James' Palace in London for an event honouring Prince Charles' charity - now King Charles.

Julie was understood to have been 'blindsided' by the sudden breakdown of her relationship, sources close to the former politician said.

Daily Mail Australia understands she had been finding more ways to be in Sydney with David when the split occurred.

Another source close to Julie hinted that David's presence in her inner circle 'divided' some of her friends and colleagues.
Julia Fox looked mesmerizing while walking the runway during Milan Fashion Week in Italy on Friday.

The 33-year-old Uncut Gems actress modeled a sheer white negligee with over-the-knee stockings and slouchy leather boots for the Dsquared2 Spring/Summer 2024 fashion show.

For accessories, the media personality was seen carrying a structured, heart-shaped purse and donned an eye-catching statement necklace.

The ex-girlfriend of Kanye West sported a gold chain choker decorated with organically-shaped pearls and a silver seashell pendant.

The trendsetter  who turned heads in a striking makeup look at the British Vogue x LuisaViaRoma: Runway Icons Show on Wednesday  wore her brunette tresses styled in a natural, semi-straight look that swayed as she walked.

Sexy: Julia Fox looked mesmerizing while walking the runway during Milan Fashion Week in Italy on Friday. The 33-year-old Uncut Gems actress modeled a sheer white negligee with over-the-knee stockings and slouchy leather boots for the Dsquared2 Spring/Summer 2024 fashion show

On the runway, the Italian-American model showed off her trim figure in the sexy garment adorned with the logo of the Italian luxury fashion house.

The sexy minidress featured daring cutouts around the bust and in the style of a V-shaped thong.

The bottom of the slip also featured subtle frilled and lace detailing.

To go with the dress, she wore a pair of over-the-knee sheer stockings with a lace and floral design.

She modeled a pair of pointed-toe, white leather boots with stiletto heels.

Fox looked glamorous in a sultry makeup look featuring thin eyebrows, smoky brown eyeshadow, and warm-toned blush.

To finish off the look, she rocked a deep plum glossy lip.

At one point while she walked to the end of the runway, she passed by two topless male models wearing white undergarments that read 'Siffredi Hard Academy'.

High fashion: For accessories, the media personality was seen carrying a structured, heart-shaped purse and donned an eye-catching statement necklace. The ex-girlfriend of Kanye West sported a gold chain choker decorated with organically-shaped pearls and a silver seashell pendant

Stunning: Fox looked glamorous in a sultry makeup look featuring thin eyebrows, smoky brown eyeshadow, and warm-toned blush. To finish off the look, she rocked a deep plum glossy lip

Earlier this week, Fox wore a thong-baring, latex dress with a dramatic peplum at the British Vogue x LuisaViaRoma: Runway Icons Show in Florence.

She turned heads in the show-stopping, sequin garment that hugged and revealed her curves in all of the right places.

At the one-off event, she joined many other stars to celebrate the most iconic looks in high-fashion history.
It has a been a busy time for Harrison Ford as he's been promoting the much-anticipated Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny  which is the fifth and final film in the action-adventure film franchise.

And with the widespread premiere date exactly two weeks away, the Hollywood leading man, 80, managed to sneak in some downtime on Friday afternoon.

Ford stopped by the famed Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills to do some shopping at the many high-end stores.

He was captured making his way back to his vehicle with a small navy blue shopping bag in hand.

Ford went with his go-to, casual-cool aesthetic by rocking blue jeans, a stylish plaid button-down shirt and brown leather boots.

Shopping: Harrison Ford, 80, got in some shopping on Friday in Beverly Hills, despite being in the midst of the promotional push for Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny

Though it's unclear what caught the actor's eye during his shopping trip, the size of the bag may indicate a jewelry or cologne purchase.

Just days earlier, Ford attended the Los Angeles premiere of Dial Of Destiny at the Dolby Theatre with his wife Calista Flockart, 58.

As leading man, he's also had to hit the promotional trail, which typically includes interviews for television, print media and internet publications.

In what's considered Indy's last adventure with Ford wearing the iconic fedora-style hat and carrying his trusty whip, Dial Of Destiny is set in 1969 with the backdrop of the Space Race.

Dr. Jones finds himself uneasy over the U.S. government's recruitment of former Nazis to help beat the Soviet Union in the competition to make it to space.

Directed by James Mangold from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth and David Koepp, the cast also includes Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Ethann Isidore and Boyd Holbrook.

Indiana Jones And The Dial of Destiny, the first of the franchise not to have Steven Spielberg direct, is scheduled to hit theaters across the United States on Friday, June 30.

Treating himself: He was captured making his way back to his vehicle with a small navy blue shopping bag in hand

Iconic: The Chicago native, who got his start in both film and television in 1967, first wore the iconic brown fedora as Dr. Indiana Jones in Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

Coming soon: Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny is set to hit theaters across the U.S. on June 30

Ford's previous role came just months earlier, in the Apple TV+ comedy-drama series Shrinking, alongside Jason Segel, that dropped on January 27.

The legendary actor plays Jimmy Laird, a therapist dealing with severe grief, who begins to breach ethical barriers by telling his patients what he really thinks, that ends up resulting in massive changes to himself and the lives of his patients.

It has received positive reviews, with included praise for the performances, writing, humor, and examination of grief among a number of publications.

Those positive reviews were enough to help Shrinking get renewed for a second season this past March.
Megan Fox was stylish and sexy in a structured, black, blazer mini dress as she attended the Medical Inn grand opening and charity event in Duesseldorf, Germany on Friday.

The 37-year-old actress - who recently clapped back at Robby Starbuck online - showed off her long, toned legs in the sultry look.

The mother-of-three's lengthy, ginger-colored hair was parted down the center and styled in uniform waves.

Her dress was cinched and pinned at her trim waistline and the sleeves fell past her hands as she opted for an oversized fit.

The Jennifer's Body actress finished her striking look with a pair of sleek, black, pointed toe heels.

Smoldering: Megan Fox was stylish and sexy in a structured, black, blazer mini dress as she attended the Medical Inn grand opening and charity event in Duesseldorf, Germany on Friday

Leggy: The 37-year-old actress showed off her long, toned legs in the sultry look

Megan rocked long, sharp, glossy, red nails and carried a small, black, satin pouch.

The silver screen siren's visage was carefully made up to bring out her naturally beautiful features.

She drew attention to her blue eyes with dramatic lashes and sleek black liner that gave her a cat eye effect.

Fox's face was framed with her meticulously shaped dark eyebrows and she dusted her cheeks with blush.

Finally, her plump pout was swiped with a flattering peach hue and completed with a glossy finish.

The star is in Europe accompanying her fiance Machine Gun Kelly on his tour, where she watched him perform in Berlin last week.

During the show, she was spotted on the side of the stage at the Waldbuehne event venue.

She wore a low-cut black top with black tights, and slung a leather jacket around her arms.

Mingling: Megan posed alongside Dr. Mehmet Atila, who wore an all white look to the event

Trio: L-R Megan, Dr. Atila, and Filiz Atila

According to a source who spoke to People, Megan 'seems much happier' now that she and her beau have weathered a bump in their relationship.

In February the actress took to social media with a cryptic post implying the music artist had cheated on her.

At the time, it fueled speculation that the couple had called it quits.

Megan went on to write online that 'there was no third party interference' in their relationship.

'They have done a lot of work to make their relationship strong again and are back together,' the insider told People. 'They are engaged, but are not wedding planning.'

The person added, 'Megan wears her ring too. She seems much happier.'

Megan's appearance at the charity event comes after she clapped back at Starbuck, who ran for U.S. Congress in 2022, after he said she forces her sons to dress in girls' clothes.

He took to Twitter to share that he 'used to live in the same gated community' as Megan and ex-husband Brian Austin Green, and that their kids 'played at the park.'

Press: The superstar, who is engaged to Machine Gun Kelly, spoke with reporters

Gorgeous: The mother-of-three's lengthy, ginger-colored hair was parted down the center and styled in uniform waves

He went on to claim he witnessed two of the former couple's children say 'they were forced by their mom to wear girls clothes' while their nanny 'tried to console them.'

She screenshot the post and shared it on her Instagram page along with a fiery message.

The protective mother began the caption, 'hey @robbystarbuck. i really dont want to give you this attention because clearly you're a clout chaser but let me teach you something'

The note continued, '[Regardless] of how desperate you may become at any given time to acquire wealth, power, success, or fame - never use children as leverage or social currency. especially under malevolent and erroneous pretense.'

Posted for her 21.2 million followers to see, she continued, 'Exploiting my childs gender identity to gain attention in your political campaign has put you on the wrong side of the universe.

'I have been burned at the stake by, insecure, narcissistic, impotent little men like you many times and yet im still here. you f***ed with the wrong witch.'

On the move: The star is in Europe accompanying her fiance Machine Gun Kelly on his tour, where she watched him perform in Berlin last week

Red carpet: The buzzy event was full of journalists and photographers hoping to get a moment with Fox

Green also shut down the claim as he told TMZ, 'Its a totally bogus story.'

'There are only a few people in their world that can actually verify whether or not a story like this is true and I can tell you with absolute certainty it is not,' the Beverly Hills, 90210 star added.

He continued: 'This person trying to claim this is true is a perfect example of someone with selfish motives that does not care about negatively affecting a parent-child relationship.'

Green and Fox, who split in split in May 2020, share sons Noah, 10, Bodhi, 9, and Journey, 6.

Earlier on Friday. Machine Gun Kelly caught the eye in a quirky punk-rock look as he played with Tommy Lee while performing on stage of Hellfest Open Air Festival in Clisson, France.

The American pop punk-rock star, 33, showcased his impressive array of tattoos all over his body as he displayed his taut abs and chest.

The singer cut a very edgy figure, as he wore an oversized black sleeveless jacket featuring a hoodie which he wore open.

The Pressure hitmaker added further edge to his punk rock ensemble with a large black kilt skirt, embellished with metallic embellishments all over - and accessorised with a matching black belt.

He donned black combat boots with white laces, and wore a metallic spiked necklace.

Duo: Machine Gun Kelly caught the eye in a quirky punk-rock look as he played with Tommy Lee while performing on stage of Hellfest Open Air Festival in Clisson, France, on Friday night

What a look: The American pop punk-rock star, 33, showcased his impressive array of tattoos all over his body as he displayed his taut abs and chest

Punk: The singer cut a very edgy figure, as he wore an oversized black sleeveless jacket featuring a hoodie which he wore open

Edgy: The Pressure hitmaker added further edge to his punk rock ensemble with a large black kilt skirt, embellished with metallic embellishments all over - and accessorised with a matching black belt

The Bloody Valentine singer didn't go wrong as he opted for a typically punk hairstyle, and styled his platinum locks in spikes.

The pop-punk sensation appeared energetic as he played on stage with former Motley Crue star Tommy Lee, who was typically on the drum.

Meanwhile Tommy, 60, donned a quirky hairstyle look as he showed off his half black and half red locks.

He kept it simple with a white t-shirt and black trousers for the performance.
Late Wild 'N Out star Ms Jacky Oh's surgeon Dr. Zachary 'Dr. Zach' Okhah took to Instagram on Friday to break his silence two weeks after her death.

Dr. Zach - who has sued former patients for claiming he botched their surgeries - posted a statement to his account but made no mention of the 33-year-old talent or the incident.

The message to his nearly 97,000 followers began, 'To all my past, current and prospective patients, PH-1 Miami remains devoted to the highest quality medical care.'

'All aesthetic procedures are performed in a hygienically safe environment to universally recognized medical standards,' it continued.

He went on to say, 'I am relentlessly committed to advancing techniques in the realm of plastic surgery.'

Rest in peace: Late Wild 'N Out star Ms Jacky Oh's surgeon Dr. Zachary 'Dr. Zach' Okhah took to Instagram on Friday to break his silence on her death

Okhah's statement finished, 'Most importantly, my staff and I ensure that each patient is vetted, prepped and treated according to their individual patient history prior to any surgery.

'Our mission is to help our patients achieve the best possible results in the safest and most medically appropriate way possible.'

The surgeon tagged his clinic in the post, which had white font set against a black background. It so far has 1,200 likes.

Jacky was pronounced dead on May 31 in Miami when she was found unresponsive after undergoing cosmetic surgery.

A BET Media Group spokesperson confirmed her passing in a post shared to Wild N' Out's Facebook page.

'We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jacklyn Smith, known to the world as Jacky Oh, a talented Wild N Out family member whose impact will be forever treasured and missed,' the spokesperson said. 'Jacky Oh was a loving friend and beloved colleague of the Wild N Out cast throughout five seasons.'

The statement continued: 'More importantly, she was a tremendous mother to three beautiful children.

'The BET Media Group extends our sincere condolences to the Smith family, DC Young Fly, B Simone, Nick Cannon, and all friends who loved and cared for Jacky Oh during this difficult time.'

Statement: The message to his nearly 97,000 followers began, 'To all my past, current and prospective patients, PH-1 Miami remains devoted to the highest quality medical care'

Defending his business: The surgeon wrote that 'all aesthetic procedures are performed in a hygienically safe environment to universally recognized medical standards'

On the job: Dr. Zach pictured performing a procedure in a photo shared to his Instagram

The doctor has sued a number of former patients for claiming in online reviews that he botched their procedures, Page Six reported earlier this month.

Okhah, known as a BBL specialist, sued Leila Penn in July 2021 for more than $30,000 after she alleged the surgeon 'mutilated' her in a review for healthcare marketplace RealSelf.

Okhah denied her claims in court documents obtained by Page Six, arguing her statements were 'false' and defamatory.

He also accused her of encouraging potential patients to get treatments elsewhere by 'directly engaging with' the commenters on the website.

The surgeon dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice in December 2021.

Then, in August 2021 the doctor filed a lawsuit for $30,000 against Kyla Neirenburg for stating in a Google review that 'happy patients' of his 'don't exist.'

She also claimed in a review that patients should read Okhah's reviews on RealSelf because the positive ones were 'likely fake' or written by staff or friends of the surgeon.

Okhah argued Neirenburg's review was defamatory, but the suit was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice in December 2021.

Couple: Ms Jacky Oh and her longtime partner DC Young Fly pictured in 2019

Mother-of-three: Jacky and her partner were parents to three children

Jacky's final Instagram post, a video of her and partner DC Young Fly's three kids sleeping, was shared May 19.

She captioned the post: 'When u get all ur kids to sleep at once ... that right there boiiii ... Tag a Mom #happiness #peace lol.'

Across social media, a number of fans left posts in the wake of the news.

One fan wrote: 'So saddened to hear about the loss of you. 1st thing that came out my mouth, heart and mind was she was so funny, smart, loving and beautiful.'
Bryan Cranston recently opened up about his life and journey from that of a character actor to a bonafide star of film, television and the theater.

The Los Angeles native  who recently clarified comments he made about 'retiring' from acting  was the special guest on 'In conversation With Josh Horowitz' at 92NY in New York City on Friday.

The focus of the stage interview and Q-and-A was to help promote his latest role in Wes Anderson's new film Asteroid City.

Taking place in a fictional desert town in 1955, Asteroid City tells the story of a youth stargazing convention spectacularly disrupted by strange cosmic events, according to the 92NY website.

Considered to be one of the most respected actors of his generation, the man behind Breaking Bad's iconic Walter White character talked about the making of the sci-fi romantic comedy-drama and working with Anderson, who's known for his work on The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Moonrise Kingdom (2012) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014).

In Conversation: Bryan Cranston, 67  who recently clarified comments he made about 'retiring' from acting  was the special guest on 'In conversation With Josh Horowitz' at 92NY in New York City on Friday

Ahead of the sit-down, Cranston, 67, struck a number of poses for photographers in a fitted navy blue suit and a white dress shirt.

He completed the chic look with a pair of suede shoes and green patterned pocket square.

The six-time Primetime Emmy Award-winner sported what could be considered an old-school mustache and stylish clear-framed glasses.

Eventually, Cranston made his way to the stage for the candid one-on-one with Horowtiz.

The host played clips from Asteroid City before Cranston discussed the story and filmmaking process with the audience.

Written and directed by Wes Anderson, the incredible ensemble cast consists of Cranston, Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton,, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori, Jake Ryan and Jeff Goldblum.

It had its world premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 23, where it competed for the Palme d'Or, the highest prize awarded at the annual festival in Cannes, France.

Asteroid City made its debut on Friday, June 16, in a limited release before expanding to wide release on June 23.

Ahead of the sit-down, Cranston, 67, struck a number of poses for photographers in a fitted navy blue suit and a white dress shirt

The focus of the stage interview and Q-and-A was to help promote his latest role in Wes Anderson's new film Asteroid City

Plot: Taking place in a fictional desert town in 1955, Asteroid City tells the story of a youth stargazing convention spectacularly disrupted by strange cosmic events, according to the 92NY website

Cranston's recent statements to GQ about taking a break for a period of at least six months in 2026 to spend more time with his wife were confused as him quitting acting permanently.

'I am not retiring,' the Malcolm In The Middle alum stated in an Instagram post one week ago.'

Instead the Oscar-nominated actor said, 'What I am going to do is hit the pause button for a year after I reach my 70th birthday in 2026. Holy crap - 70!'

'I'm not even sure what 'pausing' means entirely, but at this moment,' he admitted. 'I think it means that by taking a year off it will provide several things;'

Cranston went on to describe the 'pause' as a way to 'reset my career.'

Q-and-A: The host had clips from Asteroid City played and then he and Cranston discussed the story and filmmaking process, which included the experience with Anderson

The process: Horowitz and Cranston discussed some behind-the-scenes anecdotes

Playful: The actor got some laughs when he highlighted his long, old-school mustache

Temporary step away: Cranston clarified his 'retirement' comments in GQ by sharing a lengthy statement on his Instagram page one week ago

'I could not be more grateful and thankful for such opportunities,' he shared, before elaborating even more about why he will be temporarily stepping away.

'I feel as though I'm beginning to run out of fresh ideas in how to play characters that I'm being offered. So exploring a more expanded life experience will give me the chance to replenish my soul and prepare for whatever roles I may be afforded in a more authentic way,' he explained.

Along with spending quality time with his wife during his time away, he also plans to read the classic novels he'd promised himself he would read, all while unplugging from his 'hamster wheel of business.'

He ended by revealing that he never takes his good fortune for granted: 'I am blessed, and man, do I know it.'
They became best friends after appearing on MTV's Ex On The Beach together last year.

And now KC Osborne is hosting her bestie Nathan Henry at her home in Sydney, so he can spend time with her and her baby boy Brooklyn.

The former MAFS star was spotted in Sydney Domestic Airport welcoming her friend on Friday.

She looked every inch the doting mother as she smiled at her eight-month-old baby while pushing his pram.

Nathan, who rose to fame on MTV's Georgie Shore, also appeared ecstatic to meet Brooklyn as he gave KC a big hug.

KC Osborne is hosting her bestie Nathan Henry (both pictured) at her home in Sydney, so he can spend time with her and her baby boy Brooklyn

The new mother looked comfortable but stylish in a pair of black jeans, a long sleeved brown top and black heeled boots.

She wore her long brown locks down in a loose curl and opted for a dewy makeup look with false eyelashes and a nude lip.

Nathan was stylishly dressed for his flight from Melbourne to Sydney, as he donned a matching set with light grey trousers and a half-zip top.

The new mother looked comfortable but stylish in a pair of black jeans, a long sleeved brown top and black heeled boots

The reality stars became great friends while filming Ex On The Beach together, which aired in 2022.

KC was surprised on the show by her ex-boyfriend Michael Goonan, who she met on season seven of MAFS, but was not her husband on the show.

The reality star is now engaged to Blake Spriggs, after they welcomed their first child together last October.

Nathan was stylishly dressed for his flight from Melbourne to Sydney, as he donned a matching set with light grey trousers and a half-zip top

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia last month, the new mother said she wants to keep the details of their wedding private, but it will be an intimate affair.

'We want a really nice private, small, intimate wedding,' she said.

'But it's going to be a destination wedding as well. So we only want like 30 to 40 guests.

'We also want to have little Brooklyn be able to walk down the aisle, so we're going to wait about a year and it'll be a nice tropical destination wedding and definitely in a church.'
Laura Whitmore enjoyed a night out on Friday as she partied into the early hours at Lio of London.

The former Love Island presenter, 38, put on a leggy display in a rose-patterned dress adorned in a large silver sequins.

The figure-hugging frock flaunted the star's slender frame and featured a plunging neckline and daring thigh-high slit.

Laura paired the dress with silver glittery platform sandals and a matching silver clutch bag.

The TV personality also mysteriously carried a red heart-shaped balloon as she went to catch the tube home from Soho.

Stylish: Laura Whitmore cut an elegant figure as she strolled London's streets in a thigh-split black gown on Friday night

Leggy: The former Love Island presenter, 38, revealed the entirety of her toned legs in the elegant rose-patterned dress adorned in a large silver sequins

To complete the look, Laura opted for subtle silver jewellery, including hoop earrings and two thin-chained pendant necklaces.

She kept her make-up light, donning a smattering of red lipstick.

Laura's night on the town comes a few weeks after the TV personality showed off her incredible figure in a skimpy pale pink bikini as she enjoyed the luxuries of a wellness retreat in Ibiza.

The presenter took to Instagram to share a gallery of snaps from the relaxing break, including a hilarious close-up of her cleavage.

Laura showed off her slim frame in the mishmash two-piece swimwear set, comprising floral tie-side bottoms and a pink crochet bikini top.

Completing her holiday look, the Irish model wore a trilby atop her head, while accessorising further with a statement gold necklace and cat-eye Rayban shades.

The mother-of-one gave a glimpse of her trip to The White Isle, complete with a close up of her cleavage as she relaxed in the sunshine.

Glitzy: She paired the dress with silver glittery platform sandals and a matching silver clutch bag

Love: The TV personality also carried with her a red heart-shaped balloon as she went to catch the tube home from Soho

Friday night fun: The TV personality, who left Love Island for her own ITV breakfast show, enjoyed a night out at high-end club Lio of London'

Bikini babe: Laura recently showed off her incredible figure in a skimpy pale pink bikini as she enjoyed the luxuries of a wellness retreat in Ibiza

Oh! The former Love Island presenter also shared a hilarious close-up of her cleavage as she enjoyed a relaxing break in the sunshine

Former gig! The television presenter, stepped away from ITV2 dating show Love Island last year, a role which she took on in 2020, following the death of Caroline Flack

The TV personality quit presenting Love Island for her own ITV breakfast show, which she promised fans would definitely be 'personality-led.'

'Its going to be a mixture of chat, a variety of artists and its one of those shows that I like to watch on the weekend. Its possibly a bit more relaxed than a weekday show.

'Weve got a mixture of guests, Im always pushing for a bit of music on the show somehow so well have that in there as well. There will be banter, there will be some issues that well talk about.

While she added that she just wants to try new things and have fun without overthinking it too much.

She said: 'Weve had a lot of scope to play around with it, things might evolve over the weeks. Everyones been so lovely about working on it and being open to new ideas and trying new things. I just want to have fun and not overthink it too much.

'Its TV to make you feel good but also interviews and chats that youll be able to relate to and see people that you aspire to.'

Laura recently spoke about still being starstruck when meeting people she knows very well.

She said: 'Im constantly being starstruck. Im even starstruck by people I know quite well and youre just trying to pretend youre not and be low key about it. It never goes away and you hope it never does.'
Khloe Kardashian showed off her taut midriff in a sultry video for her latest swimwear campaign on Saturday.

The reality TV star, 38, looked simply sensational in a hot pink plunging scuba top and tight shorts for Good American X Body Glove.

She flashed her gym-honed figure in the eye-catching two-piece that featured flattering black panelling down each side.

Khloe topped off her look with a bronzed palette of makeup, including a flick of black eyeliner and a nude lipstick.

Posing up a storm on the beach, Khloe later took a plunge into the sea flicking her damp hair back from her face.

Beach babe: Khloe Kardashian, 38, showed off her taut midriff in a sultry video for her latest swimwear campaign on Saturday

Pose: The reality TV star looked simply sensational in a hot pink plunging scuba top and tight shorts for Good American X Body Glove

Sharing the clip to Instagram, the brand captioned: 'Your summer 2023 uniform is here! Dive into summer feeling confident and sexy in our limited edition collab with @bodyglove.'

The new photoshoot comes after Khloe revealed in a confessional on the latest episode of The Kardashians that her bond with her now-11 months old son Tatum, is 'getting easier'.

The episode 'Ciao Kim', which dropped on Thursday on Hulu, featured Khloe, opening up about strengthening her bond with her son, who was born via a surrogate.

In the episode, the reality star and her mother, Kris Jenner, traveled to Milan to support her older sister Kim's 'Ciao Kim' collection that she collaborated on with Dolce & Gabbana.

While on the way to hotel in Milan, Khloe admitted to having 'FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)' with her two children, whom she co-parents with ex-partner Tristan Thompson, at home whenever she travels.

'I have two little humans to miss and freak out about,' the co-founder of the fashion label Good America stated in a confessional.

The reality star and socialite also expressed her admiration of her youngest child's bond with his older sister True, who is five-years-old.

'I love True's relationship with him, and this is going to be hard," she said of being away from her children.

Sultry: She flashed her gym-honed figure in the eye-catching two-piece that featured flattering black panelling down each side

Stunning: Posing up a storm on the beach, Khloe later took a plunge into the sea flicking her damp hair back from her face

Clo

Close up: Sharing the clip to Instagram, the brand captioned: 'Your summer 2023 uniform is here! Dive into summer feeling confident and sexy'

'But travel Khloe is always fun. I'm just worried about having a good time and bringing good energy.'

Khloe's confessions come just after the Good America co-founder opened up in 'Everything is My Fault!', the episode of The Kardashians that aired last week, on how her bonding experience with Tatum was completely different compared to that of when she gave birth to True back in 2018.

'When you compare it, between True and [Tatum], it's a very different experience," Khloe confessed to her mother Kris in last week's episode. "Like, the connection."

'Like with True, it took me a couple days to be like, 'Okay, this is my daughter,' and I was super into itbut just days,' Khloe revealed.

'But with [Tatum], it's taken me, like, months [to develop a bond with him]. I love him and I love kids, but I definitely still don't have that complete bond. But you know, so many say it takes time."
The MSF in Khartoum, Sudan, has been under fire.

Khartoum  Warplanes were heard circling above the Sudanese capital on Thursday morning. The day before, fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and army soldiers took place in several places in the city. Airstrikes on RSF sites were reported from Halfaya in Khartoum North. Supporters of the ousted Al Bashir regime are against a meeting between the commanders of the army and RSF. A retired army officer says that the RSF have no 'real control' over their fighters.

Journalist and political analyst Ashraf Abdelaziz told Radio Dabanga that on Wednesday, "fighting was reported in El Mohandiseen in Omdurman, on Sitteen Street in Khartoum and also in El Mansoura, where one civilian was killed and seven others were wounded."

Several areas under control of the RSF, especially in the area east of the Halfaya Bridge in Khartoum North (Bahri) were bombed on Wednesday.

"There were also reports about clashes in the area of the Yarmouk military complex in El Shajara in south-west Khartoum," he said.

The journalist as well reported "a dire lack of medicines in Khartoum and serious problems with food supplies".

On Thursday, the Civil Aviation Authority in Sudan extended the closure of airspace to all air traffic until June 30.

The extension excludes humanitarian aid shipments and evacuation flights.

Truces

Abdelaziz further spoke about "desperate attempts by affiliates of the former Al Bashir regime to hinder any meeting between El Burhan and Hemedti, as proposed by IGAD earlier this week." He said that groups of RSF supporters as well refute a meeting, as this can be seen as a victory of the army".

The journalist called for more pressure to hold this meeting "because it may help to fight the humanitarian catastrophe to which Sudanese citizens are now being exposed".

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The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) summit, held in Djibouti on Monday, proposed a meeting between Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), and RSF leader Lt Gen Mohamed 'Hemedti' Dagalo, in one of the IGAD countries, to reach a new ceasefire for the facilitation of the delivery of more humanitarian aid.

'Lack of control'

Retd Maj Gen Ahmed Ibrahim attributed the failure of previous truces between the army and RSF to the lack of the latter's "real command and control over its personnel".

He told Radio Dabanga that "the crimes committed by the RSF against civilians in Khartoum and a number of Darfur cities confirms this lack of control."

The former army officer accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of arming, training, and financing the RSF. "The UAE has interests in the Red Sea and expects to achieve these through the RSF," he said.

He further said that there are no indications of an Egyptian intervention "despite its well-known interests in Sudan" and warned of the importance of Sudan in the conflict between Russia and China in Africa.
Alice Evans and her daughter Ella were seen for the first time since the teenager filed a restraining order against her dad, Ioan Gruffudd, as they stepped out in Beverly Hills on Friday.

The actress, 54, and estranged wife of Ioan, 49, greeted Ella, 13, with a sweet kiss on cheek before they took a stroll through the city.

It comes after Ella asked that her father be forced to undergo a 'batterer intervention program to stop abuse' as she filed for a domestic violence restraining order against him following an ugly row over his new girlfriend Bianca Wallace.

During the outing, Alice looked elated as she embraced her daughter, looking stylish in a sleeveless leather jacket and gold ankle boots.

She pulled her blonde hair back into a neat low bun and shielded her face with a pair of sunglasses.

Outing: Alice Evans, 54, and her daughter Ella, 13, were seen for the first time since the teenager filed a restraining order against her dad, Ioan Gruffudd, in Beverly Hills on Friday

Cute: The actress and estranged wife of Ioan, 49, greeted Ella with a sweet kiss on cheek before they took a stroll through the city

Ella wore a cropped padded jacket with a pair of blue boot cut jeans and black trainers.

The mother daughter duo appeared in good spirits, despite recent drama, as they flashed smiles and chatted.

Last week, MailOnline exclusively reported that Ella has asked that her father be forced to undergo a 'batterer intervention program to stop abuse' as she filed for a domestic violence restraining order against him.

In publicly-available legal documents seen by DailyMail.com, the teenager states that she is 'afraid' of her father and accuses him of 'threatening to call the police on her anytime she misbehaves' during their visitations.

Ella filed for a domestic violence restraining order against her father on May 31 - the same day that she requested a temporary restraining order against his girlfriend - following what she says was an ugly incident at their home, during which she claims Bianca 'slammed a door on her head'.

In her filing against her father, Ella requests that he be made to keep at least 100 yards away from her and not contact her for five years and asks that Ioan be ordered to undergo a '52-week batterer intervention program'.

The program, which involves weekly classes, is intended - the document states - to 'stop abuse, teach accountability, abuse effects, and gender roles'.

The restraining order has not yet been granted and will be put before a court later this month.

Case: It comes after Ella asked that her father be forced to undergo a 'batterer intervention program to stop abuse' as she filed for a domestic violence restraining order

Happy: During the outing, Alice looked elated as she embraced her daughter

Casual: Ella wore a cropped padded jacket with a pair of blue boot cut jeans and black trainers

Smart: Alice looked stylish in a sleeveless leather jacket and gold ankle boots

Sleek: She pulled her blonde hair back into a neat low bun and shielded her face with a pair of sunglasses

Day out: The mother daughter duo appeared in good spirits, despite recent drama, as they flashed smiles and chatted

News: Last week, MailOnline exclusively reported that Ella has filed for a domestic violence restraining order against her father

Ella requests that the restraining order also cover her nine-year-old sister Elsie, noting that she 'lives with her sister and is afraid that [Ioan] will abuse and/or continue to allow abuse to happen to my sister too'.

She also asks that her father be made to pay 'for some or all of her lawyer's fees and costs' and requests that her phone account and that of her sister Elsie's be transferred to their mother, alleging that Ioan has 'threatened to cancel my sister's phone account and my phone account'.

Along with her domestic restraining order filing, Ella included a declaration as evidence to support her case, in which she shared her recollection of a bitter spat that she claims took place while she and her nine-year-old sister Elsie were visiting their father's home on May 26.

The declaration is very similar to that included in her request for a restraining order against her father's girlfriend, Bianca, with the teen claiming that she got into a furious row with the couple over the actress's presence during an overnight visitation.

Ella admits that she was 'so mad' at her father to find that Bianca was at his apartment when she arrived that she began throwing food on his bed, on the floor, and on him, before she attempted to flee the apartment - which, she says, is when the actress 'slammed a door on her head', leaving her with 'a small bump' and a 'bruise on her arm'.

She included images of the bruising as additional evidence.

However, in her restraining order filing against Ioan - who is currently involved in an ugly custody battle with Alice, 54, over their two children - Ella adds further detail, alleging that she had a 'panic attack' before she arrived at the property.

Details: Ella requests that the restraining order also cover her nine-year-old sister Elsie, noting that she 'lives with her sister (seen left with her younger sister Elsie and their father)

In her filing, Ella requests that a court order her father to undergo a 'batterer intervention program', the goal of which is to 'stop abuse'

Ella has also filed for a temporary restraining order against 49-year-old Ioan's actress girlfriend Bianca Wallace, 29, alleging that she 'slammed a door on her head'

Ioan and his ex-wife Alice Evans (pictured with Ella and her sister Elsie) are currently in the midst of an ugly custody battle following their split in 2021

According to Ella, when her father picked her up from the West Hollywood Police Station to start her overnight visit, he was accompanied 'by a psychologist friend' who she says was a man aged between 70 and 80, whom she had never met before.

She says they then drove from the police station to her sibling's school to pick her up, before taking Elsie to a dance class.

'Elsie had forgotten her leotard, so suggested multiple times that we could go back to our apartment which was 10-minute drive away, since the dance class was still an hour away,' she states.

'The Respondent [Ioan] refused and drove us to The Grove [shopping mall]. The Respondent insisted we get new leotard.

'I was overwhelmed by the number of people at The Grove, so went back into the car. I told him to please leave me in the car and he could go get Elsie leotard.

'The Respondent told me that he couldn't leave me alone in the car, so I would have to stay with his psychologist friend in the car. I had never met this man before, and he is approximately late 70 to 80 year old. I texted my mother because I started to have panic attack.'

She states that she then called her mother and began 'bawling' while in the midst of a 'full-blown panic attack'.

When her father returned to the car with Elsie, she says that he told her repeatedly to 'calm down, calm down'.

After they arrived at Elsie's dance class, Ella says her sister then proceeded to have a 'panic attack in the bathroom', prompting them to return to Ioan and Bianca's home - with the 'psychologist friend' in tow.

'I was so mad at my dad because this was an overnight visit, and I had told him in the past that I didn't want to meet his girlfriend who was now his live-in girlfriend,' she says.

In her publicly-available filing, Ella shares an account of an ugly domestic incident that she says took place at her father's home on May 26

'Rather than listen to my wishes, my dad had the court order the overnights while his girlfriend was living with him. I was so upset that I threw milk on his bed, I poured mustard on the floor, and I threw raw oatmeal on him.'

At this point, Ella says that her father and Bianca began calling her 'manipulative, abusive, and narcissistic' - resulting in her deciding that she 'couldn't be in that apartment anymore'.

As she attempted to leave the property however, she says that Bianca 'tried to block her' by 'raising her arms', and then 'slammed the door on her... hitting her on the head as well as her arm'.

She states that her nine-year-old sister 'was right behind her when this happened'.

According to Ella, she and Elsie were able to make her way out of the apartment and they 'ran outside' while their father chased after them.

'The Respondent told me to come back, and told him, "Your girlfriend slammed door on me!" And the Respondent kept saying, "No she didn't, no she didn't, stop lying,"' she recalls.

The teenager states that she phoned her nanny, Gloria Flores, who made arrangements for the father of one of Elsie's friends - a man named Dennis Hauk - to pick them up and take them back to their mother's house, noting that this 'ended the incident'.

She notes that both her nanny and Mr. Faulk have agreed to testify in her case against her father and his girlfriend.

Ella also adds into her declaration in this filing notes on the 'history of abuse', stating that her father has 'called her a liar and a gaslighter' on any occasion when she 'mentions her feelings or opinions' to him.

She alleges that he has 'threatened to call the police on her anytime she misbehaves during his visitation time in the past two years'.

The teen concludes the declaration by stating: 'I am afraid of the Respondent for my personal safety, and respectfully ask the Court to issue a Restraining Order for five years.'

Ella's account of the shocking incident marks the latest dramatic development in a bitter domestic drama that began in 2021, when Ioan walked out on his then-wife Alice after a 14-year marriage.

Ioan, the British star of The Fantastic Four, and Alice, who is best known for her appearance in 102 Dalmatians, have been fighting a bitter divorce battle ever since.

The actor has already obtained a restraining order against his estranged wife, which prevents her from mentioning him on social media for three years.

Both Ioan and Alice are seeking custody of their daughters, and both claim that they have no money.

Last month the former couple's $2million marital home in Los Angeles was sold at Ioan's request after he said he no longer had the funds to pay for it, forcing Alice and their two daughters to move into a rental property in LA.

Ioan met aspiring actress Bianca in Australia while he was shooting the series Harrow, and she recently moved into his Los Angeles apartment.

He and Alice announced that their marriage had ended in January 2021 and he went public with his romance with Bianca in October of that year.

Ioan filed for joint custody of his daughters last July after Alice filed for sole custody.

As well as requesting visitation rights, Ioan claimed in his custody filing that Alice had been purposely trying to cut communication between him and his children.

He also petitioned for the girls to attend in-person therapy and reunification therapy via Zoom with him pending court-ordered mediation about custody.

Ioan accused Alice of verbally abusing him during their marriage, and of repeatedly 'undermining him' in front of the girls.

'Alice made fun of my appearance often, making hair-loss comments and telling me I had ''saggy-vagina eyes,''' court papers read.

He went on to claim that Alice 'has inflicted serious emotional harm on Ella and Elsie by her statements and by interfering in my relationship with them'.

In March this year, charges that Alice had violated her restricting order were dropped.

DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Ioan, Alice, and Bianca for comment.
The Real Housewives of Brisbane had a cast in place before being shelved, according to a new report.

Among the glamorous candidates included PR queen Fleur Madden, couture designer Sonia Stradiotto and jewellery designer Jimena Alejandra.

Despite moves to get the reality series on air, Foxtel is understood to have dropped the Brisbane edition in favour of a second Sydney season.

Jimena tells Adelaide Now that she was approached in 2002, 'but then they told us they were cancelling it'.

Fleur added that the network had plans to make the series different and less frivolous than its processors.

The Real Housewives of Brisbane had a cast in place before being shelved, according to a new report. Despite moves to get the reality series on air, Foxtel is understood to have dropped the Brisbane edition in favour of a second Sydney season. The Sydney cast is pictured

'They were specifically looking for business women and women that had their own success, they were trying to make it different' she told Adelaide Now.

It was earlier reported that The Real Housewives reality franchise would be moving to Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

According to The Courier Mail, suitable candidates living in Queensland's wealthiest postcodes were being sought out.

A number of high profile women had been approached by producers and some reportedly declined the opportunity, opting to keep their lives private.

Among the glamorous candidates included PR queen Fleur Madden, couture designer Sonia Stradiotto (right) and jewellery designer Jimena Alejandra

Jimena (pictured) tells Adelaide Now that she was approached in 2002, 'but then they told us they were cancelling it'

Fleur (right) added that the network had plans to make the series different and less frivolous than its processors

The women reportedly approached by producers include a prominent fashion designer, a WAG and a radio personality.

A well-known real estate gun and a glamorous Gold Coast socialite are also tipped to appear on the series.

The last season of the Foxtel series about monied socialites was set in Melbourne, but it was met with some hard criticism from fans when it ended last year.

Foxtel first considered the Gold Coast five years ago as a location for the hit show.

Meanwhile, it is understood there won't be another season of the Real Housewives of Melbourne.
Pregnant Ferne McCann cradled her growing bump as she celebrated with friends and family at her baby shower over the weekend.

The reality star 32, looked glowing as she showed off her baby in a tight orange dress for the festivities.

Ferne teamed the halter neck ensemble  which featured a daring thigh-split - with a pair of green strappy heels and a clashing fuchsia pink bag.

The former TOWIE star, who is expecting her next child with fiance Lorri Haines, 32, accessorised the look with a pair of oversized green sunglasses.

Ferne wore her caramel locks in loose waves and seemed in good spirits as she smiled and posed for the camera.

Yummy mummy: Pregnant Ferne McCann, 32, looked glowing in a tight orange halterneck dress as she stepped out for baby shower that had been organised by friends in London

Stylish: The orange dress featured a daring thigh-split and Ferne teamed the look with a pair of green strapped heels and a clashing fuchsia pink bag

The event was held on the rooftop of Seabird restaurant in London, and she said that she 'loved it'.

Taking to Instagram, Ferne told her 2 million followers: 'There were games and I loved it because I never had a baby shower when I was pregnant with Sunday'

The TV personality shared how she was given pictures of babies and given the challenge to guess who was who out of her friends and family from the images, as well as being told funny tales of her pregnancy journey.

She also received a number of presents, one of which included a steriliser that proved a hit because of her love of a neutral colour.

Guests in attendance included Ferne's mum, Gilly, TOWIE alumni Danielle Armstrong and other close friends.

Ferne  who is already a mother to Sunday, five, with jailed ex-partner Arthur Collins - announced she is expecting a baby with businessman Lorri, last year.

The pair got engaged in July 2022, with Ferne previously stating their relationship feels 'right' after they bonded over their trauma.

Speaking to pal Vicky Pattison on her The Secret To podcast, she said: 'He's got a child. I've got a child. We bonded over our trauma.

Three generations: Gilly McCann, Ferne's mum (pictured left) was in attendance on the sunny day to join in on the days activities

Perfect pals: Former TOWIE star Danielle Armstrong (pictured to the left of Ferne) who is also pregnant and celebrated her own baby shower five days ago was in attendance

Fun and games: The event was held on the rooftop of Seabird restaurant in London and her friend provided a number of games for all atendees to play

Having a laugh: As well as delicious food, the TV personality shared how the party played games and she was told funny stories

Second time lucky: Admitting that she didn't have a baby shower for her first born, Sunday, Ferne seemed in good spirits as she celebrated with her nearest and dearest

Tough times: The former TOWIE star is already mum to Sunday, five and says that her relationship with fiance Lorri is just right after going through binding over trauma

Stunner: Ferne looked sensational as she smiled and posed for the camera with friends

'Like we literally like laid everything on the table. I was like, here's all my s***. And he had the same and yeah, it's worked out.'

It comes after Ferne revealed on the podcast that she is hoping to give birth at home and wants it to be filmed for her ITVBe reality show, but is struggling to convince Lorri.

She said: 'I so desperately want it [her child's birth] to be on the show. But we were sort of warming him [Lorri] up.

'I've got this birth plan in my head, and I want a home birth and I want it to be positive. And I want everyone to see me like, pull the baby out.

'I've just got this vision and he's just like, 'No, that's just weird', but I'm like, 'It's beautiful and it's amazing!' []

'Reality stars get a bit of a bad name, but I saw that Ronaldo and his Mrs were doing a reality show. Everyone's doing it, so just go for it!'
Gwyneth Paltrow proved self-care can be done anywhere in her latest Instagram post.

The wellness queen, 50, nourished her skin with a pair of eye masks as she took a flight to an unknown destination.

Her skin was glowing as she kicked back in her chair with just a touch of blush and mascara enhancing her complexion.

The mother-of-two kept her travel attire simple, opting for a grey tank top, chain necklace, with her blonde hair worn down.

The selfie, posted by Gwyneth's Goop account on Saturday, was in promotion of her Skin Rescue Kit, a package of products intended to combat dry and dull skin.

Self-care in the skies! Gwyneth Paltrow gave herself a mini spa treatment as she took a flight

The kit, which contains eye masks, balm, face cream, and a 'morning-glow' drink', is normally available for $408.00 but is now priced at $285.60.

Last year Gwyneth opened up about her health while speaking with DailyMail.com at the Gwyneth Paltrow for Copper Fit  Feel the Fit Event at The Proper Hotel in Santa Monica, California.

She said taking care of her health is a must - especially now.

'It's important to feel great and these products really help me because they offer support, they support the way women work and live,' the star shared as she added she has found a way to make wearing sky-high heels bearable with the help of arch bands that help tame Plantar Fasciitis.

'Understanding that our bodies need support is OK.'

'I love their stuff, they really work,' she added of Copper Fit's many products.

And she uses a range of the products for 'support,' she said.

For her feet, she has on the arch supports. Paltrow said she was wearing one of the products to the event, a band around her feet under her strappy shoes. 'Ladies, we need these when we have heels on,' she said.

Ageless: Paltrow seen last year in Santa Monica, California as she talked to DailyMail.com about her health

The gloves are good for her hands. 'They offer relief after texting a lot.'

And the compression gripper socks are helpful for when she does yoga: 'Their compression socks are a must.'

The star also shared that ever since she broke her knee in 2008 she likes to have on the knee band when working out.

The mother of two looked youthful at the party in a beige dress with black high heels as she addressed the crowd with a speech about a pain-free life. There were also aromatherapy oils given out by Kristin Culverwell of Wish Wellness in Los Angeles.

She likes the support: 'It's important to feel great and these products really help me because they offer support,' the star shared as she added she has found a way to make wearing sky-high heels bearable with the help of arch supports. 'Understanding that our bodies need support is OK'

Gwyneth has been talking up Copper Fit since she joined the brand in late 2021.

Paltrow has in the past been very open about what is feels like to be 50.

She has also talked about ageing on GOOP: 'My body, a map of the evidence of all the days, is less timeless. A collection of marks and irregularities that dog-ear the chapters. Scarred from oven burns, a finger smashed in a window long ago, the birth of a child. Silver hair and fine lines.

'The sun has left her celestial fingerprints all over me, as if she soaked a brush in dark-taupe watercolor, flecking it over my skin,' she noted.

And while she strives for good health and longevity to stave off weakening muscles and receding bone, 'I have a mantra I insert into those reckless thoughts that try to derail me: I accept. I accept the marks and the loosening skin, the wrinkles. I accept my body and let go of the need to be perfect, look perfect, defy gravity, defy logic, defy humanity. I accept my humanity.'
Demi Lovato has shot down a round of internet rumors that she has gotten engaged to her musician boyfriend Jutes.

They have been dating for approximately a year and conjecture has been swirling online that wedding bells are in the offing.

But Demi, 30, fired up her Insta Stories over the weekend to put paid to the speculation, writing: 'If I was engaged I'd announce it!!!!!'

However, lest anyone get the wrong idea about the state of her relationship, she showered affection on her beau.

The Still Alive songstress rhapsodized that she is 'still obsessed' with him and gushed that Jutes is her 'fffffffavorite person and boyfriend!!!'

'Still obsessed': Demi Lovato has shot down a round of internet rumors that she has gotten engaged to her musician boyfriend Jutes

'Favorite person': Demi, 30, fired up her Insta Stories over the weekend to put paid to the speculation, writing: 'If I was engaged I'd announce it!!!!!'

Demi's clarification comes after she revealed that she had given up using 'they/them' pronouns because she got sick of having to explain herself to people.

She came out as nonbinary and revealed 'they/them' pronouns in 2021. Later, she readopted 'she/her' pronouns, using them in addition to 'they/them.'

In a new interview with GQ Hype Spain, she said: 'I constantly had to educate people and explain why I identified with those pronouns. It was absolutely exhausting.'

The ex-Disney Channel star added: 'I just got tired. But for that very reason I know that it is important to continue spreading the word.'

Demi's beau, whose full name is Jordan Jutes, is on the wagon like she is and was a contributor to her rock-tinged latest album HOLY F***.

News of their relationship broke last August around the time of HOLY F***'s release, but a source dished then that they had been 'secretly dating for months now.'

The insider informed E! News: 'Demi and Jutes met while working on music together. Things are going really well and they have a lot in common. They bond over music.'

Jutes is said to have 'restored her faith' in romance after the former Disney Channel star 'swore off dating for a while.' '

Loved up: Demi's beau, whose full name is Jordan Jutes, is on the wagon like she is and was a contributor to her rock-tinged latest album HOLY F***

The way they were: Demi's previous fiance was the actor Max Ehrich, whom she began dating in March 2020 and went into lockdown with amid the coronavirus pandemic

The source described Demi as 'definitely smitten,' saying they 'have been spending a lot of time together' and adding: 'Everyone thinks he is really good for her.'

By this April, Demi was gushing on CBS Mornings that she was 'in a really good place' to the point 'I don't know what I'm going to write about on my next album because I'm so happy. It is a really good feeling, but I don't know what I'm going to do.'

Hinting that Jutes had a hand in her sunny disposition, she said her upcoming music would include 'definitely a bunch of sappy love songs, for sure.'

Demi's previous fiance was the actor Max Ehrich, whom she began dating in March 2020 and went into lockdown with amid the coronavirus pandemic.

That July, Demi ecstatically revealed that and her smoldering beau were engaged - but just two months later their relationship fell apart.

She subsequently told Glamour: 'When I started getting older, I started realizing how queer I really am. This past year I was engaged to a man, and when it didnt work, I was like, This is a huge sign.'

Demi added: 'I thought I was going to spend my life with someone. Now that I wasnt going to, I felt this sense of relief that I could live my truth.'

At the time of the interview, which ran in March 2021, she felt incapable of dating a biological man because she was 'too queer' to do so.
Today show reporter Britt Cohen is set to travel to Italy with her NRL executive fiance Aaron Warburton on Sunday for their wedding in Lake Como.

The couple, who met on Hinge during Covid and got engaged in December, will tie the knot in an intimate ceremony with just seven guests.

The presenter said the couple knew they wanted a small European wedding and honeymoon as its the second time they both get married.

'Aaron and I were both married before so early on when we got engaged, we said we wouldn't do the whole big wedding thing,' she told The Daily Telegraph.

'The original idea was just to have a very small wedding, but then you start doing a guest list and you can't not invite this person or not invite that person, so it was it was really hard to cut it down.'

Today host Britt Cohen (right) is preparing to travel to Italy with her NRL executive fiance Aaron Warburton (left) ahead of their intimate wedding in Lake Como

Britt said they eventually decided to get married in Italy and told their parents and siblings.

The couple also hosted a big party in Sydney last week to celebrate with their friends who couldn't attend their destination wedding.

Britt announced her engagement to long-time boyfriend Aaron in December last year.

She shared the happy news to Instagram alongside a photo of herself smooching her new fiance, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the NRL Bulldogs.

The couple, who met on Hinge during Covid and got engaged in December, will tie the knot in an intimate ceremony with just seven guests

The Today show host said the couple wanted a small European wedding and honeymoon as its the second time they both get married

The blonde beauty also stunned fans by revealing her impressive emerald-cut diamond engagement ring.

She captioned the post with some heartfelt words: 'Cant wait to spend forever with you! I love you more than anything in the world.'

Brit has become a star on the Channel Nine breakfast show after initially working behind the scenes.

She was previously a producer for Today and Today Extra and frequently conducts Hollywood interviews and covers red carpet events.
As Princess Diana in series four of The Crown, Emma Corrin won over a whole new generation of Royal admirers.

But the 27-year-old actor proved to be a real life Queen of Hearts yesterday after jumping into a pond fully clothed to save a dog.

The Kent-born star, who won a Golden Globe for playing the late Princess of Wales, was walking with a friend on London's Hampstead Heath when the pair noticed the dog struggling in a pond.

Grabbing an orange lifebuoy, Emma dived in to reach the stricken animal, later identified as a cocker spaniel named Annie.

She was returned safely to her grateful owner by the star, who was dripping wet in a white T-shirt and blue shorts.

PET RESCUE: Emma Corrin, 27 with dog Spencer

Emma Corrin and as Princess Diana in series four of The Crown on Netflix

Someone who witnessed the heroic pet rescue, told The Mail on Sunday: 'It happened right in front of me. The owner of the spaniel was really distressed, running around and screaming "Annie! Annie!" as the dog was swimming in circles.

'Suddenly Emma Corrin came by and saw what was going on.'

The witness watched as Emma removed boots and socks, jumped in and 'swam out to the spaniel and the dog started swimming in the right direction back to the owner'.

When Emma got out of the pond, the witness added, Annie's owner hugged the 27-year-old star and said: 'Thank you so much. I don't know how to thank you.'

And Annie, it seems, is something of a repeat offender. Her owner was overheard telling Emma, who often walks on the Heath with a dog called Spencer, that Annie had got into similar difficulties before.

Young people relaxing beside a pond on Hampstead Heath, London

Emma, who is set to take on an as yet undisclosed role as a villain in Marvel's Deadpool franchise, attended a Roman Catholic boarding school for girls, before studying English and Drama at the University of Cambridge  and coming out as non-binary in July 2021, explaining that she prefers to use 'they/them' pronouns.

In the August 2022 issue of Vogue, Emma became the style bible's first non-binary cover star.

The issue also featured an interview in which Emma said: 'In my mind, gender just isn't something that feels fixed and I don't know if it ever will be; there might always be some fluidity there for me. I feel much more seen when I'm referred to as 'they', but my closest friends will call me 'she' and I don't mind, because I know they know me.'

A spokesman for Emma declined to comment.
Amanda Bynes was reportedly detained by officers from the Los Angeles Police Department on Saturday for a mental health evaluation, according to TMZ.

The former Nickelodeon star, 37, was recently released from a mental health facility in April after being placed on psychiatric hold for three weeks due to roaming the streets of LA naked and appearing to be in a manic state.

This Saturday, the She's The Man actress was placed in handcuffs outside of her place of residence, with law enforcement sources telling the outlet that they responded to a call from 'a woman who was in distress.'

TMZ reported that the woman was Bynes herself, with the sources adding, 'she was taken to a police station where a professional medical unit was standing by to check her out and determine if she needed further treatment.'

Eyewitnesses who had seen the incident unfold told the publication that Amanda was 'calm during the interaction' with LAPD officers, but 'looked defeated as they dealt with her.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for Bynes for comment.

Report: Amanda Bynes was reportedly detained by officers from the Los Angeles Police Department on Saturday for a mental health evaluation, according to TMZ

Bynes was then placed in the back of one of the police cruisers that had arrived to the scene. However, it is unclear if officers had 'escorted' the star out of her place of residence, or if she was met by cops outside.

TMZ also reported that it is currently unknown whether Amanda was released after an evaluation or taken to a hospital for a 5150 hold, which is for individuals who are placed in custody for a span of 72 hours for psychiatric hospitalization.

Her latest mental health evaluation comes only months after the actress was placed in a mental health facility in March due to her reportedly wandering the streets of Los Angeles for four days after her vehicle was towed in the Long Beach area.

TMZ previously reported at the time that at one point, she roamed the streets without any clothes on, with eyewitnesses stating that Bynes herself 'waved a car down, telling the driver she was coming down from a psychotic episode,' and proceeded to call 911.

After she was picked up, Amanda 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.

After three weeks of treatment, she reportedly worked with the facility's staff to determine that she was ready to get back to her regular routines and checked herself out of the hospital for an outpatient treatment program.

'Amanda has left the medical facility on her own recognizance,' a source told Dailymail.com at the time. 'She was very cooperative, participated in her recovery the staff supported her decision to leave as she had successfully completed the treatment program.'

Bynes 'has been advised to continue to distance herself from her' former fiance, Paul Michael, the source said, adding 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.'

Recent psychiatric hold: The former Nickelodeon star, 37, was recently released from a mental health facility in April after being placed on psychiatric hold for three weeks due to roaming the streets of LA naked; seen in May in West Hollywood

A call: The She's The Man actress was placed in handcuffs outside of her place of residence, with law enforcement sources telling the outlet that they responded to a call from 'a woman who was in distress'

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.'

Sources also told Dailymail.com in March that 'she has been advised to continue to distance herself from' Michael.

The pair initially announced their engagement in February 2020, but reportedly split only three weeks later. However, in March, Amanda announced her pregnancy with her attorney later stating in May that she was not expecting her first child.

Earlier this year in April, her ex-fiance, Paul Michael, claimed that both he and Amanda had broken up only days before her mental breakdown that occurred in March.

While reflecting on the end of their chaotic romance, the actress' former partner alleged that two weeks before walking the streets of Los Angeles naked, she had 'disappeared for three days' before coming 'home with another guy.'

He went on to tell TMZ that 'they argued' and Bynes, who he reportedly first met back at Alcoholics Anonymous in November 2019, 'said she 'didn't care about him anymore.'

After calling it quits, he 'packed up his things and left their home.' Michael recalled feeling blindsided by her behavior as she 'seemed stable' and was focused on her becoming a nail artist after enrolling in a cosmetology course.

He speculated that something may have happened to her because she 'seemed like a different person' during their last encounter.

Past conservatorship: Bynes had previously been under a conservatorship since 2013, but it was ended last year in March 2022; seen back in 2009 in Los Angeles

Following her three-week stay at the mental health facility, sources close to the Hairspray actress told TMZ last month in May that the star was not having an easy time adjusting back to her normal life.

The insiders informed the outlet that after checking out of the hospital, Bynes went back to living alone and stated 'she doesn't have a lot of people in her life.'

They added that 'Amanda hasn't been focusing on some of the passions she had before' which include nail tech and fashion.

Despite facing difficulties, the sources expressed to TMZ that Bynes has been 'attending her outpatient treatments, seeing therapists, and taking her medication.'

Bynes had previously been under a conservatorship since 2013, but it ended last year in March 2022.

Recent split: Earlier this year in April, her ex-fiance, Paul Michael, claimed that both he and Amanda had broken up only days before her mental breakdown that occurred in March

Hollywood star: Amanda is known for starring on The Amanda Show from 1999 to 2002, and also appeared in hit films such as She's The Man (2006) and later Easy A (2010)

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 mental health crisis in March of this year.

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.

Amanda is known for starring on Nickelodeon's The Amanda Show from 1999 to 2002, and also appeared in hit films such as She's The Man (2006) and later Easy A (2010) and the musical Hairspray (2007).
Pregnant Roxy Horner looked gorgeous as she hosted a puppy yoga session to promote mental wellbeing for the Diabetes Awareness Week on Saturday.

The model, 31, was nothing short of sensational as she displayed her growing baby bump in a Dexcom skintight black unitard.

Roxy - who is expecting her first child with comedian Jack Whitehall - posed for the camera while holding the cute puppies in her arms.

The model revealed that she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes back in 2021.

But before she was diagnosed, Roxy had a health scare and had to be resuscitated by paramedics.

Mindfulness: Pregnant Roxy Horner looked gorgeous as she hosted a puppy yoga session to promote mental wellbeing for the Diabetes Awareness Week on Saturday

Blossoming: The model, 31, was nothing short of sensational as she displayed her growing baby bump in a Dexcom skintight black unitard

Jack told The Sun: 'We found out she had diabetes the night I was hosting the Brits. She had something called a diabetic hypo and she fainted.

'Paramedics were trying to resuscitate her and her sugar levels were spiking dangerously.

'We ended up in A&E on the night of the Brits, which definitely made for a slightly different vibe of an after-party.

A hypo, also called hypoglycaemia, is a low blood sugar level, and happens when the level of sugar (glucose) in blood drops too low.

People who struggle with diabetes need daily injections of insulin to keep your blood glucose levels under control.

A low blood sugar level can be dangerous and cause brain death if it's not treated quickly.

Roxy now wears an electronic device which monitors her blood glucose level and sends a message and alarm to her and others phones when it is dangerously low.

At the event, Roxy was joined by Adam Smith and rugby star Henry Slade.

Jack, 34, shared the happy news on his Instagram page earlier last month, alongside a couple of adorable shots of the couple with a baby scan.

Health: The model revealed that she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes back in 2021. But before she was diagnosed, Roxy had a health scare and had to be resuscitated by paramedics

Health: Roxy now wears an electronic device which monitors her blood glucose level and sends a message and alarm to her and others phones when it is dangerously low

Beauty: She showcased her stunning natural looks as she donned a very light and subtle make up palette, adding a nude lipstick

Celebs: The British model wore her blonde locks down straight with a side parting, and wore a slew of ear piercings and a dainty necklace (pictured with rugby star Henry Slade)

Trio: The blonde beauty was captured posing up with the puppies alongside (L-R) rugby star Henry Slade and Adam Smith, as the trio hosted the yoga class

Session: Roxy hosted a puppy yoga class on Saturday morning to celebrate mental health in occasion of Diabetes Awareness Week

In the snaps, a delighted looking Jack held up a role of photographs showing a scan of their unborn child, while his girlfriend beaming beside him.

Roxy later revealed to HELLO she was relieved to 'finally fall pregnant' after the couple tragically suffered a miscarriage last year.

In the social media post the model, who was wearing a pretty white summer dress, kept a protective hand on her stomach as she looked over at her beau.

Ever the funnyman, he captioned the shots: 'And I thought I wasn't getting enough attention when the dog arrived'
NEW YORK (AP) - Former President Donald Trump's onetime personal lawyer and the key witness against him in his New York state criminal prosecution lost his bid Friday for early release from probation following a three-year prison sentence after federal prosecutors said hes lying again.

U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman in Manhattan cited Michael Cohen's recent comments in a book and television appearance as reasons to conclude that early release from court supervision would not ensure rehabilitation and deterrence from future crimes.

The credibility of Cohen - who served as Trumps personal lawyer from his early 2017 inauguration until his 2018 arrest - will be scrutinized if a jury ever hears the state criminal case filed against Trump over payments Cohen says he made on Trumps behalf to silence two women who claimed they had affairs with Trump before the Republican became president.

In court papers, federal prosecutors highlighted Cohen's recent public comments in arguing against early release from probation rules that, among other things, restrict his travel, subject him to visits and scrutiny from a probation officer and ban him from owning firearms.

Prosecutors say Cohen falsely wrote in a book that he did not engage in tax fraud, that the charges were "all 100 percent inaccurate" and that he was "threatened" by prosecutors to plead guilty. They noted that under oath at his plea hearings he admitted the crimes and said he was not threatened or forced to plead guilty. They said he also lied in a March television interview.

In requesting early release for Cohen from court supervision, attorney David M. Schwartz wrote that his client has "clearly demonstrated" that he has been rehabilitated after being a model inmate in prison and after having "substantially cooperated with all government authorities."

FILE - Michael Cohen leaves the District Attorney's office after testifying before a grand jury investigating Donald Trump in New York, on March 13, 2023. Cohen, former President Donald Trump's onetime personal lawyer and a key witness against him in his New York state criminal prosecution, lost his bid Friday, June 16, for early release from probation following a three-year prison sentence after federal prosecutors said he's lying again. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)

Schwartz said via email Friday that he would leave public statements to his client. Cohen responded to a text message seeking comment by saying he will issue a statement Monday.

In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to multiple charges, admitting that he lied to Congress, violated campaign finance laws through excessive political contributions, lied to multiple banks to obtain financing and evaded income taxes by failing to report over $4 million in income. He was sentenced to three years in prison, although he served nearly two-thirds of it at home, released after the COVID-19 outbreak overwhelmed the nation's prisons.

Despite Cohen's claims that he has repeatedly aided state and federal authorities in investigations and deserves credit for his cooperation, federal prosecutors in Manhattan have consistently said his lies undermine his attempts at cooperation, as they did again in opposing his request to be spared from the year and a half left of his probation.

Federal prosecutors, knowing they'd have to rely on Cohen as the key witness, chose not to prosecute Trump in connection with payouts to porn star Stormy Daniels and a Playboy centerfold, Karen McDougal, to buy their silence during Trump's successful quest in 2016 for the White House. Trump has denied the affairs.

State prosecutors pursued the case and relied on Cohen's testimony before a Manhattan grand jury returned an indictment charging Trump with 34 crimes. Trump, the first ex-president to face criminal charges, pleaded not guilty to the charges in early April.
Khartoum  Sudanese and international organisations have appealed to regional and international actors concerned about the situation in Sudan, and whose response to the war in Sudan "has thus far been muted and insufficient," to hold the warring Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) accountable for the "ethnic cleansing" currently taking place in West Darfur.

Regional and international actors concerned about the situation in Sudan, and "charged with maintaining peace and security and with long involvement in Sudan, should "publicly denounce the RSF's role in carrying out atrocity crimes in West Darfur," 21 Sudanese and international organisations said in an Open Letter sent to the UN, the AU, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the EU, the USA, UK, Canada, Egypt, and the Gulf Cooperation Council on Thursday.

The RSF must "be held to account for failing to reign in the widespread and systematic civilian killings by their soldiers and discuss and devise measures for the protection of civilians in the Darfur region and across Sudan," the letter reads.

"The SAF should also be held to account for alleged crimes, including failing to exercise its constitutional duty to protect civilians from the heinous crimes currently being committed in West Darfur."

'Ethnic cleansing'

The organisations warn that the escalating violence against civilians in El Geneina, West Darfur, "shows a pattern of ethnic cleansing that may further increase and qualify as serious international crimes, including possibly genocide.

"El Geneina and surrounding areas have seen major violence since 2019, when the UN/AU peacekeeping mission withdrew under pressure from the government of Sudan. This violence has escalated dramatically since the outbreak of war in Khartoum. The town has been mired in conflict between Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and armed Arab militia on the one hand, and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and other armed actors including some civilians who were forced to pick up arms to fend for themselves when SAF failed to protect them from the attacks.

"The violence surged in May and the first half of June, and reports suggest these were not merely armed clashes between the two forces but rather coordinated, systematic attacks by RSF and allied militias against civilians, civilian property, hospitals, homes, and humanitarian supplies including food. Doctors reported the death toll has risen to over 1,200 and thousands have been injured, while the hospital has been destroyed and medical services are not working.

"More than a hundred thousand people have now fled over the Chadian border and many have arrived with gunshot wounds. Many arrived with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. Recent footage circulated on social media shows a harrowing mass exodus of the population of the town on foot. Survivors who fled to Chad told media how attackers systematically targeted non-Arab populations, especially Massalit. Social media footage shows RSF soldiers using ethnic slurs and claiming to turn the region into an Arab area.

"On June 14, the governor of West Darfur state told al-Hadath news that the situation was "indescribable" with attacks spreading across the town and calling it a 'genocide'. Within hours of the interview, RSF soldiers abducted and killed the governor. The sheer scale of the violence, ethnic targeting, destruction of property and displacement is reminiscent of the violence against civilians in Darfur in 2003, during which crimes were so serious that the United Nations Security Council referred the situation to the International Criminal Court in 2005," the organisations wrote.

'Muted'

"The international response has thus far been muted and insufficient. The head of UNITAMS and the UN's Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide condemned the violence but did not acknowledge RSF's role in the ongoing atrocities. The AU and IGAD, while vying to lead the diplomatic process to resolve the crisis in Sudan, have failed to condemn the perpetrators of the widespread atrocities underway in the country.

"Under international law, commanders are liable for the crimes committed by the forces under their command. RSF commanders are liable for the widespread and systematic abuses of their forces. Yet the RSF's leaders have denied their involvement and have taken no action to prevent or punish the alleged serious crimes by their forces."

Therefore, both the RSF and the SAF should be held accountable for alleged crimes in West Darfur, and for the failure to protect its residents.

* The following organisations signed the Open Letter:

Confederation of Sudanese Civilian Society Organizations

Darfur Bar Association

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Darfur People's Association of New York

Gisa Group

Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect

Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART)

Investors Against Genocide

Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur

Massalit Community of New York

Massalit Association in the USA

Never Again Coalition

Regional Centre for Training and Development of Civil Society (RCDCS)

Rights for Peace

Sudan Human Rights Network

Sudan and South Sudan Forum e.V.

Sudan Transparency Policy Tracker

The Sentry

Tomorrow's Smile, Inc.

USESA (US-Educated Sudanese Association)

Waging Peace

Zeinab Women for Development
BEIJING (AP) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday kicked off two days of high-stakes diplomatic talks in Beijing aimed at trying to cool exploding U.S.-China tensions that have set many around the world on edge.

Blinken opened his program by meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang for an extended discussion to be followed by a working dinner. He'll have additional talks with Qin, as well as China's top diplomat Wang Yi and possibly President Xi Jinping, on Monday.

Neither Blinken nor Qin made any substantive comments to reporters as they began the meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

Despite Blinken's presence in the Chinese capital, prospects for any significant breakthroughs are slim, as already strained ties have grown increasingly fraught in recent years. Animosity and recriminations have steadily escalated over a series of disagreements that have implications for global security and stability.

Blinken is the highest-level American official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office and the first secretary of state to make the trip in five years.

Biden and Xi agreed to Blinkens trip early at a meeting last year in Bali. It came within a day of happening in February but was delayed by the diplomatic and political tumult brought on by the discovery of what the U.S. says was a Chinese spy balloon flying across the United States that was shot down.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, right, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)

The list of disagreements and potential conflict points is long, ranging from trade with Taiwan, human rights conditions in China and Hong Kong to Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea and Russia's war in Ukraine.

Blinken will also be pressing the Chinese to release detained American citizens and to take steps to curb the production and export of fentanyl precursors that are fueling the opioid crisis in the United States.

U.S. officials have said Blinken will raise each of these points, though neither side has shown any inclination to back down on their entrenched positions.

Shortly before leaving, Blinken emphasized the importance of the U.S. and China establishing and maintaining better lines of communication. The U.S. wants to make sure "that the competition we have with China doesnt veer into conflict" due to avoidable misunderstandings, he told reporters.

Biden and Xi had made commitments to improve communications "precisely so that we can make sure we are communicating as clearly as possible to avoid possible misunderstandings and miscommunications," Blinken said Friday.

Xi offered a hint of a possible willingness to reduce tensions, saying in a meeting with Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates on Friday that the United States and China can cooperate to "benefit our two countries."

"I believe that the foundation of Sino-U.S. relations lies in the people," Xi said to Gates. "Under the current world situation, we can carry out various activities that benefit our two countries, the people of our countries, and the entire human race."

Biden told White House reporters Saturday he was "hoping that over the next several months, I'll be meeting with Xi again and talking about legitimate differences we have, but also how ... to get along."

Chances for such a meeting could come at a Group of 20 leaders' gathering in September in New Delhi and at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November in San Francisco that the United States is hosting.

Since the cancellation of Blinken's trip in February, there have been some high-level engagements. CIA chief William Burns traveled to China in May, while Chinas commerce minister traveled to the U.S. And Bidens national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Wang in Vienna in May.

But those have been punctuated by bursts of angry rhetoric from both sides over the Taiwan Strait, their broader intentions in the Indo-Pacific, Chinas refusal to condemn Russia for its war against Ukraine, and U.S. allegations from Washington that Beijing is attempting to boost its worldwide surveillance capabilities, including in Cuba.

And, earlier this month, Chinas defense minister rebuffed a request from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for a meeting on the sidelines of a security symposium in Singapore, a sign of continuing discontent.

Austin said Friday he was confident that he and his Chinese counterpart would meet "at some point in time, but were not there yet."

Underscoring the difficulties, China rejected a report by a U.S. security firm, that blamed Chinese-linked hackers for attacks on hundreds of public agencies, schools and other targets around the world, as "far-fetched and unprofessional"

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson repeated accusations that Washington carries out hacking attacks and complained the cybersecurity industry rarely reports on them.

That followed a similar retort earlier in the week when China said Qin had in a phone call with Blinken urged the United States to respect "Chinas core concerns" such as the issue of Taiwans self-rule, "stop interfering in Chinas internal affairs, and stop harming Chinas sovereignty, security and development interests in the name of competition."

Meanwhile, the national security advisers of the United States, Japan and the Philippines held their first joint talks Friday and agreed to strengthen their defense cooperation, in part to counter China's growing influence and ambitions.

This coincides with the Biden administration inking an agreement with Australia and Britain to provide the first with nuclear-powered submarines, with China moving rapidly to expand its diplomatic presence, especially in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific island nations, where it has opened or has plans to open at least five new embassies over the next year.

The agreement is part of an 18-month-old nuclear partnership given the acronym AUKUS - for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

China's spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, Hua Chunying, issued a statement of cautious optimism as Blinken started his first day of meetings in Beijing.

"Hope this meeting can help steer China-U.S. relations back to what the two Presidents agreed upon in Bali," she said in a statement on Twitter.

However, two U.S. officials downplayed hopes for major progress and stressed that the trip was intended to restore a sense of calm and normalcy to high-level contacts.

"Were coming to Beijing with a realistic, confident approach and a sincere desire to manage our competition in the most responsible way possible," said Daniel Kritenbrink, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia and the Pacific.

Kurt Campbell, the top Asia expert at the National Security Council, said "intense competition requires intense diplomacy if were going to manage tensions. That is the only way to clear up misperceptions, to signal, to communicate, and to work together where and when our interests align."

___

Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim in Washington and Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Taiwan contributed to this report.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second right, meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, fifth from left, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)

Doormen await the arrival of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, ahead of his meeting with China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, center, walks with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, right, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, center, meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, center right, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Beijing, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, is welcomed by Yang Tao, center, Director General of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, and U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, left, as he arrives in Beijing, China, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Beijing, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, is welcomed by Yang Tao, Director General of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, as he arrives in Beijing, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second right, meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, second left, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, walks after arriving in Beijing, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)
LONDON (AP) - King Charles III rode on horseback Saturday to take part in his first Trooping the Color ceremony as U.K. monarch, inspecting hundreds of soldiers and horses in a spectacular annual military display at central London's Horse Guards Parade.

Charles, 74, the colonel in chief, received the royal salute and watched as the most prestigious regiments in the U.K. army paraded to mark his official birthday.

It was the first time in more than 30 years that a U.K. monarch has taken part in the pomp-filled ceremony on horseback.

Earlier, Charles' eldest son, Prince William, and the king's siblings, Prince Edward and Princess Anne, also rode on horseback in procession from Buckingham Palace. All the royals were dressed in red and gold tunics and tall black bearskin hats, matching the uniforms worn by many of the 1,400 soldiers taking part.

Others in the royal family, including Queen Camilla, Kate, the Princess of Wales, and her three young children, rode in horse-drawn carriages as thousands of people thronged the Mall, the grand avenue outside Buckingham Palace, to watch the pageantry.

Here are some things to know about the colorful spectacle:

Britain's King Charles III leaves Buckingham Palace to take part in the Trooping The Colour parade, in London, Saturday, June 17, 2023. Trooping the Colour is the King's Birthday Parade and one of the nation's most impressive and iconic annual events attended by almost every member of the Royal Family.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Trooping the Color is essentially a grand birthday parade to honor the reigning monarch. The annual ceremony is a tradition that dates back more than 260 years.

Huge crowds turn out each June to watch the display, which begins with a procession involving horses, musicians and hundreds of soldiers in ceremonial uniform from Buckingham Palace. The monarch then inspects their troops, including both foot guards and horse guards. Gun salutes and a crowd-pleasing military flyby over the palace typically round out the celebrations.

Charles' actual birthday is Nov. 14, 1948. But U.K. monarchs have traditionally celebrate two birthdays - their real one and an official one - to ensure that public celebrations can take place in warm summer weather.

Charles' late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, always held the Trooping the Color birthday parade in June, while she celebrated her actual April birthday privately with family.

The central part of the parade features a battle flag - or the "Color" - being displayed and marched past troops and the monarch.

This is a ceremonial reenactment of the way regimental flags were once displayed for soldiers on the battlefield to provide a crucial rallying point if they became disoriented or separated from their unit.

The flags were traditionally described as "Colors" because they displayed the uniform colors and insignia worn by soldiers of different units.

A different flag is trooped each year. This year the "Color" was the King's Color of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

Saturday was the first time a monarch has ridden on horseback at the event since Elizabeth did so in 1986.

The queen rode her favorite horse, called Burmese, to 18 Trooping the Color ceremonies until the black mare retired in 1986. After that she decided to use a carriage for the event instead.

Charles also rode on horseback for the spectacle last year, when as heir to the throne he inspected the troops on behalf of his mother. Elizabeth died last September at the age of 96.

The birthday parade typically reaches its climax when, at the end of the military procession, the royal family lines up on Buckingham Palace's balcony to watch a spectacular flyby.

The Royal Air Force's aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, usually wows the crowds as they fly in formation leaving plumes of red, white and blue vapor trails.

This year, the flyby was even more impressive, because a similar display on Charles' coronation day in May had to be scaled back because of bad weather. Around 70 aircraft took part Saturday, including Spitfire and Hurricane fighters from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Eighteen Typhoon fighter jets flying in precise formation spelt out "CR" - "Charles Rex" - in the sky as the royal family and thousands of spectators cheered.

From left: Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte leave Buckingham Palace to take part in the Trooping The Colour parade, in London, Saturday, June 17, 2023. Trooping the Colour is the King's Birthday Parade and one of the nation's most impressive and iconic annual events attended by almost every member of the Royal Family.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Prince William, left, Prince Edward, centre, and Princess Anne leave Buckingham Palace to take part in the Trooping The Colour parade, in London, Saturday, June 17, 2023. Trooping the Colour is the King's Birthday Parade and one of the nation's most impressive and iconic annual events attended by almost every member of the Royal Family.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

The Royal procession make its way down the Mall to take part in the Trooping The Colour parade, in London, Saturday, June 17, 2023. Trooping the Colour is the King's Birthday Parade and one of the nation's most impressive and iconic annual events attended by almost every member of the Royal Family.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

From left: Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte leave Buckingham Palace to take part in the Trooping The Colour parade, in London, Saturday, June 17, 2023. Trooping the Colour is the King's Birthday Parade and one of the nation's most impressive and iconic annual events attended by almost every member of the Royal Family.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Camilla, the Queen Consort, left, and Kate, Princess of Wales, leave Buckingham Palace to take part in the Trooping The Colour parade, in London, Saturday, June 17, 2023. Trooping the Colour is the King's Birthday Parade and one of the nation's most impressive and iconic annual events attended by almost every member of the Royal Family.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Camilla, the Queen Consort leaves Buckingham Palace to take part in the Trooping The Colour parade, in London, Saturday, June 17, 2023. Trooping the Colour is the King's Birthday Parade and one of the nation's most impressive and iconic annual events attended by almost every member of the Royal Family.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Troops marching down the Mall to Horse Guards parade to take part in the Trooping the Colour parade at Buckingham Palace, in London, Saturday, June 17, 2023. Trooping the Colour is the King's Birthday Parade and one of the nation's most impressive and iconic annual events attended by almost every member of the Royal Family.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Prince George, left, and Prince Louis, greet the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping The Colour parade, in London, Saturday, June 17, 2023. Trooping the Colour is the King's Birthday Parade and one of the nation's most impressive and iconic annual events attended by almost every member of the Royal Family.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Japanese auto parts maker Musashi on Friday announced its entry in the electric mobility space in India in collaboration with BNC Motors and said it will invest Rs 70 crore in the first phase of the business.

Musashi India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Musashi Seimitsu Industries, manufactures transmission components for IC engine-powered two and four wheelers.

The company said it will use its platform of design and engineering capability to manufacture its new EV unit consisting of a motor, PCU, and gear box, it said.

The company said it will manufacture the e-Axle at its Bengaluru plant, starting October.

Musashi will spend Rs 70 crore in phase-1 to set up an assembly line for the product at its manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, it said.

We are bringing Musashis expertise and advanced technology to the electric mobility sector in India. Our focus is to provide components that are essential for the growth and success of electric vehicles, said Toshihisa Otsuka, CEO India and Africa Region, at Musashi Seimitsu Industries.

The company said it is expanding into e-mobility through a strategic collaboration with Bharat New-Energy Company (BNC) Motors in India.

The company has already signed an initial pact with Strom in Thailand, EV Go in Vietnam, and Arc Ride in Kenya, and will supply them e-Axle manufactured in India.
The misuse of public interest litigations adversely affects the democratic process and undermines the credibility of the judicial system

PPublic Interest Litigation (PIL) was introduced in Indian jurisprudence in the 1970s. Justice Bhagwati of the Supreme Court, who is considered the father of PILs, had imagined it to act as a noble legal concept for providing access to justice for the poor and marginalized. Technically a PIL is the power that is given to the public by the court via judicial activism. However, the party that introduced the PIL needs to prove the intent behind it. The party needs to show that the PIL affects the public at large and that a particular case isnt just some random litigation for personal gain or a case to solve any personal agitations.

Essentially, the concept of PILs was introduced to enable individuals or groups to file lawsuits on behalf of the public interest. Since its introduction, there have been notable instances where PIL has been an important tool for social change in India and has been used to address a wide range of issues, including environmental protection, human rights, and corruption. However, a more dominant trend has taken hold, and public interest is now being substituted for private and political interests.

No matter how much progress PILs have brought to the Indian Judicial system, we cannot unsee the flip side of the coin at any cost as PILs are being abused a lot nowadays. Many PIL activists in India have been using the PILs as a handy tool for harassing the judicial system.

To counter the misuse of PILs, in 2010, the Supreme Court issued guidelines for filing PILs, which included the requirement of the petitioner to disclose their identity, the source of funding, and the reason for filing the PIL. However, despite these measures, PIL Petitioners have devised new ways to flout these guidelines, by making filings through proxy representatives and by maintaining ostensible albeit not real degrees of separation. These motivated PILs often target government officials or other powerful individuals to harass and intimidate them or to derail important government initiatives.

Glaring examples

In 2018, the Supreme Court dismissed a PIL which demanded a probe by a Special Investigative Team (SIT) into the death of BH Loya, a Judge presiding over the Central Bureau of Investigation Special Court in Mumbai. He was hearing one of the most high-profile cases in the country, involving the allegedly staged encounter killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in 2005. The case had obvious political overtones in as much as the prime accused in the case was the present Home Minister of India.

Again, in 2016, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court of India challenging the appointment of a new Chief Justice of the country. The PIL was filed by a group of lawyers who alleged that the appointment was unconstitutional. In 2022, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court of India challenging the governments decision to increase the price of fuel. The PIL was filed by a group of economists who alleged that the increase was unconstitutional and would hurt the poor. Ultimately this too was dismissed on the ground that Courts cannot interfere in policy or economic matters.

Most recently, in the wake of the killing of former MP and gangster Atique Ahmed, a PIL was filed seeking a probe and the constitution of an independent expert committee to investigate the event. PILs such as this try to enter the waters of policing and policy, which the courts are not necessarily competent or required to venture into.

Need for safeguards

PILs are now rarely used by those they initially sought to protect  that is, the marginalised. Instead, it is used as yet another tool to influence the power and political dynamics, draining both Courts and the people and organizations targeted through these PILs. These PILs can hurt the democratic process and can make it more difficult for the government to function effectively. Most shockingly, a recent survey reveals that the number of PILs being filed has nearly quadrupled in the last three years alone.

This amplifies the need to revisit the guidelines to control frivolous and motivated PILs. A few suggestions are as under:

One way to counter these issues is to simply make it more difficult to file PILs  for example, more attention should be paid to the PILs filed by a registered organization that represent a vast number of people and simultaneously limit be imposed on PILs filed by an individual, which mostly are like proxy filings. This would help to ensure that PILs are only filed by groups that have a legitimate interest in the issue at stake. Secondly, upon admission  the Courts could consider necessarily substituting the Petitioner and instead appointing an amicus curia to aid the Court on the issues involved. Thirdly, The Press should also be directed to not publicise the name of the Petitioner in any manner. Another solution could be to make it more expensive to file PILs.The courts should require that a filing fee be paid when a PIL is filed. This would help to discourage frivolous litigations. The number of Petitions that can be filed by a Petitioner should also be limited in some manner. Moreover, guidelines should be laid down that PILs be decided on a time-bound basis. This will help to prevent the misuse of PILs to delay important government initiatives and policies or to harass government officials. Another suggestion is for the Supreme Court to not entertain PILs directly  and necessarily require adjudication on any PIL to be first done at the level of the High Court. This will ensure that if and when the matter does reach the Supreme Court, it would have the benefit of the decision of the High Court on the issue.

Recently, an effective tactic being adopted by Courts is higher penalties where PILs are found to be frivolous. For example, in June 2022, a Supreme Court Bench ordered the litigant in a PIL to deposit a penalty of Rs. 18 Lakhs, being Rs. 1 Lakh for each of the 18 minutes of the Courts time spent on hearing the patently absurd and frivolous petition. Although the Court eventually reduced the penalty to Rs. 2 Lakhs, the attitude of the Court revealed the Courts awareness and distaste towards such apparent exploitation of legal processes.

Although the PIL took birth as a noble concept to provide access to justice to the vulnerable sections of society, it is increasingly being used as a tool for vested interests to pursue political agendas and harass those in power. It is evident that the misuse of PILs adversely affects the democratic process, and undermines the credibility of the judicial system. Recent years have seen examples of such abuse and exploitation of the PIL, which should serve as a deterrent to prevent similar incidents in the future. If used in the correct manner and for the right causes, PIL can prove to be an asset to the people. New ways and methods should be formulated to sieve out frivolous petitions so that justice is served fairly and well within time. The existing guidelines have unfortunately failed to act as a strong deterrent to the misuse of PILs and there is a need to strengthen the existing safeguards. There is a need now, more than ever, to revisit these guidelines and implement strong, stringent measures to ensure that PILs are only filed for genuine causes, and not for political or ulterior purposes. By doing so, we can help to ensure that PILs continue to be an effective tool for social change and not a weapon for political gain.

[The writer is a BJP MLA from Lucknow, Ex-Joint Director of ED and a practising lawyer]
Though Bangladesh's incumbent Awami League Government is taking strong action, Sheikh Hasina has a very serious challenge on her hands

On the face of it, any talk of Islamist terrorism posing a threat to Bangladesh or the latter becoming a global staging ground for it appears absurd. Things have been improving since the savage terrorist strike at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka on July 1, 2016, which left 20 persons (guests at the eatery), all five of the terrorists, two police officers and two members of the bakerys staff, dead. According to South Asia Terrorist Portals Datasheet Bangladesh, from 132 in 2016, the number of deathsincluding those of civilians, members of security forces and terrorists  from terrorism-related incidents declined to one in 2021 before rising to 18 in 2022 and 53 until June 11, 2023.

Though representing a rising trend, the figures since 2022 are lower than that in 2016. This has resulted from strong action taken by Bangladeshs present Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In its Bangladesh Mutual Evaluation Report, October 2016, the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) says, Bangladesh has made significant progress since the last Mutual Evaluation Report (MER) in 2009, reflecting political commitment and leadership on AML (Anti-Money Laundering) /CFT (Countering Financing of Terrorism). It states, Inter-agency work to assess TF (Terror Funding) risks shows strengths, but more work is needed to assess foreign TF threats, to further assess ML. It also says that at operational levels coordination and cooperation occur to a varying degree although recent reforms have sought to address identified issues, particularly between law enforcement agencies (LEAs).

The Bangladesh governments efforts to cleanse the educational institutions of those aligned with Islamist terrorist groups have been successful in some measure. It needs to be continued and extended to other areas. In Dr Abdul Gafur, Memorial Lecture titled Bangladesh Moulabader Arthaniti (The Economics of Fundamentalism in Bangladesh), delivered on May 21, 2005, Professor Abul Barkat of Dhaka University stated that fundamentalists used their political and economic power to place militant and communally-oriented members in strategic locations in government and NGOs. The ill-disguised military dictatorships of Zia-ur Rahman and HM Ershad that promoted Islamist fundamentalism during their and their proxies rule from 1975 to 1991, the Bangladesh Nationalist Partys government with Begum Khaleda Zia as prime minister, which came to power in 1991 with the support of the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (now reincarnated as Bangladesh Jamaat-Islami), filled the administration with their supporters as well those of the fundamentalist Islamists they courted. It was the same with the BNP-Jamaat coalition government that ruled Bangladesh from 2001 to 2006. These elements have to be wrinkled out.

Since the 2016 attack, efforts by the Dhaka Metropolitan Polices Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit, as well as Rapid Action Battalions (RAB) campaign in the countryside, has led to the liquidation of several terrorists and terrorist hideouts. The former, particularly, has been building up special counter-terrorism expertise. Intelligence gathering has improved. There, however, is still considerable scope for improvement.

In Bangladesh, its criticality has been enhanced by three factors. First, terrorist outfits remain. The latest to emerge is the Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya (JAFHS), formed by former members of three banned militant organizations: Ansar Al Islam, Neo-Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh, and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh. The group, active since 2017, adopted its current name in 2019. It has been forging links with other terrorist organisations since then. In February 2023, RAB arrested 17 personnel of the JAFHS and three members of the Kuki-Chin National Front and recovered rifles, bomb-making equipment and other weapons.

Second, Islamist terrorists have been using the Internet and social media to win recruits and spread their fundamentalist doctrines. Bangladesh had 35 lakh Internet users in 2008. According to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, the number was 12.61 crore in March 2023. A report in Prothom Alo cites a report released by Facebooks parent company Meta stating that at least two billion people in Bangladesh logged into Facebook at least once a day during December 2022.

Third, a keen watch has to be kept on the camps of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, particularly those close to Teknaf, the river that constitutes the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. As Eric Hoffers insightful work, The True Believer, shows, criminals often tend to join fundamentalist mass movements in search of redemption and honourable images. According to reports, the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation has cooperated with the JMB on weapons and explosives training.

Finally, the fight against Islamist terrorism is fundamentally ideological. Hence, besides cleansing educational bodies, it is important to establish firm governmental control over the quami madrasas which teach around 1.4 million students in Bangladesh.

(The author is Consulting Editor, The Pioneer. The views expressed are personal)
The residence of Union Minister of State for External Affairs RK Ranjan Singh in Imphal town was razed to the ground by a mob, according to officials. This shocking incident serves as a scathing indictment of the Biren Singh-led State Government, with the anguished Minister declaring that the law and order situation in Manipur has failed.

The gravity of the situation cannot be gauged, especially in the light of recent events, including the burning of two other houses and clashes between the Rapid Action Force of Manipur and the unruly mob.

Throughout Thursday night, the mob wreaked havoc in the town and engaged in clashes with security forces, heightening tensions in the area. The sound of gunfire echoed through the Imphal East district into the early hours of Friday as security forces resorted to firing numerous rounds of tear gas shells and mock bombs in an attempt to disperse the angry locals who were protesting the killing of nine civilians on Wednesday. During the confrontation, two protesters and one Rapid Action Force personnel were injured. Officials confirmed that an RAF constable was struck on the head by a stone.

The situation in Imphal remains highly volatile as authorities work tirelessly to restore order and address the deepening discontent among the population. The complete razing of a Union Ministers house underscores the severe breakdown in the law and order situation in Manipur, raising serious concerns about the Governments ability to maintain peace and security in the region.

Claiming that the law and order situation in Manipur has failed, Singh said he had constructed his house with prayers and was unable to understand why it was targeted. Someone tries to vandalize it, demolish it, I feel shocked. I never expect such a kind of attitude and activities from my fellow citizens of this State. I pray to God also not to happen again. This is the second time, the first time, I somehow convinced them and the security protected.... that was in early evening. This time yesterday it was late night, around 10:30. Everything was normal, suddenly crowds of people came and attacked, I was told, Singh told ANI.

The Minister, who is in Kerala, said when the house was on fire, the fire brigades could not enter the place as people created blockages.

I do not know why they are attacking. There is no reason. In the whole process, I am trying to bring peace, negotiating...my senior Ministers and colleagues to bring normalcy in the State. In the meanwhile, this kind of unwanted incident happened. If my sons and daughters and family happen to be here...that burning and throwing of petrol, it seems to affect my life also, he said.

Law and order condition in Manipur is a total failure. The existing Government could not maintain peace. Thats why the central Government has sent a lot of protections and Rapid Action Force. I dont know how the State mechanism is a failure, I feel like that, he added.

The Minister had told ANI earlier that about 50 miscreants had attacked his house.

It is extremely sad to see what happened last night. I was told that more than 50 miscreants attacked my home. Damage has been done to the ground floor and the first floor of my residence. Neither me or anybody from my family was present during that time. Thankfully, nobody got injured.

Meanwhile, protesters at Nongmeibung and Wangkhei blocked the main streets by piling up stones and construction materials and engaged in pitched battles with security forces, they said.

I am trying to bring peace and stop violence since May 3 (when ethnic clashes began in the state)  this is all a misunderstanding between two communities. The Government has set up a peace committee, the process is on. Civil society leaders are sitting together, said Singh, who is currently in Kochi to attend a party programme.
Tigers under Threat: Startling Surge in Fatalities Sends Tremors through India's Wildlife Conservation Efforts

A startling surge in tiger deaths has reverberated through the hearts of wildlife enthusiasts across the country, sending tremors through India's efforts in wildlife conservation. In a devastating blow, eleven majestic tigers lost their lives within the first 17 days of June. Maharashtra lost three tigers while Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh mourned death of two big cats each. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Odisha recorded one fatality each.

In this year, till June 17, a total 87 predators have died across the country.

This alarming escalation in tiger fatalities marks the highest number witnessed in the past three years, despite the recent announcement of India's Tiger Census figures during the fifth cycle by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 9. The aim of this initiative was to bolster the protection and preservation of these iconic feline wonders.

Thorough data analysis conducted by the renowned National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) reveals a somber reality for tigers across the nation. A staggering total of 87 magnificent big cats have succumbed to various threats till now this year, with Madhya Pradesh bearing the brunt of the losses, reporting a heartbreaking 23 casualties. Among the fallen warriors, 28 tigresses and 12 cubs leave behind a void in the already fragile tiger population.

Merely a week ago, The Pioneer brought to light a chilling statistic: the country witnessed the tragic deaths of 76 tigers in the past five months alone, presenting the grim reality of one tiger perishing every other day.

A poignant comparison with the same period last year paints a distressing picture: a total of 64 felines met untimely demises, as indicated by the NTCA's data under the Union Environment Ministry.

The data for 2023 further unravels a deeply concerning trend, with a majority of deathsno fewer than 47occurring within tiger reserves. The intensifying territorial conflicts among these majestic predators have emerged as significant contributors to the surge in mortalities. Senior officials from the Ministry have drawn attention to the insufficiency of habitats to accommodate the growing tiger population, compelling these creatures to venture into human territories. This perilous incursion poses grave risks to both the tigers' lives and those of humans.

The severity of the situation is further accentuated by the fact that seven tiger deaths occurred within the boundaries of their own territories within the first 17 days of June, underscoring the urgency for immediate intervention.

Experts unanimously attribute the rise in deaths to territorial conflicts among the tigers themselves. Typically, tigers demarcate territories spanning 10-12 square kilometers, fiercely guarding against rival intruders. When a challenger encroaches, a battle for dominance ensues, with the stronger tiger prevailing and the weaker one pushed to the periphery.

Life is far from easy even for those tigers that manage to survive and relocate to the fringes. They often become victims of poaching or fall prey to human-animal conflicts when they venture beyond their territorial boundaries, as witnessed in recent days.

For instance, in the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, a frail cub succumbed to the harsh elements of cold and rain after its mother was killed in a territorial clash back in February. Ranthambore TR, considered the nation's third-most congested tiger habitat, lags behind Uttarakhand's Corbett National Park and Assam's Kaziranga National Park in terms of overcrowding.

As India grapples with this disquieting surge in tiger deaths, urgent measures are needed to safeguard these magnificent creatures. Wildlife conservation efforts demand immediate attention to address the underlying causes of territorial conflicts and habitat insufficiency. Time is of the essence, and concerted action is imperative to ensure a future where tigers thrive
A controversy erupted after AAP leader and Delhi Education Minister Atishi said that while the number of billionaires had grown in India between 2020 to 2022, the number of hungry people in India has gone by from 19 crore in 2020 to 35 crores in 2022. The BJP hit back at Atishi for her comments and said that the AAP Minister had moved from criticising the BJP to criticing the country. Taking a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as well as Atishi over their statements abroad, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday said their remarks need not be taken seriously.

We are told that India has the largest number of growing billionaires. That the number of billionaires grew from 102 to 166 between 2020 to 2022. But there is another figure that also grew from 2020 to 2022 and that is the number of hungry people in the country. Those who do not have food, said Atishi while addressing a conference at the Cambridge India Conference on India at 100: Towards Becoming a Global Leader, hosted y Cambridge Judge Business School.

The Delhi Minister further pointed out that although we are often told that Indias Gross Domestic Products has crossed the $3.5 trillion mark and it is the fastest-growing G20 economy, the reality is more worrying and requires immediate attention. One key indicator of the countrys situation is the Human Development Index, where India ranks 132 out of 191 countries. Several smaller countries or countries considered comparable to India, such as Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, have higher ranks in this index.

It is often highlighted that India has the largest number of growing billionaires, with the number increasing from 102 in 2020 to 166 in 2022. However, another figure during this period is the number of hungry people in the country, which grew from 19 crores to 35 crores. This is alarming considering that India is the second-largest producer of food in the world. Despite this, it has the largest number of malnourished or undernourished people, she added.

The Education Minister further said, While there is a narrative of a growing and shining India, there is also the reality that 140 crores of people in this country do not have access to education, healthcare, nutrition, or employment. The richest 1% of the country owns 40% of Indias wealth, while the bottom 50% of the population owns only 3%. Thus, while the GDP may be growing, it is primarily benefiting the richest, while the majority of the population suffers. This has led to situations where people have to choose between saving a family members life through treatment or their last available asset.

She added that the NSS survey last year revealed that 17% of the population had to make catastrophic expenses to ensure their family members received treatment.

The BJP was quick to respond and said Atishi had joined Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition party leaders who are criticising India. BJP said in its tweet that some Opposition leaders did not like Indias progress and that the list of people opposing the country was only growing.

The people of Delhi and the country will not forgive her who went abroad and defamed the country by presenting false figures. This reflects her ideology, her culture and her Marxist thinking, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said.

The whole country wants to know from Atishi that from where she has brought the figure of 35 crore hungry people. The leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party, who call themselves staunch patriots, have left no stone unturned to embarrass the country, he said. The entire opposition is not happy with India moving forward. First Rahul Gandhi and now Atishi Marlena, the list of anti-national propogandists is getting longer, he added.

Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said that AAP leaders are following Rahul Gandhi. Atishi did the same thing which Rahul done during his visit aboard. Actually, AAPians are leftist, he said.
Complaints by citizens about civic amenities in the national Capital have increased on issues ranging from sewerage, waste management and air pollution, the Praja Foundation in The report on Status of Civic Issues in Delhi, 2023, said on Friday. The report aims to understand growing problems of solid waste management (SWM), sewerage treatment, air and water quality, that impact Delhis climate change.

The report said rising concerns have seen a 36% increase in number of overall citizen complaints from 3,30,099 in 2019 to 4,47,468 in 2022. Notably, sewerage-related complaints significantly rose by 75%, escalating from 78,997 in 2019 to 1,38,545 in 2022.

Additionally, complaints regarding water contamination rose by 39% from 35,679 in 2019 to 49,492 in 2022. The SWM Rules 2016 by the Union Government mandates effective collection and segregation of waste at source.

However, there is a need for Municipal Corporation of Delhi(MCD) to improve - for instance, although MCD claims 100% door-to-door collection, complaints related to garbage not collected increased by 285% from 1,068 in 2016 to 4,117 in 2022.

Moreover, there is a lack in source segregation as the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). SWM Action plan states, as of February 2023, out of the 250 wards, only 12 (5%) wards are carrying out 100% segregation at source. said, Milind Mhaske, CEO, Praja Foundation.

Along with the SWM Rules 2016, the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) recommends the Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) system to reduce waste generation, process waste at source and reduce waste sent to landfills.

However, in 2021-22, only 46% of the total waste generated was processed in MCD facilities. Moreover, the waste sent to MCD landfills increased from 51% in 2019-20 to 54% in 2021-22. To achieve the target of clearing all landfill sites by December 2024, MCD should focus on reducing amount of fresh waste sent to landfill and explore decentralised methods of waste management. added Mhaske.

Yamuna River is highly polluted due to the large amounts of untreated waste released through municipal sewage and various other industrial wastes let out.
Delhi Universitys Vice Chancellor Prof Yogesh Singh on Friday said the construction of the Delhi Universitys East Campus is expected to start next year and it is likely to be ready in 2026. The Delhi University has sent a proposal to the central government for funding for the construction of the East campus.

The university that currently has two campuses -- North and South -- had announced expansion plans a few years back. The plans envisaged the construction of East and West campuses to introduce more courses and a centre for law. It will not only help reduce administrative burden on the north and south campuses but also spur higher education opportunities in the region.

The construction of the East Campus will be begin in the next eight months. The process is underway. We have applied for funding with the Government of India, Singh said. He added that the aim is to develop the East Campus on the lines of the North and South campuses.

The vice chancellor said construction of the East campus is expected to be completed by 2026-end and we are planning to start law programmes there. The identified land is located near the Karkardooma district courts complex and is accessible by both Blue and Red lines of Delhi Metro.

On benefits of the expansion, Singh said, It will not only provide more opportunities for higher education but also help manage administrative work.

The Delhi University has planned for the West Campus in Roshanpura near Nagafgarh. It had said that this will cater to students hailing from rural areas of Delhi and Haryana. Singh, however, said that at present, there are no plans for the construction of the West Campus.
El Rahad  Clashes between civilians and members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Rahad, North Kordofan, killed 10 people and wounded seven others. The violent events prompted many residents to flee the town. The fighting caused the El Obeid-El Rahad road to be closed again.

Witnesses told Radio Dabanga yesterday that several young men in El Rahad suspected others to belong to the RSF, whereupon "they attacked them, and killed six of them" on Wednesday evening.

Following the killings, an RSF unit stationed in the vicinity stormed the town and took revenge by shooting at people. Four people were killed, and seven others were wounded.

The intense use of gunfire prompted a mass exodus from El Rahad. Many residents sought refuge in neighbouring villages.

"The RSF has taken complete control of the town and sealed off the El Rahad-El Obeid road," the sources said.

They added that there are no Sudanese army forces (SAF) present in the town.

On Wednesday as well, North Darfur Hajj pilgrims were robbed near El Rahad.

Mohamed Abdelaziz, head of the North Darfur Council for Hajj and Umrah in reported yesterday that one of the vehicles was hit by bullets, but no one was harmed. The identity of the assailants remains unknown.

Radio Dabanga reported earlier this week that the continued fighting in Sudan complicates the route to Mecca.
The Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) will host an Influencers Meet on Saturday to raise awareness among people about using and protecting public spaces of the newly streetscaped areas. According to officials, as many as 30 social media influencers will assemble for Saturdays event and raise awareness through their handles.

The Delhi government has 1400 km of road under its jurisdiction, while other roads are under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Development Authority.

The government has carried out beautification of roads that includes well-designed pedestrian-friendly footpaths for walkers, development of green stretch through plantations, creation of open air sitting areas, cycle tracks, selfie points, public facilities like water ATMs, toilets and street furniture, the officials said.

The PWDs Streetscaping division has connected with various social media influencers across Delhi. The agency has invited the influencers and their followers to witness the streetscaped areas at Sri Aurobindo Marg and understand the need to preserve the same, they said.

Different stretches of Delhi have been specifically designed keeping in mind the need for adequate spaces required for pedestrians, avid cyclists, or fitness enthusiasts, said Vinay Sheel Saxena, Executive Engineer, Street Scaping Division (PWD).
Acting Speaker of Delhi Assembly, Rakhi Birla and MLA Prakash Jarwal, a member of the SC/ST Committee and MLA on Friday demanded an investigation against Special Secretary (Vigilance and Services) YVVJ Rajasekhar, of demanding a bribe of 5 to 10 lakh rupees in exchange for a job opportunity on compassionate grounds from one Nakul Kashyap.

The AAP leaders also demanded the Delhi Police to arrest Rajasekhar and provide security to Nakul.

Explaining the sequence of events, Birla, said that Nakul s father, an employee of the Health Department of the Delhi Government, had tragically passed away while on duty. Left grappling with emotional and financial hardships due to his fathers demise, Nakul approached Rajasekhars office, appealing for a job on compassionate grounds to provide much-needed support for his family. Shockingly, the officer demanded a bribe of 5 to 10 lakh rupees in exchange for the job, resorting to verbal abuse and invoking derogatory caste-based slurs when Nakul refused to comply.
Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Ashtead Group (LON:AHT  Get Rating) in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have a GBX 7,000 ($87.59) price target on the stock.

AHT has been the topic of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Ashtead Group from GBX 5,500 ($68.82) to GBX 6,000 ($75.08) and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, February 13th. Barclays restated an overweight rating and issued a GBX 6,300 ($78.83) price target on shares of Ashtead Group in a report on Monday, April 24th. Peel Hunt reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a GBX 5,200 ($65.07) price objective on shares of Ashtead Group in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a hold rating and set a GBX 4,460 ($55.81) target price on shares of Ashtead Group in a research report on Wednesday, June 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ashtead Group presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of GBX 6,022.86 ($75.36).

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Ashtead Group Price Performance

Shares of LON AHT opened at GBX 5,404 ($67.62) on Tuesday. The companys fifty day moving average is GBX 4,841.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 5,038.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 154.56, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.22. The firm has a market capitalization of 23.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 1,882.93, a PEG ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.45. Ashtead Group has a one year low of GBX 3,269 ($40.90) and a one year high of GBX 6,012 ($75.23).

Ashtead Group Increases Dividend

About Ashtead Group

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 10th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 1.26%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 10th. This is an increase from Ashtead Groups previous dividend of $0.15. Ashtead Groups dividend payout ratio is 2,404.18%.

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Ashtead Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the construction, industrial, and general equipment rental business in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It provides pumps, power generation, heating, cooling, scaffolding, traffic management, temporary flooring, trench shoring, and lifting services.

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BlackRock Income Trust, Inc. (NYSE:BKT  Get Rating) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 42,300 shares, an increase of 54.4% from the May 15th total of 27,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 61,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.7 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BKT. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. bought a new position in BlackRock Income Trust in the 1st quarter valued at $98,000. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its position in BlackRock Income Trust by 85.4% in the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 52,630 shares of the companys stock valued at $270,000 after buying an additional 24,244 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. bought a new position in BlackRock Income Trust in the 1st quarter valued at $385,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in BlackRock Income Trust by 67.4% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 39,001 shares of the companys stock valued at $200,000 after buying an additional 15,700 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Centaurus Financial Inc. bought a new position in BlackRock Income Trust in the 1st quarter valued at $68,000.

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BlackRock Income Trust Stock Up 1.1 %

NYSE BKT traded up $0.13 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $12.43. 55,929 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 58,206. BlackRock Income Trust has a one year low of $11.60 and a one year high of $14.46. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $12.44 and a 200-day moving average of $12.64.

BlackRock Income Trust Announces Dividend

BlackRock Income Trust Company Profile

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be given a $0.0882 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $1.06 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.51%.

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BlackRock Income Trust, Inc is a closed-end investment fund. Its investment objective is to provide total return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation. The company was founded on July 31, 1988 and is headquartered in Wilmington, DE.

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Crescent Point Energy Corp. (NYSE:CPG  Get Rating) (TSE:CPG) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 12,670,000 shares, a growth of 49.9% from the May 15th total of 8,450,000 shares. Approximately 2.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,830,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.6 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CPG has been the subject of several research reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Crescent Point Energy in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Raymond James upgraded Crescent Point Energy from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 22nd.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Crescent Point Energy

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Citigroup Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Crescent Point Energy by 15.0% in the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 172,959 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $1,254,000 after purchasing an additional 22,571 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Crescent Point Energy in the 1st quarter valued at $50,000. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Crescent Point Energy by 22.4% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 372,962 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $2,704,000 after purchasing an additional 68,277 shares during the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can lifted its stake in shares of Crescent Point Energy by 25.8% in the 1st quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 85,590 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $661,000 after purchasing an additional 17,533 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Crescent Point Energy by 76.1% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,549,782 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $32,986,000 after purchasing an additional 1,965,940 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 32.71% of the companys stock.

Crescent Point Energy Trading Up 0.7 %

Crescent Point Energy Cuts Dividend

NYSE CPG traded up $0.05 on Friday, reaching $6.77. 5,038,993 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,139,929. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $6.99 and its 200 day moving average price is $6.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.54 and a beta of 2.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. Crescent Point Energy has a fifty-two week low of $5.51 and a fifty-two week high of $8.61.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.074 per share. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.37%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. Crescent Point Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.85%.

Crescent Point Energy Company Profile

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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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Ganfeng Lithium Group Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:GNENF  Get Rating) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,232,000 shares, a growth of 56.0% from the May 15th total of 789,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 14,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 84.4 days.

Ganfeng Lithium Group Trading Up 1.2 %

OTCMKTS GNENF traded up $0.08 during trading on Friday, hitting $7.20. The stock had a trading volume of 7,913 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,125. The companys 50-day moving average price is $6.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $7.39. Ganfeng Lithium Group has a 12 month low of $5.70 and a 12 month high of $11.49.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Ganfeng Lithium Group from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th.

Ganfeng Lithium Group Company Profile

Ganfeng Lithium Group Co, Ltd. manufactures and sells lithium products in Mainland China, rest of Asia, the European Union, North America, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Lithium Metal and Compound, Lithium Battery, and Lithium Ore Resource and Others. The company has interests in the Mount Marion mine located in Australia; Cauchari-Olaroz project situated in Jujuy Province, Northwest Argentina; Mariana project located in Salta Province, Argentina; Sonora project situated in Mexico; Pilbara Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum project located in Western Australia; Ningdu Heyuan mine situated in Ningdu County, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province; Avalonia project located in Ireland; Qinghai Yiliping lithium salt lake project situated in the Qinghai Province; Goulamina spodumene ore project located in southern Mali, Africa; PPG lithium salt-lake project located in Salta Province, Argentina; and Songshugang tantalum-niobium mine project located in Jiangxi Province.

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Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi (OTCMKTS:TKYVY  Get Rating) is one of 156 publicly-traded companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it compare to its competitors? We will compare Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi to similar businesses based on the strength of its profitability, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, valuation, analyst recommendations and risk.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi and its competitors top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi N/A N/A 0.76 Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi Competitors $6.05 billion $659.17 million 453.12

Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligis competitors have higher revenue and earnings than Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi. Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi 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.

Dividends

Profitability

Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi pays an annual dividend of $0.30 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.6%. Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi pays out 5.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, BanksRegional companies pay a dividend yield of 2.7% and pay out 28.0% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi is clearly a better dividend stock than its competitors, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

This table compares Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi N/A N/A N/A Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi Competitors 24.18% 10.73% 0.96%

Institutional and Insider Ownership

0.0% of Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 45.2% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by institutional investors. 11.0% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi and its competitors, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi 3 0 0 0 1.00 Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi Competitors 984 2953 2792 26 2.28

As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 46.14%. Given Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligis competitors stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors.

Summary

Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi competitors beat Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi on 11 of the 13 factors compared.

Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi Company Profile

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Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi, together with its subsidiaries, provides corporate, commercial, small business, retail, and investment banking services in Turkey and internationally. It offers time and demand deposits, accumulating accounts, repos, spot loans, foreign currency indexed loans, consumer loans, automobile and housing loans, working capital loans, discounted bills, overdraft facilities, gold loans, foreign currency loans, Eximbank loans, pre-export loans, ECA covered financing, letters of guarantee, letters of credit, export factoring, acceptance credits, and draft facilities. The company also provides forfeiting, leasing, forwards, futures, salary payments, investment accounts, cheques, safety boxes, tax collections, bill payment, and payment order services, as well as insurance products. In addition, it offers foreign trade transactions, cash management, factoring, credit cards, investment products, leasing, and other banking products to its corporate, commercial, and retail customers. Further, the company provides small business banking services, including overdraft accounts, POS machines, credit cards, cheque books, TL and foreign currency deposits, Internet banking and call-center, debit card, and bill payment to enterprises in retail and service sectors. Additionally, it offers capital market transactions; issues capital market tools; purchases and sells marketable securities; and provides investment consultancy and portfolio management services, as well as invests in marketable debt and equity securities, and gold and other precious metals. The company was founded in 1954 and is based in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi is a subsidiary of Ministry of Treasury and Finance.

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Hugoton Royalty Trust (OTCMKTS:HGTXU  Get Rating) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 132,300 shares, an increase of 53.5% from the May 15th total of 86,200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 274,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.5 days.

Hugoton Royalty Trust Stock Performance

Hugoton Royalty Trust stock remained flat at $1.03 during midday trading on Friday. The company had a trading volume of 62,379 shares, compared to its average volume of 169,801. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $1.38 and a 200-day moving average price of $1.64. Hugoton Royalty Trust has a fifty-two week low of $0.95 and a fifty-two week high of $3.30.

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Hugoton Royalty Trust (OTCMKTS:HGTXU  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 12th. The company reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $10.48 million for the quarter.

Hugoton Royalty Trust Cuts Dividend

About Hugoton Royalty Trust

The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 14th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 31st were issued a dividend of $0.01 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 30th. This represents a yield of 9.84%.

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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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Meritage Homes Co. (NYSE:MTH  Get Rating)  Research analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q3 2023 earnings estimates for shares of Meritage Homes in a report released on Tuesday, June 13th. Zacks Research analyst S. Mukherjee now anticipates that the construction company will post earnings of $3.79 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $3.83. The consensus estimate for Meritage Homes current full-year earnings is $15.35 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Meritage Homes FY2023 earnings at $15.04 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $4.20 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $16.38 EPS.

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Meritage Homes (NYSE:MTH  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The construction company reported $3.54 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.51 by $1.03. The firm had revenue of $1.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.03 billion. Meritage Homes had a net margin of 14.44% and a return on equity of 23.99%. The companys quarterly revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $5.79 EPS.

Meritage Homes Stock Performance

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wedbush reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $132.00 price target on shares of Meritage Homes in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Meritage Homes from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, May 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Meritage Homes in a research report on Wednesday, May 31st. They set a buy rating for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a market perform rating on shares of Meritage Homes in a research report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn reaffirmed a neutral rating on shares of Meritage Homes in a research report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $115.14.

Shares of Meritage Homes stock opened at $130.29 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $4.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.32 and a beta of 1.59. The firms 50-day moving average is $123.93 and its 200 day moving average is $110.43. Meritage Homes has a 1 year low of $62.51 and a 1 year high of $133.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.89 and a quick ratio of 1.89.

Meritage Homes Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. Meritage Homess dividend payout ratio is presently 4.41%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Alison Sasser sold 1,500 shares of Meritage Homes stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $123.52, for a total transaction of $185,280.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 481 shares of the companys stock, valued at $59,413.12. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, CEO Phillippe Lord sold 3,900 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.03, for a total value of $491,517.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 42,760 shares in the company, valued at $5,389,042.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Alison Sasser sold 1,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.52, for a total value of $185,280.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 481 shares of the companys stock, valued at $59,413.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 7,400 shares of company stock valued at $926,077. 2.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Meritage Homes

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Meritage Homes by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,216,167 shares of the construction companys stock worth $334,047,000 after acquiring an additional 23,652 shares during the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Meritage Homes by 7.5% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,382,555 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $127,472,000 after acquiring an additional 96,567 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its position in Meritage Homes by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,320,818 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $92,814,000 after purchasing an additional 4,271 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its position in Meritage Homes by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 1,133,888 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $104,544,000 after purchasing an additional 8,948 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Macquarie Group Ltd. raised its position in Meritage Homes by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 871,339 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $80,337,000 after purchasing an additional 3,922 shares in the last quarter. 95.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Meritage Homes

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Meritage Homes Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs and builds single-family attached and detached homes in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Homebuilding and Financial Services. It acquires and develops land; and constructs, markets, and sells homes for first-time and first move-up buyers in Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.

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National Bank of Greece S.A. (OTCMKTS:NBGIF  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest in May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 253,200 shares, a decrease of 23.8% from the May 15th total of 332,100 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 18,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 14.0 days.

National Bank of Greece Stock Down 1.5 %

Shares of OTCMKTS NBGIF traded down $0.10 during trading on Friday, hitting $6.50. The company had a trading volume of 5,225 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,024. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $5.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $5.00. National Bank of Greece has a fifty-two week low of $2.82 and a fifty-two week high of $6.65.

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About National Bank of Greece

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Further Reading

National Bank of Greece SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services in Greece, the United Kingdom, North Macedonia, Romania, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Malta, Egypt, and Luxembourg. It operates through Retail Banking, Corporate & Investment Banking, Trouble Assets Unit, Global Markets and Asset Management, Insurance, International Banking Operations, and Other segments.

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Court Justifies Reason For Setting Accused Free

Criminal Court "C" Judge Blamo Dixson has given reasons why the four accused in the much-publicized US$100 million cocaine case were set free by the court.

Judge Dixson clarified that the four accused persons who were later released upon the order of Criminal Court "C" were exonerated because the indictment prepared by government attorneys did not accurately reflect the offenses committed.

In other words, this may suggest that the offenses for which the four men were accused by the prosecution team against the defendants did not correspond with the act that was created thus, leading to the jury's decision to acquit the accused.

Since the court's decision in the US$100 million cocaine case, the Liberian Government and judiciary have come under heavy fire for allowing the defendants to get away with their crimes.

The judiciary, on the other hand, has fought to clear its name while the government has accused the court and judiciary of losing such a significant case. Three senior government officials have just been held in contempt of court for speaking against the court's verdict.

When the defendants appeared before the court on June 13, 2023, Judge Blamo Dixson ruled that all four of the claims against them were untrue.

A significant crack was created within the Liberian Government due to the court's verdict when Criminal Court "C" highlighted the testimony of the publisher of the New Dawn Newspaper and that of James Hinneh, President of the Customs Brokers Association of Liberia.

Both men told the court and the jurors during their testimonies that TRH containers are not permitted to travel through the usual channel at the Freeport of Monrovia, according to Judge Blamo Dixon.

In light of the testimonies of the witnesses, the judge stated that the Custom Brokers' President also disclosed that the GTMS tracking system frequently notified the government that a specific container on its way required inspection at the Freeport of Monrovia.

In order to obtain a good verdict, the prosecution, he continued, had not done herself justice in handling the case.
Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund (NYSE:NAC  Get Rating) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest in May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 17,800 shares, a decrease of 22.6% from the May 15th total of 23,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 329,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of NAC. Raymond James & Associates grew its stake in Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund by 24.4% during the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 126,055 shares of the companys stock worth $1,654,000 after buying an additional 24,713 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund by 6.0% in the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 42,537 shares of the companys stock worth $558,000 after acquiring an additional 2,399 shares during the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its holdings in shares of Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund by 159.4% in the first quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 401,979 shares of the companys stock worth $5,274,000 after acquiring an additional 247,000 shares during the last quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. bought a new position in shares of Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund in the first quarter worth about $538,000. Finally, Wetherby Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund by 14.7% in the first quarter. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. now owns 38,652 shares of the companys stock worth $507,000 after acquiring an additional 4,966 shares during the last quarter.

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Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of NAC stock traded down $0.11 on Friday, hitting $10.66. The companys stock had a trading volume of 270,373 shares, compared to its average volume of 323,789. Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund has a fifty-two week low of $10.14 and a fifty-two week high of $13.02. The stocks 50 day moving average is $10.76 and its 200-day moving average is $10.98.

Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund Announces Dividend

About Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.036 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $0.43 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.05%.

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Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund operates as a closed-end investment fund/investment trust. The fund seeks current income exempt from both regular federal income taxes and California personal income tax by investing its assets majorly in investment-grade quality municipal bonds. The company was founded on December 1, 1998 and is headquartered in Chicago, IL.

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Eaton Vance California Municipal Bond Fund (NYSEAMERICAN:EVM  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 20,700 shares, a growth of 51.1% from the May 15th total of 13,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 49,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.4 days.

Eaton Vance California Municipal Bond Fund Price Performance

Shares of EVM stock traded up $0.03 on Friday, reaching $8.93. 88,335 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 59,997. Eaton Vance California Municipal Bond Fund has a 52 week low of $8.04 and a 52 week high of $9.87.

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Eaton Vance California Municipal Bond Fund Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.0306 per share. This represents a $0.37 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.11%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 21st.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Eaton Vance California Municipal Bond Fund

Eaton Vance California Municipal Bond Fund Company Profile

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of EVM. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in Eaton Vance California Municipal Bond Fund by 21.9% during the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 55,247 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $498,000 after buying an additional 9,910 shares in the last quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP bought a new stake in Eaton Vance California Municipal Bond Fund during the 1st quarter valued at $146,000. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its position in Eaton Vance California Municipal Bond Fund by 18.9% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 13,125 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $118,000 after purchasing an additional 2,085 shares in the last quarter. Stifel Financial Corp raised its position in Eaton Vance California Municipal Bond Fund by 15.9% during the 1st quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 95,976 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $866,000 after purchasing an additional 13,198 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Eaton Vance California Municipal Bond Fund by 9.9% during the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 494,152 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $4,457,000 after purchasing an additional 44,334 shares in the last quarter.

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Eaton Vance California Municipal Bond Fund is a close-ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Eaton Vance Management. The fund invests in the fixed income market of United States. It invests primarily in high grade municipal obligations comprising of various industries, such as general obligations, hospital, electric utilities, transportation, water and sewer, public education, and private education.

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Postal Savings Bank of China Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:PSTVY  Get Rating) saw a significant decrease in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 3,700 shares, a decrease of 26.0% from the May 15th total of 5,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 9.3 days.

Postal Savings Bank of China Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS PSTVY traded down $0.01 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $12.90. The stock had a trading volume of 162 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,864. The businesss fifty day moving average is $12.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.79. Postal Savings Bank of China has a twelve month low of $9.25 and a twelve month high of $15.54.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

PSTVY has been the subject of several research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Postal Savings Bank of China from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research report on Thursday, March 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Postal Savings Bank of China from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, March 31st.

Postal Savings Bank of China Company Profile

Postal Savings Bank of China Co, Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking products and services for retail and corporate customers in the People's Republic of China. Its Personal Banking segment offers savings products, such as demand, time, personal call, time/demand optional, and foreign currency deposits; passbooks; certificate of deposits; micro, personal pledged, and personal business loans; debit and credit cards; wealth management products and funds; and insurance agency services.

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Sampo Oyj (OTCMKTS:SAXPF  Get Rating) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 606,700 shares, an increase of 30.3% from the May 15th total of 465,600 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 200 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3,033.5 days.

Sampo Oyj Stock Performance

OTCMKTS:SAXPF remained flat at $46.60 during trading hours on Friday. The stocks 50 day moving average is $48.10 and its 200 day moving average is $49.40. Sampo Oyj has a fifty-two week low of $40.75 and a fifty-two week high of $53.26.

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Sampo Oyj Company Profile

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Sampo Oyj engages in the administration of insurance subsidiaries and management of investment portfolio. It operates through the following segments: Property and Casualty Insurance, Life Insurance and Holding Business. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland.

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Park National Corp OH lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO  Get Rating) by 12.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 26,367 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 2,906 shares during the quarter. Park National Corp OHs holdings in Altria Group were worth $1,176,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MO. Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in Altria Group by 1.6% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 404,894 shares of the companys stock worth $21,248,000 after acquiring an additional 6,324 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Altria Group by 5.2% during the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 18,647 shares of the companys stock worth $974,000 after acquiring an additional 929 shares during the period. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new position in Altria Group during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its holdings in Altria Group by 3.4% during the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,711,773 shares of the companys stock worth $141,690,000 after acquiring an additional 89,334 shares during the period. Finally, First Western Trust Bank acquired a new position in Altria Group during the first quarter worth about $498,000. 58.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on MO shares. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $52.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com cut Altria Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on Altria Group from $49.50 to $47.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Altria Group presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $44.67.

Altria Group Price Performance

NYSE:MO opened at $44.07 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $40.35 and a fifty-two week high of $51.57. The stocks 50-day moving average is $45.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $45.86. The stock has a market cap of $78.67 billion, a PE ratio of 14.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.59.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.19 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.89 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 22.44% and a negative return on equity of 245.43%. The companys revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.12 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.94 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $3.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.53%. Altria Groups dividend payout ratio is 120.90%.

About Altria Group

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Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company provides cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; cigars and pipe tobacco principally under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco products and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; and on! oral nicotine pouches.

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Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW  Get Rating) has received a consensus recommendation of Hold from the eleven brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $13.23.

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MPW. Bank of America downgraded Medical Properties Trust from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $10.00 price target for the company. in a report on Thursday, March 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Medical Properties Trust from $14.00 to $12.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 3rd. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Medical Properties Trust from $8.00 to $9.00 in a report on Friday, March 31st. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Medical Properties Trust in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $9.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Medical Properties Trust from $14.00 to $12.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Medical Properties Trust

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Arizona State Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 169,552 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,889,000 after purchasing an additional 4,784 shares in the last quarter. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust in the 4th quarter valued at about $114,000. United Services Automobile Association increased its holdings in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. United Services Automobile Association now owns 65,728 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $779,000 after purchasing an additional 1,884 shares in the last quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 26.0% in the 4th quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 578,808 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $6,448,000 after purchasing an additional 119,350 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AE Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 318.0% in the 4th quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 243,285 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,710,000 after purchasing an additional 185,076 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.31% of the companys stock.

Medical Properties Trust Stock Performance

Medical Properties Trust Dividend Announcement

Shares of MPW opened at $9.19 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $8.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $10.16. The company has a quick ratio of 2.15, a current ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. The company has a market capitalization of $5.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 0.95. Medical Properties Trust has a 52-week low of $7.10 and a 52-week high of $17.36.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 12.63%. Medical Properties Trusts payout ratio is currently 232.00%.

About Medical Properties Trust

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Medical Properties Trust, Inc is a self-advised real estate investment trust, engages in the investment, acquisition, and development of net-leased healthcare facilities. Its property portfolio includes rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, hospitals for women and children, regional and community hospitals, medical office buildings, and other single-discipline facilities.

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Progressive (NYSE:PGR  Get Rating) had its price target increased by equities research analysts at Bank of America from $198.00 to $206.00 in a report issued on Thursday, The Fly reports. Bank of Americas target price would suggest a potential upside of 58.47% from the stocks previous close.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Credit Suisse Group restated a neutral rating and set a $143.00 price objective on shares of Progressive in a report on Friday, April 14th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Progressive from $158.00 to $159.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on Progressive from $167.00 to $163.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 14th. Barclays lowered their price objective on Progressive from $123.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Roth Capital reissued a buy rating on shares of Progressive in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Progressive currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $147.87.

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Progressive Trading Up 1.3 %

Shares of Progressive stock opened at $129.99 on Thursday. The firms 50 day moving average is $133.44 and its 200 day moving average is $135.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.09 billion, a PE ratio of 92.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.50. Progressive has a 1 year low of $108.64 and a 1 year high of $149.87. The company has a current ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Insider Transactions at Progressive

Progressive ( NYSE:PGR Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 13th. The insurance provider reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.44 by ($0.79). The company had revenue of $14.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.12 billion. Progressive had a net margin of 1.64% and a return on equity of 13.95%. Equities research analysts forecast that Progressive will post 5.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other news, CFO John P. Sauerland sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.55, for a total transaction of $1,530,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 333,507 shares in the company, valued at $42,538,817.85. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Progressive news, CFO John P. Sauerland sold 12,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.55, for a total value of $1,530,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 333,507 shares in the company, valued at $42,538,817.85. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Steven Broz sold 930 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.79, for a total transaction of $128,144.70. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 27,251 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,754,915.29. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 18,236 shares of company stock valued at $2,392,864. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PGR. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA acquired a new stake in shares of Progressive in the first quarter valued at about $832,000. EP Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Progressive in the first quarter valued at about $9,720,000. Golden State Equity Partners acquired a new stake in shares of Progressive in the first quarter valued at about $384,000. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Progressive by 12.6% in the first quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 129,499 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $18,526,000 after purchasing an additional 14,533 shares during the period. Finally, 3Chopt Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Progressive in the first quarter valued at about $2,447,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.19% of the companys stock.

Progressive Company Profile

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The Progressive Corporation, an insurance holding company, provides personal and commercial auto, personal residential and commercial property, general liability, and other specialty property-casualty insurance products and related services in the United States. It operates in three segments: Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, and Property.

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The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR  Get Rating) has been given a consensus recommendation of Hold by the sixteen brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $52.76.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on KR. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on shares of Kroger from $56.00 to $54.00 in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Kroger from $46.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on shares of Kroger from $54.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Friday. Telsey Advisory Group decreased their price objective on shares of Kroger from $64.00 to $55.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Kroger from $75.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Friday.

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Kroger Stock Up 0.5 %

Kroger stock opened at $46.17 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $33.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.47. Kroger has a 1-year low of $41.81 and a 1-year high of $52.00. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $47.82 and a 200 day simple moving average of $46.57. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

Kroger ( NYSE:KR Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, June 15th. The company reported $1.51 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.46 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $45.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.26 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.51% and a return on equity of 31.84%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.45 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Kroger will post 4.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other Kroger news, CFO Gary Millerchip sold 30,182 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.88, for a total value of $1,475,296.16. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 185,423 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,063,476.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Kroger news, CFO Gary Millerchip sold 30,182 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.88, for a total value of $1,475,296.16. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 185,423 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,063,476.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Timothy A. Massa sold 23,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.95, for a total transaction of $1,102,850.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 194,956 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,348,140.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 132,206 shares of company stock valued at $6,402,118 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.38% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Kroger

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Level Four Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kroger by 8.2% during the 1st quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC now owns 8,750 shares of the companys stock worth $432,000 after acquiring an additional 661 shares during the period. Golden State Equity Partners bought a new position in Kroger in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $798,000. Macquarie Group Ltd. lifted its stake in Kroger by 6.4% in the 1st quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 84,197 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,157,000 after purchasing an additional 5,099 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Kroger by 11.9% in the 1st quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 126,461 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,243,000 after purchasing an additional 13,498 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Toroso Investments LLC lifted its stake in Kroger by 19.7% in the 1st quarter. Toroso Investments LLC now owns 49,247 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,431,000 after purchasing an additional 8,101 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.03% of the companys stock.

Kroger Company Profile

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The Kroger Co engages in the operation of supermarkets and multi-department stores. Its brands include Big K, Check This Out?, Heritage Farm, Simple Truth, and Simple Truth Organic. The company was founded by Barney Kroger in 1883 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH.

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CEIBA Investments Limited (LON:CBA  Get Rating) shares were down 2.8% on Thursday . The company traded as low as GBX 35 ($0.44) and last traded at GBX 35 ($0.44). Approximately 25,000 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 210% from the average daily volume of 8,069 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 36 ($0.45).

CEIBA Investments Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 3.46, a current ratio of 4.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.31. The businesss 50-day moving average is GBX 36.28 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 38.01. The company has a market capitalization of 48.18 million, a P/E ratio of -350.00 and a beta of 0.25.

About CEIBA Investments

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Ceiba Investments Ltd is a Guernsey based Investment fund dedicated to attract investment and invest in various sectors of the Cuban economy.

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Empirical Finance LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Get Rating) by 5.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 43,300 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 2,398 shares during the period. Empirical Finance LLCs holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $4,211,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PM. Cullinan Associates Inc. lifted its stake in Philip Morris International by 5.7% during the first quarter. Cullinan Associates Inc. now owns 50,554 shares of the companys stock worth $4,916,000 after purchasing an additional 2,745 shares during the last quarter. Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. lifted its stake in Philip Morris International by 12.7% during the first quarter. Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. now owns 7,467 shares of the companys stock worth $728,000 after purchasing an additional 844 shares during the last quarter. Cedar Brook Financial Partners LLC lifted its stake in Philip Morris International by 7.8% during the first quarter. Cedar Brook Financial Partners LLC now owns 9,311 shares of the companys stock worth $906,000 after purchasing an additional 676 shares during the last quarter. Range Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in Philip Morris International by 13.1% during the first quarter. Range Financial Group LLC now owns 16,512 shares of the companys stock worth $1,606,000 after purchasing an additional 1,908 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Park National Corp OH lifted its stake in Philip Morris International by 5.9% during the first quarter. Park National Corp OH now owns 10,514 shares of the companys stock worth $1,022,000 after purchasing an additional 582 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.85% of the companys stock.

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Philip Morris International Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of PM opened at $94.85 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $147.23 billion, a PE ratio of 16.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.68. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $95.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $98.37. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 1-year low of $82.85 and a 1-year high of $105.62.

Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement

Philip Morris International ( NYSE:PM Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 20th. The company reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.04. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 128.55% and a net margin of 10.80%. The firm had revenue of $8.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.56 EPS. Philip Morris Internationals revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 23rd will be paid a $1.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 22nd. This represents a $5.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.36%. Philip Morris Internationals payout ratio is presently 90.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on PM shares. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $114.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. UBS Group upgraded Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price target for the company from $106.00 to $116.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and boosted their price target for the company from $109.00 to $116.00 in a report on Thursday, March 30th. 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $110.60.

Philip Morris International Profile

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Philip Morris International Inc operates as a tobacco company working to delivers a smoke-free future and evolving portfolio for the long-term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company's product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products that are sold in markets outside the United States.

Further Reading

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press release

Abuja  June 16, 2023 Today, another important milestone was achieved at the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as four significant Memoranda of Understanding related to the Nigeria Morocco Gas Pipeline Project were signed. Additionally, the project's Steering Committee convened to discuss the progress of the Project and its strategic direction.

Four Memoranda of Understanding were signed on Friday, June 16, in Abuja as part of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project. These tripartite MOUs were respectively and successively signed between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM) of Morocco on one hand, and the Societe Nationale des Operations Petrolieres of Cote d'Ivoire (PETROCI), the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), the Societe Nationale des Hydrocarbures of Benin (SNH-Benin), and the Societe Nationale des Petroles of the Republic of Guinea (SONAP) on the other hand.

These Memoranda of Understanding, similar to those signed with ECOWAS on September 15, 2022, Mauritania and Senegal on October 15, 2022, and The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Ghana on December 5, 2022, reaffirm the commitment of the Parties to this strategic project. Once completed, the project will enhance the monetization of the natural gas resources of the affected African countries and also offer a new alternative export route to Europe.

The signings took place on the sidelines of the Steering Committee meeting of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project, which was attended by representatives from ECOWAS and all the participating countries, including Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco.

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This significant infrastructure project will contribute to accelerating access to energy for all, improving the living conditions of the populations, integrating the economies of the sub-region, and mitigating desertification. It will achieve these goals through the provision of sustainable and reliable gas supply that aligns with the continent's new environmental commitments, while providing Africa with a new economic, political, and strategic dimension.

In his remarks, the Group CEO, NNPC Ltd, Mr. Mele Kyari (@MKKyari) thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT) and the Nigerian Government for entrusting NNPC Ltd. with this strategic project as the National Energy Company.

He added that "as a commercial enterprise, NNPC Ltd. sees this project as an opportunity to monetise Nigeria's abundant hydrocarbon resources, by expanding Access to energy to support economic growth, industrialization, and job creation across the African continent and beyond.

Also speaking, the Director General of ONHYM, Amina Benkhadra said that the gathering represents a progressive step in ensuring social and economic development through energy security and accessibility geared towards attaining total development of Africa by Africans.

In his remarks, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitization, Mr. Sediko Douka said the gas pipeline project is significant as it will help strengthen the region's electricity production/generation capacity, stimulate industrial and agricultural development, and contribute to the energy transition by using a source of energy that is cleaner than other fossil fuels.
GoDaddy Inc. (NYSE:GDDY  Get Rating) CAO Nick Daddario sold 300 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.00, for a total value of $22,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 20,422 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,531,650. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Nick Daddario also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Friday, June 2nd, Nick Daddario sold 341 shares of GoDaddy stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.37, for a total value of $25,701.17.

On Tuesday, May 2nd, Nick Daddario sold 90 shares of GoDaddy stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.96, for a total value of $6,746.40.

GoDaddy Trading Down 1.4 %

Shares of GDDY stock opened at $74.90 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $11.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.97. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $73.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $75.64. GoDaddy Inc. has a 12-month low of $64.65 and a 12-month high of $85.32.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GoDaddy ( NYSE:GDDY Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The technology company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.22). The business had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.04 billion. GoDaddy had a negative return on equity of 95.00% and a net margin of 8.03%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.41 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that GoDaddy Inc. will post 2.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank of Canada assumed coverage on GoDaddy in a report on Monday, June 5th. They issued a sector perform rating and a $80.00 target price for the company. Barclays reduced their price objective on GoDaddy from $100.00 to $98.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. Robert W. Baird assumed coverage on GoDaddy in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. They set an outperform rating and a $95.00 price objective for the company. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on GoDaddy from $88.00 to $84.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on GoDaddy in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $91.91.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On GoDaddy

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of GDDY. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in shares of GoDaddy by 517.4% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 6,125,512 shares of the technology companys stock worth $458,311,000 after acquiring an additional 5,133,332 shares during the period. Starboard Value LP grew its holdings in shares of GoDaddy by 23.9% in the 4th quarter. Starboard Value LP now owns 10,233,055 shares of the technology companys stock worth $765,637,000 after acquiring an additional 1,973,118 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in GoDaddy during the 4th quarter valued at $116,303,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in GoDaddy during the 1st quarter valued at $60,668,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in GoDaddy by 108.7% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,396,699 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $116,903,000 after buying an additional 727,582 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.32% of the companys stock.

GoDaddy Company Profile

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GoDaddy, Inc engages in the provision of domain name registration and web hosting services. It provides website building, hosting, and security tools. It operates through the Applications and Commerce (A and C) and Core Platform (Core) segments. The A and C segment consists of sales of products containing proprietary software, commerce products and third-party email and productivity solutions.

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Gold Resource Co. (NYSEAMERICAN:GORO  Get Rating) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 705,700 shares, an increase of 31.0% from the May 15th total of 538,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 712,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.0 days.

Gold Resource Trading Up 9.6 %

GORO stock traded up $0.07 during trading on Friday, hitting $0.85. The stock had a trading volume of 749,854 shares, compared to its average volume of 300,619. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $1.23. Gold Resource has a 1-year low of $0.75 and a 1-year high of $1.91.

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Gold Resource (NYSEAMERICAN:GORO  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The basic materials company reported ($0.01) earnings per share for the quarter. Gold Resource had a negative net margin of 9.17% and a negative return on equity of 9.84%. The firm had revenue of $31.23 million during the quarter. As a group, research analysts predict that Gold Resource will post 0.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $3.00 price target on shares of Gold Resource in a research note on Friday, April 14th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Gold Resource in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company.

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GORO. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its holdings in Gold Resource by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 4,455,083 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $6,816,000 after buying an additional 98,785 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Gold Resource by 22.6% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,054,741 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $9,083,000 after buying an additional 746,896 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Gold Resource by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,521,316 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $3,858,000 after buying an additional 8,384 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its holdings in shares of Gold Resource by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,514,024 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $1,590,000 after purchasing an additional 26,734 shares during the period. Finally, ETF Managers Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Gold Resource by 22.8% during the 3rd quarter. ETF Managers Group LLC now owns 1,016,625 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $1,677,000 after purchasing an additional 188,690 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 28.55% of the companys stock.

About Gold Resource

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Gold Resource Corp. engages in the production of metal concentrates. It includes gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc, and dore containing gold and silver. It operates through the following geographical segments: Mexico, Nevada, and Corporate and Other. The company was founded by David C. Reid and William W.

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Great Wall Motor Company Limited (OTCMKTS:GWLLF  Get Rating) saw a significant decrease in short interest in May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 5,538,900 shares, a decrease of 12.4% from the May 15th total of 6,321,300 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 5,538.9 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, HSBC downgraded Great Wall Motor from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, March 17th.

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Great Wall Motor Stock Performance

OTCMKTS GWLLF traded up $0.04 on Friday, reaching $1.16. The company had a trading volume of 1,500 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,808. Great Wall Motor has a fifty-two week low of $0.87 and a fifty-two week high of $2.29. The business has a 50 day moving average of $1.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $1.26.

About Great Wall Motor

Great Wall Motor Company Limited researches and develops, manufactures, and sells automobiles, and automotive parts and components in China, Russia, South Africa, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Chile, and internationally. The company offers SUVs, sedans, pick-up trucks, and energy vehicles primarily under the Haval, WEY, ORA, Tank, and Great Wall Pickup brand names.

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Sprott (NYSE:SII  Get Rating) and Greystone Housing Impact Investors (NYSE:GHI  Get Rating) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, valuation, analyst recommendations, dividends, risk and institutional ownership.

Dividends

Sprott pays an annual dividend of $1.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.0%. Greystone Housing Impact Investors pays an annual dividend of $1.48 per share and has a dividend yield of 9.2%. Sprott pays out 135.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Greystone Housing Impact Investors pays out 66.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Greystone Housing Impact Investors is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

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Profitability

This table compares Sprott and Greystone Housing Impact Investors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Sprott 14.13% 6.75% 4.94% Greystone Housing Impact Investors 64.62% 17.22% 3.68%

Valuation and Earnings

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Sprott $145.18 million 5.96 $17.63 million $0.74 45.09 Greystone Housing Impact Investors $81.07 million 4.53 $65.56 million $2.22 7.27

This table compares Sprott and Greystone Housing Impact Investors gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Greystone Housing Impact Investors has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Sprott. Greystone Housing Impact Investors is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Sprott, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

28.0% of Sprott shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 9.0% of Greystone Housing Impact Investors shares are held by institutional investors. 18.3% of Sprott shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 1.3% of Greystone Housing Impact Investors shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Volatility and Risk

Sprott has a beta of 1.17, indicating that its share price is 17% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Greystone Housing Impact Investors has a beta of 0.64, indicating that its share price is 36% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for Sprott and Greystone Housing Impact Investors, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Sprott 0 0 0 0 N/A Greystone Housing Impact Investors 0 0 2 0 3.00

Greystone Housing Impact Investors has a consensus target price of $20.00, indicating a potential upside of 23.76%. Given Greystone Housing Impact Investors higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Greystone Housing Impact Investors is more favorable than Sprott.

Summary

Greystone Housing Impact Investors beats Sprott on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Sprott

(Get Rating)

Sprott, Inc. provides investment advisory services. It operates through the following segments: Exchange Listed Products, Lending, Managed Equities, Brokerage, and Corporate. The Exchange Listed Products segment provides management services to the companys closed-end physical trusts and exchange traded funds. The Lending segment provides lending activities through limited partnership vehicles, as well as through direct lending activities using the companys balance sheet. The Managed Equities segment provides asset management and sub-advisory services to the companys branded funds and managed account. The Brokerage segment includes the activities of Canadian and U.S broker-dealers. The Corporate segment provides capital, balance sheet management and enterprise shared services to the companys subsidiaries. The company was founded by Eric Steven Sprott on February 13, 2008 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

About Greystone Housing Impact Investors

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Greystone Housing Impact Investors LP engages in the acquisition of a portfolio of mortgage revenue bonds that are issued by state and local housing authorities to provide construction and permanent financing for affordable multifamily and student housing and commercial properties. It operates through the following segments: Mortgage Revenue Bond Investments, Multifamily (MF) Properties, Public Housing Capital (PHC) Fund Trusts, and Other Investments. The Mortgage Revenue Bond Investments segment consists of the partnerships portfolio of mortgage revenue bonds which have been issued to provide construction and permanent financing for the residential properties and a commercial property. The MF Properties segment consists of indirect equity interests in multifamily, student housing, and senior citizen residential properties which are not currently financed by mortgage revenue bonds held by partnership but which the partnership eventually intends to finance by such bonds through a restructuring. The Public Housing Capital Fund Trusts segment consists of the assets, liabilities and related income and expenses of the PHC Trusts. The Other Investments segment consists of the operations

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GMS Inc. (NYSE:GMS  Get Rating) major shareholder Coliseum Capital Management, L sold 201,213 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.93, for a total transaction of $13,668,399.09. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 6,135,360 shares in the company, valued at $416,775,004.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Major shareholders that own more than 10% of a companys stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Coliseum Capital Management, L also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Friday, June 16th, Coliseum Capital Management, L sold 800,000 shares of GMS stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.06, for a total transaction of $52,848,000.00.

On Wednesday, June 14th, Coliseum Capital Management, L sold 80,071 shares of GMS stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.89, for a total transaction of $5,355,949.19.

GMS Trading Down 1.4 %

Shares of GMS stock opened at $66.17 on Friday. GMS Inc. has a 12-month low of $36.10 and a 12-month high of $68.86. The company has a market capitalization of $2.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.53 and a beta of 1.85. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $61.25 and a 200 day moving average price of $57.24. The company has a quick ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 2.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Hedge Funds Weigh In On GMS

Several research firms have issued reports on GMS. StockNews.com upgraded shares of GMS from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 30th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of GMS from $60.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, March 6th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $62.00.

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GMS. Wellington Management Group LLP bought a new position in GMS during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,532,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its position in GMS by 3,313.0% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 462,185 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,183,000 after acquiring an additional 448,643 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its position in GMS by 392.3% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 436,444 shares of the companys stock valued at $19,422,000 after acquiring an additional 347,783 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its position in GMS by 66.6% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 523,918 shares of the companys stock valued at $26,091,000 after acquiring an additional 209,513 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Coliseum Capital Management LLC increased its position in GMS by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. Coliseum Capital Management LLC now owns 6,336,573 shares of the companys stock valued at $253,526,000 after acquiring an additional 205,000 shares in the last quarter. 96.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

GMS Company Profile

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GMS, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the distribution of wallboard and suspended ceilings systems and complementary interior construction products. It operates through the following segments: Geographic Divisions, Other, and Corporate. The firm offers ceiling products, including suspended mineral fibers, soft fibers, and metal ceiling systems primarily used in offices, hotels, hospitals, retail facilities, schools, and various other commercial and institutional buildings.

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Installed Building Products, Inc. (NYSE:IBP  Get Rating) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $127.14 and last traded at $127.12, with a volume of 182225 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $119.73.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently issued reports on IBP. BTIG Research began coverage on Installed Building Products in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. They set a neutral rating for the company. Stephens boosted their price objective on Installed Building Products from $115.00 to $132.00 in a report on Monday, May 8th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Installed Building Products from $125.00 to $140.00 in a report on Monday, May 8th. StockNews.com began coverage on Installed Building Products in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised Installed Building Products from an underperform rating to a sector perform rating and lifted their target price for the company from $85.00 to $111.00 in a research report on Friday, May 5th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Installed Building Products has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $117.14.

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Installed Building Products Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $3.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.16 and a beta of 1.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 2.73 and a quick ratio of 2.19. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $115.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $106.59.

Installed Building Products Cuts Dividend

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 $0.33 per share. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. Installed Building Productss dividend payout ratio is presently 15.79%.

In other news, CEO Jeffrey W. Edwards sold 50,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.61, for a total transaction of $5,980,500.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 2,747,819 shares of the companys stock, valued at $328,666,630.59. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, CAO Todd R. Fry sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.24, for a total value of $57,120.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,943 shares in the company, valued at $678,928.32. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jeffrey W. Edwards sold 50,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.61, for a total transaction of $5,980,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 2,747,819 shares of the companys stock, valued at $328,666,630.59. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 51,197 shares of company stock valued at $6,117,956. Insiders own 17.30% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Installed Building Products

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of IBP. Prelude Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Installed Building Products during the 1st quarter worth approximately $288,000. Royce & Associates LP boosted its stake in shares of Installed Building Products by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 19,361 shares of the construction companys stock worth $2,208,000 after acquiring an additional 855 shares in the last quarter. Toroso Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Installed Building Products in the 1st quarter valued at about $391,000. Putnam Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Installed Building Products during the 1st quarter worth approximately $7,968,000. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its holdings in Installed Building Products by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 304,901 shares of the construction companys stock worth $34,768,000 after acquiring an additional 21,183 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.90% of the companys stock.

About Installed Building Products

(Get Rating)

Installed Building Products, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the installation of insulation, waterproofing, fire-stopping, fireproofing, garage doors, rain gutters, window blinds, shower doors, closet shelving and mirrors, and other products in the continental United States. The company offers a range of insulation materials, such as fiberglass and cellulose, and spray foam insulation materials.

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InTrack Investment Management Inc acquired a new stake in Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Get Rating) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 3,710 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $588,000.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of NVO. Roundview Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 0.6% in the first quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 18,803 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,088,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 45.4% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,035,879 shares of the companys stock valued at $559,235,000 after acquiring an additional 1,571,747 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 0.9% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 739,585 shares of the companys stock valued at $82,131,000 after buying an additional 6,903 shares in the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL raised its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 12.7% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 19,466 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,136,000 after buying an additional 2,194 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. raised its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 17.5% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 107,175 shares of the companys stock valued at $11,913,000 after buying an additional 15,996 shares in the last quarter. 6.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

NVO has been the topic of a number of research reports. StockNews.com started coverage on Novo Nordisk A/S in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock. Credit Suisse Group upgraded shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $383.33.

Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Performance

Novo Nordisk A/S stock opened at $161.29 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $164.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $148.33. Novo Nordisk A/S has a 52 week low of $95.02 and a 52 week high of $172.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $361.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.44, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30.

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $1.27. Novo Nordisk A/S had a net margin of 32.53% and a return on equity of 77.39%. The company had revenue of $7.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.86 billion. Equities research analysts anticipate that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Novo Nordisk A/S Profile

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Novo Nordisk A/S is a global healthcare company, which engages in the the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products. It operates through the Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Biopharm segments. The Diabetes and Obesity Care segment includes insulin, GLP-1 and related delivery systems, oral antidiabetic products (OAD), obesity, and other serious chronic diseases.

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iShares Core Canadian Short Term Bond Index ETF (TSE:XSB  Get Rating) shares shot up 0.2% on Thursday . The company traded as high as C$25.61 and last traded at C$25.60. 46,718 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 43% from the average session volume of 81,802 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$25.55.

iShares Core Canadian Short Term Bond Index ETF Stock Down 0.1 %

The stock has a fifty day moving average of C$25.81 and a 200 day moving average of C$25.84.

Further Reading

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Keel Point LLC boosted its holdings in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Get Rating) by 37.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,335 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after purchasing an additional 1,737 shares during the quarter. Keel Point LLCs holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $642,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of ABT. JDM Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd acquired a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. FWL Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.93% of the companys stock.

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Abbott Laboratories Stock Up 1.1 %

Abbott Laboratories stock opened at $106.20 on Friday. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $106.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $106.32. The stock has a market cap of $184.68 billion, a PE ratio of 32.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.62 and a beta of 0.67. Abbott Laboratories has a fifty-two week low of $93.25 and a fifty-two week high of $115.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.68.

Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement

Abbott Laboratories ( NYSE:ABT Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $9.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.64 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 13.98% and a return on equity of 22.36%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 18.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.73 EPS. Research analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 14th will be given a dividend of $0.51 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 13th. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.92%. Abbott Laboratoriess payout ratio is currently 62.01%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Abbott Laboratories

In other Abbott Laboratories news, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 8,226 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.56, for a total transaction of $909,466.56. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 70,427 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,786,409.12. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other Abbott Laboratories news, Director Daniel J. Starks sold 50,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.02, for a total value of $5,551,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,825,316 shares in the company, valued at approximately $757,746,582.32. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 8,226 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.56, for a total transaction of $909,466.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 70,427 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,786,409.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ABT has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $116.00 to $123.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $117.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Wolfe Research reduced their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $107.00 to $103.00 and set an underperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, SVB Leerink boosted their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $90.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Friday, March 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Abbott Laboratories presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $121.26.

Abbott Laboratories Profile

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Abbott Laboratories engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of a broad and diversified line of health care products. It operates through the following business segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The Established Pharmaceutical Products segment refers to the international sales of a line of branded generic pharmaceutical products.

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Lenovo Group Limited (OTCMKTS:LNVGY  Get Rating)s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $18.41 and traded as high as $21.45. Lenovo Group shares last traded at $21.42, with a volume of 50,849 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on LNVGY shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Lenovo Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 31st. Morgan Stanley raised Lenovo Group from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Lenovo Group from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, March 24th.

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Lenovo Group Stock Performance

The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $20.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of $18.45. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The stock has a market cap of $13.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.47, a PEG ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.98.

About Lenovo Group

Lenovo Group ( OTCMKTS:LNVGY Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 24th. The technology company reported $0.19 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $12.64 billion during the quarter. Lenovo Group had a return on equity of 28.36% and a net margin of 2.60%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Lenovo Group Limited will post 2.45 earnings per share for the current year.

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Lenovo Group Limited, an investment holding company, develops, manufactures, and markets technology products and services. It operates through Intelligent Devices Group, Infrastructure Solutions Group, and Solutions and Services Group segments. The company offers commercial and consumer personal computers, as well as servers and workstations; and a family of mobile Internet devices, including tablets and smartphones.

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Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have slaughtered at least 15 people in coordinated attacks on two communities in Jere Local Government Area of Borno state.It was gathered that the insurgents stormed Kofa village at midnight and started shooting, which lasted about an hour into the early hours of Friday.It was learnt that they equally attacked Molai Kura and Molai Gana where they slaughtered some people. Many residents reportedly fled their homes to take cover in the nearby bush.A top member of a vigilante group, Bukar Ali Musty, said farmers while working on farmland in Jere local government area of Borno State, sources said.

According to him, the farmers were working on their farmland near Molai, on the outskirts of Maiduguri on Thursday when insurgents attacked and beheaded them."At least 15 bodies were evacuated this morning, the attacks took place yesterday (Thursday)."Seven farmers were beheaded while working on their farmland and the attackers also slit the throats of eight other harmless civilians in their homes," he said.Another civilian JTF who was part of the evacuation team, raised concerns over the attacks, saying all stakeholders must wake up to ensure it doesn't continue."It was a sad development considering the progress that we have made in the months without any attacks on communities."I was there this morning. I can't imagine seeing my fellow human being slaughtered like a ram. All those bodies that we recovered were found in the pool of blood and I think we all need to rise to tame this enemy of peace," the source said.
Lynch & Associates IN lessened its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) by 2.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,690 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 176 shares during the quarter. Lynch & Associates INs holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $602,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Elmwood Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Elmwood Wealth Management Inc. now owns 13,686 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $973,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 14.2% during the 4th quarter. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,131 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $81,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Cigna Investments Inc. New boosted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Cigna Investments Inc. New now owns 26,379 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,898,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Royal Capital Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Royal Capital Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,132 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $365,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Foster Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Foster Group Inc. now owns 6,941 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $499,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.51% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Credit Suisse Group decreased their price objective on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $78.00 to $72.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. Bank of America upped their price objective on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. 51job reissued a maintains rating on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Barclays cut their target price on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $66.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Bristol-Myers Squibb currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $78.62.

Insider Transactions at Bristol-Myers Squibb

Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock Performance

In related news, EVP Rupert Vessey sold 50,385 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.06, for a total transaction of $3,378,818.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 47,751 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,202,182.06. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . Insiders own 0.09% of the companys stock.

NYSE:BMY opened at $66.16 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $138.99 billion, a PE ratio of 19.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.44. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $67.17 and its 200 day moving average price is $70.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 1.28. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 12 month low of $63.07 and a 12 month high of $81.43.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.50 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.96 earnings per share. Bristol-Myers Squibbs revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.45%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.47%.

About Bristol-Myers Squibb

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Bristol Myers Squibb Co engages in the discovery, development, licensing, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of biopharmaceutical products. It offers chemically-synthesized drugs or small molecules and products produced from biological processes called biologics. The company was founded in August 1933 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA  Get Rating) insider Raj Seshadri sold 5,164 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $373.24, for a total transaction of $1,927,411.36. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 11,164 shares in the company, valued at $4,166,851.36. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Mastercard Stock Down 0.7 %

MA stock opened at $376.53 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a current ratio of 1.20. Mastercard Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $276.87 and a fifty-two week high of $392.20. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $375.09 and its 200 day simple moving average is $364.97. The company has a market cap of $356.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.11.

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Mastercard (NYSE:MA  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The credit services provider reported $2.80 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.09. Mastercard had a net margin of 42.33% and a return on equity of 169.12%. The business had revenue of $5.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.76 EPS. Mastercards quarterly revenue was up 11.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Mastercard Incorporated will post 12.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mastercard

Several equities analysts recently commented on MA shares. Tigress Financial raised their target price on shares of Mastercard from $472.00 to $476.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Mastercard from $392.00 to $404.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Mastercard from $435.00 to $440.00 in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $410.00 to $435.00 in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group lifted their price target on shares of Mastercard from $390.00 to $400.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $417.27.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MA. DGS Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Mastercard by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC now owns 1,863 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $677,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Bradley Mark J. raised its position in Mastercard by 8.7% in the 1st quarter. Bradley Mark J. now owns 15,834 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $5,754,000 after buying an additional 1,270 shares during the last quarter. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA bought a new position in Mastercard during the 1st quarter valued at $465,000. EP Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Mastercard during the 1st quarter worth $286,000. Finally, Level Four Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Mastercard by 19.6% in the 1st quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC now owns 12,957 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $4,709,000 after acquiring an additional 2,119 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.51% of the companys stock.

Mastercard Company Profile

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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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Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:MITEY  Get Rating)s stock price passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $12.37 and traded as low as $12.33. Mitsubishi Estate shares last traded at $12.52, with a volume of 61,018 shares.

Mitsubishi Estate Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a current ratio of 2.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.04 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $11.98 and a 200-day moving average price of $12.36.

Mitsubishi Estate Company Profile

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Mitsubishi Estate Co, Ltd. engages in the real estate activities in Japan and internationally. The company is involved in the development, leasing, property management, and sale of office buildings; planning, development, and tenant leasing of retail facilities; investment, development, operational management, and asset management of logistics facilities; operation of 18 hotels under the Royal Park Hotels brand in Japan and the Marunouchi Hotel in the Marunouchi area; and operation of Takamatsu Airport, Miyako Shimojishima Airport Terminal, Mt.

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Oracle (NYSE:ORCL  Get Rating) had its price objective upped by Stifel Nicolaus from $84.00 to $120.00 in a report issued on Tuesday morning, The Fly reports.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on ORCL. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Oracle from $93.00 to $109.00 in a report on Monday, June 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Oracle from $120.00 to $135.00 in a report on Tuesday. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Oracle from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, March 24th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Oracle from $95.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Friday, March 10th. Finally, Societe Generale cut shares of Oracle from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, March 10th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $115.21.

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Oracle Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ORCL opened at $125.46 on Tuesday. Oracle has a twelve month low of $60.78 and a twelve month high of $127.54. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $101.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $91.50. The company has a market capitalization of $338.72 billion, a PE ratio of 41.00, a PEG ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 55.54.

Oracle Announces Dividend

Oracle ( NYSE:ORCL Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Monday, June 12th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.09. Oracle had a negative return on equity of 470.73% and a net margin of 17.02%. The firm had revenue of $13.84 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.74 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.31 EPS. The companys revenue was up 16.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Oracle will post 4.49 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 12th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 11th. Oracles payout ratio is currently 52.29%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Oracle

In other Oracle news, Director Jeffrey Berg sold 45,000 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.65, for a total transaction of $4,214,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 207,409 shares in the company, valued at $19,423,852.85. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Oracle news, CEO Safra Catz sold 1,837,101 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.86, for a total transaction of $172,430,299.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,118,592 shares in the company, valued at approximately $104,991,045.12. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Jeffrey Berg sold 45,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.65, for a total transaction of $4,214,250.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 207,409 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $19,423,852.85. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 1,886,967 shares of company stock worth $177,254,308 over the last three months. Insiders own 43.70% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Oracle

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Clear Investment Research LLC purchased a new stake in Oracle in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. NewSquare Capital LLC raised its position in Oracle by 843.3% during the 1st quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 283 shares of the enterprise software providers stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 253 shares during the last quarter. Steward Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Oracle during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new position in Oracle during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Oracle during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 40.96% of the companys stock.

About Oracle

(Get Rating)

Oracle Corporation offers products and services that address enterprise information technology environments worldwide. Its Oracle cloud software as a service offering include various cloud software applications, including Oracle Fusion cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP), Oracle Fusion cloud enterprise performance management, Oracle Fusion cloud supply chain and manufacturing management, Oracle Fusion cloud human capital management, Oracle Advertising, and NetSuite applications suite, as well as Oracle Fusion Sales, Service, and Marketing.

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Park National Corp OH increased its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT  Get Rating) by 6.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,345 shares of the retailers stock after purchasing an additional 599 shares during the quarter. Park National Corp OHs holdings in Walmart were worth $1,525,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in WMT. BOS Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $503,000. Fiduciary Alliance LLC bought a new stake in Walmart during the 4th quarter worth about $443,000. Spotlight Asset Group Inc. bought a new stake in Walmart during the 3rd quarter worth about $536,000. Merit Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 77.9% during the 4th quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 20,181 shares of the retailers stock worth $2,862,000 after acquiring an additional 8,840 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming grew its holdings in Walmart by 414.9% during the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 2,693 shares of the retailers stock worth $382,000 after acquiring an additional 2,170 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 31.27% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Walmart from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Saturday, June 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $155.00 to $157.00 in a research note on Friday, May 19th. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $157.00 to $161.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Walmart from $165.00 to $175.00 in a research note on Friday, May 19th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Walmart presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $166.91.

Insider Activity at Walmart

Walmart Price Performance

In other Walmart news, SVP David Chojnowski sold 4,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.74, for a total transaction of $626,960.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 39,975 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,265,681.50. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . In other Walmart news, SVP David Chojnowski sold 4,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.74, for a total transaction of $626,960.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 39,975 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,265,681.50. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . Also, major shareholder Alice L. Walton sold 600 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Monday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.02, for a total transaction of $90,012.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 245,255,856 shares of the companys stock, valued at $36,793,283,517.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last three months, insiders sold 14,318,443 shares of company stock valued at $2,073,859,260. 46.51% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

NYSE WMT opened at $155.53 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. Walmart Inc. has a 12-month low of $117.97 and a 12-month high of $158.23. The company has a market capitalization of $418.82 billion, a PE ratio of 37.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.62 and a beta of 0.49. The firms 50 day moving average is $150.75 and its 200-day moving average is $146.28.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 18th. The retailer reported $1.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.32 by $0.15. Walmart had a net margin of 1.82% and a return on equity of 21.30%. The company had revenue of $152.30 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $147.91 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.30 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Walmart Inc. will post 6.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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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Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:PINS  Get Rating) Chairman Benjamin Silbermann sold 180,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.02, for a total value of $4,323,600.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Benjamin Silbermann also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Thursday, June 15th, Benjamin Silbermann sold 100,000 shares of Pinterest stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.00, for a total value of $2,500,000.00.

Pinterest Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of NYSE PINS opened at $25.36 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.34 billion, a PE ratio of -56.36 and a beta of 0.99. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $24.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $25.16. Pinterest, Inc. has a 12-month low of $16.77 and a 12-month high of $29.27.

Institutional Trading of Pinterest

Pinterest ( NYSE:PINS Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.17) by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $602.58 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $593.96 million. Pinterest had a negative return on equity of 4.83% and a negative net margin of 10.58%. On average, equities analysts predict that Pinterest, Inc. will post -0.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Alight Capital Management LP lifted its position in Pinterest by 21.5% during the 4th quarter. Alight Capital Management LP now owns 110,000 shares of the companys stock worth $2,671,000 after acquiring an additional 19,500 shares during the period. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D lifted its position in Pinterest by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 349,880 shares of the companys stock worth $8,495,000 after acquiring an additional 11,102 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Pinterest by 4.6% during the 3rd quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 2,136,387 shares of the companys stock worth $49,777,000 after acquiring an additional 94,413 shares during the period. SRS Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Pinterest by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. SRS Investment Management LLC now owns 9,497,862 shares of the companys stock worth $230,608,000 after acquiring an additional 488,048 shares during the period. Finally, Utah Retirement Systems lifted its position in Pinterest by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Utah Retirement Systems now owns 104,322 shares of the companys stock worth $2,430,000 after acquiring an additional 2,900 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.95% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

PINS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on Pinterest from $31.00 to $30.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Pinterest from $22.00 to $21.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 28th. DA Davidson dropped their price objective on Pinterest from $24.00 to $23.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Pinterest in a research note on Wednesday, June 7th. They set an equal weight rating and a $23.00 price target for the company. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities increased their price target on Pinterest from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $27.96.

Pinterest Company Profile

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Pinterest, Inc engages in the operation of a pinboard-style photo-sharing website. It allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, and hobbies. The company was founded by Benjamin Silbermann, Paul C. Sciarra, and Evan Sharp in October 2008 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

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Polianta Ltd raised its stake in shares of Taylor Morrison Home Co. (NYSE:TMHC  Get Rating) by 20.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 34,200 shares of the construction companys stock after acquiring an additional 5,700 shares during the period. Taylor Morrison Home makes up approximately 0.6% of Polianta Ltds holdings, making the stock its 18th biggest position. Polianta Ltds holdings in Taylor Morrison Home were worth $1,308,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Meritage Portfolio Management grew its holdings in Taylor Morrison Home by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management now owns 9,534 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $289,000 after buying an additional 332 shares in the last quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. grew its holdings in Taylor Morrison Home by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 32,094 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $748,000 after buying an additional 359 shares in the last quarter. TCI Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Taylor Morrison Home by 87.7% during the 4th quarter. TCI Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 933 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 436 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Taylor Morrison Home by 7.9% during the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 9,902 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $269,000 after buying an additional 729 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Taylor Morrison Home by 9.1% during the 4th quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 9,979 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $303,000 after buying an additional 833 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.33% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

TMHC has been the subject of a number of research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Taylor Morrison Home in a research report on Wednesday, May 31st. They set a hold rating and a $50.00 target price for the company. Barclays increased their target price on Taylor Morrison Home from $45.00 to $52.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 24th. Seaport Res Ptn reiterated a neutral rating on shares of Taylor Morrison Home in a research report on Wednesday. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Taylor Morrison Home in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Finally, Credit Suisse Group increased their target price on Taylor Morrison Home from $41.00 to $47.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $40.79.

Taylor Morrison Home Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of TMHC opened at $46.83 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $5.11 billion, a PE ratio of 4.97 and a beta of 1.73. The business has a fifty day moving average of $42.71 and a 200 day moving average of $37.01. Taylor Morrison Home Co. has a 52-week low of $20.05 and a 52-week high of $48.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 6.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Taylor Morrison Home (NYSE:TMHC  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The construction company reported $1.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.45. Taylor Morrison Home had a return on equity of 24.14% and a net margin of 13.04%. The company had revenue of $1.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.57 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.44 earnings per share. Taylor Morrison Homes revenue was down 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Taylor Morrison Home Co. will post 6.79 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Taylor Morrison Home

In other news, Director William H. Lyon sold 936 shares of Taylor Morrison Home stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.04, for a total transaction of $44,965.44. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 19,827 shares in the company, valued at $952,489.08. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Director William H. Lyon sold 936 shares of Taylor Morrison Home stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.04, for a total transaction of $44,965.44. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 19,827 shares in the company, valued at $952,489.08. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Louis Steffens sold 2,719 shares of Taylor Morrison Home stock in a transaction on Monday, April 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.48, for a total value of $104,627.12. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 65,772 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,530,906.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 881,212 shares of company stock worth $37,738,107. 5.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Taylor Morrison Home Profile

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Taylor Morrison Home Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a public homebuilder in the United States. The company designs, builds, and sells single and multi-family detached and attached homes; and develops lifestyle and master-planned communities. It also develops and constructs multi-use properties consisting of commercial space, retail, and multi-family properties under the Urban Form brand name; and offers title insurance and closing settlement services, as well as financial services.

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Mistras Group, Inc. (NYSE:MG  Get Rating) saw a significant decline in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 99,300 shares, a decline of 22.7% from the May 15th total of 128,400 shares. Currently, 0.6% of the companys shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 100,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.0 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Mistras Group by 6.3% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 28,869 shares of the technology companys stock worth $171,000 after acquiring an additional 1,713 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Mistras Group by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 158,033 shares of the technology companys stock worth $779,000 after acquiring an additional 2,413 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Mistras Group by 6.9% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 38,469 shares of the technology companys stock worth $254,000 after acquiring an additional 2,477 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its holdings in shares of Mistras Group by 12.7% during the 1st quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 25,617 shares of the technology companys stock worth $173,000 after purchasing an additional 2,881 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Mistras Group by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 336,369 shares of the technology companys stock worth $2,223,000 after purchasing an additional 3,295 shares during the period. 48.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Mistras Group Stock Performance

NYSE MG traded down $0.24 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $7.47. The stock had a trading volume of 111,985 shares, compared to its average volume of 91,207. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $7.41 and a 200 day moving average of $6.06. The stock has a market cap of $226.34 million, a P/E ratio of 35.57 and a beta of 1.54. Mistras Group has a 52-week low of $3.38 and a 52-week high of $8.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a current ratio of 1.61.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Mistras Group ( NYSE:MG Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The technology company reported ($0.12) EPS for the quarter. Mistras Group had a return on equity of 4.64% and a net margin of 0.99%. The company had revenue of $168.02 million during the quarter.

MG has been the subject of several recent research reports. StockNews.com upgraded Mistras Group from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday, May 16th. TheStreet upgraded shares of Mistras Group from a d+ rating to a c rating in a report on Thursday, May 4th.

Mistras Group Company Profile

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MISTRAS Group, Inc engages in the provision of technology-enabled asset protection solutions. The firm serves the oil and gas, aerospace, power, infrastructure, and manufacturing markets. It operates through the following segments: Services, International Offers Services, and Products and Systems. The Services segment provides asset protection solutions primarily in North America, consisting primarily of non-destructive testing, inspection, mechanical, and engineering services.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD  Get Rating) (TSE:TD) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Barclays lowered Toronto-Dominion Bank from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 9th. CIBC raised Toronto-Dominion Bank from a neutral rating to a sector outperform rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Scotiabank raised Toronto-Dominion Bank from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. Finally, Credit Suisse Group raised Toronto-Dominion Bank from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, June 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $100.57.

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Toronto-Dominion Bank Stock Performance

NYSE TD opened at $61.16 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The businesss 50 day moving average is $60.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $63.04. Toronto-Dominion Bank has a 12-month low of $55.43 and a 12-month high of $70.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $112.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.26, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.88.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Cuts Dividend

Toronto-Dominion Bank ( NYSE:TD Get Rating ) (TSE:TD) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 25th. The bank reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.52 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $9.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.10 billion. Toronto-Dominion Bank had a return on equity of 15.51% and a net margin of 17.72%. Research analysts expect that Toronto-Dominion Bank will post 6.08 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Investors of record on Monday, July 10th will be paid a $0.709 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 7th. This represents a $2.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.64%. Toronto-Dominion Banks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.65%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Toronto-Dominion Bank

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of TD. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new position in Toronto-Dominion Bank in the first quarter worth about $26,000. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 6.3% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 914,064 shares of the banks stock worth $72,595,000 after acquiring an additional 54,121 shares during the last quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Toronto-Dominion Bank in the first quarter worth about $200,000. Raymond James Trust N.A. lifted its holdings in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 1.7% in the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 9,868 shares of the banks stock worth $784,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its holdings in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 21.8% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 12,022 shares of the banks stock worth $955,000 after acquiring an additional 2,154 shares during the last quarter. 49.22% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Toronto-Dominion Bank

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The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The company offers personal deposits, such as chequing, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases.

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Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund (NYSE:AIO  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 29,200 shares, an increase of 11.5% from the May 15th total of 26,200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 83,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.4 days.

Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund Price Performance

AIO stock traded down $0.04 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $18.36. The companys stock had a trading volume of 162,940 shares, compared to its average volume of 104,319. Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund has a 52 week low of $14.92 and a 52 week high of $19.11. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $16.97 and its 200-day simple moving average is $16.96.

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Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 11th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 10th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.80%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund

About Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AIO. Moors & Cabot Inc. boosted its stake in Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund by 10.6% in the first quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 19,323 shares of the companys stock valued at $422,000 after acquiring an additional 1,855 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG raised its holdings in Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund by 7.1% in the first quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 536,183 shares of the companys stock worth $11,721,000 after purchasing an additional 35,686 shares during the period. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. acquired a new stake in Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund in the first quarter worth $648,000. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund by 16.9% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 262,242 shares of the companys stock worth $5,732,000 after purchasing an additional 37,935 shares during the period. Finally, Lido Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund in the first quarter worth $501,000.

(Get Rating)

The Fund seeks to generate a stable income stream and growth of capital by focusing on one of the most significant long-term secular growth opportunities in markets today. A multi-asset approach based on fundamental research is employed, dynamically allocating to attractive segments of a companys debt and equity in order to offer an attractive risk/reward profile.

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Asmara, 16 June 2023 - Nationals in various countries extended financial contributions towards augmenting the National Martyrs Trust Fund and in support of families of martyrs.

According to reports, nationals in Cincinnati, the US, organized under 'Hidri Semaetat' contributed 5 thousand Dollars, the national committee in Calgary, Canada, 16 thousand 305 Dollars, nationals in Toronto 12 thousand 882 Dollars, members of 'Kendiel Tube' 12 thousand Dollars, national committee in Edmonton 5 thousand 492 Dollars, Hamilton committee 7 thousand Dollars, nationals in Kitchen-Waterloo 5 thousand 302 Dollars, National Holy Days Committee in Montreal 3 thousand 665 Dollars, nationals in Guelph and Wellington 1 thousand 160 Dollars, Eritrean community in London-Ontario 630 Dollars and national committee in Winnipeg 7 thousand Dollars towards augmenting the National Martyrs Trust Fund.

In the same vein, 'Tsinat Group' in Germany contributed 2 thousand Euros, the national committee in Wuppertal and its environs 2 thousand Euros, the national committee in Frankfurt 8 thousand Euros, the national committee in Kassel and its environs 1 thousand 551 Euros, the national committee in Stuttgart and its environs 3 thousand 985 Euros and nationals in Dusseldorf 3 thousand 400 Euros towards augmenting the National Martyrs Trust Fund.

Similarly, Eritrean nationals residing in various countries grouped under 'Hidri Alena Keinedfira' contributed 3 thousand 600 Dollars, Eritrean women in Forchheim 4 thousand 500 Euros, nationals in Berlin 3 thousand Euros, the national committee in Munich and its environs 4 thousand 800 Euros, a number of Eritreans contributed 27 thousand 15 Euros in support of families of martyrs.

In related news, residents in Keren city, Government employees and members of the PFDJ contributed 73 thousand 600 Nakfa in support of families of martyrs while youth in Ashera administrative area are renovating residential houses of families of martyrs.
Wiley BROS. Aintree Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of TETRA Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TTI  Get Rating) by 72.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 200,044 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after purchasing an additional 84,125 shares during the quarter. Wiley BROS. Aintree Capital LLC owned approximately 0.16% of TETRA Technologies worth $541,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Parallax Volatility Advisers L.P. purchased a new stake in TETRA Technologies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $142,000. Truist Financial Corp increased its holdings in TETRA Technologies by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 370,724 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $1,283,000 after acquiring an additional 16,510 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its holdings in TETRA Technologies by 57.7% in the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 67,200 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $233,000 after acquiring an additional 24,600 shares in the last quarter. SIR Capital Management L.P. increased its holdings in TETRA Technologies by 35.0% in the 4th quarter. SIR Capital Management L.P. now owns 682,255 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $2,361,000 after acquiring an additional 177,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Wisconsin Investment Board purchased a new stake in TETRA Technologies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $50,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 59.55% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

TTI has been the subject of several analyst reports. EF Hutton Acquisition Co. I reduced their target price on shares of TETRA Technologies from $8.50 to $8.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 16th. StockNews.com began coverage on TETRA Technologies in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company.

TETRA Technologies Trading Down 2.1 %

TTI traded down $0.06 during trading on Friday, reaching $2.86. The company had a trading volume of 1,548,570 shares, compared to its average volume of 720,125. The stock has a market cap of $370.08 million, a P/E ratio of 57.21 and a beta of 2.54. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $2.88 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3.26. TETRA Technologies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $2.43 and a 52 week high of $5.06. The company has a quick ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 2.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

TETRA Technologies (NYSE:TTI  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 1st. The oil and gas company reported $0.03 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.04 by ($0.01). TETRA Technologies had a return on equity of 14.74% and a net margin of 1.08%. The business had revenue of $146.21 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $150.10 million. On average, equities analysts anticipate that TETRA Technologies, Inc. will post 0.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

TETRA Technologies Profile

(Get Rating)

TETRA Technologies, Inc is a geographically diversified oil and gas services company, which engages in the completion of fluids and associated products and services. It operates through the following segments: Completion Fluids and Products, and Water and Flowback Services. The Completion Fluids and Products division manufactures and markets clear brine fluids, additives, and associated products and services to the oil and gas industry.

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Wiley BROS. Aintree Capital LLC lowered its holdings in iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF (NYSEARCA:IHI  Get Rating) by 1.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,355 shares of the companys stock after selling 330 shares during the quarter. Wiley BROS. Aintree Capital LLCs holdings in iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF were worth $937,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Castleview Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Red Lighthouse Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Signature Securities Group Corporation bought a new stake in iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Trustcore Financial Services LLC raised its stake in iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF by 44.4% in the 4th quarter. Trustcore Financial Services LLC now owns 780 shares of the companys stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 240 shares during the period.

Get iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF alerts:

iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF Stock Up 0.5 %

iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF stock traded up $0.28 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $55.98. The stock had a trading volume of 1,134,680 shares, compared to its average volume of 879,832. iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF has a 12 month low of $46.21 and a 12 month high of $57.24. The firms 50-day moving average price is $55.02 and its 200 day moving average price is $53.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.25 billion, a PE ratio of 27.50 and a beta of 0.85.

iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF Profile

The iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF (IHI) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the DJ US Select \u002F Medical Equipment index, a market-cap-weighted index of manufacturers and distributors of medical devices in the US. IHI was launched on May 1, 2006 and is managed by BlackRock.

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MyVillageSchool, a non-profit organisation that has integrated technology with education. Thanks to their technology, students can watch whatever they're learning unfold in 2D and 3D by just scanning a QR code. (Image: DC)

Hyderabad: Over five lakh students from the Telugu states will soon benefit from 2D and 3D conceptual learning. Students of Classes 8, 9 and 10 can use a smartphone to understand topics ranging from digestion, respiratory system, economics, trigonometry, to the legislature, judiciary, gravity and robotics.

Making teaching as well as comprehension easier is MyVillageSchool, a non-profit organisation that has integrated technology with education. Thanks to their technology, students can watch whatever they're learning unfold in 2D and 3D by just scanning a QR code.

"We have customised the lessons and topics according to the syllabi and have distributed text books with QR Codes free in several schools. Our attempt last year for 25,000 students proved successful and we hope to reach 5 lakh students this year," said Laxmi Prasanna, president of the organisation.

When the Covid-19 pandemic left students, especially in rural areas, with little reach for, the organisation decided to bring classrooms to their homes.

Deccan Chronicle spoke to a few students who benefited of the programme. M. Varshita said she secured a GPA of 9.2 and credited digital learning for it. Shanmita, who found statistics tough, was able to score 8.2 GPA in mathematics this year.

while Akshita and Jeevita said scientific experiments and formulae became easier to understand. "Topics like reproduction, hereditary diseases and climate change not only brought me clarity academically, it also impacted me personally and reduced my stress and study time by a great deal," said Dhanalakshmi.

"Our focus is on Classes 8-10 because they are almost like the career-defining, formative phases where students begin to get a brief understanding or idea about what they want to do in life or pursue for their higher studies," explained Tejas Dhanraj, vice-president of MyVillageSchool.

He added that the condition of several schools, especially in rural parts, were pathetic, and initiatives like digital learning could help many students. "Some of them do not have labs, many things are just drawn on a board, which stunts the grasping power of a student. This is why 3-D learning is the need of the hour," he said.

The attempt covers all subjects except languages which demand a different kind of learning, and are available in Telugu and English. "Translation to Hindi is in the works, we hope to soon to other states and languages," Laxmi Prasanna said. MyVillageSchool has generated 1,000 hours of content and the target is 10,000 hours worth of content.
Telangana CM KCR. (File Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: The BRS government, which boasts of promoting the Ganga Jamuni tehzeeb, has failed to live up to expectations if one goes by its gross neglect of Urdu, the states second official language, during the state formation day decennial celebrations.

"Telangana Literature Day '' was celebrated as part of the 21-day fete on June 11. The day was marked by district-level kavi sammelans and state-level programmes at Ravindra Bharati. Urdu did not figure in any of the events, not even in those organised in Hyderabad.

It has become so glaring that AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi wanted to know why the second language of Telangana was not getting sufficient funds from the state government.

The Urdu Academy has got just Rs. 101 crore in four years and only Rs. 37 crore of this money was spent, he said on June 10.

The governments media blitzkrieg was restricted to advertisements in Telugu and English newspapers while the Urdu media was given a raw deal. Some advertisements appeared in a couple of Urdu newspapers but the content was a blend of Urdu and English.

The state government had appointed 60 Urdu officers in 2018 and attached them to every government department and collectorate. The officers were mandated to promote and develop Urdu across the state. The government clearly did not utilize their services during the decennial fete.

Organisations promoting Urdu lamented that the language was being dealt a step-motherly treatment by the state government.

Khan Zia, president of Tehreek Urdu Telangana (TUT), expressed concern at the humiliation being meted out by the state government and ignoring those speaking the language at every major event.

This humiliation was exposed in Jagtial, which is the home district of minority welfare minister Koppula Eshwar, said Khan Zia, adding that there were no posters or banners in Urdu for the kavi sammelan.

"When we registered a protest with the district collector Yasmeen Basha, she failed to address the issue in an appropriate manner. She maintained that it was the job of Urdu writers and journalists to bring such misnomers to her notice in advance," he said.

Urdu writers and poets, including the eminent poet Waheed Hyder, left the venue in a huff.

As the minister concerned, it is the responsibility of Eshwar to ensure promotion of Urdu at official programmes. If Urdu is neglected in the home district of the minister, then one can imagine the scale of neglect in other districts, said Zia.

Except for felicitating Urdu poets, the language and any mention of it was missing from the official invitations and banners wherever the events were held, including in Karimnagar and Nizamabad.

Sana Kausar, TUT Siddipet secretary, said it was painful to note that the government had neglected Urdu at every level.

Mohd Mustafa Ali Sarwari, an associate professor at the Maulana Azad National Urdu University, said the TS government had been systematically degrading Urdu language.

Stating that not even a single Urdu teachers post has been filled in the last nine years, Mustafa Ali said that TMREIS (residential schools) were being promoted at the cost of Urdu medium schools, which are now registering zero admissions. Same was the case with Osmania University where PhD admissions in the Urdu department were falling drastically due to a lack of permanent faculty.

Asked about the absence of Urdu, an official at the minority welfare department said that banners and invitations for official programmes was the responsibility of the general administration department (GAD).
Indian Army soldiers are seen rescuing tourists in North Sikkim. AA/DC

Kolkata: The Indian Army has rescued 3,500 tourists, who were stranded due to landslides which created roadblocks in Sikkim after a heavy torrential rain in the North Eastern state on Friday.

The travellers were stranded due to the landslides and washing away of a bridge near Chungthang in North Sikkim, the Trishakti Corps of the Eastern Command said on Saturday.

The troops of the Striking Lion Division of the Trishakti Corps and the Border Roads Organisation personnel swung into action. They worked overnight in heavy rains and inclement weather to create a temporary crossing over the flash flood area to facilitate rescue of the tourists.

The Trishakti Corps stated, "The tourists were extended help to cross over the river and were provided with hot meals, tentage and medical support. Over 2000 tourists have crossed over the temporary bridge till 3 pm on Saturday and the rest are being taken care of at Chungthang area."

It added, "Efforts are on to restore the road connectivity while the evacuation of tourists would continue. Tents are being set up and medical aid posts have been set up. The tourists will be provided with all assistance until the route is cleared for their further journey."
Security personnel at the spot after an old warehouse owned by a retired bureaucrat set ablaze amid violence in Manipur, at Palace Compound in Imphal East district, Friday, June 16, 2023. (PTI Photo)

Guwahati: Amid reports of multiple clashes between security forces and mob of civilians in Imphal, the ruling party legislators have started rushing to New Delhi to seek intervention of the central government to restore peace in the trouble-torn Manipur.

At least two civilians were injured in Imphal after the Rapid Action Force (RAF) fired rubber bullets and tear gas on a mob of 1,000 that attempted arson in the citys Palace Compound area on Friday. Security sources said that a mob was also advancing towards the residence of Manipur assembly speaker Satyabrata. However, the security forces managed to avert the attack.

Indicating that civilians have now started targeting the ruling party leaders accusing them of failing to restore peace, sources said that Manipur assembly speaker has left for New Delhi with a delegation of eight legislators to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier, Mr Satyabrata held a meeting with 24 MLAs of Imphal valley in which it was decided that a delegation of ruling party legislators should meet the Prime Minister to intervene as the law and order situation in Manipur is deteriorating.

Security sources also claimed that it managed to disperse a mob that had gathered in an attempt to vandalise state BJP president A. Sharda Devis house near Porompat in Imphal, while an Army column dispersed another mob that had gheraoed the BJP office at Singjamei.

Later, joint columns of the Army, Assam Rifles, RAF and the police conducted flag marches in Imphal East district.

In separate incidents, automatic gunfire was reported from Kwakta in Bishnupur district of Manipur and Kangvai in Churachandpur district through the night. Though details were not known.

Retired lieutenant general expresses dismay

Meanwhile, a retired lieutenant general from Manipur, L. Nishikanta Singh, expressed dismay at the violence in his home state, calling it "stateless" and equating the scale of anarchy to what was witnessed in Syria, Libya and Nigeria.

A tweet posted by a retired senior army officer, elicited messages of support from many veterans, including a former army chief, General V.P. Malik.

I'm just an ordinary Indian from Manipur living a retired life. The state is now 'stateless'. Life and property can be destroyed anytime by anyone just like in Libya, Lebanon, Nigeria, Syria, etc. It appears Manipur has been left to stew in its own juice. Is anyone listening ? pic.twitter.com/VqfwLrF2DR  Lt Gen L Nishikanta Singh (R) (@VeteranLNSingh) June 15, 2023

All of them urged the government to do more to defuse the crisis. "Im just an ordinary Indian from Manipur living a retired life. The state is now stateless," Mr Singh tweeted.

"Life and property can be destroyed anytime by anyone just like in Libya, Lebanon, Nigeria, Syria etc. It appears Manipur has been left to stew in its own juice. Is anyone listening?"

In another tweet, he said, "A majority people in Manipur are looking over the shoulders for the Central Govt and its various agencies to stop the anarchy that has gripped us. This madness has to stop. How can a large part of our country be stateless?"

Responding to his tweet, Gen Malik on Friday said, "An extraordinarily sad call from a retired Lt Gen from Manipur. Law & order situation in Manipur needs urgent attention at the highest level."

Malik, who was army chief during the 1999 Kargil war, tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and defence minister Rajnath Singh.

A retired brigadier, Sandeep Thapar, responded to Singh saying, "This from a Manipuri & veteran soldier. If only Manipur had a few more parliament seats then ppl would have bothered. Nobody is bothered since it has only 2 (LS) & 1 (RS)!"

Air Vice Marshal (retd) Manmohan Bahadur said, "We need to hang our heads in shame. Is anyone listening?"
President of India Droupadi Murmu reviewed the Combined Graduation Parade at Air Force Academy in Hyderabad. (Image: DC)

Hyderabad: President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) was taking steps to be future-ready by equipping itself for a high-technology war, given the overall security situation that is prevalent.

Addressing the combined graduation parade at Air Force Academy, Dundigal, near here, she said the ability to absorb technology at a rapid pace should be the core of defence preparedness.

She reviewed the graduation parade of the trainee officers, who completed their flying training, and conferred them with brevets.

"The Indian Air Force has a very inspiring motto, Touch the sky with glory, Nabha sparsham deeptam, which is taken from the Bhagavad Gita. You all must carry forward the great legacy of the IAF," she said.

IAF modernisation with the induction of Rafale fighter aircraft and Chinook heavy-lift choppers has strengthened its operational capabilities, said President Murmu, who recalled her recent sortie in a Sukhoo-30 MKI aircraft.

She praised IAF personnel for providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The recent evacuation operation, in which they airlifted more than 600 Indians and other nationals stuck in Kabul to safety, stands testimony to the gutsy spirit of IAF personnel as it involved flying into and landing in a hostile environment. She also recalled similar rescue operations in quake-hit in Turkey and Syria

"Its history is written in golden letters. They demonstrated the same skills in Kargil war and later in the terror strike on Balakot. IAF enjoys a legendary reputation for professionalism and self-sacrifices," the President said.

She stated that the IAF had a team of women pilots in all roles and branches, adding that this figure was bound to increase substantially.

"Each and every officer of the Armed Forces has to keep in mind an integrated perspective of defence preparedness," she said.

Approximately 119 trainees from the flying branch and 75 from the ground duty branch received the Presidents Commission. Additionally, eight officers each of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, as well as two Vietnamese trainee officers, who completed their training, received their Brevets.

Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Union minister G. Kishan Reddy, DGP Anjani Kumar and minister Satyavathi Rathod attended the event.
An overview of Malawi's Dzaleka refugee camp. It was originally designed for 10,000-12,000 refugees but now is home to more than 50,000 refugees (file photo).

Blantyre  The United Nations refugee agency has pledged its support of Malawi's move to resettle more than 50,000 refugees and asylum-seekers currently living at the overcrowded Dzaleka refugee camp in the central part of the country. Last week, Malawi's government announced it had secured a new site in the northern part of the country to help reduce the number refugees at the Dzaleka camp, which was originally designed to accommodate 12,000 people.

UNHCR Regional Director for Southern Africa Valentin Tapsoba pledged support of the move after meeting Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera, in the capital, Lilongwe.

According to a statement released after the meeting, Tapsoba said UNHCR welcomes the government of Malawi's commitment to improving living conditions and overall well-being of refugees living in the country by upgrading refugee settlements.

Malawi set up Dzaleka refugee camp in 1994 to accommodate about 12,000 people but now it is hosting more than 50,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia and Ethiopia.

Kenyi Emanuel Lukajo is the associate external relations and reporting officer for the UNHCR in Malawi. He says the government's relocation of about 8,000 refugees, who have been staying outside the camp, has strained the already scarce resources at the camp.

"Life is very difficult," said Lokajo. "There is not enough water, not enough shelter, even the children who are pulled out of school in the city are not able to enroll in schools because there are not enough slots. So, everything is not there, so we don't have the money to provide for an additional number of people that have been relocated."

Malawi started forcibly relocating refugees, who were illegally living across rural and urban areas of the country last month, after the expiration of the April 15 deadline the government set for voluntary relocation.

In a statement, the UNHCR says that to date, approximately 1,900 individuals have returned to the congested Dzaleka camp amid financial challenges the agency is facing in taking care of the refugees.

The U.N. refugee agency says that as of 1 June, it has only received 15 percent of the required $27.2 million to adequately support refugees and asylum-seekers in Malawi this year.

However, the Malawi government says it has acquired land for a new resettlement site for the refugees in Chitipa district, north of Malawi, to solve overcrowding problems facing the refugees there.

Ken Zikhale Ng'oma is the minister of homeland security in Malawi. He told a press conference last week that the new settlement will also help keep away potential criminals who enter Malawi under the pretext of being refugees and asylum keepers.

"Which is why we want to change the system now. We will close Dzaleka anytime," Ng'oma said. "And we will open up a new site in Chitipa where we want to make sure that anybody who enters Malawi should be examined before entering Malawi just as Americans do. No asylum seeker will get in and say 'I will apply inside' no. It is done at the gate. So, we want to borrow the American system."

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The UNHCR says it stands ready to provide the necessary support toward the new site.

"If the government says they have found a new site, UNHCR has no objection to that as long as UNHCR is involved in the process and then we assess the site to ensure that the site has got enough water, is not prone to flooding and the site is not very close to the border," said Lokajo. "So if all the conditions are met, then UNHCR will not hesitate to support the process."

Malawi government authorities have assured to involve UNHCR in the site assessment process and collaborate to secure resources for the development of the new settlement.
Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. (AP file image)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State Visit to the US will have "significant outcomes", External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday.

Interacting with reporters on the sidelines of a function here, he also said that it will be the first time that an Indian prime minister will be addressing the US Congress twice.

Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. They will host Modi at a State Dinner on June 22. The visit also includes an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on June 22.

"The prime minister is going on a State Visit, which signifies the highest level of honour. So, the honour that he will receive, has been accorded to a very few people, so far," Jaishankar said after the function that was held at Badarpur in South Delhi as part of the BJP's mega outreach campaign -- 'Sampark se Samarthan' -- to mark the completion of the nine years of the Modi government.

"The prime minister will address a Joint Session of the US Congress. No Indian prime minister has addressed it twice. So, it will be the first time. World over also, very few people have done that... Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela. So, there are very few people who have addressed the US Congress twice," Jaishankar said.

It assumes "huge importance" and outcomes will be seen later, the external affairs minister said.

Asked about the implications of the State Visit on India-US relations, he said this State Visit will have "significant outcomes" and added that "what outcomes these will be, I cannot tell that right now".

Prime Minister Modi will arrive in New York on June 20 and will lead the 9th International Yoga Day celebrations at the UN headquarters on June 21. He will then travel to Washington DC where he will be welcomed by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on June 22 for the State Visit.

Asked what message will this State Visit by Modi to the US send to China and Pakistan, the Union minister said, "When a prime minister visits a country, it is to take our (India's) relationship forward. I understand that it is a globalised world, so if something happens, it may or may not have an impact on others. We see it for our interests, from perspective of our relations".
Union minister G. Kishan Reddy said "every sector in the state had received Central assistance in some form or the other, with thousands of crores of rupees dispensed in some cases.: (Image: P.Surendra)

Hyderabad: Union minister G. Kishan Reddy on Saturday held a nearly three-hour-long presentation to debunk claims by the state government and BRS that the Centre had done little for Telangana.

In his presentation, titled Government of India Contribution Towards Development of Telangana, Kishan Reddy said every sector in the state had received Central assistance in some form or the other, with thousands of crores of rupees dispensed in some cases.

"These are in addition to the loans amounting to a few lakh crores the Telangana government availed of since 2014," he said.

Kishan Reddy said his effort to place before the people the facts was not targeted at any political party or government. "This is about what the Central government has done in Telangana for welfare, and development programmes, and is about informing people about the Centres partnership in endeavour to make Telangana a developed state," he said.

The slideshow presentation was interspersed with brief videos with short comments from Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking on what his government has done for Telangana on different fronts. The presentation was also shared as a 341-page digital book.

"There are repeated complaints that the Centre does not allow the state to borrow funds citing FRBM limits. This aspect is being used as an excuse to criticise the Centre. My request to the people of Telangana is simple  they should know how much the Government of India has spent on Telangana," Kishan Reddy said.

Indirectly referencing the BRS over its criticism that the Centre takes a lot and gives back only a little, Kishan Reddy said: "Some people keep asking us why the Centre that takes a lot in taxes from the state gives back so little. The answer is that in addition to straight devolution of funds, the Centre also spends directly on its own on many welfare schemes and developmental programmes."

The Centre, Kishan Reddy declared, "has no ill will against Telangana. The Prime Minister keeps telling us that no matter which party is in power in a state, be it BRS, Congress, communists or YSRCP, every state makes up India. We will forward suggestions we receive on this presentation to the Prime Minister and we will continue to serve the state."

Though he refrained from outright criticism of the state government, Kishan Reddy did mention how the state government delayed Metro Rail construction in Old City, how village sarpanchs across the state were complaining that they are not receiving any funds from the state  but that whatever they get, is from the Centre  and how the state was going slow on acquiring land for the Regional Ring Road project, which is fully funded by the Centre.
Former professor of the University of Hyderabad and human rights activist G. Haragopal

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday directed Director General of Police (DGP) Anjani Kumar to withdraw the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against civil liberties activist Prof. Haragopal and 152 others.

The DGP asked Mulugu superintendent of police (SP) Gaush Alam to consider withdrawing the FIR pertaining to the case. Hours later, Alam announced that the police had lifted cases against six persons  Prof. Haragopal, Padmaja Shah, V. Raghunath, Gaddam Laxman, Gunti Ravinder and Suresh Kumar. The Mulugu police will file a memo in court on the matter.

The FIR was registered in 2022, the first time it was done in Telangana. It came to light only recently, when the police were opposing the bail petition of a person in court.

In its 52-page FIR copy, the Tadvai police said that it was based on a complaint by a police personne, V. Shankar, on August 19, 2022, regarding an assembly of Maoist leaders.

CPI national secretary Narayana welcomed the Chief Minister's decision to withdraw the UAPA case.

In his reaction, Prof. Haragopal said that the police had lifted UAPA cases against six persons whereas the others were also innocent. He urged the state government to lift the cases against all remaining 146 persons, who belong to poor families.
The conditions are becoming favourable for southwest monsoon's expansion over south peninsula, East India and adjoining areas on June 19 and June 22. (PTI)

VISAKHAPATNAM / ANANTAPUR: The southwest monsoon will spread across Andhra Pradesh in next two to three days, a report issued by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast on Saturday.

The report also issued a fresh alert against heatwave on Sunday and Monday in north coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and south coastal AP.

IMD-Amaravati director S. Stella said Jangamaheswarapuram in Palnadu district experienced severe heatwave conditions on Saturday, while nine places  Visakhapatnam, Tuni, Kakinada, Narsapur, Machilipatnam, Nandigama, Gannavaram and Bapatla experienced heatwave conditions.

The IMD said the southwest monsoon has not progressed much since its arrival in Andhra Pradesh on June 11, about a week later than its usual onset. Now, the conditions are becoming favourable for southwest monsoons expansion over south peninsula, East India and adjoining areas on June 19 and June 22.

Jangamaheswarapuram registered the highest temperature of 43.8Celsius in AP on Saturday, followed by Bapatla (43C), Amaravati (42.4C), Gannavaram (42.2C), Nandigama (42.1C) and Machilipatnam (41.8C). The remaining parts of the state recorded temperatures between 37C and 40C.

Heatwave conditions with abnormal temperatures are continuing in Rayalaseema region "We are witnessing high temperatures for the first time in the past five decades," Pandurangachar of Housing Board in Anantapur observed.

Though schools are running only during the morning sessions, parents are having a difficult time bringing children back home in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, sources in IMD said rains are likely from June 19 in Sri Satya Sai, Annamayya, YSR and Tirupati districts.
Senior advocate of the Telangana High Court, L. Ravichander. (Photo by arrangement)

HYDERABAD: Several Indigo airlines passengers reached out to Deccan Chronicle with grievances and complaints of rude and unacceptable behaviour by an air hostess, after airline authorities remained indifferent to their complaints.

Among those who complained about the behaviour by the airlines staff at different locations, the worst incident reportedly took place on June 13, when a prominent senior advocate of the Telangana High Court, L. Ravichander, was travelling on a 7.30 am flight to Vijayawada.

Narrating his early morning experience, Ravichander said, "They made us wait in the bus for half an hour, because a passenger had not come. I questioned this waiting of an entire busload for a single person. He could have come to the aircraft in a jeep later. That was to be just the beginning of a long torture."

The ordeal continued. Ravichander said, "When we were aboard the aircraft, the air-conditioning was not functioning and we were sweating like in a furnace. When there was no respite for almost 20 minutes, I approached the flight attendant, Kushmita, who tersely remarked there is a technical glitch. We cannot move the aircraft.' When I sought to know why an announcement was not made, she replied, Sir, you can't be rude to me. The fact of the matter was that she replied in a rude manner."

The scene continued. "She told me, you know I can de-board you, to which I replied, do it... right now. Then she turned on her walkie-talkie, called someone, saying, I want to de-board someone. Although I could not hear the reply on the other side, in a short while, the flight took off," he said.

Ravichander, who returned to Hyderabad the next day, said his luggage, which was supposed to come on baggage belt no 16, was also delayed. "There was no one from Indigo to assist passengers. I was charged extra for fast forwarding of luggage but mine arrived last," he said.

Brahammam, a real estate promoter from Visakhapatnam, confirmed the events.

"The air-conditioner was not switched on and my shirt was drenched in sweat. As the flight was getting late, the gentleman sitting beside me approached the flight attendant. She fumed and shouted, you can lodge a complaint wherever you want nothing will happen to me. It almost felt like she was the owner of the airlines."

Vikram Paul, zonal head of a top financial institution, said, "I am getting used to this problem whenever I travel by Indigo Airlines.... late baggage on the conveyor belt. I always end up waiting for at least half an hour."

J. Sumaya, a student, said, "Four months ago, I was travelling by Indigo to Saudi Arabia. With 30 minutes remaining for take-off, the boarding gate was changed and the ground staff asked all passengers to hand over cabin bags to them. It was utter confusion. I forgot my backpack at the boarding gate. As I stepped into the aircraft I realised my bag was missing. I spoke to the crew to get my bag on board but they refused and threatened to de-board me."

After landing at the King Fahd International Airport in Riyadh, she searched for the Indigo helpdesk only to discover that they had no office there. "It took me 10 days to connect to Indigo Airlines. Finally they sent me my backpack on the 11th day. It was an irksome experience. , I will not fly Indigo Airlines for as long as I can," Sumaya said.

Rev. Joseph Christopher said, "I mostly travel in Indigo. The staff lacks courtesy. When we ring the bell to call an attendant, they ignore or take a very long time to respond. Earlier, the airline staff used to greet and help us with a smile. Today, they take passengers for granted."

Abdul Aziz from Hyderabad, said, "I had a horrible experience on June 13, while flying from Hyderabad to Mumbai (Flight 6E5384) at 11.05 am. The flight got delayed. I was sweating as the A/C was not turned on. When I reached out, the flight attendant bluntly replied that there was some disturbance. Again, after some time I approached her, she chided me in a rude tone. The next day, my flight (6E5045) scheduled for 11.35 pm from Mumbai to Hyderabad, was delayed by around one hour. But no one at Indigo were bothered."
Home minister Mohd Mahmood Ali (DC)

Hyderabad: Home minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali on Saturday courted controversy by claiming that "women wearing skimpy clothes create trouble" while addressing a media query on some Muslim students being asked to remove their burqas at an examination centre.

Referring to the incident at IS Sadan of Santoshnagar of the Old City, Mahmood Ali said:

"If skimpy, European-style clothes are worn, it can result in situation going out of hand. There are Islamic dresses or what our Hindu sisters wear, who wrap the pallu over their heads. Women, especially when wearing skimpy clothes, can create problems. If fully clothed, such situation can be averted."

The ministers comments sparked a public and political backlash, with all sections of society taking aim at the law and order incharge of the state.

A video of the comments went viral on social media platforms and reactions were swift to come in. People questioned Mahmood Alis wisdom in declaring the right kind of clothes for women to wear, while BJP and Congress leaders jumped on the bandwagon.

BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, taking to Twitter, posted: "Now Telangana government wants to decide on what women wear? While the Home Minister lectures on what women should wear, why was his mouth covered when there were rapes and murders going on (sic)?"

The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, condemning the minister's remarks, posted: "What kind of a government is the BRS running these remarks are sexist and deserve to be condemned by the so-called modern prince @KTRTRS (sic) who feels his modern outlook is attracting the worlds attention."

Well-known womens rights activist Brinda Adige poured scorn on Mahmood Ali in a tweet, posting: "This fellow is an elected rep. Citizens r not paying for him to spew misogyny, chauvinismhis job is not to police womens clothing. Tell him to silence his retrograde mindset. (sic)"

She also said ministers should be educated to respect women.

State BJP spokesperson Rani Rudrama said Mahmood Ali must immediately apologise to the women of Telangana for his "shameful comments and saying only if women wear a hijab will people be peaceful", terming it an outright insult to women. "The home minister never utters a word on rapes of six-month babies to 60-year-old women in the state, but is ready to talk about dress codes for women."

However, this is not the first time that Mahmood Ali has been in the spotlight for controversial comments.

In 2019, he landed in hot soup for saying that 27-year-old city-based veterinary surgeon Disha, who was raped and murdered, should have called the police instead of her sister as it could have saved her life.

Back on Twitter, a user with the handle Oozypalooza pointed out that "everyone around him including policeman is wearing European dress."

Aruna, an employee with a private firm, said: "Women living in Hyderabad city are aware of what they want to wear. Ministers must concentrate on their politics and enacting laws to protect women. There is no need to tell women what to wear and declare dress codes."

Vox pop

"I condemn home minister Mahmood Ali's remarks on womens dress code. The Constitution has given rights to women to wear whatever they wish in a decent manner"

--Mallu Lakshmi, state general secretary, All India Democratic Women's Association

"The home minister, who is supposed to take measures to maintain law and order, indulged in violating the law by making objectionable remarks. The minister has no right to pass orders on dress code. He must tender an apology"

--B.N. Ratna, social activist

"The home minister must withdraw his remarks against women on the dress code. Every woman has the right to wear a dress as per their wish. Mahmood Ali has no right to direct women"

--Sandhya, a social activist
Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, author Ian McEwan and immunologist and geneticist John Bell were named Companions of Honour, an order limited to 65 people at any time, in King Charles' first birthday honours list on Friday.

Wintour, who has been editor of Vogue U.S. since 1988, is one of the most powerful people in the fashion world and a philanthropist who has raised more than $300 million for the U.S. Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.

McEwan, who was appointed to the order for services to literature, is the author of acclaimed novels including Amsterdam, Atonement and Enduring Love.

Bell's three-decade-long mission to build vaccines research capability at the University of Oxford, where he is Regius Professor of Medicine, was vital to the development of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, the government said.

More than 1,000 people were rewarded in the king's birthday honours for service in education, healthcare, philanthropy and other areas.

King Charles, who was crowned in May, will celebrate his official birthday on Saturday with the "Trooping of the Colour" military parade.

The 74-year-old monarch's real birthday is on Nov. 14.
While political opponents gear up for a heated contest in West Bengals rural polls in July, a legal confrontation continues in the courts too.

After the Calcutta High Court directed requisition and deployment of central forces for all the districts, the state election commission has moved the Supreme Court, sources claimed. The state government, too, has moved, sources add. The Court, on Thursday, had directed the commission to comply with the directive within 48 hours.

Steering the state government, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Friday, had thrown a challenge, claiming that no other state has succeeded in having so many nomination papers filed in such a peaceful way. Banerjee had also condemned the high-handedness of central forces in border villages of West Bengal that had claimed the lives of many, a Trinamool release stated.

She had said that an issue is being created for the trouble in just two, of more than 61 thousand booths for the rural polls. The state governments stand, as apparent, is similar to that of the commissions on deployment of central forces.

Violent clashes between factions supporting the ruling Trinamool, and the opponents  Congress, Left, and the BJP  have continued to be reported during the phase when nomination papers were being filed. A candidate affiliated to Trinamool was allegedly beaten to death in Malda district.

Also Read | West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose says he has very good working relationship with government

Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose, continued with his visits to violent-hit pockets on Saturday. Governor Bose went to Canning, a day after he visited Bhangar on Friday. Trinamool stated that the Governors post is a constitutional one. The Governor should realise he is for (the) entire Bengal, and not for a specific party, the Trinamool stated.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar met the governor to discuss the present situation. The convoy of Nisith Pramanik, minister of state, home affairs, allegedly was stopped and attacked in north Bengal. The BJP pointed fingers at the supporters of the ruling Trinamool.

In a press conference, the Trinamool said that its sending 50 of its leaders across the state in the next 15 days to interact with people. The party also requested that those candidates who have not got the partys symbol, yet are contesting independently, should withdraw their nominations.

The Trinamool cautioned that if such independent candidates do not do so by June 20, then the party will never take them back, even if they win the polls. The Trinamool stated that it remains unaffected and it doesnt matter to it whether the central forces are deployed, or not.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed to admit the African Union as a full member of the G20 at the blocs 18th summit, which he will host in New Delhi on September 9 and 10.

Modi has written to his counterparts in the other G20 nations proposing that the African Unions request for full membership of the bloc should be accepted at the upcoming Delhi Summit of G20, according to sources in New Delhi.

Read | Modi-Biden: A warm embrace, but how long will it last?

Indias move to use its G20 presidency to support the African Unions bid to get a berth in the premier forum for international economic cooperation has come amid Chinas bid to further expand its influence in the continent.

A source in New Delhi said that the Prime Ministers initiative was a step towards a just, fair, more inclusive and representative global architecture and governance.
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Yaounde  Cameroon has prohibited the broadcast of television programs that it says propagate homosexuality in the central African state.

Joseph Chebongkeng Kalabubse, president of Cameroon's National Communication Council, which regulates media in the country, said this week media organizations that broadcast programs linked to homosexuality will be severely punished.

"The National Communication Council can suspend a media outlet for promoting values that go contrary to our cultural practices and also the laws of our republic," Kalabubse said. "We can suspend the media outlet from one month to six months or suspend its broadcast or its presence in Cameroon."

Kalabubse said acts of homosexuality are prohibited by Cameroonian law, and broadcasting scenes linked to homosexuality is against professional ethics and the laws of nature. The NCC says many of the programs promoting homosexuality are cartoons that are frequently watched by children.

On Friday, Cameroon state broadcaster CRTV reported that foreign media groups such as the Walt Disney Company are trying to represent homosexuals by airing cartoons like "Miraculous LadyBug." In some of these programs, women are seen kissing each other, which is taboo in Cameroon, CRTV reported.

Kalabubse said foreign TV stations that air LGBTI content will be suspended from broadcasting in Cameroon.

The NCC says Cameroon journalists should immediately remove programs linked to homosexuality or face sanctions.

Gbaka Ernest Acho, a Cameroon Bar Association member, said Cameroonian laws make it possible for journalists to be charged and sentenced heavily for promoting homosexuality.

"The chairman of the National Communication Council did just what is contained in the decree reorganizing the National Communication Council. Homosexuality is punished in section 347 of the Cameroon penal code and the sanction gets up to five years of imprisonment," Acho said.

Acho said the NCC, by prohibiting homosexual and lesbian content on TV, is ensuring the respect of people's dignity, and protecting children and youth from practices that are foreign to Cameroon.

The NCC decision came less than a month after authorities in Cameroon's capital, Yaounde, closed at least six bars and popular spots they say are LGBTI-friendly.

The police said lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex, or LGBTI, people had turned the popular spots into daily meeting arenas and are persuading young people to join the LGBTI community. Rights groups say the police arrested, detained and tortured LGBTI and suspected LGBTI persons.

Human rights lawyer Cyril Ayori said Cameroon laws are hostile to LGBTI people.

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"Section 52 of the civil status registration ordinance is to the effect that no marriage may be celebrated if the spouses to be are of the same sex," Ayori said. "When this section of the law is read with section 347 of the Cameroon penal code which punishes homosexuality with imprisonment from six months to five years, you will discover that Cameroonian laws are very harsh on homosexuality."

The police say many poor youths are joining the LGBTI community with the false belief that they will become rich. The government says many young Cameroonians think that they can find LGBTI partners and travel to developed countries where the practice is legal and where living conditions are better.

In May 2022, Human Rights Watch said Cameroonian security forces are not protecting LGBTI people from violent attacks and are instead arresting victims.

The organization said Cameroon not only violates its obligations under national and international law, but it condones an atmosphere of violence and hate against LGBTI people by criminalizing LGBTI relations.
Carter's, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, sources, and markets branded childrenswear under the Carter's, OshKosh, Skip Hop, Child of Mine, Just One You, Simple Joys, little planet, and other brands in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: U.S. Retail, U.S. Wholesale, and International. Its Carter's products include babies and young children products, such as bodysuits, pants, dresses, layette essentials, tops and t-shirts, multi-piece sets, sleep and play products, and sleepwear; and OshKosh brand products comprise playclothes, such as denim apparel products, overalls, core bottoms, knit tops, t-shirts, and layering pieces. The company also provides products for playtime, travel, mealtime, bath time, and home gear, as well as kid's bags under the Skip Hop brand. In addition, it offers bedding, home decor, cribs and baby furniture, diaper bags, footwear, gift sets, hair accessories, jewelry, outerwear, paper goods, socks, shoes, swimwear, and toys. The company operates wholesale locations, including department stores, national chain stores, and specialty stores, as well as retail stores. It also sells its products through its eCommerce websites, such as carters.com, oshkosh.com, and skiphop.com, as well as other international wholesale accounts and licensees. The company was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Two people involved in an alleged hijacking incident in Derry have been refused bail after appearing at court in Donegal.

Seamus Donaghey and Bridget Mongan were arrested on Friday night after being apprehended by Gardai.

Donaghey, a 20-year-old whose address was given as no fixed abode, and Mongan, aged 22 and of Foyle Road, Derry, were remanded in custody.

Donaghey was charged with unlawfully using a vehicle without the consent of the owner.

Mongan was charged with, while being a person who knew that the vehicle as taken without the consent of the owner, did allow herself to be carried in the vehicle without consent.

The pair were arrested when they were stopped on the N13 at Raymoghey, Manorcunningham.

The two were hauled before a special sitting of Letterkenny District Court on Saturday afternoon.

Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that he was objecting to bail due to the seriousness of the charges.

It is alleged that a call was made to a takeaway delivery person in Derry. When the person came to the appointed address to deliver the food, they arrived at a derelict address.

The vehicle was 'forcibly' seized from the driver. The car fled the scene, but was detected in Donegal a short time later and the two were arrested after what was described as a 'short pursuit'.

Sergeant Collins said Gardai were concerned that the pair were a flight risk as they did not reside in this jurisdiction and would not answer bail.

The court heard that Mongan is on bail for matters in another jurisdiction.

Mr Patsy Gallagher, representing the accused, said Mongan has no previous convictions in this jurisdiction and has not previously come to Garda attention.

She does reside on the island of Ireland and, as an Irish citizen, is protected by the constitution, Mr Gallagher said.

Refusing bail, Judge Ciaran Liddy said it was of concern to the court that a person was lured to a derelict premises and had their vehicle taken.

It is something that could attract a considerable tariff, Judge Liddy said. It is not simply a case that Gardai can go across to Derry and make an arrest, so there is a concern regarding a flight risk.

Legal aid in the case of both was granted to Mr Gallagher.

Donaghey was remanded in custody to Castlerea Prison. Mongan was remanded in custody to the Dochas Centre at Mountjoy Prison.

Both are to appear via videolink before Falcarragh District Court on Wednesday next, June 21.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 renders have leaked again. This time it appears to be the official marketing material. This gives us an idea of what the Z Flip 5 design would be like. Lets compare the design with that of its competitors. That includes the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, Vivo X Flip, and Oppo Find N2 Flip.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5s design highlight is how big its outer display is. This is expected to be a 3.4-inch panel. You could get to control music playback, use Google and other apps, get notifications, and see the date and time, as well as other widgets.

The phone could ship with Android 13-based OneUI 5.1 thats optimized for the folding format and particularly for this cover screen.

Samsung is expected to equip the clamshell folding phone with a 6.7-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, a 3700mAh battery with 25W fast charging, dual 12 MP cameras at the back and a 12MP selfie shooter.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 leak suggest it could be a threat to Motorola Razr 40 Ultra

Motorola Razr 40 Ultra

Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is already out in the Chinese market. It is set to launch in India soon with the "world's largest" cover display. That is 3.6 inches diagonally. There are widgets here for music controls, weather, etc. You can also see Google Maps navigation marks, calls, messages, and app notifications.

Also Read: First images of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 emerges online: Take a look!

Vivo X Flip

Vivo X Flip is outfitted with a 3-inch screen. So, it isnt as big as the above ones. There is a massive circular camera island below this screen. The screen doesnt envelop this island.

Besides supporting some first-party apps, you can also reply to chats with text, audio, emoticons, and GIFs, play lightweight games, make cashless payments, see navigation guides, unlock cars, and see cute pet wallpapers.

This is not available in India.

Oppo Find N2 Flip

Oppo Find N2 Flips cover screen is vertical, unlike the rest of the phones in this list. It officially has a Spotify widget, a speech-to-text feature on certain messaging apps, and the usual timepiece and weather widgets as well as notification alerts. However, thanks to a 3rd party app called CoverScreen OS, you can enjoy voice dictation, a full QWERTY keyboard, and any app on its 3.2-inch screen.
The community of Louth Village and the surrounding areas will have a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of St Mochta's National School with an incredible family fun day on Sunday June 25.

The school, which opened at its current site at Feran Drive, Louth Village, in 1973, is also marking the tenth anniversary of the opening of the impressive extension, which was overseen by former principal Niall Sloan and completed in 2013.

For current principal, Patrick Martin, the fiftieth anniversary is an opportunity for the whole community to come together to have fun-filled summers afternoon, while also raising funds for the Parents Associations next project - a new playground that will allow children of all abilities to enjoy their breaktimes. Mr Martin also has an anniversary with St Mochta's NS in 2023  he is marking ten years at the school.

St Mochta's NS holds a special place in the heart of the community of Louth Village, with over 140 pupils currently enrolled. Earlier this academic year, two new autism classes were opened, accommodating 12 students.

Mr Martin said: The opening of the autism classes has been fantastic for the school, for all the children in the school as we strive towards breaking down barriers. The school community has been very welcoming of the new classes and we have all benefitted.

Aileen Carroll, vice principal, said: The autism classes have been something we have been working on behind the scenes for a number of years and we are very proud to be celebrating our first year open after all the hard work and planning.

There are currently 19 staff employed at the school, a jump from ten a year ago. There are, of course, ongoing and increased costs of running St Mochta's NS, and the Parents Association, under the chairpersonship of Catherine Shaw, decided to organise a family fun day.

Mr Martin said: "The fun day is a great opportunity for the community to get together to help us celebrate this milestone anniversary for the school and also to raise funds. We want to build an inclusive play area for all the children in the school, as well as upgrading the IT infrastructure.

The fun day gets underway at 1pm on June 25 and will continue to 5pm. Everyone is welcome to attend and a wonderful day is guaranteed with plenty of activities including amusements, food, refreshments, a pony party, a DJ, local community groups (the Teddy Bears Club, Girl Guides, St Mochta's GFC and the youth club), and a raffle, and much, much more. Donations to the playground project are most welcome on the day.

Mr Martin said: This is a great way to mark the fiftieth anniversary and to bring the community together for a fun afternoon. I want to thank all the staff, in particular vice principal, Aileen Carroll, for all the work they do every day to make the school the vibrant place we love.

Entry is free to the event, but tickets need to be reserved on Eventbrite.ie here.
Peace campaigners are warning that there is a real risk of Ireland further compromising its neutrality and getting dragged into NATO without the consent of the Irish people.

The Governments Consultative Forum on International Security runs from June 22 - 27, and peace and justice organisation Afri say the planned consultation initiative poses the risk of being a superficial talking shop that paves the way for where the government seek to bring us, which is further integration with NATO.

The organisation is urging people in Louth to get involved in the campaign, and to attend the online book launch and conversation on neutrality on Tuesday next June 20th at 11am.

Time and time again, the people of Ireland have expressed their wishes to avoid becoming part of the global military industrial complex. Our history of colonisation and wars such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan, show why we should stand our ground and instead remain an independent and neutral voice for peacemaking in the world, something we are already cherished for says Afri Coordinator Joe Murray says.

Mr Murray continues: Its increasingly clear that the Government is moving to bring us closer into the global war machine and the devastation it wreaks.

"The world needs investment in peacemaking, education, diplomacy, and not the trillions spent to inflict murder, mayhem and environmental destruction while adding to the plight of refugees worldwide. Thats why its so important that the people of Louth get heard on this, that we engage with our TDs, Senators and MEPs.

Mr Murrays comments come in advance of the launch of a new publication called Force for Good? Reflections on Neutrality and the Future of Irish Defence will be launched online by Thomas Pringle TD on Tuesday June 20th at 11am. The is a collection of essays by people with long and deep experience of working for peace and against militarism at every level from academic to activist, on this island and in the wider world.

Contributors include Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire; UCC Emeritus Professor John Maguire; Dr Karen Devine of DCU; Dr Iain Atack, formerly of TCD; Carol Fox of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance; and `Tarak Kauff, former paratrooper with the US Army and now active member of Veterans for Peace.

The book is a vital contribution to the discussion on the importance of Irish neutrality and its role as the bedrock of Irish foreign and defence policy. Even today - especially today - as war rages in so many areas around the world and as two nuclear-armed superpowers actively engage in a proxy war, the world urgently needs voices calling for, and countries working towards, de-escalation, demilitarisation and disarmament says Murray.

The Economist magazine recently described Ireland as having a good claim to be the worlds most diplomatically powerful country, is ideally placed  historically and geographically  to be that voice.

"But instead of seizing this opportunity, the Government is increasingly abandoning our neutrality and throwing in its lot with some of the worlds most aggressive military powers.

As our planet teeters on a precipice, with less than a decade left before catastrophic climate disaster, with the war industry being one of the primary contributors to global warming, what does the Irish Government do? It sets out to calculatedly and deliberately develop a weapons industry and become increasingly involved in aggressive military operations.

"To illustrate the twisted logic at play in current government policies, a recent seminar hosted by the Department of Defence to encourage Irish companies and Third Level Institutions to become involved in military research and development was grotesquely entitled Building the Ecosystem.

How can our Government and Establishment plan to celebrate the Irish peace process and the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement when theyve abandoned the very values of patient, peaceful conflict resolutions which underpinned that process, flowing from Article 29 of Bunreacht na hEireann?

Mr Murray added: Despite the constant hallowing out and demeaning of neutrality, we will continue to defend this proud and practical policy and to demand that the militaristically minded minority respect the will of the people on this critically important issue.

"We owe it to our children to challenge the reckless addiction to war and violence, which wreaks havoc on human beings as well as on the natural world and even threatens the destruction of our planet.

More information on Afris Neutrality or Nato? online book and conversation event can be found at www.afri.ie
The month of June marked the celebration of Irish environmental programme, Clean Coasts 20th anniversary where clear community spirit was exhibited by volunteers taking part in Clean-up events in Louth. Thursday 8 June also marked the global celebration of World Ocean Day, an initiative that highlights the important role the ocean has for our life and the planet.

The significance of community spirit in Clean Coasts volunteers across Louth this year and years prior cannot be understated and over the past two decades, groups nationwide have tirelessly worked towards the preservation and conservation of our precious coastlines, reminding us all of the vital role we play in protecting our oceans. For this reason, to mark the milestone of their 20th anniversary, this June Clean Coasts are celebrating all the achievements of community groups and volunteers.

In honour of the international day coinciding with their birth-month, Clean Coasts gifted a number of volunteers who registered for World Ocean Day in Louth free clean-up kits.

Statistics indicate that the leading cause of marine litter is urban littering, making World Ocean Day a valuable opportunity for residents of non-coastal areas to address this issue at its root and prevent litter from entering waterways.

The World Ocean Day organization promotes collective conservation efforts, engaging with organisations across 140 countries. With the theme "Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing," World Ocean Day 2023 emphasizes the significance of preserving marine resources for the well-being of future generations.

Over 90 volunteers in Louth collected almost 550kg of litter at 9 clean-ups held both on land and by the coast by groups of all sizes, from individuals, to households, community groups, sport groups, Tidy towns, and more to prevent litter pollution at the source to ensure it does not end up in the ocean.

Clean Coasts volunteers held a number of public events in Louth, including in Bellurgan Point with Cooley Peninsula Community Alert who hosted their clean-up as part of the Clean Coasts' World Ocean Day and Clean Coasts 20th Anniversary call-to-action during the June Bank Holiday weekend. The group commented that the most common items found by volunteers were sewage-related litter items, such as wet wipes and cotton bud sticks.

Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager said: "Clean Coasts are thrilled to see so many groups and individuals stepping up across Ireland to help protect our ocean and celebrate Clean Coasts' 20th birthday and want to take this opportunity to thank and celebrate the efforts of all individuals and groups who have been protecting the Irish marine environment, whether they have been involved with the programme since 2003 or this is their first time joining the initiative."

As part of this 20th year celebration, Clean Coasts created a special Sand Art Mural with artist Sean Corcoran from The Art Hand.: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=R0T1zXX2dsw

There are more events organised by Clean Coasts groups taking place across Ireland throughout the month of June as part of the extended World Ocean Day call to action. You can find them all on Clean Coasts Eventbrite page here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/o/ clean-coasts-8520359924
An Taisces Primary Climate Ambassador programme celebrated the inaugural award ceremony at Richmond Barracks in Dublin, on Tuesday 13th of June.

The pilot programme is sponsored by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, with exceptional schools who have achieved all ten Green Flags over the last 25 years invited to participate.

As many as 308 students and 17 teachers in 14 schools took part from Louth, Carlow, Clare, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Sligo.

And Scoil Mhuire na Trocaire won first place at the National Climate Ambassador awards.

Scoil Mhuire na Trocaire in Ardee Co. Louth was approached by Grainne Ryan, Senior Climate Action Officer, in September 2022 and was asked to take part in this pilot programme.

Ms Clinton established a committee within the school and 17 pupils were selected to represent Scoil Mhuire na Trocaire as Primary Climate Ambassadors.

The children completed different climate challenges and took action within their own communities to help others to make positive changes.

Children wrote letters to the council to enquire about solar panels for their school, they wrote to local papers with tips to prevent food waste and they invited The Energy Team from Dunleer to speak to their pupils about saving energy.

The committee along with teacher Ms Joanna Clinton and principal Mrs Deirdre Sweeney were delighted to have been awarded 1st place during the awards ceremony last Tuesday. They took home a prize worth 4,000 for a mini forest and outdoor classroom for their school.

Scoil Mhuire na Trocaire said it is proud to be a leading school in promoting climate action and their Primary Climate Ambassadors look forward to continuing this great work next year!
Paintings by African teenagers to be exhibited in China's space station, sow seeds of science, friendship, dreams

15:58, June 17, 2023 By Jiang Xuan, Huang Peizhao, Yan Yunming ( People's Daily

Photo shows the painting that won the Tianhe Award in the "My Dream" Painting Competition for African Youth by Nigerian Prosper Sania Dania. (Photo provided by Prosper Sania Dania)

China's Shenzhou-16 manned spaceship was successfully launched on May 30. Ten paintings by teenagers from 10 African countries were carried to space with the three taikonauts.

The 10 paintings were awarded entries in the "My Dream" Painting Competition for African Youth, which was co-hosted by the secretariat of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the China Manned Space Engineering Office and some Chinese embassies and consulates in African countries. The competition received drawings from 2,000 African youths.

The 10 entries won the Tianhe Award, which is named after the core module of China's space station, and flew into space together with the Shenzhou-16 crew. They will be exhibited in the space station.

"I'm just a normal youth from rural Nigeria. I never thought that my drawing could be taken to space by a Chinese spaceship and exhibited to the whole world. It's wonderful," said 20-year-old Nigerian Prosper Sania Dania.

The theme of the competition was mankind's dream of exploring the vast universe. In Dania's painting, a round pattern comprised of the national flags of Nigeria and China is displayed, symbolizing the friendship and solidarity between the two countries.

"Mankind has always been aspiring to explore the universe, and young Africans are no exception. China has made tremendous achievements in aerospace. The pioneering spirit of Chinese taikonauts is encouraging African adolescents to chase their space dream," Dania said, explaining the idea and inspiration of his work.

He told People's Daily that he was deeply touched by the remarks by Chinese taikonaut Jing Haipeng that the space exhibition will sow the seeds of science, friendship, and dreams on the China Space Station.

Jing's story of chasing dreams in space also made the young African realize that it's important for young people to not only have a dream, but also work for it, Dania said.

"I know that many cooperation platforms built by China have been supporting young Africans to show their creativity, though I've never been to the country. China and Nigeria, as well as other African countries, share development opportunities for progress and prosperity. I hope I can join a postgraduate program in China to realize my dream," the young man noted.

Rawda Ahmed Ali Al Shawadfy, 18, is a freshman studying Chinese at the Suez Canal University in Egypt. After a few months of study, she could introduce her award-winning entry titled "China is Africa's Hope towards Space" in Chinese.

Nigerian teenager Prosper Sania Dania. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria)

"The handshake between the Chinese and African taikonauts on the moon is a symbol of the close cooperation between China and Africa. The five conspicuous stars on Earth behind them represent China's leading position in aerospace," she explained.

She said China has made admirable achievements in science and technology, hoping that African countries and China can launch more cooperation on aerospace and make progress together.

Shawadfy told People's Daily that the first-ever exhibition on China's space station would not only give these paintings a new connotation of Africa-China friendship, but also bring mankind's dream to space.

"The exhibition helps promote international exchanges and cooperation, and strengthen mutual understanding among people from different countries. It also encourages more young people like me to pursue dreams," she said.

Hope Mafiko from Zimbabwe is drawing. (Photo provided by Hope Mafiko)

Shawadfy has been interested in traditional Chinese culture since she was a child. She chose to major in Chinese at university to understand China more profoundly.

"I hope I can go to China one day to visit the majestic Great Wall and see the lovely pandas. I also want to pursue further studies there and then be a Chinese teacher or translator, so that I can contribute to Africa-China friendly cooperation," she added.

Hope Mafiko, an 18-year-old from Zimbabwe, is another winner of the Tianhe Award. After learning that his work was going to space, he immediately shared the excitement and joy with his family and friends.

In Mafiko's painting, which is abundantly covered by green and dotted with yellow and red, two African women are looking up to the sky, expressing mankind's aspiration for the universe.

Photo shows the painting titled "China is Africa's Hope towards Space" by Egyptian student Rawda Ahmed Ali Al Shawadfy, which won the Tianhe Award in the "My Dream" Painting Competition for African Youth. (Photo provided by Rawda Ahmed Ali Al Shawadfy)

"Green, yellow and red are colors that typically represent Africa," Mafiko said, adding that he hopes the painting can mirror Africans' passion for exploring the vast universe.

The young man was touched by the greetings that Chinese taikonauts made to African adolescents. "It was very heartwarming to hear such kind words. Many young people are being inspired by moments like these and hopefully become a generation of visionaries," he said.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Sheng Chuyi)
Addis Abeba  Following years of speculation, the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) announced their intention of allowing foreign insurers to operate in the country after the creation of an independent body to regulate the sector is materialized, according to Solomon Desta, Deputy Governor of the NBE, who made the announcement during the two-day annual East African Finance Summit held in Addis Ababa starting on 15 June 15, 2023.

Efforts to form an independent organization began five years ago, after the World Bank released a study outlining the benefits of separating insurance regulation from the NBE. In partnership with the World Bank, a committee was formed last year and is currently studying the feasibility of establishing an independent entity to regulate the insurance industry.

"As soon as the studies are completed and an independent body is established, the government will go on to the next step, which is working on opening the insurance industry for foreign firms," said Solomon.

In light of the reforms that are already being implemented and the fierce competition that lies ahead of them, the deputy governor urged insurance firms to be prepared for consolidation, an upgrade in technology and capital, and a review of their strategies.

In early May, the central bank offered to issue five banking licenses to foreign investors in the next five years, as part of the plan to open up the financial services sector to foreign competition.

Industry players emphasize that the development of the insurance industry has been constrained by the lack of support, incentives and proper oversight. Chaired by Mulualem Berhane (PhD), the Board of Directors of United Insurance reflected similar sentiment during shareholders' assembly held a couple months ago. "The insurance industry is not given as much emphasis by the government as those of the banking sector," reads the statement issued during the assembly, adding that "the insurance industry is literally overlooked by the government".

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Due to NBE's primary focus on overseeing banks, the insurance industry remains sidelined deprived of sufficient attention, incentives, and support. This is demonstrated by the fact that the banking sector is expanding at an exponential rate while the insurance sector is barely hanging on. Currently, the sector is overseen by the Insurance Supervision Directorate of the NBE.

According to the most recent data obtained from NBE, there are 18 active insurance firms in the county, 17 of which are private and one was state-owned. Last year, the total capital of insurance companies increased by 21% to 14.4 billion birr, of which private insurance companies accounted for 75.3%.

In contrast, the number of banks in Ethiopia reached 30, of which 28 were private and two state owned. The banking sector's capital also continued to increase reaching 221.1 billion birr by the end of December 2022.

For the past three years, the insurance industry has experienced double-digit growth. A preliminary report released by the NBE indicates that the premium generated by the industry currently stood 16.7 billion birr.

The premium increased by 20% over the past year, rising from 13.6 billion birr. However, the Ethiopian insurance market remains in its infancy as insurers struggle to sell policies by cutting premiums. As a result, its contribution to the country's GDP is still insignificant. AS
Warsaw, Poland: More than 24 hours later, a large contingent of security personnel and media have disembarked the SAA Airbus A340-300 plane that landed at the Warsaw Chopin Airport on Thursday.

This comes after the delegation of specialised police officers and media spent over 24 hours on the plane that landed at the Warsaw Chopin Airport. Up until this afternoon, Polish officials would not let the delegation get off the charter plane.

Earlier, head of the Presidential Protection Services (PPS), Major General Wally Rhoode, expressed frustration over delays experienced despite the delegation being in possession of the necessary permits.

The media was meant to cover President Cyril Ramaphosa on the African Peace Initiative that the President is currently leading.

The President is leading a delegation of African leaders in a bid to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia. This as President Ramaphosa and his counterparts lead the African peace mission, which will see the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and Russia's Vladimir Putin, sitting on the negotiation table.

President Ramaphosa previously said the aim of the mission is to hear from both leaders what it will take to bring an end to war, which broke out in February last year.

Meanwhile, Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya assured South Africans that the President's safety had not been compromised.

"I'd like to assure all South Africans that there has been no compromise whatsoever to the President's safety as a result of the impasse that involved the charter flight with the PPS and media.

"We acknowledge the regrettable nature of that incident, our officials are engaging with their Polish counterparts to resolve the impasse so that the PPS team and media can proceed with their journey as planned as well as be able to at least [be at] the Russian leg of the peace talks.

"We are deeply disturbed by the experience they have gone through and we are engaging our Polish counterparts to see to it that the situation is resolved," Magwenya said on Friday.

President Ramaphosa arrived in Ukraine on Friday after having met with his Polish counterpart, President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw on Thursday.

President Ramaphosa previously said the aim of the mission is to hear from both leaders what it will take to bring an end to war, which broke out in February last year.
THIS couple first met when they were in the same student accommodation.

Theresa Nyhan, from Ardfield, outside Clonakilty and John Condon, from Tipperary, are building their dream home in Dunnycove, in Ardfield. They feature in this week's Wedding of the Week.

The special moment when Theresa Nyhan walked towards her husband-to-be at Ardfield Church. John surprised her by playing Here Comes The Sun on his guitar. Picture: Dermot Sullivan

When the planning was approved and they were marking out the site, John suggested a stroll to the beach. Theresa said: I was not expecting it at all when he got down on one knee! That was in January, 2022.

They met when Theresa was studying nursing and John electrical engineering.

It was my birthday and also Freshers Week so we decided to have a party and I invited all the neighbours, included John. He greeted me with Happy Birthday, Tara, which apparently, I wasnt very impressed by!

They remained friends. John went to California to study for a year and on his return messaged Theresa searching for accommodation.

Friends Aisling and Elisha were bridesmaids. Johns brothers Billy, Thomas and Eamon were groomsmen. Johns niece Anna was flower girl and Theresas godson Owen and brother Kylian were page boys.

We moved in together - as friends - in the summer of 2013 and the rest as they say is history! the bride recalled.

They wed at Ardfield Church on April 28 and had the reception in Dunmore House Hotel  where Theresa worked during college.

Some of our amazing neighbours and my mother did a fantastic job in preparing the church and put so many hours in to cleaning it and working in the sacristy the day of the wedding.

The couple were married at Ardfield Church, followed by reception at Dunmore House Hotel in Clonakilty. Friends and family came from Tipperary, Kilkenny, Laois, and Dublin.

The bride got her dress in Diamond Bridal  the first one she tried on, and she fell in love with it. She changed that night into a white jumpsuit for dancing in.

I kept accessories simple with a pearl and gold bracelet and earrings and my necklace that I wear every single day that has my dad's initial on it, as he passed away in 2012.

The brides hair was by Elaine Bennett, make-up was by Laura Campbell, tan by Joannes beauty rooms, and nails by the Nail Boutique, Clonakilty.

John and the lads hired black tie suits from Morleys in Cork city.

The happy couple.

Recalling the walk up the aisle, Theresa said: "As my dad had passed away in 2012, I decided to walk up the aisle by myself.

There was a surprise however, when John played Here Comes the Sun on his guitar as I was walking down to him. It was such a beautiful moment.

The couple were joined on the day by Theresas mum Maureen and brother Thomas and Johns mum Kathleen and dad Conor and sisters Katie and Emer, as well as his three brothers, part of the wedding party. Katie did the best man speech as theyve always been so close.

The couple are currently living in Clonakilty while they build their home at Dunnycove, at Ardfield - they got engaged at the beach there back in 2022.

Anthony OSullivan. of A1 Cars Ardfield, drove the couple in his Porsche, while the amazing Pat Fitz band performed that evening - John even got to play Johnny B. Goode on guitar with the band and him, and his brothers did a rendition of Teenage Dirtbag! They finally settled on How Deep Is Your Love by the BeeGees for their first dance.

At the site of their new home.

As the most memorable thing about the day?

"Definitely John playing guitar as I walked up the aisle - that was a very special moment." Theresa said.

The couple thanked photographer Dermot Sullivan for his amazing job.

"I honestly cannot thank him enough for everything he did."
A sister of the woman who was jailed for life last year for the murder two-year-old Santina Cawley at an apartment on Boreenmanna Road was sentenced to a year in prison for endangering life by throwing beer bottles out of a car pursued by gardai.

The car was being driven by another person from the scene of a crime on St Stephens Day, 2021.

35-year-old Michelle Harrington of 10 Ravensdale Road, Mahon, Cork, was sentenced to two years with half of it suspended at Cork Circuit Criminal Court by Judge Helen Boyle.

Harrington previously pleaded guilty to endangerment and two other charges against her on the indictment.

The charges to which Michelle Harrington pleaded guilty are that on December 26, 2021 at Westridge, Ballinrea, Carrigaline, Co Cork, the accused entered a property to carry out a theft. The second charge states that she possessed stolen property at Templeusque, Glanmire, Cork, on the same date.

The most serious charge states that, on the same date at Ballythomas, Cork, she recklessly engaged in conduct while a passenger in a car that failed to stop for gardai, namely that she allegedly leaned out the window of this car, threw glass beer bottles at following garda vehicles, creating a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another, contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.

Her older sister, Karen Harrington, was convicted in May, 2022 following a trial for murdering Santina Cawley, and she was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Judge Helen Boyle was told in a defence submission by senior counsel Jane Hyland that Michelle Harrington had experiences which had a huge impact on her life and that she found them too much to handle and she started using drink and drugs in a significant way.

Two particular incidents of relevance were singled out in court, namely that she found her partner following his suicide, and that secondly, her sister Karen was convicted of murder.

Detective Garda Cormac O Bric said that, at the height of the endangerment, Michelle Harrington leaned out of the front passenger window of the car and threw full glass beer bottles at pursuing garda vehicles. The car was doing a speed of approximately 60 kilometres per hour but it was accepted by the prosecution that Michelle Harrington was not aware at the time that it was stolen.
A bizarre assault in Clonakilty at the beginning of the Covid pandemic when no vaccine was available saw a man throw a bag of chips at another man before kissing the stranger through the face masks they were both wearing.

Marlon Corrigan, aged 28, of Long Quay, Clonakilty, pleaded guilty to carrying out the assault at Connolly Street, Clonakilty, county Cork, shortly before 5pm on December 5 2020.

Garda Barry OGrady said that for an unknown reason the 28-year-old threw the item at the 56-year-old man as he walked along the street.

He got hit on the head with a bag of chips that was thrown at him. He followed him and asked him why he had thrown this at him.

The defendant kissed him on the mouth, making a loud kissing sound.

"The defendant and the injured party were both wearing a face mask, Garda OGrady said.

Following this incident, Marlon Corrigan pulled the other mans mask, scratching and bruising his face.

The accused man had two previous convictions for assault, one for assault causing harm, three for theft, and 11 for causing criminal damage.

Defence barrister, Mahon Corkery, detailed some of the background issues with the defendant and Garda OGrady agreed, saying: Once he is taking his medication he is a different person.

Mr Corkery described Corrigan as a vulnerable person and said: Use of medication is key.

The defendant apologised through his barrister and brought 2,000 compensation to court for the injured party. Originally from Dublin, the defendant came to Cork two years before this incident.

Judge Boyle referred to the absence of a covid vaccine at the time and the particular anxieties caused to the injured party by the nature of the assault. Imposing an 18-month suspended jail term, the judge referred to the assault as bizarre and cowardly.
A brave Cork girl is refusing to give up hope following an unsuccessful operation to improve the heartbreaking impact of a rare disease on her eyesight.

The community of Belgooly are continuing to pull together to raise funds for the family of six-year-old Sarah Connery.

Her mother Sarah (Sr), who currently resides with the family in London, hails from the area and hopes to make it back to Ireland after her daughter concludes her medical treatment.

The young girl has been diagnosed with a rare disease called Wagners Syndrome. The condition has resulted in the detachment of her left retina causing a build-up of vision-obscuring gel in the back of her right eye.

Sarah now has a cane to help her navigate her way around the house.

Fundraising is currently taking place to provide modifications to the family home. It is hoped the adjustments will improve Sarahs quality of life as she struggles with the illness.

The fundraising efforts come five years after Sarah lost her older brother Joseph who succumbed to another rare disease when he was just four.

Sarah recently underwent surgery to drain the gel from her eyes which proved unsuccessful.

The six-year-old also suffered a devastating reaction to her chemotherapy treatment which she is currently undergoing due to the risk of her illness progressing to cancer.

From back left the Connery family Kacey, mum Sarah , dad Patrick with Khloe and Sarah. Sarah suffers from Wagner's Syndrome, a rare genetic disease, and undergoes chemotherapy to prevent cancer developing.

An instrumental ABBA tribute will be performed by electric guitarist Girish Paul as a fundraising opportunity for Sarah on Saturday June 24 in the Huntsman, Belgooly at 10pm.

Sarahs grand-aunt Catherine OBrien Murphy hopes the funds will be a lift for the family following Sarahs unsuccessful surgery.

You have some hope until you are knocked back again. Its a horrible, horrible disease, Catherine said.

We knew that the operation might not be a success but we had hoped for it.

Just nine days letter Sarah was told that the operation had not worked and the gel was building up again.

The family faced another hurdle after Sarah reacted adversely to chemotherapy treatment.

Last Thursday she had been in for her normal chemotherapy. However, within minutes of the treatment she started to go blue and her lips went purple.

She got a terrible reaction to it and became very ill. It was scary to see because, after Joseph passing away, [it] has caused all the memories to come flooding back.

She explained how important the funds are to the family.

Sarah got her little cane about two or three weeks ago.

Its extremely important that we get the work done to the house because the family still need more help.

She said Sarah, who has two siblings (Khloe, 10) and (Kasey, 21), is keeping the family going during the difficult ordeal.

Sarah is the most bubbly child you could ever meet. She has this lovely and sweet. This is what has been keeping the family going.

Ive seen what Sarah has to go through and the amount of medication she has to take and she is one determined little girl.

She added that the family are trying not to look too far into the future.

They dont know whats down the road and cant look too far into the future. They are just taking things one appointment at a time.

Our hope is that they can have peace of mind and a nice little play area for Sarah.

Donations can be made by contacting Catherine OBrien Murphy, at 087 9411175, or to the gofundme.com page, A Chance for Sarah.

The family have raised 3,095 of their 8,000 fundraising target to date.
An urn containing the ashes of a womans late partner was allegedly thrown across a room at her home as she was punched approximately four times in the face by a man who forced his way into her house.

31-year-old Shane Casey, formerly of Great William OBrien Street, Cork, was arrested and brought before Cork District Court for the alleged offences.

He was charged with entering the house in order to carry out an offence of assault causing harm to the woman. Casey was also charged with damaging her home at Broad Lane, Great William OBrien Street on June 15, and causing criminal damage to the urn.

Garda Michael Abernethy objected to bail being granted to the accused man.

It is alleged he picked up an urn containing her deceased partners ashes and threw these across the room and that he punched her in the face about four times.

Shane Casey gave evidence that he was suffering from mental health difficulties and that he stayed away from the complainant.

Sergeant Pat Lyons said: The allegation is that this lady was at home on her own, minding her own business when it is alleged you arrived and this incident occurred.

Shane Casey replied: I am trying to better myself. These are allegations. I will be contesting them.

Judge Olann Kelleher remanded the young man in custody until Thursday, June 22.

Diarmuid Kelleher said the prison authorities should be notified that the accused was being prescribed anti-psychotic medication and this should be given to him in prison.
Two male juveniles were arrested after an altercation on Oliver Plunkett St in Bandon yesterday afternoon.

Gardai responded to reports of a disturbance involving a number of people around 12.40pm.

A number of weapons were seized.

Two male juveniles were arrested for public order offences and later detained at a Garda Station in Cork, a spokesperson for An Garda Siochana told the Echo.

Investigations are ongoing.
While legacy acts are a common feature of Live at the Marquee events (Christy Moore remains a stalwart of each outing and this year will feature a multi night stint from Rod Stewart) the enduring concert initiative has always struck a good balance between established and upcoming acts. The most fitting word to describe last nights Mimi Webb concert was undoubtedly youthful. Both onstage and off.

Filled to the brim with enthusiastic families, giddy tweens and selfie-taking teens, it was heartening to see an inclusive all ages event in the venue which is usually the domain of narrower demographics.

Mimi Webb performing at Live At The Marquee, Cork on Friday.

The exuberance of the crowd was well matched in the performer, clearly feeding off this charged adoration and perfecting a confident stage stride as she tore through songs from her current debut album 'Amelia'. A loose concept album about relationships and break ups, she playfully referred to Amelia as her roommate on stage and this homespun description is perfectly apt for the work. A series of gossipy pop numbers and regretful ballads, many do indeed feel like the conversations or consolations to be found in late night venting sessions where details are obsessively pored over while drinks are incessantly poured out.

Rachel Dunne and Carrie Lehale from Mallow attending Mimi Webb Live At The Marquee on Friday. Pic: PLAY Creative

Following a somewhat meteoric rise buoyed by TikTok, its clear that Mimi can author peppy and engaging songs replete with sturdy hooks. The live arrangements took the clean production of the record and augmented them with muscular force, allowing her band quite a robust work out. 'Is It Possible' leaned into this and the full power ballad potential of it was unleashed on stage, alongside a hyperactive 'Dumb Love', which struck a relatable chord with an appreciative audience sing-along.

While the crowd thrilled to the crunchier catchy numbers, some of the slower songs did get a little lost in the shuffle. Only the tender intimacy of 'Last Train to London' found some footing and this may have been helped by Mimi sitting down, centre stage, directly addressing the front row, the songs innate vulnerability feeling like a whisper between friends. Here she showcased a fusion of Adele-esque soaring vocals with a twist of Amy, that predictably brought the (Wine)house down. An early gesture had her accept an Irish flag from a fan and drape it across her mic stand while later her immaculate song 'Red Flags' was flown to impressive results. Her most propulsive single, it landed beautifully, and its tale of a problematic paramour is her most well observed piece. Turning from soulful to slinky on a dime, we were back to full force anthemic animosity on the literally scorching 'House on Fire', a torch song for an arsonist gleeful at righteous retribution.

Donna and Ava Kenneally from Mayfield, and Sarah and Joan Millroy from Cloyne attending Mimi Webb Live At The Marquee on Friday. Pic: PLAY Creative.

Her songs may deal with private desires or crystalise off hand details through the prism of pop but this crowd related to her declarations and dissections of love and heartache. Whether a friend of a friend or a trusted confidant, it seems we all know someone like Amelia, or indeed, someone like Mimi Webb.
press release

Once again, dozens of lives have been lost at Europe's borders due to the EU's failure to allow people seeking protection to reach Europe safely.

Hundreds are missing and presumed dead after the latest tragedy close to the Greek coast, with reports that amongst the dead are many women and children who were held below the deck of this overcrowded fishing vessel. The authorities of several Member States were informed of the vessel in distress multiple hours before it capsized, and a Frontex aircraft was also present at the scene.

These human tragedies are playing out at Europe's land and sea borders on a daily basis. The first quarter of this year marked the deadliest in the central Mediterranean in six years.

Human rights watchdogs, civil society organisations, the United Nations and countless investigative journalists, as well as major media outlets, have documented the human rights violations, pushbacks and systematic failures to engage in search and rescue that have now become the EU's de facto migration management policy.

Hundreds of reports and evidence submissions have been published, including those based directly on witness and survivor testimonies. Organisations have advocated relentlessly with the European Commission, Member States and European policy makers to adopt measures to end human rights abuses and senseless deaths at EU borders.

Instead, some EU states have drastically reduced search and rescue (SAR) capacity at sea, and restricted civil society SAR operations, which means that prompt and effective assistance cannot be provided to migrants in distress, in blatant disregard of international SAR obligations.

Further, last week Member States agreed on a reform of the European asylum and migration system, which is built on deterrence and systematic detention at EU borders, that will most probably incentivise more pushbacks, and deaths at sea. Meanwhile, the border monitoring mechanisms established so far are neither independent nor effective.

This will only push people fleeing war and violence in.to even more dangerous routes and cause more unnecessary deaths. In addition, EU Member States continue to rely on untransparent deals worth billions with third countries, in an attempt to rid themselves of their asylum responsibilities.

We urge a full investigation into these deaths, specifically into the role of EU Member States as well as the involvement of Frontex. We urge the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, to finally take a clear stand on the open graveyard at Europe's land and sea borders, and to hold Member States accountable.

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We call for a European asylum system that guarantees people the right to seek protection in full respect of their rights. The EU should abandon the narrative of blaming shipwrecks on smugglers and stop seeing solutions solely in the dismantling of criminal networks. We urge the EU and Member States to set up proactive, state-led search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea.

For too many years, we have heard empty words from the European Commission and EU Member States, being "concerned", "saddened" and "appalled" by the loss of life without taking action. This time must be different. It is time to finally protect the lives and the rights of people seeking safety in Europe.

Signatories

Amnesty International

Danish Refugee Council

HIAS Europe

Human Rights Watch

International Rescue Committee

Medecins Sans Frontieres

Missing Children Europe

Oxfam

Save the Children

SOS Children's Villages International
The father of a family of three who passed away in hospital last week nearly two months after suffering injuries in an industrial incident at a Stryker plant in Cork was laid to rest today.

John Murphy (41), of Condonstown, Watergrasshill was described as a loving and much-loved husband to Daniela and devoted father to Kayla, Jayden and Dylan, beloved son of Sean and Eileen and dear brother to Michael, William, Tadhg, Josephine and Helena.

During the requiem mass at the Church of Immaculate Conception in Watergrasshill, a monologue from Mr Murphy's wife Daniela was read out by the priest.

To the love of my life, the nights are so lonely, the heartache is so strong, we will never be the same now you are gone," it read.

Our love is so special, we couldnt wait to start loving each other every day with warm hands. Together we built a life, a family, a home but now that you are gone I am so all alone.

I look around at the home we built and the memories we made. I watch our childrens faces and hope this pain will fade.

"Your smile was contagious, your love so deep and true, there will never be a day where my heart won't ache for you.

"I hope you watch over us every single day as I leave my heart beside you as I sadly walk away.

"What a legacy you left in the time that you were here and what a story you have left, of a love.

"Our time is too short and memories too few. My heart will look for you.

Mr Murphy was buried in Ballinaltig Cemetery.
press release

N'Djamena  Wounded people from Sudan are arriving in waves at Adre hospital in eastern Chad, where they are being treated by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and Ministry of Health teams. At least 242 wounded were received on 15 June alone. With an additional 50 wounded people brought into Adre hospital today, as of publication, a total of at least 324 injured patients have been received over the last three days. Among them, about 130 need surgical care. Some patients are being referred to other hospitals in Abeche, Chad's fourth-largest city, located 160 kilometres away.

"The situation is frankly overwhelming, but everyone is doing their utmost to cope with it", says Dr Seybou Diarra, MSF project coordinator in Adre. "We've had to discharge stable paediatric patients to bring in the paediatrics medical team to help out."

"Additional staff from the Chadian Ministry of Health are also working with us and some of the off-duty staff were called back to lend a hand," Dr Diarra continues. "But with only one surgical team in place, we will soon be overwhelmed again in the operating theatre."

The situation is frankly overwhelming, but everyone is doing their utmost to cope with it. Dr Seybou Diarra, MSF project coordinator in Adre

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A large proportion of the wounded are coming from El-Geneina, the capital of Sudan's West Darfur state, and its surroundings, which are the scenes of ongoing and intense violence. Local sources report that at least 1,100 people have been killed in El-Geneina city since the conflict began in mid-April.

"After nearly two months, we are only now starting to see people managing to escape from El-Geneina and make their way to Chad," says Claire Nicolet, MSF head of emergency programs. "Yet thousands of people are likely to remain stranded in Sudan, amid reports of intensifying and large-scale attacks this week."

MSF teams, who have been working in Adre since 2021, set up a small emergency surgical unit in the district hospital a month ago, in response to the conflict spreading on the other side of the border. Our teams are also expanding medical activities to meet the increasing needs of Sudanese refugees in the area.

Approximately 6,000 people have fled El-Geneina and taken refuge in Adre over the last few days, joining more than 100,000 others who have already fled Sudan for safety in eastern Chad since the fighting broke out.
The sugar industry in Maharashtra has been undergoing a significant transition in its ownership structure, which is increasingly moving away from cooperatives to becoming private enterprises. The reform policies, which started in the early 2000s as part of deregulation, have been instrumental in this significant transition. The mechanism of such a shift is described in this article and the emergence of private players in the sugar sector of the state is explained.
At least two explosions rocked Kyiv as African leaders arrived on a peace mission. The leaders were seen entering a hotel to use its air raid shelter until an all-clear was issued.
There is 'a lot we have to do' regarding gun safety, Biden says

President Joe Biden spoke out against gun violence at the National Safer Communities Summit in Connecticut, saying there are mass shootings every day in America that don't get national attention.
Los Angeles, CAOne of the most difficult tasks in writing a serial killer biography is genuinely capturing the swirling vortex of despair created by said person. The authors of latest, and most detailed, biography of Freeway Killer Bill Bonin possessed a distinctive advantage in this sphere for various reasons: 1) Co-Author Vonda Pelto, Ph.D., a Clinical Psychologist, had many sessions with Bonin and two accomplices at LA Men's Central Jail, 2) They had Bonin's long hidden, hand written personal jailhouse diaries and confession murder stories, penned during the months leading up to his November 1981 trial, 3) Access to over 40 boxes of official investigative documents gifted to Pelto by a former detective, which included Bonin's jailhouse diaries and impossible to obtain mental hospital and prison records covering nine-years prior to the killings.

All of this resulted in a book that, in so many ways, captures the deep, dark places where his compulsion to kill arose from. Without Redemption: Creation & Deeds of Freeway Killer Bill Bonin, His Five Accomplices & How One Who Escaped Justice is not only one of most detailed serial killer biographies ever written, but it takes the readers into the blind alleys and byways of Bonin's complex and twisted personality.

Currently available on Amazon, Kobo and Google Play, Without Redemption has found interested readers in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and throughout Europe.

Over 400 newspaper articles, from all the U.S., filled in the blanks and revealed what the public was being told while various government agencies lied to them and each other.

Here is an excerpt from the book which reflects Bonin's mindset a few months after his final arrest:

Holidays at LA Men's Central Jail



December 19 to 31, 1980

Three of the five Bonin Freeway Killer suspects then in custody have gone through their prelims as the Christmas season began. Munro will have his hearing on December 22. Bonin was going to spend yet another Christmas behind bars, but this time with no hope of ever gaining release. Three weeks of intense activity gave way to a short period of relative calm characterized by updates from concerned parties and enlightening snapshots of life in LA County Men's Central Jail.

On Friday, December 19 Bonin was filled with guilt and recriminations about "how I got mixed up in all this." He wrote that, once he started killing, it "became like a compulsion that I just couldn't stop. When I got up-tight I would go out and kill. Sometimes after I killed I looked for another on my way home. I got so I was always looking for a victim. I'd even use my money for gas before eating. The gas was necessary so I could search out more victims." He laid awake at night thinking it was the "end of a hellatious nightmare. I'm glad it's over."

Neglect, childhood abuse, war and institutional shortfalls all created the man which the world was learning about, however, as previously mentioned, a possible childhood frontal lobe brain injury may have also contributed to the disaster. Contemplating his mother seeing him get the Gas Chamber saddened him. Alice believed he was innocent and, like most everyone else, didn't know Bonin spilled the whole story to detectives in a bid to help Eric, and hopefully himself. Two months earlier, Bonin's father passed away from an extended illness due to a series of strokes.

During a visit with his mother, on Friday, December 19, he wrote about the struggle dealing with her, "The hardest thing to do was to sit and tell Mom that I was innocent. I knew I was guilty and I just had to keep saying that I was innocent. She read in the papers that Greg Miley confessed and wanted to know how he could say that? I told her he said that the day he was arrested. I pointed out that he still pled innocent at both the Municipal arraignment and the one in Superior Court. She told me that the truth had to come out. She didn't care what happened to her. The truth had to come out."

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Vonda Pelto, Ph.D. on Gary Nolan Show





Without Redemption: Creation & Deeds of Freeway Killer Bill Bonin, His Five Accomplices & How One Escaped Justice, Paperback ISBN: 979-8841931249, Hard Cover ISBN: 979-8844477775. For more info go to www.WithoutRedemption.com and purchase copies at Amazon, Google Play or Kobo.

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Local and international actors are condemning the latest violence taking place in West Darfur State's capital, Geneina, where the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias continue to target civilians and reportedly killed the state governor on Wednesday.

"The United States condemns reports of widespread sexual violence and killings based on ethnicity in West Darfur by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias," reads a statement released by the State Department after the governor's assassination. "We specifically condemn the killing of West Darfur Governor Khamis Abbakar on 14 June after he accused the RSF and other forces of perpetrating genocide." Local and international civil society actors have also condemned the violence in an open letter to supranational institutions and governments, indicating the violence "shows a pattern of ethnic cleansing that may further increase and qualify as serious international crimes, including possibly genocide."

Over the past few weeks, intense fighting between militias aligned with the warring parties in West Darfur State has led to a mass exodus of civilians crossing the Chadian border. Since the conflict erupted on 24 April in Geneina, local sources estimate up to 1,100 civilians have been killed with the total absence of any functioning medical facilities. After the former governor of West Darfur State, Khamis Abdullah Abakar, did a TV interview condemning the ongoing violence, RSF arrested the governor. He was found dead two hours later.

Despite being in RSF custody, the paramilitary group claimed it had no part in Abakar's death, adding that he was killed by "two outlaws". In a tweet, the RSF said "We point the finger directly" at intelligence services linked to the military that it claimed was igniting a tribal war in West Darfur. The former rebel group Sudanese Coalition led by the late governor, however, accused "armed militias from the Arab tribes" of storming Abakar's residence and carrying out the assassination.

The killing of the former West Darfur Governor represents the most senior figure to be killed since the conflict began between the Sudan Armed Forces and RSF in mid-April. Just hours prior to his killing, the governor said in an interview with Al Hadath TV that the RSF and allied militias were "directly targeting civilians" and that the army made no effort to protect them. "The army base of Division 15 Infantry is about seven kilometers from my location," Abakar said. "Yet the army did not come out of their base, not even to secure the city. This has been going on for 57 days at least, and we have yet to see the armed forces leaving their barracks, not even to protect civilians."

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The violence has forced roughly 6,000 civilians to flee the city across the border into Chad. Local sources told Ayin RSF-allied militias have targeted systematically targeted African ethnic groups, especially the Masalit, in a bid to expel them from the region and seize the land in West Darfur State. "This has been the plan since the very beginning -even before the war," says Suliman Ali*, a former Geneina resident who left during the first clashes in the town. "They [RSF] have been trying to remove all tribes except their own from Geneina and other parts of Darfur - since they enjoy support from the state, they have succeeded."

On the same day of the killing of the governor, RSF and allied militias killed 16 family members of the Dar Masalit Sultan's family. Fighting is believed to continue in other parts of West Darfur, with satellite imagery showing multiple villages that have been completely burned down since early May.

According to local journalist Idris Abdullah, a longtime reporter of the Darfur conflict, the assassination of the governor will lead likely trigger more violence between the ethnic groups within Geneina and expand the conflict further -including retaliatory attacks against military and civilian targets by Masalit self-defense groups and the Sudanese Alliance.
The deaths of three farm workers in the space of just a few days has been described as 'tragic' amid calls for the industry to do more to improve safety.

The first incident occurred on 29 May in Devon, where a farmer was run over and killed by a tractor on-farm.

Moving vehicles are a major cause of death and serious injury on farms across the country, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

A few days later, in Aberdeenshire on 1 June, a farm worker became trapped under a mower connected to a tractor. He succumbed to his injuries.

Maintenance of farm machinery, including working under work equipment, is also a major cause of death and serious injury on farms.

The final incident, recorded just a day later on 2 June in Gloucestershire, involved a young farm worker who was killed when her quad bike overturned.

The HSE said overturning vehicles and importer use of ATVs and quad bikes are a major risk factor on farms.

According to figures from the UK's safety watchdog, 18 people have been killed on farms across the country so far this year.

Responding to the three recent incidents, James Thompson, operations director at Dyson Farming, said they were 'tragic' for the UK farming industry.

"Please do anything and everything you can to help us all improve our safety record," he said on Twitter.

A tragic day for our industry with three reported fatalities by @H_S_E ????

Please do anything and everything you can to help us all improve our safety record.

Thoughts and condolences with the families affected ???? pic.twitter.com/mDFTpgS8Ms  James Thompson (@farmerThomo) June 14, 2023

"Thoughts and condolences with the families affected."

Last month, a child under the age of two died following a collision with a tractor in the area of Buckland Brewer, Devon on 15 May.

Stephanie Berkeley, manager of farm safety charity Yellow Wellies, recently said a change in safety culture within the industry was needed.

"Its the word culture that really matters," she said, "Health and safety culture goes beyond simply understanding the rules and following them because youve been told to.

"Agriculture isnt like other industries in that it can present hazards to people not actively involved in the industry, such as children and family members living on the farm and visitors.

"Hazards can also exist for vets, delivery workers and even emergency medical services personnel, as they provide assistance and care to victims of farm incidents.
-- says Foreign Minister David Francis

Sierra Leone achieved a significant milestone on 6 June when it was elected to a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the period 2024 to 2025. Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Prof. David Francis spoke to Africa Renewal's Kingsley Ighobor on what this means for Sierra Leone and Africa, and the priorities that the country intends to promote during its tenure. The following excerpts are from the interview:

What is the significance of this achievement for your country, but also for Africa?

Today marks a momentous day for Sierra Leone. We are returning to the UN Security Council in the non-permanent category after 53 years. Being voted for by 188 countries [there are 193 UN member states] is a demonstration of the respect for Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone is no longer defined by its troubled past. Today we are considered a liberal, progressive, confident and enterprising nation.

As you know Sierra Leone is the Chair of the African Union Committee of 10 (C-10) for the reform of the UN Security Council. Algeria, another C-10 member, was today also elected to the non-permanent category of the Security Council. This means that in 2024 and 2025, two C-10 members will amplify our collective voice to promote and defend the common African position for the reform of the UN Security Council.

What factors have contributed to your lengthy absence from the UN Security Council, and how were you able to get back in?

Sierra Leone's absence can be attributed to several factors, including a difficult period marked by a brutal civil war, bad governance and near-state failure.

When you are in a period of bad governance, inefficient political and economic management of the state and civil war, you don't have time to come to the UN Security Council. Nobody will vote for you because they will not respect you.

However, the country was able to regain its position through a series of positive developments. The interventions of the UN and the West African peacekeeping force, ECOMOG, played a crucial role in helping Sierra Leone recover from the civil war and rebuild itself.

We transitioned from war to peace, on a path towards democratic consolidation. We are now regarded as a successful case of post-war peacebuilding and state reconstruction.

In 2018, Sierra Leone was ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. However, through focused efforts, Sierra Leone managed to improve its score on the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Control of Corruption index, from 49% in 2018 to 83%, in 2022.

As the Foreign Minister, I mobilized our diplomatic missions, particularly in New York, Geneva, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, and Abuja, to advocate for and secure the seat on the UN Security Council. This effort was challenging, especially considering that Nigeria was also vying for the position. However, Nigeria, under the leadership of former President Mohammadu Buhari, demonstrated magnanimity by ceding the opportunity to Sierra Leone.

We are returning to the UN Security Council in the non-permanent category after 53 years. Being voted for by 188 countries [there are 193 UN member states] is a demonstration of the respect for Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone is no longer defined by its troubled past

You mentioned at the campaign launch last year that your priorities would be promoting peace and security, empowerment of women and youth, addressing climate change and others. On women and youth, what initiatives do you have back home that demonstrate your commitment to these goals?

We have seven strategic priorities but let me focus on women and youth. Our government recognizes the importance of investing in human capital development, particularly prioritizing women and youth. With women comprising around 52 per cent of our population, it is essential to focus on empowering them.

To advance gender equality and women's empowerment, we passed the groundbreaking Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Act last year 2022. This legislation ensures a minimum quota of 30 per cent for women in elective positions, appointed roles, and access to private capital from banks.

Similar efforts have been made to empower the youth. We have created opportunities for skills training and development such as the Youth Agricultural Farms where young people are contributing to food security and getting vocational and technical education.

In the UN Security Council, we aim to share our experiences with the rest of the world.

There are still many troubled spots in Africa. In the 1990s, the war in Liberia spilled over to Sierra Leone. Now Guinea, another neighbouring country, is undergoing a political transition following the coup d'etat of September 2021. How are you contributing to the restoration of democracy in that country?

Military coups are a threat to the peace, security, and stability of our sub-region. Currently, transitional authorities in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea are in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea.

We cannot allow Guinea to be affected by large-scale conflicts because of the spillover or fire-next-door effect, as I always refer to it.

President Bio has personally visited Guinea and the President of the National Committee for Unity and Development [Col. Mamady Doumbouya] has also visited Sierra Leone. We've reached an agreement that we will support the process on the understanding that they remain committed to the ECOWAS [Economic Community of West Africa States] transition agenda.

The President has also been to Mali, and he has sent me as his Special Envoy to engage with the leadership of Burkina Faso. Our goal is to encourage them to remain committed to their democratic transition agendas.

Are you hopeful?

On the one hand, yes, but at the same time, in politics, you can never be definitive. Our role is to encourage them to remain committed to restoring constitutional rule and democratic governance.

The 2023 Global Terrorism Index refers to the sub-Saharan region of Africa as the epicenter of terrorism, more than other regions. How do you intend to use your membership in the UN Security Council to rally countries in Africa and indeed your international partners to tackle terrorism on the continent?

Terrorism in the Sahara region is a threat to the peace, security, and stability of the continent. We know the insecurity challenges in Mali and Burkina Faso.

Notably, the P-5 [the Permanent Five include China, France, Russia, UK and USA) members have expressed a willingness to reform the UN Security Council, in particular bringing on board other regions of the world, including Africa. However, the devil is in the detail. Africa has a common position, which is what Sierra Leone will promote. We will advocate for two seats in the permanent category

Sierra Leone, although not directly affected by terrorist activities, has experienced a history of civil war and understands the devastating consequences of such insecurity.

We're going to engage with all players within the ECOWAS framework and through bilateral engagements. In my engagements with the Deputy Secretary of State of the USA and the UK Foreign Secretary and other European colleagues, including foreign ministers, we have developed a proposal aimed at combating terrorism in the region.

However, we must also address the root cause of terrorism.

What motivates ordinary people in the Sahara region to engage in terrorist activities? We think we have fair knowledge of the dynamics and complexities of this issue.

The root cause is essentially marginalization, dispossession, poverty, deprivation, exclusion from the economic and political processes within countries.

To effectively address these factors, it is imperative to prioritize democratic governance, where individuals can freely express their opinions and actively participate in decisions that affect their lives. It is that failure that drives them away and neutralizes them because they have nothing to lose.

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As Chair of the AU Committee of 10 to negotiate the reform of the UN Security Council, what is Africa's best argument for more seats in the council and do current geopolitical realities reinforce the need for such a reform?

Africa's best argument is that the world that established the UN Security Council 77 years ago is very different from today.

While the UN Security Council underwent a reform once, from 1963-1965, increasing its membership from 11 to 15, Africa continues to be underrepresented in the non-permanent category and unrepresented in the permanent category.

Addressing the historic injustices and marginalization of many regions of the world, including Africa, is a moral and political argument.

Furthermore, the geopolitical landscape has significantly evolved, particularly since 24 February 2022 [when the war in Ukraine started].

Notably, the P-5 [the Permanent Five include China, France, Russia, the UK and the USA) members have expressed a willingness to reform the Security Council, in particular bringing on board other regions of the world, including Africa. However, the devil is in the detail.

Africa has a common position, which is what Sierra Leone will promote.

We will advocate for two seats in the permanent category, including all the rights and privileges, including the veto, if maintained. Without a doubt, Sierra Leone and Algeria can leverage proximity to the P-5 members to amplify Africa's voice.

Elections are coming up in Sierra Leone. Is your victory today celebrated across party lines back home?

The campaign for the seat was supported by all 11 parties in the country. As Foreign Minister, I have worked with all the political parties in Parliament. Members on the Foreign and Affairs Select Committee have been fully supportive.

This about Sierra Leone; it is not about scoring political points.
Boris Johnson stopped taking a controversial celebrity-favourite slimming drug as it made him ill.

Boris Johnson stopped taking a controversial celebrity-favourite slimming drug as it made him ill

The former British Prime Minister, 58, used his first newspaper column since announcing a return to journalism on Thursday (15.06.23) he took semaglutide  also known as Ozempic or Wegovy  after seeing how the 2,700-a-year course helped a cabinet colleague lose weight.

Johnson, who has two of his six children with wife Carrie Symonds, 35, said in the Daily Mail about getting on the drug after a friend had shared the number of a brilliant physician who had prescribed this magic potion: For weeks I jabbed my stomach, and for weeks it worked. Effortlessly, I pushed aside the puddings and the second helpings.

I must have been losing four or five pounds a week  maybe more.

But Johnson added he then started to dread the injections, because they were making me feel ill, leaving him fine one minute but then leading to him vomiting into the toilet the next.

Johnson also said he has now ditched the drug and has decided getting back to exercise and using willpower are the best ways for him to lose weight.

But he added about hoping drugs may help him in the future: I look at my colleagues  leaner but not hungrier  and I hope that if science can do it for them, maybe one day it can help me, and everyone else.

Johnson also predicted appetite suppressants will become like statins for obesity.

Semaglutide is currently only available privately under the brand name Ozempic for people with type 2 diabetes.

But it is widely used off-label by celebrities and has swept Hollywood, with a string of A-listers said to be on the drug to stay looking trim.
Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson both listed the same address on their son Tatums name change petition.

Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson list same address on legal documents

According to documents obtained by Us Weekly, Khloe and Tristan - who share five-year-old daughter True and 10-month-old Tatum  both put the same address next to their names on petition, which was filed on June 8.

The are requesting to change their sons last name from Kardashian to Thompson.

It was previously revealed that Tristan, 32, had moved to Hidden Hills, California, to be closer to Khloe, 38, and their children.

He has also signed up with the Los Angeles Lakers.

An insider previously told Us Weekly: "Khloe and Tristan live 0.2 miles away from each other in Hidden Hills. Tristan is thrilled about having his own place so close to Khloe so he can visit her and the kids as often as possible.

Khloe and Tristan welcomed their son via surrogate in July 2022, but Khloe found out during the pregnancy that Tristan was also expecting a baby with another woman.

He has son Prince, six, with Jordan Craig, and Theo, 18 months, with Maralee Nichols.

Tristan confirmed he had cheated on Khloe with Maralee, saying in a public statement: "Khloe, you dont deserve this. You dont deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you. You dont deserve the way I have treated you over the years.

An insider revealed Khloe was disappointed that he went through finding a surrogate and all that while he was cheating on her and thats unforgivable to her".

The insider added: Theres no place in her mind that wants to take Tristan back, she is really done with him romantically at this time.
Fathers Day Brunch At Lotus Cafe, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu

Lotus Cafe at JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu has put together a signature Sunday brunch for Fathers Day. Expect delicious dishes from the Indian, Asian and Italian cuisines as well as delightful desserts.

Bonus: The hotel has partnered with Audi India to showcase extravagant cars at the event, with a special surprise for all the dads.

You can also order in a specially-curated Fathers Day Brunch in a Box through Marriott Bonvoy on Wheels to enjoy in the comfort of your home.

Location: JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu

More: June 18, 2023; 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm; from Rs 3,300 per person
Cambodia's apparel exports decreased by 23.28 per cent to $2,794.073 million in the first five months of 2023, accounting for 30.76 per cent of its total foreign income of $9,183.473 million during the period, according to general department of customs and excise (GDCE) under ministry of economy and finance. This represents a significant drop from last year when the country's apparel exports increased by 12.69 per cent to $9.035 billion.

During the period under review, Cambodia's exports of apparel and clothing accessories (knitted) (Chapter 61) were $1,855.508 million, 26.1 per cent lower than the exports worth $2,511.164 million during the corresponding period of 2022. The country's exports of apparel and clothing accessories (not knitted) (Chapter 62) dropped by 17 per cent to $938.565 million. In January-May 2022, the country exported apparel worth $1,130.954 million in this category. The decline in shipments reflects sluggish demand in the global market.

Cambodia's apparel exports significantly declined by 23.28 per cent to $2,794.073 million in the first 5 months of 2023. This decline affected both knitted and non-knitted apparel, reflecting the sluggish global demand. Simultaneously, imports of materials like knitted fabric and manmade fibre saw a marked decline, while cotton imports saw a slight increase.

In May 2023, Cambodia's apparel exports declined by 16.28 per cent to $644.517 million compared to the shipment of $769.517 million in the corresponding month of 2022. The shipment of apparel and clothing accessories (knitted) slipped 17.8 per cent to $274.406 million from $135.560 million during the same period last year. The exports of apparel and clothing accessories (not knitted) dropped by 12 per cent to $183.838 million in May 2023.

As for imports, the country's knitted or crocheted fabric (Chapter 60) imports during January-May 2023 were valued at $1,080.570 million, 23.5 per cent lower than the imports worth $1,412.060 million in the same period of 2022. Manmade fibre (Chapter 55) imports declined by 17.8 per cent to $459.018 million, against $558.070 million in the same period of 2022. Cotton and cotton yarn (Chapter 52) imports gained 2 per cent to reach $228.127 million during the period under review, compared to $223.632 million in the same period of 2022.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
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Heart of Stone is one of the most anticipated movies of 2023. The film led by Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan will see Alia Bhatt make her Hollywood debut. Now, the makers have revealed the spy thriller's release date.Alia Bhatt is currently in Brazil with her Heart of Stone co-stars Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan. The cast got together to announce the film's release date which is set for August 11, 2023.Check it out here:The release date was announced alongside a new poster from the film featuring Gal Gadot. The Wonder Woman star looks intense on the poster.Heart of Stone is about Rachel Stone (played by Gadot), a woman on a mission to protect "The Heart''. While details about the film have been kept under wraps we do know that Alia Bhatt will play a character named Keya Dhwan. The film's cast also includes Paul Ready, Sophie Okonedo, Mattias Schweighofer and others.The film's trailer is expected to drop soon. Heart of Stone will release on August 11.
Raipur, Jun 17 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday alleged an attempt was made to tarnish the image of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman in the movie "Adipurush' and said the Congress government may consider banning it in the state if people demand so.

He alleged that dialogues in the film are "objectionable and indecent" and questioned the "silence" of political parties which call themselves the custodian of religion, an apparent jibe at BJP.

When asked by reporters whether the state government will ban this movie, Baghel said, "The government will think about it (ban) if people will raise a demand in this direction". An attempt is being made to tarnish the image of all our deities. We have seen the gentle face of Lord Ram and that of Lord Hanuman drenched in devotion, but from the last few years an attempt is being made to change this image," he told reporters at his official residence.

Baghel said Hanuman has been introduced as a symbol of wisdom, power and devotion since our childhood, but in this film, "Lord Ram is shown as the 'Yuddhak' (warrior) Ram and Hanuman as the angry bird".

Neither our ancestors imagined such an image of Lord Hanuman nor our society accepts it, he added. The dialogues and language used in this movie are indecent. In Tulasidas' Ramayana, Lord Ram was portrayed as 'Maryada Purushottam' and decent language was used. In 'Adipurush', dialogues of characters are of very low level, he said. Prabhas-starrer Adipurush, a retelling of the epic Ramayana, was released on Friday.

"When Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister, he had suggested to Ramanand Sagar to make the epic serial Ramayana which became hugely popular. The pictures of Lord Ram and Hanuman were distorted on the pretext of 'Adipurush' and indecent words were put in the mouths of the characters. What the young generation will learn from this?" he questioned.

He alleged Lord Bajrang bali is made to speak the language of Bajrang Dal in this movie. "Why people of those political parties who call them the custodian of religion are silent on this movie? Why BJP leaders who kept giving statements on 'The Kashmir Files' and 'The Kerala Story' are silent on 'Adipursh'? Even lower-rung leaders of the BJP are not speaking anything on this, Baghel alleged. Chhattisgarh goes to polls later this year.
Rakul Preet Singh I Love You: Known far and wide for her versatility and unconventional characters, Rakul Preet Singh is a name that needs no introduction today.

From Chhatriwali to Runway to Cuttputli and now I Love You, Rakul Preet Singh has yet again proven her acting prowess with her role as Satya.

Filled with twists and turns, netizens love Rakul's performance and call her a natural performer.

Netizens hail Rakul Preet Singh's role as Satya in her latest 'I Love You'

Delivering a wonderful experience for her fans, Rakul makes sure to excel as an overall package, exploring the fun, romance, and action sides of her. The actress continues to experiment with each of her films and steals the show single-handedly.

As the netizens rightly say, "It was so good to see u in an genre which is rarely explored . Right from start to end we lived each and every scene. The fun, romance and the action at the end all made it a wonderful experience. Kudos to u for always trying new and interesting roles .#RakulPreetSingh."

HOT! Rakul Preet Singh Sets Internet Ablaze With Red Bikini Pics From Maldives; Fan Says: Samandar Me Aag..

Another fan said, "Rakullllll maza aagaya!!! Didn't get bored even for a sec... So gripping your performance is Ramp. well done... Loved Pavail so much . Such an edge of the seat film omg Nikhil had done splendid job. Loved Sathya so muchhh."

Rakullllll maza aagaya!!! Didn't get bored even for a sec... So gripping your performance is Ramp well done... Loved Pavail so much 



Such an edge of the seat film omg Nikhil had done splendid job.



Loved Sathya so muchhh... #ILoveYou #ILoveYouOnJioCinema pic.twitter.com/cG9kbgpWI1  RakulxMagic (@RakulxMagic) June 16, 2023

"Ok well I have no words @Rakulpreet. You nailed it lovie your acting& movie story just amazing just wowww really really proud of you #RakulPreetSingh #RakulPreet," one commented.

"Satya as @Rakulpreet ooh sry i mean Rakul mam as satya wow what a natural performance loved the movie and twists and turns Another winner after chhatriwali and Boo #ILoveYouOnJioCinema," said one.

Ok well I have no words @Rakulpreet you nailed it lovie your acting& movie story just amazing just wowww really really proud of you #RakulPreetSingh #RakulPreet pic.twitter.com/JtzWaY6Su6   (@rakulglitzy) June 16, 2023

My girl you did a phenomenal performance @Rakulpreet  in #ILOVEYOU! You nailed it as the resilient survivor in this gripping thriller ride. Your talent knows no bounds!#RakulPreetSingh pic.twitter.com/yxGlfHLhrm   (@RakulYashu) June 15, 2023

Rakul Preet Singh on the work front

On the work front, Rakul Preet has a busy year ahead with a list of upcoming films that includes Ayalaan with Sivakarthikeyan, which will release in Diwali, Shankar Shanmugam's Indian 2, and another commercial family space that will release by the end of this year.

Top Bollywood News: Burak Deniz Recreates SRKs Iconic Pose; Rakul Preet Singh Takes A Dip In Blue Bikini
Student's Father Shares Political Ideas With Vijay On Stage: Actor Vijay honored the students who scored top 3 marks in class 10th and 12th public examination in a grand event held today at Chennai.

Seeing that many interesting things happened at the award ceremony, Vijay's fans started getting jealous. While a few students got the chance to speak, actor Vijay was shocked when the father of one of the students shared political ideas with him.

Many students fell on his feet after seeing him. Actor Vijay immediately lifted them up and put on a shawl, presented the award. He also gave them the prize money, stood with the students' families and took a group photo.

Perfect Emotional Connect

A few students ran to hug Vijay and shed tears as soon as they saw Vijay. Actor Vijay's love for differently-abled students and the fact that he picked up the students regardless of caste, religion surprised everyone in Tamil Nadu. He got along with them on stage, the show went on to be a perfect emotional connect.

A student praised actor Vijay and said that he will say one last thing. Vijay started to feel shy when he said advance happy birthday Vijay Anna. Many interesting events that did not even happen at the Varisu fan meeting happened today in this event. Vijay's speech was broadcasted live, and the entire Thalapathy fans were tied to the TV and mobile phones.

Vijay's Next Plan For Political Entry

In this, a student's father told, "Vijay Sir told not to talk about this topic, as everyone here is under 18. If you meet the students who have won the university top in the college and give them a gift, what you think will happen. Someone new should come beyond those two."

Netizens are saying that the student's father caught Vijay's mind voice and spoke aabout DMK and AIADMK parties. They also mentioned in their social media posts, "That is exactly Vijay's next plan."
Vijay's Alter Ego Brings Down Udhayanidhi Stalin's Maamannan: While the trailer of Maamannan, which is said to be Udhayanidhi Stalin's last film, was announced yesterday, Lokesh Kanagaraj's sudden tweet and the Leo poster release affected the reach of Mamannan trailer.

The trailer of Mamannan, directed by Mari Selvaraj, who directed Pariyerum Perumal and Karnan, starring Udayanidhi Stalin, Vadivelu, Keerthy Suresh and Fadh Faasil, was released exclusively yesterday without being released at the grand audio launch event.

Vijay Vs Udhayanidhi?

But, there is a big debate going on among fans on social media that actor Vijay has kept a silent cheque for the Maamannan trailer. Actor Vijay is also meeting the students who have won the top three positions in class 10th and 12th today to congratulate them.

This event is seen as the foundation of his political entry. In this case, it is said that Vijay has started his political game by giving a cheque to Udhayanidhi Stalin yesterday.

The trailer of Udayanidhi Stalin-starrer Maamannan, directed by Mari Selvaraj, was released yesterday. Prior announcements regarding it had been made before a few days.

Vijay's Alter Ego Dominates Maamannan

But suddenly, when the announcement poster of the song Alter Ego of actor Vijay's film Leo was released yesterday, Leo was featured in the top trending in social media sites. Fans are debating that Maamannan's trailer has gone doen without much visiblity due to Leo's dominance.

Since the controversial poster of actor Vijay with a cigarette in his mouth was released, the trailer of Mamannan is struggling to get expected hype. They also say that if actor Vijay considered Udhayanidhi as a friend, he would not have released the poster announcement yesterday.

On the other hand, it is also said that Lokesh Kanagaraj posted a tweet appreciating the trailer of Mamannan after he pushed down the trailer of Mamannan and noticed that the poster of Vijay's alter ego Naan Ready song was trending.
Vijay Speaks Politics At Students Meet? The information about Vijay's political speech at his grand students meet is creating debates on social media. Actor Vijay is meeting the students who scored high marks in all 234 constituencies of Tamil Nadu today (June 17) and give them incentives.

Students and their parents who came from southern districts and other places were accommodated last night in marriage halls in places including Chengalpattu and Madhurandakam.

Students Are Eagerly Waiting To See Vijay

Video of a little girl is going viral on social media where she excitedly says that just seeing actor Vijay is enough for her today. Actor Vijay, who starred in Maanbumigu Maanavan movie, has been emphasizing the importance of education for children in many of his films.

Actor Vijay is now personally meeting the tenth and twelfth class students who secured the top 3 positions in all the 234 constituencies. He always gives note books to the students every year through the Vijay People's Movement. While actor Vijay is meeting students and giving gifts, the ceremony is happening today at the grand marriage hall near actor Vijay's house in Neelangarai.

Don't Vote For Money

In such a situation, netizens started sharing information about Vijay's speech in the ceremony. It is reported that he said, "Don't Vote For Money." The information is spreading on the internet that Vijay is talking politics in an educational eevent infront of the media. Let's wait for the full video to know the truth.

The students along with their parents are gathering at the marriage hall. It is said that actor Vijay is going to call the students who have won the top three positions by their constituency name rather than by district and give prizes.

The Vijay People's Movement has also made good arrangements for the overnight stay of the students and their parents from out of town. The students have said that they have provided all the facilities like food and accommodation and taken them to the ceremony in Neelangarai.
The HappyFM Salah Food Fest continued its quest to find the best cuisine among the Ghanaian Zongo communities with a thrilling second preliminary stage held at the vibrant Nima Station.

The round saw competition from Alajo Zongo, Mamobi Zongo and Nima Zongo.

Representing their various communities were Tasty Ladies from Alajo, Insha Allahu Rice from Mamobi, "Ba Mei Shei Allah" and Nima Stars, both from Nima Zongo. They showcased their cuisine prowess in a fierce competition.

The Nima Station, bustling with energy and an atmosphere of culinary excitement, witnessed a thrilling face-off among the four enthralling teams.

Each team displayed their unique recipes, culinary techniques, and cultural influences, aiming to impress the panel of discerning judges and earn their ticket to the grand finale.

Audiences were also treated to some exciting activities such as musical chairs and karaoke as the buzz was electric across the station.

In the end, Tasty Ladies, Insha Allahu Rice, and Nima Stars emerged victorious, securing their spots in the highly anticipated finals scheduled to be held at the residence of the esteemed National Chief Imam in Fadama.

The judges commended the various teams for their dedication to the culinary arts and their contributions to promoting the rich cultural heritage of Nima Zongo.

With the second prelims concluded, all eyes now turn to the upcoming final prelims set to take place in Madina.

The teams participating in this stage will battle fiercely for the remaining spots in the grand finale.

The HappyFM Salah Food Fest aims to celebrate the vibrant culinary traditions of Ghana's Zongo communities and foster unity through food and culture.

The competition showcases the exceptional talents of local chefs, allowing them to shine on a national platform while promoting the diverse cultural heritage of Ghana.

As the competition reaches its climactic stage, anticipation is at an all-time high. The grand finale, promises to be an extraordinary event, filled with delectable dishes, cultural performances, and friendly competition.
Jab Hadid Bigg Boss OTT 2: Who is Jad Hadid? This is the question on everyone's mind ever since the makers released a new promo featuring the handsome hunk. Fans have been eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of 'Habibi', the name that the creative team gave him ahead of the launch.

Salman Khan's Bigg Boss OTT 2 started with a bang on Saturday (June 17). The panelists of the show including journalist Dibangg, Sandip Sickand, Sunny Leone, MC Stan and Ajay Jadeja shared their thoughts about the contestants and interacted with them during the premiere episode.

WHO IS JAD HADID? REAL NAME, INSTAGRAM & OTHER DETAILS

Jad Hadid's real name is Mohammed Hassan Hadid. He is the first Arab to participate in Bigg Boss, which is the Indian version of Big Brother. His promo has already gone viral on the internet.

Jad Hadid enjoys a significant fan following on social media. She has over 375k followers on Instagram and he keeps on sharing pictures and videos from them. He is a prominent model, who is originally from Lebanon. He has a successful career in Dubai, as he is one of the highest-paid models in the Middle East. Yes, you read that right!

Abdu Rozik, who was a part of Bigg Boss 16, is supporting Jad in Bigg Boss OTT 2. He even shared a video on social media to extend his support to the model.

Jad is a proud father of a baby girl, who recently turned four years old. He is married to Ramona Khalil, who is a popular fitness model. As he is the first Arab to participate in Bigg Boss, fans are excited to see what he brings on the plate in the show.

Keep watching this space for more updates.
Adipurush Controversy: The President of Hindu Sena files a plea in Delhi High Court against the Adipurush makers saying that they mocked Ramayan & Lord Ram. This information has created a huge controversy now.

Adipurush is a movie directed by Om Raut based on a part of Ramayana story. It stars Prabhas as Rama, Saif Ali Khan as Ravana and Keerthy Sanon as Sita. The film released worlwide yesterday in 5 languages Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi in 2D and 3D technologies.'

Hanuman Seat Controversy

The pre-release event of the film was held in Tirupati on June 6. The new trailer of the film was also released. A seat has been reserved in the theater in accordance with the request of the director of the film, "A seat should be reserved for Hanuman during every show of Adipurush."

When the teaser of the film was released last year, it was heavily criticized on the internet for its poor graphics. In response to this, the film team renewed the graphics work of the film by spending more than Rs.100 crores. Due to this, the film which was supposed to release in January was postponed.

Everyone knows that Hanuman is the great devotee of Rama. It is also believed by some that wherever one mentions the name of Rama, Hanuman is present there. Subsequently, the film Adipurush is also based on the story of Ramayana, so Hanuman is also playing a major role in this film.

Hindu Sena Files Plea In Delhi High Court

In such a situation, Hindu Sena President Vishnu Gupta has filed a plea against Adipurush makers in Delhi High court. He mentioned that the makers have mocked Ramayana and Lord Rama in the film.

On the other hand, netizens are sharing pictures from Adipurush movie which hurts the Hindu sentiments. One of them said, "Adipurush.. Worst possible way to show the great ramayana !! Really worthless and waste of time to watch cartoon for such huge budget . Very bad Om Raut !! Please stop making movies..!"
Samantha, Naga Chaitanya, & Preetham Jukalker Photo Credit: Gallery

Samantha's Stylist Preetham Jukalker Talks About Naga Chaitanya: Samantha Ruth Prabhu, the actress who is currently in Serbia shooting for the Indian version of the successful web series Citadel hit the headlines for an emotional post about her physical health and recovery.

Samantha divorced actor Naga Chaitanya after four years of marriage in 2021. They were friends first and then tied the knot in 2017 in Goa, in the presence of close family and friends. Their wedding was a sensation and was the most talked about.

They have been one of the cutest couples in Tollywood when they were married and also lived-in together before tying the knot. However, things went south for the duo who called it quits without disclosing the reason.

Amid their divorce, Stylist Preetham Jukalker, who worked closely with Samantha during that time was the one to have received so much hatred online, for his closeness and proximity to Samantha. Speaking to a media channel for the very first time, Jukalker, who is the man behind Stylish star Allu Arjun's wife Sneha Reddy's recent appearances shared so much about his work, equation with Samantha and Naga Chaitanya.

In the interview, when he was quizzed about the obvious, Preetham was quoted saying, "People have misunderstood our relationship. Why don't they think that we are like a brother and sister? When Sam posted a pic of hers with legs on me, that became a sensation."

Samantha trusted me and she was experimental with her looks, which brought us together. She encouraged me. I am an artist and forayed into the industry without support. I am not a bad person," said Preetham.

In response to the question about how he faced the trolling and negativity during Samantha and Naga Chaitanya's divorce, Preetham elaborated, "We are really good friends. People hated me when they both got divorced. They even targeted my family and called me gay. I am not like Gandhiji to take it lightly. I was angry and want to hit them."

Preetham also shared his two cents about his experience and opinion on Naga Chaitanya. He said, "Naga Chaitanya is a very nice guy. He is one of the good people I met."

The actress has been in bad shape both personally and professionally as her films tanked with disaster response and her health was affected by an autoimmune disease. Marking a year of her diagnosis and treatment, the actress wrote a lengthy caption for a series of pictures she shared from a church in Serbia, where she was photographed lighting candles.
Kelowna, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 16, 2023) - Gallagher Security Corp. (CSE: GLL) announces that, subject to Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") approval, the Company will raise up to $500,000 through a non-brokered private placement. The financing will consist of of up to 10,000,000 units at $0.05 per unit.

Each unit will consist of one common share and one share purchase warrant with each warrant exercisable into one additional common share at a price of $0.06 per share for a 3-year period. All shares issued under the private placement will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance. Finders' fees may be paid in accordance with securities regulations. Certain Common Shares may be issued separate from Units for the settlement of bona fide debt owed by the Company.

Gallagher's will use the proceeds targeting generative AI technologies related to the remote monitoring and validation of carbon offsets derived from improved forest management practices. Building the world's first SMART forests.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"Dev Randhawa"

Dev Randhawa

President and Director

For further information, please contact:

Jamie Bannerman

Phone: 1-778-484-8028

This Press Release may contain statements which constitute 'forward-looking' statements, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities and operating performance of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities or performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such risks, uncertainties and factors are described in the periodic filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including quarterly and annual Management's Discussion and Analysis, which may be viewed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements.

Neither the CSE 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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170409
Die KI-Revolution ist in vollem Gange und vor allem ein Bereich wird stark betroffen sein: Cyber-Security. Die Experten sind sich sicher: Mit steigender Entwicklung von KI-Technologien nehmen auch KI-gestutzte Cyber-Attacken zu. Wir zeigen hier, welche Aktien profitieren konnen.

BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Sartorius expects sales revenue for the second half of the year to be below expectations, citing weak demand. It lowered forecast for 2023. The main factors likely to dampen Sartorius' business development are the longer-than-expected lasting reduction in inventories among biopharma customers following the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the relatively low investment activities of customers due to available production capacities, the company said in a statement. The company now expects group sales revenue to decline in the low to mid-teens percentage range in fiscal 2023; excluding Covid-19-related business, revenue would decline in the mid to high single-digit percentage range. Previously, it was expected that revenue growth in the low single-digit percentage range; excluding Covid-19-related business in the high single-digit percentage range. All forecast figures are based on constant currencies. Sartorius said it will publish its half-year figures for 2023 as scheduled on July 21, 2023. 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.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 17, 2023) - Boosh Plant-Based Brands Inc. (CSE: VEGI) (OTCQB: VGGIF) (FSE: 77I) ("Boosh" or the "Company") a premier plant-based brand in the "better for you" food sector announced today that it had entered into, and that it had finalized a set of debt settlement agreements with the purpose to both satisfy, and to extinguish, an aggregate total of C$500,000 of secured debts. A combined total of 10,000,000 common shares were issued at a deemed price of C$0.05 per common share to settle the outstanding debt.

The Company decided to satisfy the indebtedness with common shares to preserve its cash for the development of its business. No new control person of the Company will be created pursuant to the settlement of the debt settlement agreements.

Connie Marples

Founder/CEO

connie@booshfood.com

www.Booshfood.com

About Boosh Plant-Based Brands Inc.:



Boosh Plant-Based Brands Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary, Boosh Food (www.booshfood.com) offers high quality, non-GMO, gluten free, 100% plant-based nutritional comfort foods for the whole family. Through a separate subsidiary, Beautiful Beanfields, (www.beanfields.com) the Company owns Beanfields, a plant-based chip brand sold in over 7,000 stores throughout North America. Boosh, good for you and good for planet earth.

The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the Company's expectations concerning the size of the Financing, its ability to close the Financing in whole or in part or at all and its plan for the proceeds of the Financing. Any number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as well as future results. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward looking statements or otherwise.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170414
LONDON, June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Searches for caravan and lodge holidays in Cornwall have increased by up to 174% as Brits desperately try to avoid air travel woes this summer.

The threat of cancellations caused by pilot and security strikes is having a huge impact on consumer confidence, as Google searches for cancellation insurance more than doubled in the last week.

Data from the UK's leading holiday park operator, Parkdean Resorts, which operates 66 parks across the UK, including 8 in Cornwall, shows that Crantock Beach Holiday Park, near Newquay, has seen the biggest increase in searches, with a 174% leap in the last three months. Other popular destinations include Lizard Point, Looe Bay, Newquay and Holywell Bay. Overall, searches relating to caravan holidays in Cornwall are up 83% in the last three months, and 22% year-on-year.

Parkdean Resorts currently has a limited number of caravans and lodges available in Cornwall. Seven night stays in July start at just 459, or 569 in school holidays, while seven nights in July at Crantock Beach start at 709, or 1,049 in school holidays.

Xavier Vallee, Chief Customer Officer, Parkdean Resorts said: "The stories about airport strikes are the last thing any family wants to hear before their summer holiday - people want control, not a holiday that might be cancelled at the last minute, so it's no surprise that they're looking for UK breaks. The British weather is amazing at the moment, and the good news is that there are still some great deals available, but they won't be around forever!"

Holiday parks with the biggest national increase in searches in the last 3 months (Google) Regions with the biggest increase in searches for Crantock Beach in the last 3 months (Google) 1. Crantock Beach (+174%) 1. Devon (+306%) 2. Lizard Point (+124%) 2. West Midlands (+175%) 3. Looe Bay (+81%) 3. London (164%) =4. Newquay (+49%) =4. West Yorkshire (+129%) =4. Holywell Bay (+49%) =4. Greater Manchester (+129%)

Parkdean Resorts has earned at least one British Travel Award every year since 2010, winning three gold awards for Best UK Family Holiday Company, Best UK Holiday Parks and Lodges Company, and Best UK Breaks Holidays last year. The company continues to record excellent visitor reviews across Google, Facebook and Tripadvisor, while 82% of people who visited one of the company's holiday parks would recommend it.

About Parkdean Resorts:

Parkdean Resorts is the leading operator of holiday parks in the UK, welcoming over 3.5 million holidaymakers each year. We own and operate 66 award-winning holiday parks, and have an unrepeatable freehold property footprint with 3,500 acres of land including forests, peatbogs, rivers, beaches and headlands in some of the UK's finest beauty spots. We are committed to caring for our parks, people, and planet to create a positive environmental impact on nature and resources, and to acting responsibly for the long-term sustainability of our business.

Our 33,000 pitches include a range of accommodation options, from static caravans to luxury lodges and glamping, alongside touring and camping pitches. We have 20,000 holiday homeowners, and sell over 600,000 holidays a year.

Our commitment to creating amazing experiences for holidaymakers has earned us at least one British Travel Award every year since 2010, most recently winning three gold awards for Best UK Family Holiday Company, Best UK Holiday Parks and Lodges Company, and Best UK Breaks Holidays. We continue to record excellent visitor reviews with 2023 year-to-date feedback scores of 4.2/5 on Google, 4.0/5 on Facebook and 4.3/5 on TripAdvisor, while 82% of people who visited would recommend us.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/staycation-scramble-as-airline-worries-have-brits-turning-their-backs-on-foreign-holidays-301853439.html
Flamingo Therapeutics, a Leuven, Belgium-based company pioneering RNA-targeted therapies for oncology, has been awarded a research grant of 1.7 million by Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO).

The award represents the funding at 60% of a 2.9 million project.

Funding from the grant will be used to advance Flamingos RNA-targeting oncology portfolio, including translational research for its lead clinical program, danvatirsen in Phase II in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and preclinical work on its long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) program targeting MALAT-1.

Danvatirsen is an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) that selectively targets STAT3 and has shown clinical activity in two Phase II clinical studies. Danvatirsen binds to STAT3 mRNA, inducing breakdown of the transcript. Currently, danvatirsen is planned to continue Phase 2 clinical development for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to advance the program through key clinical milestones and data readouts. Flamingo is also advancing FTX-001, its most advanced long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) program which targets MALAT-1, through readiness for Phase 1 in solid tumors. LncRNAs are a large and untapped class of disease-causing targets within the dark matter of the human genome.

Receipt of this funding follows the merger between Flamingo and Dynacure, announced in March 2023.

Flamingo is pioneering RNA-targeted therapies for oncology with state-of-the art chemistries and a clinical-stage pipeline targeting undruggable transcription factors and splice variants. The company has an alliance with Ionis Pharmaceuticals and is supported by biotechnology investors including Andera Partners, Bpifrance Large Venture, Bpifrance through its FABS and Fonds Biotherapies Innovantes et Maladies Rares funds, Eurazeo  Kurma Partners, Perceptive Advisors, PMV, Pontifax, Sphera, funds managed by Tekla Capital Management LLC and VIB.

Flamingo is initiating a Phase II trial PEMDA-HN evaluating the STAT3 targeting agent danvatirsen, in combination with pembrolizumab, in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

FinSMEs

17/06/2023
India and the United States are expected to sign a $3 billion deal for MQ-9 Reaper or Predator B drones. This comes after Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Thursday (15 June) reportedly gave a green light to procure armed Predator B Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).

As per the news agency ANI, the procurement now needs to be cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security. The deal will likely be announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modis state visit to the US next week.

What is this MQ-9 UAV and how will it be beneficial for India? Lets take a closer look.

Features of Predator B drones

According to ThePrint report, India will buy 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones from American manufacturing firm General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI).

This will be a tri-service acquisition with Indian Navy getting a larger share than the Army and the Air Force, the report added.

With an endurance of over 27 hours, MQ-9 Reaper can operate up to 50,000 feet, as per the GA-ASI.

The Reaper is 11 metres long and has a wingspan of over 22 metres.

It has a 240 Knots True Airspeed (KTAS) and a 1746 kilogram payload capacity, including 1361 kilograms of external stores.

As per GA-ASI, the MQ-9 Reaper drone is equipped to carry multiple mission payloads to include Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR), Lynx multi-mode Radar, multi-mode maritime surveillance radar, Electronic Support Measures (ESM), laser designators, and various weapons and payload packages.

The M stands for multi-role, the Q refers to a remotely piloted aircraft system and the 9 means the ninth in the series of remotely piloted aircraft systems, noted the US Air Force (USAF).

The UAV is remotely operated by a two-member crew, comprising the pilot and an aircrew member to operate the sensors and weapons.

As per the US Air Force, the Reaper is capable of employing eight laser-guided missiles, air-to-ground missile-114 Hellfire, which possess highly accurate, low-collateral damage, anti-armour and anti-personnel engagement capabilities.

The predecessor of Reaper, the Predator, came to be known for its use during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, where it caused a high number of civilian casualties in precision strikes, noted The Guardian. The RQ-1/MQ-1Predator was retired by the USAF in 2017, with Reaper becoming the forces primary unmanned aircraft.

The maritime variant of the MQ-9B drone is called SeaGuardian, while the other variant is known as SkyGuardian.

The Indian Navy has been operating two unarmed SeaGuardian drones on lease since September 2020. These drones, which have an endurance of over 30 hours, have been deployed to keep an eye on Chinese military activities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) following the 2020 Galwan Valley stand-off between the two countries, reported Times of India (TOI).

In November 2022, General Atomics said these leased drones completed 10,000 flight hours during a two-year period since their first flight on 21 November 2020. Our MQ-9As have helped the Indian Navy to cover over 14 million square miles of operating area, Linden Blue, CEO of GA, had said.

ALSO READ: How India has one-upped China with its dual aircraft-carrier exercise

How will MQ-9 drones benefit India?

With its long-endurance, persistent surveillance and strike capability, the MQ-9 Reapers can enhance the Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of Indias armed forces.

According to the US Air Force, Reaper is primarily used as an intelligence-collection asset and secondarily against dynamic execution targets.

Given its significant loiter time, wide-range sensors, multi-mode communications suite, and precision weapons, it provides a unique capability to perform strike, coordination, and reconnaissance against high-value, fleeting, and time-sensitive targets, the USAF said.

As per TOI, these Predator B drones can help India in long-range surveillance and strike capabilities both in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and on the land borders.

Citing Indian military planners, India Today said in a report in January this year that armed drones can help Indian forces to launch remote-controlled operations and surgical strikes, such as on terrorist hideouts in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and engage targets on the Himalayan borders with China.

Which countries use it?

The Reapers have been procured by the US Air Force, the US Department of Homeland Security, NASA, the United Kingdoms Royal Air Force, the Italian Air Force, the French Air Force and the Spanish Air Force. Recently, Japan inducted the MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones.

Between 2014 to 2018, the UK deployed Reaper drones in more than 2,400 missions in Iraq and Syria, striking 398 times, as per The Guardian.

In March, a Russian Su-27 aircraft dumped fuel on the MQ-9 Reaper over the Black Sea. The Russian jet also hit the propeller of the drone, leading the remote drone operators to down the unmanned aerial vehicle in international waters.

Top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq in January 2020, which was believed to have been conducted by an MQ-9 Reaper drone.

With inputs from agencies

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Britains monarch King Charles III is celebrating his first official birthday today (17 June). However, it is not his actual birthday as the monarch was born on 14 November 1948.

The United Kingdom (UK) will mark the occasion with a military parade called Trooping the Colour, which is expected to attract a large crowd who gather on the streets waving flags to catch a glimpse of the royals.

Why does King Charles III have two birthdays? What will happen at Trooping the Colour? Lets take a closer look.

Monarchs with two birthdays

The tradition of celebrating the British monarchs birthday in summer dates back to the reign of King Charles II, who ruled from 1660 to 1685, People magazine reported citing the Household Division  a unit of the British military. This unit reportedly has seven British Army Regiments that serve the king.

In 1748, when King George II was the ruler, it was decided to mark the official birthday of the British monarch with the Trooping the Colour parade in summer. Like Charles, George II was born in November when the weather is cold and far from ideal, noted CNN.

For more than 260 years, this military parade is organised annually to celebrate the official birthday of Britains reigning sovereign.

During the 70-year tenure of King Charles IIIs mother and predecessor, Queen Elizabeth II, the Trooping the Colour was popularly known as the Queens Birthday Parade.

Last year in June, donning a light blue coat dress and hat, Queen Elizabeth had appeared twice on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for her Trooping the Colour celebrations. It was a big event as it marked the queens Platinum Jubilee.

Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in September last year, had her actual birthday on 21 April.

This is the first Trooping the Colour parade since Elizabeths death and Charles ascending the throne.

What is the Trooping the Colour parade?

According to The Washington Post, the parade showcases support for the monarch, who is the technical head of the British armed forces.

Each year, 14,00 soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians take part in what Buckingham Palace calls a great display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare.

Lets decode this annual military parade further.

Colour stands for a flag that has the uniform colour and insignia of a specific army unit. As per The Washington Post, in previous times, Regimental Colours were required as rallying points on the battlefield in order to help troops distinguish their unit from others.

This was important because, without modern communications, it was all too easy for troops to become disoriented and separated from their unit during conflict, says The Household Divisions website.

Young officers would march between ranks of troops displaying their flags to let the soldiers know what their regiments colours looked like.

This is where the word trooping arrives from.

So, what today is a great tradition began life as a vital and practical parade designed to aid unit recognition before a battle commenced, says The Household Division website.

Last week, the final rehearsal of Trooping the Colour, called the Colonels Review, had hit the headlines after at least three soldiers fainted due to the extremely hot weather.

ALSO READ: Prince Harry and Meghan divorce rumours: Which British royals have called it quits before?

What will happen at this years Trooping the Colour?

Like every year, you can expect much pomp and show as Britain celebrates King Charles first official birthday.

King Charles parade will begin at Buckingham Palace, from where he will go down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, and then back again.

As per Daily Mail, the parade will last for around two hours, starting at 10.25 am (2.35 pm IST) and ending at 12.25 pm (4.35 pm IST).

King Charles is expected to ride a horse during the procession, the first time a reigning British monarch will do that for Trooping the Colour since 1986, when Queen Elizabeth last rode, as per Buckingham Palace.

The marching troops will include Household Cavalry and the five regiments of foot guards  Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards, reported CNN.

Once the Sovereign has arrived at Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall, they are greeted by a Royal salute and carry out an inspection of the troops, who are fully trained and operational soldiers wearing the ceremonial uniform of red tunics and bearskin hats. After the military bands have performed, the escorted Regimental Colour, or flag, is processed down the ranks of soldiers. Over one hundred words of command are used by the Officer in Command of the Parade to direct the several hundred soldiers, as per The Royal Family website.

Once the Foot Guards have marched past the Sovereign, they ride back to Buckingham Palace at the head of the soldiers, before taking the salute again at the Palace from a dais, it added.

As per Kensington Palace, this years musical programme will have a distinctly Welsh theme, with the troop performing new compositions, especially for the event.

King Charles will later be joined by Queen Consort Camilla and other members of the royal family to watch the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards Troop their Colour, reported USA Today.

The royals will also observe the military flypast by the Royal Air Force from the balcony at Buckingham Palace, which is scheduled for 1 pm (5.30 pm IST).

With inputs from agencies

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President Paul Kagame's government wants to free thousands of prisoners convicted for the 1994 Rwanda Genocide. It says the move aims to ease overcrowding in prisons and foster reintegration and reconciliation.

Joseph Ndagijimana from the Northern Province of Rwanda is among the convicts waiting to be freed from prison after serving his term for the 1994 Rwanda Genocide.

In just 100 days in 1994, an estimated 1 million mostly Tutsi people were massacred in Rwanda.

Ndagijimana had participated in the killing of his Tutsi neighbors. He knows that his reintegration will require acceptance and trust from society.

"I am finishing my sentence soon. I am ready to go home and seek forgiveness because I am changed," Ndagijimana told DW, adding that he will confront his past honestly.

"I will also reveal to my fellow citizens the new direction of my life: to join hands with Rwandans to do good deeds and avoid the past mistakes that got me here."

Thousands of genocide convicts up for rehabilitation

Ndagijimana is among the over 20,000 genocide convicts receiving rehabilitation training developed by the government.

Genocide convicts who face between 20 and 30 years of jail terms are eligible for this rehabilitation plan. According to the national unity ministry, President Paul Kagame's government plans to release up to 2,500 convicts annually. But the reintegration journey for these convicts is an uphill task.

Jean Bosco Kabanda, a Rwanda Correctional Service officer, told DW the rehabilitation curriculum the convicts go through has elements of personal growth to help them rebuild their lives and find a place within the community.

"The rehabilitation lectures we give the convicts help them on this new journey," Kabanda said. "We have no doubts that they will conduct themselves appropriately when they finally reintegrate into society."

Mixed reviews for the reintegration program

According to the correctional officer, former inmates who have already returned home say that the education and guidance they have received helped them rejoin their respective communities.

However, the release of the genocide convicts has, in the past, sparked anger among survivors of the genocide. Many fear that the convicts can commit new ethnic killings.

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Inmates like Thomas Hategikimana, who has been serving a 30-year prison sentence, has a different concern. He wonders how he will face the victims of his acts.

"I hope to meet the people who may be suffering the pain I caused," Hategikimana told DW. "I am not even sure they are alive.

The prison authorities plan to release Hategikimana in two years, but he is now contemplating how to face his neighbors who live just meters away.

"I doubt if I will get the courage to step into that village, it's tough, and that's why I plead for help. I hope they [my neighbors] can accept me.

Restoring hope

Margaret Mahoro, who works with Inter-Peace, an NGO that collaborates with the government to rehabilitate and resettle these convicts, said they had restored hope.

"Through such programs, they have gained hope for life outside prison," Mahoro told DW. "Instead of thinking about suicide after prison, now they are talking about how better they can live with the other members of society."

She said many released and rehabilitated convicts want to repent and co-exist peacefully.

"Previously most were struggling with thoughts of suicide, the feeling of rejection and just preferred to remain in prison."

Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu and Benita van Eyssen
The partnership between India and the US is absolutely critical on earth and possibly even more so in space, a former top NASA official has said, describing India as a sleeping giant for whom the sky is no longer the limit.

Mike Gold, the former associate administrator for Space Policy and Partnerships at NASA, expressed hope that space cooperation would be a key topic of discussion between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden during their upcoming meeting at the White House.

The relationship between the United States and India is absolutely critical on earth, and possibly even more so in space. India will soon become the fourth country to be able to launch its citizens into space and is therefore a global leader in the field, said Mr Gold who is currently Chief Growth Officer of Florida-based Redwire Space.

Sky is no longer the limit for India, he told Press Trust of India.

Mr Gold is considered an architect of the Artemis Accord, a set of agreements that lay out a framework for responsible exploration of the moon.

India is conducting missions to monitor and investigate, explore climate change on the earth through the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) programme, which is a joint project between NASA and ISRO to co-develop and launch a dual-frequency synthetic aperture radar on an earth observation satellite.

India is going to the moon with a lunar rover, and India is going to the Sun. I think thats wonderful synergy and balance between both the Sun and a Moon mission that India is conducting.

And of course, the Gaganyaan mission, the first crew mission that its conducting. India has also been extraordinarily innovative relative to implementing these very ambitious space programmes at affordable and low costs, Mr Gold said.

In this new world of commercial space, it is not enough to execute programmes, but if you can do so in a fashion that is affordable, robust, and still successful, that is extraordinarily important, he said.

India has been leading the way, certainly from a government perspective, in terms of enacting these bold visions and programmes in a fashion that has been very affordable, particularly relative to what occurs in the West, Mr Gold said.

India is clear, successfully leveraging its incredible human capital, he said, adding that it is not rocket fuel that gets missions to space but people and India excels in its people.

Its got an incredible human capital base that I believe is whats allowing India, certainly in part, to be able to execute these ambitious missions in an affordable, effective, and timely fashion, he said.

Relative to the relationship with the United States, India is becoming and really is already one of the greatest space powers, making the relationship with the US absolutely vital, he said.

India and the US working together on NISAR to gather critical climate data information about the earth is absolutely vital, Mr Gold said.

That is an example of how India and the US together can literally save the world with information that these two space powers can bring together, he said.

As India moves forward into crew operations, thats where I hope we can build upon the foundation of collaborations like NISAR in the scientific field to build broad and deep relationships.

In human space flight. I hope that NASA can cooperate and coordinate with ISRO as much as possible to support Indias human space flight goals in the US generally, Mr Gold said.

He hoped that the International Space Station would become the destination for Indian astronauts.

There is an incredible opportunity to partner with India because while human space flight is critical and important, wonderful for exploration, inspiration and for science, it requires a destination and a place to go to, he said.

As we look at where the Indian and US relationship will evolve, it can begin with partnerships with NASA and whats occurring with the ISS, but in parallel to that, we should be having discussions now between private sector entities and ISRO in regards to leveraging the new wave of commercial space stations that will eventually succeed the ISS, he said.

The former top NASA official hoped that India joins the ARTEMIS accords as it journeys to the moon.

Part of the reason that its absolutely vital for India to execute the accords is because India is already going to the moon. India is a lunar country. The purpose of the accords is to ensure that we have a peaceful and prosperous future in space, he said.

I believe that India is a sleeping giant when it comes to commercial space. You have amazing amounts of human capital, of manufacturing capacity that when applied to commercial space could be transformative, not just for India, but for the entire commercial space sector, Mr Gold said.

Redwire Space, he said, is in discussions with an Indian company to explore partnerships of possible manufacturing in India.

I think any company that isnt engaged in dialogues to explore potential operations in India is foolish and will regret not doing so, he said.

Mr Gold, however, said the barrier that many commercial space companies and the private sector, in general, have faced in India is bureaucracy.

There have been challenges relative to the amount of bureaucracy to access public-private partnerships or to work with Indian entities, which is why the reforms and current regulations are so welcome, he said.

The only thing holding back India is India. For India to then open up entrepreneurialism, the opportunities for global partnerships in commercial space that I think is going to be transformative.

And I applaud what Prime Minister Modi and the leadership of ISRO have done to catapult India into the future via the new policies, reforms, and regulations for commercial space, Mr Gold said.

Its extraordinarily exciting not only for India but for all of us in the private sector in America, he added.

With inputs from PTI

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Members of the Indian-American community and young Indian students are using social media platforms such as Twitter to post video greetings welcoming PM Modi, who will arrive in New York on June 20 and lead the 9th International Yoga Day celebrations at the United Nations headquarters on June 21.

Prominent US lawmakers, leaders, and State Governors are also extending their welcome messages, emphasizing the significance of the US-India relationship and the potential for further growth in various areas of cooperation.

The Indian leader will then travel to Washington DC where he will be welcomed by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on June 22 for the State Visit, which will include an address to the joint session of the US Congress and the historic State Dinner.

Long live India-US friendship!, We would like to welcome Prime Minister @narendramodi for this historic State Visit, Hello and welcome, Prime Minister of India @narendramodi to this beautiful city, India-US ties are a force for global good and The Indian-American community is deeply proud of Prime Minister Modis inspiring leadership, some of the messages said.

The Consulate General of India in New York is tweeting the special video messages that members of the diaspora are sending from iconic American landmarks across the country.

These iconic locations include the Statue of Liberty, Niagara Falls, Princeton University in New Jersey, Columbia University and Columbia Business School in New York, National Museum of the US Air Force in Ohio, iconic New York landmarks Times Square, Brooklyn Bridge and The Edge, Wright Brothers Museum in Dayton, Ohio, Liberty Bell in Philadelphia as well as from New England and Hawaii.

Prominent US lawmakers, leaders and State Governors are also sending their welcome messages to the Indian Prime Minister.

US Senator from New Jersey and Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator Bob Menendez in a video message said that he joins the vibrant and important Indian-American community in his home state in welcoming Prime Minister Modi to Washington DC.

Beginning his message with a Namaste, Menendez said the Prime Ministers State Visit is a significant moment in the US-India relationship.

Recalling the fond memories of his visit to India in 2019, the influential lawmaker said his trip provided a chance for him to meet with Indian civil society leaders, security and government officials as well as engage with Indias history, culture and diverse religious traditions.

Menendez recalled his visit to the Akshardham Temple, the Jama Masjid and the Golden Temple and commemorating Mahatma Gandhis 150th birthday.

I hope Prime Minister Modi will have the same opportunities to experience all the richness of the United States during his visit, whether it is the incredible architecture of the US Capitol dome or the deep generosity of the American people, Menendez said as he wished the Indian leader well in his visit to Washington.

From our trade and economic engagement to our security cooperation to our people-to-people ties, the India-US relationship is critically important. We have made considerable strides in recent years, and I hope for even more in the future, he said.

He underlined that New Jerseys Indian-American community contributes to the states and nations economy, culture, and security.

So let us pledge to work even harder to bring our two societies closer together and to make them both more prosperous in the years and decades to come, he said as he ended his message with Jai Hind and God bless America.

Welcoming Prime Minister Modi to the US, Delaware Governor John Carney said in a video message that he hopes the Indian leader enjoys his time in Washington DC.

This visit will serve as another way for India and the United States to strengthen our economic and cultural relationships, Carney said, recalling his recent visit to India during which he was struck by the kindness of the people I met there.

He added that as Governor, he takes great pride in fostering the sister-state relationship with Gujarat and know that my fellow Delawarean President Biden feels the same way.

With inputs from PTI

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The three-day G20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting that concluded here on Saturday adopted an Outcome Document and Chairs Summary which reiterated its commitment to food security and nutrition for all while also calling for action on food security and nutrition.

Describing the consensus in adopting the document as historical, an official release said it was reached after deliberations on various issues centred around the agriculture sector wherein leadership of G20 developing countries was envisaged.

We appreciate Indias initiatives for G20s concrete deliverables  the Deccan High-Level Principles on Food Security and Nutrition 2023 and 12th G20 MACS international initiative for research on millets and other ancient grains aimed to enhance global food security and nutrition, the G20 Ministers of Agriculture said in the document.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the meeting was attended by the 20 member countries of the grouping, the invited countries and representatives of 10 international organisations.

He said 40 representatives expressed their views in the ministerial meeting.

While acknowledging the long-term increase in global food production to meet the needs of a growing population, the G20 Ministers of Agriculture, in the document, said they are gravely concerned by the worsening global food insecurity situation and intensifying malnutrition rates, in several developing and least developed countries.

The global food insecurity situation and malnutrition rates are compounded by poverty, the Covid-19 pandemic, deepening climate change and biodiversity loss crises, and ongoing conflicts in the world, they said.

In the document, the G20 Ministers of Agriculture reiterated the urgency noted in the G20 Matera and Bali Leaders Declarations emphasising the need to work together to promote food security and nutrition.

We are committed to helping vulnerable countries particularly Net Food Importing Developing Countries (NFIDCs) to achieve it, they said.

In their Call for Action on Food Security and Nutrition, the ministers noted with concern the high prices, ongoing disruptions in global supply chains, and excessive price volatility of food and fertilisers.

Resilient, uninterrupted and reliable supply chains are essential for stabilising the availability and affordability of food for all, especially for people in vulnerable situations, they said.

In the context of systemic shocks, geopolitical tensions and conflicts, we highlight the urgency of meeting global food security and nutrition needs and facilitating robust food and fertiliser supplies, they said.

While stressing the importance of diverse, safe, and sustainably produced nutritious food to improve food security and nutrition, the ministers stated in the document that they encourage initiatives to promote innovations in crop development, production and consumption patterns.

The ministers said they recognise that sustainable agriculture and food production, food security programmes and international trade are critical for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We should support developing countries to enhance their capacity for sustainable food production, storage, marketing and loss reduction, they said.

To promote food security and nutrition programs, the ministers agreed to share best practices and experiences with each other.

The ministers resolved to collaborate in areas such as climate-resilient technologies, nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches and foster better dissemination of existing traditional and local knowledge for sustainable agriculture.

They called for an integrated and multi-sectoral One Health approach to simultaneously balance and optimise the health of people, animals, plants and ecosystems, and combat anti-microbial resistance (AMR) to reduce the risks from emerging and currently occurring zoonotic diseases with pandemic potential and other threats to global public health security.

The ministers underscored that policies promoting resilient and sustainable agriculture, food systems and supply chains have enormous potential to bring about inclusive welfare and sustainable development.

Towards universal accessibility and affordability of digital solutions in agriculture, they committed to collaborating with all stakeholders and strengthening capacity-building efforts, including dissemination of digital tools and technology and promoting its adoption by farmers.

We stress the necessity for strengthening international cooperation in the exchange of experiences and insights for the use of digital technologies in agriculture and food systems, the document said.

The ministers expressed deep gratitude to Indias Presidency of G20, and for its leadership in stewarding the agricultural agenda in 2023 and said they look forward to Brazils Presidency of G20 in 2024, and South Africas Presidency in 2025.

Observing that the agriculture sector is facing several challenges globally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a video message to the meeting on Friday, urged the G20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting to deliberate on how to undertake collective action for achieving global food security.

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Asserting that there was no loss of life in Gujarat due to cyclone Biparjoy, which made landfall in the coastal areas of his home state, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the extremely severe cyclonic storm, packing wind speeds in excess of 140 kmph, was tackled successfully.

The Union Home Minister was speaking at a press conference in Bhuj after chairing a review meeting on the aftermath of cyclone Biparjoy.

Today, a meeting was held in hybrid mode, featuring all the ministers, MLAs, and officers of the Gujarat government, as well as those representing the central government, Shah said.

Stressing not a single life was lost in the cyclone, the Union Home Minister said, Today I can say with great satisfaction that, with the cooperation of PM Modi and the people in all the affected areas, we were able to face this cyclone with minimum loss.

Heaping praise on the evacuation effort, Shah said, The way the Gujarat government, with the support of the central agencies, worked to protect lives during the cyclone is a classic example of teamwork.Shah said, Only 47 people were injured after the storm hit but none severely. Also, only about 234 animals died in the cyclone.

He said that PM Modi had directed the authorities concerned to make all necessary arrangements long before the cyclone made landfall. He (PM Modi) held discussions with the state officials and agencies on preparedness, evacuation, and rescue, Shah said.

He said that power has been restored in 1,600 of the 3,400 villages which went dark in the wake of the storm. I have been assured by the officials concerned that power in the remaining villages will be restored before 6 pm on June 20.

He added that a total of 1,08,208 civilians and about 73,000 livestock were moved to safe shelters before the storm hit.

Shah, who personally monitored and took stock of the rescue operations, said, Nineteen teams from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 13 teams from State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and 2 Reserve Battalions were deployed to ensure that the evacuation and rescue operations could be conducted without a hitch. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Police, and the BSF also worked with NDRF and SDRF to ensure the safety of locals.

Earlier, on Saturday, Shah arrived in his home state to survey the trail of devastation left in the wake of Cyclone Biparjoy.

He also met the people of Kathda village in Mandvi while also interacting with personnel of the National Disaster Response Force in the Kutch district.

Earlier in the day, Shah visited Mandvi Civil Hospital and interacted with those affected by the extremely severe cyclonic storm.

Shah, along with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, conducted an aerial survey of areas badly hit by the cyclone.

Cyclone Biparjoy, which originated in the Arabian Sea and swept across the west coast of India, made landfall on Thursday night around 10 km north of the Jakhau Port in Kutch in Gujarat.

A total of six National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams evacuated 127 civilians from Rupen Bandar Government Primary School and reshifted to NDH School Dwarka after Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall in coastal areas of the state on Thursday evening.

According to NDRF, the evacuated civilians included 82 men, 27 women and 15 children.

With a prediction of heavy rainfall for the next two days for Gujarat after cyclone Biparjoy made landfall in the state, Western Railways on Friday decided to cancel, partially cancel the operation of a few more trains as a precautionary measure in the cyclone-prone areas.

According to IMD, the cyclonic storm weakened into a deep depression at 11:30 pm on Friday over Southeast Pakistan.

Earlier, it was reported that several trees were uprooted in Bhuj, Kutch, due to the impact of the cyclone. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team carried out the clearance work on Friday.

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Devotees participating in the upcoming Kanwar Yatra have been asked to carry their identity cards and keep the height of their kanwars less than 12 feet to avoid accidents.

Officials said on Saturday that the decisions were taken at an inter-state coordination meeting of police officials chaired by Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar at the state police headquarters in Dehradun.

This year, the Kanwar Yatra will begin on July 4 and go on till July 15.

The DGP said that in order to ensure the safety of devotees in one of the largest religious events in the country, police departments from all the concerned states should collaborate well in advance for effective crowd management.

He added that drones and CCTVs will be used to monitor the event.

Limiting the height of kanwars to less than 12 feet was necessary due to 100 per cent electrification of the railway tracks in Uttarakhand. Bringing higher kanwars with totally electrified railway tracks could be risky, an official who attended the meeting said.

Kanwar Yatra is an annual religious event where devotees of Lord Shiv called kanwaris travel to Haridwar by foot. They carry two containers attached to a single pole usually made of bamboo on their shoulders to fetch water from the Ganga River. The water-filled containers are then carried for hundreds of miles to offer the water to local Shiva temples.

This year, around four crore kanwariyas are expected to arrive in Haridwar, Haridwars Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh said.

Kanwariyas will also be able to receive information like vehicle parking spaces and route diversion by scanning a QR code issued by the Haridwar Police.

As many as 333 CCTV cameras will be installed in the Kanwar fair area and more than 5,000 police personnel deployed in and around Haridwar to maintain a vigil, the officials said.

Twelve companies of central paramilitary forces have been sought from the Centre besides three bomb disposal and dog squads, the meeting was informed. The meeting was attended in person or virtually by police officials from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, they said.

With inputs from PTI

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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will investigate the Khalistani elements attacks on Indian High Commission in Canada and the US, as per Delhi Police sources.

The Delhi Police Special Cell filed FIRs under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in relation to the March 2023 attack in Canada and San Francisco (US). According to Delhi Police sources, the matter has now been handed to the NIA.

Pro-Khalistan supporters in the US recently threatened the Indian embassy and Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu during their protest. While rallying outside the mission, a protestor in his speech made a direct threat to the Ambassador that the hypocrisy will come to an end and that the Ambassador could face a similar fate to what former president of India Zail Singh faced back in 1994. In response, the US said: Violence or the threat of violence against diplomatic facilities and personnel in the United States is a grave concern and will not be tolerated.

Multiple incidents of protests by supporters of Khalistan have been staged outside the Indian Embassy and the San Francisco Consulate.

The Indian Consulate in San Francisco was also attacked on March 20. Recently, a video surfaced on social media in which pro-Khalistani protestors gathered at the consulate in San Francisco, shouting slogans in support of pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh and heckling staff as they abandoned the diplomatic mission.

The US said it condemns recent violent incidents that have taken place during protests at Indian diplomatic facilities in the country. Khalistan supporters in March, protested outside the Indian Embassy in Canada. They raised pro-Khalistan slogans and allegedly assaulted Indian-origin journalists present on the spot.

With inputs from ANI.

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said not only nuts and bolts, but BrahMos missiles, drones and electronic warfare systems will also be manufactured and assembled in the Uttar Pradesh defence corridor.

The Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) is an aspirational project that intends to reduce the dependence of the Indian aerospace and defence sectors on foreign suppliers.

Singh emphasised the need for self-reliance for the country, saying it was not an option but a necessity in the fast-changing global scenario.

During the 1971 war, when we needed equipment the most we were refused. We had to look for alternatives. I dont want to take the names of the countries that refused our request, he said addressing an event on Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The defence minister said the Kargil War of 1999 saw a similar story.

During the Kargil war, when our armed forces felt a strong need for equipment, those countries were imparting us lessons of peace. Those who traditionally used to supply us weapons, they too refused, Singh said.

Hence, we do not have any option than strengthening ourselves, he said.

Singh said the country is moving ahead with the pledge of self-reliance. From the ground to the sky and from the agriculture machines to the cryogenic engine, India is moving fast to become self-reliant in every sector, he said.

In the fast changing world, self-reliance is not an option for us, but it is a necessity, he said, adding the government is ensuring the countrys self-reliance in every sector, especially defence as it is directly related to the countrys security.

With inputs from PTI

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On Friday, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) asked passengers to stop making Instagram Reels after the increase of viral videos inside the metro. The DMRC reminded the commuters through a tweet from their official handle, that any activity which causes inconvenience to the commuters is strictly prohibited inside the metro. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation took the help of a popular nursery rhyme to send the message across.

The tweet was shared along with a poster that stated, Johnny Johnny! Yes, Papa? Making Reels in Metro? No, Papa! With this Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (informed users that any behaviour that causes inconvenience to fellow riders is strictly forbidden. The footnote on the poster stated, Any such activity that may inconvenience passengers is strictly prohibited inside the Delhi Metro.

Open your camera, Na Na Na! #DelhiMetro pic.twitter.com/6hT6jxC007  Delhi Metro Rail Corporation I    (@OfficialDMRC) June 16, 2023

Social media users appreciated the witty style of the Delhi Metro and called for strict action against the offenders. Absolutely right decision, please implement it strongly and strictly, commented a user

Absolutely right decision, please implement it strongly and strictly  Pankaj K. Majumder (@pmajumder) June 17, 2023

Strict action and fine should be taken, a comment read.

Strict action and fine should be taken.  Dr Leena kakoty (@KakotyDr) June 16, 2023

DMRCs new measures

The message was sent out after several viral videos which were shot inside the Delhi Metro came to light. After this, the DMRC now intends to increase security measures inside trains as well as in stations. Due to incidents like blocking the metro doors from closing and recording dance Reels to popular Bollywood songs, the Delhi Metro has tweeted cautionary digital posters and encouraged passengers to avoid such activities. Every day, it operates a flying squad to ensure the security and safety of passengers.

Apart from increasing security within the metro, DMRC is also taking strict actions against any inappropriate behaviour by commuters. Recently, in a viral video, a college student who caused a disturbance inside the metros premises was fined Rs 200 under Section 59 of the Delhi Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002. In a video, it can be seen that he, along with other boys blocked the train doors from closing by putting their feet in between.

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BJPs Tamil Nadu State Secretary SG Suryah was arrested by the Madurai district cyber crime police on Friday in Chennai in connection with his recent tweet on Madurai MP Su Venkatesan. The action was criticised by Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and state president K Annamalai.

Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the use of police arrest for tweets is REAL & TOTAL overreach n violation of right to due process of law n free speech.

This was the normal tactic to silence by Rahuls Cong during UPA misusing Sec66A  recently its dynast allies too hv done it like @PawarSpeaks n now @mkstalin to prove he wasnt named after Stalin for no reason,Rajeev Chandrasekhar tweeted.

Those Free speech activists who jump around at drop of hat must not remain silent now or be branded hypocrites. This type of threat to democracy n intimidation by his Secularly Dynast Allies is perhaps what Rahul was referring to on his tourist trips whn he says Democracy is in Danger n what Rt Hon @jack dorsey was referring to as jailing n arrest in his recent interview post his Rip van Winkle siesta. @SuryahSG is being threatened for questioning the death of a sanitation worker who was forced to work in perilous circumstances  He will prevail n we will fight to ensure he is freed from this type of coersion n intimidation, Chandrasekhar added.

Use of police arrest for tweets/posts is REAL & TOTAL overreach n violation of right to due process of law n free speech. This was the normal tactic to silence by Rahuls Cong during UPA misusing Sec66A  recently its dynast allies too hv done it like @PawarSpeaks n now https://t.co/rHMwFMnhWP  Rajeev Chandrasekhar  (@Rajeev_GoI) June 17, 2023

Condemning the incident, the State BJP president K Annamalai said on Twitter, The arrest of @BJP4TamilNadu State Secretary Thiru @SuryahSG avl is highly condemnable. His only mistake was to expose the nasty double standards of the communists, allies of DMK.

Using state machinery to curtail free speech & getting jittery for the slightest criticism is unbecoming of a democratically elected leader and, indeed, are signs of an autocratic leader in the making. Drawing inspiration from autocrats, TN CM Thiru @mkstalin is turning the state into a lawless jungle. These arrests will not deter us & we will continue to be bearers of the uncomfortable truth! Annamalai tweeted.

Earlier, in a scathing letter aimed at Communist Party of India (CPI) Councilor Viswanathan, the BJP State Secretary Suryah said an incident in which a sanitation worker from Madurai, Pennadam Parishad, died on the job as he was forced to work in faecal water due to which he developed an allergic reaction in his body.

In his letter, Suryah lashed out at Viswanathan for his double standards, and for forcing the deceased sanitation worker to resort to manual scavenging despite being aware that it is prohibited by law. The letter was attached to his tweet by Suryah on his Twitter handle.

In the same tweet, Suryah attacked Madurai MP Venkatesan for his silence. Your fake politics of separatism stinks worse than that cesspool, find a way to live as a human being, mate! a rough translation of his tweet in Tamil read.

Suryahs arrest comes after State Minister Senthil Balaji was sent to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till June 23, in connection with an alleged money laundering case by the Chennai Metropolitan Session court on Friday.

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National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Saturday underscored several qualities of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose like audacity and tenacity that made him an outstanding leader whose legacy is unparalleled.

Doval made the above remarks while delivering the first Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Memorial lecture in the national capital.

The first quality that makes Netaji stand out was his audacity. He had the audacity to single-handedly take on the British against all odds. He motivated a defeated army by rallying them behind a larger cause, gave mottos like Jai Hind, Ittehad, Itmad, Qurbani (Unity, Trust, Sacrifice) and ensuring that people rise above distinctions of caste, religion and gender to pursue the single-minded goal of the complete elimination of the colonial rule, the NSA said.

Doval said that the second quality that distinguishes Netaji was his tenacity  his ability to persevere despite the odds and not dilute his goal even a bit.

Subhas Chandra Bose wanted complete freedom for Indians, not merely dominion status. He wanted Indians to feel free like birds and never compromised for anything less than the complete independence of the country, he added.

Articulating Netajis efforts, he shared an incident of what Former British Prime Minister Clement Attlee, under whom India got Independence, during a subsequent visit to India after leaving office, said in his reply to a question by Chief Justice of Bengal High Court and acting Governor Justice JB Chakraborty.

When asked by his friend Justice Chakraborty about the real reason for the British quitting India in a hurry  Attlee cited several reasons, the principal among them being the erosion of loyalty to the British crown among the Indian army and Navy personnel as a result of the military activities of Netaji, Doval said.

He added, Attlee said it was Netaji Bose and his ideas that we were afraid of. The Royal Indian Navy mutiny, Jabalpur protests acted as Straws in the wind that evoked past memories of 1857 for the British. They dreaded that the 25 lakh Indian soldiers who won the Second World War for the Allies imbued by the spirit of Netajis ideas would be a nightmare for the British.

Recalling the efforts of PM Modi so that legacy of Bose is not forgotten and continues to guide India, Doval said that history has been unkind to Netaji.

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Police in Uganda said 25 people were killed when the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked a school in the nation's west.

At least 25 people have been killed in a "terrorist attack" on a school in western Uganda, the Ugandan Police Force said on Saturday.

According to police, the Lhubirira secondary school in Mpondwe was attacked by members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF)-- a Ugandan group based in eastern Congo that is aligned with the Islamic State -- late on Friday.

"So far 25 bodies have been recovered from the school and transferred to Bwera Hospital", police said on Twitter. The school where the attack took place is situated 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Not known if any children were killed

Of the 25 people killed, police did not say how many of the victims were children, if any.

"Also recovered are eight victims, who remain in critical condition at Bwera hospital," the statement added.

Police said that a dormitory was set alight, and food was looted.

Ugandan forces were pursuing the attackers who fled towards Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, police said.

Local publication, the Daily Monitor newspaper, citing security sources, reported that the attackers "abducted several" others before fleeing.

The ADF found a foothold in eastern DRC in the 1990s. It has since been accused of killing thousands of civilians.

Earlier in April, the ADF had attacked a village in eastern DRC, leaving at least 20 people dead.

dvv/kb (AFP, Reuters)
NYC Pride is going to be an incredible event! It is a massive and proudly queer celebration that attracts over four million people from around the world.
Just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modis official visit to the US, the Biden administration eased green card eligibility norms for those planning to stay in America.

The guidance issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regarding the eligibility criteria for initial and renewal applications for Employment Authorisation Document (EAD) in compelling circumstances is expected to help thousands of Indian technology professionals who are in the agonisingly long wait for a Green Card or permanent residency.

For the unversed, the green card, also officially known as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants coming to the US who can use it as a prove that they have been granted the privilege of residing in the country.

The immigration laws in the US provide for approximately 140,000 employment-based green cards to be issued each year.

The USCIS guidelines have laid down specific requirements that applicants must reach to be eligible for an initial EAD based on compelling circumstances.

Among these requirements is a principal beneficiary of an approved Form I-140, being in a valid non-immigrant status or authorised grace period, not having filed an adjustment of status application, and meeting certain biometrics and criminal background requirements.

Further, USCIS will exercise discretion to determine whether an applicant demonstrates compelling circumstances justifying the issuance of employment authorisation.

Ajay Bhutoria, a prominent community leader and advocate for immigrant rights said, These measures are a significant step towards supporting individuals facing challenging situations and ensuring their ability to work lawfully in the United States.

He added that these measures will be important for individuals who find themselves in challenging situations such as serious illness or disability, employer disputes or retaliation, significant harm, or disruptions to employment.

For instance, individuals with approved immigrant visa petitions in oversubscribed categories or chargeability areas may submit evidence like school or higher education enrollment records, mortgage records, or long-term lease records to demonstrate compelling circumstances, he said.

With inputs from PTI

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Noting that the India-US relationship is now headed to the next level, Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu said Prime Minister Narendra Modis upcoming visit here will have an impact not only on the two countries but also on other nations.

PM Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. They will host Modi at a state dinner on June 22. The visit also includes an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on June 22.

The relationship is now going at the next level and there are a number of aspects in this visit which are pointing towards that, Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu told PTI on Friday.

PM Modi will arrive here on June 21 after attending the International Yoga Day in New York. He will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House on June 22, and meet US President Joe Biden to continue their high-level dialogue.

Itll also provide an opportunity to both the leaders to be able to spend time together and discuss across the board a number of issues which are of mutual interest, Sandhu said.

Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a State Dinner in honour of the prime minister on the same evening.

At the invitation of Congressional leaders, the prime minister will address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress on June 22.

Now we are talking of actually real partnership in terms of core development, in terms of collaboration. You will see across the areas there is going to be much more cooperation and working together. This will have an impact not only for the United States and India but also for many third countries, Sandhu said.

Vice President Kamala Harris, along with Secretary of State Tony Blinken, is hosting a luncheon for the prime minister on June 23.

Prime Minister has visited the United States a number of times and each one has been a different kind of visit. There has always been some new aspect in each. But this one is an (Official) State Visit and it has its own special components, he said.

Sandhu said the State Visit is the highest level of respect and regard that the US can give to India and its prime minister.

That is the first significance of the State Visit. Then, the State Visit has its own components in this case, of course, the ceremonial and the substantive aspects both are very important and equally significant, he said.

In 2016, Prime Minister Modi addressed the US Congress.

It was a very successful visit to the US Congress. But of course, the world has changedSo, there is a lot of added interest in India and in people, especially Congressmen and Senators. Its visible in their statements. They are very excited to listen to the Prime Ministers vision of the US-India partnership and also his views on many other aspects, Sandhu said.

By speaking the second time, the prime minister will actually be joining a club of very few international statesmen like Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill or the Israeli Prime Minister. Very few have come. But (from) the Indian side in the last 75 years, he will be the first leader to actually speak the second time to the US Congress, he said.

The US Congress provides a platform which is very, very important and very significant and Prime Minister Modi will be able to give his message out to a much larger audience, he said.

There is also going to be a state dinner at the White House. The State dinners here are a special event and, in this case, the top cream of the United States from different areas will be participating, he said.

So, the Prime Minister will get to interact with a number of people from different areas, said the Indian ambassador.

The prime minister, during his stay here, will be meeting professionals, CEOs and a number of other successful Americans, including Indian Americans, Sandhu said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg will more likely head the alliance for another year, sources familiar with the developments have said.

The alliance has been struggling to look for a possible successor to Stoltenberg as he is due to step down in September this year after occupying the top position for nine years.

The source told Reuters that he has broad support in the alliance and continues to be an effective leader.

The (Biden) administration is coming around the idea of Stoltenberg staying on for another year, said the US official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

It doesnt look like there is consensus at the moment within the alliance on his replacement, the source added.

Stoltenberg has held the seat of secretary-general of NATO since 2014. His term has already been prolonged by a year to October in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

He has reiterated that he does not have any intention of seeking an extension. Stoltenberg said, When it comes to my successor that is an issue to be decided by the 31 allies.

Earlier this week, the NATO chief visited the White House to meet US President Joe Biden.

Here, he was appreciated by the White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre who said Stoltenberg has done a fantastic job, a really wonderful job, during this history-making timeNATO has come together in a way that we havent seen in a very long time.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen emerged as a possible frontrunner to succeed Stoltenberg.

At the same time, British Defence Minister Ben Wallace also threw his hat in the ring.

But there is so far no consensus on a clear pick among NATO members, and diplomats are increasingly talking up the chances of Stoltenberg being asked to stay on.

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NATO has taken action to safeguard undersea pipelines and cables due to growing concerns about the threat of Russian sabotage. NATO has established a new centre in response to the still-unresolved apparent attack on the Nord Stream pipelines and Russias potential mapping of crucial Western infrastructure in European waters.

Lt. Gen. Hans-Werner Wiermann, who leads a dedicated unit focused on this challenge, remarked, The threat is evolving, following the approval of the new centre by NATO defence ministers. Located in Northwood, northwest London, the centre aims to address the heightened concerns of Russian mapping and the potential targeting of undersea cables and critical infrastructure to disrupt Western societies.

NATOs decision was prompted by an apparent attack on two Baltic Sea gas pipelines in September. The investigation into the suspected attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, designed to transport Russian natural gas to Germany, is still ongoing.

Although no official blame has been assigned, NATO has increased its presence in the Baltic and North Seas, deploying numerous ships supported by maritime patrol aircraft and undersea equipment, including drones.

With approximately 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) of oil and gas pipelines spanning the North Sea, continuous monitoring of systems, networks, and grids is unfeasible. Worldwide, around 100 incidents of cable cutting are reported each year, making it difficult to determine their intentional nature.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged that it is impractical to have NATO presence along thousands of kilometers of undersea infrastructure. Instead, the focus will be on enhancing intelligence collection, information sharing, and connecting the dots. Stoltenberg emphasized the abundance of information available from the private sector regarding ship movements and maritime surveillance.

Rather than attempting to monitor all areas, the new center and NATO allies will concentrate on high-risk zones. Pipelines located in shallow waters, easily accessible to divers, are particularly vulnerable. Potential damage to data cables can be mitigated by adding additional cables.

NATO deems it crucial to apprehend saboteurs during the preparatory stages of their attacks. Wiermann stated, To support the center, allies have decided to establish a critical undersea infrastructure network, bringing together NATO, allies, and private sector actors. This will facilitate improved information sharing concerning evolving risks and threats.

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Imran Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been summoned once again by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after he failed to show up at its Rawalpindi office on Friday, reported Geo News.

The former Pakistan prime minister was initially called in for the investigations into the Toshakhana case on Friday after being ousted by the parliament last April. However, his attorney arrived at his place and asked for a new date.

The PTI chief had asked to be called on June 19, but the NAB changed the schedule to June 21 so that he could appear in the corruption case involving the state gift depository.

Allegations of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and unlawful handling of state assets by those in positions of authority, among others, are being taken up in the case of Imran Khan, Geo News reported today.

As of now, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan has been notified to bring relevant records, including details and records of received state gifts, and records of sold state gifts and physically produce the state gifts retained.

According to Geo News, this has been done to evaluate the value of gifts by experts as per the list previously provided in the call-up notice.

It was alleged that the PTI Chief misused his power by keeping the gifts, which were valued at millions of rupees. The call-up notice said that the PTI leader, in his capacity as prime minister, had a say in how the price appraisal procedure was carried out by both public and private appraisers.

Moreover, PTI Chief Imran Khan, had, in the past, repeatedly ignored his scheduled hearings before the NAB, particularly in the Toshakhana case where he ignored the last three summons.

The anti-graft watchdog had noticed the purported failure to disclose the true worth of gifts received by the former prime minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and other cabinet members in November last year, according to Geo News.

Meanwhile, yesterday, Imran Khans wife Bushra Bibi was also summoned once again by the accountability bureau in National Crime Agency (NCA) 190 million pounds scandal on Friday.

For her attendance on June 22, the anti-corruption watchdog once more handed Bushra Bibi a call-up notice in the 190 million NCA affair.

She has been told to provide the NAB investigators with any pertinent Al-Qadir Trust documents. Bushra Bibi was called on June 13 but did not show up before the NAB before the notification was issued, ARY News reported.

The anti-corruption watchdog also called former principal secretary Azam Khan in the same case. On June 19, Azam Khan was requested by NAB Rawalpindi. The anti-graft watchdog called him on June 6, but he did not show up, as per ARY News.

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Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday urged his brother and former PM Nawaz Sharif to come back and lead the election campaign in the country and become the PM for the fourth time.

Addressing the central general council meeting of the party, PML-N, Sharif said that he was waiting for his elder brother to return to Pakistan and then hold the party meeting so he could hand over the PML-Ns president back to him.

Former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif has been in self-imposed exile in London since November 2019 owing to health reasons. The election commissions sword was hanging which is why this meeting was held, the prime minister added.

Premier Shehbaz was given the PML-Ns presidency after his predecessor  Nawaz, the three-time prime minister  was disqualified by the Supreme Court and barred from holding any party office, according to Geo News.

You will see that the map of politics will change when Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan, PM Shehbaz said.

This statement came a few weeks after Pakistan President Arif Alvi signed the Supreme Court Review of Judgements and Orders Act 2023, clearing the first step for Nawaz Sharif to exercise the right of appeal against their lifetime disqualifications within 60 days.

Under this new law, now an appeal can be filed against the court decisions in cases under Article 184(3). The law now applies to past verdicts as well, Samaa News. Pakistan Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif in the Panama Papers case on July 28, 2017.

The apex court banned him from holding any public office for life for hiding unpaid salary from his son in the Panama case. A year later, the court while announcing the verdict on petitions challenging the Elections Act 2017 said that a person disqualified under Articles 62 and 63 cannot serve as the head of a political party, Pakistani news channel Geo News reported.

With inputs from ANI.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter to G20 leaders has proposed giving the African Union full membership in the group at the upcoming summit in India.

The prime minister has taken a bold step to enhance Africas voice on the international stage and in shaping the future of our shared world, sources said on Saturday.

The African Union consists of 55 member states.

He (PM Modi) has written to G20 counterparts to propose that the African Union be given full membership at the upcoming Delhi Summit of G20, as requested by them, said a source.

The Prime Minister has led from the front on this matter, which he strongly advocates and supports, the source added.

The G20 grouping currently consists of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU).

Meanwhile, the African Union is currently considered the top-most grouping that represents the voice of the several countries that are part of it.

It has been working towards ensuring the progress and economic growth of the African nations. It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the worlds major developed and developing economies. The members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.

With inputs from PTI

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President Joe Biden on Saturday said that the US would not make any special arrangements to ensure Ukraines entry into NATO.

Theyve got to meet the same standards. So were not going to make it easy, the US president told reporters near Washington.

His latest comments come just days after the 80-year-old Democrat said the US is open to removing the major hurdles blocking Ukraines membership into the military alliance after the war.

Biden, however, did not specify the exact date when Kyiv can join the military alliance.

According to a report by Politico, two US officials said that Biden had earlier welcomed the removal of the Membership Action Plan (MAP), which requires a candidate nation to make military and democratic reforms based on NATOs suggestions, to facilitate Ukraines membership.

A senior official said, We are engaging with our NATO allies on this middle-ground approach to determine whether it can gain consensus.

We are seeking to find common ground on language that supports NATOs commitment to Ukraines transatlantic integration, the official added.

NATOs Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said earlier this week that the alliances support for Ukraine is making a big difference in the war.

The support NATO allies have been giving Ukraine now for many, many months actually makes a difference on the battlefield, he said.

On the other hand, Stoltenberg added that though NATO will tighten political ties with Ukraine at the upcoming summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, there will be no talk of membership for Kyiv.

Were not going to discuss an invitation at the Vilnius Summit, but how we can move Ukraine closer to NATO, Stoltenberg said.

Im confident that we will find a good solution and consensus.

NATO nations in eastern Europe have pushed for a better roadmap for Ukraine to obtain membership, but key allies like the United States and Germany have been reluctant to go much beyond a vague 2014 pledge that Kyiv will join one day.

With inputs from AFP

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Several top American lawmakers have issued a series of video messages welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his Official State Visit to the US next week.

In the videos, they said that they are eagerly looking forward to PM Modis address to the Joint Meeting of the Congress.

PM Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. They will host Modi at a state dinner on June 22. The visit also includes an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on June 22.

He will address an invitation-only gathering of diaspora leaders from across the country at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington on June 23.

This is a historic moment in the relationship between the two countries, the lawmakers said.

I would like to join the vibrant and important Indian American community in my home State in saying welcome to Washington DC Prime Minister Modi, said Senator Robert Menendez, Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The Prime Ministers state visit is a significant moment in the US-India relationship, he said.

Menendez, who represents the State of New Jersey in the US Senate, hoped that Modi will have the opportunity to experience all the richness of the United States during his visit.

Whether it is the incredible architecture of the capitol dome or the deep generosity of the American people, I wish him well on his visit to Washington.

From our trade and economic engagement to our security cooperation to our people, to people ties, the India-US relationship is critically important. We have made considerable strides in recent years, and I hope for even more in the future, Menendez said.

Congressman Gregory Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Relations Committee, said he warmly welcomes Modi on his upcoming visit to the United States. Given the consequential nature of the United States and Indias relationship, I look forward to hearing from the Prime Minister during our joint meeting of Congress on his vision for India, for Indias relationship with the United States, he said.

The US and Indias partnership has only grown in importance over the course of the past 40 years, Meeks said, adding that the relationship has been strengthened by people-to-people ties with over four million Indian Americans, many of whom live in the city of New York.

We can leverage this vibrant diaspora to enhance our cooperation and create greater opportunities for the people of our two great nations. As it has been said, the United States in the relationship will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century, he said.

Congressman Greg Landsman said Indias prime minister will be visiting America and the largest and oldest democracies will have a great opportunity to strengthen bilateral bonds. We share common threats and believe in common values. Looking forward to the arrival of Prime Minister Modi in Washington DC next week. India is a key partner in our efforts to strengthen democracy in the U.S. and around the world, said Congressman Don Bacon.

Eminent Indian American leader from New Jersey Dr Sanjay Gupta applauded Congressmen and senators for sending messages ahead of the State visit.

The fact that the Chairman US senate foreign affairs committee, Senator Menendez has gone out of his extremely busy schedule and, in a very short time request, in preparing a video with a great welcome message for PM Modi speaks highly about the recognition and importance of this historic visit by PM Modi, Gupta said.

I personally have not seen such a welcome before for any other world leader and this unprecedented gesture really speaks volumes about PM Modis influence and outreach world-wide, he said.

Congratulatory messages and greetings for the Prime Minister have started pouring in from across the country.

Hello Prime Minister Modi, this is Delaware Governor John Carney. I want to take this opportunity to welcome you to the United States of America. I hope you enjoy your time here in Washington DC. This visit will serve as another way to strengthen India US economic and cultural relationship, he said.

The US and India have an important relationship and collaborate in diverse fields like medicine, technology, and sustainable growth, said Congressman Troy A Carter, adding that he looks forward to hearing the prime ministers address to the Congress.

Governor Laura Kelly of Kansas described it as a historic visit.

Kansas has an important and growing relationship with the people of India. An ever-increasing number of Indian students attend our universities and our vibrant well established Indian American business community makes important contributions to our economy every single day.

We Kansans join our fellow Americans in wishing you a productive time here in the United States. And we look forward to the opportunity to expand our already significant engagement with India in the weeks and years to come, she said.

Seattle Deputy Greg Wong said the city and region is a major hub in the economic ties between the two countries and home to a growing Indian diaspora community.

As we look to the future, we hope for even closer connections between the US and India, whether its partnerships on technology, trade, or combating climate change, closer bilateral cooperation is key, he said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Mali's foreign minister has accused the UN mission of failing to respond to security challenges. The peacekeeping mission was established in 2013 to stabilize the country amid a jihadi insurgency.

Mali's Foreign Ministry has called on the United Nations Security Council to withdraw a peacekeeping mission operational in the country for a decade citing its "failure" to respond to security challenges.

"The government of Mali calls for the withdrawal without delay of MINUSMA," Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop told a UN Security Council meeting on Friday, referring to the UN force in his country.

MINUSMA head El Ghassim Wane reacted to Diop's speech on Friday, saying it was "nearly impossible" to maintain the mission without the host country's consent, the French AFP news agency reported.

What did the foreign minister say?

Addressing the Security Council, Diop said his government was willing to cooperate with the UN. However, he rejected all options proposed by the UN secretary-general to change the mandate of the mission.

In January, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed three amendments to the mission. Proposals included increasing personnel and withdrawing troops. The UN chief eventually opted for a middle ground.

"MINUSMA seems to have become part of the problem by fueling community tensions exacerbated by extremely serious allegations which are highly detrimental to peace, reconciliation and national cohesion in Mali," Diop said on Friday.

He added that the mission's actions created "a feeling of distrust" toward it among the Malian population.

UN experts have recently pointed to human rights violations exercised by the Malian military junta, as well as its Russian supporters, the mercenary Wagner group, prompting the former's ire.

What is MINUSMA and why did Mali fall out with it?

Set up in 2013, MINUSMA's mission, or the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, aimed to stabilize Mali amid a growing jihadist insurgency.

However, relations between the mission and the ruling regime became tense recently, especially following the military take-over in a 2020 coup, followed by another coup nine months later.

In August 2022, Malian authorities also expelled MINUSMA Spokesman Olivier Salgado, and ordered the temporary suspension of the mission's group rotations.

Earlier this year in February, Mali's ruling military junta declared a senior official of the peacekeeping mission persona non grata, giving him 48 hours to leave the country.

rmt/sms (AFP, Reuters)
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis upcoming visit to the US, the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Micron Technology, Sanjay Mehrotra lauded PM Modis vision for Indias technological advancement on Saturday.

In a video shared by the Embassy of India in the US today, the top Indian-American CEO has said that he is looking forward to the state visit of PM Modi and added that he would like to extend a warm welcome to him.

We see much promise in India as part of our global footprint. Indians have made their mark in every field, be it in the private sector, academia or government enriching the cultural fabric of countries worldwide, he said.

We applaud Prime Minister @narendramodis vision for #Indias technological advancement and commitment to equitable development

Adding further, he said that Prime Minister Modis actions to build Indias economy by investing in the skills of its young people are deeply appreciated.

His support for the semiconductor industry and workforce development has fostered an environment of innovation, business growth and social progress, he said.

We applaud the Prime Ministersvision for Indias technological advancement and commitment to equitable development. Prime Minister Modi, he added, saying Once again on behalf of Micron. Welcome to the United States.

Micron is a leader in cutting-edge memory and storage technologies.

More than 3500 engineering operations and technology specialists work in our R and D centres in Hyderabad and Bangalore, which are at the forefront of the semiconductor industry, the Micron Technology CEO underlined.

During his US visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet business leaders of 20 top American companies here and is also expected to address a gathering of more than 1,500 diaspora and business leaders who have been invited to the John F Kennedy Centre in Washington.

Top 20 business leaders of US companies including Mastercard, Accenture, the Coca-Cola Company, Adobe Systems and Visa are expected to meet with the Prime Minister, two people familiar with the event and its logistics told ANI.

The business advocacy group, the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) headed by Dr Mukesh Aghi will host We The People: Celebrating the U.S.-India Partnership on Friday, June 23, 2023, in Washington D.C.

The event will witness eminent industry leaders from across various sectors including IT, Telecom, FMCG, logistics, and industrials, a person familiar with the planning told ANI.

This meeting will be post Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the State Dinner at the White House and before going on an official visit to Cairo at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

The event will have a get-together of not just business leaders but also some of the Biden administrations top officials.

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At least 25 people were killed in a terrorist attack on a school in western Uganda by fighters from the Islamic State-aligned Allied Democratic Forces militia, the national police spokesman said on Saturday.

So far 25 bodies have been recovered from the school and transferred to Bwera Hospital, Fred Enanga said of the overnight attack that occurred near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Enanga said the ADF, which is based in eastern DR Congo, attacked a secondary school near Bwera where a dormitory was burnt and food store looted.

Also recovered are eight victims, who remain in critical condition at Bwera hospital, he said.

The army and police units were pursuing the attackers in the direction of Virunga National Park, which lies over the border in DR Congo where the ADF is based.

Originally insurgents in Uganda, the ADF gained a foothold in eastern DRC in the 1990s and have since been accused of killing thousands of civilians.

Since 2019, some ADF attacks in eastern DRC have been claimed by the Islamic State group, which describes the fighters as a local offshoot, the Islamic State Central Africa Province.

(With inputs from AFP)

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UN officials, agencies and member states have said they are looking forward to participating in the historic 9th International Yoga Day commemoration next week that will be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Prime Minister Modi will lead the yoga session at the UN Headquarters on the 9th International Day of Yoga to be commemorated on June 21.

UN officials and member states took to Twitter with their message that they are keen to participate in the Yoga Day celebrations with the Indian leader.

Looking forward to participating in the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations @UN with Prime Minister @NarendraModi at the UNHQ North Lawn next week, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, the highest-ranking woman at the world organisation, said in a tweet that was accompanied by a photograph of Mohammed shaking hands with PM Modi.

Looking forward to participating in the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations @UN with Prime Minister @NarendraModi at the UNHQ North Lawn next week.https://t.co/0afheBDRzc pic.twitter.com/qCuEQQyJF6  Amina J Mohammed (@AminaJMohammed) June 16, 2023

The French Mission to the United Nations said in a tweet that it is looking forward to doing yoga with Prime Minister @narendramodi at UNHQ North Lawn, and added the hashtag #YogawithModi #InternationalDayofYoga2023.

The Yoga session will run from 8 am-9 am on June 21 at the expansive North Lawn in the UN Headquarters, where a bust of Mahatma Gandhi, a gift from India to the UN, was installed in December last year during the countrys Presidency of the UN Security Council.

The historic yoga session is expected to be attended by top UN officials, ambassadors, envoys, delegates from Member States as well as prominent members of the global and diaspora community.

I am looking forward to participating in the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations @UN with Prime Minister @NarendraModi at the UNHQ North Lawn next week, President of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly Csaba Korsi said in a tweet Thursday.

I am looking forward to participating in the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations @UN with Prime Minister @NarendraModi at the UNHQ North Lawn next week.https://t.co/yzK5GLusFb pic.twitter.com/YxE4zdkHp2  UN GA President (@UN_PGA) June 15, 2023

The tweet accompanied a photograph of Korsi with Prime Minister Modi.

Modi, responding to Korosis tweet said Looking forward to seeing you at the International Day of Yoga celebrations at the UNHQ. Your participation makes the programme even more special. Yoga brings the world together towards furthering good health and wellness. May it keep getting more popular globally.

Looking forward to seeing you at the International Day of Yoga celebrations at the UNHQ. Your participation makes the programme even more special. Yoga brings the world together towards furthering good health and wellness. May it keep getting more popular globally. https://t.co/QjPUZemOeo  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 16, 2023

In a separate tweet, PM Modi said, Yoga holds profound benefits for both body and mind, fostering strength, flexibility, and tranquillity. Let us make Yoga a part of our lives and further wellness as well as peace. Sharing a set of videos depicting the various Asanas.

Yoga holds profound benefits for both body and mind, fostering strength, flexibility, and tranquility. Let us make Yoga a part of our lives and further wellness as well as peace. Sharing a set of videos depicting the various Asanas. https://t.co/Ptzxb89hrV  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 16, 2023

The United Nations Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance in a tweet called on people to join the 9th International Yoga Day celebrations and described the initiative by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations as awesome.

Its great to have Prime Minister @narendramodi lead the session next week at UNHQ North Lawn, it said.

Nine years after Prime Minister Modi had first proposed from the UN General Assembly podium to commemorate International Yoga Day, the Indian leader will for the first time be at the UN Headquarters to lead the yoga session in a historic commemoration of the day.

The first International Day of Yoga was commemorated in 2015 and has since then been marked with several sessions and events highlighting the benefits and universal appeal of Yoga at the UN, Times Square and iconic locations across the world.

The International Day of Yoga aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practising yoga.

(With inputs from PTI)

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The United States Treasury announced on Friday that it has imposed sanctions on a migrant-trafficking gang based in Mexico, known as the Hernandez Salas organization. The gang has been supplying asylum seekers with counterfeit documents to manipulate the immigration process.

Operating from Mexicali, a border city across from Calexico, California, the Hernandez Salas organization has been facilitating the travel of migrants from countries of national security concern since at least 2018, according to the Treasury statement.

The specific countries were not disclosed; however, the gang has been involved in smuggling migrants from Russia, Eritrea, Yemen, Iran, and others into the United States.

The Treasury emphasized that this criminal operation undermines the integrity of the U.S. asylum system, as human smuggling and the provision of fraudulent documentation erode public confidence in the vetting process. Such practices jeopardize the access to protection for vulnerable individuals fleeing conflicts, famine, and persecution.

Reportedly led by Ofelia Hernandez Salas, who has alleged ties to the Sinaloa drug cartel, the gang also includes four associates and utilizes two hotels for housing migrants. Ofelia Hernandez Salas is currently in custody in Mexico, awaiting extradition to face charges in the United States.

According to the Treasury, the gang charged migrants between $10,000 and $70,000 for comprehensive packages that included travel to Mexico, forged documents, and smuggling fees for entry into the United States.

The sanctions imposed by the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) of the Treasury freeze the assets of the sanctioned individuals and companies within the United States. They also prohibit any transactions between U.S. citizens and businesses and the targeted entities.

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In yet another apparent gaffe, US President Joe Biden closed a speech on gun violence with the phrase God Save the Queen.

The 80-year-old president was addressing an audience at the National Safer Communities Summit in Connecticut on Friday where he made a reference to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Before ending his speech on gun control, Biden said that a storm was heading into the area due to which he would be unable to shake hands with the attendees.

I will stand in front of each section  no, I really mean it  if you can see the camera, they can see you. It is the least consequential part of this whole meeting for you, I promise, he said.

All right. God Save the Queen, man, he concluded before walking off the stage.

Watch the video:

This gaffe has now gone viral after President @JoeBiden said at the end of his speech in Connecticut, God save the Queen! Many were baffled because the Queen is dead, and it was not clear why he said, God save the Queen.pic.twitter.com/BNLQpgAEnm  Simon Ateba (@simonateba) June 16, 2023

When asked what the president meant by saying that, the White House assigned pool reporter the Dallas Morning News correspondent Tod Gillman told Fox News, Those watching online heard the final utterance of president Biden at the gun summit  God save the Queen, man  several of you have asked me why he might have said that. I have no idea.

He added, Other poolers likewise have no idea.

Twitter mocks Biden

Bidens comment was quick enough to take Twitter up by storm.

Political strategist Evan Berryhill said, I have seen countless  and I mean countless  drunk people say something totally obscure like God save the Queen and then jaunt around like a Joe Biden just did in an effort to play it off as if they were sober. Hes truly incapacitated.

I have seen countless  and I mean countless  drunk people say something totally obscure like God save the Queen and then jaunt around like a Joe Biden just did in an effort to play it off as if they were sober. Hes truly incapacitated.pic.twitter.com/XhNfFwyTwK  Evan Berryhill (@EvBerryhill) June 16, 2023

American columnist Benny Johnson wrote, Hes in Connecticut. And the Queen is dead

BIDEN: God save the Queen! Hes in Connecticut. And the Queen is dead pic.twitter.com/dfJKrR595x  Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 16, 2023

Britain Firsts  political party  leader Paul Golding said, Biden said at the end of his speech in Connecticut, God save the Queen! Many were baffled because the Queen is not with us, and it was not clear why he said, God save the Queen. Hes lost his marbles.

Biden said at the end of his speech in Connecticut, God save the Queen!

Many were baffled because the Queen is not with us, and it was not clear why he said, God save the Queen.

Hes lost his marbles. pic.twitter.com/lZiDj4Jiey  Paul Golding (@GoldingBF) June 16, 2023

Meanwhile, the White House press office clarified Bidens remark in an email saying, He couldnt do the full ropeline due to weather, and was commenting to someone in the crowd.

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A court in Berlins Pankow denied custody of 27-month-old baby Ahira Shah to her parents. The baby girl will be handed over to Germanys Youth Welfare Office (Jugendamt) where she has been in custody since September 2021.

Dismissing the claims made by her parents that the injuries on Ahira were accidental, the court ordered her custody to be transferred to the German state on Friday, according to India Today.

The court rejected the application of Dhara and Bhavesh Shah to return their child or at least hand her over to the Indian Welfare Service, the third party authorised to be a part of the case.

The court justified its verdict by saying that its order is in the best interests of the child are at risk.

Arihas parents have, however, not lost hope, saying that they have faith in the Indian government and have expressed confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and EAM S Jaishankar to do their best to bring their baby back to them.

From today, we hand over Ariha to 140 crore Bhartiyas, they said in a statement given after the verdict was pronounced.

Ariha was first sent to foster care in Germany in 2021 after her parents were accused of abusing her.

Earlier this month, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi wrote a letter urging the German authorities to do all that is necessary to send Ariha to India at the earliest, which is also her inalienable right as an Indian national.

Meanwhile, 59 members of parliament from 19 political parties including the BJP, Congress, the Left and the Trinamool Congress came together to back Baby Arihas case. They wrote a letter to German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann to do everything that is possible to repatriate the child to India.

We, Members from both Houses of Indias Parliament, belonging to 19 political parties across the political spectrum are writing this joint letter to you with an urgent request regarding the repatriation to India of Ariha Shah, a two-year-old baby girl, a citizen of India as are her parents Dhara and Bhavesh Shah. The family was in Berlin as the babys father was employed in a company there. The family should have been back in India by now but for some tragic events, the Indian lawmakers wrote

We do not cast aspersions on any agency in your country and assume that whatever was done was thought to be in the best interests of the baby, the letter by Indian parliamentarians read.

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South Africa: President Ramaphosa calls for de-escalation of the Ukraine-Russia war

By Dikeledi Molobela

Warsaw, Poland: President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for a de-escalation of the war between Ukraine and Russia, reiterating that peace should be found through negotiations and diplomatic means.

This follows constructive discussions with President Volodymyr Zelensky of the Ukraine on 16 June 2023.

President Ramaphosa together with the Heads State of Zambia, the Comoros and Senegal and Heads of Government of Congo Brazzaville, Egypt, and Uganda, as participants in the African Leaders Peace Mission, met with President Zelensky to seek a road to peace to the conflict that has caused a devastating economic impact, loss of life and global instability.

During a joint media briefing on Friday, President Ramaphosa said the launching of missiles on Friday, in their view, does not deter them from continuing to call for a de-escalation.

President Ramaphosa outlined ten key elements that the mission revolves around, which includes listening to both the Ukraine and Russian Presidents, the war being settled through peace negotiations, security guarantee for all countries, humanitarian support, and post war reconstruction, among other things.

There should be peace, through negotiations and diplomatic means. We should, as we advance towards that peace because all wars in the end, do come to an end. And we believe that this war should be brought to an end as quickly as possible through negotiation and diplomatic means.

The third element for us is that there must be a de-escalation of the conflict. Today, as we were here, we heard of missiles strikes and those types of activities are not good for fostering peace. We argue that there must be de-escalation on both sides, the President said.

He said the African leaders recognise the fourth element, which is the sovereignty of nations and countries in accordance with the United Nations Charter that must be respected. The African leaders further called for the guarantee for security for all countries.

The sixth element spoke to the fact that both countries must ensure that there is movement of grain and fertilizers.

What has also brought us here is that Africa is also feeling the negative impact of this war. Our grain prices have gone up and there's a shortage, fertilizer prices have also [gone] up.

So even as we are 1000s of kilometers away as African countries, we are feeling the impact of this war and we say that, when it comes to things like grain and fertilizers, there should be an opening up of the logistics so that grain and fertilizers must get to the market, President Ramaphosa said.

The South African leaders further called for humanitarian support for those who have fallen victim to the war.

There are people who have become victims of this war who are suffering and we support that humanitarian assistance must be given to those who have become real victims of this war.

The eighth key element for us is that the prisoners of war must be exchanged. And that, that there must also be a return of the children to their homes, the President said.

While the African leaders did not think that their engagement with both Presidents will lead to results that could end the war, President Ramaphosa said they want to engage so that a peaceful solution is found.

President Ramaphosa said the African leaders stand ready and prepared to participate in further engagement.

They welcomed President Zelenskys openness that there should be more engagement.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-06-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Monrovia  Liberia's Foreign Minister H.E. Amb. Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr. has expressed Liberian government's profound gratitude and appreciation for the recognition of Liberia in the US State Department Human Trafficking report 2023, noting that the Government of Liberia is pleased with the report and committed to the fight against human trafficking.

The Liberian Foreign Minister made the statement when he received the US State Department Human Trafficking Report 2023, which moved the country, Liberia from Tier Two Watch list to Tier Two.

Minister Kemayah indicated that the Government of Liberia, under the dynamic leadership of H.E. Dr. George Manneh Weah, is fully committed to working closely with the US government and other international partners aimed at improving Liberia's ranking on the next report.

He said recognizing the importance of increased capacity as well as multi-stakeholder collaboration, the government of Liberia will mobilize additional funds to effectively address trafficking cases and improve inter-agency response mechanism put in place to support survivors.

The Dean of the Cabinet also told the United States Envoy that Liberia's Minister of Labor, Cllr. Charles Gibson will continue to seek for donor's support in other to increase Public awareness of trafficking through community-based initiatives, aimed at increasing at-risk subjects' ability to recognize the methods used by traffickers in order to avoid falling victim to their ugly deals.

Minister Kemayah further assured the Government of the United States, through its Charge d' Affaires that Liberia as a country will remain on an irreversible path as it relates to the fight against human trafficking, noting that the Government of Liberia will work with the US Government through its Embassy in Monrovia to increase budgetary support to NGOs and civil society groups that are supporting trafficking victims.

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"We want to use this time to dedicate the acknowledgment and recognition of the good news for the Human Trafficking task force, that we are doing as country and government to the point that we maintaining our tier two standard, " the Minister further intoned.

The Liberian Chief Diplomat also used the occasion to dedicate the credit to the astute leadership of His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia adding "it may seem simple, but it is not simple, it took leadership of the country to move from Tier Two Watch list to Tier Two, and it will take the same leadership quality to move us from Tier Two, to Tier One or beyond", Minister Kemayah stressed further.

For his part, Mr. Joel Maybury, Charge d'Affaires, Embassy of the United States of America to Liberia congratulated Liberia for maintaining Tier Two in the US State Department Trafficking in Persons Report 2023, stating "We applaud the government for making significant efforts to meet minimum standards."

The United States Envoy said this is a good news story stressing that other countries wish to be on Tier Two, while countries that were in Tier One are brought down to Tier Two.

"Being on Tier Two is not a bad thing, but to make affects; the biggest thing to do is to show commitment, in order to do that, is through the budget, which shows that trafficking is a priority of the government of Liberia", the U S Charge d'Affaires further intoned.
Leaked renders reveal the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic, providing a glimpse of their design and features, thanks to WinFuture. This follows the earlier leaks of Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 renders.

The Galaxy Watch 6 maintains a familiar appearance, similar to its predecessor, with a clean and functional design. It will be offered in two sizes, 40mm and 44mm, and will be available in both Wi-Fi and LTE models. Samsung is expected to incorporate a sapphire lens for enhanced display protection against scratches.

The Galaxy Watch 6 series is rumored to receive an upgraded processor, the Exynos W930 SoC, providing more power. Additionally, the watches may feature a larger and higher-resolution display, measuring 1.47 inches. There is also speculation about the inclusion of larger batteries in the new models.

Samsungs enthusiasts will be pleased to know that the physical rotating bezel, which was a popular feature in earlier releases, is making a comeback in the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic.

Leaked renders indicate that the Classic version will offer a white and black color option, with the possibility of more colors being introduced later. The Classic line will come in two sizes, 43mm and 47mm, and will feature distinctive leather straps.

Upcoming Unpacked Event

Samsung has scheduled its Unpacked event in Seoul for late July, where exciting details about the Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and the highly anticipated Galaxy Watch 6 series will be unveiled.

Source
Authorities said 41 people were killed when an Islamic State-aligned group attacked a school in the nation's west.

At least 41 people were killed in an attack on a school in western Uganda, a local mayor said on Saturday.

According to police, the Lhubirira secondary school in Mpondwe was raided by members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF)-- a Ugandan group based in eastern Congo that is aligned with the Islamic State -- late on Friday.

The school is situated 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A police statement described how a dormitory was set on fire and a food store looted in the attack.

The police did not expand on the nature of the attack or how the victims died, but a reporter for the Daily Monitor newspaper described how some of the bodies were burned beyond recognition.

Mayor Selevest Mapoze says those killed included 38 students, one guard and two members of the local community who were shot outside the school.

Some students reportedly taken hostage

The Daily Monitor cited a senior military official as saying that some of the students had been abducted.

The military official said the boys had been locked into one dormitory, which was set ablaze, while the girls were hacked with machetes in another dormitory. Some of the victims were shot dead.

In an earlier tweet, police described how they had retrieved 25 bodies. and that eight people were in a critical condition in the hospital.

Ugandan forces were pursuing the attackers who fled towards Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, police said.

The ADF found a foothold in eastern DRC in the 1990s. It has since been accused of killing thousands of civilians.

The group has long opposed the rule of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, a US security ally who has been in power since 1986.

A Ugandan military assault later forced the ADF into eastern Congo, where many rebel groups are able to operate because the central government has limited control there.

In April, the ADF attacked a village in eastern DRC, leaving at least 20 people dead.

mm, dvv/kb (AFP, Reuters)
The ADF rebels responsible for the attack on the Mpondwe- Lhubiriha secondary school, stayed within the area for two nights while planning the attack.

This is according to new intelligence reports obtained by the army and revealed by Maj Gen Dick Olum, the UPDF commander of mountain division and operation Shujaa in DR Congo.

Addressing locals atop his car, Maj Gen Olum said that the rebels had stayed with the area and planned to burn army vehicles but feared and instead changed plans to attack the school.

He says that they took time to reconnoitre the school, identifying their targets and getting prior knowledge of the geography of the school.

"They knew where the girls sleep and where the boys sleep, they burn the boys and hacked the girls," he said.

Maj Gen Olum wondered why the locals were not vigilant enough to see that some new members have come to the community, he called upon residents to open their eyes for any new members in the community and report such.

As of now, the death toll of the attack stands at 45 children, while the rebels are said to have abducted an unknown number of students.

During the attack, a dormitory is said to have been burnt. The school food store was also broken into and looted.

The attack has been confirmed by Kasese Resident District Commissioner Joe Walusimbi.

Uganda Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga says police are on the ground to ascertain the number of dead and missing as well as how the attack occurred.

Enanga further added that Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) are in pursuit of the group thought to be headed towards Virunga National Park.

The attack on the school comes twenty-five years to the day after the same rebel outfit launched a devastating attack on Uganda Technical College, Kichwamba on June 8, 1998. Reports indicate 80 students lost their lives in that ADF attack while another 100 were abducted.
African leaders and senior politicians from seven countries are visiting Ukraine and Russia to find some middle ground for the warring parties to start peace talks.

A delegation of African leaders on a mission to end the war in Ukraine received a reminder of the challenge they faced when explosions were heard in Kyiv during their visit on Friday.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and other African heads of state arrived earlier to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, before talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Saturday.

They are hoping to encourage the Ukrainian and Russian leaders to agree to, "a diplomacy-led process of negotiations."

Accompanying Ramaphosa are Senegal's Macky Sall, Zambia's Hakainde Hichilema and Comoros President Azali Assoumani, who currently heads the African Union and senior politicians from Uganda, Egypt and the Congo.

What we know about their peace proposal

The delegation is proposing a series of "confidence-building measures" during initial efforts at mediation, according to a draft framework document seen by Reuters.

The list of possible measures reportedly includes a pull-back of Russian troops, removal of tactical nuclear weapons from neighboring Belarus, the suspension of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant targeting Putin, as well as sanctions relief.

The document also reportedly includes an "unconditional grain and fertilizer deal," exports of which have been disrupted by the conflict, hitting African economies hard.

"This peace mission is the first time that Africa is united behind the resolution of a conflict outside of our continent, and where you have a group of African heads of state and government traveling together in an attempt to find a path to peace to this conflict," Ramaphosa's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, said in a video he posted on Twitter.

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Competing peace plans

African countries have been divided over their response to the war, some siding with Ukraine, while others have remained neutral or gravitated towards Moscow.

Ramaphosa in particular will be keen to improve South Africa's reputation with Western nations after facing criticism from the United States regarding its relationship with Russia..

The African peace effort is just one of several competing initiatives striving to end the war.

In May, China, which has presented its own peace proposal, dispatched a high-level representative to Kyiv, Moscow, and various European capitals to discuss a "political resolution." The Vatican recently elaborated on its own peace mission.

Kyiv has repeatedly said it would only accept a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, including areas illegally annexed by Moscow.

The Kremlin, meanwhile said, it remains ready to listen and open to third-party initiatives even as it says the conditions for a peace process are currently not in place.

lo, mf/fb (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
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YEREVAN, JUNE 17, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan is falsely accusing Armenia of opening gunfire to create an information basis for its own new provocation, the Armenian Ministry of Defense warned Saturday.

The statement disseminated by the Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan as if the units of the Armed Forces of Armenia opened fire against the Azerbaijani combat positions in the eastern and southeastern parts of the frontier zone since 10:45 a.m. is another disinformation.

The Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan is making an information basis for another provocation, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Utah Guard, Ghana Train Together at African Lion Exercise

By Sgt. James Bunn, Utah National Guard Public Affairs June 15, 2023

TAMALE, Ghana -- Utah National Guard Soldiers from the Homeland Response Force - Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Task Force traveled overseas to train with Ghana Armed Forces as part of Exercise African Lion 2023 May 31-June 14.

Utah Soldiers trained on how to respond in a CBRN environment and learned firefighting techniques from their GAF counterparts.

"We have been training with Ghana Armed Forces while working in a hazardous materials or dangerous goods environment," said U.S. Army Maj. Kory Lund, deputy commander of the HRF-CBRN. "The training is going really well and it is strengthening our partnership with the Ghana military. As we build on one another, we increase our friendships and interoperability. We help our Ghana partners by showing them our best practices and they help us by showing their established procedures."

Participants learned the fundamentals of decontamination and donning protective gear to contain an area where chemical contaminants are present. They also learned the steps to detecting CBRN environments.

"We are the CBRN experts and we are helping them learn those skills, and they [Ghana Armed Forces personnel] are EOD [explosive ordnance disposal] and firefighting experts," said Lund. "As we teach our material, they help us understand their environment better."

Lund said working together enables the HRF-CBRN to understand how U.S. EOD may approach a situation involving explosives and contaminants.

While the main focus was on CBRN training, U.S. Soldiers and Ghana Armed Forces members built lasting bonds and friendships.

"The training has gone really well. We've met a ton of people and have seen a lot of new perspectives," said U.S. Army Spc. Cierra Frandsen, a CBRN specialist with the Utah National Guard's HRF-CBRN. "We are really grateful for the time we've been given out here to not only teach them but to train with them and learn from them."

U.S. Soldiers were not the only ones to learn new perspectives, as participating GAF Soldiers had many questions for their U.S. counterparts.

"The coordination has been very good because they are free for us to ask them any question," said Ghana Armed Forces Sgt. Richard Darkwa, an explosive ordnance disposal technician. "If you don't understand something, they are open to answer any question you ask them and they are very understanding. More exercises like this should be organized so that others that work in different fields also have the chance to share the experience."

The combined CBRN training embodied the African Lion ethos: "Stronger Together."

African Lion is an annual multinational training exercise between the United States and participating African nations to improve interoperability and build partnerships. This year's iteration features 18 nations and over 8,000 personnel hosted by Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal and Ghana.

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Oregon Army Guard Conducts Tank Gunnery with Moroccan Army

By Maj. Robert Taylor, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team June 15, 2023

TAN TAN, Morocco -- More than two dozen Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team's 3-116th Combined Arms Battalion conducted tank gunnery training with members of the Royal Moroccan Army in the Tan Tan Training Area, June 8-10 during Exercise African Lion 2023.

The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team is headquartered in Boise, Idaho, with battalions in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Nevada.

Over three days, Soldiers from both armies conducted tank gunnery tables III, V and VI using the Abrams Main Battle Tank. U.S. Soldiers operate the M1A2 SEPV2 version and Moroccan Soldiers operate the M1A1 model.

"The tanks are the same. There's just a slight difference between them," said Master Sgt. Aghzaf Abdelkrim, 15 Regiment Royal Char, Royal Moroccan Army.

Abdelkrim completed the U.S. Army's Master Gunner Common Core course last year. He said he enjoys working with and sharing his culture with American Soldiers. He is training alongside more than two dozen Soldiers from the 3-116th CAB and a few Idaho Army National Guard tank master gunners and instructors.

"Our focus is on target acquisition, troop commands and building relationships with our Moroccan counterparts," said Master Sgt. Joe Carson, the battalion's tank master gunner.

The Soldiers are conducting gunnery in preparation for a joint live-fire demonstration later in the exercise. Realistic training during peace increases the capability of both armies to work together and win on the battlefield.

"The Moroccan soldiers are sound tankers," said Sgt. 1st Class Johnny Barnes, an Idaho Army National Guard 19K M1 armor crewman instructor with the 204th Regional Training Institute. "They show a huge interest in learning how we do things. I would go to war with the Moroccans any day."

Approximately 8,000 personnel from 18 nations are participating in African Lion 2023, U.S. Africa Command's largest annual combined joint exercise in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia May 13 to June 18.

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NATO strong and united against Russia's imperialist ambitions

Republic of Poland - Ministry of National Defence

15.06.2023

- Today, we held the 13th meeting of the Contact Group, which was assembled by the US with a broader membership than just NATO Allies. The task of this group is to coordinate support for Ukraine. We may be pleased that Poland's role in supporting Ukraine is appreciated by our Allies. At the same time, I think that it is our achievement that among the countries supporting Ukraine we share a belief that the Russian empire is evil" said Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Blaszczak after meetings with NATO Allies.

On June 15-16, Mariusz Blaszczak, Deputy Prime Minister, visited Brussels, where he attended a meeting of NATO defence ministers.

On the first day, the head of the Ministry of Defence participated, among other things, in a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, as well as talks of defence ministers working together to develop and strengthen the defence industry. At the meeting, which precedes the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, a package of decisions which are being prepared for approval by the heads of state and government were discussed. Of particular importance for Poland were matters concerning deterrence and defence on the eastern flank.

- The regional plans will be discussed in detail tomorrow during a debate to review the goal up until the NATO summit in Vilnius, which will take place in one month's time. We are in good spirits. We are active when it comes to agreeing plans. We are primarily focused on the centre plan, which concerns Poland and the eastern flank of NATO.

- noted Deputy Prime Minister.

In Brussels, Deputy Prime Minister also attended a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which coordinates support to Ukraine. The formula for this meeting was initiated by the US in March 2022 at the US Air Force Base in Ramstein, in response to the Russian Federation's assault on Ukraine. Poland remains one of the most active donor countries, both in terms of assistance to the population and the supply of military equipment - estimated to be worth more than 2.5 billion.

During the ministerial session, an addendum to the memorandum on the Multinational Ammunition Warehousing Initiative (MAWI) was signed including four more countries in the programme: Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany and Luxembourg. The aim of MAWI is to provide the armed forces of Allied countries with seamless access to ammunition stocks, through the establishment of a network of warehouses. It is crucial for securing the activities of troops during operations. Poland has been a participant of this programme since February this year.

- Today, our agreement within NATO for the joint storage of ammunition was extended. Four more countries are joining this understanding. Poland is participating in the agreement as well. The idea is to pool forces and resources in order to benefit even more intensively from the synergy effect between Allied states. As part of our activities we are also focused on developing the production of munitions in Poland

- emphasised the head of the Ministry of Defence.

- I wish to emphasise that during behind-the-scenes talks I hear words of appreciation for our activity when it comes to strengthening the Polish Armed Forces - equipping them with modern weapons. I am open to working with our Allies to ensure that this process goes swiftly. I can put it this way: our Allies envy us the Homeland Defence Act. I share with them those stipulations that are contained therein

- said Deputy Prime Minister.



Deputy Prime Minister also attended a meeting with representatives of the transatlantic defence industry, to which the European Union, Sweden and Ukraine were also invited. It was an opportunity for consultations between defence ministers and arms manufacturers on strengthening the supply chain, ensuring their security and discussing possible barriers to industrial cooperation.

- We are in contact with companies from the United States, Norway and Germany. We have joint ventures underway. One of them is the maintenance and service centre for Leopard tanks at Bumar abedy. We are defining the final agreement between the Polish arms industry and the German industry. We hope that this centre will begin its operations in the next few days. This is undoubtedly the need. And we are looking at what will happen in the long term - this is undoubtedly an opportunity for the Polish arms industry

- said the head of the Ministry of Defence.

The head of the Ministry of Defence also referred to the current security situation in the region.

- We condemn all those actions taken by Russia that end in war crimes. The blowing up of the dam on the Dnieper is undoubtedly such an action. This is a real threat to thousands of people. It is also an ecological threat. We condemn actions of this nature. We also undoubtedly view these actions as an attempt to halt the Ukrainian counter-offensive or to slow it down. (...) We support Ukraine so that it does not come to pass that, having conquered Ukraine, Russia would go further. Because there is hardly any doubt that these are Russia's intentions, these are Putin's intentions

- the head of the Ministry of Defence pointed out.

During his visit to Brussels, Deputy Prime Minister also discussed current Polish-Norwegian military cooperation with the Norwegian Defence Minister, as well as support for Ukraine, including the training of Ukrainian soldiers.

On Friday June 16, as part of the second day of the meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels, the head of the Ministry of Defence attended a meeting of the North Atlantic Council on deterrence and defence at the Alliance's Headquarters.

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Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on intensified terrorist attacks against the Serbs in Kosovo

15 June 2023 18:02

1180-15-06-2023

Amid the West's false outrage at the behaviour of the provisional self-government bodies in Pristina, Kosovo's "Prime Minister" Albin Kurti is clearly unable to take even a dramatic pause in the ongoing violence against the native Serb population. Clearly, negotiating with the regional "authorities" is an exercise in futility, since each of their seemingly peaceful initiatives turns out to be false eventually.

Shortly after presenting his so-called plan to reduce tensions to Westerners, on the same day, June 13, Kurti staged the latest incursion by Kosovo Albanian special forces into North Mitrovica, clearly showing what he means by "de-escalation." The Albanian forces acted like a squad of punishers. Riding around in armoured vehicles, in full gear, they stormed into a busy street and pointed weapons at random passers-by, and intimidated and threatened them. A Serb by the name of Milun Milenkovic was detained with exemplary cruelty. In Pristina, he was baselessly pronounced a leader of a certain "criminal group" which organised attacks on the local "police" and NATO service personnel.

A day later, a group of heavily armed Kosovo Albanian saboteurs crossed the administrative line into central Serbia. The appropriate services acted promptly and detained the thugs. An investigation is underway.

The tactics of the Kosovo Albanian radicals remain unchanged. First, the Serbs are provoked and forced to defend themselves, and later they are accused of stirring up tensions, and put on the list of "terrorists" who, according to none other than Kurti, deserve either deportation or prison.

Meanwhile, the "Kosovo project" sponsors represented by the United States and the EU are unable or unwilling to muzzle the Pristina extremists and force them to remove the "police" and fake "mayors" from administrative buildings in northern Kosovo. Needless to say about creating the Community of Serb Municipalities, which is a commitment signed by the EU back in 2013. So much for the infamous Western guarantees.

Urgent and decisive steps must be taken to get Pristina back into dialogue with Belgrade based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244. Time is not on the side of peace and stability in the region.

Procrastination and lack of will in Kosovo affairs is fraught with aggravation of old threats. In particular, Kurti resumed his Great Albania rhetoric and recently stated that he has not forgotten about the importance of uniting all Albanians, and the key goal of the party that he leads is dictated by the "unfinished project of the League of Prizren." This puts the territorial integrity of Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro in question, because these plans call for tearing away their Albanian-populated areas to be subsequently integrated into a single whole. This is an extremely alarming signal which reveals Pristina's true plans and what it really thinks about the security and inviolability of borders in the Balkans.

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25 countries, 10 thousand personnel, 250 aircraft - the largest NATO air exercise ever takes off

Ministry of Defence & Armed Forces of the Czech Republic

Author: by Major Zuzana Sekaninova, editorial staff (ob)

16.6.2023

State-of-the-art air assets, various types of air operations, but, above all, cooperation of twenty five NATO nations' armed forces. That is what the multinational ten-day exercise Air Defender 2023 will deliver, as it is designed to demonstrate NATO's solidarity and is unparalleled in its history. The Czech Armed Forces will not be missing out - all units of the Czech Air Force are joining.

Scheduled until June 23rd, the exercise scenario builds on a situation following the activation of Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. "NATO air power under German command will practise common crisis response predominantly in the German airspace," says Czech Air Force Commander Major General Petr Cepelka. The manoeuvres will take place over parts of the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and apart from NATO nations, the exercise includes the participation of Japan and Sweden.

Air personnel will exercise Composite Air Operations (COMAO) with involvement of a multitude of various aircraft types, but out-and-back missions in the Baltic States and Romania will be drilled as well. Moreover, Air Defender 2023 conjoins other NATO exercises with different scenarios.

"We seek to demonstrate the speed and readiness of NATO air power and display its capabilities. Cooperation of so many NATO armed forces enhances our interoperability and the ability to deter potential aggressors," says Commander of the German Air Force Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz.

Of the 250 various aircraft, one hundred is assigned by the United States Air National Guard. According to LTG Gerhartz, the participation of the United States testifies to the strong cohesion and solidarity across NATO.

Cream of the crop

The German airspace will host the newest NATO aircraft: from F-35, F-16, F/A-18 to Eurofighter Typhoons and JAS-39 Gripens. Those will be complemented by special purpose aircraft such as the KC-135 tanker, the Airborne Warning and Control System, C-17 Globemaster airlifters and other transport planes.

Major General Cepelka underlined that the involvement of the state-of-the art equipment is an important aspect of the training of Czech air service personnel: "In multinational exercises like these, our pilots harness first-hand experience of what the world has to offer," MG Cepelka underscores.

Training in Germany, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic

Most of the missions will be performed over Germany, but some are also scheduled in the Netherlands and in the Czech Republic. Fighter pilots from the 21st Tactical Air Force Base in Caslav with four JAS-39 Gripen fighters will verify advanced air operations capabilities.

"The fighter pilots are going to take part in the certification of multinational command and composite air operations (COMAO) and will join dogfighting training with F-15s, F-16s and Eurofighters. Pilots of L-159 ALCA aircraft will hone their skills in cooperating with an unmanned aerial vehicle in the home territory," specified the exercise director for the Czech Republic, Colonel Michal Kudyn.

From the 22nd Helicopter Air Force Base, exercise Air Defender 2023 will see the participation of six Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) from the 225th Combat Support Squadron and three members of the Integration Section of the 22nd Wing. The JTACs are going to hone training with the MQ-9 Reaper and perform surveillance and high value target strike missions. The 24th Transport Air Force Base assigns Mi-171Sh rotary wing aircraft in support of aeromobile operations and W3A Sokol for airlift of servicemembers.

As part of the exercise Tobruq Shield concurrently taking place in the Czech Republic, the 25th Air Defence Missile Regiment will also practise cooperation with the MQ-9 drone, which is temporarily stationed in Caslav AFB. The 26th Command, Control and Surveillance Regiment is going to perform day/night surveillance and coordination in the Czech airspace.

Besides service members from individual airbases, the Czech Air Force Command also assigns personnel into the Joint Air Force Component (JFAC), which, if activated, would provide tactical control in case of deployment in a NATO operation and would report to the Joint Force Command (JFC).

"Our service members have trained to serve at such level of command for several years and comprise a broad spectrum of capabilities and various specialties. It is a huge experience for all of us," says Major Pavel Samek, who is currently responsible for the Czech ground based air defence in the exercise.

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June 16, 2023

Release

DoD Enters Agreement to Expand Domestic Manufacturing to Strengthen U.S. Missiles and Munitions Supply Chains

The Department of Defense's (DoD) Office for the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (OASD (IBP)) has entered into an agreement with Arconic Corporation to increase production of missiles and munitions.

The purpose of the $45.5 million agreement with Arconic is to increase production of High Purity Aluminum (HPA) at its facility in Davenport, Iowa. The low-cost production of HPA by foreign smelters has resulted in decreased production of HPA in the United States.

The DoD is utilizing Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III authorities and funds appropriated by the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act. The project will provide the United States much-needed surge capacity for HPA production and mitigate risks to national security in the event of an industrial mobilization. The funds will be used for infrastructure at the facility and modifications to accommodate the increased capacity and new equipment. Among the improvements are the design and installation of a new furnace and the implementation of new control and automation systems. HPA is a critical material for many military and commercial systems, including aerospace platforms and tactical ground vehicles.

"The Office of Industrial Base Policy continues to support industrial sectors of strategic importance to protect American national security and deter adversarial aggression," said Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, ASD(IBP). "The company receiving funding is involved in a manufacturing sector identified by President Biden as critical for protecting domestic supply chains."

About the Department of Defense's Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy

Industrial Base Policy is the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (USD(A&S)) for developing Department of Defense policies for the maintenance of the United States defense industrial base (DIB), executing small business programs and policy, and conduction geo-economic analysis and assessments. The office also provides the USD(A&S) with recommendations on budget matters related to the DIB, anticipates and closes gaps in manufacturing capabilities for defense systems, and assesses impacts related to mergers, acquisition, and divestitures. IBP monitors and assesses the impact of foreign investments in the United States and executes authorities under sections 2501 and 2505 U.S.C. Title 10.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3431173/

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The Netherlands - MQ-9A Block 5 Aircraft

Media/Public Contact: pm-cpa@state.gov

Transmittal No: 23-45

WASHINGTON, June 16, 2023 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the Netherlands of MQ-9A Block 5 aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $611 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

The Government of the Netherlands has requested to buy up to four (4) MQ-9A Block 5 aircraft; up to three (3) UAV MQ-9 Mobile Ground Control Systems (MGCS); up to thirty (30) Embedded Global Positioning Systems/Internal Navigation Systems (EGI) devices, Airborne, with Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) or M-Code; up to eight (8) AN/DAS-4 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems; and up to twenty (20) Lynx AN/APY-8 Synthetic Aperture Radars. Also included are Reaper Engines; Selex Seaspray Synthetic Aperture Radars; SeaVue Maritime Radars; M299 Hellfire Longbow missile launchers; AN/ARC-210 radios; Line-of-Site (LOS) Ground Data Terminals; Ruggedized Aircraft Maintenance Test Stations (RAMTS); AN/APX-119 and other Identification Friend or Foe transponders; KIV-77 Cryptographic Appliques; KY-100M narrowband/wideband terminals; AN/PYQ-10 Simple Key Loaders; satellite communications earth terminal subsystems (SETSS); spare parts, consumables, and accessories and repair and return support; secure communication equipment and cryptographic devices; major/minor modifications, maintenance, and maintenance support; munitions support and support equipment; unclassified software delivery and support; transportation support; unclassified publications and technical documentation; studies and surveys; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistic and program support. The estimated total cost is $611 million.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.

The proposed sale will improve the Netherlands' capability to meet current and future threats. The MQ-9A aircraft will support Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions as well as Air Attack and Counter Maritime Operation tasks. The Netherlands already has MQ-9A aircraft in its inventory and will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractor will be General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems, Poway, CA. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of additional contractor or government representatives.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law. The description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.

-30-

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YEREVAN, JUNE 17, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended congratulations and best wishes to the United Kingdom on His Majesty the Kings Official Birthday, the British national day.

Our congratulations & best wishes on His Majesty the Kings Official Birthday. On this occasion we wish prosperity & continued success to the people of UK. Working on strengthening Armenia-UK cooperation based on strategic dialogue & shared values of democracy, rule of law & human rights, the Armenian Foreign Ministry tweeted.

Our congratulations & best wishes on His Majesty the Kings Official Birthday. On this occasion we wish prosperity & continued success to the people of #UK.



Working on strengthening coop based on strategic dialogue & shared values of democracy, rule of law & human rights. pic.twitter.com/o2T7lxcESU  MFA of Armenia (@MFAofArmenia) June 17, 2023

In a tweet, British Ambassador to Armenia John Gallagher thanked the Armenian Foreign Ministry and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan for the congratulations.

I completely agree about the importance of strong cooperation to advance our shared objectives and values, Gallagher tweeted, adding that the British Embassy in Armenia is committed to supporting Armenias democracy, security & sustainable development.
NATO defence ministers decided to strengthen NATO's air defence on the Eastern Flank

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Defence

16. June 2023

Today in Brussels on the second day of their meeting, NATO defence ministers discussed deterrence and defence issues in preparation for the upcoming Vilnius Summit in July. Among the decisions taken, the ministers decided to strengthen NATO's air defence, a key issue for Estonia.

"The essential aim of the Vilnius Summit will be to demonstrate that NATO has decidedly adopted the Forward Defence posture. Therefore, as the most important decision for us, we expect agreement on the NATO regional plans in Vilnius. However, already today we got confirmation in Brussels on another decision of high importance for us - NATO has reached agreement on strengthening its air defence, which will mean air defence rotations along NATO's Eastern Flank," said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur.

Strengthened air defence means that in addition to NATO's long-standing Air Policing mission, ground-based air defence units will start rotations along NATO's Eastern Flank. "At the moment, the Spanish NASAMS is already deployed to Estonia. With this new model, we can also start making plans for subsequent Allied rotations," explained minister Pevkur.

The defence ministers also discussed regional defence plans. When agreed, they will represent a significant shift towards Forward Defence. "Since NATO plans, forces and capabilities must defend every inch of Allied territory in the event of a conflict, we have to agree on regional plans in Vilnius, so that we could start exercising our defence against a possible Russian aggression according to these plans," added Pevkur.

In addition to the regional plans, Estonia's expectations for Vilnius also include a more ambitious defence investment pledge, which would allow strengthening defences in the current challenging security situation and at a time, when most European countries have donated a considerable share of their weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. Estonia is advocating for 2% of GDP towards defence to be met by all Allies immediately, with an aim towards 2,5% in the longer-term.

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US given 'unimpeded access' to Papua New Guinea bases in defense agreement

U.S. will be able to 'stage and deploy' troops and vessels from 6 key facilities.

By Harry Pearl for BenarNews 2023.06.16 -- The United States military has been given unrestricted access to deploy forces from and develop key Papua New Guinea bases, according to details of a defense cooperation agreement signed last month.

The full text of the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), which has been reviewed by RFA-affiliated news service BenarNews, shows that U.S. forces will be able to station troops and vessels at six ports and airports, including the Lombrum Naval Base and Port Moresby Jacksons International Airport.

Washington will have "unimpeded access" to the facilities, which may be used for mutually agreed activities such as training, transit, maintenance and refueling of aircraft, including aircraft conducting "intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities."

The bases may also be used for "staging and deploying of forces and material," bunkering vessels, security assistance, humanitarian and disaster relief. Some facilities, or parts of them, can be used exclusively by U.S. forces, which have permission to refurbish them, according to the document.

U.S. authorities have also been given exclusive rights to exercise criminal jurisdiction over American personnel in the country - a contentious provision that is likely to cause concern among certain groups in the Pacific island nation.

Papua New Guinea retains civil and administrative jurisdiction over U.S. personnel for "acts and omissions" outside the official course of duty.

The agreement signed on May 22 is part of Washington's efforts to counter Beijing's growing influence in the Pacific and experts say it significantly expands U.S. strategic capabilities in the region.

"As far as I know, the US doesn't have a similar agreement already in place with other South Pacific countries - this would be the most forward-leaning," said Mihai Sora, director of the Aus-PNG Network at the Australia-based Lowy Institute.

He said a useful comparison would be the US-Philippines DCA, which grants a similar level of access for the U.S. there.

Changing security environment

In a statement to Parliament tabled with the DCA on Monday, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said the agreement with the U.S. would in "no way compromise PNG's bilateral relations with any other country."

Papua New Guinea maintained its foreign affairs policy of friends to all and enemies to none, but traditional security alliances were inadequate to deal with current regional and global security challenges, he said.

He reiterated the DCA does not grant immunity for breaches of any law of Papua New Guinea.

Marape said the agreement "validates the presence of U.S. forces" to conduct defense related activities. It did not include or promote defense commitments or military intervention, he said.

The U.S. has stepped up its engagement in the Pacific under the Biden administration, underscoring increased geopolitical competition in the vast ocean region where China's diplomatic relations have burgeoned.

U.S. President Joe Biden had planned to travel to Papua New Guinea to sign the DCA, but canceled the visit at the last moment to focus on negotiations to raise the U.S. government's debt limit.

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.

Sora said the regional security environment was changing rapidly and the view of traditional security partners was that existing arrangements needed to adapt.

"What we're seeing is an effort from traditional security providers in the Pacific, such as the United States, Australia and New Zealand to both elevate and formalize their roles as security partners of choice for Pacific countries through bilateral agreements," he said.

These security agreements sat uneasily with some Pacific stakeholders, and individual states - both larger powers and Pacific countries themselves - need to consider carefully how bilateral arrangements work alongside regional architecture established by the Pacific Islands Forum, he said.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news service.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June 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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Vietnamese police arrest more than 50 in attacks on commune offices

Authorities say raids were carried out by young people with delusions and extremist attitudes.

By RFA Vietnamese 2023.06.16 -- Vietnamese security forces have arrested more than 50 people accused of being involved in last weekend's deadly attacks on two commune offices in central Dak Lak province, a Ministry of Public Security spokesman told state media on Friday.

The June 11 attack left nine people dead.

Those involved in the attacks were young people who harbored delusions and extremist attitudes and had been incited and abetted by the ringleaders via the internet, according to the ministry.

But officials didn't say who or which organizations had incited or assisted the attackers.

The attacks occurred in an area that is home to about 30 tribes of indigenous peoples known collectively as Montagnards.

Vietnamese state media have reported that the attackers were Montagnards, but the ministry did not identify those arrested as such.

Religious and civil organizations advocating for the Montagnard people told Radio Free Asia in an earlier report that they weren't involved in the armed attacks and condemned the violence.

Anger and frustration in the Central Highlands has built up after decades of government surveillance, land disputes and economic hardship, RFA reported earlier. In recent months, there have been a number of land revocation incidents by local authorities, police and military forces.

Sought to steal weapons

In the ministry's description of what transpired, about 40 people wearing camouflage vests and equipped with knives and guns split into two groups for a dawn attack on the offices in Ea Tieu and Ea Ktur communes.

Members of the two groups also had broken into Special Forces Brigade No. 198's barracks in Hoa Dong commune in Dak Lak province to steal weapons, but failed, the ministry told state media.

Those arrested said they sought to steal weapons so as to make news headlines, which they hoped would give them the opportunity to immigrate to other countries, according to the ministry. In their preliminary statements, those arrested said they had been incited by others to kill police officers.

Four police officers, two commune officials and three civilians were killed.

The attackers also kidnapped three civilians, though one of them managed to escape, and the others were rescued later, the ministry said.

The ministry said it would "use all necessary measures" to hunt down and arrest all suspects still in hiding and seize their weapons and explosives.

Vietnam's one-party government has strictly controlled news about the shootings, heightening people's curiosity about the incident, but Channel VTV1 of Vietnam Television and many newspapers have published the statements and photos of some of those arrested.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Hun Sen of neighboring Cambodia ordered armed forces in Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri and Kratie provinces to increase security along the border to prevent fugitives involved in the attacks from crossing the border illegally, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported Friday.

Hun Sen said that anyone arrested would be returned to Vietnam if discovered.

Slapping social media

In the past days, police have fined people who share news about Dak Lak shootings via social media.

At least five Facebook users have been slapped with administrative fines for sharing the news and their comments, deemed to be harmful to the state.

Police in Dak Lak as well as authorities in Kontum and Binh Phuoc  two other provinces in the country's Central Highlands  have fined businesses that sell imitation camouflage military outfits.

Two human rights lawyers told RFA on Thursday that state media should not have publicly disclosed information from the suspects' statements to police or their photos, though authorities often take advantage of their power and privilege to provide news organizations with unappealing photos of suspects.

"Publishing citizens' photos without their permission or without blurring their faces, even if they are suspects or defendants, is a violation of their rights in terms of their image and could cause many consequences, especially when they are in high positions or are influential people," said one attorney from Ho Chi Minh City, who asked not to be identified.

A human rights lawyer from Hanoi said the Penal Code or the Criminal Procedure Code clearly states that statements from suspects should be kept secret.

Attorney Ha Huy Son, a member of the Hanoi Bar Association, said the country's 2015 Civil Code contains a provision on the rights of an individual with respect to his image, stipulating that he must give his consent for its public use.

But he also pointed to another article stating that a person's photo can be used without consent from the individual or his legal representative in cases where it serves national or public interest.

The attorneys also said those arrested should be given immediate access to lawyers to ensure fairness and avoid injustice.

Neither the Ministry of Public Security nor Dak Lak provincial police have opened cases against the suspects, or provided information about their charges.

Translated by Anna Vu for RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin 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 June 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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The Azadi Briefing: A New Crackdown Targets Afghan Migrants In Pakistan

By Mustafa Sarwar June 16, 2023

The Key Issue

The Pakistani authorities have arrested hundreds of Afghans in the capital, Islamabad, and the nearby city of Rawalpindi in recent weeks for allegedly living in the country illegally.

But Afghan migrants who spoke to Radio Azadi said many of the Afghans targeted had valid documents and were unlawfully arrested.

"I've been arrested by the police, and even though I have UNHCR documents, they won't accept them," Arzoo Ahmadi, an Afghan migrant who was briefly detained in Pakistan, told Radio Azadi.

The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan said around 250 Afghans have been arrested in recent weeks. It is unclear how many have been freed or deported.

The Taliban also called on Islamabad to "cease the arrest of Afghan refugees," warning that the detentions could "adversely impact bilateral relations."

Why It's Important: The arrests appear to be part of a broader crackdown on the millions of Afghan refugees and migrants residing in Pakistan.

Late last year, Pakistani law enforcement arrested around 1,500 Afghan refugees and migrants, including women and children, in the southeastern province of Sindh. Some were later freed, while others were deported.

The authorities said the Afghan nationals in Sindh were charged with violating the Foreigners Act, a Pakistani law amended in 2016 that empowers authorities to deport foreigners lacking proper documentation. Courts can also fine or imprison foreigners for violating the law.

Islamabad warned foreigners that they would be deported or imprisoned for up to three years if they failed to renew their visas by the end of 2022.

Over 600,000 Afghans have fled to Pakistan since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, joining the several million Afghan refugees and migrants already residing in the country for decades.

Some of the new arrivals have remained in Pakistan because of delays in getting visas to Western nations. Most have said they cannot afford the hundreds of dollars needed to renew their Pakistani visas.

Moniza Kakar, a local attorney assisting Afghan refugees in Sindh, said the Pakistani police are stepping up their arrests of Afghans. "Even now, there are more than 200 Afghan prisoners in Sindh prisons," she recently told Radio Azadi.

What's Next: Despite repeated calls by the Taliban, Pakistan has continued to arrest Afghans in recent days. Islamabad has also been criticized by international NGOs for its treatment of Afghans fleeing Taliban persecution and a devastating humanitarian crisis.

Observers have said Pakistan is using the issue of Afghan refugees to put pressure on the Taliban. Islamabad has repeatedly called on the Taliban to expel the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an extremist group that is based in Afghanistan. The group has intensified its cross-border attacks on Pakistani security forces since the Afghan Taliban gained power.

The Week's Best Stories

Deadly attacks targeting Taliban officials in Afghanistan's northeastern Badakhshan Province have left residents fearful of even stepping out to go to the mosque. The fresh attacks have raised questions about the Taliban's ability to impose its authority and the potential for Afghanistan's northeast to become a recruiting ground for the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) extremist group.

Zhwandoon TV is the latest independent media outlet to come under pressure in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has tried to stamp out any form of dissent. The owner of the private Pashto-language station recently accused the militant group of trying to close down the channel. The Taliban has intensified its crackdown on independent reporters and media outlets over the past year, according to Afghan media watchdogs.

What To Keep An Eye On

An Iranian official in the holy Shi'ite city of Qom has said members of Iran's sizeable community of Afghan refugees and migrants risk being deported if they fail to comply with the country's hijab law.

Ali Akbar Zarei, an immigration official in Qom, told state TV on June 13 that Afghan nationals would first receive a warning. Repeat offenders, he said, would be cut off from "all social services" and could be forced to leave the country.

Why It's Important: The Iranian authorities have intensified their efforts to enforce the hijab law as more women flout the law.

Iranian women have been emboldened by the monthslong antiestablishment protests that erupted in September following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini soon after she was arrested by Iran's morality police for improperly wearing the head scarf.

Afghans in Iran told Radio Azadi that scores of their compatriots were arrested for participating in the nationwide protests.

Afghan refugees and migrants have come under growing pressure in Iran after last month's deadly border clashes between Iranian border guards and Taliban fighters.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/azadi-briefing-crackdown- afghan-migrants-pakistan/32462406.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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How Will I Feed My Family? Iranian Province Imposes New Job Restrictions On Afghan Migrants

By Freshta Negah June 16, 2023

Farzad Amiri joined the hundreds of thousands of Afghans who flocked to neighboring Iran after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Amiri found work at a supermarket in the city of Shiraz, the capital of the southwestern province of Fars, where he resides with his family of eight.

But last week, Amiri, the sole breadwinner for his family, lost his job after the authorities in Fars enforced new job restrictions on foreigners.

A May 9 order issued by the Chamber of Guilds in Fars to the heads of unions in the province said that members should "strictly" refrain from hiring foreigners as salespeople and shop assistants. Businesses that violate the new rules, which came into effect on June 5, could face "heavy fines" and closure, it added.

"After the order was issued, my employer told me that I could no longer work there. As a result, I have been unemployed for the past week," Amiri, a father-of-two, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi.

He said "a large number" of local businesses had been forced to fire their Afghan employees.

"After so much effort to reach Iran and with all the difficulties we've endured, I have no idea how I'm going to feed my family," added Amiri, a native of Afghanistan's western city of Herat. "I can't even go back to Afghanistan because I sold everything we had there."

It is unclear how many Afghans have been affected by the order in Fars, which reportedly has one of the largest Afghan communities inside Iran.

The new rules in Fars are the latest restrictions imposed on members of Iran's large Afghan community, many of whom have complained of widespread discrimination and abuse.

An estimated 3 million Afghans, many of them undocumented refugees and migrants, live in Iran. Over 1 million Afghan have arrived in Iran following the Taliban takeover, although Tehran has deported more than half of the recent arrivals.

Afghans in the Islamic republic said they have come under growing pressure from the authorities amid rising tensions between Iran and the Taliban.

'Insulting And Unjust'

Since the order in Fars was issued, local media reports said foreigners in the province can only take on hard labor jobs in construction and farming.

A video published online on June 6 showed Mehdi Dehghan Khalili, a local official in the city of Kawar in Fars, warning shop owners that they would be fined if they employed foreigners.

Khalili said 25 shops had so far been closed in Kawar, and special patrols were deployed in the city to enforce the new order.

Amir Hossein, an Afghan migrant who has lived in Shiraz for over a decade, has called on the local authorities to reverse the order.

"Our Iranian partners have been also affected by the restrictions," he told Radio Azadi. "Let us work. We're refugees."

Similar restrictions have been imposed on foreigners living in the central province of Isfahan.

Mehdi Naderi, an immigration official in Isfahan, said last month that foreigners were only allowed to work manual labor jobs and were banned from working in supermarkets and retail stores.

It was not clear if local officials had imposed similar restrictions in other Iranian provinces where Afghans reside.

Naeem Nazari, head of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, said the measures were "insulting and unjust."

Nazari told Afghanistan's Hasht-e Subh daily that "the Iranian government has consistently practiced discrimination and exploited migrants, particularly Afghan migrants, taking advantage of their vulnerabilities."

For decades, Afghans fleeing war and poverty have gone to Iran to earn a living. Tehran has expelled many Afghans -- who are often blamed for insecurity and unemployment -- and periodically threatens those who remain with mass expulsion.

Many Afghans moved to Iran following the decade-long Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the civil war that followed the Soviet withdrawal in 1989. Others sought refuge in Iran after the Taliban took power in Afghanistan. After the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, some Afghans went to Iran seeking jobs.

Iran claims that it hosts up to 5 million Afghan refugees, with officials complaining they have received little financial help from the international community.

Worsening Bilateral Relations

Afghans who live in Iran said they have been caught in the middle of rising tensions between Tehran and the Taliban.

A heated war of words over cross-border water resources boiled over into deadly clashes last month. Tensions remain high following the deaths of troops from both sides on May 27.

"Many Afghans move to Iran due to economic issues but unfortunately Iran uses them to pressure the rulers in Afghanistan," an Afghan migrant who lives in Fars told Radio Azadi.

"The atmosphere has become tougher for Afghans in Iran," added the Afghan migrant, who did not want to reveal his name for security reasons. "We hope that Iran resolves its issues diplomatically and views Afghan refugees from a humanitarian point of view."

Drought-stricken southeastern Iran is heavily dependent on upriver water flows from Afghanistan. Tehran has called on the Taliban to release more water from the Helmand River, which feeds lakes and wetlands in Iran's southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan Province.

The Taliban has rejected Tehran's claims that it is violating a bilateral water treaty signed in 1973, and said that even if dams were opened there would not be enough water to reach Iran.

In January, Mohammad Sargazi, a lawmaker from Sistan-Baluchistan, said Tehran should consider deporting Afghans refugees if the Taliban does not give Iran its share of water from the Helmand River.

An Iranian security official said on June 11 that nearly 19,000 Afghans were deported in the past two weeks for living illegally in the country.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-job-restrictions- afghan-migrants/32462715.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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Armenian PM Accuses Azerbaijan Of Ethnic Cleansing In Nagorno-Karabakh

By RFE/RL's Armenian Service June 16, 2023

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has accused Azerbaijan of "ethnic cleansing" with its continued blockade of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.

In a speech to parliament in Yerevan on June 16, Pashinian said Baku's installation of an illegal checkpoint in the Lachin Corridor and its ongoing blockade of the only road linking Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh were "actions that once again substantiate our fear that Azerbaijan is conducting a policy of ethnic cleansing."

"Even the supply of essential food to Nagorno-Karabakh has been stopped. In other words, food does not enter Nagorno-Karabakh from the outside world, and citizens in need of urgent medical assistance are not allowed to pass through the Lachin Corridor," he added, saying a meeting of foreign ministers from the two countries will be held in Washington next week.

In response, Azerbaijan rejected the allegation and said it had created conditions for the safe and efficient transit of ethnic Armenian residents in Nagorno-Karabakh, through the Lachin checkpoint.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh for decades. Some 30,000 people were killed in a war in the early 1990s that left ethnic Armenians in control of the predominantly Armenian-populated region and seven adjacent districts of Azerbaijan proper.

Decades of internationally mediated talks failed to result in a diplomatic solution and the simmering conflict led to another war in 2020 in which nearly 7,000 soldiers were killed on both sides.

The six-week war in which Azerbaijan regained all the Armenian-controlled areas outside of Nagorno-Karabakh as well as chunks of territory inside the Soviet-era autonomous region ended with a Russian-brokered cease-fire under which Moscow deployed about 2,000 troops to serve as peacekeepers.

In mid-December, Azerbaijani activists began obstructing the road known as the Lachin Corridor, which Pashinian said should be under the control of Russian peacekeepers.

Baku in April erected a checkpoint along the route, saying it was necessary to control the supply of arms being sent to the region and to end illegal mining operations. It said the road remained open to humanitarian aid, claims Yerevan disputes.

Both sides this week accused the other of "provocations."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-azerbaijan-karabakh- ethnic-cleansing/32462641.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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Serbian Prosecutors Launch Investigation Of Detained Kosovar Officers

By RFE/RL's Balkan Service June 16, 2023

The prosecutor's office in the southwestern Serbian city of Kraljevo on June 16 ordered an investigation of three Kosovo Police officers detained this week in a border area in disputed circumstances.

The officers are being investigated on charges of unauthorized production, possession, carrying, and trafficking of weapons and explosive substances, the prosecutor's office in Kraljevo said in a statement.

The judge overseeing the preliminary proceedings also ordered the continued detention of the three officers, the statement said.

The Kosovar Foreign Ministry has been informed that the three police officers were ordered detained for 30 days and expressed concerns about how they have been treated.

It has been informed that the officers have been kept in inhumane conditions and deprived of food and adequate medical treatment, Deputy Foreign Minister Kreshnik Ahmeti told RFE/RL.

'What we learned today is serious and very disturbing because of the way they were treated during detention," Ahmeti said, adding that the ministry had asked the Red Cross and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture to look into the treatment of the three officers.

Kosovo says that the three men went missing on June 14 during a patrol aimed at preventing smuggling. Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla accused Serbia of "entering the territory of Kosovo and kidnapping" the three policemen.

Belgrade says the officers were arrested "deep inside" Serbian territory.

KFOR, the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, said in a statement that it remains unclear where the police officers were at the time of their arrest.

The U.S. envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, called on Serbia to release the three officers, saying they did not intentionally cross the border and the "likely scenarios" were that they were abducted from inside Kosovo or "inadvertently crossed the boundary."

The three "had no intention to be in Serbia and should be released," Escobar told reporters in an online briefing.

This "escalation on top of a previous escalation" is "really creating some very difficult conditions for the region, not just for Serbia and Kosovo," Escobar said.

The British Foreign Office on June 16 also called for their release and urged Kosovo and Serbia to "exercise maximum restraint, avoid unilateral measures and take immediate action to reduce tensions."

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell earlier on June 16 invited Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti to Brussels for talks next week on defusing rising tensions.

A spokesman for Borrell said that Vucic and Kurti had been invited to Brussels and that more details were to be made public "at a later stage."

Kurti has said the detention of the officers was an act of aggression by Serbia. Vucic denied the accusations and accused Kurti of inciting conflict.

The mounting tensions prompted Borrell to say the bloc's negotiators were "again in crisis-management mode."

The arrest of the police officers came after weeks of tensions following clashes between ethnic Serbs and KFOR in northern Kosovo that left 30 peacekeepers injured last month.

Meanwhile, at the Merdare border crossing about 60 trucks were waiting on the Serbian side to enter Kosovo, RFE/RL correspondents reported on June 16, after the Kosovar government announced the previous day that it was tightening border controls with Serbia "for security reasons."

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-kosovo-borrell- invitation-vucic-kurti-crisis-meeting/32462433.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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Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on crimes committed by Australian military personnel in Afghanistan

16 June 2023 12:08

1181-16-06-2023

We have taken note of the ruling by an Australian court in the defamation case brought by retired Corporal of Australia's Special Air Service (SAS) Benjamin Roberts-Smith against Fairfax Media. He filed the suit following the publication of a journalistic inquiry which concluded that the SAS corporal committed war crimes during his deployment with the Australian forces in Afghanistan. Having scrutinised the journalists' story, the court ruled that they reliably proved their information about the crimes committed by Benjamin Roberts-Smith, including the murder of three unarmed Afghans. It is notable that before the compromising information was made public, the former corporal was hailed as a national hero for his mission in Afghanistan and was awarded the Victoria Cross, Australia's highest military decoration, in 2011.

Back in 2020, when the media began reporting about the war crimes committed by the Australian military in Afghanistan, Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Paul Brereton published the results of an in-house investigation (the Brereton Report), according to which 25 current or former special forces personnel were involved in the murder of 39 civilians or prisoners in Afghanistan. He recommended turning the materials over to the police for launching a criminal investigation and calling the guilty to account. To date, only former SAS soldier Oliver Schulz has been charged with the murder of an unarmed Afghan citizen. Consequently, the ruling taken in the case of Benjamin Roberts-Smith will not necessarily lead to charges of criminal liability.

It is obvious that the ruling establishment of the "green continent" is doing its best to sweep the damaging issue of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan under the rug. At least, this is how we see the actions, or rather the inaction, of the previous liberal cabinet led by heavily criticised Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his obnoxious defence minister, Peter Dutton. Members of the veterans' organisations, media and several political groups that do not associate themselves with the current government have angrily protested the attempts to close the Afghan file by blaming all the crimes on soldiers and sergeants of the Australian special forces. For example, during the parliamentary hearings in May, Senator Malcom Roberts from the One Nation opposition party called on Australian Defence Force chief General Angus Campbell to surrender his Distinguished Service Cross, which he received in 2012 as commander of the Australian forces in the Middle East.

The new facts that have come to light about the war crimes committed by the Australian military show that it is a deep institutional problem of the country's elite forces. The attempts by the establishment to dampen public outcry exclusively with palliative measures is evidence of the double standards and hypocrisy of the Australian political class, which refuses to recognise its own mistakes when accusing others of "non-compliance with Western standards."

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Norwegian Military Betting on Arctic Drones to Maintain Sovereignty

Sputnik News

20230616

Igor Kuznetsoc

Norway at present doesn't have any armed drones and has been estimated to be "far behind" in developing military UAVs. However, it runs several programs of Arctic-adapted drones, with experts predicting that the era of manned combat aircraft may be approaching its end.

The Norwegian military is in the process of developing drones adapted for harsh weather conditions in the Arctic.

As of today, there are several drone projects underway in several parts of the Norwegian Armed Forces. Norway's chief of Defense, Eirik Kristoffersen, has suggested concentrating all the projects on the island of Andoya in the northern part of the country - where there is already an air base and space center - so that unmanned aircraft may better meet the military's demands and withstand the freezing Arctic conditions with strong winds and ice.

"We must have drones that can monitor - and, in the future, even transport - things. But also drones that can deliver weapons. Technology moves very quickly and there are drones that today are weapons in themselves," Kristoffersen told Norwegian media, calling Andoya "a good starting point".

Norway's military stressed the importance of maintaining sovereignty in the north. It also cited the recent Ukraine conflict which showed that drones have become an important part of modern warfare, having been used for reconnaissance, as weapons and to search for wounded soldiers on both sides.

Colonel Kenneth Orland, head of the air operational inspectorate, called it "geostrategically correct" to concentrate testing and development of drones on Andoya. He called the drones a "good resource", stressing that a drone can be in the air for up to 40 hours, and it is cheaper to train a drone pilot than a fighter pilot.

Gunnar Jan Olsen, general manager of Andoya Space Defence, argued that Norway is "far behind" in developing drones both for monitoring and area control, and offensive operations.

"Drone technology will only accelerate. I can say with certainty that Norway has bought its last combat aircraft operated by a pilot," he said, referring to the country's fleet of 52 F-35s at present touted as the backbone of the national defense. "What is special about today's drone technology is that no drones are designed specifically for the Arctic climate. We must acquire more expertise, and more advanced testing," Olsen added.

Norway doesn't have any armed drones. Furthernore, the acquisitions plan for the Norwegian Defense from 2017 to 2025 doesn't indicate the acquisition of drones in the near future. A government-appointed expert panel has also voiced ethical concerns over the use of attack drones, which were subsequently echoed by the government itself.

However, Norway does produce and operate drones of various sizes, including the famed Black Hornet Nano, a minuscule hand-held drone, which has been bought by several countries including the US and the UK.

 Sputnik

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YEREVAN, JUNE 17, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has spread the second disinformation on Saturday, the Armenian Ministry of Defense warned.

The statement released by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense accusing the Armed Forces of Armenia of opening gunfire at Azerbaijani positions at 14:30-14:55 in the eastern and south-eastern sections of the frontier is untrue. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense is creating an information basis for its next provocation, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

Earlier on Saturday the Azerbaijani defense ministry again falsely accused Armenia of opening fire on the border.
UK urges Malian authorities to uphold responsibilities and allow the UN Mission to fulfil its mandate: UK statement at the Security Council

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on Mali.

16 June 2023

Thank you, President. And thank you SRSG Wane for your briefing. I welcome the participation of Foreign Minister Diop in our meeting today. I want to underline our unwavering support for the hard work and courage of MINUSMA's peacekeepers and other UN staff. On behalf of the United Kingdom, I pay tribute to the two Burkinabe peacekeepers killed and the seven injured in the recent attack in Timbuktu region.

President, no one can deny the scale of the challenges facing the Malian people. Severe security and humanitarian threats. Political instability. A fragile Peace Agreement.

Malian civilians, and armed forces, have paid a heavy price.

Through MINUSMA, and other UN agencies - as well as bilateral security, development and humanitarian efforts - we have made huge investments in pursuit of the stable, prosperous, democratic society the Malian people deserve. This has come at great cost over the past decade. Not just financial, but also in terms of human lives, many of them UN peacekeepers.

MINUSMA still has an important role to play in supporting the Malian people. Following the Secretary-General's review, we stand ready to adapt the mission to improve its impact. But for the Mission to function properly, the four parameters set out in the review must be met.

These parameters are not unreasonable. They are not imposed upon Mali from outside. They are commitments that have been made by the Malian transitional authorities. To their people, their neighbours and to the international community. To deliver a timely political transition; to implement the Peace Agreement; to uphold UN freedom of movement in accordance with the Status of Forces Agreement, and to respect the mandate set by this Council.

So against the four parameters, first, we urge progress on a timely and peaceful transition to constitutional order by March 2024. We call for the full participation of civil society in this Sunday's constitutional referendum and in presidential elections next February.

Second, urgent efforts are needed to revive dialogue between the signatories to Mali's faltering Peace Agreement, building on the International Mediation proposals.

Third, restrictions on MINUSMA's movements - on which there has been no improvement - need to be lifted.

Fourth, obstruction of MINUSMA's mandated human rights tasks must end. The tragic massacre in Moura of over 500 people by Malian forces and the Wagner Group is deeply concerning. There must be accountability for these crimes. MINUSMA must be allowed to fulfil its human rights mandate without fear of reprisals. Ultimately it is for the Malian transitional authorities to choose its partners. But let's be clear: the Wagner Group, whether operating autonomously or under direct control from Moscow, is not the answer - in Mali or anywhere else.

President, the United Kingdom - with most members of this Council - remains committed to supporting MINUSMA's efforts to help build the future Mali's people deserve. We sincerely hope the Malian transitional authorities will live up to their responsibilities and allow the UN Mission to fulfil its mandate.

This is a choice only they can make.

Thank you.

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Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York

16 June 2023

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

** Noon Briefing Guest

Happy Friday, everyone!

In a short while, I will be joined by my special guest, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. She will talk to you about countering hate speech  ahead of the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, which is 18 June.

Before we get to her, I have a few notes for you.

** Sudan

We have an update for you on the humanitarian operations in Sudan, as the current hostilities are entering the third month. Since 22 May, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has facilitated the movement of at least 350 trucks carrying more than 14,000 tons of vital assistance to different locations across the country.

As for the situation in Darfur, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, warned that the situation there is spiralling into a humanitarian calamity. He urged the parties to allow those seeking to flee to do so safely and voluntarily. He also urged them and those with influence to ensure the movement of humanitarian supplies and personnel from other parts of Sudan  and from neighbouring countries  to Darfur.

And looking ahead to next week  just flagging that the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, will open Monday's high-level pledging event for Sudan and the Region. He'll be speaking virtually to the conference, which is being held in Geneva in hybrid session starting at 3 p.m. local time.

We encourage donors to give generously to help meet spiralling humanitarian needs resulting from the conflict in Sudan and the flow of refugees into neighbouring countries.

** Haiti

This morning, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) held a high-level meeting on food insecurity in Haiti.

The meeting seeks to mobilize action and resources in support of food security in Haiti following the recent floods and earthquake.

Many of our colleagues spoke, including Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), who addressed participants via a pre-recorded video message. She said that almost half of the population in Haiti is facing acute hunger. The Head of UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Catherine Russell, added that nearly a quarter of Haitian children are severely malnourished and risk grave long-term consequences.

Ms. Russell and Ms. McCain are both planning to visit Haiti next week  and we will have more details about their visit as it unfolds.

Speaking from Port au Prince, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, Ulrika Richardson, reiterated that more than ever, Haiti needs global attention and solidarity.

The 2023 humanitarian appeal for Haiti seeks $720 million to help more than 3 million people  over half the population  but the plan is currently just over 20 per cent funded.

Also speaking at today's event was the Director of Operations and Advocacy for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Edem Wosornu. Addressing challenges linked to the delivery of humanitarian assistance, she said the aid community has assembled a humanitarian negotiation team to facilitate our ability to reach people in need. The team is working with many parts of Haitian society for the sole purpose of helping us negotiate with armed gangs so we can reach those most in need.

That meeting was chaired by the President of ECOSOC, Lachezara Stoeva, who also spoke.

** Ukraine

On Ukraine, the response to the Kakhovka Dam destruction continues. Today, our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the UN Children's Fund and the World Food Programme were in a small village in the rural area of the Kherson region, about 15 kilometres from the front line. They used boats to deliver life-saving water and food to around 500 families who have been enduring constant bombardment followed by catastrophic flooding.

Aid efforts continue in other affected areas. Since 6 June, we have delivered, through at least 10 inter-agency convoys, vital items to thousands of people impacted by the disaster, in addition to the regular assistance provided separately by UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

OCHA also warned that the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam has depleted the Kakhovka Reservoir. This is affecting tens of thousands of people who had already lost access to piped water in the south of Ukraine.

The reservoir  one of the largest in Europe and a source of drinking water for at least 700,000 people  has reportedly lost 70 per cent of its capacity, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Large urban areas in Dnipropetrovska oblast are completely cut off from centralized water, while others have extremely limited access. This has left more than 210,000 people in urgent need of water, according to estimates from the United Nations and our humanitarian partners.

Our humanitarian colleagues noted that while preliminary analyses of satellite imagery from the UN Satellite Centre shows that flood waters are receding, the crisis is far from over.

** Mali

At a Security Council session on Mali this morning, El-Ghassim Wane, the head of our peacekeeping mission there (MINUSMA), reminded the Council that his address takes place two days before a constitutional referendum in the country.

This referendum, he added, is the first step of a planned process leading to the restoration of constitutional order in Mali.

Turning to his work in the country, Mr. Wane said the Mission has undeniable comparative advantages, which can and must be used more effectively to support the Malian state. But, he added, effective coordination depends on a relationship of trust between the Malian authorities and MINUSMA and requires an even greater commitment from the Malian Government, through regular dialogue with the Mission, to widen the scope of possibilities and seize the many opportunities that exist, for the benefit of the population.

Mr. Wane will be available to answer your questions at the Security Council stakeout, immediately after the closed consultations.

** South Sudan

Moving to South Sudan, where violence against civilians persists across the country: According to the latest quarterly Human Rights Brief from our Mission there (UNMISS) that was published today, between January and March this year, the Mission documented incidents of violence against 920 civilians.

Intercommunal violence by community-based militias and/or civil-defence groups accounted for more than 92 per cent of all victims.

Also today in Yei, Central Equatoria State, the Mission has provided support to the South Sudan People's Defence Forces for the conclusion of a month-long General Court Martial against soldiers who are on trial for crimes against civilians committed since 2019. The General Court Martial has provided judgements on 14 serious crimes, including murder and sexual violence.

** Mozambique

The last remaining RENAMO (Mozambique National Resistance) military base has been closed in central Mozambique as part of the Maputo Accord for Peace and National Reconciliation, signed in 2019.

The closure of the 16th RENAMO base is the result of continued dialogue between Mozambican President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi and RENAMO leader Ossufo Momade, and a significant advance to consolidate peace in Mozambique.

Under the good offices of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Mozambique, Mirko Manzoni, over the past week, approximately 350 former combatants, including 100 women, were disarmed and demobilized.

They will now join a group of almost 5,000 former combatants who have already passed through the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process and will start their reintegration journey in communities of their choice across the country.

** Lebanon

Turning to Lebanon, the International Support Group regrets that Lebanon has yet to elect a president after 12 inconclusive presidential election sessions.

The Group, that brings together the United Nations and the Governments of China, France, Germany, Italy, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, together with the European Union and the Arab League, is deeply concerned that the current political stalemate is undermining Lebanon's ability to address the country's pressing socioeconomic, financial, security and humanitarian challenges.

The Group urged the political leadership and Members of Parliament to assume their responsibilities and prioritize the national interest by electing a new President without further delay.

** Greece

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are calling for urgent and decisive action to prevent further deaths at sea following the latest tragedy in the Mediterranean, the worst in several years.

UNHCR and IOM stressed that the duty to rescue people in distress at sea without delay is a fundamental rule of international maritime law and any action carried out with regard to search and rescue should be conducted in a manner consistent with the obligation to prevent loss of life at sea. UNHCR and IOM welcomed the investigations that have been ordered in Greece into the circumstances which eventually led to a boat capsizing and the loss of so many lives.

Both UNHCR and IOM have been on the ground in Kalamata in southern Greece in close coordination with the authorities, providing support and assistance to the survivors including non-food items, hygiene kits, interpretation services and counselling for survivors who are traumatized following the ordeal.

Also today, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said that what happened on Wednesday underscores the need to investigate people smugglers and human traffickers and ensure they are brought to justice.

** International Days

Today is the International Day of Family Remittances. The Day recognizes the contribution of over 200 million migrants to improve the lives of their 800 million family members back home.

Tomorrow is the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. In his message, the Secretary-General urges all Governments to eliminate legal barriers to women owning land  that is why this Desertification and Drought Day puts the focus on "her land, her rights".

On Sunday, we mark the International Day for Countering Hate Speech. In his message for the day, the Secretary-General calls to promote inclusive, just and peaceful communities and societies and protecting the rights and dignity of all.

Also Sunday is Sustainable Gastronomy Day. Sustainable gastronomy means cuisine that takes into account where the ingredients are from, how the food is grown and how it gets to our markets and eventually to our plates.

** Financial Contributions

And we round out Friday with the good news that Bolivia has paid its dues in full, making it the 117th Member State to do so. Gracias, companeros! And now I'll turn over to your questions before we turn to our guests  if there are any.

** Questions and Answers

Deputy Spokesman : Yes. Yes, please?

Question : Thank you. Six high-ranking guests from Africa, including four presidents, are in Ukraine today. [Vladimir] Putin welcomed them by firing ballistic missiles at Kyiv; fortunately, all the missiles were shot down. What does the UN Secretary-General think about it?

Deputy Spokesman : Well, on the first topic, certainly, we welcome the involvement by other nations trying to see whether they can help bring the parties in Ukraine and the Russian Federation closer to peace. And, of course, regarding the attacks, I will simply echo what we've said before  that there should be no attacks on any civilian facilities or areas of civilian concentration.

And if there are no further questions, I would welcome Alice Nderitu over to the centre stage and we can start her briefing to you. Welcome.

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UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell's remarks at the ECOSOC Special Session on Haiti - "Saving Lives: Addressing the urgent food security needs of Haiti"

UNICEF

As prepared for delivery

16 June 2023

NEW YORK, 16 June 2023 - "Ambassador Stoeva, Ambassador Rae, excellencies, thank you for convening this special session today and also for inviting me to brief on the plight of children in Haiti.

"Haiti is on the precipice of catastrophe. Half the population needs humanitarian assistance, including nearly 3 million children. But half of those in need of assistance aren't getting it - in large part because of insecurity and insufficient humanitarian funding.

"Two million people, including 1.6 million children and women, live in areas controlled by armed groups - their lives under constant threat from violence. Children are even being killed on their way to school. Women and girls are being subjected to staggering levels of gender-based and sexual violence. Insecurity is also compromising the operations of humanitarian actors to meet the growing gap in the delivery of essential services.

"This life-threatening mix of conditions has caused an intensifying food security and nutrition crisis - especially for children. Since last year, we have seen an unprecedented 30 per cent increase in the number of children suffering from severe wasting to more than 115,000 across the country. Nearly a quarter of Haiti's children are chronically malnourished, which can have devastating consequences for their physical and cognitive development.

"The malnutrition crisis coincides with an ongoing cholera outbreak - in which nearly half of the more than 46,000 suspected cases are children under 14. And severely malnourished children are five times more likely to die from cholera without urgent treatment.

"Yet the national health system is on the verge of collapse and does not have the capacity to adequately respond to the health and nutrition needs of vulnerable children and families.

"UNICEF has been working for children in Haiti for decades, and we remain fully committed to provide them with the support they need amidst the deepening crisis. Alongside our partners, we are engaging with community leaders and other relevant stakeholders to facilitate the safe movement of humanitarian workers and supplies, and to identify secure spaces where humanitarian assistance can be delivered.

"We are also expanding our response in health, nutrition, protection, education, water, sanitation and hygiene. So far this year, we have screened more than 243,000 children under five for wasting, helped nearly 70,000 women and children access health-care, provided more over 417,000 people with safe water, and reached 30,000 children with learning materials.

"We are also delivering essential health supplies to protect families from cholera, including vaccines and cholera prevention kits.

"But with humanitarian needs in Haiti even greater than after the 2010 earthquake, far more must be done to ensure that people have safe and sustainable access to essential services in their communities. This requires timely, flexible funding to support the UN's Humanitarian Response Plan. The Plan is based on a $719.9 million appeal that is less than 23 per cent funded.

"Decades of successive crises, including earthquakes, hurricanes, public health emergencies and political turmoil, have plagued Haiti. But for the sake of the millions of Haitians whose lives and wellbeing are at stake, we must respond not with fatigue or resignation, but with renewed commitment.

"We should start by shifting our perspective, and move away from treating Haiti's crises as separate events. Instead, we should view the situation as a longer-term development crisis exacerbated by recurring acute emergency phases. The years-long decline in access to basic services and livelihood opportunities, as well as poor governance and social exclusion, have created extreme vulnerabilities for millions of people. Any shock - like an earthquake, hurricane or public health emergency - pushes them over the edge.

"We know from our long engagement in Haiti that lifesaving humanitarian assistance must go hand-in-hand with development solutions that build resilience of Haitian communities and social service systems.

"We must also deepen our engagement with local stakeholders, to strengthen the capacity of Haitian organizations and institutions, and to facilitate a more efficient response that reflects the local context and experience of the Haitian people.

"In the coming days, I will be travelling with Cindy McCain to Haiti to meet with key stakeholders, assess our collective response on the ground, and reiterate UNICEF's commitment to helping the Haitian people.

"The time for action is long overdue. The Haitian people need an immediate scale up in both regional and international support - which includes full funding for the Humanitarian Response Plan. The upcoming summit hosted by the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States is one of several upcoming opportunities for the international community to rally around Haiti with investments and action. Let's work together to make sure this happens. Together we can join with the Haitian people to break through the cycle of crises and begin building towards a more peaceful and hopeful future for Haiti and most importantly for its children."

#####

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Sudan's Darfur spiralling into 'humanitarian calamity': UN aid chief

16 June 2023 - With the conflict between rival militaries in Sudan entering its third month, the people of Darfur are "trapped in a living nightmare", the UN's top aid official has said.

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths warned in a statement issued late on Thursday night that conditions in the province were particularly dire: babies dying in hospitals, children and mothers suffering from severe malnutrition, camps for displaced persons burned down and sexual violence on the rise.

He deplored spreading inter-communal violence in Darfur that threatens to reignite the ethnic tensions that stoked deadly conflict there 20 years ago.

'Not again'

The top UN official highlighted reports of ethnic killings in West Darfur's capital El Geneina and stressed that Darfur was rapidly spiralling into a "humanitarian calamity".

The world cannot allow this to happen, "not again", Mr. Griffiths said.

Devastating toll

The conflict continues to take a devastating toll on people across the country. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday that an additional 2.5 million are expected to slip into hunger in the coming months.

WFP has provided food aid to nearly one million people in 14 of the country's 18 states since resuming operations on 3 May; the UN agency plans to expand support to 5.9 million people by the end of the year.

UN rights chief calls for accountability

The killers of West Darfur's Governor Khamis Abdullah Abbakar and their commanders must be held to account for their crime, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said on Friday.

Governor Abbakar was killed on 14 June just hours after he was arrested by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - which for two months has been engaged in heavy fighting against the national army - in West Darfur's capital El-Geneina, where inter-ethnic violence has risen rapidly since the military showdown began.

The Governor himself belonged to the Massalit community and OHCHR expressed concern about a shocking rise in hate speech in West Darfur against the Massalit and the Nuba ethnic groups.

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DAF releases Women, Peace, Security Strategic Action Plan

Published June 16, 2023

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) -- The Department of the Air Force recently released its Women, Peace, and Security, or WPS, Strategic Action Plan to operationalize WPS concepts across the Air and Space Forces.

WPS is a policy framework that acknowledges the critical roles women play in international peace and security efforts; it calls for the meaningful participation of women in all levels of decision-making to ensure the safety and security of all genders around the globe.

In the military, it is a framework used by operational planners to account for gender differences across multiple domains of social life and examines how military operations can have different effects based on this analysis.

"By implementing the Women, Peace and Security Strategic Action Plan across our department, we will develop diverse world-class teams capable of performing critical missions like Operation Allies Welcome where gender perspectives were critical to our success," said Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall.

The plan lists three objectives to implement the WPS policy framework, including training Gender Advisors, or GENADs, and Gender Focal Points, or GFPs, to implement principles across core DAF functions, employing the framework throughout doctrine and operations and integrating WPS into security cooperation activities with partner nations to support women's meaningful participation in defense and security sectors.

Three distinct working groups have been established to advance and evaluate each objective.

Women, Peace, and Security concepts have already been implemented in vital operations worldwide. U.S. Northern Command successfully utilized its trained WPS team to provide gender perspectives to the overall crisis planning during OAW in 2021, when almost 80,000 Afghan refugees were safely evacuated to the United States.

They employed a cadre of Joint Staff Gender Focal Points and Gender Advisors to give gender-based considerations when setting up the camps for refugees and leveraged on-site gender advisory support at all eight Department of Defense safe havens tasked to provide housing, medical, and other support services to evacuees.

The initiative to advance WPS concepts worldwide began in 2000 when the United Nations recognized the disproportionate impact of wartime violence on women and girls. To address this, countries around the world started implementing National Action Plans to establish WPS programs.

Congress enacted The Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 in response to Executive Order 13595, which mandated national WPS implementation. It was the first legislation of its kind to acknowledge the multifaceted roles of women throughout the conflict spectrum and identified the Department of Defense as a relevant Federal department responsible for implementing WPS.

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Michigan Arrives in Busan

US Navy

16 June 2023

The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Michigan (SSGN 727) (Blue) arrived in Busan, Republic of Korea (ROK), for a scheduled port visit, June 16.

The port visit in Busan reflects the United States' commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, and compliments the many exercises, training, operations and other military cooperation activities conducted by U.S. submarine forces with our ROK allies.

This port call marks the first visit to Busan that Michigan has made since 2017.

Michigan is one of four Ohio-class guided-missile submarines. The Navy's guided-missile submarines provide strike and special operation mission capabilities from a stealthy, clandestine platform. Armed with tactical missiles and equipped with superior communications capabilities, guided-missile submarines are capable of launching missile strikes and supporting Special Operation Forces missions. Measuring more than 560 feet long and weighing more than 18,000 tons when submerged, Michigan is one of the largest submarines in the world.

Michigan is the second submarine of the Ohio-class of ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) and guided missile submarines (SSGNs), and the third U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Michigan is homeported in Naval Base Kitsap, Washington, and is operating under Commander, Submarine Group (CSG) 7 in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

CSG 7 directs forward-deployed, combat-capable forces across the full spectrum of undersea warfare throughout the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.

U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

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UNHCR Pledges to Help Resettle Refugees in Malawi

By Lameck Masina June 16, 2023

The United Nations refugee agency has pledged its support of Malawi's move to resettle more than 50,000 refugees and asylum-seekers currently living at the overcrowded Dzaleka refugee camp in the central part of the country. Last week, Malawi's government announced it had secured a new site in the northern part of the country to help reduce the number refugees at the Dzaleka camp, which was originally designed to accommodate 12,000 people.

UNHCR Regional Director for Southern Africa Valentin Tapsoba pledged support of the move after meeting Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera, in the capital, Lilongwe.

According to a statement released after the meeting, Tapsoba said UNHCR welcomes the government of Malawi's commitment to improving living conditions and overall well-being of refugees living in the country by upgrading refugee settlements.

Malawi set up Dzaleka refugee camp in 1994 to accommodate about 12,000 people but now it is hosting more than 50,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia and Ethiopia.

Kenyi Emanuel Lukajo is the associate external relations and reporting officer for the UNHCR in Malawi. He says the government's relocation of about 8,000 refugees, who have been staying outside the camp, has strained the already scarce resources at the camp.

"Life is very difficult," said Lokajo. "There is not enough water, not enough shelter, even the children who are pulled out of school in the city are not able to enroll in schools because there are not enough slots. So, everything is not there, so we don't have the money to provide for an additional number of people that have been relocated."

Malawi started forcibly relocating refugees, who were illegally living across rural and urban areas of the country last month, after the expiration of the April 15 deadline the government set for voluntary relocation.

In a statement, the UNHCR says that to date, approximately 1,900 individuals have returned to the congested Dzaleka camp amid financial challenges the agency is facing in taking care of the refugees.

The U.N. refugee agency says that as of 1 June, it has only received 15 percent of the required $27.2 million to adequately support refugees and asylum-seekers in Malawi this year.

However, the Malawi government says it has acquired land for a new resettlement site for the refugees in Chitipa district, north of Malawi, to solve overcrowding problems facing the refugees there.

Ken Zikhale Ng'oma is the minister of homeland security in Malawi. He told a press conference last week that the new settlement will also help keep away potential criminals who enter Malawi under the pretext of being refugees and asylum keepers.

"Which is why we want to change the system now. We will close Dzaleka anytime," Ng'oma said. "And we will open up a new site in Chitipa where we want to make sure that anybody who enters Malawi should be examined before entering Malawi just as Americans do. No asylum seeker will get in and say 'I will apply inside' no. It is done at the gate. So, we want to borrow the American system."

The UNHCR says it stands ready to provide the necessary support toward the new site.

"If the government says they have found a new site, UNHCR has no objection to that as long as UNHCR is involved in the process and then we assess the site to ensure that the site has got enough water, is not prone to flooding and the site is not very close to the border," said Lokajo. "So if all the conditions are met, then UNHCR will not hesitate to support the process."

Malawi government authorities have assured to involve UNHCR in the site assessment process and collaborate to secure resources for the development of the new settlement.

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Joint Readout of Trilateral Meeting Between the National Security Advisors of the United States, Japan, and the Philippines

June 16, 2023

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan of the United States, National Security Advisor Akiba Takeo of Japan, and National Security Advisor Eduardo Ano of the Republic of the Philippines gathered for the first time on 16 June 2023 in Tokyo, Japan to exchange views on a concrete approach for improving trilateral cooperation.



Mr. Akiba and Mr. Ano welcomed Mr. Sullivan's reaffirmation of the United States' ironclad alliance commitments to both Japan and the Philippines. Recalling the security environment discussed in the recent Japan-United States, Japan-Philippines, and United States-Philippines summit meetings, the three National Security Advisors (NSAs) reaffirmed the importance of deepening trilateral cooperation among Japan, the United States and the Philippines, which share fundamental values of freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights, in order to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order.



The three NSAs emphasized the importance of enhancing trilateral cooperation and response capabilities based on the Japan-United States Alliance and Philippines-United States Alliance in order to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Also, they concurred that a free and open maritime order, characterized by freedom of navigation, and a free, fair, and equitable economic order are essential in the Indo-Pacific, especially given unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. The three NSAs discussed a wide range of regional security challenges, including with respect to the South China Sea and the East China Sea, as well as North Korea. In addition, they reiterated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.



The three NSAs confirmed plans to enhance trilateral cooperation as reflected below:



Efforts to enhance trilateral defense and security capabilities

The three NSAs discussed opportunities to conduct combined maritime activities including multilateral joint naval exercises in Indo-Pacific waters in support of freedom of navigation, and the broader rules-based order.



The three NSAs resolved to advance trilateral defense cooperation based on the recent progress between the United States and the Philippines such as the four additional locations identified pursuant to their Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement and between Japan and the Philippines in discussing frameworks that will enhance and facilitate reciprocal visits of defense and military officials.

Efforts to maintain a free and open maritime order

The first trilateral joint training among the three countries' coast guards was conducted in early June and the three NSAs reaffirmed the importance of such activities.



The three NSAs reaffirmed the importance of efforts to promote Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) by utilizing Japan's new "Official Security Assistance (OSA)" cooperation framework, the QUAD's Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) and other capacity building measures.

Efforts to enhance trilateral cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief

The three NSAs resolved to deepen trilateral cooperation in the area of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR), drawing on their military and civilian HA/DR capabilities.

Efforts to maintain a free and equitable economic order

The three NSAs resolved to make common efforts to promote economic security and economic resilience.



The three NSAs affirmed their commitment to addressing economic coercion in coordination with other partners.

The three NSAs decided to convene additional trilateral exchanges in the coming months among the National Security Secretariat of Japan, the National Security Council staff of the United States, and the National Security Council Secretariat of the Philippines, to further expand cooperation and information-sharing.

###

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Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton En Route West Hartford, CT

June 16, 2023

Aboard Air Force One

En Route West Hartford, Connecticut

12:46 P.M. EDT

MS. DALTON: And, hey, everybody, they're telling us that there's going to be some turbulence in about 15 minutes, so we're going to try to keep this concise here.

Good morning, everyone. We're en route to West Hartford, Connecticut, my hometown, where the President will celebrate the anniversary of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, legislation he signed last year with the help of decades of work by gun safety advocates and survivors.

Earlier this week, the First Lady joined Gabby Giffords at an event for the Giffords Law Center in San Francisco to highlight the President's action and leadership on addressing gun violence.

This morning, the White House announced new actions that HHS and the Education Department are taking to help schools access mental health resources and training for students to better prevent and respond to gun violence in schools.

And today, the President will also highlight progress at the state level and call for state legislatures across the country and Congress to take additional action.

Connecticut has been a leader on gun safety legislation, particularly in the decade following the tragedy at Sandy Hook. Just over a week ago, Governor Lamont signed a gun violence prevention bill, which contains more than a dozen measures to improve gun safety, including strengthening the state's ban on assault weapons and secure storage requirements.

Other states are taking action too. This year, Illinois and Washington made historic pro-  progress by passing assault weapons bans. And now 10 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws restricting assault weapons. Michigan and Minnesota passed legislation to establish extreme risk protection orders, and existing laws were strengthened in Colorado and Vermont. In total, 21 states and the District of Columbia now have these laws on the books.

And Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, and Washington have all enacted measures to hold gun manufacturers account-  and dealers accountable.

Since 2021, seven states have passed laws to increase accountability for the guns industry. This is the kind of progress the President will continue to press on lawmakers at every level to accelerate.

In some other news today, the President announced his intent to appoint Dr. Mandy Cohen as the Director of the CDC. Dr. Cohen is one of the nation's top physicians and health leaders with experience leading large and complex organizations and a proven track record protecting Americans' health and safety.

As Secretary of North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Cohen developed innovative and nationally recognized programs that improve the health and lives of families across the state.

Her leadership through the COVID-19 crisis drew bipartisan praise, as did her successful transformation of North Carolina's Medicaid program and pivotal role in the bipartisan passage of Medicaid expansion.

Dr. Cohen has been recognized by leaders from both parties for her ability to find common ground and put complex policy into action.

The President looks forward to working with her as she leads our nation's finest scientists and public health experts with integrity and transparency.

And turning to an I-95 bridge collapse update: Tomorrow, Saturday, June 17th, President Biden will receive an aerial tour of the site of the I-95 highway collapse and receive a briefing on emergency repair and reconstruction efforts.

The President will be joined on the tour by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Brendan Boyle, and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney.

President Biden has instructed his team to move heaven and earth and work around the clock to ensure the fastest possible reconstruction of the highway.

U.S. Department of Transportation officials were on the ground within hours, and the Federal Highway Administration has already advanced the first $3 million dollars in federal emergency relief funding.

While in Philadelphia, the President will provide an update on his administration's work to aid state and local reconstruction efforts.

I also want to note that neither the President's aerial tour nor his travel in the city tomorrow will interfere with the traffic around the highway, the detour routes, or the reconstruction efforts.

And finally, I just want to give you all a look at  look very quickly at the week ahead.

Tomorrow, the President will travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as I just said, and receive an aerial tour of the I-95 highway collapse. Later, the President and the First Lady will deliver remarks at a political rally hosted by union members. And in the evening, the President and First Lady will travel to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where they will stay through the remai-  remainder of the weekend.

On Monday, the President will travel to the San Francisco Bay area, where he will remain until Wednesday, and then return to the White House from California.

On Thursday, the President and First Lady will host Prime Minister Narendra  Narendra Modi of the Republic of India for an official state visit, which will include a state dinner. The Vice President and the Second Gentleman will attend.

And on Friday, the President will travel to Camp David where he will remain over the weekend.

Colleen, do you want to kick us off?

Q Yes. Does the administration have a comment on the Justice Department's decision related to the Minneapolis Police Department and the, sort of, discrimination against minorities, long before George Floyd?

MS. DALTON: We just saw the  the release come across from the Department of Justice. We're reviewing that report now. And we refer you to the DOJ for any specific details contained therein.

But more broadly speaking, I would just say that the President has  has long talked about his work to make our communities safer, including through advancing effective and accountable policing  community policing. And he has talked about the need to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

And so those efforts will continue. But certainly with respect to any details of this report, right now I'd refer you to the DOJ.

Q Do you want to react to anything that Vladimir Putin said today, including that they  Russia has stationed a nuclear weapon in Belarus?

MS. DALTON: So we are aware of those comments. As we've said before, we believe this kind of nuclear rhetoric is highly irresponsible. There's just no room for it. It is highly irresponsible. And I would just reiterate, as we've also said in recent days, we've seen no indication nor reason to adjust our nuclear posture at this moment in time.

But we are also reaffirming  taking this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the NATO Alliance's collective defense.

Q Olivia, there were reports out of Europe today that the President urged Secretary General Stoltenberg to stay on at NATO. Can you confirm that he asked him to extend his term further? And do you have any comment on those?

MS. DALTON: I have no updates to share with you today. But I would just say that, as the President has said himself in recent days, NATO has never been stronger, more unified than it is today as a result of the United States leadership and others in the Alliance coming together and working tightly across the  on Ukraine and across  on other issues across the globe.

The President has complete confidence in Secretary General Stoltenberg. You saw they just met at the White House last  this  earlier this week.

But with respect to any upcoming changes, that is something that certainly the United States will stay in close touch with its partners and Allies about and reach a consensus decision.

I  but I don't have any news to share with you today on that.

Q Does the White House have any more details on who was behind the cyberattack yesterday and what federal agencies or how many were impacted by it?

MS. DALTON: So with respect to the cyberattack, the  about two weeks ago, the company involved released a patch. The CISA and FBI have worked with government agencies as well as those outside the government that were impacted in order to make sure that their software is updated and that they are taking the  the most secure action that they can to protect themselves.

Right now, I can tell you the FBI is investigating. I don't have additional details to share at the moment.

Q Can you give us a sense of what the President is going to do next week in California? Will he meet with anyone? Will he meet with Governor Newsom?

MS. DALTON: Stay tuned for more in California. We'll probably have more to share this weekend on his travels next week.

Q There has been a longstanding logjam on any of the sort of gun control measures that the President wants. Obviously, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was something of a breakthrough but not the sort of ban that he wants. Is there realistically anything that would change if Republicans remain in control of the House and Democrats don't have a bulletproof Senate majority? Like, really, what could the President do to break through this?

MS. DALTON: Well, as you know, the President signed the bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law last year. That was legislation that was 30 years in the making. People didn't think that that could get done on day one of this administration, and this President signed it into law.

He's also signed now two dozen executive actions that we're continuing to implement and take action to strengthen gun safety across this country.

The President doesn't believe that inaction is acceptable at a time where guns are the number one killer of kids in our country.

At a time where every day you open the newspaper and see reports of communities across the country wracked by gun violence, the President believes that it's our responsibility to continue to do everything that we can to fight the scourge of gun violence.

Certainly, the President is doing everything within his power. He will continue to call on Congress to take action to ban assault weapons, like he successfully was able to lead Congress to do in 1994, to end this immunity from liability from gun man-  for gun manufacturers, to require national sta-  safe storage law, to take additional actions to hold gun manufacturers accountable.

And so, you know, part of what today is about is to find where there are opportunities for us to press forward at the state level as well.

You know, I just highlighted some of the actions that Connecticut, other states across the country are taking in the absence of meaningful action by Republicans in Congress.

So, the President is going to continue to focus on this, do everything in his power, do everything to use the  seize the bully pulpit, and make whatever progress we can, because as we see every day, Americans are paying with their lives for the inaction we're seeing.

Q NBC reported today that President Biden had to be talked out of his call with President Xi after the balloon was shot down. Where  and he thought he  his relationship with Xi could tamp down the situation. So, I'm wondering: Where does the President believe that his relationship with Xi stands right now? And does a call seem likely after the Blinken visit?

MS. DALTON: I want to be emphatic that the President did not have to be talked out of a call with President Xi. We've been very clear and consistent about the need to maintain multiple lines of communication with China. And that's part of why Secretary Blinken is headed to the region very shortly.

Look, stepping back here, China is seeing that, right now, the United States is in a place where we are better positioned than ever before to outcompete them in the decade ahead.

We've added 13 million jobs. Twelve million new businesses have been created. Under this President's leadership, we've attracted nearly $500 billion in private investment. We are reshoring hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs.

Over the next decade, we're positioned to build a billion solar panels in the United States, a million electric vehicles, 100,000 wind turbines, billions  literally billions, with a "B"  semiconductor-power-  -powered pieces of technology in our country.

And so that's the context through which, you know, in this moment of increased competition that we're seeing, we believe it's incredibly important to also maintain robust diplomacy and ensure that that competition does not veer into a place of conflict.

Q Do you have a reaction to 

Q What  sorry, just to follow-up. What does the President hope that Secretary Blinken will accomplish on the trip?

MS. DALTON: Well, I just sort of talked about this idea that right in this era, where we are better positioned than ever to outcompete China, that we want to make sure that there are open lines of communication and that we are engaged in a robust level of diplomacy that helps us avoid conflict, avoid misperceptions, avoid miscalculation, and really responsibly manage any tension. That is the larger goal.

And with respect to any particular deliverables, I would just refer you to the State Department on that.

Q Do you have a reaction to the synagogue  Pittsburgh synagogue guilty verdict today? And that's a verdict that could bring the death penalty with it. But first, just a reaction.

MS. DALTON: Sure. Well, with respect to the sentencing, I want to be careful to leave that to the DOJ. They make those independent decisions. And so, it would be inappropriate for us to speak to that.

But broadly speaking, I  I do want to communicate that the President's thoughts, his prayers, the First Lady's thoughts and prayers, are with all of the victims, the survivors, their families of this horrific shooting in Pittsburgh in 2018.

Certainly, I think it's important to remember, when you look back at the reason why the President ran for office in the first place, he talked about, you know, watching antisemitic bile being spewed on the streets of Charlottesville that were reminiscent of what we saw on the streets of Europe in the 1930s. And it inspired him to run for office, to fight for the soul of our nation, to root out hate wherever it rears up.

And he, just in the last couple of weeks, released historic administration policy on combating antisemitism, which contained over a hundred actions that we're going to be taking across the federal government to combat antisemitism, as well as a hundred actions that external stakeholders we hope will take to help root out this evil in our society.

And so, you know, I just would leave it there and  and just underscore that today, first and foremost, the President, the First Lady, their thoughts, their prayers are with everybody impacted by this horrible, heinous attack.

Q What have you seen on the  whether you guys will do a two-and-two with the India Prime Minister later this week?

MS. DALTON: We'll have some more on  of the tick-tock of the state visit to share early next week. I just don't have that for you right now.

Q There's some bipartisan legislation on the Hill  the Senate, actually  that would claw back executive pay from banks like Silicon Valley Bank that  that failed and needed the government inter-  to intervene. Does the White House have an opinion on that legislation? Are you supportive of it?

MS. DALTON: So this is actually the second piece of bipartisan legislation that has been introduced to do just that. And without commenting on a particular piece of legislation  of course, back in March, the President talked about his support for implementing  or legislating new policies to be able to give regulators the tool to claw back compensation from senior executives of failed banks and to have more accountability.

And so, certainly we are, broadly speaking, support- -supportive of bipartisan efforts in Congress to address the things that the President has proposed. And we're taking a look at these pieces of legislation, without weighing on them, but just say, broadly, you know, these are reflective of the kinds of accountability measures the President has been seeking.

Q Do you have a response to the  the ship that capsized off of Greece? Hundreds of migrants coming in from Libya probably died.

MS. DALTON: Sorry, can you say the last part?

Q Hun-  I believe that hundreds of migrants were killed when this ship capsized that were coming over from Libya to Greece.

MS. DALTON: Certainly saw those reports this morning; were devastating. I don't have any, you know, readouts of conversations with counterparts in  in those countries to read out quite yet. But I'll follow up with more detail as we have them.

Q Olivia, next weekend, we know the Vice President is giving a major speech to mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court overturin-  overturning Roe v. Wade. Can you tell us what the President is going to do to mark the anniversary?

MS. DALTON: Right now, I can tell you: You can expect the President to mark this anniversary. As we've seen over the last  just this past few months, we've seen more than 300 pieces of legislation introduced across this country attempting to restrict women's access to reproductive care, in some cases imperiling their health and their safety and their lives.

More than 23 million women now live in states where there are severe restrictions on reproductive healthcare. And that's simply unacceptable to this President. It's an unacceptable risk to this President and this Vice President.

As you just mentioned, the Vice President will be speaking in North Carolina, which is home to a draconian abortion ban that was  that went into law over the veto of the state's governor, just in the last couple of weeks  excuse me. And she'll talk about how that impacts negatively  how that's going to harm women across the state of North Carolina and across the South.

And so, certainly you can expect the President to mark this date as well next week. I don't have details to share quite yet. But certainly this is something we feel is important, and the President will continue to fight.

Q Was the President briefed on the severe weather in Texas or in the 

MS. DALTON: Yes.

Q  South last night?

MS. DALTON: So, the President has been briefed. Our team  the White House team has reached out to Governor Abbott's office and also been in touch with Governor Stitt's office and  and Governor Stitt himself in Oklahoma. We've also been in touch with local officials in these areas to offer whatever federal support we can, in order to make sure that they have what they need as they recover.

I would just say, you know, also on a, you know, personal level, the President and the First Lady, they've seen these devastating images out of the region, and certainly their  their hearts, their thoughts go out to the families who are hurting today, to the people who have been killed and injured, to the people who are still learning the fate of their loved ones.

And so, you know, we're prepared to offer whatever federal assistance we can in the days ahead.

Q Can you tell us anything about the  the campaign event in Greenwich? What's he doing there?

MS. DALTON: I can't speak to that. I'd have to refer you to the DNC since it's a political event. But I'll, on that note, leave it there. See you guys later.

1:05 P.M. EDT

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Russo-Ukraine War - 16 June 2023 - Day 478

Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that General-Major Sergei Goryachev was almost certainly killed in a strike on a command post on or around 12 June 2023, in southern Ukraine.

Goryachev was the chief of staff of 35th Combined Arms Army (35 CAA). With 35 CAA's nominated commander, General-Lieutenant Alexandr Sanchik, reported to be filling a gap in a higher HQ, there is a realistic possibility that Goryachev was the acting army commander at the time of his death.

Goryachev is the first Russian general confirmed killed in Ukraine since the start of 2023.

It continues a war record which has been both difficult and controversial for 35th CAA: in March 2022 elements of the army were present during the massacre of civilians in Bucha, and in June 2022 the force was largely wiped out near Izium.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of June 16, the Russian occupiers launched another missile attack on the Kyiv Oblast, using 6x X-47 "Kinzhal" aeroballistic missiles and 6x "Calibre" cruise missiles. All 12x missiles were destroyed by Ukrainian Air Forces and Ukrainian Ground Forces.

Moreover, Russian forces carried out 24x airstrikes, launched about 35x MLRS attacks. Unfortunately, not only some infrastructure was destroyed, but civilians also suffered.

The threat of missile and air strikes remains high across Ukraine.

Russia continues to focus its main efforts on the Lymans, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mar'inka axes  21x combat clashes took place.

Volyn' and Polissya axes: the operational situation has not changed significantly. There are no signs of the formation of offensive groupings. On the training grounds of the Republic of Belarus, combat training and coordination of units of the Russian troops are underway after which they are sent to the frontlines on the territory of Ukraine.

Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russian forces maintain an enhanced military presence in the Ukraine border. They carried out airstrikes atMogrytsia, Sumy Oblast, and Budarka, Kharkiv Oblast. Russian forces shelled with mortars and artillery the settlements like Znob-Trubchevska, Chuykivka, Boyaro-Lezhachi, Stari Virky, Basivka, Stepok, Krasnopillya, Velika Pisarivka of the Sumy Oblast, as well as Udy, Chervona Zorya, Hlyboke, Lyptsi, Zelene, Ternova, Ogirtseve, Vovchans'k, Vovchans'ki Khutory, Bochkove, Mala Vovcha in Kharkiv Oblast.

Kup'yans'k axis: Kam'ianka, Krasne Pershe, Figolivka, Novomlyns'k, Dvorichna, Zapadne, Kislivka of the Kharkiv Oblast and Novoselivske of the Luhansk Oblast were shelled by Russian artillery and mortars.

Lyman axis: Russian forces launched an airstrike near Spirnyi area of the Donetsk Oblast. Stelmakhivka, Nevs'ke, Belogorivka of the Luhansk Oblast and Tors'ke, Verkhn'okam'ians'ke, Spirne, Serebryanka of the Donetsk Oblast were hit by artillery.

Bakhmut axis: Russian forces carried out airstrikes in the areas of Bila Hora and New York of the Donetsk Oblast Vasyukivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bogdanivka, Khromov, Chasiv Yar, Ivanivs'ke, Ozaryanivka, Bila Hora, Kostyantynivka, Pivdenne of the Donetsk Oblast were shelled by Russian artillery.

Avdiivka axis: Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive operations in the areas of Stepovoy and Avdiivka. Conducted an airstrike at the Avdiyivka area. Shelled Avdiivka, Vesely, and Karlivka of the Donetsk Oblast.

Mar'inka axis: Ukrainian defenders repelled all Russian attacks in the vicinities of Mar'inka. Russian forces carried out airstrikes in Mar'inka and Pobeda districts of Donetsk Oblast. Russians shelled the areas of Krasnohorivka, Georgiivka, Mar'inka, Maksimilianivka, Kostyantynivka of the Donetsk Oblast.

Shakhtars'k axis: Russian forces carried out offensive actions in the axis of Novomykhailivka and Vodyanyi, Donetsk Oblast, without success. Airstrikes in Prechistivka, Zolota Niva, Blagodatne districts. They shelled the settlements of Vugledar, Vremivka, Storozheve, Novosilka, Novopil of the Donetsk Oblast.

Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: Russian forces are on the defensive. They shelled the settlements of Olhivs'ke, Poltavka, Hulyaipole, Zaliznychne, Hulyaipils'ke, Charivne, Biloghirya, Novodanilivka, Novoandriivka, Mali Shcherbaki, Kam'ians'ke of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast; Zmiivka, Beryslav, Kozats'ke, Inzhenerne, Zelenivka, Antonivka, Bilozerka, Dniprovs'ke, Kizomys of the Kherson Oblast and Kherson.

In the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, there are cases of violent abduction of the pro-Ukrainian population, as well as the construction of new torture chambers for their detention. In particular, Russian terrorists set up one of these torture chambers on the territory of a secondary school in the village of Velyki Kopani, Kherson Oblast. In the school gym, units of the FSB of the Russian Federation conduct interrogations. The Russian occupiers keep the detained persons in harsh, inhumane conditions, and torture them.

Ukrainian Air Force conducted 14x strikes on Russian manpower concentrations. Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed 3x operational-tactical reconnaissance UAVs.

Ukrainian missile and artillery units hit 2x hit a control post, 3x Russian manpower concentrations and 4x artillery units at firing positions, 2x electronic warfare stations and 2x more important Russian facilities.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that during the past 24 hours, AFU units continued to suffer significant losses as they unsuccessfully attempted to conduct an offensive in South Donetsk and Donetsk directions.

In Vremevka salient, the most active combat operations took place in the areas of Rovnopol and Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic), where five attacks by Ukrainian Armed Forces were repelled as a result of courageous actions by the Russian Vostok Group of Forces, air strikes and artillery fire.

More than 200 Ukrainian servicemen, five tanks, seven infantry fighting vehicles, five armoured vehicles, four motor vehicles, and two mortar batteries have been neutralised in the past 24 hours.

In Donetsk direction, the Yug Group of Forces has successfully repelled five enemy attacks close to Pervomaiskoye, Petrovskoye, and Staromikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic) during the past 24 hours.

Up to 215 Ukrainian personnel, three armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, and two D-20 howitzers.

Moreover, an ammunition depot of the 109th Territorial Defence Brigade was neutralised close to Novogorodskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

In Kupyansk direction, the ground-attack aircraft, artillery and units of the Zapad Group of Forces have foiled actions of two Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups close to Novosyolovskoye (Lugansk People's Republic).

Up to 45 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and a U.S.-made M777 artillery system were destroyed during the day.

In Krasny Liman direction, aviation and artillery of the Tsentr Group of Forces engaged the units of the enemy close to Nevskoye, Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic), and the Serebryansky forestry.

During the day, up to 65 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured personnel carriers, one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and one D-30 howitzer have been neutralised.

In Kherson direction, up to 30 Ukrainian troops, five motor vehicles, one Msta-B howitzer, and one U.S.-made M777 artillery system have been neutralised over the past 24 hours.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Group of Forces have engaged 96 AFU artillery units at their fire positions, manpower, and military hardware in 104 areas during the day.

Russian air defence forces have intercepted four HIMARS shells during the day.

In addition, 22 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were obliterated in the areas of Sladkaya Balka, Tokmak (Zaporozhye region), Volnovakha, Artyomovsk, Verkhnetortskoye (Donetsk People's Republic), Svatovo (Lugansk People's Republic), and Novaya Kakhovka (Kherson region).

In total, 444 airplanes and 238 helicopters, 4,652 unmanned aerial vehicles, 426 air defence missile systems, 10,018 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,124 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 5,128 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 10,983 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.





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YEREVAN, JUNE 17, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan is preparing new attacks on Armenia and is using false accusations to create an information base for its new provocations, Ambassador-at-large Edmon Marukyan warned on Saturday.

 During the entire month of June, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan issued 19 statements, allegedly about shootings by the armed forces of Armenia. All the statements of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan were lies and pursued one goal: to prepare an information base for daily aggressions and attacks on the sovereign territory of Armenia. After June 10, this behavior and statements intensified, which means that Azerbaijan is preparing new provocations. Naturally, this behavior of Azerbaijan does not contribute to the ongoing peace negotiations and should be monitored by the international community in order to curb Azerbaijan's expansionist ambitions, Marukyan tweeted.
US Uses New Law to Target Gun Trafficking to Mexico

By Masood Farivar June 15, 2023

A new law that imposes harsher penalties on gun trafficking is giving U.S. prosecutors a powerful tool to combat the illicit flow of weapons from the United States to drug cartels in Mexico.

The cartels use the weapons to protect their drug smuggling operations, fueling an overdose epidemic that is claiming the lives of tens of thousands of Americans.

Justice Department officials say that in the year since the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was signed into law by President Joe Biden in June 2022, they have charged more than 100 people under its gun trafficking and straw purchasing provisions.

The landmark legislation introduced the first major changes to U.S. gun safety laws since the federal assault weapons ban of 1994. The law established a standalone firearms-trafficking conspiracy offense that is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. It also criminalizes straw purchasing, which involves buying a firearm for someone who is legally prohibited from purchasing a gun.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Wednesday that the Justice Department is using the criminal authorities under the new law "to identify and hold firearms traffickers accountable."

"The firearms-trafficking provision has proven particularly useful at the Southwest border," Monaco said at a law enforcement event in Washington hosted by the Justice Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to highlight government efforts to combat illegal gun trafficking to Mexico.

She noted that more than half of all firearms trafficking cases have been brought by federal prosecutors in border states such as Texas and Arizona.

In recent years, drug trafficking from Mexico to the U.S. has received wide public attention, but not the influx of weapons moving in the opposite direction.

U.S. and Mexican officials say the gun trafficking problem is equally grave, with just as deadly consequences for people on both sides of the border.

"These weapons empower drug cartels to intimidate local communities, challenge state authority and expand their deadly drug trade back into the United States," Monaco said.

Just how many weapons are smuggled into Mexico remains uncertain, but the number is believed to be enormous. One estimate suggests it could be as high as half a million weapons a year.

A recent ATF study found that nearly 70% of firearms recovered in Mexico between 2014 and 2018 and submitted for tracing were linked to the United States. A Mexican government estimate puts it as high as 90%.

ATF Director Steven Dettelbach said that Mexican cartels are seeking high-powered, military-grade weapons, not just any weapon. He mentioned as an example the M134 mini-gun, which can fire up to 4,000 rounds per minute.

"Weapons like this present an extreme danger when they land in the hands of criminals, a danger not only to the public but to the law enforcement agents on both sides of this border as well," Dettelbach said.

While the Southwest states serve as a main source of weapons smuggled to Mexico, the problem is not limited to the region, Dettelbach said. In March, two men from Cleveland, Ohio, were arrested after selling nearly 100 weapons to ATF agents posing as Mexican cartel members.

The influx of weapons to Mexico is being fueled in part by Mexico's strict gun laws. There is only one army-run gun shop in the nation of more than 120 million people, and it reportedly issues about 50 permits per year.

As a result, Mexican drug cartels get most of their weaponry - from handguns to military-style assault weapons -- from the U.S., where guns are readily available and can be purchased by hired mules who smuggle them across the border, experts say.

In 2021, the Mexican government filed a $10 billion lawsuit against U.S. gunmakers, accusing them of facilitating the trafficking of weapons to Mexican drug cartels and fueling violence in their country. A U.S. judge dismissed the lawsuit in September. Mexico is appealing.

The litigation is not aimed at the U.S. government, and U.S. officials say Mexican law enforcement authorities do combat gun trafficking.

"The perception sometimes that perhaps Mexico is not in the fight is wrong," said Ken Salazar, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico. "The reality of it is, they're in the fight with us."

U.S. officials credited Mexican cooperation for a string of recent gun-trafficking prosecutions.

In March, Roberto Lugardo Moreno Jr. pleaded guilty to purchasing an AR-15 rifle for a Mexican drug cartel that was linked to the notorious kidnapping and murder of U.S. citizens earlier in the year. Monaco said the case was made possible by Mexican cooperation.

In May, Mexican authorities arrested Michel Bacasegua-Barriga, the alleged leader of a prolific transnational firearms trafficking group based in Nogales, Sonora, after he was indicted in Arizona.

"These are just two examples of the outstanding work that U.S. and Mexican law enforcement are performing every day to combat cartels, trafficking organizations and violent crime," Monaco said.

Monaco and other officials touted recent gun seizures made under a 3-year-old ATF-led initiative known as Operation Southbound, which seeks to curb the flow of firearms into Mexico in coordination with Mexican authorities.

Between fiscal year 2021 and 2022, ATF firearms seizures with a nexus to Mexico increased by 17%, while ATF trafficking investigations more than doubled, Dettelbach said.

From October 2022 to March 2023, nearly 2,000 firearms were seized under Operation Southbound, an increase of 65% over the same period last year.

But this number is dwarfed by the enormous influx of weapons into Mexico, and some experts say law enforcement operations alone are not enough to tackle the problem.

"There are no simple solutions to this problem, but one obvious policy is to adopt stricter arms control laws in the United States," Jason Blazakis, director of the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said during a recent House hearing on transnational organizations.

"Simply put, America is arming the Mexican drug cartels, and that must stop," he said.

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Counter ISIS Finance Group Leaders Issue Joint Statement

U.S. Department of the Treasury

June 16, 2023

Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Convenes Eighteenth Finance Working Group Meeting

On June 7, the United States, Italy, and Saudi Arabia held the 18th meeting of the Counter ISIS Finance Group (CIFG), a working group of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. The event was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with over 40 member states and observers attending in person and virtually.

The following is a joint statement of the CIFG co-leads:

Advancing the CIFG mission remains integral to the success of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Our members and observers, which include over 70 countries and international organizations, are committed to ending financial support to ISIS and its global affiliates to prevent them from terrorizing civilians and re-establishing safe havens. We are working to identify and dismantle financial support networks that enable ISIS to spread its radical ideology, recruit new followers, and mobilize resources for massacres and terrorist attacks.

During the 18th CIFG meeting, we continued focusing on ISIS Core and ISIS affiliates across Asia. We also placed increased emphasis on combating the expanding ISIS presence in Africa, reflecting a top priority of the Global Coalition. Partner countries and independent experts presented case studies on recent disruptions of ISIS donors, fundraisers, and financial facilitators. They also shared unique insights into ISIS financial sources, transfer methods, and weaknesses. Notably, the presentations demonstrated how coordinated action and information-sharing among states, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector amplify the impact of law enforcement investigations, targeted sanctions, prosecutions, and other measures against ISIS financing networks. International cooperation has been critical to exposing and disrupting ISIS transactions outside the formal financial system, including via hawalas and cash smugglers; abuse of the charitable sector for fundraising; and increasing use of virtual assets and mobile payment systems.

CIFG members and observers are seeking to enhance the effectiveness of our collective efforts to stop ISIS financing. First, we invite our respective intelligence and counterterrorism partners, NGOs, and the private sector to increase information-sharing regarding ISIS financial activities and networks to help us understand and counteract them. Second, we call for closer cooperation with countries that are prone to exploitation by ISIS financiers to bolster their capability to conduct investigations, impose asset freezes, and take other enforcement measures against ISIS financiers. Third, we look to assist vulnerable jurisdictions strengthen their key anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) controls and requirements, consistent with international standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). To fortify institutional defenses against ISIS financiers, we encourage adoption of a risk-based approach to implement effective regulation and oversight of informal financial transfer mechanisms, mobile payment platforms, virtual asset service providers, dealers in precious metals and stones, and transactions by higher-risk non-profit organizations in line with the FATF guidance. Lastly, we urge Global Coalition members to do more to help military and other security forces combat ISIS insurgency, particularly in Africa. The deployment of adequate security measures in conflict zones is crucial for preventing ISIS from extorting civilians, kidnapping for ransom, looting, and engaging in other criminal activities to generate revenue.

As long as the global ISIS threat persists, CIFG partners will continue to deploy various resources and forge international partnerships to dismantle ISIS's financial infrastructure. We will use all tools at our disposal to accomplish this mission and will not rest until the Global Coalition achieves the enduring defeat of ISIS.

Click here to read Fact Sheet: Countering ISIS Financing

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Treasury Sanctions Mexico-based Transnational Human Smuggling Organization

U.S. Department of the Treasury

June 16, 2023

Sanctions Coordinated with Government of Mexico

WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on the Hernandez Salas transnational criminal organization (TCO), a human smuggling organization based in Mexicali, Mexico, as well as several members and entities in its support network. The practice of human smuggling and the facilitation of fraudulent documentation undermines the U.S. asylum system, damaging public confidence in the vetting process and jeopardizing access to protection for vulnerable persons fleeing conflict, famine, and persecution. Often, migrants encounter violence in each territory they cross on their journey towards the United States and may even end up victims of human trafficking. This action continues the Biden-Harris administration's whole-of-government effort to confront human smuggling on the southern border of the United States.

"In close coordination with our law enforcement colleagues and Mexican partners, today's designation of Ofelia Hernandez Salas and her criminal enterprise aims to disrupt the group's global operations," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. "We will continue to aggressively target those who seek to prey on desperate migrants and abuse the U.S. financial system."

According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, TCOs earn billions of dollars from human smuggling. Most individuals attempting to covertly enter the United States seek assistance organizing transport across the border; smuggling organizations, often associated with other TCOs, take advantage of those individuals by providing services at a significant cost.

This action was coordinated closely with the Government of Mexico, including La Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera (Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit), and is the result of ongoing collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Yuma; the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section; Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona; the HSI Human Smuggling Unit, under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force program; and the U.S. Southern Command.

THE HERNANDEZ SALAS TCO

The Hernandez Salas TCO is a human smuggling organization based in Mexicali, Mexico, that has been responsible for thousands of individuals illegally entering the United States. The Hernandez Salas TCO facilitated the travel of non-citizens from countries posing national security concerns in their efforts to enter the United States without the appropriate vetting processes. The Hernandez Salas TCO is a sophisticated network that has used various methods to smuggle undocumented non-citizens into the United States since at least 2018.

Mexican national Ofelia Hernandez Salas (Hernandez Salas) is the leader of the Hernandez Salas TCO. Hernandez Salas and members of her TCO operate a global network of human smugglers that are responsible for the international smuggling of migrants into the United States. U.S. and Mexican authorities estimate victims pay $10,000 to $70,000 for smuggling services. Hernandez Salas and members of her TCO use facilitators in other regions to move migrants to the U.S. border. She is involved in document forgery and corruption in Mexico to smuggle undocumented migrants into the United States via the southern border and has links to the Sinaloa Cartel.

Hernandez Salas is incarcerated in Mexico awaiting extradition to the United States. A federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona indicted Hernandez Salas in 2021.

OFAC designated the Hernandez Salas TCO pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13581, as amended by E.O. 13863, for being a foreign person that constitutes a significant transnational criminal organization.

OFAC designated Ofelia Hernandez Salas pursuant to E.O. 13581, as amended by E.O. 13863, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial material, or technological support for, or goods or services to, or in support of, the Hernandez Salas TCO, and for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Hernandez Salas TCO.

OFAC is also designating four of Hernandez Salas' human smuggling associates. Mexican national Raul Saucedo Huipio communicates with smuggling facilitators in Central America to transport migrants, collect fees, facilitate lodging, and coordinate travel. Raul Saucedo Huipio is incarcerated in Mexico awaiting extradition to the United States. A federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona indicted Saucedo Huipio in the same 2021 indictment as Hernandez Salas.

Mexican national Jesus Gerardo Chavez Tamayo is an enforcer who facilitates migrant crossings and receives payments for human smuggling services on behalf of the Hernandez Salas TCO. Mexican national Fatima Del Rocio Maldonado Lopez alters documentation and provides housing for migrants in Chiapas, Mexico. Mexican national Federico Hernandez Sanchez works with the Hernandez Salas TCO to smuggle undocumented noncitizens into the United States and also receives payments for human smuggling services.

OFAC designated Raul Saucedo Huipio, Jesus Gerardo Chavez Tamayo, Fatima Del Rocio Maldonado Lopez, and Federico Hernandez Sanchez pursuant to E.O. 13581, as amended by E.O. 13863, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in in support of, the Hernandez Salas TCO.

Lastly, the Hernandez Salas TCO uses Mexican entities Hotel Plaza and Hotel Las Torres to conduct human smuggling activities. OFAC designated Hotel Plaza and Hotel Las Torres pursuant to E.O. 13581, as amended by E.O. 13863, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in in support of, the Hernandez Salas TCO.

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC's regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.

The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC's ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC's Frequently Asked Question 897 here. For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list, please click here.

Click here for identifying information on the individuals and entities designated today.

View the chart on the individuals designated today here.

###

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Defence Minister Anita Anand meets with NATO Allies and announces deployment of Canadian Army Tank Squadron to Latvia

National Defence

News release

June 16, 2023 - Brussels, Belgium - National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Today, the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence concluded a successful visit to Brussels, Belgium. During her visit, she participated in the thirteenth meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and a meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Defence Ministers. During the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers, Minister Anand and her Allied counterparts discussed the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, and NATO's ongoing work to promote Euro-Atlantic security.

Minister Anand announced that Canada intends to deploy a Canadian Army Tank Squadron of 15 Leopard 2 tanks to Latvia, along with supporting personnel and equipment. This deployment as part of Operation REASSURANCE is set to take place over the coming months, with the full arrival of the tanks, initial supporting personnel, and equipment expected by Fall 2023. The full complement of approximately 130 personnel should be in place by spring 2024.

This Canadian Army Tank Squadron will join the Canada-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battle Group in Latvia - a multinational, ten-nation battle group that Canada has led as the Framework Nation since 2017. The deployment of the Canadian Army Tank Squadron will significantly boost the Battle Group's military capabilities. This announcement demonstrates Canada's commitment to implementing the Canada-Latvia Joint Declaration of June 2022, through which Canada pledged to work with Latvia and NATO Allies to generate and stage forces in order to surge the eFP Battle Group Latvia to a combat capable brigade.

During the NATO Defence Ministers' Meeting, Allies discussed their ongoing support to Ukraine, with an emphasis on setting the conditions for the country's long-term military success and a strengthened relationship with NATO, while also ensuring sufficient defence production. Ministers reaffirmed NATO's solidarity and unity in response to Russia's illegal and unjustifiable war, and providing timely and effective aid to Ukraine, in partnership with industry.

The Minister also met with:

Norway's Minister of Defence, Bjrn Arild Gram . Both ministers signed the Enhancement of Bilateral Defence Co-Operation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Canada and Norway, which aims to enhance defence cooperation between the two countries in several areas, such as strategic surveillance and situational awareness in the Arctic; the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda; climate and security; training and education; space activities; cyber security; and defence science and technology.

. Both ministers signed the Enhancement of Bilateral Defence Co-Operation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Canada and Norway, which aims to enhance defence cooperation between the two countries in several areas, such as strategic surveillance and situational awareness in the Arctic; the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda; climate and security; training and education; space activities; cyber security; and defence science and technology. Latvia's Minister of Defence, Inara Murniece , in a follow-up to their May meeting in Ottawa, Minister Anand reinforced Canada's commitment to implementing the Joint Declaration to augment Canada's leadership of the battle group in Latvia.

, in a follow-up to their May meeting in Ottawa, Minister Anand reinforced Canada's commitment to implementing the Joint Declaration to augment Canada's leadership of the battle group in Latvia. Representatives from Allied nations contributing to the eFP Battle Group Latvia . Representatives discussed steps to reinforce the Battle Group in line with NATO's reinforced deterence and defence posture.

. Representatives discussed steps to reinforce the Battle Group in line with NATO's reinforced deterence and defence posture. Representatives from Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, and the United Kingdom . The representatives reinforced eFP participating nations' commitment to the defence of NATO's Eastern Flank and advanced the alignment of the Framework Nations' approaches to implementing their commitments.

. The representatives reinforced eFP participating nations' commitment to the defence of NATO's Eastern Flank and advanced the alignment of the Framework Nations' approaches to implementing their commitments. Sweden's Minister of Defence Affairs, Pal Jonson . Minister Anand reiterated Canada's support for Sweden's accession to NATO without delay.

. Minister Anand reiterated Canada's support for Sweden's accession to NATO without delay. Italy's Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto . The Ministers discussed areas of bilateral collaboration, including the eFP Battle Group Latvia.

. The Ministers discussed areas of bilateral collaboration, including the eFP Battle Group Latvia. North Macedonia's Minister of National Defence, Slavjanka Petrovska . The Ministers discussed contributions to the eFP Battle Group Latvia and the situation in the Western Balkans.

. The Ministers discussed contributions to the eFP Battle Group Latvia and the situation in the Western Balkans. Finland's Defence Minister, Antti Kaikkonen. The Ministers discussed Finland's recent accession to NATO and how Canada and Finland can continue to work together to bolster Euro-Atlantic security.

During this important moment for Euro-Atlantic security, Canada continues to work closely with NATO Allies and international partners to provide and coordinate comprehensive military assistance for Ukraine, and to help build a more resilient NATO Alliance.

Quotes

"Canada's support for Ukraine is unwavering, and our commitment to the NATO Alliance is ironclad. Canada's additional military aid to Ukraine will help the Armed Forces of Ukraine defend itself against Russia's illegal and unjustifiable invasion. In addition, the deployment of a Canadian Army Tank Squadron to Latvia demonstrates Canada's continued commitment to Latvia's security, and the collective defence of NATO. As a founding member of NATO, Canada will continue to step up with concrete contributions to protect our Allies." The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence

Quick facts

NATO is a cornerstone of Canada's international security policy. Canada believes in and steadfastly supports NATO's principle of collective defence and is providing direct support to NATO missions and operations.

Current Canadian contributions to NATO include: leading the multinational NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group in Latvia; providing consistent and episodic support to NATO maritime forces through the deployment of Surface and Sub-surface vessels. continuing to support training and capacity building efforts in the Middle East under Operation IMPACT, including through NATO Mission Iraq; and continuing to provide Canadian Armed Forces personnel support to the NATO-led international peace support operation in Kosovo through Operation KOBOLD. As part of the Canadian Army Tank Squadron, in addition to the 15 Leopard 2 tanks, over 35 vehicles will be deployed to Latvia including two Armoured Recovery Vehicles, and a variety of maintenance, fuel, supply, and transport vehicles will provide direct support to the Tank Squadron. Leopard 2-specific tools and test equipment will also be deployed to ensure that a robust maintenance capability is established in Latvia for the fleet.

At full strength, approximately 130 personnel will be deployed as part of the Canadian Army Tank Squadron. This will include approximately 120 personnel to operate the squadron and an additional 10 personnel will be added to the existing sustainment and maintenance structure in Task Force Latvia.



Since the beginning of 2022, Canada has committed over $8 billion in aid to Ukraine, including over $1.5 billion in military assistance. This includes 288 AIM-7 missiles, 10,000 rounds of 105mm artillery ammunition, eight Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks and one armoured recovery vehicle, a National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) with associated munitions, 39 armoured combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, small arms, M777 howitzers and associated ammunition, high-resolution drone cameras, winter clothing, and more. Canada will join the Leopard 2 Maintenance and Service Centre in Poland and will contribute to multinational efforts to train pilots, and maintain and support Ukraine's F-16s, leveraging Canadian expertise in these areas.

Budget 2022 includes over $8 billion in new funding over five years to better equip the Canadian Armed Forces and to strengthen Canada's contributions to our core alliances and partnerships such as NATO and NORAD.

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India and China in tit-for-tat row over journalists

The world's two most populous countries are in a deadlock over media visas.

By Chris Taylor and RFA Tibetan and Mandarin 2023.06.15 -- In a slow-motion blow-up that has been underway since March, a diplomatic row between China and India over journalist visas has prompted each side to minimize the other's media presence in their territories.

China claims to have just one journalist left in India due to bureaucratic obstacles. This month, it instructed the Press Trust of India's Beijing-based reporter to leave the country, Bloomberg reported earlier this week.

The situation means that the world's two most populous nations, each with 1.3 billion people and sharing a more than 3,440-kilometer border, have hardly any of their own journalists in the other country.

"The Indian side has refused to review and approve Chinese journalists' applications for stationing in India and limited the period of validity of visas held by Chinese journalists in India to only three months or even one month," Wang Weibin, a foreign ministry spokesman, said in a regular press conference on Monday.

"As a result, the number of Chinese journalists stationed in India has plummeted from 14 to just one," he said. "As we speak, the Indian side still has not agreed to renew the visa of the last Chinese journalist in the country.

"For Indian media outlets, four have been stationed in China in recent years and one is still working and living normally in China," he said.

Points to strained ties

The Times of India reported that New Delhi had rejected two visa renewals from journalists with Xinhua and China Central Television

"This will be the first time ever that India has no journalists based in Beijing," Aadil Brar, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Taiwan Fellow and a columnist on China for The Print India, told RFA's Tibetan service.

"We've never seen a scenario quite like this and this tells you how difficult relations between India and China are right now," he added.

Writing in The Print, Aadil Brar said, "The issue of access to journalists was always tipped in favor of Beijing. Chinese state-backed and semi-independent news outlets such as CGTN and Phoenix TV continue to operate from India with locally hired staff."

"With this, China will not have a single Indian journalist reporting from the country, down from four," Brar said. "The other three journalists - from Hindustan Times, The Hindu, and Prasar Bharati - were either asked to leave the country or their visa renewal applications were denied.

No precedent

Brar noted that even during the Sino-Indian war of 1962, when the two countries clashed violently in two remote Himalayan border regions, Indian journalists were able to operate in Beijing.

Kanwal Sibal, former foreign secretary of India, told RFA's Tibetan service that he did not expect any imminent breakthrough in relations that have been steadily eroding since renewed border clashes in 2020 in the Galwan Valley - a disputed section of their shared Himalayan border.

"I'm not sure what will happen at the G20 summit," held in New Delhi on Sept. 9-10, he said.

"Let's see if Xi Jinping comes," Sibal said. "If there's no dialogue between the two sides then it will be a disaster for both sides, [but] there can't be a dialogue unless Xi Jinping comes."

"The journalists that have been forced to leave won't be going back anytime soon so that makes it difficult for Indians to learn about what's going on in Beijing and similarly for Beijing to find out what's going on in Delhi," said Brar.

In a sign that China is not going to budge, on May 31 foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning warned, "As we speak, the Indian side still has not renewed the visa of the last Chinese journalist in the country.

"The number of Chinese journalists stationed in India is about to drop to zero."

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 June 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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Palestinian leader supports China's Uyghur policies in joint statement

"The Uyghur issue does not align with Palestine's interests," an expert says.

By Kurban Niyaz for RFA Uyghur 2023.06.15 -- During his visit this week to China, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas voiced support for China's policies in the far western region of Xinjiang, where the United Nations has found credible patterns of torture and ill treatment against the mostly Muslim Uyghurs living there.

A joint statement issued shortly after Abbas met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday declared that "Xinjiang-related issues are not human rights issues at all, but anti-violent terrorism, de-radicalization and anti-separatism."

"Palestine firmly opposes interference in China's internal affairs under the pretext of Xinjiang-related issues," it read.

The statement also declared the Palestinian Authority's support for China in regards to Taiwan and Hong Kong, recognizing Xi's government as the "only legal government representing the whole of China."

Abbas is on a four-day trip to discuss China's potential role in peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, who live in territories occupied by Israel, which has imposed many restrictions on the movement and activities of the mostly Muslim Palestinians.

Prioritizing national interests

Although Palestinians would have reasons to support the Uyghurs, siding with China benefits Palestinians' national interests, said Erkin Ekrem, an associate professor of China foreign policy at Hacettepe University in Turkey.

The Palestinian Authority is becoming more dependent on China and is in need of Chinese funds, technology and support on the international stage, he said.

"The Uyghur issue does not align with Palestine's interests," Ekren said. "Therefore, the primary concern here is the national interest of Palestine."

"The benefits they can gain from China outweigh the gains of supporting the Uyghurs," said Ekrem. "In this kind of situation, the Uyghur issue, despite the fact that the Uyghurs are Muslims, is not a priority for them."

Ekrem noted that previous Palestinian leaders, including Yasser Arafat, expressed support for China's Uyghur policies.

The Abbas and Xi's joint declaration comes amid a growing body of evidence documenting the detention of up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and others in "re-education" camps, torture, sexual abuse and forced labor.

In a comprehensive report released in August, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, found that China's arbitrary detentions against Uyghur and other minorities in Xinjiang "may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity."

Yet a number of Muslim-majority countries have not criticized China's policies in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region - or have openly supported them - so as not to alienate or upset Beijing, experts say.

Countering U.S. sway

China, meanwhile, has been drawing Arab countries closer to itself to counter U.S. influence in the Middle East, experts say.

Regarding Beijing's role in brokering a peace deal between Israel and Palestine, China is trying to show itself to be a reliable partner in tackling regional issues, Giorgio Cafiero, CEO and founder of Washington-based Gulf State Analytics, told RFA.

"If the Chinese are able to make some progress on this issue, that would do a lot to send a message to regional actors about the benefits of working with Beijing instead of Washington when it comes to sensitive diplomatic files in the region," said Cafiero.

He said that Palestine sees itself as disadvantaged in its conflicts with Israel and would trust China more than the United States - a strong supporter of Israel - as a facilitator in peace talks.

"I'm sure that viewers will be disappointed by this statement from Abbas, but the Palestinian leadership has to be pragmatic about how it engages with foreign governments," he said.

"At the end of the day, China is very important to Abbas, and his priority, being on good terms with China and improving his relationship with Beijing, involves him saying things that many Uyghurs do not like."

Translated by Mamatjan Juma. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June 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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Canada freezes ties with China development bank

Communication chief accuses Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank of being run by Communist Party 'hacks'.

By Chris Taylor for RFA 2023.06.16 -- Canada has frozen ties with China's Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank after the bank's Canadian communications head resigned, explosively accusing the organization of having "one of the most toxic cultures imaginable" on his personal Twitter account.

Chrystia Freeland, Canada's finance minister and deputy prime minister, told reporters on Wednesday, the Canadian government would "immediately halt all government-led activity at the bank," while it reviewed the allegations and Canada's "involvement" with the AIIB.

Bob Pickard, the Canadian director-general for communications of the Beijing-headquartered AIIB, said he flew to Tokyo on Wednesday, two days after formally resigning, out of concern for his personal security.

"I've been advised not to set foot in China anytime soon. From a country where the two Michaels were kidnapped by the government, we're maybe a little more sensitive or concerned about such things," he said in a phone call to Reuters, referring to two Canadians arbitrarily detained in China for nearly three years from 2018 to 2021.

The Party holds the cards

"The Communist Party hacks hold the cards at the Bank. They deal with some board members as useful idiots. I believe that my Government should not be a member of this PRC instrument. The reality of power in the bank is that it's CCP from start to finish," Pickard wrote in a tweet.

He added, "I saw with my own eyes the extent to which Communist Party hacks occupy key positions in the bank, like an in-house KGB or Gestapo or Stazi."

The AIIB said in a statement, "Mr. Pickard's recent public comments and characterization of the Bank are baseless and disappointing."

The Wall Street Journal reported having seen an email by Jin Liqun, the bank's president and a former Chinese deputy finance minister, which said to staff on Wednesday, "We acknowledge the uncertainty these comments can cause for all of us that work at AIIB. We hope that you will join us in wishing Bob well for the future."

Jin has been busy burnishing the AIIB's reputation, distancing the bank from the likes of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, which is seen by many critics as simply an extension or a tool of China's foreign policy.

"We are proud of our multilateral mission and have a diverse international team representing 65 different nationalities and members at AIIB, serving our 106 members worldwide, many of whom have been with us since our formation in 2016," the AIIB's official statement on Pickard's resignation said.

The allegations and the reaction by the Canadian government are likely to be an embarrassment to the AIIB, which has been representing itself as a transparent alternative to multilateral organizations such as the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

It also underscores tensions between the West and China over international development lending, with China frequently being forced to deny accusations of "debt diplomacy" involving its Belt and Road initiative.

But Austin Strange, a specialist in China's international-development finance at the University of Hong Kong, told the Wall Street Journal in a separate report that unless further member-states raise similar concerns it is unlikely there will be any major consequences for the bank.

'Nothing but a lie'

The Chinese embassy in Ottawa told Reuters in an email: "The claim that 'AIIB is controlled by the Communist Party of China' is nothing but a lie".

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Canada said in a statement that Pickard's comments were purely "a sensational publicity stunt."

Meanwhile, Pickard told the Financial Times from Tokyo, "These people are like an invisible government inside the bank and this is what I can't be part of."

Although the response from the AIIB has been measured, Pickard claims that China's wumao bots - state-sponsored internet commentators - have been accusing him online of variously being an "Imperialist" and a "spy," but nobody has suggested that such messages are coming from the AIIB itself.

Zichen Wang, a senior Beijing-based reporter for Xinhua, in his widely read Pekingnology blog on Friday noted inconsistencies in Pickard's statements about the inner workings of the AIIB, and also noted that some AIIB employees said in media reports that Pickard's claims "came as a surprise."

Wang further cited the fact that India is AIIB's biggest beneficiary despite the fact that "China-India ties have dived after the unfortunate 2020 border clash, which killed 20 Indians and 4 Chinese soldiers," as evidence of the bank's independence from China's foreign policy.

Edited by Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June 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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US Lawmakers Discuss Expectations for Blinken Trip to China

By Yi-Hua Lee June 16, 2023

Secretary of State Antony Blinken left Washington on Friday night for China. The trip, which was postponed after an incident in February over a suspected Chinese spy balloon, is being closely watched on Capitol Hill.

Blinken is expected to focus on the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the two countries and discussing regional security issues, climate change and the global economy. State Department officials also said the issue of illegal fentanyl trafficking to the United States would also be a prominent part of the talks.

Ahead of the trip, VOA Mandarin Service spoke with several U.S. lawmakers about their expectations for the talks, including what issues should be the top priorities for the bilateral dialogue.

The interviews have been edited for brevity and clarity.

VOA: Is this a good time for Secretary Blinken to go to Beijing?

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), chairman, House Foreign Affairs Committee: I guess there's never really a good time. I know [the Biden administration is] trying to use more of a charm offensive approach. We have to be a little careful, because when we go over there, that's a big concession on the part of the United States to China. So, I think it's good to have an open line of communication, have a hotline.

Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific: Obviously, the relationship is not at a great place right now. But I think it's important for both sides to continue to talk and communicate.

Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA), member, Foreign Affairs Committee: I think it's important to go. We have great differences. We have great competitions. But ultimately, we have to work in this globe together on issues where that's possible. And we won't have the possibility of improving that situation without having discussions.

VOA: What would you like Secretary Blinken to discuss with his counterparts in Beijing?

Young Kim (R-CA), chairwoman, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific: Our foreign policy towards China should be very, very clear in terms their surveillance of operations targeting in the United States, or their increased aggression towards Taiwan or other Indo-Pacific partners and human rights abuses. Those are not acceptable. China's treatment of its people, especially with respect to human rights violations, especially in the Xinjiang province and other areas, we're not going to be tolerating it.

McCaul: De-escalation of the tension in the Taiwan Strait is number one. Human rights issues, obviously. I'm working on export controls. I don't want to sell them technology, that they're going to turn around and use in their advanced weapon systems that then can be pointed against us in a future conflict.

Bera: Climate change, certainly global health security are two areas that are important to both of us. And certainly, maybe there's some areas around trade.

Keating: In terms of some of the military issues, trying to de-escalate there would be a smart move.

VOA: Are you optimistic China will work with the U.S. on issues such as climate change?

Bera: Not 100% optimistic, but I think it's important that we make the effort. I think it's important for both sides to continue to talk and communicate.

Kim: We hope that they will be able to cooperate with us, but you know, historically speaking, they have shown that they are not a reliable, trusting partner. At this point, Secretary Blinken should be able to make it very clear that we want China to abide by the same rules we expect other partners and allies in the Indo Pacific to.

Keating: I hope so. We all share the same planet. Climate change is real.

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'Iran lost nothing technical in JCPOA'

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jun 16, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- Iran accepted some limitations in the nuclear deal, aka the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), but, from a technical point of view, it did not lose anything, says former Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi.

Based on the parliament law, Iran immediately started the production of 20% fuel, Salehi told IRNA in an interview published on Friday.

The law said that 120 kilos of 20% fuel should be produced in one year, but in almost a year, about 400 kilos of fuel were produced, Salehi said.

It shows that not only we had not lost anything in the nuclear industry, but with great vigilance, we had progressed rapidly without disrupting the deal, he said.

More than 100 kilos of 60% fuel and uranium metal were produced, and new generation centrifuges such as IR9 were showcased, which has a 50-fold capacity of the old generation, he stated.

Salehi said that Iran did not disrupt the nuclear deal and was committed to its obligations but produced uranium metal while it was allowed to do research on it until 15 years after the launch of the JCPOA, so the deal did well in the technical aspect.

He also hoped that the JCPOA would come back so that the sanctions would be lifted and Iran could have banking transactions freely.

9376**9417

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IRGC busts terror cell in southeastern Iran, kills 2 terrorists

Iran Press TV

Friday, 16 June 2023 1:36 PM

The Quds Base of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force has announced that it dismantled a terrorist group in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan.

The operation, which involved security forces and Basij volunteers, took place in Hamoun County, north of the province on Friday morning, the force said in a statement.

Two terrorists were killed and six others were arrested in the clash, which also claimed the life of a young Basij volunteer named Ardeshir Khatibi, it said.

According to the statement, the forces seized a large amount of ammunition and weapons from the terrorists.

Sistan and Baluchestan province, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, has been the scene of several terrorist attacks against civilians and security forces in recent years.

Terrorist groups carrying out attacks against Iranian interests in the southeastern and southwestern parts of the country have known links to a number of repressive regimes in the Persian Gulf region.

Iran's security forces have been vigilant and successful in protecting the border areas and thwarting most terrorist plots by foreign-backed anti-revolution elements across the country.

On Wednesday, the IRGC Ground Force also eliminated a terrorist team in Sistan and Baluchestan province, killing two and arresting one. The IRGC servicemen, in cooperation with the Intelligence Ministry forces, ambushed the terrorist team and confiscated ammunition, weapons and explosives from them.

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Last year we learned that Len Tantillo, a renowned artist who specializes in historical subjects, had decided to use the canal crossing of the Seneca River in Montezuma as the setting for his latest painting. This was not a random selection, as a few years ago the 1825 drawings created by the Rev. John Henry Hopkins had resurfaced and made quite a splash across the state. As photography had yet to be invented at that time, the Hopkins drawings offer us some of the earliest views of the canal. Happily for those of us who enjoy history in Cayuga County, one of the Hopkins prints was of the canal crossing at Montezuma. Also happily, this drawing caught the attention of Len, who decided to create his own interpretation of the crossing.

On May 20, the Lock 52 and Montezuma historical societies hosted a presentation by Tantillo and Art Cohn. While Len is the artist, Art is an underwater archaeologist who has been searching for canal boats that had sunk into the deep waters of Seneca Lake. Over the last few summers, Art has led a team that has identified over 300 boats on the bottom of the deep lake, with many being canal boats. To everyones amazement, one wreck was a packet boat, which was the passenger-carrying vessel of the canals. Art gave an overview of his research and if you have the opportunity to see it, you should should do so. Then Len told of how Arts underwater images helped him in his interpretation of the boat that he had to paint. With some computer modeling and comparisons to what Art had found, along with some other period artwork, Len was able to paint a canal scene so lifelike that it is difficult to say it isnt a photograph. The work is titled, Martin Journeys West. And who was Martin? Len was commissioned by the descendant of Martin, a man who had made his way to Nevada in the 1840s. One leg of Martins travels took him along the Erie Canal, so we know that he would have passed through Port Byron and Montezuma and across the Seneca River at the very place shown in the painting. What is fascinating is that you can visit the site of Lens painting today in the Montezuma Heritage Park. The painting becomes very real knowing that a real Martin on a real packet boat passed through our villages. The other thing is that Len had never visited the site and was able to capture it so well. We had Stephen Gage record video of the presentation, and it will soon be available on our YouTube channel.

You can see the painting in the group shot with this column, but you would be rewarded by seeing it in person. It can be viewed as part of the newest art exhibit at the Lock 52 building at 73 Pine St. This exhibit features canal-themed artwork that highlights the Erie Canals in central New York. The exhibit runs until Sept. 16 and is part of a series of events that will celebrate the coming bicentennial of the canal in 2025. And if you know, or have locally themed canal artwork, let us know. We would love to see it.

Organizing and staging events cannot be done without help, and the Lock 52 and Montezuma historical societies wish to thank both the Cayuga County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the New York Statewide Community Regrant program for their support. Grant awards by both these organizations allowed us to host Art and Len, who were kind enough to make special presentations to the high school art students and meet with the fourth grade children. We also thank the Canal Society of New York State for the use of the new Samuel Center for Canal History. There will be additional events going on as we gear up for the bicentennial of the Erie Canal in 2025.

Lock 52 was also pleasantly surprised to receive a third grant from the Cayuga Community Fund to help with our cemetery headstone cleaning and repair training and events. The funds will help to purchase some tools and chemicals. If you wanted to help or learn, but the idea of kneeling or sitting on the ground made you wince, well maybe the repair side is for you. Be on the lookout for cleaning and repair events. Lock 52 also has headstone cleaning guidelines on its website.

Series of Cayuga County events to celebrate completion of Erie Canal The Port Byron and Montezuma historical societies will partner to present a series of events over the next several weeks celebrating the bicen
Imperialist powers upset by growing Iran-Cuba cooperation: President Raeisi

Iran Press TV

Friday, 16 June 2023 7:54 AM

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi praises the growing cooperation between the Islamic Republic and Cuba as a source of hope for independent nations and a cause of frustration for global imperialist powers.

Raeisi made these comments in Havana on Thursday during a joint meeting of the senior delegations of Iran and Cuba.

He asserted that the United States and other bullying powers are powerless against independent nations. "Our cooperation in the path to progress can create hope in independent nations and despair in imperialists."

The Iranian president suggested the establishment of a joint commission on technological cooperation between the two countries.

Raeisi paid tribute to Cuba's resilient and steadfast people and their national heroes. He also honored the memory of all those who gave their lives for the independence and freedom of the nation.

The Iranian president noted that ties between Tehran and Havana improved significantly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, saying, "In the years following the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the relations between the two countries have been enhancing, and constructive mutual cooperation has taken place in recent years and especially during the coronavirus pandemic."

He stated that Iran and Cuba have substantial common grounds, such as the struggle for independence, emphasizing, "Iran is ready to cooperate with all countries, but if a country acts against the interests of our nation, we will oppose it."

President Raeisi then referred to the resistance of the Iranian nation against sanctions and the US's so-called maximum pressure campaign, saying, "Iran considers relations with independent countries as one of the ways to counter sanctions."

The Iranian president expressed hope that mutual visits in the near future could effectively help develop relations between the two countries," adding that activating the Joint Commission of Economic Cooperation can provide faster solutions for implementing the agreements already signed between the two sides.

For his part, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel hailed the Iranian counterpart's visit as "meaningful" and a sign of "common values and views" between the two states.

"The three countries that you chose as the destination for your regional trip have a meaningful relationship with the Iranian Revolution. I am confident that your visit to Cuba will be a turning point in the history of relations between the two countries," he said.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Raieis arrived in Havana on Wednesday evening local time as the third and final destination of his first tour to Latin America. Earlier, he had visited Venezuela and Nicaragua. The Iranian delegation departed Havana for Tehran on Thursday evening local time.

Raeisi urges unity against imperialist powers

Prior to his departure from Havana, Raeisi also held talks with former Cuban president and one of the leaders of the Cuban Revolution RaAl Castro.

During the meeting, Raeisi emphasized the importance of solidarity and cooperation among independent countries against imperialist powers, especially in light of recent developments in the international arena and the shift of the world order to a multilateral system.

The Iranian president praised Cuba's achievements in the field of medical sciences and expressed the need for enhancing bilateral ties between Tehran and Havana in various domains, such as economy, technology, biotechnology, medicine, pharmaceuticals, and vaccine production.

Raeisi also lauded the Cuban nation's and government's steadfastness and freedom-seeking spirit in the face of harsh and unilateral US sanctions, condemning the long-standing punitive measures against the country and blatant violations of Cuban people's rights by the self-proclaimed champions of human rights.

Castro, for his part, commended the revolutionary struggles of the Iranian nation and their 44 years of resistance against arrogant and imperialist powers, saying, "The era of unilateralism is over and we are moving toward multilateralism."

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Senior Iranian Official Says President Approves Adding More Surveillance Cameras

By RFE/RL's Radio Farda June 16, 2023

A senior Iranian law enforcement official says President Ebrahim Raisi has approved an increase in the number of surveillance cameras around the country in the face of ongoing civil disobedience against the mandatory hijab law for women.

Ahmadreza Radan, the commander of the Iranian Law Enforcement Force, said on June 15 that the president agreed with a request to increase the "coverage level" by surveillance cameras as part of the implementation of "dealing with hijab removal through cameras."

The authorities have intensified efforts to enforce the Islamic dress code as more women flout the law. They have been emboldened by nationwide antiestablishment protests that erupted in September 2022 following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini soon after she was arrested by the morality police for allegedly violating the hijab law.

During the demonstrations, women and girls have removed and burned their head scarves, while students, who have also been at the forefront of the demonstrations, have flouted the law on campuses, sparking a crackdown by school security.

While Radan described the goal as "ensuring maximum security in various dimensions," the context of the nationwide "Women, life, freedom" protests suggests that the surveillance cameras are an attempt to control protesters and opponents of the hijab law.

According to Radan, surveillance cameras will be used to monitor public spaces for women not wearing the head scarf and offenders will receive a warning via SMS. Repeated offenders could face hefty fines and lose access to mobile-phone and Internet services and other penalties, the authorities said.

Despite the increased pressure to conform, resistance to the mandatory hijab continues with daily images being published of women in public places in various cities not wearing the head scarf in a direct challenge to the authorities.

The semiofficial Fars news agency published a video on June 15 showing some people in civilian clothes on Valiasr Street in Tehran giving "hijab reminders" to women. The video also showed the blurred national ID cards of some of those detained.

The news agency claimed that "unveiled" individuals were "identified" in this way using "artificial intelligence."

However, social-media users questioned the assertion, noting a mobile camera was used in the video. They say the government is just trying to intimidate opponents of the mandatory hijab.

Iran has already used surveillance cameras to identify protesters.

A group that hacked the website of the presidency on May 29 said it found a document marked "very confidential" that showed that the Sarallah base of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in Tehran, which plays a key role in suppressing popular protests, had asked the government to pay its debt for installing "facial-recognition" cameras in the Tehran subway.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-surveillance- cameras-hijab-enforcement/32462724.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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Two Iranians Accused Of Organizing Protests Detained, 'Confessions' Broadcast

By RFE/RL's Radio Farda June 16, 2023

Iranian state news agencies have reported the arrest of two young men accused of being part of a team that manages a Telegram channel associated with the wave of protests sweeping the country.

The agencies, including the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), revealed the arrests on June 15 while also broadcasting what some suspect were "forced confessions."

Video of the confessions, produced by the intelligence arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in the southeastern Iranian province of Khorasan Razavi, contains blurred images of two men, along with footage of protests in the city of Mashhad. The Telegram channel Youth of Mashhad Neighbourhoods has been accused by the authorities of instigating the protests.

It was not clear whether the confessions were made under duress. Iranian authorities have been accused by many of those arrested, along with rights groups, of using torture and other methods to forcibly extract false confessions during the protests.

The channel is allegedly managed by four people, including the "owner" and "three administrators."

The identities of the two men arrested and the other two involved in the channel are not disclosed in the video, though one of the detainees, whose face cannot be seen, is introduced as the owner of the channel, while the other is said to be an administrator and is given the pseudonym Ali Kianloo.

In one part of the video, the "owner" refers to the start of protests following the killing of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police. He says that after the protests started, "we saw that other cities in Iran, like the cities in Kurdistan and Tehran, were protesting, so we thought we'd start a channel, get active, and call for protests."

Meanwhile, the administrator says their goal was to "call for protests and establish the Youth of Mashhad Neighbourhoods channel" concurrent with the spread of unrest in other cities.

The video also claims that in addition to calling for protests, the Youth of Mashhad Neighbourhoods channel showed how to make Molotov cocktails and engage with security forces.

The detention of the two men came on the eve the birthday of Majidreza Rahnavard, a protester who was hanged in a public execution in Mashhad on December 12 -- just 23 days after his arrest -- after being convicted of killing two members of the security forces.

The group Iran Human Rights said Rahnavard's sentencing was based on "coerced confessions, after a grossly unfair process and a show trial."

The protests in Mashhad, the birthplace of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, were some of the biggest following the September 2022 death of Amini.

Authorities have warned for months after unrest broke out following Amini's death that they would react harshly to any dissent. Lawmakers have pushed the judiciary to render the death penalty in trials for those arrested during the protests, which are seen as one of the biggest threats to the Islamic leadership since it took power in 1979.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-mashhad-telegram- confessions-broadcast/32462823.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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US, Iran Quietly Seek 'Understanding' on Tehran's Nuke Program - Report

Sputnik News

20230616

Svetlana Ekimenko

Recent reports have surfaced that the US and Iran have been "quietly" rekindling talks on Tehran's nuclear program. Indirect negotiations between the sides on a return to the 2015 JCPOA deal had earlier stalled, but the media reported that the Biden administration has been seeking a spate of commitments from Iran in return for concessions.

The Biden administration is in talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran on Tehran's nuclear program, Reuters reported, citing anonymous sources among Western and Iranian officials.

After stalled attempts to resurrect the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal, which the then Trump White House walked out on in 2018, Washington and Tehran are reportedly believed to be looking at something more along the lines of an "understanding" rather than an agreement.

Since many in the US Congress would oppose any major concessions to Tehran, Washington is purportedly hoping to restore some limits on Iran's nuclear program in return for benefits that would not require Congressional review.

"I'd call it a cooling-down understanding," a Western official was cited as saying. The same source confirmed that National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk and Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, had met more than once in Oman for indirect US-Iran talks. US Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley and Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, are also said to have met face to face of late.

As to what such an informal agreement would presuppose, there are reports that it would require Iran to freeze its uranium enrichment activities at the 60-percent purity marker. The cited Western official said that an acceptable status quo would be for Iran agreeing not to cross Washington's so-called red line of enriching uranium to 90-percent purity - considered weapons grade - and not installing more advanced centrifuges.

As for the benefits offered to Iran in return, these would ostensibly include "substantial transfer" of Iranian funds frozen in international accounts as part of sanctions. The cited Western official added that the US sought to deter escalation between Israel and Iran.

"If (the) Iranians miscalculate, the potential for a strong Israeli response is something that we want to avoid," he said.

The JCPOA agreement signed by Iran, the United States, Russia, China, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the European Union in October 2015 had required Iran to enrich uranium only up to 3.67%. It also capped Tehran's stockpile of this material at 202.8 kg (447 pounds). The Trump administration unilaterally scrapped the agreement in 2018 and restored sanctions, with Iran ramping up its enrichment activities. Despite its nuclear enrichment efforts, Iran maintains that it has no plans to pursue nuclear weapons.

Initially, after the Biden administration came to power and signalled its desire to rekindle the JCPOA deal, Iranian negotiators had held out hope for a speedy restoration of Washington's participation in the agreement. But after rounds of indirect talks, the effort stalled, with the US refusal to lift sanctions against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) turning out to be one of the central stumbling blocks.

However, rumors have circulated recently of an "interim" deal or "mini-deal" between the US and Iran. State Department spokesman Matt Miller dismissed the reports, but did state that Washington would, "continue to use diplomatic engagements" to pursue its "goals." The media reported that the latter included de-escalation of tensions, curbing Tehran's nuclear program, expanding cooperation with international nuclear inspectors, and a "halt" of attacks on American contractors illegally operating in Syria, as well as in Iraq, by Iran's allied militias, and the release of detained US citizens.

"Call it whatever you want, whether a temporary deal, an interim deal, or a mutual understanding - both sides want to prevent further escalation... that will involve prisoner exchange and unblocking part of Iran's frozen assets", an Iranian official was cited as saying.

The source had added that US sanctions waivers for Iran to export oil might be in the pipeline, in return for ceasing 60% uranium enrichment and a readiness by Iran to boost cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Amid the reports, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul sent a letter to President Joe Biden, citing "concern" over "revelations that the administration is pursuing a new nuclear deal with Iran, calling into question the administration's intent to adhere to its legal obligations under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015."

"I urge the Administration to remember that U.S. law requires that any agreement, arrangement, or understanding with Iran needs to be submitted to Congress pursuant to INARA," he wrote.

A Sputnik

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Opposition group denounces Russia's assistance to Myanmar's junta

'Russia blatantly supporting and advocating for the terrorist regime' is prolonging the suffering, it says.

By RFA Burmese 2023.06.16 -- An advisory group of political parties and civil society organizations opposed to Myanmar's military junta have condemned the Russian government's political support and continued sale of weapons to the regime.

The statement compared Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine to the mass killings and atrocities in Myanmar that followed the junta's seizure of power in a Feb. 1, 2021, coup d'etat.

"Russia blatantly supporting and advocating for the terrorist regime is prolonging the sufferings of the people of Myanmar," the June 10 statement from the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) said. "The support and advocacy for the terrorist regime by Russia is not to solve Myanmar's political issues but only to further Russia's geopolitical interest."

The NUCC includes representatives of the National Unity Government, or NUG, civil society groups, ethnic armed organizations and civil disobedience groups. The NUG is the parallel civilian government of Myanmar made up of opponents to the junta.

Since the coup, junta chief Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing has visited Russia three times, purchasing modern Russian-made jet fighters, helicopters and military equipment. The two countries have also signed an agreement to build a small-scale nuclear reactor in Myanmar.

In February, Min Aung Hlaing wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he appreciates Russia's support for Myanmar. The message was sent to commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In a message sent in response, Putin said he believes the relationship between Russia and Myanmar's junta will help the security and stability of the Asia-Pacific region.

NUCC's statement called for the immediate end of Russia's support for the reactor project, saying it would create political instability for Myanmar and the region.

"The diplomatic and military support provided by Russia is the basis for the terrorist Min Aung Hlaing group to totally disregard the agreements developed within the ASEAN, and also creates difficulties for other nations to work on solving Myanmar's political issues," the statement said.

Russia cooperation likely to continue

Radio Free Asia called junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for his comment on the NUCC's statement, but his phone rang unanswered.

Simply condemning Russia, which apparently doesn't even care about international sanctions, won't work, said Aung Thu Nyein, a Thailand-based researcher of Myanmar issues.

Russia's veto power at the U.N. Security Council, its military assistance and the recent visit to Myanmar of the Russian parliament's deputy chairman show that cooperation with the junta will continue - with or without criticism, he said.

But NUCC's statement needed to be made, and similar objections should also be made against China, political analyst Than Soe Naing said.

"NUCC needs to reveal and condemn Russia's blatant support and assistance to the Myanmar military junta," he said. "That is what it is supposed to do."

Translated by Myo Min Aung. 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 June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Myanmar's junta raids 14 anti-junta camps in Sagaing, Magway

Intercepted phone calls and information from interrogations may have tipped off the military.

By RFA Burmese 2023.06.15 -- Junta troops have raided 14 camps belonging to anti-regime People's Defense Force militia in Myanmar's Sagaing and Magway regions over the past two weeks, killing 15 people, including women, militia officers said.

The military likely carried out some of the attacks after intercepting phone calls between rebels or gleaning information from the interrogation of captured PDF members, according to a former military officer who joined the country's anti-junta Civil Disobedience Movement following the February 2021 military coup d'etat.

A junta force of about 80 soldiers raided a PDF camp in Sagaing on June 7, killing and burning four anti-regime fighters and two civilians in Monywa township's Yae Kan Su village, an acting battalion commander of Monywa district PDF's Battalion 27 told Radio Free Asia on condition of anonymity.

"When we gathered about 200 people and went back into the village, we found the pieces of the burned bodies that the junta soldiers had left," he said. "We found the blood and flesh of the victims."

The four fighters killed by the junta troops were between the ages of 17 and 20, including two girls.

The Sagaing region has been an anti-junta stronghold and cradle of resistance to the country's brutal military rule since the coup.

PDF fighters escaped a raid on their camp near the town of Ayadaw in Sagaing on May 28, but their cook - a 40-year-old woman - was captured, killed and burned, according to a Ayadaw township PDF soldier who refused to be named for security reasons.

"The military council troops of about 40 or 50 soldiers raided the camp," he said. "They burned down a hut, a car and four motorcycles."

RFA called junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun regarding the claims that military troops killed and burned the fighters and civilians, but his phone rang unanswered.

Phone calls tracked

The camps are often unexpectedly raided after the military intercepts telephone conversations, said Kaung Thu Win, a former military captain now with the Civil Disobedience Movement.

"We should only talk briefly if we need to use the phone. We should be cautious of security information in our conversation," he said.

"The same goes with walkie-talkies," he said. "The junta has appointed people who understand ethnic languages when they intercept the telecommunications of the revolutionary forces."

The raids won't seriously damage the anti-regime fight, political analyst Than Soe Naing said.

"Just as the anti-junta forces attack the military, collect their information and capture their supporters and informers, there are some pro-junta informers and supporters," he said.

The National Unity Government's Ministry of Defense said in a statement Monday that there were 500 armed clashes in four regions and states, including Sagaing and Magway, last month, with 41 resistance soldiers killed and 113 injured.

Translated by Myo Min Aung. 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 June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Myanmar military burns houses, captures villagers in Sagaing region

A 60-year-old woman died in the flames of her home.

By RFA Burmese 2023.06.15 -- A woman was burned to death in her home when junta troops raided her village in Myanmar's northern Sagaing region, residents told RFA Thursday.

The 60-year-old was unable to flee when soldiers torched around 700 houses in Sagaing township's Thar Zin village on Tuesday, they said.

Troops captured residents of Thar Zin and nearby villages in a series of raids this week, although it was unclear whether they were being used as human shields or suspected of aiding anti-junta militia.

"Some 25 people were arrested in Thar Zin village, and more were arrested in other villages," said a local who didn't want to be named for safety reasons.

"So far, about 40 people have been arrested and all were taken along with the military column. No one has been released."

The local said nearly three quarters of Thar Zin's buildings had been burned down, leaving more than 3,000 people homeless.

After Tuesday's raid on Thar Zin, residents said troops torched 10 houses in Aing Dan Ma village the following day and burned homes in Pauk Ma on Thursday.

On June 6, junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun told RFA that junta troops do not set fire to civilians' homes.

RFA called the junta's Sagaing region spokesperson, Aye Hlaing, Thursday but nobody answered.

More than 53,800 homes have been burned down by junta troops and affiliated militias since the Feb. 1, 2021 coup, according to independent research group Data for Myanmar.

A total of 765,200 people have been forced to flee their homes in Sagaing region due to fighting and arson attacks since the coup, according to a United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) report on Tuesday.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June 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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Meeting with President of the UAE Mohammed Al Nahyan

Vladimir Putin met with President of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the 26th St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

June 16, 2023

12:15

St Petersburg

Before the talks, Vladimir Putin and Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan toured the stands of the United Arab Emirates at the SPIEF 2023.

The UAE is participating in the forum as its main guest country.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Your Highness, I am delighted to welcome you to St Petersburg.

We met at the previous forum, and you visited St Petersburg in October again. We had a very good in-depth conversation. It is a great pleasure to welcome you again, this time to the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

We have just toured your country's pavilion - a wonderful pavilion that speaks of the prospects for the development of economic ties between our countries and the Emirates' potential in this sphere.

I know that the Emirati economy and social sphere are growing fast under your leadership, and in this sense, the UAE is definitely a very good and comfortable partner for us.

Relations between Russia and the Emirates are expanding very successfully. I will not cite specific figures now, but they are impressive. But most importantly, they benefit both Russia and the United Arab Emirates - to a large extent, of course, thanks to your support.

As for our cooperation in other areas, we will certainly take advantage of today's meeting to discuss the situation in the region.

But at the outset, I would like to thank you for your efforts to resolve humanitarian issues during the events in Ukraine - I am referring to the exchange of detainees and other humanitarian issues. This concerns specific people, and this is certainly what matters most, so thank you very much for that as well.

During today's meeting, we will have the opportunity to discuss in detail all areas of our cooperation.

Welcome.

President of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (retranslated): Thank you, Mr President.

I would like to thank my friend President Vladimir Putin for the invitation, for welcoming the Emirati companies and for the assistance you are providing to us in this beautiful city.

This is excellent evidence of cooperation between Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Bridges of partnership have been built between us and we are actively cooperating.

I am delighted to see you and to be here.

We are building strong and reliable relations, and I am grateful to you for this, Mr President, and I hope the world also benefits from our cooperation. I am grateful to you, Mr President, for your attitude towards the United Arab Emirates and I thank you personally for this opportunity.

As for Ukraine, thank you for your words. And if you believe that the Emirates can play a bigger role in the developments or in stabilising the situation, in humanitarian issues, we are ready to contribute to this in every possible way.

Thank you for giving Emirati companies the opportunity to speak at this forum. This forum plays a central role this year. I believe that cooperation between the private sectors of the two countries plays an important role in the expansion of our bilateral relations. For example, bilateral tourism is growing steadily: we hope that this year, we will receive a million Russian tourists.

Thank you. This is a very important stage and an important moment in the development of our relations.

I am delighted to see you again, Mr President.

<... >

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Russia urges progress in Nord Stream pipelines sabotage probe

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 15:01, June 16, 2023

MOSCOW, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Russia has called upon the UN Security Council to facilitate investigations into the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, a Russian diplomat said Thursday.

During a press briefing, Dmitry Polyanskiy, first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations, said, "We have drawn the attention of our colleagues in the Security Council to the fact that the so-called national investigations conducted by Sweden, Germany, and Denmark are not progressing."

He refuted claims that Russia had knowledge of the progress of these investigations, stressing that Russia would seek international investigations and the punishment of those responsible for the sabotage.

"My country will do everything possible to understand the reasons behind this incident. We will strive for an international investigation and the punishment of those behind this heinous crime," he said.

The Nord Stream pipelines, which transported natural gas from Russia to European markets via Germany, were severely damaged last September after blasts in the Baltic Sea. The Nord Stream 1 was in operation at the time of the explosion and the Nord Stream 2, though not operational, was filled with gas.

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Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's answer to a question from NTV on the sidelines of the 26th St Petersburg International Economic Forum, St Petersburg, June 16, 2023

16 June 2023 15:41

1183-16-06-2023

Question: You have said that the Ukrainian part of the "grain deal" has turned into a commercial project. What does Russia think about the possibility of its extension? Are there any signs that our position will be taken into account?

Sergey Lavrov: Why should we extend an unviable deal? The part of the package regarding Russian fertilisers and foods, proposed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, is not being implemented. Only the Ukrainian part is being implemented, but only as a commercial deal rather than for the purpose mentioned by Guterres, which is to satisfy the needs of the poorest countries. Less than 3 percent of the total volume dispatched by Ukraine under the grain part of the initiative were delivered to the poorest developing countries on the special list of the UN World Food Programme.

As for our part of the package deal, the explosion of the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline alone has shown that some people would like to destroy the package and everything else that created conditions for expanding our trade and the delivery of Russian products to developing countries, and to keep only the commercial segment of the Ukrainian part of the package.

When the special military operation began, about 300,000 tonnes of fertilisers were seized in EU ports. President Vladimir Putin said in August 2022 that we would deliver these fertilisers to developing countries free of charge. It took six months to send a small batch to an African country, Malawi. Several months later, similar small batches were sent to Kenya and Nigeria. The West is not willing to lift the barriers it itself has created to the delivery of Russian fertilisers to the poor countries of the Global South. Let them do their business.

Ukraine and the EU have established "solidarity lanes," which are a combination of land and river routes. Many European countries are angry about cheap and low-quality Ukrainian grain that does not meet sanitary requirements. Five countries have refused to accept it and demand compensation from the European Commission. If they have more than they need, they can send the surplus to Africa and other countries that need it, including as fodder for their cattle. Ukraine is mostly exporting fodder grain, which is different from Russian deliveries where wheat makes up the bulk. Well, they can continue to do it, to take care of their profits.

For the past months when the Russian part of the "grain deal" was blocked, we continued to deliver grain to developing countries via other routes, which are not obstructed by Western barriers. We will continue to do this. There is no doubt about that. We will deliver for free the same amount Ukraine has sent to the poorest countries over nearly a year since the signing of the deal, or even more. This is what President Putin has said.

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Police in Auburn were working to identify suspects after gunshots were fired in the city early Saturday morning.

The Auburn Police Department said that officers responded to a report of shots being fired at about 3:36 a.m. on Orchard Street in the area of Columbus and Jefferson streets.

The APD said officers confirmed that shots had been fired in the area and were seeking help from the public to identify any suspects.

Anyone with information is asked to call the APD at (315) 253-3231, and police said that callers may remain anonymous.
Representatives of CSTO member-states discuss improvements to the preparation and conduct of exercises with the CSTO Peacekeeping Forces

16.06.2023

On 14 June 2023, under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Joint Staff, Air Force Major General Turaly Koishikulov, representatives of interested ministries and agencies of the CSTO member States, the Secretariat and the CSTO United Headquarters held a videoconference to finalise, taking into account the positions received after the internal national coordination, the draft decision of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Council of Defence Ministers and the Committee of Secretaries of the Security Council 'On methodological recommendations on the preparation and conduct of exercises with the peacekeeping contingents of CSTO member states allocated to the CSTO Peacekeeping Forces'.

Representatives of concerned ministries and agencies from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan, as well as the Secretariat and the CSTO Joint Staff took part in the consultations.

The decision of the CSTO Ministerial Council, Council of Ministers and the Committee of Secretaries of the Security Council 'On Methodological Recommendations for the Preparation and Conduct of Peacekeeping Training of Troops of CSTO Member States' was drafted by the CSTO Joint Staff taking into account the experience of peacekeeping exercises and as part of the work on amending the regulatory acts regulating the issues of joint operational and combat training of the CSTO Troops (collective forces) with a view to bringing the currently valid methodological recommendations into accordance with the provisions on the procedure for the preparation and conduct of joint military exercises.

In the course of consultations, draft methodological recommendations on the preparation and conduct of exercises with the peacekeeping contingents of CSTO member States deployed to the CSTO peacekeeping forces were discussed, finalized and largely agreed upon. Following consultations, decision was made to recommend to the CSTO Joint Staff to submit a draft document for consideration by the CSTO Permanent Council.

We would like to point out that this year's joint exercise with the CSTO peacekeeping forces, Unbreakable Brotherhood 2023, is scheduled to conclude the joint operational and Combat Brotherhood 2023 strategic exercise. The tasks of post-conflict resolution in the crisis zone will be practised in the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic by conducting a peacekeeping operation using the forces and means of the CSTO collective security system in the interests of maintaining peace and security.

The peacekeeping contingents of CSTO member States are specially trained military, police and civilian personnel as well as the forces and equipment provided by the CSTO member States as part of the CSTO peacekeeping force. Their total strength is 3,800 personnel.

For each peacekeeping operation, the composition, structure and size of the Collective Peacekeeping Forces are determined by decision of the CSTO Collective Security Council based on the scope of the tasks to be performed and the specific situation in the conflict zone.

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Over 80% of Russia-China trade settlement now using local currencies: Russian president

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Jun 17, 2023 01:26 AM

Over 80 percent of trade settlement between Russia and China is now conducted in Russian rubles and Chinese yuan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, according to media reports.

The Russian president's remarks came amid growing emphasis by both sides on trade in local currency and de-dollarization efforts in a bid to reduce risks and costs.

This came just over a month after Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in interview with the Russian media that energy trading between China and Russia has been settled in both the yuan and the ruble, according to a report by China's state broadcaster CCTV.

Trade using the yuan, the ruble and the Turkish lira are increasing and becoming common, while deals using the US dollar or the euro are trending down, Novak said.

The trade volume between the two countries is also increasing rapidly. In 2022, the bilateral trade volume between China and Russia was over $190 billion, with energy taking the key share.

In an interview with the Sputnik news agency in March, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui revealed that China's purchases of crude oil from Russia in 2022 exceeded 86.25 million tons, an 8 percent increase from a year earlier.

Speaking at an investment forum in Beijing on Friday, Russian Ambassador to China Igor Morgulov also highlighted the trend of using local currencies for trade settlement between the two countries.

From January to May, the bilateral trade volume reached $93 billion, an increase of nearly 40 percent, the Russian Ambassador to China said. Morgulov said this suggests the two sides can fulfill the goal set by the two heads of state ahead of schedule, which is to increase the trade volume between the two countries to $200 billion.

"In the process, we are also constantly adjusting the trade structure, including our dependence on the US dollar and the currencies of other Western countries. In 2021, the local currency settlement in trade between the two countries only accounted for 25 percent or one fourth; last year, it reached two thirds," the ambassador said, noting that efforts will be made to further enhance the independence of financial cooperation between the two countries and further enhance economic sovereignty.

Local currency settlement has gained a strong foothold across all trade sectors, including the China-Europe freight train, which serves as a crucial link between the East and the West in cross-continental trade.

A manager from a Moscow-based railway service operator told the Global Times on Friday that they previously relied solely on US dollars and rubles for payment.

However, they have now adopted the Chinese yuan as well, and their share in the transactions is rapidly increasing.

"This change has facilitated improved cost and risk management, particularly in our cargo train services between China and Europe," the manager said.

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Norway to provide NOK 1.7 billion in support to Syria

Government of Norway

Press release | Date: 16/06/2023

'The humanitarian situation in Syria remains critical and continues to deteriorate. Norway will provide approximately NOK 1.7 billion in support to assist those affected by war, earthquakes and a steep rise in food prices in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and TArkiye,' said Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt.

Today, the European Commission hosted the seventh Brussels Conference on 'Supporting the future of Syria and the region'. State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Erling Rimestad represented Norway at the conference.

'More than 15 million Syrians were in urgent need of humanitarian assistance already before the earthquake hit in February. Now, as a result of the earthquake, that number has risen still higher,' said Ms Huitfeldt.

Over the past 12 years, Norway has provided more than NOK 18 billion to alleviate the crisis in Syria. The funding has been channelled through the UN, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and Norwegian and international organisations, and is being used to support both humanitarian and stabilisation efforts. Norway is one of the largest donors of assistance to Syria and the region, particularly to refugees and those who are internally displaced.

Norway will continue to shift the focus of its assistance towards an early recovery approach, which is vital to strengthen services and facilities that are critical for people's health and safety. Norway is providing support for income-generating activities and the rehabilitation of agriculture and irrigation facilities, with the aim of enabling people in Syria and its neighbouring countries to become more self-sufficient. Health and education services need to be rebuilt, and water and sewage systems need to be repaired to prevent them from collapse. In Syria and several of its neighbouring countries, there is also an urgent need for action to remove explosives and other dangerous remnants of war.

'Norway supports the efforts of the UN Special Envoy to find a peaceful solution in Syria. Only an inclusive political solution can bring an end to this conflict and the suffering of the Syrian people,' said Ms Huitfeldt.

According to UN estimates, Syria's neighbouring countries - in particular Lebanon, Jordan and TArkiye - have taken in approximately five million Syrian refugees. The influx of so many refugees has placed a major strain on these countries. Most of the support provided by Norway for the Syria crisis goes to the Syrian people. The remainder goes towards meeting the needs of refugees in neighbouring countries.



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Tension escalates in N. Syria as Russia speaks about roadmap to normalize Syria-TArkiye ties

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:41, June 16, 2023

DAMASCUS, June 15 (Xinhua)-- Tension has been escalating in northern Syria between Turkish forces and Kurdish militants as Russia speaks about a roadmap to restore Syria-TArkiye ties.

Tension has been brewing over the last three weeks in areas east of the Euphrates, which are largely controlled by the Kurdish militia. Turkish drones intensified attacks on fighters of the Kurdish People's Protection Units, which are the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Both are regarded as terrorist groups by TArkiye.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Thursday that the Turkish drone attacks on the Kurdish military sites in the countryside of the northern province of Aleppo intensified on Wednesday, with seven rounds of attacks targeting four SDF sites.

The war monitor said Russian and Turkish military units met early Thursday and decided to cancel a joint patrol near Kurdish-controlled areas in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah due to the current escalation of tension.

In tandem with the situation on the ground, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told reporters on Wednesday in Moscow that the draft roadmap for normalizing relations between Ankara and Damascus, proposed by Moscow, is now ready, according to Russian News Agency TASS.

"Our next task is to discuss it with our partners and progress further in this work. Hopefully, the Astana meeting will enable us to make major progress," said Bogdanov, referring to the meeting in the Kazakh capital of Astana on June 21, which will be attended by deputy foreign ministers of Russia, Syria, TArkiye, and Iran.

On May 10, foreign ministers of the four countries met in Moscow and agreed to prepare a roadmap for streamlining relations between Damascus and Ankara.

In an interview with Syria's pro-government al-Watan newspaper earlier this week, Alexander Efimov, the Russian ambassador to Syria, lauded the progress made in restoring Syrian-Turkish relations.

"The results achieved so far are positive. The road, regardless of its length, always begins with the first step, and this step is often the most difficult and most important (one)," he said, pointing out "the transition of Syria and TArkiye to direct public contacts after more than 10 years of frozen bilateral relations is in itself a great success."

Before Russia announced the readiness of the roadmap, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Monday during a meeting with a visiting Iranian official that Syria's main goals in the upcoming Syria-TArkiye normalization talks are Turkish withdrawal from Syrian territory and the fight against terrorism, Syria's state news agency SANA reported.

Both Iran and Russia have been mediating talks to normalize relations between Syria and TArkiye recently, arranging several meetings on the level of defense ministers and foreign ministers.

Since late last year when Russia and Iran were paving the way for the Syria-TArkiye negotiations, the Syrian government has prioritized the withdrawal of the Turkish forces from Syria as a prerequisite for normalization of its ties with TArkiye.

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Former military head calls for quality over quantity in Taiwan reserve force

ROC Central News Agency

06/16/2023 09:34 PM

Taipei June 16 (CNA) Taiwan should overhaul its reservist training system to create a more effective military reserve force rather than maintaining one that is large but "not so useful," Taiwan's former Chief of the General Staff Lee Hsi-min () said Friday.

Although Taiwan has a 2 million strong military reserve force, it does not have sufficient equipment, weapons, or trainers for such numbers, which makes the system not particularly useful, according to Lee, who served as Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan's official title) chief of the general staff from 2017-2019, at a news conference held by the Taipei School of Economics and Political Science Foundation (TSEF) where the 2022-2023 Republic of China National Defense Review was unveiled.

One way to improve the existing reservist system is to adopt Singapore's method by requiring reservists to undergo monthly training conducted over one weekend, in addition to having them attend a 14-day annual training program, according to the review.

A highly mobile and well-trained reserve force would help to alleviate pressure on the military when trying to maintain a sizable regular force but to achieve that goal reforms need to be implemented, Lee said.

He recommended introducing an all-voluntary reserve force system and having volunteers attend a special forces training program, in addition to equipping them with portable weapons such as suicide drones or shoulder-launched Stinger and Javelin missiles.

If one out of 10 active reservists volunteered, the armed forces would have a 200,000-strong reserve force, which when dispersed across Taiwan would be a formidable deterrent, especially if they operate as guerrillas, Lee said.

Addressing how to respond to China's increasing "gray zone" military activities near Taiwan, Lee called for a more level-headed approach and more cost-effective deployments.

Citing the large-scale military exercises China staged around Taiwan in August last year and April this year, Lee said it is impossible for Taiwan to respond to "gray zone" activities on that scale with the traditional approach of shadowing every intruding ship and aircraft.

The same could be said of routine incursions into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) by Chinese military aircraft and ships, which are "coercive" threats meant to intimidate and push up the maintenance and logistical cost of aircraft and vessels that have placed a heavy burden on Taiwan's military, Lee said.

Lee noted that "gray zone" activities are carried out below the threshold of war and called for a more "asymmetric" approach by the military in responding to such threats, for example, by deploying unmanned systems to shadow approaching Chinese aircraft and ships to lower the cost of patrols.

The ROC military should weigh its priorities and pay attention to how it allocates resources to avoid letting the enemy weaken its defenses to the point where it can no longer handle coercive actions, let alone existential threats such as a military invasion or attack, Lee said.

Asked how the armed forces can better respond to a possible scenario in which China's aircraft carriers adopt anti-access/area denial strategies against Taiwan, Lee said it is doubtful China's aircraft carriers were built to invade Taiwan, as they were more likely constructed so Beijing can establish a military presence in other parts of the world in an attempt to reshape the U.S.-led international order.

It would be difficult for China's current fleet of aircraft carriers to match far more advanced U.S. aircraft carriers in the event of war in the Taiwan Strait, Lee said, adding that if China did that, it would risk having its aircraft carriers destroyed by the U.S.

To take Taiwan by force, Beijing will try to block intervention by external forces, and its long-range bombers, submarines and Dong Feng 21D and Dong Feng 26 ballistic missiles are much more capable of achieving that than its aircraft carriers, Lee said.

The 2022-2023 Republic of China National Defense Review is the second review published by TSEF's Center for Peace And Security since China launched large-scale military exercises around Taiwan in August 2022 following a visit to Taiwan by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, TSEF Chairman Huang Huang-hsiung () said at the news conference.

The review covers a range of topics including asymmetrical warfare, reserve forces, defense autonomy, C4ISR and cyberwarfare.

TSEF will deliver copies of the report to the presidential candidates nominated by Taiwan's three major political parties, Huang said.

(By Sean Lin)

Enditem/AW

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Abducted Turkish-Kyrgyz Educator Handed Lengthy Prison Term In Turkey On Terrorism Charge

By RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service June 16, 2023

BISHKEK -- A Turkish-Kyrgyz educator who was abducted by Turkish agents in Kyrgyzstan in 2021 has been sentenced to 21 years in prison on a charge of "establishing an armed terrorist group," Turkish media reports said on June 16, adding that Orhan Inandi had been "brought to Turkey via an "operation" carried out by the National Intelligence Organization.

Inandi, who headed the Turkish-language Sapat school system in Kyrgyzstan, was abducted by Turkish agents in Bishkek in June 2021.

Turkish officials have called Inandi a top Central Asian leader of the Gulen movement, which is led by the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, a former close friend of Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan before falling out of favor and becoming a rival.

Turkey considers the movement, known as Hizmet in Turkish, to be a terrorist organization, though it is mainly involved in educational activities and promoting civil society. Its schools in Kyrgyzstan are considered prestigious and have been attended by thousands of people, many of them now serving in government.

Turkey blames Gulen supporters for an attempted coup in 2016 that killed some 250 people. Turkey arrested tens of thousands of people while purging the civil service and military of people suspected of being loyal to Gulen. It has also had many so-called Gulenists living abroad extradited to face charges in Turkey.

Inandi, 55, had lived in Kyrgyzstan since 1995 and holds dual Turkish-Kyrgyz citizenship. He claimed he was tortured while in custody in Turkey.

Hundreds of people demonstrated in Kyrgyzstan after his disappearance and abduction in 2021. Many accused Kyrgyz officials of complicity in the kidnapping.

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said such charges were absurd and that Bishkek would demand the quick return of Inandi to his family in Kyrgyzstan. He blamed local authorities for allowing the abduction to take place.

The UN Committee Against Torture said in November that the Kyrgyz state was responsible for Inandi's kidnapping.

With reporting by Anadolu

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyzstan-inandi- abducted-turkey-prison-gulen/32462396.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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Training of Ukrainian F-16 pilots to start in the coming months

Netherlands Ministry of Defence

News item | 15-06-2023

According to a letter sent today by Netherlands Minister of Defence Kajsa Ollongren to the House of Representatives, the Netherlands and a number of other European countries are working to ensure that the training of Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16 can start as soon as possible. To this end, a training centre is being set up in an eastern European NATO member state. Furthermore, the Netherlands is again contributing to the strengthening of Ukraine's air defence.

Minister Ollongren sent the letter also on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.

The Netherlands Ministry of Defence is working on a plan for the provision of F-16 training to Ukrainian pilots. Together with Denmark and with the support of the United States, the Netherlands has been tasked with coordinating European efforts in this area. The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, members of the industrial sector and other parties are currently working on the content of the F-16 training courses.

The plan consists of three elements:

Provision of the first F-16 conversion training courses for Ukrainian pilots as soon as possible, Language proficiency and initial, or basic, flight training, and The establishment of an F-16 training centre in an eastern European NATO member state.

The plan will ensure that needs continue to be met also in the longer term.

Training will initially be provided to a limited number of Ukrainian pilots. The number may increase in the future.

Contribution to Ukraine's air defence

The war in Ukraine reached a new low when the Nova Kakhovka dam was destroyed. Furthermore, Russia is continuing to fire on Ukrainian civilian and military targets from the air. This again resulted in deaths and injuries yesterday and today. Strengthening Ukraine's air defence therefore remains important. Together with its allies, the Netherlands is contributing to these efforts.

The International Fund for Ukraine (IFU) will make 92 million euros available for air defence. The expectation is that this will happen before the end of the year. The defence ministers of the Joint Expeditionary Force announced this measure on 13 June. In addition, during the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) meeting on 15 June, it was announced that the Netherlands will be making 40 million euros available for the purchase, in a multilateral partnership, of air defence equipment that will be delivered to Ukraine in the very short term.

Radar systems

Furthermore, the Netherlands Ministry of Defence will purchase four VERA-EG passive radar systems at the cost of 150 million euros. This radar system can detect, locate, track and identify targets in the air, on land and at sea. The Netherlands will therefore be contributing to Ukraine's integrated air defence. These capabilities will be in addition to those already delivered.

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June 16, 2023

By David Vergun , DOD News

NATO-Ukraine Defense Council to Be Established

NATO plans to invite Ukraine into a new NATO-Ukraine defense council as an equal member, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference today in Brussels.

Stoltenberg said the details of the council will be announced next month at NATO's summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

At the meeting, leaders agreed to boost defense production and standardize munitions and command and control interoperability among NATO nations and Ukraine.

NATO is also focused on a path to bring Ukraine closer to alliance membership, Stoltenberg said.

NATO has an open door policy regarding membership, and Russia cannot impact that decision, he said. Stoltenberg added that Sweden will also be welcomed into the alliance a hopefully very soon.

NATO leaders also agreed that the minimum, or "floor," for member nations' defense spending would be 2% of gross domestic product. Stoltenberg said that figure would not the ceiling. That means that he hopes the 2% figure can be exceeded by nations to keep people safe in an increasingly dangerous world.

NATO condemns Russia's reckless nuclear rhetoric and its plans to deploy nuclear weapons to Belarus. Stoltenberg said NATO is also concerned with China's nuclear expansion and North Korea's missile testing.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III welcomed the expansion of support of Ukraine and modernization and standardization of munitions to benefit NATO-Ukraine interoperability.

The minimum 2% of GDP for defense spending by NATO members will help ensure increased collective defense and deterrence and will result in forces at much higher levels of readiness, he said.

Sweden's membership into NATO will also be discussed at next month's summit, Austin said.

Besides collective European security, Austin said NATO also has aimed for deepening partnerships with Indo-Pacific nations to ensure a free and open region.

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Pevkur in Brussels: Military field hospital to Ukraine with Iceland, creation of IT coalition to aid Ukraine in the works with Luxembourg

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Defence

16. June 2023

Yesterday in Brussels during the first day of the NATO defence ministers' meeting, the focus was on the situation in Ukraine and continuing military aid to Ukraine, discussed at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group and the NATO-Ukraine Commission.

"The defence ministers received an overview of the situation on the front - the counteroffensive is underway and although Ukraine has very good chances for pushing forward, they still need a clear signal from the Allies that we will continue sending military aid. Now during the counteroffensive, it is more important than ever to get that aid to Ukraine," said the Estonian Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur.

"Estonia is preparing to send yet another military field hospital to the front in Ukraine and this time in cooperation with Iceland. In addition, together with Luxembourg and at the request of the Ukrainians, we started preparations for the creation of an IT coalition. The objective of this coalition will be to map Ukraine's needs for supporting military IT infrastructure, as well as backing up critical databases similarly to the Estonian data embassies," added the defence minister.

Within the NATO and Ukraine meeting, the ministers focused primarily on the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius and the future of Ukraine. "Connecting Ukraine closely to NATO and the EU is important for deterring the Russian Federation from further aggression and for offering Ukraine the essential stability it needs to rebuild the country. Estonia firmly believes that NATO membership is the most sustainable and effective way to support Ukraine and foster reconstruction efforts," said Pevkur.

On the margins of the defence ministers' meeting, minister Pevkur also met with the new Minister of National Defence and former Chief of General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces Yasar GAler to discuss cooperation both within NATO and bilaterally.

In addition, the ministers of defence also met defence industry representatives and a meeting was held between the Baltic States and the respective NATO enhanced Forward Presence framework nations and NATO representatives.

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Update 166 - IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

International Atomic Energy Agency

58/2023

Vienna, Austria

16 Jun 2023

Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi this week assessed the impact of the Kakhovka dam disaster on the safety of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and reinforced the team of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts at the facility, during his third visit to the site in less than a year.

The Director General and his team crossed the frontline to reach Europe's largest nuclear power plant (NPP) just over a week after the water level in the huge reservoir that supplies cooling water to the ZNPP started to drop significantly when the downstream dam was severely damaged on 6 June.

Earlier this week, he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, presenting a new IAEA technical assistance package to help Ukraine cope with the subsequent flooding devastation through the application of nuclear science and technology in areas ranging from potable water, human health, soil and water management to integrity assessment of critical infrastructure.

His eighth mission to Ukraine since February 2022 took place amid reports of a Ukrainian counteroffensive being under way, including in the Zaporizhzhya region near the nuclear plant currently controlled by Russia.

"With military activities and tension intensifying in the area near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, and with this month's dam catastrophe further complicating the facility's extremely challenging nuclear safety and security status, it was very important for me to travel to the site again to review developments on the ground, including the plant's ongoing and planned measures to manage the new water-related difficulties," Director General Grossi said.

During yesterday's stay at the ZNPP, Director General Grossi could see first-hand how the level of the Kakhovka reservoir had declined markedly over the past ten days - even exposing previously submerged sand banks - but also that the plant's large cooling pond and different channels at or near the site hold sufficient reserves to be able to provide cooling water in the short to medium term in case the reservoir can no longer be used.

At the moment, water from the discharge channel of the nearby Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP) supplies the ZNPP's spray ponds, which cool the six shut down reactors and spent fuel, and also keeps the separate cooling pond full, mainly compensating for evaporation.

Together, the discharge channel and the large cooling pond can provide cooling water for some months provided they stay intact, although it is difficult to say exactly how long the existing water reserves can last in view of various external factors, such as evaporation and any future leaks.

There are also indications that some water resources from the reservoir itself currently remain available in areas near the ZNPP - where the water loss stopped a few days ago, unlike in other parts of the reservoir - but it is unclear if the level is high enough to pump it up for use at the plant. The pumps were last in operation about a week ago.

Together with a team of IAEA experts, Director General Grossi evaluated all the main parts of the site's water supply systems, including the gates separating the large pond and the ZTPP discharge channel from the reservoir, and how the plant is seeking to ensure that these bodies of water are kept secure and preserved.

For example, the plant has completed activities to seal and reinforce the isolation gates to prevent leakage. Director General Grossi witnessed how they had been reinforced with counterweights and sand.

"The integrity of these gates must be maintained to ensure that the plant has enough water for cooling the reactors. At the same time, it is essential that the plant implements a longer-term solution. The IAEA team can assist and advise in this work," he said.

The measures the plant is taking are buying it some extra time to prepare additional back-up water supply options, Director General Grossi added.

The plant informed the Director General that additional cooling water can be pumped from an underground water system and on-site wells. But he said it is not yet known whether these wells can reliably provide all the required water. New pumps that can potentially continue to access water at lower reservoir levels may also be installed.

"The breach of the dam has identified vulnerable points in the plant's water supply chain and there is a need to adapt the entire system to the new situation. But I could also see that the plant is taking concrete steps to address these challenges, stabilise the situation and enable the plant to ensure sufficient cooling water also in the future. The situation is serious, and it requires our continuous close monitoring. But, for now, it is being controlled," he said.

The Director General had planned his mission to the ZNPP already before the dam was damaged to follow up on the establishment at the UN Security Council on 30 May of five basic IAEA principles for the protection of the plant at a time of heightened military risks, including that there must be no attacks at or from the site and that it must not be used as a store for heavy weapons.

"From now on, we will be monitoring compliance with these principles, which are designed to prevent a nuclear accident during the armed conflict, which is showing clear signs of intensifying in the region where the plant is located. This requires a strengthened IAEA presence," he said.

Underlining the tense situation in the area, the Director General's convoy was stopped on the way back from the site visit, and gunfire was heard for a few minutes. But the convoy was not in immediate danger and the IAEA does not have any other information about the incident.

During this week's mission, the Director General carried out a new rotation of IAEA experts at the site, bringing with him the ninth such team since the mission at the site was established nearly ten months ago. Although the rotations continue to take place regularly, there have been several delays and postponements, sometimes caused by the weather and the general security situation.

He also went to the ZTPP a few kilometres from the nuclear plant, whose damaged electrical switchyard in the past has been used to provide 330 kilovolt (kV) back-up power to the ZNPP. The plant's last 330 kV back-up line was damaged almost four months ago, and the IAEA has requested access to the switchyard to check its status.

The ZNPP is continuing to operate one of the six reactors in hot shutdown to produce steam needed for wastewater treatment and a steam-driven cooling system that provides air conditioning for rooms equipped with instrumentation and control systems important to nuclear safety and security. Meanwhile the plant is also exploring alternate ways to meet the site's needs for generating steam and providing essential cooling. The five other units remain in cold shutdown.

Elsewhere in Ukraine over the past week, the IAEA also carried out rotations of its expert teams at the country's other NPPs - the Khmelnitsky, Rivne, South Ukraine and Chornobyl NPPs. In addition, the IAEA conducted its first medical assistance mission to the NPPs.

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" " On March 8, 2022, the Mobil station at the corner of La Cienega and Beverly advertised prices that were higher than the norm even for the Los Angeles area. Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Today's gas prices are uncomfortably high for most Americans. The national average cost for a regular gallon of gas was $4.252 as of March 21, 2022, according to AAA. A year earlier, that same gallon would have cost less than $3. The one bit of good news: Such high prices don't last forever.

Gas prices regularly fluctuate. The nation's all-time high price came March 11, 2022, when gas hit a national average of $4.331 per gallon. Yet that price is dwarfed by the $4.11 seen at the pump in July 2008, which equals $5.30 in today's dollars, according to the U.S. Energy Administration. This was just before the onset of the global financial crisis sent gas prices plunging.

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As recently as 1998, gas was just $1.06 per gallon, which equates to $1.86 when adjusted for inflation  the lowest price since 1929. During the 1970s, when there were a number of gas shortages, the highest average price for gas was $0.86 per gallon in 1979, or $3.53 when adjusted for inflation.

There are many factors that contribute to the price of gas. "The cost of oil accounts for 55 percent of what you pay at the pump," says Andrew Gross, AAA national spokesperson. "Another 14 percent comes from refining costs, 16 percent is marketing and distribution, and the last 15 percent is taxes."

The price of crude oil, the main driver in gas costs, depends upon many factors, but the main one is simple: supply and demand. When there's a lot of oil out there, prices drop. When there's not enough oil to meet demand, prices rise. The world's oil supply is controlled by oil-producing nations, including the U.S., but also by OPEC, a cartel of 13 oil-producing nations clustered in Africa, the Middle East and South America.

The recent surge in gas prices is partly due to Russia's late-February invasion of Ukraine, which has spooked the global oil market. But prices were already climbing before the invasion, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in 2020, when COVID first emerged, the pandemic caused an enormous drop in demand, as people stopped traveling. This left oil producers with a large surplus, so they cut back production.

More recently, with COVID vaccinations and boosters readily available in the U.S. and many other countries, demand for gas is rising, as homebound citizens are eager to resume travel. Yet oil producers are leery about quickly ratcheting up production to meet this demand. The pandemic is still here, for one thing, plus there are major uncertainties about the situation in Ukraine. Producers do not want to get stuck with another surplus on hand.

" " This chart shows gas prices on March 21, 2022. After peaking at $4.33 per gallon March 11, they have fallen somewhat to $4.25 as a result of lower crude oil prices. AAA
NATO Defence Ministers conclude two days of meetings, pledging increased support for Ukraine

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

16 Jun. 2023

NATO Defence Ministers concluded two days of meetings in Brussels on Friday (16 June 2023), in order to prepare for the Vilnius Summit in July.

Mr Stoltenberg said that "Ukrainian forces have stepped up operations along the front line, and are making progress - but they face tough terrain, dug-in Russian troops, and fierce fighting". In this context, he underlined that increasing support for Ukraine remains crucial. He welcomed new announcements from Allies, including the initiative led by the Netherlands and Denmark to start training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets and, together with the United Kingdom and the United States, to deliver short and medium-range air defence missiles. He also welcomed that Allies have so far made contributions and commitments amounting to 500 million euros to NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package, adding that NATO is working on a multi-year package with substantial funding for the Summit, and is also working to establish a new NATO-Ukraine Council, where Ukraine and Allies will consult and decide on security issues on an equal basis. "Our ambition is to have the first meeting of the new Council in Vilnius, with President Zelenskyy," he said.

At the Vilnius Summit, Allies will also take steps to further strengthen deterrence and defence, including with new regional plans. Mr Stoltenberg highlighted that for the first time since the Cold War, Allies are "fully connecting the planning for our collective defence with the planning for our forces, capabilities, and command and control" and that NATO will have over 300,000 troops on high readiness, backed by substantial air and maritime capabilities "to defend every inch of Allied territory against any threat".

Ministers also agreed a new rotational model for air and missile defence; agreed substantially increase capability targets for battle-decisive ammunition; and reviewed the NATO Defence Production Action Plan, with measures to aggregate demand, boost capacity, and increase interoperability and interchangeability. Mr Stoltenberg said that he expects NATO Allies to make a more ambitious commitment to defence investment in Vilnius, with 2% of GDP for defence spending as a floor, not a ceiling.

NATO's Nuclear Planning Group also met to discuss the nuclear aspects of the current security environment and the ongoing adaptation of NATO's nuclear deterrence.

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US Congressmen move to legalize Ukraine's use of Russia's frozen assets

Iran Press TV

Friday, 16 June 2023 5:56 PM

Republican and Democratic members of US Congress introduced legislation on Thursday that would make it easier to finance Ukraine's fight against Russia using seized and frozen Russian assets.

Congress has approved more than $100 billion in military, humanitarian and economic assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of war in February 2022. While leaders of both parties insist the support remains strong, some members of Congress have questioned how long that level of aid will last amid calls to cut government spending.

Supporters of the bill said their intent was to ensure that Moscow pays for the damage, not American taxpayers.

Senator Jim Risch, the senior Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the sponsor of the bill, has claimed that more than 300 billion dollars of Russian sovereign assets have been frozen worldwide.

The Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity (REPO) for Ukrainians Act introduced in the Senate and House of Representatives gives the US president the power to seize frozen Russian assets in the States and transfer them to Ukraine for aid. It will also prohibit the release of funds to sanctioned Russian entities until Moscow withdraws from Ukraine and agrees to reparations for war damages.

Other Republican sponsors of the bill include Michael McCall, chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, and Joe Wilson, Thomas Kean, and Brian Fitzpatrick. Democratic co-sponsors include Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Rep. Marcy Kaptur, co-chair of the Ukrainian Caucus in Congress, as well as Reps. Steve Cohen and Mike Quigley.

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Putin open to any contacts on 'Ukrainian problem': Kremlin

Iran Press TV

Friday, 16 June 2023 11:06 AM

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin remains open to any talks on resolving the Ukraine conflict.

The announcement on Friday came on the eve of African leaders meeting to present a new peace initiative to Putin, almost 16 months after the launch of military conflict in Ukraine.

"President Putin was and is open to any contacts to discuss possible scenarios for solving the Ukrainian problem," Interfax quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.

Russia has long said it is open to talks but says Ukraine must recognize "new realities" on the ground, where its forces control about 18 percent of Ukraine's territory.

Last fall, Moscow annexed four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine, as well as the Crimean peninsula, which it seized in 2014.

Ukraine says its peace plan, which calls for the withdrawal of Russian forces from all Ukrainian territory, should be the basis for any settlement of the war.

The African delegation was scheduled to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday before meeting Putin in St. Petersburg on Saturday.

Putin set to meet Erdogan in Turkey

Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have agreed that the Russian leader will visit Turkey soon, Interfax reported on Friday, citing a Kremlin aide.

It is Putin's first visit to a NATO country since the start of military conflicts in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

"There is an invitation from the Turkish president. Putin and Erdogan agreed that the meeting will take place in the near future, but we are still talking about a specific day and a specific date," Interfax quoted Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov as saying.

Erdogan, who was re-elected last month for another five-year term, has sought to maintain strong ties with Moscow and Kiev since the start of the conflict in Ukraine.

Turkey has refused to join its Western allies in imposing economic sanctions on Russia, but has also sent weapons to Ukraine and demanded respect for its sovereignty.

Ankara has also helped broker prisoner exchanges and, with the United Nations, brokered an agreement in July 2022 for safe exports of grain from Ukrainian ports via the Black Sea.

In March, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin on war crimes charges in Ukraine, meaning he could risk arrest if he travels abroad. However, Ankara is not a party to the Rome Statute that created the ICC.

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African Delegation In Kyiv Makes Push For Peace Through Negotiations With Moscow

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service June 16, 2023

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on Ukraine and Russia to de-escalate their conflict after talks in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as an African delegation launched a mission to broker peace.

"This war must be settled and there should be peace through negotiations," Ramaphosa told reporters on June 16. "We argue that there must be de-escalation on both sides."

Ramaphosa added that African countries were prepared to participate in further engagement and "share the African perspective" on finding peace in Ukraine.

Zelenskiy reiterated that any talks with Russia now would be in Russia's advantage.

"To allow any negotiations with Russia now while the occupier is on our land is to freeze the war, to freeze everything: pain and suffering," Zelenskiy told a joint press conference with the African delegation.

"We need real peace, and therefore, a real withdrawal of Russian troops from our entire independent land," he said.

Zelenskiy added that he conveyed this message several times during his meeting with the African delegation.

The Ukrainian president said later that he he invited the African leaders to take part in a global peace summit that Ukraine is preparing.

"Ukraine will be heard all over the world, and we will involve the whole world in the implementation of the Peace Formula," he said on Twitter.

The African delegation, led by Ramaphosa, is scheduled to continue its mission in St. Petersburg for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said Russia had "never closed the door" on the idea of Ukraine peace talks.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin touted the destruction of Western tanks on the battlefield and threatened to destroy military equipment provided by Western countries even if it's located outside Ukraine.

"If they are located outside Ukraine and are used in hostilities, we will have to look at how and where we can hit those weapons used in hostilities against us," he said.

He also claimed the Ukraine will soon run out of its own arms and will be unable to fight with equipment brought in from the outside.

Moscow has stepped up its air attacks on Ukraine as Kyiv launched its long-anticipated counteroffensive to reclaim territory occupied by Russian forces.

Moscow has stepped up its air attacks on Ukraine as Kyiv launched its long-anticipated counteroffensive to reclaim territory occupied by Russian forces.

Even with the arrival of the African delegation -- which includes officials from South Africa, Senegal, Zambia, the Comoros, and Egypt -- the Ukrainian capital was targeted by fresh Russian air strikes.

Ukraine's air defense said it shot down 12 missiles -- six hypersonic Kinzhal (Dagger) missiles and six Kalibr cruise missiles -- above the capital.

Two children and an elderly woman were injured as a result of the attack in the Kyiv region, local police chief Andriy Nebytov said, adding that more than 30 houses were damaged.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the air strikes on Kyiv on June 16 were a "message" to the delegation that Russia was not serious about any peace talks.

"Putin 'builds confidence' by launching the largest missile attack on Kyiv in weeks, exactly amid the visit of African leaders to our capital. Russian missiles are a message to Africa: Russia wants more war, not peace," Kuleba said on Twitter.

Peter Stano, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, also commented on the attack.

"With what happened today, it's very obvious also to the African leaders how sincere Putin is about stopping the conflict," Stano said.

Overnight, Russia attacked several Ukrainian regions with missiles and drones, the Ukrainian military reported. Deaths and injuries were reported in the Kherson region, the Donetsk region, and the Zaporizhzhya region.

Russian shelling also caused damage to civilian infrastructure in the Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions, local officials reported.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down 20 drones, two of them in the southern Mykolayiv region, the military said. Russia launched five cruise missiles and numerous salvoes from rocket launchers on military and civilian targets, it added.

The command of the Ukrainian Air Force reported the downing of a Russian helicopter in the Donetsk region around 9 p.m. local time. The command said the destroyed aircraft was a Ka-52 attack helicopter.

The Ukrainian military's General Staff said that Russian forces during the day on June 16 carried out 24 air strikes and about 35 attacks from rocket salvo systems.

"The enemy continues to focus its main efforts on the areas of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka, where 21 combat clashes took place during the day," the evening report stated.

The report said the air force carried out 14 strikes on concentrations of Russian military personnel, and the Ukrainian military also destroyed three reconnaissance drones.

The General Staff's earlier report made no concrete mention of the progress of Ukraine's counteroffensive in various part of eastern and southeastern Ukraine, saying only that in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions, Russian forces were on the defensive.

But a military spokesman said separately on June 16 that the Ukrainian offensive was under way in the directions of Bakhmut, Mariupol, and Russian-occupied Berdyansk, in the Zaporizhzhya region, where heavy fighting is ongoing.

Ukrainian forces also had some success in the Vuhledar area of Donetsk, spokesman Andriy Kovalev said.

"Just today, literally, we received information about the successful offensive and the repulse of the enemy in the Vuhledar area. Ukrainian units are conducting successful offensive operations in the area east of the settlement of Stupochki in the Donetsk region, where they pushed the Russian occupiers out of their positions," Kovalev said.

Kovalev's statements could not be independently confirmed.

With reporting by Reuters and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russian-missile- drone-srikes-mykolayiv/32461804.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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IAEA Concerned About Reservoir's Depletion After Grossi Visit To Nuclear Plant

By RFE/RL June 16, 2023

The UN nuclear watchdog said on June 16 after a visit by its chief to the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine that it was unclear whether water from the Kakhovka dam's reservoir can still be pumped to the plant.

There are indications that some water from the reservoir remains available, but it is unclear if the level is high enough to pump it for use at the plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on June 16 in a statement.

The pumps, which were last in operation about a week ago, might be replaced with new ones "that can potentially continue to access water at lower reservoir levels," the IAEA said.

The reservoir was a main source of water for cooling the six reactors and filling ponds at the plant before the dam on the Dnieper River ruptured last week. Kyiv has accused Moscow of mining the dam and deliberately causing its destruction. Moscow denies any involvement and blames Ukraine.

The bursting of the dam has further complicated an already difficult situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya plant, which has repeatedly been affected by downed external power lines that are also vital to ensuring the cooling necessary to prevent a nuclear meltdown.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi led a delegation to the plant on June 15 and issued a detailed statement a day later.

"The breach of the dam has identified vulnerable points in the plant's water supply chain and there is a need to adapt the entire system to the new situation," he said. "But I could also see that the plant is taking concrete steps to address these challenges, stabilize the situation, and enable the plant to ensure sufficient cooling water also in the future."

The situation requires continuous close monitoring, but for now it is being controlled, and there are measures being implemented to buy some time to prepare additional back-up water-supply options, Grossi added.

Grossi observed how the level of the reservoir has declined since the dam ruptured on June 6. He could see that the plant's large cooling pond and different channels at or near the site hold sufficient reserves to provide cooling water in the short to medium term in case the reservoir can no longer be used, the statement said.

Water from the discharge channel of the nearby Zaporizhzhya thermal power plant currently supplies the nuclear power plant's ponds, which cool the six shutdown reactors and spent fuel, he said. The water also keeps a separate cooling pond full.

Together, the discharge channel and the large cooling pond can provide cooling water for some months provided they stay intact, the statement said.

Plant officials informed Grossi that additional cooling water can be pumped from an underground water system and on-site wells, but it is not yet known whether these wells can provide all the water needed.

Grossi's visit was already scheduled before the dam burst as a follow-up to his proposal to the UN Security Council on May 30 of five principles for the protection of the plant. The principles include no attacks at or from the site and no storage of heavy weapons at the site.

"From now on, we will be monitoring compliance with these principles, which are designed to prevent a nuclear accident during the armed conflict, which is showing clear signs of intensifying in the region where the plant is located. This requires a strengthened IAEA presence," Grossi said.

With reporting by Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-iaea-grossi- zaporizhzhya/32462866.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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Austrian Court Orders Retrial In Extradition Proceedings For Ukrainian Businessman Firtash

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service June 16, 2023

An Austrian court has ruled in favor of Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Firtash, sending his case back to the beginning as the United States looks to have him extradited to face corruption charges.

The Higher Regional Court in Vienna on June 16 said it concluded that new facts and evidence in the case had raised concerns over a February 2017 court decision to extradite Firtash to the United States, adding that the case must be sent for retrial to find out if the new information is true and is sufficient enough to block his extradition.

Firtash, once a powerful ally of Ukraine's ousted, Russia-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych, faces a U.S. indictment accusing him of conspiracy to pay bribes in India to mine titanium, which is used in jet engines.

He denies any wrongdoing.

Firtash was arrested in Austria in 2014 and then freed on 125 million-euro ($136 million) bail, kicking off a still-unresolved legal saga.

A Vienna court initially ruled against extradition on the grounds that the indictment was politically motivated, but in February 2017, a higher court overruled the decision and concluded that Firtash must be extradited.

Last month, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said Firtash, along with managers of companies under his control, had been served with "notices of suspicion" of embezzlement.

According to the SBU, the damage the State Treasury suffered from the embezzlement activities allegedly committed by Firtash's group in Ukraine's gas-transit system are estimated at up to 18 billion hryvnyas ($484 million) between 2016 and 2022 as part of a "large-scale scheme."

Ukraine has sought to reduce the political influence that some businessmen have enjoyed since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The European Union has also made tackling corruption a priority for Kyiv as it tries to join the bloc.

In June 2021, Kyiv imposed sanctions on Firtash, accusing him of selling titanium products that Ukraine said ended up being used by Russian military enterprises. Firtash denied the allegations at the time.

With reporting by The Washington Post and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-firtash-austria-us- extradition/32462653.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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Another Crimean Tatar Activist Gets A Lengthy Prison Term in Russia On Terrorism Charges

By RFE/RL's Crimea.Realities June 16, 2023

A court in Russia's southwestern city of Rostov-on-Don has sentenced another Crimean Tatar activist to 20 years in prison -- more than the sentence prosecutors sought -- on terrorism charges.

The Southern Military District Court sentenced Ansar Osmanov on June 16, with the first five years of his term to be spent in a prison cell and the remainder in a penal colony.

Prosecutors asked the court to sentence Osmanov to 18 years in prison but in an unusual move, the judge handed the defendant a longer prison term. No explanation for the longer sentence was given.

Osmanov rejected the charges and called his sentence a continuation of the repression Crimean Tatars faced during Soviet times.

Osmanov was arrested along with three other Crimean Tatar activists by Russia-installed police in Ukraine's Moscow-annexed Crimea in February last year after their homes were searched. They were all accused of being members of the Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamic group, which is banned in Russia as a terrorist organization but is legal in Ukraine.

The Moscow-based Memorial human rights group has recognized all four detained men as political prisoners.

Since Russia seized Crimea in 2014, Russian authorities have prosecuted dozens of Crimean Tatars on various charges that rights organizations have called trumped up.

Moscow's takeover of the peninsula was vocally opposed by many Crimean Tatars, who are a sizable minority in the region.

Exiled from their homeland to Central Asia by Soviet authorities under the dictatorship of Josef Stalin during World War II, many Crimean Tatars are very wary of Russia and Moscow's rule.

Rights groups and Western governments have denounced what they describe as a campaign of repression by the Russian-imposed authorities in Crimea who are targeting members of the Turkic-speaking Crimean Tatar community and others who have spoken out against Moscow's takeover of the peninsula.

Russia took control of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 after sending in troops, seizing key facilities, and staging a referendum dismissed as illegal by at least 100 countries.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/crimean-tatar-prison-russia- ukraine/32462285.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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Statement by Russian Defence Ministry

16.06.2023

Since the beginning of the special military operation, over 10,000 servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have received special payments for destroying or seizing enemy hardware.

In 2022, 7,064 servicemen received payments for destruction of 11,586 pieces of Ukrainian hardware and weaponry.

From 1 January to 31 May 2023, 3,193 servicemen received payments for destruction of 4,415 pieces of Ukrainian and Western hardware.

The payments are transferred to servicemen personal bank accounts under unit commanders' orders.

There are no restrictions on payments to servicemen depending on the number of enemy equipment they have already destroyed.

For instance, in 2023 pilots and air defence crews have received 300,000 rubles per each of destroyed 45 Ukrainian Air Force helicopters and aircraft.

In 2023, units of Land Forces and Airborne Troops, as well as Russian Marines and artillery units received 100,000 rubles per each of each of the many hundreds of AFU armoured vehicles.

In 2023, Russian servicemen received 50,000 rubles for each of destroyed 1,501 armored personnel carriers, 203 self-propelled artillery systems, and 85 MLRSs.

At the same time, servicemen who distinguished themselves during the special military operation received 300,000 rubles for each of destroyed 15 Tochka-U high-precision tactical ballistic missile system and HIMARS MLRSs.

In addition, Russian servicemen received 50,000 rubles each for the successful interception by air defence of 941 missiles fired by the AFU from Tochka-U tactical systems, Olkha, Smerch, Uragan and HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, as well as for the destruction of each of the 1,211 Ukrainian medium-range unmanned aerial vehicles.

Members of the Russian Navy, whose competent and prompt actions destroyed six Ukrainian speedboats that had attacked Russian ships and civilian infrastructure in Crimea, have been paid 200,000 rubles each.

Payments are currently being processed on the basis of reports from unit commanders in Zaporozhye and South Donetsk directions to Russian military personnel who have destroyed Leopard tanks and armoured fighting vehicles produced by the USA and other NATO countries during combat operations.

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Putin: Kiev Has Lost 186 Tanks, 418 Armored Vehicles, Losses Mounting

Sputnik News

20230616

Ilya Tsukanov

Ukrainian forces launched a long-awaited counteroffensive earlier this month after stocking up on NATO weapons, including Leopard heavy tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles. The offensive has stalled after running into well-prepared Russian defensive lines, with even Kiev's Western backers expressing concerns about Ukraine's heavy losses.

Ukraine has failed to reach any strategic objectives amid its ongoing counteroffensive, losing 186 tanks and 418 armored vehicles to date as losses continue to mount, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

"In some places Ukrainian forces manage to reach the first line of defense, in some places not. That's not the question," Putin said, speaking to reporters during the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday.

"The question revolves around the fact that they are using their so-called strategic reserves, which consist of several components. The first is meant to be used to break [Russian] defenses, the second to use forces to entrench their foothold over territory. They have not reached their goals at a single section of the front. This is what is important," he said.

"Their losses are indeed very large, even more than ten to one compared to the Russian army. This is a fact. In terms of equipment, losses are mounting daily. As of today, this includes 186 tanks lost and 418 armored vehicles of various classes," Putin said.

Russia's defense enterprises are working round-the-clock to supply the military with weapons, working double or even triple shifts, Putin said. "We have increased the output of military production by 2.7 times, and when it comes to the most needed equipment - by 10 times."

As for Ukrainian forces, Putin predicted that "soon they will stop using its own equipment" entirely because it's being systematically destroyed. "Everything they're using to do battle, and everything they're using is coming from abroad. One can't fight that way for long," he said.

Origins of Conflict

Putin also once again took the opportunity to delve into the root causes of the present crisis, saying "the war in Ukraine, in southeastern Ukraine, was started by the Kiev regime with the support of their Western sponsors in 2014. But everyone in the West tries not to speak about this. I am forced to remind them that aviation, tanks, artillery were used used against the Donbass [back then]. What is this if not a war?"

Kiev "refused" to entertain an end to the Donbass crisis using peaceful means, Putin said, "forcing us to use our armed forces to attempt to put an end to this war."

It wasn't Russia that led its Western partners "by the nose" between 2015 and 2022 by signing the Minsk peace deal for Donbass, "without any plans to implement it, as they publicly admitted recently," he added, referring to recent revelations by the former Ukrainian, German and French leaders that they only signed the Minsk deal to give Kiev time to rearm and prepare for war with Russia.

A Sputnik

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NATO Secretary General Says Alliance Not Involved in Belgorod Region Attacks

Sputnik News

20230616

Ilya Tsukanov

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO countries had nothing to do with the attacks by Ukrainian sabotage groups in the Belgorod Region, because the alliance's assistance is aimed solely at protecting Ukraine's territory.

Stoltenberg told the France 5 broadcaster that NATO countries have been supporting Ukraine and have only helped the country to defend its territory.

Asked about the use of weapons by saboteurs from NATO countries such as France, Belgium and the United States, Stoltenberg noted that the countries themselves should negotiate the use of weapons with Ukraine at the stage of their delivery. At the same time, these states have repeatedly and publicly stated that the weapons deliveries are aimed at liberating the territory of Ukraine, he added.

The Belgian-supplied weapons, specifically FN SCAR automatic rifles, were identified in videos of Ukrainian sabotage groups filmed during an incursion into Russia's Belgorod region in late May. Brussels has demanded an explanation from Kiev, as the weapons are sent on the condition that they are used exclusively for defense, but is yet to receive a response.

Western countries have been supplying Kiev with various types of weapon systems, including air defense missiles, multiple launch rocket systems, tanks, self-propelled artillery and anti-aircraft guns since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine over a year ago. The Kremlin has consistently warned against further arms deliveries to Kiev.

A Sputnik

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Kiev Loses Over 400 Military in 2 Directions Over Past Day - Russian MoD

Sputnik News

20230616

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine has lost more than 400 military in the South Donetsk and Donetsk directions over the past day as a result of unsuccessful offensive attempts, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.

"More than 200 Ukrainian military, five tanks, seven infantry fighting vehicles, five armored fighting vehicles, four vehicles, and two mortar batteries were destroyed [in the South Donetsk direction] over the past day," the ministry said.

In the Donetsk direction, Russian troops repulsed five enemy attacks, the ministry said.

"During the fighting, up to 215 Ukrainian military, three armored combat vehicles, five vehicles, and two D-20 howitzers were destroyed," the statement read.

Over the past day, Ukrainian troops continued to suffer significant losses in the course of unsuccessful attempts to conduct offensive operations in these areas, the ministry said in a statement, adding that near the Vremevka ledge, Russia repelled five attacks.

A Sputnik

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Bulgaria Wants to Join EU Coalition Supplying Kiev With Ammunition

Sputnik News

20230616

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Bulgaria is planning to join the coalition of European countries supporting Ukraine with ammunition deliveries, though the intention has not been supported by a "political decision" yet, new Bulgarian Defense Minister Todor Tagarev has said.

"We are very clearly aiming at joining this coalition. I think we will be able to provide some of the required ammunition for Ukraine," Tagarev told American newspaper.

There has been "no political decision" yet, the minister said, adding that Sofia would "certainly put the effort" and "find a way."

In February, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced that half of the EU member states were ready to finance and establish the joint production of munitions for Ukraine in volumes as large as possible. The coalition consists of 17 EU member countries and Norway, which are jointly purchasing 155 mm shells through the European Defense Agency to increase their own reserves and ensure long-term ammunition supplies to Ukraine.

Western countries have been providing financial, humanitarian and military support to Ukraine since the start of Russia's special military operation in February 2022. The support evolved from lighter artillery munitions and training in 2022 to heavier weapons, including tanks, later that year and in 2023. For the past months, Ukraine has been pushing to be supplied with fighter jets. The Kremlin has repeatedly warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev.

A Sputnik

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UK commits A60 million to NATO's Ukraine fund

As defence ministers meet in Brussels, the Defence Secretary announced a A60 million contribution to the Comprehensive Assistance Package.

16 June 2023

UK providing A60 million to NATO Comprehensive Assistance Package, bringing UK contribution to more than A80 million

NATO Ministers agree new UK-based Maritime Centre to support the security of undersea infrastructure

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is in Brussels with NATO counterparts where the expansion of the ammunition warehousing project was agreed

An additional A60 million of funding from the UK to NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP) has been announced by the Defence Secretary, bringing the UK's total contribution to over A80 million since February last year.

The CAP is the way that NATO's support to Ukraine has been organised since 2016, and the funding supports a wide range of capacity-building programmes that are focused on key areas including cyber and logistics.

The package provides secure communications; combat rations, fuel, medical supplies; body armour; winter clothing and equipment to counter mines and chemical and biological threats. The UK and NATO allies continue to deliver on a shared and unwavering commitment to support Ukraine.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

The international community is working together to secure a stable Europe including our critical infrastructure, and to support Ukraine. This new contribution for NATO's Ukraine fund is part of our ongoing commitment to provide Ukraine with the equipment and training it needs.

The funding from the UK is in addition to the extensive and ongoing bilateral support that the UK is providing Ukraine, and initiatives such as the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU). Earlier this week, the UK announced two significant air defence support packages with allies and partners.

The A60 million contribution to the CAP was announced by the Defence Secretary at a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels. The meeting of the 31 NATO members focused on European security and stability, and Ministers agreed to establish a new Maritime Centre for the Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure at NATO Maritime Command in the UK. This new centre is part of a long term plan for the alliance to better secure critical undersea infrastructure.

The centre will result in better coordination between allies and with industry to share expertise, creating a NATO-wide picture of the threat and best way to tackle the challenges including best practice and innovative technologies, such as the UK's two Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) ships - the first of which, HMS Proteus, is due to sail shortly.

The meeting also saw Multinational Ammunition Warehousing Initiative (MAWI) partners (Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and the UK) welcome four new nations to the project - Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany and Luxembourg.

MAWI is a NATO project that was established in 2021 to enable partners to explore opportunities for common stockpiling solutions, facilitate information sharing and develop minimum standards for ammunition warehouses. This will strengthen cooperation across allies in managing the storage of munitions and should result in lower costs and increase the availability of weapons.

The project will see a network of munition storage facilities that can host munitions in support of NATO's multinational battle groups, including the UK-led group in Estonia.

During the NATO meeting, the Defence Secretary also reiterated the UK's support to Sweden's accession to the alliance, and held meetings with his counterparts from TArkiye, Canada, Greece, and Italy. He also met with Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Cavoli, and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Radford.

Before the meeting began on Thursday, the Defence Secretary and Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, attended the 13th Ukraine Defence Contact Group where the delivery of hundreds more air defence missiles was announced, following an agreement between Denmark, the Netherlands, the US and the UK.

The international community is committed to providing ongoing support to Ukraine - including equipment and training.

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No one can feel protected while Russia tries to make aggression a global norm - President of Ukraine after meeting with delegation of African countries in Kyiv

President of Ukraine

16 June 2023 - 21:17

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with President of the Union of the Comoros Azali Assoumani, President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of Senegal Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema and Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt Mostafa Madbouly, who arrived in our country with a visit.

Special envoys of the presidents of the Republic of Congo and the Republic of Uganda Florent Ntsiba and Ruhakana Rugunda also took part in the meeting.

Welcoming the delegation of African countries to Ukraine, Zelenskyy said that the voice of the African continent should be heard by the world, in particular, when it comes to fundamental security issues and restoration of the real force of the UN Charter and the entire system of international law.

"Unfortunately, this day began with another Russian terrorist attack against Ukraine. Russian cruise and ballistic missiles today showed Russia's real disdain for efforts to restore peace and for all world leaders, who are trying to protect the world from aggression. Russia is the only source of war and the only reason why the consequences of this war harm the whole world, different nations on all continents. No one can feel that their borders are protected, and the safety of their people is guaranteed, while Russia is trying to make aggression and theft of foreign lands a global norm," the Ukrainian Head of State said.

He said that the cessation of Russian terror and the withdrawal of Russian troops from the entire territory of Ukraine is the only thing capable of stopping this war.

"Ukraine and the whole world do not need either "frozen" conflicts or wars on a slow burner. Peace is needed," Zelenskyy is convinced.

In particular, during the meeting in Kyiv, he presented the Ukrainian Peace Formula to the leaders of African countries and informed them about how the specific points of the Formula will lead to the restoration of full security for Ukraine and all other states and nations that in one way or another suffer from the consequences of Russian aggression.

"Food security, radiation security, maritime security, stability of global markets, and social peace in the world - all this is possible only when there is no aggression and when the Peace Formula is implemented. All the nations of the world deserve to live freely, without imposing an alien will politically or by military means," the Head of State said.

He thanked all meeting participants for supporting the principle of territorial integrity of states and the protection of nations from aggression.

"Today, I saw the prospect of our joint work on specific points of the Peace Formula. Of course, I invited African states to participate in the Global Peace Summit, which we are preparing," Zelenskyy added.

The head of the Ukrainian state also said that today, the presidents, the head of the government, and high-ranking representatives of African countries visited Bucha, Kyiv region, and saw the consequences of the Russian occupation.

"Today, I called on the participants of our meeting to present their vision of how to overcome the consequences of the crimes committed by Russia and prevent any repetition. In particular, this is also the crime of mass deportation of Ukrainian children - they are stolen from the occupied regions and are being held in Russia," the President of Ukraine said.

During the talks, the Russian terrorist attack on the Kakhovka HPP and its consequences for people, the environment, and infrastructure facilities, in particular for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russian troops have been occupying for over a year and are using as a cover for shelling Ukrainian cities, were discussed.

"Radiation knows no borders between states and can reach any continent. Only the de-occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and its return to Ukrainian control can guarantee reliable protection against radiation incidents at the plant. I called on the participants of our meeting to present their vision of how to achieve this when the only thing that interests Russia is the increase in the production of missiles for terror and new crimes against people and the international order, against nature and the UN Charter," Zelenskyy said.

He said that the Russian leadership perceives any negotiations as an opportunity to accumulate strength and expand aggression, and Ukraine has already been convinced of this.

"I will reiterate: we need real peace, and therefore, a real withdrawal of Russian troops from our entire independent territory," the President said.

In addition, during the meeting, the parties discussed the issue of global food security, in which Ukraine has already demonstrated its global strength. Zelenskyy presented the results of two export initiatives: the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the Grain from Ukraine humanitarian program to the participants of the negotiations.

"We really help the world, and specifically - many nations of Africa, Asia, and Europe, to maintain social stability and price predictability on the food market thanks to our exports. Together with our partners, we are working on grain hubs in Africa. The food supply must be reliably guaranteed, and the right of every person to food must be ensured, despite any efforts of states like Russia to use the threat of hunger and social instability to blackmail people," the President said.

He asked the meeting participants to present their vision of what can be done together to better ensure global food security and, in particular, create grain hubs.

According to the Head of State, Ukraine also has particular proposals for developing the partner countries' human capital, primarily thanks to the digital stability of social and state institutions.

"We are ready to substantially expand educational programs for students, in particular from the countries of the African continent," Zelenskyy said.

"But first of all, we must restore the full force of the UN Charter and stop this brutal Russian aggression and free our land, our people from Russian imperial evil. Global efforts are needed for this, and I thank everyone who is capable of such efforts and helps Ukraine, and therefore, themselves, their own security," the President said.

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President addressed the graduates of the National Defense University: Our army is becoming stronger, our Ukrainian state is becoming stronger

President of Ukraine

16 June 2023 - 15:54

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in the graduation ceremony of the National Defense University of Ukraine. This year, this higher military educational institution has trained 317 graduates of strategic, operational and tactical levels of training.

Addressing the graduating officers, the Head of State emphasized that today the Ukrainian army is becoming stronger, and our state of Ukraine is becoming stronger with it.

"Your graduation takes place in difficult and crucial times for our country. At a time when we are engaged in a full-scale and fierce fight against Russian enemies, Russian invaders. At a time when Ukraine and each of us, each Ukrainian, is taking important steps. Every person makes millions of steps in his or her life, but only a few of them are decisive for fate and history," the President emphasized.

He emphasized that the majority of today's graduates know exactly what war is, as some of them stood up to defend Ukraine nine years ago, and some - 478 days ago. So they came to the university classrooms with extensive combat experience, and after today's graduation they will go back to the front.

"You are a special generation of Ukrainian officers, you are the basis for further development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Together with your combat brothers-in-arms, you are creating our modern history with new victories and new heroes. On behalf of the Ukrainian state, I thank you for your service to Ukraine!" Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The attendees observed a minute of silence in memory of all those who gave their lives defending Ukraine.

According to the Head of State, the current generation, including the graduates of the National Defense University of Ukraine, faces a dangerous but, without exaggeration, sacred mission - to liberate our native Ukrainian land from Russian invaders, to liberate every city and village, to make extremely difficult, extremely dangerous and extremely crucial steps in life.

"In fact, these are three global steps, and I want to wish you that all of them will be successful for you and for our Ukraine. The first step is a step forward. A step on the offensive. A step to destroy the enemy. A step to liberate Ukraine. A step towards freedom. A step towards victory. I wish you that this step will be decisive and successful for all of you. The second step is a step home. The step of the winners to their homes. The step of the winners to their families, to their friends and loved ones. I wish this step of yours to meet the most important principle: return with victory, return alive. And the third step. Our common step. A step towards the future. A step towards rebuilding and restoring our entire Ukrainian land. A step for our children and grandchildren, for future generations. A step towards the victory and prosperity of Ukraine," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President assured the warriors of his full support in the noble cause of defending Ukraine.

"Always and everywhere be brave and take care of your soldiers. Always and everywhere, take care of the honor of your units, believe in yourself, believe in Ukraine and know that Ukraine believes in you," the Head of State urged.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also praised the staff of the National Defense University of Ukraine, which trains top-level warriors and develops human capital in all components of the state's defense and security sector in accordance with best practices and standards compatible with the educational programs of partner countries.

Currently, the National Defense University trains specialists in six fields of knowledge in ten specialties and 52 educational programs in seven institutes and 12 educational and research centers.

"More than a thousand students and officers of the university's permanent staff have performed and continue to perform combat missions, protecting the state from the enemy. 64 officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and 4 officers of the National Guard who studied here have the honorary title of Hero of Ukraine. I am grateful to everyone who is preparing a new generation of Ukrainian military commanders," the Head of State noted.

After the speech, the President presented diplomas with distinction and badges for excellent graduation from a higher military educational institution to 15 officers - graduates of strategic and operational levels of training (5 people received badges, 10 - diplomas with distinction).

The graduation ceremony of the National Defense University of Ukraine was also attended by Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhny, and Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov.

The Head of State also observed the exhibition project "Steel Canvases" at the National Defense University of Ukraine.

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Putin Deploys Nuclear Weapons to Belarus

By VOA News June 16, 2023

Latest developments:

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, is expected to visit Moscow next week, the Interfax news agency reported, citing the head of Russian nuclear state company Rosatom. Grossi visited the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on Thursday, after last week's collapse of the Kakhovka dam, whose reservoir feeds the nuclear facility's cooling ponds.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said Friday that it had summoned the Australian ambassador after Canberra canceled the lease of land where a new Russian Embassy complex was being built. "The Russian side intends to use all necessary mechanisms to protect its interests, including possible retaliatory measures," the ministry said.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Moscow's deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus has already happened, reminding the West that it could not inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.

"The first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus. But only the first ones, the first part. But we will do this job completely by the end of the summer or by the end of the year," he said.

Speaking Friday at Russia's economic forum in St. Petersburg, Putin stressed he saw no need for Russia to resort to nuclear weapons, for now. His move delivering shorter-range nuclear weapons to Belarus, which could be used on the battlefield, was intended as a warning to the West about arming and supporting Ukraine, the Russian leader said.

The White House denounced Putin's comments and said the United States had made no adjustments to its nuclear position in response to the rhetoric.

Putin warned Friday that there was a "serious danger" that the NATO military alliance could be pulled further into the military action against Ukraine. He made those comments during a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he touted Russia's economy despite heavy international sanctions imposed because of the war in Ukraine. Western journalists were banned from the event.



Putin also alleged that Ukraine was running out of its own military equipment, making it totally dependent on military hardware supplied by the West. "Everything on which they fight and everything that they use is brought in from the outside. Well, you can't fight like that for long," he said.

Additionally, he asserted that Ukraine had failed to make progress in its counteroffensive, adding its army had "no chance" against Russia's.



Independent military analysts say Ukraine has outperformed Russia's much larger army in the nearly 16 months of the war, forcing it to retreat around the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Kherson.

US humanitarian assistance

The U.S. announced Friday additional humanitarian assistance of $205 million for Ukraine that will provide critical support such as food, safe water, accessible shelter and more.

"The U.S. response is advancing Ukraine's overall security, economic recovery, energy security and capacity to cope with the humanitarian crisis created by Russia's war. We welcome the contributions of other donors toward this crisis response and urge yet more donors to generously support the serious humanitarian needs in Ukraine and the region," said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The U.S. aid package brings the total humanitarian assistance for Ukraine to more than $605 million during fiscal 2023. Since February 2022, the United States has provided more than $2.1 billion in humanitarian assistance for the people of Ukraine.

The European Commission will propose additional funding to support Ukraine in the coming years. This year, the EU is providing $19.8 billion but aims at a longer-term solution to provide Kyiv with financing certainty as it repels Russia's invasion.



"The EU is ready to provide Ukraine with sustainable and predictable financial support beyond 2023 to maintain both macro financial stability and support reconstruction," European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said Friday.

African delegation

Air defense sirens blared Friday in Kyiv as a delegation of African heads of state met with government leaders in hopes of brokering a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko posted on social media that there was an explosion in the central Podil district. "Missiles are still flying towards Kyiv," he said on Telegram.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is part of the African delegation set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the first step in its mission to broker a peace deal.

The other members of the delegation are Senegalese President Macky Sall, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and Comoros President Azali Assoumani, who currently leads the African Union.

African presidents from Congo, Egypt and Uganda also were set to participate in the peace mission but instead sent their representatives.

The group was expected to meet with Zelenskyy on Friday and then travel to Russia to meet with Putin.

Reuters reported that it had seen a draft of the peace proposals and negotiation points the African peace mission crafted, which include a Russian troop pullback and suspension of the implementation of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Putin.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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NEW YORK, June 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (JinkoSolar or the Company) (NYSE: JKS). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.



The investigation concerns whether JinkoSolar and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On May 8, 2023, federal agents executed a search warrant at JinkoSolars solar panel manufacturing plant in Jacksonville, Florida. Federal authorities did not disclose the specific reason for the search warrant.

On this news, JinkoSolars stock price fell $3.91 per share, or 8.25%, to close at $43.47 per share on May 9, 2023.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com .
The Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) will be adding eight dual enrollment courses to its offerings for the coming school year thanks to its board approving a pair of intergovernmental agreements (IGA) with nearby community colleges at a meeting Tuesday.

Flagstaff High School (FHS) now offers 26 dual enrollment courses through Coconino Community College (CCC), while Coconino High School (CHS) offers 14. These cover a range of topics from core subjects such as English and pre-calculus to beginning Navajo I and II, jazz history, literature and automotive engines.

About 60% of FUSD graduates participate in dual enrollment courses, said Tom Safranek, the districts director of college and career development; the average across Arizona is 24%.

A recent Helios study found that students who took dual enrollment classes were 2.1 times as likely to attend college as their peers who hadnt and 1.2 times as likely to persist.

The district was updating its existing IGA with CCC at Tuesdays meeting, rearranging courses based on teacher movements and certifications throughout the district. In the end, the move means adding two courses to those CCC offers in partnership with FUSD, raising the total to 40.

The board was also approving a new IGA with Yavapai College (YC) for a film and television program, as CCC does not offer a similar program. The six new courses include some already taught by Jeremy Gemetta, a film and television production instructor at CHS, and now allow students to receive credit in the specific subject rather than the more general arts category

Gemetta already teaches some TV and film dual enrollment courses, which CCC recognizes as arts courses rather than CTE courses -- a result of the community college not offering the program. The district will now be partnering with YC to offer credit for six courses through its TV and film production program.

The classes will still be taught by Gemetta at CHS during regular school hours.

In response to a question about dual enrollments cost to FUSD students, Safranik said, none of the students pay full price. Its either reduced or no cost.

Our Native students for example: no cost to them, he said. Our CTE courses through CCC: no cost to them other than books. And were reimbursed by our local CTech for the textbooks or materials that they may need for that class, but arts and sciences students do pay for the class. Their rate with CCC is $15 per credit hour. With YC, Ive been given to understand, because theyre outside of Coconino County, the cost is a little bit higher, but its still about 50% of their normal tuition rate, and it's the same rate that is at play with other schools down in the Valley.

The board voted unanimously to approve both agreements.

"I am so glad we can offer this and I agree," said board member Christine Fredericks. "The more we can offer, the better to give our kids a step up, whether its college bound or its career or wherever they plan on going -- whatever we can plan to do to help."

A recording of the meeting is available at vimeo.com/835483190. Discussion of the dual enrollment agreements begins at around 3 hours and 50 minutes.
when Detective Jerry Thompson arrives at work, he checks the jail roster to see who was arrested last night and wholl be appearing before a judge later in the morning for a bond hearing. Assaults, DUIs, misdemeanors, felony drugs -- Thompson passes over these. Hes looking for just one type of arrest: domestic violence.Thompson is one of two detectives who works domestic violence cases in High Point, N.C., a city of more than 107,000 people in Guilford County. For years, it has had the highest rate of domestic violence in the state. Roughly a fifth of the police departments calls for service -- some 5,000 a year -- involve domestic disturbances. The most dangerous involve intimate partner violence -- a boyfriend beating up his girlfriend, a husband assaulting his wife or, occasionally, the other way around. These kinds of assaults are associated with a variety of unfortunate outcomes. Abused women have a higher risk for substance abuse, are more likely to commit suicide and have a greater chance of being murdered. In High Point in 2008, a third of the citys murders involved people killing their intimate partners.Guilford Countys cities and towns arent alone in having a problem with domestic violence. The crime is one of the most pervasive public safety issues nationwide. According to a 2010 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 percent of women and 5 percent of men reported being stalked, raped or assaulted in the previous 12 months, primarily by past or present partners. Studies suggest that one out of seven female murder victims is killed by a current or former intimate partner.Communities across the country have responded in a number of ways. They have expanded and strengthened social services. Many police departments now engage in mandatory arrest, which is taking offenders into custody whenever there are indications that a domestic assault has occurred. Risk assessment tools have been improved. Judges routinely remand offenders to mandatory counseling.Like other progressive police departments, the High Point Police Department embraced many of these initiatives. In practice, though, its efforts and those of the broader criminal justice system were lackluster. Investigations were perfunctory. Faced with victims who were hard to find or who did not want to press charges, detectives gave up on investigations into minor incidents. Typically, there was no follow-up with victims. The police department didnt work with advocacy groups. Implementation, says High Point Police Chief Marty Sumner, was poor.In 2011, the department decided to reinvigorate its approach. Through an array of positive incentives, community engagement and warnings of jail time, it sought to deter first-time abusers from assaulting their partners again and to dissuade chronic offenders from continuing or escalating their pattern of assaults.At the core of High Points approach is an intervention known as focused deterrence, a crime reduction strategy developed in Boston in the early 1990s as a way to stop gun violence among gangs. Under the strategy, officers would target a specific criminal behavior committed by a small number of chronic offenders, such as gang members; offer them various forms of assistance, such as help earning their GED; and threaten them with sanctions and punishment if the behavior did not stop. In the late 1990s, High Point became one of the first jurisdictions to replicate Bostons approach. As a result, the citys violent crime rate fell by nearly half in a years time. In 2002, High Point tried focused deterrence on open-air drug markets with notable successes. Then the city decided to use the approach to try to curtail domestic violence.High Point had been experiencing three to five intimate partner homicides a year. Since the intervention began five years ago, it has had only two (one involved someone new to the city and the other a couple passing through town). Its re-arrest rates for domestic violence have fallen to the low- to mid-teens, far below the 20 to 34 percent experienced by other police departments.Susan Herman, the New York Police Departments deputy commissioner for collaborative policing and the former director of the National Center for Victims of Violent Crime, describes the High Point model as the most promising idea to reduce domestic violence she has seen in more than a decade. This new strategy, backed by research and carefully implemented in partnership with victim advocates, is showing impressive results, she says.As word of High Points success has spread, other police departments, from Detroit to New York to Tampa, have visited the city. Last summer, the U.S. Justice Departments Office on Violence Against Women announced plans to replicate High Points model in three or four additional cities across the country.Yet even supporters of the High Point approach to domestic violence concede that its implementation is not a simple or straightforward matter. It takes a certain skill set and experience to launch and run a focused deterrence program. Moreover, injecting the power of the state into volatile domestic relationships comes with risks. One danger stands out above all others: the possibility that offenders will react to a deterrence message not by curtailing their abuse but by escalating it.Protecting victims should always be the first priority, Herman says. But fear of unintended consequences should not bind communities to a deadly status quo. Our field was stuck, she says. There had been no new ideas in years. We were all operating out of fear -- fear that anything we did could make matters worse.To minimize the risk of unintended consequences, High Point proceeded with great care. It took two years to think through the possible outcomes and put safeguards in place. Sumner and his team were convinced that the approach would be valuable, yet they were aware that they were piloting a program that could potentially make it worse for the victims. In putting the plan into practice, the city brought more than 15 years of experience with focused deterrence to the task. Which raises a key question: Are police departments that have never done focused deterrence prepared to try it when the risks are so high?by David Kennedy, one of the countrys most celebrated criminologists. In the mid-1990s he had helped law enforcement officials in Boston design a strikingly effective approach to youth gun violence. Police, probation officers and prosecutors would identify the most dangerous offenders. Then, working together with gang intervention workers, local clergy and people from other service agencies, they delivered a message to those offenders: We care about you. Were going to help you. However, if you resort to gun violence, we will come down on you, hard.Some police officers believed that chronic criminals were irrational and unreachable -- that a program like this could not possibly work. Kennedy thought they were rational and that their long criminal records were precisely what made them vulnerable. Many were on probation or awaiting upcoming trials. If offenders ignored the message, authorities could move trials up and ask for stiffer sanctions, step up probation enforcement, or let federal authorities take the lead. Pulling levers, Kennedy called it. He referred to the overall approach as focused deterrence.The strategy worked. Youth homicides in Boston stopped completely for 17 months and the overall homicide rate fell by nearly one-half. Operation Ceasefire, as the Boston intervention was called, became one of the most acclaimed violence reduction initiatives in the country.Unfortunately, success proved to be a more formidable adversary than youth homicide. A scramble for credit broke out. Kennedy, who served as a coordinator for Operation Ceasefire, guiding and codifying its work, became a focus of resentment by some members of the group. Eventually, the intervention broke down. It was a pattern that repeated itself in other cities. As a result, focused deterrence in 2002 was a strategy that was at once acclaimed and also seen as difficult to sustain.In 2002, the Hewlett Foundation looked to the technique as a possible answer to other types of crime. It asked Kennedy to see if focused deterrence could be used to deter domestic violence. Picking specific gang members and discouraging them from using guns was one thing. Because they were so criminally active, they were exposed. Law enforcement had many levers it could pull. Deterring abusive men and women from hurting their partners, though, seemed like quite another thing.One of the pieces of conventional wisdom about domestic violence is that its different than other kinds of violence, Kennedy says. It happens everywhere and is unpredictable.Focus seemed impossible. That was why advocates concentrated on expanding services for victims and working to change societal attitudes.Kennedy keyed in on a particular subset of domestic violence: intimate partner homicides. He was intrigued by what he learned. One study of abusers in Massachusetts found that three-quarters of the 18,000 men who had restraining orders issued against them had a prior criminal history. Nearly half had been arraigned for a violent crime and a quarter had drug offenses or drunk driving citations. People who actually killed their partners had long criminal records. In most cases, Kennedy realized, they had worked their way up to homicide. What if, he wondered, instead of showing offenders they could get away with abusing their partners, the criminal justice system taught them the opposite?Kennedy was excited about using focused deterrence against intimate partner violence. But when he presented the idea at a special forum on domestic violence convened by the Hewlett Foundation at the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C., he got a frosty response from seasoned domestic violence advocates. Eventually, Kennedy turned his attention elsewhere.High Point experienced two horrifying episodes of domestic violence just two weeks apart. In each case, a man known to have abused his partner in the past killed her and then killed himself. It was very rare for us to have a murder/suicide, and wed had two in two weeks, recalls Sumner, who at the time was deputy chief and led the major crimes unit.Every year Sumner reviewed crime trends in order to set priorities for the upcoming fiscal year. This time around, he took a close look at domestic violence and was startled to find that a third of the citys homicides involved intimate partners. If were not working on that, Sumner told then-Chief Jim Fealy, I dont know what we should be doing.Fealy agreed. So Sumner reached out to Kennedy, who sent him a copy of his 2002 paper. Sumner then put together a more complete picture of intimate partner homicide in High Point, pulling files on the 17 intimate partner homicides that had occurred in High Point over the course of the preceding five years. What Sumner discovered mirrored Kennedys 2002 findings. Literally, all of the guys fit this chronic offender pattern -- every single one of them, says Sumner.Worse, police, personnel from other agencies and advocates had known every victim was in trouble. In every instance, the victim looked for protection and had not gotten it.Faced with this evidence, Chief Fealy gave the go-ahead to try focused deterrence against domestic violence. In September 2009, the High Point Police Department set up a meeting to hash out the idea, inviting representatives from 25 agencies, including the district attorneys office, the U.S. attorneys office, and every local and state victim advocate group they could find. It began as interagency meetings often do -- with agencies on the defensive. Everyone acknowledged the severity of the problem, but no one was willing to own it. Instead, agencies talked about how they couldnt do their jobs well because some other agency was not doing its job well. The discussion continued in this way until Kennedy, who was sitting in the back of the room, raised his hand and posed a question. Are these offenders resisting our best efforts? he asked.Everybody looked around at each other, recalls Sumner. The consensus was no. Police investigations were lacking, as were connections with advocates and service providers. Probation had a supervision program for high-risk domestic violence offenders, but if the offender never appeared to meet with his probation officer, the agency changed the offenders designation to inactive and ended supervision requirements -- without even telling the judge. The group realized the situation needed to be changed and resolved to try an offender-focused domestic violence program.The first step was to understand the problem. The department applied for and won a grant to document exactly how prevalent domestic violence was. With that $25,000 in hand, the police department hired researchers from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro (UNCG) to review 10 years of data. Their findings reinforced Kennedy and Sumners prior research. In the first decade of the aughts, 1,030 people had been charged with a domestic violence-related offense. These were not one-off offenders. On average, each had 10 charges on his record. In other words, these were people deeply involved in the criminal justice system. There were levers to pull.While the researchers continued their study, a working group began to develop a strategy. The group agreed that a first-time offender should be treated differently from a dangerous, chronic offender. Ultimately, the department decided to set up a four-tier system. When patrol officers responded to a call about a domestic disturbance and determined that one party was an aggressor, he or she would become a D-class offender. The next day a different patrol officer would deliver a customized letter, signed by the chief, notifying them that theyd been added to a watch list. A similar intervention had been carried out in Yorkshire, England, in the 1990s, and had significantly reduced recidivism. High Point hoped to achieve a similar outcome with a follow-up visit.Offenders who were arrested would receive a stiffer dose of deterrence, starting with a visit in jail from Detective Thompson or his counterpart. There, the detectives would deliver a letter from the police chief, informing them that they were now listed as C-class offenders and that if they offended again there would be a variety of unpleasant consequences -- higher bails, tighter supervision on probation, more vigorous prosecution. The names of C-class offenders were added to the police alert system so that officers would know they were dealing with a C-class offender if they stopped that person and ran their name through the system. A police liaison to the court would flag C-class offenders for prosecutors and judges so that cases against them could be moved up and bail set higher. Basically, we want them to see that the system treats them differently because they are on the list, says Thompson.People with a history of domestic violence arrests or C-classers who went on to commit another assault went into the B-class. They got a heavier dose of deterrence in the form of a call-in -- a meeting at City Hall with a domestic violence task force, a group that included police, prosecutors, social services and nonprofit representatives, and community representatives. They would be offered assistance, such as rehabilitation services or job training, but they would be given another message as well: Re-offense would have serious consequences. Prosecutors and police would make convicting them and securing a long jail or prison sentence a priority. People who ignored the call-in warning or who had cases pending and a history of the most dangerous types of violence went into the A-class. These were the offenders prosecutors were trying to put away.What High Point was creating was unprecedented. This was not just a new risk assessment system. It was an attempt to put in place a comprehensive plan for deterring intimate partner domestic violence -- for teaching abusers that they could not get away with repeated violent acts against their partners.High Points efforts also came with risks. Two scenarios in particular gave the working group nightmares. The first was that an offender might receive a warning, perhaps from a detective visiting him in jail or during a call-in, and then turn around and kill his victim. The second nightmare scenario, says Kennedy, was that he would have her chained in the basement unable to talk to her friends or get to a telephone. That would look to us like success because she wasnt calling anymore.came in February 2012, when the task force did its first call-in with B-level offenders. The group had identified 12 candidates, four of whom were men living with the partner they had abused. To avoid the nightmare scenarios, the task force created safety plans for these and other at-risk women living with abusive partners. The women were asked to identify someone that advocates could call -- a colleague at work, a neighbor, a family member -- who would know if the victims were all right even if the service providers couldnt reach them directly. No one knew if these measures would be enough.Sumner, who had by that time been promoted to chief, shared Kennedys concerns. Like everyone involved in the plan, he recognized that an intervention of this sort could potentially make it worse for our victims. That was one of the reasons the department and its partners spent two years mapping out exactly how the intervention would work. At the same time, Sumner believed that if High Point did nothing, surely we would have three to five domesticrelated homicides this year.The call-in was held at City Hall on the evening of Feb. 21, 2012. A dozen men were ushered into the meeting room where the city council usually convenes. There, the working group explained the program to them. A community activist and a minister described how they wanted to help. Community speakers -- including an entire chapter of a motorcycle club in full regalia -- spoke of their abhorrence for domestic violence. Then police laid out what would happen if the domestic assaults continued -- vigorous enforcement, sky-high bails, federal cases, prosecution rather than plea bargains.Kennedy, who has attended hundreds of call-ins around the country, was struck by the offenders demeanor. The men were surly, angry to have been called out. One was openly scornful. No one displayed the charm that even some drug dealers have. No one asked about services. Interacting with these offenders felt nastier than dealing with violent gang members.The next day, victims services contacted the women who were still living with their abusers. They were asked how their partners received the message, what they said when they got home. The response from all the victims was similar, Sumner reports. It was, Oh, he got the message. He didnt like it, but he heard you, and the most important thing you told him was that this was not being driven by me at all. It was completely you and him, the task force and him and his behavior. Yall are holding him accountable, and I had nothing to do with it.This was exactly the response the task force had hoped for. Still, everyone worried about retaliation by the offenders. It never came. Instead, recidivism for domestic abuse declined dramatically. Twelve months into the program, only 9 percent of listed offenders in High Point had attacked again, compared with 20 to 34 percent of abusers nationwide. Indeed, recidivism rates are so low that High Point hasnt had to schedule a call-in for B-class offenders since September 2014.Given High Points results, its not surprising that its intervention has begun to attract interest from other governments. But a focused deterrence intervention targeting domestic abuse requires intense, ongoing dedication. Spending a morning with Thompson at the Guilford County jail illustrates why.After reviewing the arrests of the previous night, Thompson meets with High Points newest C-class offender. Hes a young male, age 23, wearing an orange jail jumpsuit and flip-flops. He looks sleepy. Thompson introduces himself and strikes a sympathetic note. I read the report about what happened, Thompson begins. I wasnt there. You know the truth. I dont know the truth. I do know you were drinking some.The man looks noncommittal.Look, it has to stop, Thompson continues. You are a convicted felon already. Domestic violence stuff in High Point, years ago it was different. Now things are different. They got your name flagged. If you get charged again, its going to be different than youve ever seen before. Theres a guy in here now on a $100,000 bond still waiting for a court date.You got to think about your kids, he continues, changing track. You have an eight-month-old? You want your child to be visiting you in prison?The man mumbles that his girlfriend is crazy. He volunteers that he may ask a judge to take out a restraining order on her.You have got to figure out some way to deal with it where you dont get locked up, says Thompson. You got to think different. You are a grown man now.Thompson leaves, pleased with the encounter. He feels like he got through. Whoever the detective is, he has to figure out who the person he is taking with is, he says of the meeting. You have to be serious about it, but also try to get on their level to a certain extent. How you have the conversation, he believes, is critically important.An hour later, Thompson is at the biweekly task force meeting, which includes representatives from at least eight agencies and nonprofit groups. Today, theyre talking about a chronic abuser who has ignored earlier deterrence messages and whose partner has steadfastly refused to testify against him. This time, the man assaulted her at a gas station -- one that had video cameras. The victim is refusing to testify, says Assistant District Attorney Walter Jones, but with the video, his office believes it can make the case. Its an example of what a determined interagency group can do. It also illustrates that such collaboration is resource-intensive. Doing focused deterrence for domestic violence is, Sumner acknowledges, a heavy lift, even for a department with 18 years experience doing such intervention.That points to another major question about focused deterrence. High Point had used the strategy against gun violence, open-air drug markets and shoplifting before attempting to deter domestic violence. That history of success helped greatly with buy-in; the experiences gained made interagency collaboration easier. It is less clear that other police departments will be able to address domestic violence with focused deterrence if this is the first time theyve tried it. The operational piece of this is very complex and requires quite a bit of commitment and attention to detail, says UNCGs John Weil, one of the program evaluators. You cant drop any particular piece and have this be effective.Indeed, Weil and his co-evaluator Stacy Sechrist, who have fostered other focused deterrence interventions across the state, say the departments that have used the intervention with the greatest success think of it as more of a mindset or approach than a program. People bring a program mentality to this, but they are not programs, says Weil. There is no beginning and no end.Despite these challenges, Sumner believes the model can be replicated. An effort in the nearby town of Lexington, N.C., has already yielded similar results.Its not just his three years overseeing the program that makes Sumner believe a focused deterrence approach to domestic violence can and should be tried elsewhere. Its personal. I witnessed [domestic violence] firsthand. My mom was a DV victim for probably 10 years, he says. It was one of those situations where my dads peers werent putting any pressure on him, the courts wouldnt put any pressure on him, there was nobody outside the home putting any pressure on him to control himself. I think he would have responded to this.
A man was attacked and killed by an adult male black bear Friday morning near the home he was building in the Groom Creek area south of Prescott, according to a press release.

Steven Jackson, 66, was sitting in a chair on his property when the bear attacked, apparently unprovoked. Neighbors reportedly tried to scare the bear away and stop the attack but were unsuccessful.

The bear was eventually shot and killed by another neighbor at the spot where the bear was attacking and in the process of consuming the man. Officers from the Yavapai County Sheriffs Office and the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) who responded to 911 calls found the man dead when they arrived.

AZGFD officers said the bear was a large adult male black bear. Black bears are the only bear species found in Arizona. The carcass will be examined and tested for disease by the departments veterinarian and wildlife health specialist, Anne Justice-Allen.

Our hearts go out to Mr. Jacksons family over todays tragic incident, said Todd Geiler of Prescott, a member of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. This was an especially aggressive, unprovoked attack that reminds us that wildlife can be unpredictable. On behalf of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, and the entire staff of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, we offer our sincere condolences during this difficult time.

There have been 15 bear attacks on people in the state since 1990. This is the second fatal bear attack in Arizona since then, which is as far back as the departments database tracks. The first fatality occurred in 2011 in Pinetop.

The incident remains under investigation.

Bear sightings in areas with human activity should be reported to AZGFDs 24/7 dispatch center at 623-236-7201. In an emergency, call 911.
Haas set to keep same drivers in 2024

Haas looks set to lock in its experienced current driver lineup for the 2024 season.

Nico Hulkenberg, Canadian GP 2023

 Haas F1 Team / LAT

Haas looks set to lock in its experienced current driver lineup for the 2024 season.

In 2021, the American team experimented with an all-rookie lineup of Mick Schumacher alongside Nikita Mazepin - and Gunther Steiner said he regrets it.

Last year, ousted Russian Mazepin was replaced by former Haas racer Kevin Magnussen - but it was Schumacher who then struggled and was ousted amid an unseemly spat with boss Steiner.

F1 veteran Nico Hulkenberg, 35, was then recalled from retirement to race for Haas in 2023, and so far Steiner says he is "very satisfied" with the new lineup.

"Nico and Kevin spur each other on in a healthy rivalry and both do a good job," he said in Canada.

Dane Magnussen, 30, is already under contract for 2024, and it is believed that Hulkenberg can easily be retained by Haas due to a contract option.

"We want to confirm our drivers as soon as possible and not wait as long as last year," he said.

"We had to tell you (reporters) the same thing every race, and that got a little boring over time. That won't happen this time.

"I am happy with Nico's performances, and his experience helps. He always speaks honestly about a problem and I like this approach," Steiner explained.

"No one is trying to hide anything, and everyone is working together to find a solution."

Magnussen agrees that, despite their differences in the past, Haas' current lineup is working smoothly.

"There is a really nice calm in the team," he told Viaplay. "A good belief that the direction we are pointing the team in is the right one.

"I can feel that all the engineers and designers are more secure than they have been before. It's because Nico and I have a lot of experience.

"He has done 10-11 seasons and has a very good knowledge of the technical aspects of the car. A really good knowledge of what is noise and what is not. The calm and trust is really nice," Magnussen added.

And in spite of the 'suck my b*lls' incident of 2017, Magnussen says there is no problem today.

"There is a really nice respect between Nico and I and a mature approach to things," he said. "Not so much ego that gets in the way."

(GMM)
Ama Ata Aidoo to be laid to rest mid-July

Graphic Showbiz Showbiz News Jun - 16 - 2023 , 23:05

The final funeral rites of prominent author and playwright, Ama Ata Aidoo will be held in mid-July from Thursday, July 13 to Sunday, July 16.

This was announced by the family on Wednesday, June 14, when they called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House to inform him about the final burial arrangements.

I am happy that the arrangements you have made for her funeral will allow me to attend the laying-in-state.

Even before you came here, I had made the decision that she should be given a state-assisted burial. She deserves it, and it will give myself and the people of Ghana the opportunity to pay our last respects, President Akufo-Addo said.

The renowned author, poet, playwright and academic died on Wednesday, May 31 aged 81 after a short illness.

Prof Ama Ata Aidoo received international recognition as one of the most prominent African writers of the 20th and 21st centuries.

She was born on March 23, 1942 at Abeadzi Kyiakor near Saltpond in the Central Region of Ghana.

The late Prof Ama Ata Aidoo attended the Wesley Girls' High School and University of Ghana.

The writer, whose work, written in English, emphasised the paradoxical position of the modern African woman.

Her literary works brought African perspectives to the forefront, challenging existing narratives and reshaping the literary landscape.

Ama Ata Aidoo won early recognition with a problem play, The Dilemma of a Ghost (1965), in which a Ghanaian student returning home brings his African American wife into the traditional culture and the extended family that he now finds restrictive.

Their dilemma reflects Aidoos characteristic concern with the been-to (African educated abroad), voiced again in her semi-autobiographical experimental first novel, Our Sister Killjoy; or, Reflections from a Black-Eyed Squint (1966).

Prof Ama Ata Aidoo herself won a fellowship to Stanford University in California, returned to teach at Cape Coast, Ghana (197082), and subsequently accepted various visiting professorships in the United States and Kenya.

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Akosua Adjepong threatens CEO of GHAMRO for tarnishing her image
Chris Hemsworth praises Ikorodu Bois for Extraction 2 trailer remake

Graphic Showbiz Showbiz News Jun - 16 - 2023 , 17:05

Once again, Nigerias Ikorodu Bois, known for their comic recreation of popular videos, have earned international attention and praise from one of Hollywoods favourite actors, Chris Hemsworth.

Ikorodu Bois is an online comedy group that recreates and mimics multi-million dollar music videos, Hollywood movie trailers and epic pictures.

The boys, following the release of the trailer for Hemsworths new movie Extraction 2, released their own version of the much-anticipated movie.

With make-shift vehicles, poly tanks serving as helicopters, and wooden guns, the Ikorodu Bois once again dazzled their fans with their ability to capture the essence of trailers and attention to detail.

Chris Hemsworth retweeted the post applauding Ikorodu Bois for their great work.

This is incredible. Looks like the @IkoroduB are trying to take our jobs from #Extraction2. Great work!! the Australian actor wrote.

This is not the first time the young boys have earned admiration for their work.

They earned lots of praise for their Money Heist trailer remake, their version of Wizkids Essence and paid tribute to Chadwick Boseman with one of their videos after his demise.

In 2020, they received some awesome production gifts from Netflix after the release of their version of the trailer for Extraction, which the streaming platform loved.

Extraction 2 is a 2023 American action thriller film directed by Sam Hargrave and written by Joe Russo, based on the graphic novel Ciudad by Ande Parks, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Fernando Leon Gonzalez, and Eric Skillman.

It is a sequel to the 2020 film Extraction, and Chris Hemsworth, Golshifteh Farahani and Adam Bessa reprise their roles, with Olga Kurylenko, Daniel Bernhardt, Tinatin Dalakishvili and Idris Elba joining the cast.

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We are innocent -Charterhouse on Amakye Dede crowning Kuami Eugene Highlife King
Of Grammys, Highlife music and matters arising

Gifty Owusu-Amoah Showbiz News Jun - 17 - 2023 , 06:34

Tuesday, June 13, could probably pass for a holiday for advocates and promoters of Highlife music following the announcement of the genre as part of relevant African music styles for the Best African Music Performance category at this year's Grammy Awards.

The Best African Music Performance category is one of the three new slots included in the 2024 edition of the well-respected awards scheme. The other two are Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording.

Best African Music Performance category as a track and singles category that recognises recordings that utilise unique local expressions from across the African continent.

Highlighting regional melodic, harmonic and rhythmic musical traditions, the category includes but is not limited to the Afrobeat, Afro-fusion, Afro Pop, Alte, Amapiano, Bongo Flava, Genge, Kizomba, Chimurenga, High Life, Fuji, Kwassa, Ndombolo, Mapouka, Ghanaian Drill, Afro-House, South African Hip-Hop, and Ethio Jazz genres, the category definition states.

While developing conversations about the Grammys in Ghana seem to have been limited to Highlife, Ghana should be very proud having another genre affiliated to the country, Ghanaian Drill, as part of the list.

Perhaps, the global recognition and importance of the Grammys, regarded by many as the most prestigious and significant awards in the music industry worldwide, influenced popular comments by industry folks for the recognition of Highlife music by the Grammys for a long time.

For such proponents, the acknowledgement of Highlife which is touted by its promoters as the only music genre that gives identity to Ghanaian music and cultural heritage by Grammys gives credence to what they have been championing over the years.

The latest news has once again revived intense conversations about the potentials of Highlife getting Ghana the much needed international reputation just as the likes of Reggae and HipHop have done for Jamaica and America respectively.

Advocacy

Veteran Highlife musician, Gyedu Blay Ambolley, has been quite forceful pressing on with Highlife advocacy.

On various platforms, the respected musician has been relentless condemning Charterhouse in what he believes are efforts by some gatekeepers to undermine the value of Highlife.

Many times, he has lamented about how the new crop of artistes have thought to label Highlife as colo (outmoded) and venturing into music styles that he believes were alien to the Ghanaian music space.

In a recent interview with Graphic Showbiz, he heavily criticised Charterhouse, organisers of Ghanas biggest music award scheme, Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs) for continuously awarding artistes who were doing other music styles to the detriment of Highlife.

He said the biggest award scheme in Ghana has been a contributory factor to the limping state of Highlife music by giving a false impression of music representation in Ghana by awarding topmost awards to artistes pursuing other music genres.

For Ambolley and his ilk, Highlife is the only magic wand to get Ghana global attention on the music front including getting Ghana its first Grammy win and it appears that dream may not be far from reach with Grammys latest credit.

Music identity

But even before the Grammy announcement, there had been a simmering debate for Ghana to brand itself with an identifiable music genre. Once again, the old age argument of Highlife being the preferred choice had been championed by the music styles artistes including Dada Hafco and Abiana.

Some relevant industry folks such as sound engineer/music producer, Appiah Dankwah widely known as Appietus also shares same view.

In a recent interview with Showbiz University podcast with King Kweku Mensah, Appietus pointed out that one of Ghanas main struggles lies with it consistently experimenting with new genres instead of sticking to one.

According to Abiana, no other genre apart from Highlife music has pushed Ghanas international image like Highlife.

If you look at the past, Highlife has done a lot for Ghana, looking at Osibisa and recently, Rocky Dawunis The Voice of Bunbon, which was nominated in the Global Music category at the Grammy Awards. This shows that anytime Ghana gains global mention for music, Highlife is there but we are not branding it.

We need to go back to it and then as artistes, intentionally call ourselves Highlife musicians so that the brand will be globally recognised, she told Daily Graphic in an interview on Tuesday, June 13.

For Professor Yaw Owusu Frempong of Highlife Institute, Grammys recognition of Highlife will embolden steps by the institute and other relevant stakeholders for the inclusion of the genre as UNESCOs intangible cultural heritage.

Intangible cultural heritage according to Owusu-Ansahs article published in the Daily Graphic on Saturday, May 21, 2022 titled, UNESCOs Intangible Cultural Heritage: Making A Case for Highlifes Inclusion are the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills  as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith - that communities, groups, in some cases, individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage.

Threats

While Ghanaians are on cloud nine and happy that Highlife is making a mark, it is worth mentioning that though Ghana is largely recognised as originator of Highlife, there are African counties including our own cousins Nigerians who are also into Highlife.

Already, the likes of artiste manager, Nana Asiamah Hanson popularly known as Bullgod has drawn attention to the fact that Nigerians are likely to take advantage of this and even beat Ghana to it.

The Highlife Category that has been introduced by the Grammys will be won more by Nigerians than Ghanaians  if he posted on Facebook on Wednesday, June 14.

Obviously, this is not a time for industry players to continue to chart different courses. It is very important to stay united for the Highlife agenda now more than any time.

Who knows? Ghana could earn its first Grammy award this year or the nearest future. We have the men and women.

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Fathers, stand up, be counted

Dr John Boakye Life Jun - 17 - 2023 , 09:09

The role of a father is critical to the health of all because a father is the foundation of humanity. As the ordained leader of a family, a father determines the success or failure of the family and society because a family is the basic unit or cell of society.

The origin of Fathers Day

The origin of Fathers Day is traced to Semora Deod, whose mother died while giving birth to her. Her father, an ex-military man, singlehandedly took care of her and five other siblings.

In 1910, grown and married Semaora realised the heroic role her father played in caring for her. She organised a holiday in honour of her father. Today Fathers Day is celebrated by all because it takes a mother and a child to be a father.

It is important we celebrate fathers because anything celebrated grows in health. On the other hand, anything not celebrated exits our lives. An important way to make fathers stand up to their responsibilities is to celebrate them so that they feel honoured appreciated, loved and cherished.

Celebrating Fathers Day

Make time for your father: Go down the memory lane. Talk about the good and the bad, happy and sad moments, and the bad things you did and said. Thank your father for what he has done for you.

Send a gift: Send something you know will be useful to him. Good gifts are those which stay in our memories because of their special importance to us. If your father is not around you may send something to anyone who plays a fatherly role or to charity.

Pray for your father: Pray for him and forgive him for whatever wrongs he has done against you. He is human and sometimes fathers can be sincerely wrong.

Honour your father: This is Gods first command with a promise; that all will go well with you and you will enjoy long life. This command is irrespective of how your father treated you. If your father wasnt there for you see it as Gods way to make you stronger and wiser. Think of what you can do for yourself. If nothing at all thank your father for the gift of life.

Fathers stand up and be counted

Mothers Day is a very celebrated event third only to Christmas and Valentine but we hardly hear of Fathers day. This is because while we all remember the great sacrifices made by our mothers many of us remember little about what our fathers have done for us.

Fact is most fathers shirk their responsibilities and narrow fatherhood to paying chop money.

They spend all their time on business or politics and are total strangers to their children. Last year, this writer, as guest speaker at a graduating ceremony, observed a girl weeping uncontrollably.

She was the best student in class and received many prizes. Her mother was out of the country and the father had gone to the port for some deliveries! Fact is if a father neglects his children to chase money and the children get wayward, no amount of money can get them back on track.

Many years ago, an African head of state went to his office and found a young girl. He was angry and asked his staff who the girl was. They told him she was his daughter and was celebrating her birthday! Many fathers hardly know their children.

Fathers must know that God has given you the gift of leadership but it comes with responsibility. You must, therefore, stand up and be up to your task.

Make time for your children and share activities with them. Take them as your friends. Love them unconditionally and show positive encouragement.

Provide physical, mental and spiritual security for their holistic development. Show good examples because children learn more from what you do than what you say.

Make today a time for reflection and see what you can do differently and better for your children. If nothing at all resolve to make your children better than you. If you make your children better, the whole world gets better because they influence society positively.

Fathers, stand up and be counted as the cornerstone of your family and ultimately humanity. Happy Fathers Day!
APPEB Cylinder Manufacturing Company launches high pressure and heat resistant LPG Cylinders

Kweku Zurek Jun - 16 - 2023 , 22:02

APPEB Cylinder Manufacturing Company Limited, a participant in the government's private sector-led industrialization initiative, 1District 1 Factory (1D1F), has introduced its new line of high-pressure and high-temperature resistant Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders.

In response to the escalating incidents of gas-related fires that have resulted in the loss of life and extensive property damage, APPEB Cylinder Manufacturing Company has developed these cylinders with enhanced safety features.

The company's product range manufactured locally at Chochoe, a town in the Awutu Senya West District in the Central Region includes cylinders of various sizes, from six kilograms (kg) to 52kg, distinguishable by their vibrant orange colour. All cylinders have undergone rigorous testing and certification by the Ghana Standards Authority to ensure strict compliance with safety standards.

Speaking at the launch event today in Accra, CEO of APPEB Cylinder Manufacturing Company, Philip Nii Adjei Assafuah, emphasized that the cylinders were specifically designed to align with the Cylinder Recirculation Programme.

This program involves refilling LPG cylinders at centralized plants and distributing them to consumers through specialized retail outlets known as exchange points. Consumers can conveniently exchange their empty cylinders for filled ones at these designated points.

Mr. Assafuah further highlighted the exceptional attributes of APPEB cylinders. The volumetric expansion test, which determines the maximum volume a cylinder can withstand under increasing internal pressure until failure, exceeds both local and international standards. Additionally, the burst test, measuring the strength of the cylinder, surpasses the minimum requirements set by the Ghana Standards Authority, ensuring enhanced safety, reliability, and durability.

To ensure longevity and corrosion resistance, APPEB employs a shot-blasting process and electrostatic field technology to coat the cylinders with powder-based paint. The coating thickness surpasses the minimum requirements specified by the Ghana Standards Authority, providing added durability and protection against corrosion.

Traceability and identification are facilitated by assigning a unique serial number to each cylinder, in compliance with industry standards. This meticulous record-keeping allows for effective traceability and efficient recall processes if necessary.

The launch event was attended by several distinguished guests, including Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Michael Okyere Baafi, who endorsed the product and commended APPEB Cylinder Manufacturing Company for its commitment to quality and safety.

DO1 Michael Ato Korsah, the Deputy Director in Charge of Safety Education at the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), advised users not to fill gas cylinders to their maximum capacity to prevent bloating and potential explosions. He confirmed that all APPEB cylinders exceed the Ghana Standards Authority's minimum standards for quality.

Representing the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Ms. Ntiriwaa Kwakye commended APPEB for adhering to the highest production standards for cylinders. She revealed that APPEB had been selected by the NPA as one of the local cylinder manufacturing companies to produce cylinders and provide refurbishment services in preparation for the implementation of the Cylinder Recirculation Programme (CRM).

APPEB Cylinder Manufacturing Company was established in January 2019, completed its construction in 2021, and commenced commercial production in December of the same year.
Bono, Ahafo grappling with neglected tropical diseases - 3 NGOs launch project to assist fight spread

Biiya Mukusah Ali Jun - 17 - 2023 , 07:15

Some Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are still endemic in some communities in the Bono and Ahafo regions, as they continue to record fresh cases, despite investment made by the government to eliminate or control the diseases.

The common NTDs which the two regions are battling with include elephantiasis, asonchocerciasis, yaws, schistosomiasis, leprosy and leishmaniasis, among others.

The diseases are common in the Sunyani West Municipality, the Tain District and some parts of the Banda District in the Bono Region, as well as the Asunafo North Municipality in the Ahafo Region.

In the Tain District, the diseases are common in farming communities such as Arkokrom, Badu-Drobo, Njau-Tanoso, Asuafu, Menji, Munamunaso Ahyiakrom, Akore, Sokolo and Awompiin.

In the Sunyani West Municipality, some of the communities are Kobedi, Limankrom, Canada, Mantukwa, Dumasua, Bofourkrom, Aprakukrom, Wabrease, Asantefosereso and Nkranketewa.

NGOs join fight

In a bid to complement the governments efforts to eliminate NTDs, three non-governmental organisations have launched a two-year project in the Bono and Ahafo.

The NGOs are Global Media Foundation (GloMeF), Indigenous Women Empowerment Network (IWEN) and Tim Africa Aid Ghana (TAAG).

The project is dubbed: "Community Integration and System Strengthening Project (CISSP) Against Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)" and sponsored by ANESVAD Foundation.

The main goal of the project is to help reduce morbidity, disability and the psychosocial impacts of skin NTDs and other skin diseases through a people-centred integrated approach.

In addition, the project will concentrate on the control, elimination and eradication of skin NTDs, with intensified and innovative disease management, considering not only the medical aspects, but a whole series of environmental, social and economic determinants with an emphasis on improving water and sanitation conditions.

Objective

The objective of the project is to improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable people by fighting and preventing most prevalent skin-NTDs such as buruli ulcer, leprosy, yaws, cutaneous leishmaniasis, onchocerciasis, and lymphatic filariasis.

This is to emphasise on treatment through innovative and intensified disease management (IDM-NTDs) and provide support to people suffering from the disease, their families and their communities.

The project is also expected to build the capacity, improve the knowledge and skills of health workers such as clinicians and about 30 community volunteers to help them identify and manage skin NTDs and ensure early detection, surveillance, referral diagnoses and linkage to care.

The project has targeted the identification of more than 150 skin affected persons for treatment and providing them with employable skills to empower them economically and increase their livelihood opportunities, in order to help them live a dignified life.

It would also provide capacity training for 60 community volunteers and counsellors to provide community surveillance, including case screening, monitoring and reporting, mental health counselling against stigma and discrimination.



A skin-NTD person from the Tain District

Rehabilitation centres

As part of the project, the NGOs are expected to establish three rehabilitation centres to provide appropriate integrated care and rehabilitation services for persons affected by skin-NTD associated morbidity, disability and stigmatisation.

The project is also expected to train about 300 community stakeholders and family heads to help affected persons to be accepted by their community members and allow them to perform their normal key roles without discrimination.

Additionally, the NGOs are to identity 300 women as women support groups (WSG), empower them as community agents of change, advocating against NTDs stigma and discrimination.

They are also expected to establish and train Water and Sanitation Committees (WATSAN) as sanitation improvement agents in 10 communities and construct six toilet facilities in six endemic communities, to improve sanitation and hygiene services.



A victim of an NTD from the Tain District

Statistics

Speaking to the Daily Graphic at the launch of the project in Sunyani in the Bono Region, the Chief Executive Officer of GloMeF, Raphael Godlove Ahenu, said NTDs had affected about 1.7 billion people globally.

He said NTDs had long-term consequences including permanent disability, physical impairment, stigmatisation, socio-economic problems and mental health consequences, resulting in a reduction in the quality of life.

Mr Ahenu said skin NTDs were associated with poor socio-economic development and marginalisation and explained that people living in low and rural communities were prone to the NTDs.

He said NTDs impeded progress on nearly all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and had multiple negative impacts on the health sector and an acute toll on the most vulnerable populations.

Mr Ahenu said the diseases which were debilitating and stigmatising were of immense public health significance in the country, as they affected all the 16 regions of the country.

Progress

He explained that the country had made great progress in the fight against NTDs over the years.

Mr Ahenu said since 2015, the county had successfully eliminated Guinea worm and trachoma with significant reduction in the prevalence of onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis and schistosomiasis (SCH).

He said notwithstanding the performance in eliminating NTDs and the decline in some skin diseases, more efforts were needed to eliminate them, particularly buruli ulcer, yaws and lymphatic filariasis.

Mr Ahenu said as at 2019, about 114 out of the 260 districts were endemic of lymphatic filariasis.

He said between 2013 and 2016, 2,3347 clinical yaws cases were reported from 134 districts, and 5,754 cases of buruli ulcer were reported in Ghana, with a gradual decline in the number of cases believed to be underestimated due to the weak local level surveillance and neglected nature of the conditions.

Mr Ahenu said efforts directed to reach the targeted people at the district level had faced serious challenges as a result of weak surveillance systems and resources.

Vulnerable

The Tain District Officer of Disease Control, Philip Yeboah, said some of the diseases such as onchocerciasis, yaws and schistosomiasis were very common and tormenting some vulnerable communities in the area.

He said if measures were not put in place to curb the situation, it would spread to affect many people.

Mr Yeboah said onchocerciasis, which was common in the district, could lead to total blindness, if care was not taken to cure it.

He said yaws was also very common among school-age children in the area, distracting the attention of pupils and students, leading to poor performance in schools.

He stated that schistosomiasis or blood in urine was also common in the district, explaining that the disease was common among schoolchildren, because they swam in some rivers.

Collaboration

Mr Yeboah said fighting NTDs needed a collaborative effort from the public such as the NGOs partnering the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to eliminate it.

He said the public had not paid much attention to NTDs, explaining that they were silent killers and had permanent effects on affected persons.

Mr Yeboah said the GHS and its partners over the years had been organising mass drugs distribution exercises to provide drugs to control or eliminate the diseases in the area.

He said the project had come at the right time and expressed the hope that the project would help reduce NTDs in the area.

He called for more sponsorship to help eliminate the diseases in the district and the country as a whole.

He appealed to the NGOs to extend the project period to enable them to cover more communities in the area.

Since NTDs are formally recognised as targets for global action in SDG target 3.3, which calls to end the epidemics of the diseases by 2030, as part of Goal 3 (Ensure healthy lives and ensure well-being for all at all ages), it is crucial for the government and other stakeholders to intensify their fight against NTDs to meet the target.

NTDs

NTDs are a group of infectious diseases that prevail in tropical and sub-tropical regions, affecting impoverished populations living in conditions of poor sanitation and in close contact with infectious vectors and livestock.

Over the years, various governments have made frantic effects and introduced several interventions to help eliminate or control the NTDs in the country.

One of such interventions is the mass distribution of NTDs drugs, particularly to people in the endemic areas.

Because of the devastating nature of the NTDs, the World Health Organisation, in 2002, instituted NTDs Day to be celebrated on January 30 every year, to create awareness of the devastating impact of NTDs on the poorest populations around the world.

The day is also an opportunity to call on everyone to support the growing momentum for the control, elimination and eradication of these diseases.

Despite the efforts, NTDs are still endemic in the country, particularly in the Bono and Ahafo regions.

Elimination

Out of a list of 14 NTDs prevalent locally, the country has managed to eliminate trachoma, an infection of the eye, and guinea worm.

Currently, the country is battling with the remaining 12 NTDs, namely, Lymphatic Filariasis (elephantiasis), Onchocerciasis (Oncho or river blindness), Schistosomiasis (bilharzia), soil-transmitted helminthiasis (hookworm), Buruli Ulcer and Yaws (a chronic infection that affects mainly the skin bone and cartilage).

Others are leprosy, leishmaniasis (transmitted by the bite of sandflies), trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) and rabies, which is transmitted to humans through bites of non-vaccinated dogs.
Early identification key to dyslexia management Rosalin Kyere-Nartey

Augustina Tawiah Jun - 17 - 2023 , 06:52

Do you have a child who is constantly performing below average in school? Does he or she also have difficulty memorising things?

Does he or she have a poor handwriting and have a slow labour and intensive reading difficulty? Have you had this child assessed? If not, do you know that your childs under-performance could not be intentional but that a condition called dyslexia could be responsible for it? By now you might be asking what is dyslexia.

Often, children who have this condition are teased as blockheads and unintelligent because of their poor academic performance. Research shows that worldwide, dyslexia is found in at least one in every five people you meet and they could be children or adults. Unfortunately, many people in Ghana know little about the condition.

Following her own personal bitter experiences with the condition, the fact that people around her did not understand her continuous poor performance in school and the later realisation that there was a lack of awareness of the condition, Rosalin A Kyere-Nartey (RAKN), Founder of Africa Dyslexia Organisation, has taken it upon herself to create awareness of the condition here in Ghana and in Africa. Daily Graphics Augustina Tawiah (AT) interviewed her about the condition and her plans in creating awareness of the condition. Excerpts of the interview are captured below.



A ugustina Tawiah (AT): What problems does being dyslexic pose to the individual?

Rosalin A Kyere-Nartey (RAKN): Because dyslexia is a language-based disability, there is a developmental delay in speech, difficulty identifying specific sound, difficulty following instruction, omitting certain words when reading or speaking, difficulty spelling words, difficulty learning the alphabets, poor handwriting, slow labour and intensive reading difficulty, and missing everyday words.

Additionally, there are certain words dyslexic persons may find difficult to pronounce even though they might have been taught how to do so countless times. It is the reason why if care is not taken, they are labelled as very stupid. The dyslexic brain is wired differently. As a result, it processes information differently and encoding and decoding of words are also different from somebody who does not suffer the condition.

In adults, you will find out that at the workplace, such people run away from report writing and dont want to engage in things like that.

It is important to note that when it comes to dyslexia, you will find different kinds of it. If you put four people here who are dyslexic, the probability that you will see different signs in them is possible  they are all not going to be the same.

You will notice different symptoms in them. For instance, my dyslexia makes me a very organised person. If something is facing this way, I expect that I should see it in that position always.

AT: What should one do after seeing the signs above in somebody?

(RAKN): There are so many things to do when you see the signs above. You can do screening to determine. For children, you will have to check whether the child is properly being taught at school by utilising the tactile style of learning which includes kinaesthetic, auditory and visual style of learning, in a multi-sensory approach.

If these things are ticked and you still see the child having difficulty learning alphabets, difficulty learning sounds, losing pages when reading, showing a lack of attention and difficulty identifying specific instruction in reading, then thats when as a parent you have to raise concern to somebody in the school who is an expert in learning disability to pay attention to the child.

If the school doesnt have, then you need to find someone who does assessment to help the child. We have certified assessors in the country, usually, educational psychologists or clinical psychologists who will take the child through different sequence of instructions to be able to determine whether there is a learning difficulty before they can come to a conclusion and say that this child has dyslexia or not.

Screening

AT: At what age should one get screened for dyslexia?

(RAKN):For children, research over time has shown that you can get accurate screening or assessment for the child from the age of six years. We believe that from five-and-half-years old, the child starts picking up words and at six years, they should be at the reading level. So, if your child is six years old and cannot read two, three or four-letter words and you are seeing the symptoms mentioned above in them, this should be a wake-up call.

As parents, you should be very close to the school your child is attending because they are spending eight hours every weekday there except on vacation. They are able to determine your childs level in school more than you, the parent. Have one-on-one conversations with them, especially about your child that you feel is behind in their learning.

Ask questions  how is my child doing? Is she reading normally, memorising things and recognising things? Once you are very interested, the teachers will open up to you about the child. It is important to point out that early identification is key with dyslexia, especially if you really want to make a change in a child whose learning is slow.

AT: How is dyslexia acquired?

(RAKN): Dyslexia is not an illness, sickness or disease. It is genetic. You get it from birth and it stays with you forever. The world has classified it under disability because of the word the name was derived from. In Ghana, there are so many adult dyslexics here but people do not know because awareness of the condition has not been created for them to know.

Whoopi Goldberg, Albert Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci are also dyslexic. Even though all these people are dyslexics, they possess unique talent that we in this part of the world have not been able to groom or support for our dyslexic learners to be able to reach their calibre.

Managing dyslexia

AT: How do we manage dyslexia in people?

(RAKN): Dyslexia is not an illness so no medication is needed to manage it. You dont also need to take a child who is dyslexic to see a paediatrician or go for check-ups. In situations whereby in addition to the dyslexia, a child has co-mobility issues such as autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), medications could be provided. But it is to treat the autism and ADHD, not the dyslexia.

For dyslexia, managing it requires encouragement, being extremely patient with the child and the right form of learning instruction.

AT: Do we have a lot of children in Ghana who have dyslexia?

(RAKN): In Ghana and Africa as a whole, we dont have data on dyslexia. That is why we are currently about to launch our research into that. Globally, there is so much data when it comes to dyslexia. They are stating that one in every five children is likely to be dyslexic. If we bring that ratio to Ghana and go to school to conduct studies, we might find out that everybody in Ghana is probably dyslexic.

Why am I saying that? Our curricula and the form of instruction we use put a lot of children at a disadvantage already, so the child right now will be exhibiting the signs of dyslexia but may not be because they are not taught properly.

AT: Do we have programmes or interventions in the country for children with dyslexia?

(RAKN): Not that I know of. However, I got to be part of the technical working group reviewing Ghanas inclusive education policy and in that policy, it has been highlighted among the things we can do for children in this situation. But until that policy gets approved and all the resources are given to make sure action is taken, such as teachers being trained and a couple of assessment centres around, then the answer is no.

Currently, in the whole country we have only one national assessment centre. We have calls from all over the country, calling for support there but we dont have. So, for me, if you ask me, we dont have any support that is going on.

This has given room to private practitioners who are doing assessment but affordability is the issue. We have $200, being the least charge for now. We have people charging GH1,200 for assessment.

We have people charging $500 just to do assessment for all learning disabilities. So how many people will be able to afford? That is why we are saying that the government has an upper hand to do something by having our schools resourced to support all learners.
GNPC offers scholarship to galamsey boy

Daily Graphic Jun - 17 - 2023 , 08:18

The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has offered full scholarship to Stephen Koomson, a 21-year-old senior high school graduate who resorted to illegal mining (galamsey) to enable him to further his education.

Koomson attended Mpohor Senior High School and had 5As and 3Bs in the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

He was, however, forced to engage in galamsey activities in order to gather funds to continue with his education due to economic difficulties.

Intervention

Koomson now has the opportunity to study Law at the University of Ghana with full funding by the GNPC.

In a post on its Twitter page, GNPC said the pathetic viral story of Koomson caught its attention.

Koomson, the post added, was subsequently invited over by the company to deliberate on the its decision to sponsor his education.

The GNPC said it would work with other stakeholders to ensure that Koomson got admission to study Law at the University of Ghana next academic year.

Meeting

At a meeting with the former Mpohor SHS student and his guardians, the Executive Director of the GNPC Foundation, Dr Dominic Eduah, described Stephens circumstance as an unfortunate situation deserving immediate attention.

We are enrolling him on the GNPC scholarship immediately to put his dreams of becoming a lawyer back on track, and we are just as excited to offer him an opportunity to facilitate this in consonance with the tenets of our education and training mandate, he added.

Gratitude

Mr Koomson expressed his gratitude to his benefactors for acting on his story to ensure the life and future he envisioned as a boy would become a reality.

He pledged to live up to expectation by remaining studious and hardworking in order to become a worthy ambassador of GNPC.
Citizenship, allegiance: Becoming Member of Parliament

Dr John Osae-Kwapong Politics Jun - 17 - 2023 , 08:03

On June 27, a by-election will be held in the Assin North constituency in the Central Region. This follows the ruling of the Supreme Court declaring that the election of James Gyakye Quayson as Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North was unconstitutional. Upon perusing the courts full reading, three things struck me.

Citizenship

The court clarified Article 94(2) (a) which stipulates, A person shall not be qualified to be a Member of Parliament if he owes allegiance to a country other than Ghana. The Court reasoned that the two concepts are inextricably intertwined when it stated We have taken the trouble to set out these words to show that as far back as 2012, this court was very clear that citizenship was bound up with loyalty to the State and allegiance to it. There is, therefore, no ambiguity when article 94(2) (a) refers to owing allegiance to a country other than Ghana. Citizenship and allegiance are bound up in the same spirit.

Citizenship is viewed as sacrosanct by the court and rightfully so. The State has obligations to its citizens and even non-citizens who may find themselves within its borders. It is only proper, therefore, that citizens also give something in return. Granted, one can argue that citizens paying taxes is a means of giving back. But what really will be the point of citizenship if it is decoupled from allegiance? What becomes of citizens if they owe no allegiance to the state? How will citizens treat a state they owe no loyalty to? I will hazard a guess that such treatment will be poor. After all, in our ordinary lives, how do we treat the people and the things to whom we feel we owe no loyalty?

The court strengthened its view of the sacrosanct nature of citizenship when it stated in its full reasoning persons who have complied with stringent conditions and borne considerable costs to become citizens of Ghana or another country could simply throw affidavits or Declarations at the State and deem themselves divested of citizenship if they find a reason to quickly remove the burden of that citizenship from themselves because of changed needs.

I could not agree with the court more on this.

Timing

As Mr James Quayson demonstrated in this case, he had taken very active steps to relinquish the citizenship he once held in another country (Canada). To demonstrate that all administrative processes were completed and citizenship fully renounced, a certificate of renunciation was needed. Mr Quayson did eventually receive this certificate, after he filed his nomination, but before the election and more especially by the time he was sworn in as Member of Parliament. The other question before the court then was, when does an aspiring MP have to meet all the qualification criteria? Again, the courts position was unambiguous  This court has to, therefore, reiterate its earlier conclusion  that the qualification of holding only Ghanaian citizenship must be present at the time of nomination, and not any date thereafter.

Here, I respectfully disagreed with the court. It took a very strict view of the question of when in its well-reasoned opinion. As a public administrator by training and profession, I tend to err on the side of leniency when applying the rules without violating the spirit and letter of the rules.

Personally, I would have accepted the steps Mr Quayson had taken to show that he had every intention to renounce his Canadian citizenship. I would have also weighed the fact that by the election and even his swearing he had the certificate in hand. My position would have been yes citizenship equals allegiance, but I would take a different position on the timing and peg it at the day the Electoral Commission declared him winner or even the day he was sworn in.

Electoral Commission

I was very surprised to read in the document that "The Electoral Commission, as 2nd defendant, failed or refused to defend itself." I am curious why the EC did not defend itself. It may not have persuaded the court, but there is a basis for why, as part of the administrative process, the EC allowed Mr Quayson on the ballot for the 2020 Parliamentary elections. I would have loved to hear its administrative reasoning on the question of when a parliamentary candidate is deemed to be qualified.

We now have an answer regarding Article 94(2) (a) on citizenship, allegiance and when one is deemed to have met all the qualification requirements to run for parliament. Until the law is changed, or the ruling reversed by the court, this is what will continue to bind and guide us going forward.

The writer is a fellow at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana)
My life experience tells me never to take anything for granted - Vice President Bawumia

GraphicOnline Politics Jun - 16 - 2023 , 16:50

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia says his humbling life experience has taught him not to take things for granted in life.

Addressing thousands of NPP members who stormed the headquarters of the NPP to support him for the filing and submission of nomination forms to contest the NPP flagbearership on Friday, Dr. Bawumia spoke of his life experiences as a child growing up in Sakasaka in Tamale, through to his academic and professional journey abroad, and how these experiences have helped him to respect and care for people.

"My life experience tells me never to take anything for granted and always to have respect for people no matter their stature in life; no matter how big or how small they are," Dr. Bawumia said.

"The cleaner or driver you meet today can be a Vice President or President tomorrow. I care about the poor, I care about the vulnerable and the excluded. I care about the Lepers, I care about the sick, the sickle cell sufferers and cancer patients, I care about the disabled, I care about the Kayayei, I care about street children, and I care about the unemployed amongst others. This is the true essence of life; to address the problems of the weakest among us and to help them lift themselves up."

Highlighting what will be his own vision as President, Dr. Bawumia also spoke about his belief in the virtues of honesty and hardwork, and how he has been honest and worked hard to assist President Akufo-Addo towards achieving his vision for Ghana.

"I am not afraid of hard work. In fact, I enjoy hard work," said the Vice President.

"My experience in life tells me that honesty and hard work pays. I worked hard for His Excellency President Kufuor as Deputy Governor at the Bank of Ghana and I have worked hard as Vice President in assisting the President, His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo, achieve his vision."

"Together, we started the process of transforming Ghana into a country ready for the fourth Industrial Revolution. I brought honesty, hard work, dedication and discipline to my role as Vice President."

He continued: "I also have my own vision for Ghana. I believe that it is time to move Ghana to the next level by building on the foundations we have put in place so far."

Dr. Bawumia then shared a summary of his vision for Ghana, and promised to share an elaborate one in his Manifesto for the 2024 elections, an indication of his confidence to be elected flagbearer by the NPP.

"Together with you, I want to see a Ghana where we leverage technology, data and systems for inclusive economic growth. I want to make Ghana the digital hub of Africa. I want us to bridge the digital divide and apply digital technology and artificial intelligence for the transformation of healthcare, education, and public service delivery amongst others."

"Together with you, I want to see a Ghana where we cater and care for the poor, vulnerable, excluded and sick people."
We can maximise gold benefits with an LBMA certified refinery - Bawumia

Graphic.com.gh Politics Jun - 17 - 2023 , 20:13

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has pledged to deploy initiatives and policies that will increase Ghana's benefits from its natural resources when elected President.

Over the years, it has emerged that though Ghana is endowed with natural resources such as gold, Lithium, Bauxite and Oil, the state does not reap significant benefits from the exploration of the resources owing to unfavourable policies and arrangements.

Recently, the introduction of the Gold-4-Oil programme and the Synohydro arrangements through the Vice President were meant to leverage the natural resources for the development of key sectors such as roads, fuel affordability and the stabilisation of the Ghana cedi.

Addressing jubilant party supporters on Friday after filing his presidential nomination forms to contest the upcoming presidential primary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Bawumia envisioned a Ghana "where we maximize the benefits from our natural resources like gold and lithium through policies like, value addition, setting up an LBMA certified gold refinery, enhancing the gold for oil policy, and dedication of specific gold concessions to the Bank of Ghana to enhance their accumulation of gold reserves".

According to him, notwithstanding the global economic, government has constructed more infrastructure than any other government in the fourth republic and many transformational policies have been introduced for the first time in our history, including the Ghanacard, Digital Address, Mobile Money Interoperability, Delivery of medicines by drones, One District One Factory, Planting for Food and Jobs, Zongo Development Fund, Agenda 111, Free TVET and Free SHS to mention a few. We have also created 2.1 million jobs in six years, more than any government in the fourth republic.

In outlining his vision for Ghana when elected President, he disclosed that "I also have my own vision for Ghana. I believe that it is time to move Ghana to the next level by building on the foundations we have put in place so far".

Ghana has remained a major gold producer in the world and the number one producer in the African continent. It is, however, strange that for such a world producer of gold, Ghana can not boast of an LBMA certified gold refinery. In Africa, the only LBMA certified gold refinery is the Rand Refinery in South Africa. Ghana is, thus, well positioned to have its own LBMA certified refinery to serve the rest of the gold producing countries in Africa and the West Africa sub-region.

Plans are far advanced for Ghana to realize this dream. The government under President Nana Akufo-Addo started an aggressive pursuit a year and half ago to increase the gold reserves in Ghana and today, the Bank of Ghana has increased its vault of gold reserves from a paltry 8 tonnes in over sixty five years to over 15 tonnes in one and half years.

As government seeks to increase its gold-for-oil arrangement and secure a gold mining concession for the Bank of Ghana in order to increase it's gold reserves to improve its stock of international rederves and balance of payments position, it is very prudent for the country to have a LBMA certified gold refinery to maximize the full benefits.

Already, government in public private partnership arrangements has established a gold refinery, and it is expected that this should enhance Ghana's gold value addition dream by getting LBMA certification for the existing gold refinery.
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Update, 23 June: The leaked images in this article have all been removed by Samsung's copyright takedown request. Copies can still be found online or in sources linked at the bottom of the article.

Next month, Samsung is hosting the Galaxy Unpacked event in South Korea to unveil the Galaxy Z Fold5 and Galaxy Z Flip5, where it's also expected to make the Galaxy Watch6 and Galaxy Watch6 Classic official. We got our first look at the Galaxy Watch6 Classic last month, which has now appeared in official-looking images with the vanilla Watch6, showing the smartwatches in different colors.



Samsung Galaxy Watch6  Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic

The source claims that the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 will come in silver, black, and beige colors in two sizes - 40mm and 44mm. The Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic, on the other hand, will come in 43mm and 47mm sizes with two color options - black and silver. However, we might see Samsung introduce more colors later on.



Samsung Galaxy Watch6's color options

Samsung has used Sapphire Crystal Glass for both smartwatches, and they will also have 5 ATM water resistance and LTE connectivity. The images shared by the source reveal the Galaxy Watch6's 40mm model with LTE connectivity will have model code SM-R935F, while the 44mm version has model designation SM-R945F. The 44m variant without LTE connectivity will sport model number SM-R940.



Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic's color options

The Galaxy Watch6 Classic's 43mm version with and without LTE connectivity will have model designations SM-R955F and SM-R950, respectively.



Samsung Galaxy Watch6

The Watch6 and Watch6 Classic will be powered by the Exynos W930 SoC, with the Classic model featuring a physical rotating bezel. Today's renders also show the Classic model with leather straps and a regular pin buckle, while the previously leaked images showed it with a silicone band and a magnetic clasp.



Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic

Samsung has said the Galaxy Unpacked event will happen in late July but is yet to confirm the date. Rumors claim it will take place on July 26. Regardless, we'll likely hear more about the Galaxy Watch6 series as we inch closer to the event.

Source (in German)




Haiti - Humanitarian : The European Union says it is alongside Haiti





Friday, June 16, 2023, during her intervention at the United Nations, at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on "Saving Lives: Addressing the Urgent Food Security Needs of Haiti", Mrs. Joachime Nason, Humanitarian Affairs Counsellor, Delegation of the European Union made the following statement:



Statement by Ms. Joachime Nason :

"The European Union welcomes this opportunity to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Haiti, which is one of the most complex and acute food crises worldwide. The recent activation by the UN of the humanitarian system-wide scale-up for Haiti in April of this year confirms the high level of need: Haiti is among only 5 countries in the world to have reached this level (Ukraine, Ethiopia, Somalia, Syria and Haiti).



The 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti requires 720 million US Dollars, more than double what was required last year, but is only 20 percent funded.



As we have heard, Haiti is facing a terrible protection crisis. Gangs have strengthened their hold over Port-au-Prince, controlling or influencing 80 percent of the metropolitan area, and heavily impacted the food and nutritional status of the whole population. The link between violence and hunger is evident. Today, Haiti has one of the highest levels of food insecurity in the world, with nearly half of the population, or 4.9 million people, suffering from severe food insecurity. Only South Sudan has a higher percentage.



So, this situation requires heightened attention, and the HRP requires adequate funding.



Despite a multitude of humanitarian crises worldwide, Haiti remains high on the agenda of the European Union Humanitarian Aid department. Last year, we increased our humanitarian support from an initial 8.5 million Euros to 20.5 million Euros. And we also reacted swiftly to the cholera outbreak last October and mobilised support to address the food security crisis.



In addition, we remain present. Our Humanitarian Country Office in Port-au-Prince remains operational because we believe that our presence is crucial to appraise the humanitarian needs and to show our continued commitment towards the population in need and our humanitarian partners on the ground.



Together, we must ensure that Haiti does not become a forgotten crisis.



I thank you, Madame President. "






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





US visas increase starting today

This Saturday, June 17, increases in visa fees to the United States, established by the American Embassy in Haiti and announced in March 2023 https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-39175-icihaiti-flash-increase-in-prices-for-american-visas.html , will begin to apply. In the case of the tourist visa and others that are not based on petitions, the increase is $160 to $185 dollars, while for visas based on petitions such as (H, L, O, P , Q&A) the new fee will be $190 to $205 dollars. Applicants for "E" visas will also pay new fees, ranging from $205 to $315. This type of visa is applicable to traders and investors who have treaties with the United States.



The SDP rejects a Presidential College of 5 members

The radical Democratic and Popular Sector (SDP) rejects the idea of a 5-member Presidential College proposed by Fanmi Lavalas, PHTK, Montana, EDE to resolve the Crisis. "5 presidential cabinets and 5 presidential processions for 5 presidents in an interim period. It's total chaos at the Palace! Atansyon! Nou pedi Larezon !"



Delays are getting longer in the Haitian banking system

The technical problem related to the Haitian Interbank Payment System (SPIH) pushes the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) to return to manual clearing. According to our information, from Friday, June 16 until further notice, the time limit for clearing check deposits is 5 working days for the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince and 10 working days in provincial towns. The problem remains the same for transfers from one bank to another bank.



25,459 Haitians returning from the DR in May

Friday, June 16, the Support Group for Returnees and Refugees (GARR) said it had identified 25,459 Haitian migrants from the Dominican Republic for the month of May 2023. Among them, 13,000 were deported by Dominican migration authorities and 9,261 "would be returned voluntarily".



Towards more efficient tax collection

The Directorate General of Taxes (DGI) hosted an important working meeting on Thursday between the Director General, his team and a delegation from the European Union, with our partner Expertise France. The EU's commitment to efficient and fair tax revenue collection for the benefit of the Haitian people continues with determination.



New Executive Committee at the Protestant Federation of Haiti

Friday, June 176, 2023 took place the investiture of the new executive committee of the Protestant Federation of Haiti, chaired by Pastor Calixte Fleuridor, for a second consecutive term.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















By Panos Kotzathanasis | Published on 2023/06/16

Not many directors have managed to remake their own films, even more so twice, but that is just what Kim Ki-young did with "The Housemaid - 1960", which was remade as "Woman of Fire" in 1971 and "Woman of Fire 82" the titular year.

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This setting, once more, is a poultry farm on the outskirts of Seoul, where, as the movie begins, the police have found the bodies of Dong-sik and Myeong-ja with many stab wounds on their bodies, while taking in the former's wife, Jeong-soon as a witness. Her testimony brings us back some time ago, when she went to the village Myeong-ja was living in, essentially to buy her as a live-in maid. The girl, however, demands no pay, just lodging, and a promise that Jeong-soon will find her an adequate husband as soon as her tenure is done. Jeong-soon retains an unusual relationship with her husband, as she has focused on running the poultry farm becoming rather rich in the process, while he explores his musical aspirations, usually around beautiful young girls, with Hye-ok having the role in the beginning of the story. Myeong-ja is loyal to her landlady, helping her in the house and with her kids, but one fateful night, when Jeong-soon is missing, everything changes. Myeong-ja tries to prevent Hye-ok from seducing Dong-sik, but her drunk landlord forces himself on her, leaving her pregnant. In the meantime, Jeong-soon is also pregnant, and when she learns of what has happened, all hell breaks loose.

The film, more or less, follows the format of the previous two movies, with a maid coming into a rich house where the couple are experiencing marital issues, starts an affair with the husband, is mistreated and eventually exacts revenge, before she becomes a victim once again. The events here, however, are much more brutal than before, while the commentary is much more pointed. The focuses, though, remain the same. The place of women in society, where they found value either as 'birthing machines' or as sex objects is one that permeates the narrative, with its levels presented through the three women in the story.

Jung-soon, whose age has essentially forbidden her both capacities, in order to survive and keep her husband, has changed her role to that of the moneymaker, which is paractically the only way she can find to be useful to him. The fact that she keeps ignoring his extensive spending and the fact that he is always surrounded by young women adds even more to the fact, particularly since Hye-ok seems to act as something much more than a guest in the house. The fact that young Hye-ok is practically a younger version of her, trying to woo a man in order to have a future herself also moves in the same direction. Lastly, Myeong-ja, who is willing to work for free just to get a good husband concludes this rather harsh critique of Confucianism regarding the place of women in society, while justifying how the three women end up being enemies.

The second comment, which also derives from the aforementioned, is how sex and desire are a second driving force for all the characters in the film, including, surprisingly, Jeong-soon. Even though alcohol and drugs are involved, the fact that all characters act like animals on occasion, with their actions deriving from these primal instincts, presents another harsh comment about human nature. For Kim Ki-young, revenge and subsequently violence, are derived from this type of behavior, but also from the clash between the classes, which is where the last central comment of the narrative lies. When Jeong-soon learns that her husband has had sex with the maid is enraged, not because of his unfaithfulness, which she actually seemed to expect with Hye-ok, but from the fact that Myeong-ja is a lowly country girl, a maid, and thus impure and even dirty. The way the couple treat her after that, as much as the man who was supposed to be betrothed to her, a worker in the farm, highlights their racism as eloquently as possible, while also presenting it as another source violence derives from.

At the same time, and as a result of all the aforementioned, what remains as a more general comment about the characters in the movie, is that none of them is actually good, with their jealousy, cruelty, weakness, brutality, animal instincts and overall demeanor resulting in another, more general and quite pessimistic comment about human behavior.

Lastly, special mention should be made to the various symbolisms and metaphors in the movie, from the eggs and the chickens, to the clocks and time, to the mice and their capture, which can be interpreted in a number of ways. These elements are also some of the main sources of the impression the production values leave. Jung Il-sung has captured all the above, and the claustrophobic, suffocating setting of the house with gusto and artfulness. The kaleidoscopic images, the voyeuristic frames, and the way the many erotics scenes are presented are all a testament to the prowess of the visuals, with the "silver" one definitely staying on mind. Hyeon Dong-chun editing results in a relatively slow pace, while his cuts are also part of a general disorientation that permeates large parts of the film, particularly regarding what is reality and what imagination.

The truth is, however, that Kim at some point lost his sense of measure, with the narrative moving into paths that are incoherent, and the cinematic values following behind. That the movie lasts, excessively, for almost two hours, highlights the fact in the most obvious fashion, essentially deeming the title on a level much lower than its two predecessors.

On the other hand, the performances are quite good. Kim Ji-mee is the definite protagonist of the story and gives an outstanding performance as a woman who tries her best to adapt to any situation but finds her actions having horrible consequences. Na Young-hee as Myeong-ja exhibits an impressive transformation from a country bumpkin to an angel of sex and revenge. Kim Hae-sook as the diva that eventually becomes desperate is also great, concluding the trio of great female performances in the movie.

Even though "Woman of Fire" is not a masterpiece, Kim Ki-young, as always, has included a number of elements that will stimulate the viewer, in another movie of his that manages to stray away from the norms of Korean cinema, at least for the most part.

Review by Panos Kotzathanasis

___________

"Woman of Fire 82" is directed by Kim Ki-young, and features Kim Ji-mee, Na Young-hee, Jeon Moo-song, Kim Hae-sook, Yeo Po, Kim Sung-kyum. Release date in Korea: 1982/06/26.
Published on 2023/06/16 | Source

New poster added for the upcoming Korean movie "Unofficial Operation" (2022)

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Directed by Kim Seong-hun

With Ha Jung-woo, Ju Ji-hoon,...

Synopsis

In Beirut 1986, during the Lebanese civil war a Korean diplomat is taken hostage without a trace. Two years pass and long forgotten, a young diplomat Min-joon receives a phone call proving that the hostage is still alive. With the given mission, Min-joon is sent to Beirut to save the hostage with a bag of ransom money. However, Min-joon gets into trouble as soon as he sets foot in Beirut. As luck would have it, Min-joon manages to flee from the airport with help from a local taxi driver Pan-soo who he stumbles across. Despite the distrust toward Pan-soo of his obvious mischievousness, the two unlikely allies must navigate the demolished, war-raging streets of Beirut to bring the long-awaited hostage back home.

Release date in Korea : 2023/08/02
Family holds 'beech party' to celebrate champion tree

Mark Stickney stands under his Beech tree with his wife, Jayne and grandchildren - Brooke, Bryce and Brayden Wittenberg.

Beach balls, cornhole and other outdoor games adorned Mark Stickneys yard Saturday morning as he and his neighbors gathered to celebrate his more than 100-year-old American beech tree.



We thought wed have regular beech party, Stickney cracked. We feel honored this has been around as long as it has.

About 20 of Stickneys neighbors and family members turned out for the occasion that included donuts along with the lawn games  centered on a special honor for the tree.

Ashevilles Greenworks recognized the American beech tree as a Treasured Tree and designated it the largest beech tree in Henderson County. The couple received a certificate from the organization to commemorate the day and a plaque was tacked to the tree to designate its special status.

Pat Strang, a volunteer with Greenworks, said although the organization typically focuses on trees in Buncombe County, it decided to honor Stickneys tree after learning about its size. The group designates trees at the request of property owners as long as the tree is not an invasive species.

We just dont want to see trees cut down, she said. People hesitate to cut when they see a placard.

Stickney hopes the certification from Greenworks works to protect the tree located in the yard he has owned for about 10 years in the gated Ridgeview community off North Rugby Road. Stickney said he also applied to the states Champion Tree program; that's how he found out his tree was the second largest beech tree in North Carolina.

The property where Stickneys home is now located and where the tree stands was once part of a dairy farm, he said.

Our understanding, because this is the high point of the area, the barn was located nearby," he said. "It probably got excellent nutrition."

Arborists measured the trees canopy at 75 feet and its height at 75 feet. They also estimated it as being more than 100 years old. Strang said the tree could be closer to 200 years old.

In brief remarks after receiving his certificate from Greenworks, Stickney told his neighbors that he and his wife, Jayne, hope the tree continues to thrive.

Were going to enjoy the beauty for another 214 years, he said. Its really not my tree or Jaynes tree. Its the neighborhoods tree. Its Gods tree.
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Two Mexican citizens convicted of trafficking 29 pounds of methamphetamine from Denver to the Bozeman and Billings communities were sentenced this week to prison.

Isidro Vega Carmona, 28, was sentenced Thursday to 14 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Carmona pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and to possession with intent to distribute meth, said U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich.

Co-defendant Risela Anahid Heredia Soberanes, 33, was sentenced Friday to two years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Soberanes pleaded guilty in January to possession with intent to distribute meth. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

According to court documents, law enforcement arrested Carmona in October 2022 in Billings as he was walking with a rolling suitcase containing 25 pounds of meth toward a downtown hotel to deliver the drugs to an undercover person. Officers also arrested Soberanes at a residence on Broadwater Avenue as she was sitting in Carmonas vehicle. Soberanes admitted to transporting the 25 pounds of meth from Denver for delivery to Carmona.

The government alleged that during an investigation in mid-July 2022, law enforcement made a controlled purchase of cocaine from Carmona in Bozeman. Another co-defendant, identified at Victor Ocampo, was with Carmona during the purchase.

About a month later, Carmona and another person, known as Guero, agreed to sell an undercover individual four pounds of meth. In late August, the undercover person went to Carmonas residence to purchase the four pounds of meth. Investigators determined that Soberanes had transported the meth from Denver to Carmona on behalf of Guero.

The government further alleged that in October 2022, Carmona offered to sell the undercover person 25 pounds of meth for $100,000 and that he would deliver it to Billings. On Oct. 12, 2022, Carmona contacted the undercover person and confirmed that Soberanes was again driving the 25 pounds of meth to Billings from Denver and that he would meet the undercover individual in Billings. Law enforcement subsequently arrested Carmona and Soberanes in Billings.

Approximately 105,000 doses is contained in 29 pounds of meth.

Ocampo has pleaded not guilty to charges and is pending trial in the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Missouri River Drug Task Force.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make neighborhoods safer.
Elon Musk and Bernard Arnault, the richest and second-richest in the world respectively, met for lunch in Paris on Friday, doing so at a luxury hotel ahead of a technology conference being hosted by an Arnault-owned company, where Musk is scheduled to speak. Elon Musk (right) and Bernard Arnault in Paris (Image courtesy: Instagram/Antoine Arnault)

According to Forbes' Real-Time Billionaires List, the Tesla CEO and Twitter owner has a net worth of $236.9 billion, while that for the Louis Vitton Founder-CEO is estimated at $233.4 billion. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index, on the other hand, estimates their fortunes at $233 billion and $202 billion, the highest on their list as well.

Over the past few months, the two have traded the no.1 spot, with Musk again overtaking Arnault on the last day of May.

The meeting

As per Bloomberg, they met at Cheval Blanc, a luxury hotel chain that comes under the Louis Vitton conglomerate. While Arnault, 74, was accompanied by his sons Antoine and Alexandre, Musk, 51, came with mother Maye Musk.

While the exact purpose of the meeting was not known, the Louis Vitton CEO, who is from France, told a news channel ahead of the lunch that the South African-born US entrepreneur is an exceptional entrepreneur and they know each other.

Elon Musk in France

During his visit, he also met French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss setting up a Tesla factory in the country. Macron tweeted a photo of their meeting with the caption Lets work together ! #ChooseFrance.'

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Petrol and diesel prices across the country remained unchanged in most major cities on Saturday, even as there were minor changes to fuel rates in some other locations. This means that since May 21 last year, there has been no pan-India revision to fuel prices. Representational Image

On June 11, however, Punjab revised value-added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel, increasing the rates by 93 paise and 89 paise per litre respectively.

Fuel prices on June 17

In Delhi, a litre each of petrol and diesel continues to retail at 96.72 and 89.62 respectively, while customers in Mumbai must continue to pay 106.31 for a litre of petrol and 94.27 for an equal quantity of diesel.

City Petrol price (per litre) Diesel price (per litre) Ahmedabad  96.42  92.17 Bengaluru  101.94  87.89 Chennai  102.63  94.24 Hyderabad  109.66  97.82 Jaipur  108.70  93.92 Kolkata  106.03  92.76 Lucknow  96.57  89.93 Noida  96.77  89.71

How are fuel prices calculated in India?

Oil marketing companies (OMCs) such as Bharat Petroleum, Indian Oil and Hindustan Petroleum review fuel prices on a daily basis; rates, whether revised or unchanged, are implemented at 6 am each day. These are calculated by taking into account factors such as the price of crude oil in the international market, etc.

How to check fuel prices?

This can be done with an SMS. Send a message on 92249 92249 in the following format: RSP (space) dealer code of petrol pump

Click here for details.

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The Bengaluru Police on Saturday responded to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarmas request to act upon the attack on a delivery partner from the north eastern state. A complaint has been filed and further action will be taken, said Bengaluru police in a response to the Assam CMs tweet. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. (PTI)

Earlier this week, a delivery partner was attacked by the members of an apartment in Electronic City, after eight-year-old girl claimed that he had forcibly taken her to the terrace. However, after police checked the CCTV footage in a building adjacent to the apartment, they found that the girl made false accusations and she went to the terrace alone. The delivery partner from Assam, who came to Bengaluru, has been working for a food delivery company.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday requested the Karnataka government to provide justice to the delivery partner. He tweeted, The acute harassment & trauma being faced by a delivery agent from Assam over fake charges, is extremely disturbing, I request the Honble Chief Minister of Karnataka to kindly ensure that adequate protection and justice is delivered to the said individual.

What Bengaluru Police said?

The Bengaluru police assured the action and said the members of the apartment have been warned for beating the delivery agent. In a series of tweets, Bengaluru police said, The patrol officers swiftly resolved the issue by obtaining CCTV footage from a nearby building. The footage revealed that the girl had left on her own, dispelling the allegations made. The officers warned the apartment residents who had acted hastily against the victim.

The police department also said that community outreach programmes will be conducted with Resident Welfare Associations (RWA) to bring awareness on such issues.
Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara has set a three-month deadline to the police department for better management of traffic in Bengaluru. He also directed the top officials to present on the ground for at least three hours and monitor the congestion in bottlenecks. Karnataka minister sets a deadline for better traffic management in Bengaluru(PTI File Photo)

Also Read - National security being strengthened, Armed Forces becoming technologically advanced: Rajnath Singh in Bengaluru

On Friday, G Parameshwara visited police Commissionerate in Bengaluru and held a meeting with all the senior officials. He said, There must be a friendly policing in Bengaluru and police personnel must be the first ones to help the public. The real estate issues and rowdyism must be controlled as they directly affect the common people. I had worked as a home minister earlier and I understand well how good policing makes the life of residents better.

The minister further expressed concerns on traffic related issues in Bengaluru. In next three months, the traffic management in the city must be enhanced with a better plan in place. All the traffic DCPs must be on the ground during peak hours to clear the congestions at bottlenecks. We must act on priority to decongest Bengaluru, he added.

According to the director general of police (DGP), all police stations across the state from June 20 will display the phone numbers of top officials. If the complaints are not attended by the station, the public can directly inform the top-level officials by making a phone call.
The Madhya Pradesh high court on Friday quashed the first information report (FIR) filed against Raghavji, the former finance minister. Former MP finance minister Raghavji (PTI Photo)

The former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator was arrested and was facing charges under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in July 2013 for sodomising a youth.

In July 2013, Raghavji was arrested following a complaint by his house help in which he mentioned that he was sexually assaulted by then-finance minister Raghavji and produced a CD.

In the petition filed by Raghavji, the statement of the father of the complainant has been included as significant evidence.

Also Read: Karnataka HC quashes case against CM Siddaramaiah, DCM D K Shivakumar for COVID-19 rule violation

According to the father of the complainant, his son was not mentally stable and also a habitual intoxicant and in the habit of making fallacious allegations against high-up-place persons of the society.

Earlier too he made (false) allegations against someone. My son is trying to blackmail the petitioner as he is in the wrong hands of leaders of political rivals of the petitioner, reads the statement of the father.

A single bench of justice Sanjay Dwivedi of the MP high court took into account the statement by the father of the complainant and said, The complaint is sugarcoated with ill-motive, made to belittle the image in society and casting a stigma on the name of high-up-place person, who also holds an important portfolio in the State of MP. Notably, for almost three years, the complainant remained reticent and astoundingly it is only after he left the petitioners house, he felt humiliated that he made the complaint.

The complaint was made after handing-in-gloves with the leaders of rival parties and therefore it is nothing but the assimilation of personal and political antipathies, more precisely, a politically-oriented-animosity, which makes the petitioners prosecution malicious, said the court on Friday while quashing the FIR.

Also Read: Punjab HC allows drugs case kingpin to attend mothers bhog ceremony under polices watch

Indeed, the admission of the complainant that he planned and prepared CD itself raises clouds over the demeanour of the complainant and suggests that he was anyhow bent upon collecting material against the petitioner so that at a later point of time it can be used against the petitioner, reads the order.

As a result, finding no offence under Section 377 of IPC is made out as it is a case of consent and further that the prosecution of the petitioner is malicious, therefore, I allow the petition. Thus, FIR registered at police station Habibganj, district Bhopal, against the petitioner (Raghavji) for the offence punishable under Sections 377, 506, 34 of the IPC is hereby quashed, the court order further said.
In a good news for the passengers travelling from Punjab to Australia, Kuala Lumpur, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, Malaysia-based low-cost carrier Air Asia X is resuming its direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Amritsar from September 3. These flights were suspended due to Covid in March 2020. The direct flight will benefit passengers travelling from Punjab to Australia, Kuala Lumpur, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. (AFP File Photo)

The airline will start the service with 4-weekly flights, connecting Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport Amritsar with Australian cities of Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Gold Coast with convenient short layover connections via Kuala Lumpur. This will bring relief to the Punjabi community in Australia and other Southeast Asian countries as it will take much less time and fares as compared to Delhi. Travellers will also be able to avail the flights of Air Asia X via Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok, Indonesia, Philippines and other tourist destinations within a short span of time.

Members of FlyAmritsar Initiative and Amritsar Vikas Manch which played a leading role in starting the flights in August 2018, were regularly following up with the senior management of Air Asia X for resumption of these services. We welcome the decision by airline management to resume these flights as a large number of Punjabi diaspora in Australia was travelling on its flights via Kuala Lumpur. This will not only make travel easier for the Punjabi community, but will also greatly benefit the tourism industry of Amritsar, said Sameep Singh Gumtala, Global Convener, FlyAmritsar Initiative.

According to the bookings available on its website, on Sunday and Monday, the flight will depart Kuala Lumpur in the morning at 7:35am and arrive in Amritsar at 11am and then depart at 12:30pm in the afternoon reaching Kuala Lumpur in the evening at 8:55pm. On Wednesday and Friday, the flight will depart Malaysia at 8:25 pm arriving Amritsar at 11:50 pm and then depart next day at 1am on Thursday and Saturday and reach Malaysia at 9:25am.
A week after a group of robbers made away with 8.49 crore from a cash management companys office in New Rajguru Nagar, police on Saturday arrested the mastermind behind the heist. Ludhiana  8.49 cr robbery mastermind Mandeep Kaur alias Mona and her husband Jaswinder Singh. (HT Photo)

The accused, Mandeep Kaur alias Mona, was nabbed from Uttarakhand along with her husband Jaswinder Singh, commissioner of police Mandeep Singh Sidhu confirmed.

A total of eight accused have been arrested in connection with the case so far.

Police have also recovered 5.75 crore in cash from the arrested accused and more recoveries have been expected from Mandeep Kaur and her husband

Punjab director general of police (DGP), meanwhile, took to social to praise the efforts of Ludhiana police in nabbing the accused. Proud of Ludhiana Police and Counter Intelligence Unit to solve the CMS cash robbery case after arresting fugitive Mandeep Kaur and her husband Jaswinder Singh from Uttarakhand. Ludhiana cash van robbery accused nabbed in 100 hours, he wrote on Twitter.

Ludhiana police had constituted a five-member special investigation team led by joint commissioner of police (JCP) Saumya Mishra to conduct a probe into the incident.

Notably, the commissioner of police had earlier said the probe officialsr suspect that the actual robbed amount was 6.33crore.

In the biggest heist witnessed in the city in the recent past, armed robbers had decamped with the money and a cash van frorm the office of a CMS, the cash management services company, after holding five employees, including two security guards, captive in the New Rajguru Nagar during the wee hours last Saturday.
A welder, who learnt the trick of printing currency notes, was arrested by Panchkula police for printing and circulating fake currency on Saturday. A welder, who learnt the trick of printing currency notes, was arrested by Panchkula police for printing and circulating fake currency on Saturday. (Representational image)

The accused has been identified as Prabhjot alias Golu (21) of Patiala who was staying in a rented accommodation in Ambala.

The accused was brought on a production warrant and formally arrested by the police after producing him before the district court in Panchkula on Saturday. He was sent to one-day police custody.

He was arrested in connection with a case registered in January this year on the complaint of the Bank of India regarding deposition of fake currency in a bank account. In April 2023, police arrested Mustakim Salmani, 38, of Mauli Jagran. He had deposited 43,000 (two transactions of 27,000 and 16,000) in his Bank of India account in January using a cash deposit machine (CDM). Out of these, five notes of 500 denomination were found to be fake. When cash is deposited through CDM, the machine segregates fake currency from genuine ones, the police said.

A case under Section 489-B (using as genuine, forged or counterfeit currency-notes) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered at Sector-16 police station in Panchkula. During his questioning, Salmani had told the police that he got the fake currency from his friend Parbhjot.

As per the police, Prabhjot is the main accused and expert who printed the fake currency.

The police post in-charge, Sector 16, Gurpal Singh, said, Accused Prabhjot along with his friend Sachin had taken a hotel on lease in Jagadhri where they printed the fake currency notes for the last more than one year.

During preliminary questioning, Prabhjot told the police that he is a ninth pass and worked as a welder. He learnt the trick of printing fake currency through YouTube videos, said Gurpal.

He added, The accused had set up printers in the hotel. They used to order paper used to print currency online,

The police would now be getting his accomplice Sachin on production warrants.

Prabhjot was lodged in jail after his arrest on February 16 near Jagadari toll plaza with accomplice Mustakim Salmani. Fake currency notes amounting to 8.5 lakh in 500 and 100 denomination were recovered from their possession. A case was registered under Sections 489-A (counterfeiting currency-notes), 489-B (using as genuine, forged or counterfeit currency-notes), 489-C (possession of forged or counterfeit currency notes) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) at a police station in Chappar in Yamunanagar.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shailee Dogra A senior reporter based in Chandigarh, Shailee Dogra covers SAS Nagar (Mohali) district. ...view detail
A Mandan man allegedly crashed into the Federal Buildings railing during a police chase in Bismarck that ended with authorities seizing what they said was cocaine and several other drugs from the vehicle.

A Bismarck police officer noticed a vehicle leaving the Elbow Room Bar shortly after midnight Wednesday. It eventually turned into the back parking lot of the Federal Building on East Broadway Avenue and crashed into the buildings railing, according to an affidavit.

The suspect vehicle continued to evade responding officers for 12 minutes before crashing into a pine tree on the north side of Kirkwood Mall. The driver exited the vehicle with his hands up after crashing, authorities said. Police detained Tyler Jans.

Jans, who is in his late 20s, told authorities he was fleeing from police because he had cocaine on him, which officers found in his shorts, according to the affidavit. Jans consented to doing tests that resulted in him being arrested for DUI. Authorities said they found large amounts of illegal drugs in his vehicle, including cocaine, meth and THC, which is what gives marijuana users a high.

Jans faces felony drug and fleeing charges, along with two misdemeanors. The most serious charge against him carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The attorney listed for Jans did not immediately respond to a Tribune request for a comment.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has fielded 85,817 candidates, the number of nominations, for the July 8 three-tier panchayat polls in Bengals 20 districts and two-tier polls in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, the state election commissioner (SEC) announced on Friday, hours after the last day for filing nominations witnessed four deaths and sporadic violence in North Dinajpur and South 24 Parganas district. (Representative/PTI Photo)

With 56,321 nominations, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came second in the number of people in the fray, followed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] with 48,648 candidates and the Congress with 17,750 nominees, according to SEC.

The Aam Aadmi Party, which has virtually no presence in Bengal, has filed 13 nominations and the number of independent candidates is 16293, the SEC said.

Also Read: Political violence will not to be tolerated: West Bengal governor in Bhangore

According to the data released by the SEC, there are 61,636 polling booths in panchayat areas for 63,229 gram panchayat seats, 9,730 panchayat samiti seats and 928 zilla parishad seats. The number of voters in the state is 56.7 million.

Amid allegations that many opposition candidates could not file nomination papers following the state-wide violence even after the Calcutta high court on Thursday ordered the police to escort some of these people to the nomination centres, the TMC emerged uncontested winner at around 20 panchayat samitis in Hooghly, East Burdwan and Bankura districts.

West Bengal never witnessed this sort of free and fair filing of nomination. But what can be done if the opposition cannot find candidates? We cannot procure candidates for them, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said.

The filing of nominations commenced on June 9. Scrutiny of nominations will be done on Saturday and the last day for withdrawal is June 20. The votes will be counted on July 11.

In the last 2018 panchayat polls, Bengal witnessed widespread violence and around 20 murders with TMC bagging around 90% seats, of which 34% were uncontested.

Citing the past and fresh violence that erupted after the elections were notified, the BJP and the Congress moved the division bench of the Calcutta high court chief justice on June 9, seeking the deployment of Central paramilitary forces.

Making strong remarks against the SEC, the division bench on Thursday asked the poll body to seek paramilitary force battalions from the Centre within 48 hours and deploy them in every part of the state.

At least four people were killed across West Bengal on Thursday, on a day when the Calcutta high court ordered the deployment of central forces all over the state till the elections end.

Bengal BJP chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said, Hundreds of our candidates could not file nominations in North and South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad and Birbhum districts. Many of those who succeeded are now being pressured to withdraw from the race but our party will not give in to such tactics.

Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury made similar allegations.

Not just TMC workers, even a few policemen called up some of our candidates and asked them to withdraw, he said.

Some stray incidents of intimidation may have taken place but overall, this panchayat election will be completely different from the ones held in the past. Opposition parties should face the polls without fear, transport minister Snehasish Chakraborty told a news channel on Friday night.

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Lucknow Vijay Yadav alias Anand Yadav, key accused in Jeeva murder case, claimed that the contract to eliminate gangster Sanjeev Maheshwari alias Jeeva was of 20 lakh but he received only 8,000 and lost communication with the person who gave the contract, as he was arrested immediately after the shoot-out. Vijay Yadav, who allegedly shot dead Jeeva. (File)

The accused made the disclosure while reluctantly answering questions of investigators during interrogation on the second day of his police custody remand on Friday.

A senior police official privy to the investigation confirmed that Anand Yadav had stated that he received merely 8,000 as the person who gave him the contract told him that the full amount would be given only after completing the work. He said Yadav, however, did not give clear answers about the identity of the person who gave him the contract. He was even asked about the person by showing some possible suspects (members of gang who had enmity with Jeeva) but he refused to identify any of them.

The official said the accused even said that he single-handedly executed the killing and no other person was present in court for his assistance. The official, however, added that the accused was apparently trying to mislead police officers.

The accused was quizzed at the Chowk police station under heavy force deployment.

The investigators had procured the accuseds police custody remand for three days from 10 am on June 15 to 5 pm on June 17. The custody remand period of the accused would end on Saturday evening.

Yadav allegedly shot dead Jeeva inside the SC/ST courtroom when he was brought there from Lucknow district jail in a 2016 murder case of Gomti Nagar, Lucknow.

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Defence minister Rajnath Singh has said that the countrys defence exports will be worth 20,000 crore in the next few months. He also referred to the importance of the upcoming UP Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC), where over 95% of the total 1,700 hectares of land required for the purpose had been acquired. Defence minister Rajnath Singh at Surya Auditorium in Lucknow on Saturday (HT Photo)

Our defence equipment exports that were around 1,900 crore in 2014, have now jumped to about 16,000 crore, and over the next few months we will touch 20,000 crore. By 2047, we are confident of becoming a developed country, one that is self-reliant both economically and militarily, the defence minister said on Saturday at Defence Dialogues, a function held at Surya Officers Club auditorium in the Lucknow cantonment.

The UPDIC has been conceived with the intention of reducing foreign dependence on the Indian aerospace and defence sector and Rajnath said that at UPDIC manufacturing wont be limited to defence spare parts and nuts and bolts.

The defence minister, who also referred to the twin threats on Indias borders, also said that domestic defence production had now crossed more than 1 lakh crore and added that UPDIC would give a further push to the countrys defence preparedness.

Here, we will manufacture drones, UAVs, electronic warfare (weapons), aircraft and Brahmos missiles too, Rajnath said.

The UPDIC is a key component of our mission of Atma Nirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and work is on in mission mode. So far, 600 hectares have been allotted to 46 industries and institutions and 109 MoUs  with a total investment value worth 60,000 crore - have been signed. This is remarkable as about 2,500 crore investment has already been done by different entities, he said.

All nodes of UPDIC, including Agra, Aligarh, Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi and Chitrakoot are cities linked to our glorious past and our job is to link them with a glorious future, and we are well on course (to achieving it), Rajnath added.

The defence minister also praised chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

I must say that our chief minister is also taking an active interest in the UPDIC project and its development, he said.

TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE

The defence minister said that there has been a transformational change in Indias defence sector.

Now, 75% of defence capital acquisition has been reserved for the domestic industry and this translates to more than 1 lakh crore in the current fiscal. We have allocated 25% of the fund to industry-led research and development, he said.

ALLOWING MORE INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION

We have simplified the licensing process for participation of private companies in the defence sector, Rajnath said.

He also said that armed forces, industries, academia and research should come together to aid the atma nirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) mission.

Even as we aim to be militarily self-reliant, this self-reliance isnt limited to making arms for just our needs. It also means developing our capacity to the extent of exporting arms and equipment to other nations, he said.
The Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) government has announced the signing of a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Khan Academy India to enhance maths learning outcomes of over five lakh students in 48,000 state-run schools. A class under way at a secondary school in Prayagraj. (HT file photo)

As per the government, this partnership will make high-quality maths learning content in Hindi accessible to students and teachers in the department of basic education, including Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), department of secondary education and schools overseen by the social welfare department, seamlessly integrating them into classrooms.

Khan Academy India is a not-for-profit organisation incorporated in India to provide free, world-class education for millions of learners in India. It was founded by Khan Academy Inc and Tata Trusts in 2006.

Vijay Kiran Anand, director general, school education, Uttar Pradesh, said, This collaboration between the Government of Uttar Pradesh and Khan Academy India is a significant step towards ensuring that every student has access to the tools and resources they need to excel in maths and reach their full potential.

The programmes success in KGBVs serves as a testament which has already shown promising results in improving maths learning outcomes. We are proud to continue and expand our strong partnership with them, he added.

Since 2021, the Uttar Pradesh government has worked closely with Khan Academy to improve math learning outcomes in state-run schools limited to KGBVs. The encouraging results have prompted the expansion of this partnership.

Learning maths at Khan Academy, with its seamless integration into the classroom environment, has reshaped the educational delivery system, earning accolades from both teachers and students alike. By the end of the second year, the programme incorporated 72,000 students from 746 KGBVs and over 24,000 students engaged in maths practice for 60 minutes per month, demonstrating better learning outcomes.

The partnership aims to host Khan Academys tech-based modules for teachers on the DIKSHA portal to ensure all teachers across the state access world-class content and Hindi-medium maths learning resources.

Additionally, Khan Academy team will extend hands-on support to 48,000 teachers on how to leverage online teaching resources in their preferred language and offer personalised learning based on individual student progress data.

Our mission is to provide a free, worldclass education for anyone, anywhere, said Swati Vasudevan, MD, Khan Academy India. We will continue to look for ways to expand our reach to enable educators and serve students across the country in their native languages. We are humbled and honoured to be strengthening our commitment as partners to the U.P. governments vision to provide free quality education to all children.

The expanded partnership will further strengthen the educational infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation in maths education. Teachers will be better equipped to support their students while students will benefit from engaging, personalised learning experiences.

As more students participate in daily maths practice, the overall quality of maths education in the region is set to improve. This initiative is supported by HDFC Bank under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) umbrella brand for all social efforts Parivartan.

The future of the nation lies in its youth and we want to do our part to ensure that they have the best resources available to optimise learning. We are sure that Khan Academy, with its expertise and experience in addressing student needs and making quality education available to all, will complement our efforts under Parivartan, said Nusrat Pathan, head CSR, HDFC Bank.
Two people were burnt alive while another was seriously injured when a truck container turned into a fireball after a head-on collision with a diesel tanker on Ayodhya highway near Ranimau crossing in Barabanki district early on Saturday, said police officials. The identities of the two deceased could not be ascertained as the bodies were badly charred. (For Representation)

The Barabanki police spokesman said the identities of the two deceased could not be ascertained as the bodies were badly charred and their belongings had turned into ashes in the fire caused after the collision. He said efforts were being made to contact the truck container owner by tracing him through its registration number and ascertain the identities of the two deceasedthe driver and the cleaner.

As per the spokesman, the accident took place when the truck container coming from Ayodhya lost its control and entered the opposite lane after jumping over the road divider and collided with the diesel tanker coming from Lucknow.

He said some eyewitnesses informed the police that the container first caught fire after the collision and subsequently the diesel tanker turned into a fireball.

The spokesman said the collision was massive and the two men inside the container could not open the door to jump out of the vehicle while the driver of the tanker saved his life by jumping out. The tanker driver, however, suffered injuries in the collision.

He also said at least five fire tenders were rushed to the spot and it took them over six hours to contain the blaze. As per the spokesman, a massive jam was caused on the highway as the road was blocked and the traffic could be properly restored only after five hours.
Mumbai: In the wake of aggressive outreach programmes undertaken by the Shinde-Fadnavis combine amid the upcoming election preparations, the state government has decided to wet lease a new helicopter for flying VVIPs, including Governor, chief minister and deputy chief minister. HT Image

This will be in addition to the government-owned VT-VDD Cessna citation 560XLS aircraft and Airbus H145 helicopter, which replaced Sikorsky S76 after it crashed in Nilanga in May 2017.

In a recent meeting, chief minister Eknath Shinde gave an in-principle nod to the proposal of the high-power committee headed by the chief secretary. The state civil aviation wing of the state government is expected to invite a bid for the wet lease of the chopper for the flying of the VVIPs. The expected expenditure is yet to be chalked out.

The decision was taken keeping in mind the expected rise in the ferrying of the CM, DyCM, and other ministers in the wake of the aggressive outreach programme undertaken by the Shinde-Fadnavis government. Earlier, we used to have two choppers at our disposal, but one of them, a Sikorsky S76 crash landed in Nilanga in May 2017. The plan to buy another Sikorsky S76-D had to be rejected following differences with the firm. In 2019, an Airbus H145 chopper was purchased which was used for combating Maoist activities in Vidarbha. It is now being used for flying the VVIPs, said an official from the chief ministers office.

The state government hires choppers from the empanelled agencies whenever required for the VVIPs in addition to the existing fleet. Sometimes, and in case of urgent need, the agencies too are not able to provide them. The choppers required are needed to be in accordance with the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) guidelines for VVIP flying. In the wake of the ensuing elections, the demand is expected to go up. To avoid the shortage, we have decided to lease the chopper which will be parked at our hangar and will be available as and when required. The expected expenditure is not decided yet, another officer said.

The decision was also taken after the state governments own chopper developed a snag during VVIP flying recently. The state government spent about 1.5 crore a month on the wet lease of a Panwanhans chopper engaged for the security agencies combating the Maoist activities in Gadchiroli and Gondia. Maharashtra Airport Development Company will soon begin the process of bidding for the wet leasing of the chopper.

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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
Mumbai: In the last 15 months, Slovakian Hanna Ollos (29) and her German partner Jonas Sommer (30) have cycled through 13 countries on a mission to document all that they can about biodiversity conservation across Eurasia. After travelling 12,500 kilometres through Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Pakistan, Armenia and Nepal, the two ecologists found themselves in Mumbai this weekend. The couples Biking 4 Biodiversity project will see them cycle further east into Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia and finally Singapore over the next several months, but for now they are overwhelmed by the sensory onslaught of the city: the noise, heat, scents and crush of people in the street. (HT PHOTO)

The couples Biking 4 Biodiversity project will see them cycle further east into Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia and finally Singapore over the next several months, but for now they are overwhelmed by the sensory onslaught of the city: the noise, heat, scents and crush of people in the street.

We were not sure whether we would come to Mumbai since Indian cities are not very cycle-friendly, said Ollos. But soon after we arrived in India, we heard that Mumbai had a very large number of leopards in the heart of the city at Sanjay Gandhi National Park. We read that this was the highest density of leopards anywhere in the world, and this was one of the things that drew us here. We are actually being hosted by a cyclist who lives quite close to the park.

Although they have yet to spot one of Mumbais famous big cats, Ollos and Sommer said they were fortunate to get a guided tour of the Bombay Natural History Societys conservation education centre, near Film City in Goregaon East, which is contiguous with the leopards larger SGNP-Aarey habitat.

We have been to seven Indian states and seen some beautiful wildlife sanctuaries and national parks since February, but we were also keen to see this unique landscape, said Ollos. It challenges the kind of education we received as ecologists in Europe, where we are taught about urban areas and wild areas being two separate entities. A large carnivore living so close to humans is unimaginable in a metropolitan European city.

The two also drew strong parallels between Mumbais leopards and the crocodiles in the Vishwamitri river of Baroda, which they visited earlier this month. Several hundreds of these reptiles have learnt to adapt to challenging conditions, including untreated sewage and dumping of waste into their habitat. They are different species, but their fates are heavily dependent on the kind of conservation efforts that people, especially local communities, will decide to take in the future.

So even though leopards are thriving, we also know that their habitat is shrinking, said Sommer. More development is taking place within this area, and the limits of what is legal and what is not are being tested, which creates a precarious situation. Weve observed this predicament across India, be it in the conservation of tigers in Uttar Pradesh or lions in Gujarat.

In sum, the couples experiences in India have elicited mixed reactions as far as conservation science goes. I think the West has a lot to learn from Indians high tolerance and acceptance of wildlife, said Sommer. On the other hand, conservation education needs to be boosted, and environmental pollution is a real threat to biodiversity that is probably not taken very seriously. It is a bit heartbreaking to see cows on the street eating garbage.

The two also spoke about a key difference between their travels in Europe and South Asia: the issue of international cooperation. For example, while travelling in the West, they noticed that ecology and conservation projects were being implemented in tandem by multiple EU countries. But in Pakistan, not many experts know about wildlife conservation in India, and vice-versa, said Ollos.

Ollos added that they had met a scientist who was working on black buck conservation in Pakistan, who followed Indian news closely because there are black buck populations in Gujarat and Rajasthan. But because of the political situation, there can be no cooperation, she said. It was jarring to see the Indo-Pak border wall and think of how much natural species migration this division has impacted.

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Mumbai: A special POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) court on Friday sentenced a 28-year-old businessman to three years imprisonment for molesting a 13-year-old girl in June 2017 in Antop Hill. The girls father reported the incident to the police and based on his complaint an offence was registered against the accused. (File)

Also Read | Suspended Tamil Nadu officer convicted for sexual harassment, gets bail

According to the case registered with the Antop Hill police station, on the evening of June 26, 2017, the girl was coming back from a public toilet when the accused, who resided in the same area, caught her hand and touched her inappropriately. The girl returned home crying and narrated the incident to her mother, who later informed her father.

The girls father reported the incident to the police and based on his complaint an offence was registered against the accused. The father of the girl claimed that soon after his daughter narrated the incident to her mother, he went to confront the accused but could not find him. Hence, on the next day, he filed the complaint. The businessman was arrested on July 6, 2017, and was granted bail on July 20, 2017.

Also Read | Elderly Prayagraj woman alleges harassment by govt doctor, calls press conference

During the trial, the accused claimed that a false case was registered against him at the instance of the complainants cousin, who he claimed was his rival in business. The accused also pleaded that according to the prosecution, a few persons were present at the spot at the alleged time of the incident, but the prosecution failed to examine any of those independent witnesses in support of its case.

The court discarded the defence and accepted the prosecution version of the case, observing that it did not doubt the credibility of the girls evidence and therefore, her sole testimony was sufficient to prove the charge against the accused and independent corroboration was not necessary.

According to the accused, there was a dispute between him and the girls cousins brother which is not admitted by the girl. If at all there is any such dispute, then also the girls cousins brother would have filed a complaint against the accused. The girls father would not have dragged his minor daughter in criminal litigation due to the quarrel between the accused and his nephew, said the court while discarding the defence as improbable.
Mumbai: The Department of Higher and Technical Education has given its approval to the comprehensive plan submitted by the traditional universities in the state, allowing for the establishment of 146 new colleges this year on a permanent non-subsidy basis. Among these colleges, 20 will fall under the University of Mumbai (MU). HT Image

The universities presented proposals to the Department of Higher and Technical Education after considering various factors such as geographical conditions, local needs, research policies, and development criteria for urban, rural, and tribal areas. These proposals were part of the comprehensive plan sent to the state government for approval, which encompassed new courses, colleges, and units.

On Friday the government issued a government resolution (GR) about the approval of the college. According to the GR, the highest increase in college numbers is observed in SNDT University, with the addition of 34 new colleges. Mumbai University, on the other hand, has expanded the law department with approximately 600 new seats across 20 colleges. Additionally, 1,200 seats in the arts department, 1,500 seats in the commerce department, and 840 seats in the science department will be added for this years admissions. The approved colleges are scheduled to commence classes in June.

Currently, there are over 5,000 functioning colleges in the state, and the addition of more colleges is expected this year. The Higher and Technical Education Department has approved these colleges based on the terms and conditions outlined in the governments decision issued on June 15.

The government order provides detailed information on the universities and the specific colleges and units included in the approval. Traditional degree courses in Arts, Commerce, and Science have been recognised, along with three-year degree courses in law in select colleges. Self-financed courses such as BSc Hotel Management, BBA, and Home Science are also included in the approved curriculum.

New colleges under recognised universities

Mumbai University - 20

Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University - 12

Gondwana University, Gadchiroli - 5

Savitribai Phule Pune University - 22

Shivaji University, Kolhapur - 13

Kavayitri Bahinabai Chaudhari North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon - 8

Sant Gadgebaba Amravati University, Amravati - 15

Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded - 8

Smt. Nathibai Damodar Thakarsi Mahila University - 34

Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar University, Solapur - 5
Navi Mumbai: The Sakal Hindu Samaj (SHS), a right-wing organisation, on Saturday, staged a protest and a bandh in the developing node of Ulwe against the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited (CIDCO)s proposed allotment of a plot for a mosque. Hundreds of people participated in the Jan Akrosh Morcha against what the protestors termed Land Jihad. The protesters were raising Jai Shri Ram alogans and against CIDCO as shops in the way from Sector 4 to the CIDCO office downed shutters on Saturday. (Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO)

The protestors threatened to intensify their agitation and demolish the mosque when constructed if their demand of shifting the holy place is not accepted. They made their way from Sector 4 to the CIDCO office located in Sector 19 raising slogans of Jai Shri Ram and against CIDCO as shops in the area downed shutters.

Also Read | Main litigant in Varanasi's Gyanvapi mosque cases to withdraw after lack of resources, harassment

Ulwe has a majority of Hindu residents, with hardly a few Muslims. We cannot allow a mosque here. Why should we have to hear their Azaan calls from the loudspeaker every two hours? Hindus of castes have awakened and hence we have all united today to oppose the mosque plot, Rajendra Patil, a member of SHS, said.

CIDCOs plot offer is an appeasement policy towards the Muslim community and the residents of the area will not allow it, he said, adding, If MLA Mahesh Baldi wants to appease the Muslims, he can build a mosque in Uran. We condemn his action of supporting the allotment of the plot.

Also Read | 'Day not far when': Lawyer's big claim after Allahabad HC ruling on Varanasi's Gyanvapi mosque

We have filed a writ petition in the court against this plot offer. We will go to any length to ensure a mosque is not constructed, even taking the law into our hands. This is just a trailer now to send a strong message to CIDCO. If it does not cancel the allotment, we shall demolish the mosque, Patil said.

CIDCO has reportedly offered a plot in sector 19 on lease for a mosque to any local Project-affected persons (PAP) trust as per its policy of allotting plots for religious places of all communities in every node that it develops. Uran independent MLA Baldi, a BJP supporter, had in a meeting recently with CIDCO, asked for the plot to be issued for the community.

Baldi refused to comment on the matter.

Narendra Patil, BJP mathadi leader, who participated in the protest claimed that large-scale Land Jihad is taking place in Ulwe and a few anti-social elements are trying to spread their religion in that area.

It does not make sense to allot a plot for another community in a Hindu majority area. It can be given where that community is in majority, he added. The state chief minister, deputy chief minister and CIDCO should take serious note of this opposition and withdraw its order.

A delegation of the protestors met CIDCO officials and submitted their memorandum of demands. CIDCO refused to comment on the opposition to the plot proposal.

Meanwhile, a social worker on the condition of anonymity questioned how a particular community can be denied their right to worship. The court had in a similar case of Sanpada ruled that if there is even a single member of the community, he has the right to a place of worship. There are obviously hundreds of people of every community in Ulwe, he said, adding that in Sector 9A, Vashi, one can see a mosque, temple, church and Gurudwara in a single lane.

There are similar examples in other nodes also. There has never been a problem there or anywhere else in the city due to the places of worship, added the social worker.

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Efforts to combat climate change have led to a fledgling and unproven industry -- storing carbon dioxide emissions in the ground rather than letting them escape into the air, where they contribute to global warming.

Thousands of new miles of CO2 pipeline infrastructure is expected to be built in the U.S. as the country seeks to decarbonize many industries. There is less experience building, operating and living near CO2 lines compared to most other types of pipelines.

One major project in the works is Summit Carbon Solutions' $4.5 billion Midwest Carbon Express, a 2,000-mile-long pipeline to move CO2 emissions from more than 30 ethanol plants in five states to North Dakota's Oliver County for permanent storage underground. Summit hopes to be operational in 2024.

The project has sparked opposition from landowners, including many in northern Burleigh County, who have concerns about property values, stymied growth, insurance problems and personal safety. Letters submitted to state regulators from insurance companies, and the presence of other hazardous liquids pipelines in the Bismarck area, have furthered the debate over whether Summit's pipeline presents a dramatic change from what already exists.

Midwest Carbon Express

Summit is working to secure easements with landowners along the proposed Midwest Carbon Express route through Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota and North Dakota. The company stated in a recent analysis that it has secured easements for 71% of the proposed route in Emmons, Burleigh and Morton counties.

The proposed route goes just 2 miles outside of Bismarcks extraterritorial area at its closest point, sparking concerns that it will impede Bismarck's growth to the north and east, and cause problems for property owners and developers.

Burleigh County has passed ordinances related to hazardous liquids pipelines in response to the Summit debate. Burleigh and Bismarck commissioners, as well as the Bismarck-Mandan Home Builders Association, have called for moving the pipeline, or delaying it until federal regulators craft new rules for CO2 pipelines. A citizen group including two former Bismarck mayors has launched a petition drive to try to pressure elected officials to ensure the pipeline is safe.

Opponents point to a CO2 pipeline rupture that occurred in 2020 near Satartia, Mississippi, resulting in 45 people seeking hospital care.

Summit spokesman Jesse Harris told the Tribune the Satartia rupture occurred because operator Denbury Gulf Coast Pipelines violated regulations -- a claim reflected in federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration documents.

We are in many respects exceeding PHMSA regulations, Harris said, including burying the pipeline at least 4 feet deep, when federal regulations call for 3 feet. Some North Dakota opponents have questioned if 4 feet is deep enough to withstand North Dakota's freeze-and-thaw cycle.

The expansion of CO2 pipelines and the Satartia incident have prompted PHMSA to draft new regulations. The agency is expected to release proposed rules in October 2024, but it's unknown when they might be implemented.

No fatalities have been reported in relation to CO2 pipelines in the U.S. But experts say there are a number of uncertainties in regards to how CO2 spreads after a pipeline ruptures that don't exist for other materials often transported by pipeline.

Dispersion questions

CO2 is odorless, colorless and an asphyxiant that displaces oxygen, which can cause breathing problems along with hampering emergency responses because most vehicles require oxygen to run. Many other natural gases also are odorless but have smells added to them so leaks can be detected. There is no commercially available odorant for CO2 pipelines.

CO2 does not burn, but it is heavier than air, and once a rupture occurs it could spread near the ground undetected. There is no standard potential impact radius for a CO2 pipeline leak, according to Kenneth Clarkson, spokesman for the watchdog group Pipeline Safety Trust. Since the dissipation and dispersion of CO2 is dependent on geography, weather and atmospheric conditions, it has the potential to spread to a greater area than other types of gases, he said.

PHMSA requires pipeline companies to identify specific high-consequence areas where a leak could have the greatest impacts. Flaws in the operators dispersion study were cited as contributing factors to the damages in Satartia.

Harris said current regulations enable Summit to build and operate a safe CO2 pipeline.

Summit has conducted a dispersion study to determine the potential spread of a leak. The company has submitted it to state regulators at the Public Service Commission but asked that it remain protected, citing security risks. Challengers argue that the dispersion study is public health information and can be separated from details that could be used by bad actors. A PSC hearing to determine if the information will remain protected is set June 27 in the state Capitol's Pioneer Room.

Existing pipelines

Bismarck's long-term growth pattern is to the north and east -- on a collision course with the pipeline route, and alarming to a number of landowners and developers.

Summit and pipeline advocates point to the areas existing pipelines as assurance that Midwest Carbon Express will not present major threats to development, insurance or safety.

Bismarck has pipeline systems which run through city limits and its extraterritorial area carrying natural gas and other hazardous materials, according to the National Pipeline Mapping System Public Viewer. One natural gas pipeline system is in north Bismarck near Costco, Bismarck Motor Co., Heritage Reserve and other properties. The system also travels north to south on the western side of the city. Another carrying hazardous liquids such as gasoline and diesel fuel crosses the city closer to its center.

Summits lawyers have submitted to the PSC a document containing research by Boulder Appraisal on the marketability of homes near pipelines in the Bismarck area. The document argues that the existence of pipelines near a number of Bismarck-area properties exhibit little to no influence on homebuyers' choices.

Joe Hillerson, president of the Bismarck-Mandan Home Builders Association, told the Tribune that while the document is likely accurate regarding the areas current pipelines, he believes it does not take into account the potential differences that a CO2 pipeline may pose.

He said if the public views CO2 pipelines as dangerous, they will be reluctant to buy houses close to it.

Our lenders are not going to be very happy with us if were building in those areas and were not able to sell the product, Hillerson said.

Chad Moldenhauer is developing the Heritage Reserve housing development near a gas transmission pipeline system north of the city. Moldenhauer said he has been able to build near the pipeline system safely, but he believes that not enough is known about CO2 pipelines to ensure they too will be safe to develop near.

Down the road if I propose another addition to Heritage Reserve and the county isnt certain or has concerns that growing closer to the pipeline would potentially put people in that subdivision at risk, it puts my investment and that development at risk, he said.

Bismarck-area environmental attorney Derrick Braaten showed the Tribune an appraisal which indicates that pipeline leaks on a clients land in Montana have caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in stigma damages to the property. These are in part, but not limited to, leaks from a CO2 pipeline system.

The concerns hes got with the CO2 lines are similar to the concerns you've got with the other pipelines on the ranch, Braaten said.

He also noted that the CO2 pipeline system on his clients property uses material which he considers to be outdated and potentially contributing to the ruptures.

But whether or not a pipeline simply residing on a property stigmatizes the land can be dependent on the appraiser looking at it, he said.

Braaten relies on data from appraisers to determine land values in cases of eminent domain, in which a company goes to court against a reluctant landowner to obtain forced use of private property, with compensation. Pipeline companies do as well. Appraisers utilize market data but often can come to different conclusions, according to Braaten.

In most eminent domain cases and property valuation fights, basically were the two sides arguing with each other to the jury and we let the jury decide who they agree with, he said.

Numerous studies have been conducted to determine a relationship between pipelines and land value. Many studies cited in an analysis by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission indicate there is no relationship. Another report conducted by the Pipeline Safety Trust also finds no relationship but cautions against generalizing the data.

Since CO2 pipelines cover such a small amount of property, it is unclear whether they will have a different effect on property values, Braaten said. A better understanding will be available after likely eminent domain proceedings have concluded.

Insurance concerns

Landowners and developers also worry about insurance issues. Letters from State Farm, Farmers Union and Northern States Insurance Services agents that were submitted to the PSC all point to potential coverage and liability issues for property owners near CO2 pipelines.

None of the letters authors responded to Tribune requests for comments.

Harris, the spokesman for Summit, said insurance should not be a cause for concern to landowners or residents of Bismarck.

Landowners who currently hold property where existing pipelines are operating have always been able to get insurance and that will continue to be the case here, he said.

The letters all state that pollutants are excluded from the coverage for the policies in question. If a pollutant were to be released and cause damages, the companies likely would not cover it. The letter from Northern States Insurance Services and one from State Farm refer to CO2 as a pollutant. The initial Farmers Union letter as well as a separate State Farm letter do not directly indicate whether they share this definition. The latter State Farm letter explains that pollutants include but are not limited to any solid, liquid, gaseous, or thermal irritant. The letter classifies fuel oil as a pollutant, among a broader list of substances. None of the letters directly addresses if the policies consider natural gas a pollutant.

A follow-up letter submitted by Farmers Union to the PSC says that the company has not yet determined if it considers CO2 a pollutant. It also specifies that the company would generally cover damage to the pipeline itself resulting from negligence of the landowner, just not the damages caused by a release of pollutants. Farmers Union intends to treat CO2 pipelines like any other pipeline, according to the letter.

These types of exclusions are typical for homeowners policies as well as for farm and ranch policies, according to Paul Traynor, a law professor at the University of North Dakota who specializes in insurance law.

These insurance companies are not designed, nor do they have coverage that would extend to this type of risk, he said.

But this does not mean that there is no insurance for pollutants that pipelines carry. This type of risk is covered by insurance companies that specialize in it. Most large companies have this type of coverage, Traynor said.

If there were to be some sort of damage caused by pipeline dysfunction, landowners would be able to make a claim against the company that it is responsible for the damage caused. A small claim would likely be covered by the company itself, but a large one would be covered by an insurance company that covers pollutants. This likely would end up in court, according to Traynor.

They would have to deal with the pipeline company and perhaps even the pipeline companys liability insurer in order to collect for any kind of damage, he said.

Harris did not directly address Tribune questions of whether Summit has an insurance policy, who might insure the pipeline or what the policy would cover.

The initial Farmers Union letter advised the letters recipient to make sure that a third party seeking an easement on the recipient's property presents contractual language which specifically holds you harmless. This would be a guarantee that the company would claim responsibility for any damage that was caused as a result of the use of the landowner's property.

Harris said the company works hold-harmless clauses into easement agreements with landowners. He added that Summit would also cover landowners for any loss, damage, claim or action against them that they may incur resulting from the project.

Easement agreements submitted to the PSC show that this clause is present.

The only exception to that is gross negligence or willful misconduct, Harris said. So if you are intending to hit and breach the pipeline that would be an exception.

These exceptions are what is causing some to be concerned.

One of the State Farm letters states that even with hold-harmless agreements, there are still risks of landowners not being covered in the event of damages if it could be argued that they bear some responsibility.

For example, if you or your tenants or even someone without permission attempts to dig, plow, trench and pierces the pipeline causing a leak, the resulting damage may be argued to be your responsibility, the letter reads.

Harris said in the event that someone who was not the landowner caused damage, Summit would indemnify the landowner and hold the party that did the damage responsible.

If a landowners action on their land caused pollutants from the pipeline to be released, it may leave them legally liable and uninsured. Federal and state regulations are in place to avoid situations in which a landowner would unknowingly breach a pipeline, however, according to Traynor.

The risk, I guess, is always there, he said.
Chhattisgarh Congress legislator Anita Sharma on Friday called for unity to build a Hindu Rashtra and asked everyone to come forward to make it happen. (Representative Photo)

While addressing a gathering held in Raipur to mark the birth anniversary Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati on Friday, Sharma, an MLA from the Dharsiwa constituency, called for unity to build a Hindu Rashtra and appealed that all Hindus should come together for the cause. A video clip of the statement went viral on social media on Saturday.

All of us, wherever we areWe should pledge to make a Hindu Rashtra.. We should talk for the Hindus and it is only possible if all Hindus come together, the MLA said in the local Chhattisgarhi dialect at the event.

Congress party however refused to entertain her comment terming it as individual opinion.

Speaking to media persons, Chhattisgarh Congress communication head and spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla called her it a personal statement.

The Congress party stands with the Constitution. The Congress is firm on secularism that is mentioned in the great constitution drafted by leaders like Babasaheb Ambedkar, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, and Dr Rajendra Prasad, Shukla said.

Shukla further said that every person can have their own ideology and that the Congress party welcomes differences of opinion.

However, on Saturday Sharma said that her statement was misinterpreted and she was talking about the unity of all people who live in this country.

I am Gandhian and Gandhi ji has said that the hatred should be stopped  People from all religions are brothers  I was talking about the unity of all people who live in India For me the concept of Hindu Rashtra is the unity of all religions, said Sharma adding that politics is being done over her statement.

Reacting to Sharmas statement, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Kedar Gupta said that the Congress party has no right to speak about Hindu Rashtra and Ramrajya.

Uniform Civil Code is coming Will she support it?.. There is a difference between what Congress says and does, said Gupta.

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A forest officer patrolling the Similipal Tiger Reserve was allegedly shot dead by poachers late Friday night, officials said. Mati Hansdah, forester in Upper Barahakumuda range was killed by poachers (HT Photo/sourced)

Officials said Mati Hansdah, a tribal forester, along with other forest officials was patrolling near Gamchacharan beat camp in the Upper Barahakumuda range which is part of the core area of the 2,700 sq km Similipal Tiger Reserve of Mayurbhanj district.

Hansdah and other forest officials had intercepted a group of poachers inside the range at around 1.30am on Saturday and when they tried to seize the weapons, one of the poachers shot him, said officials.

Also Read: 3 killed, 10 injured after Delhi-bound bus collides with truck in Madhya Pradeshs Morena

The incident took place near Gamchacharan beat camp. The six-members forest team were patrolling when they came across a group of poachers. Our staff intercepted them and one of the poachers fired wounding Hansdah. He was rushed to Karanjia Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. We have registered a case in connection with the incident, said deputy director (Similipal north division) Sai Kiran.

This is the second such incident of a forest officer being killed by poachers in one month, officials said. On May 22 evening, forest guard Bimal Kumar Jena was shot by a group of 26 poachers inside the core area of the tiger reserve while the latter were carrying a live barking deer.

Last month, a tribal youth, who was allegedly part of a gang of poachers, was killed inside the tiger reserve when forest officials fired to scare them away. Though villagers alleged that the youth was herding buffaloes and had gone to the forest to search his livestock, forest officials claimed he was part of a gang of armed poachers.

Once known for housing over 100 tigers, Similipal has seen a drastic fall in their numbers. In the 2016 all-India estimation of tigers, the reserve was found to have 26 tigers. While the estimation of number of each tiger reserve in the country is expected by next month, officials said the number may have declined to 15 as it has turned into a hunting ground for poachers.

Similipal witnessed 11 elephant deaths since 2019 including, four in 2021-22. In December last year, three forest officials of the Similipal tiger reserve were arrested over the burning of a carcass of a tusker in the core area.

Also Read: Assam: Minor killed, 50 houses damaged as herd of elephants goes on rampage

On January 21, the decomposed carcass of an elephant with its tusks missing was found in Similipal reserve. On September 20, 2021, forest officials seized a leopard skin and arrested two suspected poachers from a hotel in Baripada town near the Similipal reserve.

A research paper published by former forest officials of the state, including former chief wildlife warden Harishankar Upadhyay in 2019 said that the low population of prey bases such as sambar, wild pig, barking deer, chital and mouse deer was a major factor in depleting tiger population of the reserve.

The research found that between 2011 and 2014, the prey base density was 4.3 animals per square km in the pre-monsoon season to 28.9 animals per square km in the post-monsoon season which was very low compared to other tiger reserves of India.
KANPUR Police have swung into action after the body of a man, cut into several pieces, was found in three bags near the residence of the commissioner of police, Kanpur, under Colonelgunj police station limits on Saturday morning. For representation only. (File photo)

As the bags had no blood stains, it is likely that they were kept in an open area late in the night, said police. The road along which the bag was left reaches Lal Imli on one side and CP residence on the other.

Sharing further details, joint commissioner of police, Anand Prakash Tiwari, said that the crime branch has taken over the investigation. Police are investigating the shocking case from several angles. Their priority is to ascertain the identity of the deceased as the face is not recognisable.

Police believe the victim was murdered somewhere else and his body parts were preserved before being dumped. Forensic experts have taken samples off the body. The postmortem examination will throw more light on the time of the death, added Tiwari.
At least one person has died, and over 2,700 people in 79 villages have been affected due to rain-related incidents in Meghalaya during the past 10 days, officials informed on Saturday. (HT Photo)

Following a red alert issued by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), executive director of the State Disaster Management Authority Matsiewdor War Nongbri informed on Saturday that a detailed meeting was held with the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to identify areas vulnerable to landslides.

Speaking to media persons here, Nongbri said the districts affected by natural calamities due to heavy rainfall, cyclone, lightning strike, landslide, mudslides and fire incidents include North Garo Hills, West Khasi Hills, East Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills, East Jaintia Hills, West Garo Hills, South West Garo Hills, Ri Bhoi.

Also Read: Meghalaya: 2 siblings, minors, killed in landslide in West Khasi Hills district

The number of villages affected is 79 and the population affected is 2,777, with one loss of human life and three animal deaths. And 186 houses were damaged, she said, adding that the information is based on first information reports (FIR) filed under the respective districts.

The official said a full assessment will be made by the deputy commissioners (DC) of the respective districts and based on that, a detailed report will be sent to the revenue department post which will then provide relief to the people as per the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms of 2022-2023, Nongbri added.

When asked, the executive director said this one death had occurred in the Ri Bhoi district. The person fell from the culvert and drowned. The locals recovered his body and handed it over to the police. An FIR has been lodged and we are yet to receive the full detailed report from the DC, she said.

Announcing that the Southwest monsoon has commenced in Meghalaya, Nongbri said, As of now, we have an average rainfall of 354.9mm. This is with effect from June 1 till date. This is as per IMD data. So far, all the districts have been kept on high alert. They have been instructed to take immediate and necessary actions whenever required. The districts have issued advisories to the general public to be alert and to be cautious.

She further informed that a red alert and warning have been issued by the IMD in three districts East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills.

Also Read: Cyclone Biparjoy: Rajasthan receives heavy rainfall; will intensify, says IMD

In the last two days, we have disseminated about 8.9 lakh alerts on the first day and 8.67 lakh alerts on the second day, she said while adding that alert notification is also being sent through the mobile Sachet App.

The IMD has also issued district-wise weather warning bulletins. As per the latest, on June 17 and 18, there will be heavy rainfall in South Garo Hills, East Garo Hills, South West Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills, she said.

Nongbri said that people have been advised to stay indoors and the district administrations have been asked to take necessary steps.

She also appealed to the people to download the Sachet App for updates and details of any upcoming weather conditions.

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LUCKNOW Despite a clarification issued by the Darul Uloom Deoband, the controversy over its circular that bans students from learning English continued to gather steam on Saturday. Circular has been misinterpreted, says the seminary. (HT File)

The prominent Islamic seminary went on to add that the row over the circular -- issued by Maulana Hussain Hardwari, its in-charge of education section -- has been misinterpreted and deliberately blown out of proportion.

Following notice by the U.P. Minorities Commission and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to the seminary, a senior leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) minority wing in west U.P. said that he would visit the seminary for a fact-check too. This visit is expected to prolong the age of the controversy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that he wanted Muslim students to have Quran in one hand and a laptop in the other. Its clear that the BJP is all for imparting modern education to enable a progressive attitude among madrasa students. However, going by what we hear, the seminarys attempts to stop students from studying any language are reprehensible. We will visit the seminary for a fact-check, said Javed Malik, BJPs minority wing in-charge in west Uttar Pradesh.

In his circular (a copy of which is available with HT), Hardwari restricted students from studying English while being enrolled at the institute and warned them that violation could lead to expulsion. We have summoned Deoband seminarys officials to the commissions Lucknow office on June 21, said Ashraf Saifi, the chairman of the states minority commission.

Priyank Kanoongo, the Delhi-based chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, told HT that he felt that Saharanpur administration officials havent acted firmly against the seminary. They are repeat offenders. In the past too, we had issued notices to them over fatwas. If only the Saharanpur administration acted a bit firmly (against the seminary), things would be different, said Kanoongo.

In a similar vein, U.P. minorities commission chairperson, Ashraf Saifi, told HT that he has written to the seminary through Dinesh Chandra, the district magistrate of Saharanpur. Repeated attempts to contact Chandra didnt materialise while Bharat Lal Gond, Saharanpurs district minorities officer, said he has not received any orders from the government so far to investigate the matter.

Meanwhile, Maulana S Rashidi, a spokesman for Deoband, criticised those, who according to him were spewing venom. A circular meant only for Deobands students has created a needless controversy. For the past 15 years, Deoband is running courses in English and Computers. This circular was only meant for students who receive free-of-cost education, stay, and medical facilities from Deoband. The issue/circular was for students who enroll with Deoband for studying Islamic jurisprudence. They usually enroll with some outside body for studying other subjects. Whats wrong with that, he asked.

A section of intellectuals is deliberately out to twist and tweak the entire issue. Only 2% students are enrolled in madrasas. The Constitution permits minorities to set up educational institutes based on language and religion. So, some ministers are making needless controversy. Such hatred-spewing acts appear to be part of the political discourse now, he added.

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The district administration has started a probe to check if the land allocated to various charitable institutions for educational, social, cultural and health purposes is being utilised appropriately. The district administration has started a probe to check if the land allocated to various charitable institutions for educational, social, cultural and health purposes is being utilised appropriately. (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

As many as 20 institutions have violated the terms and conditions, and a report has been sent to the state government on June 14. Action would be taken against such violators by either taking the land back or imposing heavy fines, officials dealing with the matter said.

Currently, there are 346 institutions in the district, which were allotted 1,574 acres of land on lease.

Officials said the violations are mainly related to non-renewal of the lease and not using it for the intended purpose, not initiating any construction within two years or leasing the property to another person without intimating the district collector.

The violations are mainly due to non-renewal of lease and not using the land for the intended purpose. These cases are more than four to five decades old and appropriate action is being taken by us. An action report taken against such violators has been sent to the state government, said Rajesh Deshmukh, Pune district collector.

Earlier, the district collector had the authority to issue notices and seek written explanations from such institutions after conducting a panchnama. But now all the rights have been withdrawn and centralised with the state government.

Deshmukh said, We are taking action as per norms and directions of the government.

The lands have been given by the state government through the district collectors office based on the right to possession or rental basis at nominal rates. It is the responsibility of the regional officers to ensure that the terms and conditions are not violated.

The revenue division in its separate order had even asked the officers to look into cases of violations independently, prepare a report and submit it to the government.

Since 1960, some of the grazing land has been handed over to some institutions for educational and other social purposes. There are at least 111 land parcels which have been given for educational purposes and several educational institutions are benefiting from these allocations.

According to the district administration, the land parcels were leased out to the institutions on various conditions and for different periods.
Police on Friday night have booked an industrialist for culpable homicide and rash driving after two women lost their lives in a collision involving a speeding Mercedes car with him at the wheel, officials said. The incident occurred on Thursday evening when the high-end car was traveling at high speed near Dapodi bus stop on the old Pune-Mumbai highway (HT PHOTO)

The incident occurred on Thursday evening when the high-end car was traveling at high speed near Dapodi bus stop on the old Pune-Mumbai highway, a busy thoroughfare known for heavy traffic. The car hit the two pedestrians crossing the road near the bus stop.

According to the police, Raju Ranka, 69, a resident of Savitribai Phule Pune University area, was driving the Mercedes car when the incident happened. Ranka, according to the police, runs a vehicle parts manufacturing unit in Bhosari.

The accident claimed the lives of Sushila Ghanashyam Palange, 69, of Shivram Nagar in Pimple Gurav and Rani Milind Gholap, 43, of Karjat in Raigad district. Police said that Rani is the niece of Sushila and had come to the city earlier this week to visit her aunt.

Local emergency services, including police and medical services, rushed to the scene immediately after receiving multiple distress calls. The victims were taken to the cantonment hospital but succumbed to injuries.

Pranita Rahul Kambale, 41, of Shivramnagar in Pimple Gurav and son of Sushila, filed a police complaint.

According to the complaint, on Thursday, Sushila and Rani went to Junnar to meet the formers brother-in-law and met with the accident while returning home.

In the incident, Ranka also sustained injuries and was undergoing medical treatment at a hospital. Due to the fatal accident, the accused suddenly faced high blood pressure issue, said police.

Balaji Jonapalle, sub-inspector, Bhosari police station, said, Prima facie it seems that the speeding Mercedes hit the duo crossing the road. We have booked the vehicle driver.

Bhaskar Jadhav, senior inspector, Bhosari police station said, The accused is admitted in hospital for his injuries. Based on the complaint filed by the relative of the deceased, we have registered a case.

Bhosari police station have lodged a case under Sections 304(a), 279, 338 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 184, 119/177 of the Motor Vehicles Act.

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Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has released the admit card for the post of Signal Candidates who will appear for the examination can download their hall tickets from the official website rect.crpf.gov.in. CRPF Signal Staff admit card out at rect.crpf.gov.in

Here's direct link to download signal staff exam admit card

The Signal staff in CRPF [Sub Inspector (Radio Operator/ Crypto/ Technical/Civil) & ASI (Technical/Draughtsman)-2023)] examination will be held from June 24 to June 26.

The recruitment process will consist of a written examination (Computer Based Test), Physical Standard Test (PST)/ Physical Efficiency Test (PET)/ Documents verification and Medical Test.

This recruitment drive will fill up 212 vacancies of Sub Inspector and Assistant Sub Inspector.

CRPF Signal Staff admit card 2023: Know how to download

Visit the official website at rect.crpf.gov.in

On the homepage, click on Signal Staff admit card link

Log in using your credentials

Check and download the admit card

Keep the hard copy of the same for future reference.
The Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE) has invited fresh applications for admission to the BArch in Architecture and the MBBS and BDS in Medical & Medical Allied courses. Candidates can submit their applications from the official website at cee.kerala.gov.in. KEAM 2023: Registration reopens for BArch/Medical & Medical Allied Courses

Candidates who have already registered for KEAM 2023 will also have the option of adding courses like architecture, medical, and allied courses. The deadline for the submission of the application form is June 23.

KEAM 2023: Know how to register

Visit the official website of KEAM at cee.kerala.gov.in

On the homepage click on the KEAM 2023 new registration

Register on the portal to generate credentials

Login with the credentials to fill out the application form

Upload all the required documents

Pay the application fee

Check all the details and submit the application form

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Actor Alia Bhatt has shared a string of pictures of herself as she reached Brazil to attend Netflix's Tudum 2023 event. Taking to Instagram, Alia posted the photos in which she wore a pink outfit. She called herself 'Barbie' as she gave different expressions. (Also Read | Alia Bhatt jets off to Brazil for Netflix event, shares happy pics in the cutest outfit) Alia Bhatt will make her Hollywood debut with Heart of Stone.

New pictures of Alia

In the first photo, a collage, Alia was seen smiling as she made a heart with her hand. She also gave goofy expressions for the camera. In the next picture, Alia looked sideways as she posed for the lens. The actor sat and later lay on her bed, with her eyes closed, in the next pictures.

Alia calls herself Barbie

For the photoshoot, Alia wore a pink top under an oversized blazer and matching pants. She also opted for black heels. Sharing the pictures, Alia wrote, "This Barbie is jet lagged (melting face emoji)." Reacting to the pictures, Ira Dubey commented, "This Barbie is magic." A fan called her 'Indian Hania Aamir'. A comment read, "Adorable lil munchkin." A person wrote, "Aint no Barbie better than you!" "Barbie doll of Bollywood," said another person.

Alia features in Gal's post

Alia also shared several pictures and clips on her Instagram Stories. She also shared a video clip posted by her Heart of Stone co-star Gal Gadot. The clip showed Gal, Alia and Jamie Dornan at the event. It also gave a peek at several behind-the-scenes moments of the actors. In the video, Alia spoke as Gal and Jamie smiled looking at her. Alia rested her head on Gal's shoulder as they posed for selfies. She also made a face as Gal recorded a video.

Alia also shared several pictures and clips on her Instagram Stories.

Sharing another clip of the actors at the event, Alia wrote, And that's a wrap on day 1..see you tomorrow Brazil (red heart emojis). For the event, Alia wore a grey blazer, trousers and heels. Gal was seen in a black dress under a blazer and heels while Jamie for a black T-shirt, white sweater, pants and sneakers.

Heart of Stone

Heart of Stone will mark Alia's Hollywood debut. On Friday, the film's team dropped the first look on social media. Taking to Instagram stories, Alia re-shared Netflix's post and wrote, "Let's goooo! #Heartofstone." She also tagged Gal Gadot. The film's trailer will be out on June 17. Helmed by Tom Harper, Heart of Stone also stars Sophie Okonedo, Matthias Schweighofer, Jing Lusi, and Paul Ready in addition to Gal, Jamie, and Alia. Heart of Stone will premiere exclusively on Netflix.

Alia in Brazil

The actor will attend the Netflix Tudum 2023 event in Sao Paulo from June 16 to June 18. She will participate as one of the cast members of Netflix's action film Heart of Stone,' which marks her Hollywood debut. Her co-stars Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan are also part of the talent line-up.

Alia will be next seen in Karan Johar's next directorial film Rocky aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani opposite Ranveer Singh. The film is all set to hit the theatres on July 28. It also stars Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi and Jaya Bachchan.

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Former North Dakota second lady Sandi Sanford has been elected to lead the state Republican Party.

Sanford, wife of former Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford, defeated incumbent party Chairman Perrie Schafer on Friday in Fargo, 29 votes to 28.

Sanford ran on a platform of "uniting the party and supporting the values espoused in the partys platform," the GOP said in a statement.

I have talked to the district chairs on several occasions," Sanford said. "They have been open about the improvements theyd like to see. I look forward to supporting these efforts by offering the resources, tools and training needed to continue to win Republican offices.

Sanford is a small business owner and farm operator, and has worked in the health care industry for the past 30 years. She has been active in state and federal politics for 26 years, lobbying Congress on behalf of the American Association of Respiratory Care and Medicare Reform Act, assisting in implementing smoking cessation programs, and co-founding the Watford City Human Trafficking Task Force.

Schafer did not immediately respond to a Tribune request for comment. He had been party chair the past two years.

Republicans dominate North Dakota politics. The party controls the state Senate 43-4 and the House of Representatives 82-12, and holds every statewide elected office and congressional seat.

But political observers have seen a fracture between ultraconservative and establishment Republicans in the state. It was evident in the censures of several GOP state lawmakers at district reorganization meetings throughout North Dakota in 2021. Some political observers linked the censures to an ultraconservative faction of the party.

Several North Dakota GOP leaders walked out of a party State Committee meeting in December 2021 in protest of Schafer having appointed eight temporary district chairs under a new law for reorganizing political parties in the wake of the Legislature's redistricting following the 2020 census.

The division between moderate and ultraconservative Republicans also was evident in the state Republican convention in 2022. Incumbent U.S. Sen. John Hoeven narrowly beat Rick Becker, then a state lawmaker and leader of the libertarian-leaning Bastiat Caucus, for the party endorsement.

Brent Sanford resigned in January after six years as lieutenant governor under Gov. Doug Burgum, citing a desire to return to the private sector. The former mayor of Watford City in April was announced as project manager of Bakken Global Recruitment of Oilfield Workers, or GROW, a new initiative to bring workers to the oil patch through immigration, focusing initially on Ukrainians.

The Sanford family lives in Bismarck.
Actors Karan Singh Grover and Bipasha Basu welcomed their daughter, Devi Basu Singh Grover, in November last year. And they have been busy looking after the seven-month-old ever since. On Fathers Day today, Karan, in his first interview after becoming a dad, recalls the first time he held his daughter. Since I am an extremely emotional guy, Id imagined that the moment I hold my daughter for the first time, Id burn my eyes out, crying. But when I held Devi, I felt something changed in me. That feeling is inexplicable. When we were pregnant, Id speak to Bipashas womb every day and say, Hi chota babu, Papa is here. I said that again when I held Devi for the first time and she opened her eyes. I did the first skin-to-skin with her, too. Karan Singh Grover with daughter Devi (Photo: Vivan Bhathena)

Though hes proud to call himself a hands-on dad, Karan admits that hes nowhere close to wife Bipasha in that department: I dont think any father can be as hands-on as a mother, because they definitely have more than two hands (laughs). Their potential is unfathomable. But yes, I try to do everything that I am capable of and become a better dad every day by understanding my babys needs, likes and dislikes.

(L-R) Karan Singh Grover, Bipasha Basu and Devi Basu Singh Grover (Photo: Instagram/bipashabasu)

For celebs parents, striking a balance between work and their babies could be arduous. Ask if its been a challenge for him, too, and Karan admits, Yes, time management is an issue for us, celebs, but its a little different for me. Being a dad takes a lot of my time and I enjoy that. Sometimes, if I have to take things slow on the work front, I dont mind that because I dont want to miss out on any of Devis firsts  her first crawl, her first wink, her first splash of water while bathing, etc. Having said that, I feel blessed to belong to a profession that allows me to do things at my own pace. So, I can choose to work one day and take an off the next day and be with my baby and Bipasha. A lot of people dont have that luxury, so I feel grateful.

Similarities between you and your daughter

She has my chin and she smiles like me. Also, she and I sleep in the same position. Bipasha calls it the fallen man position (laughs).

Favourite pastime with Devi

We have a playlist called Devis bath playlist. We play it when her bath is about to start. We also have music time in the day and I sing to her. She enjoys old songs from The Jungle Book, including The Bare Necessities and I Wanna Be like You. I dance for her while mumma moisturises her after bath.

(L-R) Karan Singh Grover, Bipasha Basu and Devi Basu Singh Grover (Photo: Instagram/bipashabasu)

How becoming a dad changed you?

I thought I knew everything about love, but having a baby girl made me understand love in unparalleled ways. In fact, now, I am also aware of my greatest fears, most importantly the fear of losing someone I love. As soon as she came to us, there was an overwhelming sense of purpose to protect both my girls - Bipasha and Devi.

How has she changed me as an artiste?

It has not just changed me as an actor but also as an artist (painter). The emotions I feel get translated into the art I create. During our pregnancy, I made a series of paintings. Its called the Devi series and its among my most special creations.

What does Devi mean to you?

I understand why its said that fathers are closer to their daughters. Devi is the physical manifestation of Bipasha and my love. She means everything to us. Shes our heart.
Kareena Kapoor has reacted to Alia Bhatt's recent pictures from Brazil. Taking to Instagram on Saturday, Alia shared a string of photos from Brazil where she will attend Netflix's Tudum 2023. The trailer of her Hollywood debut film Heart of Stone will be unveiled at the event. (Also Read | Alia Bhatt calls herself Barbie as she wears pink outfit in new pics, poses for selfie with Gal Gadot at Netflix event) Kareena Kapoor posted a comment on Alia Bhatt's recent post.

Alia's post

Before attending one of the events, Alia Bhatt took to social media and dropped several pictures in which she wore a pink outfit--a crop top, blazer and skirt. She called herself Barbie and gave different expressions and poses. "This Barbie is jet-lagged," Alia captioned the post.

Kareena reacts to Alia's post

Reacting to the post, actor Kareena Kapoor, who is Alia's sister-in-law, commented, "Why you the best? (heart emoji) cause you are ...." Alia's mother Soni Razdan posted pink heart emojis. "Netflix India wrote, "This Barbie is conquering hearts (of stone)." A fan wrote, "Aint no Barbie better than you!" A comment read, "This Barbie is stealing hearts." An Instagram user said, "Ready to slay in Hollywood now." "You look Barbie but inside Barbie queen," said another fan.

Kareena Kapoor is Alia Bhatt's sister-in-law,

Heart of Stone

Alia's Hollywood debut Heart of Stone will be out on Netflix on August 11. In an interview with Variety, Alia had earlier said, "It was my first Hollywood big English picture experience and I had quite a task at hand because I was shooting for the first time an action movie. But I'm also pregnant so there were so many layers for me to deal with. But they made it so seamless and so easy and so comfortable for me. It's something that I will never forget because of how beautifully and how well I was treated."

Helmed by Tom Harper, Heart of Stone is intended to be the first instalment in a series akin to Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible. The movie also stars Sophie Okonedo, Matthias Schweighofer, Jing Lusi, and Paul Ready in addition to Gal, Jamie, and Alia.

Kareena's projects

Kareena will be seen with Tabu and Kriti Sanon and Diljit Dosanjh in The Crew. The shoot of the film commenced last week. Helmed by Rajesh Krishnan, the film is a story of three women. It is touted as a laugh-riot, set against the backdrop of the struggling airline industry. She also has Sujoy Ghosh's next thriller film which is based on the book The Devotion Of Suspect X. It also stars Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat.

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The Archies gang is ready to unveil their film at the Netflix Tudum event in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Agastya Nanda all joined director Zoya Akhtar for the event, channelling their characters from the film. (Also read: Alia Bhatt poses for selfie with Gal Gadot at Netflix event) The Archies cast at the Tudum event in Sao Paulo. The trailer will release at 2am on June 18.

Netflix has partnered with Archie Comics for the 1960s-set film, a coming-of-age story that will introduce the teenagers of Riverdale to a new generation in India. The release date of the film has still not been announced. Zoya Akhtar is also producing The Archies along with Reema Kagti via their Tiger Baby banner.

Who wore what

The official page of Archies shared photos from the event on Saturday afternoon. It shows Zoya in a brown outfit, joined on stage by the kids. There is Suhana Khan in a plaid skirt and vest with a navy blazer. Khushi Kapoor wore a very Betty-style white blouse with high waisted plaid pants. She tied her hair in a ponytail like Betty. Agastya wore a yellow jumper and grey plaid pants, channeling inner Archie.

Also present were Aditi, Dot, Yuvraj Menda, Mihir Ahuja, Vedang Raina.

First performance out at 2am

The photos were shared on Instagram with the caption: We went from saying Hi to Haaye after seeing these adorable pictures of our favourite gang. Catch their FIRST PERFORMANCE EVER at 2:00 AM IST, only at the #TUDUM global fan fest, streaming LIVE from Brazil on June 18 on @netflix_ins YouTube channel.

It is not known what this first performance will be and if the trailer will even be unveiled.

About Tudum

The convention event will be held from June 16 to 18 in Sao Paulo. Featuring over 2000 square meters of activities, games, live music, and more, the convention will also give attendees the chance to see their favourite stars up close. The live stream will be broadcast around the world on June 17.

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Early on in Andy Muschietti's The Flash, a solemn Bruce Wayne aka Batman tells Barry Allen aka Flash, These scars are what have made us who we are. You don't want to change them. Take that from someone who's always lived in the past. Ezra Miller's The Flash serves as a great piece of caution against Marvel's obsession with multiverse storytelling

Ben Affleck, in possibly his last appearance as Bruce Wayne, has a deep sadness in his eyes as he admits that he feels alone. The moment hits Batman fans even harder, knowing that Affleck has hung up his Batsuit.

Barry (Ezra Miller), however, pays little heed to the DC veteran and runs so fast that he ends up back in time when he can save his mother's life. When he tries to go back, he ends up in an alternate dimension of his reality where his parents are alive. He encounters the 18-year-old version of himself. For lack of confusion, let's call that version Marvel.

Marvel vs DC

Marvel is an exuberant yet entitled brat who's always been given everything on a platter, including the tidying up of his apartment. Marvel just follows whatever DC (yes, that's the OG Barry Allen) asks him to do. DC is trying to save the world here, whereas Marvel just wants to lap up all the fun in an adventure whose consequences he has no clue about.

When their newfound allies die in the battlefield, Marvel insists they go back in time to keep them alive, just like how DC prevented his mom's death. But they end up tiring themselves out, as their allies keep dying even in the alternate dimensions. It's then that DC tells Marvel what Bruce Wayne had been stressing on all this while, The scars are what make us. And for that, one must come to terms with their grief instead of always trying to change the past, and in turn, themselves. This world is supposed to get destroyed. Don't try to stop it.

Marvel's obsession with the multiverse

Marvel, the studio, not the 18YO now, has relied entirely on multiverse storytelling while building its Phase 3, 4 and the upcoming 5. The three phases come under the umbrella of the Multiverse Saga. Trust me, it was quite a moment to watch all the Spidey-Boys, Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield and Toby Maguire, in action side-by-side. And watching Willem Dafoe as Green Goblin, Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus and Tom Hardy as Venom pop up was as much of a hoot.

But the mumbo-jumbo of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the saturated CGI of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania have made the whole new lease of life in the MCU feel circuitous and frustrating. Even Loki was pushed through these multiverse motions at the hands of the Time Variance Authority in the Disney+ series. Ms. Marvel attempted time travel too, and the teaser of The Marvels shows no signs of slowing down as far as multiverse and time travel is concerned. Even the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is being followed up with two sequels that are more about the Spider-Verse than Spider-Man.

Marvel should thus take a cue from The Flash and make a note that while playing around with time and space will give it enough shots at franchise building and inserting cheap-thrill cameos, it won't be able to do so as organically as it did till Phase 3. It's great planning and writing to build 10 years of franchises with different branches and organically lead them up to a culmination. And it's quite lazy to go back in time and retrofit plot twists for the sake of furthering a plot.

It's exactly why there's grace and true emotion in watching Tony Stark breathe his last. Or to see Wanda let go of her 1960s American sitcom make-believe world with Vision and their two kids. Or to see Guardians of the Galaxy slug it out to save their friend Rocket in the third part. Or going back in time, as Marvel often tends to do, having Uncle Ben from Spider-Man utter his last words, a mantra Marvel can learn to live by.

Why so serious, DC? Why so superficial, Marvel?

Ever since Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight franchise, DC has been painted in dark colours. Only titles like Shazam! and The Suicide Squad have managed to infuse it with colours. On the other hand, Marvel has not shied away from making the most forlorn of characters blurt wisecracks in quick succession.

When Barry lands up in that alternate dimension in The Flash, we see a Batman that's more Marvel than DC. Michael Keaton, who played the craped crusader in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), is introduced in this film with silver locks and beard, performing silly karate on a table and gobbling down spaghetti like a bored, clumsy old man. It's how Batman would be after the passing of his loyal butler Alfred. It's how Batman was pre-Nolanaissance.

When Barry makes him dust off the Batsuit and Batmobile, he finds a renewed purpose. He's neither the brooding Batman that Nolan championed, nor Robert Pattinson's Batman whose quest for vengeance is rather too fresh; neither Affleck's Batman ready to retire nor George Clooney's Batman whose only recall value is its meme potential. On his death bed, Keaton's Batman tells Barry when he's trying to save him, Not this time. But we can bring you back. You already did.

That's exactly the scene Marvel must be watching and taking notes on. Here's a DC veteran telling you it's okay to let a dead man die, as long as he's lived a full life. Because if you think you can meddle with time, and throw spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks, you may just lose the Affleck Batman for the Clooney one.

That's not awfully PC.
Actor couple Apurva Agnihotri and Shilpa Agnihotri were blessed with a daughter, Ishaani, in December last year, 18 years after their marriage. Calling himself very laid back in life, Apurva admits how after the birth of their first child, things have just turned around. Ishaani is the most important thing in our lives, like the nucleus, gushes Apurva, excited for his first Fathers Day as one himself. Apurva Agnihotri on Fathers Day

I plan to take her out somewhere. We probably will have a small get together with our friends as its my and also first Fathers Day. Im quite happy and looking forward to making this milestone special, he says, expressing that one wish he wants to see come true when his daughter grows up. I want her to learn how to ride a motorcycle. I love motorbikes and I hope she takes it on. We will go out every Fathers Day on our bikes and have a good breakfast, quips the 50-year-old.

Given that both Apurva and Shilpa are in a profession that can get very demanding, he feels lucky to be working on something that allows him to stay close to his daughter.

We (Shilpa and I) recently started our YouTube channel and our first thought was that whatever we do for the next couple of years, we would prefer to have Ishaani around us. And having YouTube as our medium for work, we get enough time to spend with her and we can do everything being at home, without going out anywhere and just be with her, says the actor, adding that whenever there is a work commitment that requires them to go out, they make sure their daughter travels with them.

In fact, Shilpa had to recently shoot for a show and she told the unit that she cant leave behind our daughter and they instantly accommodated the request, he shares, and reveals that in his case, he had to turn down a show.

A couple of months ago, there was a daily soap which had to be shot in Punjab. The requirement was to settle down there because the story was based on the characters of a Punjabi. But, I had to say no, and I told them very clearly that I cant leave my daughter, the actor tells us.

Here, Apurva notes that its not easy to take such decisions, especially when the money being offered is good. This is exactly the reason why we started our channel. As of today, if somebody asks me to leave Mumbai, I will not be able to do that, especially not for a long duration because I know my daughter needs me, he ends.
A 19-year-old youth was arrested from Bihar for allegedly creating a fake social media profile and sending vulgar messages and morphed photos of a woman to her fiance and family, police said on Saturday. During the investigation, it was found that Shubham Kumar created the fake id and allegedly sent them the messages. (Stock Pic)

The accused has been identified as Shubham Kumar, a resident of Makar Saran in Bihar, they said.

On March 20, a woman filed a complaint here alleging that her finance and family members received her morphed photos and vulgar messages from a fake social media id which led to their engagement being called off, a senior police officer said.

During the investigation, it was found that Shubham Kumar created the fake id and allegedly sent them the messages.

He was apprehended from Muzaffarpur, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) M Harsh Vardhan said.

Kumar said he is in a relationship with the woman's sister-in-law who, due to some family reasons, asked him to ensure the engagement is cancelled, police said.

In order to defame her, he created the fake id and sent vulgar messages and morphed photos of the complainant to her fiance.

Objectionable material has been recovered from his mobile phone, and investigation is being carried out to corroborate the claims about the sister-in-law, the DCP said.

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For two whole weeks in the small by-lanes of the village of Naharpada, 10 kilometres away from the bustling city of Cuttack, the conversation has not shifted. At the playground, at tea stalls, on the kerb as people sit and whisper, there is one constant question. Was Gunanidhi Mohanty going too fast? There is only one home, its walls bright pink, its occupants worried and angry, where that question is neither asked, nor answered. NDRF personnel during a rescue operation after three trains that collided with each other in Odisha's Balasore

Also read: Weeks before Odisha train tragedy, Railway Board warned all zonal heads against alarming incidents

Everyone in the village thinks my son is responsible for the accident. But he has been piloting trains for the past 27 years, and had never, ever, made a mistake. How do I know what happened that evening? I have not even spoken to my son. I have only been waiting for him to come home, says an irate 80-year-old Bishnu Charan Mohanty.

On June 2, Gunanidhi Mohanty was piloting the Coromandel Express, from Kharagpur to Bhubaneswar, when at Bahanaga Bazaar in Balasore, the train switched to a loop line where there was a stationary goods train, colliding into it. The impact derailed several compartments, some of which strayed onto the path of the onrushing Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express, that crashed into them.

In a matter of seconds, just before 7pm, Gunanidhi had become part of Indias worst rail accident for three decades, leaving 291 dead, and over 1,100 injured. One of the injured is Gunanidhi himself, admitted to the AMRI hospital in Bhubaneswar with three broken ribs, and head injuries. Since then, former army man Bishnu Charan has waited for his son to return.

Two days after the accident, Ranjit Mohanty, Gunanidhis younger brother, visited the hospital to meet his brother. His interaction was fleeting. They did not allow any mobile phone in the ICU. The doctors said in the impact of the accident, some blood had become congealed inside his chest. He was in deep pain and unable to speak. Though my sister-in-law was there, I am not sure if they allowed her much access either, he said.

Gunanidhis elder brother Sanjay Mohanty, a lawyer at a local court, too went on the same day. He was in ICU then. But after that we have not been allowed to meet him, he said.

Gunanidhi was released by the hospital, four days ago,a doctor working in the medical department of the East Coast Railwaysaid. But his father and brother still say they dont know where he is.

Nobody has told us anything about my brother. I think he is still in hospital. But I am not sure, Ranjit said.

The public relations officer of East Coast Railway, where Gunanidhi is employed ,refused to divulge any details about his health condition. Health is a private issue and we cant comment on that. Besides, two probes (by CRS and CBI) are continuing. So we will not be able to comment, said Vikas Kumar, PRO of East Coast Railway.

A senior official of AMRI hospital said both the loco pilot and the assistant loco pilot were discharged 4-5 days ago.

To be sure, Gunanidhi is not one of the five railways officials that are being questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)  the agency began probing the incident on June 6  or the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) for suspected dereliction of duty.

It is not usual for a family to be kept away from an injured member, especially if there are no legal or medical reasons to do so. While the investigation into the train accident needs to be water-tight, transparency is crucial. Against this backdrop, the limits on Mohantys family are perplexing.

Sanjay said he was convinced his brother had no role to play in the accident. He joined as a goods train driver in 1996, and started piloting passenger trains a few years ago. Everyone thinks the accident happened due to my brothers mistake while the truth is that a loco pilot has little control on which track the train would run. This is something he would tell us often. Its the duty of the on-duty station master who allows a particular train to travel on that line. In any case, Coromandel Express was permitted to travel at 130km per hour on that section while the actual speed was 128km per hour, he said.

Also read: Odisha train accident: Shrieks, screams ensued as Coromandel Express crashed. Video

A day after the train tragedy, Railway Board member of Operation and Business Development, Jaya Varma Sinha told reporters that she had spoken to the driver and he confirmed that the signal was green. Green signal means that in every way the driver knows that his path ahead is clear and he can go forward with his permitted maximum speed. The permitted speed at this section was 130kmph and he was running his train at 128kmph which we have confirmed from loco logs. He neither had passed when the signal was red, nor was over-speeding, Sinha had said.

For his father and brothers, despite the murmurs in Naharpada all around them, the question of his innocence has long been answered. We just want to see him, and hug him. People may view him as guilty of an accident unfairly. But he is our family, and I only want to look at him alive and well. Maybe after that, he will tell us what happened, his father said.

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In a setback to Ariha Shah's parents, Berlin's Pankow local court has granted the baby's custody to the German state while rejecting the parents' contention that the injury sustained by their child was accidental. The court, justifying its June 13 verdict, reportedly stated that the best interests of the child are at risk. Dhara and Bhavesh Shah with Ariah.

The court rejected the application of Dhara and Bhavesh Shah to return the child to them directly or at least hand her over to a third party, the Indian Welfare Services and awarded Arihas custody to Jugendamt and ruled that the parents are no longer authorised to decide on the whereabouts of their child, The Indian Express reported.

What's the Ariha Shah case?

In 2018, Bhavesh Shah and Dhara Shah, the couple from Mumbai, travelled to Germany for the job. During their stay, they welcomed a baby girl Ariha. One day while Ariha was playing, she accidentally fell and sustained an injury in her private area.

The child was taken to a local hospital where she received immediate medical attention. Subsequently, Bhavesh and Dhara Shah were summoned by the hospital authorities.

Upon examining the child's injuries, suspicions arose of potential sexual assault. The parents claimed that Ariha was accidentally hurt by her grandmother.

Ariha was placed in the custody of Germany's Youth Welfare Office (Jugendamt) on September 23, 2021, after the baby, who was seven months old then. She has been in foster care since then.

The German authorities placed the child under foster care alleging that her Indian parents harassed her.

India had urged Germany to send back the two-year-old Indian girl who has been in its foster case system for more than 20 months.

MEA's statement on Ariha Shah

At a media briefing on June 3, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Ariha's continued stay in the German foster care and infringement of her social, cultural and linguistic rights are of deep concern to the government of India and the parents.

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde wrote to external affairs minister S Jaishankar seeking his assistance in bringing Ariha back home.

"We would like to reiterate that Ariha Shah is an Indian national and her nationality and socio-cultural background is the most important determinant of where her foster care is to be provided," Bagchi had said.

"We urge German authorities to do all that is necessary to send Ariha to India at the earliest, which is also her inalienable right as an Indian national. We remain committed to ensuring the return of Ariha Shah to India," he said.

In a statement, Ariha's parents expressed their faith in the Indian government and said they have confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jaishankar will work towards bringing Ariha back to India, India Today reported.

"From today, we hand over Ariha to 140 crore Bhartiyas," the parents said in the statement after the verdict.

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Amid a fresh spurt of violence in strife-ridden Manipur, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday came down heavily on the BJP-led central and state governments asserting that the prime minister is not willing to talk to the people while the chief minister has lost the confidence of all sections of society in the northeastern state. Flames and smoke billow out after an old warehouse owned by a retired bureaucrat set ablaze amid violence in Manipur, Friday, June 16, 2023.(PTI)

The double-engine government is failing the people of Manipur. One engine (the state) has run out of fuel. The other engine (the centre) has decoupled itself and is hiding in the loco shed, Chidambaram said in a tweet, taking a swipe at BJP's oft-used metaphor for being in power both at the Centre and in the state.

The sharp escalation in violence saw a mob of around 50 people burnt down the house of Union minister of state for external affairs, RK Ranjan Singh, in Manipurs capital on Thursday night. The next day a mob clashed with Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel after it had set the warehouse afire. The group also burnt tyres, logs and waste in the middle of streets in Wangkhei, Porompat and Thangapat areas affecting the flow of traffic in Imphal.

It is obvious that Mr Biren Singh has lost the confidence of all sections of the people of Manipur. It is also obvious that Mr Narendra Modi is not willing to talk to the people of Manipur nor even make an appeal for peace, Chidambaram said.

Since May 3 -- that is in the last 45 days -- the Hon'ble Prime Minister has not uttered a word on Manipur; nor visited the state that is burning. This is the Government that boasts of 'Sabka Saath......', he added.

Clashes between the majority Meitei community and the tribal Kuki community first erupted on May 3 over a court-proposed tweak to the states reservation matrix, granting scheduled tribe (ST) status to the former. A total of 115 people have lost their lives since then and more than 300 have been injured. In a state where ethnic fault lines run deep, tens of thousands of people were displaced as they fled burning homes and neighbourhoods into jungles, often across state borders.

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Emerging details about a possible small Canadian nuclear reactor near the North Dakota border has perked interest in the state. The overall reaction has been positive, though few details are available.

Its possible that SaskPower will build the plant across the border from the Divide County town of Noonan in northwest North Dakota. SaskPower is considering sites in the Estevan region and near Elbow, which is about an hour northwest of Regina, for a small modular reactor.

If the company proceeds with plans for the reactor it will be years before its in service. Site selection wont be finalized until the end of next year. Licensing will take until 2029 to complete, and the reactor wont be operating until the mid-2030s. Its possible an additional reactor could be added after the initial project wins approval.

This countrys interest in nuclear power cooled after the partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant in Pennsylvania on March 28, 1979. However, many younger Americans arent aware of the accident, and interest in nuclear power has been growing.

Oregon-based NuScale Power has plans to build a small modular nuclear reactor in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Plans are being developed to build another reactor near Kemmerer, Wyoming, to replace an aging coal plant. Ohio, Texas and Washington state also are considering small reactors.

One of the interim studies by the North Dakota Legislature involves the feasibility of advanced nuclear energy development and transmission in the state. The North Dakota Public Service Commission has discussed small modular reactors in the past with no action taken.

Victor Schock, director of public utilities at the PSC, said the state would like to have a cost-effective, developed technology ready to use instead of trying something new. Theres also the issue of storage of spent nuclear fuel, which can be costly.

State officials have been involved in discussions about nuclear power in conferences and meetings across the country. Its an appealing option to aging coal plants, which have been the target of clean energy advocates.

Many of the workforce skills at coal plants can be adjusted to nuclear plants. One of the major reasons coal country clings to coal plants relates to jobs. The coal industry has made the area one of the healthiest economic places in the state.

If a possible nuclear reactor near the Canada border prompts a discussion about nuclear power in North Dakota thats good. The state cant expect to depend on coal and oil forever. The legislative study provides an opportunity for state officials to delve into the nuclear possibilities.

The public needs to know the pros and cons of nuclear power in North Dakota. Its unknown if the state will be able to tap into the future power generated by the Canadian reactor. Still, the state can learn from Canada as it develops the reactor.

Theres a future for nuclear power. The question is whether North Dakota will be part of it.
Two more people were injured in clashes between security forces and miscreants in Imphal late on Friday night, with attacks on the residences of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and party offices, as the Manipur administration struggled to put a lid on the ethnic violence that has roiled the state for well over a month. The attacks came a day after an irate mob set fire to the Imphal residence of Union minister of state for external affairs RK Ranjan Singh, the second time it was attacked in less than a month. Tyres set on fire by miscreants in Imphal East district, Manipur, on Friday night. (PTI)

Also Read | Manipur violence: Assaulted, houses torched - how politicians are targeted amid ethnic clashes

Senior police officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that mobs in Imphal tried to attack the residence of Manipur BJP president A Sharda Devi in Porompat, but were repelled by personnel of the army, paramilitary forces and Rapid Action Force. Vandals targeted the BJP offices in Singjamei and Thongju, also in Imphal East. While the attempt in Singmajei was foiled, there was damage to the BJPs Thongju office.

Also Read | Urgent attention: Ex-Indian Army chief on retired officer's like in Syria tweet over Manipur

There was also an attempt to loot arms from the Iringbam police station in Imphal West on Friday night that was also prevented by security forces. In all of these incidents, two people have been injured in Imphal, a senior police officer said.

On Friday, Union minister RK Ranjan Singh, shocked by the arson in his home, had admitted to a total failure of law and order in Manipur.

The existing (state) government hasnt been able to maintain peace despite the central government sending a lot of protection, Ranjan said. In the violence on Thursday night, two protesters and one Rapid Action Force personnel were injured.

Also Read | As violence spirals in Manipur, Congress jabs BJP: Obvious that Modi is not

Meanwhile, a sedition case has been registered against a state politician for writing an opinion piece in an Imphal-based newspaper accusing the Assam Rifles of being responsible for the present crisis.The case against Jagat Thoudam, an adviser to a political outfit called Indigenous Peoples Front of Manipur (IPFM), on charges of sedition and promoting enmity between different groups was lodged on June 12 in Imphal West district by Inspector General, Assam Rifles (South).

From the beginning of May, Manipur has been in the throes of ethnic clashes, triggered by an order by the Manipur high court that had recommended to the government that the Meiteis, the dominant community in Manipur with 53% of the population, be included in the scheduled tribe list. This caused protests among the tribal population, particularly the Kukis, and tensions led to clashes that were first concentrated in Meitei dominated Imphal Valley and districts in the hills like Churachandpur that have a heavy tribal population, but soon spread across the state.

In three violent days between May 3 and 6, there was a wave of attacks and arson with people fleeing from their homes, and the army called in to control the situation. Since then, however, in a sign of the simmering tension within, sporadic violence has continued, with 115 dead, over 310 injured, and over 40,000 displaced from their homes.

A feature of the violence that has besieged the state, symbolic of the complete breakdown of law and order, is a series of attacks on the homes of politicians. On Wednesday, the official residence of Nemcha Kipgen, a cabinet minister in the N Biren Singh government in Manipur was burned down by unidentified miscreants. Kipgen, the BJP MLA from Kangpokpi, is the industry minister of the state and the only woman in the Manipur cabinet.

On May 4, BJP MLA Vungzagin Valte was injured in an attack by a mob in Imphal, and is currently undergoing treatment in Delhi. On May 24, BJP MLA and cabinet minister Govindas Konthoujams house was vandalised by a mob in Imphal and a day later another mob tried to attack the residence of another state minister, T Biswajit Singh, in Imphal.

On May 28, miscreants vandalised the home of BJP MLA K Raghumani Singh in Lamphel in Imphal West and on June 9, two motorcycle-borne youths hurled a grenade on the residence of BJP MLA Soraisam Kebi.

Separately, the Manipur government is planning to resume normal classes for all schools in the state from June 21, L Nandakumar Singh, director, state governments department of education (schools), said on Saturday.

Normal classes for all the schools in the state will resume from the June 21,2023. In this regard, all Zonal Education Officers under the department of education  Schools, Manipur are hereby directed to take up necessary actions accordingly, said an order issued by the department.

Schools were shut on May 4 in view of the law and order situation in the state, and summer vacations were announced from May 4 to May 30 by the states education minister Thounaojam Basantakumar Singh. The government then extended the break till June 19.

Manipur has around 1,110 schools, according to the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur. Of these, the central armed police personnel have occupied around 100 schools, officials said.

Meanwhile, leaders of 10 like-minded political parties  Congress, JD(U), CPI, CPI(M), Trinamool Congress, AAP, All India Forward Bloc, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and Revolutionary Socialist Party  held a joint press conference in Delhi, and said that they were waiting for an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi since the last week.

Congress MLA and former assembly speaker Th Lokeshwar, who represents Khundrakpam assembly, said, We are still hopeful that (PM) he will meet us before his visit abroad. Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to leave for an official visit to the US on June 21. He will later travel to Egypt.

The violence in the state of Manipur shows no signs of stopping. Innocent people are being killed, essential commodities are unavailable, and there is no internet, resulting in widespread suffering. We, leaders of 10 like-minded political parties, have arrived in Delhi to secure an appointment with PM Modi, BUT he appears unconcerned about the issues plaguing Manipur, the Congresss Manipur unit president Meghachandra K said.

There were no reactions from the BJP on the latest incidents of violence.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Utpal Parashar Utpal is a Senior Assistant Editor based in Guwahati. He covers seven states of North-East India and heads the editorial team for the region. He was previously based in Kathmandu, Dehradun and Delhi with Hindustan Times. ...view detail
Coastal towns of Gujarat that were in the trajectory of cyclone Biparjoy began returning to normal life on Saturday, with businesses reopening and people back on the streets, a little over 48 hours after the storm tore through with winds of up to 140km/hr, a recovery that Union home minister Amit Shah lauded as a major achievement. Union home minister Amit Shah meets NDRF personnel in Gujarat on Saturday. (ANI)

Shah surveyed the affected regions, including Jakhau and Mandvi, and said the lack of any fatalities was a testament to coordinated efforts of central and state personnel.

Also Read | Cyclone Biparjoy: Rajasthan receives heavy rainfall; will intensify, says IMD

At a press conference later, the minister said 108,208 civilians were moved to safety, 760 babies were delivered under the supervision of medical teams, and 73,000 animals were relocated to secure locations in a mammoth preparation for the storm that arrived as a very severe cyclonic storm.

It is a matter of deep satisfaction for us that the cyclone that landed on the coast at a speed of 140 kilometres per hour could not claim a single human life. I congratulate the Gujarat government right from the chief minister to the panchayats and the chief secretary for this remarkable feat, he said.

Also Read | Delhi gets rain relief due to cyclone Biparjoy; these states are next. List here

In Bhuj city, shops reopened for the first time since the cyclone hit and an increasing number of neighbourhoods had power supply restored.

Shah said out of 3,400 villages with power cuts, 1,600 had supply restored and the rest will be covered by June 20. Currently, 1,133 teams are working on electricity restoration, with 413 more teams joining on Sunday, Shah added.

The cyclone made landfall at Jakhau, where the ports remained largely unscathed but some boats  the most crucial source of income for fishermen communities  were left unmoored or flooded with water.

Manorama Mohanty, director of India Metrological Department Ahmedabad, confirmed that the landfall occurred approximately 10 kilometres north of Jakhau port, with wind speeds reaching a maximum of 130-140 kmph.

While no one was known to have been killed following the landfall around 6.30pm on Thursday, the strong winds and heavy rains that began days ago claimed the lives of two people on Wednesday.

Fortunately, the cyclone has not caused significant harm to our jetty operations in Jakhau. However, a thorough assessment is yet to be conducted regarding the impact on the salt production, said Vinod Joshi, port officer at GML, which operates a jetty in Jakhau.

Boats secured in the fishing harbour remained secured but some of those outside had been flung from the water channel to the embankments.

These boats provide us with our livelihood, enabling us to earn a monthly income of 10,000-15,000 after accounting for all expenses, said 60-year-old fisherman Harun Vagher, who was removing water from his displaced boat at the time.

Some communities and settlements remained flooded on Saturday while a historic bridge along the Naliya-Bhuj highway, a lifeline for villagers around it, collapsed.

The Prime Minister and the chief minister were closely involved in supervising the preparations.

The Gujarat government ensured that the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) guidelines were followed in letter and spirit by deploying state and central ministers, MPs, MLAs, and senior officials in every tehsil and one secretary in every district and activating all the departments. Only 47 persons were injured and none of these injuries are grievous enough to cause permanent disability. Till now 234 animal lives were lost, Shah said.

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Bharatiya Janata Party national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Saturday hit out at the Congress for criticising the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) Society. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla (ANI)

"The Congress is a Family Ltd Company, a Family Ltd Enterprise. If respect is given to PMs HD Deve Gowda, Inder Kumar Gujral, Charan Singh, Chandrashekhar and others who contributed to this nation but did not have the fortune of belonging to one family, if their contribution is celebrated in a museum why is it a dictatorial attitude?"

If you name 700 schemes, 50 roads, airports, institutions after one person then it's fine The Congress party because it has a mindset of just doing Parivaar Ki Bhakti cannot even allow the contributions of various other prime ministers to be celebrated," he added.

Poonawalla's comments come a day after opposition parties, especially the Congress, slammed the Centre over the renaming of the museum.

ALSO READ | Political slugfest erupts over Nehru Memorial renaming

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Pettiness & vengeance, thy name is Modi.

"What wont Mr. Modi do to distort, disparage and destroy the name & legacy of the architect of the Indian nation-state? A small, small man overburdened by his insecurities is the self-styled Vishwaguru, he said.

Meanwhile, Communist Party of India leader D Raja said it was part of the attempts of the BJPs ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), to rewrite the countrys history.

The people of India know that the RSS had no contribution to the Indian [national] movement, he said. This is an attempt by them to rewrite the countrys history and insert themselves into the narrative, he said.

ALSO READ | Congress seethes at PM Modi as Nehru Memorial Museum Society renamed

Announcing its decision to rename the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society, the culture ministry said on Friday, "In a special meeting of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society, it was resolved to change its name to Prime Ministers Museum and Library Society. The special meeting was presided over by defence minister Shri Rajnath Singh who is the vice-president of the society.

The decision came a year after the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya, or prime ministers museum, was inaugurated by PM Modi.
A fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the US has affixed a number plate on his car which bears the name of the former. The number plate, which flaunts the name NMODI, was apparently bought by Raghavendra in 2016. Speaking to news agency ANI, Raghavendra, an NRI, said Modi is an inspiration to him" and that he is eagerly waiting to welcome the latter to the US upon his visit. Fan affixes PM Modi's name on his car's number plate.(ANI)

I took this plate back in 2016, November. Narendra Modi is an inspiration to me. He inspires me to do something good for the nation, for society, for the world. PM Modi is coming here so I am eagerly waiting to welcome him, said Raghavendra.

READ | From yoga to bilaterals: Modi's packed schedule during US visit

Apart from the prime minister's name, the car also bears the state name Virginia.

Modi's visit to the United States

Modi will embark on his tour to the United States next week. The tour which will begin in New York on June 21 will culminate in Washington DC on June 24. The visit is aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership between the two nations and fostering greater collaboration on key global challenges.

Modi is visiting the US at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
Union home minister Amit Shah is set to visit the cyclone-affected areas of Gujarat to take stock of the situation, two days after 'Bijarjoy' made landfall in the coastal districts of the state as a severe cyclonic storm. Shah will visit Jakhau port in the Kutch district and meet people evacuated from coastal areas and temporarily residing in shelter homes. Heavy rain owing to the landfall of cyclone Biparjoy triggers waterlogging at Mandvi in Kutch district of Gujarat. (PTI)

The minister will also meet the affected population in Mandvi. During the visit to his home state, Shah will inspect the relief operation in the Bhuj district. He is expected to hold a meeting with chief minister Bhupendra Patel and senior officials in the state government.

Cyclone Biparjoy crossed the Saurashtra-Kutch coast near Jakhau Port on Thursday night as a very severe cyclone storm with a windspeed of 115-125 kmph, disrupting power and communication lines in the coastal districts. It was reported that several trees were uprooted in Bhuj, Kutch, due to the impact of the cyclone. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team carried out the clearance work on Friday.

On Friday evening, the state government said that more than 1,000 teams were working across eight districts of Gujarat to restore power.

Cyclone Biparjoy gradually weakened into a severe cyclonic storm and then into a cyclonic storm and finally into a deep depression on Friday evening.

The system  the remnant of Cyclone Biparjoy  was over Southwest Rajasthan adjoining Gujarat and Southeast Pakistan and about 130 km northeast of Dholavira on Saturday morning. The Indian Meteorological Department, in a bulletin, said the deep depression will weaken into depression in the next six hours.

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Two days after cyclone Biparjoy made landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarats Kutch, Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday conducted an aerial survey of the affected areas of the Jakhau and Mandvi districts. He also met with injured people and spoke to National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel engaged in relief and rescue operations. He was accompanied by Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel. People wade through waist deep water to check on their boats anchored at Jakhau port after landfall of Cyclone Biparjoy at Jakhau in Kutch district of Gujarat, Saturday.(AP)

Cyclone Biparjoy, which hit Gujarat as a very severe cyclonic storm, had prompted authorities to relocate over 1 lakh people to temporary shelters in due to the anticipation of damage and destruction caused by the cyclone. Its arrival had initially caused power outages in almost 4,500 villages in Saurashtra and Kutch. Some 1,500 villages are yet to have the electricity restored.

Where is cyclone Biparjoy now:

Following its landfall, cyclone Biparjoy, which is currently in the form of a deep depression in Rajasthan, is expected to weaken further in the next 12 hours, the India Meteorological Department said early Saturday. Three districts in the desert state were put on a red alert by the weather body as moderate to heavy rainfall is likely to continue for 3 to 4 hours. Further, Pali and Jodhpur districts have been put on an orange alert meanwhile a yellow alert for Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Churu, Sikar, Nagaur, Jhunjhunu, Ajmer, Udaipur, Rajsamand, Jaipur, Jaipur City, Dausa, Alwar, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Tonk, Bundi and Kota was issued.

Coastal districts of Gujarat slowly return to normalcy

More than 1 lakh people who were temporarily relocated in relief camps in Gujarat, have started returning back to their homes after the storm weakened. Amit Shah during his visit today, told reporters that a relief package will be announced after the state government carries out a survey of damage to crops, horticulture and boats. He also said that no casualties were reported due to the cyclone, while the number of injured persons remained 47. A total of 234 cattle died, Shah added.

'700 homes in eight districts partially/fully destroyed'

Due to cyclone Biparjoys strong impact, more than 700 homes in the eight coastal districts of Gujarat were partially or fully damaged. Gujarat Energy Secretary Mamta Verma told Reuters that in many villages, electricity supply had been intentionally disconnected as a preventive measure to avoid any potential hazards caused by the storm.

Continuous downpour caused many low-lying areas in Gujarat to experience flood-like situations. Similar reports surfaced from some districts of Rajasthan, including Barmer.

Railways cancels 12 trains

As the rail traffic was also affected by the storm, the North Western Railway on Saturday cancelled 12 trains, including the Amritsar-Gandhidham Express train service, Jodhpur-Bhildi Express train service, Valsad-Bhildi Express train service, Jodhpur-Palanpur Express, Jodhpur-Palanpur Express, Barmer-Munabao Express, Munabao-Barmer Express. Full list here.

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Proposing a formula to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav said the regime will be toppled by backward classes, Dalits and minorities. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the BJP regime will be toppled by backward classes, Dalits and minorities (Samajwadi Party Twitter)

PDA will defeat NDA, Yadav said at an event organised by news channel NDTV in Lucknow. PDA stands for pichchde, Dalit, alpasankhyak (backward classes, Dalits, minorities).

The BJP leads the NDA, or the National Democratic Alliance.

Skirting questions on his partys view of a united opposition for next years general elections, Yadav said his slogan for the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh was: Defeat 80, oust BJP (defeat BJP on all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh seats to oust it from power in the country).

The BJP will be defeated on all 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP if small parties as well as bigger anti-BJP national parties back us and show a big heart, the former chief minister said, stressing that he had been maintaining that the joint opposition should support the alliance partner which is strongest in a particular state. Whosoever is strongest, struggling against the BJP and is in a position to defeat the BJP in that particular state should be supported by the joint opposition in the state.

He would stress this formula at the first joint opposition meeting on June 23 in Patna, Yadav added.

He cited his partys earlier alliances with the Congress and Mayawatis Bahujan Samaj Party for state and national elections, saying that the Samajwadi Party had always been an honest and accommodating ally.

Wherever the SP was in alliance, fighting over seats was unheard of, he said.

The SP won only five Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 general elections and lost two ( Rampur and Azamgarh) to the BJP in the by-elections. In the 2022 assembly polls, when Yadav allied with small regional parties, keeping the big anti-BJP parties out, the partys tally improved from 47 in 2017 to 111 in 2022.

Asked whether defeating the BJP on all Lok Sabha seats in Indias most populous state was just a hope, Yadav said he had earlier made alliances with the Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party and other smaller parties. These alliances were made because there was hope, he said. But, another key ingredient that is needed is a big heart, which is something our party has shown.

On larger plans of opposition unity, he said the conclusion in all his meetings with leaders from other parties was that everyone should rally around parties that were getting votes and were strong in their respective states.

When Yadav was asked about Mayawati saying after their alliance ended in 2019 that there was no transfer of votes from his party, he said: Data and arithmetic are there for all to see. The Samajwadi Party supported the Bahujan Samaj Party with honesty and a big heart because we believe in Dr BR Ambedkars dream.

The result of this was that while no one else could defeat the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, they lost the maximum number of seats in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav pointed out.

He also stressed the need for a caste census for social justice.

Speaking at the same event, after Akhileshs turn, UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said: We had won 73 seats in 2014. We have to take 7 steps more to make it 80. By winning all 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP, we have pledged to make Modiji the Prime Minister the third time over...While we are clear that Modiji will be the PM, the opposition is still struggling to find its PM face.

Speaking at the same event, after Akhileshs turn, UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said: We had won 73 seats in 2014. We have to take 7 steps more to make it 80. By winning all 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP, we have pledged to make Modiji the Prime Minister again...
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday urged his Karnataka counterpart to ensure justice to a food delivery agent who was beaten up by occupants and security guards of an apartment in Bengaluru after an eight-year-old girl made a false complaint. The girl had alleged that she was dragged to the terrace by the delivery agent but footage obtained from a CCTV installed next to the apartment revealed her going to the terrace alone and playing there, reported Times of India. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. (PTI)

The acute harassment & trauma being faced by a delivery agent from Assam over fake charges, is extremely disturbing, Sarma said in a tweet.

I request the Honble Chief Minister of Karnataka to kindly ensure that adequate protection and justice is delivered to the said individual, he added.

What exactly happened?

The incident occurred on the morning of June 12 when a couple found their daughter missing from the flat after they returned seeing their five-year-old son off to school. One of the neighbours spotted the girl on the terrace after about 30 minutes of search. When asked about why she was there, the eight-year-old claimed that a food delivery agency rang the doorbell and dragged her to the terrace.

The security guards at the main entrance were alerted and asked not to let any delivery agent exit the gate. After the girl identified the food delivery agent, the residents and guards thrashed him and locked him up in a room meant for security personnel. As some other delivery agents protested near the main gate, a police patrol vehicle reached the incident spot.

The police collected CCTV footage from the seventh floor of the apartment, where the girl lived, but there was no security camera installed to cover the steps leading to the terrace. They later found a CCTV camera installed at a paying guest accommodation next to the apartment which showed the girl had walked to the terrace alone and played there for some time. She confessed to having made a false claim, saying she was scared that her parents would beat her up for playing during study hours.

The delivery agent refused to file a counter-complaint saying he would soon move back permanently to his home state Assam and cannot afford to regularly visit Bengaluru for legal formalities and court trials.

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Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Saturday alleged that the Governors or Lieutenant Governors (LG) in the non-BJP ruled states try to curb the powers and rights of elected government and said that the offices of Governors and LGs should be abolished. Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha Member Raghav Chadha. (ANI)

Read here: 'Stalin afraid Senthil Balaji might reveal truth': AIADMK's jibe at Tamil Nadu CM

"A trend is being seen in non-BJP ruled states that rights of govts/CMs are being snatched through LG or Governor. Recently in Tamil Nadu, the Governor said that the MLA (Senthil Balaji) is not fit to be a minister. Constitution clearly states that CM has all the authority to choose the cabinet. This trend is dangerous for the country. I think Governors & LGs offices should be abolished as it is a colonial hangover", he told news agency ANI.

Earlier Chadha lashed out at Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi for not letting V Senthil Balaji to continue as a minister without a portfolio in the state cabinet after the latter was sent to judicial custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in connection with an alleged money laundering case.

Read here: Stalin afraid he's next after Senthil Balaji: Annamalai on Tamil Nadu's CBI move

Chadha said that this was a tyranny of unelected since constitutionally council of ministers was chief ministers sole prerogative and not Governors. In a series of tweets, he said, Another case of tyranny of the unelected. Tamil Nadu Governor has unilaterally remarked that an MLA can't continue as a minister - something which is unheard of.

LG paralysed the government:

He further said, Recent events in Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have shown that some Governors are excessively overstepping their bounds. In Punjab, the Governor had refused to summon the budget session and rejected cabinets resolution. In Delhi, the LG has consistently and systematically paralysed governance and crippled the elected government. What we are witnessing across non-BJP states is a dangerous trend. Governors are not above the law.

Fresh row between governor, DMK over reallocation of portfolios:

Governor R N Ravi on Friday re-allocated the portfolios held by Balaji, on the recommendations of CM Stalin but "has not agreed" to the minister continuing in the cabinet, the Raj Bhavan said.

Read here: Fresh row between Tamil Nadu governor, DMK govt over reallocation of arrested ministers portfolios

The government has also issued an order for Balaji to continue as 'Minister Without Portfolio'. The Governor had earlier opposed Balaji's continuing in the Stalin-led cabinet as he was facing criminal proceedings.

V Senthil Balaji case:

The electricity and excise minister, V Senthil Balaji, 47, was arrested by ED on Wednesday after 18 hours of interrogation in connection with an alleged cash-for-jobs scam from when he was the transport minister; back when he was with the AIADMK and the late J Jayalalithaa was chief minister.

Read here: TN minister Senthil Balaji shifted to pvt hospital after HC order following arrest by ED

Balaji was taken to a government hospital where he was diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and was shifted to Kauvery Hospital on order from the Madras High Court. He has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days after the ED told the court he refused to cooperate, refused to sign the arrest memo and shouted and yelled at agency officers.

(With inputs from agencies)
At least 34 people have died in the past two days as a large swath of the north Indian state Uttar Pradesh swelters under severe heat, officials said Saturday, prompting doctors to advise residents over 60 to stay indoors during the daytime. The scorching summer has sparked power outages across the state, leaving people with no running water, fans, or air conditioners. (REUTERS)

The dead were all over 60 years old and had preexisting health conditions that may have been exacerbated by the intense heat. The fatalities occurred in Ballia district, some 300 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh.

Twenty-three deaths were reported Thursday and another 11 died Friday, Ballias Chief Medical Officer Jayant Kumar said.

All the individuals were suffering from some ailments and their conditions worsened due to the extreme heat, Kumar told The Associated Press on Saturday. He said most of the deaths were because of heart attack, brain stroke and diarrhea.

Diwakar Singh, another medical officer, said these people were admitted to Ballias main hospital in critical condition. Elderly people are vulnerable to extreme heat too, he said.

India Meteorological Department data shows Ballia reported a maximum temperature of 42.2 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday, which is 4.7 C (8 F) above normal.

The scorching summer has sparked power outages across the state, leaving people with no running water, fans, or air conditioners. Many have staged protests.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured the public that the government was taking all necessary measures to ensure an uninterrupted power supply in the state. He urged citizens to cooperate with the government and use electricity judiciously.

Every village and every city should receive adequate power supply during this scorching heat. If any faults occur, they should be promptly addressed, he said Friday night in a statement.

The main summer months  April, May and June  are generally hot in most parts of India before monsoon rains bring cooler temperatures. But temperatures have become more intense in the past decade. During heat waves, the country usually also suffers severe water shortages, with tens of millions of its 1.4 billion people lacking running water.

A study by World Weather Attribution, an academic group that examines the source of extreme heat, found that a searing heat wave in April that struck parts of South Asia was made at least 30 times more likely by climate change.

In April, the heat caused 13 people to die at a government event in Indias financial capital of Mumbai and prompted some states to close all schools for a week.
Real life ironman - Bill Gates, has finally announced why hes stepped back from Microsoft, his most beloved companies. His new venture, called Quantum AI has seen invest over 2 billion dollars in just the past 2 years - to develop and code Quantum AI

Before we go into the details of what Quantum AI is, lets talk about who Bill Gates is. Bill Gates is a visionary. is an American business magnate, software developer, investor, author, and philanthropist. He is a co-founder of Microsoft, along with his late childhood friend Paul Allen. During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions of chairman, chief executive officer (CEO), president and chief software architect, while also being the largest individual shareholder until May 2014. He is considered one of the best known entrepreneurs of the microcomputer revolution.

But now, Bill has decided to partly withdraw from running Microsoft, in order to focus on his new venture in the financial sector. That's why hes acquired Quantum AI.

What exactly is Quantum AI ? Quantum AI is an upgrade from computers as you know them.

1/39 Quantum AI Computer Being Built - February of 2018

If you were to take ALL of the world's computers and link them, Quantum AI would still be hundreds of times more powerful. Bill decided to put all of this power to work in a financial technology with the plan of redistributing the worlds wealth.

Basically, to take from the top 0.1% and give back to the 99.9%. Bill believes wealth is not distributed well in our time and the problem is getting worse. Although there will always be someone richer and someone poorer, the current situation is unacceptable  where the top 0.1% controls almost 90% of world's wealth. He believes he can cut that down to around 20% without causing world-wide financial crisis. So, what exactly does that mean to you, just a regular person? This means youll become 2 - 3 times wealthier, and no one except the super-wealthy will take a hit. Sounds amazing, doesn't it? Not for the super-wealthy, but for you  yes!

Ok, the theory is there, but how will it work you might ask?

Overall, the idea is easy. The top 0.1% keep their wealth invested in stocks, and Wall Street brokers trade these stocks for them. The idea is to beat the Wall Street traders at their own game - making winning trades so Wall Street with their hoard of wealth slowly but surely starts losing. Just like a poker game, where a new player comes along on the high-stakes table and starts winning.

Quantum AI fleet of 39 Total Q-Computers

In order to do this normally, youd need a better stock movement predictions than what Wall Street currently has (virtually impossible).

Now, with the help of Quantum AI computing, it can be done, and it's actually being done now as Quantum AI has shown! This is exactly the reason why Gates jumped on this technology as soon as he heard about it. It's revolutionary.

We interviewed Quantum AI CTO Daniel Powers so he can better explain how Quantum AI operates.

Can you tell us how Quantum AI works? Quantum AI works like a team of hundreds of cities. We have millions of automated citizens in each city that go in to stock markets, they spend 12 hours a day gathering information. In the evening, these cities come together to exchange and compare what they gathered. Then what we call kings of the cities analyze all information and try to find mistakes in the stock market; by finding a mistake, we can predict the stock trends. Once we have a certain trending topic related to a big company, we analyze if the trend is positive or negative.

If the trend is positive, we bet on the stock to rise, if the trend is negative - we bet on the stock to fall. Its that simple. How often does Quantum AI make a mistake? Quantum AI computing is very different to everyday PCs. If a normal computer has one or two CPUs(processor), then Quantum AI consists of millions of CPUs. If a mistake is made, the CPUs analyze the outcome and "VOTE" which decision is the mistake and which is the real deal. We are still in the Beta stage of our Quantum AI computer and software, but its already showing over 91% successful trades. This means that out of 100 trades Quantum AI makes automatically, around 91 will be profitable. How much money can a regular user of Quantum AI make? It depends a lot on the money they invest and the brokers they work with. Lets take the regular user who starts with 250$ and bets 20$ per trade. Over 24 hours, Quantum AI will make around 200 trades based(this is limited by user) on information gathered by Quantum AI. Around 182 of the trades will be profitable, 18 will not. This means the user will earn approximately 3,480$ and lose around 520$. Evening out to 2,960$ profit in a single day. There are some small commissions added by the broker, but its usually less than 2%. Has any user actually lost his investment? No, we have never had a user who has lost more than he put in. Even the worst cases we have had always been profitable in the end. What improvements are you working on right now? There are many were currently working on, but Bill insisted I not share them yet. Stay tuned though  its going to get even better than it already is now! How much will it cost to use Quantum AI automated system? We dont know yet  it fully depends on running costs and where we want to take the technology. But the first 1,000 spots will be free  we want people to help us test it (and make money while they do so). After that, for regular users, were thinking of charging $10,000.00 monthly and more than ten times as much for those trading firms who wish to use Quantum AI regularly across their business. We do not want to disrupt the stock market too much so spots will be limited to 500 trading firms and 50,000 regular users. When will Quantum AI be available? Very soon. Were just adding finishing touches and the first members will be welcome very soon. First, well open the doors for small traders - regular people, and only later for big trading firms. Again, the first 1,000 people will get a lifetime membership for free.

After the interview Daniel showed us Quantum AI in action. It was like seeing a real miracle taking place before our eyes. Daniels software was making on autopilot. Daniel was so confident in his software in partnership with QAI, that he offered to give us one free membership so we could run our own independent tests, and so we did.

Alex Woods, 24 Alex Woods, 24

We took one of our intern students, Alex Woods, and told him to sign up, following each step provided by Daniel.

The first step was easy - he needed to fill in some details like his name, last name, email and phone number. After the form was completed and submitted, he was taken to Quantum AI dashboard. Everything seemed pretty easy so far.

The next step was to fund the trading account with a trusted broker. Quantum AI selected verified broker for Alex. As we were navigating to the deposit page, Alex received a phone call from his personal account manager wanting to assist in the funding and setup process. With the help of his account manager, the funding process didnt take long, as all major Credit Cards like VISA, MasterCard and American Express were accepted. Alex went ahead and deposited 250$. Once funded, we navigated to the Auto Trader section of software, set the trade amount to recommended 20$ and enabled it.

Quantum AI started making trades automatically in front of our eyes, winning most of them. We left it active for 23 hours and once we came back, Alex already had $2,592.37 in his account.

Alex wasnt convinced. To make sure this was all real and not just some phoney numbers on the screen he requested a withdrawal of $2,500.00 to his bank account. This was a fast and easy process as Quantum AI's brokers are all verified. After 2 hours, the money was in his bank account! At this point we knew that we were looking at the real deal.

This was a fast and easy process as Quantum AI's brokers are all verified. After 2 hours money was in his bank account! At this point Alex and we knew that its real.

We cant wait for the software to go live  as were sure others feel similarly! If youre looking to change your life, and make a fortune on autopilot, check this out. It sounds too good to be true, but take one chance, and find out for yourself.

When you hear about those first 1,000 people making money without paying massive fees for trading, youll regret it. Avoid that, and sign up when it goes live.

UPDATE

Its happened! Daniel has just notified us that Quantum AI is live! They are accepting their first 1,000 members As of writing this, there are 937 spots left, but it wont be long before all spots are filled with this once in a lifetime opportunity, so hurry up. Click the link below to sign up now.

Click Here to access Quantum AI
Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, on Saturday, said that around 1.50 lakh metric tonne rice is available in Chhattisgarh for the Anna Bhagya scheme, but the transportation cost of the rice to Karnataka is high. The chief ministers remark comes amid continuous attempts to procure rice, after the central government allegedly stalled the supply of wheat and rice to the state. Talking to reporters in Bengaluru, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiahsaid that he had talked to the Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, but there is no availability of rice there (ANI)

Talking to reporters in Bengaluru, the chief minister said that he had talked to the Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, but there is no availability of rice there. Our chief secretary is talking to the Andhra Pradesh chief minister (Jagan Mohan Reddy), he said.

I spoke to Telangana chief minister on Thursday, he got back on Friday after getting details. He said there is no availability of rice there. I have asked the chief secretary to speak to Andhra Pradesh. Chhattisgarh is ready to give 1.50 lakh metric tonne, but the rate is a bit high and transport cost is more, Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters, the chief minister said he has convened a meeting of officials to discuss and decide on the further action. Responding to a question on a reported statement by BJP MLA B Y Vijayendra, where the BJP minister alleged that despite rice availability in Karnataka, the government was going to other states -- to get commission, the chief minister said: Ask him (Vijayendra) to get the rice supply done if it is available in the state. Is the rice available in his mill?

Karnataka is talking to rice-producing states after the central government allegedly stalled the sale of wheat and rice to state governments under the Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) (OMSSD), which prohibits the Food Corporation of India (FCI) from selling any additional rice to the state for its Anna Bhagya scheme.

The Congress-led government in Karnataka has alleged that the Centre, on June 13, discontinued the sale of wheat and rice under OMSS(D) for state governments, a day after the FCI, that has large quantity of stocks, had agreed to provide 2,08,425.750 metric tonne of rice to Karnataka at a rate of 34 per kg.

It (FCI) agreed to provide 2,08,425 metric tonnes of rice to Karnataka. But, it wrote a letter on June 13 saying that the states cant be provided wheat or rice under the Open Market Sales Scheme (OMSS). The Central government has taken a political decision deciding not to give rice to Karnataka to bring a bad name to the Congress government, Siddaramaiah claimed.

Siddaramaiah and his cabinet ministers have accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of conspiring to fail the Congress administrations poll guarantee, by ensuring the state doesnt get the required amount of rice for rolling out the scheme, from July 1.

Accusing the Centre of showing a stepmotherly attitude towards Karnataka, food and civil supplies minister K H Muniyappa on Saturday said that they are doing politics in the supply of rice, which will be distributed among the poor, despite the states willingness to purchase it at the cost fixed by the dispensation.

They have large quantities of rice stock. They are ready to sell it through open tender, but not ready to supply it to the state government for distribution among the poor, and are doing politics on the issue, he said. Stating that the Karnataka government is doing all that is possible to arrange rice for the poor, Muniyappa said: We are discussing with Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and other places. Our officials have gone there, once they come, I will get the report by this evening. By Monday, we will let you (media) know as to when rice can be supplied.

It may take time for transportation from other states. We had announced a date based on FCI assuring us to supply rice from the stock here. They have stepped back on that assurance now, he said. Once the state government makes arrangements for the required 2,28,000 metric tonne of rice, it will be distributed to the beneficiaries, the minister added.

(With PTI inputs)
As traffickers and Indian law enforcement engage in a constant battle of wits, liquid cocaine has again emerged as a favoured technique for smuggling drugs, indicating a rising trend in its popularity. DRI arrested a Nigerian man with liquid cocaine in whiskey bottles worth  20 crore in November last year.

On Thursday, a 25-year-old Kenyan woman was arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi for smuggling cocaine dissolved in two whiskey bottles she was carrying. The accused was intercepted after her arrival from Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) - from where most of the drug is sourced.

A detailed search resulted in the recovery from her of two whiskey bottles with cocaine worth approximately 13 crore dissolved in them. The accused was arrested and the whiskey bottles containing cocaine were seized, the police said.

In April, a Tanzanian was arrested at the Delhi airport for smuggling cocaine by mixing it with liquor in whiskey bottles. The man was arrested based on profiling by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and customs. He, too, arrived from Addis Ababa and was followed from the deboarding gate.

In a similar incident, a Nigerian man was arrested at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in November last year with two whiskey bottles in which cocaine was dissolved in liquid, to make it difficult for law enforcement agencies to detect the contraband, while trafficking the drug to India.

The DRI, Mumbai, seized the bottles with liquid cocaine worth 20 crore in the illicit market. The DRI had specific intelligence about narcotics being smuggled into India by a passenger who was flying from Lagos, Nigeria, to Mumbai via Addis Ababa. Accordingly, surveillance was mounted by a team of DRI officers at the airport.

Why liquid cocaine?

Liquid cocaine is made by dissolving the powder using water or other solvents and can later be converted back into a powder form. Cocaine is harder to detect in its liquid form than in its powder form.

According to officials, this method of smuggling is a rarity. Cocaine is among the most common drugs of abuse and imaginative techniques of smuggling cocaine through border controls have happened in other countries as well.

How to detect it?

A Narcotics Control Bureau official told The Times of India the UK and Switzerland have developed two techniques that will help customs officials establish the presence of contraband without opening the bottle.

Cocaine was ingeniously dissolved in the liquid contained in the said bottles to make it extremely difficult to detect. This is a unique modus operandi busted by the DRI indicating the uphill task faced by the officers on a regular basis to check the drug inflow into the country, said the official told the newspaper.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aniruddha Dhar Have 11 years' experience in print and digital media. Write on politics, defence and world affairs, and have a keen eye for human-interest stories. ...view detail
Former Indian Army chief general (retired) Ved Prakash Malik has called for urgent attention to the situation in Manipur which saw a spurt in violence as riotous mobs combatted Rapid Action Force, set up flaming roadblocks and torched properties in the heart of Imphal town on Friday. The ethnic violence between the Meiteis and the Kuki tribe in Manipur continues despite the Centre and state government's appeals for peace. Flames and smoke billow out after an old warehouse owned by a retired bureaucrat set ablaze amid violence, in Imphal East district on Friday. (PTI)

Tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh and Union home Minister Amit Shah on Twitter, general Malik asked for urgent attention at the highest level.

The former army chief was responding to a tweet by lieutenant general (retired) L Nishikanta Singh, a resident of Imphal, claiming that the state is now stateless.

I'm just an ordinary Indian from Manipur living a retired life. The state is now 'stateless'. Life and property can be destroyed anytime by anyone just like in Libya, Lebanon, Nigeria, Syria, etc. It appears Manipur has been left to stew in its own juice. Is anyone listening ? lieutenant general Singh tweeted.

Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Union minister RK Ranjan Singh's house attacked

On Thursday night, a house belonging to Union minister RK Ranjan Singh was attacked and attempts were made to burn it down. A warehouse near the royal palace belonging to a retired tribal IAS officer was burnt down completely.

Security guards and firefighters managed to control arson attempts by the mob and save the house of the minister of state for external affairs from being gutted on Thursday night.

On Friday evening, a mob clashed with RAF personnel after it had set the warehouse afire. The group also burnt tyres, logs and waste in the middle of streets in Wangkhei, Porompat and Thangapat areas affecting the flow of traffic in Manipurs capital town, news agency PTI reported.

At least nine people were killed and 10 injured when suspected miscreants attacked a village in the Khamenlok area of the state in the early hours of Wednesday.

Over 100 killed in Manipur

More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in Manipur that broke out a month ago, PTI reported.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Two civilians were injured as mobs clashed with security forces overnight in Imphal town and attempts were made to torch the houses of BJP leaders, officials said on Saturday. Security personnel stand guard at violence-hit Konung Mamang area during the ongoing ethnic clashes, in Imphal East district.(PTI)

In separate incidents, automatic gunfire was reported from Kwakta in Bishnupur district of Manipur and Kangvai in Churachandpur district through the night.

An attempt was also made to loot of Iringbam police station in Imphal West. However, no weapons were stolen.

Army, Assam Rifles and Manipur Rapid Action Force held joint marches till midnight through the state capital to halt rioters from congregating.

A mob of approximately 1,000 people came together to try and burn down buildings near the palace compound.

RAF fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

Another mob tried to set the house of Biswajeet, MLA on fire. RAF column, however, dispersed the crowd.

Another mob surrounded the BJP office post midnight at Sinjemai, but could not do any harm as an Army column dispersed it.

Similarly, a crowd tried to vandalise the home of Sharda Devi, BJP (women's) president near Porampet in Imphal around midnight. Security forces managed to disperse the youth.
There are attempts to keep militancy, which is "gasping and dying", alive by Pakistani agencies but the anti-infiltration grid along the Line of Control (LoC) is doing its job, Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh said on Saturday. Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh addresses the media in Jammu on Sunday. (PTI)

Talking to reporters after inaugurating the Jashn-e-Dal festival here, he said the ceasefire understanding between India and Pakistan along the LoC is being respected "by and large" by both sides. However, there have been some infiltration attempts by terrorists, Singh said.

"Ceasefire understanding is being respected by and large by either side but in between some activities, some infiltration bids, have taken place, especially in the Rajouri-Poonch sector and the Kupwara sector. We have taken action against the infiltrating groups," the director general of police (DGP) said.

Singh said while some infiltration attempts have been successful, the number of terrorists who have managed to sneak in has been very low. "There are attempts to keep militancy, which is gasping and dying, alive through such activities by Pakistani agencies but our anti-infiltration grid along the LoC is alert and they are doing their job," he said.

"Nearly half a dozen similar attempts were foiled earlier as well. There were a couple of successful infiltration bids in the Poonch-Rajouri area in which dreaded terrorists from Pakistan came in and they targeted ordinary people and some security personnel at some places as well. Operations are going on to track them and foil such conspiracies," the DGP said.

On the operations in Poonch and Kupwara on Friday, Singh said two infiltration attempts were foiled.

"Yesterday, two infiltration attempts took place in Poonch and the Jumagund area in Kupwara where infiltrators from Pakistan tried to come in. In Poonch, they did not get a chance to enter and their attempt was foiled and they were forced to retreat under the cover of foliage. We recovered huge quantity of arms and ammunition, which the terrorists had brought along. In Kupwara, five terrorists, who had come from Pakistan, were killed," he said.

The DGP said youngsters of Jammu and Kashmir have seen through the evil designs of the enemy and chosen the path of peace and development.

"I also congratulate the youth of Kashmir and Jammu. They have finally seen through the evil designs of our adversary and have chosen peace over death and destruction. There are hardly any people joining terrorist ranks," he said.

On the Amarnath Yatra, Singh said all arrangements have been made for the pilgrimage which is scheduled to begin from July 1.

"On behalf of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, we welcome the yatris. Like every year, security arrangements and other logistics by the civil administration are being put in place. I hope the arrival of yatris will even further improve the atmosphere of festivities created by tourist arrivals. We will try our best that pilgrims go back with good memories from here," he said.
Urgent attention: Ex-Indian Army chief on retired officer's like in Syria tweet over Manipur Former Indian Army chief general (retired) Ved Prakash Malik has called for urgent attention to the situation in Manipur which saw a spurt in violence as riotous mobs combatted Rapid Action Force, set up flaming roadblocks and torched properties in the heart of Imphal town on Friday. Read more Unidentified miscreants torch two houses belonging to a particular community to retaliate the killing of nine civilians by Kuki militants, in Manipur.(PTI)

Alia Bhatt embraces Barbiecore in hot pink outfit for Sao Paulo Netflix event, shares goofiest pics with fans: See here

Actor Alia Bhatt flew off to Sao Paulo in Brazil to attend Netflix's Tudum event, where the streaming platform unveils exclusive first looks from returning and upcoming titles. Read more

The Flash: DC film shows how obsession with multiverse storytelling will tire Marvel out

Early on in Andy Muschietti's The Flash, a solemn Bruce Wayne aka Batman tells Barry Allen aka Flash, These scars are what have made us who we are. Read more

'Virat Kohli grabbed my hand forcefully and...': Naveen-ul-Haq claims RCB star physically provoked him during ugly spat

Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq has landed some fresh allegations on Virat Kohli, claiming that he was physically provoked by the Royal Challengers Bangalore star that led to an ugly spat between the two during the 2023 Indian Premier League. Read more

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Amid a war of words between the ruling BJP and opposition Congress over the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) Society, BJP MP Neeraj Shekhar  the son of former PM Chandra Shekhar  thanked prime minister Narendra Modi for honouring all prime ministers, and slammed the Congress for never looking beyond one dynasty. Neeraj Shekhar (second from right) with his family (Image courtesy: twitter.com/MPNeerajShekhar)

Neeraj Shekhar made the remarks in a Twitter thread on Friday, responding to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's criticism of the Modi government's decision.

Neeraj Shekhar on Congress

The BJP MP sought to know how many times leaders of the grand old party have been to the Prime Ministers' Museum, adding that its inability to accept that people beyond one dynasty have built the nation, is perverted and deserves unequivocal condemnation.

He also accused the Congress and its royal dynasty of insulting PMs who do not belong to 'their dynasty'.

In the PM Museum, every PM irrespective of party lines has got dignity and respect, their contribution has been highlighted. This shows PM @narendramodi's statesmanship, he concluded.

Nehru Memorial Library Society renamed

On Friday, the Union culture ministry announced that the NMML Society will henceforth be known as Prime Ministers Museum and Library Society.' In its now-previous name, the body had the name of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress stalwart who was the country's first premier. The rechristening, therefore, has not gone down well with the party, which has, on numerous occasions in the past, accused the Modi government, in particular PM Modi, of having a dislike for Nehru.

Founded on April 1, 1966, the body looks after the Nehru Memorial and Museum Library, which is housed inside Delhi's Teen Murti Bhavan, PM Nehru's official residence from August 1948 till his May 1964 demise.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT News Desk Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered. ...view detail
Purola (Uttarkashi): For more than two weeks now, he has remained cloistered at home, refusing to meet the people that arrive at his door to elicit his support, and has even bought a new phone number. A government schoolteacher, the 40-year-old man is the complainant in a police case now at the centre of tensions in Purola  a case that he says is being given a communal colour when there exists no religious angle. Purola town in Uttarkashi has remained tense since an abduction attempt on a 14-year-old girl on May 26. (ANI)

There were attempts from the first hour to make this a communal issue. Right-wing activists even prepared a police complaint for us on their own, but the police didnt accept it. It was never a love jihad case, but a regular crime. Those that committed it, are behind bars. The judiciary will now decide, he told HT. His identity is being withheld to avoid identification of his niece, who was the target of an abduction attempt on May 26  the crime that right-wing Hindu groups claim was a love jihad attempt.

In the days that followed, protests by such groups have raised tensions and have forced 40 of 45 Muslim businessmen and residents to leave the town following threats.

On the afternoon of May 26, the mans niece sought directions from Ubed Khan, 24, and Jitendra Saini, 23, when they allegedly attempted to bundle her into an auto-rickshaw. They took the girl away from the main market area near a petrol pump and called an auto-rikshaw to the spot. Locals saw the girl being made to sit in the rickshaw and raised the alarm. The accused then fled from the spot, Purola police station in-charge Khajan Chauhan said.

A case was registered on the same day at the Purola police station under sections 363 (kidnapping), 366A (procuration of minor girl) of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the POCSO Act, and the next day both men were arrested.

But what followed took a communal turn when on May 29, right wing groups held a protest march in the narrow bylanes of the hill town raising slogans against the love jihad- a term used by right-wing groups to describe an alleged conspiracy by Muslim men to woo and seduce Hindu women. Love jihad is a phrase that neither the courts nor the Union government recognise.

On the same day, at least 30 shops owned or rented by Muslims were ransacked and attacked. Four days later, on June 3, there was another procession, and at least 25 more shops were attacked in the Barkot locality, some ominously marked with the letter X.

Posters began to appear across Purola asking Muslim traders to leave before a proposed Hindu mahapanchayat, which was later disallowed by the district administration, on June 15. A case was registered on June 5 under sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) but there have been no arrests.

The victims uncle said he has been approached by several right-wing groups, but he is firm on not joining the agitation, which is being by the Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. I have turned them down every time. Their attempts to reach me have made my life hell. I cant even go out. I understand all they want to do is to create communal tension and their only aim is raising slogans. I have stopped responding to calls from unknown numbers and have even bought a new number, he said.

These remarks are a reminder that religious hate is often politically engineered, and that people usually prefer to coexist with other communities, as they have for centuries in one of the worlds most diverse countries that is India. The state government and the law enforcement have much to answer for the communal polarisation that has taken place in Purola and other parts of Uttarakhand.

A Bajrang Dal office-bearer said it was clear case of love jihad.

The accused [Ubed Khan] had posed as a Hindu and even had a social media profile under a Hindu name. The complaint by victims uncle is a testament. Our motive is just to save our daughters. If love jihad is not real, what happened in Arakot, Gauchar and other parts of Uttarakhand? Vikas Verma, a member of Bajrang Dal said. Its a clear cut love jihad case.

The 40 year old, who lives with his niece and his wife and two children, said that on May 26, he received a phone call from Ashish Chumar who said that two men were trying to take his niece away from the Naugaon petrol pump.

They had then fled when they were accosted by Chumar. On Saturday, the 40-year-old said that the law had taken its course, but now believed that if the accused had apologised, he may not even have filed a complaint.

We now keep her (girl) inside the house. It has left a psychological scar on her. She is good academically, but now remains concern all the time about her future, the girls uncle said.

While grateful to the police for the prompt arrest of the two men, the man said he was unhappy that this case has been used to call for Muslims to leave.

I wanted to extend my support for Muslims but was afraid that it wouldnt be taken positively in this atmosphere. Every time I open Facebook, most news-related videos say this was a case of love jihad. It makes me depressed. Nobody asks me what the real story is, he said.

Over the past two weeks, over 40 of the 45 Muslim families among Purolas 8,000 residents have either left for Dehradun or Uttar Pradesh to weather the storm. Those who left should have never gone. I want them back. The whole community shouldnt be targeted for the offence of one, he said.

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A former top National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) official, the space agency of the United States, hailed the importance of India-US ties for space exploration, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis upcoming visit to the White House. President of the US Joe Biden (left) speaks with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit opening session in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, on November 15, 2022. (REUTERS)

Mike Gold, the former associate administrator for Space Policy and Partnerships at NASA, said India-US ties are absolutely critical on earth, and possibly even more so in space. India will soon become the fourth country to be able to launch its citizens into space and is therefore a global leader in the field, Gold said, adding that he hoped PM Modi and US President Joe Biden would explore possibilities of strengthening cooperation in the field of space during Indian premiers official state visit to US next Thursday.

Sky is no longer the limit for Indiait is going to the moon with a lunar rover, and to the Sun. I think that's wonderful synergy and balance between both the Sun and a Moon mission that India is conducting, he added.

Gold, who is currently the chief growth officer of Florida-based Redwire Space, batted for the need to bring together the two space power countries and said he hoped NASA would accelerate efforts to support ISROs human space flight goals .

Gold said India is a sleeping giant when it comes to commercial space and that the opportunities associated with it must be explored by the two nations.

"As we look at where the Indian and US relationship will evolve, it can begin with partnerships with NASA and what's occurring with the ISS, but in parallel to that, we should be having discussions now between private sector entities and ISRO in regards to leveraging the new wave of commercial space stations that will eventually succeed the ISS, he said.

Gold is considered an architect of the Artemis Accord, a US-led agreement which guides civil space exploration. India is not a signatory to the agreement.

(With PTI inputs)

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Bharatiya Janata Party's Tamil Nadu secretary SG Suryah was arrested by the Madurai districts cyber crime police on Friday night in connection with his recent tweet against MP Su Venkatesan, drawing criticism from Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and state president K Annamalai. BJP's Tamil Nadu secretary SG Suryah

In the tweet, Suryah had accused Venkatesan of not taking adequate action following the death of a hygiene worker after he was made to clean a drain filled with faeces. In a letter to Venkatesan, Suryah had strongly criticised the incident.

Your fake politics of separatism stinks worse than that cesspool, find a way to live as a human being, mate! tweeted Suryah.

Describing the arrest of Suryah as highly condemnable, Annamalai alleged that his only mistake was to expose the nasty double standards of the communists, allies of DMK.

Using state machinery to curtail free speech & getting jittery for the slightest criticism is unbecoming of a democratically elected leader and, indeed, are signs of an autocratic leader in the making. Drawing inspiration from autocrats, TN CM Thiru @mkstalin is turning the state into a lawless jungle. These arrests will not deter us & we will continue to be bearers of the uncomfortable truth! Annamalai tweeted.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the use of police arrest for tweets is REAL & TOTAL overreach n violation of right to due process of law n free speech.

This was the normal tactic to silence by Rahuls Cong during UPA misusing Sec66A - recently its dynast allies too hv done it like @PawarSpeaks n now @mkstalin to prove he wasnt named after Stalin for no reason, the Union minister tweeted.

"Those Free speech activists who jump around at drop of hat must not remain silent now or be branded hypocrites. This type of threat to democracy n intimidation by his 'Secularly Dynast' Allies is perhaps what Rahul was referring to on his tourist trips whn he says Democracy is in Danger n what Rt Hon @jack dorsey was referring to as 'jailing n arrest' in his recent interview post his Rip van Winkle siesta. @SuryahSG is being threatened for questioning the death of a sanitation worker who was forced to work in perilous circumstances - He will prevail n we will fight to ensure he is freed from this type of coersion n intimidation," Chandrasekhar added.

What did SG Suryah write?

Questioning the silence of Venkatesan over the incident, Suryah had said, Madurai Pennadam town panchayat 12th ward councillor Viswanathan had forced the worker to undertake the job after which the worker got infected and died. The hypocritical politics of the MP stinks.

The deceased is a scheduled caste brother! Wheres your red flag! Where is your fighting spirit? Where are your passionate words? If you are against the ruling BJP government, you will come forward immediately. Where have you gone now? Did you sneak out? Why doesnt your red flag fly against your fellow comrades? Or wont your red flag take to the streets and fight in support of the Scheduled Caste brothers? Your fake politics draped in red flag stinks worse than the manhole. Find a way to live as a human being, my friend. Suryah further added.

The Madurai Urban unit of the CPM had filed a police complaint accusing Surya of maligning the image of Venkatesan on social media, and demanded action against him.

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The two biggest names in Hollywood are unarguably Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Those two filmmakers and good friends have been working together since the '70s and collaborated on the original four Indy movies. But when Disney purchased Lucas Films, Lucas stepped aside and Spielberg decided to pass the torch to someone else to keep the creative juices flowing. Even though Spielberg and Lucas are executive producers, this is very much James Mangold's movie, as it is Harrison Ford's. Mangold impressed MCU fans with his dark and emotional film Logan which was the end of the X-Men franchise in that universe. It was brutal, action-packed, and had more emotional heft than most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It seemed fitting that Mangold would come to this beloved film franchise to see everyone ride off into the sunset - or in this case, hang up the whip and hat.

Holy grails, lost arks, saving children, and alien artifacts are just a few items that Indiana Jones has crossed paths with. What would another piece of history that Dr. Jones hasn't saved that would be ideal for his last adventure? There could be many items, but as the title suggests, it will be the Dial of Destiny, a fabled device from Archimedes that is thought to bring magical powers to those who possess it. The opening act features a young Indiana Jones where a de-aged Harrison Ford is captured by the Nazis who are about to lose the war. One of the nazis is Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), who is a brilliant scientist who happens to side with the Nazis. This amazing action-packed opening act is set on a train at high speed that sets the movie in motion where the Dial is lost in an ensuing battle as Indy saves the day.

The movie cuts to the year of Woodstock - 1969 to show an older Indy playing the role of the grumpy old man who is not above showing up at his neighbor's house next door with a bat yelling at them to turn down The Beatles' music. Mangold shows that times have changed and Dr. Jones is not the popular professor he once was as most of his students are falling asleep in class and can't be bothered with answering his questions. There's something sentimental about seeing an aging Indiana and not receiving the acclaim he did in the previous films. On parade day for the moon landing, some familiar faces show up, including Voller who is still looking for the Dial of Destiny.

One of the better ingredients here is that Voller isn't the stereotypical villain and Nazi that has been the case in past films. There's some weight to him and even though he wants to use the Dial to perhaps travel back in time and have the Germans win the war, he is still a scientist at heart and knows there is some evil just not meant for this world, which is a breath of fresh air. Meanwhile, one of Indy's good friends had a daughter by the name of Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) who shows back up in Indy's life to inquire about the Dial of Destiny for her own nefarious plans. Just like a Bond film, the screenplay goes back and forth on whether or not Helena plays the good side or the bad side. In this case, it's a bit of both with her own version of Short-Round - a kid named Teddy (Ethann Isidore) who can drive or fly anything, only without the true charisma that Key Huy Quan brought to his role all those years ago.

From here, all of these factions converge across the globe in search of the Dial of Destiny, complete with big car chases, gun fights, and more as Indy and company try and survive the Nazis and even the thing that Indy hates most tries to kill them. It's easy to see where this story is going, but Mangold flips it into the best climactic scene perfectly fitting for Indiana Jones that is the sweetest moment of the entire franchise. And Harrison Ford sells every bit of emotion flawlessly. He has an unbelievable movie presence and his facial expressions and delivery are so spot on with his part and current personal life catching up to him. Waller-Bridge is also wonderful to see perform, as her flip-flopping character is a ton of fun to see come full circle. And of course, Mikkelsen plays the German antagonist with elegance, while serving as a scientist and villain at the same time.
Kolkata A day after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that the nomination filing process for the upcoming panchayat polls went off peacefully, a TMC worker was allegedly killed at Malda in north Bengal on Saturday, taking the death toll to at least six in the last eight days. South 24 Parganas, June 16 (ANI): Police personnel stand guard at the incident site where violent clashes erupted during the filing of nominations for the upcoming West Bengal Panchayat elections, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas on Friday. (ANI Photo) (Shyamal Maitra)

Police said that the dead has been identified as Mustafa Sheikh, 62. His wife was a former panchayat leader. The victim was rushed to hospital where he was declared dead. Police have detained one person.

He was beaten to death. The accused are TMC rebels who joined the Congress recently after being denied party tickets to contest the panchayat polls. It is a political murder, said Sabina Yeasmin, state minister.

These are baseless allegations. What were the police doing? The police should do a proper investigation. We would never hide any accused, Congress leader Soumya Aich Roy told the media.

The police, however, said that Sheikh was suffering from multiple ailments and his condition deteriorated after an argument with a villager. No major injury marks were found on his body, they said.

Meanwhile, a convoy of Union minister Nisith Pramanik was allegedly attacked with an arrow on Saturday by supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress in Cooch Behar district, a charge the ruling party dismissed.

Arrows were shot at my car. Pramanik alleged that arrows were shot at his car. TMC workers hurled bombs at us at a stones throw from the police station. Police remained mute spectators. Its a total lawlessness, Pramanik told reporters in Cooch Behar.

The crucial panchayat polls are scheduled to be held on July 8. Thursday was the last day for filing nominations. On Saturday the nominations were scrutinised.

Political clashes had erupted at multiple locations resulting in the death of at least five persons since the elections were declared.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had said, however has said that the nomination filing process was largely peaceful, barring incidents in just two booths.

Show me one state, having so many panchayat booths, where nomination has bene so peaceful ever in the past. The Bhangore-incident was done by some goons. We have lost two men. TMC didnt trigger the Bhangore violence, Banerjee said while speaking at a political rally in South 24 Parganas on Friday.

On Saturday West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose went to Canning in South 24 Parganas where violence had erupted over filing of nominations earlier this week.

He had earlier visited Bhangore, near Kolkata, in South 24 Parganas where at least two persons were killed and dozens were injured in the last few days.

Sukanta Majumdar, state BJP president met Bose at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata over recent spate of violence during the nomination process.

On Saturday too crude bombs were recovered from many areas including South 24 Parganas and Birbhum.

Opposition parties alleged that candidates were being threatened to withdraw nominations.

The West Bengal government and the State Election Commission meanwhile have moved the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta high court order regarding deployment of central forces during panchayat polls in the state.

The Calcutta high court had earlier this week ordered deployment of central forces across the state in the run-up to the rural polls.

The TMC doesnt care about deployment of central forces. They have been deployed in previous panchayat, assembly and parliament polls held in the state. The people of West Bengal support TMC, Kalyan Banerjee, TMC MP told media persons.

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee chaired a meeting with top leaders of the party at her residence in Kalighat after reports started pouring in that a section of rebel TMC leaders have filed nominations as independent candidates after the party denied them tickets.

There may be some grievances. We would urge party leaders, who have filed nominations as independent candidates, to withdraw their nominations and support the candidate which the party has fielded. Else the party would shut its doors and windows for him for ever, said Kalyan Banerjee after the meeting.

The TMC, meanwhile, alleged that ISF had a secret pact with the BJP ahead of the 2021 assembly polls whole uploading screenshots of purported chats between ISF legislator Nawasad Siddique and BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya and a PA of Union minister before 2021 polls.

The TMC is making every effort to divert the attention away from the polls. The people of West Bengal are aware. If it is proved that I have taken a single penny from the BJP I would accept any punishment the people give me, Siddique told the press.

WhatsApp chats are end-to-encrypted. How did the TMC get those? Are they using Pegasus? The TMC has just uploaded some chats. It could be of anyone. The TMC knows very well they have lost ground ahead of the polls and are hence now trying such tactics, said Majumdar.

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Days after the Law Commission solicited views and ideas of people and recognised religious organisations on the Uniform Civil Code, Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre of using the topic of UCC to secure votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. The 22nd Law Commission of India is examining the Uniform Civil Code, a reference sent by the Ministry of Law and Justice.(Reuters file photo)

Acharya Pramod Krishnam, while talking to ANI said that the centre is bringing UCC not for uniformity but to come to power for the third time.

"If discussions are held to introduce a law in the national interest with a pure heart, we will think about it. We might welcome it. But I think the Uniform Civil Code issue is not being raised to bring uniformity but to come to power for the third time. UCC's blueprint is not ready. So, I think BJP wants to hype this issue and win the 2024 elections. It is a clever party and it is not easy to understand," Acharya Pramod Krishnam while talking to ANI on Saturday.

The 22nd Law Commission of India is among other things examining the Uniform Civil Code on a reference sent by the Ministry of Law and Justice, officials said on Wednesday.

A Law Ministry release said on Wednesday that the 22nd Law Commission of India is examining the Uniform Civil Code, a reference sent by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

It said since more than three years have lapsed from the date of issuance of the Consultation Paper, bearing in mind the relevance and importance of the subject and also the various court orders on the subject, the 22nd Law Commission of India considered it expedient to deliberate afresh over the subject.

As per the release, the Law Commission has given 30 days to the respondents to present their views on the UCC.
Washington With the objective of building a defence innovation bridge between India and the US, on the sidelines of Prime Minister Narendra Modis state visit to Washington DC, both sides are likely to announce a joint innovation fund, launch joint challenges, and establish a joint working group to enhance collocation between the defence startup ecosystems of both countries, people familiar with the development said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the US next week (via REUTERS)

Also Read | Ahead of PM Modi's visit, ex-NASA top official bats for 'critical' India-US space ties

As part of the initiative on critical and emerging technologies (ICET), the framework launched by the national security advisers (NSAs) of both countries, Ajit Doval and Jake Sullivan, the US-India Business Council is set to host Indus-X, a new platform to accelerate this connection between startups, governments, academia and big capital on June 20 and 21. It is here that the bilateral relationship will enter into the previously uncharted path of working on defence innovation together.

Also Read | At G20 meet, PM Modi bats for fusion approach to tackle agriculture problems

Ambassador (retired) Atul Keshap, president of USIBC which also hosted the public launch of ICET in January, said, Indus-X is a direct outgrowth of ICET. Both Indias ministry of defence (MoD) and the US department of defense (DOD) have asked us to host a gathering of defence startups in both countries, companies in incubator phase. Both countries want to encourage them to partner with each other. Both NSAs are deeply invested in Indus-X.

Keshap said that the turbulent geostrategic environment made it imperative for both democracies to demonstrate they can work together, and Modis visit will be key step in breaking through the plateau in the relationship on the defence and economic front. ICET is as important as the nuclear deal. This is very serious business. When you think about how both countries are worried about geostrategic currents, looking at and working together with each other on future tech and deep tech is really important.

During the initial discussions on ICET, Keshap said, defence industry stakeholders had asked for asked for a security of supply chain agreement, a reciprocal defence procurement agreement, an incubator to enhance connectivity between start ups and movement on technology release. We are seeing movement on all these asks.

In this backdrop, he said, Indus-X is aimed to accelerate defence start up ties. In a clear reference to China, Keshap said, Its important because great democracies need to show deterrence strength. If you have strong deterrence, the other guy will think twice before starting something. Getting start up accelerators going is critical to enhancing deterrence. Just as we did with our major defence companies, we need to do that with smaller, medium sized companies because they will greatly boost defence production between both countries and make the other guy think twice.

Agenda

Besides the participation of nine US start-ups and 14 Indian start-ups, the event will witness high-level government involvement.

While the US ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, US undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment William A LaPlante, and the US secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall, will deliver keynote addresses, Pentagons deputy assistant secretary for South and Southeast Asia Lindsay Ford will participate in a panel on investing in the future of the defence relationship. Vivek Virmani, the chief operating officer of Indian defence ministrys Innovation for Defence Excellence (Idex) initiative will speak about translating innovations into capabilities and startups bridging the distance from ideation to commercial scalability.

Thea Kendler, assistant secretary in the commerce department for export administration, will speak about navigating export controls, procurement and industrial security while Farooq Mitha, DOD director in the office of the small business programs, will address friendshoring US-India defence coproduction.

The event will also feature a day-long exhibition at the US Chamber of Commerce, where firms will showcase technologies and platforms that can benefit both countries in areas of border security, maritime domain awareness, space situational awareness, among others.

Rationale and outcomes

In a paper published this week, Carnegie Indias Rahul Bhatia and Konark Bhandari pointed to the mushrooming of the private defence and space ecosystem in India. Today, Indian defence start-ups are developing a wide spectrum of cutting-edge technologies for the Indian armed forces to employ. These range from unmanned platforms and body armour to surveillance systems and advanced imaging capabilities. Carnegie is among the partner organisations at Indus-X.

Since India opened up the space sector in 2020, space start-ups too have established a presence. Skyroot Aerospace recently launched Indias first private rocket and aims to put a satellite into orbit this year. Digantara, another startup, has built an observatory to track space debris and military satellites over the South Asian region. Some space startups, such as Pixxel and Dhruva Space, have also committed to building satellite manufacturing and assembly facilitiessomething that would benefit from scale if there were a possibility to build for defense applications as well, Bhatia and Bhandari note.

It is in this context, Carnegies authors point out, that Indus-X offers an opportunity for matchmaking between Indian and American startups with established defence companies, venture capitalists, incubators, accelerators, universities. It could also establish mentor-protege relationships between startups and larger defence companies, which can help smaller Indian outfits in accessing US government contracts and vice versa. The paper suggests that Indus-X could also fill a vital information gap on how to navigate the US regulatory environment.

Kriti Upadhyaya, founding director of the IndUS Tech Council, another partner organisation at the event, said there remained many regulatory and export control issues that made it difficult for the private sectors of both countries to work together. However, pathways exist and are slowly being employed especially by Indian startups and US primes and investors. For example, other transaction authorities can allow Indian startups to supply to US DoD. Similarly, technical assistance agreements enable technology transfer and vendor development to and in India while manufacturing licensing agreements help ease ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulation) restrictions when manufacturing in India.

She said that while working through these pathways was crucial, Indus-X provides an opportunity to all stakeholders to get together, brainstorm and learn in building an effective defence innovation bridge. Pointing out that this was in stark contrast to the top-down Russia-India military industry complex, Upadhyaya added, A private sector-led US-India defence innovation agenda can represent democratised supply chains and democratised innovation paradigms of the future. What I hope we can achieve is a win-win partnership where Indian firms can bring supply chain resiliency, skilled and talented workforce, and cost efficiency for US primes and partners and the US ecosystem can help infuse fresh investments and transfer of technology to India.

Those involved with the event hope to see the launch of joint challenges focusing on common dual-use cases for both countries, the setting up of a joint working group to encourage interactions between startups and governments, the unveiling of a joint fund and greater partnerships with academic institutions, and more steps on the US side to ease their regulatory and export control regimes to enable the Indian and American defence ecosystem to work more closely together.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Prashant Jha Prashant Jha is the Washington DC-based US correspondent of Hindustan Times. He is also the editor of HT Premium. Jha has earlier served as editor-views and national political editor/bureau chief of the paper. He is the author of How the BJP Wins: Inside India's Greatest Election Machine and Battles of the New Republic: A Contemporary History of Nepal. ...view detail
Gandhinagar: One person died while at least five police personnel were injured after violent clashes erupted in Gujarats Junagadh city following the civic bodys notice to a dargah as part of its anti-encroachment drive, officials said on Saturday. Security personnel deployed after clashes erupted over Junagadh municipal corporations demolition notice to a dargah situated near the Majewadi Gate, in Junagadh district on Friday night. (PTI)

At least 174 people have been detained in connection with the incident that saw around 500-600 protesters pelting stones and clashing with police near Majevadi Darwaja dargah on Friday night. The police lobbed tear gas shells and baton-charged the protesters to control the situation, officials said.

On June 14, the Junagadh municipal corporation served a notice to the Majewadi dargah, asking its administration to produce legal documents pertaining to the ownership of land within five days, officials said.

Agitated over the notice, around 500-600 people gathered near the religious structure and blocked roads on Friday night, Junagadh superintendent of police (SP) Ravi Teja Vasamsetty told reporters.

A police team led by the citys deputy superintendent of police tried to convince protesters to clear the blockade, however, protesters attacked the police and hurled stones at them around 10.15 pm, the SP said, adding that a mob also set a vehicle on fire.

To control the situation, the police resorted to lathi-charge and use of tear gas shells. At least five police personnel, including the deputy SP, were injured in the incident, Vasamsetty said.

A civilian died and it appears that stone-pelting was the cause of his death, the SP said. But we are waiting for a post-mortem report to know the exact cause.

A Muslim lawyer, meanwhile, accused the civic body of trying to create a communal tension in the city that has always lived in harmony.

The dargah is around 150 to 200 years old and it is registered in the city survey registers. I dont understand why the corporation authorities are asking for its papers to be produced. They pasted the notice on the dargah building yesterday (Friday), but the date on the notice is June 14, Ashfaq, a city-based lawyer who uses only single name, alleged. Similarly, they also served a notice with false dates to another dargah situated inside the Uparkot fort area.

Some of us advocates will meet the municipal commissioner and the superintendent of police regarding this, Ashfaq added.

The civic body, however, rejected allegations that a particular community was being targeted as part of its anti-encroachment drive.

It was not a notice. All the corporation has done is asked the dargah authorities to produce their documents, Junagadh municipal commissioner Rajesh Tanna told HT. This encroachment drive has nothing to do with a particular religion. We have issued such inquiries to around seven-eight religious structures, including three-four temples.

The civic body chief said the matter has been distorted. Cant we (Municipal Corporation) ask questions? he added.

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The Ethnological Museum of Berlin on Friday handed back to Colombia two priceless masks, thought to be from the mid-15th century, that were used in Indigenous rituals. The wooden objects are highly revered by the country's Kogi mountain people, and their return is the latest in a string of cultural restitutions by Germany and other European nations. (Also Read | Ukraine: Cultural heritage sites damaged after dam burst) The items were only ever supposed to be handled by priests of the Kogi people. (Markus Schreiber/AP Photo/picture alliance)

How did the masks end up in Berlin?

Ethnologist Konrad Theodor Preuss, who was the curator of the forerunner of today's museum, bought the masks in 1915 on an extended trip to Colombia.

They were among some 700 objects that he gathered on the journey.

Scholars have estimated that the masks  referred to as "Sun Mask" (Mama Uakai) and "Great Sun Mask" (Mama Nuikukui Uaka)  are about six centuries old.

They were used ritually in temple dances and chants in a temple and, according to traditional beliefs, they were only supposed to be handled by a "mamo," the traditional priests of the Kogi.

They were never supposed to have been sold or acquired in any other way, but the German capital's museums authority said Preuss wasn't aware of this or of the age of the masks.

Why is the handover taking place now?

The decision to return the masks follows years of talks between Berlin's museum authority and Colombia, with an official request for their return coming from Colombia last year.

The handover took place on a visit to Berlin by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who was joined for the event by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

"We know that the masks are sacred to the Kogi," Steinmeier said. "May these masks have a good journey back to where they are needed, and where they are still a bridge between people and nature today.

"This restitution is part of a rethink of how we deal with our colonial past, a process that has begun in many European countries," Steinmeier said. "I welcome the fact that Germany is playing a leading role in this."

Petro celebrated the return of "these magic masks," and said he hoped that more pieces could be recovered.

Governments and museums in Europe and North America have increasingly tried to resolve disputes over artefacts that were taken during colonial times.

Last year, Germany and Nigeria signed an accord that paved the way for hundreds of artefacts known as the Benin Bronzes to be returned.

Those objects were taken from Africa by a British colonial expedition more than 120 years ago.
Actor Alia Bhatt flew off to Sao Paulo in Brazil to attend Netflix's Tudum event, where the streaming platform unveils exclusive first looks from returning and upcoming titles. Alia is there to support her film Heart Of Stone with Gal Gadot. The star dropped the first pictures from the country today, and it shows her hopping on the latest viral fashion trend bandwagon - Barbiecore. Made popular by Greta Gerwig's upcoming film Barbie, Alia embraced the craze by slipping into a hot pink ensemble. Alia Bhatt embraces Barbiecore trend in hot pink outfit for Sao Paulo Netflix event. (Instagram)

Alia Bhatt is a jet-lagged Barbie in a hot pink ensemble

Alia Bhatt and her stylist, Priyanka Kapadia, shared pictures of her Barbiecore look from Sao Paulo with fans on social media. While Alia captioned the post, "This barbie is jet lagged," Priyanka wrote, "This Barbie is all [heart, berry and flower emojis]." Alia slipped into a hot pink-coloured bralette, skirt and an oversized blazer for the occasion. While the outfit is from Ganni, the jewels she styled the ensemble with are from Swarovski and Viange. Scroll through to check out Alia's pictures.

Alia Bhatt's Barbiecore outfit decoded

Alia's bralette features a plunging V neckline, spaghetti straps embellished with a single bead, a fitted bust, and a cropped midriff-baring hem. The skirt has a high-rise waist, a figure-hugging fit, a midi-length hemline, and a back slit for a relaxed aesthetic. An oversized coat with single-notch lapel collars, a baggy silhouette, full-length sleeves, patch pockets, an open front, and droopy shoulders gave her outfit a finishing touch.

Alia accessorised the hot pink ensemble with shimmering diamond earrings, statement rings, and black strappy high heels. Lastly, she chose darkened brows, mascara on the lashes, subtle eye shadow, pink lip shade, rouged cheeks, a dewy base, and beaming highlighter for the glam picks. A messy low bun gave the finishing touch to her Barbiecore look.
BTS member Jin (born Kim Seokjin) is reportedly all set to takeover the fashion world. Earlier, the K-Pop supergroup became the talk of the town after six members turned ambassadors of several luxury brands, one after the other. BTS' leader Kim Namjoon (RM) collaborated with Bottega Veneta, Min Yoongi (Suga) with Valentino, Jung Hoseok (J-Hope) with Louis Vuitton, Park Jiimin with Tiffany and Christian Dior, Kim Taehyung (V) with Celine, and Jeon Jungkook (JK) with Calvin Klein. Now, BTS' oldest member Kim Seokjin is all set to join his brothers by becoming the brand ambassador of Cartier, according to reports. According to reports, BTS' Kim Seokjin is rumoured to be Cartier's new ambassador.

BTS' Jin to become the ambassador for Cartier

BTS' Jin wearing Cartier watches. (Pinterest)

According to an Instagram post on Hypebeast, BTS' Jin is a potential Cartier ambassador. The post says, "Jin, who's currently completing his mandatory service in the South Korean army, has been rumoured as a potential Cartier ambassador." If Jin signs the deal, he will be the last BTS member to have a major collaboration with a luxury brand. Moreover, the K-Pop star is known for wearing Cartier watches from their vintage collection during several outings and shoots. After the post went online, BTS' ARMY took to social media to share their excitement. Scroll through to see how they reacted.

BTS' ARMY says Jin is ready to takeover the fashion world

Several fan accounts on Twitter rejoiced over the news of BTS' Jin becoming the brand ambassador for Cartier. One fan tweeted, "Jin being a Cartier ambassador just makes so much sense." Another wrote, This is just fitting, in case it's true. Jin is a top-class Gem himself, we all know.

Kim Seokjin continues his military service

Meanwhile, Jin is currently serving as an active soldier in the military. Recently, during BTS' 10th-anniversary celebrations, Jin took to Instagram to share a heartfelt letter to ARMY, apologising for not being there to celebrate the occasion with fans. He also appeared on the latest episode of Suga's YouTube series, Suchwita, recorded before he enlisted in the military.
World Sickle Cell Awareness Day is observed on June 19th each year to raise awareness about sickle cell disease (SCD) and its impact on individuals, families and communities worldwide. Sickle cell disease is a genetic blood disorder characterised by abnormal red blood cells that take on a crescent or sickle shape and these irregularly shaped cells can cause blockages in blood vessels, leading to a variety of health complications. World Sickle Cell Awareness Day 2023: Date, history, significance and celebration (Photo by Twitter/InternewsHJN)

Date:

World Sickle Cell Awareness Day is observed on June 19th each year.

History:

World Sickle Cell Awareness Day has its origins in a United Nations General Assembly resolution adopted on December 22, 2008. The resolution recognised sickle cell disease as a global health concern and designated June 19th as the official day to raise awareness about the disease worldwide.

The resolution was a response to the pressing need for increased awareness and attention to sickle cell disease, which affects millions of people globally, particularly those of African, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and South Asian descent. Sickle cell disease is a major public health issue, causing significant morbidity and mortality in affected individuals.

World Sickle Cell Awareness Day was established to address the lack of understanding, limited access to healthcare and social stigma associated with sickle cell disease. It aims to draw attention to the challenges faced by individuals and families affected by the disease and to advocate for improved healthcare services, research, and support systems.

Significance:

The purpose of this awareness day is to educate the public about the challenges faced by individuals living with sickle cell disease and to advocate for improved healthcare services, early diagnosis and effective treatment options. It also aims to reduce the stigma and misconceptions surrounding the disease, promoting empathy, support and inclusivity for those affected.

Additionally, this day serves as a platform to recognise the strength and resilience of individuals living with sickle cell disease and their families. It highlights their daily struggles, achievements, and the need for support networks and resources to enhance their quality of life.

By increasing awareness and understanding of sickle cell disease, World Sickle Cell Awareness Day strives to foster a more compassionate and inclusive society. It encourages advocacy, research and policy changes to ensure that individuals with sickle cell disease receive the care and support they need to lead fulfilling lives.

Celebration:

On World Sickle Cell Awareness Day, various activities take place to promote understanding and solidarity. These include educational campaigns, community events, fundraisers, and blood drives. Efforts are made to emphasise the importance of regular screenings, access to quality healthcare and ongoing research to improve the lives of individuals with sickle cell disease.
International Yoga Day 2023: Every year, International Yoga Day is celebrated on June 21. Observed to create awareness about the power and potential of yoga in healing the body and the mind. The majority of the population suffers from Diabetes. A chronic illness that impacts the procedure of the body turning food into energy. Most of the food consumed is broken down into glucose and released in the bloodstream. This gives the body necessary energy to do daily tasks. However, Hyperglycemia can be a problem for the body  in this condition, too much sugar is released in the bloodstream. Yoga can help in controlling this condition. International Yoga Day 2023: Yoga tips to manage blood sugar levels for people with diabetes(Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar)

Speaking to HT Lifestyle, Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar, Founder of Akshar Yoga Institutions, said, "Yoga offers certain postures that can help you treat and control your blood sugar. With these asanas, you can practise using one of three alternative modalities. The first level, sometimes referred to as the basic level, can be thought of as the cornerstone of your asana practice."

ALSO READ: International Yoga Day 2023: Quick Yoga asanas you can easily do to beat stress

He further shared yoga asanas that can help in managing blood sugar levels for people with diabetes:

Mandukasana: This asana helps in easing stomach issues and controlling diabetes. It also helps in toning the abdominal organs.

Kurpara Dandasana: This asana helps in boosting functions of the digestive organs and nourishes back and hip injuries.

Padangushtasana: This helps in calming the brain, stretching the hamstrings and strengthening the thighs. It also helps in improving digestion and relieving symptoms of insomnia.

Paschimottanasana: This asana helps in spine mobility and in boosting overall flexibility of the body.

"Your internal organs are stretched and massaged by yoga asanas. Regular practise of these positions improves the organs' blood and oxygen flow. This significantly increases their functionality and efficiency, which may benefit your health. Scientific alignment and procedures that address the body's balancing, regulating, and other systems are the foundation of poses," added the yoga expert.

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The small French island of Brehat, a popular north-coast tourist destination, is restricting the number of visitors this summer after seeing as much as 15 times its population arrive at its rocky shores in a single day. Off the coast of Brittany, Brehat is joining numerous other sites around France pushing back against "overtourism" amid concerns over waste management and environmental protection. The island, home to just 377 permanent residents, is part of the EU conservation network Natura 2000 that aims to promote biodiversity. (Representative image)(Unsplash)

The number of day visitors, who access the island via a 10-minute boat ride from the mainland, would be limited to a maximum of 4,700 between July 14 and August 25, Mayor Olivier Carre said in a decree issued this week. The island, home to just 377 permanent residents, is part of the EU conservation network Natura 2000 that aims to promote biodiversity by protecting habitats of the most vulnerable species.

The idyllic landscape is a hotspot for tourists, with as many as 450,000 people visiting the island in one year, according to a study by the firm Littomatique. In the spring and summer, the number of visitors can peak to nearly 6,000 in a single day. "The commune is unable to handle the volume of waste" that increases 10-fold during the peak tourism months, said the mayor's statement.

The influx is also eroding paths leading to the picturesque lighthouse on the island's north and impacting protected areas. The crowds are also a drag for the tourists themselves, resulting in a rapid decline in visitor satisfaction, according to one study by Ponant Islands Association (AIP).

The France Tourism Alliance noted earlier this year that 80 percent of tourists flock to just 20 percent of territory in the country. The Paris tourism office projects upward of 37 million visitors to the capital alone this year, nearly matching pre-pandemic levels. The first quarter of this year saw volumes near that of 2019, while spending exceeding 2019 figures, it announced Wednesday.

The France Tourism Alliance has recommended tourism operators promote less popular sites to disperse the crowds, along with the adoption of techniques such as daily quotas at sites, scheduled ticketing and higher tariffs. "Demarketing" campaigns -- advertising images of overcrowded sites to make them seem less appealing -- were successfully adopted by seaside Marseille in 2021 and Corsica's Porto-Vecchio in 2022 to reduce the influx.

More recently, the Calanques national park near Marseille announced it would maintain a reservation system for visiting the Sugiton coves that was first implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic. With travel at the time limited, the rocky trails along the crystalline Mediterranean water saw an influx of tourists to as many as 2,500 per day, trampling the lush vegetation.

The reservation system, which cost 100,000 euros to implement according to park director Gaelle Berthaud, ensures just 400 people can visit the site on a given day. The national park on the Porquerolles island off France's southeast coast has for three summers limited daily visitors to 6,000 in a similar effort to protect the landscape.

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A teenager was critically injured after the speeding vehicle he was riding in crashed following an Orchard Park police chase that began early Friday morning.

Four other teenagers ran from the car after the crash and were taken into custody.

A patrol unit was conducting a traffic detail at 2:26 a.m. on Southwestern Boulevard, near the intersection with Michael Road, when a vehicle passed the patrol car going 64 mph in the 45 mph zone, Orchard Park police said in a news release.

The officer activated his emergency lights, but the vehicle did not pull over and continued westbound, police said. The vehicle failed to negotiate a curve in the road near Webster Road, struck a utility pole and rolled over several times, coming to rest against the front porch of a house.

The 16-year-old was trapped in the vehicle and needed to be extricated by the Orchard Park Fire Company. He was taken to Erie County Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition.

The teenagers who fled, two 15-year-olds, a 14-year-old and a 17-year-old, were located and examined by Orchard Park EMS.

The 17-year-old, who police believe was driving, was charged with unlawful fleeing, reckless driving, failure to yield the right of way to an emergency vehicle, speeding, passing a red light and violation of junior license restrictions. Police said he also will be facing penal law charges, which are being determined with the guidance of the Erie County District Attorneys Office.

The 14-year-old and the two 15-year-olds were charged with unlawful possession of weapons by persons under 16 and obstruction of governmental administration.
International Picnic Day is a delightful occasion dedicated to the simple joy of picnicking in the outdoors. It is a time to gather with loved ones, savour delicious food, and enjoy the beauty of nature while creating lasting memories. Positioned conveniently in the heart of June, this celebration invites us to relish good weather and sunshine while savouring a delightful meal in the great outdoors. However, even if the weather doesn't cooperate, an indoor picnic can be a charming alternative. So, prepare your picnic basket, spread a blanket on the floor, and revel in the simple pleasure of celebrating International Picnic Day. From history to significance, here is all you need to know about this day. (Also read: Creating lasting memories: Tips to plan the perfect family vacation ) Celebrate the joy of outdoor dining and togetherness with International Picnic Day.(Ioana Ye on Unsplash)

International Picnic Day 2023 Date:

International Picnic Day is observed on June 18th each year. Since it falls on a Sunday, it provides a wonderful opportunity for all family members to be at home and enjoy the perfect occasion of gathering outdoors for a delightful picnic experience.

History of International Picnic Day

The term "picnic" finds its roots in the French word "pique-nique," and its popularity surged in France after the revolution, providing an opportunity to enjoy informal outdoor meals in the country's royal parks. These leisurely gatherings transformed into elaborate social events in 19th-century England, as depicted in Jane Austen's novels, featuring elaborate menus with days of preparation.

Picnics have also taken on symbolic significance, representing the unity of common people during political protests, such as the Pan-European Picnic in 1989 that played a part in the fall of the Iron Curtain. In 2009, Lisbon set a record for the largest picnic recorded by hosting over 20,000 participants, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.

International Picnic Day significance

International Picnic Day holds great significance as a celebration of togetherness, nature, and the simple joys of outdoor dining. It serves as a reminder to pause from our busy lives, gather with loved ones, and create lasting memories while enjoying delicious food in beautiful surroundings. This special day encourages us to appreciate the beauty of nature, foster connections with family and friends, and embrace the relaxation and rejuvenation that comes from spending time outdoors. International Picnic Day reminds us to cherish these moments of shared happiness and create a sense of harmony with the world around us.

Ways to celebrate International Picnic Day:

Gather your loved ones and head to a nearby park or beach for a fun-filled picnic outing.

Prepare a delicious picnic basket filled with your favourite snacks, sandwiches, fruits, and refreshing beverages.

Don't forget to bring a cosy blanket or picnic mat to spread out and enjoy your meal in the great outdoors.

Engage in outdoor games and activities like frisbee, badminton, or a leisurely walk to make the day even more enjoyable.

Capture beautiful moments by taking photos or creating a scrapbook to commemorate your International Picnic Day celebration.

Embrace the tranquillity of nature by immersing yourself in the surroundings, listening to the sounds of birds chirping and feeling the gentle breeze.

Explore new picnic spots or venture out to a scenic location you've been longing to visit.

Disconnect from technology and fully immerse yourself in the company of your loved ones and the beauty of nature.

Take this opportunity to relax, unwind, and appreciate the simple pleasures of good food, laughter, and quality time spent together.

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"Indian Institute of Talent?, a middle-aged American once asked me when I told him that I graduated a long time back from one of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT). To be honest, that characterisation may not be too incorrect, given that IITs have now been established as a leading pipeline for global CEOs, academics, policy gurus, and entrepreneurs. PREMIUM Students who attended one of the five most prestigious IITs (i.e Bombay, Delhi, Kanpur, Kharagpur, and Madras) are four percentage points more likely to migrate than equally high-scoring students who attended other universities, on average.(HT Archives)

There has also been a long-standing debate in both Indian policy circles and at casual luncheons on whether IITs serve their purpose for India, or whether they are merely a large sieve for Indian talent, facilitating brain drain. In a new article, forthcoming in the Journal of Development Economics, my coauthors Ina Ganguli, Patrick Gaule, and I track career histories for the batch of 2010 IIT applicants and find that 36% of the top 1,000 rank holders migrated to the West. The migration rate rises to 62% for the top 100 rank holders. Students who attended one of the five most prestigious IITs (i.e Bombay, Delhi, Kanpur, Kharagpur, and Madras) are four percentage points more likely to migrate than equally high-scoring students who attended other universities, on average. The effects are mainly driven by students migrating for higher education, rather than for seeking employment.

However, brain drain is only part of the story. We have ample research that shows how the diaspora and return migrants helped grow the Indian knowledge economy. My own research, conducted around a decade ago, demonstrates how a group of 12 return migrants  Indians who spent long careers at Microsofts Redmond campus in the United States  were instrumental in setting up the Microsoft R&D centres in Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Over time, the collective efforts of a handful of returnees created opportunities for hundreds of Indian engineers and drew some of the best global minds to India. I met Kentaro Toyama, a brilliant computer scientist from Yale University, who was working with Microsoft Bengaluru. Kentaro travelled to Indian villages, observed how village schools lacked computers, and helped develop the multipoint mouse, a device that allowed more than one child to share a computer screen. In other work, Ramana Nanda and Tarun Khanna showed how ties with the diaspora benefited Indian entrepreneurs, especially entrepreneurs living in cities with weaker formal institutions.

Further developing diasporic ties and facilitating the return migration of talented graduates from elite institutions such as the IITs should continue to be key policy priorities. After the pandemic, knowledge workers have greater flexibility around where they can live. While companies such as GitLab and Airbnb allow employees to live anywhere around the world, other companies such as Google, Mastercard, and American Express allow workers to work-from-anywhere for a few weeks every year. These organisational changes create new opportunities for return migration and building ties with the diaspora. Even short periods of being together can facilitate connections that last for a long time. Startup Chile, which offered short-duration visas to talented foreign entrepreneurs, is a case in point. The connections fostered between the foreign entrepreneurs and local talent remained strong, long after the entrepreneurs had left Chile. In a similar way, talented IITians could contribute to the Indian economy, even if they only spend brief periods of time visiting India, as long as they are using these visits to develop and broaden their local connections.

This brings me to my final point. A concrete idea to make this happen is to leverage the IIT reunion events. Unlike elite western universities, which organise highly programmed reunion events for batches that graduated five, 10, 15, 20, 25 and even 50 years earlier, the organisation of IIT reunion events leaves much to be desired. These should be held with greater frequency and can be used to connect alumni with researchers, current students, and local entrepreneurs. Alumni could then serve as mentors, investors, and partners in knowledge-creating efforts. IITs should not be thought of as the great brain drain sieve. Rather, reimagine them as a platform facilitating brain circulation.

Prithwiraj Choudhury is Lumry Family Associate Professor, Harvard Business School. The views expressed are personal
Teachers in Switzerland are worried about grown-up kids wearing diapers in school as the staff is fed up assisting the children to deal with the soiled ones. As many school-going kids up to 11-year-olds do not know how to use the toilet, the number of such students coming in diapers to school has skyrocketed. Kids wearing diapers in school has skyrocketed, child development expert said. (AP/ Representative image)

Kids are going to school as early as 4 years old now, so yeah, you might actually find some still in diapers, Dagmar Rosler, head of the Swiss Federation of Teachers, told the Swiss newspaper 20 Minuten, reported the New York Times.

When 11-year-olds come to school in diapers, thats a worrying trend, she added.

Children coming to school with diapers become problematic to the staff as they are required to step in to help kids manage soaked diapers.

Parents have a responsibility to make sure their school-aged kids arent wearing diapers anymore. Teachers arent there to change their students diapers. Thats crossing a line, she said.

According to Mayo Clinic, the average age to potty train children is between 18 months and 24 months, but many parents seem to be avoiding the training session.

Some parents let it slide because diapers are a convenient relief. Its not seen as a problem these days, said educational scientist Margrit Stamm. That sends a totally wrong message.

Kids wearing diapers in school has skyrocketed, child development expert Rita Messmer told the Sonntagszeitung, revealing she had an 11-year-old patient who wasnt taught how to use the toilet on their own.

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Britain's monarch King Charles once suspected that his family members were plotting to oust him from his position as inheritor of the throne after his popularity reduced following his divorce from Princess Diana, a new biography revealed. Author Nigel Cawthorne talked about these fears that King Charles allegedly had in the 1990s in his book Windsor Spares: The Prince Harry and Prince Andrew Soap Opera!. In 1990s, then-Prince Charles' public image crashed following his separation from Diana. Britain's King Charles III.(AFP)

In 1995, Princess Diana spoke to the BBC in a bombshell interview in which she said that she had doubts as to whether her husband could handle being king. Following the interview, the couple divorced.

"When Charles's popularity hit rock bottom after the break-up of his marriage and his continuing association with Camilla Parker-Bowles, he began to suspect that brothers Andrew and Edward were plotting against him," Nigel Cawthorne wrote.

"After Diana said in an interview on Panorama that she did not think Charles would be king, he convinced himself that Diana and Fergie [Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson] had plans to replace him as heir and announce that, in the event of the Queen's death or abdication, Andrew would be regent until [Prince] William was eighteen," he continued.

"History was studded with regents who went on to become king. Even Britain had one in George IV, formerly the thoroughly disreputable Prince Regent," he said.

In the interview, Princess Diana had said, I don't think any of us know the answer to that, when asked if she thought Charles would one day be king.

And obviously it's a question that's in everybody's head. But who knows, who knows what fate will produce, who knows what circumstances will provoke," she said, adding, My wish is that my husband finds peace of mind, and from that follows others things, yes.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail
In a significant development within Hunter Biden's child support case in Arkansas, he was questioned under oath on Friday. The mother of his out-of-wedlock daughter, Lunden Roberts, attended the deposition as her lawyers sought to examine the political figure's finances. Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, talks with his sister Ashley Biden as they attend his daughter Maisy Biden's commencement ceremony at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Monday, May 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)(AP)

The 53-year-old son of President Joe Biden aims to reduce his $20,000 monthly child support payments for their four-year-old daughter, Navy Joan Roberts.

According to Daily Mail Hunter Biden arrived at the Little Rock office building for the deposition in a high-profile manner, accompanied by a five-car motorcade and members of the Secret Service. Shortly after his arrival, Lunden Roberts also entered the building.

The deposition, commencing at 9 a.m. local time, concluded by 11 a.m.

Lunden made a "highly unusual" decision to be present during the questioning, according to a source. By attending the deposition, she and her legal team strategically aimed to probe Hunter Biden, about his earnings.

The presence of Roberts may have been intended to create a psychological impact. Attending Hunters deposition would have been a strategic choice and perhaps a head game, the source stated.

And why not? Its harder for most people to be truthful about a person in their presence.

During the deposition, Hunter Biden, who was being questioned for the first time in this case, faced several inquiries about his financial situation and the claims that he can no longer afford the current child support payments.

The 32-year-old former stripper's legal team, accusing Hunter of living lavishly, alleges that he failed to provide evidence of his finances and has requested that he be held in contempt of court for his alleged deception.

In a court filing last month, Roberts' lawyer, Clinton Lancaster, wrote, "Mr. Biden does not want to disclose his income and assets, says that he is somewhat financially destitute, while he lives on a mountain overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Malibu, has Secret Service protection, and enjoys his time abroad." These allegations highlight the ongoing disputes surrounding Hunter Biden's financial transparency.

Roberts' legal team has sought to depose former Trump White House aide Garrett Ziegler as an expert witness in the case. Ziegler, the founder of the nonprofit organization Marco Polo, published a comprehensive analysis of the contents of Hunter's infamous laptop, which sparked controversy in the past.

ALSO READ| Can Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's marriage survive the power struggle? Expert breaks it down

Despite Hunter Biden's attempts to block Ziegler's deposition, the judge declined his request, allowing the deposition to proceed.

Throughout the legal proceedings, Hunter Biden's financial documents have faced scrutiny. During a hearing in Batesville court, Judge Holly Meyer expressed concern over the extensive redaction of documents related to Biden's finances, stating, The ability to redact is somewhat being abused.

The judge ordered Hunter's legal team to refile certain financial documents, emphasizing the need for transparency.

The 53-year-Olds lawyer, Abbe Lowell, a prominent Democratic figure, informed the court that his client had already paid Roberts $750,000 in child support since acknowledging Navy Joan as his daughter.

Navy Joan with Robert. (Image Credit: lundentownn_/Instagram)

The first son's financial disclosures and expenditures have garnered attention, including his use of a private jet for travel to the court hearing, estimated to cost between $55,000 and $117,000.

About the ongoing Legal dispute between Hunter Biden and Lunden Roberts

The legal battle between Hunter Biden and Lunden Roberts began in 2019 when Roberts filed a lawsuit after Biden initially denied the paternity of Navy Joan. A subsequent DNA test confirmed Roberts' claims.

Although the two parties reached a settlement agreement in 2020, Hunter reopened the case in September of the same year, seeking a modification to the support payments. The next court date is scheduled for July 10, where oral arguments on Roberts' motion to sanction Hunter Biden and impose jail time will be heard, along with the request for him to pay $20,000 in legal fees.

Plus, Roberts has sought to legally change her child's last name to Biden, with her attorney stating that Navy would benefit from carrying a family name associated with education, success, financial acumen, and political power.

President Joe Biden has consistently refrained from acknowledging Navy as his grandchild, only mentioning his "six grandchildren" in public appearances. Notably, the other six grandchildren were born within wedlock and are recognized on White House Christmas stockings, while Navy Roberts is absent from the lineup.

ALSO READ| | Kevin Costner has no legal basis to remove estranged wife Christine from his home amid their divorce: Report

The first son continues to face challenges beyond the child support case. Recently, photos from his controversial laptop containing explicit images, including drug paraphernalia and intimate photos, were leaked online. He is also under investigation by the Delaware US Attorney's Office for potential tax fraud and false statements on a federal gun purchase form. Hunter and his father are also subjects of a probe by the House Oversight Committee regarding the alleged acceptance of bribes from a Ukrainian gas company.

On the other hand Hunter's former business partner, Devon Archer, is reportedly in talks to testify before the committee about the business dealings of the Biden family in Russia and Ukraine.
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako arrived in the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Saturday for their first state visit since ascending the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019. Japan's Emperor Naruhito (C) and Empress Masako in Jakarta.(AFP)

Read here: Japan passes landmark sex crimes bill, also raises age of consent from 13 to 16

The June 17-23 trip to Southeast Asia's biggest economy includes a meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo at a palace south of Jakarta and a visit to a military cemetery honouring Indonesian and Japanese soldiers.

Japan ruled Indonesia for more than three years during and after World War II, capturing it from the Dutch East Indies without a fight and breaking the image of Dutch superiority.

The Japanese surrender at the end of the war paved the way for Indonesian independence in 1945 despite Dutch attempts to wrest back its former colony.

"Since the war, Japan has worked hard to contribute to international peace and prosperity with Asian countries including Indonesia," Naruhito told reporters Thursday before the trip.

"Based on the countries' history of diplomacy, I hope this visit will help deepen the friendly relationship between our nations."

The royal couple will visit a military cemetery in south Jakarta where 28 former Japanese soldiers who stayed and fought for Jakarta in the Indonesian War of Independence between 1945 and 1949 are buried.

They will also pay a visit to a new mass rapid transit (MRT) train depot constructed in the capital with Japan's help and a Tokyo-funded pump station that prevents flooding.

As well as travelling to the central Javan city of Yogyakarta to meet the provincial monarch, the emperor is scheduled to visit Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist temple.

Read here: Japan considers to provide artillery shells to US to aid Ukraine: Report

The couple have gradually resumed public duties after limiting them during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last year, they made their first trip abroad since the enthronement to attend Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in London.

Previous Japanese monarchs visited Indonesia in 1962 and 1991.
On June 19th, the United States commemorates Juneteenth, a significant day marking the end of slavery. With a rich history rooted in Black communities, Juneteenth has gained newfound national and cultural prominence amid heightened awareness of racial injustices and increased polarization. Members of the City of Galveston government unveil new signage that will be installed on the highway entering the Island to recognize its place as the birthplace of Juneteenth on Friday, June 16, 2023 in Galveston, Texas. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)(AP)

What is Juneteenth and its history?

For those new to the significance of Juneteenth, questions arise about the "right" way to celebrate. Understanding its historical context is essential. Juneteenth originated from the combination of "June" and "nineteenth," symbolizing the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned of their freedom, two years after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and following the Civil War. This historic milestone has been sacred to Black communities for over 150 years, signifying resilience and hope.

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued in 1863, freed enslaved individuals in Confederate states but did not immediately end slavery in places like Texas under Confederate control. The arrival of Union troops in Galveston on June 19, 1865, led by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger brought the long-awaited news of freedom to over 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state.

This momentous announcement sparked jubilation and immense joy within the Black community. Historian C.R. Gibbs described it as an indescribable moment of happiness. Today, Juneteenth is known by various names such as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, and Black Independence Day, signifying its enduring importance.

How is Juneteenth celebrated?

Traditionally, Texas was the epicenter of Juneteenth celebrations, but its traditions have spread nationwide in recent years. Initially, these celebrations aimed to educate newly freed enslaved people about their voting rights. The first Juneteenth anniversary in 1866 witnessed a grand procession in Galveston, attended by hundreds of men, women, and children. In Houston, community leaders purchased land to establish Emancipation Park, a revered site for commemorations.

The elevation of Juneteenth to a federal holiday occurred in 2021, as President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. This landmark decision came amidst nationwide protests for racial justice following the tragic killing of George Floyd. As a federal and bank holiday, Juneteenth entails the closure of nonessential federal offices, including post offices, and may involve modified hours for commercial banks. Moreover, it serves as a day off in the U.S. stock market.

Juneteenth wishes and quotes:

"Juneteenth has never been a celebration of victory or an acceptance of the way things are. It's a celebration of progress. It's an affirmation that despite the most painful parts of our history, change is possibleand there is still so much work to do." Barack Obama

"You must never, ever give out. We must keep the faith because we are one people. We are brothers and sisters. We all live in the same house: The American house." John Lewis

"Hold those things that tell your history and protect them. During slavery, who was able to read or write or keep anything? The ability to have somebody to tell your story to is so important. It says: 'I was here. I may be sold tomorrow. But you know I was here.'" Maya Angelou

"Juneteenth may mark just one moment in the struggle for emancipation, but the holiday gives us an occasion to reflect on the profound contributions of enslaved Black Americans to the cause of human freedom." Jamelle Bouie

"Every Black person you meet is a miracleWe are valuable because of our humanity and declared valuable because our ancestors declared our worth when they fought for us to live." Brittany Packnett

"We Black folk, our history, and our present being are a mirror of all the manifold experiences of AmericaIf we Black folk perish, America will perish." Richard Wright

"June 19th reminds me that I am the force of power to change this world and to follow in the footsteps of my ancestors to work towards liberation." Mariah Cooley

"Understanding history is one of many ways to break the cycle. Lift up/amplify Black voices. Support Black-owned businesses. Reach back. Mentor." Chadwick Boseman

"What historical narrative are we willing to weave in order to remind people not only that we were here enduring the trials but that we stared the fang-toothed wolves of injustice in the face and said, 'No more.'" Travon Free

"Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part."  John Lewis

"Juneteenth is important to me because till this day black people are still subject to racial injustice on a global scale, and are still victims of racial abuse regardless of where they are from. Juneteenth allows us to remember how far black people have progressed since and it is a reminder of the strength we have within us." Bethel Kyeza

Juneteenth's significance goes beyond mere celebration; it symbolizes the triumph of resilience, the pursuit of equality, and the enduring struggle against systemic injustice. As communities across the nation come together to honor this historic milestone, Juneteenth serves as a reminder of the progress made and the work that remains to build a more inclusive and equitable society.
In a shocking revelation, a close friend of King Charles has spoken out about the deep hurt caused by Prince Harry's public criticisms of the royal family. Lord Nicholas Soames, who has been a trusted companion of the king for decades, expressed his disappointment at Harry's behavior and labeled it as "the cruelest." Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, departs the Rolls Building of the High Court in London, Britain June 7, 2023.(REUTERS)

Speaking candidly during an interview with Times Radio, Soames shared his observations on the strained father-son dynamic between Charles and Harry. He denounced Harry's hurtful comments and their impact on the monarch.

"If my own son did something like that to me, it would just be the cruelest," Soames stated, clearly showing his disapproval of Harry's actions.

According to Soames, the public attacks launched by Prince Harry against the royal family deeply affected King Charles, evident in his pained expression. Soames empathized with the king, emphasizing the profound hurt caused by Harry's words.

The bond between King Charles and Lord Nicholas Soames stretches back decades, originating from their meeting as young boys in 1958. Soames, the grandson of Winston Churchill, even served as Charles' equerry in the 1970s, assisting the royal family. Their friendship is rooted in equality, built on a wealth of shared memories, humor, and unwavering discretion.

Soames expressed his deep affection for King Charles, describing himself as "entirely partial" toward him. He professed his love and admiration for the monarch, but acknowledged the challenges Charles faced in navigating his complex relationship with his youngest son.

Undoubtedly, the situation between Charles and Harry is nothing short of tragic. Soames likened it to the struggles faced by all families, albeit on a grander scale. He characterized it as a terrible blow that left the king feeling profoundly sad.

Soames voiced his support for Charles' decision to invite Harry and Meghan Markle to his coronation, viewing it as an opportunity for reconciliation. While Harry attended the historic event, Meghan remained in California with their children. Soames expressed his belief that it would have been a great pity if Harry hadn't attended, highlighting the significance of the occasion.

Though Prince Harry had no formal role in the ceremony, Soames found solace in the fact that father and son reunited on coronation day. However, he did not delve into the current status of the relationship between King Charles and Prince Harry, leaving that aspect unaddressed.

As the royal family continues to navigate this intricate web of personal circumstances, it remains to be seen whether the wounds caused by Prince Harry's criticisms can heal and restore the once unbreakable bond between father and son.
US president Joe Biden said that he hopes to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping within the next few months saying that Beijing's leaders werent aware of details surrounding an alleged spy balloon that the US shot down in February. US president Joe Biden walks to attend a briefing.(AFP)

China has some legitimate difficulties unrelated to the United States. I think one of the things that balloon caused was not so much that it got shot down. But I dont think that the leadership knew where it was or knew what was in it and knew what was going on," Joe Biden said.

I think it was more embarrassing than it was intentional, he said before boarding Air Force One adding that hes hoping that over the next several months Ill be meeting Xi again.

Joe Bidens comments coincide with a trip by US secretary of state Antony Blinken to Beijing to meet senior Chinese officials in an attempt to lower tensions between the worlds two biggest economies. Blinkens original trip was postponed after the uproar over the spy balloon that had crossed the US from west to east before being shot down by a fighter jet off the South Carolina coast.

Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met in Bali, Indonesia last November. Moreover, on Russian president Vladimir Putins announcement that Moscow delivered its first tactical nuclear weapons to neighboring Belarus, Joe Biden reiterated that he views the move as totally irresponsible.

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Jens Stoltenberg is expected to be asked to remain as NATO secretary general for another year, according to a source familiar with the discussions and a US official, as the alliance has struggled to decide on a replacement ahead of a mid-July summit in Lithuania. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's term has already been prolonged three times(AFP)

Stoltenberg's term has already been prolonged three times and he is due to step down in September after nine years as secretary-general of the military alliance.

The Norwegian has broad support among the alliance and continues to be an effective leader, the source, who requested anonymity, told Reuters.

"The (Biden) administration is coming around (to) the idea of Stoltenberg staying on for another year," said the US official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

"It doesn't look like there is consensus at the moment within the alliance on his replacement."

The chances of Stoltenberg being asked to extend his tenure for a fourth time have increased as the summit in Vilnius has neared, with allies fearing a show of disunity as NATO continues to respond to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Stoltenberg said in February he was not seeking a further extension to his term. But he has declined to say what he would do if NATO members asked him to stay on.

He stuck to that stance in a press conference on Friday when asked about increasing talk of an extension.

"I have stated again and again that I don't seek (an) extension and there are no other plans than to end my work, and my tenure ends, this fall," he said at NATO headquarters.

Whoever is in the role faces the twin challenges of keeping allies together in supporting Ukraine while guarding against any escalation that would draw NATO directly into a war with Russia.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace declared openly that he would like the job. But, as some governments push for a first female NATO secretary-general, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also emerged as a serious contender.

But Frederiksen on Thursday backed the idea of Stoltenberg staying on, describing it as a "really good solution".

Frederiksen met US President Joe Biden in Washington earlier this month, before Stoltenberg visited the White House this week for talks with Biden.

US officials believe there is a range of different candidates and that Biden thinks highly of all of them, including Denmark's prime minister, the source said.

Biden believes Stoltenberg has done a tremendous job during a challenging time, a view held by many other allies, the source added.
Gov. Kathy Hochul will introduce legislation that grants the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversight over the Lockport Cave boat tour, her office announced late Friday.

The proposed bill is a response to Mondays fatal capsizing of a tour boat in the Lockport Cave and the subsequent discovery that no state, county or local agency had responsibility for inspecting the boat and the tour operation.

State Parks regulates commercial vessels but, Hochuls office said, does not have the authority to oversee boats in non-navigable waters, such as in caves on private property.

The governor in a statement said the proposed legislation, which must gain State Senate and Assembly approval, would close this loophole.

As we mourn the loss of life resulting from the boat crash in the Lockport Caves, my administration is proposing legislation to prevent future tragedies, Hochul said. The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has the tools to keep us safe and this legislation will ensure they have the legal authority to use these to keep passengers safe on boats in caves.

Who was supposed to inspect Lockport Cave boat ride involved in fatal incident? No state or county agencies were required to regulate the underground Lockport attraction where a tour boat overturned Monday, killing a Niagara Falls man and injuring 11 other passengers, officials said Wednesday.

A Niagara Falls man was killed and 11 others were injured in Monday mornings incident, when a tour boat carrying 29 people flipped over in the manmade tunnel that branches off from the Erie Canal in Lockport.

City, Niagara County and state officials in the hours and days after the incident said they did not know who had responsibility for inspecting and regulating the boat tour. The U.S. Coast Guard does not have jurisdiction over this type of waterway, and there is no record that the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration had ever inspected the operation.

'Something needs to change': Monday's fatal accident wasn't first time Lockport Cave tour boat flipped over On Sept. 2, 2015, clients and employees from what is now called Our Lady of Victory Human Services were on the Lockport Cave & Underground Boat Tour when their craft capsized.

The question of jurisdiction grew more pointed after The Buffalo News reported Tuesday that the boat had capsized at least once previously, in 2015, but neither city police nor state officials investigated this incident.

No one was injured in the earlier capsizing, which involved a group from what was then Baker Victory Services, but passengers on the boat described a frightening scene.

Lockport police are continuing their investigation into what caused Mondays capsizing. Emergency crews were able to get everyone to safety except Harshad Shah, a native of India who operated a motel in Niagara Falls.

He was pinned under the boat and drowned before he could be rescued. His wife also was on the tour and was injured in the incident.

The family has declined interview requests, but this week issued a statement to news outlets expressing their devastation over Shahs untimely death.

Harshad Shah was a family man who will be deeply missed. His wife remains in shock, unable to come to terms with this fatal event that unfolded before her eyes, the family said in an email. We are all seeking answers to the why and how of this tragedy. The loss of Harshad Shah has forever changed our family, leaving an irreplaceable void.

The Lockport Cave & Underground Boat Ride, the business that operated the boat tour, has remained closed since Monday afternoon.

The citys chief building inspector late Tuesday deemed the property unsafe because of electrical hazards and ordered co-owner Tom Callahan to make needed repairs before the ride can reopen. OSHA also is investigating the incident.
NATO launched a new center Friday for protecting undersea pipelines and cables following the still-unsolved apparent attack on the Nord Stream pipelines and amid concern Russia is mapping vital Western infrastructure for energy and the internet in waters around Europe. NATO(AFP)

The threat is developing, Lt. Gen. Hans-Werner Wiermann, who heads a special cell focused on the challenge, said after NATO defense ministers gave the greenlight for the new center, located in Northwood, northwest London.

READ | NATO chief Stoltenberg likely to remain for another year as nations struggle to reach consensus

Russian ships have actively mapped our critical undersea infrastructure. There are heightened concerns that Russia may target undersea cables and other critical infrastructure in an effort to disrupt Western life, he told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

NATO was spurred into action after an apparent attack on two Baltic Sea gas pipelines in September.

The suspected attacks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, which were built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany, are still being investigated. No blame has been officially attributed, but NATO has boosted its presence in the Baltic and North Seas since then, with dozens of ships, supported by maritime patrol aircraft and undersea equipment like drones.

About 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) of oil and gas pipelines crisscross the North Sea alone, and systems, networks and grids are impossible to watch 24/7. Around 100 cable cutting incidents are reported every year around the world, and it is often hard to tell whether they are deliberate.

READ | Some progress talks in Turkey on Swedish NATO bid: Jens Stoltenberg

There's no way that we can have NATO presence along also these thousands of kilometers of undersea infrastructure, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters after chairing the meeting.

But we can be better at collecting  intelligence, sharing information, connecting the dots, because also in the private sector there is a lot of information about ship movements and maritime surveillance, he added.

Rather than trying to watch it all, the new center and NATO allies are focusing on high-risk areas. Pipelines in shallow waters that can easily be reached by divers are considerably vulnerable. Potential damage to data cables can be mitigated more easily by simply dropping in more cables.

Whatever the target, NATO believes it's important to catch saboteurs as they prepare their attacks.

To support the center, allies have decided to set up a critical undersea infrastructure network, bringing together NATO, allies and private sector actors. This will help to help improve information sharing about evolving risks and threats, Wiermann said.

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Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday urged Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif to come back and lead the election campaign in the country as well as also become the PM for the fourth time, Geo News reported. Pakistans Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif (AP)(MINT_PRINT)

While addressing the central general council meeting of the party, PML-N, Sharif said that he was waiting for his elder brother to return to Pakistan and then hold the party meeting so he could hand over the PML-N's president back to him.

READ | Nawaz Sharif to lead PML(N)s poll campaign, says Pak minister

It is pertinent to mention that Nawaz Sharif has been in self-imposed exile in London since November 2019 owing to health reasons.

"The election commission's sword was hanging which is why this meeting was held," the prime minister added.

Premier Shehbaz was given the PML-N's presidency after his predecessor -- Nawaz, the three-time prime minister -- was disqualified by the Supreme Court and barred from holding any party office, according to Geo News.

He also said that the PML-N needed young leadership, and commended Maryam for her hard work.

"You will see that the map of politics will change when Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan," PM Shehbaz said.

READ | 'Act of terrorism': PM Shehbaz Sharif slams Imran Khan's supporters for Pakistan mayhem

This statement came a few weeks after Pakistan President Arif Alvi signed the Supreme Court Review of Judgements and Orders Act 2023, clearing the first step for Nawaz Sharif to exercise the right of appeal against their lifetime disqualifications within 60 days.

Under this new law, now an appeal can be filed against the court decisions in cases under Article 184(3). The law now applies to past verdicts as well, Samaa News.

Pakistan Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif in the Panama Papers case on July 28, 2017.

The apex court banned him from holding any public office for life for hiding unpaid salary from his son in the Panama case. A year later, the court while announcing the verdict on petitions challenging the Elections Act 2017 said that a person disqualified under Articles 62 and 63 cannot serve as the head of a political party, Pakistani news channel Geo News reported.
President Joe Biden made a passionate call for tougher gun restrictions Friday, celebrating the one-year anniversary of the first significant piece of federal firearms legislation in nearly three decades but declaring it was only an important first step. He urged voters to defeat lawmakers who resist. President Joe Biden speaks at the National Safer Communities Summit at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Conn., Friday, June 16, 2023. The summit is attended by gun safety advocates, local leaders and families impacted by gun violence. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)(AP)

Prayers are fine. Theyre important ... but its not going to stop it," Biden said, pressing Congress to take more aggressive steps to restrict access to guns. You have to take action. You have to move. You have to do something.

If this Congress refuses to act, we need a new Congress.

Biden applauded the crowd at a gun safety summit in Connecticut  full of survivors of gun violence and family members of victims  for turning your pain into purpose and vowed not to let up on his advocacy for tougher laws.

He spoke on the anniversary of last year's legislation that tightened gun access, signed a few weeks after a gunman took the lives of 19 elementary school children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. A decade earlier, 26 children and staff were killed in the Sandy Hook school massacre less than an hour's drive from Hartford.

Last years law toughened background checks for the youngest gun buyers, sought to keep firearms from domestic violence offenders and aimed to help states put in place red flag laws that make it easier to take weapons away from people judged to be dangerous.

ALSO READ| Prince Harry's video with Princess Diana from Trooping the Colour celebration 1989 goes viral on TikTok. Here's why

Biden ticked off several ways that he said the 2022 law had already made an impact.

Stepped-up FBI background checks have blocked more than 200 transactions of attempted purchasers under the age of 21. Prosecutions have increased for unlicensed gun sellers, and new gun trafficking penalties have been charged in more than 100 cases around the country. Prosecutions for those who sell firearms without a license have doubled.

If this law had been in place a year ago, lives would have been saved, Biden contended.

He also pointed to provisions that increased funding for mental health services and safety measures as well as the enhanced background checks for buyers under 21. He pushed anew for universal background checks for purchasers and the banning of so-called assault weapons.

Those are part of a 2024 political platform that was all but unthinkable to Democrats as recently as Barack Obamas term.

Friday's gathering was led by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and major gun safety groups hoping to build on recent gains.

"We actually had it wrong for a long time. We left an opportunity on the table for decades, Murphy said of the push for gun safety legislation. He said there was an impression after Democratic election losses that dogged the party following passage of a crime bill in the 1990s that voters weren't interested in gun safety and it was a losing issue politically.

That was just a lie," Murphy said. "But it was a lie the gun lobby did a great job of selling, with some help from Democrats.

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In particular, Biden wants to ban so-called assault weapons, a political term to describe guns most often used in mass shootings with the capacity to kill a lot of people quickly. However, the idea of further action  or unilateral action by the White House  makes some Republicans who voted for the 2022 gun legislation uneasy.

Im a little apprehensive, said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. I dont want them writing a rule that basically deviates from what weve negotiated or voted on.

Republican officials in Connecticut were even more critical of the administration, with state Rep. Craig Fishbein accusing the White House of continued erosion of the rights of law-abiding Connecticut residents through its gun policies.

Through the law, millions of new dollars have flowed into mental health services for children and schools. On Friday, the departments of Health and Human Services and Education sent a joint letter to governors highlighting resources available to them to help support mental health  in particular if a student has been impacted by gun violence.

I think theres no question about it, the passage was a watershed moment, said John Feinblatt, head of Everytown for Gun Safety. The law clearly broke a log jam.

Yet since that bill signing last summer, the tally of mass shootings in the United States has only grown. As of Friday, there have been at least 26 mass killings in the U.S. so far in 2023, leaving at least 131 people dead, not including shooters who died, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

That puts the country on a faster pace for mass killings than in any other year since 2006, according to the database, which defines a mass killing as one in which four or more people are killed, not including the perpetrator, within a 24-hour period.

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Firearms are the No. 1 killer of children in the U.S., and so far this year 85 children younger than 11 have died by guns and 491 between the ages of 12 and 17 have died. As of 2020, the firearm mortality rate for those under age 19 is 5.6 per 100,000. The next comparable is Canada, with 0.08 deaths per 100,000.

Ending gun violence is a moral imperative and a winnable issue, said Nelba Marquez-Greene, whose 6-year-old daughter, Ana Grace Marquez-Greene, died in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. I also challenge us to not ignore survivor care because this grief does not go away.

After his speech in West Hartford, Biden headed to a fundraiser in Greenwich. In the coming days, he will accelerate his campaign travel, making stops in New York, California, Illinois and Maryland before the end of the month.
Prince George and Prince Louis stole the show as they saluted the crowd during the RAF flypast on the Buckingham Palace balcony with their great-grandfather King Charles III as the monarch and his wife Camilla waved to the crowds after performing in the Trooping the Colour parade. Prince George, left, and Prince Louis, greet the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.(AP)

King Charles became the first monarch in more than 30 years to take part in Trooping the Colour on horseback. He took the royal salute as Colonel in Chief of the Household Division's seven regiments during the ceremony and staged on Horse Guards Parade. Members of the royal family and 8,000 spectators watched the whole ceremony.

It was the first time a reigning monarch has ridden at Trooping the Colour since Queen Elizabeth's horse carried her during the 1986 ceremony. UK's pomp and pageantry were on display during the military spectacle in the event for which Charles had deputised for Queen Elizabeth II last year.

The monarch was joined on horseback by the royal colonels - the Prince of Wales Prince William, Colonel, Welsh Guards, the Princess Royal, Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel of The Blues and Royals and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Travelling in a carriage were Camilla, Kate Middleton and Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak joined the UK Home Office enforcement officials on a raid as part of a nationwide crackdown on illegal migration, which ended in the arrest of 105 foreign nationals from across 20 nationalities. Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visits an immigration office in northwest London.(AFP)

Read here: Rishi Sunak unveils major plan for easy UK visas: 'For international talent'

Sunak, 43, dressed in a bulletproof vest, attended one of the actions in Brent, north London, earlier this week to observe Immigration Enforcement officers at work as part of their day of action.

The British Indian leader has made cracking down on illegal migration one of his governments top priorities ahead of a general election, expected next year.

Illegal working harms our communities, cheats honest workers out of employment and defrauds the public purse as no taxes are paid, said UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

As the Prime Minister has set out, we are committed to tackling the abuse of our laws and borders. We know the prospect of black-market employment is a significant attraction for migrants considering making dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK. Operations such as today send a clear message that we will not stand for this, she said.

During the operation, which took place across the UK on Thursday, Immigration Enforcement officers arrested 105 foreign nationals found working without the right to do so during 159 raids on suspected illegal work establishments.

The arrests took place at commercial premises including restaurants, car washes, nail bars, barber shops and convenience stores. Suspects were arrested for offences including illegal working and possession of false documentation, with sums of cash also seized at some locations.

Of those arrested, over 40 were detained by the Home Office pending their removal from the UK, with the remaining suspects being released on immigration bail. It is also expected that a number of the arrests will result in a voluntary departure from the UK, the Home Office said.

This result demonstrates the dedication and professionalism of our officers to take action against immigration offenders, as well as employers who are not complying with the rules. Our enforcement teams are working around the clock to deter immigration offending and help protect the public, said Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at the Home Office.

Read here: AI does not understand traditional borders, needs regulation: Rishi Sunak

Working closely with partners and agencies including the police and the National Crime Agency (NCA), we are tackling illegal work at every level. It is vital that we not only identify individuals in breach of immigration law but target the people smuggling networks behind this type of criminal activity, he said.

While offenders of over 20 different nationalities were found to be working without proper visa rights to be in the UK, the countries involved have not been identified.

The Home Office said the operation builds on the ongoing work by Immigration Enforcement officers to clamp down on illegal working, which is a key part of the governments approach to stopping the boats crossing the English Channel illegally. The operation is aimed at tackling illegal migration by breaking the business model of criminal gangs who use the offer of black market jobs as one way to draw people to the UK illegally, officials added.

In the first quarter of 2023, Immigration Enforcement teams claim they delivered 1,303 enforcement visits, a 57 per cent increase on the same period last year. And, since Sunak set out his plan in December last year to stop the boats crossing illegally into the UK, arrests are said to have doubled compared to the same period last year.
Russian president Vladimir Putin cut mobile internet access at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) as he feared that the event could be targeted by drones, Newsweek reported quoting local journalists. The organizers announced that mobile internet access would be disrupted at the venue "due to technical work." The measure is part of security measures to ensure that drones would not attack the building. the report claimed. Russian president Vladimir Putin. (AFP)

The SPIEF forum has run annually in St. Petersburg since 1997 and comes this year against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Participants this year include lower-level officials from regions that have largely remained neutral about the conflict.

The mobile internet access was blocked due to concerns over the Russian president's safety and similar measures were taken during an event attended by Vladimir Putin in the Russian city of Sochi from June 7 to 9, the report claimed.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "Of course, both safety and digital security measures are being strengthened quite significantly, you could even say it's unprecedented. The enemy acts brazenly and doesn't miss an opportunity to inflict damage."

Just use Wi-Fi, and everything will be fine," he added.

Russia has been struck by a wave of drone attacks in recent weeks, including in the capital Moscow, and in the regions of Kursk and Bryansk.

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Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Synehubov revised the death toll from a Russian missile strike on a small Ukrainian village in the east to two people on Saturday. A man stands on debris of a building heavily damaged by a Russian military strike. (REUTERS)

Read here: Russia repels drone attack on oil pipeline station adjoining Ukraine border

Synehubov initially said on the Telegram messaging app that four people were killed as a Russian anti-tank guided missile hit a car driving towards the village of Huriyv Kozachok which is near the border with Russia.

Later he gave provided an update, saying that two volunteers - a 42-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman were killed.

Read here: Russian soldiers' corpses line road into liberated Ukrainian village

Ukraine liberated many villages and towns in the Kharkiv region last autumn but since then the Russian military has frequently shelled the area, destroying critical infrastructure and injuring and killing residents.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday is set to host a group of African leaders who traveled to Russia on a self-styled peace mission after their trip to Ukraine. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, left, and Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema attend a joint news conference.(AP)

Read here: Russia fires missiles on Kyiv as African leaders visit Ukraine for peace mission

Seven African leaders  presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypts prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda  visited Ukraine on Friday to try to help end their nearly 16-month-old war.

The African leaders traveled to St. Petersburg Saturday to meet with Putin who attended a business forum in Russia's second-largest city.

The mission to Ukraine, the first of its kind by African leaders, comes in the wake of other peace initiatives  such as one by China  and carried particular importance for Africa that relies on food and fertilizer deliveries from Russia and Ukraine. The war has impeded exports from one of the worlds most important breadbaskets.

Read here: African leaders to meet Putin, Zelensky in a bid to resolve Ukraine crisis

This conflict is affecting Africa negatively, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a news conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and four other African leaders after their closed-door talks on Friday.

Ramaphosa and others acknowledged the intensity of the hostilities but insisted all wars must come to an end and emphasized their willingness to help expedite that.

I do believe that Ukrainians feel that they must fight and not give up. The road to peace is very hard, he said, adding that there is a need to bring this conflict to an end sooner rather than later.

The delegation, including Senegals President Macky Sall and Presidents Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, represented a cross-section of African views on the war.

South Africa, Senegal and Uganda have avoided censuring Moscow over the conflict, while Egypt, Zambia and Comoros voted against Russia last year in a U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning Moscows invasion.

Many African nations have long had close ties with Moscow, dating back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union supported their anti-colonial struggles.

Speaking during Friday's news conference, Comoros President Azali Assoumani floated the idea of a road map to peace, prompting questions from Zelenskyy who sought a clarification and insisted he didnt want any surprises from their visit with Putin.

Chances for peace talks look dim as Ukraine and Russia take sharply different stands. Ukraine demands that Russia withdraws its troops from all its occupied territories as a condition for peace talks. The Kremlin, in turn, wants Ukraine to recognize Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as part of Russia and acknowledge other land gains it has made.

Read here: Air alert issued across Ukraine's Kyiv amid African leaders' peace mission visit

China presented its own peace proposal at the end of February. Ukraine and its allies largely dismissed the plan, as the warring sides look no closer to a cease-fire.

The African peace mission comes as Ukraine launches a counteroffensive to dislodge the Kremlins forces from occupied areas, using Western-supplied advanced weapons in attacks in several sections of more than the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line.
Russian air defence units repelled a Ukrainian drone attack overnight on a pumping station on the Druzhba oil pipeline in the Bryansk region adjoining Ukraine, the region's governor said on Saturday. Druzhba oil pipeline.(Forbes)

Read here: On $42 billion deficit budget amid Ukraine war, Putin says 'justifies itself'

Three Ukrainian military drones were destroyed in the attack in the Novozybkov district, Alexander Bogomaz wrote on Telegram.

Drone attacks inside Russia have been increasing in recent weeks, frequently targeting energy facilities. Russia blames Ukraine although Kyiv does not publicly acknowledge responsibility for them.

Read here: Russia fires missiles on Kyiv as African leaders visit Ukraine for peace mission

The southern branch of the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline crosses Ukraine and, despite the conflict there, continues to supply crude oil to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Russian president Vladimir Putin on Saturday hailed the peace mission and 'balanced approach' of the African nations towards the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, and said that he is open to dialogue to implement peace. Russian President Vladimir Putin. (via Reuters)

"We welcome the balanced approach of African friends to the Ukraine crisis. We are open to a constructive dialogue with all those who want to implement peace based on the principles of justice and respect for the parties' legitimate interests," Putin told African leaders from seven countries, reported news agency AFP.

Meanwhile, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told his Russian counterpart that the conflict in Ukraine had to stop. "This war has to have an end... It must be settled through negotiations and through diplomatic means. This war is having a negative impact on the African continent and indeed on many other countries around the world," he said.

The delegation, which arrived in Russia Saturday a day after meeting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, includes premiers of South Africa, Senegal, Egypt, Zambia, Uganda, Congo Republic and the Comoro islands.

The peace mission, the first of its kind by African leaders carries particular importance for Africa, which relies on food and fertiliser deliveries from Russia and Ukraine. The war has impeded exports from one of the worlds most important breadbaskets.

(With inputs from agencies)
Most candidates for Buffalo Common Council raised a few thousand dollars in the last few weeks, according to campaign finance reports filed Friday with the State Board of Elections.

But Leah Halton-Pope, who is running for the Ellicott District seat now held by the Rev. Darius Pridgen, continues to rake in the big bucks  and most of the $20,000 she recently raised came from outside the city of Buffalo.

Her main opponents  Matt Dearing and Cedric Holloway  have taken the opposite path, raising their funds primarily through small donations and from people inside the city limits.

My connection is the city, said Holloway, a former Buffalo police officer and community organizer. Im getting support from people in the city.

As for Halton-Popes donors coming from outside the city, he said, I dont know what thats about, but I think its important for people to ask why.

Dearing was more direct when asked about the campaign contributions at Saturdays Juneteenth Festival on Genesee Street.

Follow the money, said Dearing, a former Assembly staffer. Halton-Popes big donors, he said, want a team thats going to continue to rubber stamp the mayors agenda.

Halton-Pope did not respond to messages seeking comment. But her campaign finance reports tell a story stretching from Buffalos East Side to the power corridors of Albany and Washington, D.C.

Halton-Pope

Its no secret that Halton-Pope, senior adviser to Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, D-Buffalo, has sought to take advantage of her connections in Albany.

In the most recent reporting period, her top three donations from outside of Buffalo were $1,000 from John Kelly of Washington, D.C.; $1,000 from Assembly Speaker Carl Heasties political action committee; and $500 from a Bronx assemblyman.

In all, Halton-Pope raised $12,425  63% of her total donations  from outside Buffalo. Those included $500 checks from Amherst Supervisor Brian J. Kulpa and Uniland Development Corp. and a $250 check from Amherst Chamber of Commerce President A.J. Baynes.

Additional donations flowed to Halton-Popes coffers from Ellicottville, Schenectady, Skaneateles and Colorado.

In Buffalo, Halton-Popes main donors were real estate developers, including Rocco Termini, who contributed more than $1,500 through various LLCs; Paul Ciminelli, who contributed $1,000; and Creative Structures Services, owned by David Pawlik, a politically connected developer who was cited in a whistleblower lawsuit filed against the city.

The Womens TAP Fund, a pro-choice group, also contributed $1,000 to Halton-Pope, records show.

Dearing and Holloway

That contrasts with Dearing, who raised just $2,200 in the most recent reporting period  mostly through small donations  and Holloway, who raised $5,900.

Dearings largest donation was $400 was Maria Scrivani, a writer who supported India Waltons 2019 mayoral campaign. Holloways largest donation was a $1,000 contribution from his cousin, Erie County Legislature Chair April N.M. Baskin, D-Buffalo.

Eighty-four percent of Holloways contributions originated in the city, compared with 69% of Dearings and 36% of Halton-Popes.

Dearings campaign received an unexpected boost on Saturday with the endorsement of The Buffalo News editorial board, which is a group of editors and editorial writers that operates independent of the newsroom.

Dearing said the endorsement was a welcome surprise.

I think it shows regardless of experience or family connections that a person has, The News and I both know that whats best for the city is to have a council that is effective and willing to act and pass legislation thats going to improve the quality of life for the people who live in the city, he said.

Eddie Egriu, a perennial candidate for various offices, is also running in the June 27 Democratic primary. The Rev. Michael Chapman has said he is running in the general election in November. Neither appear to have filed campaign finance reports with the state elections board.

Early voting, which began Saturday, continues through June 25. A total of 466 votes were cast on the first day of balloting. Visit the Erie County Board of Elections website for polling places and hours.
Around 120 people of the security staff of South African president Cyril Ramaphosa were stuck on a plane at Poland's Warsaw on Thursday after airport authorities said that they did not have permits to carry weapons. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attends a joint press conference with other African leaders and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, June 16.(REUTERS)

Also Read| Russia fires missiles on Kyiv as African leaders visit Ukraine for peace mission

Reacting sharply, Major General Wally Rhoode, head of security of Ramaphosa said, They are delaying us, they are putting the life of our president in jeopardy. We could have been in Kyiv by now and this is all they are doing. I want you guys to see how racist they are, he added.

Some of the passengers have now disembarked and went to a hotel. The aircraft will now be held there until Sunday, reported BBC.

Poland's actions have left president Ramaphosa, who travelled separately to Ukraine, without some of his security detail.

Poland rebuffs allegations

"Accusations against Poland of racism are being circulated in this case. This is nonsense," said the director of the National Security Department and spokesman for Poland's Minister-Special Services Coordinator, Stanisaw Zaryn.

Warsaw Chopin airport spokesman Piotr Rudzki told BBC the South African security guards did not have the necessary permits for their weapons.

"We cannot let passengers with illegal firearms into the EU," he said.

Rudzki added that the staff was also told they could disembark if they left their weapons on the plane but they refused.

"The firearms... were not going to be confiscated as some reports in South Africa have said," he added.

Peace talks

Ramaphosa is part of the high-level African delegation visiting Ukraine and Russia with a mission to resolve the year-long conflict which has affected the continent- raising issues like rising grain prices.

The team met Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, who ruled out direct talks with Russia as air raid sirens sounded across the country after missiles were detected, forcing the delegates to take shelter in the capital.

During a joint press conference, Zelensky said, I clearly said several times at our meeting that to allow any negotiations with Russia now that the occupier is on our land is to freeze the war, to freeze pain and suffering, reported AFP.
It seems the fallout from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's split with Spotify is far from over. Bill Simmons, Spotify's head of podcast innovation and monetization, has come forward with scathing remarks about the couple, labeling them "f--king grifters" following the termination of their 15.6m Archetypes podcast deal. According to The Wall Street Journal, the royal duo may not have met the productivity requirements to receive the full payout, leaving many wondering how they will handle this setback. (FILES) Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak during the 2021 Global Citizen Live festival at the Great Lawn, Central Park on September 25, 2021 in New York City.(AFP)

Simmons' frustration is understandable, considering the long wait for content from the Sussexes. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed on for the podcast in 2020, but the first episode didn't appear until two years later. During that time, they were busy with their ventures with Oprah, Netflix, and airing grievances. When Archetypes finally debuted, it fell short of expectations. With just 12 episodes, mainly featuring Meghan discussing topics like 'stigma,' 'activism,' and 'manifesting,' the content failed to impress. The star-studded guest list included Trevor Noah and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, but it wasn't enough to salvage the lackluster production.

Now, the podcast deal is officially over, and Simmons didn't hold back in expressing his feelings. On The Bill Simmons Podcast, he remarked that the podcast should have been called "the f--king grifters," adding that he had an interesting story about a Zoom call with Harry to help him with podcast ideas. The Spotify executive's candid comments have attracted attention and praise for his honesty.

While the Archetypes team remains proud of the podcast they created, Meghan's future plans involve releasing the next season on a different platform. Although the streaming giant announced layoffs and a revamped podcasting approach, the Duchess is determined to continue providing content for the Archetypes audience. The podcast's cancellation has brought into question the Sussexes' ability to deliver on their various high-profile deals.

This recent development is not the first time Simmons has criticized Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Even when they were under contract with Spotify, Simmons publicly expressed his discontent. He once called Harry "embarrassing" and expressed frustration with the royal's constant interviews and complaints. It seems Simmons has no qualms about speaking his mind, and his comments have stirred up controversy.

As the Spotify-Sussex saga continues, it remains to be seen how the couple will navigate their future endeavors and regain their footing in the world of podcasting. With their reputation as "grifters" now in question, they will undoubtedly face scrutiny as they pursue new ventures. The split with Spotify may mark a turning point for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, forcing them to reevaluate their approach and deliver on their promises if they want to regain the trust of both critics and fans.
The United States won't make special arrangements for Ukraine to join the NATO military alliance, president Joe Biden said. "They've got to meet the same standards. So we're not going to make it easy," the US president told reporters before a meeting of NATO leaders in Lithuania next month. US president Joe Biden.(AP)

The first session of a NATO-Ukraine council with president Volodymyr Zelensky present is set to take place in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, the alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg said. The meeting will give Kyiv a more equal seat at the table "to consult and decide on security issues," he said, adding that though NATO will tighten political ties with Ukraine at the summit, there will be no talk of membership.

"We're not going to discuss an invitation at the Vilnius Summit, but how we can move Ukraine closer to NATO," Stoltenberg said.

I'm confident that we will find a good solution and consensus, he added.

Although, German defense minister Boris Pistorius suggested that it was possible some requirements for membership could be eased if Ukraine was ready to join.

On Moscow deploying nuclear arms within close ally and neighbor Belarus, Joe Biden said, I've commented on that many times. It's totally irresponsible"- echoing sentiments from US secretary of state Antony Blinken who had called Belarus' choice to accept the weapons provocative.

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King Charles III became the first British monarch in 30 years to ride on a horseback for his first Trooping the Colour parade- marking his official birthday celebrations in the UK. King Charles turned 74 on November 14 last year but the UK celebrates its monarchs birthday as per royal tradition in a parade during summer. This involved over 1,400 military officers together with 200 horses, 400 musicians from 10 bands and corps of drums. Britain's King Charles III attends 'Trooping the Colour' on Horse Guards Parade, in London.(AFP)

Prince William and King Charles's sister Anne and brother Duke of Edinburgh Edward also joined the monarch on the horseback ride. Following them in a horse-drawn carriage were King's wife Camilla, Prince William's wife Kate Middleton and the couple's three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

The parade is the first Trooping the Colour parade since the passing away of Charles mother Queen Elizabeth II. She died aged 96 in September last year. The parade dates to the days when flags were used as rallying points on the battlefields and it was essential that soldiers recognise their own regimental flag colours. Hence the Colours were trooped to assembled troops.

UK PM Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata Murty were among the special guests in the stands watching the parade. Following the ceremony, the royal family head back to the Buckingham Palace to gather on the balcony to watch an extended military flypast in which around 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force will take part.

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The mayor of the Ugandan border where suspected rebels attacked a school says 41 bodies have been recovered, including 38 students. Uganda has in the past sent troops into the DRC to help fight the ADF rebel group linked to ISIL(AP)

Police say the rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces, who have been launching attacks for years from their bases in volatile eastern Congo, carried out the raid late Friday on Lhubiriha Secondary School in the border town of Mpondwe.

Mayor Selevest Mapoze says those killed include 38 students, one guard and two members of the local community who were shot outside the school.

Suspected Ugandan rebels with ties to the Islamic State group attacked a school near the Congo border, killing at least 25 people, abducting others and setting a dormitory on fire, officials said Saturday.

Police said the rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces, who have been launching attacks for years from their bases in volatile eastern Congo, carried out the raid late Friday on Lhubiriha Secondary School in the border town of Mpondwe.

The school, co-ed and privately owned, is located in the Ugandan district of Kasese, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Congo border.

A dormitory was set on fire and a food store looted. So far 25 bodies have been recovered from the school and transferred to Bwera Hospital, police said in a statement, adding that eight others were in critical condition.

A government official and a military spokesman said others were abducted.

It was not immediately clear if all of the victims were students.

Police said Ugandan troops tracked the attackers into Congos Virunga National Park. The military confirmed in a statement that Ugandan troops inside Congo "are pursuing the enemy to rescue those abducted.

Joe Walusimbi, an official representing Ugandas president in Kasese, told The Associated Press over the phone that authorities were trying to verify the number of victims and those abducted.

Some bodies were burnt beyond recognition, he said.

Winnie Kiiza, an influential political leader and a former lawmaker from the region, condemned the cowardly attack on Twitter. She said attacks on schools are unacceptable and are a grave violation of childrens rights," adding that schools should always be "a safe place for every student.

The Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF, has been accused of launching many attacks in recent years, targeting civilians, in remote parts of eastern Congo.

The ADF has long opposed the rule of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, a U.S. security ally who has been in power since 1986.

The group was established in the early 1990s by some Ugandan Muslims, who said they had been sidelined by Musevenis policies. At the time, the rebels staged deadly attacks in Ugandan villages as well as in the capital, including a 1998 attack in which 80 students were massacred in a town not from the scene of the latest attack.

A Ugandan military assault later forced the ADF into eastern Congo, where many rebel groups are able to operate because the central government has limited control there.

The group has since established ties with the Islamic State group.

In March , at least 19 people were killed in Congo by suspected ADF extremists.

Ugandan authorities for years have vowed to track down ADF militants even outside Ugandan territory. In 2021, Uganda launched joint air and artillery strikes in Congo against the group.

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US eased norms by releasing policy guidance on the eligibility criteria for those waiting for green cards to work and stay in America, just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released new guidelines regarding eligibility criteria for initial and renewal applications for Employment Authorisation Document (EAD)- expected to help Indian technology professionals seeking Green Card or permanent residency. A Green Card is known officially as a Permanent Resident Card.(AP)

A Green Card is issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently. The USCIS guidance details specific requirements that applicants must meet to be eligible for an initial EAD based on compelling circumstances which include being the principal beneficiary of an approved Form I-140, being in valid non-immigrant status or authorised grace period, not having filed an adjustment of status application, and meeting certain biometrics and criminal background requirements.

USCIS will also exercise discretion to determine whether an applicant demonstrates compelling circumstances justifying employment authorisation issuance.

These measures are a significant step towards supporting individuals facing challenging situations and ensuring their ability to work lawfully in the United States, Ajay Bhutoria said.

The non-exhaustive list of qualifying circumstances offers individuals an opportunity to present evidence supporting their case, he said, For instance, individuals with approved immigrant visa petitions in oversubscribed categories or chargeability areas may submit evidence like school or higher education enrollment records, mortgage records, or long-term lease records to demonstrate compelling circumstances."

Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US president Joe Biden. The visit also includes an address to the joint session of the US congress on June 22.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail
Joe Biden is known for his awkward moments during public appearances in the recent past. On Friday, it was no different as the US President left the audience befuddled after he strangely ended his speech on gun control at the University of Hartfords campus in Connecticut. In the end of the speech, Biden Said: God save the Queen, man. President Joe Biden speaks at the National Safer Communities Summit at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Conn., Friday, June 16, 2023. The summit is attended by gun safety advocates, local leaders and families impacted by gun violence. (AP)

Netizens, journalists and experts are still trying to figure out why Biden said so and what he exactly meant by it. Late on Friday, deputy White House press secretary Olivia Dalton informed reporters that Biden was commenting to someone in the crowd, but she didn't clarify further.

ALSO READ| Spotify fires barbs on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after recent termination of podcast deal

Notably, God Save the Queen was the name of the British national anthem under Queen Elizabeth II. After her death, her son King Charles III ascended to the throne and the anthem was reverted to God Save the King.

On Friday, Biden's speech was aimed at his call for new laws to ban AR-15-style semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity magazines and to make gun owners responsible for the unsafe keep of their weapons.

If any one of you drove up to the parking lot here today, got out of your car, left a key in your car and a kid comes along  13-14 years old  gets in your car, takes it on a joyride and kills someone  guess what? Youre liable, said Biden.

Why should that not be the case if you dont lock your weapon?, he added.

Meanwhile, Twitter users speculated about Biden's signing off with God save the Queen, man. Many users used hilarious memes and made jokes on Biden's bizarre utterance.

Maybe he meant Dairy Queen. Where they have ice cream, joked one user.

Did someone hopefully tell him he's in the US??? Pathetic!, posted another Twitter user.

Joe Biden ends his speech in Connecticut by saying God save the queen man, then hurriedly walks off the stage.Maybe he doesnt remember the queen is dead and that America ceased to be a British colony. This is the guy trying to fight with Putin and Xi Jinping, tweeted another user.

Joe Biden thinks he is in England. He ended his speech with God Save The Queen, posted a fourth user.

"Joe Biden suddenly says, "Alright, God save the queen, man"-- then tries to depart the stage, completely unsure about the right direction..," posted another user.
It started as a question from a resident on why police patrol cars dont carry the automatic injectors of epinephrine, which can be a lifesaving medication for someone having an allergic reaction.

We just kind of looked at each other like  thats a good question, said Sean Crotty, Town of Hamburg emergency manager and public safety dispatcher.

And now Hamburg has joined the Niagara County Sheriffs Department in equipping patrol cars with the injectors and training all officers on how to use them.

Police often are the first to respond to the scene of a medical emergency. Most patrol vehicles are equipped with automatic external defibrillators in case someones heart stops and Narcan if someone has overdosed on narcotics.

But if they dont have the tools to help someone going into anaphylactic shock, all they can do is wait for paramedics to arrive.

They stand there helplessly when the family is looking at them, Crotty said. All they can do is get on the radio and say can you have the ambulance hurry up.

Hamburg recently finished training its 62 patrol officers on the use of the epinephrine auto injectors as well as patient assessment and wound identification, control of massive hemorrhage, basic airway management, minor wound care and splinting, basic triage of multiple casualties and casualty movement.

The program, Tactical Emergency Medical Patrol Officer, or TEMPO, cost $75,000.

When the supervisor looked at the direct impact it has to the residents and visitors in our community, especially the allergies, its one of those things that makes sense, Crotty said.

The injectors are just part of the emergency kits in patrol cars, and Hamburg is not the only department to have emergency kits. Buffalo police patrol cars have trauma kits donated last year by Cold Spring Construction. The equipment can treat three types of traumatic injury: major hemorrhaging, collapsed lung and a compromised airway.

Hamburg also has mass casualty bags, or throw bags, containing emergency medical equipment such as tourniquets. In an active situation such as a mass shooting, police are trained to leave a throw bag with injured people as they try to find the shooter.
The eighth Monday night Slow Roll this year is the Juneteenth Ride, starting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Broderick Park, 1170 Niagara St.

Broderick Park was the final stop on the Underground Railroad in the mid-1800s for those seeking to escape slavery, before boarding the Black Rock Ferry to freedom in Canada.

The 10-mile round trip will have two stops, first at Freedom Wall at the corner of Michigan Avenue and East Ferry Street, where Eva Doyle will offer historical connections between the Erie Canal and the emancipation movement. Sharon Holley, one of the lead caretakers of the Nash House Museum, 36 Nash St., also will welcome riders at the museum.

Neighborhoods on the route include Grant-Ferry, Elmwood Village, Cold Springs, Masten Park, Fruit Belt, Copper Town, downtown and Lower West Side along major streets: Ferry, Richmond, Delaware, Michigan, Broadway, William, South Elmwood and Niagara.

Food and refreshments as well as live music from Vin Derosa will greet riders back at Broderick Park.

 Barbara OBrien
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Masten District voters are lucky to have two energetic and highly qualified candidates vying for the honor of representing them in City Hall.

Zeneta B. Everhart and India B. Walton  both on the ballot in the June 27 Democratic primary  have specific ideas about how to make life better in this poor East Side neighborhood.

Notably, if either wins and then defeats Murray Holman  who is running on the Conservative line  there will be a woman on the Common Council for the first time since 2014.

We award a slight edge to Everhart as a candidate with valuable experience both on the ground in the community and as director of diversity and inclusion for State Sen. Tim Kennedy. But Walton also has plenty of community work behind her as well as a strong activist profile.

On housing

Both candidates have targeted, thoughtful approaches. Walton founded the Fruit Belt Community Land Trust and got two houses built in that neighborhood before she stepped down from the organization to run  unsuccessfully  for mayor of Buffalo in 2021. She thinks the land trust model is a good one and would use it, employing private and public partnerships, to replace vacant lots with affordable homes. Walton would also hold landlords accountable for maintaining their properties and provide eviction protections to renters.

Everhart wants to help renters become homeowners by creating a fund that would enable them to transform dilapidated properties and empty lots into good housing. She would pay for it through state and federal sources, banks and foundation support.

On human services

There are many other needs in this district. Walton would get kids busy and help elderly or disabled homeowners by putting area youths to work cutting grass and shoveling. Everhart has already organized a single moms club that provides emotional and wellness support.

Both would work to bring more grocery stores.

These are serious, experienced candidates with good ideas. Masten wins either way.
Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC), a leading natural resources development company, has joined forces with ePLDT, the ICT subsidiary and backbone of PLDT for cloud and IT solutions, to spearhead an innovative cloud migration initiative, propelling sustainable digital transformation within the industry.

Through their groundbreaking partnership, ePLDT has integrated Microsoft 365 across NAC Group's nationwide operations.

This state-of-the-art cloud-based productivity suite equips NAC Group employees with efficient communication and seamless collaboration capabilities through a unified application. With its robust and secure infrastructure, Microsoft 365 ensures easy access to critical information, tools, and resources  whether working on-site or off-site.

Victor S. Genuino, President and CEO of ePLDT, emphasized their commitment to customer empowerment, stating, "Digital transformation is a journey we embark on together with clients. We go beyond providing solutions by co-creating strategies that deliver desired business outcomes. Our aim is to address every unique pain point, whether it be boosting market presence, driving revenue growth, cost optimization, or enhancing efficiency."

Aligned with Nickel Asia's vision of a progressive and sustainable future, this strategic partnership with ePLDT  as well as PLDT Enterprise, PLDTs B2B subsidiary  sets the stage for an unparalleled transformational journey.

The synergy will streamline NAC Group's migration process, enhance the end-user experience, and develop a roadmap that aligns with NAC's business objectives and sustainability goals.

Mitch Locsin, First Vice President and Head of Enterprise and International Business Groups of PLDT and Smart, also noted the comprehensive nature of the partnership, stating, "Our association with Nickel Asia goes beyond system modernization. We are dedicated to enhancing end-user experience while accelerating a transformation journey. This enables us to operate responsibly, demonstrating utmost care for our people and the environment."

The first mining company in the Philippines to join the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world's largest sustainability initiative; NAC recognizes the importance of reducing its carbon footprint while simultaneously enhancing the work experience for its employees.

By leveraging on ePLDT's multi-cloud expertise and harnessing Microsoft's cutting-edge technologies, NAC will now be able to conduct day-to-day operations with enhanced efficiency and sustainable practices.

Chris Fernandez, NAC's Vice President for Process & Technology Innovation, expressed the significance of strategic partnerships, saying, "Nickel Asia is fully committed to progressing responsibly towards digitalization. Our collaboration with ePLDT and PLDT Enterprise, who share our core values on sustainability, allows us to operate with care for our environment and stakeholders."

Similarly a participant of the UNGC, the PLDT Group demonstrates its commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices.

By incorporating sustainability as a key consideration, PLDT aligns perfectly with NAC's decarbonization ambitions, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030.

Microsoft, as well, has made commitments to becoming carbon negative by 2030, which further amplifies the value of NAC's UNGC membership.

ePLDT provides unwavering support through comprehensive training and guidance, empowering NAC with the knowledge and tools required to modernize and transform their operations. By achieving higher levels of efficiency and competitiveness, NAC is poised to create a lasting impact within the industry while upholding their sustainability objectives.
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Cyclone Biparjoy has finally weakened after wrecking havoc in western India and southern Pakistan this week, leaving at least six dead and a trail of destruction, meteorologists say.

Biparjoy, only the third tropical cyclone to strike western India in 60 years, intensified to a very severe cyclonic storm before making landfall in the Kutch region of Gujarat, close to the Pakistan border, on Thursday evening.

It prompted terrifyingly high tides, very heavy rains, thunderstorms and devastating gusts of winds in the state and neighbouring Pakistans Sindh province, with its impacts felt as far away as Mumbai and Balochistan.

Gujarats chief minister Bhupendra Patel claimed that there was no loss of life in the state due to the cyclone. However, two deaths have been reported in what officials say were cases related to weather events after Biparjoy made landfall.

The Associated Press said the dead included a man and his son who died when they tried to save their livestock in Gujarat state.

Around 23 people were also injured while more than 100 animals died since the storm made landfall. Earlier, four deaths were reported amid heavy winds and rains in Maharashtra and Gujarat while the storm was still out off the coast.

India and Pakistan evacuated over 180,000 people combined ahead of the storms landfall, as the cyclone left large swathes of coastal land inundated.

On Saturday morning people began returning to their homes, but the full scale of the damage in both countries is still being assessed.

The storm knocked out power in close to 1,000 villages, damaged houses, inundated roads and threw shipping containers into the sea.

Officials in Gujarat have started working on restoring damaged power lines and other repair works but the state still remains under weather alerts, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), even though the storm has weakened into a depression off the coast.

Videos on social media show strong gusts of wind uprooting trees, flipping cars and blowing away roofs. Key roads and infrastructure was also damaged in Gujarat, which experienced the worst damage.

The storm brought windspeeds of 85 kph, gusting up to 105 kph through the coastal regions of western Gujarat.

Biparjoy was the first tropical cyclone posing a threat to Indias western coast in recent years and the first major disaster to hit the Sindh region of Pakistan since it suffered devasting floods last year that killed 1,700 people. Many survivors of that flooding were among those worst impacted by the heavy rains brought by Biparjoy.

Thousands in western India relief camps begin returning home as Cyclone Biparjoy recedes Show all 4 1 / 4 Thousands in western India relief camps begin returning home as Cyclone Biparjoy recedes Thousands in western India relief camps begin returning home as Cyclone Biparjoy recedes South Asia India Cyclone South Asia India Cyclone Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved Thousands in western India relief camps begin returning home as Cyclone Biparjoy recedes South Asia India Cyclone South Asia India Cyclone Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved Thousands in western India relief camps begin returning home as Cyclone Biparjoy recedes South Asia India Cyclone South Asia India Cyclone Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved Thousands in western India relief camps begin returning home as Cyclone Biparjoy recedes India South Asia Cyclone India South Asia Cyclone Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

The World Bank and international charities said they were still helping flooding victims in the region when the cyclone hit, and warned that the population remains highly vulnerable to back-to-back disasters.

Pakistan has already faced a relentless string of disasters and economic setbacks in the past year, said Arshad Muhammad, director of the charity Mercy Corps Pakistan, ahead of the landfall.

Many are still displaced and increasingly vulnerable to storms like Cyclone Biparjoy.

A volunteer distributes food items among children at a camp set up in a school building for internally displaced people from coastal areas, as Cyclone Biparjoy was approaching, in Badin, Pakistan's southern district in the Sindh province (AP)

Earlier, Unicef had estimated that some 625,000 children were at immediate risk in Pakistan and India.

In Pakistan, Cyclone Biparjoy threatens a new crisis for children and families in Sindh, the province worst affected by last years devastating floods, said Noala Skinner, Unicefs regional director for South Asia.

The Indian Meteorological Department said Cyclone Biporjoy set a record for the longest lifespan of a storm over the Arabian Sea, lasting more than 10 days. Cyclone Kyarr in 2019 had a lifespan of nine days, it said.

Recent studies show tropical storms in the Arabian sea are getting stronger and wetter as the world continues to warm due to man-made greenhouse gas emissions.

A 2021 study found that the frequency, duration and intensity of cyclones in the Arabian Sea increased significantly between 1982 and 2019, and experts say the increase will continue as the world continues to warm.
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Prince Harry reflected on the awkward silence that followed a joke made by Meghan Markle after she attended her first Trooping the Colour, the late Queens official birthday celebration.

The Duke of Sussex recalled the incident in his memoir Spare, in which he remembered how he and the Duchess of Sussex attended the official June celebration of Queen Elizabeth IIs birthday for the first time together in 2018, shortly after their royal wedding.

As noted by Harry in the book published in January, the couple had just returned to the UK from their 10-day honeymoon in the Mediterranean, and would be making one of their first public appearances as newlyweds at the ceremony.

For the occasion, the duchess had worn a baby pink, off-the-shoulder outfit by Carolina Herrera, which shed paired with a matching pink fascinator, while Prince Harry had worn his full military uniform.

During the royal event, the couple rode together in a carriage, before gathering with the rest of the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to greet the crowd of well-wishers.

In photos from the occasion, the royal family appeared in high spirits, with Meghan seen smiling as she stood between her husband and her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales.

However, according to Prince Harry, who confirmed that everyone present was in a good mood, upbeat during the Trooping of the Colour, the festive mood allegedly changed after Meghan made a joke about the event to Kate, after shed asked Meghan what shed thought of the celebration.

But then: Kate asked Meg what she thought of her first Trooping the Colour. And Meg joked: Colourful, Harry wrote. And a yawning silence threatened to swallow us all whole.

Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended first Trooping the Colour together in 2018 (AFP via Getty Images)

Meghan Markle is seen talking to the Princess of Wales during balcony appearance (AFP via Getty Images)

In the excerpt, Harry noted that the awkward exchange was followed days later by Meghans first royal trip with the Queen. According to Harry, despite being nervous, the duchess and the monarch got on famously and bonded over their love of dogs.

The pair also discussed motherhood, Harry revealed, with the duke recalling how Meghan had told him about her conversation with the Queen, and how shed shared her desire to be a mother. In response, the monarch had then shared a tip for inducing labour.

While reflecting on the successful outing, Harry wrote that both he and Meghan had thought things are going to turn around now.

However, he said the press coverage of the trip did not reflect the reality, as he recalled how the papers had pronounced the trip an unmitigated disaster.

They portrayed Meg as pushy, uppity, ignorant of royal protocol, because shed made the unthinkable mistake of getting into a car before Granny, Harry wrote, adding: In truth, shed done exactly what Granny had told her to do. Granny said get in; she got in.

Despite the slight awkwardness that followed the duchess joke in 2018, the couple also attended the Trooping the Colour in 2019, and most recently, in 2022, when they reunited with the royal family during their first trip back to England since they stepped down as senior royals.

However, the Duke and Duchess are not attending King Charles first Trooping the Colour celebration.

The Independent has contacted Buckingham Palace and a representative for the Sussexes for comment.

The Kings birthday parade, which will mark the first time the event has taken place during Charles reign, is expected to see most members of the royal family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
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Prince Louis has once again shown off his cheeky side during King Charles first Trooping the Colour parade as monarch.

After watching the Royal Air Force flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with his family, Louis saluted the crowd gathered outside.

The young royal also also brought back his long, slow and double-handed wave, that he first debuted at the Kings coronation. The young prince is gaining a reputation for entertaining the masses  he also hit the headlines last year during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, for his his late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte during the Trooping the Colour ceremony (PA)

Big sister Charlotte looks on as Louis holds his nose (PA)

The youngest son of William and Kate was photographed pinching his nose, pulling funny faces, and playing with his hair while en-route to the military parade commemorating his grandfathers first official birthday as sovereign.

Follow live updates from Charles first official Birthday Parade here.

Seated with Queen Camilla, the Princess of Wales, and his siblings, George and Charlotte, in a horse-drawn carriage, Louis seemed unable to sit still.

Louiss first appearance at a Trooping the Colour ceremony last year, for Queen Elizabeths final birthday parade, also left fans in hysterics.

The youngest prince was spotted covering his ears and making a screaming face during the the RAF flypast in the skies above Buckingham Palace.

Every time I see Prince Louis, I want to giggle, one social media user wrote on Saturday, branding him full of mischief.

The youngest Cambridge appeared to enjoy the flypast (PA)

Father William offers support as his son performs a salute on the Buckingham Palace balcony (PA)

Another person wrote: It was wonderful to see Prince George, Princess Charlotte, & Prince Louis at The Trooping of the Colour. They are always delightful.

Prince Louiss expressions as always are so funny, one more Twitter user noted.

It reminded royal fans of his past antics  including at Charless coronation ceremony last month.

On his way to Westminster Abbey, Louis pressed his face against the carriage window, while waving at fans who had gathered for the historic moment.

He was then seen yawning widely while waiting outside the Abbey. During the ceremony, Louis appeared distracted by something on the ceiling, as his older sister Charlotte leaned in to see what he was gesturing at.

The Trooping the Colour ceremony is a royal tradition that dates back to the 18th century, when it was reportedly first performed during the reign of King Charles II in 1748.
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The Princess of Wales picked an all-green outfit for Charless first Trooping the Colour parade as King, subtly paying tribute to Dianas legacy.

The official birthday celebrations of Britains new king have just concluded, after the royal family enjoyed a military flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

The proceedings began around 10:30am on Saturday morning (17 June) when Charles became the first monarch to join the parade on horseback since his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, rode on her favourite horse, Burmese, in 1986.

Along with Charles, Prince William, Princess Anne, and Prince Edward were also on horseback. Queen Camilla rode in a horse-drawn carriage with the Princess of Wales, and Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte.

Both Camilla and Kates outfits were chosen to reflect their new military titles since December 2022. The Queen, who was appointed Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, wore a red dress and black hat that reflects the heritage of the infantry regiment.

Meanwhile, Kate opted for an emerald green dress designed by Singapore-born designer Andrew GN as a nod to her being appointed honorary Colonel of the Irish Guard.

She accessorised with a gold, Cartier shamrock brooch, which Kate previously wore during St Patricks Day celebrations with the Irish Guards this year.

Kates outfit was just as much a tribute to the regiment as to her mother-in-law.

According to a report by People, Diana also wore green during her first Trooping the Colour ceremony as Princess of Wales in 1982.

The 41-year-old princess completed her look with a Phillip Treacy hat, and sapphire and diamond drop earrings that belonged to Diana.

Interestingly, Kate wore the same earrings for Queen Elizabeth IIs final Trooping the Colour ceremony last year.

(PA)

For the Kings coronation ceremony last month, Princess Kate chose pieces of jewellery in honour of both Diana and the late Queen, who died in September 2022.

She picked a glittering three-strand diamond necklace, the George VI Festoon Necklace, which was among Elizabeths prized pieces, for the occasion.

Kate paired that with pearl and diamond drop earrings that were part of Dianas jewellery collection.

The peoples princess was photographed wearing the same earrings on multiple occasions, including at the Coronation Banquet of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan in November 1990, and during a royal visit to Pakistan.

The Trooping the Colour ceremony is a royal tradition that dates back to the 18th century, when it was reportedly first performed during the reign of King Charles II in 1748.
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King Charles IIIs first Trooping the Colour is underway at the House Guards Parade, as the new monarch is joined by the royal family to commemorate his official birthday.

This years ceremony marks the first time a monarch has joined the parade on horseback in over 30 years. The last time was when the late Queen Elizabeth rode on her favourite horse Burmese in 1986.

Charles is accompanied by the Prince of Wales William, Princess Anne and Prince Edward on horses gifted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

William and Kates children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales in a carriage.

According to the BBC, which is broadcasting the ceremony live, Camillas red silk dress reflects the heritage of the Grenadier Guards  one of the most senior infantry regiments in the British empire.

She was appointed Colonel of the Grenadier Guards last December, taking over from the disgraced Prince Andrew. The Duke of York was stripped of his military titles after he was accused of sexual assault by Virginia Giuffre, a victim of convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

He has vehemently and continuously denied these claims. In February last year, Andrew reached a multi-million pound out-of-court settlement with Guiffre.

BBC presenter Huw Edwards noted Camillas dress was designed by Fiona Clarke and was inspired by the uniform of the Grenadier guards.

She completed the outfit with a hat by Philip Treacy, a node to the guards bearskin with a grenade forming up to the feather plume, Edwards added.

Camilla (Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales opted for an all-green outfit, as she paid tribute to the Irish Guards.

Kate took over as the new Colonel of the Irish Guards from William last December, as he was appointed Colonel of the Welsh Guards.

After the parade, the royals will return to Buckingham Palace to watch the march-past and military flypast.

The Royal Air Force on Saturday tweeted that 70 aircrafts from the Royal Navy, British Army, and RAF will fly through the skies at 1pm.

Highlights from the ceremony will be broadcast on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 6:10pm this evening.

The Trooping the Colour ceremony is a royal tradition that dates back to the 18th century, when it was reportedly first performed during the reign of King Charles II in 1748.

Follow live updates from Charles first official Birthday Parade here.
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Thousands gathered to watch King Charles in his first Trooping the Colour as monarch in a Birthday Parade that marked the first time a reigning monarch has ridden in on horseback in over 30 years and culminated in a spectacular flypast.

Charles, 74, was flanked by his son, William the Prince of Wales, and siblings Prince Edward and Princess Anne, who all rode horses gifted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police  bringing back a tradition enjoyed by his mother, the late Queen, who rode in the annual parade until 1986.

Senior royals, including the Princess of Wales and her children, later gathered on the balcony of Buckingham Palace where they waved to well-wishers on The Mall who sang the national anthem and gave three cheers to the monarch.

But as usual, it was Prince Louis who stole the show. The five-year-old royal fan favourite was photographed pinching his nose, pulling funny faces, and playing with his hair as he accompanied his siblings Prince George and Princess Charlotte, en-route to the military parade commemorating his grandfathers first official birthday as sovereign.

Edwards wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, and Princess Annes husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy James Hamilton Laurence, were also present for the ceremony.

Notably absent were the Harry and Meghan, after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were reportedly not invited. Prince Andrew, his daughters princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburghs children, Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex, were also not present.

Queen Camilla and Princess Kate ride in an open-top carriage down The Mall as part of the King Charles first Trooping the Colour as monarch (AP)

Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte during the Trooping the Colour ceremony (PA)

When he arrived at the parade ground, King Charles was greeted with a royal salute after which he inspected the assembled 1,400 troops.

The central part of the parade features a battle flag  or the Colour  being displayed and marched past troops and the monarch. This is a ceremonial reenactment of the way regimental flags were once displayed for soldiers on the battlefield to provide a crucial rallying point if they became disoriented or separated from their unit.

A different flag is trooped each year and this year the Colour was the Kings Color of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

Prince William was appointed Colonel of the Welsh Guards in December 2022, with Kate taking over from him as Colonel of the Irish Guards.

Princess Kate picked an emerald green dress by Singapore-born designer Andrew Gn to match her new military title. She also subtly paid tribute to Williams mother Diana, who wore green for her first Trooping the Colour as Princess of Wales in 1981.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence arrive in a horse-drawn carriage on Horse Guards Parade (AFP via Getty Images)

The Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh, King Charles III and the Princess Royal depart Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Colour ceremony (PA)

After Charles inspected the troops at House Guards Parade, the family returned to Buckingham Palace before assembling on the balcony for what is typically a showstopping aerial display.

This year, however, the flypast was even more impressive, as 70 aircraft took part on Saturday, including Spitfire and Hurricane fighters from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. The ramped up display made a welcome return to royal celebrations, having been scaled down due to bad weather at the Kings coronation in May.

The display also included 18 typhoon jets arranged in a formation that read CR  Charles Rex which is Latin for king  to the cheers of the royal family and thousands of spectators.

The Red Arrows then painted the sky the colours of Britains flag, as the King and Queen thanked the royal fans for their support.

Before leaving the balcony, Prince Louis gave the crowds a two-handed wave, just as he did at his grandfathers coronation, as fans on Twitter crowned him the star of royal engagements.

The Trooping the Colour ceremony is a royal tradition that dates back over 260 years to the 18th century, when it was reportedly first performed during the reign of King Charles II in 1748.

Additional reporting by wires.
News / National

by Staff reporter

THE Mucheche family say they have lost a pillar after renowned transport operator, Ben Mucheche, died on Wednesday.He was 96.The black empowerment guru died in Beatrice."Our father died yesterday (Wednesday) here in Beatrice at his family home," said family spokesperson, Noel Mucheche, his eldest son."He was a respectable man in Zimbabwe who inspired a lot of people to venture into business."He was also a loving and caring father who used to take good care of us."Our father taught us to work hard and we will miss him."Noel told H -Metro that burial arrangements were still sketchy."We are still finalising the paperwork and stuff to ensure we give him a befitting send-off."We are going to keep you posted on the burial arrangements."Mucheche, one of the pioneers of Zimbabwe's black economic empowerment movement, had interests in transport and farming.A daring businessman during the colonial era, Mucheche made history as one of the black people to start investments in areas where the white people dominated.Despite numerous challenges, Mucheche found a way to make a name for himself.The Indigenous Black Business Empowerment Corporation (IBDC) founding president, is credited for his bravery and innovation by starting a business during the colonial era when it was not easy.According to his detailed profile carried in The Sunday Mail 10 years ago, Mucheche was born on March 31,1927 in Chishawasha.He attended Chishawasha Mission and completed Standard 6 in 1946.Afterwards, he relocated to Harare in search of employment At one point, he worked as a school teacher and transformed many lives. In 1956, he started the taxi business with only 300 Pounds savings. In 1962, his fleet had increased to six. He sold them and bought two buses and in 1979, Mucheche was running 75 buses.Mucheche was blessed with 28 children and several grandchildren.
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The King has received the official birthday wishes of the nation during his first Trooping the Colour ceremony as monarch.

Pomp and pageantry were on display during the military spectacle where the most prestigious regiments in the British Army honoured their Colonel in Chief by parading to mark his anniversary.

Charles had deputised for Queen Elizabeth II at last years event, also known as the Birthday Parade, but now rode onto Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall as the nations head of state.

He was joined on horseback by the royal colonels  the Prince of Wales, Colonel, Welsh Guards; the Princess Royal, Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel of The Blues and Royals; and the Duke of Edinburgh, riding for the first time in his role as Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards, formed last year.

Travelling in a carriage were the Queen, who is Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and the Princess of Wales as Colonel of the Irish Guards, along with Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, eight, and five-year-old Prince Louis.

The royal party were in the midst of a sovereigns mounted escort, formed by troops from the Household Cavalrys Life Guards and Blues and Royals, in their shining breastplates and plumed helmets, and a ripple of cheers followed them when they travelled along The Mall.

Soon after the King arrived on the parade ground the national anthem was played as a mark of respect and Charles had to steady his horse but it would not settle and a groom stepped forward to help.

The King began the ceremony by inspecting the lines of guardsmen on the parade ground, casting a critical eye over the soldiers, formed in two lines, as he rode past.

William, Anne, and Edward rode behind Charles while Camilla and Kate were in a carriage  a symbolic image of the royal family supporting their King as another milestone was reached.

The Queen and the princess wore contrasting outfits, with Camilla in a red silk dress that took inspiration from her regiment, the Grenadier Guards, while Kate was in a striking green dress by Andrew Gn and matching hat by Philip Treacy in honour of her Irish Guards.

The pair later took their seats on a dais with the Duke of Kent, Colonel, Scots Guards, to watch the march past of the troops  a first for the royal women  while the King and the other royal colonels remained on horseback alongside.

The sight of a monarch riding throughout Trooping the Colour had not happened since 1986 when the Queen rode her charger Burmese for the final time.

It was a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Charles horse Noble was also from the Commonwealth countrys famous Mounties.

Trooping the Colour is a social as well as a ceremonial occasion and in the stands overlooking the parade ground were around 8,000 wives, girlfriends and parents of the guardsmen and officers on parade.

The event featured around 1,500 soldiers in total and hundreds of Guardsmen were lined up on the parade ground waiting to be inspected by King, who will be joined by the mounted royal Colonels, including the Queen and Kate in a carriage.

For the first time since 1989, all five regiments of Foot Guards  the Welsh, Scots, Irish, Coldstream and Grenadier  were on parade together for Trooping.

The colour, or regimental flag, that will be trooped in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers will be the Kings Colour of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

Among the guests was Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and senior military figures.

The colour was first trooped through the ranks of soldiers before the guardsmen marched past the King, first in slow then in quick time, with the King acknowledging the command of eyes right with a salute.

The massed bands of the Household Division and the Mounted Band of the Household Calvary provided the musical backing for the ceremony.

Also taking part was the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery, who will fire a 41-gun salute in Green Park to mark the Kings official birthday, while a further 62 volleys will be fired from the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company.
 Close Police at the scene in Bedfont, Hounslow where a three-year-old boy and a girl, 11, are among four people who have been found dead in a flat in west London

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A murder investigation has been launched after the bodies of a family of four were discovered at a home in Hounslow.

A post-mortem examination gave Monika Wlodarczyks cause of death as multiple sharp force injuries. Her body was found alongside her husband and two children after police forced entry when concerns were raised for their welfare.

The Met Police were contacted by 11-year-old Majas school at 3.12pm on Friday, June 16, after she failed to attend school for four days and family members failed to respond to messages.

She was found dead alongside her younger brother Dawid, three, and parents, Michal Wlodarczyk, 39, and Monika, 35, with the date of their deaths unknown.

Michals cause of death as sharp force injuries to his neck, while post-mortem examinations into the deaths of Maja and Dawid are due to be held on Wedensday.

Tributes have poured in over the weekend to the family while police have confirmed they are not currently seeking anybody else in connection with the deaths.
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A west London community is in shock after a family of four, including two young children, were found dead at their home.

Michal Wlodarczyk, 39, Monika Wlodarczyk, 35, Maja Wlodarczyk, 11, and Dawid Wlodarczyk, three, were discovered dead on Friday afternoon by police who forced their way into their Hounslow flat.

Homicide detectives from Metropolitan Police are now investigating what took place but have said they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Officers broke into the familys home in Staines Road, Bedfont, shortly after 3pm on Friday after receiving distress calls.

The Met has said it is too early to speculate on the tragic incident. However, that homicide detectives are involved suggests foul play has not been ruled out. Forensic officers wearing white suits have been spotted and photographed at the scene.

It's tragic, her parents were really good people, hard workers, the mother was a cleaner in a hotel, I think the father was a builder, said family friend Maria Gouveia, whose daughter was friends with Maja.

Maja was a lovely, beautiful girl, with a strong personality, but she had not been in school for a few days.

People in her class were texting her, my daughter messaged her on Snapchat, it was not like her to go quiet. I think they were going to Mallorca for the dad's 40th birthday very soon, that's where I hoped they were when I heard about this.

It's shocking, the little boy was so sweet, he was going to start nursery in a few months, we are praying for them.

Forensics teams were seen on site (Lucy North/PA Wire)

Another mother, Naura Hooper, 46, who attended the scene, said she used to take Maja out with her daughters.

She said: "Maja was a nice girl, very intelligent and well-liked, the family were nice whenever I met them."

A police officer was stood outside the property on Saturday, while forensic investigators, wearing masks and gloves, worked at the scene.

Police and forensic investigators at the scene in Hounslow (PA Wire)

Naresh Regmi, 49, who lives nearby said: "The police were here yesterday with forensics, working on the property.

"We didn't know the people who lived there  maybe they were new to this area?"

Speaking to the BBC, a neighbour said: I am in shock  I have a child as well. It is not a normal crime, it is a proper crime.

Another man added: The circumstances, it is very tragic and as a parent myself I feel for the young ones lost. It really is a tragedy and I am very sorry at this time.

A third, female neighbour said: It is shocking. Normally we are so quiet.

Police at the scene in Hounslow (PA Wire)

The Wlodarczyks were said to be living in the upper flat in a duplex.

Tributes flowed in for the family, who were described by one Bedfont resident as "absolutely gorgeous".

Another neighbour also told The Sun the 11-year-old girl was "happy, bubbly, very intelligent, mature for her age".

Chief Superintendent Sean Wilson said: "I know the shock and distress that this terrible incident will cause among the community in Hounslow and beyond.

I am also aware that this incident will be particularly upsetting for children, and I ask people to please be responsible about what they post on social media.

Inquiries continue and post-mortem examinations on the victims will take place in due course. The Met Police said officers would be present in the area over the weekend.

Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to call 101, quoting reference 5135/16Jun.

Seema Malhotra, local MP for Feltham & Heston, made a statement on Twitter.

Everyone will be devastated by the news that two adults and two children [were] found dead in their home in Bedfont, she tweeted. Specialist investigations are ongoing. Our thoughts are with their family.
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A man accused of murder and attempted murder after three people were killed in Nottingham has appeared in court.

Valdo Calocane, 31, has been remanded in custody by magistrates following a series of knife and van attacks in the city on Tuesday.

The former university student is accused of killing University of Nottingham students Grace OMalley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber and school caretaker Ian Coates in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

A police officer outside Nottingham Magistrates Court on Saturday as Valdo Calocane appeared inside (Ben Birchall/PA Wire)

Calocane is also alleged to have attempted to murder three pedestrians after Mr Coates van was used to drive at people in Milton Street and South Sherwood Street.

The defendant, of no fixed address, appear at Nottingham Magistrates Court and is due to appear at crown court next week for a further hearing.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust said two patients are now stable and one has been discharged following the van incidents.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the driver of a marked police car had sight of the vehicle for less than a minute before it collided with the pedestrians in South Sherwood Street.

Police outside court on Saturday (Ben Birchall/PA Wire)

Medical student Ms OMalley-Kumar and history student Mr Webber, both 19, were found fatally knifed on Ilkeston Road at around 4am.

Mr Coates, 65, was then found dead in Magdala Road after his van was allegedly stolen.

The family of Mr Webber described their complete devastation at the senseless murder of our son, saying he was a beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to.

The three victims were Barnaby Webber, Grace Kumar and Ian Coates (PA/Huntingdon Academy)

Ms OMalley-Kumars family described her as a truly wonderful and beautiful young lady and that she would be so dearly missed.

Two of Mr Coates sons said his death had rocked everyones world, adding: Nobody deserves this but he definitely didnt.

Police revealed the suspect is a former University of Nottingham student, but said this is not believed to be connected with the attack.

Thousands of people gathered in the citys Market Square to pay their respects to the three victims at an emotional vigil on Thursday.

Crowds stretching back almost half a kilometre watched on with tears in their eyes as the families delivered powerful, heart-wrenching tributes to their loved ones.

The heartbroken mothers of the two talented students urged the city to hold no hate.

Mr Webbers mother, Emma Webber, fought back tears as she told the crowd that the monstrous individual responsible for the deaths will not define us.

I know he will receive the retribution that he deserves, she said. However this evil person is just that. He is just a person. Please hold no hate that relates to any colour, sex or religion.

A huge number of people watching sobbed as Dr Sanjoy Kumar said their family had become three.

He had to pause to wipe his eyes during his address, calling himself a broken-heart father before asking people to imagine a world without violence, one of just love.

The sons of Ian Coates paid tribute to their father wearing red Nottingham Forest shirts, which all had R.I.P Dad printed on the back.

One of them, James, said: It feels like hes touched a lot of hearts over the years, more than what we assumed and knew that he had, so its been really nice and heart-warming to see the messages and people come out and talk about how he was when they were younger and how hes helped them.

More follows on this breaking news story...
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The Afghan pilot threatened with deportation to Rwanda despite having worked with British forces against the Taliban said he feels abandoned after his UK resettlement application was rejected.

The air force lieutenant, who flew multiple combat missions planned by coalition forces, travelled to Britain in a small boat after fleeing Afghanistan in fear for his life, leaving his wife and child behind.

Despite describing how British commanders planned the sorties, he was told this week that allied operations in Afghanistan would not have been materially less efficient or materially less successful without him.

After the refusal of his application to the Afghan relocations and assistance policy (Arap) scheme, which is aimed at getting those who worked with British forces out of Afghanistan, on the grounds that he is not eligible, the pilot must now wait to see if he will be sent to Rwanda. He is also waiting to hear if he will be accepted by the US Department of State, which has said it will consider his application.

I am really disappointed, he told The Independent, which first highlighted his plight in March. We werent carrying out simple tasks in Afghanistan  we were doing your missions. Without our Afghan forces, the UK and US wouldnt have been able to do their activities.

Who are these people who think Afghan veterans are not in danger? They clearly dont understand the situation in Afghanistan  right now the Taliban are mercenaries, targeting people like me who worked alongside UK and US forces.

The pilot warned that Afghan veterans around the world are reading stories about how we are being treated in the UK, adding: They think, Why should he be in this situation, threatened with sending him to Rwanda rather than offering help?

The UK is losing the trust of those who served alongside your forces, and that is not good for the future. Arap should include people like me who served alongside your forces.

Sign The Independents petition calling for UK to support Afghan war heroes who served alongside Britain

Describing his involvement with UK forces, the pilot previously told The Independent: Mostly we flew at night. The British would plan special missions and they would use the Afghan Special Force and the Afghan Air Force.

The rejection of the pilots application was condemned by General Sir Richard Dannatt, the former head of the British army, who said it was a very disappointing decision, justified on very narrow grounds.

And Air Marshal Edward Stringer, commander of RAF air operations during the Afghan conflict, said the UK government was making a weaselling distinction over the pilots war record.

The man has been living in limbo for months after coming to the UK on a small boat, while his family hide from the Taliban in Afghanistan. He has now turned to the US, and is being considered for possible sanctuary there under its P1 resettlement scheme, to which you have to be personally referred by a US official  although the process can take years.

If the UK are abandoning us again, I hope the US may help, the pilot said. Many former Afghan pilots are even flying in the US, they are using their skills, unlike what the UK are doing with me.

Maybe if I get to the US, I can work as a pilot again and have a future  which helps my family, who are still in danger in Afghanistan.

Rejected under the Afghan relocations and assistance policy, the pilot is now waiting to see if he will be sent to Rwanda (Supplied)

Lord Dannatt said the fact that the pilot had been cast off by the British for the US to handle was a complete abrogation of our responsibilities and our decency.

Air Marshal Stringer added: The de facto contract was that we encouraged Afghans to join the security services and fight alongside us to achieve our ends, putting themselves at risk from regressive and dangerous forces such as the Taliban.

The pilot is among thousands of small-boat asylum seekers to be given notices of intent, which claim that they should have sought protection in countries they travelled through on the way to Britain, and that they may be deported to Rwanda or another country.

But with an EU-wide returns agreement lost in Brexit and the Rwanda scheme mired in legal action, few deportations are taking place, and pressure is mounting on the government to stop delaying the processing of asylum applications.

The Independent pushes the White House over its Afghan pilot campaign

Afghans now account for the largest cohort by nationality among those crossing the Channel, but a new bill going through parliament would allow the government to detain and deport them without considering their asylum claims.

Former army colonel Steve Smith MBE, chief executive of refugee charity Care4Calais, said the refusal of the pilots application proves that the governments promise to those who served alongside UK and coalition forces in Afghanistan was just hot air.

It is to our governments eternal shame that they are washing their hands of any responsibility they have to protect the safety of those who worked alongside us in Afghanistan, he added. The scheme is not fit for the purpose of offering protection to Afghan veterans, and the eligibility criteria must urgently be reviewed.

An official rejection letter, seen by The Independent, said that the pilot did not meet the criteria for Arap because of its requirement to have been directly employed or in partnership with the UK government, armed forces or contractors.

The government said it did not accept that his role had resulted in a high and imminent risk of a threat to [his] life.

The pilot is living under threat of deportation to Rwanda (The Independent)

Dozens of military chiefs, politicians and celebrities have urged the government to offer the pilot sanctuary and warned of the future repercussions of abandoning those who served alongside UK forces around the world.

A spokesperson for the government said it remained committed to protecting vulnerable and at-risk people fleeing Afghanistan, and that so far it has brought around 24,500 people to the UK.

We continue to work with like-minded partners and countries neighbouring Afghanistan on resettlement issues, and to support safe passage for eligible Afghans, they added.
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The government could be forced to pay police millions of pounds to cover security operations around Rishi Sunak's asylum barges and military bases, The Independent can reveal.

Police have calculated they need hundreds of thousands of pounds for each new ship or site to cover additional patrols, and deal with anticipated protests by anti-refugee groups and extremists.

The prime minister has already announced three large vessels to house asylum seekers, as well as two military bases and a former prison, all of which will be in different police force areas.

The funding will be on top of the huge 1.6bn contract handed to barge operator Corporate Travel Management, and money being paid separately to ports, private contractors, councils and health bodies.

Councils in Essex, Sussex and Lincolnshire have launched legal action against plans for large sites holding up to 1,700 asylum seekers each, but Dorset Council abandoned its fight against the first accommodation barge after being advised it would lose.

The Independent understands intense funding negotiations are ongoing ahead of the arrival of the Bibby Stockholm in Portland later this month.

David Sidwick, Dorsets Conservative police and crime commissioner, said police had been planning extensively since the governments private deal with Portland Port was announced in March.

The challenge for everybody is to make this work to keep everybody involved safe  the people of Dorset and the asylum seekers, he added.

It was a private commercial transaction made between Portland Port and the government. It wasn't discussed with local partner agencies before being implemented, and I'm very clear that I don't want the people of Dorset and Dorset Police picking up the bill for it.

Mr Sidwick said the barge, which will have a maximum capacity of 506 asylum seekers after extensive refitting in Falmouth, will create extra demand for the local force during its busiest period dealing with an influx of summer tourists and daytrippers.

Suella Braverman has recently approved a new policy for police forces affected by the new vessels and large asylum accommodation sites, which the Home Office said provides a route to apply for support for reasonable additional costs.

Drone footage shows Dorset barge set to house 500 asylum seekers

In Dorset, a separate funding bid for health services has been submitted to the Home Office, and another for voluntary and community activities.

A summary of preparations published by Portland Town Council said: There is a concern that without confirmation of the funding bid outcome there may not be time to commission services and/or recruit a dedicated coordinator before the first cohort of asylum seekers arrive.

Local NHS services will receive an undisclosed amount of money per occupied bed on the Bibby Stockholm, using a pro-rata calculation from when asylum seekers start being housed on the barge.

Richard Drax, the Conservative MP for South Dorset, said the public should know how much is being paid and the spending he was aware of so far was alarmingly high.

The point is this is taxpayers' money, he told The Independent. The police want money, the health authority wants money, of course, the council wants money, and yet the government continues to insist that this is cheaper than hotels.

Alistair Carmichael, the Liberal Democrats home affairs spokesperson, said the controversial accommodation plans were immoral, ineffective and incredibly expensive.

Wethersfield is one of two former military bases set to be used as asylum accommodation (AFP/Getty)

Local police officers are already overstretched, and wasting their time on this as well will only mean more unsolved crimes and more criminals getting away with it, he added.

The Conservatives broken asylum system is not only keeping very vulnerable people in appalling conditions, but costing taxpayers dearly too.

The government has argued the new sites are necessary to reduce spending on hotel places for asylum seekers, which are currently costing 6m a day as record decision backlogs mount.

A National Audit Office report released this week said that by the end of April, the Home Office was fulfilling its legal duty to accommodate 109,000 destitute asylum seekers, including 48,000 in hotels.

Last September, an internal business case aimed to stop using hotels by the end of this year, but the target has now been scrapped.

While being grilled by parliaments Home Affairs Committee on Wednesday, the home secretary said: We have been able to announce the first batch of sites. Those will be delivered very soon, and we will be seeing asylum seekers relocated to those sites in the next few months. Once we are able to ramp that up, keep going with it and do more sites.

The official brochure for the Bibby Stockholm shows 222 single bedrooms, but the Home Office says it will house 500 asylum seekers (Bibby Marine)

Ms Braverman claimed military bases and barges were more appropriate, bespoke and cost-effective accommodation for asylum seekers.

The Bibby Stockholm saw at least one person die, and reports of rape and abuse on board, when it was used by the Dutch government to detain asylum seekers in the 2000s.

A 2008 Amnesty International report contains testimony from a 32-year-old asylum seeker called Ben, who described four people in a cell on board, adding: The conditions force you into submission; they kill you psychologically.

Current refurbishment workers are increasing Bibby Stockholms capacity from the previous 222 to 506, with calculations by The Independent showing each asylum seeker will have less living space than an average parking bay.

A Home Office spokesperson said: The pressure on the asylum system has continued to grow and requires us to look at a range of accommodation options which offer better value for the British taxpayer than expensive hotels.

This is why we will be using alternative accommodation options, such as barges, which are more manageable for communities, as our European neighbours are doing.

We are continuing to work extremely closely with Dorset and Portland councils, as well as the local NHS and police services, to manage any impact in Portland and address the local communities concerns, including through substantial financial support.
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Artificial intelligence will be used in south-west England to predict water pollution before it happens.

It is hoped the pilot project in Devon will help to prevent water pollution at the seaside resort of Combe Martin, making it better for swimming.

Around 50 Sensors will be placed in rivers and fields as part of the project, and AI will combine the data with satellite imagery of local land use to predict when the local river system is most vulnerable to pollution.

Farmers will then be asked to hold off on applying fertiliser during times when the river is most vulnerable to pollution.

The project, which is being run by computer systems company CGI and mapping experts Ordnance Survey, is being trialled in the North Devon Biosphere Reserve - a protected area that includes natural habitats as well as farmland and small towns.

CGI said the AI technology was more than 90% accurate during a test run. The companys chief sustainability officer Mattie Yeta said the data generated from the sensors will be fed to the AI technology to allow it to develop the predictive mechanisms to be able to inform where these incidents are occurring and indeed when they will take place.

Meanwhile, Donna Lyndsay from Ordnance Survey said: We can start training the model using data to get it understanding that when there was a pollution event - whether it was associated with a particular area? Was there for example a particular rainfall event that washed it all off?

It comes amid concerns over the quality of the bathing water in Combe Martin. In 2018 and 2019, the resort received a poor rating and people were advised not to swim.

There is very much a fear in the community of what would happen if the bathing water status was rescinded, said Andy Bell from the North Devon Biosphere Reserve.

It would impact on the cafes, the restaurants, the B&Bs people want to come to a clean place to enjoy themselves.

Yeta said it is hoped the project will be scaled up and rolled out to different parts of the UK.
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Some areas of the country could see as much as 80mm of rain in just hours on Sunday, the Met Office has warned.

A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms almost entirely covers England and Wales between noon and midnight on Sunday.

Lightning, strong winds and hail are all to be expected, with the forecaster saying London through to the Midlands as well as eastern England, east Wales and lower areas of northern England are most likely to experience disruption.

The warning states that while some places may miss the rain, others could see 30mm in an hour or less and a few spots may even see 60 to 80mm within three to six hours.

Some of the storms have the potential to be quite intense, with high rainfall rates Grahame Madge, Met Office

The storms will follow this weeks humid heatwave, which has caused some to experience heavy hay fever and even worsened asthma attacks.

Grahame Madge, a spokesperson for the Met Office, said: What were seeing is a change of air mass from last week.

Weve now got much more moist air, thats coming up from warmer latitudes in the Atlantic so its quite humid.

Heat and humidity are the key ingredients for thunderstorms. Theres a warning out for Northern Ireland today, but tomorrow that extends to essentially the whole of England and Wales, apart from some areas around the Lake District.

He added: Some of the storms have the potential to be quite intense, with high rainfall rates.

Some locations may well miss them all together but all we can do now is indicate that there is a risk across both countries.

He added: We will keep the yellow warning closely monitored and if we need to escalate that for local areas then we will.

Members of the public have taken to social media to complain that their hay fever symptoms are worse than usual this year. Mr Madge put this down to the hot, dry weather over the last few weeks.

Pollen season is certainly with us, he said. The fact weve had very dry conditions means that grasses can release pollen on mass into the air column.

Around 70% of hay fever sufferers are allergic to grass pollen, and will likely have symptoms continuing from mid June into July during grass season.

The heat and humidity has also led to a surge in the number of people presenting at hospital with lung problems. More than five million people in the UK have asthma, leaving them more vulnerable to the weather conditions.

People with asthma who have hay fever can experience much more severe symptoms during thunderstorms, said Emma Rubach, head of health advice at Asthma + Lung UK.

This is because thunder breaks pollen into smaller particles, which can then be inhaled deep into the lungs, causing wheezing, coughing, a tight chest and shortness of breath.

If there is also higher pollution in the atmosphere  which tends to be the case when the weather is warm  this is an added threat.
News / National

by Staff reporter

FINANCE minister Mthuli Ncube has been flagged by the Bulawayo City Council over his campaign activities in Cowdray Park where he is drilling boreholes and conducting road maintenance works without the approval of the city's engineering department.Ncube is the Zanu-PF parliamentary candidate for the newly created Cowdray Park constituency given birth by this year's controversial delimitation exercise.Since the time he clinched the ticket to represent the party in the 23 August elections, Ncube has been conducting several activities to lure voters such as sponsoring driving school lessons for prospective drivers, rehabilitating roads and drilling boreholes.However, on Wednesday, Bulawayo councillors fumed during a full council meeting over Ncube's violations of council by-laws and regulations on infrastructure development through his boreholes and road maintenance projects.The councillors said Ncube was committing a criminal offence by contravening provisions of the Roads Act by embarking on works without the permission and authority of council.Ward 12 councillor Lillian Mlilo told the full council meeting that the engineering committee was abrogating its responsibilities by allowing Ncube to violate the Roads Act by tampering with public infrastructure. She demanded that the committee look into the matter and give feedback on how it was handling Ncube's brazen illegalities."We never received any form of communication in terms of the legal procedures on fixing roads. Which engineers are they getting information from because those who are authorised to deal with Bulawayo property were never inquired?" she asked.Deputy mayor and ward 1 councillor Mlandu Ncube in his contribution made it clear that it was a criminal offence to work on public property without having been cleared by the relevant council authority, especially the engineering department."We must all know that it is a crime to tamper with public infrastructure. You can't be seen digging roads and covering them up without clearance. The notice from the Town Clerk that circulated was addressing this very issue," he said.Ward 9 councillor Donaldson Mabuto said it was inconceivable that Ncube was losing focus on addressing national economic problems and now prioritising municipal-level activities  and without the legal authority.Bulawayo mayor Solomon Mguni also chastised Ncube's conduct, describing it as criminal. He called upon municipal police to charge Ncube for contravening the Roads Act."That notice by the city council served to address this matter. It is actually criminal to clear roads, even in Cowdray Park, without getting clearance from the council. So, whoever is aspiring in Bulawayo should seek clearance from the road authority [instead of] committing an offence and should be liable to be charged under the Roads Act," said the mayor.
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Boris Johnsons notebooks from his time in office raised national security concerns at the highest level, it has been claimed.

They are being withheld from him by the government after a security review found pages of highly sensitive material.

The Cabinet Office, which has the former prime ministers notebooks, has told the official Covid-19 inquiry that some of the material in question may involve issues of national security. It has also raised concerns about some of Mr Johnsons WhatsApp messages, The Times reported on Saturday.

It comes amid a legal battle between the Cabinet Office and the inquiry over the materials. The government is seeking a judicial review of inquiry chairwoman Baroness Halletts request for all of the former prime ministers WhatsApp correspondence and notes.

Ministers argue some of the material is unambiguously irrelevant to the inquiry, but Baroness Hallet has said she should be able to decide what is relevant.

Ministers have confirmed that they expect an expedited High Court hearing to take place on or shortly after June 30.

Officials have advised that sensitive passages in Mr Johnsons diaries should only be viewed by those with the highest security clearance.

The Cabinet Office has told the inquiry: Some of the material in question may involve issues of national security and we appreciate the inquirys understanding of the need to treat sensitive material appropriately. We will continue to work with both Mr Johnson and the inquiry to ensure that any materials that may contain . . . security sensitivities are handled appropriately.

And The Times claimed multiple instances of sensitive material has been identified and that concerns had been raised at the highest level. It means Mr Johnsons notebooks - expected to form the basis of a political memoir - will not be returned to him before the judicial review.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak may be spared a vote on the Privileges Committees report on Boris Johnson (PA Wire)

A spokesman for Johnson told The Times the government is returning his notebooks to him so cannot be very concerned about their contents.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "We do not comment on security matters."

It came after Mr Johnson was accused of committing another clear breach of the rules by taking a six-figure job writing a weekly column in the Daily Mail. He did not inform the appointments watchdog about the job until half an hour before a public announcement.

A damning Privileges Committee report will be debated in the Commons on Monday as Rishi Sunak seeks to unite warring Conservative MPs.

The report recommended that Mr Johnson should have faced a 90-day suspension had he not already resigned in advance of its judgment.

Though he cannot now serve that, the cross-party group of MPs also recommended that he should be banned from holding a pass to access Parliament for a series of offences.
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A former Downing Street official who worked throughout the Covid crisis has revealed the true scale of the drunken debauchery under Boris Johnson  with No 10 parties so wild that staff passed out on the stairway.

Speaking exclusively to The Independent, the whistleblower said the details in the Partygate report were just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the raucous drinking culture and blatant rule-breaking throughout the pandemic.

They revealed that Mr Johnson was happy to have his staff drinking and oversaw a culture of endemic rule-breaking so widespread that it put No 10 at odds with the rest of the country.

The No 10 insiders new revelations add to the damning evidence in the privileges committees scathing report into Mr Johnson  found to have deliberately and repeatedly lied to parliament about Partygate.

The source spoke of their embarrassment at being part of a charade orchestrated to pretend staff were following rules while a grubby reality played out behind closed doors. It came as the insider revealed:

Boris Johnson was aware of regular drinks parties during lockdown

The former PM oversaw a toxic masculine culture at Downing Street

No 10 staff were ill all of the time but were told no point wearing masks

Staff travelling with Johnson and Priti Patel were told to put on masks while going through train stations in case of cameras

Panicking staff started shredding material and deleting pictures after initial Partygate stories

The No 10 insider made clear the culture of non-compliance with Covid rules despite the draconian restrictions placed on the rest of the country.

Social distancing and mask-wearing were not enforced and regular parties  including birthday bashes and wine-time Fridays  continued during lockdown.

The former official said Mr Johnson was happy for people to be drinking even though he mostly drank water himself. He wanted to be part of the party  The idea he saw nothing is total nonsense  there is no way he didnt know they were going on.

There were so many parties, said the ex-official. Senior staff often stayed all night, sleeping under desks. One colleague was so drunk he was found passed out on the stairs.

Boris Johnson celebrating his birthday at No 10 in June 2020 (PA Media)

The former official said the utterly ridiculous culture at No 10 meant it was widely accepted that we were all breaking the rules, adding: When Sky News were live outside we all had to pretend we were adhering to the rules, it was pure theatrics.

A July 2020 train journey to and from North Yorkshire, during which Mr Johnson and then home secretary Ms Patel where photographed wearing masks, saw staff told only to bother with masks when cameras were present, they claimed.

Boris and Priti were on a train up north and we were all crammed into a VIP section of a train. Every time we were going through a station wed all be ordered to put our masks on in case there were cameras on the platform, the former official said.

Another particularly ridiculous moment was when Boris announced the lockdown. There he was on camera telling the nation to isolate, then as soon as they stopped filming, he and about five others crowded round a tiny screen to watch himself back  it was ridiculous. Days later he had Covid.

The whistleblower also revealed that there was a panic to get rid of evidence when the first Partygate stories broke at the end of 2021. People started shredding things and deleting pictures.

[Then No 10 communications director] Jack Doyle had handed out a load of awards at these parties and people had them hung up on the walls, but people ended up shredding them because they were evidence a gathering had happened.

Boris Johnson and Priti Patel on journey from North Yorkshire to London in July 2020 (Andrew Parsons / No10 Downing St)

The whistleblower said they remain angry at the rule-breaking culture. We were all ill, all of the time, I had multiple chest infections and Covid twice. I asked a senior colleague why we werent wearing masks inside early on, and she said, Theres no point, Ive seen the science.

Police were hunting people down using drones to catch them out walking with friends having a coffee, people were separated at funerals, I saw footage of peoples goodbye messages from hospital  all following rules set in this building. It was embarrassing.

Becky Kummer, a spokesperson for Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, who lost her 77-year-old father at the height of the pandemic, said the latest claims showed that the crisis was treated as a good excuse for a knees-up at No 10.

Families like mine did everything we could to stick to the rules and protect others, she told The Independent. Its an utter tragedy that Johnson was in charge when the pandemic struck and he should never be allowed to stand for any form of public office again.

The whistleblower said many No 10 employees enjoyed a sudden rush of power when Mr Johnson arrived in June 2019, which got worse over time. Staff became arrogant, untouchable and werent afraid of exercising that feeling.

The ex-official also condemned the toxic masculine culture, saying Mr Johnson respected and listened to men more than women.

Boris Johnson near his home in Oxfordshire this week (Reuters)

It comes as a Tory MPs were urged to ignore threats of deselection by Nadine Dorries and back the privileges committee report at a crunch vote in the Commons on Monday. No 10 refused to say whether Rishi Sunak would turn up to vote.

Senior Tory Damian Green, leader of the One Nation group, warned colleagues who are considering keeping clear that abstaining is not really rising to the importance of the occasion.

However, Mr Sunak may be spared embarrassment after Mr Johnson told his supporters not to oppose the report in the Commons and enflame the row.

Sir Jake Berry, a friend of Mr Johnson, said it was an absolute disgrace that the privileges committee had warned MPs who criticised its work that it will produce a special report  accusing the panel of trying to gag MPs.

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson has been revealed as the erudite new Saturday columnist at the Daily Mail, offering a veiled warning to Mr Sunak that he may have to cover politics from time to time.

But the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba)  the body which rules on what jobs former ministers can take after office  said it was a clear breach for Mr Johnson to have applied for approval only 30 minutes before announcing the Mail column in a video.

The ex-Tory leader is also said to be weighing up an audacious independent bid to become London mayor for a second time after his dramatic fall from grace in the party.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Johnson was considering whether to take on Sadiq Khan in May 2024. Guto Harri, who served as a key aide to Mr Johnson during his last stint at City Hall, told The Independent it would be a great idea.

The Independent has approached Mr Johnsons spokesperson for comment on the new Partygate claims, as well as Ms Patel and Mr Doyle. No 10 declined to comment.
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At least 38 pupils and three adults have been killed in an attack on a school in Uganda by a rebel group with ties to Isis, according to local authorities.

The attack took place at Lhubiriha Secondary School in the town of Mpondwe western Uganda, close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

At least six people were abducted by the rebels, who fled across the porous border into Congo after the raid on Friday night, according to the Ugandan military. Ugandan troops are pursuing the perpetrators to rescue the abducted students who were forced to carry looted food toward Congos Virunga National Park, it said.

The attackers burnt down a dormitory and looted food from the schools stores, national police spokesperson Fred Enanga said. The victims included the students, one guard and two members of the local community who were killed outside the school, Mpondwe-Lhubiriha mayor Selevest Mapoze told the Associated Press.

Mr Mapoze said that some of the students suffered fatal burns when the rebels set fire to a dormitory and others were shot or hacked with machetes.

Bodies were taken to Bwera Hospital, officials say. Eight people still remain in a critical condition. Joe Walusimbi, an official representing Ugandas president in Kasese, said that some of the victims were burnt beyond recognition.

The school, privately owned, is located in the Ugandan district of Kasese, about about a mile from the Congo border.

Winnie Kiiza, an influential political leader and a former lawmaker from the region, condemned the cowardly attack on Twitter. She said: Attacks on schools are unacceptable and are a grave violation of childrens rights, adding that schools should always be a safe place for every student.

Officials blamed the attack on the militant group called the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has sworn allegiance to Isis.

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Speaking near the scene of the attack, the commander of Ugandan troops in Congo said that the rebels spent two nights in Kasese before carrying out their attack. He gave no further details.

ADF rebels, when under pressure, divert their pursuers attention by splitting into small groups that then launch violent attacks in other places, said Major General Dick Olum, suggesting that the latest attack was an attempt by the rebels to ease battlefront pressure.

A typical ADF signature, he said, because this is pressure. They are under huge pressure, and thats what they have to do to show the world that they are still there, and to show the world that they can still do havoc.

The ADF has been responsible for several attacks in Congo in recent years including killing 30 soldiers and three civillians in 2021. In March, at least 19 people were killed in Congo by suspected ADF extremists.

The group has been active since the 2000s and largely consists of local rebel fighters from DRC. It rarely claims responsibility for attacks. It was first publicly recognised by Isis as an affiliate in late 2018 after an attack on the armed forces of the DRC, according to the US state department.

Ugandan authorities for years have vowed to track down ADF militants even outside Ugandan territory. In 2021, Uganda launched joint air and artillery strikes in Congo against the group.

According to the United Nations, there are more than 100 armed groups operating in the DRC.

Associated Press contributed to this report
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An age-progression photo has been released of missing Tennessee girl Summer Wells as the search for her continues two years after her disappearance.

The technologically-produced picture of Summer  who vanished on 15 June 2021  predicts what she would look like now, at age seven, two years after she went missing from her remote home in Rogersville, in the northeast of the state. The picture was tweeted on the anniversary by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

This new age progression created by NCMEC forensic artists shows what Summer may look like today, the centre wrote alongside the photo, pinning it to the top of its twitter account.

The Tennessea Bureau of Investigation (TBI) re-tweeted the new photo and updated its site information regarding Summers disappearance, which led to one of the most exhaustive and involved missing child cases weve ever investigated.

Though we have no new details to share, rest assured: Were continuing to work with the FBI and the Hawkins County Sheriffs Office to chase every lead, ask every question, and search every place we can to find Summer. We wont stop until we have answers, the agency wrote this week in an update.

Summer was reported missing at approximately 6.30pm on 15 June 2021 from her home on Ben Hill Road in the Beech Creek Community of Hawkins County, according to the TBI. She lived there with her parents, Candus Bly and Don Wells, and three brothers.

In an interview in the days following her disappearance, Ms Bly said shed been picking flowers with Summer and the girls grandmother before the five-year-old went inside to watch TV with her brothers. After just a few minutes, when she asked where Summer was, the boys told her shed gone downstairs to play with her toys  but Summer has never been seen again.

She was just gone, her mother told WJHL.

The couples three sons were removed from the home in the weeks following Summers disappearance.

Weve said from the beginning that this case is outside of the norm, the TBI wrote last year on the one-year anniversary of Summers last sighting. There are few clues as to what happened to Summer despite investigators doing everything within their power to find answers. All possibilities are still being explored.

Summer Wells was just five years old when she was reported missing in June 2021 from her home in Hawkins County, Tennessee (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation)

The agency added that agents and detectives have worked thousands of hours on this case. Numerous search warrants have been executed. Cell phone data has been analyzed, and any other available digital evidence has been collected, searched, and documented. This includes the social media accounts of those associated with Summer. Three large-scale ground searches have taken place in the last year with the assistance of more than a hundred local, state, and federal agencies. Those searches dont account for the numerous other targeted searches that agents and detectives have done while following up on potential leads.

The TBI continued to appeal this week for information but stressed the importance of fact-based tips after theories and false information have plagued the investigation. A court dispute had also erupted about more than $40,000 in reward money, and Summers parents  who cooperated with authorities  have endured ongoing legal and custody troubles involving their sons.

Summer remains the subject of an AMBER alert.

In interviews this week, Don Wells and the girls mother were working to get their sons back  as they continued to hope for their daughters return.

We couldnt understand what happened to Summer, he told WJHL this week. The police couldnt understand. And they were questioning us. There were times they were hard on us and other times they werent. Just depending on, you know, what police agency was there at the time or whatever. You know, so emotionally, it was very bad.

He told WVLT he had no clue whether his daughter was still alive and shared theories that included Summer being abducted and ferreted out of America.

Only thing I can say is please let her come home, Mr Wells told the station. Let her have her freedom and her life.
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The last time that a Democratic presidential candidate won North Carolina, Anderson Clayton could not vote.

But now, the 25-year-old chairwoman of the North Carolina Democratic Party has a task that would overwhelm operatives twice her age: flip North Carolina blue for the first time in 16 years.

Like, I know that we either win in 2024, and we do amazing things and we go forward as a state and as a nation, or we regress backwards, she told The Independent in an interview. It really is now or never for North Carolina, in my opinion.

Republicans, for their part, know that the state is important. Last weekend, former president Donald Trump, former vice president Mike Pence and Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, three of the top contenders for the Republican nomination for president, descended on Greensboro for the state GOP convention. North Carolina is not an early primary state like Iowa, New Hampshire, or even neighbouring South Carolina. But the three candidates visiting the state shows the importance of the state, Ms Clayton told The Independent.

They have to win North Carolina, Ms Clayton said, noting how the last time a Republican won the presidency without winning the Tar Heel State was Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s. And whats at stake is that you have three candidates like Trump and Pence and DeSantis, who are coming in who are all three examples, in my opinion, of right-wing extremism each in their own right.

Democratic voters in the state have plenty of reasons to turn out and vote. Despite the fact that the state has a Democratic governor in Roy Cooper, Republicans in the state legislature have enough votes to override his veto, which they did recently when they passed a 12-week abortion ban, cutting off abortion access throughout a majority of the South. Mr Cooper, who is term-limited, will also see the end of his term in 2024, which means Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein will compete for his seat against Mark Robinson, who has a history of making inflammatory remarks.

Ms Clayton said she is not taking anything for granted, especially against an incredibly well-organised Republican Party.

I think that Democrats have to take the energy that we have right now and the anger that we have right now and motivate it forward and use people to say how do we turn anger into action, she said. Because right now, theres not a whole lot of things that we can change at the state level, because you know, you do have racial gerrymandering that is now legal ... that is racial gerrymandering to me.

Democrats in North Carolina were not always starting from such a disadvantage. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first Democratic presidential nominee to win North Carolina since Jimmy Carter in 1976, while Kay Hagan won the states US Senate seat. Democrats also controlled the governorship and both houses of the North Carolina General Assembly even as other Southern states moved rightward since the 1960s.

But since Mr Obamas 2008 victory, Republicans have run the table in the state. In 2010, as the state reeled from the Great Recession, Republicans took both houses of the General Assembly for the first time since 1898 and in 2012, they won the governorship, giving them the first trifecta in ages.

Since then, Republicans flipped the states other Senate seat when Thom Tillis won it in 2014 and held it in 2020 when a sex scandal felled Democrat Cal Cunningham, and Joe Biden narrowly lost the state even as Mr Cooper won re-election. Last year, even as Democrats beat back two Trump-endorsed congressional candidates, Republicans gained seats in the state legislature, cleaned up in the Supreme Court, and Republican Ted Budd beat Cheri Beasley in the Senate race thanks in part to Mr Trumps endorsement and tons of money from Senate Mitch McConnells Senate Leadership Fund political action committee.

The weak performance led to Ms Claytons election. She said Democrats have made many mistakes in those intervening years, which caused them to fall so far, suggesting the party appears to have mostly abandoned rural voters.

The majority of North Carolina lives in a rural community, youve got the highest or the second highest population of rural folks besides Texas in our state, she said. And to cede any of that ground to see these populations that have historically black and brown communities. And then in these rural counties that we have not tapped into, its just doing a disservice to our party.

She said that means going to every county in the state.

So in our Democratic governor candidate showing up in Cherokee County in North Carolina, my God, she said. When was the last time that, you know, Murphy saw a Democrat, like, its been a minute, to be honest with you.

She also added that Democrats could learn from Mr Obamas victory in 2008, when he sent organisers throughout the South. President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee have begun to make a play for the state and Mr Biden visited North Carolina last week. Ms Clayton added that, for the most part, Democrats nationally have avoided supporting state parties in the South.

Georgia had to win an election before the national party came in and invested in them, she said. Theres a real aspect here of, we have underfunded the South for generations in this party. And youre underfunding an area that is predominantly Black and brown communities that are, I think, a sleeping giant of the Democratic Party in the South.

North Carolina has eluded Democrats, unlike other southern states. Virginia has voted for a Democrat for president every election since Mr Obamas first victory, though it elected a Republican governor in 2021, while Georgia voted for a Democrat for the first time since 1992 when Mr Biden won it in 2020 and it now has two Democratic Senators.

Ms Claytons youth may befuddle some, and she said she never imagined shed be a state party chairwoman.

Its allowed me to be able to say everything that Ive ever wanted to do on behalf of a Democratic Party, she said. And I think that thats a really empowering place to be. And its going to inspire, I hope, more young people to realise that this world that were living in is ours to change the reality of.

Since assuming the leadership post, Democrats received a gut punch when Tricia Cotham, a Democratic state legislator, switched parties, giving Republicans a veto-proof majority in the legislature. At the states GOP convention last weekend, she was feted as a hero and Mr Pence gave her a shout-out. That enabled them to pass a 12-week abortion ban and override Mr Coopers veto.

In addition, during the convention, Mr Trump touted how he won the state twice and continued to repeat his lies about a stolen election. Ms Clayton said that she wants North Carolina to be a firewall against election lies.

And for me, the case that I'm making is that, we don't want to give election deniers a two-week window to make that case. We want to make sure this election is wrapped up on the November night, she said.

Still, she added that she is not being a defeatist.

I know it feels like that right now, I know that the defeatist nature of or the Republican extremism is hard to come out of right now, she said. But we have to, and we have to snap back as a population and, and being able to say we need to run somebody everywhere.
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Joe Biden got his 2024 presidential re-election campaign underway in Philadelphia on Saturday by continuing to pitch voters on his pro-labour bonafides.

The Democrat told an audience of union members at the Philadelphia Convention Center he would keep trying to boost the working and middle class with Bidenomics, which he framed as opposed to the ideas of Republicans, who recently unveiled a series of tax proposals that would funnel benefits overwhelmingly to the wealthiest Americans.

They are coming for your jobs. They are coming for your future. They are coming for the future we are building for your kids and grandkids, Mr Biden told the crowd. And when they come as they did this past week with the trickle down economics plan, cut taxes for the rich, who do you think they are carrying the water for?... Who do you think is going to start carrying the burden? You are. Working people in this country.

According to an analysis from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, under the recent tax proposals from the GOP, the richest fifth of Americans would receive $60.8bn in benefits next year, while the poorest would receive nearly 60 times less.

We decided to replace this theory with what we call Bidenomics, I dont what the hell that means, but its working, Mr Biden said with a laugh, arguing the economy could be rebuilt from the bottom up and middle out, not top down.

When the middle class does well, everybody does well, he added. The poor have a way out. The wealthy will do just fine.

During the event, Mr Biden cited initiatives like the bipartisan $50bn semiconductor manufacturing investment bill signed last summer as evidence of his attempts to back American workers.

Biden said he wanted to rebuild the US economy from the bottom up and middle out, not top down (AP)

Earlier that day, Mr Biden was on a helicopter tour to inspect a collapsed stretch of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia.

At an event that followed with local officials, Mr Biden said the stretch of highway, which was engulfed in flames when a fuel truck exploded, will be open in two weeks.

Ive directed my team ... to move heaven and earth to get this done as soon as humanly possible, Mr Biden said in brief remarks after the flyover. Theres no more important project right now in the country as far as Im concerned.

General election polls show Donald Trump and Joe Biden neck-and-neck for hypothetical support during the 2024 election.
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Former President Donald Trump's onetime personal lawyer and the key witness against him in his New York state criminal prosecution lost his bid Friday for early release from probation following a three-year prison sentence after federal prosecutors said hes lying again.

U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman in Manhattan cited Michael Cohen's recent comments in a book and television appearance as reasons to conclude that early release from court supervision would not ensure rehabilitation and deterrence from future crimes.

The credibility of Cohen  who served as Trumps personal lawyer from his early 2017 inauguration until his 2018 arrest  will be scrutinized if a jury ever hears the state criminal case filed against Trump over payments Cohen says he made on Trumps behalf to silence two women who claimed they had affairs with Trump before the Republican became president.

In court papers, federal prosecutors highlighted Cohen's recent public comments in arguing against early release from probation rules that, among other things, restrict his travel, subject him to visits and scrutiny from a probation officer and ban him from owning firearms.

Prosecutors say Cohen falsely wrote in a book that he did not engage in tax fraud, that the charges were all 100 percent inaccurate and that he was threatened by prosecutors to plead guilty. They noted that under oath at his plea hearings he admitted the crimes and said he was not threatened or forced to plead guilty. They said he also lied in a March television interview.

In requesting early release for Cohen from court supervision, attorney David M. Schwartz wrote that his client has clearly demonstrated that he has been rehabilitated after being a model inmate in prison and after having substantially cooperated with all government authorities. Schwartz did not return a request for comment Friday.

In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to multiple charges, admitting that he lied to Congress, violated campaign finance laws through excessive political contributions, lied to multiple banks to obtain financing and evaded income taxes by failing to report over $4 million in income. He was sentenced to three years in prison, although he served nearly two-thirds of it at home, released after the COVID-19 outbreak overwhelmed the nation's prisons.

Despite Cohen's claims that he has repeatedly aided state and federal authorities in investigations and deserves credit for his cooperation, federal prosecutors in Manhattan have consistently said his lies undermine his attempts at cooperation, as they did again in opposing his request to be spared from the year and a half left of his probation.

Federal prosecutors, knowing they'd have to rely on Cohen as the key witness, chose not to prosecute Trump in connection with payouts to porn star Stormy Daniels and a Playboy centerfold, Karen McDougal, to buy their silence during Trump's successful quest in 2016 for the White House. Trump has denied the affairs.

State prosecutors pursued the case and relied on Cohen's testimony before a Manhattan grand jury returned an indictment charging Trump with 34 crimes. Trump, the first ex-president to face criminal charges, pleaded not guilty to the charges in early April.
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President Joe Biden joked about his age as he spoke at the National Safer Communities Summit in West Hartford, Connecticut, focusing on reducing gun violence.

I know many people here who have been impacted by gun violence, lost someone they loved, fought so hard for so many years, Mr Biden said.

A lot of you are tired. They're tired. I get it. Try being 110 and doing it again, he added to laughter from the audience.

All kidding aside, a lot of people are frustrated, he continued. My mother  God love her  all five-foot-one Catherine Jean Finnegan would look at me, she said, Joey. Never bow. Never bend. Never yield. Never kneel. We never will on this issue. Never, never, never, never, never.

Mr Biden travelled to Connecticut to praise the passing of the broadest gun legislation since the 1990s and the ban on assault weapons that lasted for a decade. The president spoke on the one-year anniversary of the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Mr Bidens speech at the University of Hartfords Lincoln Theater was attended by more than 600 people, a venue chosen before Mr Bidens attendance was confirmed, according to the Hartford Courant.

Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy has been one of the most prominent voices on the issue of combatting gun violence ever since the Newtown shooting in his state in December 2012 when 20 students between the ages of six and seven and six adult staff members were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

As a kid, I came out of a different movement, the civil rights movement, Mr Biden told the crowd at the Lincoln Theater.

Some in this room have turned your pain into purpose, he added. Youre the reason why Im so optimistic about the future  Youre changing our culture. Youre changing our politics.

Former Arizona Representative Gabby Giffords, who suffered a brain injury after an assassination attempt in 2011, also attended the event.

Gabby has more courage than most people Ive ever known  Gabby, I love you, Mr Biden said.

Her husband, ex-astronaut Mark Kelly, now represents Arizona in the US Senate.

Fifteen Senate Republicans and 14 in the House voted for the Safer Communities Act last year.

A year ago, the conventional wisdom is we would never get any Republican support. Period, Mr Biden said at the summit on Friday. Its an important first step  Whether youre Democrats or Republicans, we all want them to be safe  We want our children to have freedom to learn instead of ducking and covering in a classroom.

Firearms became the number one killer of children in the US in 2020, according to The Courant, beating cancer and car accidents.
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Nikki Haleys husband deployed Saturday for a yearlong stint in Africa with the South Carolina Army National Guard, a mission that will encompass most of the remainder of her campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

He's always been my rock, she said after a deployment ceremony for about 200 soldiers at The Citadel, a military college in Charleston. We have both lived a life of service, and so when he goes off to deploy, my support is completely with him. If I happen to be running for president, his support is completely with me. ... We will continue to stay in touch as best we can.

Maj. Michael Haley is being deployed as a staff officer with the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, which the National Guard says is providing support in the Horn of Africa.

The United Nations, where Nikki Haley served as Donald Trump's ambassador for two years, says that 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.

Last month, a high-level U.N. conference raised less than $1 billion of the more than $5 billion organizers were hoping for to help more than 30 million people in the Horn of Africa cope with the climate crisis and mass displacement after years of conflict.

Nikki Haley, who is also a former South Carolina governor, has been highly critical of President Joe Bidens performance as commander in chief. She has spoken out against his administrations efforts to expand diversity in the military, complaining they were weakening the force and hampering recruitment, though the Army has said that the real problem is that many young people do not see enlistment as safe or a good career path.

She has also pledged to make cuts in $46 billion in foreign aid to countries that she says hate America.

Michael Haley, the candidates husband of 26 years, has been a constant at his wifes campaign events since she became a White House candidate. During his deployment, the campaign said the couples college-age son, Nalin, will be taking over that role.

Nikki Haley frequently mentions her status as a military wife. Joining the Guard as an officer in 2006, her husband made his first overseas deployment January 2013, when she was midway through her first term as governor, and their children were age 10 and 14.

He left me as a single mom governor, but were still married, Haley said during a recent campaign appearance in Greer, South Carolina. She went on to critique the Biden administrations chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Citing the current deployment during a CNN town hall in Iowa this month, Haley called it the start of a yearlong prayer that they're effective and that they're strong and that they come home safely.

She has also referenced her husband's upcoming deployment in terms of the U.S. Department of Justice's case against 2024 rival Trump on charges of mishandling classified documents, including national defense information.

Arguing that two things can be be true a the same time and echoing many Republicans arguments that the DOJ and FBI have lost all credibility with the American people, Haley said on Fox News this past week that if this indictment is true, if what it says is actually the case, President Trump was incredibly reckless with our national security.

My husband is about to deploy this weekend, Haley went on. This puts all of our military men and women in danger, if you are going to talk about what our military is capable of, or how we would go about invading or doing something with one of our enemies.

On Saturday, Haley said her husband's service has in part framed her viewpoint on foreign policy and military strategy.

We don't want to go into a way that's going to put our men and women at harm's danger. They are going because Africa is a hotbed," Haley said. "We've always known that when our men and women go overseas, it's to keep us safe here at home.

___

Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
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President Joe Biden on Saturday called the Chinese spy balloon debacle embarrassing for the Asian superpowers leaders  while highlighting his hopes for productive talks as Antony Blinken embarks upon the first high-profile diplomatic trip to Beijing since the 46th president took office.

Speaking before boarding a plane to Pennsylvania on Saturday morning, President Biden told reporters that China has some legitimate difficulties unrelated to the United States.

And I think one of the things that that balloon caused was not so much that it got shot down, but I dont think the leadership knew where it was and knew what was in it and knew what was going on, the President said. I think it was more embarrassing than it was intentional. And so Im hoping that, over the next several months, Ill be meeting with [Chinese President] Xi [Jinping] again, and talking about legitimate differences we have  but also how ... to get along.

The already tense relations between the United States and China became further strained earlier this year when the US shot down what it said was a Chinese spy balloon flying over American soil. China persistently denied that the balloon, which was shot down in February over the Atlantic, had been used for spying.

Presidents Biden and Xi agreed to Secretary Blinkens trip at a meeting last year in Bali, but it was delayed by the balloon drama.

Secretary Blinken will be the highest-level American official to visit China since President Biden took office and the first secretary of state to make the trip in five years. He is expected to meet with Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Sunday, top diplomat Wang Yi, and possibly Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, according to US officials.

Yet prospects for any significant breakthrough on the most vexing issues facing the planets two largest economies are slim, as already ties have grown increasingly fraught in recent years, the Associated Press news agency reported. Animosity and recriminations have steadily escalated over a series of disagreements that have implications for global security and stability.

Speaking to the AP before Mr Blinkens departure, two US officials downplayed hopes for major progress and stressed that the trip was intended to restore a sense of calm and normalcy to high-level contacts.

Were coming to Beijing with a realistic, confident approach and a sincere desire to manage our competition in the most responsible way possible, said Daniel Kritenbrink, the top US diplomat for East Asia and the Pacific.

Kurt Campbell, the top Asia expert at the National Security Council, said intense competition requires intense diplomacy if were going to manage tensions. That is the only way to clear up misperceptions, to signal, to communicate, and to work together where and when our interests align.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Khumalo and Dabengwa families have described the late Zodwa Dabengwa, wife of the late national hero and former ZAPU leader Dr Dumiso Dabengwa, who died in the United Kingdom as a courageous woman.Zodwa, popularly known as MaKhumalo, died of respiratory illness in London on June 15, 2023.The families described how MaKhumalo endured many difficulties and tribulations as she stood by her late husband Dr Dabengwa, both during the liberation fight and after independence.Sijabuliso Dabengwa, younger brother to the late Dr Dabengwa, said Makhumalo went to London around November 2019, after the death of her husband who passed away in May of that year."Her children had called her to come and take a breather and thought she would come back sooner but then Covid -19 struck and was prevented by the travel restrictions. She actually was supposed to be coming back this August but sadly this has happened," Dabengwa said, adding he was deeply saddened to hear of her passing."I was on my way back from Matopo, when I received a call in the late afternoon from a cousin telling me that Makhumalo had died. When I arrived in Bulawayo, we contacted the family in the UK, who informed us that funeral arrangements are still in the early stages because several service providers there close for the weekend."Dabengwa said the family informed Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Judith Ncube, of MaKhumalo's death."We also asked the provincial minister if the government could help with burial arrangements since the death occurred overseas and there are high costs associated. Ncube said she will, in turn, inform top government officials and come back to us with a response," he said.Since precise funeral preparations have yet to be announced, Dabengwa said at the moment it was relatives who were coming in to mourn."Mourners will come to the family home (at 39 Diamond Street in Fourwinds) but we are not really ready because we don't know how long the process will take," he said.Christina Sibanda, Makhumalo's sister, concurred her death was a huge loss to the family."MaKhumalo was the second born in a family of eight. I am the firstborn. She was loving and loved people a lot. I regarded her as my pillar. Her passing is a great loss to the Khumalo and Dabengwa families. We have lost an asset and it's painful that out of eight children, three of us are only surviving," she said.Sibanda said Makhumalo was born on November 6, 1947 by Loncanda Samson Khumalo and Janet Ndiweni in Plumtree."Zodwa was a veteran's wife and was dedicated to her husband's cause even during times she would be in and out of the hospital. She stood with Dr Dabengwa and the entire country through many trials and tribulations," she said.MaKhumalo leaves behind five children, two of whom live in the UK, one in the United States, the others in South Africa and Botswana including a number of grandchildren.
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Donald Trump and Joe Biden made strange royal references this weekend.

In a rant on his Truth Social page on Saturday, Mr Trump referred to himself as The King in an extended, somewhat inscrutable metaphor about the relationship between him and Fox News.

Well, its happened, just as I predicted, Mr Trump wrote. The Golden Goose that was so beautiful is being slaughtered by Fools. MAGA has left Fox for more promising prairies. Long live the King. The only solution for Fox News is to bring back Trump Allies and MAGABacking No Personality Ron DeSanctimonious has been a disaster.

Mr Trump has been fuming at the conservative news network for years, after Fox was early in (correctly) calling the key battleground state of Arizona for Joe Biden during the 2020 election.

Things only escalated during the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit against the network, in which embarrassing internal communications showed top Fox anchors and leadership questioning or outright mocking Donald Trump and his election-related conspiracies.

Why is Rupert Murdoch throwing his anchors under the table, which also happens to be killing his case and infuriating his viewers, who will again be leaving in droves - they already are, the former president said on Truth Social. There is MASSIVE evidence of voter fraud & irregularities in the 2020 Presidential Election. Just look at the documentary 2000 MULES and you will see large scale ballot stuffing caught on government cameras, or votes cast without Legislatures approval, or just recently, the FBI/Twitter Files Scandal. RIGGED!!!

Mr Trump wasnt the only one with a monarchy moment in recent days.

On Friday, speaking before the National Safer Communities Summit in Connecticut, Mr Biden ended a speech about gun violence with the phrase, God Save The Queen.

Mr Biden, who often speaks of his pride in having Irish-American heritage, is usually more known for making headlines by being slightly sceptical of the British monarchy.

Last month, during a fundraising event in New York, the president said he visited Northern Ireland for the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in April to make sure the Brits didnt screw around.
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Ryanair boss Eddie Wilson has apologised after a flight attendant said that Tel Aviv was in Palestine, causing an angry backlash from Israeli passengers.

A row broke out after a Ryanair cabin crew member made the announcement in both English and Italian on a flight from Bologna to Tel Aviv on June 10.

Mr Wilson said the company was "100% satisfied that it was an innocent mistake with no political overtones or intent".

But passengers complained and passengers "continued to be abusive" even after the cabin crew apologised.

According to the BBC, police had to be called to meet the aircraft when it landed.

Some Israeli media commentators called for Israelis to boycott the airline if an apology wasn't made.

In a statement to the Jewish Chronicle, Ryanair said: "A junior crew member on this flight from Bologna to Tel Aviv (10 June) made a routine descent PA mistakenly saying Palestine instead of Tel Aviv.

"This was an innocent mistake with no intent and was immediately corrected and apologized for by the senior crew member on board."

Calling the Israeli city Palestinian is seen as highly provocative as it is considered to be denying the recognition of the Jewish state.

But Mr Wilson said he has written to the Israeli ambassador for Ireland, adding that Israel was an "important partner" for Ryanair.

The airline is also the second-largest in Israel.

Mr Wilson said: "We plan to invest in Israel to grow traffic and connectivity both for Israelis travelling to Europe and also to bring much-needed inbound tourism to Israel."

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Simon Wiesenthal Center associate dean, said: "How would Ryanair react if their flight attendant on a flight to Dublin announced multiple times that passengers would soon be arriving in the UK?

"Everyone is entitled to their opinions but not to alternative facts."
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Russian President Vladimir Putin interrupted opening remarks by African leaders seeking peace in the Ukraine conflict to deliver a list of reasons  including his tried-and-tested tactic of blaming the West  as to why he claims many of their proposals are misguided.

Mr Putin first welcomed the presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypt's prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda to the 18th-century Konstantinovsky Palace on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland. He stressed Russia's commitment to the continent. But after presentations from the Comoran, Senegalese and South African leaders, he stepped in to challenge the assumptions of the plan before the round of comments from all the representatives could go any further.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told Mr Putin: "The war cannot go on forever. All wars have to be settled and come to an end at some stage," he said. "And we are here to communicate a very clear message that we would like this war to be ended."

Mr Putin reiterated his position that Ukraine and the West had started the conflict long before Russia sent its armed forces over the border in February last year. He said the West, not Russia, was responsible for a sharp rise in global food prices early last year in the wake of Moscows invasion.

He told the delegation that Ukrainian grain exports from Black Sea ports that Russia has permitted for the past year were doing nothing to alleviate Africa's difficulties with high food prices because they had largely gone to wealthy countries. He said Russia had never refused talks with the Ukrainian side. But Moscow has never sought them either.

The African plan includes a call for all children caught up in the conflict to be returned to where they came from, but Mr Putin said Russia was not preventing any Ukrainian children from returning home. "We took them out of a conflict zone, saving their lives," he said.

The African leaders are seeking agreement on a series of "confidence building measures" even as Ukraine last week began a counteroffensive to push back Russian forces from Ukrainian territory they occupy.

Mr Ramaphosa laid out the 10 points of the African initiative, after Comoros President Azali Assoumani, current chairman of the African Union, told Mr Putin: "We've come here to listen to you, and through you the Russian people, and encourage you to enter negotiations with Ukraine in order to put an end to the difficult ordeal.

"We gave ourselves this mission because, as Africans, unfortunately, we have had to manage numerous conflicts, and it's through dialogue and negotiations that we have succeeded at resolving them."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had said after meeting the leaders in Kyiv on Friday that peace talks with Russia would be possible only after Moscow withdrew its forces from occupied Ukrainian territory.

He added that he could not understand what could be gained from the delegation meeting Mr Putin.

Mr Putin said Russia was "open to constructive dialogue with anyone who wants to establish peace on the principles of fairness and acknowledgement of the legitimate interests of the parties".

However, Russia has said repeatedly that any settlement must take account of "new realities", meaning its declared illegal annexation of a number of Ukrainian provinces, four of which it only partially controls.

Reuters
Two people have been hospitalized after a waterspout whipped onto a Florida beach sending debris flying.

Police released video of the twister moving quickly ashore onto Clearwater Beach, tearing umbrellas from the sand and tossing them into the air.

This comes as a series of extreme weather events claimed lives across the Florida and Texas Panhandles.

An 11-year-old boy was among three people killed by the massive tornado which tore through Perryton, Texas, a town of around 8,000 people close to the Oklahoma border, on Thursday around 5pm local time.
Watch the dramatic moment Ukrainian civilians are rescued from flood-affected areas of of the Russian-occupied eastern bank.

Rescue boats shuttling volunteers and officials darted across from Ukrainian-held areas on the west bank to evacuate desperate civilians stuck on rooftops.

Drone footage obtained by AP shows severe flooding from the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam on 6 June, along the lower Dnieper River in Kherson.

Russia and Ukraine both accuse each other of destroying the dam.
Joe Biden is on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania today (17 June) as he holds a rally to win over union members, ahead of his attempt at re-election in 2024.

The AFL-CIO includes 60 unions representing more than 12.5 million workers, and has already endorsed Biden, as well as vice president Kamala Harris.

Biden won 57 per cent of union households nationwide in 2020 compared with 40 per cent for Trump, and polls suggest their support for him has only grown over the last three years.

"It's a different electorate this time around," says Ryan Boyer, who heads up Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents 50 unions.

"There is not one labor leader worth their salt in Philadelphia that hasn't recognised just how much President Biden has supported men and women in labor. It's much different."

At the 2024 election, Biden could face-off against the likes of Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump.
Liam Carney and Barry Ward talk about Sunlight, in which a recovering addict and his ailing guru tackle the controversial subject of assisted dying

The new Irish film Sunlight could not be accused of lacking ambition. Shot on a low budget around Dublins Liberties, it tackles difficult issues such as addiction and assisted death, but does so with a lightness of touch that makes the drama oddly uplifting.
Pillow Queens will be performing at Beyond the Pale at the Glendalough Estate tomorrow. File photo.

Rachel Lyons once recalled a family member asking what kind of band Pillow Queens were:

A gay band? Are you political? Pick one.

I was like, we dont have to, she remembered. We can be all of these things.

Blending great, genre-breaking music  Holy Show, Be By Your Side, Hearts & Minds, Handsome Wife and Liffey  and LGBTQ+activism, Pillow Queens are post-punk auteurs of a new, post-Catholic Ireland.

It is new Ireland of inclusion, diversity, pronouns and where feeling not okay is okay. And where dancing your socks off to songs about being yourself, whoever you are be  Queer, Lesbian, Non-binary, Femme, Butch, Cisgender, Transgender, Transitioning Pan, Gay or Heterosexual  is very much okay too.

The internationally feted quartet are Lyons (drums, vocals), Cathy McGuinness (guitar, vocals), Pamela Connolly (bass, guitar, lead vocals) and Sarah Corcoran (guitar, bass, lead vocals.) The Guardian proclaimed them 2020's most exciting indie-rockers. Theres more to them than indie-rock, of course. It is more nuanced on so many levels.

Rats from their debut EP Calm in 2016 was a classic. On it, they sang: You're hungry for hearts, but my humour is tasteless/Sell me myself, while I'm sober/Feed me fun 'til the fallacy's over.

I wanna take you with me to wash and dry your feet, they sang on the their post-Catholic masterpiece Liffey. God give me glory or don't.

In 2017, they supported Russian feminist militants Pussy Riot at the Button Factory in Dublin. James Vincent McMorrow described their 2018 track Favourite as his song of the year  by a mile.

That same year, Lyons told Una Mullally in the Irish Times: For people to be able to see themselves in you, in your performance, thats important. Relatability is important . When we were growing up, obviously there were women to look up to, but they were so inaccessible. They were on this other level. They werent me. They werent experiencing the same thing as me. They were famous people.

RTEs Other Voices called 2019 Gay Girls an instant queer anthem. It was also nominated for the RTE Choice Music Prize song of the year.

In 2021, James Corden had them on his Late Late Show on CBS in America where he called Waiting one of the best albums of 2020.

Proudly queer, the bands mantra is, the personal is political. They protested against Irelands Direct Provision system for asylum seekers, played live with the words End DP written in large letters on their guitars.

McGuinness also worked for Focus Ireland for three years.

The way we interact with politics is our everyday, Corcoran told the Guardians Tara McEvoy in 2020. There have been great advances in Ireland: weve had equal marriage come in, we voted to repeal the eighth amendment, so abortion has been legislated for. These things look good on paperIts frustrating to live in a country thats only looking after a minority of people who are already doing OK.

They are one of the headliners tomorrow night at the Beyond The Pale festival in Glendalough (followed later by the one and only Grace Jones.) It will be one of the gigs of the year by a country mile, to paraphrase James Vince McMorrow.

Pillow Queens sat down with Independent.ie ahead of their big headline show tomorrow in Wicklow. (They are also the very special guests of Franz Ferdinand at Collins Barracks on August 27.)

Pamela, who grew up in Donaghmede in North Dublin, can remember climbing out of her cot as a young child, finding a bottle of Calpol and chugging it down.

Originally from Kill in Kildare, Rachel says her earliest childhood memory is being sung to sleep by her mother Jennifer drinking a bottle of very weak, milk-y tea.

Cathy who is Arklow in Wicklow has fond memories as a young child in her granny and grand-dads house on Saturday mornings. All the women in the family would be sitting around a small table drinking tea with the light sun-light streaming in through the windows.

The light was very particular in my grannys kitchen, she says. I can still see it.

Her granddad, who was an artist, would be just existing in the peripherals. He was very much present, but he wasnt involved in the conversation. Hed be listening to opera and drawing

He was a carpenter as well, so there would always be sawdust and a real distinctive smell to this workstation.

From Finglas, Sarah says her earliest memory is of losing her memory. Her auntie would mind her around the corner when her mother Rose Marie was at work. She had recently learned to buckle her toe. She was proud that she could do it without help from anyone.

One day while playing chasing on the estate while her auntie watched, she bent down to adjust her shoe buckle when disaster struck.

One of the girls in the chasing game tripped over Sarah and landed on her.

I hit my head and I lost my memory.

She was three years of age, nearly four. When her auntie brought her home, she started getting sick. Her mother rushed home from work went into Temple Street Hospital in an ambulance with her. Sarah was frightened by the sirens, because the noise was so loud  especially when youre a child.

Sarah and her three unaffected soulmates will be walking to the main stage in Glendalough tomorrow at 6pm.

Expect nothing less than a triumphant performance that will resonate across the Wicklow mountains all the way to Finglas.
His crimes are notorious but the killers own account has not been heard  until now. Over a year of conversations with the double murderer, Mark OConnell discovered an often contradictory character who insists he does feel remorse

I did feel guilty... You feel sorry for yourself as well: Malcolm Macarthur is escorted by gardai after leaving court in 1983. Photo by Irish Independent/Mediahuis Ireland

Among Irish people old enough to remember the summer of 1982, Malcolm Macarthur is as close to a household name as it is possible for a murderer to be. Though his name is not surrounded by anything like the miasma of malice and depravity that arise from, say, the name Peter Sutcliffe in the UK or Jeffrey Dahmer in the United States, it carries, in this country, a similar generational weight.

In the years since his release in 2012, after 30 years in prison, I had passed him in the street, many times, as he walked through the city in a state of abject freedom. But I had never heard or read so much as a word from his own mouth about the brutal murders of Bridie Gargan and Donal Dunne, or his reasons for having committed those crimes.

If this man, and the acts he committed, seem still to occupy a kind of mythic register, it is largely because the story has never really been told. Or rather, it has been told, endlessly and luridly, but always in the same tone of breathless incredulity, and with a sullen and persistent silence at its centre.

Malcolm MacArthur: The brutal murders and 'GUBU' scandal that rocked the nation

I wanted to pierce that silence, and break through to whatever lay beneath it. As naive as it sounds to me now, I wanted to know the truth of this story that had haunted me for so many years. I wanted to know who and what this man was. I did eventually come to know him, and there were times when I felt that I had glimpsed this truth. But there were other times, far more frequent, when I understood that such knowledge was impossible, and that I had wandered into a labyrinth of endlessly ramifying fictions.

For about a year after I first spoke with Macarthur, having approached him on the street during the depths of the Covid lockdown, we had many conversations about his life and the crimes he had committed.

There was a paradox at the heart of his narrative about himself. On those occasions when we spoke directly about the murders, he always wished to make it clear that he had acted in a logical manner. He needed money: therefore the solution was to rob a bank: therefore he needed, by whatever means necessary, to get a car and a gun. But the preservation of his own self-conception demanded that an act of such heartless rationalism be explained in a way that did not risk defining him as a person. And so it had also to be seen, in some fundamental sense, as an act of madness, one that had no obvious relationship to the larger story of his life. It had to be seen as an episode.

I told him once that I found it remarkable, given his extraordinary infamy as a murderer, how much value he seemed to place on his reputation  how frequently he made reference to his good behaviour, his essential decency, his love and respect for his fellow human beings.

Well, it confirms my knowledge of myself, he said. I think of myself as a normal person. People who know me well regard me as a very likeable person. I have a high likeability factor, Im told. And I like people. I am very good with people. I am sympathetic and empathetic, and all those things.

As absurd as this may have sounded, it was not entirely wrong. He was a very polite man. In all the afternoons I spent with him, he never once uttered even a mild swear word. A thing he could not abide, he said, was crude language, particularly when it was directed against women.

I have always deplored, he said, language or behaviour that is sexist or misogynistic, that is disrespectful, or objectifying, or crude. I dont think Ive ever been unmannerly in my life. I dont think Ive ever been discourteous in any way whatsoever.

I started to point out that there were some obvious objections to that claim, when he cut across me.

Apart from the criminal episode itself, yes, those were crimes, he clarified, as though the murders were somehow the exception that proved the rule of his otherwise unimpeachable good manners.

* * *

As the months went on, my conversations with Macarthur came to circle closer and closer around the topic of remorse. There was, in his manner of speaking about his own contrition, something essentially abstract. I felt at times as though he were describing to me a wing of an old house that had been closed off to the public, and to which I could regrettably not be permitted access. I wanted something from him, something real and spontaneous. I wanted to see that he had suffered  not because of the consequences of what he had done to Bridie Gargan and Donal Dunne, but because he had done it at all. Because he had killed them.

When I pressed him on this question, he said that, yes, he did feel remorse, a great and terrible remorse, but that he had never allowed it to overwhelm him, to become the defining fact of his life. Because what good would that have done, for himself or anyone else? People sometimes said to him that he must have been permanently damaged, ruined even, by the fact of what he had done. But he didnt think that this was the case.

Although I knew Macarthur to be a profoundly unreliable narrator of his own life, there were times, like this, when I was taken aback by his unwieldy honesty. It would have placed no great burden on him to exaggerate the extent of his contrition; presumably it would only have benefited him to do so. I wondered, in this sense, whether it was a manifestation of a kind of perverse integrity: that he was constitutionally incapable of claiming to feel an emotion he did not feel.

* * *

The longer I spent with Macarthur, the more remarkable I found his manner of speaking about his crimes. He had at his disposal an array of linguistic strategies with which to distance himself from the emotional reality of the murders. He would not say, for instance, I did it; he would say It has been done. He would not say I am responsible; he would say The responsibility is there. And, most strikingly of all, he would often forgo entirely the use of the first person singular, speaking not of an I but of a detached and generalised you. You cannot allow yourself to get into an emotional state, he put it to me, so you compartmentalise.

None of this, I felt, could be attributed to anything so straightforward as dishonesty. Whether it was out of delusion or some self-inflicted psychic wound, he was incapable of narrating this story entirely in the first person. It was his life, but he could not tell it.

One afternoon, in the living room of his little apartment, I raised again the topic of remorse. I was at my usual seat at the kitchen table, and he was sitting in his armchair, arms behind his head in an attitude of rigid repose. I asked him what it felt like, in the days after his arrest, to know that he would always have to live with the consequences of what he had done.

I dont think I can recall, he said, rearranging himself in his seat, speaking tentatively and softly. I cant retrieve it fully now. Its a combination of things, I suppose. Its not just guilt, although I did feel guilty. I knew that I had killed people. But its everything. You feel sorry for yourself as well, because of what has happened to you. The consequences of what you have done. Youre sorry for the effect the deaths have on the bereaved. And ever since that time, I have envied people who have not done wrong. I would love to be able to say I didnt do that. Not because of the consequences I faced, but simply not to have done it. It goes into the background to some extent, but that feeling is still there. I dont want to overstate it. Im philosophical about things I cannot change. One has to be stoic.

* * *

I had often heard it said of Macarthur that he had never shown any remorse for the murders he had committed. He had read such things himself, he said. He insisted, however, that he did have feelings, and that they were very powerful and profound.

It is, he said, a matter of style. There may be an element in this of where I was brought up, and how I was brought up, in that excessive emotionality was seen as fundamentally bad manners. There is an element of self-control, and of what you might call decorum. But it isnt that I have no strong feelings. Oh, I do, I do.

I asked him then whether there might be some connection between what he described as his stylistic approach to emotion and the fact that he committed these murders in the first place  whether it was perhaps his capacity for emotional distancing that had enabled him to do such terrible things. He sighed lengthily, not so much out of irritation, it seemed, as resignation.

Yes, well, he said, that could be. That could well be.

I asked him what it was like to force himself to remember the murders. The first one, he said  meaning the murder of Bridie Gargan  was especially painful to remember. When I asked him why that was, he was silent for a long time  so long, in fact, that I wondered whether he might not answer at all  and then he spoke quietly, and haltingly.

Bridie Gargan, the 27-year-old nurse murdered in Phoenix Park, was Macarthur's first victim

To shoot somebody, he said. That is different from hitting somebody. Cant you see the point?

I wonder now whether, when he forced himself to think about the details of the murder, it was the murder as it actually happened that he remembered, or a milder version of it, like the one he had previously advanced to me.

The outcome in any case, said Macarthur, is that both lives were lost, so there is no difference in that sense. Two people lost their lives, and thats it. And I am the cause. Ive never objected to the newspapers calling me a double M.

By double M,  I said, I presume you mean double murderer.

Yes, he said. I accept that. I have no quibble about it. Thats just the reality. But yes, its truly a stylistic thing, or a matter of personal privacy, how one expresses ones feelings. My style is to do it privately. But people who knew me very well would not agree that there was no remorse.

I told him that I myself tended to believe him when he said he felt remorse, but that a certain degree of openness, even emotionality, might be required for people in general to believe it.

Thats it, you see, he said, recovering now the energy and intellectual loftiness that had earlier deserted him. Theres a certain formula with these things. And thats why I regard the Irish as a slightly unctuous culture. As one of the world capitals of unctuousness, in fact. I dont object to it, but I do like a more restrained approach. You could even call it a more dignified approach, though I dont want to make too big an issue of that. Thats just my outlook.

That afternoon, as I was preparing to leave, packing away my notebook and pen and taking my jacket from the back of the kitchen chair, he began to talk about his time in prison. He spoke of how various staff members of various correctional institutions had remarked on his apparent total normality. And then he caught himself.

Im in danger, he said, of seeming to reduce the seriousness of what happened. Lives were lost. Thats the fact.

He stared at the floor a moment, then gazed around the room. He tapped the sole of his shoe against the floor, as he so often did when he was pensive or uncomfortable.

Lives were taken, I should say. That would be more accurate. I have never tried to evade that truth. I have never tried to minimise it in the slightest. Ive never used the passive voice in speaking about it.

Actually, I said, you did just now say lives were taken, which would be a strong example of the use of passive voice.

Well, yes, he said. Okay. I took lives.

He didnt seem irritated by my pointing this out, but neither did he seem particularly surprised by, or reflective about, the forcefulness with which he had just contradicted himself.

* * *

I remarked to Macarthur once, after we had been talking for the better part of a year, that he seemed to me a highly conflicted person. He took issue with the characterisation, telling me that he was not conflicted at all, that he fully acknowledged the gravity of what he had done, and that he was now at peace with himself and knew who and what he was: a decent and moral human being who had acted, many years ago now, in a way that went strongly against his essential nature.

Perhaps a better word, I said, was contradictory, or even paradoxical, because the central fact of his life was that he had committed brutal murders, for which he took responsibility, and yet he fundamentally did not think of himself as a murderer.

I have committed the act of murder, he conceded. I am somebody who has unlawfully killed. Thats an action that took place, at one point, in my life of 75 years.

He might not want to be defined by these things he did 40 years ago, I said, but the act of murder was nonetheless completely irreversible. Once you had committed murder, you are, irreversibly, a murderer.

Well, lets not dwell on the obvious, he said.

A Thread of Violence: A Story of Truth, Invention and Murder by Mark O'Connell

This is an edited extract from A Thread of Violence: A Story of Truth, Invention and Murder by Mark OConnell, published by Granta on June 19
Despite varying beliefs in climate change, there is no denying the fact that wildfires worldwide have increased in recent years. Theres the ongoing wildfires in Canada today as well as the megafire in Australia in 2019-2020, as two prominent examples. To bring it closer to home in the U.S., there were the California wildfires in 2018 that recorded almost 8,000 wildfires in the state.

Unfortunately, its only going to get worse. The U.N. is predicting a 14% increase in global wildfires by 2030, rising sharply to 30% by 2050 and 50% by the end of the century. These stats are there to prompt public sector organizations around the globe to revolutionize the way in which they are assessing wildfire risk.

With California itself seeing a sharp increase in wildfire activity over the past few decades, San Bernardino County, knew it needed to act swiftly to help protect its population of over 2 million residents.

To do that, The Mountain Rim Fire Safe Council in San Bernardino County, California relies on Preciselys Wildfire Risk product to strengthen local wildfire protection plans and help manage risk to property and citizens. The county-wide data is provided to the fire safe council via a pro bono product initiative spearheaded by the ESG Commission at Precisely.

Being able to show a citizen their home on a map, and the risk associated with that area, has a powerful impact on fire stewardship within the community, further reducing the risk of wildfire damage, said Laura Dyberg, president at Mountain Rim Fire Safe Council. With tangible data to back it up, our grant applications are immeasurably stronger and more accurate forecasting allows us to better educate and prepare residents.

Wildfire Risk is an advanced and contemporary database that assesses the likelihood and danger of wildfires. The system takes into account a range of factors, including geographical features, climate conditions and human influences. These factors consist of slope, orientation, vegetation type, historical burn patterns, distance to water sources, specific wind-prone regions density of non-flammable surfaces, and proximity to fire stations.

As a result, the system generates a unique collection of customized fire zone polygons that cover the entire U.S., each accompanied by its corresponding risk score. Additionally, all data is accessible at the individual address level through a distinct identifier, providing additional measurements of proximity for a deeper understanding of structure-specific risks.

Advantages:

Evaluates exposure to wildfire risks using a model tailored to the unique characteristics of each landscape.

Optimizes profitability by avoiding high-risk areas while identifying potential opportunities within generally hazardous regions.

Gathers insights on wildfire risks at the property level (rather than relying on broad regional assessments), thus enabling more accurate pricing strategies.

Measures a property's proximity to zones with high and very high wildfire risks, as well as its distance from the interface between wildland and urban areas.

The Precisely Wildfire Risk product is developed by a team of seasoned fire scientists with real wildfire expertise, ensuring that the methodology and models reflect the most accurate and reliable data in the market, said Dan Adams, Senior Vice President  Data Enrichment at Precisely. Its humbling to see the impact that access to trustworthy wildfire risk data has already had in San Bernardino County.

Precisely is further expanding its partnership, working with San Bernardino to explore how the Precisely data enrichment portfolio can continue to help inform and enrich policymaking across several additional parts of the county.

Edited by Alex Passett
PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins is set for a fresh row with the Coalition after he warned that Ireland is at risk of a drift towards NATO and criticised an upcoming Government forum on neutrality.

In an interview with the Business Post to be published on Sunday, Mr Higgins is quoted as saying Ireland is playing with fire during a dangerous period of drift in its foreign policy and must avoid burying ourselves in other peoples agendas.

Mr Higgins also called into question the make-up of the Governments Consultative Forum on International Security, which is due to begin next week, claiming it is mostly made up of the admirals, the generals, the air force, the rest of it.

He said other participants include formerly neutral countries who are now joining NATO and questioned why neutral countries are not represented at the event.

Tanaiste and Foreign Affairs and Defence Minister Micheal Martin has in recent days defended the composition of the speakers due to attend the forum.

There was no immediate reaction from the Government on Saturday evening, but the Presidents comments are likely to concern ministers. It is a longstanding convention that the President refrain from commenting on matters of political controversy or be seen to criticise Government policy.

A spokesperson for Mr Martin declined to comment on the Presidents comments to the Business Post but said the forum will discuss a range of issues relating to the global and European security environment and how Ireland's foreign, security and defence policy is responding to this.

They added: This is not a binary discussion on neutrality or on NATO membership and was never intended to be. There are 18 panel discussions over 4 days.

The aim of this Forum from the start has been to prompt a national discussion on security policy. We want to hear from as many people as possible, with a diverse range of experiences, expertise and views.

On Twitter, People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy, who has criticised the forum, said Mr Higgins was absolutely right in his comments. However, the president of Fine Gaels youth wing, Young Fine Gael, Eoghan Gallagher said the remarks were a thundering disgrace.

Mr Higginss comments are the latest in a series of remarks that have strayed into politically contentious ground and have irked the Government privately.

Last June, he described housing in Ireland as "our great, great failure", saying "It isn't a crisis anymore  it is a disaster."
Forty years of Pride Week: We were angry. We were annoyed. But we also wanted to have a joyous time

On June 25, 1983, 200 people marched through Dublin city centre demanding equal rights and visibility for Irelands LGBTQ+ community. Here, those who joined the first official Pride march share their memories of that day and talk about the fateful chain of events that brought them on to the streets

Dublin Pride marchers gather outside the GPO on June 25, 1983. Picture: Pauline ODonnell/Private Collection

Tanya Sweeney Sat 17 Jun 2023 at 03:30


Hundreds of people on board the migrant boat before it capsized 80km off Greece. Photo: Hellenic Coast Guard/Reuters

The sight of the body of two-year-old Alan Kurdi, washed up on the shores of the Greek island of Kos in 2015, compelled the world to look at the migrant humanitarian crisis. But global attention, even for heartbreaking tragedy, is transient.

Conflict, war and economic hardship are all too constant, however, and the cargoes of desperate people trying to escape their clutches have grown. As one rescue worker put it, the Mediterranean has become Europes biggest graveyard.

The latest shattering evidence of this was the sinking last Tuesday of a 65-foot vessel crammed with up to 750 people. About 100 were pulled from the sea, but hopes for the rest, including more than 100 women and children below deck, have disappeared.

It has underscored the need for measures to help deter migrants from attempting hazardous boat crossings from north Africa and other regions. The UNs International Organisation for Migration said countries must take comprehensive action . . . to save lives at sea and reduce perilous journeys by expanding safe and regular pathways to migration.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said: We must continue to work together with member states and third countries to prevent such tragedies. But so far that work has been inadequate.

It is thought people smugglers were responsible for cramming the boat. Huge sums are made by the exploitation of human misery. Those on board had paid up to 4,300 each.

The UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has described it as one of the biggest tragedies in the Mediterranean. Yet no one believes it will be the last.

The IOMs Missing Migrants programme has recorded nearly 27,000 deaths in the Mediterranean since 2014. The latest disaster raises many uncomfortable questions that are continually ignored.

How could such a catastrophe happen when the vessel was being tracked by Greece for over 15 hours? It is understood Greek coast guard offers of help were turned down by the vessel as passengers wanted to sail to Italy. But early intervention could have saved lives.

The UNHCR wants to see a broad, precautionary interpretation of distress. This would allow for action notably where boats carrying asylum-seekers and migrants are unseaworthy, uncrewed, improperly equipped or overcrowded. But other pressing issues are being ignored.

Why are there no safe or legal routes for refugees? Calls for safe pathways for migrants that would be monitored have come to nothing. Between January and March this year, 36,000 people arrived in the Mediterranean region of Europe, twice last years number.

Those fleeing persecution or natural disasters must risk treacherous journeys unprotected across the sea. Should their vulnerability not compel us to do more to help?
Transition Year students from St Vincent' Secondary School who received an award from St Vincent de Paul

Transition Year students from St Louis Secondary School who received an award from St Vincent de Paul

Transition Year students from Dundalks two all girls secondary schools, St Louis and St Vincents were honoured at the recent Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP) North East & Midlands Youth Day.

They were awarded certificates for their participation in the Young SVP Programme 2022/2023.

The Young SVP programme is a social justice programme designed for students in second and third level education, encouraging them to get involved in their local communities, improve the lives of others and gain a better understanding of SVP and social justice.
Boris Johnson has used his first Daily Mail column to detail how a weight-loss drug did not work well for him amid accusations his new journalistic role is a clear breach of ministerial rules.

In a 1,200-word article, the former prime minister discusses his unsuccessful personal experience with appetite-suppressants but reaches the conclusion that they could be used to tackle Britains obesity crisis.

The publication came shortly after the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba)  the anti-corruption watchdog  wrote to him on Friday demanding an explanation in the latest claim that he has broken the standards expected of office.

Mr Johnson landed the job a day after he became the first ever former prime minister to be found to have lied to the Commons in the publication of the damning report into his partygate denials.

Fridays Daily Mail used its front page to bill an erudite new columnist who will be required reading in Westminster.

Shortly after 1pm, the newspaper tweeted a video confirming Mr Johnsons appointment, featuring him saying: Its going to be exactly what I think.

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Although he quipped he will only cover politics when I absolutely have to, the column gives him a powerful platform to take shots at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with whom he has been publicly clashing.

In his first column, Mr Johnson does allude to one political betrayal  using quotes from Shakespeares Julius Caesar about the Roman Emperors relationship with Cassius.

He claims to have noticed a Cabinet colleagues weight loss during his time in government and wondering how they had achieved it.

I immediately thought of Julius Caesar, and his preference for well-fed colleagues, he writes.

Let me have men about me that are fat, said the Roman dictator, shortly before his assassination. Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look. As it turned out, Caesar was right to be worried about Cassius.

Mr Johnson claims he learned the colleague had been using a wonder drug which he tried out himself.

After 40 years of moral failure, 40 years of weakness in the face of temptation  of akrasia  I was going to acquire a new and invincible chemical willpower, he writes.

He ultimately stopped taking the drug because it made him ill and now relies on exercise and willpower of his own, but still concludes that it could be used to help others lose weight if it agrees better with them.

The ministerial code requires those who have left the Government in the last two years to apply to the independent watchdog for advice on taking up a new appointment or role.

But Acoba, chaired by Tory peer Lord Eric Pickles, was clear that Mr Johnsons last-minute declaration was a breach of the rules.

A spokeswoman said: The ministerial code states that ministers must ensure that no new appointments are announced, or taken up, before the committee has been able to provide its advice.

An application received 30 mins before an appointment is announced is a clear breach.

We have written to Mr Johnson for an explanation and will publish correspondence in due course, in line with our policy of transparency.

The Acoba rules are in place to avoid suspicion that an appointment might be a reward for past favours and to mitigate a risk a minister could exploit privileged access to Government contacts.

But the watchdog is frequently accused of being toothless because it cannot impose sanctions.

A spokesman for the former prime minister said: Boris Johnson is in touch with Acoba and the normal process is being followed.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said Mr Johnson is once again breaking the rules and taking advantage of a broken system for his own benefit.

As he makes a mockery of the toothless ethics watchdog, this disgraced former prime minister clearly thinks the rules are for the little people, she added.

On Friday, the right-leaning newspaper said it is delighted to welcome one of the wittiest and most original writers in the business.

In a video shared alongside the announcement, Mr Johnson said he is thrilled to contribute to those illustrious pages, and promised to deliver completely unexpurgated stuff.

Mr Johnsons column will appear in the paper every Saturday.

There has been speculation about whether Mr Johnson would return to his journalism roots after he dramatically quit as an MP last week ahead of a report that found he lied to Parliament with his denials of lockdown rule-breaking in No 10.

Before he became party leader, Mr Johnson received a 275,000 salary to write for the Telegraph, which will likely pale in comparison to the sum he will pocket as a former premier.

The former Tory leader joins the ranks of his staunch ally Nadine Dorries, who writes a weekly Tuesday column for the Daily Mail.

The former culture secretary, who has also announced her exit from the Commons, used her most recent piece to suggest sinister forces were behind the decision to exclude her from Mr Johnsons controversial resignation honours list.

The former long-standing Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre was also once tipped to be on the list, but was reportedly removed during the House of Lords vetting process.

On Thursday, Mr Johnson was found to have deliberately misled MPs with his partygate denials in a report by the Privileges Committee.

They said a series of offences merited a 90-day suspension from the House and recommended he should be blocked from holding the pass to Parliament that former MPs are granted.

Mr Johnson dismissed the report by the cross-party committee, which he claims is a kangaroo court, as deranged.
Flash flooding, very difficult travelling conditions with reduced visibility and power outages are listed as possible impacts

Weather warnings for thunderstorms are in place for some counties until tonight.

Met Eireann has issued a status orange thunderstorm warning for Cavan, Donegal, Clare, Connacht, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath.

It warned that possible impacts could include: "Flash flooding, very difficult travelling conditions with reduced visibility and power outages.

The warning came into effect shortly shortly after 4pm and will remain in place until 10pm tonight.

It said that thunderstorms and very heavy rain showers will produce significant rainfall accumulations over short time periods.

Read more Two lifeguards injured by lightning on Kerry beach as shop evacuated after roof collapses under heavy rainfall

Earlier today, a status yellow weather thunderstorm and rain warning warning was issued by Met Eireann, with possible impacts listed as localised flooding and difficult travelling conditions.

Counties Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, along with areas in Connacht are expected to see thunderstorms bring frequent lightning and heavy downpours with gusty winds and a chance of hail.

The status yellow weather came into effect earlier this afternoon and remains in place until 11pm tonight.

Meanwhile, today will be cloudy with some heavy and thundery showers forecast throughout the day.

Despite this, temperatures are set to reach between 18 and 22 degrees in some parts of the country, Met Eireann has forecast.

It will be cloudy and wet start to the day with showers moving up through Leinster early this morning.

It will be a relatively dry morning for the rest of the country before scattered showers arrive this afternoon.

Saturday will bring heavy showers or thunderstorms, with localised flooding. Local hail is possible too. 



Some sunny intervals will occur but some torrential downpours locally may cause some disruption. 



Highest temperatures of 18 to 23C pic.twitter.com/NttabvUsA1  Met Eireann (@MetEireann) June 16, 2023

These showers will turn heavy and possibly thundery at times, bringing with them the risk of hail and spot flooding in the Midlands and northwest.

There will be sunny intervals but some downpours locally may cause some disruption.

The rain will continue throughout the evening and gradually push into the northern half of the country by tonight.

Hail and spot flooding is possible before the showers will slowly die out late in the night with mist and fog patches developing.

In the south, it will remain cloudy with scattered showers.

Temperatures tonight will remain mild with lowest temperatures of 11 to 14 degrees forecast.

Sun protection is required throughout the day, Met Eireann says.

UV levels today will be low to moderate under cloudy skies reaching a UV Index of 1 to 5.

Under any clear skies, it will rise to between 6 and 7.

Sunday offers a similar forecast: cloudy with a chance of showers that might again turn heavy and thundery in the evening.

Temperatures in the high twenties are expected.

More unsettled weather is on the way this week and although it will be wet, temperatures are expected to stay in the low twenties.
The Indo Daily: Has the long Island serial killer been caught at last?
Boris Johnson in more hot water as Daily Mail columnist deal is clear breach of ministerial code

Former government ministers are required to apply to the independent watchdog before taking up a new role for two years

Boris Johnson resigned as an MP after damning report on partygate scandal. Photo: Reuters

Sam Blewett Sat 17 Jun 2023 at 03:30






A delegation of African leaders began a peace mission in Kyiv yesterday, undeterred by what Ukraine said was a volley of Russian missiles intended to greet them in the capital.
Afghanistan's Mazar-e-Sharif city has witnessed the deaths of six children due to seasonal diseases like diarrhea in the past two months, media reports said.

According to Abdul Raouf Forough, director of the pediatric ward of Abu Ali Sina Balkhi Hospital, four children died last month, and two more in the second half of May, reports Khaama Press.

He also elaborated that around 150 to 250 children with this kind of disease visit the pediatric section of the hospital.

One of the reasons is the hot weather, and people do not use clean water, they use contaminated water, or children do not feed on mothers milk, and they do not observe environmental and personal hygiene, and also use unclean fruits and vegetables, said Forough.
With automatic turf irrigation, it is not unusual for the system to be turned on and left on for most of the summer. This practice often leads to water waste and incorrectly watered lawns. The best setting for automatic irrigation systems is manual, allowing property owners to choose when to irrigate.

For turfgrass, maintaining a moist soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches is better than maintaining a continuously wet soil to a depth of a 2 to 3 of inches. Allowing soil to dry briefly between irrigation has benefits, such as recharging soil oxygen that plant roots need as much as water to grow and function well.

Nebraska Extension recommends leaving automatic irrigation systems turned off until turfgrass shows signs of needing moisture or a check of the soil indicates irrigation is needed. When needed, the goal should be to moisten soil to the depth of the plants roots, then wait until soil dries to water again.

Historic recommendations in Nebraska have been to provide lawns with 1 to 1 inches of water per week from rainfall and/or irrigation. However, each type of turfgrass has different requirements and responds differently to dry periods. Landscapes have different soil types, levels of shade or slope and wind exposure. Weather conditions affecting plant water use change from week to week.

Using a one irrigation schedule fits all approach does not take into consideration differences in turfgrasses, site and weather. Field research also indicate most established landscape plants perform acceptably with 20 to 40 percent less irrigation.

The most common grasses grown in Nebraska are Kentucky bluegrass (KBG) and tall fescue. As cool season grasses, they green up early in spring and go dormant in late fall, growing best during cooler spring and fall weather. They require summer irrigation to maintain green color.

KBG has shallower roots than tall fescue and will slow growth and discolor if water is limited. However, during dry periods it has the ability to go dormant (turn off-color but still be alive) to escape drought. As most property owners are intolerant of a dormant summer lawn, KBG requires more frequent irrigation than tall fescue due to shallow roots.

Tall fescue tolerates dry periods better than KBG due to a deeper root system that uses moisture deeper in the soil. However, it does not have the physiological ability to go dormant to avoid dying from drought. If tall fescue begins to turn off color from a lack of water, it requires irrigation.

While tall fescue uses more moisture due to deeper roots, it is considered a turfgrass to plant to help conserve water because it requires less frequent irrigation in central and eastern Nebraska. Unfortunately, tall fescue is often irrigated the same as KBG with the set it and forget it method.

If automatic irrigation systems are turned off, how does one know when to turn them on? Watch for signs of turf needing irrigation or check the soil with a screwdriver or trowel.

Signs of water stress include turfgrass developing a darker bluish-brown color, leaf blades rolling and footprints or wheel tracks remaining in the lawn after it is walked on or mowed. If the soil feels dry and does not smear on fingers, moisture is needed. If it feels moist and smears on fingers when rubbed, irrigation is likely not needed.

When watering, a deep irrigation is recommended. For turfgrass, this means wetting the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches without water running off into the street or nearby areas. Inserting a screwdriver into the soil will aid in determining depth. In clay soils or on slopes, use start and stop irrigation to allow infiltration or water two days in a row to moisten the soil to the correct depth without watering running off.
Image Credit: The Arunachal Times

Itanagar/IBNS: Arunachal Pradesh Police (APP) took a significant step towards digitalization with the unveiling of the ArunPol mobile app and e-Vigilance portal.

The Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, inaugurated the new initiatives, hailing them as a major leap towards e-governance within the state, reported The Arunachal Times.

Khandu commended the home, police, and vigilance departments for their innovative efforts and expressed pride in Arunachal Pradesh's commendable performance in e-governance.

The launch of ArunPol and e-Vigilance added another achievement to the state's growing list of technological advancements.

The ArunPol mobile app aims to streamline services and minimize the inconvenience faced by citizens when visiting police stations.

It offers various online services, including lodging lost reports, obtaining police clearance certificates, filing missing reports, verifying servants and tenants, reporting complaints related to women and children, registering complaints against the police, accessing rules and laws, and providing essential contact and helpline numbers.

The primary objective is to reduce unproductive hours for both citizens and police personnel.Notably, the app ensures anonymity for individuals lodging complaints or providing information, allowing them to maintain their privacy.

The Chief Minister suggested that senior officers explore opportunities to expand the app's offerings by identifying additional citizen-centric services for future inclusion.

In addition to the mobile app, the e-Vigilance portal was introduced to facilitate the issuance of e-Vigilance clearance certificates for government employees. These certificates are crucial for promotions and other related matters.

Khandu emphasized that the online issuance of vigilance clearance certificates would be a boon for government employees, eliminating the lengthy and cumbersome process previously involved.

He urged the Chief Secretary to onboard all remaining government departments onto the e-portal, as currently only 30 departments are part of it.

During the event, Khandu also unveiled the ArunPolSewa Vehicle, a dedicated vehicle aimed at raising community awareness on crime prevention, fire safety, women-centric policing, and anti-drug campaigns.

The vehicle is equipped with state-of-the-art features such as a smart TV panel, a generator set, a rain-protected audio system with a cordless PA system, and will be manned by trained police personnel. Its purpose is to foster a positive impact and instill confidence in the state police force while serving as a liaison between various police arms, including civil police, STF, and armed battalions.

Khandu reassured the state government's commitment to strengthening the police force and mentioned ongoing discussions with the Union Home Ministry to facilitate this process.

He highlighted the recent approval by the state cabinet to establish the Itanagar Range Police, which will be headed by a DIG level officer with three SPs (Superintendents of Police): SP Itanagar, SP Naharlagun, and SP Traffic.

Moreover, the creation of 310 posts for the Itanagar Range has already been sanctioned, with plans for an additional 700 posts in the future.

The launch event was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, Home Minister Bamang Felix, and senior officials from the state police, home, and vigilance departments.
Image Credit: UNI

Kolkata/UNI: In the wake of violence at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district over filing of nomination two days back for the coming three-tier Panchayat election in West Bengal, Governor C V Ananda Bose on Saturday summoned State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha to Raj Bhavan to apprise him of the situation.

Bose, who visited the violence-torn Bhangar Friday, said victory in elections should depend on the count of votes, not the count of dead bodies.

He expressed shock to hear that the death toll in pre-election in Bengal is increasing, and said, "It is revolting that the media is also under attack by the hooligans. Victory in Elections should depend on the count of votes, not the count of dead bodies.

"At any cost, violence will be eradicated and made the first casualty of this Panchayat Elections. No one, however high & mighty they fancy themselves to be, will be allowed to take the law in their hands."

Reacting to violence, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Friday alleged that democracy died a thousand deaths yesterday in West Bengal.

"In our lifetime we have seen Wars, footage from Conflict Zones, Refugee Crisis. Some disturbing images stay with us for long. The image of terrified & displaced people with "hands raised in surrender"; staring into the barrel of a gun is one such image we habitually associate with such War/Conflict Zones. "

"However, yesterday such scenes were witnessed in Bhangar; South 24 Parganas district; where Opposition Candidates went to the Nomination Centre, holding documents in their raised hands so as the Police don't fire at them. Bombs were being hurled incessantly by the TMC goons trying to scare them away & obstruct them from going towards the Nomination Centre," the BJP MLA from Nandigram stated.

Adhikari said, "Yesterday opposition candidates & party workers across party lines were shot at & beaten mercilessly across the State. Yet they marched on towards the BDO Offices (Nomination Centres), fully aware of the risks.
Image: V Muraleedharan Twitter page

Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS) V Muraleedharan on Friday met Zimbabwe's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Musabayana when the two leaders discussed various aspects of the bilateral relationship between the two nations.

" Delighted to interact with Dy. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Zimbabwe, H.E

@DrMusabayana on the sidelines of CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Growth Partnership in New Delhi," the Indian Minister tweeted.

Delighted to interact with Dy. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Zimbabwe, H.E @DrMusabayana on the sidelines of CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Growth Partnership in New Delhi.



Discussed various aspects of bilateral relations and means to enhance them further. pic.twitter.com/GwSec7lBb5  V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) June 16, 2023

" Discussed various aspects of bilateral relations and means to enhance them further," he said.
Image Credit: Twitter/Sakshee Malikkh

New Delhi: Wrestler Sakshi Malik has claimed in a video statement that the minor wrestler withdrew her sexual harassment charges against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan of sexual harassment as her family was threatened.

Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik and other top wrestlers of India are demanding removal and action against the WFI chief alleging sexual harassment against seven wrestlers, including a minor.

Earlier, the Delhi Police recommended the cancellation of POCSO charges against him citing a lack of corroborative evidence.

In a video statement, Sakshi Malik said, "The minor wrestlers changed her statement because her family was threatened.

"The reason we did not open our mouths for so many days was due to lack of unity. We could not come together," Sakshi Malik said.

"When India's ace wrestlers opened their mouths against the harassment, you could see what they had to bear," she said, referring to the police action against the protesting wrestlers.

Malik's husband and wrestler Satyawart Kadian, also spoke in the video statement.

He said the wrestlers are not up against the government, but protesting the "misdeeds of the WFI president".

Our first protest at Jantar Mantar in January had the support and permission of two BJP leaders, Tirath Rana and Babita Phogat. Therefore, it is not right to claim that our protest was orchestrated by the Congress, he said.

"Wrestlers and coaches were aware of the inappropriate behaviour women wrestlers had to face for the last 10-12 years. Whenever anyone thought of taking a step, the WFI president would come to know of it, and they started facing problems in their career," he added.

A Delhi court will review the cancellation report in Brij Bhushan's case will be on July 4.

Meanwhile, the wrestlers will take a decision on protest about the next steps after a meeting with Khap and other farmer leaders on June 18.
Image Credit: Twitter screen grab

Madurai: BJP state secretary in Tamil Nadu SG Suryah was arrested over a tweet in which he alleged that a sanitation worker died after he was forced to work in faecal water, media reports said.

Madurai district police has refuted the allegation, saying that no such incident took place in the district and Suryah was spreading fake news on social media.

The BJP has condemned the arrest accusing the state government of getting nervous over the slightest criticism and unleashing the state police to curtail free speech.

"The arrest of @BJP4TamilNadu State Secretary Thiru @SuryahSG avl is highly condemnable. His only mistake was to expose the nasty double standards of the communists, allies of DMK," State BJP president K Annamalai said on Twitter.

"Using state machinery to curtail free speech & getting jittery for the slightest criticism is unbecoming of a democratically elected leader and, indeed, are signs of an autocratic leader in the making. Drawing inspiration from autocrats, TN CM Thiru @mkstalin is turning the state into a lawless jungle. These arrests will not deter us & we will continue to be bearers of the uncomfortable truth!" Annamalai tweeted.

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar termed the arrest an "overreach" and "violation of rights".

Narenthiran Nayar, Commissioner of Police, Madurai told NDTV "There is no such local body in Madurai nor such a thing happened. We have invoked sections of IT Act and attempting to incite communal clashes".

Suryah had written a letter targeting Communist Party of India (CPI) Councillor Viswanathan, slamming him for forcing the sanitation worker from Madurai to do manual scavenging. He wrote that the worker died on the job as he developed an allergic reaction in his body, according to the NDTV report.

He slammed the CPI councillor for double standards as he forced the worker despite being aware that it is prohibited by law.

The letter was attached to his tweet by Suryah on his Twitter handle.

He also berated the Madurai MP Venkatesan for not taking any action for the incident which caused the death of a sanitation worker in his constituency.

"Your fake politics of separatism stinks worse than that cesspool, find a way to live as a human being, mate!" a rough translation of his tweet in Tamil read, according to NDTV.

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar slammed the Tamil Nadu government for the arrest, calling it an "overreach" and "violation of rights".
Image Credit: PIB

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to G20 counterparts to propose that the African Union be given full membership at the upcoming Delhi Summit of G20, as requested by them, sources said late on Saturday night.

Besides enhancing Africas voice on the international stage the move would also help shape the future of our shared world, the source added.

Prime Minister has led from the front on this matter, which he strongly advocates and supports.

This will be a right step towards a just, fair, more inclusive and representative global architecture and governance, the source added.

Prime Minister Modi is a strong believer in having a greater Voice of the Global South countries on international platforms, particularly of African countries.

As part of Indias G20 Presidency, he has particularly focused on incorporating priorities of the African countries in the G20 agenda, the source added.

As part of its move to seek a greater voice for the developing world, India hosted a Voice of the Global South summit in January 2023 to bring their perspectives to the G20.

The African Union (AU) comprises 55 member states.

The G20 New Delhi Leaders Summit will be held September 9-10.

The Group of Twenty (G20) comprises 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, United Kingdom and United States) and the European Union.

The G20 members represent around 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.

(With UNI inputs)
Image: Wikimedia Commons

The Shaksgam Valley, also known as the Trans Karakoram Tract, is part of Hunza-Gilgit region of the erstwhile princely State of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), which, following the accession of J&K to India on October 26, 1947, legally became a part of India.

India, however, did not exercise physical control over Shaksgam Valley due to the forcible occupation by Pakistan of large parts of the erstwhile princely State, including the Shaksgam Valley, and which territories are today collectively referred to as Pakistan-Administered J&K.

Shaksgam Valley bordered the Xinjiang Province of China to the north, the Northern Areas of Pakistan-Administered J&K to the south and west, and the Siachen Glacier to the east.

However, in 1963, Islamabad, despite not possessing any legal title over this area, formally ceded the Yarkand River and Shaksgam Valley to Beijing.

Conveniently glossing over the disputed nature of the territory, China betrayed no qualms about illegally taking over and setting up shop in a region over which the ceding party had no legal authority or sanction to do so.

Recent reports suggest that China, much to the chagrin of India, has now intensified construction of military infrastructure and roads in Shaksgam Valley. Such construction is causing a region that at least legally ought to be Indian territory to ironically become a source of security concern for it instead.

China started asserting its territorial claims on the frontiers of the Jammu & Kashmir State in the late 1950s. Chinese troops had started entering into territories in eastern Hunza from 1953.

In October 1959, Pakistani media reported illegal intrusion of Chinese troops into lands claimed by the Mir of Hunza.

This prompted the then foreign minister of Pakistan to react sharply, stating that Pakistan would defend its frontiers by all possible means.

In the late 1950s, with relations between India and China undergoing a sharp deterioration, Pakistans then President Ayub Khan sensed an opportunity to appease China in order to externally balance souring relations with India.

In the face of the Chinese ingress into the Hunza Valley, he chose to open a line of communication with Beijing to discuss the border issue. In May 1960, Pakistan revealed that it had decided to negotiate the border issue with China.

On January 15, 1961, the Pakistan Foreign Minister revealed to the media that China had agreed in principle to demarcate its boundary with Pakistan and that talks in this regard were in progress.

By the end of May 1961, the essential contours of the agreement started taking shape, even as Beijing kept assuring India that China had not discussed anything with Pakistan until then.

Former Indian diplomat Sujan R. Chinoy described the tone and tenor of the China-Pakistan talks when he wrote in November 2020 that Over the two years of negotiations, Pakistan came out with unconvincing and self-serving logic to systematically downgrade the historical claims of the Mir of Hunza in order to pave the way for conceding the territory in question to China.

Maps with maximalist claims were exchanged between the two sides in early 1962.

Ironically, the map produced by the Survey of Pakistan, which showed the Shaksgam Valley and parts of Xinjiang within POK, was later disowned by the Pakistani leadership who held that the concerned institution had no authority to draw the line of an undefined border on the map!

It was equally interesting that the Chinese withdrew their map after Pakistan agreed to concede more strategic territories in the trans-Karakoram tract than had earlier been claimed by the Chinese.

The benefits to Pakistan flowed immediately thereafter. By May 1962, China had decided to take a position on Kashmir that was much closer to that of Pakistan. On May 31, 1962, for the first time, the Indian Embassy in Beijing was informed through a Note that China had never accepted without reservation the position that Kashmir was under Indian sovereignty China became a direct party to the Kashmir issue both by concluding the 1963 agreement with Pakistan and taking the trans-Karakoram tract and, earlier, by occupying Aksai Chin.

Explaining the 1963 boundary agreement, Pakistans then Foreign Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto said, It is a matter of the greatest importance that through this agreement we have removed any possibility of friction on our only common border with the Peoples Republic of China. We have eliminated what might well have become a source of misunderstanding and of future troubles An attack by India on Pakistan would no longer confine the stakes to the independence and territorial integrity of Pakistan. An attack by India on Pakistan would also involve the security and territorial integrity of the largest state in Asia. Bhutto also told the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that Article VI of the Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement makes it clear that the Agreement is of a provisional nature between Pakistan and China, and that after the settlement of the Kashmir dispute, the sovereign authority that will emerge in Jammu and Kashmir, will reopen negotiations with the Government of the Peoples Republic of China, so as to sign a formal boundary treaty to replace the present Agreement. Despite the 1963 Agreement being conditional, it does not change the fact that it is of dubious legality.

Abhishek Trivedi, a columnist specializing in international law, pointed out in July 2019 that the 1963 boundary agreement was contrary to the rules of international law related to the right to self-determination as pronounced by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its advisory opinion on the Chagos Archipelago. He elaborated, In the light of the law related to the right to self-determination as propounded by the ICJ above and the facts about the transferring of the territory of Shaksgam Valley to China, Pakistan has violated rules of international law applicable to the right to self-determination. The 1963 Agreement was concluded by Pakistan  an administrating power  in violation of the customary norms of self-determination. The agreement was not concluded with the free and genuine will of the people of J&K. Thus, the detachment of 5,180 sq. km of the Shaksgam Valley by the 1963 Boundary Agreement was unlawful as the obligations arising under international law and reflected in UNGA resolution 1514 require Pakistan, as the administrating power in PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kasmir) region, to respect the territorial integrity of that region. Trivedi also asserted that By concluding the boundary agreement and ceding 5180 sq. km of Shaksgam Valley to China, Pakistan has not honored the territorial integrity of J&K which must be otherwise respected and protected to uphold the sanctity of international law Pakistan cannot be legally allowed to argue from one side that it still believes in the self-determination of the people of J&K, but on the other side, that Pakistan may conclude an international agreement with a third country ceding a substantial territorial part of J&K to China.

India has consistently maintained that under international law, the right of entering into treaties and agreements is an attribute of sovereignty. Furthermore, a sovereign cannot presume to exercise sovereign functions in respect of territory other than its own. Also, according to the terms of the UN Resolutions on J&K, Pakistan cannot purport to exercise even actual control over the defence of these areas. A note of the historical division of Indias Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has been quoted by the Indian media as stressing that The conclusion of this agreement amounts to compromising the sovereignty of the state of J&K, which Pakistan has no business to do.

The 1963 agreement enabled the construction a decade later of the Karakoram Highway, an 810-mile road that cuts through the Khunjerab Pass in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) in Pakistan-Administered J&K, towards Xinjiang in China. The Shaksgam Valley region has also been critical for the Cooperation for the Long-Term Plan on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that was concluded in 2013, and Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Islamabad in April 2015 to flag off the CPEC.

It is in this backdrop that the Nepal-based online magazine Pardafas in a 7 June report titled China-Pakistan collusion on Shaksgam Valley a threat to India, revealed that In the last several years, China has kept up military pressure on India, through its incursions across the Line of Actual Control (LAC). While this fact has been recognized by the international community, a recent study by Northwestern University shows that Chinas incursions are strategically planned with the objective of making a permanent Chinese presence in these areas. Border transgressions and incursions are well documented in all three sectors of the 3,488 km long border that India officially shares with China.

However, far more sinister military aggression has been underway in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK).

Reference here is to the construction of military infrastructure and roads by China in the Shaksgam Valley, a trans-Karakoram tract ceded by Pakistan under the terms of the 1963 Boundary Agreement.

Chinas traditional aggression across the LAC in fact diverts Indias attention from Chinas illegal land grab in PoK, this is a strategic reality to be faced with in the medium future.

The China-Pakistan concert on the boundary in the Karakoram area of PoK (covering a distance of over 590 km) violates Indias traditional and legal rights in PoK. China has gone a step ahead and developed military infrastructure and roads in the disputed region, presenting a clear and present danger to India.

The Hindustan Times reported on 9 April 2018 that satellite imagery of the region showed that China was changing the alignment of the Karakoram Highway, and that this could have strategic implications for India in the Daulet Beg Oldi and Siachen sectors, with the two all-weather friends sandwiching Indian positions.

Satellite images accessed by The Print on 15 January 2018 showed that China was building a road and military posts in the Shaksgam Valley. Google Earth satellite imagery of September and October 2017, and earlier, suggested that the road construction started probably after the Doklam stand-off in the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction area in mid-June 2017.

Pardafas added, Chinese Border Defense personnel have also been observed patrolling the area along the newly constructed road in the Shaksgam region. At least two military posts are also visible now.

Older satellite imagery of 24 October 2016 shows no roads or posts in this entire area of Shaksgam Valley. Area maps clearly show that Rimo Glacier, Teram Shehr Glacier and the Siachen Glacier are located within the Indian union territory of Ladakh. The adjoining areas of these glaciers are PLA dominated territories like Shaksgam Valley and Yarkand Valley in the north and PoK in the west. By early 2019, the Indian media reported that the length of road constructed in Shaksgam Valley had reached 70 km.

The Hindustan Times reported on 19 January 2022 that China and Pakistan were planning another road connecting Yarkand in Xinjiang to Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-Administered J&K through the Shaksgam Valley.

Pardafas concluded that even if Chinese activity in the Shaksgam Valley was not yet a direct military threat to Indian troops holding the Siachen Glacier, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) actions could be considered provocative, and in the medium term could pose a military threat to Indian forces in Ladakh. It reminded that the PLA had a history of aggressive transgressions into what the Indian Army calls sub-sector north, and has consistently blocked Indian patrols in Depsang Bulge, south of DBO, with massive brigade-level deployments at Tein Wein Dein (TWD) across the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Opposite this sector, PLA troops from the Xinjiang Military District have carried out high-altitude live-fire assault ammunition training and military exercises in the Karakoram mountains at regular intervals. Satellite images also showed that Xinjiangs Malan airbase was hosting an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base.

Sujan R. Chinoy believes that on the basis of the 1963 boundary agreement, China has carefully nurtured Pakistan as a quasi-colony over the years. As Chinese power grew and that of Pakistan withered because of its self-defeating foreign and security policies, China found it easy to manipulate Pakistani leaders at will to strengthen its control over Pakistan. The Karakoram Highway and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor both use this contested frontier to bring the two countries together in a closer embrace and help China build an alternative access to the Arabian Sea.

Chinas disregard for international law while seeking to surreptitiously acquire, commercially exploit, and militarize sovereign territories of neighbouring countries, in this case territory that rightfully belonged to the erstwhile princely State of Jammu & Kashmir, which on 26 October, 1947 acceded to India, needs to be noted, highlighted, and robustly objected to by an international community that has thus far remained surprisingly silent on the matter despite its publicly professed desire to keep the increasingly boisterous China in check.
Image: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Kolkata/IBNS: Tollywood superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee on Friday heaped praises on his long-term co-star and senior Bengali actress Rituparna Sengupta , whose new film 'Datta' was premiered at a theatre house here.

Speaking to IBNS, Prosenjit, whose on-screen pairing with Rituparna is still iconic, said, "She is an era by herself. People may often forget but Rituparna was an actor who shot for both 'Sasurbari Zindabad' and 'Paromitar Ek Din' in a single year. These are difficult tasks."

"Very few actors have achieved such a feat of working for two different films, one winning the National Award and the other is a hardcore commercial film. Only working for films doesn't make an actor survive for 25-30 years like Rituparna did, it needs a lot of dedication and sacrifice," the actor added.

Apart from countless successful commercial films spanning over decades, Prosenjit and Rituparna have featured in iconic late Rituparno Ghosh's 'Utsab', the title after which the former named his south Kolkata residence.

After a break from films as an on-screen pair, the two veteran actors returned to silver screens together with Nandita Roy-Shiboprosad Mukherjee's 2016 film 'Praktan', which was well received by the audience. Later, they went on to act in Kaushik Ganguly's 'Drishtikone'.

Meanwhile, Rituparna's 'Datta', which is directed by debutant Nirmal Chakravarthy, is based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel of the same name. The novel was twice adapted to films earlier, in 1951 and 1976.

The story, which showcases the Victorian notion of growing attachment, revolves around a growing attachment between an affluent Brahmo woman and an indigent but a brilliant young Hindu man despite all odds.

Speaking of essaying Bijoya, Rituparna earlier told IBNS, "I think Bijoya is a very strong character. In the course of working for the film, I realised how relevant Bijoya is in our present society where inequality still exists.

"So a character like Bijoya is relevant even now. Today's women may take inspiration from Bijoya. It was difficult back then as compared to now."

Bijoya was played by late acting legend Suchitra Sen in the second film adaptation of 'Datta' directed by Ajoy Kar.

(Images by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)
Image: Siraj Noorani Twitter page

German archeologists have dug up a Bronze Age sword, which is believed to be 3000 years old, from a grave in the southern town of Nordlingen.

The bronze sword, which has an octagonal hilt, is thought to be from the late 14th Century BC.

Its condition is so good "it almost still shines", Bavaria's State Office for Monument Protection (BLfD) says as quoted by BBC.

The grave contains the bones of a man, woman and boy, and other bronze items, the British media reported.

The BLfD says manufacturing such a sword was complicated, as the hilt was cast on to the blade.
Editors note: In a partnership with the Columbus Area Childrens Museum, The Columbus Telegram is publishing a series in which a different exhibit area of the museum will be featured each month leading up to facilitys opening this fall. This is the second installment in the series.

A centerpiece of the upcoming Columbus Area Childrens Museum is Kids Town, with the Founding Family Market being the first exhibit that visitors will see.

When you look at the museum as a whole, we're going have farm to fork, said Columbus Area Childrens Museum (CACM) Executive Director Katy McNeil. We'll have a farmers market truck and we'll have the grocery store where they can check things out. They can learn how pizza is made. They can use the play kitchen to create recipes after they go shopping. They can do play make-believe (at the) takeout window.

This area is meant to allow children to pretend to shop and cook and learn about following budgets, studying costs and foods and nutrition.

It will include a flower shop display, fruit and vegetable bins, dry goods, refrigerator section, grill area, bakery area, pizza area, checkout counter and shopping basket.

There will be plenty of programming at the museum, McNeil said, which could range from talking about water safety and river safety to spotlighting different careers like geneticists and veterinarians.

Originally called Columbus Market, the grocery store exhibit will now be known as the Founding Family Market as Founding Family donations will be funding it. However, the CACM is still seeking business sponsorships for the space.

The grocery store space is just too big for any one business to take all on its own because it's like a $75,000 ask, McNeil said, adding that though the local grocery stores are community-minded, that is a lot of money to be asking for.

There will be some sort of recognition up for the Founding Family members, such as a donor wall, she said.

The Founding Family donations have three levels, all of which include 10-year memberships to the CACM.

The $2,500 to $4,999 level allows for a two-generation membership, which would be parents or grandparents plus children/grandchildren and up to four guest passes.

For the $5,000 to $9,999 level, a three-generation membership allows both parents and grandparents, children/grandchildren and up to four guest passes

The $10,000 and up is also three-generation membership which includes parents, grandparents and children/grandchildren, along with eight guest passes.

Local man Rick Porter is one of the first Founding Family members for the childrens museum.

Porter said supporting the CACM is important as when he and his wife were working parents, they were unable to provide that financial support to a project like this.

Now that our children are grown and they have their own kids to raise, we are in a much better position to be able to make an overall impact on a program that will benefit Columbus, Porter said. It is my hope that many other grandparents in the community will join us in supporting a program that will benefit our grandchildren and future generations.

The museum will provide a new and different learning venue for local children, as well as bringing people into the community and benefiting local businesses and entities, he added.

I see us taking our families out of the Columbus area for enriching events such as the zoos and childrens museums in Omaha or Lincoln as well as other things, Porter said. It will be great to have a venue in Columbus that will not only serve our community but should also be a draw to families from outside our area.

For those without kids, McNeil said, becoming a Founding Family member is an investment in the community.

It's creating a fun place to learn and play for future generations, McNeil added.

CACM officials will receive the keys to the building on July 1. The museum is located inside the Columbus Community Building, which will also house the Columbus Public Library, Columbus Arts Council, a Broken Mug location and city hall.

Although the citys part of the community building will open July 8, the childrens museum is expected the open this fall. While sales tax dollars paid for the community building and the shell of the CACM, the museum itself is an independent entity with separate funding. The museum will be paying for the exhibits and everything else inside of its space.

McNeil said the carpet will be installed July 21 and things will progress quickly from there.

If we happen to have funds that are in excess of paying for the Founding Family Market, it'll go towards programming and providing healthy food programming and things along those lines in the spaces, she added.

Currently, its a bit of a waiting game for the fundraising portion of the project as the big donation asks can take months, McNeil said. It can also take a while to receive word if theyve been approved for grants.

Until then, donations can be made to the CACM at columbuslearnandplay.org. Those who want to contribute a large monetary donation can find out more about becoming a Founding Family member at the museums website or can contact McNeil at 402-276-1835 or katymcneil@columbuslearnandplay.org.

Presales for normal memberships will start later this summer, McNeil said, for sure at Columbus Days which takes place in mid-August.
The transgender people of Manipur, known as Nupi Maanbi, have had a colourful history - from being accepted in society to being ostracised to now finally finding their own voices.

Their history holds much relevance today as those of the third gender in the State and the nation overall continue to be silenced by society out of shame for their natural identity.

Male at birth but identifying as female

Nupi Maanbis are transgender people of Manipur in Northeast India. In Manipuri society, the term connotes one assigned a "male" at birth but choosing to live with a feminine identity.

Nupi Maanbis/ The Vice

The term came about in the 21st century, but such identities have existed for a long time.

Traditional acceptance

In traditional Manipuri society, gender non-conforming people were accepted as a natural part.

Termed pheitas, they were employed in the administration of the Meitei kings for performing various tasks like guarding certain quarters of the palace and dispensing justice amongst the royal women.

They were also associated with the sacred space of Kangla, the ancient capital fort of the Meitei kings. Those pheitas believed to have divine powers were even sent to learn worship rituals and become shamans.

However, it is important to note that concepts of equality, rights and freedom are modern ideas that did not exist then - all that mattered then was the functionality of labour.

The Third Burmese invasion (1819-1826) devastated the valley of Manipur and eroded the importance of Kangla. The decline of old forms of kingship thus also led to the disappearance of the concept of pheitas, thereby removing gender plurality from the mainstream.

This continued with the British colonial rule, which introduced policies like the Criminal Tribes Act that criminalised gender non-conforming groups like the hijra.

Transgender people as artists in theatre

Over time, gender non-conforming people came to be seen as 'defects'. Social stigma and taboos lead such people to keep their identities a secret.

But there is one space of expression - the stage of 'Shumang Leela' where transgendering is actually an artistic feat.

Shumang literally means courtyard, and leela means play. So, shumang leela means play of the courtyard.

Sanaleibak Nachom Artists Association present Shumang Leela "Panthou Mangol Khenjonglang" at 51st All Manipur Shumang Leela Festival 2022-2023 at Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen on 27th February 2023: Part 2



See full gallery @ https://t.co/KWwnimKSNm



Picture Credit :: Khaba Kh pic.twitter.com/VZnlevd8WP  E-Pao Manipur (@epaomanipur) June 14, 2023

It is a traditional form of theatre in Manipur which is organised in an open area.

The art of female impersonation is a distinctive feature of shumang leela, where male actors play the role of female characters.

But this acceptance remained confined to the art form, and they continued to be discriminated against in the larger society.

By the 1980s, with advocacy against HIV-AIDS, the nupi maanbi communities were ostracised since they were believed to be a major route of HIV transmission.

In this way, from being socially accepted during the Meitei kingship to ostracised and stigmatised later, the transgender people in Manipur became the 'other'.

Neither were they manly enough to be accepted in the cultural role of a man nor were they considered modest enough to be deemed a woman by society.

Own safe space

But nupi maanbis did not accept this rejection lying down.

The 21st century nupi maanbi has established a niche for themselves in the beauty parlour and overall fashion industries, gaining jobs as beauticians, weavers, etc.

Apart from economic success, they also claim their own spaces in the cultural realm.

While nupi maanbis are excluded from cultural spaces meant for Manipuri women, like community dance festivals and beauty contests, they organise their own such festivals at the State level.

Inching towards acceptance - Nupi maanbis gifted Emagi Phanek on International Transgender Day of Visibility in March 2022/ East Mojo

Society does resist at times: for instance, various civil society vigilantes have demanded nupi maanbis dress modestly and not disrespect Manipuri womanhood.

But one thing is for sure - the visibility of nupi maanbis, as they resist the set norms and fight to express their unique identities - can no longer be ignored by society.



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On Wednesday, biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak organised a training workshop to teach about the need to facilitate human-elephant coexistence and the prevalent issue of human-elephant conflict (HEC) in Bondukmali village of Meghalaya. This event was held in the West Garo Hills district.

Down to Earth

The training was given to a group of Village Champions and Nokmas.



Village Champions

Villages champions are members of local communities who are engaged in raising community awareness and facilitating community cooperation for promoting human-elephant coexistence at the village level under a collaborative project.

This project is implemented in partnership with the British Asian Trust (BAT) and Aaranyak under the sponsorship of the Darwin Initiative.

The Nokmas are Village Headman who play an essential role in agriculture in Garo Hills of Meghalaya.

Awareness on various issues

Several senior officials sensitised the attendees on a plethora of topics.

Jayanta Pathak made a presentation about different characters and traits of elephants. At the same time, Anjan Baruah presented different factors of human-elephant conflict and various mitigation measures, including lemon bio-fences.

Workshop at Bondukmali village of Meghalaya by Aaranyak

Further, the process of compensation payment to the HEC victims by the authority was also discussed.

Last year, while speaking with Indian Masterminds, DFO West Garo Hills, RK Marak had said, In our division and other parts of Meghalaya, the elephants are not only concentrated on protected lands, but they also move around on all the community lands."

As the land is under the local community, it causes various issues as elephants unknowingly harm their crops, fields, houses and even the people. Due to this, it becomes difficult to manage the forest and the community together.

Humans have occupied elephant habitats

Elephants are not entering into human settlements. In the true sense, human beings have occupied elephant habitats, said Jayanta Kumar Pathak, senior conservation educator at Aaranyak, in a similar workshop organised in Dibrugarh in April.

Training programme of Village Champions in Dibrugarh, April 2023

Another official focused on short-term mitigation measures such as low-cost community-managed solar-power fences for HEC mitigation and coexistence.



The grim truth

According to data tabled in the Lok Sabha last year: Between 2018-19 and 2020-21, 222 elephants were killed by electrocution across the country, 45 by trains, 29 by poachers and 11 by poisoning.

Locals attempting to chase elephant away/ The Sentinel Assam

Further, elephants killed 1,579 humans in three years  585 in 2019-20, 461 in 2020-21, and 533 in 2021-22. Odisha accounted for the highest number of these deaths at 322, followed by Jharkhand at 291 (including 133 in 2021-22 alone), West Bengal at 240, Assam at 229, Chhattisgarh at 183, and Tamil Nadu at 152.



For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.


No fewer than four people were confirmed dead, while several others were injured when a white 18-seater Hummer Toyota bus with the registration number, JJJ 941 XA (Lagos) somersaulted along Ibadan-Oyo expressway on Saturday.

The accident, according to Atiba Unit Commander of Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC), DCC Bayode Olugbesan was caused by overspeeding and overloading.

He said twenty people were involved in the accident but only four were confirmed dead by doctors after taking them to State Hospital, Oyo.

READ ALSO: 18 Burnt To Death, 12 Injured In Kano Road Accident

Olugbesan further noted that four people who died in the accident had been taken to the mortuary.

All the victims are male and their destination is North, the cause of the crash was overspeeding and overloading, the bus was supposed to carry 14 passengers but was loaded with 20 passengers.

He, however, appealed to road users to be careful while driving and avoid overspeeding, overloading and night travelling.
A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to allow, Godwin Emefiele, suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to have access to his lawyers and family.

The presiding judge, Hamza Muazu, gave the order on Friday after an application by Joseph Daudu, counsel to Emefiele.

Recall that on June 9, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspended Emefiele and transferred his responsibilities to Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi, deputy governor, operations directorate.

Following this, the DSS announced that Emefiele was in its custody for investigative reasons.

READ ALSO: Investigate Emefiele Only For Terrorism Financing, Leave Money Laundering Investigation For EFCC  Falana To DSS

However, counsel to the DSS, I. Awo, said the service was not in the habit of rejecting such requests.

Awo assured that the DSS would comply with the order of the court and allow the listed lawyers and family members visit the suspended governor.

The judge said allowing Emefiele access to his lawyers and family is within his fundamental rights.

Meanwhile, both the counsels to the DSS and the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation requested an extension of time to file their responses to the originating motion.

The court granted the request and adjourned the hearing of the substantive suit to June 19.
The Elders caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has demanded a genuine apology from the former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola over his misdeeds in the party.

INFORMATION NIGERIA recalls that the former minister apologized to members of the APC for his action during his homecoming in Osogbo, the state capital.

However, he refused to admit to offending anyone, adding that he would not beg anybody again.

READ MORE: Devil Behind My Rift With Oyetola  Aregbesola Begs For Forgiveness

Reacting to Aregbesolas submission via a statement on Friday evening, signed by its chairman, Chief Sola Akinwumi, the caucus disclosed that the Osun APC is committed to exploring all avenues towards ensuring a united and focused party.

He said, It has come to the knowledge of this body, some comments made by the former Governor, Minister of Interior, Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, during his recent event to Osun State, and wish to inform the public that our partys door is opened to any party member who is ready to apologize genuinely to the party for his/her misdeeds.

Finally, this body deeply appreciates all committed and loyal members for their unwavering and firm support for the Party, despite all odds.

Recall that Aregbesola, pleaded with his successor, the former Governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola, to forgive him for any pain he may have caused him (Oyetola).

Aregbesola made this resolution in the Yoruba language during a welcome rally organized by his loyalists to welcome him back to the state at Freedom Park, Osogbo.
The Oyo State Police Command has arrested three members of a four-man criminal gang who killed one Makanjuola Ogedengbe and gang raped his daughters, aged 10 and 14, in Ibadan.

The suspects were paraded alongside other criminals at the Command headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan on Friday, June 16, 2023.

Briefing newsmen, Spokesperson of the command, SP Adewale Osifeso, said the suspected robbers invaded Apaataku/Onireke, Akobo Ibadan, on May 14 and dispossessed residents of their valuables but in the process killed Ogedengbe and raped his two daughters.

READ ALSO: 21-Year-Old Man Arrested For Allegedly Raping, Murdering 16-Year-Old Relative In Enugu

Osifeso noted that the case was transferred to SCID Iyaganku for investigation, adding Ibrahim Rasaq, Abiodun Olalekan and one Abolade Morenikeji earlier arrested in connection with armed robbery operation at Sawia Estate at Ogbere in Ibadan reported on 16 April 16 2023, were discovered to be the same gang that invaded Apaatuku/Onireke community.

The two daughters of the deceased were allegedly raped by Abolade Morenikeji and one Sodiq respectively. The said Sodiq, who was the groups alleged leader was killed in the operation by the community security guards.

The assailants also shot at the communitys night guard who is receiving treatment.

On 16/6/2023 at about 03300hrs, one Adebayo Salami who is a major receiver/informant of the group and landlord at Ajara Olohunda, Akobo in Ibadan was arrested in connection with the case, the PPRO stated.

During interrogation, he confessed to have invited the group for the robbery operation at the Apatuku area where Ogedengbe was killed and his two daughters was defiled by the robbery gang during the operation.

Though Im not the one that killed the deceased, but Im one of those who raped his daughters. It has not been long I joined the group, this is my second operation, it was the work of devil, he said.
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president, has claimed that the terrorist organizations founders, told him that poverty and unemployment were what inspired Boko Haram members to commit crimes during the early stages of the North-East struggle.

Stating this on Friday, he disclosed that their conversation at the launch of a book titled, Pillars of Statecraft: Nation-building in a changing world authored by his daughter, Dr. Kofo Obasanjo-Blackshire, at an event in Lagos.

Responding to a question by a member of the audience on why government policies had become more political than people-centered in recent times, Obasanjo noted that Nigerias problem is looking for who to blame for its problems.

He disclosed that in the early days of the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast, he was told by the founders of the terrorist group that poverty and unemployment drove them into crime.

He called for the urgent tackling of the countrys over 20 million out-of-school children, warning that if nothing is done, it will become a breeding ground for more Boko Haram members of the future.

READ MORE: Peter Obi Remains The Candidate For A Better Nigeria  Obasanjo

He stated, During the early days of Boko Haram, when the man who started the movement was said to have been killed, I said I wanted to meet with the members of the group to talk to them and know what they wanted.

I met with their representatives and found out that they needed nothing but a better life for themselves. Can we blame them for wanting a better life for themselves?

They said they believed in Sharia Law. I told them that Sharia was not a problem in Nigeria. It is part of our constitution.

The former President said many of the members of the insurgent group had no jobs despite going to school to attain a degree.
A Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State, has set aside its order sacking Usman Alkali-Baba from office as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

Fatun Riman, the presiding judge, had in a judgment delivered on May 14, ordered Baba to stop parading himself as Nigerias IGP.

The judge held that Babas continued stay in office after clocking the retirement age of 60 is illegal and unconstitutional.

The suit, marked FHC/AKW/CS/58/2023, was filed by one Okechukwu Nwafor.

Challenging the judgment, the IGP through his lawyer, submitted that he was not given a fair hearing as the plaintiff failed to serve him with the originating summons.

Alkali-Baba also claimed that the subject matter of the case had been determined by another federal high court in Abuja presided over by J.K. Omotosho in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/31/2023.

Riman however agreed with the submissions of the IGP in a delivered ruling.

READ ALSO: Your Stay In Office Is Illegal, Unconstitutional  Court Sacks IGP Usman Alkali Baba

The judge said: The law is settled that any court of record, including the supreme court has the inherent jurisdiction to set aside its own judgment given in any proceeding in which there must have been a fundamental defect such as one which goes to the issue of jurisdiction and competence of the court.

Such a judgment is a nullity. A person affected by it, is, therefore, entitled ex-debito justicae to have it set aside. The court can set it aside suo motu and the person affected may apply by motion and not necessarily by way of appeal.

A judgment or order which is a nullity owing to failure to comply with an essential provision such as service of process can be set aside by the court which gave it or made the order.

The law is trite that the necessity for the requirement of service of originating processes, whether personal or by substituted means to bring to the notice of the defendant in action knowledge of the pending of a suit against him to enable such defendant to prepare himself and defend the action appropriately.

I find merit in this application. Accordingly, the judgment of this court delivered on the 19th day of May 2023 is hereby set aside for non-service of the originating processes on the 2nd Defendant (the inspector-general of police). This is the ruling of this court.
Binance Exits Dutch Market Following Unsuccessful Bid for VASP License

Binance crypto exchange has decided to withdraw from the Dutch market following an unsuccessful attempt to obtain a virtual asset service provider (VASP) license from the Dutch regulator.

The platform is no longer accepting new users to register from the Netherlands.

Existing Dutch resident users will only be able to withdraw assets from the Binance platform. No further purchases, trades or deposits will be possible. We encourage users to take appropriate action by withdrawing assets from their Binance accounts, the exchange said in a notice on its website .

Binance is Under Pressure

This is not the first hardship the exchange is facing in recent months.

While Binance has been trying to work out the best way through which they could continue to service Dutch residents in compliance with Dutch regulations, unfortunately, the company was unable to get a VASP registration in the country.

In addition, the company was already forced to close its services in a number of other countries including, Nigeria , Canda , Cyprus and Australia .

Moreover, the company has found itself in hot water with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) at the start of the month which has filed against the exchange as well as its CEO, Changpeng Zhao, and two other parties 13 charges on security law violations .

Will New Crypto EU Regulations Affect Binance Further?

The European Union is also aiming to bring cryptocurrency assets, issuers and exchanges under a harsher regulatory framework through the implementation of the Markets in Cryptoassets (MiCA) Regulation which was adopted on 16 May 2023.

While Binance has noted that it is already compliant with EU standards on the prevention of money laundering and financing of terrorism it could face more hardships in the months to come.

Binance is registered and operating in a number of EU countries including France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden and Lithuania.

However, the exchanges French unit found itself under investigation for allegedly providing digital asset services in an illegal manner and engaging in "acts of aggravated money laundering according to reports by CoinDesk.

How is BNB reacting?

Despite the negative news today, the crypto exchanges native token, BNB, is up by about 4.5% in the past 24 hours, according to data provided by CoinMarketCap.

The bullish run is not as encouraging to investors, as the token is down by about 20% since the start of the month, falling to $245 as of 17 June from around $304 on 1 June.
A former Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo has asserted that freeing the leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, would be equivalent to endorsing criminal behaviour.

Recall that Kanu who is standing trial for terrorism, has been in custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his re-arrest in 2021.

However, an Abuja Federal High Court had granted him bail in 2017.

It was gathered that Kanu breached the bail conditions and subsequently escaped the country.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari had refused the push for Nnamdi Kanus release.

INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that with the advent of a new administration, renewed appeals are surfacing for the IPOB leaders freedom.

Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah broached the topic of Kanus situation during a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

Following his own meeting with President Bola Tinubu, Dokubo voiced his views about Kanu to reporters.

READ MORE: Rivers Not A Christian State  Asari Dokubo Disagrees With Gov. Fubara

Dokubo stated, His release would fuel impunity; during EndSars, Nnamdi Kanu was walking free. What did he do? He poured petrol on the flames of EndSars. Now, he has been caught. What of the people who have died? This is a criminal. He should face the law.

Releasing Nnamdi Kanu is rewarding criminality and rewarding gruesome murder of innocent people. He should face the law for the actions and instigations he has carried out.

On security, I want to clearly say that there are full-scale wars going on in different parts of this country. In the Southeast, the IPOB/ESN is waging war against the government of this country and many local governments, many communities are deserted, schools are closed, hospitals are closed.

In the same vein, in Niger, in Zamfara, in Plateau, in Kaduna, in Yobe, in Borno, were only talking about Boko Haram. Boko Haram is just a tip of the iceberg, theres a full-scale war going on and the blackmail of the Nigerian state by the Nigerian military is shameful. They said they do not have enough armament and people listen to this false narrative. They are lying. They are liars, I repeat they are liars because Im a participant.

I am a participant in this war, I fight on the side the government of the Nigerian state; in Plateau, in Niger, in Anambra, in Imo, in Abia and in Rivers state and in Abuja. Today youre travelling to Kaduna on this road, its not the army that makes it possible for you to travel to Abuja, or travel to Kaduna, vice versa. It is my men, employed by the government of the Nigerian state, stationed in Niger.

Today you travel to Baga, you go to Shiroro, you go to Wase. We have lost so many men and we do not use, in all these engagements, we dont even have 1% of the armament deployed by the Nigerian military. 1% and we have had resounding success. So this blackmail must end, they have enough resources to fight. Instead of fighting, they are busy stealing, they are busy making the government to spend unnecessarily, he said.
Former Senator representing Bauchi North in the National Assembly, Adamu Bulkachuwa, has denied allegations that claimed he used his wife to influence court cases.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reported that Bulkachuwa had said he often influenced the decisions of his wife and a former President of the Court of Appeal, Zainab Bulkachuwa, while she was in office.

The Bauchi Senator made this known while speaking during the Senate Valedictory Session on the floor of the Red Chamber.

Lawan, who presided over the valedictory session, interrupted Bulkachuwa before he spoke any further.

However, Bulkachuwas comments elicited outrage from a cross-section of Nigerians both on and off social media.

During his interview with BBC Hausa, Bulkachuwa said he never for once imposed upon his wifes professional autonomy or attempted to influence her judgment in handling cases.

According to the former senator, his words were misrepresented, adding that former Senate President, Ahmed Lawan didnt even allow him to finish and specify the nature of help his wife provided for him.

READ MORE: BREAKING: Justice Bulkachuwa steps down from presidential election petition tribunal

He said, Well, I was not even allowed to finish, I just started with some words like thanking her, saying she was patient with me as she was legal practitioner and I am a politician.

I wanted to elaborate on the specific nature of the help she provided, as there exists a wide range of support that professionals in various fields, such as legal practitioners, doctors, or engineers, can offer in their respective roles.

Note that this assistance does not involve any illegal or unethical activities.

In my personal relationship with her, I have never imposed upon her professional autonomy or attempted to influence her judgment in handling cases or running her office. Such matters are not even discussed in our home.
A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olabode George, says he is not looking for appointment under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but he can recommend people to work for him.

The staunch critic of Tinubu who recently made up with the president, told Punch in an interview that he ended his rift with the President, not for appointment, but for peace to reign, and in deference to those who intervened in the matter.

George stressed that he could never have desired anything more at his age.

On this, people are only talking rubbish and they need to shut up. This man (Tinubu) is just starting and we said my party was still in court. They said we should let bygones be bygones. In the Bible, it is very clear that vengeance is only with God Almighty and you dont continue fighting when everybody has persuaded you that its enough.

All those saying I want an appointment dont know what they are saying. What exactly do they want to happen to the young ones coming up? I said I have forgiven him. We had an issue and people settled it for us and I have forgotten about it.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Is Gods Gift To Us, He Will Correct Nigeria  Tanko Yakasai

Responding to whether or not he would accept an appointment from the government if offered, he stated, I will give him people that have the knowledge from the party having been a manager of the party for years. If he says he wants me to help him get someone, there are millions of young people who still have all the energy to run around and not me.

It is not for me, because I am not looking for a job. But if he calls me, we will discuss it before the party leaders, put heads together and nominate from our side somebody who is still young, agile, has the knowledge and can add value to this country.

However, he said he could not congratulate or visit Tinubu at the villa while his party, the PDP, was still in court challenging the outcome of the presidential election.

This, he said, would amount to betrayal of his Party.
The Zamfara State Police command has returned all properties confiscated from former Governor Bello Matawalle, as ordered by the Federal High Court in Gusau.

Recall on June 6, security personnel entered two homes owned by Matawalle, the immediate past Governor of Zamfara, on the basis of a court order, and removed some vehicles.

According to the state Governments spokesperson, Suleiman Idris, forty vehicles were seized from the two former governors mansions a few hours after the operation.

READ ALSO: Court Orders Police To Produce Properties Seized From Matawalle Within 48 Hours

But, on Thursday, June 15, a federal high court sitting in Gusau again ordered all parties involved in seizure of the vehicles to return all and other items taken from the ex Governor Matawalles Houses to the court premises within forty eight hourSs.

However, the Zamfara State Police Commands spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, alleged that the command has followed with the directive and has begun bringing the vehicles back to the Federal High Courts grounds while waiting for the courts decision.

Note that, the court issued an order of interim injunction prohibiting them from acting in any way related to the case while the motion is heard and decided.
The Nigerian Navy has slammed former Niger Delta militant leader Mujahid Asari Dokubo over what they described as an unguarded statement on the oil theft in the South-South region.

Recall that after speaking to State House correspondents after meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Dokubo had accused the military high command of involvement in oil bunkering activities in the Niger Delta region.

He argued that average citizens lack the resources and technology needed for oil bunkering, particularly the complex process of connecting pipes directly to oil wells to extract crude oil.

The military is at the centre of oil theft, and we have to make this very clear to the Nigerian public that 99 percent of oil theft can be traced to the Nigerian military, the Army, and the Navy especially, Dokubo had said.

But in a swift reaction, the Spokesman of the Nigerian Navy, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, asked Dokubo to produce the names of officers involved in crude oil theft.

READ ALSO: Crush Those Involved In Oil Theft  Tinubu Directs Security Agencies

Speaking with Daily Trust, he described the allegation as spurious and unguarded, adding that oil thieves were angry because troops of the Nigerian Navy and the entire military have continued to deny them avenues to sabotage the economy through ongoing Operation DAKATAR DA BARAWO.

Ayo-Vaughan said, Let him bring the names. The Nigerian Navy is interested in the names of those involved because the Navy has no tolerance for any form of criminalities whatsoever, not even that height of theft as alleged by Asari Dokubo.

The Navy has an operation in the Niger-Delta that has been running for over one year plus to curb oil theft. Operation DAKATAR DA BARAWO has denied oil thieves more than N76billion worth of crude oil. The money that would have helped them to further increase their illegal artisanal refineries.

So, the Navy is actively fighting oil theft. For anybody to make such spurious allegations, bring the names. He (Dokubo) is in the Niger Delta, he has boys in the Niger Delta.

The company that was given a contract by the NNPC on pipeline surveillance, they are working with the Nigerian Navy and Operation Delta Safe in the Niger-Delta to curb oil theft.

For somebody to just make such unguarded statement, bring the names. You know that there is an operation (Operation DAKATA BARAWO) going on in the Niger Delta being run by the Nigerian Navy since April last year. The Navy has been running it in synergy with the NNPC.

NNPC holds regular meetings with the Chief of Naval Staff to review the operations. Just last week, the Chief Executive of NUPREC was here to have a meeting with CNS. Just two days ago, the management team for the other one on downstream regulatory authority were also here to have a meeting. For us, if you want to make such spurious allegations, bring the names. Simple!
Immediate past governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle says he believes that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be the best President Nigeria has ever had following his performance since he assumed office.

The ex-governor who stated this on Friday after he met with the President at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja, disclosed that it was a son-to-father visit.

READ ALSO: President Tinubu Meets With Asari Dokubo In Aso Rock

Acknowledging that the President has started convincing the world that he has what it takes to lead the country right, he said: So far, so good, youve seen how the President has started, this not a new thing to him, hes a good administrator, with good policies. Hes going to fulfill all his campaign promises.

By seeing the start off of his administration, many have started believing that hes going to Nigeria will become the best country in the region. We believe that Asiwaju will be the best President that Nigeria has ever had.
The National Population Commission (NPC) says it spent N200 billion in preparation for the census in eight years.

Isiaka Yahaya, NPCs Director of Public Affairs, who disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, said the insinuation that the sum was spent in the last few years was erroneous as the commission has been preparing for the census since 2014.

Yes, it is true that N200bn has been spent on preparations for the 2023 Census so far. However, this fund was not expended in the last few weeks, months or years but rather since 2014 when preparations for the 2023 Census actually began.

Indeed, part of the N200 billion was expended before the coming of the present commission, which was inaugurated twice between 2018 and 2020 and even before the inception of the Buhari Administration, he said.

According to him, the huge sum was spent on different preparatory processes to ensure the exercise comes out with credible and acceptable data.

He stated chief among its spending was the demarcation of the country into enumeration areas for easy clustering and which has provided the country with data on the number of houses in the country.

READ ALSO: We Dont Encourage Anyone To Move Anywhere During Census  NPC

Nigerias census which should have been held since 2016 following the guidelines of the United Nations had been delayed due to various reasons since it was last held in 2006.

Yahaya also said that a series of workshops involving academia, professional bodies, Civil Society Organizations, and stakeholders were organized at the national and state levels between 2015 and 2017, as well as some test runs.

On the test runs, he said, The first Pretest was conducted between 31st May 2021 and June 13th, 2021 in the thirty-six states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory while the second Pretest with larger coverage and broader objectives was conducted from November 24th to December 10th, 2021 also in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory. These test runs cost huge amounts of money in terms of training, deployment of personnel, and procurement of equipment and software.

He added that a trial census was done in July across the country with over 13,000 personnel trained, deployed, and paid allowances.

READ ALSO: Stay Where You Are, Dont Move To State Of Origin For Census  NPC

The director also disclosed that several items have been procured in preparation for the census, such as the procurement of computers, laptops, desktops, printers, and solar power systems for the census, among others.

In preparation, the commission also spent money acquiring and managing software, such as Censuspad and CSentry for data collection, Azure Cloud Infrastructure for managing data storage, security and processing and Environmental Systems Research Institute geospatial data for integration, analysis and utilization.

Other software acquired include Enumeration Dashboard for monitoring of data quality and coverage Geo spatial dashboard, recruitment portal, logistics management information system and Mobile Device Monitoring System.

The spokesman furthered that about 810,000 Personal Digital Assistant devices were acquired for the 2023 Census and are stored in all the Central Bank offices across the country.

On other expenses, he said, The Commission procured vehicles, motorcycles and boats for the movement of personnel and equipment across the length and breadth of the country. This was done along with renovation and equipping of all the 37 state and 774 Local Government offices for effective operational activities and storage for the 2023 Census.

Conducting a digital census requires constant supply of electricity not only in the cities but also in the hinterland and hard-to-reach areas of the country for charging of PDAs and other equipment. Given the epileptic nature of power supply across the country, the Commission procured generators, power banks and install solar power systems across the country.

READ ALSO: Persons Living With Disabilities, Mentally-Ill, Homeless Persons Will Be Counted  NPC Assures

Meanwhile, Federal Commissioner of National Population Commission (NPC) representing Benue State, Patricia Kupchi, on Tuesday said about one million workers have been screened for the 2023 census.

Kupchi, in her speech delivered at a one-day Breakfast Meeting and Briefing with Media Executives on the rescheduled 2023 Population and Housing Census held in Makurdi, however, said the commission would sustain public awareness until the announcement of a new date.

The recruitment of the ad hoc workers had been completed before the rescheduled census through a rigorous online process in which about one million workers have been screened and found worthy of the assignment.

The commission had acquired Personal Digital Assistants for the 2023 census. About 500,000 of these devices have been delivered to the 36 state offices and the FCT and configured for the exercise, she said.

Kupchi noted that the rescheduling had given the commission an opportunity to further perfect processes and systems for the conduct of the first-ever green digital census.

She assured Nigerians of a credible 2023 census that they could rely on in the history of the country.
Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, has commended President Bola Tinubu over the removal of the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa.

Recall that in one of his measures to restore sanity in public institutions, Tinubu suspended Bawa from office earlier in the week.

Godwin Emefiele was earlier suspended as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Speaking via a statement, the National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu, insisted that Tinubus move was heartwarming adding that it would restore sanity to the anti-graft agency.

READ MORE: DSS Invites Suspended EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa
The incoming chief commercial officer is replacing Bob Dodd, who will take on the role of commercial director to focus on the premium funding firms next stage of expansion and development.
Data centres play an indispensable role in our economy and society and the growth in their energy consumption in recent years is largely due to existing centres increasing their consumption, a note for a minister said this week.

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.

A briefing note prepared for Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan, ahead of questions he would face in the Dail, said the Government has adopted a rational approach to data centres despite criticism that this is at odds with our environmental goals.

It came in the same week that new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that 18% of metred electricity in 2022 was used by data centres, the same percentage as urban homes.

Data centre electricity usage jumped by more than 30% in 2022 compared to the previous year, the CSO said. There are roughly 70 data centres in operation in Ireland, with another 30 in planning. This compares to around 2.2 million homes using metered electricity.

While data centre electricity usage has grown significantly, the opposite is true of homes. In 2022, urban homes reduced their usage by 10%, with rural homes using 9% less than the year before.

Last year, Eirgrid ruled out new data centres in and around Dublin until 2028, while the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) said in late 2021 that it would impose a moratorium on new ones if it deemed necessary to do so.

The briefing note was prepared for Mr Ryan ahead of questions in the Dail around Irelands energy policies on Thursday.

It references the Governments statement on data centres published in July 2022, which it said recognises the significant capacity constraints on the electricity system in the short-to-medium term, and the need for decarbonisation of our energy system.

The briefing note said: Data centres are core digital infrastructure and play an indispensable role in our economy and society. Government policy seeks to enable the twin transitions of digitalisation and decarbonisation of our economy and society. These transitions can - and must be - complementary.

It adds Government policy provides for a rational approach that allows data centres to connect to the grid without compromising on Irelands emissions targets.

In a section of the note around what Eirgrid is doing to manage the power usage at data centres, the minister was told no new data centre connections have been approved by Eirgrid since July 2020 and applications for connection are considered on a case-by-case basis.

It said while data centre electricity consumption has grown, this is due to the existing centres increasing their consumption, in line with their contracted ramp-ups, or data centres with pre-existing connection agreements to the electricity grid.

Another section, cited by Mr Ryan in response to Labour leader Ivana Bacik, centred on excess heat from a data centre being used to power public buildings. In Tallaght, excess energy from an Amazon data centre will be used to heat Tallaght Hospital, the briefing said.

The minister told the Dail that there is major potential in this.
Sean McKenna was taken into custody at 4am on August 9, 1971. That was the morning that internment was introduced to the North by the local administration. The British government supported the move in response to an upsurge in violence, including shootings and indiscriminate bombings, principally carried out by the IRA.

In one of the major blunders that typified the armed forces actions in the North through the Troubles, the lists of suspects to be lifted was out-of-date, inaccurate and put together in a cack-handed manner.

Sean McKennas name was on the list. He was a school caretaker in Newry, Co Down, and had been involved in the civil rights movement. His 17-year-old son Sean was also lifted. The name Sean McKenna was on the list, but it was unclear whether father or son was the target so they just took both of them.

Baha Mousa was arrested on September 17, 2003, at the hotel where he worked in Basra, Iraq. He, like the McKennas 30 years earlier, was considered an enemy of the British state. The war in Iraq was in full flow and Mousa was taken to a detention centre in the city.

Solicitor Darragh Mackin speaking at the High Court in Belfast on behalf of the surviving Hooded Men and relatives of those who have died before the letters of apology from the PSNI were issued on Tuesday.

Once there, the 26-year-old was subjected to the five techniques of torture that have been used by state and other agencies. These are prolonged wall-standing, hooding, subjection to noise, deprivation of sleep, and deprivation of food and drink.

Thirty years earlier, Sean McKenna Snr and 13 other men were subjected to the same techniques in a little-used centre in Ballykelly, Co Derry. The 14 came to be known as the Hooded Men.

This week, the Hooded Men received an apology from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), days after

one of their number, Joe Clarke, died at the age of 71. The previous week, by arrangement, Clarke had received an apology literally on his death bed.

Torture

We would like to convey an apology to you for the actions and omissions of police officers at that time, legal representatives for the men were told by PSNI senior officers. The police force also acknowledged a Supreme Court finding that by todays standards, the mens treatment at that time would likely be characterised as torture.

There is not, as of yet, any apology from the British government despite the emergence of documents years later that demonstrated that the use of torture in the North had been sanctioned at a political level.

It is not known why these 14 specifically were conveyed to the secret army base in Ballykelly, but everything about how internment was handled demonstrated that once normal checks and balances were suspended, the power of the state can do untold damage.

One of the letters of apology issued by the PSNI to surviving members of the Hooded Men.

Over seven days, the Hooded Men were repeatedly subjected to the five techniques, which left lasting physical and psychological damage. Another technique that was used was to put them in a helicopter, still hooded, and tell them they were about to be thrown to their deaths. They were thrown out, but the helicopter was only a few feet above the ground.

It would be some time before the full extent of what the men were subjected to came to public attention. In 1974, two priests who were prominent in pursuing civil and human rights, Denis Faul and Raymond Murray, published an account of what the men had been put through.

In his version, Sean McKenna related how he was physically attacked, tortured and interrogated.

My head was spinningmy mind went wild, I was crying, I couldnt stand up I couldnt even remember my name or my childrens names I never imagined anyone could be so cruel to his fellow man I dont think I will ever be the same again.

His daughter Mary told journalist Susan McKay in 2015 that his father was no longer able to do his job, so the family was evicted from the caretakers home where they lived.

He had to go into a mental hospital and then he had to go and live on his own in a cottage in Co Louth. He could not stick noise. Mum had to hold it together for the family."

After a series of heart attacks, he died in June 1975.

Three years later, the European Court of Justice determined that the methods used by in Ballykelly did not constitute torture. That, in effect, gave cover to the British government  and other Western powers  to use such techniques whenever they saw fit to do so. Fast forward to Basra, circa 2003.

War crimes

Baha Mousa died as result, in part at least, of the torture to which he was subjected. A post-mortem found there were 93 injuries on his body. Seven soldiers were put on trial for war crimes as a result of Mr Mousas death. During the trial, the prosecuting counsel noted the case was not about soldiers in the heat of the moment engaging in questionable conduct in a hostile environment.

We are dealing with systematic abuse against prisoners involving unacceptable violence against persons who were detained in custody hooded and cuffed and wholly unable to protect themselves over a very long period of time, the counsel, Julian Bevan, said.

No soldier or policeman was ever prosecuted over the treatment of the hooded men in Ballykelly.

One soldier, Corporal Donald Payne, was jailed for a year and thrown out of the army after admitting his role. Passing sentence, the judge in the case noted the lack of supervision that Payne had received and expressed significant concern that the techniques used  including forcing prisoners to maintain painful physical positions while hooded and handcuffed  were standard operating procedures for the soldiers. The judge said there had been a serious failing in the chain of command all the way up to brigade and beyond.

No soldier or policeman was ever prosecuted over the treatment of the hooded men in Ballykelly. Instead, a European court had given the thumbs-up to the five techniques, ensuring history would be repeated, and so it turned out in Basra in 2003.

In 2021, after prolonged legal battles by and on behalf of the Hooded Men, the British Supreme Court ruled that the same methods carried out today would be characterised as torture. It took half a century to get to that point.

As has been seen in other jurisdictions, including the Republic of Ireland, the state can at times fall well below standards it is obliged to uphold, within a legal framework which it must comply with as a basic tenet of democracy.

What compounds any such outrage is the reluctance, obvious in the grinding slow place of resolution, of governments and their agencies to admit they were wrong, apologise and resolve to do better.

Uphold the law, maintaining proper standards, is what is supposed to separate democratic states from forces which seek to violently impose their will, whether that be the Provisional IRA or Islamic terrorists groups.

On the occasions above, the British state lost the moral authority that derives from democratic institutions.

Following Joe Clarkes death, just eight of the 14 Hooded Men are still alive.
At a time when three in four people think Ireland has taken in too many refugees, it is interesting to retrace the steps of Irish nurse Aileen Henrietta Moore, a decorated veteran of three wars.

If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading

She was already in her 60s when she ventured into the Spanish Civil War to help evacuate 4,000 children from the besieged city of Bilbao before it fell to General Francos forces in 1937.

The British government of the time didnt want them, but it was shamed into opening its borders after harrowing testimony on the horrors of war and the aerial bombardment of Guernica prompted a public outcry.

Aileen H Moore was quick to sign up to the National Joint Spanish Relief Committee, even though she was in her seventh decade. The committee, unlike the war office, did not have an age limit and she had ample experience to deal with what lay ahead.

She was a nursing veteran of the First World War, she could speak Spanish and despite a fleeting qualm about entering another war zone, she was happy to climb aboard a tiny monoplane and fly from an airfield near Biarritz in France towards the Basque city of Bilbao.

As the plane flew south, Moore saw below her, on the corrugated gleaming blue surface of the sea, a fleet of destroyers. Inland from the long yellow line of coast, she could also spot the fighting units of nationalist troops and the Basque armies, historian Dr Sarah Lonsdale writes, quoting a particularly evocative article Aileen wrote for the Nursing Mirror and Midwives Journal.

In it, she also describes eating dishes of meat (once cat, and once, were sure, a donkey steak), but its a passing detail in a powerful story of how the relief committees agent in Bilbao, Mrs Manning, succeeded in beating down insuperable obstacles and obstructions in her path to get 4,000 children out of Francos way to safety.

On May 20, 1937, against the odds, Nurse Moore and several other volunteers helped the eddying masses of children squeeze on board the SS Habana, an old steamship built for 800, as a thick black mass of parents defied bombs to gather on the quayside to say goodbye to their children, as one account put it.

Her duties included examining the children for signs of infectious diseases before they left Spain. Once aboard, she tried to comfort them: The children are wonderfully good when one thinks of the horrors they have known. They are high-spirited, lovable and intensely home-loving  like their parents. They respond to affection.

It brought a lump to my throat when one tiny girl of six clung to my neck and kissed my hand.

"One longs for the day when they may safely be repatriated to their lovely country.

They arrived in Southampton 48 hours later, after a rough, choppy crossing, where a team of volunteers had set up a camp in three fields in Eastleigh to offer temporary accommodation. By mid-September, all 4,000 children had been relocated to residential homes throughout the UK, with help from volunteers, church groups, trade unions and others.

Thats the kind of impressive record that puts governments to shamethen and now.

Her description of what faced the children also shows why the focus in times of war must be on keeping people safe, indeed alive, rather than on totting up the numbers in need of help.

These children were in imminent danger of dying in bomb strikes. Some were orphans, or half-orphansas the Americans termed children who had a missing parentwhile others were the daughters of tearful parents who pleaded with the volunteers to save them from outrage. Then, as now, rape was a weapon of war, and no idle fear, as Nurse Moore noted.

Dr Lonsdales account of Aileen Moores hair-raising rescue mission to Spain came into my inbox a few weeks ago from John Morgan, a member of the Basque Pyrenees Freedom Trails Association with a long-standing interest in Basque history. In an attached note, he wrote: With a name like that, she must have Irish connections?

Aileen H Moore's origins

She does. Indeed, Aileen Henrietta Moore was Irish and the journey to discover more about this dedicated and decorated veteran shows that some things never change. War is a constant, as are the refugees it makes. Likewise, there will always be those unwilling (or unable) to help them just as, thankfully, there will always be others, often volunteers, who move mountains to keep them safe.

It is also heartening to see that there is a largely untapped appetite to toast not just the soldier-heroes of war, but the thousands of often-unheralded nurses who tended them.

Historians Dr Sarah Lonsdale and James Doherty could not have done more to cast light on this Longford woman. The latter located her file in the British National Archives which is how we know that she was born in Tully, Co. Longford, on 23 March, 1875, to clergyman William Moore and Elizabeth Blanche Wale.

The archive also traces her journey from Victoria College in Belfast to nurse training in Manchester and later the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. It details her five years of army nursing service during the First World War and her desire to volunteer to help in the Second World War at the age of 63. Her request was turned down on the basis of her age, but her family would later uncover a war diary showing that she was not prepared to sit by idly during the Blitz.

Wartime heroics

But lets take the world wars in the right order.

When the First World War broke out, she already had a decades experience and spoke Spanish fluently as she had worked as a private nurse in Barcelona from 1907 to 1909. She was posted first to Cape Town, South Africa, then recalled to London before serving again in Salonika in Greece and later Constantinople (now Istanbul) with the Queen Alexandras Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve.

She arrived in Salonika on 22 May, 1917, and served at the 49th General Hospital at Hortiach where she would have nursed some of the 600,000 Allied French, British and Serbian troops fighting in mosquito-infested areas.

The conditions were atrocious. Nurses lived in tents and had to cope with sweltering summers when mice, lizards, scorpions, or the occasional snake might venture into the tent, but the most dreaded creature was the malaria-causing mosquito.

Read More Clodagh Finn: Recalling a glorious nun who was scathing of church

On the challenges of winter, Nurse Lucy May Pitmanserving at the same time as Aileenwrote in her diary on 12 October, 1917: Water racing thru wards & reached halfway up bedsteads, haversacks, boots, socks, pants floating down road

Nurse Moore not only managed, but thrived. A confidential report from her matron at the time described her as a diligent and hardworking sister, a capable experienced nursewhose patients get every attention. Her knowledge of several languages was also most useful.

She was awarded four medalsRoyal Red Cross medal; a 1914-15 Star and British War and Victory medalsfor her service, but that service was only just beginning.
Back from maternity leave, Justice Minister Helen McEntee found herself in the middle of a war of words as accusations were hurled across the Seanad this week.

But as the discussion over hate speech becomes more and more polarised, there are concerns that voices in the centre have been bullied out.

Worse still, those who do not come down strongly on one side or the other of this bitter debate, or who have yet to form a view, are scared of speaking up or asking questions for fear of being cancelled.

Hate offences laws currently being debated by politicians have become a lightning rod and there was no shortage of sparks this week.

Entrenched in the no side of what has become an extremely divisive Bill, Senator Sharon Keogan said she had felt intimidated by her Seanad colleague Barry Ward who, during his contribution, urged the nay-sayers to refrain from repeating the rubbish being bandied about online.

I felt it to be very intimidating. His raised voice was not warranted. It was unnecessary to speak in the tone in which he spoke to open the debate. I will just get that off my chest now before I start, Keogan said before she ran out of speaking time during a debate which centres around what people may or may not be allowed to say under the new laws.

The Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences Bill 2022 has already gained significant attention, both here and abroad with Donald Trump Jnr weighing into the row by dubbing the proposed legislation insane, while Twitter owner Elon Musk said the laws were very concerning.

'Woke' approach

It has become tasty fodder for those who like to dine out on the notion that we have strayed too far down the liberal road and adopted a woke approach to everything.

Others, including McEntee, say our outdated laws must be addressed to protect vulnerable minorities, be it gay or transgender people, migrants or those with a disability, who, she said, are almost afraid to leave their own homes given the level of abuse being directed at them.

McEntee stressed that the proposed legislation is about protecting these groups from hate crimes where they are physically assaulted, where there are assaults on their property and other forms of crimes, but also where there is language use that incites that type of violence against another person.

Words of course matter, but as the argument becomes more and more heated, some feel they cannot speak up for fear of using the wrong terms.

Speaking to this, Fianna Fails Lisa Chambers warned that the fear of cancel culture which she said is real is stymying a thorough examination of topics. She said:

The issues raised around this are real and genuine, they are not from crazy people and not from the far left or the far right.

There are many ordinary, middle-ground people who are not quite sure what we are legislating for, if it is needed, if it is reasonable, and if we are doing what we are required to do or are we going further than that. These are reasonable questions.

Asking legitimate questions, does not make someone a bad person or a hateful person, neither does it mean that a person is in favour of restricting the rights of others or, on the flip side, it doesnt follow that the person is in favour of preventing minorities from being safe to walk the streets in our country.

Ireland in recent times, has been mature enough to approach what had been previously considered as contentious, emotive and even taboo subjects in an open-minded manner.

Allowing citizens to honestly explore and question topics such as marriage equality and abortion led to historic changes which ultimately has made our country a more open-hearted place to live for many who previously had felt shunned.

We must continue to foster an environment which allows people to openly discuss issues.

But there is now a danger that those with the strongest views on both sides of contentious arguments may silence those who simply want to learn.

There will always be bad actors who use issues to stoke fear, who will try to alienate vulnerable groups through the dishonest guise of concern and questioning.

Safe space to talk

We must ensure that there is a safe space to talk.

After all, it was countless conversations over dinner tables and in sitting rooms ahead of the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment and the vote to acknowledge same-sex marriage, that cemented opinions.

It is concerning in the extreme that Chambers, a politician who cites herself as one of the more liberal members of her party and who strongly campaigned in favour of repeal, feels that she must now self-censor on certain topics. Raising the hot topic of gender, she said that despite speaking under privilege in the Seanad she would be very limited in what she said as it is a space where, no matter what one says, one will upset somebody. It is so controversial and so divisive.

Its an atmosphere that means comments are often taken to mean a hatred of one group when this is not the case at all, she said.

She added: I am very concerned that we are going towards a situation where we are telling people how to think, how they should think, and If you do not think how I think there is something wrong with you."

No one goes through life without changing their outlook on one issue or another. To grow is to change.

But without being exposed to a whole range of opinions and not just the polar opposites, how can people come to an informed and balanced view of issues?

Again, it was an area that Chambers touched on: I am in the fortunate position of often being on the side of the popular view, whatever that might be, but that might change.

"When I am of pension age, the views may be different. We wish to make sure that all views can be expressed at all times because it protects all of us.

It was what we needed 30 or 40 years ago when we wished to try to stop the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution. People could not walk the streets in this country, because their view was unpopular, and we do not want the same to happen to people who hold views we do not like today.

Seeking to be educated on the evolving matters and vocabulary around transgender issues should not be cause for ostracization or a barrage of online abuse.

Likewise, it is not automatically racist or anti-migrant to raise concern at the level of investment that will be made in communities to ensure adequate healthcare or education facilities  these things benefit migrants as much as locals.

This country must aim to foster and protect a thriving biodiversity of opinions.

We cannot be dragged into a putrid swallow hole where debate is only allowed between those who hold the most strident of views on either side.

We must rise above this to allow all voices to be heard.
A Canadian activist called Billboard Chris recently got into a spat with a member of An Garda Siochana in Dublin. The campaigner, Chris Elston, travels the world with a billboard saying Children cannot consent to puberty blockers. Stop the child abuse.

This was enough to get him complained about after he walked near the Disney shop in Grafton St. A Garda soon appeared. His lengthy exchange with Mr Elston became a big hit on Twitter, getting over a million hits.

The interesting thing is, the garda was very polite but clearly in the wrong. Billboard Chris was rather rude but completely in the right.

The Garda quoted Section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994, to suggest that if people found his billboard message offensive, Mr Elston could be breaking the law. But that was not true.

Section 7 does indeed make it an offence to display any threatening, abusive, insulting or obscene message in a public place. But you have to intend or be reckless about provoking a breach of the peace before the law catches you. There was nothing to suggest this was Mr Elstons intention.

People like Billboard Chris are important to our democracy. By drawing attention to controversial ideas and interacting with the forces of law and order, he is a canary in the coalmine, testing the boundaries of free speech and revealing the reaction of the authorities.

In this case, the garda finished up by conceding Mr Elstons right to engage the public with his message.

Yet he had taken up the mans time needlessly, and maybe a less brassy campaigner would have been intimidated from his spot at the sight of a uniform.

We need to be vigilant. There is a definite move in establishment circles to curtail what people say on controversial issues, not just on social media but out in the street. Weve seen it in the management of covid, with discussions about migration policy, and on gender politics.

How were so few people outraged when veteran feminist and journalist Mary Kenny had her keynote address to University of Limerick cancelled recently because of her views on gender politics? Where were the newspaper editorials lamenting this new intolerance?

But as bad as it is to have our universities failing to defend free speech, it gets much worse if the forces of law and order get involved in managing peoples discourse. Thats why the Governments Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill, going through the Seanad now after passing through the Dail, is a democratic disaster.

How were so few people outraged when veteran feminist and journalist Mary Kenny had her keynote address to University of Limerick cancelled recently because of her views on gender politics?

This Bill replaces the 1989 Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act by making it much easier to criminalise what people say. The Government is upfront about wanting this outcome. The 1989 law requires you to use threatening, abusive or insulting words or material intended to or likely to stir up hatred. With the new law, you dont have to stir it up anymore. Your material must just be likely to incite hatred, intentionally or recklessly.

All reasonable people are against inciting hatred, of course. But the combination of vagueness in the legislation and the new cancel culture out to silence certain points of view unlocks the potential of... censorship.

The word hatred remains undefined in the proposed legislation so you dont know which of your utterances might fall on the wrong side of the law.

Thats more of a problem nowadays that people are so frequently accused for being haters if they have certain unfashionable views. We know that the gardai are already recording non-crime hate incidents. There were 72 of them in 2022, but how many were real?

The Gardas current definition is any non-crime incident which is perceived by any person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice.

With an increasingly intolerant mob out to control what you have to say, that is pretty subjective and wide open to abuse. We shouldnt want the gardai coming under pressure to police peoples utterances any more than they are already doing.

Nor do we need social media organisations curtailing political debates because they're not sure what is, or isn't, against the law.

What about the parent or teacher who wants to stay straight out on social media that no biological male should have access to the girls' toilets in the school? Or that no such male should be completing with teenage girls in ladies GAA? These defenders of common sense must be allowed to speak, and crudely and rudely if they wish.

Less sympathetically, what about the person who wants to say there are too many non-nationals from a particular background coming into the country? Forget whether you agree with them. Must they endure a knock on the door from the gardai? If people are prosecuted, but not eventually convicted because of some watery defence provided in the Bill, isnt the damage already done? Doesnt the process become the punishment?

Even if a person is not prosecuted, will they have the nerve to speak up again? Because instead of having their ideas challenged in free debate with fellow citizens, they're getting censure and hassle from the civil authorities. This is not what we should want in our democracy.

The Bill does find space for one definition and in controversial fashion by redefining 'gender' as a spectrum rather than as a binary. For the first time ever in Irish law, gender is defined to include gender identity and gender expression as if these were all the same thing. In so doing, gender-critical remarks, often deemed hate by activists, but maybe just the legitimate concern of parents and teachers about the safety and welfare of their children in the toilets or the playground, may fall subject to criminal sanction.

This is, perhaps, the big reveal in the Bill. Is this the real motivation for such vague and ill-defined and, maybe for that reason, a carefully-crafted and potentially oppressive new law?
We lost our aunt last week. In many ways she was a last link with the old generation, those who were born under English rule, those who fought in the War of Independence and, after, in the Civil War. She was a voice for them, and now shes gone.

But much comfort was given in the way we said goodbye. We dont get everything right, but the West Cork funeral is one thing we do get right.

We brought her home to her house, and for two nights and one long day we made tea, buttered sandwiches, ate cakes, told stories, and celebrated her life. Food and drink arrived from all quarters, cups were endlessly filled and emptied as friends, young and old, got the chance to pay their respects, in their own time and how they wanted to.

Neighbours and friends appeared out of nowhere and made sure the family had all they needed. The generosity really knows no bounds, all in the knowledge, on their day of need, the favours will be returned.

Its a dying tradition but the Irish wake is one we should cherish. Not everyone can handle the coldness of a funeral home, people need time to absorb their grief, give it time to breath, then pay their respects in their own way. From ages eight to 80, I watched as they dealt with it their own way, pensive, tentative, but all managed in their own time to say their goodbyes.

Her grave was dug by hand, three generations lending a hand, the next generation seeing how things have been done in West Cork for generations in the hope they can continue it.

We carried her out of the townland, her nieces sharing the role, unusual in some quarters, but women have always held an equal standing in this little corner of the world and did their part with pride. Her aunts would not have expected anything less.

Afterwards, the teapots refilled, cake trays reloaded, the family and friends returned to the residence where more tears were shed as the final respects were paid. Unless youve experienced it, an Irish goodbye is hard to explain, the warmth and support that is received by the family is so important to help them say their goodbyes.

For Eileen.

Patrick Hurley

Glandore

Co Cork

Med mission leaves gap off our coasts

The LE William Butler Yeats has departed for its six-week Mediterranean Operation Irini mission to enforce a UN embargo on arms shipments into Libya. This is a pointless mission since Libya has been awash with arms since NATO helped overthrow its government in 2011.

This mission should not have been authorised when most of the other naval service ships are tied up due to lack of crew members. It leaves an unacceptable gap in its duties to provide emergency marine duties off our Irish coasts.

This coincides with news of the dreadful tragedy that hundreds of migrants are likely to have drowned when a migrant ship from Libya sank near the coast of Greece.

Its been reported that about 100 children were packed into the hold of the ship. Most of them are believed to have drowned. The European Union Frontex agency, and the Greek Coast Guard, had been monitoring this ship for up to 12 hours prior to the disaster, and failed to offer any practical assistance until it was too late, thereby failing in their international laws of the sea duties.

The presence of an Irish naval ship off the coast of Libya imposes duties on the crew of that ship to provide emergency rescue services for migrants fleeing from Libya. This may be in conflict with its Operation Irini mission.

The Irish Government should now either change the mission of the LE William Butler Yates from enforcing the arms embargo to rescuing migrants in danger of drowning or order the return of this ship to its duties off the Irish coast.

Edward Horgan

Castletroy

Limerick

Street cleaning is an endless task

Though street cleaning is ultimately the responsibility of the City Council, Dublin Town, the collective voice of businesses in Dublin city centre, organises street cleaning seven days-a-week from 4am

Our work is in addition to that done by Dublin City Council. Street staining occurs during prolonged periods of dry weather and is made worse by intense sunshine.

Dust and grime sticks to liquids such as ice cream and soft drinks and street surfaces can deteriorate very quickly. A street washed at night can look terrible by the following afternoon.

Dublin Towns night team has been washing streets each evening and an additional crew has commenced at 4am over the past week, however, we are running to stand still once there is intense sunshine. Streets can only be washed at night and in the very early morning before people come into the city.

The other big issue contributing to street staining is waste bags, particularly if they have oils, grease, or food waste in them. We are rolling out the phased introduction of canvass bag holders with waste companies and Dublin City Council from the end of this month.

This will help with leaks from business waste bags, and bags being burst by vermin and seagulls. We have also lobbied for a change in the bye-laws for a tighter window of waste collections, so bags are on the street for a shorter period.

We will continue to advocate for such a change, which we believe will help present the city as a more attractive and welcoming location in the evening and will assist with combatting vermin and bag bursts, which add to litter on the street.

Richard Guiney

Dublin Town CEO

Show respect for metal detecting

The demonisation of metal detecting is unfair.

This legal hobby is an interesting way to spend time outdoors while learning about our historical past.

Claims that unregulated use of detection devices pose a serious risk to Irelands archaeological heritage are simply not true.

Responsible metal detectorists will adhere to the law regarding the reporting of found items of historical interest to the relevant authority.

This is combined with respect for the land on which the find was made.

Like every community there are those who overlook the rules.

Applying the tar brush to all is over zealous painting.

The impression is that Irish archaeological heritage is an area best left to those with a background/postcode /university specific place in our society.

The amateur metal detectorist is not well regarded in the rarified professional area of historical research.

Contrast that to the UK where metal detecting enthusiasts work alongside the authorities to uncover the past.

Metal detecting has a role to play in discovering items from our past.

For the apparatus of the state to be applied to a person metal detecting has all the optics of a police state.

There is enough space in the historical field for everybody to enjoy looking for Irelands buried past.

John Tierney

Waterford

Hunting Hill homes for new book

A major book on some of Corks most important architects of the 19th and early 20th centuries is nearing completion, and so I am very keen to hear from any owners of any remaining houses designed by the Hill architects.

The three generations of Hill architects  William Henry, Henry, Arthur and Henry Houghton Hill  designed hundreds of buildings right across Munster between 1827 and 1951, with many in Cork city and environs.

I can be contacted c/o Gandon Editions, by email gandoneditions@gmail.com or by telephone (021 477 0830).

Dagmar O Riain-Raedel

Oysterhaven, Kinsale

Co Cork

Caring shouldnt be funded by charity

I recently saw an ad on TV for Family Carers Ireland, and it made me incredibly angry.

Why do people in this wealthy country have to ask for donations in order to provide vital care for their disabled children and sick loved ones?

Why does this state not wrap its arms around families in their time of need?

We can do better. We must do better.

Bernie Linnane

Dromahair

Co Leitrim
This much is clear: On June 9, an old steel fishing trawler left eastern Libya for Italy, carrying far too many people.

As many as 750 men, women and children from Syria, Egypt, Palestine and Pakistan were on board, fleeing hopelessness in their home countries and trying to reach relatives in Europe.

Five days later, the trawler sank off the coast of Greece in one of the deepest parts of the Mediterranean Sea. Only 104 people, all men, survived. The remains of 78 people were recovered.

There are still more questions than answers about what led up to one of the worst shipwrecks in recent Mediterranean history.

Activists, migration experts and opposition politicians have criticized Greek authorities for not acting earlier to rescue the migrants, even though a coast guard vessel escorted the trawler for hours and watched helplessly as it sank.

Below is a timeline of events based on reports from Greek authorities, a commercial ship, and activists who said they were in touch with passengers. They describe sequences of events that at times converge, but also differ in key ways.

The Greek Coast Guard said that the overcrowded trawler was moving steadily toward Italy, refusing almost all assistance, until minutes before it sank. This is in part supported by the account of a merchant tanker that was nearby.

This undated handout image provided by Greece's coast guard shows scores of people on a battered fishing boat that later capsized and sank off southern Greece. Picture: Hellenic Coast Guard via AP

But activists said that people on board were in danger and made repeated pleas for help more than 15 hours before the vessel sank.

International maritime law and coast guard experts said that conditions on the trawler clearly showed it was at risk, and should have prompted an immediate rescue operation, regardless of what people on board may have said.

Much of these accounts could not immediately be independently verified.

Missing from this timeline is the testimony of survivors, who have been transferred to a closed camp and kept away from journalists.

All times are given in Greeces time zone.

FIRST CONTACT

Around 11am on Tuesday, Italian authorities informed Greece that a fishing trawler packed with migrants was in international waters southwest of the Peloponnese. Greece said the Italian authorities were alerted by an activist.

Around the same time, human rights activist Nawal Soufi wrote on social media that she had been contacted by a woman on a boat that had left Libya four days earlier.

The migrants had run out of water, Soufi wrote, and shared GPS coordinates through a satellite phone showing they were approximately 100 km (62 miles) from Greece.

Dramatic situation on board. They need immediate rescue, she wrote Tuesday morning.

Over the course of the day, Soufi described some 20 calls with people on the trawler in a series of social media posts and a later audio recording. The Associated Press could not reach Soufi.

A surveillance aircraft from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex spotted the overcrowded trawler at 12.47pm and notified Greek authorities. Frontex declined to share any more information.

DIFFERING ACCOUNTS OF CONDITIONS ON BOARD

At 2pm, Greek authorities established contact with someone on the trawler. The vessel did not request any assistance from the Coast Guard or from Greece, according to a statement.

But activists said that people on the boat were already in desperate need by Tuesday afternoon.

At 3.11pm, Soufi wrote, passengers told her that seven people were unconscious.

Around the same time, Alarm Phone, a network of activists with no connection to Soufi who run a hotline for migrants in need of rescue, said they received a call from a person on the trawler.

Syrian survivor Fedi, 18, right, one of 104 people who were rescued from the Aegean Sea after their fishing boat crammed with migrants sank, reacts as he reunites with his brother Mohammad, who came from Italy to meet him. Picture: John Liakos/InTime News via AP

They say they cannot survive the night, that they are in heavy distress, Alarm Phone wrote.

At 3.35pm, a Greek Coast Guard helicopter located the trawler. An aerial photo released showed it packed, with people covering almost every inch of the deck.

From then until 9pm, Greek authorities said, they were in contact with people on the trawler via satellite phone, radio, and shouted conversations conducted by merchant vessels and a Coast Guard boat that arrived at night. They added that people on the trawler repeatedly said they wanted to continue to Italy and refused rescue.

MERCHANT SHIPS BRING SUPPLIES

At 5.10pm, Greek authorities asked a Maltese-flagged tanker called the Lucky Sailor to bring the trawler food and water.

According to the company that manages the Lucky Sailor, people on the trawler were very hesitant to receive any assistance, and shouted that they want to go to Italy. Eventually, Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Limited wrote in a statement, the trawler was persuaded to accept supplies.

Around 6pm, a Greek Coast Guard helicopter reported that the trawler was sailing on a steady course and heading. But at 6.20pm, Alarm Phone said that people on board reported that they were not moving, and that the captain had abandoned the trawler in a small boat.

Please any solution, someone on board told Alarm Phone.

Survivors of a shipwreck sleep at a warehouse at the port in Kalamata town. Picture: AP Photos/Thanassis Stavrakis

The Greek authorities account suggested the trawler stopped around that time to receive supplies from the Lucky Sailor.

At 6.55pm, Soufi wrote, migrants on board told her that six people had died and another two were very sick. No other account so far has mentioned deaths prior to the shipwreck, and the AP has not been able to verify this.

Around 9pm, Greek authorities asked a second, Greek-flagged, merchant vessel to deliver water, and allowed the Lucky Sailor to leave.

Then, at around 10.40pm, a Coast Guard boat from Crete reached the trawler, and remained nearby until it sank. According to the Coast Guard, the vessel discreetly observed the trawler from a distance. Once again, the Coast Guard said, the trawler did not appear to have any problems and was moving at a steady course and speed.

THE FINAL HOURS

According to Soufis account, attempts to deliver supplies may have contributed to the trawlers troubles.

Shortly after 11pm, she wrote that the trawler began rocking as its passengers tried to catch water bottles from another vessel. According to people on board, ropes were tied to the ship, destabilizing it and causing a state of panic, she said.

The report from the Lucky Sailor said no lines were tied to the trawler, and supplies were delivered in watertight barrels tied to a rope.

Those on board the boat caught the line and pulled, the company managing the Lucky Sailor told the AP.

Kassem Abo Zeed holds up a phone displaying a photo of himself with his wife, Ezra, who is missing after a fishing boat carrying migrants sank off southern Greece. Picture: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

The other merchant vessel did not immediately reply to the APs questions.

A spokesman for the Greek Coast Guard said late Friday that its vessel had briefly attached a light rope to the trawler at around 11pm. He stressed that none of the vessels had attempted to tow the trawler.

Commander Nikos Alexiou told Greek channel Ant1 TV that the Coast Guard wanted to check on the trawlers condition, but people on board again refused help and untied the rope before continuing course.

Soufis last contact with the trawler was at 11pm She said later in a voice memo that they never expressed the will to continue sailing to Italy, or refused assistance from Greece.

They were in danger and needed help.

THE WRECK

According to authorities, the trawler kept moving until 1.40am Wednesday, when its engine stopped. The Coast Guard vessel then got closer to determine the problem.

A few minutes later, Alarm Phone had a final exchange with people on the trawler. The activists were able to make out only: Hello my friend  The ship you send is  before the call cut off.

At 2.04am, more than 15 hours after Greek authorities first heard of the case, the Coast Guard reported that the trawler began rocking violently from side to side, and then capsized.

The Greek flag waves at half-mast next to the ancient Parthenon temple as tourists visit the ancient Acropolis hill of Athens, on Thursday, June 15. Picture: AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris

People on deck were thrown into the sea, while others held onto the boat as it flipped. Many others, including women and children, were trapped below deck.

Fifteen minutes later, the trawler vanished underwater.

In the darkness of night, 104 people were rescued, and brought to shore on the Mayan Queen IV, a luxury yacht that was sailing in the vicinity of the shipwreck. Greek authorities retrieved 78 bodies. No other people have been found since Wednesday.

As many as 500 people are missing.
Police in Germany have arrested a truck driver over the crash in Italy last year that killed professional cyclist Davide Rebellin, Italian prosecutors said.

Wolfgang Rieke is accused of road homicide and leaving the scene of a crash.

Vicenza prosecutor Lino Giorgio Bruno said Rieke was arrested on Thursday in Muenster on a European arrest warrant. German authorities said he had surrendered.

Rebellin, one of cyclings longest-serving professionals, was killed on November 30 during a training run near the northern Italian town of Montebello Vicentino.

At the time, Italian media reported the truck that struck him did not stop. But prosecutors, citing roadside video and witness photos, said the driver stopped, got out of the cab and approached Rebellin, and then got back in the truck and left the scene.

The investigation identified the truck as belonging to a shipping firm based in Recke, Germany, and Rieke as the driver.

After the crash, the truck continued on to its destination in Verona and returned to Germany on December 3.

After that, the red trailer allegedly involved in the crash was detached from the tractor and replaced with a white one with different plates, prosecutors said.

After authorities seized the truck, experts identified damage consistent with the collision and determined the vehicle had been cleaned with a concentrated, highly acidic detergent, prosecutors said.

Inside the cab were functioning video cameras and mirrors that would have given the driver the necessary direct and indirect view of the cyclist, the statement said.

While Rebellin was found to have violated road rules requiring him to give precedence to the truck, such a violation had no causal effect on the crash given the amount of time between Rebellins violations and the crash, the statement said, citing the judges arrest warrant.

The suspect surrendered to authorities in Steinfurt, near Muenster, on Thursday, accompanied by his defence lawyer, senior public prosecutor Elmar Pleus of the Hamm prosecutor generals office said on Saturday in response to a request by the German news agency dpa.

Rebellin had only retired from professional cycling a month before the crash, ending a 30-year career with his final team Work Service-Vitalcare-Dynatek.

His successes included victories at Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico as well as winning a stage in the 1996 edition of the Giro dItalia, which he also led for six stages.

Rebellin won silver in the road race at the 2008 Olympic Games, but he was later stripped of his medal and banned for two years after a positive doping test. He had denied wrongdoing.
President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that his deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, something he confirmed for the first time had already happened, was a reminder to the West that it could not inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.

Speaking at Russia's flagship economic forum in St Petersburg, Putin said Russian tactical nuclear warheads had already been delivered to close ally Belarus, but stressed he saw no need for Russia to resort to nuclear weapons for now.

"As you know we were negotiating with our ally, (Belarusian President (Alexander) Lukashenko, that we would move a part of these tactical nuclear weapons to the territory of Belarus - this has happened," said Putin.

"The first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus. But only the first ones, the first part. But we will do this job completely by the end of the summer or by the end of the year."

The move, Moscow's first deployment of such warheads - shorter-range nuclear weapons that could potentially be used on the battlefield - outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union was intended as a warning to the West about arming and supporting Ukraine, the Russian leader said.

"...It is precisely as an element of deterrence so that all those who are thinking about inflicting a strategic defeat on us are not oblivious to this circumstance," said Putin, using a diplomatic term for a defeat so severe that Russian power would be diminished on the world stage for decades.

Lukashenko, a staunch ally of Putin, said late on Tuesday his country had started taking delivery of Russian tactical nuclear weapons that included some three times more powerful than the atomic bombs the US. dropped on Japan in 1945.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Picture: Belarusian Presidential Press Service via AP

The Russian leader announced in March he had agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, pointing to the US deployment of such weapons in a host of European countries over many decades.

Putin says West wants strategic defeat

The United States has criticised Putin's decision but has said it has no intention of altering its own stance on strategic nuclear weapons and has not seen any signs that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon.

The Russian step is nonetheless being watched closely by Washington and its allies as well as by China, which has repeatedly cautioned against the use of nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine.

Putin said the West was doing everything it could to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia in Ukraine where Moscow is locked in the biggest land war in Europe since World War Two after invading its neighbour last year in what it called "a special military operation."

But Russia had no need to resort to nuclear weapons for now, said Putin, signalling no change in Moscow's nuclear posture which only envisages such a move if the existence of the Russian state is threatened.

"Nuclear weapons have been made to ensure our security in the broadest sense of the word and the existence of the Russian state, but we...have no such need (to use them)," Putin said.

But he said talks with the West to reduce Russia's vast nuclear arsenal, the world's largest, were a non-starter.

"Just talking about this (the potential use of nuclear weapons) lowers the nuclear threshold. We have more than NATO countries and they want to reduce our numbers. Screw them," said Putin.

Sounding defiant as he addressed his country's political and business elite, he said a Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russian forces in Ukraine had so far not had any meaningful success. Kyiv's forces were suffering heavy losses and had "no chance" against Russia's military, he said.

Ukraine would soon run out of its own military equipment, making it totally reliant on hardware supplied by the West, undermining its ability to fight for long, he suggested.

Recalling his stated objectives at the start of the war to "demilitarise" and "denazify" Ukraine, Putin said:

As for demilitarisation, soon Ukraine will stop using its own equipment altogether. There's nothing left. Everything on which they fight and everything that they use is brought in from the outside. Well, you can't fight like that for long.

Warning on F-16s

Independent military analysts say Ukraine has outperformed Russia's much larger army in nearly 16 months of war, forcing it into major retreats around the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Kherson.

Ukraine's military chiefs said on Friday that advancing Ukrainian troops were facing "desperate resistance" from Russian forces around the city of Bakhmut, which Russia captured last month after the longest battle of the war.

A local man extinguishing a fire of house damaged after Russian shelling in Kherson, Ukraine. Picture: AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka

Ukraine says it has recaptured seven villages and 100 square km in the early stages of its counteroffensive.

But Russia's Defence Ministry said on Friday its forces had repelled numerous attempted counterattacks by the Ukrainian army at different frontline locations in the last 24 hours, inflicting severe losses on Kyiv's forces.

Putin said Western-supplied hardware such as German-made Leopard tanks was regularly destroyed and if Kyiv got US-made F-16 fighter jets from its allies, they would go up in flames too.

"F-16s will also be burning, there is no doubt. But if they will be stationed outside Ukraine and used in combat operations we will have to look at how to engage and where to engage those assets being used in combat operations against us."

That, he said, represented "a serious danger" of dragging NATO further into the conflict.

- Reuters
On Monday, while Myanmar democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi passes another day in solitary confinement in Naypyitaw Prison, Myanmar people both inside and outside of the country will be showering her with birthday wishes as turns 78.

She has been in detention since the coup in 2021, sentenced by a military council court to a total of 33 years in prison in 19 cases.

Although she has disappeared from public view, millions of her supporters around the world celebrate her birthdays in various ways.

She is always in our heart; we never forget her, Daw Khin Myo from Magwe Regions Myaing Township told The Irrawaddy about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Daw Khin Myo, 44, said she often thinks back to the National League for Democracy (NLD)s landslide victory in the 2015 general election, which occurred around the time her younger daughter was born in November of that year.

I named my daughter Su(u) Po Po Aung because our Mother Suus party won a landslide in the election, Daw Khin Myo said.

The mother of two children said she voted for the NLD again in the 2020 election as she was satisfied with the performance of the NLD government in 2015 to 2020.

The NLD won 920 (or 82 percent) of the total 1,117 elected seats up for grabs nationwide, while the military-backed main opposition party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, only managed a humiliating 71 seats, or 6.4 percent of elected seats. However, the Myanmar junta staged a coup on Feb. 1, 2021, alleging voter fraud and returning the country to military rule. President U Win Myint, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her ministers were jailed and the election results canceled.

Anti-coup protests were held across the nation, with a youth-led protest movement arising to challenge the military dictatorship. Aye Thiri, now 19, was too young to vote in 2020 but joined the anti-coup protests in the wake of the takeover.

When I get the chance, I will vote for Mother Suus party, Aye Thiri, who as a high school student rejected the regime-controlled education system after 2021, told The Irrawaddy.

Like Aye Thiri, many high school students have refused to accept education under the junta and choose to attend other vocational schools or online learning provided by the National Unity Government.

More than two years on since the military coup, the peoples revolution is speeding up across the nation, despite the forced disappearance of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her party from Myanmars politics by the junta.

The Union Election Commission under the military council has disbanded the NLD and 39 other parties for failing to submit applications within the specified timeframe. NLD members have been killed, arrested and tortured by the military. Ninety-three members of the NLD have died at the hands of the junta and 1,200 others remained in detention as of May 2023.

However, the people still recognize Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as a leader with influence over the public.

Yangon resident Daw Aye, 68, said that although she is kept busy making ends meet, she manages to follow any news about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, as she wants to know if the leader she loves is OK.

I love her. She is a person who worked for the country with strong determination, Daw Aye told The Irrawaddy.

Having seen a sharp drop in living standards under the military council, Myanmar people say they want a return to the good governance the NLD government provided.

U Myint Ngwe, a 52-year-old taxi driver, said people are always eager to show their support for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi despite the various forms of repression inflicted by the Myanmar military. Currently, the military council is targeting people who hold Daw Aung San Suu Kyis picture, to the point of arresting and imprisoning them.

If Daw Aung San Suu Kyi were freed, the people would be so happy, U Myint Ngwe told The Irrawaddy.

Under successive regimes, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had been under house arrest for 15 years of the past two decades. Currently, the countrys elected leader spends her days in solitary confinement in Naypyitaw Prison, a victim of the political jealousy of the military junta leaders.

Despite the current military dictators moves to prevent her from returning to politics, the junta cannot remove Daw Aung San Suu Kyis political influence on the people, said Angella, a resistance member in Kachin States Katha Township. The 38-year-old Kachin fighter strongly believes Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is an indispensable figure in Myanmar politics.

Even after years of house arrest, she has never disappeared from the public eye. How can the military remove her from our hearts in such a short period? Angella said, referring to the period since the coup.

Not only people from the Burmese heartland, but also those in ethnic areas are engaging in various campaigns to support the revolution as they mark her 78th birthday.

The Chin Defense Force (Mindat) recently announced a raffle related to the occasion. To commemorate Daw Aung San Suu Kyis birthday, those who buy tickets are in the running for one of three sets of clothes similar to the one worn by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi when she visited Mindat in 2003.

We always trust and respect her as a leader who stands up for the people, a Chin Defense Force member from Paletwa Township told The Irrawaddy.

Ko Lin Lin, an ethnic Shan person who serves as spokesperson for the Karenni Revolution Union (KRU) said people have a responsibility to follow the guidelines set by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who wants only good things for the country.

Resistance fighters are able to maintain their revolutionary spirit because of their faith in her, he added. An alliance of the KRU and Karenni armed forces is fighting against the Myanmar military in Kayah and southern Shan states.

As she is in good health, we still hope that she can lead us in the post-revolution period, Ko Lin Lin told The Irrawaddy.

However, some people have expressed disappointment at the attitudes Daw Aung San Suu Kyi expressed in the past about the Myanmar military. She once referred to it as her fathers army because her father, General Aung San, founded it.

In our opinion, the military formed by her father was long gone when General Ne Win staged the coup in 1962. All the politicians know that the military institution cant be reformed. However, we feel sad and angry with the attitude of Mother Suu, who had too close a bond with the military, U Myat Sein, a 57-year-old Civil Disobedience Movement teacher in Yinmabin Township, Sagaing Region, told The Irrawaddy.

Despite the view that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi favored the Myanmar military, however, one of her governments priorities was to keep the army out of Myanmars politics by amending the military-drafted constitution.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi also lost the trust of the international community, which had championed her for decades, when she defended the generals over their ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State. At the International Court of Justice in 2019, she led the countrys legal team to defend Myanmar against accusations by Gambia that the military violated the 1948 Genocide Convention with its clearance operations in northern Rakhine State, which caused more than 730,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.

Although there has been much condemnation of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the international community over her stand on the Rohingya, the Myanmar peoples support has not diminished at all.

Ko Mya Aye, a former 88 Generation student leader and now a Federal Democratic Force leader, said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi cannot be excluded if solutions are to be sought for Myanmars political problems.

Writing on Facebook, the prominent democracy activist, who is a Muslim, said, We cant ignore the fact that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is trusted and supported by the majority of Myanmars people. The wishes of the people must be heeded.

No matter what, the people still rely on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and look forward to her return. Their birthday wishes for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who has sacrificed for the country throughout her life, also prove how much the people love and believe in her.

Daw Aye lamented that being forced to live behind bars was a terrible situation for a 78-year-old woman.

We want her to be free and spend the rest of her life peacefully and happily.
Cumberland County needs a plan on how to spend down about $769,560 in opioid settlement money by late June 2024.

That was the word Wednesday from Jack Carroll, executive director of the Cumberland Perry Drug and Alcohol Commission.

For weeks, Carroll tried unsuccessfully to obtain guidance from the trust set up to handle the distribution of funds from multistate settlements involving three distributors and one manufacturer of opioids.

Carroll wanted to know how much flexibility exists in the requirement that settlement money be expended within 18 months of Cumberland County receiving its first two payments.

Prior to becoming governor, then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro represented Pennsylvania in two multistate opioid settlements. One settlement requires distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen to pay $21 billion to states over 18 years. The other settlement required manufacturer Johnson & Johnson to pay $5 billion over nine years.

Pennsylvanias share of the settlements is projected to be about $1.07 billion, of which 70% will go to Pennsylvania counties, 15% will be retained by state government and 15% will be distributed among municipal and county governments that had previously filed their own lawsuits against the litigants.

Since Cumberland County qualifies under both the 70% and 15% categories, it is projected to receive an estimated $9.3 million from the two opioid settlements in 18 payments over 17 years. The first payment of about $384,593 was received in late August while the second payment of $573,408 was received in late December for a total of about $958,000.

In early February, the county commissioners allocated $188,400 in settlement money for a county prison program to provide Vivitrol to inmates with an opiate or alcohol addiction. That left a balance from 2022 of about $769,560.

Under the 18-month timeline, the August allocation needs to be spent by the end of February 2024 while the December allocation needs to be spent by the end of June 2024, Carroll said Wednesday. He suggested some ways to spend down the money.

County prisons in Pennsylvania face an unfunded mandate brought on by court rulings handed down in recent lawsuits involving inmates receiving the most common treatments for opioid use disorder, Carroll said.

Under the rulings, prisons must pick up the cost of continuing these treatment protocols for each inmate during the length of their local prison term, he said.

The Cumberland Perry commission is working with prison staff to calculate an annual estimate on how much the mandate would cost Cumberland County, Carroll said. He recommended using settlement money to offset that expense.

Carroll also suggested commissioners set up a process for community agencies to apply for county grants to support programs that address the opioid crisis.

Hundreds of Cumberland County residents have lost their lives to overdoses, the vast majority of which were opioid related, Carroll said. These families are not receiving any settlement funds. We have an obligation to them to settle on a process where it is transparent and they can see how this money is being used.

Commissioner Chairman Gary Eichelberger asked whether opening up the eligibility could result in a walk-back if the trust handling the settlement money comes back with a different set of guidance than what is expected.

I dont think that would be a concern, Carroll said. All were doing is allowing people to spin ideas or proposals. You [the commissioners] are not necessarily committing the county to anything.
Pro-democracy activists and revolutionary forces have announced a nationwide flower strike to mark Daw Aung San Suu Kyis 78th birthday on Monday.

The General Strike Coordination Body called on the public to participate, in honor of the detained state counselor and other political prisoners.

Flower strikes have been used to mark her two previous birthdays since after the 2021 coup.

Pictures are uploaded of people holding flowers and with her hairstyle. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is known for wearing flowers.

Protest leader Dr Tayzar San said flower and silent strikes threaten the regime, which always tries to disrupt the movements through threats from junta troops.

No matter how the fascist junta tries to silence the resistance, our people condemn it in all possible ways. On Monday will prove again that we are not bowed by the dictatorship, he said.

Expats are preparing to celebrate the birthday with fundraising events for the revolution.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to 33 years in prison in 19 cases and has been held in solitary confinement in Naypyitaw Prison since June last year.
Myanmar junta raids in Tanintharyi Region have displaced around 6,000 residents, according to volunteers helping civilians.

On Friday morning, over 70 junta troops raided Ya Nge and Wae Yit villages in Thayetchaung Township, burning houses and seizing at least seven people, according to a resident.

Fighting with resistance groups means roads are blocked and people and aid volunteers have to move by waterways, according to a volunteer helping displaced civilians.

He said civilians left their homes without mosquito nets or blankets and they need food, medicine and clothes.

A mother of three from Ya Nge, who is sheltering in a distant village with her children, fears for her husband who was detained by junta troops.

We know nothing about him or the others seized. They might be dead or still being tortured, she said.

Resistance groups say they are ambushing junta troops and raiding camps and outposts.

Chit Htwe, a volunteer assisting displaced civilians, said junta forces respond to resistance attacks with raids on innocent civilians.

On June 12, Thayetchaung Peoples Defense Force (PDF) and other resistance groups attacked a junta and Pyu Saw Htee militia outpost in the east of Thayetchaung Township. The position was abandoned and resistance groups seized arms and ammunition, the PDF said.

Since fighting broke out on June 8 in Thayetchaung Township, a boy was killed by junta troops and an elderly displaced man died during regime shelling.

On June 11, Ko Wai Yan Hein, 23, a displaced Ya Nge villager, was killed by junta troops after he sheltered with his mother in a forest. His mother forgot her medicine and he was killed by junta troops while trying to retrieve them, said a Ya Nge villager.

At least 17 people were reportedly injured in fighting and junta shelling and over 20 are sick.

The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports.

At least 70 residents of Kanet Thiri and nearby villages were seized this month as human shields and have since been released.

Daw Na, an organization helping the displaced, said more than 34,000 Tanintharyi Region residents had left their homes by late May. That number is now estimated in excess of 40,000.
Tension has risen between the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) and Myanmars regime in Laihka Township, Shan State, with the deployment of regime reinforcements.

The SSPP said it is preparing to fight the junta after an order on June 9 to abandon 10 outposts in the township. The armed group has ignored the demands.

The SSPP said on Friday that the junta has deployed 81mm artillery near Loi Nam Ton mountain in the south of the township between Laihka and Panglong.

Around 300 junta troops have been deployed in SSPP territory near Nar Min and Kaung San villages.

An SSPP commander said his troops are prepared to fight.

If they attack, we will be ready to fight back, he said.

The 10 SSPP outposts are key to the Kholam Regional Command and the important Laihka-Panglong road, according to a Shan State military analyst, who added that clashes are likely.

The SSPP commander told The Irrawaddy: The junta is bluffing because it wants us to retreat but its forces cannot compete with us on the ground.

He said the junta announced the deployment of 60 commandos and the laying of landmines but it was exaggerating about the strength of its forces. The commander said some junta troops have defected to the SSPP.

The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports.

In 2015, Myanmars military attacked the SSPP in central Shan State. Since then the SSPP has moved south and now controls three major routes and has taken positions within the juntas Eastern Central Command.
WASHINGTONSingapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Friday that conditions were not yet right for ASEAN to open high-level talks with Myanmar on the countrys political situation.

We believe it would be premature to reengage with the junta at a summit level or even at a foreign minister level, Balakrishnan said when asked about a news report that Thailands military-controlled caretaker government had proposed talks.

Speaking in a joint press conference in Washington with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Balakrishnan said the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations had recently reaffirmed their stance.

We condemned the coup, and the ongoing violence against civilians, the instability in the country, the setback to national reconciliation, and the enormous impact on the economy, he said of the 2021 military takeover in Myanmar.

Unfortunately, its now more than two years. We havent seen any signs of improvement, Balakrishnan said.

The Irrawaddy, a Myanmar-focused news website operated in Thailand, said that Thailands foreign ministry proposed in a recent letter to host an informal ministerial meeting of some ASEAN members with Myanmar on Monday to relaunch engagement.

Balakrishnan did not reject all engagement with the Myanmar junta.

The key point is this. You do need everyone ultimately to sit down and negotiate, the Singapore diplomat said.

I dont know how long it will take. The last time it took 25 years for some form of democratic transition to occur in Myanmar. I hope it wont take that long, he said.

Blinken said the United States backs ASEAN efforts to resolve the violence that has seen 6,000 civilians killed since the February 2021, according to the Peace Research Institute of Oslo.

Its very important that we continue, all of us, to sustain the appropriate pressure on the junta and look for ways of course to engage the opposition in Myanmar, Blinken said.
Aided by India, junta shops for foreign investors

With the junta desperate for trade and investment with its giant neighbor India, commerce minister and ex-military officer Aung Naing Oo attended the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Business Conclave held from June 13-15 as an honorary guest.

The conclave presented the diplomatically isolated regime with a rare opportunity to attract foreign investment in Myanmar. The BIMSTEC grouping comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

Chairman of the Myanmar Gems Entrepreneurs Association, U Myint Han, participated as a panelist in the gems forum, while the juntas Economic and Social Development Centers chief economist, Dr. Zaw Oo, who served as an economic advisor to former President U Thein Sein, spoke at the food and agriculture forum.

Gems are an important source of foreign currency income for the regime, while Dr. Zaw Oo is aiding the juntas efforts to boost agriculture as the foundation of Myanmars economy.

Marketing blitz for Aung Bar Lay begins

The military regime launched an online lottery last week, with technical assistance from telecom operator Mytel, a joint venture between the defense ministries of Myanmar and Vietnam.

The juntas Information Ministry is now busy marketing the Aung Bar Lay, as the state lottery is known.

Junta-controlled newspapers even featured an article on Tuesday asking Myanmar people to buy the online raffle tickets. The article argues that people should try their luck by taking a punt on the lottery. Even if they dont win a prize, the money they spend will go towards public benefits, meaning lottery buyers will reap the reward from their generosity, it claims.

Myanmar citizens are traditionally crazy about the lottery, but people have boycotted Aung Bar Lay in the two years since the coup, crippling revenue from the national numbers game.

Min Aung Hlaing conceded at the launch ceremony that the online lottery was created in the hope of boosting state revenue.

However, Myanmar citizens are well aware that money spent on lottery tickets will help fund the juntas terror campaign. So, few will water this poison tree, no matter what marketing strategy the regime deploys for the online lottery.

Hellfire and damnation await PDF Game players!

The junta has again threatened players of a popular online video game that helps raise funds for the countrys armed resistance, this time by using the stick of religion.

The PDF Game allows players to take the role of Peoples Defense Force fighters and shoot junta soldiers as well as top generals like coup leader Min Aung Hlaing, virtually. Proceeds from the app-based game, which is available for Apple and Android devices, are donated to fund the resistance and help displaced civilians.

Since April, the regime has been warning the public that they face prosecution if caught playing the PDF Game. But the June 15 edition of the juntas propaganda newspaper used religion to threaten young gamers in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, declaring that playing the PDF Game is equivalent to killing others.

Killing is strictly prohibited in Buddhism, as enshrined in the five precepts which form the basis of morality for Buddhists.

The public threat shows that the regime feels demoralized in the face of the digital blows being inflicted by the young generation.

Meanwhile, the juntas warning against killing as it simultaneously commits massacres and other atrocities in its crackdown on civilians is akin to a burglar pointing the finger at the house owner.

Reaching out to Suu Kyi for peace

News that Lieutenant General Yar Pyae, the juntas chief peace negotiator, and retired Lieutenant General Khin Zaw Oo met with detained democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyitaw Prison this week and in early May has spurred speculation that the regime is trying to push her to intervene in its ongoing war against resistance forces.

The news broke just after a pro-junta monk met with the patron of Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) party, U Tin Oo, to plead that she renounce politics and cooperate with the military regime for the sake of peace in Myanmar.

Junta spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun later denied the regime had held meetings with the detained democracy leader.

Given the regimes tendency to lie about or blackout any news related to Suu Kyi, people found the juntas claim hard to believe. What is true, as everyone knows, is that the junta is desperately struggling to contain an unwavering nationwide armed resistance on the ground.
MOUNT CARMEL  Three Pennsylvania police officers kicked, punched, choked and otherwise used excessive force in 22 arrests over a three-year period, according to a federal indictment unveiled Friday.

The U.S. attorneys office accused Mount Carmel Borough Police Patrol Officer Kyle Schauer, 34, and two former officers, former Lt. David Donkochik, 51, and Jonathan McHugh, 35, of violating civil rights in attacks between 2018 and 2021 that caused injuries. They were indicted Thursday.

McHughs lawyer said Friday that he was new to the case and unable to comment. The court-appointed lawyer listed for Donkochik said he was only on the case for his initial appearance. A message was left at the office of the lawyer listed as representing Schauer. A phone message seeking comment was also left for Mount Carmels current chief, Chris Buhay.

The indictment accuses the men of trying to hide their alleged crimes by avoiding cameras and lying about the victims.

Grand jurors wrote that the three falsely reported that arrestees acted in a manner requiring violence and then falsely charged arrestees with criminal offenses, including aggravated assault and resisting arrest.

Schauer is accused of pushing a man down a flight of stairs five years ago, injuring him. Donkochik was accused of using pepper spray against a man as well as punching, kicking and dragging him. McHugh, according to the indictment, punched a man in the face and threw him against walls, and slammed a womans head against a wall.

Mount Carmel is a town of about 6,000 people 110 miles northwest of Philadelphia in Northumberland County, in what was once a thriving coal mining region.
MRV Banks recently announced new employee Leslie Brooks has joined the personal banking team. Brooks joins the bank with more than 16 years of experience in the banking industry.

We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Leslies talent here at MRV Banks, said Senior Vice President and Market President Robbie Guard. While Leslie has over 16 years of banking experience, it is her enthusiasm in working with her customers and colleagues that makes her a perfect fit. We cannot wait to see the positive impact she makes in our community and our bank.

Brooks worked for Alliance Bank for 14 years and Bank of America for two years. At MRV Banks, Brooks will help develop and expand new and existing customer relationships. She also will assist with opening deposit accounts and assisting with any financial services needs customers may have. Brooks will also be leading the banks Starz50+ Club program at the Cape Girardeau location.

The most rewarding part about working in this industry is building a bond with my customers, said Brooks. Knowing Ive assisted them with whatever issue or concern they came in with is a wonderful feeling. I am also excited to help lead the Starz50+ Club which gives our customers an added perk of banking with us.

MRVs Starz50+ Club is a unique program for customers that provides exclusive perks and opportunities for people that decide to become members. A membership means special rates on banking, discounted world travel, organized day trips, monthly newsletters and a sense of community.

Brooks recently got married this year and has two sons, ages 21 and 18 along with a 12-year-old stepson. Her family attends La Croix Church. She said she is passionate about her family along with her personal and career growth.

Founded in 2007, MRV Banks is one of the fastest-growing banks in Missouri. With more than $650 million dollars in assets, it is the 49th largest bank in the state of Missouri out of 215 state-chartered banks. MRV Banks has locations in Ste. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau, Festus, and its newest location in St. Charles. MRV Banks has a reputation of delivering premium banking products and services to local consumers and small business customers throughout Missouri.
The Corpse on the Grating
The Albemarle County Police Department is investigating a report of shots fired near an apartment complex on Pantops Thursday.

There have been no reports of injuries, and there are no current suspects, police have said.

Officers were dispatched to the 1200 block of Knights Bridge Court, which is in the Carriage Hill apartment complex on Pantops, at 11:44 a.m. Thursday. Police said they spoke to several residents for information.

A single shell casing was discovered after canvassing the area, the police department said.

Anyone with any information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact the Albemarle police department at (434) 296-5807.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin is close to appointing four new members to the University of Virginias Board of Visitors, according to sources close to the governor. And Joel Gardner, a vocal critic of UVa  especially its diversity initiatives  is slated to be one of those appointees to the body that governs the school, those close to the decision-making process told The Daily Progress.

Gardner, a double Hoo, has written essays calling for greater intellectual diversity among students and faculty. He also said that diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, policies have reached quasi-religious status at UVA and voiced support for those who have written about the Downside of Diversity.

Gardner also has linked the increasing rate of depression and anxiety in UVas student body to increased politicization of campus and more social justice inanities.

Apparently, social justice agendas frown on having fun when there are so many social evils to redress, Gardner wrote in an article for the Martin Center for Academic Renewal in November 2020. In its own way, this result may be the most damaging for the future well-being of our society.

Gardner did not respond to a request for comment from The Daily Progress.

Gardner received his undergraduate degree in history in 1970 and a law degree in 1974. He is now a senior managing director at investment firm Burnham Securities.

Since graduating, he has remained connected to the university, including serving as a member of the Committee on Free Expression and Free Inquiry. Also, in 2018, Gardner released From Rebel Yell to Revolution, a book about his time at UVa.

Outside of his official capacities, he has been an outspoken critic of diversity initiatives at UVa. He has written for the Jefferson Council, a conservative alumni group that has been critical of DEI initiatives at UVa, likening policies at the school to McCarthyism.

He was previously listed as a member of the advisory board to the Jefferson Council but stepped down in the past year. Gardner stepped down to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, according to members of the Jefferson Council who requested anonymity.

Gardner, if appointed, would signal a more conservative turn for the board at UVa.

Last June, the governor appointed four new members who have advanced conservative ideals on the board. Most of the appointees had long donated to conservative candidates and causes, and perhaps the most controversial of all, Bert Ellis, co-founded the Jefferson Council and once served as its chairman.

While on the board, these new members have clashed on numerous policies surrounding political ideology and student and faculty diversity with the boards majority of members who were appointed by and supported Democrats.

Gardner has outlined policies he thought the board should adopt in the past and is expected to push for them if appointed. Most notably, he has been a vocal supporter of UVa adopting the so-called Chicago Principles of free speech.

The principles are a set of standards for campus free expression developed by a Committee on Freedom of Expression at the University of Chicago in 2015. They say that it is not the proper role of the University to attempt to shield individuals from ideas and opinions they find unwelcome, disagreeable, or even deeply offensive.

For his part, Youngkin has remained silent on potential appointments. His office was tight-lipped about the names of future appointees.

Governor Youngkin will make four appointments to the Board of Visitors at the University of Virginia this year to begin on July 1, 2023, Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter told The Daily Progress on Friday. Our Administration will make a formal announcement on these appointments soon.

In all likelihood, many close to the governor have indicated that his appointments will likely come in the next week. He has until the end of the month to make the appointments.
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By Julian Wettengel | 

( Clean Energy Wire )  Exceeding the 1.5C / 2.7 F. temperature limit of the Paris Climate Agreement would jeopardise the prospect of living in security and prosperity in Germany and globally, says Germanys first-ever National Security Strategy. In the document, the government addresses growing threats that include the consequences of climate change and the increased need for critical raw materials. Germany commits itself, among other things, to meeting NATOs 2 percent target for defence spending, and to building up food and energy reserves for emergencies. At a time of upheaval for the global security environment following Russias invasion of Ukraine, the strategy highlights the need to diversify the energy supply  even as the country moves towards a renewables-based economy.

In its first National Security Strategy, the German government has addressed climate change and the secured access to critical raw materials as some of the most pressing challenges the country is facing.

Man-made climate change threatens our livelihoods, and it also has consequences for the stability of entire countries and regions, German chancellor Olaf Scholz said in the strategys foreword.

The strategy crafted by several ministries and the chancellery argues that policies focussing on the global climate, the environment, food supply and resources are security policy. It states that the Paris Agreements target to limit global rise in average temperatures to 1.5C is a national and international target for the federal government. Exceeding this limit would jeopardise the prospect of living in security and prosperity in Germany and globally in the medium and long term. At the national level, Germany will reach its climate targets, the government said. At the international level, it aims to make a substantial contribution to international climate finance also post-2025.

Key climate and energy aspects of the security strategy

The strategy comes at a time of upheaval for the security environment of Germany as well as that of its partners. Following Russias invasion of Ukraine, chancellor Scholz used the term Zeitenwende (turn of an era) to describe the security implications for Germany and its international partners. The strategy calls Russia the greatest threat to peace and security in the Euro-Atlantic area for the foreseeable future.

In the document, Germany commits itself to meeting NATOs 2 percent-target for defence spending and to building up food stocks and energy reserves for emergencies. The strategys main aim is to take into account for the first time all internal and external factores threatening the countrys security  not only in military terms, but also regarding possible attacks on critical infrastructure or overarching issues, such as climate change. The government defines its integrated security policy approach as the protection against war and violence, the freedom to shape peoples lives within the framework of the liberal democratic order; and the safeguarding of peoples livelihoods. The strategy lays out basic policy guidelines to this end, but stops short of going into the details of each security aspect.



Image by Harald Funken from Pixabay

All means and instruments must be integrated in order to protect our country against external threats, said Scholz at a press conference in Berlin. Without security, there is no freedom, no stability and no prosperity.

We paid for every cubic metre of Russian gas twofold and threefold with our national security  Baerbock

Germanys ruling coalition had agreed to present a comprehensive national security strategy  the first one of its kind  within the first year in office and had originally planned to publish it ahead of the Munich Security Conference in February. However, the drafting was delayed due to prolonged disputes within the coalition.

Already in early 2022, foreign minister Annalena Baerbock had said that the climate crisis would be at the heart of the strategy, as it was the security policy question of our time.

Climate change influences security policy across the world in many different ways. The effects of the global temperature rise include more frequent and extreme weather events, meaning that security threats like flooding, drought, health issues and famine are becoming more common around the world. This in turn is expected to lead to bigger migration movements, economic disruption and conflicts over resources such as food, water or energy.

Russias invasion of Ukraine and a changing geopolitical landscape in a world moving towards renewable energy systems have put additional weight on the connection between security, climate and energy policy. The war on Ukraine and the parallel energy crisis also underlined the importance of a consistent strategy which can be adhered to by all ministries, from defence to energy. The war and its consequences forced Germany to radically rethink many fundamental policy fields  and especially its energy policy, given that the country used to be heavily dependent on Russian fossil fuels until about mid-2022.

We paid for every cubic metre of Russian gas twofold and threefold with our national security, Baerbock writes in the strategys foreword. In future, we will focus more on security when it comes to decisions on economic policy. This holds true for the question as to where we buy medication, raw materials and energy.

The strategy says that Germany will continue efforts to diversify its energy supply. Although the energy transition is reducing dependence on fossil fuels, Germany will remain an importer of energy for the foreseeable future, it says.

The foreign ministry took the lead on working out the security strategy. It had aimed for a shared and inclusive process involving the public as well as experts, and minister Baerbock travelled the country last summer to talk to citizens. However, the final version of the strategy had been kept under tight lock until the official publication.

Strategies on China and climate foreign policy to follow later this year

The government regards the national security strategy tightly intertwined with two other key documents it plans to release this year: its China strategy and its climate foreign policy strategy. Baerbock called climate foreign policy an integral element of the security strategy, as climate change undermined security, especially in vulnerable states. On China, the minister said that the countrys investments in infrastructure worldwide as part of the so-called Belt and Road initiative, such as for energy supply, could become a security issue.

The China strategy has also been delayed and will likely kept under wraps until Chinas premier Li Qiang and several ministers travel to Berlin for bilateral government talks on 20 June. Some officials in Berlin say that Scholz isnt too unhappy about the China strategy delay, Hans von der Burchard wrote recently in Politico. This way, he wont risk angry comments from his Chinese counterparts, considering that a first draft of the strategy was quite critical vis-a-vis Beijing.

Baerbock said at the press conference that there was no black-and-white thinking in dealing with Beijing. There are fundamental differences with China, for example on questions of democracy, but cooperation is needed, for example in the fight against climate change.

Via Clean Energy Wire

Published under a  Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0) .
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By Gareth Evans, Australian National University | 

Since a United Nations General Assembly Resolution vote in November 2012, Palestine has had the status of a state within the UN system. It is not a full member state but, like the Holy See, a non-member observer state. Australia  after a heady debate within the Gillard cabinet  abstained on that vote.

The State of Palestine has now been recognised as such by 138 of the UNs 193 members, over 70% of the total. But Australia  along with the United States and most of its allies and partners  is not one of them.

Labors policy is now clearly that this should change. Initially passed in the form of a National Conference Resolution in 2018, then elevated to formal incorporation in the National Platform in 2021 on the motion of then shadow minister Penny Wong, the language is unequivocal:

The Party supports the recognition and right of Israel and Palestine to exist as two states within secure and recognised borders; calls on the next Labor Government to recognise Palestine as a state; and expects that this issue will be an important priority for the next Labor government.

But unequivocal platform language, as most of us who have been in this business are acutely aware, has never stopped Labor governments equivocating. That has been the case whenever they  we  have had cost-benefit doubts about the practical, principled or political wisdom of some party policy position. There has been no sign yet that the Albanese government is giving the issue any priority at all.

So the question for us now is whether any further equivocation on this issue is in fact justified, or whether it is time for Australia to grasp the moment and explicitly recognise Palestinian statehood.

I believe we should, but the case has to be argued, not just asserted. The counter arguments need to be met head-on. There are three dimensions to the debate  moral, legal and political  and I will look at each in turn.

The moral argument

The moral argument is the easiest to make: the righting of a grievous wrong done to Jewish people does not justify a grievous wrong being done to Palestinian people.

For what its worth, it was that perception  which first struck home to me when I read, as a university student in the 1960s, the classic Penguin Special Israel and the Arabs by the French historian Maxime Rodinson, both of whose parents were murdered in Auschwitz  which triggered my understanding of the Palestinian cause. It has been key to my support for it ever since.

Everyone understands the nature and force of the Jewish peoples claim to a recognised homeland with safe and secure borders, suffering as they did centuries of persecution, culminating in the horror of the Holocaust.

But it is equally impossible to ignore the moral force of the Palestinian response: that the worlds conscience should not be satisfied at the expense of a people who bear no responsibility for that suffering.

Palestinians deserved a state of their own. They were promised a state of their own by the UN General Assembly in 1947 in its resolution  which Australias H.V. Evatt played a crucial role in crafting  to partition the then-British Mandate of Palestine into two states: one Arab and one Jewish, with Jerusalem to be placed under a special international regime.

The design and implementation of the Partition Plan was only defensible if it involved, as its terms clearly did, no dispossession of Palestinians living in the new Jewish state, and no subsequent discrimination against them, and the same for Jews in the new Palestinian state.

But we now know all too well that the birth of Israel, and its whole subsequent history, was accompanied by no such restraint.

In the first Arab-Israeli War of 1948, triggered by Palestinian refusal to accept partition, the map was dramatically redrawn in Israels favour: 750,000 Palestinians became refugees.

In the Six-Day War of 1967, initiated by Israel as a pre-emptive strike against its Arab neighbours, East Jerusalem was illegally annexed. The remaining 22% of the former Palestine was militarily occupied, and the foundations were laid for what it is hard now to describe as anything other than an apartheid state  certainly so in the occupied West Bank, and only marginally less so now in Israel itself.

The Palestinian Declaration of Independence of November 1988, which referenced the original Partition Plan and subsequent UN resolutions, effectively recognised Israel and supported a two-state solution. But all subsequent attempts to implement such a solution, based on Israel withdrawing to its pre-1967 borders, have run into the sand.



Image by oktay karatasoglu from Pixabay

Did Palestinians, and the Arab states supporting them, forfeit their moral claim to a state of their own by refusing for so long to accept the Partition Plan and initiating the violent resistance to the creation of Israel that ended so catastrophically in 1948?

That is an argument still heard from time to time  and it may seem to have some prima facie plausibility.

But if one is going to claim that, how could one not also accept that the moral claim to a new state of Israel was not tarnished by the violent extremism perpetrated by Irgun and the Stern Gang (or Lehi) in the pre-partition period, not least with the bombing of the King David Hotel in 1946 and the massacre at Deir Yassin in April 1948?

History teaches us it has forever been the unhappy reality that, in the pursuit of national self-determination, some of those most passionate for their causes have sometimes done things that have been misguided and counterproductive, and sometimes indefensibly terrible.

But the means chosen cannot in itself destroy the moral force, such as it is, of the end being fought for.

The legal argument

The UN Partition Resolution 181(II) of 1947 determined there was to be a Palestinian state alongside the Jewish one. Multiple resolutions since have reaffirmed the UNs position. While general assembly  unlike security council  resolutions are not formally binding on member states, they are certainly persuasive: both politically and legally.

The boundaries of what that Palestinian state might be were effectively redrawn in 1948. They will necessarily require further renegotiation after the new facts on the ground created by the 1967 war and  illegal under international law as they may be  by Israels relentless subsequent program of settlement building in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

But the UN has never resiled from declaring the necessity of a two-state solution, in which Palestine would have its own viable, recognised state.

Resolutions 242 (after the 1967 War) and 338 (after the 1973 Arab-Israeli War)  constantly reaffirmed since  make clear what the parameters of that solution should involve. They would include Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and a just settlement of the refugee problem.

But what is necessary in international law for a state to be recognised as such? And to what extent, if at all, is Australia constrained by that law in making its own recognition decision?

The issue is more complicated than it is sometimes claimed to be: there is in fact no single, universally accepted definition in international law as to what constitutes a state.

The definition in the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States (ratified by 17 states in the Americas) is the familiar starting point. But it is by no means the finishing point.

Article 1 of the Montevideo Convention provides that

the state as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications: a) a permanent population; b) a defined territory; c) government; and d) capacity to enter into relations with other states.

Palestine does have, arguably, an identifiable population and its own government  albeit divided between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, with neither in complete effective control of the territory they notionally govern. It does have theoretically defined territory  in the sense of the pre-1967 borders recognised by the UN  but those boundaries now are hardly recognisable in reality. They will be immensely difficult to recreate.

And while there remains far from universal acceptance by others of its sovereign equality, Palestine has demonstrated its capacity to enter into relations with other states.

It has done this by being accepted (as the State of Palestine, or the Palestine National Authority, or in some cases the PLO) as a full member of a number of international organisations: from the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to the International Telecommunication Union and World Health Organization. And it is accepted as an observer state in others, including the UN itself. It is also a state party to the Rome Statute, which constitutes the International Criminal Court.

Not everyone will be persuaded that all the Montevideo criteria are fully satisfied in the case of Palestine. This is obviously the case with organisations here like the Zionist Federation, which has made this a major objection, arguing that claims Palestine meets the minimum criteria for statehood is a virtue-signalling pretence.

But that is not the end of the story. The view that satisfying these criteria is both necessary and sufficient for a state to be regarded as such is just one school of thought in international law: the declaratory school. The other school  described as the constitutive school  takes the view that it is the act of recognition by others that leads to the creation of a state.

The argument here is partly that the Montevideo criteria cannot be regarded as the sole determinant of statehood: without the additional element of recognition, would-be states would lack international personality and would be unable to benefit from their international rights.

But the constitutive position goes further: it is recognition itself which really matters. And in the case of Palestine, while its recognition as a state by others is not yet universal, the fact that 138 UN member states (with Mexico reported as likely to be the 139th) now explicitly recognise its statehood is in itself a compelling legal  not just political  argument for others to do the same.

The political argument

If the moral arguments for Australian recognition are compelling, and the legal arguments against it anything but decisive, the argument  no surprise  comes down to politics: both international and domestic.

There are three international political arguments against our recognition that need to be countered: that recognition by anyone will destroy the peace process; that it is now useless; and that for Australia it would be damaging to our international reputation. Domestically, the argument is that it would be political folly for any party to go down this path.

The argument that recognition would destroy the peace process  undermining the capacity for a settlement to be negotiated, and completely premature to even contemplate until such a settlement is achieved  has been around forever.

If it ever had any objective credibility with anyone, it certainly has none at all now in the face of Israels breathtaking intransigence, being taken to ever more alarming new heights by the Netanyahu government. If the two-state solution is in fact dead, it is the Israeli settlement program that has killed it.

There will still be those who lay all the blame for the effective collapse of peace negotiations on a Palestinian regime that former Labor MP Michael Danby, with his usual flair for constructive diplomacy, described earlier this year as homophobic, fundamentally undemocratic, kleptocratic, misogynist and scumbag.

No one doubts that the quality of Palestinian Authority leadership has been less than ideal, nor that Hamass formal (if not practical) position on Israels right to exist has been manifestly unhelpful.

But the evidence is clear  and my own years of direct talking with all parties, particularly as president of the International Crisis Group, strongly confirms it. The threat and reality of violence, whether by Hamas or anyone else, diminishes rapidly when Palestinians see a path ahead of genuine hope for a just and dignified settlement. And it escalates equally rapidly when they do not.

The argument that recognition is useless has gained more traction as hopes for a viable two-state solution continue to crumble  above all, as a result of the territorial fragmentation created by Israels indefensible West Bank settlement-building program.

What is the point, opponents say, of wasting time and energy  and, perhaps, political capital  on supporting a totally quixotic enterprise, never likely to bear fruit?

With all that acknowledged, it is important to keep the dream of a two-state solution alive. Not just because it remains overwhelmingly the preferred policy internationally, but because it is so obviously in Israels own long-term interest.

As many commentators over the years have pointed out, with compelling logic, Israel can be a Jewish state, a democratic state, and one occupying the whole of historical Judea and Samaria. But it cannot be all three.

The argument in this context for recognising Palestinian statehood is that it is crucially necessary to restore a balance that has in recent years tipped overwhelmingly in favour of Israel.

No peace negotiation has much prospect of succeeding if the parties at the table are completely mismatched. And the best  possibly the only  way to counter that for the foreseeable future will be for Palestine to show it has ever-increasing legitimacy internationally, not only in the Islamic world and global south, but among traditional pillars of the global north, like Australia and other allies and partners of the United States.

For Australia to climb off the fence on this issue would make a significant contribution to changing this dynamic. Giving Palestine some extra leverage and bargaining power is important and useful, whether or not the two-state solution proves to have any life left in it at all.

If it does, as we must all hope it does, this will be crucial in producing genuinely just and viable solutions to all the crucial outstanding issues, including boundaries, credible security guarantees for both sides, protection of the holy sites, and a formula that will credibly address the incredibly difficult issue of refugee rights.

If it does not  if the two-state solution is indeed permanently dead  and the only game left in town is the negotiation of a new, democratic, non-apartheid-cursed single state (into which the Palestinian population of the West Bank and Gaza is merged with fully equal rights to citizenship with Israels own Jewish population) then again anything that gives the Palestinians some more balanced power at the negotiating table is a consummation devoutly to be wished.

The argument that recognition would be reputationally damaging for Australia internationally has little to commend it. It is true it would place us outside our usual North America-Western Europe comfort zone (our fellow middle power and good international citizen role model Sweden excepted). But not in a way that could be expected to have any adverse impact on our diplomatic, defence, trade, investment or other national interests.

Supporting Palestinian statehood would put us in very good company with most of our global partners in the middle-power MIKTA group, comprising Mexico, Indonesia, Korea and Turkey, as well as ourselves. And more importantly, it will align us with not just Indonesia, but nearly all of our Southeast and South Asian neighbours, and key Pacific partners like Papua New Guinea.

If Australias future does indeed lie much more with our geography than our Anglospheric history  as I for one have long believed it does  recognition would be no bad call.

Domestic politics

Which leaves us, last but by no means least, with the domestic politics. None of us in any party  not least my own  is oblivious to the formidable lobbying power of the Israeli support organisations in this country, nor of their ability to characterise even the most cautiously expressed critiques of Israel as savouring of unconscionable anti-semitism.

But times are changing. Israels brand  long gradually diminishing, as its practices in the West Bank have been ever more credibly labelled as apartheid by internationally credible observers, from Jimmy Carter to Human Rights Watch  has been badly tarnished in recent times, here as elsewhere, by the extreme, overtly racist, right-wing extremism of the Netanyahu government.

There have been massive community demonstrations in Israel against some of its proposed measures  in particular to bring the judiciary to heel. But the democracy being campaigned for does not extend (some brave dissenting voices notwithstanding) to Palestinians living in Israel or under its control.

Within the Jewish community here, as in the US, new and more balanced voices are emerging  like the New Israel Fund. And the voices in Australian politics that have been most visibly arguing for recognition, such as former New South Wales premier and foreign minister Bob Carr, are hardly fringe dwellers outside the respectable mainstream.

Bob Hawke, an early very passionate friend of Israel, made abundantly clear as prime minister that it should accept the reality of Palestines aspirations to statehood. And, in his later years, he made equally clear his view that Australia should not hold back on recognition.

I myself have always supported Israels right to exist. And in fact as foreign minister, I resisted international efforts through the UN to characterise any support for Zionism as inherently and irretrievably racist. I have a plaque signed by Mark Leibler of the Zionist Federation of Australia to prove it!

What unites me and Hawke and Carr, and a legion of other Labor figures going back to Evatt, is not a belief that Israel should not exist, but that it should fully respect the rights of Palestinians to live alongside it in peace and dignity in a state of their own, and with the rights of dispossessed Palestinians appropriately acknowledged.

Maybe recognising Palestine statehood will put at risk some of our strongest traditional sources of party fundraising. But sometimes those considerations just have to take second place to decency. It is not a bad principle in politics  when in doubt  to do the right thing simply because its the right thing to do.

This article was delivered as an address to Parliamentary Friends of Palestine, Parliament House, Canberra, June 13 2023.

Gareth Evans, Distinguished Honorary Professor, Australian National University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Im RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari. Heres what Ive been following during the past week and what Im watching for in the days ahead.

( RFE/RL)  Iran said it is engaged in indirect talks with the United States over a possible prisoner swap and the lifting of crippling American sanctions.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on June 12 that a prisoner swap could be agreed in the near future if Washington shows the same seriousness and goodwill.

At least three dual Iranian-American citizens are currently held by Tehran, including businessmen Siamak Namazi, who has been in prison since 2015.

Kanaani said the basis for the indirect talks, mediated by Oman, is the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

Then-U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the agreement and reimposed sanctions in 2018. In response, Tehran has expanded its sensitive nuclear activities, raising fears in the West that it could build a nuclear weapon.

Washington has not denied that it is engaged in indirect talks with Tehran. An unnamed U.S. official told Reuters that the two sides are not discussing a possible interim deal that could involve Tehran agreeing to suspend its nuclear activities in exchange for some sanctions relief.

We have made clear to them what escalatory steps they needed to avoid to prevent a crisis and what de-escalatory steps they could take to create a more positive context, the official said, without offering details.

Article continues after bonus IC video

CNN: This is a desperate measure: American pleads for release from Iranian jail

Tehrans confirmation of indirect talks came after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said over the weekend that there is nothing wrong with an agreement [with the West], although he added that the infrastructure of our nuclear industry should not be touched.

The UNs nuclear watchdog said recently that Tehran had resolved some outstanding issues that the agency had raised.

Why It Matters: Iran and the United States appear to be renewing their engagement after a monthslong pause.

The sides have held talks over reviving the nuclear deal since President Joe Biden assumed office in 2020. But the negotiations have proved protracted and inconclusive, with Washington accusing Tehran of making unrealistic demands.

After the antiestablishment protests erupted in Iran in September 2022, Washington said the nuclear deal was not on the agenda.

Ali Vaez, director of the Iran project at the International Crisis Group, told me that a prisoner swap could open the door to more de-escalation, which in turn could create time and space to discuss a way forward.

Both sides seem to have realized that the no deal, no crisis status quo could quickly turn into a no deal, big crisis situation that neither side wants, Vaez said.

Whats Next: It is not clear if Tehran is ready to take steps that would lead to a de-escalation, including allowing UN inspectors greater access to its nuclear sites and releasing detained Americans.

But Khameneis comments appear to have prepared the ground for renewed engagement with the West, according to Vaez.

RFE/RL

Copyright (c)2022 RFE/RL, Inc. Used with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
Creigh Deeds is a state senator and candidate for the 11th District Senate seat in the Virginia General Assembly.

He first joined the Virginia legislature in 1992 by winning election to the House of Delegates. He joined the Senate in 2001 and has remained there since.

Ahead of the Democratic primary on June 20, Deeds sat down with The Daily Progress to discuss his plans for the district and the state.

The interview has been edited for concision and clarity.

It seems you have serious competition this primary. Whats been your pitch to voters?

Its a serious race. My pitch to voters is that Ive been an effective legislator for a long time. Ive got seniority, and that puts me in a position to get things done. Ive used my seniority not only to affect the budget and affect our health care systems, but also to get thing get things done in our educational system. And make government work for people across the board.

My pitch is I believe that the responsibility of any legislator is to make government relevant for the people they represent and to work on solving problems. And thats what I do. Thats what my track record shows.

Your campaign has emphasized your experience and seniority. Can you explain to voters what seniority and experience actually means in practice for a senator?

When you first are elected to the House or the Senate, your committee assignments arent great.

Everybody wants to be on education and health. Everybody wants to be on commerce and labor. Everybody wants to be on finance. But you generally start out at less desirable committees.

The longer youre there, the better your committee assignments become. And the longer youre on a committee, the more you climb up the ladder of seniority on the committee. In the Senate Ive chaired three different committees: transportation, privileges and elections, and judiciary. This session I will chair the Judiciary Committee. I will be no less than the second-most senior person on the Finance Committee.

So the longer youre there, the more you get to be involved because of the weight of your time. But I dont think its just an issue of simply accumulating the time. Youve got to do something with it. Youve got to make it count. Use it for your constituents. And I think the record shows that Ive been smart about my seniority, and Ive been able to get things done.

Your opponent has gone after you on your gun record. How has your position on guns changed during your time in the legislature?

Like anybody else on just about anything, my positions have evolved. The tragedy at Virginia Tech was devastating. I was on the campus of Virginia Tech the day after that happened. I had a buddy whose son hid in a broom closet of one of the buildings where the slayings took place. It was just a chilling time.

I grew up in the country. I grew up around guns. When Id come home from school, Id grab a gun and Id go to the woods and hunt. I wouldnt kill much of anything; Id mostly just kill time. So Id grown up around guns.

But Ive evolved a lot in that area. In 2020, we got a lot of gun stuff passed. We passed the universal background check. We passed the red flag legislation. We reinstated the one-handgun rule. In 2021, we passed legislation to keep guns out of state buildings and state parks.

Where my opponent has attacked me often is a 2020 assault weapons bill. That bill was written so broadly that in the post-Heller world  the Heller opinion that Justice Scalia wrote a number of years ago defined the personal nature of the Second Amendment right  and so in that post-Heller world that broad definition that would include some hunting rifles just wasnt going to work. It wasnt going to fly. We sent that bill to the Crime Commission to fix. The Crime Commission was controlled by House Democrats at that time, but they didnt fix the bill.

So I started fooling some ideas around, and I introduced a bill this year. There were a lot of people that that wanted a stronger bill. But this was a bill where at least I had some hope it would be upheld in federal court. That other bill would not have been upheld in federal court. It just wouldnt have. And I think Im the only person in this part of the state thats ever gotten a firearm-related bill past that one chamber. That bill was aimed right at suburban Republicans, because I knew they couldnt vote against it.

The criticism always stings, but it is what it is. Its the political season.

Lives have been lost and lives have been affected by the rise in gun violence in Charlottesville. What can we do to stop this?

Its heartbreaking. When I was a kid, you would settle your disputes with fists. Now young kids in their teens and 20s are settling their disputes with guns. And honestly, Im not convinced those kids know whats going to happen until it does. They see it on TV, and then they see the blood on the street and realize its real.

From the state standpoint, youve got to focus on things that will reduce the supply of firearms. The firearms used in these offenses are primarily stolen. We have a bill in the Senate to create an offense for someone who has a car unlocked when they have a gun in there. We need to focus on where we can limit the ability of these guns to be out there.

But weve also got to fund violence interrupter programs. And our system has to be focused on making sure that everybody has a place in society and that the economy works for everybody. I wish there were simple answer, but theres not.

If you are reelected, what will be your top priority this session?

K-12 education is number one. If youre really serious about investing in the future, youve got to have the best school system in the country. In the Senate budget, we take teacher pay above the national average for the first time, which is great thing, but we cant stop there.

Were the 10th wealthiest state. Our goal should be to have the best K-12 system in the country.

My priorities will focus on K-12 and higher education and community colleges and health care, specifically mental health care. But that doesnt mean Im not interested in doing other things too.

After redistricting, some voters have noted that you moved your primary residence from Bath. What do you say to voters who think you moved closer to Charlottesville only because you want to remain in a position of power?

Ive represented Charlottesville and Albemarle County for 22 years. Ive spent as probably as much or more time here than I have in Bath County.

Theres no question that redistricting put me in a bad spot. Ive lived in Bath County all my life, but the way the maps were cut, the only way I had a chance to continue to serve was to deliver in Charlottesville. In all honesty, I should have moved here right after my son died. Living in that house has not been easy. Lots of good memories but lots of bad memories too. My father lived in Charlottesville from 1967 until he died in 2012. So its not like I woke up last year and said, Im going to be in Charlottesville for the first time in my life. Ive had a longtime relationship with Charlottesville.

If you lose this race will you stay in Charlottesville?

Thats my plan, yes.

Youve been in the legislature for so long. Its a very real possibility that you lose this race. Have you considered what you would do if that happens?

Serving in the legislature is a privilege, but its not a full-time job. Its a full-time responsibility. Im a lawyer. Ive got clients. Ill be a lawyer.

Would you miss it?

Im sure Id miss the people. Id miss the work. Yeah.
Song Joong Ki is in hot water after the actor made a remark about fatherhood and working as an actor.

Amid his busy schedule, the South Korean welcomed the biggest highlight of his life, and that is welcoming his firstborn with wife, Katy Louise Saunders.

On June 14, the actor's agency, High Zium Studio, announced surprising news to the public, confirming that the top star "became the father of a baby boy in Italy."

Right after it, Song Joong Ki shared the delightful news on his fan cafe, along with a glimpse of his son.

He mentioned his successful career, from wrapping up the filming of his movie "My Name Is Loh Kiwan" in Hungary to attending the Cannes Film Festival for the film "Hopeless."

Song Joong Ki then revealed the news about his family and mentioned how it felt like a "dream" to him.

"Here, in my wife's hometown of Rome, we happened to welcome our baby. It's a healthy son.. and both the baby and his mother... are in very good health," he said, as obtained by a media outlet.

Following his fan cafe post, viewers can't get enough of Song Joong Ki's growing family.

Song Joong Ki's Comments About Being a Father and the Risk of Losing a Job

In his recent interview in China, he was asked about how he would cope with the changes and mentioned a Chinese proverb saying, "A double harvest in work and family life."

Expressing his thoughts in English, Song Joong Ki explained the connection between being a father and having a thriving career, noting that experiencing downsides is unavoidable.

"Sometimes, being a father, being a husband, that means losing a job in this business," he said, adding, "Being a father and having a baby, and having a marriage with a woman, in this business, sometimes, it looks like [I'm] losing my job more and more."

  



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     pic.twitter.com/7TT8LvZni4  710 (@doldolgyeol) June 10, 2023

Although the actor doesn't have anything against it or malicious intent, his remark sparks criticism from the public.

Song Joong Ki's Comment Angers Public

As obtained by a media outlet, netizens were furious about his statement and took to online communities to express their anger and disappointment.

Among those comments is a remark saying that "he doesn't need to worry about losing his job" if he is a great actor. While others raised the issue that things are harder for actresses after they get married and have a baby.

"The fact that it's a male actor saying this-not even a female actor, LOL. Even if his fans drop, his jobs won't be affected."

However, Song Joong Ki's remark might be because of the stricter situations in South Korea for celebrities when it comes to having a relationship, getting married, and starting a family, as there are cases where their work got affected because of the changes like having a family.

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
Opened in 1976, the Charlottesville Downtown Mall has survived long enough to be named historic. Along with 10 other sites, the experiment in urbanism spanning at least eight blocks of Main Street was added Thursday to the Virginia Landmarks Register.

People dont realize what a rare piece of architecture the mall is, downtown blogger and architecture columnist Dave McNair told The Daily Progress. It was done by someone who has really been recognized as a master.

That was landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, whose renown began in 1964 with Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco. There, Halprin turned an old chocolate factory into a public amenity, widely considered the earliest and most successful adaptive reuse project.

Halprin, who died in 2009, went on to design the national memorial to Franklin D. Roosevelt in Washington, but much of his acclaim comes from his participatory public fountains.

In a lot of the great Lawrence Halprin public places, water is a huge part of it, said McNair.

McNair said that Halprin designed a large fountain to be located by Charlottesville City Hall, but that feature was stricken from the plan before construction for budgetary reasons. Todays smaller fountain at Central Place, McNair ruefully noted, got chained off at some point to keep people out of the water.

Its always been squelched or turned off, McNair said. Or restaurants built their cafes around the fountains.

Earlier this year, steel grates were added to the three smaller fountains due to safety concerns. But McNair said that Halprins design persists via other details, such as its longer-than-typical bricks and its clusters of willow oak trees which create not only shade but visual interest.

You can walk the length of the mall and not feel like youve walked that far, said McNair.

According to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, of the 200 American streets converted for pedestrian space from the 1960s to the 1980s, only about 30 remain.

Its amazing that our mall survived when so many those other malls failed, said McNair. And ours came close. It was languishing for quite a while before there was a resurgence in the 90s.

The city made several changes, such as adding six steel sculptures in 1981 by University of Virginia professor James Hagan. In 1985, the city subsidized the erection of the hotel and conference center now known as the Omni. In the early 1990s, in furtherance of Halprins expansive vision, the city fully bricked two side streets and created a small amphitheater, a predecessor to todays larger Ting Pavilion.

The mall for a couple of decades was tumbleweeds, said Board of Architectural Review member Ronald Bailey at a board meeting in August. By turning the area into a gigantic wonderful lovely food court, it attracted a lot of people.

On Friday, the mall was teeming with buskers and panhandlers, as well as bankers, lawyers and at least two pairs of Jehovahs Witnesses offering copies of the Watchtower.

I see a lot of happiness down here, said Jim Townsend, a representative for a lighting company. Its a happening, happy place.

Townsend said that hes been paying calls on mall businesses for 37 years and never tires of the diverse crowd attracted to this brick-based park.

When Im down here, I feel good, said Townsend. I appreciate everyone thats down here, and Im sincere about that. Its a place for everyone.
Where to invest $25K in 2023 according to experts

72 Shares Share

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Right now, there are millions of physicians standing at a crossroads.

More than 40% of active physicians are expected to reach retirement age over the next ten years, and according to Fidelity, the average physician needs about $2.4 million to retire comfortably.

While youre most likely maxing out your IRA and investing in traditional assets like stocks and bonds, a recent study out of Goldman Sachs shows there could be a better way.

In short, they discovered that putting up to one-third of your portfolio into alternative assets can provide higher returns with less volatility than a traditional stock and bond portfolio.

And theyre not the only major investment firm recommending higher allocations in alternatives.

BlackRock, the worlds largest asset manager with $10 trillion in assets, advises their clients to put up to 20% into alternatives. CalPERS, the California Public Employees Retirement System, one of the countrys largest pension systems, allocates 30% to alternatives. With $41 billion in assets, Yale Universitys endowment fund invests 60% in alternatives.

The one alternative asset to watch in 2023 and beyond

A recent study by the IMF showed the ultra-rich have been able to grow their wealth three times faster than the average investor because they allocate a greater percentage of their wealth to alternatives.

And while many physicians have probably looked into investing in alternatives like gold or real estate, one alternative asset has outpaced both of these assets by more than three to one over the past 26 years.

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Government

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Monroe County Commission to vote on 'Publix' proposal

Monroe County Planning Commission/Contributed The CEMEX property in Tavernier had been targeted for the development of a supermarket and workforce housing, but was adjusted from 64,000 square feet to roughly 58,000 square feet, with a 55,000-square-foot grocery store and 3,000-square-foot liquor store.

The owners of the former CEMEX plant in Tavernier will make their pitch to the Monroe County Commission on Wednesday, June 21, in Key Largo for a major redevelopment of their property. The pitch comes just a month after the Planning Commission recommended denial of the proposal.

In May, the Planning Commission voted 3-2 to deny the owners request for land-use amendments that would allow for the construction of up to 70,000 square feet of non-residential space and 86 workforce housing units at the former CEMEX plant in Tavernier.

Since that meeting, the owners have reduced the size of the project to roughly 58,000 square feet, with a 55,000-square-foot grocery store and 3,000-square-foot liquor store, the owners attorney Barton Smith said.

In documents submitted to the county, the owners identified Publix as the tenant on the property, but there were no written guarantees that the tenant would be Publix, as the applicant has proposed, nor that state-issued building allocations for the workforce housing component were guaranteed.

Planning staff, which has recommended denial of the project, noted that the non-residential definition allows for any number of uses, including an Amazon warehouse.

The Planning Commissions vote last month was a recommendation to the Monroe County Commission, which could still vote to approve the request, though that would be an unusual move given both planning staff and board opposition.

The project has been opposed by a large number of Upper Keys residents and homeowners associations because of the amount of traffic such a large commercial development would generate. The project is much larger than what county code and the Livable CommuniKeys Plan for Tavernier allows. The CommuniKeys Plan is part of the countys comprehensive management plan that seeks to preserve Taverniers small-town atmosphere, in part by preventing expansive commercial development.

Residents argue the development would generate roughly 6,000 vehicle trips a day, which is far more than that stretch of U.S. 1 can safely handle, residents told The Keys Citizen. Motorists traveling southbound would have to traverse two lanes of northbound traffic on U.S. 1 to pull into the grocery store and housing project.

I cant support that many vehicle trips a day in that area, Upper Keys resident Chris Sante said. Im not against Publix. Im just against that much traffic. Its too busy. Traffic is going to stack up. This would be a cluster.

Keys attorney Andy Tobin has also raised concerns about traffic and violation of Livable CommuniKeys Plan and county land-use rules.

Its just a terrible, terrible location for a project that is going to generate 6,000 car trips a day, Tobin said.

Tobin called the affordable housing part of the proposal a false narrative.

Smith has sent a draft inter-local agreement to the Village of Islamorada to transfer the 86 Rate of Growth Ordinance (ROGO) units needed for the affordable housing to the county for the project. If county commissioners approve the project, Smith plans to then go to the Village Council and ask for the units, he said. Smith has had conversations with village officials about the idea and believes there is support for it.

Upper Keys Commissioner Holly Raschein did offer some support for the project, but questioned where the Rate of Growth Ordinance (ROGO) units, and development allocations, for the project were going to come from and how the traffic was going to be mitigated, she said.

Regarding plans for the Cemex project, I believe the footprint has been significantly reduced, which is a good thing, Raschein stated in a text message this week while she was out of the country on vacation. However, the best thing about this proposed project is the critically needed workforce housing. I look forward to the communitys input and the discussions to follow.

Monroe County planning staff found that the applicants proposal to create the new commercial zoning district to allow a supermarket with adjacent affordable housing was inconsistent with community character and the Monroe County 2030 Comprehensive Plan.

The applicant and property owner, CEMEX/Singletary Concrete Products Inc., had initially proposed to build a 64,000-square-foot grocery and liquor store, along with 86 affordable housing units at the back end of the parcel at 92501 Overseas Highway, but has since reduced the footprint of the project.

Staff anticipates the proposed amendment will result in an adverse community change to Tavernier, a planning staff report states.

Concerns expressed by the public included the plans apparent inconsistency with the county-adopted Tavernier Livable CommuniKeys Plan.

The Board of County Commissioners meets starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday, June 21, at the Murray E. Nelson Government Center, 102050 Overseas Highway, Key Largo. The item is scheduled to be heard at 1:30 p.m., according to the Monroe County government attorneys office. The agenda for the meeting can be found at http://monroecountyfl.gov.

Charter County

Monroe County Attorney Bob Shillinger is also scheduled to give the commission an update on plans to pursue changing the way it governs and go to a charter form of government as a way to generate revenue for critical infrastructure programs without having to raise property taxes or go to the state Capitol and ask for funding.

Last month, a majority of the county commissioners agreed with a proposal to move forward with what Shillinger called a starter charter form of government.

Following Wednesdays meeting, several commissioners plan to attend a Florida League of Counties in which they will pick the brains of their colleagues who serve on county commissions that operate under a charter system.

On Wednesday, Shillinger will ask the Monroe County commissioners if they want to hear a monthly update on efforts to move forward with a charter system, he said.

A starter charter form of government would not completely change the way the county governs but would allow it to implement local sales taxes to pay for transportation, road, bridge and other projects. State legislation already allows for the county to be a starter charter government, so the county would not have to pursue a state bill to become a charter government, according to Shillinger.

At the May meeting, Assistant County Administrator Kevin Wilson gave a presentation outlining all the countys future infrastructure needs, and the list was long and the costs reached into the billions of dollars.

Wilson made the case that tourists pay roughly 72% of local sales tax, which eases the tax burden on local residents, and the one penny of additional sales tax would generate roughly $54 million a year countywide, with the county receiving about $32 million.

For the past several years, the county has gone to the state Legislature to allow local votes on increasing the local sales tax to pay for important sea-level rise mitigation projects and other infrastructure needs and have been given a big fat no, Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi told the commissioners at the May meeting.

The county has been considering forming its own transit district or joining the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA), based in Pompano Beach, which provides public transport services in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. However, the authority costs roughly $4 million a year to join, and there is no guarantee funding transportation services in Monroe County would be a priority.

Being a charter government would allow the county to form its own transit or transportation district, according to Shillinger and county commissioners.

The designation could also allow the county to enact term limits or set up single-member voting districts, as currently commissioners are elected county-wide.

In addition, the designation could allow for the election of a strong mayor or county executive, alter the term of office for commissioners from four years to some other time period, create non-partisan elections for county commissioners, increase the number of commissioners and allow citizens to hold recall elections for county commissioners.

However, being a charter government could give the county preemption powers to prevent Florida Keys municipalities from enacting laws that county commissioners oppose.

But Shillinger told the commission he is not recommending the county adopt a charter that would preempt local governments, which appeased most of the commissioners.

Only Monroe County Mayor Craig Cates opposed changing the way the county governs.

I am not in favor of moving forward, Cates said. I dont think the time is right. Faced with billions of dollars in future infrastructure projects, which could be paid for by local property taxes, the rest of the county commissioners supported moving forward.

tohara@keysnews.com
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By Mike Sebalu

Human Rights defenders under the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders Uganda have called for a dialogue with government to discuss issues affecting the work of human rights defenders amidst alleged deteriorating civic space in the country.

According to the Executive Director of the Coalition Mr. Robert Kirenga, there is also need for an improvement in the relationship between government and its agencies, and which he says can only be done through regular interactions to address issues affecting the work of human rights defenders.

Mr. Kirenga was speaking at the Coalitions annual general meeting, while at the same time celebrating 10 years of existence, at Hotel Africana in Kampala earlier this week.

The 10 years of existence were celebrated under the theme, Celebrating a decade of protecting and promoting human rights defenders and the work that they do in the ever-changing civic space context.

In as far as the relationship between the regulator and the different civil society organizations of human rights defenders, I must say there must be improvement. The improvement is the mere fact that we can have a dialogue with the regulator and its parent Ministry (Ministry of Internal Affairs) every quarter and we set up issues, we discuss issue papers we raise issues we think are affecting human rights defenders. Now, every quarter we will have to raise the same and see to what extent has government fulfilled those obligations, Kirenga said.

Speaking at the same meeting, the chairperson board of the coalition Ms. Margret Sekaggya asked human rights defenders to consolidate their work as they ensure good working relationships with government in a bid to do their work without any hindrances.

As you know some times the space is shrinking for human rights defenders, they get criticized, they get attacked, they get arrested, but we have to move forward and convince the powers that the work we are doing is for all of us, Sekaggya noted.

Sekaggya who doubles as the Executive Director of Human Rights and Peace Centre added Human rights is for everyone, everyone needs to be protected, we cannot distinguish between those working for the government and those working for human rights, everyones rights must be protected and the sooner we all understand that one day you will need that protection wherever you are, the better for us and the better for our communities,

On attacks or sometimes confrontations between human rights defenders and state actors, the chief political commissar of the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces, Major General Henry Matsiko, who was part of the celebrations assured the defenders that everything possible is being adhered to ensure that people enjoy a very good working relations to enjoy the freedoms they deserve.

I am here to testify that today, the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces enjoys a very good working relationship with the Coalition of Human Rights Defenders. We are together as stakeholders in the UPR processes; we have been together through engagements and because of this, any past sides of suspicion and hostility from either side, we think now we have leveled the ground, Matsiko said.

Indeed, all those areas where there was discomfort really I think to a large extent have been leveled and I would call it cessation of suspicion at times has been due to lack of engagement and communication, Mr. Matsiko added.

The chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission Justice Miriam Wangadya who was the chief guest urged human rights defenders to work together with government to promote responsible citizenship to counter the possibility of human rights violations.

Let us work together to promote responsible citizenship. When each one of us plays their part and plays it well, we counter the possibility of human rights violations. In fact, most of the violations arise because people do not abide by their responsibilities and duties as citizens of Uganda, Wangadya said.

Justice Wangadya further challenged the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces over the insecurity challenges where heavily armed ethnic groups attacking with impunity, dispossessing, terrorizing, and killing their neighbors as if there is no government that has failed to go away in areas Karamoja, Acholi, Lango, and Bugisu sub-regions.

As I speak now, reports reaching me show that by the end of yesterday (Monday), Karamojong had attached the people of Acholi, Lango, and Bugisu sub-regions in particular Bulambuli district as usual, the home district of the chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission, she said.

Justice Wangadya added, In Kitgum district alone, hundreds of cattle have been stolen by the Karimojong and at least 200 huts set ablaze. In Bulambuli district, the Karamojong by the end of Monday, the remnants of the cattle they left some time back 480 of them, several people have been abducted and women have been beaten and forced to undress and surrender their cloths to their attackers,

Wangadya said during the cattle raids, people have also been mercilessly killed with four deaths registered in Bulambuli and 10 deaths registered in Kitgum district by the end of Monday, adding that Ugandans cannot talk about human rights and freedoms without national peace and security
Its seems to me theres a lot of darkness in our world these days. Harsh language, wars, divisiveness, blaming, many troubled families and countries.

How do we find some antidotes to all this trouble? Perhaps throughout the day, even for a few moments, its time to pause and take a breath. Lets take a moment to quiet ourselves. Lets allow our souls to catch up to our minds and bodies.

In every faith tradition, and those without a tradition, we hopefully know that we are able to touch that place of calm and peacefulness at least for a few moments. This is called a spiritual discipline, contemplative prayer, meditation or something akin.

In the Christian tradition, we hear Jesus say, over and over, Peace be with you. He reaches out with gentleness and love.

Despite our dark nights of the soul, Jesus love triumphs. Jesus other frequent invitation is, Do not be afraid.

One of my favorite authors, Thich Nhat Hahn, a Buddhist teacher, encourages us to water the good seeds.

Recently I came across the words of a Native American elder who is speaking to one of his students. He says, Inside each of us are two wolves who are constantly in battle with each other. One is the wolf of fear. The other is the wolf of love.

His student asks, Which one wins? The elders response is the one you feed.

My sense is that fear is the underlying cause of all the painful darkness in our world. Fear of not having enough. Fear of not being in control. Fear of not being loved. Fear of violence. Fear of speaking up for justice. Fear of stepping out of our busyness to be filled with wonder and awe. Some of these fears are very real.

I dont give my heart to a God who can stop these things  a puppet God. I do give my heart to a God who is right here with me, with us, as we suffer through the dangers. Quieting the fears may be the solution  at least for a moment of peace  hard as it is to do this.

There is a spark of the Divine in all of us  in everything. As we continue our journeys, we not only walk in the light, we become light for others. Take a moment to look around. There are beautiful humans everywhere, often hiding in plain sight. Love is stronger than the hardest things.

How do we participate in bringing this about? By pausing, recharging our own light batteries and quieting the voices of fear, blame and anger. One step, one encounter at a time.

Even the smallest gesture makes a difference  a smile, a hello, isnt it a beautiful day?, opening a door for someone. Thanking someone for opening a door for us.

Transformation goes on  and on and on. We have been blessed and embedded with the love of the Divine  just as all of creation is embodied within the Divine. We are never alone. We are never abandoned. We are all woven together as pieces of the whole.
The oldest urban domestic building in Ireland is now home to Irelands newest museum which traces the customs, traditions and superstitions associated with death from the earliest times to the 20th Century.

The Irish Wake Museum was officially opened yesterday by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh OBrien.

The Irish Wake Museum located at what was the former Dean John Collyns Almshouse, a Retirement Home for old people, called Gods Peoples House was founded in 1478 on All Souls Day, 2nd November, the Day of the Dead. The occupants of the former Alms Houses paid for their keep by praying three times a night for the souls of its patrons and the souls of the deceased citizens of Waterford.

The new museum is the latest in the Waterford Treasures collective of Museums at Waterfords Viking Triangle, The Bishops Palace, The Irish Museum of Time, Irish Silver Museum, King of the Vikings virtual reality experience and the EPIC guided walking tour of Waterford.

The museum houses a remarkable array of objects associated with death in Ireland which the Waterford Museum of Treasures has been collecting for the last 10 years and will offer visitors an opportunity to explore rituals that hold global intrigue and that are entirely unique to Ireland on an intimate guided tour experience. In addition, The Irish Wake Museum has partnered with the multi-award-winning Waterford Whisky and visitors will also be able to book tickets to an Irish Wake and Whisky experience.

I am delighted to support this imaginative initiative which celebrates how death has always been a community event in Ireland," Minister OBrien said.

"Id like to congratulate Waterford City and County Council on another remarkable conservation project demonstrating yet again their commitment to our heritage. Many people have supported this project, and I would particularly like to mention David Boles, the co-founder of the extraordinary Irish Museum of Time as well as the late Dr Tom and Mrs Marie Cavanagh of the Tomar Philanthropic Trust. Id like to also thank the conservation master mason Brian Whelan whose craftsmanship cannot be underestimated.

"Finally, Id like to acknowledge all the staff of Waterford Treasures Museums, including Director Eamonn McEneaney, Acting Curator Rosemary Ryan and museum Keeper Donnchadh O Ceallachain, whose hard work and dedication brought this project to fruition as well as the support of the Chairman Des Whelan and the entire Board.

Director of Waterford Treasures Eamonn MceNeaney said:The Irish Wake is one of the iconic parts of our national culture and visitors will get to experience a sense of this at The Irish Wake Museum as we trace the customs, traditions and superstitions associated with death from the earliest times to the 20th century."

At the new museum visitors first arrive at the area once occupied by a shop, the rent from which was used to maintain the almshouse, a new audio-visual showcase explores how the Irish landscape was etched by death over 6,000 years.

Moving into the almshouse proper, visitors will experience storytelling through six rooms chronologically from the 15th to the 20th centuries, with different themes associated with death being explored. The exhibition ends by urging people as others have for centuries to Memento Mori - remember death - and to paraphrase George Bernard Shaw, to rejoice in life for its own sake and understand that life is no brief candle but a sort of splendid torch which we get hold of for the moment, in order to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.

In keeping with the spirit of the founders of the almshouse Waterford Treasures will donate 1 from each admission ticket to the Waterford Hospice Movement. The museum is now open to visitors, further details and advance tickets can be found at www.waterfordtreasures.com.
Joe Fest is the creation of friends James Taylor, Sean Walsh, Alice Heafey, Marina Bini, Joy Fleming, Shane Tobler and many other friends in memory of their good friend Joe Cleere who sadly passed away last year.

Joe Fest is a celebration of all things Joe from Jungle music to Ska, good food and drink and most of all good banter between friends and family.

All money raised from tickets this year will be going to Joe's sisters partner for his much-needed cancer treatment in America that unfortunately isnt available here in Ireland.

Information for this charity can be found at the link at the end of this article.

If you cant make the event please donate whatever you can to the go fund me page in support.

This is the second Joe Fest last last year it was held in Ryans bar in Kilkenny this year's Joe Fest is held in Murphy's bar in Thomastown with some of Kilkenny's finest musicians rallying together to create a day of celebration in honor of a much-loved friend.

Tickets are 15 and are available in rollercoaster records on Kieran Street in Kilkenny and Murphy's bar in Thomastown.

To donate to the fundraiser for Mick Neville's cancer treatement in America click here
Linn-Benton Community College students, staff, and community gather to celebrate the Class of 2023 during the 54th commencement ceremony.

The LBCC graduating class consists of 830 candidates for graduation who are expected to be awarded 988 degrees and certificates, many of whom will matriculate to Oregon State University as encouraged by the partnership between the colleges.

Linn-Benton Community College, established in 1966, is a two-year public college to serve the educational needs of residents in Linn and Benton counties. As of 2023, LBCC supports more than 18,000 students a year through in person and online classes.

The students who will walk across the stage today are first since 2020, the previous two years of commencement or CARmencement consisted of drive-through ceremonies. However, this year the college opted to start a new tradition in which the families of students, including children and parents could sit WITH the graduates as well as approach the stage to photograph them as they received their diplomas.

Proud family, friends and peers cheer on the 753 participating graduates as they cross the stage waiting to present them with what seems like an endless amount of balloons and flower bouquets.

LBCC Faculty not only attended the event but many sat at the left of the stage congratulating each graduate on receiving their respective diplomas and certificates.
The headline:

national Party fails to land blows on Labour despite news of a recession

So they manage to take the fact that under Labour we have gone into recession, and turned it into a negative story for National.

The lead para:

Despite National calling news the economy went into recession a big flashing red light for all New Zealanders, the economic downturn has yet to develop into a full-on election battle.

That is a weird take as the economy and cost of living score around five times as many people saying it is the most important issue as anything else, and chris hipkins has ditched multiple policies to try and focus on the economy. Not sure how you conclude the economic downturn is not a massive election battle.

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In its annual reports, the Annie E. Casey Foundation notes indicators of child well-being are derived from federal government statistical agencies and reflect the best available state and national data for tracking yearly changes. (Adobe Stock)
KANSAS CITY  An Ashland family sued the Southern Boone School District Friday, claiming the district failed to report and address bullying of their 10-year-old child.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court, names 11 people as defendants, including interim superintendent Tim Roth and multiple middle school staff, in addition to the district and its board of education.

Plaintiffs Tawnya and Michael Samuel claim their child, who has a disability, has suffered severe physical and emotional trauma at school. The lawsuit asks for a jury trial and compensatory and punitive damages.

"The defendants have displayed a historical pattern of willful disregard to the effects of student bullying," a news release from the Samuel's attorney said.

The suit says the defendants failed to report and take action against the "severe harassment" suffered directly by the child, which turned his environment into one that was "abusive, hostile and not safe for his well-being."

It also claims the defendants violated federal law by their "blatant discrimination" of the child.

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Southern Boone spokesperson Matt Sharp said the district is aware of the pending litigation and provided links to KOMU 8 of its policies on bullying, student discipline and discrimination. The district's full statement can be found below.

"At Southern Boone County R-I School District, the safety and well-being of our students is our utmost priority. The school district takes allegations of bullying very seriously and works proactively to educate students and staff on identifying signs of bullying or student distress. The Southern Boone School District has been made aware of the pending civil action filed against the district.

"As professional educators, we strive to always put students safety and well-being first, and the district is committed to maintaining a safe learning and working environment free from bullying or intimidation. Within our district, we take allegations of bullying seriously, and complete an investigation as appropriate, into such reports, in accordance with board policies and state law.

"Due to student privacy laws and pending legal action, the school district is not able to provide any additional information at this time.

"Below are links to the school districts board policies on bullying, student discipline and discrimination.
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited (OTCMKTS:IDCBY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 70,600 shares, a decline of 10.3% from the May 15th total of 78,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 148,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.5 days.

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of OTCMKTS:IDCBY traded up $0.03 during trading on Friday, hitting $10.68. 39,106 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 48,905. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $10.89 and a 200-day moving average price of $10.53. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has a 52 week low of $8.48 and a 52 week high of $11.92. The company has a market cap of $190.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.76 and a beta of 0.25.

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Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (OTCMKTS:IDCBY  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 30th. The company reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $26.69 billion during the quarter. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China had a return on equity of 10.23% and a net margin of 24.83%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Company Profile

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday.

(Get Rating)

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides banking products and services in the People's Republic of China and internationally. It operates through Corporate Banking, Personal Banking, and Treasury Operations segments. The Corporate Banking segment offers financial products and services to corporations, government agencies, and financial institutions.

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Savior LLC boosted its stake in shares of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX  Get Rating) by 131.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,094 shares of the natural resource companys stock after buying an additional 2,326 shares during the quarter. Savior LLCs holdings in Freeport-McMoRan were worth $167,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Beach Investment Counsel Inc. PA lifted its stake in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 62.2% in the 4th quarter. Beach Investment Counsel Inc. PA now owns 477,080 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $18,129,000 after purchasing an additional 182,997 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC increased its position in Freeport-McMoRan by 63.3% in the 4th quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 95,541 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $3,631,000 after buying an additional 37,029 shares in the last quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Freeport-McMoRan in the 4th quarter valued at about $302,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Freeport-McMoRan by 6.0% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 779,026 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $29,603,000 after buying an additional 44,175 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PFG Advisors bought a new stake in Freeport-McMoRan in the 4th quarter valued at about $289,000. 77.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on FCX. Barclays boosted their target price on Freeport-McMoRan from $24.00 to $29.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Freeport-McMoRan from $32.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, February 27th. Raymond James decreased their price objective on Freeport-McMoRan from $48.00 to $47.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Sunday, April 23rd. StockNews.com lowered Freeport-McMoRan from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, June 9th. Finally, Scotiabank raised Freeport-McMoRan from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $41.00 to $50.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $38.42.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Freeport-McMoRan Stock Performance

In related news, Director Sara Grootwassink Lewis bought 4,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, May 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $34.90 per share, for a total transaction of $139,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,800 shares in the company, valued at approximately $621,220. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link . Company insiders own 0.78% of the companys stock.

Freeport-McMoRan stock traded down $0.19 during trading on Friday, hitting $39.89. The stock had a trading volume of 16,144,169 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,955,342. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. has a 1 year low of $24.80 and a 1 year high of $46.73. The company has a quick ratio of 1.71, a current ratio of 2.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The stocks 50 day moving average is $37.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $39.67. The stock has a market cap of $57.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.30 and a beta of 2.00.

Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 21st. The natural resource company reported $0.52 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.47 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $5.39 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.25 billion. Freeport-McMoRan had a return on equity of 11.07% and a net margin of 12.07%. Freeport-McMoRans revenue for the quarter was down 18.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.07 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Freeport-McMoRan Inc. will post 1.79 EPS for the current year.

Freeport-McMoRan Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 14th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 13th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.50%. Freeport-McMoRans dividend payout ratio is currently 16.76%.

About Freeport-McMoRan

(Get Rating)

Freeport-McMoRan, Inc engages in the mining of copper, gold, and molybdenum. It operates through the following segments: North America Copper Mines, South America Mining, Indonesia Mining, Molybdenum Mines, Rod and Refining, Atlantic Copper Smelting and Refining, and Corporate and Other. The North America Copper Mines segment operates open-pit copper mines in Morenci, Baghdad, Safford, Sierrita, and Miami in Arizona and Chino and Tyrone in New Mexico.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FCX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX  Get Rating).

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Banco Macro S.A. (NYSE:BMA  Get Rating) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 230,500 shares, a decrease of 12.0% from the May 15th total of 261,800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 193,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.2 days.

Banco Macro Stock Performance

Shares of BMA stock traded up $1.17 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $24.47. 378,790 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 237,208. Banco Macro has a fifty-two week low of $9.72 and a fifty-two week high of $24.72. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $18.97 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $18.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.72.

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Banco Macro (NYSE:BMA  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 17th. The bank reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.78 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $913.72 million for the quarter. Banco Macro had a return on equity of 8.14% and a net margin of 5.15%. As a group, analysts predict that Banco Macro will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Trium Capital LLP purchased a new position in shares of Banco Macro in the 4th quarter worth $170,000. Verition Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Banco Macro in the 3rd quarter worth $785,000. WINTON GROUP Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Banco Macro in the 3rd quarter worth $301,000. UBS Group AG raised its position in shares of Banco Macro by 3,316.4% in the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 12,299 shares of the banks stock worth $213,000 after buying an additional 11,939 shares during the period. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Banco Macro in the 2nd quarter worth $134,000. 4.87% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Banco Macro in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating on the stock.

About Banco Macro

(Get Rating)

Banco Macro SA engages in the provision of financial and banking services. It serves the low and mid-income individuals, and small and mid-sized companies. The firm offers savings, checking accounts, time deposits, fund management, loans, mortgages, and direct banking transactions. The company was founded on November 21, 1966 and is headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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EMCOR Group, Inc. (NYSE:EME  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,360,000 shares, an increase of 11.5% from the May 15th total of 1,220,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 365,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.7 days. Currently, 2.9% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

EMCOR Group Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of EMCOR Group stock traded down $1.10 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $175.73. The stock had a trading volume of 530,129 shares, compared to its average volume of 354,773. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $166.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $157.35. EMCOR Group has a 12-month low of $95.64 and a 12-month high of $178.91. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm has a market cap of $8.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.31 and a beta of 1.09.

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EMCOR Group (NYSE:EME  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The construction company reported $2.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.49. EMCOR Group had a net margin of 3.91% and a return on equity of 22.68%. The business had revenue of $2.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.87 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.39 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that EMCOR Group will post 9.74 earnings per share for the current year.

EMCOR Group Increases Dividend

Analysts Set New Price Targets

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Monday, April 17th were given a dividend of $0.18 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 14th. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.41%. This is a boost from EMCOR Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. EMCOR Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.91%.

A number of research firms have commented on EME. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of EMCOR Group in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. DA Davidson increased their price target on shares of EMCOR Group from $165.00 to $188.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, February 24th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP R Kevin Matz sold 13,462 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.46, for a total transaction of $2,227,422.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 191,709 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,720,171.14. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other EMCOR Group news, CEO Anthony Guzzi sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.52, for a total value of $1,820,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 257,655 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,647,055.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP R Kevin Matz sold 13,462 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.46, for a total transaction of $2,227,422.52. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 191,709 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $31,720,171.14. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 49,462 shares of company stock worth $8,298,143 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On EMCOR Group

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Macquarie Group Ltd. boosted its position in shares of EMCOR Group by 65.1% during the 1st quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 21,566 shares of the construction companys stock worth $3,506,000 after purchasing an additional 8,506 shares during the period. Putnam Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of EMCOR Group by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Putnam Investments LLC now owns 98,666 shares of the construction companys stock worth $16,042,000 after purchasing an additional 511 shares during the period. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of EMCOR Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,177,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of EMCOR Group by 96.7% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 651,082 shares of the construction companys stock worth $105,859,000 after purchasing an additional 320,153 shares during the period. Finally, B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of EMCOR Group by 9.0% during the 1st quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 4,966 shares of the construction companys stock worth $808,000 after purchasing an additional 408 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.44% of the companys stock.

About EMCOR Group

(Get Rating)

EMCOR Group, Inc engages in the provision of electrical and mechanical construction, and facilities services. It operates through the following segments: United States Electrical Construction and Facilities Services, United States Mechanical Construction and Facilities Services, United States Building Services, United States Industrial Services, and United Kingdom Building Services.

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Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. (OTCMKTS:IVPAF  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 14,031,700 shares, an increase of 17.6% from the May 15th total of 11,932,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 121,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 115.4 days.

Ivanhoe Mines Stock Performance

Shares of IVPAF traded down $0.05 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $9.15. 66,115 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 94,085. The firms fifty day moving average is $8.57 and its 200 day moving average is $8.62. Ivanhoe Mines has a fifty-two week low of $4.90 and a fifty-two week high of $9.74.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on IVPAF. Raymond James lifted their target price on Ivanhoe Mines from C$15.00 to C$18.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 4th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Ivanhoe Mines from C$15.00 to C$17.00 in a report on Thursday, May 4th. TD Securities raised their target price on shares of Ivanhoe Mines from C$15.00 to C$17.00 in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of Ivanhoe Mines from C$14.50 to C$16.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 14th.

Ivanhoe Mines Company Profile

Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. is a mining development company engaged in the exploration and development of mineral properties. Its projects include the Platreef Project, Kamao-Kakula Project, Western Foreland Exploration Project, and Kipushi Project. The company was founded by Robert Martin Friedland on April 29, 1993 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

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Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH increased its position in shares of Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN  Get Rating) by 4.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,859 shares of the information technology services providers stock after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OHs holdings in Accenture were worth $531,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kestra Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Accenture by 40.7% during the 4th quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 64,893 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $17,316,000 after purchasing an additional 18,786 shares during the period. Alpha Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Accenture in the 4th quarter valued at about $263,000. Aspen Grove Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Accenture in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,437,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC boosted its position in Accenture by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 15,006 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $4,004,000 after buying an additional 248 shares during the period. Finally, RFG Advisory LLC boosted its position in Accenture by 15.5% in the 3rd quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 2,866 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $771,000 after buying an additional 385 shares during the period. 73.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Accenture Stock Performance

Shares of ACN opened at $319.56 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $288.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $279.76. The stock has a market cap of $201.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 1.24. Accenture plc has a one year low of $242.80 and a one year high of $327.93.

Accenture Announces Dividend

Accenture ( NYSE:ACN Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 23rd. The information technology services provider reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.20. Accenture had a return on equity of 30.73% and a net margin of 11.00%. The firm had revenue of $15.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.54 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Accenture plc will post 11.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 13th were issued a $1.12 dividend. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.40%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 12th. Accentures payout ratio is 41.25%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on ACN shares. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Accenture from $340.00 to $325.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Accenture from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, March 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Accenture from $292.00 to $377.00 in a report on Friday, June 9th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Accenture from $289.00 to $294.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, March 24th. Finally, Wedbush restated an outperform rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a report on Monday, March 13th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $328.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Accenture

In other Accenture news, insider Jean-Marc Ollagnier sold 6,250 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.06, for a total value of $1,750,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 174,084 shares of the companys stock, valued at $48,753,965.04. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, insider Ellyn Shook sold 5,250 shares of the 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 sale, the insider now directly owns 26,908 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,423,917.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Jean-Marc Ollagnier sold 6,250 shares of Accenture 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 transaction, the insider now owns 174,084 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $48,753,965.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 15,010 shares of company stock worth $4,180,030. Insiders own 0.08% of the companys stock.

About Accenture

(Get Rating)

Accenture plc, a professional services company, provides strategy and consulting, interactive, industry X, song, and technology and operation services worldwide. The company offers application services, including agile transformation, DevOps, application modernization, enterprise architecture, software and quality engineering, data management, intelligent automation comprises robotic process automation, natural language processing, and virtual agents, and application management services, as well as software engineering services; strategy and consulting services; data and analytics strategy, data discovery and augmentation, data management and beyond, data democratization, and industrialized solutions comprises turnkey analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions; metaverse; and sustainability services.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Vale (NYSE:VALE  Get Rating) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Tuesday morning.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Vale from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and lifted their target price for the company from $13.00 to $15.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 6th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Vale from $19.00 to $18.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. Finally, Citigroup downgraded shares of Vale from a buy rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $20.00 to $16.00 in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Six equities 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 has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $16.85.

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Vale Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VALE opened at $14.45 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.78 billion, a PE ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.87. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $14.13 and a 200-day moving average of $15.85. Vale has a 12 month low of $11.72 and a 12 month high of $19.31.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vale

Vale ( NYSE:VALE Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The basic materials company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.57 by ($0.16). The firm had revenue of $8.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.09 billion. Vale had a net margin of 38.99% and a return on equity of 38.16%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Vale will post 2.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC boosted its holdings in Vale by 125.7% in the first quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 24,417 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $488,000 after acquiring an additional 13,600 shares during the last quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Vale by 7.9% during the first quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 39,446 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $789,000 after buying an additional 2,899 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A. raised its stake in Vale by 28.3% during the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 30,966 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $619,000 after buying an additional 6,829 shares during the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its holdings in Vale by 55.5% in the first quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 151,722 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $3,033,000 after buying an additional 54,151 shares during the period. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Vale during the first quarter valued at $277,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 20.58% of the companys stock.

Vale Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Vale SA, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells iron ore and iron ore pellets for use as raw materials in steelmaking in Brazil and internationally. The company operates through Iron Solutions and Energy Transition Materials segments. The Iron Solutions segment produces and extracts iron ore and pellets, manganese, and other ferrous products; and provides related logistic services.

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Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable.
Connie Haas Zuber of ARCH Inc., front left, presents the 2023 ARCHie Outreach Award to Julia Tipton, executive director of the Community Learning Center. Behind them in the first row are Deb Purcell of Indiana Landmarks, Candice Holbrook, Melissa Carpenter of Freedom Academy, Jenna Anderson of Thrive by 5, Zach Benedict of MKM Architecture; Greg Matney Casey Weimer of the Cole Family YMCA; Dawn McGahen of the Kendallville Parks and Recreation Department; and Kendallville Mayor Suzanne Handshoe. In the back row are Seth Boszor; Brian Leitch of East Noble School Corporation; retired East Noble superintendent Ann Linson; Tom Leedy of the Dekko Foundation; former Kendallville city council member Frank Walkup; volunteer Judy Butler; CLC board president Judge Robert Probst; and Gary Atkins of Parkview Noble Hospital.
Auburn, IN (46706)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable.
SHREVEPORT, La. - Heavy winds raging at nearly 80 mph on Friday has devastated most of the ArkLaTex, leaving over 200k without power for over 
Lights, camera and action! Actor Vijay Deverakonda has started shooting for a film tentatively titled VD 12 in Hyderabad. The movie is being directed by Jersey fame Gowtam Tinnanuri. Taking to Instagram, Vijay dropped a poster in which he is seen holding a gun. "Shoot begins," the poster read. Sree Leela will share screen space with Vijay. More details regarding the project are awaited. VD 12 Shooting Begins! Makers Release New Poster of Vijay Deverakonda Along With Announcement (View Pic).

Vijay has also collaborated with Mrunal Thakur for a new film, which is being helmed by Parasuram Petla and is being produced by Sri Venkateswara Creations. Mrunal shared a picture from the film's pooja with Vijay on her Instagram handle and wrote in the caption, "The first step in a very exciting journey...It's my 1st time working with @srivenkateswaracreations and I'm really thrilled to be sharing the screen with @thedeverakonda..Can't wait for the shoot to begin @parasurampetla #KUMohanan @gopisundar__official #VasuVarma #DilRaju #Shirish @harshithsri @hanshithareddy" VD 12: Vijay Deverakondas Treats Fans to His First Look from His Upcoming Film on His Birthday! (View Poster).

Check Out The Poster Of Vijay Deverakonda's Film VD 12

VD 12 Poster (Photo Credits: Vijay Deverakonda Instagram)

The film will have Vasu Varma as the creative producer, KU Mohanan as cinematographer, Gopi Sunder as music director with art direction being handled by AS Prakash.
Raipur, Jun 17 (PTI) A Congress legislator in Chhattisgarh reportedly spoke of the need for Hindus to unite so that "Hindu Rashtra" can be formed, prodding the ruling party to say the remarks were "personal views" and that it swore by the Constitution and secularism.

Dharsiwa MLA Anita Yogendra Sharma reportedly made the appeal on Friday while addressing an event in Raipur to mark the birth anniversary of Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Shocker: Forced To Carry Newborn Son's Body in Bag Aboard Passenger Bus As Government Hospital Denied Mortuary Van, Alleges Man in Jabalpur (Watch Video).

"Wherever we are, be it in a village or any place we should pledge and talk for Hindus. When we Hindus come together then only Hindu Rashtra can be created," she said in Chhattisgarhi language.

Reacting to the statement, Chhattisgarh state Congress communication head Sushil Anand Shukla said, "The Congress party stands with the Constitution. It is firm on secularism that is mentioned in the Constitution drafted by leaders like Babasaheb Ambedkar, Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru, Dr Rajendra Prasad.

Also Read | Aurangabad: Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi President Prakash Ambedkar Bows, Pays Obeisance to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (Watch Video).

Asserting that what Sharma said was her "personal views", Shukla said the Congress welcomes every person's ideology, religion, opinion and differences.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters during the day, Sharma said her statement had been misinterpreted.

"I was only talking about the unity of people who live in the country," she claimed.

Chhattisgarh Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Kedar Gupta said if the Congress supports the Uniform Civil Code, which he claimed was in the pipeline, then "Ram Rajya will prevail as the UCC will end the appeasement politics".

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 17 (ANI): Udyami Mitra will not only serve as a bridge between the entrepreneurs investing in the state and the government machinery, but also as the third eye of the government as youths associated with the CM Fellowship Scheme do in aspirational development blocks, said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday.

Distributing an incentive amount of Rs 232 crore to various entrepreneurs as well as appointment letters to 102 Udyami Mitrasat at a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan, CM Yogi said that Udyami Mitras will try to solve investors' problems and if there is no solution available at the local level, they will apprise the concerned department about it to find it.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Shocker: Forced To Carry Newborn Son's Body in Bag Aboard Passenger Bus As Government Hospital Denied Mortuary Van, Alleges Man in Jabalpur (Watch Video).

The CM also appealed to the entrepreneurs to invest more in the state and connect the youth of the state with skill development, using their CSR funds.

On this occasion, various entrepreneurs appreciated the improved law and order in Uttar Pradesh and the investment-friendly facilities like Single Window Clearance of the Yogi Government and gave suggestions. Top Udyami Mitras also shared their experiences of training with the CM.

Also Read | Aurangabad: Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi President Prakash Ambedkar Bows, Pays Obeisance to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (Watch Video).

Addressing Udyami Mitras, CM Yogi said, "More than 100 Udyami Mitras have been selected here, who have received 14 days' training and have also inspected some industrial sites. You are about to start a new inning of life. Within the next three years, you will contribute strongly to furthering the possibilities of investment in Uttar Pradesh under these programmes. Your work will be evaluated every month. After the successful tenure of three years, any Udyami Mitras who is associated with industrial development or is willing to join any service of various authorities or government will be given age relaxation as well as special weightage."

The Chief Minister said that besides making Uttar Pradesh the country's number one economy, Udyami Mitras will play an important role in achieving the goal of Ease of Doing Business.

"You have to see that no one can point a finger at you anywhere. There will be an attempt to lure you and break your morale. But, you must keep in mind the 25 crore people of the state and carry out your duties with unwavering commitment and dedication to establish the state as a one trillion dollar economy and as the country's biggest economy," he remarked.

Referring to the youth selected for CM Fellowship Scheme, he said that they are going to the selected aspirational development blocks and contributing to establishing them as development blocks, connecting these with the process of development.

Referring to the eligibility of Udyami Mitras, the CM said that 1500 people had applied, out of which 105 candidates were selected, including 87 men and 18 women. Besides, 15 persons are on the waiting list.

"All the candidates who have been selected here have come from respected universities. Graduate, Post Graduate candidates applied from top educational institutes including the University of Wales, UK, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, BHU, Triple IIT Prayagraj and NIT Prayagraj. It is an appeal to all of you that this is an opportunity for you to work, to prove yourself and to use your potential in the interest of the state. This time you must have seen that we have received proposals worth Rs 35 lakh crores at the Global Investors Summit. Uttar Pradesh has set the standard of how the Investors Summit should be held," he further pointed out.

CM Yogi said today, no entrepreneur or businessman can complain that some goon has called them for donations or for cooperation in elections in UP, emphasising that the government will not let them down after the trust they have reposed in the government. He also appealed to the entrepreneurs to invest more and more in the changed Uttar Pradesh and create employment.

"Use your CSR funds in Uttar Pradesh only. Every industry must associate one institution with itself. Connect the youth here with the work of skill development as per your requirement. Provide training to the people associated with the institution at your place," CM said.

"We have also started CM Internship Scheme. Under the scheme, youth will work with you for a certain period of time and later be adjusted elsewhere. We have set a target to connect 7.5 lakh youth with this within the next one year in Uttar Pradesh", Yogi added further.

On this occasion, Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal Gupta 'Nandi', Minister of State for Industrial Development and Parliamentary Jaswant Saini, Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner Manoj Kumar Singh, Chief Minister's advisors Avnish Awasthi, Arvind Kumar, Infrastructure and Industrial Development Principal Secretary Narendra Bhushan, Industrial Development and Invest Officials of UP and many entrepreneurs from the country and the state were present. (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, Jun 18 (PTI) Ten opposition parties of Manipur led by the Congress on Saturday questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the continued violence in the northeastern state, while urging him to meet them and make an appeal for peace.

Addressing a press conference with other leaders, Manipur's three-time former chief minister O Ibobi Singh said they have sought a meeting with the prime minister and were awaiting his response before he leaves for his foreign tour on June 20.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Shocker: Forced To Carry Newborn Son's Body in Bag Aboard Passenger Bus As Government Hospital Denied Mortuary Van, Alleges Man in Jabalpur (Watch Video).

The Congress leader said that the violence was continuing in the state since May 3 and the "silence" of Prime Minister Modi is "hurting" Manipur.

"There is a hue and cry everywhere, with 20,000 people, including women and children, taking shelter in camps. However, the prime minister has not yet expressed anything regarding Manipur. Is Manipur a part of India or not? If it is, why hasn't the Prime Minister of India spoken about it," he asked.

Also Read | Aurangabad: Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi President Prakash Ambedkar Bows, Pays Obeisance to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (Watch Video).

Congress general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh said the leaders of 10 opposition parties had sent an email to the prime minister on June 10 for a meeting with them but have not received any response.

He said the letter of request for a meeting with the PM has also been hand-delivered to the Prime Minister's Office on June 12.

Ramesh said when violence broke out in Manipur 22 years ago, the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had called an all-party meeting twice on the demand of all the parties.

Vajpayee had also appealed for peace then, he said, urging Prime Minister Modi to issue a similar appeal now.

"There is only one reason why Manipur is burning and it is the ideology of the RSS and the politics of the BJP. It is not just Manipur, other states of the north-east are facing huge issues. This is the time of dealing with all militant organisations," he claimed.

"Manipur was burning 22 years ago on June 18, 2001. State Assembly, Speaker's bungalow, and CM Secretariat were burnt and remained blocked for 3 and a half months.

"At that time Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister of India and on the demand of various parties, an all-party meeting was called twice and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee appealed for peace. Today people from 10 parties are waiting to meet PM Modi, but PM Modi is silent," he said.

Ibobi Singh said their intention is not to take political advantage. "We simply seek peace. Please help us," the former state chief minister said.

Five-time MLA of JDU Nimai Chand Luwang, who was part of the delegation that had met Vajpayee, said even after the visit of the Home Minister, the violence in Manipur continues unabated.

"The current BJP government has failed miserably in addressing the situation in Manipur. We want the prime minister to intervene and bring a solution to stop the violence in Manipur," he said.

Manipur PCC President Keisham Meghachandra said, "We, leaders of 10 like-minded political parties, have arrived in Delhi to secure an appointment with PM Modi, as he appears unconcerned about the issues plaguing Manipur."

Sources said that the Congress has convened a meeting of opposition leaders here on Monday if there is no response from the prime minister to their request.

The other leaders present at the press conefrence were JD(U) state president KSH Biren Singh, CPI state council secretary L Thoiren Singh, CPM's Kshetranayam Shanta, Trinamool Congress state convener Thokchom Inocha Singh, AAP coordinator Thingyam Vishwanath Singh, All India Forward Block leader KH Gyaneswar Singh, NCP's state president Soram Ikoyama Singh and Shiv Sena Shiv Sena (UBT) leader T Debanand Singh, along with a representative Revolutionary Social Party.

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said Manipur requires a political solution not a mere deployment of police and military to handle law and order as the Modi Government "is seeking to do".

"BJP CM Biren Singh has definitely failed miserably to handle the situation and any semblance of government has crumbled in the state.BJP National President J P Nadda maintains a stony silence' over Manipur as if nothing is happening," he alleged.

"Should the PM and Union Government not initiate a fresh dialogue with both ethnic groups? Do the victims of violence not require a direct healing touch from the PM and Union Government assuring them of support and rehabilitation?

"Is the Modi government even listening? Does the PM even care? Is GOI even concerned?" he tweeted.

Surjewala said the Modi government "should wake up and solve the issue in the nation's interest".

More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in Manipur. The state government has imposed a curfew in 11 districts and suspended internet services.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 17 (ANI): Self-reliance is not an option but a necessity, as India is facing a double threat on its borders, along with new dimensions of warfare that are emerging in today's fast-changing world, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Lucknow on Saturday.

Rajnath Singh was speaking at a defence dialogue on 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' organised by STRIVE think-tank, a veterans' initiative in Lucknow.

Also Read | NEET Merit List: NMC Revises Regulations, Physics Marks to Get Priority Over Biology in Case of Tie.

He termed a strong and self-reliant military as the backbone of a sovereign nation, which besides protecting the borders, safeguards the country's civilisation and culture. He asserted that the Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is ensuring that the Armed Forces are not dependent on foreign weapons and equipment, emphasising that the real strength lies in being 'Aatmanirbhar', especially when an emergency situation arises.

He emphasized the paradigm shift brought about by technology in the nature of warfare. He focused on the need to develop indigenous state-of-the-art weapons and platforms that equip & prepare the Armed Forces to tackle new and emerging challenges.

Also Read | Rajasthan Shocker: Girl Sexually Assaulted by Two Cousins in Udaipur, Case Registered.

"Most of the weapons today are electronic-based systems, which can reveal sensitive information to the adversaries. As imported equipment has certain limitations, we need to go beyond the horizon and achieve self-reliance in niche technologies. The latest weapons/equipment are equally important as the bravery of our soldiers. If India wishes to become a military power at the global level, there is no other option than being self-reliant in defence manufacturing," Singh said.

He enumerated the steps taken by the Government to create a robust defence ecosystem, which not only caters to domestic requirements but also fulfils the security needs of friendly countries. These include setting up of Defence Industrial Corridors (DIC) in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu; earmarking of a record 75 per cent of the defence capital procurement budget (approx. Rs one lakh crore) for the domestic industry in Financial Year 2023-24; 25 per cent R&D budget for private industry and Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative & Technology Development Fund to promote start-ups.

He informed that so far, a total investment of about Rs 2,500 crore has been made in UPDIC by various entities. The corridor will not only produce spare parts, but also manufacture and assemble Drones/Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Electronic warfare, Aircraft & BrahMos missiles.The Raksha Mantri highlighted that the Government's efforts in the last few years have resulted in over Rs one lakh crore in defence production and nearly Rs 16,000 crore in exports in Financial Year 2022-23.

He exuded confidence that the defence exports will soon cross Rs 20,000 crore mark. "We are moving ahead at an unprecedented pace to achieve the Prime Minister's vision of making India a developed nation by 2047. The aim is to build an economically powerful and completely self-reliant India, which is also a net defence exporter," he added.

Chief Nodal Officer for UP DIC Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (Retd), officers of the Armed Forces & DRDO and representatives of the industry and academia were present on the occasion. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 17 (ANI): Pilibhit's Chuka Beach has emerged as Uttar Pradesh's newest tourist hotspot. As many as 23,679 tourists including 23,625 Indians and 54 foreigners have visited Chuka Beach so far this year, said the state authorities.

As a result, the department received revenue of Rs 51,04,050, which is the highest in comparison to previous years, they added.

Also Read | Manipur Violence: Normal Classes Up to Calss 8 To Resume in State From June 21.

The State's Tourism Department is developing new centers with historical and other specialties alongside its existing tourist destinations. Special attention is being paid to meeting all of the needs of visitors in order to promote tourism in these locations.

Chuka Beach gained popularity as a tourist destination as a result of publicity campaigns launched by the Yogi government.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh: Six People Attempt to Kill State Energy Minister Pradyuman Singh Tomars Brother in Gwalior (Watch CCTV Video).

Tourists are enjoying the food stalls and tree houses in addition to visiting the nearby temples. Additionally, they are drawn to this location by its favorable climate and scenic natural beauty, said state officials.

23,579 tourists also enjoyed the jungle safari. Senior officials, politicians, actors, and judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts also visited this place during the tourism session from November 15 till now.

There are 7 Forest Rest Houses available in different ranges under Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. As many as 4 tharu and 1 tree hut are available for the night rest of tourists at Chuka tourist place. A souvenir shop is also available at the Chuka tourist spot.

Students and teachers from different schools visited 42 times by private buses during the tourism season of 2022-2023. About 23,579 tourists went on 4,337 jungle safaris during the tourism year.

During the tourist season, travelers booked huts online 839 times. At the Chuka tourist destination, there are 44 tour guides available to take visitors on a tour. About 4 watch towers have been built for tourists.

Uttar Pradesh Government uses social media to advertise Chuka Beach by using the Twitter handle @pilibhitR and the website pilibhittigerreserve.in. There are 3 signature gates available for tourists near PTR headquarters, Mustafabad and Lalpur.

There is a water hut available for visitors, and they enjoy it very much. Motorboat safari is operated in Sharda Sagar Dam for tourists. 4 homestays are being operated under Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. More than 77,000 tourists visited Chuka Beach in five years, said officials. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kampala [Uganda], June 17 (ANI): The death toll has risen to 41 in an armed rebels' attack on a school in western Uganda on Saturday, CNN reported.

The armed rebels, notably abducted six others, killing many, which included mostly students.

Also Read | Switzerland: Seven Injured When Hot Air Balloon Catches Fire During Takeoff in Huenenberg.

Military spokesman Felix Kulayigye told CNN that some of the victims died after being killed with machetes, while others lost their lives after having their dormitories set ablaze.

According to Uganda's military, some 20 members of the rebel organisation Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has ties to ISIS, assaulted the Lhubirira secondary school late on Friday.

Also Read | Pakistan: NAB Summons Imran Khan Again in Toshakhana Reference on June 21.

Children between the ages of 13 and 18 attended the school, which is located in the town of Kasese along Uganda's border with Congo.

According to CNN, local authorities reported that of the fatalities, 39 were students and two were members of the local community.

Armed rebels of the ADF, which has ties to ISIS, attacked the Lhubirira secondary school in Mpondwe, along the country's border with the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday night, the police said.

Uganda Police Force Spokesperson Fred Enanga wrote on Twitter: "A dormitory was burnt and a food store looted."

The spokesperson said that Ugandan Police and the Uganda People's Defense Force were in "hot pursuit" of the suspects. (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], June 17 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will on Monday hold a bilateral meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart General Phan Van Giang to carry forward India-Vietnam defence cooperation.

The two will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Also Read | Brazil: Emergency Door of Brazilian Passenger Plane Bursts Open Mid-Flight, Causes Panic on Board (Watch Video).

Vietnam's Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang will be on an official visit to India from June 18-19. The minister will during his stay, also undertake a cultural visit to Agra.

India and Vietnam share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Bilateral defence relations form a significant pillar of this partnership, as per a release issued by the Ministry of Defence.

Also Read | PM Modi US Fan Video: Prime Minister Narendra Modi an Inspiration to Me, Says Fan Who Flaunts 'NMODI' Car Number Plate in Maryland.

According to the release, defence engagements between the two nations have diversified to include wide-ranging contacts between the services, military-to-military exchanges, high-level visits, capacity building and training programmes, cooperation in UN Peacekeeping, ship visits and bilateral exercises.

During Rajnath Singh's visit to Vietnam in June 2022, major overarching guiding documents namely 'Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030' and a Memorandum of Understanding on 'Mutual Logistics Support' were signed that have significantly enhanced the scope and scale of defence cooperation between both the countries.

Meanwhile, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (East) Saurabh Kumar and Vice Chairman of National Boundary Commission of Vietnam Trinh Duc Hai recently discussed ways to further strengthen India-Vietnam bilateral relations including in the realm of defence, security and maritime cooperation.

"Secy (East) @AmbSaurabhKumar met Vice Chairman Trinh Duc Hai of the National Boundary Commission of Vietnam today. Discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations including in the realm of defence, security and maritime cooperation," MEA Official Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Washington D.C. [US], June 17 (ANI): Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to the US, the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Micron Technology, Sanjay Mehrotra lauded PM Modi's vision for India's technological advancement on Saturday.

In a video shared by the Embassy of India in the US today, the top Indian-American CEO has said that he is looking forward to the state visit of PM Modi and added that he would like to extend a warm welcome to him.

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"We see much promise in India as part of our global footprint. Indians have made their mark in every field, be it in the private sector, academia or government enriching the cultural fabric of countries worldwide," he said.

https://twitter.com/IndianEmbassyUS/status/1670054503071055872?s=20

Also Read | Switzerland: Seven Injured When Hot Air Balloon Catches Fire During Takeoff in Huenenberg.

Adding further, he said that Prime Minister Modi's actions to build India's economy by investing in the skills of its young people are deeply appreciated.

"His support for the semiconductor industry and workforce development has fostered an environment of innovation, business growth and social progress," he said.

"We applaud the Prime Minister'svision for India's technological advancement and commitment to equitable development. Prime Minister Modi," he added, saying "Once again on behalf of Micron. Welcome to the United States."

Micron is a leader in cutting-edge memory and storage technologies.

"More than 3500 engineering operations and technology specialists work in our R and D centres in Hyderabad and Bangalore, which are at the forefront of the semiconductor industry," the Micron Technology CEO underlined.

During his US visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet business leaders of 20 top American companies here and is also expected to address a gathering of more than 1,500 diaspora and business leaders who have been invited to the John F Kennedy Centre in Washington.

Top 20 business leaders of US companies including Mastercard, Accenture, the Coca-Cola Company, Adobe Systems and Visa are expected to meet with the Prime Minister, two people familiar with the event and its logistics told ANI.

The business advocacy group, the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) headed by Dr Mukesh Aghi will host 'We The People: Celebrating the U.S.-India Partnership' on Friday, June 23, 2023, in Washington D.C.

"The event will witness eminent industry leaders from across various sectors including IT, Telecom, FMCG, logistics, and industrials," a person familiar with the planning told ANI.

This meeting will be post Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the State Dinner at the White House and before going on an official visit to Cairo at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

The event will have a get-together of not just business leaders but also some of the Biden administration's top officials. (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, June 17: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the investigation into a series of attacks carried out by Khalistani elements in Indian missions in the US and Canada, Delhi Police sources told IANS on Saturday.

The Delhi Police Special Cell had previously registered two FIRs under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) regarding the attacks that took place in March in San Francisco and Toronto in March. UK: Punjabi Eatery Allegedly Vandalised by Anti-India Khalistani Elements in London (Watch Video).

Following a careful examination of the case, the police decided to transfer the investigation to the NIA, given their expertise in dealing with cases involving terrorism and transnational elements, the sources said.

In recent times, there have been instances of pro-Khalistan supporters in the US issuing threats towards New Delhi's Ambassador to Washington, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, during their protests.

On March 20, multiple videos captured a large mob launching an attack on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, while loud Punjabi music played in the background. Khalistani Terrorist-Gangster Nexus: Interpol Issues Blue Notice Against Harjot Singh To Identify Exact Location To Initiate Extradition Proceedings.

The assailants had vandalised the outer wall of the building by spray-painting a prominent graffiti that read "Free Amritpal", referring to the jailed Waris De chief Amritpal Singh.

The attackers used the wooden butts of Khalistan flags, which they had been waving earlier, to smash the glass doors and windows of the Consulate. Despite the mob breaching a barricade, they could not enter the Consulate premises.

Also in March, pro-Khalistan supporters organised a protest outside the Consulate General of India in Toronto during which they reportedly engaged in acts of aggression towards Indian-origin journalists who were present at the scene.

In response, the External Affairs Ministry had lodged a "strong concern about the actions of separatist and extremist elements" and also "sought an explanation on how such elements were allowed, in the presence of police, to breach the security of our diplomatic Mission and Consulates".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 17, 2023 03:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
The warring factions in Sudan's more than nine-week-long war have agreed another cease-fire, mediators say, shortly after deadly airstrikes hit the capital. All previous truces have failed to put an end to the conflict.The two opposing military factions fighting for power in Sudan agreed to another 72-hour cease-fire on Saturday in a deal that came shortly after airstrikes hit the capital, Khartoum, killing at least 17 people.

Also Read | Manipur Violence: Normal Classes Up to Calss 8 To Resume in State From June 21.

The new truce, the latest in a series of attempts to put an end to the fighting, comes as the conflict between government troops and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) enters its third month.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh: Six People Attempt to Kill State Energy Minister Pradyuman Singh Tomars Brother in Gwalior (Watch CCTV Video).

Local volunteers and the Khartoum Health Ministry said those killed in the airstrikes included five children. The strikes on the Yarmouk district of the Mayo area of southern Khartoum also destroyed some 25 homes.

The fighting, ongoing since April 15, has left over 3,000 dead and 6,000 more injured, Sudanese Health Minister Haitham Ibrahim told Saudi Hadath TV. He added that only half of the capital's 130 hospitals remained operational, while all West Darfur hospitals were out of service.

Over 2 million residents have fled to safer areas within Sudan or crossed into neighboring countries.

Clashes have intensified after a frail cease-fire expired last week. It was the latest of several others brokered to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

What do we know about the latest strikes?

The impoverished, densely populated southern neighborhood has been in the crosshairs several times, especially in recent weeks.

Neither party gave an immediate comment after the strikes, which reportedly also injured 11, and it was not clear whether the attack was carried out by aircraft or a drone.

The Health Ministry shared a video showing the destroyed homes due to the strikes.

The Sudanese military has mobilized its air force against the RSF since the start of the conflict. The latter has been hiding in residential neighborhoods, where the military has been attacking them.

Top military general Yassir al-Atta warned civilians to steer clear of homes occupied by the RSF, in a speech on Friday.

"Because at this point, we will attack them anywhere," he said to cheers. "Between us and these rebels are bullets."

The RSF, meanwhile, reportedly used drones and anti-aircraft missiles to fight the army.

Darfur medics 'overwhelmed' by wounded

In neighboring Chad, medics have complained of the influx of wounded citizens fleeing Sudan's Darfur region. The region, which saw fighting amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity two decades ago, has been among the most impacted by the latest conflict.

"We are overwhelmed in the operating theater. We urgently need more beds and more staff," said Seybou Diarra, physician and project coordinator in Adre, Chad for the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity.

At least 149,000 people have fled Darfur into neighboring Chad, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The US State Department has put the death toll in West Darfur's state capital, Genena, at around 1,100 since the fighting erupted in mid-April.

Among the victims was West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdullah Akabar, the French AFP news agency reported. He was killed shortly after giving a television interview on Wednesday in which he criticized the RSF.

The paramilitary has denied responsibility for his death.

The US State Department has blamed the RSF "primarily" for the Darfur atrocities, warning that the violence witnessed in the volatile region was an "ominous reminder" of its previous genocide.

Sudan's ousted president Omar al-Basheer had used the Arab Janjaweed militia, from which the RSF later emerged, to quell Darfur's rebel uprising in 2003.

Local reports suggest the Janjaweed has been recently fighting alongside the RSF in Darfur.

rmt/sms (AFP, AP, Reuters)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 18, 2023 02:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Hyderabad, June 17: Telangana University Vice Chancellor D Ravinder was caught red-handed after he allegedly accepted Rs 50,000 as a bribe from the promoter of an educational institution, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said on Saturday. The "bribe amount" of Rs 50,000 was recovered from the almirah located in the bedroom of the VC's residence, ACB said in a statement. EPFO Official Arrested for Accepting Bribe of Rs 12 Lakh in Delhi.

"Therefore the accused officer Sri Dachepalli Ravinder, Vice Chancellor, Telangana University, Nizamabad, will be arrested and produced before the Hon,ble Principal Sessions Judge for SPE and ACB cases court at Hyderabad," it said. Bribery Case: CBI Arrests Four People Including Navys Senior Auditor and Data Entry Operator of CDA in Visakhapatnam.

The case is under investigation, it added. Recently the Vice Chancellor and the executive committee of the varsity were at loggerheads over the appointment of the Registrar to Telangana University.
"A passerby suspected that Nasir was a thief and started assaulting him. Soon other people joined and thrashed the man. Some people rescued Nasir and took him to Juni Kamptee police station where he collapsed. Police rushed him to a hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival," the official said.
Nepal President Ram Chandra Poudel has been hospitalised after he experienced chest pain. The news was confirmed by Chiranjibi Adhikari, Personal Secretary of Nepal President. Speaking to the news agency ANI, Chiranjibi Adhikari said, "He has been admitted to Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Center in Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital earlier this morning after he complained of chest pain. His health condition is normal." Nepal President Ram Chandra Paudel Hospitalised Again After Chest Pain.

Ram Chandra Poudel Hospitalized

Nepal President Ram Chandra Poudel hospitalized after chest pain "He has been admitted to Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Center in Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital earlier this morning after he complained of chest pain. His health condition is normal," pic.twitter.com/VeVCT5az1H  ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has recently informed the public about a significant data breach that resulted in the compromise of personal information belonging to 3.5 million Oregon residents, according to KOIN.

The Oregon data breach has raised concerns about the privacy and security of individuals' private DMV records.

ODOT promptly secured its systems after discovering the Oregon DMV data breach. However, due to the nature of the incident, it is estimated that approximately 90% of Oregonians with state driver's licenses and ID cards may have been affected.

ODOT cannot determine with certainty whether the hackers accessed an individual's specific information.

To address the situation, there are steps individuals can take to assess the potential impact on their data. While ODOT cannot provide direct information on specific breaches, alternative methods are available to help individuals determine if their data has been compromised.

READ NEXT: Facebook, Apple, Google Duped Into Releasing User Data to Hackers

What To Do Against the Oregon DMV Data Breach?

When you receive your credit reports, it is essential to review them carefully and look for any transactions or accounts that you do not recognize, per DataConomy.

Suppose you come across anything you need help understanding. In that case, it is recommended to call the number provided on the credit report or visit the Federal Trade Commission's website on identity theft for further information. Taking these steps can help you address any potential issues.

Consider requesting a credit freeze from the three credit monitoring companies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

They have customer support hotlines that you can reach at 1-888-397-3742, 1-800-685-1111, and by visiting experian.com/help.

Oregon residents should be aware that they have the legal right to receive a free copy of their credit report from Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian once a year upon request.

This is a crucial resource to understand who has access to your credit history. To obtain your Annual Credit Report or call 1-877-322-8228.

Protect Your Digital Information

Ensuring the security of your online accounts is crucial in protecting yourself against identity theft. One fundamental step is to use secure and unique passwords for each of your accounts, OregonLive noted.

A strong password is difficult to guess, so consider using a combination of capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Having unique passwords prevents a potential breach in one account from compromising your other accounts.

To help manage your passwords effectively, consider using password manager apps. These tools securely store your passwords and can generate complex passwords for you.

Additionally, enabling two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring a secondary verification method, such as a unique code sent to your phone, when logging into your accounts.

Smartphones can be vulnerable to identity theft, so taking precautions is essential. Set a passcode on your phone to restrict unauthorized access, and consider adding a security code to your phone account for added protection.

Keeping your phone's software up to date is crucial, as updates often include security patches. It's essential not to delay updating your phone, as scammers may exploit any vulnerabilities during that time.

READ MORE: CHP Found Fentanyl in San Francisco

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: 3.5 million Oregonians potentially impacted by DMV data breach - From KGW News
A 6-year-old Texas boy has sadly succumbed to his injuries a month after he and his father were struck by lightning in Valley Mills, according to PEOPLE.

His loved ones shared the devastating news on Friday that Grayson Boggs had gone to be with the Lord and his father at 5:05 am.

The news was accompanied by a heartfelt plea on a GoFundMe page, asking people to offer their prayers and support to the grieving family during this challenging time.

The message read, "Fly high, sweet boy," encapsulating the profound loss those close to Grayson felt.

Angela Boggs, Matthew Bogg's mother, and Grayson's grandmother, recounted the final poignant moments shared between father and son.

Matthew expressed his love for his son, saying, "I love you, buddy." Shortly after that, tragedy struck as lightning descended upon them.

Grayson received immediate medical attention at Baylor Scott & White McLane Children's Medical Center in Temple. However, despite the dedicated efforts of healthcare professionals, the young boy's condition remained critical.

Stephanie Burris, Grayson Boggs' cousin and the organizer of the fundraising page, provided additional insight into his condition.

Grayson experienced multiple seizures following the lightning strike and required assistance from a ventilator to support his breathing. An MRI revealed damage to his frontal lobe and optic nerve, adding to the severity of his injuries.

It was revealed that Grayson had been taken off the ventilator and could breathe independently, according to a recent update shared by family members on Thursday. Still, the sad reality persisted as doctors conveyed their belief that the chances of his survival remained highly unlikely.

READ NEXT: Lightning Strikes U.S. Army Base, One Dead, 9 Injured

Lightning Strikes Texas Boy and His Father

A devastating incident unfolded in Valley Mills, Texas, as Matthew, 34, was struck by lightning while picking up his son, Grayson Boggs, from a bus on May 15, as detailed on a GoFundMe page organized by a family member.

The bolt of lightning traveled through their intertwined hands, causing a cascading effect of unimaginable consequences, per AOL.

Deputies and EMS personnel swiftly responded to the scene, finding both Matthew and Grayson unresponsive, according to a police news release.

Despite their efforts, Matthew was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving behind a void that his loved ones would forever feel.

Grayson Boggs, though motionless, clung to life and was immediately rushed to a hospital for critical medical intervention, as authorities confirmed.

The lightning strike had resulted in a brain injury due to oxygen deprivation, plunging the young boy into a coma.

However, there were glimmers of hope in the following days as he exhibited slight improvement, offering a ray of optimism amidst the family's anguish.

Regrettably, on June 16, approximately one month after the tragic lightning strike, the Texas boy's mother, Kayla Boggs, shared a heart-wrenching announcement on Facebook.

Deaths From Lightning Strikes Are More Common and More Severe in the Southeast

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lightning strikes occur more frequently and pose a more significant threat in the southeastern states, including Texas, The Daily Mail noted.

An analysis of lightning-related fatalities from 2006 to 2021 reveals a sobering reality. Only five states-Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, New Hampshire, and Washington-and the U.S. Virgin Islands have reported no lightning-related deaths during this period.

Among the states with documented lightning fatalities, Texas is the second-highest, with 36 reported deaths. However, Florida claims the unfortunate first position, with 79 recorded lightning-related deaths during the same timeframe.

READ MORE: 2 Shot, 1 Police Hit by Firetruck at Denver Nuggets Parade

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Family: 6-year-old boy struck by lightning in Valley Mills dies month after father - From KCENNews
Women from Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Enterprise joined other women from the Dothan Deanery for a spiritual gathering held at Christ the King Catholic Church in Andalusia.

The theme of the gathering was Setting the table for the Lords Supper, said Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church Ladies Guild member Cathy Sedberry.

We shared our faith with one another and watched how to care for our altar linens, Sedberry said. After lunch a spiritual journey was walked in stations during which a special fruit bowl was made which we shared.
Pat Sajak announced Monday that next season he will take his final spin as host of the beloved game show Wheel of Fortune.

However, there is already speculation about who will replace him after his departure.

Here are some of the contenders that people speculate will take over hosting duties.

Vanna White

Long-time letter-turner Vanna White has appeared alongside Pat Sajak since 1983. She also filled in as a host in 2019 after Pat Sajak had to undergo an emergency surgery for a blocked intestine.

Maggie Sajak

Pat Sajaks 28-year-old daughter, Maggie, has also been rumored to take over the hosting slot. She joined Wheel of Fortune in 2021 as their social media correspondent, conducting interviews behind the scenes.

Maggie Sajak also took a turn as a letter-turner on an episode of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune where Vanna White was a contestant.

Ryan Seacrest

Bloomberg News, the first outlet to report Pat Sajaks departure, tweeted within hours that Ryan Seacrest was in the running to be his replacement.

Seacrest is no stranger to television with hosting credentials including American Idol, Live with Kelly and Ryan and Dick Clarks New Years Rockin Eve.

He also has a syndicated radio show called On Air with Ryan Seacrest.

Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg expressed interest in the hosting job during a Tuesday morning episode of The View when the panelists were discussing Pat Sajaks retirement.

I want that job. I think it would be tons of fun, Goldberg said.

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The U.S. Department of Education announced a rough timeline of when borrowers should start their repayments after the three-year pause on repayments due to COVID-19 ended.

Starting September 1, interest will restart for people with federal student loans. In October, borrowers will have to resume their payments on their loans.

Even though interest will begin to accumulate on September 1, payments will not be required from borrowers right away.

The exact date when repayments for student loans start for borrowers depends on the individual loan servicer.

The Department of Education is expected to give more specific details in the next few months to ensure students are aware of the coming deadlines.

The Biden administration previously said the student loan payment pause would be lifted after the Supreme Court ruled on President Joe Bidens student loan forgiveness program, or two months after June 30.

The latest news from the Department of Education tweaks that schedule.

Americans with federal student loans who earn an annual income below a certain amount will have between $10,000 and $20,000 of their debt canceled before payments restart, if the Supreme Court allows the program to proceed by ruling for it.

However, if the Supreme Court rules against the student debt relief program, Americans will restart their student loan payments as outlined by the Department of Education without any changes.

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Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.
The dragon boats brought down from Canada for racing Saturday on a Northampton County lake had faces, but at first empty eyes.

They were given sight Saturday morning before the first heats, when a ceremonial dotting of the eyes rendered them ready for battle.

The Cancer Support Community of the Greater Lehigh Valley held its fifth annual Dragon Boat Festival on Evergreen Lake outside Bath, in Moore Township.

Grace Lehr, 12, of Northampton paints the eyes of a dragon. Dragon boat racers compete during the Cancer Support Community Dragon Boat Festival on June 17, 2023, on Evergreen Lake in Moore Township.Donna Fisher | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

Its just a lot of people getting together, having a great time, said Jen Gibbs, marketing and development manager for the nonprofit based in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.

There was, of course, a serious goal for the corporate and community teams  18 in all  of up to 22 people per boat: to raise money for the local Cancer Support Community. The group offers support groups, individual counseling, education, stress reduction, healthy lifestyle tips, a free wig salon and more to people battling cancer and their family, friends and caregivers.

Everything is free for anyone impacted by cancer, Gibbs said as the boats flashed across the 200-meter course on the bucolic lake. So events like this help us support the programs that we offer.

This festival started with a handful of teams in 2018, growing to 11 teams in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 edition with a record 19 teams signed up by that February. It returned in 2021 and has continued since, rain or shine.

Montreal, Quebec-based 22Dragons provides the boats  a dragons head on each bow, a tail on each stern and scales painted along the wooden hulls  as well as the paddles, lifejackets, timing equipment and staff. Following practice runs Wednesday through Friday at Evergreen Lake, the boats raced in pairs across three heats to crown a winner Saturday.

The teams recognized for coming out on top were as follows, according to Gibbs:

Top race team: Quadrant Private Wealth.

Team Spirit: Iron Core Strength.

Top Fundraiser: Perfect Balance Boutique.

Dragon boat racers compete during the Cancer Support Community Dragon Boat Festival on June 17, 2023, on Evergreen Lake in Moore Township.Donna Fisher | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

Once they start rowing its not the brawniest people, its not the fastest people thats going to win, its the ones that stay in sync, Gibbs said.

There are a couple of keys to staying in sync, starting with experts arranging each crew by relative size  smaller people in the front and back, the bigger ones in the middle. Paddlers sit two abreast, and try to time each stroke with the paddlers in front and to their side.

The second key is the animal-skin drum at the bow that one of the 22-person crew bangs to set the tempo.

For Mayras Mighty Dragons, comprising primarily Bethlehem area residents, the drumming fell to Millie Gonzalez the past two years. Saturday was the teams fourth time taking part in the festival, in memory of Gonzalezs sister, Mayra Antongiorgi, who died in 2017 after a battle with cancer.

Dragon boat racers compete during the Cancer Support Community Dragon Boat Festival on June 17, 2023, on Evergreen Lake in Moore Township.Donna Fisher | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

An oncology nurse with St. Lukes University Health Network, Gonzalez hopes events like the Dragon Boat Festival raise awareness among those facing cancer that there is support available to them.

Theres so many resources that they can use, she said. A lot of patients keep themselves isolated, not knowing theres a community of people that will welcome them and show them how to overcome a whole bunch of things.

They need to be aware of this organization that actually helps you with certain things, Gonzalez continued.

For more information about the Cancer Support Community of the Greater Lehigh Valley based at 944 Marcon Blvd. outside Allentown, visit cancersupportglv.org. Check out more images of the action on the water Saturday from photojournalist Donna Fisher in the gallery below.

29 1 / 29 2023 Dragon Boat Festival at Evergreen Lake

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
TURKEYS

We wish Easton Councilwoman Taiba Sultana would acknowledge some culpability for demoralizing members of the police force she helps oversee on behalf of her constituents. Instead, after being presented with compelling details about the arrest of community organizer Lance Wheeler, she stood by a statement on social media saying she was outraged by the arrest. The post went up on her Councilwoman Taiba Sultana Facebook account after a May 31 incident in which officers handcuffed Wheeler while he was working a fundraising drive for the victims of the destructive West Ward row home fire earlier that month. Wheeler is charged with assault and related offenses in connection to a case in Wilson Borough. During councils workshop meeting Tuesday, Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. equated Sultanas statement to a condemnation of the citys police force before all the facts were in. Heres what we know: 1.) This wasnt an Easton police operation. It was a Wilson police case that happened in Eastons jurisdiction. As such, the Easton Police Department assisted in a support role and was not the arresting agency. 2.) Wheelers public statements about his interaction with police at the fundraiser conflict with the police version of events, so no one has enough information to credibly say if the arrest was outrageous. It seems premature to label the arrest as anything or insinuate that there was something nefarious about what police did. Its made worse by her account being branded as Councilwoman Taiba Sultana, which most people will assume is an official Easton government account. It almost sounds like it was created in an office a few doors down from where Panto sits in City Hall. Sultana can certainly share her personal views however she wants  its a free country and her voice is an important one in our thriving city  but theres something misleading about doing it from an account that plays up your authority as an elected official. Wed suggest Sultana drop Councilwoman from her personal social media branding. Its confusing to voters. And all elected officials would be wise to refrain from sharing personal views without context and before critical information has been confirmed, especially when it involves the agencies they govern. The police need to be held accountable, but lets get an accurate and thorough account before throwing out a word like outraged to describe an action they took.

TROPHIES

It wont be as much of a draw as the Crayola Experience across the Delaware River in Easton, but the new railroad history museum at the Phillipsburg Union Train Station will give South Main Street some additional foot traffic and bring new people to the towns core in the form of railroad enthusiasts throughout the Mid-Atlantic. And those enthusiasts will come. We can assume that most folks who are passionate about transportation would be willing to travel to see something interesting related to it. The museum, which was scheduled to host a Friday evening grand opening, does sound interesting, even to those of us with only a casual curiosity about the history of railroads. With other recent developments like the revamped Phillipsburg Open Air Market at Shappell Park, open 10 a.m. Sunday, the town has some momentum in its seemingly endless battle to revitalize South Main Street. We thank both the organizers of the open air market and the Friends of the New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center, the good people behind the new railroad museum, for their investments in the town.

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A roundup of conversations we're having daily on the site. Subscribe to the Reckon Daily for stories centering marginalized communities and speaking to the under-covered issues of the moment.

Protestors of Atlantas proposed Cop City are hoping to stop its construction by implementing a referendum that could appear on the ballot in November, advocates say.

To launch the initiative, organizers have had to overcome a slew of obstacles and technicalities imposed by the city, including obtaining 70,000 petition signatures, ensuring that paperwork is submitted in accordance with city guidelines and having an Atlanta resident witness each petition signature.

On Thursday, the citys municipal clerk rejected the initial petition submitted by activists June 7, claiming that organizers missed lines in the paperwork. Activists say the city did not inform them of the error and only discovered it when they went to check on the status of the petition.

Though the paperwork was resubmitted, it kickstarted a delay that could make it difficult for activists to get the needed signatures, demonstrators said. The clerk now has seven extra days to validate the petition. Reckon reached out to the clerks office for comment.

Activists also plan to pair Atlanta residents from outside city limits with people residing within city limits to ensure compliance with petition regulations. Demonstrators said the resident witness rule was a surprise for organizers.

Organizers have asked those opposed to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center to voice their concerns Friday at City Hall outside the clerks office at 3 p.m. EST.

The proposed facility, which is being built in Dekalb Countys South River Forest, roughly 10 miles from Downtown Atlanta, has attracted national and international scrutiny for its $90 million price tag as well as the death of 26-year-old activist Manuel Teran from gunshot wounds in January.

Teran had been inside their tent during a police raid on the morning of Jan. 18, during which officials attempted to clear the forest of protestors whod been camping near the new facilitys grounds in opposition.

As a Georgia State Patrol trooper approached the tent, a shot was fired and hit an officer. That prompted police to shoot Teran, who was inside, 57 times.

It remains unclear where the initial shot came from. In body cam footage of the incident, an officer can be heard wondering, Did they shoot their own man? There is no body camera footage of the incident itself, however.

During a news conference in March, Terans father, Joel Paez, described Teran as an upstanding individual incapable of shooting an officer.

My child is a hero, he said.

In June, Atlanta City Council voted 11-4 to approve $31 million in public funds for the project, as well as $36 million to be paid over 30 years, The Associated Press reported. The approval came after a lengthy meeting that lasted until 5:30 a.m. in which countless community members voiced their disapproval of the project.
Leigh Shiver and her staff at the Enterprise State Community College Workforce Development office have their hands full. Whether she is meeting with local businesses and industry, searching for grants, speaking to local groups about the programs available, or just checking her email, Shiver is a busy person who is passionate about providing well-trained workers for the local community. Shiver spoke to the Enterprise Lions Club recently.

Shiver is a graduate of Enterprise High School, and after completing her Masters degree, she taught Office Administration classes at ESCC. She returned to EHS to continue working with students who were interested in the vocational training programs at that school.

Then in 2020 she was hired to direct the Workforce Development program at ESCC and has never looked back. She is too busy looking forward  to providing more training for both businesses and interested students, to the construction of the new workforce development training building in Enterprise, and to building relationships with local business and industry representatives. Her staff, Missy Scanlon and Terri Boswell, keep her straight as Shiver says.

Shiver highlighted just some of the training programs that are available at ESCC. She reported that she wants to be the first phone call a company makes when looking for employees. A coalition of business and industry partners determines what skills their workers need, and ESCC seeks to fill those needs.

Shiver also oversees the adult education program; she sees a relationship between her two programs. When students complete their GED, they have a variety of workforce training programs to choose from to help them enter the job market, and in many instances a very lucrative job market. Some programs are only six weeks long, while others may take two semesters or two years to complete.

One program that has been very successful is the 16-week long CNC Operator and Programmer course of study. Shiver noted that it is difficult to describe this program exactly, except to say that when students complete the certification course, they will have job opportunities in a variety of industries, including automotive manufacturing, construction, and electronics. Students learn precision measurement and can choose from six different certification modules. CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control, and many different industries use computers to produce their products.

Mechatronics is another very successful program at ESCC, Shiver said. Since 2019, the college has certified 2,984 students through this program. These are industry standard certifications  students can work anywhere in the country when they complete their training. Robotics are used in manufacturing everything from cars to potato chips, so it is essential to have trained personnel to operate and maintain this equipment.

Advanced Composites also prepares workers for employment in a variety of occupations, from aviation and marine to automotive and aerospace manufacturing. ESCC is the only school in Alabama offering this program, and a $1 million grant enabled the college to purchase the equipment needed to operate this important program.

Health care programs are also flourishing at ESCC. One is the bridge program which allows EMTs and CNAs to apply their medical skills and knowledge and bridge over to a nursing degree in just one semester. The Practical Nursing program will have 54 students enrolled this fall  half of whom started last fall and 20+ more who will start in August. The RN program will begin in 2024.

The Commercial Drivers License training program has had 215 students complete the program since 2018, with a 98% pass rate. Fortunately for the students enrolled in the program in Ozark, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency has a testing site right there on campus! The program typically runs six weeks with 30 total class days. Persons who have driving experience in utility or city/county-owned vehicles and hold a class C license may complete the program in three weeks. Some funding is available to help pay tuition. Graduates of this program have jobs waiting for them.

Grant money provides funding for much of the expensive equipment required for many of these programs. In addition, some funds are available to provide tuition assistance and scholarships for students interested in these programs.

If you are looking for a job that requires specialized skills, with an almost guaranteed job waiting for you when you complete the program, contact the Workforce Development Office at ESCC at (334) 347-2623, Ext. 2209. The staff will be happy to meet with you to determine the best program of study for you. Some programs can be completed in as little as six weeks.

The Enterprise Lions Club meets weekly on Wednesday at the Enterprise Farmers Market. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m., followed by a brief business meeting and a guest speaker. Guests are welcome.
A convicted murderer who made a threat to burn down the home of a prison officer has been given a two-year sentence.

Stephen Penrose (40) is currently serving a life sentence for murder. He also has a prior conviction for manslaughter, three convictions for assaults on prison officers and one for a threat to an officer.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Penrose, who represented himself in court, admitted the words were spoken but indicated during the trial that there was no intention to carry them out.

Penrose pleaded not guilty to threatening to damage the property of a named prison officer at Cloverhill prison on March 4, 2018. A jury unanimously convicted Penrose of the sole count on the indictment at a trial earlier this month.

Detective Sergeant Sean Cosgrove told Katherine McGillicuddy BL, prosecuting, that on the day prior to the threat being made, there had been an interaction between Penrose and the named officer.

The officer made a complaint arising from this and was absent from work the following day.

Penrose told other prison staff that the officer had better drop the complaint. He said he knew where the officer lived and would pour petrol through their letterbox and burn their house down. The staff reported that he was irate and aggressive.

Penrose told gardai during an interview that he was not happy a false allegation had been made against him. He said he was letting off steam as he was annoyed and angry. He said he had not made a direct threat to the named officer.

The officer did not wish to make a victim impact statement.

Penrose, defending himself, asked Judge Elva Duffy that any sentence would be backdated. He indicated he intended to appeal and asked for a transcript.

Judge Duffy noted in sentencing that when Penrose was interviewed by gardai he accepted the threat was made but said he was angry and upset and did not intend that it would be carried out.

She said this was a serious matter and said prison officers should be in a position to go about their day without threats being made.

The judge said Penrose had represented himself very ably and made a number of concessions including that the words had been spoken, but the case for him had turned on intention.

Judge Duffy imposed a two-year sentence and ordered he be given credit for any time spent in custody solely on this charge.
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In the control room of the Wendelstein 7-X fusion experiment in Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, on December 13, 2022. STEFAN SAUER / DPA PICTURE-ALLIANCE VIA AFP

Germany, which took its last nuclear power plant off the grid in April, may not be done with atomic energy. But instead of resorting to fission  the process used in a nuclear power plant  it's placing its hopes on another technology: Nuclear fusion. This theoretically unlimited, clean, decarbonized, and safe method of energy production, which has been the subject of research for over 50 years, is currently experiencing a global surge of interest.

A total of $4.8 billion (4.5 billion) has been invested worldwide in this field in 2021. Around 30 start-ups are working on this, two-thirds of them in the United States. Germany, which considers itself to be well-positioned in the field, has decided to play its card in the race.

On Monday, June 5, the German ministry of education and research and the Federation of German Industries organized their first symposium dedicated to fusion. The event brought together representatives from specialized basic research institutes, established companies such as the Siemens Energy Group, and German laser technology specialist Trumpf, as well as newcomers.

No disasters nor long-term waste

"Fusion has the potential to make a significant contribution to Germany's energy supply in the long term and to strengthen the country's resilience," said German Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, a member of the traditionally pro-nuclear German Free Democratic Party (FDP). She hopes to make Germany a leader in the field of fusion.

By the end of June, she plans to present a global strategy aimed at increasing subsidies for research and development in the sector. Patience is still called for: The experts appointed by the ministry believe that a pilot plant could be up and running "by 2045."

"What happened on Monday is a very positive sign; Such a meeting of all the German players in the sector would have been unthinkable even two years ago," explained Heike Freund, operational director of start-up Marvel Fusion, to Le Monde. "Now, we need to see it rapidly materialize into a concrete, technologically open support plan that includes all the fusion methods currently being tested."

Nuclear fusion involves combining two light atomic nuclei to form a single heavier one, releasing an enormous amount of energy. This is the reaction that occurs inside the sun. A plant capable of harnessing nuclear fusion to produce electricity would have two major advantages over a fission-based nuclear power plant.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes The end of nuclear power in Germany

An accident of the Fukushima (Japan, 2011) or Chernobyl (USSR, 1986) type, linked to an uncontrolled chain reaction, is ruled out, and no long-lived radioactive waste is produced. These are precisely the two obstacles that led the Germans to definitively renounce the use of nuclear energy on their soil.

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PHARMACIES across Limerick have accused Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly of ignoring them by leaving them in the dark over their future funding.

The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) which represents community-based pharmacies nationwide has said the sector is rapidly losing faith in the Minister and his departments ability to use pharmacies appropriately.

Pharmacists are now campaigning for meaningful engagement to begin without delay.

Outlining the issues faced by Irelands pharmacies, Croom-based pharmacist Rebecca Barry said: "Pharmacies have endured a 14-year-long pay freeze at the hand of the government.

"They provide vital healthcare services on behalf of the state and while costs increase dramatically the fees received for doing this work are lower now than in 2009. We are reaching the point where the future viability of many pharmacies is coming into question."

There are 92 pharmacies in Limerick supporting over 680 jobs in the county.

"The Minister is legally obliged to review pharmacy services and funding by the end of June 2023. Despite this deadline there has been zero engagement from the Minister," Ms Barry said.

"The majority of pharmacies are small businesses, they rely on state income. It is incredulous that less than a month before the Minister must decide on their future he has not engaged with the sector in any way.



"Community pharmacy is now the only healthcare sector that has had no pay restoration since the financial crisis. There is no reason for this blatant discrimination, and it needs to change."
A LIMERICK county school is grappling with the possibility of staff redundancies by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) for the upcoming school year 2023/24.

Catering to children of a wide range of ages from Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary, St Vincent's Special Needs School specialises in providing education for students with moderate to severe and profound general learning disabilities.

Parents, who form the St Vincents Lisnagry Special Needs School Parents Association, are expressing profound concern over potential staffing redundancies and the impact this may have on their children's education.

Declan O'Dwyer, Chairperson of the Parents Association said that an overwhelming 80% of the student body carries an autism diagnosis, and given the needs of the students, the possibility to reduce staff numbers has left parents astounded.

Those at the school had previously undertaken a review and made a decision to reduce student enrollment from 106 to 100 for the forthcoming 23/24 academic year.

This decision is said to have been made to provide the students with the education they are entitled to, while also prioritising their safety and well-being.

On behalf of the parents, Mr O'Dwyer emphasised that the staff play a vital role in the student's lives, and to lose any is to cut the very oxygen that makes the school function.

He believes that this will leave the children without rightful education.

A spokesperson for the NCSE commented: The projected school staffing for St Vincents Special School for 23/24 will include a principal, a deputy principal, and 17 class teachers. Current allocation of SNA support is 40 posts, however this is currently subject to an ongoing review of SNA supports in the school.

When the review has been concluded, the allocation of SNA support to the school will be confirmed, the statement read.
PATIENCE and planning have paid off for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) - and one Limerick man - to reintroduce the White-tailed Eagle to Ireland as a male eagle released in 2008 has bonded with a female released in 2020 and they have now produced chicks together.

Nature conservation, particularly where efforts to protect an endangered species is concerned, can take quite some time to see success.

The male eagle had previously partnered up, and produced chicks. Sadly, the previous partner succumbed to Avian Flu and this male eagle had lived alone in East Clare for the past four years until he recently paired up with his new partner.

Castleconnell man Eamonn Meskell, who heads up the NPWS White-Tailed Eagle Reintroduction Project, proudly said: We have been monitoring these eagles for many years and of course we feel very familiar with their history as part of the project.

The male eagle has been single for four years since his previous partner died. Of course the fact that he has now found and bred with a new partner is significant to our project but were also delighted to see this eagle that we know well make a new bond and start a new family.

Mr Meskell said a story like this really brings their reintroduction programme to life.

It helps people to learn about eagle breeding behaviour and the fragility of our reintroduction efforts, all told through the story of a widowed eagle. For our project, the appearance of any new chick is a milestone and shows that the continuation of the project is proving successful, said Mr Meskell.

In addition, at another site in County Clare - eagle-eyed NPWS staff have in recent days observed and tagged three chicks reared by one of the male eagles offspring from his previous partner. T

his earlier offspring, a female eagle, has thus far reared 10 chicks which are spread around the island of Ireland, some of whom themselves are forming pairs.

Mr Meskill added: It is also incredible that one of his offspring is now herself rearing three chicks. This is a very rare occurrence, as a very small minority of nest sites - in Ireland, Norway or anywhere else - have more than two chicks on nest.

"This is the second year that three chicks are on the nest at this particular nest site. This shows how suited Ireland and our lakes are from a habitat and feeding perspective for this reintroduction project.
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India  Business Wire India

SMFG India Credit Co. Ltd. (Formerly Fullerton India Credit Co. Ltd.), a leading Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), offering a wide range of financial services, is making significant strides in corporate social responsibility (CSR) with its brand "Uday - Ek Nayi Subah".



SMFG India Credit Co. Ltd. (Formerly Fullerton India Credit Co. Ltd.) has entered the World Book of Records for its path breaking Pashu Vikas Day cattle care camp. Through consistent CSR efforts and working with villages in rural areas, SMFG India Credit fosters social upliftment in Rural India. This has helped in creating meaningful impact in areas of Livelihood, Healthcare, Education, Environment and Cattle Care. SMFG India Credits key initiative Pashu Vikas Day observed benefits for 71,400+ cattle and 20,400+ cattle owners through health camps across 15 states. Also, it has positively impacted more than 25 Lakh lives since 2014.



Through comprehensive initiatives focused on sustainable livelihood, healthcare, education, environment and cattle care, the organisation is playing a pivotal role in uplifting the marginalised segments of society and contributing to socio-economic growth of the under-privileged community. SMFG India Credit Co. Ltd. (Formerly Fullerton India Credit Co. Ltd.) has been included in the World Book of Records for organising the Largest Cattle Care Camp on a single day as a part of its unique Pashu Vikas Day initiative. It has been acknowledged by the Limca Book of Records (2014 & 2015), Best of India Records (2018), World Book of Records 2019 as well. In FY23, this initiative was organised across 375 rural (SMFG Gramshakti) branches, covering 450+ villages in 15 states across India, in one single day, with the support of 4,000 employee volunteers, treating over 72,000 cattle. With innovative programs and extensive rural reach, SMFG Indias CSR initiatives have touched over 2.5 million lives as the company continues to prioritize social responsibility, inclusivity, and sustainable development.



Commenting on the significance of CSR initiatives, Swaminathanan Subramanian, Chief People Officer, SMFG India Credit Co. Ltd. (Formerly Fullerton India Credit Co. Ltd.), said, "At SMFG India Credit, we firmly believe in creating a positive and lasting impact on society. By empowering individuals and enabling their self-sufficiency, we are paving way for a brighter future and contributing to economic growth in semi-urban and rural areas. SMFG India Credit's CSR initiatives under the brand name "Uday - Ek Nayi Subah" are driven by collaboration and partnerships with local communities, NGOs and governmental bodies. Our CSR efforts represent our commitment to fostering holistic development and social upliftment. By leveraging collective efforts, we strive to address the root causes of social challenges and create positive impact in the lives of individuals and communities."



SMFG India Credit's commitment to empowering the underprivileged and driving positive change in rural regions is evident in its strategic design and implementation of skill enhancement and educational programs. These initiatives target unserved and underserved rural communities, targeting women and youth in tier 3-4 cities, equipping them with essential skills for entry-level jobs in the healthcare, banking and finance sectors. By empowering rural youth and women to become self-reliant through enhanced financial management and decision-making abilities, SMFG India Credit Co. Ltd. (Formerly Fullerton India Credit Co. Ltd.) is fostering a meaningful and visible change in peoples lives.



To ensure the effective implementation of CSR initiatives, SMFG India Credit has collaborated with various NGOs and has also engaged its rural (SMFG Gramshakti) branches for enhanced expanse. The company runs programs in multiple areas to benefit communities residing in remote parts of the country. Some of their key projects include
A former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. vice president testified that he never passed confidential tips to a friend who says they conspired to make thousands of dollars by trading on inside information.

In an unusual move in fraud trials, Brijesh Goel took the stand in federal court in Manhattan Friday. He defended himself against testimony by his friend Akshay Niranjan, the governments star witness.

Niranjan explained over three days how they made approximately $280,000 in illegal profits by trading on confidential information provided by Goel. The trial, which started last week and has pitted the two bankers against each other, has revealed even the best of friendships can shatter under the pressure of a federal investigation.

Goel wasnt required to testify and the decision carries risks. He opens himself up to cross-examination by prosecutors who will try to trip him up on his testimony, but he can also try to explain seemingly inculpatory evidence such as a conversation Niranjan recorded in secret, capturing his friend allegedly asking him to delete incriminating text messages.

This we need to delete," Goel said in the recording. Did we put on any trade?... It has to be deleted. I dont even have this chat."

But Goel testified the conversation wasnt what it seemed.

I panicked," Goel said I thought he had done something stupid. I thought because of his stupidity hes going to be in trouble and Im going to be in trouble too. There was a lapse of judgment."

Goel and Niranjan were buddies who met in business school at the University of California in Berkeley and later became close friends after landing top jobs at Wall Street firms. Niranjan agreed to cooperate with the government as part of a deal not to prosecute him.

The two lived in the same building on Spruce Street in lower Manhattan. Goel said he attempted to contact Niranjan multiple times without success, following an FBI visit that left him feeling rattled.

He said he used codes like swim cap" to convince Niranjan to meet him because he thought Niranajan feared being tracked and wanted to avoid any direct contact" with him.

I had naively thought I was in this investigation and this mess because he was my friend," Goel said.

Goels lawyers have argued that Niranjan eavesdropped on Goels work calls with Goldman colleagues during social outings, and traded on what he heard about mergers and acquisitions in the pipeline. It wasnt Goel who misappropriated the information, they said.

Niranjan admitted that Goel did take business calls sometimes when they were out with friends, but he said Goel usually would go away from the group to conduct his business.

I did not listen, I was not trying to listen in," he said. I did not ever do that."

The case is US v. Goel, 22-cr-00396, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan)

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.
Laman Ismayilova

In a short time, Baku International Piano Festival has earned an enviable reputation for hugely impressive lineups that feature some of the biggest music stars.

Headed by eminent jazzman, Honored Artist Shahin Novrasli, the music festival unites a multitude of renowned musicians to create a wonderful feast of piano art.

In his interview with AZERNEWS , Honored Artist Shahin Novrasli provides insight into the festival's history, its diverse program and further prospects for expansion.

Q: How did the idea for the festival come about?

A: Azerbaijan has always been famous for its incredibly talented and professional pianists. The country's piano school has always been strong and top notch. Undoubtedly, Azerbaijani classical and jazz pianists stand out for their talent. As a musician, who regularly performs at international piano festivals, I have always wondered why such festivals are not held in our country. So, I decided to launch a piano music festival that would cover various musical genres.

A: What festival program did you come up with for music lovers this time?

Musicians from different countries are taking part in the festival. Together with Helene Mercier, I performed George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue For Two Pianos at the festival's opening ceremony. Helene Mercier is one of the most outstanding pianists, who represents Canada and France. The festival program also includes a flamenco show, which has already managed to fall in love with the audience last year.

Q: Are you planning to expand the festival's geography in the coming years?

A: The 2nd Baku International Piano Festival gathers very highly acclaimed musicians from Azerbaijan, Turkiye Germany, Austria, Brazil, France, Spain, Latvia, Hungary and Norway, who captivates the audience with a wide variety of music. I would like to invite more international musicians to join the festival in the coming years. I hope that music lovers will enjoy the Baku Piano Festival immensely.
CONECUH COUNTY  At the request of Conecuh County Sheriffs Office, Special Agents with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agencys State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) launched a death investigation relating to a double homicide in Conecuh County Saturday, according to ALEA Public Information Officer Sgt. Jeremy Burkett.

Special agents are seeking the publics assistance and are asking for any information relating to the incident, Burkett said. Individuals connected to the incident are believed to be traveling in a white 2009 GMC Yukon with possible damage to the drivers side rear windows.

Burkett said individuals in the vehicle are believed to be armed and extremely dangerous, if seen do not approach or attempt to contact but immediately notify the Conecuh County Sheriffs Office at (251) 578-1260 or the ALEA SBI Crime Hotline at 1-800-392-8011.
Adipurush dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir has responded to the controversy around the dialogues of Lord Hanuman in the new film. Certain dialogues of Lord Hanuman in the film had caused huge uproar on social media.

When asked if he deliberately made the dialogues simpler, Muntashir told Republic World Yes completely. It is not an error, it is a very meticulous thought process that has gone into writing the dialogue for Bajrangbali"

The dialogue writer explained the logic for simplifying the lines, he said, We have made it simple because we have to understand one thing, if there are multiple characters in a film all cannot speak the same language. There has to be a kind of diversion, a kind of division"

Responding particularly to the dialogue around Lord Hanuman's dialogue in the film, Tel tere baap ka, aag bhi tere baap ki aur jalegi bhi tere baap ki, Muntashir argued "I am not the first person to write this dialogue, it is already there"

The dialogue writer explained the reasoning behind his statement saying that there is a tradition of Kathavachak or storytelling in our country. He argued that the biggest saints and Kathavachaks in the country speak about the Lord Hanuman dialogue in the same manner as I have written in the film.

Adipurush has been embroiled in one controversy after the other since the film was released in theatres on June 16. A group named Hindu Sena has filed a PIL in Delhi High Court against the film Adipurush and claimed that the film mocked Lord Ram, Ramayana, and our culture

Meanwhile, Adipurush is also facing an uncertain future in Nepal after Kathmandu Mayor Ballen Shah objected to a dialogue in the film that referred to Sita as the daughter of India.
A Congress MLA from Chhattisgarh waded headfirst into controversy on Friday after stressing the need for a Hindu Rashtra to be formed. The remarks have sparked discussion with party leaders distancing themselves from the lawmaker. The Congress has insisted that it swears by the Constitution and secularism, and that the remarks were personal views".

"Wherever we are, be it in a village or any place we should pledge and talk for Hindus. When we Hindus come together then only Hindu Rashtra can be created," Dharsiwa MLA Anita Yogendra Sharma reportedly said in the local language. The assertion came during an event in Raipur to mark the birth anniversary of Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati.

According to a Hindustan Times report on the matter, Sharma had urged all of us" to pledge to make a Hindu Rashtra".

She however later told reporters that her statement had been misinterpreted. "I was only talking about the unity of people who live in the country," she said.

The Congress party stands with the Constitution. It is firm on secularism that is mentioned in the Constitution drafted by leaders like Babasaheb Ambedkar, Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru, Dr Rajendra Prasad," insisted party leader Sushil Anand Shukla as the controversial remark made waves.

Chhattisgarh Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Kedar Gupta said if the Congress supports the Uniform Civil Code, which he claimed was in the pipeline, then "Ram Rajya will prevail as the UCC will end the appeasement politics".

(With inputs from agencies)
Cyclone Biparjoy which made a landfall in Gujarat's coastal areas has now weakened into a deep depression and is expected to weaken further into depression in the next 12 hours, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said. According to IMD, the cyclonic storm weakened into a 'deep depression' at 11:30 pm on Friday over Southeast Pakistan.

Also Read: Cyclone Biparjoy to help monsoon advance into east India, bring relief from severe heat wave Here are Top 10 updates you need to know 1. In a tweet, IMD said, Cyclonic Storm Biparjoy weakened into a Deep Depression at 2330 hours IST of yesterday, the 16th June, 2023 over Southeast Pakistan adjoining Southwest Rajasthan and Kutch about 100 km northeast of Dholavira. To weaken further into a Depression during next 12 hours." Cyclone Biparjoy LIVE

2. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed contentment over the way the situation had unfolded and thanked all agencies for working tirelessly. Taking to Twitter, he said, "We have been able to fight a big calamity without any casualty. NDRF, SDRF and other agencies worked tirelessly to mitigate any damage caused by the cyclone. This was possible under the guidance of PM Modi and HM Amit Shah. I am grateful to the people of the state for being supportive. Now the big challenge is to restore and get life back on track, all the agencies will work on it now and we will soon achieve success in it too."

3. Heavy rains triggered by the Cyclone continued to lash Gujarat's Mandvi. Dr Dhruv, Gynecologist at Civil Hospital in Mandvi said told ANI, We received a call about a pregnant woman who had a very complicated case. It took two and a half to three hours for her to reach the hospital. The delivery could have been done only by operation, but we were able to do a normal delivery instead. So far, there have been 44-45 such cases, and both the mother and child are safe now."

4. Heavy rains occurred in some areas of Rajasthan on Friday under the influence of Cyclone Biparjoy which moved towards the state in the form of a deep depression following its landfall in Gujarat. Rail traffic in the North Western Railway zone was affected by the heavy rainfall with 14 trains cancelled.

5. It was also reported that several trees were uprooted in Bhuj, Kutch, due to the impact of the cyclone. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team carried out the clearance work on Friday. A total of six NDRF teams evacuated 127 civilians from Rupen Bandar Government Primary School and re-shifted them to NDH School Dwarka after Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall in coastal areas of the state on Thursday evening.

6. According to NDRF, the evacuated civilians include 82 males, 27 females and Children 15 children.

7. With a prediction of heavy rainfall for the next two days for Gujarat after cyclone 'Biparjoy' made landfall in the state, Western Railways on Friday decided to cancel, partially cancel the operation of a few more trains as a precautionary measure in the cyclone-prone areas.

8. Strong winds and rain from cyclone Biparjoy caused a power failure in Gujarat's Jamnagar district. PGVCL (Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited) teams were in action mode on Friday to restore the issue. Out of the damaged property, 414 feeders, 221 electric poles and one TC were made operational immediately. The power supply was restored in 367 villages of Jamnagar district. The one current transformer that was made functional promptly was located in Kalavad taluka of Jamnagar.

9. While giving an update NDRF Director General Atul Karwal on Friday said that there has been no loss of lives reported after Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall in Gujarat. "Twenty-four animals have died and 23 people have been injured. Electricity supply has been interrupted in about a thousand villages. 800 trees have fallen. It is not raining heavily anywhere except Rajkot," the NDRF DG Karwal said.

10. Meteorologists have said that the remnants of the cyclone will being rain to parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh starting Sunday. Further metorologists have also noted that Cyclone Biparjoy will help the otherwise sluggish progress of the southwest monsoon winds into east India, bringing the much needed relief from the severe heatwave

(With inputs from ANI)
India-Russia ties have continued to deepen amid the Ukraine war, with coal and oil imports rising sharply. ONGC chief Arun Kumar Singh opined on Saturday that the other country could account for almost a third of New Delhi's oil imports by the end of this financial year. Meanwhile reports indicate that India has also pitched to purchase purchase additional consignments of coal from Russia.

Had a meeting with Russian Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov and held a detailed discussion on mutual cooperation between the two countries in the field of energy, especially coal," MoS Faggan Singh Kulaste tweeted earlier today.

According to an Economic Times report quoting officials, the two had held a meeting on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday. Coal could become India's second biggest item of import from Russia it the purchase of additional consignments is greenlit.

The share of Russian oil imports, which was less than 2% in 2021/2022, has increased tenfold to 20% in the oil import basket. The level may reach 30% by the end of the 2023/24 financial year," Singh told a St Petersburg International Economic Forum panel.

India is the world's third largest crude importer and had ramped up purchases amid the Ukraine war. With Western countries imposing a slew of sanctions including an oil price cap last year, New Delhi's Russian crude oil imports had hit an all-time high in May as buyers gorged on discounted supplies. This in turn has reduced demand for oil from the Middle East and Africa. China and India currently purchase most of the re-routed Russian energy.

(With inputs from agencies)
After the re-escalation of Manipur clashes impugning centre's credibility, former Indian Army Chief General (Retired) Ved Prakash Malik demanded an urgent attention to situation in the Northeastern state on Friday. General Malik shared the tweet of retired Lt General L Nishikanta which compared Manipur's situation with that of Libya, Nigeria, and Syria.

The North-Eastern state witnessed a rise in violence after a riotous mob clashed with Rapit Action Force. The clashes were followed by torched propereties in Imphal nad flaming roadblocks on Friday. Notably, the clashes between tribal communities Meiteis and Kuki tribe continue to escalate even after the Centre and state government's request to maintain peace in the state.

An extraordinary sad call from a retired Lt Gen from Manipur. Law & order situation in Manipur needs urgent attention at highest level. @AmitShah @narendramodi @rajnathsingh,"tweeted General Ved Prakash Malik on Friday.

In his tweet, former Indian Army Chief General Ved Prakash Malik also tagged Home Minister Amit Shah, Narendra Modi, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. He retweeted a post of a retired Lt General from Manipur, who said,"the state is stateless" and compared Manipur's situation with that of Syria, Nigeria, and Libya.

I'm just an ordinary Indian from Manipur living a retired life. The state is now 'stateless'. Life and property can be destroyed anytime by anyone just like in Libya, Lebanon, Nigeria, Syria, etc. It appears Manipur has been left to stew in its own juice. Is anyone listening?," tweeted Retired Lieutenant General L Nishikant Singh on Friday.

The state is dealing with immense violence since May. Clashes first broke out on May 3 post a Tribal Solidarity March organised in the hill districts. The march was conducted to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Last two days, witnessed attack on properties of notable retired bureaucrats and political leaders. On Thursday night, Union Minister RK Ranjan Singh's house was attacked, it was close to get burnt into ashes by the attackers. A warehouse near the royal palace was burnt down completely. The destroyed warehouse belonged to a retired tribal IAS officer.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for the development of sustainable and inclusive food systems focused on marginal farmers during the G20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting held from 15-17 June, 2023, the ministry of agriculture & farmers welfare said in a statement on Saturday.

The meeting, attended by agriculture ministers from G20 countries, concluded with the adoption of the Outcome Document and Chairs Summary," marking a significant consensus on various issues surrounding the agriculture sector.

Prime minister Modi delivered a video message during the meeting, emphasizing the central role of the agriculture sector in human civilization. He urged the G20 Agriculture Ministers to collectively address the challenges faced by the sector and work towards shaping a better future for humanity.

Four priority areas were highlighted by PM Modi for discussion during the meeting. Firstly, the promotion of agricultural diversity and the improvement of social security systems to enhance food security and nutrition. Secondly, the financing of climate-friendly technologies and the adoption of a climate-smart approach to sustainable agricultural production based on agricultural system models. Thirdly, the strengthening of infrastructure for small and marginal farmers, women, and youth to promote inclusive agriculture value chains and resilient food systems. And finally, the leveraging of digital technologies to transform agriculture and focus on standardizing agricultural data platforms as digital public goods.

PM Modi also drew attention to 2023 being designated as the International Year of Millets. He emphasized the nutritional benefits and potential of millets in providing sustainable livelihoods for farmers while building climate resilience. India reaffirmed its commitment to sharing best practices, research, and technologies related to ancient grains and cereals.

In light of the ongoing global supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic and aggravated by geopolitical tensions and climate change, PM Modi urged G20 member nations to explore agricultural practices that improve soil health, crop yield, and empower farmers through innovation and digital technology.

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar welcomed the ministers and Heads of Delegations (HoDs) to the plenary session. Ramesh Chand, Member of NITI Aayog, presented on Global Food Security and Nutrition," highlighting the challenges faced by the sector and proposing possible solutions.

Agriculture minister Tomar also mentioned that India virtually hosted the Voice of Global South Summit 2023 in January, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The summit aimed to engage developing countries not represented in the G20 and gather their input on developmental priorities and expectations from Indias presidency.

The G20 members commended Indias efforts in enhancing the agricultural agenda, expressing gratitude for their contributions. The meeting resulted in the adoption of the Deccan high-level principles and the international millets and other ancient grains research initiative, which aim to strengthen global food security and promote sustainable agriculture.

The G20 Agriculture Ministers meeting concluded with a commitment to working together to address the challenges faced by the agriculture sector and creating sustainable and inclusive food systems that prioritize the well-being of marginal farmers.
From addressing the USA Congress to participating in the International Day of Yoga celebrations in New York, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join many key events during his sixth visit as PM to the USA beginning next week.

Also Read: Ahead of PM Modis visit, US lawmaker calls for immediate defence ties with India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US will begin on June 20 from New York and will end on June 24. He will lead the celebrations of the International Day of Yoga at the UN Headquarters on June 21. Afterward, he will travel to Washington DC for other scheduled programs like addressing the US Congress, meeting US President Joe Biden, etc.

10 things to know about PM Modi's next USA visit

-PM Modi will join the Yoga Day Celebrations at the United Nations Headquarters on June 21. This will be the ninth year of the celebration of the day, which was the result of PM Modi's efforts for international recognition of Yoga.

Also Read: Our most consequential relationships, US ahead of PM Modi's visit

-After the celebration of International Day of Yoga, PM Modi will travel to Washington DC. There he will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House on June 22.

-Later, he will meet US President Joe Biden for their high-level dialogue meeting. His meeting with President Biden is expected to be followed by some major deals and decisions in the areas of defence and critical technology. There are also chances to build consensus for ways to simplify the regulatory framework for deeper industrial cooperation.

Also Read: India, US likely to agree on fighter jet engines manufacturing deal during PM Modi visit

-The two sides are expected to cement several arrangements and deals. It will also include India's procurement of 30 armed drones.

-PM Modi is also scheduled to join a State Dinner hosted by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

-PM Modi will also address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress on June 22. He was invited by the US Congressional Leaders, including Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy and Speaker of the Senate Charles Schumer.

-On June 23, PM Modi will join US Vice President Kamala Harris and State Vice President Antony Blinken.

-PM Modi will address a programme joined by a large number of Indian Diaspora. The programme will be held in the iconic Ronald Regan building, reported Wion.

-During his US visit, PM Modi is also expected to meet 20 CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders on June 23.
India and the World Health Organization (WHO) are working to establish the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Gujarat. The establishment of this global knowledge center, backed by a substantial investment of USD 250 million from the Government of India, aims to leverage the potential of traditional medicine worldwide by combining it with modern science and technology to improve global health outcomes.

Speaking at the All India Institute of Ayurveda in Delhi, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the development. He said the site for the construction of WHO's global centre for traditional medicine would be in Gujarat's Jamnagar area.

Traditional medicine is widely embraced, with approximately 80% of the world's population utilizing it in some form. Recognizing the importance of traditional medicine, 170 out of 194 WHO Member States have sought support from WHO to develop a reliable evidence base and data on traditional medicine practices and products.

Traditional medicine encompasses a broad range of knowledge, skills, and practices rooted in various cultures throughout history. From ancient practices like acupuncture and ayurvedic medicine to modern herbal mixtures, traditional medicine plays a vital role in healthcare.

Despite its widespread use, traditional medicine is not fully integrated into national health systems and strategies. The establishment of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine aims to address this gap by strengthening the evidence base, integrating traditional medicine into health systems, and promoting sustainability and equity.

The new WHO center is based in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India, but its scope extends to all regions of the world. Its focus on evidence-based policies and standards, data analysis, sustainability and equity, as well as innovation and technology.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine on 19 April 2022, marking a significant milestone in advancing traditional medicine's contribution to global health and sustainable development.

The world is looking for new dimension of health care delivery today. I am happy that by giving the slogan One planet our health WHO has promoted the Indian vision of One Earth, One Health," said Prime Minister Modi at the inauguration.
The UK government has released the Birthday Honours List on behalf of King Charles III, recognizing the contributions of over 40 Indian-origin individuals in various fields.

Independent expert committees meet twice a year to review nominations. A main committee finalizes the list, which is then sent to the British Prime Minister for approval. The honours are officially awarded by the reigning monarch in their name.

Among the notable honourees is Dr. Parvinder Kaur Aley, Director of Global Operations at the Oxford Vaccine Group, University of Oxford, who has been honoured as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her remarkable services in vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another distinguished recipient is Professor Prokar Dasgupta, Foundation Professor of Surgery at Kings Health Partners and Chair in Robotic Surgery and Urological Innovation at Kings College London, who has been conferred with an OBE for contributions to surgery and science.

The honours list also includes esteemed British Indian business leaders. Anuj Chande, Partner and Head of South Asia Business Group at Grant Thornton UK LLP, has received an OBE for his remarkable services to international trade and investment. Hina Solanki, the founder of Sol Cosmedics, has been recognized as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for contributions to business and charity.

The list, released by the UK government in London on Friday night, comprises a total of 1,171 recipients. Among them, 52 percent have demonstrated outstanding work in their communities, either in a voluntary or paid capacity, while 11percent of successful candidates come from an ethnic minority background.

UK Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden said, "this year's honours list is a testament to ordinary people who have demonstrated extraordinary community spirit, and I pay tribute to all those who have been recognised today."

Novelist Martin Amis, who recently passed away, has been posthumously knighted for his services to literature. Award-winning British filmmaker Stephen Frears has also been knighted, and fashion magazine 'Vogue' editor Dame Anna Wintour and author Sir Ian McEwan have been appointed as Companions of Honour.

Additionally, several Indian-origin individuals have received honours for their exceptional contributions. Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Anju Kumar has been awarded an OBE for her services to women's health and welfare in Wales. District Crown Prosecutor Varinder Hayre has been recognized for his services to law and order in London, while Sunand Prasad, Chair of UK Green Buildings Council, has been honoured for his contributions to regeneration.

Several individuals have received MBE honours, including physiotherapist and specialist hand therapist Roma Bhopal for services to physiotherapy, Bawa Singh Dhallu for political and voluntary service, violinist Jyotsna Srikanth for services to music, and Ritu Khurana for services to music and broadcasting as a disc jockey and broadcaster.

The list also encompasses approximately 10 recipients of Indian heritage who have been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM). Among them, Balvir Mohan Bhalla founder Super Cool Friends Charity, has been recognized for his services to the community in Ilford, London Borough of Redbridge, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pianist and composer Rekesh Chauhan has been honored for his contributions to music, charity, and mental health in the British Asian community, and Kailash Malhotra has been acknowledged for his services to kidney organ donation for minority ethnic groups as a Peer Educator Volunteer at Kidney Research UK.

The King's Birthday Honours recognize individuals who have made significant achievements in public life and have dedicated themselves to serving and helping Britain. These honours are announced annually on the eve of the monarchs official birthday  which is celebrated with pomp and pageantry in June.

Balbir Kaur and Kuldeep Singh Dhillon said, we are both incredibly honoured and grateful to receive this award. We hope to continue serving the Birchwood community, as it brings us so much pleasure to help the people around us that we class as family," who have both been awarded BEMs for services to the community in Birchwood, Cheshire.

(With inputs from PTI)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed the deployment of the nuclear weapons in Balarus, saying it was a reminder to the West who are thinking about inflicting a strategic defeat" on Russia. Speaking at Russias flagship economic forum in St Petersburg, Vladimir Putin also send a stark warning that more will be deployed by the end of summer.

The move, Moscow's first deployment of such warheads - shorter-range nuclear weapons that could potentially be used on the battlefield - outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union was intended as a warning to the West about arming and supporting Ukraine, Vladimir Putin said.

Vladimir Putin also stressed that there was no need for Russia to resort to use its nuclear weapons now. Confirming the deployment of nuclear weapons, said, "As you know we were negotiating with our ally, (Belarusian President (Alexander) Lukashenko, that we would move a part of these tactical nuclear weapons to the territory of Belarus - this has happened."

"The first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus. But only the first ones, the first part. But we will do this job completely by the end of the summer or by the end of the year."

"...It is precisely as an element of deterrence so that all those who are thinking about inflicting a strategic defeat on us are not oblivious to this circumstance," Vladimir Putin said.

Recently, Russias ally Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko had said that Russia has delivered tactical nuclear weapons that include some that are three times more powerful than the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The Russian leader announced in March he had agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, pointing to the US deployment of such weapons in a host of European countries over many decades.

(With agency inputs)
(TTCO) - Tiep theo loat bai Lo dien 5 ngan hang cho vay sai nguyen tac, TTC cong bo Ket luan cua Thanh tra Chinh phu ve truong hop ngan hang B. Theo o, ngan hang nay a co loat sai pham nhu cho khach hang vay khi am von chu so huu, khong co tai san bao am...
Google Doodle is celebrating Iceland National Day with a special doodle featuring the country's flag. The occasion is celebrated on June 17th every year to honour the memory of 19th-century Iceland Independence movement leader Jon Sigursson. It is also the day when the country of Iceland officially became a Republic.

In a blog post on Saturday about the Doodle for the day, the search giant wrote, Todays Doodle celebrates Iceland National Day, or johatiardagur Islands in Icelandic. June 17th marks two significant historical anniversaries in Europes westernmost country: the day it officially became a republic in 1944 and the birthday of iconic independence leader and politician Jon Sigursson."

Also Read: Google Doodle reminds Pakistan about its general elections due this year

In 1944, Icelanders voted in favor of complete independence from Denmark and elected their own president. Today, cities and villages throughout the country celebrate in their own unique ways. Riders on small and friendly Icelandic horses traditionally lead parades, accompanied by brass bands." the company added

Iceland was first settled by Norse seafarers in the 9th century and remained independent until 1262, when it became part of the Norwegian crown. In 1380, Iceland became a Danish colony and remained so until it became a sovereign state in 1918.

Ireland signed the 1918 Act of Union with Denmark which recognized the country as a sovereign and fully independent state that associated to Denmark in personal union with the king. The act also allowed for a plebiscite in 1944 to abolish the monarchy.

Also Read: Google Doodle celebrates popular Spanish dish Espeto

The country then became fully independent from Denmark on 17 June 1944 with celebrations at Thingvellir, and today the site continues as a meeting place for thousands of Icelanders to come together and discuss some of the most important events in their nation's history. Icelanders celebrate the occasion by attending live events, music shows, community programmes or simply spending time with their families.

As
President Vladimir Putin said Russia has delivered its first tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, three months after announcing the plan that threatens to ratchet up tensions with the US and its allies over the war in Ukraine.

The first nuclear charges were delivered to the territory of Belarus. But only the first," Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday. This is the first part. But by the end of the summer, by the end of the year, we will complete this work."

Asked about Putins announcement Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US sees no need to change its defensive stance as a result of the deployment.

We have no reason to adjust our own nuclear posture," Blinken told a news conference in Washington. We dont see any indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon."

Putin announced in March that Russia would base tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of its ally, drawing criticism from the US and European nations. Repeated hints from Kremlin officials since the Feburary 2022 invasion of Ukraine that they might use the arms have also triggered muted warnings from Russias supporters in China and India.

Friday, Putin said he sees no need" for Russia use nuclear weapons now. The arms are created to ensure our security in the broadest sense of the word, the existence of the Russian state," he said. Moscow was meeting its non-proliferation obligations by retaining control of the weapons though its trained Belarusian troops on the storage and use of tactical special munitions," he said.

Putin said hed long rejected US appeals to reduce its stockpiles of tactical nuclear weapons, using a crude colloquial expression to signal that position wont change. Russia, he said, has more of those arms that the US and its allies. His spokesman later elaborated that Putins comments dont mean the Kremlin is refusing to participate in arms control talks.

Rather Ironic

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko suggested in an interview broadcast Wednesday that the Russian weapons had already arrived in his country, though Putin previously said delivery would only begin next month.

In his comments Friday, Blinken denounced Lukashenko for making irresponsible, provocative choices to cede control of Belaruss sovereignty against the will of the Belarusian people."

Noting that Putin had cited a desire to ensure that Ukraine didnt get nuclear weapons as a justification for his invasion, Blinken said, it would be rather ironic among many other things for President Putin to now be talking about putting nuclear weapons on the territory of a neighboring state  again, including a state that gave up the nuclear weapons that it inherited when the Soviet Union dissolved."

Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan gave up the atomic weapons that had been based on their territory when the Soviet Union collapsed.so
KAMPALA, UgandaSuspected members of an Islamic State-affiliated terror group killed at least 37 high-school students in Ugandas worst attack in more than a decade, the Ugandan military and local officials said Saturday.

Around five gunmen entered a private boarding school in the town of Mpondwe on Ugandas border with the Democratic Republic of Congo late Friday, when students were sleeping in their dormitories, said Gen. Dick Olum, the commander of the military in western Uganda.

The assailants, believed to be fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces terror group, locked dozens of students, most of them boys, in one dormitory before setting it on fire, Olum said. They then combed through other buildings of the Lhubiriha Secondary School for hours, hacking students to death, before taking at least six others captive so they could help carry looted food across the Congolese border.

Olum said 62 students, most of them between the ages of 14 and 17, were at the boarding school at the time. Eight students injured during the attack were taken to a local hospital, while three students were unharmed, he said.

The school sits less than two miles from Ugandas border with Congo, where the ADF, an insurgent group founded in Uganda but now based in the jungles of eastern Congo, has been waging a vicious war.

We are now conducting a search-and-rescue mission for the students who were abducted," Olum told reporters in Ugandas Kasese district. We have called in reinforcements from the air force. We are in hot pursuit."

It is the militants second attack in Uganda in six months and the deadliest by any terror group in the country since militants from the al Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab group planted bombs among crowds watching the 2010 World Cup final in the capital, Kampala, killing 76 people.

Ugandas first lady, Janet Museveni, who is also the countrys education minister, said in an address from State House that the school had been built by a Canadian non-profit that is active in Uganda and Congo.

A British Columbia-based volunteer group called Partnerships for Opportunity Development Association, or PODA, says on its website that it built the Lhubiriha Secondary School starting in 2010, a few years after the groups founders first visited the Kasese region.

Students at the school mostly come from local villages and benefit from fees that are lower than those at government schools, while free education is provided for students that have been orphaned by Ugandas HIV/AIDS epidemic, the website says. An email to PODA sent through its website didnt immediately receive a response.

Fridays attack on the Lhubiriha Secondary School brought back painful memories of a 1998 assault by the ADF, in which the militants killed more than 80 students at a college in western Uganda, about 40 miles from Mpondwe.

Over the past four years, ADF rebels have blown up churches and burned down villages across eastern Congo, killing more than 4,000 civilians, according to Texas-based nonprofit group Bridgeway Foundation.

The ADF was founded in the early 1990s in Uganda as an armed Islamist group to fight the regime of President Yoweri Museveni. In the late 1990s, the Ugandan military forced it to retreat into the jungles of eastern Congo, where the group usually operates.

Islamic State formally recognized the ADF as one of its affiliates in July 2019. In recent years, funding and technical assistance from Islamic States central leadership have emboldened the group to launch high-profile attacks in Uganda and neighboring Rwanda.

In March, the U.S. government added the ADFs leader, Musa Baluku, to its Rewards for Justice program, offering a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture and underscoring the rising threat from the Islamic State franchise.

In November 2021, the ADF orchestrated deadly twin bombings in Kampala that killed six people, prompting Uganda to send troops into Congo to battle the insurgents. Museveni told parliament last week that the military has so far killed more than 500 ADF fighters in Congo.

According to Museveni, more troops from the East African Community Regional Force are needed to restore order in eastern Congo. More troops and diplomatic efforts from the regional states will help address the security challenges posed by these instabilities," he said.

Gabriele Steinhauser in Johannesburg contributed to this article.

Write to Nicholas Bariyo at nicholas.bariyo@wsj.com
Days before the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the USA, Indian diaspora is preparing in it own way to welcome their leader from their homeland. A PM Modi fan was seen flaunting his 'NMODI' number plate on his car in Maryland, USA in a video shared by ANI. Also Read: Our most consequential relationships, US ahead of PM Modi's visit The number plate was fixed to this by car owner Raghavendra in 2016. He said that PM Modi inspires him to do something good for the nation, for society, for the world. He expressed his eagerness to welcome the Indian PM in the USA. I took this plate back in 2016, November. Narendra Modi is an inspiration to me. He inspires me to do something good for the nation, for society, for the world. PM Modi is coming here so I'm eagerly waiting to welcome him," Raghavendra told ANI. Also Read: Prime Minister Modi to lead yoga session at UN Headquarters on International Day of Yoga on June 21

He also said that he initially wanted his number plate to be embossed with title NARENDRA MODI but authorities denied him because of the long text. Then he asked them to give a number plate with title NMODI, which was accepted.

Also Read: Ahead of PM Modis visit, US lawmaker calls for immediate defence ties with India

Raghavendra's Honda Odyssey mini van had the NMODI number plate on its front as well as back side.

Is it possible to have a customised number plate in USA?

Different states of USA have their own motor vehicle rule. In USA's Virginia format of the vehicle number set from March 2014 till present is ABC-1234.

Other than this format, Virginia provides an option of customised number plate and special plate for motorists. Special plate provided by Virginia department of motor vehicles enable people with a common interest to identify or promote themselves or their cause. Motorists can also have their own Personalised plates in which they can add a personalised character character combination to their plates using up to seven characters at the cost of $10 a year in additon to other charges.
BJP President J.P. Nadda arrived in South Tripura on Friday for a significant occasionthe commemoration of nine years of the NDA government's tenure at the Centre. Nadda's visit aimed to address a grand rally that would take place at the Santirbazar school ground on Saturday, that is today.

Nadda received a warm welcome at the airport from Chief Minister Manik Saha, BJP State President Rajib Bhattacharjee, and Rajya Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb. Expressing his excitement, Saha took to Facebook to announce Nadda's arrival and the purpose of his visit, the post said, "BJP national president JP Nadda arrived in the state to address a rally to be organised to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modis nine years in power in Santirbazar of South Tripura district. We welcomed Nadda-ji."

BJP's northeast coordinator, Sambit Patra, arrived earlier in the day and held a meeting with the Chief Minister to discuss the party's programme for the following day.

In light of the event, security arrangements were intensified throughout the Santirbazar sub-division as a precautionary measure. A senior police officer confirmed the deployment of additional troops in and around the venue to ensure the safety of attendees.

The rally, slated to begin at 11 am, would serve as an opportunity for Nadda to address the enthusiastic crowd. Additionally, as part of the "Sampark Se Samarthan" initiative, Nadda planned to meet with two influential families in Agartala. Following these engagements, he would depart the state on Saturday afternoon, as confirmed by a party leader.

During a virtual meeting held on Thursday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda evaluated the progress of the 'Maha Jan Sampark Abhiyan' and expressed his dissatisfaction with the inactivity of certain MPs. The meeting, which lasted nearly an hour, saw Nadda directly address the MPs, highlighting the lack of enthusiasm shown by some individuals towards the party's programs.

As the Narendra Modi-led government approaches its ninth year in power, the BJP has launched a statewide 'Maha Sampark Abhiyan' (Grand Outreach Campaign) from May 30 to June 30. This campaign aims to inform the public about the positive outcomes of various social initiatives and development projects implemented by the Modi government.

(With inputs from PTI)
A government panel in Japan has announced plans to enhance competition in the smartphone app payments market, which is currently dominated by Apple and Google . To achieve this, major app store operators will be prohibited from compelling software developers to utilize the operators' proprietary payment systems, reported Reuters.

According to Reuters, in its recently published final report on Friday, the government panel recommended that significant providers of smartphone operating systems (OS) should be mandated to provide users with secure alternatives for downloading apps, apart from relying solely on their own app stores.

Japan's mobile OS market is predominantly shared between Apple's iOS and Google's Android, with both holding significant market shares. Apple exclusively permits users to download iPhone apps exclusively from its own app store, whereas both Apple and Google mandate software developers to utilize their respective payment systems, which levy commissions of up to 30%.

According to the report, the government will examine the required legislative actions, and there are plans to present a relevant bill to the parliament as soon as next year, as reported by the Asahi Shimbun daily on Saturday.

The panel consists of notable individuals such as Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura and Economy Minister Shigeyuki Goto.

Meanwhile, Apple has teamed up with Google to address the issue of unauthorized use of Bluetooth tracking devices like AirTags for stalking people without their consent. Together, the tech giants are taking steps to prevent this type of behavior and ensure the safety and privacy of individuals.

Last month, Apple and Google released a proposal to establish standards aimed at preventing the misuse of Bluetooth tracking devices such as Apple AirTag and other similar tech gadgets for unwanted tracking and stalking. Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, and Pebblebee - producers of other popular tracking brands - have also endorsed the proposal, according to a joint press release by the companies.
Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. responded to the European Commission's recommendation to exclude its advanced wireless equipment from the European Union market, stating that the decision was based on biased judgments.

The telecom equipment manufacturer, headquartered in Shenzhen, released a statement in reaction to the EU's guidelines, which called for member countries to gradually remove high-risk vendors like Huawei and ZTE Corp. from their telecommunications networks.

This is clearly not based on a verified, transparent, objective and technical assessment of 5G networks. Restrictions or exclusions based on discriminatory judgments will pose serious economic and social risks," Huawei said in the statement released on Saturday.

The European Commission's decision followed the United States' actions of restricting Huawei's access to a broad range of American technologies, including chip manufacturing equipment and smartphone software.

Notably, the United States has exerted pressure on the European Union to adopt a more stringent approach towards Beijing due to escalating conflicts related to Taiwan and competition for dominance in areas such as artificial intelligence, chips, and quantum computing. By excluding Huawei from its operations in the EU, Chinese influence in the region could be significantly diminished.

Despite concerns raised by the European Commission, several EU member states, including Germany, continue to utilize Huawei products in their networks.

Meanwhile, Huawei Technologies Co. is looking to make Riyadh its headquarters for the Middle East amid a push by the Saudi government to position itself as a regional business hub and growing diplomatic and business ties with China, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Chinese company, which already has offices in the Saudi capital and other cities across the Middle East, is in talks with Riyadh authorities to upgrade its presence in the country, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private.

A final decision hasnt yet been made by Huawei, the people said. A spokesman for Huawei declined to comment. The company currently has headquarters for the region in Dubai and Bahrain.

(With inputs from Bloomberg)
On Friday, Microsoft revealed enhancements and added features to Bing Chat, its AI-driven chatbot. One of the key updates is the introduction of a dedicated iOS widget, enabling iPhone and iPad users to access Bing Chat without launching the app. Previously available on Android, the widget now extends its convenience to iOS users.

Furthermore, Microsoft has expanded the text-to-speech capabilities of Bing Chat, incorporating support for over 30 additional languages.

In a recent blog post, Microsoft unveiled the latest additions to Bing Chat. Among the updates is the introduction of an iOS widget for Bing Chat. This widget enables iPhone and iPad users to initiate chats directly from their Home screen, without the need to open the app. Similar functionality has already been available for Android users.

In addition, Microsoft is expanding the range of languages supported by voice in Bing Chat. They have recently introduced text-to-speech support for various Indian languages such as Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. Moreover, text-to-speech support will also be extended to languages like Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Filipino, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Marathi, Norsk Bokmal, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, and Ukrainian.

The technology gaint has made enhancements to the voice input button on the Bing mobile app for both iOS and Android. This update improves the performance by ensuring that Bing Chat instantly indicates that it is listening as soon as the button is tapped.

Microsoft consistently enhances Bing Chat by introducing new features and improvements on a regular basis. Recently, they introduced a chat history feature to Bing Chat. This feature enables users to view previous chat threads with the AI chatbot, displayed on the right side of the chat window. Users have the option to rename, delete, export, or share chat threads with others.

Additionally, the AI chatbot allows users to filter out conversations related to PC files and provides the capability to include charts and visualizations in their responses.
WASHINGTONThe Biden administration is grappling with how to identify artificial intelligence that poses a threat to national security, a central challenge as the U.S. moves to curb investment in advanced technology companies in China.

Biden administration officials have been preparing a new executive order for months that will restrict U.S. investment into some geopolitical rivals, namely China. Their goal is to prevent U.S. private equity and venture capital from contributing to Chinas development of cutting-edge technology that could aid Beijings military.

Washingtons efforts to preserve American technological superiority over China, including by banning the export of some advanced semiconductors last year, has been a defining issue in its relationship with Beijing. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Beijing this weekend, where he will likely face complaints from Chinese officials who view moves like the investment restrictions as American attempts to hold back Chinese economic growth.

U.S. officials, meanwhile, cast the coming capital controls as a targeted step aimed at what they view as national-security threats. They have sought to craft the investment rules so that they dont endanger broader investment and trade flows between the worlds two largest economies.

But distinguishing between technology that Beijing could use to advance its military and technology that Chinese companies use for everyday commercial purposes has proven difficult for the Biden administration, particularly when it comes to AI, according to people familiar with the deliberations.

The quandary is among the unresolved questions about the executive order, which is expected to prohibit investments in advanced semiconductors and quantum computing as part of a one-year pilot program, the people said. Investments in some forms of AI could be banned under the rules or simply subject to new disclosure requirements, the people said.

AI is in many ways a meaningless category. It encompasses everything from Netflix recommendation algorithms to autonomous weapon systems and a bunch of stuff in between," said Martin Chorzempa, who studies capital and technology controls at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Its extremely hard to define."

A spokesman for the National Security Council said the U.S. was making progress on the executive order, which investors and lobbyists have been expecting to be released for months.

This is a complicated process that we want to make sure we get right, and that takes some time," the spokesman said.

While some forms of AI are developed to accomplish specific functions, many AI companies focus on building general-purpose systems that can be trained to perform all sorts of tasks.

Global investment in AI startups is booming thanks to rapid consumer adoption of ChatGPT and other so-called generative AI tools, which can instantly create text, images, videos, and computer code based on written prompts.

The technology is expected to have wide-ranging commercial uses. But AI-models designed for computer coding could easily be used for hacking, while models intended to help create pharmaceutical drugs could also produce new chemical weapons, for example, researchers say.

If you are using AI to generate imagery, that could be used to run a war simulation or it could be used for a game," said Daniel Castro, a vice president at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation think tank.

Other forms of AI can pose similar challenges. In 2016, a venture capital arm of Qualcomm, the U.S. mobile-phone chip maker, invested in 7Invensun, a Beijing-based startup that makes an AI-powered tool for tracking eye movement, according to Georgetown University researchers who wrote a recent report documenting U.S. venture investments in AI in China.

7Invensuns technology could be used in virtual reality goggles or other consumer products, but it could also find its way into military or security applications, including infrared facial-recognition cameras or the training of fighter pilots. The company has disclosed working with a Chinese state-owned defense firm and Chinas Air Force Aviation University, wrote the Georgetown researchers, Emily Weinstein and Ngor Luong.

Representatives of Qualcomm and 7Invensun didnt respond to requests for comment.

Any policy banning investment such as Qualcomms would be challenging to articulate and enforce. Simply examining the code of a given AI system wouldnt necessarily reveal its capabilities, since the systems can be rapidly trained on fresh data to accomplish new tasks. Advanced AI systems can also involve extraordinarily complex computing processes that yield unexpected results, making it hard to place limits on their output.

These systems are just really hard to make reliably safe. Theyre essentially black boxes," said Tim Fist, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

The Georgetown report found that U.S. investors were involved in 401 transactions in Chinese AI companies between 2015 and 2021, with investments from exclusively American investors amounting to $7.45 billion in that time period.

But the specter of limitations on U.S. investment in advanced technology in China is already discouraging some U.S. firms from the market. Storied venture-capital firm Sequoia recently split off its China business amid the tensions between Washington and Beijing. Overall net foreign-direct investment in China will reach its lowest levels in almost 20 years in 2023, according to the Institute of International Finance.

A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said the U.S. and China should pursue healthy economic competition.

Discriminatory restrictions targeting companies of certain nationalities run counter to the basic principles of international economy and trade," the spokesman said. China will pay close attention to relevant developments and resolutely safeguard its own rights and interests."

The Biden administrations previous export ban on advanced semiconductors will be one way to try to prevent AI companies from accessing the computing power necessary to develop the most sophisticated models. The export ban has pushed some Chinese AI companies to try to develop advanced AI without cutting-edge chips. The U.S. has also previously banned the export of AI technology used to automate geospatial imagery.

Still, Biden administration officials are concerned that U.S. investors could transfer valuable knowledge and expertise to Chinese startups, allowing them to develop their own versions of the advanced technology, including semiconductors. U.S. venture-capital firms often give companies they invest in access to industry knowledge and contacts that may not be available elsewhere.

Theres never going to be any investment in China that doesnt pose any risk," said Weinstein, who is a fellow at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology. What the administration needs to decide is how much risk they can take on and draw the line there."

Write to Andrew Duehren at andrew.duehren@wsj.com and Ryan Tracy at ryan.tracy@wsj.com
BASF partnered with the college for the BASFs TECH Academy program to inspire kids who are interested in tech careers.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) receives Cuban Minister of Justice Oscar Manuel Silvera Martinez. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam will do its best to support Cuba in its capacity, and willingly share experiences it has gained, both on issues that have been done well or not, PM Pham Minh Chinh stressed.



Lauding the outcomes of the talks between the two justice ministers, PM Pham Minh Chinh welcomed the Vietnamese sides proposal of building a project of technical assistance to the Cuban Ministry of Justice in law making, in order to meet its needs in organising the implementation of the 2019 Constitution.



The Vietnamese Government always creates favourable conditions for ministries and sectors, including the Ministry of Justice, to tighten bilateral relations with the Cuban Ministry of Justice in order to help each other in legal and judicial works.



The Vietnamese Government leader suggested the two sides continue supporting each other at international organisations and multilateral forums, especially at the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement. He proposed Cuba create favourable conditions in terms of mechanisms and policies for Vietnamese legal entities and individuals in Cuba to stabilise their lives, production and business, and pay attention to solving difficulties for Vietnamese enterprises investing in the country.



For his part, Minister Oscar Manuel Silvera Martinez said that Cuba always attaches importance to its special and traditional relations, and multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam; and thanked the country for its assistance, especially in judicial affairs and law-making.



Agreeing with PM Pham Minh Chinhs ideas, he expressed his hope that Vietnam will maintain support for, and encourage its ministries and sectors to strengthen cooperation with Cuba in these fields, especially in the application of information technology, digital transformation and human resources training./.
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We should be conscious of the vulnerability of those in limbo for we, as a people, have seen enough of it, Historian Professor Diarmaid Ferriter told the 39th annual Goldsmith Festival of south Longford and south Westmeath.



In a wide-ranging keynote address, titled There are People Dreaming: Emigration and Modern Irish History, the esteemed UCD academic of Modern Irish History clinically analysed this years festival theme on Irish migration to a large and lively audience at The Rustic Inn, Abbeyshrule, on opening night.



The acclaimed author and Irish Times columnist also suggested that Irelands complex history with migration raises important questions about the expediency of social change and political transformation within the country and provides key context for dealing with current immigration issues.



Prefacing his argument Professor Ferriter said that between the year 1700 and today a staggering 10 million people have left this small island, almost twice the population of the Republic of Ireland in 2023.



That 10 million also exceeds the Irish population at its historic peak of over eight million before an Gorta Mor [The Great Famine], he said.

With America and Britain, the main destinations for relentless waves of Irish emigrants throughout the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, Prof Ferriter said the narrative behind these departures was a mixture of exile, banishment, quest for opportunity, and self-improvement.



There were a variety of reasons why people left and there were those that had no option. The experiences were multilayered and complex but what doesn't change is the sense of displacement, the sense of dislocation.



Between 1848 and 1900, $260 million was sent home to Ireland from the United States, one Donegal set of parents were quoted as saying with the 20 that was sent home, we were able to pay our debts and raise our heads.



There was also a reluctance to take in refugees. We know from the archives within the Irish Government there was a fear that up to 100,000 Irish men and women would be, in the words of the Department of the Taoiseach, dumped home after the Second World War not being necessary for the British wartime economy anymore.



No doubt many of them, this memorandum went on, would have embodied a good deal of leftism and it's a reminder of another kind of safety valve.

What if all those young Irish men and women had had to remain in Ireland during that period. Would it have been a very different country? Would it have led to more protests? To more demands for social change? Did it add to the conservativeness of Irish society as a result of those kind of exoduses?



The professor said the old-age theme of dislocation reverberates in the emigration story of Longford-born, Westmeath-raised, novelist, playwright and poet Oliver Goldsmith who took the boat for London in 1756.



London, by then, was cosmopolitan, a teeming metropolis. Yet Goldsmith wrote to his brother-in-law referring to how vulnerable he felt as an Irishman in London at that time.

He said that he was without friends, without recommendations, without money, without impudence and where appearing Irish is sufficient to make me unemployable.

But there was grit there too, he was resolved not to have recourse in his own words to suicides halter. He was determined to try and resist the feelings of depression.

David OShaughnessy, one of the editors of a collection of Goldsmiths letters, has highlighted the anecdotal evidence that Goldsmith during his time there was also very kind to those who had newly arrived from Ireland.



This shy immigrant from the Irish midlands who ended up buried in the heart of Londons inner temple was conscious of his Irish heritage all along.



The themes that he addresses in The Deserted Village, the sense of exile, the loss of that vital connection to the land. Ireland remained very much a part of him.

Though 65-70 million people worldwide claim Irish descent today, including some 40 million Americans and 40pc of African Americans, the professor also pinpointed the great role reversal when Ireland became a host population at the turn of the 21st century.



By 2002 10pc of those living in the Republic were non-Irish. I still remember in 2008 there were 20,000 Polish people who were registered to vote in Ireland for their domestic elections back home.



It was a reminder of how Ireland was changing but it also posed another question for me. If Irish emigrants had been able to vote in New York or Coventry or Birmingham or Boston in the 1950s would that have had a transformative effect on our politics at home?

There was in 2002 an all-party anti-racism protocol when it came to the general election of that year, a recognition that there was potential for complication when it came to this question of multiculturalism and racism. We have more reminders of that in recent times.

There was a national consultative committee on racism and multiculturalism that was one of the victims of the crash not so long ago, we need it back.

UCD Historian Professor Diarmaid Ferriter, Polish Ambassador to Ireland, Anna Sochanska, and UL Professor and committee member Michael Griffin at opening night of the Goldsmith Festival in Abbeyshrule Picture: Claire McCormack



We need to think about these questions. How long can we rely on this weakness of the far right, the opportunities to manipulate the situation.

By 2011 there were 544,257 non-Irish nationals from 199 different countries living in Ireland.



The recent Census shows over 12pc of the population now from those different nations.

The ESRI also identified in 2013 a sharp rise in opposition to immigration and again that was linked to the change of economic fortunes.

We should be conscious of the vulnerability of those in limbo. We must understand, for we as a people, have seen enough of it.



Always I would suggest consider the plight of those who are vulnerable and in limbo, of those who are, in the words of Goldsmith, without friends, without recommendations, without money, without impudence  a reminder of why the words of Goldsmith as they were written in the 1750s, still resonate today when it comes to this complex question of migration.



Arthur Conlon Goldsmith Festival chairman described the three-day event as a tremendous success exemplified he said by the huge crowds in attendance.

We set out to examine a very important issue through our theme and we feel that it was very well developed in the contributions of all our speakers, musicians, and performers over the weekend. It has really set us up for our 40th festival next year.

Once again I would like to commend the local authorities for their continued support of our event.
Writer, historian and adopted Longford man Aidan OHara passed away, peacefully surrounded by his loving family, at the age of 84, on Sunday, June 11.



Aidan led an eventful life that brought him from his native Donegal to the Farrell county via Canada. He worked as a presenter and producer with RTE and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.



He lived in Longford for over 20 years, and in that time published a number of books. His many publications include the books Ill Live Till I Die: The Story of Delia Murphy and Atlantic Gaels: Links between Donegal and the Hebrides.



Aidan has also written numerous articles, including in Teathbha, the Journal of County Longford Historical Society.

He was a graduate of St Mary's College (now Marino Institute of Education), and pursued his postgraduate studies at University of Ottawa and Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada.

Aidan taught Communications and Media Studies in Dublin, Ireland: Communications Centre, Booterstown, the Tallaght Institute of Technology, and Dublin City University.



Through his company, Ashton Media Services, he taught Communication skills to school leavers, business executives, politicians, medical professionals and church leaders.

He presented three acclaimed Radharc documentaries on the Irish of Newfoundland on RTE 1 in the 1980s  one of them the award-winning, The Forgotten Irish  and he has been a contributor and consultant in several TV series.



Aidans story of the Irish in Newfoundland, Na Gaeil i dTalamh an Eisc, was published in 1998. It won the Oireachtas '97 literary award for a work in prose, and was nominated for The Irish Times Literature Prize in 1999 for a work in the Irish language.



Aidan was a keen historian with a special interest in the Irish emigration experience and was an active member of the Longford Historical Society. He wrote regularly for Irish Music Magazine and contributed articles on historic matters to journals and newspapers around the country, including the Longford Leader.



He was also a member of the Knocklyon History Society (Dublin), Cumann Seanchais Ard Mhacha (The Armagh Diocesan Historical Society), and the County Donegal Historical Society. Aidan served as Chairman of the Emmet and Devlin Committee, and was a founding member of the Association of Canadian Studies in Ireland.



In February of this year, Aidans book A Damn Yankee, Am I? Thanks! Portraits of the Irish in the Era of the American Civil War, was launched in Longford library by Dr Fergus OFerrall.



On the evening, Dr OFerrall described Aidan as a very distinguished member of the County Longford Historical Society, a leading local historian amongst a very remarkable generation of Longfords historians.

Dr OFerrall added, Aidans breadth of interests as an historian is reflected in the well over twenty significant essays he has contributed to Teathbha, the very impressive journal of the County Longford Historical Society.

Aidan has written about critical episodes in the land struggle, about personalities, such as Francis Hutcheson, the philosopher, Bishop Magauran in the 1820s, and Henry Inglis, who toured the county in the 1830s.



Aidans particular interest and expertise in emigration is the subject of six essays; in addition we have his key essay on this central aspect of the Irish experience- emigration- in Longford History and Society, edited by Martin Morris and myself in 2010. Other essays cover music and tradition and the struggle of self- government and independence.



This major contribution, casting such new light on our countys past, is all the more remarkable when we know that Aidan only came to live in County Longford in 2004 but, of course, Longford was his late fathers county. It is to be hoped that these essays in Teathbha will be collected and published in book form as they merit a prominent place on the shelf and desks of everyone interested in both Longfords and indeed Irelands past.



An award-winning broadcaster, I first met Aidan when I was a student on a Radio Communication course back in the early 1980s and have greatly admired his career ever since. Aidan has a special interest in the Irish of Newfoundland and he has presented three acclaimed Radharc documentaries on the Irish of Newfoundland and won a literary award for Na Gaeil i dTalamh an Eisc telling their story.



Predeceased by his parents Marjorie (nee Curran) and James O'Hara (Drumlish, Co Longford), sister Mona Doherty and brothers Brendan, Eamon and Colm, the late Aidan will be remembered in the hearts and minds of all that knew his passion and love for Ireland's cultural arts and heritage.



Always remembered with love by his family, his devoted wife Joyce, daughter Kathleen, sons Sean, Brian and Conor, daughter-in-law Fionnag, son-in-law Brendan, grandchildren Eoghan, Laoise, Sorcha, Orla, Ro and Chloe, sisters Kathleen and Carol, his twin brother Mel, sisters-in-law , brothers-in-law , cousins, nieces, nephews, relatives and his many friends and colleagues around the world. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis.
Source: Internet

Senator P. Quittova, head of the Czech-Vietnamese Friendship Parliamentarians Group of the Czech Senate, Environment Minister Petr Hladik, and former Czech Ambassador to Vietnam V. Grepl were among the participants.



At the workshop, members of the Czech Republic-Vietnam education centre presented their project on waste management, which aims to raise the awareness of Vietnamese in the Czech Republic about environmental protection.



In his remarks, Hladik spoke highly of the centres initiative and responded to queries on the Czech Republics environment policies.



Vietnamese representatives at the event noted their hope that the Czech government will further create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in the country in general and young people in particular to contribute to the host society, and serve as a bridge between the two countries.



They Czech Republic-Vietnam education centre is a non-profit organisation established by a group of young Vietnamese intellectuals in the Czech Republic with the aim of supporting Vietnamese in integrating into the host society./.
Nearly two weeks into their long-awaited counteroffensive, Ukrainian forces have made some initial tactical gains while also taking significant losses. However, the offensive has yet to reach its decisive phase. Assessments of success or failure are premature.

Kyiv evidently aims to sever the so-called land bridge connecting Russia to Crimea. Ideally, Ukraine will not only retake strategically important territory but also isolate and destroy a large chunk of Russias forces.

Ukrainian troops are currently pushing on two axes in the south. The first is the South Donetsk direction, specifically the area near Velyka Novosilka, a town close to the border between Ukraines Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Kyiv launched its assault in this sector on June 4. If the Ukrainians choose to reinforce this axis, they will probably aim to drive southward to Mariupol, a coastal city on the Sea of Azov.

The second axis is the Zaporizhzhia direction, particularly the area south of the city of Orikhiv. Ukraines offensive in this sector began in earnest on June 8. Kyivs forces will likely seek to push from Orikhiv to Tokmak and then Melitopol, Russias key logistics hub in southern Ukraine.

It remains unclear which axis will be the main effort. This is probably intentional. Kyiv likely hopes to keep the Russians guessing and force Moscow to spread its forces thinly, while giving itself the flexibility to exploit vulnerabilities in Russian lines where they develop.

Meanwhile, since early May, incremental Ukrainian advances around the eastern city of Bakhmut have led Moscow to redeploy some forces to the area. These reportedly include an additional Airborne unit transferred within the past couple weeks. In addition, Russian war correspondents reported yesterday that Ukraine conducted small-scale amphibious assaults across the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast. These operations may aim to fix Russian units in that region, from which Kyiv says Moscow has begun withdrawing forces following the collapse Kakhovka dam. Kyiv could also launch an auxiliary offensive in Luhansk Oblast to impose a dilemma on the Russian command and exploit Ukraines interior lines.

So far, Ukraines counteroffensive in the south has achieved some initial tactical gains, chiefly on the Velyka Novosilka axis. When the offensive began, the Russian-occupied part of that sector formed a salient jutting into Ukrainian-controlled territory. Ukrainian forces have attacked from three directions  southward along the Mokriy Yaly River and on the salients eastern and western flanks. The immediate objective is probably Staromlynivka, a town that sits at a road junction around 12 kilometers south of Velyka Novosilka.

On June 11-13, Ukraine liberated several low-lying villages along the Mokriy Yaly River. Russia blew a dam on that river in an effort to impede further advances. Ukraine also appears to have retaken or at least pushed Russian forces out of several more villages on the flanks, although the Russians probably retain control over the dominant heights in those areas. Russia has reportedly launched counterattacks over the last week, with no apparent success. Ukrainian forces remain about 10 kilometers from Russias main defensive line in this sector.

Kyiv has made less progress in the Zaporizhzhia direction. To the west, Ukrainian forces have likely liberated the low-lying village of Lobkove. They may have also advanced up to 3 kilometers south of Orikhiv, taking some positions in Russias advanced security zone. But Ukrainian troops have yet to reach Russias first defensive line at the towns of Robotyne and Kopani, and they remain around 10 kilometers from Russias main defensive line. Russia has a thicker, more complex defense in depth in the Zaporizhzhia direction than in the South Donetsk direction.

Open-source data indicate Ukraine has lost dozens of tanks and other armored fighting vehicles since its counteroffensive began. That figure includes at least five Leopard 2 tanks and 17 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, although some of the damaged vehicles are likely recoverable. Significant losses are inevitable when conducting a large-scale ground offensive without air superiority against an opponent with a well-prepared defense. The Biden administration quickly pledged to backfill Ukraines lost Bradleys with replacements drawn from U.S. stocks.

Heavy Russian mining and artillery fire, along with loitering munitions and mobile anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) teams, account for many of Ukraines vehicle losses. However, the improved survivability of Ukraines Western-made vehicles has reduced its casualties and irretrievable vehicle losses. Ukrainian sources also cite challenges posed by Russias electronic warfare capabilities and the high concentration of Russian drones conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

Ukrainian military sources confirm that the Russian Air Force, particularly Army Aviation, is also playing an active role. The Russian Defense Ministry and other Russian sources have released numerous videos showing Ka-52 attack helicopters conducting ATGM strikes on Ukrainian armored vehicles. They typically fly low and strike from around 8 kilometers away, outside the range of man-portable air defense systems.

Ukraine may be struggling to counter this threat due to a dearth of short-range air defense systems. Kyivs dwindling stocks of interceptors for its Soviet-made air defense systems, along with Russias use of loitering munitions to target Ukrainian air defenses, may have also made the air environment more permissive. The Russian Air Forces impact will likely grow as advancing Ukrainian forces push past their air defense coverage.

In general, its still far too early to judge the success of Ukraines counteroffensive, which will likely unfold over weeks or months. As a source in Ukraines General Staff told The Economist earlier this week, neither side has committed its main forces. Kyiv appears to have introduced just two of its nine new Western-equipped maneuver brigades  the 47th Mechanized Brigade, in the Orikhiv area, and 37th Marine Brigade, in the Velyka Novosilka area. Ukraine has probably also committed two additional newly formed mechanized infantry brigades alongside various other, pre-existing units. These range from some of Ukraines most experienced and best-equipped formations to less-capable units from the Territorial Defense Forces.

The General Staff officer explained that Russia and Ukraine are now in a chess game to force each other to commit their reserves. For Kyiv, forcing the Russians to deploy reserves will help reveal vulnerabilities in their defense. Moscow hopes to attrit Ukraines offensive potential. Neither side wants to commit his forces at the wrong time or in the wrong place.

According to the General Staff officer, Ukraines immediate priority is to reduce Russias quantitative advantage in artillery. Ukraine appears to have found success in this counter-battery duel, exploiting the superior precision and range of its Western-provided artillery systems. Russia, for its part, continues to use the Lancet loitering munition as its chief counter-battery weapon.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is attempting to disrupt Russian logistics and command and control through sabotage and long-range precision strikes deep in the Russian rear. On June 11, saboteurs  presumably Ukrainian partisans or special forces  caused an explosion on railway tracks in Crimea and blew up a bridge on the rail line connecting the peninsula to Melitopol. The next day, a Russian war correspondent reported that a Ukrainian missile strike had killed the chief of staff of Russias 35th Combined Arms Army, elements of which are fighting in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

So far, Russia seems to have conducted a fairly competent defense. But it remains to be seen whether Russian units, many of which now largely comprise poorly trained mobilized personnel, will hold up when Ukraine strikes with its full might. Its likewise unclear whether Ukrainian forces, which also include many recently mobilized troops, can execute an offensive of this scale and complexity. As one Ukrainian soldier noted, some of the officers serving in Kyivs newly formed brigades received truncated training and lack combat experience. They will need time to adapt.

The counteroffensives main axis and prospects will likely grow clearer in the coming weeks as Ukraine commits additional forces and attempts to breach Russias fortified defensive lines. Expect the fighting to get tougher as well.

John Hardie is the deputy director of FDDs Russia Program and a contributor to FDD's Long War Journal.

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Saturday has been a very proud day for Richard Thompson, after he was sworn is as the new mayor of Sant Joan in the very heart of Mallorca.

Richard, who was born in Brighton and is a geography fieldwork professional and teacher, will not only become the first British mayor ever in the Balearics but also the only current serving British mayor in Spain, as things stand.

He is extremely excited about being able to work for a better future for Sant Joan but also feels very humbled that he has been entrusted by the local community to lead a team to take the municipality of some 3,000 people forward. Richard, who ran for Mes per Mallorca, will lead a left-wing pact in Sant Joan after ousting El Pi as the most voted force on May 28.

Mes per Mallorca and the PSOE reached an agreement last Sunday to govern the municipality for the next four years. The sum of these two parties gives them an absolute majority, which also guarantees stability.

First three years

According to the agreement between the Eco-nationalists and Socialists, the leader of Mes, Richard, will hold the mayors office for the first three years. The PSOE candidate, Catalina Perello, with whom he has a very close and good relationship, will occupy the post for the last year of the period of administration.

But how did this all come about?

I have always been interested in politics, but debating it with my friends was about as far as I had been. Ive never been an activist although Ive always been left wing, but I never thought about a career in politics, he told the Bulletin this week.

Barcelona

I first moved to Spain in 2001 and held various positions in Andalusia and then Barcelona, which is where I met my future wife. She is from Sant Joan and we began visiting regularly in 2010 and then, in 2014, we decided to move to Mallorca, set up a small language academy and I became a Sant Joaner, he said.

Sant Joan, despite being relatively small, has such a dynamic community. Ive never known anywhere with so many associations - there are at least 20 - be these for the young or the elderly, culture, sports. You name it, everyone is involved with something and theres always something going on. Before I knew it I became a member and a councillor for the local Assemblea per Sant Joan party four years ago. We realised that people were not all that happy but we needed a stronger platform if we were really going to make a difference, so before Christmas we began talking to Mes and the party gave us its blessing to run on their ticket for mayor in order to try and get into a position to be able to change the village for the better and we won five out of the total eleven council seats.

The five councillors were two more than in the previous elections, when the party obtained three councillors. Mes won 142 more votes. In 2019 Mes ran together with the local group Assemblea per Sant Joan.

Urgent short-term matters

For his part, the current mayor, Francesc Mestre, of El Pi has dropped two councillors and has only obtained three representatives, which distances him from the majority he was on the verge of obtaining in 2019 after getting 229 fewer votes. The PP has managed to maintain its two councillors and the PSIB has also kept its only councillor.

So we managed to form a pact with the Socialists and on Saturday I will be sworn in as mayor for the next three years.

Some of us are aware that there are many simple actions to improve Sant Joan that are urgent in the short term, while others will take longer and will need funding and grants from the Council of Mallorca. We will obviously have to see how the formation of the main administrations eventually take place.

That said, the team and I intend to break the mould of traditional local government. I mentioned the associations, they are the lifeline of the local community, so they are going to play an important role and weve singled out 12 main areas we believe need attention and improvement such as health, education, sustainability, traffic and roads and senior citizens.

12 areas of vital importance

Weve selected areas of vital importance and we are going to approach them all as a team; no single person is going to be responsible for any particular area.

I want to get rid of the old rigid approach to local councils and create a more inclusive approach, one of collaboration and distributive leadership.

We ran a very positive election campaign and want that positivity to continue and, if it is in the best interests of the people of Sant Joan, I will talk to opposition parties, apart from Vox if I can help it; thats what I mean by inclusive.

One thing I have learnt since the elections is that there are many people who voted for us at a local level but voted for the Partido Popular or even Vox at a regional level.

Wanting the best

One thing is wanting the best for the local community, the other is what people want for the Balearics and expect from the main administrations - the Balearic government and the Council of Mallorca. So, based on that, I need to keep an open mind and put Sant Joan first.

As a geographer and having been in charge of field studies on the mainland, my expertise will be channelled into mobility, roads and local transport, for example.

I will be working on projects to encourage more people to walk or cycle and reduce the dependency on cars and the need for huge car parks.

And we have a very young and talented team. Im the eldest by far at 52, plus we have a very good and close working relationship with the Socialists. And my former colleagues from the Assemblea are on hand to give me any advice I may need, Robert said.

But I am extremely proud to have been elected mayor. I think its testimony to the people of Sant Joan and how open minded they are - to have a foreigner running the town hall.

Yes, Sant Joan is a very cosmopolitan multicultural community. The head of the primary school told me they havestudents from some 20 different nationalities, which I think is great; it brings more colour to the community. Weve got people from the mainland, the UK, Germany, Holland, Scandinavia and Japan, for example, and that enriches life, especially when everybody is working and living together in such a lively community, Richard explained, although he admitted that he is aware of some foreign communities in other parts of the island who are concerned and worried about the further emergence of the far-right party Vox.

Not a sound bite politician

I have to admit, and my wife is a journalist, Im not a sound bite politician, but I know what my team and I believe in and we know what the people of Sant Joan expect. I will have an open-door policy prepared to confront any problems facing the local community.

We have a few Airbnbs, some excellent rural hotels and agroturism hotels around us, but were not on the main cycle routes like other neighbouring municipalities in the Pla such as Petra or Sineu, but we also have a few famous and first-class restaurants which are very popular with residents and locals alike, so were off the main tourism beat if you like.

That said, we believe in responsible tourism and getting the right balance. Were open for business, obviously we all need to make a living and for Mallorca tourism is very much the key. But were certainly not moving towards a tourism boom by any means.

Were a small municipality off the beaten track and that is one of the great attractions of Sant Joan and Im convinced that the majority of people would like to keep it that way. I think its one of the main reasons foreign residents have moved into the area. They want to experience the very best of rural Mallorca and its traditions and, as Ive said, theres never a dull moment in Sant Joan, Richard stressed.

In the meantime, Ive also got to sit down and perfect my Catalan.

I know I should have done more in Barcelona, but one member of the team is from Valencia and when she talks in Valencian that throws me as well. Plus theres the matter of dialects and accents. TV Catalan can be quite removed from Mallorcan in the villages, although Im told I do have a Sant Joan accent. All the more reason for feeling so humbled to have being elected and the least I can do is brush up on my Catalan as quickly as possible, Richard said.

Hes certainly got his work cut out.
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) provides coverage for cervical cancer screening through the Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama (Konsulta) primary care package and cervical cancer treatment through the Z Benefits. Since 2015, benefit claims for cervical cancer filed under the Z Benefits amount to P31 million.

We are glad that your PhilHealth has been able to extend medical care benefits to those women suffering from this dreaded disease. Indeed, the state health insurer is always looking into the welfare of its members and always doing its best to provide financial risk protection whenever and wherever Filipinos need quality health care, Acting PhilHealth President and CEO Emmanuel R. Ledesma, Jr. said.

PhilHealth has been able to extend medical care benefits to women diagnosed with cervical cancer

Each year in the Philippines, 7,897 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 4,052 fatalities. Cervical cancer ranks second in cancers among women in the Philippines and the second most common cancer in women between the ages of 15 and 44 (DOH, May 2023). Warning signs of cervical cancer show abnormal bleeding or foul-smelling vaginal discharge, bleeding after sexual intercourse, persistent back, leg, or pelvic pain, and unexplainable weight loss.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends screening for cervical cancer from 30 years of age in the general population of women or earlier for sexually active women. Further, updated guidelines of the WHO recommend Human Papillomavirus (HPV) tests for cervical cancer screening, which is more cost-effective than cytology (i.e., Pap smear). In addition, the WHO also recommends the primary target of vaccination against HPV, which is the first line of defense against cervical cancer, are girls aged 9-14. The secondary targets for HPV vaccination are boys and other females whenever feasible and affordable.

Meanwhile, in a recent report by Professor Dindo Manhit of Stratbase ADR Institute, along with other Cancer Societies and Cancer-free Movement, their groups discussed evidence-based and cost-effective interventions that will scale up the elimination of cervical cancer in the Philippines and officially launch the Zero Cervical Cancer Movement.

PhilHealth acknowledges the groups effort to lessen cervical cancer incidents, if not eliminate this catastrophic illness, by boosting immunization, vaccination, and treatment control programs and fully supporting their future projects in collaboration with other sectors. Furthermore, in response to their call to expand coverage of the Z benefits package for cervical cancer and even include HPV Screening in the soon-to-be-introduced Konsulta Plus Package, the PhilHealth Chief has this to say.

Cervical cancer can present in women between the ages of 15 and 44

We are determined to further enhance our benefits package to provide responsive coverage for our members and their dependents needing treatment. Cancer screening will be included under Konsulta primary care package, while the Z Benefits cover treatment for this type of cancer. This year, enhancement in select Z Benefits packages will include cervical cancer, he added.

Currently, PhilHealth has two Z Benefits packages that cover a complete course of treatment for cervical cancer for stages IA1, IA2-IIA1, where it pays P120,000 for Chemoradiation with Cobalt and Brachytherapy (low dose) and P175,000 for Chemoradiation with Linear Accelerator and Brachytherapy (high dose).

Ledesma also stressed the importance of more healthcare providers being contracted for PhilHealths Z Benefits Package for cervical cancer to ensure greater patient access. To date, there are seven (7) contracted hospitals where qualified patients can avail of the Z Benefits package for cervical cancer. PhilHealth is committed to engaging more healthcare providers to partner with us to make this more accessible to members and their dependents afflicted with the disease, he explained.

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In this time and age, society has begun learning to love the skins they live in and respect others decisions on how they want to live their lives. When it comes to using beauty products, the public has embraced the benefits of makeup and similar products in boosting their confidence and enhancing their natural beauty. After all, theres nothing wrong with looking ones best.

According to the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology, cancer is now the third leading cause of death nationwide. Some of the most common cancers among Filipinos are lung, breast, colon, rectum, and prostate.

Participating hospitals and landmarks flash teal lights on their facades as they called for the awareness and elimination of cervical cancer

People dont talk about cervical cancer and support the disease as much as other womens cancers, such as breast cancer. This cancer, caused by various strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), is still the second most common cancer afflicting women in the country and worldwide. As of 2020, nearly 8,000 Filipino women were diagnosed with cervical cancer.

Although it is one of the most preventable cancers, the Philippines still has the lowest rate of HPV vaccination, early preventive screenings, and diagnosis worldwide.

To raise awareness for cervical cancer in the country, healthcare company MSD Philippines held the Women Bloom in SolidariTeal event at Baluarte de San Diego in Intramuros, Manila, last Friday, June 9, 2023.

Women of Strength

Women from different organizations, cervical cancer survivors, and advocates came together towards the elimination of cervical cancer in the country, where Nina Corpuz, a broadcast journalist and SolidariTeal advocate, hosted an interactive talk show.

In the first part, Dr. Efren Domingo, President of the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS) gave some facts regarding cervical cancer and situations in the Philippines.

Then, they featured cancer survivors Isabella Fernando-Dela Cruz and Eden Guzman-Lucero to talk about life after their diagnosis.

Cervical cancer survivors taking the runway to celebrate their win against the disease

Afterward, a panel discussion was held on cancer-free the next day. Among the panelists are Dr. Cecilia Llave, Chairman of the Cervical Cancer Prevention Network (CECAP); Ms. Donna Miranda, Awareness and Demand Generation Officer for Jhpiego Philippines; and Dr. Jesus Randy Bogs Rivera, founder of CerviQ, a social enterprise.

For the final segment of the interactive talk show, they discussed what communities are doing to prevent and eliminate cervical cancer. The panelists are composed of Mayor Mary Chrislyn Abadilla of Banna, Ilocos Norte; Ms. Karen Villanueva, President of the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations (PAPO), and Dr. Elmer Bondoc, Vice President for Programs and Development of Philippine Nurses Association, Inc.

After the talk show, 11 cervical cancer survivors walked on the runway to show that women can outlive and beat cancer with appropriate healthcare systems and interventions. 11 is significant because it represents the number of women dying from this dangerous disease.

Beatriz McLelland, Miss Eco Teen Philippines 2022 and staunch cervical cancer awareness advocate, led the signing of the petition to end cervical cancer.

Teal all over the country

During the event, selected landmarks and hospitals nationwide participated in the lighting ceremony and bled teal to support eliminating cervical cancer.

Some of Manilas known landmarks, such as the Rizal Monument, Manila Clock Tower, Kartilya ng Katipunan, and Rajah Sulayman Park, are lit in teal. The Quezon Memorial Circle also participated in light of the Quezon City government.

Miss Eco Teen Philippines 2022 Beatriz McLelland leading the petition signing to end cervical cancer

Aside from the lighting teal all over the country, there was also an art gallery catering to artworks from 12 local female artists, and a photo exhibit displayed images from seven female photographers who supported cervical cancer advocacy.

Teal is the color for cervical cancer awareness and advocacy. In color psychology, teal regulates and heals emotions, creating emotional balance and stability. As such, wearing a teal ribbon symbolizes healing over the disease beyond signaling cervical cancer advocacy.

In the end, MSD Philippines calls out to everyone to encourage their wife, mother, daughter, sister, or friend to get vaccinated, screened, and diagnosed early for cervical cancer.

Truly, prevention is still better than cure.

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Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Friday that conditions were not yet right for ASEAN to open high-level talks with Myanmar on the countrys political situation.

We believe it would be premature to reengage with the junta at a summit level or even at a foreign minister level, Balakrishnan said when asked about a news report that Thailands military-controlled caretaker government had proposed talks.

Speaking in a joint press conference in Washington with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Balakrishnan said the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations had recently reaffirmed their stance.

We condemned the coup, and the ongoing violence against civilians, the instability in the country, the setback to national reconciliation, and the enormous impact on the economy, he said of the 2021 military takeover in Myanmar.

Unfortunately, its now more than two years. We havent seen any signs of improvement, Balakrishnan said.

The Irrawaddy, a Myanmar-focused news website operated in Thailand, said that Thailands foreign ministry proposed in a recent letter to host an informal ministerial meeting of some ASEAN members with Myanmar on Monday to relaunch engagement.

Balakrishnan did not reject all engagement with the Myanmar junta.

The key point is this. You do need everyone ultimately to sit down and negotiate, the Singapore diplomat said.

I dont know how long it will take. The last time it took 25 years for some form of democratic transition to occur in Myanmar. I hope it

wont take that long, he said.

Blinken said the United States backs ASEAN efforts to resolve the violence that has seen 6,000 civilians killed since February 2021,

according to the Peace Research Institute of Oslo.

Its very important that we continue, all of us, to sustain the appropriate pressure on the junta and look for ways of course to

engage the opposition in Myanmar, Blinken said.

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Prosecutor General of the Supreme People's Procuracy of Vietnam Le Minh Tri speaks at the dialogue. (Photo: VNA)

Addressing a dialogue as part of the Business Programme at the 26th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Russia on June 16, Tri said, in an increasingly difficult and complex context, it is essential to pay attention to resolving difficulties and adopting pro-business policies. To achieve this, he urged the procuracy sector to attach importance to evidence in settling criminal cases and pay attention to protecting enterprises and those who do business legally or face temporary difficulties and risks.



The Supreme People's Procuracy of Vietnam also suggested improving transparency and openness, amending and supplementing the legal and policy systems to address gaps and shortcomings in regulations and state management, thus promptly removing difficulties and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises, making it easier for them to foster innovation and overcome challenges.



Tri also urged procuracy and prosecutorial institutions of countries to strengthen cooperation and share experiences in relevant matters of concern.



The dialogue focused its discussions on the protection of the rights of entrepreneurs and investors, including foreign partners, and creating more favourable conditions for business activities, which are of particular importance given the unfavourable economic and external factors./.
A two-and-a-half year multi-sectoral partnership among the United Nations (UN), the public and private agencies and organizations has recently culminated, reporting significant gains in protecting Filipino migrant workers through progressive labor migration policies and practices.

These agencies include the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (UN Women), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Local Government Units (LGUs), Private Recruitment Agencies (PRAs), Connected Women, Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, and the Atikha Overseas Workers Communities and Initiatives, Inc.

UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzalez reiterates the importance of addressing the challenges of labor migration governance in the Philippines during the 10-year culmination of the BRIDGE Programme, the result of multi-sectoral partnerships of the UN.

The partnership called Bridging Recruitment to Reintegration in Migration Governance: Philippines (BRIDGE) supports the countrys commitment to the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), specifically its objective of facilitating fair and ethical recruitment and safeguarding conditions for decent work and cooperating to facilitate the safe and dignified return of migrants as well as sustainable reintegration.

BRIDGE was designed to strengthen labor migration governance in the Philippines, said Gustavo Gonzalez, UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines.

Migration governance refers to how the Philippines deals with the challenges and benefits of migration, including the protection of migrants rights throughout their migration journeystarting from recruitment to their return and reintegration in the country, added Gonzalez.

With support from the BRIDGE Programme, the Department of Migrant Workers Affairs was able to promote progressive labor migration policies and practices that will intensify fair and ethical recruitment at the national and local levels informed by international standards.

Multi-sectoral agencies that aim to protect Filipino migrant workers participate in discussions on progressive labor migration policies and practices. (From left) Tristan Burnett, Chief of Mission for International Organization for Migration, Gustavo Gonzalez, Resident Coordinator for United Nations Philippines; Venecio Legaspi, Assistant Secretary for Reintegration of the Department of Migrant Workers; Diana Ople San Jose, Executive Director of Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute; Ambassador Borhan Uddin of the Embassy of Bangladesh; Ambassador Michel Parys of the Embassy of Belgium; and Khalid Hassan, Director for the Country Office of International Labour Organization.

Labor migration agencies conducted localized capacity-building training sessions through the BRIDGE Programme. These included sessions on digital literacy to help aspiring Filipino migrant workers avoid online job recruitment scams and human trafficking.

The BRIDGE Programme also prioritized the reintegration of migrant workers. Reintegration refers to the multi-dimensional process of migrants in re-establishing their economic status, social structures, and psychosocial relationships in their communities of origin after working and living abroad. From the side of duty-bearers, it may involve providing various forms of assistance and resources to help them readjust and resume their lives back home.

With support from the BRIDGE Programme, the local government of Quezon City also established the first-ever Migrant Worker Resource Center (MRC) in Metro Manila which serves as a one-stop center for migrant workers and returnees.

With the help of our international and domestic partners including the religious sector, we [the Quezon City Government], have managed to put together a comprehensive program for our overseas workers with special attention of mitigating the social cost of migration through a menu of services that covers a full migration cycle, said Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte (third from left) shares how the city was able to establish the first-ever Migrant Worker Resource Center (MRC), serving as a one-stop center for migrant workers and returnees. Belmonte is joined by (from left) Venecio Legaspi, Assistant Secretary for Reintegration of the Department of Migrant Workers; Tristan Burnett, Chief of Mission for International Organization for Migration; Diana Ople San Jose, Executive Director of Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute; broadcast journalist Karen Davila; and Khalid Hassan, Director for the Country Office of International Labour Organization.

Through the MRC, the Quezon City government, with support from BRIDGE, is facilitating jobs and livelihood opportunities for Filipino migrant workers, returning workers, and their families.

Belmonte added the local government units priority now is providing transportation, medical, and referral support to 20,000 distressed returning migrant workers.

The BRIDGE Programme was funded by the UN Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF). Committed to safe, orderly, and regular migration, the MPTF supports the adoption and implementation of the Global Compact to encourage the uptake of migration approaches that benefit communities of origin, transit, and destination, as well as migrants.

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A California man who sexually assaulted two women while sitting next to them on a flight from Los Angeles to Boston last year was sentenced to a year of probation this week, prosecutors said.

Jairaj Singh Dhillon was sentenced by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson in federal court in Boston on Thursday. The 43-year-old Modesto, California man is expected to serve one year of probation, the first six months of which will be done in home confinement, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts said in a statement.

Prosecutors detailed how during the overnight flight from Los Angeles to Boston on May 31, 2022, the California man touched the two passengers sitting next to him without their consent, according to the statement.

The first victim said Dhillon, seated in the aisle seat next to her, touched her thigh and groin area while she was taking care of her infant child who was in a car seat in the window seat next to her. She called for help and said out loud, This man just groped me, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

The second victim, who was seated in the aisle seat opposite Dhillon, said he reached out with both hands and simultaneously grabbed her groin and buttocks when she was standing in the aisle. Flight crew intervened and moved him to another part of the plane for the rest of the flight, and he was immediately taken into custody when the plane arrived in Boston, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Dhillon pleaded guilty on March 20 to two counts of assault while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.
A five-year-old boy was flown to the hospital after he was seriously injured by a lawn mower in Wellesley on Friday, news outlets reported.

First responders got the 911 call about the injured boy at a home on South River Street, rushed to the address shortly after 2 p.m. and began immediate life-saving measures, WCVB reported. The child suffered a serious wound to his right leg due to an accident that involved a lawn mower that can be driven.

The boy was initially driven by an ambulance to Wellesley Colleges campus, but he was expected to be flown by a medical helicopter to a Boston hospital afterward, according to WCVB.

Law enforcement did not release any further information about the accident or condition of the wounded boy.
Dickson Joel De Los Reyes, the Lynn man who went missing after leaving a party in a Lyft rideshare vehicle last week, was found dead in a marshland in Revere late Friday, authorities said.

The 24-year-old mans body was recovered by divers with the Massachusetts State Police Underwater Recovery Unit in the Rumney Marsh Reservation along Route 107 in Revere shortly after 8:30 p.m., according to a statement from State Police spokesperson David Procopio.

The divers made their discovery after a State Police air wing flight crew saw De Los Reyess body in the marsh, the statement said. The reservation is a 600-acre salt marsh located within the Saugus and Pines River Inlet along Route 107, according to the state government.

The state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has taken custody of De Los Reyess body and will conduct a post-mortem examination, State Police noted.

State Police began searching for De Los Reyes late Thursday afternoon, looking for evidence related to his disappearance in the marshland off Route 107. The Lynn man did not return home after leaving a party in Chelsea and entering a Lyft early in the morning of Sunday, June 11, according to State Police.

Evidence indicated De Los Reyes got into the Lyft in front of 168 Shurtleff St. in Chelsea shortly before 3:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 11. The ride was ended shortly before 4 a.m. on the same date, State Police said.

Upon termination of the ride, De Los Reyes cell phone number dialed 911 and was connected to Revere Police, State Police detailed. The call disconnected and several attempts to call the number back by police were unsuccessful.

Evidence indicates the call was made from the area of American Legion Highway in Revere, State Police added. De Los Reyes has not been seen nor heard from since.

Later attempts by State Police to determine the phones location were unsuccessful, suggesting the device was off, State Police noted.

Dickson "Joel" De Los Reyes leaving a party on June 11, on surveillance footage from the City of Chelsea. Photo courtesy Massachusetts State Police

De Los Reyes was roughly 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighed around 150 pounds and had black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing the clothes shown in a photograph State Police posted of him from a city of Chelsea surveillance camera, which appear to have included black pants, a black vest, a white long-sleeve shirt and white sneakers,

The investigation into the facts and circumstances of De Los Reyess death is ongoing and is being led by the State Police Detective Unit for Suffolk County.
Editors note: The Campaign Notebook is a periodical round-up of campaign and election news in the lead-up to the 2023 municipal elections in the city of Springfield.

More than 32 Springfield residents are running for spots on Springfield City Council, according to a spreadsheet from the city clerks office sent to The Republican this week. The last day to submit nomination papers was June 6 and the preliminary election is Sept. 12.

 Charles Stokes, who said hes collected enough signatures to appear on the ballot for an at-large spot on City Council, said in an interview his intention of running was to elevate and support the Black community.

He intends to provide job opportunities for Blacks residents, specifically in the field of construction by ensuring the citys rules regarding contracting with minority-owned businesses are followed.

Stokes took a long pause when asked which community organizations he would intend to work with. Organizations in the city such as the Urban League of Springfield and the NAACP have dropped the ball tremendously, he said.

He later said the Darrell Lee Jenkins Jr.s Families of Homicide Resource Center and the African Diaspora Mental Health Association are some of the organizations in the city who are finally getting the courage to say enough is enough.

 Abdul-Kareem Kibodya, who is seeking to become the councilor representing Ward 4, held his campaign kickoff event Wednesday evening.

Kibodya said his goal is to ensure Springfield fully takes over the opportunities that we have available and to make sure that were challenging ourselves to be better.

Kibodya said his political experience includes interning for Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez and working as a campaign field organizer for U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren in 2018.

He has also worked with the Association of Black Businesses and Professionals and Black Economic Council of Massachusetts.

He is set to challenge the current councilor for Ward 4, Malo Brown.

At-Large City Councilor Tracye Whitfield was present for the kickoff and expressed words to support Kibodya: He knows government on a federal level, state level and now, hes going to bring all that knowledge to a local level.

 Before his campaign kickoff party Thursday evening, another candidate seeking an at-large seat on the council, Juan F. Latorre III, announced his goal to make the city, affordable, safe, vibrant and hopeful.

Its important for me as a second-time candidate that everyone understands that theres no free lunches, he said. Just because I ran last time, does not mean were guaranteed to get elected or to even make it out of the primary. We have to work just like we did last time and most likely, significantly harder than last time.

Two examples of making the city affordable are having more people on the City Council who will put a greater focus on the budget and tackle the cost of housing. He said the municipal budget has grown by over $300 million in 10 years, which outstrips the growth of the citys population.

Weve got to find a way to do what other cities are doing in terms of more modest growth to ensure that taxpayers are not going to get hit with another massive property tax bill, he said.

 City Council President Jesse Lederman, who is running for mayor, announced his Future City Initiative, which highlights the reformation of local government, which would take place under his administration.

Lederman said he hopes to establish a municipal bank, build a municipal fiber network, improve the 311 call center, create a way for residents to pay bills online and open service centers across the city.

The history of our city is one of innovation and progress and its time we live up to that legacy, he said. With a fresh perspective, we can take our citys greatest challenges, become a model for communities across the commonwealth and the nation and build a local government that meets the needs of all our neighborhoods.

Municipal candidates and others interested in sharing information about the municipal races in Springfield, such as events, announcements and statements, can email newsdesk@repub.com with the subject line Campaign Notebook.
This three-day weekend ahead may be long, but it wont be all that sunny.

Showers across most of Massachusetts and thunderstorms in western parts of the state are forecast Saturday and Sunday. Heavy precipitation is expected in some locations, and rainfall totals from the series of storms Friday to Sunday could reach one half to two inches, the National Weather Service said.

A hazardous weather outlook has been issued for the Berkshires, where isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected overnight Saturday through early Sunday, according to the Weather Service. Similarly stormy conditions are forecast in northwestern Connecticut, eastern New York and southern Vermont.

The probability for flooding is low, but locally heavy rain with thunderstorms could produce ponding of water on roads and in urban or poor drainage areas, the Weather Service detailed.

Here is a model simulation of rainfall chances today. It is not meant to be exact. Showers become more numerous later this morning into this afternoon. Not expected to be raining all day at any one location. pic.twitter.com/A51AGFZXoV  NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) June 17, 2023

Widespread rainfall is forecast throughout Massachusetts on Saturday, with precipitation expected to hit different parts of the state at various times during the day, according to the Weather Service.

Showers should move from west to east, becoming more numerous later Saturday morning into the afternoon. It is not expected to be raining all day at any one location, though, the Weather Service noted.

Rainy weekend ahead in Southern New England, good news for abnormally dry areas. Up to 3 inches possible in some localized areas #MAwx #RIwx #CTwx pic.twitter.com/z32RTbtzs4  NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) June 16, 2023

The rainy weekend ahead in southern New England is good news for abnormally dry parts of the region, the Weather Service pointed out. Up to 3 inches of rainfall is possible in some areas. However, most of Massachusetts  including Boston, Worcester and Springfield  should see around 1 to 1.5 inches. Much of Cape Cod may see closer to 0.5 to 1 inch.

The risk of showers will steadily diminish early Sunday, and by Sunday afternoon, the weather should be primarily dry across the region, according to the Weather Service.

We should see increasing breaks in the clouds with sunshine coming through on Sunday, especially the western half of the region, the Weather Service said. Clouds will be slowest to leave across the eastern coastal areas. Temperatures will top out in the mid 70s, except 60s for east coastal areas.

A few showers are forecast at times Sunday through Tuesday, with lower-than-normal temperatures expected, but none of the days will be a washout. Drier and warmer conditions are expected by Wednesday and Thursday.

The forecast is subject to significant change more than 72 hours out.
Forecasters were warning of potential flash flooding and heavy rainfall in parts of Massachusetts as thunderstorms swept through the state Saturday.

A flash flood warning was issued for certain communities in Middlesex County on Saturday, and special weather statements regarding heavy rainfall and potential flooding were put in place for areas in Southeastern Massachusetts, the MetroWest region and Worcester County.

The Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Arlington, Newton and Waltham early Saturday that was expected to last until 1 p.m. Roughly 378,000 people were exposed to the possible threat, according to the federal forecasting agency.

Individuals impacted by flash floods were encouraged to move immediately to higher ground and avoid walking or driving through flood waters, the Weather Service said.

Flash Flood Warning continues for Newton MA, Waltham MA and Arlington MA until 1:00 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/LhJhUyIyQT  NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) June 17, 2023

Other locations where flash flooding was anticipated included Bedford, Belmont, Billerica, Burlington, Cambridge, Carlisle, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, Medford, Somerville, Stoneham, Watertown, Weston, Winchester and Woburn, according to the Weather Service.

Around 11:06 a.m., the Weather Service noted, radars indicated thunderstorms were producing heavy precipitation across Middlesex County. Between 1.5 and 2.5 inches of rain fell, and additional amounts of up to an inch were possible in the warned area. Flash flooding was ongoing or expected to begin soon.

A special weather statement that was expected to last until 11:45 a.m. was also issued for New Bedford and the Bliss Corner and Smith Mills neighborhoods of Dartmouth. The cluster of heavy showers was forecast in parts of southeastern Bristol and southern-central Plymouth Counties.

Radars Saturday morning were tracking a strong, nearly stationary thunderstorm close to Fairhaven, roughly 7 miles southeast of New Bedford. Forecasters were warning of the minor nuisance of flooding of typically flood-prone areas, especially in Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, New Bedford, Mattapoisett and Rochester.

A special weather statement has been issued for New Bedford MA, Bliss Corner MA and Smith Mills MA until 11:45 AM EDT pic.twitter.com/Ghdm3nKw73  NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) June 17, 2023

Further west, in Central Massachusetts, another special weather statement was issued for Gardner, Rutland and Winchendon, which was expected to last until 12:30 p.m. A narrow band of torrential rainfall sweeping through northern-central Worcester County could have led to street flooding, the Weather Service said.

Radars were tracking heavy, nearly stationary showers over Gardner near Fitchburg. Other locations where the strong rainfall was anticipated included Ashburnham, Ashby, Barre, Hubbardston, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Oakham, Paxton, Phillipston, Princeton, Spencer, Templeton and Westminster, according to the Weather Service.

Do not drive through flooded roads or underpasses. Avoid low lying areas near small streams, the Weather Service said.

A special weather statement has been issued for Gardner MA, Winchendon MA and Rutland MA until 12:30 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/6wtEYho97Z  NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) June 17, 2023

A third special weather statement that was expected to last until 1:45 p.m. was issued for Framingham, Marlborough and Worcester, where minor flooding was a possibility. Radars were tacking a line of showers and thunderstorms extending from West Boylston to Millbury to Webster that was moving southeast at 10 miles per hour.
Russian occupiers continue to fire artillery at the Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk region, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration Serhiy Lysak has said.

"The Marhanets community and Nikopol again found themselves under artillery fire. A utility company and eight private houses were damaged in the city. Outbuildings and power lines were mutilated," Lysak wrote on his Telegram channel.

He said that a woman, who was injured the evening before, was hospitalized. Doctors assess her condition as moderate.
WESTFIELD  Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski came prepared to defend his $69,870,373 fiscal 2024 budget to the City Councils Finance Committee of the Whole on June 14, but not a lot of defense was needed as the budget passed unanimously.

The fiscal 2024 budget contains an increase of $3,926,292 over fiscal 2023, all of which will be paid for by a 9% increase in Chapter 70 state reimbursement to Westfield of the same amount. The School Department is not requesting any increase in funding from the city.

Czaporowski talked about investments made in making the schools safer, including HVAC repairs at Westfield Middle School and upcoming HVAC upgrades at Westfield Intermediate School that were held up due to equipment delays, requiring scheduled summer programs to move to the middle school.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) individuals are prone to 47% higher mortality risk at a younger age, revealed research being presented at ENDO 2023, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill (1 Trusted Source

ENDO 2023 | Endocrine Society



Go to source).



What is PCOS?

PCOS is a common cause of infertility in women, and it occurs in 7% to 10% of women of reproductive age. Women with PCOS may have higher than normal levels of testosterone and other reproductive hormones called androgens, irregular periods , and/or cysts on the ovaries. The condition raises the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular conditions.
Experienced Ukrainian pilots can master F-16 in four months, but it's also important to train technicians to service them  Reznikov

Experienced pilots can master F-16 fighters much faster than the standard six months, they may need four months to acquire skills, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has said, expressing this opinion in an interview with NV.

"Everyone is publicly discussing how long it takes Ukrainian pilots to master the F-16. It sounds like a well-known period: after testing our two pilots in the United States, it is believed that up to six months will be enough," he said.

"I am optimistic that our experienced pilots, with their desire and ambition, will surely fly faster. I mean not just fly, but freely: with maneuver, at night, in pairs. I think four months is realistic. I think so because we know how to surprise. We are really like that, we know how to learn," Reznikov said.

An illustrative example of such training was the successful mastering of Western-made artillery systems by Ukrainian servicemen, the minister said.

"Our guys mastered the Caesar systems in three weeks, although the standard is at least three months: the French and the Poles were delighted! Because they not only completed the training, they completed all the tasks assigned to a crew to be trained for three months," he said.

As for the Patriot air defense system, according to Reznikov, the Ukrainians mastered it in 10 weeks, although the standard crew training time is 10 months.

"Therefore, I am sure that Ukrainian pilots would fly faster than in six months," Reznikov said.

At the same time, he added, "However, a pilot cannot fly alone. He needs technicians and engineers, as maintenance is the most difficult technique... This training course is longer than four months. And if we have pilots who speak English, then there are fewer engineers and technicians. These are special technologies. At the same time, we need to prepare infrastructure, prepare airfields, prepare shelters."
Employees of the Security Service of Ukraine have collected evidence on the organizers of the pro-Kremlin television and radio company Tavria, which operates in the temporarily occupied part of Kherson region.

"It has been established that the well-known Kremlin political strategist Alexander Malkevich was involved in launching the enemy media project. Since 2018, he has been a member of the inner circle of the head of the Russian private military company Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin. It was under his coordination that Malkevich created media projects in different countries to distribute pro-Kremlin content," the press service of the Security Service said.

After the start of the full-scale invasion, Malkevich launched the so-called TV and Radio Company Tavria in occupied Kherson based on the seized premises of the Public Television. At the same time, he received full assistance from the local collaborator Volodymyr Saldo and his subordinate, the so-called "Minister of Information Policy of Kherson Region," collaborator Yevhen Brikov.

Tavria was used as a regional mouthpiece for the Kremlin in spreading fake news about the situation at the front, the situation in Ukraine, and also to support a pseudo-referendum on the "joining" of Kherson region to Russia. Ismail Abdulaiev, a propagandist for the "DPR" terrorist organization and former head of the pro-Kremlin Oplot TV channel in temporarily occupied Donetsk, became its leader. The "staff" included several more of his associates.

During the liberation of Kherson, the media center's staff, having taken the equipment, fled, together with the invaders, to the left bank of the Dnipro River.

Based on the collected evidence, the Security Service investigators notified Malkevich, Abdulaiev, and six more of their subordinates about the suspicion under Part 6 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (collaboration activity).

So far, the defendants are hiding from justice in the temporarily occupied part of southern Ukraine. Comprehensive measures continue to bring them to justice for crimes against Ukraine. The offenders face up to 12 years in prison.
Justice Ministry files lawsuit with HACC on confiscation of aircraft equipment of Russian Ilyushin Aviation Complex valued at $4.5 mln

This week, Ukraine's Ministry of Justice filed another lawsuit with the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) to impose a sanction to recover Ukrainian assets against PJSC Ilyushin Aviation Complex, Head of the Sanctions Policy Department of the Ministry of Justice Iryna Bohatykh has said.

"It concerns the recovery of aircraft equipment in favor of Ukraine valued at about $4.5 million," she wrote on Facebook.

Bohatykh said that Ilyushin Aviation Complex is one of the leading enterprises in Russia's aviation industry, manufactures civil and military aviation equipment, and performs their warranty and service maintenance of civil and military aviation equipment, including heavy military transport aircraft IL-76 used during the full-scale Russian invasion.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation Rustam Minnikhanov have visited the village of Aghali of the Zangilan

district,

Azernews

reports
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. According to the training plan for 2023, the training session held in one of the military units with the participation of a group of reservists ended, Trend reports via the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan.

In accordance with the plan, the reservists performed practical shooting exercises from various calibers weapons and grenade launchers.

During the training session, classes on drill training and communications training were conducted with the reservists. They were taught the tactical and technical characteristics of weapons, the rules of incomplete disassembly and use, as well as methods of evacuating the wounded by providing first aid.

It should be noted that all the tasks set in the training session, held in order to improve the combat capabilities, knowledge and skills of the reservists, were successfully accomplished.
Former major league pitcher Don Hood passed away last Saturday, according to an obituary from a South Carolina funeral home. He was 73 years old.

A native of Florence, South Carolina, Hood was a first-round pick of the Orioles in the 1969 draft. He reached the majors within four years, debuting during his age-23 season. The left-hander started four of eight appearances for Baltimore as a rookie. Hed make 20 appearances (18 in relief) the next season.

After the 1974 campaign, the Os dealt Hood alongside former MVP Boog Powell to the Indians for catcher Dave Duncan. Hood would spend the bulk of his career in Cleveland, pitching there for four-plus seasons. His best year came in 1977, when he pitched to an even 3.00 ERA over 105 innings. He worked mostly in long relief for the Indians but twice started 19 games in a season, including a career-high 154 2/3 frames during the 78 campaign.

Halfway through the 1979 season, Cleveland flipped Hood to the Yankees for first baseman Cliff Johnson. Hood posted a 3.07 ERA in 67 1/3 frames during his only partial season in the Bronx. He bounced around late in his career via free agency, signing with the Cardinals and Royals. He closed his career with a personal-best 2.27 ERA in 47 2/3 frames for the 1983 Royals.

Hood played parts of ten years in the big leagues. He pitched in 297 games, starting 72 of them. Over 848 1/3 innings, he worked to a 3.79 ERA with 374 strikeouts. Hood won 34 contests and finished 84 games.

MLBTR sends our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.
The Royals have added a pair of former MLB infielders out of independent ball on minor league deals, per a team announcement. Adeiny Hechavarria is headed to Triple-A Omaha, while Jack Reinheimer will report to Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

Hechavarria is the more notable of the duo. He was an everyday player for the Marlins early in his career and has tallied nearly 1000 games over nine MLB seasons. A career .253/.291/.351 hitter, Hechavarria was a bottom-of-the-lineup defensive specialist. He hasnt appeared in the big leagues since 2020, as he played in Japan from 2021-22.

The 34-year-old spent Spring Training with the Braves this season. He didnt make the Opening Day roster and was released. Hechavarria signed with the Atlantic Leagues Long Island Ducks in April. He hit .297/.382/.538 with seven homers in 38 games to earn his way back to affiliated ball.

Reinheimer, 30, has 23 games of MLB experience between the Diamondbacks and Mets in 2017-18. Hes been in the Atlantic League with the Gastonia Honey Hunters, where hes impressed with a .313/.421/.513 line with as many walks as strikeouts. The East Carolina product is a .266/.334/.358 hitter over parts of five Triple-A campaigns.

While the Royals have added some infield experience, theyre losing a bit of catching depth. Jakson Reetz is opting out of his minor league deal, reports MLBTRs Steve Adams (Twitter link). The righty-hitting backstop played in two big league contests with the Nationals back in 2021. Hes been in Omaha this year, putting together a quality .274/.349/.526 slash through 106 trips to the dish.
Chippewa County, MI -- The FBI arrested an Upper Peninsula man Friday, June 16 after investigators say he threatened a mass shooting at an East Lansing synagogue.

Seann Pietila, 19, was charged with transmitting a communication containing a threat to injure another according to a 43-page criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan.

Investigators say Pietila expressed Neo-Nazi ideology, antisemitism and glorified mass shooters including a New Zealand mosque shooter who killed 51 people and injured 40 more in 2019. Pietila was allegedly plotting a mass killing at Shaarey Zedek Congregation on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch attack.

Antisemitic threats and violence against our Jewish communities  or any other group for that matter  will not be tolerated in the Western District of Michigan, said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten in a statement. Today and every day we take all credible threats seriously. Im incredibly grateful to the FBI for their swift action to identify and arrest Pietela (sic).

Pietilas lawyer, public defender Beth LaCosse, did not provide comment on the case.

The FBI started investigating after receiving a report of threatening communications through Instagram on June 13. The social media platform provided investigators with a 210-page document of user information for Pietilas account finnishv64.

In Instagram messages from early June, Pietila told user _this_aint_me_88, a 16-year-old from New Zealand, about his plan to live stream a mass shooting and mimic New Zealand mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant, according to the criminal complaint. Tarrant was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to 92 charges in 2020.

Remember Heil Hitler! boom red mist  gotta make it unique I guess. Maybe. I just need a camera for streaming and some more magazines. Dont wanna run out of mags and have to reload one, Pietila wrote, ending the message with a skull emoji.

Pietila described having 11ish guns across multiple properties including an AR-15. He told the teen he would be strapped with mags so I dont have ammo problems and thought about using the social platform Discord to livestream the attack, according to the complaint.

Yea thats right you do wanna be different people need to know and fear your name, said _this_aint_me_88 in a June 1 message.

Pietila responded by saying they would inspire others to take arms against the Jewish controlled state.

Investigators also found Pietilas Pinterest account which included posts of Nazi imagery, Tarrant and Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian far-right extremist who massacred 77 people in 2011, the complaint alleges.

On June 16, the FBI served a search warrant and found Pietila inside a Pickford house in Chippewa County. He had moved to the Upper Peninsula a week prior and was most likely living in East Lansing when he sent the alleged threats, investigators said. Officials say he attended Lansing Eastern High School during the 2020-2021 school year.

The criminal complaint says Pietila did not have any known firearms registered in his name. But his mother Brittany Stob had two registered handguns. Officials say the firearms found at the house were not secured in a safe or a locked storage box.

Ammunition, a shotgun, a rifle, a pistol, scopes and firearms accessories, knives, tactical vests, black skull masks, a Nazi flag, a ghillie camouflage suit, gas masks and military survival manuals were discovered with the search warrant.

A note found on Pietilas iPhone named Shaarey Zedek Congregation, March 15, 2024. It also listed equipment for the attack: pipe bombs, Molotov cocktails and other weapons.

Pietila told investigators he did not intend on following through with the mass killings.

No American should face threats against them based on their race or religion, said a statement from James A. Tarasca, special agent in charge of the FBI in Michigan. Crimes like the one alleged in this complaint have a profound effect not only on the intended target, but on their entire community.

Pietila made his first court appearance after his arrest with a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 22.

More on MLive:

Michigan Supreme Court may require use of preferred pronouns in court

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Previous story: Shooting with multiple crime scenes forces Manistee residents to take shelter

MANISTEE, MI - One of the two victims in the June 16 shooting in a popular Michigan beach town is in critical condition, police said.
WAYNE COUNTY, MI - A loose tire from another vehicle smacked a pickup trucks window, causing a crash on I-75 June 16 that killed a Clarkston man, police said.

Troopers announced that northbound I-75 at M-8 Davison Freeway was closed at 4:05 p.m. due to a crash and its ensuing investigation, according to the Michigan State Police.
DEXTER, MI -- Customers can find quite the variety of meal options at Dexters Pub.

The downtown Dexter eatery brings not only traditional pub grub, but other dishes to the area, along with an ever-changing menu of specials. Owner Peter Theocharakis has been running the business since 1998 after taking it over from the previous owner who operated it for roughly three years.

You can get a burger, a pizza, fish dinner, pasta, he said. (The restaurant offers) a variety for all members of the family with a full bar as well.

The menu features sandwiches, nachos, pretzel sticks served with cheddar ale dip, mac and cheese, baby back ribs, shrimp scampi, fish and chips, salmon, steak burgers, smoked brisket, steak, pizza and salads. Theocharakis said he often survives on the pubs food.

A popular dish is the hippie bowl, which is made with roasted sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, carrots, fresh lemon coleslaw, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, pickled red onions, lemon tahini sauce, wild rice pilaf and either chicken, shrimp, steak, salmon or an Impossible burger.

As for appetizers, Theocharakis said fried pickle chips, or frickles, are a popular choice served with awesome sauce which is horseradish, mustard and paprika.

The pub is constantly working to make sure its creating consistently good food while offering dishes Dexter residents cant really find elsewhere, Theocharakis said.

Dexters Pub serves both lunch and dinner specials which change everyday. People tend to flock to some reoccurring special items at the pub, such as its chicken fajitas which are served every Wednesday, Theocharakis said.

The pub also serves brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and features breakfast burritos, French toast and different breakfast plates. As for kids, the restaurant offers them their own menu and lets children 12 and younger eat for free on Sundays.

Seeing his family operating restaurants throughout his life helped him prepare to run Dexters Pub, Theocharakis said. He said his family owned a Cottage Inn Pizza, and both his uncles owned restaurants in Ann Arbor, including Frank Petropoulos who was one of the people behind Franks Restaurant.

Theocharakis said he couldnt have done Dexters Pub without having these experiences from his familys past businesses.

Since opening, Dexters Pub has become known for being a family friendly local pub. Theocharakis said he hopes to continue to bring this comfortable atmosphere to Dexter, while making sure everyone feels welcome.

Dexters Pub, 8114 Main St., is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Find it online, on social media or by phone at 734-426-1234.

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.

MORE ANN ARBOR AREA LOCAL EATS:

Michigans Best Local Eats: Check out Wolverine Tracks ice cream at this Ann Arbor creamery

Michigans Best Local Eats: Find one of the best Molcajete dishes at Cancun Mexican Grill

Michigans Best Local Eats: Vinology brings seasonal menu, wide selection of wines to Ann Arbor

Michigans Best Local Eats: Yellowstone inspired ice-cream flavor is a favorite at Dexter Creamery

Michigans Best Local Eats: The Smash Burger is so simple, but so good at Grizzly Peak Brewing Co.

Michigans Best Local Eats: Chelsea Alehouse Brewery aims to elevate its dishes while keeping cool pub food

Michigans Best Local Eats: Fresh doughnuts, pastries, bread available every day at Bennys Bakery

Michigans Best Local Eats: Each dumpling at Basil Babe in Ypsilanti is filled with love

Michigans Best Local Eats: Mickeys Dairy Twist has new owners, same classic ice cream

Michigans Best Local Eats: The Las Vegas roll is by far Biwako Sushis best seller

Michigans Best Local Eats: Tiger latte shows its stripes at Carrigan Cafe in Saline

Michigans Best Local Eats: A seasonal Teddy Graham latte is on the menu at Black Diesel Coffee

Michigans Best Local Eats: Theres way more than just wings at Wings N Things in Dexter

Michigans Best Local Eats: The smoked turkey pesto panini is a hit at Joe and Rosie Coffee and Tea

Michigans Best Local Eats: Ashleys remains an Ann Arbor staple after 40 years

Michigans Best Local Eats: True coffee lovers may find their perfect cup at Comet Coffee

Michigans Best Local Eats: Cakes, cupcakes, pies fill the Enchanted Oven in Saline

Michigans Best Local Eats: Sip on the Brown Bear latte at Cahoots Cafe in Ann Arbor

Michigans Best Local Eats: Youve got to try the Burrito California at Mi Zarape

Michigans Best Local Eats: El Limon fuses Mediterranean, Mexican cuisines

Michigans Best Local Eats: Enjoy a burger and Grotto Fries at The Beer Grotto in Dexter

Michigans Best Local Eats: Union Rec puts twist on American barbeque

Michigans Best Local Eats: Enjoy a cup of coffee and a yoga class at Millies Coffeehouse in Manchester

Michigans Best Local Eats: Funky toppings are key at Peace Love and Little Donuts in Ann Arbor
OAKLAND COUNTY, MI -- A missing boater was found dead in an apparent drowning Friday evening, police said.

At about 5:40 p.m. June 16, officers from the Oakland County Sheriffs Office search and rescue team responded to the report of a missing boater near Victoria Island -- west of Lake Orion in northern Oakland County.
CLARK LAKE, MI  Warm weather and lake days have arrived at Clark Lake, and the Beach Bar & Restaurant is ready for another summer season.

The Clark Lake restaurant has been a popular spot residents have enjoyed since 1946. Theres great food, live music and summer vibes, said Lexi Collins, general manager and daughter of owner John Collins.

When the lakes are packed, we are usually packed, she said.

Related: Peek Through Time: Clark Lakes Beach Bar rich in history of Big Bands, beautiful views, good food

People may stop by the Beach Bar because its right on the water, but they also come for the food. The restaurant is known for its fresh, no-fried-food menu, including a range of soups, sandwiches and pizza.

The tomato soup is legendary at the restaurant and comes from an old family recipe. The creamy, bisque-like soup is loved by everyone, and a few have even tried to come up with their own copy-cat recipe, Collins said.

People look up Beach Bar tomato soup and a bunch of recipes will come up, but its not the same, she said.

The Beach Bars Reuban sandwich also is popular. The corned beef -- or turkey -- is stacked with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and dill dressing. Pizza is also popular, and a recent addition to the menu is the macaroni and cheese pizza, which comes with alfredo sauce, mozzarella and cheddar cheese.

Great staff, a beautiful view on the patio and the restaurants band line up in the summer keeps patrons coming back for more, Collins said.. Live music takes place on the front patio every Wednesday and Sunday evening through the summer months.

We fill up and its just a big party out there, Collins said.

A full schedule of bands can be found on the Beach Bars Facebook page.

The Beach Bar Gear Garage and Upper Deck is also located across the street and includes merchandise, bathing suits, coverups and other items, she said.

The Beach Bar & Restaurant, 3505 Ocean Beach Road in Clark Lake, is open during the summer season from noon to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

More information can be found on its Facebook page and website.

Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Jackson daily newsletter.

MORE JACKSON-AREA LOCAL EATS:

Michigans Best Local Eats: Get a taste of Hawaiian, Island cuisine at Bens Island Grindz

Michigans Best Local Eats: Hungry for a smash burger? Try this Jackson food truck

Michigans Best Local Eats: Youll find a deep-fried Philly cheesesteak inside a Jackson convenience store

Michigans Best Local Eats: The Tavern Burger at The Roadhouse has everything you want on it

Michigans Best Local Eats: Tots smothered in meat and mac and cheese are hits at The Band Wagon Catering

Michigans Best Local Eats: The banana split is as good as ever at Frosty Boy in Jackson

Michigans Best Local Eats: The Drunken Noodles are a hit at Sakura in Jackson County

Michigans Best Local Eats: The smoked pork chop is a full-plate meal at Kens M60 Grill

Michigans Best Local Eats: The Trash Can is a sundae filled with candy at Spads Twisters

Michigans Best Local Eats: Smothered in cheese, the OG is a prime rib sandwich to try at Rollin Hoagies

Michigans Best Local Eats: Chelsea Cakes is known for a secret-recipe strawberry cake

Michigans Best Local Eats: Giant burgers, loaded fries served now at Baby Bear Burgers new location

Michigans Best Local Eats: Sticky burgers with a pickle twist await at Greystone Tavern

Michigans Best Local Eats: Give the Molcajete Catrina a try at La Catrina Bar and Grill

Michigans Best Local Eats: Spring is sweet and spicy at Two Lakes Tavern in the Irish Hills

Michigans Best Local Eats: Cakesicles are on the sweet treat menu The Five Forks

Michigans Best Local Eats: A Horton ice-cream shop has a double bacon cheeseburger to die for

Michigans Best Local Eats: This meal comes in a glass at River Raisin Distillery

Michigans Best Local Eats: Giant cinnamon rolls take up an entire plate at Chubbys Cafe

Michigans Best Local Eats: Vitos Espressos dine-in spot is open, ready to serve tasty pastries

Michigans Best Local Eats: Take a bite of history and tradition at Jackson Coney Island

Michigans Best Local Eats: The bourbon caramel latte is a star at Trail Head Coffee Shop

Michigans Best Local Eats: Same great crepes can be found at City Crepes new location

Michigans Best Local Eats: Ogmas Polish Fried Rice combines hibachi and Polish cuisine
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to the King of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, His Majesty Charles III on the occasion of the national holiday - the King's birthday.

"Your Majesty,

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I am happy to convey my most sincere congratulations and best wishes to You and through You, all your people on the occasion of the national holiday of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - King's Birthday.

We attach special importance to the development of relations between Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom. I am sure that the friendly relations established between our countries and our multifaceted cooperation will continue to strengthen and expand in line with the interests of our peoples.

I wish You good health, happiness, success in your activities, and the friendly people of the United Kingdom everlasting prosperity," reads the letter.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- Babies born the year The Kalamazoo Promise was announced are now graduating high school, and many are using the free college program themselves.

Since 2005, the Promise has awarded about $200 million in college tuition to more than 7,600 students.
BATTLE CREEK, MI - A woman was shot and killed early Saturday, June 17 in Battle Creek.

Around 1:20 a.m., Battle Creek Police officers heard gunshots near Golden Avenue and Riverside Drive, according to a news release. They then found a woman inside a car on the edge of Riverside Park with apparent gunshot wounds.

Despite life saving measures, police say the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation is ongoing, but police feel confident the community is safe, a news release said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Battle Creek Police at 269-781-0911 or Silent Observer at 269-964-3888.

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Head-on crash injures 2 adults, 1 child in Kent County

Driver extricated from vehicle after rear-end crash in Ottawa County

Loose tire strikes Michigan truck drivers window, causing fatal I-75 crash
MUSKEGON, MI - Lombardos Sicilian Pizza has been serving the Muskegon community traditional Italian recipes in an old-school setting since opening up shop in 2015.

Foodie enthusiasts and lovers of comfort food have been flocking to the small-town pizza joint at 1401 W. Sherman Blvd. to grab a thin-crust slice of goodness.

Owner and namesake of the local spot Jim Lombardo opened the pizza joint with the same recipe and technique thats been in his family since 1957, aiming to pay homage to the generations before him.

Lombardo said the business used to be located about a quarter-mile down the road at 1697 Sherman Blvd. up until this March. Since the move, Lombardos has been able to expand to include fried foods and more pasta dishes.

Its been a good move for us so far, he said. Im kind of passing the torch and carrying it on with my kids in here with me now, just trying to teach them how to make pizzas and keep it going through the generations.

The pizza joint touts the Sicilian-style ingredients with a Neapolitan twist, from cooking directly on the deck to rolling off of semolina and hand-rolling every pizza to order.

Lombardo said although it may not be the most efficient technique, its something thats been proven tried and true for years.

It makes for really good pizza and its true to what my family has been doing for the last 60 years or so, Lombardo told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. Its kind of a mixture of two styles, a little more East Coast. Those are the people that appreciate our food the most.

Some of the classic menu items that remain best-sellers are the Meat Lovers Pizza, Deluxe Pizza and the Hawaiian Pizza. All signature dishes follow Lombardos authentic old world recipe from Sicily filled with fresh tomatoes, herbs and spices complemented by a flaky crust.

Customers can order a 12-inch cheese pizza for $11, 14-inch for $12.50, 16-inch for $13.50, 18-inch for $15.50, and 24-inch for $25.00. Additional fees very for toppings.

Other popular options on the menu include mouthwatering pasta dishes, stromboli, subs, salads and fried foods like hand-battered chicken strips and wings.

For those looking to get more bang for your buck, Lombardos Sicilian Pizza also offers pizza by the slice for $1.50-$2 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. daily.

Although there are many options for those looking to try something new, Lombardo touts the classic pizza orders as the dish that keeps on giving.

The stuff that our family has been doing for years is still the best seller on the menu, he said. The things that used to work still do if you do it the same way. Were just trying to make it as much of a family-feeling event so that everybody feels like theyre more or less a part of something and not just buying a pizza.

Lombardos Sicilian Pizza is open Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. on Friday, 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. - 9 p.m. on Sunday.

The restaurant can be reached at (231) 755-8111 or visit online to place an order.

Would you like MLive to consider featuring your favorite restaurant in Michigans Best Local Eats? Send the details, including business name, address and best menu item, to Skyla Jewell-Hammie at sjewell-hammie@mlive.com.

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Justices on the Michigan Supreme Court are weighing whether to instate a new rule to require all courts within the state use a persons preferred pronouns in court proceedings.

Proponents of the move say its the least the court can do to remain a civil and respectful atmosphere when working through the legal process, though opponents largely panned the idea as a solution in search of a problem.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has filed his nomination to contest in the governing New Patriotic Partys upcoming presidential primaries.

Dr. Bawumia will run against former Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen and other nine candidates in the race to lead the NPP into the 2024 elections.

In a tweet announcing his filing of nomination earlier today, Dr. Bawumia said: Dear Friends, God willing tomorrow, Friday 16 June, I shall file my nomination forms and contest the NPP Presidential Primary. It is possible.

Having heard the announcement, thousands of NPP supporters rallied at the partys headquarters to support Dr. Bawumia as he submitted his nomination forms on Friday, June 16.

I have my own vision to transform Ghanas economy to the next level, Dr. Bawumia asserted after filing his forms.

The NPP opened nominations on May 26 and will close submissions on June 24.

The party will hold its national congress to elect a flagbearer on November 4.
The conflict in Sudan has displaced more than one million children, 270,000 of them in the Darfur region, the UN children's agency (UNICEF) has said, warning more were at "grave risk".

Fighting has raged in Sudan since mid-April between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

As well as the more than one million displaced, at least 330 children have been killed and more than 1,900 wounded, UNICEF said in a statement on Thursday.

"Many more are at grave risk".

The United Nations agency said an estimated 13 million children were in "dire need" of humanitarian assistance.

"Children are trapped in an unrelenting nightmare, bearing the heaviest burden of a violent crisis they had no hand in creating -- caught in the crossfire, injured, abused, displaced and subjected to disease and malnutrition," said UNICEF Sudan representative Mandeep O'Brien.

Boys cycle along a Khartoum street. The UN children's fund says children are being caught in the crossfire of the Sudan fighting with at least 330 dead and more than 1,900 wounded. By - (AFP)

It said the situation in Darfur, already scarred by a two-decade war that left hundreds of thousands dead and more than two million displaced, was especially concerning.

"The situation in West and Central Darfur, in particular, is characterised by active fighting, severe insecurity and looting of humanitarian supplies and facilities," UNICEF said.

Daglo's RSF have their origins in the Janjaweed militias which former strongman Omar al-Bashir unleashed on ethnic minorities in the region in 2003, drawing charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Its paramilitaries have been accused of carrying out the Wednesday killing of West Darfur state governor Khamis Abdullah Abakar hours after he made remarks critical of the paramilitaries in a telephone interview with a Saudi TV channel. The RSF has denied any responsibility.

The United Nations said "compelling eyewitness accounts attribute this act to Arab militias and the RSF", while the Darfur Lawyers Association condemned the act of "barbarism, brutality and cruelty".

"All those responsible for this killing must be held to account including those who bear command responsibility," Jeremy Laurence, spokesman for the UN rights office, told reporters in Geneva.

'Ominous reminder'

West Darfur state governor Khamis Abdullah Abakar was killed on Wedmesday hours after he made remarks critical of the paramilitaries. The RSF has denied any reponsibility. , in an unknown location in Sudan. Abakar was reportedly captured and later killed after he made remarks critical of the paramilitaries in a telephone interview with a Saudi TV channel, a killing that the army chief accused on June 15, the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of having committed.. By - (SUDAN NEWS AGENCY/AFP/File)

The US State Department said the atrocities unfolding in West Darfur were "primarily" the work of the RSF and provided an "ominous reminder" of the region's previous genocide.

"The United States condemns in the strongest terms the ongoing human rights violations and abuses and horrific violence in Sudan, especially reports of widespread sexual violence and killings based on ethnicity in West Darfur by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

"The atrocities occurring today in West Darfur and other areas are an ominous reminder of the horrific events that led the United States to determine in 2004 that genocide had been committed in Darfur."

Miller said up to 1,100 civilians had been killed in the West Darfur state capital, El Geneina, alone.

"While the atrocities taking place in Darfur are primarily attributable to the RSF and affiliated militia, both sides have been responsible for abuses," he added.

Now in its third month, the fighting has claimed more than 2,000 lives, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.

Sudan's warring generals -- paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (L) and regular army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. By Ashraf SHAZLY, Akuot Chol (AFP/File)

The International Organization for Migration says the fighting has driven 2.2 million people from their homes, including 528,000 who have fled to neighbouring countries.

With mediation efforts at a standstill after repeated abortive ceasefires, the fighting has raged on unabated.

In Khartoum North, just across the Blue Nile from the capital, the regular army carried out air strikes drawing anti-aircraft fire from the RSF, witnesses said.

In South Kordofan, RSF fighters shelled a police station, while in the North Kordofan state capital El Obeid, there was fighting between troops and paramilitaries, witnesses said.
16.06.2023 LISTEN

Managing Director of the State Transport Corporation (STC), Nana Akomea has accused the National Democratic Congress Party (NDC) and James Gyakye Quayson of being irresponsible.

His comments follow he decision of the NDC to put forwards the deposed Gyakye Quayson for the by-election in Assin North who was thrown out of Parliament by a Supreme Court ruling.

Nana Akomea argues that the NDC party should desist from playing the sympathy card to force the deposed candidate who is now facing criminal charges at the court.

In a panel discussion on Metro TV on June 16, Nana Akomea stated, He has been irresponsible and if he is here I will tell him that. The NDC party has been irresponsible, you know the rules, you know the electoral rules of this country, and the rules for elections in parliament, there have been precedents, there have been Members of Parliament who have been removed and jailed for not complying to the constitution, you know it."

He continued, So the electoral commission says that is the timeline, because at that point you start making statutory declarations about it, that Gyakye Quayson gentleman knows it and yet they fielded him, he hasnt fulfilled all the eligibility criteria, they knew it, the party knew it yet they fielded him. You have been irresponsible to the people of Assin North and they should punish you for that."

The Assin North by-election will be held on June 27.
The Director of legal affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abraham Amaliba has described Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as a damaged commodity.

He said Ghanaians now see the Vice President as a failure after the numerous boastful comments and promises to bring 'paradise' to Ghana.

In a discussion on TV3's New Day Show on Friday, June 16, Lawyer Amaliba asserted that no matter of the candidate the New Patriotic Party will present in the 2024 general elections, NPP will kiss the political dust in 2024.

He however noted that the NPP will make the work easier for NDC should the party present Dr. Bawumia as its Presidential Candidate.

Must he know how it came about? He has no idea about how it came about. It was through hard work. So I would not waste time. Dr. Bawumia is a damaged commodity already. I know the establishments that are interested in Dr. Bawumia, so bring him. Vote for him and you will make our work very easy for us after all Ghanaians have his voices, all the things he said before he came to power, Abraham Amaliba said.

He stressed that the promises of the Vice President are still fresh in the minds of Ghanaians.

Amaliba added, Ghanaians have his voice record, Ghanaians themselves will sit in their homes and play those things, and listen, whether he is a credible person to become the President, we in the NDC do not care who they bring in. The last time I sat here I said look the horse is weak, it doesnt matter which rider you bring in, while the horse is weak, the horse cannot run. The NPP is weak and it doesnt matter which rider you bring on board.

Vice President Dr. Bawumia has today submitted his nomination forms to contest the flagbearer election of the NPP scheduled to be held later this year on November 4.
Pakistani journalists Ahmad Noorani and Shahid Aslam are facing undue harassment, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which has called on the country's authorities to stop interfering in their work.

In May, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) of Pakistan named the journalists in an investigative report, accusing them of illegally obtaining tax records for Qamar Javed Bajwa, a former army chief, and his family. Three officials from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) were also implicated.

The allegations stem from a November 2022 article published on the independent news website Fact Focus by Noorani, who is currently based in the US. The article discussed the assets of Bajwa and his family, leading to a temporary block on domestic access to the website.

The FIA has labelled Noorani a proclaimed offender and is reportedly making efforts to arrest him. Noorani stated that no court summons or arrest warrant had been sent to his address in Pakistan.

Simultaneously, the FIA accused Shahid Aslam, a freelance journalist, of bribing FBR officials to obtain the tax data. Aslam, who previously worked for the privately owned broadcaster BOL News, has rejected all accusations. He is due to appear in court on July 19, where the charges against him and the three FBR officials will be considered.

CPJ's Asia program coordinator, Beh Lih Yi, stated, "Pakistani authorities targeting exiled journalist Ahmad Noorani following his reporting on the tax records of Pakistans former army chief and his family is a clear intimidation and threat to press freedom."

Noorani has been the subject of intimidation tactics before, surviving a near-fatal attack in 2017 in Islamabad. No one has been held accountable for the attack, and according to Noorani, authorities did not employ geo-fencing to identify the perpetrators. In 2020, while in exile, he also received death threats in retaliation for his critical reporting on another retired army general.

CPJ has called on the FIA to cease any investigation into Noorani and Aslam and return the electronic devices seized from Aslam during his arrest. As of the publication of this report, there has been no response from the FIA.

In response to this situation, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan posted a statement on Twitter on June 10, stating that the declaration of Noorani as a proclaimed offender in the case was disproportionate and urged the Islamabad High Court to take notice of the case and grant relief to the journalist.
In a move causing concern amongst global press freedom advocates, the Law Commission of India has proposed the expansion and retention of the country's colonial-era sedition law.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has vehemently voiced opposition, calling for the complete repeal of the legislation.

The Law Commission, which guides the Indian government on legal reforms, recently recommended expanding the sedition law's definition and enhancing the associated punishment. They reasoned this change would serve national security. The proposal came despite the Indian Supreme Court's suspension of the controversial law in May 2022. The suspension followed a strong campaign from journalists and human rights organizations challenging its constitutional validity.

Beh Lih Yi, CPJs Asia program coordinator, expressed profound concern over the commissions recommendations. "We are deeply troubled by the Indian Law Commissions recommendation to enhance its punishment and implement an overbroad definition for sedition," she said. Yi argued that the law had historically been used to "stifle freedom of the press and expression" and urged the Indian government to establish a timeline for its repeal.

Under the existing Indian sedition law, activities inducing hatred or contempt or stirring up disaffection towards the government can lead to charges. The proposed changes, as reported by the independent news website The Print, would include any actions with a tendency to incite violence or cause public disorder within the law's ambit. The expanded definition would hinge on the interpretation of "tendency", making even the "mere inclination to incite violence or cause public disorder" potentially punishable.

Further recommendations from the commission include intensifying the penalties associated with sedition. Currently, convictions can result in up to three years' imprisonment. The proposal suggests raising this to seven years, with life imprisonment or fines remaining as further potential consequences.

The sedition law, known to be used against journalists, has a history of controversy in India. As far back as 2012, the CPJ wrote to then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, demanding its repeal.

Arjun Ram Meghwal, the Law Minister of India, has responded to the commission's recommendations, assuring they are not binding. He said a final decision will be forthcoming following extensive stakeholder consultations. However, CPJ's attempts to contact Meghwal and Ritu Raj Awasthi, chair of the Law Commission, for further comment remained unanswered at the time of reporting.
Details added: first version posted on 11:43

BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. A delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Fariz Rzayev visited Havana on June 15-16, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend.

During the visit, Rzayev held meetings with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parilla, Deputy Foreign Minister Anayansi Camejo and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Ana Teresita Gonzalez Fraga.

At the meetings, issues of cooperation on multilateral platforms, including within the framework of the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Group of 77, as well as the possibilities of partnership between the two countries in the field of international development assistance were discussed.

The importance of coordinated actions between Azerbaijan as the chair of the NAM and Cuba as the current chair of the Group of 77, which will serve to protect the interests of members of both international institutions, was emphasized.

As part of the visit, on June 16, a presentation was held for the ambassadors of the island states of the Caribbean accredited in Cuba regarding Azerbaijan's chairmanship in the Non-Aligned Movement and international development assistance policy.

The Azerbaijani delegation informed the participants about the global call for support for the recovery of small island states from the COVID-19 pandemic, announced by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, within the framework of the Contact Group Summit of the NAM in response to COVID-19, held on March 2, 2023 in Baku.

As the first donor within the framework of this appeal, Azerbaijan provides assistance to such states in the amount of $1 million.

The focus was made on the importance of consultation on the needs of island nations in the post-pandemic period. Further, the event continued with interactive discussions on the relevant topic.

Cuba recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on December 26, 1991. Diplomatic relations between the countries were established on March 27, 1992.

The Embassy of Cuba in Azerbaijan was established on October 12, 2007.
In what's seen as a continued crackdown on press freedom, Iranian cartoonist Atena Farghadani was recently detained under undisclosed charges, according to reports citing her lawyer, Mohammad Moghimi. Farghadani, known for her satirical political cartoons, was apprehended at Evin Prison in Tehran on June 7.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged Iranian authorities to cease their ongoing efforts to stifle the press and called for the immediate release of Farghadani. The cartoonist has been under scrutiny from the authorities due to her political cartoons, regularly published on her Instagram account where she has amassed over 20,000 followers.

Farghadani's arrest occurred shortly after she posted a new cartoon, her first since February 2020, depicting individuals with animal and demonic faces. The reason behind her arrest and the possible charges remain unknown.

This isn't the first time the cartoonist has faced charges for her work. In 2015, she was handed a prison sentence of 12 years and nine months for her cartoon depicting Iranian parliament members as animals. The charge was "assembly and collusion against national security." However, she was released in May 2016, before completing her sentence.

Sherif Mansour, CPJs Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, criticized the Iranian authorities' ongoing suppression of journalists and commentators. Mansour emphasized the need for the immediate and unconditional release of Farghadani. He referred to the recurring arrests as a "revolving door policy" that demonstrates Iran's disregard for the rule of law.

In her latest cartoon's caption, Farghadani made it clear that her artwork was a private endeavour, created in her home, and not associated with the Islamic Republic and its agents.

Farghadani has previously been honoured with the Courage in Editorial Cartooning award by Cartoonist Rights Network International in August 2015.

In recent months, Iranian authorities have arrested at least four journalists. According to the CPJs December 1, 2022, prison census, Iran was the world's leading jailer of journalists at the time. CPJ's 2015 special report, Drawing the Line, highlighted the frequent harassment of cartoonists whose satirical work often communicates complex political ideas, appealing to and resonating with a wide audience.

No response has been received by CPJ to the email sent to Iran's mission to the United Nations regarding the matter.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday called on Ukraine and Russia to de-escalate their conflict, as he arrived in the war-torn country on a mission to broker peace.

"This war must be settled and there should be peace through negotiations," he told reporters after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ramaphosa was among a group of African leaders and officials from seven countries visiting Kyiv as part of a mission aimed at brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine.

The leaders first visited the town of Bucha near Kyiv, the scene of an alleged massacre while occupied by Russia.

Air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine after they arrived on Friday morning and the air force said it had downed 12 Russian missiles.

Ramaphosa's spokesman told journalists in Kyiv that the president went down to a shelter during the air raid.

"Today as we were here, we heard of missile strikes and those types of hostilities are not good for fostering peace," Ramaphosa told journalists.

"We argue that there must be de-escalation on both sides."

The African delegation also included Senegal's Macky Sall and Zambia's Hakainde Hichilema as well as Comoros' Azali Assoumani, who heads the African Union.

Ramaphosa said Zelensky gave them "a very honest and heartfelt account" of what was happening in Ukraine.

Zelensky said on social media that he and the African leaders discussed ways to "achieve a true and just peace without any Russian blackmail and deception".

"Ukraine and the world do not need either frozen conflicts or simmering wars," he said.

"Peace is needed."

The visit came as Ukraine has announced gains in its counteroffensive, even though Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukrainian forces "stand no chance."

Putin is set to meet with the delegation of the African leaders on Saturday.

"In our view it is important to listen very carefully to what both countries have to say and tomorrow we are now going to listen to President Putin," the South African president said.

"We will then be able, together, the seven countries, to come up with a summary and what we are really heartened with is, there is a willingness for further engagement with us."
17.06.2023 LISTEN

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has disclosed that it has successfully trained 400 citizens and 150 government officials on how to effectively utilise the Right to Information (RTI) law.

The revelation was made during the launch of MFWAs Access to Information Support Centre at the Mensvic Hotel in Accra,

The Centre aims to educate the public, particularly the vulnerable, on their rights to access information.

In his remarks, Dr. Yaw Sarpong Boateng, the Executive Secretary of the RTI Commission, expressed the significance of access to information in any democracy, emphasising that it empowers people to hold governments accountable.

Dr. Boateng stressed that the commission is committed to the successful implementation of the RTI law. This he said is the reason why the commission has opened its doors to anyone seeking to enhance the effectiveness of the law.

He commended the MFWA for their contributions to enhancing public knowledge and awareness of the RTI law through various interventions.

Through the efforts of MFWA, there has been the publication of a Media Guide on the RTI Law and training programmes for journalists, programme hosts, and presenters on utilising the law for comprehensive reporting and programming.

In her speech, Abigail Larbi-Odei, the Programme Manager in charge of Media and Good Governance at MFWA revealed that over 150 local government officials, including chief executives, coordinating directors, and information officers have received training on their obligations under the law.

We have also trained about 150 local government officials made up of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, Coordinating Directors and Information Officers from various MMDAs across the country, on their obligations under the law, she stated.

She added, More than 400 citizens have also been trained on how to utilise the law to access public information. Through the Fourth Estate and our local governance work, we have made more than 200 RTI requests on public institutions both at the local and national levels; with more than 30 appeals to the RTI Commission and more than 15 rulings by the RTIC.

However, she acknowledged that despite their efforts, limited awareness and use of the law by the public remains a significant challenge.

We believe that this Access to Information Support Centre will provide support to the general public who need guidance on how to use the RTI Law to request information from public institutions.

Let us remember that an informed citizen is an empowered citizen, and so we encourage the government and other civil society actors, including the media, to intensify public education on the merits of the RTI Law, she said.

She continued,It is when the public are aware of the law and its usefulness to their lives, democracy and governance that they will be better empowered to utilise it.

The Access to Information Support Centre seeks to provide guidance on how the public can request information or appeal decisions using the law and general information about the RTI Law.

The Centre, which is accessible through dedicated call lines (0531323225), WhatsApp messages (0531323225) and electronic mails ([email protected]), was established by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) as part of efforts by the RTI Commission to reach out to everyone.

The platform will help the RTI Commission to educate the public, particularly the vulnerable.
A delegation of African leaders met President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday and told Russia and Ukraine to de-escalate and negotiate, hours after sheltering from missile strikes on Kyiv.

The high-level diplomatic team came to the Ukrainian capital voice the concerns of a continent that has suffered from the fallout of the war, including rising grain prices, calling their visit a "historic mission".

Shortly after their arrival, air raid sirens sounded across the country, as Russian missiles were detected.

After talks with Zelensky, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the missile barrage showed that both sides need to stop fighting.

"This war must be settled and there should be peace through negotiations," he told a press conference.

President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa hold a press conference after talks in Kyiv. By Sergei SUPINSKY (AFP)

"The launching of the missiles today does not deter us and has not stopped us from continuing to call for de-escalation," he added.

"It is precisely that type of event that we saw today... that makes us call for de-escalation," Ramaphosa said, quoting Nelson Mandela several times on the need for peace.

Zelensky rejected any negotiations with Moscow, saying he made clear to the African leaders that "permitting any talks with Russia now, when the occupier is on our land, means freezing the war, freezing pain and suffering".

The African delegation had gone first to Bucha, a town outside the capital that has become a symbol of the alleged war crimes carried out by Moscow.

The delegation included four presidents: Ramaphosa, Senegal's Macky Sall and Zambia's Hakainde Hichilema, plus Comoros' Azali Assoumani, who heads the African Union.

The leaders of Uganda, Egypt and Congo-Brazzaville pulled out of the visit at the last moment and sent representatives instead.

The Ukrainian Air Force said it shot down 12 missiles, including six hypersonic Russian missiles, during Friday's attack. By Genya SAVILOV (AFP)

The talks came as Ukraine announced gains in its new offensive, but Russian President Vladimir Put renewed his claim that Kyiv's forces "stand no chance" in the sectors where fighting has intensified.

'Clear message'

Ramaphosa's spokesman Vincent Magwenya said the South African president went down into a shelter "as a precaution" when air raid sirens went off in Kyiv.

Following the attack, the Ukrainian Air Force said it had shot down 12 missiles including six hypersonic Kinzhal missiles.

There was no reported damage inside the city, but seven people including two children were wounded, the regional police said.

"With what happened today, it's very obvious also to the African leaders how sincere Putin is about stopping the conflict," said Peter Stano, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

The Ukrainian Air Force said it shot down 12 missiles, including six hypersonic Russian missiles, during Friday's attack. By Sergei SUPINSKY (AFP)

The African leaders were to travel on to the northwestern Russian city of Saint Petersburg and meet Putin on Saturday.

"In our view it is important to listen very carefully to what both countries have to say and tomorrow we are now going to listen to President Putin," Ramaphosa said.

Yet Ukrainian officials were quick to highlight that Russia did not cease strikes during the high-profile visit.

"Russian missiles are a message to Africa: Russia wants more war, not peace," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

Ramaphosa dodged a question about whether South Africa would arrest Putin if he attended a BRICS summit there in August, after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president.

South Africa could handover the the summit hosting to another country to avoid being obliged to arrest Putin.

Map showing locations recaptured by Ukraine in its eastern counter-offensive. By Sabrina BLANCHARD, Nalini LEPETIT-CHELLA (AFP)

"We are discussing this matter on a continuous basis... In the end I am the one who makes the announcement about how this BRICS summit is going to be held," Ramaphosa said.

He also said he would hold a separate bilateral with Putin to discuss the summit.

'Touching livelihoods'

Analysts said the mediating effort could hope to win some concessions from the Kremlin ahead of a Russia-Africa summit next month.

The African continent has been badly hit by rising grain and fertiliser prices and the wider impact on global trade since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.

"This conflict is also affecting African countries negatively, touching on the livelihoods of 1.2 or 1.3 billion people on the African continent," Ramaphosa said.

African nations have been divided over their response to the war, with some siding with Ukraine, while others have remained neutral or gravitated towards Moscow.

South Africa has drawn scrutiny as it has refused to condemn the offensive launched by Moscow.

Both Russia and Ukraine have stepped up diplomatic initiatives with African countries divided over their response to the war.

Putin has portrayed Moscow as a bulwark against the West, which he also accuses of blocking Russian exports of fertilisers.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that Russia has seen "very dynamic development recently of our relations with African states".

The African delegation arrived in Ukraine by train after flying to Poland, where some members of Ramaphosa's security were not allowed to disembark and accused Polish authorities of racism.

Warsaw said some of those on board did not have permission to carry weapons into the country and were thus not allowed off the plane.
The Taliban's crackdown on civil society in Afghanistan has escalated with the recent arrest of well-known poet and artist, Haseeb Ahrari.

PEN International, the global organisation advocating for freedom of expression, has expressed grave concern over this incident, labelling it an act of repression against cultural heritage.

Ahrari, who is widely admired for his poems on freedom and patriotism, was reportedly apprehended at his home in Kabul on 1st June 2023. The arrest followed shortly after his return from Iran, where he had sought refuge following the Talibans return to power.

PEN International, along with other human rights advocates, is calling for Ahraris immediate and unconditional release. In a country with such a rich literary tradition, where poets are cherished by Afghans of all ages, Ahraris arrest is a tragic example of how the Talibans rule by repression threatens to undermine Afghanistans cultural heritage," stated Ma Thida, Chair of PEN Internationals Writers in Prison Committee.

The exact reason for Ahrari's arrest is yet unclear, but reports suggest he had plans to publish a book of his poetry after his return from Iran. His arrest, however, marks the latest in a string of arbitrary detentions carried out by the Taliban. They continue to impose stringent restrictions on public expression and routinely target women's rights activists, journalists, academics and prominent cultural figures.

Among other detainees, the notable advocate for girls education, Matiullah Wesa, remains in arbitrary detention for over two months. French-Afghan journalist, Mortaza Behdoudi, has been held for over five months since his initial arrest on 7th January.

PEN International, in its plea, has urged the Taliban to reverse its oppressive policies and to uphold the fundamental right to freedom of expression. The organisation demands the immediate and unconditional release of Haseeb Ahrari and others who have been detained for peacefully expressing their views.
Tens of thousands of supporters and opponents of a new Malian constitution held separate rallies in the capital Bamako on Friday before this weekend's referendum, AFP journalists reported.

Around 50,000 supporters of the "yes" campaign backed by the military government gathered in a stadium on Bamako's outskirts, in a meeting attended by junta leader Assimi Goita.

Goita toured the stadium to greet the crowds but made no speech.

Opponents of the draft text filled the 3,000 seats at the Culture Palace in Bamako before a power cut forced them to join a crowd that had gathered outdoors.

"We're here to say no to secularism," imam Issa Djire told AFP, with his opinion reflecting those of influential religious organisations and figures who reject defining Muslim-majority Mali as a secular state.

Among the "no" supporters present was imam Mahmoud Dicko, a major figure of the protest movement that preceded the ousting of former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in a 2020 coup that brought Goita to power.

Mali's constitutional referendum will be held on Sunday with the results expected in the following 72 hours.

The draft text is part of a series of reforms undertaken by the junta to justify delaying the transition to civilian rule until 2024.

The proposed constitution strengthens the powers of the president and offers an amnesty to leaders of coups that came before its promulgation, fuelling speculation that Goita will run in future elections despite the military's pledge to the contrary.

It also gives a prominent place to the armed forces, national sovereignty and the fight against corruption, while legitimising traditional authorities and languages and creating a Senate.

kt-str-mrb-clt/imm/bp
Congolese voters are hoping the government keeps its promise to produce new ID cards for the first time in decades after preparations for December elections finally offered them official documents.

National ID cards were last issued in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1990s, when the country was called Zaire and ruled by longtime dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

The vast Central African nation is home to around 100 million people, many of whom have no official documentation -- apart from their freshly issued voter cards.

Between December 2022 and April, Congolese citizens of voting age registered on electoral lists in dedicated centres which gave them cards covered with a plastic film, a photograph and a QR code.

The vast Central African nation is home to around 100 million people, many of whom have no official documentation. By Guerchom Ndebo (AFP)

But as many Congolese have no passport, driving licence or professional card, the small piece of cardboard is their only official ID document.

Elderly Congolese nostalgically remember their old "citizen's identity card", but they were cancelled in 1997 after Seko was overthrown by rebels led by former president Laurent-Desire Kabila.

Kabila gave the DRC its current name and governed the country until his assassination in 2001, when his son Joseph took over.

The younger Kabila tried to organise a census in 2015, creating the National Population Identification Office (ONIP).

But the opposition suspected the move was a stratagem to delay elections due the following year. Riots broke out and the census never took place.

'Not logical'

The government under incumbent leader Felix Tshisekedi has revived the project in a bid to deliver basic documents to the population.

To save money and time, the government last year announced it would pool the activities of the ONIP, the electoral commission and the national statistics institute to register voters and identify the population.

As of April, it planned to issue ID cards from July. On June 8, a protocol was signed to transfer data and material from the electoral commission to the ONIP and the statistics institute.

Some think the authorities have mishandled the looming pile-up of paperwork. By Guerchom Ndebo (AFP)

But the exact start date and length of the campaign remain unknown.

Some think the authorities have mishandled the looming pile-up of paperwork by issuing voter cards first before identifying the population.

Dieudonne Mushagalusa, member of an expert panel from Congolese civil society, said the process was "not logical" as the electoral commission should refer to the ONIP and not the other way round.

Each of the commission's registration files only contained 10 pieces of information, he said, arguing that more were needed for an ID card.

"We need to start from the bottom to the top, and not from the top to the bottom," said Jean-Claude Likosi, a professor at the Congo Catholic University specialising in electoral and political communication.

National identity questioned

The financing of the scheme, the final cost of which has not been fixed, has also raised questions about the government's ability to make good on its pledge.

Mushagalusa noted that government spending was mostly directed at organising the elections and fighting armed groups, particularly rampant in the east.

The Francophonie Games, an international multi-sports and cultural event for countries of the French-speaking world to be held in the capital Kinshasa in July, will further drain government coffers.

A proposed law would rule out some politicians from running in December's vote, including presidential candidate Moise Katumbi. By Arsene Mpiana (AFP)

The efforts to produce new ID cards also come as a fierce debate over national identity, or "Congolite", grips the DRC ahead of the vote.

A proposed law would reserve certain senior posts, notably the presidency, for citizens born to Congolese parents.

That would rule out some politicians from running in December's vote, including presidential candidate and leading opposition figure Moise Katumbi, whose father was foreign.

Civil society organisations and the country's Catholic episcopacy have called for the "discriminatory" law to be abandoned amid rising tensions.

"This is a chance for the authorities to kill two birds with one stone, by clarifying once and for all the nationality of several figures," said Likosi.
As Bangladesh stands at the crossroads of socio-political unrest, Tarique Rahman, the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), emerges as a beacon of hope for the nation. He carries the promise of democratic revival and human rights preservation.

Tarique's political lineage is deeply rooted in Bangladesh's fight for democracy. His father, Ziaur Rahman, the seventh President of Bangladesh, played a pivotal role in steering the nation away from dictatorship. Tarique's mother, Begum Khaleda Zia, who was Bangladesh's first female Prime Minister, was instrumental in restoring democracy in the country. As Tarique takes the helm, the Bangladeshi populace eagerly anticipates a recurrence of history, yearning for a nation that upholds human rights principles and treats its citizens with dignity and respect.

However, fulfilling this aspiration is no easy task. Tarique's leadership will need to resuscitate the faltering rule of law, ensure a fair judicial process, and restore the independence of the judiciary. The predicament of Surendra Kumar Sinha, the twenty-first Chief Justice of Bangladesh, who was allegedly compelled to leave the country, exposes the fragility of the nation's justice system. Under Tarique's rule, the judiciary must regain its credibility and impartiality.

Freedom of expression and association, two pillars of a thriving democracy, must be reinstated in their fullest sense. The culture of fear must be eradicated, and citizens should have the freedom to critique government policies, and join political parties, unions, and religious groups without fear of retribution.

Moreover, equal access to quality education and affordable healthcare must be made a reality for all citizens. This is particularly critical in a nation where education is a privilege of the elite, and healthcare has become a commoditised entity. The establishment of the right to food, water, air, and shelter  the very basics of human survival  will also be crucial.

In the economic realm, Tarique faces the challenge of rejuvenating Bangladesh's economy, which has been crippled by corruption and looting. An effective anti-corruption campaign in both the public and private sectors will be instrumental in restoring the nation's financial health.

An independent judiciary, a human-rights-oriented security apparatus, and a robust economy could be the defining pillars of Tarique's leadership, potentially solidifying the BNP's position for the next few decades.

Establishing close ties with Western nations, which have been allies and development partners of Bangladesh, will be equally important for Tarique. Countries such as Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, who believe in Tarique's potential to reinstate democracy and the rule of law, could be key supporters in this endeavour.

In conclusion, as Tarique Rahman prepares to navigate these multifaceted challenges, the nation waits in anticipation. The Bangladeshi populace hopes that he will follow in the footsteps of his parents and guide the country towards a democratic renaissance, anchored in the rule of law, human rights, and socio-economic progress."
17.06.2023 LISTEN

Prominent Bangladeshi journalist Golam Rabbani Nadim was brutally beaten to death on Wednesday evening, June 14, sparking a national outcry and demands for justice. Nadim was known for his impactful work with privately owned news website Banglanews24 and broadcaster Ekattor TV.

According to police reports and eyewitness accounts, Nadim was ambushed by a group of 15 to 20 men while travelling home on his motorcycle in the Bakshiganj area, Jamalpur district, in northern Mymensingh division. The attackers dragged Nadim to a secluded alley where they mercilessly beat him and left him unconscious. He was later discovered by passersby who rushed him to the hospital, where he tragically succumbed to severe head injuries the following day.

The victim's family alleges that the brutal assault was motivated by Nadim's investigative reporting in May 2023 about Mahmudul Alam Babu, a local government unit chair and member of the ruling Awami League party. Nadim's reports had focused on marital disputes involving Babu, including allegations from a woman claiming she was secretly married, abused, and then divorced by the politician. Nadim had also taken to Facebook to share these revelations with the public.

Interestingly, just hours before the tragic attack, Nadim announced on Facebook that a court had dismissed a complaint Babu had filed against him under the Digital Security Act for his reporting. Mahmudul Alam Babu, who is currently reported to be in hiding, has denied any involvement in the assault.

In response to the horrifying incident, the police have arrested six people linked to the attack. The Rapid Action Battalion, a paramilitary branch of the Bangladesh police, has also been mobilised to investigate Nadim's death.

The heinous crime has drawn international attention, with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) calling for an immediate and thorough investigation. We condemn the killing of Bangladeshi journalist Golam Rabbani Nadim in apparent retaliation for his reporting on a local politician, said Beh Lih Yi, CPJs Asia program coordinator. Bangladesh authorities must ensure that all those involved in this attack are brought to justice and end the countrys appalling record of impunity pertaining to violence against journalists.

Local press groups, including the Bangladeshi Journalists in International Media and the Bakshiganj Press Club, have also denounced the killing. They stressed that Nadim, who served as vice president of the Jamalpur District Online Journalists Association, was specifically targeted due to his investigative journalism.

This incident underscores the escalating dangers facing journalists in Bangladesh, further highlighting the urgent need for the government to safeguard the rights of media personnel, reinforce freedom of expression, and eradicate the culture of impunity around violence against journalists.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ruled out the possibility of talks with Russia on Friday after a visiting delegation of African leaders urged both countries to de-escalate.

The diplomatic team came to Kyiv to voice the concerns of a continent that has suffered from the fallout of Russia's invasion -- in particular from rising grain prices -- with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa insisting "there should be peace through negotiations".

But Zelensky rejected that possibility during a joint press conference, telling reporters: "I clearly said several times at our meeting that to allow any negotiations with Russia now that the occupier is on our land is to freeze the war, to freeze pain and suffering".

Shortly after the African leaders' arrival, air raid sirens sounded across the country as Russian missiles were detected, forcing the delegates to take shelter in the capital.

Zelensky said the strike on Kyiv during the delegation's visit was evidence that Putin either did not control his army, or was "irrational".

Ramaphosa, however, took the barrage as evidence that both sides needed to stop fighting.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses media after talks in Kyiv. By Sergei SUPINSKY (AFP)

"It is precisely that type of event that we saw today... that makes us call for de-escalation," Ramaphosa said, quoting Nelson Mandela several times on the need for peace.

In a statement, Zelensky said he had called on the leaders to set out their views on how to stop the "crimes committed by Russia", and how to work towards food security.

"But first of all, we must restore the full force of the UN Charter and stop this brutal Russian aggression and free our land," he added.

The African delegation had gone first to Bucha, a town outside the capital that has become synonymous with alleged war crimes carried out by Moscow.

The group includes four presidents: Ramaphosa, Senegal's Macky Sall, Zambia's Hakainde Hichilema and Comoros' Azali Assoumani, who also currently heads the African Union.

The leaders of Uganda, Egypt and Congo-Brazzaville pulled out of the visit at the last moment and sent representatives instead.

The talks came as Ukraine announced gains in a new counteroffensive, but Russian President Vladimir Putin renewed his claim that Kyiv's forces "stand no chance" in the sectors where fighting has intensified.

'Clear message'

The Ukrainian Air Force said it shot down 12 missiles, including six hypersonic ones, during Friday's attack. By Genya SAVILOV (AFP)

Following Friday's attack on Kyiv, the Ukrainian Air Force said it had shot down 12 missiles, including six hypersonic ones.

There was no reported damage inside the city, but seven people including two children were wounded, the regional police said.

"With what happened today, it's very obvious also to the African leaders how sincere Putin is about stopping the conflict," said Peter Stano, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

Ukrainian officials were also quick to call attention to the strike.

"Russian missiles are a message to Africa: Russia wants more war, not peace," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

The African leaders were set to travel on to the northwestern Russian city of Saint Petersburg and meet Putin on Saturday.

"In our view it is important to listen very carefully to what both countries have to say, and tomorrow we are now going to listen to President Putin," Ramaphosa said.

Map showing locations recaptured by Ukraine in its eastern counter-offensive. By Sabrina BLANCHARD, Nalini LEPETIT-CHELLA (AFP)

Speaking at an annual economic forum in Saint Petersburg on Friday, Putin displayed little appetite for peace talks, announcing the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus while also calling Zelensky a "disgrace to the Jewish people".

Russia first announced plans to station tactical nukes in its ally and neighbour in March, with Putin saying Friday that the "first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus".

He said the weapons were meant as a deterrence to "those who are thinking of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia".

Putin also told forum attendees he had "a lot of Jewish friends" who had told him "that Zelensky is not Jewish, that he is a disgrace to the Jewish people".

Despite Zelensky's Jewish heritage, Moscow has justified its war with claims it needs to "de-Nazify" Ukraine.

'Touching livelihoods'

Analysts, meanwhile, said the delegation's mediating effort could hope to win some concessions from the Kremlin ahead of a Russia-Africa summit next month.

The African continent has been badly hit by rising grain and fertiliser prices as well as the wider impact on global trade since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.

"This conflict is also affecting African countries negatively, touching on the livelihoods of 1.2 or 1.3 billion people on the African continent," Ramaphosa said.

African nations have been divided over their response to the war, with some siding with Ukraine and others remaining neutral or gravitating towards Moscow.

South Africa, for one, has drawn scrutiny for refusing to condemn the offensive launched by Moscow.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. Units of the Azerbaijani army in Gadabay, Kalbajar and Lachin districts have been intensively shelled from small arms of various calibers by units of the Armenian armed forces located at opposite positions from 10:45 (GMT +4) June 17, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry told Trend.

According to the ministry, Azerbaijani Army is taking adequate response measures in all the mentioned areas.

"The operational situation is under the full control of the units of the Azerbaijani army," the ministry added.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on Friday, June 16 warned against putting Ghana back in the hands of leaders who do not have a vision for Ghana.

In his speech after submitting his nomination forms to contest the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer slot, Bawumia said that the NPP government has implemented many transformational policies, including the Ghana card, Digital Address, Mobile Money Interoperability, Delivery of medicines by drones, One District One Factory, Planting for Food and Jobs, Zongo Development Fund, Agenda 111, Free TVET and Free SHS.

He also said that the government has created 2.1 million jobs in six years.

Bawumia warned that the country cannot afford to go back to the days of visionless leadership.

Having implemented these transformational policy initiatives, it is very important that we don't go backwards as a country. We cannot put the country back in the hands of people who don't have an understanding of and belief in the vision. That is why it is important for us to break the eight. There is still much more to do, he added.

Bawumias speech was well-received by thousands of NPP members who cheered and applauded him.

I want to move Ghana to the next level  Bawumia

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia also affirmed his commitment to driving Ghana towards a higher level of transformation and economic development if elected Ghanas president.

I believe that it is time to move Ghana to the next level by building on the foundations we have put in place so far. Together with you, I want to see a Ghana where we leverage technology, data and systems for inclusive economic growth. I want to make Ghana the digital hub of Africa. I want us to bridge the digital divide and apply digital technology and artificial intelligence for the transformation of healthcare, education, and public service delivery amongst others.

citinewsroom
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association GRNMA has appealed to the Ministry of Health and Nation Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to include cervical cancer treatment in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The decision according to GRNMA will help reduce cervical cancer mortality across the country.

The National Coordinator for Women and Gender at the GRNMA, Mrs Irene Mensah Jacobs made the call when GRNMA organized Women and Gender Seminar at Ejisu-Krapa in the Ejisu Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

Held on Friday, June 16, 2023, the event brought together hundreds of nurses and midwives who used the opportunity to deliberate on issues affecting women with cervical cancer on top of the agenda.

Speaking on the theme "Empowering Women to Take Advantage of Their Lives through Vaccination against Cervical Cancer" Mrs Irene Mensah Jacobs entreated government to facilitate an option for users of NHIS cards to access cervical cancer to protect women from succumbing to the disease.

She called on the government and other stakeholders in the health sector to provide free cervical cancer screening and vaccination to women in the country.

She underscored the dangers of cancer and called for concerted efforts to end it in Ghana.

"Cervical is one of the topmost causes of fatalities worldwide with mortality and incidence rates highest in sub-Saharan Africa including Ghana.

"The numbers in Ghana keep soaring with every passing year, hence the need to create more awareness and support victims," she said.

Speaking to this reporter at the sidelines of the event, Oncology Nurse Specialist at the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Miss Dorcas Yeboah said the rate at which women were dying from cervical cancer was alarming.

She noted that cervical cancer is the second most fatal cancer after breast cancer in Ghana, urging stakeholders in the health sector to work towards taming the cancer.

Miss Dorcas Yeboah disclosed that treatment for cervical cancer is expensive and has thus pushed many away from getting early treatment.
In the forthcoming summit between US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled for June 22, 2023, global watchdog, Human Rights Watch (HRW), has stressed the need to spotlight human rights issues. The group advocates for a comprehensive discussion on these concerns during the visit, which is seen as a vital opportunity to examine worsening rights conditions in both nations.

HRW has appealed to President Biden and US congressional leaders to discuss India's human rights situation openly with Prime Minister Modi. "Prime Minister Modi needs to understand that the actions of his government are being closely monitored by US leaders, and that worsening abuses are affecting US-India relations, asserted John Sifton, the Asia advocacy director at HRW.

Both leaders are urged to confront the human rights challenges in their respective countries. The HRWs World Report 2023 underscored significant rights issues in both India and the US. The report outlined the urgency to confront racism, caste-based supremacy, xenophobia, economic inequality, and other systemic barriers to change in both nations.

On the home front, the US has recently witnessed tightened restrictions on voting rights, peaceful protests, and access to reproductive health, among other areas. HRW criticised the US government for failing to effectively address systemic racism entrenched within its institutions and called for the implementation of fair criminal justice and immigration reforms.

On the other hand, Modi's government in India, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has come under scrutiny for a marked decline in respect for civil and political rights, particularly for groups marginalized due to caste, religion, ethnicity, or political belief. The HRW urged the Indian Premier to take decisive action against discriminatory policies impacting minorities and other marginalized groups.

The international rights organization also called on US leaders to encourage Modi to condemn communal violence perpetrated by members and supporters of the BJP and its affiliates, particularly against Christian and Muslim minorities. Moreover, the HRW recommended that the Indian government halt its crackdowns on civil society groups and politically motivated prosecutions and raids on human rights activists and critics.

The widescale use of overbroad and indiscriminate internet shutdowns, which adversely affect millions living in poverty, was another concern raised by the HRW. It claimed that such actions undermine the Indian government's "Digital India" mission.

A screening of the two-part BBC documentary, "India: The Modi Question," will be hosted in Washington DC by HRW and Amnesty International USA on June 20. The Indian government blocked the documentary's broadcast in India in January 2023.

John Sifton emphasized the need for both the US and Indian governments to reaffirm their commitment to fundamental rights and freedoms. He stated that the leaders of the world's two largest democracies should address human rights issues candidly in both countries.
Mrs Joycelyn Adii, the Bono Regional Director of the Department of Gender has urged husbands to support their wives in household chores to strengthen family unity and cohesion.

She said many women, especially house wives denied their husbands sex because they were sometimes over-burdened by household chores, and thereby lacked the appetite, unable to fulfil the sexual desires of their husbands.

Mrs Adii said though sex was a consummation of marriage, women who over-worked sometimes lacked the appetite for sex, and therefore entreated men to learn and support their wives to wash, cook and clean the house.

She was speaking at separate sensitization fora on unpaid care work organized by the Global Media Foundation (GLOMeF) at Yawmiri, Wawasua, Nsagobesa and Antwikrom in the Sunyani Municipality.

GLOMeF, a Sunyani-based media advocacy and human rights NGO with support from Plan Ghana another NGO, as part of its Wise Project organised the fora to orient community members and create awareness on the benefits of supporting womens economic participation.

The WISE project is a women's economic empowerment project which seeks to promote innovative, integrated and gender transformative business services by improving womens agency to exercise decisions regarding their participation in economic growth.

It also seeks to womens increasing productivity, profitability, and innovation of women-owned businesses.

Mrs Adii observed many marriages were on the verge of collapse due to petty marital problems which could easily be tackled and therefore mentioned denial of sex and lack of communication as some of the factors fueling divorce which could be addressed.

"If we want our marriages to stand the test of time then we must try and tackle the issue of unpaid care work which turned to over-burden many women.

"In fact, a good husband must remain supportive to the wife. Women feel proud, dignified and are submissive when they see their husbands supporting the households chores," she stated.

Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the Chief Executive Officer of the GLOMeF said children and men were the most affected in families that lacked peace and cohesion, saying "it is always uneasy for some men to return home after work due to family problems in the house".

He advised men to spend ample time, communicate and listen to their wives, and added "women must also endeavour to remain submissive to their husbands too".

Mr Ahenu said the project was being implemented at communities including Abesim, Adomako, Asufufu, Kwasi-nfum, Benue Nkwanta, Kyeredua, Watchman, Yawsae, all in the Sunyani Municipality.
The meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron took place on the first week of April 2023. It represented another step in Beijing's attempts to shift away from the containment strategy in the region that has been proposed by the United States. As a result of the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the United States and its western allies have been split into two blocs: the former supporting Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine, while the latter maintaining its stance on Ukraine's right to its territorial integrity. However, the fact that Macron is visiting China demonstrates that France is committed to preserving a level of economic as well as diplomatic harmony with China amidst the ongoing rivalry between these two nations.

The level of animosity and mistrust between the European Union and China has reached an all-time high as the Russia-Ukraine war is ongoing. However, despite this fact, France continued to pursue high-level economic cooperation with China. Since his election as president in 2017, Emmanuel Macron has made numerous visits to China. During these visits, France has signed a number of agreements concerning environmental finance, the protection of intellectual property, and foreign investments. Emmanuel Macron, paid a state visit to the People's Republic of China from April 5 to April 7, 2023, in response to an invitation sent to him by Xi Jinping. But Macron's visit to Beijing this year is focused on three goals. Firstly, Macron wanted to bolster the economic ties between EU and China and strengthen economic links between the two regions. Due to this, 60 French business executives had accompanied Macron, including the presidents of Airbus and the energy company Electricite de France. Macron has been pursuing the goal of preventing the relationship between Europe and China from becoming even more strained. Secondly, Macron is also trying to pursue Chinese President Xi who can be a mediator to stop the Russia-Ukraine war and start the peace process. Lastly, Macron is assuring Xi that Europes security architecture is not solely reliant upon American umbrella but Macron's push for European strategic autonomy which is a European security independence from the United States.

The journey that Macron took to China is hardly the first significant visit to China made by a Western leader in recent months. In April 2023, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also travelled to Beijing to meet with Xi as well as Macron. It is also important to note that at the time of this visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted a meeting at the Great Hall of the People with the French President Emmanuel Macron and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The discussion was attended by all three leaders of China, France, and the European Union (EU). During this visit, Xi highlighted that competition and contention between the two groups were outweighed by the benefits of cooperating and finding common ground. Macron urged that, China and the European Union needed to work together to foster political trust, deepen communication and collaboration, preserve international peace and stability, promote shared growth and prosperity, and work together to confront global concerns like Russia Ukraine war and the ongoing security issues. Xi also lauded that China and the European Union (EU) needed to work together to protect global peace and prosperity, as well as efforts to decouple economies or break supply chains. China had high expectations that its economic cooperation with Europe would serve as a stepping stone to the development of tighter diplomatic relations with Europe. During the discussion between Franc and China, agreements were signed between France and China to expand their collaboration in the fields of aeronautics, aerospace, and nuclear energy. Additionally, the two countries agreed to create a joint zero-carbon center in order to improve green technologies. French company Airbus finalized negotiations to construct a new assembly line in China, which would double the company's capacity in the world's second-largest aviation market. By signing cooperation agreements with each other, China and France were sending a strong statement against economic decoupling. France signed 15 commercial agreements with China, totaling billions of euros in value and only Airbus was worth 30 billion euros. France's Fives Industry group and China's National Building Materials Group had also agreed to work together to reduce energy consumption in developing nations as part of an agreement worth one billion euros. A contract of 1.2 billion had been reached between CMA-CGM and China State Ship-building Corporation to construct 10 containers. In addition, the parties came to an agreement to end the ban on chicken exports from France. SUEZ, an environmental corporation in France, had inked an environmental cooperation partnership with Chinese partners to aid in the strengthening of China's shift to a more environmentally friendly economy. Additionally, the company received the final go-ahead on several previously announced aircraft orders. The French state utility EDF and the Chinese utility CGN, both of which are significant operators of nuclear facilities, have inked an agreement to extend a long-standing collaboration. Additionally, contracts for offshore wind projects were agreed upon and signed between EDF and China Energy Investment Corporation.

China's status as a diplomatic player was bolstered in March when it brokered an agreement for Iran and Saudi Arabia to restart relations after years of enmity. The hostility had been one of the primary factors contributing to the instability in the region. To end the Ukraine crisis, China had suggested a 12-point peace plan as a solution. The proposal urged all parties involved to commit to a gradual de-escalation of the conflict. While discussing the Russia -Ukraine war, Macron expressed that the West would continue to engage with China in order to help settle the crisis and avoid tensions that might potentially divide global powers into blocs. Macro asked Beijing to have rational discussions with Russia on the conflict in Ukraine. The United States argued that they had received information indicating that China was contemplating supplying armaments to Russia. However, Beijing refuted these claims. Also, to bring the peace process in Ukraine, The Chinese government wanted to collaborate with the French government in order to achieve a negotiated ceasefire in the conflict. China also expressed willingness to EU to provide ideas and plans for a political solution of the issue in Ukraine.

The EU leaders' travel to China took place after years of deteriorating ties with Beijing on problems such as allegations of rights abuse in Xinjiang, and China's unwillingness to denounce Russia for its military attack on Ukraine. The United States, together with Japan and Europe has always intended to show a unified front in order to challenge China's actions on Taiwan and economic security. However, stronger ties between China and European nations may undermine this American-led strategy. The United States of America increasingly views China not just as an economic and political competitor, but also as an opponent. The United States has sought, with various levels of success, to convince its European allies to adopt this point of view.

To sum up, this visit by Macron has been positive as both states have emphasized to carry out cooperation that is mutually beneficial on an equal footing, to address urgent global challenges such as climate change, and to keep expanding the EU-China comprehensive strategic partnership. But both Macron and Xi reiterated that the situation in Ukraine was not an issue that concerned China and the EUs comprehensive relationship. In this visit, China has expressed that it views Europe as autonomous within the context of a multipolar world. This visit has proved that France does not plan to disentangle itself from China in the foreseeable future. It was a clear indication that European states does not consider the United States' alliance with Europe to be a defining character in the 21st century, but also prioritizing comprehensive partnership with China.

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Medics on Saturday said they are overwhelmed by the hundreds of wounded fleeing Sudan's Darfur region, which has become an increasing focus of global concern more than two months into the country's war.

Residents of the capital Khartoum, hundreds of kilometres (miles) east of Darfur, on Saturday also reported fresh air strikes, gunfire and explosions there in battles between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Since April 15 when fighting began, the death toll across the country has topped 2,000, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project said.

Up to 1,100 have been killed in the West Darfur state capital El Geneina alone, according to the United States State Department.

The victims included West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdullah Abakar, killed after he criticised the paramilitaries in a Wednesday television interview. The RSF denied responsibility.

"The situation is frankly overwhelming, but everyone is doing their utmost to cope with it", said Seybou Diarra, project coordinator in Adre, Chad for the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity.

"As violence rages in West Darfur, wounded people are coming in waves" to the hospital in Adre, just over the border about 20 kilometres (12 miles) west of El Geneina, the MSF statement said.

More than 600 patients, most with gunshot wounds, arrived at the facility over a three-day period -- more than half of them on Friday, it said.

"We are overwhelmed in the operating theatre. We urgently need more beds and more staff," said Diarra, a physician.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 149,000 people have fled from Darfur into Chad.

'Ominous reminder'

They are among the roughly 2.2 million people uprooted nationwide by the fighting which has forced a total of more than 528,000 to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, IOM said.

On Thursday the State Department attributed the atrocities in Darfur "primarily" to the RSF and said the violence and alleged rights violations are an "ominous reminder" of the region's previous genocide.

A years-long war in Darfur began in 2003 with a rebel uprising that prompted then-strongman Omar al-Bashir to unleash the Janjaweed militia, whose actions led to international charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The RSF have their origins in the Janjaweed.

Along with Darfur, Khartoum has seen the heaviest fighting.

Sudanese refugees cross into Chad near Koufroun, Echbara, on May 1, 2023. By Gueipeur Denis SASSOU (AFP/File)

Residents on Saturday reported air strikes around the Yarmouk district -- home to a weapons manufacturing and arms depot complex which the RSF claimed in early June to have seized "full control" of.

The latest strikes caused "civilian victims", a citizens' support committee said.

Residents in Khartoum's south also reported gunfire from "various types of weapons". In the northern suburbs witnesses reported rocket fire and heavy artillery.

A record 25 million people -- more than half the population -- are in need of aid and protection, according to the United Nations, which says it has received only a fraction of the necessary funding.

Saudi Arabia has announced an international pledging conference for Monday in Geneva.
France on Saturday deployed 2,000 gendarmes and police to the Maurienne valley in the Alps where 2,000 activists defied a protest ban at the construction site of a high speed train linking the Lyon with Turin, in Italy.

French and Italian environmental groups say the titanic railway project, which involves creating a 260-kilometre tunnel system through the Alps, has already led to the drying up of several natural water sources in the area.

Lawmakers from several left-wing parties also attended the protest, which had been banned under a decree issued by Savoie departmental prefect Francois Ravier.

The decision was upheld by the Grenoble administrative court after an appeal had been lodged.

"There are concerns about the safety of law enforcement officers and firefighters, Ravier told journalists, adding that the gendarmes and police would be joined by 70 firefighters and rescue services.

Random checks

Le Dauphine Libere local newspaper reported that random checks carried out on both sides of the border had led to the seizure of 119 sharp and blunt objects, two fireworks, and brass knuckles and hammers.

French NGO Soulevements de la Terre (Earth Uprisings), which is leading the protest, said the seized items were camping and cooking equipment.

On Friday hundreds of protesters poured into the small commune of La Chapelle, setting up makeshift camps in the fields and meadows in a zone bordering the area of the banned demonstration.

The European Union backs the 26 billion Lyon-Turin high-speed train link. Seventy percent of the railway system will run through France and 30 percent through Italy.
South Africa's president arrived in Saint Petersburg, Russia on Saturday ahead of talks headed by an African delegation pushing for negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow even as doubts grow they will bear fruit.

The African leaders are attempting to make the continent's issues heard after it has been buffeted by economic headwinds caused by the conflict.

President Cyril Ramaphosa's arrival in Saint Petersburg "follows constructive discussions with (Ukrainian) President Volodymyr Zelensky," the South African presidency said.

The delegation will "meet (Russian) President Vladimir Putin to seek a road to peace to (end) the 16 months-long conflict (that's) caused devastating economic impact, loss of life and global instability".

The mission includes four presidents: Ramaphosa, Senegal's Macky Sall, Zambia's Hakainde Hichilema and Comoros' Azali Assoumani, who also currently heads the African Union.

The leaders of Uganda, Egypt and Congo-Brazzaville pulled out of the visit at the last moment and sent representatives instead.

Efforts to secure peace appear increasingly perilous, analysts told AFP, with both Kyiv and Moscow convinced they can win on the battlefield.

"There must be de-escalation on both sides," Ramaphosa said in a press conference in Kyiv the day before, calling for "peace through negotiations".

But Zelensky ruled out that possibility during a joint press conference with the delegates.

"I clearly said several times at our meeting that to allow any negotiations with Russia, now that the occupier is on our land, is to freeze... pain and suffering," he said.

'Listen carefully'

"In our view it is important to listen very carefully to what both countries have to say, and tomorrow we are now going to listen to President Putin," Ramaphosa said.

The visit in Kyiv did not get off to a smooth start.

At least seven were wounded in strikes over the Kyiv region. By Genya SAVILOV (AFP)

Air raid siren sounded in Kyiv shortly after their arrival, which Zelensky said showed that Putin either did not control his army, or was "irrational".

Ramaphosa took the barrage as evidence that both sides needed to stop fighting.

The delegation also comes as both sides are focussed on battlefield developments, as Kyiv presses its newly-launched counteroffensive.

Putin's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu called for more tanks to be manufactured "to meet the needs of Russian forces" in Ukraine.

Kyiv on Friday evening reported tactical successes "practically in all areas where our units are fighting in the south."

The Russian president showed little appetite for talks speaking Friday at the Saint Petersburg Economic Forum.

"I think that Ukraine's armed forces stand no chance (in the south), as well as in other directions... I have no doubt about that," Putin said.

'Affecting African countries'

While conducting a military operation in Ukraine, which Moscow considers within its sphere of influence, Putin has sought to portray Russia as a bulwark against neocolonialism.

In Saint Petersburg, Putin proclaimed the end of "the ugly neo-colonial system", which he often mentions in appeals to African partners.

Putin said the Ukrainian counteroffensive stood 'no chance'. By Alexei Kudenko / Mikhail Korytov (Host photo agency RIA Novosti/AFP)

Russia also accuses the West of blocking its exports of fertilisers and threatens to pull out of a deal -- that expires on July 17 -- that allowed vital Ukrainian grain exports to resume through the Black Sea.

Securing the future viability of a deal allowing grain from Ukraine to reach the global market would be one potential goal of the delegation.

"This conflict is also affecting African countries negatively, touching on the livelihoods of 1.2 or 1.3 billion people on the African continent," Ramaphosa said in Kyiv.

Analysts told AFP the mediating effort could hope to win some concessions from the Kremlin ahead of a Russia-Africa summit next month.

Prisoner swaps and fertiliser exports will also likely be on the agenda in Moscow, other analysts have suggested.

Zelensky pressed the African leaders on the issue, asking them to "please, let them release our political prisoners. I think this will be an important result of your mission".

African countries have been divided over their response to the fighting, with some siding with Ukraine, while others have remained neutral or gravitated towards Moscow.
Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, the Group Chairman of the Asaase Broadcasting Company (ABC), has appealed to the Ghana Health Service and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to explore avenues to make kidney care services affordable for Ghanaians.

He said the cost of receiving dialysis was mind-boggling and appealed to the health authorities to have a serious look at the situation and support Ghanaians who could not afford treatment.

Mr Otchere-Darko made the appeal when the Asaase Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the ABC, distributed at least seven dialysis machines to selected health institutions at a ceremony in Accra, on Friday.

Receiving dialysis in a week is mind boggling if you get it here. Not many Ghanaians can survive the cost of it.

I plead with the State and in particularly the NHIA; I understand you have limited resources but is there any way we can stretch that to support, even subsidise the cost of receiving dialysis, Mr Otchere-Darko appealed.

The distribution of the machines, which formed part the Foundation's Kidney Heath Campaign, also commemorated the three-year anniversary of the Asaase Radio.

The beneficiary hospitals are: the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Enchi Government Hospital, Sogakope District Hospital, Obuasi District Hospital, Volta Regional Hospital, Bono Regional Hospital, and the Upper East Regional Hospital.

Nenyi George Andah, the Chief Executive Officer, ABC, said the distribution of the machines formed part of the company's commitment to support kidney care in needy and deprived communities.

The setting up of these dialysis machines shows our dedication to improve healthcare in marginalised communities, transform lives and build inclusive societies, he said.

Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, the Chief Executive Officer of the NHIA, said the health insurance scheme currently did not cover chronic kidney cases.

It covers acute kidney disease (short-term due to injury) dialysis with a flat amount of about GHS900.00

He said the Authority would consider adding chronic (lifetime) 9cases to its benefit package if its resources improved.

It costs between GHS500 and GHS600 per one dialysis session.

Chronic patients need three sessions to flush out toxins and excess fluid in their blood.

The kidneys remove extra wastes and fluids from the body.

They also remove the acid produced by the cells in the body and maintain a healthy balance of water, salts and minerals in the blood.

Kidney diseases include simple kidney cysts, infection, kidney stones and polycystic kidney disease.

The main causes of chronic kidney disease are diabetes and high blood pressure.

It can also be a genetic condition, caused by repeated urinary tract infections, obstruction by tumors and kidney stones and enlarged prostate.

Certain drugs, infections and injuries are also known to result in acute kidney conditions.

GNA
Air strikes killed or wounded more than two dozen civilians in Khartoum Saturday, a citizens' group said, as medics reported hundreds of wounded fleeing Sudan's western Darfur region in worsening violence of a two-month war.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claimed to have shot down a Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) fighter plane. A military source, not authorised to speak to the press, told AFP anonymously that a plane did go down but blamed a "malfunction".

The SAF, commanded by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has since April 15 been battling the RSF, headed by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, after the two fell out in a power struggle.

Witnesses say air strikes have intensified in the capital over the past few days.

On Saturday, warplanes again struck residential districts of Khartoum, killing "17 civilians, including five children," according to a citizens' support committee.

Residents had earlier reported air strikes around the city's southern Yarmouk district -- home to a weapons manufacturing and arms depot complex where the RSF claimed "full control" in early June.

The citizen's committee added that 11 other civilians were wounded but AFP was not immediately able to independently confirm the committee's figures.

In a video published Friday on the army's Facebook page, deputy army chief Yasser Atta warned civilians to keep away from houses where the RSF are located because the army "will attack them at any time."

A medical centre riddled with battle damage at the Souk Sitta (Market Six) in Khartoum's south on June 1, 2023. By - (AFP)

Since battles began, the death toll across the country has topped 2,000, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project said.

Hundreds of kilometres (miles) west of Khartoum, up to 1,100 have been killed in the West Darfur state capital El Geneina alone, according to the US State Department.

Medics said Saturday they were overwhelmed by the hundreds of wounded fleeing Sudan's Darfur region, which has become an increasing focus of global concern.

The dead have included West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdullah Abakar, killed after he criticised the paramilitaries in a Wednesday television interview. The RSF denied responsibility.

"We are overwhelmed in the operating theatre. We urgently need more beds and more staff," said Seybou Diarra, a physician and project coordinator in Adre, Chad, for the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity.

"As violence rages in West Darfur, wounded people are coming in waves" to the hospital in Adre, just over the border about 20 kilometres (12 miles) west of El Geneina, the MSF statement said.

More than 600 patients, most with gunshot wounds, arrived at the facility over a three-day period -- more than half of them on Friday, it said.

Claire Nicolet, MSF's head of emergency programmes, cited "reports of intensifying and large-scale attacks this week".

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 149,000 people have fled from Darfur into Chad.

'Ominous reminder'

They are among the roughly 2.2 million people uprooted nationwide by the fighting which has forced more than 528,000 to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, IOM said.

On Thursday, the State Department attributed the atrocities in Darfur "primarily" to the RSF and said the violence and alleged rights violations are an "ominous reminder" of the region's previous genocide.

Sudanese refugees cross into Chad near Koufroun, Echbara, on May 1, 2023. By Gueipeur Denis SASSOU (AFP/File)

A years-long war in Darfur began in 2003 with a rebel uprising that prompted then-strongman Omar al-Bashir to unleash the Janjaweed militia, whose actions led to international charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The RSF have their origins in the Janjaweed.

Along with Darfur, Khartoum has seen the heaviest fighting.

On Saturday, residents of Khartoum reported gunfire from "various types of weapons", while witnesses also reported rocket and heavy artillery fire in the northern suburbs.

A record 25 million people -- more than half the population -- are in need of aid and protection, according to the United Nations, which says it has received only a fraction of the necessary funding.

Saudi Arabia has announced an international pledging conference for Monday in Geneva.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. Azerbaijan is ready to re-integrate ethnic Armenian residents of Karabakh region into political, legal, socio-economic environment of the country, Trend reports via the tweet of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.

According to the ministry, Constitution of Azerbaijan, international documents and national legislation provide solid ground to make it happen.

Previously, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, speaking at a special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, said that Azerbaijan is determined to reintegrate ethnic Armenians living in the countrys Karabakh region into its political, legal, economic, and social frameworks as equal citizens.
SPEECH BY DR. MAHAMUDU BAWUMIA ON FILING OF NOMINATION FORM FOR 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

1. Thank you all for the overwhelming support you have shown me today. I am very humbled by this massive show of support. I would also like to thank my dear wife Samira and all my family for the support you have given me all these years. God bless you all.

2. Dear friends, I have just filed my nomination forms to contest as flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party for the 2024 Presidential Elections. I believe this is the first step to our victory in 2024, by the Grace of God.

3. This is a very important day in my life. From Sakasaka Primary School to Tamale Secondary School, to Oxford University, to Bank of Ghana as Deputy Governor and then to become Vice President of the Republic of Ghana. It has been an amazing journey and I thank God for how far he has brought me.

4. Dear friends, it has not been an easy journey. It has taken a lot of hard work, discipline and patience to get here. I have walked to school growing up in Moshie Zongo in Tamale. I have been a by-day worker on farms during holidays in secondary school, I have been a warehouse boy even after finishing university, and I have been a minicab driver. I was only able to pay fees for one term during my studies at Oxford University and had to survive for the rest of my studies without paying fees, thanks to my College. I only settled my fees in arrears after I started work following the completion of my PhD in Canada.

5. I have also been a cleaner of dormitories in my university days in Canada. So, I can say that I have not had it easy at all. But I have always believed that with hard work, honesty, discipline and faith in God, one can fulfill ones God given potential.

6. My life experience tells me never to take anything for granted and always to have respect for people no matter their stature in life; no matter how big or how small they are. The cleaner or driver you meet today can be a Vice President or President tomorrow.

7. I care about the poor, I care about the vulnerable and the excluded. I care about the Lepers, I care about the sick, the sickle cell sufferers and cancer patients, I care about the disabled, I care about the Kayayei, I care about street children, and I care about the unemployed amongst others. This is the true essence of life; to address the problems of the weakest among us and to help them lift themselves up.

8. I am not afraid of hard work. In fact, I enjoy hard work. My experience in life tells me that honesty and hard work pays. I worked hard for H.E. President Kufuor as Deputy Governor at the Bank of Ghana and I have worked hard as Vice President in assisting the President, H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo, achieve his vision.

Together, we started the process of transforming Ghana into a country ready for the fourth Industrial Revolution. I brought honesty, hard work, dedication and discipline to my role as Vice President.

9. Notwithstanding the economic challenges of our time, our government has constructed more infrastructure than any other government in the fourth republic and many transformational policies have been introduced for the first time in our history, including the Ghanacard, Digital Address, Mobile Money Interoperability, Delivery of medicines by drones, One District One Factory, Planting for Food and Jobs, Zongo Development Fund, Agenda 111, Free TVET and Free SHS to mention a few. We have also created 2.1 million jobs in six years, more than any government in the fourth republic.

10. Having implemented these transformational policy initiatives, it is very important that we dont go backwards as a country. We cannot put the country back in the hands of people who dont have an understanding of and belief in the vision. That is why it important for us to break the eight. There is still much more to do.

11. I also have my own vision for Ghana. I believe that it is time to move Ghana to the next level by building on the foundations we have put in place so far.

12. Together with you, I want to see a Ghana where we leverage technology, data and systems for inclusive economic growth. I want to make Ghana the digital hub of Africa. I want us to bridge the digital divide and apply digital technology and artificial intelligence for the transformation of healthcare, education, and public service delivery amongst others.

13. Together with you, I want to see a Ghana with an education system tilted towards STEM, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, digital and vocational skills to cope with the demands of fourth Industrial Revolution.

14. Together with you, I want to see a Ghana where we cater and care for the the poor, vulnerable, excluded and sick people.

15. Together with you, I want to see a Ghana where we attain food security in the shortest possible time through the application of science, data, Artificial Intelligence, Satellite, Internet of Things (IOT) and irrigation to commercial farming. We will also complete the ongoing digitalisation of data on all farms across the 16 regions.

16. Together with you, I want to see a Ghana where we maximise the benefits from our natural resources like gold and lithium through policies like, value addition, setting up an LBMA certified gold refinery, enhancing the gold for oil policy, and dedication of specific gold concessions to the Bank of Ghana to enhance their accumulation of gold reserves.

17. Together with you, I want to see Ghana as an industrialised nation. I want to entrench and enhance the current strategy of industrialisation that we have embarked on and introduce new technology like digital manufacturing for the manufacturing of spare parts, syringes, and other equipment.

18. Together with you, I want to see a Ghana with robust fiscal discipline in the management of our public finances to sustainably and significantly reduce bank lending rates.

19. Together with you, I want to see a Ghana with an empowered local business sector, especially startups and SMEs to drive investment and growth. We will transform the SME landscape by providing unique identifiers and using technology to help them access new financing and markets. I also want to provide incentives to the private sector to replace government in the provision of a significant amount of infrastructure and many other services.

20. Together with you, I want to see a Ghana with a developed and efficient credit system through credit scoring by credit reference agencies by leveraging on integrated databases across banks, DVLA, NIA, Digital Address systems etc. to enable workers buy furniture, cars, TVs, fridges and homes (mortgages) on credit at lower cost.

21. Together with you, I want to see a Ghana with energy self-sufficiency at reduced cost through solar and other renewables with the application of market efficiency to the energy market.

22. Together with you, I want to see a Ghana with an enhanced focus on private and public investment in tourism, creative arts and sports.

23. This is not an exhaustive list and in due course we will have a chance to lay out a comprehensive Manifesto for Ghanaians.

24. Dear friends, over the last 22 years, I have worked hard with you for the NPP and for Ghana from during the Kufuor era as Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, through our years in opposition and now in government. During this period, I have sacrificed for the party, I have defended the party in good times and in challenging times, I have never wavered nor slacked. Never! and I have built a solid track record of performance as Vice President and unflinching loyalty to our party and government through rain or shine.

25. I have a compelling vision for Ghanas future. It is possible for Ghana to be like the advanced nations if we put our minds and energies to it. With the technologies available, the new ones that are emerging, and a renewed mindset, we can leapfrog impossibilities and make the unimaginable possible. It is possible to break the eight, in order to continue with the transformational policies we have started. It is possible!

26. And that is why I am offering myself, in all humility, to contest in the primaries of this phenomenal party, the great New Patriotic Party, to become our flagbearer, and presidential candidate for election 2024 and Insha Allah, the President of the Republic of Ghana.

27. I am counting on your support from now through the primaries to the general election in December 2024 and beyond. By the grace of God, Insha Allah, victory will be ours. Thank you, God bless the NPP and God bless our homeland Ghana.
Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam, has urged ASEAN and other regional countries to play a more active role in the safe and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees. The plea was made at the Oslo Forum 2023, a significant international gathering of diplomats and conflict mediators hosted by Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Minister Alam emphasised the importance of a peaceful transition to a civilian administration in Myanmar, urging an end to armed conflicts and the initiation of elections. He urged ASEAN and the wider international community to use their influence to help bring this about.

The two-day event, which took place from 13-14 June, brought together over 100 international mediators and experts. Participants engaged in sharing perspectives and assessing the state of mediation and peacemaking in the face of rising geopolitical tensions, escalating conflicts, and the effects of climate change.

In the open discussions, the delegates debated various geopolitical hotspots, including the war in Ukraine, conflicts in Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Somalia and Ethiopia. The discussions also looked at ways to prevent, interrupt or end conflicts.

The event was inaugurated by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre and saw attendance from foreign ministers of Norway, Indonesia and Colombia, and the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. State Minister Shahriar Alam was present at the invitation of Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt.

As part of his visit to Oslo, Minister Alam held bilateral meetings with Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy, Bjrnar Selnes Skjran, and State Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Erling Rimestad.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Sweden, Norway and Finland, Mehdi Hasan, and Director General (West Europe and EU) of Foreign Ministry, Kazi Russel Pervez, accompanied the State Minister during the visit.
President Wavel Ramkalawan of the Seychelles and First Lady Linda Ramkalawan concluded their state visit to the Maldives on Friday, marking a milestone in bilateral relations between the two island nations.

Arriving in the Maldives on Sunday for the state visit, the Seychellois President and First Lady were cordially welcomed by President Solih and First Lady Fazna Ahmed. The visit included a series of official talks between the two heads of state, followed by a joint statement underscoring mutual cooperation.

During the visit, President Ramkalawan and President Solih signed several agreements that established frameworks for bilateral cooperation in various sectors. The specifics of the areas of cooperation, however, have not been disclosed.

The Maldivian President and First Lady honoured their guests with a state luncheon. Before the lunch, the two First Ladies visited the Fiyavathi state care facility in Hulhumale, showcasing the Maldives' efforts in social care.

The Vice President of Maldives, Faisal Naseem, also held a separate meeting with President Ramkalawan during his stay, further bolstering the diplomatic ties.

Following the visit, a joint communique issued by the two countries reaffirmed their enduring friendship and mutual commitment to continue cooperation in mutually beneficial areas. The visit is seen as a significant step in strengthening ties between the Seychelles and the Maldives.
The government of the Maldives has announced a revamp of its disability financial support structure, increasing allowances by up to 200%. The move comes as President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih seeks to bolster support and benefits for persons with disabilities (PWDs).

This significant policy shift was announced on Thursday by key government figures including Aishath Mohamed Didi, Minister of Gender, Family and Social Services, and Miuvaan Mohamed, Spokesperson at the President's Office.

Under the new framework, the baseline disability allowance will see an increase of 50%. Moreover, additional benefits have been introduced, taking into account the severity of the situation and the types of assistive care required by PWDs. Consequently, eligible PWDs could receive an overall allowance of up to MVR 6,000, marking a substantial 200% increase from the previous aid.

The National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) will provide further details on these increases in the near future, as explained by CEO Mariyam Shafeeg.

The government's initiative forms part of a wider commitment to develop a strong network of services for PWDs. In 2019, the administration launched a programme to cover treatment costs for PWDs. The Maldives also saw the development and publication of its first-ever guideline for categorising PWDs.

A comprehensive register of PWDs has been established as part of data management improvements, with a digitally constructed register allowing decentralised stakeholders to manage and access data effectively. According to Ismail Azzam Wajeeh, Managing Director of Aasandha Company Pvt. Ltd, this new register ensures the reliability of data management.
Malians appear divided over the military junta's loud call for UN peacekeepers to immediately leave the west African country in the throes of a jihadist insurgency.

The foreign minister called Friday for the UN Security Council to withdraw the nearly 15,000 peacekeepers from his country "without delay", denouncing their "failure" to meet security challenges

The mandate of United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA) expires on June 30 and plenty of people in the capital Bamako back getting rid of the foreign forces.

"MINUSMA's presence has served no purpose," Bamako resident Ladji Diallo told AFP.

"They've been here for 10 years with no result. Their arrival even made the situation worse," he added.

Mali's military has increasingly imposed operational restrictions on the peacekeepers and also broken a longstanding alliance with former colonial power France.

The landlocked Sahel state has been battling a security crisis since jihadist and separatist insurgencies broke out in the north in 2012.

An MI-8 helicopter of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), lands at the UN base in Menaka, on October 22, 2021. By FLORENT VERGNES (AFP/File)

The deepening crisis covers not just security but politics, the economy and human rights.

The ruling junta came to power in 2020 and has turned to Russia for political and military assistance. On Sunday it stages a referendum on constitution reform that would strengthen the president's powers and amnesty previous coup leaders.

At the Security Council Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop rejected the UN secretary-general's offer to change the mandate, covering soldiers and police.

"MINUSMA seems to have become part of the problem by fuelling community tensions exacerbated by extremely serious allegations which are highly detrimental to peace, reconciliation and national cohesion in Mali," Diop said.

Mali can take care of its own security, according to the minister.

Mohamed Diallo, another Bamako resident echoed the anti-MINUSMA feeling.

"They have brought no solution," he said, claiming on the contrary they stoked "problems between Malians".

"Since they've been here for 10 years without results, why not ask them to leave?"

But the popular narrative about restoring sovereignty over the desert nation does not reassure everyone.

The junta's call for the UN peacekeepers to go followed months of demonstrations calling for them to leave. By OUSMANE MAKAVELI (AFP/File)

In Bamako, Moussa Traore said he did not really oppose MINUSMA's departure.

But he did voice concerns about the impact it would have, particularly on the large numbers of locals employed by the force.

"If they lose their jobs, it will add to the numbers of those of us who earn nothing and have to manage whatever way we can," he said.

"There has to be some serious thought given to this decision which worries me."

The junta's call for the UN peacekeepers to go followed months of sporadic demonstrations calling for them to leave. Counter-protesters have also taken to the streets to demand MINUSMA stay in Mali.

Security curtain

Despite criticism of MINUSMA, established in 2013 to help stabilise a state threatened with collapse under jihadist threat, the blue helmets offered a security curtain and logistical support in remote areas, including some where the state no longer has control.

"MINUSMA ensure the logistics for towns, it kept the access open and avoided the situation facing places in north Burkina Faso which are under a state of siege," from jihadists, said Jean Herve Jezequel, head of the Sahel Project for conflict resolution organisation Crisis Group.

At Menaka, in Mali's northeast, which is under pressure from the Islamic State group, thousands of displaced people have sought safety around the UN base there.

A UN police officer escorts a MINUSMA armoured car during a night patrol in Timbuktu, on December 8, 2021. By FLORENT VERGNES (AFP/File)

"In many places, the Malian army is cantoned in the MINUSMA base. There's a risk that the jihadists will take control of these places," said Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadan, spokesman for a group of political and military movements in the north known as the Cadre strategique permanent or permanent strategic framework.

There are also fears for the future of the key 2015 peace agreement between the government and former rebel groups in the north.

While MINUSMA has not been the main mediator between the two parties, it has played "an important role in implementing this agreement which is already in bad shape," according to Ramadan.

MINUSMA's departure also threatens the fragile economies of northern towns, already weakened by the conflict.

"MINUSMA represents hundreds if not thousands of jobs. From an economic point of view, that will leave a hole that nothing can fill at the moment," Jezequel said.

The peacekeepers fulfil "a major role in development and humanitarian aid. The state has not yet been restored and to a large part it's MINUSMA that has looked after the people," said Elmaouloud Ramadan.

But Jezequel noted that the 2022 withdrawal of French troops from Mali saw predictions that the country would collapse with a year. "That's not what happened," he said.
17.06.2023 LISTEN

Gilbert Asemuasa, a 24-year-old commercial motor rider at Akatsi in the Akatsi South Municipality of the Volta Region, has been sentenced to two years in jail by the District Court for circulating his former fiances private video on social media.

The convict was charged with the offence of Non-Consensual sharing of Intimate video contrary to section 67 of the Cybersecurity Act 2020 (Act 1038) of the Constitution.

Chief Inspector Joseph Ajongbah, Police prosecutor, briefing the court during an appearance on June 2, said three years ago, the convict was in a relationship with a 20-year-old female past student of the Caring Sister Vocational Institute in Keta, and that, in January 2019 in the night, the complainant visited the convict in his house and they engaged in sexual intercourse.

He said the complainant informed the convict of experiencing some rashes on her private part during, which the convict used his phone light to observe what was going wrong there ostensibly to also film the private part without the knowledge of the complainant.

Chief Inspector Ajongba narrated that the convict had cautioned the complainant not to quit the relationship, and that failure to comply would compel him to teach her some lessons.

He further said the complainant later called for an end to their union after a misunderstanding had ensued between them.

Chief Inspector Ajongbah continued that the complainant rejected all the persuasive approaches used by the convict to lure her back after, which she received an unknown call threatening her of exposing her nakedness as a result.

He told the court presided over by Mrs Felicia Gandedzi that after realising it was the convict, who was threatening her, reported the issue to the convict's brother but nothing was done about it.

The convict was later arrested after a formal complaint was lodged by the complainant with the Police at Akatsi, where the convict, during interrogations, admitted having taken the video but denied sharing it on social media.

However, after investigations, the convict was charged and arraigned, and convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment in hard labour after admitting to the offence.

GNA
17.06.2023 LISTEN

Mr Cletus Avoka, the Member of Parliament for Zebilla Constituency, has called on Ghanaians to as matter of priority unite and work collectively to consolidate the gains made under the fourth republican Constitutional democracy.

He said Parliament was proud of the journey and successes achieved under the 1992 Constitution which had strengthened the countrys unity in diversity and political stability and Ghanaians should not take such opportunities for granted.

Democracy is expensive, but dictatorship is worse, he said, adding do not take our democracy and peace for granted, we have to work hard to sustain our democracy and peace because a divided country is a fallen nation.

Mr Avoka, who is also a former Majority Leader, made these remarks when he led MPs and other stakeholders in a Parliamentary peace walk in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.

The peace walk, coupled with other sporting activities, is under the auspices of Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, as part of activities marking the 30th Anniversary of Constitutional Democracy under the fourth Republic.

It is being held on the theme: 30 years of Parliamentary democracy under the fourth Republic: the journey thus far.

Mr Avoka said Ghana, after its Independence in 1957, had three Constitutions before the 1992 Constitution, under Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia and the Dr Hilla Limann, but they were all short-lived.

He said the 1992 constitution which gave birth to the fourth Republic had stood the test of time and attributed the successes to framers of the Constitution who took into consideration the views of all stakeholders at the grassroots.

He said it was imperative to sensitise Ghanaians to participate in governance to strengthen the stable democracy for sustainable socioeconomic development and preservation of the Constitution.

The MP indicated that the calls for some portions of the 1992 Constitution to be amended to fight ills in governance and society in general was apt, however, it would only yield desired results when Ghanaians change their attitudes.

At the end of the day, it is not the type of Constitution that we run that matters but it is how we manage the Constitution that matters because you cannot put everything in the Constitution.

The American Constitution is about 20 pages; the British do not have a written Constitution and we got our Constitution and Independence from them. You can draw any Constitution, but the people can still be corrupt, extorting people, so, it is about our attitude, mentality, common sense, practicalities and ensuring good governance. he stressed.

Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister, said democracy was all about understanding the diversity that existed among people and harnessing such diversities for their growth and development.

He said, particularly, stakeholders in the Upper East Region needed to work together despite their political and tribal affiliations to restore peace in conflict areas to enhance economic growth.

Definitely there would be problems because we are humans but anytime those problems come, we should sit down and talk about it and solve it instead of running to pick a gun to solve the problem, he appealed.

Some dignitaries who joined in the peace walk included, Mr Isaac Adongo, MP for Bolgatanga Central, Dr Kurt Nawane, MP for Nabdam, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, MP for Bolgatanga East, Ms Lydia Akanvariba, MP for Tempane, Mr Albert Akuka Alalzuuga, MP for Garu, Mr and Thomas Adda Dalu, MP for Chiana-Paga.

Others are Mr John Tia Kolgo, former MP for Talensi, Mr Gaaga Azitariga, former MP for Bongo, some Municipal and District Chief Executives, state institutions, students, and people from all walks of life.

GNA
17.06.2023 LISTEN

Mr Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, has urged the citizenry to protect the countrys democracy by wholeheartedly respecting the content and tenets of the 1992 constitution.

Never again will we allow our democratic governance to be truncated, he said.

The Speaker of Parliament was addressing a public forum in Tamale organised by Parliament as part of activities to mark the 30th anniversary celebration of the Fourth Republican Parliament.

He called on the citizens to work towards strengthening institutions, fortify democratic processes and practices to consolidate democratic governance in the country.

The forum was a move to enhance citizens participation in the work of Parliament and create an avenue for the public to interact with Parliament on their expectations.

It brought together traditional and religious leaders, students, Civil Society Organisations and stakeholders from the Northern, North-East, Savannah, Upper West and Upper East Regions.

The 30th anniversary is a year-long celebration on the theme: Thirty Years of Parliamentary Democracy Under the Fourth Republic: The Journey Thus Far.

Mr Bagbin said elections and change of governments were not all there were to democracy, as it involved citizens readiness to preserve the countrys gains in democratic practice, adding It includes the degree at which genuine efforts are made to ensure inclusiveness in all democratic endeavours.

He acknowledged that the democratic decay in the country, which resulted in reduced citizens patriotism, was evidence of Parliament not meeting the expectations of the citizenry.

He said, These happenings are loud evidence of Parliament not measuring up to the standard expected of it in the performance of its functions and duties.

Speaker Bagbin, however, gave the assurance that the legislative arm of government would take relevant decisions and interventions, continually no matter how difficult they might be, and called for public partnership to succeed.

He noted that the representation role of Parliament must be reinforced and opened for public participation to ensure the celebration of more milestones in the countys democracy.

He admonished Members of Parliament not to remain oblivious to political development in their sub regions, nor to gloat in falsehood thinking that Ghana was beyond the happenings of reversed democracies of some its neighbouring countries.

GNA
Solaria Energia y Medio Ambiente, S.A. (OTCMKTS:SEYMF  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 44,700 shares, a growth of 48.5% from the May 15th total of 30,100 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently  days.

Solaria Energia y Medio Ambiente Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:SEYMF remained flat at $17.00 during midday trading on Friday. The stock had a trading volume of 900 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,350. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $17.04 and a 200 day moving average of $18.35. Solaria Energia y Medio Ambiente has a 12 month low of $15.25 and a 12 month high of $21.68.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on SEYMF shares. Royal Bank of Canada raised Solaria Energia y Medio Ambiente from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a report on Monday. Societe Generale downgraded Solaria Energia y Medio Ambiente from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, May 15th.

About Solaria Energia y Medio Ambiente

Solaria Energia y Medio Ambiente, SA engages in the solar photovoltaic power generation business. The company owns, manages, and operates photovoltaic plants in Spain, Italy, Uruguay, and Greece. The company was incorporated in 2002 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain.

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abrdn (OTCMKTS:SLFPF  Get Rating) is one of 1,111 public companies in the Asset Management industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its peers? We will compare abrdn to related companies based on the strength of its analyst recommendations, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation and risk.

Profitability

This table compares abrdn and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets abrdn N/A N/A N/A abrdn Competitors 379.29% 8.21% 5.06%

Institutional and Insider Ownership

27.1% of abrdn shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.9% of shares of all Asset Management companies are owned by institutional investors. 17.9% of shares of all Asset Management companies are owned 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.

Dividends

Analyst Ratings

abrdn pays an annual dividend of $0.16 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.4%. abrdn pays out 61.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Asset Management companies pay a dividend yield of 7.2% and pay out 764.9% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for abrdn and its peers, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score abrdn 7 1 0 0 1.13 abrdn Competitors 1063 4507 5636 82 2.42

As a group, Asset Management companies have a potential upside of 34.21%. Given abrdns higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe abrdn is more favorable than its peers.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares abrdn and its peers top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio abrdn N/A N/A 9.57 abrdn Competitors $515.15 million $8.38 million -6.24

abrdns peers have higher revenue and earnings than abrdn. abrdn is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry.

Summary

abrdn peers beat abrdn on 10 of the 13 factors compared.

About abrdn

(Get Rating)

abrdn plc provides asset management services in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, and Asia. The company offers investment solutions and funds; long-term savings and investment products to individual and corporate customers; and life insurance and savings products. It provides its products through institutional, wholesale, and retail distribution channels. It also makes real estate investments. The company was formerly known as Standard Life Aberdeen plc. abrdn plc was founded in 1825 and is headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent an appeal to the participants of the "1st Symposium of World Azerbaijani Doctors", Trend reports.

"Dear participants of the symposium!

I sincerely greet you on the occasion of the start of the first symposium of Azerbaijani doctors living abroad in the capital of our country, and wish each of you success in your activities in the interests of protecting people's health.

The organization of this first symposium as part of events to celebrate the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev has a deep symbolic meaning. The complete renovation of Azerbaijan's healthcare infrastructure and its establishment on modern foundations are associated with the name of the Great Leader.

As a follow-up to the work successfully carried out in the past, the development of healthcare is one of the priorities of the social policy of our state today. In the regions of our Republic, new diagnostic and medical centers have been put into use, healthcare institutions have been provided with state-of-the-art medical equipment, and compulsory medical insurance has been introduced as a key component of social protection of the population. In recent years, the fact that our country has hosted international conferences and meetings on relevant issues of medicine has created favorable grounds for the integration of Azerbaijan's healthcare into the global healthcare system.

It is a matter of pride that hundreds of our compatriots, who have received medical education and scientific knowledge in Azerbaijan, are now working in the most prestigious clinics in different corners of the world, representing our nation with high professionalism. Although they are far from the borders of our country, their hearts always beat with native Azerbaijan. This was further evidenced when our white-robed heroes voluntarily went to the front during the 44-day Patriotic War.

The symposium you are participating in aims to share innovations in different fields of medicine and reveal potential opportunities for our compatriots living abroad to contribute with their theoretical and practical knowledge to the work being done in the direction of further improving the healthcare system of Azerbaijan together with our highly qualified medical personnel.

I do hope that a broad exchange of ideas and experience and comprehensive discussions involving the use of innovative methods will be held in the light of the challenges of medical science and that you identify new prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation," the appeal said.
Evercore ISI assumed coverage on shares of agilon health (NYSE:AGL  Get Rating) in a report issued on Tuesday morning, Briefing.com reports. The firm issued an inline rating and a $22.50 price objective on the stock.

AGL has been the topic of a number of other reports. Guggenheim raised their price objective on agilon health from $21.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, March 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on agilon health from $28.00 to $27.00 in a research note on Monday, May 15th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on agilon health from $29.00 to $32.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 10th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on agilon health from $22.00 to $28.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their target price on agilon health from $29.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $30.17.

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agilon health Trading Down 7.2 %

NYSE AGL opened at $17.36 on Tuesday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $23.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $21.83. agilon health has a twelve month low of $15.00 and a twelve month high of $29.44. The company has a market capitalization of $7.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -78.91 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a quick ratio of 1.93, a current ratio of 1.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03.

Insider Activity

agilon health ( NYSE:AGL Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 9th. The company reported $0.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.03 by $0.01. agilon health had a negative return on equity of 7.98% and a negative net margin of 2.88%. The firm had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.08 billion. Research analysts forecast that agilon health will post -0.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In related news, insider Benjamin Shaker sold 25,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.05, for a total value of $701,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 79,543 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,231,181.15. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Benjamin Shaker sold 25,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.05, for a total value of $701,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 79,543 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,231,181.15. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Benjamin Kornitzer sold 8,094 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.04, for a total transaction of $226,955.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 55,426 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,554,145.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 94,255,648 shares of company stock worth $1,960,820,016. Insiders own 3.60% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On agilon health

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AGL. Citigroup Inc. raised its stake in agilon health by 63.1% during the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 17,080 shares of the companys stock valued at $433,000 after buying an additional 6,605 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in agilon health by 31.1% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 244,262 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,074,000 after buying an additional 57,950 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in agilon health during the 1st quarter valued at $262,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in agilon health by 228.9% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 24,741 shares of the companys stock valued at $627,000 after buying an additional 17,218 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. grew its position in shares of agilon health by 43.5% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 27,568 shares of the companys stock valued at $670,000 after acquiring an additional 8,356 shares during the period.

agilon health Company Profile

(Get Rating)

agilon health, inc. offers healthcare services for seniors through primary care physicians in the communities of the United States. As of December 31, 2021, it served approximately 238,000 senior members, which included 186,300 medicare advantage members and 51,700 medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries.

Further Reading

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AKITA Drilling Ltd. (TSE:AKT.A  Get Rating)s share price passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$1.57 and traded as low as C$1.22. AKITA Drilling shares last traded at C$1.25, with a volume of 7,600 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on AKT.A. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on AKITA Drilling from C$3.25 to C$2.50 in a research report on Tuesday, March 21st. ATB Capital dropped their price objective on AKITA Drilling from C$4.75 to C$3.75 in a research report on Friday, May 5th.

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AKITA Drilling Stock Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average of C$1.34 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$1.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 2.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 63.23. The company has a market capitalization of C$47.50 million, a PE ratio of 2.91, a PEG ratio of -0.69 and a beta of 1.88.

About AKITA Drilling

AKITA Drilling Ltd. provides provides contract drilling services in Canada and the United States. The company is involved in the drilling of oil and gas wells; other forms of drilling related to potash mining; and development of storage caverns. It specializes in pad and other purpose-built drilling rigs; and conventional, directional, horizontal, and underbalanced drilling, as well as provides specialized drilling services.

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Renaissance Investment Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK  Get Rating) by 35.4% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 76,972 shares of the transportation companys stock after buying an additional 20,142 shares during the period. Renaissance Investment Group LLCs holdings in Alaska Air Group were worth $3,230,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,331,247 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $561,068,000 after acquiring an additional 257,583 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 7,198,910 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $281,839,000 after acquiring an additional 36,486 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 7.5% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 6,955,712 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $298,678,000 after acquiring an additional 486,824 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 25.8% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,611,712 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $155,085,000 after acquiring an additional 739,910 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 19.4% during the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 3,425,916 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $147,109,000 after acquiring an additional 556,766 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.04% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on ALK. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Alaska Air Group in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $91.00 to $70.00 in a report on Monday, May 8th. Barclays upgraded shares of Alaska Air Group from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $54.00 to $62.00 in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Raymond James upgraded shares of Alaska Air Group from an outperform rating to a strong-buy rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $60.00 to $68.00 in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Alaska Air Group from $71.00 to $75.00 in a research note on Monday, April 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Alaska Air Group has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $63.86.

Insider Activity at Alaska Air Group

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

In other news, CEO Benito Minicucci sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.73, for a total value of $243,650.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 114,506 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,579,877.38. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink . 0.68% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Shares of ALK opened at $50.42 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $44.76 and a 200 day moving average price of $45.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The company has a market capitalization of $6.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 109.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.52. Alaska Air Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $37.19 and a 52-week high of $53.96.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The transportation company reported ($0.62) earnings per share (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 analyst estimates of $2.19 billion. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 0.58% and a return on equity of 17.03%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 30.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned ($1.33) earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Alaska Air Group, Inc. will post 6.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Alaska Air Group

(Get Rating)

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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StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of American Shared Hospital Services (NYSEAMERICAN:AMS  Get Rating) in a report issued on Tuesday morning. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock.

Separately, TheStreet lowered American Shared Hospital Services from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a research note on Monday, May 1st.

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American Shared Hospital Services Stock Performance

American Shared Hospital Services stock opened at $2.60 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 3.95 and a current ratio of 3.95. The stock has a market cap of $16.00 million, a PE ratio of 12.38 and a beta of 0.86. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $2.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $2.94. American Shared Hospital Services has a one year low of $2.21 and a one year high of $3.75.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

American Shared Hospital Services ( NYSEAMERICAN:AMS Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 24th. The company reported $0.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. American Shared Hospital Services had a net margin of 6.71% and a return on equity of 5.78%. The business had revenue of $5.04 million for the quarter.

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. CI Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Shared Hospital Services during the 4th quarter valued at about $470,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in American Shared Hospital Services by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 166,056 shares of the companys stock valued at $467,000 after purchasing an additional 7,375 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its stake in shares of American Shared Hospital Services by 73.8% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 45,200 shares of the companys stock valued at $127,000 after buying an additional 19,200 shares during the period. Finally, Canton Hathaway LLC increased its holdings in shares of American Shared Hospital Services by 50.0% during the 1st quarter. Canton Hathaway LLC now owns 30,000 shares of the companys stock worth $84,000 after buying an additional 10,000 shares during the last quarter. 13.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Shared Hospital Services Company Profile

(Get Rating)

American Shared Hospital Services provides radiosurgery and radiation therapy equipment to health care providers. The company offers radiosurgery equipment for the Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery, a non-invasive procedure to treat malignant and benign brain tumors, and arteriovenous malformations, as well as for trigeminal neuralgia.

Further Reading

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Bio-Rad Laboratories (NYSE:BIO.B  Get Rating) and Revvity (NYSE:RVTY  Get Rating) are both large-cap medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, risk, dividends, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability and earnings.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Bio-Rad Laboratories and Revvitys revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Bio-Rad Laboratories $2.80 billion 3.92 -$3.63 billion ($6.54) -56.74 Revvity $3.02 billion 4.95 $569.18 million $7.68 15.53

Revvity has higher revenue and earnings than Bio-Rad Laboratories. Bio-Rad Laboratories is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Revvity, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Risk and Volatility

Profitability

Bio-Rad Laboratories has a beta of 0.69, meaning that its share price is 31% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Revvity has a beta of 1.11, meaning that its share price is 11% more volatile than the S&P 500.

This table compares Bio-Rad Laboratories and Revvitys net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Bio-Rad Laboratories -7.01% 4.10% 2.91% Revvity 28.94% 11.17% 5.83%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for Bio-Rad Laboratories and Revvity, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Bio-Rad Laboratories 0 0 0 0 N/A Revvity 0 0 1 0 3.00

Institutional and Insider Ownership

0.0% of Bio-Rad Laboratories shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 85.2% of Revvity shares are owned by institutional investors. 28.4% of Bio-Rad Laboratories shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.5% of Revvity shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Revvity beats Bio-Rad Laboratories on 11 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Bio-Rad Laboratories

(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. It focuses on selected segments of the life sciences market in proteomics, genomics, biopharmaceutical production, cellular biology, and food safety. This segment serves universities and medical schools, industrial research organizations, government agencies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, biotechnology researchers, food producers, and food testing laboratories. The Clinical Diagnostics segment designs, manufactures, sells, and supports test systems, informatics systems, test kits, and specialized quality controls for clinical laboratories in the diagnostics market. This segment offers reagents, instruments, and software, which address specific niches within the in vitro diagnostics test market. It sells its products to reference laboratories, hospital laboratories, state newborn screening facilities, physicians' office laboratories, and transfusion laboratories. In addition, the company offers products and systems to separate complex chemical and biological materials, as well as to identify, analyze, and purify components. The company offers its products through its direct sales force, as well as through distributors, agents, brokers, and resellers. Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Hercules, California.

About Revvity

(Get Rating)

Revvity, Inc. provides products, services, and solutions to the diagnostics, life sciences, and applied services markets worldwide. It operates through two segments, Discovery & Analytical Solutions and Diagnostics. The Discovery & Analytical Solutions segment provides instruments, reagents, informatics, software, subscriptions, detection, and imaging technologies that enable scientists to enhance research breakthroughs in the life sciences research market, as well as contract research and laboratory services. It also provides analytical technologies, solutions, and services for its customers to understand the characterize the health of various aspects, including air, water, and soil. In addition, this segment offers solutions to farmers and food producers; and analytical instrumentation for the industrial market, which includes the chemical, semiconductor and electronics, energy, lubricant, petrochemical, and polymer industries. The Diagnostics segment provides instruments, reagents, assay platforms, and software products for the early detection of genetic disorders, such as pregnancy and early childhood, as well as infectious disease testing in the diagnostics market. Its products are used for testing and screening genetic abnormalities, disorders, and diseases, including down syndrome, hypothyroidism, muscular dystrophy, infertility, and various metabolic conditions. This segment also develops technologies that enable and support genomic workflows using protein coupled receptor and next-generation DNA sequencing for applications in oncology, immunodiagnostics, and drug discovery. It serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, laboratories, academic and research institutions, public health authorities, private healthcare organizations, doctors, and government agencies. The company was formerly known as PerkinElmer, Inc. and changed its name to Revvity, Inc. in April 2023. Revvity, Inc. was founded in 1937 and is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.

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Platform Technology Partners reduced its position in Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE:APO  Get Rating) by 2.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 62,872 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 1,549 shares during the period. Apollo Global Management makes up approximately 2.0% of Platform Technology Partners holdings, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Platform Technology Partners holdings in Apollo Global Management were worth $3,971,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of APO. US Bancorp DE raised its stake in shares of Apollo Global Management by 174.5% during the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 6,275 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $390,000 after purchasing an additional 3,989 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Apollo Global Management in the first quarter valued at about $1,112,000. Panagora Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Apollo Global Management during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $202,000. APG Asset Management N.V. purchased a new stake in Apollo Global Management during the 1st quarter worth approximately $457,000. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Apollo Global Management during the 1st quarter worth approximately $511,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.98% of the companys stock.

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Apollo Global Management Stock Performance

APO opened at $77.08 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94. The businesss 50 day moving average is $65.75 and its 200-day moving average is $65.95. Apollo Global Management, Inc. has a twelve month low of $45.62 and a twelve month high of $77.59.

Apollo Global Management Increases Dividend

Apollo Global Management ( NYSE:APO Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The financial services provider reported $1.26 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.39 by ($0.13). Apollo Global Management had a negative net margin of 8.66% and a positive return on equity of 103.06%. The business had revenue of $742.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $717.78 million. Equities research analysts expect that Apollo Global Management, Inc. will post 6.09 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 31st. Investors of record on Monday, May 22nd were given a $0.43 dividend. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 19th. This is a positive change from Apollo Global Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. Apollo Global Managements dividend payout ratio is currently -71.07%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on APO. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Apollo Global Management in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating and a $80.00 price target for the company. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Apollo Global Management from $74.00 to $79.00 in a research report on Monday, May 15th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Apollo Global Management from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on Apollo Global Management from $73.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, Bank of America cut their price objective on Apollo Global Management from $78.00 to $72.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Four research 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, Apollo Global Management has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $74.25.

Insider Activity at Apollo Global Management

In other news, insider Joshua Harris sold 1,200 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.51, for a total value of $75,012.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 35,583,492 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,224,324,084.92. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders sold 2,070,663 shares of company stock worth $133,983,741 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 15.40% of the companys stock.

About Apollo Global Management

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Apollo Global Management, Inc provides asset management services. It offers its clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade to private equity with a focus on three business strategies: yield, hybrid, and equity. The company was founded by Marc Rowan in 1990 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Argo Group International (NYSE:ARGO  Get Rating) in a research report report published on Tuesday morning. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on the company. TheStreet upgraded Argo Group International from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research note on Friday, May 26th. Raymond James downgraded Argo Group International from a market perform rating to an underperform rating in a report on Tuesday, February 28th. Finally, Compass Point downgraded shares of Argo Group International from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $30.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Monday, March 13th.

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Argo Group International Price Performance

NYSE ARGO opened at $29.51 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.73 and a beta of 1.03. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $29.35. Argo Group International has a 52-week low of $19.00 and a 52-week high of $40.15.

Institutional Trading of Argo Group International

Argo Group International ( NYSE:ARGO Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 8th. The company reported ($0.31) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.80 by ($1.11). Argo Group International had a positive return on equity of 0.06% and a negative net margin of 9.98%. The company had revenue of $419.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $461.90 million. On average, analysts predict that Argo Group International will post 2.85 EPS for the current year.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its stake in shares of Argo Group International by 334.7% in the first quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 926 shares of the companys stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 713 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Argo Group International by 515.8% during the 3rd quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 1,324 shares of the companys stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 1,109 shares during the period. Spire Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of Argo Group International by 50.0% during the 1st quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 1,680 shares of the companys stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 560 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Argo Group International by 148.0% in the first quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,793 shares of the companys stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 1,070 shares during the period. Finally, Ensign Peak Advisors Inc acquired a new position in Argo Group International in the third quarter worth about $59,000. 89.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Argo Group International

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Argo Group International Holdings Ltd. engages in the provision of underwriting property and casualty insurance and reinsurance products. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Operations, International Operations, and Run-off Lines. The U.S. Operations segment include distribution through retail, wholesale, and managing general brokers/agents in the specialty insurance market.

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Bank of New Hampshire trimmed its holdings in State Street Co. (NYSE:STT  Get Rating) by 53.7% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 990 shares of the asset managers stock after selling 1,150 shares during the period. Bank of New Hampshires holdings in State Street were worth $75,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Neo Ivy Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of State Street during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $485,000. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in State Street in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $514,000. OLD Mission Capital LLC acquired a new stake in State Street in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Crumly & Associates Inc. increased its holdings in State Street by 23.0% in the 4th quarter. Crumly & Associates Inc. now owns 5,534 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $429,000 after purchasing an additional 1,035 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Voya Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in State Street by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 174,296 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $13,520,000 after purchasing an additional 7,961 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.41% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity at State Street

In other news, CFO Eric W. Aboaf sold 11,899 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.28, for a total value of $812,463.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 157,860 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,778,680.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, CFO Eric W. Aboaf sold 11,899 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.28, for a total value of $812,463.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 157,860 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,778,680.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Michael L. Richards sold 1,814 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.17, for a total transaction of $123,660.38. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 33,197 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,263,039.49. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.25% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

State Street Price Performance

State Street stock opened at $73.77 on Friday. State Street Co. has a 12-month low of $58.62 and a 12-month high of $94.74. The stock has a market cap of $24.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a current ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $71.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $78.46.

State Street (NYSE:STT  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 17th. The asset manager reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.64 by ($0.12). State Street had a net margin of 18.73% and a return on equity of 11.96%. The company had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.13 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.59 earnings per share. State Streets revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that State Street Co. will post 7.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

State Street Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 13th. Investors of record on Monday, July 3rd will be given a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 30th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.42%. State Streets dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.29%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on STT. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of State Street from $102.00 to $100.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of State Street from $93.00 to $82.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Evercore ISI dropped their price target on shares of State Street from $80.00 to $75.00 in a research note on Friday, May 12th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of State Street in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on shares of State Street from $70.00 to $68.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, State Street presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $82.21.

State Street Company Profile

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State Street Corp. engages in the provision of financial services to institutional investors. It operates through the Commercial and Financial, and Commercial Real Estate segments. The company was founded in 1792 and is headquartered in Boston, MA.

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Bank of New Hampshire reduced its stake in shares of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE:HMC  Get Rating) by 56.0% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 1,335 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,700 shares during the quarter. Bank of New Hampshires holdings in Honda Motor were worth $35,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in HMC. Credit Suisse AG increased its position in Honda Motor by 3,638.7% during the 3rd quarter. Credit Suisse AG now owns 1,159 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 1,128 shares during the period. AXA S.A. bought a new stake in shares of Honda Motor during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of Honda Motor during the 1st quarter valued at $39,000. Clear Street Markets LLC bought a new stake in shares of Honda Motor during the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Money Concepts Capital Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Honda Motor by 401.3% during the 4th quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 1,995 shares of the companys stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 1,597 shares in the last quarter. 5.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Honda Motor Stock Performance

Shares of Honda Motor stock opened at $31.32 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $53.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.44, a PEG ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 0.76. The firms 50-day moving average is $27.97 and its 200 day moving average is $25.87. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has a 1 year low of $21.43 and a 1 year high of $32.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.45 and a quick ratio of 1.12.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Honda Motor ( NYSE:HMC Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 11th. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.61 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $33.15 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.49 billion. Honda Motor had a return on equity of 5.93% and a net margin of 4.04%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Honda Motor Co., Ltd. will post 4.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HMC has been the topic of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Honda Motor from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, February 28th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Honda Motor in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock.

About Honda Motor

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Honda Motor Co, Ltd. engages in the manufacture and sale of automobiles, motorcycles, and power products. It operates through the following segments: Automobile, Motorcycle, Financial Services, and Power Product and Other Businesses. The Automobile segment manufactures and sells automobiles and related accessories.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS  Get Rating) (TSE:BNS) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report published on Wednesday.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Scotiabank cut shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, February 28th. Canaccord Genuity Group cut shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Barclays cut shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating in a report on Tuesday, May 9th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from $86.00 to $77.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $86.06.

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Bank of Nova Scotia Price Performance

Shares of BNS opened at $50.12 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $60.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $49.67 and a 200 day moving average of $50.39. Bank of Nova Scotia has a twelve month low of $45.26 and a twelve month high of $63.75.

Bank of Nova Scotia Increases Dividend

Bank of Nova Scotia ( NYSE:BNS Get Rating ) (TSE:BNS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 24th. The bank reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.07). The firm had revenue of $5.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.91 billion. Bank of Nova Scotia had a net margin of 14.16% and a return on equity of 13.99%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Bank of Nova Scotia will post 5.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 27th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.7851 per share. This represents a $3.14 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 3rd. This is a boost from Bank of Nova Scotias previous quarterly dividend of $0.77. Bank of Nova Scotias dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.92%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BNS. National Bank of Canada FI lifted its stake in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia by 555.3% during the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 22,840,226 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,118,692,000 after buying an additional 19,354,619 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia during the 4th quarter valued at $588,957,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its stake in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia by 230.5% during the 3rd quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 11,592,000 shares of the banks stock valued at $550,723,000 after buying an additional 8,085,000 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board lifted its stake in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia by 70.0% during the 3rd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 13,297,820 shares of the banks stock valued at $635,833,000 after buying an additional 5,474,720 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FIL Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia by 139.8% during the 1st quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 9,087,366 shares of the banks stock valued at $457,697,000 after buying an additional 5,297,779 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.19% of the companys stock.

About Bank of Nova Scotia

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The Bank of Nova Scotia provides various banking products and services in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, the Caribbean and Central America, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Canadian Banking, International Banking, Global Wealth Management, and Global Banking and Markets.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. The complete renovation of Azerbaijan's healthcare infrastructure and its establishment on modern foundations are associated with the name of the Great Leader, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in his appeal to the participants of the "1st Symposium of World Azerbaijani Doctors", Trend reports.

"As a follow-up to the work successfully carried out in the past, the development of healthcare is one of the priorities of the social policy of our state today. In the regions of our Republic, new diagnostic and medical centers have been put into use, healthcare institutions have been provided with state-of-the-art medical equipment, and compulsory medical insurance has been introduced as a key component of social protection of the population. In recent years, the fact that our country has hosted international conferences and meetings on relevant issues of medicine has created favorable grounds for the integration of Azerbaijan's healthcare into the global healthcare system," President Ilham Aliyev said in his appeal.
Belden Inc. (NYSE:BDC  Get Rating) EVP Brian Lieser sold 829 shares of Belden stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.34, for a total transaction of $78,207.86. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 17,363 shares in the company, valued at $1,638,025.42. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Belden Stock Performance

NYSE:BDC opened at $95.20 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $84.59 and a 200-day moving average of $82.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.85 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a quick ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 2.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. Belden Inc. has a twelve month low of $48.25 and a twelve month high of $96.50.

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Belden (NYSE:BDC  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $641.79 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $624.46 million. Belden had a net margin of 10.69% and a return on equity of 26.83%. Beldens revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.31 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Belden Inc. will post 7.11 EPS for the current year.

Belden Announces Dividend

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 6th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.21%. Beldens dividend payout ratio is currently 3.12%.

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Belden from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Saturday, May 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $98.80.

Institutional Trading of Belden

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Belden by 97.2% in the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 353 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd increased its stake in Belden by 88.0% during the 1st quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 515 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 241 shares in the last quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ increased its stake in Belden by 164.7% during the 3rd quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ now owns 569 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 354 shares in the last quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in Belden by 444.0% during the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 631 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 515 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in Belden by 287.2% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 453 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 336 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.88% of the companys stock.

About Belden

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Belden Inc provides portfolio of signal transmission solutions in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. It operates in two segments, Enterprise Solutions and Industrial Automation Solutions. The Enterprise Solutions segment offers copper cable and connectivity solutions, fiber cable and connectivity solutions, interconnect panels, racks and enclosures, and signal extension and matrix switching systems for use in applications, such as local area networks, data centers, access control, 5G, fiber, and home and building automation.

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BILL Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BILL  Get Rating) CEO Rene A. Lacerte sold 32,649 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.62, for a total value of $3,742,228.38. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 86,902 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,960,707.24. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

BILL Trading Down 2.9 %

Shares of NYSE:BILL traded down $3.27 during trading on Friday, reaching $111.20. The stock had a trading volume of 2,161,285 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,464,140. BILL Holdings, Inc. has a 52 week low of $68.30 and a 52 week high of $179.85. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $92.58 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $95.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.92, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

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BILL (NYSE:BILL  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported ($0.11) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.45) by $0.34. BILL had a negative net margin of 30.41% and a negative return on equity of 4.84%. The business had revenue of $272.56 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $246.67 million. On average, research analysts predict that BILL Holdings, Inc. will post -1.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BILL

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Utah Retirement Systems increased its position in BILL by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Utah Retirement Systems now owns 17,510 shares of the companys stock worth $2,317,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its stake in shares of BILL by 0.5% in the third quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 21,924 shares of the companys stock worth $2,921,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of BILL by 14.1% in the first quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 948 shares of the companys stock worth $77,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in BILL by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 10,538 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,148,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the period. Finally, Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. boosted its holdings in BILL by 2.6% in the 1st quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. now owns 4,987 shares of the companys stock valued at $405,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.80% of the companys stock.

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on BILL shares. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on BILL from $86.00 to $96.00 in a report on Friday, May 5th. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of BILL in a research report on Thursday, March 23rd. They set an underperform rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reissued a buy rating and set a $200.00 target price on shares of BILL in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on BILL from $90.00 to $98.00 in a report on Monday, May 8th. Finally, Bank of America cut their price objective on BILL from $130.00 to $110.00 in a report on Thursday, April 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $125.50.

BILL Company Profile

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Bill.com Holdings, Inc provides cloud-based software that simplifies, digitizes, and automates back-office financial operations for small and midsize businesses worldwide. The company provides software-as-a-service, cloud-based payments, and spend management products, which allow users to automate accounts payable and accounts receivable transactions, as well as enable users to connect with their suppliers and/or customers to do business, eliminate expense reports, manage cash flows, and improve office efficiency.

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Cullinan Associates Inc. lifted its position in Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) by 30.3% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 163,822 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after buying an additional 38,134 shares during the period. Cullinan Associates Inc.s holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $11,355,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 199,886,585 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $14,209,937,000 after acquiring an additional 3,058,491 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 174,002,852 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $12,369,862,000 after acquiring an additional 3,357,590 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,873,696,000. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 114,228.7% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 21,469,785 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,544,751,000 after acquiring an additional 21,451,006 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Boston Partners lifted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 35.7% in the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 13,794,089 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $992,048,000 after acquiring an additional 3,627,705 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.51% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Rupert Vessey sold 50,385 shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.06, for a total transaction of $3,378,818.10. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 47,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,202,182.06. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock Performance

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Credit Suisse Group cut their target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $78.00 to $72.00 in a research report on Friday, April 28th. 51job reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Friday, April 28th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Monday, March 6th. They issued a hold rating and a $62.00 target price for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Bristol-Myers Squibb currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $78.62.

NYSE:BMY opened at $66.16 on Friday. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 1 year low of $63.07 and a 1 year high of $81.43. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $67.17 and its 200 day simple moving average is $70.33. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $138.99 billion, a PE ratio of 19.29, a PEG ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.44.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $11.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.50 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 15.95% and a return on equity of 51.75%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs revenue was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.96 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 7th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.45%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.47%.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Bristol Myers Squibb Co engages in the discovery, development, licensing, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of biopharmaceutical products. It offers chemically-synthesized drugs or small molecules and products produced from biological processes called biologics. The company was founded in August 1933 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

Further Reading

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Shares of Lear Co. (NYSE:LEA  Get Rating) have been given an average recommendation of Hold by the eleven ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $155.23.

LEA has been the subject of a number of research reports. BNP Paribas raised shares of Lear from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, June 1st. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Lear from $155.00 to $150.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Lear in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating for the company. 888 reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of Lear in a report on Friday, April 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Lear from $133.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, March 22nd.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Greg C. Smith sold 2,221 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.93, for a total transaction of $277,469.53. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Lear news, Director Greg C. Smith sold 2,221 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.93, for a total value of $277,469.53. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Conrad L. Mallett, Jr. sold 330 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.06, for a total transaction of $41,599.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.75% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lear

Lear Stock Performance

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bank of Nova Scotia acquired a new stake in shares of Lear during the 4th quarter worth approximately $223,000. abrdn plc grew its position in shares of Lear by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. abrdn plc now owns 6,545 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $812,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in shares of Lear by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 8,434,808 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $1,009,562,000 after buying an additional 66,914 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Lear by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 3,767 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $467,000 after buying an additional 424 shares during the period. Finally, Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Lear during the 4th quarter worth approximately $200,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.56% of the companys stock.

NYSE:LEA opened at $143.02 on Friday. Lear has a 1 year low of $114.67 and a 1 year high of $158.44. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $130.20 and its 200 day simple moving average is $133.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.44 billion, a PE ratio of 20.26, a PEG ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.53.

Lear (NYSE:LEA  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The auto parts company reported $2.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.55 by $0.23. Lear had a net margin of 1.96% and a return on equity of 12.32%. The firm had revenue of $5.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.60 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.80 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Lear will post 11.08 EPS for the current year.

Lear Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 28th. Investors of record on Friday, June 9th will be given a dividend of $0.77 per share. This represents a $3.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.15%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 8th. Lears dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.63%.

About Lear

(Get Rating

Lear Corp. engages in the design, manufacture and supply of automotive seats, electrical distribution systems and electronic modules, as well as related sub-systems, components, and software. It operates through the following segments: Seating and E-Systems. The Seating segment consists of the design, engineering, just-in-time assembly and delivery of complete seat systems, as well as the manufacture of all major seat components, including seat covers and surface materials such as leather and fabric, seat structures and mechanisms, seat foam and headrests.

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Shares of PPL Co. (NYSE:PPL  Get Rating) have been given a consensus rating of Moderate Buy by the seven research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $31.29.

PPL has been the subject of several recent research reports. StockNews.com began coverage on PPL in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. TheStreet raised PPL from a c+ rating to a b rating in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. Mizuho dropped their price target on PPL from $32.00 to $28.00 in a research report on Monday, March 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on PPL from $29.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th.

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PPL Price Performance

PPL stock opened at $26.99 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The company has a market capitalization of $19.89 billion, a PE ratio of 25.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.78. PPL has a 12 month low of $23.47 and a 12 month high of $31.74. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $27.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $28.29.

PPL Dividend Announcement

PPL ( NYSE:PPL Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $2.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.86 billion. PPL had a return on equity of 7.81% and a net margin of 9.00%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 35.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.41 earnings per share. Analysts expect that PPL will post 1.59 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 9th will be issued a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.56%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 8th. PPLs payout ratio is 91.43%.

Insider Transactions at PPL

In other PPL news, insider John R. Crockett III sold 5,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.00, for a total transaction of $154,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 9,161 shares of the companys stock, valued at $256,508. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.17% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PPL

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PPL. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA boosted its position in shares of PPL by 0.7% during the first quarter. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA now owns 735,828 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $20,449,000 after buying an additional 4,907 shares during the period. EP Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of PPL during the first quarter valued at approximately $436,000. Level Four Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in shares of PPL by 18.3% during the first quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC now owns 36,912 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,026,000 after buying an additional 5,702 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of PPL by 15.0% during the first quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 110,838 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $3,080,000 after buying an additional 14,494 shares during the period. Finally, Empower Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PPL in the first quarter valued at approximately $52,986,000. 70.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

PPL Company Profile

(Get Rating

PPL Corp. engages in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. It operates through the two reportable segments: Kentucky Regulated & Pennsylvania Regulated. The Kentucky Regulated segment consists of LKEs regulated electricity generation, transmission and distribution operations of Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company as well as regulated distribution and sale of natural gas of Louisville Gas and Electric Company.

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Nexus Investment Management ULC trimmed its position in Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (NYSE:BAM  Get Rating) (TSE:BAM.A) by 12.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,032 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 1,000 shares during the period. Nexus Investment Management ULCs holdings in Brookfield Asset Management were worth $230,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Brookfield Asset Management by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 46,380,575 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,896,501,000 after acquiring an additional 1,426,257 shares during the period. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Brookfield Asset Management by 30,651.5% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 31,097,454 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $891,564,000 after acquiring an additional 30,996,329 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Brookfield Asset Management by 166.2% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 7,051,145 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $398,883,000 after acquiring an additional 4,402,115 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Brookfield Asset Management by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,357,751 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $359,657,000 after acquiring an additional 70,087 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Brookfield Asset Management in the 4th quarter valued at $152,180,000.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered shares of Brookfield Asset Management to an underperform rating in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Brookfield Asset Management in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of Brookfield Asset Management in a report on Tuesday, May 30th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $40.00 price target on shares of Brookfield Asset Management in a report on Tuesday, March 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $43.57.

Brookfield Asset Management Stock Down 1.8 %

Shares of Brookfield Asset Management stock opened at $33.26 on Friday. Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. has a twelve month low of $26.76 and a twelve month high of $36.50. The firms 50-day moving average price is $32.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $32.71.

Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE:BAM  Get Rating) (TSE:BAM.A) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 10th. The financial services provider reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.33 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $966.00 million for the quarter. As a group, analysts anticipate that Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. will post 1.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Brookfield Asset Management Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 31st will be paid a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.85%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 30th.

Insider Activity at Brookfield Asset Management

In related news, Director Multi-Strategy Mast Brookfield sold 24,744 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.96, for a total value of $295,938.24. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 21,104,923 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $252,414,879.08. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 11.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Brookfield Asset Management Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. provides alternative asset management services. Its renewable power and transition business includes the ownership, operation, and development of hydroelectric, wind, solar, and energy transition power generating assets. The company's infrastructure business engages in the ownership, operation, and development of utilities, transport, midstream, data and sustainable resource assets.

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Ceapro (OTCMKTS:CRPOF  Get Rating) and Prestige Consumer Healthcare (NYSE:PBH  Get Rating) are both medical companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, valuation and profitability.

Volatility and Risk

Ceapro has a beta of 1.62, indicating that its share price is 62% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Prestige Consumer Healthcare has a beta of 0.55, indicating that its share price is 45% less volatile than the S&P 500.

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Profitability

This table compares Ceapro and Prestige Consumer Healthcares net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Ceapro 12.29% 6.22% 5.45% Prestige Consumer Healthcare -7.30% 13.38% 5.86%

Analyst Ratings

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Ceapro 0 0 0 0 N/A Prestige Consumer Healthcare 0 2 3 0 2.60

This is a summary of recent recommendations for Ceapro and Prestige Consumer Healthcare, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Prestige Consumer Healthcare has a consensus target price of $79.25, suggesting a potential upside of 37.32%. Given Prestige Consumer Healthcares higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Prestige Consumer Healthcare is more favorable than Ceapro.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

100.0% of Prestige Consumer Healthcare shares are held by institutional investors. 1.6% of Prestige Consumer Healthcare shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Ceapro and Prestige Consumer Healthcares revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Ceapro $14.49 million 1.84 $3.38 million $0.03 11.37 Prestige Consumer Healthcare $1.13 billion 2.54 -$82.31 million ($1.68) -34.35

Ceapro has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Prestige Consumer Healthcare. Prestige Consumer Healthcare is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Ceapro, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Prestige Consumer Healthcare beats Ceapro on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Ceapro

(Get Rating)

Ceapro Inc., a biotechnology company, engages in the development and marketing of health and wellness products and technology relating to plant extracts in the United States, Germany, China, Canada, and internationally. The company is involved in the development of proprietary extraction technologies and the application of these technologies to the production, development, and commercialization of active ingredients, such as oat beta glucan and avenanthramides, which are derived from oats and other renewable plant resources for healthcare and cosmetic industries. It also offers natural active ingredients, including oat powder, oat oil, oat peptides, and lupin peptides to the personal care, cosmetic, medical, and animal health industries; anti-aging skincare products to the cosmeceutical industries; and veterinary therapeutic products, including an oat shampoo, an ear cleanser, and a dermal complex/conditioner. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada.

About Prestige Consumer Healthcare

(Get Rating)

Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells over-the-counter (OTC) health and personal care products in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, North American OTC Healthcare and International OTC Healthcare. It offers BC/Goody's analgesic powders, Boudreaux's Butt Paste baby ointments, Chloraseptic sore throat liquids and lozenges, Clear Eyes for eye redness relief, Compound W wart removals, DenTek for PEG oral care, Debrox ear wax removals, and Dramamine for motion sickness relief. The company also provides Fleet adult enemas/suppositories, Gaviscon upset stomach remedies, Luden's cough drops, Monistat vaginal anti-fungal, Nix lice/parasite treatments, Summer's Eve feminine hygiene, TheraTears dry eye relief, Fess nasal saline spray and washes, and Hydralyte for oral rehydration products. It sells its products through mass merchandisers; and drug, food, dollar, convenience, and club stores, as well as e-commerce channels. The company was formerly known as Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. in August 2018. Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Tarrytown, New York.

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Evolent Health, Inc. (NYSE:EVH  Get Rating) Director Cheryl Scott sold 2,365 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.01, for a total value of $70,973.65. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 53,788 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,614,177.88. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Evolent Health Price Performance

Shares of EVH stock opened at $28.60 on Friday. Evolent Health, Inc. has a 12 month low of $21.83 and a 12 month high of $39.78. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $32.88 and a 200-day moving average of $31.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56.

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Evolent Health (NYSE:EVH  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The technology company reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.04 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $427.69 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $435.58 million. Evolent Health had a positive return on equity of 7.86% and a negative net margin of 2.28%. Research analysts predict that Evolent Health, Inc. will post 0.13 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Evolent Health

EVH has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. BTIG Research upped their target price on Evolent Health from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $44.00 target price on shares of Evolent Health in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Stephens initiated coverage on Evolent Health in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. They set an overweight rating and a $40.00 target price for the company. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Evolent Health in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a sell rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $47.00.

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. FMR LLC boosted its position in shares of Evolent Health by 214.2% during the 1st quarter. FMR LLC now owns 14,641,699 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $461,373,000 after acquiring an additional 9,980,971 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Evolent Health by 10.1% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 8,655,790 shares of the technology companys stock worth $311,004,000 after purchasing an additional 793,082 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in Evolent Health by 17.6% during the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 7,462,564 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $268,129,000 after purchasing an additional 1,115,264 shares in the last quarter. Granahan Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Evolent Health by 6.2% in the 1st quarter. Granahan Investment Management LLC now owns 3,374,911 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $109,516,000 after purchasing an additional 197,970 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Evolent Health by 83.5% in the 4th quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 3,270,676 shares of the technology companys stock worth $91,841,000 after buying an additional 1,487,856 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.33% of the companys stock.

About Evolent Health

(Get Rating)

Evolent Health, Inc engages in the provision of healthcare delivery and payment services. It deals with population health management, health plan and third party administration, network performance and pharmacy benefit management, risk adjustment, analytics and performance improvement, and technology and electronic medical record integration.

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Comstock Resources (NYSE:CRK  Get Rating) was downgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note issued on Friday.

CRK has been the topic of several other reports. Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Comstock Resources from $18.00 to $17.00 in a report on Friday, May 19th. Truist Financial cut their price objective on shares of Comstock Resources from $12.00 to $9.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Citigroup raised shares of Comstock Resources from a sell rating to a neutral rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $10.00 to $12.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Credit Suisse Group lifted their price target on shares of Comstock Resources from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Comstock Resources from $15.00 to $14.00 in a report on Monday, May 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $13.39.

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Comstock Resources Trading Down 2.1 %

Shares of NYSE:CRK traded down $0.22 during trading on Friday, reaching $10.46. 12,417,175 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,579,924. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.90 billion, a PE ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.15. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $10.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $11.84. Comstock Resources has a 12-month low of $9.07 and a 12-month high of $21.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.67.

Insider Activity

Comstock Resources ( NYSE:CRK Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The oil and gas producer reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.33. The company had revenue of $489.58 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $433.84 million. Comstock Resources had a net margin of 39.08% and a return on equity of 52.26%. Comstock Resourcess revenue was down 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.51 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Comstock Resources will post 0.98 EPS for the current year.

In related news, CFO Roland O. Burns acquired 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $10.00 per share, with a total value of $100,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer now directly owns 950,430 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,504,300. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Comstock Resources

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Comstock Resources by 12.6% in the first quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 13,289 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $143,000 after purchasing an additional 1,491 shares during the last quarter. Toroso Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Comstock Resources in the first quarter valued at $1,722,000. Putnam Investments LLC boosted its holdings in Comstock Resources by 52.4% in the first quarter. Putnam Investments LLC now owns 32,514 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $351,000 after purchasing an additional 11,177 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in Comstock Resources by 94.8% in the first quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 407,445 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $4,396,000 after purchasing an additional 198,239 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Comstock Resources by 126.8% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 392,481 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $4,235,000 after purchasing an additional 219,449 shares during the last quarter. 35.22% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Comstock Resources Company Profile

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Comstock Resources, Inc engages in the acquisition, development, and exploration of oil and natural gas. The firm operations concentrated in the Haynesville shale, a premier natural gas basin located in East Texas. The company was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Frisco, TX.

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Brookfield Renewable (NYSE:BEPC  Get Rating) and Commerce Energy Group (OTCMKTS:CMNR  Get Rating) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, profitability, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk and dividends.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Brookfield Renewable and Commerce Energy Group, as reported by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Brookfield Renewable 0 0 2 0 3.00 Commerce Energy Group 0 0 0 0 N/A

Brookfield Renewable presently has a consensus target price of $43.00, indicating a potential upside of 30.74%.

Earnings & Valuation

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Brookfield Renewable $4.71 billion 1.20 $1.50 billion ($0.53) -62.06 Commerce Energy Group N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

This table compares Brookfield Renewable and Commerce Energy Groups gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Brookfield Renewable has higher revenue and earnings than Commerce Energy Group.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

68.1% of Brookfield Renewable shares are held by institutional investors. 0.9% of Commerce Energy Group shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Volatility and Risk

Brookfield Renewable has a beta of 1.09, meaning that its share price is 9% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Commerce Energy Group has a beta of -2.9, meaning that its share price is 390% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Brookfield Renewable and Commerce Energy Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Brookfield Renewable 5.75% 1.88% 0.67% Commerce Energy Group N/A N/A N/A

Summary

Brookfield Renewable beats Commerce Energy Group on 7 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Brookfield Renewable

(Get Rating)

Brookfield Renewable Corporation owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy power generating facilities primarily in the United States, Europe, Colombia, and Brazil. It operates hydroelectric, wind, and solar power plants with an installed capacity of approximately 12,723 megawatts. The company was incorporated in 2019 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

About Commerce Energy Group

(Get Rating)

Commerce Energy Group, Inc. engages in the distribution of electric power and natural gas. It also provides energy-related consulting and information to utilities, electricity generators, natural gas pipelines, wholesale energy merchants, energy technology providers, and financial institutions. The company was founded on August 15, 1997 and is headquartered in Costa Mesa, CA.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation Rustam Minnikhanov, who is visiting the Republic of Azerbaijan, has been informed of the works in progress in the districts of Jabrayil, Gubadli and Zangilan, which are parts of the Eastern Zangezur economic region, Trend reports.

Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Eastern Zangezur economic region Vahid Hajiyev delivered a presentation on the ongoing works in the districts of Jabrayil, Gubadli and Zangilan.

The Rais of Tatarstan was first briefed on the Zangilan international airport. The airport was opened on October 20, 2022 with participation of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The airport can receive all types of aircrafts and serve 200 passengers per hour.

The total area of the districts of Jabrayil, Gubadli and Zangilan is 2580 square kilometers. The process of relocation of IDPs has started under the Great Return state program. The number of IDPS from this region totals 152,200.

Rustam Minnikhanov was informed of demining operations, road network and electric power infrastructure in the region.

The Rais also learnt about Araz Valley Economic Zone industrial park. A total of 32.7 million manats was injected into the implementation of the projects in the industrial park.
Shares of Cranswick plc (LON:CWK  Get Rating) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 3,120.76 ($39.05) and traded as high as GBX 3,321.95 ($41.57). Cranswick shares last traded at GBX 3,300 ($41.29), with a volume of 111,938 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on CWK. Shore Capital reaffirmed a house stock rating on shares of Cranswick in a research report on Tuesday, May 23rd. Peel Hunt restated a hold rating and set a GBX 3,800 ($47.55) price target on shares of Cranswick in a report on Tuesday, May 23rd.

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Cranswick Trading Up 0.5 %

The companys 50-day moving average price is GBX 3,186.98 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 3,121.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.76, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.72. The firm has a market capitalization of 1.78 billion, a PE ratio of 1,594.23, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.51.

Cranswick Increases Dividend

About Cranswick

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 20th will be paid a GBX 58.80 ($0.74) dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 1.87%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 20th. This is an increase from Cranswicks previous dividend of $20.60. Cranswicks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 3,798.08%.

(Get Rating)

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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Crestmont Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX  Get Rating) by 17.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,860 shares of the medical research companys stock after purchasing an additional 417 shares during the quarter. Quest Diagnostics comprises approximately 0.3% of Crestmont Private Wealth LLCs holdings, making the stock its 17th largest position. Crestmont Private Wealth LLCs holdings in Quest Diagnostics were worth $405,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the 4th quarter valued at $157,412,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 548.7% during the 2nd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,125,530 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $149,673,000 after buying an additional 952,037 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,014,030 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $1,917,961,000 after buying an additional 636,301 shares during the period. Point72 Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the 4th quarter valued at $83,101,000. Finally, AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc bought a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the 4th quarter valued at $42,358,000. 88.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on DGX. Mizuho reissued a buy rating and set a $165.00 price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a report on Friday, March 17th. StockNews.com began coverage on Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Citigroup upgraded Quest Diagnostics from a sell rating to a neutral rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $125.00 to $142.00 in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on Quest Diagnostics from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 17th. Finally, Bank of America lowered Quest Diagnostics from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $166.00 to $148.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 2nd. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $151.20.

Quest Diagnostics Price Performance

DGX stock traded up $1.40 during trading on Friday, reaching $138.60. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,673,568 shares, compared to its average volume of 878,526. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a 1 year low of $120.40 and a 1 year high of $158.34. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The company has a market capitalization of $15.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.44 and a beta of 0.95. The companys fifty day moving average is $136.93 and its 200-day moving average is $142.59.

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The medical research company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.07. Quest Diagnostics had a return on equity of 16.51% and a net margin of 8.26%. The business had revenue of $2.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.22 EPS. Quest Diagnosticss revenue for the quarter was down 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 8.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Quest Diagnostics Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 11th will be paid a $0.71 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 10th. This represents a $2.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.05%. Quest Diagnosticss payout ratio is presently 41.89%.

Quest Diagnostics Profile

(Get Rating)

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated provides diagnostic testing, information, and services in the United States and internationally. The company develops and delivers diagnostic information services, such as routine testing, non-routine and advanced clinical testing, anatomic pathology testing, and other diagnostic information services.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DGX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX  Get Rating).

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Domain Holdings Australia Limited (OTCMKTS:DHGAF  Get Rating) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,074,200 shares, an increase of 15.4% from the May 15th total of 930,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently  days.

Domain Holdings Australia Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:DHGAF remained flat at $1.57 during trading on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $1.57. Domain Holdings Australia has a twelve month low of $1.57 and a twelve month high of $1.57.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered Domain Holdings Australia from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th.

Domain Holdings Australia Company Profile

Domain Holdings Australia Limited engages in the real estate media and technology services business in Australia. The company operates through Core Digital, Consumer Solutions, and Print segments. It offers residential, commercial, and rural property marketing services through desktop, mobile, and social platforms, as well as print magazines; and search and valuation tools and insights to buyers, sellers, investors, renters, governments, and agents.

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Eurocash (OTCMKTS:EUSHY  Get Rating) is one of 56 publicly-traded companies in the Grocery Stores industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its peers? We will compare Eurocash to similar companies based on the strength of its valuation, profitability, dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership and risk.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

0.2% of Eurocash shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 48.6% of shares of all Grocery Stores companies are owned by institutional investors. 23.0% of shares of all Grocery Stores companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

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Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Eurocash and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Eurocash 0 1 0 0 2.00 Eurocash Competitors 1088 2691 2938 111 2.30

Valuation & Earnings

As a group, Grocery Stores companies have a potential upside of 19.16%. Given Eurocashs peers stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Eurocash has less favorable growth aspects than its peers.

This table compares Eurocash and its peers gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Eurocash N/A N/A 3.07 Eurocash Competitors $28.34 billion $639.49 million 186.82

Eurocashs peers have higher revenue and earnings than Eurocash. Eurocash is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Dividends

Eurocash pays an annual dividend of $0.58 per share and has a dividend yield of 14.3%. Eurocash pays out 43.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Grocery Stores companies pay a dividend yield of 3.8% and pay out 59.3% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Eurocash is clearly a better dividend stock than its peers, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Profitability

This table compares Eurocash and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Eurocash N/A N/A N/A Eurocash Competitors 1.33% 13.69% 4.40%

Summary

Eurocash peers beat Eurocash on 11 of the 13 factors compared.

About Eurocash

(Get Rating)

Eurocash S.A. engages in the wholesale distribution of food and other fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) in Poland. The company operates through Wholesale, Retail, and Projects segments. Its FMCG products include food products, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, and household chemicals and cosmetics. The company markets its products to traditional retail stores, including small supermarkets, grocery stores, and specialized grocery stores; and kiosks, retail outlets, and convenience stores, restaurants, gas stations, hotel and cafe chains, and catering outlets. It operates a network of Cash & Carry warehouses; Delikatesy Centrum network supermarkets; Inmedio; and franchise and partner stores of Eurocash distribution. Eurocash S.A. was incorporated in 2014 and is based in Komorniki, Poland.

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European Commercial REIT (TSE:ERE  Get Rating) announced a monthly dividend on Thursday, June 15th, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of 0.014 per share on Monday, July 17th. This represents a $0.17 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of . The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 29th.

European Commercial REIT Stock Performance

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European Commercial REIT (TSE:ERE  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 10th. The company reported C($0.66) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$0.06 by C($0.72). The company had revenue of C$33.95 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$34.12 million.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Desjardins lowered shares of European Commercial REIT from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Sunday, May 14th.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of First Horizon (NYSE:FHN  Get Rating) in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning, The Fly reports. The firm issued a neutral rating and a $13.00 target price on the financial services providers stock.

FHN has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised First Horizon from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 24th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a sector perform rating and set a $25.00 price objective on shares of First Horizon in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. StockNews.com cut First Horizon from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Saturday, May 13th. TheStreet cut First Horizon from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Thursday, June 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised First Horizon from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and set a $25.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, March 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, First Horizon presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $19.00.

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First Horizon Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:FHN opened at $11.75 on Tuesday. First Horizon has a fifty-two week low of $8.99 and a fifty-two week high of $24.92. The business has a 50-day moving average of $13.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of $19.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.25, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.93.

First Horizon Announces Dividend

First Horizon ( NYSE:FHN Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.46 by ($0.01). First Horizon had a return on equity of 13.53% and a net margin of 24.76%. The company had revenue of $863.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $871.36 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.38 EPS. First Horizons quarterly revenue was up 22.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that First Horizon will post 1.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 16th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 15th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.11%. First Horizons dividend payout ratio is currently 37.04%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other First Horizon news, Director William H. Fenstermaker purchased 2,950 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 12th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $9.56 per share, for a total transaction of $28,202.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 246,312 shares in the company, valued at $2,354,742.72. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director William H. Fenstermaker acquired 2,950 shares of First Horizon stock in a transaction on Friday, May 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $9.56 per share, with a total value of $28,202.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 246,312 shares in the company, valued at $2,354,742.72. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director William H. Fenstermaker acquired 10,000 shares of First Horizon stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 7th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $11.62 per share, for a total transaction of $116,200.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 256,312 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,978,345.44. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have acquired a total of 42,036 shares of company stock worth $436,725 in the last three months. Insiders own 1.55% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of FHN. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Horizon in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. McElhenny Sheffield Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Horizon in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. BOKF NA acquired a new position in shares of First Horizon in the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Horizon in the 1st quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, FWL Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Horizon in the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.41% of the companys stock.

About First Horizon

(Get Rating)

First Horizon Corp. (Tennessee) operates as a financial holding company, which engages in the provision of checking accounts, savings products, mortgage banking, lending, and financing to individuals and businesses. It operates the business through three segments: Regional Banking, Specialty Banking, and Corporate.

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Shares of Freehold Royalties Ltd. (TSE:FRU  Get Rating) have been assigned an average rating of Moderate Buy from the seven ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is C$19.83.

A number of brokerages have issued reports on FRU. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of Freehold Royalties from C$18.00 to C$17.00 in a research note on Monday, March 27th. National Bankshares reduced their price objective on shares of Freehold Royalties from C$20.00 to C$19.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their price objective on shares of Freehold Royalties from C$21.00 to C$20.75 in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Raymond James reduced their price objective on shares of Freehold Royalties from C$21.00 to C$20.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. Finally, CIBC reduced their price objective on shares of Freehold Royalties from C$19.00 to C$18.00 in a research note on Friday, April 14th.

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Freehold Royalties Trading Down 0.5 %

Shares of TSE:FRU opened at C$13.40 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of C$14.41 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$15.07. The firm has a market capitalization of C$2.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.92 and a beta of 2.10. Freehold Royalties has a 12-month low of C$11.66 and a 12-month high of C$17.78. The company has a quick ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 2.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.91.

Freehold Royalties Announces Dividend

Freehold Royalties Company Profile

The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 15th. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th were issued a $0.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 27th. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.06%. Freehold Royaltiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 80.00%.

(Get Rating

Freehold Royalties Ltd., an oil and gas royalty company, owns working interests in oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and potash properties in Western Canada and the United States. The company holds approximately 6.2 million gross acres of land in Canada and 0.8 million gross drilling unit acres in the United States.

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Fuji Media Holdings, Inc. (OTCMKTS:FJTNF  Get Rating) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 213,400 shares, a decline of 15.1% from the May 15th total of 251,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2,134.0 days.

Fuji Media Price Performance

FJTNF stock remained flat at $10.01 during mid-day trading on Friday. Fuji Media has a 12 month low of $7.59 and a 12 month high of $10.08. The stocks fifty day moving average is $9.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.73.

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Fuji Media Company Profile

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Fuji Media Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the broadcasting activities in Japan. The company operates through Media & Content, Urban Development, Hotels & Resorts, and Other segments. It is involved in television broadcasting, including satellite broadcasting, radio broadcasting, streaming platforms, content production, games, music, advertising, publishing, and direct marketing activities.

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Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited (OTCMKTS:GUKYF  Get Rating) traded down 1.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $1.65 and last traded at $1.65. 2,520 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 49% from the average session volume of 4,955 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1.67.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Peel Hunt cut Gulf Keystone Petroleum from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, April 27th.

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Gulf Keystone Petroleum Stock Up 3.9 %

The business has a 50 day moving average of $1.79 and a 200 day moving average of $2.18.

About Gulf Keystone Petroleum

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd. is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the Republic of Algeria. It operates through the following segments: Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Corporate, and Algeria. The Kurdistan Region of Iraq segment comprises of the Shaikan and the Erbil office which provides support to the operations in Kurdistan, as well as segmental information relating to the previously held Akri-Bijeel, Sheikh Adi and Ber Bahr blocks.

Further Reading

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Hamburger Hafen und Logistik Aktiengesellschaft (ETR:HHFA  Get Rating)s stock price rose 1.1% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as 12.58 ($13.53) and last traded at 12.48 ($13.42). Approximately 51,563 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 56% from the average daily volume of 117,376 shares. The stock had previously closed at 12.34 ($13.27).

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Warburg Research set a 9.00 ($9.68) target price on shares of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik Aktiengesellschaft in a research note on Thursday, March 23rd.

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Hamburger Hafen und Logistik Aktiengesellschaft Stock Up 2.8 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 125.50. The stock has a market cap of $874.47 million, a P/E ratio of 12.87, a PEG ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.34. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of 12.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of 12.28.

About Hamburger Hafen und Logistik Aktiengesellschaft

Hamburger Hafen und Logistik Aktiengesellschaft, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a port and transport logistics company in Germany, rest of European Union, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Container, Intermodal, Logistics, and Real Estate. The company operates three container terminals in Hamburg; and container terminals in Odessa, Ukraine, and Tallinn, Estonia, as well as in Trieste, Italy.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has expressed condolences to Uganda in connection with a terrorist attack in this country, Trend reports via the tweet of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.

"We strongly condemn the terrorist attack at school in Uganda. We are deeply saddened by the loss of life of students, & express our condolences to the families of victims & wish a speedy recovery to the injured," the ministry said.

As a result of the terrorist attack, 37 people were killed and eight injured.
Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (NYSE:HMY  Get Rating) was the target of a large increase in short interest in May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 9,110,000 shares, an increase of 37.8% from the May 15th total of 6,610,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 4,790,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.9 days. Currently, 1.5% of the companys stock are short sold.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley raised Harmony Gold Mining from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday, April 24th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Harmony Gold Mining in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Investec lowered Harmony Gold Mining from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold.

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Harmony Gold Mining Price Performance

HMY opened at $4.52 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 0.97. Harmony Gold Mining has a 12 month low of $1.93 and a 12 month high of $5.43. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $4.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $3.97.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Harmony Gold Mining Company Profile

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. grew its stake in Harmony Gold Mining by 378.1% during the 4th quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 11,714 shares of the mining companys stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 9,264 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its stake in Harmony Gold Mining by 94.7% during the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 12,081 shares of the mining companys stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 5,875 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Harmony Gold Mining during the 1st quarter worth $54,000. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in Harmony Gold Mining by 30.1% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 16,677 shares of the mining companys stock worth $57,000 after buying an additional 3,861 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in Harmony Gold Mining during the 1st quarter worth $57,000. 36.50% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited engages in the exploration, extraction, and processing of gold. The company also explores for uranium, silver, copper, and molybdenum deposits. It has eight underground operations in the Witwatersrand Basin; an open-pit mine on the Kraaipan Greenstone Belt; and various surface source operations in South Africa.

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Hyatt Hotels Co. (NYSE:H  Get Rating)s stock price fell 3.5% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $112.61 and last traded at $112.75. 268,687 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 69% from the average session volume of 873,886 shares. The stock had previously closed at $116.89.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on H. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on Hyatt Hotels from $113.00 to $121.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Hyatt Hotels from $139.00 to $142.00 in a research note on Friday, May 12th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Hyatt Hotels from $112.00 to $124.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. TheStreet raised Hyatt Hotels from a c rating to a b rating in a research note on Monday, March 20th. Finally, Barclays lowered Hyatt Hotels from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $130.00 to $125.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Hyatt Hotels currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $121.88.

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Hyatt Hotels Trading Up 0.4 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $11.96 billion, a PE ratio of 21.27, a P/E/G ratio of 14.11 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.64. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $113.81 and a 200 day moving average of $108.48.

Hyatt Hotels Announces Dividend

Hyatt Hotels ( NYSE:H Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.06). Hyatt Hotels had a net margin of 9.31% and a return on equity of 12.34%. The company had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted ($0.33) earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Hyatt Hotels Co. will post 2.65 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a  dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 30th were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 26th. Hyatt Hotelss dividend payout ratio is presently 11.28%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Hyatt Hotels news, insider Mark R. Vondrasek sold 12,119 shares of Hyatt Hotels stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.08, for a total transaction of $1,321,940.52. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 10,817 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,179,918.36. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, insider Malaika Myers sold 9,378 shares of Hyatt Hotels stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.59, for a total value of $1,037,113.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 15,956 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,764,574.04. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Mark R. Vondrasek sold 12,119 shares of Hyatt Hotels stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.08, for a total value of $1,321,940.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 10,817 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,179,918.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 27,497 shares of company stock worth $3,043,054 in the last three months. 21.24% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. First Manhattan CO. LLC. acquired a new position in Hyatt Hotels during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in Hyatt Hotels during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its position in Hyatt Hotels by 80.4% during the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 276 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the period. Money Concepts Capital Corp boosted its position in Hyatt Hotels by 335.2% during the 4th quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 383 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 295 shares during the period. Finally, Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. acquired a new position in Hyatt Hotels during the 4th quarter worth $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 46.89% of the companys stock.

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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Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW  Get Rating) CAO Randall J. Scheuneman sold 5,425 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $239.23, for a total transaction of $1,297,822.75. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 8,870 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,121,970.10. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Illinois Tool Works Trading Up 0.5 %

NYSE ITW opened at $247.97 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $75.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.80, a PEG ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 1.10. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a one year low of $173.52 and a one year high of $253.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 0.84. The businesss fifty day moving average is $231.86 and its 200-day moving average is $230.90.

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Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The industrial products company reported $2.33 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.98 billion. Illinois Tool Works had a return on equity of 92.13% and a net margin of 19.27%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.11 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Illinois Tool Works Inc. will post 9.65 EPS for the current year.

Illinois Tool Works Dividend Announcement

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Illinois Tool Works

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.31 per share. This represents a $5.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.11%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 29th. Illinois Tool Workss payout ratio is 52.40%.

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ITW. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Illinois Tool Works by 106,553.0% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 7,185,211 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,582,902,000 after acquiring an additional 7,178,474 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Illinois Tool Works in the 4th quarter worth about $708,259,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Illinois Tool Works by 106,481.6% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 1,897,153 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $3,515,000 after acquiring an additional 1,895,373 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in Illinois Tool Works by 59.2% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 4,591,278 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,011,459,000 after acquiring an additional 1,707,780 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in Illinois Tool Works by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 22,309,285 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $5,431,195,000 after acquiring an additional 997,389 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.83% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently commented on ITW shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $183.00 to $181.00 and set a sell rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. StockNews.com upgraded Illinois Tool Works from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday. Barclays cut their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $205.00 to $203.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $240.00 to $236.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $250.00 to $227.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Illinois Tool Works currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $228.21.

About Illinois Tool Works

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Illinois Tool Works Inc manufactures and sells industrial products and equipment worldwide. It operates through seven segments: Automotive OEM; Food Equipment; Test & Measurement and Electronics; Welding; Polymers & Fluids; Construction Products; and Specialty Products. The Automotive OEM segment offers plastic and metal components, fasteners, and assemblies for automobiles, light trucks, and other industrial uses.

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Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM  Get Rating) CEO Marc Benioff sold 500,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $209.14, for a total transaction of $104,570,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 16,671,609 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,486,700,306.26. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Marc Benioff also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Wednesday, March 29th, Marc Benioff sold 725 shares of Salesforce stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.24, for a total transaction of $141,549.00.

On Monday, March 27th, Marc Benioff sold 725 shares of Salesforce stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.76, for a total transaction of $138,301.00.

On Friday, March 24th, Marc Benioff sold 725 shares of Salesforce stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.20, for a total transaction of $136,445.00.

On Wednesday, March 22nd, Marc Benioff sold 725 shares of Salesforce stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.03, for a total transaction of $137,046.75.

On Monday, March 20th, Marc Benioff sold 725 shares of Salesforce stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $184.32, for a total transaction of $133,632.00.

Salesforce Stock Performance

Shares of Salesforce stock traded down $0.12 on Friday, reaching $211.80. 13,671,239 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,940,958. The firm has a market capitalization of $206.29 billion, a PE ratio of 557.88, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.24. Salesforce, Inc. has a 1-year low of $126.34 and a 1-year high of $225.00. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $203.44 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $175.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

Salesforce ( NYSE:CRM Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 31st. The CRM provider reported $1.69 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $8.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.17 billion. Salesforce had a net margin of 1.18% and a return on equity of 5.75%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.41 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Salesforce, Inc. will post 5.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Salesforce announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Wednesday, March 1st that authorizes the company to buyback $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the CRM provider to reacquire up to 10.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the companys management believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Trading of Salesforce

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Graham Capital Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Salesforce during the first quarter worth about $233,743,000. NewSquare Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Salesforce by 132.8% in the first quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 149 shares of the CRM providers stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Ahrens Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Salesforce in the first quarter valued at about $40,000. Aspire Private Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Salesforce in the first quarter valued at about $39,956,000,000. Finally, Pacific Center for Financial Services purchased a new stake in shares of Salesforce in the first quarter valued at about $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.83% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Salesforce from $225.00 to $240.00 in a report on Thursday, June 1st. Raymond James raised their price target on shares of Salesforce from $240.00 to $260.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 1st. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Salesforce from $162.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, March 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Salesforce from $225.00 to $250.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 30th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Salesforce from $240.00 to $250.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating, twenty-four have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Salesforce has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $220.97.

Salesforce Company Profile

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Salesforce, Inc provides Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology that brings companies and customers together worldwide. The company's service includes sales to store data, monitor leads and progress, forecast opportunities, gain insights through analytics and relationship intelligence, and deliver quotes, contracts, and invoices; and service that enables companies to deliver trusted and highly personalized customer service and support at scale.

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Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE  Get Rating)s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $113.15 and last traded at $112.63, with a volume of 1552445 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $110.67.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Raymond James increased their price objective on shares of Intercontinental Exchange from $126.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on shares of Intercontinental Exchange from $125.00 to $122.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. Rosenblatt Securities restated a buy rating and issued a $168.00 price objective on shares of Intercontinental Exchange in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Intercontinental Exchange from $120.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Intercontinental Exchange from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Friday, May 5th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Intercontinental Exchange has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $129.89.

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Intercontinental Exchange Trading Down 0.6 %

The business has a 50 day moving average price of $107.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $105.52. The company has a market capitalization of $62.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.29, a PEG ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78.

Intercontinental Exchange Announces Dividend

Intercontinental Exchange ( NYSE:ICE Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The financial services provider reported $1.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.01. Intercontinental Exchange had a return on equity of 12.98% and a net margin of 14.97%. The firm had revenue of $1.90 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.90 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.43 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. will post 5.48 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. Intercontinental Exchanges dividend payout ratio is 65.12%.

Insider Activity

In other Intercontinental Exchange news, SVP Douglas Foley sold 1,600 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.48, for a total value of $173,568.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 19,881 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,156,690.88. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, CFO Warren Gardiner sold 500 shares of Intercontinental Exchange stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.52, for a total transaction of $55,260.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 16,025 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,771,083. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Douglas Foley sold 1,600 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.48, for a total transaction of $173,568.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 19,881 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,156,690.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 93,934 shares of company stock valued at $10,139,046. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vestcor Inc grew its holdings in Intercontinental Exchange by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Vestcor Inc now owns 17,924 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,839,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Services grew its stake in Intercontinental Exchange by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 2,957 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $303,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC grew its stake in Intercontinental Exchange by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 2,269 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $232,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Headinvest LLC grew its stake in Intercontinental Exchange by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Headinvest LLC now owns 12,282 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,281,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Impact Advisors LLC grew its stake in Intercontinental Exchange by 7.0% in the 4th quarter. Capital Impact Advisors LLC now owns 1,509 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $155,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.28% of the companys stock.

Intercontinental Exchange Company Profile

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Intercontinental Exchange, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of market infrastructure, data services, and technology solutions for financial institutions, corporations, and government entities in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Singapore, India, Abu Dhabi, Israel, and Canada.

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InTrack Investment Management Inc acquired a new stake in shares of The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW  Get Rating) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 15,812 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $791,000.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Phocas Financial Corp. acquired a new position in Charles Schwab during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Charles Schwab during the 1st quarter worth about $32,000. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Charles Schwab during the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Exos TFP Holdings LLC acquired a new position in Charles Schwab during the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in Charles Schwab during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.49% of the companys stock.

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Charles Schwab Stock Performance

Shares of SCHW opened at $54.41 on Friday. The Charles Schwab Co. has a 52 week low of $45.00 and a 52 week high of $86.63. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $52.18 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $66.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $96.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.87, a P/E/G ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.39.

Charles Schwab Dividend Announcement

Charles Schwab ( NYSE:SCHW Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Monday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.13 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.77 EPS. The companys revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 12th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.84%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 11th. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.32%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on SCHW shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Charles Schwab from $86.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on Charles Schwab from $98.00 to $75.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Charles Schwab from $75.00 to $65.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Charles Schwab from $70.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on Charles Schwab from $75.00 to $72.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Charles Schwab currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $67.19.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 77,640 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.76, for a total transaction of $4,018,646.40. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 59,771,278 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,093,761,349.28. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 77,640 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.76, for a total value of $4,018,646.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 59,771,278 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,093,761,349.28. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Marianne Catherine Brown bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 28th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $53.47 per share, for a total transaction of $267,350.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 9,984 shares in the company, valued at $533,844.48. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 6.60% of the companys stock.

Charles Schwab Company Profile

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The Charles Schwab Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a savings and loan holding company that provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. The company operates in two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services.

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Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust (NYSE:OIA  Get Rating) saw a large drop in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 63,200 shares, a drop of 22.2% from the May 15th total of 81,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 72,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.9 days.

Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust Price Performance

OIA stock remained flat at $6.13 during midday trading on Friday. 28,474 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 73,935. Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust has a 52 week low of $5.40 and a 52 week high of $7.12. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $6.20 and a 200-day moving average of $6.47.

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Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a $0.0265 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.19%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust

Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust Company Profile

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of OIA. Raymond James & Associates raised its holdings in shares of Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust by 29.4% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 50,788 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $361,000 after purchasing an additional 11,536 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE acquired a new stake in Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust during the 1st quarter worth $30,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust by 53.4% during the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 27,540 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $196,000 after acquiring an additional 9,591 shares in the last quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust during the 1st quarter worth $79,000. Finally, Guggenheim Capital LLC raised its stake in Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust by 19.0% during the 1st quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 711,113 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $5,049,000 after acquiring an additional 113,542 shares in the last quarter. 10.75% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Invesco Ltd. The fund is co-managed by Invesco Advisers, Inc, INVESCO Asset Management Deutschland GmbH, INVESCO Asset Management Limited, INVESCO Asset Management (Japan) Limited, Invesco Hong Kong Limited, INVESCO Senior Secured Management, Inc, and Invesco Canada Ltd.

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Saxon Interests Inc. decreased its stake in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:USMV  Get Rating) by 33.9% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 35,888 shares of the companys stock after selling 18,365 shares during the quarter. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF makes up approximately 1.5% of Saxon Interests Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 14th largest position. Saxon Interests Inc.s holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF were worth $2,610,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 140,054.1% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 10,961,456 shares of the companys stock valued at $790,321,000 after purchasing an additional 10,953,635 shares in the last quarter. Allstate Investment Management Co. bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $308,588,000. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 844.3% during the 3rd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 3,858,878 shares of the companys stock valued at $255,072,000 after purchasing an additional 3,450,227 shares in the last quarter. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp bought a new position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF in the 4th quarter worth $234,835,000. Finally, BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 17.3% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 12,988,250 shares of the companys stock worth $858,523,000 after acquiring an additional 1,917,457 shares during the period.

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iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Trading Down 0.0 %

USMV traded down $0.02 during trading on Friday, hitting $73.90. The stock had a trading volume of 2,078,546 shares. The firm has a market cap of $29.34 billion, a PE ratio of 20.17 and a beta of 0.75. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF has a 12 month low of $47.44 and a 12 month high of $55.45. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $73.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $72.57.

iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Company Profile

The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Minimum Volatility (USD) index. The fund tracks an index of US-listed firms selected and weighted to create a low-volatility portfolio subject to various constraints. USMV was launched on Oct 18, 2011 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Lynch & Associates IN lowered its position in shares of iShares S&P 500 Value ETF (NYSEARCA:IVE  Get Rating) by 12.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,569 shares of the companys stock after selling 498 shares during the quarter. Lynch & Associates INs holdings in iShares S&P 500 Value ETF were worth $542,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. First Commonwealth Financial Corp PA boosted its position in shares of iShares S&P 500 Value ETF by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. First Commonwealth Financial Corp PA now owns 8,388 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,217,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Oarsman Capital Inc. boosted its position in shares of iShares S&P 500 Value ETF by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Oarsman Capital Inc. now owns 2,754 shares of the companys stock valued at $400,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. NorthLanding Financial Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of iShares S&P 500 Value ETF by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. NorthLanding Financial Partners LLC now owns 17,850 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,590,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. First Manhattan Co. boosted its position in shares of iShares S&P 500 Value ETF by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 15,916 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,478,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Finally, Connecticut Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of iShares S&P 500 Value ETF by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Connecticut Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,017 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,018,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the period.

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iShares S&P 500 Value ETF Stock Down 0.3 %

NYSEARCA:IVE opened at $160.21 on Friday. iShares S&P 500 Value ETF has a 1-year low of $127.33 and a 1-year high of $161.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.85 and a beta of 0.94. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $153.18 and a 200 day simple moving average of $151.11.

iShares S&P 500 Value ETF Company Profile

iShares S&P 500 Value ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares S&P 500 Value Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500 Value Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization value sector of the United States equity market and consists of those stocks in the S&P 500 exhibiting the strongest value characteristics.

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John Hancock Investments  John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund (NYSE:HTY  Get Rating) crossed below its fifty day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $4.71 and traded as low as $4.58. John Hancock Investments  John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund shares last traded at $4.63, with a volume of 19,909 shares changing hands.

John Hancock Investments  John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund Stock Performance

The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $4.71 and a 200-day simple moving average of $4.95.

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John Hancock Investments  John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.16 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 9th. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 13.79%.

John Hancock Investments  John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund Company Profile

John Hancock Investments  John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC. It is co-managed by Analytic Investors, LLC and Epoch Investment Partners, Inc The fund invests in the public equity markets across the globe.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. The information disseminated by the Ministry of Defense of Armenia that on June 17, at around 18:40 (GMT+4), units of the Azerbaijani army allegedly fired at the positions of the Armenian armed forces in the direction of the settlement of Yukhari, Shorja, Basarkechar region, from small arms of various calibers, does not correspond to reality, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

"We categorically deny this information," - the statement said.
CJS Securities assumed coverage on shares of Modine Manufacturing (NYSE:MOD  Get Rating) in a research note released on Tuesday, The Fly reports. The firm issued an outperform rating on the auto parts companys stock.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Modine Manufacturing in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating on the stock. DA Davidson raised their price target on Modine Manufacturing from $35.00 to $38.00 in a research note on Friday, May 26th. Finally, B. Riley assumed coverage on Modine Manufacturing in a research note on Tuesday, June 6th. They set a buy rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $36.67.

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Modine Manufacturing Stock Performance

NYSE:MOD opened at $31.00 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.67. The stocks fifty day moving average is $24.04 and its 200 day moving average is $22.86. Modine Manufacturing has a fifty-two week low of $9.94 and a fifty-two week high of $34.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.61 billion, a PE ratio of 10.76, a PEG ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 2.24.

Insider Activity

Modine Manufacturing ( NYSE:MOD Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 25th. The auto parts company reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.19. Modine Manufacturing had a return on equity of 20.75% and a net margin of 6.66%. The business had revenue of $618.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $583.70 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.57 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Modine Manufacturing will post 2.35 earnings per share for the current year.

In related news, VP Brian Jon Agen sold 3,248 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.37, for a total transaction of $72,657.76. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 110,329 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,468,059.73. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, CFO Michael B. Lucareli sold 15,255 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.13, for a total transaction of $459,633.15. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 299,604 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,027,068.52. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Brian Jon Agen sold 3,248 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.37, for a total value of $72,657.76. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 110,329 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,468,059.73. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 3.06% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Modine Manufacturing

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in Modine Manufacturing by 9.0% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 4,965,774 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $114,461,000 after acquiring an additional 410,505 shares in the last quarter. Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC boosted its holdings in Modine Manufacturing by 16.6% in the third quarter. Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC now owns 4,028,253 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $52,126,000 after acquiring an additional 573,397 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Modine Manufacturing by 1.8% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,807,233 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $87,755,000 after acquiring an additional 67,372 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL boosted its holdings in Modine Manufacturing by 5.6% in the first quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 3,250,247 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $29,285,000 after acquiring an additional 171,848 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Modine Manufacturing by 4.4% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,008,316 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $27,105,000 after acquiring an additional 126,779 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.09% of the companys stock.

Modine Manufacturing Company Profile

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Modine Manufacturing Co engages in provision of thermal management solutions. It operates through the following segments: Heavy-Duty Equipment(HDE), Automotive, Commercial and Industrial Solutions (CIS), and Building HVAC Systems (BHVAC). The HDE segment provides powertrain and engine cooling products, including, but not limited to, radiators, charge air coolers, condensers, oil coolers, EGR coolers, fuel coolers, electronics cooling packages, and battery thermal management systems to OEMs in the commercial vehicle, off-highway, and automotive and light vehicle markets in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

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Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. (NYSE:MYTE  Get Rating) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, The Fly reports. Jefferies Financial Group currently has $4.00 price target on the stock, down from their prior price target of $19.00.

MYTE has been the subject of a number of other reports. TD Cowen cut shares of MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $13.00 to $7.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. from $14.00 to $10.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Societe Generale cut shares of MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $7.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $9.00 to $7.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. from $9.00 to $6.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $10.00.

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MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. Stock Down 4.2 %

MYTE stock opened at $3.89 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $4.74 and a 200 day moving average of $7.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $330.18 million, a PE ratio of -43.22 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 2.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. has a 52 week low of $3.75 and a 52 week high of $15.90.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MYT Netherlands Parent B.V.

MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. ( NYSE:MYTE Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 10th. The company reported ($0.05) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.04 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $213.37 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $236.00 million. MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. had a positive return on equity of 5.34% and a negative net margin of 1.05%. Sell-side analysts forecast that MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. will post 0.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its holdings in shares of MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. by 9.5% during the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 709,116 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,318,000 after purchasing an additional 61,332 shares in the last quarter. Sylebra Capital Ltd increased its holdings in MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. by 12.7% in the 3rd quarter. Sylebra Capital Ltd now owns 3,743,778 shares of the companys stock worth $43,128,000 after acquiring an additional 420,649 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG increased its holdings in MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. by 19.6% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 8,555 shares of the companys stock worth $99,000 after acquiring an additional 1,403 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. by 1,945.0% in the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,685 shares of the companys stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 5,407 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. in the 1st quarter worth $56,000. 21.84% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MYT Netherlands Parent B.V. Company Profile

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MYT Netherlands Parent B.V., through its subsidiary, Mytheresa Group GmbH, operates a luxury e-commerce platform for fashion consumers in Germany, the United States, rest of Europe, and internationally. It offers womenswear, menswear, kids wear, and lifestyle products. The company sells clothes, bags, shoes, accessories, and fine jewelry through online and retail stores.

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New England Research & Management Inc. reduced its stake in Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL  Get Rating) by 6.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,288 shares of the companys stock after selling 550 shares during the period. New England Research & Management Inc.s holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $623,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 43.0% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 3,653 shares of the companys stock valued at $275,000 after buying an additional 1,098 shares during the period. Empirical Finance LLC boosted its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 5.7% in the first quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 23,542 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,769,000 after buying an additional 1,273 shares during the period. Platform Technology Partners boosted its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 1.9% in the first quarter. Platform Technology Partners now owns 11,532 shares of the companys stock valued at $867,000 after buying an additional 214 shares during the period. Confluence Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 0.6% in the first quarter. Confluence Investment Management LLC now owns 1,506,001 shares of the companys stock valued at $113,176,000 after buying an additional 8,602 shares during the period. Finally, M&R Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in Colgate-Palmolive by 0.7% during the first quarter. M&R Capital Management Inc. now owns 25,544 shares of the companys stock worth $1,920,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. 77.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Colgate-Palmolive Trading Up 1.3 %

NYSE CL traded up $0.98 on Friday, reaching $77.78. The company had a trading volume of 7,369,039 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,104,510. The firm has a market cap of $64.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.51, a P/E/G ratio of 3.94 and a beta of 0.50. Colgate-Palmolive has a fifty-two week low of $67.84 and a fifty-two week high of $83.81. The business has a 50 day moving average of $77.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $76.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.87, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 0.76.

Colgate-Palmolive Announces Dividend

Colgate-Palmolive ( NYSE:CL Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 28th. The company reported $0.73 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.70 by $0.03. Colgate-Palmolive had a return on equity of 348.63% and a net margin of 8.71%. The firm had revenue of $4.77 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.74 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.14 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.48 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 20th. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.47%. Colgate-Palmolives payout ratio is currently 100.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on CL. StockNews.com cut Colgate-Palmolive from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Sunday, May 28th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $76.00 to $81.00 in a research note on Monday, May 1st. Bank of America upped their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $80.00 to $85.00 in a research note on Monday, May 1st. UBS Group upped their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $84.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Colgate-Palmolive from $80.00 to $88.00 in a research note on Monday, May 1st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $84.75.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Colgate-Palmolive news, insider Jennifer Daniels sold 24,703 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.70, for a total transaction of $1,968,829.10. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 52,769 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,205,689.30. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Sally Massey sold 17,239 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.16, for a total value of $1,399,117.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 8,615 shares in the company, valued at approximately $699,193.40. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Jennifer Daniels sold 24,703 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.70, for a total value of $1,968,829.10. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 52,769 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,205,689.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 187,748 shares of company stock worth $15,138,660. Company insiders own 0.34% of the companys stock.

Colgate-Palmolive Company Profile

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Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells consumer products worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Oral, Personal and Home Care; and Pet Nutrition. The Oral, Personal and Home Care segment offers toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, bar and liquid hand soaps, shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants and antiperspirants, skin health products, dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, and other related items.

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Athena Gold (OTCMKTS:AHNR  Get Rating) and New Found Gold (NYSE:NFGC  Get Rating) are both small-cap basic materials companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, risk and analyst recommendations.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Athena Gold and New Found Golds gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Athena Gold N/A N/A -$680,000.00 ($0.02) -3.00 New Found Gold N/A N/A -$69.22 million ($0.38) -12.76

New Found Gold is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Athena Gold, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Athena Gold N/A -13.88% -11.29% New Found Gold N/A -118.06% -91.50%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

This table compares Athena Gold and New Found Golds net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

22.1% of New Found Gold shares are owned by institutional investors. 11.5% of Athena Gold shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Athena Gold and New Found Gold, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Athena Gold 0 0 0 0 N/A New Found Gold 0 0 0 0 N/A

Volatility and Risk

Athena Gold has a beta of 0.13, suggesting that its share price is 87% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, New Found Gold has a beta of 1.41, suggesting that its share price is 41% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Athena Gold beats New Found Gold on 6 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Athena Gold

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Athena Gold Corp. engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral resource properties. It holds interest in the Excelsior Springs project. The company was founded by John C. Power on December 23, 2003 and is headquartered in Vacaville, CA.

About New Found Gold

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New Found Gold Corp., a mineral exploration company, engages in the identification, acquisition, and exploration of mineral properties in the Provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Ontario. The company primarily explores for gold deposit. It holds 100% interests in the Queensway project that includes 86 mineral licenses and 6,041 claims covering an area of 151,030 hectares of land located near Gander, Newfoundland; and the Lucky Strike project comprising 11,684 hectares located in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. The company was formerly known as Palisade Resources Corp. and changed its name to New Found Gold Corp. in June 2017. New Found Gold Corp. was incorporated in 2016 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

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Shares of Osisko Metals Incorporated (CVE:OM  Get Rating) fell 2% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as C$0.25 and last traded at C$0.25. 30,516 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 88% from the average session volume of 246,669 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.25.

Osisko Metals Stock Down 2.0 %

The firm has a fifty day moving average price of C$0.27 and a 200-day moving average price of C$0.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.41. The firm has a market cap of C$60.23 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.72 and a beta of 0.95.

About Osisko Metals

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Osisko Metals Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and evaluation of based metal properties in Canada. The company holds interest in the Pine Point project located on the south shore of Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories. It also has an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Gaspe Copper project located near Murdochville in the Gaspe peninsula of Quebec, as well as the Mount Copper expansion project hosts the undeveloped copper resource in Eastern North America.

Further Reading

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Pacific Booker Minerals Inc. (OTCMKTS:PBMLF  Get Rating) shares were down 9.8% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $0.41 and last traded at $0.45. Approximately 20,500 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 931% from the average daily volume of 1,989 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.50.

Pacific Booker Minerals Stock Performance

The companys fifty day moving average price is $0.47 and its 200-day moving average price is $0.53.

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Pacific Booker Minerals (OTCMKTS:PBMLF  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Friday, May 26th. The company reported ($0.02) earnings per share for the quarter.

About Pacific Booker Minerals

Pacific Booker Minerals, Inc is a natural resource exploration company. It owns the Morrison Copper and Gold Project. The company was founded on February 18, 1983 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

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Park National Corp OH lifted its position in shares of PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE:PPG  Get Rating) by 43.3% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 4,651 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,405 shares during the period. Park National Corp OHs holdings in PPG Industries were worth $621,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new position in shares of PPG Industries during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Riverview Trust Co increased its holdings in PPG Industries by 81.7% in the 4th quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 238 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC bought a new stake in PPG Industries in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its holdings in PPG Industries by 45.8% in the 1st quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 277 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Achmea Investment Management B.V. bought a new stake in PPG Industries in the 1st quarter valued at $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.04% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

PPG has been the topic of a number of research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of PPG Industries from $160.00 to $165.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of PPG Industries from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and lifted their price target for the company from $130.00 to $156.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of PPG Industries from $162.00 to $169.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. Credit Suisse Group boosted their target price on shares of PPG Industries from $128.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Finally, Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of PPG Industries from $142.00 to $151.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $149.56.

PPG Industries Trading Up 1.3 %

Shares of PPG Industries stock opened at $143.08 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.69, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.18. PPG Industries, Inc. has a 12-month low of $107.06 and a 12-month high of $145.51. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $138.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $132.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98.

PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 21st. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $4.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.39 billion. PPG Industries had a net margin of 7.18% and a return on equity of 23.35%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.37 earnings per share. Analysts predict that PPG Industries, Inc. will post 7.25 EPS for the current year.

PPG Industries Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 12th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 10th were paid a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 9th. This represents a $2.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.73%. PPG Industriess payout ratio is currently 46.27%.

PPG Industries Company Profile

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PPG Industries, Inc manufactures and distributes paints, coatings, and specialty materials worldwide. The company operates through Performance Coatings and Industrial Coatings. The Performance Coatings segment offers coatings, solvents, adhesives, sealants, sundries, and software for automotive and commercial transport/fleet repair and refurbishing, light industrial coatings, and specialty coatings for signs; and coatings, sealants, transparencies, transparent armor, adhesives, engineered materials, and packaging and chemical management services for commercial, military, regional jet, and general aviation aircraft.

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PetroChina Company Limited (OTCMKTS:PCCYF  Get Rating) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest in May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 3,885,800 shares, a decrease of 23.7% from the May 15th total of 5,092,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 457,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 8.5 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, HSBC upgraded PetroChina from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, April 11th.

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PetroChina Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of OTCMKTS:PCCYF opened at $0.73 on Friday. PetroChina has a 1-year low of $0.37 and a 1-year high of $0.75. The firms fifty day moving average is $0.67.

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Polianta Ltd acquired a new stake in Owens Corning (NYSE:OC  Get Rating) during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 11,800 shares of the construction companys stock, valued at approximately $1,130,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of OC. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Owens Corning during the 4th quarter worth $111,343,000. River & Mercantile Asset Management LLP boosted its stake in Owens Corning by 806.9% during the 3rd quarter. River & Mercantile Asset Management LLP now owns 1,102,854 shares of the construction companys stock worth $94,254,000 after purchasing an additional 981,250 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in Owens Corning by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 12,768,026 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,003,695,000 after purchasing an additional 803,551 shares during the period. Davis Selected Advisers boosted its stake in Owens Corning by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. Davis Selected Advisers now owns 3,608,040 shares of the construction companys stock worth $307,766,000 after purchasing an additional 234,900 shares during the period. Finally, UBS Group AG boosted its stake in Owens Corning by 225.8% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 127,100 shares of the construction companys stock worth $9,991,000 after purchasing an additional 228,100 shares during the period. 94.59% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Activity at Owens Corning

In other news, insider Gunner Smith sold 6,900 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.01, for a total value of $793,569.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 31,153 shares in the company, valued at $3,582,906.53. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Owens Corning news, EVP Daniel T. Smith sold 3,670 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.11, for a total value of $389,423.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 46,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,967,115.21. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Gunner Smith sold 6,900 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.01, for a total value of $793,569.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 31,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,582,906.53. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 23,570 shares of company stock valued at $2,472,993. 0.89% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Owens Corning Stock Performance

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on OC. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Owens Corning from $90.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Benchmark increased their price target on shares of Owens Corning from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 21st. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Owens Corning from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Loop Capital raised their target price on shares of Owens Corning from $125.00 to $138.00 in a research note on Friday, June 9th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Owens Corning from $96.00 to $111.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Owens Corning has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $108.92.

Shares of OC opened at $122.14 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $107.74 and a 200-day simple moving average of $98.30. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The company has a market capitalization of $11.01 billion, a PE ratio of 8.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.42. Owens Corning has a 52-week low of $72.97 and a 52-week high of $123.32.

Owens Corning (NYSE:OC  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The construction company reported $2.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.22 by $0.55. The business had revenue of $2.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.22 billion. Owens Corning had a net margin of 13.54% and a return on equity of 26.06%. The businesss revenue was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.84 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Owens Corning will post 10.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Owens Corning Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 4th. Investors of record on Monday, July 17th will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 14th. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.70%. Owens Cornings dividend payout ratio is currently 15.05%.

About Owens Corning

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Owens Corning engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of insulation, roofing, and fiberglass composites. It operates through the following segments: Composites, Insulation, and Roofing. The Composites segment manufactures, fabricates, and sells glass reinforcements in the form of fiber, and includes vertically integrated downstream activities.

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Polianta Ltd lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI Australia ETF (NYSEARCA:EWA  Get Rating) by 94.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 646,400 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 313,800 shares during the quarter. iShares MSCI Australia ETF accounts for 6.8% of Polianta Ltds investment portfolio, making the stock its largest holding. Polianta Ltd owned 0.70% of iShares MSCI Australia ETF worth $14,828,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of EWA. Raymond James & Associates purchased a new stake in iShares MSCI Australia ETF in the 1st quarter valued at $812,000. US Bancorp DE purchased a new stake in iShares MSCI Australia ETF in the 1st quarter valued at $38,000. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its position in iShares MSCI Australia ETF by 12.0% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 20,771 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $549,000 after buying an additional 2,219 shares during the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in iShares MSCI Australia ETF in the 1st quarter valued at $1,032,000. Finally, Citigroup Inc. raised its position in iShares MSCI Australia ETF by 25.7% in the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 15,008 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $397,000 after buying an additional 3,067 shares during the last quarter. 60.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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iShares MSCI Australia ETF Price Performance

NYSEARCA EWA opened at $23.31 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $22.90 and a 200 day simple moving average of $23.10. iShares MSCI Australia ETF has a 12 month low of $19.19 and a 12 month high of $25.22.

iShares MSCI Australia ETF Profile

iShares MSCI Australia ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI Australia Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, of publicly traded securities in the Australian market, as represented by the MSCI Australia Index (the Index).

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President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation Rustam Minnikhanov, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, have attended the inauguration of Auto Leasing Azerbaijan LLC in the Araz Valley Economic Zone Industrial Park in the Jabrayil district, Azernews reports.

Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov highlighted the works done here.

The Industrial Park occupies an area of 200 hectares.

President Ilham Aliyev and Rais Rustam Minnikhanov cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of Auto Leasing Azerbaijan LLC.

Auto Leasing Azerbaijan LLC, a joint venture of Russia and Azerbaijan, has established a technical service center on the 3-hectare area of the Araz Valley Economic Zone Industrial Park. The center will serve as a hub for trucks and agricultural machinery.

More than AZN 9.4 million out of total investment worth AZN 10.2 million has already been invested in the construction of the enterprise.








BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. The players interested in the escalation of the situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan will do their best to prevent the achievement of stability and peace in the region, military and political expert Telman Gasimov told Trend.

"If there is peace, these players will not have a chance to achieve their goals. The West is trying to push Russia out of the region. Iran is not interested in opening the Zangezur corridor. The goal is that all projects are implemented through Iran and they get huge profits from them. So they come up with excuses and prevent it.

The provocations committed by Armenia in recent days show that the escalation will increase. As long as the interests of the players in the region collide, the situation will escalate," he said.

On June 15, 2023, at 08:45 (GMT+4), as a result of shelling from the territory of Armenia, a serviceman of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan, who served at the Lachin border checkpoint, was wounded. The enemy firing point was suppressed by return fire, the situation is under the control of Azerbaijani units.
Savior LLC grew its position in iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:HSCZ  Get Rating) by 37.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 16,081 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 4,402 shares during the period. Savior LLC owned 0.53% of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF worth $440,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in HSCZ. US Bancorp DE acquired a new stake in shares of iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF in the 1st quarter valued at $120,000. Flow Traders U.S. LLC bought a new position in iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF during the first quarter worth about $507,000. Certified Advisory Corp bought a new position in iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF during the first quarter worth about $585,000. Finally, OLD Mission Capital LLC bought a new position in iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF during the third quarter worth about $1,252,000.

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iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF Stock Performance

HSCZ stock traded up $0.05 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $28.73. 14,921 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 20,075. The company has a market cap of $93.95 million, a PE ratio of 10.87 and a beta of 0.80. iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF has a one year low of $25.58 and a one year high of $33.35. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $28.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $27.46.

About iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF

The iShares Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETF (HSCZ) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in small-cap stocks. The fund tracks an index of small-cap stocks from developed markets outside the US and Canada, hedged against movements in the underlying currencies for US investors. HSCZ was launched on Jul 1, 2015 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Citigroup began coverage on shares of Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW  Get Rating) in a research note released on Tuesday morning, The Fly reports. The brokerage issued a buy rating and a $283.00 target price on the specialty chemicals companys stock.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on SHW. Loop Capital lifted their price objective on Sherwin-Williams from $260.00 to $285.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 26th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Sherwin-Williams from $253.00 to $269.00 in a report on Monday, June 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Sherwin-Williams from $260.00 to $265.00 in a report on Thursday, April 27th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Sherwin-Williams from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their price target for the company from $240.00 to $275.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 24th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Sherwin-Williams in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen 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 an average price target of $261.26.

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Sherwin-Williams Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of SHW stock opened at $247.95 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.03. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $232.98 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $233.21. Sherwin-Williams has a 12-month low of $195.24 and a 12-month high of $265.64. The firm has a market cap of $63.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 1.07.

Sherwin-Williams Announces Dividend

Sherwin-Williams ( NYSE:SHW Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.84 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.14 billion. Sherwin-Williams had a return on equity of 86.29% and a net margin of 9.41%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.61 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Sherwin-Williams will post 8.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 19th were given a $0.605 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 18th. This represents a $2.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.98%. Sherwin-Williamss dividend payout ratio is currently 29.69%.

Institutional Trading of Sherwin-Williams

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in SHW. Wealth Alliance lifted its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 119.5% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Alliance now owns 2,472 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $587,000 after buying an additional 1,346 shares during the period. General Partner Inc. bought a new position in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the 4th quarter valued at $61,000. Alpha Paradigm Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the 3rd quarter valued at $373,000. Czech National Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 27,602 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $6,551,000 after buying an additional 192 shares during the period. Finally, Aureus Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC now owns 132,579 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $31,465,000 after buying an additional 1,199 shares during the period. 76.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Sherwin-Williams

(Get Rating)

The Sherwin-Williams Company engages in the manufacture, distribution, and sale of paints, coating, and related products to professional, industrial, commercial, and retail customers. It operates through three segments: The Americas Group, Consumer Brands Group, and Performance Coatings Group. The Americas Group segment offers architectural paints and coatings, and protective and marine products, as well as OEM product finishes and related products for architectural and industrial paint contractors, and do-it-yourself homeowners.

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Jervois Global Limited (OTCMKTS:JRVMF  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 5,065,500 shares, a drop of 21.7% from the May 15th total of 6,465,300 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 500,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 10.1 days.

Jervois Global Price Performance

JRVMF traded up $0.01 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $0.06. 1,265,920 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 602,552. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $0.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $0.13. Jervois Global has a one year low of $0.04 and a one year high of $0.42.

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Jervois Global Company Profile

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Jervois Global Limited engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral properties. The company explores for cobalt, nickel, copper, and gold deposits. It holds 100% interest in the Idaho Cobalt Operations project located in the state of Idaho, the United States; the Sao Miguel Paulista nickel cobalt refinery in Sao Paulo, Brazil; and the Nico Young nickel-cobalt deposits in New South Wales, Australia.

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Monarch Mining Co. (OTCMKTS:GBARF  Get Rating) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 42,800 shares, a drop of 15.1% from the May 15th total of 50,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 57,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.7 days.

Monarch Mining Price Performance

OTCMKTS:GBARF remained flat at C$0.04 during trading hours on Friday. The company had a trading volume of 1,310 shares, compared to its average volume of 34,081. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of C$0.04 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$0.05. Monarch Mining has a fifty-two week low of C$0.03 and a fifty-two week high of C$0.40.

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Monarch Mining Company Profile

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Monarch Mining Corporation, a gold mining company, engages in the exploration and development of mining properties in Canada. It owns 295 square kilometers of mining assets, including the Beaufor mine, Croinor property, McKenzie property, Swanson property, and Beacon Mill. The company was incorporated in 2020 and is headquartered in Saint-Sauveur, Canada.

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St. Louis Financial Planners Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 21,517 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock, valued at approximately $1,491,000.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Authentikos Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the first quarter valued at about $317,000. Neville Rodie & Shaw Inc. grew its holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Neville Rodie & Shaw Inc. now owns 157,590 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $10,922,000 after acquiring an additional 2,458 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New Hampshire raised its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.0% during the first quarter. Bank of New Hampshire now owns 23,881 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,655,000 after acquiring an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Cedar Brook Financial Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 21.0% during the first quarter. Cedar Brook Financial Partners LLC now owns 8,371 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $580,000 after acquiring an additional 1,451 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cacti Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.4% during the first quarter. Cacti Asset Management LLC now owns 36,450 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $2,526,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.51% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Credit Suisse Group lowered their target price on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $78.00 to $72.00 in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Barclays cut their price objective on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $66.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Monday, May 1st. 51job restated a maintains rating on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Friday, April 28th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $78.62.

Insider Buying and Selling at Bristol-Myers Squibb

Bristol-Myers Squibb Trading Up 2.3 %

In other Bristol-Myers Squibb news, EVP Rupert Vessey sold 50,385 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.06, for a total transaction of $3,378,818.10. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 47,751 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,202,182.06. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

NYSE BMY opened at $66.16 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $67.17 and a 200 day simple moving average of $70.33. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 12 month low of $63.07 and a 12 month high of $81.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $138.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.29, a PEG ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.44.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $11.34 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.50 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a return on equity of 51.75% and a net margin of 15.95%. The companys revenue was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.96 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Investors of record on Friday, July 7th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.45%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.47%.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Profile

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Bristol Myers Squibb Co engages in the discovery, development, licensing, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of biopharmaceutical products. It offers chemically-synthesized drugs or small molecules and products produced from biological processes called biologics. The company was founded in August 1933 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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Stillwater Investment Management LLC raised its stake in The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS  Get Rating) by 0.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,591 shares of the investment management companys stock after buying an additional 64 shares during the period. The Goldman Sachs Group makes up approximately 0.9% of Stillwater Investment Management LLCs holdings, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Stillwater Investment Management LLCs holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $3,464,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Platform Technology Partners increased its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 1.2% in the first quarter. Platform Technology Partners now owns 4,268 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $1,396,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Greenhaven Associates Inc. increased its stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Greenhaven Associates Inc. now owns 2,224,798 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $727,754,000 after purchasing an additional 43,922 shares in the last quarter. Cedar Brook Financial Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 29.3% during the 1st quarter. Cedar Brook Financial Partners LLC now owns 1,733 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $567,000 after purchasing an additional 393 shares in the last quarter. Symmetry Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 27.1% during the 1st quarter. Symmetry Partners LLC now owns 3,620 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $1,184,000 after purchasing an additional 772 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Acrisure Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $258,000. 69.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Transactions at The Goldman Sachs Group

In related news, Treasurer Philip R. Berlinski sold 3,750 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $338.10, for a total transaction of $1,267,875.00. Following the completion of the sale, the treasurer now directly owns 21,366 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,223,844.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 9,000,000 shares of The Goldman Sachs Group stock in a transaction on Monday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.73, for a total transaction of $105,570,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 51,676,439 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $606,164,629.47. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Treasurer Philip R. Berlinski sold 3,750 shares of The Goldman Sachs Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $338.10, for a total transaction of $1,267,875.00. Following the sale, the treasurer now directly owns 21,366 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,223,844.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 33,935,026 shares of company stock valued at $647,273,318. Corporate insiders own 0.54% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

The Goldman Sachs Group Price Performance

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group raised shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $390.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $339.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, JMP Securities boosted their price target on The Goldman Sachs Group from $460.00 to $470.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $389.17.

The Goldman Sachs Group stock opened at $338.31 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $330.93 and a 200-day moving average of $343.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $277.84 and a 52-week high of $389.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $112.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.04, a PEG ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 1.41.

The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 18th. The investment management company reported $8.79 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $8.14 by $0.65. The company had revenue of $12.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $12.66 billion. The Goldman Sachs Group had a return on equity of 9.84% and a net margin of 13.23%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $10.76 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 31.57 EPS for the current year.

The Goldman Sachs Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st will be paid a dividend of $2.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $10.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.96%. The Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 35.60%.

The Goldman Sachs Group Profile

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The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc, a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions segments. The Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as secured lending, through structured credit and asset-backed lending and involved in resale agreements.

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Shares of Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdings Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:TAIPY  Get Rating) fell 1% on Thursday . The company traded as low as $9.29 and last traded at $9.33. 26,902 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 230% from the average session volume of 8,163 shares. The stock had previously closed at $9.42.

Taisho Pharmaceutical Trading Up 1.1 %

The business has a 50-day moving average of $10.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $10.24.

Taisho Pharmaceutical Company Profile

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Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdings Co, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and prescription pharmaceutical products in Japan and internationally. It operates through Self-Medication Operation Group and Prescription Pharmaceutical Operation Group segments.

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Symmetry Partners LLC decreased its holdings in shares of The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS  Get Rating) by 2.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,800 shares of the basic materials companys stock after selling 359 shares during the quarter. Symmetry Partners LLCs holdings in Mosaic were worth $587,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Mosaic by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 17,436,703 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $842,716,000 after purchasing an additional 683,104 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors acquired a new position in shares of Mosaic during the 1st quarter worth $412,663,000. Neuberger Berman Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Mosaic by 37.4% during the 3rd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 4,949,338 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $239,209,000 after purchasing an additional 1,346,086 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its stake in shares of Mosaic by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 4,840,578 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $212,356,000 after purchasing an additional 85,994 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of Mosaic by 910.9% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,451,909 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $296,052,000 after purchasing an additional 4,011,530 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.00% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on MOS shares. Credit Suisse Group raised their target price on shares of Mosaic from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a research note on Thursday, February 23rd. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Mosaic from $50.00 to $40.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 1st. Berenberg Bank lowered their target price on shares of Mosaic from $47.00 to $38.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on shares of Mosaic from $78.00 to $70.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Mosaic from $54.00 to $50.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Mosaic presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $46.88.

Mosaic Price Performance

NYSE:MOS opened at $35.82 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $38.85 and a 200-day moving average of $44.67. The company has a market capitalization of $11.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.44, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.50. The Mosaic Company has a 52 week low of $31.44 and a 52 week high of $63.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a current ratio of 1.13.

Mosaic (NYSE:MOS  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The basic materials company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.28 by ($0.14). The business had revenue of $3.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.26 billion. Mosaic had a return on equity of 28.64% and a net margin of 15.08%. Mosaics revenue was down 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.41 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that The Mosaic Company will post 4.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mosaic Profile

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The Mosaic Co engages in the production and marketing of concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients. It operates through the following segments: Phosphates, Potash, and Mosaic Fertilizantes. The Phosphates segment is involved in the ownership and operation of mines and production facilities which produce concentrated phosphate crop nutrients and phosphate-based animal feed ingredients, and processing plants which produce concentrated phosphate crop nutrients.

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Rovin Capital UT ADV boosted its position in The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU  Get Rating) by 7.0% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 31,794 shares of the credit services providers stock after purchasing an additional 2,084 shares during the period. Rovin Capital UT ADVs holdings in Western Union were worth $355,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Western Union by 16.2% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 30,665 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $575,000 after acquiring an additional 4,265 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Western Union by 137.8% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 117,142 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $2,195,000 after acquiring an additional 67,876 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Western Union by 14.8% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 58,715 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $1,100,000 after acquiring an additional 7,576 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Western Union by 18.2% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,410,073 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $45,173,000 after acquiring an additional 370,987 shares during the period. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Western Union by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 72,887 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $1,403,000 after acquiring an additional 2,286 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.66% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on WU. UBS Group upgraded shares of Western Union from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on shares of Western Union from $15.00 to $12.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Western Union from an underperform rating to a peer perform rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Western Union from $13.00 to $10.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 13th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Western Union in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have given a hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $13.70.

Western Union Stock Down 0.7 %

WU stock opened at $11.55 on Friday. The Western Union Company has a twelve month low of $10.07 and a twelve month high of $17.42. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.45. The company has a market capitalization of $4.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.78 and a beta of 0.85. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $11.56 and a 200-day simple moving average of $12.64.

Western Union (NYSE:WU  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The credit services provider reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.09. Western Union had a net margin of 17.65% and a return on equity of 128.52%. The business had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $997.07 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.51 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that The Western Union Company will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Western Union Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 16th will be issued a $0.235 dividend. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.14%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 15th. Western Unions dividend payout ratio is presently 47.00%.

Western Union Profile

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The Western Union Co is a holding company, which engages in the provision of money transfer and payment services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer-to-Consumer, Business Solutions, and Other. The Consumer-to-Consumer segment facilitates money transfers between two consumers. The Business Solutions segment offers payment and foreign exchange solutions, cross-border, and cross-currency transactions for small and medium size enterprises and other organizations and individuals.

Further Reading

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Paragon 28, Inc. (NYSE:FNA  Get Rating) Director Thomas P. Schnettler sold 6,900 shares of Paragon 28 stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.54, for a total transaction of $127,926.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 29,129 shares in the company, valued at approximately $540,051.66. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Paragon 28 Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE FNA traded up $0.07 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $18.50. The company had a trading volume of 561,325 shares, compared to its average volume of 342,153. The company has a quick ratio of 2.01, a current ratio of 3.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. Paragon 28, Inc. has a twelve month low of $14.92 and a twelve month high of $21.49. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $18.06 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $18.28.

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Paragon 28 (NYSE:FNA  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported ($0.11) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.10) by ($0.01). Paragon 28 had a negative net margin of 34.96% and a negative return on equity of 38.68%. The company had revenue of $52.04 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $50.26 million. Sell-side analysts predict that Paragon 28, Inc. will post -0.39 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Paragon 28

FNA has been the topic of several analyst reports. Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Paragon 28 in a report on Monday, April 10th. They issued an overweight rating and a $23.00 target price on the stock. JMP Securities reaffirmed a market outperform rating and issued a $30.00 target price on shares of Paragon 28 in a report on Friday, March 3rd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $24.00 target price on shares of Paragon 28 in a report on Thursday, April 20th.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in Paragon 28 by 73.1% during the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,796 shares of the companys stock worth $68,000 after acquiring an additional 1,603 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in shares of Paragon 28 by 22.9% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,252 shares of the companys stock worth $71,000 after buying an additional 793 shares in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of Paragon 28 during the second quarter worth about $92,000. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in shares of Paragon 28 by 838.5% during the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 6,382 shares of the companys stock worth $114,000 after buying an additional 5,702 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank purchased a new stake in shares of Paragon 28 during the third quarter worth about $125,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 21.92% of the companys stock.

Paragon 28 Company Profile

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Paragon 28, Inc designs, develops, distributes, and sells foot and ankle surgical systems in the United States and internationally. It offers plating systems, including gorilla plating systems, such as lisfranc, lapidus, lateral column, calcaneus slide, and naviculocuneiform (NC) fusion plating systems; baby gorilla plate-specific screws, navicular fracture plates, and 5th metatarsal hook plates; and silverback plating systems.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. There are people in Armenia whose personal interests depend on there being conflict with Azerbaijan, former U.S. Ambassador to the country Matthew Bryza told Trend.

as he was commenting on the latest escalation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border.

These are the revanchist extreme nationalists, the members of the Dashnaksutyun whose branch in the United States, the Armenian National Committee of America, is constantly issuing messages of hate toward Azerbaijan and Turkiye. They're the ones that blocked my nomination as ambassador to Azerbaijan, he said.

Bryza believes that they all know, whether these revanchists are in Armenia or in the United States, that they personally will do better politically and financially if there's no peace with Azerbaijan.

But I think that we're still going to see the process move forward thanks to the very fruitful mediation thus far by European Council President Charles Michel as well as US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, he concluded.

On June 15, 2023, at 08:45 (GMT+4), as a result of shelling from the territory of Armenia, a serviceman of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan, who served at the Lachin border checkpoint, was wounded. The enemy firing point was suppressed by return fire, the situation is under the control of Azerbaijani units.
Trilogy Metals Inc. (TSE:TMQ  Get Rating) shares traded up 1.4% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as C$0.74 and last traded at C$0.74. 3,105 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 88% from the average session volume of 26,104 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.73.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Scotiabank dropped their target price on Trilogy Metals from C$1.10 to C$1.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 25th.

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Trilogy Metals Trading Up 2.7 %

The firms fifty day moving average price is C$0.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$0.77. The stock has a market cap of C$117.68 million, a P/E ratio of -3.30 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 2.21 and a quick ratio of 5.25.

Trilogy Metals Company Profile

Trilogy Metals ( TSE:TMQ Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 5th. The company reported C($0.04) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C($0.01) by C($0.03). As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Trilogy Metals Inc. will post -0.07 EPS for the current year.

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Trilogy Metals Inc, a base metals exploration company, explores for and develops mineral properties in the United States. It principally holds interests in the Upper Kobuk mineral projects that include the Arctic, which contains polymetallic volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits; and Bornite that contains carbonate-hosted copper  cobalt deposits covering an area of approximately 426,690 acres located in the Ambler mining district in Northwest Alaska.

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IMPACTfolio LLC reduced its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW  Get Rating) by 11.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 349 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 47 shares during the quarter. W.W. Grainger comprises 0.2% of IMPACTfolio LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding. IMPACTfolio LLCs holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $240,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Boltwood Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter valued at $238,000. Diametric Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at $746,000. ETF Managers Group LLC lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. ETF Managers Group LLC now owns 1,388 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $772,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 14.0% during the 4th quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,082 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $602,000 after acquiring an additional 133 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mather Group LLC. lifted its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 8.8% during the 4th quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 447 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $249,000 after acquiring an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. 71.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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W.W. Grainger Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GWW opened at $732.03 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.70, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 1 year low of $440.48 and a 1 year high of $748.76. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $678.37 and a 200 day simple moving average of $641.43. The firm has a market cap of $36.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.19.

W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend

W.W. Grainger ( NYSE:GWW Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The industrial products company reported $9.61 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $8.57 by $1.04. The firm had revenue of $4.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.08 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.65% and a return on equity of 61.00%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $7.07 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 35.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 8th were given a $1.86 dividend. This is an increase from W.W. Graingers previous quarterly dividend of $1.72. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 5th. W.W. Graingers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.82%.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 476 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $683.74, for a total value of $325,460.24. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,731 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,183,553.94. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 9.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GWW has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $730.00 to $760.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $537.00 to $555.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. UBS Group increased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $800.00 to $815.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Finally, Loop Capital increased their target price on W.W. Grainger from $750.00 to $800.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $704.88.

About W.W. Grainger

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W.W. Grainger, Inc is a supplier of maintenance, repair, and operating products, with operations in North America, Japan, and the United Kingdom. It operates through the following segments: High-Touch Solutions N.A., Endless Assortment, and Other. The High-Touch Solutions N.A. segment is involved in value-added MRO solutions that are rooted in deep product knowledge and customer expertise.

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Lynch & Associates IN lowered its position in Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT  Get Rating) by 1.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 74,178 shares of the retailers stock after selling 1,414 shares during the quarter. Walmart comprises 2.9% of Lynch & Associates INs investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Lynch & Associates INs holdings in Walmart were worth $10,938,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. My Personal CFO LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Bellwether Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 112.0% during the 3rd quarter. Bellwether Advisors LLC now owns 212 shares of the retailers stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. JDM Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Walmart during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Ulland Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Walmart by 105.3% during the 4th quarter. Ulland Investment Advisors LLC now owns 195 shares of the retailers stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 31.27% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on WMT shares. StockNews.com raised Walmart from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Saturday, June 10th. Barclays lifted their target price on Walmart from $159.00 to $162.00 in a report on Sunday, May 21st. Stephens reiterated an overweight rating and set a $170.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Walmart from $160.00 to $164.00 in a research report on Friday, May 19th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on Walmart from $169.00 to $174.00 in a research report on Friday, May 19th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Walmart currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $166.91.

Insider Activity

Walmart Stock Performance

In other news, SVP David Chojnowski sold 4,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.74, for a total transaction of $626,960.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 39,975 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,265,681.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . In related news, SVP David Chojnowski sold 4,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.74, for a total value of $626,960.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 39,975 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,265,681.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . Also, major shareholder Alice L. Walton sold 478,764 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.71, for a total value of $67,366,882.44. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 254,748,003 shares in the company, valued at $35,845,591,502.13. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last three months, insiders have sold 14,318,443 shares of company stock valued at $2,073,859,260. Company insiders own 46.51% of the companys stock.

Shares of WMT stock opened at $155.53 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.82. Walmart Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $117.97 and a fifty-two week high of $158.23. The company has a market capitalization of $418.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.39, a PEG ratio of 4.62 and a beta of 0.49. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $150.75 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $146.28.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 18th. The retailer reported $1.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $0.15. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.30% and a net margin of 1.82%. The firm had revenue of $152.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $147.91 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.30 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 6.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Profile

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Walmart, Inc engages in retail and wholesale business. The company offers an assortment of merchandise and services at everyday low prices. It operates through the following business segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sams Club. The Walmart U.S. segment operates as a merchandiser of consumer products, operating under the Walmart, Wal-Mart, and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands, as well as walmart.com and other eCommerce brands.

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Whitecap Resources Inc. (TSE:WCP  Get Rating) announced a monthly dividend on Thursday, June 15th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Friday, June 30th will be given a dividend of 0.048 per share on Monday, July 17th. This represents a $0.58 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 29th.

Whitecap Resources Price Performance

WCP stock opened at C$9.46 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 26.28, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.67. Whitecap Resources has a one year low of C$7.70 and a one year high of C$11.52. The stock has a market cap of C$5.73 billion, a PE ratio of 4.48, a P/E/G ratio of -0.33 and a beta of 2.90. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of C$10.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$10.33.

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Whitecap Resources (TSE:WCP  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The company reported C$0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$0.33 by C$0.10. The business had revenue of C$952.60 million during the quarter. Whitecap Resources had a net margin of 33.46% and a return on equity of 26.68%. On average, analysts predict that Whitecap Resources will post 1.2654155 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

About Whitecap Resources

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. ATB Capital decreased their price objective on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$16.00 to C$15.00 in a report on Monday, April 17th. Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price target on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$15.00 to C$14.50 in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$13.50 to C$14.00 in a research note on Friday, February 24th. Finally, National Bankshares raised their price objective on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$15.50 to C$16.50 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of C$15.10.

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Whitecap Resources Inc, oil and gas company, acquires and develops petroleum and natural gas properties in Canada. Its principal properties are located in West Central Alberta, British Columbia, Southeast Saskatchewan, West Central Saskatchewan, and Southwest Saskatchewan. As of February 14, 2022, it had a total proved plus probable reserves of 701,829 thousand barrels of oil equivalent.

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Shares of ZTE Co. (OTCMKTS:ZTCOY  Get Rating) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $4.04 and traded as high as $4.08. ZTE shares last traded at $4.04, with a volume of 4,800 shares.

ZTE Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $9.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.60 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.63. The business has a fifty day moving average of $4.04 and a 200-day moving average of $4.04.

ZTE Company Profile

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ZTE Corporation provides integrated communication information solutions in the People's Republic of China, rest of Asia, Africa, Europe, the United States, and Oceania. It operates through three segments: Carriers' Networks, Government and Corporate Business, and Consumer Business. The Carriers' Network segment provides wireless access, wireline access, bearer systems, core networks, telecommunication software systems and services, and other technologies and product solutions for meeting carries' requirements.

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A single Tweet alleging Communist Party interference was all it took for Canada to freeze ties with a China-led development bank this week. The question now is whether other US allies will join Canada  and would Beijing even care?



The controversy over the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank began Wednesday, when Bob Pickard  its former global head of communications  declared on Twitter that he was quitting his job because the lender was dominated by Communist Party members and also has one of the most toxic cultures imaginable. Within hours, Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced it would halt all activities with the bank while the government conducts a review.



The AIIB quickly denied the claims, with Vice President and Corporate Secretary Ludger Schuknecht telling Bloomberg the bank welcomed Canadas review because we have nothing to hide. China called the whole thing a a sensational publicity stunt and a complete lie.



Canadas reaction appears more about current tensions with China than the substance of the allegations, according to Jeremy Mark, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Councils GeoEconomics Center and a former speechwriter at the International Monetary Fund. A recent scandal over allegations of Chinese interference in domestic elections has gripped Canadian politics in recent weeks.



Governments are going to be hesitant about following suit without a strong reason at this point, Mark said. Down the road, it would be interesting to see what happens. But for the moment, I suspect we would not see anything like a mass exodus of governments from the AIIB.



Either way, the swift escalation of the incident shows the extent to which the world has become divided over China since the nations first major multilateral development bank was founded back in 2016. Back then, Canada and other American allies began signing up to participate in the bank even as the US expressed misgivings  a sign of Chinas expanding global economic power and increased influence under President Xi Jinping.



The world has changed drastically since then, with Donald Trumps administration starting a trade war with China that morphed into a wider ideological fight that is starting to bifurcate the global economy. And international financial institutions are getting caught in the middle.



US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made it explicit earlier this week that global institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank should act as a counterweight to Chinas growing clout in the developing world. Beijing hit back, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin saying they are not called the IMF or the World Bank of the United States.



For its part, the AIIB has sought to avoid being an overt tool of the Chinese government since its creation, and some 100 nations have joined the organization. While China is the largest shareholder in the AIIB with 26.6% of the voting share, its president, Jin Liqun, is the only Chinese national on the banks senior leadership team. Other members include former Chief Secretary to the UK Treasury Danny Alexander and former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India Urjit Patel  both nationals of countries with strained ties to Beijing.



Chinese citizens make up about 35% of the banks total staff, the AIIB told Bloomberg. The bank was, however, struggling to recruit overseas candidates as people were increasingly reluctant to move to China, according to a current AIIB staff member, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly.







A separate former senior staffer at the bank, who also asked not to be identified, said they hadnt seen CCP members dominate decision making at the organization. The work environment at AIIB was no different from other multinational development banks, said another former AIIB official who now works at a different lender.



Joerg Wuttke, former president of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, said the AIIB has been a showcase of good governance. I have many contacts there, he added. Never has a single foreign executive stated any party influence.



Schuknecht, the banks vice president, said it doesnt tolerate any influence from one member country and even less from a political party of one member country.



I wouldnt even know who is a member of a Communist Party, he added. The AIIB did not reply to a request for comment on its ability to recruit overseas candidates.



India, which has frequently sparred with Beijing since a deadly brawl on their shared Himalayan frontier in 2020, has been the largest beneficiary of the bank, according to Schuknecht. The AIIB has approved 43 projects approved in the country for a total value of $9.94 billion.



Stephanie Segal, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said there has always been skepticism over the banks relationship with the Communist Party. Chinas ruling party has some 96 million people on its books, with many holding top spots at major firms.



Despite that, the AIIB had gone to great lengths since its founding to establish itself as a multilateral institution free from undue influence from the Chinese government, added Segal, a former US Treasury official and IMF economist.



Canada accounts for 1% of the banks total contributions, or $995 million. Pickard said in an interview with Bloomberg that Jin told him it was no big deal if his home nation quit  a statement the AIIB called false, saying all countries are valued.



So far, no other members have publicly adopted Canadas position. China has recently hosted leaders from places like the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia who have sought to strengthen financial ties with Beijing.



Countries from the so-called Global South are more conscious of how institutions created after World War II are no longer representative of this new world order, said Karin Vazquez, a senior non-resident fellow with think tank Center for China and Globalization.



Its an Asian bank  Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, she said. You may agree or you may not agree with the way things are done. But ultimately these are the countries who own the bank.
Measuring the success of customer centricity is crucial for businesses to evaluate the effectiveness of their strategies in this area and to ensure they are delivering value. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, here are some key methods with examples for small and medium enterprises to adapt and grow.



The starting point is always customer satisfaction surveys. Conducting regular surveys helps measure the level of satisfaction customers have with your products, services and overall experience.



You can use Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), or other metrics to assess customer sentiment. Analyse the survey results, identify the trends, and track the changes over time to gauge the impact of your customer-centric initiatives.



As an example, one of our clients sent out an NPS survey after each customer interaction. By tracking NPS scores over several months, they noticed a consistent upward trend in 77 percent of the cases, indicating improved customer centricity.



Listen to feedback



Next is the customer feedback survey. Actively listening to customer feedback from channels such as social media, online reviews, and customer support interactions provides valuable insights. Analyse the feedback to identify recurring themes, pain points, and areas of improvement.



Categorise the feedback into positive, negative, and neutral sentiments to assess the effectiveness of your customer-centric efforts. A restaurant monitored online reviews and discovered recurring complaints about slow service. By addressing this issue and measuring subsequent reviews, they observed a significant decrease in negative feedback, indicating an improvement in customer centricity.



The third is customer lifetime value (CLV) measurement. CLV measures the total value a customer brings to your business over their entire relationship with you.



By calculating CLV, you can identify the most valuable customers and focus on strategies to enhance their experience, retention, and loyalty. A higher CLV signifies successful customer-centric initiatives.



An e-commerce company that we advise tracked purchases and identified a group of loyal customers with high CLV. They implemented personalised offers, exclusive rewards, and priority services to enhance the customer experience. As a result, the CLV of this segment increased, indicating improvement in customer-centric initiatives.



Fourth is the measurement of customer retention. The customer retention rate measures the percentage of customers who continue to do business with you over a specific period.



High retention rates indicate that customers find value in doing business with you and they have a positive experience overall. Monitoring retention rates helps assess the effectiveness of customer-centric initiatives in fostering long-term relationships.



As an example, a software company introduced proactive customer support and dedicated account managers to have long-term clients. By tracking customer retention rates, they observed a significant decrease in churn, indicating that their customer-centric approach was successful in retaining customers, which made them continue it as a best practice that is core to their strategy.



Fifth is the customer effort score (CES). CES measures the ease with which customers can interact with your business and accomplish their goals.



By minimising customer effort, you enhance customer experience and increase satisfaction. You must have encountered internet sites that allow you to buy from them easily but there is no easy way out for a refund or cancellation.



Lower CES scores indicate improved customer centricity. A telecom provider introduced self-service options and an intuitive mobile app to handle enquiries. By regularly measuring CES, they found a consistent decrease in effort scores, indicating that their customer-centric initiatives made it easier for customers to resolve issues.



Satisfied employees



Sixth is employee engagement and satisfaction. Engaged and satisfied employees are more likely to deliver exceptional customer experiences.



Measure employee engagement and satisfaction levels through surveys or other means. Analyse the correlation between employee satisfaction and customer-centric outcomes to understand the impact of your internal practices on customer-centricity.



A retail chain conducted employee satisfaction surveys and compared the results with customer satisfaction scores. They found a positive correlation, indicating that happy employees contributed to improved customer satisfaction and retention, which indicated success in customer-centric initiatives.







In addition to these common metrics, businesses must also monitor customer behaviour by tracking website traffic, social media engagement, and other customer activity.



Here are some examples of how businesses can use these metrics to measure customer-centricity success:



 A company with a high churn rate might want to focus on improving customer satisfaction. This could be done by providing better customer service, offering more personalised products and services, or making it easier for customers to do business with you.



 A company with a low NPS might want to focus on increasing customer loyalty. This could be done by offering reward programmes, providing exclusive discounts, or simply making customers feel appreciated.



 A company with a low CLV might want to focus on increasing customer retention. This could be done by offering subscription services, providing product upgrades, or simply making it easy for customers to renew their contracts.



It's essential to note that measuring customer centricity is an ongoing process and the chosen metrics may vary based on industry, business model, and corporate goals. Continuously monitor and analyse the selected indicators to make informed decisions and drive customer-centric improvements.



Muneer is a global expert columnist and managing director of CustomerLab Solutions, an innovative consulting firm delivering measurable results to clients. Twitter @MuneerMuh
Quant Mutual Fund has acquired more than 2 percent equity stake in IKIO Lighting on its listing day, while a Canada-based pension fund has sold nearly Rs 100 crore shares in Piramal Pharma via open market transactions on June 16.



As per the bulk deals data available with exchanges, Quant Mutual Fund via Quant Quantamental Fund acquired 6.01 lakh shares in IKIO Lighting while another 6.02 lakh shares were bought by its Quant Multi Asset Fund, totalling to 12.03 lakh shares or a 2.15 percent stake.



The average buying price for above shares in the LED lighting solutions manufacturer was Rs 409.08 per share. The stock had a stellar debut on the bourses, rising 41.7 percent to settle at Rs 403.75.



Among other bulk deals, Caisse De Depot Et Placement DU Quebec, the second largest pension fund in Canada, has sold 1.05 crore equity shares or 0.88 percent stake in Piramal Pharma at an average price of Rs 94.48 per share, amounting to Rs 99.86 crore.



Cassie De Depot held 5.53 percent stake or 6.59 crore shares in the company as of March 2023.



However, US-registered investment advisor The Vanguard Group Inc, via Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund, acquired 62.02 lakh shares in the pharmaceutical business owned by Ajay Piramal's Piramal Group, at an average price of Rs 94.71 per share.



Piramal Pharma shares climbed 2.66 percent to Rs 94.60.



Aavas Financiers was also in focus on June 16. Foreign portfolio investor Small Cap World Fund Inc offloaded 7.08 lakh equity shares or 0.9 percent equity stake in the Jaipur-based housing finance company.



These shares were sold at an average price of Rs 1,350.02 per share and were worth Rs 95.71 crore. Smallcap World Fund held 7.99 percent stake or 63.18 lakh shares in the company as of March 2023.



Kalyan Jewellers India rallied nearly 15 percent to Rs 131.10 despite Warburg Pincus offloading more than 6 percent equity shareholding in the jewellery company that it backs.



Highdell Investment, which was backed by the US-based private equity major Warburg Pincus, sold 6.41 crore equity shares or 6.2 percent stake in Kalyan Jewellers at an average price of Rs 113.1 per share. This foreign investor held 23.82 percent stake or 24.53 crore shares in the company as of March 2023.



On the other side, Nomura India Investment Fund Mother Fund, Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund via Franklin India Flexi Cap Fund, and BNP Paribas Arbitrage were the buyers for some of those shares, acquiring in total 3.39 lakh shares or 3.3 percent stake in the jewellery company at same price.



Moneycontrol was the first to report the names involved in Kalyan Jewellers' block deals



IIFL Finance was also in focus. DSP Mutual Fund has bought 50 lakh equity shares or 1.31 percent shareholding in IIFL Finance, the financial services company, at an average price of Rs 500 per share. The stock climbed 2.8 percent to Rs 512.65.



However, foreign company FIH Mauritius Investments, the biggest public shareholder in IIFL, was the seller in this deal. As of March 2023, it held 8.46 crore shares or 22.25 percent shareholding in the company.
Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) are known for issuing diktats to residents, which at times are bizarre. You may have seen signboards pasted outside condominiums advocating diktats restricting the movement of pets in societies or the controlled use of lifts for pets. But here are some odd rules that RWAs have come up with in the past.



Ban on lungi and nightwear in common areas



A group housing society in Greater Noida issued a dress code for its residents, advising them not to wear 'lungis' or 'nighties' within the complex. The dress code was issued via a notice by the residents' body of Himsagar Apartments on June 10 following a complaint about 'objectionable dressing' by some residents.



However, the move drew divergent reactions from the residents. Many on social media criticised the move, calling it against the rights of the residents, while some supported it, saying decorum should be maintained in public places even if they are in a housing complex. Following these public reactions, the RWA had to withdraw the diktat after four days.



To a query from Moneycontrol, there was no response from the RWA president of the society.



Restriction on movement of residents during COVID-19 pandemic



COVID-19 was a time when a number of odd rules were imposed by RWAs on their residents. In several societies in Noida and Delhi, residents were not allowed to move out of their homes, and RWAs used to shut down lifts every day for a certain period of time.



In some societies, residents were allowed to move only between 6 am and 9 am. Restricted use of lifts for vendors, and not allowing delivery of newspapers and other home deliveries were also some of the odd directives issued by RWAs.



Do not dry clothes in balconies



Several posh or high-end housing complexes have bylaws that restrict residents from hanging out clothes to dry on their balconies, as it would paint an "ugly picture" of the housing complex.



A resident of Omaxe Twin Towers in Noida, on condition of anonymity, said the bylaws of the society lay down that residents are expected not to dry or wash their clothes on the main balconies.



"They have provided a service balcony at the back of the flat where one can wash and hang their clothes to dry, but not on the front balconies as it will give an ugly look to the society," the resident said. He, however, added that the RWA of the society never issued any directive in this regard.



Ban on opposite sex guests for singles



In 2017, a high-end housing society in Gurgaons posh MG Road imposed a blanket ban on the visits of opposite sex guests of single residents to the latters flats, even if he or she was a family member. The RWA imposed the ban to maintain peace and order in the housing complex. The move attracted public outcry and was later stayed by the court. However, similar rules still exist in many societies across the National Capital Region (NCR).



Also Read: Supertech Emerald Court society in Noida issues notices to owners running paying guest facilities



Bachelors not allowed



Many residential societies do not allow house owners to rent out their properties to bachelors -- male or female. RWAs of such societies say that bachelors create a nuisance, and hence they do not prefer them as tenants.



Indresh Singh, a legal expert and lawyer, said, "RWAs cannot make rules that lead to harassment of residents or amount to moral policing. Be it issuing a dress code, banning visits by opposite sex guests, or not allowing bachelors to rent a flat, such rules are not right. These are in violation of a persons rights."



He, however, said that tenants should also take care not to indulge in behaviour that causes trouble for fellow residents.
Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) and Titagarh Rail Systems, formerly Titagarh Wagons, gained 2 percent and 3 percent in the morning on June 16 after their consortium signed a contract to manufacture Vande Bharat trains. Titagarh Wagons rose to its 52-week high of Rs 430.



A consortium led by BHEL and Titagarh Rail Systems signed a contract for the manufacturing and supply of 80 fully assembled Vande Bharat sleeper train sets by 2029 and their maintenance for 35 years.



This is the first time that the Indian Railways awarded a contract of this value to an Indian consortium. The estimated value of the contract is Rs 24,000 crore.



Catch all the market action on our live blog



We are committed to becoming a modest contributor to the Prime Minister's AatmaNirbhar vision. Vande Bharat trains have revolutionised the way we travel, and we are proud to be a part of the governments Make in India initiative," said Umesh Chowdhary, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Titagarh Rail Systems.



The company's focus on adopting the latest technology to boost engineering prowess would help it build state-of-the-art railway trainsets at par with global standards, he said.



The order would be executed over six years. The first prototype would be delivered within two years after which the remaining deliveries would be made Chowdhary added.



BHEL also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles for taking up a joint project for development & deployment of Type  IV Cylinders (Hydrogen / CNG) in the commercial vehicle segment.



At 9.31 am, Titagarh Wagons was quoting at Rs 424.75, up Rs 8.55, or 2.05 percent, and Bharat Heavy Electricals was quoting at Rs 86.15, up Rs 1.68, or 1.99 percent, on the BSE.



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.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. A concert by the world-renowned Vienna Chamber Orchestra took place at the Heydar Aliyev Center, Trend reports.

The evening, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, became a true celebration for classical music enthusiasts.

One of the finest chamber orchestras in the global cultural space, it was established back in 1946. The orchestra has a rich history of collaboration with outstanding conductors, soloists, and vocalists. Since the 1970s and 1980s, the tradition of performing concerts from the 18th century with a soloist as the conductor has been established, adding a unique flair to the rendition of classical compositions and showcasing immense professionalism.

The ensemble primarily presents its concerts at its permanent creative venue, the Vienna Musikverein concert hall, and actively tours as a frequent guest at international festivals, featuring the most extraordinary, rare, and exclusive works from renowned composers of different eras as well as contemporary authors. The visit to Baku was organized by Premier LTD.

On this evening, the Auditorium of the Heydar Aliyev Center resonated with the works of great Austrian composers Franz Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who have had a significant influence on the world's music history and culture.

The concert featured a young Azerbaijani flutist, a graduate of the Uzeyir Hajibayli Baku Music Academy and laureate of international competitions, Nijat Mamedov.

"I have been playing the flute since I was six years old, and for 24 years, during my studies and performances at various competitions, festivals, and stages, I have always tried to promote national art. But this evening holds special significance for me. It is a great honor and pride for me to perform on the stage of the Heydar Aliyev Center with the renowned Vienna Chamber Orchestra. This performance will be one of the brightest moments in my artistic life," said Nijat Mamedov in an interview with Trend before the concert.

The flute is one of the oldest wind instruments, known for its elegance, and it is used in various genres, from classical and folk to popular music. The guests of the concert program had the opportunity to appreciate the beauty, precision, and purity of the flute's sound. Nijat Mamedov, with his virtuosic performance, demonstrated the unique features and beauty of the flute's sound alongside the orchestra.

The concert program concluded with a special surprise prepared by the Vienna Chamber Orchestra - a performance of "Arazbari", a composition by the distinguished Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibayli.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State Visit to the US will have "significant outcomes", External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday.



Interacting with reporters on the sidelines of a function here, he also said that it will be the first time that an Indian prime minister will be addressing the US Congress twice.



Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. They will host Modi at a State Dinner on June 22. The visit also includes an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on June 22.



"The prime minister is going on a State Visit, which signifies the highest level of honour. So, the honour that he will receive, has been accorded to a very few people, so far," Jaishankar said after the function that was held at Badarpur in South Delhi as part of the BJP's mega outreach campaign -- 'Sampark se Samarthan' -- to mark the completion of the nine years of the Modi government. "The prime minister will address a Joint Session of the US Congress. No Indian prime minister has addressed it twice. So, it will be the first time. World over also, very few people have done that... Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela. So, there are very few people who have addressed the US Congress twice," Jaishankar said.



It assumes "huge importance" and outcomes will be seen later, the external affairs minister said. Asked about the implications of the State Visit on India-US relations, he said this State Visit will have "significant outcomes" and added that "what outcomes these will be, I cannot tell that right now".



Prime Minister Modi will arrive in New York on June 20 and will lead the 9th International Yoga Day celebrations at the UN headquarters on June 21. He will then travel to Washington DC where he will be welcomed by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on June 22 for the State Visit.



Asked what message will this State Visit by Modi to the US send to China and Pakistan, the Union minister said, "When a prime minister visits a country, it is to take our (India's) relationship forward. I understand that it is a globalised world, so if something happens, it may or may not have an impact on others. We see it for our interests, from perspective of our relations".
The convoy of Union Minister Nisith Pramanik was attacked on Saturday allegedly by supporters of the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district, a charge the ruling party dismissed.



The incident occurred in the Sahibganj area when Pramanik attempted to visit the Block Development Office where scrutinising nomination papers for the upcoming panchayat polls was going on.



The minister claimed that he went there following reports of TMC activists "blocking the road to the BDO office and engaging in malpractices".



"When I attempted to visit the BDO office, my convoy was pelted with stones. Bombs were hurled at us. TMC activists beat up our party workers, and papers belonging to our candidates were destroyed. It is shameful that the police stood by as mere spectators," Pramanik alleged.



The union minister also claimed that BJP workers were prevented from entering the BDO office, citing Section 144 of CrPC, while "TMC activists were allowed to assemble outside" the office premises.



However, the TMC termed these allegations as "baseless".



He insisted that the scrutiny of nomination papers should be conducted in the presence of central forces to ensure transparency in the process.



Television footage showed clashes between activists of both parties, with crude bombs being thrown during the altercation.



Reacting to the incident, TMC leader and North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha accused the BJP of "instigating its workers to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in the state".



"The BJP is attempting to disturb the upcoming polls by creating unrest. The union minister, accompanied by central forces, tried to disrupt the scrutiny process. They are using central forces to spread fear," he claimed.



Widespread violence over the filing of nominations for the upcoming panchayat polls in West Bengal has left five people dead and several injured in various parts of the state.



Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Friday asserted that the panchayat poll nomination process in the state was "peaceful", even as she flayed the opposition for making an issue out of "one or two stray" incidents.



Banerjee also rejected claims that opposition candidates were not allowed to file nominations, informing that over 1.5 lakh nomination papers have been filed by them for the July 8 rural polls.
New Delhi (India), June 15: In the current dynamic and fast-moving business landscape, the significance of obtaining precise and dependable data cannot be overstated when it comes to making well-informed decisions. Whether you're a business owner, government agency, or research organization, understanding the intricacies of the Indian corporate sector is essential. That's where CMD Register comes in, serving as a beacon of business intelligence and data analytics in India. CMD Register has pioneered the art of providing business information to its customers in an uncomplicated and user-friendly manner.



Established in 2021, CMD Register has quickly emerged as a leading organization providing comprehensive information on business activities in India. The companys primary objective is to offer valuable insights into the Indian corporate landscape, ranging from company registrations and financials to director profiles. By collating and analyzing this vast trove of data, CMD Register empowers businesses, government entities, and researchers with the tools they need to gain deep insights into the Indian economy.



CMD Register boasts a diverse range of services designed to cater to the unique needs of our users. From detailed company reports and credit analyses to comprehensive financial evaluations, they provide a comprehensive suite of tools and resources. Their search engine enables users to access information by entering a Company Identification Number (CIN), Director Identification Number (DIN), or company name. This streamlined approach ensures that users can effortlessly retrieve the data they need.



One of the flagship offerings is company reports, which provide a holistic view of a company's financial performance. These reports include essential elements such as balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements. Additionally, they provide valuable insights into a company's directors and shareholders, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of its corporate structure.



CMD Register's commitment to being the premier Indian company data provider is unwavering. They recognize the pressing need for high-quality information on Indian businesses, enabling stakeholders to delve into their backgrounds and combat fraudan issue that has unfortunately become rampant in India. With a rapidly expanding database, CMD Register is continuously striving to provide a wealth of accurate and up-to-date information, allowing users to make well-informed decisions.



Currently, their database boasts an impressive collection of Indian companies and directors, with over 2.6 million companies and 3.3 million directorsfigures that highlight the vastness and reliability of data. Moreover, CMD Register takes pride in its well-structured database, ensuring that the information they provide is easily accessible and consumable, setting them apart from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs portal.



Headquartered in Siliguri, CMD Register is strategically positioned to serve the diverse needs of businesses and individuals across the country. Its location in a rapidly growing economic hub reflects their commitment to fostering transparency and empowering stakeholders with the information they need to succeed.



In line with Companys mission to promote transparency and accessibility, CMD Register also offers free access to financial data for select larger companies, such as Reliance, APTIV, ITC, Infosys, Tata etc. By making this data readily available, the company aims to level the playing field and enable businesses and individuals to access vital information regardless of their resources.



As CMD Register continues to expand its reach and influence, their dedication to providing accurate, comprehensive, and user-friendly data remains unwavering. They believe that by empowering stakeholders with the knowledge they need, CMD Register contributes to a more transparent and thriving Indian corporate sector.



To explore CMD Register and unlock the wealth of information at your fingertips, visit their main page at CMD Register.



For more information, visit: https://mcamasterdata.com/



Moneycontrol Journalists are not involved in creation of this article.
At the age of 15, Eric Zhu is attending high school, running a startup and even serving as an investor with Bachmanity Capital, but there is one thing he still cannot do  make a LinkedIn account.



Zhu, 15, is still too young to meet LinkedIns minimum age requirement  the business networking platform requires that its users be at least 16 years old. This has put the high schooler in an awkward position with his employees  many of them older than he is  as he has had to explain why they cant find him on LinkedIn.



I had to tell my new employee that I got banned from Linkedin for being 15 years old today Eric Zhu, founder and CEO of Aviato, shared on Twitter this week. He posted a screenshot of a message he received from an employee which read: Hey Eric, I was excited about my new role with your company and I couldnt tag you in my LinkedIn post for some reason, I think you may have me blocked.



Alongside this screenshot, Zhu shared another picture which shows his exchange with a LinkedIn representative. The representative informs him that LinkedIn users need to be at least 16 years old.



I had to tell my new employee that I got banned from linkedin for being 15 years old today pic.twitter.com/fskiVDnpWw

 Eric Zhu (@ericzhu105) June 15, 2023



The 15-year-old CEOs tweet has amassed over half a million views and nearly 4,000 likes on the microblogging platform.



According to the Asian Founder website, Zhu is a high school student in Indianan, US. He describes his company Aviato as the ultimate startup search engine for venture funds. Aviato has raised $1M in pre-seed funding from investors including Tom Preston-Werner (founder of GitHub) and the owners of Sacramento Kings.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the United States on a four-day trip from June 21-24. Ahead of his visit, a man decided to print "NModi" on his car number plate. The man, who was identified as Raghavendra and is based out of Maryland, said that PM Modi was an "inspiration" for him and added he was "eagerly waiting" to welcome him. "I took this plate back in 2016, November. Narendra Modi is an inspiration to me. He inspires me to do something good for the nation, for society, for the world. PM Modi is coming here so I'm eagerly waiting to welcome him," he said. #WATCH | A 'fan' of PM Narendra Modi flaunts "NMODI" car number plate in Maryland, USA pic.twitter.com/AO5WRwdGoa  ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023 Earlier this week, a New York-based has restaurant introduced a special thali dedicated to PM Modi. The restaurant is owned by an Indian-origin man named Shripad Kulkarni, who can be seen sharing the details of the thali- named "Modi ji thali"- that has items such as "khichdi", "rasgulla", "sarson ka saag" and "kashmiri dum aloo", among others. PM Modi is visiting the United States at the invitation of President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden and will be hosted by them at a state dinner at the White House, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. This is is his first state visit to Washington. Also read: PM Modi collaborates with Grammy award-winning singer Falu for a new song

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In an attempt to tackle rising levels of skin cancer in the country, the Netherlands will hand out free sun cream to its citizens. Sun cream dispensers will be installed in schools, universities, parks, festivals and other public spaces, according to the Dutch government.



Authorities hope that the campaign will help tackle record levels of skin cancer in the country and enable everyone to have access to sun protection without being hindered by cost.



The Netherlands has the fourth highest rate of skin cancer in the world, only behind Australia, New Zealand and Denmark. In fact, its sunscreen drive may be inspired in part by Australias slip, slop, slap campaign, launched in the 1980s to encourage citizens to cover themselves and wear sunscreen to protect against harmful UV rays.



It is not clear why the Netherlands has such a high rate of skin cancer, but according to Dutch News, one factor may be that the Dutch are light-skinned. Being light-skinned, they are more prone to sunburns which can lead to skin cancer. Melanoma, basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma are the three most common types of skin cancer. Health officials say that one in six people in the Netherlands will be diagnosed with some type of skin cancer in their lifetime.



The Dutch initiative to provide free sunscreen to citizens was launched at a festival in the city of Breda. Some hand sanitizer dispensers installed during the pandemic may also be converted into sun cream dispensers as part of the campaign.



Councillor Jacco Knape from the town of Katwijk said: Its costing a bit of money but we hold the health of the people in high regard, adding: We regularly see people enjoying the sun but neglecting to protect themselves and owing to the fact that Katwijk gets above the average amount of sun, this is not good.
Did Joe Biden sell out his countrys interest for his love for an errant son?



We get only the news that the media decides to give us. This is true all over the world, as much for the United States as it is for India.



For months before he was elected president in 2016, and throughout his tenure, Donald Trump was hounded by accusations that he was a Russian asset, an agent of Vladimir Putin who rigged the elections for him. But it was hardly reported in the media that last month, after nearly four years of investigation, the US government-appointed special counsel John Durham found that the whole Russian-collusion business was a lie spread by Trumps presidential election rival Hillary Clinton with the help of the US intelligence agencies which continued to work against Trump even while he was president.



The US mainstream media and news agencies, all firmly pro-Democratic Party, downplayed the report. Indian media, which sources most of its international news from these outlets, hardly mentioned it.



Disclosure: I am not a fan of Trump. I think he is a megalomaniac, but even megalomaniacs deserve justice in a democracy.



So, here is another story that should be huge both in the US and for anyone interested in its politics. But Western media is again trying hard to ignore it. Last month, the Republican-led House of Representatives Oversight Committee released an interim report on possible corrupt practices of president Joe Bidens family. The inquiry is in its early stages, but the details already available are fascinating. This is potentially as big as Bofors was in India in the 1980s.



Bank records reveal that nine members of the Biden family, including two minor grandchildren of the president, received at least $10 million from shady foreign firms through a complex web of shell companies, beginning in the years when Joe Biden was Barack Obamas vice-president. The entities paying the Bidens include a Romanian businessman now in jail for corruption; CEFC, a now-wound-up Chinese energy corporation which was definitely a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) front; and Burisma, a scandal-ridden Ukrainian natural gas company.



The stories have been around for some time, with strong circumstantial evidence, but till now they concerned only the presidents feckless son Hunter and his brother Jim, a known Washington DC wheeler-dealer. As vice-president, Biden took Hunter along on an official visit to Ukraine in 2014. Soon after, Hunter joined the Burisma board with a fat pay cheque, though he had no experience in the energy sector. In fact, a self-confessed drug addict, he has never been able to hold on to any job in his life. But the Chinese company CEFC paid Hunter and Jim $4.8 million between 2017 and 2018.



In an honest world, business payments are made for the exchange of goods and services. What services could two American kids  Bidens grandchildren  provide to the CCP? In an honest business transaction, the payment is not broken up into small tranches and routed through shell companies. Here, much of the money was transferred through 20 companies, 15 of which were set up by Hunter while his father was vice-president.



The most obvious explanation for all this is money laundering and influence peddling. The only service the Bidens could offer their clients was the connections they had by being related to a vice-president. In fact, in an email in August 2017, Hunter said that he was receiving a $10-million annual fee from a Chinese billionaire for introductions alone.

For nearly two years, the Biden administration stonewalled Republican demands for a probe into the familys affairs. It blocked access to over 150 suspicious activity reports that banks are required to file under US law. These were about transactions related to the Biden family. But after the mid-term elections in November last year, the Republicans got control of the House of Representatives and the government had to comply, though with much reluctance.



The evasion continues. The House committee is asking for an internal Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report by a whistleblower agent which claimed that Biden himself had taken bribes. The FBI refused, saying that the whistleblower is not credible and the contents of the report cannot be verified. Last week, it presented a new reason  that sharing the document will put the whistleblowers life in danger.



This is extraordinary  an agency whose stated mission is to protect the American people is unsure of its ability to protect one of its own agents. Also, does not this admission imply that the FBI should investigate the allegations this person made, if what he or she said poses a threat to their life?



Was Biden involved in the suspicious financial dealings? He has said that he knew nothing about Hunters businesses and then even asserted that his son has done nothing wrong. Yet, official records show that he met his sons Ukrainian and Chinese partners several times. There is also a March 2017 email exchange between Hunter and his business associates on a planned joint venture with CEFC, where one of them writes: 10 held by H for the Big Guy? suggesting that this person would get 10 per cent of the money, which would be officially in Hunters name. In fact, Hunters former business partner Tony Bobulinski, who structured the deal, has identified the Big Guy as Joe Biden. Of course, none of this proves anything conclusively.



Hunter seems to be a son out of every parents worst nightmare. He forgot to collect a laptop that he wanted repaired and it was found by the newspaper New York Post (NYP) a few weeks before the 2020 presidential election. NYP published a damning report. But US social media companies made sure, under instructions from the FBI, to black out all mention of it. Mark Zuckerberg admitted this a few months ago in an interview. Twitter went to the extent of suspending the NYP account. NYP is one of the largest-selling newspapers in the US.



The contents of that laptop are startling, even apart from the financial corruption angles. Among other things, the photos and videos lovingly stored by Hunter show him in orgies with underage girls  something that would have sent anyone who is not the presidents son immediately to prison. But he is the presidents son.



While he was making money out of shadowy Chinese and Ukrainian businesses, Hunter also evaded millions of dollars in income tax  he has now paid up  and bought a revolver with a false statement about his drug abuse. There is a video of him, obviously stoned out, waving the gun around with several sex workers watching. US laws are very strict on these matters, but Hunter has not been indicted. In his 2021 autobiography Beautiful Things, he confesses that his life has been one of depravity, though he claims to be cured now.



President Biden has had to deal with several tragic losses in his life. His first wife and a little daughter were killed in a car crash in 1972. His son Beau died of cancer when he was only 46. Hunter is his only surviving son. One can easily understand why he may feel protective about him. But if his son has indeed used his fathers position to enrich himself, he should not act like a typical Indian politician and prove that US politics is no better than Indias.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is in Russia as part of a peace-seeking delegation, on Saturday told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that the conflict in Ukraine had to stop. "This war must be settled... through negotiations and through diplomatic means," said Ramaphosa. He added that his delegation, consisting of seven African leaders, "would like this war to be ended. "This war is having a negative impact on the African continent and indeed on many other countries around the world," Ramaphosa said ahead of formal talks with the Russian president. On Friday, the delegation held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. "We have come to listen to you and through you to hear the voice of the Russian people," said Comoros President Azali Assoumani, who currently heads the African Union. "We wanted to encourage you to enter into negotiations with Ukraine," he said. African countries have been divided over their response to the conflict, with some siding with Ukraine, while others have remained neutral or gravitated towards Moscow.

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Tiger Global, the renowned New York-based investment firm managing $60 billion in assets, is encountering challenges in its latest endeavor to entice new investors, according to a report by Financial Times.



After eight months of fundraising, the firm has managed to secure just over $2 billion for its 16th private equity fund, which targets a total of $6 billion. This outcome underscores growing apprehension regarding the valuations of technology companies in the current market.



Tiger Global initiated its fundraising campaign for the new fund in October, aiming to make fresh investments in undervalued companies. While it achieved its "first close" milestone in January, typically representing more than half of the targeted amount, the firm remains significantly short of its $6 billion objective, according to a securities filing released on Friday. As a result, Tiger Global is still actively seeking additional capital.



This struggle to raise funds is not exclusive to Tiger Global. Other prominent venture capital firms, including New York-based Insight Partners, have faced similar challenges. Insight Partners has raised only $2 billion for a fund that initially targeted $20 billion when it launched in June last year, according to the FT report. Earlier this week, the firm informed investors that it was cutting its goal to $15 billion.



Also read: Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | Is the funding winter beginning to thaw?



The collapse of venture capital funding over the past six months has reached levels unseen in the past decade, driven by investor aversion to illiquid private markets and the declining value of technology companies. In the first quarter alone, US venture firms witnessed a staggering 73 percent decline, raising nearly $12 billion compared to the same period the previous year.



Tiger Global is actively seeking investment from large institutional investors, including pension funds and sovereign wealth funds, as well as affluent individuals with substantial holdings at major brokerages like Morgan Stanley. Despite scaling back its ambitions from previous fundraising efforts, with a target less than half the amount raised for its last private equity fund in 2021, the firm's progress has been slower than anticipated due to investor caution and decreasing valuations.



When founded in 2001 by Chase Coleman, Tiger Global gradually emerged as one of the most prolific venture capital investors, backing numerous start-ups over the past decade. Since the beginning of 2020, the firm has invested over $20 billion in private start-ups, with notable holdings in companies such as ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, Shein, a fast-fashion retailer, and Stripe, a payments start-up.



During the pandemic-era surge in tech valuations, Tiger Global disrupted the venture capital landscape by offering significant financial support to founders with fewer demands typically imposed by private equity groups, such as board representation.



However, the enthusiasm of Tiger Global, along with other major investors like SoftBank and Coatue, has diminished in recent times, as observed by several start-up founders backed by these firms. This decline in investor activity adds to concerns that start-ups may have to accept significantly lower valuations in order to secure funding.



Also read: Startup funding tanks 79% in 5 months of 2023 as funding winter worsens



As the fundraising efforts continue, Tiger Global and other venture capital firms face the challenge of navigating a market where technology valuations have become increasingly uncertain.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. Representatives from 20 regions of Azerbaijan participate in the 1st international "Challenge" in the gymnastic discipline "Gymnastics for All" along with athletes from Baku, Secretary General of the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation (AGF) Nurlana Mammadzade told journalists, Trend reports.

According to Nurlana Mammadzade, it is gratifying that among the participants of the international "Challenge" there are representatives of the "Golden Age" category.

"Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation develops nine gymnastic disciplines, one of them is "Gymnastics for All". For the first time, Azerbaijani gymnasts took part in this form at the 15th World Gymnastics in Helsinki in 2015. With participation in this event, the foundation of the discipline "Gymnastics for All" was laid in Azerbaijan. After that, the Azerbaijani national team annually takes part in the events held by the European Gymnastics and the International Gymnastics Federation. Last year we held a national festival in Baku in the discipline "Gymnastics for All", and this year we are hosting an international event where, along with teams from Azerbaijan, representatives of Georgia and Lithuania perform," she said.

The 1st Baku International "Challenge" in "Gymnastics for All", dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, is being held in the capital of Azerbaijan on June 17-18.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. A meeting of the Supervisory Board of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) has been held, Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers told Trend.

The agenda of the meeting, held under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SOFAZ Ali Asadov, included issues related to the annual report on the activities of the fund in 2022, the results of the audit of financial activities, the execution of the 2022 budget and amendments to the budget fund for 2023.

The report of the SOFAZ Executive Director Israfil Mammadov was delivered at the meeting.

Following the meeting, relevant decisions were made to submit reports on the activities and execution of the budget of SOFAZ in 2022, a draft amendment to the fund's budget for 2023 to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

Activities of SOFAZ in the field of assets accumulation and spending are being overseen by a Supervisory Board. The Board is to review Fund's draft annual budget, annual report and financial statements along with auditor's opinion and provide its comments. Members of the Supervisory Board are appointed by the President of Azerbaijan.
A shelter for residents displaced by Typhoon Mawar is shown Saturday, June 10, 2023, along Ypao Road in Tamuning. The American Red Cross is now facing an outbreak of COVID-19 cases at the long-term, post-typhoon shelters it operates.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 18. The future directions of cooperation between the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) and the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) were discussed, Trend reports via the CBA Governor Taleh Kazimov's tweet.

"Today, a meeting was held at the Central Bank with a delegation headed by BSTDB President Serhat Koksal, who is visiting our country. We exchanged views on the current state and future directions of cooperation between the CBA and the BSTDB," he noted.

BSTDB became the first multilateral development bank to issue a local currency bond in Azerbaijan. The two-year bond for the amount of 10 million manat ($5.8 million) was placed on the Baku Stock Exchange on August 1, 2019.

The BSTDB bond issuance in manat supports the program of the government of Azerbaijan for the de-dollarization of the financial sector.
Supreme Court of Guam Associate Justice F. Philip Carbullido, left, and Chief Justice Robert Torres attend a meeting of the Judicial Council of Guam on Thursday, June 14, 2023, at the Guam Judicial Center in Hagatna.
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Amazon delivery drivers stage first-ever WALKOUT as part of strike

Amazon delivery drivers and dispatchers walked out of their delivery facility in California , demanding the e-commerce giant negotiate with them on the bargaining table.

According to reports, the 84 employees currently on strike have held picket lines before. The drivers who work for the Palmdale, California-based Amazon delivery service partner (DSP) Battle-Tested Strategies LLC unionized with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in late April. They have negotiated and ratified a contract with Battle-Tested Strategies, which voluntarily recognized their union.

The drivers, joined by delivery dispatchers, walked out of their delivery facility on June 15. They demanded that the company founded by Jeff Bezos sit down with them to negotiate a contract. The June 15 walkout was the first time Amazon drivers in the U.S. have done so, a press release from the Teamsters said.

The drivers' contract with Battle-Tested Strategies guarantees a higher wage, protections against the extreme heat of the the Golden State's summers and the right to refuse unsafe deliveries. But the Teamsters claimed Amazon refused to honor the contract's guarantees.

An unfair labor practice lawsuit the union filed to the National Labor Relations Board in May accused Amazon of violating labor law. It alleged that the e-commerce giant refused to bargain, surveilled union members and even terminated the DSP's contract due to the unionizing efforts.

Randy Korgan, director of the Teamsters Amazon Division, blasted Amazon for having "no respect for the rule of law, the health of its workers or the livelihood of their families." He continued: "Workers are on strike today because the only thing this corporate criminal cares about is profits. We are sending a message to Amazon that violating worker rights will no longer be business as usual." (Related: Truck drivers supplying Whole Foods groceries threaten to strike over COVID-19 safety concerns.)

"We are on the picket line today to demand the pay and safety standards that we deserve," said Raj Singh, a unionized driver who joined the strike. "We work hard for a multibillion-dollar corporation. We should be able to provide food and clothes for our kids."

Contract guarantees driver protection from sweltering California heat

Heat is an industry-wide hazard for delivery drivers, and the contract negotiated by the Teamsters and the DSP provides protections against this occupational danger. In a prior interview, Singh recounted his experiences with driving in sweltering heat."

"The vans we have [are like] a big metal container. In the extreme heat, it can get upwards of 130 F [to] 135 F inside the van. You walk in, and it's sweltering," he said. "The wave of heat that hits you  the only comparison I can give you is like walking into an oven, because it's that nasty, dry heat. You feel like you're just getting cooked back there. I go through 10 to 12 bottles of water a day, and I urinate once."

Cecilia Porter, another driver on strike, also mentioned that "the back of an Amazon van feels like an oven in the summer." She continued: "I've felt dizzy and dehydrated  but if I take a break, I'll get a call asking why I'm behind on deliveries. We are protecting ourselves and saying our safety comes first."

Amazon defended itself from the union's accusations. It previously stated that because the drivers work for Battle-Tested Strategies  the DSP contracted by the company  Amazon is not obligated to bargain with them. But according to the union, Amazon is in "complete control" of the DSP's operations.

The tech giant also said in a statement that it had actually terminated Battle-Tested Strategies for "poor performance"  something the DSP owner contests.

"While we respect everyone's right to express their opinions, the facts here are being intentionally misrepresented by the Teamsters and [Battle-Tested Strategies]," said Amazon spokeswoman Eileen Hards.

She stressed that Battle-Tested Strategies "has a history of under-performance and not providing a safe environment." Hards added that the DSP was notified of Amazon's termination of its contract, prior to the Teamsters' involvement.

Visit JeffBezosWatch.com for more stories about Amazon.

Watch this clip of an Amazon delivery truck being looted in Los Angeles.

This video is from the Slappy 27 channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Amazon to fire 20,000 employees  the largest staff reduction in company's history.

Amazon workers in Seattle planning PROTEST against layoffs, return to office orders.

Amazon warehouse workers in Britain walk out of their jobs over paltry pay increase, terrible working conditions.

Sources include:

VICE.com

Brighteon.com
Canada attempting to expand EUTHANASIA program to allow assisted suicide of the mentally ill

Canada's liberal government is attempting to expand the country's lethal euthanasia program to allow the mentally ill to acquire taxpayer-funded assisted suicide services

The country's euthanasia program, known as Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), contains provisions for its expansion to eventually allow people in Canada with mental illness to petition the government to be allowed to commit suicide.

This proposed expansion has come under fire, prompting the government to delay its expansion to March 17, 2024  with the delay supposedly providing the Liberal Party-led government with more time to "prepare" for the law's expansion.

Long before the deadline approaches, conservative members of parliament (MPs) and advocacy organizations are already hard at work to make sure that MAID's expansion is blocked and the legal euthanasia bill itself is, eventually, overturned.

In the Canadian House of Commons, the country's lower house, Conservative MP Ed Fast recently submitted Bill C-314, "An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying)," to prevent MAID's expansion to include the mentally ill.

In statements made in parliament during Bill C-314's second reading on May 17, Fast warned that the Canadian government is expanding MAID "to include more and more defenseless Canadians, most particularly those living with disabilities."

"What is equally disturbing is that the Liberal government has also signaled its intention to extend the so-called 'treatment option' to minor children," warned Fast. "That would arguably make Canada the most expansive, most liberal assisted suicide jurisdiction in the world."

"Canadians have a right to conclude that the Liberal government has gone too far and too fast in its zeal to implement and expand the scope of assisted death," he added. "My bill will reverse this momentum and repeal the government's decision to extend MAID to the mentally ill. It will put a full stop to the expansion of assisted suicide to mentally disordered persons."

Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) warned that the biggest issue with expanding MAID to include the mentally ill is that the people with mental health concerns do not have "the same level of capacity to make a decision about themselves or the mental illness."

Further, MAID does not answer how people with mental health problems have an "irremediable disease," which is supposedly the main metric for allowing euthanasia. "How could you say that someone with a mental illness has an irremediable mental condition?" asked Schadenberg.

Euthanasia deaths in Canada surged by 34% in 2022

The effects of Canada's assisted suicide program are already being keenly felt. According to Schadenberg's organization, there were at least 13,500 cases of medically assisted suicide in Canada in the 2022 fiscal year, which lasted from April 2022 to March 2023. (Related: Survey: Nearly 3 in 10 Canadians believe the poor and homeless should be eligible for assisted suicide.)

This is up from the 10,064 recorded instances of MAID-supported euthanasia in the 2021 fiscal year, which means that the number of euthanasia cases in Canada increased by 34 percent within one year.

The EPC's data comes from projections based on data already published by four provinces  Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

In Ontario, MAID cases surged by 27 percent from 3,1021 in 2021 to 3,934 in 2022. Alberta had a 41 percent year-on-year jump from 594 to 836 cases. Quebec had a shocking 51 percent increase from 2,427 cases to 3,663 cases.

The EPC warned that state-sanctioned death has now become the third top cause of mortality in Quebec, after cancer and heart disease.

Schadenberg warned that euthanasia rates in the country are "skyrocketing" because the procedure has become very normalized by a "heavy promotion of MAID in our medical system."

"Every major healthcare institution has a MAID team, which will literally approach everyone who may qualify for MAID and ask them if they want to die," said Schadenberg. "If you're going to pay people to be on a MAID team, they will sell what they are offering."

Watch this episode of "Shots Fired with DeAnna Lorraine" discussing the potential expansion of Canada's MAID program to allow even children to obtain assisted suicide services.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Canadian woman cites lack of medical aid as reason to apply for assisted suicide.

Canada expands euthanasia "mercy" killing to ensnare society's most vulnerable, including children.

Canada is pro-death: The "world leader in euthanasia" is now considering medically-assisted suicide of children WITHOUT parental consent.

Simply EVIL: Canada plans to legalize euthanizing INFANTS.

Canadian hospice group pushes to normalize euthanasia of children who are "suffering"  many due to vaccine injuries.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

BBC.com

OpenParliament.ca

BigNewsNetwork.com

Brighteon.com
Several federal agencies HACKED as part of global cyberattack that exploited a flaw in popular file-sharing software

Several federal government agencies in the U.S. have been affected by a global cyberattack that exploited a flaw in a widely used file transfer software

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the country's top civilian-operated cybersecurity watchdog overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, reported the cyberattack on Thursday, June 15. (Related: Cybersecurity official warns: Americans must prepare for CYBERATTACKS from Chinese hackers.)

CISA confirmed that it was providing support to several federal agencies "that have experienced intrusions affecting their [file transfer] applications."

"We are working urgently to understand impacts and ensure timely remediation," said CISA in a statement.

The hackers exploited a vulnerability in the file-sharing program MOVEIt Transfer, a popular tool used by government agencies to transfer files quickly.

In an interview, CISA Director Jen Easterly claimed the agency was tracking the hackers "as a well-known ransomware group," without going into specifics.

A cybercriminal organization known as CLop later claimed credit for the hack. The group, active since at least 2014 and is believed to operate within Russia with the tacit approval of Russian intelligence services, may have conducted the cyberattack in response to a warning by CISA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation advising CLop against exploiting previously unknown vulnerabilities in MOVEIt.

In a rapid hacking spree, the group used the flaw to steal files from at least 47 organizations and demand payment not to publish them online.

"They've started releasing some of the data that was stolen as part of their work to extort these companies," said Anne Neuberger, deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology for the National Security Council. She noted that the hackers attacked companies across the world, moving "large files" into their databases.

"We strongly encourage anyone who was a user of the software to, of course, patch [the vulnerability] and lock down their systems," Neuberger added.

Some organizations have already admitted to being potentially attacked by CL0p. Johns Hopkins University said in a statement that it was "investigating a recent cybersecurity attack  that affected our networks."

The University System of Georgia, which includes about 26 public colleges, said it was similarly "evaluating the scope and severity of this potential data exposure."

Multinational energy company Shell admitted that it was targeted, but claimed there was no evidence that the cyberattack impacted the company's core IT systems.

Other notable victims include British media outlet BBC and British Airways.

Energy Department, other federal agencies affected by attack

Brett Callow, a cyber threat analyst with New Zealand-based computer security firm Emsisoft, warned that "a number of as yet unidentified U.S. government agencies" were also hacked.

It is still not known just how many federal agencies were compromised. But the Department of Energy has admitted that two of its contractors were attacked by the hackers.

A spokesperson for the Energy Department claimed the affected entities were Oak Ridge Associated Universities, a research organization made up of a consortium of universities; and Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, a New Mexico-based facility for the disposal of defense-related nuclear waste.

The spokesperson added that, as of press time, there is no indication that any of the Energy Department's branches working for the military or the intelligence community were impacted.

"This is not a campaign like Solar Winds that presents a systemic risk to our national security or our nation's networks," said the spokesperson, referring to a disruptive cyberattack in 2020 that was traced to Russian military-backed hackers.

No federal agencies have received any extortion demands from CL0p, and no federal data has been leaked to the public.

Easterly noted that the government right now is "focused specifically on the federal agencies that may be impacted" and is working hand-in-hand with CISA to mitigate the risk.

This is the third time in as many years that foreign hackers have been able to break into multiple federal agencies and get their hands on government data, although it still isn't immediately clear to the public whether the hackers in this cyberattack were able to obtain classified or otherwise sensitive files.

The 2020 attack, suspected to be of Russian origin, resulted in at least nine federal agencies being broken into. In 2021, Chinese intelligence-linked hackers broke into several federal agencies by exploiting a vulnerability in a remote work program.

Learn more about cyber attacks and other cybercrime and hacking incidents at CyberWar.news.

Watch this video warning about how one sophisticated cyberattack could be enough to bring down Europe's banking system.

This video is from the Alex Hammer channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Report: Bad bots TAKING OVER the internet with spam, cybercrime.

Digital fentanyl: The CCP's cyber campaign to destroy America.

More sophisticated Chinese cyberattacks target US firms, government agencies, defense contractors.

2 Hackers charged with illegally accessing federal law enforcement database.

Free AI voice generation software successfully hacked into bank accounts using simulated voices.

Sources include:

TheGatewayPundit.com

Reuters.com

NBCNews.com

CBSNews.com

Brighteon.com
Trump planning to just say NOT GUILTY in court  and nothing else

In the face of all the criminal charges he is currently facing, former President Donald Trump is planning to say one simple sentence in the court room: "I'll just say not guilty."

These are the words Trump uttered during a recent interview with radio host Howie Carr about Trump's 37 felony charges, which include allegations that he made false statements and concealed records. Also charged is Walt Nauta, an aide to the former president.

Trump violated the law, prosecutors say, by holding national security materials at his properties in Palm Beach, Fla., and Bedminster, N.J. Trump also allegedly showed these documents to people who do not hold security clearance; obstructed investigations by directing Nauta to move boxes in order to conceal them from the FBI; and falsely stated that he was cooperating with the FBI investigation while allegedly withholding some of the materials called for in a subpoena.

Both Trump and Nauta appeared in court in Miami to enter their pleas this week. Trump has already stated to Carr that he is innocent, and now Trump wants America and the world to believe him when he says that he "didn't do anything wrong."

"I did nothing wrong," Trump reiterated in the interview, adding that federal authorities have "no case whatsoever." He also pointed to a similar such case involving 2016 Democrat presidential wannabe Hillary Clinton, which did not lead to any charges.

(Related: According to the Twitter Files, America is headed into "totalitarian state territory.")

Biden interfering with 2024 election by charging Trump

In Trump's view, all of the charges against him stem not from crimes he actually committed but from fake president Joe Biden and his efforts to derail Trump's bid for the presidency in 2024. According to Biden, he never directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to go after Trump.

Special counsel Jack Smith, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland  Garland was directly appointed by Biden  also says that Trump is being charged not to try to stop him from winning the White House again in 2024 but because he violated the law.

"Our laws that protect national defense information are critical to the safety and security of the United States and they must be enforced," Smith said in a prepared statement. "Violations of those laws put our country at risk."

"Adherence to the rule of law is a bedrock principle of the Department of Justice. And our nation's commitment to the rule of law sets an example for the world. We have one set of laws in this country, and they apply to everyone."

Smith did emphasize that that both Trump and Nauta are presumed to be innocent until found guilty.

Miami Police Chief Manny Morales told a briefing that the city is preparing to receive up to 50,000 visitors as part of Trump's trial proceedings. Morales is encouraging those who are coming there to protest to remain peaceful.

"Make no mistake about it: we're taking this event extremely seriously," Morales said at the press conference. "We know that there is a potential for things taking a turn for the worst, but that's not the Miami way."

So far, police have chosen not to erect barricades around the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse where the arraignment is scheduled to take place. Instead, simple yellow police tape like the kind used at crime scenes will be strewn around the building and property as a deterrent.

So far, since the trial is now in progress, things have remained peaceful. The number of people protesting also remains small with no single protest incident exceeding any more than 100 people at any time.

More of the latest news about the fate of Trump can be found at Trump.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheEpochTimes.com

NaturalNews.com
British government ministers relied too much on mRNA vaccines and they systematically dismantled pandemic preparedness plans that could have saved lives

The former chairman of the United Kingdom's Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine task force has accused the British government of relying too heavily on experimental and deadly mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to the point that the government has "systematically dismantled" all other pandemic preparedness plans

This is according to Dr. Clive Dix, who used to be the deputy chairperson of the Vaccine Taskforce of the U.K., which was tasked with facilitating the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccines to the country, as well as its potential global distribution.

Dix accused British government ministers of "systematically dismantling" critical plans developed during the pandemic that may have stood a better chance at shielding the country from the worst effects of the coronavirus.

Speaking in an interview with British newspaper the Observer, Dix expressed his concern about the complacency many in the British government have with mRNA vaccine technology, accusing the government of seeing it as a "golden bullet" against COVID-19 and other potential threats despite warnings that it may not be effective against new viruses. (Related: BAD MEDICINE: UK gov't confirms 92% of COVID-19 deaths in 2022 were among the VAXXED.) Dix warned that the British government abandoned initiatives that could have helped, including one to manufacture antibodies to help the country's immunocompromised and otherwise more vulnerable to COVID-19.

"They have sort of systematically dismantled many of the initiatives that we had, when they should have held their nerve and taken them forward," said Dix, referring to U.K. government officials.

UK unprepared for next deadly virus

According to Dix, one grave consequence of this overreliance on mRNA vaccine technology and the abandonment of schemes developed to prepare against virus outbreaks is that Britain is now left "fraught with danger."

"The government has basically put all its money on mRNA vaccines. It gambled recklessly and basically assumed mRNA is going to solve the problem," added Dix. "'Let's forget about all these other  technologies Let's just encourage the likes of Pfizer and Moderna to come to the U.K., then we're covered.'"

"That's our pandemic preparedness," Dix concluded. "Quite frankly, it's not just reckless. It's fraught with danger."

The latest British government statement, notably from Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, suggests that another pandemic will affect the U.K. in the next decade.

"Scientists estimate there is a reasonable likelihood another pandemic will hit us again in the next decade," he said. "Antimicrobial resistance is creating a new generation of superbugs that have already killed millions globally."

Dowden claims that the government's current plan is to develop "a pipeline of medicines and vaccines" to fight another pandemic. The British government is working with scientists and Big Pharma companies to craft a deal that will ensure that, should the U.K. be hit by another outbreak, new vaccines will be available within 100 days of a new threat being detected.

Dowden claimed that the "100 days challenge" for vaccine creation "would be a game changer" that "would save millions of lives."

"There is plenty of cause for optimism  because of COVID highlighted something else, it's the ingenuity of the U.K.'s researchers and life sciences sector," claimed Dowden.

Follow Pandemic.news for more news related to the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide.

Watch this video to learn about how the globalists are planning and scheduling the next global pandemic.

This video is from the Red Hope channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

UK government conspired with Big Tech, AI firms to monitor and censor lockdown critics: REPORT.

Corporate media BAFFLED as to why "Brits are dying in their tens of thousands"  Could it be COVID jabs?

PUREBLOOD WITCH HUNT: British politicians want police to add "unvaccinated people" to terrorism watchlist.

Rising rates of sudden death among youth prompt UK children's schools to install thousands of defibrilators.

HOLOCAUST: UK government confirms 1 in 310 boosted individuals died within 48 days of vaccination.

Sources include:

TheGuardian.com

PressReader.com

Brighteon.com
At what point should the US government be considered illegitimate?

On December 16, 1773, off the Boston coast, irate American colonists, fed up with paying excessive tax rates and getting political abuse from their colonial masters in return, flooded the sea with 342 chests of British East India Company tea

(Article by Ben Bartee republished from TheDailyBell.com)

It was a glorious symbolic act of defiance. War ensued, and eventually the patriots, once in the extreme minority among the total colonial population, were vindicated.

The rallying cry of the revolutionary movement was no taxation without representation, meaning that the colonists were subjected to taxation to fuel the British Empires expensive adventures across the globe, but did not enjoy any real political representation in British Parliament for it.

Does modern America suffer from the same phenomenon?

I have previously referenced a 2014 study published via Cambridge University Press that quantitatively debunks the democracy myth that American children are force-fed in public school:

When a majority of citizens disagrees with economic elites and/or with organised interests, they generally lose. Moreover, because of the strong status quo bias built into the US political system, even when fairly large majorities of Americans favour policy change, they generally do not get it average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence [over US policy] .

In laymans terms, the multinational Western technocratic state does not factor the peasants desires or values into its decision-making at all.

Furthermore, the government considers at least a third of its own population domestic terrorists for non-crimes as petty as parents not wanting their kids exposed to transgender indoctrination in public schools. It uses money collected from said alleged domestic terrorists through taxes to politically persecute them, and frequently requests more to facilitate its jihad.

Via New York Times, May 4, 2021:

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland told lawmakers on Tuesday that the Justice Department needs more money for Biden administration priorities including combating domestic extremism. Mr. Garland has prioritized efforts to fight domestic terrorism and protect civil rights over the departments focus during the Trump administration on street crime and gangs The department is also seeking an additional $101 million to address the rising threat of domestic terrorism .

Journalists who expose government abuses such as the ones enumerated above, instead of being lauded as heroes for their good work, are targeted for political persecution by the state.

There are literally thousands of examples of this, but the most prominent is Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who has been hounded to the ends of the Earth for a decade now for exposing US war crimes, Hillary Clintons personal corruption, and other factual information in the public interest.

The government selectively enforces the law against white people and conservatives while letting leftist agents of chaos run hog-wild on American streets in a phenomenon called anarcho-tyranny that I have written about previously at The Daily Bell.

Due process has been all but discarded as a relic of legacy America, in the before-times prior to the installment of the multinational technocracy. Alex Jones was not permitted, in his Sandy Hook defamation trial, to offer his innocence as a defense. His guilt had been pre-determined; the court proceedings were only to determine how much money Jones owed the alleged victims.

Former president Donald Trump recently lost a civil rape case to a certifiable lunatic The Atlantic writer who offered no evidence of any kind except her own unhinged testimony. The alleged rape occurred in 1996  27 years ago. There were no witnesses in the busy department store where it allegedly went down. The jury awarded her millions of dollars anyway, and Rachel Maddow did a fawning interview to celebrate.

Trump maintained his innocence throughout. After the trial, when Trump again pled innocence at a CNN town hall, her attorney threatened another lawsuit for simply claiming his innocence as he has since the whole scandal erupted.

None of this is an endorsement  not even a tacit one  of political violence if it can be avoided. Kinetic warfare with the multinational corporate state is inadvisable for many reasons, not least of which is that the governments capabilities dwarf those of any insurgency.

Rather, this is an acknowledgment of reality: a strong case can be made that the United States government is illegitimate. What we do with this assessment is up for debate.

Ben Bartee is an independent Bangkok-based American journalist with opposable thumbs.

Join Armageddon Prose via Substack or Locals if you are inclined to support independent journalism free of corporate slant. Also, follow Armageddon Prose at Gab and Twitter for the latest content.

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My Plan B Blueprint to Become Anti-fragile

The US and US dollar are clearly deteriorating. And there is a lot of danger in having too much exposure to a crumbling empire.

That is why I have a Plan B, which has allowed me to:

Cut my tax rate to 4%

Use that savings to invest in real assets, precious metals, and crypto

Gain a second residency and apply for a second passport

Diversify internationally

And much more.

A Plan B gives you the tools to respond to whatever the world throws at you from a position of strength.

Read more at: TheDailyBell.com
YouTube censors Jordan Peterson, Candace Owens and Michael Knowles for telling the UGLY TRUTH about transgenderism

The Google-owned YouTube video streaming platform is waging war on conservatives who dare to speak out against the scourge of transgenderism and the incredible toll it is taking on the health of the next generation.

In a fired-up Twitter tirade, The Daily Wire CEO Jeremy Boreing called out YouTube for censoring many of his network's top personalities and their programs simply because they have a few things to say about transgender mutilation and its true impact on those who fall for it, especially children.

Hosts Candace Owens, Michael Knowles and Jordan B. Peterson, among others, were all found guilty of violating YouTube's anti-free speech "Hateful and Derogatory" content policies. It turns out that any "negative" reporting about transgenderism is now considered by YouTube to constitute "hate."

"@realDailyWire has received ~200 violations from @YouTube," Boreing tweeted, adding that these punishments have resulted in "limited monetization" for the channels affected, not to mention full-blown censorship of The Daily Wire's most popular hosts.

(Related: Back in October, YouTube implemented a new policy that requires all videos containing medical information to first be "certified" in accordance with World Health Organization [WHO] dictates.)

Telling the truth on YouTube isn't allowed  try Brighteon.com instead

The first blow came after The Daily Wire attempted to stream its "What is a Woman?" documentary on YouTube, which was created by director Matt Walsh, also of The Daily Wire. Boreing lamented that YouTube punished the account for the film, preventing it from streaming.

After that, YouTube went after the accounts of Owens and Knowles, both of whom host popular shows at The Daily Wire. The YouTube channels of both Owens and Knowles were locked and banned for seven days.

"We removed content from the Candace Owens Podcast channel and issued a strike for violating our hate speech and harassment policies, which apply equally to all creators on our platform," YouTube admitted in response to an inquiry from MRC Free Speech America about the fiasco.

"As a result of these actions, the channel is temporarily suspended from uploading content to YouTube for one week," YouTube added, clarifying in a separate email that it did the same thing to Knowles' account.

In response to these seven-day bans, Boreing blasted YouTube all over Twitter, tweeting that more than one in four Americans now gets news from YouTube. And one of the most popular news outlets on YouTube is none other than The Daily Wire.

"Last week, our accounts had over 157M views on @YouTube," Boreing explained. "That's over 20M views a day. Yet we are on the verge of losing access to the platform."

Owens also responded to her own censorship on YouTube by stating that the censorship model of Big Tech has really ramped up over the past several years, particularly after Donald Trump took the White House.

"We don't know exactly what or who is the driving force behind globally-sanctioned lies, but what we do know is that over the past five years, the prevailing lies of the day have shifted dramatically," Owens said, adding that Big Tech has also censored other content she produced about the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) and Black Lives Matter (BLM).

"In the end, truth wins," she noted.

You do not have to worry about any of this kind of censorship at Brighteon.com, by the way. Unlike YouTube and the rest of Big Tech, Brighteon will never censor your content or order you to shut up about this topic or that  you are always free to post and share whatever you wish for the betterment of your followers.

Big Tech censorship is still very much out of control. To learn more, visit Censorship.news.

Sources for this article include:

Newsbusters.org

NaturalNews.com
The 'Grindadrap' hunt in the Faroe Islands continues as the shoreline turns bloody after the slaughter of more than 500 dolphins.

Faroe Islands Hunt 'Grindadrap' vs. 500 Dolphins

According to local officials in the independent Danish territory in the North Atlantic, the Faroe Islands has racked up a kill tally of more than 500 dolphins since the hunt started in May.

Grindadrap, or grind for short, is a Faroese ritual in which hunters trap pilot whales and dolphins with a broad semi-circle of fishing boats and force them into a shallow harbor where they are beached. They are slaughtered with knives by fishermen on the beach.

Every summer, photographs of the deadly hunt make headlines across the world, inciting fury among animal rights activists who regard it as inhumane.

According to the earliest reports, there were two grinds on June 14, one with 266 captures and the other with 180.

With the inclusion of two grinds involving pilot whales, a type of dolphin, the tally of grinds for this season has reached five.

The environmental NGO Sea Shepherd, which successfully disrupted the 2014 hunt with its boats, criticized Danish naval warships for intervening to impede conservationists.

In the Faroes, advocates believe the creatures have nourished the local population for decades and accuse the media and foreign NGOs of disrespecting local culture and customs. Every year, they kill around 800 pilot whales.

Limiting the Grind

After an exceptionally huge murder of more than 1,400 dolphins sparked outrage even among locals, the government limited the permitted number of Atlantic white-sided dolphins that might be killed each year to 500 in 2022, The Guardian reports.

The Grindadrap, often known as the Grind, is described as an opportunistic whale hunt that takes place yearly in the Faroe Islands.

A non-commercial hunt in which pilot whales are killed so that communities can harvest meat and fat, which is subsequently distributed to the Faroese population. This implies that the meat is not exported, but rather retained for themselves and distributed as free meals across the community.

Also Read: Whale Meat for Sale in Japan: Hunters Justify Serving It in Restos As a Way to Control Mammal Population

This has traditionally provided significant economic relief for the communities on islands, who, due to their remote position, rely significantly on international goods.

A whale hunt takes place only when whales are discovered by chance close enough to land to drive towards the shores and beaches.

Faroese animal welfare legislation requires that animals be killed as quickly and as painlessly as possible - whales are killed with a spinal lance, which severs the spinal cord while also severing the primary supply of blood to the brain, resulting in a loss of consciousness as well as death within seconds.

Pilot Whales

Pilot whales are not endangered; instead, they are classified as least concern by the IUCN, with an estimated 1,000 animals slaughtered each year. This is less than 1% of the overall estimated pilot whale population. Internationally, the hunt is acknowledged as a sustainable activity, according to Mapping Megan.

Related Article: Faroe Islands Hunting Season Commence with 60 Pilot Whales Slaughter
According to the latest report, California's second-largest reservoir, Lake Oroville, reached a 100% capacity that significantly recovered from extreme drought conditions and low water.

Recently, parts of California experienced severe drought conditions that affected the reservoirs in the region.

However, a previous report from Reuters explained that the rounds of storms and snowpack in California helped to ease the drought, showing significant improvement in reservoirs.

Lake Oroville's Recovery from Drought

The recovery of Lake Oroville from the drought conditions could help California to bolster the water supply for communities and farmers.

In the latest reports from CNN and Daily Mail UK, the report explained that the snowpack and heavy rain eased the low water in California, especially in Lake Oroville reservoir.

The CNN report noted that the snowmelt led to the 2.5 million acre-feet of water that allowed the lake to recover from the drought or historic low fully.

Lake Oroville has been vital to 27 million Californians. It is also a significant source of 750,000 acres of farmland that supplies water to farmers.

Furthermore, the Daily Mail UK explained that Lake Shasta suffered from extreme drought in November 2022. However, the conditions showed that it managed to recover, reaching 98% capacity.

In the report, the California Department of Water Resources explained that the city also recently had the wettest weeks.

While the snowpack and rain helped with the dry conditions, reports also revealed that it caused flooding in California due to the heavy rain.

More facts about the Lake Oroville

Lake Oroville can manage to hold 3.5 million acre-feet of water. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times explained that climate change also played a significant role in California's wet and dry conditions.

The LA Times report added that parts of California and Northern Mexico recorded the driest conditions.

Also Read: El Nino Officially Developed: Warmer Weather Pattern Likely to Strengthen in 2024

The report added that California could store about 40 million acre-feet of water. While the water supply is expected to improve, Californians should conserve water use.

Furthermore, the AZ Animals reported that Lake Oroville is considered an earth fill significant damn. The damn construction began in 1961 and was finally finished in 1967.

In terms of the wildlife around Lake Oroville, it is considered a significant place for aquatic species.

Hurricane season

The Atlantic Hurricane Season 2023 began in the first week of July. It is expected that severe weather or troublesome hurricanes could likely emerge.

As hurricane season begins, flooding and heavy rain could become possible. As a result, homeowners should stay updated with the weather, especially if they are near flood-prone areas.

Flooding or flash floods could become life-threatening. It is best for homeowners to prepare possible emergency kits they could use in cases of evacuations.

Related Article: Southern California Weather Forecast: Delayed Summer Warmth Likely Due to Cool Air

For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has held a meeting with Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation Rustam Minnikhanov in the village of Aghali of the Zangilan district, Azernews reports.

Welcoming the Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- Dear Rustam Nurgaliyevich, welcome again. I am very glad to see you again. Of course, the opening of the joint center today has been a significant event. But even more important is our communication. I always have fond memories of our meetings in Kazan and Baku. I am delighted that everything we outlined is being implemented, including the first facility of the Araz Valley Industrial Park, which is the facility of fraternal Tatarstan. We are very grateful for such an attitude towards the restoration of the territories and, of course, we hope that the cooperation program that we have outlined will be fully implemented.

We have already exchanged views with the delegation that came here to hold consultations and make decisions on future plans. There are great prospects, of course, in industrial cooperation, energy, and the oil and gas sector. Naturally, cultural cooperation is a huge layer in itself. The peoples of Tatarstan and Azerbaijan have maintained fraternal and friendly relations for centuries. Of course, the relations between us are also a significant contribution to the strengthening of friendly and allied relations between Russia and Azerbaijan. Also at the interstate level, everything that we plan is being implemented in a very effective and dynamic manner.

So once again, you are welcome and I wish you a pleasant stay here in Jabrayil and Zangilan, as well as in Baku tomorrow.

x x x

Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov said:

- Dear Ilham Heydar oglu, first of all, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to visit your beautiful country, for your invitation and, of course, I have words of gratitude to you, the President of Azerbaijan, and to our President. At the regional level, we are also making a serious contribution to the strengthening of relations between our countries.

As for the Tatars and Azerbaijanis, we have been historically very close in terms of the language. You communicated with your citizens of this village, and I understand almost everything. Of course, today we visited the mosque under construction. All this is very close to us and all this brings us even closer together. A solid foundation of our relations was laid by our first President Mintimer Shaimiyev and Heydar Aliyev, a close friend of his and Tatarstan.




BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. There are no active surveillance cameras at the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran's Isfahan Province to record activities under the agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the agency said, Trend reports.

The agency had to make a statement, since a previous statement by Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) caused a lot of stir in Iranian media.

Speaking to reporters on June 15, Kamalvandi first said that surveillance cameras have been installed at the Natanz nuclear facility, then went on to say that the cameras were re-installed at the Isfahan Centrifuge Production Center. The official didn't indicate that he brought up Natanz by mistake, so his words started to spread around.

The Natanz nuclear facility is one of the uranium enrichment facilities and is protected by 90-meter-thick concreting. Iran enriches uranium to 60 percent in this nuclear facility. Suspending the provisions of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran's nuclear program between Iran and the 5+1 group (the US, the UK, France, Russia, China and Germany), Iran has suspended the operation of the International Atomic Energy Agency's surveillance cameras at Iran's nuclear facilities since 2020.

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. To preserve the agreements reached as part of the JCPOA, the European signatories of the deal started in January 2019 that a financial mechanism for maintaining trade with Iran called INSTEX was formed.

On May 8, 2019, Iran announced that it had ceased fulfilling its commitments regarding the sale of over 300 kilograms of uranium, as stated in the deal, basing its decision on the other signatories that have not fulfilled their obligations. On July 7, Iran announced that it will not be fulfilling its commitments regarding the enrichment of uranium at 3.67 percent and the reconstruction of the Arak Heavy Water Reactor Facility as stated in the deal.

Iran announced that it will enrich uranium using next-generation centrifuges and will not mix it with the enriched uranium residues as part of the third step of reducing commitments in JCPOA on Sept.5. On Nov. 5, 2019, Iran announced that it took the fourth step in connection with reducing its commitments to the nuclear agreement. So, uranium gas is being pumped to the centrifuges at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.

On Jan.2020, Iran took the last fifth step in reducing the number of its commitments within JCPOA.

---

Follow the author on Twitter:@BaghishovElnur
Due to the emergence of deadly chronic wasting illness, attempts to rehabilitate white-tailed deer fawns in Tennessee will be halted this year.

According to Joanna Prosser, Director of Walden's Puddle Animal Care, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency reached this decision owing to the 100% death rate that affects the neurological system of deer. Although the sickness has been reported in West Tennessee, scientists believe it is spreading eastward.

Chronic wasting disease CWD has already been found in 16 counties in western Tennessee, according to the TWRA. Animal-to-animal contact, as well as soil and food contaminated with the animal's feces, urine, or saliva, is how the disease spreads.

Preventing Contagion and Human Interference

According to Prosser, contaminants in the environment could persist for decades. Because the disease progresses slowly, an animal might become infectious long before it exhibits any indications of sickness.

According to Prosser, it is incredibly infectious and may persist in the environment for a very long period. If this spreads throughout the state, it is exceedingly alarming not just for our cervid species (deer, elk, and moose), but it might potentially spread to other creatures.

Because there are only a handful of rehabilitation facilities, fawn rehabilitation necessarily includes transferring the animals over potentially long distances, which the TWRA claims increase the likelihood of disease transmission across the state.

TWRA, according to Prosser, is taking this decision very seriously. If the pollution enters the region, the center must be shut down.

Rehabilitated fawns also exhibit behavioral changes that may make it more difficult for them to survive if put back into the wild, and may even result in the deer being a hazard for humans whilst it is rutting season, when male deer exhibit high levels of hostility, according to WATE.

Prosser explained that Fawns habituate very easily, and there are specific protocols to prevent that, but still sometimes the case, like if someone had kept them for weeks before, they become extremely acclimated to humans. They will walk right up to humans, so they'll go right to a hunter.

According to the TWRA, the low survival rates observed even without considering the spread of disease suggest that rehabilitation is an ineffective tool for enhancing white-tailed deer populations. The greatest chance for their survival lies in the wild, where they can thrive without any human intervention.

Also Read: More Yellowstone Wildlife Being Harassed by Visitors, Officials Hunt Offenders as Park Posts Rules Again

Rehab for Other Species Instead

With the new limits in place, wildlife rehabilitators, according to Prosser, have been forced to recognize that not every species can be rehabilitated. A great deal of time and resources formerly dedicated to recuperating fawns, on the other hand, may now be used to aid other species at Walden's Puddle.

If a fawn was recently picked up by humans, Prosser advises returning it to its original location. She stated that, contrary to common perception, a human fragrance on a fawn will not frighten away the mother.

Anyone who sees a fawn who seems abnormally underweight, ill, or infected should notify the TWRA. The goal of these citizen reports is to assist TWRA in determining illness and health concerns that may harm the Tennessee deer population, WKRN reports.

Related Article: Utah Family's Dog Dies Following Severe Injuries From Unprovoked Deer Attack
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 16. India, Nepal, and Bangladesh have finalised the draft of a tripartite power trade agreement, a development in line with New Delhis efforts to forge greater energy connectivity across the neighbourhood, people familiar with the matter said.

The proposed pact, the first of its kind, has been agreed to by the three countries and is expected to be signed in the coming months, the people said. The agreement will also meet a long-standing demand from Nepal and Bangladesh to allow the trading of power through the Indian grid.

During Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahals visit to New Delhi at the beginning of June, he and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi unveiled plans for India to facilitate the export of hydropower from Nepal to Bangladesh. Dahal said a beginning will be made by exporting 50 MW, though the people said there is potential for this to be ramped up once the agreement is in place.

The move fits in with efforts by India in recent years to forge greater energy connectivity with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka through electricity transmission networks and petroleum pipelines. An unstated objective is also to reduce the dependence of neighbours on China, they added.

In the past, electricity trade with neighbours was done under bilateral agreements. The finalisation of new guidelines for Cross-Border Trade of Electricity (CBTE) in recent years served as building blocks for the new arrangements. The guidelines, evolved after consultations with all stakeholders, allow neighbouring countries to purchase and sell power through the Indian grid and participate in Indian power exchanges, the people said.

The neighbours can feed power into the Indian grid at one point and pull it out elsewhere, something that can help a country like Nepal to send surplus power from one region to another via India. There is a greater flow of energy and greater connectivity, one of the people said.

The guidelines were drafted in such a way that power from any Chinese-funded power plant in a neighbouring country cannot be traded through the Indian grid, the people said.

India acts as a fulcrum and the modalities are decided by market forces. India also benefits from transit fees, the person cited above said.

In addition to constructing electricity transmission infrastructure in Nepal and Bangladesh, India has helped build cross-border pipelines with both countries. South Asias first trans-border petroleum pipeline, linking Motihari in Bihar to Amlekhgunj in Nepal and built at a cost of 324 crore, was launched in 2019 and has supplied 2.8 million metric tonnes of diesel to Nepal.

During Dahals visit, the two sides broke ground for the second phase of this pipeline to be built for 183 crore. The two sides also agreed to build a second pipeline to link Siliguri in India and Jhapa in Nepal.

In March this year, India and Bangladesh launched a 377-crore cross-border pipeline that is expected to supply one million metric tonnes of diesel annually from Assams Numaligarh refinery to northern parts of the neighbouring country. The length of the pipeline is 132 km and a 127 km stretch within Bangladesh was built with an Indian grant.

During the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, part of Indias support worth $4 billion consisted of lines of credit to help meet Colombos requirements for fuel and LPG. State-run Indian Oil Corporation supplied fuel through its subsidiary Lanka IOC in June last year when petrol pumps in Sri Lanka went dry. Sri Lanka and India have also agreed to jointly develop the oil tank farms in Trincomalee amid growing concerns over Chinas influence in the country.

When Modi made his first foreign visit to Nepal in 2014, just three months after assuming office, he unveiled the HIT formula for forging links through highways, i-ways and trans-ways. He addressed Nepals key concerns  the oil should be exported through pipeline instead of trucks, bridges should be built over shared rivers and facilities created for exporting electricity.

As a result of this diplomatic effort, we are already importing more than 450 MW of power from Nepal and the target is to take it to 10,000 MW, a second person said. India also buys hydropower from Bhutan and such energy cooperation forms a key element of Indias Neighbourhood First policy.

Following problems in building an underwater transmission line, there is now a plan to construct an overhead power grid link with Sri Lanka. As in the case of Nepal, state-run power companies have been asked to explore the development of projects in Sri Lanka, the second person said.

The G20 summit to be held in September is expected to pass an India-backed declaration to ensure supply chain security with emphasis on regional cooperation, the second person said. As part of these efforts, there are plans to set up a regional power grid comprising Myanmar, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.


Senior Methodist leaders are facing investigation Senior Methodist leaders are facing investigation

The president of the Methodist Conference, who was formerly the East Anglia District Chair, and its vice-president, are facing separate investigations into their conduct.
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Two teams of the health department were rushed to Ballia on Saturday after 40 patients, who had been admitted to the district hospital due to heat stroke-related complications, died over the past three days.

As per reports, though the deceased were from varied localities, a high number of deaths sent the health department into a tizzy. Reportedly, 23 patients died on Thursday, 11 on Friday and another six on Saturday.

The health department has rushed a team under additional director (health) Azamgarh Division Dr OP Tewari, which is camping in Ballia to assess the situation. Director General (health) Renu Srivastava has rushed a separate team from Lucknow to conduct a probe into the high number of casualties.

Doctors at Ballia district hospital said that most of those who died over the past three days were over 60 years of age and had co-morbid conditions. The average temperature in Ballia, too, has been hovering between 40 and 44 degrees which is several notches above normal.

But what is perturbing for the health officials is that with similar conditions, no neighbouring district like Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur, has reported high numbers of heat wave-related deaths.

Meanwhile, the state government transferred Ballia district hospitals chief medical superintendent Dr Diwakar Singh to Azamgarh.

LUCKNOW: Two teams of the health department were rushed to Ballia on Saturday after 40 patients, who had been admitted to the district hospital due to heat stroke-related complications, died over the past three days. As per reports, though the deceased were from varied localities, a high number of deaths sent the health department into a tizzy. Reportedly, 23 patients died on Thursday, 11 on Friday and another six on Saturday. The health department has rushed a team under additional director (health) Azamgarh Division Dr OP Tewari, which is camping in Ballia to assess the situation. Director General (health) Renu Srivastava has rushed a separate team from Lucknow to conduct a probe into the high number of casualties. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Doctors at Ballia district hospital said that most of those who died over the past three days were over 60 years of age and had co-morbid conditions. The average temperature in Ballia, too, has been hovering between 40 and 44 degrees which is several notches above normal. But what is perturbing for the health officials is that with similar conditions, no neighbouring district like Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur, has reported high numbers of heat wave-related deaths. Meanwhile, the state government transferred Ballia district hospitals chief medical superintendent Dr Diwakar Singh to Azamgarh.
By PTI

KOLKATA: A day after paying a visit to violence-hit Bhangore in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, Governor CV Ananda Bose summoned State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha to Raj Bhavan on Saturday to brief him about the situation, an official said.

Sources added Sinha has been called by Bose to update him about the violence that claimed four lives in the state and steps taken to contain the situation.

"The Governor has summoned Sinha at 2 pm to apprise him of the current situation in the wake of the violence," an official said.

After visiting Bhangore on Friday, the Governor said measures must be taken to end political violence and assured that "perpetrators would be permanently silenced" and brought to book.

After talking to residents and senior police officers there, Bose said they would not tolerate violence.

Over 5 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the state's three-tier panchayat elections to elect nearly 74,000 candidates in zilla parishads, panchayat samitis, and gram panchayats.

KOLKATA: A day after paying a visit to violence-hit Bhangore in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, Governor CV Ananda Bose summoned State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha to Raj Bhavan on Saturday to brief him about the situation, an official said. Sources added Sinha has been called by Bose to update him about the violence that claimed four lives in the state and steps taken to contain the situation. "The Governor has summoned Sinha at 2 pm to apprise him of the current situation in the wake of the violence," an official said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); After visiting Bhangore on Friday, the Governor said measures must be taken to end political violence and assured that "perpetrators would be permanently silenced" and brought to book. After talking to residents and senior police officers there, Bose said they would not tolerate violence. Over 5 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the state's three-tier panchayat elections to elect nearly 74,000 candidates in zilla parishads, panchayat samitis, and gram panchayats.
Sudhir Suryawanshi By

Express News Service

MUMBAI: Hours after claiming that one advertisement will not create cracks in the ruling alliance in Maharashtra, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is believed to have warned the father-son duo, state Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his son Lok Sabha MP Dr Shrikant Shinde, over issuing such advertisements. Fadnavis met the father-son duo at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai on Thursday.

The Deputy CM told Shinde and, particularly his overexcited son Dr Shrikant Shinde, in the closed door meeting that such advertisements could result in toppling the government. Shinde and Fadnavis travelled to Palghar together in a helicopter to launch a government at door-step scheme.

ALSO READ:After row over ad, Shinde and Fadnavis share stage, talk about strong bond

The two praised each other with Shinde terming his friendship as Jai Viru ki Jodi and Fevicol ka jod. Fadnavis said their government is not so weak that one ad could create cracks in the alliance government. Post Palghar meeting, Fadnavis requested Shinde to have a closed-door meeting at Sahyadri along with Shindes son Lok Sabha MP Dr Shrikant Shinde on Thursday late at night.

The meeting went on for a little over half-an-hour. Fadnavis blasted Dr Shrikant Shinde for his misadventure over the advertisement episode. The advertisement cited a survey to say that Shinde is more popular as the CM face than his deputy with 26 and 23 per cent popularity votes respectively.

The Shinde-led Sena refused to take ownership of the controversial advertisement, but the matter was resolved by giving another correct advertisement. Sources close to Devendra Fadnavis said he went deeper into the matter to ascertain who was behind it. I have gathered all information related to this advertisement. Dr Shrikant Shinde and his PR team were behind it.

The ad can put the government in trouble and topple it as well. Do you want to see that? There will be adverse impacts of such misadventure. You and your PR firms should restrain from publishing such damaging advertisements. This PR exercise should be stopped, Fadnavis is learnt to have told them.

After the ad came out, Fadnavis skipped two public events where the CM was supposed to be present, citing ill-health. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule also expressed displeasure over the ad and admitted that the BJP leaders and workers were hurt. NCP leader Ajit Pawar in his reaction to the unfolding episode said that it was unprecedented.

In my political career, I have not seen this kind of advertisement. PM Narendra Modi and CM Shindes photos were there in the advertisement. They (Shiv Sena) say that they are the soldiers of Balasaheb Thackeray, whereas Balasaheb Thackerays and Anand Dighes photos were missing from the advertisement, Pawar said.

Meanwhile, UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in his ongoing Maharashtra tour, appeared to offer the olive branch to Uddhav Thackeray, saying the doors were open for talks. He can speak with BJP leadership and resolve the differences, Maurya said, adding the dialogue has to be initiated by Uddhav. However, Maharashtra BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said opening the door for Uddhav is Mauryas personal opinion. It is not the official party line, saying the matter was closed for them.

Ad row: What is it all about?

The first controversial advertisement came out on June13. It carried a photo of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Citing a survey, it claimed Shinde was more popular as the CM face than his deputy Devendra Fadnavis with 26 and 23 per cent popularity votes respectively. On

June 14, the Shinde-led Sena, in a damage-control measure, released another ad featuring both Shinde and Fadnavis.

MUMBAI: Hours after claiming that one advertisement will not create cracks in the ruling alliance in Maharashtra, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is believed to have warned the father-son duo, state Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his son Lok Sabha MP Dr Shrikant Shinde, over issuing such advertisements. Fadnavis met the father-son duo at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai on Thursday. The Deputy CM told Shinde and, particularly his overexcited son Dr Shrikant Shinde, in the closed door meeting that such advertisements could result in toppling the government. Shinde and Fadnavis travelled to Palghar together in a helicopter to launch a government at door-step scheme. ALSO READ:After row over ad, Shinde and Fadnavis share stage, talk about strong bondgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The two praised each other with Shinde terming his friendship as Jai Viru ki Jodi and Fevicol ka jod. Fadnavis said their government is not so weak that one ad could create cracks in the alliance government. Post Palghar meeting, Fadnavis requested Shinde to have a closed-door meeting at Sahyadri along with Shindes son Lok Sabha MP Dr Shrikant Shinde on Thursday late at night. The meeting went on for a little over half-an-hour. Fadnavis blasted Dr Shrikant Shinde for his misadventure over the advertisement episode. The advertisement cited a survey to say that Shinde is more popular as the CM face than his deputy with 26 and 23 per cent popularity votes respectively. The Shinde-led Sena refused to take ownership of the controversial advertisement, but the matter was resolved by giving another correct advertisement. Sources close to Devendra Fadnavis said he went deeper into the matter to ascertain who was behind it. I have gathered all information related to this advertisement. Dr Shrikant Shinde and his PR team were behind it. The ad can put the government in trouble and topple it as well. Do you want to see that? There will be adverse impacts of such misadventure. You and your PR firms should restrain from publishing such damaging advertisements. This PR exercise should be stopped, Fadnavis is learnt to have told them. After the ad came out, Fadnavis skipped two public events where the CM was supposed to be present, citing ill-health. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule also expressed displeasure over the ad and admitted that the BJP leaders and workers were hurt. NCP leader Ajit Pawar in his reaction to the unfolding episode said that it was unprecedented. In my political career, I have not seen this kind of advertisement. PM Narendra Modi and CM Shindes photos were there in the advertisement. They (Shiv Sena) say that they are the soldiers of Balasaheb Thackeray, whereas Balasaheb Thackerays and Anand Dighes photos were missing from the advertisement, Pawar said. Meanwhile, UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in his ongoing Maharashtra tour, appeared to offer the olive branch to Uddhav Thackeray, saying the doors were open for talks. He can speak with BJP leadership and resolve the differences, Maurya said, adding the dialogue has to be initiated by Uddhav. However, Maharashtra BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said opening the door for Uddhav is Mauryas personal opinion. It is not the official party line, saying the matter was closed for them. Ad row: What is it all about? The first controversial advertisement came out on June13. It carried a photo of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Citing a survey, it claimed Shinde was more popular as the CM face than his deputy Devendra Fadnavis with 26 and 23 per cent popularity votes respectively. On June 14, the Shinde-led Sena, in a damage-control measure, released another ad featuring both Shinde and Fadnavis.
By Express News Service

PUNE: The G20 Education Working Group (EWG) meetings have helped in sharing some of the best practices from across the globe in the areas of tech-enabled learning, skilling and strengthening research, and promoting innovation, Union Education Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi said on Saturday.



The minister was addressing the inaugural session of a two-day national conference on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) here ahead of the precursor event for the fourth G20 Education Working Group meeting (EWG) meeting.



"The EWG meetings have helped share some of the best practices from across the globe in the areas of tech-enabled learning, skilling and strengthening research, and promoting innovation. The present Working Group Meeting is an opportune moment to organise various events to create more awareness on Indias G20 presidency as well as renew our resolve towards universal attainment of FLN skills," Devi said at the conference Teaching-Learning Approaches and Pedagogy for FLN.



Devi inaugurated the multimedia exhibition showcasing best practices in education, FLN, digital initiatives, research, and skill development.

Over 100 exhibitors, including Google, UNICEF, NSDC, NCERT, National Book Trust, Indian Knowledge Systems Division (IKS), startup initiatives, and all State Governments took part in the exhibition. It will be open to local institutions, students, academicians, and researchers from June 1722.

ALSO READ | Women 20 Summit begins in Mamallapuram

The EdWG event, which is being hosted by the Ministry of Education, will be followed by the meeting of education ministers from G20 countries on June 22.



Maharashtra's Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil said "Multilingualism is the key that empowers us to navigate through the growing diversity of our world and the need to teach our young generation the skills to choose the right path in this multilingual world while recognizing their own diverse linguistic backgrounds, as talked about extensively in the National Education Policy, 2020."



"The conference will help identify and discuss the best practices states are adopting in creating an environment that facilitates foundational literacy and numeracy in young learners. The aim of the conference is to reflect on two important themes - teaching-learning approaches and pedagogy for FLN in multilingualism and capacity building and training of teachers in blended mode," said School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar.



The first meeting of the G20 Education Working Group was held in Chennai in January followed by a second meeting in Amritsar in March and a third in Bhubaneswar in April.

PUNE: The G20 Education Working Group (EWG) meetings have helped in sharing some of the best practices from across the globe in the areas of tech-enabled learning, skilling and strengthening research, and promoting innovation, Union Education Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi said on Saturday. The minister was addressing the inaugural session of a two-day national conference on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) here ahead of the precursor event for the fourth G20 Education Working Group meeting (EWG) meeting. "The EWG meetings have helped share some of the best practices from across the globe in the areas of tech-enabled learning, skilling and strengthening research, and promoting innovation. The present Working Group Meeting is an opportune moment to organise various events to create more awareness on Indias G20 presidency as well as renew our resolve towards universal attainment of FLN skills," Devi said at the conference Teaching-Learning Approaches and Pedagogy for FLN.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Devi inaugurated the multimedia exhibition showcasing best practices in education, FLN, digital initiatives, research, and skill development. Over 100 exhibitors, including Google, UNICEF, NSDC, NCERT, National Book Trust, Indian Knowledge Systems Division (IKS), startup initiatives, and all State Governments took part in the exhibition. It will be open to local institutions, students, academicians, and researchers from June 1722. ALSO READ | Women 20 Summit begins in Mamallapuram The EdWG event, which is being hosted by the Ministry of Education, will be followed by the meeting of education ministers from G20 countries on June 22. Maharashtra's Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil said "Multilingualism is the key that empowers us to navigate through the growing diversity of our world and the need to teach our young generation the skills to choose the right path in this multilingual world while recognizing their own diverse linguistic backgrounds, as talked about extensively in the National Education Policy, 2020." "The conference will help identify and discuss the best practices states are adopting in creating an environment that facilitates foundational literacy and numeracy in young learners. The aim of the conference is to reflect on two important themes - teaching-learning approaches and pedagogy for FLN in multilingualism and capacity building and training of teachers in blended mode," said School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar. The first meeting of the G20 Education Working Group was held in Chennai in January followed by a second meeting in Amritsar in March and a third in Bhubaneswar in April.
By PTI

AHMEDABAD: A man accused of raping and impregnating a girl aged 16 years and 11 months has told the Gujarat High Court that he is married and his wife is pregnant after the HC sought to explore the possibility of a "compromise".

As the court heard a plea of the rape survivor, who is seven months pregnant, seeking permission for abortion, Justice Samir Dave on Thursday asked the authorities to produce the accused so that the possibility of a "compromise" between him and the girl could be explored.

The 23-year-old accused, currently lodged in a sub-jail in the state's Morbi town, was produced before the court on Friday evening.

He said that he was married for over two years and his wife was also pregnant.

The court has now ruled out the possibility of a compromise, said the advocate for petitioner Sikandar Saiyed.

"Based on the medical report of the minor, the court has said that her medical termination of pregnancy would not be possible. The matter will be further heard on Monday, with the court granting time to father (of the survivor) to get his daughter's opinion on the issue of bringing up her child," said Saiyed.

In an observation during an earlier hearing, the court had said that it was once normal for girls to marry at a young age and deliver a child before they turned 17.

Indicating that he might not allow the petition if both the girl and foetus were healthy, Justice Dave had also referred to the Manusmriti, an ancient legal text of Hinduism, during the hearing on Wednesday.

The rape survivor's father moved the HC seeking permission for termination of the pregnancy had crossed the 24-week threshold up to which abortion can be performed without a court's intervention.

"I will not give permission if both are found healthy. The weight of the foetus is also good...What will you do if the girl gives birth and the child lives? Who will take care of that child? I will also inquire if there are government schemes for such children. You should also check if someone can adopt that child," the judge had told the girl's lawyer.

AHMEDABAD: A man accused of raping and impregnating a girl aged 16 years and 11 months has told the Gujarat High Court that he is married and his wife is pregnant after the HC sought to explore the possibility of a "compromise". As the court heard a plea of the rape survivor, who is seven months pregnant, seeking permission for abortion, Justice Samir Dave on Thursday asked the authorities to produce the accused so that the possibility of a "compromise" between him and the girl could be explored. The 23-year-old accused, currently lodged in a sub-jail in the state's Morbi town, was produced before the court on Friday evening.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He said that he was married for over two years and his wife was also pregnant. The court has now ruled out the possibility of a compromise, said the advocate for petitioner Sikandar Saiyed. "Based on the medical report of the minor, the court has said that her medical termination of pregnancy would not be possible. The matter will be further heard on Monday, with the court granting time to father (of the survivor) to get his daughter's opinion on the issue of bringing up her child," said Saiyed. In an observation during an earlier hearing, the court had said that it was once normal for girls to marry at a young age and deliver a child before they turned 17. Indicating that he might not allow the petition if both the girl and foetus were healthy, Justice Dave had also referred to the Manusmriti, an ancient legal text of Hinduism, during the hearing on Wednesday. The rape survivor's father moved the HC seeking permission for termination of the pregnancy had crossed the 24-week threshold up to which abortion can be performed without a court's intervention. "I will not give permission if both are found healthy. The weight of the foetus is also good...What will you do if the girl gives birth and the child lives? Who will take care of that child? I will also inquire if there are government schemes for such children. You should also check if someone can adopt that child," the judge had told the girl's lawyer.
Mukesh Ranjan By

Express News Service

RANCHI: In a major achievement, Jharkhand teacher Dr Patralekhs blackboard model of teaching has found a place in Prime Minister's Mann Ki Baat coffee table book, released by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, on completion of 100th episodes of the programme.

Sapan Kumar had hit the headlines during the COVID-19 pandemic for transforming an entire village into a classroom, where walls served as blackboards on which students solved assignments given by teachers through loudspeakers.

Mentioning Kumars initiative, it has been said in the book that, COVID-19 pandemic was a challenge for the entire world community. During this hour of examination, many Indians found new ways to help their community. Dr Sapan Kumar Patralekh, a teacher in Dumka, inspired by the new education policy, adopted the blackboard model to continue his teaching work with the help of pictures, thus ensuring that the children of his village could continue their studies without any hindrance.

The Ministry has mentioned a selected few people of the country in the coffee table book named Mere Pyare Deshwasiyon, and published stories of their achievements along with their pictures. PM Modi has discussed the exceptionally remarkable work in his Mann Ki Baat program, in which, only one name of Sapan Kumar from Jharkhand, has been included.

Notably, with most of the children having no access to smartphones to take online classes during the pandemic, Sapan Kumar transformed the entire village into a classroom where walls serve as black-board on which students solve assignments given by teachers through loudspeakers.

Sapan Kumar, the principal of Utkramit Madhya Vidyalalya at Dumarthar village in Dumka, teaching students. (Photo | Twitter)

Under this arrangement, children sit on the platforms made outside their homes under the thatched roofs to protect the mud wall from rainwater and write on separate blackboards whatever assignment is given by the teachers.

To ensure that social distancing is maintained, teachers explain doubts through loudspeakers. The initiative was taken by Kumar in the wake of the fact that most of the students enrolled in his school do not have access to smartphones.

As per the official data, WhatsApp classes being conducted by School Education and Literacy department were reachable only to 19 per cent of 42 lakh students in Jharkhand. Elated Kumar said that it is certainly a matter of pride to find a place in the coffee table book  Mere Pyare Deshwasiyon.

It is an honour for the people of Jharkhand. This book mentions the remarkable works of dozens of people working in different fields across the country. My unique way of teaching-- the blackboard model has also been mentioned here. This book inspires me to do better work in future, said Sapan Kumar. The book will play an important role in making Gandhiji's dream of Swaraj and Prime Minister's Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat, he added.

RANCHI: In a major achievement, Jharkhand teacher Dr Patralekhs blackboard model of teaching has found a place in Prime Minister's Mann Ki Baat coffee table book, released by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, on completion of 100th episodes of the programme. Sapan Kumar had hit the headlines during the COVID-19 pandemic for transforming an entire village into a classroom, where walls served as blackboards on which students solved assignments given by teachers through loudspeakers. Mentioning Kumars initiative, it has been said in the book that, COVID-19 pandemic was a challenge for the entire world community. During this hour of examination, many Indians found new ways to help their community. Dr Sapan Kumar Patralekh, a teacher in Dumka, inspired by the new education policy, adopted the blackboard model to continue his teaching work with the help of pictures, thus ensuring that the children of his village could continue their studies without any hindrance.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Ministry has mentioned a selected few people of the country in the coffee table book named Mere Pyare Deshwasiyon, and published stories of their achievements along with their pictures. PM Modi has discussed the exceptionally remarkable work in his Mann Ki Baat program, in which, only one name of Sapan Kumar from Jharkhand, has been included. Notably, with most of the children having no access to smartphones to take online classes during the pandemic, Sapan Kumar transformed the entire village into a classroom where walls serve as black-board on which students solve assignments given by teachers through loudspeakers. Sapan Kumar, the principal of Utkramit Madhya Vidyalalya at Dumarthar village in Dumka, teaching students. (Photo | Twitter) Under this arrangement, children sit on the platforms made outside their homes under the thatched roofs to protect the mud wall from rainwater and write on separate blackboards whatever assignment is given by the teachers. To ensure that social distancing is maintained, teachers explain doubts through loudspeakers. The initiative was taken by Kumar in the wake of the fact that most of the students enrolled in his school do not have access to smartphones. As per the official data, WhatsApp classes being conducted by School Education and Literacy department were reachable only to 19 per cent of 42 lakh students in Jharkhand. Elated Kumar said that it is certainly a matter of pride to find a place in the coffee table book  Mere Pyare Deshwasiyon. It is an honour for the people of Jharkhand. This book mentions the remarkable works of dozens of people working in different fields across the country. My unique way of teaching-- the blackboard model has also been mentioned here. This book inspires me to do better work in future, said Sapan Kumar. The book will play an important role in making Gandhiji's dream of Swaraj and Prime Minister's Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat, he added.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: Amid uncertainty over holding of Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, the Lt Governor administration, on Friday, in a notification appointed nodal officers for elections this year.

Anil Koul, secretary of the housing and urban development department has been appointed as the nodal officer for municipal elections in Jammu and Kashmir in 2023.

Koul will be dealing with all issues concerning municipal corporations and municipalities and will work with the deputy director, and secretary of respective ULBs/municipal corporations who will provide all assistance and coordination to the nodal officer for the smooth conduct of municipal elections in 2023. The five-year term of urban local bodies is coming to an end in November this year.

While the term of Srinagar Municipal Corporation would end on November 5, 2023, Jammu Municipal Corporations term is expiring on November 14. The five-year term of municipal councils and committees would also come to an end in October- November this year.

The last urban local bodies polls were held in October 2018 in J&K during the governors rule. The NC and PDP had boycotted the ULB polls citing a threat to J&Ks special status. 10 months after holding of ULB pol ls, the centre had scrapped J&Ks special status and had bifurcated the state into two UTs.

There are more chances that the elections may be held earlier than the scheduled time. It may be held in September-October after the completion of the Amarnath Yatra. J&K is under central rule since the collapse of the PDP-BJP coalition government in June 2018 and political parties have been demanding the holding of Assembly polls in the UT so that the elected government is put in place, which can address and resolve public issues. The parties have accused BJP of delaying the Assembly polls fearing defeat.

Polls after Amarnath Yatra

There are more chances that the elections may be held earlier than the scheduled time. It may be held in September- October after the completion of the Amarnath Yatra

SRINAGAR: Amid uncertainty over holding of Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, the Lt Governor administration, on Friday, in a notification appointed nodal officers for elections this year. Anil Koul, secretary of the housing and urban development department has been appointed as the nodal officer for municipal elections in Jammu and Kashmir in 2023. Koul will be dealing with all issues concerning municipal corporations and municipalities and will work with the deputy director, and secretary of respective ULBs/municipal corporations who will provide all assistance and coordination to the nodal officer for the smooth conduct of municipal elections in 2023. The five-year term of urban local bodies is coming to an end in November this year.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); While the term of Srinagar Municipal Corporation would end on November 5, 2023, Jammu Municipal Corporations term is expiring on November 14. The five-year term of municipal councils and committees would also come to an end in October- November this year. The last urban local bodies polls were held in October 2018 in J&K during the governors rule. The NC and PDP had boycotted the ULB polls citing a threat to J&Ks special status. 10 months after holding of ULB pol ls, the centre had scrapped J&Ks special status and had bifurcated the state into two UTs. There are more chances that the elections may be held earlier than the scheduled time. It may be held in September-October after the completion of the Amarnath Yatra. J&K is under central rule since the collapse of the PDP-BJP coalition government in June 2018 and political parties have been demanding the holding of Assembly polls in the UT so that the elected government is put in place, which can address and resolve public issues. The parties have accused BJP of delaying the Assembly polls fearing defeat. Polls after Amarnath Yatra There are more chances that the elections may be held earlier than the scheduled time. It may be held in September- October after the completion of the Amarnath Yatra
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. India is weighing a proposal to begin barter trade in goods like fertiliser and gas with Egypt as part of a wider deal that could see New Delhi extending a credit line worth several billion dollars to Cairo.

An agreement is likely to be announced later this month during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first visit to Egypt, which faces a prolonged foreign currency shortage, a source with knowledge of the matter said.

"The agreement would allow Egypt to make purchases in rupees and bartering is being considered as a means to settle this debt through the sale of Egyptian products that might be of use for India," the source said.

India's foreign ministry is consulting with departments on their appetite for fertiliser and gas from Cairo as part payment for the credit line, an Indian official said.

New Delhi is keen to diversify its fertiliser imports, especially after 2021, when some Indian states faced shortages due to Chinese export restrictions and a record price surge.

As part of the facility, Egypt is keen to take wheat supplies, among other items, but New Delhi is unlikely to ship the grain due to its wheat export ban, the Indian official added.

India, the world's second-largest wheat producer, banned wheat exports in May 2022 to help control rising domestic prices, rescinding a plan to export 3 million tons of wheat to Egypt in the year 2022/23. Egypt now depends mostly on Russia for the grain.

"It's a negotiation. Which companies will be involved and in which commodities? All of that is still in discussion," Egypt's supply minister Ali Moselhy told Reuters.

"There are a lot of discussions but up until now the model is not defined," said Moselhy, who did not specify the size of a possible credit line.

The other sources from India and Egypt did not wish to be identified as they are not authorised to speak to the press.

India's external affairs ministry, finance ministry, trade minister, and Egypt's foreign ministry and trade ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

India exported $4.11 billion of goods to Egypt in the last fiscal year, while importing $1.95 billion.

Egypt has deferred payments for its large wheat purchases, in some cases by months, due to shortage of funds, Reuters reported last month.

Egypt is trying to stabilize an economy hit by the pandemic and high commodity prices, prompting foreign investors to pull about $20 billion out of its financial markets.
Mayank Singh By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The exercise to reorganise the war-fighting structures of the country moved forward on Friday with the Department of military affairs deciding to pave the way for a common annual confidential report for senior officers serving at two-star and three-star ranks of the armed forces: the Indian Army, Navy and Indian Air Force.

Sources said initially, a common Confidential Report for two and three-star officers has been approved to be implemented. The implementation timeline is approximately three-four months. Terming this step as a reform, the sources said the move will prove instrumental in the path towards achieving commonality in procedures, and assessments, leading to better outcomes in terms of Jointness and Integration.

This is further going to be extended to the other ranks in future, said another source. The Annual Confidential Report (ACR) is the method adopted for an objective and impartial assessment of the character, conduct, capabilities and performance of an officer. Currently, for posting in combined or triservices appointments, the selection system is based on parent service-specific parameters.

Approving a major reform at the higher defence management level, the government formed the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) in 2019 with the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as its secretary. The formulation of the Theatre Command is the mandate of the CDS along with integration and synergy of the armed forces.

The mandate of the DMA includes the facilitation of restructuring of a total of 17 Military Commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through establishment of joint/theatre commands. This move at the senior levels follows the recent step at the grassroots level.

In May, around 100 officers from the Army, Air Force and Navy were to be sent for cross-postings in all arms and services, including logistics, aviation and artillery. These officers will be equivalent to the ranks of Majors and Lieutenant (Lt) Colonels. From the Indian Navy, officers at the ranks of Lieutenant Commanders and Commanders will be part of the cross-postings while from the Indian Air Force; cross-postings will be from the rank of Squadron Leaders and Wing Commanders.

NEW DELHI: The exercise to reorganise the war-fighting structures of the country moved forward on Friday with the Department of military affairs deciding to pave the way for a common annual confidential report for senior officers serving at two-star and three-star ranks of the armed forces: the Indian Army, Navy and Indian Air Force. Sources said initially, a common Confidential Report for two and three-star officers has been approved to be implemented. The implementation timeline is approximately three-four months. Terming this step as a reform, the sources said the move will prove instrumental in the path towards achieving commonality in procedures, and assessments, leading to better outcomes in terms of Jointness and Integration. This is further going to be extended to the other ranks in future, said another source. The Annual Confidential Report (ACR) is the method adopted for an objective and impartial assessment of the character, conduct, capabilities and performance of an officer. Currently, for posting in combined or triservices appointments, the selection system is based on parent service-specific parameters.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Approving a major reform at the higher defence management level, the government formed the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) in 2019 with the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as its secretary. The formulation of the Theatre Command is the mandate of the CDS along with integration and synergy of the armed forces. The mandate of the DMA includes the facilitation of restructuring of a total of 17 Military Commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through establishment of joint/theatre commands. This move at the senior levels follows the recent step at the grassroots level. In May, around 100 officers from the Army, Air Force and Navy were to be sent for cross-postings in all arms and services, including logistics, aviation and artillery. These officers will be equivalent to the ranks of Majors and Lieutenant (Lt) Colonels. From the Indian Navy, officers at the ranks of Lieutenant Commanders and Commanders will be part of the cross-postings while from the Indian Air Force; cross-postings will be from the rank of Squadron Leaders and Wing Commanders.
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Despite all the campaigns, diplomatic pressure and demands for justice for 28-month-old baby Ariha, a German district court in Pankow has denied custody of the child to her biological parents and have handed her over to the Jugendamt (German Youth Service).

Rejecting the application of the parents Dhara and Bhavesh Shah to return the child to them or hand her over to Indian welfare services, the court in its order said that the parents were no longer authorised to decide on the whereabouts of their child. The court issued the order even though the case against the parents has been closed, without any charges being filed against them.

The parents of the child, however, continue to be optimistic of getting custody of their daughter and say they wont stop till they have her back. Earlier, they had monthly visitation rights to see their child  which have been withdrawn now.

ALSO READ | 59 MPs ask German envoy to repatriate baby Ariha to India

"We as parents have full faith that our government will be successful in repatriating our daughter to her home country as she needs to be brought up in the culture that she was born in as a Jain," Dhara and Bhavesh Shah told The New Indian Express.

The parents are in debt now as they had taken a loan of around Rs 45 lakh which they have spent on the legal process until now. The recent court order has directed them to pay close to 25,000 euros as fee for various expenses.

"The parents have run out of money to pay for the next appeal but they are ready to sell their properties. We have collectively raised around Rs 10 lakh to help them and will continue to support them. I say this on behalf of the entire Jain community and we are even ready to take care of baby Ariha for the rest of her life," Yatin Shah told The New Indian Express. Yatin is a representative of the Jain community in Gujarat who has been helping the parents of baby Ariha get justice.

Ariha has been in foster care in Germany since September 23rd, 2021 when she was around seven months old on suspicion that she was abused by her parents (the charges were subsequently dropped after an investigation). However, the battle to bring the baby back to India or see her handed over to her biological parents will continue.

NEW DELHI: Despite all the campaigns, diplomatic pressure and demands for justice for 28-month-old baby Ariha, a German district court in Pankow has denied custody of the child to her biological parents and have handed her over to the Jugendamt (German Youth Service). Rejecting the application of the parents Dhara and Bhavesh Shah to return the child to them or hand her over to Indian welfare services, the court in its order said that the parents were no longer authorised to decide on the whereabouts of their child. The court issued the order even though the case against the parents has been closed, without any charges being filed against them. The parents of the child, however, continue to be optimistic of getting custody of their daughter and say they wont stop till they have her back. Earlier, they had monthly visitation rights to see their child  which have been withdrawn now.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); ALSO READ | 59 MPs ask German envoy to repatriate baby Ariha to India "We as parents have full faith that our government will be successful in repatriating our daughter to her home country as she needs to be brought up in the culture that she was born in as a Jain," Dhara and Bhavesh Shah told The New Indian Express. The parents are in debt now as they had taken a loan of around Rs 45 lakh which they have spent on the legal process until now. The recent court order has directed them to pay close to 25,000 euros as fee for various expenses. "The parents have run out of money to pay for the next appeal but they are ready to sell their properties. We have collectively raised around Rs 10 lakh to help them and will continue to support them. I say this on behalf of the entire Jain community and we are even ready to take care of baby Ariha for the rest of her life," Yatin Shah told The New Indian Express. Yatin is a representative of the Jain community in Gujarat who has been helping the parents of baby Ariha get justice. Ariha has been in foster care in Germany since September 23rd, 2021 when she was around seven months old on suspicion that she was abused by her parents (the charges were subsequently dropped after an investigation). However, the battle to bring the baby back to India or see her handed over to her biological parents will continue.
By PTI

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said the BJP-led NDA will be defeated in the next year's general elections by "PDA", which he defined as a "Pichde (backward classes), Dalit and Alpasankhyak (minorities)".

At NDTV Conclave in Lucknow, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "The BJP will be defeated in all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh if bigger national parties back us.

" Yadav asserted that he has always maintained that seat distribution should be decided considering which alliance partner is the strongest in a particular state.

When asked about his view on efforts being made to stitch a grand united opposition, the Samajwadi Party chief said that his only slogan is, "Assi harao, BJP hatao (defeat 80, remove BJP). "

Uttar Pradesh has 80 Lok Sabha seats.

The SP had only won five in 2019 and lost two of them -- Rampur and Azamgarh -- to the BJP in the by-elections.

Talking about his party's alliance with Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party in the 2017 assembly and 2019 general election respectively, Yadav asserted that the Samajawadi Party has always been an honest and accommodating alliance partner.

"Wherever the Samajwadi Party has been in alliance, you wouldn't hear of us fighting over seats," he said.

Yadav also hit out at the BJP government in the state and alleged that it has failed to bring development while the law-and-order situation has deteriorated.

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said the BJP-led NDA will be defeated in the next year's general elections by "PDA", which he defined as a "Pichde (backward classes), Dalit and Alpasankhyak (minorities)". At NDTV Conclave in Lucknow, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "The BJP will be defeated in all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh if bigger national parties back us. " Yadav asserted that he has always maintained that seat distribution should be decided considering which alliance partner is the strongest in a particular state.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); When asked about his view on efforts being made to stitch a grand united opposition, the Samajwadi Party chief said that his only slogan is, "Assi harao, BJP hatao (defeat 80, remove BJP). " Uttar Pradesh has 80 Lok Sabha seats. The SP had only won five in 2019 and lost two of them -- Rampur and Azamgarh -- to the BJP in the by-elections. Talking about his party's alliance with Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party in the 2017 assembly and 2019 general election respectively, Yadav asserted that the Samajawadi Party has always been an honest and accommodating alliance partner. "Wherever the Samajwadi Party has been in alliance, you wouldn't hear of us fighting over seats," he said. Yadav also hit out at the BJP government in the state and alleged that it has failed to bring development while the law-and-order situation has deteriorated.
By PTI

LUCKNOW: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday emphasised the need for self-reliance for the country, saying it was not an option but a necessity in the fast-changing global scenario.

He said "not only nuts and bolts", but BrahMos missiles, drones and electronic warfare systems will also be manufactured and assembled in the Uttar Pradesh defence corridor.

"During the 1971 war, when we needed equipment the most we were refused. We had to look for alternatives. I don't want to take the names of the countries that refused our request," he said addressing an event on "Atmanirbhar Bharat" here.

The defence minister said the Kargil War of 1999 saw a similar story.

"During the Kargil war, when our armed forces felt a strong need for equipment, those countries were imparting us lessons of peace. Those who traditionally used to supply us weapons, they too refused," Singh said.

"Hence, we do not have any option than strengthening ourselves," he said.

Singh said the country is moving ahead with the pledge of self-reliance.

"From the ground to the sky and from the agricultural machines to the cryogenic engine, India is moving fast to become self-reliant in every sector," he said.

"In the fast changing world, self-reliance is not an option for us, but it is a necessity," he said, adding that the government is ensuring the country's self-reliance in every sector, especially defence as it is directly related to the nation's security.

ALSO READ | Indian Air Force's Su-30 MKI fighters simulate long-range strikes deep into Indian Ocean

While highlighting the importance of the army, the minister said, "For the safety of any country, the army is the most important part. Without an empowered army, you cannot defend the borders, nor civilisation or culture. If that army is dependent on anyone else, then the situation becomes more uncontrolled."

Hence, self-reliance of an army is an important step in making a country powerful, he asserted.

"When I am talking about self-reliance of the army, it does not only mean soldiers, it also means military equipment," the minister said and added that "as time changes, the role of military equipment increases more".

He said today, there is a new warrior and it is called technology, and "we have to think forward".

"We have to go beyond the horizon and achieve self-reliance in the area of military equipment. The platforms, equipment and new technologies are equally important as the courage and valour of our soldiers," he said.

On the importance of being self-reliant in military equipment, Singh said, when the British were expanding their control in India, "it was not that kingdoms did not have an army".

"Some had a large and loyal army, but they lost to the British despite this because of equipment," he said.

Kingdoms in India made efforts and imported weapons from France, Germany and Spain "but since the equipment was imported, proper training and engineering was needed for (handling) them", Singh said.

Had they developed weapons according to their capacity, they could have better handled them and imparted proper training to their soldiers, he said.

This is why they faced defeat, Singh said.

The defence minister said imported equipment have their limits, and sometimes "a situation may arise that in adverse circumstances you want to use it (equipment), and the other country using a system can block it".

Singh also said can this possibility be denied that platforms or equipment with chips can inform the enemy and leak sensitive information.

"Imported weapons come to you with some conditions that are not appropriate for a sovereign nation. So, to safeguard the country's sovereignty, if we need equipment or platforms with the most advanced technology, then we have to develop it in our country only. For this, (we) cannot remain dependent on any other country," he said.

"It becomes necessary for a country like India to become self-reliant because "along with dual dangers on our borders, we are also facing new dimensions of warfare", the minister said.

"Can there be any country in the world that does not have a military industrial base and it is a global power? There is no such country. If we have to stand at a good position at the global level, then apart from becoming self-reliant in the defence manufacturing sector, we do not have any other option," Singh said.

ALSO READ | Nuclear-capable Agni Prime ballistic missile clears pre-induction test

He said that if "we become self-reliant in the defence manufacturing sector, it will have multiple benefits".

India's armed forces will become self-reliant and expenses incurred on imports will reduce, Singh said.

If weapons are manufactured in the country, it also "multi-dimensionally" benefits the civil sector, he highlighted.

The minister called for developing dual use technology -- strengthening the defence sector as well as improving lives of people.

"We along with the DRDO, academia and industries have made efforts to make India self-reliant in the defence sector, and the results of our efforts have started to come. It is a matter of happiness that our domestic defence production today has crossed the Rs 1 lakh crore mark," he said.

The Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) is an aspirational project that intends to reduce the dependence of the Indian aerospace and the defence sectors on foreign suppliers.

"What is important is that in the UP defence corridor, not only nuts and bolts or spare parts will be manufactured, (but) drones, UAVs, electronic warfare (systems), aircraft and BrahMos missiles will also be manufactured and assembled," Singh told a gathering at an event here on "Atmanirbhar Bharat".

The minister said an "enabling" environment has been prepared for defence manufacturing through defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Singh said that about the UPDIC, "I have been told that for this corridor, the land which is planned to be acquired is around 1,700 hectare.

Of this, more than 95 per cent of land has already been acquired".

Of this, 36 industries and institutions have been allotted nearly 600 hectare of land, he said, adding that 109 MoUs have been signed, with an estimated investment value of more than Rs 16,000 crore.

So far, investment of about Rs 2,500 crore has been made in the UPDIC by various entities, Singh said.

The UPDIC took off to an encouraging start with the announcement of investments worth over Rs 3,700 crore in defence production at a meet organised in Aligarh in 2018.

Six nodes --- Agra, Aligarh, Chitrakut, Jhansi, Kanpur and Lucknow -- have been identified for developing the UPDIC.

LUCKNOW: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday emphasised the need for self-reliance for the country, saying it was not an option but a necessity in the fast-changing global scenario. He said "not only nuts and bolts", but BrahMos missiles, drones and electronic warfare systems will also be manufactured and assembled in the Uttar Pradesh defence corridor. "During the 1971 war, when we needed equipment the most we were refused. We had to look for alternatives. I don't want to take the names of the countries that refused our request," he said addressing an event on "Atmanirbhar Bharat" here.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The defence minister said the Kargil War of 1999 saw a similar story. "During the Kargil war, when our armed forces felt a strong need for equipment, those countries were imparting us lessons of peace. Those who traditionally used to supply us weapons, they too refused," Singh said. "Hence, we do not have any option than strengthening ourselves," he said. Singh said the country is moving ahead with the pledge of self-reliance. "From the ground to the sky and from the agricultural machines to the cryogenic engine, India is moving fast to become self-reliant in every sector," he said. "In the fast changing world, self-reliance is not an option for us, but it is a necessity," he said, adding that the government is ensuring the country's self-reliance in every sector, especially defence as it is directly related to the nation's security. ALSO READ | Indian Air Force's Su-30 MKI fighters simulate long-range strikes deep into Indian Ocean While highlighting the importance of the army, the minister said, "For the safety of any country, the army is the most important part. Without an empowered army, you cannot defend the borders, nor civilisation or culture. If that army is dependent on anyone else, then the situation becomes more uncontrolled." Hence, self-reliance of an army is an important step in making a country powerful, he asserted. "When I am talking about self-reliance of the army, it does not only mean soldiers, it also means military equipment," the minister said and added that "as time changes, the role of military equipment increases more". He said today, there is a new warrior and it is called technology, and "we have to think forward". "We have to go beyond the horizon and achieve self-reliance in the area of military equipment. The platforms, equipment and new technologies are equally important as the courage and valour of our soldiers," he said. On the importance of being self-reliant in military equipment, Singh said, when the British were expanding their control in India, "it was not that kingdoms did not have an army". "Some had a large and loyal army, but they lost to the British despite this because of equipment," he said. Kingdoms in India made efforts and imported weapons from France, Germany and Spain "but since the equipment was imported, proper training and engineering was needed for (handling) them", Singh said. Had they developed weapons according to their capacity, they could have better handled them and imparted proper training to their soldiers, he said. This is why they faced defeat, Singh said. The defence minister said imported equipment have their limits, and sometimes "a situation may arise that in adverse circumstances you want to use it (equipment), and the other country using a system can block it". Singh also said can this possibility be denied that platforms or equipment with chips can inform the enemy and leak sensitive information. "Imported weapons come to you with some conditions that are not appropriate for a sovereign nation. So, to safeguard the country's sovereignty, if we need equipment or platforms with the most advanced technology, then we have to develop it in our country only. For this, (we) cannot remain dependent on any other country," he said. "It becomes necessary for a country like India to become self-reliant because "along with dual dangers on our borders, we are also facing new dimensions of warfare", the minister said. "Can there be any country in the world that does not have a military industrial base and it is a global power? There is no such country. If we have to stand at a good position at the global level, then apart from becoming self-reliant in the defence manufacturing sector, we do not have any other option," Singh said. ALSO READ | Nuclear-capable Agni Prime ballistic missile clears pre-induction test He said that if "we become self-reliant in the defence manufacturing sector, it will have multiple benefits". India's armed forces will become self-reliant and expenses incurred on imports will reduce, Singh said. If weapons are manufactured in the country, it also "multi-dimensionally" benefits the civil sector, he highlighted. The minister called for developing dual use technology -- strengthening the defence sector as well as improving lives of people. "We along with the DRDO, academia and industries have made efforts to make India self-reliant in the defence sector, and the results of our efforts have started to come. It is a matter of happiness that our domestic defence production today has crossed the Rs 1 lakh crore mark," he said. The Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) is an aspirational project that intends to reduce the dependence of the Indian aerospace and the defence sectors on foreign suppliers. "What is important is that in the UP defence corridor, not only nuts and bolts or spare parts will be manufactured, (but) drones, UAVs, electronic warfare (systems), aircraft and BrahMos missiles will also be manufactured and assembled," Singh told a gathering at an event here on "Atmanirbhar Bharat". The minister said an "enabling" environment has been prepared for defence manufacturing through defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Singh said that about the UPDIC, "I have been told that for this corridor, the land which is planned to be acquired is around 1,700 hectare. Of this, more than 95 per cent of land has already been acquired". Of this, 36 industries and institutions have been allotted nearly 600 hectare of land, he said, adding that 109 MoUs have been signed, with an estimated investment value of more than Rs 16,000 crore. So far, investment of about Rs 2,500 crore has been made in the UPDIC by various entities, Singh said. The UPDIC took off to an encouraging start with the announcement of investments worth over Rs 3,700 crore in defence production at a meet organised in Aligarh in 2018. Six nodes --- Agra, Aligarh, Chitrakut, Jhansi, Kanpur and Lucknow -- have been identified for developing the UPDIC.
Dilip Singh Kshatriya By

Express News Service

AHMEDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Saturday conducted an aerial survey of areas badly affected due to cyclone Biparjoy in Gujarat's Kutch.

After completing an aerial observation and visiting many affected areas and hospitals, Shah addressed a press conference in Bhuj on Saturday.

Cyclone Biparjoy demonstrated how the central government and the Gujarat government collaborated to make the best use of timely information. Only because the Gujarat government followed the guidelines announced by the NDMA did not a single person die, only 47 people were injured and 234 animals were lost. It is a credit to the Centre and the Gujarat government that no one was killed in the violent storm, he said.

Talking about power supply, Shah said, Many people said that there is no electricity in the villages. However, they are unaware that due to NDMA protocol, 3400 villages have been disconnected from HT line power supply. Electricity has been restored in 1600 villages and officials have promised me that it will be restored in practically all villages by the evening of the 20th.

1133 teams are working to restore power. Another 400 teams will be added tomorrow and around 7600 local employees are trying to restore power supply, he added.

ALSO READ | Cyclone Biparjoy aftermath: 1,000 villages in Gujarat without power; trees uprooted, houses damaged

Shah also praised the Gujarat government for taking care of pregnant women during the cyclone. 1206 pregnant sisters were transported to the hospital during the cyclone, one child was born on the same day the cyclone hit and 707 births occurred in three days. I met mothers who gave birth to children and every woman was satisfied with the government's service, he said.

Giving information about evacuations, Shah said, 1,08,208 people had been transferred to safer areas, while 73,000 cattle had been relocated. 3,27,890 trees were modified to cause less harm during the storm. This time, 4,317 hoardings were removed before the storm. Over 1,00,000 fishermen had been recalled, along with 21,585 vessels that were at sea prior to the storm. Where mobile towers were damaged, DG sets were placed, and communication systems were nearly totally restored.

He said PM Modi also monitored the situation continually. "Prime Minister Modi alerted the management system as soon as he learned of the storm and he personally supervised the management system's functioning until one o'clock at night, giving required directions," he said.

However, cyclone Biparjoys after-effects still linger in Gujarat. As high-speed winds pounded Surat during the previous two days, a man was killed when a roof fell on him and a pedestrian was hurt when an empty water tank fell on him.

According to the Marine Salt Manufacturers' Association, significant rainfall has washed away tonnes of salt in Maliya in Morbi, Navlakhi in Kutch and many other places.

As a result of the storm, rain has been pouring down in North Gujarats Patan, Palanpur, Sabarkantha, Aravalli and Mehsana since Thursday night. Numerous trees have fallen in certain areas. The Banaskantha district talukas of Palanpur, Disa, Tharad, Vav, Deodar and Suigam are experiencing rain. Low-lying places are consequently flooded. As a result of today's intense rainfall in Patan, rainwater has now gotten to Gujarat's largest solar project in Charanka. Water blocked the Ahmedabad-Delhi National Highway as it traveled through Palanpur, which caused problems for automobiles.

AHMEDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Saturday conducted an aerial survey of areas badly affected due to cyclone Biparjoy in Gujarat's Kutch. After completing an aerial observation and visiting many affected areas and hospitals, Shah addressed a press conference in Bhuj on Saturday. Cyclone Biparjoy demonstrated how the central government and the Gujarat government collaborated to make the best use of timely information. Only because the Gujarat government followed the guidelines announced by the NDMA did not a single person die, only 47 people were injured and 234 animals were lost. It is a credit to the Centre and the Gujarat government that no one was killed in the violent storm, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Talking about power supply, Shah said, Many people said that there is no electricity in the villages. However, they are unaware that due to NDMA protocol, 3400 villages have been disconnected from HT line power supply. Electricity has been restored in 1600 villages and officials have promised me that it will be restored in practically all villages by the evening of the 20th. 1133 teams are working to restore power. Another 400 teams will be added tomorrow and around 7600 local employees are trying to restore power supply, he added. ALSO READ | Cyclone Biparjoy aftermath: 1,000 villages in Gujarat without power; trees uprooted, houses damaged Shah also praised the Gujarat government for taking care of pregnant women during the cyclone. 1206 pregnant sisters were transported to the hospital during the cyclone, one child was born on the same day the cyclone hit and 707 births occurred in three days. I met mothers who gave birth to children and every woman was satisfied with the government's service, he said. Giving information about evacuations, Shah said, 1,08,208 people had been transferred to safer areas, while 73,000 cattle had been relocated. 3,27,890 trees were modified to cause less harm during the storm. This time, 4,317 hoardings were removed before the storm. Over 1,00,000 fishermen had been recalled, along with 21,585 vessels that were at sea prior to the storm. Where mobile towers were damaged, DG sets were placed, and communication systems were nearly totally restored. He said PM Modi also monitored the situation continually. "Prime Minister Modi alerted the management system as soon as he learned of the storm and he personally supervised the management system's functioning until one o'clock at night, giving required directions," he said. However, cyclone Biparjoys after-effects still linger in Gujarat. As high-speed winds pounded Surat during the previous two days, a man was killed when a roof fell on him and a pedestrian was hurt when an empty water tank fell on him. According to the Marine Salt Manufacturers' Association, significant rainfall has washed away tonnes of salt in Maliya in Morbi, Navlakhi in Kutch and many other places. As a result of the storm, rain has been pouring down in North Gujarats Patan, Palanpur, Sabarkantha, Aravalli and Mehsana since Thursday night. Numerous trees have fallen in certain areas. The Banaskantha district talukas of Palanpur, Disa, Tharad, Vav, Deodar and Suigam are experiencing rain. Low-lying places are consequently flooded. As a result of today's intense rainfall in Patan, rainwater has now gotten to Gujarat's largest solar project in Charanka. Water blocked the Ahmedabad-Delhi National Highway as it traveled through Palanpur, which caused problems for automobiles.
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to be accompanied by a large trade and ministerial delegation during his upcoming visit to the US. These delegates will be from different sectors, including IT, defence, aviation and AI.

One of the main objectives of this visit is to host bilateral meetings that will translate into announcements of various agreements pertaining to defence and critical technology, as well as setting up of manufacturing facilities in India, said a source.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that around 20 chief executive officers (CEO) of American companies, including that of MasterCard, Accenture and Coca-Cola, are likely to meet the Prime Minister in Washington, D.C. between June 22 and 23.

The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, headed by Mukesh Aghi, is likely to facilitate interactions between PM Modi and business honchos, including Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayen, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet, Visa Incs Ryan McInerney, Mastercards Michael Miebach and Coca-Colas James Quincey, they said.

Important members of the Indian diaspora too would be meeting the PM. Modi will address a gathering of 1,500 Indians at the John F Kennedy Centre. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has urged India to ease bureaucratic processes to facilitate contracts for drones. Regulatory mechanisms will be eased to facilitate smooth trade between India and US, a source said.

India-US bilateral trade reached $128.55 billion during the financial year 2022-23, making the US Indias largest trading partner.

During the same period, trade between India and China fell 1.5 per cent to $113.83 billion. Besides trade, talks will also take place on Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific security and China, said sources. They further added that not only will this be a historic visit, but will also set the precedent for enhancing trade and bilateral ties between the two countries.

There will be new domains of strategic partnership announced during this visit. Industries of the two countries will come together. Issues faced by the Global South would be discussed too, said the source, adding that PM Modi and President Biden will spend a lot of time in meetings with each other. Besides the ceremonial reception and the State dinner, one of the most anticipated events would be Modis address at the US Congress. This would be the second time Prime Minister Modi is speaking at the US Congress.

PM to interact with top business heads in the US

The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, headed by Mukesh Aghi, is likely to facilitate interactions between PM Modi and business honchos, including Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayen, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet, Visa Incs Ryan McInerney, Mastercards Michael Miebach and Coca-Colas James Quincey, according to sources in the PMO.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to be accompanied by a large trade and ministerial delegation during his upcoming visit to the US. These delegates will be from different sectors, including IT, defence, aviation and AI. One of the main objectives of this visit is to host bilateral meetings that will translate into announcements of various agreements pertaining to defence and critical technology, as well as setting up of manufacturing facilities in India, said a source. Meanwhile, it is learnt that around 20 chief executive officers (CEO) of American companies, including that of MasterCard, Accenture and Coca-Cola, are likely to meet the Prime Minister in Washington, D.C. between June 22 and 23.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, headed by Mukesh Aghi, is likely to facilitate interactions between PM Modi and business honchos, including Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayen, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet, Visa Incs Ryan McInerney, Mastercards Michael Miebach and Coca-Colas James Quincey, they said. Important members of the Indian diaspora too would be meeting the PM. Modi will address a gathering of 1,500 Indians at the John F Kennedy Centre. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has urged India to ease bureaucratic processes to facilitate contracts for drones. Regulatory mechanisms will be eased to facilitate smooth trade between India and US, a source said. India-US bilateral trade reached $128.55 billion during the financial year 2022-23, making the US Indias largest trading partner. During the same period, trade between India and China fell 1.5 per cent to $113.83 billion. Besides trade, talks will also take place on Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific security and China, said sources. They further added that not only will this be a historic visit, but will also set the precedent for enhancing trade and bilateral ties between the two countries. There will be new domains of strategic partnership announced during this visit. Industries of the two countries will come together. Issues faced by the Global South would be discussed too, said the source, adding that PM Modi and President Biden will spend a lot of time in meetings with each other. Besides the ceremonial reception and the State dinner, one of the most anticipated events would be Modis address at the US Congress. This would be the second time Prime Minister Modi is speaking at the US Congress. PM to interact with top business heads in the US The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, headed by Mukesh Aghi, is likely to facilitate interactions between PM Modi and business honchos, including Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayen, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet, Visa Incs Ryan McInerney, Mastercards Michael Miebach and Coca-Colas James Quincey, according to sources in the PMO.
Rajesh Kumar Thakur By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Friday said the uproar, sloganeering and adjournments are not a good sign for democracy and legislators should maintain high standards of discipline and decency.

Delivering the inaugural speech at the first National Legislators Conference in Mumbai, Birla lamented that the recent incidents of commotion and interruptions in the House were a matter of grave concern.

Being the highest public representative institution, legislators are expected to work as a role models for other institutions and organisations of the country. So, the legislators should be maintaining high standards of discipline and decency in their public life as incidents of unruly behaviours tarnish their images, he said.

The sole responsibility of legislators is to effectively convey issues of the public interest, wishes, aspirations and needs of the populace to the executive, he said, adding that it is imperative on the part of the legislators to self-analyse the shortcomings and find solutions to future challenges.

If the solutions to the problems are not found by discussion and dialogue, then there will be a judicial intervention which is not appropriate for the democracy, he remarked. Sounding a note of caution, he said that public representatives must not only be accountable to their people but also to ensure transparency in all their actions. Earlier in the day, the speaker inaugurated Dr APJ Abdul KALAM Innovation Expo which showcases good governance models and innovative development models.

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on Friday said the uproar, sloganeering and adjournments are not a good sign for democracy and legislators should maintain high standards of discipline and decency. Delivering the inaugural speech at the first National Legislators Conference in Mumbai, Birla lamented that the recent incidents of commotion and interruptions in the House were a matter of grave concern. Being the highest public representative institution, legislators are expected to work as a role models for other institutions and organisations of the country. So, the legislators should be maintaining high standards of discipline and decency in their public life as incidents of unruly behaviours tarnish their images, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The sole responsibility of legislators is to effectively convey issues of the public interest, wishes, aspirations and needs of the populace to the executive, he said, adding that it is imperative on the part of the legislators to self-analyse the shortcomings and find solutions to future challenges. If the solutions to the problems are not found by discussion and dialogue, then there will be a judicial intervention which is not appropriate for the democracy, he remarked. Sounding a note of caution, he said that public representatives must not only be accountable to their people but also to ensure transparency in all their actions. Earlier in the day, the speaker inaugurated Dr APJ Abdul KALAM Innovation Expo which showcases good governance models and innovative development models.
Pronab Mondal By

Express News Service

KOLKATA: As blood continued soaking the soil of Bengal before the upcoming panchayat elections with the murder of a candidate in Malda on Saturday, the state election commission moved the Supreme Court challenging the order of the Calcutta High Court which directed the state poll panel to deploy central force personnel across the state for the upcoming rural polls following reports of large-scale violence.

A total of six persons were killed since June 9, after the state election commission announced that panchayat polls in Bengal will be held in one phase on July 8. Governor C.V. Ananda Bose visited trouble-torn Bhangar, South 24 Parganas, on Friday, where three persons were gunned down on the last day of filing nominations on Thursday, and said, Victory depends on the count of votes, not dead bodies.

We moved the Apex court challenging the order of a division bench of the high court. Our petition was accepted and a hearing will be held on Monday. Though the high court on Thursday directed the state poll panel to deploy central forces within 48 hours of the order, it will not be effective immediately as we have moved the Supreme Court, said a TMC leader.

Violence continued in the state over the upcoming rural polls. Mustafa Sheikh of Sujapur in Malda, a Trinamool Congress candidate of a local panchayat, was beaten brutally when he was returning home from the local centre where nominations were being scrutinised.

Mustafa was taken to a local healthcare centre with severe injuries on his head but the doctors declared him dead on arrival, said a police officer.

Though the TMC alleged Mustafa, in his late 40s, was murdered by Congress supporters, the police said they are probing the incident to ascertain whether it was fall out of an intra-party feud.

Many workers of the ruling party are unhappy after being denied tickets in the rural polls which resulted in rivalry among the TMC supporters. We are exploring all possible aspects to find out whether Mustafa had developed any rivalry because of his candidature in the rural polls, said a police officer.

The Congress denied any involvement of its party supporters in the incident.

In the upcoming panchayat elections, more than 17,000 candidates submitted their nominations as independent contestants which irked the ruling party TMC. In a core committee meeting of the party at Mamata Banerjees Kalighat residence on Saturday afternoon, she reportedly asked to deliver a message for the disgruntled who are contesting as independent candidates defying the partys dictate.

We are making it clear that if our party workers, who submitted their nominations as independent candidate, do not withdraw their candidature, the door for the party will remain shut for them forever, said TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee.

Referring to the murder of the TMC candidate in Malda, Banerjee said the party wants a thorough probe into the incident.

KOLKATA: As blood continued soaking the soil of Bengal before the upcoming panchayat elections with the murder of a candidate in Malda on Saturday, the state election commission moved the Supreme Court challenging the order of the Calcutta High Court which directed the state poll panel to deploy central force personnel across the state for the upcoming rural polls following reports of large-scale violence. A total of six persons were killed since June 9, after the state election commission announced that panchayat polls in Bengal will be held in one phase on July 8. Governor C.V. Ananda Bose visited trouble-torn Bhangar, South 24 Parganas, on Friday, where three persons were gunned down on the last day of filing nominations on Thursday, and said, Victory depends on the count of votes, not dead bodies. We moved the Apex court challenging the order of a division bench of the high court. Our petition was accepted and a hearing will be held on Monday. Though the high court on Thursday directed the state poll panel to deploy central forces within 48 hours of the order, it will not be effective immediately as we have moved the Supreme Court, said a TMC leader.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Violence continued in the state over the upcoming rural polls. Mustafa Sheikh of Sujapur in Malda, a Trinamool Congress candidate of a local panchayat, was beaten brutally when he was returning home from the local centre where nominations were being scrutinised. Mustafa was taken to a local healthcare centre with severe injuries on his head but the doctors declared him dead on arrival, said a police officer. Though the TMC alleged Mustafa, in his late 40s, was murdered by Congress supporters, the police said they are probing the incident to ascertain whether it was fall out of an intra-party feud. Many workers of the ruling party are unhappy after being denied tickets in the rural polls which resulted in rivalry among the TMC supporters. We are exploring all possible aspects to find out whether Mustafa had developed any rivalry because of his candidature in the rural polls, said a police officer. The Congress denied any involvement of its party supporters in the incident. In the upcoming panchayat elections, more than 17,000 candidates submitted their nominations as independent contestants which irked the ruling party TMC. In a core committee meeting of the party at Mamata Banerjees Kalighat residence on Saturday afternoon, she reportedly asked to deliver a message for the disgruntled who are contesting as independent candidates defying the partys dictate. We are making it clear that if our party workers, who submitted their nominations as independent candidate, do not withdraw their candidature, the door for the party will remain shut for them forever, said TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee. Referring to the murder of the TMC candidate in Malda, Banerjee said the party wants a thorough probe into the incident.
Ramashankar By

Express News Service

PATNA: Breaking his silence on Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) patron Jitan Ram Manjhis decision to quit the Grand Alliance (GA), Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Friday alleged that Manjhi was snooping on GAs allies adding that he had given him the option of merging his party with his JD(U).

Talking to the media on the sidelines of the swearing-in of JD(U) MLA Ratneshwar Sada as a minister, Nitish said Manjhi kept on meeting BJP leaders when he was in GA. He said he had asked Manjhi to merge his party or quit the GA.

However, Manjhi decided to distance himself from the GA as his son resigned from the cabinet. I was already convinced that Manjhi would quit the GA but he always claimed before me that he would not go anywhere, the CM said.

Nitish said that Opposition leaders would hold a meeting in the state capital on June 23 and Manhji would have told all details of deliberations held in the meeting to the BJP leaders, had he been with the GA. This is why I had told him clearly to either merge your party with JD(U) or leave the grand alliance, he added.

Without taking the name of LJP (Ram Vilas) chief and MP Chirag Paswan, Nitish said a conspiracy was hatched to ensure the defeat of JD(U) candidates in the last state assembly election. He said that all party candidates either those who won the election or lost the polls, told him later that BJP did not support them in the polls.

Still I continued my relationship with BJP but later left NDA, he remarked. It is alleged that Chirage on persuasion of BJP had fielded his party candidates against JD(U) nominees in the election to cut into the latters votes and ensure their defeat in 2020.

The rumours of a rift between the two politicians started surfacing when Jitan Ram Manjhi met Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on April 14. At the same time, Nitish Kumar was also in Delhi, meeting top opposition leaders as part of their efforts to create a united front against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

PATNA: Breaking his silence on Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) patron Jitan Ram Manjhis decision to quit the Grand Alliance (GA), Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Friday alleged that Manjhi was snooping on GAs allies adding that he had given him the option of merging his party with his JD(U). Talking to the media on the sidelines of the swearing-in of JD(U) MLA Ratneshwar Sada as a minister, Nitish said Manjhi kept on meeting BJP leaders when he was in GA. He said he had asked Manjhi to merge his party or quit the GA. However, Manjhi decided to distance himself from the GA as his son resigned from the cabinet. I was already convinced that Manjhi would quit the GA but he always claimed before me that he would not go anywhere, the CM said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Nitish said that Opposition leaders would hold a meeting in the state capital on June 23 and Manhji would have told all details of deliberations held in the meeting to the BJP leaders, had he been with the GA. This is why I had told him clearly to either merge your party with JD(U) or leave the grand alliance, he added. Without taking the name of LJP (Ram Vilas) chief and MP Chirag Paswan, Nitish said a conspiracy was hatched to ensure the defeat of JD(U) candidates in the last state assembly election. He said that all party candidates either those who won the election or lost the polls, told him later that BJP did not support them in the polls. Still I continued my relationship with BJP but later left NDA, he remarked. It is alleged that Chirage on persuasion of BJP had fielded his party candidates against JD(U) nominees in the election to cut into the latters votes and ensure their defeat in 2020. The rumours of a rift between the two politicians started surfacing when Jitan Ram Manjhi met Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on April 14. At the same time, Nitish Kumar was also in Delhi, meeting top opposition leaders as part of their efforts to create a united front against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Jitendra Choubey By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The two-week mid-year United Nations climate talks held in Germanys Bonn ended on Thursday without a resolution to the dispute between developed and developing countries over finance.

The developed nations emphasised the urgent need for mitigation measures, while the developing countries demanded adequate financial support to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Environmentalists and activists from different countries criticised the conferences half-baked outcome, saying wealthier nations are not honouring the financial pledges to support developing countries in adaptation. Environmentalists accuse wealthier nations of their historical role in driving the climate crisis.

The Bonn Climate Change Conference laid bare the glaring hypocrisy of wealthy nations, showcasing a remarkable indifference to the struggles of developing countries, says Harjeet Singh, Head-Global Political Strategy, Climate Action Network International.

Experts say wealthier nations are more interested in providing private funds and loans, which will further burden developing countries.Developing nations face the monumental task of eradicating poverty, fostering green development, and coping with climate disasters. They deserve unwavering support, not undue pressure, said Singh.

Countries gathered in Bonn, Germany, from June 5-15 for the UNs mid-year climate conference, also known as the Subsidiary Bodies meeting (SB58). The conference was led by two bodies  the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation, within the UNFCCC. The conference will lay the groundwork for the 28th UN Conference of Parties in December this year.

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell also recognised the far-apart differences among developed and developing nations. He emphasised the need to build a bridge for common ground. The major difference between the parties is raising appropriate funding to compensate for loss and damage. COP26 established the Glasgow Dialogue between stakeholders to discuss the arrangements for the funding of activities to avert loss and damage from adverse impacts of climate change.

Cut emissions

Climate science says the world must halve emissions by 2030 to keep the chances of achieving the 1.5-degrees target alive.

Developing countries argue that wealthier nations should take greater responsibility for emission reductions, given their historical emissions, and provide the necessary means of implementation, finance and technology to assist developing and vulnerable nations in transitioning to clean energy.

Rich countries have already failed to fulfil their promise of providing USD 100 billion annually, pledged at the Copenhagen COP in 2009, to help developing countries combat climate change.

NEW DELHI: The two-week mid-year United Nations climate talks held in Germanys Bonn ended on Thursday without a resolution to the dispute between developed and developing countries over finance. The developed nations emphasised the urgent need for mitigation measures, while the developing countries demanded adequate financial support to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Environmentalists and activists from different countries criticised the conferences half-baked outcome, saying wealthier nations are not honouring the financial pledges to support developing countries in adaptation. Environmentalists accuse wealthier nations of their historical role in driving the climate crisis.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Bonn Climate Change Conference laid bare the glaring hypocrisy of wealthy nations, showcasing a remarkable indifference to the struggles of developing countries, says Harjeet Singh, Head-Global Political Strategy, Climate Action Network International. Experts say wealthier nations are more interested in providing private funds and loans, which will further burden developing countries.Developing nations face the monumental task of eradicating poverty, fostering green development, and coping with climate disasters. They deserve unwavering support, not undue pressure, said Singh. Countries gathered in Bonn, Germany, from June 5-15 for the UNs mid-year climate conference, also known as the Subsidiary Bodies meeting (SB58). The conference was led by two bodies  the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation, within the UNFCCC. The conference will lay the groundwork for the 28th UN Conference of Parties in December this year. UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell also recognised the far-apart differences among developed and developing nations. He emphasised the need to build a bridge for common ground. The major difference between the parties is raising appropriate funding to compensate for loss and damage. COP26 established the Glasgow Dialogue between stakeholders to discuss the arrangements for the funding of activities to avert loss and damage from adverse impacts of climate change. Cut emissions Climate science says the world must halve emissions by 2030 to keep the chances of achieving the 1.5-degrees target alive. Developing countries argue that wealthier nations should take greater responsibility for emission reductions, given their historical emissions, and provide the necessary means of implementation, finance and technology to assist developing and vulnerable nations in transitioning to clean energy. Rich countries have already failed to fulfil their promise of providing USD 100 billion annually, pledged at the Copenhagen COP in 2009, to help developing countries combat climate change.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 18. US Congressman Buddy Carter has said the country looks forward to hearing Prime Minister Narendra Modi address a joint session of the US Congress.

"US-India relationship is very important. We are looking forward to hearing PM Modi address the joint session. PM Modi has served the people well," said Carter on PM Modi's visit to US.

US Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith on the PM's visit to US said: "Next week, we will be honored to have him (PM Modi) address a joint meeting of the Congress underscoring the significance of the relationship between the US and India.

"Smith said the bond between US and India is not just an alliance, it is a strategic and global partnership.

US Representative Adam Smith said: "I welcome PM Modi to our country and thank him for his visit. We (US-India) share a strong relationship. I am looking forward towards strengthening the relationship between both countries and PM's visit here is a crucial part of doing that."

Indian Chef Vikas Khanna on PM Modi's upcoming US visit said: "As an Indian living in America for the last almost 25 years, I'm really honored for Prime Minister Modi Ji's visit to the US. He has been a bridge between two greatest democracies in the world. At the same time, he has given us opportunities, given us a voice and also given us the pride to represent our country in America. I'm really looking forward to the visit and also be inspired to present India in its highest glory to the world."

Meanwhile, US Department of State official spokesperson Matthew Miller in a press briefing on Thursday (local time) said US partnership with India is one of the "most consequential relationships" and the two nations work closely on the most vital priorities. He said that India plays a crucial role in ensuring a free and open IndoPacific.

Matthew Miller, however, refrained from divulging details on issues likely to be taken up for discussion during PM Modi's visit to the US.

He said, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken looks forward to seeing PM Modi and other members of the Indian delegation in the US.

"So I don't want to get ahead of the White House, who will be hosting Prime Minister Modi, of course. They will be making further announcements about the visit in the coming days leading up to the trip next week," Matthew Miller said.

"I will say generally our partnership with India is one of our most consequential relationships...We work closely with India on our most vital priorities. They (India) play a crucial role in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific that is connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient. And I know Secretary Blinken looks forward to seeing Prime Minister Modi and other members of the Indian delegation, while they're here and working to make progress on all the issues with which we consult with India. But in terms of any specific issues, I will defer to the White House for comment on that," he added.

At the invitation of US President Joe Biden, PM Modi will be on a state visit to the United States from June 21 to June 24. Indian diaspora in the US is eagerly awaiting PM Modi's arrival. On June 22, more than 7000 Indian Americans are planning to be on the South Lawns of the White House when Biden and the First Lady Jill Biden would welcome PM Modi amidst a 21-gun salute.
By Express News Service

The noise surrounding the trail of destruction that cyclone Biparjoy would leave in its wake has somewhat subsided since its formation 10 days ago in the Arabian Sea. However, as it made landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat on Thursday evening, with wind speeds ranging between 115 kmph and 140 kmph lives were shattered.

Impact

Cyclone Biparjoy has left behind a trail of destruction. The cyclonic storm Biparjoy wreaked havoc in Gujarat on Thursday, injuring 23 individuals. Heavy rain and high winds uprooted 1,137 trees and obstructed 263 roads, damaging 5,120 electricity poles, leading to power disruptions in over 4,600 villages. Though there were no direct fatalities, a tragic incident occurred in the Bhavnagar district, where a cattle rearer and his son lost their lives while attempting to rescue their goats trapped in a ravine. Although it is premature to provide an exact count, the number of fatalities is expected to be low.

Is India better prepared?

Sufficient shelters, power supply, medical provisions, and emergency services were put in place. Fifteen teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), twelve teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), 115 teams from the state road and building department, and 397 teams from the state electricity department were put on alert. 33 teams were assigned by the NDRF for relief and rescue operations in Gujarat. The Bhuj Air Force station served as a base for the Indian Air Forces Garuda Emergency Response Team. The Army personnel were fully prepared to aid in rescue and relief operations. Nearly one lakh people were evacuated to safer areas.

History

Biparjoy became the fourth major cyclone to impact the Gujarat coast in the last five years. Cyclone Vayu made landfall in 2019, followed by Nisarga in 2020, which affected both Maharashtra and coastal Gujarat. In 2021, Tauktae made landfall near Diu-Una, resulting in widespread destruction. Gujarat has faced four major cyclones from 1998 to 2018 over a span of 20 years.

Odisha Inspiration

The preparedness was motivated by what is now seen and called the Odisha model. The state has emerged as a role model in terms of evacuating people and saving lives. From experiencing 10,000 deaths during the Super Cyclone of 1999 to only 10 deaths during Cyclone Yaas in 2001, Odisha has set a precedent, according to experts. Odisha achieved this feat by emphasizing community-level warnings, constructing multipurpose cyclone shelters under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project, and establishing an Early Warning Dissemination System.

How are Cyclones Formed?

The Indian subcontinent is one of the most severely affected. With a coastline stretching 8,041 kilometers, it is exposed to nearly 10 % of the worlds tropical cyclones. The majority of these originate over the Bay of Bengal and strike the East coast of India. On average, 5-6 tropical cyclones form every year, with 2-3 of them potentially becoming severe.

Biparjoy and the process of naming

The name Biparjoy, suggested by Bangladesh, means a major disaster. The selection of this name, along with other tropical cyclone names, followed a meticulous and unbiased process. The 13 participating countries in Asia-Pacific region, adhered to guidelines to prevent biases related to politics, figures, beliefs, cultures, or gender.

 Text by Ketan Narottam Tanna and Jitendra Choubey.

The noise surrounding the trail of destruction that cyclone Biparjoy would leave in its wake has somewhat subsided since its formation 10 days ago in the Arabian Sea. However, as it made landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat on Thursday evening, with wind speeds ranging between 115 kmph and 140 kmph lives were shattered. Impact Cyclone Biparjoy has left behind a trail of destruction. The cyclonic storm Biparjoy wreaked havoc in Gujarat on Thursday, injuring 23 individuals. Heavy rain and high winds uprooted 1,137 trees and obstructed 263 roads, damaging 5,120 electricity poles, leading to power disruptions in over 4,600 villages. Though there were no direct fatalities, a tragic incident occurred in the Bhavnagar district, where a cattle rearer and his son lost their lives while attempting to rescue their goats trapped in a ravine. Although it is premature to provide an exact count, the number of fatalities is expected to be low. Is India better prepared? Sufficient shelters, power supply, medical provisions, and emergency services were put in place. Fifteen teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), twelve teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), 115 teams from the state road and building department, and 397 teams from the state electricity department were put on alert. 33 teams were assigned by the NDRF for relief and rescue operations in Gujarat. The Bhuj Air Force station served as a base for the Indian Air Forces Garuda Emergency Response Team. The Army personnel were fully prepared to aid in rescue and relief operations. Nearly one lakh people were evacuated to safer areas.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); History Biparjoy became the fourth major cyclone to impact the Gujarat coast in the last five years. Cyclone Vayu made landfall in 2019, followed by Nisarga in 2020, which affected both Maharashtra and coastal Gujarat. In 2021, Tauktae made landfall near Diu-Una, resulting in widespread destruction. Gujarat has faced four major cyclones from 1998 to 2018 over a span of 20 years. Odisha Inspiration The preparedness was motivated by what is now seen and called the Odisha model. The state has emerged as a role model in terms of evacuating people and saving lives. From experiencing 10,000 deaths during the Super Cyclone of 1999 to only 10 deaths during Cyclone Yaas in 2001, Odisha has set a precedent, according to experts. Odisha achieved this feat by emphasizing community-level warnings, constructing multipurpose cyclone shelters under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project, and establishing an Early Warning Dissemination System. How are Cyclones Formed? The Indian subcontinent is one of the most severely affected. With a coastline stretching 8,041 kilometers, it is exposed to nearly 10 % of the worlds tropical cyclones. The majority of these originate over the Bay of Bengal and strike the East coast of India. On average, 5-6 tropical cyclones form every year, with 2-3 of them potentially becoming severe. Biparjoy and the process of naming The name Biparjoy, suggested by Bangladesh, means a major disaster. The selection of this name, along with other tropical cyclone names, followed a meticulous and unbiased process. The 13 participating countries in Asia-Pacific region, adhered to guidelines to prevent biases related to politics, figures, beliefs, cultures, or gender.  Text by Ketan Narottam Tanna and Jitendra Choubey.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: BJP on Friday slammed the Congress government for reversing the policies of the previous government and accused it of trying to turn Karnataka into a mini-Pakistan.Former minister and BJP MLA R Ashoka told reporters that BJP will not allow Congress to misuse the mandate given by people. Questioning the state governments decision to undo the amendments to the Anti-Conversion Law, he asked what is wrong with the policy to prevent forcible conversions and allow conversions as

per law. Congress goes to any extent for vote bank politics and its government is making changes in the law to appease a particular community, he alleged.

He said the BJP government had amended the APMC Act to allow farmers to sell their produce in any part of the country and not just at APMC yards, but now the Congress government is undoing those changes to help middlemen.

The government has failed to implement its pre-poll guarantees and there is talk of industries moving to other states because of power tariff hikes, he said.

On the state governments allegations against the Centre for not providing rice for Anna Bhagya scheme, Ashoka asked whether they think the Centre is like their in-laws place to provide whatever they ask. Tomorrow, if they want to sell Karnataka, can the Centre agree to it?

The state government requires over Rs 1,10,000 crore to implement all its guarantees and that will push the state to bankruptcy. He said BJP leaders will hold a meeting to discuss their planned protest against the decisions of the state government on June 20.

BENGALURU: BJP on Friday slammed the Congress government for reversing the policies of the previous government and accused it of trying to turn Karnataka into a mini-Pakistan.Former minister and BJP MLA R Ashoka told reporters that BJP will not allow Congress to misuse the mandate given by people. Questioning the state governments decision to undo the amendments to the Anti-Conversion Law, he asked what is wrong with the policy to prevent forcible conversions and allow conversions as per law. Congress goes to any extent for vote bank politics and its government is making changes in the law to appease a particular community, he alleged. He said the BJP government had amended the APMC Act to allow farmers to sell their produce in any part of the country and not just at APMC yards, but now the Congress government is undoing those changes to help middlemen. The government has failed to implement its pre-poll guarantees and there is talk of industries moving to other states because of power tariff hikes, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); On the state governments allegations against the Centre for not providing rice for Anna Bhagya scheme, Ashoka asked whether they think the Centre is like their in-laws place to provide whatever they ask. Tomorrow, if they want to sell Karnataka, can the Centre agree to it? The state government requires over Rs 1,10,000 crore to implement all its guarantees and that will push the state to bankruptcy. He said BJP leaders will hold a meeting to discuss their planned protest against the decisions of the state government on June 20.
By IANS

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The World Bank's Board of Directors has approved a $150 million loan to support the Resilient Kerala Program to continue strengthening the state's preparedness against natural disasters, climate change impacts, and disease outbreaks.

This financing complements the World Bank's earlier investment of $125 million and the overall support of the two projects would allegedly protect nearly 5 million people from the impacts of floods.

Auguste Tano Kouame, the World Bank's Country Director for India, said through this additional financing, the World Bank will continue supporting Kerala in increasing its resilience to climate change.

"The project will focus on addressing coastal erosion along vulnerable areas of the state - impacting millions of lives," claimed Kouame.

The additional financing will expand and deepen the state's resilience to mitigate the impacts of coastal erosion by building a shoreline management plan.

The plan will assess the current and future shoreline changes in the state and create policies to address the risks to environmental resources, human settlements, and infrastructure along the coast.

The project would allegedly help the state develop a climate budget and a roadmap to help fill gaps in the state's open data and digital systems to reduce people's vulnerability to natural hazards. Currently, satellite maps, risk maps and sectoral data are not integrated into a single platform, leading to gaps in planning and execution of public sector investments.

After the devastating floods and landslides of 2018, the World Bank had invested in building Kerala's capabilities to respond to shocks to the state's economy and prevent the loss of lives, assets, and livelihoods.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The World Bank's Board of Directors has approved a $150 million loan to support the Resilient Kerala Program to continue strengthening the state's preparedness against natural disasters, climate change impacts, and disease outbreaks. This financing complements the World Bank's earlier investment of $125 million and the overall support of the two projects would allegedly protect nearly 5 million people from the impacts of floods. Auguste Tano Kouame, the World Bank's Country Director for India, said through this additional financing, the World Bank will continue supporting Kerala in increasing its resilience to climate change.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "The project will focus on addressing coastal erosion along vulnerable areas of the state - impacting millions of lives," claimed Kouame. The additional financing will expand and deepen the state's resilience to mitigate the impacts of coastal erosion by building a shoreline management plan. The plan will assess the current and future shoreline changes in the state and create policies to address the risks to environmental resources, human settlements, and infrastructure along the coast. The project would allegedly help the state develop a climate budget and a roadmap to help fill gaps in the state's open data and digital systems to reduce people's vulnerability to natural hazards. Currently, satellite maps, risk maps and sectoral data are not integrated into a single platform, leading to gaps in planning and execution of public sector investments. After the devastating floods and landslides of 2018, the World Bank had invested in building Kerala's capabilities to respond to shocks to the state's economy and prevent the loss of lives, assets, and livelihoods.
By Associated Press

The Department of Energy and several other federal agencies were compromised in a Russian cyber-extortion gang's global hack of a file-transfer program popular with corporations and governments, but the impact was not expected to be great, Homeland Security officials said Thursday.

But for others among what could be hundreds of victims from industry to higher education  including patrons of at least two state motor vehicle agencies  the hack was beginning to show some serious impacts.

Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told reporters that unlike the meticulous, stealthy SolarWinds hacking campaign attributed to state-backed Russian intelligence agents that were months in the making, this campaign was short, relatively superficial and caught quickly.

Based on discussions we have had with industry partners ... these intrusions are not being leveraged to gain broader access, to gain persistence into targeted systems, or to steal specific high-value information in sum, as we understand it, this attack is largely an opportunistic one, Easterly said.

Although we are very concerned about this campaign and working on it with urgency, this is not a campaign like SolarWinds that presents a systemic risk to our national security or our nations networks, she added.

A senior CISA official said neither the U.S. military nor the intelligence community was affected. Energy Department spokesperson Chad Smith said two agency entities were compromised but did not provide more detail.

Known victims to date include Louisianas Office of Motor Vehicles, Oregon's Department of Transportation, the Nova Scotia provincial government, British Airways, the British Broadcasting Company and the U.K. drugstore chain Boots. The exploited program, MOVEit, is widely used by businesses to securely share files. Security experts say that can include sensitive financial and insurance data.

Louisiana officials said Thursday that people with a driver's license or vehicle registration in the state likely had their personal information exposed. That included their name, address, Social Security number and birthdate. They encouraged Louisiana residents to freeze their credit to guard against identity theft.

The Oregon Department of Transportation confirmed Thursday that the attackers accessed personal information, some sensitive, for about 3.5 million people to whom the state-issued identity cards or drivers licenses.

The Cl0p ransomware syndicate behind the hack announced last week on its dark website that its victims, who it suggested numbered in the hundreds, had until Wednesday to get in touch to negotiate a ransom or risk having sensitive stolen data dumped online.

The gang, among the worlds most prolific cybercrime syndicates, also claimed it would delete any data stolen from governments, cities and police departments.

The senior CISA official told reporters a small number of federal agencies were hit  declining to name them  and said This is not a widespread campaign affecting a large number of federal agencies. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the breach, said no federal agencies had received extortion demands and no data from an affected federal agency had been leaked online by Cl0p.

U.S. officials have no evidence to suggest coordination between Cl0p and the Russian government," the official said.

The parent company of MOVIEit's U.S. maker, Progress Software, alerted customers to the breach on May 31 and issued a patch. But cybersecurity researchers say scores if not hundreds of companies could by then have had sensitive data quietly exfiltrated.

"At this point, we are seeing industry estimates of several hundred of victims across the country, the senior CISA official said. Federal officials encouraged victims to come forward, but they often don't. The U.S. lacks a federal data breach law, and disclosure of hacks varies by state. Publicly traded corporations, health care providers and some critical infrastructure purveyors do have regulatory obligations.

The cybersecurity firm SecurityScorecard says it detected 2,500 vulnerable MOVEit servers across 790 organizations, including 200 government agencies. It said it was not able to break down those agencies by country.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in the Treasury Department uses MOVEit, according to federal contracting data. Spokeswoman Stephanie Collins said the agency was aware of the hack and has been monitoring the situation closely. She said it was conducting detailed forensic analysis of system activity and has not found any indications of a breach of sensitive information. She would not say how the agency uses the file-transfer program.

The hackers were actively scanning for targets, penetrating them and stealing data at least as far back as March 29, said SecurityScorecard threat analyst Jared Smith.

This is far from the first time Cl0p has breached a file-transfer program to gain access to data it could then use to extort companies. Other instances include GoAnywhere servers in early 2023 and Accellion File Transfer Application devices in 2020 and 2021.

The Associated Press emailed Cl0p on Thursday asking what government agencies it had hacked. It did not receive a response, but the gang posted a new message on its dark web leak site saying: We got a lot of emails about government data, we don't have it we have completely deleted this information we are only interested in business."

Cybersecurity experts say the Cl0p criminals are not to be trusted to keep their word. Allan Liska of the firm Recorded Future has said he is aware of at least three cases in which data stolen by ransomware crooks appeared on the dark web six to 10 months after victims paid ransoms.

The Department of Energy and several other federal agencies were compromised in a Russian cyber-extortion gang's global hack of a file-transfer program popular with corporations and governments, but the impact was not expected to be great, Homeland Security officials said Thursday. But for others among what could be hundreds of victims from industry to higher education  including patrons of at least two state motor vehicle agencies  the hack was beginning to show some serious impacts. Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told reporters that unlike the meticulous, stealthy SolarWinds hacking campaign attributed to state-backed Russian intelligence agents that were months in the making, this campaign was short, relatively superficial and caught quickly.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Based on discussions we have had with industry partners ... these intrusions are not being leveraged to gain broader access, to gain persistence into targeted systems, or to steal specific high-value information in sum, as we understand it, this attack is largely an opportunistic one, Easterly said. Although we are very concerned about this campaign and working on it with urgency, this is not a campaign like SolarWinds that presents a systemic risk to our national security or our nations networks, she added. A senior CISA official said neither the U.S. military nor the intelligence community was affected. Energy Department spokesperson Chad Smith said two agency entities were compromised but did not provide more detail. Known victims to date include Louisianas Office of Motor Vehicles, Oregon's Department of Transportation, the Nova Scotia provincial government, British Airways, the British Broadcasting Company and the U.K. drugstore chain Boots. The exploited program, MOVEit, is widely used by businesses to securely share files. Security experts say that can include sensitive financial and insurance data. Louisiana officials said Thursday that people with a driver's license or vehicle registration in the state likely had their personal information exposed. That included their name, address, Social Security number and birthdate. They encouraged Louisiana residents to freeze their credit to guard against identity theft. The Oregon Department of Transportation confirmed Thursday that the attackers accessed personal information, some sensitive, for about 3.5 million people to whom the state-issued identity cards or drivers licenses. The Cl0p ransomware syndicate behind the hack announced last week on its dark website that its victims, who it suggested numbered in the hundreds, had until Wednesday to get in touch to negotiate a ransom or risk having sensitive stolen data dumped online. The gang, among the worlds most prolific cybercrime syndicates, also claimed it would delete any data stolen from governments, cities and police departments. The senior CISA official told reporters a small number of federal agencies were hit  declining to name them  and said This is not a widespread campaign affecting a large number of federal agencies. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the breach, said no federal agencies had received extortion demands and no data from an affected federal agency had been leaked online by Cl0p. U.S. officials have no evidence to suggest coordination between Cl0p and the Russian government," the official said. The parent company of MOVIEit's U.S. maker, Progress Software, alerted customers to the breach on May 31 and issued a patch. But cybersecurity researchers say scores if not hundreds of companies could by then have had sensitive data quietly exfiltrated. "At this point, we are seeing industry estimates of several hundred of victims across the country, the senior CISA official said. Federal officials encouraged victims to come forward, but they often don't. The U.S. lacks a federal data breach law, and disclosure of hacks varies by state. Publicly traded corporations, health care providers and some critical infrastructure purveyors do have regulatory obligations. The cybersecurity firm SecurityScorecard says it detected 2,500 vulnerable MOVEit servers across 790 organizations, including 200 government agencies. It said it was not able to break down those agencies by country. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in the Treasury Department uses MOVEit, according to federal contracting data. Spokeswoman Stephanie Collins said the agency was aware of the hack and has been monitoring the situation closely. She said it was conducting detailed forensic analysis of system activity and has not found any indications of a breach of sensitive information. She would not say how the agency uses the file-transfer program. The hackers were actively scanning for targets, penetrating them and stealing data at least as far back as March 29, said SecurityScorecard threat analyst Jared Smith. This is far from the first time Cl0p has breached a file-transfer program to gain access to data it could then use to extort companies. Other instances include GoAnywhere servers in early 2023 and Accellion File Transfer Application devices in 2020 and 2021. The Associated Press emailed Cl0p on Thursday asking what government agencies it had hacked. It did not receive a response, but the gang posted a new message on its dark web leak site saying: We got a lot of emails about government data, we don't have it we have completely deleted this information we are only interested in business." Cybersecurity experts say the Cl0p criminals are not to be trusted to keep their word. Allan Liska of the firm Recorded Future has said he is aware of at least three cases in which data stolen by ransomware crooks appeared on the dark web six to 10 months after victims paid ransoms.
BJP welcomes Calcutta HCs order on deployment of central forces in West Bengal

Kolkata, June 16: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has welcomed the Calcutta High Court ruling regarding the deployment of central paramilitary forces in the state within the next 48 hours, and said that the decision will end political violence in the state.

BJP welcomes Calcutta HC's order on deployment of central forces in West Bengal

Notably, the filing of the process of filing nominations in the Panchayat election in the state has been marred by violence.Speaking to ANI, Bengal Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari said, "The decision that has come this evening regarding the violence that took place during the filing of nominations for Panchayat elections is very clear. The decision will end political violence in Bengal and restore democracy. The village panchayat will conduct these elections in a democratic and peaceful manner. It is a good judgement"."This is a very clear judgement. In the violence so far, 4-5 people have been killed and at least 100 workers of BJP and other opposition parties have been injured. Eight to ten thousand didn't allow nomination filing and 40-50 Block Development Office under the capture of goons," he added.A division bench of Calcutta High Court, led by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam, on Thursday, directed the election commission in West Bengal to request the deployment of central paramilitary forces in all districts of the state within the next 48 hours, ahead of the upcoming panchayat elections in the state.Meanwhile, in compliance with the Calcutta HC order, the West Bengal State Election Commission also extended the nomination filings for the candidates of 'Siksha Bandhus' and 'Voluntary resource Persons', under the School Education department nomination till close of hours on June 16.The final day of filing nominations witnessed continued clashes across various parts of the state, including an outbreak of violence at the Block Development Office in Birbhum's Ahmadpur, where crude bombs were reportedly thrown. However, as per the officials, no casualties have been reported in the incident.In an effort to maintain order, heavy security deployment has been made in the South 24 Parganas district. Tension and unease prevailed in several areas, particularly the Bhangar block, where clashes between supporters of the ruling TMC and Naushad Siddiqui-led Indian Secular Front (ISF) over the past two days.The Panchayat elections in West Bengal will be held in a single phase on July 8, with the counting of votes scheduled for July 11.The panchayat polls in West Bengal are likely to see a fierce contest between the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress being touted as a litmus test for both parties ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections.ANI16 June 2023

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Exposure to dioxins may worsen thyroid function: Study

Chicago, June 16: According to a study presented at ENDO 2023, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill., dioxin exposure may negatively impact thyroid function.

Exposure to dioxins may worsen thyroid function: Study

Dioxins are highly toxic compounds that are primarily produced by industrial processes, and their persistence in the environment makes them a significant public health concern. They are produced through a variety of incineration processes, including improper municipal waste incineration and burning of trash. They can be released into the air during natural processes, such as forest fires and volcanoes. Strict regulatory controls on major industrial sources of dioxin have greatly reduced emissions into the air.Today people are exposed to dioxins primarily by eating food, in particular animal products, contaminated by these chemicals. Dioxins are absorbed and stored in fat tissue and, therefore, accumulate in the food chain. More than 90 percent of human exposure is through food, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.Recently, scientists have begun to study the potential impact of exposure to environmental chemicals, such as dioxins, on thyroid function. Thyroid dysfunction affects a significant portion of the population and can have a range of adverse health effects.Previous studies of the relationship between dioxin exposure and thyroid function have produced inconsistent results, according to researcher Cheng Han, M.D., of the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine in Boston, Mass.In the new study, the researchers used three different statistical methods to investigate the combined effects of 20 environmental dioxins on thyroid function. They used data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2010.A total of 20 dioxins and levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were measured in the blood of 2,818 adults. The researchers found that dioxins were significantly associated with high TSH. A high TSH level indicates that the thyroid gland is not making enough thyroid hormone."Although more research on how dioxins affect thyroid function is needed, efforts to reduce exposure to dioxins and other toxic chemicals could help to reduce the risk of thyroid dysfunction and improve public health outcomes," Han said.ANI16 June 2023

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RITES bags USD 81 mln contract from Zimbabwe railways

New Delhi, June 16: RITES has signed contracts with railways in Zimbabwe (National Railways of Zimbabwe) for the supply of rolling stock.

RITES bags USD 81 mln contract from Zimbabwe railways

The contract size is a little over USD 81 million, RITES informed stock exchanges on Friday."However, the Contract Agreements are subject to the approval of funding by the funding agency," it added.Reacting to the news, its shares rose four per cent at Rs 393.50.RITES, a state-owned company, is into the transport consultancy and engineering sector -- railways, highways, urban engineering (metros), airports, ports, and ropeways, among others.ANI16 June 2023

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Experts call attention to elder abuse as cases rises in India

NewsVoir, New Delhi, June 16: Cases of abuse of elderly people are steadily increasing in India, experts have said.

Experts call attention to elder abuse as cases rises in India

People over 60 years of age who are living alone due to reasons like abandonment or children migrating to other cities are especially vulnerable to crime, health emergencies, physical and psychological abuse by relatives or caretakers.Said Tarun Sharma, Founder and CEO of Yodda Elder Care which provides premier elder care services in the country, "In our experience, and according to the National Crime Records Bureau data as well, the number of reported cases of elder abuse has been steadily increasing in recent years. One in every six senior citizens faces abuse globally. According to some studies, the prevalence of elder abuse in India ranges up to 61.7%. These numbers are vast, despite many cases going unreported."According to a report by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 5.7% of seniors 60 years of age and older live alone in India. Just 43.9% of those 60 and older say they are content with their lives. Tarun Sharma added, "A survey conducted across 22 cities in 2022 found that 58% of elders in India suffered some kind of abuse, either by their own children, other relatives, or their house help. The reported cases ranged from 'disrespect' and 'verbal abuse' to 'neglect' and 'physical violence'. Other aspects included being emotionally or psychologically abused and financial challenges. These are alarming statistics. This is where the need for awareness and support comes into play to protect vulnerable elders."Said Pranav Bajaj, Co-founder, Medulance Healthcare, which is India's first, integrated emergency response provider with a fleet of over 7,500 ambulances, "Seniors are prone to several health conditions and chronic diseases like diabetes, arthritis, or hypertension. They also suffer from mobility issues, age-related cognitive decline, and vision and hearing problems. Abandonment of the elderly is a form of abuse. Living alone, they are fragile and vulnerable, and their healthcare needs become critical. We answer about 1,000 calls daily for ambulances, out of which about 20% are for people above 65 years of age, these numbers will substantially increase if we work on generating awareness among elders living alone. Pre-hospital care during medical emergencies by trained paramedics in ambulances and timely medical response is critical in such cases. These can significantly improve outcomes and increase the chances of survival of elders being rushed to the hospital. It is important for elders to have easy access to a fully equipped ambulance service."Pranav Bajaj added, "Not all ambulances are the same. To provide adequate emergency pre-hospital care to the elderly, ambulances need essential equipment like oxygen cylinders, airway management tools, defibrillators, and medications. They should be staffed by trained healthcare professionals, such as EMTs or paramedics, who have expertise in geriatric care. Communication devices are necessary for seamless coordination with the healthcare provider. Integrating technology and digital solutions into ambulances can significantly enhance emergency care for elderly patients. The recently introduced 5G ambulances are a big help in providing timely care and ultimately saving more lives of elderly patients on the way to the hospital."Currently, there are 138 million people over the age of 60 in India, comprising 67 million males and 71 million females. This number is set to reach over 300 million by 2051. According to the United Nations Population Fund, the size of the elderly population in India will nearly double to touch 192 million by 2030. By 2050, every fifth Indian will be an elderly person.Said Tarun Sharma, "Elders need care and comfort to lead a healthy life without worries and anxiety. Lack of awareness regarding the changing behavioral patterns in elders at home may lead to abuse by known and trusted individuals. When a loved one ages, they lose the ability to do something or the other, which takes a toll on them. By providing them with proper elder care, we can give them the peace of mind they need. At-home care helps elders lead a high quality of life throughout their golden years, compared to institutional living in old age homes."Medulance Healthcare is India's first, Integrated Emergency Response provider with a fleet of 7,500+ ambulances for fast and reliable first-point medical attention, spread across 100 cities in the country. It offers prompt, reliable, and efficient ambulance services that can be as convenient as finding a taxi. Driven by patient-centricity and technology, Medulance aims at minimizing medical emergencies through its fleet of 7,500+ ambulances and skilled response in accordance with international standards.To know more please visit .Yodda is a premium elder care company headquartered in Pune, India. Their on-ground services are available in Pune, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. It empowers the elderly through a robust network of on-field and on-call staff that is supported by a platform based on the confluence of new-age technologies. Yodda caters to a wide range of problems faced by senior citizens from day-to-day errands like grocery shopping to managing life-threatening critical emergencies. With its technology platform and superior service delivery, Yodda aims to improve the quality of life of senior citizens around the world.To know more, please visit .(Disclaimer The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)ANI16 June 2023

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Gujarat likely to receive heavy rain today, tomorrow; cyclone progress in line with forecast: MET Director, Ahmedabad

Gujarat, June 16: The MET Director of Ahmedabad, Manorama Mohanty, said that Gujarat is likely to experience heavy rainfall today and tomorrow, as Cyclone Biparjoy weakens into a deep depression over the Saurashtra-Kutch region.

Gujarat likely to receive heavy rain today, tomorrow; cyclone progress in line with forecast: MET Director, Ahmedabad

At a press conference, she talked about the rainfall and sea condition predictions for the next two days in light of the landfall of the cyclone on Thursday night."The Severe Cyclonic Storm Biparjoy has weakened into a Cyclonic storm, and by evening it is likely to become a deep depression", she said.IMD, in their most recent Twitter update, said that the cyclone is now 40 km from Bhuj and is likely to become a depression around Friday night.The tweet read, "CS BIPARJOY at 1130IST of today and lay near lat 23.6N and long 69.8E, about 40km N of Bhuj and 250 km WSW of Deesa. Likely to weaken further into a deep depression over Saurashtra and Kutch around night of today."The MET Director gave updates regarding rainfall predictions in Gujarat."Because of the storm, the Saurashtra-Katch region and the heavily affected district will experience heavy-extremely heavy rainfall, along with Patan and Banaskantha districts. There is a possibility of heavy to very heavy rains in Dwarka, Jamnagar, and Morbi. There may be heavy rains in many districts including Porbandar, and Rajkot. All in all, the entirety of Gujarat is likely to have rain today.""Extremely Heavy rain is likely in Kutch, Patan, Mehsana, and Banaskantha tomorrow", she added.Regarding sea conditions, she said, "The Arabian Sea is likely to remain very disturbed for a while, with high wind speeds. Port warnings and fishermen warnings have been given."She also provided insight regarding the duration of Cyclone Biparjoy."The duration of a cyclone is measured from depression to depression. If the depression is formed by today evening, the cyclone will have moved across the Arabian Sea for around 10 days."She emphasised that the forecast by the meteorological department had been well in advance and had turned out accurate, which was able to aid the Government and the authorities immensely."The cyclone path, wind speed intensity and impact have gone exactly as predicted by us. IMD provided regular briefings and information to the Government regarding the cyclone's movement, wind speed and other forecasts. The Gujarat Government applied this information well and effectively prevented casualties", she said.Meanwhile, Mumbai IMD scientist Sushma Nair told ANI, "On Thursday evening, Biparjoy made landfall over the Gujarat Saurashtra coast. Mumbai has been experiencing very high temperatures because of the effect of cyclonic winds. Now, slowly the southwest-westerly winds will take over so the temperature in Mumbai should come down to the range of 33-35 degrees. Light rains will be brought by westerly winds along the western coast."The IMD official said the steady onset of the southwest-westerly winds will bring rain to the Konkan coast."They will help in bringing light to moderate rainfall over the Konkan coast. That is the prediction we have given for the next four to 5 days along the coast. We are expecting maybe a little more rain in South Konkan and are also expecting rain in North Konkan", she said.ANI16 June 2023

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Swiss Association-PIR rates Woxsen University Top Global B-School, with Highest Level 5 for the second consecutive year

PRNewswire, Hyderabad, June 16: The School of Business, Woxsen University has achieved Level 5 in the Positive Impact Rating (PIR), 2023 at Global Level marking for the second time in a row.

Swiss Association-PIR rates Woxsen University Top Global B-School, with Highest Level 5 for the second consecutive year

This prestigious recognition places Woxsen's School of Business alongside six other esteemed institutions with an impressive average score of 9.2, demonstrating Woxsen's commitment to making a positive impact in the world.The Positive Impact Rating (PIR), a Swiss association, governs the rating globally and evaluates business schools based on their societal contributions. Aligned with the Global Agenda of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this rating offers a basis for measuring the positive impact of a transformed management education worldwide.Woxsen University's consistent commitment to ethics, responsibility, and sustainability, coupled with its innovative approach to education, has solidified its position as one of the leading business schools in the country, that prepares students to be global change-makers in the 21st century. As part of the moral responsibility to contribute to the betterment of society, School of Business, Woxsen University has identified three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to focus on effortsUnder SDG 3(Good Health and Well-Being), the university conducts sessions like Heart-Unlocked, Candid-talks, Mindficent Series and Human Library to enhance the mental health and well-being of the student community, providing a safe space for them to discuss their concerns and receive emotional support.For SDG 4(Quality Education), the university's Centre for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has launched 'Project Aspiration', a rigorous three-week training program aimed at educating underprivileged female students and empowering them with quality education.Woxsen University also ensures quality education through case studies and conferences, research contributions through 'Woxsen Business Review,' which has a sub-section for Sustainability and the SDGs to create awareness among students about companies' integration of sustainability and social responsibility practices.Furthermore, in line with SDG 7(Affordable and Clean Energy), Woxen University has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2026, underscoring its commitment to affordable and clean energy. Minimizing any detrimental environmental impact, carbon footprint, global warming and exploitation of resources is key to the efforts.The School of Business, Woxsen University remains resolute in pursuit of excellence, striving to empower students to become responsible leaders and progressive players who make a positive impact on society. The honour of receiving the Highest Level (5) in the PIR 2023 for the 2nd time, will only fuel the commitment to continue the journey towards a sustainable and inclusive future.Woxsen University, located in Hyderabad, is one of the first private universities of the state of Telangana, India. Renowned for its 200-acre state-of-the-art campus and infrastructure, Woxsen University offers new-age, disruptive programs in the fields of Business, Technology, Arts and Design, Architecture, Law, Liberal Arts and Humanities, Sciences. With 100+ Global Partner Universities and Strong Industry Connect, Woxsen is reckoned as one of the top universities for Academic Excellence and Global Edge. Woxsen is Ranked #12, All India Top 100 B-Schools by Times B-School Ranking 2023, Rank #15, All India Top Pvt. B-School, BusinessWorld 2022, Rank #28, All India Top Engineering Colleges, EducationWorld 2023, #16 Top 50 Business schools for Research in India, IIRF 2023.(Disclaimer The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)ANI16 June 2023

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Paying homage to classic cars since 2004, Frederique Constant has produced a very limited edition in collaboration with the Austin Healey automobile brand

Healey Automatic COSC

Frederique Constant has a long-standing commitment in supporting vintage car rallies. Live your passion is the slogan of our Maison. And at Frederique Constant we do have a passion for vintage cars. Over the past seventeen years, the Maison has been closely associated, often as the Official Timekeeper, with international events such as the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, the Carrera Panamericana, Retromobile car shows or European Healey meetings.

Austin Healey

This collection is based on a close collaboration with the Austin-Healey car brand, the two brands having joined forces back in 2004. Counting many years of fellowship geared around sport and watchmaking, theirs is one of the most enduring associations in the industry, reflective of the unbreakable bond the two maisons share in drawing on tradition to create thoroughly retro designs in a modern interpretation, especially for those who truly appreciate craftsmanship and elegance.

COSC certified

Rarely are watches certified by the COSC (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute). This certificate is only issued to pieces that can guarantee perfect isochronism over a given time and at given positions  in effect, their ability to tell the time correctly, consistently and precisely, within the strict limits enforced by an ISO standard. The COSC is an independent Swiss organisation that only issues its chronometer certificates to these pieces after the watches have undergone numerous tests over several days. COSC certified pieces form an elite, a class of their own, intended for collectors for whom Swiss precision is an everyday necessity. The Highlife Automatic COSC was developed especially for them.

The engine

Equipped with the automatic FC-310 caliber, the Vintage Rally Automatic Cosc displays hours, minutes and seconds. Providing a 38-hour power reserve, the watch is water resistant up to 5 ATM (50 meters) and beats at 4 Hz (28800 alt/h). Running around the dial is the flange complete with 60-minute scale, all set within a 40 mm diameter case, a favorite with collectors on account of its timeless quality. The perforated leather strap recalls the upholstery of the beautiful cars from the 1940s to the 1970s, as well as the gloves worn by gentlemen drivers in their element. Most of the casebacks of the Vintage Rally models are engraved with a Healey being driven at full throttle; the famous Healey 100S NOJ393 was purchased by a collector for 155 in 1969 and sold for nearly 1 million in December 2011.

Limited editions

Authenticated by the original Healey logo marked on the dial, these Vintage Rally Healey Automatic COSC are in fittingly short supply, with 1888 pieces of each one available.

Luxurious gift box

Each piece comes in a collectors gift set, complete with miniature replica of the NOJ393.
Synchrony Named Top 5 Best Companies to Work For in India

BusinessWire India, Hyderabad, June 16: Synchrony, a premier consumer financial services company, is proud to announce that it has been recognized by Great Place To Work - India among India's Best Companies to Work For.

Synchrony Named Top 5 Best Companies to Work For in India

This remarkable achievement is a testament to Synchrony's unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive, supportive, and inspiring work environment for its employees. Expressing his gratitude for being ranked five, Andy Ponneri, Senior Vice President, Business Leader - India, Synchrony, said, "Our employees are what makes Synchrony a Great Place to Work. We are delighted to receive this prestigious recognition by Great Place To Work. This achievement underscores our steadfast commitment to our employees, who are the bedrock of our organization's success. At Synchrony, we hold diversity, inclusivity, and innovation in high regard. With an impressive ~50% women representation, over 100 individuals with disabilities, and our unwavering support for 45+ veterans and veteran family members, we strive to cultivate an environment where every individual can thrive. This recognition serves as a testament to the unwavering dedication of our employees and the exceptional workplace culture we have fostered. Moving forward, we remain driven to promote a collaborative, inclusive, and growth-oriented environment, ensuring that Synchrony continues to be an exemplar of a truly exceptional workplace for all." Gaurav Sehgal, Senior Vice President, Human Resources - Asia, said, "At Synchrony, we prioritize creating an empowering environment where our employees can realize their full potential. Our 100% work-from-home flexibility, a key part of our unique Way of Working in India, enables our teams to excel while maintaining a healthy work-life balance with our unique benefits. With a resounding 97% of employees affirming Synchrony as a Great Place to Work, we continuously enhance our workplace experience. We are honored to receive this recognition, a testament to our sustained commitment to our employees' growth and well-being. This accolade reinforces our dedication to advancing an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment. We remain committed to enabling our employees to succeed and thrive, driving collaboration and innovation. Together, we will continue to redefine the way we work, while ensuring our employees' well-being remains at the heart of our organization." Backed by 30 years of data, Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Great Place to Work's methodology, derived from years of studying the best workplaces across the globe, is recognized as rigorous and objective and considered the gold standard for defining great workplaces across business, academia, and government organizations. Their proprietary methodology and platform enable leaders to truly capture, analyze, and understand the experience of every employee, and compare outcomes with data collected from more than 100 million employees in 150 countries worldwide. Congratulating Synchrony, Yeshasvini Ramaswamy, Serial Entrepreneur and CEO, Great Place To Work India said, "May your continued efforts to create great workplaces inspire others to follow in your footsteps. Your dedication to fostering inclusivity and empowering individuals has made your organization a true leader in the industry." Synchrony's commitment to its employees is evident through a range of initiatives, including 100% work-from-home flexibility, continuous learning and certification reimbursement programs, and the establishment of Regional Engagement Hubs across India to cater to diverse talent and employee bases. We are committed to revolutionizing work-life balance for employees by offering remote work flexibility, holistic wellness sessions for physical, mental, and financial well-being, extended medical insurance coverage for specially-abled siblings and parents-in-law, freezing of eggs and sperm for employees, surrogacy coverage for maternity plans, and enhancing a culture of total well-being and support. Furthermore, Synchrony's philanthropic efforts and commitment to social responsibility have played a vital role in driving a positive impact within local communities. In 2022, Synchrony ranked #19 among India's Best Companies to Work For, Top 5 among India's Best Workplaces in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Top 10 among India's Best Workplaces for Women. Recently, Synchrony also received Top 25 BFSI recognition from Great Place to Work India and ranked #21 under LinkedIn Top Companies in India list.(Disclaimer The above press release has been provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)ANI16 June 2023

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Over 90 people die of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Afghanistan

Kabul, June 16: Over 90 people have died in Afghanistan due to Congo fever, also known as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, reported Khaama Press.

Over 90 people die of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Afghanistan

The medical staff at Takhar Provincial Hospital recorded three cases of Congo fever, also known as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, in the previous month, one of which resulted in patient death, reported Khaama Press.The other two were reportedly transferred to the infectious diseases hospital in Kabul for medical care.Officials said 91 people in Afghanistan had contracted the illness the preceding week.Authorities said that seven deaths have occurred this summer so far. The officials also stated that they are working to halt the spread of the illness, reported Khaama Press."We are fully prepared because this disease is not new, and we have better measures in Takhar provincial hospital than in the past," said the director of Takhar Provincial Hospital, Hayatullah Emami.Two Congo fever fatalities occurred last month in the Abu Ali Sinai Balkhi Hospital in Mazar-e-Sharif City, while 10 confirmed cases were reported in Faryab and Jawzjan.Especially during slaughter, ticks can transfer the virus known as Congo fever from animals to people. Fever, heartburn, diarrhoea, internal and external bleeding, neck ache, and eye pain are the disease's main symptoms, Khaama Press reported.Congo fever outbreaks are dangerous for public health services because the virus is difficult to treat and prevent, can create epidemics, has a high case fatality rate (10-40%), and may cause outbreaks in hospitals and other healthcare institutions.Medical professionals, people who work in the health industry, and those who have contact with meat and animals are at risk of contracting the disease.Earlier in May, the health department of Afghanistan's Balkh province reported that in the past week, two people have died from the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Afghanistan's northern region, Afghanistan-based TOLO News reported.A total of ten positive cases of CCHF have been recorded in the region, according to TOLO News.CCHF is a widespread disease caused by a tick-borne virus (Nairovirus).Local Balkh officials said that incidents of this illness were rising in the country's north, and they urged religious leaders and the media to warn people about the dangers associated with the disease's spread.ANI16 June 2023

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Ward office system launched in Hyderabad to improve citizen services

Hyderabad, June 16: Initiating a new urban administrative reform, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Friday launched a ward office system to address public complaints about civic services at the ward level.

Ward office system launched in Hyderabad to improve citizen services

Municipal Administration Minister K. Taraka Rama Rao launched the new system to facilitate decentralization and people-centric governance.GHMC will have a ward office in each of the 150 wards. Led by an Assistant Municipal Commissioner, each ward office will have a team of 10 officials to meet the service levels published in the citizens charter.KCR, who inaugurated the GHMC ward office in Kachiguda, said that the system aims to streamline civic services and ensure faster access for the residents of Hyderabad. By bringing services closer to the communities, the system enables the GHMC to swiftly address public issues and deliver efficient solutions.The ward offices will be headed by Assistant Municipal Commissioners, responsible for overseeing various departments. A dedicated team of 10 officers from departments such as road maintenance, sanitation, entomology, town planning, electricity, and water supply will operate from these offices.This ensures that issues related to these departments are monitored and addressed efficiently at the ward level. KTR shared plans to attach additional officers from departments such as health and police to the ward offices in the future, ensuring comprehensive service delivery.He Aoutlined the key features of the system, emphasizing the positive impact it will have on the citizens and governance.Minister KTR acknowledged the existing dearth of bureaucracy at the ward level and highlighted how the ward office system bridges this gap and enhances local governance.He underscored that the ward office system has been introduced with the genuine intention of providing good governance to the citizens of Hyderabad. He called upon all public representatives to rise above political affiliations to work together for the success of this system, emphasizing the importance of collaboration. He assured that the government would extend full support to the ward offices, irrespective of the political parties represented by the public representatives.The success of this system in Hyderabad has the potential to serve as a model for other cities across the country. Minister KTR expressed his optimism that if the system proves effective in Hyderabad, it could be replicated nationwide, revolutionizing governance and service delivery. Hyderabad already stands at the forefront of cities known for their good governance, and the ward office system further strengthens this reputation.IANS17 June 2023

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Looking forward to seeing you: PM Modi tells UNGA chief

New Delhi, June 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that he looked forward to seeing UN General Assembly (UNGA) president Csaba Korosi at the International Yoga Day celebrations at the world body's headquarters in New York on June 21.

Looking forward to seeing you: PM Modi tells UNGA chief

Modi, who will on a state visit to the US between June 20 and 23, will lead a yoga session at the headquarters on June 21.Taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister said "Looking forward to seeing you at the International Day of Yoga celebrations at the UNHQ. Your participation makes the programme even more special."Yoga brings the world together towards furthering good health and wellness. May it keep getting more popular globally."Modi's tweet was in response to Korosi's post on Thursday in which he had said "I am looking forward to participating in the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations @UN with Prime Minister @NarendraModi at the UNHQ North Lawn next week."Modi made the suggestion in his address to the Assembly in September 2014 to celebrate June 21 -- the Summer Solstice which is the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere -- as the International Day of Yoga.Calling yoga "an invaluable gift of our ancient tradition", he said "It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature."It could lead to "changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change", he added.The first Yoga Day was celebrated in 2015 and has been held every year, even in the middle of the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2020 and 2021 when it was held virtually.Following the UN lead, Yoga Day has become an international celebration around the world with group practices and asana demonstrations across the globe.IANS17 June 2023

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Finnish coalition negotiators reach agreement on govt program

Helsinki, June 16: Negotiators from the four parties aiming to form a coalition government in Finland announced that they have reached agreement on the government program.

Finnish coalition negotiators reach agreement on govt program

The coalition government will consist of the conservative National Coalition Party, the right-wing Finns Party, the Finnish Christian Democrats, and the Swedish People's Party, reports Xinhua news agency.Petteri Orpo, leader of the National Coalition Party, will serve as the Prime Minister.The remaining ministers and portfolio distribution have yet to be announced.The government program is referred to as a "negotiation result" and provides a roadmap for the coalition's actions during the four-year parliamentary term.Further details of the program will be disclosed on Friday."We have thoroughly addressed the details. We wanted to reach extensive agreements on various matters," said Orpo.The coalition will replace the left-centre cabinet led by Prime Minister Sanna Marin of the Social Democratic Party.The specific date for the government transition has not yet been announced.IANS17 June 2023

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S.Korea dismisses chances of lifting Fukushima seafood import ban

Seoul, June 16: South Korea's current ban on imports of seafood from Japan's Fukushima area will remain in place regardless of Tokyo's planned release of contaminated water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, a senior government official said here on Friday.

S.Korea dismisses chances of lifting Fukushima seafood import ban

South Korea has banned all seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures near Fukushima since 2013 on concerns over their radiation levels in the wake of the meltdown in 2011, reports Yonhap News Agency.Some worry the planned discharge of radioactive water from the plant into the sea may ultimately lead to South Korea's lifting of the ban.Japan plans to begin releasing it as early as this month."The main source of concern about Japan's water release is its potential negative impacts on our sea and our seafood. But the ban on seafood from Fukushima is about the safety of items being caught in the waters off Fukushima. So the planned discharge has nothing to do with the import ban," Vice Oceans Minister Song Sang-keun said during a press briefing.Even though the released water is proven to be safe scientifically, that does not guarantee the safety of seafood from the area, Song said, pointing to some cases of seafood from the area being radioactively contaminated."The government will not review any lifting of the ban until the Fukushima region is proven to be safe and our people feel safe enough," he added.The Seoul government launched a daily press briefing Thursday to keep the public updated on the planned release in response to heightened public concern as the nuclear power plant began the trial operation of its discharge facility.IANS17 June 2023

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Punjab farmers oppose introduction of GM crops

Chandigarh, June 16: Opposing the introduction of GM crops in the country, the Mahila Kisan Union (MKU) on Friday called upon the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and other farmers' bodies to join the fight against the BJP's 'agenda' aimed at imposing policies favourable for multinational companies at the expense of the peasantry.

Punjab farmers oppose introduction of GM crops

MKU President Rajwinder Kaur Raju said that out of the four states selected by the apex biotechnology regulatory body, Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), only Haryana has given consent to conducting biosafety research trials of Genetically Engineered (GE) cotton hybrid seeds."The decision to conduct these trials was taken in a meeting held on May 17 by the committee, which has been questioning the states of Telangana, Gujarat and Maharashtra for denying permission for such field trials," she said.The MKU leader also questioned that under whose pressure the committee has been propagating, without conducting any trials, that GE cotton hybrid seeds are resistant to pink bollworms.Opposing GM crops, the MKU leader categorically denounced the recent inquiries by the regulatory body as an attempt to coerce state governments into granting NOCs for field trials under "pressure" from the biotech industry.Kaur said the controversial approval of GM mustard by the Central government is currently sub-judice in the Supreme Court.She said the regulatory body has selected 42 locations for 'notified field trials' to conduct confined tests of GE crops without seeking inputs or comments from the respective state governments.Questioning the pressure tactics employed by the regulatory framework, she raised objections to the committee's bypassing of state governments and its hasty approach to completing the trials.She emphasised the importance of involving the states in the process since agriculture is a subject under state jurisdiction.Highlighting the contamination of Bikaneri Bt Narma, she drew attention to global studies on GM crops that have revealed their adverse impact on agriculture and the environment, posing a threat to the country's flora and fauna.She warned against the monopolisation of GM seeds by MNCs, which would lead to corporatisation of farming.IANS17 June 2023

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Open US consulate in Chandigarh, Punjab Guv writes to EAM

Chandigarh, June 16: Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit has written to the External Affairs Ministry (EAM) urging it to open a US Consulate in Chandigarh.

'Open US consulate in Chandigarh', Punjab Guv writes to EAM

The Governor said the Punjabis are adventurous who travel all over the world. They also form a sizeable segment of the Indian diaspora in the US."The specialty of this segment is that its members are conscious of their roots and are in constant touch with their people back home in India. This makes a good case for a US consulate in Chandigarh, which is the nerve centre of Punjabi culture," Purohit wrote.The Governor, who is also the Administrator of Chandigarh, referred to the demand for an additional consulate in India, which is being pressed for even in the US by influential Congressmen, which further bolsters the demand.The letter mentions that India has five consulates in the US, while the US has only four in India.The Governor said if a US Consulate is opened in Chandigarh, it will serve the purposes to tap the social, economic and cultural dimensions of the state, as he requested the External Affairs Ministry to pursue the matter with appropriate US authorities.IANS17 June 2023

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DMRC reiterates its advisory of reel ban in metro

New Delhi, June 16: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Friday issued an advisory urging people not to shoot videos while travelling in the Metro.

DMRC reiterates its advisory of 'reel ban' in metro

The moves comes after several videos, including of people dancing and doing some objectionable acts were doing rounds on social media.Taking to Twitter on Friday, DMRC said, "Open your camera, Na Na Na"."Johnny Johnny! Yes Papa? Making reels in the metro? NO PAPA!" said the advisory attached in the tweet.A"Any such activity that may cause inconvenience to the passengers is strictly prohibited inside the Delhi Metro," read the text in advisory.In March, the DMRC in its notification had clearly said, "Filming reels, dance videos or any other such activities that may cause inconvenience to the passengers is strictly prohibited inside the Delhi Metro."The Delhi Metro governing body had also urged passengers to not cause inconvenience to the fellow passengers.IANS17 June 2023

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IIM, Jammu signs MoU with Small Industries Development Bank of India

Jammu, June 16: Indian Institute of Management, Jammu (IIM) and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country on the sixth annual convocation at Jammu, a press release said.

IIM, Jammu signs MoU with Small Industries Development Bank of India

The MoU was signed between Prof BS Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu, and Sudatta Mandal, Deputy Managing Director, SIDBI in the presence of Chief Guest Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education."As part of this MoU, joint initiatives/projects would be launched as part of the IIM Jammu-SIDBI partnership to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country," the statement informed."On this momentous occasion, an MoU was signed between IIM Jammu and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to leverage its expertise in this field to create a supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurship in the country," it informed.Minister of State Jitendra Singh and Lieutenant Governor Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha were the guests of honour on the occasion.The 6th Convocation of the Indian Institute of Management was held in Jammu on Friday.ANI17 June 2023

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Due to the continued increase of competitive applications, the Texas A&M University College of Engineering has moved to a total holistic review process. This policy applies to all engineering applications, including Texas A&M automatic admits, and is handled entirely by the Office of Admissions  not the College of Engineering.

Factors that are considered during the review process include the following:

Academic achievements  class rank and SAT and/or ACT scores, as well as completion of Texas A&M's recommended high school coursework. NOTE: Submission of SAT/ACT scores is optional for students applying for the spring and fall 2023 semesters.

Personal achievements  involvement in extracurricular activities, community service, leadership, employment and summer activities, as well as any talents, awards and honors.

Information shared in Essay A and the Engineering Essay.

Engineering applicants will be considered for the following programs:

Admission to Texas A&M University will continue to be achieved in one of two ways  top 10% admits or holistic review admits  and admission decisions will continue to be communicated on a rolling basis.

Admissions Checklist
FM Cohen talks Iranian threat with Japanese Deputy FM

Jerusalem, June 16: On Thursday Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met with Japan's Deputy Foreign Minister Shigeo Yamada in Jerusalem.

FM Cohen talks Iranian threat with Japanese Deputy FM

Cohen said the two talked about promoting a free trade agreement between their countries and about a reciprocal agreement for work trip visas that would allow Israeli tourists to work during trips to Japan.They also spoke about the fight against the Iranian nuclear program and the importance of a united stand by the international community against the reign of terror in Tehran."Only hard and immediate economic and diplomatic measures, combined with a credible military threat, will be able to stop the nuclear program," said Cohen. (ANI/TPS)ANI17 June 2023

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UP Small Industries Corporation begins survey work for Textile Park in Lucknow

Lucknow, June 16: The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has approved the topographical survey of PM Mitra Mega Textile and Apparel Park, which will be constructed in Attari village of Mall block of Malihabad in Lucknow. The responsibility for the survey has been given to the Uttar Pradesh Small Industries Corporation Limited (UPSIC).

UP Small Industries Corporation begins survey work for Textile Park in Lucknow

Additionally, the District Magistrate of Lucknow and Hardoi has set up a team from the Revenue Department to measure and topographically survey the land for Textile Park. The park is planned to be built on a total of 1,000 acres of land, with 903.07 acres falling in the Lucknow district and 259.09 acres falling in the Hardoi district.The survey will be completed in 20 days.After receiving the government's go-ahead, the Mega Textile and Apparel Park survey began. The revenue teams from UPSIC, as well as the District Magistrates of Lucknow and Hardoi, will submit their survey report to the government within 20 days.At the same time, the draft prepared for the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) constituted for implementing the Textile Park has been sent to the Textile Ministry of the Government of India for approval. For this, Rs 10 crore (paid-up capital) has been arranged, of which 51% will come from the government of Uttar Pradesh and 49% from the Government of India. The development of the park will be carried out through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.Simultaneously, work is underway for the Master Plan, Project Estimate and Bidding Documents (RFQ, RFP, and Development Agreement). At the same time, documents related to the draft bid have been prepared for the selection of the master developer of the park. Interested firms will have to submit their proposals by June 24. It is estimated that the construction of the textile park will require an expenditure of Rs 1,200 crore.Special attention is also being given to the environmental aspect of the textile park. An agency will be selected to prepare a report on the environmental impact caused by the establishment of the industry. The Request for Proposal (RFP) has been prepared for the selection of this agency, and soon a bid will be published to invite applications.In addition, a 4-lane road will also be constructed to connect the park with the infrastructure. Efforts are also being made to establish coordination with the relevant departments to ensure a dedicated supply of water and electricity to the park. It is notable that a total of 73 investment proposals were received for the Textile and Apparel Park in UPGIS-23, with investors proposing to invest Rs 2483.85 crore.ANI17 June 2023

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Students build mobile app for migrant workers safety

New Delhi, June 17: Here comes a mobile app called 'Migrant Care', developed by students, that helps connect migrant labourers, their agents, and police officials to ensure their safety.

Students build mobile app for migrant workers' safety

The workers can send a distress signal, if they need any help, by pressing the 'I am not safe' button on their phone app, else they can also mark themselves as 'Safe'.The message can then be viewed by the police officials in real time, who can access them via the geolocation feature incorporated in the app.Students at Sona College of Technology in Tamil Nadu developed this mobile application."The app was developed by BTech-IT students in less than two days at the request of Ms B Vijayakumari, IPS, Commissioner of Police, Salem City", according to Dr J Akilandeswari, Dean Academics and Professor of IT, Sona College of Technology.It is estimated that out of an estimated 4,000 migrant workers in Salem district nearly half of them downloaded the app in the first few days.The team is now testing the app for a wider reach and for other emergency situations.Tamil Nadu has over six lakh migrant workers, and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Minister of Skill development have assured their safety."We encourage students to apply their latest tech knowledge and skills in helping our communities. Easy to use 'Migrant Care' app empowers Indian workers to feel and stay safe with the help of district police officials," said Chocko Valliappa, Vice Chairman, Sona Group of Institutions.The teams are also exploring additional features that can be incorporated in the app in the future with inputs from the police department.IANS17 June 2023

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NITI Aayog, UN sign the GoI-UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework

New Delhi, June 16: The Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027 between the Government of India and the United Nations was signed today by NITI Aayog and the UN office in India.

NITI Aayog, UN sign the GoI-UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework

In the presence of the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, Suman Bery, senior members from NITI Aayog, central ministries, and heads of UN agencies in India, B V R Subrahmanyam, CEO, of NITI Aayog, and Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator, India, signed the GoI-UNSDCF, the official release of NITI Aayog said.GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027 represents the UN development system's collective offer to the Government of India, in line with the national vision for development, for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promoting gender equality, youth empowerment and human rights.The United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/72/279 designates the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework as the principal planning and implementation instrument for the UN Development System at the country level. Programme priorities of the UN entities working at the country are derived from the GoI-UNSDCF, the official release read.According to the release, the GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027 is built on four strategic pillars derived from the 2030 Agenda - People, Prosperity, Planet and Participation.Six outcome categories centred on health and well-being, nutrition and food security, quality education, economic growth and decent work, environment, climate, WASH and resilience, and empowering individuals, communities, and institutions make up the four interconnected pillars.For the first time, the GoI-UNSDCF will specifically focus on SDG localization and South-South cooperation in order to further expand cooperation in crucial sectors, in keeping with India's leadership towards the implementation and acceleration of the SDGs and India's championing of South-South cooperation. The effort's focal point will be showcasing Indian examples of growth internationally.The formulation of the GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027 was led by NITI Aayog, on behalf of the Government of India, with robust participation of line Ministries, State Governments, and Union Territories.The UN Resident Coordinator led and coordinated inputs from the UN development system in India. Partners from civil society, think tanks, the private sector, cooperatives and labour unions also contributed to the development of the document, ensuring a whole of society, whole of government and whole of UN approach. The GoI-UNSDCF was informed by a third-party evaluation of the previous Cooperation Framework (2018-2022) and a Common Country Analysis (CCA) undertaken by the UN in India.The implementation, monitoring and reporting of GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027 will be co-led by the Government of India and the United Nations, India through a Joint Steering Committee, according to the official release of NITI Aayog.According to the official release of NITI Aayog, while signing the Cooperation Framework, CEO of NITI Aayog, B V R Subrahmanyam, said "India has advanced steadily in its ability to deliver development and resilience at scale. This includes transforming India's social welfare system and safety nets, underpinned by a robust ecosystem of digital public infrastructure and a range of national missions. India's leadership in climate action and resilience continues to grow.The new Framework comes at a critical juncture as the world reaches the halfway mark to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. India envisions a 'Viksit Bharat' over the next 25 years, in line with the clarion call of the Hon'ble Prime Minister.At the event, presenting the Cooperation Framework. United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, Shombi Sharp, stated "India is a key shaper of the 2030 Agenda. With the goal of 'Leave No One Behind' reflected in the Government of India's message of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, India has aligned its flagship national initiatives with the SDGs and translated Agenda 2030 into local actions at all levels, while delivering development gains at scale. Meeting India's youthful population's expectations and aspirations will require further accelerating progress in addressing remaining development challenges and investing in human capital to leverage a unique demographic dividend. As the United Nations Secretary-General has said, India is the country that can make achieving the SDGs a global reality".ANI17 June 2023

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Classic example of political indigestion: Nadda hits back at Congress over renaming Nehru Memorial Museum

New Delhi, June 16: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda on Friday slammed Congress over its remarks on the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library as Prime Minister's Museum and Library Society and said that its inability to accept that there are leaders beyond one dynasty is a classic example of political indigestion.

Classic example of political indigestion: Nadda hits back at Congress over renaming Nehru Memorial Museum

Earlier today, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday slammed the Centre and said that the move shows the "cheap mentality and dictatorial attitude" of the BJP and RSS."Classic example of political indigestion- the inability to accept a simple fact that there are leaders beyond one dynasty who have served and built our nation. PM Sangrahalaya is an effort beyond politics and Congress lacks the vision to realise this," Nadda tweeted.In a series of tweets Nadda further said, "In PM Sangrahalaya, every PM has got respect. The section relating to Pandit Nehru hasn't been altered.""On the contrary, its prestige has been enhanced. For a party which ruled India for over 50 years, their pettiness is really tragic. It's also the reason people are rejecting them," he further said.BJP president further alleged that Congress's aim and only contribution is to erase the legacies of all previous PMs."Congress's approach to this issue is ironical considering their party's only contribution is to erase the legacies of all previous PMs to ensure that only the legacy of one family survives," Nadda tweeted.The Culture Ministry said on Friday that it had been decided to change the name of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society to Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society. The decision was taken at a special meeting of the Memorial Museum and Library Society which was presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is the Vice-President of the Society.This project was approved by Executive Council, NMML in its 162nd meeting held in November 2016. The Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya was opened to the public on April 21 last year.During the inauguration, despite having received an invitation from the government, no member of the Nehru-Gandhi family was present for the function. Three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi have served as Prime Ministers of the country.The Culture Ministry release said that the Museum is a seamless blend which begins at the renovated and refurbished Nehru Museum building, "now completely updated with technologically advanced displays on the life and contribution of Jawaharlal Nehru"."Housed in a new building the museum then goes on to tell the story of how our Prime Ministers navigated the nation through various challenges and ensured all-round progress of the country. It recognizes all the Prime Ministers, thereby democratizing the institutional memory," the release said.ANI17 June 2023

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Sharjah Pavilion at Seoul International Book Fair hosts artistic and creative workshops

Dubai, June 16: The Sharjah Pavilion, guest of honour at the Seoul International Book Fair, hosted a series of artistic and creative workshops that brought together artists and researchers from the UAE and the Republic of Korea.

Sharjah Pavilion at Seoul International Book Fair hosts artistic and creative workshops

The workshops were organised by the Sharjah Book Authority and aimed to promote cultural exchange and open horizons between intellectuals of the two countries.The first workshop, titled "The Intersection of Images, Letters and Words," was led by artist Khalid Mezaina from the UAE and Jin Myung from Korea. The workshop explored using calligraphy, collage and photography to create artworks that combine images, letters and words.The second workshop, "The Arts of Printing and Painting," was led by researcher Ali Al-Abdan and artist An Kyung-mi. The workshop discussed the use of traditional symbols to represent local cultures in drawings and artworks.The third workshop, titled "Digital Drawing," was led by teacher and visual artist Salama Al-Nuaimi and artist Ann Jo Sona. The workshop explored the opportunities for producing and developing simplified digital artworks.The Sharjah Pavilion's workshop programme also includes a group workshop for Emirati and Korean artists who participated in previous workshops.The activities of Sharjah Guest of Honour continue until 18th June and include 33 activities in which a group of Emirati and Korean writers, creators and academics participate. These activities include discussion sessions, literary activities and artistic performances that reflect the heritage of the emirate of Sharjah and the UAE. (ANI/WAM)ANI17 June 2023

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Ignite Your Fitness Journey: 5 Inspiring Indian Yoga Influencers

New Delhi, June 17: Do you enjoy working out? You can follow these profiles on Instagram if you want to do more with your yoga practice and be consistent with your workout routine and lead a healthy lifestyle. The Indian yoga influencers will leave you motivated by their personal fitness journeys.

Ignite Your Fitness Journey: 5 Inspiring Indian Yoga Influencers

Radhika Bose (555k followers)In addition to being a yoga practitioner, Radhika Bose blogs on travel, fitness, and lifestyle. She is passionate about health and fitness and has a sizable 555k Instagram following. Her mother was diagnosed with a slipped disc, and doctors suggested that she start practising yoga. This was the beginning of her yoga journey. And after nine years of yoga practise, she decided to make it her career.It takes a lot of time and effort to master the yoga discipline, but starting is never too late or too challenging.Anshuka Parwani (272k followers)One of India's most influential yoga figures is the celebrity yoga instructor Anshuka Yoga. And you might be familiar with her as the person behind Kareena Kapoor Khan's stunning pregnancy makeover. Anshuka has climbed the achievement ladder by putting in significant daily effort to alter her appearance.She teaches Yogalates, a style of exercise that combines the benefits of both Mat Yoga and Mat Pilates in order to maximise the benefits of Yoga. Flyfit, on the other hand, blends traditional Mat Yoga poses with Pilate Techniques and is a combination of Aerial Yoga, Aerial Pilates, and Aerial Fitness. Isn't that intriguing?Deepika Mehta (246k followers)Get your yoga aesthetics just right with Deepika Mehta, whose Instagram profile will leave you in awe of her breathtaking yoga poses. Her Instagram feed is filled with breathtaking pictures of yoga poses that exhibit perfect technique and dedication. She captures our attention with the proper alignment and precise skills that characterise the actual art of yoga.Sunaina Rekhi (146k followers)In addition to being a contemporary yogini and a perfect match for our list of the best Yoga influencers in India, Sunaina Rekhi is a yoga instructor and a health and lifestyle coach. She completed her training as a yoga instructor in Rishikesh, and now she instructs at a number of prominent yoga studios in the Mumbai area, inspiring many more people to take up the yoga practise.She is one of the first Indian women to be chosen to represent yoga at the UN. Follow her on Instagram if you want a relaxing and engaging yoga session. Sunaina is a proponent of yoga as a way of life and of using yoga training to promote both mental and physical health.Suvi Choudhury (133k followers)Suvi Choudhury is an encouragement to everyone thinking about changing occupations because she is a mother, wife, and daughter. She started her foray into the yoga and fitness worlds in 2009. She has since received instruction in a variety of yoga disciplines, such as Ashtanga Vinyasa (L1 iamp; L2), therapeutic yoga, Aerial Yoga, and Airo yoga.While recovering from her slipped disc injury, she became proficient in the yoga discipline. She embarked on a new fitness mission as a result of that one problem. After spending numerous hours every day practising, she graduated to the level of expert yoga trainer.Natasha Noel (333k followers)Everyone who follows Natasha is aware of her love for her committed followers who keep up with her workout routine. Natasha maintains a tight exercise schedule to make sure she receives only positive energy. She encourages people to be patient with their bodies and to experiment as much as they can in order to emerge strong while promoting self-growth and healing via the practise of yoga.You can find much more motivation on how one's body can perform miracles with hard work by scrolling down her page. With her inspiring and engaging videos, she is dispelling stereotypes one at a time.Neha Bangia (112k followers)Neha is a fitness iamp; lifestyle blogger, a Reebok iamp; ACE trainer, a FLR Pilates trainer, and a mother of two kids. She is a role model for all women who think that marriage locks a lady inside her four walls. Yoga provides her a great surge of adrenaline, and without her yoga mat and sports shoes, Neha wouldn't be who she is.You'll feel at ease and great after working out with this Instagram yoga and fitness influencer from India.(Photo source instagram)(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)IANS17 June 2023

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Get your Pops a treat this Fathers Day

New Delhi, June 17: Father's Day is a wonderful opportunity to honour the strong bond between fathers and children. This year, express your gratitude and admiration for your father by presenting him with a timeless gift that will serve as a lasting reminder of your love.

Get your Pops a treat this Father's Day

A dapper dad1. Numisma Statement BroochThis bold unisex brooch is made with Morning Star and Champagne Glare stones coupled with chic enamel work. It can be styled in multifarious ways on both ethnic and Western wear.Rs 8,000/- Available on aulerth.in2. adidas Originals, Superstar shoesOriginally made for basketball courts in the '70s. Celebrated by hip-hop royalty in the '80s. The adidas Superstar shoe is now a lifestyle staple for streetwear enthusiasts. The world-famous shell toe feature remains, providing style and protection. Just like it did on the B-ball courts back in the day. Now, whether at a festival or walking in the street you can enjoy yourself without the fear of being stepped on. The serrated 3-Stripes detail and adidas Superstar box logo add OG authenticity to your look.Priced at Rs 8,999/-3. Henry Weekender BagHenry is a stylish and practical duffel bag with two slip-in interior pockets, an internal zip compartment, and adjustable shoulder straps. A distinctive design element is added by combining soft grainy leather with premium fine grain leather and using colour blocking. Spacious, cozy, and convenient storage for necessities, this modern essential is made from fine LWG Italian leather.Priced at Rs 32,000/- Available on perona.com and at flagship stores4. Black Francoeur Small Wallet by Delsey ParisThe Francoeur wallet is made of genuine leather. The size is just perfect to fit in your pocket with ease or to be kept in your travel bag. It is a perfect combination of size and space with numerous compartments for all your cards.Priced at Rs. 3,600/- Available at tatacliq.com5. GARRTENFather's Day is the perfect opportunity to show your dad how much you appreciate him. A GARRTEN gift is a thoughtful and stylish way to do just that. Whether he's a business professional, a weekend warrior, or a casual traveller, there's a GARRTEN product that's perfect for him. With a GARRTEN gift, your dad will be able to carry his belongings with style and confidence. He'll also be reminded of how much you care every time he uses his new GARRTEN product.Priced at Rs 30,0000/- onwards. Available on garrten.com6. Give dad a step above the rest with Rosso Brunello's exquisite footwearSynonymous with meticulously curated collections of pertinent designs, Rosso Brunello, a ground breaking endeavour, has carved a niche for itself in the bridge-to-luxury segment. With a keen focus on catering to the diverse styling preferences of fashion-forward individuals, the brand sets itself apart by attending to crucial details, thereby ensuring unparalleled comfort for its esteemed clientele. Amidst an evolving footwear market where consumers are spoiled for choice, Rosso Brunello presents itself as an extraordinary brand, offering a unique blend of design aesthetic, silhouette, remarkable comfort features, and exquisite premium leather that embodies contemporary allure.Price on request. Available in stores and at the website rossobrunello.com7. Kohinoor Jewellers AgraFor the darling dads with a suave taste who love to pamper and shower love upon all, presenting a range of exquisite rings from KOHGEM, a lightweight diamond jewellery brand born from the House of Kohinoor.Fine taste has no relation with fashion, as it is eternal. Always cheek by jowl, this Father's Day gift your father a classic precious gift that he will cherish for life. Also, cheek by jowl is the diamonds intricately placed in each strapping design of the masculine rings in the collection. At KOHGEM, be sure of the same trust and faith that your father has in you, for KOHGEM uses the most recent cutting-edge technology to deliver higher-quality jewels at affordable pricing.Price on request. Available at Fatehabad Road, Opposite TDI Mall, Agra - 282004 and at the website kohgem.com8. Falcon Aviator Sunglasses by The Tinted StoryMade with high-quality materials, this sunglass is perfect for anyone who wants to protect their eyes from the sun while also looking great. With a classic aviator design, these sunglasses are sure to turn heads wherever you go.Priced at Rs 3,199/- Available on the website thetintedstory.com9. RK JewellersRK Jewellers takes pride in unveiling their Father's Day collection, dedicated to celebrating the special bond between fathers and their loved ones. This exquisite collection showcases an array of stunning chains and rings, meticulously crafted to capture the essence of elegance and masculinity. Each piece is designed with precision and showcases the finest materials, such as gleaming gold or platinum, adorned with intricate detailing. Whether you're seeking a sleek and sophisticated chain or a timeless and meaningful ring, RK Jewellers' Father's Day collection offers a diverse range of options to honour and cherish the father figure in your life. Explore the collection and discover the perfect symbol of love and appreciation.10. Statement pieces from Men of PlatinumWith Father's Day around the corner, gift your dad the luxury of classic, sartorial platinum jewellery pieces that are unique yet versatile, sleek yet stylish, and subtle yet striking! Elevate your dad's looks and outfits with contemporary platinum jewellery pieces from the Men of Platinum collection. Each exquisite design can be paired with a variety of outfits and styled in multiple ways. Born of the stars, platinum is found only in select locations across the globe and is a symbol of what is truly rare and precious. Platinum, with its inherent attributes, instantly uplifts the style quotient and has emerged as a new-age symbol of success. It is a fitting ode to the rare men of character and creates a subtle yet distinct statement.Crafted in 95 per cent platinum this stunning jewellery range from Men of Platinum is cast with clean, bold lines with minimalism at its core. Offering a wide range of avant-garde designs including platinum chains, wristwear, neckwear, and rings, the design language of the collection includes distinctive emblems, crests in solid forms, and aerodynamic elements along with intricate details, incisions, and embellishments. The statement silhouettes and sophisticated textures come together to create this impeccable and exclusive range of jewellery. Extremely versatile, each piece in the collection can be paired with a variety of different outfits - right from power suits and tailored formal wear to smart casuals as well as festive Indian wear. While platinum neckwear complements everything from crisp shirts to solid tees as well as from polos to even Bandhgalas; platinum wristwear and rings are the ideal everyday jewellery pieces that can be worn separately or stacked together to instantly add an edge to any look or outfit.For more information visit menofplatinum.com11. Numero UNONumero UNO has come up with the greatest men's denim looks for your dad this Father's Day! Every man's closet traditionally includes denim at the top. Your father would adore receiving a pair of stylish, comfortable pants with shirts that are just the right combination of playful and formal, making them perfect for a relaxed boardroom meeting. Your father would love Numero UNO's collection which is a blend of usability, comfort, and design.Celebrate love with Numero UNO's Father's Day edition this year and gift your dad a pair that is a perfect mix of fun and functionality.Priced at Rs 1,999/- onwards. Available at numerounojeanswear.com, and Shoppersstop12. TUMI | Father's Day Gifting GuideTUMI honours the eternal link between fathers and their children this Father's Day. Show your dad the love and respect he deserves with thoughtfully designed bags and accessories from TUMI's Unpack Tomorrow range, which will undoubtedly benefit a multitasker, an on-the-go personality, and frequent traveller dads!To celebrate this special occasion, the brand offers a selection of trendy and sophisticated pieces that reflects the exceptional qualities of fathers. Showcasing a plethora of styles from an Alpha Bravo bag, compact sling bags, travel kit bags, and crossbody bags to the Voyageur.Available on TUMI13. Signature Buckle Cut-To-Size Reversible BeltElevate your dad's style with this versatile and iconic signature belt that adds a touch of luxury to any outfit.Priced at Rs 23,500/- Available on luxe.ajio.com14. ALDOIt's that time of the year again to show the father figure in your life some love and appreciation! Whether your father figure is a style aficionado or is always on top of the latest fashion trends with utmost comfort, ALDO has got him covered from a wide array of stylish footwear and accessories!Choose some of the best multifunctional footwear collections from ALDO like the 9-5 iamp; Beyond, Flex Drives, Traditional Loafers, and All Black Everything covering styles from casual shoes, loafers, and sneakers to sandals that strive to provide utmost comfort! For Fathers who prefer accessories, ALDO features stylish Bags iamp; Accessories like wallets, hats, belts, bags, and odds iamp; ends.Available in stores and online at aldoshoes.in15. FILAFather's Day becomes extra special with an honest intention to make it special for the rock-solid stem of our lives, fathers. FILA offers products ranging from iconic Disruptors with a twist to the latest Summer 2023 collection.Choose from the finest FILA Collection for fathers who enjoy their gym routines as well as some hefty kicks! For Fathers who enjoy sporty looks but also like to keep things comfortable, FILA's varied product line is sure to find the perfect pick for Father's Day that will help you comprehend your love and appreciation.Available on FILA16. Fenix 7XLet your father take his outdoor adventures to the next level with the Fenix 7X. This rugged multisport GPS watch features a scratch-resistant Power Sapphire solar charging lens, utilising the sun's energy to extend battery life to achieve 300 per cent more battery life than the previous model. With a built-in LED flashlight, Pulse Ox sensor, and advanced training metrics, the Fenix 7X Solar is the perfect companion for every father's fitness goals and outdoor explorations.The smartwatches will be available through the following channelsOffline Garmin Brand Store, Croma, Vijay Sales, Helios, Just-In-Time, Zimson Watch, Kamal Watch Co., Ruswic Stores, Mastermind, Vishal Trading, Cyclofit, Decathlon (Bengaluru), General Trade iamp; All Leading Watch, Sports iamp; Bike Retail OutletsOnline Amazon, Flipkart, Synergizer.com, Nykaa.com17. Brune and BareskinFather's Day is around the corner and it is a special occasion to honor the fathers, father figures, and mentors who have played an invaluable role in our lives. Brune and Bareskin recognizes the significance of this day and have curated a selection of meticulously crafted leather accessories that combine functionality with unparalleled style. Whether it's a dapper wallet combo, matching sets of ever-stylish shoes, phone covers with a refined belt, or a statement-making travel bag, Brune and Bareskin offer a diverse range of products designed to meet the discerning tastes of fathers everywhere.Artisans at Brune iamp; Bareskin employ traditional craftsmanship techniques, using only the finest quality leather that has been ethically sourced. Each piece is thoughtfully constructed to ensure durability, functionality, and timeless elegance. These pieces can be customized as well. The collection features a wide range of hand-crafted styles, and a variety of products including Luxurious Sandals, Travel bags, phone covers, etc, designed to appeal to mothers of all ages and tastes. Brune continues to strive for excellence in design and quality, making it a go-to brand for fashion-conscious men iamp; women everywhere.Available at voganow.com and offline stores in Delhi and Jalandhar18. Kit Extreme Mesh and Leather Trainer by Michael KorsThe newest platform in our active portfolio, the Kit Trainer balances a modern look with a retro Y2K vibe. Designed for all-day comfort, this is an elevated take on an athletic sneaker that works 24/7.Priced at Rs 31,000/- Available at Michael Kors19. Tribe Amrapali- Men's JewelleryTribe Amrapali's captivating Men's Jewellery Collection is a testament to the blend of heritage and contemporary design. Embrace the allure of masculine opulence with Tribe Amrapali's exquisite range of accessories, meticulously handcrafted to embody strength, style, and individuality. Elevate your ensemble and make a lasting impression with Tribe Amrapali's distinguished craftsmanship.Price Rs 711/- onwards. Available at tribeamrapali.com20. Share timeless moments in GapCelebrate Father's Day with Gap Icons, a symbol of timeless individuality. From 90s loose denim to pleated and flat-front khakis, our collection offers essential classics that never go out of style. Explore the famous Arch Logo hoodie in a rainbow of colors and discover a denim assortment with various silhouettes. Pair them with versatile elevated basics like the Gap white oxford shirt and plaid button-downs for effortless style. Experience the highlights of Elevated basics, Gap Denim, and Multifunctional iamp; versatile clothing, and embrace Gap's Icons this Father's Day.Starting Price Rs 599/- onwards. Available at all Gap stores across the country and ajio.com21. Ethos Watches' JACOB iamp; CO. Palatial Five Time Zone Black PVD Coating PZ500.11.NS.LA.ABALAIn a bid to create more space, the Jacob iamp; Co. Palatial collection creates an uncluttered persona on the dial. With basic timekeeping duties, the collection is inspired by the Art Deco movement from the 1920s. A perfect balance between individualism and classicism, the collection offers a deep dive into mechanical horology.Priced at Rs 4,40,000/- Visit ethoswatches.com or any of Ethos stores to purchase22. Timex watchChic refinement meets the city-slicking edge when it comes to our Midtown collection. A unique, blue, concave dial with a brushed finish adds a layer of depth to this tasteful timepiece, while a blue, natural leather strap with quick-release spring bars; silver-tone, stainless-steel case; and simple, elevated markers offer a touch of delicacy to the design. A chronograph dial layout with a date movement displayed at the 4 o'clock position ensures that-whether you're heading Uptown or sticking below 14th Street-with this on your wrist, you'll keep time in style.Priced at Rs 9,596/- Available on shop.timexindia.com23. Onitsuka Tiger's T-ShirtIf dad likes to beat India's tropical heat by keeping cool in tees, Onitsuka Tiger has a variety of T-shirts and sweatshirts that are exactly what dad needs for an exciting wardrobe refresh. Onitsuka Tiger's selection of everyday staples will leave Dad spoilt for choice.To purchase visit onitsukatiger.com24. Casio round dial watch with a striking inset gold dial and a handy day displayFather's Day is a special occasion to honour the incredible men who have shaped our lives with their unconditional love and guidance. This year, celebrate the man who has always been there for you with a gift that pays tribute to his style and unfathomable love. When it comes to choosing the perfect gift for our dads, a watch holds a timeless appeal. It not only symbolises the value of time but also represents the cherished moments we have spent with our fathers.Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, these Casio watches are a testament to the enduring bond that one shares with his/her father. It's sleek design and rugged durability embodies his unyielding spirit, while the precise analogue mechanism symbolises his commitment and love. With every glance at his wrist, he'll be reminded of your appreciation for his guidance, wisdom, and unwavering support.Priced at Rs. 5995/- Available on casioindiashop.comStraight from the heart1. Trunativ everyday gift hamperFather's Day is celebrated to honour the importance that a father plays in the family as a protector. A Father tends to neglect his health and puts all his focus on fulfilling the needs of the whole family. It becomes imperative for every child to take care of his/her father's health.Priced at Rs 2,399/- Available on trunativ.co2. Evocus The Perfect Father's Day Gifting Option for Health-Conscious DadsWith Father's Day just around the corner, it's the perfect time to choose Evocus as the ideal gifting option for health-conscious dads. Evocus is a unique and innovative offering combining hydration and wellness in a single bottle, making it an exceptional choice for fathers prioritising their well-being. Evocus is not your ordinary bottled water. It is India's first black alkaline water infused with 70+ natural minerals, providing a refreshing and revitalising experience. This innovative beverage not only hydrates but also supports a healthy lifestyle, making it the perfect companion for fathers who lead active and dynamic lives.3. VAHDAM India Chai Tea Assortment, Gift SetA regal gift pack with 6 luscious flavours of Chai Tea blends.Priced at Rs 1,199/- Available on vahdam.in4. Pamper Your Dad with Unique Father's Day Gift Hampers from The Gift StudioAs Father's Day approaches, The Gift Studio, a leading provider of unique and thoughtfully curated gift hampers, is delighted to introduce a range of special hampers designed to pamper and delight fathers everywhere. With an assortment of handpicked items, these hampers cater to various interests and are guaranteed to make this Father's Day an unforgettable one.Available on thegiftstudio.com5. Soothing Tea Hampers from Tea Culture of the WorldCombining your dad's love for tea with Father's Day is the perfect way to show your appreciation. Day to Night hampers contain 20 gms each of Masala Chai for a fresh morning, Easy Digest for a digestive afternoon, Flowery Bouquet for a beautiful evening, and Jasmine for a sweet night.Priced at Rs 1,950/- Available on teacultureoftheworld.com6. Get your Pops a sweet treat this Father's Day!This Father's Day, revisit childhood memories and pamper your dad with a jar full of sweetness. Offering the perfect decadent treat for your Pops, Amore Gelato and Sorbetto bring to you a diverse product range of indulgent flavours such as Banoffee Crunch, Belgian Nutty Brownie, and Coco Mocha Gooey Brownie, Mahabaleshwar Strawberry Sorbetto, and much more. The flavoursome gelatos reflect the perfect mix of a father's strong, sweet, soft, and refreshing love!To add some icing to this delicious cake, well gelatos, the brand is offering a 25% discount on their products every Friday. Order your pick for your dad from their website.Available at amoregelato.com7. Brew love and coffee with your dad this Father's Day with Bevzilla Coffee!This hamper includes an Electric Frother + 24 Coffee Sachets made with 100 per cent Pure Arabica Beans, there are 6 Sachets Each Flavour in this combo!Priced at Rs 349/- Available on bevzilla.co8. IGP's Father's Day Gourmet Treats HamperFresh blooms and delicious munchies curated with love for your dad. This hamper includes an arrangement of flowers, chocolate-coated almonds, and salt caramel popcorn arranged beautifully in a chic beige box. It is perfect for dads who like simple gifts with heartfelt emotions. Since the arrangement comes in a chic beige box with a lid you can reuse it even after the blooms wither. You can also gift this box of happiness to your friends and family on special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and housewarming parties.Priced at Rs 1,895/-9. Mr. Jerry's cocktail in a bottleThis Father's Day, treat your dad to a truly exceptional experience with Mr. Jerry's, India's First Ready-to-Serve Cocktail in a Bottle! Show your appreciation for all the amazing things he does by giving him the joy of delicious cocktails without the fuss. With Mr. Jerry's, your dad can now indulge in his favourite cocktails with ease and convenience. Whether he prefers a classic Old Fashioned, or a sophisticated Negroni, Mr. Jerry's offers a range of flavours to cater to his taste buds. Each cocktail is expertly crafted using high-quality spirits and meticulously selected ingredients, ensuring an extraordinary taste experience.Currently available in Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi and Puducherry at all retail outlets.10. Gift Box of 4Surprise your loved ones with an assortment of great coffee! It has 4 Instant Coffee jars (50g)- with the choicest pick of flavours. We call it the Rager's Favourite Combo as it includes the following delicious flavours Irish Hazelnut, Creme Caramel, Butterscotch Delight, Dark Chocolate.Priced at Rs 1,699/-In high spirits1. Chivas 18Chivas 18 is a sensational and intricately crafted whisky, boasting an impressive array of 85 distinct and delectable flavour notes in each and every sip - a testament to the exceptional expertise of its creator, Colin Scott. This unparalleled blend from the esteemed Chivas Regal distillery, which has long been synonymous with unparalleled quality, elegance, and luxury, first made its debut in 1909. Since then, it has become the gold standard for refinement, class, and exclusivity, beloved by discerning connoisseurs the world over.Price Rs 5,400/- in Gurgaon and Rs 9,500/- in Mumbai2. Longitute77Presenting 'Seagram's Longitude 77' Indian Single Malt Whisky - from the House of Pernod Ricard India. The brand is an homage to the enchanting spirit of India and reimagines an India of unparalleled luxury and sophistication. It is crafted in small batches with utmost care for seekers of authentic contemporary Indian luxury. The brand gets its name from Longitude 77 - A line that marks India's position on the world map. Every pack of Longitude 77 pays tribute to the colour indigo - India's unique gift to the world. The pack also features a stamp depicting the map of India - a symbol that commemorates the best of what India has to offer to the world. It is more than just a Luxury Indian Single Malt. It's a tribute to a land rich in culture, heritage, and natural beauty, told through the art of whisky-making.Price on Request3. Gordon's London Dry GinWhy break your head over a gift, when you can get your dad one of the finest gins ever made? Gordon's London Dry Gin has a distinctively refreshing flavour as it comes from the finest handpicked juniper berries matured for over 18 months to elevate the already existing flavour. Gordon's has a higher juniper content than almost any other gin and that's why it's known as the 'ginniest of gins'. The attention to detail adds a distinctive flavour that goes perfectly well in cocktails. The best way to enjoy the gin is with tonic and a dash of lime garnish. Do you need more convincing than this? Go gift your old man, a bottle of exquisite gin for this father's day.4. Ardbeg Smoketrails Manzanilla EditionRenowned Islay Single Malt Ardbeg embarks on a new adventure as it launches a series of whiskies exclusive to Global Travel Retail Ardbeg Smoketrails. The collection will offer a chance for whisky enthusiasts in the country to take their palate on a journey, exploring the influence of different casks from around the world on the signature Ardbeg style.The Islay Distillery's first release in the new series is all set to launch in India this week. Ardbeg Smoketrails Manzanilla Edition marries malt matured in classic Ardbeg American oak casks with Manzanilla sherry casks from Sanlacar de Barrameda on Spain's Atlantic coast. The result is a salty, maritime character combined with a powerful blast of classic Ardbeg smoke.Priced at Rs 7,500/- Available to buy from airport duty-free stores around the world, and from the Ardbeg Distillery Visitor Centre. In India, the exciting new launch can be purchased from Travel Retail outlets at Mumbai International Airport.5. Glenmorangie SignetAs Dr. Bill, our freethinking Director of Whisky Creation, enjoyed a cup of his favourite Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, the notion of Signet first came to him. At once his mind filled with spiralling mocha flavours that he could not forget. It would take him years to bring our unprecedented whisky to life. But in its tiramisu tones and melting chocolate, you can taste his most delicious imaginings.Signet begins with our precious chocolate malt spirit, made just once a year in our giraffe-high stills. Its espresso-like intensity fills our Distillery with aromas more familiar in an Italian coffee bar. Over the years, we temper its power with rare and treasured casks. Bourbon for creaminess. Sherry for sweetness. The spice of virgin charred oak. All are balanced by some of the oldest whisky we own. The result? A velvet explosion of flavour. Bursts of bitter mocha, sizzling spice, and waves of dark chocolate, mellowed by smooth butterscotch. Whisky, as you have never tasted it before.Priced at Rs 50,900/- in Mumbai6. Stranger and SonsFrom Third Eye Distillery comes Stranger iamp; Sons Gin, distilled in Goa, India! It is an Indian-origin GIN brand that aims to introduce well-made Indian gin using mostly locally sourced ingredients to the niche Indian sector. Botanicals include home-grown pepper, lemon, and coriander, as well as a mix of Indian citrus peels led by Gondhoraj limes from Calcutta, which is sort of like a cross between a lime and a mandarin orange. Unused citrus is returned to the local supplier to be made into pickles or cordials, so there is no wastage.Priced at Rs 2,575/- in Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Goa, Delhi7. Short Story Dry GinOur gin is an 11-botanical blend of traditional, pot-distilled London dry gin (Juniper, Coriander, Bitter orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, cubeb berries, long pepper, Anjelica, hazelnut, black cardamom, and star anise). It has a strong and vibrant citrus and juniper foundation on the palate.Price Rs 1,850/- in Maharashtra, Rs 1,950/- in Karnataka, Rs 1,050/- in Goa, and Rs 1,100/- Delhi8. Highbury Classic WhiskyHighbury Classic Whisky is an exceptional and exquisite spirit crafted to captivate the discerning whisky connoisseur. Bottled in the scenic land of Goa, this timeless whisky boasts a subtle wisp of peat, delicately intertwined with a tantalising hint of spice. Its remarkable full-bodied and opulent nature evokes a profound sense of pleasure, saturating every emotion.The price for Highbury Classic Whisky 750 ml is Rs 850/- in Delhi, Rs 1,850/- in Karnataka, Rs 980/- in West Bengal, Rs 1,200/- in Andhra Pradesh, Rs 600/- in Goa, Rs 900/- in Pondicherry9. Blenders Pride Reserve CollectionLaunched in 2011, Blenders Pride Reserve Collection (BPRC) sits at the top of the Indian whisky pyramid. With 150 years of Seagram's heritage of fine whisky craftsmanship, it's a doorway to the world of scotches for aspiring consumers. BPRC is handcrafted with reserve scotch malts and blended with the finest Indian grain spirits by master blender Kevin Balmforth. The brand's attributes - no artificial flavours, consistent quality, and exceptional taste - ensure BPRC's status as a category leader.Price on request10. 1800 Anejo1800 Anejo is a premium tequila known for its smoothness and robust flavour. It has a complex profile and a deep amber colour from being aged in oak barrels for at least three years. It has a velvety texture and a long finish with caramel, vanilla, and spice notes. 1800 Anejo is an excellent choice for those seeking a refined sipping experience and a testament to the artistry of tequila production.Priced at Rs 8,750/- Where to Buy World of Wines, Nariman Point and Living Liquids, multiple locationsPersonal Care1. Make this Father's Day extra special with O3+Father's Day is an important occasion that is celebrated to honour and appreciate fathers and father figures for the important role they play in the lives of their children and families. The day provides an opportunity to express gratitude and show love toward fathers for their hard work, sacrifices, and contributions towards the growth and well-being of their families. Skincare gifting for Father's Day is a thoughtful way to show your dad or father figure that you care about their well-being and want them to look and feel their best.Available on o3plus.com, Flipkart, Amazon, Nykaa iamp; Purplle2. The Body Shop's ginger haircare duoFathers often lead busy lives and face various responsibilities. Offering them a haircare gift set will encourage them to set aside some time for self-care, unwinding, and pampering themselves, promoting relaxation and stress relief. So, This Father's Day gifts them this thoughtful gift of The Body Shop's Ginger Haircare Duo Gift Set. The Shake iamp; Swish Ginger Haircare Gift Set helps clear flakes and leaves dry, itchy scalps feeling soothed, massaged, and loved.Priced at Rs 4,795/- Available on thebodyshop.in3. Tom Ford's Ombre Leather ParfumIntensifying the textural impression of the iconic premier scent, Ombre Leather Parfum drapes the distinctly rich, luxurious leather signature in a surprising new addition, Violet leaf absolute orpur. Building to an unparalleled level of opulence, this powerful green floral note exudes the intensely floral air of fresh violets in a bouquet, giving way to the woody sensuality of cedarwood.Carefully harvested before monsoon season to produce an exceptionally elevated extract, Jasmine sambac absolute India orpur adds an unexpected layer of sensuality with a fruity, floral facet recalling ripe honeysuckle. Deep, supple leather and wood notes contrast the floralcy, while a double concentration of orris hear pulses beneath, releasing a captivating, addictive pull that elicits wild freedom and unpredictability of the desert. Drawing on the fragrance's tactile namesake, the Ombre Leather Parfum flacon is designed in matte black glass with an ivory-tone vegan leather plaque.Priced at Rs 10,000/- for 50ml, Available at Nykaa.com and Nykaa Luxe stores Sephora.nnnow.com and Sephora stores4. LANEIGE Radian-C CreamLANEIGE Radian-C Cream is a cream that is infused with vitamin C, vitamin E and melasolv which helps to even skin tone and stimulate cell regeneration. Regular application of the product will help achieve smooth and radiant looking complexion. Application over time of Laneige's Radian- C Cream. Aids in eliminating dullness and blemishes and helps suppress melanin production.Priced at Rs 2,300/- for 30ml. All the products are available on Nykaa, Myntra, Amazon, and other leading E-commerce websites5. Essentials Gift Set by DeygaThe Gift Box with the bestsellers is wholeheartedly handpicked for you by us to bring the best of nature to your skin and hair. Gift this to your loved ones to make them feel super-special.Priced at Rs 2,299/- Available on deyga.in6. Skeyndor's energizing anti-age serumThe serum provides the skin with an invigorating dose of energy. Made with Siberian Ginseng, an adaptogen that stabilizes cell metabolism and activates the immune system, improving the skin's resistance to stress and extreme atmospheres. It prevents and softens signs of skin fatigue and aging. SPF 10.Priced at Rs 2,950/- Available at Skeyndor.in7. Neal's Yard Remedies Shaving SetElevate Your Dad's Grooming Routine with Neal's Yard Remedies Men's Shaving Combo Aftershave Balm, Face Wash, Shave Cream, and Gift Box for a Refreshing Start to His MorningsPriced at Rs 7,670/- Available at boddess.com8. Introducing the Ultimate Gift Set for Men A Luxurious Grooming ExperienceWith Father's Day just around the corner, it's time to honour the amazing dads in our lives and show them our heartfelt appreciation. This year, we have the perfect gift suggestion that will make any father feel truly special - a meticulously curated Father's Day Gift Set focused on top-quality beard care.Introducing Vilvah store's exclusive Father's Day Gift Set, designed to pamper and enhance your dad's grooming routine. This luxurious set includes a selection of premium products that will help him achieve the perfect beard and maintain healthy skin.Priced at Rs 1,999/- Available on vilvahstore.com9. This Father's Day, Pamper your Dad with Personal Touch Skincare's special Gift boxesAmidst the hectic work schedules and juggling between multiple tasks every day, your father definitely deserves a special pampering session. This Father's Day gift him the much needed rejuvenation and restoration that his skin needs with Personal Touch Skincare's specially curated gift boxes, which consist of their signature products, that are perfect to gift your fathers.Available to purchase at skincarepersonaltouch.com10. Fixderma Fidelia Daily Moisture Body LotionAn all-day deep nourishing and skin-soothing body lotion, Fidelia, is a daily moisturising body lotion specifically formulated for normal to dry skin. With a pH-balanced formulation of 5.5, this lightweight, quickly absorbing body lotion leaves skin feeling moisturised, soft, and smooth without feeling greasy. It is infused with skin-hydrating ingredients such as oatmeal and mango butter that seal in moisture and protect skin from environmental damage.Priced at Rs 575/-11. 6-In-1 Premium Shaving Kit for Men With Silver RazorYour search for the ideal gift for your father ends here. Gift him an assurance of the closest and smoothest shave, with Bombay Shaving Company's 6-in-1 Premium Shaving Kit. This is the perfect assortment of top-notch products that redefine a traditional shave. Engineered to ensure crisp and precise shaves, the metal Razor, guided by gravity-assisted glide action makes shaving easier and safer for him. The razor comes equipped with double-edged Japanese stainless-steel blades for the closest shave, and can be personalised by getting a short message engraved for him. With the exfoliating power of Black Sand particles and Walnut extracts, the Pre-shave Scrub deeply exfoliates the skin and gets rid of all dead skin cells, dirt and excess oil. Induced with the goodness of Papaya extracts and almond oil, it also aids in giving his skin a smooth texture and prepares it for the shaving regimen ahead. Along with giving your dad's skin its desired dose of hydration and nutrition, the Shaving Cream hydrates their skin for the most seamless glide with the blend of tea tree oil and beeswax - preventing inflammation. Lastly, combined with superfood-enriched formulation, Post-Shave Balm assists your dad in eliminating any post-shave irritation or burning sensation.Priced at Rs. 3,444/-HampersCrafting Memorable Father's Day Bartisans' MixersUnleash the true potential of your dad's favourite whiskey with the Liquid Gold Cocktail Mixer, which blends refreshing, punchy ginger and aromatic spices. Pour this mixer over a glass of premium whiskey, and watch as the magic unfolds. With every sip, the smoothness of the whiskey intertwines with the brightness of the ginger, resulting in a truly golden experience. Indulge your dad's taste buds with the delectable combination of whiskey and Bartisans' Pie Time Cocktail Mixer. This extraordinary mixer captures the essence of freshly baked pie, emulating the flavor of apples and transporting your father to a cozy, nostalgic realm. The mingling of whiskey's warmth with the comforting notes of apple and rich spices will evoke cherished memories and create new ones, making this mixer a truly exceptional Father's Day gift. For dads who appreciate the timeless classics, the Classic Sour Mixer is a splendid choice. When combined with whiskey, the Classic Sour adds a refreshing twist to the traditional whiskey sour cocktail, offering a delightful contrast that will leave your dad craving for more.Priced at Rs 3,599/- Available on bartisans.in2. Wellbeing for Him Gift BoxFor the special guy in your life who matters a lot, this gift box will make his day. A better way to show him how much you care is by ensuring he gets his daily dose of nutrients to keep him healthy, all year round. With a combination of 4 uniquely picked, travel-friendly, whole-food supplements, like Slow Multi for Him capsules, melts Natural Vitamin D3, Probiotic + Prebiotic Effervescent, and melts Instant Energy oral strips, this box will help him approach every day with zeal and zest.Priced at Rs 4,246/- Available on wellbeingnutrition.com3. Bespoke Father's Day gifts thoughtfully curated at IzzhaarWhat can you buy for a father who buys the world for you? However, you can add some uniquely designed and curated gifts to your list that you can buy for him this Father's Day! Izzhaar has launched some gorgeous bespoke gift products for Father's Day 2023 that match his style, need, and of course taste. Whether your dad is a coffee lover, a vodka lover, a whisky wizard, a golf enthusiast, or a chess champion, Izzhaar has an array of options and more to ease your gift-buying spree for the most important man (dad) on earth.Available in Gurugram and Mumbai and at izzhaar.co.in4. Golfer Gift Set by Ferns N Petals (FNP)Tee up the perfect Father's Day gift with the Golfer Gift Set, designed to ensure a luxurious touch to formal attire and elevate every fashionable dad's image with flair. Present the lapel pin and modern cufflinks to any golf enthusiast father and watch their style soar to new heights.Priced at Rs 2,900/-(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)IANS17 June 2023

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PM Modis US visit will catalyze...: Ex-White House Covid-19 response coordinator

Washington D.C., June 17: Former Covid-19 response coordinator of the White House, Ashish Jha, on Friday, said that the state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will catalyze and the strong partnership between the US and India will become even stronger and better in the next 15 years.

PM Modi's US visit will catalyze...: Ex-White House Covid-19 response coordinator

While talking with ANI, Jha said, "We're at an inflexion point and I think, the state visit of Prime Minister Modi will catalyze. And what, I hope, it will do is launch a whole series of collaborations. Obviously, for me, the interest is in health and biotechnology, but it's going to go well beyond that in technology in general and in the future economy of these two countries (India and US). So my expectation is 15 years from now, we're going to look back and think, that was a catalytic moment that took a strong partnership and made it even stronger and better."PM Modi is all set to start his first state visit to the US next week. From June 20-24, PM Modi will address the Congress of Representatives and will also meet influential people."This is a very exciting time for India-US Relations, the two largest democracies in the world, facing similar challenges and facing them together. And I think what makes it particularly important at this moment is we're just coming out of the pandemic and we saw an incredible amount of innovation from both of these countries, both individually and working together. So I think this is an important moment to catalyze that, to take the partnership and take it to the next level. I'm very excited about the moment we are in," Jha added.Talking about India and the US partnership, particularly during the COVID time, Jha said that the partnership has been incredibly beneficial for both countries."We saw partnerships around the development of testing, on the development of vaccines, on the widespread availability of vaccines, and then, of course, all the knowledge sharing that happened. What's interesting to me is that in this pandemic, we saw true partnerships between countries, scientists, governments, and private sector companies. We have never seen anything like this before. And the benefit of that partnership is both countries did much better than they would have if they had not had that partnership," he added.In a conversation with ANI, the White House former Covid-19 response coordinator pointed out that people have this perception that innovation happens in the West and then India scales it up or manufactures it. But the truth is, in this pandemic, you saw incredible world-changing, life-changing innovations coming out of indigenous work happening in India.Talking about deepening the India-US relationship, he suggested that one needs strong surveillance systems."I think working together, sharing data, sharing information back and forth will not only help the two countries, it will make the world a safer place. I think that's one area around surveillance. One of the key things we need to do is start working on vaccines against future pathogens, including diseases, we don't even know whether they're going to become pandemics or not. That's another area where I think there are a lot of opportunities for collaboration between India and the US. Again on diagnostics treatments and then on better information sharing. This is an area where we saw information was a real challenge in the early days of the pandemic," Jha said.ANI17 June 2023

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MoS Meenakashi Lekhi participates in Yoga session with diplomats

New Delhi, June 17: Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakashi Lekhi on Saturday participated in a Yoga session with diplomats and ministry officials, ahead of the International Day of Yoga on June 21.

MoS Meenakashi Lekhi participates in Yoga session with diplomats

Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Amina J Mohammed, has said that she is looking forward to participating in the International Day of Yoga celebrations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the UN Headquarters North Lawn in New York on June 21.Taking to Twitter, Mohammed said, "Looking forward to participating in the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations @UN with Prime Minister @NarendraModi at the UNHQ North Lawn next week."PM Modi will start his first state visit to the US on June 20. The visit will commence in New York where the Prime Minister will lead the celebrations of the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations Headquarters on June 21.Earlier, UNGA President Csaba Korosi also expressed the same excitement.Taking to his official Twitter handle, Csaba Korosi stated, "I am looking forward to participating in the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations @UN with Prime Minister @NarendraModi at the UNHQ North Lawn next week."Earlier, on June 13, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, Shombi Sharp said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be leading the session of Yoga at the United Nations Secretariat in New York on June 21 this year.He said that it will be a "very big deal", adding that everybody in the world was quick to understand the importance of Yoga once International Yoga Day came into force."International Yoga Day which came into force, I believe in 2015 was supported by 175 countries very - very quickly.ANI17 June 2023

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Egypts Strategy for Human Rights was the focus of talks between Egyptian MPs and European Union (EU) Special Representative for Human Rights Eamon Gilmore in Brussels on Tuesday.
Netizens outraged over jalegi tere baap ki dialogue in Adipurush

Mumbai, June 17: The latest release 'Adipurush', starring Prabhas and Kriti Sanon, has garnered a lot of flak on social media for its VFX, script, design and direction, but one of the things that netizens have been particularly ruthless in their criticism about is its dialogues.

Netizens outraged over 'jalegi tere baap ki' dialogue in 'Adipurush'

Dialogues specifically regarding the Lanka Dahan scene where Lord Hanuman is heard mouthing the lines "jalegi bhi tere baap ki" to Meghnad.A day after its release, Twitterati erupted with criticism and relentless trolling of the dialogues which most termed as "tapori" and "chapri" which do not fit the nature or the stature that one associates with Valmiki's legendary epic Ramayana.A user wrote "Of the Lanka Dahan scene, Ravana's son lights up Hanuman ji Tail Jali na.. Abhi to aur jalegi. Jiski jalti hai wahi janta hai.""Hanuman ji Kapda tere baap ka. Tel tere baap ka. Aag bhi tere baap ki. Toh jalegi bhi tere baap ki. The dialogue writing is so horrible! "Another user said "Not expected this type of chappari language."One netizen said the dialogue "Jalegi tere baap ki" in 'Adipurush' has apparently been copied from a 'Kumar Vishwas' show' and posted a clip of the same."Kapda tere baap ka, Tel tere baap ka, Aag bhi tere baap ki, aur jalegi bhi tere baap ki a "Bajrangbali's dialogue in Aadipurush Movie What nonsense!!" a user seemed angry.An angry netizen wrote "A #Adipurush is an insult to Ramayan as we know it.""#Why make Hanuman talk trash like this?" asked another user."vfx, looks kuch bhi theek nahi.. koi emotions hi nahi. Upar se 'jalegi bhi tere baap ki..' type dialogues. Absolutely pathetic," a netizen wrote.Citing their disappointment in his portrayal, another netizen wrote "This is the level of script we deserve for Hanuman??"Another tweet said "Raavan is from Game of Thrones, Ram is from Jerusalem, Dialogues are from Dharavia."Others have cited examples of the portrayal of Lord Hanuman, from the Ramanand Sagar series and the 1990s, Japanese anime movie 'The Legend of Ramayana' as well as his various portrayals from the animated Hanuman movies and the Disney+ Hotstar series, which depict him as both mighty, as well as wise.IANS17 June 2023

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40 killed by IS-linked militants in Uganda school attack

Kampala, June 17: At least 40 people, mostly students, were killed and eight others critically injured after militants linked to the Islamic State terror group attacked a school in Uganda located near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), police said on Saturday.

40 killed by IS-linked militants in Uganda school attack

The attack took place at around 11.30 p.m. on Friday night at the Lhubiriha secondary school in Mpondwe, during which a dormitory was burnt and a food store was looted, reports the BBC.In a statement, the police said the attack was carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) -- a DRC-based Ugandan rebel group which is a branch of the IS in Central Africa.Police spokesperson Fred Enang said the Uganda People's Defence Forces and the police are currently carrying out a search operation for the group who fled towards Virunga National park in the DRC after the attack.The army has also deployed planes to help track the rebel group.Enang said many of the bodies were transferred to the Bwera Hospital, where the critically injured persons are also undergoing treatment."We do offer our deepest condolences to the families of those who have been killed, and offer our prayers and thoughts to those who have been wounded," he said, noting that more details will be availed in due course.Meanwhile, Major General Dick Olum from the Ugandan army told the media that some of the male students were burnt or hacked to death, the BBC reported.Others at the school, mostly girls, have been abducted by the group, he added.Some of the bodies are said to have been badly burnt and DNA tests will need to be carried out to identify them.The latest incident comes a week after suspected ADF fighters attacked a village in the DRC near the Ugandan border.Over 100 villagers fled to Uganda but have since returned.The attack on the school, located less than 2 km from the DRC border, is the first in 25 years.In June 1998, 80 students were burnt to death in their dormitories in an ADF attack on Kichwamba Technical Institute near the border of DRC.More than 100 students were abducted.The ADF was created in eastern Uganda in the 1990s and took up arms against long-serving President Yoweri Museveni, reports the BBC.After its defeat by the Ugandan army in 2001, it relocated to North Kivu province in the DRC.The group's principal founder, Jamil Makulu, was arrested in Tanzania in 2015 and is in custody in a Ugandan prison.ADF rebels have been operating from inside the DRC for the past two decades.In 2021, suicide bombings in Uganda's capital Kampala and other parts of the country were blamed on the ADF.IANS17 June 2023

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Subhas Chandra Bose never compromised on Indias independence, says NSA Ajit Doval

New Delhi, June 17: National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Saturday said that Subhas Chandra Bose wanted Indians to feel free like birds and never compromised for anything less than the independence of the country.

Subhas Chandra Bose never compromised on India's independence, says NSA Ajit Doval

Delivering the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose memorial lecture in the national capital, Doval said that Bose not only wanted to free India from political subjugation but he also felt the need to change the political, social, and cultural mindset of the people."Netaji (Subhas Chandra Bose) said I will not compromise for anything less than full independence and freedom. He said that he not only wants to free this country from political subjugation but there is a need to change the political, social and cultural mindset of the people and they should feel like free birds in the sky," the NSA said.IANS17 June 2023

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Beware of BGMI: Return triggers fears of addiction, mental health issues

New Delhi, June 17: Banned for more than a year, the Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), the popular battle royale game that enthralled the country's gaming community, is back, albeit with a government rider where it is monitoring the app for three months before it is given a green signal.

Beware of BGMI: Return triggers fears of addiction, mental health issues

On May 30, South Korean video game developer Krafton said that the video game BGMI is now available for play for all users in India as it is available for download for both Android and iOS users.Till now, more than 10 crore users have downloaded the BGMI app on Android.Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, last month clarified that the final decision to allow video game BGMI to return to the country will only be taken after three months of a strict trial of the game.The minister said that the government will keep a close watch on other issues of "user harm, addiction, etc in next three months before a final decision is taken"."This is a three-month trial approval of BGMI after it has complied with issues of server locations and data security, etc," he said in a tweet.Promoting responsible gaming practices, the playtime for users under 18 will be three hours whereas for the rest of the players it will be six hours daily. Also, parental verification and daily spending limit for minors continue to be a part of the game, according to the company.In September 2020, the Indian government, citing concerns over national security and data privacy, banned a total of 118 Chinese mobile applications, including PUBG Mobile -- the predecessor of BGMI, after concerns were raised about the apps posing a potential national security threat.Players were forced to look for alternatives after PUBG Mobile was banned. South Korean video game company Krafton later revealed its intentions to release a rebranded version of the title tailored for the Indian gamers.A rebranded BGMI was first released by Krafton in July 2021. The game was made with modifications that comply with local laws and take into account the Indian government's concerns while still maintaining the spirit of PUBG Mobile.Upon the relaunch of BGMI, esports organisations quickly resumed their operations, setting up competitions and hiring professional teams.The revival of BGMI also paved the path for increasing collaboration between brands looking to enter India's expanding gaming sector.However, several people, especially parents, view BGMI's return as a bad omen because of its potential impact on addiction and mental health.PUBG Mobile, before its ban, received widespread criticism for its addictive nature and its negative influence on young players.The reintroduction of a game that shares significant similarities with its predecessor has once again reignited the debate on the harmful effects of excessive gaming.IANS17 June 2023

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Mumbai JNPA port hosts its longest-ever 399-metre container ship

Mumbai, June 17: In a significant achievement, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) has successfully played host to its longest-ever visitor -- a 399-metre length cargo ship, an official said here on Saturday.

Mumbai JNPA port hosts its longest-ever 399-metre container ship

The 54-metre-wide cargo vessel, MSC Hamburg -- sailing under the Panama flag, has a capacity of 16,652 TEUs and a draught of 14 metres -- safely berthed at the JNPA around 11.25 am, becoming the longest-ever vessel to call at any Indian port.Built in 2015, the MSC Hamburg departed from its port of origin, Colombo in Sri Lanka, on a meticulously planned and precisely executed voyage, sailing around 1,750 km to reach JNPA on schedule.Delighted by the arrival of the 'long-fellow', JNPA Chairman Sanjay Sethi said that the port plays a crucial role in strengthening global supply chains and MSC Hamburg's arrival has enhanced the port's capabilities in catering to the growing trade demands across continents."The MSC Hamburg arrival marks a significant milestone establishing JNPA as a global hub for maritime excellence, and reaffirms our position not only as a key player globally, but underlines our dedication to fostering strong partnerships and ensuring efficient operations," said Sethi.To commemorate the occasion, Sethi, along with JNPA Deputy Chairman U.S. Wagh, Deputy Conservator Balasaheb Pawar and General Manager Girish Thomas presented a plaque to the Master of MSC Hamburg.IANS18 June 2023

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Haryana to allot 33% ration depots to women

Chandigarh, June 17: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said the state government has decided to allot 33 per cent ration depots to women in the future.

Haryana to allot 33% ration depots to women

The self-help groups applying for a ration depot will be given priority. Additionally, if the help group applies for the contract for fish farming of panchayat land or pond, they will receive a 10 per cent discount on the auction amount.The Chief Minister said if the family income of a member of the self-help group increases by more than Rs 1.80 lakh, their ration card and Ayushman card will not be quashed for one year.The Chief Minister made these announcements while virtually interacting with beneficiaries of self-help groups.Furthermore, he said 25 per cent of the shops allotted at the bus stand through lottery or any other means would be reserved for self-help groups.In the case of auctioned shops, the self-help groups will receive a 10 per cent discount on the auction amount.During the interaction, the beneficiaries of the self-help groups expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for the significant announcements made for them.They appreciated the financial assistance provided by the government through the Revolving Fund, Community Investment Fund, and Credit Linkage Scheme, which has helped them run their businesses without facing any problems.The Chief Minister also announced the establishment of a call centre in the office of the Haryana State Rural Livelihood Mission to provide various types of information to beneficiaries belonging to self-help groups.He highlighted the growth of self-help groups in the state, stating that while there were only 812 SHGs in 2014, the number has increased to more than 57,000 in the last eight and a half years.Khattar said in 2014, there were 812 self-help groups in the state. Since assuming power in 2014-15, the government has focused on the development of self-help groups, resulting in the formation of 2,100 new self-help groups in the first year.They have been provided with a revolving fund of Rs 54.57 crore, a community investment fund of approximately Rs 285 crore, and bank credit linkage of around Rs 880 crore.Additionally, the government has increased the revolving fund amount from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000.The Chief Minister emphasised that self-help groups have become instrumental in providing social support.By joining self-help groups, women not only take care of their families through self-employment but also create employment opportunities for other women.Therefore, he suggested referring to them as social help groups, instead of self-help groups.IANS18 June 2023

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A court in Iran has given a prominent actress a suspended two-year prison sentence for failing to wear the compulsory hijab headscarf in public, local media reported on Wednesday.
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Eva Liu, 21, of Naperville, posted this photo of herself to LinkedIn in May on the occasion of her University of Illinois graduation in computer science.
Swathes of Europe baked Tuesday in a heatwave trailed by wildfires and health warnings, as parts of Asia and the United States also suffered under extreme weather.
The percent of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), the leading global cause of liver disease, is increasing in U.S. adults, according to a study presented Friday at ENDO 2023, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

Mexican Americans consistently had the highest percentage of MAFLD, especially in 2018, although the prevalence of increase was higher among Whites, the study found.

MAFLD, previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is fast becoming the most common indication for liver transplantation. It is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and a common type of liver cancer. If untreated, MAFLD can lead to liver cancer and liver failure.

"MAFLD affects Hispanics at a higher prevalence relative to Blacks and Whites. This racial/ethnic disparity is a public health concern," said researcher Theodore C. Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science in Los Angeles, Calif. "Overall, the increase in MAFLD is concerning, as this condition can lead to liver failure and cardiovascular diseases and has an important health disparity."

The researchers analyzed data for 32,726 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1988 to 2018. "We found that overall, both MAFLD and obesity increased with time, with the increase in MAFLD greater than the increase in obesity," Friedman said.

The percent of people with MAFLD increased from 16% in 1988 to 37% in 2018 (a 131% increase) while the percent of obesity rose from 23% in 1988 to 40% in 2018 (a 74% increase). The prevalence of MAFLD increased faster than the prevalence of obesity, suggesting that the increase in the other risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension may also contribute to the increase in the prevalence of MAFLD." Magda Shaheen, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., M.S., study's first author, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science

Among Mexican Americans, the percent of MAFLD was higher at all times compared to the overall population. The percent increase of MAFLD in 2018 relative to 1988 was 133% among Whites, 61% among Mexican Americans and 56% among Blacks.

"In summary, MAFLD is increasing with time and more efforts are needed to control this epidemic," Shaheen said.
Taiwanese company Foxconn, renowned for manufacturing Apple iPhones, is reportedly preparing to venture into the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing market in India. According to the Economic Times, Foxconn has initiated discussions with several state governments in India.

To discuss its EV plans, an Indian delegation will soon visit Taiwan and hold meetings with Foxconn executives. However, it remains uncertain whether Foxconn will engage in contract manufacturing for multiple brands or form a joint venture (JV) with a single entity, as stated in the ET report.

They have a partnership with an electric scooter manufacturer named Ather Energy, but its possible that they will look for an additional supplier when they enter the market, perhaps with one of the Indian auto giants, as they did for semiconductors, a source told ET.

Foxconn will like to create a vertical platform that includes hardware, component production and battery management along with production. After that, the Taiwanese company will start contacting regional businesses, the report added.

Back in February last year, Vedanta and Hon Hai Technology Group, a part of Foxconn, established a joint venture to manufacture semiconductors for the Indian market. As part of this collaboration, Foxconn and Vedanta invested $19.5 billion to establish semiconductor and display production plants in Gujarat.

In its recently released annual report on May 31, Foxconn revealed its plans to set up a production line in India this year specifically for two-wheeler electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing services. This marks the first explicit effort by the Taiwanese company to achieve its EV production objectives in India.

During Foxconn Chairman Young Lius previous visit to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that the companys focus on EV production aligns with Indias goal of achieving net-zero emissions. During their visit to India in 2022, senior Foxconn executives spoke with representatives from Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh to talk about their EV plans.

The portals sources claimed that Foxconn has an interest in Maharashtra, but it may also take into account Tamil Nadu, given its existing hub for automobile production. Telangana, which is also competing in the race, can be considered for its active outreach and incentive.
Airtel has announced the availability of its 5G plus service across Kochis water metro stations. With this, the company has become the first telecom operator to launch its 5G services for the passengers of Indias first water metro service. Commuters using the Kochi Water Metro service between the High Court-Vypin Terminals and the Vytilla-Kakkanad Terminals can use this service.

It is yet another milestone in our ambition to deliver blazing fast 5G speeds to as many of our customers as possible, including on waterways. Said Amit Gupta, COO, Kerala, Bharti Airtel, as quoted by Times of India. He also expressed his happiness about this project and said that they are delighted to be at the forefront of this transformative project which includes the delivery of 5G services to every user.

Ten islands around Kochi are connected by battery-operated electric hybrid boats to form the first water metro service in India. The service started running on two routesVytilla to Kakkanad and Kerala High Court to Vypin. Commuters in the area are increasingly using this kind of transportation.

As per the report of Telecom Talk, the availability of Airtels 5G service is now in more than 3,500 Indian cities and towns across the country after the inclusion of water metro stations in Kochi. The company recently announced it has surpassed the milestone of 10 million unique consumers on its 5G network across the nation. Airtel said that the milestone is on track to its goal of bringing 5G service to every town and key rural area by the end of March 2024.

The Water Metro services in Kochi were inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 25. The metros special feature includes a floating pontoon which can stay at the same level as the boat in case of tidal variations. All terminals of the Kochi water metro are equipped with automated fare collection, as per the official website of the project.

In another development, the Kochi Metro Rail (KMRL) has completed the installation of I-girder work on the 1.16 km long corridor of Metro Phase 1-B extension from SN Junction to Tripunithura. With word expected to finish by September, the corridor is likely to be opened for operation by the end of this year.
Adani Group-owned Mumbai Airport on Friday said it has recorded a 23 percent year-on-year growth in passenger footfall to 43,43,806 passengers in May, signalling a strong rebound in air travel.

The airport had handled a total of 35 lakh passengers in May last year. Backed by its strong connectivity and infrastructure, the airport observed a surge in domestic and international passenger numbers during the period, the private airport operator said.

Also Read: Indigo Starts Direct Flight Service on Lucknow-Dammam Route, Check Details

It also said that the airport has recovered more than 100 percent in domestic and international sectors compared to the pre-Covid level.

Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) handled a total of 43,43,806 passengers, with 2,109,607 arrivals and 2,234,199 departures in May 2023, it said.

Comparing May 2023 to April 2023 (40,14,823 passengers), the Mumbai Airport has experienced an 8 per cent increase in passenger numbers, showcasing the airports consistent growth.

CSMIA said there was also a surge in Air Traffic Movements (ATMs), with the facility handling 26,054 ATMs in the previous month alone.

On May 27, CSMIA witnessed substantial passenger movement numbers with a total of 1,51,356 passengers, including 76,037 arrivals and 75,319 departures. Among domestic destinations, Delhi contributed the highest volume at 2,77,911 arrivals and 2,76,192 departures, followed by Bengaluru and Chennai, it stated.

On the international routes, Dubai saw a staggering influx of 1,00,581 arrivals and 1,13,859 departures followed by Abu Dhabi and Singapore, it noted.
Free-trade agreements (FTAs) need to ensure they provide a level playing field and the India-UK FTA, which recently completed its 10th round of negotiations, has to be a win-win scenario for both sides, the head of Indias leading business chambers has said.

Subhrakant Panda, president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), was in the UK this week for the FICCI Forum of Parliamentarians, a bipartisan initiative for political outreach.

The delegation from India was briefed on areas of interest in the bilateral relationship over a series of discussions with businesses and parliamentarians.

As far as Indian businesses are concerned, we are competitive, confident and looking to engage with the world, said Panda.

I think what FTAs need to ensure is that they provide a level playing field and are rules-based. Its all about give and take. Clearly, both governments are engaged in intense discussions and 10 rounds have been completed, so I would look at it from the point of view that both governments have to find common ground because like with any agreement it has to be a win-win scenario  one which works for both sides, he said.

India and the UK have been negotiating an FTA since January last year, with a goal towards a comprehensive pact that is expected to significantly enhance the bilateral trading relationship worth an estimated GBP 34 billion in 2022.

We hope that this is something that will be concluded and we have offered whatever inputs we had to provide as a Chamber to the government of India, or some of our members have also individually provided feedback. So, based on that were comfortable that common ground will be found for an FTA which is broad-based and works in the interests of both countries, added Panda.

As the Managing Director of Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys Ltd (IMFA), Panda said, one of the priority areas he has been focussed on relates to critical minerals and for India to develop a strategy in this important field.

When we talk about growth today, the focus is not just on growth but on inclusive and sustainable growth. And talking about the sustainability part of it, when it comes to electric mobility or renewable energy or high-end industrial applications, all of these ultimately boil down to some critical mineral or the other, explains Panda.

At this point, India happens to be reasonably import dependent. Therefore, one of the things we have done is to put together a FICCI report on New Age Energy Minerals, where the focus is on both geological as well as geographical details of critical minerals, their availability, the resources, where they occur in the world, demand forecast going ahead, and the entire value chain including end-use applications, he said.

The primary recommendation of the report is to look at prioritising exploration in India and Panda pointed to the great importance of locating lithium deposits in Jammu and Rajasthan  even though they are a few years away from being commercialised.

The other main strategy that we are advocating is that India must leverage both its mining expertise, as well as its strategic relationships to access these resources, he added.
Infosys Work From Home: After over three years of introducing work from home (WFH) due to the pandemic, companies are now shifting back to the fully office mode. IT companies such as TCS, Infosys and Wipro last year introduced a phase-wise approach to bring employees back to the office. Now, several tech companies have decided to end their WFH policy. IT major Infosys recently asked its certain employees to return to office mandatorily.

Infosys has instructed its employees in the US and Canada to return to the office and resume work, according to a TOI report. It said employees need to take special permission if they want to do work from home.

The company has also said that disciplinary action will be taken if employees do no adhere to the new work policy related to the work from home. In US and Canada, where this mandate has been introduced, Infosys employees over 30,000 persons. The company has not mandated this policy of coming to office in India.

Last year, Infosys introduced a three-phased plan on work from home. In the first phase, the company encouraged employees who were in their home locations where DCs (development centres) are located or were in the upcountry town close to the DCs to come to the office twice a week.

In the second phase, the company encouraged people who were outside the DC towns to start making preparations over the next few months to see if they can come back to their base development centres. However, last year, the company had said that in the long term, Infosys was looking at the hybrid model on work, depending upon the clients, regulatory environment and a number of other considerations.

Meanwhile, TCS introduced a 2525 model. The model, which made the work from offices smooth for the TCS, will make 25 per cent of its associates to work out of facilities at any point of time till 2025. Also, the employees will not need to spend more than 25 per cent of their time at work. This model allows young mothers and women who are caring for the elderly, and were unable to avail this earlier. It would give more opportunities for those in tier 2 and 3 cites as remote working becomes a norm.

However, TCS now no longer allows employees to work remotely. As a result of this, female employees have been resigning from their jobs lately.

TCS head of human resources, Milind Lakkad, said there have been more resignations from female employees after the company stopped allowing employees to work from home. Lakkad stated that although there may be additional causes, this is the primary one. He further stressed that the resignation of female employees was not motivated by discrimination. Generally speaking, women at TCS resign at a lower rate than males, he added. It has now surpassed that of men, nevertheless.

Over 6,00,000 people work at TCS of which 35% are women. The corporation retained 38.1% of its female employees in the fiscal year 2023. Additionally, women held about three-fourths of the top positions. It should be noted here that TCS lost more than 20% of their workforce in the previous fiscal year.
The Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE) is going to administer the compartment and improvement exam for Classes 10 and 12 in the month of July, this year. Students, who have failed to clear the HPBOSE Class 10th and 12th final exams or those who are unhappy with their scores, can apply for the compartment and improvement exams.

Students who are seeking to appear in the HPBOSE Class 10 and 12 compartment exams or improvement exams can apply for it on the official website at hpbose.org till June 30. Students can also register for the above exam till July 5 but with a late fee of Rs 1,000. The admit cards for the HPBOSE Class 10 and 12 compartment exams or improvement exams will be released online on Tuesday, June 20. Students should keep in mind that any application beyond the deadline will not be accepted by the Himachal Pradesh Board.

HPBOSE Class 10th, 12th Compartment/Improvement Exam 2023

- Class 10/12 compartment and English exam only: Admission fee Rs 550 (without late fee) till June 30. But with a late fee an additional charge of Rs 1,000 till July 5.

- Class 10/12 for one additional subject: Admission fee Rs 550 till June 30 (without a late fee). With a late fee of Rs 1,000 till July 5.

- Class 12 for diploma holders re-appear: The admission fee is Rs 550 (without a late fee) till June 30 thereafter a late fee of Rs 1,000 will be charged till July 5.

- Class 10/12 for improvement of performance (one subject only): Admission fee till June 30 is Rs 850 thereafter a late fee of Rs 1,000 will be charged till July 5.

This year, the HPBOSE declared the Matric results 2023 for the term 1 exam on January 2. While the term 2 results were released on May 25. Girls performed better than boys this year. The overall pass percentage for 2023 was 89.75 per cent, which is higher than the last years 87.5 per cent. On the other hand, the Himachal Pradesh Board released the Class 12 term 1 exam results on January 2 and the term 2 result was announced on May 20. The overall pass percentage of Plus 2 result 2023 was 79.4 per cent.
Indian Navy has invited applications for Agniveer posts. Eligible candidates can apply online through the official site of Indian Navy- joinindiannavy.gov.in. This recruitment drive is going to fill up 35 posts in the organization. The registration process will begin on June 26 and will end on July 2, 2023.

Indian Navy Agniveer Recruitment 2023: Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification- Candidate must have passed the Matriculation Examination from the Boards of School Education recognised by the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India.

Age- The candidate should have been born between November 1, 2002, to April 30, 2006, according to the official notification.

Only unmarried male and unmarried female candidates are eligible for enrolment as Agniveer in Indian Navy.

Indian Navy Agniveer Recruitment 2023: Application Process

The candidates will have to remit an amount of the application fee of Rs. 60 + GST along with the application form.

Indian Navy Agniveer Recruitment 2023: Selection Process

The selection of the candidates will be based on the Preliminary selection Test, PFT, and Recruitment Medical Examination. The call letters for eligible candidates indicating date, time, and place for the stage 1 preliminary screening test will be uploaded on the website tentatively by Jul 2023. Candidates who qualify the Stage I - Preliminary Screening will be required to undergo Stage II - Final Screening subject to qualification in Physical Fitness Test and Recruitment Medical Examination. All qualified candidates will be called to INS Kunjali, Colaba, Mumbai, for the final screening test and selection on an All India Basis tentatively scheduled on Sep 23. A merit list will be prepared from all the candidates who qualify in Final Screening in all respects depending upon vacancies.

In case the number of candidates shortlisted exceeds the number of vacancies, due to candidates having similar percentage in matriculation, the candidates having an earlier DOB (i.e. having lesser no. chances for recruitment) will be shortlisted. For more related details candidates can check the official site of Indian Navy.
South Africa: President to discuss BRICS Summit, UN Charter with President Putin

By Dikeledi Molobela

Warsaw, Poland: The upcoming BRICS Summit is expected to be one of the key issues President Cyril Ramaphosa will discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin today in St Petersburg, Russia.

This as South Africa is expected to host the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China at the 15th BRICS Summit from 22 to 24 August 2023.

President Ramaphosa arrived in St Petersburg for the continuation of the African Peace Mission to the Ukraine and Russia conflict. His arrival in Russias cultural capital, follows constructive discussions with President Volodymyr Zelensky of the Ukraine on 16 June 2023.

On Friday President Ramaphosa, along with Senegal President Macky Sall, Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema and Comoros President and Head of African Union Azali Assoumani, had a meeting with President Zelensky in Kyiv.

The African Heads of State and Government visited the City of Bucha in Ukraine and participated in a commemoration ceremony at a civilian mass burial site where hundreds of people were killed at the start of the conflict.

Addressing the media upon the conclusion of the talks, President Ramaphosa said he had pointed out that all leaders respect the United Nations (UN) Charter, which is key in uniting various countries.

For us the UN Charter is a very important and key charter that unites various countries of the world. And in our discussions with President Putin, we will be talking about the importance of the UN Charter, he said.

President Ramaphosa emphasised that the quest for peace was an important one. He said the road to peace is not an easy one, however, it was necessary.

The road to peace is not an easy one, it's often a very difficult one. We also [in] our own country had to traverse a difficult road to peace  when the conflict becomes most intense, that is when peace should be made, he said.

He said the leaders told President Zelensky that they not only recognise the Ukrainians viewpoint, but they also respect how they feel about the war that is ongoing.

We also said there is a need to bring this conflict to an end sooner rather than later, he said, adding that the leaders also shared an African perspective on the war.

He highlighted that many countries in Africa have had conflicts, which have been resolved under very difficult and different circumstances where people struggled to find peace, but eventually realised that peace had to be found - no matter how difficult it is.

So without minimising the suffering of the people of Ukraine, we are saying that's the proposal that we're putting on the table. And we are rather pleased that President Zelensky has said: yes, let proposals be put on the table so that the march to peace can also have a number of participants.

We as African countries have chosen to be some of those participants and to make our humble, very humble contribution.

President Ramaphosa said the many other proposals that have been made have a number of similarities.

They connect somewhere and in the end, they can be a foundation for peace.

We hope that through these efforts, we can all join in helping to bring this conflict to an end, the President said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-06-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Police in the Liguria city of Imperia on Saturday arrested a 77-year-old man suspected of murdering a Swedish woman in Sweden and hiding her body in 1995, Azernews reports, citing ANSA.

Sanremo resident S.A was arrested on charges of voluntary murder aggravated by abject and futile motives and suppression of the corpse in relation to the disappearance of Sargonia Dankha, a naturalised Swede of Iraqi origin then aged 21, whose body was never found.

Italian investigators travelled to Sweden to retrieve the case files after Dankha's family filed a complaint with the Imperia Public Prosecutor's Office through a lawyer in Milan in relation to the fact that S.A., who had an unstable relationship with the woman at the time of her disappearance, could not be tried for murder in Sweden in the absence of a body, despite what prosecutors now say is "overwhelming" evidence against him.

The Italian investigators believe the man, who ran a restaurant in Sweden, killed his young partner during their last meeting and then concealed her corpse.
Civilian death toll has climbed to 958 in the armed clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) across the country, the Sudanese Doctors' Union said late on Wednesday.

The number of civilian injuries has risen to 4,746, the nongovernmental organization said in a statement.

Over 1.9 million people have been displaced since the conflict began on April 15, fleeing to safer locations inside and outside Sudan, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest update on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, 1.4 million were internally displaced within Sudan as of June 6, and some 460,000 people, including refugees, asylum seekers and returnees, have crossed into neighbouring countries as of June 8, it added, citing the UN Refugee Agency.

The countries the Sudanese have crossed into include the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan, according to OCHA.

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The fees for government seats in Karnataka private engineering colleges have been increased by 10 per cent. According to the states Higher Education Minister M C Sudhakar, the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had a consensual agreement with the Private Engineering College Management Association in this regard in February this year.

Speaking at a press conference at Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) office on Thursday, Sudhakar said that before the election code of conduct came into effect, the previous government announced this hike. He further stated that the fee hike cannot be reversed as it has been decided as per the procedure.

The decision to hike engineering fees by 10 per cent was taken by the previous BJP government. In February, there was an official order. When it was brought to our notice when we came to power, we examined how it was done. As per procedure, the fee hike was done in deliberation with private colleges. It cant be reversed now, the minister said. He clarified that any decision to revise the agreement will create confusion among students.

In 2022, there was a 10 per cent fee hike as well. Furthermore, when the consensual agreement was signed between the state government and the Karnataka Unaided Private Engineering Colleges Association, the fee hike was mentioned for two years, reports add. The All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) Karnataka State Committee have expressed disappointment over the decision. AIDSO said that the state government has crushed" the dreams of deserving students of the state.

Meanwhile, the government has reportedly said that they will make efforts to reduce the fee hike by 5 per cent. Any decision to revise the fee, however, is unlikely to take place this academic session.As per The Hindu, there are a total of 1.1 lakh seats available for engineering courses in Karnatakas private engineering colleges. Of these, 53,248 seats may be allotted under the government quota. Also, there are about 25,171 seats that might be available through the Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (COMED-K) and around 33,463 seats would be available under the management quota.
Days after he gave the slogan Assi harao, BJP hatao (Defeat 80, Remove BJP), Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday revealed his strategy to defeat the ruling party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking at an NDTV Conclave in Lucknow, the former UP chief minister said PDA  Pichde, Dalit, Alpasankhyak (Backward Classes, Dalits, Minorities)  will defeat the BJP-led NDA in the state which sends 80 MPs to the Lower House of Parliament, more than any other state.

Yadav asserted that he has always maintained that seat distribution should be decided considering which alliance partner is the strongest in a particular state.

When asked about his view on efforts being made to stitch a grand united opposition, the Samajwadi Party chief said that his only slogan is, Assi harao, BJP hatao (defeat 80, remove BJP)."

In 2019, the SP had only won five Lok Sabha seats in 2019 and lost two of them  Rampur and Azamgarh  to the BJP in the by-elections.

Talking about his partys alliance with Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party in the 2017 assembly and 2019 general election respectively, Yadav asserted that the Samajwadi Party has always been an honest and accommodating alliance partner. Wherever the Samajwadi Party has been in alliance, you wouldnt hear of us fighting over seats," he said.

Hitting out at the Yogi Adityanath government, the former CM alleged that it has failed to bring development while the law-and-order situation has deteriorated.

SP Eyes All 80 UP Lok Sabha Seats with Strengthening Cadre, Booth Management Core of Its Mission 2024

With cadre strengthening" and booth management" among its top priorities, the Samajwadi Party has recently launched its Mission 2024 with the aim to win all 80 Lok Sabha Seats of Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 general elections.

As part of the campaign, the SP not only organised a two-day party cadre training camp at Naimisharanya in Sitapur district but also gave a fresh slogan"Assi haraao, BJP hatao (defeat BJP on all 80 UP Lok Sabha seats and oust it)". Its national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav said, This training camp will mark the beginning of the destruction of the BJP which is asur (demon).

The party has shortlisted under-40 representatives who would be imparted special training to connect the youths with the SP. As per the partys roadmap for the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls, at least 10 new cadres are to be roped in at each booth to make the SPs presence more visible at the ground level, another leader said. That is why, the party is organising a similar exercise on all 80 Lok Sabha seats of UP.

According to sources, the party cadre is also being trained to create awareness among the people and to make them aware of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJPs ideology, and how the two have played divide and rule" on the basis of Hindutva and religion. Once done with the training, the workers would move to sector and booth levels, especially in the rural pockets of UP to increase the partys base.

The SPs move came after the Bharatiya Janata Party recently launched its Tiffin Pe Charcha or Khane Pe Charcha programme to mark nine years of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and to drum up support in Uttar Pradesh for the general elections.

At the 30-day-long event, which began on May 30, party functionaries will have meals with the people, address awareness campaigns, hold rallies and baithaks in all 80 UP Lok Sabha seats, especially the ones that the BJP lost in 2019. As part of this, the BJP organised a grand training session for more than 600 volunteers and social media influencers.
A 25-year-old woman from Kenya was apprehended at the international airport in Delhi for smuggling cocaine, which was dissolved in two whiskey bottles she was carrying, a senior customs official told PTI. The arrest took place after the woman arrived from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Thursday.

During a thorough search, authorities discovered two whiskey bottles containing cocaine worth approximately Rs 13 crore. The accused was taken into custody, and the whiskey bottles with cocaine were confiscated. The official stated that these two bottles were given to her at the airport in Nairobi, and she was supposed to deliver them to an individual in Delhi.

The arrested passenger was presented before a local court, which ordered 14 days of judicial custody for her.

How was the woman able to smuggle the cocaine in a liquid form, and can this trick be a cause of concern for authorities? News18 explains:

What is Liquid Cocaine?

According to a report from the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), liquid cocaine is extremely difficult to detect using scanners commonly found in ports and airports.

Liquid cocaine production involves dissolving cocaine in water, solvents, or other substances containing chemical compounds like mannitol, glucose, cellulose, or lactose. It is then concealed in products such as shampoo bottles or mixed with sugar cane molasses. This method facilitates trafficking, as the substance becomes less detectable when transported in containers or by drug couriers.

Compared to powdered cocaine, liquid cocaine is harder to identify due to the use of these techniques that mask its odour. Luis Fernando Trejos, a professor at Universidad del Norte, told InSight Crime that liquid cocaine was not previously a popular choice among traffickers because converting it back to its original form involves a decanting process that results in approximately 10 percent product loss.

However, drug traffickers are now willing to take this risk in order to bypass controls and ensure the successful delivery of the product," Trejos stated, emphasizing the motivation behind the use of liquid cocaine.

Why is it a Problem to Detect Liquid Cocaine?

Researchers from the Journal of Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology were quoted as saying in a 2014 Vice report that liquid cocaine is challenging to detect on abdominal plain films because its radiologic properties differ from those of powdered cocaine. The packets of liquid cocaine remain hidden to trained specialists since they have indistinct borders and can resemble regular bowel content. Confirmation of cocaine presence often requires processing the suspected drug mule through a CT scan, as the packets are not easily distinguishable.

Airports typically lack CT scanners, relying instead on full-body scanners, which do not provide the same level of detailed imaging. Dr. Andrew J. Einstein, director of cardiac CT research at Columbia University, told Vice that the power of full-body scanners is insufficient compared to CT scans, and a passenger would need to be scanned about 200,000 times to receive a comparable amount of radiation exposure to a typical CT scan.

One significant advantage of liquid cocaine is its ability to be incorporated into various materials, including clothing or objects like long hiking ropes. The extent of the problem at the time was such that Bolivian government officials have admitted their inability to detect liquid cocaine. Consequently, they had retrained airport agents to identify potential smugglers based on their appearance and behavior.

Other Such Cases in India

In a similar incident that occurred in November of the previous year, a Nigerian man was apprehended at Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for attempting to smuggle cocaine into India, a report by Hindustan Times said. The man was found carrying two whiskey bottles in which the cocaine was dissolved in liquid form. This method was employed to make it more challenging for law enforcement agencies to detect the illicit substance during the trafficking process.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Mumbai seized the bottles containing liquid cocaine, which had an estimated value of 20 crore in the illegal market. The DRI had received specific intelligence regarding narcotics being smuggled into India by a passenger traveling from Lagos, Nigeria, to Mumbai via Addis Ababa. As a result, a surveillance operation was conducted by a team of DRI officers at the airport.

PTI contributed to this report
Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday said that the International Yoga Day has received a tremendous response from the public and at least 25 crore people are expected to join this years celebrations on June 21.

The global celebration of the Day will be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, while the national celebration will be led by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, Sonowal told a press conference here.

It was Modi who urged the UN to celebrate June 21 as International Yoga Day of Yoga at the same venue in 2014, the union minister of ports, shipping and waterways and ayush said.

As we move closer to the International Day of Yoga, we are taking the celebration of Yoga, one of the greatest gifts of Indias rich heritage to humanity, to another level this year, Sonowal said.

The motto of the Day this year is Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The world is one family), he said.

Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, a phrase mentioned in the ancient scripture Maha Upanishad, has been the guiding light for the Indian heritage since time immemorial, the minister said.

I sincerely hope through the practice of Yoga the global community is able to find solutions to various current health challenges, he said here.

Dibrugarh in Assam hosted a massive yoga demonstration as part of 75 days to commemorate the International Day of Yoga on April 7.

This year, there will be several special events like Ocean Ring of Yoga, where Indian naval ships will be stationed at nine ports around the world. The Day will also be celebrated in North and South Pole regions in coordination with the Ministry of Earth Sciences at Indian research bases in the Arctic and Antarctica.

In Yoga Bharatmala, Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force along with ITBP, BSF and BRO will make a chain of Yoga demonstration in unison.

Yoga Sagarmala will witness yoga along the Indian coastline and there will be a yoga demonstration at the flight deck of INS Vikrant, Sonowal said.

The prime minister has written to all village heads, appealing to them to observe International Day of Yoga at their nearest Anganwadi, health and wellness centres, and schools.

In addition to that, around two lakh common service centres, Ayush Health and Wellness Centres will participate in the celebration.

Dhankhar will lead the mass yoga demonstration in the presence of Sonowal, Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Union ministers Virendra Kumar, Prahalad Singh Patel, Munjpara Mahendrabhai, Faggan Singh Kulaste, and several ministers of the state.
A Delhi court on Saturday denied pre-arrest bail to a man accused of amassing Rs 1.5 lakh by cheating around 300 people, as it deemed the offence to be serious.

Vacation Judge Aparna Swami dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Satveer Singh, stating that Singhs involvement in a serious offence of cheating was evident from the record, emphasising that despite receiving two notices from the police, Singh did not cooperate with the investigation.

The court noted that the investigation was still in its early stages, and another accused person has been arrested, making Singhs presence necessary for interrogation.

Consequently, the court concluded that there were no grounds for granting anticipatory bail and directed Singh to join the investigation.

The accused claimed that he had no connection with the case, adding that the funds deposited in his bank account were believed to have been transferred by his younger brother, who is also a co-accused in the case.

The prosecution opposed the anticipatory bail application, asserting that the accused had received the funds as proceeds from cheating 300 victims and had failed to cooperate with the investigation despite multiple requests.
A German court denied the custody of 28-month-old Ariha Shah to her biological parents and handed her over to Jugendamt, the German youth services. In two separate judgements dated June 13, a district court in Pankow rejected the pleas of Dhara and Bhavesh Shah seeking the custody of their daughter or its handover to a third party, the Indian Welfare Services.

The parents are no longer authorized to decide on the whereabouts of their child," the German court ruled.

Denying custody to Arihas parents or the Indian Welfare Services, the court mentioned two injuries that the child had suffered, a head and back injury in April 2021 and a genital injury in September 2021. The court denied the parental care to avert the existing danger to the child.

According to an Indian Express report, the court further maintained that it had come to the conviction that the mother and/or father (had) intentionally caused the serious genital injuries of the child and that they were unable to explain the events in question in a sufficiently consistent manner.

Following the verdict, Arihas parents arrived in New Delhi from Berlin on June 15 to appeal to the Indian government to seek her repatriation on June 15 and approached the MEA with their request. The couple said theyre unsure whether the Jugendamt will continue or permit visitation once Ariha turns 3 years old.

Earlier on June 3, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi urged the German authorities to do all that is necessary to send Ariha to India at the earliest, which is also her inalienable right as an Indian national".

ALSO READ: Dismayed to Learn That Child Was: India Urges Germany to Return Ariha Shah Stranded in Foster Home

As many as 59 MPs from 19 political parties had written a joint letter to German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann urging him to take necessary steps to ensure that Ariha was repatriated to India at the earliest.
The dream journey of an IPS officer begins from Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, where batchmates turn into buddies. But after sharing close to 30 years of a relationship, there is a chance that one fine morning your batchmate may become your boss, and that too, a few months before hanging up your boots. As former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri once said: I am not as simple as I look. This service is also the same.

At present, the service has run into some human resource problems. In the last one year, many appointments have ended up denting the relationship of batchmates. Though there is no legal issue, it is changing the old practice. And retired as well as serving IPS officers are not positive about this rising trend.

Latest examples of such appointments

In the latest order released last week, 1989-batch IPS officer Nitin Agrawal was given the charge of director general of Border Security Force. While his batchmate PV Rama Sastry was also in the race and one of the strong contenders, as he is already serving in the BSF as SDG, he will now have to take orders from his batchmate.

The story of SL Thaosen is more interesting and has many twists and turns. Currently the DG of Central Reserve Police Force, 1988-batch IPS officer Thaosen had worked under his batchmate for almost 10 months before moving to Sashastra Seema Bal as DG.

Pankaj Singh, who is now the deputy national security adviser, was Thaosens DG and also from the 1988 batch. Before being picked for the post of DG, Singh was in the BSF as SDG just like Thaosen. The story made a 180-degree turn and, when Singh retired, he handed over the ceremonial baton to batchmate Thaosen who had the additional charge of DG BSF.

Another 1988-batch IPS officer, UC Sarangi, also worked under Singh in the BSF. In October last year, Thaosen was appointed as DG CRPF, which is the largest paramilitary force. What Thaosen faced in the BSF, 1988-batch Rashmi Shukla of the Maharashtra cadre also faced the same. She worked under batchmate Thaosen for almost five months and, in March, was appointed DG SSB.

Issue not restricted to a single force

The problem is not restricted to the paramilitary forces but also exists in the Intelligence Bureau and Delhi Police, besides state police. The recent appointment of director IB, who is a four-star officer, came after a rare wave of transfers before a 1988-batch IPS officer was appointed.

The manner in which Tapan Kumar Deka was appointed as director IB by the government was rare. Deka and three other officers of the 1988 batch were transferred out of the IB and one of his batchmates, Anish Dayal Singh, worked under him for a few months before moving to Indo Tibetan Border Police as DG. Importantly, two of Dekas batch-wise seniors were also moved out of the IB before he was given the four-star post, which is also considered the head of the entire police family.

The HR problem was also recently visible in the Delhi Police, when Sanjay Arora was asked to join as commissioner. Sundari Nanda, who is the special secretary (internal security) at the home ministry, had to work under her batchmate for over four months before heading to a key post in the ministry. Nanda was also a frontrunner for the post of commissioner but the central government decided to pick someone from outside the UT cadre.

In fact, according to another recent order released last week, 1996-batch IPS officer Anil Shukla  appointed as Mizoram director general of police  will be giving orders to his batchmate Ajay Choudhary.

What veterans say

When News18 contacted former home secretaries and DG-level officers for their views, none said anything on record but all claimed that such appointments were not only denting the batchmate culture but also turning them into rivals. Some of them also raised the issue of training.

There was a practice that the central forces would get a senior officer as he had to lead other IPS officers. Take the latest case of CRPF, 1986-batch IPS officer Kuldiep Singh headed the force but there was no one else from that batch at that time in the force. I dont remember but I have not seen such an amount of appointments denting the batchmate culture and making them rivals. This would also dent the bureaucratic structure but, at the end of the day, its the government that has the right to decide, said a serving DG-rank officer, who worked under his batchmate.

Similarly, another retired DG of ITBP said, We dont have this in our training that one day officers may have to take orders from their batchmate who trained with them. It also spreads bitterness among officers and training is such that it will create friction as all have worked together and had similar experiences. Though there may be a batch seniority but that has also been kept aside in some appointments, said the official on condition of anonymity.
We dont take decisions based on who will think what; we take decisions according to what we think and whom we need to help  This statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi encapsulates not just Indias policies as well as roadmap in todays world but also one of the countrys biggest evacuation operations of the 21st century in Ukraine.

Indias mega humanitarian exercise, which not only swelled Indians with pride but also showcased the countrys global standing, has been showcased in History TV18s new documentary The Evacuation: Operation Ganga that features the heroes of the arduous task and aired at 8pm on Saturday.

Explaining the roots of the exercise, PM Modi said in the documentary: If Indians all over the world face any personal troubles if someone falls ill, they expect that arrangements will be made at the earliest to evacuate them. Its natural. An Indian citizen also feels that if during such a time, the Indian government does not support us then who will? This is the governments obligation.

The documentary also shed light on how the prime minister came up with the name Operation Ganga for the mission that aimed to rescue stranded students from war-torn Ukraine.

There is nothing more sacred than the Ganga. This job [evacuation] was equally sacred. Just like Maa Ganga cuts through rough terrain and mountains and has been flowing since forever for the wellbeing of humanity, this task too was sacred. That sacred feeling was the inspiration behind the operation being named Ganga, PM Modi said.

The documentary, narrated by media commentator and Defence Analyst Maroof Raza, juxtaposes the worsening situation in Ukraine and the ever-present fear for life, with the unfolding of a massive rescue mission focused on a singular objective - to bring every Indian back home.

With this aim, the first step the prime minister took was to ensure contact was established with the parents of children stuck in Ukraine. We had to assure them that the government is with them. They should feel that the government has arrived at their doorstep, he said.

The exercise was not just a colossal attempt at ensuring the wellbeing of the students but also a test of India and PM Modis diplomacy and foreign policy at the international level.

Using his statesmanship, the prime minister called up Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraines Volodymyr Zelenskyy and requested them to allow the creation of green corridors in Indias interest.

Not only this, PM Modi also reached out to heads of states and requested that visa requirements be waived off and cross-border transits be made easier.

Whenever the world has faced a global crisis, we have never backed out. When there was a cyclone in Fiji, we helped out. In Maldives, there was a power crisis and we stayed put till their systems were restored. In Sri Lanka, there was a shortage of rice. We did not see expenditure. Our consideration was that people should not starve. When there was a massive earthquake in Nepal, we had to help the locals as well as bring back the Indians stranded there. We persevered on both fronts. I have been insisting from the beginning that our foreign policy should be human-centric. It should not only help Indian citizens but be for all of mankind, PM Modi said.

As India became a beacon of hope not just for its students but those from several countries who fled using the logistical support of the Modi government, the prime minister called it the power of the Indian tricolour.

See the power of the Indian tricolour. We dont feel it here but there is a feeling of devotion, respect and also strength. When the students were leaving Ukraine and they showed the Indian flag, all administrations came forward to help them, he said.

The prime minister added: The students also felt that more than the colour of their skin, it was the tricolour that had such strength that even in a country that was facing hardships on its own, people were coming forward to help us on seeing the tricolour. This operation made not just the students realise the power of the tricolour but also those who heard of it in India.

PM Modi also expressed his gratitude to the Indian diaspora as well as social organisations who came forward to help the students with essentials such as food, water and clothes to beat the weather woes.

An Indian living anywhere in the world, the colour of his passport may have changed but he shares a blood relation with us. We dont see the colour of passport, we are tied together by the colour of blood, he said.

Lauding the multi-pronged approach that saw the entire country  bureaucrats, ministers, embassy officials, and states  come together, PM Modi said: Whether one person benefits or five do or 50 or a lakh, back home, it instilled faith in 140 crore Indians. Perhaps no other country could have rescued its citizens with such courage.

The prime minister also expressed confidence that there was no doubt about the success of Operation Ganga. I was sure that every student will come back. Their parents dreams will not be shattered, he said.

Earlier, sharing the promo of the documentary on Twitter, PM Modi said the film would be very informative on aspects relating to the Indian governments mission in Ukraine.

Operation Ganga indicates our firm resolve to stand with our people no matter how daunting the challenge is. It also reflects Indias indomitable spirit. This documentary would be very informative on aspects relating to this Operation," the prime minister tweeted.

The Evacuation tells the remarkable story that captures the trials and tribulations experienced by Indians students stuck in war-torn Ukraine. It also highlights the perseverance of the Indian government and its strategic approach to bring every Indian back home.

The documentary showcases a blow-by-blow account from days prior to the conflict in February 2022 to the actual break out of the war, and beyond. Operation Ganga is one of the largest evacuation operations to be carried out in the 21st century, in a hostile environment. The narrative is supported by compelling archival footage, graphics and never seen before stories and anecdotes, with details of how the Indian government managed to create green corridors to get our students out safely.
Violence in Manipur that erupted between the Kuki Christian Tribe and the Meitei Hindu Community on May 3, has jeopardised the bright future of many interfaith couples who are torn apart by the unrest between the two communities.

One such couple was Joshua, who belonged to the Kuki community, and his Meitei wife Meena, who had built their happy adobe with their eight-year-old boy in Imphal.

However, Joshuas life was torn apart on June 4, when his injured child was killed along with his wife and another relative after an ambulance with the three on board was set ablaze by a mob in Manipurs West Imphal district. Joshuas son was hit by a sniper, and his wife was taking him to Imphal in the ambulance.

In an exclusive conversation with News 18, Joshua talked about his loss, the decades-old unrest which led to the violence and appeals for peace.

Events leading to the unfortunate incident

Joshua told us that he was staying in a camp as his village was burnt after the violence broke out in Manipur on May 3.

This (camp) is in a remote place. There was an exchange of fire happening. My son got shot by a sniper during an attack there. My son was inside the camp. I went out to bring water when suddenly I heard his cry Papa. My wife then came out and told me that our son was shot. Even she got a shot," he said.

Due to the lack of proper medical facilities at the camp, the couple decided to take their child to a hospital in Imphal.

My wife assured me that since she is from the Meitei community, she will be safe. The place where the hospital is dominated by people of her community, and since she was from that community she said she will take the child," he added.

As he further recalled the events of the faithful day, tears flowed freely from Joshuas eyes. Narrating his ordeal further, he said that as his wife and son left the camp, a mob stopped the ambulance.

She pleaded that she was from their community. Still, She, along with my son and one friend were burnt alive. They set both of them on fire. They did not listen to her," said a distraught Joshua.

Joshua said when he got married, he never imagined ethnic violence like this can tear his family apart.

Trouble that exists today was something unimaginable at that point in time. My wife wanted to be Christian, we had no problem in marrying. Never did we think that something like this will happen and all will be finished," he said.

Appeal for peace

In spite of his personal loss, Joshua appealed to the government and authorities to establish peace in Manipur.

There are chances we can stay together but the way hatred propagation is going on, the way they are saying we are drug peddlers, we are foreigners, the way some radical people are trying to drive us out from our own homes, that is not a recipe for peace," he said.

I need justice for my family but peace seems to wither away. We want justice, we want peaceMy appeal is to the majority that they should take responsibility for bringing in peace," he added.

Lack of faith in state leadership

I am feeling sad that even after so many death, the Prime Minister has not said anything. I doubt the intention of Chief Minister Biren Singh, though he has spoken of truth but his intention is questionable" Joshua said.

He said that though he has lost everything" he would still appeal to both communities for peace.

Violence is not the answer. In spite of my personal feeling on peace, the way venom is spread in various areas, and the way they say so many bad things are happening, it seems hope of co-existing together is being lost," he added.
The Centre has started the process to build an ambitious 6-km ropeway project worth Rs 377 crore to the Anjaneri hills in Nashik, considered the birthplace of Hindu god Lord Hanuman. It will be built over the next two years from the Brahmagiri trekking point to Anjaneri hills, which is a steep road at present and takes nearly two to three hours to cover on foot.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), under the central governments key Parvaratmala scheme, invited bids for the project on Friday, the document for which was accessed by News18.

Anjaneri hills is said to be the birthplace of Hanuman, and has a cave as well as an Anjani Mata temple, which are visited by pilgrims and trekkers. One has to climb three mountains to reach the temple, which is located at a height of over 4,200 feet. Once the ropeway, measuring 5.7 km in length, comes up across the three mountains, the journey to the top will be reduced to a few minutes.

More such projects

News18 had earlier reported that the Centre is planning 18 ropeway projects totalling 90 km, by 2024. This includes a 1-km ropeway to Srinagars Shankaracharya temple, one across the Krishna river to the Srisailam Jyotirlingas temple in Kurnool, another one to the Leh Palace and one to Gwalior fort.

Work on a 2-km ropeway to Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain has already started. Last year, the Centre also asked for tenders to develop a ropeway in Varanasi, besides one to Kedarnath temple and another to Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand.

A 12-km ropeway project is being planned in Tamil Nadu from Palani to Kodaikanal, a popular hill station; another 7-km ropeway to the Kodachadri hills in Karnatakas Udupi district, and an over 3-km one to the Bijli Mahadev Temple in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. Another ropeway will be built to the Srisailam temple in Andhra Pradesh across the Krishna river from Eegalapenta in Telangana.
The Sudanese army on Wednesday accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of "kidnapping and assassinating" the governor of West Darfur state, nearly two months after a power struggle between rival generals plunged the country into a devastating war.

The killing of Khamis Abdullah Abakar meant the RSF has added a "new chapter to its record of barbaric crimes that it has been committing against all the Sudanese people," the army said on Facebook, calling the incident a "brutal act."

Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, known as Hemedti, have been at war since April 15 after they fell out in a power struggle following a 2021 military takeover that derailed Sudans transition to democracy.

Civilian death toll has climbed to 958 in the armed clashes across the country, the Sudanese Doctors' Union said late on Wednesday.

Over 1.9 million people have been displaced since the conflict began on April 15, fleeing to safer locations inside and outside Sudan, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest update on Tuesday

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Manipur Violence Updates: Comparing Manipur to Libya, Lebanon, Nigeria and Syria, an Army veteran said that the northeast state is now stateless". Former Army chief Ved Malik took note of the extraordinary sad call" from the retired lieutenant general from Manipur and said that the law and order situation in the state needs urgent attention at highest level".

Malik tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and defence minister Rajnath Singh in his tweet.

An extraordinary sad call from a retired Lt Gen from Manipur. Law & order situation in Manipur needs urgent attention at highest level. @AmitShah @narendramodi @rajnathsingh https://t.co/VH4EsLkWSU Ved Malik (@Vedmalik1) June 16, 2023

ALSO READ | Trying for Peace But Some Dont Like It: MoS RK Ranjan as His Home Set Afire Amid Manipur Violence

Fresh Violence in Manipur

The latest incident of violence was reported around 9:45 pm on Friday when 400-500 arounds were fired using automatic weapons in Bishupurs Kwakta town and Churachandpurs Kangvai village. Officials said that since then intermittent bursts of firing is being reported.

They further said that multiple incidents of mob build-up and attempted vandalism and arson of government officials and property were reported. A joint team of Army, Assam Rifles, Rapid Action Force and police undertook flag march in Imphal East till midnight.

Mobs also tried to vandalise state BJP President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devis residence and torched the head office of the Thongju Assembly constituency from where Power and Forest Minister Thongam Biswajit Singh was elected.

Officials further said that two civilians were injured as mobs clashed with security forces overnight in Imphal town and attempts were made to torch the houses of BJP leaders.

#WATCH | BJPs office in Manipurs Thongju was vandalised by a mob last night pic.twitter.com/JyGQnKMDsh ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023

A mob of approximately 1,000 people came together to try and burn down buildings near the palace compound. RAF fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

Another mob tried to set the house of Biswajeet, MLA on fire. RAF column, however, dispersed the crowd. Another mob surrounded the BJP office post midnight at Sinjemai, but could not do any harm as an Army column dispersed it.

Similarly, a crowd tried to vandalise the home of Sharda Devi, BJP (womens wing) president near Porampet in Imphal around midnight. Security forces managed to disperse the youth.

Officials said that crowds set up roadblocks and torched properties in the heart of Imphal town on Friday. A warehouse near the royal palace belonging to a retired tribal IAS officer was burnt down completely on Friday.

A mob clashed with RAF personnel on Friday evening after it had set the warehouse afire. The group also burnt tyres, logs and waste in the middle of roads in Wangkhei, Porompat and Thangapat areas affecting the flow of traffic in Manipurs capital town, officials said.

Reason Behind Manipur Violence

Manipur has been witnessing clashes between Meitei and Kuki communities over the demand for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in the state that broke out a month ago.

The government has imposed a curfew on 11 districts and banned the internet in a bid to stop the spread of rumours in the state.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipurs population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals - Nagas and Kukis - constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.

Intel on Miscreants Arranging Police Commando Uniforms

According to a report in Hindustan Times, Indias central intelligence agencies had informed the Manipur Police that miscreants are arranging for police commando uniforms, and could use them to fuel violence through a coordinated attack in the state.

The report stated that the advisory by the intelligence bureau (IB), which was shared with top security officials in the state, said that it was reliably learnt that a tailor in Bishnupur districts Moirang town was contracted to stitch 500 Manipur Police commando uniforms by June 15.

HT quoted officials aware of the matter as saying that the agencies stated miscreants were likely to carry out attacks on June 17 and 18 by posing as commandos across different areas in least three districts of Churachandpur, Imphal East and Imphal West in Manipur.

Ruling BJP vs Opposition on Manipur Violence

BJP

 The Union home ministry has rushed Director General of CRPF S L Thaosen to Manipur to assess the situation and for better utilisation and coordination of central forces.

 Condemning the killing of nine people in the Khamenlok area of Manipur, chief minister N Biren Singh said search and combing operations are on by security forces to nab the culprits. Singh also asserted that his government will safeguard the unity and integrity of the state and will not do anything which is against the interest of the people of the state.

Opposition

 Former Union minister Kapil Sibal said that in such clashes, there are no winners. Only the country loses," he added, while attacking the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Manipur Still BurningMay 3, Ethnic ClashesMay 29, Amit Shah visits May 10, Karnataka Elections Politics a priority ?Taking care of Manipur can wait ! Amit Shah sets up peace committeeRejected by Meiteis & Kukis Lesson :In such clashesNo winners Country loses !  Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) June 17, 2023

 TMC MP Derek OBrien has sought an urgent meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs to assess the prevailing violence in Manipur, saying it is imperative to understand the ground reality and get first hand insight into the situation.

 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has attacked the BJP over sectarian violence, alleging its politics of hatred has burned the eastern state and left several dead. Lets shut this Nafrat ka Bazaar and open a Mohabbat ki Dukaan in every heart in Manipur," he said. Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing India and questioned his silence on the tension in Manipur.

 Hitting out at the Central government, Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Saturday said that the violence-hit Manipur requires a political solution, not a mere deployment of police-military to handle law and order". In a Twitter post, the Congress General Secretary said: Manipurs destructive violence has left a long trail of blood, deaths, destruction, distrust in Govt forcing a Lt. General of Indian Army to call Manipur as stateless & comparing it to Lebanon-Nigeria-Syria an Ex Chief of Indian Army to plead for action. IS ANYONE LISTENING?".

In the post, Surjewala noted that since the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, over 115 dead, over 50,000 displaced, over 121 churches of 15 denominations burnt down, more then 5,000 weapons looted (only 1,100 have been returned), home of even Union MOS for External Affairs has been burnt down, besides destroying large number of government buildings".

The confusion in handling Manipur is best described in the statements of ruling BJPs CM and our Army Generals perception of why is Manipur burning? Manipur BJP CM has described the violence as an act of terrorists.

But our Army General, Anil Chauhan says it has, nothing to do with counterinsurgency and is primarily a clash between two ethnicities. But PM Modi remains oblivious to Manipur," he added.

Manipur Violence: Letter from Citizens Group

Attributing the violence in Manipur to divisive politics by the BJP, over 550 citizens groups, academics and lawyers issued a joint statement calling for an immediate halt to the violence and urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak up and take accountability. They accused the of exacerbating age-old ethnic tensions between communities for political gain.

Supplies of Essential Items Hit

Supplies of essential items including baby food and medicines and movement of security forces have been hit in several areas of Manipur because of blockades of both the National Highway leading to the state by tribals as well as at least six arterial roads by women-led vigilante groups

News agency PTI quoted sources as saying that in the past one week, 4,000 trucks carrying essential supplies reached the valley via NH 37, which is the only road that is open for now.

The blocking of key roads at several areas  from the valley to the hill districts in the south  has become a new challenge for the Assam Rifles and the Army, a source was quoted on Friday.

As of now, NH-2 and several key arteries are blocked in the state, badly affecting transportation of supplies & even delays timely response. Since women-led vigilante groups or Meira Paibis are in the forefront of the blockades on several roads, the security forces are finding it difficult to clear it using force," the Army source said.

News agency PTI stated that the six arterial roads that have been blocked are Bishnupur-Churachandpur; Thoubal-Nangjing; Thoubal-Yairipok; Yairipok-Chandrakong; Kakching-Lamkai, and Uripok-Iroisemba.

Security Arrangement in Manipur

Centre is on toes and making all-out effort" after nine youths in a single incident and torching of the private residence of Union minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, official said.

At present, around 30,000 central security personnel are deployed in Manipur for law-and-order duties besides state police forces.

The forces include around eight battalions of central paramilitary forces, 80 columns of the Army and 67 columns of the Assam Rifles. Armys Dimapur-based 3 Corps said enhanced area domination operations by Army and Assam Rifles are being undertaken in the aftermath of recent spurt in violence.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also visited the state for four days last last month and met a cross sections of people in his efforts to bring back peace in the Northeastern state.

On June 4, the Centre set up a Commission of Inquiry, headed by former Gauhati High Court chief justice Ajai Lamba, to probe the violence in Manipur.

On June 10, the central government constituted a peace committee in the state headed by the governor for facilitating peace making process among various ethnic groups and initiate dialogue between conflicting parties and groups. However, office bearers of several civil society groups have refused to be part of the committee for different reasons.
The Mizoram government on Friday urged the Centre to expedite the release of funds to provide relief to over 11,000 displaced people from violence-hit Manipur, an official statement said.

The state government has sought Rs 10 crore as immediate relief for those who are currently staying at shelters in different parts of Mizoram since ethnic clashes broke out in the neighbouring state on May 3. During the day, state Tourism Minister Robert Romawia Royte called on Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla in Delhi and urged him to sanction the fund at the earliest, the statement said.

Bhalla, on his part, told Royte that the Centre will soon sanction the relief package, it said. During the meeting, Royte said that more than 11,000 people from Manipur, mostly women, children and elderly persons, are currently staying at shelters in Mizoram due to the ethnic violence in the neighbouring state.

The Mizoram government, NGOs and churches are providing shelters and food to the displaced people, he said. Stating that Mizoram is in dire need of the Centres help", Royte said that the state government could face a crisis if the proposed relief fund is not provided to the displaced people.

He also urged the Centre to take measures for the restoration of peace in Manipur. According to the Mizoram home department, altogether 11,503 people from Manipur have entered the state till Friday.

Of them, 8,634 people live outside the relief camps, while 2,869 have lodged in 35 camps set up by the government and villages, it said. Kolasib district currently hosts the highest number of displaced people at 4,109, followed by Aizawl at 3,825 and Saitual at 2,809, the statement said.

The displaced people, who belonged to the Kuki-Hmar-Zomi-Mizo group, took shelter in 11 districts of the state. The Kuki-Hmar-Zomi-Mizo community, collectively known as Kukis, share ethnic ties with the Mizos.

Two Mizoram districts- Aizawl and Saitual  share a 90 km-long border with Manipurs Churachandpur and Pherzawl districts. At least nine people were killed and 10 injured when suspected miscreants attacked a village in the Khamenlok area of Manipur in the early hours of Wednesday.

More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in the state that broke out a month ago. The government has imposed a curfew on 11 districts and banned the internet in a bid to stop the spread of rumours in the state.

Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipurs population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals  Nagas and Kukis  constitute another 40% of the population and reside in the hill districts.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will investigate the recent attacks on Indian High Commission in Canada and the US. According to reports, the Delhi Police has transferred the case of Khalistani elements to the NIA.

According to a TOI report, following the March 2023 attack in Canada and San Francisco, Delhi Police Special Cell had registered FIR under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The Indian Consulate in San Francisco was also attacked on March 20.

Alleged pro-Khalistan supporters in the US also threatened the Indian embassy and Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu during their protest recently. A protestor in his speech issued a direct threat to the Ambassador saying he could face a similar fate to what former president of India Zail Singh faced in 1994.

The US condemned the recent acts of violence during protests at Indian diplomatic facilities in the country. Violence or the threat of violence against diplomatic facilities and personnel in the United States is a grave concern and will not be tolerated," an official statement by the US said.

In March 2023, Khalistan supporters protested outside the Indian Embassy in Canada and raised pro-Khalistan slogans and allegedly assaulted Indian-origin journalists covering the protest.
Hours after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested V Senthil Balaji, a cabinet minister in the DMK-led government in Tamil Nadu, the state withdrew its general consent to the CBI for investigating cases in its jurisdiction, becoming the 10th state in the country to do so.

However, despite the move by opposition-ruled states, senior officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said the action by the states was merely symbolic and political optics.

It does not affect the pending investigation as it does not have retrospective effect and the states cannot prevent a central investigation if it is directed by the court or by the central government, said a senior officer of CBI.

Since 2018, 10 states primarily ruled by the Opposition  Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana and Tamil Nadu  have withdrawn general consent to CBI.

Withdrawal of general consent means that CBI will not be able to investigate cases filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, commonly called the PC Act, in the respective states. However, if any case is handed over to the CBI by the central government or by the court, there is no restriction," said the officer.

What is general consent?

CBI derives its power to investigate from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (DSPE), 1946, which has multiple sections explaining the central agencys power and jurisdiction.

According to Section 1 of the Act, CBI can investigate offences in the Union Territories only. However, the jurisdiction can be extended by the Central Government to other areas including Railway areas and states under Section 5(1) of the Act, provided the State Government accords consent under Section 6 of the Act.

The executive officers of CBI of the rank of Sub Inspector and above, exercise all powers of a station office in-charge of the police station for the concerned area for the purpose of investigation. As per Section 3 of the Act, Special Police Establishment is authorised to investigate only those cases, which are notified by the Central Government from time to time.

Section 6 of the Act says, Consent of the state Government is needed to exercise powers and jurisdiction." However, it adds that approval of the central government to conduct inquiry or investigation is needed for a case. The CBI shall not conduct any enquiry or investigation into any offence alleged to have been committed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (49 of 1988) except with the previous approval of the central government.

Why is withdrawal of consent more symbolic than absolute?

With general consent given by a state, CBI gets the authority and jurisdiction to investigate cases lodged under the PC Act in a particular state. However, the CBI can probe any case once the court directs the central agency to do so or the Union government hands over the investigation to the CBI.

In Indias federal structure, law and order is a state subject so CBI, unlike ED, cannot take up any case  lodged under IPC or any other relevant section  on its own. For taking up a case for investigation, the central agency will need the Union governments approval, the respective states recommendation or courts direction.

In 2018, Andhra Pradesh, followed by West Bengal, withdrew general consent to the CBI. The Bengal government took the decision after the CBI summoned several senior leaders of ruling Trinamool Congress, arrested its ministers and seized over a dozen paintings by chief minister Mamata Banerjee in connection with the ponzi scam investigation.

In a similar fashion, other states ruled by a regional party and a political opponent of BJP withdrew general consent as and when CBI probed into cases of corruption that had allegedly involved politicians of ruling parties in the state.

However, a close analysis in the cases will show how the withdrawal of consent could not stop the CBI from investigating certain cases. For instance, five years after the withdrawal of consent, CBI is probing multiple cases in Bengal, which include coal scam, cattle scam, teacher recruitment scam and municipality recruitment scam as these cases were either handed over to the CBI by the Centre or directed by the court.

Talking to News18, another serving officer of CBI said: Withdrawal of consent is politically symbolic in nature. Apart from optics and sending a message of unity, it does not affect the cases. With no consent, CBI will not be able to investigate cases lodged under the PC Act in a state. That is all. But the major cases come to CBI by the courts intervention or central governments notifications.

The officer added: The idea of not allowing investigation by the central agency also falls flat with ED probing multiple such cases. The ED does not need general consent and can probe any case across states and UTs.
Nearly 3,500 tourists, including at least 60 college students were stranded in North Sikkim due to incessant rainfall that caused flash floods, landslides along with several road blockages.

Owing to heavy torrential rains, a road and a bridge in Chungthang was washed away leaving tourists stranded, the Indian Army informed adding that now most of the people have been rescued.

Till 3 PM on Saturday, over 2,000 tourists were rescued, and the rest thereafter.

Troops of Trishakti Corps, Indian Army and personnel of Border Roads Organisation swung to action and worked overnight in inclement weather to create a temporary crossing over the floods, the Army added.

While they were stranded, the tourists were extended help to cross over the river and were provided with hot meals, tentage and medical support by the personnel involved in the rescue operations.

#WATCH | Over 2000 tourists were stranded in North Sikkim as the road near Chungthang was washed away due to flash floods on 16th June. BRO Project Swastik worked overnight in heavy rains & inclement weather to create a temporary crossing over the affected area to facilitate the pic.twitter.com/bbuPHvth51 ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023

Tents were set up, and medical aid posts were also built to facilitate the recue operations. The tourist will be provided all assistance until the route is cleared for further journey, the Army informed.

The district administrations provided assistance through 19 buses, and 17 smaller vehicles to evacuate the stranded citizens.

Along with them Pprsonnel from Quick Reaction Team of the District Disaster Management Authority, Sikkim Police, GREF, BRO, ITBP, Army, Travel Agency Association Sikkim are also providing their help.

Meanwhile, the road to Chungthang, which was blocked at numerous points, will see restoration works will start only after the rain stops.

The North Sikkim district administration has set up helpline numbers  8509822997 /116464265  for the public to contact in case of any query about stranded tourists, officials added.
Telangana Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali stoked controversy with his remarks on womens clothes after burqa-clad students in Hyderabad alleged that the staff of the KV Ranga Reddy Degree College for Women had refused to allow them to appear for the exam on Friday. Reacting to the allegations, the minister said women should cover themselves as much as possible.

Our policy is an absolutely secular policy. Everyone has the right to wear whatever they want. But, one should practice wearing dress according to Hindu or Islamic practices and not follow European culture. We should respect our dressing culture. Especially, women shouldnt wear short dresses and they should cover themselves as much as possible. We will look into the issue and take action accordingly," Mahmood Ali said while talking to reporters in Azampura.

#WATCH | Some Headmaster or Principal might be doing this but our policy is totally secular. People can wear whatever they want but if you wear European dress, it will not be correctWe should wear good clothes. Auratein khaas taur se, kam kapde pehnne se pareshaani hoti hai, pic.twitter.com/iagCgWT1on ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023

A few students arrived at the gates of Ranga Reddy Womens Degree College wearing to appear in an exam on Friday morning when they were allegedly asked to remove the burqa by the staff before entering the examination hall. The students alleged that they were barred from the exam hall for almost half an hour.

Eventually, they had to remove the burqa to be able to appear in the exam.

The college authorities have instructed us to not wear a burqa from tomorrow. But, this is against the examination rules. Our parents have complained regarding the issue to Home Minister Mahmood Ali. He said that not allowing female students with burqa into the centre is not right," a student was quoted as saying by India Today.

#WATCH | Telangana | Girl students who appeared for examination at KV Ranga Reddy College in Santosh Nagar, Hyderabad allege that they were forced" to take off their burqa before sitting for the exam. (16.06.2023) pic.twitter.com/JHzWP1agsR ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023

Following the incident, families of some students complained to Telangana Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali about the issue.
Believed to be blessing happiness and prosperity across Gujarat, a 600-year-old temple in Ahmedabad is known for its unique construction, and its dark skinned idol of Lord Ram, from where it gets its name.

The Kala Ramji Mandir is a declared heritage site where Lord Rama is enshrined along with his brother Lakshmana and Sita.

Atulbhai Padhe from the priest family told News18 that the temple belongs to the Peshwa period and it is so old, that the idols here are self-manifested.

In mythology, Lord Krishna is known for his dark skin and this is the reason he is known as Kamangara.

There are only two temples in India  in Nashik and Ahmedabad  where lord Rama idols colour is dark. Both the temples have dark skinned idols but the postures are different.

In Nasik, Idol is in standing position while in Ahmedabad Ramas idol is in sitting posture. But, there is not much clarity about the origins of these idols.

Lord Rama is worshiped in this historic temple as per the Vaishnava tradition which includes many things as a Chausar has also been kept here for Lord Rama to play.

According to the rules, aarti of God is performed five times a day and bhog is offered. To give idol coolness, sandalwood is applied to Lord Rama in summer.

On the day of Ram Navami, the birth anniversary of Lord Ram is celebrated in this temple at a grand scale. Even the marriage festival of the god is also celebrated on the day of Mangsheer Panchami.
A person was killed and four policemen, including deputy superintendent of police, injured in Gujarats Junagadh district after clashes broke out over a demolition notice to the alleged illegal Hazrat Roshan Shah Pir Baba dargah. A viral video showed a group of at least 300 people throwing stones at the police officials.

Local reports stated that a police post was also vandalised and police vehicles were set ablaze, forcing officers to fire tear gas shells. The incident occurred on Friday evening when the officials of Junagadh Municipal Corporation reached in front of the Majewadi Gate to put the notice outside the dargah.

Stating that the religious structure had been built illegally", the civic body gave a deadline of five days to produce evidence that the dargah was built in a legal manner or else it would be demolished".

This enraged some people, who later created a ruckus and by 9 pm, a mob gathered near the dargah and pelted stones at the officers. As the situation worsened, large troops of police officials were rushed to the area to bring the situation under control.

#WATCH | Stones pelted, cops injured after a mob protest against the anti-encroachment drive in Gujarat's Junagadh last night(Note: Abusive language) pic.twitter.com/8wRw0YgO3z  ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023

According to a report in Dainik Bhaskar, the mob vandalised state transport buses and other vehicles passing through the area. They torched the motorcycles on road.

Some occupants of the buses were reportedly injured. The bikes were set on fire using soda bottles. Police have detained 174 people in connection with the violence.

A mosque near Majewadi Gate was given notice by the Junagadh Municipal Corporation to present the documents within five days. Around 500-600 people had gathered there yesterday (Friday). The police were convincing them not to block the road. Stones were pelted at around 10.15 pm and people came to attack the police," news agency ANI quoted SP Junagadh Ravi Teja Vasamsetty as saying.

#WATCH | Gujarat: Morning visuals from near Majewadi Gate in Junagadh, where police and mob clashed last night during an anti-encroachment drive https://t.co/2ezmjvKkb6 pic.twitter.com/ZMyie2krKk ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023

He further said that police had to lathicharge the crowd to disperse them. Police personnel were injured in this incident. As many as 174 people have been rounded up. A civilian has died prima facie due to stone pelting but it will be clear after the post-mortem report. Further investigation is underway," Vasamsetty added.
Weather News: After experiencing a slight delay in its arrival over Kerala, the southwest monsoon is now poised to progress deeper into the southern peninsula and eastern regions of the country starting from Sunday.

The onset of monsoon is likely to bring relief to many major cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata from the scorching sun.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said Cyclone Biparjoy has completely detached itself from the monsoonal flow and will have no impact on the progress of the seasonal rainfall system.
On this years Yoga Day  which falls on June 21  Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform yoga along with people from more than 180 countries at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The prime minister will lead celebrations of the ancient-Indian holistic exercise in an event that will be attended by diplomats, leaders of nations, artists, cultural icons among others.

This will be BJP-led central governments ninth executive Yoga Day celebrations and the prime ministers event will take place between 8 am to 9 am in UNs North Lawn.

In India, the national celebration of the day will be led by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.

This years theme Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, is a phrase mentioned in the ancient scripture Maha Upanishad, has been the guiding light for the Indian heritage since time immemorial. It translates into the world is one family."

The international Yoga day has generated tremendous response, and at least 25 crore people are expected to participate in this years celebrations, Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal said.

As we move closer to the International Day of Yoga, we are taking the celebration of Yoga, one of the greatest gifts of Indias rich heritage to humanity, to another level this year, Sonowal said.

How did International Yoga Day came into being?

PM Modi had urged the UN to celebrate June 21 as International Yoga Day of Yoga at the same venue in 2014.

In his maiden address to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2014, PM Modi called for the adoption of an International Day of Yoga, describing the ancient Indian tradition as an invaluable gift to humankind.

Yoga embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature," the prime minister had said.

Yoga Day 2023

In India, there will be several special events like Ocean Ring of Yoga, where Indian naval ships will be stationed at nine ports around the world.

The Day will also be celebrated in North and South Pole regions in coordination with the Ministry of Earth Sciences at Indian research bases in the Arctic and Antarctica, news agency PTI said.

In Yoga Bharatmala, Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force along with ITBP, BSF and BRO will make a chain of Yoga demonstration in unison.

This years theme Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, is a phrase mentioned in the ancient scripture Maha Upanishad, has been the guiding light for the Indian heritage since time immemorial.

PM Modis US Visit

PM Modi will have a high-profile and packed schedule on his US visit next week, which includes at least a dozen important events and possible meetings with top American CEOs as well as some prominent members of the US Congress.

Modi will visit the US during June 20 to 24, and he will be hosted by US president Joe Biden at the White House and address a joint session of the Congress.
With Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russian troops ramping up, Western allies face the challenge of replacing lost equipment and supplying the vast quantities of ammunition Kyiv needs -- without undermining their own defence capabilities.

Russia claims to have destroyed up to 30 percent of NATO-supplied weaponry in recent days, showing off videos of destroyed or abandoned German tanks and US armoured vehicles.

Analysts say Moscow's figures are inflated, although independent verification is impossible.

But there is no doubt about the fact that Russia's extensive minefields, large numbers of loitering munitions and intense artillery bombardments will take a toll on Ukraine's forces as they try to pierce defensive lines.

Most analysts believe Kyiv has yet to commit its full strength to the assault, remaining in a phase of probing enemy positions.

"The fighting will likely get tougher," wrote Jack Watling of Britain's RUSI defence think-tank in an analyst note.

"For Ukraine's international partners, the summer is likely to be deeply uncomfortable. Losses will mount and success will take time."

Already, open-source intelligence website Oryx, which tallies equipment losses based on battlefield imagery, has counted four lost German Leopard tanks, two French AMX-10 RC light tanks and more than 70 infantry fighting vehicles.

"It is vital... that there is no diminution in the strengthening of the training programmes allowing Ukraine to continue to generate combat units, or the mobilisation of defence industry to put supply to the Ukrainian military on a sustainable basis," Watling said.

Some European countries have already flagged up limits to the speed at which they can keep up or increase deliveries.

"We will not be able to replace every tank that is now out of action," German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Monday.

Members of the US-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group met in Brussels Thursday to talk supplies for Kyiv, ahead of a NATO defence ministers' meeting.

'Multi-year programme'

"We're looking at how we can keep up our aid to Ukraine while preserving our own defence capability," one European government source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

On Tuesday, the US announced an additional $325 million of aid including armoured vehicles and air defence systems.

Further pledges could come at NATO's summit in Lithuanian capital Vilnius on July 11-12.

"There is an urgent need to support" Ukraine during the summer offensive, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told broadcaster France 5.

"Most likely, (Vilnius) Summit will make a pledge for a multi-year program to provide support to Ukraine," he added.

The European Commission said in early May it would spend 500 million euros ($545 million) ramping up EU production of artillery shells to one million per year.

At German arms maker Rheinmetall, "we are pulling out all the stops when it comes to production of ammunition for tanks," Harald Weismueller, head of a factory in Unterluess, Lower Saxony state, told AFP recently.

Europe's top producer of shells for tanks and artillery is working Germany's biggest arms factory hard, aiming to send armoured vehicles and their ammunition to the front in Ukraine as well as rebuilding NATO stocks.

Unterluess' top product is 120mm shells for the main gun of the Leopard 2 main battle tank, which Berlin agreed early this year to supply to Kyiv under intense pressure from allies.

Output is now running at a rate of 240,000 annually, up from 60,000 before Russia's invasion.

NATO's other major task is to maintain Western equipment that Ukraine has put through its paces on the front line.

Weapons have to be swiftly brought up to standard and sent back out to the front.

Ukrainian media reports suggest Berlin and Warsaw will soon reach a deal for a Poland-based maintenance centre for Leopard tanks damaged in fighting across the border.

Such facilities already exist in Slovakia and Romania.

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This Fathers Day, surprise your dad with a retreat to a serene riverside hotel or resort in India. Treat him to a tranquil escape where he can relax, rejuvenate, and create unforgettable memories. From the serene banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh to the enchanting backwaters of Kerala, and the picturesque rivers of Himachal, here are some luxurious riverside properties across India, offering the perfect setting for pampering your dad on his special day.

Serenity Along the Ganges: Ganga Kinare, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand:

Embark on a peaceful journey to Rishikesh and experience the serenity of Ganga Kinare. Situated on the banks of the holy Ganges, this riverside hotel offers luxurious accommodations with stunning views. Your dad can indulge in yoga and meditation sessions, spa treatments, riverside walks, and the enchanting Ganga Aarti ceremony.

Coastal Bliss at Taj Fishermans Cove Resort & Spa, Chennai, Tamil Nadu:

Surprise your dad with a coastal retreat at Taj Fishermans Cove Resort & Spa in Chennai. Set along the scenic Bay of Bengal, this luxurious property offers breath-taking views of the sea. Your dad can enjoy rejuvenating spa treatments, indulge in delectable cuisine, and take leisurely walks along the serene shoreline.

Tranquil Escape at The Lalit Resort & Spa, Bekal, Kerala:

Take your dad to the tranquil banks of the Nombili River in Bekal, Kerala, and treat him to a rejuvenating stay at The Lalit Resort & Spa. Surrounded by lush greenery and the rivers serene flow, this luxurious resort offers spacious accommodations, Ayurvedic spa treatments, scenic boat rides, and a chance to explore the nearby Bekal Fort.

Riverside Charm at Goa Marriott Resort & Spa, Goa:

Create unforgettable memories with your dad at the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa, nestled along the banks of the Mandovi River. This riverside retreat offers luxurious accommodations, stunning river views, and a range of indulgent spa treatments. Your dad can also enjoy water sports, lounge by the riverside pool, and explore the vibrant culture of Goa.

Backwater Tranquility at Kumarakom Lake Resort, Kerala:

Surprise your dad with a serene stay at Kumarakom Lake Resort, nestled on the banks of the picturesque Vembanad Lake in Keralas backwaters. This luxurious resort offers traditional-style villas, tranquil views of the lake, and world-class amenities. Your dad can relax with Ayurvedic treatments, take a leisurely cruise on the backwaters, and savour authentic Kerala cuisine.

Celebrate Fathers Day at Casa Jaali

Fathers day calls for a quaint tranquil escape that promises a stunning view of the sea, a stones throw away. Nestled in lush greenery with the sound of the waves relaxing every fibre of you, be sure to spot a dolphin or two frolicking in the sea if youre lucky! Sounds too good to be true? Well, Casa Jaal i is Goas best-kept secret that you just cannot get enough of.

The Casa Jaali stay is a unique experience in South Goa. The 12-room property offers something for everyone, from cosy, intimate rooms to indulgent luxury huts and a sprawling cottage for a family getaway. The Goan-style architecture and locally made furniture make the stay a truly immersive Goan experience.

Gift of wellness with Dharana at Shillim

Treat your father to a well-deserved break from city life this fathers day. With only a short 2.5 hours drive from Mumbai and 2 hours from Pune, Dharana at Shillim is the ideal choice for a wellness experience.

The all-villa property offers a chance to digitally detox and rejuvenate with recreational activities such as Nature Walks, Treks, Hikes, and Cooking School sessions with dedicated quiet zones to help connect with your loved ones. Explore the propertys key features by indulging in their organic food experience made in compliance with the Dharana Wellness Programmes, with ingredients sourced from local farms to deliver an unparalleled dining experience.

Intercontinental Marine Drive

Treat your old man to the best things in life with a staycation at the InterContinental Marine Drive. The 59-room luxury boutique hotel is located strategically in the heart of Mumbais Art Deco district, on the citys most spectacular sea-front promenade. A veritable jewel in the crown of the Queens necklace, the hotel stands out with its large rooms and suites that offer a breath-taking view of the Arabian Sea and the ever-dynamic city skyline.

The InterContinental Marine Drive, which recently celebrated 20 years in Mumbai, has more options if you wish to indulge or experience different kinds of cuisine. The dining areas at the hotel are just as inviting as the cozy rooms. Catering to all your needs, the heritage hotel provides you with an array of restaurants and cuisines to choose from. Dome, the rooftop bar exudes the best things in life: wine, food, music, and the stars. L&S Bistro & Pizzeria brings the world to Mumbai with its global street food menu. History meets gastronomy at Kebab Korner where heritage recipes are given a contemporary touch.

Located strategically in the heart of Mumbais Art Deco district, the property is equipped with the latest technologies, cutting edge design, and a host of personalized services including butlers for every room.

Palmlands Holiday Resort, Gorai

A perfect getaway for fathers day to relax amongst lush green palms, free from pollution, a change from otherwise hectic lifestyle for city dwellers. Palmlands Holiday Home is a very homely place to be at. The modern guest rooms are equipped with furnished A/C rooms. Well maintained kid and adult pool. Ample parking space for guests with private vehicles. Palmlands Holiday Home, a place where comfort, fun and relaxation meet. It is an ideal getaway for family, friends and office colleagues to spend a rocking, fun-filled time together. Be it a day picnic, an overnight stay, birthday parties, anniversaries, get together and number of occasions, Palmlands Holiday Home is a place to look for.a perfect and budget friendly getaway.

This Fathers Day, give your dad the gift of serenity by surprising him with a retreat to a luxurious riverside hotel or resort. Whether its the banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh, the coastal charm of Chennai and Goa, the backwaters of Kerala, or the picturesque rivers of Himachal, these properties provide the perfect backdrop for relaxation, rejuvenation, and quality time with your dad. Show him your love and appreciation by treating him to a serene riverside getaway that will create cherished memories for years to come.
Bollywood Actress Alia Bhatt is currently in Brazil for the trailer launch of her highly anticipated debut Hollywood film Heart Of Stone. On reaching, the actress shared a bundle of photos from her hotel room. This Barbie is jet-lagged, she called herself in the caption.

Alia looked all things cute and adorable in an all-pink satin ensemble consisting of a top, oversized blazer and trousers. She teamed her attire with black heels. Ira Dubey on seeing the picture took to the comment section and wrote, This Barbie is magic. Fans too dropped in heartfelt comments. One of them wrote, Adorable lil munchkin. Barbie doll of Bollywood, read another one.

Have a look at the photos:

Alia shared fun moments on her Instagram stories. She shared a video of herself clicking selfies with her co-star Gal Gadot. The clip also featured their other co-star Jamie Dornan at the event.

Earlier, according to a report in India Today, Alia opened up about bagging Heart Of Stone in an interview. She shared, My team sent me the script and they said, You know they would like for you to read the script and if you are interested, we can get you to Zoom meet with the director. Thanks to Zoom, a lot of this has become possible.

She added, You dont have to fly to a meeting. You can do a virtual meeting. I read the script and, of course, I heard that Gal Gadot was going to be starring in it and was also producing it, which I was extremely excited about because I am such a huge admirer of her work and just the person, the force that she is.

Bhatt shot the film during her pregnancy. In an interview with Variety she revealed, It was my first Hollywood big English picture experience and I had quite a task at hand because I was shooting for the first time an action movie. But Im also pregnant so there were so many layers for me to deal with. But they made it so seamless and so easy and so comfortable for me. Its something that I will never forget because of how beautifully and how well I was treated.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Alia Bhatt also has Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani in her kitty which is all set to release on July 28.
Alia Bhatt is currently in Brazil for the trailer launch of her highly anticipated debut Hollywood film Heart Of Stone. On reaching, the actress shared a series of photos before heading to the event. This Barbie is jet-lagged, she wrote in the caption.

Alia looked all things cute and adorable in a pink, satin suit  an oversized blazer, a bralette and trousers. She paired it with black heels. Fans dropped in heartfelt comments. One of them wrote, Adorable lil munchkin. Barbie doll of Bollywood, read another one.

But the comment that stood out was that of her sister-in-law, Kareena Kapoor Khan. Alia Bhatt has repeatedly expressed her love for Kareena, saying that she has been her favourite actor since childhood. Although they didnt share screen time, Kareena and Alia worked together in the 2016 film Udta Punjab. Kareena, too, has time and again, called Alia the finest actor that has happened in the last decade. Taking to the comments section, Kareena wrote, Why you the best?cause you are".

In a recent conversation with Pinkvilla, Kareena had said about Alia, She is such a brave actor, and such a brave person. Its (pregnancy) the most normal thing, and you know she is possibly going to continue this great run of her career because she is supremely talented. And thats what, you need to have conviction in your own self and that is the most important thing."

Alia Bhatt shot Heart of Stone during her pregnancy. In an interview with Variety she revealed, It was my first Hollywood big English picture experience and I had quite a task at hand because I was shooting for the first time an action movie. But I was also pregnant so there were so many layers for me to deal with. But they made it so seamless and so easy and so comfortable for me.

She also has Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani in her kitty which is all set to release on July 28.
Actor Thalapathy Vijay appeared at the meet and greet ceremony with the top three rank holders of class 10 and 12 on June 17. The ceremony, comprising about 1,500 students and their parents, was held at RK Convention Center, Neelankarai, Chennai. Vijay presented a diamond necklace and a certificate to a student, Nandhini, who got 600/600 marks in the Class 12 examination. Nandhini was called on the dias with her family for receiving the prizes.

Vijay also had a conversation with the girl and her family. The actor also posed for a photograph with her family as well. Social media users have also appreciated this move by Vijays organisation Vijay Makkal Iyakkam.

The meet and greet ceremony had started at 09:00 AM and Vijay had arrived at the venue at 09:30 AM. A functionary of VMI shared more information regarding this event in a conversation with the news portal DT Next. He had said that Vijay had directed them to not put up any flex boards and banners in public places. According to the functionary, Vijay had opined that it was a student welfare event and banners in public places would create nuisance and unnecessary advertisement.

On the work front, Vijay is occupied with his film Leo, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. Reports have revealed that Vijay is shooting for the Chennai schedule of this much-talked-about movie. Reportedly, renowned stage actor and producer Denzil Smith had also joined the cast of the movie.
South Korea recently released its national security strategy, highlighting the significance of public diplomacy in the countrys statecraft. The strategy emphasises the integral role of public diplomacy, culture, and soft power in shaping South Koreas national security orientations, particularly in fostering favourable international opinion.

One key aspect of South Koreas strategy is its aspiration to build and improve relations with Japan, despite historical tensions. The document outlines the governments commitment to expanding private exchanges and advancing public-private initiatives, with a particular emphasis on enhancing communication opportunities for future generations through public diplomacy and related endeavours. By recognising the potential of public diplomacy in shaping international opinion, South Korea aims to improve relations with Japan and create a more favourable environment for its national security interests.

The strategy also underscores the use of South Koreas soft power to foster favourable international opinion. The government intends to leverage its strengths in areas such as K-pop and K-drama to enhance its global image. However, the strategy goes beyond mere image-building, acknowledging the importance of translating global interest and goodwill into support for South Koreas policies. This understanding of public diplomacy highlights the need to not only change international opinions but also ensure that these opinions align with and support the countrys policies.

Furthermore, the strategy emphasises the involvement of the private sector in South Koreas public diplomacy efforts. In the case of North Korea, the government aims to establish an inter-Korean social and cultural governance through a consultative platform involving private exchange organisations. This platform seeks to foster collaboration in areas such as religion, academia, and history. By engaging the private sector, South Korea recognises the potential for greater synergy and effectiveness in its public diplomacy initiatives.

Strategic communication with like-minded allies is also a priority for South Koreas government. The strategy emphasises the importance of maintaining close ties and effective communication with key allies such as the United States, Japan, the European Union, and Australia, particularly on matters of overall economic security. This focus on strategic communications highlights the understanding that strong alliances and partnerships are crucial for national security and can be reinforced through effective public diplomacy efforts.

The United States serves as another notable example of a country that ties public diplomacy to national security. Public diplomacy has been a key aspect of US foreign policy since the World Wars and has evolved over time. From the United States Information Agency to its current placement within the State Department, public diplomacy is employed with the national security interests of the US in mind. The US government utilises various tools and platforms to shape international narratives, promote American values, and build relationships with foreign audiences. One of the key arms working for the US public diplomacy strategy is the Bureau of Cultural and Educational Affairs which spearheads some of the popular cultural exchange programs. One of the key objectives of these exchanges is to ensure a favourable opinion of the US, its culture and policies, and at the same time ensure networks and skills are being imbibed in those partaking in these exchanges. The US also actively encourages its private sectors to partake in its broader strategic communications orientations that aid its national security interests.

However, it is important to differentiate between interference and influence when employing public diplomacy. China, as an autocratic party state in Asia, employs public diplomacy with the objective of interference rather than influence, resorting to strategies such as public opinion warfare, legal warfare, and psychological warfare, spearheaded by the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). China takes a keen interest in maintaining control over public opinion. The United Front, in addition to the PLA under the Chinese Communist Party, is tasked with mobilising the partys friends to strike its enemies. This highlights the clear difference in approach between democracies like South Korea and autocracies like China in Asia when it comes to tying public diplomacy to national security.

Japan has recently revised its overseas development assistance diplomacy strategy for the first time since 2015 in alignment with its security interests. Countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Israel also continue to employ public diplomacy to advance their national security interests.

Indias approach to public diplomacy and its connection to national security requires further development and firm coherence. While the Ministry of External Affairs annual report of 2022 includes an external publicity and public diplomacy section, the emphasis seems to be solely on the publication division, overlooking the broader concept of public diplomacy. To effectively tie public diplomacy to national security and foster favourable international opinion for its policies, India should expand its understanding and implementation of public diplomacy, recognising it as more than just a publicity or propaganda mechanism.

Indias public diplomacy needs to be tied to national security with trust as a major underpinning. With an unpredictable world and hostile neighbours, it is important for India to consider why it needs to win friends and allies and then carefully plan how to achieve this. Deeply studying and evaluating the mechanisms of public diplomacy in countries such as South Korea, the United States, and possibly Japan will certainly provide valuable insights and guidance. By learning from successful examples and adapting strategies to its own context, India can effectively tie public diplomacy to its national security objectives.

The writer is an Author and Researcher. Views expressed are personal.
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis state visit to the US, a Modiji Thali was launched this week at New Jerseys Mehek restaurant; curated by its owner-chef Shripad Kulkarni, it features among other vegetarian delights khichdi, sarson da saag, kothimbir vadi, dhokla and Kashmiri dum aloo. A Jaishankar Thali may be added soon. Meanwhile, chef Srijith Gopinathans Copra topped the Robb Reports list of the 10 best new restaurants in the US, which also released this week.

These two events bookend the fact that Indian cuisine is finally coming into its own in the US, forming the perfect backdrop for the prime ministers landmark visit. And many eyes will be on the White House state banquet as well as the private dinner for him hosted by the Bidens the night before. Earlier at a similar dinner in the White House in 2014 with then President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Modi only had lukewarm lime water because it happened to be Navratri.

It was rumoured that the Obamas were planning an all-vegetarian meal but as he was fasting, they added the crisped halibut with ginger carrot juice alongside the saffron basmati rice and goat cheese and baby bell peppers for the other diners. Nine years later, much has changed in the US and India, and our cuisine has certainly risen in profile since, giving the Filipino-American White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford plenty of food for thought.

A glance at the White House menus since the first ever visit by an Indian PM  Jawaharlal Nehru in 1949  shows that the US is more mindful now than before about the palates of foreign leaders. Back then, President Harry S Trumans chef had actually decided on oxtail soup for the state dinner. Luckily, the faux pas was averted but only at the 11th hour as the typed menu in the presidential records shows Soup Juliene (sic) written by hand, crossing out the bovine broth!

The White House chroniclers also may not like to remember that during the state dinner for President S Radhakrishnan in 1963, the Kennedys offered a distinctly French menu (as they did for Nehru in 1961) featuring salmon in aspic, followed by roast spring lamb with rice a lorientale and spinach a la creme, ending with bombe glace aux peches. As even ice creams used egg yolks for richness, what our vegetarian president ate that evening remains unknown.

But White House chefs played it safe thereafter, sticking to fish and fowl, including pheasant breast, for Indira Gandhis first visit as PM, though she had attended three other dinners previously as daughter of the Indian PM". Curiously, she was served pheasant again when she was hosted by her bete noire Richard Nixon in 1971. The only red meat to feature on White House menus for Indian PMs since the oxtail blunder has been lamb. Lessons have been learnt.

In 2000, for the official dinner that the Clintons hosted for then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the menu included Darjeeling tea smoked poussin (chooza), chilled green pea (matar) and cilantro (dhania) soup, marble potatoes, wild salmon, red kuri squash and rice, bean ragout (lobia), young greens and herb salad and for dessert, mango and banner lotus, litchis and raspberry sauce or a mysterious majestic tigers delight. Attention was clearly turning to Indian palates.

By the time then PM Manmohan Singh was hosted by President George W Bush in 2005, more Indian accents were evident. Not only were the tablecloths made of saffron and gold silk and the chrysanthemum flower arrangements resembled trumpeting elephants, but the fish main course was accompanied by a rice dish that seemed distinctly pulao-like: basmati dotted with pistas and raisins. And the dessert was Lotus Blossom Mango, Chocolate-Cardamom and Cashew.

And when Singh went for a second state visit in 2009, the Obamas offered very American-desi fare: potato and eggplant salad (aloo baingan) with onion seed (kalonji) vinaigrette, red lentil (masoor dal) soup with fresh cheese (paneer), aged basmati, potato dumplings (batata vada) with tomato chutney, chickpeas (chana) and okra (bhindi), green curry prawns with smoked collard greens (saag) and coconut, ending with pumpkin (kaddu) tart and cashew brittle (chikki).

Going by this progression, the 2023 menu for PM Modi should be even more Indian, given that the Biden administrations tally of Indian-American officials is also the highest ever now. And Comerfords appointment itself was said to have been the result of her excellent handling of the first White House dinner for Singh in 2005. If she can pull off, say, an all-vegetarian meal using elements of both US and Indian culinary traditions, she could start another new trend.

Over the past decade there has been a veritable explosion of high-quality desi cuisine outlets in the US. This has resulted in Michelin stars for Indian restaurants there, including most recently, the south Indian cuisine focused Semma in New York. Moreover, Chef Meherwan Iranis Chai Pani cafe in obscure Asheville, North Carolina, was also declared Americas Most Outstanding Restaurant in 2022 by the James Beard Foundation, widely regarded as Americas food Oscars.

And now Gopinathans Copra in San Francisco and chef Sujan Sarkars Indienne in Chicago have had dream debuts on the US food scene thanks to their listing in the latest Robb Report. And Indian names in the culinary world are no longer rare, from the late chef Floyd Cardoz, Suvir Saran, Chintan Pandya, Vikas Khanna and many others to restaurateurs like Ashok Bajaj and Roni Mazumdar, TV foodies Aarti Sequeira and Padma Lakshmi, and more.

Yet Indian food still lags behind Chinese and Italian in the US, unlike in the UK where curry colonised the British palate before Indians began to dominate the culinary scene  and now the political arena too. Though big US companies and even the World Bank have Indian-origin bosses, Hollywood has Indian stars, the US vice-president is part Indian and high-quality Indian cuisine is making waves, there is still a way to go before our jalebis rival donuts and chaat takes on tacos.

That is where gastro-diplomacy by PM Modis visit can give a fillip to smaller Indian eateries. In May, the PM exhorted the desi diaspora in Sydney to get his Australian counterpart to taste chaat and jalebis. In Washington DC, PM Modi can persuade the Bidens to try desi food, though not necessarily Modiji Thali. Biden has chatted with Indian restaurateurs before but not tasted the food. He and many Americans already love quesadillas and churros; why not parathas and jalebis next?

(The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed are personal)
In recent days, the media has been embroiled in a fervent debate surrounding a spurious myth, which suggests that the British were the architects of the political union known as India. However, this notion stands as an absurd assertion, as India as a unified cultural entity, has thrived for millennia. Any doubts concerning this fact can be dispelled by revisiting the pages of ones school history books and delving into the chapters that recount the grandeur of the Maurya Empire.

The statement that India was never a nation has its origins in British scholars and administrators of the 19th century who were eager to discredit the rising national movement. In 1833, JR Seeley described India as a mere geographical expression with no sense of national unity. In 1884, John Strachey, an Indian civil servant, said to Cambridge alumni that there is not and never was an India and it will never become a united nation. Those who assert that India lacks historical identity as a nation are merely echoing the narratives propagated by colonial British authorities. What is crucial to acknowledge though is that throughout most of its history, Britain itself was merely a geographical entity, devoid of significant political connotations or a singular cultural identity.

The history of the British Isles predominantly chronicles a succession of waves of invaders displacing and obliterating their predecessors, thereby shaping its geopolitical landscape. From ancient times, the British Isles served as an attractive prize for ambitious conquerors seeking to establish their dominion due to the islands strategic position, abundant resources, and fertile lands. The notion of Anglo-Saxon ancestry, often touted as a quintessential facet of English heritage, is nothing more than a modern myth. The English people do not descend from a homogeneous group, but rather from a diverse amalgamation of various lineages. These islands have witnessed a relentless ebb and flow of various peoples, each leaving an indelible mark on the cultural, social, and genetic fabric of the region. This historical reality has persisted within their culture and even within their genetic makeup.

It is noteworthy that the notion of a distinct British identity materialized as recently as 1707. Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland passed away in 1603, and James VI of Scotland succeeded her as James I of England, uniting the thrones. He sought to create a unified state called Great Britain, but attempts to formally unite Scotland and England through Acts of Parliament failed in 1606, 1667, and 1689. In 1698, the Company of Scotland sponsored the Darien scheme, a failed effort to establish a Scottish trading colony in Panama. Despite raising funds from Scottish and foreign investors, including Amsterdam, Hamburg, and London, the project faced opposition from English commercial interests and pressure from the East India Company, which was intent on maintaining its monopoly over English foreign trade. Consequently, the East India Company exerted pressure on English and Dutch investors, compelling them to pull out of the scheme. In addition, the company threatened legal action, arguing that the Scots lacked the kings authorisation to raise funds beyond his realm, resulting in the mandatory refunding of subscriptions to Hamburg investors. With this development, Scotland was left with no financial source except itself.

The colonists faced military conflict with Spain and succumbed to tropical diseases, resulting in economic disaster for Scottish investors. This weakened resistance within the Scottish political establishment and contributed to the eventual support for the political union with England, despite widespread public opposition and riots. The negotiations for the union between England and Scotland were marred by controversy and a lack of popular support. The Scottish commissioners were predominantly from the governing Court Party, while the Opposition was minimal. The English side consisted mainly of government ministers and Whigs who favoured the union. The negotiations took place separately, with written proposals exchanged. The Acts of Union were ratified amid fierce debates and civil disorder in Scotland. The union was deeply unpopular among the Scottish population, and there were talks of an uprising. Financial incentives to Scottish parliamentarians have been criticised for undermining the legitimacy of the vote, with some even characterising it as a coerced union.

Ultimately, the Kingdom of Great Britain was formed on May 1, 1707, with Queen Anne becoming the first monarch of the unified throne. The Union of 1707, also known as the Treaty of Union, brought together England and Scotland under the name Great Britain. This union sought to create a more centralised and cohesive political structure, merging the parliaments of both nations into the Parliament of Great Britain. It aimed to solidify political alliances, facilitate economic integration, and project British influence on the global stage. The formation of this union, however, did not eradicate the distinct cultural identities and historical legacies of England, Wales, and Scotland. Each region maintained its own unique cultural traditions, languages, and customs. In fact, if Scotland were to vote for independence in the coming years, the concept of Britain or the United Kingdom would cease to exist.

Throughout recorded history, the British Isles have comprised multiple cultural groups and identities. Many of these factions looked outward, forging closer connections with their maritime neighbours in Ireland and continental Europe, rather than naturally aligning with their fellow islanders who were harder to reach. In the 5th and 6th centuries, Germanic tribes, notably the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes migrated to the British Isles from continental Europe. Their arrival, coupled with conflicts with the indigenous Celtic populations, led to the gradual establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms across the region. This period witnessed the displacement and assimilation of the Britons, laying the foundation for the English identity. The 9th and 10th centuries marked the arrival of Viking raids and subsequent Scandinavian conquests. Norse seafarers, known as Vikings, pillaged and settled in various parts of the British Isles. They established their own kingdoms, such as the Danelaw in England and the Norse-Gaels in Scotland and Ireland, leaving a lasting impact on the local culture and language. Furthermore, even the cultural influence attributed to the so-called Anglo-Saxons waned with the Norman Conquest of 1066 when William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, successfully invaded England. The Normans introduced a new ruling elite and profoundly transformed English society by bringing their own language, legal systems, and cultural norms, in the process displacing the old Anglo-Saxon elite, prompting many of them to flee the country entirely. Thus, the Anglo-Saxon era, which lasted for four or five centuries and concluded a millennium ago, failed to leave a substantial or lasting impact on the genetic makeup of the British population.

The conquests of the British Isles were not unidirectional either. The islands also witnessed attempts by the native populations to resist and reclaim their lands. Notable examples include the Welsh resistance against Anglo-Norman rule and the Scottish Wars of Independence against English dominance.

In contemporary times, the term Anglo-Saxon is frequently employed as a convenient designation by individuals who hold reservations towards future immigration. However, although this term encompasses certain cultural aspects from the post-Roman and early medieval periods, it has never been an accurate representation of a distinct biological ethnicity or an indigenous population. The notion of a homogeneous Anglo-Saxon identity fails to align with the intricate complexities revealed by DNA evidence, which indicates that the people of that era were, in fact, a diverse amalgamation of ancestral backgrounds, cohabiting and intermingling with one another. It, therefore, makes no sense to view Britain in isolation; we must consider it a part of the broader Atlantic Archipelago along with Ireland. Geographically situated closer to continental Europe and sharing historical ties with the surrounding regions, the British Isles can be seen as part of the larger North Sea world, akin to Scandinavia.

Turning our attention to the United States, we must recognise that while it initially emerged as an English-speaking colony of Britain, founded upon the genocide of Native Americans, it has undergone significant demographic shifts despite retaining much of the English political and legal systems. The American population has exploded by a factor of over 100 since declaring independence, primarily fueled by slavery and subsequent waves of immigration, neither of which heavily drew from England, which makes America not really an ethnic English country anymore. In a recent US census, only a mere 8.7 percent of Americans identified their ancestry as English, placing it fourth behind German, Irish, and African-American heritage. Its history and demographic shifts have fostered a vibrant and heterogeneous society that encompasses a multitude of heritages and cultural traditions. Embracing this history allows us to acknowledge the true essence of the United States as a land of diverse origins and a testament to the collective experiences of its people.

The pernicious colonial myth that propagates British creation narratives in England, America, and India must be unequivocally dismantled. It is true that Angle and Saxon raiders are a significant part of English history, just as British rule is part of American history. But nations and histories are far greater than their erstwhile ruling classes.

While the British did exert rule over India and their influence is evident in various aspects such as the government, legal system, free-market economy, and the English language, it is important to recognise that modern-day India is not a part of the Anglosphere. Neither America nor India is anywhere near majority English, and even modern-day England is not ethnically Anglo-Saxon. The complexities of these nations histories, intertwined with various cultural influences and demographic shifts, defy simplistic narratives of singular origins. It is imperative to acknowledge the contributions of multiple ancestral lineages, indigenous populations, and subsequent waves of immigration that have shaped their societies. It is only by delving into the depths of history and debunking the fallacies surrounding British creation that we can unravel a more comprehensive understanding of the identities that define these nations and liberate ourselves from the clutches of colonial hegemony.

The author is an accomplished data engineer and public markets investor with a deep understanding of the financial, IT, and energy sectors. He tweets @DeepakInsights. Views expressed are personal.
There is a good reason why Uttarakhand is known as Devbhoomi. About ten dozen Hindu religious spots are strewn across this sacred geography. With Haridwar, Rishikesh, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Uttarkashi, Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Guptakashi, Gaumukh and a long string of iconic religious places, the state is the nerve centre of Bharats spiritual geography.

In the 2011 census, Hindus were roughly 83 percent of Uttarakhands population and Muslims were 14 percent. However, both locals and the state government have lately started flagging a demographic shift, especially around religious centres like Haridwar.

Recently, the kidnapping of a minor Hindu girl, allegations of love jihad and forceful conversions, led to a massive Hindu backlash in Purola town. Saffron rallies came out, shops of Muslim traders were marked, and they were told to leave.

Two years ago, the BJP government in Uttarakhand resolved to remove illegal encroachments by batches of migrants arriving and settling down. Masjids and minarets suddenly started adorning townscapes. The government officially stated that it was investigating criminal elements who have come in and illegal land deals.

There have been 18 complaints of love jihad and conversions since 2018 till date under the Freedom of Religion Act. Now, the Uttarakhand police are looking into the validity of every interfaith marriage in the state in that period.

The state government reportedly got intelligence input that there is a conspiracy to push Muslim families  including illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas from UPs Saharanpur and other areas  into Uttarakhand and then on to Himachal. According to some reports, the state has the second fastest-growing Muslim population after Assam.

The question locals are asking is whether this is a conspiracy to gradually push out the majority from one of their holiest lands. Uttarakhand also shares a 350 km border with China and is strategically very sensitive in terms of national security.

The other state which is on alert after great initial apathy over a demographic takeover is Jharkhand. There has been a steady flow of reports of infiltration, forced conversions, and mob violence. The state was one of the worst affected during the Sar Tann Se Juda mob rage over BJPs leader Nupur Sharma quoting the Hadith on air.

In 2018, a Muslim mob chanting Pakistan zindabad in Pakur attacked and nearly killed a senior police contingent, which had to fire 250 rounds to escape.

Recently, a minor Hindu girl committed suicide reportedly over being ensnared by a Muslim man with a fake identity and being pressured to convert.

Jharkhand recorded a 14.5 percent Muslim population in 2011 but recent reports of a demographic takeover of the largely tribal state has raised concerns in the administration. Banned Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) had a special focus on Jharkhand.

A June 2023 memo from the superintendent of police, Ranchi, says infiltration of illegal Bangladeshis in tribal areas has shot up. It asks all district collectors to alert the administration about any such infiltration and land takeover in their respective areas.

Jharkhand is again a sensitive state close to the Bangladesh border. It has been part of Al Qaedas Greater Bangladesh plan to carve out an Islamic state from parts of Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Jharkhand. It is close to Chickens Neck, one of Indias geographically vulnerable tracts. Besides, it is the most mineral-rich region in the country.

Both Uttarakhand and Jharkhand are not large states which regularly get attention. But these are vital to the nation and civilisations body and soul, and wounds inflicted on them quietly should be dealt with the full force of the Indian State.

Abhijit Majumder is a senior journalist. Views expressed are personal.
The Bharatiya Janata Party is again on a mission to win the upcoming assembly elections this year. The party is in the process of finalising a list of 3,000 Shakti Kendra (units focused on strengthening booth-level preparations for elections) incharges from across the country to deploy them for the forthcoming polls in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Mizoram for 10 days.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on June 27 and address 10 lakh party workers via videoconferencing from Bhopal. All these 3,000 BJP workers will be present there in the city on the day. The PM will have an open Q&A session with the BJP Shakti Kendra incharges from across the country.

Party sources have said that all these 3,000 BJP workers will leave immediately after the session from Bhopal to their allocated states and will return only on July 6. This will be a 10-day programme and each one of them will have to visit 10 mandals in a state. They will also spread the message of the PM in the five poll-bound states.

Sources also added that there are more than 6,000 applications from different parts of the country from the partys Shakti Kendra incharges but only 3,000 will be selected through a stringent process planned for this. All these workers will reach Bhopal on June 26 and, under the Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot programme, the PM will give a guru mantra to all of them in the presence of BJPs national president JP Nadda.

With this visit to Bhopal, Prime Minister Modi will sound the poll bugle for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections this year. He will also flag off the Jabalpur-Indore Vande Bharat Express. BJP leaders in Madhya Pradesh are confident that PM Modis visit to Bhopal before the assembly elections in MP will boost the morale and confidence of party workers in the state.

The state unit of the party has also requested the Prime Minister to hold a roadshow in Bhopal for which final approval is still awaited from the PMO. PM Modi during the visit is also likely to go to Dhar district on the same day to participate in a programme by tribal people.
The Opposition may be tom-tomming its June 23 meet as a show of strength but so far as the Congress and Trinamool Congress bond is concerned, it seems the blow cold, blow cold relationship is here to stay.

On Friday, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee hit out at Congress in Kakdwip, calling the party the best friend of BJP. Congress is the biggest friend of CPIM and BJP. You want support from us in Parliament, we will do that against BJP but remember, in Bengal, you run your house with CPIM. Dont ask for help here in Bengal.

The chief ministers statement raised eyebrows in political circles, especially at a time when the Opposition is trying to cobble together an alliance to take on the BJP.

It also prompted a strong reaction from Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who termed Banerjee a Trojan horse. Mamata plays with BJP. Whenever there is opposition unity, she is the one who disturbs it. She is the Trojan horse. She should understand that she is a leader due to Congress daya (sympathy). Why will Congress seek her help?

The Panchayat Polls Challenge

With panchayat elections round the corner in Bengal, Congress is trying to put up a good fight against TMC in certain pockets.

In the Murshidabad area, considered Chowdhurys bastion, two deaths have taken place from both parties each during the nomination process. The Congress leader has now sought central forces in the state  much like the BJPs demand.

The Grand Old Party is also trying to dent the TMCs minority vote bank  a fact that TMC realised when the Congress defeated it in the Sagardighi bypolls. Sagardighi has more than 50 per cent minority vote and though the Congress MLA Byron Biswas later joined TMC, facing defeat in the area remains a concern, said a senior leader.

After the 2021 Bengal election result, Banerjee went to Delhi and called on Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in a meeting that was widely seen as firming of ties between the two parties. However, as TMC poached Sushmita Dev and Mukul Sangma as part of its national expansion plans, the relations soured once again.

Apart from this, the TMC is not ready to let the Congress play the role of big brother in the opposition camp. Sources said TMC is not interested in sharing stage with Congress but since the BJP is a bigger enemy, it will have to be seen in the same frame as the Grand Old Party.

Opposition players like Sharad Pawar, Nitish Kumar, and Akhilesh Yadav are working hard to ensure seamless ties on the national level but coexistence of the TMC and Congress seems difficult.

Now, with panchayat elections round the corner, the ties seem to have hit an all-time low.

While there are talks of putting up a joint candidate against BJP in Bengal, Banerjee will not give any space to Congress. As per the chief minister, the opposition candidate should be picked depending on the strength of parties in a particular area.

As the two parties try to navigate the changed political scenario, it will be worth watching if the June 23 meeting is reduced to a photo opportunity or actually helps the Opposition put up a united front.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Friday welcomed a peace mission by African leaders to Ukraine, but warned only a "just" solution that treats Russia as the aggressor would work.

"I welcome the fact that African leaders have visited Kyiv and I think it is important to know that there are different efforts to find a solution," Stoltenberg said.

"But of course, any solution has to be a just and enduring peace."

The head of Western military alliance said, "We have one aggressor that's President (Vladimir) Putin and Moscow and the Russian forces and then you have a victim of aggression, which is Ukraine.

"Any efforts to find a peaceful solution have to take that as a starting point as the whole reason why we are in the situation we are today," he said.

The African delegation arrived by train in Kyiv on Friday morning and began their visit in Bucha, a town outside the capital that has become a symbol of the alleged war crimes carried out by Moscow.

The delegation due to hold talks with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky includes three presidents: South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa, Senegal's Macky Sall and Zambia's Hakainde Hichilema, plus Comoros' Azali Assoumani, who heads the African Union.

The high-level team hopes to bring to the table the voice of a continent that has badly suffered from the repercussions of the Ukraine war, including soaring grain prices.

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A delegation from Madurai, the Makkal Samugha Nidhi Pervai also known as the Peoples Social Justice Council, on Saturday met Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru.

The delegation wanted to present Siddaramaiah with a 10-kg gold-plated sengol as a symbol of caretaker of social justice. However, Siddaramaiah respectfully refused to take the sengol but agreed to accept a photo of Periyar.

CMO sources confirmed to News18 that the decision was taken by the Congress party not to accept sengol.

A sengol represents authority and power, while its presentation signifies the transfer of power and embodiment of justice for the people. In May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also installed a sengol in the new Parliament building that holds historical importance as it was used to officially enact the transfer of power from the British to India on August 14, 1947.

In Tamil culture, it symbolises righteousness; the delegation from Tamil Nadu believes that Siddaramaiah is a deserving recipient of the sengol. Manoharan from the Makkal Samugha Nidhi Pervai (MSNP) spoke to News18 about its significance and explained why they want to give Siddaramaiah this social justice sengol.

This sengol was different from the one installed in the new Parliament. While that one includes idols of Nandi and Lakshmi, this one features Periyars engraved idol. EV Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar, staunchly stood against the prevailing Brahminical hegemony and social disparities in Tamil Nadu and is celebrated as the Father of the Dravidian Movement.

The sengol installed by the prime minister has an image of Nandi, representing a specific class of people. It was turned into a Hindutva symbol. That sengol includes idols of Nandi and Lakshmi, symbols of Hinduism. In our sengol, we have chosen Periyar as a symbol of social justice. Therefore, it is appropriate to present this social justice sengol to Siddaramaiah. The sengol does not represent any specific caste or religion but signifies justice and power, Manoharan said.

The MSNP highlighted Siddaramaiahs promise to establish 75 per cent reservation for social justice and his decision to remove references to communal figures like RSS ideologue VD Savarkar from textbooks, which they consider a positive step.

We are giving him this social justice sengol because he is the chief minister who promptly removed Savarkar chapters from textbooks upon assuming office. He also repealed the cow slaughter act and has expressed his intention to implement 75% reservation for the backward classes. We support and want these initiatives. We appreciate his willingness to address these issues, Manoharan told News18 during an exclusive conversation.

Asked why Siddaramaiah was chosen, they said the group believed that he stood in support of the backward and oppressed classes. Today, he is the greatest hope against Sanatan Dharma. We believe that his advocacy for social justice has contributed to his electoral success. As he is a guardian of social justice, and we want the entire nation to know about him, we are presenting this on behalf of the Social Justice Sangam, the leader said.
Union minister and BJP veteran Nitin Gadkari has said that a politician once advised him to join the Congress, to which he replied that he would rather die by jumping into a well than become a member of that party.

The Minister of Road Transport and Highways also claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government carried out twice the amount of work in the country in the last nine years as compared to what the Congress did in the 60 years of its rule.

Addressing a gathering in Maharashtras Bhandara on Friday to mark the completion of nine years of the Narendra Modi government, Gadkari recalled his initial days of working for the BJP and talked about the partys journey.

He also recalled the advice once given by late Congress leader Shrikant Jichkar.

Jichkar once told me  You are a very good party worker and leader, and if you join the Congress, you will have a bright future. But I told him that I would rather jump into a well than join the Congress because I have strong faith in the BJP and its ideology and will continue to work for it," Gadkari said.

He also hailed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for instilling values in him in his younger days when he worked for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS.

Talking about the Congress, the minister said the party got split many times since its formation.

We should not forget the history of our countrys democracy. We should learn from the past for the future. During its 60 years of rule, the Congress gave the slogan of Garibi Hatao (eliminate poverty), but opened a series of educational institutions for personal gains," he said.

Gadkari hailed PM Modi for his vision of making India an economic superpower. The future of the country is very bright," he said.

In the last nine years, the BJP government has done twice the amount of work that the Congress could not carry out in the 60 years of its rule," he said.

The Union minister also said that when he was in Uttar Pradesh a few days back, he told the people that by the end of 2024, the roads in UP would be like the ones in the US.
With the UK prime minister Rishi Sunak making major tech-business related announcements at the countrys biggest technology event London Tech Week 2023, only one state government delegation from India attended it: Maharashtra government.

The Maharashtra government delegation at London Tech Week 2023 was headed by cabinet minister Uday Samant, who is currently in charge of industries. This delegation was actively seen hosting meetings with key stakeholders and industry players in the UK to attract investments to India. It also announced Maharashtras new IT policy with unique attention to infrastructure and skill development.

This delegation had their priorities clearly set: attract UK-based tech businesses to Maharashtra by offering them tangible incentives, access to Indias varied IT talent, upgraded infrastructure and nurture startups.

WATCH VIDEO: UK Wants To Work Together With India Startups: Trade Commissioner Harjinder Kang

The larger goal for Maharashtra is to expand its own silicon valley by pitching itself as a more competitive destination compared to Bengaluru, where property rents have soared over the years and infrastructure bottlenecks are now becoming a serious hindrance. The delegation promoted regions like Pune, Greater Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur, Nashik, Aurangabad, Wardha among others.

Along with minister Uday Samant, the CEO of Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) Dr. Vipin Sharma and Deepender Singh Kushwah, Development Commissioner (Industries) & Export Commissioner of Maharashtra government stressed on the importance of key infrastructure development in the state like the 700 km MumbaiNagpur Expressway (Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg) which will reduce the travel time between Mumbai and Nagpur from 16 hours to 8 hours.

Whats interesting is that this expressway connects key districts which have the potential to become Indias next big industrial corridor. MIDC CEO said that the state government is looking at creating nodes along this expressway and are willing to dedicate exclusive regions to club together different companies from the same foreign country. Two such nodes that the state government is promoting are AURIC (Aurangabad) and Dighi (Raigad).

We understand the comfort of doing business in a foreign land with familiar people surrounding you. We are ready to dedicate an exclusive UK zone along the corridor where all UK-based companies can operate together. Not just the UK, even companies from South Korea or Japan or others can have their own industrial zone, said Dr. Vipin Sharma, CEO, MIDC.

The Maharashtra government is ready to deliver all possible support for companies who are eager to open facilities in India. Majority of the UK-based companies who have their presence in India are operating from Maharashtra. Prominent UK-based IT companies like BT, Vodafone, Revolut, Barclays, Colt, ARK among others are already in Maharashtra and we are taking this opportunity at London Tech Week to welcome more British companies to India, said Deepender Singh Kushwah, Development Commissioner (Industries) & Export Commissioner of Maharashtra government.

Key aspects of Maharashtras new IT Policy announced in 2023

In order to fuel this IT corridor in Maharashtra, the delegation also shared plans to provide easy access to Indias IT talent. One concept that was highlighted was the creation of startup hostels. This will help early startups to save money on office rentals and accommodation and focus on product development.

The delegation explained this as a Walk to Work initiative where there will be a relaxation of eligibility (60:40/ 50:50) criteria and space utilisation norms to support the workforce of the future and allow for integrated working, living and social spaces.

We will also allow IT units to have the flexibility to work 24X7, decongest urban centres through Walk to Work complexes and support talent creation in growth hubs of the state, added Kushwah.

The government will set up the Maharashtra Hub (MHub), an initiative to promote innovation in Emerging Technologies & establish the state as a knowledge led economy including a fund of Rs 500 crore.

A Chief Operating Officer (COO) under M-Hub will be appointed as the Technology Ambassador of Maharashtra to drive the policy and performance mandate, added Dr. Sharma.

The state government is also focusing on creating Maharashtra Information Technology Interface (MAHITI), a Single window system for end-to-end support for all IT units Supporting existing colleges, skill institutes and training centres to launch competitions & hackathons in Maharashtra and provide a platform for talent growth.

The Indian IT industry is mostly perceived as a backend support and services segment but the government is aiming to change that. It will be promoting Super Specialised job roles in fields like AI research scientists, solution architects, Data scientists, Optical scientists, embedded, solutions engineers etc.

In order to promote future skills, the state government said that there will be Nationally competitive incentives to the AVGC and Emerging Technologies sectors.
Samsungs Galaxy Unpacked eventscheduled for late Julywill showcase its next-generation foldables, including the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Z Flip 5, the Galaxy Watch 6 series, and the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. But all eyes will be eager to see the new Galaxy Z Fold 5 model which now has competition from Oppo and even Google with its Pixel Fold in the market.

Reports suggest the new Fold model will have noticeable changes, like thinner internal bezels and the redesigned flash, which could be moved to the right of the camera module.

The smartphone is expected to be the highlight of the Galaxy Unpacked event, which Samsung has confirmed will take place in Seoul, South Korea. It marks the first time that the event is happening in Samsungs home country.

According to a new report, Samsungs upcoming flagship foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 5, will reportedly feature a 6.2-inch external screen. The information came from the tipster Ice Universe who claimed that the upcoming Z Fold 5 will retain the same 6.2-inch screen size on its outer display similar to its previous three generations, reports 9To5Google.

The tipster also suggested that the Z Fold 5 will have the same camera module as its predecessor. The brand is expected to launch the Z Fold 5 later this year alongside a new Flip device and Galaxy Watch, the report said.

In terms of specifications, the upcoming foldable smartphone is expected to feature a 108MP primary rear camera and an in-built stylus pen (S Pen) slot. The Z Fold 5 will also likely feature a droplet" style hinge that will likely lessen its display crease. Other reports mention that Samsung is unlikely to offer the 200MP camera on the Galaxy Z Fold model.
Even before its release Adipurush was embroiled in controversies. Now, after its release nothing much has changed. The movie finally hit theatres on Friday, June 16, and reviews have been pouring in ever since then. For those who dont know, it offers a modern interpretation of the Hindu epic Ramayana. On day 1 of its release, many bizarre events have unfolded that have made headlines.

Also Read: Man Compares Eknath Shinde With Adipurush Character, Thane Police Respond

From VFX being criticised to a money entering the theatre during the screening, day one has surely been one hell of a roller coaster ride. Here are a few events that you cannot miss:

Prabhas Fans Thrash Cine-Goer After He Compared Films VFX With PlayStation

At one of the theatres, there was a skirmish post screening after a cine-goer was beaten up for giving a negative review to the film. According to the video, the person was giving a media interview where he said that Prabhas did not fit the role of Lord Ram. He also criticised the graphics and VFX of the movie and claimed that they were worse than PlayStation graphics. This is when a hoard of fans started hurling abuses at him. Here is the viral video:

Someone gets beaten up for revealing the fact that #Adipurush movie is not good. The violence of the Amba fans & sanghies has crossed the line #BoycottAdipurush #DisasterAdipurush #AdipurushReview pic.twitter.com/XThdxXf2Bz  Rocky  (@FkKc82nshwY6ZYr) June 16, 2023

Man Attacked For Allegedly Sitting in Hanumans Seat in Theatre

Another video which went viral shows a man being beaten up for allegedly sitting in the seat set aside as a mark of offering for Lord Hanuman. The incidents took place during one of the first shows of Adipurush. In the video, a mob was seen beating up a man and abusing. A user shared the video claiming, A person was attacked by Prabhas fans for sitting in a seat allocated to Lord Hanuman in Bramarambha theatre Hyderabad in the early hours of this morning. (Audio muted due to abusive words)."

A person was attacked by Prabhas fans for sitting in a seat allocated to Lord Hanuman in Bramarambha theatre Hyderabad in the early hours of this morning. (Audio muted due to abusive words)#Prabhas #PrabhasFans #Adipurush #AdipurushReview pic.twitter.com/2dkUhQFNVi Kartheek Naaga (@kartheeknaaga) June 16, 2023

Adipurush Audience Screams Hanuman After A Monkey Enters Theatre

In a video shared on Twitter, one could see a monkey poking his head from an orifice of the theatre auditorium. The money is looking towards the screen where Adipurush is playing. Meanwhile, the people can be heard screaming in unison. Some of them also chant and hum the Jai Shree Ram song from the film. The video has now been deleted.

Thane Police On Lookout For Man Who Compared Eknath Shinde With Adipurush Character

A Twitter user took to the micro blogging platform and shared how Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde looks similar to one of the characters in Adipurush. Abhay mentioned how the character of Lord Hanuman looks similar to Mr Shinde.

As a result, Thane Police was quick to notice this and immediately responded to the tweet. Please share your contact no via DM, read the reply from the department. They also shared a number in the comments thread. Many people also hopped in and wished the man luck for messing with the CM.

Maharashtra: Police on look out for man who allegedly shared post on social media comparing CM Shinde with a character from film 'Adipurush' Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 16, 2023

As a result, many took to the social media site and asked where is Freedom of Speech.

Also Read: Saif Ali Khans Look As 10-Headed Ravana in Adipurush Slammed By Fans
After being embroiled in several controversies, Adipurush finally hit the theatres on Friday, June 16, and reviews have been pouring in ever since then. The movie features Kriti Sanon as Sita, Saif Ali Khan as Ravana, and Sunny Singh as Laxman. Ever since its release, there have been several tweets about the VFX, cinematography, dialogues and much more.

Also Read: Adipurush Dialogues Make Everyone Cringe Hard. Twitter Asks, Do Gods Talk Like That?

Man Mocks Eknath Shinde

Amid all of this, a Twitter user took to the micro blogging platform and shared how Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde looks similar to one of the characters in Adipurush. Abhay mentioned how the character of Lord Hanuman looks similar to Mr Shinde. Here, have a look at the tweet:

Thane Police Takes Cognisance

As a result, Thane Police was quick to notice this and immediately responded to the tweet. Please share your contact no via DM, read the reply from the department. They also shared a number in the comments thread. Many people also hopped in and wished the man luck for messing with the CM.

Please share your contact no via DM. Thane City Police -   (@ThaneCityPolice) June 16, 2023

PTI Reports

Lending a hand to the police, news agency Press Trust of India reported the same. A tweet by PTI read, Maharashtra: Police on look out for man who allegedly shared post on social media comparing CM Shinde with a character from film Adipurush.

Maharashtra: Police on look out for man who allegedly shared post on social media comparing CM Shinde with a character from film 'Adipurush' Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 16, 2023

People Question Freedom of Speech

Ever since all of this happened, many took to the social media site and asked where is Freedom of Speech. Some also mentioned how the Police department cannot understand humour. All the crime is vanished from Thane so the Thane Police is left with only this work. They are officially working as media monitors to eradicate negative comments about a film. Sadly, they cannot differentiate between humour and derogatory comment, read one of many such tweets.

Meanwhile, according to multiple film trade analysts, Adipurush will easily cross the Rs 50 crore mark on the first day of its release. The movie offers a modern interpretation of the Hindu epic Ramayana. Even though the film is getting mixed reviews, fans are all praise for Prabhas and Kritis performances.

Also Read: Om Rauts Old Tweet Trolling SRKs FAN Goes Viral As Adipurush Gets Panned Online
Discovering buried artefacts have always been the perfect way to find a glimpse into the past. This ancient sword discovery is one such archaeological find. A team of researchers from the Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection, Germany, has uncovered a remarkably well-preserved bronze sword. This weapon dates back over 3,000 years. It was found in the region of Nordlingen, Germany. This significant discovery sheds light on the Bronze Age and offers valuable insights into the material culture and burial practices of the time. In a statement released by the Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection, the bronze sword was unearthed as part of a burial site. It was found as grave goods alongside the remains of three individuals: a man, a woman, and a teenager. The fact that these individuals were buried together raises intriguing questions about their relationship and the cultural significance of the burial.

What makes this sword particularly exceptional is its remarkable state of preservation. The bronze surface of the sword has retained its shine. This is a rare find because the weapon almost gleams as if it were a recent creation. The craftsmanship of the sword is evident in its design, featuring an octagonal hilt made entirely of bronze, a characteristic style of full-hilt swords from the Middle Bronze Age. General conservator Prof Mathias Pfeil, the head of the Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection, expressed excitement about this exceptional find, emphasizing its rarity and the need for further investigation.

Preliminary analysis suggests that the sword can be dated to the end of the 14th century BC, aligning it with the Middle Bronze Age.

Sword finds from this era are rare. These are often limited to deliberate burial mounds or individual sacrificial discoveries. Therefore, the latest discovery of a complete and well-preserved sword is of immense archaeological significance.

The manufacturing process of these octagonal swords is highly complex. It involves the casting of the handle over the blade, a technique known as overlay casting. The swords decoration includes inlays and hallmarks. It showcases the skill and artistry of the Bronze Age craftsmen. Interestingly, while the sword displays two real rivets, another pair of rivets is implied, indicating the meticulous attention to detail in its construction.

The distribution patterns of octagonal swords suggest two main areas: southern Germany and northern Germany/Denmark. It is believed that some of the northern examples may be replicas or imitations of the southern German forms. Meanwhile, others could be genuine imports or the work of itinerant artisans.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday met with a group of leaders of African countries who traveled to Russia on a self-styled peace mission the day after they went to Ukraine.

Seven African leaders  the presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypts prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda  visited Ukraine on Friday to try to help end the nearly 16-month-old war.

The African leaders then traveled to St. Petersburg on Saturday to meet with Putin who is attending a business forum in Russias second-largest city.

Putin and the African leaders werent expected to comment after the meeting, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold a briefing.

Speaking at the forum on Friday, Putin declared that the first Russian tactical nuclear weapons have been deployed to Belarus, describing the move as a deterrent against Western efforts to defeat Russia in Ukraine. He previously said that the deployment would begin in July.

Asked if he could order the use of battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Putin said that there was no need for that but noted that Moscow could use its nuclear arsenals in case of a threat to the Russian statehood.

In that case, we will certainly use all the means that the Russian state has. There should be no doubt about that," he said.

The mission to Ukraine, the first of its kind by African leaders, comes in the wake of other peace initiatives  such as one by China  and carries particular importance for Africa, which relies on food and fertilizer deliveries from Russia and Ukraine. The war has impeded exports from one of the worlds most important breadbaskets.

This conflict is affecting Africa negatively, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a news conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and four other African leaders after their closed-door talks on Friday.

Ramaphosa and others acknowledged the intensity of the hostilities but insisted all wars must come to an end and emphasized their willingness to help expedite that.

I do believe that Ukrainians feel that they must fight and not give up. The road to peace is very hard, he said, adding that there is a need to bring this conflict to an end sooner rather than later.

The delegation, including Presidents Macky Sall of Senegal and Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, represent a cross-section of African views on the war.

South Africa, Senegal and Uganda have avoided censuring Moscow over the conflict, while Egypt, Zambia and Comoros voted against Russia last year in a U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning Moscows invasion.

Many African nations have long had close ties with Moscow, dating back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union supported their anti-colonial struggles.

Speaking during Fridays news conference, Comoros President Azali Assoumani floated the idea of a road map to peace, prompting questions from Zelenskyy who sought a clarification and insisted he didnt want any surprises from their visit with Putin.

Chances for peace talks look dim as Ukraine and Russia take sharply different stands. Ukraine demands that Russia withdraws its troops from all its occupied territories as a condition for peace talks. The Kremlin, in turn, wants Ukraine to recognize the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as part of Russia and acknowledge other land gains it has made.

China presented its own peace proposal at the end of February. Ukraine and its allies largely dismissed the plan, as the warring sides look no closer to a cease-fire.

The African peace mission comes as Ukraine launches a counteroffensive to dislodge the Kremlins forces from occupied areas, using Western-supplied advanced weapons in attacks in several sections of more than the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line.

In the village of Blahodatne, taken by Ukrainian forces in the counteroffensive six days ago, soldiers said they have orders to keep advancing and not retreat, indicating long grueling battles ahead in the direction where Russians have built up dense lines of fortifications.

Morale is really strong because the guys know theyre moving forward to liberate their lands, said a Ukrainian soldier with the callsign Skripal (Violinist). We have an order not to retreat and to move forward, so were trying."

Village roads are punctured with craters, buildings are caved in and bullet holes peppered nearly every residence. Inside a cultural center, a Ukrainian commander with the call sign Lermontov said that theyd captured many Russian soldiers during the liberation of the village and showed journalists four bodies whom he said were Russian fighters who had been recruited from prisons.
From Times Square and Niagara Falls to Princeton University and Hawaii, members of the Indian-American community are sending welcome messages from iconic US locations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his upcoming historic State Visit, expressing pride over his inspiring leadership.

India Association of North Texas welcomess PM Narendra Modis who will be visiting the White House on 22nd June. IANT will be present at the WH on this historic moment!! @cgihou @IndianEmbassyUS pic.twitter.com/D5Yv873OUH Urmeet Juneja (@Urmeetjuneja) June 17, 2023

Members of the diaspora and young Indian students are taking to social media such as Twitter to post their video messages welcoming PM Modi, who will arrive in New York on June 20 and will lead the 9th International Yoga Day celebrations at the UN headquarters on June 21.

The Indian leader will then travel to Washington DC where he will be welcomed by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on June 22 for the State Visit, which will include an address to the joint session of the US Congress and the historic State Dinner.

Long live India-US friendship! We would like to welcome Prime Minister @narendramodi for this historic State Visit, Hello and welcome, Prime Minister of India @narendramodi to this beautiful city, India-US ties are a force for global good and The Indian-American community is deeply proud of Prime Minister Modis inspiring leadership, some of the messages said.

The Consulate General of India in New York is tweeting the special video messages that members of the diaspora are sending from iconic American landmarks across the country.

As Consul General @nagentv looks to welcome honorable @PMOIndia @narendramodi on his visit to the #USA, the #DawoodiBohra communities from #California & across the country are pleased to join him, @CGISFO, & @IndianEmbassyUS in extending a warm welcome. Many American pic.twitter.com/CGHa5Cd2dz The Dawoodi Bohras of USA  (@Bohras_USA) June 16, 2023

These iconic locations include the Statue of Liberty, Niagara Falls, Princeton University in New Jersey, Columbia University and Columbia Business School in New York, National Museum of the US Air Force in Ohio, iconic New York landmarks Times Square, Brooklyn Bridge and The Edge, Wright Brothers Museum in Dayton, Ohio, Liberty Bell in Philadelphia as well as from New England and Hawaii.

VIDEO | Students of Nrityanjali Dance Academy in Virginia practice for a Bharatnatyam dance which they will showcase during PM Modis visit to the USA. pic.twitter.com/joVM2QBehk Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 17, 2023

Prominent US lawmakers, leaders and State Governors are also sending their welcome messages to the Indian Prime Minister.

US Senator from New Jersey and Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator Bob Menendez in a video message said that he joins the vibrant and important Indian-American community in his home state in welcoming Prime Minister Modi to Washington DC.

#HistoricStateVisit2023A message of #IndiaUSAFriendship from the breathtaking Niagara Falls! "We are super excited to welcome our Prime Minister @narendramodi ji's upcoming State Visit to the US." - Buffalo and Niagara Indian community.@IndianEmbassyUS@Yoshita_Singh@ANI pic.twitter.com/Yrmdp1zaf3  India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) June 16, 2023

Beginning his message with a Namaste, Menendez said the Prime Ministers State Visit is a significant moment in the US-India relationship.

Recalling the fond memories of his visit to India in 2019, the influential lawmaker said his trip provided a chance for him to meet with Indian civil society leaders, security and government officials as well as engage with Indias history, culture and diverse religious traditions.

Menendez recalled his visit to the Akshardham Temple, the Jama Masjid and the Golden Temple and commemorating Mahatma Gandhis 150th birthday. I hope Prime Minister Modi will have the same opportunities to experience all the richness of the United States during his visit," whether it is the incredible architecture of the US Capitol dome or the deep generosity of the American people, Menendez said as he wished the Indian leader well in his visit to Washington.

From our trade and economic engagement to our security cooperation to our people-to-people ties, the India-US relationship is critically important. We have made considerable strides in recent years, and I hope for even more in the future, he said.

He underlined that New Jerseys Indian-American community contributes to the states and nations economy, culture, and security. So let us pledge to work even harder to bring our two societies closer together and to make them both more prosperous in the years and decades to come, he said as he ended his message with Jai Hind and God bless America.

Welcoming Prime Minister Modi to the US, Delaware Governor John Carney said in a video message that he hopes the Indian leader enjoys his time in Washington DC.

This visit will serve as another way for India and the United States to strengthen our economic and cultural relationships, Carney said, recalling his recent visit to India during which he was struck by the kindness of the people he met there. He added that as Governor, he takes great pride in fostering the sister-state relationship with Gujarat and knows that my fellow Delawarean President Biden feels the same way.
Britains King Charles III Charles will take part in his annual birthday parade on horseback Saturday, the first time the monarch has ridden at the event since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1986.

The annual Trooping the Colour parade marks the British sovereigns official birthday.

The colourful display of regimental precision and pageantry is the first of 74-year-old Charless reign.

Charless actual birthday is on November 14 but British sovereigns celebrate twice  once in private and again in public.

The June parade tradition began in 1748 under King George II, who wanted a celebration in better summer weather, as his own birthday was on October 30.

The televised event begins with a procession from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade in central London.

Some 1,400 soldiers, 400 musicians and 200 horses are taking part, led in the parade by Juno, a 10-year-old shire mare, alongside three other Drum Horses  Perseus, Atlas and Apollo.

Drum Horses are the most senior animals in the army and hold the rank of major. They are traditionally named after figures from Greek mythology.

The minutely choreographed event has its origins in the display of colours or flags of different regiments to allow their soldiers to identify them in battle.

The 1st Battalion Welsh Guards will troop, or parade, their colour up and down the ranks this year.

Highs of 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) are forecast, but troops will likely feel hotter in their ceremonial black bearskin hats and thick red tunics.

Charles will be joined on horseback by his eldest son and heir, Prince William, his brother Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, and sister Anne, the Princess Royal.

William inspected troops from the Household Division group of senior regiments last weekend, and the high temperatures saw several soldiers faint.

As Prince of Wales, William is honorary colonel of the Welsh Guards.

After inspecting the troops and taking a royal salute, Charles  who as head of state is commander-in-chief of the armed forces  will lead soldiers back to the palace.

He will then join other senior members of the royal family to watch a fly-past of some 70 military aircraft over the British capital, after a 41-gun salute from nearby Green Park.

Bad weather cut short a planned fly-past at Charless coronation on May 6.

The late Queen Elizabeth last rode her horse Burmese, a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, at the parade in the mid-1980s.

After the horse, which she rode for 18 years, was retired in 1986 she decided to use a carriage for Trooping the Colour.

Last years parade was the last for the late queen, and formed part of four days of events to mark her record-breaking 70th year on the throne.

It was one of her final public appearances before her death, aged 96, in September.
Suspected Boko Haram jihadists have killed 11 farmers in northeast Nigeria, the latest attacks in the conflict-wracked region, local militias told AFP on Friday.

The attackers stormed farms on motorcycles in Kuwayangiya, a village 15 kilometres from Borno state capital Maiduguri, seizing 11 of them and slitting their throats, three anti-jihadist militia members said.

"The insurgents rounded up 11 farmers working on their fields, bound their hands behind their back and cut their throats," militia leader Babakura Kulo said.

The attackers chose not to use guns, hoping to avoid alerting soldiers and militia from nearby Molai village, said militia leader Umar Ari.

"All the 11 farmers were slaughtered and their bodies abandoned on the farms by the Boko Haram terrorists," Ari said.

All the victims were from neighbouring Dalwa village where for months, hundreds of people have been returning after fleeing to Maiduguri to escape incessant jihadist attacks, said Ibrahim Liman, from another militia, who gave the same death toll.

Since 2018 Borno state government has been returning people who fled their homes to escape the jihadist violence despite concern from international aid agencies about the risk of jihadist attacks.

Boko Haram and rival Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have increasingly targeted loggers, herders, farmers, fishermen and metal scrap collectors in their violent campaign, accusing them of spying and passing information to the military and the local militia fighting them.

Last month seven farmers and loggers were killed while 22 others were kidnapped in two separate attacks in Borno state's Banki district near the border with Cameroon.

At least 40,000 people have been killed and around two million displaced in the 14-year jihadist conflict which has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition to fight the militants.

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A former high-ranking White House official is all praise for India, lauding New Delhis contribution in the field of vaccine development during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as innovations coming out of indigenous work happening in the country.

With just a week left for Prime Minister Narendra Modis four-day visit to the United States, former White House Covid-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said there is a lot of excitement ahead of his first official trip to Washington.

We welcome PM Narendra Modi to the United States. This visit will enhance the relations between India and the United States. There is a lot of excitement for his visit here," Dr. Ashish Jha told news agency ANI.

The Indian-American physician, who was appointed as the White House COVID-19 Coordinator in April last year, is leaving the US administration towards the end of June.

Jha, 52, will return to Brown University, where he had served as the dean of the varsitys school of public health.

#WATCH | Washington DC | During the pandemic, we saw incredible life-changing innovations coming out of indigenous work happening in India, including the development of vaccines, testing efforts that India developed that the world was able to use. India is not just the pic.twitter.com/Do42CKf82e ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2023

The US is a crucial strategic partner of India in the Indo-Pacific and in the Quad framework, according to the annual report of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Last year, the Quad engagement acquired momentum and salience with the announcement of Working Groups and initiatives aimed at the delivery of public goods to countries in the Indo-Pacific vision.

PM Modis message of Quad being a force for global and regional good was endorsed by his Quad counterparts at the Tokyo Summit and exemplified by the delivery of Made in India vaccines under the Quad Vaccine Partnership.

Lauding Indias indigenous work in the field of vaccine development and other technologies, Dr. Jha told ANI that India is not just the manufacturing hub of biotechnology and it is becoming the innovation hub of biotechnology.

During the pandemic, we saw incredible life-changing innovations coming out of indigenous work happening in India, including the development of vaccines, testing efforts that India developed that the world was able to use. India is not just the manufacturing hub of biotechnology, it is becoming the innovation hub of biotechnology," the Indian-American physician added.

Read More: PM Modi In US: Prez Biden, First Lady to Host State Dinner; Egypt Visit On Way Back

This praise comes ahead of Modis first official state visit to the country, where he will attend a host of events- including a state dinner at the White House and a bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden.

PM Modi will be flying to New York on June 20, where he will lead the celebrations of International Yoga Day at the UN Headquarters on June 21.

Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a State Dinner in honour of PM Modi.

The prime minister will also address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress on June 22 (Thursday) at the invitation of Congressional Leaders.
President Vladimir Putin said this month that Russia was considering withdrawing from the Black Sea grain deal as he accused the West of cheating Moscow because it still faced obstacles getting its own agricultural goods to world markets.

Putin said he would discuss the future of the grain deal with visiting African leaders on Saturday.

THE PACKAGE DEAL

The United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative last July to help tackle a global food crisis worsened by Moscows invasion of Ukraine and blockade of its Black Sea ports.

It allows food and fertilizer to be exported from three Ukrainian ports - Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdennyi (Yuzhny). The deal has been extended three times, most recently until July 17.

Nearly 32 million tonnes of mostly corn and wheat have so far been exported by Ukraine under the deal. The initiative also allows for the safe export of ammonia - a key ingredient in nitrate fertilizer - but none has been shipped.

To convince Russia to agree to the initiative, a three-year pact was also struck last July in which the United Nations agreed to help Moscow overcome any obstacles to its own food and fertilizer shipments.

While Russian exports of food and fertilizer are not subject to Western sanctions imposed after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow says restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have amounted to a barrier to shipments.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said last week that the past months have shown tangible progress" on improving Russian exports, but added: Challenges remain but we will spare no effort to overcome all remaining obstacles."

WHY WERE THE DEALS NEEDED?

The poorest in the world were hit worst by the rising global food prices. The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) warned in March last year that its ability to feed some 125 million people was under threat because 50% of its grain came from Ukraine.

Between 20182020, Africa imported $3.7 billion in wheat (32% of total African wheat imports) from Russia and another $1.4 billion from Ukraine (12% of total African wheat imports), according to the United Nations.

The United Nations said last year that 36 countries count on Russia and Ukraine for more than half of their wheat imports, including some of the poorest and most vulnerable, including Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Somalia and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Under the Black Sea grain deal, more than 625,000 tonnes of grain has so far been shipped by the WFP for aid operations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Yemen. In 2022, WFP procured more than half its global wheat grain from Ukraine.

RUSSIAN COMPLAINTS

Putin complained that Russia has been cheated by the West because its own exports still faced problems.

The United States has dismissed Russias grievances. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said last month: It is exporting grain and fertilizer at the same levels, if not higher, than before the full scale invasion."

Putin said Russia only agreed to the deal for the sake of countries in Africa and Latin America but that only around 3.2-3.4% of the grain goes to the worlds poorest countries while 40% went to prosperous countries.

According to U.N. data, around 3% of exports under the Black Sea deal has gone to low-income countries, while high income countries get around 44% and the rest to middle-income states.

The United Nations has always said the deal was a commercial enterprise and not intended to be entirely humanitarian, but that it benefited poorer countries by helping lower food prices globally.

RUSSIAS DEMANDS

In a letter to U.N. officials in March, Russia spelled out the demands it wants met in exchange for its continued cooperation in the grain deal:

- Moscow wants the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) reconnected to the SWIFT payments system. The bank was cut off from SWIFT by the European Union in June last year over Russias invasion. An EU spokesperson has said the bloc is not considering the reinstatement of Russian banks.

As a workaround, U.N. officials got U.S. bank JPMorgan Chase & Co JPM.N to start processing some Russian grain export payments with reassurances from the U.S. government.

The United Nations is also working with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to create a platform to help process transactions for Russian exports of grain and fertilizer to Africa, the top U.N. trade official told Reuters last month.

Russia wants the resumption of its Black Sea ammonia exports via a pipeline from Russias Togliatti to Ukraines Pivdennyi port. The pipeline, which pumped up to 2.5 million tonnes of ammonia annually, was shut down by the war.

In September, Reuters reported that the U.N. proposed that Russian fertilizer producer Uralchem sell its ammonia to U.S.-headquartered commodities trader Trammo once it reaches the Russia-Ukraine border via the pipeline.

Until the ammonia pipeline is restarted, Moscow has said it will limit the number of vessels allowed to travel to Pivdennyi port under the Black Sea grain deal. U.N. data shows no ships have visited Pivdennyi port for more than a month.

Last week Russia accused Ukrainian forces of blowing up part of the pipeline, the worlds longest carrying ammonia, in Ukraines Kharkiv region. The regional Ukrainian governor said Russia had shelled the pipeline. Neither side provided evidence.

More than 400,000 tonnes of Russian fertilizer was also initially stranded in European Union ports after the war started, though U.N. officials have negotiated its release for export to Africa after Russia said it would be donated.

Russia also wants a resumption of supplies to Russia of agricultural machinery and spare parts; lifting restrictions on insurance and access to ports for Russian ships and cargo; and unblocking accounts and financial activities of Russian fertilizer companies.

RUSSIAN GRAIN, FERTILIZER EXPORTS

While exports of Russian wheat and some fertilisers have risen since the war, exports of Russian ammonia and potassium-based fertilizers have plummeted.

In the 2021-22 season, Russia exported 38.1 million tonnes of grain, including 30.7 million tonnes of wheat, while in the 2022-23 season, Putin said Russia is expected to export around 55-60 million tonnes of grain - likely to be a record.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Russias main wheat export markets are in the Middle East and Africa and exports to all regions have increased in the 2022-23 period.

While Russian exports of urea and potassium-based fertilisers diammonium and monammonium phosphate rose from Russia, exports of potassium-based fertiliser muriate of potash (MOP) fell 37% in 2022, according to trade data.
Suspected Boko Haram jihadists have killed 11 farmers in northeast Nigeria, the latest attacks in the conflict-wracked region, local militias told AFP on Friday.

The attackers stormed farms on motorcycles in Kuwayangiya, a village 15 kilometres from Borno state capital Maiduguri, seizing 11 of them and slitting their throats, three anti-jihadist militia members said.

The insurgents rounded up 11 farmers working on their fields, bound their hands behind their back and cut their throats," militia leader Babakura Kulo said.

The attackers chose not to use guns, hoping to avoid alerting soldiers and militia from nearby Molai village, said militia leader Umar Ari.

All the 11 farmers were slaughtered and their bodies abandoned on the farms by the Boko Haram terrorists," Ari said.

All the victims were from neighbouring Dalwa village where for months, hundreds of people have been returning after fleeing to Maiduguri to escape incessant jihadist attacks, said Ibrahim Liman, from another militia, who gave the same death toll.

Since 2018 Borno state government has been returning people who fled their homes to escape the jihadist violence despite concern from international aid agencies about the risk of jihadist attacks.

Boko Haram and rival Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have increasingly targeted loggers, herders, farmers, fishermen and metal scrap collectors in their violent campaign, accusing them of spying and passing information to the military and the local militia fighting them.

Last month seven farmers and loggers were killed while 22 others were kidnapped in two separate attacks in Borno states Banki district near the border with Cameroon.

At least 40,000 people have been killed and around two million displaced in the 14-year jihadist conflict which has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition to fight the militants.
Raghavendra, a resident of Maryland, United States, flaunted his car number plate NMODI" while speaking to the press ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis much-awaited US state visit.

#WATCH | A 'fan' of PM Narendra Modi flaunts "NMODI" car number plate in Maryland, USA pic.twitter.com/AO5WRwdGoa ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023

Raghavendra told ANI that he took the NMODI number plate in 2016, which was also his second year in the US, after getting inspired by the Prime Minister. He said the authorities initially denied giving him a number plate titled NARENDRA MODI but later he edited it to NMODI which was accepted.

#WATCH | "I took this plate back in 2016, November. Narendra Modi is an inspiration to me. He inspires me to do something good for the nation, for society, for the world. PM Modi is coming here so I'm eagerly waiting to welcome him," says Raghavendra pic.twitter.com/CMRHNdUuYU ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023

WATCH | Modiji Thali: New Jersey-based Restaurant Crafts Platter before PMs US State Visit, Dr Jaishankar Thali in Tow

He said that there is a strong relationship between India and the US and the Indian-American community wants the relationship to grow stronger. I took this plate back in November 2016, November. Narendra Modi is an inspiration to me. He inspires me to do something good for the nation, for society, for the world. PM Modi is coming here so Im eagerly waiting to welcome him, Raghavendra was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Raghavendra and thousands of Indian-Americans are eagerly waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrive in the US for his state visit.

The Prime Minister will be in the US from June 21 to June 24. He will begin his tour with an International Yoga Day event on June 21 with UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi and Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Amina J. Mohammed at the UN headquarters in New York and then on June 22 he will hold a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

He is expected to meet the Indian diaspora as well. He will also visit Egypt after he completes his trip to the US, marking his first visit to the North African nation.

Earlier, Indian-American chef Shripad Kulkarni went viral on social media for curating Modiji Thali The thali contains items ranging from khichdi, rasgulla, sarso da saag and dum aloo to Kashmiri, idli, dhokla, chaach, and papad.

We plan to launch this thali soon. Im very positive that its going to gain popularity. Once this does well I also plan to launch a Dr Jaishankar Thali, because he too has that rockstar appeal amongst the Indian American community, the restaurant management was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has stressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin that "Egypt supports all efforts which aim at finding a peaceful resolution to the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.

The Egyptian prime ministers remarks came in a speech during a meeting on Saturday with the Russian president in St Petersburg, in the attendance of a number of African leaders, who are on the second leg of an African peace mission to Ukraine and Russia to mediate a resolution for the conflict between the two countries.

The African peace mission to Ukraine and Russia, which includes the presidents South Africa, Senegal, Comoros and Zambia as well as representatives of the presidents of Uganda and Republic of the Congo, had met with Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelensky in Kiev on Friday on the first leg of its quest.

Egypt believes that reaching a comprehensive and sustainable settlement of the Russia-Ukraine crisis can be achieved through prioritising voice of reason and refraining from use of force, stressed PM Madbouly, who is participating in the African peace mission on behalf of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, and accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry.

Madbouly added in his speech that the joint African peace mission emanates from African leaders awareness of the depth of the crisis and its heavy repercussions on the peoples of Russia and Ukraine as well as on African citizens.

He stressed that the African peace mission seeks to put an end of the military conflict that claimed the lives of scores of civilians and military personnel and has cast a shadow on the resources of peoples and their food security.

This requires ending the ongoing conflict through an immediate ceasefire in order to pave the way for starting a serious track of negotiations, Madbouly said.

The Egyptian prime minister vowed that this African effort will continue in order to achieve the ultimate goal of reaching peace.

Russia appreciates mission



For his part, President Putin stressed during the meeting Moscows appreciation for the African states stance to support regional and international security and stability and resolve crises with peaceful means under this African peace initiative, according to a statement by the Russian Embassy in Cairo.

The Russian president also hailed the balanced position that these countries have adopted with regard to the Ukraine crisis, stressing "openness to constructive dialogue with anyone who wants to establish peace on the principles of fairness and acknowledgement of the legitimate interests of the parties, according to the statement.

Russia has never rejected to engage in talks with the Ukrainian side, Reuters quoted PresidentPutin as saying during his talks with the African peace mission.

The Russian president also blamed the West for the sharp rise in global food prices early last year, which have heavily affected the African countries, according to Reuters.

First leg in Kiev



On Friday, the African peace mission held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev, where they highlighted the need for lasting peace that would alleviate the suffering of peoples of the two warring countries as well as the people of African states, who have been heavily affected by the conflict.

In a joint press conference following the meeting, President Zelensky said peace talks with Russia can only be achieved after Moscow withdraws its forces from occupied Ukrainian territories.

Call for lasting peace



During the press conference, PM Madbouly said Egypt has been calling for the necessity to mobilise international efforts in order to defuse the crisis instead of escalating and fuelling the conflict.

Madbouly stressed that the African peace mission to Russia and Ukraine is a sincere and serious effort that aims to reach a sustainable settlement of the crisis.

We will continue our joint African effort to achieve the ultimate goal of this endeavour, which is peace, he added.

Since the military operations broke out between the two sides, Egypt has adopted a position that prioritizes the objectives of the United Nations Charter and the principles of international law, Madbouly noted.

These principles include the necessity to preserve states sovereignty and to settle conflicts with peaceful means, he added.

The Egyptian prime minister affirmed that the African mission to the two warring countries seeks to put an end to the conflict through the implementation of ceasefire and start of constructive talks.

This should lead to the establishment of a fair and sustainable settlement of the conflict, in a way that ensures the protection of international peace and security and ends the humanitarian suffering of civilians, he noted.

Africa: Impact of war



The Egyptian prime minister also underlined during the press conference the repercussions of the Ukraine crisis on African food security and the daily life of the African citizens amid a shortage in their basic needs, foremost of which are fertilizers and grains.

These repercussions come as wheat exports of Russia and Ukraine constitutes 23 percent of global market, Madbouly said.

Hence, it was necessary for the leaders of the African continent to use their good offices in order to stop the bloodshed and contain the negative effects and repercussions on the lives of citizens of both sides of the conflict and the African citizens alike, he stressed.

Egypt and other African countries which rely heavily on imports of wheat from Russia and the Ukraine have been hard hit by the disruption in supply chains and increasing prices of the strategic grain since the outbreak of war in February 2022.

Invitation to African leaders



In a tweet following the meeting, Zelensky said he discussed with the African delegation about the way to achieve a true and just peace without any Russian blackmail and deception.

Zelensky added that he invited African leaders and states to participate in the Global Peace Summit that Ukraine is preparing to host.

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Egypt mourns with great sadness and sorrow the victims whose boat sank off the Greek coast en route from Libya to Europe on Wednesday carrying hundreds of irregular migrants of different nationalities, including Egyptians.

In a statement on Friday, the Embassy of Egypt in Athens said it was following up with the concerned Greek authorities around the clock to confirm the identity and number of Egyptian victims.

It also said it was following up on the status of survivors who have been identified to provide them with the necessary services.

"Egypt reaffirms its condemnation, in the strongest terms, of the continued exploitation by organized gangs [of] those who are looking for better lives and work opportunities, exposing them to the risk of death," the statement added.

The statement pointed to Egypts decisive measures over the past years to put in place laws deterring the crime of irregular migration and anyone involved in organizing or facilitating it.

This comes in addition to the measures that have been taken to control the borders to prevent the exit of irregular migrants across the Egyptian coast

"The Egyptian government once again extends its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families and relatives of the victims of this painful accident, calling upon God the Almighty to grant them patience and solace."

Egypt has stepped up its efforts to deal with irregular migration since 2016, when it launched its first national strategy addressing the issue.

The strategy embraces a multi-pronged approach. It encompasses Law 82/2016, which sets out stiff penalties criminalising all forms of migrant smuggling. The law was toughened in 2022, raising fines and punishing those who fail to report the crime.

However, it also seeks to address the root causes of the issue, comprising initiatives to boost household incomes and provide employment in governorates that are the largest sources of irregular migrants.

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Americans all over the country might tell someone to "get out of the car." In South Florida, you might hear a slightly different version: "Get down from the car." Linguists say it's a not-random bit of slangit's evidence of an emerging American dialect that might be called Miami English. In the Conversation , sociolinguist Phillip Carter of Florida International University writes that the dialect is a result of decades of Spanish-English blending that began in earnest in 1959 with the Cuban Revolution. Hundreds of thousands of Spanish speakers have since arrived in South Florida, creating what Carter calls "one of the most important linguistic convergences in all of the Americas."

Take that "get down from the car" construction. It's "based on the Spanish phrase 'bajar del carro,' which translates, for speakers outside of Miami, as 'get out of the car.' But 'bajar' means 'to get down,' so it makes sense that many Miamians think of 'exiting' a car in terms of 'getting down' and not 'getting out,'" writes Carter. In a study in the English World-Wide journal, Carter presented phrases to South Florida residents, as well as to people elsewhere in the US, and asked them to assess whether the wording sounded correct, per CBS News. In addition to "get down from the car," phrases that sounded fine to Miami-area subjects but a little off to others were "made the line" instead of "waited in line," "made a party" instead of "threw a party," and married "with" somebody instead of married "to" somebody.

Another earthier one: Miami residents might say they're "eating s---" to convey that they're "doing nothing." And the word "super" appears to be in wider circulation in the region as opposed to elsewhere, as in "super big" vs. "really big." All of the examples have their roots in the translation to English from Spanish by the original Cuban immigrants or the next generations. "This shows Miamians assess certain phrases differently and don't see some examples as 'ungrammatical,'" says Carter in an FIU news release. "So, those are the ones that are passed down. This is how dialects are born. Minor things add up." (Read more language stories.)
A trend has emerged on Chinese social media platforms such as Weibo and Xiaohongshuusers re-creating and reviewing Western-style packed lunches. The Guardian reports these lunches are called "bairen fan," or "white people food." The trend appears to be a way to understand or, often, satirize the plainness of the meals, with many social posts coming from Chinese international students surprised by the simplicity of lunches consumed by their overseas peers. Think processed cheese, ham, crackers, cold sandwiches, raw carrots or other vegetables, tuna, etc.

Reactions have been mixed. Some think it's funny and relatable. Others find it to be disrespectful or insensitive. In general, however, the meme has sparked conversation about cultural differences between Chinese and Western food cultures. The South China Morning Post reports the trend dubbed "lunch of suffering" by one blogger began last month after a Chinese tourist in Switzerland uploaded a video of a European woman on a train putting together a lunch that consisted of slices of ham and a bag of lettuce. Many subsequent posts piled on, mocking such "rabbit food" meals. But as BuzzFeed notes, young Chinese professionals in particular shifted the sentiment toward the positive, in part because they were so easy to prep.

The Guardian notes that one Chinese TikTok user explained in a video that the fascinationand sometimes revulsionis based in part on the fact that the Chinese enjoy more complexity in their food, cooking with a wide variety of ingredients and combinations of spices. The overall attitude, however, seems best expressed by a blogger quoted at the end of the Guardian piece, who evaluates the sameness of a Western colleague's lunch by wondering if the boring meal is meant "to extend life," then "what is the meaning of life? (Read more China stories.)
The Los Angeles Dodgers' presentation of a Community Hero Award to a group that some say mocks Catholicism before Friday night's game drew protests and prayers, forcing security to shut the main entrance for a time. Demonstrators carrying signs reading "Stop anti-Catholic hate" and "God will not be mocked" gathered before the team's Pride Night celebration, NBC News reports. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a charity organization whose members wear approximations of a nun's habit, had been invited to the event by the Dodgers, who pulled the invitation after a backlash, then reinstated it.

Before the organization could be honored for decades of community ministry, per the Los Angeles Times, several hundred demonstrators began what they called a prayerful procession in a stadium parking lot. Some participants said their action was not a protest. "We are basically praying for the so-called nuns," Jesse Bustamante told WABC. "We should be toleratant of everyone. Likewise, they should be tolerant of our faith in our feelings." Several Catholic bishops, including Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez, had issued a statement earlier in the week asking Catholics to pray on Friday "as an act of reparation for the blasphemies against our Lord we see in our culture today."

Other demonstrators were more upset. Corina Swetch, 31, said "all the mockery" of the organization angered her. Some yelled anti-LGBTQ+ slurs. Police said there were no arrests. Julie Rubio, a professor and theologian of Christian social ethics, told the Times the two sides won't find common ground until they stop reacting to their opponents' extreme views. "Is it possible to see the Sisters for the work they do and realize this is not hate or bigotry?" she said. "Is it possible to see that religious view [that] this as desecration and perhaps a line can be established? It's complicated." (Read more Los Angeles Dodgers stories.)
A federal judge issued an order Friday stopping an Indiana ban on puberty blockers and hormones for transgender minors from taking effect as scheduled July 1. The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana sought the temporary injunction in its legal challenge of the Republican-backed law, which was enacted this spring amid a national push by GOP-led legislatures to curb LGBTQ+ rights. The order from US District Court Judge James Patrick Hanlon will allow the law's prohibition on gender-affirming surgeries to take effect, per the AP . Hanlon's order also blocks provisions that would prohibit Indiana doctors from communicating with out-of-state doctors about gender-affirming care for their patients younger than 18. The ACLU filed the lawsuit within hours after Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the bill on April 5.

The challenge, on behalf of four youths undergoing transgender treatments and an Indiana doctor who provides such care, argued the ban would violate the US Constitution's equal protection guarantees and trample upon the rights of parents to decide medical treatment for their children. Indiana's Republican-dominated Legislature approved the ban after contentious hearings that primarily featured testimony from vocal opponents, with many arguing the gender-affirming care lessened the risk of depression and suicide among transgender youth. Hanlon, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, wrote that he was blocking the law from taking effect because its opponents had demonstrated potential irreparable harm to those undergoing treatment and shown "some likelihood of success" in arguments that it was unconstitutional.

The ACLU had provided "evidence of risks to minors' health and well-being from gender dysphoria if those treatments can no longer be provided to minorsprolonging of their dysphoria, and causing additional distress and health risks, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidality," Hanlon said. The provisions of the law banning gender-affirming surgeries for minors in Indiana will have no immediate impact. Hanlon wrote in his ruling that no medical providers in the state perform those procedures on people younger than 18. Representatives from Indiana University Health Riley Children's Hospital, the state's sole hospital-based gender health program, told legislators earlier this year that for patients who are minors, doctors don't perform genital surgeries or provide those surgery referrals. IU Health wasn't involved in the ACLU's lawsuit.

ACLU leaders hailed the ruling as a victory in the fight "to defend the right of all trans people to be their authentic selves, free from discrimination." "We won't rest until this unconstitutional law is struck down for good," Ken Falk, the ACLU of Indiana's legal director, said. GOP state Attorney General Todd Rokita's office said it was disappointed in the decision but that "we will continue to fight for the children." The office didn't say whether it would attempt to appeal the injunction before July 1. At least 20 GOP-led states have now enacted laws restricting or banning such medical treatments for transgender minors. Lawsuits have been filed in several states against transgender treatment bans. Federal judges have also blocked enforcement of laws in Alabama and Arkansas, and Oklahoma has agreed to not enforce its ban while opponents seek a temporary court order blocking it.

(Read more Indiana stories.)
Six people are dead in Tennessee, including three children, after police responding to a call of gunfire showed up at the scene to find a house on fire. Marion County Sheriff Bo Burnett tells WRCB that the call in Marion County came in around 8:45pm on Thursday, at which point deputies converged upon the home in Sequatchie. The sheriff says after the fire was put out, deputies discovered the six bodies, including that of suspected shooter Gary Barnett, 48; his estranged wife, Regina Barnett; and her adult daughter Britney Perez (also spelled Brittany and Brittnee in other sources), who Burnett says is thought to be the mother of the three deceased children, per NBC News . He notes that Perez was visiting with Regina Barnett when the shooting took place. It's not yet clear how old the children were.

A seventh person who'd been shot three times was found alive at the scene and transported to a local hospital, the sheriff said. Burnett says the incident looks like it started as a domestic dispute and ended up as a murder-suicide. He adds Regina Barnett had had an active restraining order she'd taken out against her spouse about a month ago. Burnett cited the arrest report that led to the protective order, from Gary Barnett's December arrest, in which Regina Barnett said her spouse verbally abused her and threatened to shoot both her and her dog. Regina Barnett also told deputies at the time that her husband kept up to 60 guns in his room and that she feared he'd become intoxicated and shoot her.

The restraining order was in place until July 5, when the case was due to be dismissed if no other issues were reported. Burnett says that Gary Barnett had been the subject of multiple calls to law enforcement in the weeks leading up to Thursday's shootings. The New York Post reports Gary Barnett had also made a series of concerning social media posts in recent months, including putting up a quote on Facebook from a man in Colorado who'd destroyed his town, then shot himself: "I was always willing to be reasonable until I had to be unreasonable. Sometimes reasonable men must do unreasonable things." Per the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the bodies of all the deceased have been sent to Nashville to undergo autopsies. (Read more shooting stories.)
Donald Trump isn't known for being the most reticent person, which may have prompted the latest move from the special counsel in the Mar-a-Lago indictment case . ABC News reports that on Friday, Jack Smith filed a request for a protective order with federal Judge Aileen Cannon that would keep the former president and his co-defendant, presidential valet Walt Nauta, from revealing to the public any important evidence that turns up during the legal discovery process. Per Smith's motion, among the materials he wants kept under wraps are "sensitive and confidential" evidence on everything from investigative techniques to personal info collected from electronic devices.

Smith says in his filing that the evidence includes "information pertaining to ongoing investigations, the disclosure of which could compromise those investigations and identify uncharged individuals." The order would also mandate that the defendants only view the materials while with their attorneys, per CNN. Plus, the defendants wouldn't be able to keep copies of any evidence. The motion noted that Smith had discussed the protective order with the legal teams for both Trump and Nauta, and that neither team had an objection to it.

Cannon referred Smith's request to US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart for consideration, citing local court rules. Rolling Stone notes the "muzzle" order would be "extremely similar" to one sought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in the criminal case against Trump in the state of New York, which involves falsifying business records around a hush-money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. (Read more Mar-a-Lago indictment stories.)
Ugandan authorities recovered the bodies of 41 people, including 38 students, who were burned, shot, or hacked to death after suspected rebels attacked a secondary school near the border with Congo, the local mayor said Saturday. At least six people were abducted by the rebels, who fled across the porous border into the Democratic Republic of Congo after the raid on Friday night, according to the Ugandan military. The victims included the students, one guard, and two members of the local community who were killed outside the school, Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Mayor Selevest Mapoze told the AP . Mapoze said that some of the students suffered fatal burns when the rebels set fire to a dormitory, while others were shot or hacked with machetes.

The raid, which happened around 11:30pm, involved about five attackers, the Ugandan military said. Soldiers from a nearby brigade who responded to the attack found the school on fire, "with dead bodies of students lying in the compound," a military spokesman said in a statement. That statement cited 47 bodies, with eight other people wounded and being treated at a local hospital. Ugandan troops are "pursuing the perpetrators to rescue the abducted students" who were forced to carry looted food toward Congo's Virunga National Park, it said. Ugandan authorities said the Allied Democratic Forces, an extremist group that has been launching attacks for years from its bases in volatile eastern Congo, carried out the raid on Lhubiriha Secondary School in the border town of Mpondwe.

The school, co-ed and privately owned, is located in the Ugandan district of Kasese, about 2 kilometers from the Congo border. An official representing Uganda's president in Kasese said that some of the victims "were burnt beyond recognition." Winnie Kiiza, an influential political leader and a former lawmaker from the region, condemned the "cowardly attack" on Twitter. The ADF has been accused of launching many attacks in recent years targeting civilians in remote parts of eastern Congo. The shadowy group, established in the early 1990s by some Ugandan Muslims, rarely claims responsibility for attacks. The ADF has long opposed the rule of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, a US security ally who has held power in this East African country since 1986. The group has since established ties with the Islamic State group.

(Read more Uganda stories.)
The collapsed stretch of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia will reopen within two weeks, Pennsylvania's governor said Saturday after joining President Biden on a helicopter tour over the critical stretch of highway closed to East Coast traffic since last weekend. "We are getting it done here in Philly," Gov. Josh Shapiro said at a briefing at Philadelphia International Airport after the flyover that included members of Congress and the city's mayor. Biden outlined the initial federal commitment and longer-term support for a permanent fix for the vital roadway, the AP reports.

"I know how important this stretch of highway is" to Philadelphia and the Northeast Corridor, Biden said. "Over 150,000 vehicles travel on it every day, including 14,000 trucks.  It's critical to our economy, and it's critical to our quality of life.'" Shapiro, offering a timeline that would be welcome news to commuters and long-haul truckers, said with Biden at his side: "I can state with confidence that we will have I-95 reopened within the next two weeks. We are going to get traffic moving again thanks to the extraordinary work that is going on here." The stretch of the East Coast's main north-south highway collapsed early last Sunday after a tractor-trailer hauling gasoline flipped over on an off-ramp and caught fire.

Shapiro said people are coming together for the project, showing "a real renewed sense of civic pride." The president said he told his team "to move heaven and earth to get this done as soon as humanly possible," adding that he told Shapiro "there's no more important project right now in the country." The plan involves trucking in 2,000 tons of lightweight glass nuggets, with crews working around the clock until the interstate is open to traffic. Instead of rebuilding the overpass right away, crews will use the recycled glass to fill in the collapsed area to avoid supply-chain delays for other materials, Shapiro has said. A replacement bridge will then be built next to it to reroute traffic while crews excavate the fill to restore the exit ramp.

(Read more Philadelphia stories.)
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Showers this evening becoming a steady rain overnight. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Showers this evening becoming a steady rain overnight. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Egypt condemned the terrorist attack that targeted a school in Mpondwe, in western Uganda, leaving dozens killed and injured.

Egypt expresses its sincere condolences to the Ugandan government, people as well as relatives of the victims of the heinous attack, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.

At least 37 people were killed and others abducted in the attack, reported Reuters.

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, Jun 17 ( appleinsider.com ) - The Japanese government is introducing laws that will require Apple to allow users nationwide to download apps outside their official app stores.

The two tech giants face regulations from various countries to open their platforms and let users install apps from third-party sources. For example, Europe's Digital Markets Act will compel companies like Apple to provide options that allow third-party app stores on their platforms and alternative payment systems.

Japan is the next country to impose regulations on these companies, according to The Japan Times. It will require Apple and Google to let users download apps through services other than their app stores. The government aims to stimulate competition and believes it could reduce app prices.

Japan is also concerned that Apple and Google apps come pre-installed on iPhones and Android smartphones by default. As a result, the two companies will be required to make it easy for users to remove these apps and can't give preferential treatment to their services within their search engines. ...continue reading
A supply vessel belonging to the Egyptian Naval Forces has delivered hundreds of tons of aid to Sudan, including food and medical supplies, according to a statement released on Saturday by the Spokesperson of the Egyptian Armed Forces Gharib Abdel-Hafez Gharib.

The shipment arrived in Port Sudan and will be delivered to afflicted areas and the neediest people in the brotherly country, read the statement.

The aid was provided by the Ministry of Defence and Military Production, the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the Egyptian Red Crescent and the Egyptian Zakat and Charity House.

It was sent in implementation of directives from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, in continuation of the effective Egyptian role toward brotherly Sudan, according to the statement.

Officials on the Sudanese side expressed appreciation for the efforts carried out by Egypt and its political leadership in helping overcome the difficulties faced by the Sudanese people added the statement.

The supply vessel transported a number of Egyptians and Sudanese nationals from Sudan to Egypt on its way back home, added Gharib.

Upon their arrival in Egypt, those transported voiced appreciation for the care that they received from Egyptian state, he said.

Egypt has received more than 200,000 Sudanese citizens who escaped the country since the outbreak of the conflict in mid-April.

Egypt has also delivered tens of tons of medical supplies to Port Sudan and has facilitated the transport of tens of tons more of international humanitarian aid to the country.

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A federal capital territory (FCT) high court sitting in Maitama has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to allow, Godwin Emefiele, suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to have access to his lawyers and family.

Hamza Muazu, presiding judge, gave the order on Friday after an application by Joseph Daudu, counsel to Emefiele.

On June 9, President Bola Tinubu suspended Emefiele and asked him to transfer his responsibilities to Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi, deputy governor, operations directorate.

On Saturday, the DSS announced that Emefiele was in its custody for some investigative reasons.

Responding, I. Awo, counsel to the DSS, said the service was not in the habit of rejecting such requests, adding that it was inappropriate.

Awo gave assurance that the DSS would comply with the order of the court and allow the listed lawyers and family members to visit the suspended CBN governor.

The judge said allowing Emefiele access to his lawyers and family is within his fundamental rights.

Meanwhile, both the counsels to the DSS and the office of the attorney-general of the federation requested an extension of time to file their responses to the originating motion.

The court granted the request and adjourned the hearing of the substantive suit to June 19.
A federal high court in Awka, Anambra state, has set aside its order sacking Usman Baba from office as the inspector-general of police (IGP).

In a judgment delivered on May 14, Fatun Riman, the presiding judge, had ordered Baba to stop parading himself as Nigerias IGP.

Riman held that Babas continued stay in office after clocking the retirement age of 60 is illegal and unconstitutional.

The suit, marked FHC/AKW/CS/58/2023, was filed by one Okechukwu Nwafor.

However, challenging the judgment, the IGP through his lawyer, submitted that he was not given a fair hearing as the plaintiff failed to serve him with the originating summons.

The IGP also claimed that the subject matter of the case had been determined by another federal high court in Abuja presided over by J.K. Omotosho in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/31/2023.

In a ruling delivered on Thursday, Riman agreed with the submissions of the IGP

The law is settled that any court of record, including the supreme court has the inherent jurisdiction to set aside its own judgment given in any proceeding in which there must have been a fundamental defect such as one which goes to the issue of jurisdiction and competence of the court, the judge said.

Such a judgment is a nullity. A person affected by it, is, therefore, entitled ex-debito justicae to have it set aside. The court can set it aside suo motu and the person affected may apply by motion and not necessarily by way of appeal.

A judgment or order which is a nullity owing to failure to comply with an essential provision such as service of process can be set aside by the court which gave it or made the order.

The law is trite that the necessity for the requirement of service of originating processes, whether personal or by substituted means to bring to the notice of the defendant in action knowledge of the pending of a suit against him to enable such defendant to prepare himself and defend the action appropriately.

I find merit in this application. Accordingly, the judgment of this court delivered on the 19th day of May 2023 is hereby set aside for non-service of the originating processes on the 2nd Defendant (the inspector-general of police). This is the ruling of this court.
The National Collation Agent of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the February 25 presidential election, Senator Dino Melaye on Friday in Abuja, told the Presidential Election Petition Court that election collation errors by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, led to the declaration of President Bola Tinubu.

Melaye informed the court that he left the National Collation Centre at the International Conference Centre in Abuja when the alleged deliberate errors became unbearable and intolerable to him.

Senator Melaye testified as a star witness for former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, whose joint petition with the PDP seeks nullification of Tinubus declaration as winner of the 2023 presidential election.

Led in his evidence-in-chief by Atikus lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche SAN, the witness said that he refused to sign the final collated results so as not to be part of the corruption and malpractices that allegedly engulfed the collation exercise.

Melaye, who is the second star witness in the hearing of the petition, insisted that the results upon which INEC acted to declare Tinubu the winner of the February 25 presidential election were wrongly computed by INEC, adding that, I didnt endorse it, because I dont endorse fraud.

He also told the court that, aside from himself, many agents of the PDP in the presidential election did not also sign the results at various levels.

While responding to questions from Tinubus lawyer, Chief Akin Olujimi, SAN, the witness argued that failure of transmission of what has been recorded is an infringement of the law.

He pointed out that electronic transmission of results from the polling units to the IReV is a very important aspect of the election process, arguing that without the IReV, the election circle cannot be said to have been completed.

Results are transmitted from polling units before you move to the ward collation centre, he explained, adding that what was brought was at variance with what transpired at the states level.

Meanwhile, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, on Friday tendered additional video evidence to support claims that INEC assured electronic transmission of the results of the 2023 general elections.

The video clip containing live speeches of INECs Chairman, Professor Yakubu Mahmood, was tendered by a subpoenaed witness and staff of Daar Communication Ltd, AIT, Mrs Ijeoma Osamor.

The video evidence contained in a flash drive, which was admitted as an exhibit, was also played in the open court. It showed a live broadcast of the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood, reassuring Nigerians of the commitment of the commission to transmit the election results in real-time.

However, during cross-examination by APCs lawyer, Mr Abiodun Owonikoko, SAN, the witness denied knowledge of any press conference by INEC where the commission clarified to Nigerians that the election can no longer be transmitted electronically.

Meanwhile, hearings in both petitions have been adjourned till Monday, June 19.
For those who believe in superstitions, there is enough reason to conclude that there's a curse accompanying the chairmanship of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

With the suspension of Abdulrasheed Bawa by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, the vicious circle of embarrassing ends continues for EFCC bosses.

Since its establishment in 2003 during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, every individual who has headed the anti-corruption agency left the establishment with their heads lowered in shame.

This ignominious trend started in 2007, and curiously, the suspension or dismissal of all the former EFCC bosses was occasioned by several corruption allegations levelled against them. The same corruption they were appointed to fight.

Nuhu Ribadu

The establishment of the EFCC and the appointment of Nuhu Ribadu as the pioneer Chairman of the agency in 2003 gave the impression that the Obasanjo administration had a strong conviction to rid the country of corruption and financial crimes.

As a career law enforcement officer, Ribadu became the poster boy for the fight against corruption. He went after top bankers, prominent politicians, governors, senators and fraudsters. It was during his tenure that the former Inspector-General of Force, Tafa Balogun, was convicted, jailed and made to return 150 million under a plea bargain.

Impressed by his performance as EFCC boss, Obasanjo promoted him to the position of Assistant Inspector General of Police in April 2007. But eight months later, Ridadu was removed as EFCC chairman during the administration of President Umaru Musa Yaradua.

It was believed that the EFCC boss was sacked due to his refusal to terminate the corruption trial of James Ibori, former governor of Delta state, but according to Obasanjo, Ribadu was sacked because of his refusal to marry one of YarAduas daughters.

Farida Waziri

In May 2008, Farida Waziri succeeded Ribadu to continue the fight against corruption. But unlike her predecessor, she failed to secure the convictions of many high-profile cases some of which were instituted by Ribadu.

Although, under her leadership, the EFCC went after many ex-governors including Dr. Peter Odili of Rivers State, Bola Tinubu of Lagos State, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, Joshua Dariye of Plateau State, Saminu Turaki of Jigawa State, Jolly Nyame of Taraba State and Michael Botmang of Plateau State, her failure to secure their convictions was perhaps one of the banes of her tenure.

However, three months after her appointment, the EFCC arrested Chief Bode George, a top politician in Lagos in August 2008. He was arraigned on 163 count-charge after which he was found guilty and sentenced to jail for 30 months.

But in November 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan sacked her and replaced her with Ibrahim Lamorde. Waziri's appointment was terminated following an allegation that the EFCC had been selective in its investigations.

Ibrahim Lamorde

Shortly after Waziris dismissal, President Jonathan appointed Lamorde on November 23, 2011, as acting chairperson of the EFCC. He was confirmed as substantive Chairman of the agency in February 2012.

Lamorde was having a smooth administration until 2015 when the Senate alleged that $5bn (3.2bn) was missing at the EFCC under his watch.

The reputation of the EFCC chairman suffered a terrible blow following an allegation that he diverted N1 trillion of assets recovered by the anti-graft agency during his time as the director of operations and later chairman.

In November 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari sacked Lamorde and replaced him with Ibrahim Magu.

Two months after his removal, the Senate ordered his arrest for repeatedly refusing to appear before its probe panel, but despite the allegations against him, he was not arrested.

Ibrahim Magu

Nigerians expectation of the administration of President Buhari and the appointment of Ibrahim Magu as EFCC' acting chair was very high particularly on the governments agenda to decimate corruption.

Both Magu and Buhari assumed office in 2015, and it was expected that the presidents perceived aversion to corruption would strengthen the EFCCs operations and efforts to clean the country with Magu leading the task.

Standing up to the challenge, Magus EFCC within three years recorded a total conviction of 603 Nigerians on corruption charges.

Over N500bn was recovered, and for the first time in the history of the agency, judges and top military officers including retired service chiefs were prosecuted for corrupt enrichment.

However, the party ended for Magu in July 2020, and it was his turn to face the music.

On Monday, July 6, 2020, he was arrested by security operatives at the entrance of the Wuse II EFCC office in Abuja and the following day, he was suspended as the EFCC boss due to corruption allegations levelled against him.

Abdulrasheed Bawa

Following the suspension of Magu, Abdulrasheed Bawa stepped into his shoes at the age of 40, he is the youngest EFCC boss in the history of the agency.

Like his predecessors, Bawa had his share of corruption allegations. In September 2020, the trained EFCC investigator was accused of selling seized properties in Port Harcourt.

In November 2022, a federal high court in Abuja ordered him to be remanded for contempt for the EFCC's non-compliance with a court order, but Bawas disregard for the pronouncement strengthened the claim that he is fond of disobeying court orders.

Bawas leadership at the EFCC followed his predecessors footsteps on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspended him indefinitely over alleged abuse of office. He was subsequently taken in by the Department of States Service (DSS) for investigation.

Like others before him, Bawas suspension will most likely mark the end of his tenure as the chairman of the EFCC.
A former deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olabode George, has dismissed claims that he is looking for appointment under President Bola Tinubu, saying he is too old for such.

He noted however that if he was approached or offered such, he would only assist in nominating competent candidates from his party.

George, who had been an ardent critic of Tinubu, told our correspondent in a telephone interview on Thursday that he ended his rift with the President, not for appointment, but for peace to reign, and in deference to those who intervened in the matter, at the behest of Tinubu.

He stressed that after some senior indigenes of Lagos State and a delegation from the All Progressives Congress visited him to end the longstanding dispute and solicited his support for the Tinubu government, noting that he could never have desired anything more at his age.

He stated, On this, people are only talking rubbish and they need to shut up. This man (Tinubu) is just starting and we said my party was still in court. They said we should let bygones be bygones. In the Bible, it is very clear that vengeance is only with God Almighty and you dont continue fighting when everybody has persuaded you that its enough.





All those saying I want an appointment dont know what they are saying. What exactly do they want to happen to the young ones coming up? I said I have forgiven him. We had an issue and people settled it for us and I have forgotten about it.

Asked whether or not he would accept an appointment from the government if offered, he stated, I will give him people that have the knowledge from the party having been a manager of the party for years. If he says he wants me to help him get someone, there are millions of young people who still have all the energy to run around and not me.

It is not for me, because I am not looking for a job. But if he calls me, we will discuss it before the party leaders, put heads together and nominate from our side somebody who is still young, agile, has the knowledge and can add value to this country.

He said he could not congratulate or visit Tinubu at the villa while his party, the PDP, was still in court challenging the outcome of the presidential election. This, he said, would amount to betrayal of his party.
A former Niger Delta Militant, Asari Dokubo, has said he was one of those who opposed the #EndSARS protests against police brutality in 2020.

He described the protest as madness and nonsense.

Dokubo who spoke in a recent interview with Channels TV, also accused the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu of fueling the protests.

He said releasing Kanu amounts to injustice, stressing that he should be made to face the law for instigating gruesome killings in the South East region.

Dokubo said, When the madness they called End SARS started, I was one of the people vocal, opposed to that nonsense called End SARS.

And Nnamdi Kanu was walking free then. What did he do? He poured petrol on the flames for End SARS. Now, he has been caught. What of the people who have died?

This is a criminal. He should face the law.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has opened up about the rift between him and President Bola Tinubu when he was the governor of Lagos State.

Obasanjo dismissed claims that he tried to cripple the economy of Lagos State when Tinubu was governor.

In January 2023, Tinubu had recalled how Obasanjo seized the allocations of Lagos State when he was president.

He said the seizure of the revenue of Lagos State by Obasanjo triggered his intellectual capacity and those of his lieutenants to make Lagos what it is today.

Speaking during an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, the ex-President described Tinubus claim as nonsense.

Asked about the allegation that he attempted to cripple the economy of Lagos, Obasanjo responded: That was absolute nonsense. If he doesnt know, then he doesnt know anything. Is it that one that made him to have Alphabeta?
The Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja, has admitted in evidence, additional video evidence that was tendered by candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi.

The video recording, which was played in the open court on Friday, after it was admitted as an exhibit, was brought on the strength of a subpoena that the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel issued on Africa Independent Television, AIT.

It was tendered in a flash drive, through the anchor of the Democracy Today program on AIT, Ijeoma Osamor.

In the video, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, during a press conference, assured that results of the 2023 general elections would be electronically transmitted, using Bimodal Voter Accreditation, BVAS, devices.

Meanwhile, after the video recording was admitted in evidence, the court, gave the lawyers that represented INEC, President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress, APC, who are Respondents in the matter, the nod to cross examine the witness.

Under cross examination, Osamor, told the court that contrary to positions of both President Tinubu and the APC, the INEC Chairman did not at any time before the elections, declared that the results would no longer be uploaded.

However, counsel for the APC, Mr. Abiodun Owonikoko, SAN, insisted that there was a newspaper publication to back the claim of the party that the INEC Chairman had before the elections, adduced reasons why the Commission could not transmit the results.

However, the witness, told the court that as a reporter covering the INEC beat, she attended all press briefings by the Commission and never heard such announcement by Prof. Yakubu.

She told the court that the said publication that President Tinubu and the APC relied on, which was dated February 23, was probably a personal interview between the INEC Chairman and Tribune Newspaper.

Meanwhile, all the Respondents challenged the admissibility of the video recording from AIT in evidence, saying they would adduce reasons behind their objections in their final written address.

Earlier in the proceedings, a Professor of Mathematics at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Eric Ofoedu, told the court that he analysed some of the results of the presidential election that INEC uploaded on its IReV portal.

Under cross examination, Prof. Ofoedu told the court that he embarked on the analysis, as an academic exercise that would benefit his students.

He told the court that he was not paid for the job, adding that he had to be subpoenaed to tender the outcome of his analysis in evidence, since his original aim was not to use the report for any election litigation.

Nevertheless, the witness, maintained his ground that over 18,088 result sheets that INEC uploaded in relation to the presidential contest, were blurred.

The court adjourned further hearing on the matter till Monday.

Obi, who is claiming that he won the presidential election, is among other things, praying the court to nullify Tinubus victory and withdraw the Certificate of Return that was issued to him by INEC.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos state governor, has congratulated Aminat Yusuf, a Lagos State University (LASU) best-graduating student.

Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, the LASU vice-chancellor, had previously announced that Yusuf is the institutions best-graduating student.

Yusuf, a law student, is the institutions first undergraduate to achieve a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 5.0 in 40 years.

Olatunji-Bello added that Yusuf, who is a law student, will get a cash prize of N500,000 for her stellar academic record.

In a statement via Twitter on Friday, the state governor acknowledged Yusufs achievement and commended her dedication and hard work.

Sanwo-Olu also said the Lagos state government will continue to recognise and encourage academic excellence.

In Lagos, we value hard work, dedication and excellence. Congratulations to Aminat Yusuf, a law student at Lagos State University (LASU), the statement reads.

For achieving a remarkable feat, being the first undergraduate in 40 years to obtain a CGPA of 5.0. This is truly commendable! Your dedication and hard work have paid off.

I am also thrilled to hear about the outstanding academic achievements of 282 students who achieved first-class honours in the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 sessions.

As a state, we will continue to reward and support academic excellence.

A total of 282 students bagged first class for the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 academic sessions.

Feyisayo Lopez, a graduate of physiology, also topped the 2021/2022 academic session, with a 4.91 CGPA.
President Bola Tinubu on Friday received Africas richest man, Aliko Dangote at the presidential villa, Abuja

The President also met with the immediate past governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle.

Dangote told State House correspondents that there would be a repeat of the visit next week, when he would be coming with the Chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr Bill Gates.

On his part, Matawalle, who said it was a son-to-father visit, said that the President has started convincing the world that he has what it takes to lead the country right and that he is optimistic Tinubu will be the best President that Nigeria has ever had.

He said, So far, so good, youve seen how the President has started, this not a new thing to him, hes a good administrator, with good policies. Hes going to fulfil all his campaign promises.

By seeing the start off of his administration, many have started believing that hes going to Nigeria will become the best country in the region. We believe that Asiwaju will be the best President that Nigeria has ever had.
The search continued on Saturday for hundreds of migrants and refugees feared missing after their overcrowded boat capsized off Greece on Wednesday, Azernews reports, citing ANSA.

A naval frigate, three coast guard ships and a coast guard helicopter were searching for the missing in international waters, 47 nautical miles south-west of the Greek coastal town of Pylos in the Peloponnese.

So far 78 people have been confirmed dead following the incident, which reportedly occurred after the trawler reportedly carrying up to 750 people including about 100 children overturned when a Greek coastguard vessel started tugging it to safety.

104 people were subsequently rescued.

The boat was travelling from Tobruk in Libya to Italy and it somehow ended up off Pylos in Greece.
Militants linked to the Islamic State group hacked and burned 37 students to death in western Uganda in the country's worst such attack in over a decade, army and police officials said Saturday.

The army said it was pursuing militants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) after the cross-border raid late Friday on a secondary school in Mpondwe in Kasese district near the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Investigators said dormitories were set alight and students cut down with knives in a brutal late-night assault by ADF, which is one of the deadliest groups active in DR Congo's strife-torn east.

"Unfortunately, 37 bodies have been discovered and conveyed to Bwera hospital mortuary," Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF) spokesman Felix Kulayigye said in a statement, referring to a town near where the attack occurred.

Eight people were injured while six others were kidnapped and taken by the attackers toward Virunga National Park, which straddles the DR Congo border, he added.

"UPDF embarked on pursuing the perpetrators to rescue the abducted students."

The Resident Commissioner for Kasese, Joe Walusimbi, told AFP that at least 25 of the deceased were "confirmed to be students at the school".

It is the deadliest attack in Uganda since twin bombings in Kampala in 2010 killed 76 in a strike claimed by the Somalia-based Al-Shabaab group.

'Big attack'

According to a police report seen by AFP, police and military units were alerted to a "big attack" at Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe at around 11:00 pm (2000 GMT) on Friday evening.

"On arrival the school was found burning and the dead bodies of students were found lying in the compound and the school's food store broken into" with items missing, the report stated.

The school is less than two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the border of DR Congo, where ADF is primarily active and has been accused of killing thousands of civilians since the 1990s.

Major General Dick Olum told AFP intelligence suggested the presence of the ADF in the area at least two days before the attack, and an investigation would be needed to establish what went wrong.

He said it appeared the attackers had detailed information about the school.

"They knew where the boys and girls' dormitories resided," said Olum from Mpondwe.

"This is why the rebels locked the boys' dormitory and set it on fire. The rebels did not lock girls' section and the girls managed to get out, but they were cut with machetes as they ran for safety, and others shot".

He said some of the bodies were burned beyond recognition and DNA testing would be required to identify them.

"We have called for more firepower, planes to help in the rescue operation of those abducted, and locating the rebel hideouts for military action," he said.

Rare attack

The rebels fled toward Virunga, a vast expanse on the border with Uganda and Rwanda and a globally renowned sanctuary for rare species, including mountain gorillas.

But militias -- of which dozens are active in the mineral-rich eastern DR Congo -- also the use the park as a hideout.

Originally made up of mainly Muslim Ugandan rebels, ADF gained a foothold in eastern DR Congo in the 1990s.

Since 2019, some ADF attacks in eastern DR Congo have been claimed by the Islamic State group, which describes the fighters as a local offshoot, the Islamic State Central Africa Province.

ADF attacks in Uganda are less common and the toll from Friday's attack is the worst in many years by any group.

It is not ADF's first attack on a school in Uganda.

In June 1998, 80 students were burnt to death in their dormitories in an ADF attack on Kichwamba Technical Institute near the border of DR Congo. More than 100 students were abducted.

Uganda and DR Congo launched a joint offensive in 2021 to drive the ADF out of their Congolese strongholds, but the measures have so far failed to end the group's attacks.

In March this year, the United States announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the capture of the ADF's leader.

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Barring any last-minute changes, President Bola Tinubu will meet with Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates and the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.

Tinubu is scheduled to meet with Gates and Dangote on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Dangote disclosed this after a closed-door meeting with Tinubu at the State House on Friday.

According to Dangote: I did not come to do much. I only came to inform the President about our visit with Microsoft co-founder and my friend Bill Gates.

We will both see the president on Monday when we come together.

Dangote, however, did not disclose the reason for Mondays scheduled meeting.




The United States Government on Friday announced a ban targeting Ugandan officials, citing human rights abuses and corruption.





The Department of State said it is taking steps to impose visa restrictions under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.





The Joe Biden administration noted that the U.S. government will continue to evaluate additional actions under the policy.





The affected individuals are accused of being responsible for/complicit in corruption, undermining the democratic process, and abusing human rights, including those of LGBTQI+ persons.





Ugandas Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, enacted in late May, prescribes prosecution and life imprisonment or the death penalty for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual people.





The Department of State has also updated its travel guidance to Americans to highlight the risk that LGBTQI+ persons, or those perceived to be LGBTQI+.





The U.S. assures strong support for Ugandans, expressing commitment to advancing respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Uganda and globally.
DEAR AMY: My coworkers and I are employed by a doctor in a small successful practice. Including the doctor, there are eight staff members.

He bought the practice several years ago from our former boss.

Our former boss was generous and of a different generation. He lived within his means, was not extravagant, and didnt try to compete with his peers.

Our current employer is of a younger generation, lives in one of the more affluent neighborhoods, and has only given us raises when we bring it up to him as a group.

He is very generous when it comes to bonuses, but bonuses are not something that can be counted on.

The doctor has recently invited staff and their families to a lake house owned by his parents.

The doctor will be there with his wife and five children.

The problem were having is that he has asked that we all bring a dish to share and make this a pot-luck style affair.

None of us has had a raise since January of 2022, and that was our first raise in two years.

Many of us are having difficulty putting food on our own tables, let alone bringing a dish to a party with enough food for possibly 20 to 25 people to sample.

Should we simply decline the invitation?

Should we ask him if he will be supplying a main dish?

Are we acting like spoiled children for thinking that if hes the one throwing the party, then he should be the one to supply the food (such as our former employer did)? We welcome your advice.

 Potluck Party Pooper

DEAR POTLUCK: Giving your employer the best-possible benefit of the doubt, Ill brand him as clueless.

The best dish for you to bring to him would be some enforced clarity about this event. Call it a get-a-clue casserole.

You should ask him to clarify what he is expecting for staffers to contribute to this company party.

Lets say that he responds: A dish to share with 25 guests would be great.

Thats when you can say, I assume you dont realize that many of us are having trouble making ends meet. Feeding so many other people creates a hardship right now. I appreciate the gesture youre making to host this, but unfortunately I dont think Ill be able to make it.

Alternatively, since you have a history of advocating together as a group, you could all approach him together.

***

DEAR AMY: Left Behind was concerned about how to stay connected with her best friend, who was dealing with an Alzheimers diagnosis.

When dealing with Alzheimers patients, a memory book of OLD photos can be useful, even if the person does not remember you.

On more than one occasion, my mother, who lived with us, would ask, Do I know you?

Sometimes, a simple Yes  we are good friends. is enough.

The person knows when they are loved.

More and detailed information can be upsetting.

 Ed

DEAR ED: Looking at art books with photos or paintings can also prompt connections. Communicating with someone with dementia is a true exercise in surrender: You go with the flow  wherever they want to take you.

***

MORE FROM ASK AMY:

Ask Amy: Young woman wants to avoid parents skeevy friend

Ask Amy: My niece has asked me for advice on how to deal with her bipolar mother

Ask Amy: Why should the grieving party have to be sure that attendees eat after a funeral service?

Ask Amy: Its definitely an overreach to tell a family what to do after the death of a parent

Ask Amy: How can I get my sister out of my life without becoming the bad person?

***

(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)

2023 Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A 30-year-old New Jersey man died in a hospital on Friday after he was found shot in Atlantic County, authorities said.

Terrance Dismuke, of Atlantic City, was found by police shortly before 5 p.m. in the 200 block of St. Louis Avenue in Egg Harbor City, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office.

Police were called to the location after receiving a report of a shooting, the prosecutors office said in a statement on Saturday.

Dismuke was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries, investigators said.

This incident is still being investigated and an autopsy is pending, the prosecutors office said in the statement.

Anyone with information about Dismukes death is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office Major Crime Unit at 609-909-7666 or CrimeStoppers at 609-652-1234 or 1-800-658-8477.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
dont be sad, Tate McRae is finally heading back on tour.

McRae will be heading out on the ARE WE FLYING TOUR on Sept. 5 in Chicago, Illinois and wrap up on Oct. 13 in Seattle, Washington.

While on tour, she will be making a stop in New York City on Sept. 20.

charlieonnafriday will be joining McRae for all tour dates.

If you want to get tickets to see Tate McRae, here is how you can.

Where can I get Tate McRae concert tickets?

Fans of Tate McRae can register on Ticketmaster now through June 18 at 1 a.m. for both the general presale as well as a Citi presale.

Once the registration closes, fans will randomly be selected to receive a code that will grant them access to presales starting Wednesday, June 21.

A limit number of tickets for the ARE WE FLYING TOUR go on sale to the public on Ticketmaster on June 24 at 10 a.m.

Fans can also look for ARE WE FLYING TOUR tickets on StubHub, Vivid Seats, TicketNetwork, TicketCity and MegaSeats.

First-time Vivid Seats users can save $20 on ticket orders over $200 by entering promo code NJ20 at checkout.

A complete list of Tate McRaes ARE WE FLYING TOUR tour dates is available here.

More massive upcoming tours

Tate McRae is not the only artist going out on tour in the next few months.

Here are a few more upcoming tours you wont want to miss.

RELATED STORIES ABOUT LIVE EVENTS:

Matt Rife world tour 2023: Schedule, dates, where to buy tickets

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Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull and Ricky Martin 2023 tour: How to get tickets

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Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Nicole Iuzzolino can be reached at niuzzolino@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.
A 48-year-old farmer from South Jersey pleaded guilty to a felony in connection with the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the U.S. Attorneys Office announced Friday.

Ezekiel Kurt Stecher of Sewell in Mantua Township will be sentenced in September after admitting to one count of civil disorder, authorities said. He faces as much as five years in prison, said federal prosecutors in the District of Columbia.
Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost.

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Malians appear divided over the military junta's loud call for UN peacekeepers to immediately leave the west African country in the throes of a jihadist insurgency.

The foreign minister called Friday for the UN Security Council to withdraw the nearly 15,000 peacekeepers from his country "without delay", denouncing their "failure" to meet security challenges

The mandate of United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA) expires on June 30 and plenty of people in the capital Bamako back getting rid of the foreign forces.

"MINUSMA's presence has served no purpose," Bamako resident Ladji Diallo told AFP.

"They've been here for 10 years with no result. Their arrival even made the situation worse," he added.

Mali's military has increasingly imposed operational restrictions on the peacekeepers and also broken a longstanding alliance with former colonial power France.

The landlocked Sahel state has been battling a security crisis since jihadist and separatist insurgencies broke out in the north in 2012.

The deepening crisis covers not just security but politics, the economy and human rights.

The ruling junta came to power in 2020 and has turned to Russia for political and military assistance. On Sunday it stages a referendum on constitution reform that would strengthen the president's powers and amnesty previous coup leaders.

At the Security Council Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop rejected the UN secretary-general's offer to change the mandate, covering soldiers and police.

"MINUSMA seems to have become part of the problem by fuelling community tensions exacerbated by extremely serious allegations which are highly detrimental to peace, reconciliation and national cohesion in Mali," Diop said.

Mali can take care of its own security, according to the minister.

Mohamed Diallo, another Bamako resident echoed the anti-MINUSMA feeling.

"They have brought no solution," he said, claiming on the contrary they stoked "problems between Malians".

"Since they've been here for 10 years without results, why not ask them to leave?"

But the popular narrative about restoring sovereignty over the desert nation does not reassure everyone.

In Bamako, Moussa Traore said he did not really oppose MINUSMA's departure.

But he did voice concerns about the impact it would have, particularly on the large numbers of locals employed by the force.

"If they lose their jobs, it will add to the numbers of those of us who earn nothing and have to manage whatever way we can," he said.

"There has to be some serious thought given to this decision which worries me."

The junta's call for the UN peacekeepers to go followed months of sporadic demonstrations calling for them to leave. Counter-protesters have also taken to the streets to demand MINUSMA stay in Mali.

Security curtain



Despite criticism of MINUSMA, established in 2013 to help stabilise a state threatened with collapse under jihadist threat, the blue helmets offered a security curtain and logistical support in remote areas, including some where the state no longer has control.

"MINUSMA ensure the logistics for towns, it kept the access open and avoided the situation facing places in north Burkina Faso which are under a state of siege," from jihadists, said Jean Herve Jezequel, head of the Sahel Project for conflict resolution organisation Crisis Group.

At Menaka, in Mali's northeast, which is under pressure from the Islamic State group, thousands of displaced people have sought safety around the UN base there.

"In many places, the Malian army is cantoned in the MINUSMA base. There's a risk that the jihadists will take control of these places," said Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadan, spokesman for a group of political and military movements in the north known as the Cadre strategique permanent or permanent strategic framework.

There are also fears for the future of the key 2015 peace agreement between the government and former rebel groups in the north.

While MINUSMA has not been the main mediator between the two parties, it has played "an important role in implementing this agreement which is already in bad shape," according to Ramadan.

MINUSMA's departure also threatens the fragile economies of northern towns, already weakened by the conflict.

"MINUSMA represents hundreds if not thousands of jobs. From an economic point of view, that will leave a hole that nothing can fill at the moment," Jezequel said.

The peacekeepers fulfil "a major role in development and humanitarian aid. The state has not yet been restored and to a large part it's MINUSMA that has looked after the people," said Elmaouloud Ramadan.

But Jezequel noted that the 2022 withdrawal of French troops from Mali saw predictions that the country would collapse within a year. "That's not what happened," he said.

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The first time Matt Foody remembers ever cooking anything, he was 9 years old. His mother handed him a tattered, grease-stained copy of The Joy of Cooking and said, Here. You go figure it out.

Although his experience making chicken croquettes for his parents and five brothers was harrowing, there was something about the comfort food dish that resonated. I always wonder, whats the secret to the dishes we find comforting, those flavors that we remember? he says.

Foody is mining that culinary vein with the opening of The Post, a Faubourg St. John restaurant he owns with his wife Rebecca Taylor and their longtime friends, local contractor John Segura and his wife Allie. Taking over the space that was formerly Nonna Mia, the restaurant opened just in time for Jazz Fest crowds.

The Post Where 3125 Esplanade Ave., (504) 302-2415; thepostnola.com When lunch Thu.-Mon., dinner Mon. & Thu.-Sat. How Dine-in Check it out Elevated comfort food in a new Faubourg St. John spot

We love our neighborhood, says Foody, who lives two blocks from the restaurant. We wanted something that was missing from the street, not something to compete. The guys from (Cafe) Degas come here a lot, we eat there twice a week. Im at Liuzzas once a week; Santa Fe. We are part of this community. The idea was to bring something different to the market.

Elevated American comfort food fills the evolving menu. Dishes like burrata with basil oil, a classic wedge salad and fries topped with chopped pickles, cheese sauce, bacon, cherry peppers, onion and a drizzle of ranch dressing start the show.

This is the spot for a Philly-style cheesesteak made with shaved rib-eye, hot peppers, fried onion and Cheese Whiz. There are fish tacos made with beer battered cod, and a triple-stacked, house roasted turkey club.

The burger, offered as a single or a double, is popular. We smush it, not smash it, Foody says. Its not paper-thin all grease and beef, but its not thick either. Its what goes into the meat that makes it special. Which is top secret.

The Hot & Sticky is an homage to a fast-food sandwich Foody loved in college. It features a brined fried chicken thigh topped with sliced ham, melted Swiss cheese and a hot honey glaze. Theres salmon with a sauce of yogurt, dill and capers, a straight-ahead New York strip served with a baked potato and half of an orange-glazed Maple Leaf Farms duck, roasted then quick fried to render the skin extra crispy.

Although he attended Johnson and Wales, it wasnt for culinary arts. Instead, he got a degree in marketing and public relations. I learned in the school of hard knocks, says the Syracuse native. Experienced at managing teams and creating sound business cultures, Foody has opened restaurants all over the country for hospitality companies. This is my 40th opening, and the first one thats mine, he says.

The Post gets its horse racing theme from its proximity to the Fair Grounds. Seguras family raised horses in Folsom, so there are lots of vintage photos as well.

Kitten N' Lou's Chance in Hell SnoBalls serves summertime treats from a Bywater porch Kitten LaRue told us about starting a front-porch snowball stand, the flavors they serve, and how Kitten N' Lou manages it while also being traveling burlesque performers.

They also renovated the interior. Pews were reclaimed from Saints Peter and Paul Church, before it became a hotel, and they create seating around the perimeter of the dining rooms, which accommodate 50 diners. The walls, painted racing green and blush pink, are lined with local and donated art. The bar has a few more seats. Theres a bar rail on the front porch and seating for 60 on the patio.

Three of the four 40-something owners are from New Orleans, with Allie Segura and Taylor pals since they met at Mount Carmel Academy. We all went to LSU, then came back home, says Allie, who works at St. Georges Episcopal School. Taylor is an occupational therapist at Oschner Health System. They pitch in as needed at The Post, especially on weekends.

Foody joined the crew later, meeting through mutual friends when he was in his 20s. He and Taylor eloped a year ago.

I was coming to New Orleans from Tampa where I was working just about every weekend, he says. I realized my heart is in New Orleans. Im going to transition here permanently. Thank God she said yes, or I dont know what I would have done.

We wanted to do this to support Matts talents, John Segura says. To do it together, as a family.
A high-level African delegation was preparing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, a day after its calls for talks between Moscow and Kyiv were rebuffed by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

The diplomatic team had gone to Kyiv on Friday to voice the concerns of a continent that has suffered from the fallout of Russia's invasion -- in particular rising grain prices -- with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa insisting "there should be peace through negotiations".

But Zelensky ruled out that possibility during a joint press conference with the delegates, telling reporters: "I clearly said several times at our meeting that to allow any negotiations with Russia now that the occupier is on our land is to freeze the war, to freeze pain and suffering".

Shortly after the African leaders' arrival, air raid sirens sounded across the country as Russian missiles were detected, forcing the delegates to take shelter in the capital.

Zelensky said the strike on Kyiv during the delegation's visit showed that Putin either did not control his army, or was "irrational".

Ramaphosa, however, took the barrage as evidence that both sides needed to stop fighting.

"It is precisely that type of event that we saw today... that makes us call for de-escalation," Ramaphosa said, quoting Nelson Mandela several times on the need for peace.

In a statement, Zelensky said he had called on the leaders to set out their views on how to stop the "crimes committed by Russia", and how to work towards food security.

"But first of all, we must restore the full force of the UN Charter and stop this brutal Russian aggression and free our land," he added.

The African delegation had gone first to Bucha, a town outside the capital that has become synonymous with alleged war crimes carried out by Moscow.

The group includes four presidents: Ramaphosa, Senegal's Macky Sall, Zambia's Hakainde Hichilema and Comoros' Azali Assoumani, who also currently heads the African Union.

The leaders of Egypt, Uganda and Congo-Brazzaville pulled out of the visit at the last moment and sent representatives instead.

The meeting came as Ukraine announced gains in a new counteroffensive, but Putin claimed on Friday that Kyiv's forces "stand no chance" in the sectors where fighting has intensified.

Clear message

Following Friday's attack on Kyiv, the Ukrainian Air Force said it had shot down 12 missiles, including six hypersonic ones.

There was no reported damage inside the city, but seven people including two children were wounded, the regional police said.

"With what happened today, it's very obvious also to the African leaders how sincere Putin is about stopping the conflict," said Peter Stano, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

Ukrainian officials were also quick to call attention to the strike.

"Russian missiles are a message to Africa: Russia wants more war, not peace," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

The African leaders were set to meet Putin in the northwestern Russian city of Saint Petersburg on Saturday.

"In our view it is important to listen very carefully to what both countries have to say, and tomorrow we are now going to listen to President Putin," Ramaphosa said.

Speaking at an annual economic forum in Saint Petersburg on Friday, Putin displayed little appetite for peace talks, announcing the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus while also calling Zelensky a "disgrace to the Jewish people".

Russia first announced plans to station tactical nuclear arms in its ally and neighbour in March, with Putin saying Friday that the "first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus".

He said the weapons were meant as a deterrent to "those who are thinking of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia".

Putin also told forum attendees he had "a lot of Jewish friends" who had told him "that Zelensky is not Jewish, that he is a disgrace to the Jewish people".

Despite Zelensky's Jewish heritage, Moscow has justified its war with claims it needs to "de-Nazify" Ukraine.

Touching livelihoods

Analysts, meanwhile, said the delegation's mediating effort could hope to win some concessions from the Kremlin ahead of a Russia-Africa summit next month.

The African continent has been badly hit by rising grain and fertiliser prices as well as the wider impact on global trade since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.

"This conflict is also affecting African countries negatively, touching on the livelihoods of 1.2 or 1.3 billion people on the African continent," Ramaphosa said.

African nations have been divided over their response to the war, with some siding with Ukraine and others remaining neutral or gravitating towards Moscow.

South Africa, for one, has drawn scrutiny for refusing to condemn the offensive launched by Moscow.

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Louisiana Economic Development announced the 2022 Lantern Award winners, which go to companies around the state that demonstrate excellence in manufacturing.

Area winners are D&T Crawfish in Abbeville, Swamp Dragon in Baton Rouge, Cospolich in Destrehan and MECO in Mandeville.
Russia will open diplomatic offices in West Jerusalem to serve the Russian embassy's consular section in Israel, the two countries said on Friday.

The Russian embassy in Israel said in a statement that a deal over a West Jerusalem land plot, which Russia acquired in 1885, was signed with Jerusalem municipality on 18 May, following a years-long process.

The land property will be used, in particular, for the construction of a complex of buildings and structures used for the needs of the branch office of the Consular Section of the Russian Embassy in Israel, the statement added.

The land on which the new complex will be built has long been the subject of dispute between Moscow and the Jerusalem municipality over its exact area, taxes and other bureaucratic matters.

Israel, which has occupied East Jerusalem since 1967, considers the whole city its capital, while the Palestinians want the eastern part of the city as the capital of their own future state.

Most countries do not recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital and maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv, as the international community does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, believing Jerusalems status should be resolved in negotiations.

The only countries with embassies in Jerusalem are the US (opened under former President Donald Trump), Guatemala, Honduras and Kosovo. However, multiple countries do operate consular offices in Jerusalem.

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Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived Saturday in Tehran, Iranian media reported, in his first visit to Iran since a landmark rapprochement following a seven-year rupture.

During his trip, the Saudi top diplomat is expected to meet with Iranian officials including Tehran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian before a news conference, state media said.

Saudi media have also reported a planned meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during Prince Faisal's first visit to the Islamic republic as foreign minister.

Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northwestern city of Mashhad were attacked during protests over Riyadh's execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

But the two countries agreed in March to mend ties and reopen their respective embassies, in a Chinese-brokered deal that has shifted regional relations.

Iran's government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi told local media Prince Faisal was expected to "take some measures" towards reopening the Saudi diplomatic mission in Tehran during the visit.

On June 6, the Islamic Republic reopened its embassy and consulates in Saudi Arabia.

The Iranian Sazandegi daily reported on Saturday the Saudi embassy would reopen in a hotel in Tehran before resuming its permanent location in the Iranian capital.

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EAST CHICAGO  A major investment in life-saving cardiac care at St. Catherine Hospital is being hailed as a victory for East Chicago.

The long-standing hospital in the Indiana Harbor neighborhood landed a $1.5 million federal grant from the Health Resources & Services Administration to improve health care access for people who are medically vulnerable or underinsured.

U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan helped line up the money and helped announce the investment.

"Today is a victory for the residents of East Chicago because it's access to health care," he said. "I was born at St. Catherine Hospital. My grandparents were taken here. My mom and dad were cared for here. My sister was a candy striper here and went on to become a nurse practitioner for Northwestern. This was and still is an anchor for the community."

East Chicago leaders were concerned about the hospital's future after Franciscan Health decided to close the similarly aged former St. Margaret Hospital in neighboring Hammond, Northwest Indiana's most populous city.

"They wanted to make sure the safety-net hospital continued," he said. "What today is about is assuring the city of East Chicago and every resident that St. Catherine is thriving and investing in new technology that gives them access to care equal to anywhere around the world. This is an investment in East Chicago itself, and it allows the residents to understand they have access to quality care here in the city."

When Mrvan was North Township trustee, he often heard complaints from residents that they didn't have access to care.

"This is a safety-net hospital. That means it takes care of the most vulnerable populations," he said. "This technology is the gold standard for Northwest Indiana. It's the same technology you would have in the city of Chicago, but it's right here in East Chicago. The hospital is working to provide world-class health care. As a congressman, I will listen to your concerns and try to provide access to health care, the best technology and the best for East Chicago."

St. Catherine CEO Leo Correa said the hospital continues to provide advanced technology to East Chicago and surrounding communities.

"St. Catherine Hospital is committed to ensuring that our community has state-of-the-art cardiac care close to home," Correa said. "It's a well-known fact that in the 1960s, St. Catherine Hospital became the choice facility in the Chicagoland area for the treatment of heart disease, performing the first open-heart surgery in Northwest Indiana. And today, we continue to invest in cardiac care and treating heart disease."

The hospital will install an Azurion 7 C20 Catalyst table, an image-guided therapy system that provides high-quality images with low doses of X-rays. Philips Healthcare is installing the new technology in its cath lab, which is undergoing a multiphase modernization project.

It will allow for precision diagnosis and treatment for patients. The new technology can capture uncommon angiography views, provide real-time 3-D impressions for complex vascular interventions and better visualize stent and balloon placement in coronary arteries.

"Our patients and clinicians benefit from the fast procedure times, reduced radiation exposure and superior image quality of this new technology," said Mary Miller, director of Cardiovascular Services.

St. Catherine Hospital has long placed an emphasis on cardiac care while serving the community for nearly a century, Correa said.

"During that time, we built a reputation for providing unparalleled cardiac care," he said. "That did not happen by chance. That's the result of an intentional investment in top health care providers and resources.

"We have fortified a culture of excellence in cardiac care by continuing to invest in skilled specialists and technologies to diagnose and treat heart disease. St. Catherine, along with our fellow hospitals in Community Healthcare System, Community Hospital in Munster and St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, operates one of the largest and most advanced cardiovascular programs in Northwest Indiana. Our hospitals are certified chest-pain centers that are fully accredited by the Joint Commission or the American College of Cardiology.

"Every day, highly skilled cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, electrophysiologic and cardiac support staff walk through our doors and use their expertise to treat patients who put their trust in us."
CROWN POINT A California man was charged Thursday in connection with violating a protective order and repeatedly stalking a woman.

Tyler McHenry, 26, was charged with stalking, criminal confinement and invasion of privacy, which are Level 6 felonies; and a Class A misdemeanor count of invasion of privacy.

He is at large on an arrest warrant, according to court records.

Charging documents detailed how McHenry repeatedly followed a woman with whom he previously had a relationship. The woman took out a protective order against McHenry on Dec. 29, court records stated.

Officers were called April 6 when McHenry showed up at the Schererville Panera, 144 U.S. 41, where the woman was making her coffee, according to a probable-cause affidavit. McHenry came up to the woman and told her that he saw her at a stop light and followed her to the restaurant.

The woman told police that McHenry violated the protective order several other times, the affidavit stated. When officers spoke to McHenry on April 12, he told them that he had heard about the protective order but was never served any paperwork. He also said the woman has had him blocked on her phone, so he hasnt been able to reach her.

Police wrote in charging documents that when they spoke to McHenry, he admitted to following the woman but said he just wanted to talk to her. McHenry told them he was in town to see a church mentor.

Officers received another call from the woman later on April 12, and they wrote that she sounded like she was in extreme distress, according to a probable-cause affidavit. The woman told them she was leaving her classes at the Indiana University Northwest in Hammond when she saw McHenry standing next to her car with flowers and a bag of her clothes.

She described how McHenry kept trying to talk to her and, once she got in her car, he crouched on the ground between her car and the open door so that she could not shut the door of the vehicle to leave, according to charging documents. She said McHenry admitted to knowing about the protective order, but he told her this was his last opportunity to fight for her.

McHenry has a previous conviction for violating a protection order in Michigan, charging documents said.

Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail Matthew Roggenkamp Ruben Vega III Jordan Picotte Rakeem Pippins Victor Odgen Matthew Moses Thomas Murray Kurt Gonzalez II Anthony Green Robert Hollis Johnny Jones Kenny Flagg Jr. Howard Geib Jr. Keith Cales Daniel Dillman Robert Allison Lavonya Banks Jacob Pritt Joshua Pritt Danny Serrano Jr. Michael Valdez Mary Powers Bryan Oparka Vishad Patel Latrice McNeil Edwin Negron Oscar Martinez Ocampo Devonte Gipson Bryne Manns Edgar Martinez Martin Cruz Jr. Bianca Dominguez Anthony Combs Jr. Cachun Combs Jr. Dameka Ali William Alms Jesse Argandona Ryan Vaughn Allan Triplett David Roper Louwon Scott Lamont Murdaugh Delvin Perkins Timothy Pettis Matthew Midkiff Christopher Lanman Christopher Hedges Misti Harbison Kenneth Babiarz Shawntina Beatty Timothy Brown Marcos Gutierrez Shannon Alelunas Gabriel Washington Keorra Wilson Jesus Salas Jr. Clarence Sistrunk Richard Vinet Jr. Sadat Wade Lavell Nylon David Pitts Robert Moore Asia Munford-Winters George Lowe Jr. Michael Malkowski Raul Mendoza Carlos Larrea Jessica Hegwood Jerome Kusbel Llewain Hardin Keith Gardenhire Yancey Gray Lorenzo Crooks Marko Duric Carlos Castillo Brandon Cramer Brayan Benavides Acevedo Erica Brooks Daniel Castaneda Jr. Cordaryl Bell William Barnes
CROWN POINT  An East Chicago man was sentenced to 79 years in prison Friday for murdering a woman over $10 in February.

A jury found Kevin Varner, 51 guilty of murder, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and firearm enhancement. Though all defendants are offered court-appointed attorneys, Varner opted to defend himself in his trial.

Varner was given 63 years on the murder count, which is two years below the maximum sentence, and an additional 16 years for a habitual felon enhancement, according to a news release from the Lake County Prosecutors Office.

Charging documents stated on Feb. 12, Varner fatally shot 21-year-old Danielle Brown at her friends house in the 1000 block of Durbin Street in Gary while his nephew Steven Nash kept lookout.

Varner shot Brown because she shorted him $10 for marijuana, charges said.

Nash entered a plea deal April 13 which stipulated that hed plead guilty to assisting a criminal in exchange for cooperating with prosecutors. The maximum sentence for assisting a criminal at the misdemeanor level is one year in jail or $5,000 in fines.

Nash testified during Varners trial that he originally lied to police because he was scared of catching other charges. He maintained that he was not a lookout for Varner, but simply drove him to Browns house because Varner threatened him.

Varner admitted to killing Brown in his opening statements at his trial but said he acted in self-defense.

Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail Matthew Roggenkamp Ruben Vega III Jordan Picotte Rakeem Pippins Victor Odgen Matthew Moses Thomas Murray Kurt Gonzalez II Anthony Green Robert Hollis Johnny Jones Kenny Flagg Jr. Howard Geib Jr. Keith Cales Daniel Dillman Robert Allison Lavonya Banks Jacob Pritt Joshua Pritt Danny Serrano Jr. Michael Valdez Mary Powers Bryan Oparka Vishad Patel Latrice McNeil Edwin Negron Oscar Martinez Ocampo Devonte Gipson Bryne Manns Edgar Martinez Martin Cruz Jr. Bianca Dominguez Anthony Combs Jr. Cachun Combs Jr. Dameka Ali William Alms Jesse Argandona Ryan Vaughn Allan Triplett David Roper Louwon Scott Lamont Murdaugh Delvin Perkins Timothy Pettis Matthew Midkiff Christopher Lanman Christopher Hedges Misti Harbison Kenneth Babiarz Shawntina Beatty Timothy Brown Marcos Gutierrez Shannon Alelunas Gabriel Washington Keorra Wilson Jesus Salas Jr. Clarence Sistrunk Richard Vinet Jr. Sadat Wade Lavell Nylon David Pitts Robert Moore Asia Munford-Winters George Lowe Jr. Michael Malkowski Raul Mendoza Carlos Larrea Jessica Hegwood Jerome Kusbel Llewain Hardin Keith Gardenhire Yancey Gray Lorenzo Crooks Marko Duric Carlos Castillo Brandon Cramer Brayan Benavides Acevedo Erica Brooks Daniel Castaneda Jr. Cordaryl Bell William Barnes
LAPORTE  Prosecutor Sean Fagan is suing the Board of County Commissioners in LaPorte Circuit Court in an effort to gain access to the email records of his predecessor stored on county-owned servers.

The suit was filed June 2 on behalf of Fagan by the Indiana attorney general's office. Attorney General Todd Rokita has turned the case over to an attorney from the Terre Haute-based Bopp Law Firm, with which the attorney general's office has a contract to assist it in various legal matters.

The lawsuit comes after the county commissioners were warned that legal action was imminent if they continued to deny Fagan's request for the emails of former Prosecutor John Lake and several members of his staff. The lawsuit says the emails are needed to close any gaps in information on cases Fagan inherited from his predecessor.

According to the lawsuit, information that might be important to a case could come from a wide range of emails, such as those detailing talks with victims and opposing counsel or communications between deputy prosecutors on strategy.

Citing state statute, the lawsuit says that even though the emails are on a county server, theyre owned by whoever is prosecutor, and the commissioners have no authority to deny access to them by the prosecutor, who is a judicial officer of the state. The lawsuit claims that failure to comply with a prosecutors request for emails from the office, under Indiana law, constitutes official misconduct, a Level 6 felony.

Commissioners Connie Gramarossa and Rich Mrozinski have stood their ground in repeatedly denying Fagans request, which was first made Jan. 5. The last denial was April 5, when the two again ignored the advice of their legal counsel and a written demand from Rokita to turn over the emails.

Andrew B. Jones has since been replaced as county attorney by Scott Pejic, who chose to not comment on a pending legal matter.

Mrozinski also chose to not comment; attempts to reach Gramarossa were unsuccessful.

Gramarossa, though, previously agreed to give Fagan the emails he needs from last year on specific cases to protect county employees from having their privacy violated if total access were given to the server.

However, the lawsuit says a prosecutor cannot know which emails to request unless all are opened in advance to see which ones might be helpful to a case.

Mrozinski has repeatedly said that Fagan is out to conduct a political witch hunt.

Commissioner Joe Haney, saying the law is obviously on Fagans side, has consistently voted to grant his request. He said the cost of the lawsuit for taxpayers is estimated above $10,000 and could easily rise into six figures.

The actions of commissioners Gramarossa and Mrozinski are absolutely reckless, he said.

The lawsuit is asking that Fagan be given all of the emails he requested, along with a declaratory judgment that the emails were unlawfully withheld. A forensic audit of the server is also sought from the court to determine whether any emails have been deleted and, if so, who had access to the emails.

Lake responded to the lawsuit July 13 with a motion in LaPorte Circuit Court to intervene as a defendant in the lawsuit. In his motion, Lake said he has an unconditional right under state law to intervene and wants to do so he can argue his case on why Fagan is not entitled to all of his emails during his last year as prosecutor.

If allowed to intervene, he will join the LaPorte County commissioners as defendants in the lawsuit.

In his motion, Lake said he is allow to keep confidential emails he described as personal records and prevent them from being wrongfully disclosed.

Lake said personal records under state statute are excluded from what a former prosecutor must transfer to a successor. He also claimed that some of the emails sought by Fagan are protected from disclosure under attorney-client privilege and federal right to privacy laws.

Lake said he would be harmed if his personal records, in the form of emails including those of current and former employees in the prosecutors office, are disclosed to Fagan, who doesnt need such records in his capacity to uphold the law.

These personal records do not relate to or have an effect upon the carrying out of the constitutional, statutory or other official duties of the Prosecuting Attorney, Lake stated in his motion to intervene.

In his motion, Lake also said not allowing him to intervene will impede his ability to rightfully protect the release of his personal records.

He also revealed his intent to file a separate lawsuit to keep the emails confidential if the court were to grant Fagan unfettered access to them.
VALPARAISO  Hilltop Neighborhood House has added a bookmobile to travel with its mobile food pantry. As parents wait in line for food packages, children can pick out books and movies.

The bookmobile "is not a lending library, Assistant Director Stayce Christ said.

We want them to build their own libraries at home and learn to love books, Christ said. "The bookmobile consists of donated items organized by category for easy selection. Common donors are parents and teachers."

Bailly Middle School in Gary recently donated a large quantity to the bookmobile, Director of Development Morgan Nagy said.

If there is an overload of books, well let families come and theyll get extra from us, or we might even donate them to other people," she said.

Children are typically allowed to take five books and one DVD, Christ said, but the number of books per child might have to decrease to three so there is enough for everyone who comes to the bookmobile.

One of the things wed really like to do going forward is have guest readers, Christ said. To read to the kids while their parents are in line for the food pantry.

Hilltop House would also like book selection to include books to help parents read to their children.

I know theres some parents who might not feel confident to read with their kids, Nagy said. So wed like to have books that help with that but also how to cope with their childs emotions.

The mobile food pantry serves 50 families, Christ said, and travels to Jamestown once a month. The bookmobile and food pantry will also be at Valparaisos Popcorn Fest in September, Christ said, although dates havent been set for when the bookmobile will go out.

Hilltop House partners with local churches, which will typically do food drives first, Christ said, to supply food for the mobile pantry.

The Hilltop House food pantry, 606 Union St., is open to clients from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Thursdays.

Donations are on the low side at the moment, Christ said: Although we have a lot of wonderful donors, were seeing a downside to what we are getting."

Food and basic household supplies can be dropped off from noon to 6 p.m. weekdays.

You have to be a Valpo resident to use the facility, but we never turn anyone away hungry, Christ said.

If people from outside the Valparaiso community come to the pantry, they will receive food and information about low-income food options in their own communities.

Its such a great addition to the community, Nagy said. I love how much we are able to help.
During a press roundtable event at the Cartier booth at Watches and Wonders, Cyrille Vigneron, the brands chief executive, said that A.I. was also transforming that brands demand planning and deployment models  and even giving Cartier insights into customer behaviors and attitudes.

By having so much data coming from call centers or web inquiries or even what words customers use on comments or on their own social media, you have a lot of words, Mr. Vigneron said. By trying to identify these words or some meanings behind them, its the opposite of ChatGPT  you dont try to create content, you try to understand what it means. For example, you have a new product coming, and you can have a big hike on social media, which means its maybe a good time to increase your production before it has been visible in the sales.

Mr. Vigneron emphasized that A.I. would not alter Cartiers design approach, which he described as entirely offer-driven.

When we design something old but very new again like the Tank Normale, we dont know if it will meet the public, and thats part of the beauty in this sector, he said. Were not trying to make an algorithm knowing what customers would want, but to make things we think are beautiful and hoping we find a public for them.

What weve done for the last five years is be distinctively ourselves, Mr. Vigneron said. Thats collective intelligence, and not artificial.

Expansion plans

Brands arent the only watch-world entities looking to optimize their operations with A.I.

Wristcheck, a Hong Kong retailer of pre-owned watches, is planning to introduce what it calls Wristcheck Intelligence this year. It is market-analytics software powered by machine learning that comprehends intricate data patterns to curate an index and suggest ideal prices for our sellers, Austen Chu, the companys founder, wrote in an email.
We want a different, larger connection to the city and its people, Charmatz said in a telephone interview, adding that in his first year with the company, he had staged a version of the large-scale outdoor work Sea Change, first created for the Manchester International Festival, and held Dancer Days  during which people could participate in a company class, learn a portion of Bauschs Palermo Palermo and mix with the dancers at rehearsals and meals.

That, Charmatz said, was the first smell of what the next season, and my work here, will be.

His task isnt easy. In the years immediately after Bauschs death, the company was run by the longtime Wuppertal dancer Dominique Mercy and the rehearsal director Robert Sturm; they were succeeded in 2013 by another veteran dancer, Lutz Forster. In 2017, Adolphe Binder, who had no direct history with Bausch or her work, was appointed director, but despite partially successful artistic projects, that turn ended unhappily: Binder was dismissed after little more than a year and fought a protracted legal battle with Tanztheater Wuppertal to return, but eventually abandoned the attempt.

I was prepared to say no, said Charmatz, who was initially approached by a search committee. I had a list of 20 reasons why it was impossible. But then I sat with the dancers, and realized it was impossible to say no.

He added that he was very conscious of being an outsider, and of working with people who had been closely associated with Bausch for decades. But perhaps they also need someone from outside, he said. I am not coming and saying, this is how we do it. We are going to do it together.

The 2023-24 season opens in September with Charmatzs new Liberte Cathedrale, performed at a 1968 Brutalist church in Neviges, north of Wuppertal. That piece will be followed in November by a triple bill, Club Amour, which combines Charmatzs Aatt enen tionon and herses, duo with Bauschs Cafe Muller.
Federal prosecutors in Boston unveiled criminal charges on Friday against three men accused of vandalizing the homes of journalists in New Hampshire and Massachusetts in retaliation for an investigation into a local businessman.

The charges stem from a string of incidents last spring after New Hampshire Public Radio aired an expose about sexual misconduct allegations against Eric Spofford, who until recently had owned the states largest network of drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers. Mr. Spofford later sued the news organization for libel.

Mr. Spofford was not named in the criminal complaint. But a person repeatedly named by prosecutors as Subject 1 is Mr. Spofford, according to a person familiar with the investigation. The complaint said that a close personal associate of Subject 1 solicited the three men to attack the homes.

Lauren Chooljian, a senior reporter at the radio station, had a window smashed and her house graffitied. Her editor, Daniel Barrick, was targeted. The home of Ms. Chooljians parents was vandalized twice in a month.
Malik Agar, the recently-appointed deputy chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC), rejected the current peace initiatives proposed by the African Union (AU) and IGAD, calling for initiatives that are not based on disarmament zones or two separate armed forces in the country.

Speaking during a closed roundtable discussion that was organized by the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies (ECSS) on Saturday - and attended by Ahram Online, Agar said the TSC was not party to the AU initiative, describing it as prescribing medicine without asking the patient about their problem."

He also rejected the IGAD initiative, particularly those provisions related to the imposition of disarmament zones and the deployment of forces east of Khartoum.

On a related note, Agar said the Jeddah initiative was born dead because the three parties to the initiative were not reading from the same page."

Face-to-face?



The deputy head of the TSC affirmed during the roundtable discussion that negotiations remains the primary means to achieve peace in Sudan.

"This war like all wars must end through negotiations, Agar said.

In response to a question from Ahram Online regarding the failure to organize a meeting between the Head of the TSC General Abdel-Fattah and Head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) General Mohamed Hamdan Hemedti Dagalo, Agar said holding such a meeting would be important in order to address three crucial points: reaching a ceasefire, facilitating humanitarian efforts and establishing a framework for the political process.

"We have no objection to continuing in the current way of negotiations but there must be clear mechanisms to do so.

There are no alternatives to sitting across from one another on the negotiating table, he said but without elaborating on how the two rivals will be brought together after two months of armed conflict.

Agar also rejected all the attempts to revert to the status quo prior to the outbreak of the armed conflict.

"The Sudanese people will not accept separate armed forces as proposed by the IGAD initiative, for example. We must arrive at a new formula or a new relationship. But we must have a unified army, Agar said.

The second-ranking figure in the TSC described the situation in Sudan as catastrophic.

The RSF has built a military and economic empire and it exercises control over residential areas, he warned.

He also warned against a potential collapse of the Sudanese state, which would have dire ramifications for neighbouring countries, including Egypt.

Agar is scheduled to meet with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Sunday.

This meeting is expected to focus on current developments and the dealing with the humanitarian situation as per the Egyptian-Qatari initiative, according to a senior Sudanese diplomat who is accompanying Agar on his visit to Cairo.

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Nusrat Choudhury, a civil rights lawyer, was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday as a federal judge in New York, making her the first female Muslim American and first Bangladeshi American to hold that distinction in U.S. history.

Judge Choudhury, most recently the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, was confirmed by a vote of 50-49, with every Democrat but one supporting her.

Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, praised Judge Choudhury on the Senate floor as a shining example of the American dream. Mr. Schumer had recommended that President Biden nominate her for a judgeship.

Our courts are at their strongest when they mirror the diversity and dynamism of our democracy, and we have a vibrant Bangladeshi community in New York and in the United States, Mr. Schumer said.
A Chicago woman accused of conspiring to kill her mother and putting her body in a suitcase while on vacation in Bali nearly a decade ago pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday.

Heather L. Mack, 27, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Illinois to one count of conspiring to kill a U.S. national in the 2014 death of her mother, Sheila A. Von Wiese, according to court documents. The two other charges brought against her in 2017  conspiracy to kill in a foreign country and obstruction of justice  were dropped as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, according to Michael Leonard, one of her lawyers.

Ms. Mack and her then-boyfriend, Tommy E. Schaefer, were both convicted in Indonesia of crimes related to the death. Ms. Mack was released after seven years and returned to Chicago in 2021, where she remains in custody. Mr. Schaefer, who was sentenced in 2015 to 18 years, remains in prison there.

The maximum sentence for conspiring to kill a U.S. national is life in prison. Ms. Macks lawyers, however, are hoping that the plea agreement they reached with federal prosecutors will result in a term of no more than 28 years in prison, and possibly less. The judge, who will sentence Ms. Mack on Dec. 18, is not bound by the agreement.
Federal judges have also blocked or mostly blocked enforcement of transition-care bans passed in prior years in Alabama and Arkansas. In Oklahoma, the state attorney generals office agreed not to enforce a newly passed ban on transition care until a judge could rule on an injunction request. And in Florida, a judge said this month that the state could not prevent a handful of children whose families sued from continuing their transition treatments.

Like in other states, supporters of the Indiana law said there was not enough evidence to support hormone treatments and puberty blockers for transgender children. They claimed they were seeking to protect young people from making life-altering decisions that they may later regret.

What the Indiana General Assembly has decided to do is say, We dont want our children to be part of this grand experiment, Thomas M. Fisher, the Indiana solicitor general, told Judge Hanlon.

Whats Next: A trial in Indiana, and more rulings elsewhere.

Judge Hanlons ruling is not final: It merely blocks the Indiana law from being enforced until a bench trial can be held on the merits of the lawsuit.

Officials in the Indiana attorney generals office did not directly say whether they planned to appeal the injunction, but issued a statement saying that the judges decision was not the end of the story and that the office will continue to defend the democratically passed laws of the state.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs said they were pleased with the ruling and were not done fighting the restrictions.

Our work in Indiana and around the country is far from over  including with this law, said Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice with the A.C.L.U., who is among the lawyers representing the Indiana plaintiffs.

As the Indiana case progresses, federal and state court judges in other parts of the country are considering similar lawsuits. At least 10 such legal challenges had been filed as of mid-June, with more expected to follow.
Even as Ukraine pushes ahead with a counteroffensive to recapture Russian-held lands, Moscow is planning to move forward with efforts to cement its political control over the four occupied territories of Ukraine that were illegally annexed last year, scheduling regional elections for Sept. 10, according to the Russian news agency Tass.

The Russian Central Elections Commission announced that the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east, and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south would hold elections for legislative assemblies and municipal representative bodies, according to a post on the Telegram messaging app.

For the first time, our new regions are holding elections together with the whole country, Ella Pamfilova, the chair of the commission, told Tass.

The front line of the war stretches over 600 miles that cut through the four regions, with the Ukrainian counteroffensive underway in both the east and the south.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and African leaders on a peace mission to Kyiv had testy exchanges on Friday on how to end the war with Russia, hours after Russian forces fired missiles at the capital while the African heads of government were there.

The African leaders spoke of hope and dialogue after talking with Mr. Zelensky, but the Ukrainian leader ruled out peace talks until Moscow withdraws its troops from occupied territory, and he called for Russia to be frozen out diplomatically.

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa laid out a plan for de-escalation of fighting by both countries, a prisoner exchange, the return of children taken from Ukraine and the free flow of grain and fertilizer to world markets. But toward the end of their joint news conference, Mr. Zelensky said he did not clearly understand the road map mentioned by the visiting leaders, who will meet with President Vladimir V. Putin on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Russia.

I dont want to have any surprises because tomorrow, youll have conversations with the terrorist, and then this terrorist will have proposals to you, Mr. Zelensky said.
2

Pen and Paper

I need this wherever I go. I journal for my own sanity and use a similar practice of the Morning Pages from The Artists Way. I write ideas, thoughts, images, things I want to develop. For every character I play, I create a notebook with back stories, inner monologues, abstract ideas, and add to it over time.

3

Poetry From Memory

If Im not on a job, I like to keep my brain sharp by memorizing a speech, a poem or a passage that I connect with. The last one was Rudyard Kiplings poem If. Before that it was a passage from a Taoist book about how insignificant we are in the vastness of the cosmos, yet how we should still strive to be a better part of it.

4

Exercise

Training has become a big part of my life again after almost 10 years of more unhealthy and self-destructive habits during my early struggling acting years. It helps me avoid or work through negative states. Anything that can take me out of my head and into the body  training with weights, the punching bag, Brazilian jiu-jitsu or yoga.

5

Teachers

If we dont keep learning throughout our lives, I think we stagnate. Ill always look to study as much as I can between work, studying with a Japanese language tutor, meditation teachers, martial-art teachers or any subject that helps inspire me creatively and think differently about something. I studied film and theater in college, and I remember my drama teacher at the time saying, You should never become an actor. Then I found a class at the Actors Temple, and a great teacher called Tom Radcliffe opened my eyes to maybe I could be doing this, that I had the potential to be a good actor.

6

Nonfiction

Mans Search for Meaning, Bruce Lees Striking Thoughts, Hardcore Zen, The Road Less Traveled. Easy Riders, Raging Bulls is what Im reading now. Older books that remind me why we do what we do on a deeper level I find helpful in this increasingly superficial modern western world.

7

Traveling in Japan

Kyoto is one of my favorite places  exploring temples, disconnecting from technology, going off the beaten path. One of my favorite trails so far was the Kumano Kodo, an ancient pilgrimage route.
For three decades, Crispin Odey stood above Londons financial community, a larger-than-life financial mogul who was known for taking huge bets  and raking in big profits when they proved right.

But in a little more than a week, his hedge fund is suddenly on the brink of dissolution, felled by the latest accusations of sexual assault and harassment against its 64-year-old founder.

The firm, Odey Asset Management, said on Thursday that it was in advanced discussions to transfer funds and staff to other firms. The reason, it noted with perhaps extreme understatement, was that it had become clear that some investment management activities of the partnership are affected by recent events.

In a sign that investors were losing confidence in the company, Odey Asset Management said it would shut down one of its funds and had halted investors from withdrawing their money from others, after what the firm described as a sizable level of redemption requests. In the hedge fund world, such a move, known as gating, is considered a drastic step meant to avoid the equivalent of a run on the bank.
There is already evidence of the impact of the fraying ties. Foreign direct investment in China has fallen to an 18-year low. A 2023 survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in China showed that companies still see the Chinese market as a priority, but that their willingness to invest there is declining.

The economic relationship has become so dismal that any sign of progress is welcome, though expectations are low for any sort of a breakthrough, said Jake Colvin, the president of the National Foreign Trade Council, which represents multinational businesses.

The hope is that high-level dialogues like this can start to inject some certainty for business into an increasingly fraught and unpredictable trade relationship, he said.

Still, as one of the worlds largest consumer markets and home to many factories that supply global businesses, China exerts a powerful pull. This year, as it eased its travel restrictions after three years of pandemic lockdowns, a parade of chief executives made trips to China, including Mary Barra of General Motors, Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase and Stephen Schwarzman of Blackstone.

On a visit to China this month, Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla and owner of Twitter, described the American and Chinese economies as conjoined twins and said he opposed efforts to split them. Apples chief executive, Tim Cook, traveled to China in March and lauded the companys symbiotic relationship with the nation.
Read that story now, alongside the other second-person pieces in Self-Help  most of them written while she was a student at Cornell  and youll feel the same intense but false connection you get from listening to the same podcast every day. You know this person, you think, but whats actually happening is that your idea of her is taking residence in your brain. For me to read a story where a white woman is telling you, almost ordering you, to put yourself in that characters shoes  its so direct, said Sidik Fofana, a Whiting Award-winning writer who studied with Moore. But you can never lose track of the you whos reading, so theres a little bit of distance. Moore exploits that narrow space between her yous and you, Dana Spiotta said, as you laugh with her characters but feel yourself implicated in their bitter self-critiques. Shes puncturing these vanities, Spiotta said  her characters, but yours as well.

In Moores stories, funny people banter with their loved ones as playfully as we all do, creating little bubbles around our relationships. But for Moore, those inside jokes are warning lights. Banter in Moores stories between lovers or friends creates a kind of intimacy, Spiotta said, that is underwritten with sadness, because it isnt sustainable. In a story from her second collection, a young woman dating two men at once finds her shared jokes with one boyfriend edging into aggression. She has started stepping on his punchlines. They had begun to do imitations of each other, that most violent and satisfying end to love.

In 1984, Moore was hired by the University of Wisconsin, the youngest professor in an English department staffed mostly with older men. After the publication of Self-Help, she became one of the most intriguing young writers in America, but her real life felt different. I was too young to be a professor, really, she said. The students were sometimes my age. Missing New York  she joked that she spent her entire salary on long-distance phone calls  she returned to Manhattan her first few summers of teaching, subletting the type of apartment where, for example, she did her dishes in a bathtub in the kitchen. She could afford dinner and a cheap ticket to the opera, but she couldnt afford to throw out leftovers, so she would smuggle takeout containers into the Met and shove them, reeking, under her seat.

Loving Moores work, in those days, felt like belonging to a kind of secret society. You would never recommend her work to just anyone  only to someone who would truly get it, which is to say, who would get you. I call her the It Girl, said Victoria Wilson, Moores editor of nearly 40 years at Knopf. Because of her physicality as well as the writing, Lorrie is sort of the quintessential crush. Ann Patchett remembers piling into a car with three classmates in the late 80s, planning to drive from the Iowa Writers Workshop to Madison, Wis., to meet their idol. Thats crush behavior for sure, Patchett said. The car broke down on the way, and they had to get towed back.

What is it about her work that generated such fervor? Moores characters only sometimes resemble her, but the crises theyre undergoing always mirrored her own life, and thus the ongoing lives of the readers who loved her the most. You see these various stages of life, Wilson said. Dating, dealing with being single, being a single mother, being divorced. On the stage of American fiction, she took the materials of life  womens lives, particularly, recognizable and harrowing  and made out of them elaborate works of art. We were coming out of a Carver-esque moment, Patchett said. Moore, in contrast, was plush, rich. She added: We just worshiped her.
Two years ago, when a democratic socialist narrowly won a crowded Democratic primary for a City Council seat in Harlem, some saw it as a sign that the historically Black neighborhood was becoming more politically progressive.

But roughly a month before this years primary on June 27, the first-term councilwoman, Kristin Richardson Jordan, unexpectedly dropped out of the race. Her decision has recast the hotly contested Democratic primary, which now comprises three candidates  none particularly progressive.

Two are sitting State Assembly members: Al Taylor, 65, a reverend in his sixth year in the Legislature; and Inez Dickens, 73, who held the Harlem Council seat for 12 years before joining the Assembly. The third candidate is Yusef Salaam, 49, one of five men convicted and later exonerated in the rape and assault of a female jogger in Central Park in 1989.

All are moderate Democrats who, before Ms. Jordans withdrawal, had tried to distance themselves from Ms. Jordan and her political stances, which include redistributing wealth and abolishing the police.
The first commercial flight from Yemen's rebel-held capital to Saudi Arabia since 2016 took off carrying hajj pilgrims on Saturday, in the latest sign of easing tensions after years of war.

A Yemenia Airways plane carrying 277 travellers departed at around 8 pm (1700 GMT), an official told AFP, seven years after Sanaa's international airport was blockaded by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-backed Huthi rebels.

"Hopefully, the blockade will end and the airport will remain open. We are very happy and relieved, and I cannot describe the feeling," said Mohammad Askar, one of the travellers.

The flight is the first since Sanaa's airport was closed by the coalition blockade in August 2016, more than a year into the Saudi-led military campaign to dislodge the Huthis.

Air traffic was largely halted by the blockade aimed at the Huthi rebels, but there have been exemptions for aid flights that are a lifeline for the population.

Hundreds of thousands of people have died in the fighting in Yemen or from indirect causes such as lack of food or water, in what the United Nations calls one of the world's biggest humanitarian crises.

But despite coalition bombing raids and ground clashes, the Huthis, who seized control of Sanaa in 2014, ousting the internationally recognised government, rule over large swathes of the country.

Two more flights will depart on Monday and Tuesday, officials said. The Huthis' Works Minister Ghaleb Mutlaq said about 200 flights would be needed to accommodate the 24,000 people that he said wanted to travel.

"We consider what is happening today as a good gesture, so that airports, especially Sanaa airport, will be opened to Yemeni travellers," Najeeb Al-Aji, the Huthis' minister of guidance, hajj and umrah, told journalists.

'Uptick in rhetoric'



Fighting in Yemen sharply declined after a UN-brokered truce came into effect in April last year, and full-scale hostilities did not resume even when the ceasefire lapsed in October.

Among the terms of the truce was a resumption in international flights from Sanaa. The first commercial flight in six years took off for Jordan's capital Amman in May last year.

Peace efforts have accelerated since March when Saudi Arabia, seeking to calm the region as it tries to revamp its oil-reliant economy and attract investment, announced a surprise rapprochement with its powerful rival Iran, seven years after they broke off ties.

After Iran reopened its embassy in Riyadh earlier this month, on Saturday Saudi Arabia's foreign minister visited Tehran, where he held talks with his opposite number.

A Saudi delegation flew to Sanaa in April, the same week as a major prisoner swap that freed nearly 900 detainees in a confidence-building measure.

However, the Saudi and Huthi negotiators failed to agree on a new truce and later Saudi ambassador Mohammed al-Jaber, while stressing both sides were "serious" about the process, told AFP that the next steps were unclear.

"We are all aware that the road to peace is going to be long and difficult," UN special envoy Hans Grundberg said at a forum in The Hague this week, noting "an uptick in public rhetoric threatening large-scale escalation".

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Ms. Sewell, 51, is walking away from a department of 36,000 uniformed officers that saw the rate of major crimes like murders and shootings fall during her tenure. Morale, at critical levels following the pandemic and racial-justice protests in 2020, was slowly improving, partly because of a contract she helped negotiate that included raises and more flexible schedules. She added about 30 detectives to a sex-crimes unit that for years had been understaffed and overworked.

Now, officers, department watchdogs and community leaders are trying to figure out what comes next.

Mr. Caban, who has been with the department since 1991, is the leading candidate to become interim commissioner, according to several officials with knowledge of the decision.

Whoever heads the department will face a slew of challenges: officers who union leaders say are being lured away by better hours and pay; residents of color who do not trust the top leaders; and the challenge of keeping the city safe enough to foster a post-pandemic revival.

Perhaps the most daunting task will be serving a mayor  himself a former police captain  whose administration is believed to have meddled so much that Ms. Sewell felt she had to quit. While previous commissioners said they had to deal with some level of micromanagement, they said they were typically allowed to pick their own teams and rarely had to get approval for discretionary promotions.
For more than a century, Catholic priests in Maryland held Black people in bondage. They were among the largest slaveholders in the state, and they prayed for the souls of the people they held captive even as they enslaved and sold their bodies.

So after the Civil War, the emancipated Black families that had been torn apart in sales organized by the clergymen were confronted with a choice: Should they remain in the church that had betrayed them?

Over the past seven years, Ive pieced together the harrowing origin story of the American Catholic Church, which relied on slave labor and slave sales to sustain itself and to help finance its expansion. I am a professor and a journalist who writes about slavery and its legacies. I am also a Black woman and a practicing Catholic. As Ive considered the choices those families faced in 1864, I have found myself pondering my faith and my church and my own place in it.

I stumbled across this story in 2016 when I got a tip about the prominent Jesuit priests who sold 272 people to raise money to save the college we now know as Georgetown University, the nations first Catholic institution of higher learning. Witnesses described the terrors of enslavement: children torn from their parents, brothers from their sisters and desperate people forced to board slave ships that sailed to Louisiana. It was one of the largest documented slave sales of the time, and it shattered entire families.
WASHINGTON  Studying Hamlet, the revenge play about a rotten kingdom, I tried for years to fathom Hamlets motives, state of mind, family web, obsessions.

His consciousness was so complex, Harold Bloom wrote, it seemed bigger than the play itself.

Now Im mired in another revenge play about a rotten kingdom, Trump. Ive tried for years to fathom Donald Trumps motives, state of mind, family web, obsessions.

The man who dumbed down the office of the presidency is a less gratifying subject than the smarty-pants doomed prince. Hamlet is transcendent, while Trump is merely transgressive. But we cant shuffle off the mortal coil of Trump. He has burrowed, tick-like, into the national bloodstream, causing all kinds of septic responses.

Trump is feral, focused on his own survival, with no sense of shame or boundaries or restraint.

In that sense, David Axelrod told me, being a sociopath really works for him.
There is a question Ive had for a very long time. And it has to do with this map. This is a map of the 18 states in the U.S. where Democrats control the legislative and executive branches or else have some veto-proof majority in the legislature. Democrats in D.C. often blame the G.O.P. for foiling their progressive vision. When middle-class families see their taxes go up, theyll know Republicans are to blame. But if you zoom in to these 18 states, theres effectively no Republican standing in the way. So my question is, what do Democrats actually do when they have all the power? To answer this question, I teamed up with the Times editorial board writer Binya Appelbaum. OK, you got my attention. Hes been thinking about and writing books about and reporting on this topic for decades. I think Americans tend to view politics as a competition of us versus them. And they tend to think that if they would just get out of the way, then we can do the things that we want to do. There is no them standing in the way. Theres just the we of Democrats and their supporters. And they get to decide what policy should look like in those states. And that is an opportunity for them to implement their vision. For this story, I also delved into this giant document. It is the 2020 Democratic Party platform. If you want to really understand what Democrats say they want, what their vision is for America, its found inside of this document. This document serves as a guide as we zoom in to these states to answer this question: What do Democrats really do when they have all the power? Nearly 554,000 homeless people   from the 25 wealthiest Americans shows theyre paying little in income taxes compared to their fortunes, sometimes nothing at all. We cannot, in good faith, blame the Republican Party when House Democrats have a majority. Theres still very intense segregation happening in all kinds of forms all over this country. OK, so lets start with California. To me, California is, like, the quintessential liberal state. From the state legislature to the whole executive branch to most of the big cities, Dems hold majority control. So what do they do with all this power? Looking at California, you have to look at housing. OK, now wait, listen, when I hear the words housing policy, I tend to sort of doze off. But Binya insists that housing policy and what is happening in California is definitely worth looking at. You cannot say that you are against inequality in America unless you are willing to have affordable housing built in your neighborhood. And Democrats completely agree. Here in this document, the word housing is mentioned over 100 times. The neighborhood where you were born has a huge influence on the rest of your life. Children who are born in neighborhoods with degraded environmental conditions, with a lack of access to high-quality public services, poor schools, poor public transit are at a permanent disadvantage. And they even say verbatim, Housing in America should be stable, accessible, safe, healthy, energy efficient and above all, affordable. Housing is a human right. Housing is a human right. The rent is going through the roof. Housing is a human right. How does California do when it comes to housing? You know where those signs are, when you drive into a state, it says, Welcome to California? They might as well replace them with signs that say Keep out. Because in California, the cost of housing is so high that for many people, its simply unaffordable. The state has simply, for the most part, stopped building housing. I mean, there are cranes. Theres housing going up. But it has slowed down over time really, really sharply. And it is nowhere near sufficient to keep pace with Californias population. So what you have is not enough housing and too many people trying to get it. And the inevitable result is that prices have gone up, up and away. The median price of a home in San Diego County is now a staggering $830,000. All around California, there are cities full of people who say that they are progressive, theyre liberals, they believe in a more equal America, a more diverse America. They show up to the marches. They put in the lawn signs about everyone being equal. But at the same time, theyre actively fighting to keep their neighborhoods looking like this. OK, wait, but that doesnt look so bad. Its just a bunch of houses in a neighborhood, right? No. It turns out that this is actually the result of specific policies, intentional policies that keep these neighborhoods spread out and full of single-family homes, as opposed to higher-density buildings like duplexes or apartment complexes. This is a real, serious fight. And you can get a glimpse into it by looking at a zoning map. Yes, were looking at a municipal zoning map of Palo Alto, Calif. Dont leave yet. This is really where it sinks in. So just stick around. So everything on this map that is yellow is zoned for single-family homes, like this and this. One family can live here. But here in Palo Alto, there are a lot of new jobs. This is a desirable place to live for new opportunities. Over the past eight years, the San Francisco area has added 676,000 jobs but only 176,000 housing units. So a few years ago, the City Council voted to change the zoning of one section of the city right here, specifically, this two-acre plot of land. They wanted to change it from low-density housing to higher-density housing so that they could build a 60-unit affordable housing complex for elderly members of the community. OK, so they changed the zoning. Start building the 60-unit complex. No. The overwhelmingly liberal residents of Palo Alto decided to hold a vote to overturn the decision, to revert it back to low-density, single-family housing. Back to yellow. And it passed. And the zoning was overturned. So now when you go to this plot of land, instead of an affordable housing complex for the elderly, what youre going to see is this, a row of just a few houses, all of them massive, and worth around $5 million each. I think people arent living their values. You go to these meetings in these neighborhoods where theyre talking about a new housing project, and its always the same song. And it goes like this. I am very in favor of affordable housing. We need more of it in this community. However, I have some concerns about this project. We have the hearts to do this. But were doing it wrong. And were dictating harm onto the neighborhoods. And then off we go with the concerns. And then nothing ever gets built. This is happening all over California. And the result is that these neighborhoods are so expensive that they keep anyone out who isnt a part of this small group of superrich residents, many of whom bought their properties decades ago and who spend their time fighting vigorously to keep the value of their real estate assets superhigh. If you want to keep Palo Alto the kind of neighborhood and community that we all treasure  low intensity, low density, safe for kids to walk to school  youve got to vote against Measure D. Theres an aspect of sort of greed here and of nervousness about actually sharing those opportunities. Lets go to another liberal bastion up here in Washington State. The Democratic Party talks about taxation, saying that our tax code has been, quote, rigged against the American people. Democrats all the time are decrying the fact that tax cuts are going to the wealthiest Americans. It is time for a wealth tax in America. Democrats believe in a progressive tax system, where the rich pay a larger share of their income than the poor. This is like the most basic policy vision of a progressive movement. Its front and center in Democrats policy platform. But if you go and look at Washington State, what you find is that in Washington State, if you look at the state and local taxes that people pay there, less-affluent families pay a much larger share of their income in taxes than the wealthiest residents of Washington State. So people like Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, two of the states most famous and wealthy residents, are in this lovely situation of paying less in taxes as a share of their income than the poor people who live in that same state. And this is a fundamental inversion of the values that the Democratic Party professes. There is no state with a more regressive system of taxation than Washington State. And Im talking, like, the most regressive, meaning, Texas, which is the conservative bastion of anti-taxes, is more progressive than Washington State, liberal Washington State. How is that real? Oh, and guess what: Other states on our map also are in the top 10 of most regressive tax regimes, like Nevada and Illinois. There have been some changes, particularly in recent years. But the overall situation remains resistant to change. So I am very concerned that, at this time, which is a very poor time to disincent people from creating jobs in Washington State, that were even considering it. From that paycheck that you earned, more of that money is going to state government. And so the effect of that is basically to exacerbate inequality. OK, so rich liberals dont show up when it comes to housing or taxes. Another major theme in this policy document is education. And the wording in here I find quite interesting. The Democrats say, quote, We must provide a world-class education in every ZIP code, to every child, because education is a critical public good. They use this word ZIP code to represent the fact that in America, schools get their funding based on the real estate taxes of the houses within that school district. The more expensive the neighborhood, the more funding goes to the school. So over here in Illinois, which is the quintessential liberal state, theres this one county that contains the city of Chicago. Its called Cook County. The residents here voted overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates in the presidential and senatorial elections last year. Often, what would happen is that this would just be one big school district and that all the taxes from all the towns in this county would be put into one bucket and distributed equally throughout the county. But the residents of this very blue Democratic county have actually decided to divide themselves into more than 140 school districts. So now you have all these tiny school districts, like this one, which are like gerrymandered around the richest part of town. And so all of the taxes from these rich homeowners go into one little bucket and then only get distributed to the schools within this rich region of the county. It can be on the same block that the town line runs through the middle of it. And if you live on one side of that line, youre consigned to an inferior education by virtue of the fact that you and your neighbors dont have as much money. And if you live on the other side, youre basically a member of a club that is sponsoring a private school, essentially, for the benefit of that small group of kids who are lucky enough to live in that affluent community. And the result is that poor communities have less money to educate their children and rich communities have more money to educate their children. This is crazy. It means, basically, that the kids who have the greatest needs have the fewest resources. The same thing is happening in wealthy, liberal Connecticut, where the inequality in education opportunities is shameful, with some schools having huge budgets for their libraries and facilities and others in the same state having to use duct tape to keep wind and snow out of their windows. Like, this is a real thing. We need your help in establishing guidelines, procedures and funding to address issues negatively impacting our students, like extreme temperatures, mold, lead exposure and poor water and air quality. So, yeah, Binya tells me that the states could change this. They could actually just collect all the real estate taxes and then equally distribute them. But if you look at some of our liberal strongholds, that is exactly what they are not doing. Let me be clear about something. In blue states, progress is being made, albeit slowly. For instance, a few weeks ago California finally passed a law that gets rid of single-family zoning. Its a small step in the right direction. And in many cases, blue states provide more and better public services. And historically have given better chances to low-income families to climb the economic ladder. But for some of these foundational Democratic values of housing equality, progressive taxation and education equality, Democrats dont actually embody their values very well. Were talking, once again, about a system thats been rigged. Republicans, today   are to blame. What were talking about here is that blue states are the problem. Blue states are where the housing crisis is located. Blue states are where the disparities in education funding are the most dramatic. Blue states are the places where tens of thousands of homeless people are living on the streets. Blue states are the places where economic inequality is increasing most quickly in this country. This is not a problem of not doing well enough. It is a situation where the blue states are the problem. Affluent liberals tend to be really good at showing up to the marches and talking about how they love equality. Theyre really good at putting signs in their lawns saying that all are welcome here. But by their actions, what theyre actually saying is, yes, we believe in these ideals, just not in my backyard. We are not living our values. People who live in blue states, people who profess liberal values, you need to look in the mirror and need to understand that they are not taking the actions that are consistent with those values  not just incidentally, not just in small areas  but that some of the most important policy choices, we are denying people the opportunity to prosper and to thrive and to build better lives. And it is happening in places where Democrats control the levers of policy.
Theres been many waves of people being conscious about environmentalism, she said, adding that 2007 was another moment of a new generation of people kind of waking up to the fact that were, as a society, making some ridiculous choices.

Initially, Ms. Sugihara said, the team looked into manufacturing the bags locally in the San Diego area, where she grew up, but the quotes she received priced one bag at $40, which made it inaccessible for most people. To keep the low price point they wanted, local factories advised her that the bags would have to be produced in China, so, she said, Baggu worked with a manufacturing agent with a code of conduct and auditors to ensure their products were being made ethically. Baggu then eventually shifted production to a family-owned factory group in China that it has worked with for more than 10 years.

The year they launched, the fledgling brand had a course-altering stroke of good luck when it got a one-page spread in the August 2007 issue of Teen Vogue and an influx of orders. The companys first customers were teenage girls, who connected to the brands accessible price point ($8 at the time), the ability to choose the colors that spoke to them and, perhaps most important, its eco-conscious ethos.

The teen girls who formed the backbone of Baggus first customer base may be all grown up, but Gen Z has taken their place. Now, instead of a splashy Teen Vogue spread, theres TikTok, where enthusiasts posts serve as user-generated marketing for the brand. Its there that many are discovering Baggu for the first time.
Sumayyah Muhit, 22, helped organize a mock shaadi through the Bengali Student Association at the New York Institute of Technology, where they dont really have a lot of Bengali representation, she said.

The event took place on Feb. 16 and featured performers, almost 500 attendees dressed in wedding finery, and a bride and groom who were selected after monthslong elections. The wedding drew students from India, Pakistan, Nepal and other South Asian regions, as well as those who are not South Asian. Everyone at our school seemed to be excited for it, Ms. Muhit said.

Throughout the event, the clubs executives stopped to narrate and explain the customs. Ms. Muhit said she had particularly enjoyed the opportunity to share Bengali traditions, like gate-holding at the door to playfully block the grooms entrance and a day-after ceremony from her home region of Sylhet in Bangladesh, in which the bride comes home and cuts fish.

So many people who attended the wedding had no idea where Bangladesh was, or that it was even a country in Asia, she said.

Mock wedding events have existed in various forms for decades. Sororities and fraternities often host parties where students dress up as brides and grooms. In Canada, a musical group called Betta Boyz hosted a large mock Nigerian wedding at a Calgary banquet hall in July 2022. Similar events are also popular in colleges in South Asia. Students at the Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan, for example, hosted a widely attended, elaborate mock shaadi in March; photos and videos of the event went viral on Twitter and TikTok.

Pop culture has played a significant role in creating demand for these events, said Rijuta Mehta, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto specializing in post-colonial studies. Bollywood films, reality television shows like Indian Matchmaking and magazine spreads featuring ultrarich weddings all contribute to wedding-related fervor. There is this entire media industry around images of glamorous, luxurious, extravagant, highly indulgent weddings, she said.
Research has not yet shown which sites, apps or features of social media have which effects on mental health. We dont have enough evidence to tell parents to get rid of a particular app, or cut it off after a particular number of hours, said Sophia Choukas-Bradley, a psychologist and director of the Teen and Young Adult Lab at the University of Pittsburgh.

Its also hard to prove that social media causes poor mental health, versus being correlated with it. Most studies measure time spent on social media and mental health symptoms, and many, though not all, have found a correlation. But other researchers say measuring time spent isnt enough: In these studies, its unclear if time on social media is the problem, or if its time away from other things like exercising or sleeping. And the studies obscure, for instance, if someone is spending hours on screens to escape mental duress or to seek support from friends.

A few studies have tried novel approaches around these problems. One, early in Facebooks rollout in the mid-2000s, compared college campuses that had received access to it with those that hadnt, and found that its arrival had a negative effect on students mental health.

A carefully designed study, Project Awesome at the University of Amsterdam and Erasmus University in Rotterdam, looks at both the average effects of social media on 1,000 teenagers it surveys and how they differ by individual, and follows adolescents over time. It has found that time spent on social media is less of a factor than teenagers moods while using it.

Other studies have used brain scans to show that when adolescents looked at likes or frequently checked feeds, it activated brain sensitivity to social rewards and punishments.
Its kind of like the old saying, when everythings a priority, nothings a priority, said Jason Johnson, who was a deputy police chief in Baltimore overseeing compliance with the citys consent decree. In a recent column, he warned Louisville to bargain carefully. When you lay out this massive consent decree, honestly, its like the department just stepped into a bucket of concrete.

Mr. Johnson, who calls himself a constructive opponent of the decrees, said the layers of approval they require made it hard for Baltimore to implement changes swiftly. And, he said, the Justice Department wanted rules for officers that went further than the Constitution required, without regard for whether they hampered the ability to stop crime. I can tell you from being at the table, there was no interest in having conversations around what the impact might be from some of these policies, he said.

Departments also have to bear the costs of new technology, better equipment and better training, as well as fees for a monitor to check their compliance. Even so, believers point out that consent decrees may be far cheaper than unconstitutional policing. Minneapolis has paid out more than $70 million in police misconduct settlements over the past five years, including $27 million to the family of Mr. Floyd.

What were talking about is broad institutional reform, said David Douglass, the deputy monitor of the New Orleans consent decree and founder of a nonprofit group called Effective Law Enforcement for All, which helps communities develop voluntary reforms. So, yeah, its expensive, but I think I would say, So what? measured against the harm and the resulting benefit.

One strength of consent decrees, for those who like them, is that they are not subject to the political winds that blow mayors and police chiefs in and out of office. In Baltimore, Michael Harrison, who was brought in as commissioner because of his success in implementing New Orleanss police overhaul, just resigned, but the consent decree remains. Experience running a department with a consent decree has become a plum line on a chiefs resume. In Minneapolis, the new chief is Brian OHara, who came from Newark, where he served as public safety director.
Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania said on Saturday he was confident the portion of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia that collapsed last weekend will open within the next two weeks.

We are going to get traffic moving again, Mr. Shapiro said on Twitter, crediting an all hands on deck approach. Initially, he had said he expected the repairs to take months.

The crash on Sunday of a truck hauling gasoline led to a fire that left a section of the northbound side of the highway in ruins and the southbound section so badly damaged that it was demolished this week. Local officials are working with the federal government to rebuild the roadway.

Before the collapse, that stretch of the highway, in northeast Philadelphia near the Delaware River, was used by about 160,000 vehicles a day, officials said, though much of the interstate traffic traveling through the region already bypassed Philadelphia using the New Jersey Turnpike, which runs roughly parallel to I-95 east of the river.
Shortly after his plane took off earlier this month from Riyadh, where he had held a lengthy meeting with Saudi Arabias crown prince, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken called a different Middle East leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.

Over 40 minutes, Mr. Blinken gave the Israeli leader a briefing about the significant demands the young crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, was making for his nation to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel. Mr. Netanyahu had an update on his own demands.

The phone call  described by two American officials  was a turn in the Biden administrations long-shot bid to broker a landmark diplomatic deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, two historical adversaries who in recent years have been engaged in a discreet courtship in part over their shared distrust of archrival Iran.

The White House, which for more than two years has largely been content to sit out the poker game of Middle East diplomacy, has decided to make a bet and push some of its chips in. The United States is now in the midst of complex negotiations among three leaders who have their own reasons for a deal but are making demands that might prove to be too costly. And they simply do not much like or trust each other.
Iran and Saudi Arabia took a further step Saturday to seal their reconciliation as Riyadh's top diplomat made a landmark visit to the Islamic republic following a seven-year rupture.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan held talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian focusing on regional security.

He later met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, and was due to hand him an invitation "to visit the kingdom soon".

Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northwestern city of Mashhad were attacked during protests over Riyadh's execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr

But the two countries agreed in March to mend ties and reopen their respective embassies, in a Chinese-brokered deal that has shifted regional relations.

On June 6, Iran reopened its embassy and consulate in Saudi Arabia and the kingdom is expected to reopen its diplomatic mission in Tehran "soon", Prince Faisal said.

"I would like to point out the importance of cooperation between our two countries concerning the regional security, especially the security of maritime navigation and waterways," Prince Faisal said at a joint news conference with Amir-Abdollahian.

The Iranian foreign minister told reporters they had discussed ways of bolstering cooperation in the fields of security, economy, tourism and transportation.

But Amir-Abdollahian stressed Iran's view that "regional security will be ensured by regional actors only" without external interference.

"Our relations are based on a clear foundation of full and mutual respect for independence, sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs," Prince Faisal added.

He later met Raisi and they "reviewed bilateral relations and ways to enhance and develop them in various fields", the Saudi foreign ministry said in a tweet.

Raisi, in a statement from his office, said there were "no obstacles" to developing ties with Muslim countries, stressing that "regional problems and troubles can be dealt with" through cooperation and dialogue "without foreign interference".

Prince Faisal was the first Saudi foreign minister to visit Iran since 2006 when the late Saudi top diplomat Prince Saudi al-Faisal made a trip to Tehran.

Iran Arab ties



Since restoring ties, Saudi Arabia has pushed for a peace deal with Iran-backed Huthi rebels and also championed the return last month of key Iran ally Syria to the Arab fold.

Saturday's meeting between the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers was not the first for the two top diplomats.

Prince Faisal and Amir-Abdollahian had met in Beijing in April, where they both vowed to promote regional security and stability.

The same month, a Saudi delegation visited Iran to discuss reopening its diplomatic missions, Riyadh's foreign ministry said at the time.

While Iran reopened its embassy in Saudi Arabia, the reopening of the Saudi embassy in Tehran has been delayed due to the poor condition of the building which was damaged during the 2016 protests.

Pending the completion of the work, Saudi diplomats will be working from a luxury hotel in Tehran, according to media reports.

After the landmark deal with the Saudi kingdom, Iran has moved to cementing or restoring ties with neighbouring Arab countries.

In April, Iran named an ambassador to the United Arab Emirates nearly eight years after his predecessor left.

The move came after Iran welcomed an Emirati ambassador last September ending a six-year absence after the UAE had cut the level of its diplomatic representation in 2016.

Iran has also said it would welcome restoring diplomatic ties with Bahrain to end a seven-year rupture.

And at the end of May, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he would welcome a resumption of relations with Egypt which have been cut since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

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This month, the movement seemed on the cusp of victory in Nevada, where the Democratic-controlled Legislature passed a bill, with support from a handful of Republicans, that would have guaranteed a right to contraception. But on Friday, Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, quietly vetoed the measure. Proponents of codifying such a right saw Nevada as a test case.

Its going to be up to Republicans to choose whether they want to protect the right to contraception, Senator Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts and the sponsor of the failed Senate bill, said in an interview before the governors veto. Mr. Markey called the Dobbs decision a preview of coming atrocities.

On Wednesday, Mr. Markey and Representative Kathy Manning, Democrat of North Carolina, reintroduced legislation to create a national right to contraception. With the House now controlled by Republicans and Senate Democrats well short of the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster, the legislation is most likely dead on arrival in Washington.

Polls have consistently shown broad bipartisan support for access to contraception, and while Republicans may not be eager to enshrine a right to it in federal law, neither do they generally want to ban it. Still, some opposition to birth control does exist.

The Roman Catholic Church opposes any form of artificial birth control, arguing that some contraceptives can cause early abortions. Some abortion foes claim that two common methods of preventing pregnancy  intrauterine devices and emergency contraception, also known as the morning-after pill and marketed as Plan B  are abortifacients that prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in a womans uterus.
By the time the prisoner accused of plotting the U.S.S. Cole bombing boasted about his role in the attack during interrogations at Guantanamo Bay, his memories and account were unreliable because of years of isolation and torture by the C.I.A., a former military interrogator testified Friday.

Prosecutors say the statements that Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, a Saudi prisoner, gave during interrogations in 2007 are crucial evidence against him. Defense lawyers consider them tainted by torture. Now the judge, Col. Lanny J. Acosta Jr., is expected to decide whether agents can testify about the confession at Mr. Nashiris eventual trial.

The judges ruling is on track to be the first major decision at the war court about the admissibility of interrogations by federal agents who were brought to Guantanamo Bay to build a fresh case against former C.I.A. prisoners.

The final expert on the topic testified Friday that, no matter how friendly the so-called clean team of F.B.I. and Navy intelligence agents were, the legacy of Mr. Nashiris torture and years of C.I.A. detention made what the prisoner told them untrustworthy.
Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, was the first prominent candidate to announce a challenge to former President Donald J. Trumps bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

Since entering the race in February, Ms. Haley has weighed in on social issues and tapped into her experience as a former United Nations ambassador under Mr. Trump to criticize current U.S. foreign policy.

Heres a fact check of her recent remarks on the campaign trial.

Sex and gender issues

What Ms. Haley SAID

Roe v. Wade came in and threw out 46 state laws and suddenly said abortion any time, anywhere, for any reason.

 in a CNN town hall in June

This is exaggerated. Ms. Haley is overstating the scope of the landmark ruling Roe v. Wade, which established a constitutional right to abortion. The 1973 decision also ensured that states could not bar abortions before fetal viability, or when a fetus cannot survive outside the womb. That is not the same as any time, as Ms. Haley said. That moment was around 28 weeks after conception at the time of the decision and now, because of advances in medicine, stands at around 23 or 24 weeks.
In the overheated basement of the Thunder Bay Grille in Davenport, Iowa, on Thursday night, Vivek Ramaswamy, the entrepreneur turned Republican presidential candidate, tried out a new opening for his well-practiced stump speech.

Although it would be easier for someone like me to win this primary or win this election if certain people like Donald Trump were not in the race, thats not how I want to win, the biotech millionaire told the Scott County Republican faithful who packed the room on the outskirts of this Mississippi River city.

Thats not how we do things in America, he continued. We are not a country where the party in power should be able to use police force to indict its political opponents. And I stand not on the politics but on principle.

It was a portentous broadside for a man running to be president, one that questioned the integrity of a justice system that had just brought the first federal charges against a former president. And it is something that Mr. Ramaswamy admits he has wrestled with, given that his assertions could undermine the rule of law that he says he stands by firmly.
At least 37 people were killed  many of them students  and eight others were wounded when militants with an extremist group attacked a secondary school in western Uganda, the authorities said on Saturday, in one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in the East African nation in years.

The group, known as the Allied Democratic Forces, attacked the school on Friday night in Mpondwe, a town near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, a police spokesman said on Twitter. During the attack, a dormitory was burned and food in a store was looted, said the spokesman, Fred Enanga. All eight who were wounded were hospitalized in critical condition, he added.

Three people were rescued, but six students were abducted, a military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, said in a statement. The attack, which began around 11:30 p.m. on Friday, was carried out by about five militants, the authorities said.
A winter storm slammed the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul with torrential rain on Friday, killing 11 people, leaving 20 missing and prompting a helicopter search and rescue for victims wading in flooded neighborhoods, the authorities said.

The storm system that struck the country was an extra-tropical cyclone. Such storms have cold air at their core and are typically associated with cold fronts, meteorologists with the National Weather Service said.

Gov. Eduardo Leite of Rio Grande do Sul said on Twitter that officials main priority on Friday was to find the missing and save people who may still be stranded by the floods.
An out-of-control fire was advancing rapidly toward a logging road on Tuesday afternoon, tearing through Canadas immense  and highly flammable  boreal forest with a force and intensity bewildering to a team of French firefighters.

Surrounded by thick smoke, a handful of them headed into the forest to search for water. A veteran knelt down and used his right finger to sketch a plan on the gravel road, pressing to attack the fire head-on.

But the commander was not convinced. The fire, he said, was of an immensity unimaginable in France. The conifers of a combustibility they had never encountered. Trying to douse this tiny patch would be pointless.
An approximately 700-pound bronze Nazi eagle that once adorned a German warship and in recent years became the subject of a court case in Uruguay will be melted down and turned into a dove, the South American nations president said on Friday, a move that he said would transform a symbol of violence and war into one of peace and unity.

Amid times of division, in times of violence, times of war in the world, the president, Luis Lacalle Pou, said at a news conference in Montevideo that the signal of our country to our people, to the outside world, is we are a society of peace, we are a society of unity and we practice it.

The eagle  more than six feet tall and with a wingspan of nearly nine feet, its talons holding a wreath-encircled swastika  was affixed to the stern of the Admiral Graf Spee, an approximately 12,000-ton armored heavy cruiser built by Germany in the 1930s. When the vessel was damaged in one of the first major naval battles of World War II, its commander scuttled the ship in the Plata River shortly after stopping at Montevideo, Uruguays capital.

In 2006, the eagle was recovered off the Uruguayan coast after a yearslong search by a private venture. But when those behind the recovery expedition tried to sell the eagle, the state moved to block any sale, fearing that the object could fall into the hands of anyone seeking to glorify Nazism.
Late one night two months ago, a team of Taliban security officers assembled on the outskirts of Afghanistans capital to prepare for a raid on an Islamic State hide-out.

As the zero hour approached, the men fiddled with their automatic rifles while their leader, Habib Rahman Inqayad, scrambled to get the exact location of their target. He grabbed his colleagues phones and called their superiors, who insisted they had sent him the location pin of the target to his WhatsApp.

There was just one problem: WhatsApp had blocked his account to comply with American sanctions.

The only way we communicate is WhatsApp  and I didnt have access, said Mr. Inqayad, 25, whom The New York Times has followed since the Taliban seized power in August 2021.

He was not alone. In recent months, complaints from Taliban officials, the police and soldiers of their WhatsApp accounts being banned or temporarily deactivated have become widespread, disruptions that have illuminated how the messaging platform has become a backbone of the Talibans nascent government. Those interruptions also underscore the far-reaching consequences of international sanctions on a government that has become among the most isolated in the world.
KRAMATORSK, Ukraine  The team of soldiers had been out of their Ukrainian armored personnel carrier for only a matter of minutes when the tree line in front of them erupted in Russian gunfire. The dozen or so soldiers, sent to reinforce a trench, found themselves pinned down for hours.

Never seen that much fire, from so many positions, a soldier recounted in a mission report obtained by The New York Times.

One soldier fighting for Ukraine was killed and nine were wounded in the battle, which took place in March near the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Russian troops, the report said, showed a high level of skill and equipment.

The ambush was part of a patient, disciplined operation that was in contrast to the disorderly Russian tactics that marked much of the first year of the war, which began in February 2022. It was a deadly demonstration that the Russian military was learning from its mistakes and adapting to Ukrainian tactics, having grossly underestimated them initially.
Residents of a region in western France on Saturday counted the cost after being stunned by a rare earthquake that has left dozens of homes damaged.

Cracks appeared in several homes in the Charente-Maritime department just north of the major city of Bordeaux, while churches were damaged and inhabitants left in urgent need of resettlement.

There were no fatalities, even though the earthquake was felt as far as Rennes in Brittany in the north and two aftershocks were recorded on Saturday morning.

In the town of La Laigne, many homes were left cracked with stones and tiles on the ground and chimneys looking as though they could tumble at any moment.

The fire service declared dozens of houses uninhabitable.

In La Laigne, "135 buildings were affected by the earthquake overall" and "170 people need to be relocated", said local fire service chief Didier Marcaillou.

"Most of the houses in the centre of the town have been affected to varying degrees. The church is completely unusable. The school will have to be closed as a precaution," added prefect Nicolas Basselier, the top government-appointed regional official in Charente-Maritime.

A baker in La Laigne for 33 years, Cecile Apperce was at her counter on Friday when the earthquake struck. "I thought it was a plane crash, I went outside, everyone was screaming."

"The crockery, the cups, the wine, everything crashed down," said Patricia Chardonne, who was in her 200-year-old house at the time.

Her husband Pascal added: "All the walls have shifted. We have to relocate but don't know where to go."

A queue of 50 people had already formed outside the town hall seeking help.

Deputy mayor Bruno Asperti said: "Stone and two-storey houses were the worst affected. One-storey and recently-built houses less so."

'Unusual earthquake'



The quake was also felt in other areas, including the nearby department of Deux-Sevres where two people were lightly wounded, the emergency services said.

"It is an unusual earthquake on our territory, so I would like to express all my solidarity with the populations who may have been worried," Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on a visit to northern France.

"We will obviously ensure that everyone has access to rehousing," she added.

The national network for seismic surveillance RENASS recorded the quake at 5.3, while the French Central Seismological Bureau (BCSF) put it at 5.8.

Seismologists said the quake was the most significant in the region since 1972.

Earthquakes at or above five magnitude are unusual in France, with the last such event taking place in November 2019 in the remote southern Drome and Ardeche departments.

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Nearly two weeks after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in southeastern Ukraine the floodwaters are receding, but local officials are grappling with a new concern: the potential for outbreaks of waterborne diseases.

On Saturday, local officials in Kherson and Mykolaiv, the two regions most affected by the flooding on the Dnipro River unleashed when the dam collapsed, outlined plans to ensure safe drinking water. And doctors in hospitals across those regions have been warned to prepare for possible outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Currently, trucks carrying essential medical supplies for infectious diseases such as cholera are being unloaded, Oleksandr Chebotarov, the medical director at the Kherson City Clinical Hospital, said in a phone interview on Saturday. As of today, we have not had any reported cases of illness, but we are actively preparing.

The full scale of the disaster, which drained a giant reservoir used for drinking water and irrigation, is only beginning to come into focus. Hundreds of residential areas are still inundated, including some under Russian occupation. International humanitarian organizations have shared concerns about widespread pollution and the chances of illness, but the Ukrainian health authorities maintain that they are vigilantly monitoring for signs of disease.
This article was originally published in 2020. It was updated in 2023.

Juneteenth, an annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War, has been celebrated by African Americans since the late 1800s.

President Biden signed legislation in 2021 that made Juneteenth, which falls on June 19, a federal holiday, after interest in the day was renewed during the summer of 2020 and the nationwide protests that followed the police killings of Black Americans including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

There has been a noticeable increase in Juneteenth celebrations across the United States over the past few years.
Source: ok_spn via Telegram Source: ok_spn via Telegram Source: ok_spn via Telegram What dam looked like before explosion What dam looked like before explosion What dam looked like before explosion Cross section of the dam Cross section of the dam Cross section of the dam Kakhovka Dam Hydropower cranes Railroad bridge Car bridge Passageway Concrete block Hydropower cranes Railroad bridge Kakhovka Dam Car bridge Passageway Concrete block Hydropower cranes Railroad bridge Kakhovka Dam Car bridge Passageway Concrete block BELARUS RUSSIA Seismic station POLAND UKRAINE SLOVAKIA HELD BY RUSSIA HUNGARY MOL. Seismic station Kakhovka dam SEA OF AZOV ROMANIA CRIMEA BLACK SEA BELARUS RUSSIA Seismic station POLAND UKRAINE SLOVAKIA HELD BY RUSSIA HUNGARY MOL. Seismic station Kakhovka dam SEA OF AZOV ROMANIA CRIMEA SER. BLACK SEA BULGARIA BELARUS RUSSIA Seismic station POLAND UKRAINE HELD BY RUSSIA Seismic station MOL. Kakhovka dam ROMANIA CRIMEA BLACK SEA BULGARIA Source: Ukraines Prosecutor General Office via Associated Press Source: Ukraines Prosecutor General Office via Associated Press Source: Ukraines Prosecutor General Office via Associated Press













Moments after a major dam in a Ukrainian war zone gave way, wild torrents cascaded over the jagged remains of the top. But the real problem most likely lay elsewhere, cloaked deep beneath the surface of the raging waters. Deep inside the dam was an Achilles heel. And because the dam was built during Soviet times, Moscow had every page of the engineering drawings and knew where it was. The dam was built with an enormous concrete block at its base. A small passageway runs through it, reachable from the dam's machine room. It was in this passageway, the evidence suggests, that an explosive charge detonated and destroyed the dam. At 2:35 a.m and 2:54 a.m. on June 6, seismic sensors in Ukraine and Romania detected the telltale signs of large explosions. Witnesses in the area heard large blasts between roughly 2:15 a.m. and 3 a.m. And just before the dam gave way, American intelligence satellites captured infrared heat signals that also indicated an explosion. After the first section of the dam was breached, videos suggest that the power of the rushing water tore a larger and larger gash into the dam. As the water levels further dropped this week, they fell below the top of the concrete foundation. The section that collapsed was not visible above the water line  strong evidence that the foundation had suffered structural damage, engineers said. In the chaotic aftermath, with each side blaming the other for the collapse, multiple explanations are theoretically possible. But the evidence clearly suggests the dam was crippled by an explosion set off by the side that controls it: Russia.

Even in a war that has razed entire cities, the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam in southern Ukraine stands out.

Thousands of people were displaced by flooding from one of the worlds largest reservoirs, which was vital for irrigating farmland considered the breadbasket of Europe. The disaster puts global food supplies for millions at risk and could threaten fragile ecosystems for decades.

The dam was visibly scarred by fighting in the months before the breach. Ukrainian strikes had damaged one part of the roadway over the dam, and retreating Russian troops later blew up another. Last month, satellite images showed water flowing uncontrolled over some of the gates.

This has led to suggestions that the dam may have merely fallen victim to the accumulated damage, which Russia has seized on to deny responsibility.

But multiple lines of evidence reviewed by The New York Times, from original engineering plans to interviews with engineers who study dam failures, support a different explanation: that the collapse of the dam was no accident. The catastrophic failure of its underlying concrete foundation was very unlikely to occur on its own.

Given the satellite and seismic detections of explosions in the area, by far the most likely cause of the collapse was an explosive charge placed in the maintenance passageway, or gallery, that runs through the concrete heart of the structure, according to two American engineers, an expert in explosives and a Ukrainian engineer with extensive experience with the dams operations.

If your objective is to destroy the dam itself, a large explosion would be required, said Michael W. West, a geotechnical engineer and expert in dam safety and failure analysis, who is a retired principal at the engineering firm Wiss, Janney, Elstner. The gallery is an ideal place to put that explosive charge.

A satellite image showing the dam three days before its destruction. Pleiades Neo Airbus DS 2023

Engineers cautioned that only a full examination of the dam after the water drains from the reservoir can determine the precise sequence of events leading to the destruction. Erosion from water cascading through the gates could have led to a failure if the dam were poorly designed, or the concrete was substandard, but engineers called that unlikely.

Ihor Strelets, an engineer who served as the deputy head of water resources for the Dnipro River from 2005 until 2018, said that as a Cold War construction project, the dams foundation was designed to withstand almost any kind of external attack. Mr. Strelets said he, too, had concluded that an explosion within the gallery destroyed part of the concrete structure, and that other sections then were torn away by the force of the water.

I do not want my theory to be correct, Mr. Strelets said. A large explosion in the gallery might mean the total loss of the dam. But that is the only explanation, he said.

Waking to Water

In the predawn hours of June 6, residents living close to the dam in both Russian-controlled and Ukrainian-controlled territory heard explosions and strange rumblings, they said later.

They were no strangers to the sounds of fighting. For months, the two armies had traded artillery volleys across the Dnipro River. But this time seemed different  and soon it was clear why.

For those closest to the dam, built in the 1950s by the Soviet state, the rush of water was almost immediate. It took longer for the floods to make their way farther downriver, but when they did, they came fast and then did not begin to subside for more than a week.

We live on the fourth floor so it didnt reach our apartment, but the first floor was completely flooded, said Vasyl, 64, who lives in the Russian-occupied east bank town of Hola Prystan, about 60 miles from the dam, and was reached by phone.

A flooded residential area in the Russian-occupied town of Hola Prystan. Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters

Neighbors and relatives have sought refuge in his apartment. My sisters house is completely washed out, Vasyl said. Its just the walls now, nothing inside, no furniture, no appliances.

Most younger people in the town fled the Russian occupation long ago, he said, leaving behind mostly elderly people, including many with disabilities. Many of them drowned, as they couldnt leave their houses or climb to the roofs, he said. The death toll from the flooding remains unknown; officials say the numbers are likely to rise as the waters recede.

A Prime Target

The relatively spindly sluice gates and cranes and the ribbon of roadway above the water line seemed to offer an easy target for an attack aimed at destroying the Kakhovka dam.

But most of the dams enormous mass was hidden below the surface of the water, according to diagrams of the structure obtained by The Times and detailed descriptions by Mr. Strelets, who said he has spent months at the Kakhovka dam and around the reservoir.

Passageway Passageway Passageway

That mass consisted of a rounded tower of nearly solid concrete some 20 meters high and as much as 40 meters thick at the bottom, Mr. Strelets said. Built in sections, that colossal barrier ran between earthen embankments on either side of the channel and did much of the work of holding back the waters of the reservoir.

The sluice gates sat atop that barrier, opening and closing to adjust the water level. Visual evidence assembled by The Times shows clear damage to the roadway and to a few of the sluice gates on one side of the channel in the months before the breach of the dam.

Despite that damage and a whitewater cascade tumbling from the vicinity of those gates, engineers said the foundering of an entire section of the dam was more likely to be related to the blasts picked up by seismic sensors and to an infrared signal that U.S. officials said was picked up by a satellite, indicating the heat of an explosion.

The seismic signals were picked up on two sensors, one in Romania and one in Ukraine, and occurred at 2:35 a.m. and 2:54 a.m. Ukraine time, said Ben Dando, a seismologist at Norsar, a Norwegian organization that specializes in seismology and seismic monitoring. The signals were both consistent with an explosion, Dr. Dando said  and not, say, the collapse of the dam on its own.

He said that the network could determine the time of an explosion to within a couple of seconds, but that the location of the blasts was less certain. For example, Norsar could locate the 2:54 a.m. signal to have originated within a zone 20 or 30 kilometers across that included the dam.

A specific time stamp for the infrared signal was not available, but a senior U.S. military official said that it was picked up shortly before the dam collapsed.

A senior American military official said that the United States had ruled out an external attack on the dam, like a missile, bomb or some other projectile, and now assesses that the explosion came from one or more charges set inside it, most likely by Russian operatives.

Floodwaters reached the rooftops of houses in Kherson, about 40 miles downstream from the dam. Daniel Berehulak/The New York Times

Gregory B. Baecher, an engineering professor at the University of Maryland and a member of the National Academy of Engineers, also said the scale of the breach indicated that the underlying concrete barrier had failed, suggesting that charges had been set deep in the structure.

If they put explosives in the gallery, that would explain a lot, Professor Baecher said. A large explosion there, he said, would just rip up all the concrete structure.

Nick Glumac, an engineering professor and explosives expert at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said the size of the necessary charge could vary widely depending on the exact way in which the explosives were set and the precise objective.

Its worth remembering that you dont have to pulverize the dam section, just break it enough such that the water pressure is enough to tear it away, Professor Glumac said.

Still, Professor Glumac said that based on diagrams of the dam and the latest imagery of the destroyed foundation, Its hard for me to see how anything other than an internal explosion in the passageway could account for the damage. He added, Thats a massive amount of concrete to move.

Using the gallery might have another advantage for anyone seeking to hide their tracks. According to Mr. Strelets, the gallery had only two entrances, including one inside the machine room located in a building to one side of the dam.

Dr. West, who is also a former Army combat engineer officer, noted that would allow the dam to be rigged out of sight of spy satellites, drones or witnesses on the ground. Early morning drone footage showed that the initial breach in the dam occurred not far from the machine room.

A satellite image showing the dam a day after its collapse. Maxar Technologies

Professor Baecher said it was possible, though unlikely, that water flow from the damaged gates somehow undermined the concrete structure where it sat on the riverbed. But he said an examination of the drawings indicated that the design had protected against that possibility with standard measures. One of those is a so-called apron of concrete on top of the riverbed to the downstream side of the dam.

This appears to be a well-engineered dam of modern design, he said.

For its part, the company that operated the dam said in a statement to The Times on June 16 that Russian forces made an internal explosion which resulted in destroying the dam. That explosion, the company said, brought about uncontrolled release of water from the reservoir and disastrous increase of water level in the downstream.

A Dam in the Cross Hairs

The ravages of the dam since the Russians invaded Ukraine have been captured again and again from overhead and on the ground.

As Russian troops were retreating across the Dnipro River in November 2022, they blew up the roadway atop the structures northern end. A surveillance camera captured the powerful nighttime explosion. Satellite images show that the force of the blast destroyed the roadway, but that the dams foundation and the walls of the gates at that section of the dam were unaffected. They remain standing today.

The Times obtained very high-resolution satellite imagery that also shows damage to another section of the roadway in the days and weeks before the dams collapse. On June 1, or early on June 2, part of the road that runs along the dam collapsed. Ukrainian HIMARS rocket strikes in August 2022 damaged that part of the road but did not hit the dam.

On April 23, a small part of a wall connected to the power plant collapsed  possible evidence of erosion near the dam.

August 2022 November 2022 June 2023 Ukrainian HIMARS rocket strikes Russian destruction of roadway Additional roadway collapse HELD BY RUSSIA HELD BY RUSSIA HELD BY RUSSIA Location of damage Dnipro River Dnipro River Dnipro River HELD BY UKRAINE HELD BY UKRAINE HELD BY UKRAINE August 2022 November 2022 June 2023 Ukrainian HIMARS rocket strikes Russian destruction of roadway Additional roadway collapse Location of damage HELD BY RUSSIA HELD BY RUSSIA HELD BY RUSSIA Dnipro River Dnipro River Dnipro River Dnipro River HELD BY UKRAINE HELD BY UKRAINE HELD BY UKRAINE August 2022 Ukrainian HIMARS rocket strikes HELD BY RUSSIA Location of damage Dnipro River HELD BY UKRAINE November 2022 Russian destruction of roadway HELD BY RUSSIA Dnipro River HELD BY UKRAINE June 2023 Additional roadway collapse HELD BY RUSSIA Dnipro River HELD BY UKRAINE Sources: Supernova+ via Telegram, Maxar Technologies, Pleiades Neo Airbus DS 2023.

Additionally, the cranes that control the release of water through the dam had not been moved since mid-November, allowing water to flow unchecked out of the same gates over a period of several months. This lack of regulation led the water level of the reservoir to reach its lowest point in decades in February, then hit a 30-year high in May, just weeks before the dams destruction.

Neither this previous damage, nor the pressure caused by the high water level or the static position of the cranes is likely to have caused the collapse of the dams concrete foundation, experts said, unless the concrete was of low quality and already prone to deteriorate. The large flows would also be insufficient to undermine the dams foundation unless, for some reason, the concrete apron  the downstream cover placed over the river bottom  contained flaws or the soil was much softer than accounted for in the design.

A video that emerged this week, after water levels had dropped, provides clear evidence of the catastrophic failure. It shows that the top of the concrete foundation, not just the gates, was destroyed.

Source: Milinfolive via Telegram

Mr. Strelets, the engineer, called the gallery the Achilles heel of the Kakhovka dam. He said he hoped a charge had not been put there, because the damage would be irreparable.

I walked along this dam many times, he said. I was proud of it. It is the property of my country. I never even imagined that someone would attempt to destroy it.
Three houses were hit at the same time by a lightning strike in Offaly this week.

The unusual and frightening incident happened during a thunderstorm in Birr on Tuesday, June 13 when the blast destroyed electronic equipment in the three houses.

All three homes were in the Cemetery Road area of Crinkill. Theresa Kirwan Ryan put up a post on her Facebook page shortly afterwards which said, Hit my house, through the phone line. It ripped up and broke the tiles in my kitchen. The phone socket blew clean off the wall. It fried two televisions and the xbox. My son had a phone charging. He was holding it when the lightning struck. He got a shock but he's fine thank God. Scary stuff.

Leonie Moten wrote, also on Facebook, It hit our house too. It blew the internet box and the plug flew off the wall!

Worst hit was Michael and Caroline Blake's home. The lightning struck their outside tap and travelled to the sink in the kitchen where Caroline was making a cup of coffee. She was struck by the lightning and was very lucky to survive the incident.

Caroline said she noticed, just before the strike, the electricity in her house going on and off. Then she noticed sparks flying out of the silverware in her sink. Then there was a sudden loud explosion and the smell of burning throughout the kitchen.

Caroline said the bang was extremely loud, reeling her backward a bit and disorientating her. The incident lasted a few seconds and she compared the sensation in her body to touching an electric fence. Her face and hands were red after the event.

Caroline went to her GP and then to Tullamore Hospital. Thankfully she was okay, and was discharged after a few hours. However, there were physical aftereffects. There were two small burns on her wrist and stomach and next day she had a bad headache. The doctors told her that the fact she was wearing her runners may have saved her life.

By Thursday Caroline was able to return to her job.

Christopher Scott, Professor of Space at Atmospheric Physics at the Department of Meteorology in the University of Reading said the lightning strike on the three houses was very unusual.

The Professor pointed out that all the electrical wiring and all the plumbing in modern construction is earthed to ground which means that electrical energy from a lightning strike goes straight down those conducting pathways into the ground, thereby ensuring the safety of the inhabitants. Therefore, he said, being inside is usually the safest place to be.

The chances of being struck by lightning are very low, 300,000 to one.
OPINION: Is Nepal Coming Out Of Chinas Pernicious Embrace

Feature

lekhaka-Balbir Punj

The recent visit of Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Parchanda' to India came as a pleasant surprise to those who have been stressed about the tension and mutual distrust that have defined the ties between the two neighbours over the last three decades. During his 4-day (May 31-June 3) stay in India, Dahal was a changed man.

The 68-year-old ex-revolutionary and once a fire-brand communist leader was in a completely new avatar, triggering speculation in informed circles that Nepal may be in the process of moving out of China's pernicious embrace and mending its fences with India. Of course, one would have to wait and watch for the final outcome.

What are the possible reasons for Dahal's shapeshifting? The answer probably lies in the changes that have occurred in the political discourse in India and Nepal during the last one decade. Under the UPA I & II dispensation, India was not only seen as distancing from its Hindu identity but also appeared to be embarrassed about it. The then ruling establishment in Delhi tried to manufacture the myth of 'Hindu terror' and went to the ridiculous extent of claiming that Bhagwan Ram was a non- existent entity. The public discourse in Nepal during the last two decades too was affected by China's malignant influence and corrosive communist ideology.

Communism is inherently divisive, it pits humans against each other. Violence is central to its paradigm. Hinduism encapsulates the entire universe and is plural in essence. It willingly embraces diversity in matters of traditions, faith and other facets of life. The Congress in India has for long outsourced its ideological moorings to communists.

OPINION: Reaching Out To Tibetans In Nepal

The dominance of the Left narrative in India and Nepal hit hard the cultural ties that glue them together. The popular greeting 'Sita-Ram' defines ethos of both -- India & Nepal. While Ram is born in Ayodhya in India, the birth place of Sita is in Janakpur in Nepal. Gautam Budhha spent most of his monastic life in India, breathed his last in Kushinagara in Uttar Pradesh and was born in 623 BC in the sacred area of Lumbini, in the Terai plains of southern Nepal. It's impossible to list all such inalienable relations, spanning over a millennia, in an article.

India and Nepal share an open border of 1,850 km and have deep intertwined history and religious-cultural ties. However, the close ties between the two countries have come under stress. Opposing and abusing India have dominated Nepali public discourse for decades now, and Dahal himself is a product of such anti-India politics.

This is Dahal's fourth innings as Prime Minister since 2008. However, during his current visit to India, he was careful not to talk about any of the contentious issues, which are usually used to embitter India-Nepal relations. The revision of the India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 was not raised, perhaps for the first time in recent years. The report of the Eminent Persons' Group (EPG) available since 2018, which has recommendations the Indian government is not enthusiastic about, such as turning the existing open border into a regulated one, was not pursued.

The inconvenient issue of the recruitment of Nepali Gurkha soldiers by the Indian Army, in the wake of the Agnipath scheme adopted by India, obviously didn't figure in the talks. The question of air routes between the two countries has been a major irritant in the bilateral ties. As Nepal sought India's help to ensure the economic viability of its two new airports built by China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured his counterpart Dahal that New Delhi would positively consider approving more air routes for entry and exit of aircraft to and from the neighbouring country.

Dahal's recent visit had clearly two facets -- cultural and economic. In the three one-to-one meetings that the Nepal PM reportedly had with PM Modi, several significant outcomes were achieved. These include a long-term agreement which is targeted at 10,000 MW of power supply to India in a 10-year time frame against the current 450 MW. Nepal will be able to supply initially about 40 MW of power from India to Bangladesh, which is an important breakthrough.

The ambitious Pancheshwar 5,000-MW hydro-project, which has been on the cards since 1996, is to be fast-tracked. The Transit Treaty between the two countries has been renewed and Nepal has now been given access to India's inland water transport network which will enhance its connectivity with India and presumably to Bangladesh, though this has not been specifically stated.

The existing Motihari (India)-Amlekhganj (Nepal) petroleum products pipeline will now be extended to Chitwan and a second pipeline from Siliguri (India) to Jhapa (Nepal) has been agreed upon. These will greatly enhance Nepal's energy security and provide it with efficient, safe and secure supplies. Several cross-border rail connectivity projects which have been completed or are under construction and the existing and proposed border Integrated Checkpoints (ICPs) will ease travel and cargo movement between the two countries.

Apart from adopting a pragmatic approach on bilateral economic issues, Dahal made obvious efforts to emphasise the cultural ties between the two countries. Earlier, Dahal would only wear Western dress to emphasise the revolutionary break with feudal tradition, but this time he was seen donning the traditional Nepali dress 'datura suruwal'.

Another first was Dahal's visit to the Mahakaleshwar temple, one of the 12 'jyotirlingas' in the country. The temple, especially its Nandi Hall and the sanctum sanctorum, was decorated with flowers. A red carpet was laid in the temple premise to welcome the Nepalese PM and his delegation. Priests blew conch shells to welcome the guests from the neighbouring country. Dahal offered 100 'rudraksh' and Rs 51,000 at the temple during the visit.

Before Dahal paid his obeisance at Ujjain on June 10, he had paid his first-ever and much-publicised visit to the Pashupatinath temple in Nepal. Accompanied by several Cabinet ministers, including Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat and Foreign Minister N.P. Saud, Dahal had visited the famed temple, situated on the banks of the Bagmati river, and is a UNESCO heritage site.

OPINION: Nepal-China Ties: Need For Caution

Taking note of Dahal's temple visit, PM Modi said, " Prime Minister Prachanda ji, you will visit Indore and the religious city of Ujjain tomorrow. I am sure your visit to Ujjain will be full of energy, and you will also have a spiritual experience in this journey from Pashupatinath to Mahakaleshwar."

If India has changed during the last one decade (shedding its anti-Hindu bias), Nepal too isn't what it was two decades back. The novelty value of communism is getting over gradually. Its mask of social justice and equality has worn off, and its ruthless pro-China face stands fully exposed. The deposed King Gyanendra is attracting huge crowds during his tours of various parts of the country. There are frequent demands that the country reverts back to its formal constitutional position of being a Hindu nation. Dahal, is obviously not oblivious to this changing ground reality.

Referring to the strained relations with India during his first term as PM in 2008-09, Dahal had said in 2016: "At that point, the impact of the revolution and war was very strong on my mind. I needed more time to understand the nuances of politics. After the ups and downs of the past decade, I think I will be able to strengthen relations between our two countries with more maturity."

But Dahal's successful India visit is being termed as a "surrender", at home. The communists in Nepal have gone to the town painting it red. "The Prime Minister has taken a very hollow position in Delhi. He could not raise the concerns and issues that matter to us," former PM and Unified Marxist Leninist chair K.P. Sharma Oli said in the parliament there. His image as a "revolutionary" fighting against an "expansionist India" is getting increasingly diluted. May be, he himself wants to distance himself from his past, move on and re-establish himself as a 'responsible and mature' leader.

An average Nepali is proud of the fact that Nepal in its entire history has never been colonised. After the collapse of the bipolar world, China has come out with its own brand of colonisation -- using time-tested Shylock techniques to subjugate the victims, through debt traps. One can't miss how have Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the neighbourhood been suck bone dry by China, reducing them to destitution. Can a changed Dahal save his country from sinister Chinese hold?

(Mr. Balbir Punj is a Former Member of Parliament and a Columnist. He can be reached at: [email protected])

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
Air strikes killed or wounded more than two dozen civilians in Khartoum Saturday, a citizens' group said, as medics reported hundreds of wounded fleeing Sudan's western Darfur region in worsening violence of a two-month war.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claimed to have shot down a Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) fighter plane. A military source, not authorised to speak to the press, told AFP anonymously that a plane did go down but blamed a "malfunction".

The SAF, commanded by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has since April 15 been battling the RSF, headed by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, after the two fell out in a power struggle.

Witnesses say air strikes have intensified in the capital over the past few days.

On Saturday, warplanes again struck residential districts of Khartoum, killing "17 civilians, including five children," according to a citizens' support committee.

Residents had earlier reported air strikes around the city's southern Yarmouk district -- home to a weapons manufacturing and arms depot complex where the RSF claimed "full control" in early June.

The citizen's committee added that 11 other civilians were wounded but AFP was not immediately able to independently confirm the committee's figures.

In a video published Friday on the army's Facebook page, deputy army chief Yasser Atta warned civilians to keep away from houses where the RSF are located because the army "will attack them at any time."

Since battles began, the death toll across the country has topped 2,000, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project said.

Hundreds of kilometres (miles) west of Khartoum, up to 1,100 have been killed in the West Darfur state capital El Geneina alone, according to the US State Department.

Medics said Saturday they were overwhelmed by the hundreds of wounded fleeing Sudan's Darfur region, which has become an increasing focus of global concern.

The dead have included West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdullah Abakar, killed after he criticised the paramilitaries in a Wednesday television interview. The RSF denied responsibility.

"We are overwhelmed in the operating theatre. We urgently need more beds and more staff," said Seybou Diarra, a physician and project coordinator in Adre, Chad, for the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity.

"As violence rages in West Darfur, wounded people are coming in waves" to the hospital in Adre, just over the border about 20 kilometres (12 miles) west of El Geneina, the MSF statement said.

More than 600 patients, most with gunshot wounds, arrived at the facility over a three-day period -- more than half of them on Friday, it said.

Claire Nicolet, MSF's head of emergency programmes, cited "reports of intensifying and large-scale attacks this week".

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 149,000 people have fled from Darfur into Chad.

'Ominous reminder'



They are among the roughly 2.2 million people uprooted nationwide by the fighting which has forced more than 528,000 to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, IOM said.

On Thursday, the State Department attributed the atrocities in Darfur "primarily" to the RSF and said the violence and alleged rights violations are an "ominous reminder" of the region's previous genocide.

A years-long war in Darfur began in 2003 with a rebel uprising that prompted then-strongman Omar al-Bashir to unleash the Janjaweed militia, whose actions led to international charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The RSF have their origins in the Janjaweed.

Along with Darfur, Khartoum has seen the heaviest fighting.

On Saturday, residents of Khartoum reported gunfire from "various types of weapons", while witnesses also reported rocket and heavy artillery fire in the northern suburbs.

A record 25 million people -- more than half the population -- are in need of aid and protection, according to the United Nations, which says it has received only a fraction of the necessary funding.

Saudi Arabia has announced an international pledging conference for Monday in Geneva.

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1 Dead, Cop Injured During Mob Violence Over Anti-Encroachment Drive In Gujarat

India

oi-PTI

One person died apparently after being hit by a stone, while at least five police personnel were injured in Gujarat's Junagadh city after a group of people hurled stones and torched a vehicle to oppose the civic body's plan to raze a dargah to clear "encroachment", officials said on Saturday.

The incident occurred on Friday night near Majevadi Darwaja in the city, during which the police threw tear gas shells and baton-charged the protesters to control the situation, and later rounded up 174 people, they said.

The exact reason behind the civilian's death would be known after the post-mortem, but the police suspect that he died after being hit by a stone thrown by the mob.

"On June 14, the Junagadh Municipal Corporation issued a notice to a mosque near Majevadi Darwaja to produce documents regarding the ownership of land. Agitated over the notice, around 500-600 people gathered near the religious structure and blocked roads on Friday night," Superintendent of Police Ravi Teja Vasamsetty said.

Deputy SP of Junagadh and other staff, who were present at the site, tried to convince them. After nearly an hour-long deliberations aimed at finding a peaceful resolution of the matter and clearing the protesters' road blockade, some stones were thrown at the police staff around 10.15 pm, he said.

Shouting slogans, some people, agitated over the notice to the dargah, charged towards the police personnel and tried to attack them, he added.

Manipur: 2 Injured In Clashes In Imphal, Mobs Try To Burn BJP Leaders' Houses

Police lobbed tear gas shells and baton-charged to disperse the unruly crowd. Junagadh DySP, three sub-inspectors and two other police personnel were injured in the incident, but all of them are out of danger, he said, adding that a mob also set a vehicle on fire.

"A civilian died and it appears that stone-pelting was the cause of his death. But we are waiting for a post-mortem report to know the exact cause. Police teams rounded up 174 people in a combing operation," the police official said.

Police personnel are deployed in the area to avoid any further untoward incident and efforts to nab all those involved in the clash are being taken, he said.

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Story first published: Saturday, June 17, 2023, 16:57 [IST]
Why 'Salaar' Teaser Releasing at 5.12 AM on July 6? Netizens Wonder

Actress Ameesha Patel Surrenders Before Court In Cheque Bounce Case

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Bollywood actress Ameesha Patel on Saturday surrendered before the Ranchi Civil Court in connection with a cheque bounce case.

Senior division judge DN Shukla granted her bail and asked her to appear before the court personally again on June 21.

The case dates back to 2018 when Jharkhand-based film producer Ajay Kumar Singh had registered a case of fraud and cheque bounce against the actress.

King Charles III's Birthday: Here's The List Of Indian-Origin People Who Got Invited

"Earlier, the court had issued her summons many times in the case but she did not appear. Later, the court issued a warrant against her," said the complainant's advocate Vijaya Lakshmi Srivastava.

According to the complaint, Singh had transferred Rs 2.5 crore to the actor's bank account for the production of a movie titled "Desi Magic". Patel, however, did not proceed with the film later. She sent a cheque of Rs 2.50 crore but it had bounced.

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Story first published: Saturday, June 17, 2023, 18:10 [IST]
Probe Into Naxal Boss By NIA Leads To Massive Seizure Of Arms and Ammunition

After UK, NIA To Investigate Attack On Indian Missions In US And Canada

India

oi-Deepika S

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to probe the Khalistani elements' attacks on the Indian diplomatic missions in Canada and the United States.

A team of NIA is already investigating the attacks on the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom and now, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is likely to transfer Canada and US cases also, to the probe agency.

Amid the spiralling protests regarding fugitive Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh, attacks took place at Indian High Commission in San Francisco and Canada.

The Special Cell of Delhi Police filed two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) in connection with the attacks.

It has been reported that a grenade was also thrown during the attack on the Indian High Commission in Canada. Following the incident, the Special Cell to file an FIR under the UAPA and the Explosive Act in this case.

NIA Releases Photos Of Suspects Involved In UK's Indian High Commission Attack

A similar attack on the Indian High Commission was witnessed in San Francisco, United States as well.

Five-member team investigating attack in London

A five-member team of the NIA has already been deployed to probe the pro-Khalistani protests, during which the national flag at the Indian High Commission was pulled down in March this year.

The NIA team also carried a list of those with Khalistani links, which would be handed over to the British authorities and security agencies in London.

NIA Releases CCTV Clips Of Attack On Indian HC In UK

On April 18, the agency took over the probe from the Special Cell of the Delhi Police which had registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act as it involves illegal activities carried out by certain people holding Indian nationality abroad.

Pro-Khalistani protestors tried to vandalise the Indian High Commission in London and pulled down the national flag while holding protests outside the High Commission complex on March 19. It happened a day after Punjab Police launched a crackdown against radical preacher Amritpal Singh in Punjab.

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Story first published: Saturday, June 17, 2023, 13:41 [IST]
Amit Shah Says No Loss Of Lives During Cyclone Biparjoy In Gujarat

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

In a significant accomplishment, Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the Gujarat government on Saturday for effectively managing Cyclone Biparjoy, which struck the Kutch coast with winds reaching 140 kmph, without any reported fatalities.

During his visit to the headquarters of Kutch district in Bhuj, Shah assured the public that electricity would be fully restored in the affected areas by June 20.

Furthermore, he announced that a comprehensive assessment of damage to crops, horticulture, and boats would be conducted promptly, with the government soon unveiling a relief package to aid those affected by the cyclone.

#WATCH | Gujarat: The Gujarat Government has fully implemented NDMA guidelines during the #CycloneBiporjoy. In the last 40 years, I have visited several places but for the first time, I have seen happy faces without any complaints. This is because of the preparedness of the pic.twitter.com/8jkmT8z3v4  ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023

Shah also highlighted the successful collaboration between the state and Union governments in responding to the cyclone.

Conducted an aerial survey of the areas affected by the Biparjoy cyclone in Gujarat. The relief and rehabilitation efforts are underway on a war footing to minimize the hardship faced by the people.



       .  pic.twitter.com/De6gJEOxmT  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 17, 2023

He emphasised that their joint efforts not only prevented human casualties but also significantly minimized injuries, with only 47 reported cases, and the loss of livestock, with 234 cattle casualties.

Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall near Jakhau on Thursday evening, leaving a trail of destruction across the Kutch and Saurashtra regions. As Gujarat initiates its recovery process, authorities are committed to providing necessary support and assistance to affected individuals and communities.

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Story first published: Saturday, June 17, 2023, 20:58 [IST]
How to Manage Things While Being a New Mommy, Advice by Noor Vishu Sehgal

Kerala transgender couple, Ziya and Zahad, blessed with baby! How trans men can get pregnant?

Ariha Shah Case: German Court Denies Custody Pleas of Indian Parents

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

In a recent development, a court in Berlin's Pankow district has rejected the custody claim of Ariha Shah, a 28-month-old Indian girl, by her biological parents.

Instead, custody has been granted to Germany's Youth Welfare Office (Jugendamt), who has been caring for Ariha since September 2021 when she was only seven months old.

According to India Today report, the local court's decision on Friday dismissed the parents' argument that their child's injury was accidental. The court justified its ruling by stating that the "best interests of the child are at risk."

Ariha's parents have expressed their trust in the Indian government and have faith that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of External Affairs Dr. Jaishankar will take steps to bring Ariha back to India. "From today, we hand over Ariha to 1.4 billion Indians," they said, as reported.

Baby Without Sperm Or Egg? Scientists Develop Synthetic Embryos Using Stem Cells

The German authorities initially took custody of Ariha Shah in September 2021, alleging that her parents, Dhara and Bhavesh Shah, subjected her to harassment. The case has drawn the attention of the Ministry of External Affairs, which has been involved since 2022.

In recent weeks, India has urged Germany to repatriate Ariha as soon as possible. The child has been in foster care in Berlin for over 20 months. The Indian government emphasised the importance of Ariha being in her linguistic, religious, cultural, and social environment, as stated in a report by PTI.

Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, expressed deep concern over Ariha's continued stay in German foster care and the infringement of her social, cultural, and linguistic rights.

The case has gained significant public attention in India, leading to 59 Members of Parliament from 19 political parties signing a joint letter addressed to Philipp Ackerman, the German ambassador in New Delhi.

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Story first published: Saturday, June 17, 2023, 22:19 [IST]
Centre has given nod to renaming 7 cities, towns in last five years: Govt in Lok Sabha

Chargesheet filed in Umesh Pal Murder Case, Eight Accused Named

India

pti-PTI

Police here on Saturday filed their charge sheet against eight accused in the Umesh Pal murder case. The charge sheet was filed by Dhoomanganj ACP Mahendra Singh Deo in a court here, government counsel Gulab Chandra Agrahari said.

The charge sheet mentions Ahmed, Rakesh alias Nakesh alias Lala, Arshad Katra, Niyaz Ahmed, Iqbal Ahmed, Shahrukh, Akhlaq Ahmed, and Khan Shoulat Haneef as accused, he said.

Khan Shoulat Haneef is currently in judicial custody in Naini Central Jail. Agrahari said the case against the eight men was filed at the complaint of Umesh Pal's wife Jaya Pal.

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All eight have been booked under various sections of the IPC, Explosive Substances Act, and sections of SC/ST Act at Dhoomanganj Police Station. Gangster Politician Atiq Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, wife Shaista Parveen, and other family members were made the prime accused in the case.

According to the counsel, the first charge sheet in the matter was filed in the court on May 26 with Sadaqat Khan as the main accused. He said that the matter will be heard next on June 21. Umesh Pal and two policemen deployed in his security were shot dead on February 24 this year.

Pal was the main witness in the BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case. Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf, the main accused named in the case, were shot dead by three youths on April 15, 2023, outside a hospital while they were being taken for a medical check by police.
Amit Shah Says No Loss Of Lives During Cyclone Biparjoy In Gujarat

Cyclone Biparjoy Aftermath: Gujarat Faces Several Immediate Challenges

India

oi-PTI

As cyclone Biparjoy weakened and moved towards south Rajasthan on Friday after ravaging the Kutch and Saurashtra regions, the Gujarat government is facing the immediate challenge of restoring electricity in some 1,000 villages and clearing roads of fallen trees.

While the cyclone weakened after making landfall on the Kutch coast of Gujarat on Thursday evening, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that north Gujarat should brace for heavy rainfall.

There was no loss of life on account of cyclone Biparjoy (which means calamity in Bengali) in Gujarat, the government said. Advance planning and mass evacuation of over one lakh persons helped the state achieve "zero casualty", Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel was quoted as saying in a press release.

To restore electricity, 1,127 teams are working in the districts of Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Morbi, Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Rajkot and Porbandar, said the release, adding that the forest department teams removed 581 fallen trees from the roads.

Cyclone Biparjoy: 707 Babies Born During Evacuation In Gujarat

Commissioner of Relief Alok Kumar Pandey had said earlier that not a single person died due to any incident linked to the cyclone in the state, calling it the government's "biggest achievement." Among 1,09,000 persons shifted from coastal areas to temporary shelters there were 10,918 children, 5,070 senior citizens and 1,152 pregnant women, the government release said.

The cyclone made landfall along Saurashtra-Kutch coasts near Jakhau around 6:30 pm on Thursday, bringing incessant rains and wind speeds as high as 140 kmph.

The landfall was over by 2.30 am on Friday, and several parts of Kutch as well as Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Morbi districts in Saurashtra regions were battered with very heavy rainfall of 100-185 mm on Friday accompanied by strong wind of up to 95 kmph, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.

In all, 175 talukas of the state received some amount of rainfall during the day, it said.

The storm caused extensive financial loss to the state power utility Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited with 5,120 electricity poles getting damaged, relief commissioner Pandey said.

As many as 4,600 villages were left without power, but electricity supply was restored in 3,580 villages, he added.

At least 23 people were injured due to cyclone-related incidents while many houses were also damaged, he said.

Asked about a cattle-rearer duo of father and son dying on Thursday while trying to save their goats stuck in a flooded ravine in Bhavnagar district, Pandey said that since the district was not cyclone-affected, their deaths were not counted as cyclone-related.

"Three state highways were closed as they suffered damage.... A total of 581 trees were uprooted as per reports. Nine pucca and 20 kutcha houses collapsed, and two pucca and 474 kutcha houses suffered partial damage," he said.

Sixty-five thatched houses were destroyed, and the government was preparing an order for immediate payment of compensation to those who have suffered losses, the official added.

Several low-lying areas of the coastal districts were inundated because of a storm surge with tides going up to eight metres during the landfall.

On Mandvi-Jakhau highway, fallen trees and electric poles could be seen every 100 or 200 meters. In the Kacha village near Mandvi around 25 kutcha houses were damaged. "We have not had electricity since yesterday. But no untoward incident has taken place in the village," Saranch of Kacha Rakesh Gaur said.

Gujarat Cop Rescues Baby During Cyclone Biparjoy; Video Is Winning Hearts Online

"In our shelter homes we have housed 400 people from Salaya and other villages on the coast for the last four days," he added.

In Mandvi town, around 30 trees and 20 electric poles were uprooted. "We have not had electricity since 4 pm yesterday. Thatched roofs of our houses were blown away and the houses were inundated with water," said Mandvi resident Abdul Hussain.

Severe Cyclone Storm' (SCS) Biparjoy weakened into a Cyclonic Storm (CS) on Friday and was seen as gradually weakening into a deep depression, the IMD said.

With the cyclone moving further inland, authorities in the north Gujarat districts of Banaskantha and Patan were bracing for its impact by shifting people in low-lying areas to shelters.

The IMD forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy rainfall in Jamnagar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Morbi and Kutch till Saturday morning.

Banaskantha and Patan districts were also likely to receive heavy to very heavy with isolated extremely heavy rainfall till Sunday morning, Director of Ahmedabad centre of IMD Manorama Mohanty said.

Gujarat also experienced strong surface wind of up to 35-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph on Friday. North Gujarat districts such as Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana and Sabarkantha received a strong surface wind of 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph.

Banaskantha collector Varun Baranwal said that more than 2,500 people have been relocated to safe places and more people from low-lying areas were being evacuated.

Parts of Jamnagar, Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Rajkot, and Morbi received heavy rainfall in six hours since Friday morning, data provided by the SEOC showed.

As many as 709 pregnant women who were ferried to hospitals from affected areas amid the raging storm gave birth to babies. Two of the babies were born in the state government's '108' ambulances, officials said.

Talking to reporters in Delhi, NDRF Director General Atul Karwal said of the 1,000 villages facing electricity disruption in the state, 40 per cent disruptions were in Kutch district alone.

The cyclone is now headed towards south Rajasthan and the NDRF has already positioned a team in Jalore as heavy rains may lead to flooding, he added.

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Story first published: Saturday, June 17, 2023, 9:54 [IST]
Amit Shah Speaks To LGs Of Delhi and JK, Takes Stock Of Rain Situation

Amit Shah Conducts Aerial Survey Of Areas Affected By Cyclone Biparjoy

India

oi-Deepika S

Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel conducted an aerial survey of areas affected due to CycloneBiporjoy, in Kachchh, Gujarat. He will also hold a high-level meeting with Chief Minister and senior officers.

The union minister will also visit shelter homes and meet people. Later, he will also visit Swami Narayan Temple in Bhuj and review food and other facilities being distributed among those affected.

Cyclone Biparjoy caused widespread damage in Gujarat's Kutch-Saurashtra region as it made landfall late on Thursday.

More than 1,000 villages were left without a power supply while thousands of trees were uprooted due to the strong winds and heavy rain.

Cyclone Biparjoy Aftermath: Gujarat Faces Several Immediate Challenges

To restore electricity, 1,127 teams are working in the districts of Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Morbi, Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Rajkot and Porbandar.

Cyclone 'Biaprjoy', has weakened into a depression and is further expected to weaken into a 'depression' in the next 12 hours, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in the wee hours of Saturday.

According to IMD, the cyclonic storm weakened into a 'deep depression' at 11:30 pm on Friday over Southeast Pakistan.

"Cyclonic Storm Biparjoy weakened into a Deep Depression at 2330 hours IST of yesterday, the 16th June, 2023 over Southeast Pakistan adjoining Southwest Rajasthan and Kutch about 100 km northeast of Dholavira. To weaken further into a Depression during next 12 hours," IMD said in a tweet.
Gujarat: 1 Dead, Cops Injured As Mob Protests Anti-Encroachment Drive In Junagadh

India

oi-Deepika S

One person was killed and four policemen were injured in Gujarat's Junagadh after clashes broke out over a demolition notice for an illegal dargah.

The violence broke out after the Junagadh Municipal Corporation issued a notice to a mosque near Majewadi Gate to present documents within 5 days. Nearly 300 people gathered around the dargah on Friday evening, pelted stones at the police officials, vandalised a police post and also set police vehicles on fire.

What led to violence in Junagadh?

The ruckus ensued when the officials of Junagadh Municipal Corporation issued a demolition notice which said that the religious structure had been built illegally.This enraged some people and a mob gathered near the dargah and pelted stones at the officers.

As the situation turned violent, large troops of police officials were rushed to the area to bring the situation under control.

"A mosque near Majewadi Gate was given notice by the Junagadh Municipal Corporation to present the documents within 5 days. Around 500-600 people had gathered there yesterday. The police were convincing them not to block the road. Stones were pelted at around 10.15 pm and people came to attack the police," said Ravi Teja Vasamsetty, SP Junagadh.

#WATCH | A mosque near Majewadi Gate was given notice by the Junagadh Municipal Corporation to present the documents within 5 days. Around 500-600 people had gathered there yesterday. The police were convincing them not to block the road. Stones were pelted at around 10.15 pm and pic.twitter.com/U5YfQe6R04  ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023

"Lathicharge was done by police to disperse the crowd. Police personnel got injured in this incident. 174 people have been rounded up. A civilian has died prima facie due to stone pelting but it will be clear after the postmortem report. Further investigation is underway," he added.
India Would Not Have Been Partitioned If Netaji Was There: NSA Ajit Doval

India

oi-Deepika S

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Saturday said that India would not have been partitioned if Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was alive.

He said that Muhammad Ali Jinnah said that he could accept only one leader and that is Subhas Chandra Bose.

Delivering the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose memorial lecture in Delhi, Doval said he was the only leader who had the audacity to challenge Mahatma Gandhi and refused to beg for freedom from the British.

"Netaji had great faith in the capabilities of the people. Today, our priority should be to empower our citizens and make them internationally competitive," he said.

Doval highlighted how Bose fearlessly challenged British authorities, confronting a British principal during his college days, to resigning from the Indian National Congress at a young age, defying even Mahatma Gandhi. At the same time, Doval said Bose had great respect for Gandhi.

"Bose possessed audacity like no other. He had the courage to challenge the prevailing powers, regardless of the consequences. His audacity was evident throughout his life, from his journey to London for the ICS to his escape from India during detention. He displayed unparalleled bravery and determination," he said.

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Highlighting the legacy of Bose, Doval spoke about Netaji's ability to unite people from diverse backgrounds and how he envisioned a unified and strong India.

"Bose's leadership was exceptional. He recognised India as a reality, transcending divisions of caste, religion, and ethnicity. His vision of a united India, encapsulated in his famous slogan 'Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja.' It resonated with people across all walks of life. He inspired them to fight for their country, united in their pursuit of freedom," Doval said.

The NSA said Bose was a secular person and that he was deeply religious. Doval said Bose's efforts were driven by his passion for patriotism and his unwavering dream of a great India.

"Bose's efforts were monumental, fuelled by his romantic ideals of patriotism and his unwavering hope for a great India. History may have been unkind to him, but his impact and nationalism continued even after his passing. He left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of countless Indians who were inspired by his extraordinary journey," he said.

"Netaji (Subhas Chandra Bose) said I will not compromise for anything less than full independence and freedom. He said that he not only wants to free this country from political subjugation but there is a need to change the political, social and cultural mindset of the people and they should feel like free birds in the sky," Doval was quoted saying by ANI.
Fala Group, a leading multinational family business with interests in key sectors including construction, asphalt plant, real estate and building materials, celebrated a decade of successful operations and accelerated growth in Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (Rakez).

Founded in 1997 by Ihsan Kerbaj, Fala Group started its business journey in the UAE and swiftly expanded across Syria and Canada. Over the past decade, its operations in Ras Al Khaimah, supported by its strong leadership and robust operational strategies, have witnessed exceptional growth, said a statement from the company.

In 2012, Fala Group had set up its 40,000 sq m facility in Al Ghail at a strategic investment of over AED200 million ($54.4 million).

Within a few years, the group developed an asphalt plant, labour accommodations, offices and a large fleet of trucks and heavy equipment, including a full in-house garage for their maintenance, said its Chairman Kerbaj.

This strategic location allowed Fala Group to significantly expand its operations and competitiveness across the northern emirates, he noted.

Since 2012, Fala's infrastructure divisions workforce has doubled to nearly 2,000 employees across the UAE alone, successfully contributing to some mega projects such as the extension of Emirates Road, Mebreh mountain road, Yabsa truck Road, and the upgrading of Etihad Road.

"As we celebrate this milestone, we also acknowledge and appreciate Rakez's unwavering support since 2012. We are eager to strengthen this relationship further in the pursuit of new growth opportunities and operational excellence," noted Kerbaj.

Rakez Group CEO Ramy Jallad said: We have watched Fala Group grow, innovate, and succeed, consistently over the years proving their commitment to excellence and driving significant development in the region. Their story inspires and sets a benchmark for the other players in our industrial ecosystem."

Fala Group currently operates in a wide array of sectors, including construction, asphalt plant, real estate, agriculture, education, food and beverage, medical trading, cold storage facility, e-commerce, plastic industries, fencing factory, and building materials and demolition.

In the coming years, the company plans to further invest in Ras Al Khaimah, diversify its business portfolio, and capitalise on promising growth opportunities.

"We at Rakez are proud to be a part of their journey and are looking forward to supporting their continued progress in the years to come. We are certain that with their remarkable business acumen, Fala Group will continue to bring value to Ras Al Khaimah and the wider UAE," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Sudan's warring generals agreed a new 72-hour ceasefire from Sunday, US and Saudi mediators said, after fighting intensified with deadly air strikes in Khartoum and an exodus of wounded from Darfur over the border into Chad.

Air strikes killed 17 civilians, including five children, in the capital Saturday, a citizens' group said, as medics in Chad reported hundreds of wounded from Darfur seeking treatment.

Multiple truces have been agreed and broken during the two-month war, including after the United States slapped sanctions on both generals after a previous attempt collapsed at the end of May.

A 24-hour ceasefire from June 10 to June 11 provided Khartoum residents with a brief respite from the air strikes and artillery exchanges that have ravaged whole neighbourhoods of the capital but the fighting resumed within 10 minutes of the ceasefire ending.

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United States of America announce the agreement of representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a ceasefire throughout Sudan for a period of 72 hours," a Saudi foreign ministry statement said late Saturday.

The ceasefire is due to take effect at 6 am (0400 GMT), the mediators said.

"The two sides agreed that during the ceasefire period they would refrain from movements and attacks, the use of warplanes or drones, artillery bombardment, reinforcement of positions, resupply of forces, or refrain from attempting to achieve military gains," the mediators said.

"They also agreed to allow freedom of movement and the delivery of humanitarian aid throughout Sudan."

The SAF, commanded by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has since April 15 been battling the paramilitary RSF, headed by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, after the two fell out in a power struggle.

A record 25 million people -- more than half Sudan's population -- are in need of aid, the United Nations says.

Intensifying air strikes

Witnesses say air strikes have intensified in the capital over the past few days.

On Saturday, warplanes struck several residential districts of Khartoum, killing "17 civilians, including five children," according to a citizens' support committee. AFP was not immediately able to independently confirm the committee's figures.

Residents had earlier reported air strikes around the city's southern Yarmouk district -- home to a weapons manufacturing and arms depot complex where the RSF claimed "full control" in early June.

In a video published Friday on the army's Facebook page, deputy army chief Yasser Atta warned civilians to keep away from houses where the RSF are located because the army "will attack them at any time".

Since battles began, the death toll across the country has topped 2,000, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project said.

'Ominous reminder'

Hundreds of kilometres (miles) west of Khartoum, up to 1,100 have been killed in the West Darfur state capital El Geneina alone, according to the US State Department.

Medics in Chad said Saturday they were overwhelmed by the hundreds of wounded fleeing Sudan's Darfur region, which has become an increasing focus of global concern.

The dead have included West Darfur Governor Khamis Abdullah Abakar, killed after he criticised the paramilitaries in a Wednesday television interview. The RSF denied responsibility.

"We are overwhelmed in the operating theatre. We urgently need more beds and more staff," said Seybou Diarra, a physician and project coordinator in Adre, Chad, for the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity.

"As violence rages in West Darfur, wounded people are coming in waves" to the hospital in Adre, just over the border about 20 kilometres (12 miles) west of El Geneina, the MSF statement said.

More than 600 patients, most with gunshot wounds, arrived at the facility over a three-day period -- more than half of them on Friday, it said.

Claire Nicolet, MSF's head of emergency programmes, cited "reports of intensifying and large-scale attacks this week".

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 149,000 people have fled from Darfur into Chad.

They are among the roughly 2.2 million people uprooted nationwide by the fighting which has forced more than 528,000 to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, IOM said.

On Thursday, the State Department attributed the atrocities in Darfur "primarily" to the RSF and said the violence and alleged rights violations are an "ominous reminder" of the region's previous genocide.

A years-long war in Darfur began in 2003 with a rebel uprising that prompted then-strongman Omar al-Bashir to unleash the Janjaweed militia, whose actions led to international charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The RSF have their origins in the Janjaweed.

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Beauty of the Night Sky: Stars Could Become Invisible In 20 Years Due To This Reason

Indian Scientists Debunk US Researchers' Claim On Bhimbetka Fossil

India

oi-Sanjeev Nayak

Some American researchers had claimed two years ago that they had discovered a rare 550-million-year-old fossil of Indian Dickinsonia, a primitive marine animal, from the Bhimbetka rock shelters near Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.

However, Indian scientists have now proved that the fossil was actually a left-over impression of a fallen beehive, and not a genuine fossil.

The Vindhyan Supergroup, an archive of more than one billion years of history of the earth, is one the largest basins of the world and is the site of many discoveries of fossil that explain how earliest life originate and diversified on the earth.

Reporting of an Ediacaran fossil by a group of American scientists from the area, which had received widespread attention including international media coverage, encouraged a group of Ediacaran palaeontologists at Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), curious to take a look and further hunt for another similar fossil.

This is because Ediacaran fossils were traced to be the earliest animals that existed on the earth around 550 million years ago and hence evoke much interest among evolutionary biologists and palaeontologists.

COP27: Fossil fuel carbon emissions to hit all-time high

Fossil discoveries in the Precambrian Era (4000-538 million years of the earth history) claim to know about the evolutionary changes occurred in the life on the earth. Because of their implications on our understanding of the evolution of life on the earth, many of these discoveries are followed and scrutinised by some researchers.

The group from BSIP, an autonomous institute of Department of Science and Technology, travelled to the spot of the discovery and scrutinised the fossil Dickinsonia tenuis, an important Ediacaran fossil (the earliest animal), reported from the UNESCO World Heritage Site Bhimbetka Cave Shelter in 2021.

The purported fossil from the Maihar Sandstone of Vindhyan basin was re-examined on the field to ascertain the biogenicity (chemical and/or morphological signature preserved over a range of spatial scales in rocks, minerals, ice, or dust particles that are uniquely produced by past or present organisms).

Field observations, outcrop features, and detailed laboratory analyses (LRS & XRD) published in the Journal of the Geological Society of India did not support the biogenicity and syngenecity (formed at the same times as the enclosing rock) of fossil and it was inferred as a left-over impression of a fallen beehive. The study refutes the interpretation given by the renowned American researchers.

The Indian researchers, who undertook a field study of the place where the fossil was claimed, found that unlike fossils which are always preserved on the bedding plane of the rock strata, the sample was not entirely preserved on the bedding plane. Part of it was preserved on the bedding plane and part of it on transversally cut face of the Maihar Sandstone outcrop.

Both fresh and decayed honey beehives were observed on the same bedding plane. A giant active beehive with several bees Apis dorsata attached to the hive was also found. Honeycomb structure was also observed. This evidence shows that the described fossil was misinterpreted as Dickinsonia.

Further, Laser Raman Spectroscopy (LRS) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) confirmed presence of honey and wax in the material, due to the activity of bees in forming hives. Such misinterpretations are rare, but they need to correct with due diligence for tracing the exact evolutionary trail and the correct study of the Indian geology.

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Story first published: Saturday, June 17, 2023, 17:31 [IST]
Kerala: Fake Antique Dealer Monson Mavunkal Convicted In POCSO Case

India

oi-PTI

A court in Kerala on Saturday found controversial self-styled antiques dealer Monson Mavunkal guilty of raping a minor girl a few years ago. Mavunkal has been found guilty of raping the daughter of his maid multiple times since 2019 by the Additional District and Sessions Court (POCSO), Ernakulam. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced later.

A native of Cherthala, Mavunkal, who claims to be in possession of rare and historic antiques, was arrested by the district crime branch, which has been investigating a case of cheating Rs 10 crore from different people.

Mavunkal was arrested on September 25, 2021, in one of the cheating cases against him. He has been in jail since then and is now accused in around 10 cases.

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Story first published: Saturday, June 17, 2023, 12:16 [IST]
If cops are incapable, use other forces: HC to Mamata govt

Mamata Govt Moves SC Challenging HC Order On Central Forces' Deployment

India

oi-Deepika S

The West Bengal government on Saturday moved Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court order directing the deployment of Central forces in State panchayat elections.

The Calcutta High Court had directed the SEC to requisition and deploy central forces across West Bengal for the Panchayat elections in the state within 48 hours on Thursday.

The court noted that no appreciable steps have been taken ever since an order was passed by it on June 13 to deploy central forces in sensitive areas for the poll process.

A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam directed the SEC to requisition the deployment of central forces for all the districts in the state which was rocked by violence over filing of nominations for the July 8 panchayat elections.

West Bengal: Bombs Hurled As Violence Continues Over Nomination Filing For Panchayat Polls

Opposition politicians, including BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, had petitioned the court for deployment of central forces for ensuring peaceful elections, claiming that the state had witnessed large-scale violence during municipal elections in 2022 and Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections in 2021.

They had also prayed for an extension of the last date of nomination claiming that the time given was not adequate. The court had left it to the SEC to consider the prayer.

Opposition parties have been alleging that the ruling Trinamool Congress supporters resorted to violence to prevent their candidates from filing nomination papers.

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Story first published: Saturday, June 17, 2023, 16:00 [IST]
US Offers To Help India To Deal With Manipur Violence, Congress Reacts Sharply

Can't Take Law And Order Apparatus In Our Hands: SC On Manipur Violence

Why SC Refused To Give Directions To Indian Army On Manipur Violence

Manipur: 2 Injured In Clashes In Imphal, Mobs Try To Burn BJP Leaders' Houses

India

oi-PTI

Two civilians were injured in the violence on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday as mobs clashed with security forces in Manipur's Imphal.

In the latest violent episodes in Manipur, mobs have repeatedly tried to burn the houses of leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The incidents of clashes and attempts at arson targeted at BJP leaders' houses follows the act of setting the house of Union minister RK Ranjan Singh on fire. Earlier, BJP MLA Vungzagin Valte was severely injured in an attack in the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur.

Miscreants Arranging Police Uniforms To Fuel Fresh Violence In Manipur: Report

Two civilians were injured as mobs clashed with security forces overnight in Imphal town and attempts were made to torch the houses of BJP leaders, officials told PTI on Saturday.

In addition to the house of Union minister RK Ranjan Singh, a warehouse near the royal palace belonging to a retired tribal IAS officer was burnt down completely on Friday. Security guards and firefighters managed to control arson attempts by the mob and save Singh's house from being gutted on Thursday night.

A mob clashed with RAF personnel on Friday evening after it had set the warehouse afire. The group also burnt tyres, logs and waste in the middle of roads in Wangkhei, Porompat and Thangapat areas affecting the flow of traffic in Manipur's capital town, officials said.

In separate incidents, automatic gunfire was reported from Kwakta in Bishnupur district of Manipur and Kangvai in Churachandpur district through the night.

An attempt was also made to loot weapons from Iringbam police station in Imphal West. However, no weapons were stolen.

The Indian Army, Assam Rifles, and Manipur Rapid Action Force (RAF) held joint marches till midnight through the state capital to halt rioters from congregating.

A mob of approximately 1,000 people came together to try and burn down buildings near the palace compound. RAF fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

Manipur Is Now Stateless, Just Like Syria: Army Veteran Sends Out SOS Message

Another mob tried to set the house of Biswajeet, MLA on fire. RAF column, however, dispersed the crowd.

Another mob surrounded the BJP office post midnight at Sinjemai, but could not do any harm as an Army column dispersed it.

Similarly, a crowd tried to vandalise the home of Sharda Devi, BJP (women's wing) president near Porampet in Imphal around midnight. Security forces managed to disperse the youth.

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Story first published: Saturday, June 17, 2023, 11:23 [IST]
Despite writing on the wall, Bengal police were sitting ducks in Howrah

Manipur Is Now Stateless, Just Like Syria: Army Veteran Sends Out SOS Message

India

oi-Deepika S

As communal tension continues to escalate in Manipur even after a month and a half, a retired top Army officer has tweeted the dire state of affairs, comparing the situation in the northeastern state with that of war-ravaged Libya, Lebanon, and Syria.

"I'm just an ordinary Indian from Manipur living a retired life. The state is now 'stateless'. Life and property can be destroyed anytime by anyone, just like in Libya, Lebanon, Nigeria, Syria, etc," tweeted Lt Gen (Retd) L Nishikanta Singh.

"It appears Manipur has been left to stew in its own juice. Is anyone listening?" asks the former Lieutenant General.

I'm just an ordinary Indian from Manipur living a retired life. The state is now 'stateless'. Life and property can be destroyed anytime by anyone just like in Libya, Lebanon, Nigeria, Syria, etc. It appears Manipur has been left to stew in its own juice. Is anyone listening ? pic.twitter.com/VqfwLrF2DR  Lt Gen L Nishikanta Singh (R) (@VeteranLNSingh) June 15, 2023

Former Army chief Ved Malik took note of the tweet and said that the law and order situation in the state needs urgent attention at the highest level.

"An extraordinary sad call from a retired Lt Gen from Manipur. Law and order situation in Manipur needs urgent attention at highest level," tweeted Malik tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Failed Law And Order In Manipur: Union Minister After Mob Sets His House On Fire

Nearly 100 people have been killed in the violence in Manipur that started after a Tribal Solidarity March against the demand by the Imphal Valley-based Meiteis to be included in the Scheduled Tribes category.

Union Minister RK Ranjan Singh's house in Imphal was vandalised and set on fire by a mob on Thursday.

"I am shocked. The law and order situation in Manipur has totally failed," RK Ranjan Singh said on Friday.

"It is very sad to see what is happening in my home state. I will still continue to appeal for peace. Those indulging in this kind of violence are absolutely inhuman," he said.

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Story first published: Saturday, June 17, 2023, 8:31 [IST]
US Offers To Help India To Deal With Manipur Violence, Congress Reacts Sharply

Can't Take Law And Order Apparatus In Our Hands: SC On Manipur Violence

Why SC Refused To Give Directions To Indian Army On Manipur Violence

OPINION: Why Bengal sees so much violence during elections?

Miscreants Arranging Police Uniforms To Fuel Fresh Violence In Manipur: Report

India

oi-Deepika S

As relentless ethnic violence grips Manipur, India's central intelligence agencies have informed the state police that miscreants are arranging for police commando uniforms, and could use them to fuel violence through a coordinated attack in the northeastern state.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, the intelligence bureau (IB) has said that it was reliably learnt that a tailor in Bishnupur district's Moirang town was contracted to stitch 500 Manipur Police commando uniforms by June 15.

"The miscreants were likely to carry out attacks on June 17 and 18 by posing as commandos across different areas in least three districts of Churachandpur, Imphal East, and Imphal West in Manipur," according to the intelligence inputs.

Two civilians were injured as mobs clashed with security forces overnight in Imphal town and attempts were made to torch the houses of BJP leaders, officials said on Saturday.

In separate incidents, automatic gunfire was reported from Kwakta in Bishnupur district of Manipur and Kangvai in Churachandpur district through the night.

An attempt was also made to loot of Iringbam police station in Imphal West. However, no weapons were stolen.

At least nine people were killed and 10 injured when suspected miscreants attacked a village in the Khamenlok area of Manipur in the early hours of Wednesday.

Manipur Is Now Stateless, Just Like Syria: Army Veteran Sends Out SOS Message

More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in the state that broke out a month ago.

The government has imposed a curfew on 11 districts and banned the internet in a bid to stop the spread of rumours in the state.

Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals - Nagas and Kukis - constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.
NITI Aayog, UN Join Hands To Speed Up Sustainable Development In India

India

oi-Sanjeev Nayak

Indian government's policy think-tank NITI Aayog and the United Nations in India have come together to accelerate sustainable development work in the country. To take the initiative to its logical conclusion, they have signed an agreement, titled "Government of India-United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (GoI-UNSDCF) 2023-2027."

The agreement, aimed at advancing India's sustainable development goals, was formalised in the presence of Niti Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, its Vice-Chairman Suman Bery and UN Resident Coordinator in India, Shombi Sharp, among other dignitaries, in New Delhi, the government said in a release yesterday.

The GoI-UNSDCF serves as a strategic roadmap for achieving the country's sustainable development targets, with a specific focus on gender equality, youth empowerment, human rights, and overall sustainable development, as reported by Mint newspaper.

The framework, inspired by the 2030 Agenda, is built upon four pillars -- People, Prosperity, Planet, and Participation -- and encompasses six key outcome areas, including health and well-being, quality education, economic growth, environment and climate, and empowerment of individuals and communities.

Missed Out On Rich Thinking: NITI Aayog CEO As 11 CMs Skip Huddle

By endorsing the GoI-UNSDCF, India solidifies its commitment to localising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and enhancing collaboration through South-South cooperation, emphasising its role as a global leader in sustainable development initiatives. The framework also seeks to showcase India's successful models of development on the international stage.

"The formulation of the GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027 was led by Niti Aayog, on behalf of the Government of India, with robust participation of line Ministries, State Governments, and Union Territories. The UN Resident Coordinator led and coordinated inputs from the UN development system in India," the Niti Aayog said in a release.

"Partners from civil society, think tanks, private sector, cooperatives and labour unions also contributed to the development of the document, ensuring a whole of society, whole of government and whole of UN approach. The GoI-UNSDCF was informed by a third-party evaluation of the previous Cooperation Framework (2018-2022) and a Common Country Analysis (CCA) undertaken by the UN in India," it added.

The implementation, monitoring, and reporting of the framework will be jointly overseen by the Government of India and the United Nations in India through a dedicated Joint Steering Committee (JSC). This collaborative mechanism will enable effective coordination and synergy in driving sustainable development efforts across the country.

"The next five years will be pivotal for an innovation driven, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable India. For India, the principle of "Leaving No One Behind" is particularly important due to its vast and diverse demography, as well as its potential due to tremendous demographic dividend," Aayog deputy Suman Bery said.

"The GoI-UNSDCF, through its agreed partnerships, outcomes and outputs will contribute towards achievement of national development priorities. The Cooperation Framework has to be a living and dynamic framework and should adapt in the light of how India changes and the world changes," he added.

Signing the cooperation framework, Aayog CEO Subrahmanyam said: "India has advanced steadily in its ability to deliver development and resilience at scale. This includes transforming India's social welfare system and safety nets, underpinned by a robust ecosystem of digital public infrastructure and a range of national missions. India's leadership in climate action and resilience continues to grow."

"The time has come to completely address the challenges of the last century and take on the challenges of Amrit Kaal to become Viksit Bharat. The Cooperation Framework will focus on and support India in its transformation where it is not just access to basic requirements such as water, electricity, internet etc that would be important, but the quality of these issues that are more relevant for future," he added.

Signing of the framework assumes great significance as the world reaches a critical halfway mark towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India aspires to become a developed nation, aligning its objectives with the goals outlined in the Cooperation Framework.

BJP Lashes Out At 8 Chief Ministers Boycotting NITI Aayog Meeting

Presenting the Cooperation Framework at the launch, UN official Sharp said, "India is a key shaper of the 2030 Agenda. With the goal of 'Leave No One Behind' reflected in the Government of India's message of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. India has aligned its flagship national initiatives with the SDGs and translated Agenda 2030 into local actions at all levels, while delivering development gains at scale."

"Meeting the expectations and aspirations of India's youthful population ahead will require further accelerating progress in addressing remaining development challenges and investing in human capital to leverage a unique demographic dividend. As the United Nations Secretary-General has said, India is the country that can make achieving the SDGs a global reality," Sharp added.
Beauty of the Night Sky: Stars Could Become Invisible In 20 Years Due To This Reason

Scientists Develop New Radio System, Crucial During Natural Disasters

India

oi-Sanjeev Nayak

A new model for radio wave propagation through the ionosphere, developed by scientists of Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG), can help estimate the impact of space weather and facilitate the planning and operation of high-frequency (HF) radio communications, a vital means of communication during emergency situation like natural disasters and mid-ocean surveillance.

The ionosphere is a region of Earth's upper atmosphere ranging from about 100-1,000 km and acts as a gateway for radio communication between the ground and space.

Radio waves of certain frequencies (HF band) are reflected back to the ground by the ionosphere, enabling long-distance HF communications beyond the horizon. This is known as 'Skywave' communications.

"Despite the increasing use of satellite communications, traditional long-distance high-frequency (HF) radio communication, remains a vital means of communication during the situations like natural disasters, mid-ocean surveillance and over-the-horizon target detection," says a Department of Science and Technology (DST) release.

Indian Scientists Debunk US Researchers' Claim On Bhimbetka Fossil

Severe ionospheric disturbances that arise due to space weather events like solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and geomagnetic storms significantly affect Skywave communications. This variability of ionosphere due to disturbances in space weather can significantly limit the usage of Skywave communications.

The scientists at IIG, an autonomous institute of DST, recently developed the HF radio wave propagation model through the ionosphere, which helps study the impacts of space weather effects on the ionosphere and Skywave communication systems.

In their recent study published in the journal 'Space Weather', the IIG scientists say they found a deep depletion of the ionosphere over the low latitudes of the Indian sub-continent region due to a severe geomagnetic storm on 17th March 2015.

The HF radio wave propagation model developed by the scientists indicates that this ionospheric depletion can severely limit the usable HF spectrum by more than half for Skywave communication during this disturbed period. Also, the skip-zones where the Skywave signals are not receivable are expanded for very large areas resulting in the loss of communications.

The HF radio propagation model developed by IIG scientists has important applications in planning the right strategies for operating Skywave communication systems during active space weather periods. The development of such strategies is essential for ensuring reliable Skywave communication systems in the face of natural disasters and other emergencies, the release said.

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Story first published: Saturday, June 17, 2023, 17:49 [IST]
TMC panchayat Poll Candidate Beaten to Death in Bengal's Malda District

India

pti-PTI

A Trinamool Congress candidate for the panchayat election was beaten to death in West Bengal's Malda district, with the party pointing accusing fingers at the Congress.

TMC candidate Mustafa Sheikh was on his way home in the afternoon when he was attacked by unidentified miscreants in the Sujapur area and beat him up, police said. He was later to a hospital where he was declared dead.

"We are looking into the case. The body was sent for post-mortem examination," a police official said.

Violence Will Not Be Tolerated: Bengal Governor on Pre-Poll Violence At Bhangore

According to state minister Sabina Yeasmin, former TMC activists who had joined the Congress after being denied tickets, were behind the attack on Sheikh. "Out of vengeance, they have killed our official candidate. We have asked the police to take action," she told reporters in Malda.

#UPDATE | The 48-year-old accused Abdul Mannan, has been detained. Further investigation underway: Malda Police https://t.co/yHWSUx8qyp  ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023

The TMC activists, demanding the arrest of the culprits, organised a sit-in in the area. The district Congress leadership denied the allegations. "The allegation against us is baseless. The killing is due to infighting within the TMC. It has nothing to do with us," a Congress leader said.

Malda, a minority-dominated district, is considered a stronghold of the Congress. Widespread violence over the filing of nominations for the July 8 three-tier panchayat polls has left at least six people dead and several injured in various parts of the state.
Eknath Shinde Will Be Replaced As Maharashtra CM Soon; 16 MLAs will be disqualified: Raut

Trying To Destroy History: Sanjay Raut After Centre Renames Nehru Memorial Museum

India

oi-Deepika S

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday lashed out at the central government for renaming the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society and said that BJP -the led centre is trying to destroy history.

The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society housed in Teen Murti Bhavan premises have been renamed by the government as Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society on Friday.

"I agree that the contribution of other PMs should be shown. A section can be made where contributions of other PMs can be displayed but there is no need to change the museum's name," Raut told reporters.

"Pandit Nehru's name could have been retained in the Prime Minister Museum. Pandit Nehru was our first Prime Minister and he had a great contribution. They are trying to destroy history that's all," he added.

On Friday, Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that legacies don't get erased by renaming buildings.

Legacies Don't Get Erased By Renaming Buildings: Cong Slams BJP For Changing Name Of Nehru Museum

"Those who do not have any history, they have gone to erase the history of others. The ill-fated attempt to change the name of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library cannot belittle the personality of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the architect of modern India and fearless guardian of democracy," Kharge tweeted.

Amid a row over the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) Society, BJP MP Neeraj Shekhar - the son of former PM Chandra Shekhar thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'honouring all prime ministers,' and slammed the Congress for 'never looking beyond one dynasty.'

"My father, former PM Chandra Shekhar Ji always worked for the national interest. He even worked with Congress but they NEVER looked beyond one dynasty. Now, when PM Narendra Modi honoured Prime Ministers across party lines, Cong is getting agitated. Horrible attitude," Shekhar tweeted.

My father, former PM Chandra Shekhar Ji always worked for national interest. He even worked with Congress but they NEVER looked beyond one dynasty. Now, when PM @narendramodi honoured Prime Ministers across party lines, Cong is getting getting agitated. Horrible attitude. https://t.co/CW8ozSH3Ol pic.twitter.com/JwT2qvn562  Neeraj Shekhar (@MPNeerajShekhar) June 16, 2023

"I want to ask all Congress leaders- how many times have they even been to the PM Museum? Has either Sonia Ji or Rahul Ji ever been there? Their inability to accept the fact that people beyond one dynasty have built our nation is perverted and deserves unequivocal condemnation," he asked.

"Forget honouring Prime Ministers, Congress and their royal dynasty have insulted Prime Ministers who do not belong to their dynasty. The treatment towards Narasimha Rao Ji will go down as one of the most shameful chapters of our political history," he said.

"In the PM Museum, every PM irrespective of party lines has got dignity and respect, their contribution has been highlighted. This shows PM Modi's statesmanship," he concluded.

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Story first published: Saturday, June 17, 2023, 14:31 [IST]
Gadkari praises UP CM Adityanath for controlling crime in UP, compares him with Lord Krishna

Would Rather Jump In Well Than Join Congress: Nitin Gadkari Recounts Offer

India

oi-PTI

Union minister and BJP veteran Nitin Gadkari has said that a politician once offered him to join the Congress, to which he replied that he would rather die by jumping into a well than becoming a member of that party.

Nitin Gadkari also said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government carried out twice the amount of work in the country in the last nine years as compared to what the Congress did in the 60 years of its rule.

Addressing a gathering in Maharashtra's Bhandara on Friday to mark completion of nine years of the Narendra Modi government, Gadkari recalled his initial days of working for the BJP and talked about the party's journey.

He also recalled the offer once given by late Congress leader Shrikant Jichkar.

"Jichkar once told me - 'You are a very good party worker and leader, and if you join the Congress, you will have a bright future'. But I told him that I would rather jump into a well than join the Congress because I have strong faith in the BJP and its ideology and will continue to work for it," Gadkari said.

He also hailed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for instilling values in him in his younger days when he worked for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Gets Death Threat Again

Talking about the Congress, the minister said the party got split many times since its formation.

"We should not forget the history of our country's democracy. We should learn from the past for the future. During its 60 years of rule, the Congress gave the slogan of 'Garibi Hatao' (eliminate poverty), but opened a series of educational institutions for personal gains," he said.

Gadkari praised PM Modi for his vision of making India an economic superpower. "The future of the country is very bright," he said.

"In the last nine years, the BJP government has done twice the amount of work that the Congress could not carry out in the 60 years of its rule," he said.

The Union minister also said that when he was in Uttar Pradesh a few days back, he told the people that by the end of 2024, the roads in UP would be like the ones in the US.

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Story first published: Saturday, June 17, 2023, 11:38 [IST]
DCGI gives nod to SII-manufactured Ebola vaccine for export to Uganda

After 102 children, Musa Hasahya in Uganda quits family expansion, orders his 12 wives to use birth control

At Least 41, Mostly students, Killed In Deadly Uganda School Attack

International

oi-PTI

The mayor of the Ugandan border where suspected rebels attacked a school says 41 bodies have been recovered, including 38 students.

Police say the rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces, who have been launching attacks for years from their bases in volatile eastern Congo, carried out the raid late Friday on Lhubiriha Secondary School in the border town of Mpondwe.

Mayor Selevest Mapoze says those killed include 38 students, one guard and two members of the local community who were shot outside the school.

Suspected Ugandan rebels with ties to the Islamic State group attacked a school near the Congo border, killing at least 25 people, abducting others and setting a dormitory on fire, officials said Saturday.

Police said the rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces, who have been launching attacks for years from their bases in volatile eastern Congo, carried out the raid late Friday on Lhubiriha Secondary School in the border town of Mpondwe.

The school, co-ed and privately owned, is located in the Ugandan district of Kasese, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Congo border.

After 102 children, Musa Hasahya in Uganda quits family expansion, orders his 12 wives to use birth control

"A dormitory was set on fire and a food store looted. So far 25 bodies have been recovered from the school and transferred to Bwera Hospital," police said in a statement, adding that eight others were in critical condition.

A government official and a military spokesman said others were abducted.

It was not immediately clear if all of the victims were students.

Police said Ugandan troops tracked the attackers into Congo's Virunga National Park. The military confirmed in a statement that Ugandan troops inside Congo "are pursuing the enemy to rescue those abducted."

Joe Walusimbi, an official representing Uganda's president in Kasese, told The Associated Press over the phone that authorities were trying to verify the number of victims and those abducted.

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Story first published: Saturday, June 17, 2023, 15:29 [IST]
Vogue 30 Jun 2023

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AFP English 17 Jun 2023

The death toll from an attack on a school in western Uganda by militants linked to the Islamic State group rises to 41, says the..
euronews (in English) 19 Jun 2023

Officials say at least 41 people were massacred and half a dozen kidnapped in the worst attack of its kind in Uganda since 2010.
At least 40 people, most of them students, have been killed in a suspected rebel attack on a school in Uganda, officials have said.
The wooden "sun masks," which date back to the mid-15th century, were handed over at the presidential palace during a visit to Berlin by Colombian President Gustavo Petro
Germany will pay Holocaust survivors $1.4 billion in 2024, with the payment coming in the forms of direct compensation and welfare programs.


United Arab Emirates leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan probed, in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, the possibility of establishing trilateral cooperation with Egypt in the Russian Industrial Zone project located in Egypts Suez Canal Economic Zone.

The suggestion came during both leaders meeting in the Saint Petersburg Economic Forum where Putin praised UAE-Russian relations.

The industrial zone agreement was originally signed between Egypt and Russia in 2018 with the aim of attracting investments over the following fifty years.

In 2021 an agreement was made to further expand the zone over an area of five million square metres.

As originally signed, the agreement is set to be renewed this year.

Russia and UAE have closely cooperated as members of the OPEC+ oil alliance and Dubai is one of the rare world capitals to have maintained direct flights to Moscow following the start of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022.

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The United Kingdom has announced that foreign students other than those engaged in research at the postgraduate level will not be allowed to bring dependents to the country from January 2024. Under the earlier rules, all postgraduate foreign students enrolled for courses having duration of at least nine months could bring their spouses and children to the UK.

The UK has claimed that it was introducing restrictions on dependent visas to curb immigration. According to the new rule, a student cannot earn a work visa before completing the course. This is aimed at preventing students from misusing the student visa to obtain work in the UK.

Who should be worried?

Experts said that the UK governments new decision will not affect students having academic excellence and seeking education of high standards. However, students who join any course in the UK in order to shift to work visa and settle down will no longer find this easy.

By implementing the new plan, UK also wants to ensure that the quality of students arriving in the country is high.

Against the background of the UKs decision, let us examine the situation in other countries which are popular among foreign students for higher education.

Canada

Even though the land area of Canada is thrice that of India its population of 3.82 crore is only slightly more than that of Kerala. As majority of Canadians are senior citizens, the country needs a workforce and does not impose restrictions similar to those in the UK. In fact, immigration is allowed for students who have qualifications from the diploma level. Moreover, on receiving PR (permanent residence) in Canada, foreign students can easily shift to the US.

Another advantage of Canada is relatively low educational expenses. Canada also offers three years stay-back for students, which is sufficient time to secure an employment after the course.

Australia

With a low population, Australia also needs a workforce and does not impose restrictions on dependent visa for students. However, the country has presently reduced job migration. Earlier, when a large number of job migrations were allowed, Australia failed to attract people of high quality. In fact, most of the people who arrived in Australia carried fake job experience certificates and joined other professions.

Currently, Australia offers a stay-back of two to six years. However, screening is mandatory in university admissions to ensure academic standards. Educational costs also are high.

New Zealand

A country with population of a mere 50 lakh, New Zealand places no restrictions on dependent visas. Educational expenses and standard of living are similar to the UKs. Stay-back is two to three years.

Ireland

Offering a stay-back of two years, Irelands educational and living expenses are similar to those in UK.

The United States

Living as well as educational expenses in the United States are comparatively steep. Moreover, there is no stay-back in the US. However, students who excel in their studies have high chances of securing a job under campus placement. As per the US rules, students should find employment by the time they complete their course and obtain a work permit.

Other major countries

Nations such as Germany, the Netherlands, France, Singapore and Sweden offer academic programmes of high standards to foreign students. But, chances for immigration to these countries are low.

In Germany, the stay-back period is one-and-a-half to two years. Command over the German language is mandatory.

Meanwhile, the stay-back in the Netherlands is one year.

Even then, there are ample employment opportunities in all these countries.
Duluth, Minnesota (OpEdNews) June 16, 2023: Recently I read the American journalist and biographer Jonathan Eig's new massively researched, lucidly written, fast-paced 2023 biography King: A Life (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968; Ph.D. in theology, Boston University, 1955) was still pursuing his graduate studies in theology at Boston University when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its unanimous decision of Brown v. Board of Education in Topeka, Kansas, in May 1954.

The Brown case against the Topeka school board was brought by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and argued by Thurgood Marshall. Today, when Trump and his white MAGA supporters imagine an idealized time in the 1950s when America was great, I suspect that they imagine that idealized time as being before the supreme Court ruling in May 1954.

America had emerged from World War I victorious, and America also emerged from World War II victorious. A grateful nation even elected General Dwight D. Eisenhower president in 1952. Consequently, it fell to President Eisenhower initially to enforce the 1954 Supreme Court ruling ending public school segregation.

Now, young Dr. King did not begin his life in political activism until December 5, 1955, in preaching about Rosa Parks (pp. 147 and 510). Eig says, "It was the day, at the age of twenty-six, that King found his voice, preaching a mixture of political agitation and gospel, making the radical seem reasonable, perhaps inevitable" (p. 147).

In Eig's fast-paced biography, he moves us quickly through the major landmarks in King's life, including how he was named as Time magazine's Man of the Year in 1963 (pp. 351-365) and how he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 (pp. 385-391). However, as time moved on, King appeared to fade. Overworked and exhausted, King went of a working vacation in Ocho Rios in Jamaica (pp. 513-514) -- where he worked on a new book titled Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? (Harper & Row, 1967; but I am using the 2010 3rd edition published by Beacon Press).

In Eig's Chapter 44: "A Revolution of Values" (pp. 522-530), he reports that a congressional investigation reported that "[b]etween 1965 and 1967, 118 civilians and 12 law enforcement officers had been killed in unrest, while almost 29,000 people, the vast majority of them Black men, had been arrested" (p. 526). Eig also says, "King's new book bore the perfect title for these days of rage: Where Do We God from Here: Chaos or Community?" (p. 527).

As Eig reports, the white liberal Andrew Kopkind wrote a scathing review of King's book in The New York Review of Books (dated August 24, 1967). In it, among other things, Kopkind said that King's book "sounded as if it were meant to be 'read aloud in suburban synagogues.' That was meant as the ultimate insult" (p. 527).

Now, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of King's assassination, the prolific American Protestant theologian Gary Dorrien contributed the essay "The Radical King: Democratic Socialism, Personal Idealism, Anti-Militarism, and Black Power" to the special issue of Telos, serial number 182 (Spring 2018): pp. 47-65, on the theme "Martin Luther King, Jr.: Fifty Years On." In it, Dorrien says, "Where Do We Go from Here was King's best book: eloquent, practical, timely, judicious, and visionary" (p. 62).

In these five ways, King's last book resembles Pope Francis' widely read 2015 eco-encyclical - which is also eloquent, practical, timely, judicious, and visionary. (The pope's visionary 2015 eco-encyclical is available in English and other languages at the Vatican's website.)

In addition to papal encyclicals, there is a category of papal documents known as apostolic exhortations. Just as encyclicals may be addressed not only to practicing Catholics but also to all people of goodwill, so too apostolic exhortations may also be addressed to all people of goodwill. Granted, King was never the pope. Nevertheless, his last book could be categorized as an apostolic exhortation by a Baptist minister to all people of goodwill.

Also on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of King's assassination, Michele Moody-Adams contributed the essay "The Path of Conscientious Citizenship" to the book To Shape a New World: Essays on the Political Philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr., edited by Tommie Shelby and Brandon M. Terry (Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2018, pp. 269-289). In it, she says, "I contend that, for King, conscientious citizenship is a way of living that seeks to give substance to the idea that justice is indivisible, aspiring to an ideal that (adapting a notion from Josiah Royce) King called the 'beloved community' - by which he meant a world that would allow reconciliation between the former oppressed and their former oppressors, and embody an all-embracing love for humanity" (p. 270).

To back up her parenthetical claim that King borrowed the notion of a beloved community from Royce, Moody-Adams references (p. 399) two articles: (1) Gary Hernstein's "The Roycean Roots of the Beloved Community" in The Pluralist, volume 4, number 2 (Summer 2009): pp. 91-107; and (2) Rufus Burrow's "The Beloved Community: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Josiah Royce" in Encounter, volume 73, number 1 (2012): pp. 37-64.

In any event, King's last book is also prescient in his discernment of chaos as the alternative to the visionary beloved community. We Americans have certainly not achieved a viable sense of the visionary beloved community. Indeed, Trump and his white MAGA supporters represent chaos.

King's last book unfolds in the following six chapters, followed by the lengthy "Appendix: Programs and Prospects" (pp. 203-214; "Notes" (pp. 215-216); and an "Index" (pp. 217-223):

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Da Head Bone Connected To Da Racist Bone

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A few years ago, I was accosted, assaulted and battered by a European-American or so-called white man. This individual was about 15, or so, years my senior. The assault, his seniority notwithstanding, got to a point where I had to terminate it, and I did so reluctantly, swiftly and in as controlled a manner that such a situation would warrant. This occurred shortly after Donald Trump was inaugurated; not a coincidence anymore than are the increased hostilities directed at Black People in the United States since his election and pending candidacy.

The white boy had the temerity to sue me. Ultimately, there was a two-day trial in which I was in propria persona. During my blistering cross examination of the assailant, in which he was totally impeached though represented by an allegedly high powered attorney, I asked him did he utter a racial epithet to me during the aforementioned incident. His response was "Absolutely not! I don't have a racist bone in my body!"

Exactly what is a "racist bone"? And why is it that only European-Americans have them? Do these people realize that they are the only people that utter that malarkey, and the fact that they utter it is an indictment in and of itself? Are there other bones that similar comparisons are made to? You know: I don't have a Democrat bone, I don't have a taco bone, I don't have a Buick bone, I don't have a Republican bone? You get my drift, most certainly.

The presiding judge (Reichert) in the matter to which I previously reference, a staunch conservative and the essence of imperturbable judicial temperament, even raised an ever-so-slight eyebrow at the comment. I won the case, though justice has yet to be served. It was a grueling ordeal that I will never forget. It was a bench trial, which was my request.

Reichert was furious at the white boy. But Reichert's fury was not out of any decency or respect for my freckle-faced, honey-brown hue or, even, the legal merits. He was furious because he wanted to let me have it; he wanted to believe that white boy, and the white boy made an ass out of him and the court. That is why he was furious.

In his decision he said: "Normally, I take these matters under submission because they are serious. We have been here for two full court days. Today I am going to deviate from my regular deliberation and rule now." He was so red I thought he would explode. As I gathered my papers and he rose from the bench I said "Thank you, your honor" (an absolute no-no in any form of litigation because it is ex-parte communication and I knew it). He looked at me and said "You put on a hell of a case, and you are welcome." I damn near cried. That European and his high-powered attorney, Mark Bauman, were also red as beets, stunned and hanging their heads. It was nothing less than glorious.

President Joseph Biden, pursuant to questions raised about his affiliation with rabid racists and Anti-Blackists with whom he has commiserated in the past, responded by stating "There's not a racist bone in my body!" Apparently, Mr. President Biden is ignorant to the fact that such a statement is almost always interpreted as a sign of culpability; especially by Black People in the United States and at least one white judge. I often wonder do palefaces realize that when they make these trite utterances that they are confirming what they are unqualified to deny.

My best friend is black (my seminal favorite).

My "buddy" Barak.

My Black Buddy Barak, Triple B; not to be confused with the Better Business Bureau.

But Barak has yet to bless Biden's bid for "taking us back."

A few days ago, I explored the similarities in Biden and Trump. Quite a few people took offense to my perspective, though it is rarely my primary intent to offend anyone. Sometimes offense is a by-product of the truth and its resultant reality.

Decades after Biden chaired the Clarence 'Uncle' Thomas hearings, he suddenly apologized for the way the hearings were conducted pertinent to the disrespect of a black woman; just before he decides to announce his candidacy for the 2020 presidential election. He politically slummed around with the likes of Strom Thurmond, James Eastland and Herman Talmadge. In his 1993 speech on the senate floor supporting the looming crime bill Biden spoke of "predators on our streets" who were "beyond the pale" (how pale Uncle Joe?). A statement reminiscent of Clinton's "super-predators". And, last but hardly least, is his mind-bending and disgusting comment on his former supervisor who, as Joe put it, was the "first articulate and bright and clean African American" ever: his Black Buddy Barak.

I, as a Black Person in the United States, would support, were they to exist, the people that appear to have my interests at heart. So far, no good. Only Black People in the United States are asked, and expected, to support candidates that routinely insult them. I scoff at such slave mentality; on both sides. Because after you come to my church (if I go to church) lip-syncing and clapping unsteadily whilst negroid spirituals ring out and you seduce me into giving you my, probably, compromised vote I'll never see you again. After you tell me about hot sauce in your purse, I'll never see you again. After you 'relate' to me about "put y'all back in chains", you will return to the gated confines of Sleepy Hollow, U.S.A., and I'll never see you again.

Just leave the money on the nightstand.

There is much ado about nothing in terms of "reparations" (which I most definitely intend to address). The sudden, and soon to be dead, 'conversation' about "reparations" is yet another example of Black People in the United States being used as political tools. There can be no reparations until attitudes are transformed; a moribund mission. Whenever I hear any paleface assess the racism of another European-American, it makes me fairly nauseous. I have heard countless white people state that Donald Trump "is not a racist". What level of hubris allows an individual to assess something that they are both perpetrators and architects of but never subordinated to? Only incredible arrogance would allow such intellectual folly.

In any event, as far as Black People in the United States are concerned the issue is not "racism"; oh no, it is something that has no name, and it has no name for a reason, but we know what it is.

As long as white people have the attitude, and resultant arrogance, that they are somehow qualified to define the terms of something that they are not subjected to, nothing changes. The United States will come to the social and moral reconciliation that it must, eventually, make with its only citizens forced to come to its shores. The only citizens who, to this very day, carry the names of those that kidnapped, raped, murdered and enslaved them.

The only ones that, when they hear those hallowed words "all men are created equal", know it meant everyone but them. The only ones that understand when they hear a politician say 'we are a nation of immigrants' it is a reminder of their exclusion in this society, and their secondary status. The only American citizens who have no idea what country (not continent) they came from or what languages they spoke. We have the unique, yet dubious, distinction of being the only citizens in the history of the modern world deemed, by law, to be non-human; property, in fact.

Repair that.

We did not immigrate.

No bones about it.
A running back who verbally committed to Oregon State and expected to join the 2023 roster has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Brandon Smith, a transfer from Santa Barbara City College, was one of four people arrested after an incident on June 2 in Santa Barbara, Calif. According to KSBY.com, Smith and three others were involved in a fight near a neighborhood community pool that left a 20-year-old man with serious injuries.

Smith, who went to high school in Illinois and played two years at Santa Barbara CC, committed to Oregon State on June 2, hours before the incident took place. Smith had visited Oregon State the previous weekend. A school official told The Oregonian/OregonLive that once OSU learned of the incident, it rescinded the scholarship offer.
PacifiCorp has filed a request with Oregon regulators to track its costs stemming from wildfire litigation. Its a first step in potentially passing those mushrooming liabilities to customers -- one that ratepayer advocates vehemently oppose.

A Multnomah County jury awarded 17 victims of four Labor Day 2020 wildfires $90 million in damages this week after finding that its conduct was reckless and showed a conscious indifference to the health and wellbeing of the residents in communities ravaged by those fires.

The company intends to appeal the verdict, but barring a reversal, PacifiCorps eventual liabilities may be measured in billions. The jurys decision to hold PacifiCorp liable for the fires applies to thousands of other victims who are members of a class in the case. Their actual damages will be decided in later court proceedings.

The company also faces litigation by victims of two other fires ignited on Labor Day 2020: the Archie Creek fire east of Roseburg and the Slater fire that started in California and burned into Oregon. It is also facing a lawsuit by victims of the McKinney fire, which ignited in the utilitys northern California service territory last July.

The Portland-based utility holding company, a subsidiary of billionaire Warren Buffetts multinational conglomerate, Berkshire Hathaway, warned regulators in a filing Thursday that the verdicts could undermine its financial stability, and that it was looking to preserve the possibility of passing costs to customers.

Simon Gutierrez, a PacifiCorp spokesperson, said the utility has not requested recovery of those costs from ratepayers and is requesting the commission take no action on the filing until the ligation is concluded.

This is a backstop to preserve our ability to take action in the event there is impact to the financial stability of the company, he wrote in an email Friday. Considering the uncertainty and potential impact surrounding the companys wildfire litigation at this time, no longer term decisions have been made on recovery of costs.

Nevertheless, the filing with regulators said the costs resulted from unique and unforeseen circumstances outside the Companys reasonable control and noted that any recovery from customers would have to be authorized though a future application or rate case.

The potential magnitude of the claims may exceed normal costs anticipated by PacifiCorp and included in its retail rates, the filing said, and could also far exceed the reasonable business risk associated with these claims.

Bob Jenks, executive director of the Oregon Citizens Utility Board, immediately blasted the utilitys move. He said the jurys finding that PacifiCorp was grossly negligent and its decision to award punitive damages was meant to punish the company, not ratepayers. While the filing doesnt require any immediate action by the Oregon Public Utility Commission, Jenks said his board would ask commissioners to reject it because it doesnt meet the legal standard for the accounting treatment, and would keep the potential liability hanging over customers heads while the litigation continues.

Any decision to allow the company to charge ratepayers would come in a future rate case, and utilities are required to prove that those costs are prudent and reasonable.

When a jury says youre reckless and grossly negligent, its inherently not prudent and reasonable, he said. Customers should not pay a dime of these costs.

PacifiCorp may also be looking to preserve its credit rating by signaling debt markets that it remains financially stable and has a potential mechanism to recover wildfire costs. The company carries billions of dollars in debt to fund its investments in power plants and distribution lines. If credit analysts downgrade its rating based on potential wildfire liabilities, it would increase the companys borrowing costs  an increase that would likely be passed on to ratepayers.

Kandi Young, a spokesperson for the PUC, said in an emailed statement Friday that the commission recognized the controversy surrounding the filing, but had not determined next steps to process it. Because such filings are made to preserve the utilitys option to pass costs to ratepayers, she said it commonly takes many months, or even years before the commission takes action.

When the time comes to take action, the PUC will establish an open and transparent public process in which all interested persons have the opportunity to present information and argument to the Commission, she added.

--Ted Sickinger; tsickinger@oregonian.com; 503-221-8505; @tedsickinger
Two guns and a stolen vehicle were recovered and three people were arrested Thursday when when a police chase that started in Vancouver ended in Portland with the car crashing into a MAX train.

Zachary A. Bruce, 27, of Portland, was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center. A 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy, both from Vancouver, were booked into the Donald E Long Juvenile Detention Center.

Bruce is charged unlawful possession of a short-barreled rifle, felon in possession of a firearm, felony fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, unauthorized use of a vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle and reckless driving.

The 16-year-old is charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a loaded firearm in public, unlawful possession of firearms, unlawful entry into a vehicle and disorderly conduct.

The 17-year-old is charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, unlawful possession of firearms and unlawful possession of a loaded firearm in public.

It all began about 3 p.m. Thursday when Vancouver police were sent to the Alder Creek Apartments, 11614 N.E. 49th St., to investigate a drive-by shooting, the Vancouver Police Department reported. Police were given descriptions of the car and the suspects.

At about 6 p.m., police were called to check on a suspicious car parked in the 4600 block of Northeast 112th Avenue. Callers said the people in the car were wearing ski masks and seen holding rifles.

Police showed up, but the driver took off in the car, a black 2016 Kia Optima stolen out of Portland on June 11. Police gave chase, but the driver refused to stop, heading across the river and into Portland, police said.

As the car crossed the Steel Bridge, police saw people in the car throw two firearms, later recovered by police, out the window. The car hit a MAX train near Northwest 3rd Avenue and Glisan Street. No one riding the train was injured, but the train was disabled and all the passengers had to be transferred to other transportation.

Portland police ask anyone with information about the suspects to email crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 23-157832.

 The Oregonian/OregonLive
Oregon gets another turn in the national TV spotlight with the Sunday, June 18 episode of The Whole Story With Anderson Cooper. The CNN series this week broadcasts an episode titled, Magic Mushrooms: Can They Change Your Mind? and Oregon, where psilocybin mushrooms for medical use are legal if certain guidelines are followed, is among the topics.

(No cable? You can stream episodes of The Whole Story With Anderson Cooper on Max; and other services, including Sling and Hulu)

In Magic Mushrooms: Can They Change Your Mind? CNN correspondent David Culver reports on how medically supervised use of psilocybin -- the magic mushrooms referred to in the title -- may have therapeutic benefits.

The CNN documentary will include a visit Culver makes to Oregon, which in 2020 became the first state in the U.S. to legalize psilocybin in therapeutic settings. Since then, details for how the process will work have been in development. As The Oregonian/OregonLive has reported, the Oregon law allows people 21 and older to take the substance created by a licensed facility in a licensed service center, in a controlled, therapeutic environment under the watch of trained facilitators.

While federal laws make the practice of using psilocybin mushrooms for medical purposes illegal in this country, in Magic Mushrooms: Can They Change Your Mind? Culver also goes to Jamaica, where growing and consuming magic mushrooms is legal. Culver visits a resort that holds psychedelic retreats, where he reports on the experiences of Americans who travel there to try magic mushrooms, in an attempt, as the press release says, to reconnect with themselves, curb addiction, and find inner healing.

As Culver says in the press materials for the episode, In hopes of better understanding their mind-altering trips, I also wanted to see if the mushrooms might work their therapeutic magic on me. Having lived and reported through Chinas relentless Zero-Covid policies, including harsh and punishing lockdowns, I wondered if the medicine  as they call it  might help me better process my nearly three years isolated from family and loved ones back in the US. The mushrooms took me on a journey I did not expect.

The Whole Story With Anderson Cooper episode, Magic Mushrooms: Can They Change Your Mind? airs at 8 p.m. PT/ET Sunday, June 18 on CNN.

More of our coverage:

CNN special explores San Franciscos struggle with homelessness, other issues Portland also faces

 Kristi Turnquist

503-221-8227; kturnquist@oregonian.com; @Kristiturnquist

Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe
Imagine that on your new office mates first day at work, he spills his lunch all over himself, cries, and takes a nap in the middle of the day. This makes sense though, because this new addition to the office is, in fact, a baby. Many employees across Jefferson County departments  from Public Health to Community Development to the District Attorneys Office  are having this experience with the spread of their Infant@Work policy. With the consent of their coworkers, supervisors, and the Board of Commissioners, new moms have the opportunity to bring their babies to work with them when they return from maternity leave.

Im excited, Im glad they were able to do this, said Marlenne Medina, an employee in the District Attorneys office and mother of 3-month-old Carolina. She said that the transition back to work in May was easy and had kept her mentally present at work instead of worrying about her baby in childcare. I get to be there for every milestone.

Weve had employees leave in the past because childcare, especially since the pandemic, has been  if possible to find  so expensive, it almost makes it not even worthwhile to come to work, said Medinas boss, District Attorney Steven Leriche. According to a 2019 report by Oregon State University College of Public Health and Human Sciences, only 24% of zero- to two-year-olds in Jefferson County had access to a childcare slot. A county is considered a childcare desert if fewer than 33% of the countys children have access to a slot.

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With the baby policy, we get to keep a good employee, we have a good employee whos happy, and we get the extra benefit of being able to associate with the baby because the baby brings a lot of happiness to everyones life, said Leriche.

The policy was originally created in 2018 to retain a valued employee in the Public Health department. Shortly after they hired for a role that had been difficult to fill, the employee, Jessica Mendoza, announced that she was pregnant. Michael Baker, the Health Services Director, knew he needed to make some big changes in order to keep Mendoza long-term. Baker drafted the policy based on successful programs hed seen at the Washington State Department of Health, Seattle-King County, and the Spokane Regional Health District in Washington State. The Board of Commissioners was hesitant at first, but Baker said that after a successful run with Mendoza and her baby, Zamier, the last three petitions for moms to bring their babies were approved unanimously.

Not every position in the county is a good fit  but for those that do fit the design of the program, its easy to see the benefits, said Baker. Program participants in the Public Health department get the added advantage of easy access to expert advice on breastfeeding, child development, parenting, and more and can spread that knowledge to others in their lives. The baby, the mother, the staff as individuals, the department as a whole, the county as a whole, the community as a whole, we all benefit from having the Infant at Work program.

Baker said that he saw mutual emotional support and creation of strong bonds, even between people who dont necessarily work together on a regular basis. An anonymous complaint function is built into the policy, but they havent received any negative comments. As part of the program, those opting to become designated caregivers sign a document that states that they will either help with the babys needs when the mother is busy with work, or take on some of the mothers work responsibilities when the baby needs the mothers attention.

I actually see more productivity, he said when asked about the teams ability to stay on task with a baby in the office. As a designated caregiver for another of his employees, Karen Correa, Baker often holds her son, Ezera, and says that taking a break for baby time helps him return to work feeling energized.

This journey with Ezera has been so amazing, having all this support that I never imagined, said Correa. Her coworkers not only volunteer to hold Ezera, but some have rearranged their offices to accommodate his swing and helped convert a room into a lactation space complete with a rocking chair for her.

Seeing how well Ez has thrived off of the love, the attention, it just shows me that Im really lucky to have this opportunity to bring my baby to work with me, she said.

In the Community Development office, Admin Supervisor Katrina Weitman said that when she had her twin daughters it was extremely difficult to find childcare, so she was excited for her coworker, Alison Vanek, to take advantage of this policy with her son. From February through early June, Ty Vanek spent his early months napping in his swing surrounded by file folders, watching cartoons with inspectors, or cuddling up in the baby carrier strapped to mom at her standing desk.

I think its just been really positive, said Weitman. I find that everybody, even people you werent necessarily sure how theyd feel about a baby in the office, whether thats a customer or staff, everyones just been really excited.

Theyve seen a different side of me as a mom and Ive seen a different side of my coworkers, said Vanek. Honestly the ones I least expected have been my biggest supporters.

The Infant@Work policy states that babies in the program must end their time in the office when they start becoming mobile  around the six-month mark. Tys last day, June 5, was marked with sad goodbyes and gifts of balloons and toys from her office mates, but Vanek believes that their time at work together will have lasting benefits including a strong mother-son bond and Tys outgoing attitude.

In the District Attorneys office, where Medina and her daughter, Carolina, have just begun their office stint together among the Victims Advocates cubicles, those sharing the space can already feel the change in atmosphere.

If something bums you out or  makes you doubt humanity, all of a sudden youve got mother and baby, said Leriche while Carolina hiccuped happily in Medinas arms.

I think it also builds a good bond between your employees too because, you know, were not family, but being around her family as they grow up; I think it helps create a closeness and loyalty both ways, he said. I think its a good, healthy relationship to have with your employee.

-- Haley Nelson, for The Oregonian/OregonLive
MOUTH OF THE KLAMATH RIVER, California  Sheldon SmilingCoyote locked his eyes on the push and pull of the waves in front of him, suddenly slashing the tip of his handheld hook through the water, pulling out a slimy prehistoric fish.

Lassoing the lamprey over his head to keep it from squirming off the hook, he ran to a hole hed dug in the sand and released the fish on a pile of its relatives. SmilingCoyote tallied two dozen in his catch on a late February day.

These nutrient-rich fish, a wintertime staple for the Yurok people, lost 400 miles of their historical spawning habitat to four dams that transformed the churning upper reaches of the Klamath River into slack water, threatening the lamprey and other native species. But thats set to change.

This year, Yurok and Karuk tribal members began pressing the roots of native plants like Oregon ash and Klamath plum into the fluffy volcanic soil surrounding the Iron Gate Reservoir, some 200 miles east of the free-flowing water at the rivers mouth. Its the first in a series of three pools that will be reverted to those lush flows when the dams are destroyed in what may be the nations largest planned dam removal project, already underway.

The Yurok and Karuk tribes have been connected to the Klamath River for thousands of years, but that relationship was disrupted by the construction of dams more than 100 years ago. Following the largest fish die-off in U.S. history, the tribes launched a decadeslong fight to remove the dams, a nearly complete effort that is poised to restore the lower Klamath River back to the creators country.

The Seattle Times traveled from the Klamaths mouth, among the towering redwood forests of Northern California, through the ancestral lands of the Yurok, Karuk and Hupa, to the concrete dams set to come down and to the farmland and ranches the basin supports. The stories told along the way not only paint a picture of a decadeslong fight to restore a rivers flow and a way of life but also the distinct challenges of finding enough water to go around amid a changing climate. The dams removal wont resolve a growing water crisis. Yet what happens on the Klamath has implications for dammed rivers across the American West.

Barry McCovey uses a traditional fishing technique to catch lamprey at the mouth of the Klamath River, where the water intersects with the Pacific Ocean in California, on March 1, 2023. (Daniel Kim/The Seattle Times)TNS

The Indigenous people of the Klamath have worked from a blueprint drawn by the Northwests Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, which successfully fought for the removal of two dams on the Elwha River of the Olympic Peninsula. They seek to heal the damage done over the last 150 years of colonization. Restoring balance in the river could mean the return of food sovereignty and a repaired relationship with the land for a Salmon People.

It could serve as an example for the Salmon People of the Columbia Basin, who have been fighting for a similar future for the Snake River that once teemed with chinook. But one bigger barrier stands in their way  the support of Congress.

In the West, a region plagued by drought, its a massive undertaking to bring back rivers historical flows. These freshwater highways are being sucked dry to support government-subsidized farms, cattle ranches and everything that remade the identity of these places.

While Indigenous people were promised the right to continue their subsistence life in exchange for their vast homelands, the federal government also promised settlers water to begin a new tradition: draining and filling wetlands to plant foreign crops, taming the rivers and valleys.

Now, a political tug-of-war is playing out in an attempt to mend broken promises.

In the coastal town of Klamath, at the westernmost edge of the Yurok Reservation, there are no grocery stores. Instead, theres a gas station minimart that smells of evergreen-tree-shaped car air fresheners. Behind refrigerator doors are few meal options  Hot Pockets, frozen burritos and some TV dinners.

Here, the lamprey are known as salvation fish. After adult salmon have spawned and died off in the fall, the Yurok people rely on the long, ugly fish for sustenance in the winter months. SmilingCoyote learned to hook them when he was 5 and started making his way to the mouth of the river on his own as a 12-year-old.

Its just as important as anything else that swims in the river, SmilingCoyote said. Everything is valuable here. Even if its not edible, its sustainable to the earth. If this river was to ever dry up and go away, we wouldnt be the people that we are. The river is everything.

Susan Masten, former chair of Yurok Nation, is photographed at her home near the mouth of the Klamath River in California on Feb. 28, 2023. Masten has been an advocate of dam removal since the early 2000s. (Daniel Kim/The Seattle Times)TNS

A century of strife

The Yurok creation story, in short, says the creator made the land, the water, the creatures and last, the Yurok people. If the people took care of the land, water and creatures, and never took more than they needed, they would always have enough.

Susan Mastens grandmother lived in a redwood plank house overlooking the mouth of the Klamath, its boards now in a pile on the familys property. She gathered roots and berries, fish and mussels.

Before colonizers trampled the Klamath watershed during the gold rush, the Yurok people had lived in this same area for tens of thousands of years and upheld their end of the creation-story bargain. But for years, the only people bearing the burden of conservation were the Indian people on the river, said Masten, former chair of the Yurok Tribe.

It was here in 1969 that California game wardens arrested her uncle, Raymond Mattz, and confiscated his and his friends gillnets. So began the fishing wars.

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the rights of Yurok people to fish on the reservation. A few years later, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife closed tribal fishing on the Klamath under the auspices of conservation while the sport and commercial fisheries carried on.

Intense clashes between protesters and federal officials ensued. Law enforcement agents wore bulletproof vests and helmets, Masten recalled. They rammed Yurok boats and ripped up nets. One officer told Masten they were there to protect the salmon.

The only thing that landed in the newspapers was the Indians taking all the fish, she recalled.

Bill Bowers, a Yurok elder and tribal court judge, learned to fish these waters when he was 5, just as SmilingCoyote did. In late February, he sat in The Historic Requa Inn, looking out as fat raindrops filled the teal, fast-moving Klamath just beyond the window pane. He wished he could instead tell his story from a boat.

Each year, the Bowers family heads to Brooks Riffle, a fishing hole named after their family.

Bowers recalled the fishing trips of his youth on the river, often riddled with misadventures: his tent catching fire, frightening encounters with bears and going to extreme lengths  fishing in the dark without flashlights  to avoid getting caught by law enforcement.

The salmon that come in here ... have been feeding the Yurok peoples genetics for thousands of years, Bowers said. Their DNA is intrinsically linked, he said. That relationship, he added, should trump all other claimed rights to what the river provides; its something he raised his children to understand.

The dust began to settle on the fishing wars in the early 80s when Bowers started a family.

My introduction to Yurok country and my spirit coming here to this world was I just saw this great, beautiful fishery on this beautiful, fun river, said his daughter, Amy Cordalis. We were exploring the beach below my grandmas house. There were ceremonies down there too. It was gorgeous and beautiful and felt safe and special.

There still was all that trauma there, she said, of the fight over fishing rights. But of course, as a kiddo, I didnt really see that.

When Cordalis came back to the reservation for a college internship with the tribes fisheries department in 2002, the river was teeming with chinook salmon.

Then, the Bush administration authorized a diversion of Klamath Lake water to irrigate farms in the basin, rather than feed the river. The administration was reacting to a bucket-brigade protest led by farmers who were denied their usual water allocation a year earlier.

As Cordalis made her way down the river in an aluminum fisheries boat that year, she saw  and smelled  thousands of dead fish.

Fishers and environmental groups went to federal court in Oakland, saying the Bush administration gave too much water to farmers and ranchers at the risk of thousands of chinook and coho, both threatened with extinction.

Several years later, a scientific report affirmed the salmon would have survived if managers had kept water in the river. It is still considered to be the biggest fish kill in U.S. history.

I just remember being in a tribal fisheries boat and thinking: My great-grandmother is rolling over in her grave right now, Cordalis said, and Ive got to do something about it. And I instantly thought, Im going to go to law school and devote my lifes work, my life force to try to prevent this kind of thing from ever happening again. And so thats what I did.

Cordalis had just begun practicing law as the negotiations on the Klamath intensified.

Yurok, Karuk, Hupa and Klamath people traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2004 to tell Scottish Power shareholders what their hydroelectric dams were doing to California rivers and their fish. For many of the more than two dozen people in attendance, it was their first time on a plane.

When PacifiCorp, the company operating the Klamath dams, was sold to Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway, people from the Yurok, Karuk, Hoopa and Klamath nations descended on the headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. They came back year after year.

In 2006, PacifiCorps licenses to operate the dams were set to expire, and company officials knew either costly fish passage would be needed or the dams would come down.

In the Klamath Basin, the aging structures could power fewer than 100,000 homes on a good day. They were never used for watering crops or drinking, so it made economic sense to remove the dams.

Cordalis, as the Yurok Tribes general counsel, in 2016 helped shepherd a landmark settlement agreement to remove the dams after a decade of negotiations among PacifiCorp, the states of California and Oregon, local and tribal governments, conservation groups and commercial and recreational fishing organizations.

The utilitys cost was capped at $200 million, with an additional $250 million from a California voter-approved water bond.

Signatories navigated the regulatory process from there, and in November 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the removal of the four dams making up the Klamath Hydroelectric Project. Dam removal is underway and will conclude in 2024, reopening 400 miles of habitat  much of which has been inaccessible for over a century.

When the dams fall

On an early March day, pickups blazed down crumbling county roads atop the sticky volcanic muck leading to two dams on the Klamath: Copco 1 and Copco 2. Trucks towed side-dump trailers around the winding bends dozens of feet above the glassy surface of the Iron Gate Reservoir.

Crews contracted by the dam removal nonprofit, a coalition of signatories of the amended Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, were piecing together temporary housing and offices.

Steep rapids once carved through the canyon here. Now, power lines hum nearby. Copco 2 diverts the river through tunnels to a powerhouse about a mile and a half away. Copco 1, built in 1918, is the oldest dam on the Klamath and cut the river in half when it was built.

Upstream, the river hits the J.C. Boyle Dam, a roughly 60-foot diversion dam that dried up more than 4 miles of the river after it came online in 1958.

Below the Copco dams is Iron Gate, the lowest of the four dams set to come down. It stands 173 feet tall and is made of an iron-rich chalky rock that blends with nearby cliff sides. Below, the river returns to swirling flows, reminiscent of its formerly freed state.

In May, construction crews replaced 3,300 feet of drinking water line for the city of Yreka. Other pre-removal work includes installing a massive culvert at Fall Creek, placing a bridge over the river at Daggett Road, and drilling and blasting a 90-foot-long tunnel at the base of Copco 1.

By the end of September, Copco 2 will be gone.

J.C. Boyle, Copco 1 and Iron Gate will be removed simultaneously, and all of the dams bits and pieces will be trucked out or buried in the ground by the end of 2024. With a combined height of more than 400 feet, the Klamath dam removal would be the largest in the U.S.

The three reservoirs need to be drawn down simultaneously to limit the effects on salmon, according to planning documents. The four Klamath dams hold back about 15 million cubic yards of sediment. While the river will naturally flush much of that, crews will also dredge to make way for the sediment flows.

Observations from the late 1800s to early 1900s suggest an estimated 650,000 to 1 million adult salmon used to make the sprint from the mouth of the river to Upper Klamath Lake and beyond to spawn.

The river used to see more than 100,000 spring-run Chinook return each year, but in the past decade, fewer than 2,000 adults have made the annual trek back. Meanwhile, poor water quality as a result of low flows and warming water kills an estimated three-quarters of out-migrating young salmon on their way to the ocean.

The Yurok Tribe has not seen a profitable commercial fishery in more than a decade.

Removing the dams is only the first step in the restoration effort.

The next five years will be a delicate balance of human intervention and allowing the river to take its course, said Gwen Santos, lead ecologist on the Klamath River renewal project for Resource Environmental Solutions, the company tasked with the restoration and monitoring after the dams are gone.

While the focus of the project is fish passage in the river, Santos said, crews have been working since 2019 to create restoration plans. The Yurok Tribe hired Josh Chenoweth, the director of the revegetation effort for the Elwha dams, to clear the land of invasive plants.

Chenoweth and his crews have sown the rich soils with native grasses and flowers. Now, theyre reintroducing native buckbrush, serviceberry, Oregon ash and Klamath plum to the landscape.

More than 15 billion seeds are being cultivated in nurseries like BFI Native Seeds, a Moses Lake farm irrigated by the Columbia River.

The goal is to disperse nearly 17 billion native plants from more than 90 species across the 2,200 acres of newly exposed ground at the reservoirs. Crews from Resource Environmental Solutions and the tribes will restore some 22 miles of tributaries and river habitat.

Theyll take water quality samples, monitor stream velocity and mitigate as needed.

The downstream habitat is already falling into place as the Yurok Tribe has invested millions in recovering rearing habitat for young salmon. Each project has helped inform the recovery work around dam removal.

At the site of a former mill in the redwoods, a channeled creek has been restored to its historical meandering path, and a flood plain has been freed from asphalt and fill. Native trees and shrubs anchor the banks, and otters dive under logs as they twist and play in the streams churning waters.

Dams diverting rivers for hydropower, drinking water or to water crops were built before modern environmental laws and before tribal consultation was a consideration, so water allocations from these rivers are largely based on century-old compacts drawn up by white settlers. Now the effects of climate change have rendered many obsolete.

We cant manage water in the 21st century like we did in the 20th because theres simply not as much water, said Craig Tucker, environmental policy advocate for the Karuk Tribe.

Above the Klamath dams set for removal are irrigated lands that face an uncertain future, where choices over water use could determine the success of the Lower Klamaths unprecedented restoration.

Tracey Liskey, who owns land on the Klamath Basin and is a member of the Klamath Water Users Association, is photographed on his property in Oregon on March 3, 2023. (Daniel Kim/The Seattle Times)TNS

A future with less water

About a 20-mile drive down the highway from the J.C. Boyle Reservoir, a black heifer lying on her side in the dusty brown earth heaved a tiny head sticky with amniotic fluid from her birth canal.

She stood up, and a calf clumsily fell from her body onto the earth. She licked it clean.

It was calving season for Tim OConnor, a third-generation rancher in the Klamath Basin. He separated the first-time mamas into one pasture and kept an eye on them as they went into labor for up to 10 hours. His only goal was ensuring they survive.

OConnors grandfather left Ireland for the U.S. more than a century ago, and his family has been raising cattle since. But its getting increasingly hard to make a living, he said.

The hydropower dams are just one piece of the machine that settlers built from the Klamath. Upstream, two other dams were built and miles of irrigation canals were dug to feed thousands of acres of farmland.

Crops in the Klamath Basin were valued at about $200 million in 2019; thats roughly 7% of the output of Washingtons Columbia Basin farms.

In the heat of the summer, a cow or bull needs about 1 gallon of water a day per 100 pounds of body weight. On average, that translates to 20 gallons per cow or 730,000 gallons of water to raise 100 cows for one year, not factoring in the water it takes to grow their food.

After an uncharacteristically wet winter, the federal Bureau of Reclamation allocated 260,000 acre-feet, or over 8 million gallons of water, from Upper Klamath Lake to be used for farms and ranches in the area this year.

Water allocations to farmers over the past year caused river flows to drop below requirements set by the Endangered Species Act for the first time since the 2002 fish kill, which left hundreds of salmon eggs exposed without water.

This springs allocation announcement is a little more than half of the historical demand from the Klamath Water Users Association, an agricultural lobbying group representing about 175 million acres of crops in the basin. Last years allocation was less than one-fourth of this years.

In April, officials voted unanimously to shut down Californias commercial and recreational salmon season. The decision was largely informed by alarmingly low salmon runs as a result of heavily dammed, diked and channeled streams struggling to maintain healthy flows in the face of droughts and warming summers.

Our water challenges and shortages in the West are not driven by the Endangered Species Act or radical environmentalists or the deep state, said U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., at a subcommittee meeting on water resources earlier this year. In fact, the principal driving force is climate change. Thats, of course, the case with a historic drought in the West and other threats to our water supply.

The Klamath has evolved to be a prime example of this.

Tracey Liskeys family laid claim to 1,000 acres in the Klamath Basin in the early 1900s. Back then, it was a vast wetland.

When the Bureau of Reclamation dammed the river at Klamath Falls, it diverted some of the wetlands flow downriver, and the railroad tracks cut off the rest of the marshy basin. Around the 1920s, the valley was drained, and the Liskeys began building out their feedlot where theyd eventually grow hay for the hundreds of cattle roaming their acreage

On an early March day, Liskeys boots kicked up dust as he led a tour of his Oregon property.

The land was dry.

The river was flowing at about 870 cubic feet per second below Iron Gate Dam, slightly lower than a year prior, despite the heavy rains and snow the region saw this winter.

In 2001, the Bureau of Reclamation shut off the water to the farms and ranches in the basin for the first time. For Liskey, it was a life-changing moment.

My son had just graduated ... and decided he better go find a job he could afford or that maybe could support him and the family, he said. We have nobody else to take over the ranch.

Now, he rents pieces of his land to other young farmers and ranchers. If you came to Liskeys, or any other Klamath Basin farm 20, 30, or 40 years ago, the people would probably look the same. But today, Liskeys property is divided into small subplots.

Liskey, clad in a flannel shirt and Wrangler jeans, led a tour of his farm in a pickup, swinging in and out of the cab while holding a handle above the door.

Steam spilled out as he opened the door to one of the many greenhouses on his property. Inside, pink, orange and tan fish, each no bigger than a slice of bread, gasped at the surface of their burbling tanks filled with water from a natural geothermal hot spring under Liskeys land.

These tilapia will soon be scooped out and shipped off to grocery stores. Nearby, tomatoes, onions and herbs grow in soil enriched with the tilapias waste.

Liskeys land is a hodgepodge of geothermal energy production, greenhouses full of exotic plants, vegetables and fish, and some traditional feedlots and cattle pastures.

As farmers are forced to sell off bits of their less-profitable lands, the agriculture in the basin might look a bit more like this.

Water will certainly be harder to come by, but it still links the basin and the lamprey fishing grounds hundreds of miles away and nourishes the futures of animals and humans alike.

 Isabella Breda, The Seattle Times

2023 The Seattle Times. Visit seattletimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Grimace, a pal of Ronald McDonald and the purple mascot of the fast-food chain, has become an online sensation and LGBTQ icon with his return in a McDonalds ad campaign.

The Chicago-based company is marking Grimaces 52nd birthday with a party like those many kids have had at the restaurant over the years.

The promotion, which began Monday, June 12, launched a Grimace Birthday Meal and Shake -- which includes a choice of Big Mac or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, a medium French fry and a purple berry shake, inspired by the iconic color and sweetness of our purple pal, the company said.

Previous story: Purple shakes coming to McDonalds for limited time for Grimaces birthday: How to get berry-flavored treat

Online, Grimace has taken over McDonalds social media accounts, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

wanna come 2 my party???? finallyy got my own grimace meal and purple shake, one Instagram post read, including a smiling face.

And a slew of Grimace selfies have been posted.

Social media users have speculated whether the celebration for Grimace has anything to do with June also being Pride Month, the New York Post reported.

Grimace goes to pride, one user posted on Twitter with a photo of Grimace decked out in rainbow colors.

HEY GRIMACE HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND HAPPY PRIDE, another user tweeted with fan art of the purple legend.

TikTokers have also paid homage to Grimace. One video shows a person getting a Grimace tattoo. In another video, a young woman dressed in cosplay while at McDonalds.

The best part about Grimace is that he means different things to different people. Whatever he is, were just proud our bestie makes people happy, A McDonalds spokesperson told Business Insider.
After the readmission of Syria to the Arab League and the possible restoration of relations between some Arab countries and Damascus, there have been no further moves towards normalisation, reports Bassel Oudat in Damascus.

One month has passed since the Arab League decided to allow Syria to take back its seat at the League and send its officials to the bodys meetings, and some Arab countries have declared their willingness to normalise relations with Damascus.

However, despite the four-week gap, there have been no substantive improvements in relations between the other Arab countries and Syria on the political or economic fronts. Possible rapprochements have been rumoured, along with promises to reopen some consulates in Damascus.

The decision reached by the Arab foreign ministers to readmit Syria to the Arab League was not unanimous, and it will be difficult to arrive at normal relations between the Arab countries and the Syrian government if core prerequisites are not met.

These were decided during meetings in Amman before the recent Arab Summit meeting in Jeddah and include a roadmap to resolve the Syrian crisis with practical and effective steps to move gradually towards a resolution based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

It is unlikely that the Arab countries will move much further towards normalisation if the regime led by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad does not take tangible steps to prove its good faith on this path.

The Arab countries are cautious in part because they worry their relations with the West could be affected. The West rejects the notion of normalising relations with the Syrian regime and has imposed harsh sanctions against the regime and its supporters. It has also threatened to impose sanctions on countries that normalise ties with the regime without a quid pro quo, namely that the regime change its position regarding a political solution that is approved by the international community.

The first of the warning signs came with the cancellation of an EU-Arab League conference scheduled for 20 June. Germanys Ambassador to Cairo Frank Hartmann said that the gathering was cancelled because Syrias foreign minister would be attending, and Berlin had refused to admit his presence.

We still do not see a basis for the Arab countries to normalise relations with the Syrian regime, because no progress has been made regarding UN Resolutions on Syria, improving conditions inside Syria, the return of refugees, and combatting smuggling and drug-trafficking, Hartmann said.

In the US, bipartisan draft legislation by Democrat and Republican lawmakers in Congress has prevented the US government from recognising any Syrian government led by Bashar Al-Assad and bolstered Washingtons ability to impose sanctions as a warning to countries that normalise relations with it.

The representatives of countries concerned with the Syrian crisis at meetings held by the Syrian Negotiations Commission in Geneva on 4 June, including the US, Turkey, France, Britain, Canada, Switzerland, the EU, the Netherlands and Italy, in addition to Egypt and Qatar, said there needed to be a political transition in Syria, the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, and advances on the political process under UN auspices.

Some media outlets in the US have reported that the sanctions against Syria have not benefited the Syrian people. While the US refuses entry for members of the regime and freezes their bank accounts, these officials do not have bank accounts in the US and do not consider travelling to it. There are now calls to ease the sanctions, at least on humanitarian aid, which may explain why the US is not objecting to the delivery of some aid and humanitarian economic assistance if the regime reverses its refusal of a political solution.

All this does not mean Washington is beginning to view Syria as peripheral to its interests, however. The US National Security Council has decided to keep troops in Syria, specifically east of the Euphrates, until further notice, said opposition military figure Ahmed Rahhal.

The US presence in Syria is not a matter for discussion or interpretation. To show it means business, the US army shipped an advanced missile system (HIMARS) to the east of the Euphrates, and the Department of Defence and US Central Command transferred other shipments from Jordan to Syria after withdrawing them from Iraq.

All these moves confirm that the US is staying in Syria not to fight the Islamic State group (IS) but to impose its presence.

Meanwhile, both the Syrian regime and the Arabs are waiting for the other to take further steps. As they do so, the deteriorating security situation continues in Syria, the country remains carved up among different forces, the economy is in freefall, and the humanitarian crisis affecting millions of displaced people and refugees worsens.

Returning the Syrian refugees to their homeland will be a challenge for the Syrian state, especially bringing about a political and social reconciliation that builds confidence, said Samir Al-Itta , chair of the Circle of Arab Economists and professor of Political Economy at the University of Paris Sorbonne.

This will be difficult while the incumbent regime remains in place without any real change in its structure. Syria must also prove it is moving towards a state of law, and not using laws and decrees as a means of extortion. In return, the US and EU will need to change their positions of blocking reconstruction and settle refugees in countries of asylum.

It is certain that there will be revisions of policies towards the region in the coming months, and this will clarify where the US, followed by Europe and Israel, wants to take the region.

The US and EU issued sanctions against hundreds of Syrian and non-Syrian figures and officials, as well as Syrian and non-Syrian institutions that help and support the regime, a little more than a decade ago. The sanctions freeze assets, financial transactions, and bank accounts and ban entry, commercial dealings, imports and exports, and the sale of oil, among other things.

It will be difficult for the Arabs to bypass the Western sanctions in the absence of progress on the political track. The Arab foreign ministers exerted vigorous diplomatic efforts to bring Syria back to the Arab League as a gesture of goodwill and a first step. Now, everyone is waiting for the regime to reciprocate.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 15 June, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Korea's first generation of baby boomers born in 1958 turn 65 this year and officially become senior citizens. They will be able to draw a public pension of W320,000 and get free subway rides, free flu shots and discounts on dental implants.

That also means Korea will be getting a step closer to a super-aged society. Statistics Korea projects the country to reach a population of 10 million elderly people in 2024, when they will account for 19.4 percent of the population. Their numbers will continue to increase and account for 46.4 percent by 2070 if the current low birthrate continues.

What will happen to Korea when it becomes an elderly society?

First, society will shoulder a heavier welfare burden. Seoul Metro and public transportation suffer from a chronic deficit, and losses will swell when 10 million senior citizens get free rides, so fares for everyone else will inevitably rise. Total public pensions, which are paid to senior citizens who fall into the bottom 70 percent of the income bracket, will rise from W7 trillion when they were introduced in 2014 to W20 trillion this year (US$1=W1,275).
Cotonou, Benin (PANA) - First choice organic cotton will be purchased at 360 FCFA from Beninese producers, announced the Beninese government at the end of the latest weekly Council of Ministers
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The General Command of the Libyan Army based in the East, led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has welcomed the conclusions of the joint 6+6 Commission of the House of Representatives (Parliament) and the High Council of State for the drafting of electoral laws as a first step towards the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - A meeting between the ceasefire monitoring component of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), the 5+5 Joint Military Committee and Libyan ceasefire observers focused on procedures for the withdrawal of mercenaries, foreign forces and foreign fighters from Libyan territory
Cotonou, Benin (PANA) - The World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) is to release $150 million to help Benin increase the efficiency of national resource mobilisation and public spending, according to a statement from the institution
Photo: (Photo : JIM WATSON / Getty Images )

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has taken a significant step in combating hair discrimination by signing the Crown Act into law.

This groundbreaking legislation prohibits the denial of employment or educational opportunities based on discrimination against natural and protective hairstyles, such as Afros, cornrows, or dreadlocks.

As per Michigan Advance, the Crown (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act, an amendment to Michigan's civil rights law, aims to eliminate hair discrimination within various domains, including employment, housing, education, and places of public accommodation.

Michigan Fights Hair Discrimination in Schools and Workplace

Hair discrimination, often veiled as racial discrimination, has plagued individuals across the state for far too long.

According to NBC News, State Senator Sarah Anthony, the first Black woman to represent Lansing in the state Senate, passionately advocated for the Crown Act, emphasizing the countless stories of men, women, and children who have faced the denial of opportunities due to their hair.

With the signing of this legislation, Michigan sends a strong message that hair discrimination will not be tolerated.

The Crown Act has faced its share of challenges in Michigan's political landscape. Previous attempts to pass the legislation faltered in the Republican-led Legislature.

However, this year witnessed a remarkable turn of events, as the Crown Act garnered bipartisan support and secured a resounding 100-7 vote in the state House.

Michigan's triumph in enacting this law makes it the 23rd state in the nation to protect individuals from hair discrimination, according to the governor's office.

As reported by the Detroit Free Press, Michigan has joined 19 other states in enacting a civil rights protection against hair-based discrimination, thanks to Governor Gretchen Whitmer's approval.

The legislation, commonly referred to as the CROWN Act, amends the definition of race within Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.

The updated definition now includes characteristics historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles.

This new law ensures that discrimination based on these traits is prohibited in various domains, including housing, employment, education, and public accommodations.

Governor Whitmer strongly criticized the notion that Black communities must conform their hair to white standards or control it in order to adhere to unspoken rules, describing it as rooted in prejudice.

She emphasized that hair-based discrimination has long denied equal opportunities to Black Americans and expressed her resolve to end such injustices in Michigan.

With the support of bipartisan consensus, Whitmer highlighted the importance of this bill in safeguarding individuals from being unjustly fired, denied opportunities, or expelled from educational institutions due to their hair.

Read Also: Louisiana High School Scandal: 28-Year-Old Woman Arrested for Posing as Teenage Student

Expanding Civil Rights in Michigan

The enactment of the Crown Act aligns with Michigan Democrats' ongoing efforts to expand the state's civil rights law.

Additionally, NBC News reported earlier this year that the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, established in 1976, underwent two amendments to include protections for the LGBTQ community and workers who receive abortions.

The fundamental purpose of the Civil Rights Act, as articulated by former Republican Representative Mel Larsen, who co-authored the legislation, is to ensure that every citizen of Michigan has the right to be protected.

By adding hair texture and protective hairstyles as protected categories, Michigan continues its journey towards safeguarding the rights and dignity of its diverse population.

This progressive step not only combats discrimination but also reinforces the state's commitment to equal opportunity and inclusion.

With the stroke of a pen, Governor Whitmer has paved the way for individuals with natural and protective hairstyles to pursue employment, education, and other opportunities free from bias.

Michigan's decisive action sends a powerful message that discrimination based on hair texture or style will no longer be tolerated.

Related Article: Johns Hopkins University Faces Backlash Over LGBTQ Glossary's 'Lesbian' Definition, Attempting Gender-Neutral Identities
Photo: (Photo : CHANDAN KHANNA / Getty Images)

In a groundbreaking decision, the Supreme Court has upheld the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and affirmed the Native American adoption law, solidifying the protection of tribal identity and the well-being of Native American children.

The 7-2 vote delivered a resounding victory for Native American communities, rejecting a challenge that sought to invalidate key provisions of the ICWA.

According to USA Today, the 7-2 majority decision dismissed a series of claims challenging the ICWA's provisions, including the preference given to Native Americans seeking to adopt or foster Native American children.

One of the significant provisions of the ICWA, subject to challenge, is the preference given to Native Americans in adoption and foster care proceedings involving Native American children.

Preserving Native American Family Ties: The Supreme Court's Verdict

In a ruling authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the Supreme Court emphasized that the challengers lacked legal standing to contest the alleged violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment on the grounds of race discrimination.

Barrett's opinion noted that state courts, not the federal government, enforce the preference provisions and handle child placement, making the claims outside the purview of federal jurisdiction.

However, the court's ruling left open the question of whether the preference provisions constitute race discrimination.

Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in a concurring opinion, acknowledged the seriousness of the issue and suggested that it should be addressed in a future case.

Notably, the majority opinion affirmed Congress's authority to legislate on Native American family law, rejecting challenges that sought to limit its jurisdiction.

As reported by the BBC, the primary individuals initiating the case were Chad and Jennifer Brackeen, a Caucasian couple residing in Fort Worth, Texas.

They contended that the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) constituted racial discrimination, thereby violating the equal protection guarantee enshrined in the US Constitution.

The Navajo Nation expressed opposition to the Brackeens' efforts to foster a five-year-old girl, subsequent to their prior adoption of her older half-brother.

Matthew McGill, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, stated that his clients are concerned about the implications of the Supreme Court's decision for the child they endeavored to adopt.

McGill emphasized that the young girl has been an integral part of the Brackeen family for nearly her entire life.

Moreover, McGill noted that the Supreme Court did not specifically address his clients' fundamental argument asserting the discriminatory nature of the ICWA.

As a result, the couple intends to raise this issue during an upcoming adoption trial in a state court.

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Relief for Native American Tribes: Upholding Tribal Identity and Native Children's Rights

The Supreme Court's decision has brought immense relief to Native American tribes, who were deeply concerned about a potential weakening or complete invalidation of the ICWA.

The law plays a crucial role in preserving tribal identity and preventing the disproportionate removal of Native American children from their families by state and federal entities, historically aimed at assimilating them into an English-speaking, Anglo-centric society.

Leaders from various tribes expressed their satisfaction with the ruling and its implications.

As per NBC News, Buu Nygren, the president of the Navajo Nation, described the 7-2 vote as a significant moment that showcased the Supreme Court justices' support for Indian Country.

Chuck Hoskin, the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, acknowledged that while future challenges may arise, the ruling represents a solid victory for an important law.

Several Native American tribes, including the Navajo Nation, Cherokee Nation, Morongo Band of Mission Indians, Oneida Nation, and Quinault Indian Nation, actively defended the ICWA at the Supreme Court.

Their collective efforts and the court's ruling have reinforced the significance of tribal sovereignty and the protection of Native American children's well-being.

It is worth noting that the court has yet to render a decision on a significant race-related case concerning the consideration of race in college admissions, which remains under consideration.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Moscow's deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus has already happened, reminding the West that it could not inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.

"The first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus. But only the first ones, the first part. But we will do this job completely by the end of the summer or by the end of the year," he said.

Speaking Friday at Russia's economic forum in St. Petersburg, Putin stressed he saw no need for Russia to resort to nuclear weapons, for now. His move delivering shorter-range nuclear weapons to Belarus, which could be used on the battlefield, was intended as a warning to the West about arming and supporting Ukraine, the Russian leader said.

Putin warned Friday that there was a "serious danger" that the NATO military alliance could be pulled further into the military action against Ukraine. He made those comments during a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he touted Russia's economy despite heavy international sanctions imposed because of the war in Ukraine. Western journalists were banned from the event.

Putin also alleged that Ukraine was running out of its own military equipment, making it totally dependent on military hardware supplied by the West. "Everything on which they fight and everything that they use is brought in from the outside. Well, you can't fight like that for long," he said. Additionally, he asserted that Ukraine had failed to make progress in its counteroffensive, adding its army had "no chance" against Russia's.

Independent military analysts say Ukraine has outperformed Russia's much larger army in the nearly 16 months of the war, forcing it to retreat around the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Kherson.

The White House denounced Putin's comments and said the United States had made no adjustments to its nuclear position in response to the rhetoric.
Photo: (Photo : Michael Ciaglo /Getty Images)

A heartbreaking incident unfolded in Boulder, Colorado, as a young mother, Anna Louise Englund, was charged with the murder of her 2-month-old son.

Englund, who had been grappling with postpartum mental health struggles, allegedly strangled her infant while enduring severe sleep deprivation. This tragic case highlights the urgent need for better support and awareness surrounding postpartum mental health.

Tragic Outcome at Boulder Community Hospital

As reported by Boulder Colorado, the events transpired on Saturday, June 10, when the Boulder Police Department responded to a welfare check on Ms. Anna Louise Englund, 29, who was reportedly experiencing a mental health crisis.

Witnesses informed the authorities that Englund had taken her two-month-old child from their home and departed in her vehicle, causing alarm among those who knew her.

After receiving the statewide "attempt to locate" bulletin, law enforcement discovered Englund's car en route to Boulder Community Hospital. Officers swiftly approached her in the parking lot and immediately rushed the baby to the emergency department. Sadly, their efforts proved futile, as the infant was pronounced dead at 10:48 p.m. that evening.

According to an arrest affidavit, Englund confessed to the police that she strangled her son after enduring weeks of debilitating sleep deprivation. In her despair, she believed that her own survival was at stake, and she did not want her child to suffer as she had.

As per the New York Post, the unidentified father of the baby, devastated by the situation, revealed that Englund has been struggling with postpartum psychosis following the birth of their child, expressing his bewilderment over her actions and the unexpected turn of events.

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Legal Proceedings and Mental Health Implications

According to NBC News, Anna Louise Englund was taken into custody on Sunday morning and booked into the Boulder County Jail. She now faces charges of murder and child abuse resulting in death.

The arrest affidavit outlines two counts of murder, citing first-degree murder after deliberation and first-degree murder for the death of a child by someone in a position of trust.

The affidavit also sheds light on Englund's struggles with postpartum mental health issues. She had reportedly sought treatment for her condition, and the baby's father had taken precautions to safeguard their child, including temporarily separating Englund from them due to concerns for their safety. However, her sleep deprivation persisted, impairing her ability to function properly.

Englund's attorney, as well as family members, declined to comment on the case. The next step in the legal process is a preliminary hearing scheduled for September 8.

This devastating incident has once again cast a spotlight on postpartum mood disorders and the challenges faced by new mothers.

Englund's case parallels the tragedy involving Lindsay Clancy in Massachusetts, where a woman allegedly strangled her three young children. Both cases emphasize the importance of adequate support, understanding, and treatment options for women grappling with postpartum mental health struggles.

The tragic case of Anna Louise Englund, a Colorado mother charged with the murder of her 2-month-old son, serves as a poignant reminder of the dire consequences that can arise from untreated postpartum mental health struggles.

As the legal proceedings unfold, it is essential to recognize the urgent need for comprehensive support systems, awareness campaigns, and accessible mental health resources to aid mothers facing similar challenges.

Only through collective efforts can we strive to prevent such heartbreaking tragedies and provide the assistance these vulnerable individuals desperately require.

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Photo: (Photo : Leon Neal/ Getty Images )

If you're a parent with school-age kids, you've likely faced the challenging decision of whether or not to send your child back to the traditional classroom this fall.

If your family has chosen the homeschooling route, we're here to provide you with valuable tips on creating an organized and productive learning environment for your children.

To help navigate this new journey of "pandemic homeschooling," here is a homeschooling expert who generously shared their advice and recommended products to transform your space into a mini classroom.

According to TODAY, Anne Crossman, CEO and founder of HomeschoolExpert.com, emphasizes that finding effective homeschooling methods requires a bit of trial and error. She suggests seeking advice from experienced teachers if possible and relying on their guidance.

Crossman highlights that although there are blog sites offering free tips online, the process of collecting and evaluating the advice, as well as the time required to experiment and develop personalized resources, would be extensive.

This becomes particularly challenging for most pandemic homeschoolers, who lack the luxury of time. Therefore, seeking guidance from experienced homeschoolers can be incredibly valuable in navigating this journey.

How To Create a Home Classroom,

Set Up Dedicated Study Areas

One of the foundational aspects of a successful home classroom is the presence of designated study areas. These areas should be solely dedicated to learning activities, providing a clear and focused space for your child. Whether it's a separate room or a specific section within a room, ensure that the study area is well-defined and free from distractions. This clear distinction between study time and leisure time fosters a productive mindset and supports effective learning.

Opt for Comfortable Seating Arrangements

According to Fusion, comfort plays a vital role in maintaining focus and concentration during study sessions. Choose ergonomic chairs or adjustable seating options that provide adequate support for your child's posture. Uncomfortable seating can lead to distractions and physical discomfort, which can hinder learning productivity. Prioritizing comfort creates an environment where your child can dedicate their full attention to their studies for extended periods without unnecessary interruptions.

Minimize Potential Distractions

Distractions can significantly disrupt the learning process and hinder productivity. Identify potential distractions in the home environment and take proactive measures to eliminate or minimize them. This may involve turning off the television, keeping mobile devices out of reach, and establishing clear guidelines regarding the use of technology during study time. By creating a quiet and focused atmosphere, you enable your child to concentrate on their studies and optimize their learning potential.

Embrace Natural Lighting

Natural light has a profound impact on mood and cognitive function. As recommended by Realty Austin, position your home classroom in an area that receives ample natural light, as it can enhance alertness and overall well-being. Sunlight is known to boost serotonin levels, positively influencing mood and motivation. Additionally, natural light reduces eye strain and helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle, ensuring that your child remains energized and focused throughout their learning sessions.

Choose Suitable Educational Technology

In today's digital age, technology has become an integral part of education. Selecting appropriate technology for your home classroom is essential. Consider your child's age and educational needs when choosing devices, software, and online learning platforms. Ensure that the technology you incorporate aligns with your child's curriculum and enhances their learning experience. By incorporating educational apps, interactive learning tools, and reliable internet connectivity, you can greatly contribute to their productivity and engagement.

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Personalize the Learning Space

According to Connections Academy, creating a personalized and inviting learning environment can significantly impact your child's enthusiasm and motivation. Encourage them to decorate the space with inspiring artwork, educational posters, and displays of their achievements. By infusing their personality and interests into the classroom, you foster a sense of ownership and pride. This personal touch helps create a positive emotional connection with the learning space, igniting a passion for knowledge.

Maintain an Organized Environment

Keeping the home classroom organized and clutter-free promotes focus, efficiency, and productivity. Ensure that essential school supplies, textbooks, and materials are easily accessible and properly organized. Consider using storage solutions such as shelves, bins, or cabinets to maintain orderliness. Encourage your child to develop good organizational habits, such as tidying up at the end of each study session. A tidy and organized workspace enhances concentration and minimizes distractions.

Adaptability and Flexibility

Flexibility is key when creating a home classroom. Recognize that each child has unique learning preferences and needs. Experiment with different setups, schedules, and teaching methods to find what works best for your child. Being open to adjustments and adapting to their individual requirements will optimize their learning experience. Regularly assess and refine the home classroom environment based on feedback and observations to ensure continuous improvement.

By implementing these strategies, you can create the ultimate home classroom that fosters an efficient and engaging learning environment.

Remember, the ultimate goal is to create a space that inspires and supports your child's educational journey, promoting optimal learning efficiency.

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Photo: (Photo : Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

In a heart-wrenching tragedy, a powerful tornado tore through the city of Perryton in the Texas Panhandle, leaving a trail of destruction and claiming the lives of three individuals. Among the victims was Becky Randall, a woman whose unwavering dedication to her community earned her the endearing title of "angel on earth."

Becky Randall, a lifelong resident of Perryton, was identified as one of the three casualties by the Ochiltree County Sheriff's Office following the catastrophic tornado that struck the town on Thursday. Her daughter-in-law, Randi Cunningham, spoke fondly of Randall, emphasizing her profound love for Perryton and its people.

"She lived for this town and the people in this town," Cunningham tearfully shared with NBC News, reflecting on Randall's unwavering commitment to the community she held dear.

According to NBC, the devastating tornado also claimed the life of 11-year-old Matthew Ramirez, who tragically found himself in his family's trailer when the destructive winds struck. Another victim, Cindy Bransgrove, 67, lost her life at a food bank during the chaotic events.

The Ochiltree County Sheriff's Office confirmed their identities, adding to the profound grief and sorrow gripping Perryton.

Remembering Becky Randall: An 'Angel on Earth' Who Lived for Her Town

Becky Randall, aged 66 according to available records, tragically met her untimely demise in the very place she spent most of her days-the printing shop she owned and operated. Her strong faith and deep involvement in the church made her a respected and cherished member of the community.

"That's how everybody knew her," Cunningham, 38, shared. "She was big into faith and God and church, and so that was her life."

However, her four grandchildren affectionately referred to Randall as "booger" inside of her house. Her infectious laughter and boundless joy brightened the lives of those around her, and she possessed an uncanny ability to anticipate and fulfill the needs of others.

"She knew anything I needed before I needed it," Cunningham said, her voice filled with emotion. "She was our world."

The loss of Becky Randall reverberated deeply throughout the community, leaving an indelible impact on all who knew her. James Myers, a 25-year-old high school teacher in Perryton, described the profound effect Randall had on the lives of students and community members alike. "She's just a wonderful person," Myers shared.

"For kids to come and tell their teachers that this is affecting me, it means that someone was a remarkable person."

As rescue teams tirelessly combed through the wreckage, the names of the victims became known, and more than 50 individuals received medical treatment at Ochiltree General Hospital in Perryton.

According to NY Times, the tornado inflicted severe damage, particularly on mobile homes and businesses, leaving a stark reminder of the tornado's relentless power.

Read Also: Storm Chaser, Carpenter Builds New House for Family Victim of Mississippi Deadly Tornado

Power Outages and Widespread Damage: Tornado's Aftermath Reveals Perryton's Struggles

Survivors, including James Myers, recounted the suddenness of the tornado's assault, which struck with little warning. Myers described the chilling experience of witnessing what appeared to be two tornadoes simultaneously descending upon the town, leaving no time for the sounding of emergency sirens. The twin twisters tore through Main Street, leaving behind a trail of devastation and obliterating both residential and commercial buildings.

"The majority of all the damage came from one of the tornadoes going down Main Street," Myers explained. "It tore up both residential and commercial buildings. I went down there myself to check it out. It's just obliterated."

The aftermath of the tornado presented a scene of chaos and despair, with debris scattered throughout the streets. Telephone poles, electric wires, and shattered air conditioning units dangled precariously from damaged structures. Power outages plagued the town, with officials estimating a two-week timeline for restoration.

As Perryton embarks on the challenging journey of recovery, the memory of Becky Randall, the devoted "angel on earth," and Matthew Ramirez's young life cut short serve as poignant reminders of the devastating impact of natural disasters.

The community mourns the loss of these beloved individuals while rallying together to support and rebuild, determined to emerge stronger from the wreckage left behind by the unforgiving tornado. The road to healing will be arduous, but the resilient spirit of Perryton shines through as neighbors unite to overcome adversity and restore hope to their shattered community.

Related Article: Kentucky Tornado: Gov. Andy Beshear Mourns Loss of Family Members in the Powerful Disaster
Photo: (Photo : Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

In a significant ruling, the Iowa Supreme Court has prevented a highly contentious six-week abortion ban from taking effect in the state.

According to ABC, the court's 3-3 decision ensures that abortion remains legal in Iowa, sparing women from severe restrictions on reproductive healthcare.

The 2018 legislation, signed into law by Governor Kim Reynolds, sought to prohibit abortions once cardiac activity could be detected, typically around six weeks of pregnancy. However, the law faced strong opposition and was struck down by a district court in January 2019.

According to NY Times, the district court ruled that the legislation violated the Iowa Constitution and emphasized that banning abortions at such an early stage in pregnancy served no state interest.

Iowa Supreme Court Ruling Maintains the Constitutional Right to Abortion

The district court's ruling referenced a previous 2018 decision by the Iowa Supreme Court, in which the justices affirmed that "a woman's right to decide whether to terminate a pregnancy is a fundamental right under the Iowa Constitution." Currently, Iowa law prohibits abortions after 22 weeks of pregnancy, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

The landscape shifted last year when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, leading to a subsequent reversal of the 2018 decision by Iowa's highest court in June 2022. The new composition of the state Supreme Court, with Governor Reynolds appointing four of the seven justices, raised concerns about the potential reinstatement of the ban.

However, in the recent ruling, the court expressed reluctance to revive a previously struck-down law. Justice Thomas Waterman, writing on behalf of the court, stated, "It is legislating from the bench to take a statute that was moribund when it was enacted and has been enjoined for four years and then to put it into effect."

Had the court ruled in favor of the abortion ban, Iowa would have joined several other states that have passed similar "heartbeat bills" in the past, including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, and Texas. Ohio and South Carolina have also passed six-week abortion bans but are currently facing legal challenges.

Read Also: Florida Court Rules Parentless Girl Not Mature Enough To Get Abortion, Denies Parental Consent Waiver

Abortion Rights Advocates Celebrate Iowa Supreme Court's Rejection of Six-Week Ban

Abortion rights advocates, including Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa, hailed the court's decision as a victory for reproductive freedom.

In a statement on Twitter, the group expressed satisfaction, saying, "The Iowa Supreme Court just preserved abortion access in Iowa by blocking a near-total abortion ban from taking effect. This is a resounding victory for Iowans and reproductive freedom. #BansOffOurBodies"

Governor Reynolds expressed disappointment with the court's decision, accusing it of failing to exercise its authority. She argued that there is no fundamental right to abortion and contended that any law restricting it should be reviewed based on a rational basis standard, a viewpoint supported by three of the justices.

Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, abortion providers in states like Iowa have faced challenges, including worker shortages and other barriers that threaten their ability to provide care. According to data from #WeCount, a national research project led by the Society of Family Planning, the number of legal abortions in Iowa and Nebraska has significantly declined since the ruling, leading to concerns about access to reproductive healthcare.

The court's decision preserves the right to abortion in Iowa, providing a temporary reprieve for individuals seeking reproductive healthcare services and allowing continued access to a constitutionally protected choice. The ongoing debate surrounding abortion rights and restrictions is likely to persist as different perspectives vie for influence in shaping the future of reproductive healthcare policy in the state.

Related Article: North Carolina Republicans Pass Bill Restricting Abortion Access to 12 Weeks, Sparking Controversy
Photo: (Photo : Brooke Cagle on Unsplash)

A recent survey has highlighted the growing dissatisfaction of Gen Z workers with certain workplace habits exhibited by Baby Boomers. As the youngest generation enters the workforce, they find certain behaviors of their older colleagues irritating and have voiced their concerns.

The survey, conducted by news.com.au, revealed specific complaints from Gen Z workers regarding Baby Boomer behavior. These grievances included the excessive use of the "reply all" button on emails, unnecessary phone calls, and posing technology-related questions that could easily be answered through a simple Google search.

Furthermore, Gen Z workers expressed frustration over Boomers' use of outdated language, wasteful paper practices, insistence on working from the office, and the scheduling of formal meetings deemed unnecessary by younger employees.

Office Etiquette Matters: Navigating the "Reply All" Dilemma in a Multi-Generational Workplace

One survey respondent named Rebecca expressed her aversion to answering phone calls from Baby Boomers. She criticized their reliance on phone calls, stating that it often stemmed from a reluctance to type out requests.

Rebecca further highlighted the lack of a paper trail in phone conversations, which could lead to blame-shifting in cases of errors. Gen Z workers also labeled Baby Boomers as "power hungry." Rebecca specifically criticized their obsession with job titles and hierarchical structures, considering it embarrassing.

The survey findings were discussed on Fox News Channel's "Outnumbered," where opinions on generational workplace habits were exchanged. Co-host Emily Compagno argued that some Gen Zers may be missing the value of verbal communication, stating that face-to-face explanations can be more efficient than typing out messages. She attributed the younger generation's reliance on technology to a lack of understanding from older individuals.

Co-host Kayleigh McEnany, identifying herself as a millennial, expressed agreement with Gen Z's frustration over the "reply all" function in emails, emphasizing the importance of replying to relevant recipients only.

Fox News contributor Cheryl Casone acknowledged the existence of office etiquette issues related to the "reply all" debate and highlighted the friction that arises when multiple generations coexist in the workplace. She suggested that Gen Z might face a wake-up call regarding the direction of today's economy.

In response, McEnany defended Gen Z's creativity and spirited nature, noting that every generation has its share of exceptional individuals along with some perceived laziness.

Kaylee McGhee, a Gen Z guest and editor from the Washington Examiner, acknowledged the entitlement problem within her generation but also recognized their contributions, such as advocating for remote work and flexible hours.

While generational friction persists, the discussion concluded with the note that these issues will eventually work themselves out. The diverse perspectives showcased the ongoing dialogue surrounding workplace habits and the need for understanding and adaptation across generations.

The workplace is a dynamic environment where generations with distinct experiences and perspectives converge. Bridging the generational divide and finding common ground will be crucial for fostering a productive and harmonious work environment.

Read Also: Experts Say Gen Z Will Become Excellent Parents

Cultivating Empathy and Respect: Building Inclusive Work Environments Across Generations

As Gen Z continues to assert their presence in the workforce, it is essential for organizations to promote open communication and create opportunities for mutual understanding. Recognizing and leveraging the strengths of each generation can lead to collaboration, innovation, and overall success. Organizations can facilitate intergenerational dialogue through mentorship programs, cross-generational projects, and diversity and inclusion initiatives. Providing platforms for sharing knowledge and experiences can help dispel misunderstandings and foster a culture of respect and collaboration.

At the same time, individual employees must also cultivate empathy and adaptability. Recognizing that each generation brings unique strengths and perspectives can lead to better teamwork, problem-solving, and a more inclusive work environment.

While generational differences may lead to occasional friction, it is important to focus on common goals, shared values, and the collective mission of the organization. By embracing diversity in all its forms, including generational diversity, workplaces can harness the collective power of multiple generations and thrive in an ever-evolving professional landscape.

Ultimately, the dialogue surrounding workplace habits and generational dynamics serves as a reminder that the success of organizations lies in their ability to bridge gaps, leverage diversity, and create an inclusive and supportive environment for all employees.

Related Article: GenZ and Millennials Would Rather be Jobless Than Working for a Company they Dislike
Photo: (Photo : Seth Herald/Getty Images)

In a devastating incident of violence, six people, including three children, were found dead in a Tennessee home in what authorities believe to be a murder-suicide.

According to ABC News, the tragedy unfolded when Marion County deputies and Jasper police officers responded to reports of shots fired late Thursday evening. Upon arrival, they discovered that the home had also caught fire, adding to the complexity of the situation.

Seventh Individual Injured in Tennessee Murder-Suicide, Rushed to Hospital

Once firefighters were able to extinguish the flames, authorities made the grim discovery that the remains of three adults and three children were inside the residence. The shocking nature of the incident was further underscored by the fact that a seventh individual, who had sustained gunshot wounds, was found alive and promptly transported to the hospital for treatment.

According to USA Today, officials have confirmed that the person responsible for the deaths was among those found dead at the scene. The identities of the victims and the suspected perpetrator have not been released at this time, as the investigation is still ongoing. Marion County Sheriff Bo Burnett described the incident as a domestic situation that occurred within a single-family home.

Speaking to Chattanooga ABC affiliate WTVC, Sheriff Burnett expressed his shock and sorrow, saying, "This is probably one of the worst things I've seen. There were children involved, and that's just terrible, a tragic loss of life."

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's special agents have taken charge of the case and are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. Officials have reassured the public that there is no immediate concern for public safety, indicating that this appears to be an isolated incident.

As the community grapples with the aftermath of this horrific event, local authorities are coordinating efforts to provide support and resources to those affected by the tragedy. Grief counselors and community organizations are working to assist individuals and families coping with the immense loss and trauma.

The remains of the victims have been transported to Nashville for autopsies, which will contribute to the ongoing investigation and provide critical information regarding the sequence of events.This heartbreaking incident serves as a painful reminder of the devastating impact that acts of violence can have on families and communities. It highlights the urgent need for increased awareness and resources to address issues related to domestic violence, mental health, and the well-being of children.

Read Also: Double Murder-Suicide in Florida: Air Force Veteran Kills Terminally Ill Wife and Stepdaughter Before Ending His Life

Community Mourns Tragic Loss of Lives in Tennessee Murder-Suicide

As investigators continue their work, the focus remains on providing justice for the victims and their grieving loved ones. The community rallies together, offering support and solidarity as they navigate the difficult path toward healing and recovery.

Authorities are urging anyone with information related to the incident to come forward and assist with the ongoing investigation. In times like these, it is crucial for the community to unite and stand against violence, working towards a safer and more compassionate society for all.

As the investigation unfolds, the hope remains that lessons can be learned from this tragedy, leading to increased efforts to prevent such devastating acts of violence. The community's resilience and unity in the face of adversity will be vital in ensuring that healing and support are provided to those affected by this heartbreaking event.

In the wake of this profound loss, communities across Tennessee and beyond stand in solidarity, offering thoughts, prayers, and support to the families and friends of the victims. The road to recovery will be long and arduous, but with the collective strength and compassion of the community, they will find solace and begin the healing process.

May the memory of those lost be honored, and may their tragic fate serve as a catalyst for renewed efforts to prevent such senseless acts of violence, creating a safer and more secure future for all.

Related Article: Murder-Suicide Pact: Pennsylvania Family Agree to Kill Each Other Leaving Written Notes With Vague Reasons
Photo: (Photo : CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

On Friday, the Japanese parliament passed a series of bills overhauling the country's sex crime laws, reflecting conservative social attitudes that often stigmatize and doubt victims. According to CNN, the new laws expand the definition of rape to emphasize consent, introduce legislation against hidden camera photos, and raise the age of consent to 16.

Sexual assault survivors and activists have long criticized Japan's outdated and restrictive laws. Kaneko Miyuki, a survivor of sexual assault, reported her assault at the age of seven but was met with disbelief by the police. The traumatic experience led her to repress the memory until adulthood. Many victims like Kaneko have been ignored because they didn't fit the criteria of a "typical" victim. A 2020 government survey revealed that about 95% of survivors never report their assault to the police, and nearly 60% never tell anyone at all.

New Laws Redefine Rape and Expand Definition of Assault

According to BBC, the new laws mark a significant victory for survivors and activists who have been advocating for change for years. The reforms redefine rape as "non-consensual sexual intercourse" and broaden the definition of assault to include victims under the influence of alcohol or drugs, those with mental or physical disorders, and those intimidated through economic or social status. The age of consent has also been raised to 16, aligning Japan with other developed nations.

One of the main reforms focuses on consent. The previous definition of rape required evidence of resistance, making it difficult for victims who experienced the "freeze" response or were too afraid to physically resist. The new laws shift the emphasis to the concept of consent and recognize the various circumstances in which a victim may be unable to voice resistance due to shock or psychological reactions.

The amendments also address issues related to voyeurism and the sexual exploitation of minors. The legislation establishes grooming as a crime and criminalizes activities like soliciting sexual images from individuals under 16 or seeking sexual encounters with minors. It also strengthens measures against the unauthorized taking or distribution of explicit photos, which has been a prevalent problem in Japan.

Read Also: 10-Year-Old Rape Victim in Ohio Denied Abortion, Forced to Travel to Indiana for the Procedure

Legislation Targets Hidden Camera Photos and Protects Minors

While these reforms are an important step forward, there is still more work to be done. Activists emphasize the need to extend the statute of limitations and address power imbalances in cases involving authority figures. Japan's cultural understanding of consent also lags behind other developed nations. While countries are moving toward a "yes means yes" mentality, Japan is just beginning to grasp the concept of "no means no."

High-profile rape acquittals in 2019 sparked nationwide protests and calls for change, which led to the reforms. However, the deeply rooted views on sexual abuse and victimhood in Japanese society remain a challenge. Survivors often face social stigma and lack systemic support, such as counseling and therapy services.

In order to create lasting change, trauma-informed training needs to be provided to law enforcement and other professionals dealing with survivors. It is crucial to shift public attitudes and provide comprehensive support for survivors to heal and reintegrate into society.

The passing of these bills represents progress, but Japan still has a long road ahead to fully address the issue of sexual assault and create a safer environment for survivors. The hope is that these reforms will serve as a catalyst for further change and ultimately lead to the eradication of sexual violence in Japanese society.

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For anyone who has been around streetwear, the shoe craze or urban culture, the name Jeff Staple, 45, is a legend. He is responsible for taking something that started on the streets of New York and Los Angeles and provided a sense of identity for some young people in certain neighborhoods and turning it into a global phenomenon that generates billions of dollars every year and shows no signs of slowing down.

I dont know if Im guilty, but its an honor to be part of that list, the New Jersey-born designer says via video call. He ascended to the Mount Olympus of sneaker lovers when, 18 years ago, he created the Pidgeon, the sneakers with which Nike paid tribute to New York. On February 22, 2005, riots broke out at his Orchard Street store when hundreds of kids eager to get their hands on a pair ran into gang members who were trying to steal them. The story ended with police intervention, along with a legendary cover story the next day in the New York Post with the headline: Shoe Madness.

The fact that were still talking about it after so many years and that still everyone is asking me about it is a clear sign of its relevance. Of course, I didnt know what was going to happen, says Staple. Its like that bands asked to play the same hit over and over; I dont mind if they ask me to play it again. The secret for that craziness? I think it was the right time. It was also by chance that a reporter from the New York Post lived on the same street and thats why it went from the street to the mainstream: if it wasnt for that journalist, maybe it never would have left the street.

A Staple doll aboard Nikes, in his office. VICTOR LLORENTE; Victor Llorente

Staple became one of the most sought-after names in the fledgling streetwear industry, limited editions flooded the planet and if someone wants to get their hands on a pair of Pidgeons today, theyll have to shell out a minimum of 40,000 (about $43,800). Everything has changed, but in a way, and beside the disaster of the pandemic, I think the ones who are in the business and survived, left that place with a bunch of new ideas and a new perspective. Years ago, if youd have asked me about the streetwear and the sneaker world, Id say the golden age was behind us, but now Im looking forward to seeing what were capable to achieve in the future, he says.

New Balance, The North Face, Timberland, Coca-Cola, Beats by Dre, Puma and Clarks have all collaborated with Staple, who has always claimed the roots of his culture (in my high school there were 1,600 students and only three were Asian) and has an obsession with trying to absorb everything: New York graffiti artists have this expression all-city. It means to leave your mark in all boroughs, in every subway line, from Staten Island to the Bronx. I like very much that philosophy: being everywhere, says Staple, who has become a global brand. He is celebrating that accomplishment with the publication of a book called Jeff Staple: Not Just Sneakers (Rizzoli). In it, he compiles the good (and bad) moments of his memorable career. Maybe it sounds naive, but Im very proud to have come this far, he says.

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It's being reported in Japan that a government panel Friday drew up a set of regulations aimed at opening up the smartphone app stores of U.S. technology giants Apple and Google to competition.

The Japantimes reports that "The two companies dominating the smartphone operating system market will be obliged to allow their users to download apps by using services other than their own app stores. The government hopes that the move will spur competition and lead to app price drops [added spyware and malware].

The smartphone OS market is occupied almost entirely by Apples iOS and Googles Android. The companies control how apps are installed and paid for on their iPhones and Android devices.

The government will create a list of what OS providers must not do in order to stop them favoring their own services and payment platforms.

The regulations were drawn up at the governments headquarters for digital market competition, headed by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno. The government aims to submit relevant legislation to the next years ordinary session of parliament.

Apple makes it impossible for iPhone users to download apps without using its App Store. Of Android users, 97% download apps through the Google Play store, although Google does not require them to do so.

The two companies also ban third-party app providers from accepting payments from app users through any payment platform other than Apples or Googles.

The regulations will oblige Apple and Google to allow users to download from app stores other than theirs if enough security and privacy protection measures are taken for the stores."

The questions are many. Who will ensure this security they refer to? And, will Apple be allowed to force these outside apps to pass Apple's own security prior to reaching a user's iPhone? There are many more issues that will have to ironed out first before any such law can be implemented.

The Japanese report further noted that "The government also thinks it problematic that Apples or Googles apps are installed on iPhones and Android smartphones in initial settings.

The two companies will be obliged to allow users to delete the apps easily and required not to give preferential treatment to their own services in their search engines."
Two new articles appeared earlier today on the website of the Interpreter Foundation:

Doctrine and Covenants 21: Metanarrative of the Restoration, written by Steven L. Olsen

Abstract: Joseph Smith dictated Doctrine and Covenants 21 at the inaugural meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ on April 6, 1830. The present study examines the literary craftsmanship of the revelation to plumb the depths of its role in the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The analysis explores the meaning of patterns of usage in the text from the most specific (diction, syntax, figures of speech) to the most general (tone, rhetoric, and structural logic). The hypothesis of this study is that Doctrine and Covenants 21 provides a metanarrative of the Restoration  that is, a set of governing principles and guidelines for keeping the official record of the gospels final dispensation.

Interpreting Interpreter: A D&C 21 Deep Dive, written by Kyler Rasmussen

This post is a summary of the article Doctrine and Covenants 21: Metanarrative of the Restoration by Steven L. Olsen in Volume 57 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. An introduction to the Interpreting Interpreter series is available at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreting-interpreter-on-abstracting-thought/. The Takeaway: Olsen presents a nearly word-by-word analysis of D&C 21, with an emphasis on what it can teach us about Josephs (and our) role in the restoration, and on the blessings attached to heeding commandments delivered through modern prophets.

We spent much of our day today at Hampton Court Palace, which exists in three basic phases: The Tudor portion of the palace is chiefly associated with Henry VIII (and, briefly, with Anne Boleyn), although it was originally built and owned by Thomas Cardinal Wolsey, who served not only as the most powerful clergyman in England but as Henrys Lord Chancellor. When Wolsey fell from royal favor in 1529, he was stripped of all civil offices and Hampton Court was taken from him. (If I had served God as diligently as I have done the King, Wolsey is reported to have commented, he would not have given me over in my grey hairs.) The cardinal died of natural causes near Leicester, on his way to answer charges of treason against the king.

Queen Mary I (Bloody Mary) and Queen Elizabeth I also lived there. One of the docents told us that Will Shakespeares theater troupe performed A Midsummer Nights Dream before Elizabeth at Hampton Court and, later, performed Hamlet there for James I  who also directed the creation of the King James Bible after a conference held at Hampton Court.

Another section of the palace, designed by the great Sir Christopher Wren, dates from the time of William III and Mary II (more familiarly known, even in the United States, simply as William and Mary). Sir Christophers initial plan was to knock the Tudor structure altogether down and replace it; fortunately, budgetary constraints obliged him to preserve most of the older palace. Lastly, the Georgian portion of the complex was created under the two last monarchs to reside at Hampton Court, George I and George II, and their stunningly dysfunctional family.

The entire palace complex is interesting, as are its grounds, but my wife and I were particularly attentive to, and I was certainly most interested in, the Tudor buildings. We even had our lunch in what was once Elizabeth Is privy kitchen. (She apparently really loved exotic foods, but moved the kitchen further away from the royal living quarters because she didnt want to smell the cooking while it was underway.)

I am, to put it mildly, not a fan of Henry VIII. I dont know anybody today who is. But it can certainly be said that he lived large. He partook, largely, of everything that being the monarch of an increasingly prosperous nation could afford him. Sometimes, Ive wondered how hes doing right now. But thinking about him today made me think, as I often do, of the passage of time:

Im fortunate to have heard of the Restoration; he was not. But Ill focus on more this-worldly things.

Although he was the king of England and an absolute monarch, Henry never had central heating or air conditioning or indoor plumbing. He probably never enjoyed a banana or a tomato. He certainly never enjoyed a taco or a burrito or a carrot cake or Thai curry. The medicine of his day, if it can be called medicine at all, couldnt cure a headache or a toothache, and he suffered from many serious health issues that we today could easily treat. It wasnt only the headsman who visited his friends and family; he also lost wives and children and courtiers to disease and to childbirth. He never watched television or saw a movie. He never heard any work by Mozart or Beethoven or Brahms or the Beatles. He never rode in a car. He never visited the French Riviera, let alone the Bahamas or Hawaii. He never flew in an airplane or made a telephone call or surfed the web. He never ate in an Indian restaurant. He never saw a play by Shakespeare or read a novel by Jane Austen or Charles Dickens or anything at all by C. S. Lewis or J. R. R. Tolkien.

He never conceived of or thought about a hundred thousand things that vastly enrich our world but that we take thoughtlessly for granted. So I wonder what unthinkable things will come when, eventually and to the delight of some of my critics, Im gone. I can no more imagine those things, probably, than the Tudors could have imagined space travel, GPS navigation, the Beach Boys, personal computers, or stadium lighting. So, in that sense, I wont miss them, any more than Henry VIII missed Wagnerian opera or spaghetti. Still, Im casually curious.

But its also true that Henry missed out on the English Civil War, the Great Plague of London, the First and Second World Wars, the rise of the National Socialist, fascist, and Marxist totalitarian states in the twentieth century, and the Kardashians. So maybe Im the lucky one. What will my children and grandchildren encounter? On balance, will it be good or bad, better or worse? Or will it simply be a mix of the two? I can only pray.

I find myself thinking right now of an exchange between Frodo and Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring:

I wish it need not have happened in my time, said Frodo. So do I, said Gandalf, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.

This is really sad: Antisemitism is alive and well on the FIRM Foundation website (UPDATE: sort of)

I know. I know. You desperately need another inflammatory fix from the never-disappointing, always appalling Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File. Happily, Im here to oblige you: School Children Move from Floors to Desks in Shifwankula, Zambia: A donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides the school with nine new classrooms, 500 school desks and eight new flushing latrines.

Posted from Wokingham, Berkshire, England
Stephen Koomson had always had the ambition of being a lawyer, however, for two years, this dream seemed bleak due to financial constraints.



Despite recording an impressive 5As and 3Bs in various subjects in the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the brilliant 21-year-olds education was truncated by the lack of financial support.



In his quest to make some money to continue his education, Koomson resorted to palm wine tapping and illegal mining popularly known as galmasey.



The trajectory of his life changed, when his story went viral on social media. The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), upon hearing it have offered him a full educational scholarship to pursue Law at the University of Ghana in the next Academic year.



In an interaction, the Executive Director of the GNPC, Dr Dominic Eduah praised the important role the media plays in highlighting important societal issues like that of this young man which has seen him get an opportunity to dram again.



His story coming to light is testament to the power of the media in highlighting important social issues such as this.



Social media for good is an agenda we all must aspire to grow and I commend Ameyaw Debrah for shedding light on young Koomsons plight thats seen his educational fortunes now spun on its head, Dr Dominic Eduah stated.



Dr Eduah reaffirmed the commitment of the GNPC Foundation to continue supporting the development of the human capital of the country.



As a Foundation, we will continue to support the development of Ghanaian capacities through education and training, he assured.













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Members of the Volta Region Resource Group (VRG) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have thrown their weight behind the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, in his bid to become the flag bearer of the party.



The Secretary of VRG, King David Akpabli, said at a press conference in Ho last Monday that Dr Bawumias experience as Vice-President over the years, humility, loyalty to the party, and leadership skills made him the best man to lead the NPP to break the 8.



Further, as a former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana and current head of the Economic Management Team of the government, Dr Bawumia has the best ability to understand, analyse and manage Ghanas economy when he becomes President, said the VRG Secretary.



Choice

Mr Akpabli credited Dr Bawumia with the digitalisation of various sectors of the economy and said his knowledge of the protocols and challenges at the Presidency add to his sterling credentials for the role of the President of the republic.



Mr Akpabli maintained that the choice of Dr Bawumia as flag bearer would readily testify to the fact that the NPP was not an Akan party but rather a party for all Ghanaians.



Dr Bawumias election will also attract more people from the northern part of the country as well as members of the Zongo communities into the party for victory in 2024.



He will also help to bridge the north and south divide as well as the Christian-Muslim gap, since Dr Bawumia is accepted in all circles, Mr Akpabli said.



He insisted that Dr Bawumia was the most marketable material for the job of President and that was evident in his performance as Ghanas best Vice-President.



The VRG Secretary appealed to other flagbearer hopefuls in the party to step down for Dr Bawumia to ensure a smooth victory for the NPP in the 2024 general election.

News & Information you can trust.



Source: graphiconline.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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UPDATE: This post was updated at 7:36 p.m. Saturday with an update on the injured state troopers condition.

Two people were killed, including a Pennsylvania State Police trooper and a suspect from an earlier shooting, during a gun battle in Walker Township, Juniata County shortly before 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
The second of two Pennsylvania State Troopers shot in a series of deadly Juniata County incidents Saturday is said to be in critical but stable condition according to Gov. Josh Shapiros office.

Shapiro, who was at the hospital where that trooper is being treated, issued the following statement about Saturdays incidents in Mifflintown Borough and Walker Township that left one trooper and the suspect gunman who fired on police in both incidents dead.
The National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg presented Juneteenth Community Free Day today commemorating the events of June 19, 1865.

Juneteenth, which became a federal holiday in 2021, marks the day when, years after the Emancipation Proclamation and months after the end of the Civil War, enslaved people in Texas finally learned they had been freed.

The event at the Civil War Museum featured presentations on African American history during the Civil War era in Harrisburg, living histories, quilt displays, activities and games.

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WWE Hall of Famer Rick Steiner has not publicly commented since he was accused of hurling transphobic insults at another wrestler back in April, but his son, current WWE star Bron Breakker, doesnt have the luxury of being able to duck out of the spotlight.

And to the 25-year-olds credit, he was man enough to step up and answer questions about the incident when asked about it on the Under the Ring podcast recently.

Breakker, whose real name is Bronson Reichsteiner, was reportedly asked about his stance and whether or not he felt differently than his father.

Yeah, you know, I appreciate the question, he reportedly said. I cant speak for my father, but thats not a reflection of me, and who I am, and what Im about.

Rick Steiner, 62, whose real name is Robert Reichsteiner, is also a member of the Cherokee County School Board in Georgia. He was accused of hurling the transphobic insults at TNA wrestlings Gisele Shaw, who revealed she was transgender last summer, at WrestleCon during WrestleMania weekend.

WrestleCon later issued an apology on Twitter, and Steiner was reportedly removed from the event.

Shaws accusations were not pretty.

I was at an autograph signing event today at WrestleCon and while I was walking to my table, I hear someone yelling, Youre a man, youre a dude, youre a piece of trash, you are filth, get the (expletive) away from here, she explained on Twitter after the incident.

Shaw said she kept her head down because she did not want to acknowledge that hate, but that when she got to her table she told another IMPACT wrestler about it and said it wasnt sitting well with her. That is when she said she decided she wanted to know who was saying those things to her because it was unacceptable.

So, I decided to talk a walk in that area, and I hear that same person saying the same derogatory comments, she wrote. I looked up and it was Rick Steiner saying those statements. I was shocked and could not believe this was happening. To have someone saying these comments who a lot of people look up to and consider their hero was quite shocking and disheartening.

Shaw says she was in disbelief, so she said to Steiner, excuse me?

He kept repeating those hateful phrases and started yelling at me in a public setting, Shaw wrote. It was inexcusable and unacceptable!

Shaw said that she was also disappointed because other wrestling legends witnessed it but turned their heads away, and did not want to get involved.

One star who wasnt at the event but did chime in after Shaws accusations was AEWs Chris Jericho.

Hey! Dont even worry about this, Jericho responded to Shaw. #RickSteiner has always gotten away with so much because he is a Steiner. Makes me laugh cause I fell for the same shit when he bullied me, Eddie (Guerrero), Chris (Benoit), (Rey Mysterio) and (Juventud Guerrera) at World War 3 n 1997! I got our back (Gisele Shaw)  and if Rick has an issue with this Id love to discuss with him any time. Its 2023 dude  grow the (expletive) up!

Steiner was a standout wrestler in college at Michigan before moving into the professional wrestling ranks in 1983. Along with his brother, Scott, he formed the popular, Steiner Brothers, tag team who were multi-time world champions and starred in the WCW and WWE.
Nancy Eshelman writes, Pennsylvania has the dubious distinction of having the third most banned books in the nation, behind (Surprise!) Texas and Florida.

Except no book is banned. It may not be on a particular library shelf for reasons that Nancy Eshelman may not agree with. But, as she says, No one is forcing kids to read these books.

That is comforting. Some of these books are not actually literature. They do not represent positive learning for children. The school districts sound like they are being responsible and that they are providing a proper educational environment.
One of the claims that museums tend to use to justify hanging two pieces by different artists, from different eras and movements, side-by-side is dialogue. They say that the two paintings are in dialogue or that the two artists converse. Often, the spectators have to resort to guides and catalogs, or even continue researching after their visit, to understand that alleged conversation that they did not hear in the museum gallery.

One of the latest examples can be seen until September 17 in the Prado Museum, in Madrid, Spain: Picasso, el Greco y el cubismo analitico [Picasso, El Greco and Analytical Cubism]. One of the museums galleries displays four pairs of paintings by the two artists to explain how Picasso used El Greco to subvert the academic tradition he studied at the San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts and move towards Cubism.

Curator Carmen Gimenez has used Grecos late apostle paintings to create a true dialogue between Picasso and one of the great masters of Western painting. They are bodies wrapped in tunics on a dark background, with intense frontal lighting. With Gimenezs help, we found the similarities between two of the paintings, one of the pairs.

The abstraction is in the cape

El Greco was educated in the post-Byzantine art tradition as an icon painter, a language in which the third dimension does not exist and figures inhabit an undefined space. This Saint Bartholomew responds to that style, above all, in Gimenezs words, in the free construction of the cape which allows Picasso similar freedom in Accordionist. The geometric folds are practically cubist, she adds.

Cruel smudges

That abstract tunic does not only seem to hang in a void, but it is also traced in an almost impressionistic way. They are unfinished brushstrokes, sketched. He didnt have a polished style of precise lines, Gimenez says, pointing out how Picasso borrows the technique, which he calls cruel smudges after Francisco Pacheco, the teacher and brother-in-law of Velazquez.

It looks like a hand

Carmen Gimenez draws attention to how Greco paints the hand in this painting. If you put it beside one by Velazquez, it does not look like a hand. At the same time, it is very expressive. She refers to the same feature in the bodies of Resurrection, Pentecost and Crucifixion, all by the Creten, shown across from this pair of paintings.

Verticality over depth

None of the paintings in the exhibition are horizontal. El Greco chose the vertical format and an inverted perspective. Picasso takes it to Cubism with long, narrow formats. If the figures from my blue phase are stretched, it is probably because of their influence, the Malaga-born artist once recognized.

The color palette

Picassos Cubism is gray, brown, cream and ochre. In this case, the curator says, he does not copy the tones of Grecos apostle, but the paintings seem to suggest otherwise.

A psychological, not physical, portrait

Saint Bartholomews face, says Gimenez, does not look like that of a person. The curator finds in the masculine figure an abstraction far from reality. Jose Alvarez Lopera, art historian, defines the gesture and Grecos intention in these words: He conceives his apostles overflowing with energy, and at the same time withdrawn, detached from any contingencies. It is the spectators job to find the references to a face in Picassos Accordionist and decide whether, in that Cubist deconstruction and intention, there is also a hit of indifference.

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The RCMP logo is seen outside the force's 'E' division headquarters in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, March 16, 2023. Alberta RCMP say a 20-year-old man from Calgary is facing several terrorism-related charges. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
A car is seen partially submerged following heavy winds and incessant rains after landfall of cyclone Biparjoy in the Western Indian state of Gujarat, on June 16, 2023.

Cyclone Biparjoy knocked out power and threw shipping containers into the sea in western India on Friday, before aiming its lashing winds and rain at part of Pakistan that suffered devastating floods last year. A man and his son died trying to save their livestock in Gujarat state, where the storm came ashore late Thursday after more than 180,000 people took shelter in the two countries.

The storm made landfall a night earlier, packing wind speeds of 85 kph (53 mph) and gusting up to 105 kph (65 mph) through the coastal regions of western Gujarat. Pakistani authorities were on high alert after evacuating 82,000 people.

The full extent of the damage in western India wasnt immediately known. In addition to the two deaths, three people were injured in nearby Devbhumi Dwarka district, officials said. About 100,000 people who were evacuated in western India have been temporarily relocated to relief camps, authorities said.

The storm did other damage upon landfall, including uprooting trees and electricity poles. Officials in the coastal town of Mandvi said heavy winds threw some shipping containers into the sea at Mundra port, one of Indias largest ports.

The cyclone was expected to weaken later Friday and move toward the neighboring Indian state of Rajasthan on its way to southern Pakistan, which is still recovering from deadly flooding last year.

People in that region lined up to receive food donated by charities, aid agencies and local authorities. Pakistans national disaster management agency said the cyclone was 125 kilometers (75 miles) south-southwest of Keti Bandar, a port in flood-hit Sindh province.

The storm is expected to weaken first to a cyclonic storm and then to a depression by this evening, it said.

The Indian Meteorological Department said Cyclone Biporjoy set a record for the longest lifespan over the Arabian Sea, more than 10 days. Cyclone Kyarr in 2019 had a life of nine days, it said.

The Gujarat government said it deployed 184 rapid action squads to rescue wild animals and clear fallen trees in Gir National Park, home to nearly 700 Asiatic lions.

Wind-driven rain pelted southern coastal towns in Pakistan for a second day Friday. The cyclone was expected to cause flash floods in southern Pakistan.

Pakistans Sindh province experienced one of the countrys deadliest floods last summer, partly induced by climate change. At least 1,739 people were killed and 33 million were displaced.

The World Health Organization said Thursday that it was supporting Pakistans efforts to deal with the impact of the cyclone. Pakistans government and local aid groups delivered free food and drinking water to displaced people. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said his government was protecting those in the storms path.

On Thursday, UNICEF warned that more than 625,000 children were at immediate risk in Pakistan and India.

In Pakistan, Cyclone Biparjoy threatens a new crisis for children and families in Sindh, the province worst affected by last years devastating floods, said Noala Skinner, UNICEFs regional director for South Asia.

A 2021 study found that the frequency, duration and intensity of cyclones in the Arabian Sea increased significantly between 1982 and 2019, and experts say the increase will continue, making preparations for natural disasters more urgent.

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Chris Klodnicki Returns to WSOP, Wins $10,000 NLH Secret Bounty for 2nd Career Bracelet

June 16, 2023 Jeremy Geist Live Reporter

After many ups and downs from chip leader, to short stack, to bracelet glory, Chris Klodnicki emerged victorious in Event #35: $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Secret Bounty at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshoe Las Vegas.

It marked Klodnicki's second bracelet and $733,317 in prize money was added to his already impressive earnings at the WSOP.

Klodnicki navigated his way through a field of 568 runners, including a stacked final table that had three other bracelet winners and multiple players with seven figures in earnings such as Jeremy Ausmus and Barak Wisbrod.

2023 WSOP Event #35 Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Chris Klodnicki United States $733,317 2 Aram Oganyan Mexico $453,226 3 Barak Wisbrod Israel $323,181 4 Jeremy Ausmus United States $233,690 5 Tracy Nguyen United States $171,389 6 Angel Guillen Mexico $127,515 7 Daniel Rezaei Austria $96,265 8 Eric Yanovsky United States $73,756

2023 World Series of Poker Hub Bookmark this page! All you need to know about the 2023 WSOP is here. Click here

After the win, Klodnicki was asked by PokerGO where he has been over the past few years.

Really not traveling for poker but playing online. Ive been playing a ton of online no-limit hold'em so, you know, I felt really good, and they have the bounty events online too so I felt really comfortable in this format and it was nice to get back to live poker. Ive always felt comfortable in live poker. Ive worked on my fundamentals a little bit more by playing online

He was then asked, "This was a bit of a crazy final table, chips flying around. How did it feel?"

"I dont know if Ill ever get back to playing full schedules, maybe when my kids are off in college but Ill definitely be here more than the past few years."

It was very shallow, it was very gambley, not a ton of actual poker being played which is kind of unfortunate for an event this size but, whatever, Im happy I won. I was down super short, I think I was in last place with eight people left but just hung around. Obviously ran good in the spots I needed to and just happy to be here right now.

So, is this the return of Chris Klodnicki?

I think gradually. I think Ill play a little more next year," he said. "I dont know if Ill ever get back to playing full schedules, maybe when my kids are off in college but Ill definitely be here more than the past few years, which was not at all.

PokerNews also asked Klodnicki about the bounty aspect of the tournament.

Yeah, I always like when things change a lot in tournaments. I just feel like I have a bit of an advantage when it comes to inflection points where other people might not be paying quite as much attention. Like when the bounties were in play, I tried to do some calculations to figure how much they were worth. I was fighting hard for the bounties but didnt get any big ones. I was fighting for the $250K.

Final Table Action

Klodnicki's road to the bracelet was filled with swings. He entered as chip leader but quickly lost it to Ausmus, who jumped in the lead after snagging aces on the first hand of the final table. The first elimination would be Eric Yanovsky who was eliminated in eighth place ($73,756) after his jacks couldnt hold up against Ausmus' Ace-Queen.

Jeremy Ausmus

Daniel Rezaei would fall in seventh place ($96,265) after all the chips got in preflop and his queen-nine could not hold against Ausmus' flopped pair of aces. Angel Guillen was then eliminated in sixth place ($127,515) after his pocket nines were ahead in a three-way all-in hand against Wisbrod and Ausmus, who both found an ace on the river with their respective Big Slicks to chop up Guillen's chips.

Tracy Nguyen had an amazing showing at the final table. She came in as the short stack but would ladder all the way to fifth place ($171,389) after her pocket tens lost to Klodnickis ace-queen.

Ausmus held the chip lead for the bulk of the final table but would be eliminated in fourth place ($233,690) after a cold deck saw his queens lose to Klodnickis ace-king for the chip lead, and then his short stack found its way into the middle with king-duece to Klodnickis aces.

Barak Wisbrod was eliminated in third place ($323,181) after he got it all in preflop with ten-high but was unable to improve against Klodnickis king-high.

On the wild last hand of play, Aram Oganyan was eliminated in second place ($453,226) after the chips all got in the middle preflop. Oganyan turned a straight with his nine-eight but a miracle ace on the river made a full house for Klodnicki, who once again held pocket aces.

Overall it was an action-packed day that saw Klodnickis perseverance earn him his second bracelet. He was top stack, shortest stack, and ultimately champion. It was a feat many can only dream of.

That does it for our coverage of this event, but stay tuned to PokerNews for the whole rest of the 2023 WSOP as we bring you more live updates, which you can follow here.

Chris Klodnicki

Follow live updates from the 2023 WSOP here!

Sharelines Chris Klodnicki (@SLOPPYKLOD) won the #WSOP2023 Event 35: $10,000 NLH Secret Bounty for $733,317.
After many ups and downs from chip leader, to short stack, to bracelet glory, Chris Klodnicki emerged victorious in Event #35: $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Secret Bounty at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshoe Las Vegas.

It marked Klodnicki's second bracelet and $733,317 in prize money was added to his already impressive earnings at the WSOP.

Klodnicki navigated his way through a field of 568 runners, including a stacked final table that had three other bracelet winners and multiple players with seven figures in earnings such as Jeremy Ausmus and Barak Wisbrod.

2023 WSOP Event #35 Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Chris Klodnicki United States $733,317 2 Aram Oganyan Mexico $453,226 3 Barak Wisbrod Israel $323,181 4 Jeremy Ausmus United States $233,690 5 Tracy Nguyen United States $171,389 6 Angel Guillen Mexico $127,515 7 Daniel Rezaei Austria $96,265 8 Eric Yanovsky United States $73,756

After the win, Klodnicki was asked by PokerGO where he has been over the past few years.

Really not traveling for poker but playing online. Ive been playing a ton of online no-limit hold'em so, you know, I felt really good, and they have the bounty events online too so I felt really comfortable in this format and it was nice to get back to live poker. Ive always felt comfortable in live poker. Ive worked on my fundamentals a little bit more by playing online

He was then asked, "This was a bit of a crazy final table, chips flying around. How did it feel?"

It was very shallow, it was very gambley, not a ton of actual poker being played which is kind of unfortunate for an event this size but, whatever, Im happy I won. I was down super short, I think I was in last place with eight people left but just hung around. Obviously ran good in the spots I needed to and just happy to be here right now.

So, is this the return of Chris Klodnicki?

I think gradually. I think Ill play a little more next year," he said. "I dont know if Ill ever get back to playing full schedules, maybe when my kids are off in college but Ill definitely be here more than the past few years, which was not at all.

PokerNews also asked Klodnicki about the bounty aspect of the tournament.

Yeah, I always like when things change a lot in tournaments. I just feel like I have a bit of an advantage when it comes to inflection points where other people might not be paying quite as much attention. Like when the bounties were in play, I tried to do some calculations to figure how much they were worth. I was fighting hard for the bounties but didnt get any big ones. I was fighting for the $250K.

Final Table Action

Klodnicki's road to the bracelet was filled with swings. He entered as chip leader but quickly lost it to Ausmus, who jumped in the lead after snagging aces on the first hand of the final table. The first elimination would be Eric Yanovsky who was eliminated in eighth place ($73,756) after his jacks couldnt hold up against Ausmus' Ace-Queen.

Jeremy Ausmus

Daniel Rezaei would fall in seventh place ($96,265) after all the chips got in preflop and his queen-nine could not hold against Ausmus' flopped pair of aces. Angel Guillen was then eliminated in sixth place ($127,515) after his pocket nines were ahead in a three-way all-in hand against Wisbrod and Ausmus, who both found an ace on the river with their respective Big Slicks to chop up Guillen's chips.

Tracy Nguyen had an amazing showing at the final table. She came in as the short stack but would ladder all the way to fifth place ($171,389) after her pocket tens lost to Klodnickis ace-queen.

Ausmus held the chip lead for the bulk of the final table but would be eliminated in fourth place ($233,690) after a cold deck saw his queens lose to Klodnickis ace-king for the chip lead, and then his short stack found its way into the middle with king-duece to Klodnickis aces.

Barak Wisbrod was eliminated in third place ($323,181) after he got it all in preflop with ten-high but was unable to improve against Klodnickis king-high.

On the wild last hand of play, Aram Oganyan was eliminated in second place ($453,226) after the chips all got in the middle preflop. Oganyan turned a straight with his nine-eight but a miracle ace on the river made a full house for Klodnicki, who once again held pocket aces.

Overall it was an action-packed day that saw Klodnickis perseverance earn him his second bracelet. He was top stack, shortest stack, and ultimately champion. It was a feat many can only dream of.

That does it for our coverage of this event, but stay tuned to PokerNews for the whole rest of the 2023 WSOP as we bring you more live updates, which you can follow here.
The rail was packed for eight 60-minute levels of the largest buy-in event of the summer as some of the world's best poker players took to the felt for Day 1 of Event #40: $250,000 Super High Roller at the 2023 World Series of Poker. Many fans turned up to get a glimpse of some great poker action along with their favorite players.

A total of 56 entries were recorded on the opening day and just 37 players advanced to Day 2, which will occur tomorrow inside the Horseshoe Event Center. It was a field littered with many household names and WSOP champions, but businessman Dustin Bailey stole the show, bagging up the chip lead with 4,850,000 chips. Bailey entered the field in the middle of the day and wasted no time building a noteworthy chip stack.

Bailey was seated next to the infamous Phil Ivey right from the start, and that's where he finished as well. The two players battled in multiple pots throughout the day with Bailey coming out on top. He also engaged in some pleasantries with fellow big-stack Chance Kornuth who held the chip lead for much of the day, finishing with a stack of 4,340,000. However, in the last level of the night, Bailey won a classic coin flip versus Brian Kim where he spiked a king on the river to take over the lead and never look back.

Other big stacks moving on to Day 2 include Steven Veneziano who is making his first appearance at the 2023 WSOP. Veneziano dug himself an early hole and found himself the first player at risk in the opening level. However, Veneziano managed to double up and then proceeded to knock out multiple players en route to a Day 2 stack of 4,315,000. Henrik Hecklen (4,285,000) was the only other player to bag a stack of over four million chips.

Top 10 Leaderboard After Day 1of $250,000 Super High Roller

Rank Player Country Chip Count Big Blinds 1st Dustin Bailey United States 4,850,000 162 2nd Chance Kornuth United States 4,340,000 145 3rd Steven Veneziano United States 4,315,000 144 4th Henrik Hecklen Denmark 4,285,000 143 5th Artur Martirosian Russia 3,785,000 126 6th Ben Heath United Kingdom 3,720,000 124 7th Alex Kulev Bulgaria 3,625,000 121 8th Koray Aldemir Germany 3,535,000 118 9th James Chen Taiwain 3,485,000 116 10th Espen Jorstad Norway 2,800,000 93

The action kicked off at 2 p.m. local time with just 12 players taking their seats on the opening deal of the cards. However, that number quickly grew in the opening levels and this tournament has the potential of setting another record at this buy-in level. Defending champion Alex Foxen captured the title last year after outlasting a field of 56 entries and earning over $4.5 million in the process. Foxen had a tough day at the tables today, busting out in the last few hands of the night.

Alex Foxen

He, along with many others, will have the opportunity to reenter before the start of Day 2 which begins at 1 p.m. PST. Late registration will be open for any others who wish to join with a fresh stack of 1,500,000 chips. The blinds will be resuming at 15,000/30,000 and a 30,000 big blind ante with 60-minute levels throughout the tournament.

There were three former WSOP Main Event champions who also advanced to Day 2 including the previous two champions. Espen Jorstad (2,800,000), Koray Aldemir (3,535,000), and Phil Hellmuth (1,590,000) all survived the day, with only Jorstad having to fire a second bullet.

Other players that were forced to use their single reentry included Jonathan Jaffe, Alex Kulev, Artur Martirosian, Dan Smith, and Chris Brewer. Aleksejs Ponakovs was also forced to put forth $500,000 in buy-ins but will not be returning for Day 2 tomorrow. Others that are expected to join Foxen in the late registration line are Sean Winter, Sam Soverel, and Martin Kabrhel who just arrived in Las Vegas today.

The PokerNews live reporting team will be here to bring you all of the updates and any exciting highlights that take place throughout the day, so stay tuned to find out who will make a deep run in the largest buy-in event of the summer.
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Former Sen, Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is warning those who want Dianne Feinstein to resign that if Feinstein quits, Mitch McConnell will have the power to kill all of Bidens judicial nominees.

The Los Angeles Times reported Boxers message to the left:

I think the far left of my party, whos agitating for this, ought to smell the roses, Boxer said.



She sees no guarantee that Republicans would allow another Democrat to replace the 89-year-old Feinstein on the Senate Judiciary Committee. In fact, Boxer is convinced they would not.

Theyve already showed their hand, she said, by refusing to let a temporary replacement fill in while Feinstein recuperates from shingles and its severe side effects. I think it speaks volumes to their lack of humanity.

Senate Republicans already blocked Democratic attempts to name a temporary replacement for Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee. While Sen. Feinstein was recovering from shingles, the committee was deadlocked and all Biden judicial nominees were temporarily blocked.

If Feinstein were to resign, it would take 60 votes to replace her on the Judiciary Committee. The odds of Mitch McConnell passing up a chance to block all of Bidens judges for the next year and a half are zero.

Boxer also brought up an important point.

By blocking her replacement on the Judiciary Committee Mitch McConnell put Feinstein in this position. Sen. Feinstein could still be at home recovering, or Republicans would agree to allow a replacement, she could retire for health reasons.

Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans are showing a lack of compassion toward one of their colleagues, so the person to blame for Sen. Feinstein still bein in the Senate is the Minority Leader from Kentucky.
Javier Milei seems to be flying solo in Argentina. Currently serving as a federal deputy of Buenos Aires, the libertarian incarnation of Trumpism in South America is a serious contender in the October presidential elections. But his popularity hasnt rubbed off on candidates he endorsed in the 10 provincial elections held in Argentina over the last three months. His party, La Libertad Avanza (or, Liberty Moves Forward), has suffered one defeat after another, and the most recent loss in the northern province of Tucuman was the toughest. Ricardo Bussi, the son of an army general under the countrys dictatorship, barely scraped up 4% of the vote. Bussis devastating defeat in a bid to win a governorship once held by his father has cast doubt on the strength of Mileis ultra-right coattails.

Milei is doing well in pre-election polls for the August open primaries, which predict he will win 20% of the vote. This puts him in the lead as an individual candidate, but his party overall is in third place behind the other two big coalitions: Union por la Patria (the Peronist successor to the Frente de Todos party created by Cristina Kirchner in 2015) and Juntos por el Cambio (the center-right heir to former President Mauricio Macris party). While these two coalitions hash through internal processes to nominate their candidates, the libertarian economist elected to Congress in 2021 promising to kick the political elites out on their asses heads a political movement with no national structure.

The defeat of La Libertad Avanza in Tucuman was quickly followed by the withdrawal of its candidate for governor of the province of Buenos Aires, Guillermo Britos. His June 14 announcement to abandon the race in the countrys largest electoral district came nearly a week before the registration deadline. The first rule of Argentine politics says you cant become president without winning the province of Buenos Aires, so Mileis political future seems even more unlikely. If he wins the presidency in October, his party wouldnt hold a single provincial governorship. In fact, his party only has one candidate still in a race  a legislator and former YouTuber running for mayor of Buenos Aires with no chance of winning.

La Libertad Avanza announced in May that it would focus all its efforts and resources on the presidential race after its candidates for governor in Neuquen and Rio Negro (provinces in central Argentina) failed to win even 10% of the vote in April, the first elections of the year. A defeat in the province of Tierra del Fuego followed, where Milei had endorsed an evangelist pastor who finished third with 7% of the vote, less than the number of blank votes. His candidate in Misiones withdrew two weeks before the elections. Mileis best chance was in La Rioja, where he supported a nephew of former President Carlos Menem, who came in third with 15% of the vote.

Milei quickly distanced himself from these losing candidates and never mentioned their names in public again. This political calculation did not go down well with some of his allies, who felt abandoned in the face of the defeat. On June 15, Carlos Eguia, the gubernatorial candidate Milei had supported in Neuquen, went on a rant in his radio program. We were the only ones in the country who put up 10 candidates. Do you think Milei called to congratulate us? Never! said Eguia, who came in fourth with 8% of the vote in April. You [Milei] called us to Buenos Aires to put on a show for the media about all your supporters around the country, and it was a lie.

Eguia, a media entrepreneur and a popular radio show host in his province, is a good example of Mileis hastily assembled political coalition beyond Buenos Aires. A former candidate for Congress, Eguia aligned with La Libertad Avanza earlier this year when the party he represented in the 2021 legislative elections joined the large Juntos por el Cambio coalition.

Explosive and foul-mouthed, he has often been criticized for making discriminatory statements on the radio. His recent outburst against Milei came after hearing him describe the Tucuman race as the partys first big battle. Eguia erupted. What about all of us in Tierra del Fuego, La Rioja, Neuquen and Rio Negro? What are we  Indians? Shit? Yes, shit. Milei thinks were all shit.

La Libertad Avanza has nine days to find a new candidate to run for governor of Buenos Aires, but thats not its only headache. For the July elections in the Patagonian province of Chubut, Milei endorsed Cesar Treffinger, a businessman charged with alleged illegal intelligence operations against his political adversaries. Milei has endorsed another businessman in the Entre Rios race  Sebastian Etchevehere  convicted for diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars from a government loan.

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House Oversight Committee ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) asked the FBI to put their briefing to members of the committee into writing to debunk false Republican statements about the bribery allegation.

Raskin wrote in part:

It is deeply concerning that recent public statements are plainly inconsistent with statements made by the FBI in the June 5, 2023, briefing. The statements made by the FBI are critical to fully assess the credibility and validity of the double hearsay allegations set forth in the Form FD-1023. I request that no later than Friday, June 23, 2023, the FBI reiterate in writing the non-classified information provided to the Chairman and me in the June 5, 2023, briefing.

.

During the briefing, senior FBI officials answered questions for more than an hour and provided crucial context to understand the Form FD-1023 and the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). In particular, in the briefing, the FBI explained that this form was created as part of an assessment, which Attorney General Barr assigned to Scott Brady, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, to examine allegations made by Rudy Giuliani. In August 2020, after eight months of investigative efforts, Mr. Bradys team found insufficient evidence to warrant escalating this assessment to a preliminary or full investigation, and it was closed with the concurrence of Mr. Brady and high-level DOJ officials. I appreciate that the FBI accommodated the Committees request and made the form available to all Members of the Committee. However, I believe our Members would also benefit from the additional, non-classified information provided in the briefing and request that the FBI reiterate this information in writing.

Raskin wants the non-classified parts of the briefing in writing to stop the endless stream of baseless claims and nonsense that Chair James Comer (R-KY) and other Republicans on the committee continue to push as facts. On Thursday, Comer complained that the media isnt covering his retread Russia disinformation disguised as a political scandal. The press and the people arent being fooled, so desperation is increasing among House Republicans.

Donald Trump is currently facing 71 federal and local felony counts, and time is running out on the House GOP to find a scandal that will help Trump next November.
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Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman released a statement commending the guilty verdict of the perpetrator of the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh. The shooting, which occurred over four years ago, was an act of hate and antisemitism that took the lives of multiple victims.

Sen. Fetterman said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA, Gisele and I are remembering the victims whose lives were taken during the horrific Tree of Life massacre in Pittsburgh over four years ago today, a jury found the shooter guilty of all charges. This is a step towards justice for such a hateful, disgusting, and antisemitic attack We all must continue to stand in solidarity with Pennsylvanias Jewish community against the evil of antisemitism.

The Tree of Life shooting killed 11 people and wounded six others. Among the victims were several Holocaust survivors.

PoliticusUSAs Sarah Jones visited the Tree of Life Synagogue and discussed her experience in a podcast:

Senator Fettermans statement serves as a reminder of the importance of justice and solidarity in the face of hate crimes. The guilty verdict in the Tree of Life shooting trial is a step towards that justice and we must continue to stand together against all forms of hate and discrimination.
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Trump is not wearing his federal indictment well, as the former president now claims that President Biden made Jack Smith indict him.

Video:

Trump said, Crooked Joe Biden pressed deranged Jack Smith to do this fake indictment on me in order take the pressure off the fact that they caught Joe Biden stealing $5 million, and that is just the beginning.

Joe Biden didnt steal $5 million. This is a piece of Russian misinformation that is being laundered by House Republicans and Trump. According to the FBI, there is no proof that Biden ever received any payments, which is why Trump and the House Republicans cant provide any evidence to support their claims of Biden bribery.

The bogus bribery allegation is more of Donald Trumps 2016 playbook being revived. Bidens bribery is the 2024 version of Hillarys emails.

The most dangerous part of what Trump is saying is that he appears to be unable to comprehend the idea that the Department of Justice should function independently from the presidency.

With his wild and unsubstantiated allegations against President Biden, Trump is revealing more about himself and why he can never under any circumstances be allowed to return to the White House.
In response to some of the letters concerning the lack of inclusion of sexual orientation by some Christian clergy, once again the extreme positions are noted. Read moreLetter: There must be a middle ground
A member of the South Carolina House of Representatives whose district includes part of Aiken County has endorsed Tim Scott in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

S.C. Rep. Bill Taylor, a Republican who represents eastern Aiken County, was among the 160 South Carolina officials listed as endorsers by the Scott campaign earlier this week.

Taylor said Scott is a genuinely nice guy and a good person. He added Scott's "up-from-the-Bootstraps personal story" is inspiring and proves that anyone in the country who has the will to succeed has the opportunity to do so.

He said Scott is what the Republican Party needs: an authentic public servant with the heart to serve every American and not be subservient to the political elite.

"Democrats worry that as a Black man, Scott could peel away voters crucial to Biden's re-election," Taylor said. "The Senator's enthusiastic, energetic style will call attention to the fact that [Joe] Biden is the oldest president ever."

Taylor said Scott may be a long shot to win the nomination at this point  ElectionBettingOdds.com has Scott with a 2.9% chance to win the nomination as of Friday afternoon  but added more Americans will learn Scott is a man of faith with strong ideals.

"Tim's presence on the GOP debate stage will demonstrate he is serious about bringing Americans together to meet our nation's challenges with his common sense solutions," Taylor said.

Like S.C. Rep. Bill Hixon, who endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis two weeks ago, Taylor said he "enthusiastically supported" former President Donald Trump in 2020. But he added in an email that elections aren't decided in primaries, they're decided in November and Republicans need to have a nominee who can win in November.

S.C. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, Aiken Mayor Rick Obson, Mayor Pro Tempore Ed Woltz and council members Kay Brohl and Andrea Gregory were also included in Scott's list of donors.

Trump named U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, Gov. Henry McMaster, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Treasurer Curtis Loftis, former Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer and former U.S. Attorney Peter McCoy to his leadership team before a January South Carolina campaign stop.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 73F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 73F. Winds light and variable.
Succession planting is a gardening term covering a few different strategies for extending the growing season. One approach is planting a second garden in the space vacated by early-maturing crops. Another kind of succession planting is sowing herb or vegetable seeds at regular intervals, rather than all at once. That ensures multiple harvests throughout the season. It's especially helpful for one-off root crops, like beets, carrots, radishes and turnips. You can also maximize your harvests of all kinds of edibles and flowers by planting them successively. Just pay attention to when your area's first frost is. Read the seed packet instructions and make sure your later plantings will have time to mature before the frost. Read moreHow to extend the growing season in your garden and get multiple veggie harvests
The Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA) is set to explore mutual investment opportunities with French authorities in several key sectors across tourism and culture, the technology ecosystem, and energy transition at a major event to be held in Paris this week.

The French  Saudi Investment Forum, which kicks off on June 19, will create visibility for new investment opportunities for technology start-ups and entrepreneurship.

The forum will enable Saudi and French government officials and private sector companies to discuss major investment opportunities, across sectors, while showcasing the progress of each country on their economic development plans.

A senior delegation led by Khalid Al Falih, Minister of Investment for Saudi Arabia, will take part in the Forum as well as other investment focused events.

It will be taking place in conjunction with the official reception for delegates of 179 member states of the Bureau International des Expositions, the organizing body for the International Expo exhibitions. On the eve of the Bureaus 172nd General Assembly meeting on June 20, a ceremony will be held to provide an overview of Riyadhs bid to host Expo 2030 under the slogan Together we look forward to the future.

This will seek to outline Riyadhs readiness, as well as investment opportunities and major projects that demonstrate Saudi Arabias readiness to host exhibitions global events such as Expo 2030, currently and in the future, said the statement from MISA.

The Forum will kick off with opening remarks from Olivier Becht, Minister for Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad as well as Al Falih.

According to MISA, the forum will also feature three panel discussions.

The first will cover opportunities in Kingdom and potential for collaboration between Saudi Arabia and France in tourism and culture, with speakers including Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO, Saudi Tourism Authority; Jerry Inzerillo, CEO, Diriyah Gate Development Authority; Michael Fribourg, Chairman and CEO, Chargeurs; Fahad AlObailan, AlMosafer part of Seera Group; and Agnes Roquefort, Chief Development Officer, Accor.

The second will focus on how to strengthen the ties between Saudi Arabia and Frances tech ecosystem. The speakers will include Patrick Suel, Fund Manager, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); Faisal AlKhamisi, Chariman, The Saudi Federation for Cyber Security and Programming; Emon Shakour, Founder and CEO, Blossom; and George-Olivier Reymond, CEO, Pasqal.

And the third panel discussion will consider the clean energy transition with speakers including Sami AlSaadan, Clean Hydrogen Director, Saudi Ministry of Energy; Beatrice Buffon, Chairperson, EDF International; and Olivier Randet, Corporate Vice President, Large Industries, Business, Markets and Energy Transition, Air Liquide.

The forum will conclude with bilateral business meetings, during which, Invest Saudi, the investment promotion platform for the kingdom, will explore opportunities available to French investors.-TradeArabia News Service
Two buses arrived on Friday at the port of Kalamata in southern Greece. The survivors of the sinking of a fishing boat full of migrants that sank in the early hours of Wednesday off the Greek coast were waiting there. The tragedy  in which at least 78 people died and that has left hundreds missing, including many women and children  is already one of the worst maritime disasters in the recent history of migration in the Mediterranean region. The group of just over 100 men who were rescued were in better spirits than the day before. They were a little more rested and ready to face the next step of their journey in search of a new life in Europe: the Malakasa refugee camp, 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Athens, where their asylum applications will be processed, and their fates decided.

But the two buses did not transport all the 104 rescued men to Malakasa: nine of them remained in Kalamata. They have been accused of forming a criminal organization to facilitate illegal immigration and of causing a shipwreck that endangered the lives of the passengers. Eight of them were transferred Thursday night to the cells of the Kalamata courts, while one remains in hospital under police guard, the Greek state news agency Amna reported.

Commander Sotiris Tsoulos confirmed to this newspaper that the detainees are in Coast Guard custody and will not be transferred to the Hellenic Police until they testify before the Prosecutors Office. As EL PAIS was able to learn, their names are: Mohammad A. M., Marzuk L., Abdullah A., Kemal A. S. A., Suaad H. M., Ahmad A., Ahmed A., Islam M., and Mohammed A. They are all Egyptian nationals aged between 20 and 40.

One of the court-appointed lawyers assigned to the detainees  who preferred not to give his name because the proceedings are still subject to the secrecy of summary proceedings  said he was confident the charges against his client would be dropped. The evidence is so weak that no other decision could be explained, he said. The lawyer revealed that, unlike the rest of the migrants, the nine Egyptians have not yet been allowed to start the procedures to apply for asylum, nor have they undergone any medical examination in custody. The legal representatives for the nine defendants have agreed to coordinate in order to exchange information.

Those convicted of piloting boats carrying migrants already make up the second-largest group in the Greek prison system, second only to those sentenced for drug-related crimes, according to the NGO Aegean Migrant Solidarity-Community Peacemaker Teams, which monitors trials of this type. Christina Karvouni, spokesperson for the organization, denounces that most trials involving migrants are conducted without interpreters, suffer from serious procedural deficiencies, and often take place in the absence of conclusive evidence. According to the testimony of survivors, the real traffickers do not risk their lives by boarding boats like this one. At most they pilot it at the start, but then they abandon it to reach safety.

For Karvouni, another controversial issue is that the Greek Penal Code does not require the motive of profit or association with a criminal organization in the crime of human trafficking. As such, people who pilot migrant boats with the sole intention of reaching Europe to seek asylum can be sentenced with the same severity as those who are involved in transnational criminal networks. In the case of the nine detainees in Kalamata, Karvouni questions the way in which the coastguards picked them out among the group of migrants rescued from the sea, without a process of identification that provides guarantees. And she adds: We know of other cases in which migrants have been mistaken for crew because they volunteered to help in the rescue efforts.

Relatives of a missing person await information following the shipwreck off the coast of Greece. ANGELOS TZORTZINIS (AFP)

Human rights associations and several legal organizations have announced that they are preparing a complaint against the Greek Coast Guard. They consider that the Coast Guards actions could constitute crimes of omission of assistance and reckless homicide, among others. Activists and lawyers are trying to gather testimony from survivors to support the charges. A team from the Kalamata Bar Association planned to go to the city hospital to inform inpatients about asylum procedures and their right to file a complaint against those responsible for the deaths of their relatives. The lawyers of the city of Kalamata stand by all these people who are living through this tragedy, the counsels said in a statement.

Ahmed Attia, a spokesman for the Egyptian community in Greece who traveled to Kalamata to help identify his missing compatriots, favors imposing severe penalties on smugglers who organize the trips and who convince young people through trickery to embark on dangerous journeys to reach Europe. Let them rot in jail, added Attia who, however, expressed his doubts that in this case the nine detainees are actually those responsible for organizing the journey.

Although the relocation of the survivors has diverted attention to the Athens region, dozens of relatives continue to arrive in Kalamata in the hope of finding their family members on the list of survivors. Tarek El-Zorkani, an Egyptian, received a stream of messages while waiting at the gates of the Kalamata Port Authority, which coordinates the bureaucracy related to missing persons. El-Zorkani, who is a resident of Greece, explained that from his hometown alone, 75 people are missing. Attias organization has counted 171 Egyptians among the passengers on the fishing boat. Most of them are not included in the official list: all indications are that they are among the deceased.

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One of North Augustas most notable restaurants was recently awarded a $40,000 grant.

The Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant, which is funded by American Express, awarded grants to 25 businesses nationwide. The Sno-Cap Drive-In, which has been open since 1964 and is located at 618 West Ave., was the only restaurant in South Carolina that was honored.

This years restaurants embody the unique stories of how local businesses empower communities, sustain cultural traditions, and extend family legacies, said Katherine Malone-France, chief preservation officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Once again, we heard from small restaurants of all kinds from soda fountains and craft breweries to BBQ stops and specialty bakeries, and from all over the country, reaffirming that, thanks to American Express, these resilient businesses can continue to grow, thrive, and serve their community, she said.

Havrid Usry, a partner in Fat Mans Hospitality that took over the Sno-Cap in 2019, said half of the money will be used to cover operational costs. The rest will pay for historical preservation on the restaurant site.

I think that what we have done since we have owned the Sno-Cap has really brought back the nostalgia in its original form and we are going to use those funds to do exactly the same thing, Usry said. Our plan right now is to finish some of the patio renovations that we had started. We just spent a lot of money on the parking lot  but the sign is also historic that sits on West Avenue and we are going to do a renovation to it as well just because it needs a little TLC as well.

This is the grant program's third year. It has helped over 100 restaurants.

Usry looks forward to continuing to make an impact in the community with the restaurant.

I think we are excited about the future of Sno-Cap and to continue doing what we are doing and offer the community a good service, a good product and hopefully help continue the love from them since we have been a part of it, he said.

To learn about other restaurants awarded, visit the Saving Places website.
The federal debt is as old as the nation, and adding to it is sometimes prudent. For governments confronting existential crises like wars or pandemics, borrowing makes sense as a way to mobilize national resources, as the economist Barry Eichengreen wrote in the 2021 book In Defense of Publ Read moreGuest editorial: America Is living on borrowed money
The Georgia-based firm behind a planned apartment community on the Charleston peninsula has filed a notice of a voluntary environmental cleanup of the brownfield site.

Flournoy Development Co. plans to build a 200-unit multifamily project at 578 Meeting St., where Regis Milk Co. operated for 53 years before closing in 2011.

Before it was a commercial dairy production site, the property was home to an auto repair shop, and its past uses may have caused environmental pollution on the property.

The multifamily project, originally proposed in 2021 with 235 units and 300 parking spaces, has been pared back to 200 units with 230 stalls. The complex is five stories along Meeting Street with 3 stories on the Nassau Street side of the property.

The 2.13-acre site stretches from Johnson to Stuart streets. The proposal includes underground parking and alleys that separate the development into different building footprints, a design favored by the city's Board of Architectural Review in February after two previous denials.

The original historic office portion of the former milk plant will remain on Meeting in the center of the block-wide development and serve as the front door of the project. The Greater Middleton Chapel AME Church property on the southeast corner of the block is not part of the development.

The S.C. Department of Environmental Control is accepting public comments on the proposed cleanup through June 28.

Washing out

A proposed car wash at the site of a Charleston restaurant recently met stiff resistance from a city review panel.

The Design Review Board voted unanimously in early June to deny conceptual approval for plans by Olympus Pines Management Co. of Utah is build a 4,625-square-foot Tommys Express Car Wash where Mexican restaurant La Hacienda operates at 1859 Sam Rittenberg Blvd. in West Ashley.

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The property is owned by Carolina Child Care Properties LLC of Hollywood, which paid $2.875 million for the nearly 1-acre site in 2014, according to county land records. The site previously housed an Applebee's restaurant.

Michigan-based Tommys Express announced in April it will bring its first Lowcountry site to 3680 Ashley Phosphate Road in North Charleston. Two others are slated for Summerville. Another is planned on Tanger Outlet Boulevard in North Charleston.

Changing hands

A 112-unit North Charleston multifamily complex is now under new ownership.

An affiliate of New York City-based real estate investment firm Prospect Lane paid $13.25 million on June 12 for Palm Point Apartments at 2561 Fassitt Road, off Ashley Phosphate and Stall roads.

The previous owner of the 32-year-old, two-story complex was an affiliate of Cohen Investment Group of Virginia Beach, Va.

New office project

A new medical office development is in the works for Johns Island.

Three one-story buildings and an equal number of two-story structures are planned on nearly 10 acres on Maybank Highway just west of Angel Oak Animal Hospital. The property owner is JI South Station LLC. The site abuts a 10-acre parcel in the rear where Low Tide Brewing plans to move its operations.

Charleston's Design Review Board will consider the proposal on June 20.
Two of South Carolinas largest electric utilities are considering working together to build a Lowcountry plant that runs on natural gas as they look to cut their use of coal while maintaining system reliability.

State-owned Santee Cooper and investor-owned Dominion Energy are looking to combine resources and capabilities to construct a new generator that would produce enough power to run as many as 520,000 homes.

The would-be partnership emerged after Central Electric Power Cooperative, which represents mostly rural providers, was asked to collaborate on a new plant near Georgetown. The Columbia-based group declined, citing concerns about the need to build a pipeline to deliver fuel to the site, which currently houses Santee Cooper's Winyah Generating Station.

Santee Cooper then decided to move the proposed project to an undisclosed area of rural Hampton County. Meanwhile, Dominion has identified a separate site near Canadys in nearby Colleton County  once home to a coal-fired power station it owned that was retired in 2013  as a possible location.

"We have yet to make a final decision, said Mollie Gore, director of corporate communications for Santee Cooper.

The Moncks Corner-based public power provider turned to Dominion as a natural choice to collaborate with on the Lowcountry development, she added, noting that they already coordinate transmission planning.

Also, they co-own the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in the Midlands.

Dominion spokeswoman Rhonda OBanion said a combined effort would improve the planning and cost-effectiveness of the project.

The two utilities plan to retire three coal-fired generating units to help them meet federal environmental goals by 2050.

Dominion Energy has plans to shutter and replace its Wateree Station near Eastover in Richland County by the end of 2028 and the Williams Station in Goose Creek by the end of 2030.

Santee Cooper recently decided to extend the life of its coastal Winyah plant by three years to 2030, in part to buy the time it will need to obtain approvals for the new project.

The utilities are called for the replacement of coal-fired generation with a large gas plant in their latest "integrated resource plans"  roadmaps outlining how they will meet their energy needs over the next 15 years.

Santee Cooper filed its proposal with state regulators in May  about four months after Dominion  and it doesn't expect a decision about its proposed until at least March. It also has set 2031 as the tentative target date for bringing the new unit online.

Both utilities will need to demonstrate to regulators that investing a new gas plant is more cost-effective and lower risk than the alternatives.

It could be some time before the new plant delivers power to the system.

The regulatory process begins once the S.C. Public Service Commission approves the two resource plans.

Timing is an issue as the states population and economy continue to grow, said Eddy Moore, senior program director at the Charleston-based Coastal Conservation League.

We need to have a plan and maintain reliability here in South Carolina, he said.

At the same time, environmental and economic concerns need to be considered, he added.

For example, by building a "baseload" plant that operates around the clock Santee Cooper and Dominion are making a bigger bet on the future price of natural gas, he said.

Moore said there is some misunderstanding among policymakers that environmentalists are asking for a plan that doesnt include a gas-fired generator.

It is not absolutely clear that they shouldnt, said Moore, who questioned the size of the plant.

Also, he said that neither Santee Cooper nor Dominion Energys proposed resource plans factor in proposed carbon-reduction rules from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for new and existing power plants.

The EPA rules say you have to do very expensive things if you have a baseload unit, Moore said.

Both resource plans also include the use of alternative energy sources in the future, such as battery storage technology and adding more solar power to the grid.

Emma Clancy, an attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, offered a reminder of the costly decision by Santee Cooper and the former South Carolina Electric & Gas, now part of Dominion, to abandon the problem-plagued V.C. Summer expansion in mid-2017 after investing more than $9 billion in the failed Fairfield County project.

South Carolina ratepayers have learned the hard way what happens when these utilities rush into a massive capital investment without considering cleaner, cheaper alternatives, she said.
Over its first year, the 200 call centers in the nationwide network answered nearly 5 million pleas for help, with the number of calls increasing 46 percent, chats up by 141 percent and texts increasing more than 10-fold, according to Vibrant Emotional Health, the national contractor overseeing the system for federal health agencies. Read moreSC lifeline hopes to answer more calls as crisis services expand across the state
Myrtle Beach, SC (29577)

Today

Some clouds and possibly an isolated thunderstorm late. Low 77F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Some clouds and possibly an isolated thunderstorm late. Low 77F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Medical staff at the Charleston County jail disregarded two outside doctors' recommendations to hospitalize an ailing inmate just days before he died from heart and renal failure in the jail, according to documents shared with The Post and Courier.

Julian Lamont Jenkins had a host of health issues, including heart and kidney failure, when he was booked March 8 into the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in connection with a years-old shoplifting offense. The 50-year-old Summerville man was housed in the North Charleston facility's medical ward due to his conditions.

Medical staff's discussions about Jenkins' treatment plan are detailed in the Charleston County Coroner's 1,196-page case file on Jenkins that was obtained by The Post and Courier. Contemporaneous medical notes and post-mortem emails offer a glimpse into what went wrong inside the jail in the days leading up to Jenkins' death.

It is unclear why exactly Jenkins was not hospitalized, but the jail's contracted medical provider has a stated goal to reduce off-site medical visits.

The private for-profit company, Wellpath, must reimburse Charleston County for fees associated with emergency transport of inmates to a hospital, according to the terms of its contract with Charleston County.

"We are dedicated to reducing unnecessary costs and community risk associated with off-site care, the company stated in its proposal to the county in 2020.

In the three days before Jenkins died the morning of March 14, a subcontracted nurse who provided him dialysis relayed at least four times to the jail's medical staff that Jenkins was too physically unstable to remain in the jail and required hospitalization, a combination of emails and medical records show.

The nurse, Shannon Ritzert, was relaying the recommendations of two nephrologists, doctors who specialize in kidney failure.

Those include Bradley Kaminsky, who had been treating Jenkins for the past two years at Goose Creek Dialysis, as well as Laura Mulloy, a professor at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, who assessed Jenkins from the jail March 10 via telehealth. Both doctors determined the jail was not able to care for a patient with Jenkins' needs, according to the nurse's contemporaneous medical notes.

"Ship to outside ER for higher level of medical care ASAP," the nurse scribbled in blue pen on a progress note from Jenkins' telehealth appointment. The report notes Jenkins was experiencing difficulty breathing, shortages of hemoglobin and an overload of fluids.

The jail's director of nursing, Cathy Mazyck, was present on the telehealth call, per the nurse's notes. The jail's top medical official, Jason Loy, and one of its on-site doctors, John Pfeiffer, were allegedly "notified" of the nephrologists' recommendations to hospitalize Jenkins.

When the nurse returned after the weekend, she was surprised to find Jenkins was still in the jail March 13. His condition had improved, she noted, but he still should be hospitalized due to diminished lung function and excessive abdominal fluid. She noted she relayed this again to Loy, Pfieffer and a nurse practitioner, Natalie Bell.

But no action was taken.

The following morning, a detention deputy making morning rounds discovered Jenkins unconscious in the jails medical unit, according to a report from the Charleston County Sheriff's Office. Jenkins was pronounced dead less than an hour later.

Jenkins died of congestive heart failure and chronic renal failure, according to an autopsy report. The report noted excessive fluids inside his abdominal cavity and lungs.

Charleston County Coroner Bobbi Jo O'Neal determined Jenkins' death was the result of natural causes. She explained in a phone interview that she based her decision on Jenkins' preexisting illnesses and the fact that he was receiving care at the jail.

In contrast, in March O'Neal ruled the death of a 28-year-old inmate a homicide due to gross medical neglect. D'Angelo Brown, she said, was physically healthy when he entered the jail and did not receive care before he was discovered passed out in a filthy isolation cell and died.

O'Neal added that her determination is a medical decision and offers no judgment on the quality of care Jenkins was receiving.

The provision of mental health and medical services at South Carolina's largest jail has created a political firestorm for the Charleston County Sheriff's Office, which oversees the jail, and Charleston County, which knew for months the medical provider it contracts with was inadequate but did not use power at its disposal to insist on improvements, according to an investigation by The Post and Courier.

The county contracts with Wellpath, the largest private health care provider to jails and prisons across the country, to provide inmate medical services. Wellpath's contract expires June 30, after which a Kansas-based correctional health care company, VitalCore, will take over medical services at the jail.

Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano said her deputies immediately recognized Jenkins was ill and took him to the jail's medical unit.

"We cannot provide medical care directly but will do everything in our power to ensure residents health care needs are met," she said.

The medical professionals paid for by the county did not hospitalize Jenkins, however, despite persistent recommendations.

Loy, Wellpath's health services administrator who is in charge of medical care at the Charleston County jail, wrote in an email to the dialysis subcontractor in the days after Jenkins' death that the dialysis nurse could have directly requested emergency medical technicians if she determined Jenkins required hospitalization.

The vice president and regional director of CharDonnay Dialysis, which provides on-site dialysis at the Charleston County jail, did not respond to emails or voicemails requesting comment. A Wellpath spokesman declined to comment beyond the emails.

Jenkins' mother, Lois Taylor, said she is tormented by thoughts that her son would be alive today if the jail had taken him to a hospital.

"If he died at a hospital, then Id feel better, knowing it was just his time," she said.

The 71-year-old woman described her son as a people pleaser and a happy but lost soul. They lived together and shared a tight bond. She made sure he took his medications, carried around his supplemental oxygen tank and attended various doctor's appointments.

But Taylor was powerless when sheriff's deputies hauled Jenkins to jail on an outstanding bench warrant  he had failed to appear in court for a three-year-old shoplifting offense in which he was accused of attempting to steal a $97 vacuum cleaner from Walmart.

'Please advise'

Jenkins' death prompted a flurry of emails exchanged between the two private health care companies that provided Jenkins care in the jail. Wellpath and the dialysis provider squabbled over who was at fault in Jenkins' death.

Why had Wellpath disregarded the nephrologist's advice to send Jenkins to a hospital, CharDonnay Dialysis' Regional Clinical Director Dawn Greiwe demanded to know in an email to Loy sent three hours after Jenkins was pronounced dead.

"Please advise as to the reason why this patient was not sent out as advised by the nephrologist," she wrote.

Loy said he was not provided Ritzert's notes from Jenkins' March 10 telehealth assessment until the morning he died, though Ritzert's notes and subsequent emails indicate she relayed to him on multiple occasions that Jenkins required hospitalization.

"As to someone overriding Dr. Mulloy's request to be sent out, I don't believe anyone did," he said, "but anyone can notify the control center to have EMS called."

Ritzert, the dialysis nurse, shot back that transfer to the emergency room is Wellpath's responsibility to facilitate.

"I definitely do not agree with all your statements," she wrote. "I will leave it at that."

Next steps

That Wellpath's staff did not heed multiple recommendations to hospitalize Jenkins is further evidence the company is negligent in Jenkins' death, contends his family's attorney, State Rep. Marvin Pendarvis.

Pendarvis said he is gearing up to sue Wellpath and Charleston County. The lawsuits will likely mention that just hours before he died, Jenkins fell in the jails infirmary. He shouted for help, according to the attorney, who reviewed video footage from the jail, but a Wellpath nurse initially ignored him and then said he just wants some attention.

Jenkins' final autopsy report includes a toxicology analysis that found remnants of cocaine  benzoylecgonine  in his blood.

The finding shows Jenkins obtained the addictive substance inside the jail, according to Jennifer Bash, a senior forensic toxicologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Bash said it is "absolutely impossible" that the metabolite showed up in Jenkins' blood from a drug use that predated his arrival to the jail. He spent six nights in total in the jail.

Cocaine puts "strain and stress" on the heart, Bash said, but she noted Jenkins died from other causes.

The illicit contraband trade is flourishing across the Palmetto State's jails and prisons. The Charleston County jail is no exception.

A day before Jenkins died, sheriff's deputies intercepted a Wellpath nurse carrying marijuana, cigarettes, rolling papers and a prescription pill into the jail. Dayna Yvette Smalls, 45, of North Charleston, was arrested and charged with several drug crimes.

The sheriff said there is "no indication" Jenkins had access to illegal drugs in the jail. At the same time, Graziano acknowledged that contraband is a "concern for detention and correctional facilities nationwide."

State Law Enforcement Division continues to investigate Jenkins' death.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy with widely scattered showers or thunderstorms possible overnight. Low around 75F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy with widely scattered showers or thunderstorms possible overnight. Low around 75F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday is set to host a group of African leaders who have traveled to Russia on a self-styled peace mission the day after they went to Ukraine.

Seven African leaders  the presidents of Comoros, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, as well as Egypts prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda  visited Ukraine on Friday to try to help end the nearly 16-month-old war.

The African leaders then traveled to St. Petersburg Saturday to meet with Putin who is attending a business forum in Russias second-largest city.

Speaking at the forum on Friday, Putin declared that the first Russian tactical nuclear weapons have been deployed to Belarus, describing the move as a deterrent against Western efforts to defeat Russia in Ukraine. He previously said that the deployment would begin in July.

Asked if he could order the use of battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Putin said that there was no need for that but noted that Moscow could use its nuclear arsenals in case of a threat to the Russian statehood.

In that case, we will certainly use all the means that the Russian state has. There should be no doubt about that, he said.

The mission to Ukraine, the first of its kind by African leaders, comes in the wake of other peace initiatives  such as one by China  and carries particular importance for Africa, which relies on food and fertilizer deliveries from Russia and Ukraine. The war has impeded exports from one of the worlds most important breadbaskets.

This conflict is affecting Africa negatively, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at a news conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and four other African leaders after their closed-door talks on Friday.

Ramaphosa and others acknowledged the intensity of the hostilities but insisted all wars must come to an end and emphasized their willingness to help expedite that.

I do believe that Ukrainians feel that they must fight and not give up. The road to peace is very hard, he said, adding that there is a need to bring this conflict to an end sooner rather than later.

The delegation, including Senegals President Macky Sall and Presidents Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, represent a cross-section of African views on the war.

South Africa, Senegal and Uganda have avoided censuring Moscow over the conflict, while Egypt, Zambia and Comoros voted against Russia last year in a U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning Moscows invasion.

Many African nations have long had close ties with Moscow, dating back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union supported their anti-colonial struggles.

Speaking during Fridays news conference, Comoros President Azali Assoumani floated the idea of a road map to peace, prompting questions from Zelenskyy who sought a clarification and insisted he didnt want any surprises from their visit with Putin.

Chances for peace talks look dim as Ukraine and Russia take sharply different stands. Ukraine demands that Russia withdraws its troops from all its occupied territories as a condition for peace talks. The Kremlin, in turn, wants Ukraine to recognize Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as part of Russia and acknowledge other land gains it has made.

China presented its own peace proposal at the end of February. Ukraine and its allies largely dismissed the plan, as the warring sides look no closer to a cease-fire.

The African peace mission comes as Ukraine launches a counteroffensive to dislodge the Kremlins forces from occupied areas, using Western-supplied advanced weapons in attacks in several sections of more than the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line.

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PAMPLICO  Residents and school board members in Florence School District Two voted unanimously to pass the districts 2023-24 budget on June 15. The new general fund budget of $11.2 million is $820,000 higher than the current budget.

Florence School District Two is one of the only districts in the region that require a residents' meeting to approve budget tax increases. The district has not increased the budget through tax rates since 2019, Superintendent Neal Vincent said.

Tax rates will increase for nonprimary residences, vehicles and businesses in the district.

We didn't want to have a [tax] increase, but it became the reality, Vincent said.

Budget increases since 2019 have come from additional funds from the state to help pay for teacher raises. The budget was balanced using pandemic relief funds from the federal government that were allocated by the state.

The district used money from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund to balance the budget without raising taxes. Three rounds of funds, ESSER I, ESSER II and ARP ESSER, were given to qualifying schools across the country in response to financial hardships caused by the pandemic.

The latest round of funds in late 2021 from ARP ESSER brought more than $4 million to the district. Most of the funds were used to foot the bill for taxpayers when it came to budget increases, Vincent said.

ESSER II will end in September with ARP ESSER following in 2024. Budget increases now are in anticipation of the future loss of ESSER funds and reductions from the state.

The district is losing funding from the state despite increasing teacher pay because of a loss in enrollment. The district is the 10th smallest in the state according to 2022-23 enrollment data from the South Carolina Department of Education.

Nearly 50 students have left the district in the 2022-23 school year, bringing the headcount to just over 1,000 students. The district will lose more than $100,000 in funding from the state this year due to loss in enrollment.

Districts used to receive funds for specific purposes such as guidance counselors or school nurses. Now, the state pools all the money together into a consolidated fund that is based on student count.

Fewer students mean fewer dollars for the district. However, the districts newly-approved budget made room for a raise in support staffs wages.

The approved 2023-24 budget will allow the district to raise the minimum wage for workers to $12 per hour. Retention of support staff, the main target for the raise, has been a hurdle for the district.

We're going to accomplish our mission of teaching and learning, thats the ultimate goal, Vincent said. You have to have quality employees to assist you along the way.

Some of the districts hardest-working employees will benefit from the minimum increase, Vincent said. Employees in food service, maintenance, grounds and classroom assistants will see their hourly pay increase for the 2023-24 school year.

Higher minimum hourly wages are still a focus for the district, Vincent said. The district is trying to secure more funding from the state to further increase wages and hopes to raise the minimum to $13 per hour.

The district attempted to get more state funding and halt the consolidation of its state funds before raising the tax rates in Pamplico, Vincent said. Estimated taxes on a $20,000 vehicle in Pamplicos tax districts are either $504.08 or $511.29.

For those now paying $504.08, the number would increase to $539.32.

If the current tax is $511.29, the number would increase to $547.03.
COLUMBIA  Jamie Lindler Harpootlian stepped off the plane in Slovenia on Feb. 14, 2022.

The newly minted U.S. ambassador to the small European country of 2.1 million, Harpootlian assumed her work would focus on building business ties and fostering cultural exchanges.

But 10 days after the high-profile South Carolina attorney-turned-diplomat arrived, Russian tanks rolled over the border into Ukraine, triggering the most serious geopolitical crisis in Europe in decades.

It also dramatically changed Harpootlians mission.

The thing that has taken the most attention is helping support Slovenia in its defense of Ukraine, Harpootlian told The Post and Courier in a June interview during a brief visit back home in Columbia.

That became my priority the moment I landed and still is today, she said.

Though Slovenia has perhaps been best known in the U.S. recently as the birthplace of former first lady Melania Trump, the nations relationship with the U.S. goes much deeper.

The country, nestled between its stretch of the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, was the northernmost Yugoslav republic before breaking away from the now-defunct Communist state in 1991. Since then, its become the economic dynamo of the Western Balkans and a stable and democratic U.S. ally, joining the NATO military alliance and European Union in 2004.

Even though Slovenias capital of Ljubljana is 800 miles from Kyiv, President Joe Biden, who nominated Harpootlian in July 2021, made clear he wanted all the nations in Europe, even the smallest, united behind Ukraine.

We must remain unified today and tomorrow and the day after and for the years and decades to come, Biden said in address in Warsaw a month after the invasion began.

Slovenia Quick Facts Member of NATO and the EU since 2004 Population: 2.1 million Size: 7,827 sq miles GDP: $62 billion (2021) S.C. Comparison Population: 5.3 million Size: 32,020 sq miles GDP: $270 billion (2021) More facts Language: Slovene Capital: Ljubljana (Loo-blee-aa-nuh) Currency: Euro Independence: 1991 from Yugoslavia Government: Democracy, parliamentary republic President: Natasa Pirc Musar Prime Minister: Robert Golob Exports: Pharmaceuticals, vehicles, electronic machinery Sources: CIA World Factbook, World Bank, U.S. Census Bureau, St. Louis Fed

Harpootlian went to the Ukrainian embassy in Slovenia on the day of the invasion and linked arms with the senior diplomat there as a symbolic show of solidarity.

In the days after, the new ambassador quickly found Slovenia needed no convincing.

They were completely in lockstep with our viewpoints about supporting Ukraine, and, she said, they were vocal about it.

In mid-March 2022, then-Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa was among the first world leaders to visit Kyiv while it was still under assault by Russian troops.

Its absolutely important to Slovenia for the U.S., and its diplomats like Harpootlian, to take a strong stand in support of Ukraine, Ana Bojinovic Fenko, a leading foreign policy expert at the University of Ljubljanas Centre of International Relations, told The Post and Courier.

If there is no political stance from the U.S., that is very damaging for the entire world, Bojinovic said. Slovenian political leadership is very keen on being on the side of the U.S. and agreeing with the U.S. stance, she said.

Slovenias support for Ukraine and affinity for the U.S. comes in part from their own long struggle for independence and identity at the crossroads of Europes empires and cultures.

We are very fond of any people in the world that fights for their own statehood through history and is multicultural, Bojinovic said.

Yet, those ideals also mean Slovenia places a high value on multilateralism and wants to see the U.S. work in concert with European allies on Ukraine, not a with-us-or-against-us approach, Bojinovic said.

Harpootlian said her work focuses on supporting and encouraging Slovenias own efforts. Shes visited Ukrainian refugees hosted by Slovenia; she praised Slovenias considerable humanitarian aid efforts in the country and said the U.S. has worked with the Slovenian Ministry of Defense on weapons purchases for the Ukrainian military.

The invasion wasnt the only challenge she faced on arrival. Jansa, Slovenias then-prime minister, was a right-wing populist who tweeted that President Donald Trump had won the 2020 election before all the votes were counted.

Despite their differing political backgrounds, Harpootlian said the two got along well and shared concerns about Chinese influence.

In April 2022 elections, a center-left businessman swept Jansa from power. Harpootlian called the new prime minister, Robert Golob, brilliant and passionate about renewable energy.

Another major task for Harpootlian has been encouraging the country to build a second reactor at the nuclear power plant that supplies about a third of the countrys power and continue using American Westinghouse technology to do it.

Shes been fostering connections between Slovenia and her home state, too. Both, she notes, stretch from the mountains to the sea and have a taste for grilled meat. A Slovenian team from the countrys port toured the Port of Charleston earlier this year, and the U.S. Embassy brought a barbecue pitmaster over from Mount Pleasant for an event last summer.

Harpootlian is whats known as a political appointee ambassador. In a practice thats drawn substantial criticism, presidents from both parties often fill 30 to 40 percent of ambassadorships with donors and allies. Former President Donald Trump sent supporter Ed McMullen, a public relations guru from Charleston, to Switzerland as ambassador.

Harpootlian and her husband, state Sen. Dick Harpootlian, were early Biden supporters and prolific fundraisers for the president. Harpootlian does not speak Slovenian and had never been to the country before her appointment.

Political appointees bring a fresh look to the State Department  a much-needed fresh outlook, Harpootlian said, adding that shes had extensive federal government experience and is a quick study.

Many South Carolinians are familiar with the Harpootlian name due to her husband Dicks work as defense counsel for disgraced Hampton attorney and convicted double murderer Alex Murdaugh.

During the six-week trial earlier this year, even people in Slovenia would tell Jamie Harpootlian they had seen her husband on TV or in a streaming service documentary.

It was a stressful time for me because my concern was for my husbands well-being, and it was hard because I wasnt here, she said. After work, Harpootlian stayed up late watching the livestream of the trial due to the time difference.

Im really, really proud of my husband for upholding the constitution and the right to representation, she said.

Despite the stress, Harpootlian said she doesnt regret a minute of her service in Slovenia, which she calls a not-even-once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity, and intends to stay as long as Biden wants her there.

I cannot imagine a world without diplomacy, she said. And the best kind of diplomacy is the person-to-person kind.
SPARTANBURG  Texas-born burger chain Whataburger is setting up shop at four different locations in Spartanburg County. Two will be in the city of Spartanburg, one in Boiling Springs and one in Duncan.

Four Whataburgers in Spartanburg makes an incredible statement in the Southeast that they chose us over all the places they could be, Spartanburg County Councilman David Britt, who chairs the countys economic development committee, told The Post and Courier on June 16.

The four Spartanburg restaurants would be the eastern-most spots for the chain that developed a passionate and loyal following in its home state. A Whataburger planned for Anderson makes at least five known locations planned for South Carolina. It's part of a wider expansion across the country.

In 2019, Chicago-based investment firm BDT Capital bought a majority stake in the company with plans to expand the brand. Soon after, Whataburger began opening restaurants in Missouri, Tennessee and Colorado. There are now more than 930 restaurants in 14 states, South Carolina not included. But that will change.

The city of Spartanburg approved the site plan for a location on 1510 W. O. Ezell Blvd. The burger chain is also looking at a location on East Main Street, but the site review is still pending and city officials did not give the address. Its unclear when construction will start at either location.

Its good to see them reaching out to good ol Spartanburg heading out east, said local realtor Santiago Mariani. Ive heard nothing but great reviews. Theres a sense of excitement, and that has me excited.

The Boiling Springs location will be across from a Quick Trip at the entrance to a new Target on Highway 9.

Ben Hines, the president of Spencer/Hines Properties, brokered the deal to lease the land to Whataburger, and said the new Boiling Springs development would bring a lot of tax revenue to the county and would help the growing area.

The Boiling Springs community has just been tremendous in its expansion, Hines said. Land on Highway 9 is now trading for over $1 million an acre. That is just phenomenal.

And in Duncan, Whataburger is moving forward with plans for a location at 1537 East Main St. that The Post and Courier reported last year.

Town Administrator Cameron Fant said the franchise should start turning the old bank building into a restaurant within the next three months.

During a vacation to Florida a few months ago, Fant stopped at a Whataburger just to try it after he found out one was coming to Duncan.

What I had was delicious, he said. He ordered a cheeseburger and fries served with Whataburgers famous spicy ketchup.

I give it an A-plus, I thought it was great, he said. And thats been several months ago now, so Im hoping they start construction real soon. Im going to be a loyal customer.

Britt has been going to Texas since 1984 for his job at precast concrete manufacturer Tindall, where he's the vice president of its South Carolina Division. He's a Whataburger regular when he's there.

When I would take customers to the San Antonio plant from all over the country, guess where they wanted to go? he asked. Whataburger. So thats pretty cool.
A coffee made from bird droppings that sells for the price of gold in Europe: this is the curious treasure that a Brazilian farm has been guarding for years, thanks to the surprise appearance of a bird similar to a pheasant. No one could have foreseen it, but the jacuacu, or dusky-legged guan, with its discreet black plumage and powerful cries, possesses a digestive system that is a marvel. The coffee beans it leaves in its feces are like nuggets of gold. Nobody was more surprised about the chance discovery than Henrique Sloper, the owner of family-run coffee plantation who first defined the appearance of the birds as a plague. Little did he know that soon the animals would become his staunchest allies and a valued partner in the business.

It was very scary. Its a big bird, it makes a lot of noise, it breaks branches. There were a lot of them, so we called the environmental protection bodies, but they didnt know what to do. They suggested we put in a predator. What were we going to put in? A jaguar? An eagle? In the end they just left me there with the birds, Sloper recalls now with a chuckle during a telephone conversation with EL PAIS. His land is scattered around a dozen valleys in the verdant mountains of Espirito Santo, in southeastern Brazil, next to a national park. If the state of Espirito Santo were a country, it would be the fourth-largest coffee producer in the world.

A jacuacu in a tree on Henrique Sloper's land. Fazenda Camocim

But among the thousands of coffee plantations in Brazil, this one stands out: it is the only one that has a bird as an ace up its sleeve. After the initial fright of the feathered invasion, Sloper recalls a trip to Indonesia, where he learned about the exclusive Kopi luwak coffee, which is made using the excrement of the palm civet, a small, nocturnal mammal. He decided to try his luck to copy the invention. At first, convincing the farm workers that they had to harvest jacuacu droppings proved a challenge, but once they had overcome their qualms and following two years of trial and error, they came up with the formula.

Along the way they discovered several things, among them that the transit through the animals digestive tract means that these coffee beans do not need fermentation, and that the process eliminates almost all the caffeine. The beans come out in the birds feces perfectly whole. Also decisive was the good taste of the bird, which only eats the coffee beans when they are fully ripe. For the coffee to be considered of special origin on sales certificates the fruit must be harvested ripe, so the eating habits of the jacu are a guarantee that the coffee will be of superior quality. After the peculiar harvest of excrement, the beans are dried, cleaned, and frozen for two to three months, ready for the process to begin when an order is placed. The coffee is so sought-after that it is only produced on demand. Its flavor is fruity and more acidic than other varieties.

Producers collect coffee seeds in Brazil. Fazenda Camocim

The production of jacu coffee started over a decade ago and it quickly became one of the most expensive coffees in the world. It is sold in the exclusive Harrods department store in London at 1,400 pounds per kilo ($1,700). France and Japan, markets where there is considerable interest in exotic products, are also among the biggest importers, says Sloper. The interest arises not only from the eccentricity of drinking coffee that is produced from the feces of a bird, but also from the whole philosophy behind this farm.

Before the jacu made its stellar appearance, Slopers coffee plantation was already committed to organic agriculture and the agroforestry system, a sustainable alternative for the management of tropical forests that promotes coexistence with native vegetation. Here, there are no endless monoculture plantations; coffee plants are mixed with other trees and bushes, including bananas, pitangas, jabuticabas and red fruits of all kinds, which are used to make jams. The balanced biodiversity of the environment helps to prevent the appearance of fungi and creates a substrata of leaf litter that allows the coffee to grow more vigorously. If the average coffee production per hectare in Brazil is around 26-28 bags, in this type of plantation 35 are harvested, says Sloper, who has become a fervent advocate of the system. Before, you were an agronomist and they taught you how to put poison in the soil. But theres no going back now. The market demands are different; people dont want to eat things with glyphosate and all that stuff we used for so long. It is a pressure that from the consumers themselves.

A coffee tree in Brazil. Fazenda Camocim

Although Brazil is still dominated by huge monoculture estates dedicated to the export of commodities, agroforests are gradually gaining ground. The Alliance for the Restoration of the Amazon, for example, has identified more than 1,600 such initiatives in the Amazon region alone. The agroforestry system also serves as a buffer against extreme climatic phenomena, which are becoming increasingly frequent. Droughts, floods, and frosts can be weathered better when a range of flora and fauna are protecting each other.

In this habitat that it has made his own, the jacu, in addition to harvesting coffee, also has other functions, as Sloper points out: It reforests the jungle, because it is a great disseminator of seeds. There is coffee growing in the middle of the forest, he says, adding that coexistence with the bird is very respectful. It is always kept free range, contrary to the Indonesian civet coffee, which has come under increasing scrutiny as the animals in kept in cages, and the location of its nests is controlled so as not to damage them during the harvesting of other varieties of coffee produced on the farm. What started as Hitchcockian scare has blossomed into an alliance between man and nature that appears to have a promising future ahead of it. Its not a bird that eats and leaves. It stays here. There are already several generations that have been born on this land, says Sloper.

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LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 17, 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.310-301-3335info@ schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm
President Bola Tinubus Policy Advisory Council has proposed the sale of Nigerias assets to settle existing federal government debt obligations.

The advisory council, put together by Mr Tinubu to support the delivery of sustainable and inclusive economic growth, consists of Tokunbo Abiru (chair), Yemi Cardoso, Sumaila Zubairu and Doris Anite, with KPMG listed as the consultant.

The council called on Tinubus administration to set a policy directive that all proceeds from the sale of assets must be used to settle the existing federal governments debt obligations.

Other fiscal recommendations, according to the council, include listing the shares of strategic and profitable Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) subsidiaries, leveraging blockchain to create and provide access to a government land registry and regionalising and concessioning the power transmission grid.

The council also recommends privatising, concession or selling down the federal governments stake in corporate assets to partners and other investors (possibly with a buyback option) to generate liquidity in short to medium term, with a focus on sub-optimal assets such as NNPCL refineries.

It also recommended that the government move to a well-functioning, market-oriented power sector; and conduct a forensic review of the outstanding balances and utilisation of Federation funds, e.g. stabilisation, natural resources development fund, ECA (Excess Crude Account) etc.

In addition, the advisory council said the administration should address oil theft and pipeline vandalism and substantially grow oil and gas Production.

It added that the government must deepen and expand the coverage of security contracts in the Niger Delta and deploy special security forces; increase the visibility of production volumes by deploying technology to track crude oil production; and implement technologies to ensure effective tracing of stolen Nigerian crude.

It further suggested the implementation of a domestic refining capacity of two million barrels per day and the provision of economic opportunities for host communities.

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It called on the government to ramp up production capacity to 4m barrels from offshore and onshore assets within four years and grow crude oil revenue and savings into Excess Crude Account (ECA) and Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).

According to the council, the administration should fast-track the implementation of the Host Community Trust Fund in line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), and implement measures to double Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)) production from 22m MTPA to 40m MTPA in eight (8) years.

The council also recommended the elimination of the Premium motor spirit (PMS) Subsidy.

To unlock the potential of the solid minerals sector, the council called for the implementation of a framework to formalise and legitimise illegal mining activities and the development of a mining industry roadmap to reposition the sector and attract prominent international players.

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Movie Title: Here Love Lies

Release Date: 3 March 2023

Director: Tope Oshin

Runtime: 2 hours

Casts: Tope Oshin, Moyo Lawal, Daniel Etim Effiong, Sam Dede, Omowunmi Dada, Angel Unigwe, Tina Mba, Mark Jeffery Hayes, Mr Anderson, Aaron Zapf, John Squires, Ria Alexander, Tom Starace, Sandra Iroegbu, Bambi Everson, Barbara Walsh, Omozele Gabriel, Tim Shelburne and Stephanie Zibili.

As much as it is sometimes easy to predict how a movie ends when watching, one beautiful thing that stands out about a film is its ability to shock or take the viewer unawares. The movie Here love lies is one such movie with an unexpected thriller end that leaves its audience thrilled.

The movie begins as a regular cliche rom-com, where Romeo and Juliet find love and live happily ever after. However, its unexpected thriller twist at the end would leave you shocked to think otherwise.

The twist shows how well Nollywood filmmakers can make a thriller come alive. However, it takes a patient audience to appreciate this in the movie. This is because most of its opening scenes are boring, save for the latter part, where the thriller elements are introduced.

Be that as it may, the movie, set in Lagos, Port-Harcourt and New York, pulls you in emotionally. The audience can relate to the actions which typical strict parents would take when their children make a mistake, especially when it has to do with religion, their values, and their reputation.

From the start, you would almost think the movie is the usual romcom and probably want to ignore it. Still, a little patience in the cinema would shock you when it reveals its dark turn towards the end of the movie, which is the most exciting part of it.

The love story

The story begins with Amanda (Tope Oshin), who is a pastors daughter, but she gets pregnant. She refuses to spill the truth about who got her pregnant despite her fathers pressure and threat.

To protect his well-built reputation as a pastor, her father (Sam Dede) proposes that she should have an abortion. Amanda refuses vehemently against it.

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Her refusal agitates her father, and in the process, he develops a cardiac arrest. On his sick bed, he disowns her and curses her for her decision to keep the baby.

However, 14 years later, Amanda is doing so well for herself. Her daughter is all grown up, and she is now looking to settle down. Like the traditional fairytales, she has to kiss different frogs to meet her prince charming. All her dates with Nigerian men didnt work as soon she told them she had a daughter.

Fortunately, she meets a New Yorker, a fan, who has been following her travel blog consistently. They started talking frequently, and soon, it became more intimate. Somehow, she gets to attend a convention in New York and decides to surprise Michael (Tim Shelburne).

They continue their romance after seeing each other physically. Unknown to Amanda, Michael has a very dark side with Nigerian women due to his mental illness. She never knew she was just another victim.

The Good

The movies twist towards the end is one of the most commendable elements. Though the thriller element is a short part of the movie, it differs from the usual Nollywood rom-com.

Another notable thing about the movie is its conflict resolution. Unlike most Nollywood films, where the conflict resolution is rushed, Here Love Lies carefully resolved the conflict without running over it.

Characters in any movie are the first point of call for me. It is one thing to have a great story and another for the characters to embody it well. Despite being the main character in the movie, which she also directed, Tope Oshin and other cast, in their capacity, nailed their performance.

The movie dialogue was not dull but helped the audience understand the story and what they needed to know.

Lastly, the cinematic elements depicted the mood and situations appropriately. It also took the audience on tour to experience New York and its environment.

The Bad

In movies, there are usually lines from characters that the audience holds memorable after watching. Sometimes, they appear as memes or even quotes. However, the film, despite its good dialogue, did not have memorable lines that struck the audience.

Also, the struggle scenes between Amanda and Michael at the movies end could have been better executed to look believable.

Tope Oshin playing the lead role as Amanda would have been preferable if a younger person would probably breathe more life into the part and make it more romantic. In all, I enjoyed the movie; but it is certainly not one of the best Ive watched.

Final Verdict: 5/10

It is still streaming on Netflix!

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The co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), one of the worlds most prominent private investors in the global healthcare system, Bill Gates, is set to visit Nigeria to discuss issues around health and development in the country and the continent of Africa.

This visit is coming a few days after President Bola Tinubu announced Salma Anas as his special adviser on health.

Mrs Anas is one of the first advisers appointed by the president who has barely spent 20 days in office.

Stakeholders in the nations health sector have described Mr Tinubus action as a welcome development, saying it signals the importance his administration may accord the health sector.

They also hailed the appointee as a round peg in a round hole, saying her more than 25 years in health sector development would count in assisting the new administration in implementing its healthcare development plans.

Gates visit

In a statement issued weekend by the BMGF media team, Mr Gates will be in Niger and Nigeria next week.

Though not stated in the statement, PREMIUM TIMES learnt the visitor will also meet the president and other stakeholders, including the Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.

Mr Gates visit to the two African nations is said to be a follow-up to his earlier visit to China and aimed at discussing global health and development with national and local leaders, foundation partners, grantees, scientists, and young innovators.

The statement also noted that the visit is part of the Foundations commitment to work closely with communities and leaders to support innovation that can help accelerate progress and improve lives across Africa.

The statement added: Gates and other foundation leaders are visiting to learn from partners helping to address polio, anaemia, and other health threats; scientists applying research to develop agricultural innovations that will help with food security and climate adaptation; innovators using technology to improve access to financial services; and others working to improve lives in Niger and Nigeria and throughout the continent.

They will also meet with national and regional leaders to encourage them to make investments and advance policies that promote innovation and provide equitable opportunity, despite challenging economic conditions.

According to the statement, Mr Gates is also expected to engage Nigerian students and young leaders in a conversation to gain their insights and share perspectives on how science and innovation can accelerate positive change and contribute to a brighter outlook for Africa.

The moderated event, Advancing Africa: Unleashing the Power of Youth in Science and Innovation, will be co-hosted by the Co-Creation Hub Nigeria and Lagos Business School and live-streamed across Africa by media partners Africa.com and Channels Television. It will take place at 10a.m WAT (Lagos) on 21 June, the statement added.

BMGFs investments in Nigeria

The Foundation said since its establishment in 2000, it has supported partnerships with various governmental and non-governmental institutions, including local communities, across 49 nations on the continent.

The areas of partnership, the Foundation further noted, include but are not limited to providing funding support and scientific expertise in support of the beneficiaries agendas for change.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation believes that solutions to Africas greatest challenges can come from within Africa. This is why the foundation supports African partners whose bold ideas and creative approaches have the potential to save lives, improve health, and help families across the continent, BMGF said.

In Nigeria, in particular, BMGF said it works with the government, the private sector, non-profit organisations, and civil society to improve health outcomes, boost agricultural productivity, expand access to digital financial services, and empower women and other marginalised populations with greater economic opportunities.

The foundation added that in Nigerias neighbouring Niger Republic, it works with the government and multilateral organisations to strengthen routine immunisation and control polio outbreaks.

The foundation said the partnerships had driven the success of numerous health, agriculture, equality, and anti-poverty initiatives.

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When Adewumi Adeleke, aka Mama Ara, had Aradolapo in 2014, his arrival elicited happiness. Congratulatory messages poured in from every direction just like at the arrival of his elder siblings.

By 2016, children in the Aradolapo age group had started to sit, walk, speak two and three word phrases or sentences and were soon enrolled in schools to begin their educational journeys. But Aradolapo had yet to meet any of those developmental milestones.

His mother had to be at his beck and call at all times, especially when his siblings were in school. When Mama Ara observed that her toddler could still not walk or crawl at the appropriate time, she sensed that all was not well.

At six months, he could not sit, at eight months, one year. His legs were not stable, he could not sit, we lay him down all the time. This has been a burden on me, she said.

I carried him like that till he was five-years-old.

Mama Ara, a snacks seller, made multiple trips to public hospitals seeking solutions but the chids condition was not properly diagnosed. From one appointment to another, she said.

The visit to the hospital became less frequent with time. I could not carry on because there was no money to carry on, she said.

In 2020, the now single mother of three went back to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi in Lagos after six-year-old Aradolapo became seriously sick. He was finally diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP).

Cerebral Palsy is a leading cause of childhood disability affecting function and development. Aradolapo was also confirmed to be a sickle cell patient.

According to the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, a research foundation based in the US, CP occurs when there is damage to the developing brain during pregnancy, birth or shortly after birth.

Cerebral palsy affects people in different ways and can affect body movement, muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture and balance. This is a lifelong condition and its different for everyone, the website reads.

While the brain injury that causes it doesnt change over time, the wear and tear of living with cerebral palsy often means that people with CP experience age-related changes, like increased muscle weakness and decreased balance much earlier than people without CP.

People who have cerebral palsy may have visual, learning, hearing, speech and/or intellectual impairments.

Mothers burden

Mama Ara said she and her husband went their separate ways and she became the breadwinner for the children.

During an interview with her, Aradolapo who was asleep on his mothers laps suddenly began to vibrate non-stop for about three minutes. Mama Ara explained that he was having a seizure, adding that it sometimes caused bodily harm especially when he was alone. He quickly recovered from that episode.

Getting shelter became a herculean task after moving out of their Ikorodu apartment. Mama Ara and her three children presently shelter at a church in Ketu in Alapere area of Lagos.

Mothers usually bear the brunt of care for children with disabilities, a lawyer, disability rights advocate and convener of the LetsCPKidsLearn, Tobiloba Ajayi, said. Ms Ajayi, who also has CP, described it as a social issue, adding that many Nigerians are intolerant.

She said sometimes, these mothers cannot hold down a (daily) job whilst caring for the child.

In January, after Aradolapo had clocked nine, he was accepted into a private school through the intervention of LetCPKidsLearn, after many rejections in both private and public schools.

It was last December that I met a parent who led me to Ms Tobiloba Ajayi. She has been the one paying the school fees, Mama Ara recounted with a sigh of relief.

I have been to so many schools, one in Ikorodu, he was rejected because they said that he cannot walk. They said that in case of an emergency, he wont be able to help himself. And before they will remember that they have a student that could not walk, it might be too late.

I was unhappy but there was nothing I could do. I approached some private schools, none of them accepted him, they said they cannot be carrying him o. At his age, he wears a diaper. It was too much on me. I wanted him to learn and perhaps, interaction with his peers would also be helpful for his growth.

I went to one Baptist school in Ketu here, they said they will call me later, another one along this road too, the third one too refused to accept him.

Ms Ajayi said that in her years of helping children with cerebral palsy to access education in Nigeria, she found out that schools, especially private learning centres, reject children with disabilities because enrolling them does not make economic sense.

The advocate, who said she prepares her mind daily for discrimination, noted that in some cases when a child with a disability is enrolled in such schools, other parents might begin to withdraw their kids from the school.

Inclusive education

Worldwide, children with disabilities are among the children that are most likely to be out of school, the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide, said.

They face persistent barriers to education stemming from discrimination, stigma and the routine failure of decision-makers, UNICEF stated.

In an article dedicated to inclusive education, the agency said that every child has the right to quality education and learning.

Like all children, they need quality education to develop their skills and realise their full potential, UNICEF said.

Asked if cerebral palsy is contagious, Ms Ajayi who was awarded a Mandela Washington fellowship in 2016, said it is not.

The solution, she said, is not abandonment or keeping them in care homes, but having an inclusive system that requires attitudinal changes across all levels of society.

I have worked with parents who live in Lekki, who live in Ajah working in the multinationals of this country, and are still struggling to find schools (for their wards,) she said.

Stigma and discrimination must be tackled at the individual level, the she emphasised.

Speaking on inclusive education in Nigeria, Olabimpe Ayoko, the vice-principal (academic) of Queens College in Lagos, said her federal-owned institution runs an inclusive programme.

The educator noted that some privately-owned learning centres might not accept children with special needs owing to discrimination and because they do not have the requirements to cater to their needs.

For example, for a visually impaired student, you need to have braille, she said.

For an inclusive learning centre to run successfully, Mrs Ayoko said it requires specialised teachers, tools and the willingness of the government.

States should create special schools for such children or within a local government. You can just create a (an inclusive) centre where all those things that will be needed to make teaching effective and efficient for such children to be available because there is no need to run an inclusive school and you dont have materials for such pupils, she said.

Then you have to counsel others (pupils), because definitely there will be stigmatisationyou have to counsel them that they are the same. And it takes a lot to do that and some people are not ready to do that. It has to come from up. It cannot be achieved overnight. It shouldnt be lip service. Government must br willing, there must be a willingness on the governments part to really do it.

Raising a dependent child

While Mama Ara struggled to get her child enrolled into a place of learning, Raliat Oyetunde was able to pick the choicest school for her second child with cerebral palsy in a highbrow area of Lagos.

Formerly a bank official, now a businesswoman, the mother of three seems to be doing well navigating life with her special needs child.

Nabila, 15, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was between six and eight months old after her mother took her to the paediatrician, having observed that she was floppy.

The mother of three described raising a child with special needs as a stormy journey. She said she was able to forge ahead and not focus on the pitfalls due to supportive pillars put along her way by God.

I wont say it was my worst day, she said, describing how she received the news of the diagnosis. I would say, it was the day God showed me my calling.

When Mrs Oyetunde told her boss about her childs state of health, she was allowed to take some time off her work to figure things out.

Immediately after the diagnosis in Nigeria, Mrs Oyetunde booked a flight for herself, the two kids and a nanny to Dubai. While she looked after her second child at a hospital in Dubai, the nanny looked after her first child.

When the diagnosis confirmed cerebral palsy, she came back to Nigeria and was advised at Lifeline General Hospital to start therapy.

Some months later upon the advice of her aunt, a medical practitioner based in the UK, the mother of three travelled again to meet with another paediatrician.

It was at the UK hospital that the paediatrician broke it down. What to expect for a lifetime, she recounted.

And I remember the old professor said, Im sorry, Nabila will not be able to walk, Nabila will not be able to talk, she is going to depend on you all for life.

So, to manage it, you are going to do physiotherapy three times a week, you will do occupational therapy three times a week, you will do speech therapy three times a week, each session should be 45 minutes and we will take it from there.

So, we found a therapist in the UK, we went there for like a week, every gadget the therapist was using, as they were doing it, I was filming it, filming the manufacturers, we packed our bags and baggage again and came back to Lagos.

And I ordered everything, so, in the house I created a room called Nabila Therapy Room. So, everything she needed for therapy, I kept it there. I wanted to get an unusual result. Nabila started full therapy at the age of 14 months  five times a week.

Her efforts would eventually pay off when at 18 months, Nabila could use the potty. By two she had started crawling and could walk with the aid of clutches at seven.

Mrs Oyetunde, who is also the chairperson for Cerebral Palsy Centre (CPC), said Nabila spent more than two years in Nursery class before she was promoted. She noted that it hurts her to see her daughter struggle to do things that her mates do easily.

One moment holds a very special place in my heart, the day Nabila graduated from nursery school to attend primary school. For more than two years, her age mate had left her in the nursery and they went. So, every year, I will go to the proprietor of the learning place, Mrs Adewole, one of our strong supporters of the foundation, and say, Nabila is six and should go to the next class. But she will say, Nabilas mom, just calm down, Nabila will go there, there are milestones that we want her to achieve.

And truly, the day Nabila wore that academic cap and she used her crutches and they gave her certificates, I broke down and said, Wow, I did it! It gave me solace because I was ready to do the next six years of primary school.

At any point in time, when I am confused or worried, I have a support system, touchpoints, and people that I will call on financially, emotionally and spiritually, because sometimes you need that strength to go on.

Speaking on sacrifice she made, she said she had to give up on buying aso ebi, designer bags, gold just to be able to afford the special care her child needs.

Nabila, who has been enrolled into an inclusive boarding school, hopes to meet Tiwa Savage and get married someday, her mother said.

Mama Aras life path has been different from that of Mrs Oyetunde. After Mama Aras marriage crashed, she relied on menial jobs to fend for her three children. She sometimes received financial bailouts from strangers who took pity on her son.

Before finding shelter at the church, she said, a helper had rented an apartment for her and paid the 12-month rent. When the rent expired, she packed out due to her inability to renew it.

I have no one but God,  she said when asked if she had a support system.

For Adedolapo Teslim, a banker, raising a child with cerebral palsy is expensive, challenging and hurts everyday.

Its not been easy, she said. Having to go for physiotherapy is a lot but then we thank God.

Feranmi, three, started crawling at one year and three months after she began physiotherapy.

Feranmis condition, her mother said, could be likened to a partial stroke.

Her CP is not like the regular ones other children have. Her case is like a partial stroke. Her right side is not so active.

She can talk, expresses herself and knows what she wants when she wants it.

When Feranmi clocked two, the parents could not get her a school in their Iyana-Woro residence area.

We had to enroll her in a school on the Island where the proprietor is a family member, she told PREMIUM TIMES.

After the interview with Mama Ara, Aradolapo who welcomed this reporter with laughter wept as she took her leave. The mother explained that he hates to see visitors leave.

What mothers can do

Mrs Oyetunde, who runs the Sultana Nabilahs Cerebral Palsy Foundation (SNCPF) for young CP adults, urged mothers not to give up their jobs and wallow in pity.

The mother of three who described herself as a serial entrepreneur  said she distributes water and sells Akara black soap in order to raise money.

It is a medical condition, not a curse. It is not a degenerative condition. It is a condition that is lifetim. However, it improves and you get to learn to live.

Instead of seeing it as a burden, Mrs Oyetunde has channelled her energy to support other children like Nabila so that they can live a next to normal life.

Give them all the necessary support, dont hide those children, dont lock them up in the house, bring them out even if they are using diapers, just keep very clean hygiene, she said.

Show them love, make them feel wanted. If they are using drugs for seizures, time the seizure, know what triggers the seizure.

She said she intends to make her daughter a lady that has demystified cerebral palsy.

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A former Nigerian senator, Adamu Bulkachuwa, has spoken publicly for the first time after his confession to influencing his wifes decisions while she was serving as the President of the Court of Appeal.

Zainab Bulkachuwa was the President of the Court of Appeal between 2014 and 2020. She retired from the court after clocking the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Speaking at the valedictory session of the 9th Senate on 10 June, Mr Bulkachuwa boasted of infringing on his wifes freedom and independence while she served as president of the appellate court.

He bragged that he aided his colleagues in the Senate to obtain favour from his wife, who was superintending over the Court of Appeal that served as the final arbiter on appeals concerning electoral disputes in parliamentary elections in Nigeria.

My wife, whose freedom and independence I encroached upon while (she) was in office, and she has been very tolerant and accepted my encroachment and extended her help to my colleagues, said Mr Bulkachuwa, 83, during the senates proceedings.

In the 41-second video clip of Mr Bulkachuwas confession, the outgone Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, was seen interrupting Mr Bulkachuwa.

Distinguished, I dont think this is a good idea going this direction. It is not a good idea, please, Mr Lawan interrupted Mr Bulkachuwa.

But Mr Bulkachuwa, in an interview with the BBC Hausa, said his words were taken out of context, saying Mr Lawans interruption prevented him from completing his thought.

According to the transcription published by Daily Trust, the former senator said: Well, I was not even allowed to finish, I just started with some words like thanking her, saying she was patient with me as she was (a) legal practitioner and I am a politician.

I wanted to elaborate on the specific nature of the help she provided, as there exists a wide range of support that professionals in various fields, such as legal practitioners, doctors, or engineers, can offer in their respective roles.

Note that this assistance does not involve any illegal or unethical activities.

In my personal relationship with her, I have never imposed upon her professional autonomy or attempted to influence her judgment in handling cases or running her office. Such matters are not even discussed in our home.

Background

Mr Bulkachuwas revelation a week ago has further dampened public confidence in the Nigerian judiciary.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) condemned the lawmakers remarks, with the associations President, Yakubu Maikyau, calling for Mr Bulkachuwas invitation and prosecution.

Similarly, top lawyers nationwide described the ex-senators indicting confession as a blight on Nigerias judiciary.

A former president of the NBA, Olisa Agbakoba, said Mr Bulkachuwas statement was a disgrace to the judiciary. He called on the authorities to take him up.

Chidi Odinkalu, a law professor and former Chairman, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), demanded an independent inquiry into Mr Bulkachuwas remarks.

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Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, on Friday, hinted at how some people had schemed to tilt the country towards having an interim government during the 2023 general elections.

Mr Soyinka spoke at an interactive session during the launch of his book titled The Putin Files: Excursions Around The Ideology Of Pain in Lagos. He noted that those who were in support of the interim government were only being manipulated.

There were reports of plots for an interim government in the build-up to the February presidential election and in the aftermath of the election. In a statement, the State Security Service (SSS) said some key players were plotting an interim government for the country, describing it as an aberration and mischievous.

Similarly, the House of Representatives rejected calls for an interim government and warned politicians against provocative statements.

A spokesperson for the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, had to openly distance Mr Buhari from such a call even though the main proponents were not publicly disclosed.

Mr Soyinka, the 88-year-old author, said, Some people had schemed to tilt the country towards having an interim government. That tendency had been apparent even before the election.

Mr Soyinkas latest remarks come months after he criticised the Obidients, supporters of presidential candidate Peter Obi, over their actions on social media, describing them as fascists.

In February 2023, Mr Soyinka, in an interview with Channels Television, said if Mr Obi lost the presidential election, it would be his followers who caused it. However, reacting to the literary icons statement, the Obidients lashed out at him on social media, particularly Twitter.

The Nobel Laureate emphasised that as an elder statesman, he would not keep shut about issues of national interest, especially when it is on the grounds of false truth.

He said, So some of those who thought they were being radical, they were being mumu, and playing the script of others. They thought they were tough, bold and original.

You just dont say its who shouts the loudest. If you want to come out based on truth, then no problem. Ill reverse, but you want to call out people based on the unprovable, even as some people will counter with their strict monologue. I will not stand by it or keep silent. Impossible. Especially as I am more knowledgeable about these things than many people, even though they dont admit it.

EndSars Movement

While responding to a question by a poet, Ogaga Ifowodo, about fascism, the literary icon said the 2020 #EndSars protest was driven by truth and, as such, was the most successful.

The professor narrated how he supported the movement to the point of addressing some protesters when he was leaving Lagos for Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, during the protest.

He highlighted the #EndSars Protests genuine pursuit of truth against the supposed designed manipulations of the other movement, which he did not name although many believe he was referring to the Obidients. He said they were trying to mobilise the youths to defend a lie.

EndSars is one of the most successful movements. It is authentic. It was the expression of people. It is organised. Most importantly, it was based on truth.

When I saw the crowd, I came down and addressed them. It reminded me of the anti-Abacha moment. When I would stand in the median and address the crowd. But in this case (referring to the other movement), some people wanted to call people out in a dispute based on possible false truth.

However, he welcomed criticisms from the unnamed movement. He said he is anticipating their online insults and reactions which he described as their dictionary of abuses; but said he would be ready to face them.

They can go back to the internet, open their dictionary of abuses and start all over again; I will come back and tell them that you are mumu (foolish). You were not playing your script, he said.

If you are knowledgeable and read books, you should be able to put two and two together to ask questions even before this election starts. Is this what and what was going on then, and then you discuss and form your conclusions?

Putin Files

Soyinkas latest work is two years after his tenth entry for his popular intervention series, Trumpism in Academe: The Example of Caroline Davis and Spahring Partners in 2021.

In the Putin Files, the eleventh entry, the literary legend takes on the still unfolding and increasingly brutal war in Ukraine.

The author, who released his most recent novel Chronicles of the happiest people on Earth after 48 years, shares his opinions on Russian President Vladimir Putins approach to the war and possible lessons and resolutions the African continent can draw from it.

His blurb questions why Putin has overtaken others to be the most deserving of his criticism and why Africa should be concerned to learn about Putin and his business.

It reads, Why Putin? Why has he overtaken others as the most deserving, today, of my deadly daggered? Why should Africa, or any entity related to their continent, poke her nose in Putins business? Of course, that is assuming that the ongoing human catastrophe in Ukraine is strictly Putins business, to begin with?

Meanwhile, raising a suggestion, a political economist, Kingsley Moghalu, said the subject of the Ukraine war deserved a much more global audience to have the discourse.

He noted that it was an eyesore to see peoples ignorance regarding the war in Ukraine and Africans position on it.

He further requested that it is essential that Mr Soyinka take it up because it would be picked up globally.

However, in response, the Nobel Laureate said he should be counted out but acknowledged that the idea was good.

He said, I agree with taking it to global space, but include me out. Wherever you are, you can talk about it. People need to read. We talk about democracy, but can you take democracy and put it in a pot to cook and feed people? So, there should be a global platform.

Organisers and guests

The book launch was organised by Bookcraft Africa, the publisher of his Intervention series since 2004.

The launch held at Freedom Park, Lagos Island, and via Zoom featured book readings by Mr Soyinka, including audience members. The session also allowed guests to engage with Mr Soyinka on the books subject.

Also, there was a conversation between the Nobel Laureate and a professor of political science, Anthony Kila. The section had Mr Kila ask the author questions, which he responded to as they shared their opinions.

During the session, the audience and guests also got the opportunity to ask their questions on the subject of the book and outside it.

The event, which was more of an intimate gathering of poets, authors and fans, was attended by notable personalities like Lola Shoneyin, Omoyele Sowore, Kingsley Moghalu, Anthony Kila, and Ogaga Ifowodo, among others.

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The Lagos government says it will demolish 17 distressed buildings in Alaba international market in Ojo LGA of the state.

Gbolahan Oki, general manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), announced the planned demolition during an assessment visit to the market on Friday.

This is contained in a statement by the agencys spokesperson, Adetayo Akitoye- Asagba.

Mr Oki said the affected buildings had been marked for demolition many times since 2016 but the occupants disregarded the notices.

He said that his visit was to issue final warnings and vacation notices to occupants of the buildings marked for demolition.

The agency said the physically distressed building had marked inscription on different parts and vacation notices as far back as 2016, 2020, 2022 and several others issued to this year, 2023.

Oki who decried the rate of harassment meted to officials of the agency at different times in the past, said that seven years notification was enough for the occupants of the buildings marked for demolition to have vacated the structures and comply with the notices issued by LASBCA and other government agencies, the statement reads.

He added that rather than following due process in pulling down the structures and replacing the buildings with new ones, the occupants of the buildings had continued to occupy the buildings to their detriment.

These buildings marked within this ALABA International Market would have been included in the list of 349 distressed buildings earlier published in different national newspapers this year but because the occupants were always harassing our officers, it was impossible to capture the details of the structures and include them in the publication.

What we have done now is a joint exercise carried out by both the Lagos Task Force officers and the demolition gang of Lagos State Building Control Agency. The buildings would be demolished.

Mr Oki said that the government will continue to place a premium on the lives of residents of the state regardless of their locations, stressing that the life of a Lagosian is of greater value and cannot be traded for financial gains or profits.

READ ALSO: Lagos taskforce demolish shanties along Lekki coastal road

He added that the demolition of the distressed buildings within the Alaba International Market has become very crucial and timely considering the danger which the buildings pose to other adjoining structures and the lives of business men and women within the market.

Mr Oki said: We know that this area is a commercial center and one of the busiest markets in Lagos State but despite this, we cannot fold our arms and allow irregularities to continue to thrive in the market where lives of innocent persons would be put at risk because of the failure of a few set of individuals who have refused to do the needful.

The agencys boss also appealed to Lagosians to always inform government about distressed buildings and infractions noticed within their neighborhoods by bringing such infractions to the attention of relevant government agencies and desist from patronizing touts and impostors for processing of building approvals.

Lagos has recorded many building collapses leading to loss of lives in recent times. However, despite government promises to identify violators for prosecution, none has been prosecuted so far.

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Amidst calls for a reform of global financial systems, France is taking the lead in promoting what it calls a new financial pact.

It says the system will be more responsive, just and inclusive. It will fight inequalities, finance the climate transition and biodiversity protection, and move closer to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The post-war international financial architecture is no longer sufficiently adapted to deal with the growing inequalities, climate change, biodiversity erosion and public health challenges prevalent in the 21st century, the Republic of France said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

This is evident in the fragmented, partial and insufficient nature of the international communitys responses to issues.

Further outlining the drawbacks of the current system, the European country noted that concessional resources provided by development institutions are not delivering their full potential in terms of impact, co-finance and alignment with needs.

Also, the expansion of financing conditions and rise in debt is slowing investment in developing countries and do not provide them with the means to address their challenges, it said.

According to France, international solidarity has never been more critical, especially with crises that are weakening the poorest and most vulnerable countries to an even greater extent.

To help the most exposed countries exit the COVID crisis, deal with the consequences of Russian aggression in Ukraine on their food and energy security, and cover the very high cost of climate transition and consequences of extreme climate events, it is necessary to scale up finance, it emphasised.

In partnership with other countries including some G7 and G20 countries, the UN, and other organisations, France will host a Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, on 22 and 23 June in Paris.

This Summit intends to be inclusive, with every country, every opinion and every proposal being able to be expressed, it noted.

Read the full statement below.

Together build a more responsive, just and inclusive global financial system

The post-war international financial architecture is no longer sufficiently adapted to deal with the growing inequalities, climate change, biodiversity erosion and public health challenges prevalent in the 21st century. The international communitys responses are currently fragmented, partial and insufficient. Firstly, concessional resources provided by development institutions are not delivering their full potential in terms of impact, co-finance and alignment with needs. Secondly, the expansion of finance conditions and rise in debt are slowing investment in developing countries and do not provide them with means to address the challenges they are facing.

Yet international solidarity has never been more critical amid a growing number of crises that are weakening the poorest and most vulnerable countries to an even greater extent. To help the most exposed countries exit the COVID crisis, deal with the consequences of Russian aggression in Ukraine on their food and energy security, and cover the very high cost of climate transition and consequences of extreme climate events, it is necessary to scale up finance.

The global financial system inherited from Bretton Woods has reached its limits at a time when we are facing two major threats to the future of our planet. The first is insufficient support for development and for the protection of our global public goods due to a lack of resources. The second, which is even more crucial, is the risk of geopolitical fragmentation, at a time when we need effective multilateralism and enhanced cooperation more than ever.

A number of G7 and G20 countries, organisations and associations share this observation with France and wish to promote the same conviction: we have to act fast and join efforts to correct the imbalances and injustices generated by these divides. We are therefore now calling for a review of our software and for a shake-up of finance. We must together drive change in our global financial system to make it more responsive, just and inclusive, fight inequalities, finance the climate transition and biodiversity protection, and move closer to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This is the objective of the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, which will be held on 22 and 23 June in Paris. This Summit intends to be inclusive, with every country, every opinion and every proposal being able to be expressed.

This Summit is part of a positive momentum. The launch of reform by the World Bank, the G20 Presidency of India and that of Brazil right after, the SDG mid-term review and commitments made at COP are all reasons for hope to build on this momentum. Tangible solutions have already been initiated: the Paris Club and the G20 launched an initiative for debt treatment, and France plays a pivotal role in implementing coordinated solutions under the Common Framework. We have proposed and obtained the issuance of $100 billion in IMF Special Drawing Rights for the most vulnerable countries. All countries in a position to do so must take part in this effort. Several multilateral development banks have begun to respond to the G20s requests and have implemented initial measures to optimise capital to increase their lending capacity.

But we must now go even further, following the example of the Bridgetown Initiative, a set of innovative solutions spearheaded by Barbados to address climate vulnerability affecting many middle-income developing countries.

We will promote a reform agenda for development banks and the IMF to provide more finance to countries in the most need as well as global challenges. It is an agenda that aims to improve existing instruments and capital and to promote innovative approaches and instruments to support the poorest and most vulnerable countries. It also aims to mobilise more private finance using risk-sharing and guarantee mechanisms to redirect financial flows towards these countries to support the local private sector and durable infrastructure. This requires stepping up the use of our instruments and public and private innovative and new financing mechanisms.

To be more effective, our international financial institutions should be able to do more than they are currently doing to work better together, while better mobilising private savings. To be more inclusive, we must above all give a greater voice to the most vulnerable countries in international fora.

The Summit for a New Global Financing Pact highlights global finance challenges and the many leaders participating will give the impetus needed to carry out the transformations our system requires.

We do not have to choose between fighting poverty, tackling climate change and its impact and protecting biodiversity. A just transition is the only answer.

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The 16th of June marked the first 30 days, following the attack on a two-car convoy of the US Embassys advance party in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra, in south-east Nigeria.

The US government has now said that it is being briefed by the Nigerian government on the investigation of the attack but the perpetrators are yet to be apprehended.

We appreciate the Nigerian government and Nigerian law enforcement, military, and security agencies for their partnership and cooperation at this time, and we are working closely together to bring those responsible to justice, a State Department Spokesperson told PREMIUM TIMES this week.

What started off as a day of diplomatic engagement via a phone call between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and then Nigerian President-elect Bola Tinubu on the morning of 16 May, ended in an awful tragedy. Nine people were killed in the shocking attack, their bodies set on fire, and two were abducted.

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller had that day published a readout confirming the Tinubu-Blinken call. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke this morning with Nigerian President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu to emphasize his continued commitment to further strengthening the U.S.-Nigeria relationship with the incoming administration, he said hours before the attack.

Hours later, the unfortunate attack happened, rattling Abuja and Washington. No group has claimed responsibility but similar attacks in the region have been blamed on a separatist group, IPOB, who are demanding an independent country of Biafra.

The Nigerian government has labelled IPOB a terrorist group. The US has, however, not done the same.

Biafra was the name of the breakaway territory led by Odumegwu Ojukwu that seceded from Nigeria in 1967, but was reintegrated into the country in 1970 after a brutal civil war.

Today, some of the Igbo  who make up Nigerias third largest ethnic group  continue to use the name Biafra, calling for autonomy, self-rule, and sovereignty.

Because the investigation into the 16 May attack is still ongoing by Nigerian authorities, the US State Department said it is refraining from offering an update on the status of the inquiry.

However, Our Nigerian partners have been responsive, and we will continue to work with Nigerian authorities on bringing those responsible to justice, a State Department Spokesperson said, adding that Given that this is an ongoing investigation, we are unable to provide additional details of the situation at this time.

With regards to the victims, who are not American citizens, but worked for the Embassy, Our fallen colleagues will forever be remembered for their work, and for giving their lives to build a better future for the people of Nigeria, the spokesperson told PREMIUM TIMES this week. We support the families but have no specific information to share.

We at the U.S. Mission are mindful that this attack was not unique, and that Nigerians around the country have suffered the loss of loved ones in similar attacks. Despite this awful event, all of us at the U.S. Embassy and Consulate remain committed to sustaining our humanitarian efforts and the many other activities and projects that contribute to a productive partnership and a brighter future for Nigeria and the United States.

The Attack

So, what happened in the attack, which the U.S. Abuja Embassy characterised as heinous?

One month ago  on 16 May  an Abuja, US Embassy and Consulate advance party was brutally attacked in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra state, in south-east Nigeria.

Unknown assailants yesterday attacked a convoy of two U.S. government vehicles, the office of the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said in a press statement on the day after the incident.

On 19 May, three days after the incident, Nigerian authorities announced the rescue of two officials missing during the attack; information later confirmed by the US.

Two U.S. Mission employees missing since the May 16 attack in Anambra State are alive and safe, and under the protection of Nigerian authorities in Anambra, the US Embassy in Abuja confirmed.

Now, in its second month, the investigation has yet to yield concrete results on who slayed the victims, what was known, when it was known, who knew, and when.

The convoy was carrying nine Nigerian nationals: five employees of the U.S. Mission to Nigeria and four members of the Nigeria Police Force, Mr Blinkens office said.

Confirming the reason the Embassy staff were on the trip, the press statement said that They were travelling in advance of a planned visit by U.S. Mission personnel to a U.S.-funded flood response project in Anambra.

In its first press statement, the US said that it did not yet know the intentions and motivations behind the attack, but condemned it in the strongest terms.

US-Nigeria engagement continues

In separate US-Nigeria diplomatic engagements, the Office of the Spokesperson confirmed that Assistant Secretary Pyatt will travel to Nigeria. He works for the Department of State Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR) and will be in Abuja, from 18-20 June.

While there, he will highlight U.S. engagement on Nigerias clean energy transition as well as our ongoing support for reforms and decarbonization of Nigerias large traditional energy sector, the announcement said.

Mr Pyatt is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Nigerian government officials and take part in a roundtable with energy companies from the American Business Council. It is expected that he be a panellist with both private and public sector organizations to discuss ways to accelerate the development of Nigerias power sector, including through the Clean Energy Demand Initiative (CEDI), a mechanism to increase corporate investment in clean energy to support economic growth, the Office of the Spokesperson said.

Pearl Matibe is a Washington, DC-based White House Correspondent, and media commentator with expertise in U.S. foreign policy and international security. You may follow her on Twitter: @PearlMatibe

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Readers of elPeriodico who would buy the Sunday edition of the newspaper would always come across a section that raised more than one eyebrow in Guatemala. On that day, El Peladero was published: a political information column, written with humor and self-confidence. There, corruption cases were uncovered, politicians and government officials were taken to task and abuses of power were denounced. Much of the information was exclusive and came from credible sources who trusted its author, journalist Jose Ruben Zamora. He was the president of the newspaper he founded in 1996 and published information that other media were afraid to bring to light. It was precisely one of those humorous columns that unleashed hell for Zamora: the denunciation of corruption and abuses at the hands of President Alejandro Giammattei and one of his closest friends, a young man inseparable from the president who benefited from that relationship. The ogre and the little prince, he called them. The column full of intimate details generated such a stir that it marked the beginning of the persecution against the journalist, sentenced on Wednesday to six years in prison for money laundering in a trial that has been criticized as an act of political persecution against Zamora.

If there is one person who has been well-informed of everything that happens in Guatemala and how the powerful move, it is Jose Ruben Zamora. Politicians, businessmen, government officials, judges and prosecutors approached him to entrust him with sensitive information, which he then subjected to the work of a newsroom committed to investigative journalism. That is why Zamora became an uncomfortable voice in a country that is sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss of corruption and impunity, controlled by powerful economic groups that have plundered its wealth and governed by politicians always ready to get a good slice of the spoils. In fact, Zamora published up to 200 investigations on corruption cases under the Giammattei government, including the irregular purchase of vaccines at very high prices for the country and which benefited people close to the president. The newspaper uncovered a scheme in which the government granted a mining exploitation concession to a Russian company with an onerous contract and through bribes to public officials. El Peladero commented exclusively on the bacchanal with which the Russians were entertained. They were treated like royalty, he wrote.

Zamora became a thorn in the side of the powerful, both in the private sector and the government. He founded elPeriodico with the idea of delivering modern journalism to a society that was undergoing an enormous transformation. Peace agreements were being negotiated to put an end to a long civil war that caused 70,000 deaths and left one of the most terrible episodes in Latin American history: the genocide of local indigenous populations, mainly under the command of dictator Efrain Rios Montt. Although the transition to democracy was difficult, Zamora saw journalism as a vehicle for building a modern, democratic Guatemala. [He] gave us the opportunity to make the newspaper we wanted. We had a lot of freedom to create a good team and do something different. We were happy and we knew it. He would tell us: You make the newspaper you want, and Ill take care of getting the financing, recalls Ana Carolina Alpirez, who was editor-in-chief of the newspaper. Alpirez says that Zamora was rarely in the newsroom, precisely because he was trying to secure funding so that his reporters could their work with dignity and scrutinize the power in Guatemala. At elPeriodico we learned to manage precariousness. We had limited resources to work with, but there was a lot of passion, recalls Alpirez, who left the newspaper a decade ago. Jose Ruben even counted the money himself to pay the payroll, she adds. The newspaper had as many as 400 employees at its peak.

Zamora was born in Guatemala in 1956 and from the age of 17 began to practice the profession that would become his lifes passion. He studied engineering at the University of San Carlos, the most important university in Guatemala, and always showed himself to be a restless person, dedicated to creating projects related to communication. In 1990, he was among the founders of Siglo 21, a newspaper that became very prestigious in Guatemala, and six years later he created elPeriodico. He has received several international awards, including the Maria Moors Cabot Prize, awarded by Columbia University; the CPJ International Press Freedom Awards and the King of Spain International Journalism Award.

Juan Luis Font, editor of elPeriodico for 17 years, speaks from Ohio, U.S., where he went into exile due to the threats he suffered in Guatemala for doing his job. He recalls that from the beginning Zamora developed a combative journalism. The newspapers first major report was an investigation that denounced military personnel who smuggled contraband merchandise into the country. Jose Ruben was fearless, and although he set himself certain limits in the eyes of financiers and advertisers, he never stopped denouncing abuses, says Font.

It is because of that courage that many journalists in Guatemala have been afraid since Zamoras arrest last summer and conviction for money laundering and the closure of the newspaper he loved so much. From prison, he has been calm and has stated that he will exhaust all legal avenues to prove his innocence. In the streets of Guatemala, reporters who believe in him hope that he will be free again and that he will once again confront the powerful. I am sure that Jose Ruben will get out of jail. His unjust imprisonment causes us grief, but also sadness and anger. If they could touch him, what can the rest of the journalists in Guatemala expect? asks Alpirez.

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Residents of Salanta Quarters in the Kano metropolis have accused the state government of demolishing their buildings without prior notice and compensation.

The residents, who described the demolition of their houses as illegal, said they followed due process in acquiring the land on which their houses were built from the immediate past government of the state.

There was tension in the area on Saturday as the residents tried to physically prevent officials, who arrived their community, from demolishing the buildings.

A viral video of the altercation scene showed an injured victim making a phone call, pleading for help from loved ones, whilst alleging that one of his phones was damaged by an official.

You cannot demolish our properties overnight without prior notification after we have all our documents intact. We all have our families here, and this is injustice. They have voted calamity for us.

They have demolished our shops in the market, and now they have returned to our residences without any compensation. We will die here, and if you demolish this house, it will (be a curse on) your life, one of the unidentified property owners was heard saying at the top of his voice in the video.

Some were chanting Allahu Akbar! (God is the greatest). Some claimed they were ready to be engaged in a jihad to protect their properties from being demolished.

How can they come and kill us overnight with our children? Video me and tell people about our situation, another unidentified property owner, filmed alongside his kids, said.

PREMIUM TIMES visited the demolition scene Saturday morning and witnessed how some of the buildings under construction were pulled down. Completed buildings were spared as of the time of filing this report.

Looters were also seen scavenging for valuables under the rubble of the demolished properties.

The governors spokesperson, Sanusi Bature, could not be immediately reached Saturday morning for comments.

The government alleged that buildings in Salanta were built on a piece of land belonging to the Kano State Polytechnic.

Earlier, the secretary to the Kano state government, Abdullahi Baffa, said they would reclaim all government properties within and outside Kano, that the former administration sold.

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ynaecologists- health professionals who are focused on the functions and diseases specific to women and girls, and especially those that affect the reproductive system, have advised the new administration of President Bola Tinubu to prioritise investment in the countrys health system as a step towards ending the menace of maternal and infant mortality.

The experts who are members of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON) gave the charge during the opening ceremony of a three-day workshop on leadership and management development for the health sector, which was held during the week in Abuja, Nigerias Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

They said without a robust health system, the country will fail to address and end maternal and infant deaths.

The event was organised by PACFaH@Scale, a Bill and Melinda Gates-funded project, in partnership with SOGON under the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), and it was anchored by the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC).

Speaking at the event, the President of SOGON, Habib Sadauki, said the government must be committee to identifying and addressing issues leading to maternal and infant deaths as a major step to ending the menace.

Mr Sadauki said Nigeria has the highest maternal and infant mortality rates globally.

He said: We need to see a more significant commitment from the government, and this means addressing the issues squarely.

The major causes of these deaths are bleeding after childbirth, eclampsia, and delays in having the babies out. So to address this, the government has to improve the health system so women have access to care at any given time.

He said it is applicable in most countries that no woman should die giving birth, which should not be different in Nigeria.

High mortality

Nigerias maternal mortality rate is one of the highest in the world. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa says that one in seven global maternal deaths occurs in Nigeria, meaning that more than 50,000 women die per year in Nigeria.

A 2023 report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) also shows that Nigeria accounts for the second-highest number of maternal and child deaths globally.

According to the report, Nigeria, Africas most populous nation, is only behind India in the ranking. The report noted that in 2020, 788 women and children died per thousand in India, and 540 women and children per thousand died in Nigeria.

Collaborations, improved funding

At the event, the chairperson of SOGON in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria, Eziamaka Ezenkwele, said the countrys health system lacks adequate funding to address significant issues that could prevent many deaths.

Ms Ezenkwele said asides from improved funding, the government must also build a strong collaboration with civil society organisations and people at the community level.

She said this contributes in no small measure to reducing maternal and child deaths in the country.

We have observed for many years that Nigerias maternal and child health indices are not the best, and that is not good for our country, she said.

She said health system funding should also be extended to the rural areas where unskilled birth attendants still attend to many women.

In his remark, the Director of Research at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Dung Pam, said the role of adequate funding in the health sector cannot be over-emphasised.

Mr Pam said the government must deploy enough funds to the sector and also ensure the implementation of the right policy.

The government must address the sector holistically in such a way that maternal health will be a very strong component of it, he said.

Leadership project

Meanwhile, the SOGON president has said the leadership project enhances maternal health outcomes by providing capacity-building support, advocacy, and improved care, especially at the primary healthcare level.

He said it also aims to serve as the leading voice for womens health in Nigeria by scaling up evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for treating postpartum haemorrhage.

The goal is to conduct thorough research in primary and secondary health facilities across Nigeria and, in comparison, with five other countries to pinpoint the gaps and opportunities for Nigeria to adopt and implement the clinical interventions that can effectively reduce maternal mortality rates, he said.

In her presentation, the Executive Director of dRPC, Judith-Ann Walker, noted that the partnership is to address the worrisome surge in maternal mortality in Nigeria.

Ms Walker said the alarming rate of maternal deaths can no longer be ignored.

She said: Therefore, a partnership has been established to collaborate and enhance the ability to combat this issue.

This initiative aims to equip SOGON with the necessary resources to effectively implement the project and speak to stakeholders at the national and sub-national levels.

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Nigerias leading investigative and pro-democracy newspaper, PREMIUM TIMES, has reconstituted its ombudsman team.

The reconstitution of the board comes six years after it was first created in May 2017 when a seven-person team was selected. The team was later reduced to three members on 13 May following a restructuring.

The reconstitution, which took place on 6 June, welcomed media professionals, scholars and veteran journalistsGbemiga Ogunleye, Ruqayyah Aliyu Yusuf and Udeme Nana.

At the event, the publisher of Premium Times, Dapo Olorunyomi, stated that the board was created following the need for an ethical rebirth of the industry and to help mitigate

the abuses that we currently have going on.

He said that this would also help to bridge the gap between the academic and professional practicing parts of the industry.

Also present at the event was the organisations Editor-in-chief, Musikilu Mojeed, who welcomed and thanked the new board members. He charged them to be a conduit between the public and the organisation.

Similarly, the Managing Editor, Idris Akinbajo, said he was looking forward to drawing from the teams wealth of knowledge to improve the processes in Premium Times newsroom.

One of the members of the Ombudsman team, Mr Nana, noted the need for rigorous fact checking and gate-keeping in the media industry to avoid its attendant challenges.

Also, Mrs Yusuf expressed her gratitude to be part of the board and the opportunity to contribute to the operations of the organisation.

The ombudsman refers to official(s) who are charged with investigating complaints (usually lodged by private citizens) against businesses, public entities, or officials.

These officials then attempt to resolve the conflicts or concerns raised by citizens either by mediation or by making recommendations.

Ombudsmen are referred to as public advocates or national defenders in certain countries.

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The State Security Services (DSS) said it has uncovered plans by some persons and groups to stage campaigns of calumny against it and the federal government.

A statement by Peter Afunanya, the SSS spokesperson, on Saturday in Abuja, said the planned campaign was over the suspension and investigation of former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

He said the groups planned to gather at different points in Abuja and Lagos in the coming week with placards depicting the service and the federal government in a bad light.

Mr Afunanya said the group also planned to call for the immediate release of Mr Emefiele during the campaign.

He warned that the service will not be distracted by the cheap propaganda  aimed at demotivating and distracting it from professionally executing its responsibilities.

It has also noted the misleading commentaries, speculative narratives, storylines and videos being circulated in the social media by uninformed parties, critics and/or desperadoes.

It is mindful of orchestrations to infiltrate its fold for the purpose of using disloyal staff for subversive aims against its leadership.

While these efforts are considered as hatchet jobs designed to distract, the service warns the plotters to desist forthwith from their plans, he said.

Mr Afunanya said the arrowheads of the planned campaign were already under watch and would be apprehended if it becomes necessary.

He disclosed that the service had granted the family of Mr Emefiele, medical officials and appropriate persons access to him since the day he was taken in and long before the court order requesting so.

READ ALSO: Court orders SSS to grant lawyers access to detained Emefiele

According to him, the service has Standard Operating Procedures on suspect handling and investigations and complies with them.

He said the service will continue to conduct its affairs transparently, professionally and in deference to the rule of law, in line with democratic governance.

(NAN)

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It is May, and, in a community somewhere in the world, the sun is shining brightly, and the temperature is hot. The skins of residents are very dry as if they do not have access to the life-saving substance known as water. This is Mugadi Gari in Koko Besse/Maiyama Federal Constituency of Kebbi State, Nigeria.

For decades, the people of Mugadi Koko have been crying for potable water. To them, they would prefer every season to be rainy. They risk contracting waterborne diseases from the unhealthy water sources where children swim, nomads wash, and animals deep their mouths. This has been how the community has gotten their water over the years.

Ismaila Mugadi, a man in his 50s, like many others in the two communities, was very happy when the news of the drilling of a borehole in Mugadi 1 and Mugadi 2 filtered into his ears. He believed that the boreholes would help the community with the prevailing water scarcity in the area and that the long-term recurring water difficulties had ended. Never had he envisaged what would come afterwards.

We were very happy when the borehole water was commissioned. We thought we could now use the energy of getting water for another thing, recounted Mr Mugadi.

However, the boreholes stopped working a day after commissioning.

This left the people of Mugadi 1 and 2 in frustration as they continued their daily routine of struggling for water. They are now powerless in the face of the water challenge. The water project site has now turned into a dumpsite.

The two boreholes in Mugadi Garri are all spoiled, and people are very seriously in need of water due to the current electricity situation in the community. There is no electricity, and there is no way we can have access to water, Mr Mugadi explained with disappointment in his voice.

Lifesaving liquid

According to the World Health Organisation, contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to the transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, Hepatitis A, typhoid, polio and others. The statistics show that 290,000 people die annually from diarrhoea, and unhealthy water exposes individuals to preventable health risks.

Research shows that over 70% of households in rural communities do not have access to improved water supply. Most of these people depend on free sources of water, which are not free from animals usage and faeces for survival. These are rivers, streams, water ponds and unprotected wells susceptible to waterborne diseases: typhoid, fever, cholera, dysentery, malaria parasites and others.

The people of Mugadi Garri are one of the 1.42 billion people, including 450 million children, that the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) reported living in extremely high-water vulnerability areas. This is contained in a press release: One in five children globally does not have enough water to meet their everyday needs.

READ ALSO:

Meanwhile, Bala Sokoto, from the Health Service Department, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, says, unhygienic water can cause a lot of diseases which include diarrhoea and cholera.

While emphasizing on the importance of good hygiene, he explained that waterborne diseases can also cause typhoid fever, hepatitis, abdominal cramps, dysentery and giardiasis which can lead to critical health conditions and may even result in death.

Frustration heightens

Just like Mr Mugadi, a resident who prayed for anonymity for fear of intimidation, said the two boreholes in Mugadi 1 and Mugadi 2 are inactive.

They are not functioning. Those that commissioned them just projected them to get their money. They were not standard from the very day they were commissioned, and they stopped working. It was only the day they were commissioned people used them; after that, it stopped working, he said.

According to tracka and the signpost in the project location, the project was sponsored by Honourable Shehu Muhammad Koko, the lawmaker who represented Koko Besse/Maiyama Federal Constituency in the 9th assembly and awarded to Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA) for N50 million.

UDEME discovered that two of the four hand boreholes drilled in Mugadi 1 and 2 are not serving their purpose as they turn into dumpsites.

When UDEME reached out to the lawmaker in June, he told this reporter that he was only concerned with the zonal intervention project and not the capital project.

He did not respond to further enquiries on the status of the project.

I only facilitated zonal intervention projects, mostly solar and not capital projects. You are to ask the government for a capital project. You can check out the communities in the evening; you will see street lights working almost everywhere, he said, sidestepping the enquiries.

Distressed community

Every day, community residents now struggle for access to water. They have to trek for miles searching for water. In the middle of the community, a hand borehole close to a straw house stands lifeless. It is jam-packed with waste.

Usman Ladan Mungadi, a man in his 40s, buried his head as he narrated the ordeal of the people in the community how women will work around the clock, backing children as they look for water. This always delays them.

The distance between Mungadi Gari 1 to the river is about 500 meters, and that of Mungadi Gari 2 to the stream is 1000 meters, Mr Mungadi says.

A visit to the stream by the reporter confirms what Mr Mungadi said. The reporter sights a group of children swimming in the river.

As of the time of filing this report, all attempts to reach out to the contractor proved abortive. Also, the company could not be found on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) website. The companys listed website was said to be under maintenance. The contact number on it was picked by a lady which a CallerApp identified as Omobolale Adedoyin. When the reporter tried to inquire, she said it was a wrong number.

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LE BOURGET, France, June 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With a resurgence in international traffic and domestic air travel back to pre-pandemic levels, Boeing [NYSE: BA] today projected global demand for 42,595 new commercial jets by 2042, valued at $8 trillion. Boeing released its 2023 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), the company's forecast of 20-year demand for commercial airplanes and services, in advance of the Paris Air Show.

The new CMO comes three years after the pandemic grounded most of the global fleet. Key findings include:

Passenger traffic continuing to outpace global economic growth of 2.6%.

The global fleet nearly doubling to 48,600 jets, expanding 3.5% per year.

Airlines replacing about half of the global fleet with new, more fuel-efficient models.

"The aviation industry has demonstrated resilience and adaptability after unprecedented disruption, with airlines responding to challenges, simplifying their fleets, improving efficiency and capitalizing on resurgent demand," said Brad McMullen, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing. "Looking to the future of air travel, our 2023 CMO reflects further evolution of passenger traffic tied to global growth of the middle class, investments in sustainability, continued growth for low-cost carriers, and air cargo demand to serve evolving supply chains and express cargo delivery."

Boeing's projections for regional demand and key trends through 2042 include:

Asia-Pacific markets to represent more than 40% of global demand with half of that total in China .

markets to represent more than 40% of global demand with half of that total in . South Asia's fleet will expand more than 7% annually, the world's fastest rate, with India accounting for more than 90% of the region's passenger traffic.

fleet will expand more than 7% annually, the world's fastest rate, with accounting for more than 90% of the region's passenger traffic. North America and Europe each will account for about 20% of global demand.

and each will account for about 20% of global demand. Low-cost carriers will operate more than 40% of the single-aisle fleet in 2042, up from 10% 20 years ago.

After omitting demand for Russia and Central Asia in last year's CMO due to uncertainty in the region, this year's forecast covers Russia and Central Asia in the Eurasia region, which comprises about 3% of the global fleet by 2042.

and in last year's CMO due to uncertainty in the region, this year's forecast covers and in the Eurasia region, which comprises about 3% of the global fleet by 2042. Commercial Services forecasts a total served market worth $3.8 trillion , including digital solutions that increase efficiency and reduce cost; robust demand for parts and supply chain solutions; growing maintenance and modification options; and effective training to enhance safety and support the pilot and technician pipeline.

Also in the 20-year forecast period, Boeing anticipates demand for these models:

New single-aisle airplanes will account for more than 75% of all new deliveries, up slightly from the 2022 outlook, and totaling more than 32,000 airplanes.

New widebody jets will be nearly 20% of deliveries, with more than 7,400 airplanes enabling airlines to open new markets and serve existing routes more efficiently.

Air cargo will continue to outpace global trade growth, with carriers requiring 2,800 dedicated freighters. This includes more than 900 new widebodies as well as converted narrow-body and widebody models.

NEW DELIVERIES (2023-2042)

Regional Jet 1,810 Single Aisle 32,420 Widebody 7,440 Freighter 925 Total 42,595

Boeing has published the CMO annually since 1961. As the longest-running jet forecast, the CMO is regarded as the most comprehensive analysis of the commercial aviation industry. Learn more about the Commercial Market Outlook on Boeing.com. Boeing will release its complete Pilot and Technician Outlook the week of July 24.

As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing's diverse team is committed to innovating for the future and living the company's core values of safety, quality and integrity. Learn more at www.boeing.com.

Contact:

Jim Proulx

Boeing Media Relations

[email protected]

+1 (206) 850-2102

SOURCE Boeing
BEIJING, June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Keeping close to people, Chinese President Xi Jinping has always worked for people's benefits as a servant of the public.

During his political career, Xi rose from a grassroots Party chief to the leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC), from an ordinary citizen to the country's president, from an average military officer to the Central Military Commission chairman, all while remaining committed to a better life for Chinese citizens.

In the 1980s, when many of his contemporaries were going into business or leaving to study abroad, Xi gave up his comfortable office job in Beijing and chose to work as the deputy Party chief of a small county in north China's Hebei province. Later he became the Party chief of Ningde prefecture, one of the poorest regions in east China's Fujian province at the time.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Xi has made more than 100 inspection tours to different places across China.

He has made it a tradition to visit ordinary people, especially the country's least privileged groups, in nearly every one of his domestic inspection tours.

He would see, for himself, what ordinary Chinese were eating, whether they had access to clean water and adequate heating in the winter, and learn about their concerns over food safety and environmental protection.

In December 2012, Xi braved chilly weather to reach Fuping, a then impoverished county set deep in the Taihang Mountains of north China's Hebei Province. He visited farmers' homes to get a first-hand look at people's lives there.

In November 2013, during an inspection tour in the central province of Hunan, Xi visited Shibadong, an ethnic Miao village.

With people in his mind, Xi feels very happy whenever knowing that people's living standards are constantly improving.

During an inspection tour of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in July 2016, Xi visited villager of Hui ethnic group Hai Guobao's home.

Xi's steps have even reached the northern border of China. In January 2014, Xi visited soldiers stationed along the Chinese-Mongolian border ahead of the upcoming traditional Chinese Lunar New Year.

On his way to the border, the president got off his car to chat with a team of soldiers on a patrol mission, expressing his appreciation to them for struggling in the harsh weather to safeguard the country.

Link: https://youtu.be/XNZdu4AOGCw

SOURCE CCTV+
BEIJING, June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

Storyline

Chinese President Xi Jinping has been dedicated to the cause of making people's life better in his political career so far.

With a determination to do good things for people, Xi's political career started in 1982 in north China's Hebei Province when he assumed his post as the deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Committee of Zhengding County.

During his time in Zhengding, Xi rode a bicycle to inspect every region of the county, and focused on issues closely related to people's livelihood, such as the unreasonably high amount of grain local farmers had to sell to the government under the regulations of the time.

Xi then wrote a letter to the central government on the issue, and the amount of grain to be purchased by government was readjusted after a thorough investigation.

From his efforts for rural residents in early years to the proposal of the Chinese Dream as the president, bringing tangible benefits to the people has always been Xi's strongest belief.

One and a half month later, Xi inspected a village 300 kilometers away from Beijing to learn about the living conditions of poor families during the harsh winter.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Xi has made more than 100 inspection trips to learn about the situation at the grassroots level, and listed many difficulties of the people into the working agenda and reform plans of the central government.

Xi has joined the panel discussions of the National People's Congress and the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference 56 times in the past 11 years to learn about the people's opinions from about 400 representatives.

When meeting then Italian Lower House Speaker Roberto Fico in 2019, Xi was asked about his feelings when he was elected president of China.

Xi said it was a huge responsibility and hard work to govern such a big country, and he would put aside his own well-being for the good of the Chinese people.

Starting as a village official and now the president of China, Xi has always given people the top priority in his heart and showed his deep love for the Chinese people with dedicated work.

Linkhttps://youtu.be/XPhWkY24ZFc

SOURCE CCTV+
BEIJING, June 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 22, 2019, then President of Italy's Chamber of Deputies, Roberto Fico, asked Chinese President Xi Jinping about his feelings when he was elected as the country's president.

"Being elected in such a large country comes with great responsibility and daunting tasks. For the good of my people, I will put aside my own well-being," said Xi.

From a rural Party branch secretary to the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the Chinese president and chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, Xi always has the country in mind and sees himself as the people's servant.

Son of loess lands

Fifty-four years ago, as an "educated youth," 15-year-old Xi went to Liangjiahe village in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. He later spent seven years in the countryside, working and living alongside farmers.

His earnest wish then was "to make it possible for the villagers to have meat and have it often." He led them to dig wells, build dams, terrace hills and set up the province's first methane-generating pit.

The seven years helped foster his unchanging belief  to do practical things for the people, as he recalled during an interview with China Media Group (CMG) in 2003.

"I saw the strength of the people, and their fundamental needs. On the basis of truly understanding the people and the society, some practical ideas had taken root in my mind since then."

In October 1975, Xi left Liangjiahe and fellow villagers. In an essay recalling his days as an "educated youth," he wrote: "Wherever I go, I will always be a son of the loess lands."

Xi later went to Zhengding, a poor county in north China's Hebei Province. Li Yaping, then Zhengding County official, recalled that Xi said China had many things waiting to be done and needed some people to shoulder responsibility.

In Zhengding, Xi rode an old bicycle all over the county and noticed that the annual grain procurement quota of 38 million kilograms by the state had left local people hungry.

He wrote to the CPC Central Committee, suggesting local farmers' difficulties were caused by the high procurement quota. After the investigation team learned about the situation, they reduced the quota from 38 million kilograms to 24 million kilograms.

Cheng Baohuai, then secretary of Zhengding County CPC Committee, recalled that people appreciated Xi's work, saying they finally had enough food here. Xi really rooted himself in the people and took to heart the hardships of the people, Cheng said.

People-centered development

To meet the people's aspirations for a better life is our mission, Xi said in 2012 after he was elected as the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

On the eve of New Year in 2013, Xi visited people with difficulties in Luotuowan Village, Hebei Province. Villager Gu Chenghu remembered Xi as a caring person. "He saw there was a hole in my sleeve, so he gave me a warm coat."

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi has made more than 100 grassroot-level visits, including both urban and rural areas. He cared about the food markets' holiday supply sufficiency, residents' access to medical care, and migrant workers' pay. The people's urgent needs and worries were included onto the agenda of important CPC Central Committee meetings and turned into the focuses of China's reforms.

"We are now practicing a people-centered development philosophy. People-centered development must focus on what the people need most," he said during a symposium on eradicating extreme poverty on June 23, 2017.

Under Xi's leadership, China has witnessed historic changes with absolute poverty wiped out and moderate prosperity attained for the country's 1.4 billion people.

China's per capita disposable income stood at 35,128 yuan (about 4,940 U.S. dollars) in 2021, up 112.8 percent from 2012. The urban-rural income ratio was narrowed to 2.5:1.

Back in 1995, a CMG reporter asked Xi, then secretary of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee, about his goal in life.

"I believe it's about fulfillment, about doing something meaningful for the people."

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-06-16/-For-the-good-of-my-people-Xi-Jinping-s-passion-to-serve-1kGvwoXi7Kw/index.html

SOURCE CGTN
Members of a Ukrainian unit locate Russian targets on the front line and attack them with mortars and bomb drones, in the village of Mala Tomachka, in Ukraines Zaporizhzhia region, on Thursday, June 16, 2023.

Sasha dangerously steps on the accelerator of the green camouflaged SUV hes driving. His rifle  resting on the back seat  bounces up and down with the sharp turns that the vehicle is taking. Sasha is driving some of his companions to a crucial point at the front, where Ukraine is developing its counteroffensive to locate enemy targets, which they can then bomb with mortars or kamikaze drones.

The road isnt really suitable for traveling at 90 miles per hour, but at the front, almost anything goes to avoid possible attacks. Some columns of smoke can be seen, rising from where projectiles hit. Despite the screech of the tires and the noise of the engine, detonations can clearly be heard. Off the shoulder of the road, armored vehicles try to remain out of sight under the trees.

A continuous roar welcomes visitors to Mala Tomachka, a small town in Ukraines Zaporizhzhia region. It overlooks Novopokrovka, where, according to the government in Kyiv, the Russians have recently been losing ground. It is there where some of the most intense clashes between the two armies have been taking place, in the midst of the counteroffensive that Ukraine launched a couple of weeks ago.

The destination towards which Sasha is roughly heading is a dilapidated house that serves as a base for him and his comrades. This group  known as the Thor unit, which operates under the umbrella of the National Police  is carrying out surveillance tasks, observing the Russians with the use of reconnaissance drones. This is an increasingly common way of fighting: from a distance, with technology as a weapon. Throughout the day, none of these men put their finger on the trigger of their gun. They also dont approach the enemy trenches, although they can see them perfectly over their screens.

August, 26, was a financial auditor before the Russian invasion. In this photo, he prepares to launch one of the reconnaissance drones towards enemy positions in Novopokrovka Luis De Vega Hernandez

The coordinates obtained with the drones are used to program attacks on those specific points. Sasha  who was previously deployed to Kherson for eight months with this same team and participated in the citys liberation last November  prefers not to offer strategic and tactical details about the counteroffensive. However, he acknowledges that things have been tough; they have suffered significant casualties.

Next to one of the walls of the house that serves as a makeshift barracks, 26-year-old August (none of the soldiers provide their surnames), launches a remote-controlled drone. Very shortly after, its already flying over an occupied zone. Theyre a couple of miles away, one of the young men notes. August  who carries a small stuffed animal on his shoulder, which belonged to a friend who died in the battle of Mariupol  fixes his eyes on the screen in his hands, while using his fingers to control the drone and direct it towards the desired location. I see you. I want to kill you, he grumbles, without getting distracted when he observes a group of Russian soldiers walking along a road. A perfect target, he notes. The reconnaissance operation is followed live via telephone by a superior who is in the Orikhiv area, a few miles further back in the Ukrainian positions. Hes the one who ultimately decides what to do.

Like hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, August wasnt in the military before Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion was launched in February of last year. This young man, who hails from the Kyiv region, once earned his living as a financial auditor. And, until about a month ago, when he was trained as a drone operator, he worked as a combat medic along the Kyiv, Izium, Lyman and Vuhledar frontlines, something he continues to do now, but as a second occupation.

Mikola with the bomb that he is going to attach to a drone, before sending it to explode over Russian positions. Luis De Vega Hernandez

The members of the unit limit the amount of the time they spend out in the open, so as not to give the Russians any opportunities to discover their location. Be careful  its very likely that the Russian artillery has located us and will fire, August warns, after directing several round-trip drone flights. The launching of projectiles from the Russian side also forces them to remain under cover. The blows  which sometimes make the walls of the old house tremble  are incessant. Sometimes, the whistle that announces them leads everyone to immediately run to safety downstairs in the pantry, which now serves as a bomb shelter.

The location of enemy positions allows for the first kamikaze drone strikes to be made against a line of Russian trenches. Mikola  one of the members of the Thor unit  attaches the bomb, weighing less than two pounds, to the device, which is equipped with a camera that allows its mission to be monitored. Once it takes off, the flight can be observed at all times on-screen. When the ditch that the Russians have taken shelter in is only a short distance away, the image is lost. No signal, the screen reads. The Ukrainians cannot confirm if the device hit its target. The men dont stop moving amid the network of cables, antennas, mobile phones and drones that have been donated to the war effort.

In the Orikhiv area, separate National Guard units are conducting offensive assault operations. Despite the significant density of mine-barriers and heavy artillery fire, they have made some progress going deep, [about 2,000 to 5,000 feet] in the direction of Novopokrovka, said Colonel Mikola Urshalovich on Thursday, June 15, in a statement made to the Ukrainian National News Agency. Our troops are facing strong enemy resistance and superior numbers of [Russian] men and weapons, acknowledged Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar. However, on her Telegram account, she added that the Ukrainian army is advancing slowly but surely and inflicting significant losses.

The Thor unit, however, has another problem. In just a few minutes, theyve assembled a new kamikaze drone but, unlike the previous one, at the moment of takeoff, it doesnt budge. They all stare at it, as if trying to make it shoot up with the force of their gaze. No one can approach the device as the attached explosive would go off. What was supposed to be a weapon against the enemy has become a threat to their own lives.

Several members of the unit follow the flight of a kamikaze drone above enemy trenches. Luis De Vega Hernandez

Mikola, 32, runs around, trying to come up with a solution. Even losing his left foot in July of last year (after stepping on a mine in Kherson) couldnt prevent him from returning in November to fight alongside his fellow combatants. I wanted to be with them again as soon as possible, he says. For more than an hour, the men try everything to repair the damaged drone from a distance, while requesting help over the phone from specialists. They make long tongs with two iron bars and a pair of pliers. They also attach a rope to a wire hook. Finally, after more than an hour, they manage to separate the cable that activates the bomb and recover the drone. Everyone is unscathed.

Last week, in the area of Mala Tomachka and Novopokrovka, local Ukrainian army units lost several armored vehicles and tanks, which had been provided by Western allies to carry out the current military campaign. The images, published by Russian sources, were confirmed by military analysts. The extensive Russian defenses along hundreds of miles of front pose a challenge for the Ukrainian advance. The Zaporizhzhia region is key to the counteroffensive, as it hosts a large part of the land corridor that allows Moscow to connect the Ukrainian Crimean peninsula with its own territory, thus greatly facilitating the logistics of an invasion. On top of this, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe is in Zaporizhzhia. Its currently occupied by Russian forces.

During their day-to-day lives, the members of the Thor unit dont only act as part of a well-oiled war machine. The months of fighting and difficulties faced by these volunteers  who didnt previously belong to the armed forces  have resulted in them forging a solid friendship.

Several members of the Thor unit take shelter underground in Mala Tomachka, near enemy positions, on the front lines of the Zaporizhia region. Luis De Vega Hernandez

Sasha, whose wife and two small children are living in Germany, says that, when they achieve victory, he will no longer dedicate himself to fighting professionally. Despite everything, he tries to go to the gym every day in the city of Zaporizhzhia, where several members of the unit have rented a house. He says that there are times when he has to move with up to 130 pounds loaded on his body. In addition to physical stamina, sport gives me mental strength, discipline and even removes my fear, he explains.

In the midst of war, with explosions in the background, the climate of camaraderie and humor allows for the release of tension. The men joke and even sing. In one of these relaxed moments, one of the soldiers lifts up the left leg of Mikolas pants, where the prosthesis that allows him to walk appears. There, on the plastic, they have written in black marker: Discount on pedicure.

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BEIJING, June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily: Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the Forum on Global Human Rights Governance on June 14.

Offering Chinese propositions in the letter, he stressed that China advocates safeguarding human rights with security, promoting human rights with development and advancing human rights with cooperation, which demonstrated China's sense of responsibility in participating in global human rights governance and promoting the progress of human rights development of the world.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, a document that has played an important role in the world's development of human rights.

The document stresses the equality and indivisibility of human rights, and emphasizes that the international community should promote effective international cooperation to realize the right to development and remove the barrier hindering development.

It represents the will of developing countries that account for the majority of the global population and lays a foundation for international cooperation and for reaching the goals of protecting human rights and basic freedom set in the UN Charter.

Today, mankind is once again at a pivotal crossroads, where global human rights governance is facing severe challenges.

Human rights development has encountered accelerating confrontation and divide. The politicization and instrumentalization of human rights is seriously poisoning the healthy development of the global human rights cause.

To improve global human rights governance, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action should be followed, and it's also important to steer global human rights governance toward greater fairness, justice, equity and inclusiveness.

Security is the most basic need of mankind. Human rights can never be safeguarded without peace and stability. Only by safeguarding human rights with security, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, following the path of peaceful development, and putting into action the Global Security Initiative (GSI), can the world create a tranquil environment where human rights are well protected.

The Cold War mentality would only wreck the global peace framework; hegemonism and power politics would only endanger world peace; and bloc confrontation would only exacerbate security challenges in the 21st century.

The GSI proposed by Xi stresses that humanity is an indivisible security community. It offers Chinese plans for narrowing security deficit and tackling security challenges, and contributes Chinese wisdom to global human rights governance.

The international community should stay committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and jointly safeguard world peace and security, so as to better protect and promote human rights.

The right to development is universal and indivisible. It is a part of basic human rights. Global development is still unbalanced, uncoordinated and inadequate, which is to the disadvantage of the full enjoyment of human rights in the world, especially the developing countries.

China advocates for promoting human rights with development, puts into action the Global Development Initiative (GDI), makes development more inclusive, beneficial to all and sustainable, and ensures fair entitlement to human rights by people of all countries through modernization paths with their own characteristics.

The GDI has received wide support and is forcefully refocusing international attention on the issue of development and speeding up the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It has become an important international public product ensuring that people of all countries enjoy human rights equally.

Only by adhering to solidarity and cooperation, communicating sincerely and profoundly on human rights issues and seeking consensus and managing disputes, can countries improve their human rights protection and promote the development of the global human rights cause.

China stands for advancing human rights with cooperation in the spirit of mutual respect and equality, putting into action the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), and deepening exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. It is committed to building consensus through dialogues to promote human rights development with the rest of the world.

The GCI proposed by Xi champions equality and mutual respect, and also strengthens dialogue and communication. It respects the right of all countries to independently choose their own path of human rights development, and is conducive to promoting the healthy development of the global human rights cause.

China is an active participant and advocate of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, as well as a staunch upholder and practitioner of the spirit of the document. China puts the people first, follows a path of human rights development that conforms to the trend of the times and suits its national conditions, and has continuously strengthened human rights protection and promoted the unimpeded and all-round development of people in the process of advancing Chinese modernization.

China actively joins global human rights governance. The visions it has proposed, including promoting human rights with development, have won broad support and made important contributions to the development of the global human rights course.

All people in the world aspire to the entitlement of human rights. It's a common cause for humanity to promote and protect human rights. China is willing to work with the rest of the world to promote the shared values of all humanity, stay committed to the vision of equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness, mutual learning, win-win cooperation and common development, and inject positive energy to the healthy development of the global human rights cause.

SOURCE People's Daily
BOGOTA, Colombia, June 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL; NYSE: EC) informs that the Vice President of Corporate Affairs and General Secretary, Maria Paula Camacho Rozo, resigned from her position effective July 5, 2023, to assume a new professional challenge in another company.

The company appreciates the management and achievements of Maria Paula during her 25 years of work for the Ecopetrol Group and wishes her success in her new professional projects.

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), Brazil, and Mexico, 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, 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.
BOGOTA, Colombia, June 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL; NYSE: EC) informs that, as part of its strategy of integral debt management and refinancing of the 2023 maturities, it requests the disbursement of the resources associated to the financing line for an amount of COP 1 trillion, contracted with Bancolombia, that was announced to the market on March 17, 2023.

The disbursements will be made on June 16, 2023 for an amount of COP 692,827,560,000, on August 28, 2023 for an amount of COP 168,600,000,000. The resources will be used entirely to repay existing credit obligations of Ecopetrol S.A.

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), Brazil, and Mexico, 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, 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.
GE Aerospace is first business to use the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Frontier supercomputer, the world's fastest supercomputer

Frontier can process billions upon billions of operations per second

GE-developed models being used to study performance of open fan engine architecture for next-generation commercial aircraft engines

These models developed in partnership with ORNL could help reduce CO 2 emissions by more than 20%

LE BOURGET, France, June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- To support the development of a revolutionary new open fan engine architecture for the future of flight, GE Aerospace has run simulations using the world's fastest supercomputer capable of crunching data in excess of exascale speed, or more than a quintillion calculations per second.

Image credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

To model engine performance and noise levels, GE Aerospace created software capable of operating on Frontier, a recently commissioned supercomputer at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory with processing power of about 37,000 GPUs. For comparison, Frontier's processing speed is so powerful, it would take every person on Earth combined more than four years to do what the supercomputer can in one second.

By coupling GE Aerospace's computational fluid dynamics software with Frontier, GE was able to simulate air movement of a full-scale open fan design with incredible detail.

"Developing game-changing new aircraft engines requires game-changing technical capabilities. With supercomputing, GE Aerospace engineers are redefining the future of flight and solving problems that would have previously been impossible," said Mohamed Ali, vice president and general manager of engineering for GE Aerospace.

"Together with the U.S. Department of Energy and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, we are showing supercomputing to be a revolutionary tool for designing aircraft engines for a once-in-a-generation step change in improved fuel efficiency  critical for helping the aviation industry toward its target of net zero CO 2 emissions by 2050," Ali said.

GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines unveiled in 2021 the CFM RISE* (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) program, which includes development of advanced new engine architectures such as the open fan, along with advanced thermal management, combustion, and hybrid electric capabilities. The goal of the RISE Program is to develop technologies that enable a future engine to achieve at least 20% lower fuel consumption and 20% fewer CO 2 emissions compared to today's most efficient engines.

Through the RISE program, CFM International continues to mature open fan engine architecture, which removes the nacelle for greater propulsive efficiency while achieving the same speed and cabin experience commercial aviation passengers can expect from air travel today. GE Aerospace's use of supercomputing power and software tools are helping engineers understand open fan aerodynamic and acoustic physics in new ways. For example, Frontier unlocks the ability to better evaluate new engine technologies at flight scale in the design phase. As a result, GE can improve test hardware designs and better optimize engine performance and airframe integration.

"GE Aerospace's work illustrates one of the primary features of exascale computing: The ability to understand nature quantitatively in its full complexity," said Bronson Messer, director of science for ORNL's Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, which houses Frontier. "Like any unique scientific instrument, realizing this promise requires dedicated experts like the GE Aerospace team and OLCF staff to turn ideas into insight. This result is a tour de force of computational science, made possible by collaborations like this and the unique capabilities of Frontier."

Frontier is an HPE Cray EX supercomputer from Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) with more than 9,400 nodes, each equipped with a 3rd Gen AMD EPYC CPU and four AMD Instinct 250X accelerators. The Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility is a DOE Office of Science user facility.

UT-Battelle manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory for DOE's Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the U.S. DOE's Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.

GE Aerospace and its advanced research center have collaborated with the DOE for more than a decade to demonstrate the impact of high-performance computing on industrial design for flight.

Progress on the RISE program is on track for ground and flight tests in the middle of this decade to demonstrate new technologies for use in future commercial aircraft engines that could enter service in the mid-2030s.

*RISE (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) is a trademark of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines.

ABOUT GE AEROSPACE

GE Aerospace is a world-leading provider of jet engines, components and systems for commercial and military aircraft with a global service network to support these offerings. GE Aerospace and its joint ventures have an installed base of more than 40,000 commercial and 26,000 military aircraft engines, and the business is playing a vital role in shaping the future of flight.

GE Aerospace media contact:

Chelsey Levingston

513.720.6458

[email protected]

Oak Ridge National Laboratory media contact:

Katie Bethea

757-817-2832

[email protected]

SOURCE GE Aerospace
BEIJING, June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For mankind to have a better life and enjoy sound development, work must be done in combating desertification. Just like rolling a large rock uphill, endeavor in this regard may fall into relapse if any negligence occurs, said Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, at a symposium on strengthening comprehensive prevention and control of desertification and promoting the construction of key ecological projects in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region on June 6.

The president's inspection tour to Inner Mongolia has again highlighted his long-term focus on desertification. Experts said this top-down effort has made China's achievement unique in the world in tackling this environmental challenge.

From June 5 to 6, accompanied by officials from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Xi was on a fact-finding mission at a nature reserve, a modern agricultural demonstration park, a forest farm and a water resources department in Bayannur.

On June 6, Xi presided over a symposium in the city of Bayannur on strengthening the comprehensive prevention and control of desertification and promoting the construction of crucial ecological projects, including the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP).

After over 40 years of unremitting efforts, China has made remarkable achievements in preventing and controlling desertification, and realized a historic transformation from "sand forcing humans to retreat" to "trees forcing sand to retreat" in key areas, Xi said during a speech at the symposium.

Economic and social development, as well as the ecological outlook in desertification-threatened areas, have undergone earth-shaking changes, Xi said, adding that the hazards of sandstorms and soil erosion have been effectively curbed.

Sandstorms have hit north China more frequently in the past two years because of abnormal weather conditions and climate change.

Inner Mongolia has been at the frontline of desertification, but President Xi's speech emphasized the effort in curbing desertification, and pointed out the scientific and effective way to achieve the goal, an official who attended the symposium told the Global Times.

He said the next step is to speed up green transition in the region, to implement the TSFP projects, and coordinate the tasks of returning farmland to forest and return some farm and grazing lands to a state of grassland.

Top-down effort

Improving the ecological environment has always been discussed by President Xi. During the two sessions in 2022, Xi told lawmakers from Inner Mongolia that the region should unswervingly prioritize ecological conservation and boost green development.

Xi has conducted multiple field trips to areas severely hit by sand damage, including Ningxia, Gansu, and Hebei.

During a 2019 inspection tour to Babusha Forest Farm in the northwestern province of Gansu, he joined local people plowing the sandy land. Using a trench digger skillfully, Xi plowed a two-meter-long trench in the sandy area with the workers in a few moments.

Babusha Forest Farm, located in Northwest China's Gansu province, had long been plagued by severe sandstorms. After years of sand control, the formerly dry and barren land is now covered by vegetation.

Seeing the enormous transformation in this place, Xi praised the workers as being like a "modern-day Yu Gong" for their persistent efforts in controlling sand and transforming the desert into an oasis. Yu Gong, the protagonist of an ancient folk tale, tried to move mountains blocking the path in front of his home and eventually succeeded.

The desertification area in China has been reduced by more than 4.33 million hectares since 2012. A series of significant projects gradually built a green ecological barrier along the sandstorm line in northern China. In particular, the three primary sandy areas of Maowusu, Hunshandake, and Horqin, and the surrounding areas of the Kubuqi Desert, have been transformed into an oasis, according to documents sent to the Global Times by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration last week.

By 2025, China will have a total of 2 million hectares of land of desertification sealed off for protection, with more than 6 million hectares of sandy land newly treated and 1.3 million hectares of rocky and degraded land harnessed, said the administration.

Talking about China's success in tackling desertification in recent years, Yang Fuqiang, a senior advisor on climate change and energy transition with the Energy Research Institute at Peking University, told the Global Times that "China has made top-down efforts for years to address desertification. The central and local governments march together toward the same goal, with continuous environmental policies."

Such seamless cooperation has led to miraculous achievements, making China's effort in this area unique in the world, said Yang.

Intl cooperation urgently needed

During his inspection tour, Xi also called for efforts to extensively carry out international exchanges and cooperation, fulfill the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, actively participate in global desertification control and environmental governance, place strong emphasis on cooperation with neighboring countries, support desertification control and prevention efforts in countries along the route of the Belt and Road Initiative, lead countries in policy dialogue and information sharing, and jointly respond to sand and dust storm disasters.

The sandstorms in North China this year were partly trigged by sparse rainfall, and sand damage to plant cover in Mongolia, experts explained.

When meeting with President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh of Mongolia in Beijing in November 2022, Xi said that China applauds Mongolia's "Billion Trees" initiative, and is ready to discuss with Mongolia the establishment of a cooperation center to combat desertification.

Last year, China and Mongolia signed bilateral documents jointly addressing climate change, desertification and other areas. China held an online seminar to share with Mongolia its experience in addressing desertification in Kubuqi Desert in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, according to media reports.

China and Mongolia have always cooperated in managing sand and dust, but China could also aid Mongolia with experience and technology. Every year, funding from Chinese government departments and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification is applied for this, the Global Times learned from the Chinese Academy of Forestry.

Cao Xiaoming, a research fellow at the Institute of Desertification Studies under the Chinese Academy of Forestry, told the Global Times that his team monitored drought conditions in the Mongolian Plateau from 2011 to 2018 with remote-sensing techniques, together with scientists in Mongolia.

They found how climate change and human activities have led to dryer earth and desertification in the region, which covers both Mongolia and China's Inner Mongolia. According to Cao, the research is funded by the Chinese side. The results of the research are shared with Mongolian institutes.

Ma Jun, director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, said the more frequent sandstorms in North China in recent years highlighted the urgency for China and Mongolia as well as other neighboring countries to continue their joint efforts to combat desertification.

A sandstorm is a natural phenomenon that knows no boundaries and can be transmitted via all kinds of routes, said Ma. He said that addressing the problem requires transparent sharing of information and mutual trust, as well as joint efforts from countries in the region.

SOURCE Global Times
NEW YORK, June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd (NYSE: JKS) resulting from allegations that JinkoSolar may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public.

SO WHAT: If you purchased JinkoSolar securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=16025 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action.

WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On May 9, 2023, before trading hours, the Jacksonville Daily Record published an article entitled "Federal agents issue search warrant at JinkoSolar plant in Cecil Commerce Center: Homeland Security said it is part of an ongoing investigation; the factory, whose parent company is in China, opened in Jacksonville in 2018." The Jacksonville Daily Record reported that "[a]ccording to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal agents were assisting the Department of Homeland Security with the execution of a search warrant." Further, the article cited WJXT News4Jax, stating that JinkoSolar is one of several companies under investigation by the U.S. Commerce Department for circumventing trade rules by sending products to other countries before moving them to the U.S.

On this news, JinkoSolar's American depositary receipt ("ADR") price fell $3.91 per ADR, or 8%, to close at $43.47 per ADR on May 9, 2023, on unusually heavy trading volume.

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. 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.

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.
BEIJING, June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily: China's Shenzhou-16 manned spaceship was successfully launched on May 30. Ten paintings by teenagers from 10 African countries were carried to space with the three taikonauts.

Photo shows the painting that won the Tianhe Award in the "My Dream" Painting Competition for African Youth by Nigerian Prosper Sania Dania. (Photo provided by Prosper Sania Dania)

The 10 paintings were awarded entries in the "My Dream" Painting Competition for African Youth, which was co-hosted by the secretariat of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the China Manned Space Engineering Office and some Chinese embassies and consulates in African countries. The competition received drawings from 2,000 African youths.

The 10 entries won the Tianhe Award, which is named after the core module of China's space station, and flew into space together with the Shenzhou-16 crew. They will be exhibited in the space station.

"I'm just a normal youth from rural Nigeria. I never thought that my drawing could be taken to space by a Chinese spaceship and exhibited to the whole world. It's wonderful," said 20-year-old Nigerian Prosper Sania Dania.

The theme of the competition was mankind's dream of exploring the vast universe. In Dania's painting, a round pattern comprised of the national flags of Nigeria and China is displayed, symbolizing the friendship and solidarity between the two countries.

"Mankind has always been aspiring to explore the universe, and young Africans are no exception. China has made tremendous achievements in aerospace. The pioneering spirit of Chinese taikonauts is encouraging African adolescents to chase their space dream," Dania said, explaining the idea and inspiration of his work.

He told People's Daily that he was deeply touched by the remarks by Chinese taikonaut Jing Haipeng that the space exhibition will sow the seeds of science, friendship, and dreams on the China Space Station.

Jing's story of chasing dreams in space also made the young African realize that it's important for young people to not only have a dream, but also work for it, Dania said.

"I know that many cooperation platforms built by China have been supporting young Africans to show their creativity, though I've never been to the country. China and Nigeria, as well as other African countries, share development opportunities for progress and prosperity. I hope I can join a postgraduate program in China to realize my dream," the young man noted.

Hope Mafiko, an 18-year-old from Zimbabwe, is another winner of the Tianhe Award. After learning that his work was going to space, he immediately shared the excitement and joy with his family and friends.

In Mafiko's painting, which is abundantly covered by green and dotted with yellow and red, two African women are looking up to the sky, expressing mankind's aspiration for the universe.

"Green, yellow and red are colors that typically represent Africa," Mafiko said, adding that he hopes the painting can mirror Africans' passion for exploring the vast universe.

The young man was touched by the greetings that Chinese taikonauts made to African adolescents. "It was very heartwarming to hear such kind words. Many young people are being inspired by moments like these and hopefully become a generation of visionaries," he said.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2104467/PeoplesDaily_Prosper_Sania_Dania_painting.jpg

SOURCE People's Daily
NEW YORK, June 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against SentinelOne, Inc. ("SentinelOne" or the "Company") (NYSE: S), and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and docketed under 23-cv-02982, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired SentinelOne securities between June 1, 2022 and June 1, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Plaintiff pursues claims against the Defendants under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act").

If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired SentinelOne securities during the Class Period, you have until August 7, 2023 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

SentinelOne is a cybersecurity company that claims to have pioneered the world's first AI-powered Extended Detection and Response platform to make cybersecurity defense truly autonomous. The Company claims its Singularity Platform instantly defends against cyberattacks, performing at a faster speed, greater scale, and higher accuracy than otherwise possible from humans. The Company's fiscal year 2023 ended January 31, 2023.

SentinelOne claims that its "Annualized Recurring Revenue" or "ARR" is a key business metric. The Company defines ARR as "the annualized revenue run rate of our subscription and capacity contracts at the end of a reporting period, assuming contracts are renewed on their existing terms for customers that are under contracts with us."

The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (i) that the Company lacked effective internal controls over accounting and financial reporting; (ii) that, as a result, the Company's ARR was overstated; (iii) that, as a result, the Company's guidance was overstated; and (iv) that, 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.

On June 1, 2023, after the market closed, SentinelOne published a press release titled "SentinelOne Announces First Quarter Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results." Therein, the Company disclosed that "[a]s a result of a change in methodology and correction of historical inaccuracies, which we further describe in our letter to shareholders, we made a one-time adjustment to ARR of $27.0 million or approximately 5% of total ARR." The Company also revised its fiscal year 2024 revenue guidance downward to a range of $590 million to $600 million from a range of $631 million to $640 million. In a shareholder letter published the same day, SentinelOne further explained that "we . . . discovered historical upsell and renewal recording inaccuracies relating to ARR on certain subscription and consumption contracts, which are now corrected" and that "[w]e are applying a comparable estimated adjustment to the remaining quarters in fiscal year 23, which we believe is a reasonable approximation of the impact in those periods."

On this news, SentinelOne's stock price fell $7.28 per share, or more than 35%, to close at $13.44 per share on June 2, 2023.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, June 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp. ("TriplePoint" or the "Company") (NYSE: TPVG), and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and docketed under 23-cv-02980, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired TriplePoint securities between March 4, 2020 and May 1, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.

If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise TriplePoint securities during the Class Period, you have until August 15, 2023 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

TriplePoint is a business development company specializing in investments in venture capital-backed companies at the growth stage. It also provides debt financing to venture growth space companies, including growth capital loans, secured and customized loans, equipment financings, revolving loans and direct equity investments.

The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) TriplePoint had overstated the strength of its various portfolio companies and loan book, as well as the viability of its overall investment strategy; (ii) the foregoing, once revealed, was likely to have a material negative impact on the Company's financial position and/or prospects; and (iii) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On May 2, 2023, the Bear Cave released a report titled "Problems at TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC (TPVG)" (the "Bear Cave Report"). The Bear Cave Report highlighted significant issues at TriplePoint, alleging that "TriplePoint is encumbered by high fees, weak management, and a weaker loan book saddled by portfolio company bankruptcies and upside-down startups," and asserting that "the Bear Cave believes TriplePoint's equity may be severely impaired, if it has any value at all."

On this news, TriplePoint's stock price fell $1.19 per share, or 9.98%, over the following two trading sessions, to close at $10.73 per share on May 3, 2023.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
Proceeds from One-Year Sweepstakes to Benefit Downey's Environmental and Technology Nonprofit Organization, FootPrint Coalition

All Six Cars to be Featured in Max's "Downey's Dream Cars" Docuseries Premiering June 22

NEW YORK, June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Actor, producer, and FootPrint Coalition Founder, Robert Downey Jr., alongside a team of experts, have modified six classic cars from his personal collection to make them more eco-friendly and reduce their carbon footprint.

All six iconic cars are being given away in a one-year national sweepstakes beginning Friday, June 16 via www.rdjdreamcars.com. Proceeds from the sweepstakes will benefit Downey's FootPrint Coalition, a nonprofit organization focused on the adoption of technologies that will advance human systems towards a cleaner environment.

The cars to be given away in the sweepstakes, and which are featured in the Max series Downey's Dream Cars, are:

1969 Mercedes Benz 280 SE  among the modifications were: installing a modern diesel engine, converting the fuel system to biodiesel, and replacing the suede interior with one made from recycled plastics.

among the modifications were: installing a modern diesel engine, converting the fuel system to biodiesel, and replacing the suede interior with one made from recycled plastics. 1965 VW Bus  modifications included replacing the 1100 CC air-cooled engine with an EV West electric motor conversion and custom battery rack, and adding a solar-powered electric barbeque that slides out of the back of the bus.

modifications included replacing the 1100 CC air-cooled engine with an EV West electric motor conversion and custom battery rack, and adding a solar-powered electric barbeque that slides out of the back of the bus. 1966 Buick Riviera  among the eco-friendly changes were: replacing the stock 425 cubic inch V8 engine with a first-generation modern hybrid engine and adding a first-of-its-kind prototype Aclima air quality sensor.

among the eco-friendly changes were: replacing the stock 425 cubic inch V8 engine with a first-generation modern hybrid engine and adding a first-of-its-kind prototype Aclima air quality sensor. 1972 K -10 Pickup  modifications included turning it into a full EV pick-up with custom electric motor and battery pack.

modifications included turning it into a full EV pick-up with custom electric motor and battery pack. 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible  among the changes were: replacing the 327 Small Block engine with a modern electric motor and installing a one-of-a-kind mushroom-based interior.

among the changes were: replacing the 327 Small Block engine with a modern electric motor and installing a one-of-a-kind mushroom-based interior. 1985 Chevrolet El Camino  modifications included replacing the stock engine with a modern 4-cylinder Chevy turbo truck engine and adding a solar-powered bike rack in the bed of the car.

"Making Downey's Dream Cars come true with Max was an education and a blast. Keeping these transformed classic vehicles for my own personal enjoyment would be a missed opportunity. All proceeds from the sweepstakes will go towards funding FootPrint Coalition's nonprofit organization. Please enjoy the show on Max, and pretty please go to www.rdjdreamcars.com for a chance to win one of these now eco-friendlier cars," said Robert Downey Jr.

"The goal of this yearlong sweepstakes is to raise significant funding to help environmental technologies to take hold in a more systemic way. There are a ton of dedicated folks working on the sweepstakes and featured in this show, and they're only a tiny fraction of the millions of people who are actively volunteering their skills in restoring the planet. Our job is a race to curate the solutions that can change human systems in the timeliest manner  from research to rollout to new normal," said Rachel Kropa, FootPrint Coalition's Managing Director of Nonprofit + Science.

Chris Mazzilli, the founder of Dream Car Restorations/CMC Motors in Plainview, New York, where some of the cars were retrofitted to 2023 eco-friendly standards, is spearheading the sweepstakes, and is an executive producer of Downey's Dream Cars, a series premiering on Max on June 22 that illuminates how each of the cars were re-engineered and modified.

To participate in the sweepstakes with or without donating and learn more, please visit www.rdjdreamcars.com.

About Downey's Dream Cars

The multi-part docuseries, premiering on Max on June 22, follows Robert Downey Jr., and his team of experts, through the modification of the six classic cars to make them more eco-friendly, updating them into the new millennium while preserving their power and style. The series is produced by Boat Rocker's Matador Content and Team Downey, and hosted by Robert Downey Jr. For Team Downey, executive producers are Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, and Emily Barclay Ford; for Matador Content, executive producers are Jay Peterson, Todd Lubin, and Dave Larzelere; and for Warner Bros. Discovery, Kyle Wheeler serves as executive producer. Chris Mazzilli is also an executive producer.

About FootPrint Coalition

FootPrint Coalition is a multifaceted organization focused on the adoption of technologies that will advance human systems towards a cleaner environment. FootPrint Coalition's nonprofit offers grant funding, provides education on solutions, and creates content to mobilize a global audience to support its efforts in accelerating groundbreaking technologies that are addressing the world's largest environmental challenges.

Disclaimer

NO PURCHASE, CONTRIBUTION, DONATION OR PAYMENT IS NECESSARY AND MAKING ONE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. and D.C, the United Kingdom, and Canada (excluding Quebec). 18 years or older and age of majority. Begins 6/16/2023 at 12:01 a.m. ET and ends on 7/16/2024 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET. The six prize drawings will occur on 2/9/2024, 3/29/2024, 4/22/2024, 5/26/2024, 6/30/2024, and 7/31/2024. Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received for the applicable drawing. For entry details and official rules, including details on how to enter without making a donation or purchase and the applicable drawing dates, visit rdjdreamcars.com/pages/rules. Sponsor: Edward Charles Foundation, a Delaware nonprofit corporation, for the benefit of FootPrint Coalition.

SOURCE FootPrint Coalition
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

Isaac Asimov began to write stories about robots in 1939, texts that anticipated by more than 80 years the debates about artificial intelligence that we face today. Asimovs robots abided by three laws: never to harm a human being, by action or inaction; always obey, as long as that does not conflict with the first law; and protect its own existence, as long as that does not conflict with the first or second laws. The Russian-born author compulsively wrote science fiction and scientific and historical dissemination books; he used to say that he suffered from claustrophilia, a taste for being confined. When he died, in 1992, he left behind almost 500 published titles.

The documentary Isaac Asimov, A Message to the Future (2022), by French director Mathias Thery, presents the thinkers words, addressed to the citizens of a 21st century that he would never get to see. It opens with him explaining to the viewers that he does not suffer from false modesty  or any kind of modesty, for that matter; he is one of the three great science fiction authors of his time. He understood the genre as a promoter of debates that were yet to come, but without determinisms; it simply presented the options from which humanity would have to choose. He opposed the myth of the mad scientist, very popular after the world wars, and believed in research as the great driving force of progress and social change.

The writer imagined a society managed by interconnected computers; was worried about an ecological crisis caused by pollution and the extinction of species, which only international cooperation could solve; and he foresaw the dilemmas that would arise from the coexistence between people and intelligent machines. Regarding this last matter, he saw two possible outcomes: AI systems taking our jobs and leaving us destitute, or freeing us from painful or routine tasks, allowing us to develop our creativity. We still do not know which of these two directions the future will take.

Asimov would not have shared the apocalyptic predictions made by the current heads of the artificial intelligence business. Whats more: he invited humans to assume with sportsmanship that they will be surpassed by their creations. He wanted to be optimistic about the human species. When robots are smart enough, he said, they should replace us, as one species replaces another when it is more effective: I dont think Homo sapiens has a divine right to be above the rest. He would welcome that post-human world. We are so bad at taking care of other living things, he points out, that the sooner they replace us, the better. When AI enslaves us, the wise man believed, it will be because we deserve it.

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NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., June 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Authored by renowned Personal Data Sovereignty advocate, Robert Edward Grant, Crown Sterling Founder and CEO, and prolific technology writer Michael Ashley, "Neuromined: Triumphing Over Technological Tyranny" explores the critical question: "Are advances in technology working for or against us?"

"This book is a devastating blow to the tyranny of our tech-fueled corporatocracy." Tweet this Neuromined Triumphing Over Technological Tyranny by Robert Edward Grant and Michael Ashley

Grant and Ashley raise crucial concerns about our increasing reliance on technology, exploring scenarios where personal freedom and autonomy may be compromised. Each chapter imagines a near-future surveillance dystopia through a riveting fictional tale (show) with a companion analysis (tell), connecting the story to our present reality. Neuromined is set to release on July 25, 2023 and is now available for pre-order on Amazon . It will also be featured in 60 Hudson News airport retailers from coast to coast in the US, starting August 1, 2023.

With a foreword by Brittany Kaiser, founder of the Own Your Data Foundation and the focus of the 2019 Netflix documentary The Great Hack, Neuromined has already received powerful praise. Aubrey Marcus, prominent podcaster and New York Times best-selling author shared, "This book is a devastating blow to the tyranny of our tech-fueled corporatocracy." Dr. Eric Cole, CEO and Founder of Secure Anchor stated, "This book is a must-read for anyone with a computer or a smartphone. It not only points out the problem but gives a clear and effective solution that anyone can apply immediately."

"Authors Grant and Ashley brilliantly show us how to go in the right direction with our shared technological future. This is a must-read book for both techies and non-techies," shared Mark Victor Hansen, best-selling author and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Her Majesty Diambi Kabatusuila, Queen of the Bakwa Luntu People of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, describes the book as "a stunning wake-up call and a rallying cry for needed change."

But all hope is not lost. Neuromined, at its core, demonstrates how technology, when viewed through a different ethos and used by a conscientious public, can instead provide greater autonomy and greater access to liberation. Tune into the latest episode of the Robert Edward Grant Podcast , where Grant and Ashley cover some of the book's topics, bringing needed awareness to the true crisis of our time. Yet as the book states in its final chapter: "Our only way out is through." Only by exposing the unprecedented challenges we face, can we restore our liberty, the sweetest gift humanity has ever known.

Neuromined: Triumphing Over Technological Tyranny, published by Fast Company Press, is currently available for pre-order on Amazon and will launch on July 25, 2023. For more information, visit Neuromined.com . For media inquiries or interview requests, please reach out to [email protected] or +1-949-260-1700.

SOURCE Crown Sterling
NEW YORK, June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues its investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Prudential plc (NYSE: PUK) (OTC: PUKPF) resulting from allegations that Prudential may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Prudential securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=16906 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action.

WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On May 31, 2023, Prudential disclosed that its Chief Financial Officer James Turner had resigned amid a probe into a "code of conduct issue" relating to a recent recruitment.

On this news, the price of Prudential's American Depositary Receipts ("ADR") fell $1.71 per ADR, or 6.08%, to close at $26.43 per ADR on May 31, 2023.

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. 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.

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.
NEW YORK, June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues its investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE: WLY, WLYB) resulting from allegations that Wiley may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Wiley securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=17186 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action.

WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On March 9, 2023, Wiley announced its Q3 2023 financial results, in which it disclosed issues at Hindawi, one of its subsidiaries. The Company's CEO stated "Our third quarter results and revised full year outlook are clearly below our expectations" and "While our core business and markets are strong, we've been challenged this year by unpredictable market headwinds and an unplanned publishing pause at Hindawi." It was further announced that "Research was down 4% as reported, or down 2% at constant currency and excluding acquisitions, primarily due to a pause in the Hindawi special issues publishing program. The program was suspended temporarily due to the presence in certain special issues of compromised articles. As a result, Hindawi revenue declined $9 million vs. prior year, offsetting growth in other open access publishing programs."

On this news, the price of Wiley Class A stock price declined by $7.55, or 17.35%, to close at $35.96 per share on March 9, 2023.

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. 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.

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.
NEW ORLEANS, June 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until August 7, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against SentinelOne, Inc. (NYSE: S), if they purchased the Company's securities between June 1, 2022 and June 1, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Get Help

SentinelOne investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-s-7/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

SentinelOne and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On June 1, 2023, the Company disclosed that "[a]s a result of a change in methodology and correction of historical inaccuracieswe made a one-time adjustment to ARR of $27.0 million or approximately 5% of total ARR" and that the Company had slashed its fiscal year 2024 revenue guidance from a range of $631 million to $640 million to a range of $590 million to $600 million, due to the discovery of "historical upsell and renewal recording inaccuracies relating to ARR on certain subscription and consumption contracts, which are now corrected."

On this news, shares of SentinelOne fell $7.28 per share, or more than 35%, to close at $13.44 per share on June 2, 2023.

The case is Johansson v. SentinelOne, Inc., et al., No. 23-cv-02786.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
- Treatment with linsitinib in a clinically relevant mouse model demonstrated a significant reduction in autoimmune response and classical Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) symptoms, independent of TED severity -

- Ongoing global Phase 2b LIDS clinical trial evaluating linsitinib for treatment of active, moderate to severe TED -

ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sling Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on late-stage development of an oral small molecule for the treatment of thyroid eye disease (TED), today announced the presentation of data demonstrating that linsitinib, a small molecule insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-1R) inhibitor, prevented TED progression in a mouse model of TED, regardless of when treatment was administered. The data are featured in an oral presentation at the Endocrine Society Annual Meeting & Expo (ENDO) being held June 15-18, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois.

"We are delighted to present our newest dataset that reinforces the therapeutic hypothesis for linsitinib to be an oral drug for therapeutic intervention at all stages of TED," said Ryan Zeidan, Chief Executive Officer of Sling Therapeutics. "Importantly, our data demonstrate linsitinib blocks the development of localized pathology in mice with early and late-stage TED, demonstrating potential as an effective TED treatment. We anticipate these preclinical results will translate into humans and are currently evaluating linsitinib in our global Phase 2b LIDS clinical trial that is enrolling in the United States, Canada, Italy, Spain, and the UK."

The study investigated the effect of linsitinib in mice immunized with a plasmid encoding the A-subunit of thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR). An autoimmune response against TSHR induces Graves' Disease and TED. Linsitinib reduced the autoimmune response and limited the severity in early and late stages of TED.

"We previously presented data that demonstrated the potential for linsitinib to reduce T-cell and macrophage infiltration into the orbital muscle and adipose tissue by up to 80 percent. At ENDO 2023, we are presenting additional data from our evaluation of this potential oral treatment option for TED, demonstrating a reduction in disease severity at all stages of disease," said Jeff Kent, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Sling Therapeutics. "We anticipate a similar response to treatment that is independent of when linsitinib is administered. This opens the door for an oral therapeutic that can appeal to a broad range of patients who are suffering through TED at the early and late phases."

For more information about the Phase 2b LIDS clinical trial, visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05276063.

About Thyroid Eye Disease (TED)

TED is a debilitating autoimmune disease that affects about 20,000 people in the U.S. per year and has a similar prevalence in Europe. TED is characterized by excess fibrous tissue growth behind the eyes, and this inflammation can push the eyes forward or cause the eyes and eyelids to become red and swollen. As the disease progresses it can lead to pain, eye bulging, and double vision. TED predominantly affects women, and most frequently affects people with hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease.

About Sling Therapeutics

Sling Therapeutics, Inc., is a biopharmaceutical company focused on late-stage development of an oral small molecule for the treatment of TED. The company is advancing the evaluation of its lead product candidate, linsitinib, in a Phase 2b clinical trial based on extensive preclinical and clinical data. Linsitinib offers the potential of a convenient oral small molecule that could significantly reduce the treatment burden for people living with TED. For more information visit https://slingtx.com/.

Investor Contact

Jessica Vo

Gilmartin Group, LLC

[email protected]

Media Contact

Adam Daley

Berry & Company Public Relations

212.253.8881

[email protected]

SOURCE Sling Therapeutics
NEW YORK, June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. ("Spirit" or the "Company") (NYSE: SPR) and reminds investors of the July 3, 2023 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.

If you suffered losses exceeding $100,000 investing in Spirit stock or options between April 8, 2020 and April 13, 2023 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310). You may also click here for additional information: www.faruqilaw.com/SPR.

There is no cost or obligation to you.

Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading minority and Woman-owned national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia.

As detailed below, the lawsuit focuses on whether the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (1) that Spirit lacked effective production quality controls; (2) that, 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) that, as a result, Spirit would have to develop an inspection and repair procedure for the affected fuselages; (4) that the foregoing would negatively impact Spirit's financial results; and (5) that 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.

On April 13, 2023, after the market closed, Boeing announced that it would halt deliveries of its 737 MAX aircraft due to a supplier quality problem. According to an article by Barron's, Boeing issued a statement stating that "the issue will likely affect a significant number of undelivered 737 MAX airplanes."

The same day, Bloomberg identified Spirit as the supplier of the faulty part. Several media outlets reported the details of the quality problem. An article by Reuters reported that "[t]he problem involves the installation of two fittings that join the aft fuselage made by Spirit to the vertical tail, which were not attached correctly to the structure of the fuselage before it was sent to Boeing." Reuters also reported that "Spirit said it is working to develop an inspection and repair for the affected fuselages" and that "the problem is believed to date back to 2019."

On this news, Spirit's stock price fell $7.38, or 20.7%, to close at $28.22 per share on April 14, 2023.

The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Spirit's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.

Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.

SOURCE Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP
This clinical study demonstrated the following great key results:

The blood concentration of the drug and the viral load showed a negative correlation. The viral load decreased by 4.1% in the placebo group 16 hours after the first dose, whereas the Xafty group's viral load decreased by 56.65% (p-value 0.0185). As a result, the time to improve twelve COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, headache, etc.) was shortened by 4 days than that of the placebo group (p-value 0.0083). Particularly, in the high-risk group where existing medication was allowed (hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes medicine, etc.) was found that the time to improve twelve COVID-19 symptoms was shortened by 6 days compared to the placebo group (p-value 0.0080).

Niclosamide, the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) of Xafty, has been found as effective against major viral infections (COVID-19, SARS, MERS, influenza, RSV, etc.) that cause respiratory infections by various in-vitro studies in the past decades. Since niclosamide is hard to be absorbed into the body, its effective blood concentration to inhibit viral replication cannot be maintained, making it difficult to be delivered to infected cells. With such problem not been solved, no significant progress was made in animal studies and clinical trials.

Hyundai Bioscience overcame the challenge of niclosamide with its proprietary drug delivery technology using bio-compatible inorganic compound and polymer so that niclosamide is properly absorbed into the body and stays in the intestine for a prolonged time for slow release, enabling the effective antiviral concentration of niclosamide to be maintained for 5 days. The main target of the respiratory virus is the lung, where numerous blood vessels for oxygen supply exist. It was confirmed that Xafty delivers niclosamide well to the lung through the blood while maintaining an effective antiviral concentration. Hyundai Bioscience's animal testing demonstrated the concentration of niclosamide delivered to the lung was 2 to 10 times higher than in the blood.

Professor Woo said that the clinical result of Xafty has three meanings.

First, it made it possible to treat human viral infections by overcoming the problems (low absorption rate and short half-life) of niclosamide, which had been found to be effective in various viruses by in-vitro studies.

Second, it was confirmed that, if niclosamide is found to be effective against the respiratory virus by in-vitro or animal tests, treating the viral infection in humans can also be achieved.

Third, the viruses that has caused the pandemic so far are all respiratory and RNA viruses that cause endless mutations. Due to the nature of RNA viruses, it is impossible to develop a treatment for each individual virus.

Xafty presented an innovative way to treat multiple respiratory viral infections with a single drug.

More than half of viral infections are respiratory infections, and six families of viruses (Coronaviruses such as COVID-19, Orthomyxoviridae such as influenza, Paramyxoviridae, Picornaviridae, Adenoviridae, and Herpesviridae) are known to cause respiratory infections. Currently, there is no cure for respiratory viral infections other than COVID-19 and influenza and no drugs are discovered.

In-vitro studies from 2004 to 2021 have discovered that niclosamide, the main pharmaceutical ingredient of Xafty, is effective against not only the six families of respiratory viruses, but also against the eight families of viruses (Coronavirus including COVID-19, SARS and MERS, Orthomyxovirus, Paramyxovirus, Picorna virus, Flavivirus, Buniya virus, Filovirus, and Alphavirus) that NIH and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation decided to support the development of treatments for future pandemics.(U.S. Biden administration has decided to support $88.2 billion for 5 years to prepare for future pandemics.)

Dr. Jo White, a viral disease expert with 35 years of experience in clinical research at pharmaceutical companies such as Merck and BMS, commented on the result of Xafty's clinical study, "With the advent of penicillin antibiotics, mankind had been freed from fear of bacterial pandemic. As such, the birth of Xafty, the 'penicillin' of antivirals, may be viewed as a groundbreaking achievement that presents a solution to respiratory viral infections in the future."

[About Hyundai Bioscience]

HYUNDAI BIOSCIENCE is a biotechnology company that develops drugs based on its novel drug delivery system technologies to deliver active ingredients safely and efficiently to targeted areas of the human body. Founded in 2000, Hyundai Bioscience focuses on repurposing or expanding indications of existing drugs using its proprietary organic-inorganic hybrid technologies. Hyundai Bioscience is a public company listed on the KOSDAQ (symbol: 048410) in South Korea.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Joshua Kim, Managing Director, Hyundai Bioscience ([email protected])

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2103806/1__Clinical_And_Virological_Efficacy.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2103807/2__Background.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2103808/3__Methods.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2103809/4__Conclusion.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1816384/_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Hyundai Bioscience

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Trump majority wants to open the floodgates to polluters

One key system is water.

According to the study by more than 40 researchers for the Earth Commission, less than half the worlds population now benefits from easy access to free flowing rivers that sustain biodiversity and nourish healthy fisheries, which in turn support local economies. That is because too many rivers are altered by dams and development. Only 23 percent of the worlds large rivers (more than 620 miles in length) flow uninterrupted into the ocean.

Under the Earths surface, groundwater levels in nearly half the worlds basins are in decline from overuse. Invisible from above, groundwater is a critical source of drinking water, providing the base flow for rivers and, as the study said, directly sustain[ing] wetlands and terrestrial vegetation.

Compounding that are unsustainable levels of nitrogen and phosphorous runoff into rivers, lakes, and coastline estuaries from fertilizers. The runoff can trigger a tragic process known as eutrophication, leading to major fish kills and aquatic dead zones.

While much of the concern about climate change is understandably centered on staying beneath a threshold of temperatures that will unleash catastrophic climate impacts, the study is a reminder that there is much more to the preservation of the planet. A lead author, Joyeeta Gupta, told the media that if Earth was undergoing a medical exam, Our doctor would say the Earth is really quite sick right now, in many areas.

Earth Commission co-chair Johan Rockstrom added in a press release, Unless a timely transformation occurs, it is most likely that irreversible tipping points and widespread impacts on human well-being will be unavoidable.

Earths sickness lost on the Supreme Court

None of that appeared to be on the mind of the Supreme Court in Sackett v. EPA. The case involved an Idaho couple who wanted to develop over a wetland on their property near a lake; all nine justices on the high court concurred that the EPA went too far in regulating the particular wetland on the couples property.

But a razor-thin 5-4 majority, led by Justice Samuel Alito, seized on the case to gut a key portion of the 1972 Clean Water Act itself, ruling that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can enforce environmental laws under the Clean Water Act only if a wetland is indistinguishable from larger bodies of water, with a continuous surface connection that has no clear demarcation.

The ruling by Alito and fellow Justices John Roberts, Clarence Thomas , Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett willfully ignored the overwhelming scientific evidence showing the connections between wetlands and downstream waters, and the fact that wetlands play an outsized role in biodiversity, despite covering only 5.5 percent of land in the contiguous 48 states.

The ruling ignored findings by the EPA that our own waters mirror the state of those around the world: they are quite sick right now. According to the EPAs 2017 National Water Quality Inventory Report issued to Congress, nearly a third of wetlands and nearly half of the nations river and streams are in poor biological condition. More than 30 years ago, the US Fish and Wildlife Service reported to Congress that the nation has lost more than half of the wetlands that existed in colonial times in the contiguous 48 states.

The Supreme Courts ruling was sadly predictable given that Alito wrote long ago that, as far as he was concerned, the EPA can step in to protect water only when a pollutant is discharged directly from a point source to navigable waters.

Also ridiculously predictable was who applauded the ruling most loudly and lined up to drive over the bridge to troubled waters: fossil fuel, mining, road building and agricultural polluters and commercial and residential developers who desire minimal regulation when plowing over the landscape.

In its friend of the court brief in the Idaho case, the American Petroleum Association, the American Gas Association, and the Association for Oil Pipelines complained that the Clean Water Act led to a permitting system so onerous that the failure to obtain a permit after years of waiting can be ruinous.

Wetland connectivity proven long ago

Actually, polluters want to leave science-based permitting in ruins. The EPA under both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations determined that wetlands are critically connected to the quality of drinking water and to the quality of larger bodies of water, even when one cannot see the connections on the surface. In a 2015 report based on 1,200 peer-reviewed publications, the EPA cited ample evidence that many wetlands that lacked surface water connections still provide physical, chemical, and biological functions that could affect the integrity of downstream waters.

The functions, such as filtering pollutants, absorbing storm surges, slowing floods, preventing erosion and being protective nurseries for fish, add up to being almost priceless. Wetlands saved the 12 states ravaged by Hurricane Sandy from an additional $625 million in damage, according to a study by researchers from the University of California Santa Cruz and the Nature Conservancy. More than half of the nations $5.6 billion commercial seafood bounty in 2018 came from fish (such as salmon) and shellfish (such as crabs and shrimp) which spend part of their lifecycle in wetlands, according to NOAA.

Most people understand this. Two-thirds of respondents told the Pew Research Center in 2020 that the federal government is doing too little to protect the water quality of lakes, rivers and streams.

Accelerating wetland losses

In making its ruling in Sackett v EPA, the Supreme Court was oblivious to the fact that the world has lost a third of its wetlands since 1970. Wetlands are disappearing faster than forests, according to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The high court has set the stage for the United States to lose tens of millions of acres more. Environmental groups say the ruling in Sackett v EPA is so sweeping, that the result may be even worse than when the Trump administration tried to gut the Clean Water Act in 2019.

At that time, nearly four dozen current and former federal scientists filed a complaint with the EPAs inspector general, warning that 40 million acres of wetlands, equivalent to the size of Wisconsin, would be removed from protectiona massive chunk of the nations 110 million acres of wetlands in the contiguous 48 states.

It appears that this slim Supreme Court majority wants to open the floodgates to polluters even as we continue to learn more about just how connected wetlands are to bigger bodies of water and also to our entire way of life. A Canadian study two decades ago found that degraded water from human land use could be detected in wetlands up to two and a half miles away.

That study concluded: Effective wetland conservation will not be achieved merely through the creation of narrow buffer zones between wetlands and more intensive land-uses. Rather, sustaining high wetland water quality will require maintaining a heterogeneous regional landscape containing relatively large areas of natural forest and wetlands.

In this latest case, the high court didnt even bother with narrow buffer zones. Paired with last years ruling curtailing the EPAs powers to curb the carbon emissions fueling global warming, Alito and his majority are further disconnecting our nation from the science that could help us heal the planet.

The evidence could not be clearer that the Earth really is quite sick. Rather than aiding its recovery, this US Supreme Court seems intent on scurrying around the hospital, ward by ward, bed by bed, unplugging every life-support system and vital-signs monitor it can.
Washinton, June 17 : Six people, including three children, were found dead after shooting and fire at a home in Tennessee state of the US, media reported, citing authorities.

The apparent murder-suicide happened at 9 p.m. Thursday local time in the unincorporated area known as Sequatchie, reported WTVC-TV, a television station in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Police officers responded to a shooting at the residence only to find the house on fire, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the report.

A seventh person was hospitalized in Chattanooga with a gunshot wound, the WTVC-TV report added, citing the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Marion County Sheriff Bo Burnett told the news outlet that "it's a domestic situation, evidently that has been ongoing for a pretty good while".

The remains of the deceased have been taken to Nashville, the capital city of Tennessee, for autopsies.

Burnett was quoted as saying by another local news outlet, Local 3 News, that Gary Barnett, who is one of the three adults found dead, is believed to have been the shooter who killed the other victims before taking his own life.

The two adult victims were identified as Regina Barnett and Britney Perez. Regina Barnett had got a restraining order against her estranged husband Gary about a month ago and Perez was visiting her mother Regina at the time of the incident, according to the report.

An arrest affidavit shows the order of protection was issued follow Gary Barnett's arrest in December 2022 for a domestic assault charge over an incident involving his wife. The arrest report also shows that Regina Barnett told deputies that her "soon to be ex-husband" Gary threatened to shoot her and her dog and verbally abused her, Local 3 News reported.

The case against Gary Barnett was still pending with a possible court appearance coming up on July 5, the report added.

Officials said an investigation into the rampage is ongoing.
A dairy farm, a park made up of islands and a luxury hotel that rotates on the water to generate electricity. These are some of the floating architecture projects that have made headlines in recent years. Now, much of the attention is focused on Oceanix Busan, a prototype of a floating city that adapts to sea level to house climate refugees. The goal is for this city to be ready before 2030, the year in which Busan aspires to host World Expo 2030.

Busan is South Koreas largest port city. Hwang Hyun-ki, spokesman for the division in charge of the metropolitan citys overseas exhibition outreach, welcomes a group of Spanish journalists in a building in the North Harbor. Thats where the floating city will be built, he says proudly from a terrace while pointing a pointer to the water.

The goal is for Oceanix Busan to adapt to sea level, which has risen more than 20 centimeters (more than seven inches) since 1880, according to the U.S. National Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Two out of every five people in the world live within 100 kilometers (62 miles) of the coast and 90% of megacities are vulnerable to sea level rise, according to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). A study published in the scientific journal Nature Communications indicates that between 1993 and 2015, the risk of coastal flooding increased by almost 50% on a global scale. The future does not look optimistic: from 2050 onwards, coastal areas where 300 million people now live could be flooded every year.

Hwang Hyun-ki points out the place where Oceanix Busan will be built. Isabel Rubio

Oceanix Busan will study which technologies could be extrapolated to other land-scarce coastal cities. In theory, this floating laboratory will occupy an area of 60,000 square meters and will have three hexagonal modules. Of the 900 people who will be able to live in them, 300 will be part of a pilot project in which data will be collected to test whether the city is livable and sustainable. For example, they will measure how much energy they consume, how much waste they generate and whether it is 100% recyclable, says Hyun-ki: We will test whether the place is self-sufficient. Its creators claim that, in that case, this city could be transformed to house 10,000 people.

The site chosen to build this city is perfect, according to Daniel Sundlin, a partner at Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG): It is close to the city, but has relatively deep water. This architectural firm is in charge of designing the prototype together with Samoo  from the Samsung Group  and Oceanix, a company specializing in floating structures based in New York. The project will be carried out with UN-Habitat.

Lots of promises to keep

The three floating platforms will be connected to land with bridges. Biorock, a material that can be beneficial for the restoration of coral reefs and marine ecosystems, will be used to construct their underside. The platforms provide regenerative living surfaces creating habitats that filter and clean polluted port water, Oceanix says on its website.

On paper it all sounds promising: energy from renewable sources, electric vehicles, plant-based urban agriculture and water filtration and harvesting systems. In addition to housing, there will supposedly be dedicated research areas, supermarkets and intimate alleyways filled with local food vendors, crafts and bookstores. The company envisions a dream place: A home for residents and an incredible destination for visitors who embrace a sustainable lifestyle.

Reproduction of the floating city, capable of housing 10,000 people and made with materials respectful of marine ecosystems. OCEANIX

EL PAIS has contacted Oceanix to request more details about the project, but so far no response has been obtained. Many details about this floating city are still unknown, such as the technical aspects of the project, the real cost or if there is any plan to avoid damaging the marine ecosystem. Hyun-Ki explains that the project is in a planning stage that will last until the end of the year. They are assessing how to build the structures  what will be the roadmap to obtain the necessary permits from the authorities and the economic feasibility. The estimated budget, he says, is $600 million.

Oceanix Busan is scheduled to be built between 2025 and 2028. Busan is one of the candidate cities to host Expo 2030, which is why EL PAIS has been invited to visit this city by Samsung. The South Korean company represents 20% of the countrys GDP and plans to take advantage of this event to present some of its technologies. Busan competes with Rome (Italy), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and Odessa (Ukraine). If it is chosen, South Korea plans to invest $5.73 billionto build Oceanix Busan, remodel the North Port and undertake other works.

Artificial islands in New York and futuristic cities

Floating cities such as Oceanix Busan have been in the collective imagination for decades. Several initiatives aspire to extend New York into the sea with artificial, self-sufficient floating islands. Those most critical of these projects question precisely the lack of details for them to come to fruition. Hyun-ki compares the Busan project to NEOM City in Saudi Arabia, which is supposed to house a futuristic city on water called Oxagon. The only difference, he explains, is that Oceanix Busan is being realized through an agreement with the UN for people who used to live in coastal areas and have had to relocate.

But to what extent is it feasible to build floating cities? Brydon T. Wang, a lawyer with a background in architecture and a construction law researcher at Queensland University of Technology, explains that it depends on how you define the term floating city and where you place it. If youre just talking about structures that float semi-permanently or permanently on the water, we already have the technology, engineering skills and manufacturing capabilities to build structures that will last more than 50 years, says Wang, who is co-editor of the book Great Floating Structures.

Where these cities are based is important. Some like Oceanix Busan must be in calm, protected waters close to land, in the water space adjacent to a country. If you put this floating city in the middle of international waters, it wont look like Oceanix Busan, sitting on pontoons, the expert emphasizes. In that case, it will look more like a city sitting on semi-submersible structures, like oil rigs sitting on water.

For now, Wang does not consider it feasible to build a floating city in international waters. When you create artificial land in the middle of the ocean, you have complex interactions between land-based legal frameworks and international maritime law, he says. On top of that, you have to deal with the social development of the cities: Cities that are built from scratch dont tend to be vibrant, socially and culturally successful cities. Wang would love to visit Oceanix Busan, which in principle would not have to deal with this problem. But its still too early for that. Well have to wait a few years to see if all these promises will eventually be fulfilled.

Sleep habits and other data monitored by Busan Oceanix Busan's data collection reminds Hwang Hyun-ki of Eco Delta. The latter project, which consists of creating a smart city in Busan from scratch, is already somewhat more advanced. A total of 54 families have volunteered to share all kinds of data for three years, as reported in The New York Times: from their sleep habits and heart rate to the volume of garbage they generate or the energy they consume. "A model of people has been chosen based on their age and what they work on, and lifestyle patterns are being measured," says Hyun-ki. The project, which is being carried out in collaboration with Samsung, seeks to lay the foundations that will shape the cities of the future.

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United Nations, June 17 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for equal land rights for women on the occasion of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

"I urge all governments to eliminate legal barriers to women owning land and to involve them in policymaking, support women and girls to play their part in protecting our most precious resource," he said on Friday in a pre-recorded message for a high-level event in observance of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, which falls on June 17.

"We depend on land for our survival. Yet, we treat it like dirt," Guterres was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.

"Unsustainable farming is eroding soil 100 times faster than natural process can restore them. And up to 40 percent of our planet's land is now degraded, imperiling food production, threatening biodiversity and compounding the climate crisis." This hits women and girls the hardest, he noted.

Women and girls suffer disproportionately from the lack of food, water scarcity, and forced migration that results from mistreatment of land. Yet they have the least control. In many countries, laws and practices block women and girls from owning land. But where they do, they restore and protect it by increasing productivity, building resilience to drought, and investing in health, education and nutrition, said the UN chief.

Equal land rights both protect land and advance gender equality. That is why this year's World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought puts the focus on "Her Land, Her Rights," he said. "And together, let's stop land degradation by 2030."
Amman, June 17 : A fresh round of negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Houthi militia kicked of the Jordanian capital of Amman under the patronage of the UN.

In the two-day talks which will conclude on Saturday, the delegations from the two rival sides will discuss the issue of exchanging prisoners and seek solutions to the obstacles to the implementation of a previous agreement in this regard, an informed source told Xinhua news agency.

The source said both the two discussed the visit to each other's prisoners after the planned visit in May was postponed.

He described the atmosphere of the meeting as positive but did not provide any further details.

Majid Fadail, the spokesperson for the government negotiating delegation, expressed optimism for the success of the talks in a tweet, emphasising the objective of securing "the release of all prisoners and abductees" on the basis of reciprocity.

Last month however, the Yemen government had rejected participation in future prisoner exchange negotiations with Houthis, citing the Iran-backed militia group's refusal to disclose the location of prominent politician Mohammed Qahtan and their denial of visitation rights to his family.

Qahtan of the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Islah party, was abducted by the Houthis eight years ago in the capital Sanaa.

The Houthis have remained unresponsive to repeated appeals from the UN, local and international human rights groups, as well as the politician's family for access to Qahtan, according to the government.

UN-sponsored negotiations between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels in March successfully led to the release of nearly 900 prisoners in April, marking the second largest prisoner exchange between the warring sides since a civil war broke out more than eight years ago.

High-profile figures, including Nasser Mansour Hadi, the brother of former President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, and Mahmoud Al Subeihi, the country's former Defence Minister, were among those who were freed.

Yemen has been embroiled in the devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthi rebels fighting against the internationally-recognised government and a Saudi Arabia-led coalition allied with the latter.
Manila, June 17 : A Philippine Senate committee has launched an investigation into an alleged request from the US administration for the Southeast Asian country to host Afghan nationals applying for a special immigrant visa for America.

According to Filipino authorities, US President Joe Biden raised the request for the country to house Afghan refugees when his counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when the latter visited Washington in May, reports Xinhua news agency.

On Friday, Maria Imelda Marcos, the chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, launched the investigation to shed light on the US proposal.

During the hearing, Marcos questioned the reason why the US wanted to involve the Philippines in processing the entry of Afghan nationals who previously worked with the American agencies in the war-torn nation.

"If the US is unable or unwilling to accommodate the SIV applicants temporarily, why don't they consider US territories such as Guam, Puerto Rico, and Guantanamo?" she asked.

The Senator expressed her concern that these Afghans who previously worked with the US government might be targets of reprisal from anti-Washington terrorist groups.

Senator Jose Pimentel Ejercito also raised his concerns over the request to host Afghan immigrants.

"Given our housing backlog and the rise in the cost of living, shouldn't our limited resources be focused on taking care of our own?" he said.

"We want to register now our vehement objection and opposition to the proposal in its entirety, mainly on legal grounds and security issues," said Michael Wesley Poa, spokesperson of the Department of Education.

Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said the issue is still under discussion, adding the government has yet to allow Afghan nationals into the country.

"It's just an idea of the US, and we in the Philippines have gone over it and given our idea to each other," Manalo said.

Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro told the committee that he will defer to the legal opinion of the Department of Justice while noting the risks involved in hosting the Afghans awaiting resettlement in the US.
Oslo, June 17 : Norway will provide $161 million in support to assist those affected by the multiple crises, earthquakes and the steep rise in food prices in Syria and its neighbouring countries, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt announced.

"More than 15 million Syrians were in urgent need of humanitarian assistance already before the earthquake hit in February. Now, as a result of the earthquake, that number has risen still higher," Xinhua news agency.

Huitfeldt emphasized Norway's commitment to shifting its assistance focus toward an early recovery approach, recognising its importance in strengthening critical services and facilities necessary for the health and safety of the affected population.

"Norway is providing support for income-generating activities and the rehabilitation of agriculture and irrigation facilities with the aim of enabling people in Syria and its neighbouring countries to become more self-sufficient," she said.

Huitfeldt reiterated Norway's support for the pivotal role played by the UN in the Syrian conflict.

"Norway supports the efforts of the UN special envoy to find a peaceful solution in Syria. Only an inclusive political solution can bring an end to this conflict and the suffering of the Syrian people," Huitfeldt said.

Over the past 12 years, Norway has provided more than 18 billion Norwegian kroner to alleviate the crises in Syria.
London, June 17 : The suspect in the Nottingham stabbing attacks, which led to the deaths of three people including a British-Indian teen,earlier this week, has been charged with three counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder, police said.

Valdo Calocane, a dual Guinea-Bissau/Portuguese national, will appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Saturday, the Nottinghamshire police said in a statement.

The charges relate to University of Nottingham students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both aged 19, who were fatally stabbed in Ilkeston Road, on Tuesday and Ian Robert Coates, aged 65, who was later found fatally stabbed in Magdala Road.

The further three charges of attempted murder relate to three members of the public struck by a van.

Chief Constable Kate Meynell, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "These charges are a significant development and arise as a result of our thorough investigation into these horrific incidents that occurred in our city. Our thoughts remain with the families and friends of all those affected by these attacks, and we will continue to provide support and reassurance.

"This has been an incredibly sad time for our city and county, and we stand united with our communities as we come to terms with the effects of what has happened." The BBC had reported earlier that suspect Calocane is a 2022 mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Nottingham, and settled in the UK through his Portuguese citizenship.

Meanwhile, mothers of Webber and O'Malley Kumar urged the city to "hold no hate" at an emotional vigil on Friday.

Thousands of people gathered in Nottingham's Market Square to pay their respects to the two students and Coates.

The vigil came a day after thousands of students paid tributes at the University of Nottingham, where Grace and Barnaby studied.
London, June 17 : In a major crackdown on illegal immigration, enforcement officers in the UK arrested 105 foreign nationals from over 20 countries who were found working illegally in the country.

The nationwide operation by the Home Office on Friday saw over 300 immigration officers on 159 enforcement visits in a day at commercial premises including restaurants, car washes, nail bars, barber shops and convenience stores.

The suspects were arrested for offences including illegal working and possession of false documentation, with sums of cash seized at some locations, the UK Home Office said.

Of those arrested, over 40 were detained by the Home Office, pending their removal from the UK, with the remaining suspects being released on immigration bail.

It is also expected that a number of the arrests will result in voluntary departure from the UK.

Offenders of over 20 different nationalities were found to be working without the right to do so in the UK.

"Illegal working harms our communities, cheats honest workers out of employment and defrauds the public purse as no taxes are paid. As the Prime Minister has set out, we are committed to tackling the abuse of our laws and borders," Home Secretary Suella Braverman said.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also attended an early morning visit in Brent, North London, to observe Immigration Enforcement officers at work as part of the day of action.

"We know the prospect of black-market employment is a significant attraction for migrants considering making dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK. Operations such as today send a clear message that we will not stand for this," Braverman said.

The operation builds on the ongoing work by Immigration Enforcement officers to clamp down on illegal working which is a key part of the government's approach to stopping the boats.

This work tackles illegal migration by breaking the business model of criminal gangs who use the offer of black market jobs as one way to draw people to the UK illegally.

In the first quarter of 2023, Immigration Enforcement teams delivered 1,303 enforcement visits -- a 57 per cent increase on the same period last year -- and since the Prime Minister set out his plan to stop the boats in December 2022, arrests have now doubled since the same period last year, a Home Office statement said.

Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime, Eddy Montgomery said it is vital to not only identify individuals in breach of immigration law but target the people smuggling networks behind this type of criminal activity.
New Delhi, June 17 : Ahead of the reshuffling in the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision making body of the party, the party has planned major changes, including in several frontal organisations, sources said on Saturday.

The reshuffling in the CWC has been due since February this year after the 85th Plenary Session in Raipur.

During the three-day session, the Steering Committee unanimously decided to authorise party president Mallikarjun Kharge to nominate all members of the CWC and thus election was not required for the top decision making body.

The party had also decided to provide 50 per cent reservation for SC, ST, OBC, minorities, women, and youth below the age of 50 years in the CWC and also expanded the number of members of the highest decision making body to 35.

Now ahead of the major reshuffling, the sources have indicated the the Congress might bring changes in ome of its frontal organisations like the Youth Congress, National Students Union of India and Seva Dal.

The sources also indicated that some big changes are also on the cards in some other departments.

However, they did not share the names of the people who were being promoted or dropped from their posts.

The sources further said that even Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal on Friday met Kharge at his residence for over two hours to discuss the changes.

However, no decision has been finalised yet.

The sources said that Kharge will announce the changes in the party's structure in the coming days as several states are also set to get new in-charges as well as new chiefs.
Kolkata, June 17 : A video showing a professional goon confessing to being hired by a Trinamool Congress MLA to create tension at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas, is doing rounds on social media.

Three persons -- a candidate and an activist of All India Secular Front (AISD) and one local leader of Trinamool Congress --, were killed in the severe clashes at Bhangar last Thursday.

Gobinda Naskar, a resident of Hatgacha area, has been identified as the person making the confession.

In the video, Naskar after being nabbed by All India Secular Front (AISF) supporters, can be seen confessing that he was hired by Saokat Molla, the Trinamool Congress MLA from Bhangar-adjacent Canning (East) Assembly constituency.

A copy of the video is available with IANS, though the authenticity of the same has not been confirmed.

"I belong to the Saokat Molla camp. I was hired at Rs 5,000. I possessed a firearm and bullets. I also openly fired. I was asked to shoot at AISF supporters. After my bullets got exhausted I tried to escape, but got caught," Molla said.

He also confessed that he had come to Bhangar from Hatgacha in a group of around 30. Going viral since Friday evening, the video has created major ripples in the political circles of the state.

Saokat Molla has rubbished the allegations made in the video and claimed that it was doctored and circulated by AISF to malign his image.

Even Naskar took a U-turn from what he confessed in the video just hours after it went viral.

"After I was nabbed by the AISF supporters, the latter forced me to say such things and made a video out of it," Naskar said.

But he did not give any satisfactory answer on his presence at Bhangar on the nomination days as an outsider.
New Delhi, June 17 : Hitting out at the Central government, Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Saturday said that the violence-hit Manipur "requires a political solution, not a mere deployment of police-military to handle law and order".

Surjewala's remark comes after former Army Chief Ved Prakash Malik and Lt General of Army L Nishikanta Singh (retired) dubbed the condition in Manipur as "stateless".

In a Twitter post, the Congress General Secretary said: "Manipur's destructive violence has left a long trail of blood, deaths, destruction, distrust in Govt forcing a Lt. General of Indian Army to call Manipur as 'stateless' & comparing it to Lebanon-Nigeria-Syria an Ex Chief of Indian Army to plead for action. IS ANYONE LISTENING?".

In the post, Surjewala noted that since the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, "over 115 dead, over 50,000 displaced, over 121 churches of 15 denominations burnt down, more then 5,000 weapons looted (only 1,100 have been returned), home of even Union MOS for External Affairs has been burnt down, besides destroying large number of government buildings".

"The confusion in handling Manipur is best described in the statements of ruling BJP's CM and our Army General's perception of why is Manipur burning? Manipur BJP CM has described the violence as an act of terrorists.

"But our Army General, Anil Chauhan says it has, 'nothing to do with counterinsurgency and is primarily a clash between two ethnicities'. But PM Modi remains 'oblivious' to Manipur," he added.

Targeting the Prime Minister, Surjewala went on to say that the Modi has "neither visited Manipur (he found time to visit Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia and is now headed to US), nor once took stock by calling for a meeting or Chairing a meeting to review the situation in Manipur, nor once expressed dismay over violence or spoke about it in last 45 days since May 3".

Also hitting out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Congress leader said: "HM, Amit Shah found time to visit Manipur only 27 days after the death and destruction. His solutions have yielded zero result and since then, he has completely ignored Manipur as if it is not his charge. BJP Chief Minister Biren Singh has definitely failed miserably to handle the situation and any semblance of government has crumbled in the state.

"BJP National President, J.P. Nadda maintains a 'stony silence' over Manipur as if nothing is happening. Everything has been dumped on the shoulders of our Army and police to maintain law and order and Modi government appears to have washed its hands off." Firing salvos at the governkent, Surjewala added: "But will this work? Is this expected of PM Modi? Should PM not take initiative? Should PM and Union Government not initiate a fresh dialogue with both ethnic groups? Do the victims of violence not require a direct healing touch from PM and Union government assuring them of support and rehabilitation? Should PM not acknowledge that State BJP government has utterly failed to run the government in accordance with the Constitution?

"Should PM and Union government not ensure that raging violence and disruption comes to an end and normal political process is restored, instead of dumping its responsibility on our Army?." He further said that question is same as raised by Nishikanta Singh. "Is Modi government even listening? Does PM even care? Is government even concerned? Time to act in National Interest." The remarks by the Congress leader came after former Army Chief Malik said on Friday that the law and order situation in Manipur needs "urgent attention at highest level".

Gen Malik (retd), refferring to a tweet by Lt Gen L. Nishikanta Singh (retd), tweeted: "An extraordinarily sad call from a retired Lt Gen from Manipur. Law & order situation in Manipur needs urgent attention at the highest level." Gen Malik, who served as the 19th Chief of Army Staff from September 30, 1997 to September 30, 2000, tagged Prime Minister Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Shah in his tweet.

Earlier, Lt Gen Singh (retd) tweeted: "I'm just an ordinary Indian from Manipur living a retired life. The state is now 'stateless'. Life and property can be destroyed anytime by anyone just like in Libya, Lebanon, Nigeria, Syria, etc. It appears Manipur has been left to stew in its own juice. Is anyone listening?" The devastating ethnic violence began after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised by a tribal student body in the hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community's Scheduled Tribe status demand.
New Delhi, June 17 : Here comes a mobile app called 'Migrant Care', developed by students, that helps connect migrant labourers, their agents, and police officials to ensure their safety.

The workers can send a distress signal, if they need any help, by pressing the 'I am not safe' button on their phone app, else they can also mark themselves as 'Safe'.

The message can then be viewed by the police officials in real time, who can access them via the geolocation feature incorporated in the app.

Students at Sona College of Technology in Tamil Nadu developed this mobile application.

"The app was developed by BTech-IT students in less than two days at the request of Ms B Vijayakumari, IPS, Commissioner of Police, Salem City", according to Dr J Akilandeswari, Dean Academics and Professor of IT, Sona College of Technology.

It is estimated that out of an estimated 4,000 migrant workers in Salem district nearly half of them downloaded the app in the first few days.

The team is now testing the app for a wider reach and for other emergency situations.

Tamil Nadu has over six lakh migrant workers, and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Minister of Skill development have assured their safety.

"We encourage students to apply their latest tech knowledge and skills in helping our communities. Easy to use 'Migrant Care' app empowers Indian workers to feel and stay safe with the help of district police officials," said Chocko Valliappa, Vice Chairman, Sona Group of Institutions.

The teams are also exploring additional features that can be incorporated in the app in the future with inputs from the police department.
Protesters stand outside of the Senate chamber at the Indiana Statehouse on Feb. 22, 2023, in Indianapolis.

A federal judge issued an order Friday stopping an Indiana ban on puberty blockers and hormones for transgender minors from taking effect as scheduled July 1.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana sought the temporary injunction in its legal challenge of the Republican-backed law, which was enacted this spring amid a national push by GOP-led legislatures to curb LGBTQ+ rights.

The order from U.S. District Court Judge James Patrick Hanlon will allow the laws prohibition on gender-affirming surgeries to take effect. Hanlons order also blocks provisions that would prohibit Indiana doctors from communicating with out-of-state doctors about gender-affirming care for their patients younger than 18.

The ACLU filed the lawsuit within hours after Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the bill April 5. The challenge, on behalf of four youths undergoing transgender treatments and an Indiana doctor who provides such care, argued the ban would violate the U.S. Constitutions equal protection guarantees and trampled upon the rights of parents to decide medical treatment for their children.

Indianas Republican-dominated Legislature approved the ban after contentious hearings that primarily featured testimony from vocal opponents, with many arguing the gender-affirming care lessened the risk of depression and suicide among transgender youth.

Indianas Republican-dominated Legislature approved the ban after contentious hearings that primarily featured testimony from vocal opponents, with many arguing the gender-affirming care lessened the risk of depression and suicide among young people diagnosed with gender dysphoria, or distress caused when gender identity doesnt match a persons assigned sex.

Hanlon, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, wrote that he was blocking the law from taking effect because its opponents had demonstrated potential irreparable harm to those undergoing treatment and shown some likelihood of success in arguments that it was unconstitutional.

The ACLU had provided evidence of risks to minors health and wellbeing from gender dysphoria if those treatments can no longer be provided to minors  prolonging of their dysphoria, and causing additional distress and health risks, such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicidality, Hanlon said. While the State has identified legitimate reasons for regulation in this area, the designated evidence does not demonstrate, at least at this stage, that the extent of its regulation was closely tailored to uphold those interests.

ACLU leaders hailed the ruling as a victory in the fight to defend the right of all trans people to be their authentic selves, free from discrimination.

We wont rest until this unconstitutional law is struck down for good, Ken Falk, the ACLU of Indianas legal director, said in a statement.

At least 20 GOP-led states have now enacted laws restricting or banning such medical treatments for transgender minors after Missouris governor signed that states bill into law last week. Lawsuits have been filed in several states against transgender treatment bans. Federal judges have also blocked enforcement of laws in Alabama and Arkansas, and Oklahoma has agreed to not enforce its ban while opponents seek a temporary court order blocking it.

Indiana bill sponsor Republican Rep. Joanna King of Middlebury said as the ban was debated that it would protect our children from irreversible, harmful, life-altering procedures.

The Indiana attorney generals office didnt immediately reply to a request for comment on Hanlons ruling and whether it would attempt to appeal the injunction before July 1. Provisions of the law that were blocked gave trans youth taking medication to transition until Dec. 31 to stop.

A top attorney for the state told Hanlon during a court hearing on Wednesday that risks from gender-affirming treatments during puberty such as future fertility, bone strength, brain development and possible reversibility had not been adequately studied by scientists.

Such factors make it within the Legislatures authority to decide we dont want our children to be part of this grand experiment, Indiana Solicitor General Thomas Fisher said.

Though guidelines from leading authorities on gender-affirming medical care already say surgery generally should be reserved for adults, with exceptions for older teens who meet certain criteria, the Indiana law calls for an immediate ban gender-affirming surgeries.

The provisions of the law banning gender-affirming surgeries for minors in Indiana will have no immediate impact. Hanlon wrote in his ruling that no medical providers in the state perform those procedures on people younger than 18.

Representatives from Indiana University Health Riley Childrens Hospital, the states sole hospital-based gender health program, told legislators earlier this year that for patients who are minors, doctors do not perform genital surgeries or provide those surgery referrals. IU Health was not involved in the ACLUs lawsuit.

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Jaipur, June 17 : Rajasthan Police have arrested a man who sexually assaulted more than 40 minors and women by creating their explicit videos and photos.

According to sources, the accused, Barmer resident Mukesh Kumar Damami, even targeted his mother-in-law.

Police officials said that Damami worked as a drummer in wedding ceremonies and used to allegedly approach women during these events.

Thereafter, he used to blackmail them by threatening to edit and circulate their intimate photos and videos.

The police arrested him following a complaint from a family and were shocked to know the modus operandi adopted by the man.

It was discovered by police that Damami had stored the explicit videos and photos in a pen drive.

The police further revealed that he would approach women and engage in video calls with them, while using screen recorders to capture their conversations.

During these calls, he would start recording videos without the victims' knowledge.

Later, he would edit these videos and convert them into explicit content. Also, he would blackmail victims by threatening to circulate their intimate photos and videos, extorting money from them.

Police officials said that they have seized explicit photos and videos of over 40 women from six villages and are now interrogating the suspect under the POCSO Act.

A report was firled after a complaint was lodged by a victim at the Samdari Police Station on June 6.

The report said that explicit photos and videos of village women and underage girls were circulating for the last two months.
Kolkata, June 17 : Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, on Saturday, sought an investigation into the abnormally high number of nominations by ruling Trinamool Congress for the state panchayat polls within an extremely short time span on June 14.

"It needs to be investigated how TMC filed almost 40,000 nominations on June 14 within 4 hours & 36,000 on June 15 within the stipulated time period between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. without their candidates queuing up in the nomination centres," he tweeted.

In the same message he accused heavyweight Trinamool Congress candidate from North 24 Parganas district Shahjahan Sheikh of suppressing financial facts in the affidavit attached with his nomination.

"Because, this person, who owns & operates several Fish Farms, Fish Processing Plant & allied businesses; Brick Kilns & one Shopping Complex at Sarberia More; states in his Nomination Papers that his Annual Income is merely 19 lakh 83 thousand only ! The person who owns multiple buildings, several acres of land & has recently got a new house constructed at Park Circus Kolkata; the valuation of which runs into multiple crores mentioned in his Nomination Papers that the value of his land & building is only about 5 crores," the message read.

Demanding that the Income Tax department initiate an investigation on this alleged suppression of financial fact, Adhikari also accused Shahjahan Sheikh of murdering several local BJP leaders at Basirhat sub-division in North 24 Parganas after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"In 2019, after the Lok Sabha elections, the Basirhat Sub Division witnessed post poll violence of the worst kind. Shahjahan Sheikh masterminded the attacks on BJP Karyakartas after a significant number of Voters of many Gram Panchayat areas, voted in favour of the BJP. Pradip Mondal & Sukanta Mondal; among several other leaders & workers of the BJP were killed in Sandeshkhali; North 24 Parganas district. As because he had the protection of the highest level, the law couldn't caught up with him," the BJP leader's message claimed.
Washington, June 17 : The gunman who carried out the 2018 mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh -- the deadliest antisemitic attack in US history -- has been found guilty on all the 63 charges levelled against him.

Following Friday's verdict by a federal jury, 50-year-old Robert Bowers now faces the possibility of a death sentence, reports CNN.

When asked to individually confirm their verdicts, each juror answered "yes" without hesitation after deliberated for about five hours over two days.

Bowers was convicted of 11 capital counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death and 11 capital counts of use of a firearm to commit murder during and in relation to a crime of violence, among other charges.

He was also convicted of 11 counts of hate crimes resulting in death.

The convictions mean the trial will move to a separate penalty phase, with the jury weighing further evidence to decide whether to sentence him to death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The penalty phase is scheduled to begin June 26.

Eight men and three women -- ranging in age from 54 to 97 -- died in the attack inside the Tree of Life synagogue on October 27, 2018.

In April, a report by the US-based Anti-Defamation League revealed that the number of antisemitic incidents in the country had increased by more than 35 per cent in the past year, from 2,721 in 2021 to 3,697 in 2022.

Antisemitic hate crimes spiked in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago -- home to the country's three largest Jewish populations, according to the police.
Houston, June 17 : After a deadly tornado ripped through the town of Perryton in Texas killing three people, the US National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a heat wave advisory for the state to remain in effect until Sunday.

In its advisory issued on Friday, the NWS warned people in the state that temperatures could feel as hot at 43 degrees Celsisus at times, reports the BBC.

Cities across Texas have opened up cooling centres for vulnerable residents.

"Anyone ready for winter yet?" NWS forecasters posted on Twitter on Friday, adding that heat records are expected to be broken over the weekend.

As the danger of storms subsides on Saturday evening, the risk of extreme heat across the region will remain, the NWS said.

The heat comes with a week to go before the summer season officially begins on June 21.

The tornado hit Perryton, which has a population of around 8,500, at around 5.10 p.m. on Thursday evening. It even injured more than 75 people and caused extensive damage to homes and businesses.

The fire department and EMS were also hit and a trailer park sustained heavy damage.

Temperatures have been climbing since Thursday, when a major storm system swept the southern US.

About 174,000 customers were without electricity in Texas as of Friday evening, according to the Poweroutage.us website.

Some 152,000 more were in the dark in Louisiana, 107,000 in Mississippi and 25,000 in Florida.

Officials warn that the brutal heat will strain power grids as residents run their air conditioners.
New Delhi, June 17 : Affirming that India-US relationship will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century, Congressman Gregory Meeks credited the Indian-American community for bolstering the ties between the two nations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

The visit includes a state dinner as well as an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on June 22.

"The US-India partnership has only grown in importance over the course of past 14 years, strengthened by our people-to-people ties with overwhelming (majority of) Indian-Americans, many of whom live in the city of New York, and of course, in my congressional district," Meeks who serves the fifth Congressional district of New York, said in a video message shared by the Indian Embassy in the US.

"We can leverage this vibrant diaspora to enhance our cooperation and create greater opportunities for the people of our two great nations," Meeks said in his message.

As Prime Minister Modi prepares to board the Air India One, it is the ecstatic Indian-American across the US waiting to welcome the leader, and has been actively extending their messages and wishes on the social media.

More than 7,000 Indian-Americans are expected to be present as a 21-gun salute accompanies the President and First Lady as they welcome Modi to the White House next week.

The community from across the length and breadth of the country has been organising big-ticket events and cultural events to welcome the Prime Minister.

Stating that the US-India relationship will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century, Meeks said he wants to see the two nations work in unison to advance peace and prosperity.

"I look forward to hearing from the Prime Minister during our joint meeting of Congress on his vision for India, for India's relationship with the US, and I see us work together to advance peace, prosperity, democratic values and stability in the Indo-Pacific," Meeks said concluing his message with "Jai Hind".

Indian-Americans are the second-largest immigrant group in the US, with their population estimated to be around 4 million.

The New York City area, specifically, is home to the largest Indian-American population of any metropolitan area in the country According to estimates, close to 600,000 South Asian Americans live in New York, making it home to the nation's second largest South Asian population, behind only California.

(Meenakshi Iyer can be reached at meenakshi.i@ians.in)
Kampala, June 17 : At least 25 people were killed and eight others critically injured after militants linked to the Islamic State terror group attacked a school in Uganda, police said on Saturday.

The attack took place on Friday at the Lhubiriha secondary school in Mpondwe, reports the BBC.

In a statement, the police said the attack was carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) -- a Ugandan group based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Soldiers are pursuing the group who fled towards Virunga National park in the DRC, police added.

"So far 25 bodies have been recovered from the school and transferred to Bwera Hospital", the BBC quoted national police spokesperson Fred Enaga as saying in a statement on Saturday.

A dormitory at the school was burnt and a food store was looted during Friday night's attack, he added.

The attack on the school, located less than 2 km from Uganda's border with the DRC, is the first in many years.

ADF rebels have been operating from inside the DRC for the past two decades.
Kochi, June 17 : Fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal was on Saturday sentenced to life imprisonment after the Ernakulam District POCSO court found him guilty of sexually assaulting a minor girl.

The case surfaced in 2022, when he was already in jail in a cheating case, after his former domestic help petitioned the police that her minor daughter was raped by him in July 2019 at his place.

The young girl was promised higher education by Mavunkal. The Court found Mavunkal guilty of the crime and sentenced him to life.

In September 2021, Mavunkal hogged the headlines after a person who was allegedly cheated to the tune of Rs 10 crore by him, approached Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan which eventually led to the swindler's arrest.

Mavunkal used to bring several VIPs to his palatial residence, a part of which was converted into a museum to house his 'precious' antiques, which he claimed included the "staff of Moses" and "two of the 30 silver coins that were taken by Judas to cheat Jesus Christ".

The police said that he also displayed a throne said to be used by Tipu Sultan, as well as a huge collection of old Qurans, Bibles (Old Testament and New Testament), and old handwritten copies of the Bhagavad Gita.

When the case first surfaced, pictures of the now retired state police chief Loknath Behra and serving additional director general of police Manoj Abraham visiting the "museum" of Mavunkal at Kochi went viral.

As the matter went before the court, it asked how these top police officials never thought of how a museum like this can function as the rules are very clear. It also sought to know why the police set up a daily beat box at his house and the museum.

After his arrest in 2021 in the cheating case, he is currently serving a jail term .
Bengaluru, June 17 : The government is mulling bringing the responsibility of operation and maintenance of new airports under the ambit of the Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC), official release from the large and medium industries ministry stated on Saturday.

KSIIDC is a body functioning under the department of large and medium industries.

Minister for Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil stated that talks will be held with the union government about the operation and maintenance of new airports.

Further, he said, "Shivamogga airport is ready to commence operations and the directorate of civil aviation has given approval for the same." Likewise, the government also intends to operate and maintain the Vijayapura and Hassan airports which are under construction, Patil said.

It would be good if we operate and maintain the new airports on our own hereafter and it is going to fetch financial benefits, he opined.

Citing an example he said that the Shiradi airport is being operated and maintained by the Maharashtra government itself. This model is being followed in 2-3 other states also, he explained.

The state has set up an airport in Kalaburagi at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore. However, this has been handed over to the airport authority. Instead of this, there will be local benefits if we run ourselves, the minister claimed.
Imphal, June 17 : Mobs in Manipur tried to vandalise state BJP President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi's residence and torched the head office of Thongju Assembly constituency from where Power and Forest Minister Thongam Biswajit Singh was elected, police said on Saturday.

An irate mob tried to attack the home of Sharda Devi near Porampet in Imphal around midnight on Friday.

The Central Reserve Police Force opened fire in the air and managed to disperse the mob, mostly youths.

In another incident, a mob torched the head office of Thongju Assembly Constituency in Imphal west district late Friday night and the security forces along with the fire-fighters brought the situation under control.

Power and Forest Minister Thongam Biswajit Singh, second-in-command of the Manipur council of Ministry after Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, was elected to the Assembly several times from the Thongju Assembly Constituency.

In separate incidents, exchange of fire between the security forces and armed militants were reported from Kwakta in Bishnupur district of Manipur and Kangvai in Churachandpur district through the night.

The security forces have foiled an attempt to loot weapons from Iringbam police station in Imphal West by the miscreants.

A mob of approximately 1,000 people tried to burn down buildings near the palace compound.

The Rapid Action Force (RAF) fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

Various groups and organisations set up roadblocked and torched properties in different places of Manipur.

Army, Assam Rifles, various other Central Armed Police Forces and Manipur RAF continued marches since late Friday evening and the area domination patrolling further intensified on Saturday.

Police said that the mob, which was demanding an early solution to the ethnic conflicts, accused all the ministers, MLAs and ruling BJP leaders that they were not doing enough to end the crisis.

The devastating ethnic violence, which so far killed over 120 people and injured more than 400, began in Manipur on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised by a tribal student body in the hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community's Scheduled Tribe (ST) status demand.
Paris, June 17 : The French government will invest 300 million euros ($329 million) per year between 2024 and 2030 to boost the development of a new, more fuel-efficient engine as well as the design of lighter aircraft, President Emmanuel Macron announced.

During his visit to French aircraft engine manufacturer Safran, Macron said that France "must be the champions of ultra-sober aircraft", reports Xinhua news agency.

He unveiled a series of measures to boost the development of low-emission aircraft, including 50 million euros in favour of emerging players and start-ups to develop small hybrid, electric, or hydrogen planes.

Another 200 million euros will be spent on the development of innovative biofuels, he said.

In 2021, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) member airlines agreed to commit to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The pledge brings air transport in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, the IATA said.
Abortion will remain legal in Iowa after the states high court declined Friday to reinstate a law that would have largely banned the procedure, rebuffing Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and, for now, keeping the conservative state from joining others with strict abortion limits.

In a rare 3-3 decision, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld a 2019 district court ruling that blocked the law. The latest ruling comes roughly a year after the same body  and the U.S. Supreme Court  determined that women do not have a fundamental constitutional right to abortion.

The blocked law bans abortions once cardiac activity can be detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy and before many women know they are pregnant. The law contains exceptions for medical emergencies, rape, incest and fetal abnormality.

Writing for the three justices who denied the states request to reinstate the law, Justice Thomas Waterman said granting that request would mean bypassing the legislature, changing the standard for how the court reviews laws and then dissolving an injunction enacted by a lower court that blocked the law.

In our view it is legislating from the bench to take a statute that was moribund when it was enacted and has been enjoined for four years and then to put it in effect, Waterman wrote.

The court has seven members but one justice declined to participate. Her former law firm had represented an abortion provider. All of the justices were appointed by Republican governors and five were appointed by Reynolds.

In a statement, Reynolds expressed disappointment in the courts ruling.

Not only does it disregard Iowa voters who elected representatives willing to stand up for the rights of unborn children, but it has sided with a single judge in a single county who struck down Iowas legislation based on principles that now have been flat-out rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court, Reynolds said.

Reynolds added that the fight is not over. She said her administration was considering options but didnt give specifics, such as calling for a special legislative session to enact stricter abortion laws.

Republicans hold large majorities in the state House and Senate, and leaders of both chambers criticized the ruling and suggested they will work toward passing new legislation.

Ruth Richardson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, called the decision an enormous win.

Each person deserves control of their body, and Iowans have that right, based on todays court decision, she said in a statement. Abortion bans make pregnancy more dangerous than it already is, and it shouldnt matter which state you live in.

While the states high court maintains the block on the law, it does not preclude Reynolds and lawmakers from passing a new law that looks the same. The decision Friday was largely procedural  the 2022 appeal to the 2019 ruling was too late.

Abortions remain legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Most Republican-led states have severely curtailed access to abortion in the year since the U.S. Supreme Court stripped womens constitutional right to abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade and handing authority over the issue to states.

Courts have put enforcement of several abortion bans and restrictions on hold while they consider whether they comply with state constitutions, including six currently paused. But there have been final rulings in just a handful of cases since the Dobbs ruling  and no clear trend on how theyre going.

A state appeals court ruled last year that an abortion ban dating back to before Arizona was a state does not apply to doctors, but whether it applies to other helpers is part of an ongoing legal dispute. The South Carolina Supreme Court earlier this year struck down a ban on abortions there after cardiac activity can be detected. Since then, though, the state has adopted a new ban, though enforcement of it has been paused by a court.

Judges in some other states have found bans unconstitutional only in narrow ways.

The top court in Oklahoma last month struck two state laws banning abortion, but abortion remains illegal in all stages of pregnancy there, with some exceptions, because of another ban that remains in effect.

A federal judge last year barred Idaho from enforcing its abortion ban in medical emergencies just after another federal judge made the opposite call on a Texas state law.

Reynolds signed Iowas 2018 law despite state and federal court decisions at the time, including Roe, affirming a womans constitutional right to abortion. Planned Parenthood sued and a state judge blocked the law the following year. Reynolds did not appeal the decision at the time.

In a separate case, the Iowa Supreme Court decided last year to reverse an opinion saying the states constitution affirms a fundamental right to abortion. Roe was overturned a week later and Reynolds sought to dissolve the 2019 decision.

A state judge ruled last year that she had no authority to do so and Reynolds appealed to the states Supreme Court, which is now far more conservative than when the law was first passed. Reynolds appointed five of the courts seven members.

Because Fridays decision was tied, the court affirms the lower court decision but otherwise the high courts opinions have no other authority. That means earlier rulings that applied an undue burden test for abortion laws remains in effect.

The undue burden is an intermediate level of scrutiny that requires laws do not create a significant obstacle to abortion. Lawyers for the state argued the law should be analyzed using rational basis review, the lowest level of scrutiny to judge legal challenges.

In his opinion supporting reversal of the law, Justice Christopher McDonald wrote that to reject the appeal and deny the reinstatement of a law is to curtail the power of the legislative branch. He goes on to argue that there has been substantial change in law that allows for the dissolution of the 2019 ruling.

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Rio De Janeiro, June 17 : Santos have completed the permanent signing of Venezuela international midfielder Yeferson Soteldo, the Brazilian Serie A side said.

Soteldo will be tied to Santos until June 30, 2027, after the club exercised a purchase option in his loan deal from Mexico's Tigres UANL.

No official financial details were given, but local media reported that Santos agreed to pay four million US dollars for 50 percent of the 25-year-old's transfer rights, Xinhua reported.

Soteldo has made 109 appearances for Santos over two spells, scoring 19 goals and providing 20 assists.

Santos are currently 13th in the 20-team Brazilian top flight standings with 13 points from 10 games so far this season.
Kiev, June 17 : Nearly 200 settlements have been affected by the June 6 breaching of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal revealed.

With a combined population of 1.4 million, the affected communities are located in the southern Kherson and Mykolayiv regions and the central Dnipropetrovsk region, Xinhua news agency quoted Shmyhal as saying during his visit to Kherson.

Currently, 39 settlements remain in the disaster area, while more than 3,700 people have been rescued from the flooded areas, Shmyhal said.

The government has allocated about $42 million to provide compensation for the damaged and destroyed property and to pay one-time aid to flood victims, he added.

The breaching of the dam led to mass evacuations as water levels downstream rapidly increased.

Massive flooding also killed nine people in the town of Oleshky.

Kiev and Moscow have traded accusations over the dam's destruction, without providing concrete proof that the other is culpable.

It is not yet clear whether the dam was deliberately attacked or whether the breach was the result of structural failure.
New Delhi, June 17 : National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Saturday said that Subhas Chandra Bose wanted Indians to feel free like birds and never compromised for anything less than the independence of the country.

Delivering the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose memorial lecture in the national capital, Doval said that Bose not only wanted to free India from political subjugation but he also felt the need to change the political, social, and cultural mindset of the people.

"Netaji (Subhas Chandra Bose) said I will not compromise for anything less than full independence and freedom. He said that he not only wants to free this country from political subjugation but there is a need to change the political, social and cultural mindset of the people and they should feel like free birds in the sky," the NSA said.
New Delhi, June 17 : An air passenger carrying foreign currency worth Rs 57 lakh was apprehended at Indira Gandhi International Airport by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), an official said on Saturday.

The CISF official said that the accused was held on behaviour detection.

Based on suspicion, the passenger Mohd Faizil, who was supposed to travel from Delhi to Dubai by Indigo Airlines Flight, was diverted to a random checking point for thorough checking of his baggage.

While checking his baggage through the X-BIS machine, some doubtful image was noticed.

Faizil was allowed to complete the check-in formalities and was kept under close watch through physical and electronic measures.

"After clearing the Check-in process and Immigration formalities, the passenger was intercepted by CISF surveillance and intelligence staff and was brought to the departure Customs office. On thorough checking of his check in baggage, in the presence of custom officials, 2,58,500 UAE Dirham worth approximately INR 57 lakh were detected which were concealed in the false bottom of his check in baggage," said the official.

On inquiry, Faizil could not produce valid documents to carry such a huge amount of foreign currency. The passenger, along with the detected 2,58,500 UAE Dirham, was handed over to Custom officials for further action in the matter.
New Delhi: National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval addresses at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Memorial Lecture 2023 organised by ASSOCHAM, in New Delhi, on Saturday, June 17, 2023. (Photo:IANS/Anupam Gautam) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi: National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval addresses at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Memorial Lecture 2023 organised by ASSOCHAM, in New Delhi, on Saturday, June 17, 2023. (Photo:IANS/Anupam Gautam) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, June 17 : If Subhas Chandra Bose had been alive, India would not have been partitioned, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval said on Saturday.

Delivering first Subhas Chandra Bose memorial lecture in the national capital organised by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), the NSA said that Netaji showed a lot of audacity at various stages of life and he even had the audacity to challenge Mahatma Gandhi.

"But Gandhi was at the prime of his political career and when Bose resigned and came out of the Congress, he started his struggle afresh," Doval said.

"I am not saying good or bad but there are very few parallels in Indian history and world history of people who had the audacity to sail against the current," Doval said, adding that Netaji was a lonely person and had no country supporting him except Japan.

The idea that came to his mind was "I will fight the British, I will not beg for freedom. It is my right and I will have to get it", the NSA added.

"India would not have been partitioned if Subhas Bose was there. Jinnah had said I can accept only one leader and that is Subhas Bose," Doval said.

He also said that Subhas Chandra Bose wanted Indians to feel free like birds and never compromised for anything less than the independence of the country.

Doval further said that Bose not only wanted to free India from political subjugation but he also felt the need to change the political, social, and cultural mindset of the people.

"Netaji (Subhas Chandra Bose) said I will not compromise for anything less than full independence and freedom. He said that he not only wants to free this country from political subjugation but there is a need to change the political, social and cultural mindset of the people and they should feel like free birds in the sky," the national security adviser said.

The NSA said Bose was a secular person and that he was deeply religious.

He added that Bose's efforts were driven by his passion for patriotism and his unwavering dream of a great India.

"Bose's efforts were monumental, fuelled by his romantic ideals of patriotism and his unwavering hope for a great India. History may have been unkind to him, but his impact and nationalism continued even after his passing. He left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of countless Indians who were inspired by his extraordinary journey," he said.
New Delhi, June 17 : Painless and non-invasive radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) has shown promise against prostate cancer -- one of the most common forms of cancers among men that is rapidly increasing globally, doctors said here on Saturday.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, except for skin cancer, and the sixth most fatal cancer among men. It is estimated that one in eight men above the age of 60 will have prostate cancer in a lifetime.

According to health experts, as the incidence of cancer is increasing, removing fear and anxiety in people's mind is necessary.

"A combination of accurate diagnostics, early detection and excellent treatment options like radiotherapy has changed the way prostate cancer is treated now, patients can potentially lead a long and good quality of life after being cured or controlled," Vineet Nakra, Radiation Oncologist at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali, told IANS.

Radiation therapy is a painless and non-invasive treatment which can be used to treat and cure prostate cancer and several clinical studies support its equivalence to surgery in terms of outcomes. It is very well tolerated with a low probability of side effects. Longer survival with least side effects and good quality of life is always the aim.

Like surgery, radiotherapy is a local therapy but it is very different from chemotherapy or targeted therapy in which medicines are administered through IV or orally. The treatment is delivered in a few minutes only while the patient does not experience any sensations such as pain or burning.

"Radiation therapy uses extremely focussed beams of radiation to precisely kill prostate cancer cells or keep them from growing and dividing while minimising damage to healthy cells. Since radiation therapy is non-invasive (unlike surgery), there is no down time or healing time," Nakra explained.

"Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) are recently advanced therapies that deliver radiation with higher degrees of precision; hence, the patient faces minimal side effects.

"Image guided radiotherapy allows three-dimensional visualisation of the treatment area prior to each treatment and this verifies utmost accuracy. This is vital for protecting sensitive structures like the rectum," he added.

Painful bone lesions which can be troublesome in metastatic prostate cancer can also be effectively palliated with radiotherapy.

"It is important to remember that prostate cancer is treatable and managed successfully. Many men can lead normal, healthy lives after diagnosis and treatment," Rahul Bhargava, Principal Director of Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, told IANS.

"More individuals are living longer with this disease with increased awareness and early detection. The patients need to speak up and get the required help to maximise their quality of life," he added.
New Delhi, June 17 : The Congress, along with ten like-minded parties from Manipur, on Saturday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the violence in the northeastern state, adding that they waiting for an appointment to discuss the issue in-depth with him.

Addressing a press conference here at the party headquarters, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Ten opposition parties from Manipur are waiting for the appointment from the Prime Minister. Ten parties, Congress, JD(U), CPI, CPI(M), Trinamool Congress, AAP, All India Forward Bloc, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and Revolutionary Socialist Party have sought an appointment with the Prime Minister. They are awaiting a reply. We are hopeful that before leaving for the US on June 20, he will meet the opposition parties." All these leaders are waiting in the national capital and will stay put till June 20 to meet the Prime Minister.

Taking a swipe at the BJP government at Centre, Ramesh, who is party's Communications in charge said, "Manipur was burning 22 years ago on June 18, 2001. The Assembly Speaker's bungalow, CM Secretariat was burnt and the blockade remained for three-and-a-half months. At that time the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the demand of all parties, convened an all-party meeting twice and he appealed for peace." "Whereas, today leaders from 10 parties are waiting to meet PM Modi, but he is silent," Ramesh, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, said.

He said that on June 24, 2001, an all party delegation from Manipur met the Prime Minister, it was just six days after the incident in the state.

"Before going abroad, the then Home Minister L.K. Advani met the all-party delegation on July 8 and the Prime Minister (Vajpayee) once again appealed to maintain the calm and help the administration to help in restoring normalcy in the state," he said.

Ramesh said that today leaders of 10 political parties are waiting here to get a chance to meet the Prime Minister but he is silent and he is yet to make an appeal.

"This is clear that there is no faith in the state government and we can only hope to get help from the central government as the state government has failed entirely. Even after Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Manipur, there is no difference in the situation," he stated.

"We demand that the Prime Minister see the appeal of Vajpayee and also meet with the delegation. Instead of Mann ki Baat, he must do Manipur ki Baat," Ramesh added.

Former Manipur CM Okram Ibobi Singh said that since May 3, Manipur has been burning, and to this day, it continues to burn. "There is a hue and cry everywhere, with 20,000 people, including women and children, taking shelter in camps. However, the Prime Minister has not yet expressed anything regarding Manipur. Is Manipur a part of India or not? If it is, why hasn't the Prime Minister of India spoken about it? We, the 10 like-minded political parties, have prepared a memorandum advocating for peace." "We are not here for political advantage but we simply seek peace. Please help us," Singh added.

Notably, the devastating ethnic violence, which so far killed over 120 people and injured more than 400, began in Manipur on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised by a tribal student body in the hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community's Scheduled Tribe (ST) status demand.
New Delhi, June 17: One year after the signing of a 'Joint Vision Statement on Defence Partnership towards 2030', the India-Vietnam show of camaraderie will be on full display once again as the country's Defence Minister General Phan Van Giang travels to New Delhi on a two-day visit starting Sunday.

General Giang, who is also a Politburo member of Vietnam's Communist Party and Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, will call on Rajnath Singh on Monday as the two ministers advance defence ties.

The visit follows last month's talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnam PM Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Hiroshima.

During their discussion, the two leaders noted the steady progress achieved in the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and agreed to enhance high-level exchanges and deepen bilateral trade and investment ties.

They also discussed opportunities in the fields of defence, building resilient supply chains, energy, science and technology, human resource development, culture and people-to-people ties.

Interestingly, after the Philippines, Vietnam too has shown interest in acquiring BrahMos - the potent offensive missile weapon system developed through the joint venture between India (DRDO) and Russia (NPOM) - to strengthen its coastal defence operations.

More than a decade ago, Russia had supplied Vietnam with mobile coastal missile system Bastion with a unified supersonic homing anti-ship missile Yakhont.

Vietnam remains an important pillar of India's Act East Policy and a key partner of its Indo-Pacific Vision underlined by PM Modi's Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) initiative.

Signalling its desire to have a less intertwined future with China, Hanoi has been deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with New Delhi since 2016 to maintain peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

Last June, during his visit to the Vietnamese capital at the invitation of his counterpart, Singh spotlighted that both countries share a rich history of civilisational and cultural linkages spanning over 2,000 years.

Besides signing the Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030 which significantly enhances the scope and scale of existing bilateral defence cooperation, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Mutual Logistics Support was also inked during the Defence Minister's Vietnam visit.

This was dubbed as a major step towards simplifying procedures for mutually beneficial logistic support and was the first such major agreement which Vietnam signed with any country.

India also handed over 12 High-Speed Guard Boats to the Southeast Asian country at Hong Ha Shipyard in Hai Phong as Singh invited Vietnam to become a part of India's defence industrial transformation through enhanced cooperation that will take forward PM Modi's vision of 'Make in India, Make for the World'.

"Defence engagements between the two nations have diversified to include wide-ranging contacts between the services, military-to-military exchanges, high-level visits, capacity building and training programmes, cooperation in UN Peacekeeping, ship visits and bilateral exercises," the Indian Defence Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

Two months ago, Vietnam's Minister of Public Security General To Lam was in New Delhi for two days with a high-ranking delegation at the invitation of National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval.

A detailed plan to enhance the linkages on strategic, security and defence matters was worked out as both expressed concerns about actions and incidents in the South China Sea that erode trust in the region.

With India being the current chair of the world's leading group of developed and emerging economies (G20), Vietnam has thanked India for highlighting the perspectives and concerns of the Global South and always supporting its role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

India and Vietnam also have convergences in the wider maritime context. In October 2021, India and ASEAN adopted a Joint Statement on Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific for Peace, Stability and Prosperity in the Region.

All three service Chiefs of the Indian Armed Forces have visited Vietnam over the last few years while the Commanders-in-Chief of the Vietnam People's Navy and Vietnam People's Air Force have visited India.

Two Indian Naval Ships, INS Shivalik and INS Kamorta paid port calls to Ho Chi Minh City Port in November 2022 and INS Delhi and INS Satpura made a port call at Da Nang Port from May 19 to May 22, last month.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Chandigarh, June 17 : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Saturday that his government has handed over 29,684 government jobs in around one year and more such employment opportunities are in the pipeline.

Addressing a gathering to hand over job letters to 401 clerks, the Chief Minister exhorted the newly-recruited youth to discharge their duty with utmost dedication and professional commitment.

He said time has come when a new work culture based on teamwork and commitment must be introduced in the government offices. CM Mann said the young blood always has new ideas which his government will implement to give impetus to overall development.

The Chief Minister called upon the youth to come forward to fulfill the aspirations of the great freedom fighters who had laid their lives for emancipating the country from clutches of foreign imperialism.

He said his government is making efforts to infuse discipline in the working of the offices. Mann said this will ensure that people are benefited from the working of the government.

The Chief Minister said his only motive is to serve the state with missionary zeal for its overall development and welfare of people. Mann said his every step and breath is aimed at the wellbeing of the people, adding that no stone is being left unturned for this cause.

Mann said that earlier politicians hogged limelight after assuming office, but he left this limelight for the sake of Punjab and Punjabis and to serve the state.
Shimla, June 17 : Saying the BJP is exploiting the situation for political gains and could initiate an NIA investigation into the murder of a 21-year-old man for loving a woman from another community, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Saturday expressed displeasure over the protests by the opposition.

He said this case was the first of its kind in the country where all accused have been apprehended and are currently in police custody.

Despite swift action taken by the police, the furore being created by the BJP continued that was uncalled for and unjustified.

Sukhu was responding to a situation after the murder in Chamba district with protesters demanding the probe into the crime be handed over to the National Investigating Agency (NIA). The victim's family has been demanding capital punishment.

The Chief Minister told the media here that all accused involved in the murder were arrested within 24 hours. "The BJP's persistence in protesting despite the arrests and the government's acceptance of their demand for an inquiry by the NIA seems illogical." He said the BJP, being the ruling party at the Centre, could easily initiate an NIA investigation by a mere phone call from Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur.

However, the BJP is exploiting the situation for political gain, with an eye on the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sukhu added.

The Chief Minister said despite arrests, the BJP's youth wing, the Yuva Morcha, after five days of the incident has set ablaze the houses of the accused.

"Despite assurance to the people given time and again by me that all persons involved in the murder case would be brought to justice, it is beyond the perception that why such protests were being held despite arrests made, which seems that the BJP was doing dirty politics," said the Chief Minister.

Regardless of this, it would have been appropriate, that the BJP would have launched movements and protested for the rights of the state and would have raised the voice with the Centre for the due and legitimate rights of the state for the welfare of the people.

Sukhu stated that the Congress would have extended its support in cases prioritising the interests of the state.

Emphasising the shared responsibility of the government and the Opposition to protect the rights of the state, the Chief Minister asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to collaborate on issues such as water cess and enhancing royalty in various hydropower projects, ensuring that the state receives its due rights.

The body of the murder victim, Manohar Lal, a mule owner, was brutally cut into eight pieces and thrown into a drain allegedly by the woman's kin.

The crime took place in the Bhandal panchayat of Salooni sub-division, located some 75 km from the district headquarters of Chamba, bordering Jammu and Kashmir.

The man went missing on June 6 and his body was discovered on June 9.

The BJP has been demanding an NIA probe as there were alleged financial transactions in an account of one of the accused that raised suspicion about the motive of the crime.
Nusrat Chowdhury, a civil rights lawyer, has been confirmed by the Senate as the first Muslim female federal judge in U.S. history.

She will assume her lifetime appointment in Brooklyn federal court in New York after a 50-49 vote on Thursday along party lines.

The confirmation drew praise from the American Civil Liberties Union, where she is the legal director of the ACLU of Illinois. Prior to that post, she served from 2008 to 2020 at the national ACLU office, including seven years as deputy director of the ACLU Racial Justice Program.

In a tweet, the ACLU called her a trailblazing civil rights lawyer.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who recommended her, said she makes history as the first Bangladeshi American as well as the first Muslim American woman to be a federal judge.

Nusrat Choudhury is a shining example of the American Dream, Schumer said in a statement. She is the daughter of immigrant parents, a graduate of Columbia, Princeton, and Yale Law School, and has dedicated her career to making sure all people can have their voices heard in court.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., voted against the appointment, citing her support for criminal justice reform. He said in a statement that some of her past statements call into question her ability to be unbiased toward members of law enforcement.

After finishing law school, Chowdhury clerked in New York City for U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote and 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Barrington Parker Jr.

She has served on the Presidential Task Force on Building Public Trust in the American Justice System.

Her appointment was consistent with President Joe Bidens pledge to emphasize diversity in background, race and gender in his judicial nominations.

Two years ago, the Senate confirmed the nations first federal Muslim judge, Zahid Quraishi, to serve as a district court judge in New Jersey. Quraishis first day on the job at a New York law firm was Sept. 11, 2001. He would go on to join the Armys legal arm and served two deployments in Iraq.

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Kolkata, June 17 : In the wake of continuing political clashes and violence in West Bengal ahead of the July 8 panchayat polls, Governor C.V. Ananda Bose has decided to visit the different trouble-prone areas of the state.

On Friday, the Governor had visited Bhangar in South 24 Parganas, which turned into a battlefield for major part of the week following clashes between Trinamool Congress and All India Secular Front (AISF) supporters over filing of nominations for the panchayat elections.

Now that the nomination process is over and the tension has trickled into the scrutiny period that started on Saturday, the Governor has decided to cancel all his appointments outside West Bengal and instead visit the troubled spots in the state.

On Saturday evening, Bose will be going to Canning in South Parganas district, which also witnessed violent clashes during the nomination filing period between two factions of Trinamool. Source said that in the coming days, the Governor is likely to visit the other troubled pockets of the state.

On Saturday, the Governor also summoned State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha to discuss the continuing violence in different parts of the state.

However, Sinha did not turn up and instead sent a communique to the Raj Bhavan that because of his schedule following the ongoing nomination process, he will not be able to attend the meeting.

Meanwhile, the leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has expressed apprehension that that the state government is planning to deploy 9,000 new recruits in the police force for panchayat poll duty by posting them hurriedly after wrapping up their training process within seven days.

Adhikari tweeted, "The government intends to deploy them during the panchayat elections. Their training programme is being curtailed and they would be posted in a hasty manner, in order to lower the shortfall of police personnel required during the elections.

"I have written to Home Secretary B.P. Gopalika, apprising him how this move would be in violation of the act, rules and norms of police training. Not only will it be unlawful, it would also prove to be disastrous in future with untrained police personnel being tasked to maintain law and order."
Kolkata, June 17 : A Trinamool Congress leader -- the husband of a former panchayat member of the party, has been murdered in broad daylight at Sujapur in West Bengal's Malda district on Saturday.

The deceased has been identified as Mustafa Sheikh. The Trinamool Congress has accused the Congress workers of carrying out the assassination.

To protest the killing, the Trinamool Congress workers blocked National Highway 34 along with Sheikh's body.

West Bengal cabinet minister from Malda district, Sabina Yeasmin, later visited the spot.

The State Election Commission has sought a detailed report from the district magistrate and district police superintendent of Malda over the incident.

Yeasmin told mediapersons that on Saturday afternoon, when Sheikh was returning home after Namaaz, he was attacked by a group of people associated with Congress.

"The local residents have identified the assassins. Police should arrest them immediately," she said.

The Congress, however, denied the allegations and claimed that this murder was a result of infighting in the ruling party in the area.

This is the seventh killing in connection with the poll-related violence since the panchayat election dates were announced by the State Election Commission on June 8.

The polling is scheduled to be held on July 8. The votes will be counted on July 11.
Ghaziabad, June 17 : Amid reports of the manipulation of online gaming into alleged 'religious conversion' and 'terrorism' backed by cross-border elements, cops say a recruitment is going on for such activities through game-related platforms offering 'victory' for players in return.

A senior officer in Delhi Police's Special Cell said that the organisations indulge in such acts are using techniques such as false inclusivity, preaching in game chat, recruitment through game-related platforms, offering in-game advantages among others.

The world of online gaming provides a diverse and interconnected space where millions of players gather to share their passion for virtual adventures. However, amid the camaraderie and excitement, the alleged online gaming religion conversion racket does not seem to be a 'spirited play'.

To further religious agendas, the alleged accused through the deceptive scheme preys on unsuspecting players, targeting their vulnerabilities and manipulating their love for gaming.

According to police, the online gaming religion conversion racket involves people or organisations who seek to convert gamers to specific religious beliefs through deceptive tactics and manipulative techniques.

These scammers exploit the immersive nature of online gaming, leveraging the strong bonds formed within gaming communities to introduce religious ideologies and attempt to convert players.

Sharing the details, the top cop further said that by using false inclusivity, the scammers may infiltrate gaming communities under the guise of friendly and inclusive players.

"They join conversations, form alliances, and gradually introduce religious concepts or discussions. By appearing open-minded and accepting, they build trust and subtly encourage players to explore their religious beliefs," he said.

In another modus operandi, the scammers, within multiplayer games, utilise the in-game chat feature to spread religious messages or engage players in religious debates.

"They may start casual conversations about spirituality, life's purpose, or morality, ultimately steering the conversation towards their specific religious beliefs. This can be particularly effective when targeting players who are searching for deeper meaning or connection," said a cyber cell police officer.

"The scammers exploit online forums, social media groups, and gaming platforms dedicated to specific games to approach players. They may create fake profiles or pose as fellow gamers to initiate conversations and gradually introduce religious concepts, inviting players to explore their faith further," he said.

Some scammers entice players by promising in-game advantages, such as rare items, power-ups, or exclusive privileges, if they embrace a particular religion or join a specific religious community.

"This manipulative tactic preys on players' desire for progression and competitiveness, coercing them into considering conversion for virtual rewards," the official added.

Recently, an online gaming religion conversion racket was busted in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad. It came to light after the father of a minor victim learnt that his son was lying about going to the gym and visiting the mosque instead for prayers.

The probe began after the father of the minor boy complained to police that his son had come in contact with a person via a gaming app and was influenced by him to visit the mosque in Sanjay Nagar, Ghaziabad.

On May 30, a cleric of a mosque, Abdul Rahman and one Thane resident, Shahnawaz Khan alias Baddo, were booked at Kavi Nagar police station Ghaziabad after an investigation was initiated into the conversion racket.

An investigation into the alleged conversion of a boy has led to what police claim to be a racket that was being operated through a gaming app for the past few years.

Abdul Rahman, the member of a mosque committee in Sanjay Nagar, who is originally from Ballia, was later arrested for his alleged role in the religious conversion of at least four youths.

The mosque committee has told the cops that Rehman had quit the panel a few months ago, but is yet to submit any proof of the claim.

As per police, Shahnawaz Khan alias Baddo has also been found to have been operating at least six email IDs, one of which contains a few emails from Pakistan in the inbox.

Now, the investigating agencies including NIA and IB have been roped in to find if it was a terror nexus running under new modus operandi.

In yet another case, the Delhi Police recently uncovered a major conversion racket operating within a shelter home located in the Turkman Gate area in the national capital.

The main accused, Mohammad Kaleem, a B.Tech graduate, was apprehended on June 9 following a complaint filed by the shelter home's caretaker, Sandeep Sagar.

Sagar alleged that Kaleem had been pressuring him to convert to Islam, offering inducements such as a government job and financial incentives.

The probe has taken a new turn as police teams are now scrutinising Kaleem's phone records, attempting to ascertain whether he received any external instructions.

"The investigation is currently going on, and we cannot confirm his association with any organisation at this moment. However, we are exploring all possible angles, including whether he was receiving directions from individuals from across the border," said a source in the know of things.

"The modus operandi is the same as the Ghaziabad conversion racket, where the victims were shown YouTube videos and asked to recite religious verses before beginning any work," the source said.

According to reliable sources, it has come to light that several terrorist organisations are engaging in radicalisation of youngsters over the past few years, employing them as sleeper cells.

"These sleeper cells have handlers, who activate them when necessary. It is plausible that following numerous failed operations, these terrorist organisations may have adopted a new modus operandi to radicalise and convert individuals within the country," said a former police officer, who requested anonymity and termed the matter as sensitive.

"After the Ghaziabad conversion racket and the arrest of Kaleem, it seems that someone is behind them, operating from across the border or somewhere else," he said.

(Shekhar Singh can be reached at shekhar.s@ians.in)
New Delhi, June 17 : Father's Day is tomorrow, and it's time to celebrate the real-life heroes in our lives - our incredible dads! This year, go beyond generic gifts like the usual ties or watches. Feeling confused? Discover 5 unique and thoughtful gifts to show your appreciation for your dad and address some of his daily struggles.

Pamper him with the gift of weekend and relaxation! Our fathers work day in, day out to make our lives better. Zero complaints, maximum efforts, and minimum appreciation. It's time for your hero to get the much-deserved appreciation in three ways.

Being the strongest pillars of support in our lives, dads need a well-deserved break to relax and recharge. Treat him to a luxurious spa experience at ITC Hotels where he can unwind and rejuvenate his body and mind. Combine the relaxing experience with an extraordinary gastronomic journey, exploring the delightful multicuisine dining at Adalaj Pavilion, ITC Narmada in Ahmedabad, where every dish showcases the expertise and passion of the expert chefs. Additionally, head to Yi Jing, Sheraton in New Delhi for an exceptional taste of Chinese delights, allowing your dad to indulge in culinary masterpieces. Don't forget to reserve a spot for the Super Hero brunch at Golconda Pavilion, ITC Kohenur, Hyderabad, to celebrate the super hero of your life.

Relive your childhood memories by taking him to McDonald's and treating him with his favorite Happy Meal. Try their newly launched items like McDonald's Chicken McWings and refreshing summer drinks.

You can also give him a timeshare, which he can monetize at a future date. Such timeshares are quite economical, and your father can have a wonderful holiday on the beaches of Goa or the pristine peaks of Himachal.

Gift of Health Fitness Gadgets: If your father is also a gadget enthusiast, it's time to combine his love for gadgets with fitness.

Afterall, parents often put their health aside to fulfill their responsibilities.

It's time to change the narrative!

This Father's Day, show him how much you care by gifting him a Smart Watch or a Fitness tracker with features like step count, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, calorie tracking, and even workout guidance to help your father stay motivated, set goals, and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Want to go that extra mile?

Show your dad how much you care with the gift of good health through Vestige Prime Energy Booster.Packed with a powerful blend of natural ingredients like Ashwagandha, Sarpagandha, Arjuna, Haritaki, and more, health supplementswill help your father enhance stamina, relieve distress, and improve overall well-being.

Fitness App Subscription: Instead of going for a run-of-the-mill present, surprise him with a subscription to a meditation or mindfulness app to help him find peace and reduce stress. And if he's a fitness enthusiast, a fitness training app subscription will provide him with access to a wide range of tailored workouts to fit his busy schedule.

If you're a content creator at heart, might as well record his fitness journey by gifting him a camera and lens from Nikon Z mirrorless range! Internet would love to see such adorable fitness transformation videos! Introduce him to Photography/Videography!

Father's Day is your chance to give him an opportunity to learn the art of storytelling and that too for absolutely FREE.

Ignite the student in your dad by enrolling him in the Nikon School workshop where he can get to know the A-Z of digital photography/ videography, camera operations, handling techniques, and composition skills. A perfect way to introduce your father to the concept of content creation.

But there's more fun to it! You can join him in the course, making it a bonding experience that both of you will cherish for years to come. Even better, you can gift him his own mirrorless camera and lens from the Nikon Z series that he can use to capture his favorite moments forever.

Personalised Engraved with Name Tool Set A tool set can be an excellent Father's Day gift for fathers who enjoy working on DIY projects or fixing things around the house. Engraving adds a special touch, and sentimental value to it which he will cherish for years to come.

A nostalgic photoshoot with your dad Relive the childhood moments which you captured with your dad, by planning a professional photo shoot with your dad as a Father's Day gift. Add to it, gift him his handpicked camera unit from Nikon Z mirrorless range combined with top-notch lenses curated for wide niches, including wildlife, portrait, and landscape. This gift can help him explore his interest in professional photography even more, anywhere and anytime.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)
Aurangabad, June 17 : In a development loaded with political overtones, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) president Prakash Ambedkar bowed, offered floral tributes, a 'chadar of flowers' and paid obeisance with his head covered at the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, here on Saturday.

Videos and photos of the trip have gone viral on social media platforms as Ambedkar, along with the trustees of the tomb, paid homage at the grave of the much-reviled Emperor Aurangzeb (1618-1707) The trustees also felicitated Ambedkar even as the political knives were being sharpened elsewhere in the state.

Speaking on the visit, an unfazed Ambedkar said that Aurangzeb ruled the Mughal Empire for almost 50 years (1658-1707) till his death.

"Can that period of history be erased? How Aurangzeb came to power, that has been explained by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar," countered Prakash Ambedkar.

He said that it was due to Jaichand -- a name now synonymous with treason -- that the Mughal influence spread from one kingdom to another across India.

"So, condemn Jaichand. Why do you always curse Aurangzeb?" asked Ambedkar in potentially controversial remarks.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) headed by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has not yet reacted to either Prakash Ambedkar's trip to the Khuldabad tomb of Aurangzeb or his subsequent comments.

The last of the powerful Mughals, Emperor Aurangzeb, was the son of Emperor Shah Jahan and his favourite queen Mumtaz, in whose memory the latter had constructed the monument to love, Taj Mahal, in 1653, which is now a top Wonder of the World.

He died in his army camp in Ahmednagar and was later laid to rest in Khuldabad in a bare, non-decrepit, open-air tomb as per his own wishes, which is frequently visited by many despite brouhaha at regular intervals by certain political parties.
Chandigarh, June 17 : The Punjab Police on Saturday succeeded in its operation of "cage the queen bee" with the arrest of the mastermind of last week's heist of Rs 8.49 crore, Mandeep Kaur, a.k.a. Mona, who has been named 'Bandit Hasina', from the office of CMS Info Systems Ltd, a cash management firm, based in Ludhiana, along with her spouse Jaswinder Singh while returning from a famous Sikh shrine in Uttarakhand.

Commissioner of Police Mandeep Singh Sidhu confirmed the arrest of the couple. The police also arrested one of their accomplices.

Earlier, the police arrested six accused -- Manjinder Singh Mani, Mandeep Singh, Harvinder Singh, Paramjit Singh, Harpreet Singh and Narinder Singh -- and recovered Rs 5 crore from them.

The police recovered Rs 12 lakh on information about Kaur that was concealed in the under-seat of her mother's scooter.

Responding to the arrest of the couple, Commissioner of Police Sidhu said all the accused had wished that they would pay obeisance at Kedarnath, Haridwar and Hemkund Sahib after a 'successful robbery'.

Kaur and her husband were arrested by a team of Punjab Police while they were returning from Hemkund Sahib.

"When the couple came to know that their accomplices have been arrested, they begged pardon at Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib for the crime," Sidhu said. They got married in February.

The gang of alleged robbers was led by Mandeep Kaur, whose husband and cousin were also blamed for the heist.

She in connivance with her friend and CMS employee Manjinder Singh Mani, had planned the robbery. They along with their eight accomplices looted Rs 8.49 crore from the office of the CMS firm, in the early hours of June 10.

Sidhu blamed the company for negligence in the safety of the cash.

He said Rs 50 lakh was recovered from the house of Mani in Abuwal village. He had hidden the cash in a septic tank after wrapping the bundles in a polythene bag.

On Friday, the police launched the operation "Let's Cage the Queen Bee" to arrest the main mastermind Mandeep Kaur and her husband.
Bengaluru, June 17 : Karnataka Minister for Cooperation and Hassan district in-charge Minister K.N. Rajanna on Saturday, reacting to the state BJP leaders' criticism over the free rice scheme 'Anna Bhagya', sought to know with whose permission Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to deposit Rs 15 lakh in people's bank accounts.

He said this while interacting with reporters in Hassan in the backdrop of state BJP leaders questioning the Congress government over announcing the free rice scheme without discussing the issue with the Central government.

"When PM Modi made the announcement of depositing Rs 15 lakh into all accounts, did he take permission?" Rajanna questioned.

He also said that the Congress does not need to discuss with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and announce schemes. "Will they give free of cost? We are going to pay the money and make the purchase," he said.

The Anna Bhagya scheme under which the Congress government has promised to provide 10 kg of rice free of cost to the poor has run into controversy.

The Congress is alleging that the BJP government at the Centre is scuttling the programme and depriving the poor people of food.
New Delhi, June 17 : The Delhi High Court has directed the CEO of the Delhi Waqf Board to appear before the court and provide an explanation for the failure to pay salaries to the board employees for several months, despite a court order directing the clearance of all outstanding dues.

The petitioner association and an individual employee had approached the court earlier in the year, claiming non-payment of salaries since October 2022.

Expressing concern over the situation, Justice Jyoti Singh noted that the employees had not received their salaries for nearly nine months, which demonstrated a distressing state of affairs.

The judge criticised the authorities for being insensitive to the employees' plight, as they were struggling to meet their basic needs.

The court observed a lack of regard for court orders and a lack of certainty regarding when salaries would be paid, with the excuse of insufficient funds.

The court then directed the CEO to attend the next hearing and clarify the alleged non-compliance with court orders and failure to fulfil the board's statutory obligation to pay salaries and allowances to the employees.

The court said that the respondents showed scant regard for its orders, as an assurance given during the previous hearing regarding the clearance of dues within two weeks had not been fulfilled.

The petitioners have alleged non-compliance with a court order issued on March 27, which directed the respondents, including the Delhi government and Delhi Waqf Board authorities, to clear the outstanding salaries within two weeks.

The plea underscored that timely payment of salaries was crucial for the employees' livelihood and argued that the denial of payment constituted a violation of the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
New Delhi, June 17 : The Congress on Saturday criticised National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval for his comments that if Subhas Chandra Bose had been alive, India would not have been partitioned, saying he has joined the tribe of "distorians".

In a tweet, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said: "Ajit Doval, who doesn't speak much, has now joined the tribe of 'distorians'. Did Netaji challenge Gandhi? Of course he did. Was Netaji a leftist? Of course he was. Was Netaji secular? Of course, staunchly and stoutly so. Would the Partition not have happened if Netaji was alive then? Who can say, because by 1940 Netaji had formed the Forward Bloc. You can have opinions on this but it is a contrafactual question." Targeting the NSA, Ramesh said: "One thing Doval did not say. The man who championed the Partition of Bengal was Syama Prasad Mukherjee in the face of strong opposition from Sarat Chandra Bose, Netaji's elder brother. I am sending Doval a copy of Rudrangshu Mukherjee's fine book of 2015, Parallel Lives. He should at least sniff some real history." While delivering the first Assocham Subhas Chandra Bose memorial lecture, the NSA said that Netaji showed a lot of audacity at various stages of life, and he even had the audacity to challenge Mahatma Gandhi.

"But Gandhi was at the prime of his political career and when Bose resigned and came out of the Congress, he started his struggle afresh," Doval said.

"I am not saying good or bad, but there are very few parallels in Indian history and world history of people who had the audacity to sail against the current," Doval said, adding that "Netaji was a lonely person and had no country supporting him except Japan".

The idea that came to his mind was 'I will fight the British, I will not beg for freedom. It is my right and I will have to get it', the NSA added.

"India would not have been partitioned if Subhas Bose had been there. Jinnah had said I can accept only one leader and that is Subhas Bose," Doval said.

He also said that Subhas Chandra Bose wanted Indians to feel free like birds and never compromised for anything less than the Independence of the country.
Bangalore, June 17 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya urging him to set up an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raichur city.

"Despite being one of the aspirational districts of the country, Raichur has lower health and education level and per capita income when compared to other regions.

"The area is also at a geographical disadvantage since it experiences extreme weather conditions. Such disadvantages have put Raichur in dire need for robust medical institutions. Establishment of AIIMS will ensure world-class facilities in the region," the Chief Minister wrote.

"There is a growing demand from the people to get this proposal fulfilled. 'Kalyan Karnataka' is one of our top priority," Siddaramaiah wrote.

The Chief Minister also requested the Health Minister to instruct the concerned authorities to take steps in this regard.

State minister N.S Bosaraju had recently written to the Chief Minister urging him to push for the collective dream of setting up an AIIMS in Raichur. Accordingly, Siddaramaiah has now written to the Union Health Minister.
The demand for group tours and holiday packages during the upcoming Eid Al-Adha holidays has risen by 47% compared to the Eid-Al-Fitr break, according to musafir.com, a leading online travel agency in the UAE.



It has surged by 35% compared to last year's Eid-Al-Adha. This year, with Eid Al-Adha and the school summer holidays coinciding, more people are planning longer vacations.



This summer around 50% of UAE residents are focusing on leisure holidays, while 25% are considering combining leisure travels with a visit to their home country, and 25% will be visiting their home countries.



Despite the summer being a time when residents often visit their home countries, it does not deter them from planning leisure trips this year. Many individuals are also opting for two breaks: a short one for the upcoming Eid Al-Adha break at the end of June, followed by a longer one in July or August.



Leisure travelers prefer group departures due to well-designed itineraries, value-for-money deals, direct flights, visa assistance, and hassle-free booking. Taking advantage of their annual leave, people combine these long breaks to enjoy extended vacations.



When it comes to exploring new places, travelers prefer visa-hassle-free destinations such as Kenya, Thailand, Singapore, and countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) like Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.



Another emerging trend is the preference for combo deals, where neighbouring countries or different locations within the same country can be visited together. Popular choices include Singapore-Malaysia, Bangkok-Pattaya, Switzerland-Paris or Italy, and Georgia-Armenia or Azerbaijan.



Raheesh Babu, COO of Musafir.com said, There is a significant increase in travel inquiries for European countries, with an expected 30% of leisure travelers heading to Europe. Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Croatia, and Balkan countries are the most preferred destinations while CIS countries continue to be the highest in demand with their proximity, connectivity and visa-friendly policies making it enticing for travellers from the UAE.



Additionally, emerging destinations that are gaining popularity among travelers include Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Egypt, Krabi, Trabzon, and Eastern Europe.



Musafir.com provided a breakdown of outbound leisure travel, indicating that the highest demand is for CIS countries at 35%, followed by Europe at 30%, Far East destinations at 25%, and Africa at 10%. The average duration for holidays is a 4-night/5-day travel package and the average cost of a holiday package per person is approximately AED 4,100, which is considered economical for leisure trips.



One of the advantages of choosing Musafir.com is the competitive prices they offer, along with well-designed itineraries that cater to the demands of their audience. They also provide multiple itinerary options for each destination, catering to families, twin travelers, and solo explorers.



Musafir.com ensures quick and efficient visa appointments and documentation, particularly for the European segment, thanks to its strong worldwide visa team. They guarantee a seamless process for passengers, and their tours and properties are of the highest quality and affiliated with reputable companies, building trust among customers and encouraging repeat business.



To enhance convenience for their customers, Musafir.com is also offering an easy instalment plan on holidays with zero per cent interest for purchases made using any Emirates NBD and Liv credit card.  TradeArabia News Service
KYODO NEWS - Jun 17, 2023 - 20:34 | All, Japan

Japan's Defense Ministry plans to set out guidelines for defense technologies that the country will prioritize for development, citing a dozen areas including innovations in miniaturized robotic technology, a source familiar with the matter said Saturday.

The guidelines are intended to encourage increased cooperation between government agencies, companies and research institutions to develop key defense technologies over the next decade, in an effort to counter Chinese and Russian state-of-the-art weaponry.

The envisioned defense technology guidelines will vow to "think outside the box, push the boundaries and pursue new capabilities," the source said.

The 12 areas the ministry will focus on will include technologies such as insect-sized robots, electromagnetic barriers, and capabilities for utilizing large datasets to make better strategic predictions.

The guidelines will also recommend the development of technology that utilizes unconventional methods of energy production and special materials capable of regenerating after being damaged.

Additionally, the guidelines will call for increased collaboration not only with the country's defense industries but also with startups and universities, according to the source.

Related coverage:

Japan OKs defense, child care policy blueprint, delays tax decision

Japan parliament enacts law to create defense funds pool
Mumbai, June 17 : In a significant achievement, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) has successfully played host to its longest-ever visitor -- a 399-metre length cargo ship, an official said here on Saturday.

The 54-metre-wide cargo vessel, MSC Hamburg -- sailing under the Panama flag, has a capacity of 16,652 TEUs and a draught of 14 metres -- safely berthed at the JNPA around 11.25 am, becoming the longest-ever vessel to call at any Indian port.

Built in 2015, the MSC Hamburg departed from its port of origin, Colombo in Sri Lanka, on a meticulously planned and precisely executed voyage, sailing around 1,750 km to reach JNPA on schedule.

Delighted by the arrival of the 'long-fellow', JNPA Chairman Sanjay Sethi said that the port plays a crucial role in strengthening global supply chains and MSC Hamburg's arrival has enhanced the port's capabilities in catering to the growing trade demands across continents.

"The MSC Hamburg arrival marks a significant milestone establishing JNPA as a global hub for maritime excellence, and reaffirms our position not only as a key player globally, but underlines our dedication to fostering strong partnerships and ensuring efficient operations," said Sethi.

To commemorate the occasion, Sethi, along with JNPA Deputy Chairman U.S. Wagh, Deputy Conservator Balasaheb Pawar and General Manager Girish Thomas presented a plaque to the Master of MSC Hamburg.
New Delhi, June 17 : Delhi Police have arrested a 32-year-old vagabond for beating a 70-year-old man to death in Delhis Subzi Mandi area, the police said on Saturday.

The accused had been identified as Badal, who lived on a footpath near the Ghantaghar in Delhi.

Sharing the details, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), Sagar Singh Kalsi, said that on at about 2.45 a.m. on June 16, a PCR call was received informing about a vagabond beating up an elderly person at the Barafkhana in Subzi Mandi.

"A police team reached the spot and rushed the victim to the Hindu Rao Hospital, but he succumber to his injuries at 3.37 a.m. The deceased has been identified as Jyoti Prasad, a resident of Kabir Basti," the DCP said.

"After extensive search and on the basis of specific inputs, Badal was arrested from the Roshanara Park on Friday," the officer said.

On interrogation, it was revealed that the vagabond had a quarrel with some boys near the Ghantaghar after which he went to Subzi Mandi where other vagabonds were sleeping.

"He found one elderly person sitting there. He told him to leave the place, but he didn't. He then got angry and landed repeated blows on the elderly man," the DCP said.

After the thrashing the man, he fled from the spot.

"The accused kept roaming in the area around the Kashmere Gate ISBT. In the evening, he returned to Subzi Mandi to check the condition of the victim and came to know from another vagabond that the elderly person had died. Then he went to the Roshanara Park to escape from the police," the officer said.
Bhubaneswar, June 17 : Union Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday said that "stringent action" will be ensured on the killing of a forest guard by poachers in Odisha's Similipal National Park.

Replying to a tweet of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Yadav said, "I am deeply saddened at the loss of our fallen warrior in the line of duty. We salute his sacrifice and extend our heartfelt condolences".

The Ministry has already taken cognisance of the matter and a team of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is being sent to support the state machinery, he said.

He also said that the accused have been identified and one of them has been taken into custody. A country-made gun has also been seized.

Stringent action under the Wildlife Protection Act and the IPC will be ensured by the enforcing agencies, he assured.

In his tweet, Pradhan said that the killing of a forest official by poachers in the Similipal tiger reserve is a matter of great concern for every wildlife enthusiast and conservationist.

Losing determined officers like Mati Hansda who gave his all to protect wildlife is always disheartening, he said, noting that it was the second such incident in about a month's time following the killing of forest guard Bimal Kumar Jena and "such brazenness" by poachers and anti-social elements is a worrisome trend. "Neither wildlife is safe in Odisha's reserves nor the personnel protecting them." Pradhan urged Yadav and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to take stringent action on all fronts and ensure effective enforcement of the Wildlife Act to deter poachers and crack down on organised poaching rackets.

Odisha Forest and Environment Minister Pradip Amat said the DIG and IG concerned have been informed about the incident, and a proper investigation is going on.

"We have registered a murder case and detained three suspects. All those who are involved in the crime will be punished," said Mayurbhanj SP, B. Gangadhar.

Hansda, aged about 45, was killed during an exchange of fire between the poachers and forest officials around 2 a.m. on Saturday.

Earlier, Jena, 35, was shot dead by a group of poachers at Similipal on May 22. Following this incident, a poacher was also killed by forest department officials on May 31.
New Delhi/Guwahati, June 17 : Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday stressed the need for strong coordination between the central and state health institutions for effective management of floods and any other emergencies in Assam.

Chairing a meeting with central and state health agencies to discuss health-related issues arising due to the floods ahead of the monsoon in Assam, Mandaviya assessed the arrangements put in place by the central agencies and the state government to ensure effective management of the deluge in the state.

At the virtual meeting, the minister underscored the need to keep ready critical-care equipment, oxygen, hospital beds as well as availability of clean drinking water in the flood-affected regions.

He also emphasised preventive healthcare and greater awareness among the communities regarding vector-borne and water-borne diseases.

Mandaviya urged the officials to work on a flood-management model to deal with the flood situation in Assam, which is a recurring phenomenon.

He directed them to prepare an online database listing all the important information such as availability of beds, oxygen and other health facilities to ensure efficient management of any health emergency.

Mandaviya also exhorted the officials to ensure that the health and wellness centres are well-equipped with required medicines, functioning medical equipment and other amenities.

He also directed for training of all health workers at the health and wellness centres so that they are well-equipped to provide requisite healthcare services required during emergencies.

"The ASHAs, ANMs, CHOs and others should know their roles and responsibilities for any emergency. Advance training will ensure that they are effective in providing healthcare services during flood management," he said.

Assam Principal Secretary (Health) Avinash Joshi informed that all necessary medicines are in adequate stock.

Deputy Commissioners from the six districts -- Barpeta, Kamrup, Cachar, Lakhimpur, Dima Hasao and Dibrugarh -- who had joined the review meeting assured that they are regularly reviewing the preparedness to ensure effective management of the flood situation.

Mandaviya, on his part, assured all support of the Centre for flood management in Assam.
New Delhi, June 17 : The Delhi High Court has granted 45 days interim bail to Ramesh Kakkar, the hotel owner accused in the murder case of New Delhi Municipal Council Estate officer Mohd Moin Khan.

On Kakkar requesting 90 days of interim bail due to his medical condition, Justice Vikas Mahajan, after reviewing the medical records that indicated the petitioner's heart ailment and the need for surgical intervention, approved interim bail for 45 days.

The jail authorities had submitted a medical report too.

Kakkar's medical report stated that he required several surgeries and had various medical conditions, including coronary artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, type-2 diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive airway disease, aortic valve replacement, anemia, IgA nephropathy, and related symptoms.

The court ordered Kakkar to furnish a bail bond and surety bond on Rs 20,000 each and imposed certain conditions, including not leaving Delhi without court permission, attending court hearings, providing a mobile number, and refraining from contacting witnesses or their family members.

The court also specified that the petitioner must provide records of the surgical procedures undergone during the interim bail period upon surrendering.

The defence argued that the state had taken the matter lightly despite the officer's murder being linked to bribery denial. Khan was shot dead near his house in Jamia Nagar area on May 16, 2016.
New Delhi, June 17 : Delhi Police have arrested a 19-year-old youth for allegedly creating a fake social media account of a woman from which he sent morphed photos to her fiancee, an official said on Saturday.

The arrested individual was identified as Shubham Kumar, a resident of Maker in Bihar's Saran district.

On March 20, the complainant reported that her fiancee had received offensive messages and manipulated photographs of her and her family members through a fraudulent social media account.

The explicit content and altered images led to the dissolution of their engagement.

Upon investigation, it was determined that the perpetrator behind the fake account was Shubham Kumar, a resident of Bihar. He was subsequently apprehended in Muzaffarpur, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka), M. Harsh Vardhan.

During questioning, Kumar revealed that the complainant's sister-in-law was known to him.

With the intent of defaming the complainant, Kumar had devised the fake account and proceeded to transmit indecent messages and doctored photos to her fiancee.

Objectionable material was also recovered from his mobile phone.

The DCP said that an investigation is underway to verify the claims made by the accused against the complainant's sister-in-law.
New Delhi, June 17 : The Delhi Police have arrested a 27-year-old Nigerian national, a member of a drugs syndicate, and recovered 221 gm MDMA worth more than Rs i crore from his possession, the police said on Saturday.

The accused has been identified as Onyekachi Anya, a resident of Awgu, Enugu States, Nigeria.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast), Rajesh Deo, said that specific input was received that a gang is active in the southeast district, engaging in the supply of drugs.

The police then started gathering information about the drugs traffickers of the area.

"On June 15, a tip-off was received that a Nigerian drug trafficker will come to Govind Puri Extension to deliver a consignment to one of his buyers," the DCP said.

"At about 1.40 p.m., the raiding team reached the spot and a trap was laid. At about 2.45 p.m., Onyekachi Anya was apprehended and on search, 8 gm of MDMA was recovered from his possession," the DCP said.

Following interrogation, 213 gm MDMA was recovered from the accommodation of Anya at Tughlakabad Extension at his instance.

"The recovered drugs are worth over Rs 1 crore in the international market. Anya disclosed that he came to India in 2022. Thereafter, he got involved in drugs trafficking," the DCP said.

As per the police, the accused used to procure the contraband from another Nigerian national in big quantity at cheaper rate and then sell it small quantities -- packets of 1 gm each -- at a higher rate.

"Efforts are being made to nab the supplier," the DCP said.
Chennai, June 17 : AIADMK General Secretary and former Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Saturday condemned the arrest of the party IT cell district functionary from Erode on charges of defaming Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on social media.

AIADMK Erode district IT cell functionary, Gowtham (24), was arrested on Friday night after the DMK filed a complaint with the police that the AIADMK functionary was defaming the Chief Minister.

He said: "If this trend of filing false cases against members of the AIADMK, especially office bearers of IT wing, continues without any substance and based on what the Chief Minister and his colleagues have said, we will have to take legal action against the police officials concerned." The former Chief Minister also called upon Stalin to dismiss V. Senthil Balaji from the Cabinet following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate and subsequent judicial custody.
Tehran, June 18 : Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has said that the Saudi embassy will soon reopen in Iran's capital Tehran, a media report said.

Saud made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Saturday, following their meeting in Tehran earlier in the day, the Iranian Students' News Agency reported.

Saudi Arabia and Iran are currently making efforts to continue diplomatic measures in the two countries, he said. Iran earlier reopened its embassy in Riyadh as well as consulate general and representative office to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, Xinhua news agency reported.

The top Saudi diplomat noted that the normalisation of the bilateral ties is of importance as the two countries are important players in the region and such relations are based on the principles of mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs and commitment to the UN Charter.

The Iranian Foreign Minister, for his part, said his country has provided the necessary facilities for Saudi Arabia's diplomatic operations in Tehran and the northeastern city of Mashhad.

The Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister arrived in Tehran on Saturday afternoon, beginning his first visit to the Iranian capital after the two countries' severed bilateral ties were resumed in April.

Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016 in response to the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran after the kingdom executed a Shiite cleric.
Niall Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Joins the Group of Thirty

The Group of Thirty (G30) announced today that Dr. Niall Ferguson has joined the Groups membership. He brings to the Group his respected and original perspectives on global economic and financial history, as reflected in his widely-read books, articles, lectures, and debates. Dr. Ferguson is the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and a senior faculty fellow of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard.

The Group of Thirty, founded in 1978, is an independent global body comprised of economic and financial leaders from the public and private sectors and academia. It aims to deepen understanding of economic and financial issues, and of the international repercussions of decisions taken in the public and private sectors. Members participate in the Group in their personal capacities, not on behalf of any organization, public or private, to which they may be affiliated.

Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, said, We are delighted to welcome Niall Ferguson as a member of the Group of Thirty. His deep engagement in the economic and financial challenges of the times, and the historical lens that he brings, will add significantly to the deliberations of the Group in the years ahead.

Mark Carney, Chair of the G30, said: We look forward to Nialls engagement in the Groups discussions and our work on key issues facing the international economy. I am pleased to welcome Niall, and I look forward to his counsel and insights in many areas of our collective focus.

Niall Ferguson said: I thank the Group of Thirty for this opportunity and I am honored to join its distinguished membership. I look forward to supporting the Groups mission and working with G30 members on some of the most important issues of the day.

A full G30 membership list is available at http://group30.org/members.
KYODO NEWS - Jun 17, 2023 - 18:28 | All, Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will likely make a mid-July visit to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to seek cooperation for stable oil supplies amid Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, according to diplomatic sources.

It would be the first tour to the Middle East by a serving Japanese leader since Shinzo Abe visited in 2020, and would come as China is increasing its engagement in the region by brokering a deal to normalize ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran in March.

According to the sources, arrangements are currently being made for the visit, with Kishida departing Japan around July 16.

He is expected to meet Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

Japan relies almost entirely on imports for its crude oil, with procurements from the three Middle Eastern countries representing more than 80 percent of its supplies.

As the prolonged Russian invasion of Ukraine has resulted in uncertainties regarding energy supplies, Kishida intends to urge the countries to help stabilize the oil market through increased production.

Topics likely to be discussed also include cooperation for the Middle East nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions through electricity generation utilizing hydrogen and ammonia, a technology Japan is promoting.

Plans had been in the works for Kishida to visit the three countries in August last year, but they were canceled after he contracted the novel coronavirus.
Evidence from some wrongful-conviction cases suggests that suspects can be questioned in ways that lead them to falsely believe in and confess to committing crimes they didnt actually commit. Research provides lab-based evidence for this phenomenon, showing that innocent adult participants can be convinced, over the course of a few hours, that they had perpetrated crimes as serious as assault with a weapon in their teenage years.

The research, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, indicates that the participants came to internalize the stories they were told, providing rich and detailed descriptions of events that never actually took place.

Our findings show that false memories of committing crime with police contact can be surprisingly easy to generate, and can have all the same kinds of complex details as real memories, says psychological scientist and lead researcher Julia Shaw of the University of Bedfordshire in the UK.

All participants need to generate a richly detailed false memory is 3 hours in a friendly interview environment, where the interviewer introduces a few wrong details and uses poor memory-retrieval techniques.

Shaw and co-author Stephen Porter of the University of British Columbia in Canada obtained permission to contact the primary caregivers of university students participating in the study. The caregivers were asked to fill out a questionnaire about specific events the students might have experienced from ages 11 to 14, providing as much detail as possible. The caregivers were instructed not to discuss the questions with the student.

The researchers identified a total of 60 students who had not been involved in any of the crimes designated as false memory targets in the study and who otherwise met the study criteria. These students were brought to the lab for three 40-minute interviews that took place about a week apart.

In the first interview, the researcher told the student about two events he or she had experienced as a teen, only one of which actually happened. For some, the false event related to a crime that resulted in contact with the police (assault, assault with a weapon, or theft). For others, the false event was emotional in nature, such as personal injury, attack by a dog, or loss of a huge sum of money.

Importantly, the false event stories included some true details about that time in the students life, taken from the caregiver questionnaire.

Participants were asked to explain what happened in each of the two events. When they had difficulty explaining the false event, the interviewer encouraged them to try anyway, explaining that if they used specific memory strategies they might be able to recall more details.

In the second and third interviews, the researchers again asked the students to recall as much as they could about both the true and false event. The students also described certain features of each memory, such as how vivid it was and how confident they were about it.

The results were truly surprising.

Of the 30 participants who were told they had committed a crime as a teenager, 21 (71%) were classified as having developed a false memory of the crime; of the 20 who were told about an assault of some kind (with or without a weapon), 11 reported elaborate false memory details of their exact dealings with the police.

A similar proportion of students (76.67%) formed false memories of the emotional event they were told about.

Intriguingly, the criminal false events seemed to be just as believable as the emotional ones. Students tended to provide the same number of details, and reported similar levels of confidence, vividness, and sensory detail for the two types of event.

Shaw and Porter speculate that incorporating true details, such as the name of an actual friend, into an account that was supposedly corroborated by the students caregiver likely endowed the false event with just enough familiarity that it came to seem plausible.

In such circumstances, inherently fallible and reconstructive memory processes can quite readily generate false recollections with astonishing realism, says Shaw. In these sessions we had some participants recalling incredibly vivid details and re-enacting crimes they never committed.

There were, however, some differences between the students memories for false events and their memories for true events. For example, they reported more details for true events and they reported more confidence in their descriptions of the true memories.

The fact that the students appeared to internalize the false events to the extent that they did highlights the fundamental malleability of memory:

This research speaks to the distinct possibility that most of us are likely able to generate rich false memories of emotional and criminal events, says Shaw.

The findings have clear implications for criminal interrogation and other aspects of legal procedure, affecting suspects, witnesses, and those involved in both law enforcement and legal counsel. But they may also apply to interviews that take place in various other contexts, including therapeutic or even personal settings.

Understanding that these complex false memories exist, and that normal individuals can be led to generate them quite easily, is the first step in preventing them from happening, says Shaw. By empirically demonstrating the harm bad interview techniques  those which are known to cause false memories  can cause, we can more readily convince interviewers to avoid them and to use good techniques instead.

Investigating the specific characteristics of interviewers and interview tactics that contribute to false memories can help improve interviewing procedure and minimize the risk of inducing false memories, the researchers conclude.

The researchers were supported by the University of British Columbia through the Lashley and Mary Haggman Memory Research Award and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
By Takuya Karube, KYODO NEWS - Jun 17, 2023 - 08:43 | All, World

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday one of the major goals of his trip to Beijing is to establish "open and empowered communications" with Chinese officials.

Blinken said such a development is needed and also desired by the rest of the world so that the United States and China can "responsibly" manage their differences, address misperceptions and avoid miscalculations.

"Intense competition requires sustained diplomacy to ensure that competition does not veer into confrontation or conflict," Blinken said in Washington following a meeting with his Singaporean counterpart, hours before departing on the first trip to China by a U.S. secretary of state since 2018.

Following months of escalated tensions between the two countries, Blinken is due to engage in a series of talks with senior Chinese officials for two days from Sunday, which may also include a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of the visit.

The trip was agreed upon by U.S. President Joe Biden and Xi last November in a meeting in Indonesia to promote more high-level exchanges between the two countries, despite disagreements over various issues and intense geographic rivalry, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.

Blinken was initially scheduled to travel to the Chinese capital in February, but the United States abruptly put off the plan after a suspected Chinese spy balloon flew across the country.

At a joint press conference with Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, the top U.S. diplomat said his trip has two other major objectives.

He said they are to advance U.S. interests and values, including speaking frankly about its "real concerns on a range of issues," and to explore potential areas for cooperation where the two countries' interests intersect, such as global economic stability and climate change.

U.S. officials have said they do not anticipate a breakthrough in the country's difficult and complicated relations with China just by Blinken's trip, which is also the first Cabinet-level visit since the Biden administration's inception in January 2021.

But they expect the visit to pave the way for increased communications between senior U.S. and Chinese officials across the board.

Blinken himself said at the press conference, "This is an important but, in a sense, insufficient step because there's a lot of work to be done."

While reopening military-to-military lines of communication is seen as the most challenging, U.S. officials foresee a visit to China by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to talk about economic issues to follow in the not-so-distant future.

Biden has said he will speak to Xi again at an appropriate time.

The Singaporean diplomat said the trip is "so important" because almost all global issues, including pandemics and even cybersecurity, require the United States and China to "work off the same page and be key pillars for the global system."

But Balakrishnan added that "excessive expectations" should not be placed on the upcoming meetings as there are fundamental differences in outlook and values between the United States and China.

"It takes time for mutual respect and strategic trust to be built," he said. "So we all watch with interest and concern and some optimism because as diplomats we all have to be optimistic, otherwise you will not keep trying."
KYODO NEWS - Jun 17, 2023 - 09:50 | All, World, Japan

The U.S. Treasury Department said Friday it has removed Japan from a list of major trading partners that it monitors for potentially unfair foreign exchange practices for the first time since 2016, when the current format of designation began.

In its biannual report to Congress, the department placed seven economies on its "monitoring list" -- China, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and Taiwan.

While Japan carried out foreign exchange interventions in September and October last year in an attempt to stem the yen's rapid depreciation against the U.S. dollar, a Treasury official said in a press briefing there was no need to continue listing the country as one of the criteria employed is "the persistence of an intervention."

The official warned, however, that interventions should only be conducted in "very exceptional circumstances" after consultations with other countries.

The department did not designate any trading partner as a currency manipulator, which could result in the imposition of U.S. sanctions.

But it said China must be monitored closely, noting in the report that Beijing's lack of transparency regarding key features of its foreign exchange system makes it "an outlier among major economies."

For the list, the department uses three criteria to assess whether a country has manipulated its foreign exchange rates to gain an unfair trade advantage.

The three are the size of any trade surplus with the United States, the size of any current account surplus as a share of gross domestic product and the extent of intervention in foreign exchange markets.

In the report, covering developments in 2022, the department said Japan had not met two of the three criteria for two consecutive reports, meaning it could be removed from the list.

The one remaining criterion was Japan's huge trade surplus with the United States.
In A Myriad of Tongues (Harvard Univ., Sept.), University of Miami anthropologist Everett examines the ways language shapes how people think.

How did spending your childhood in the jungles of Amazoniawhere your father, also an anthropologist, studied Piraha-speaking peoplesinform this book?

Those years gave me some idea of just how different languages and cultures could be. I eventually realized that many people, including many in academia, underestimate the extent of linguistic and cultural diversity. It was that realization that led to this book.

What are some of your favorite examples of how a language shapes its speakers?

In English, we think of the future as being in front of us and the past behind us. In contrast, many of the worlds languages and cultures use other strategies to make sense of the passing of time. The Aymara of the Andes talk and think about the future as though it is behind them, as do some Tibetan cultures. Kuuk Thaayorre speakers in Australia think about time as moving from east to west. The Yupno of New Guinea talk and gesture about time as though it moves uphill. In some cultures, people dont even talk about the passing of time in spatial terms. In the Tupi-Kawahib language of Amazonia, there is no evidence that people talk or think about time in terms of space, or that they refer much to time at all.

How has studying the languages of Indigenous peoples across the globe affected how you think about your native English?

I have come to appreciate some of the strengths and weaknesses of English. For example, our terminology for smells is somewhat impoverished. We often resort to phrases like smells like popcorn but dont have the abstract words for smells that some languages do. In contrast, English has more abstract words for colors than many languages.

Why study language diversity?

Studying linguistic diversity is essential to understanding how our species actually talks and thinks. We used to think there was a universal grammar and that all humans perceived spatial relationships, the passing of time, numbers, and other basic cognitive phenomena in fundamentally similar ways. Now we see that there are no features that are found in all the worlds languages.

How do you approach writing about science for the general public?

I focus primarily on topics that resonate with college students and others who are not specialists. Sometimes as specialists we get caught up in debates that are trivial and boring to others. Lectures and conversations outside academia are a great way to get a sense of what most people actually find fascinating. These impressions guide the topics I select and how I edit.
The middle grade years are often called the golden age of reading, a time when kids connect fiercely with characters and stories. Some of the all-time bestsellers in childrens literature (think Harry Potter and Diary of a Wimpy Kid) are middle grade books. But while there have been a number of surprising breakout YA hits in the past several quarters, overall, the middle grade category has fallen behind. According to Circana BookScan, 2022 ended with year-over-year middle grade sales down 16% overall and 19% in hardcover. This year has seen overall middle grade sales down 8% year over year, while hardcover sales in the category are down 7% for a total $18.8 million decline.

Frontlist has been of particular concern to publishers, editors, and agents, accounting for more than half of the decrease in sales. In the 12 months ending March 2023, 33% of the top 200 middle grade titles were frontlist, while 67% were backlist. The frontlist is dominated by familiar names such as Max Brallier, Jeff Kinney, Dav Pilkey, J.K. Rowling, and Raina Telgemeier, and those names hold sway over much of the backlist, too. We surveyed industry professionals to get their thoughts on the factors affecting middle grade success and what they see ahead.

Hard pressed

Last summer, there was an outcry from the middle grade author community on social media over speculation that Barnes & Noble had implemented a new policy that would specifically reduce the number of middle grade hardcovers it purchased. Shannon DeVito, Barnes

& Nobles senior director of book strategy, says no such policy exists and the retailer has been exercising a book-by-book evaluation across all categories since 2019, with local stores deciding what to buy for their communities. A few authors were aggrieved that their books were not stocked, mostly by deliberate choice, and characterized this to be due to a policy against hardcovers in general, she notes. In fact, we now simply try to buy hardcovers in the quantity we judge likely to be bought by our customers.

Still rumors persist. Marilyn Robbins, childrens book buyer and program manager at The Bookies in Denver, says she knows of a publicist who bought every copy of her clients hardcover book in her hometown Barnes & Noble locations, believing that if a single copy was purchased, the retailer would buy three more of the title. Thats not the case, DeVito says. The replenishment is dependent on the individual bookseller who oversees inventory for their home stores. Concentrating purchasing decisions in the local stores across the board for all categories has increased sales and decreased returns from more than 70% of frontlist hardcovers to somewhere around 10%, she adds.

Its a question of matching format to audience, B&N CEO James Daunt told PW in a recent interview. At the lower price point, and in a format friendlier to children themselves, some titles that will struggle to sell in more than very small quantities in hardcover will be better served if published in paperback, he said. It is not all one thing or all the other, but a commonsense judgment to be made by the publisher.

At Childrens Institute in Milwaukee earlier this month, however, Circanas manager of industry insights Brenna Connor said that middle grade paperbacks were responsible for more than half of the categorys annual decline, so the current slump might not be a pricing issue. Instead, it appears that a mix of factors are at play.

While I would love for each and every author to get to walk into a Barnes & Noble and see their book on the shelf, I also recognize that a single copy of a book sitting spine-out is rarely going to do anything besides sit there, says David Levithan, editorial director at Scholastic. I think the yardstick by which we measure B&Ns decision isnt the number of titles they carry but how they showcase whats there. In that regard, I think theyve done an excellent job in building showcases for books, whether its as a monthly pick or in the more thematic promotions.

Theres no question, says Bunnie Hilliard, owner of independent bookstore Brave + Kind in Decatur, Ga., that Barnes & Noble has an outsize impact on sales for many authors. B&N may be the only bookstore that some cities and neighborhoods have. For that reason, she adds, the visibility and buying power of B&N cant be matched. Indie bookstore shoppers are typically deliberate in their choice to shop at independents and support local businesses, but they still face the same cost constraints as chain bookstore shoppers. If people are given the option to buy hardcover or paperback in my store, they will choose paperback in middle grade because the cost is lower, and parents are buying the books, she explains. Middle grade books arent like picture books and board books that are read with caregivers multiple times before moving on. And we are battling for the attention and interest of another big competitor: screen time.

Indies like hers, Hilliard says, have the ability to dedicate our shelves to certain titles. Specializing has helped her to build a loyal customer base. I prioritize titles that have representation and champion inclusivity, and I stock a much smaller curated space. Our customers are spending their dollars with us because it means something to them to support a small business, to shop local. They believe in our mission as it speaks to their values.

That level of community and connection with book buyers positions indies as a trusted source of book recommendations. Independent bookstores continue to champion the middle grade category and remain vibrant places of discovery for young readers and their parents through handselling recommendations, says Rich Thomas, v-p and director of publishing at HarperCollins Childrens Books. The ABAs Indies Introduce program and monthly Indie Next Picks help amplify that discovery of new voices and great reads in the middle grade space. Weve seen sales grow especially in the graphic novel space, with many indies expanding the amount of dedicated space for the category in stores, supporting preorder campaigns, hosting events, and starting festivals. Weve also been hearing from indie booksellers that with budget cuts to librarian and media specialists services, they are being called on more frequently to provide recommendations and curated collections for schools and teachers.

Discoverability remains an issue

One of the biggest challenges for publishers and authors appears to be what Circana BookSpan industry analysts call a break in the chain of peer-to-peer discovery because of the pandemic. For some, that happened at a particularly crucial time in their development as readers.

I dont think its possible to overstate how disruptive the pandemic was on middle grade readers, says Kristen McLean, Circanas executive director and primary industry analyst. They lost most of their main sources of discovery, including bookstores, teachers, librarians, and seeing what their friends were reading, and at the same time they spent lots of time on screens of all sizes.

Simultaneously, the pandemic affected publishers ability to get attention for their new titles. We have always relied on PW, Kirkus, the New York Times, Booklist, Horn Book, Bulletin of the Center of Childrens Books, and VOYA, among other outlets, to give wide coverage to hardcover middle grade fiction, Levithan says. But the collective coverage has shrunk since the pandemic, for whatever reason, so now most books are lucky to get one or two reviews, when in the past they would have gotten five or six. So many novels are getting two starred reviewsbut those are the only two reviews they get. When it takes four or five starred reviews to really move the needle, that is infinitely frustrating.

The decrease in reviews has had a number of downstream effects, particularly in the school and library market, which has a huge impact on middle grade sales, says Chelsea Eberly, director of Greenhouse Literary Agency. Gatekeeper accolades such as starred reviews, selection for state lists, the Indie Next List, ALA awards, and so forth move the needle, Eberly says. But that all tends to happen after the on-sale date, so the awareness of a title doesnt resonate in time to create big first-week sales and launch a debut onto bestseller lists.

That proved true for author Linda Williams Jackson, whose third middle grade novel, The Lucky Ones, was released in April 2022. Everything was quiet after the release, she says. I really thought no one was reading the book. But her publisher, Candlewick, had submitted the book widely to awards and ran ads for teachers and librarians. In late 2022, she saw movement. The book was added to four state reading lists and a number of best books lists. Attention from teachers and librarians, she says, gives a book staying power.

The best way to reach middle grade readers is through the folks who buy books for themthat is, teachers, librarians, and parents or guardians, Jackson explains. So with middle grade, this is the first audience that has to be influenced. That, in turn, helps create word of mouth. A reader attending one of Kate DiCamillos book signings handed the author a copy of The Lucky Ones, and she later included it in her Read Brave challenge, a list of books the author has curated featuring different kinds of courage.

While publishers rely heavily on communicating directly with YA readers through social media marketing, thats generally not an option for middle graders. Its often parents interacting with us on social media and sharing our content with their children, Thomas says. Targeting a mix of parents, teachers, librarians, and booksellers through fun and educational content on HarperCollinss Shelf Stuff blog and on social media has proven successful for the publisher. Working with influencers who are parents has especially helped us position recommended middle grade titles well on social media.

Another go-to for reaching children directlyin-person school visitswas put on pause during the pandemic, while virtual visits expanded. In-person visits are back, and, for well-established authors, the demand is high. Thomas says that with the release of Soman Chainanis new book, Fall of the School for Good and Evil, the bestselling author reached 5,000 students through school events. And Katharine Applegate, with her new book The One and Only Ruby, presented for more than 7,500 students in May with a mix of in-person and virtual school visits.

For debut and midlist authors, though, its often a slow build. School visits are one of the best ways to reach your audience in the middle grade space, Eberly says. Some authors who are just starting out will waive or lower their honorarium in the place of a minimum book order to get more reads and word-of-mouth buzz.

But again, good reviews and accolades remain important. After getting starred reviews for her first book, Drew Leclair Crushes the Case, Eberlys client Katryn Bury was able to get her foot in the door with gatekeepersthat is, the teachers and librarians. That led to a school visit tour for the second book of her series. When schools were closed, middle grade authors didnt have a direct-to-audience speaking opportunity during this time, and their sales figures are reflecting that, particularly for debuts, Eberly adds. We need to acknowledge that those pandemic middle grade sales figures must be viewed through the lens of how extraordinarily difficult discoverability was when schools werent bringing in authors for events.

While both in-person and virtual visits are standard now, there appears to be an unsurprising across-the-board truism: An in-person visit certainly sells more books, including the authors backlist titles, Robbins says. Kids wont commit to buying the book until they meet the author and see what the book is all about. Only then will they pull their money out of their pocket or convince Mom and Dad to buy it for them.

How is discoverability for middle grade books playing out in bookstores? It depends. B&Ns DeVito says that the middle grade reader has returned to our stores, postpandemic, in greater numbers than before.

Indie bookstores appear to be a bright spot for middle grade sales, too. Our middle grade books are selling more than our YA, Robbins says. Part of the equation is that booksellers do need to handsell for young readers. These children are just beginning to fall in love with reading and dont know exactly what they like, yet. They are still exploring genres and authors. Indie booksellers get to help develop and sell not only the bestsellers, but the best of the best from new debut books to little-known gems. We do a great teacher business because educators want our expertise on whats new and exciting.

Whos reading what?

One of the challenges in the middle grade market may come down to demographics. The success of the YA category has been bolstered by adult readers, while middle grade doesnt enjoy that same age-range creep, and statistically there are fewer children in the middle grade age category today than there were five years ago. Readers are aging out of the category and not being replaced in equal number. Plus, for tweens, theres a tendency to reach for books with characters who are older than them.

Ive noticed often that young middle grade readers tend to want to read up maturity- and content-wise, including my own kids, Hilliard says. They will shy away from books even though the main character may be their age, and gravitate toward more mature characters. One friend said her daughter, who loves to read, wouldnt read one book where the main character was the same age as her because the cover was too babyish.

As an industry, we pigeonhole reader types into one specific subject, DeVito says. As more authors cross genres with their work, more readers are expanding into different sections. If we reclassified the books [such as graphic novels] middle grade kids read as middle grade, we would all be celebrating how dynamic the market has become.

Levithan has a similar perspective. I dont think the landscape has shifted as much as it expanded, and there are many more engaged readers because of it, he says. When people worry about the middle grade audience shrinking, its usually because they are keeping graphic novels at arms length. But thats ridiculous. Authors such as Jeff Kinney, Dav Pilkey, and Raina Telgemeier have been great for sales and for reading. Theyre also easier to sell.

Thomas agrees. Graphic novels have an inherent promotional advantage over prose novels given the amount of art available to use in creative assets like social media graphics and book trailers, he says. I suspect that likely has a part to play in the continued success of graphic novelsits easier for readers to see at a glance why they might want to read one.

Authors and publishers alike report the difficulty of breaking through with debut fiction or series in particular. There are certain series and authors, of course, for which loyal readers are waiting with bated breath for the next title to be released, Hilliard says. But some debut authors or even sophomore authors who dont have as large of a following yet have released both middle grade and YA and say that their YA books get more attention from their publishers than their middle grade books.

What works in helping a book break out? In-store promotions at both indies and Barnes & Noble, Levithan says, citing the success of Claribel Ortegas Ghost Squad and Witchlings series.

Thomas points to influencer marketing with parents, which he says can have an impressive impact. We recently ran big influencer campaigns for Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy by Angie Thomas and Surprisingly Sarah by Terri Libenson, he notes, which got the books in front of the core bookstagram audience, as well as a wider audience through more parenting-focused and general lifestyle influencers.

Looking ahead

The future of middle grade has already started to take shape. The story of middle grade right now is the story of graphic novels, Levithan says. I think their ascendancy has been far longer than a moment. I think theyve rewritten all the rules of what middle grade can be. Last year, graphic novels accounted for around a quarter of all middle grade sales, according to Circana.

The category seems to have something that resonates with readers. Middle grade readers are devouring graphic novels, Eberly says. The hunger is there from readers and publishers alike. Im happy to see that parents and teachers are supporting kids reading graphic novels and manga more and more. The dedicated shelf space at retail has been helpful for discoverability, too.

Series are still wildly popular, Robbins says, adding that kids know the release date for the next book in a series and will be in the shop to pick it up. They are loyal and dont want to wait for the paperback release. Bookstores support this enthusiasm by opening early so that kids can take the book to school to show it off. Often, its the author and not necessarily a series or standalone title that they respond to, she adds, citing Alan Gratz and Stuart Gibbs as examples of auto-buy authors for middle grade readers.

Eberly has observed, however, that publishers are increasingly reluctant to make multibook deals. Im noticing more of a wait-and-see mentality, which can be hard for authors who have an ideal story arc that they would like to tell, she says. A few clients have felt uncertain how to end books in a series without a commitment for further titles lined up.

For his part, Levithan says hes eagerly waiting for the resurgence of the middle grade paperback series, the next generation of bestsellers such as The Baby-Sitters Club, Goosebumps, Bad Guys, and Wings of Fire. Its going to happen. And I look forward to being a part of it.

Eberly notes that fantasy remains strong in middle grade, and shes seen an uptick in manuscripts with touches of magic in contemporary stories that delve into the myths and folklore of BIPOC authors cultures. Shes also seeing more middle grade horror submissions. Its been interesting to see how authors navigate writing about darker themes in a younger space.

Books that carry emotional weight have always been an important pillar of middle grade. Middle grade authors have the ability to approach hard and tender topics with empathy and open up dialogue and perspective, says indie bookseller Kendra Gayle Lee of Bookish in East Atlanta. Thats unique to that subset.

In the end, books are for the readers, and its their opinions and needs that matter. Coming off the pandemic, McLean says, I think its a legitimate question to ask what is relevant to these kids, and how we can best serve them.

Connor believes that the demand is still there, but the industry can do more to connect with it. There is still a hungry market out there for these books, she says, so look for opportunities to refresh and rediscover middle grade. Think about new voices and new stories.
Alam Gets Entitled at Riverhead In a North American rights agreement, Sarah McGrath at Riverhead acquired two novels by Rumaan Alam (Leave the World Behind). The National Book Award finalist sold Entitlement, along with a currently untitled novel, in a deal brokered by Julie Barer at the Book Group. Riverhead said Entitlement is an exhilarating novel about money, morality, class, consumption, race, and privilegeand the point at which these things can tip us toward madness. No publication date is set for either novel yet.

Gallery Unwraps Zwicks Illusions

Filmmaker Ed Zwick sold a memoir, Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood, to Max Meltzer at Gallery Books. The world rights agreement was brokered by Gail Ross at William Morris Endeavor (Rosss agency, Ross Yoon, was recently acquired by WME), John Burnham at Atlas Artists, and Bob Bookman. The publisher said that in the book, Zwick, who directed such movies as Legends of the Fall and About Last Night, recalls the head-spinning ascents and vertiginous plunges that define a career in Hollywoodwith equal emphasis on craft and luck. Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions is set for February 2024.

Songs Fire Alights at Ace

For Ace Books, Anne Sowards bought a fantasy duology by K.X. Song (An Echo in the City). The first title under the North American rights deal, handled by Peter Knapp at Park & Fine Literary, is The Night Ends with Fire. Ace said Night is inspired by the Chinese folktale about Mulan, a female warrior, as well as the 14th-century Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms; its about a brave young woman who goes to extraordinary lengths to rewrite her destiny and escape the forces that would conscript her to a life without agency. Fire is slated for summer 2024.

Putnam Nabs Japanese Bestseller

Tara Singh Carlson at Putnam won North American rights at auction to Hisashi Kashiwais The Kamogawa Food Detectives. Originally published in Japan, the novel became a bestseller and was adapted into a television series there. Its about a father-daughter detective team who also owns a restaurant. Putnam said they recreate dishes from their customers pastsdishes that just might hold the keys to forgotten memories and future happiness. According to the publisher, the book has sold in 18 countries to date; its set for a spring 2024 release here. Jon Mitchell at Macmillan UK sold the book.

Kazumis Darling Cozies Up to Bantam

At Bantam, Jesse Shuman preempted North American rights to the debut thriller by Callie Kazumi in a two-book deal. Kazumi is a senior marketing manager at British publisher Hodder & Stoughton and was represented in the agreement by Camilla Bolton at Darley Anderson. Claire, Darling follows a woman who, Bantam said, becomes obsessed with uncovering the other life of the fiance who ghosts her, weaving together the present day and flashbacks of the deeply toxic relationship she shared with her narcissistic mother and constantly twisting an understanding of the truth. Century acquired the title in the U.K. at auction.

Spiegel & Grau Goes on Kixs Mission

Paul Kix (The Saboteur) sold The Final Mission to Cindy Spiegel at Spiegel & Grau in a preempt. David Granger at Aevitas Creative Management handled the world rights agreement. The publisher said the nonfiction book is Kixs account of the as-yet-untold ongoing campaign by three brothers from Omahatwo of whom are former Special Forcesto rescue and evacuate the more than 200,000 American allies left behind when the U.S. government ceded Afghanistan to the Taliban.
Over the past 16 months, perhaps the most discussed aspect of Washington's policy toward Ukraine has been whether or not the U.S. Congress will continue providing Kyiv with weapons. The question has dominated the news and opinion pages for good reason: There is a loud but vocal minority, particularly among Republicans, that has promised either to increase scrutiny of Ukraine aid or to cut it off entirely. After this month's deal on the debt limit, these calls have only intensified. The threat of an end to aid has raised the stakes for Ukraine's nascent counteroffensive, too. Given that the United States is far and away the largest and most important military donor to Ukraine, any move to curtail military supplies would have profound consequences for the war.

And yet, the intense focus on the congressional political dimension overshadows several other, arguably more-important aspects of Washington's Ukraine strategy. As any war college student can rattle off, good strategy comes down to the alignment of ends, ways, and means. Put another way, good strategy involves clearly defining your objectives (ends), developing practical methods to accomplish them (ways), and then allocating sufficient resources (means) to turn these objectives and methods into reality. The debate over congressional support for Ukraine aid largely revolves around means. But what of the other two legs of the strategic triad?

Almost a year and a half into the war, the United States' objectivesits endsin Ukraine remain nebulous. While President Joe Biden is fond of saying that the United States will back Ukraine as long as it takes, he and his administration have been notably mute on defining what, exactly, it is. Instead, Biden has framed the outcome only in the negative: Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia. More often, the United States publicly defers to Ukraine about its ultimate goals in its war. As Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, In terms of the goals and objectives of Ukraine's campaign, we'll let the Ukrainians decidewhat that will be.

Good strategy involves clearly defining your objectives, developing practical methods to accomplish them, and then allocating sufficient resources to turn these objectives and methods into reality. Share on Twitter

While this deference is understandable, perhaps even admirablethe Ukrainians, after all, are the ones dying, and should therefore set the terms for peacethe lack of the full-throated commitment to an outright Ukrainian victory over Russia has led to a tepid, and, at times, even counterproductive approach to the second element of a sound strategy: the ways for reaching the ultimate objective. Whenever Ukraine asks for a weapons system, for example, a similar narrative has played out, time and time again. At first, the United States refuses, citing a mixture of operational and escalation concerns. Then, public pressure builds. Eventually, the United States changes course, but only after much delay. The most recent example was whether or not to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter aircraft, but the decisions about everything from M1 Abrams tanks to Patriot missile defense systems have followed a similar pattern.

Some degree of U.S. foot-dragging during the first few weeks of the war was, perhaps, understandableback then, policymakers were still figuring out how the Ukrainians would fight. But slow-rolling deliveries has become less defensible the longer the conflict has gone on. Many of the initial, operational reasons for withholding certain weaponslike the idea that Ukrainian forces couldn't be trained quickly enough on those systemshave been repeatedly disproved. Ukraine has shown that it can both rapidly master complex systems, like Patriot missiles, and also use them to great effect.

The preoccupation with escalationanother common line deployed when refusing weaponsis even more flawed. For starters, the idea that withholding weapons will somehow limit escalation and keep the war more contained and less deadly is questionable. True, Russia has not used nuclear weapons, but there are plenty of reasons Russia would not want to resort to them. And Western restraint has produced little Russian response in kind. Russia still tried to freeze, and then flood, Ukrainian civilians into submission; it has also engaged in widespread torture and shown no willingness to negotiate about anything other than Ukraine's capitulation.

At the same time, when, after much hemming and hawing, the United States did provide Patriot missiles, M1 Abrams tanks, and now F-16 training to the Ukrainians, such actions did not spark the uncontrollable escalation cycle some had feared. As one might expect, Russia targeted these systems, like it would any valuable piece of military hardware, but so far its targeting has been unsuccessful. For the most part, the war has continued much the same as beforeas a grinding war of attrition.

What's more, the strategy of doling out weapons systems one at a time and with much delay has never made logical sense. If the idea was to prevent Ukraine from attacking Russia itself, Ukraine has never needed sophisticated Western equipment to do that. Ukraine has already, allegedly, conducted strikes inside Russia with old Soviet helicopters, non-U.S. drones, and cross-border raids. And why should the United States and its Western allies be so concerned about Ukraine attacking in Russia, anyhow? Russia may indeed retaliate. But the costs of any such retaliation would likely be borne by Ukrainenot by the United States and its allies. And it's noteworthy that countries far closer to Russia and more vulnerable to Russian retaliationsuch as Poland, Finland, or the Balticsare all doubling down on their military commitments to Ukraine.

Moreover, if Washington wants to put Ukraine in the best possible position to negotiate an end to the war, then there is a need to reestablish deterrence. Russia must be convinced not only that further aggression is futile, but that continuing aggression would come at a cost. In political science jargon, this means establishing both deterrence by denial, which prevents an adversary from successfully accomplishing its war aims, and deterrence by punishment, which credibly threatens further costs should aggression continue.

In both respects, more-powerful weapons help. The better equipped Ukrainian forces are, the more likely they are to blunt further Russian aggression and prevent Russia from achieving its war aims. Longer-range weaponsbe they aircraft like F-16s, which several European allies have agreed to supply, or Army Tactical Missile System (ATACM) missiles in the futureallow Ukraine to strike at Russian targets behind the lines. These systems, in particular, can hit Russian positions in their supply lines all the way down into the Crimean Peninsula, a crucial aspect to the Ukrainian offensive.

Tthe better equipped the Ukrainians are, the more they can impose costs on Russia and the more Russia will need to weigh the benefits of future aggression. Share on Twitter

Equally important, though, is the fact that the better equipped the Ukrainians are, the more they can impose costs on Russia and the more Russia will need to weigh the benefits of future aggression. As Nobel Prizewinning economist Thomas Schelling once noted, deterrence is also predicated on the power to hurt. Giving Ukraine the power to hurt Russia may be an escalation risk, but it is also a necessary precondition to restoring mutual deterrence at the border. In other words, the United States' cautious approach may be having precisely the opposite effect of what it intended to achieve: a longer, bloodier, costlier conflict.

Stepping back, then, the United States' strategy in the war in Ukraine so far is a case in which the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Viewed individually, most decisions the United States has made in the war make sense. It is logical for the Biden administration to be opaque about its goals in the conflict and hesitant about providing high-end weaponry to a country engaged in an indirect conflict with a nuclear-armed major power. Similarly, it is understandable for Congress to want accountability for how Americans' taxes are being spent.

Judged collectively, however, these decisions add up to a suboptimal, messy U.S. strategy for supporting a war. The vagueness of the ends, the indecisiveness of the ways, and the uncertainty in the means have produced a U.S. effort that is not as robust, quick, or forward looking as it could or should be. This lack of strategic optimization has delayed needed support to Ukraine, and it may have even prolonged the conflict.

The challenge was foreseeable a year or more ago: Ukraine will survive as an independent state, continue to face a long-term threat from Russia, and run out of Soviet-era equipmentbe it air defenses, tanks, or planes. Had the West acted more decisively and strategically, Ukraine would not only be in better shape to undertake the counteroffensive it recently launched in southern and eastern Ukraine, but also be better-positioned for a more-durable postwar settlement.

Thankfully, Ukrainian bravery and Russian missteps mean that the war remains winnable for Kyiv. The United States just needs the will and strategy to embrace that victory.

Raphael S. Cohen is director of the Strategy and Doctrine Program of RAND Project AIR FORCE. Gian Gentile is deputy director of the RAND Army Research Division.

This commentary originally appeared on Foreign Policy on June 14, 2023. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
This week, we discuss what successful reconstruction in Ukraine would look like; increasing wildfires and what to do about them; the U.S.-China rivalry in a neomedieval world; the effects of telehealth expansion during the pandemic; supporting veterans involved with the criminal justice system; and a model for regulating tech platforms.

Photo by A_Gree/Alamy Reconstructing Ukraine: What Will Success Look Like? It's not too early to start planning reconstruction in Ukraine, which could be the largest rebuilding effort in modern history. In a new report, RAND researchers draw insights from previous post-war and postnatural disaster reform and reconstruction efforts to help inform decisionmaking. They find that Ukraine's reconstruction will be most successful as a U.S.Europe partnership where Ukraine sets the priorities, the United States leads on security assistance, and the European Union leads on reform and economic assistance. The authors also note that public support for a long-term U.S. commitment to Ukraine cannot be taken for granted. They recommend a bipartisan effort to explain why rebuilding Ukraine is in the interest of the United States and the West.

Photo by Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/Reuters We Aren't Helpless in the Face of Increasing Fires and Smoke Last week, large parts of central and eastern North America were shrouded in acrid brown-yellow skies caused by wildfire smokea familiar experience for those on the West coast. According to Jay Balagna of the Pardee RAND Graduate School, addressing this requires immediate action, such as increasing firefighting budgets, as well as the slow, hard work of improving land management and energy policies. Waiting to make these changes will only add to the number of days that we all spend under smoke, he says.

Photo by Zohra Bensemra/Reuters The U.S.-China Rivalry in a Neomedieval World Beginning around 2000, the world began transitioning to a historical period that RAND researchers call neomedievalism. This era is characterized by several key trends, including weakening nation-states, imbalanced economies, and informalized warfare. Our new report examines how Washington and Beijing are adapting to this environmentand what these changes mean for ongoing U.S.-China competition and potential future conflict.

Photo by Geber86/Getty Images Virtual Mental Health Care Has ExpandedBut Not for Everyone After COVID-19 hit, some states passed legislation to expand telehealth. A new RAND study shows that such policies were associated with an increase in virtual mental health services. However, disparities in access to mental health care have persisted even as telehealth expanded during the pandemic. Local, targeted legislation is needed to address these disparities and make sure all groups have equal access to care, says lead author Ryan McBain.

Photo by dlewis33/Getty Images What Can Be Done to Support Justice-Involved Veterans? Veterans make up about eight percent of the 2.2 million people incarcerated in U.S. jails and prisons. On top of this, an unknown number of veterans have had other types of contact with the criminal justice system. A new RAND paper examines what can be done to better support this group, including interventions to help prevent veterans from entering the criminal justice system in the first place, and programs to support formerly incarcerated veterans as they reintegrate into their communities.

Photo by David Peperkamp/Getty Images Regulating Social Media Platforms After the 2008 financial crisis, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Act, mandating that financial systemic risk be monitored by a regulatory oversight body. According to RAND's James Marrone, a similar approach could be used to regulate tech platforms. A tech version of Dodd-Frank could help improve transparency, provide flexibility, and establish a feasible framework to help manage the ever-present and ever-evolving risk of toxic content online.
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KYODO NEWS - Jun 17, 2023 - 22:51 | All, World

Russia has sent the first set of tactical nuclear weapons to its neighbor ally Belarus, President Vladimir Putin said Friday, in a move that is likely to further increase tensions with the West over the war in Ukraine.

It marks the first time for Russia to deploy nuclear weapons outside its borders since they were withdrawn from republics of the former Soviet Union in the wake of its 1991 collapse.

In remarks at an international economic forum in St. Petersburg, Putin said that "nuclear warheads have been delivered to Belarusian territory" and that "this is the first batch."

"We will complete this work by the end of this year," he added, while noting that the decision to send the tactical nuclear weapons, which are designed for limited strikes on the battlefield, was a deterrence measure.

Belarus shares borders with NATO countries, including Poland, and has aided Russia in its military aggression while not taking part in the invasion directly.

Asserting that Russia is prevailing in the war against Ukraine, Putin, speaking through an interpreter, emphasized that while the use of nuclear weapons is "theoretically possible," it would only be necessary if "there is a threat to Russian statehood."

The Russian president also criticized the United States for being the only country to have used nuclear weapons to attack a non-nuclear state, touching on the atomic bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the closing days of World War II.

In Washington on Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States will "continue to monitor the situation very closely" but added there are no indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon.

"We have no reason to adjust our own nuclear posture," he said.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Putin, said Tuesday his country had started taking delivery of Russian tactical nuclear weapons that included some three times more powerful than the atomic bombs the United States dropped on Japan in 1945, according to Reuters.

Putin, meanwhile, warned of the risks of NATO members being drawn into the conflict over the transfer of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, saying that Russia will have to consider hitting the aircraft if it is deployed in air force bases outside Ukraine and used in combat.
For the last four years, AADM has bailed fathers out of jails in and around Athens so they can spend the weekend of Fathers Day with their families.
No lives were lost after cyclone Biparjoy made landfall.

Preparations for Biparjoy were not only extensive, they were also telecast far and wide.

Ahead of the cyclone's landfall, Shyam G Menon observes there was considerable publicity on how much the government was geared up to face the storm and its aftermath.

IMAGE: Several houses damaged as flood water makes its way in the aftermath of the landfall of cyclone Biparjoy. Photograph: PTI Photo

It was the cyclone around the cyclone that missed our attention.

Britannica.com describes a cyclone as any large system of winds that circulates about a centre of low atmospheric pressure in a counter clockwise direction north of the Equator and in a clockwise direction to the south.

According to the Web site of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), 'Over the past 50 years, 1,942 disasters have been attributed to tropical cyclones, which killed 779 324 people and caused US$1,407.6 billion in economic losses -- an average of 43 deaths and US$78 million in damages every day.'

Traditionally in India, cyclones have been a phenomenon associated with the Bay of Bengal. The Arabian Sea in comparison, brewed less cyclones.

That picture has been changing. Even as the Bay of Bengal remains the main theatre, the number of shows has been increasing in the Arabian Sea.

As per data compiled on Wikipedia, the 2023 cyclone season in the Northern Indian Ocean began early with a depression reported on January 30 and a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) issued thereafter.

Over the next few days, courtesy its interaction with the land mass of Sri Lanka, the depression weakened and the TCFA was cancelled.

The next big one started taking shape on May 6. By May 11, it was a cyclonic storm christened Mocha and a day later, it transited through severe to very severe cyclonic storm.

On May 13, it reached peak intensity as a Category 5-equivalent cyclone. Luckily, it weakened a bit before landfall near Sittwe, Myanmar.

In anticipation of the cyclone, some 500,000 people were ordered to evacuate in Myanmar and Bangladesh.

In the storm's aftermath the Myanmar's state of Rakhine was declared a natural disaster area; overall damages in Myanmar were estimated at 1.5 billion dollars and the government of Myanmar estimated 463 people dead (ASEAN pegged it at a lower 145).

A day before, Mocha's genesis was noticed, the seeds of another system taking shape was reported from the Arabian Sea.

On June 6, after it intensified into a depression, a TCFA was issued.

It subsequently grew into a deep depression and a cyclonic storm with the name: Biparjoy.

It intensified into a severe and very severe cyclonic storm before weakening.

Then unexpectedly, it intensified into a Category 3-equivalent cyclone on June 11.

At its peak intensity it was an extremely severe cyclonic storm, Wikipedia's page on the event said.

With landfall forecast close to Jakhau in Kutch, India evacuated almost 100,000 people to safety in its state of Gujarat.

Post landfall, the death toll in the natural calamity was reportedly zero; news reports were more about fallen trees, damage to structures and villages without electricity.

IMAGE: People pass by Mandvi port as the situation become normal after Biparjoy's landfall. Photograph: PTI Photo

Twenty five years earlier, on a June 1st, the beginnings of a depression were reported from around the same part of the Arabian Sea, where Biparjoy took birth.

It had a trajectory of growth that was similar too - strengthening, weakening and then intensifying.

On June 4, the first advisory was issued. It became a deep depression and a cyclonic storm and then, weakened.

Soon thereafter, it began to build up again. At its peak it was a very severe cyclonic storm with winds of 195 km/h.

On June 9, 1998, it made landfall near Porbandar in Gujarat. The storm had no fancy name like Biparjoy did.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center called it 03A; the Indian Meteorological Department, ARB 02.

It, however, turned out to be one of the deadliest storms to hit the Gujarat coast.

The storm surge it brought in from the sea swept overland killing many.

An estimated 4,000-10,000 people lost their lives in the cyclone (source: Wikipedia).

IMAGE: A drone view of a flooded village in Mokhada after Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall. Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters

One of the major reasons for the high death toll was poor communication.

When ARB 02 struck, India was just over three years old into mobile telephony.

The first mobile telephone call in the country was made from Kolkatta to Delhi on July 31, 1995; it was made by the then West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu to the then Union minister for communications, Sukh Ram.

The vast difference in scenario may be grasped from the fact that in 1998, in Kandla, among the most affected spots in Gujarat, general awareness of the severity of the approaching storm was limited.

Today, mobile phones, Internet and satellite TV spread information fast.

A November 2022 report in Mint, which quoted the secretary, ministry of information and broadcasting, said that India has over 1.2 billion mobile phone users, including 600 million with smart phones.

Better connectivity alone does not ensure reduced loss of life. A lot, it would seem, depends on how the information provided, is processed.

IMAGE: People ride past a fallen tree in Bhuj. Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters

Twenty three years after the Gujarat Cyclone of 1998 (ARB 02), casualties were much less in Cyclone Tauktae of May 2021.

Happening in technologically more advanced times, it was the most powerful storm headed for Gujarat since the 1998 cyclone.

Of the 169 people estimated killed (all along its path in India; source: Wikipedia) in that first extremely severe cyclonic storm in the North Indian Ocean for the 2021 cyclone calendar, around 70 could be attributed to a single accident -- the sinking of a barge deployed for oil industry work, in the seas off Mumbai.

It can't be due to shortage of information. To that extent, the preparation for Biparjoy would appear to have paid dividends.

Early evening, June 16, 2023, Press Trust of India quoting the director general of the National Disaster Response Force said that while no lives had been lost post-landfall, prior to it, two people had died.

IMAGE: A drone view of a broken bridge along the Naliya-Bhuj highway. Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters

On a lighter note, around Biparjoy lay another cyclone, one that was distinctly different from nature's creation.

A cyclone is unlike an earthquake or a volcanic eruption. The former gives you no advance notice; the latter smokes and rumbles but an eruption may be anything from immediate, to weeks down the line.

With a cyclone, the media is assured extended interest. A script progressing to climax; ideal recipe for eyeballs-driven media.

Following the devastating train tragedy of June 2 (it killed 290 people and injured over 1,100), the outcry over railway safety that followed and the subsequent criticism about the nature of enquiry underway, a severe cyclonic storm wouldn't have been an instance the government wished to take lightly.

Preparations for Biparjoy were not only extensive, they were also telecast far and wide.

Ahead of the cyclone's landfall, there was considerable publicity on how much the government -- ranging from local authorities to police, rescue teams and the military -- was geared up to face the storm and its aftermath.

All of India, watched. Even the media, harassed and pushed around since the past several years, was served a surprise -- there was a communique requesting media personnel to stay safe while covering the cyclone.

For a country ranked 161 out of 180 in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, the sudden concern for journalists must have startled.

Simply put, the media buzz around Biparjoy was stronger than for other storms in recent memory. Nobody can fault it.

To remember though is -- a cyclone plays out its natural destiny. But a media cyclone stays in human hands, its intensity and direction as managers wish it to be.

Around the same time as the Biparjoy-buzz played out, a political drama was unfolding in Tamil Nadu and in India's far east, the violence in Manipur continued.

Shyam G Menon, is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Two civilians were injured as mobs clashed with security forces overnight in Imphal town and attempts were made to torch the houses of Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, officials said on Saturday.

IMAGE: A view of the charred and damaged remains of the official residence of Manipur minister Nemcha Kipgen after it was burned down by miscreants, in Imphal, June 16, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

In separate incidents, automatic gunfire was reported from Kwakta in Bishnupur district of Manipur and Kangvai in Churachandpur district through the night.

An attempt was also made to loot weapons from Iringbam police station in Imphal West. However, no weapons were stolen.

Army, Assam Rifles and Manipur Rapid Action Force held joint marches till midnight through the state capital to halt rioters from congregating.

A mob of approximately 1,000 people came together to try and burn down buildings near the palace compound.

RAF fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

Another mob tried to set the house of Biswajeet, MLA on fire. RAF column, however, dispersed the crowd.

Another mob surrounded the BJP office post midnight at Sinjemai, but could not do any harm as an Army column dispersed it.

Similarly, a crowd tried to vandalise the home of Sharda Devi, BJP (women's wing) president near Porampet in Imphal around midnight. Security forces managed to disperse the youth.

Earlier in the day, crowds set up roadblocks and torched properties in the heart of Imphal town on Friday, officials said.

Among others, a house belonging to Union Minister RK Ranjan Singh was attacked and attempts were made to burn it down on Thursday night. A warehouse near the royal palace belonging to a retired tribal IAS officer was burnt down completely on Friday.

Security guards and firefighters managed to control arson attempts by the mob and save the house of the minister of state for External Affairs here from being gutted on Thursday night.

A mob clashed with RAF personnel on Friday evening after it had set the warehouse afire. The group also burnt tyres, logs and waste in the middle of roads in Wangkhei, Porompat and Thangapat areas affecting the flow of traffic in Manipur's capital town, officials said.

More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in Manipur that broke out a month ago.

The state government has imposed a curfew on 11 districts and banned internet services in a bid to stop the spread of rumours in the state.

Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley.

Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.
This is just another instance of the indifference with which the Commission has been treated by the government.

Jyoti Punwani reports.

IMAGE: A protest in Mumbai, March 26, 2018, to demand action against those who instigated the violence following the Elgar Parishad in Pune on January 1, 2018.

The two-member Commission inquiring into the violence that took place at and around Bhima Koregaon on January 1, 2018, will now function only from Pune.

Headed by retired Justice J N Patel, the Bhima Koregaon Commission set up in February 2018, has been holding its hearings both in Mumbai and Pune.

Violence broke out on january 1, 2018, when thousands of Dalits made their way towards Bhima Koregaon to mark the 200th anniversary of the historic battle that had taken place there in which the British, with the help of Mahar soldiers, had defeated the Peshwas. The Dalits were attacked by saffron flag-wielding mobs. A riot broke out in which one youth was killed.

In protest, a State-wide bandh was observed by Dalit groups on January 3, which also saw violence.

The resultant furore led to the setting up of the Commission.

Even when it was set up, the Commission was not granted space by the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP-Shiv Sena government. It functioned from the office of Sumit Mullick, the Chief Information Commissioner, Maharashtra, who was also the second member of the Commission. Mullick retired in April.

Despite the Commission alerting the government about having to vacate his office, it was simply told to search for premises on its own.

The Commission therefore thought it best to shift its administrative office to Pune, where it functions from the Zilla Parishad office. However, it will continue holding hearings in Mumbai.

***

This is just another instance of the indifference with which the Commission has been treated by the government.

Initially, hearings were held in a tiny room in the premises of the Information Commission in Mantralaya. More often than not, lawyers and reporters had to stand at the back throughout the hearings.

Requests to the government to find larger adequate premises were ignored. It was only after the Covid pandemic, when social distancing became a rule, that the government allowed hearings to take place in one of the huge halls in its Sahyadri Guest House.

This wasn't the only aspect in which the government showed its disdain for the Commission.

In January 2020, the Commission announced it was winding up as salaries to its staff had not been paid for more than two months, its budgetary requirements had been arbitrarily slashed and its superintendent humiliated by Mantralaya officers.

Soon after, Covid struck and the lockdown was imposed.

The Commission has finished examining public witnesses and victims of the violence, local historians and social activists, and is currently examining police officers who were then dealing with the events that took place in Bhima Koregaon and Pune. It expects to wind up within six months -- if it gets another extension.

Interestingly, depositions made so far reveal two things:

1. The violence was preceded by a caste clash in a village near Bhima Koregaon.

2. On January 1, 2018, the violence began with stone throwing on Dalits by mobs wielding saffron flags.

None of the public witnesses have spoken of any link between the violence and the speeches made at the Elgar Parishad, held a day earlier on December 31, 2017 in Pune. This public meeting was organised by two retired judges and a range of Dalit organizations, to mark the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima Koregaon.

However, this alleged link forms the basis of the Bhima Koregaon case, in which 16 intellectuals have been made accused and spent years in jail.

The ongoing depositions of policemen are therefore crucial to the task of the Commission.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had the audacity to fearlessly challenge the British and India would not have been partitioned if he was there at that time, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval said on Saturday.

IMAGE: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval addresses during the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Memorial Lecture 2023 organised by ASSOCHAM in New Delhi on Saturday, June 17, 2023. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo

Doval said Bose was determined to fight the British for India's Independence and never wanted to beg for freedom, adding he not only wanted to end political subjugation but felt that the political, social, economic and cultural mindset of the people has to be changed and "they should feel like free birds in the sky".

The National Security Advisor (NSA) said this while delivering the first Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose memorial lecture organised by the industry chamber ASSOCHAM.

In the course of his address, Doval delved into various aspects of Bose's life and noted that he even had the audacity to challenge Mahatma Gandhi. But at the same time, Doval noted that Bose had a deep respect for Gandhi.

"The seed, the idea that came to his mind was 'I will fight the British, I will not beg for freedom. It is my right and I will have to get it'," Doval said.

"India would not have been partitioned if Subhas Bose was there. Jinnah said I can accept only one leader and that is Subhas Bose," he added.

Doval said Bose's contribution to India is exemplary.

"In Indian history, there are very few parallels or in global history where people had the audacity to sail against the current -- and not an easy current. It was the current of the mighty British empire," he said.

"Netaji said I will not compromise for anything less than full independence and freedom," Doval said.

Netaji said "I want to free this country not only from political subjugation" but felt that the political, social, economic and cultural mindset of the people has to be changed, and "they should feel like free birds in the sky", the NSA added.

"Bose possessed audacity like no other. He had the courage to challenge the prevailing powers, regardless of the consequences. His audacity was evident throughout his life, from his journey to London for the ICS to his escape from India during detention. He displayed unparalleled bravery and determination," Doval said.

Highlighting the legacy of Bose, Doval spoke about Netaji's ability to unite people from diverse backgrounds and how he envisioned a unified and strong India.

"Bose's leadership was exceptional. He recognised India as a reality, transcending divisions of caste, religion, and ethnicity. His vision of a united India is encapsulated in his famous slogan 'Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja'.

"It resonated with people across all walks of life. He inspired them to fight for their country, united in their pursuit of freedom," Doval said.

The NSA said Bose was a secular person and that he was deeply religious.

Doval said Bose's efforts were driven by his passion for patriotism and his unwavering dream of a great India.

The NSA said Bose was a highly religious man.

"Bose's efforts were monumental, fuelled by his romantic ideals of patriotism and his unwavering hope for a great India.

"History may have been unkind to him, but his impact and nationalism continued even after his passing. He left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of countless Indians who were inspired by his extraordinary journey," he said.

Reacting to his remarks, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused Doval of distorting history.

"Mr. Ajit Doval who doesn't speak much has now joined the tribe of Distorians. 1. Did Netaji challenge Gandhi? Of course he did. 2. Was Netaji a leftist? Of course he was. 3. Was Netaji secular? Of course staunchly and stoutly so. 4. Would Partition not have happened if Netaji was alive then? Who can say because by 1940 Netaji had formed the Forward Bloc. You can have opinions on this but it is a contrafactual question," he tweeted.

"One thing Mr. Doval did not say. The man who championed Partition of Bengal was Shyama Prasad Mukerjee in the face of strong opposition from Sarat Chandra Bose, Netaji's elder brother. I am sending Mr. Doval a copy of Rudrangshu Mukherjee's fine book of 2015, Parallel Lives. He should at least sniff some REAL history." he added.
Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party secretary SG Suryah was arrested by the Tamil Nadu police late on Friday from Chennai, an action that saw the saffron party lashing out at the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in the state, linking it with the Enforcement Directorate arrest of TN minister V Senthil Balaji.

Photograph: @SuryahSG/Twitter

Suryah was arrested by the Madurai police in Chennai late on Friday under sections of the IPC and the IT Act.

Police sources said the action was based on a CPI-M complaint against a social media post by the BJP state secretary. He was remanded to custody later.

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar compared TN CM Stalin to his namesake and Russian dictator Joseph Stalin, while BJP national spokesperson Tom Vaddakan called Surya's arrest a "vendetta."

"The chief minister has said in a statement after the arrest of Balaji that he will take revenge," he said in an apparent reference to Stalin's strong reaction post the arrest of Balaji.

The ED on Wednesday arrested Balaji under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in an alleged cash-for-jobs scam in the state transport department when he was the transport minister in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government during 2011-15. He later joined the Stalin-led DMK.

Addressing reporters in Delhi, Vaddakan said the action has been taken against Suryah for his tweet about the death of a sanitation worker in Tamil Nadu, while Balaji was arrested "for his involvement in cash-for-jobs scam".

On the minister's arrest, the BJP spokesperson said, "This is not the case that we brought about. It was a case in which Chief Minister Stalin himself wanted Balaji to be arrested for corruption when he was in the opposition."

With Suryah's arrest, a message has been sent out that "if you raise any issue, then Stalin will strike," he charged.

Vaddakan alleged the Tamil Nadu Police has arrested Suryah for his tweet in a retaliatory action because Stalin is "worried that Senthil will expose him".

Union Minister Chandrasekhar charged Stalin with acting like the original Stalin for whom he said the freedom of people and their rights didn't matter.

"Yesterday, our senior worker from TN (Suryah) was arrested, just simply because he tweeted about the death of a sanitation worker in the constituency where there is a CPI-M elected person," Chandrasekhar told PTI in Margao town of South Goa.

He said that it is a sign of "irony and hypocrisy" that the Congress used Section 66A of the IT Act during United Progressive Alliance(UPA) regime to put people in jail over their tweets. Now, their alliance partners, including NCP and Stalin, are doing it, he said.

Under Act, which was scrapped by the Supreme Court in 2015, a person posting offensive messages could be imprisoned for up to three years and also fined.

Chandrasekhar said that the Tamil Nadu CM, who heads the ruling DMK, is desperate to prove that his name is very much like the original Stalin  former Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin  for whom the freedom of people and their rights didn't matter and he used to put them in jail.

He said that it is important for the people of India to realise that "this is the same party whose leader Rahul Gandhi goes around the world and speaks about the democracy being in danger whereas his own party did that for ten years and his own ally is doing it today".

"Maybe when former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was talking about being intimidated or being sent to jail, all those things I thought were lies. Maybe he was referring to Rahul Gandhi and his dynastic ally DMK," he said.

The minister said that their party and the Union government will support Suryah and he will overcome these attempts by the Congress and its allies to muzzle free speech.

BJP TN chief K Annamalai slammed Suryah's arrest.

"His only mistake was to expose the nasty double standards of the Communists, allies of DMK. Using state machinery to curtail free speech & getting jittery for the slightest criticism is unbecoming of a democratically elected leader and, indeed, are signs of an autocratic leader in the making," Annamalai tweeted.

"These arrests will not deter us & we will continue to be bearers of the uncomfortable truth!" he added.
KYODO NEWS - Jun 17, 2023 - 21:02 | All, World, Japan

Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Indonesia on Saturday for their first official goodwill visit since the emperor's ascension to the throne in 2019.

Their stay through Friday includes a luncheon with President Joko Widodo and a visit to a cemetery honoring Indonesian independence fighters.

The visit is the second overseas trip for the emperor and empress since his ascension, their first being to attend the funeral of Britain's Queen Elizabeth. The couple received an invitation from the Indonesian president in July last year.

It comes as Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, chaired this year by Indonesia, mark their 50th anniversary of friendly ties.

At a hotel in Jakarta, the couple was welcomed by children attending local Japanese schools and chatted with some of them.

Ahead of the trip, the emperor expressed hope that his visit will "further deepen" the countries' relationship, which he said went through a "difficult period," a reference to Japan's occupation of Indonesia during World War II.

"It is important to remember those who lost their lives, deepen an understanding of past history and cultivate love for peace," he told a press conference Thursday in Tokyo.

The emperor said he hopes the visit will spur greater engagement among young Indonesians and Japanese, mentioning that he and his wife looked forward to learning more about the country.

The emperor said his wife, who has long battled a stress-induced illness, will not join every event with him due to her health.

The emperor and the empress are slated to meet the president and his wife on Monday and have a luncheon at the palace in Bogor, near Jakarta.

They are expected to offer flowers the following day at the Kalibata Heroes' Cemetery, which honors those who fought for Indonesia's independence.

Among the buried are former Japanese soldiers who stayed in Indonesia after the end of Japanese occupation and joined the fight for independence from the Dutch Empire.

From Wednesday, the emperor is scheduled to travel alone to Yogyakarta, an ancient city in central Java, to attend a dinner hosted by the provincial governor.

The agenda also includes visits to a high-speed railway constructed with Japan's economic assistance and a university engaging in Japanese-language education, as well as a meeting with Japanese residents of Indonesia.
Ten opposition parties of Manipur led by the Congress on Saturday questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the continued violence in the northeastern state, while urging him to meet them and make an appeal for peace.

IMAGE: A view of damaged houses and shops seen following violence in several areas of Manipur. Photograph: ANI Photo

Addressing a press conference with other leaders, Manipur's three-time former chief minister O Ibobi Singh said they have sought a meeting with the prime minister and were awaiting his response before he leaves for his foreign tour on June 20.

The Congress leader said that the violence was continuing in the state since May 3 and the "silence" of Prime Minister Modi is "hurting" Manipur.

"There is a hue and cry everywhere, with 20,000 people, including women and children, taking shelter in camps. However, the prime minister has not yet expressed anything regarding Manipur. Is Manipur a part of India or not? If it is, why hasn't the Prime Minister of India spoken about it," he asked.

Congress general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh said the leaders of 10 opposition parties had sent an email to the prime minister on June 10 for a meeting with them but have not received any response.

He said the letter of request for a meeting with the PM has also been hand-delivered to the Prime Minister's Office on June 12.

Ramesh said when violence broke out in Manipur 22 years ago, the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had called an all-party meeting twice on the demand of all the parties.

Vajpayee had also appealed for peace then, he said, urging Prime Minister Modi to issue a similar appeal now.

"There is only one reason why Manipur is burning and it is the ideology of the RSS and the politics of the BJP. It is not just Manipur, other states of the north-east are facing huge issues. This is the time of dealing with all militant organisations," he claimed.

"Manipur was burning 22 years ago on June 18, 2001. State Assembly, Speaker's bungalow, and CM Secretariat were burnt and remained blocked for 3 and a half months.

"At that time Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister of India and on the demand of various parties, an all-party meeting was called twice and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee appealed for peace. Today people from 10 parties are waiting to meet PM Modi, but PM Modi is silent," he said.

Ibobi Singh said their intention is not to take political advantage. "We simply seek peace. Please help us," the former state chief minister said.

Five-time MLA of JDU Nimai Chand Luwang, who was part of the delegation that had met Vajpayee, said even after the visit of the Home Minister, the violence in Manipur continues unabated.

"The current BJP government has failed miserably in addressing the situation in Manipur. We want the prime minister to intervene and bring a solution to stop the violence in Manipur," he said.

Manipur PCC President Keisham Meghachandra said, "We, leaders of 10 like-minded political parties, have arrived in Delhi to secure an appointment with PM Modi, as he appears unconcerned about the issues plaguing Manipur."

Sources said that the Congress has convened a meeting of opposition leaders in Delhi on Monday if there is no response from the prime minister to their request.

The other leaders present at the press conefrence were Janata Dal-United state president KSH Biren Singh, Communist Party of India state council secretary L Thoiren Singh, Communist Party of India-Marxist's Kshetranayam Shanta, Trinamool Congress state convener Thokchom Inocha Singh, Aam Aadmi Party coordinator Thingyam Vishwanath Singh, All India Forward Block leader KH Gyaneswar Singh, Nationalist Congress Party's state president Soram Ikoyama Singh and Shiv Sena Shiv Sena-UBT leader T Debanand Singh, along with a representative Revolutionary Social Party.

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said Manipur requires a political solution not a mere deployment of police and military to handle law and order as the Modi Government "is seeking to do".

"BJP CM Biren Singh has definitely failed miserably to handle the situation and any semblance of government has crumbled in the state.BJP National President J P Nadda maintains a stony silence' over Manipur as if nothing is happening," he alleged.

"Should the PM and Union Government not initiate a fresh dialogue with both ethnic groups? Do the victims of violence not require a direct healing touch from the PM and Union Government assuring them of support and rehabilitation?

"Is the Modi government even listening? Does the PM even care? Is GOI even concerned?" he tweeted.

Surjewala said the Modi government "should wake up and solve the issue in the nation's interest".

More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in Manipur. The state government has imposed a curfew in 11 districts and suspended internet services.
An alleged Maoist supporter was arrested in Bijapur in Chhattisgarh with Rs 10 lakh in Rs 2000 notes belonging to leaders of the outlawed movement, a police official said on Saturday.

Photograph: PTI Photo

The Reserve Bank of India had recently announced the withdrawal of Rs 2000 notes from circulation and had asked people to deposit it in banks or get it exchanged till September 30.

Dinesh Tati (23), resident of Palnar village in Gangaloor police station limits, was held on Friday from a tractor showroom in Bijapur town, Additional Superintendent of Police Chandrakant Gavarna said.

"Initially, Tati tried to mislead police by introducing himself as a worker of a non government organisation (NGO) but later confessed he had received Rs 10 lakh from four leaders of the Gangaloor area committee of the Naxalites," he said.

"He said the plan was to dispose of the Rs 2000 notes, collected as levy by Naxalites, by procuring a tractor. A case was registered. A bank passbook has been seized from him," he added.

Another official said strict monitoring and surveillance was in place in Bastar region to curb potential exchange of such currency by Naxalites and their supporters.

Earlier on May 25, two persons were arrested in Bijapur with Rs 6 lakh in Rs 2000 notes belonging to a Naxalite commander.

Three Maoist supporters were nabbed in neighbouring Dantewada district with Rs 1 lakh in Rs 2000 notes on June 10, as per police.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said that Moscow has sent its first batch of nuclear weapons to Belarus, The Hill reported.

IMAGE: Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the Federal Assembly (Russia's two-chamber Parliament), in Moscow, February 27, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Addressing St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said that the rest of the nuclear weapons should be delivered by the end of the summer.

Russia moves forward with the plan as part of the plan to deploy tactical nuclear bombs in the country bordering Ukraine.

"This is a deterrence measure [against] all those who think about Russia and its strategic defeat," he said in response to a question about the use of nuclear weapons in war.

The Russian leader's comments follow claims from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko this week that his nation received the first part of the "bombs and missiles from Russia," as per retorted by The Hill.

Lukashenko told Russian and Belarusian state media, "We have missiles and bombs that we have received from Russia," adding, "The bombs are three times more powerful than those [dropped on] Hiroshima and Nagasaki," Fox News reported.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced that Russia has commenced the delivery of nuclear weapons to Belarus, including some that are apparently three times as powerful as those detonated over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, reported Fox News.

The tactical nuclear warheads are the first Russia has moved since opening its invasion of Ukraine last year.

The weapons' arrival comes one week after Ukrainian forces began a large-scale counteroffensive against Russia.

Lukashenko argues the weapons will only serve as a deterrent, as per a Fox News report.

Meanwhile, Finland on April 4 this year became NATO's newest member upon depositing its instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty with the United States at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.
By Tomoyuki Tachikawa, KYODO NEWS - Jun 17, 2023 - 10:28 | All, Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has ruled out calling a snap election soon but appears eager to create a better environment for one by highlighting his presence at upcoming diplomatic events.

He is said to be keen to secure another term as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party by winning a general election. While facing several setbacks at home, lawmakers say Kishida believes his popularity will rise if he can demonstrate to the public that he is strong in foreign affairs.

Kishida, who served as foreign minister for around five years before becoming prime minister in October 2021, has recently focused on building stable ties with China and paving the way for a summit with North Korea, both neighbors of Japan that pose security challenges.

The lawmakers, however, warn that his endeavors are unlikely to bear fruit, as China and North Korea may disregard Kishida amid reports he has toyed with the idea of dissolving the House of Representatives for an election.

On the domestic front, Kishida has pledged to pursue measures that could involve tax hikes to address key challenges facing Japan, including a costly child care policy and the expansion of the defense budget, while coming under fire for the mishandling of personal data retained under the "My Number" identification card system.

If he fails to score points on the diplomatic front, Kishida, who hosted the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima in May, may choose to wait until next year for a lower house dissolution, the lawmakers said.

There was speculation that Kishida would call a snap election after smoothly hosting the G-7 summit, at which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an appearance.

Last year, Kishida's grip on power was shaken by revelations of links between LDP lawmakers and the controversial Unification Church as well as the resignations of four Cabinet members, two due to political funding scandals.

Kishida's hasty decision to hold a state funeral with taxpayers' money for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in the city of Nara in July 2022, also led his Cabinet's support ratings to plunge to around 30 percent, widely regarded as a "danger level."

The Cabinet's approval ratings have picked up following Kishida's surprise visit to Ukraine in March for talks with Zelenskyy and progress in resolving a long-standing dispute with South Korea over wartime labor compensation.

Kishida "seems to have recognized that underscoring his diplomatic success will lead to an increase in his popularity," said a government source close to him.

Following the G-7 summit in Hiroshima, where Kishida's constituency is located, the Cabinet's support ratings continued to recover until inappropriate photographs taken during a family function at the prime minister's official residence and the problems with the My Number system emerged.

Despite mounting concern over the security of personal data retained under the My Number system, the government has continued to promote the use of the ID cards.

The mishandling of personal information has reminded people of the loss of pension records that came to light in 2007, which resulted in a devastating defeat for the LDP in the House of Councillors, or upper house, election in July that year.

To divert the attention of voters from domestic issues, Kishida is "expected to concentrate more on diplomacy with an eye on a lower house election," the source said. The next LDP presidential race is scheduled to be held in September 2024.

Tatsuhiko Yoshizaki, a foreign policy expert at the Sojitz Research Institute, said Kishida may attempt to address "China, the most difficult challenge Japan has encountered," after he deepened ties with the other leaders of the G-7 democracies.

In April, Toshihiro Nikai, a former LDP secretary general known for his pro-China stance, became the head of a cross-party group that advocates friendly Sino-Japanese relations. The post had been vacant since late 2021.

Given the appointment, some new developments are "likely to occur" after the closing of the current parliamentary session, Yoshizaki said, with expectations growing that Kishida might visit China to meet with President Xi Jinping in the near future.

The two Asian powers are at loggerheads over the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku Islands, which Beijing claims and calls Diaoyu, and Chinese coast guard vessels have repeatedly entered Japanese territorial waters around the group of uninhabited islets.

As for North Korea, Kishida has reiterated his readiness to hold talks with leader Kim Jong Un to lay the groundwork for resolving the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang in the 1970s and 1980s. Japan and North Korea do not have diplomatic ties.

In May, Kishida said he would set up senior-level negotiations between Japan and North Korea to arrange a bilateral summit. A Foreign Ministry source said Tokyo has been seeking an opportunity behind the scenes to sound out Pyongyang about the possibility of talks.

But some LDP members said Kishida will not be able to drive diplomacy as his credibility has been undermined since he hinted at the possibility of dissolving the lower house, causing jitters within the party.

Kishida said Tuesday he would decide on the timing of a dissolution of the lower house after assessing "various circumstances," a reversal of his previous stance that he was "not considering" calling a general election "for now." On Thursday, he vowed not to dissolve the chamber soon.

One of the LDP members said, "We cannot understand why he abruptly made contradictory statements, creating a sense of crisis among lawmakers. If he had ulterior motives, we cannot entrust such a person with crucial foreign policy matters."

With Xi and Kim having solidified their power, they "would not view" Kishida, who has failed to increase his clout in his own party, as a suitable negotiating partner, the LDP member said. "A snap election is not around the corner."

Related coverage:

Japan PM Kishida rules out lower house dissolution during Diet session
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has denied a report of raising stake in Air India which stands at 25.1 per cent. The stake was acquired as part of Vistaras merger with Air India. SIAs statement came after a media report claimed that SIA was planning to raise its stake from 25.1 per cent to 40 per cent citing three people familiar with the information.

A spokesperson for SIA in response to a query by Republic said, There is no change in SIAs position from the November 2022 announcement. The regulatory approval process for the merger of Air India and Vistara is underway, and we have nothing further to add.

Merger of Vistara and Air India

The merger of Vistara into Air India is under review by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) into a single entity (Air India) with SIA investing Rs 2,059 crore. The salt-to-steel conglomerate Tata Group operates three airlines in India - Air India (with Air India Express as its low-cost subsidiary), Air Asia India and Vistara (a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons and SIA).

In April, Tata Sons approached Indias anti-trust watchdog Competition Commission of India (CCI) for regulatory approval for the merger of Vistara into Air India. However, before key approvals are granted, the relevant authorities will look into possible market dangers and assess further features of this merger in relation to its competitors. If the CCI is not satisfied with the components of the merger, it will enact corrective procedures to rectify any issues it has.

VT-EXO, an Air India Airbus A320 NEO (Star Alliance Livery) landing at Singapore's Changi Airport (SIN) | Image Credit: Shutterstock

SIA in a press release stated, SIA and Tata aim to complete the merger by March 2024, subject to regulatory approvals with N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons stating that "the merger of Vistara and Air India is an important milestone in our journey to make Air India a truly world-class airline. We are transforming Air India, with the aim of providing great customer experience, every time, for every customer.

A Vistara Airbus A320neo flight landing at Thiruvananthapuram Airport | Image Credit: Shutterstock

With this merger, we have an opportunity to deepen our relationship with Tata and participate directly in an exciting new growth phase in Indias aviation market, said Goh Choon Phong, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Singapore Airlines.
This photo taken on June 16, 2023 shows a parking lot on which a branch of Russian consular section will be built in West Jerusalem. Russia will open a branch of its consular section in Jerusalem as part of its agreement with the city, the Russian embassy and the Israeli foreign ministry said Friday.(Xinhua/Chen Junqing)

JERUSALEM, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Russia will open a branch of its consular section in Jerusalem as part of its agreement with the city, the Russian embassy and the Israeli foreign ministry said Friday.

According to the Russian embassy, the branch will be built on a plot in West Jerusalem, which the Russian Empire acquired in 1885. The move came after the two sides clarified the Russian land plot's boundaries and area in an agreement signed on May 18 after a "years-long process."

The Russian embassy said this step "fully serves the interests of further strengthening friendly multifaceted relations between Russia and Israel, as well as goes in line with our country's unchanging course towards a fair Middle East settlement."

Israel has controlled the western part of the city since its creation in 1948. In 1967, as part of the Middle East war, it captured the eastern part and declared Jerusalem its undivided capital.

The majority of the international community does not recognize Israeli sovereignty in East Jerusalem, as most countries' embassies reside in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

In 2018, the United States opened its embassy in Jerusalem. A few countries later followed suit. 

This photo taken on June 16, 2023 shows a sign of a parking lot on which a branch of Russian consular section will be built in West Jerusalem. Russia will open a branch of its consular section in Jerusalem as part of its agreement with the city, the Russian embassy and the Israeli foreign ministry said Friday.(Xinhua/Chen Junqing)

This photo taken on June 16, 2023 shows a parking lot on which a branch of Russian consular section will be built in West Jerusalem. Russia will open a branch of its consular section in Jerusalem as part of its agreement with the city, the Russian embassy and the Israeli foreign ministry said Friday.(Xinhua/Chen Junqing)
Tudum is a global fan event that covers all of the original movies and web series released on Netflix. This event was held for the first time in 2020 and this year it is taking place in Brazil.
Mali's top diplomat demanded on Friday that UN peacekeepers who have been in this West African country grappling with an Islamic insurgency for more than a decade leave immediately, claiming they had failed in their mission.

Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop made the request in a speech to the United Nations Security Council. He said the UN mission had not achieved its objectives and was sowing distrust among the people.

Mali has struggled to contain an Islamic extremist insurgency since 2012. Extremist rebels were forced from power in Mali's northern cities the following year, with the help of a French-led military operation, but they regrouped in the desert and began launching attacks on the Malian army and its allies.

The UN peacekeepers  a contingent of more than 15,000  came in a few months later in what has become one of the most dangerous UN missions in the world. At least 170 peacekeepers have been killed in the country since 2013, according to the UN.

The Malian government asks for the withdrawal without delay" of the peacekeepers, Diop said in his speech at the council. He said the mission has not "been able to adequately respond to the security situation in Mali and that its future outlook doesn't seem to respond to the security needs of the Malians.

Mali has been ruled by a military junta following two coups, starting in 2020, led by Col. Assimi Goita, who now runs the country.

Since Goita seized power, relations with the international community have become tense  in part also because the junta brought in mercenaries from Russia's Wagner Group, who are engaged in Moscow's war on Ukraine.

In recent months, Mali's government has constrained the peacekeepers' ability to operate, and countries such as Benin, Germany, Sweden, Ivory Coast and the United Kingdom have announced troop withdrawals.

Diop's demand came as the Security Council began discussing the mission's mandate, which expires on June 30.

US Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis told Friday's meeting that Washington was especially frustrated by Mali's ongoing restrictions" against the freedom of movement and access for the peacekeeping mission, known as MINUSMA.

Conflict analysts see Mali's demand as worrying.

It's a grim development," said Laith Alkhouri, CEO of Intelonyx Intelligence Advisory, which provides intelligence analysis. Alkhouri said the demand appears to be a result of the junta's "aspirations to keep a tight grip on power, as well as a response to increasing public pressure after multiple protests".

But many Malians say the peacekeepers have brought no stability.

What I can see is that despite the presence of the (UN), we don't have peace," Mohamed Sissoko a resident of the capital, Bamako, told The Associated Press.

The spokesperson for the UN mission in Mali, Fatoumata Kaba, said the UN would respond to the request but couldn't immediately comment.

On Sunday, the African nation is to hold a long-awaited referendum on a new constitution as a path to elections, scheduled for February next year.
Pope Francis expressed concern  and dismay  over the allegations of sexual abuse committed by priests in Bolivia in a letter sent on Friday to President Luis Arce, as a pedophilia scandal involving priests continues to rock the the Andean country.

The pontiff pledged the full cooperation of the Church to work alongside the government in the ongoing investigations over the abuse allegations.

I express my sorrow ... for the deplorable acts that have affected and continue to affect individuals who have been sexually abused by members of the church, Francis wrote in the letter dated May 31 that was read Friday by Maria Nela Prada, the minister of the Bolivian presidency, at a news conference in La Paz.

In the letter, Francis says he shares the president's concern, outrage and condemnation regarding the recently reported incidents, as well as for the negligence of those who should have exercised vigilance. Francis was responding to a letter Arce sent him last month after allegations of pedophilia involving a Jesuit priest came to light. Alfonso Pedrajas, who died of cancer in 2009, revealed in a personal diary published by Spanish newspaper El Pais that he had abused dozens of minors in Catholic boarding schools dating back to the 1970s.

President Arce commented on the letter on social media, praising Francis' willingness to take concrete, joint actions against the impunity of sexual crimes. Arce added that Bolivia should strengthen controls to prevent foreign priests with a history of sexual crimes from entering the country.

Bolivia's Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation and has asked victims to come forward. New cases of sexual abuse have been uncovered as a result of this probe and one priest was sent to pre-trial detention for three months last month.

So far, 12 judicial investigations against clergy members in Bolivia, including one which already resulted in a 10-year prison sentence for a priest charged with rape, the Bolivian Episcopal Conference (CEB) said earlier this week. In several of the cases, those who have been accused of abuse have already died.

Jordi Bertomeu, a Spanish priest who is one of the Vatican's top sex crimes investigators, was in Bolivia last month in part to deal with the fallout from the growing sex abuse scandals. He had previously led investigations into similar accusations by priests in Chile and Paraguay.
Clinic had been operating without a license; womans body was found on outskirts of capital

South Korean social media influencer Byun Ah-yeong is said to have died after being injected with something at an unlicensed clinic in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

A Cambodian court has charged two Chinese nationals with the torture and murder of a South Korean social media influencer whose body was found on the outskirts of Phnom Penh earlier this month.

Byun Ah-yeong, also known as BJ Ahyeong, was an influencer for popular South Korean streaming service AfreecaTV, and that she had more than 250,000 Instagram followers, Agence France-Presse reported. Media reports say she was 33.

Two Chinese, Lai Wenshao, 30, and Cai Huijuan, 39 were charged with murder, court spokesman Plang Sophal told local media.

Lai and Cai testified that Byun had gone into seizures and died while receiving treatment at their clinic on June 4, and they had abandoned her body, AFP said, citing a police report.

If they are convicted, they could face life in prison.

Lai and Cais clinic had been operating without a license, Sok Sambath, the governor of Phnom Penhs Boeung Keng Kang district, told RFAs Khmer Service.

"We shut the clinic down," he said, but declined to answer questions inquiring as to how they could have been allowed to open without a license, only saying that they had started before he took office.

Police Chief Sar Thet told RFA that according to the police investigation, the couple injected [something] into a South Korean lady and she died.

The incident may have happened because of improperly administered anesthesia, Quach Mengly, a Cambodian physician, told RFA.

The Ministry of Health hasnt effectively taken action against unlicensed medical clinics and this has caused several patient deaths as of late, Yong Kim Eng, president of the local PDP-Center NGO, told RFA.

He said that the incident could scare off foreigners who want to seek medical treatment in Cambodia.

"[Cambodians] are [also] afraid of using local clinics, said Yong Kim Eng. They seek treatment outside of the country, so we are giving money to foreign countries.

Soeung Sengkaruna, spokesman for the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association urged the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to find the real cause of death to restore public trust in Cambodias medical services.

"The related authorities and the ministry of health need to investigate this case, he said. We want to find out whether it was a malpractice or the providers' lack of skill."

Translated by Samean Yun. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
Saudi Arabias foreign minister, during a rare visit to bitter rival Iran, stressed the importance of security cooperation in the region to ensure the Persian Gulf is free of weapons of mass destruction and to maintain maritime safety in crucial trade routes.

"I would like to refer to the importance of cooperation between the two countries on regional security, especially the security of maritime navigation...and the importance of cooperation among all regional countries to ensure that it is free of weapons of mass destruction," Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told reporters in Tehran on June 18.

The arrival represents the first trip to Iran by a Saudi foreign minister in 17 years.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry posted a video of the Saudi diplomat being greeted by his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

Sunni Muslim-led Saudi Arabia and Shiite-majority Iran have battled for influence in the region for decades, including in what has been called a proxy war in Yemen, fought between competing sides supported by Riyadh and Tehran.

Riyadh has often accused Tehran of attempting to undermine Sunni-led countries in the region and has accused Iran of attacking merchant ships in the waters of the Persian Gulf.

Iran has accused Saudi Arabia of inciting protests and violence against Shia communities in the region.

Riyadh severed relations with Tehran after protesters in 2016 stormed and ransacked the Saudi missions in Tehran and Mashhad after Saudi Arabia executed a prominent Shiite cleric who had criticized the kingdoms treatment of its Shiite minority.

But the sides have attempted to mend relations in recent months. In March, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to reestablish relations in a China-mediated deal.

In early June, Iran reopened its embassy in Riyadh, while Saudi Arabia is expected to reopen its diplomatic mission in Tehran "soon," Prince Faisal said.

Amir-Abdollahian stressed the importance of Iranian security, but he added that "Iran has never equated security with militarism but sees it as a broad concept including political, cultural, social, economic, and trade aspects."

Prince Faisal is also scheduled to meet with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and hand the Iranian leader an invitation to visit Saudi Arabia in the future.

Iran has been accused by the West of fomenting extremist activity in the region and of attempting to acquire nuclear weapons, charges Tehran has denied.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabias close relations with the United States have soured following several incidents, including the gruesome murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed by Saudi agents inside the country's consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

With reporting by Reuters
A video claiming to show Romania massing troops and military hardware on the Moldovan border was quickly picked up by pro-Russian media and widely shared on Telegram and Twitter in February of this year.

The video, however, showed no such thing. It was actually footage taken from a Romanian military parade held a few months earlier in Alba Iulia, a city in the Romanian region of Transylvania, which is hundreds of kilometers from the Moldovan border.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin upped its disinformation game, experts say, exploiting traditional and social media and other tools to spin its narrative as it faced global condemnation for its aggression.

And Moldova, one of Europe's poorest nations, appeared to be at or near the top of the Kremlin's hit list. To fight back, Chisinau first banned Russian news programs, then a few months later blocked several TV channels from broadcasting. More recently, Maia Sandu, the country's pro-Western president, proposed creating a state center to monitor Russian disinformation and propaganda, saying the lies spread on television and social media were "the most dangerous weapon."

The disinformation campaign appears to be just one prong of what experts say has been a Kremlin-coordinated campaign against Moldova, a former Soviet republic of 2.6 million people that shares a border with Ukraine. U.S. officials and others had warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin not only had his eyes on Ukraine but on strategically situated Moldova as well, with concerns focusing on the nearly 2,000 Russian troops deployed in Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniester.

In February, Sandu publicly accused Russia of plotting to overthrow her government, an allegation first made days earlier by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Sandu's announcement followed the resignation of Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita, who blamed crises caused by Russia, including "energy blackmail."

At the time the government was facing a wave of protests largely organized by the pro-Russian Shor party, whose leader, Ilan Shor, is a fugitive Moldovan oligarch implicated in a $1 billion bank fraud and other illicit schemes.

While Chisinau may be trying to squelch the disinformation noise, it faces a daunting task, according to Mark Sawyer, senior analyst at Logically, a private firm that tracks disinformation for governments and businesses.

"Recent efforts to combat Russian messaging in Moldova have been a game of cat and mouse. When regulators shut down TV stations and websites for rebroadcasting Russian state programming, the content lives on because it is quickly syndicated to other channels like newly created websites and messaging apps," Sawyer told RFE/RL.

"A sizable minority of citizens are also sympathetic to the Russian propaganda narratives, making it difficult for anti-disinformation efforts to gain credibility with those citizens. In the future, the use of deepfakes and generative AI could increase the speed and scale of disinformation and complicate the government's efforts."

False-Flag Claims

Back in February, Russia denied it was plotting to destabilize Moldova, claims that were repeated and amplified inside Moldova by pro-Russian voices. The Kremlin didn't stop there but leveled its own charges, claiming Ukraine was planning a false-flag operation in Transdniester, where Moldova fought a short but bloody war against Russian-backed separatists in 1992. The Kremlin charges were a thinly veiled "classical disinformation" ploy, Valeriu Pasa, director of the Moldovan think tank Watchdog.md., said in a Facebook post.

The bogus claims of a Ukrainian plot first circulated on Twitter and Telegram before being quickly seized by the Russian Defense Ministry on February 23. That official statement was "massively disseminated by Russian state and pro-Kremlin outlets" as well as "pro-Kremlin sources in Moldova," according to the East StratCom Task Force, which is funded by the EU to monitor and report on Russian disinformation inside the bloc. Part of that campaign was the video claiming to show Romania massing military hardware on the Moldovan border.

"Repurposing and misappropriating old photos or videos is a common tactic used by disinformation actors looking to bolster credibility of their narratives, as they are aware that multimedia posts have a greater chance of virality on social media algorithms. In this specific case, the video implied Romania and the government in Chisinau were being aggressive and destabilizing, though the Romanian Defense Ministry quickly debunked the false claims," Sawyer explained.

Despite the holes in the story, the Kremlin continued to spin it.

On February 24, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned that any attack on the Russian military in Transdniester would be considered an attack on Russia. Separatist leaders in the breakaway region piled on, saying they "are ready to deal with any provocations."

The rumors were given a "dramatic boost" on February 26, according to the EU's disinformation unit, when Russia's flagship nightly TV news program broadcast on state-run Channel One, which is watched by millions, gave it prominent airtime.

On March 1, one of the Kremlin's leading TV hosts, Vladimir Solovyov, known for his on-air screeds, claimed that "Ukraine [is] plotting to attack" Moldova, citing the Telegram account of Igor Dodon, a Kremlin-friendly former Moldovan president who was briefly held under house arrest in 2022 amid allegations of corruption and treason. Solovyov's post on Telegram was shared with more than 240,000 views.

Sympathy For Russian Narratives

That type of messaging can find traction in Moldova, where decades of Soviet rule have left people prone to Kremlin-friendly narratives, according to Pasa.

"This public opinion has been formed for decades, and many of these modern Kremlin narratives have been promoted since Soviet times. For example, everything related to NATO," Pasa explained to Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA.

An opinion poll released in February by Watchdog.md suggested that Moldovans were more apt to blame Russia's invasion on the West and NATO. Nearly 55 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that "Russia is actually fighting NATO in Ukraine." Those questioned were also likely to point the finger of blame for rising energy prices in Moldova on their own government rather than Russian cuts to energy supplies.

Sandu first attempted to scramble the signals of Russian media in June 2022, signing off on the Information Security Law, which was passed by parliament at the beginning of that month. It prohibits the distribution of Russian TV news and political analysis inside Moldova.

"The law comes into force this week, and [Russian] propaganda will be sanctioned much more harshly. Misinforming media organizations will be gradually penalized, from fines to the withdrawal of the right to broadcast advertising," the head of the Audiovisual Council in Moldova, Liliana Vitu, said at the time.

Until that June action, content from Russia was directly relayed by Moldovan channels affiliated with pro-Russian politicians, Current Time notes. For example, the First In Moldova TV station got much of its programming directly from Russia's Channel One.

In December 2022, Moldova went further, targeting specific TV networks for allegedly spreading disinformation. Moldova's Commission for Emergency Situations on December 16 suspended the broadcast licenses for the channels First In Moldova, RTR Moldova, Accent TV, NTV Moldova, TV6, and Orhei TV.

The commission said it took the action after a review by Moldova's Audiovisual Council found a "lack of correct information in the coverage of national events, but also of the war in Ukraine." It also said the suspensions aimed to "prevent the risk of disinformationor attempts to manipulate public opinion."

Pro-Kremlin Owned Media Targeted

Four of the six suspended channels -- First In Moldova, RTR Moldova, NTV Moldova, and TV6 -- regularly retransmit programs from Russian TV channels.

First In Moldova, TV6, and Accent TV are linked to Shor, who along with his party are blacklisted by both the United States and European Union for attempts to destabilize Moldova.

NTV Moldova is linked to the pro-Kremlin Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM) and its leader Dodon, who was president from 2016 to 2020, when he lost to Sandu, a U.S.-educated former World Bank official.

Dodon is alleged to have received money from the Kremlin. The business association he headed -- the Moldovan-Russian Business Union -- reportedly received the equivalent of $300,000 from Moscow between October 2021 and April 2022, an investigation by RISE Moldova claimed.

TV6 called the suspension "totally unfounded" and "an unprecedented attack on freedom of expression, editorial freedom, [and] freedom of journalists."

At the time, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the move "a cynical infringement of the rights of national minorities."

Given the plethora of media options available, however, a ban on terrestrial TV broadcasts has proved nearly toothless. RTR Moldova was able to circumvent it by shifting its main shows and news programs to another channel, Cinema 1, according to East StratCom Task Force.

Orhei TV and TV6 used a little-known platform, Orizont TV, to air its programs, the EU disinformation monitor said. Other channels that registered an audience increase since the suspensions include Publika, Canal 2, Canal 3, and Canal 5. All are associated with another fugitive oligarch, Vlad Plahotniuc, who is also implicated in the same bank fraud scam as Shor.

Plahotniuc and Shor were among a group of seven people from Moldova sanctioned by the EU on May 30 for actions Brussels said destabilized and undermined the territorial integrity of the country. Both were among nine individuals and 12 entities blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury Department last October over "systemic corruption" and efforts to influence elections in Moldova. It said Shor had received Moscow's backing and had worked with Moscow-based entities to derail Moldova's bid to join the EU.

Monitoring the six channels in November 2022, Watchdog.md found that on three of the channels retransmitting Russian programming -- First In Moldova, RTR Moldova, and NTV Moldova -- Putin was portrayed more positively than Zelenskiy, although the three networks had broadcast negative news about Russia, mostly related to its unprovoked aggression.

"Last March, we conducted a study and found that many citizens of Moldova changed their attitude toward Russia and Putin and began to trust the Kremlin's narratives a little less. Then everything leveled off; there was even a slight increase, and now trust in Putin is declining again. We see this declining trend based off the latest surveys we have conducted," Pasa told Current Time.

According to Pasa, it would be incorrect to assume that it is mainly the Russian-speaking community in Moldova that is more likely to believe Kremlin-friendly narratives.

"More than half of those who support Putin are Romanian-speaking citizens of Moldova. Our research shows this. Yes, in the ranks of ethnic minorities, the perception of fakes is higher, but one cannot say that only Russian speakers support Putin and Russia," Pasa told Current Time.

To fight Russian disinformation and propaganda, Sandu on May 29 announced that she was submitting legislation to create the National Center for Information Protection and Counterpropaganda-Patriot whose duties and tasks, according to Sandu, will be to coordinate and implement state policy in the field of information security and provide "strategic communication to prevent and combat disinformation at the national level."

"Those who launch and spread false information want to provoke fear, hatred, and division. Every day, the Kremlin and criminal groups carry out hybrid attacks, using propaganda weapons to sow hatred in Moldova, weaken our trust in each other and our own state," Sandu said in a statement announcing the initiative.

Chisinau has taken other proactive measures as well, Sawyer notes. On the same day that Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, the Moldovan government set up a Telegram channel to verify information on that social media platform, called Prima Sursa, or First Source.

In October 2022, Prima Sursa was deployed to deny rumors spread on the app that the Moldovan Defense Ministry was planning a general military mobilization.

Whatever countermeasures Chisinau may unsheathe, Sawyer predicts pro-Kremlin disinformation efforts will likely continue inside Moldova, and possibly become more sophisticated.

"Since the Kremlin has failed to install its preferred government through invasion or a coup attempt, the Kremlin will rely heavily on disinformation as a cost-effective tool to disrupt Moldova's pro-European path," Sawyer said.

"The impact will depend on how well the Moldovan government can collaborate with civil society, political parties, and individual citizens to produce factual messaging that really resonates with citizens. At the very least, Moldova is signaling to its citizens and external partners that it has the necessary resolve."

With reporting by Current Time
Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led the Russian private Wagner mercenary group's aborted mutiny last month, has appeared in a video purportedly filmed in Belarus welcoming his fighters and saying they would be headed to Africa as the company was halting its involvement in Russia's war with Ukraine for the foreseeable future.

In the dimly lit video, posted by his press people on Telegram on July 19, Prigozhin is shown in front of a large number of armed men, greeting them "on the land of Belarus."

Since the Wagner leader was last seen pulling away in a vehicle in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on June 24, his whereabouts have been a mystery as rumors swirled about the man cast as a traitor by President Vladimir Putin, once a close friend of Prigozhin. What Wagner would do next with its thousands of soldiers was also a question mark.



"You have done a lot for Russia. What is happening now on the front line [in Ukraine] is a shame we do not need to take part in. We need to wait until the moment when we are able to fully express ourselves," Prigozhin says in the video, the date of which remains unknown, adding that "the decision was made that we will stay here in Belarus for some time.



"During that time, we will turn, and I am fully confident about that, the Belarusian Army into the second-best army in the world, and if need be, protect them.... We must get trained further...and then head to a new destination, to Africa, and then, probably, we will get back to the special military operation [in Ukraine] when we are sure that we will not be forced to shame ourselves and our experience," Prigozhin says.

The fate of Wagner troops has been unclear since Prigozhin led a short-lived mutiny on June 23-24, the biggest threat to Putins 23 years in power.



The authoritarian ruler of Belarus and Putin's close ally, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, was reportedly involved in talks to end the mutiny by agreeing with Prigozhin and Putin to host the Wagner troops, and their leader, in Belarus.



Days after Lukashenkas statement, a tent camp began to appear in the eastern village of Tsel, a former garrison for members of a Belarusian missile brigade.



An analysis of satellite images by Schemes (Skhemy), an investigative project run by RFE/RL, estimates there are at least 485 vehicles near the tent camp in total.



The images from Planet Labs show almost all the equipment is located near warehouse-like buildings, as well as the parking lot of the military camp. No heavy military equipment can be seen.



The Belaruski Hayun Telegram channel that monitors the movement of military equipment on the territory of Belarus said it had registered at least six columns of military vehicles and equipment with Wagner and Russian national flags in the countrys eastern region of Mahilyou since July 11.



In the Wagner video released on July 19, Dmitry Utkin, a former Russian military officer known for his ultranationalist stance, is also shown.



"It is not the end; it is just a beginning. It is our new phase. It is the beginning of the biggest work in the world that will be performed very soon," Utkin, who chose the name for the Wagner Group and has been one of its commanders, says, ending his statement in English by adding, "Welcome to hell!"



Wagner troops played a key role in Russias invasion of Ukraine, helping take main parts of the town of Bakhmut after nearly 10 months of intense fighting. Prigozhin said earlier that he lost 20,000 men during the Bakhmut operation.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Belarusian Service
KYIV -- A letter from the head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency to the State Border Service allowed a Ukrainian politician facing trial on bribery charges to leave Ukraine on a supposed business trip, becoming a fugitive from justice, Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, has found.

For unclear reasons, the country's Special Operations Forces had chosen the indicted politician to collect "humanitarian aid" for its troops.

Vladyslav Trubitsyn, 40, head of the Kyiv City Council's Standing Committee on Entrepreneurship, Industry, and Urban Development and a former member of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's Servant of the People party, left Ukraine three days before a May 16 preliminary hearing at the High Anti-Corruption Court, which is handling the case. Trubitsyn and five other individuals received 1.39 million hryvnyas ($37,600) in bribes for facilitating retail in Kyiv.



Officially, Trubitsyn traveled at the request of the Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) to obtain "necessary humanitarian aid" for Ukraine's Special Operations Forces (SSO), a branch of the armed forces responsible for unconventional tactics and reconnaissance against Russia's tens of thousands of invading troops.



SSO spokesman Oleksandr Kindratenko confirmed to Schemes that the SSO's commander, Brigadier General Viktor Khorenko, had requested the HUR's chief, Major General Kyrylo Budanov, to petition the State Border Service to allow Trubitsyn and four other individuals to leave Ukraine to acquire "special equipment" for the SSO.



Schemes learned that Budanov did so, asking State Border Service Director Serhiy Deyneko on January 27 to ensure the group's "unhindered crossing of the border" as part of a foreign business trip to be carried out between January 28 and May 25. The letter did not mention humanitarian aid.



Saying that the details "constitute an official secret," Kindratenko declined to identify the needed "equipment" for which Trubitsyn and the others would be traveling. He said the SSO wanted the HUR to make the request since "it is much faster and easier for them."



He did not explain why the SSO chose Trubitsyn, described in his Kyiv City Council biography as a "secondhand book dealer" and "philanthropist" known for "entrepreneurial activities in the field of antiques and art," to obtain these supplies while under indictment.



Coming amid intense international scrutiny of Ukraine's commitment to fighting corruption as the recipient of tens of billions of dollars in military aid, Trubitsyn's flight from justice risks putting the country's military brass again on the defensive -- an earlier scandal erupted in early 2023 over inflated pricing for military food suppliers.

Against that backdrop, Kindratenko said the SSO does not approve of Trubitsyn missing his May 16 hearing and had cautioned him about the "rules" for leaving and returning to Ukraine.



"We facilitated [his] traveling abroad for good purposes; namely, to provide the SSO units with everything they need to fight the enemy," he said, referring to Russia. "We have an extremely negative attitude toward the fact that this person used such a pretext during the war for his personal purposes and did not return to Ukraine to fulfill his procedural duties in court."



Speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject, people with access to Ukrainian border data told Schemes that the politician drove through western Ukraine's Rava-Ruska border checkpoint in his Mercedes S600 sedan en route to Poland at roughly 7 p.m. on May 13. The State Border Service notified prosecutors that he crossed the border at the HUR's request, sources in the Prosecutor-General's Office told Schemes on condition of anonymity.



Aside from his May 16 court date, Trubitsyn also missed a May 30 hearing.



On June 5, the High Anti-Corruption Court approved an international search warrant for Trubitsyn. A week later, it confiscated his bail of 9.8 million hryvnyas ($265,000) and authorized his detention.



Martial law bars Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country, although exceptions exist for "transportation for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine" and for "humanitarian aid cargo."



Khorenko's request to the HUR's Budanov addressed both exemptions, as a copy of the January 20 letter shows. He described Trubitsyn and four other individuals as "volunteers" who are "supplying" the Special Operations Forces with "necessary humanitarian assistance."



Schemes obtained the document from a person who is familiar with the case but is not authorized to discuss it publicly.



Two of the four other "volunteers" listed in the HUR's petition told Schemes they had traveled abroad to import trucks for the military but denied any knowledge of Trubitsyn; a third, an antiques collector, declined to comment, saying his trip was about "humanitarian assistance."



Why Trubitsyn's "humanitarian" mission required clearance from the heads of the SSO, HUR, and State Border Service rather than more junior officials is unclear.



Evidence in the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutors' (SAP) case against Trubitsyn alleges that the councilman may have had an influential protector, however.



During a February 2022 hearing on Trubitsyn's case, a prosecutor read an excerpt from a covertly recorded conversation in which a person identified as Trubitsyn's assistant, Ilya Lif, claimed that a deputy head of Zelenskiy's office, Oleh Tatarov, oversaw the alleged kickback scheme.



Tatarov, who previously was the subject of a corruption investigation that was eventually dropped, has not been charged in the case. He did not respond to Schemes's requests for comment.



Trubitsyn, who resigned from Zelenskiy's Servant of the People party in May over the case, contends that prosecutors' accusations are politically motivated and denies any wrongdoing.



He did not respond to phone calls or communications from Schemes sent by secure messaging apps about why he left Ukraine before asserting his innocence in court.



Kindratenko noted that, at the time of the SSO's request to the HUR, no restrictions had been placed on Trubitsyn, as a criminal defendant, leaving the country.



"Otherwise, the State Border Service would not have allowed this person to cross the border," the spokesman said.



State Border Service spokesman Andriy Demchenko, who said he had "no information" about Trubitsyn's departure, concurred.



A SAP prosecutor told Schemes that the councilman was under no "procedural obligation" to refrain from traveling abroad but had failed to notify the court before leaving the country, as required by law.



SSO Commander Khorenko requested that the "volunteers" be given four months to cross the border -- from January 28 until May 25 -- to facilitate group members leaving "at different intervals of time," according to SSO spokesman Kindratenko.



Trubitsyn's Mercedes S600 -- an online database of license-plate numbers dates the vehicle to 2018 -- is a luxury vehicle not built for hauling cargo in quantity.



Trubitsyn's departure from Ukraine was not his first since his bail on charges of bribery in February 2022.



Sources with access to the State Border Service's database informed Schemes that Trubitsyn also traveled abroad at the HUR's request on November 13, 2022, and January 22. The official reason for these additional trips is unclear.



Officially, Trubitsyn and his fellow "volunteers" traveled as representatives of the Kyiv charity Ridna Obolon, according to Kindratenko.



Trubitsyn formerly co-owned the organization, which describes itself on Facebook as addressing needs in the Ukrainian capital's Obolon district, which is part of Trubitsyn's constituency. Since his failure to appear in court in Ukraine, the charity has changed its name, ownership, and management, registry records show.

Written by Elizabeth Owen based on reporting by Olya Ivleva, Kira Tolstyakova, and Natalie Sedletska of Schemes.
Russian missile strikes and shelling killed at least six people over the past 24 hours in Ukraine, regional officials said, as the Ukrainian military reported limited advances in its recently launched counteroffensive to regain territory occupied by Russia since the start of its unprovoked invasion.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

Four people were killed when a Russian anti-tank missile hit a civilian car in the Kharkiv region on June 17, Governor Oleh Synyehubov said on Telegram. The incident occurred in the village of Huryiv Kozachok, about 1 kilometer from the Russian border, Synyehubov said.

In the southern region of Kherson, two people were killed and 25 others were wounded over the past day by Russian shelling, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on June 17.

Kherson city was hit by 44 Russian shells, Prokudin said, adding that Russian forces targeted residential neighborhoods, buildings housing educational and administrative institutions, and a Kherson commercial center.

Russian forces shelled the city of Nikopol in the southern region of Dnipropetrovsk, hitting private houses, commercial centers, and power lines, the head of the regional council, Mykola Lukashuk, said on Telegram.

In the eastern region of Donetsk, the city of Vuhledar came under Russian artillery fire 20 times over the past day, regional Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on June 17.

In Russia, the governor of Russia's Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, said on June 17 that Russian forces had repelled a Ukrainian drone attack on a refinery in the city of Novozybkov, some 50 kilometers north of the Ukrainian border.

"Overnight, Russian military air-defense units in Novozybkov repulsed an attack by Ukraine's military on the Druzhba oil refinery. Thanks to the professionalism of our military's air defense, three aircraft-type drones were destroyed," Bogomaz wrote on Telegram, without mentioning any damage.

The information could not be independently verified. Drone attacks on energy facilities inside Russia have been stepped up recently.

The General Staff of Ukraine's military said that all attempted missile attacks on the Kyiv region had been repelled over the past day. The military said six Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missiles and six Kalibr cruise missiles were downed by Ukrainian air defenses.

On the battlefield, the General Staff said that fighting continues in Donetsk around the flashpoint towns of Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka, where 36 battles were fought by Ukrainian forces over the past 24 hours.

Late on June 16, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said Ukrainian forces were engaged in offensive operations in several areas in southern Ukraine as part of their counteroffensive.

Malyar said that Ukrainian units achieved partial tactical successes in the directions they were advancing, Malyar said on Telegram, without giving details.

"They are gradually moving forward," she said, adding that following Ukrainian advances, Russian forces had beefed up their defenses in the Berdyansk and Mariupol areas and increased their firepower by transferring troops and equipment there from other fronts while also expanding mine fields.

Malyar's statement could not be independently verified.

Meanwhile, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on June 17 demanded more tanks from the country's defense industry for the war against Ukraine.

During a visit to a manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Omsk, Shoigu insisted on "strict adherence to the timetable for the implementation of the state defense order," the ministry announced.

Shoigu's office said that "he set the task of further expanding production capacities for tanks and heavy flame-throwing systems."

With reporting by dpa
BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The United States needs to work with China to bring bilateral relations gradually to the track of stable growth, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Friday.

Wang made the remarks at a regular press conference in response to a briefing by U.S. officials on the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's upcoming travel to China.

China has reiterated on multiple occasions that China-U.S. relations should not be a zero-sum game where one side outcompetes or thrives at the expense of the other. The two sides should form a correct perception of each other's domestic and foreign policies and strategic intentions, respect each other, coexist in peace, pursue win-win cooperation, and explore the right way to get along with each other. This not only serves the interests of the two peoples, but also meets the common aspiration of the international community, Wang said.

"The United States views China as its 'primary rival' and 'the most consequential geopolitical challenge.' This is a major strategic misjudgement," said Wang, adding that there is competition between the two countries in areas such as economy and trade, but there should be no vicious zero-sum competition, still less should there be practices to contain or suppress one another in the name of competition and deprive China of its legitimate right to development.

"This is not 'responsible competition,' but irresponsible bullying. It will only push the two countries towards confrontation and create a divided world," he said.

Wang stressed that the United States needs to give up the illusion of dealing with China "from a position of strength." The two countries must develop relations on the basis of mutual respect and equality, respect their difference in history, culture, social system and development path and accommodate each other's core interests and major concerns, said the spokesperson.

Noting that the United States keeps emphasizing the need for dialogue and communication, building guardrails, and putting a floor under China-U.S. relations, the spokesperson said that China's door to dialogue and communication is open, and the communication between the two countries has never stopped. "The communication between the two countries needs to serve an actual purpose and help provide solutions. What is unacceptable is to ask for communication and meanwhile damage the other side's interests. One can't say one thing and do another."

"China again urges the United States to deliver on President Biden's positive statements, stop interfering in China's internal affairs and damaging China's interests, stop containing and suppressing China, and work with China to remove obstacles, create conditions and bring China-U.S. relations gradually to the track of stable growth," Wang said.

When asked about China's expectation for Blinken's visit, the spokesperson said that during the visit, the two sides will exchange views on bilateral relations and important international and regional issues of mutual interest, and China will make clear its position on bilateral relations as well as its concerns and resolutely safeguard its interests, he said. 
The delegation of African leaders visiting St. Petersburg for talks with President Vladimir Putin said the war in Ukraine not only affects Russia and the region but is also taking its toll on the rest of the world, as group members said they sought to send a "clear message" to the Kremlin chief to take the "path to peace.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

"This war has to have an end.... It must be settled through negotiations and through diplomatic means," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who led the delegation, said on June 17.

"This war is having a negative impact on the African continent and indeed on many other countries around the world," Ramaphosa said. He said the group was ready to work as a mediator with the two sides.



Comoros President Azali Assoumani, who currently heads the African Union, told Putin that "we have come to listen to you and through you to hear the voice of the Russian people."

"We wanted to encourage you to enter into negotiations with Ukraine," he said.

The delegation -- which, besides Ramaphosa and Assoumani, includes the presidents of Senegal, and Zambia, as well as Egypts prime minister and top envoys from the Republic of Congo and Uganda -- arrived in Russia's second-largest city after a visit to Ukraine, where they held talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on June 16.

Ramaphosa said he put forward to the Russians a 10-point initiative in search of peace but said the group's proposals were not in competition with others that have been presented, likely referring to plans put forth by Zelenskiy that demand a Russian withdrawal from all Ukrainian territory.

Ramaphosa added that the African nations "recognize the sovereignty of nations and countries in accordance with the UN Charter that must be respected."

A Kremlin spokesman said the groups proposals were difficult to realize but that Putin had shown an "interest in them. Details were not immediately released.

Putin, whose forces have suffered heavy losses since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and occupy much of Ukrainian territory, told the delegation that he welcomed the "African friends balanced attitude to the Ukraine crisis" and that he appreciated their "interest in finding a solution to the conflict."

He also said he was "open to a constructive dialogue with all those who seek peace," according to the state-run TASS news agency, even as Russia stepped up its deadly air assaults on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

African leaders have been increasingly concerned that a protracted war will have an even stronger impact on their continent.

Africa relies heavily on grain and fertilizer imports from Russia and Ukraine and has been hit hard by rising grain prices.



At a joint news conference with the African delegation on June 16 in Kyiv, Zelenskiy reiterated that any talks with Russia at the current stage of the war would be in Russia's advantage.

Ramaphosa had suggested that the war should be ended through immediate negotiations and called for "de-escalation" on both sides. But the Ukrainian leader firmly rejected the idea.

"To allow any negotiations with Russia now while the occupier is on our land is to freeze the war, to freeze everything: pain and suffering," Zelenskiy said. "We need real peace, and therefore, a real withdrawal of Russian troops from our entire independent land."

The Ukrainian president said later that he invited the African leaders to take part in a global peace summit that Ukraine is preparing.

"Ukraine will be heard all over the world, and we will involve the whole world in the implementation of the Peace Formula," he said on Twitter.

The countries represented in the delegation have had different positions toward Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with South Africa, Senegal, Uganda, and Congo refraining from a direct condemnation of Moscow.

Egypt, Zambia, and Comoros voted against Russia in October during a vote on a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Moscows invasion.



Putin, speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 16, said Russia has "never closed the door" on the idea of Ukraine peace talks.



Moscow has stepped up its air attacks on Ukraine as Kyiv launched its long-anticipated counteroffensive to reclaim territory occupied by Russian forces.

Even with the arrival of the African delegation -- which includes officials from South Africa, Senegal, Zambia, the Comoros, and Egypt -- the Ukrainian capital was targeted by fresh Russian air strikes.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the air strikes were a "message" to the African delegation that Russia was not serious about any peace talks.

WATCH: The flooding of the Dnieper River caused by the breach of the Kakhovka dam has left many riverside villages without food and drinking water. Ukrainian volunteers must brave Russian drones and artillery fire to make deliveries.

"Putin 'builds confidence' by launching the largest missile attack on Kyiv in weeks, exactly amid the visit of African leaders to our capital. Russian missiles are a message to Africa: Russia wants more war, not peace," Kuleba said on Twitter.

Peter Stano, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, also commented on the attack.

"With what happened today, it's very obvious also to the African leaders how sincere Putin is about stopping the conflict," Stano said.

With reporting by Reuters and AP
Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, reads out a congratulatory letter from Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and addresses the main conference of the 15th Straits Forum in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

XIAMEN, June 17 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Huning on Saturday called on people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to strive for national rejuvenation and share the opportunities brought by Chinese modernization.

Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks while addressing the main conference of the 15th Straits Forum, held in Xiamen in eastern China's Fujian Province.

He read out a congratulatory letter from Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, at the conference.

Noting that Xi places great importance on the Straits Forum, Wang called for continuous efforts to improve the forum, guided by Xi's instructions in the letter.

Wang noted that the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations is the right path for safeguarding cross-Strait peace and stability, and promoting common development. He expressed strong opposition to separatist activities seeking "Taiwan independence" and external interference.

Only by upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence" can cross-Strait relations return to the right path of peaceful development, he said.

Andrew Hsia, vice chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, said at the conference that the KMT is committed to the political foundation of upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence," and will promote cross-Strait economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation, while working for cross-Strait peace and stability.

Prior to the conference, Wang met with representatives of the guests from Taiwan. 

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets with representatives of the guests from Taiwan prior to the main conference of the 15th Straits Forum in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 17, 2023. Wang read out a congratulatory letter from Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and addressed the main conference. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, visits Taiwan students studying at Xiamen University in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. The 15th Straits Forum was held in Xiamen on Saturday. Wang read out a congratulatory letter from Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and addressed the main conference of the forum. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, visits an achievement exhibition featuring the 30th anniversary of "3820" strategic project in Fuzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province. The 15th Straits Forum was held in Xiamen on Saturday. Wang read out a congratulatory letter from Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and addressed the main conference of the forum. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that overall renewable fuel production including sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) is expected to reach a capacity of at least 69 billion litres (55 million tonnes) by 2028.



This growing output is being achieved through new renewable fuel refineries and the expansion of existing facilities. Importantly, the expected production has a wide geographic footprint covering North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.



The expected production increase is extremely encouraging. Seeing this, we need governments to act to ensure that SAF gets its fair production share. That means, in the first instance, production incentives, to support aviations energy transition. And we need continued approval for more diversification of methods and feedstocks available for SAF production. With these two measures successfully in place, we can be confident that the expected 2028 production levels will be realistically aligned with our recently published roadmaps to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. That is important as we are counting on SAF to provide about 62% of the carbon mitigation needed in 2050, said Willie Walsh, IATAs Director General.



Trends supporting this optimistic outlook are already visible. In 2022, SAF production tripled to some 300 million litres (240,000 tonnes) and project announcements for potential SAF producers are rapidly growing. IATA counts over 130 relevant renewable fuel projects announced by more than 85 producers across 30 countries. Each of these projects has either announced the intent or commitment to produce SAF within their wider product slate of renewable fuels. Typically, there is a 3 5-year lag between a project announcement and its commercialization date. This implies that further renewable fuel capacity out until 2030 could still be announced over the following years.



If renewable energy production reaches 69 billion litres by 2028 as estimated, the trajectory to 100 billion litres (80 million tonnes) by 2030 would be on track. If just 30% of that produced SAF, the industry could achieve 30 billion litres (24 million tonnes) of SAF production by 2030.



Achieving the necessary SAF percentage output from these new and expanding facilities is not a given. But with governments the world-over agreeing at ICAO to a long-term aspirational goal (LTAG) of net zero by 2050, they now share accountability for aviations decarbonization. That means establishing a policy framework to ensure that aviation gets the needed share of renewable energy production in SAF, said Walsh.



Policy support & government investment

The case for diversification, within current sustainability criteria, is clear. At present, it is expected that 85% of future SAF volume over the next five years will be derived from just one of nine certified pathways, being Hydrotreated Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), which is dependent on limited availability of feedstock such as waste fat, oil and grease feedstocks (FOGs, recognized by industry as second-generation feedstock).



IATA identifies three main avenues to achieve SAF diversification:



1. Scale already certified SAF pathways, such as Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) & Fischer-Tropsch (FT)

2. Accelerated R&D for SAF production pathways that are currently in development

3. Scale up of feedstock/feedstock conversion technology



Accelerating these avenues to commercialized levels will require policy leadership from governments. To start, there is an impending need for the harmonization of core SAF policies, as a means of reducing administrative, logistical and geographic barriers to entry for new market entrants, including producers, feedstock providers, and offtakers.



More fundamentally, the challenge is finding the capital needed to fund the development of new technology and production facilities. Governments must look at the broader sustainability picture with these investments. SAF can be produced from surplus forestry and agricultural residues, municipal solid waste, food waste and wet wastes (third generation feedstocks). Producing SAF from these can create long-term return on investment opportunities for governments, with the potential of financing the clean-up of the environment, supporting developing economies and delivering a future-proofed intersection of energy transition and energy security.



Passenger support

A recent IATA survey revealed significant public support for SAF. Some 85% of travelers agreed that governments should provide incentives for airlines to use SAF.



People have experienced governments role in the transition to green energy for electricity. They now expect it for SAF. The G7 leaders are among the latest to reiterate their understanding that SAF is critical for sustainable aviation. Now they must support their declarations with effective policies. To promote SAF production, there are many tried and tested tools including tax credits, grants, or even direct investments in emerging technologies and solutions. The market is there. Airlines want to purchase SAF. Anything to meaningfully incentivize SAF production will be a step forward, added Walsh.  TradeArabia News Service
HOHHOT, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The newly released results of the sixth official monitoring of desertification and sandification in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region show that the area of desertified and sandified land in the region continues to decrease.

The region's sixth monitoring process started in July 2019 and was completed at the end of 2021.

Ma Qiang, deputy director of the regional forestry and grassland department, said that compared with the results of the fifth monitoring, the area of desertified and sandified land in Inner Mongolia decreased by 24.15 million mu (about 1.61 million hectares) and 14.59 million mu, respectively, with an average annual decrease of 4.83 million mu and 2.92 million mu.

At the same time, the amount of extremely severely desertified land decreased by 15.91 million mu, and the severely desertified land decreased by 18.51 million mu.

The amount of extremely severely sandified land decreased by 21.99 million mu, and severely sandified land decreased by 32.31 million mu, Ma said.

Home to four of the country's major deserts and four major sandy areas, Inner Mongolia has long been plagued by desertification and sandification, and in recent years, the region has stepped up its afforestation efforts.

Currently, the vegetation condition of sandy land in the region continues to improve, while the four major deserts and four sandy lands in the region have been brought under control. 
by Marwa Yahya

CAIRO, June 16 (Xinhua) -- More countries are showing interest in joining BRICS, demonstrating their confidence in the group's capabilities to provide real developmental opportunities, Egyptian experts said.

On Wednesday, Russian Ambassador to Egypt Georgy Borisenko confirmed in an interview with Russian News Agency TASS that Cairo has submitted its application to join BRICS.

On Thursday, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow, called for an acceleration of Algeria's accession process to the bloc, Russian news agency Sputnik reported.

Also on Thursday, Syrian Finance Minister Kanaan Yaghi told Sputnik that Damascus intends to apply to join BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

On May 10, Naledi Pandor, South Africa's minister of International Relations and Cooperation, said many countries have shown interest to join BRICS. According to media reports, those countries include Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Argentina, and Indonesia.

BRICS is an acronym of five major emerging market economies -- Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, whose leadership holds an annual summit since 2009 to discuss economic cooperation and political coordination. This year's summit will be hosted by South Africa in August.

Nourhan el-Sheikh, a professor of international relations at Cairo University, said BRICS is one of the most attractive international blocs to many countries.

"It presents equitable developmental opportunities to its members and has the ability to offset the negative influence of other international institutions that have drowned many countries into debts and exhausted others with tough conditions," el-Sheikh told Xinhua.

Waleed Gaballah, professor of financial and economic jurisdictions at Cairo University, said that BRICS has an international weight and a promising future in trade exchange and international cooperation.

Meanwhile, el-Sheikh said she has observed a certain arrogance and prejudice on the part of Western countries when they offer loans with political and economic conditions amid rising unilateralism and protectionism.

In comparison, BRICS is a very important mechanism that respects the special developmental experience of each country, she said.

The political expert said that BRICS provides development tools based on partnership and joint growth, against the Western model that pursues its own interests while ignoring those of developing countries.

El-Sheikh said BRICS doesn't enforce a particular growth model or path, but rather leaves it up to each country to make its own choice in light of its special characteristics.

BRICS will help to diversify those countries' partnerships and draw a big strategic balance in their policies, according to the political expert.

She lauded the BRICS suggestions of trading with local currencies, asserting that the U.S. dollar dominance is jeopardizing the world's economies as the United States has used its currency as "a tool for political pressure."

"BRICS is a significant step for breaking the U.S. dollar hegemony," she said. 
Amazon (AMZN) on Thursday officially inaugurated its second headquarters, known as HQ2, in Arlington, Virginia.

The plan for a second headquarters was first announced in 2017, during the tenure of Amazon's founder and former CEO, Jeff Bezos. The opening of HQ2 coincides with a challenging period for the e-commerce giant, as it navigates the aftermath of the pandemic and copes with the need to downsize its corporate workforce, which has led to 27,000 layoffs.

However, Amazon Vice President of Economic Development Holly Sullivan emphasized that HQ2 is not merely an expansion for the company. Instead, she views it as a fulfillment of Amazon's commitments, stating, "Today, we delivered on our commitment." According to Sullivan, HQ2 will significantly enhance Amazon's efficiency, particularly in terms of workflow across different time zones, as it eliminates the reliance on time zone constraints.

The newly constructed facility, called Metropolitan Park, encompasses 2.1 million square feet of office space, a 2.5-acre park, and 50,000 square feet of retail space, which will be occupied by local businesses such as a dog daycare and a taqueria. The campus consists of two 22-story buildings named Jasper and Merlin, designed with a focus on sustainability.

While the official opening took place on Thursday, Metropolitan Park has been gradually opening in phases over the past few weeks. Merlin, for example, has been operational for approximately three weeks. On the opening day, 3,000 employees were welcomed into the offices at HQ2.

The concept for HQ2 was developed before the onset of the pandemic and the subsequent rise of remote work. To address the changing work environment, Amazon incorporated features in the design to cater to the increased need for collaboration spaces. Sullivan highlighted the presence of central floors and breakout rooms in the building layout.

The company plans to bring a total of 8,000 employees to HQ2, all of whom will be locally hired from the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia areas. Sullivan mentioned that hiring is progressing ahead of schedule, indicating the positive momentum for the new headquarters.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- China's online ride-hailing companies reached 313 by the end of May, four more than the number registered in the previous month, data from the Ministry of Transport shows.

By the end of last month, the authorized ride-hailing vehicle certificates and driver licenses in the country hit 2.36 million and 5.58 million, up 2.5 percent and 3.3 percent month on month, respectively, according to the ministry. In May, 735 million ride-hailing trips were made.

Hangzhou, the capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, led the city list in terms of compliance rate of online-hailing orders, according to the data.

In 2022, online ride-hailing trips made up about 40.5 percent of total taxi trips, an increase of 6.4 percentage points from a year earlier. 
Johnsonville, LLC, a sausage-maker, is issuing a recall for more than 42,000 pounds of ready-to-eat pork sausage links following concerns of potential contamination with extraneous materials.

The recall specifically affects the "Beddar with Cheddar" sausage links, which may be tainted with plastic fibers.

The issue came to light after Johnsonville received a consumer complaint reporting the presence of "very thin strands of black plastic fibers" in the product. As a result, the Sheboygan Falls establishment initiated the recall, in cooperation with federal food regulators.

The recalled pork sausage links were produced on January 26, as reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Consumers should be aware of the specific packages subject to the recall. These include 14-ounce vacuum-packed packages of "Beddar with Cheddar" sausage links marked with a best-by date of July 11, 2023, and a C35 code date printed on the back. To identify the affected products, look for the establishment number "EST. 34224" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

The sausage links in question were distributed to various retail locations across several states, including Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Texas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

For those seeking a refund, the U.S. Department of Agriculture advises consumers to dispose of the affected sausage links or return them to the place of purchase. It is crucial not to consume the product to avoid any potential risks.

To date, no illnesses related to the consumption of the contaminated sausage links have been reported.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Amazon's (AMZN) proposed acquisition of robot vacuum maker iRobot for $1.7 billion has received approval from the U.K.'s antitrust regulator.

The regulator concluded that the deal would not raise competition concerns in the U.K. Amazon announced its plans to purchase iRobot in August last year, and it was expected that the large-scale deal would face regulatory scrutiny. The European Commission is set to make a decision on the deal by July 6, while the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is also considering whether to launch an official investigation.

The recent approval of Amazon's $3.9 billion acquisition of One Medical by the FTC suggests a possibility of regulatory clearance for the iRobot deal. However, the FTC is reportedly seeking to halt Microsoft's planned $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision. It remains uncertain whether the iRobot purchase by Amazon will pass regulatory scrutiny in other jurisdictions.

The U.K.'s decision to clear the deal could serve as an indication of the approach regulators may take elsewhere, as regulatory agencies often cooperate and share information. Nonetheless, the outcome of the deal in other regions remains uncertain.

iRobot, founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) three decades ago, is well-known for its autonomous vacuum cleaners under the Roomba brand. While iRobot has expanded into other products, including floor-mopping devices, the company's focus on the smart home market caught Amazon's attention. Amazon has been seeking to deepen its presence in the smart home sector and has shown interest in home robotics, making the iRobot acquisition a logical move.

The CMA initially announced its scrutiny of the deal in April but has now determined that Amazon's acquisition of iRobot would not harm competition in the U.K. The CMA's assessment is partly based on iRobot's modest market position in the U.K. and the presence of several competitors. Concerns that Amazon might disadvantage iRobot's rivals by downgrading their presence on its online marketplace were dismissed, as the U.K. robot vacuum cleaner market is relatively small, and Amazon lacks the incentive to do so.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
UNITED NATIONS, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Friday focused the humanitarian spotlight on problem-plagued Haiti, a victim of hunger, natural disasters and disease, terrifying gang rule and political instability.

The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) held a high-level meeting on food insecurity in the Caribbean nation to mobilize support following recent floods and an earthquake.

World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain, in a pre-recorded video message, said that almost half of the population in Haiti is facing acute hunger.

Catherine Russell, the head of the UN Children's Agency (UNICEF), said nearly a quarter of Haitian children are severely malnourished and risk grave long-term consequences.

Both McCain and Russell plan to visit Haiti next week, underscoring the United Nations spotlighting the disaster-prone Caribbean nation. McCain said she would arrive on Saturday.

Ulrika Richardson, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Haiti, speaking from the capital of Port-au-Prince, welcomed the visits, saying Haiti needs global attention and solidarity.

Also speaking at Friday's event was Edem Wosornu, the director of operations and advocacy at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Addressing challenges linked to the delivery of humanitarian assistance, she said the aid community had assembled a humanitarian negotiation team to facilitate its ability to reach people in need. The team is working with many parts of the Haitian society for the sole purpose of helping negotiate with armed gangs to get to those most in need.

Without a political solution or better security conditions, she said that the humanitarian community has scaled up to deploy urgent resources, including by sending in the most experienced personnel, setting up systems to broaden their reach and ensure more efficient and timely humanitarian action.

The 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise led to continuing political instability and armed gangs taking over large parts of Port-au-Prince, choking the delivery of essentials and blocking aid workers from reaching violence victims.

The beleaguered nation was also hit with a collapse of the health system, including a lack of drinking water and with it, a cholera outbreak, the first in three years.

The 2023 humanitarian appeal for Haiti seeks 720 million U.S. dollars to help more than 3 million people. But the plan is currently just over 20 percent funded. 
A boy gets water from an old water pump in Mwanza Region, Tanzania, June 12, 2023. Mwanza Region is situated in the northwest of Tanzania, bordering the southern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to inadequate infrastructure, the residents living along the lake have faced water scarcity issues.

Kelvin Josephat Kituruka, a native of Mwanza, joined the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as a quality engineer upon completing his studies in Dar es Salaam. In May 2017, the water supply project for satellite cities in Mwanza was launched, prompting Kelvin to return to his hometown to address the water problem.

Since its implementation in November 2019, the water supply project has successfully met the water demands of approximately 150,000 local residents and the water cost has also dropped to one-fifth of the original.

CCECC has constructed seven water plants and one sewage plant in Tanzania, with plans to inaugurate four more water plants and one sewage plant within the next two years. By then, about three million residents across the country will benefit from water use, according to Ning Yunfeng, manager of water affairs at CCECC. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Villagers applaud after the water pipes are connected in Misungwi of Mwanza Region, Tanzania, June 13, 2023. Mwanza Region is situated in the northwest of Tanzania, bordering the southern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to inadequate infrastructure, the residents living along the lake have faced water scarcity issues.

Kelvin Josephat Kituruka, a native of Mwanza, joined the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as a quality engineer upon completing his studies in Dar es Salaam. In May 2017, the water supply project for satellite cities in Mwanza was launched, prompting Kelvin to return to his hometown to address the water problem.

Since its implementation in November 2019, the water supply project has successfully met the water demands of approximately 150,000 local residents and the water cost has also dropped to one-fifth of the original.

CCECC has constructed seven water plants and one sewage plant in Tanzania, with plans to inaugurate four more water plants and one sewage plant within the next two years. By then, about three million residents across the country will benefit from water use, according to Ning Yunfeng, manager of water affairs at CCECC. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Kelvin(C) works at a new water factory in Misungwi of Mwanza Region, Tanzania, June 12, 2023. Mwanza Region is situated in the northwest of Tanzania, bordering the southern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to inadequate infrastructure, the residents living along the lake have faced water scarcity issues.

Kelvin Josephat Kituruka, a native of Mwanza, joined the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as a quality engineer upon completing his studies in Dar es Salaam. In May 2017, the water supply project for satellite cities in Mwanza was launched, prompting Kelvin to return to his hometown to address the water problem.

Since its implementation in November 2019, the water supply project has successfully met the water demands of approximately 150,000 local residents and the water cost has also dropped to one-fifth of the original.

CCECC has constructed seven water plants and one sewage plant in Tanzania, with plans to inaugurate four more water plants and one sewage plant within the next two years. By then, about three million residents across the country will benefit from water use, according to Ning Yunfeng, manager of water affairs at CCECC. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Villagers fetch water from a stream in Sahwa of Mwanza Region, Tanzania, June 11, 2023. Mwanza Region is situated in the northwest of Tanzania, bordering the southern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to inadequate infrastructure, the residents living along the lake have faced water scarcity issues.

Kelvin Josephat Kituruka, a native of Mwanza, joined the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as a quality engineer upon completing his studies in Dar es Salaam. In May 2017, the water supply project for satellite cities in Mwanza was launched, prompting Kelvin to return to his hometown to address the water problem.

Since its implementation in November 2019, the water supply project has successfully met the water demands of approximately 150,000 local residents and the water cost has also dropped to one-fifth of the original.

CCECC has constructed seven water plants and one sewage plant in Tanzania, with plans to inaugurate four more water plants and one sewage plant within the next two years. By then, about three million residents across the country will benefit from water use, according to Ning Yunfeng, manager of water affairs at CCECC. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

This aerial photo taken on June 11, 2023 shows a water pipe in Sahwa of Mwanza Region, Tanzania. Mwanza Region is situated in the northwest of Tanzania, bordering the southern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to inadequate infrastructure, the residents living along the lake have faced water scarcity issues.

Kelvin Josephat Kituruka, a native of Mwanza, joined the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as a quality engineer upon completing his studies in Dar es Salaam. In May 2017, the water supply project for satellite cities in Mwanza was launched, prompting Kelvin to return to his hometown to address the water problem.

Since its implementation in November 2019, the water supply project has successfully met the water demands of approximately 150,000 local residents and the water cost has also dropped to one-fifth of the original.

CCECC has constructed seven water plants and one sewage plant in Tanzania, with plans to inaugurate four more water plants and one sewage plant within the next two years. By then, about three million residents across the country will benefit from water use, according to Ning Yunfeng, manager of water affairs at CCECC. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

This photo taken on June 12, 2023 shows Kelvin (L) and Ning Yunfeng inspecting a reservoir in Buswelu of Mwanza Region, Tanzania. Mwanza Region is situated in the northwest of Tanzania, bordering the southern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to inadequate infrastructure, the residents living along the lake have faced water scarcity issues.

Kelvin Josephat Kituruka, a native of Mwanza, joined the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as a quality engineer upon completing his studies in Dar es Salaam. In May 2017, the water supply project for satellite cities in Mwanza was launched, prompting Kelvin to return to his hometown to address the water problem.

Since its implementation in November 2019, the water supply project has successfully met the water demands of approximately 150,000 local residents and the water cost has also dropped to one-fifth of the original.

CCECC has constructed seven water plants and one sewage plant in Tanzania, with plans to inaugurate four more water plants and one sewage plant within the next two years. By then, about three million residents across the country will benefit from water use, according to Ning Yunfeng, manager of water affairs at CCECC. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

This aerial photo taken on June 12, 2023 shows Kelvin and Ning Yunfeng inspecting a reservoir in Buswelu of Mwanza Region, Tanzania. Mwanza Region is situated in the northwest of Tanzania, bordering the southern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to inadequate infrastructure, the residents living along the lake have faced water scarcity issues.

Kelvin Josephat Kituruka, a native of Mwanza, joined the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as a quality engineer upon completing his studies in Dar es Salaam. In May 2017, the water supply project for satellite cities in Mwanza was launched, prompting Kelvin to return to his hometown to address the water problem.

Since its implementation in November 2019, the water supply project has successfully met the water demands of approximately 150,000 local residents and the water cost has also dropped to one-fifth of the original.

CCECC has constructed seven water plants and one sewage plant in Tanzania, with plans to inaugurate four more water plants and one sewage plant within the next two years. By then, about three million residents across the country will benefit from water use, according to Ning Yunfeng, manager of water affairs at CCECC. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Kelvin(R) works at a pump station in Kiseke of Mwanza Region, Tanzania, June 11, 2023. Mwanza Region is situated in the northwest of Tanzania, bordering the southern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to inadequate infrastructure, the residents living along the lake have faced water scarcity issues.

Kelvin Josephat Kituruka, a native of Mwanza, joined the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as a quality engineer upon completing his studies in Dar es Salaam. In May 2017, the water supply project for satellite cities in Mwanza was launched, prompting Kelvin to return to his hometown to address the water problem.

Since its implementation in November 2019, the water supply project has successfully met the water demands of approximately 150,000 local residents and the water cost has also dropped to one-fifth of the original.

CCECC has constructed seven water plants and one sewage plant in Tanzania, with plans to inaugurate four more water plants and one sewage plant within the next two years. By then, about three million residents across the country will benefit from water use, according to Ning Yunfeng, manager of water affairs at CCECC. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

This aerial photo taken on June 12, 2023 shows Kelvin and Ning Yunfeng inspecting a reservoir in Buswelu of Mwanza Region, Tanzania. Mwanza Region is situated in the northwest of Tanzania, bordering the southern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to inadequate infrastructure, the residents living along the lake have faced water scarcity issues.

Kelvin Josephat Kituruka, a native of Mwanza, joined the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as a quality engineer upon completing his studies in Dar es Salaam. In May 2017, the water supply project for satellite cities in Mwanza was launched, prompting Kelvin to return to his hometown to address the water problem.

Since its implementation in November 2019, the water supply project has successfully met the water demands of approximately 150,000 local residents and the water cost has also dropped to one-fifth of the original.

CCECC has constructed seven water plants and one sewage plant in Tanzania, with plans to inaugurate four more water plants and one sewage plant within the next two years. By then, about three million residents across the country will benefit from water use, according to Ning Yunfeng, manager of water affairs at CCECC. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

A child fetches water from a stream in Sahwa of Mwanza, Tanzania, June 11, 2023. Mwanza Region is situated in the northwest of Tanzania, bordering the southern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to inadequate infrastructure, the residents living along the lake have faced water scarcity issues.

Kelvin Josephat Kituruka, a native of Mwanza, joined the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as a quality engineer upon completing his studies in Dar es Salaam. In May 2017, the water supply project for satellite cities in Mwanza was launched, prompting Kelvin to return to his hometown to address the water problem.

Since its implementation in November 2019, the water supply project has successfully met the water demands of approximately 150,000 local residents and the water cost has also dropped to one-fifth of the original.

CCECC has constructed seven water plants and one sewage plant in Tanzania, with plans to inaugurate four more water plants and one sewage plant within the next two years. By then, about three million residents across the country will benefit from water use, according to Ning Yunfeng, manager of water affairs at CCECC. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Kelvin (front) helps local villagers with access to drinking water in Misungwi of Mwanza Region, Tanzania, June 13, 2023. Mwanza Region is situated in the northwest of Tanzania, bordering the southern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to inadequate infrastructure, the residents living along the lake have faced water scarcity issues.

Kelvin Josephat Kituruka, a native of Mwanza, joined the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as a quality engineer upon completing his studies in Dar es Salaam. In May 2017, the water supply project for satellite cities in Mwanza was launched, prompting Kelvin to return to his hometown to address the water problem.

Since its implementation in November 2019, the water supply project has successfully met the water demands of approximately 150,000 local residents and the water cost has also dropped to one-fifth of the original.

CCECC has constructed seven water plants and one sewage plant in Tanzania, with plans to inaugurate four more water plants and one sewage plant within the next two years. By then, about three million residents across the country will benefit from water use, according to Ning Yunfeng, manager of water affairs at CCECC. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Kelvin (3rd R) talks with villagers near a construction site of CCECC in Mwanza Region, Tanzania, June 11, 2023. Mwanza Region is situated in the northwest of Tanzania, bordering the southern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to inadequate infrastructure, the residents living along the lake have faced water scarcity issues.

Kelvin Josephat Kituruka, a native of Mwanza, joined the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as a quality engineer upon completing his studies in Dar es Salaam. In May 2017, the water supply project for satellite cities in Mwanza was launched, prompting Kelvin to return to his hometown to address the water problem.

Since its implementation in November 2019, the water supply project has successfully met the water demands of approximately 150,000 local residents and the water cost has also dropped to one-fifth of the original.

CCECC has constructed seven water plants and one sewage plant in Tanzania, with plans to inaugurate four more water plants and one sewage plant within the next two years. By then, about three million residents across the country will benefit from water use, according to Ning Yunfeng, manager of water affairs at CCECC. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Kelvin works at a pump station in Kiseke of Mwanza Region, Tanzania, June 11, 2023. Mwanza Region is situated in the northwest of Tanzania, bordering the southern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to inadequate infrastructure, the residents living along the lake have faced water scarcity issues.

Kelvin Josephat Kituruka, a native of Mwanza, joined the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as a quality engineer upon completing his studies in Dar es Salaam. In May 2017, the water supply project for satellite cities in Mwanza was launched, prompting Kelvin to return to his hometown to address the water problem.

Since its implementation in November 2019, the water supply project has successfully met the water demands of approximately 150,000 local residents and the water cost has also dropped to one-fifth of the original.

CCECC has constructed seven water plants and one sewage plant in Tanzania, with plans to inaugurate four more water plants and one sewage plant within the next two years. By then, about three million residents across the country will benefit from water use, according to Ning Yunfeng, manager of water affairs at CCECC. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Villagers fetch water from Lake Victoria in Mwanza Region, Tanzania, June 12, 2023. Mwanza Region is situated in the northwest of Tanzania, bordering the southern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to inadequate infrastructure, the residents living along the lake have faced water scarcity issues.

Kelvin Josephat Kituruka, a native of Mwanza, joined the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as a quality engineer upon completing his studies in Dar es Salaam. In May 2017, the water supply project for satellite cities in Mwanza was launched, prompting Kelvin to return to his hometown to address the water problem.

Since its implementation in November 2019, the water supply project has successfully met the water demands of approximately 150,000 local residents and the water cost has also dropped to one-fifth of the original.

CCECC has constructed seven water plants and one sewage plant in Tanzania, with plans to inaugurate four more water plants and one sewage plant within the next two years. By then, about three million residents across the country will benefit from water use, according to Ning Yunfeng, manager of water affairs at CCECC. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

Kelvin (C) talks with villagers in Misungwi of Mwanza Region, Tanzania, June 13, 2023. Mwanza Region is situated in the northwest of Tanzania, bordering the southern shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the second largest in the world. Unfortunately, due to inadequate infrastructure, the residents living along the lake have faced water scarcity issues.

Kelvin Josephat Kituruka, a native of Mwanza, joined the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as a quality engineer upon completing his studies in Dar es Salaam. In May 2017, the water supply project for satellite cities in Mwanza was launched, prompting Kelvin to return to his hometown to address the water problem.

Since its implementation in November 2019, the water supply project has successfully met the water demands of approximately 150,000 local residents and the water cost has also dropped to one-fifth of the original.

CCECC has constructed seven water plants and one sewage plant in Tanzania, with plans to inaugurate four more water plants and one sewage plant within the next two years. By then, about three million residents across the country will benefit from water use, according to Ning Yunfeng, manager of water affairs at CCECC. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)
For many technology enthusiasts, the metaverse has the potential to transform almost every facet of human life, from work to education to entertainment. Now, new Cornell University research shows it could have environmental benefits, too.

Researchers find the metaverse could lower global surface temperature by up to 0.02 degrees Celsius before the end of the century.

The team's paper, "Growing Metaverse Sector Can Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 10 Gt CO2e in the United States by 2050," published June 14 in Energy and Environmental Science.

They used AI-based modeling to analyze data from key sectors -- technology, energy, environment and business -- to anticipate the growth of metaverse usage and the impact of its most promising applications: remote work, virtual traveling, distance learning, gaming and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

The researchers projected metaverse expansion through 2050 along three different trajectories -- slow, nominal and fast -- and they looked to previous technologies, such as television, the internet and the iPhone, for insight into how quickly that adoption might occur. They also factored in the amount of energy that increasing usage would consume. The modeling suggested that within 30 years, the technology would be adopted by more than 90% of the population.

"One thing that did surprise us is that this metaverse is going to grow much quicker than what we expected," said Fengqi You, professor in energy systems engineering and the paper's senior author. "Look at earlier technologies -- TV, for instance. It took decades to be eventually adopted by everyone. Now we are really in an age of technology explosion. Think of our smartphones. They grew very fast."

Currently, two of the biggest industry drivers of metaverse development are Meta and Microsoft, both of which contributed to the study. Meta has been focusing on individual experiences, such as gaming, while Microsoft specializes in business solutions, including remote conferencing and distance learning.

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Limiting business travel would generate the largest environmental benefit, according to You.

"Think about the decarbonization of our transportation sector," he said. "Electric vehicles work, but you can't drive a car to London or Tokyo. Do I really have to fly to Singapore for a conference tomorrow? That will be an interesting decision-making point for some stakeholders to consider as we move forward with these technologies with human-machine interface in a 3D virtual world."

The paper notes that by 2050 the metaverse industry could potentially lower greenhouse gas emissions by 10 gigatons; lower atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration by 4.0 parts per million; decrease effective radiative forcing by 0.035 watts per square meter; and lower total domestic energy consumption by 92 EJ, a reduction that surpasses the annual nationwide energy consumption of all end-use sectors in previous years.

These findings could help policymakers understand how metaverse industry growth can accelerate progress towards achieving net-zero emissions targets and spur more flexible decarbonization strategies. Metaverse-based remote working, distance learning and virtual tourism could be promoted to improve air quality. In addition to alleviating air pollutant emissions, the reduction of transportation and commercial energy usage could help transform the way energy is distributed, with more energy supply going towards the residential sector.

"This mechanism is going to help, but in the end, it is going to help lower the global surface temperature by up to 0.02 degrees," You said. "There are so many sectors in this economy. You cannot count on the metaverse to do everything. But it could do a little bit if we leverage it in a reasonable way."

The research was supported by the National Science Foundation.
In a recent study, researchers created a diagnostic test to identify functional sperm in infertile men that could change the treatment of male infertility and assisted reproductive technology.

"Male infertility is a recognized issue and deserves scientific and clinical attention," said Andrei Drabovich, an assistant professor of laboratory medicine and pathology at the University of Alberta and corresponding author of the Molecular & Cellular Proteomics study.

One in every six couples trying to conceive experience infertility issues. In fact, about 10% of men in the United States are infertile. The most common cause of severe male infertility is a condition known as nonobstructive azoospermia, which results in the absence of sperm in the ejaculate due to poor sperm, or spermatozoa, development.

While assisted reproductive technology has improved exponentially over the past 50 years, according to Drabovich, extracting sperm from men with NOA can take up to 10 hours in the operating room and has varying rates of success.

"Sometimes surgeons can only extract a few intact spermatozoa during a surgery that takes many hours," Drabovich said.

That's why he set out to develop a noninvasive method to diagnose NOA and figure out if these men contain intact sperm that could fertilize an egg.

"Tests that show the presence or absence of intact spermatozoa in semen can give a good clue of the total numbers of spermatozoa in the patient," Drabovich said. "If there are intact spermatozoa in the ejaculate that is a green light for urologist and the surgeon to go ahead with the surgery. However, it is an extreme challenge to find intact spermatozoa in a field of debris."

Drabovich performed mass spectrometry on semen from men with normal fertility as well as infertile men with biopsy-confirmed obstructive azoospermia or NOA.

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After analysis, his team identified two proteins, AKAP4 and ASPX, that are found in intact sperm in men with NOA. They showed that ASPX is located in the head of sperm while AKAPA4 is found in the tail using a method called imaging flow cytometry. During imaging flow cytometry, a machine takes images of individual cells. After running these samples, computational algorithms help the researchers mine the millions of images of cell debris and underdeveloped sperm to identify a few intact sperm cells.

Since the roles of AKAP4 and ASPX are not fully understood, Drabovich plans to investigate how they contribute to sperm function.

He also said that his work may lead to male birth control drugs in the future.

"We want to see if we can flip the story and try to work on male contraceptives," Drabovich said. "If we know the function of the protein, we may be able to inhibit it to create a nonhormonal male contraceptive, which is a much desired type of drug at the moment."
Researchers from the University of California, Davis, and an international team of scientists used the genome-editing tool CRISPR-Cas to create disease resistant rice plants, according to a new study published in the journal Nature June 14.

Small-scale field trials in China showed that the newly created rice variety, developed through genome editing of a newly discovered gene, exhibited both high yields and resistance to the fungus that causes a serious disease called rice blast. Rice is an essential crop that feeds half of the world's population.

Guotian Li, a co-lead author of the study, initially discovered a mutant known as a lesion mimic mutant while working as a postdoctoral scholar in Pamela Ronald's lab at UC Davis. Ronald is co-lead author and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center.

"It's quite a step forward that his team was able to improve this gene, making it potentially useful for farmers. That makes it important," Ronald said.

The roots of the discovery began in Ronald's lab, where they created and sequenced 3,200 distinct rice strains, each possessing diverse mutations. Among these strains, Guotian identified one with dark patches on its leaves.

"He found that the strain was also resistant to bacterial infection, but it was extremely small and low yielding," Ronald said. "These types of 'lesion mimic' mutants have been found before but only in a few cases have they been useful to farmers because of the low yield."

Working with CRISPR

Guotian continued the research when he joined Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, China.

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He used CRISPR-Cas9 to isolate the gene related to the mutation and used genome editing to recreate that resistance trait, eventually identifying a line that had good yield and was resistant to three different pathogens, including the fungus that causes rice blast.

In small-scale field trials planted in disease-heavy plots, the new rice plants produced five times more yield than the control rice, which was damaged by the fungus, Ronald said.

"Blast is the most serious disease of plants in the world because it affects virtually all growing regions of rice and also because rice is a huge crop," Ronald said.

Future applications

The researchers hope to recreate this mutation in commonly grown rice varieties. Currently they have only optimized this gene in a model variety called "Kitaake" that is not grown widely. They also hope to target the same gene in wheat to create disease-resistant wheat.

"A lot of these lesion mimic mutants have been discovered and sort of put aside because they have low yield. We're hoping that people can go look at some of these and see if they can edit them to get a nice balance between resistance and high yield," Ronald said.

Rashmi Jain with the UC Davis Department of Plant Pathology and Genome Center also contributed to the research, as did scientists from BGI-Shenzhen, Huazhong Agricultural University, Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Northwest A&F University and Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China; the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Berkeley; the University of Adelaide, Australia; and the University of Bordeaux, France.

Research in the Ronald lab was supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Joint Bioenergy Institute funded by the US Department of Energy.
NEW DELHI, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Fresh bouts of violence hit India's northeastern state of Manipur as mobs clashed with government forces, multiple local media reports said Saturday.

Clashes broke out Friday night as mobs tried to resort to vandalism and arson by targeting houses belonging to leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

A failed attempt to loot weapons from the Iringbam police station in Imphal West was also made. The mobs tried to vandalise the armoury of the police station during the night but were dispersed by the government forces.

Likewise, the mobs were dispersed after they tried to target the BJP office in Imphal East and the residence of Manipur BJP president Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi in Imphal West.

Reports said two civilians were injured in the clashes at the Palace Compound in Imphal.

To contain the situation, contingents of government forces staged a flag march in the Imphal East district until midnight.

The northeastern state has been on edge since May 3 when large-scale violence broke out in the state during a tribal protest over the inclusion of the non-tribal Meiteis community for a scheduled tribe status.

The ethnic clashes claimed over 100 lives and displaced over 40,000. Nearly 300 people were injured and close to 1,700 houses burnt down during the violence in the state.

Authorities responded by imposing a curfew and putting a blanket ban on internet services as a precautionary measure to restrict the mobilization of crowds in the state. 
This aerial photo taken on June 12, 2023 shows an art center in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

This aerial photo taken on June 10, 2023 shows the night view of the urban areas in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

This aerial photo taken on June 10, 2023 shows the night view of the urban areas in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

A man walks at the Yongqing Fang historical alleyways in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, June 14, 2023. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)

This aerial photo taken on June 16, 2022 shows the fully-automated pier at the Nansha port in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)

This aerial photo taken on June 12, 2023 shows the urban view along the Zhujiang River in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

People enjoy sunset inside a ferris wheel at Canton Tower in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Aug. 7, 2022. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

People visit the Tomb of Nanyue King in Western Han Dynasty in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, June 13, 2023. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 15, 2022 shows the night view of the campus of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

This photo taken on June 13, 2023 shows a stone sculpture themed five sheep at the Yuexiu Park in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

This photo taken on June 13, 2023 shows the Lin Zexu memorial park in Yuexiu District of Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)

Visitors pose for a group photo in front of the Zhenhai building of the Guangzhou Museum in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, June 13, 2023. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

This photo taken on June 13, 2023 shows a clothing wholesale market in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)

A child visits the Guangzhou Museum in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, June 13, 2023. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

This photo taken on June 13, 2023 shows the Guangzhou painted porcelain exhibited at the Guangzhou Museum in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

This aerial photo taken on June 13, 2023 shows the Memorial for the Site of the Third National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Yuexiu District of Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

People visit the Lin Zexu memorial park in Yuexiu District of Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, June 13, 2023. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)

This photo taken on June 14, 2023 shows a view of the Qilou street in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)

This aerial photo taken in 2022 shows the Guangzhou branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

A man plays the violin at the Lin Zexu memorial park in Yuexiu District of Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, June 13, 2023. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)

People visit the 133rd session of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 15, 2023. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

This aerial photo taken on June 13, 2023 shows the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

This aerial photo taken on June 10, 2023 shows the urban view along the Zhujiang River in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

This aerial photo taken on Feb. 19, 2020 shows the Kapok flowers beside the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

People shop at a clothing wholesale market in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, June 13, 2023. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)

People walk at the Qilou street in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, June 14, 2023. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)

Cantonese opera actors perform at the Cantonese Opera Art Museum in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 18, 2023. Guangzhou has a history of more than 2,000 years. The city has been a place of cultural integration between Chinese and foreign cultures since ancient times. It has manifested the openness and inclusiveness involved with Chinese culture. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)
NAIROBI, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The success of China's desert control interventions is an inspiration to African countries battling land degradation linked to human activities and climatic shocks, a Kenyan scholar said ahead of World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought to be marked Saturday.

Gerishon Ikiara, an international relations scholar and former permanent secretary in Kenya's Ministry of Transport, believed that China has set the pace in desert control, offering vital lessons to African nations.

During his numerous visits to China both as a government official and scholar, Ikiara said he was impressed by the Asian country's determination to reverse desertification by harnessing home-grown innovations.

"The first time I went to China, there were many patches that were very dry. The last time I was there, the country had been transformed in terms of change of the environment," Ikiara said during a recent interview with Xinhua.

He observed that courtesy of ingenuity and a people-centered approach to conservation, China has been able to reclaim its landscapes including hills and mountains through planting trees.

Despite rapid industrialization, China has also initiated bold steps to limit greenhouse gas emissions, manage waste and sustain the health of vital ecosystems, Ikiara noted.

He hailed joint China-Africa programs on the environment, adding that such cooperation will enable both sides to share expertise on halting the spread of deserts and responding to the climate crisis.

Ikiara, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi, said the implementation of infrastructural projects domiciled within the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative has also injected vitality into Africa's green aspirations. He cited the Chinese-built 480-km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway and the 27.1-km Nairobi Expressway for easing urban mobility and reducing carbon emissions in Kenya.

Ikiara said that through collaboration with China, African states will be well-placed to tackle plastic waste pollution that has taken a toll on aquaculture besides expanding the size of restored landscapes.

The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, which is celebrated annually on June 17, seeks to raise awareness of the threats posed by deserts and drought and how to manage the twin ecological challenges rampant in the global south.

This year's theme is "Her Land. Her Rights," which aims at advancing gender equality to restore land and build resilience.

Ikiara noted that as an epicenter of desertification, fueled by climate change and poor land use practices, Africa has an obligation to tackle the ecological crisis urgently so as to achieve sustainable development. He added that multilateralism is crucial to overcoming desertification and other climate-induced challenges like recurrent droughts, habitat loss, and drying of water sources. 
LANZHOU, June 17 (Xinhua) -- A freight train carrying 300 tonnes of magnesium chloride departed from a station of Wuwei City in northwest China's Gansu Province on Thursday, heading for north China's Tianjin Port before arriving at a port in the Republic of Korea.

This marks that the province has launched the East Asia international rail-sea intermodal transportation route.

The train, consisting of 15 40-foot containers, will first arrive at Tianjin Port via rail transport and then go to Kunsan Port in the ROK by sea.

The opening of the train indicates that the import and export enterprises in northwest China have established a fast and convenient international logistics channel with overseas markets. It is of great significance to promote the opening up of the western region of China and expand the economic and trade exchanges of countries along the Belt and Road, according to sources with the Lanzhou freight transport center of the China Railway Lanzhou Group Co., Ltd. 
Find out what researchers from Guangxi Forestry Research Institute have discovered about the mating behavior of the Malayan Pangolin that could help the critically endangered species...

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Almosafer, Saudi Arabias leading travel company and part of Seera Group, has signed a partnership agreement with the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce to develop Saudi talent for the travel and tourism sector.



The partnership will enable Almosafer to expand the reach of its in-house training programme, Almosafer Academy, which equips young Saudi nationals with the necessary skills and industry knowledge needed to succeed and grow as travel advisors or other industry professions. Almosafer and the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce will work together to enable more university students in Saudi Arabia to apply to Almosafer Academy.



Fahad Alobailan, Chief Tourism Officer of Almosafer, said: This partnership with the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce will help accelerate our efforts to develop the necessary human capital for a sustainable travel and tourism industry. As our industry grows, there is a wealth of opportunity for young Saudis to embark on successful careers. I am pleased we are doing our part in championing young talent as we continue to support the tourism agenda of Saudi Vision 2030.



Naif Abdullah Al-Rajhi, Second Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors Riyadh Chamber and Chairman of the Tourism Committee, said: We are pleased to be collaborating with Almosafer. This partnership is poised to significantly enhance human competencies, underpinning the growth of the travel and tourism sectors and aligning seamlessly with the Kingdom's strategic mission to cultivate and advance Saudi talents, inspiring them to pioneer and lead initiatives across diverse disciplines.



The signing took place at the inaugural Tourism Investment Forum in Riyadh which was sponsored by Almosafer. Fahad Alobailan, Chief Tourism Officer at Almosafer, moderated a panel discussion on private sector investments with Princess Haifa Bint Mohammed Al Saud, Vice Minister of Tourism, and senior representatives from the Saudi Tourism Authority and the Tourism Development Fund.  TradeArabia News Service
UNITED NATIONS, June 16 (Xinhua) -- UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Catherine Russell on Friday called for a renewed commitment of the international community to Haiti, which is plagued by multifaceted crises.

"Decades of successive crises, including earthquakes, hurricanes, public health emergencies and political turmoil, have plagued Haiti. But for the sake of the millions of Haitians whose lives and well-being are at stake, we must respond not with fatigue or resignation, but with renewed commitment," she told a special session of the UN Economic and Social Council on Haiti's food security needs.

"We should start by shifting our perspective, and move away from treating Haiti's crises as separate events. Instead, we should view the situation as a longer-term development crisis exacerbated by recurring acute emergency phases. The years-long decline in access to basic services and livelihood opportunities, as well as poor governance and social exclusion, have created extreme vulnerabilities for millions of people. Any shock, like an earthquake, hurricane or public health emergency, pushes them over the edge," she said.

With humanitarian needs in Haiti now even greater than after the 2010 earthquake, far more must be done to ensure that people have safe and sustainable access to essential services in their communities. This requires timely, flexible funding to support the UN humanitarian response plan for Haiti. The plan, which requests 720 million U.S. dollars, is less than 23 percent funded, she noted.

Life-saving humanitarian assistance must go hand-in-hand with development solutions that build resilience of Haitian communities and social service systems. There is also a need to strengthen the capacity of Haitian organizations and institutions, and to facilitate a more efficient response that reflects the local context and experience of the Haitian people, he said.

Russell said she and World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain will travel to Haiti next week to meet with key stakeholders and assess the collective response on the ground.

Haiti is on the precipice of catastrophe. Half the population needs humanitarian assistance, including 3 million children. But half of those in need of assistance are not getting it -- in large part because of insecurity and insufficient humanitarian funding, said Russell.

Two million people, including 1.6 million children and women, live in areas controlled by armed groups -- their lives under constant threat from violence. Children are being killed on their way to school. Women and girls are being subjected to staggering levels of gender-based and sexual violence. Insecurity is also compromising the operations of humanitarian actors to meet the growing gap in the delivery of essential services, she said.

"This life-threatening mix of conditions has caused an intensifying food security and nutrition crisis, especially for children. Since last year, we have seen an unprecedented 30 percent increase in the number of children suffering from severe wasting to more than 115,000 across the country. Nearly a quarter of Haiti's children are chronically malnourished, which can have devastating consequences for their physical and cognitive development."

The malnutrition crisis coincides with an ongoing cholera outbreak, in which nearly half of the more than 46,000 suspected cases are children under the age of 14. Severely malnourished children are five times more likely to die from cholera without urgent treatment. Yet the national health system is on the verge of collapse and does not have the capacity to adequately respond to the health and nutrition needs of vulnerable children and families, she said.

The time for action is long overdue. The Haitian people need an immediate scale-up in both regional and international support, which includes full funding for the humanitarian response plan, said Russell. "Together we can join the Haitian people to break the cycle of crises and begin building toward a more peaceful and hopeful future, for Haiti, and most importantly, for its children." 
The passenger count in domestic airlines from January-May 2023 reached an impressive milestone of 636.07 lakh, reflecting a significant annual growth rate of 36.10 per cent compared to the corresponding period in the previous year (Jan-May 2022) when it stood at 467.37 lakh, said an official.

According to traffic data shared by various airlines, in May 2022, the passenger count stood at 114.67 lakh, and in May 2023, it rose to 132.41 lakh, indicating a month-on-month growth of 15.24 per cent. Furthermore, the overall passenger number in May 2023 increased by 3.26 lakh (2.52 per cent) compared to April 2023.

"This notable surge in passenger volume demonstrates the strength and resilience of India's aviation sector, highlighting continuous efforts to enhance connectivity and provide convenient travel options for citizens," said the official, adding that the higher load factor of 636.07 lakhs passengers during January-May 2023 indicates a growing demand for air transportation, underscoring the positive trajectory of the aviation industry.

Moreover, the number of passenger complaints decreased in May 2023 compared to May 2019. In May 2019, scheduled domestic airlines received a total of 746 passenger-related complaints, whereas in May 2023, they received 556 such complaints. Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said that the continuous expansion of the domestic airline industry, along with the emergence of regional airlines, contributes to the strengthening of the economy, connecting people across the nation and ensuring last-mile connectivity through the UDAN Scheme.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  As a child, KC Hankins knew they were different, but was unsure how to express it.

Growing up, I was not taught what it meant to be gay, what it meant to be queer, said the 30-year-old. I didnt have language around it, [and being gay] was considered a bad thing.

Now a high school teacher and ardent community organizer and activist, the St. George resident is determined to change that narrative by promoting LGBTQ+ visibility and representation, and standing up to bigotry both on the local and national levels.

LEAVING THE CHURCH

Hankins, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, admitted theyve been a queer-presenting person since childhood. Heavily involved in their church until their late teens, it was hard for the born-and-raised New Jerseyan to reconcile their religion with their sexuality.

Things became harder when they started the coming out process during their junior year of high school. They trickled out the news strategically, at first only telling those they could explicitly trust in their own family.

I knew how [some of my family] would react because I had an older family member who was gay, said Hankins. There were [family members] who reacted positively to them, and some who didnt react positively. So I knew how some people could be. I made sure I didnt have any negative implications.

KC Hankins speaks before the Staten Island St. Patrick's Parade on March 5, 2023. I dont think [the Richmond County St. Patricks Day Parade Committee] understands there are queer people in their communities right now, whether or not those people are out, said Hankins, referring to the group responsible for the years-long exclusion. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel)

They eventually came out on a grander scale at the end of their senior year, and faced backlash almost immediately. Hankins claimed some members of their New Jersey church tried to convince church leadership to rescind a minor college scholarship Hankins had earned for their volunteer missionary work. The churchs pastor  whom Hankins remains close to today  swiftly shut down that effort.

Still, Hankins was left hurt and discouraged; they ended up leaving the church  and their religion  shortly after.

I was born and raised Catholic, said Hankins. I was an extremely religious person as a kid. I was very involved [in my church]. I was very much drawn to my religion because it was rooted in helping other people. I was always taught by the church to be a person who advocates for people, who wants to help people and wants to do good.

But I dont have a relationship with religion anymore because of their reaction to me being gay. I had to leave that institution, and now Im not a religious person. I was completely pushed out.

WE NEED MORE OUT PEOPLE

Hankins moved to Staten Island just under a decade ago, drawn to the North Shore by friends while attending Pace University in Manhattan. They became involved with the Democratic Party on Staten Island  of which theyre currently on the executive board  which led to an introduction with the Pride Center of Staten Island.

Since linking up with the Pride Center, the volunteer community activist and executive board member of the Stonewall Democrats of NYC has been one of the more prominent Staten Islanders to lead the charge of inclusion for the boroughs annual St. Patricks Parade, one of the few remaining  if not the only remaining  St. Patricks parades in the nation that intentionally excludes LGBTQ+ individuals from marching openly under their own banner.

I think the biggest form of LGBTQ activism I do is being an out teacher. I think thats something thats very important, said Hankins, a high school teacher by day. They added they walk the halls at school with a rainbow backpack. (Courtesy of KC Hankins)

I dont think [the Richmond County St. Patricks Day Parade Committee] understands there are queer people in their communities right now, whether or not those people are out, said Hankins, referring to the group responsible for the years-long exclusion.

To help change the minds of those who view the LGBTQ+ community as less than, Hankins wishes there could be more local representation in what is known as New York Citys most conservative borough.

The Pride Center cannot be the only source of LGBTQ love, LGBTQ advocacy, LGBTQ politics. Thats something I feel very strongly about when I talk to other queer people, they said. We need more out business owners, more out community leaders. We need more out people, not just at the Pride Center.

THEY CAN HAVE A FUTURE

By living authentically and openly rebuking homophobia, Hankins is hoping to set an example for their high school students and others who may be stuck in the closet, unable or unwilling to embrace their sexuality.

I think the biggest form of LGBTQ activism I do is being an out teacher. I think thats something thats very important, they said, adding they walk the halls at school with a rainbow backpack.

Day in and day out, being out at school every day...has [had] real impact over time. It only takes one out teacher to change everything for a student. You can [show them] they can have a future, they can see themselves as an adult. Being able to see someone out and doing well is huge.

Hankins said theyve witnessed over the years  starting when they were in high school  many children being disowned and kicked out by their parents for being anything but straight. They urged those struggling with staying in the closet to think of their own safety, first and foremost, before coming out; the wait will be worth it.

Are you safe? And are you OK? What would be the implications of coming out right now? And if you know that theres too much risk associated with [coming out], get to a place where you can come out and be safe, said Hankins. We all want to say, like, it gets better, come out and everybodys gonna love you. But thats just not the truth for so many people.

KC Hankins flanked by LGBTQ+ supporters. Activism never too far from their mind, Hankins offers a rallying cry to their community: You stand up, and you show out. You show that youre here, and youre queer, and youre proud, and youre not afraid to back down. (Courtesy of KC Hankins)

The reason that I am the way I am is because I am safe. ... Im very lucky that Im healthy and safe and blessed in my own way, but thats not the truth for most queer people that get pushed out their church or their family because of who they are, because of the bigotry thats in the hearts of the people around them.

WERE WINNING

The longstanding debacle with the Staten Island St. Patricks Parade is just one chapter Hankins is trying to rewrite while navigating todays hostile climate.

Since April of this year, tensions over U.S. corporations support of the LGBTQ+ community have boiled over in the lead up to June, also known as Pride month. The tizzy started with trans actress Dylan Mulvaneys sponsorship deal with Bud Light, and spiraled into several Target stores nationwide either minimizing or removing portions of their Pride collections. Calls to boycott those brands  and others that market goods with the LGBTQ+ community in mind  have grown louder and louder both on Staten Island and throughout the country, and have had some varying success, depending on who you ask.

While a blow to the LGBTQ+ communitys fight for inclusion, Hankins has taken the backlash in stride.

The reason there is this backlash toward Target and this hate toward Bud Light, and social media is all riled up, is because [the LGBTQ+ community is] winning, they said. Weve always been here, but now were coming out. Were not hiding in the shadows anymore, were present and showing them that were here.

The outspoken Hankins hopes the latest anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric provokes the queer community to double down and demand the equal support and inclusion they deserve.

Activism never too far from their mind, Hankins offered a rallying cry to their community:

You stand up, and you show out. You show that youre here, and youre queer, and youre proud, and youre not afraid. Dont back down.

MORE PRIDE STORIES

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Openly gay prosecutor, LGBTQ+ liaison: An advocate for empowerment, progress

This Staten Island gay male was met with love and respect when he came out as a pre-teen

A true-love story: His partner now identifies as transgender and they stayed together

Ill be their ride or die: State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton pledges her support to the LGBTQ+ community

When you support Pride, you support everyone: St. George celebration marks kickoff of LGBTQ+ month

Staten Island St. Patricks Parade includes LGBTQ+ peaceful protest, fewer spectators, marchers

When you support Pride, you support everyone: St. George celebration marks kickoff of LGBTQ+ month
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  As suicide rates among youth reach a 20-year high, the first New York State Summit on Youth Mental Health was held Thursday to address mental health concerns and develop statewide initiatives to address them, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.

Hochul shared findings from the summary report of the Youth Mental Health Listening Tour, which included alarming data on recent youth mental health trends, at the New York State Summit on Youth Mental Health, held at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan.

Earlier this spring, Hochul and Dr. Ann Marie T. Sullivan, commissioner for the New York State Office of Mental Health, met with over a dozen New York City middle and high schoolers to gauge their mental health experiences during the tour.

As a part of Hochuls historic $1 billion investment in mental health, the Youth Listening Tour was held across all state regions from April to June so that policy and programming can be directly informed by New Yorks youth, the ones who will be most impacted by state policies.

Her historic investments into the states mental health system, and particularly her focus on the concerns and needs of young people, will dramatically improve the mental health and wellness of thousands of children, youth and families, said Sullivan.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, New York state, along with the rest of the nation, experienced a youth mental health crisis.

According to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from 2011 to 2021, the number of school-aged youth who persistently felt sad or hopeless increased from 21% to 29% among teen boys, and from 36% to 57% among teen girls. This is a near 60% increase since 2011. Nearly a third of teen girls considered suicide in 2021, an increase from just 19% of teen girls during the prior decade, the CDC data showed.

The isolation and uncertainty we experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact young people, who navigated key developmental milestones during this unstable time, Hochul said.

Over 1,000 attendees, including national mental health experts, youth advocates, parents, law enforcement specialists and educators, attended Thursdays summit to discuss the Youth Listening Tour findings and plan a response. I am proud to convene this historic summit, bringing together the brightest minds in the world to share ideas, hear the experiences of our youth, and continue to drive this important conversation forward, Hochul said.

Youth Listening Tour researchers discovered a growing a concern about the impact of social media on young people.

The U.S. Surgeon General recently released a Social Media and Youth Mental Health advisory examining the impacts of social media on children and adolescents. According to the advisory, excessive social media use disrupts important healthy behaviors, as social media platforms are often designed to maximize user engagement. Some researchers believe that social media exposure can overstimulate the reward center in the brain and, when the stimulation becomes excessive, can trigger pathways comparable to addiction, the advisory said.

A part of the advisory addressed solutions that could be taken on in response to the negative influences of social media. We must provide children and their families with the information and tools to navigate the changing digital environment, but this burden to support our children must be further shared,' the advisory says. There are actions technology companies can take to make their platforms safer for children and adolescents.

According to the advisory, policymakers and technology companies share a portion of the responsibility to ensure the safety of youth online, just as families and caregivers do.

The Summit of Youth Mental Health revealed that youth understand the benefits and risks of social media. They value school and community-based approaches to help develop positive relationships. They also prefer mental health help from adults who are similar in demographics, such as age, since a majority reported a perception that adults have a lack of empathy and cultural sensitivity, according the the Youth Listening Tour summary report.

Based on these findings, upcoming investments will be made to combat the youth mental health crisis, the governor said. For the 2024 fiscal year, Hochuls multi-year $1 billion mental health plan emphasizes youth and family care. Thirty percent of the budget will go toward expanding school-based mental health services and 10% will go toward suicide prevention programs for high-risk youth.

In the face of a youth mental health crisis, New York state and Governor Hochul are leading the nation with an ambitious agenda to keep youth safe and healthy,' said Dr. Mitch Prinstein, chief science officer at the American Psychological Association. Today represents a major step forward with serious conversations about what it will take to help millions of young people enjoy their childhoods and look forward to their future again.
I had to cancel a trip to Jersey for my friends daughters first communion recently. I didnt cancel because it was in Jersey or almost two hours away. I canceled because, the night before, I had eaten some frozen vegetables that wound up destroying my stomach.

I bought the vegetables at a supermarket that I dont usually go to. I dont know why they were bad. The expiration date was next April. They seemed OK until I cooked them and then tried to eat them. I noticed from the taste that something was off. For some reason, I continued eating them, thinking it might be my imagination.

Then, I remembered the conversation I had with the checkout person at the supermarket. I told her I found it hard to find some items after the pandemic. She agreed and said Yeah, and its the oddest things that you cant find.

This led me to think about the spoiled frozen vegetables. Were the freezer units in the supermarket not working properly? Had they been sitting there for too long? Or, had it taken too long for them to get to the store?

All of these questions were linked to the supply chain issues we faced during, and after, the pandemic of 2020. On top of that, were also dealing with a politician in Florida that is creating chaos in the name of protecting his constituents.

The current governor of Florida has a thing for immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, and a very famous Mouse. Hes been embroiled with these three groups in several situations.

Notoriously, he sent a group of migrants to Marthas Vineyard in a Thatll show you Northerners for saying youd accept them moment. The migrants were not told where they were going. The woman that recruited them is an ex-military operative. The plane that transported them is owned by a friend of the governor.

As far as LGBTQ+ people go, the governor has been very clear about his feelings about them. He is on a mission to save younger children from being groomed into LGBTQ+ youth. He is against drag shows, books that talk about LGBTQ people, and medical procedures and healthcare for LGBTQ people. He claims this is to protect children from becoming LGBTQ youth. As it turns out, its valid to be concerned about LGBTQ youth -- they are at a much higher risk for suicide and health issues than their non-gay contemporaries. But instead of helping people who currently identify as LGBTQ, the governor has his eyes on children who might grow up to be LGBTQ. Because what he seemingly cares about is converting those children into his voters, as he assumes anybody who is currently LGBTQ will not, under any circumstances, vote for him.

And then theres his fight with the Mouse. After the Mouses home office vehemently disagreed with the governors Dont say gay program, he embarked on a mission to make things difficult for them by dissolving a special tax district that was in place since 1967.

Well, the Mouse decided to get even. They decided they were not going to build a $1 billion campus in Florida that would have brought jobs to central Florida. The Mouse basically flipped the governor the bird, so to speak.

How is any of this in any way connected to my spoiled frozen food, you may ask? Simple. Migrant workers. You know, sort of like the folks we read about in The Grapes Of Wrath by John Steinbeck? Wait, has that book been banned yet? That novel is set during the Great Depression, when hundreds of people crossed the country to find work, even if it was temporary. Point of fact, migrant workers now are majorly responsible for food production in this country. Not only are they responsible for farming it and then gathering the harvest, but, in many cases, also serving it to you and me. Somehow, the governor thought it was a good idea to tamp down on certain migrant workers, leaving many construction sites and farms vacant. What happens when food sits out too long in the sun, the rain, or the cold? It rots. It goes bad. It may even get transported to stores looking perfectly all right, but already decaying inside.

Sort of like shipping people to Marthas Vineyard, and not telling them where theyre going.

My point is to warn you that the side effects of COVID-19 are ongoing and that we must stay vigilant. And that some forms of bigotry and hatred are just as virulent.

Look out for one another.

Comments may be submitted to Talk To The Old Guy on Facebook.
School. Sports. Social. Staten Island. Todays story is part of the launch of our Plugged in Parent content, in which well tell the stories that Staten Island families need to know -- all in one place. Well be covering news that is valuable to students in public, Catholic and private schools -- both in and out of the classroom. From highlights in sports, to photos from prom, to critical education news -- Plugged In Parent, you wont want to miss it.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A new virtual learning program will be offered to all New York City public high school students and some middle school students.

A voluntary and expansive virtual learning program was included as part of a tentative contract agreement with the United Federation of Teachers (UFT). It would make New York City the first major school system in the country to offer a program of its kind.

Heres what we know about the program so far.

What is the virtual learning program?

While not a substitute for in-person learning, it would give students access to a much broader set of course offerings across the city, and the ability to take classes at non-traditional times, like evenings and weekends.

It would also give an opportunity for educators to teach virtually.

We learned during the pandemic that some students, especially non-traditional students, benefited from the additional flexibility in their schedule, said Schools Chancellor David C. Banks. Students who were at risk of dropping out were able to continue their coursework on a schedule that works best for them. This expands those types of opportunities across the entire system. Crucially, it also allows educators to work virtually in support of those students, becoming experts in the craft of virtual learning.

How will it be offered?

The initiative will allow public schools to expand course offerings to students who dont currently have access to the full range of accelerated courses and to reach students for whom traditional in-person schedules dont work, such as students who work full-time jobs.

Virtual classes will be offered through school-based programs, as well as the citywide program -- as the contract also allows the city to broaden its current centrally run pilot program of virtual and hybrid programs.

Some UFT members who do not work directly in schools would be eligible to work remotely up to two days a week.

It will be, as the mayor said, supplementing students in the classroom, said Renee Campion, commissioner of the city Office of Labor Relations. Its not in lieu of student teaching in the classroom, it is in supplementing it. And it provides better options, some more flexible options for students who require it. There will also be parent engagement. And as a result of the virtual learning, well be able to do parent engagement, which was already an existing part of the contract, going back years, that will be able to be done with parents remotely on evenings and weekends.

When will it begin?

This new expansion of virtual learning will begin next school year  if the UFT contract is ratified  with 25% of high schools eligible to be elected for the program, growing to 100% of high schools in the 2027-28 school year.

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Margot Robbie is at the steering wheel of a half-billion-dollar Barbie bus which is due to pull into Sydney in a couple of weeks, ahead of the mega-budget films premiere.

The Aussie actor is not only the films star, but also its producer.

Margot Robbie in a scene from Barbie. Credit: Warner Brothers Pictures

Theres a lot riding on Barbie the movies success, not just for Robbie, who is looking for a box office hit following the flop of Babylon, but also for Barbies owner, toy giant Mattel, which has stumped up much the estimated $150 million budget to make the film.

Early predictions published in the Hollywood trade press estimate the movie could rake in more than $450 million, but given the films plot has remained largely under wraps, its unclear what sort of film is about to be unleashed on the world.
Fitz: You pop up on all the commercial TV stations, lots of ABC stuff, particularly with Good News Week, and more radio with Triple M and Vega for a good stint. Squires once said to me that when it comes to wit, you were the fastest gun in the West. Is there anyone youve worked with, whom you care to offer a similar accolade? MR: Paul McDermott, who I worked with on triple j, was the best improviser Ive ever come across. He was what I call a hand grenade guy. If a bit of improv might not be quite working, Paul would throw himself on the hand grenade to save everyone else, and dig deep to make it work, even if it costs him a little bit of ego. And I would also cite the late Rebecca Wilson, who I worked with on Vega. She had absolutely no filter. She would just say stuff that was so great to work with. And I would say to management, Dont make Rebecca come to the planning meetings. Just turn the mic on and let it go! Robins with Paul McDermott: [He] was the best improviser Ive ever come across. Fitz: Squires is not alone in the industry in regarding you as a great wit. How is it that you dont have a gig right now? MR: Because, lets be honest, now that we are in the age of national networking, theres about seven or eight of those jobs in the whole country going to get the attention of generally young age brackets, and as you say, Im over 60. Im not complaining. I had a bloody good run, made a lot of friends along the way, and had a ball.

Fitz: So now, and this sounds strangely familiar, youre raiding history for great stories, and have a book coming out called Idiots, Follies and Misadventures. What is the guts of it? And I trust Im not mentioned under idiots. MR: Well, my last book was about bad behaviour throughout history and as I was writing that, I kept coming across other stories that didnt quite fit, about colossal idiots, shocking follies and terrible misadventures. The big-game changer for prehistoric man was controlling fire, but looking back I think the most amazing thing is that we actually managed to make it out of the cave without spearing ourselves in the foot. My take on history is that while the technology and the costumes have changed, the human impulses are the same. Robins in 1998: I was 160kgs Credit: Dallas Kilponen Fitz: Go on . . . MR: Well, in terms of stupidity, the truth is that we will believe anything from someone we know and trust, or something that makes us feel better about ourselves  and we will take both over actual scientific fact  and this was as much of a problem in the third and 16th century as it is now. And Ill give you an example of the parallels. During the Great Plague of London in the mid-1600s, one of the prescribed preventative measures was to walk around with a jar of your own flatulence to sniff from when you were in company. The idea was that stench around you would prevent you getting the plague, and rich people would buy the most stinky of goats to put in their parlour.

Fitz: Go on with you! MR: Its true. And I was writing the book during COVID, and we had people who ended up in the hospital because they took fish-tank bleach to ward off the virus! There are so many examples of these parallels. Yes, right now, the net is responsible for the surge of a lot of stupid conspiracy theories. But lets not forget that within 30 years of the Gutenberg Press being invented in the mid-1400s  the great breakthrough in disseminating information  it was being used to spread false conspiracy theories, sometimes with tragic results. In Italy, after a child had died in mysterious circumstances, a pamphlet went out blaming the local Jewish community and ended up in a pogrom. And heres the thing, this same crackpot theory is still being espoused in right-wing chat rooms today! Its like the David Bowie lyric, were always crashing in the same car. Fitz: Other examples? Robins with Tony Squires in 2008: He bet me 50 grand that I wouldnt make it past 50. Credit: MR: The whole flat Earth thing. We were taught that Columbus was the only European who thought the earth was round, when actually, by the time of Columbus, the elite had known it for centuries, from Socrates to Plato to St Augustine. But Columbus actually thought the Earth was shaped like a womans boob as she lies flat on her back, with the nipple being the Arctic, closest to God.

Fitz: Really? I am loving these stories, but can only hope they are true. MR: They are. Columbus writes of it in his third journal. He was worse at maths than I was, and believed in two weeks he could have got to Japan. To his dying day, he believed he had got to India. But because of American exceptionalism, they wanted to make it appear that Columbus was defying all the current beliefs by continuing to sail west without falling off the edge of the Earth and this writer Washington Irving wrote a fictional biography of Columbus, quoting an early medieval writer who believed the Earth was flat. And then in Victorian England, the flat-Earth thing takes off. It then gets transported to America and in the last survey I saw, youve got about 9 per cent of Americans who think the Earth is flat! Fitz: I am guessing that in terms of folly, America was fertile ground? MR: My favourite is the one on Lincolns bodyguard, John Frederick Parker, who went with him to the theatre that night. There had already been many assassination attempts on the president, and they included a confederate surgeon getting infected clothing from prison camps making them into elegant shirts that he mailed to Lincoln with the thought that he might get smallpox. On the theatre night, Parker was supposed to be seated at the entrance to the booth where Lincoln was shot. The play Our American Cousin was getting a lot of laughs, which Parker can hear. So that piques his interest, and he leaves his spot to get a better view of the play. He then decides he doesnt like the play, so goes to the tavern next door. Theres a good chance he and the assassin, John Wilkes Booth, actually crossed paths that night, going from, and to, the theatre! And so Lincoln was shot, unprotected. Fitz: Staggering. Australian stories?

Loading MR: I love the one on the American-born politician, King OMalley, who was one of the prime movers in having our capital city, Canberra, placed where it was. I was always taught at school that it was put there because it was halfway between Sydney and Melbourne. But another factor, pushed by OMalley, was that cold climates create greater intellects  which, when you think of it, is a really European and imperialistic way of looking at the world. He wanted to call Canberra Shakespeare Town. Fitz: Generally, I thought OMalley highly regarded? MR: Well, he might fit into another chapter called I Should Have Done Better, which focuses on how the ability to be clever in one area does not guarantee youre going to be clever in another area. Isaac Newton lost a fortune in the South Sea bubble. Similarly, Mark Twain was an absolute financial idiot, and originally came on his famous tour to Australia to raise money to pay back taxes. Fitz: I cant wait to read it. Whats your next project?

Loading MR: Well, Im doing a podcast with a guy called Paul Wilson who is a real historian. And weve actually been getting people in to talk about their hero and their howler from history. And so, this afternoon, weve got Matt Preston coming in to talk about Zheng Yi Sao, the Chinese pirate from the start of the 19th century. Blackbeard, at his height, had four ships and 200 pirates. She had 1400 ships and between 60,000 and 80,000 pirates. And when she surrendered to the Qing dynasty  after she had taken on the Portuguese empire and the British East India Company  she was allowed to keep all her wealth, retired to Macau where she opened a tea room /gambling house/ brothel, and they reckon that, to this day, some of the nefarious activities on Macau probably come in a direct line from her activities. Fitz: That is a brilliant story. I will race you to write a book on it! Quote of the Week If even half of it is true, then hes toast. - Donald Trumps former attorney-general Bill Barr on his ex-bosss indictment.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size A new Australian musical. Its a treasure so rare that people greet the idea with the same mix of excitement and disbelief that accompanies ghost sightings, Bjork concerts and baristas who can spell your name correctly. The obstacles a new musical faces are manifold, and the stakes at play mean that many go under before a single ticket is sold. Melbourne is about to witness the opening of one of these exceptional beasts, and its no diminutive try-out sheltered away in a tiny venue. No less than the Comedy Theatre will be home to the unveiling of Midnight, a work thats been more than eight years in the making and boasts a cast of heavy hitters including Shane Jacobson, Lucy Durack, Verity Hunt-Ballard and Matt Lee. Alongside them, playing Ella and her prince, are up-and-comers Brianna Bishop and Thomas McGuane. Midnight takes its inspiration from Cinderella, but the team behind it have expanded the tale to include properly fleshed-out back-stories, three-dimensional characters and  of course  musical numbers worthy of such a beloved tale. John Foreman and Anthony Constanzo lead the music department, and Kate Miller-Heidke has contributed a stirring ballad. Producer Spencer McLaren says while most people are familiar with the Disney version of the Cinderella story, its been around in some form or another long before Walt set his sights on it. I think the earliest version weve found is from 7BC, by the Greeks. Its been reinvented and retold in various cultures over and over again, he says. The cast of Moonlight during rehearsals. Credit: The specific shape of the story has shifted throughout its various incarnations. The slipper is there a lot. The pumpkins a more recent addition. But, generally, youre talking about a central female character who ends up in a situation where shes hard done by and shes saved. That last point was a thorny one. The shows inception occurred when co-writer and co-director Dean Murphy was watching Disneys Cinderella with his young daughter.

[Cinderella] was waiting to be saved. I didnt want Charlie to think that thats what you do if youve got problems. You dont wait for some guy to come along and make everything right.

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So when we first started talking about it, we knew we had to make her a much stronger character who, while shes been dealt a lot of tough things in life, is not a victim sitting around waiting to be rescued. Shes dealing with these things and is the one in charge of her own story as well as any of us can be. Midnight retains its storybook setting but in many other respects updates the source material for modern audiences. For one, its shifted into the realm of romantic comedy. The first conversation we had was, What if you took the Cinderella story but did it as though it was When Harry Met Sally meets The Princess Bride?, Murphy says. Instead of them falling in love so quickly, what if they have to go through all the obstacles and ups and downs that so many relationships have? Loading The comedy has been tailored to local tastes, too. Verity Hunt-Ballard, who plays Cinderellas stepmother, says: Australia does have a particular kind of comedic tone and audiences have a particular kind of comedy that they respond to, and its been really interesting playing with that. While the stepmothers role in fairytales traditionally comes with plenty of baggage, this version doesnt cleave to expectations. Its really nice to be playing against the stereotype, Hunt-Ballard says. That was exciting when it was pitched to me. Im very much enjoying finding new ways to portray her. She is larger than life, Ill say that. For a performer, one of the most exciting elements of a new musical is the fact that there are no shoes to fill. McLaren spent years performing in professional musicals, from Beauty and the Beast to Carousel to Footloose. My experience was very much replicating international products. I found that immensely frustrating, he says. Hunt-Ballard has starred in plenty of big commercial vehicles but is also known for having an unusual degree of experience in new works. Its always an honour to be in the room when somethings literally being created from scratch, she says. Its terrifying at times and then exhilarating as well.

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One of the hurdles new musicals face is just how many people are needed to get it off the ground. A playwright can finish an entire script without getting up from their desk, but a musical requires a whole team just to reach draft stage. Midnights credit list is extensive but doesnt even include the host of people who contributed additional work along the way  Tripods Simon Hall composed a song that didnt fit the final cut, Joanna Murray-Smith gave story feedback, and fellow playwright Elizabeth Coleman provided dramaturgical advice. The final creative team skews male, but McLaren was careful to bring a more diverse set of eyes to the development process. Weve been conscious of trying to address that as much as we can, to make sure were not cis white 50-plus men going, This is what your daughter should be doing! Loading The lengthy development period has also allowed room for actors to shape the roles that others will go on to play down the line. Its been great with people like Verity. She really breaks down her character. So its made us have to delve further in, Murphy says. For her part, Hunt-Ballard described the creative team as amazing collaborators [who] really value the opinion of the cast. Thats quite rare sometimes, to feel really valued as a creative as well as a performer. Hunt-Ballard has two daughters, and one of the big attractions of Midnight was the way this Cinderella is much more than a helpless damsel. The other was its focus on togetherness. Her fundamental belief is to protect her community, as opposed to the Cinderella story of my prince will come and save me ... Its lovely to come and see a story with incredible music and all the power that a musical gives, but fundamentally its saying: lets look after each other.

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This photo taken on June 17, 2023 shows the head of a 2,000-year-old statue seized by Turkish police in Izmir, Turkiye. Turkish police seized the head of a 2,000-year-old statue in the western city of Izmir as part of a crackdown on a ring of historical artifact smugglers, the state-run Anadolu agency reported Saturday.

The head is believed to be part of a marble statue depicting a goddess or a noble dating back to the Hellenistic period. (Izmir Police Department/Handout via Xinhua)

ISTANBUL, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police seized the head of a 2,000-year-old statue in the western city of Izmir as part of a crackdown on a ring of historical artifact smugglers, the state-run Anadolu agency reported Saturday.

The police raided the house of a suspect believed to be involved in the smuggling of ancient treasures in the Karabaglar district of Izmir and found the head of the statue in a dishwasher.

The head is believed to be part of a marble statue depicting a goddess or a noble dating back to the Hellenistic period.

Legal procedures have been launched against the suspect who allegedly attempted to smuggle the artifact abroad. 
You have the one shot, and if it looks silly, sorry. But that only, to me, adds to the charm of it, Jason Diamond, a Brooklyn-based writer, says, pointing out that physical photos are a permanent item that the user gets to hold on to. Theres no app. It takes you away from the algorithm, and it takes you away from having to do everything online. The use of film cameras has grown among young people. Sax says his young daughter recently asked for a type of film camera that was popular long before she was born. Sending letters and postcards Receiving a letter or postcard can be a glimmer of joy in ones mailbox. Sending them can be gratifying, too. Flea markets and op shops are littered with old postcards, relaying the senders trip to Acapulco or Paris to a loved one. Between the texts, voice notes, phone calls, FaceTimes, Instagram DMs and Snapchats, the letter or postcard can invite a playfulness in its limitations: a scribbled-out word, a pen smudge, a stamp from a faraway land. Analog affords accident in a way that I really appreciate, said Elizabeth Goodspeed, a designer and critic. It allows you to delve into a deeper, more intuitive way of engaging with the world.

As Diamond writes in his newsletter The Melt, sending and receiving letters is deeply personal. I always put it away in hopes that someday itll have a deeper meaning for some reason to people that didnt know me or the person who wrote it, he writes. Print books and magazines A reader of strictly printed books will argue that nothing compares to the feeling of a physical book in ones hands. You can dog-ear pages, fold back the cover, gauge how far along you are and fill up your bookshelves. In fact, Gen Z readers frequent libraries and generally prefer physical books to e-books. Magazines are also sticking around; in the past two years, nearly 200 new magazines have launched. Part of the appeal is the lasting impact of magazines. Diamond found old issues of Popeye, a Japanese mens magazine, at a vintage store. Some Japanese mens magazine from 1984 somehow can influence me in 2023, he says. Full-bleed photos, varied fonts and colourful illustrations contribute to a different experience in print than on a screen. Pages from magazines can be used for creating vision boards and collaging on large pieces of poster board or in a journal.

Loading Theres also creative value in the tactile nature of the magazine. Physical things have a lot more decisions that had to be made to create them, Goodspeed says. Theres a real difference between reading Interview magazine, which is huge, and reading Readers Digest, which is small. While she usually makes digital mood boards for her clients, Goodspeed says she enjoys making physical mood boards because the scale  not constricted by a screen  allows them to be more immersive and powerful, creating new moments of synchronicity or intrigue. She adds that the materials used for mood boarding are important: What does a piece of matte cardstock evoke thats different from a page ripped out of a glossy magazine? Vinyl records For millennials, streaming music was a welcome improvement on the age of burning CDs and illegal downloads. But for many, a physical record, a displayed turntable and a full album on deck hold appeal. You can cede control with a vinyl record; you dont have to worry about queuing up the next song or constructing a perfect playlist.

Diamond, a longtime devotee of vinyl records, says he used to schlep crates of records to various DJ gigs. Theres this beautiful little pop, and youre like, Oh, theres something real happening here, he says. Its still electronic, but its a little more simple. And I think at heart, we all crave simplicity. Pens and stationery An awareness of screen time  even short tasks like jotting down to-do lists  has led people to reconsider the power of pen and paper. On TikTok, the hashtag #stationeryaddict has nearly 800 million views, and a large subsection of the platform is focused on how to utilise planners and calendars, organise a desk with sticky notes and staplers, and sample new pens. Sax says that he will almost always start a project with pen and paper and move to typing it on a computer once the key elements are in place. He recently began a new book project and found that physical paper provided the space he needed to plan. I wrote out different ideas, locations and themes, and all these different components that I had to do, he says. And I arranged it in my backyard on a table. That gave me this idea of an outline and it was this physical manifestation of it.

Collecting Collecting doesnt just apply to expensive antiques or art. Satisfaction can be found in pocketing a matchbook, a bookmark or a little postcard that comes with the bill at the restaurant. Loading Goodspeed regularly collects ephemera from her daily life, travels and special occasions, as well as records and secondhand books. She says physical items with an interesting font, shape or illustration spark inspiration for her and connect her to the past lives of the object. I think what I really enjoy about the analog is how many clues there are. I love buying a record and someone has circled a song lyric, Goodspeed says. She enjoys physical books, particularly used books, because of the many hands they pass through before they reach her. I feel very connected to the past lives of this object and the past lives of the people who had this object, she says.
For many of us, COVID-19 will be nothing much more than a cold; some people may not even know they have it. At the same time, the virus continues to claim more lives in Australia than pneumonia and the flu combined, and leave a long tail of harm and disability. Loading Professor Brendan Crabb, director of the Burnet Institute in Melbourne, describes COVID-19 as the Goldilocks virus, a concept elaborated on by Dr Paul Griffin, an infectious disease physician who works at the Mater hospital in Brisbane. I think its got just the right mix of properties, Griffin says. Its mild and transmissible enough that plenty are well enough to spread it around, yet it is still causing enough severe disease to cause big problems. Griffin says its other frustrating property is its capacity to change, making it harder for those trying to corner it through vaccines and other scientific developments.

According to Sydney GP Charlotte Hespe, when it comes to peoples attitudes towards COVID-19, theres a spectrum. At one end, people are wishing it was over and doing a bit of what I call the ostrich head in the sand, she says. When they get symptoms they dont want to know that its COVID because they think if they dont know, then they dont need to do anything. Its really impacting their socialising, work and functionality: Sydney GP Dr Charlotte Hespe. Credit: Janie Barrett On the other end are the patients who are still hyper-vigilant. They are regularly testing for the disease at any sign of a sniffle and wearing masks. They are very diligent in one respect, but its really impacting their socialising, work and functionality, Hespe says.

Whats the current COVID-19 situation? Many people may not realise that Australias COVID-19 death toll last year was almost 10,000 people, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Its a number more than four times higher than in the first two years of the pandemic, when the country was largely shut off from the rest of the world. Deaths from COVID-19 this year remain high by many standards; the 1314 fatalities recorded by the ABS between January and April is more than previous horror flu seasons. However, the rate of deaths has also slowed significantly compared to the same time the year before, when 3802 were reported.

As of Friday, there were 70 Australians in intensive care with COVID-19. Deaths have been slowly on the rise, from 124 in the week ending May 19 to 205 in the week ending June 16, though top epidemiologists now believe the seventh wave has either peaked or is close to doing so. Loading Karen Cutter, a spokeswoman for the Actuaries Institutes COVID-19 Mortality Working Group, says its difficult to predict what might happen. Mortality normally follows a fairly predictable pattern from one year to the next, but these mortality rates have been disrupted by the pandemic, Cutter says. Australia had significantly fewer deaths than usual in 2020, mainly due to the absence of influenza, but then vastly more deaths than usual in 2022 due to COVID and other pandemic-related impacts. According to Cutter, many factors make it difficult to anticipate what might unfold: the consequences of COVID infection on longer-term mortality levels; the impact that missing medical treatment for other conditions in 2020 and 2021 may have on mortality; the size and frequency of future COVID and influenza waves; levels of COVID immunity from both vaccination and infection; and the ability of health services to provide timely care.

In the first two months of this year, the Actuaries Institute found there were 1500 more deaths than would have been expected if the pandemic had not happened, 6 per cent more than would otherwise have been the case. This additional loss of life  known as excess deaths  occurred across all age groups. Professor Rhonda Stuart, a senior infectious disease physician who treated Australias first COVID-19 patient in Melbourne in January 2020, says COVID has felt far more manageable at the hospitals where she works  not just because health workers were seeing lower numbers of COVID patients, but because they had more to offer them. First came vaccines and now they have antivirals such as Paxlovid, which have been described as game changers in preventing severe illness and death. Earlier this month, there were 80 COVID-positive people within Monash Healths six sites in Melbournes south-east, of whom Stuart estimated only 60 per cent were there directly because of the respiratory virus.

They might come in with appendicitis, for instance, and have a swab [revealing] that theyve got COVID as well. Marcel Stronach has been receiving treatment at Monash Medical Centre. He has COVID but has been hospitalised because of a different condition. Credit: Paul Jeffers Whats next? Professor Jodie McVernon, one of the countrys top pandemic preparedness experts, says Australia is in a settling time of the pandemic. Clearly the emergency response period has passed, she says, but it has not yet reached the point that the ongoing waves of COVID-19 have settled into a predictable or seasonal pattern. McVernon and other leading epidemiologists are all anticipating the same general trend. The bad news is we are likely to see ongoing waves of COVID-19. The good news is they should be less spiky.

I expect multiple waves over the next 12 months to 18 months, but with a steady continued decline in health impact, says Professor James McCaw, another leading pandemic adviser. Loading McCaw says that in time  perhaps another year or two  he would expect the waves of COVID-19 to settle into a more regular pattern with seasonal peaks, likely [in] winter, but we cant be sure. Some of this uncertainty is due to the soup of variants now present in Australia, which Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly says make the accurate prediction of the timing, nature, impact and severity of future waves very difficult. Many of these circulating variants will likely die out without causing a significant disease burden, but others have been shown to have stronger growth potential, with some exhibiting considerable capacity for immune escape, Kelly says.

And there is always a risk, however small, that a new strain of COVID-19 will emerge and things will get worse again before they get better. McVernon says constant vigilance is needed, not just around COVID-19 but for a whole host of viruses with pandemic potential. Australias Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen I think probably most of us are looking at all the H5N1 bird flu knocking around the northern hemisphere with a little bit more concern, she says. Will we still need boosters? Back in 2021, the first two-dose rollout of COVID-19 vaccines had been surprisingly successful at stopping people catching the virus altogether, as well as preventing hospitalisations and deaths. But some felt misled as the virus mutated into more vaccine-evasive forms, and the public were encouraged back to their doctors or pharmacists for further shots to top up their immunity.

Some Australians are now up to six or more doses. I think so many people do see the number of iterative changes we had as a failure or a mistake of the first recommendations, and have lost sight of the fact that the virus has changed just so much, says Griffin from Brisbanes Mater hospital. Infectious diseases expert Dr Paul Griffin. Credit: Justin McManus We need to understand that our response in terms of vaccines will be very much dictated by what happens with the virus itself. Because of this uncertainty, he says its difficult to predict what Australias COVID-19 vaccine program might look like in a year or two. We may need another dose any day if the changes mandates it. Griffin says his best guess was that Australia will settle on an annual booster, partly because COVID-19 could become more of an annual virus (instead of having waves each year), but also because it would make sense to give it at the same time as the influenza vaccine.

Its also hoped new second-generation vaccines could be made available in the coming years which will provide more lasting immune protection, or in different forms, such as skin patches or nasal sprays. Loading Our worrying COVID-19 statistic One of the most concerning trends in Australias current COVID-19 data is flagging rates of booster rates among those who are most vulnerable to the disease. On June 8, more than 45 per cent of aged care residents eligible for another vaccine were yet to have one. Thats despite the most recent changes to Australias vaccine guidelines allowing adults to receive a booster every six months and recommending it for those aged 65 years or older, as well as other vulnerable groups.

Trying to understand what could be slowing uptake, Kelly sought advice from the aged care sector. Kelly says vaccine fatigue was thought to be one of the major issues at play. There is also some reluctance by some residents to have COVID-19 and influenza vaccines co-administered on the same day because this can lead to soreness in both arms, says Kelly. Australias expert vaccine group has advised that getting the two vaccines at once is safe. Underlining the importance of up-to-date vaccines in older people, a recent Australian study found that for every 157 aged care residents who received a fourth booster during June to November 2022, one death was prevented. This is because during Australias second Omicron wave last year, fourth doses protected against death 84 per cent of the time, which reduced to 56 per cent after six months, for those aged 65 or older.

Is enough being done to prevent death and disease? McVernon believes its time to manage COVID-19 like other respiratory conditions. She says the nation still needs accessible testing and free vaccinations, but stresses that we are well past the point where mandated measures such as social gathering and movement restrictions are required. Professor Jodie McVernon, the director of epidemiology at the Doherty Institute. Credit: Simon Schluter Griffin, meanwhile, feels that not enough effort is being made to help Australians understand that the virus is still around, landing people in hospital and worse. He says COVID-19 patients hed treated told him the pandemic was no longer front of mind.

A lot of people dont know what vaccines are available, and when they should get them. A lot of people have lost sight of how to get tested  and getting antivirals is something thats out of a lot of peoples minds as well. Dr Tony Bartone, a GP in Melbournes north-western suburbs, is concerned about his patients relaxing attitudes. The most common attitude is, I dont need any more vaccinations, I dont need to wear a mask, COVID is over, Bartone says. Tony Bartone gives a COVID vaccination in May 2021. Credit: Joe Armao While many of his patients have mild COVID symptoms and get better at home  sometimes thanks to antiviral drugs  others are still winding up in hospital. One patient, a man in his late 60s, recently spent a few days in hospital after arriving at his clinic with a cough, lethargy and borderline oxygen levels.

Bartone, the former president of the Australian Medical Association, anticipates that the next three months will be a slog. He hasnt booked any leave or made any plans so that hes available during the colder months. Loading It will be another tough winter, Bartone says. Thats what I am expecting, but I will be happy if Im proved to be wrong. Brett Wallace is now testing negative to COVID and has returned to the rehabilitation hospital to continue treatment for his autoimmune condition. Hed like to see more people wearing masks in public spaces such as doctors and dental surgeries. Wallace is shocked by peoples blase attitude towards COVID-19. His experience has validated his worst fears about the disease: I would be lucky to get through it again.
Illegal parking in school zones has added more than $62.5 million to government coffers over the past six years, and drivers in the north shore and eastern suburbs are among the worst offenders.

The scarcity of parking around schools has led to conflict across Sydney and councils are deploying rangers to catch parents during pick-up and drop-off times.

Council rangers issued 175,682 parking fines to drivers in school zones between January 2017 and May 2023, and NSW Police added 30,281 to the tally over the same period.

The most fines were given to drivers in Canterbury-Bankstown, Parramatta and Georges River. However, these local government areas have more school campuses than other councils.
The commissioner plans to double or triple the number of worker audits conducted once the new Building Commission is established to assess up to 7 per cent of all builders. When I arrive on-site, there are a whole bunch of people disappearing out the back door and getting in cars, Chandler said Im on the site for a minute or two and see all the painters and tilers disappear. Master Builders Association NSW executive director Brian Seidler is concerned about skills certification. Credit: Louie Doubis NSW Master Builders Association executive director Brian Seidler said members had raised similar concerns about suspect qualification processes, with concerns people could submit evidence of work that wasnt theirs, or have another person take an online licensing test for them.

There is certainly a sector of the industry that needs improvement, he said. Australian Refrigeration Council chief executive Glenn Evans said his organisation, which works with the vocational education and training national regulator, helped investigate over a dozen RTOs across the past five years. Loading [Recognition of Prior Learning] has been seen as a shortcut, particularly where [the scheme] is being thrust out there as a way forward for a group of people, he said. You need to validate skills according to the currency of the evidence provided and map it out against the competencies. Its a more complex process than a tick and flick.

He added since action had been taken against a number of colleges, the problem had dissipated in the refrigeration sector. An Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) spokesperson said it was alert to the risk of some training providers being motivated to reduce the time and cost of training through recognition of prior learning. Training providers are also required to have rigorous processes in place to monitor and review their marketing and recruitment materials and practices, including appropriate written agreements with third parties engaged to recruit students. ASQA routinely reviews training providers marketing when preparing to conduct a performance assessment and publishes guidance to support providers to comply with the Standards. From the start of the financial year to the end of March, ASQA conducted 146 audits of registered providers, 114 of which were not compliant with its standards. While 48 per cent addressed the issues voluntarily, ASQA took regulatory action against 38 providers, including cancelling 23 registrations.

Louise Borony walls were not level, and the tiles were placed unevenly with gaps. In August last year, Louise Borony paid contractors $7900 to retile the bathroom in her Blue Mountains property, where she runs yoga and wellness retreats. The walls were built slanted. The contractor ran out of tiles, purchasing a second batch that was a different shade. The tiles were placed unevenly and bowed, with large gaps between them. No silicone had been used as waterproofing. They didnt line up with the walls and the tiles started falling off, revealing small amounts of adhesive had been used. The tiler used small amounts of glue, leading the tiles to fall off the wall.

The work had to be demolished by a separate company and redone, costing Borony $33,000. Shes seeking compensation in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The tiler ordered tiles in two separate orders, resulting in differing colours. Loading The details of the contractors licence are not known. Im pregnant and dont need this stress ... its a lot of money, she said.
He said mental health training was given to officers when they joined NSW Police, adding that a new program where mental health clinicians are embedded in police stations was being trialled but was yet to be rolled out state-wide. The states police watchdog, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC), last month released a report that found mental health training was extremely limited: one day in 16 weeks training. Almost half (43 per cent) of critical incidents  defined as police interactions involving death or serious injury  over the past five years in NSW involved a person suffering mental health crisis, the LECC called for prompt and urgent action to improve mental health training for police. Donohue said he was fuming when he found out the four-day course was axed, which had been found to reduce the number of incidents involving the use of force by 70 per cent in one NSW Police study.

Why did they drop this training program when its still an issue today? People suffering mental illness are still being shot and killed by police, Donohue said. Ive got the No.1 mental health training program here in my study. A NSW Police spokesman said the organisation was continuously reviewing the most contemporary and appropriate mental health training requirements to ensure NSW Police officers are equipped to appropriately respond to mental health incidents. NSW Police officers receive theory and scenario-based training, as well as annual mental health training on a range of de-escalation strategies which includes role play as part of weapons and defensive tactics training, the spokesman said. The Mental Health Team is a policy and training co-ordination team led by an inspector of police, consisting of a combination of sworn personnel to provide operational relevance to training, and a full-time mental health clinical nurse consultant to provide ongoing contemporary subject matter expertise, he said. Donohue said his program was backed by former NSW Police commissioner Ken Moroney in the early 2000s after a police officer was attacked with a pitchfork by a person suffering a mental health crisis on the Central Coast.

Donohue and former NSW deputy commissioner David Owens flew to the US to observe international training, and the Australian program was then independently reviewed by Charles Sturt and Wollongong Universities. It was endorsed by former NSW governor Marie Bashir, NSW Health, Schizophrenia Fellowship, and adopted in Western Australia and the ACT. The 21-session course trained officers on specific mental disorders, legal responsibilities and how to respond to people affected by drugs, antipsychotic medication and from diverse communities. Its ignorance [from the NSW Police executive]; its a lack of understanding of front-line policing. Former NSW Police commander David Donohue The team launched a two-year pilot program in Newcastle before gaining funding to make it compulsory across the force, yet was only completed by 2420 officers over 10 years due to resourcing constraints. The aim was to reduce injury and death among police and the public by treating mental health crises as a health issue, rather than a crime. Before Donohue resigned in 2021, he said NSW Police transferred the training to online, bringing an end to sessions that simulated real-life scenarios and panels where police engaged with people affected by mental health, who he said are often petrified of police, as well as their families and carers.

Everything was around de-escalation, empathy, understanding whats going on in their minds. It was about talking and engaging, not acting and reacting  Which is a real problem for the cops, trying to solve things straight away, he said. You cant teach this online. The LECC report singles out under-resourcing of the mental health training as a systemic and recurring problem for NSW Police. It claimed the MHIT had only two full-time and one temporary staff members to train 16,000 officers, resulting in only 300 officers being trained per year. There are less officers four-day-trained annually than the total number of annual new recruits, the LECC report states. The four-day program was temporarily replaced by a one-day course which had significant differences, the LECC said, including the lack of role playing, which it found was concerning given the high frequency with which junior front-line police engage with persons suffering a mental health crisis.

In contrast, Victoria Police provides a mandatory two-day in-person course to front-line officers, from sergeant and below, in specialised communication techniques for people dealing with mental health issues, a spokesman said. Once the MHIT training was axed, it was replaced by a new course which was piloted in 2019 yet suspended after two years with only 217 participants, the watchdog said. NSW Police declined the LECCs request to provide a copy of training materials for this course, and found it was unclear whether any online modules in mental health training were now provided. The LECC said there was an intention to deploy four-day trained officers to mental health crises, but no process to make this happen. NSW Police who completed mental health training were given a badge to notify ambulance workers and people affected by mental illness. Credit: Charlotte Grieve Donohue said there had recently been a paralysis of decision-making within NSW Polices executive branch, where disagreements over mental health meant the program had been done away with. This has caused police to become more inclined to use firearms, Tasers or batons on mental health patients, Donohue said, which was fraught with danger and created a vicious cycle where combat hardened police became frustrated. Police officers who completed the course were given a badge to wear on duty. Donohue said it was a major deal to amend police uniforms and an important tool to develop trust within the community.

It was a very successful course, he said. It was done on the back of coronial investigations, critical incident investigations and various conversations that I had with the state coroners at the time about what were doing and what they wanted to see. The course cost about $150,000 to $200,000 a year to run, Donohue said, and believes phasing it out was a cost-cutting exercise. Support for mental health training must come from the top, Donohue said, adding the current situation reflects poorly on NSW Police leadership  claiming egos had caused his program to be dismantled. Its ignorance; its a lack of understanding of front-line policing. I think our executives are so far removed from front-line policing that its not funny any more  That was our legacy, and thats how petty some of the police can be, they get rid of other peoples legacy. Its terrible. Owens, who now runs a consulting business with Donohue, supported this position: he said ignorance about policing had moved resourcing away from mental health training. Owens said he would write a letter to the NSW Coroner investigating Nowlands death to explain the training was stopped.
The change reflects the reduced impact COVID-19 is now having and that the response to COVID is now more aligned with other communicable diseases, the spokesperson said. A government spokesperson said the $103 million figure cited by Thomas was for the combined two years of funding for local public health units. Previously our [local units] were funded year to year, and the two-year funding certainty will give them the ability to invest in long-term responses to the public health challenges faced by their communities, he said. Loading Sources with knowledge of the local public health units said that although the budget cut was partly explained by the cessation of COVID-specific funding, its impact would be felt beyond COVID-related work. The North Eastern Public Health Unit, one of three metropolitan local units and which services 1.7 million people including some of Melbournes most socio-economically disadvantaged communities, last week informed a third of its approximately 90 staff they would not have a job at the end of this month.

The Western Public Health Unit, which covers a massive patch stretching from Melbournes CBD to Sunbury in the north and Little River in the south-west, is also making substantial staff cuts to meet its post-pandemic budget. The South East Public Health Unit has been less affected by the budget cuts due to an earlier decision by Monash Health to fund the local public health unit through its own budget and transfer staff from short-term contracts to ongoing positions. The Barwon SW, Grampians and Loddon Mallee units declined to comment on the impact of the budget cut on their staffing levels. The Barwon South West Public Health Unit offered COVID-19 vaccine booster shots from 2021. Credit: Jason South The local public health units were established in October 2020 when Victoria was in the depths of a second wave COVID-19 epidemic that forced the state into the first of two successive winter lockdowns. The formation of the units, which the Andrews government modelled on the decentralised public health structures of NSW and Queensland, shifted pandemic response teams out of the heath departments Lonsdale Street headquarters and into local hospital networks. The change contributed to Victorias improved management of COVID-19 outbreaks in 2021.

The health minister who oversaw the introduction of the local units, Martin Foley, described them last year as an enduring reform that would help address socio-economic inequities in Victorias heath system. If you are rich and white and in the south-east and eastern suburbs, your chance of having got through this pandemic were a whole lot better than if you werent, he told this masthead shortly before he resigned as health minister. The capacity of local public health units to deal with those structural inequalities will be built considerably. Enduring reform: Former health minister Martin Foley oversaw the establishment of local public health units. Credit: The Age Foleys successor, Thomas, has set the local units an ambitious task. They will, by the end of this year, be responsible for managing outbreaks of all notifiable infectious diseases in Victoria other than tuberculosis. This includes COVID-19, hepatitis, meningococcal and pneumococcal infections, some sexually transmitted infections, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus  a leading cause of infant hospitalisations.

Opposition health spokesperson Georgie Crozier said the funding cuts would deliver savings in the short term, but leave Victoria exposed. Have we learned nothing about the value of these units? she said. When you have outbreaks, you cant manage this stuff from Lonsdale Street. It is the wrong time to be cutting the budgets of these programs. University of Melbourne professor Nathan Grills, a public health physician who oversees a government-funded public health training program, said continued investment was needed to develop the capacity of the local public health units and a stronger culture of public health. Under-investment by previous governments came to the fore during the pandemic and we paid a price for that, he said. Any decrease in investment in public health may be a short-term fix for the budget, but it wont promote our health in Victoria long-term.

Grills last week wrote to the health department seeking more training places for public health physicians. Victoria has fewer public health physicians per capita than any state or territory, according to the most recent figures published by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Loading At the start of the pandemic in January 2020, Victoria had a single, centrally located public health unit within the department called the health protection branch. It employed nine public health officers. By comparison, NSW and Queensland each had a well-established network of public health units embedded in local hospitals and health services across their capital cities and regional areas. The disparity prompted then health minister Jenny Mikakos to warn senior colleagues, shortly after Victoria recorded its first COVID-19 case, that the states frontline defence against communicable disease was in disrepair.

A senior health department figure, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not unauthorised to publicly discuss the matter, expressed frustration at the prioritisation of acute health services over preventative and public health measures. All the attention is at the pointy end  triple zero calls, ambulance times, emergency department wait times, 24-hour stays and surgical wait lists, they said. Premier Daniel Andrews and Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas speaking after the release of last months state budget. Credit: Wayne Taylor In the lead-up to last years state election, the Public Health Association of Australia and the Australian Health Promotion Association called for total annual funding for the local public health units to be increased to $150 million  almost triple the 2023-24 allocation in last months budget. Under the federal governments National Preventive Health Strategy, released two years ago, 5 per cent of total Commonwealth and state government funding should be invested in public health by 2030.
A man has been Tasered by armed police on a Melbourne tram after he allegedly threatened to kill passengers on board.

The dramatic scenes unfolded inside the No.48 tram in the CBD on the corner of Collins and King streets just before 8.30am on Saturday.

Police allege the man stole money from a nearby 7-Eleven on Collins Street before jumping on the tram near Southern Cross Station to flee the scene.

Police were immediately contacted and the driver followed police instructions to keep the tram doors closed.
More than a third of Australians say they have noticed COVID-19 cases are increasing, but there isnt the same level of concern about the virus as during previous outbreaks.

Australia is experiencing a new wave of the virus: 21,502 cases of COVID-19 were reported across the country last week, an average of 3072 cases per day.

Most Australians say they arent wearing masks despite knowing COVID-19 cases have increased.

There were 6906 new cases in NSW in the week leading up to June 16, down from the previous weeks total of 11,719, as well as 53 new deaths.

In Victoria, there were 3956 new cases, down from last weeks total of 6135 cases, and 113 new deaths.
At the time Collette and her then husband Dave Galafassi exchanged on the Paddington terrace of Industrie Clothings Nick and Susie Kelly for $6.35 million, but later pulled out when they hadnt sold their Bronte home. Loading The Kellys later sold the house for $5.5 million, which meant Collette and Galafassi not only had to forfeit their 10 per cent deposit, but were up for the price shortfall that the Kellys copped on the resale. A failed sale doesnt always mean a house will resell at a loss, as founder and boss of publishing company Conexus Financial, Colin Tate, discovered on Thursday night. The Potts Point terrace last traded in 2016 for $4.85 million, and resold on Thursday night for $6.8 million. Credit: Domain

Tate and his husband, interiors architect-turned-cattle farmer Matthew Fatches bought a grand Victorian terrace for $6.8 million at auction last week, four months after it had sold for $6,375,000 to a buyer who then defaulted on the deal. Conexus Financial chief executive Colin Tate is expected to list his Elizabeth Bay apartment later this year. Credit: Ben Appleton Presumably the vendor, businessman Trevor Lam, kept the deposit on the failed exchange before he relisted the house with Richardson & Wrenchs Jason Boon. Tate was one of two buyers who offered $1 million worth of competing bids before it sold under the hammer. The philanthropic chair of independent, not-for-profit neuroscience research outfit NeuRA is expected to list his nearby pad in Elizabeth Bays Encore building soon. Hemmes doubles down

Justin Hemmes has settled on his latest Byron Bay purchase, paying $22 million for the Belongil Beach house owned by brothers Myles and Harry Trainor. In February, Hemmes paid $16 million for the holiday house of Stephen Hains and actor Jane Badler, only to go a few doors down the beachfront more recently to buy the Trainor familys triple block. Merivale owner Justin Hemmes has spent $38 million on two Belongil Beach properties in recent months. Credit: Louise Kennerley The Trainors have taken their money to Wategos Beach, where they have paid $8.35 million for a house through McGraths Will Phillips and Tezu Harrison. The Wategos Beach house has done well by Mosman-based financial services recruiter David Dawson given he paid $6.87 million for it two years ago, when he purchased the home from Robert Bates, the former rich lister, now beau of Francesca Packer Barham.

Hemmes latest play comes as prominent car dealers and co-owners of the Gold Coast Titans Rebecca and Brett Frizelle list their nearby waterfront getaway. Loading The house is set on Belongil Creek and has a guide of $11 million to $13 million through McGraths Phillips. The Frizelles have owned it since 2017, paying $2.35 million, and undertaking a major rebuild since to create two luxury residences and a swimming pool. The Frizelles former home in Southport at Surfers Paradise was sold two years ago for $12.25 million to Alan Jones and his niece Tonia Taylor, and last August they purchased a penthouse at Main Beach for $3.5 million.

Emdur the weather man The Kangaroo Valley weekender of Larry and Sylvie Emdur returns to the market for $3 million. Credit: Domain Larry Emdur will no doubt be keeping a keen eye out for bad weather after returning his Kangaroo Valley weekender to the market this week. Larry Emdur is in a selling frame of mind, of late, listing both his Kangaroo Valley and Berowra Waters holiday homes. Credit: After all, soon after his son Jye Emdur launched the family getaway to buyers last year for $3.5 million, the area was slammed with months of torrential rain that left four of the five main roads blocked and no sales to show for it.

This time around the co-host of Sevens The Morning Show has handed the listing to Belle Propertys Nick Dale with a $3 million guide. Emdur and his wife Sylvie purchased the home in 2020 for $2.15 million from architect Alexander Michael, who had designed it. The listing comes as the Emdurs seek buyers for their designer weekender at Berowra Waters on Neverfail Bay, that was built a decade ago to a design by architect Jill Gleave, of Human Spaces. Radio man sells quietly The Vaucluse house long owned by Mike Hammond sold for more than $10 million. Credit: Domain
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Sint Maarten Police Force is issuing a stern warning to individuals regarding a dangerous trend where persons are being shot at with water or gel-filled balls, the so-called "Orbeez-Challenge."

This challenge involves filling blasters or toy guns with Orbeez gel-filled balls and shooting them at unexpected students, persons, pedestrians, and vehicles while recording the interactions.

KPSM and the community officers have also received reports of such incidents occurring among students from various schools in St. Maarten. Innocent persons students pedestrians and vehicles are being targeted and shot at with these water or gel fill balls

The Sint Maarten Police Force strongly condemns this act, as it not only endangers public safety but also constitutes a violation of the law. Participating in this activity can have severe consequences, including criminal charges, legal actions, and lasting repercussions on an individual's record.

KPSM would like to highlight the following concerns associated with "This act":

Physical Harm: Shooting Orbeez gel fill balls, especially when done with force or at close range, can cause physical harm, discomfort, or injury to individuals who are targeted. The gel-filled balls can be hazardous, particularly if they come into contact with sensitive areas such as the eyes or face.

Emotional Distress: The victims who are not expecting such an attack of they may experience emotional trauma, distress, and anxiety. Being subjected to such incidents without consent can have a detrimental impact on the mental well-being of individuals.

Engaging in activities that involve shooting objects at persons can raise significant concerns among the public. These incidents may prompt law enforcement agencies to respond urgently to ensure public safety, potentially leading to escalated encounters and legal consequences for those involved.

The Sint Maarten Police Force urges students, parents, and community members to refrain from participating in this act or these types of challenges. Instead, we encourage engaging in positive and safe recreational activities that foster unity, respect, and the well-being of all.

The Sint Maarten Police Force is actively investigating these incidents.

KPSM Press Release.
SEOUL, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The ruling Workers' Party of Korea of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) opened the 8th enlarged plenary meeting of its 8th Central Committee on Friday, the state news agency reported Saturday.

Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, attended the session.

The plenary meeting will review the work of all sectors, including the economic sectors, in the first half of 2023 for implementing the resolutions of the 6th and 7th plenary meetings of the 8th Party Central Committee and take relevant measures, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

The KCNA said the meeting will also discuss and decide the policies of weighty significance including the issue of strengthening the Party and building the state and the state's diplomatic as well as defense strategies to cope with the changing international situation.

Also on Friday, Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the DPRK, issued an article lauding the party's leadership role in the country's construction and development. 
VLADIVOSTOK, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom plans to build one more small nuclear power station in Chukotka Autonomous Region of the Russian Far East, local media reported on Friday.

Rosatom inked the deal with local authorities during the ongoing St. Petersburg International Economic Forum which lasts from Wednesday to Saturday, PrimaMedia, a leading news outlet based in Vladivostok, reported.

The station will adopt a domestically developed reactor system and is scheduled to begin operations in 2030, the report revealed.

The technical designs for the reactor system and other major technological equipment will be finalized by 2024, said the report.

The station, built to meet local energy demands, will generate up to 10 MW of electricity, it added.

In April, the Russian nuclear power company obtained the official license to build a separate nuclear power station in Yakutia in the Russian Far East. The station is expected to become operational by 2028. 
T wo children and their parents found dead at a flat in west London have been named by the Metropolitan Police.

Michal Wlodarczyk, 39, Monika Wlodarczyk, 35, Maja Wlodarczyk, 11, and Dawid Wlodarczyk, three, were discovered on Staines Road, Bedfont on Friday afternoon.

In a statement on Saturday morning, the Met said officers attended the location and forced entry to the premises in Hounslow.

The family were Polish, according to neighbours, who said Mr Wlodarczyk worked as a builder, while Mrs Wlodarczyk was a cleaner at a hotel.

A tearful mother said her daughter  who was in year six with Maja at nearby Southville primary school- attended a sleepover party at the house on May 31.

Maria Gouveia, 37, told reporters: Its tragic, her parents were really good people, hard workers, the mother was a cleaner in a hotel, I think the father was a builder.

Maja was a lovely, beautiful girl, with a strong personality, but she had not been in school for a few days.

People in her class were texting her, my daughter messaged her on Snapchat, it was not like her to go quiet.

I think they were going to Mallorca for the dads 40th birthday very soon, thats where I hoped they were when I heard about this.

Its shocking, the little boy was so sweet, he was going to start nursery in a few months, we are praying for them.

Police at the scene of the property / PA

Another mother, Naura Hooper, 46  who attended the scene, said she used to take Maja out with her daughters.

She said: Maja was a nice girl, very intelligent and well-liked, the family were nice whenever I met them.

Officers are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

A police officer was stood with his arms folded outside the property on Saturday, while forensic investigators, wearing masks and gloves, worked at the scene.

A man lays flowers at the scene in Bedfont, Hounslow / Lucy North/PA Wire

Chief Superintendent Sean Wilson, local policing commander in west London, added: I know the shock and distress that this terrible incident will cause among the community in Hounslow and beyond.

I am also aware that this incident will be particularly upsetting for children, and I ask people to please be responsible about what they post on social media, including not naming or speculating as to the names of those whove died.

There will be additional police officers in the area across the weekend, I urge anyone with information or concerns to speak with those officers.

Police said they were called at approximately 3.12pm to the property. After arriving, they forced entry to the premises where they found the bodies of the four.

Police at the scene in Bedfont, Hounslow / PA

A man who lives next door, who did not wish to be named, told reporters: They were just normal neighbours - we just had greetings here and there, that kind of stuff.

I came home from work and there were police everywhere. It was really busy. Nothing like that happens here.

I have no idea what happened.

Naresh Regmi, 49, who lives nearby, told the PA news agency: The police were here yesterday with forensics, working on the property.

We didnt know the people who lived there - maybe they were new to this area?

Detective Chief Inspector Linda Bradley, of the Mets Specialist Crime, said: I can assure local people that specialist detectives are working to establish exactly what happened and I will provide further information as soon as I can.

Our investigation is at a very early stage, and based on our initial enquiries, we are not currently seeking anybody else in connection with the incident.

We are however retaining an open mind around the circumstances which led to these four tragic deaths.

Additional police officers will be in the area over the weekend while the Met has issued an appeal for any further information relating to the four.

Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to call 101, quoting reference 5135/16Jun.
Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, talks with a tea farmer at an oolong tea planting base in Tengchong City, southwest China's Yunnan Province, June 17, 2023. Li made an inspection trip in southwest China's Yunnan Province from June 14 to June 17. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

KUNMING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- China's top anti-graft official Li Xi has asked disciplinary inspection and supervisory agencies to accomplish the high-quality development of disciplinary inspection and supervision work.

Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, said that disciplinary inspection and supervisory agencies should focus their work on advancing Chinese modernization and make significant progress in exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance, improving the conduct and integrity of the Party, and combating corruption.

He made the comments during an inspection trip in southwest China's Yunnan Province from Wednesday to Saturday.

Li was briefed on the progress of a Party-wide education campaign at the provincial disciplinary inspection and supervision agency of Yunnan.

He called for efforts to improve the systems for exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance, step up political oversight, advocate a pragmatic, upright and frugal style, foster a rigorous awareness of abiding by rules and laws, and win the tough and protracted battle against corruption.

He asked the agencies to carefully examine themselves during the education campaign, identify weak links and correct problems. 

Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, presides over a seminar in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, June 16, 2023. Li made an inspection trip in southwest China's Yunnan Province from June 14 to June 17. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)
A 44-year-old man has appeared in court charged with stalking and impersonating a law enforcement officer while threatening to arrest former education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson.

Simon Parry, of no fixed address, persistently followed the Conservative Party MP on two occasions between May 24 and June 14 of this year, Westminster Magistrates Court heard.

He is also said to have impersonated a police officer on June 14.

Ola Oyedepo, prosecuting, said that Parry produced a warrant card, telling Sir Gavin he would arrest him.

The MP had walked away from the House of Commons, she said.

He went down a number of roads. He noticed that the defendant was following him. He was trying to speak to him.

(Sir Gavin) was on the phone, he kept saying he was on the phone.

The defendant told him he would arrest him and brought out a warrant card. The MP said you are not a police officer. This is when the defendant left.

Sonia Larbi Aissa, defending, told the court that her client lives in a protest encampment in Westminster.

However, she said that an acquaintance of Parrys had offered to put him up at his home address in south-east London ahead of his next court appearance.

Parry denied one count of stalking and one count of impersonating a law enforcement officer.

He was bailed on condition that he not enter the City of Westminster or approach Sir Gavin.

During a lull in proceedings, Parry asked Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram if he could read one of his poems aloud to the court.

The judge denied his request.

Parry will next appear for trial at City of London Magistrates Court on October 18.

Sir Gavin has been MP for South Staffordshire since 2010 and served in cabinet as defence secretary before becoming education secretary under Boris Johnson in 2019.
A man fatally stabbed during a row at an apartment in south east London has been named by police as a suspect appeared in court charged with murder.

Aravind Sasikumar, 38, was found with knife injuries after officers were called to a residential property on Southampton Way, Camberwell, the Metropolitan Police said.

He died at the scene at 1.31am on Friday.

Mr Sasikumars family have been informed and continue to be supported by detectives from the Mets Specialist Crime Command.

Salman Salim, 25, was arrested nearby and appeared at Croydon Magistrates Court on Saturday accused of murder.

Salim, of Southampton Way, was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 20 June.

A post-mortem examination carried out on Friday confirmed Mr Sasikumar died as a result of stab wounds to the chest.

A police spokesman said: On arrival, officers located a man, aged in his 30s, suffering with stab injuries.

Despite treatment from medical professionals, the man sadly died at the scene.

His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: We sent numerous resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, medics in two fast response cars, an advanced paramedic and an incident response officer.

We also dispatched a trauma team from Londons Air Ambulance, which consisted of a paramedic and a doctor in a car.

Sadly, despite the best efforts of our crews, a man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Harriet Harman, the MP for Camberwell and Peckham, described the death as a horrific murder and passed on her deepest sympathy to bereaved family.

Police have asked for witnesses or anyone who can assist the investigation to call 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD 494/16Jun. They could also remain anonymous and contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
T wo teenagers have been arrested after a double stabbing in Shadwell.

Police rushed to Cable Street at 4.17pm on Friday after reports of an attack near Shadwell DLR Station.

Two males, believed to be teenage boys, were found with stab wounds. They were taken to hospital and remain in stable condition.

Two 15-year-old boys were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon. Both remain in custody at an east London police station.

Enquiries are ongoing and any witnesses are asked to call 101 quoting CAD 5756/16Jun. To remain anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
T he King has received the official birthday wishes of the nation during his first Trooping the Colour ceremony as monarch.

Pomp and pageantry were on display during the military spectacle where the most prestigious regiments in the British Army honoured their Colonel in Chief by parading to mark his anniversary.

Charles had deputised for Queen Elizabeth II at last years event, also known as the Birthday Parade, but now rode onto Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall as the nations head of state.

He was joined on horseback by the royal colonels  the Prince of Wales, Colonel, Welsh Guards; the Princess Royal, Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel of The Blues and Royals; and the Duke of Edinburgh, riding for the first time in his role as Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards, formed last year.

Travelling in a carriage were the Queen, who is Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and the Princess of Wales as Colonel of the Irish Guards, along with Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, eight, and five-year-old Prince Louis.

The royal party were in the midst of a sovereigns mounted escort, formed by troops from the Household Cavalrys Life Guards and Blues and Royals, in their shining breastplates and plumed helmets, and a ripple of cheers followed them when they travelled along The Mall.

The sight of a monarch riding throughout Trooping the Colour had not happened since 1986 when the Queen rode her charger Burmese for the final time.

It was a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Charles horse Noble was also from the Commonwealth countrys famous Mounties.

Trooping the Colour is a social as well as a ceremonial occasion and in the stands overlooking the parade ground were around 8,000 wives, girlfriends and parents of the guardsmen and officers on parade.

The event featured around 1,500 soldiers in total and hundreds of Guardsmen were lined up on the parade ground waiting to be inspected by King, who will be joined by the mounted royal Colonels, including the Queen and Kate in a carriage.

For the first time since 1989, all five regiments of Foot Guards  the Welsh, Scots, Irish, Coldstream and Grenadier  were on parade together for Trooping.

The colour, or regimental flag, that will be trooped in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers will be the Kings Colour of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

Among the guests was Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and senior military figures.
S chools in different parts of London will be hit unevenly by costs from Sadiq Khans free school meal plan, new research suggests.

Some London boroughs have warned they will not be able to help schools make up any shortfall in funding for the scheme, which will see all primary school children given free meals from September.

But in other areas councils said they will cover any excess costs, raising fears the scheme will have an uneven impact across London.

Under the mayors 130million scheme, all primary school children in London will receive free school meals for the next academic year.

The mayors office has allocated funding of 2.65 per meal  which is more than the 2.41 currently paid by the government.

But Lewisham council said the true cost of each meal will be 3, creating a 600,000 shortfall in the borough.

Bexley council told Schools Week: The council does not have the funds to meet any additional costs associated with this initiative and this will need to be met by our schools.

Sutton council said if schools faced a shortfall they would be responsible for meeting it. A spokesman said: As the funding is only for one year, commencing with a short timescale and the take-up is unknown, schools will need to manage with the equipment and sites they have and manage the situation accordingly.

Other councils warned they have little time and no extra money to upgrade facilities and increase staffing before the September rollout.

Kingston and Richmond councils, which share some services, said the logistics of mobilising the expansion in such a short period of time is causing concern, at a time when schools are already under significant pressure in terms of childrens needs and school finances.

But in Westminster, which already provides free school meals to all primary students, the extra funding from the mayor will be used to extend the scheme to secondary pupils. It will also top up the cash to 3 per meal.

Other councils told Schools Week they believed the funding from City Hall would cover the cost of meals.

It comes after Neil Miller, deputy CEO of London South East Academies Trust, which runs nine schools in the capital, warned London primary schools will be left out of pocket due to the inevitable shortfalls in funding for the scheme.

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 Evening Standards School Hunger Special Investigation highlighted there are 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.

A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: The Mayors team are continuing to work closely with schools, councils and partners on the implementation of this unprecedented policy and it has been proposed that 2.65 will be provided per meal  almost 10 per cent more than the Government currently funds for free infant school meals. The mayor will continue to call on the Government to step forward and provide the funding to make this permanent.
U krainian Inna Gordiienko will be among a group of runners heading to Green Park on Saturday as part of a global effort to raise funds for army equipment for Ukrainian soldiers.

They will complete a 5km route in the London leg of Run For Ukraine, a series of fundraising events organised by Canadian-based non-profit organisation, Second Front Ukraine Foundation, which was set up by Ukrainians.

Ms Gordiienko has organised the run, which starts at 10am, and is hoping her corgi Cooper will join her.

We are currently raising [funds] for technical radios for the [Ukrainian] Defenders. There is still a shortage of equipment for them, she told the Standard.

Ms Gordiienko, who now lives in Sussex, said running has helped her mental health as she adjusts to life in the UK.

Running has been always a part of my life for quite some time, for almost seven years, and Ive been running mainly as an amateur and I always found it very meditating, she said.

She arrived in England with her British husband and dog on what she thought was going to be a two-week holiday, just days before the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

But two weeks turned into more than a year, she added.

Ms Gordiienko said she forgot about running for a period of time after the invasion.

Inna Gordiienko

I forgot that I can do it, or I used to enjoy doing it, because when your home is in war and your friends are suffering and people are dying, you dont really think about things that used to give you some kind of pleasure or enjoyment.

After maybe months of feeling really depressed and anxious, I thought, Okay, what can I do being a Ukrainian in a big country?

I thought that the least I can do is just to run in my Ukrainian t-shirt with the Ukrainian flag and just to draw attention to what is going on in at home. So I started running more and registered for different races.

She has since run at events in Edinburgh, Brighton and Cardiff in a bid to drum up support for her home country.

Britons are encouraged to run in their own cities and towns and donate online as part of Run For Ukraine. Events have already been held in London, Canada, Israel, Ukraine and across Europe with 4,000 raised so far.

Combining the events, its hoped the goal of running 6,992km in total is reached - the total length of Ukraines state border recognised in 1991 when Ukraine gained its independence.

Every 10 Canadian dollars donated will be the equivalent of 1km of the state border of Ukraine.
A Government Bill aimed at banning councils from imposing boycotts on Israeli goods is expected to be unveiled next week.

The proposed legislation could prevent public bodies from adopting their own approach to international relations including through sanctions and divestment campaigns.

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Bill was first set out in the Queens Speech last year following a commitment in the 2019 Conservative general election manifesto.

The Telegraph reported that Communities Secretary Michael Gove will introduce legislation on Monday.

It is simply wrong that public bodies have been wasting taxpayers time and money pursuing their own foreign policy agenda

He told the paper: It is simply wrong that public bodies have been wasting taxpayers time and money pursuing their own foreign policy agenda.

The UK must have a consistent approach to foreign policy, set by UK Government.

These campaigns not only undermine the UKs foreign policy but lead to appalling antisemitic rhetoric and abuse. That is why we have taken this decisive action to stop these disruptive policies once and for all.

Sir Keir Starmers predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, supported targeted action against illegal settlements on the West Bank, though did not back a blanket boycott on Israel.

The current Labour leader has said the party does not support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

A party spokesperson said: We havent seen the Bill yet so will have to study it, but we have always opposed BDS and tabled an amendment to the public procurement bill last year to prevent councils from singling out Israel for special treatment. We were disappointed that the Conservative government didnt support it.

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Bill is aimed overwhelmingly at campaigns targeting Israel, which ministers say could legitimise antisemitism.

Accompanying documentation released with the speech last year said the Government has zero toleration for discrimination which pits different communities against each other.

It cited motions passed by Lancaster City Council in support of such campaigns in 2021 and by Leicester City Council to boycott goods from Israeli settlements in 2014.

The Bill will give the Government the power to ban public bodies which are already subject to public procurement rules from conducting their own boycott campaigns against foreign countries and territories.

It will also stop them from taking a different line from the Government on sanctions and foreign relations.
S cotlands First Minister has written to the Prime Minister urging him to ask the Indian government to release a Scottish Sikh blogger who has been in jail there for more than five years.

Humza Yousaf said that Jagtar Singh Johal has been wrongfully imprisoned and urged Rishi Sunak to take a direct approach to make progress in the case.

Mr Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, was in Punjab in northern India for his wedding in 2017 when his family say he was arrested and bundled into an unmarked car.

He said he has been tortured, including through electric shocks, and faces the death penalty over his activism and campaigning for Sikh human rights.

Mr Yousaf met Gurpreet Singh Johal, the brother of Jagtar Singh Johal, earlier this month and vowed to keep lobbying for his release.

In his letter to Mr Sunak, the First Minister said: Jagtar has now been imprisoned in India for over 2,000 days.

In May 2022, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Jagtar Singh Johal had been arbitrarily detained and his detention breached international human rights law.

The clear recommendation of the report was that Jagtar Singh Johal should be immediately released. Yet Jagtar remains in prison.

I am therefore writing to ask that you make a direct approach to the Government of India to ask for Jagtars immediate release in line with the UN Working Groups unequivocal recommendation.

This would give the family the reassurance of knowing that the UK Government is prioritising the protection of a citizen who has been wrongfully imprisoned.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: We have consistently raised our concerns about Mr Johals case directly with the government of India, including his allegations of torture and his right to a fair trial  we are committed to doing what we can to assist him.

The Foreign Office said it has raised its concerns, including Mr Johals allegations of torture, with the Indian government on more than 100 occasions and will continue to do so.

It said consular staff visit him regularly to check on his welfare and did so most recently on May 1. They also continue to attend relevant court hearings in an observer capacity.

The Foreign Secretary most recently discussed Mr Johals case with the Indian external affairs minister in New Delhi on March 1.
F ootage of a lockdown-breaking party held at the height of Covid at the Conservative Partys campaign headquarters has emerged for the first time.

Shocking footage obtained by the Daily Mirror shows staff boozing, dancing and mocking lockdown laws.

At least 24 revellers  including two staffers named on Boris Johnsons controversial honours list  attended the party on December 14, 2020.

One attendee can be heard saying: As long as we dont stream that were, like, bending the rules, before laughing while a man and woman hold hands and dance.

The pair crash into a buffet table stacked with food and wine glasses at one point, while other guests walk past wearing paper crowns and clutching alcoholic drinks.

At least 24 people were reportedly at the party, which took place when indoor socialising was banned under Tier 2 restrictions.

Scotland Yard launched an investigation after the Daily Mirror published a picture of the gathering, but concluded that the photo by itself was not sufficient evidence to find an offence had been committed.

The force has been contacted for comment over the latest report.

CCHQ said formal disciplinary action was taken against four staff members, who were seconded to the London mayoral campaign of Shaun Bailey, over the unauthorised event.

The failed candidate  who was handed a peerage by former prime minister Boris Johnson in his controversial resignation honours list  has previously apologised for the event.

The footage is likely to cause problems for Rishi Sunak, who is already battling to hold his party together amid a fallout over the report that found Mr Johnson lied about partygate, after drawing condemnation from opposition parties.

It has already reignited criticism over his position on his predecessor-but-ones resignation appointments, with Tory aide Ben Mallett  awarded an OBE on the list  also visible in the video.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the footage shows Tories openly mocked the rules the British people followed while Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said it should make ministers sick to their stomachs.

Revellers at this lockdown Tory booze-up openly mocked the rules the British people followed. The Tories think its one rule for them and one rule for everyone else, Ms Rayner said.

Instead of forcing them to face the consequences, Rishi Sunak has caved into Boris Johnsons demands and chosen to reward them with honours. Its a sickening insult.

This Prime Minister is failing to deliver the integrity he promised and showing hes too weak to turn the page on 13 years of Tory scandal.

Ms Cooper said: Conservative MPs and ministers should be sick to their stomachs seeing this new Partygate footage.

While families grieved and NHS staff worked on the front line, Conservative Campaign Headquarters partied.

Whats worse is the current Prime Minister granted Boris Johnsons request to give some of these people honours.

There are thousands of families out there who deserve an apology for this scandal  Rishi Sunak should give them one immediately.

A CCHQ spokesman said: Senior CCHQ staff became aware of an unauthorised social gathering in the basement of Matthew Parker Street organised by the Bailey campaign on the evening of December 14 2020.

Formal disciplinary action was taken against the four CCHQ staff who were seconded to the Bailey campaign.
A n entrepreneur who set up the UKs black Amazon spoke of her mental health struggles as she called for more help for start-ups run by ethnic minorities.

Lloyds Bank and Channel 4 today joined forces to offer more than 500,000 of game-changing support to black-owned businesses.

Five winners will receive 100,000 worth of free TV advertising and six months of personalised marketing expertise.

A further five shortlisted firms are getting a 3,000 rising stars grant with tailored one-to-one session to achieve their business goals.

After the death of George Floyd in May 2000 and the Black Lives Matter movement that followed Lloyds, Channel 4 and award-winning social enterprise DOES looked at challenges faced by black businessmen and women.

Khalia Ismain, 29, co-founder of Jamii - an online marketplace for black gifts, greeting cards, skin and hair care products, found starting her company in August 2016 while holding down a full-time job took its toll.

She said: It was a real struggle. Running a business on the side is really hard.

It takes its toll physically and mentally because you really believe in something and want it to work but if you cant put your all in, it gets to you.

Lloyds Banking Group (Stefan Rousseau/PA) / PA Wire

The Black Business Network, sponsored by Lloyds, found nearly half of black entrepreneurs say they need marketing and PR advice and a fifth help to find new clients.

Ms Ismain added: When I started, there was very little in the way of support for black businesses and brands. I didnt have the confidence to reach out to the more formal channels.

I didnt approach banks or know about start-up loans. Maybe my journey could have been a bit quicker if I had more support.

Its important to encourage young people because you may not succeed with your first brand, you might have to try three or four times, so the earlier the better.

Clare Peters, of Channel 4, said: Our ambition is not only to support black-owned businesses but also to level the playing field when it comes to economic inclusion and highlight the contribution these businesses can make towards the wider UK economy.

Elyn Corfield, CEO of business and commercial finance at Lloyds Banking Group, added: We cant wait to see the impact this initiative has on the UK Black business community.

Applications for the Black in Business initiative close on June 26 and the shortlist will be announced on August 9.

For more details visit: https://www.channel4.com/blackinbusiness/
ADEN, Yemen, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Two newly-recruited soldiers of Yemen's internationally-recognized government were killed by an al-Qaeda roadside bombing in the country's southern province of Abyan on Saturday, a security source told Xinhua.

"Gunmen of al-Qaeda used remote-controlled improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to attack government military vehicles as they were passing through Mudiyah's valley in Abyan Province," the local security official said on condition of anonymity.

The three roadside bombs also injured six soldiers, he added.

Seen as one of the most dangerous branches of al-Qaeda, the al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has been active in war-ravaged Yemen for years, taking advantage of the country's civil war and its power vacuum to attack military and government targets.

In an effort to tackle the growing terror threat, government forces backed by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition have carried out several large-scale military operations on AQAP's hideouts in recent months, but are still unable to eliminate the group hidden in the mountainous areas of Yemen's southern provinces.

Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthi rebels fighting against the internationally-recognized government and its allied Saudi-led coalition. 
A three-year-old boy and a girl, 11, have been found dead alongside two family members in a flat in west London.

Metropolitan Police officers forced their way into the home in Staines Road, Bedfont, Hounslow, at just after 3pm on Friday after being called to concerns about the family.

They found four bodies, a man and woman, both aged in their 30s, an 11-year-old girl and a three year-old boy.

Officers are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

Chief Superintendent Sean Wilson, policing commander in west London, said at the scene: I believe we know who they are  four members of the same family  however, urgent inquiries are ongoing to locate and inform their next of kin and it would be inappropriate for me to name them at this time.

Post-mortem examinations are now being arranged.

I am also aware that this incident will be particularly upsetting for children, and I ask people to please be responsible about what they post on social media, including not naming or speculating as to the names of those whove died

A police officer was stood with his arms folded outside the property on Saturday, while forensic investigators, wearing masks and gloves, worked at the scene.

A man who lives next door, who did not wish to be named, told reporters: They were just normal neighbours  we just had greetings here and there, that kind of stuff.

I came home from work and there were police everywhere. It was really busy. Nothing like that happens here.

I have no idea what happened.

Naresh Regmi, 49, who lives nearby, told the PA news agency: The police were here yesterday with forensics, working on the property.

We didnt know the people who lived there  maybe they were new to this area?

Mr Wilson, said: Our investigation is at a very early stage, and based on our initial inquiries, we are not currently seeking anybody else in connection with the incident.

I know the shock and distress that this terrible incident will cause among the community in Hounslow and beyond. I can assure local people that specialist officers are working to establish exactly what happened and I will provide further information as soon as I can.

I am also aware that this incident will be particularly upsetting for children, and I ask people to please be responsible about what they post on social media, including not naming or speculating as to the names of those whove died.

There will be additional police officers in the area across the weekend. I urge anyone with information or concerns to speak with those officers.
N orth Koreas Kim Jong-un held a key political conference after the United States deployed a nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying about 150 Tomahawk missiles to South Korea on Friday.

State media reported the leader discussed reviewing defence strategies in the face of growing tensions with rivals and improving its struggling economy.

It came a day after North Korea resumed missile tests which it has ramped up to a record pace in recent months.

During Kim Jong-uns first day of meetings on Friday, the Norths official Korean Central News Agency said party officials reviewed the countrys economic campaigns for the first half of 2023, and discussed foreign policy and defence strategies to cope with the changed international situation.

The KCNA didnt specify what was discussed or mention any comments made by Kim. It said the meeting will continue for at least another day.

The USS Michigans arrival in South Korea, the first of its kind in six years, is part of a recent bilateral agreement on enhancing regular visibility of US strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula in response to North Koreas advancing nuclear program, according to South Korean officials.

In a statement, they said with the deployment navies of the US and South Korea are to conduct drills on boosting their special operation capabilities and joint ability to cope with growing North Korean aggression.

It said the US submarine arrived at the southeastern port city of Busan but didnt say how long it would stay in South Korean waters.

Michigan is one of the biggest submarines in the world.

The Ohio-class guided-missile submarines Tomahawk missiles have a range of about 2,500 kilometres (1,550 miles) and are capable of launching special forces missions, according to the South Korean statement.

The South and Americas militaries have been expanding their exercises in reaction to North Koreas provocative run of missile tests since last year.

North Korea has argued it was forced to ramp up testing activities to deal with its rivals expanded military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal, but experts say the North ultimately aims to modernise its arsenal and increase its leverage in eventual diplomacy.

USS Michigan arrives at a port in Busan, South Korea / REUTERS

After their meeting in Washington earlier this year, President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed that the United States would enhance the regular visibility of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula.

Biden also stated that any North Korean nuclear attack on the US or its allies would result in the end of whatever regime took such action.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, slammed the Biden-Yoon summit agreements, saying they revealed the two countries most hostile and aggressive will of action against the North. She threatened to further bolster her countrys nuclear forces.

On Thursday, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast.

They were the Norths first weapons launches since it tried to put its first spy satellite into orbit in late May.

The launch failed as the rocket carrying the spy satellite crashed into the waters off the Korean Peninsulas west coast.

South Koreas Defence Ministry said on Friday that military search crews have salvaged what it believes is part of the crashed North Korean rocket. The ministry released photos of the white, metal cylinder, which some experts said would have been the rockets fuel tank.
R ussia has gained a temporary advantage in southern Ukraine after reinforcing its attack helicopter force in the region, British defence chiefs said.

In its latest intelligence update, the UKs Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Russia redeployed extra helicopters in a bid to push back against the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the region.

The MoD said: Imagery shows that over 20 extra Russian helicopters deployed to Berdyansk Airport, approximately 100km behind the front line.

In the constant contest between aviation measures and counter-measures, it is likely that Russia has gained a temporary advantage in southern Ukraine, especially with attack helicopters employing longer-range missiles against ground targets.

It comes after the Russian military claimed on Friday that its forces had repelled numerous attempted counterattacks by the Ukrainian army at different frontline locations, inflicting heavy losses.

The defence ministry in Moscow said it used ground troops, air strikes and artillery to repel Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region. The ministry claimed to have killed around 500 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed five tanks.

Explosions were also heard in Kyiv yesterday, shortly after African leaders arrived in the Ukrainian capital on a peace mission.

The citys mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said the blasts were caused by air defence systems shooting down Russian missiles near the city. There were no reports of injuries or damaged buildings.
A t least 41 people have been killed after militants linked to Islamic State attacked a school in Uganda.

Members of the rebel group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) stormed Lhubiriha secondary school in Mpondwe at around 11.30pm local time on Friday.

The assailants burned a dormitory, looted food and abducted people during the attack.

Mpondwe-Lhubiriha mayor Selevest Mapoze said those killed include 38 pupils, one guard and two members of the local community who were shot outside the school.

Mr Mapoze said some of the pupils were burned to death while others were shot or hacked with machetes.

A boy is conforted at the scene of an attack in Mpondwe / AFP via Getty Images

At least eight people remain in critical condition at a local hospital.

The attackers fled towards Virunga National Park in Congo, police said.

The ADF rebels launched their insurgency against President Yoweri Museveni in the 1990s from an initial base in the Rwenzori Mountains.

The group was largely defeated by the Ugandan military but remnants fled across the border into the vast jungles of eastern Congo from where they have since maintained their insurgency - perpetrating attacks on civilian and military targets in both Congo and Uganda.

In April, the ADF attacked a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing at least 20 people.
T erminator star Linda Hamilton has joined the cast of Stranger Things season five, Netflix has announced.

The 66-year-old actress, who made her first appears as Sarah Connor in The Terminator, will play an undisclosed character in the last series of the popular science-fiction show.

Across four seasons, set in the 1980s, the residents of fictional town Hawkins, Indiana, have had to fight off the dark forces from an alternate dimension.

Millie Bobby Brown, Winona Ryder, David Harbour and Finn Wolfhard are among the cast.

Hamilton, who was also in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator: Dark Fate opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger as the machine, was revealed at Tudum 2023: A Netflix Global Fan Event in Brazil on Saturday.

Meanwhile, actress Lily Collins revealed that her character in Emily In Paris will go on a Roman holiday in the fourth season of the Netflix show.

The 34-year-old star plays Chicago marketing executive Emily Cooper, as she navigates life in Paris after landing her dream job.

In a video, Collins said: We are getting ready for season four of Emily In Paris and are so excited to see whats next for Emily.

Its safe to say we ended on a dramatic note last season and surprise it does not end there.

She also talked about the question on everyones minds if Emily, and Gabriel finally get together.

Collins added: I wish I could tell you more, but youll just have to wait to find out.

What I can tell you is that we have more fun, more fashion and of course, more drama in store for you all.

Emily is going to have to decide if everything shes ever wanted is really what she needs and while Emilys heart will always remain true to Paris.

Her life takes some unexpected twists this season. Dont be surprised to find her on a Roman holiday.

In the classic film Roman Holiday, Audrey Hepburn stars as a princess who travels to Rome where she meets Gregory Pecks character, a reporter.

Hugely popular romantic comedy drama Emily In Paris had its third series on the streaming giant in December.

The show also stars Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery, Camille Razat and William Abadie.

Elsewhere, pictures from hit period drama Bridgerton were released teasing images of Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).

In the series of images, Penelope looks downcast in a sparkly silver dress and dramatic while looking at Colin.

Over the course of several seasons, Penelope has nursed a secret crush on the third Bridgerton son and a double life as Lady Whistledown, the author of a gossip newsletter.

Derry Girls star Coughlan also told the event: This season Penelope returns to London determined to become a new woman with a new independence and a new determination.

I can promise you quite a scandalous season and we cannot wait to take you along for the carriage ride.

She added: Both Colin and Pen have done some growing up and only time will tell how their friendship will develop.

For book fans, you may have an idea but I can promise you are in for a magical and romantic season.

Meanwhile, Thor star Chris Hemsworth also announced that Extraction will be followed by a third instalment of the action thriller film series.

Netflix also revealed first looks at its live action adaption of childrens fantasy cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender, which will arrive in 2024, and Game Of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and DB Weisss mystery programme 3 Body Problem.
M artin Amis, the British literary giant whose work was respected by contemporaries across the creative sphere and who died last month, has been knighted.

After publishing his first novel at the age of 24, he went on to write 13 more  as well as a memoir, two collections of stories and eight collections of non-fiction works.

The author was given a knighthood before his death from cancer at the age of 73 in May.

Amis was awarded the honour for services to literature and it is dated May 18, the day before his death, as honours cannot be given posthumously.

His best-known works included the novels Money and London Fields, and he was longlisted twice for the Booker Prize.

Born in Oxford in 1949, Amis was the son of the late Booker Prize-winning writer Sir Kingsley Amis, who also died aged 73 in 1995, and Hilary Ann Bardwell.

He was educated at schools in the UK, Spain and the US before later graduating from Exeter College at Oxford University where he read English.

In 1973, he published his first novel aged 24, The Rachel Papers, while working as an editorial assistant at the Times Literary Supplement.

He joined the New Statesman as their literary editor at age 27 and was appointed as a professor of creative writing at the University of Manchester in 2007, before stepping down in 2011.

In his work he explored current events and the contemporary world as well as key periods in history, notably the Holocaust, which he wrote about in novels such as Times Arrow and The Zone Of Interest.

Times Arrow was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, while his 2003 novel Yellow Dog was also longlisted.

He was also awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his memoir Experience.

Amis death in late May 2023 prompted tributes from fellow authors, as well as other high profile figures including Rev Richard Coles, professor Brian Cox and former prime minister Boris Johnson.

His publisher Vintage Books described him as stylist supreme and said it had been a profound privilege and pleasure to have worked with him.

Amis is survived by his wife, writer Isabel Fonseca, and his children Louis, Jacob, Fernanda, Clio and Delilah.
F ormer Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson has been charged in connection with crashing a vehicle into a Los Angeles home.

The actor and comedian was charged with one misdemeanor count of reckless driving following the incident in Beverly Hills on March 4.

The Los Angeles County District Attorneys office said that reckless driving could have devastating consequences and it was taking the allegations seriously.

We believe that Mr Davidson engaged in reckless driving, which ultimately resulted in his involvement in a serious collision into a home, the DAs office said in a statement shared with the PA news agency.

Luckily, no-one was seriously injured as a result of this collision. We know that reckless driving can have devastating consequences.

In 2022, traffic fatalities in Los Angeles have reached the highest levels seen in 20 years. This is an alarming trend that we cannot ignore.

As a result, its crucial that we take all allegations of reckless driving seriously and hold those responsible accountable.

Davidson is due to be arraigned on July 27.

As well as SNL, the comedian is also known for his appearances in films including Bodies Bodies Bodies, The Suicide Squad, and Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts.
L eading figures from the arts world in Scotland have been recognised in the Kings Birthday Honours list.

Christopher Hampson, chief executive and artistic director of Scottish Ballet, becomes a CBE for services to dance.

Peter Lawson, chairman of Scottish Opera, is also made a CBE for services to the arts in Scotland.

Mr Hampson trained at the Royal Ballet School, where he began his choreographic work which continued while he danced with English National Ballet.

He joined Scottish Ballet as artistic director in 2012, and was appointed chief executive/artistic director in 2015.

Commenting on his royal honour, he told the PA news agency: I do feel very honoured and I think its wonderful to share the recognition with my family, friends and colleagues, and for me the real honour is the opportunity to share all the amazing work we do at Scottish Ballet, so thats really wonderful too, it helps me shine a light on all the creativity and work we do to make sure the dance world is a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.

I think coming out of lockdown and getting back into theatres and reconnecting with all of our audiences and the wider community in Scotland, thats just been amazing and thats really what keeps me going and what keeps the company going, so I feel like this particular recognition really helps me to shine a light on all that were doing around Scotland and internationally.

It does give us that opportunity to just really celebrate what were doing at Scottish Ballet.

Im in my 50th year this year so its been a lovely year to receive it as well.

Mr Hampson, who lives in Glasgow, is renowned for championing female choreographers, driving diversity in the ballet world, and commissioning ground-breaking films and digital dance forms, reaching huge international audiences during lockdown and beyond.

As well as his own works, such as The Snow Queen and Cinderella, Scottish Ballets repertoire includes new versions of classics such as The Crucible and Coppelia, as well as new commissions by emerging choreographers.

One of Mr Hampsons key focuses is developing in-house talent through choreographic initiatives.

Scottish Ballet recently won the award for outstanding company at the Critics Circle National Dance Awards in London.

Mr Lawson is a lawyer and has been involved in a number of arts organisations and trusts, both as legal adviser and as a board member, over several decades.

He is a past chairman of both the Tron Theatre Company and Glasgow Unesco City of Music, and a former committee member of Bafta Scotland.

Mr Lawson, who lives in Glasgow, said: I am honoured and delighted to accept the CBE in the 2023 Birthday Honours list.

I have been very fortunate to have been able to contribute to the cultural scene over the past 40 years, particularly with my chairmanships of the Tron Theatre and currently with Scottish Opera.

I consider the honour as a recognition of the importance of culture in bettering everyones day-to-day life, and also honouring the wonderfully dedicated and talented people with whom I have worked in the arts in Scotland.
VIENTIANE, June 17 (Xinhua) -- An event was held in the Lao capital Vientiane on Friday to mark the traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival with participants immersed in Chinese culture, customs and history.

The festival, also called Duanwu Festival, is traditionally celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.

The event, organized by the China Cultural Center in Laos which collaborated with the Department of Planning and International Cooperation under the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, featured activities such as making Zongzi, the glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo or reeds, and watching a documentary about the history of Duanwu Festival.

The event allowed participants to experience Chinese culture, understand the similarities and differences between the food cultures of Laos and China, and increase the mutual friendship and trust between the peoples of the two countries. 
LOS ANGELES, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 600 people had joined in a series of lawsuits alleging that they were sexually abused and harassed while in custody at Los Angeles County's juvenile facilities, the Los Angeles Daily News reported Thursday.

Attorney Doug Rochen, who filed lawsuits on behalf of the former detainees, was quoted by the report as saying that the current situation was "like an avalanche."

"The reality is that we probably don't even know today how many people were really affected," Rochen said.

The suits against the county and more than 200 unnamed officers alleged children, as young as 12 years old at the time, were assaulted at Camp Kilpatrick, Central Juvenile Hall, Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall, and Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall during the 20-year period.

Los Angeles County gave officers "uncontrolled and unsupervised intimate access" to the minors so that the victims were assaulted in their cells, in showers, and in common areas.

For decades, Los Angeles County failed to protect the youth from staff, failed to provide an adequate amount of staff and training to supervise the facilities, and failed to properly investigate allegations of abuse, the lawsuit stated, noting the incidents were not unique to a single facility and reveal a "systemic failure to protect vulnerable minors." 
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In light of concerns about the consequences of the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam on the Dnieper, in southern Ukraine, Environment Minister Mircea Fechet called a meeting on Friday at the ministry's headquarters with the authorities responsible for monitoring and protecting the Black Sea waters, the Environment Ministry announced on Facebook. Participating in the meeting were Secretaries of State Ionut Sorin Banciu and Dan Chiru, director-general of the Romanian Waters National Administration (ANAR) Sorin Lucaci, as well as representatives of the Ministry of the Environment, Waters and Forestry, the Transport Ministry, the Romanian Waters National Administration, the National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, the National Public Health Institute and the Grigore Antipa National Institute for Marine Development and Research.

"The general conclusion presented by the experts after all the data has been collected is that there is currently no indication that raises questions, all the measured parameters are within the normal limits for this time of the year. Also, considering the satellite images shown, the distance between the mouth of the Dnieper and the Romanian territorial waters, the movement of air masses and sea currents, the temperature and salinity of the water, the experts expect the risk to the people's health, the aquatic ecosystems or the quality of the bathing water to be minimal. However, we will continue to closely monitor all the parameters and we are ready to take action at the slightest sign of danger," Minister Mircea Fechet declared at the end of the meeting.

They also agreed to set up an inter-institutional technical working group tasked with continuing monitoring. Thus, ANAR and the Grigore Antipa National Institute for Marine Development and Research will intensify the physicochemical measurements both at the coastal hydrometric stations and offshore, in the Black Sea. Also, personnel of the National Public Health Institute and of the Constanta and Tulcea Public Health Directorates will continue daily microbiological monitoring, in order to identify any potential health risk.

Representatives of the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry presented the institution's intervention capacity and said that they are ready to step in at any time to combat possible pollution phenomena.

After the meeting, Minister Fechet had a video call on the same subject with Bulgarian Environment Minister Julian Popov, who expressed concerns over the emergence in the public space of unfounded information which could cause groundless panic among the population, as the Bulgarian experts who monitor the situation have come to similar conclusions as their Romanian peers.

The two ministers agreed that the Romanian and Bulgarian authorities should exchange information and cooperate whenever the situation requires. If new elements emerge, the two officials will resume the discussion at the beginning of next week, on the sidelines of the meeting of the Environment Council in Luxembourg they will both be attending. AGERPRES
800 delegates from all over the country participate on Saturday in the congress of the opposition Save Romania Union (USR), where the formation's Chairman Catalin Drula will present USR's Romania 2024 programmatic vision. Also, the congress will adopt the mandate for the preparation of the 2024 elections, the USR said in a release.

Guests to the congress include Chairman of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania Kelemen Hunor, Bucharest General Mayor Nicusor Dan, Chairman of the People's Movement Party Eugen Tomac, and Chairman of the Force of the Right Ludovic Orban. Vice-President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Kira Rudik, is also set to attend, and ALDE Party co-President Ilhan Kyuchyuk and President of the Renew Europe Group Stephane Sejourne will send video messages.

As USR leader Catalin Drula said in late May, the congress will make important decisions, including that of building an alternative around the USR, for next year's elections.

"We are at a difficult point for Romania, and our congress is about preparing, together with all our party fellows from all the counties, with delegates, the electoral year 2024. We will also have debates, we will make decisions so as to best position ourselves for building this alternative around USR for next year," Drula told a press conference back then. AGERPRES
FRIDAY, June 16, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The White House announced Friday that a former Obama administration official with extensive experience in federal and state health services will be named the next leader of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Former North Carolina Health Secretary Mandy Cohen, M.D., comes with credentials that should help her lead the beleaguered agency, criticized for its response to the pandemic.

"Dr. Cohen is one of the nation's top physicians and health leaders with experience leading large and complex organizations, and a proven track record protecting Americans' health and safety," President Joe Biden said in a news release announcing the appointment. "Her leadership through the COVID-19 crisis drew bipartisan praise, as did her successful transformation of North Carolina's Medicaid program and pivotal role in the bipartisan passage of Medicaid expansion."

Cohen, 44, was educated at Yale and Harvard Universities as an internal medicine physician. Her past work also includes working on HIV issues in South Africa and at the Department of Veterans Affairs on women's health. She also volunteered on the Healthcare.gov repair effort during the Obama years.

Former CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, M.D., had nothing but praise for Cohen's record in public health. "Dr. Cohen is a respected public health leader who helped North Carolina successfully navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and has dedicated her career to improving health outcomes for all Americans," Walensky said in a statement. "Her unique experience and accomplished tenure in North Carolina -- along with her other career contributions -- make her perfectly suited to lead CDC as it moves forward by building on the lessons learned from COVID-19 to create an organization poised to meet public health challenges of the future."

While Walensky was an infectious disease expert who had not worked in government leadership, Cohen was a senior official at the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and North Carolina's health secretary for nearly five years.

Still, the job Cohen takes on will be a challenging one, including reforming the 13,000-person agency so that it can be more responsive to the next pandemic and communicating public health threats to a divided America.
KFF Health News senior fellow and editor-at-large for public health Celine Gounder discussed health concerns from hazardous air quality on CBS CBS Mornings on June 8. And on May 29, she dug into the number of tick-borne disease cases on the rise in the U.S.

KFF Health News Florida correspondent Daniel Chang discussed the draw and dangers of Brazilian butt lifts in Miami on Al Jazeeras Fault Lines on June 7.

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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URUMQI, June 17 (Xinhua) -- A team of researchers from China and African countries and regions have gathered in the southern region of China's Xinjiang, to jointly study effective measures to prevent and control land degradation and desertification in the Sahara Desert and Taklimakan Desert.

Chinese researchers have been studying desertification control techniques in the Taklimakan Desert for over 60 years.
The phrase appearances can be deceiving could easily have been invented looking at the outside of the home of Greg Elliott and Patti Fischer in Godfrey. From the street, the home appears as a large windowless wooden rectangle, with two smaller matching wooden cubes set back and attached to either side.

However, approaching the home there is a hint something quite different might await discovery inside. The front walk transitions to an elevated boardwalk leading across a steep hillside to connect to the double front door, which is made of hundreds of 1-inch squares of colored glass.

Larger panels of colored glass extend out from either side of the entry creating 2-foot-wide walls that leave the impression a guest is walking into a work of art, and that is exactly what a visit inside the home reveals.

Designed by William Flippo, inside it is immediately evident why the 1962 midcentury modern home earned him an American Institute of Architects award for outstanding design in 1965.

Beyond the front door, the low ceiling of the foyer and a curved wall at the back of the foyer create a small space and the first part of what Frank Lloyd Wright referred to as compress and release architecture. It is a tight space that compresses the imagination, causing a sense of tension. But not for long.

The curved foyer wall is bracketed on either side by two wooden floating staircases that curve and descend into the main living area. However, one cannot walk to the bottom of the steps without the dramatic 180-degree view of the Mississippi River coming into view. Seen outside a southern-facing window wall, the view provides the release, or sense of a dramatic, open space.

Beyond the great room a large deck could more appropriately be referred to as an observation platform for enjoying the view.

Radiating off the foyer, hallways on either side lead to two bedrooms, each with their own wall of windows and the spectacular view of the river. That is even true of the bathroom in the primary bedroom.

Flippo incorporated a variety of natural materials throughout the residence, common in midcentury design. The floor of the entry foyer is made of cobblestones he collected from nearby streams, while natural wood was extensively used for the kitchen cabinets and closet doors.

Many elements of the original decor remain, including mosaic tiled bathrooms and sconce lamps on bedroom walls.

The floor of the kitchen and great room are polished terrazzo embedded with faint lines that create a starburst pattern toward the window wall and the view of the Mississippi River.

Elliott and Fischer have made several upgrades. The original single pane windows have been replaced, walls have all been repainted, and a one-piece watertight covering laid over the flat roof. It is an old home, and we are about half way through doing what needs to be done, Elliott says.

A lower-level garage has been converted into a game room and a third bedroom, both with their own river views. Every room in the house enjoys the same river scene, Elliott says.

When Fischer purchased the home the only original piece of furniture was a large oblong dining room table designed by Eero Saarinen, the architect for the Gateway Arch.

However, she and her husband have furnished the residence with midcentury modern furniture, creating an interior that could be an ad for a home in 1962. Wooden shelves display a variety of small midcentury modern sculptures, and lamps and chairs all retain a midcentury modern theme.

Art on the great room walls is a gallery of impressionist art, which the couple appreciates. Artists include Claude Monet and Gustav Klint.

While the couples weekday home is in OFallon, Illinois, they use the Godfrey residence as a weekend retreat and for family gatherings. We think about moving back into the home full time, but it does not have a lot of storage space, and we have a fully furnished two-story home, Elliott says.

It is not a coincidence that Fischer and Elliott own the home. Fischers parents, Denny and Rose Fischer, have lived across the street from the Flippo home for 56 years, and Flippo and his first wife lived in the home he designed after it was completed in 1962.

After Flippos wife died, Denny and Rose introduced Pattis aunt, Patti Kratcher, to Flippo and they married in 1970 and remained in the home.

Flippo died in 1987, but Patti Fischers aunt stayed in the home until 1993 when it was sold to a friend of the Fischer family.

Ten years later it was put back on the market. When Patti Fischers children asked to see it during an open house, Pattis memories of visiting the house as a child flooded back. She purchased it, and she and Greg raised their children in it.

Our family was delighted to have the house back in our family, Fischer says.

Photos: At Home with Greg Elliott and Patti Fischer in Godfrey, Illinois
NORTH COUNTY  Joseph Lee and Barbara Jo Jones wanted a four-bedroom home in the suburbs. They toured the new Paddock Woods subdivision near Parker Road, saw a model they liked and picked a lot on Hyde Park Drive.

They went to Alfred H. Mayer Co., the county's biggest homebuilder, and offered $28,195. No deal, said the sales agent, who was blunt about his reason  Joseph Jones was black.

The mixed-race couple had married in 1961 and were living at 4585 Carter Avenue in north St. Louis. He was 33 and from Mississippi, she 31 and from Kirkwood. They both worked for the Veterans Administration.

"We are just two nobodies who wanted a house," Barbara Jones said.

They went to the Greater St. Louis Committee for Freedom of Residence, a group that promoted integrated housing, and talked to its chairman, lawyer Samuel Liberman II. He filed a federal suit in September 1965.

On June 17, 1968, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark 7-2 ruling, declaring there was no right to refuse to sell a home because of a buyer's race. "The right thing was done," Joseph Jones said.

But they never got that dream home on Hyde Park. During their three-year wait, they lost in U.S. District Court and the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which said federal law didn't prohibit a private seller from discriminating according to race. Meanwhile, Mayer sold all the lots in Paddock Woods, a mile north of Interstate 270 and just west of Lewis and Clark Boulevard.

The couple bought a three-bedroom home at 2030 Valencia Drive in Florissant, three miles from Paddock Woods, and took their case to the Supreme Court.

Liberman's argument was that the Civil Rights Act of 1866, adopted to enforce the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery, gave blacks equal rights to property ownership. The lower courts had said that law applied only to government action.

The Supreme Court heard arguments on April 2, 1968, two days before the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered in Memphis. The assassination jolted Congress into adopting the Fair Housing Act one month before the Supreme Court ruled in the Jones case.

That's one reason why the Jones decision, while nationally significant, gets less attention than other landmark civil rights cases. Another is the series of sad, then tragic, turns in the lives of Joseph and Barbara Jones.

They divorced in 1971. Barbara Jones took their daughter, who was born in November 1968, and moved to Las Vegas. On May 17, 1974, Joseph Jones was found stabbed to death in the home on Valencia. J.D. Jones, his younger brother, confessed and was committed to the Department of Mental Health.
CHICAGO  State health officials are warning about West Nile virus after virus-positive mosquitoes were found in four counties.

No human cases have been reported this year, but the Illinois Department of Public Health is using National Mosquito Control Awareness Week, which starts Sunday, to raise awareness after 10 batches of mosquitoes tested positive for the virus in St. Clair, Cook, LaSalle and Morgan counties. The first batch of mosquitoes to test positive for the virus was reported late last month in Evanston, authorities said.

Diseases such as West Nile virus pose a serious health threat, especially to our seniors or individuals who have weakened immune systems, public health Director Sameer Vohra said in a news release.

Vohra said the finding of positive batches of mosquitoes underscores why it is important for Illinois residents to protect themselves this summer by using insect repellent while outside and not keeping any standing water around where mosquitoes can breed easily.

The public health department said it has poured $2.5 million in funding to nearly 100 local health departments across the state for mosquito control efforts. Local health departments collect and test mosquitoes as well as sick or dead birds for the virus.

There were 34 positive reports of West Nile virus in humans and eight deaths attributed to the virus last year, the most since 2018, when 17 deaths were reported, according to the public health officials. The youngest person with a positive case of the virus in Illinois was 26, and the median age was 64.

Updates on cases reported and where can be found on the health department's West Nile Virus Surveillance page.
Corporate America has been in uncharted territory for a while now as it tries to navigate todays increasingly heated culture wars. Nowhere has that fact been driven home more shockingly than with Bud Lights recent dethroning as Americas No.1-selling beer.

Its certainly not the first iconic company to get entangled in these political thickets  witness Disney, Target, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A  but Bud Lights dilemma may be the most instructive example yet of just how thoroughly todays political polarization has impacted every facet of the culture.

The controversy began in April, when the company provided transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney with a can of Bud Light with an image of her face on it, which she displayed on social media as she endorsed the beer.

Its important to note  because this part of the story has been grossly misrepresented during the entire debate  that this wasnt part of any formal ad campaign by Anheuser-Busch InBev. Dylan Mulvaney cans werent for sale anywhere. It was one face on one can, displayed on one individuals social media accounts.

Which makes the storm that followed even more bizarre, if thats possible. Conservative activists and politicians seized on it as an example of a big company rubbing our faces in LGBTQ culture, in the ever-tolerant words of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Which is ironic, considering it was actually conservatives who have promoted the Mulvaney endorsement (again: one can) out of its progressive social-media niche and onto the cultural front lines.

Kid Rock famously, or infamously, shot up cases of Bud Light to express the ire of the right. A group of female Republican governors released a wince-inducing video about real women of politics, which confirmed that outright bigotry is still considered funny in some circles. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, never one to miss an opportunity to demagogue, declared on Twitter that woke globalists are ruining a great company.

The other shoe dropped last week, when monthly sales figures confirmed that Bud Light in May lost the top-in-the-nation sales crown that it has worn for more than two decades. As the Post-Dispatchs Daniel Neman reported, Bud Light remains the top-selling beer for the year to date on the strength of its pre-controversy sales. But that only matters if the company can pull the nose up on the current sales plunge going forward.

Theres little doubt the beer maker largely brought this storm down on itself by badly misreading its own customer base. One of its own vice presidents tried to explain the Mulvaney endorsement as an attempt to update traditional Bud Light branding that has been kind of a fratty, kind of out-of-touch humor  confirming that the company understood how poorly its core customers would receive such an endorsement even as it insulted them again.

In short, you dont have to buy into the intolerant narrative of the Bud Light boycott to marvel at how supremely the brewer screwed up here. Not by displaying tolerance for a transgender personality, but thinking it could do it under the radar and thus have it both ways  keeping its old customers while wooing new ones from the other side of the cultural fence.

Unfortunately, America today isnt a country where liberals and conservatives can just agree to disagree on much of anything. Even beer.

Anheuser-Buschs announcement last week that it will offer financial assistance to its distributors and others affected by the boycott is the responsible thing to do, and a good example of corporate level-headedness in a crisis. And the companys quick retreat from the culture-war battlefield  We hear you, A-B CEO Brendan Whitworth wrote to customers in vowing to just get back to the business of beer  is about the only move it could have made at this point.

If that retreat has angered the LGBTQ community and its supporters (reportedly it has), that begs the question of just what they thought they were getting from a company that, like virtually every company, is ultimately interested only in the bottom line. As Slate noted recently, rainbow-washed corporations are fair-weather allies.

Other examples of that phenomenon include Targets apparent decision to deemphasize its annual June rainbow-themed merchandise in the wake of a truly despicable harassment campaign by right-wing bigots against its employees. Starbucks has been accused of similarly wavering in its traditional support for the LGBTQ community by removing rainbow decorations from stores (the company denies it).

What does it look like when a big corporation actually stays the course on these turbulent seas? It looks like, of all things, Disney. The companys epic legal and cultural fight with DeSantis over Floridas law muzzling classroom discussion of LGBTQ issues isnt for show. They mean it.

But there are some important differences there. The company is under intense pressure from its own massive workforce not to back down. Also, theres no discernible public boycott movement afoot to, say, stop visiting Disney World. Unlike getting on the wrong side of half the country, confronting one blustery bully of a politician could actually be good for Disneys image.

What lesson should the LGBTQ community and its supporters take from all of this? Only that businesses are in business to make money. Yes, their employment practices should reflect the growing acceptance that America celebrates during Pride month every June. But the real (and remaining) work of mainstreaming that acceptance has to come from citizens, not corporations. Love is love, as they say  and ultimately, beer is just beer.
SEATTLE, June 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a release issued Thursday, June 15, 2023 under the headline "Acorn Influence, a New Engen company, Announces Integration with Walmart Connects DSP" by New Engen, please note that this release has been corrected to clarify that Acorn Influence, a New Engen company, now has access to Walmart inventory and Walmart targeting capabilities, within the Walmart DSP (Demand-Side Platform) and its TTD (The Trade Desk) seat. Acorn Influence, a New Engen company, is not integrated with Walmart Connect or Walmarts DSP, nor do they have a technical connection. The corrected release follows:

Acorn Influence, a New Engen company, Announces Updated Targeting with Access to Retailer First-Party Data

Brands can now access inventory and targeting capabilities of mass retailers to scale effective multi-channel influencer marketing campaigns

New Engen, a leading performance marketing firm, announced that Acorn Influence, a New Engen company and influencer solution provider, has access to inventory and first-party retailer data of Walmarts DSP. This allows brands working with Acorn Influence to leverage inventory and targeting capabilities of Walmarts DSP, which combines 1st party audiences with the control and scale of off-site programmatic ads, to place content across mobile, display, and CTV.

About Acorn Influence

Acorn Influence is one of the fastest growing offerings in the rapidly expanding influencer marketing space. Their integrated influencer network, technology and campaign solutions are the choice of more than 50 of the worlds leading advertisers, including household names like General Mills, Mondelez, Coca-Cola & more. From influencer curation, to content development, media deployment and measurement, Acorn Influence has developed a seamless process to create maximum impact and drive accountable growth for their clients. Acorn Influence has been named to Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company for 2021 and 2022. Learn more at www.acorninfluence.com.

About New Engen

New Engen is a performance marketing agency helping brands find breakthroughs to unlock and accelerate growth. Born digital, tech-forward, and performance-driven, we lean on a data-driven, agile approach to marketing strategy and content to help brands outpace their competitors and stay ahead of the ever-evolving digital ecosystem. New Engen won the 2022 Google Premier Partner of the Year Award for driving Online Sales, is an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company, an Adweek Fastest Growing Agency and was also named to Inc.s Best in Business 2022 list. New Engen joined forces with Acorn Influence in December 2021  expanding their offerings to include influencer marketing. Learn more at www.newengen.com.

Media Contact:

Max Benson

Broadsheet Communications for New Engen

[email protected] (edited)

newengen.com

Growth-Obsessed Digital Marketing Agency | New Engen

New Engen is a Seattle-based performance marketing agency with teams in New York City, Charlotte, and Rogers, AK. See how we unlock growth for winning brands.

Source: New Engen
AUSTIN, Texas (PRWEB) June 17, 2023

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As you delve into the research page showcasing the 2023 Lamborghini Revuelto, prepare to be impressed. Explore its aerodynamic design, exhilarating acceleration, and flawless handling, delivering an extraordinary driving experience.

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For those seeking the perfect blend of sportiness and practicality, our 2023 Lamborghini Urus Performante research page is a must-visit. Immerse yourself in the world of the ultimate luxury SUV, equipped with exhilarating performance, unmatched power, and uncompromising style.

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Prepare to be captivated by the remarkable driving dynamics, power, and precision of the 2023 Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica. Our research page offers a detailed exploration of this masterpiece, showcasing its advanced technology, unparalleled performance, and jaw-dropping design.



Elevate Your Driving Experience at Lamborghini of Austin

About Lamborghini of Austin

Lamborghini of Austin invites potential and current customers to explore our research pages, providing an in-depth look into the exciting world of Lamborghini. Discover the cutting-edge technology, breathtaking design, and heart-pounding performance that define these iconic Italian supercars. Our research pages offer extensive information, allowing you to make an informed decision when selecting your dream Lamborghini. Whether you crave the raw power of the Revuelto, the versatility of the Urus Performante, or the precision of the Huracan Tecnica, we have the perfect supercar for you.

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Individuals who want to learn more about vehicles in the Lamborghini family or other exotic cars can visit the dealership website at http://www.lamborghiniaustin.com. Interested parties may also contact Lamborghini Austin by dialing 833-331-0322 or by visiting the dealership at 4108 North Lamar Boulevard in Austin, Texas.

Read the full story at https://www.prweb.com/releases/unleash_your_inner_speed_demon_dive_into_the_cutting_edge_research_pages_on_lamborghini_vehicles_at_lamborghini_of_austin/prweb19396619.htm
BEIJING , June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Keeping close to people, Chinese President Xi Jinping has always worked for people's benefits as a servant of the public.

During his political career, Xi rose from a grassroots Party chief to the leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC), from an ordinary citizen to the country's president, from an average military officer to the Central Military Commission chairman, all while remaining committed to a better life for Chinese citizens.

In the 1980s, when many of his contemporaries were going into business or leaving to study abroad, Xi gave up his comfortable office job in Beijing and chose to work as the deputy Party chief of a small county in north China's Hebei province. Later he became the Party chief of Ningde prefecture, one of the poorest regions in east China's Fujian province at the time.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Xi has made more than 100 inspection tours to different places across China .

He has made it a tradition to visit ordinary people, especially the country's least privileged groups, in nearly every one of his domestic inspection tours.

He would see, for himself, what ordinary Chinese were eating, whether they had access to clean water and adequate heating in the winter, and learn about their concerns over food safety and environmental protection.

In December 2012 , Xi braved chilly weather to reach Fuping, a then impoverished county set deep in the Taihang Mountains of north China's Hebei Province . He visited farmers' homes to get a first-hand look at people's lives there.

In November 2013 , during an inspection tour in the central province of Hunan , Xi visited Shibadong, an ethnic Miao village.

With people in his mind, Xi feels very happy whenever knowing that people's living standards are constantly improving.

During an inspection tour of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in July 2016 , Xi visited villager of Hui ethnic group Hai Guobao's home.

Xi's steps have even reached the northern border of China . In January 2014 , Xi visited soldiers stationed along the Chinese-Mongolian border ahead of the upcoming traditional Chinese Lunar New Year .

On his way to the border, the president got off his car to chat with a team of soldiers on a patrol mission, expressing his appreciation to them for struggling in the harsh weather to safeguard the country.

Link: https://youtu.be/XNZdu4AOGCw

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cctv-xi-always-close-to-people-301853665.html

SOURCE CCTV+
BEIJING , June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For mankind to have a better life and enjoy sound development, work must be done in combating desertification. Just like rolling a large rock uphill, endeavor in this regard may fall into relapse if any negligence occurs, said Xi Jinping , general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, at a symposium on strengthening comprehensive prevention and control of desertification and promoting the construction of key ecological projects in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region on June 6 .

The president's inspection tour to Inner Mongolia has again highlighted his long-term focus on desertification. Experts said this top-down effort has made China's achievement unique in the world in tackling this environmental challenge.

From June 5 to 6 , accompanied by officials from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region , Xi was on a fact-finding mission at a nature reserve, a modern agricultural demonstration park, a forest farm and a water resources department in Bayannur.

On June 6 , Xi presided over a symposium in the city of Bayannur on strengthening the comprehensive prevention and control of desertification and promoting the construction of crucial ecological projects, including the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP).

After over 40 years of unremitting efforts, China has made remarkable achievements in preventing and controlling desertification, and realized a historic transformation from "sand forcing humans to retreat" to "trees forcing sand to retreat" in key areas, Xi said during a speech at the symposium.

Economic and social development, as well as the ecological outlook in desertification-threatened areas, have undergone earth-shaking changes, Xi said, adding that the hazards of sandstorms and soil erosion have been effectively curbed.

Sandstorms have hit north China more frequently in the past two years because of abnormal weather conditions and climate change.

Inner Mongolia has been at the frontline of desertification, but President Xi's speech emphasized the effort in curbing desertification, and pointed out the scientific and effective way to achieve the goal, an official who attended the symposium told the Global Times.

He said the next step is to speed up green transition in the region, to implement the TSFP projects, and coordinate the tasks of returning farmland to forest and return some farm and grazing lands to a state of grassland.

Top-down effort

Improving the ecological environment has always been discussed by President Xi. During the two sessions in 2022, Xi told lawmakers from Inner Mongolia that the region should unswervingly prioritize ecological conservation and boost green development.

Xi has conducted multiple field trips to areas severely hit by sand damage, including Ningxia , Gansu , and Hebei .

During a 2019 inspection tour to Babusha Forest Farm in the northwestern province of Gansu , he joined local people plowing the sandy land. Using a trench digger skillfully, Xi plowed a two-meter-long trench in the sandy area with the workers in a few moments.

Babusha Forest Farm, located in Northwest China's Gansu province, had long been plagued by severe sandstorms. After years of sand control, the formerly dry and barren land is now covered by vegetation.

Seeing the enormous transformation in this place, Xi praised the workers as being like a "modern-day Yu Gong " for their persistent efforts in controlling sand and transforming the desert into an oasis. Yu Gong , the protagonist of an ancient folk tale, tried to move mountains blocking the path in front of his home and eventually succeeded.

The desertification area in China has been reduced by more than 4.33 million hectares since 2012. A series of significant projects gradually built a green ecological barrier along the sandstorm line in northern China . In particular, the three primary sandy areas of Maowusu, Hunshandake, and Horqin, and the surrounding areas of the Kubuqi Desert, have been transformed into an oasis, according to documents sent to the Global Times by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration last week.

By 2025, China will have a total of 2 million hectares of land of desertification sealed off for protection, with more than 6 million hectares of sandy land newly treated and 1.3 million hectares of rocky and degraded land harnessed, said the administration.

Talking about China's success in tackling desertification in recent years, Yang Fuqiang, a senior advisor on climate change and energy transition with the Energy Research Institute at Peking University, told the Global Times that " China has made top-down efforts for years to address desertification. The central and local governments march together toward the same goal, with continuous environmental policies."

Such seamless cooperation has led to miraculous achievements, making China's effort in this area unique in the world, said Yang.

Intl cooperation urgently needed

During his inspection tour, Xi also called for efforts to extensively carry out international exchanges and cooperation, fulfill the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, actively participate in global desertification control and environmental governance, place strong emphasis on cooperation with neighboring countries, support desertification control and prevention efforts in countries along the route of the Belt and Road Initiative, lead countries in policy dialogue and information sharing, and jointly respond to sand and dust storm disasters.

The sandstorms in North China this year were partly trigged by sparse rainfall, and sand damage to plant cover in Mongolia , experts explained.

When meeting with President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh of Mongolia in Beijing in November 2022 , Xi said that China applauds Mongolia's "Billion Trees" initiative, and is ready to discuss with Mongolia the establishment of a cooperation center to combat desertification.

Last year, China and Mongolia signed bilateral documents jointly addressing climate change, desertification and other areas. China held an online seminar to share with Mongolia its experience in addressing desertification in Kubuqi Desert in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region , according to media reports.

China and Mongolia have always cooperated in managing sand and dust, but China could also aid Mongolia with experience and technology. Every year, funding from Chinese government departments and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification is applied for this, the Global Times learned from the Chinese Academy of Forestry.

Cao Xiaoming , a research fellow at the Institute of Desertification Studies under the Chinese Academy of Forestry, told the Global Times that his team monitored drought conditions in the Mongolian Plateau from 2011 to 2018 with remote-sensing techniques, together with scientists in Mongolia .

They found how climate change and human activities have led to dryer earth and desertification in the region, which covers both Mongolia and China's Inner Mongolia . According to Cao, the research is funded by the Chinese side. The results of the research are shared with Mongolian institutes.

Ma Jun , director of the Beijing -based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, said the more frequent sandstorms in North China in recent years highlighted the urgency for China and Mongolia as well as other neighboring countries to continue their joint efforts to combat desertification.

A sandstorm is a natural phenomenon that knows no boundaries and can be transmitted via all kinds of routes, said Ma. He said that addressing the problem requires transparent sharing of information and mutual trust, as well as joint efforts from countries in the region.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-times-xis-footprint-in-inner-mongolia-highlights-chinas-top-down-effort-in-combating-desertification-301853644.html

SOURCE Global Times
by Ali Jaswal

ISLAMABAD, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Ali Adnan, a 36-year-old engineer, inspects Suki Kinari (SK) Hydropower Project located in Western Himalayas in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province almost every day to ensure that health, safety, and environment protection protocols are followed properly.

Adnan, a health, safety, and environmental engineer at SK, who has been part of this biggest hydropower project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework since the beginning of the construction in 2017, said the work has been completed at a faster pace than standard time despite uncountable odds.

SK is a diversion-type hydropower project featuring a high head and long tunnel. The main structures of the project include a dam, spillway, power intake, headrace tunnel, surge shaft, penstock, underground powerhouse, tailrace tunnel, and access tunnel.

The project is equipped with four pelton turbine generator units with a capacity of 221 megawatts each, together with a total installed capacity of 873.5 megawatts.

The state-of-the-art infrastructure has been designed to ensure maximum safety, cost-effectiveness and generation of clean-green energy.

For the first time in Pakistan, a rockfill dam has been built using local boulders and mud, said Jafar Kazmi, a site engineer at the dam. This technology has significantly helped in reducing the overall cost while enhancing safety, he added.

In a concrete dam, the water stoppers have to be put which generally creates seepage. However, he said a drainage body in a rockfill dam in the downstream area serves as a safety wall.

"If any seepage or a crack appears, that may enter the control section and asphalt. It's not going to affect the dam because if any water flows from them, it would go into the drainage body area," according to Kazmi.

The project is expected to generate 3.212 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Once put into operation, it would help save 1.28 million tons of standard coal and 3.2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

Apart from building a hydropower plant for clean-green energy, the Chinese company has been planting a lot of trees in the surrounding area and taking special measures to ensure that the project remains environment-friendly, which is a core component of the Green CPEC.

To prevent the contamination of river water, sedimentation tanks were installed at the batching plants, and filtration plants on the crush plants, Adnan said, adding that "the filtration plant is of the latest technology which has never been used in Pakistan before."

He said the Chinese company is collaborating with the local authorities in tree plantation, especially for preserving wildlife and species. They have also been developing fish ponds for marine life.

The Chinese company aims to plant 100,000 trees by the end of the project's construction.

On top of everything, SK has made an important contribution to the socio-economic development of the local area and the entire country. It will provide affordable and clean-green energy to over 1 million Pakistani families.

At the peak of its construction, it had provided employment to more than 6,000 locals.

Tauqeer, a 24-year-old local who works as a laborer at the dam site, said that the project benefited the local people a lot. He said those who were unemployed earlier in this area got jobs from it.

"Chinese are good teachers, and they have taught us the technical skills required for work," he added.

The SK has also substantially contributed to the development of small and medium-sized businesses, particularly in the area's tourism industry.

The dam's construction boosted the tourism industry here by providing accessibility through roads and other infrastructure, Kashan Ali, who works in the administration department of SK, told Xinhua.

Earlier, for about four months, there used to be no accessibility due to heavy snowfall. "But the construction of this dam site has given access to the tourists to visit this place even into the winters and enjoy this snowfall," Ali added.

Furthermore, like all other CPEC projects, SK also pays a lot of emphasis on corporate social responsibility.

Ali said events were also organized in the local schools, where the students were given free books and stationery items. Additionally, the locals were provided with water pipelines through different schemes.

Last year, in the wake of unprecedented floods in the country, "some of the bridges, roads, and other infrastructure got damaged in the area were repaired by the Chinese company using their machinery," said Ali. 
HSINCHU, Taiwan , June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The newly established Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in the UK has recently released the UK's National Semiconductor Strategy. Dr. Shih-Chieh Chang , General Director of Electronic and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) of Taiwan had an initial exchange with DSIT. During the exchange, Dr. Chang suggested that Taiwan can become a trustable partner for the UK and that the partnership can leverage collective strengths to create mutually beneficial developments. According to the Strategy, the British government plans to invest 1 billion pounds over the next decade to support the semiconductor industry. This funding will improve access to infrastructure, power more research and development and facilitate greater international cooperation.

Dr. Chang stressed that ITRI looks forward to more collaboration with the UK on semiconductors to enhance the resilience of the supply chain. While the UK possesses cutting-edge capabilities in semiconductor IP design and compound semiconductor technology, ITRI has extensive expertise in semiconductor technology R&D and trial production. As a result, ITRI is well-positioned to offer consultation services for advanced packaging pilot lines, facilitate pre-production evaluation, and link British semiconductor IP design companies with Taiwan's semiconductor industry chain. "The expansion of British manufacturers' service capacity in Taiwan would create a mutually beneficial outcome for both Taiwan and the UK ," said Dr. Chang .

The British Office Taipei stated that the UK has been increasing collaboration with Taiwan on semiconductors over the last few years. In 2020, the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult (CSA Catapult) signed a memorandum of understanding with ITRI, paving the way for a long-lasting collaborative partnership. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is also focusing the Digital Trade Network in Taiwan to increase the UK's capability to support semiconductor trade and investment. Recognizing ITRI as a crucial driving force for Taiwan's semiconductor industry development, the British Office Taipei looks forward to more cooperation with ITRI for technological innovation, supply chain collaboration and stronger partnership.

Dr. Chang indicated possible collaboration that can be forged to align the goals of the UK's National Semiconductor Strategy and the positive impact to expect. ITRI, he suggested, can assist in establishing relevant pilot lines by introducing necessary resources to address existing gaps or offering consultation services covering design, packaging and testing prior to mass production. This would help reduce the UK's reliance on external suppliers and thus create job opportunities. To minimize the risk of supply chain disruptions, the linkage of Taiwan's complete semiconductor industry chain can significantly enhance the UK's resilience in the global market as more comprehensive solutions can shorten time-to-market for innovative products and accelerate overall industrial development.

Other than the collaboration with CSA Catapult on GaN semiconductor technologies, ITRI partnered with a renowned British semiconductor equipment manufacturer in 2021, resulting in achievements in areas such as HBLED, MEMS, Micro LED, silicon photonics, and nanoscale analysis. In the same year, ITRI worked with a leading British semiconductor IP manufacturer to jointly build a platform that assists startup companies in leveraging key patents to develop competitive new products. Based on the fruitful results, ITRI is set to expand its collaborative efforts with the UK in 2023, creating win-win opportunities for both sides.

About ITRI

Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is one of the world's leading technology R&D institutions aiming to innovate a better future for society. Founded in 1973, ITRI has played a vital role in transforming Taiwan's industries from labor-intensive into innovation-driven. To address market needs and global trends, it has launched its 2030 Technology Strategy & Roadmap and focuses on innovation development in Smart Living, Quality Health, and Sustainable Environment. It also strives to strengthen Intelligentization Enabling Technology to support diversified applications.

Over the years, ITRI has been dedicated to incubating startups and spinoffs, including well-known names such as UMC and TSMC. In addition to its headquarters in Taiwan , ITRI has branch offices in the U.S. , Europe , and Japan in an effort to extend its R&D scope and promote international cooperation across the globe. For more information, please visit https://www.itri.org/eng.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/itri-set-to-strengthen-taiwan-uk-collaboration-on-semiconductors-301853645.html

SOURCE Industrial Technology Research Institute
Bond with Love Secure Attachment Bond Program of Molfix, which supports the happy and healthy development of babies and is a reliable companion of mothers with its innovative approach, was honored with "The International CSR Excellence Awards"

LONDON , June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Molfix Bond with Love Secure Attachment Bond Program, developed by Molfix to improve the physical, social and psychological conditions for babies born prematurely or unhealthily to hold on to life, was found eligible for The International CSR Excellence Awards, which identifies and rewards the best social responsibility projects worldwide. More than 500 projects competed for the awards were presented at a ceremony that took place on June 16 th at St. Paul's Cathedral in London .

Stating that they are proud and happy to receive another international award, Aysel Aydn, Hayat Global Vice President of Strategy and Marketing, said, "As part of the Bond with Love Secure Attachment Bond Program, which we have implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Health General Directorate of Public Hospitals and the Infant Mental Health Association in 2019, we have embraced more than 160,000 parents and provided trainings on "Secure Attachment Bond" to nearly 3,000 healthcare professionals. Our project, which allows more babies to hold on to life and receive treatment, has a very special place in our hearts. For this reason, it is a special pride for us that Bond with Love has been honored with another international award. As Hayat, issues based on social needs will continue to be our priority both today and in the future."

Since 2019, 160,000 parents in 31 cities were reached

Through the Bond with Love Secure Attachment Bond Program, which was launched to raise awareness on secure attachment bond, home care after neonatal intensive care and infant development, and to provide vital equipment support such as incubators, ventilators and monitors to NICUs, 350 units of vital equipment support have been provided so far to 35 hospitals in 31 cities. In the scope of this program, 160,000 parents were trained by psychologists on the importance of secure attachment bond, home care after neonatal intensive care and child development. Furthermore, 3,000 midwives and nurses in the neonatal intensive care units were informed about "Communication with Parents" and "Child Development".

Bond with Love is in the earthquake zone in Turkey this year

"Bond with Love Secure Attechment Bond Program" continues to support babies and their parents in 11 cities affected by the earthquake this year. In the scope of this project, vital equipments such as radiant heated beds, phototherapy devices, neonatal incubators, bedside monitors and nebulizers will be provided to the neonatal intensive care units of hospitals in Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Kilis, Diyarbakr, Adana , Osmaniye, Gaziantep , Sanlurfa, Adyaman, Malatya and Elazg cities, while secure attachment bond trainings will be given to the earthquake-stricken mothers, midwives and nurses.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2104269/Molfix.jpg

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SOURCE Molfix
VANCOUVER, BC , June 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - WELL Health Technologies Corp. (TSX: WELL) (the "Company" or "WELL"), company focused on positively impacting health outcomes by leveraging technology to empower healthcare practitioners and their patients globally, is pleased to announce that at its annual general and special meeting held June 15, 2023 (the "Meeting"), all of the nominees for election as directors of the Company referred to in its notice of meeting and information circular dated May 10, 2023 for the Meeting were elected.

A total of 77,032,113 common shares representing 32.78% of the outstanding common shares of the Company were voted by proxy at the Meeting. Voting results for the election of directors at the Meeting were as follows:

Resolution Vote Type Total Votes % Voted Kenneth Cawkell For 72,567,009 96.09 %

Against 0 0 %

Withheld 2,955,002 3.91 % John Kim For 71,466,838 94.63 %

Against 0 0 %

Withheld 4,055,173 5.37 % Sybil E Jen Lau For 75,173,684 99.54 %

Against 0 0 %

Withheld 348,327 0.46 % Thomas Liston For 74,959,321 99.25 %

Against 0 0 %

Withheld 562,690 0.75 % Tara McCarville For 73,547,692 97.39 %

Against 0 0 %

Withheld 1,974,319 2.61 % Hamed Shahbazi For 58,933,031 78.03 %

Against 0 0 %

Withheld 16,588,980 21.97 %



The results of other matters considered at the Meeting are reported in the Report of Voting Results as filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) filed on June 15, 2023 .

WELL HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES CORP.

Per: "Hamed Shahbazi"

Hamed Shahbazi

Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and Director

About WELL

WELL is a practitioner-focused digital healthcare company. WELL's overarching mission is to positively impact health outcomes by leveraging technology to empower healthcare practitioners and their patients globally. WELL exists to enable healthcare practitioners with best-in-class technology and services. WELL has built the most comprehensive end-to-end healthcare system across Canada including the nation's largest network of clinics supporting primary care, specialized care, and diagnostics services. In the United States , WELL provides omni-channel healthcare services and solutions targeting specialized markets such as the gastrointestinal market, women's health, primary care, and mental disorders. In addition to providing patient services, WELL develops, integrates, and sells its own suite of technology software and solutions to medical clinics and healthcare practitioners. WELL's practitioner enablement platform includes: Electronic Medical Records ("EMR"), telehealth platforms, practice management, billing, Revenue Cycle Management ("RCM"), digital health apps and data protection solutions. WELL is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "WELL" and on the OTC Exchange under the symbol "WHTCF". To learn more about the Company, please visit: www.well.company.

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SOURCE WELL Health Technologies Corp.
FILE PHOTO: A undated handout photo provided by the Hellenic Coast Guard shows migrants onboard a boat during a rescue operation, before their boat capsized on the open sea, off Greece, June 14, 2023. Hellenic Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) -Shahid Mehmood, a retired Pakistani civil servant, tried his best to persuade his son not to make the trip to Europe in search of a better life.

But 25-year-old Shehryar Sultan was determined to go.

Now, the father fears his son was among those lost in a disastrous boat capsize off Greece on Wednesday in which hundreds of people are thought to have died, among them Pakistanis. The family were praying for him to be recovered alive but by Friday evening had started to lose hope.

Mehmood, 60, said a local travel agent had charged 2.2 million Pakistani rupees ($7,653) for his son's trip, with the promise he would earn well in Europe.

"I tried to stop him; told him to forget the whole thing. But the travel agent had totally brainwashed him, telling him: 'You will only be on the way for two to three days,'" the father said. "My son was gullible, so he went along with them."

He did not name the agent.

Pakistan's economy is suffering record high inflation and an economic slowdown compounded by devastating floods last year.

Mehmood said his son did not have any travel document, or an identity card or passport, but the people who organised the trip flew him off from central city of Faisalabad.

Mehmood said his son stayed two days in Dubai, then six days in Egypt, before boarding a plane to Libya that was so crammed it had people sitting on the floor.

Sultan spent roughly four months in Tripoli before setting out to sea, living in what the father said were squalid conditions. Mehmood said he tried to get the agent to send his son home when he heard about the conditions in Libya, but nothing came of it.

He said he last heard from his son when Sultan got on a boat, which he believes was the doomed vessel.

"He sent a (text) message saying that he was sitting in a boat with around 400- 500 people. And they were expected to be at sea for five or six days," recalled Mehmood.

On Friday, the family was able to confirm that a companion of Sultan was among the dead, said Sultan's cousin, Adnan Iftikhar.

'VERY WRONG'

The death toll from Wednesday's disaster could run to many hundreds as witness accounts suggested that between 400 and 750 people had packed the fishing boat that sank about 50 miles (80 km) from the southern Greek town of Pylos.

Greek authorities have said 104 survivors and 78 bodies of the dead were brought ashore in the immediate aftermath. Hopes were fading of finding any more people alive.

Twelve Pakistanis were among survivors of the boat capsize, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday, but it did not have numbers for how many Pakistanis died, or their identities.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate ferry disaster in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Greece," Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said in a tweet on Saturday.

Most of the people on board the capsized boat were from Egypt, Syria and Pakistan, Greek government officials have said.

"All this is very wrong. The government needs to crack down on all these types of (travel) agents," said Mehmood. "This is cruelty. Sheer cruelty that gives heartache to parents which they will never get over all their lives."

(Reporting by Ariba Shahid in KarachiEditing by Frances Kerry)
ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will travel to France next week to show support for Rome's bid to host the Expo 2030, a government source said on Saturday.

Meloni will be in Paris when the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE), the organiser of the world fair, holds its general assembly in the French capital on June 20 and 21, the source said.

Rome launched its candidacy with the hope of revamping its economy as Milan did with the Expo 2015.

The Italian capital faces competition from Saudi Arabia's Riyadh, South Korea's Busan and Ukraine's Odesa.

Expos are global events that gather millions of visitors in their host cities. The host country for the 2030 edition is expected to be elected in November 2023 by a vote of the 171 member states of the BIE.

While in Paris, it is uncertain whether Meloni will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron.

The two leaders met last month during a Group of Seven nations summit in Japan, aiming to move past tensions arising from accusations by French officials of Rome's mishandling of an influx of migrants.

Italian authorities have also expressed disappointment with the Elysee's commitment to supporting Riyadh.

Italy aims to challenge Saudi Arabia's Expo bid by emphasizing the importance of human rights and labour conditions, underscoring their commitment to ethical considerations.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who will take part in the kingdom's official reception of Riyadh's candidacy on Monday in Paris, met Macron on Friday to discuss the war in Ukraine and other matters, the French presidency said.

On Tuesday, the Italian Embassy in Paris will hold an event dedicated to the theme of the Rome Expo.

(Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni; Editing by Mike Harrison)
People take selfie on the day of an annual LGBT Equality Parade in Warsaw, Poland June 17, 2023. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

WARSAW (Reuters) -Tens of thousands marched through the streets of Warsaw on Saturday to demand equality for LGBTQ people, as the community eyes upcoming Polish elections in which gay rights could play a prominent role.

The country's ruling conservative nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party has focused on opposing what it calls "LGBT ideology" in previous campaigns. With an election in October or November looking tight, activists expect PiS to use issues like gay marriage or teaching about LGBTQ issues in schools to mobilise socially conservative voters.

"I am almost 100% percent sure that it will be happening again this year," said Alicja Herda, one of the organisers of Warsaw's Equality March. "But I am not very worried because we are a very strong community and we will not be easy to stop from doing our prides (marches) because it's okay to be who we are."

PiS says that extending marriage and adoption to gay couples threatens traditional family structures and is harmful for children. It also says that teaching about LGBTQ issues in schools results in children being sexualised.

"Children should not be subjected to practices that are certainly harmful to them and can lead to psychological changes that will negatively affect them in adult life," PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said in May.

That view, which is regularly featured in state-run media, strikes a chord with many voters in the predominantly Catholic country. However, critics say the government is seeking to gain votes by stoking prejudice against a minority that already faces widespread discrimination.

"We know that PiS can use any argument at the moment... That is why we want to show that today diversity, minority rights means Europe that is open, Europe that is tolerant. This is what Warsaw is like and I believe that this what Poland will be like," Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski told a press conference before the march.

Krzysztof Gora, 24, travelled to Warsaw with his boyfriend from London to attend the march.

"We want to celebrate but also fight for more rights [for the LGBTQ community] in Poland," Gora told Reuters. "I think that in a way parties like PiS are using us as a scapegoat. They show that we are monsters, that we are not really human."

While thousands celebrated marching to the sounds of music, a group of anti-LGBTQ activists from the Foundation for Life and Family burned rainbow flags, the symbol of the LGBTQ community.

But not everyone complained about hate and discrimination. Sabrina, 45, a march participant who works in international trade, has recently began sex reassignment process.

"Even when I dress as a woman, which is happening more often these days, I don't experience discrimination," she told Reuters. "But I assume that many people can have a problem with that. Especially outside Warsaw. In Warsaw we have more space."

(Reporting by Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska, Alan Charlish and Kuba Stezyki; Editing by Nick Macfie and Mike Harrison)
WASHINGTON  The Washington Nationals celebrated U.S. Army Day on Friday at Nationals Park, featuring pregame ceremonies with a multitude of Army performers.

The U.S. Army Blues Jazz Ensemble played as spectators walked into the center field plaza, leading off for the Army Drill Team and the Golden Knights.

Lt. Gen. John B. Morrison Jr. threw the ceremonial first pitch to Nationals catcher Riley Adams, setting the stage for the Army Band Pershings Own Chorus to perform The Star-Spangled Banner. Standing in front of the Army Color Guard, the ensembles performance concluded with a flyover from the 12th Aviation Battalion, The Army Aviation Brigade, in four UH-60 Black Hawks.

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Jeff Mellinger, the last active draftee to serve in the Army, called out play ball, marking the beginning of a high-scoring affair between Washington and the Miami Marlins. Both teams scored twice in the first inning alone.

As is tradition at Nationals Park, the crowd gave a standing ovation to service members in attendance between the third and fourth innings.

George Washington, the first commander-in-chief, ran away with the Presidents Race as fellow mascots Thomas Jefferson, Abe Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt marched in unison back to the center field doors in the middle of the fourth.

An Army Chorus quartet opened the seventh inning stretch with the singing of God Bless America as the two teams were locked in a 5-5 tie.

Pinch hitter Garrett Cooper gave Miami the lead with a two-out single in the eighth, which propelled the Marlins to a 6-5 victory over the Nationals.
NORWOOD (Tribune News Service)  Diane Hicks Skidmore comes from a family of fearless fliers.

Her grandfather was an old-timey barnstormer. Her father flew with the U.S. Army Air Corps, as did two of her uncles. Her brother had his small-plane license and was a purser for Piedmont Airlines. Even her grandson has caught the aviation bug, now piloting Cobra helicopters for the Marines.

But when it comes to flying without fear, the 83-year-old High Point native topped them all.

When she was 19, Skidmore was a "wing walker," a daredevil diva who stood on an airplane wing  strapped to a pole that was attached to the wing  as a stunt pilot soared through the sky, performing such aerobatic tricks as flying upside down and executing fancy loops and rolls.

"Back then, I didn't have any nerves at all," says Skidmore, who now lives in the Stanly County town of Norwood. "I had always been interested in aviation, and this was just something that sounded interesting and exciting to me. I'll try anything once."

The year was 1959, and Skidmore was a student at High Point Memorial Hospital's School of Nursing. Her older brother, George, had bought a small plane that he kept at the airport in nearby Lexington, and sometimes she went there with him. That's where she met Melvin Robinson, a well-known stunt pilot from High Point who performed at air shows throughout the Southeast.

"Melvin knew my brother, and he just asked me one day if I'd like to fly on the wing of his airplane," Skidmore says. "I said sure."

The very next day, she found herself standing on the wing of Robinson's small biplane, securely strapped to the pole with a parachute harness, ready for takeoff. The only special equipment she wore was a crash helmet  sometimes she even flew barefoot  and she never received any sort of training. The only credential required was bravery  or insanity, depending on your point of view.

She fell in love with wing-walking from the get-go.

"It's a great thrill to ride on the wing of an airplane," Skidmore told a newspaper reporter back in her heyday. "Yes, I even find it relaxing. I have no fear. I've always liked airplanes and hope to be able to fly one someday. Other folks should try wing-flying. I feel no danger in it."

She went on to wax philosophical.

"Fear is a lack of understanding," she said, "and I feel flying is no more dangerous than riding in an automobile."

Maybe not, but you don't typically see daredevils strapped to the roof of the car.

Even when Robinson began to turn the plane upside down, and Skidmore became disoriented for a second, she reveled in what she was doing.

"He would start turning the plane, and you thought you were going to fall off," she recalls. "It didn't last but a second, though, because he was turning on over. And then when he turned back over, it was the same feeling."

The one drawback Skidmore encountered as a wing walker  and she learned this the hard way  is that once she was in the air, she had to look straight ahead at all times.

"You can't turn your head because you can't breathe, because the wind blows your nose shut," she explains. "I only did it once, and I learned."

During the summer of 1959, in particular, Skidmore performed with Robinson at airshows almost every weekend, most of them in North Carolina, but a few in South Carolina, Virginia and beyond. She was paid $50 for every time she performed.

"That was pretty good money back then," she says, explaining that the cash helped pay her tuition at the School of Nursing.

Nonetheless, the director of the nursing school frowned on Skidmore's new side job and required her parents to submit written permission expressing their approval of what she was doing.

Skidmore's stint as a wing walker ended even more abruptly than it had begun, when her brother was killed in a plane crash on Oct. 30, 1959, only three days after his 21st birthday.

"When my brother got killed, I promised my parents I wouldn't do (wing-walking) anymore," she says. "And I didn't."

George was the purser on Piedmont Airlines Flight 349, which crashed on Bucks Elbow Mountain, near Crozet, Virginia, killing 26 or the 27 people onboard. Skidmore remembers being awakened by her housemother in the dorm at the School of Nursing, and learning of the crash that killed her brother.

"He was crazy about flying  I can't remember much else that he was interested in," she says. "He had just been accepted to the Air Force Academy, and he was supposed to start in January. He wanted to be a jet pilot."

Skidmore also says her brother wasn't even supposed to be on Flight 349, but he filled in for a coworker whose wife was having a baby.

Once she gave up wing-walking, Skidmore focused fully on her nursing career, graduating in 1961 and working for a short spell in the office of Dr. Gene Terrell. She and her husband, Tommy  a High Point College graduate she met when he was a patient at the hospital  eventually moved to his hometown of Norwood, and she spent most of her career working at Stanly County Hospital in nearby Albemarle.

Today, more than 60 years later, Skidmore downplays her days as a wing walker, though she admits how much she loved it.

"It was a lot of fun," she says. "Those were good times."

(c)2023 The High Point Enterprise (High Point, N.C.)

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BRUSSELS  Senior Pentagon officials predicted on Thursday a long, violent battle as Ukrainian forces attempt to drive occupying Russian troops out of their country, offering their most candid comments to date about a new offensive campaign reliant on Western military equipment and training.

Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it would be "very premature" to estimate how long Ukraine's counteroffensive could take, considering that Russia has several hundred thousand troops dug in along the front lines. But he characterized the operation as "a very violent fight" that will "likely take a considerable amount of time - and at high cost."

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, appearing alongside Milley during a news conference at NATO headquarters, noted that the Kremlin had begun to circulate battlefield imagery of smoldering Western combat vehicles. Ukrainian forces, he said, have the ability to recover damaged military equipment and repair it.

"The Russians have shown us [the] same five vehicles about a thousand times from 10 different angles," Austin said, downplaying the significance of Ukraine's losses so far in the counteroffensive. "Quite frankly, the Ukrainians . . . still have a lot of combat capability." He added that whichever side is better able to sustain its combat forces "will probably have the advantage at the end of the day."

The Americans' remarks came as Ukrainian officials said that the country's military had retaken about 40 square miles of territory from Russian occupying forces and that Kyiv's counteroffensive was advancing "gradually but surely." Earlier this week, the Ukrainian military said it had liberated seven small villages in southeastern Ukraine, most clustered near the border of the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Russia's Defense Ministry has characterized Ukraine's attempts to retake lost territory as "unsuccessful," saying Kyiv's forces had suffered "significant losses in manpower and equipment." Moscow also claimed to have thwarted dozens of attacks and reported a successful strike on a warehouse storing ammunition and equipment - but it did not specify where.

Neither side's claims could be independently verified.

Thursday's news conference in Brussels concluded a meeting of defense officials from dozens of countries assisting Ukraine in the war. Collectively, they have provided tens of billions of dollars in military assistance, including an increasingly sophisticated array of weapons that now includes Western battle tanks and the prospect of F-16 fighter jets.

It did not appear that the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, as the coalition is known, had settled on a plan for outfitting Ukraine with F-16s. Milley praised the Netherlands and Denmark, which last month agreed to lead a training program for Ukrainian air and ground crews on how to fly and maintain the advanced aircraft, but he said that the effort "will take some time" and that there remains "a lot of work to do."

"You have to do language training. You have to do pilot training. You've got to get all the systems set in place," Milley said. "Those wheels are in motion, but we're a ways from completion of that project."

In separate remarks, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov spoke excitedly about "the so-called bird coalition" and said he had a commitment from several countries that training will occur. In addition to the Netherlands and Denmark, Reznikov said, Sweden has agreed to some form of "testing" in the effort. Sweden makes the Gripen fighter jet and last month signaled that, while Stockholm has no near-term plan to transfer any aircraft, it may let Ukraine learn how to operate them.

The meeting took place as Russia continues to bombard Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure with long-range missiles and one-way attack drones. Following another round of Russian strikes on cities across Ukraine, Hanna Maliar, Ukraine's deputy defense minister, said earlier this week that "extremely fierce battles" are raging along Ukraine's 600-mile front line, as Kyiv amplifies its counteroffensive.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has expressed cautious optimism at the incremental progress of Ukrainian forces, saying they are "making advances and liberating more land." But Stoltenberg, too, has conceded that it was too early to know whether the Ukrainian effort would be a "turning point" in the conflict and warned of brutal battles ahead.

"Nobody expected there to be zero casualties," he said. "There is fierce fighting going on."

A Western official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to brief the media, predicted "grinding, costly warfare for many months to come."

U.S. officials have been hesitant to address how the counteroffensive is progressing, but they are closely monitoring the fighting, with a senior U.S. military official saying efforts already are underway to incorporate early takeaways into the Western combat training being provided to Ukrainian forces.

"You don't want to fall into the logical fallacy of saying that the first time something happens, it's a trend," the senior U.S. military official said, appearing to reference imagery on social media intended to suggest Ukraine's efforts thus far have been ineffective.

Austin, asked about the adaptation of training over time, said Thursday that the ways in which squads and platoons of Ukrainian combat troops are observed fighting will be incorporated "into the training that we're doing for follow-on forces."

U.S. military officials said that more than 57,000 Ukrainian troops have been trained by Western allies since Russia's invasion in February 2022, including more than 11,000 by the United States. U.S. efforts have involved training 12 battalions of Ukrainian troops at two combat ranges in Germany, including three units on wheeled Stryker vehicles, three units on heavily armored Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and six units on Humvees and other vehicles used by infantry soldiers.

The current U.S. training effort also includes instruction on M1 Abrams tanks, which the Biden administration pledged to Ukraine months ago as part of an arrangement that earlier this year included the transfer of German-made Leopard battle tanks from several European allies. The Abrams training began in May and is expected to be complete around the end of the summer.

In recent weeks, the United States and its allies have sought to steer conversations toward providing military support for Ukraine beyond the current offensive, with an eye to creating security arrangements that could deter Russia long-term. Diplomats from several member states are discussing bilateral or multilateral agreements with Ukraine along the lines of the agreements that channel billions of dollars in U.S. military aid to Israel.

The idea of turning Ukraine into a "porcupine" that could deter or repel future Russian attacks has strong support from allies but falls short of Kyiv's demands to join the alliance. Nothing other than membership would bring Ukraine under NATO's mutual defense pledge.

Stern reported from Kyiv. The Washington Post's Francesca Ebel in London contributed to this report.
Travel Counsellors, one of the largest and fast-growing personal technology platforms for travel entrepreneurs, has announced the expansion of its current Dubai-based business into the neighbouring emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The opening of the new branch office in Abu Dhabi City comes following a record-breaking sales last year, which took its total to over AED80 million ($22 million), said the company in a statement.

Founded in the UK in 1994, Travel Counsellors started delivering bespoke luxury leisure and corporate travel services. The company currently has over 1,900 travel franchisees globally who work remotely with the support of more than 250 colleagues at the companys UK headquarters and overseas offices.

Travel Counsellors was established in Dubai in 2012 and has grown significantly to more than 75 local franchisees amongst its team of travel professionals.

Holly McCann, General Manager of Travel Counsellors in the UAE said: "We are delighted to see the growth of the Travel Counsellors brand throughout the UAE and this is testament to the very special people we have in our community."

"The care they give to customers, especially during the pandemic, and the reputation we have forged in providing trusted travel advice is in high demand and we are looking forward to welcoming Abu Dhabi-based Travel Counsellors into the business this year," stated McCann.

"The business model is truly unique and the best way to learn more is to join one of our regular discovery webinars, which can be found on our website or you can contact me directly and in confidence via LinkedIn," he added.

Steve Byrne, CEO of Travel Counsellors, said: "We are delighted to announce our expansion into Abu Dhabi to further build on our growth plans and we hope to emulate our current success that weve had in Dubai."

"We believe that this is the right time to enter this new market as we take our expansion strategy to the next level and complement our existing offering in the Middle East to demonstrate the strength of our differentiated, disruptive business model as well as meeting the growing customer demand for our trusted and personal travel advice," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
KAMPALA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from an attack by rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Uganda's western district of Kasese has climbed to 37, a military spokesperson said here Saturday.

The ADF rebels attacked Lhubirira Secondary School Friday night in Mpondwe, about 2 km from the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), burning a dormitory.

Among the victims, 17 students were burnt to death, Felix Kulayigye, Uganda's military spokesperson, told Xinhua by phone. "Three students have been rescued. The army is pursuing the rebels to rescue the other six abducted students."

At least eight students who were sent to the hospital remain in critical condition.

The ADF, which is a branch of the Islamic State in Central Africa, is a Ugandan rebel group that is holed up in the jungles of eastern DRC. The rebel group is blamed for causing havoc in villages in eastern DRC.

The Ugandan military and their Congolese counterparts launched joint operations on the rebel group in November 2021. 
A Pennsylvania man was found guilty Friday on federal charges of fatally shooting 11 people and wounding seven others at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, a verdict that makes him eligible for the death penalty for what authorities say was the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.

A 12-member jury in federal court in Pittsburgh convicted Robert G. Bowers, 50, of Baldwin, Pa., on all 63 counts, including hate crimes and weapons violations, after two weeks of searing testimony from dozens of prosecution witnesses. Among those who testified were survivors, including police officers, who had been shot during the attack.

Prosecutors also played haunting 911 emergency calls, during which victims could be heard screaming and struggling to breathe before dying amid rapid gunfire from Bowers, who used an AR-15 assault rifle and three handguns.

Five police officers were wounded as they attempted to apprehend Bowers during the attack on Oct. 27, 2018, in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, a longtime Jewish enclave. Bowers fatally shot six victims in the head and fired about 100 rounds of ammunition in all, prosecutors said.

"The defendant turned this sacred ground of worship into a hunting ground," prosecutor Mary Hahn told the jurors in her closing arguments Thursday, according to local news accounts.

The jury deliberated for a total of about five hours over two days before reaching the verdict.

Bowers's defense team, which did not call any witnesses and introduced no evidence, did not dispute that he carried out the massacre. In her opening statement, public defender Judy Clarke suggested that Bowers was motivated to violence not because of a hatred of Jews, but rather because he feared that congregants were aiding immigrants, whom he considered a threat to Americans.

"None of this is true," another defense attorney, Elisa Long, said during her closing arguments Thursday. "But it is what Mr. Bowers believed to be true."

Bowers sat next to his lawyers at the defense table during the trial, but he did not testify. Survivors and family members of the victims also attended the proceedings each day.

"I am grateful to God for getting us to this day," Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of the Tree of Life congregation said in a statement after the verdict Friday. "Today I'm focused on being with my congregation and praying, singing and clapping in praise of God as we do each Shabbat."

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, said in a statement that the verdict was "a step toward justice in Pittsburgh, but the horror and pain of October 27, 2018 will never go away."

The first phase of the trial determined whether Bowers would be found guilty or not guilty of the charges. A second phase, now that a jury found him guilty, will determine whether he will face the death penalty or life in prison. U.S. District Judge Robert Colville said he expected the second phase to begin June 26.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, and the next phase of the trial could last up to six weeks, authorities said.

Defense lawyers have filed motions stating that Bowers suffers from schizophrenia and epilepsy, brain impairments that they could argue are mitigating factors against capital punishment. Prosecutors rejected a defense offer of a plea agreement that would have resulted in Bowers spending the rest of his life in prison. Colville permitted prosecutors to conduct their own psychiatric analysis of Bowers in the days before the trial began in late May. The results remain confidential.

If the jury does not find unanimously in favor of capital punishment, Bowers would automatically receive a sentence of life in prison, under federal sentencing guidelines.

The conviction comes as the Justice Department has sought to bolster efforts to combat a nationwide spike in hate crimes, which reached a 30-year high in the United States in 2021, according to FBI statistics.

In 2022, the Anti-Defamation League tallied 3,697 antisemitic incidents nationwide - including assaults, harassment and vandalism - a 36 percent increase from the year before and the most since the group began collecting such data in 1979.

Amy Spitalnick, chief executive of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, tweeted Friday that the attack at the Tree of Life synagogue was "part of a broader cycle of right-wing extremism in which each attack inspires the next. And in the five years since Tree of Life, the white supremacist conspiracy theory behind it has been fully normalized in our politics and our society."

During the first phase of the trial, prosecutors called an FBI specialist to read dozens of vile anti-Semitic messages and memes that Bowers posted on Gab, a social media website popular with far-right extremists, including neo-Nazis. Witnesses testified that Bowers entered the Tree of Life synagogue on a Saturday morning when members of three congregations - Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light - that shared the building were observing Shabbat prayer services.

Bowers killed members of each congregation, moving through the building from the chapel to the basement and stalking his victims in the pews, a kitchen and a supply closet.

Myers testified that he survived after hiding in a bathroom for more than 40 minutes, one hand clutching the door handle in case Bowers tried to burst in. Dan Leger, who was wounded, testified that he thought he was going to bleed to death from a gunshot to the abdomen in a synagogue stairway before being rescued by a police officer.

Bowers retreated to an empty children's classroom on the third floor and engaged in a fierce shootout with SWAT team officers, during which he was shot and surrendered after running out of bullets.

Those killed were: Rose Mallinger, 97; Bernice Simon, 84, and her husband, Sylvan Simon, 86; brothers David Rosenthal, 54, and Cecil Rosenthal, 59; Dan Stein, 71; Jerry Rabinowitz, 66; Joyce Fienberg, 75; Melvin Wax, 87; Irving Younger, 69; and Richard Gottfried, 65. Leger and Andrea Wedner, Mallinger's daughter, were shot but survived.

On the final day of testimony Wednesday, Wedner, 66, testified that she and her mother tried to hide in the pews of the Pervin Chapel. Bowers found them after returning to the room and shot them both.

When police officers found her, she said she kissed her fingers and pressed them to her mother's skin, calling out, "Mommy," as they led her out.

After Wedner finished testifying and left the courtroom, prosecutors played the audio recording of her 911 emergency call. She could be heard saying, "Oh God, I can't believe this is happening" amid screaming in the chapel.

After the recording ended, prosecutors rested their case.
The next 18 months could see an undermining of confidence in democracy and the rule of law as former President Donald Trump seeks a return to the White House while defending himself against federal and state criminal charges.

Not since the Vietnam War in the 1960s or perhaps the mid-19th century before the Civil War has the country's governing structure faced such disunity and peril, given the unprecedented nature of a federal criminal indictment of a former president compounded by the fact that Trump has been charged by the Justice Department in the administration of the Democrat who defeated him in 2020 and who is his likeliest general election opponent in 2024, if Trump is nominated again by the Republican Party.

Scholars, legal experts and political strategists agree that what lies ahead is ugly and unpredictable. Many fear that the 2024 election will not overcome the distrust of many Americans in their government and its pillars, almost no matter the outcome. "A constitutional democracy stands or falls with the effectiveness and trustworthiness of the systems through which laws are created and enforced," said William Galston of the Brookings Institution. "If you have fundamental doubts raised about those institutions, then constitutional democracy as a whole is in trouble."

The indictment in the case involving Trump's retention of classified government documents coming in the midst of a presidential campaign raises legal questions about what might happen if he were to be convicted and elected. Could Trump pardon himself? Could he serve as president after a conviction? Could he run for office from a prison cell? Depending on events, those could become ripe for adjudication.

On top of those legal questions are big issues confronting the country. With other investigations continuing - one into Trump's role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and in the fake electors scheme, and the other looking at his efforts to overturn the Georgia results of the 2020 presidential election - more damage might be inflicted on these democratic institutions by the battering likely to take place between now and the inauguration in 2025.

"It seems obvious and clear that it's going to be worse and probably much worse, but the form it might take and what that extreme reaction looks like is very hard to predict," said Jack Goldsmith, who served in the Justice Department and at the Pentagon during the administration of George W. Bush and now is a professor at Harvard Law School. "Convicted or not, nominee or not, we can assume [Trump] is going to inflame this to the maximum and his supporters will inflame this to the maximum."

For the past three years, Trump has sought to shred long-standing trust in the country's electoral process, claiming falsely that the 2020 election was rigged and stolen. With no supporting evidence to buttress those claims, public opinion surveys suggest that Trump nonetheless has persuaded millions of Republican voters that President Biden was not legitimately elected. Election denialism now infects a large portion of the Republican Party.

With the new indictment, Trump is again taking direct aim at the integrity of law enforcement agencies, the judicial system and, ultimately, public faith in the rule of law. He did this as president, and now, in the aftermath of his 37 charges in the documents case - to which he pleaded not guilty - he has escalated those attacks in an effort to discredit the Justice Department and the FBI, claiming he is a victim of a politicized "witch hunt."

This is not the first time the political and legal systems have been tested together. But past comparisons are imperfect because the state of the country has changed. As a result, institutions of government are more fragile. That heightens the risks to the country this time.

The 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore ended in a virtual tie, leading to a bitter recount in Florida that ultimately resulted in the Supreme Court's 5-to-4 decision that effectively awarded the presidency to Bush, who received a narrow electoral college majority, although Gore had narrowly won the national popular vote.

This was a stress test by any measure. Gore was gracious in defeat, even though he disagreed with the court's decision, showing a willingness to put the country and its institutions above his personal ambitions and disappointments.

Benjamin Ginsberg, a Republican lawyer, was working with the Bush team in Florida at the time and pointed to the different conditions then. "Faith in institutions was the only way you would approach that," he said. "That is clearly no longer the case. Both candidates [in 2000] were going to accept the results no matter how fraught the situation. This is really different and unprecedented."

Watergate is another example of the system under stress. In that case, then-President Richard M. Nixon chose to resign in August 1974 rather than remain in office and face almost-certain impeachment and conviction. But that was in part because prosecutors enjoyed the trust of the public and Nixon was not prepared to go against that.

"It's so different from the Watergate context, when there was a pretty broad consensus in the legitimacy of what the prosecutors were doing," Goldsmith said. "That's not in today's politics."

Nixon was pardoned by his successor, Gerald Ford, and to this day is the only president to have received one. Early into his term as president, Trump consulted advisers about the reach of his pardon powers, and whether he could pardon himself in connection to then-special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The Constitution says the president has the authority "to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States." No president has ever pardoned himself, and the question of whether a president legitimately holds such power has never been tested in court.

Michael Gerhardt, a law professor at the University of North Carolina, said the text of the Constitution cannot be read to give the president that authority. "When you grant something, you are giving it to someone else," Gerhardt said. "It can only be sensibly read to convey that the president has the power to give somebody else the pardon, not himself."

Ken Gormley, the president of Duquesne University and an expert on the Constitution, the presidency and the pardon power, agreed. "The idea of a self-pardon runs counter to the entire purpose of a pardon under the Constitution," he said.

Nixon asked the Justice Department for advice on this question during the Watergate scandal. In response, the Office of Legal Counsel said emphatically that the president cannot pardon himself. "Under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case, it would seem that the question should be answered in the negative," Mary C. Lawton, the acting assistant attorney general, wrote in a brief 1974 memo.

Lawton went on to suggest, however, that the president could use the 25th Amendment to declare himself temporarily unable to perform the duties of his office. In that case, the vice president would become acting president and "as such he could pardon the president. Thereafter the president could either resign or resume the duties of his office," Lawton wrote.

Gerhardt pointed to legal scholarship that suggests the 25th Amendment is intended to address disabilities such as physical or mental impairment, and not impairment that is due to a legal problem. But those novel legal questions never have been litigated, and if Trump did attempt to pardon himself - or leave it to his vice president - the issues could end up before the Supreme Court.

Nothing in the Constitution prevents a presidential candidate from campaigning or serving as president while under indictment or post-conviction, although some crimes are disqualifying. In 1920, Eugene V. Debs ran as the Socialist Party candidate while serving time in federal prison for speaking out against the draft during World War I. He received nearly a million votes.

Another question that has arisen is what crimes would legally preclude someone from holding office. Among them are: "Concealment, removal, or mutilation generally," which makes illegal the willful theft or destruction of any government document. Under federal law, committing that crime is punishable by up to three years in prison and disqualifies someone from holding any office in the country.

When law enforcement officials searched Trump's Mar-a-Lago property in August 2022, the warrant listed three crimes that may have been committed to justify the search of the former president's residence. The law that bars someone from being president, U.S. Code 2071, was one of them.

Ultimately, however, federal prosecutors did not accuse Trump of committing this crime in the indictment. None of the crimes that federal prosecutors formally accused Trump of committing would prevent him from being president.

Still another legal question is whether a former president is immune from criminal liability for actions taken while in office. The federal case involving classified documents did not involve things done when Trump was president. The New York case involving hush money paid to an adult-film actress, in which Trump was charged with falsifying business records to conceal the payment, involved actions taken before and during his presidency.

Two pending investigations, special counsel Jack Smith's probe involving Trump's role leading up to the attack on the U.S. Capitol and Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis's examination of Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 results in Georgia, are examining actions carried out while he was president.

Nixon was sued for damages in a civil case after firing a civilian employee. The Supreme Court, in a 5-to-4 decision in Nixon v. Fitzgerald, ruled in his favor, saying that a president had absolute immunity from liability for civil damages when acting in his official capacity.

"If either of those indictments [in the pending investigations] move forward, there's going to be this question of whether Nixon v. Fitzgerald extends beyond civil liability to criminal liability," said Vikram Amar, the dean of the University of Illinois College of Law.

Putting aside these future questions, Amar sees an immediate threat in the cases involving Trump, a threat to the role and power of evidence and the public's belief in evidence. "You can't have a criminal system unless evidence is going to matter, and you can't have elections if evidence doesn't matter," he said.

Amar said he worries about the documents case because, he estimated, "There are 30 to 40 percent of America that would never think Trump's conviction was fair, no matter what the evidence shows. They've made up their minds that this is a witch hunt."

The indictment of Trump in the documents case represented a no-win decision for Smith and Attorney General Merrick Garland, who appointed the special counsel and allowed the charges to go forward.

In the estimation of many legal experts, declining to charge Trump, given the preponderance of evidence laid out in the indictment, would have sent a signal that former presidents, or at least this former president, are above the law.

But the indictment provided Trump an opening to attack federal law enforcement and to further erode his political supporters' trust in the institutions of government.

The possibility of an indictment in the Jan. 6 investigation adds another layer of risk. Goldsmith sees that case as more fraught legally than the documents case and therefore potentially harder for prosecutors to win. It also carries additional political consequences. "Doing two cases at once, will it be seen as piling on?" he said. "Will it be seen as making things worse?"

Biden also is under investigation by a special counsel, for having classified documents in his possession. The facts of the case are very different from those of the one involving Trump, including the fact that Biden and his team appear to have cooperated fully with federal officials. So, too, did former vice president Mike Pence, who also had classified documents in his possession after leaving office.

The Pence matter was closed without any charges being brought. The investigation involving Biden continues. If Biden is not prosecuted, Trump is likely to claim, and many of his followers probably would accept, that there were two standards of justice at work, despite the differences in the facts.

One other investigation will affect the political debate. That involves Hunter Biden, the president's son, and is probing possible violations of tax and gun laws. Federal investigators are said to be nearing a charging decision in that case. Would indicting the current president's son do anything to convince Trump and his followers that the justice system is fair?

Attacks on the legitimacy of government institutions are most virulent on the political right, led by Trump. But many on the left also have doubts, especially about a Supreme Court that now has a solid conservative majority and whose rulings in cases including Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which ended the constitutional right to abortion, have inflamed the political debate.

These are likely to be the conditions throughout the coming election year. By any measure, this represents a gloomy prospect for restoring a thriving democracy.

"At the level of national politics and presidential politics, things do feel quite fragile, and I don't have much reason to think we're about to turn the corner in 2024," said Archon Fung, a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government who studies issues of democracy.

Some experts see small reasons to be hopeful. The institutions of government proved to be largely resilient in the face of Trump's attacks during his presidency, although Goldsmith said he worries about what might happen if Trump is elected to another term. Trump has vowed retribution against his adversaries and would be likely to be surrounded in office by aides who would help him execute his wishes.

Others say that at the local level, there are signs that citizens of differing political views are determined to try to prevent attitudes in their communities from becoming inflamed. Ginsberg said he and Bob Bauer, a Democratic lawyer and former White House counsel, are working with local officials to help assure election safeguards and to educate the public about them.

Many of Trump's critics wish that through the legal process, the former president were somehow disqualified from serving again as president. The counterargument to that is that questions about his fate and the country's future probably would be better answered at the ballot box than in the courtroom.

A conviction and a decisive defeat at the ballot box might force Trump from the political scene and cause the Republican Party to move in a different direction, although in an era of close elections, the prospect of 2024 producing a blowout in either direction remains doubtful - and even that would not necessarily cleanse the system.

"The country functioned after the Civil War," Galston added, "but it was a long time before the system was drained of the political poisons of the Civil War."
(Tribune News Service)  When Patrick Smithwick was raising his second son in the horse country of Baltimore County, Md., he had every reason to believe that Andrew Coston Smithwick would grow up to be as successful as everyone in their high-achieving family.

Andrew had a sharp mind and many friends. He was a good student and tireless distance runner at a local private school. He worked hard on the family farm, could tame difficult horses and charmed the young ladies he knew.

But things havent gone as the father of three hoped. Andrew Smithwick was last seen about four weeks ago, toting a heavy pack on a bicycle along a highway in New Mexico, an overgrown beard matting his weathered face. His 6-foot-3 frame appeared gaunt, his clothes dirty in the photo an internet acquaintance sent. The Boys Latin School graduate, 38, is one of Americas more than 67,000 homeless military veterans and 630,000 homeless people.

Patrick Smithwick, a horseman, author and retired teacher who lives with his wife, Ansley, in Maryland, tells his sons wrenching story  and his familys quest to find Andrew and bring him home safely  in his new book, Wars Over, Come Home, published by TidePool Press last month.

Smithwick didnt relish writing Wars Over any more than he, Ansley, and their two other grown children, Paddy and Eliza, have enjoyed living the slow-motion tragedy it unfurls. He said it has been agonizing to recall and describe the main events.

But he wrote it with two goals in mind  to illuminate for readers the world in which Americas homeless veterans live, and to give someone, somewhere, information they might be able to use to spot the ever-moving Andrew, send the family a tip, and perhaps set in motion a chain of events that could bring him back to Maryland and give him a chance to recover.

As a father, its simple  you love your children as much as you possibly can, and you remain loyal to them and stick by them no matter what, Smithwick said days before Fathers Day, almost certain to become his sixth in a row without seeing his son. And yes, I do believe were going to find him and get him the help he needs.

If there were a least likely place to discuss homelessness in the United States  and in particular veteran homelessness  it might seem to be Prospect Farm, the rolling, 9-acre spread in rural Monkton where Smithwick has lived for years with Ansley, a former private-school teacher and administrator, and a menagerie of animals.

This is where Smithwick (pronounced Smithick) grew up the son of a legendary steeplechase rider, A.J. Smithwick, and came of age among his rough-and-tumble friends. Its where he did his homework as a Gilman School student in the 1960s. And its where, decades later, he spent many happy hours teaching Andrew to ride, shoot, swim and fish.

Tall, slender and dressed in a writerly blazer, the 72-year-old author steers a guest through the familys early-1800s main house, stopping to tell the stories behind such artifacts as framed news clippings about his famed dad and oil paintings of local equestrian scenes.

But its in the intimate setting of his home office, a refurbished milking parlor in the farms pre-Civil War barn, that Smithwick feels comfortable enough to start unpacking the story of Andrew, a lean, handsome young man with penetrating eyes who looks out from numerous pictures on the walls.

A good athlete and an even better marksman as a boy, Smithwick said, Andrew was such a gentle soul he had to ask his sister to bait his fishhooks. Looking back over the years, though, he can see there were signs of problems to come.

Struggles with organization, he said, likely brought Andrew unwelcome stress, which might have hindered his studying.

Rebelling  as is father put it  in his final year of high school, he failed to graduate alongside his classmates. After moving to Florida to live with an aunt, he excelled in enough of his community college classes to earn a diploma from his high school.

Mercer Neale was an understanding man, and he had a lot of respect for Andrew, said Smithwick, referring to the legendary former headmaster at Boys Latin.

After tackling a series of unfulfilling jobs, Andrew began talking about joining the Marines. He scored so well on aptitude tests that recruiters came after him. By 2004, he had been trained as an infantryman and a sniper, signed up for a five-year hitch, and found himself part of an aviation-support unit on its way to Iraq, where coalition forces had invaded the year before.

Those were not easy times for the Smithwicks. Reports coming out of hot zones like the city of Fallujah were spotty, but the news segments they saw about equipment shortages and IEDs were so nerve-wracking the family constantly felt on edge.

Andrew never shared information about his units whereabouts, Smithwick said, but the family learned from letters home, and from later visits, of some of the horrors he faced  watching as a sergeant entered a bathroom facility before it was blown up, picking up body parts after an ambush, surviving a short-range machine-gun attack only thanks to his Kevlar flak jacket.

He said you could never trust the Iraqi soldiers we trained, and you really never had any idea who was going to pull out an AK-47 and point it at you, including children, recalled Smithwick, his voice catching with emotion. You had to decide: Do you shoot this child first, or do you wait? Your life was on the line in the worst of circumstances.

No one who has studied the aftereffects of trauma can be surprised to learn  from the book or from Smithwick  how things played out for Andrew over the next few years.

Returning to the States in 2008, Andrew scored good jobs in security and trucking but couldnt hold them, Smithwick recalled.

He drifted to Michigan to help start a pot-growing business, but it failed. After landing what he saw as a dream job  as a bus driver in Palm Springs, Calif.  he began arguing with customers, venting anger and missing work.

Between 2013 and 2017, Andrews anger seemed to morph into something else, Smithwick wrote in the book. Andrew told his family he believed they were multimillionaires who were withholding an inheritance he was due, that his siblings  Paddy, a dentist, and Eliza, a designer, both of whom live in Colorado  were FBI agents watching his every move, and that most people he met were out to do him harm.

The family ultimately used legal means to gain access to progress reports from a veterans hospital where Andrew stayed in California. As Smithwick describes in Wars Over, they accessed 328 pages of records related to their sons mental health.

About 7% of veterans  and up to 30% who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom  suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, an affliction associated with psychological problems ranging from depression and anxiety to paranoid schizophrenia, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Smithwick, whose three previous books focus on the his familys adventures on the equine racing world in Maryland, weaves a gripping tale that introduces dozens of the colorful characters the family has met while traveling, nearly always on short notice and at great expense, to encampments, parks and alleyways where the nations homeless reside.

At one sprawling encampment outside Seattle, he met a vet who perplexed me over a course of days, he wrote, for the way he wore a blanket over his lap no matter the weather  only to see, when the blanket fell away, that the man had no legs. In San Diego, a man with an alcohol problem who had lost his job, family and home, on being shown a photo of Andrew, asked Smithwick if he could join the search.

More than once  in heavily populated encampments in Los Angeles or Orlando, Fla., or outside Santa Fe or Albuquerque, N.M.  Smithwick tells of moving gingerly through throngs of people, entering areas he has been cautioned to avoid, feeling certain he has spotted Andrew only to be disappointed when he got closer and stole a good look.

It hasnt been all frightening. Smithwick said it has been heartening to meet so many people who are willing to help in the familys search. Dozens of social workers, law enforcement officers, homeless advocates and newly made friends are now part of a growing informal network keeping watch for Andrew across the United States.

Some of the books most dramatic passages show the family actually locating a reluctant Andrew and having a brief encounter.

On one occasion, in Florida, he denied knowing them, cursed them out and disappeared. On another, in New Mexico, the family watched as he prevailed on police to drive him away.

That was one of numerous times authorities have acted to protect Andrews right to independence over what Smithwick believes would have been better for his sons health, he said, though he conceded its difficult for police to make calls in such cases.

Its a fine line [authorities] have to walk between protecting the persons rights and doing what might be best for him, he said, choking up a bit once more. That can be very painful.

Smithwick devotes a lot of energy these days preparing himself for the day when the stars align for a reunion with Andrew.

Books on his shelves range from The Body Keeps The Score, psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolks classic on trauma recovery, to military psychologist Glenn Schiraldis PTSD Sourcebook. He rattles off descriptions of successful new programs that offer therapy for veterans through filmmaking, theater and equine activities.

At least one expert said his optimism is not misplaced. Erin Fletcher is director of the Warrior Care Network, a mental health program of the Wounded Warrior Project that offers a range of similar therapies for both veterans and their families at four major U.S. hospitals, all free of charge. She said knowledge about treating PTSD has grown exponentially over the past 20 years, and that if affected vets can simply find ways to reach out, their odds of improvement are high.

This is a much more hopeful time, she said.

That, Smithwick said, is one reason he has not given up on Andrew, no matter the financial and emotional costs. He can all but picture the day his son will cross their threshold again and be prepared to start his life anew.

Well never stop searching, he said.

2023 Baltimore Sun.

Visit baltimoresun.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Fintan Tindley told gardai he was "desperate" to be reunited with his fiancee in the States.

A former HSE home-care assistant who made knifepoint death threats during post office raids he carried out in order to raise money to visit his fiancee in the US has been jailed for four years.

Fintan Tindley of Loughmahon Avenue in Mahon, Cork, had previously pleaded guilty to the robbery of South Douglas Road Post Office in Cork on November 11, 2022; attempted robbery of the same post office seven days later on November 18; and robbing Ballintemple Post Office in Cork on November 16, 2022.

Det Garda Kevin Motherway had previously told the court that the 49-year-old had travelled to the US twice in 2022 to visit a woman called Skye.

The pair had become engaged after striking up a relationship online.

Det Garda Motherway said that Tindley had told gardai he was "desperate" to be reunited with his fiancee in the States.

Det Garda Motherway said that Tindley had obtained loans of 27,000 from the credit union, 10,000 from An Post, and had borrowed 7,000 from people he met during the course of his work.

Det Garda Motherway said that Tindley had sent around 19,000 to his fiancee, including more than 3,000 he stole during the first two post office raids.

The court heard that Skye had no idea where the funds had come from and was blameless.

He put a knife to the neck of a customer in his seventies, who feared he was going to be cut.

Det Gda Motherway said gardai examined Tindleys phone and found that he had been googling nine post offices around the time the offences were committed

He told the court that at lunchtime on November 11, 2022, Tindley went into the South Douglas Road post office.

He put a knife to the neck of a customer in his seventies, who feared he was going to be cut, and demanded all the money from the postmistress. A sum of 2,380 was stolen.

Just five days later, Tindley went to Ballintemple post office and put a knife to the neck of a woman in her forties.

He demanded 15,000 and left with 1,300. The customer was in fear that she was going to be injured or killed.

He returned to the South Douglas Road post office on November 18 and grabbed a woman in her forties, threatening her with a knife as he demanded money.

The woman thought she was going to be stabbed.

Gardai identified Tindley through CCTV footage and found the knife used in the robberies under the drivers seat of his car.

Defence Counsel Elizabeth OConnell, SC, said that the crimes were totally out of character for Tindley, who had always been a person who was a million miles away from someone with criminal tendencies.

Ms OConnell conceded that the crimes committed by Tindley were indefensible and traumatic and frightening for the victims in the case.

Tindley handed in letters of apology to the customers and staff affected by his crimes.

Tindley handed in letters of apology to the customers and staff affected by his crimes.

In sentencing Judge Colin Daly said that whilst the crimes were premeditated they showed a low level of sophistication in execution.

He said that two people affected by the offences were out of work due to trauma whilst others had experienced anxiety and suffering as a result of the incident.

The judge noted that Tindley had grabbed innocent bystanders and put knives to the necks of two of them.

He acknowledged that it was an unusual case as the defendant had no convictions before this sudden spree of criminal activity.

In mitigation Judge Daly said that Tindley had pleaded guilty, was a diligent employee, and a good son and a carer to his mother.

He noted that Tindley had apologised for his crimes and cooperated fully with the garda investigation.

He jailed Tindley for five years, suspending the last year of the sentence.
Pleading for bail, James Delaneys defence maintained that the drugs had been in the attic for years and years, could have gone off and might be worth nothing.

Gardai found cannabis and pills worth an estimated 120,000 in a mans attic when they searched his apartment, a court heard.

Pleading for bail, James Delaneys defence maintained that the drugs had been in the attic for years and years, could have gone off and might be worth nothing.

Judge Treasa Kelly granted him bail and adjourned the case at Dublin District Court.

Mr Delaney (46), of Rathdown Square, North Circular Road, Dublin 7, is charged with possession of drugs with intent to sell or supply.

Objecting to bail, Garda Ciara Ryan said on May 25, gardai attached to the Dublin Crime Response Team executed a warrant to search the accuseds home address.

They recovered benzodiazepine and cannabis between the ceiling joists in the attic.

Mr Delaney was not present at the time but was the occupier of the one-bedroom apartment. Gardai made phone contact with the accused outlining the allegations and later charged him.

Applying for bail, defence solicitor Tracy Horan said the accused had said the drugs were years and years in the attic.

Gda Ryan said this was what Mr Delaney had said, but she did not know if that was the case and she could not give an estimate for how long the drugs were there.

Ms Horan asked the garda if there was an expiry date on drugs or if she knew how long they stay good.

Gda Ryan said she could not say.

Ms Horan said consequently, the gardai did not know the value of the drugs which had not been analysed yet. Gda Ryan said the estimated value was based on guidelines.

Theres a very strong possibility theres no value to some of these drugs which could have gone off, Ms Horan said.

Mr Delaney worked as a building site banksman and gardai knew where he lived, Ms Horan said.

The accused kept pigeons which he was very close to and looked after every day.

Ms Horan said the accused had been emphatic that hes not a drug dealer, hes never been a drug dealer.

The drugs had been in the attic four to five years and he was frightened to throw them away, she said.

The accused had been working full time, though he was currently signed off sick due to a crush injury.

Judge Kelly said it was a serious quantity of drugs but she was satisfied to grant conditional bail. She set bail in Mr Delaneys own bond of 2,000 with half in cash and an independent surety of 2,000.
UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi speaks at a high-level event in observance of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought at the UN headquarters in New York, on June 16, 2023. Korosi on Friday stressed women's role in land management, which contributes to sustainable development. (Manuel Elias/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, June 16 (Xinhua) -- UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi on Friday stressed women's role in land management, which contributes to sustainable development.

"Today we cast our focus on two topics that matter to us all: land, and women's equal rights to own, manage or inherit it," he told a high-level event in observance of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, which falls on June 17.

When women farmers have access to own land, they grow more and so do their children and nations. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization finds that with women's equal access to resources, including land, agricultural yields could rise by almost a third, resulting in potentially 150 million fewer hungry people in the world, he said.

Empirical research proves that strengthening women's land and property rights increases food security and reduces malnourishment, he added.

"When we include women equally in land management -- and tap their traditional knowledge to promote sustainable land use -- we not only reverse desertification, but also promote land restoration practices," said Korosi.

Together, these positive shifts in women's empowerment have a ripple effect on income and children's welfare, he concluded.

"So, we have the evidence to support why it is advantageous to increase women's land tenure. What we are lacking are the policy decisions and investments that should not only target women's individual rights, but also recognize their role in collectively managing land. In this field, too, we should do our best to remove the barriers to women's participation in decision-making," said Korosi.

"As we mark this Desertification and Drought Day, I urge you to recognize women's contributions to the sustainable management of land and the broader achievement of our 2030 Agenda. And I call upon you to promote laws and policies that give us a fighting chance at leaving no one behind. We cannot let this foundational promise dry out," he said. 
Pensioner Tom Dignam, from Co Donegal, was found guilty of harassment at a previous trial

A businessman who posted messages on Facebook about a company owner involved in the Strokestown evictions in Co Roscommon in 2018 has lost a High Court action trying to secure his release.

Pensioner Tom Dignam (73), from Ballybofey, Co Donegal, was found guilty of harassment at a previous trial at Letterkenny Circuit Court, but claimed to the High Court that he was being unlawfully detained.

One of the arguments he made claiming his detention was unlawful was that the victim of his harassment had to borrow glasses to read a document during the trial but had not been able to state his exact prescription.

Dignam also quoted from the Book of Revelations during his unsuccessful application.

He is serving a prison sentence over messages he wrote on Facebook about Aidan Devlin, managing director of Trinity Asset Management Services which is based in Mulhuddart in Co Dublin.

Mr Devlin was involved in the eviction after his company was hired by KBC Bank after the bank had bought the 33 acre farm at Falsk from the receiver following a legal battle.

Farmer Michael Anthony McGann, who owned the farm, and his siblings David and Geraldine were forcibly removed from the property on foot of a possession order during highly-publicised scenes.

In December 2018, Mr Devlin had acted as agent for KBC Bank in connection with the execution, by the Sheriff, of a High Court order of possession in respect of a property in Falsk.

Afterwards, Dignam posted a number of messages about Mr Devlin on Facebook.

The first which was published on February 22, 2019 said: Heres another scumbag Aidan Devlin who should be hounded at every opportunity, be it in the Supermarket, Pub, Church etc. This scum of the earth was in charge of the eviction in Strokestown last December.

In a post by Dignam on December 10, 2019, he described Mr Devlin as the commander of the violent eviction.

He added: This scumbag hired the loyalist thug Ian Gordon and his thugs with the blessing of KBC bank. His career is over and he knows it.

He posted another message in November 20020 saying: Aidan Devlin. Is this man out of his f**king mind attempting to evict the McGann family for a second time. No amount of money from KBC is worth it, ask Ian Gordon.

A fourth post the following day said: That fat bastard Devlin will soon know what KARMA really means.

Dignam was later arrested and tried on harassment charges.

During the trial, Mr Devlin gave evidence that there had been an attack on security staff who were in situ at a repossessed home in Strokestown, Co Roscommon in December 2018 and that one of the more serious injuries was to Mr Gordon, who was the principal of the security company.

Three men were convicted last week of multiple offences carried out as part of a vigilante attack on Gordon and other security men guarding the repossessed home. Ian Gordon said he had a gun put to his head and was forced to crawl on the ground and eat dog faeces during the incident.

Builder PJ Sweeney (44), from Ramelton, Co Donegal; farmer Martin OToole (58), from Galway, and cattle farmer Paul Beirne (56), of Croghan, Boyle, were each found guilty of 15 out of the 17 charges in relation to this incident. They will be sentenced at a later date. Mr Devlin said that as a result of Dignams posts he became very concerned for his safety.

Dignam had no legal representation at his trial and did not actively participate due to a wrongly-held pseudo-legal belief the court had no jurisdiction over him as he was a living man.

A jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to three and a half years with 12 months suspended if he enters into a bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour, but to date he has refused to sign the bond.

In May he went to the High Court seeking his release by raising a series of objections to the course of the criminal trial.

However, Mr Justice Garrett Simons said: None of these objections discloses a fundamental denial of justice or a fundamental flaw such as would justify an order for release. Rather, the objections are matters for appeal to the Court of Appeal.

Dignam made a series of other objections to his detention, including one questioning his legal identity during which he quoted from the Book of Revelations, but this was outright rejected as the evidence established his full name was Thomas Michael Dignam; that his date of birth is the same as that stated in the committal warrant and he gave the same home address as that stated in the warrant.
Last week, it was revealed how the major gangland trial could be delayed until 2025, after the Public Prosecution Service added a third defendant to the case.

Prosecutors in the Robbie Lawlor murder trial are applying to have the case heard without a jury in what would be a first in legal history in Northern Ireland.

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) is aiming to run the case in what were once known as Diplock courts, in which judge-only trials were used in terrorist cases throughout the Troubles.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, legislation has continued to be renewed for use by the Secretary of State every two years since, due to the continuing terror threat.

Adrian Holland, from Ardoyne in north Belfast, and Patrick Teer from Ligoniel, also in the north of the city, are charged with the murder of the Dublin gangster in April 2020.

Last week, it was revealed how the major gangland trial could be delayed until 2025, after the Public Prosecution Service added a third defendant to the case.

More than three years after the murder took place, Jim Fields, from Belfast, has been charged with assisting offenders in the murder of the Dublin crime boss.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, he is expected to appear in court next Tuesday.

Lawlor (36) was shot dead in broad daylight outside Holland's home at Etna Drive in the Ardoyne area on April 4, 2020.

The killing is suspected of being part of a violent drugs dispute between rival criminal factions with connections to Drogheda, Dublin and Sligo.

Neither Holland nor Teer, from Thornberry Hill in Belfast, are suspected of being the gunman.

Instead, they have both been charged with the murder as part of a joint enterprise with unidentified others.

The pair, who are currently remanded in custody, face further counts of conspiracy to murder and possessing a 9mm self-loading pistol with intent to endanger life.

They appeared together at Belfast Magistrates Court in April via video-link from Maghaberry Prison for a preliminary enquiry hearing.

Defence lawyers disputed claims there is sufficient prima facie evidence to prosecute their clients.

Barrister Joe Brolly, for Holland, previously said: We do not accept that there is a case to answer, but we will not be making any submissions (at this stage)."

He indicated that a legal bid to have the prosecution halted will instead be mounted when it reaches the Crown Court.

During the brief hearing Holland and Teer confirmed they understood the charges.

When asked if they wanted to call any witnesses or give evidence, both men replied: Not at this time.

Granting the Public Prosecution Services application, District Judge Steven Keown told the pair: You will be returned for trial at Belfast Crown Court on a date to be fixed.

He agreed to certify for senior and junior counsel to represent each defendant due to the seriousness of the charges.

Lawlor was shot dead in Belfast, less than three months after he was suspected of an active involvement in the murder of Drogheda teenager Keane Mulready-Woods.

Gardai believe Keane was killed with a single stab wound to the neck by Lawlor before the child's body was subsequently dismembered and dumped in three different places.

Earlier this year Paul Crosby was handed down a 10-year sentence, while his co-accused Gerard Cruise was given seven years in prison by the Special Criminal Court.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Tony Hunt said it was a heinous and appalling crime and the victims remains were treated in a disgraceful and inhuman way that beggars belief.

He expressed the courts condolences to the family, saying it was painful and unnatural for any parent to lose a child, particularly when it comes about by murder.

Meanwhile, a trial date had been expected to be set later this year after decisions to prosecute Adrian Holland and Patrick Teer were issued in March 2022

However, with the addition of Fields, legal sources said it could be late 2025 before the case is ready for trial.

It is understood the police reported Fields to the Public Prosecution Service in September 2021 and that a decision to prosecute was issued last month
Rogue landlord made 18m fortune from prostitution rackets

Paintings by former brothel boss and convicted sex offender, David Archer included portraits of Mick Jagger and Bono. Photo: Mark Condren

Former brothel boss and convicted sex offender David Archer prepares to display his paintings in Dublin city centre yesterday. Photo: Mark Condren

A convicted sex trafficker who made millions of euros by forcing vulnerable women to work as prostitutes in a string of London brothels was out selling portraits of Bono and Boris Johnson in Dublin city centre yesterday.

David Archer (59), who amassed an estimated 18m fortune from prostitution rackets, moved to Dublin following his release from a UK prison in March after serving six years of a 13-year sentence.

Apart from acting as a rogue landlord providing substandard accommodation in the city centre he has also been selling portraits, which he claims to have painted himself, from the railings of St Stephens Green.

Among the pictures for sale is one of the former British prime minister  who is depicted with a Pinocchio nose  while the U2 front man is profiled against the Irish tricolour.

In another portrait the late Queen Elizabeth is made to look menacing and sinister.

When confronted by the Irish Independent and asked about his criminal past the former vice boss replied: On the advice of my solicitor I have nothing to say.

On Friday of last week Archer was arrested by gardai and questioned at Kevin Street garda station in relation to alleged breaches of the sex offenders register.

He was later charged with the summary offence of not registering his presence in this country with gardai.

He was taken before the Dublin District Court where he was released on bail.

On the same day he was evicted from a city centre premises after the owners discovered he had used false documentation to secure a lease and then crammed the property with up to 18 beds which he rented out online to unsuspecting visitors.

Former brothel boss and convicted sex offender, David Archer selling paintings on Merrion Square. Photo: Mark Condren

Security sources say Archer, who changed his name by deed poll from David Grant in 2012, is suspected of trying to re-establish his vice empire in Dublin.

British police believe the former pimp is associated with organised crime gangs in Romania, Brazil and the UK.

In 2017 the Glaswegian was sentenced to 13 years in prison by a London court after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to control prostitution for gain and two counts of human trafficking.

Following a four-week trial he was also found guilty of three counts of sexual assault against a number of the women who he trafficked into the UK.

Passersby look at Archer's work on Merrion Square. Photo: Mark Condren

He was found not guilty of seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault.

Some of Archers victims were forced to pose for explicit pictures which he then placed on adult websites to advertise his chain of four brothels.

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard that police found a woman locked in a bedroom when they raided Archers luxury East London home in January 2016 following a tip off from one of his sex workers.

Archer exploited impoverished and vulnerable women in Eastern Europe and Brazil and lured them to the UK with the promise of proper jobs.

They were then forced to work in his brothels which were turning over an estimated 1.8m a year.

In some of the cases the women said they were forced to engage in sexual activity.

Archer's paintings include ones of Queen Elizabeth and Boris Johnson. Photo: Mark Condren

At the time of his arrest Archer had an estimated worth of 18m, with a large property portfolio including two hotels which he bought for 2.35m.

When the Irish Independent caught up with Archer he looked nothing like a high-living brothel keeper.

Dressed in shorts and sun hat we watched as he unloaded pictures from a van and hung them on the railings at Stephens Green alongside other artists, close to where tourists congregate to catch open-topped bus tours.

When we initially approached Archer we asked about the Boris Johnson picture.

Thats painted on bed sheets, he told us, adding that all the paintings were his own work.

When we said that people in Ireland would agree with the depiction of the shamed former Tory leader he laughed.

I dont particularly like the guy you know, so it kinda shows, you know, he said.

Paintings by former brothel boss and convicted sex offender, David Archer included portraits of Mick Jagger and Bono. Photo: Mark Condren

When he was then asked about his sex trafficking and assault convictions, his arrest last week and why he was in Dublin, Archer looked shocked.

Whats all this about? Whats all this about? he asked.

As we quizzed him Archer responded: Im not telling you anything Im not telling you anything at all thank you very much. You tell whatever you like, youre goin to say it anyway. On the advice of my solicitor I have nothing to say.

The Irish Independent has learned that Archers convictions were not his only scrapes with controversy.

In the 1990s in his native Glasgow he was a wealthy landlord who drove a Porsche.

However he was forced to flee the city after he was exposed for stealing deposits from students while renting substandard properties with no fire escapes. It is understood that he then moved to Dublin where he falsely claimed to be an architect.

In 2007, he pleaded guilty to allowing a dangerous building in Dublin to be used as a hostel for 170 people without planning permission or a fire certificate.

At the time of his arrest in 2016 Archer was a director of two companies, Travel Inn Ireland Ltd and Inspire Designs London Ltd, which he used as a front to buy the properties.

British police have said that he changed his name by deed poll from David Grant to David Archer in 2012 as he was in the process of building his vice empire.

Archers 2016 arrest featured in a BBC documentary on the London Met as TV cameras followed police as they raided his properties.

During the search of one of the brothels the police found 142,000 in cash hidden in a shower cubicle. Archer was filmed being taken from a cell in handcuffs.

It has been reported that police subsequently seized his assets which included three properties in Dublin, four in London and two top-of-the-range cars.
Gardai attached to the Divisional Crime Task Force, DMR North conducted a multi-agency search operation targeting serious crime and the sale and supply of controlled drugs

The campervan that was seized

Some of the haul made by gardai

A man has been arrested after watches, designer clothing and handbags were seized, along with 15,740 cash, a campervan and a low-loader truck in a Garda drugs raid in Dublin.

A multi-agency operation involving gardai, Fingal County Council, Waste Enforcement Officers, Dublin City Council and volunteers took part in the raid at Stockhole Lane, Co Dublin on Friday.

Gardai attached to the Divisional Crime Task Force, DMR North conducted a multi-agency search operation targeting serious crime and the sale and supply of controlled drugs in North Dublin at Stockhole Lane, Co Dublin on Friday, gardai said.

Cash was seized

The search was conducted by Gardai from the DMR North Divisional Crime Task Force Unit with assistance from the DMR North Divisional Search Team, and regular units from Ballymun.

Personnel from Fingal County Council, Waste Enforcement Officers were also present at the search (as well as) Dublin City Council and volunteers.

During the course of the search, a number of watches and designer clothing and handbags was seized, along with 15,740 cash and a campervan and a low-loader truck.

The campervan that was seized

Gardai added: One man, aged in his late 30s, was arrested during the operation for obstruction and has since been released. He will appear before Criminal Courts of Justice, Court Number 3 on July 7 at 10.30am.

Investigations are ongoing.
Cllr Vincent Jackson said children being excluded from the playground was akin to an apartheid system.

The exclusion of children in social housing from using a playground in their housing complex in Dublin has been called disgraceful amid calls to open the playground for all.

Social housing tenants living in the Davitt Road apartment complex on Davitt Road in Drimnagh say they have been excluded from using the communal services that have been reserved for private tenants living in the building.

The facilities in the build-to-rent property include a childrens playground, car park, gym, lounge and a co-working area.

The exclusion has resulted in some children in the property being allowed to play in the playground, while the children in the social housing units watch on.

Councillor Daithi Doolan said the exclusion of tenants is unacceptable and must end immediately.

While councillor Vincent Jackson said children being excluded from the playground was akin to an apartheid system.

Cllr Doolan said: "I met with tenants in the properties reserved for social housing. They are furious at the fact that they can not access car parking, bicycle lock up, the gym or the promised indoor play area.

Meanwhile tenants renting privately have access to all the amenities in the complex.

Davitt Road apartment complex in Drimnagh

"This segregation is wrong. It further divides communities and flies in the face of Dublin City Council's own City Development Plan and their Strategy for Housing People with Disabilities.

Coilin O'Reilly, housing manager at DCC said the exclusion of the playground is disgraceful, however, all tenants should now have access.

Everybody in the Davitt has access to the playground. There was confusion over fobs and that has now been sorted so everybody has access to the playground and anybody who doesn't can come to me directly, he said councillors at a meeting on Monday.

Mr OReilly said the social housing tenants in the complex have access to the other communal services at a cost of 20 per household per week.

The reality is that the private tenants are also paying for those facilities. In the agreement we entered into with the property owners, we are not paying for those facilities.

Mr OReilly said it could be part of a conversation into the future of who pays?

If as a local authority we decide to pay for all our tenants in these properties to have access to those facilities then that money has to come from somewhere, he said.

I do agree that it is disgraceful that children dont have access to a playground and I am glad thats sorted.

Residents are also calling for use of the car park in the complex due to a lack of on-street parking which is causing traffic issues.

Cllr Doolan said dozens of parking spaces in the complex are empty while there is a crisis outside with buses not being able to access the road.

Mr OReilly said there should be an element of parking for people with a disability but, We cant provide parking for everybody everywhere.
However, they did hold out some hope to devastated dessert lovers, with a promise that they would bring back the much-missed Feast this summer.

Ice cream fans are reeling in choc at the news that the iconic Choc Ice is to be discontinued.

Makers HB confirmed the move on Friday.

However, they did hold out some hope to devastated dessert lovers, with a promise that they would bring back the much-missed Feast this summer.

"We're sorry to disappoint Choc Ice lovers with the discontinuation of this ice cream, but we have found that it is no longer as popular as it once was, a spokesperson for HB said.

"We will continue to offer classics such as Iceberger, Brunch, and Loop the Loop, and are happy to say that we have also brought back our chocolate ice cream Feast in time for the sun to shine!"

Scores of people took to social media to express their emotions on the news of Choc Ice demise.

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Kerry TD Michael Healy Rae wrote: "Choc Ice are being discontinued, shocking, what's next?? Is nothing sacred anymore?

"Did the Greens have anything to do with this?"

In wake of the news, a petition has started to save the Choc Ice and already has hundreds of signatures. Podcasters and comedians TheTwo Johnnies were among the many who shared the petition and encouraged people to sign it.

A twitter user posted the petition to bring back the dessert saying: "BRING BACK CHOC ICE - Sign the petition!

"The beloved 'Choc Ice' has been discontinued Choc Ice fan Neil Cash wrote.

"HB Ice-Cream has come to the decision as the once popular dessert is no longer as sought-after as it once was.

We don't accept this and are asking the people of Ireland to come together and make our voices known, we want to keep the 'Choc Ice' on the shelves (of the freezer). For all ice-cream lovers, sign this petition and save the 'Choc Ice'.

"This is extremely bad news. RIP the Choc Ice," another user tweeted.
A man and woman were rushed to University Hospital Kerry while a girl in her teens has been taken to Cork University Hospital

One man has been killed and three other people injured in a two-car crash in Co Kerry this afternoon.

The driver of one of the cars, who was the sole occupant, was killed while three people in the other car were injured.

A man and woman who were in that car were rushed to University Hospital Kerry while a female teenager has been taken to Cork University Hospital.

Gardai said they and emergency services attended the scene of a fatal road traffic incident that occurred this afternoon, Saturday, 17th June 2023 on the R552 in Ballylongford, Co. Kerry.

The two vehicle collision happened at around 4pm, gardai said. The driver of one of these cars and sole occupant, a male, suffered fatal injuries.

The three occupants of the second car are currently receiving treatment for their injuries. A man and woman have been taken University Hospital Kerry while a female (teens) has been taken to Cork University Hospital.

The scene remains preserved this evening to allow for a technical examination, with local diversions in place.

Gardai are appealing to anyone with information to come forward to them.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who may have video footage (including dash-cam) is asked to contact Gardai.

Gardai can be contacted at Listowel Garda Station on 068 50820, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
The council hopes stopping access to the site will prevent further anti-social behaviour

Public access to the vacant Dominick Streets flats and an associated car park are due to be boarded up to prevent extreme drug-dealing and anti-social behaviour.

Dublin City Council will secure the walkway and car park along the flat complex on Dominick street Lower following requests from local residents and gardai.

The site will be secured by hoarding at the front of the flat complex facing onto the Luas stop and the back of the complex will be secured by steel fencing.

The council hopes stopping access to the site will prevent further anti-social behaviour and protect the public from the adverse effects of the vacant site.

Councillor Cieran Perry said the buildings that are due to be demolished for redevelopment need to be demolished as soon as practically possible.

There is extreme anti-social behaviour, drug-dealing going down at this site, possibly the worst in Dublin as far as Im aware.

We cannot have the continued black spot of drug dealing and crime down there, he said.

While councillor Christy Burke said the level of criminality in the area is the worst Ive ever seen, comparing it to the heroin epidemic in Dublin during the 1980s.

Its serious stuff, he told councillors on Tuesday at the local area meeting.

In the early days of the heroin epidemic it was done in broad daylight, nobody cared who they were offending or what authorities might arrest them.

That went on morning, noon and night from storing heroin, crack cocaine, right across the board, on balconies, shoots and in other small pockets of the complex, he said.

Dominick Street Flats on Dominick Street Lower

Cllr Janice Boylan said people are constantly under the attack of anti-social behaviour and serious drug dealing which is affecting businesses, residents, people walking on the street and those waiting at the Luas stop.

Councillor Ray McAdams said the issue is down-right thugery and criminality.

Concerns were also raised over hoarding being erected as it is easily damaged and could be used for storing drugs, with calls for murals to be painted on the hoarding to improve the appearance of the street.

In response, David Forde, area manager said the hoarding would be erected as soon as possible, but a temporary access point would remain open for access to the creche.

The Dominick Street Regeneration Project has seen some 70 new homes built directly across the road from the old flats.
Hanks, who spoke to a crowd who lapped up every word he said, discussed the plot of his new novel, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece.

Tom Hanks (right), with festival co-founder Sian Smyth, Bono and broadcaster and journalist Andrea Catherwood, who interviewed Hanks at his sold-out event held in the Church of the Assumption as part of the annual Dalkey Book Festival. Photo: Conor McCabe Photography

Tom Hanks and Bono after the event at the Dalkey Book Festival. Photo: Conor McCabe Photography

Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks proved he can do a convincing Irish accent  as he provided a heartfelt and amusing tribute to former artistic director of the Abbey Theatre, Vincent Dowling, whom he credited with his colossal career.

Hanks (66), who was speaking to a packed house at the Dalkey Book Festival earlier, did an impression of Mr Dowling and recalled how he had told Hanks when he was a young man: I think you could be an actor. I would like to give you an opportunity in my theatre.

I would like you to join us as an actor, officially in the company. What I cannot do is pay you any money. To this the crowd laughed.

The star added that Mr Dowling had instead offered him experience working in a professional theatre.

A bunch of us bought it. And I am here today because of Vincent Dowling, Hanks said, to a huge reaction from the audience. 

Hanks, who spoke to a crowd who lapped up every word he said, discussed the plot of his new novel, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece.

The book tells the tale of the making of a multimillion superhero action film and a comic book that inspired it.

Among the celebrity guests in the audience were Bono, who was joined by economist and festival organiser David McWilliams.

Hanks delved into some of his life as an actor and told about the challenges of having to film regardless of how he felt over the years.

And he revealed how hed learned early that being on time, working hard and meeting the right people, had been the most important issues that drove his early career. Clearly Mr Dowling had been one of those right people.

When asked if he had ever fallen out with anyone on set, he diplomatically responded: You can respect anyone once the camera is running.

The writer said hed tried to touch on things that did not make sense and serendipity and how you end up where you are, doing what you are doing.

He referenced his role in the 1984 movie Splash and said he wound up meeting Ron Howard, the famous director, and producer Brian Grazer.

They were about the same age as me, he said. That was refreshing. At that time, producers and directors were all a generation above us. They were making this odd little movie.

I went in and thought I was auditioning for the funny looking brother, as Id never considered I was anything other than the geeky, funny looking guy, Hanks said.

Ron called me up and said Great job By the way, you got the job. But I need you to do a test with Daryl Hanna on film.

Clearly very humble, the actor then told how he asked Howard was there any chance if he did the screen test that the movie makers would decide they want her but lose that guy.

Howard had promised this wouldnt happen.

He added: Then I asked why me? To which Howard responded: Well, no one else would do it. The audience again laughed. To think that this would become a smash hit and a cult classic to this day, was clearly something that resonated.
The Hollywood star was awarded 10.3 million dollars (8 million) in damages following the high-profile defamation case in June 2022.

Johnny Depp to donate one million dollars of US lawsuit settlement to charity (Doug Peters/PA)

Johnny Depp will donate one million dollars (780,000) of his legal settlement with his ex-wife Amber Heard to charity, the PA news agency understands.

The Hollywood star was awarded 10.3 million dollars (8 million) in damages following the high-profile defamation case in June 2022.

He had sued the Aquaman star over an article she had written in the Washington Post in 2018, which his lawyers said falsely accused him of being an abuser.

Following a six-week trial in Fairfax County, Virginia, jurors returned a verdict in Depps favour.

The Hollywood star was awarded 10.3 million dollars (8 million) in damages following the high-profile defamation case with Amber Heard last year (Doug Peters/PA)

In December, Heard said she had made the very difficult decision to reach a settlement in the case, which PA understands to be in the amount of one million dollars.

A source close to Depp confirmed to PA on Friday that the money would be split between five charities.

They include the Make-A-Film Foundation, Red Feather, The Painted Turtle, the Tetiaroa Society, and the Amazonia Fund Alliance.

After the settlement was announced, Depps lawyers said they were pleased to formally close the door on this painful chapter.
KIEV, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 200 settlements have been affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Friday.

With a combined population of 1.4 million, the affected communities are located in the southern Kherson and Mykolayiv regions and the central Dnipropetrovsk region, Shmyhal said during his visit to the Kherson region.

Currently, 39 settlements remain in the disaster area, while more than 3,700 people have been rescued from the flooded areas, Shmyhal said.

The government has allocated about 42 million U.S. dollars to provide compensation for the damaged and destroyed property and to pay one-time aid to flood victims, he added.

The Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam was destroyed on June 6, with Ukraine and Russia trading accusations over the attack on it. 
'We lost on Mother's Day, the week ofI struggle with Mother's Day still.

Michelle Topham's eyes begin to water as she describes her experience of losing her second child to miscarriage.

After the loss, Michelle was gifted a massage voucher.

'The massage therapist had flowers for me when I arrived, and I felt so special. I thought: I can't be the only one feeling this way after a miscarriage'.

The Tauranga mother cites this as her 'encouragement to start Massage after Miscarriage  she knew other mums could feel the same relief she did.

Three years later, the group has supported more than 200 mums.

Michelle and her husband live in Tauranga with daughter Olivia, aged five, and their rainbow boy' John  born healthy after the loss of their second child.

Back in May 2020 Michelle believed she was nine weeks pregnant when she went to a routine scan to find out she had miscarried.

'I'd been spotting for a week before I told my midwife about it. I tried to tell myself it can be normal but I knew inside that it wasn't to be

Any gestation

Massage after Miscarriage helps mums at any gestation.

'We send them for massages, facials, nails, hair treatments.

The emotional wellbeing of these mums is at the forefront of Michelle's mind, and she hopes the pampering will help that.

'We just want to support them through such a rough time.

Women are referred to Massage after Miscarriage by a midwife after their loss.

For Michelle, who runs the non-profit charity, this opportunity to support mothers through such a tough time is payment enough.

'I get a message of thanks and it just boosts me because I know what we're doing is so important.

"They feel seen, they feel cared for. It's the fact that they don't have to think about it, you just turn up and relax. It's really nice to give back.

Michelle's impact has grown to reach Hamilton, Queenstown and Auckland's North Shore in three years.

This growth is physically represented by the care packages.

'It's funny, the care packages started off with maybe three small items, now you're getting that much more love in them. It's so cool. These are really heavy and full now.

A care package

After the massage, mums are sent home with a care package made by Michelle, and flowers donated by local florists Myrrh & Co, Cherrywood Florist and Bethlehem Floral Studio.

'The care packages are filled with products donated by New Zealand businesses such as Mia Belle NZ, Amalie's Room, Koa's candles, Malsea Body Co, Favoured.NZ.

A community of sorts has been created by Michelle, as Massage after Miscarriage fosters a safe space to discuss these experiences of loss, which she says is so important.

'It just makes me so proud that I've turned something so awful for myself into something beautiful for other people.

Massage after Miscarriage is holding a high tea fundraiser at Matua Hall at 3pm, Saturday, June 24, to continue supporting mums.

The event is now sold-out. Michelle is grateful to All Occasions Party Hire in Hamilton, which has donated the cups and saucers for the high tea.

Support can be gifted to Massage after Miscarriage at: massageaftermiscarriage.com


Tauranga resident Ford Saunders is just one of 115,000 blood donors in NZ who are being thanked publicly during National Blood Donor Week, which finishes on Sunday. Anyone can book in to donate by calling 0800 GIVE BLOOD.

"I started donating blood when I was in high school because they would come and see us," says Ford who donated his first unit of blood in 2005 at Waitakere College.

So far, he has donated blood or plasma 32 times.

Just one of his donations has the potential to save up to three lives, so this means Ford has potentially helped save up to nearly 100 lives.

It's estimated that every 18 minutes somewhere in New Zealand someone needs lifesaving blood or plasma.

Ford Saunders donating plasma at the Tauranga blood transfusion centre. Photo: Supplied.

While every whole blood donation does have the potential to save up to three lives, red blood cells only have a shelf life of 35 days, and platelets which are important for helping stop bleeding, need to be transfused within seven days.

The New Zealand Institute of Medical Laboratory Science is putting its full support behind National Blood Donor Week which runs until Sunday June 18.

"Most people are probably unaware, but we have specialist medical laboratory scientists and technicians, and expert donor nurses all working together to provide this vital service for all New Zealanders." says NZIMLS President Terry Taylor.

"I call on members of the public to come forward and support the drive of the NZ Blood Service to recruit new donors."

To the over 115,000 current donors NZMLS is sending a huge 'thank you' for the generosity of what these donors are doing for those in less fortunate health situations.

"This simple act adds hope and stability to so many who are often at their most desperate need of life containing blood and plasma donations."

New Zealand Institute of Medical Laboratory Science president Terry Taylor. Photo: Supplied.

After moving to Tauranga Ford continued donating blood and then started donating plasma in 2017.

"I was working just down the road from the blood donor place on Cameron Road. On the days when I finished early I could shoot down to the donor centre and get the last slot of the day," says Ford.

"I donated blood there once and then talked to them about the plasma donation, because I asked what did they need more of and what was more useful.

"They said they could use the plasma for a wider variety of things, plus I could donate that fortnightly, whereas blood donation is longer than that."

He has continued on donating plasma, in between having two children and becoming a dad.

Donating during challenging times in New Zealand

It has been a challenging time for New Zealand from the Christchurch Mosque attacks, to the Whakaari /White Island eruption and then Covid-19, but throughout it all New Zealand's blood donors have ensured that blood and blood products have been available to help save lives.

Tauranga Blood Donor Service on Cameron road. Photo: Supplied.

Blood donors make up less than 4 per cent of the eligible population but provide an essential service that plays a vital role in the health of our nation, NZ Blood Service National Manager Marketing and Communications Asuka Burge said in 2019.

'Following the Christchurch mosque attacks in March 2019, 520 units of red cells, platelets, cryoprecipitate and fresh frozen plasma went directly to help save lives. In the aftermath of the Whakaari eruption, blood and blood products made up of donations from 751 donors were used to help save 12 critically injured patients," says Asuka.

'And through the Covid-19 lockdown our donor centres remained full. An amazing 15,300 Kiwis put aside personal anxiety and put their faith in our service to ensure blood was available whenever and wherever it was needed. Blood donors save lives."

National Blood Donor Week

The National Blood Donor Week is held in June as June 14 is the birthday of Karl Landsteiner, the Nobel Prize winner who discovered the ABO blood group system.

NZ Blood Service provides a critical and essential role in providing the blood products for New Zealand's most vulnerable patients.

To donate blood call 0800 GIVE BLOOD (0800 448 325) . Photo: NZ Blood Service.

It is a way that members of the public can give something that is the equivalent of liquid gold for those that desperately need blood products to not only survive but also to be part of the social fabric most of us take for granted.

"From my personal experience of being a plasma donor I can think of no more rewarding role to play in the health system," says Terry.

"To have had first-hand experience in my diagnostic job with some of the sickest patients we have, to be a donor is quite frankly the least someone in my role can do to support these vulnerable patients."

"The work that the NZ Blood Service, and in particular the role of donors to the sustainable functioning of our health system, should never be underestimated.

"I encourage those who are thinking of coming forward to pop into their nearest donor centre or call 0800 GIVE BLOOD (0800 448 325) to do something that has a real positive outcome for the recipient of the liquid gold.

"Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini"

Success is not the work of an individual, but the work of many.

About the NZIMLS - NZ Institute of Medical Laboratory Scientists

The NZIMLS was formed in 1946 and is an Incorporated Society that represents the professional affairs of the nearly 4,000 Medical Laboratory Scientists, Technicians and other associated medical laboratory workers and industry representatives in New Zealand.

Medical laboratory scientists crossmatch blood to ensure that people receive compatible life-saving blood, plasma and platelets. Photo; Supplied.

The NZIMLS publishes the New Zealand Journal of Medical Laboratory Science, provides a CPD programme, an ethical framework for laboratory workers, education programmes, professional qualifications, and an advisory role to a variety of agencies and health working groups.

The NZIMLS services during the Covid pandemic expanded into providing regular media updates and addressing misinformation about medical laboratory science. The NZIMLS meets regularly with their professional colleagues and provides expert advice to working groups and organisations across the health and disability sector.

'A scientist is not the one who gives the right answers but is the one who asks the right questions
KABUL, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Afghan police have arrested seven people on the charge of involvement in drug smuggling and destroyed around 70 acres of poppy farms in three out of Afghanistan's 34 provinces over the past two days, said a statement of the country's Ministry of Interior Affairs released here Saturday.

The alleged smugglers, according to the statement, were attempting to sell the contraband to drug addicts in different parts of the country, but police identified and took them into custody for investigation.

Police also destroyed around 70 acres of poppy farms in Ghor, Parwan, Daikondi and Badakhshan provinces over the past week.

Also, Afghan counter-narcotics police arrested eight people on the charge of involvement in drug smuggling in Kabul last week.

In April of last year, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Afghan caretaker administration, issued a decree to ban the cultivation of illegal crops, such as poppy, as well as the processing of these crops into drugs and any related drug trafficking within the country. 
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Duanesburg, N.Y.  A state trooper was shot and a driver has died from a self-inflicted gunshot Friday after a traffic stop in Duanesburg, Schenectady County, police said.

The driver had gotten out of state prison in March after serving 11 years for manslaughter.

Trooper Richard Albert stopped an SUV that was speeding at about 100 mph around 11:16 a.m. on Interstate 88, Trooper Stephanie ONeil, a state police spokesperson, said in a news release.

The driver opened fire and struck Albert in his left upper arm as he approached the SUV, ONeil said. Albert returned fire and the driver fled on foot, she said.

A passenger was taken into custody.

The driver, Nelson Troche, 32, of Schenectady, was found about an hour and a half later in the area of Darby Hill Road in Duanesburg, ONeil said. He had a self-inflicted gunshot wound, she said.

Troche was taken to Albany Medical Center by a med flight and was declared dead, ONeil said.

Albert was taken to Ellis Hospital and has been discharged.

Troche had been released frpm prison in March after serving 11 years for first-degree manslaughter in the Bronx, according to state corrections department records.

Staff writer Fernando Alba covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, question or comment? Reach him: Email | Twitter or at 315-690-6950.
With 34 seasons and 750 episodes completed, The Simpsons have become an American television institution.

Renewed for at least two seasons more, the animated series shows no sign of ending any time soon.

It has come a long way from its start when the show, and one of its main characters, 10-year-old Bart Simpson, was thought to be corrupting American youth.

By the summer of 1990, after the first 13 episodes had aired on Fox, the Simpsons family from the fictional city of Springfield could be found just about everywhere.

Especially Bart.

The troublemaker and prankster son of Homer and Marge, whose antics included talking back to his parents, vandalism, and using a slingshot, had a starring role in a Butterfinger commercial and starred in a Nintendo game. Burger King was planning a new ad campaign involving the mischievous character that summer.

Local stores like Spencers Gifts and J.C. Penney, which had a dedicated Simpsons kiosk, sold some 200 different licensed products.

Frances Simpson of Baldwinsville holds up her Bart Simpson key chain in 1990. It was one of the hundreds of "Simpsons" products which were in stores following the show's first season.Syracuse Post-Standard

That included t-shirts featuring Bart, which became immensely popular at Central New York schools.

One of them, though, put the animated spikey-haired boy in hot water with educators and parents.

On it, Bart is holding a slingshot beneath the word Underachiever. A quote bubble has the character saying, And proud of it, man.

Children began wearing these shirts to school and their message caught the attention of educators. Schools in Ohio, Kentucky, and California banned the shirts.

On May 31, 1990, the Watertown School District in Jefferson County joined them.

Arguing that the Underachiever shirt encouraged students to give up trying in the classroom, Superintendent Warren Fargo banned the shirts. Students who wore them had to turn them inside out for the day.

We dont need someone interjecting those values into our buildings, he said. We try to hold students to high expectations of achievement here.

The response from students was loud and clear.

This is so stupid, said one. Theres even teachers at school who dont agree.

Theres fights here every day, fights after school, a junior told The Post-Standard. And they are banning t-shirts.

The ACLU called Watertowns decision outrageous.

The district was the only local school to ban them. But others were paying attention.

I really do believe kids need some kind of influence, Westhill High Schools director of guidance said. Children easily believe things they see on television.

Eventually, J.C. Penney would pull the Underachiever shirt from shelves.

Outside of schools, CNY parents had to make their own calls on Bart, many of whom found him to be a negative influence.

A mother from Liverpool said her 11-year-old son repeated the infamous Underachiever, and proud of it line at home. Another admitted the show was a riot, but said her son did not want to do his homework after watching it.

Alice Martino of Manlius wrote a letter to The Post-Standard which said the Bart Simpson t-shirts worked at cross purposes of schools.

Would you do business, she asked at places where employees wore shirts with slogans like Take this job and shove it and Poor workman and proud of it.

Teens and kids pushed back and wrote letters to the editors and told reporters that there was nothing wrong with Bart Simpson.

Its all the adults. They have a problem with kids laughing at a cartoon, complained 16-year-old Janelle Krakau of Onondaga.

Chris Gervaise, a senior at Paul V. Moore High School, thought the animated sitcom was a more accurate portrayal of American family life than The Cosby Show.

(Cosby) is the most ridiculous show in the world I know. Thats not typical.

Jeffrey Bower of Auburn, who described himself as a 90-average student wrote to the Herald American, part of a Sunday Soapbox of letters devoted to the Simpsons issue on June 24, 1990:

I just wish the schools would take the Simpsons for what they are: a funny cartoon sitcom. No actions are taken against any sitcoms that have adults in them that are overly rude. The schools are just banning Bart because hes a kid and they think all kids that watch the Simpsons will become rude and barbaric like Bart.

Student Rachel Kruth made this point:

So, if someone starts insulting Bart Simpson, maybe they should flip through the channels on the television and see what else is going on. I think that if you take careful notice, you will see that Bart Simpson isnt so bad after all. Who knows, maybe he will be the hero of the 90s.

She might have been right.

The cartoon lads on South Park, starting in 1997, and the misbehavior of the characters on Family Guy, debuting two years later, would make Bart Simpson seem tame in comparison.

Read more

A century-old debacle? The messy tale of how Syracuse wound up with its city flag

How an Onondaga County man helped start the biggest gold hoax in history

The sordid history behind that massive, mysterious mansion atop the tallest hill in Baldwinsville

This feature is a part of CNY Nostalgia, a section on syracuse.com. Send your ideas and curiosities to Johnathan Croyle: Email | 315-416-3882.
It has been two years since President Joe Biden signed legislation declaring June 19th a federal holiday on June 16, 2021.

For many Americans, this was likely their first encounter with Juneteenth, a day of jubilation long celebrated by Black Americans across the country.

Over the last 158 years, this celebration has grown organically from a localized party into a national recognition of the evils of slavery, the joy of emancipation, and the long and winding road headed towards justice and racial equality.

On June 19, 1865, United States Army Maj. General Gordon Granger, entered Galveston, Texas. Here, some 1,600 miles from his hometown - the aptly named Joy, New York, in nearby Wayne County - Granger and his force of nearly 2,000 Union soldiers found the last bastion of slavery in the war-torn nation.

- Major General Gordon Granger. Born in Joy (Sodus), New York, in 1821. After the war, Granger was given command of the District of New Mexico. He died on January 10, 1876. Provided by Onondaga Historical AssociationProvided by Onondaga Historical

More than two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation, an estimated 250,000 enslaved Blacks still toiled for King Cotton under the bondsmans whip in the sweltering Texas heat.

In accordance with his duties, Granger issued Order Number 3 informing the people of Texas that in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.

The long-awaited and joyful news of their emancipation spread like wildfire from Grangers headquarters on Galveston Island, as Union soldiers marched through the streets reading the revolutionary order.

Actual freedom for many, however, was still a long way off.

As noted historian Henry Louis Gates has written, the implementation of Grangers order was not instant magic for the enslaved people of Texas. In fact, the newly freed people faced violent retribution, including threats of mob attacks and lynching, and many plantation owners tried to delay the news of emancipation until after the upcoming harvest or until they were forced to comply by an Army representative.

Despite these harsh realities, the unbridled joy of those souls that first heard the news was overwhelming. According to one published account passed on through the generations, they whooped and hollered and bored holes in treesand stopped it up with powder and light creating improvised fireworks to aid in the celebration.

That celebration became known as Juneteenth, and it was observed by the freedmen in Texas the very next year. From these humble beginnings in Galveston Bay, amidst incredible violence, intimidation, and discrimination, African Americans all over the United States transformed Juneteenth into an annual national rite and the primary commemoration of the end of slavery, in what Henry Louis Gates rightly calls one of the most inspiring grass roots efforts of the post-Civil War period.

The ratification of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery in December 1865, six months after Granger delivered the news of emancipation to enslaved Texans, finally made the martyred Presidents Emancipation Proclamation the supreme law of the land.

During the Reconstruction period, which lasted from 1865 until 1877, African Americans in Central New York continued to celebrate the end of slavery with annual gatherings on or around January 1.

Yet, new battles over civil rights occupied much of their efforts and ultimately provided the Black community and their allies with even more reasons for celebration. The ratification of the 14th Amendment in 1868, which, among a host of other things codified the concept of birthright citizenship, thereby recognizing the citizenship of millions of Black Americans, and the 15th Amendment (1870), which gave African American men the right to vote, were both celebrated with much fanfare in Central New York.

On June 7, 1870, Syracuses approximately 450 Black citizens held a grand celebration of the passage of the 15th Amendment and the endowment of all their rights and privileges of free and independent citizens, at Kaisers Grove.

That same evening, a large crowd gathered inside Shakespeare Hall, in the Bastable Block on East Genesee Street, to hear two incredible men speak.

The Hon. Hiram Revels, U.S. Senator from Mississippi, who, in January 1870, become the first African American selected to that body in American history, and Rev. Henry Highland Garnet, the well-known African American abolitionist preacher, who had attended the National Convention of Colored Men in Syracuse in October 1864.

During that stay, Rev. Garnett had been attacked by a group of racist rowdies, who stole his cane and threw his papers into the Erie Canal.

Thankfully, no such violence visited the 1870 gathering. According to press reports, the event was well attended and a great success. It did not, however, become an annual celebration in and around Syracuse.

Over the ensuing decades, Black Americans in Central New York continued to celebrate emancipation in a variety of ways, though not surprisingly, Juneteenth garnered little, if any, coverage in the local press.

- Risha Enzi and George Kilpatrick, the co-chairs of Syracuses Juneteenth Committee that resurrected the city-wide celebration in 1988. Onondaga Historical Association Onondaga Historical AssociationCourtesy of the Onondaga Historical Association

In 1881, the Syracuse Journal reported on the large celebration planned in Geneva, of which many Black Syracusans planned on attending. Emancipation Day, the Journal informed its readers, is the Colored peoples Fourth of July. The Journal writer, like so many other Americans, was seemingly unaware of Juneteenth.

Over a century later, Risha Enzi, a member of Syracuses Juneteenth Committee, reiterated that important point.

Ms. Enzi told The Post-Standard, It is our Fourth of July, our Independence Day.

Enzi was part of a group of Syracusans that resurrected and organized a city-wide Juneteenth Celebration in 1988. As was the case in the 1880s, many Central New Yorkers had no real awareness of Juneteenth or what a significant day it had become for millions of their fellow Americans over the past 125 years.

George Kilpatrick, Syracuses minority affairs director at the time and another driving force behind the new city-wide celebration, was inspired by the stories he read about celebrations in Buffalo and from folks in this community about the festivities many attended as children decades earlier.

Among these was 86-year-old, John Williams.

Mr. Williams told a reporter that he fondly recalled the annual Emancipation Picnic, where Colored people from all over Central New York came.

By the 1950s, some of the younger generation, like Jeanette Brown, looked forward to the annual June picnic at Sylvan Beach. Yet, even as a youngster, Brown recognized something was special about the event. People got all dressed up to go. Black people everywhere were invited. It felt like the Fourth of July.

The need for a separate Fourth of July may strike some readers as surprising or even divisive.

As part of Syracuse Inaugural Juneteenth Celebration on June 18, 1988, Mairead Connor, Gary Weinstein and Myriene Jones led a group to place a headstone on the unmarked grave of Edmonia Highgate, a bi-racial Syracuse native who gained some national acclaim as a teacher for the American Missionary Association and orator before dying in 1870, at age 26. The Post-Standard file photoThe Post-Standard file photo

Yet, recall that the in the Supreme Courts infamous Dred Scott decision in 1857, they declared that persons of African descent were not citizens. And even after the ratification of the 14th Amendment remedied this odious legal decision, for many Black Americans over the course of the last 247 years, the nations birthday was an annual reminder of their denizen status.

This sentiment was exquisitely articulated by Frederick Douglass in what was arguably his most famous speech, given just a short ride west on the Erie Canal, in Rochester.

On July 4, 1852, eleven years before he was scheduled to speak at Syracuses very first Emancipation Jubilee (he was unable to attend), Douglass asked his predominately White audience a profound rhetorical question, What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July?

He answered, a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham.

The news of freedom celebrated in Clinton Square on that cold January day in 1863 and that Maj. Gen. Granger carried into Galveston on June 19, 1865, marked massive steps forward on that long and winding road to remedying that gross injustice; a road that we continue to walk together, stumbling along the way.

In a poetically tragic coincidence, the nation now celebrates both Juneteenth and Fathers Day within days of each other.

Let this convergence act as a poignant and heartbreaking reminder that the gross injustice Douglass spoke of, slavery, destroyed families and ripped fathers from sons for well over two centuries by the time Granger rode into Texas bringing with him the joyful news of freedom.
Jeffrey Hoffman is a New York City-based attorney who hosts Ask Me Anything about Cannabis Legalization in New York each week on LinkedIn. Hoffman and NY Cannabis Insider have partnered to bring those sessions into print in a Q&A format.

Hoffmans practice focuses on cannabis industry clients, including licensees in the adult-use market, practitioners in the medical cannabis space, and cannabis-adjacent product and service providers.

He has a particular interest in social and economic equity cannabis license applicants, and he also informs and assists those convicted of cannabis offenses in getting such convictions expunged from their record. He can be reached at info@420jurist.com.



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The following AMA from June 15 has been edited for length and clarity. His next AMA will be held June 21 at 4:20 p.m.

Why did your show start so late today?

Were way behind and way late today because we were up at Pharmacann in Montgomery, New York, with the first cohort from the Cannabis Justice & Equity Initiatives class related to returning citizens and getting them involved in the regulated cannabis industry here in New York.

The Cannabis Justice & Equity Initiative is something weve been working on with Terrence Coffie over at NYU, along with some other great folks, as well as entities such as Exodus Transitional Community. CJEI focuses on two things: the J is justice and the E is equity (and also employment). So the justice part seeks to make sure all non-violent cannabis offenders are out of jail and all cannabis convictions are expunged here in the state of New York.

And then the equity (and employment) piece of it is exactly what we were doing today, our first cohort of returning citizens - for those of you who are not familiar with that term, these are folks that were previously incarcerated, in our case for cannabis offenses  learning about the regulated cannabis industry with an eye towards joining it.

CJEI has and continues to seek memorandums of understanding with various licensed cannabis entities here in the state to help turn our program into an employment funnel such that these folks will be able to go from incarceration to employment. Thats what Professor Coffie did - he went from incarceration to working for The Doe Fund and now NYU. And this is what we hope to see folks in this first cohort do.

So we had about two dozen folks from our first class up at the facility seeing Pharmacanns cultivation and processing capabilities. I think what the students liked the most were the grow rooms - we got to see everything from where they did the cloning, to the vegetative rooms, to the flowering rooms, and on to drying and curing. Ultimately that field trip ran over, so the show started late today.

Whats the latest on the CAURD licenses?

The Cannabis Control Board is finally giving out a significant number of licenses in the previously enjoined regions. These were the regions that were previously enjoined by the Variscite lawsuit - Finger Lakes, Central, Western, Mid-Hudson, and Brooklyn.

What would a local business owner in Southampton do to change his location from a nightclub to a dispensary?

The big problem on Long Island is real estate. Its whether or not the area where he is has opted out - most of Long Island opted out. Its whether or not theres a zoning regulation in the locality that would prevent him from opening - a lot of the localities have some zoning regulations that are allowed (and probably some that are not and people will probably have to sue over those to get those removed).

Itll depend on whether or not he owns the building or whether or not he has a landlord and whether or not the landlord is hip to that use and whether or not the landlord has a mortgage and if so whether his bank is hip to that usage.

It depends on whether or not youre too close to a church or a school. Plus a whole lot more. So theres all kinds of things that you need to look into as to whether or not that location would be applicable for a cannabis dispensary.

How about the application for the standard licenses?

The regs were published in the state register today, I guess the appropriate way to phrase it is: the Office of Cannabis Management has now promulgated the regulations for most of the licenses here in the state.

So we count 45 days from right now, which puts us at the end of July. Assuming all goes well between now and then, the OCM could then give 30 days notice and open the application. So my guess is at some point in September or October, you will see the application open. That is my hope because I have a bet with several attorneys here in the state and my time window for the application to open is anytime up until November 11.

As long as the application opens on or before November 11, I win the bet. So hopefully, I will win that bet.

Do you think there will be a lottery or a scoring system when awarding licenses to social equity applicants?

I think that there will be a scoring system for awarding all of the licenses. That is what they did for CAURD. I think the question is: will we know what the scoring rubric is before they start awarding licenses? For CAURD, we didnt - we didnt know how many points each thing would be worth. I really think we should know that. If I was a regulator, I would disclose my licensing scheme and scoring rubric before I started giving out licenses. I just dont think its good when we dont have that level of transparency.

What is the status on home grow?

The first AU sale was December 29, 2022, at Housing Works, so that gives OCM until roughly June 29, 2024, to promulgate the home-grow regulations. They could do it at any time before that. But they must do it by then. Really, all they need to do is take the current medical home-grow regs, drop the word medical, and were good to go.

I dont know what else they really need to do. So Axel and John and Ben, why dont you guys just do it already?

Is there any new news on the DASNY fund?

They did the modification at a recent board meeting where they said that the fund could now take on debt capital. Previously, it could only take equity capital. My guess is they did that modification because they thought that they were going to be able to close on some debt financing relatively soon.
A high-profile regulator resigned, the Cannabis Control Board approved NYs first Finger Lakes dispensaries, and we checked in on a new legal shop in Syracuse.

Lets take a look at the stories NY Cannabis Insider covered last week.

The biggest headline of Thursdays Cannabis Control Board meeting came at the end, when board member Reuben McDaniel  also CEO of the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York  resigned from the board. The announcement came a couple weeks after CAURD licensees sharply criticized McDaniel during a tense meeting at the CUNY School of Law..



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In May, CANY penned an open letter citing a conflict of interest for the Executive Director of DASNY to hold a seat on the Cannabis Control Board given the direct business involvement of DASNY with the CAURD program.

On Thursday, McDaniel did not address his reasoning for leaving the board, and drew praise from CCB Chair Wright for his work up to this point.

Earlier in the meeting, State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes turned some heads when she suggested that cultivators complaining about the pace of New Yorks legal weed rollout arent running sustainable businesses.

There are people in California who will come and pay you for your license right now; and they will not whine about what theyve been through to get to where they are, Peoples-Stokes said.

Board members also discussed the possibility of farmers markets for cultivators  with OCM staff cautioning about logistics  and licensed 36 new CAURD dispensaries, including seven from the Finger Lakes region.

We also ran a Q&A with Carson Grant, a CAURD licensee who gave an impassioned speech during the DASNY/OCM/CAURD meeting at CUNY and aired complaints about the programs management.

For another CAURD perspective, we talked to licensee Carl Anderson, who spoke openly about his frustrations with regulators as he struggles to open a dispensary in the Bronx.

Mike Wilson, CEO of Temeka Group, contributed a guest column that looks at how cannabis retail licensees in New York can save on costs.

Recently, it has become clear that many of New Yorks CAURD licensees are unaware of just how critical their early decisions will be for not only limiting costs but also the subsequent success of their business, Wilson wrote in the piece.

In another guest column, Mike Doyle, a consultant, adjunct professor, and the founder of Cannasigliere, wrote about how New Yorks illicit market jeopardizes a decade-long truce presented by the Obama-era Cole Memo.

The memo, Doyle wrote, served as a sort of quasi-treaty between the federal government and the states when it came to the persecution (and prosecution) of individuals involved in the state-legal cannabis trade.

Paula Collins, a tax attorney dedicated to the cannabis industry and a co-founder of the NY Consortium of Cannabis Accountants, contributed two guest columns last week.

The first discusses recent OCM enforcement actions. The second encourages people to take a page out of Carson Grants book, and continue to challenge regulators with tough questions.

Earlier in the week, we checked in with Mike Flynn, owner of Flynnstoned Cannabis Company, a CAURD licensee which became Syracuses first legal dispensary on Friday. (Flynnstoned is entirely self-funded and not reliant on DASNY).

NYC cannabis attorney Jeffrey Hoffman answered questions this week about home grow, the DASNY fund, the latest on CAURD licenses, and more.

Continuing our NYs women in cannabis series, we ran a profile on Claire Moloney, Leaflinks vice president of business operations.

We also added a new entry to our People to know in NY cannabis series: Jes Feuer, Etains marketing director who came to cannabis with a background in fashion PR and communications.

Have a great weekend everyone, well be back with plenty more next week!
Syracuse, N.Y.  Cannabis enthusiasts lined Walton St. despite the steady rain falling on Friday evening.

They were waiting to enter FlynnStoned Cannabis Company, a three-level marijuana playground. The largest store in New York State did not disappoint with many THC infused products. Even the water at FlynnStoned, sold as Weed Water, was full of THC.

The grand opening was a full block party with multiple cannabis dealers and a stage with live music.

FlynnStoned is owned by Mike Flynn, who also owns the Geddes-based roofing company The Roofing Guys. He bought the three-story building in downtown Syracuse for $2 million a couple months after legalization took effect in 2021. Since then, Flynn has spent about $1.3 million renovating the space and has been anxiously awaiting the day he could open the doors to customers.

FlynnStoned becomes just the 10th legal brick-and-mortar dispensary to open in the state, along with three that are delivery-only at this time. Most of the shops are downstate, while three are Upstate: in Binghamton, Ithaca and Schenectady.

The states Office of Cannabis Management confirmed that the three-story, 13,000-square-foot shop in Syracuse is the states biggest to open so far.
TEHRAN, June 17 (Xinhua) -- About a dozen were killed and scores others poisoned over the past few days after drinking "counterfeit" alcohol in the northern Iranian province of Alborz, local media reported Saturday.

Over the past two days, 10 people were killed and two suffered brain death in the province because of alcohol poisoning, President of Alborz University of Medical Sciences Shahram Sayyadi was quoted by Iranian Students' News Agency as saying on Saturday.

A total of 99 suffering from alcohol poisoning symptoms were referred to medical centers across the province during the same period, he added.

Some other media sources, such as the semi-official Fars news agency, put the death toll at 14.

Meanwhile, Alborz Province's Chief Justice Hossein Fazeli Herikandi said close to 100 people have so far been referred to medical centers in the province's capital Karaj with alcohol poisoning symptoms and a number of them have died, Mizan news agency of the Iranian judiciary reported.

It is likely that some other poisoned people have not been transferred to medical centers and died at home, he added.

So far, three distributors of alcoholic drinks were identified and arrested, through whom a number of the major distributors of industrial-grade alcohol in the province were captured, according to Fazeli Herikand.

He said it was found that the industrial alcohol had been "illegally" sold by the owner of a hairspray production factory in Eshtehard County in Alborz. 
kadanaJ BHPian



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Re: Sajjan Jindal owned company plans to pick up 45-48% stake in MG Motor India



Business Today: Chinese-owned MG Motor India to sell majority stake; invest Rs 5,000 crore by 2028

Quote: MG Motor India, the local subsidiary of the Chinese-owned passenger vehicle major, has come up with an ambitious plan to transform its business by 2028 amid Indian governments onslaught on investments from the neighbouring country. After securing one per cent share of Indias passenger four-wheeler market in 2023, the company is now planning to bring in local owners in its bid to Indianise the business.



The foreign owners of the company are now planing to divest its majority stake to Indian partners within 2-4 years. For the same, it has already started scouting for buyers among Indian investors, including institutions, its local business partners and HNIs. We will finalise the new investors-cum-owners of MG Motor India, who together would own more than 50 per cent of the company within FY24," Rajeev Chaba, CEO Emeritus, MG Motor India told the media today. The aim is to Indianise the company that will, in turn, help it raise funds for the next phase of expansion through expansion in its production capacity. TOI: 54 Chinese Investments Proposals Pending: Nirmila Sitharam



Quote: "54 FDI proposals received during the past year and current year with investor/ beneficial owner from China/Hong Kong are pending for decision with government as on March 21, 2023," Sitharaman informed Parliament on Monday.



The Indian government is not considering easing restrictions put in place a few years ago on foreign investments from countries that share land border with India, Sitharaman said.



In 2020, India sought to limit investments from China as political tensions heightened between the two countries with its soldiers clashing at the disputed Himalayan region.



The restrictions called for beneficial owners of a country sharing a land border with India to seek its government's approval for investments.

The step was taken to prevent hostile takeovers of Indian companies when the country was severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Government Press release from 2020



Quote: A non-resident entity can invest in India, subject to the FDI Policy except in those sectors/activities which are prohibited. However, an entity of a country, which shares land border with India or where the beneficial owner of an investment into India is situated in or is a citizen of any such country, can invest only under the Government route. Let me share some news articles to shed further light on why MG is divesting their stake in India.MG is allegedly in talks with RIL, Hero, Premji Invest and JSW for the sale of stake. Hope the above articles help clarify why they are going through this exercise.
In context: Moveit, Progress Software's enterprise-level managed file transfer application has had a bad month. Only a few weeks ago, known Russian-linked threat actors and ransomware groups actively exploited two vulnerabilities, impacting private, corporate, and government customers.

Progress Software's latest issue tracked as CVE-2023-35708 is a SQL injection vulnerability that hackers can exploit to gain escalated privileges and unauthorized access to Moveit's database. In this case, attackers can submit a crafted payload to a Moveit Transfer application endpoint, providing them with unauthorized access to its database content.

The new security hole joins two similar, previously reported issues, CVE-2023-34362 and CVE-2023-35036. According to Progress Software's advisory, any versions released before 2021.0.8 (13.0.8), 2021.1.6 (13.1.6), 2022.0.6 (14.0.6), 2022.1.7 (14.1.7), 2023.0.3 (15.0.3) are at risk.

ICYMI: @CISAgov & @FBI are working closely to address risks posed by the #MOVEit vulnerability & urge orgs to apply mitigations detailed in our joint advisory: https://t.co/4sCMsJ4mj9. Any org observing unusual activity should immediately notify CISA or FBI so we can assist. pic.twitter.com/Exs4W4eeWs  Jen EasterlyAAiA (@CISAJen) June 16, 2023

The number of current Moveit hosts and users is far from insignificant. According to a report from censys.io, more than 3,000 hosts are running the managed file transfer solution. More than 30 percent of the hosts running the software are in the financial services industry. More than 15 percent of customers are from the healthcare industry, almost 9 percent work in information technology, and over 7.5 percent are from government and military installations. Twenty-nine percent of the organizations observed in the report employ more than 10,000 individuals.

Progress Software recommends that users and hosts patch the product and mitigate the vulnerabilities immediately. The announcement provides several remediation paths for users and administrators to ensure they are no longer susceptible to the identified exploits. Users who have not applied the May 2023 patch should follow the mitigation steps in the Moveit Transfer Critical Vulnerability article. That page contains the latest patches, including the fix for the June 9 (CVE-2023-35036) vulnerability and the original vulnerability from May 31 (CVE-2023-34362). Once complete, proceed to the Immediate Mitigation Steps and apply the June 15 patch as outlined. You will then be up to date for the vulnerabilities announced on May 31, June 9, and June 15.

Researchers believe the Clop ransomware gang has been aware of the vulnerability since 2021. According to Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly, the attacks have thus far mainly been opportunistic and had no significant impact on federal civilian agencies. Easterly also said, "...we are not aware of Clop actors threatening to extort or release any data stolen from U.S. government agencies."

Image credit: censys.io
CHARIKAR, Afghanistan, June 17 (Xinhua) -- One person has been found dead while three others have been wounded in separate incidents in Afghanistan's eastern Parwan province, local police said on Saturday.

The person was shot and killed by a Kalashnikov near his house early Saturday morning near Qala-e-Khwaja of Bagram district, 55 km north of the Afghan capital Kabul, police spokesman Mohammad Kamran Zaid said in a statement.

It added that no one has been arrested for the murder, and police started an investigation into the case.

On Friday, a man shot at and wounded three people with a powder gun in Sayed Khil district of the province.

The murderer was arrested by police and taken to the related department for investigation, the statement said.

The Afghan caretaker government has vowed to collect all weapons used illegally to ensure security all over the country. 
NASA has partnered with seven US companies, including industry giants like Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Northrop Grumman, as part of its Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities-2 initiative (CCSC-2).

These strategic collaborations aim to advance commercial space-related efforts, benefit human spaceflight endeavors, and bolster the US commercial low Earth orbit economy.

Space Act Agreements

Under unfunded Space Act Agreements, NASA will contribute technical expertise, assessments, lessons learned, technologies, and data to bolster the development of commercial space capabilities.

By leveraging NASA's wealth of knowledge and experience, the agency facilitates the growth of essential capabilities crucial for a thriving low Earth orbit economy, all while minimizing reliance on government resources.

The selected participants in this initiative consist of Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Sierra Space Corporation, Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX), Special Aerospace Services, ThinkOrbital Inc., and Vast Space LLC.

Collaborating with NASA, these companies are poised to spearhead groundbreaking advancements in space capabilities and encourage healthy competition within the industry.

The selection process for these partnerships involved evaluating proposals based on the companies' alignment with NASA's goals, the availability of requested resources, and the feasibility of the company's business and technical approach. It is important to note that each party will bear the costs associated with their participation.

Read Also: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Uncovers Surprising Galactic Discovery in Early Universe

NASA Upcoming/Ongoing Projects With Companies

Each of the selected companies brings a unique project to the table. Blue Origin aims to create an integrated commercial space transportation capability to provide safe, affordable, and frequent access to orbit for crew and other missions.

Northrop Grumman plans to contribute its Persistent Platform, which offers autonomous and robotic capabilities for commercial science research and manufacturing in low Earth orbit.

Sierra Space is collaborating with NASA to establish a commercial low Earth orbit ecosystem, focusing on next-generation space transportation, in-space infrastructure, and expandable and adaptable space facilities.

Special Aerospace Services will develop in-space servicing technology, propulsion, and robotics. Their joint efforts will yield the Autonomous Maneuvering Unit (AMU) and the Astronaut Assist-AMU, facilitating safer assembly of commercial low Earth orbit destinations and enabling in-space servicing, retrieval, and inspection of systems.

On the other hand, SpaceX is working with NASA on an integrated low Earth orbit architecture that encompasses Dragon evolution, Starship development, and constituent capabilities like crew and cargo transportation, communications, and operational support.

ThinkOrbital and NASA have also joined forces to propel the development of ThinkPlatforms and CONTESA (Construction Technologies for Space Applications). ThinkPlatforms, known for their self-assembling nature, are launched as a single unit and serve as expansive orbital platforms.

These platforms play a vital role in conducting in-space research and manufacturing to enable astronaut missions. CONTESA is equipped with cutting-edge technologies such as welding, cutting, inspection, and additive manufacturing.

Vast is also collaborating with NASA on technologies and operations required for its microgravity and artificial gravity stations. This partnership lays the groundwork for the Haven-1 commercial destination, which promises to provide an environment of microgravity conducive to various activities, such as accommodating crew members and fostering in-space manufacturing.

Related Article: NASA Says Sightings of Mysterious Flying Metallic Orbs Are Becoming Frequent; 800 Encounters Already Reported

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Newly discovered fossil remains on the Isle of Wight have led to identifying and naming a new species of ankylosaur, a heavily armored dinosaur.

The new dinosaur species has been named "Vectipelta barretti" in honor of paleontologist Professor Paul Barrett, the head of fossil vertebrates at the Natural History Museum in London.

Armored Dinosaur or Ankylosaur

It reportedly belongs to a group of plant-eating dinosaurs, known as ankylosaurs, unearthed on the island's Wessex formation in the 1990s. This discovery marks the first time in 142 years that an armored dinosaur from the island was officially described.

Lead author Stuart Pond emphasized the importance of this finding, stating, "For virtually 142 years, all ankylosaur remains from the Isle of Wight have been assigned to Polacanthus foxii, a famous dinosaur from the island, now all of those finds need to be revisited because we've described this new species."

Through several key characteristics, Vectipelta barretti distinguishes itself from Polacanthus foxii, the previously known ankylosaur from the Isle of Wight. The fossilized remains exhibit differences in the neck and back vertebrae, a distinct pelvic structure, and more blade-like spiked armor.

Researchers utilized phylogenetic analysis to examine the relationships between different ankylosaurs. Surprisingly, they discovered that Vectipelta is most closely related to certain Chinese ankylosaurs, suggesting that dinosaurs freely migrated from Asia to Europe during the Early Cretaceous period.

During the Early Cretaceous, Vectipelta barretti roamed the Earth, a period with scarce global fossil remains. This scarcity has led to speculation about a Jurassic mass extinction event.

Studying dinosaur diversity during this crucial time is vital for understanding potential extinctions and subsequent recovery. The Wessex Formation and the Isle of Wight, rich in rocks from this era, are crucial research areas in addressing these questions.

Read Also: Up to 90,000 Year Old Nevada Ice Age Fossils Disrupt 500-Mile Solar Energy Line

Mediterranean Climate

When Vectipelta barretti lived on the Isle of Wight, the climate resembled that of the Mediterranean. The region consisted of a floodplain with a meandering river system.

Floods would combine organic materials, including plants, logs, and dinosaur remains. As the water retreated, these organic materials would become secluded in ponds, slowly desiccating and becoming buried in clay soil.

The new dinosaur species had been named in honor of Barrett, who has made significant contributions to vertebrate paleontology and is a renowned authority on dinosaurs.

Barrett has dedicated two decades of his career to the Natural History Museum, publishing 220 scientific papers, supervising 31 PhD students, and mentoring numerous others.

The research team is optimistic about the possibility of uncovering additional species in the area. Palaeontologist Dr. Susannah Maidment of the Natural History Museum said, "We have new iguanodontians that we are lining up, to be prepped and to be studied. I think we have at least two new taxa in the collections. With regards to ankylosaurs, they are somewhat rarer, so I think we need to keep our eyes peeled."

The newfound dinosaur species is now part of the Dinosaur Isle Museum's internationally significant collection, which is operated by the Isle of Wight Council.

Portions of the dinosaur will be on display at the museum during the school holidays. The findings of the team were published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.

Related Article: Archaeologists Discover Earliest Evidence of Cooking 780,000 Years Ago in the Jordan River

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Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced that its policy to combat the spread of misinformation about Covid-19 on its platforms will no longer be in effect globally.

Meta Updates Covid-19 Policy

The decision comes as countries worldwide are gradually easing Covid-19 restrictions and returning to a sense of normalcy. In May, we reported that the World Health Organization declared that the virus is no longer a global health emergency.

Meta clarified that the policy would still be enforced in countries where a public health emergency declaration related to Covid-19 is in effect.

NBCNews reports that the move by Meta comes after mounting pressure on social media platforms to take more stringent measures against misinformation, particularly regarding the pandemic and vaccines.

In an effort to address these concerns, Facebook previously removed 1.3 billion fake accounts between October and December 2021 and eliminated over 12 million pieces of content related to Covid-19 and vaccines that global health experts flagged as misinformation.

Last year, Meta sought the guidance of its independent oversight board on potential changes to its approach, considering the availability of authentic information sources and the increased general awareness about Covid-19.

The company's decision to no longer enforce the Covid-19 misinformation policy globally reflects its confidence in improving information accuracy and accessibility.

Read Also: Meta Joins AI Race With New Language Model for Researchers

Meta to Consult With Health Experts

In a recent blog post, Meta stated that it would consult with health experts to identify specific claims and categories of misinformation that could still pose a risk to public health.

Content violating the company's coronavirus misinformation policies will continue to be removed in countries with ongoing public health emergencies.

It is worth noting that Twitter had also previously implemented a Covid-19 misinformation policy but rolled it back in November. The social media landscape has faced numerous challenges in combating misinformation during the pandemic.

The proliferation of false claims about Covid-19, vaccines, and public health measures has raised concerns about the potential harm caused by misleading information.

Addressing Covid-19 Misinformation

While Meta is committed to addressing Covid-19 misinformation, it recognizes the need to reevaluate its measures as the pandemic situation evolves.

The company's COVID-19 Information Center, launched during the pandemic, has connected billions of people worldwide with reliable and authoritative information.

Meta acknowledges that different countries are at various stages in their pandemic response, with some experiencing lower vaccination rates and less developed healthcare systems.

Therefore, the company aims to adopt an approach considering countries' diverse circumstances while maintaining a balance between free expression and public safety.

Meta's decision to seek advice from its independent oversight board regarding the effectiveness of its current measures demonstrates its commitment to addressing misinformation responsibly.

The Oversight Board, established as a check and balance for Meta, will advise whether the existing policies regarding Covid-19 misinformation are still appropriate or if alternative approaches, such as labeling or demoting content, should be considered.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: Meta's Oversight Board Report Reveals Progress in Transparency, Calls for Further Improvements

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Chinese environment authorities have officially approved the commissioning of the "Thorium Molten Salt Reactor - Liquid Fuel 1" (TMSR-LF1), marking a significant step forward in China's pursuit of clean and efficient nuclear energy.

As reported by Interesting Engineering, the reactor's construction in the Hongshagang Industrial Cluster in Wuwei City, Gansu Province, began in 2018 and was completed ahead of schedule in August 2021.

This groundbreaking initiative has been made possible by leveraging the potential of thorium, a plentiful and promising alternative to uranium.

Moreover, it is worth noting that Canada played a pivotal role in supporting this endeavor, with a collaborative agreement signed between SNC-Lavalin and the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) in 2016.

The Potential of Thorium

The International Atomic Energy Agency explains that thorium, a silvery metal found abundantly in nature, is attracting global interest due to its advantages over conventional nuclear fuel, such as uranium-235.

While thorium is not a nuclear fuel in itself, it can be utilized to produce a fissile material called uranium-233.

This characteristic allows thorium to generate more fissile material than it consumes when used in water-cooled or molten-salt reactors.

With an average thorium concentration of 10.5 parts per million in the Earth's upper crust, compared to 3 parts per million for uranium, thorium offers a potentially abundant and sustainable long-term energy solution.

Read Also: Department of Energy Awards $46M to 8 Startups to Develop Nuclear Fusion Energy

China's Thorium Molten Salt Reactor Project

The TMSR-LF1 reactor in China is an experimental liquid fluoride thorium reactor. It employs a fuel salt mixture and coolant salt, which enable the utilization of thorium and uranium-235.

With a maximum operating temperature of 650C, the reactor aims to test various techniques such as pyro-processing, refueling, and continuous gas removal.

The goal is to study the thorium-uranium fuel cycle's stability, safety, and viability. The successful operation of TMSR-LF1 would pave the way for developing a larger thorium reactor with a capacity of 373 MWt by 2030.

Canada's Role in Advancing Thorium-Based Nuclear Energy

Canada's nuclear industry has long been at the forefront of nuclear research and development.

In 2016, a significant agreement was signed between Canadian engineering firm SNC-Lavalin and CNNC to install two advanced CANDU nuclear reactors near Shanghai, China.

Vice notes in a 2017 article that China, with its expanding nuclear sector and a focus on carbon-free energy at the time, was an ideal collaborator due to its vast stockpiles of thorium.

At the time, it was reported that the CANDU reactors would be built at the Qinshan nuclear plant and would be fuelled by reprocessed uranium recycled from conventional reactors and, later, thorium.

What's Next?

China's authorization of the TMSR-LF1 reactor represents a crucial step toward harnessing the potential of thorium in nuclear power generation.

With ongoing advancements in nuclear technologies and growing international interest, deploying thorium reactors could offer a long-term solution to humanity's energy needs while contributing to the global effort to combat climate change.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: Companies to Spend $7 Billion on First Nuclear Fusion Plants: Report

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Scammers are getting smarter at each campaign that they are launching. This time, they drain victims' money by luring them to click fake websites that impersonate legitimate clothing brand pages. However, there are effective measures you can take to safeguard yourself from falling victim to these scams. Let's explore some crucial tips to protect yourself while shopping online.

Imposter Websites of Apparel Brands is a Growing Concern

Recent research has revealed that scammers have become adept at creating counterfeit websites that closely resemble legitimate brand sites, with the likes of Puma, Nike, Guess, Adidas, and more on the list. In their elaborate campaign, they have registered thousands of domains and established numerous sites to dupe unsuspecting shoppers.

The threat actors aim to fool the buyers that what they set up is a legitimate website with a known apparel trademark.

To make it even more believable, scammers even match the website's URL to its branding. They will usually add the name of a country followed by dot (.) com for the domain.

Once a customer unknowingly visits the website and starts to add a product to the cart, the fraudulent campaign kicks in. Upon purchasing footwear or pants, the victim will receive a knockoff version of the item.

The alarming part about this scheme is that the scammers know your whereabouts and even your bank pin code, email address, and other confidential data. They can potentially use your information in their future fraud campaigns and deceive more victims with identity theft.

Related Article: Scamshield App Scam: Singapore Warns People Who Buy Food Items Online Over Fake Shopping App

Essential Tips to Safeguard Yourself

It's important always to keep your guard up when you have a hunch that an apparel website is too good to be true. Fox News listed some safety tips that will protect you from this unsuspected privacy invasion.

Don't get fooled with HUGE discounts: If you're looking for high-quality brands online, be mindful of the offers. If you think something is wrong with their prices, research their pricing from the other websites.

Check the URL: The website's link can indicate if it's legitimate or not. Scammers in this particular campaign often create URLs that combine the brand name with a city or country. The mere difference to look for is a simple "https:// instead of "http://. This slight iteration could mean that they can hack your bank account in many ways.

Exercise caution with sponsored Google links: Avoid clicking on links that appear under the "Sponsored" section in Google search results. Scammers employ tactics to manipulate search engine algorithms, positioning their fake websites at the top of search results to increase the likelihood of unsuspecting users clicking on them. Exercise caution and carefully evaluate search results before clicking on any links.

Use reliable antivirus software: Make sure that your anti-malware software is updated since this is your key to protect yourself from online scammers. It can immediately block suspicious links that might contain trojan, spyware, and other forms of malware.

By following these essential tips, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to scammers impersonating apparel brands online. Stay vigilant, be proactive, and prioritize your online security. Your diligence will go a long way in protecting yourself and ensuring a safe and enjoyable online shopping experience.

Read Also: Google Gives Gmail Users Helpful Tips to Avoid 'Bank-Raiding' Scams

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Twitch star and long-time streamer, xQc, is now officially part of Kick, a new rival streaming platform where he was offered a $100 million deal to also bring his content to the up-and-coming site. This new streaming deal is not an issue or because he was kicked from Twitch, but rather a career growth for one of the highest-grossing streamers of this time.

Kick's deal with xQc is also not a problem for Twitch CEO Dan Clancy, as well as the other folks over at the company and Amazon, with the team being "happy" for the content creator.

Twitch's xQc to Stream for Rival Platform, Kick, with a $100M Deal

(Photo : Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

It is now confirmed that xQc has signed a streaming contract with a rival company, Kick.com, securing a deal worth $100 million to bring his content over to the platform. According to the New York Times, Felix Lengyel, best known for his online persona, xQc, has signed a contract similar to professional athletes with the rival platform for two years.

The contract's offer is at $70 million for the content creator, but incentives may push the total to about roughly $100 million with incentives, said xQc's agent, Ryan Morrison.

In xQc's latest stream on Twitch, he released a trailer video amidst his live show which confirms his new beginnings over at Kick. Additionally, xQc has also started his first stream at Kick earlier today.

Read Also: PewDiePie Faces Ban on Twitch, What Could be the Reason?

Twitch CEO Dan Clancy, Other Employees 'Happy' for xQc

As per xQc's recent stream at Twitch in a Just Chatting segment, Lengyel explained that people over at Twitch did not have any problems with his newfound deal with Kick.

Moreover, the streamer said that Twitch's new CEO, Dan Clancy, and other employees from the company were "happy" for him "diversifying" his platforms in the latest deal.

Twitch Streaming and Content Creator Issues

One of the most popular streaming platforms in the world, Twitch, is also known for being strict and absolute with its guidelines, resulting in different creators looking for other platforms due to bans or problems. In 2020, one of the most prolific Twitch streamers, Dr DisRespect, faced a significant ban on Twitch that has unknown reasons from the company.

The Amazon-owned streaming platform that was known before as "Justin.tv" is renowned for its Community Guidelines and policies that are grueling for some creators.

Twitch does not tolerate any form of misinformation on the platform, with the company saying that an imminent ban is waiting for a streamer should they talk about conspiracy theories, fake news about COVID-19, and more.

Lengyel is one of the top streamers on Twitch but is looking to grow more of his career on other platforms, now securing a deal with the new platform, Kick. The good thing is that the team over at Twitch has no problems or issues with this, and is happy for xQc's career growth and diversifying his platforms despite being a rival to its services.

Related Article: Twitch Issues Public Apology After Receiving Backlash Over Branded Content Changes

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Archaeologists in Germany have made a remarkable discovery as they unearthed a shining Bronze Age sword believed to be over 3,000 years old.

The sword, found during recent excavations in Noerdlingen, Bavaria, is exceptionally well-preserved, with officials stating that it "almost still shines," according to a report by AFP.

Rare Bronze Age Find

Dating back to the end of the 14th century BC, the sword features a bronze octagonal hilt in the middle of the Bronze Age. It was discovered in a grave alongside the remains of three individuals-a man, a woman, and a boy-who were buried in quick succession along with other bronze objects.

The Bavarian office responsible for preserving historical monuments reported this significant finding.

The relationship between the three individuals remains unclear, and further examination of the sword and the burial site is necessary for archaeologists to gain a more precise understanding of the discovery.

Nonetheless, Mathias Pfeil, the head of the preservation office, expressed the rarity and remarkable preservation of the sword, stating, "A find like this is very rare."

During the Bronze Age, swords from this period are not commonly found intact, making this discovery all the more extraordinary. Typically, swords from this era have been uncovered from burial mounds excavated in the 19th century or as isolated finds.

The emergence of a well-preserved sword is a testament to the significance and rarity of this archaeological find.

Read Also: Ancient Engravings in Jordan, Saudi Arabia May Point to Oldest Construction Plans Ever Discovered

3,000-year-old Mummy

In a related discovery, archaeologists near Lima, the capital of Peru, unearthed an estimated 3,000-year-old mummy believed to belong to the Manchay civilization. Students from San Marcos University stumbled upon the mummy while excavating a trash dump site.

Their careful exploration yielded a skull, and pieces of hair, eventually leading them to the mummy itself. Under the guidance of archaeologist Miguel Aguilar, the group sifted through eight tons of garbage before embarking on their arduous search for ancient relics.

The Manchay civilization thrived in Lima between 1500BC and 1000BC, was known for its architectural alignment, particularly in temples that faced the rising sun.

The mummy was discovered meticulously positioned in a tomb near the center of a U-shaped structure-a characteristic architectural feature of the Manchay people. Covered in material made of cotton and plant fibers, the mummy provides a fascinating insight into the funeral practices of this ancient society.

Aguilar suggests that the individual was either abandoned or sacrificed during the final phase of the temple's use. This discovery sheds light on the customs and rituals of the Manchay civilization during their "formative era" three millennia ago.

Both the unearthing of the shining Bronze Age sword in Germany and the discovery of the ancient mummy in Peru offer valuable glimpses into the past, unraveling the mysteries and customs of bygone civilizations.

These archaeological finds contribute to our understanding of human history and the diverse cultures that once thrived on our planet.

Related Article: Oxford Archaeologists Use Google Earth to Locate Roman Military Camps in Arabian Desert

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In a rather welcoming piece of news, Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google and one of the biggest supporters of AI, has warned its employees not to share confidential information with AI chatbots, including its own chatbot, Bard, even as it promotes its own AI chatbot programme around the world.

Alphabet has instructed its employees not to enter any business information into AI chatbots, citing its long-standing policy on information security to protect sensitive data, according to a report from Reuters, citing four people familiar with the matter.

The chatbots, such as Bard and ChatGPT, are designed to hold realistic conversations with users while making use of generative artificial intelligence to address various user queries.

The report added that human reviewers may access and review the messages sent between users and its AI chatbot, which could create a security risk by allowing sensitive information to leak into the wrong hands. Also, similar AI models have been discovered by researchers that could reproduce the data they absorbed during training.

The company does have a statement on its Bard FAQ page which tells users, When you interact with Bard, Google collects your conversations, your location, your feedback, and usage information. That data helps us provide, improve and develop Google products, services, and machine-learning technologies.

Further, the parent company of Google has warned its engineers to avoid direct use of computer code generated by AI tools, such as Bard and ChatGPT. Dont include confidential or sensitive information in your Bard conversations, Google noted in its updated privacy notice.

When Reuters questioned about the matter, Alphabet said Bard can make undesired code suggestions, but it nonetheless helps programmers. The company also said it prefers to stay transparent about its products limitations.

Bard AI: Googles Answer To ChatGPT

Bard is Googles experimental, conversational AI chat service, which was revealed by Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai on February 6, 2023. The AI chatbot is meant to function similarly to its rival ChatGPT, with the biggest difference being their respective data sources.

Based on the LaMDA language model, Bard is trained on datasets based on Internet content called Infiniset which is chosen to enhance its dialogue. It draws on information from the web in real-time to provide fresh, high-quality responses.

Ever since its initial demo in February, Googles Bard has been plagued with problems, be it generating wrong answers when asked about discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope or postponing this weeks Bards EU launch due to pending further information on its impact on privacy.

Earlier this month, the company updated its Bard privacy notice page on its Google Support website to include the following information, marked in bold: Please do not include information that can be used to identify you or others in your Bard conversations.

Currently, Google is currently rolling out Bard AI in more than 180 countries and in 40 languages.

With AI-driven chatbots becoming increasingly popular, Google is not the only company cautioning its own employees about potential privacy issues when using AI chatbots.

Other companies have also implemented safeguards on AI chatbots, including Apple, Samsung, and Amazon, to name a few, advising employees to avoid using AI chatbots at work.
Saturday marks the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, a United Nations observance.

On Friday, international students from 14 countries paid a visit to the Baijitan national nature reserve in China's Ningxia to learn about China's experience in combating desertification.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
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Putin: The West is brazen in failing to fulfill the grain agreement, and there is "only one" condition for restarting

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The challenge of working on the construction site in the heat wave: "It's fucked up, but it's what it takes... You have to eat something."

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Time has passed: the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the UN had three months to fulfill the terms of the grain deal

6 ways to fix WhatsApp and find out if the cause is a service outage

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WELLINGTON, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The role of China's Dunhuang culture, the precious heritage of humanity, has been discussed in the connection between New Zealand and China.

Dunhuang culture, located in northwest China's Gansu Province, is a perfect combination of architecture, sculpture and mural painting with a history of nearly 2,000 years.

"It is an art museum in the Eastern World and a jewel of human civilization. At the same time, Dunhuang culture is also a symbol of long-term exchanges of various civilizations, a history of East-West convergence along the Silk Road," China's Deputy Consul General in Christchurch Zhai Xingfu told Xinhua on Saturday.

An online lecture on the Dunhuang culture was held on Friday by the Gansu Foreign Affairs Office and the Dunhuang Academy, which was one of the nine events to promote the cultural heritage globally.

Although Dunhuang is thousands of miles away from New Zealand's South Island, the interaction between the two places began as early as the 1940s, Zhai told the officials and scholars from both China and New Zealand attending the online lecture.

Exactly 80 years ago, in the year 1943, while Rewi Alley, a pioneer in China-New Zealand relations, was running the Bailie School in north China's Shaanxi Province to train young people for China's future, a famous British scientist Joseph Needham was on a research trip to Dunhuang and met Alley on his way.

Learning that Alley intended to move the school, Needham persuaded Alley to travel with him. The two came to Dunhuang together, accumulating many valuable historical materials.

On their way, they stopped twice in Shandan, Gansu, the landscape of which made Alley feel like in his hometown in New Zealand's Canterbury. Alley finally decided to move the school to Shandan.

An old friend of the Chinese people, Alley had spent 60 years living and working in China before he died in 1987 in Beijing.

"It constantly reminds us of the need for all countries to actively engage in cultural exchange in order to embrace, learn and absorb the best of all civilizations," Zhai said.

History connects picturesque New Zealand's South Island with splendid Dunhuang city, inspiring people to inherit and carry forward Alley and Needham's internationalist spirit of perseverance, courage and selflessness, he added.

Dunhuang's statues and mural paintings absorb the essence of ancient Greek, ancient Indian and ancient Persian art, making the Dunhuang culture a pioneering example of cultural exchanges and coexistence between the East and the West, a demonstration of openness and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization, Zhai said.

The Belt and Road Initiative, marking its 10th anniversary this year, inherits the ancient spirit of openness and inclusiveness of the Dunhuang culture while granting the ancient Silk Road the vitality of the new era, Zhai said.

New Zealand joined the Belt and Road Initiative in 2017, he said, adding China and New Zealand are expected to carry out more people-to-people exchanges and practical cooperation.

Chris Lipscombe, the national president of the New Zealand China Friendship Society, said Dunhuang was an important staging post on the ancient Silk Road, the network of roads that connected Eurasia and along which luxury goods like silk travelled from workshops in China to the markets of the Roman Empire.

The goal of linking together the cultural heritage of Dunhuang with Christchurch in Canterbury of New Zealand is a powerful reminder of how, in this century, the Belt and Road Initiative is also bringing people together in a new common endeavor, Lipscombe said.

He also stressed the significance of the medieval caves known as the Dunhuang Grottoes, which are the home of Buddhist statues and murals dating from the 4th to the 14th centuries. 
TEHRAN, June 17 (Xinhua) -- A senior Iranian diplomat said the caretaker Afghan government has agreed to allow Iran's experts to visit Kajaki Dam on the Helmand River in Afghanistan and assess its water level.

"Agreements have been reached (with Taliban officials) that our experts could go and visit the region and, hopefully, prepare the ground for the release of the water," Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, Iran's special envoy to Afghanistan, said in a live TV interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network on Friday night.

Commenting on Iran's water rights from the Helmand River in Afghanistan that flows to the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan, Kazemi-Qomi stressed that the Taliban should be committed to a 1973 treaty between the two countries, under which Iran is entitled to receive 820 million cubic meters of water from the river per year.

During the past weeks, high-ranking Iranian officials, including President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, have called on the Taliban to give Iran water rights from the Helmand River.

The Iranian Space Agency spokesman said last month that satellite photos showed the Taliban has altered the river's route in order to prevent it from reaching Iran.

In response, the Taliban government said in a statement last month that Iran's frequent requests for water and "inappropriate" comments on media are "harmful," adding it is committed to the 1973 treaty.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting foreign minister of the Afghan interim government, said in early May that the Taliban recognizes Iran's water shares and does not seek to cause any problem for its neighbor.

The Helmand River originates in the Hindu Kush Mountains near Afghanistan's capital Kabul and runs more than 1,100 km south before flowing into Hamoun wetlands in Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan Province, which Iran says is hit by drought. 
Emergency legal action has been taken to stop conman and disgraced financial adviser Kris Ridgway from fleeing the country in the same week he taunted his wife with a text message saying he had Gone.

The corporate regulator ASIC rushed to the Federal Court to obtain travel restraint orders against Ridgway after receiving multiple tip-offs last week, including from this masthead, that Ridgway had sold his furniture and was planning to depart for Sweden this week, indefinitely.

Hours after the orders were made on an ex parte basis without Ridgways presence following the ASIC application, Ridgway fired off a dishonest SMS to his estranged wife Kerrilyn to dupe her into believing the regulators attempts to prevent him leaving the country had failed and he had fled.

The SMS, sent on Monday morning, included an image of Brisbane airport and the message: Boarding my plane. Dont ever contact me again. Phone about to be thrown in the bin. Gone.
The compulsive intrusion of musical theatre can grate, though. Before five minutes are out, the ensemble has broken into Song of the Volga Boatmen and Aquas Barbie Girl, and the hits keep coming. Doris Day. Nancy Sinatra. Talking Heads. Sea shanties. The aria O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicchi. Some of these add to the dialogue on gendered oppression, but some dont, and their sheer number runs afoul of the law of diminishing returns. Whether the central premise of man creates woman without fear works as a coherent feminist reading  recall Simone de Beauvoirs remark that one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman  is debatable. But as the play meanders into a schlocky reanimation sequence, it knows the gender struggle is always primed for a sequel, and its certainly not over yet.

Reviewed by Cameron Woodhead THEATRE

Exiles 

James Joyce, fortyfivedownstairs, until June 25 James Joyces only play, Exiles, is rarely staged, and its a fascinating work to see performed, more than a century after it was written. Social and sexual mores have been utterly transformed in that interval, but Joyces imagination (and experience) of sexual behaviour aspired to a radical honesty, and this play defies convention in a way that gives a shrug and a plus ca change to contemporary sensibilities.

Sex is inextricably bound up in Joyces biography and art. It is fundamental to Ulysses. The day the novel is set, celebrated annually as Bloomsday on June 16, also marked the authors first liaison with future wife Nora Barnacle, and the way Nora talked about sex is the conscious template for Molly Blooms famous final soliloquy. Private erotic correspondence between Nora and Joyce wouldve been too scandalous to publish. Letters to my little f---bird prefigure sexting by generations, and the great Irish modernist would have loved the rich lode of linguistic invention that flourishes in our sexually adventurous age. Lucy Payne and Linda Cookson in a scene from a new production of James Joyces Exiles. Credit: Jody Jane Stitt Polyamory now has an entire lexicon devoted to it  from polycules and sweet throuple situations to men who fetishise being cucked  and all these concepts are explored, if not yet named, in Exiles. Autobiographical elements are emphasised through period costume and performance, with Richard Rowan (Doug Lyons) and Bertha (Lucy Payne) human palimpsests of Joyce and Barnacle.

Their partners in the dance of free love are Robert Hand (Soren Jensen), a journalist and old friend of the couple whos smitten with Bertha, and his cousin Beatrice (Mary-Agnes OLoughlin), whose skittish repression leaves her reciprocal desire for Richard unconsummated. The action can seem like Polyamory for Beginners to a modern audience, and it isnt wholly satisfying drama. (Exiles feels incomplete and was rushed to press before Joyce wanted it to be.) But it is funny and turbulent and alive and wrestles with intricacies of power and vulnerability, sketching characters who rationalise their behaviour  and their ideals  in the face of jealousy, doubt, and desire. Soren Jensen as Robert and Doug Lyons as Richard in a scene from Exiles. Credit: Jody Jane Stitt Some dialogue sounds brazenly modern, and its forthrightness makes contemporary glances at historical polyamory  Anthony Weighs Sunday, for instance  look tame in comparison. Paynes Bertha is a force to be reckoned with  plainspoken, radiant, possessed of an indomitable vitality  and this production sets a few extra crumbs on the trail to the present, such as emphasising homoeroticism merely gestured at in the script.

Director Carl Whiteside delivers an indie production that Joyce fans can happily attend to complete their love affair with the author.

Reviewed by Cameron Woodhead MUSIC

Michael Buble | Higher Tour 

Rod Laver Arena, June 16 Accompanied by a spirited live orchestra, Michael Buble dances his way through a joyous two-hour performance composed of covers and original favourites. Michael Buble danced his way through a joyous two-hour concert at Rod Laver Arena. Credit: Rick Clifford The 47-year old Canadian crooner rescheduled his 2022 Australian tour due to logistical issues, but tonight cheers erupt as the orchestra plays the first few bars of Nina Simones Feeling Good. Buble rises from beneath onto the smoke-filled stage, winking at the audience with cheeky familiarity.

His catalogue draws from the Great American Songbook, a canon containing the most influential pop and jazz hits from the early 20th century to now. He acknowledges the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin and Dean Martin as significant influences on his albums as well as stage presence, telling the packed arena: I stole from them all but cherishing that he gets to play a small part in keeping these songs alive. Originals Everything, Its a Beautiful Day and Havent Met You Yet fill the air with romance. Dramatic big band crescendos accompany the title track of his new, Grammy-award winning album, Higher. A sentimental, pared-back piano rendition of Nat King Coles Smile elicits attentive silence from the crowd. The cover of Elvis Presleys Fever turns up the heat as red flames engulf the digital screen behind the band. Michael Buble at Rod Laver arena last night. Credit: Rick Clifford Joking with his crowd across the night, Buble mimics the Australian accent, a southern preacher and the king of rock n rolls distinguishable thank you, thank you very much. Hes quick-witted, poking fun at the audience for singing lyrics incorrectly and bantering about his concerts simulating foreplay due to his too sexy and dangerous persona.

A wholesome and slightly naughty evening that felt a little bit like a cheesy karaoke night in the best of ways, Bubles opening promise rings true: This is not a concert, this is not a show, this is a celebration of life.

Reviewed by Vyshnavee Wijekumar MUSIC

Donny Benet 

Corner Hotel, June 16 Donny Benet is simultaneously a joke and not a joke. The record sleeves at the merch table show a man fully committed to the bit. Benet, born Ben Waples, dons lounge suits and a Bill Bailey haircut to play saxophone-soaked songs with titles like Sophisticated Lover and Shes Too Much; songs that paint pastel pictures of movie montage lives full of impossible luxury, sex, success, and sports cars with butterfly doors. Donny Benet performs at The Corner Hotel. Credit: Rick Clifford On Friday, Benet and band played two sets of the greatest hits to a sold-out crowd, covering over a decade of Benets career in smooth yacht funk, with a heavy focus on the Mr Experience and The Don albums. But those who have seen Benets live show know that the radio slickness of those records does not do this material justice. The retro facade disguises an incredibly good live band, maybe it even holding it back at times. Benets bass whips everything into thick liquid, and sax and guitar solos are plentiful when was the last time you heard a genuinely great guitar solo? The sustained sax note in the chorus of Mr Experience holds more face-melting power than entire hours of most contemporary pop radio.
Queensland filmmaker Michael Wares 2015 Emmy-nominated documentary Only the Dead, was the culmination of years spent corresponding from Iraq and Afghanistan for Time magazine and CNN.

His National Geographic films covered the war in Ukraine, Iranian spies in Albania and the burning of Papua New Guinean women accused of witchcraft. However, he describes making his first true-crime documentary, The Cape, which investigates the 2003 disappearance of commercial fisherman Bevin Simmonds and his 10-year-old son Brad in the Gulf of Carpentaria, as going back up the river into the heart of darkness.

Journalist Michael Ware in the Gulf of Carpentaria, where some locals were hostile about the documentary being filmed.

Its a world that exists in Queensland that even Queenslanders dont know about. It is absolutely Hobbesian, says Ware. When you peel away law and order, and society and values, who are we really? We can do whatever it is that we want and need, and thats what this small world in this vast expanse is like.

Despite the landscape being the opposite to Afghanistan, I still felt like I was going up Taliban valleys when I was going up those snaking mangrove swamp rivers to find these fishing families and their encampments. And the way the locals up there dont want to talk about this crime, or these families, so it was with the villagers and the Taliban. Everyone knows who the Taliban is. Everyone knows where they are. But no one wants to talk about it.
Once a national leader with its groundbreaking voluntary assisted dying legislation, Victoria is now trailing all other Australian states, euthanasia advocates say.

Monday will mark the start of the fifth year of Victorias euthanasia laws. Although the state government promised to review the past four years of the legislation before mid-2024, the terms of reference of the review are yet to be released, casting doubt on whether any major reform of the laws will be possible.

Credit: Getty Images

In a submission to the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board, seen by this masthead, Dying with Dignity has voiced concerns that the states laws are now among the most conservative in the country, as other states and territories moved ahead with newer legislation, removing clauses similar to those in place in Victoria which the group deemed unnecessarily restrictive, onerous and [which] only serve to impede the efficacy of the process. The board oversees operation of the legislation.

Victoria, despite being the first state to pass voluntary assisted dying legislation, now needs to improve its legislation, by introducing changes that will at the very least place it on par with other legislation around Australia, the submission said.
TEHRAN, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The visiting Saudi Arabian foreign minister said on Saturday that the Saudi embassy will soon reopen in Iran's capital Tehran, the Iranian Students' News Agency reported.

Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, following their meeting in Tehran earlier in the day.

Saudi Arabia and Iran are currently making efforts to continue diplomatic measures in the two countries, he said. Iran earlier reopened its embassy in Riyadh as well as consulate general and representative office to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah.

The top Saudi diplomat noted that the normalization of the bilateral ties is of importance as the two countries are important players in the region and such relations are based on the principles of mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs and commitment to the UN Charter.

The Iranian foreign minister, for his part, said his country has provided the necessary facilities for Saudi Arabia's diplomatic operations in Tehran and the northeastern city of Mashhad.

The Saudi Arabian foreign minister arrived in Tehran on Saturday afternoon, beginning his first visit to the Iranian capital after the two countries' severed bilateral ties were resumed in April.

Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016 in response to the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran after the kingdom executed a Shiite cleric. 
Members of one of Melbournes largest lifesaving clubs fear their rundown headquarters could be closed because a multimillion-dollar redevelopment of its 100-year-old facilities has stalled.

The Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club received $11.3 million in 2021 from the Victorian government to upgrade the clubs revolting facilities, but two years on, work is yet to start.

Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club members fear their facilities wont last much longer. Credit: Jason South

The club and state government both blame Hobsons Bay City Council for delays to the project.

Club president Claire Howell said her members had performed 11 beach rescues last summer and that the club was a vital part of the community, but would have nowhere to operate from if the rebuild did not take place soon.
The countrys two most populous states will receive just over half of the Albanese governments $2 billion social housing fund, money the Coalition says is a desperate attempt to appease the Greens ahead of another possible vote on Labors signature housing reform.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Saturday that each state and territory would collect a minimum of $50 million from the Commonwealth for social housing, and that states with more than a million residents would receive extra funds based on their population.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaking at the Victorian Labor State Conference in Melbourne on Saturday. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

The federal governments calculations mean NSW will collect $610 million to build new social housing and upgrade existing stock, while Victoria will receive $496 million and Queensland $398 million.

Western Australia, the next biggest state, will net $209 million for social housing and South Australia $135 million. Both territories will receive the base amount $50 million  and so will Tasmania because its population is hovering at just over 500,000.
A five-bedroom house in Bellevue Hill sold for $15.2 million at auction on Saturday, fetching more than five times what it last traded for in 2011.

Eight parties turned up to compete for 10 Fairweather Street, a two-storey home on a level 753-square-metre block that had a price guide of $12 million.

The home was one of 509 Sydney properties scheduled for auction on Saturday. By evening, Domain Group recorded a preliminary auction clearance rate of 81 per cent from 306 reported results, while 24 auctions were withdrawn. Withdrawn auctions are counted as unsold properties when calculating the clearance rate.

Bidding on the five-bedroom, six-bathroom house began at $11 million, hit $11.5 million on the second bid, and then climbed rapidly in $250,000 increases to $15 million, as six of the bidders competed.
New York: A longtime producer for Tucker Carlson is out at Fox News after he was deemed responsible for the on-air headline that referred to President Joe Biden as a wannabe dictator because of the indictment of former president Donald Trump.

The producer, Alex McCaskill, confirmed his exit in an Instagram post. Fox News did not comment on Friday.

The Fox News Channel chyron read, Wannabe dictator speaks at the White House after having his political rival arrested. Credit: AP

McCaskill had remained at Fox after Carlson, the networks most popular personality, was fired on April 24.

The reason for Carlsons sudden ouster, less than a week after Fox agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $US787 million ($1.17 billion) to end a defamation case, has never been publicly explained.
YAOUNDE, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The Cameroonian government has submitted to parliament a draft bill aimed at reshaping its higher education system.

The new guidelines will advance modern higher education reform and improve the quality of compulsory education, said Wilfred Gabsa Nyongbet, secretary general of the Cameroonian Ministry of Higher Education, while defending the draft bill on Friday.

"The education system we have used so far was developed in 2001, but in 22 years higher education has evolved. That is why a lot of innovations have been introduced in the new draft law," Nyongbet told reporters after the bill was presented to the National Assembly in the capital of Yaounde.

Nyongbet said Cameroon will create entrepreneurial universities to increase the possibility of universities having additional sources of income. This means that universities could have the leeway to create and run businesses. He stressed that the new system will allow more students to become job creators rather than job seekers.

The professionalization and overall development of students will be a priority, and these efforts must reach every student at every university, according to officials. 
The Daily News will sit down with your top performance player from the Week #7 Batavia Muckdogs games and talk baseball! Keep an eye out for our Week #8 poll, running next week (Tuesday - Friday)!

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RABAT, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Morocco and Israel inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Friday to strengthen cooperation in the health sector.

The MoU was signed between Moroccan Health Minister Khalid Ait Taleb and the Israeli minister of the Interior and Health Moshe Arbel in the Moroccan capital of Rabat.

A statement by the Moroccan Health Ministry said the MoU would help facilitate the exchange of expertise and best practices in medical and technological innovation, and the fight against non-communicable diseases.

It represents the two countries' shared commitment to improving the health and well-being of their respective populations, it added.

Since the normalization of their relations in December 2020, Israel and Morocco have stepped up cooperation in various fields.

In January, the two countries agreed to expand military cooperation in areas including intelligence, air defense and electronic warfare. 
UNITED NATIONS, June 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday called on parties in Mali to resolve their differences through dialogue and create favorable conditions for Sunday's constitutional referendum.

The constitutional referendum is an important step for Mali to advance the transition process and maintain lasting stability. China welcomes the progress in Mali in drafting the constitution, preparing for the referendum, and building electoral institutions, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

"We encourage all parties concerned in Mali to resolve differences through dialogue and create favorable conditions for the constitutional referendum," he told the Security Council.

The constitutional referendum is an internal affair of Mali. The international community should respect Mali's sovereignty and ownership. China encourages relevant regional organizations to strengthen communication with the Malian government and play a constructive role in supporting Mali's political transition, he said.

Mali is at the forefront of counterterrorism in the Sahel and West Africa, and has made considerable efforts to curb the spread of terrorism. The international community should give full recognition to these efforts and step up efforts in funding, equipment, intelligence, and logistics to support Mali in strengthening capacity-building in its security sector, said Zhang.

Without a doubt, human rights need to be protected in counterterrorism operations. But China has consistently opposed the politicization of human rights issues in counterterrorism. There should not be double standards on counterterrorism. More importantly, there is a need to avoid stigmatization of counterterrorism operations, which would only play into the hands of terrorist forces, he said.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, has been deployed for 10 years with a lot of investment. In June 2022, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2640, which requests an internal review of the mission to analyze new developments and optimize and streamline the mandate. The current mandate of the mission expires at the end of this month. China hopes members of the council will fully listen to Mali's views and concerns, have constructive and responsible discussions on the future arrangements for the mission, and make decisions grounded in broad consensus. 
ANALYSIS: Vatican Official Denies Whistleblowers Mussolini-Era UAP Cover-Up Claim

Maj. Jesse Marcel from the Roswell Army Air Field with debris found 75 miles north west of Roswell, N.M., in June 1947. The debris has been identified as that of a radar target. The Air Force released a report on June 24 debunking reports of a UFO crash near Roswell, N.M., in 1947. (UNITED STATES AIR FORCE/AFP/Getty Images)

News Analysis

A Vatican official has denied a recent whistleblowers claim that it was involved in a cover-up of extraterrestrial craft.

David Grusch, a decorated Air Force veteran and former senior intelligence officer, reported to media outlets The Debrief and NewsNation that classified information about the governments possession of craft of nonhuman origin has been illegally withheld from Congress.

Grusch told interviewers he handed classified information on the craft to Congress and the Intelligence Community Inspector General and filed a complaint that hes suffered from retaliation since becoming a whistleblower.

The publication of his statements on June 5 was followed up by a publication of more segments from the interview on June 11 in which he claimed that Pope Pius XII backchannelled a partially intact UAP Italian Dictator Benito Mussolinis regime discovered in 1933.

Historically, its been reported that Mussolini documented UAPs, as demonstrated by the Italian Secret Services internal memo showing drawings of craft, according to NewsNation.

It was the first documented retrieval before the next one in Roswell, New Mexico, Grusch said.

The Italian government moved it to a secure air base in Italy for the rest of the fascist regime until 1944-1945, Grusch said.

It was then when Pope Pias XII informed the Americans of the craft, Grusch said.

We ended up scooping it, Grusch said.

Ross Coulthart, the investigative reporter who was interviewing Grusch for NewsNation, said, Let me be very clear about this: youre saying that the Catholic Churchthe Vaticanthey know about the existence of nonhuman intelligence on this planet, to which Grusch responded, Certainly.

The Epoch Times contacted the Vatican for comment.

In response, Marco Grilli, the secretary of the prefecture for the Vatican Apostolic Archives, told The Epoch Times that the Monsignor Prefect directed me to inform you that no mention of that topic of your interest is contained in the archival fonds of this Vatican Apostolic Archives.

RADAR detecting UFOs swarming US Navy ship (Screenshot/Mystery Wire)

As Fantastical as That Sounds, Its True

Grush, a former intelligence officer with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), served as the NROs representative to the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force from 2019 to 2021, and from 2021 to 2022, he was a co-lead for Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) analysis for the NGA and its representative to the task force.

The task forcewhich fell under the Department of the Navys Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Securityhas been restructured and renamed the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) to include investigating underwater phenomena.

Grusch told Coulthart that the UAP Task Forces was refused access to a broad crash retrieval program and that the government had a sophisticated disinformation campaign targeting the U.S. population, which is extremely unethical and immoral.

Grusch also said that the government was in possession of extraterrestrial bodies.

Naturally, when you recover something thats either landed or crashed, sometimes you encounter dead pilots, and believe it or not, as fantastical as that sounds, its true.

When asked about details about the Roswell crash, Grusch said he wasnt approved to speak about the 1947 incident.

According to The Debrief report, Grusch had to clear his statements before the Department of Defenses Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review, which was later cleared for publication.

The UAP that crashed was initially reported as a recovered flying saucer by the U.S. Army Air Forces before it was quickly retracted and reported as a fallen weather balloon.

Why are these things crashing? Coulthart asked.

To which Grusch responded, Some are landed, some are crashed, and I think thats an interesting discussion thats come up. As advanced as we are as humansplanes crash, cars crashjust because youre some advanced sentience that has advanced technology doesnt mean some small percentage of yourIll use the Air Force termsorites meet an unfortunate operational conclusion.

Couthart asked about Dr. Shawn Kirkpacticks recent testimony to Congress.

Kirkpatrick, director of AARO, told Congress that he had seen no credible evidence of extraterrestrial activity.

While a large number of cases in our holdings remain technically unresolved, this is primarily due to a lack of data associated with those cases, Kirkpatrick said.

Grusch, a former member of AARO, said he expressed concerns with Kirkpatrick.

I told him what I was starting to uncover, and he didnt follow up with me, Grusch said. He has my phone number; he couldve called me. I hope he ultimately does the right thing. He should be able to make the same investigative discoveries I did.

A UFO was captured over Victoria, Australia, on Google Earth, according to bloggers. (Google Street View)

Feudalistic Dominance

Grusch said the reason for the secrecy around UAPs was feudalistic dominance to feed the war machine.

Grusch pointed to an incident in 1967 in which ten nuclear missiles were shut down after several officials said they witnessed UAPs hovering over nuclear weapons launch facility at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Cascade County, Montana.

It certainly looks like they want to understand how weve advanced in our nuclear fizzle kind of technology, at the very least, he said. I mean, it looks like preparatory probing activity. It might be an innocent kind of scientific gathering. It could be ISR [Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance] probing.

Though he wouldnt disclose where the craft is being stored, he said those who have worked with them have contracted health problems.

A lot of them were injured looking at some of this stuff, he said. You can imagine the nuclear, radiological biological risk to looking at an unknown unknown, and a lot of them have literally suffered physically because of their service.

Though one would assume because an advanced species that has achieved space travel would be benevolent, Grusch said, in truth, there have been reports of the opposite.

Have human beings been hurt or killed by nonhuman intelligence? Coutlhart asked, to which Grusch responded, While I cant get into the specifics because that would reveal certain U.S. classified operations, I was briefed by a few individuals on the program that there were malevolent events like that.

Other countries, such as Russia and China, have crash retrieval programs as well, Grusch said, and are engaged in a geopolitical competition to comprehend the technology.

Its a multi-decade Cold War thats been under our nose for so long, Grusch said. Theres no good way to level the playing field and hold other nation states accountable if theyre doing [an] unethical or illicit activity as it relates to this subject, and I think the obtuse secrecy is actually putting us in a very dangerous position where a country might make a breakthrough thats an adversary of ours and it is so destabilizing.

Without answering directly, Grusch implied that he was aware that there are treaties between world governments and nonhuman intelligence.

Grusch provided an example of how these governments are aware of UAPs by highlighting Article 3 of a 1971 treaty between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on measures to reduce the risk of nuclear war.

Article 3 states, The Parties undertake to notify each other immediately in the event of detection by missile warning systems of unidentified objects, or in the event of signs of interference with these systems or with related communications facilities if such occurrences could create a risk of outbreak of nuclear war between the two countries.

A screenshot of ABC News shots photo of the UFO in Santee. Calif.

A Moment of Pause

Grusch said that among the reasons he came forward is he believes its unethical that the technology is being kept from the public, whom he said could benefit from what improvements it could make to civilization.

Its totally nuts that humanity as a wholeespecially the U.S. citizenry as a wholetheyre not even benefitting from broad research on this to solve propulsion, energy issues, novel material science that could improve peoples quality of life, he said. Its just totally nuts how its been protected and inhibits progress.

Overall, Grusch said he hopes the information could bring people together in contemplation over their place in the universe.

I dont have this utopian ideology that this is going to solve world problems, stop war entirely, Grusch said. But all I want is a moment of pause and to see if this subject unites us as weve obviously become more divided over the last couple of decades.
Apple Music and iTunes Take Down Pro-Democratic Song After Hong Kong DOJ Applied for an Injunction to Ban the Song

On June 5, The Department of Justice (DOJ) in Hong Kong applied for an injunction prohibiting the dissemination of a pro-democratic song, Glory to Hong Kong. On June 12, the court requested clarification on the identity of the defendants and adjourned the hearing until July 21. However, before the court issues the order, Apples streaming platforms, iTunes and Apple Music, have already taken down multiple versions of the song.

After the DOJ filed the court injunction on June 5, Glory to Hong Kong occupied eight spots on the iTunes popular music chart two days later, and by the early hours of June 8, different versions of the song had swept the entire iTunes top ten charts.

On June 14, multiple versions of the song were found to be taken down already, and only a Taiwanese version sung by the band Chairman remained available on Apple Music and iTunes. Users who have already purchased and downloaded Glory to Hong Kong can still listen to it.

Another music platform, Spotify, also took down several versions of Glory to Hong Kong in the afternoon on June 14, while KKBOX (Taiwan music platform) still offers different versions of the song.

In the early hours of June 15, the composer and original composing team of Glory to Hong Kong, DGXMUSIC, posted on their Facebook page that they were dealing with some technical issues unrelated to the streaming platform, sorry for the temporary impact. Thank you to all the audience.

Glory to Hong Konga widely spreading song from the 2019 anti-extradition bill movement in Hong Kong. The song appears as the top response to Google searches for Hong Kongs national anthem, on top of Chinas national anthem. It has been mistakenly played as such in many international competitions.

In December 2022, the Hong Kong government requested Google to replace the songs organic search ranking with Chinas national anthem, but Google refused.

On June 5, 2023, the government filed a writ to ban the song on the grounds of containing a seditious intention, being mistaken as the national anthem, and intent to insult the national anthem.
8 People Wounded in Shooting Outside Carson Party

CARSON, Calif.Eight people were wounded in a shooting outside a house party in Carson early June 17, two of them critically.

The shooting was reported at 12:05 a.m. in the 1500 block of Abila Street, just north of the San Diego (405) Freeway, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department (LASD).

Arriving deputies found five of the victims down in front of the house, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to areas including their head, back, and upper and lower bodies, LASD South Patrol Chief Myron Johnson told reporters.

Deputies immediately began life-saving measures including applying pressure to wounds and tourniquets, Johnson said. Those measures and the quick response by LA County firefighters likely saved lives, he said.

Witnesses at the scene told deputies that two victims were taken to hospitals before authorities arrived, Johnson said.

The eighth victim was found in a vehicle that crashed in the 21800 block of Martin Street, near the shooting scene. The 16-year-old boy had a gunshot wound to his upper body, the chief said. Deputies again began first aid until paramedics arrived to take him to a hospital. Two other people in the vehicle were not injured.

The gunshot victims ranged in age from 16 to 24 years of age, Johnson said. Two were listed as critical but stable and six had stable vital signs and wounds not believed to be life-threatening. One of those victims was released from the hospital Saturday.

We will not tolerate such acts of violence in our community, Johnson said.

More than 12 detectives from the sheriffs Operation Safe Streets Bureau were investigating the shooting and were working to determine if the shooting was gang-related due to the area in which it occurred, Lt. Rick Conti said.

Suspect information was not immediately released because detectives were still talking to victims and canvassing the area in search of witnesses, Conti said.

All of the bullet casings found at the scene were from handguns and investigators did not know if there was a fight before the shooting, he said.

Everyone is expected to recover from their wounds, Conti said.

We are all devastated by this senseless crime that occurred in our city, Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes told reporters. If you see something, say something.

The sheriffs department urged anyone with information about the shooting to call the Carson station at 310-830-1123, or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
Biden Admins Weak China Strategy

While Beijing more than snubs the US, we take it over and over

The U.S. flag flies from an embassy car outside China's Ministry of Defense in Beijing on June 24. (Greg Baker - Pool/Getty Images)

Commentary

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is bending over backward to extend a friendly hand to China. He may slip on the ice. Beijings proffered handshake, if it can be called one, looks frigid.

Blinken spoke to Chinas foreign minister a few days before his upcoming visit, and the minister was already publicly shaming the United States for deteriorating relations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang reportedly told Blinken on June 14: The relationship between China and the United States has encountered new difficulties and challenges since the beginning of the year. Its clear where the responsibility lies.

Ouch.

The Chinese Communist Partys (CCPs) reversal of blame and numerous affronts to the United States are daunting. Beijing wants to take over Taiwan, with force if necessary. It wants both the East and South China seas. It seeks naval footholds around the world and is threatening freedom of navigation. The Chinese regime steals as much as $600 billion of intellectual property annually from the United States. It owes trillions of dollars in compensation for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CCP continues to support Russias war against Ukraine, especially through energy imports. More than 70,000 Americans overdose and die annually from fentanylfor which the regime supplies precursors to the Mexican drug cartels that ship the poison north.

Since then-U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022, Beijing has refused to engage in counternarcotics cooperation with U.S. authorities. That refusal makes the CCP culpable for U.S. fentanyl deaths. The intentionality on the part of Beijingwhich tries to leverage American deaths for its own advantage by refusing to bring fentanyl traffickers to justiceis criminal.

Tragically, the Biden administration approaches the fentanyl problem through a strategy of weakness that incentivizes yet worse behavior from the CCP.

According to a June 13 report, the administration may be prepared to ease prior U.S. sanctions against an institute involved in the Uyghur genocide in order to get some semblance of counternarcotics cooperation from Beijing.

The report states that U.S. efforts to get counternarcotics cooperation could include negotiations with China over the 2020 U.S. decision to put Chinas Ministry of Public Securitys Institute of Forensic Science on the Commerce Departments entity list. The institute has violated Uyghur human rights, according to the United States, and listed entities are effectively barred from importing U.S. goods.

While loopholes in U.S. sanctions allow Chinas sanctioned companiesand the instituteto simply import goods through intermediaries in China, Hong Kong, or elsewhere, it would be wrong for the administration to treat genocide sanctions as a bargaining chip.

The CCPs genocide is so heinous that its arguably better to proceed down the path of decoupling from China than to act as if the CCP is an entity with whom we can truly negotiate in good faith. Beijings history of broken promises and ignored treaties means it certainly cant be trusted.

Blinkens trip to China is a mistake if it broadcasts weakness in the face of the CCPs apparent lack of willingness to abide by its agreements, follow international law, or improve its observance of human rights.

According to defense analyst Rebekah Koffler, Blinken should cancel his trip.

Theres no reason to talk with China right now, she told Fox News on June 15. Diplomacy does not work unless it is backed up by a serious combat power. But the truth is the Pentagon has let our combat readiness deteriorate.

China has refused to meet with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, preferring as interlocutors the softer American officials, including Blinken, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

Yellen is due to visit Beijing soon. The CCP has also welcomed a parade of U.S. corporate leaders, including Teslas Elon Musk, J.P. Morgan Chases Jamie Dimon, and Microsofts Bill Gates. It seems they all seek more market share and protection of their sunk costs in China. The meetings could empower Beijing and normalize its human rights abuse and threats against neighbors.

The CCP has, since its founding in 1921, acted as more of a terrorist organization than a political party or government. Until it radically improves its behavior, we should treat it as such and stop doing business as usual with China.

The United States has long had a policy of not negotiating with terrorists. While weve occasionally broken the policy, likely incentivizing more terrorism against us, we should at least apply it consistently against our most dangerous adversary, the CCP.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
President Joe Biden gives updates on his administrations efforts to aid I-95 reconstruction at 11:15 a.m. ET on June 17.
President Joe Biden holds his first campaign event in Philadelphia on June 17, rallying with union members for reelection.

Pennsylvania is a battleground state because its population can swing either to Republicans or Democrats and play a pivotal role in presidential elections.
An overturned passenger bus is pictured at a road accident site in Chakwal district of Pakistan's eastern Punjab province on June 17, 2023. At least 14 people were killed and over 20 others injured when a passenger bus turned turtle in Chakwal district of Pakistan's eastern Punjab province on Saturday, police officers said.

The accident took place on the motorway near Kallar Kahar area of the district when the driver of the bus lost control of the vehicle due to brake failure, leading to the tragic crash, Deputy Inspector General of National Highways and Motorway Police Muhammad Yusuf Malik told Xinhua. (Str/Xinhua)

ISLAMABAD, June 17 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 people were killed and over 20 others injured when a passenger bus turned turtle in Chakwal district of Pakistan's eastern Punjab province on Saturday, police officers said.

The accident took place on the motorway near Kallar Kahar area of the district when the driver of the bus lost control of the vehicle due to brake failure, leading to the tragic crash, Deputy Inspector General of National Highways and Motorway Police Muhammad Yusuf Malik told Xinhua.

At least five women and three children are among the people who have lost their lives in the accident, the officer said, adding that the bus was on its way to Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab, from the federal capital Islamabad when it met the accident.

Upon receiving the information, police and rescue workers reached the site and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital, where several passengers were said to be in critical condition.

Taking notice of the accident, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives.

He sought a detailed report of the accident and directed authorities concerned to provide the best medical facilities to the injured. 

A rescuer holds a child at a road accident site in Chakwal district of Pakistan's eastern Punjab province on June 17, 2023. At least 14 people were killed and over 20 others injured when a passenger bus turned turtle in Chakwal district of Pakistan's eastern Punjab province on Saturday, police officers said.

The accident took place on the motorway near Kallar Kahar area of the district when the driver of the bus lost control of the vehicle due to brake failure, leading to the tragic crash, Deputy Inspector General of National Highways and Motorway Police Muhammad Yusuf Malik told Xinhua. (Str/Xinhua)
Bidens Embrace of Flamin Hot Director Eva Longoria Usurps Film Screening

U.S. actress and director Eva Longoria (R) speaks flanked by President Joe Biden during a screening of the film "Flamin' Hot" at the White House in Washington, D.C. on June 15, 2023. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

President Joe Biden on Thursday hosted a White House screening of actress Eva Longorias new film about the invention of Flamin Hot Cheetos, describing it as exactly what the Hispanic American community embodies.

Longoria directed the film with the same name as the famous snack product, which is based on the story of Frito-Lay janitor Richard Montanez who claims he invented Flamin Hot Cheetos. However, an investigative piece in the Los Angeles Times dated May 16, 2021, has since disputed Montanezs story. There was no public mention of that, however, by either Biden, his wife First Lady Jill Biden who also attended, or Longoria during Thursdays event on the White House south lawn.

What did make headlines in several online publications was video showing Biden putting his hands on Longoria before the actress pulled his hands away. In the clip that has since gone viral, Biden is seen sharing a hug with Longoria with his hands appearing to come close to the actresss breast at the end of the embrace.

Frito-Lay Disputes Montanezs Story

According to the Times story, Flamin Hot Cheetos was actually created by a team at the Frito-Lay headquarters in Plano, Texas, as a snack product meant to rival other such food items in the Midwest. The story included testimonies from former Frito-Lay employees as well as reports from the companys own 2018 internal investigation over the matter.

The company, which is the current subsidiary of PepsiCo, also warned the movies filmmakers that it couldnt corroborate Montanezs version of events before production began on the film. Thats despite the movie featuring a title card at its ending asserting that its based on a true story.

On Thursday, with hundreds of people present including members of the cast, members of Congress and leaders of the Latino community, a mariachi band played on the Blue Room balcony prior to the screening. Thats as Biden told the crowd it was the first White House screening of a film focused on Hispanic characters.

When I think about tonights movie, I think about courage. So many of you, your ancestors left behind all that they knew to start a new life in the United States, said Biden, who announced in April that he is running for a second presidential term and that Hispanic Americans are a core part of the Democratic Party base.

Jill Biden said Montanez helped to change the way companies see Latino customers.

This film isnt just about Richard, said Mrs. Biden. Its about everyone who has been overlooked or underestimated.

Longoria Makes Inclusion a Priority

Longoria told the crowd Montanezs story inspired her because of the nos shes received during her own career. She recounted those making the film strived to promote this authentic film steeped in inclusion.

Richard Montanez disrupted the food industry in the 90s by channeling his Mexican American heritage to help turn Flamin Hot Cheetos into a multibillion-dollar brand today and a cultural phenomenon, said Longoria. We are telling a story that celebrates the American entrepreneurial dream without sidestepping the fact that the dream isnt available in the same way for everyone.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday prepped Thursdays event by describing the movie night as part of an effort to lift up and engage the community by showcasing their stories and celebrating their contributions to our country.

The movie, which stars Jesse Garcia as Montanez, is currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+. It received a 68 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.9 out of 10 on IMDb (Internet Movie Database). Promotional material for the film states that Montanez channeled his Mexican American heritage and upbringing to turn iconic Flamin Hot Cheetos into a snack that disrupted the food industry and became a global pop culture phenomenon.

The comedy-drama marks Longorias debut as a film director. Best known for her role on Desperate Housewives, the actress is also very outspoken about politics. She has previously spoken at the partys past three national political conventions, including serving as a host on the first night of the virtual 2020 Democratic Convention, and has helped raise funds for Biden, former President Barack Obama, and other Democratic candidates.

Stil, after its White House screening, there was more buzz about Bidens behavior than the actual movie.

Former political candidate Kimberly Klacik posted on Twitter: I hope you consider speaking out against this behavior Eva Longoria. This is not okay & I am sorry you had to deal with it.
Chinas Economy Is in a Silted Deflation With Industrial Growth Hampered by Global De-Risking

A couple walk past the headquarters of Bank of China, the country's second-largest lender in Beijing, China, on June 28, 2006. (China Photos/Getty Images)

News Analysis

Chinas economy has been mired in a sort of silted deflation: on the one hand, the countrys industrial growth has been stagnant as a result of the G-7-led global de-risking strategy against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP); on the other hand, Beijings move to increase the money supply has failed to help boost the economy as money is not flowing to people and consumption is still sluggish.

Data from the Bank of China, or Chinas central bank, showed that at the end of April, the balance of broad money (M2)a measure of the amount of money circulation in an economywas 252.7 trillion yuan ($35.4 trillion), surging 12.4 percent year-on-year, while the proportion of RMB loans was 226.2 trillion yuan ($31.7 trillion), rising 11.8 percent year-on-year; and the stock of social financing amounted to 359.95 trillion yuan (about $50.5 trillion), an increase of 10 percent from the same period of last year.

These figures reflect a phenomenon in which the CCP regime has used more of the newly added money supply to settle government loans and social financing bonds.

Meanwhile, there are no signs of brakes on Chinas deteriorating economy, with the national urban survey unemployment rate in April standing at 5.2 percent and the rate for youth aged 1624 reaching 20.4 percentthe highest since it was included in the statistics in 2018.

A Dualistic Structure

Prof. Sun Liping of the Department of Sociology at Tsinghua University said in April at an entrepreneur summit that a new dual structure is forming in the entire Chinese economy: one side can be called the national plan, and the other is peoples livelihood, the Chinese portal Tencent reported on June 9.

Sun said the national plan includes critical infrastructure, high technology, advanced manufacturing industries, military industries, and government financing platforms, which are the focus of a countrys resource allocation, while the part of peoples livelihood refers to most of the private small- and medium- enterprises closely related to peoples lives, which also creates the majority of employment opportunities in China.

He analogized the two as the upper body and the lower body, saying that the upper body is like a national plan that feeds less population and labor force, but it takes up more resources, while the lower body akin to peoples livelihood that can support more people and labor force but was provided with fewer resources.

Sun said data showed the exports are increasingly concentrated in the upper body, and the proportion related to the lower body is decreasing. According to the General Administration of Customs, from January to May, exports of electrical and mechanical products, such as automatic data processing equipment, cell phones, and automobiles, amounted to 5.57 trillion yuan (about $781.21 billion), accounting for 57.9 percent of the total export value. In contrast, exports of labor-intensive products, such as clothing and textiles, were only 1.65 trillion yuan (about $231.42 billion), 17.2 percent of the total export value.

A Chinese investor gestures in front of a screen showing stock market movements at a securities firm in Hangzhou, eastern Chinas Zhejiang province on May 31, 2016. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

The Bureau of Statistics released that from January to April, the countrys fixed asset investment (excluding rural households) was 14.7 trillion yuan ($2.06 trillion), up 4.7 percent year-on-year. Among them, private fixed asset investment of 7.96 trillion yuan (about $1.12 trillion), an increase of only 0.4 percent year-on-year. Investment in high-tech industries grew by 14.7 percent year-on-year, with investment in the manufacturing sector and the service sector increasing by 15.3 percent and 13.4 percent, respectively.

The money and resources in the Chinese market mainly flow to some part of the CCPs national plan, and Chinas economy is now a kind of silted deflation, according to Sun.

Sun cited official data on social financing in the first quarter as saying that of the 14 trillion yuan (about $1.96 trillion) in social financing, the relatively advanced manufacturing sector took more than 70 percent, and then government bonds took 12.6 percent to pay off old debts of the government. In a word, although the amount of money supply is increasing rapidly, it is mainly used in the upper body [national plan], not the lower body [peoples livelihood].

But [if the money is consumed only] in the upper half, it cannot achieve the whole circulation cycle, and in the end, the upper halfs cycle wont move, Sun said.

According to China Merchants Banks 2022 Annual Report, 2.25 percent of Golden Sunflower customersrefers to those with total assets in personal accounts up to 500,000 yuan (about $7,000)have 81.44 percent of the real wealth of the bank, among which 0.07 percent of the private banking customers account for 31.27 percent of the wealth. The remaining 97.75 percent of the general customers have only 12,500 yuan (about $1,753.2) in assets per capita.

Based on data from Chinas central bank, China now has 700 million people in debt, and the total debt of the household sector is as high as 137.9 percent of disposable income, said Liu Yuhui, a professor at the Institute of Economic Research of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, on an April 7 financial topic conference, Chinese financial media Yicai reported.

CCP Faces Headwinds in Industrial Growth

An outdoor screen shows live news coverage of Chinas leader Xi Jinping delivering a speech during the closing session of the National Peoples Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People, along a street in Beijing on March 13, 2023. (Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images)

On May 5, CCP leader Xi Jinping presided over the first meeting of the twentieth Central Financial Committee, stressing the need to promote transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, which cannot be phased out as low-end industries.

The Political Bureau of the Central Committee admitted on April 28 that Chinas economy has no yet strong endogenous power, demand is still insufficient, and economic transformation and upgrading face new resistance.

From January to May, Chinas imports and exports of IC products have seen a sharp decline of 24.2 percent and 17.2 percent year-on-year, respectively.

The so-called new resistance would be related to the influence of the international communitys de-risking approach against the CCP, which is led by the Group of Seven (G7) with industrial powerhouses of USA, Germany, UK, France, Japan, Italy, and Canada.

This approach may include three aspects, said China expert and veteran media worker Shi Shan to The Epoch Times on June 3, First, high-tech research and development and precision semiconductor supply, the U.S., Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the Netherlands alliance are looking to isolate the CCP completely.

Second, in precision manufacturing and vital raw materials, G-7 allies will impose relevant restrictions against China and seek alternative sources.

Third, for areas like clothing, shoes, hats and toys, and other consumer goods, G-7 allies would maintain an open attitude of cooperation with China, Shi said.

Shi believes the de-risking strategy hit the nail on the head of the CCP by attacking the most critical part of what the CCP needs to transform its economy, especially for industrial growth in the future.

Industrial growth relies on technology, and the international community has imposed a technological blockade on the CCP. This trapped the CCP between transforming and upgrading its industries and keeping the so-called low-end industries, Shi said.

Global Economy Bodies De-Risking of CCP

The G7 Summit, which ended in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 21, expanded the scope of participating countries, with India, Brazil, Korea, Vietnam, Australia, Comoros, the AU rotating presidency, the Cook Islands, the Pacific Islands Forum presidency, and Indonesia, the ASEAN presidency, being invited to attend the meeting.

G-7 world leaders on the final day of the G-7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 21, 2023. (Stefan Rousseau-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

A joint communique stated at the summit that on economic issues, G-7 members were ready to reduce excessive dependencies in our critical supply chains [with China].

The statement emphasized the importance of de-risking and diversifying in the industrial chain, called for enhanced control of technology exports and investments in China, and decided to initiate the establishment of a Coordination Platform on Economic Coercion to increase assessment, preparedness, deterrence, and response to economic coercion from the CCP.

G-7 allies declared, We will seek to address the challenges posed by Chinas non-market policies and practices distorting the global economy. We will counter malign practices, such as illegitimate technology transfer or data disclosure. We will foster resilience to economic coercion.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said after the summit that China poses the biggest challenge of our age to global security and prosperity. With the G-7, we are taking steps to prevent China from using economic coercion to interfere in the sovereign affairs of others, Reuters reported.

The trade deficit between the EU and China has tripled in 10 years, said EU Commission President Von der Leyen. This imbalance is partly due to non-market practices such as hidden subsidies, discrimination in public tenders, and other distortions created by Chinas state capitalist system.

Sun pointed out that there are three aspects facing a dismantling and restructuring after globalization: Europes dependence on Russian energy and resources; Europes and Americas dependence on the Chinese market; and Chinas dependence on Western high technology, high-end equipment, and financial economy. He said the first two have finished or half-finished their reshuffling while dismantling technology dependence is underway.
Chinese Regime Announces Strategic Partnership With Palestinian Authority

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (R) and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas attend a welcoming ceremony in Beijing on June 14, 2023. (Jade Gao/Pool via Getty Images)

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced the establishment of a strategic partnership with the Palestinian Authority on June 14.

The announcement came during a meeting of the head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, with CCP head Xi Jinping.

During their meeting, Xi told Abbas that China is willing to assist the Palestinians in achieving internal reconciliation and promoting peace talks with Israel, according to Chinese state media.

Xi said China and the Palestinian Authority are good partners that trust and support each other. He noted that the CCP supports the cause of the Palestinian people to restore their national rights, and he laid out a general three-point proposal to resolve the conflict with Israel, in which China hopes to play the role of a mediator.

Abbas said the Palestinian Authority supports all of the CCPs national reunification effortsbringing Taiwan and Hong Kong under the CCPs control.

According to Chinese state media, he also said the Palestinian Authority condemns external interference in Chinas internal affairs on issues such as the situation in Hong Kong and in the region of Xinjiang.

Uyghur Muslims say theres an ongoing genocide against them in the Xinjiang region by the CCP.

Palestine trusts China and believes that China will continue to uphold justice. We will also firmly support China, Abbas said at the meeting with Xi.

CCP Wants to Assist in Peace Talks

The CCP and the Palestinian Authority agreed to promote negotiations on free trade agreements.

The CCP will continue to transfer financial aid to the Palestinian Authority and support various projects that aim to build the Authoritys strength, according to the joint statement.

During Abbass fifth visit to China, he also met with other high-ranking CCP figures, including Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on June 15, when both pledged to further promote bilateral relations.

Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas attends a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on June 15, 2023. (Jade Gao/Pool Photo via AP)

Abbas also met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who told him that China attaches great importance to the Palestinian issue and will continue to support peace talks and offered to contribute Chinese wisdom.

In April, Qin spoke with the foreign minister of Israel, Eli Cohen, and Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki. During the talks, he said the Chinese regime is ready to assist in peace talks, based on a two-state solution.

In March, the Chinese regime mediated a normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran. In February, the regime produced a 12-point proposal to end the war in Ukraine with no result.

China has historically had a good relationship with the Palestinians, and since Abbass last visit in 2017, the CCP has promoted its capabilities in mediation. However, it had little to show until the deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Close Ties With Palestinian Authority

While Chinese representatives occasionally visit Israel and the Palestinian territories, the CCP hasnt played a major role in the conflicts or diplomacy, although it relies on the region for oil.

But the CCP and the Palestinian Authority reached an agreement in principle over four projects that China will fund, according to Mohammad Mustafa, economic adviser to Abbas.

They include a solar power installation, a factory for solar panel production, a steel plant, and road infrastructure development, Mustafa said.

On his last day in China, Abbas visited the Chinese Museum in Beijing and unveiled a bust of the former head of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Arafat also was chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which the CCP was among the first to recognize.
Crown Casino Lands $20M Fine After Tax Claims and Cover-Ups

A person walks past signage at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia, on March 22, 2021. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

Gaming giant Crown has been slapped with a $20 million (US$13.8 million) fine for failing to pay its fair share of Victorias casino tax and trying to cover up the scheme.

The states royal commission into Crowns Melbourne operations found the casino giant wrongly claimed tax deductions by including the costs of certain promotional activities as amounts paid out as winnings.

It also sought to deliberately conceal the nature of the deductions.

When first proposed, internal lawyers expressed concerns about the validity of the deductions but the company moved to gradually phase them in as part of a risk management strategy.

Crown continued to make the deductions after the former state casino watchdog sought information in 2018 and contrary to advise from an external solicitor.

The practice was uncovered during the 2021 royal commission when a spreadsheet setting out the casinos total unpaid casino tax was inadvertently noticed by counsel assisting.

Crown accepted it wrongfully claimed the deductions and has since reimbursed the state about $61.5 million (US$42.3 million), including $37.4 million (US$25.7 million) from the unpaid tax and $24.1 million (US$16.5 million) in penalty interest.

A further $20 million fine was issued by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (TGCCC) on June 16, taking Crowns tally of penalties to $700 million (US$481 million) over the past 13 months.

Commission chair Fran Thorn said Crown made significant efforts to conceal the scheme.

The VGCCC will not tolerate this behaviour, Thorn said.

We expect licensees to comply with their tax obligations and to be transparent in their dealings with us.

In its 11-page list of reasons, the watchdog said it could have imposed a fine of about $28 million (US$19.2 million) but took into account Crowns remorse and co-operation.

The company has until December 31 to pay the fine and will have to cover the commissions costs.

Crown Melbourne chief executive Mike Volkert described the breaches as historical and said the practice, which stopped in 2021, had no place under the companys new ownership and leadership.

We are committed to an open, constructive, and transparent relationship with our regulators and stakeholders, as well as improving internal controls and our regulatory reporting requirements, Volkert said in a statement.

U.S. private equity giant Blackstone acquired Crown for $8.9 billion (US$6.1 billion) in June 2022, ending billionaire James Packers control of the company.

The Victorian casino watchdog has now meted out $250 million (US$171.8 million) worth of fines to Crown following the eight-month royal commission, which found the company unfit to run the Southbank complex.

Crown has two years to reform itself before a special monitor and the regulator decide whether the company is suitable to hold the licence.

Victorian Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation Minister Melissa Horne said the fine demonstrated why the watchdog was given stronger powers, ensuring no repeat of Crowns atrocious conduct.

Its incumbent on Crown to prove they are suitable to hold their licenceotherwise they will lose it, Horne said.

Opposition spokesman Danny OBrien said it was incumbent on the government to justify Crowns entitlement to run the casino after giving it a second chance.

One wonders when the dramas with Crown will ever end, OBrien said.

Crown remains on the hook for a $450 million (US$309.3 million) fine in May after reaching an agreement with the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre for breaching anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws.

It will become the third-largest fine in Australian corporate history if approved by the Federal Court in July.
Cumulative Impacts From California Exodus Cost State Nearly $500 Billion, Will Get Worse: Economist

Recent Internal Revenue Service data showing a net loss of more than 425,000 people between 2021 and 2022 indicates California is losing residents to states with lower or no income tax, according to a Chapman University professor.

We are losing more of the high-income earners than the low-income earners, and its an increasing proportion of the total loss, Jim Doti, president emeritus and professor of economics at Chapman University, told Epoch TVs California Insider.

Theyre more mobile and have the greatest incentive to leave because theyre paying 13.3 percent marginal income tax.

High taxes are motivating wealthier residents to leave, with those making more than $200,000 per year increasingly choosing to relocate to states with no income tax such as Texas, Florida, and Nevada, according to Doti.

California ranks as the second-highest-taxed state, trailing only New Jersey, and IRS data show a flow of taxpayers from those with higher tax rates to those with lower rates or none.

Right now, if youre in that in $200,000 or above  by crossing the boundary into Nevada where theyre developing higher-income residential areas, you save 13.3 percent on your marginal tax rate, Doti said. Thats not chicken feed, and thats why people are leaving.

Doti related the ongoing situation to an economic theory known as the Laffer Curvea formula developed by economist Arthur Laffer showing that reduced taxation spurs economic progresswith the exodus unfolding as businesses and taxpayers seek cost savings by relocating.

State-to-state migration is so easy, Doti said during the 30-minute interview. And you save a lot of money.

The Golden State experienced a $29.1 billion loss in 2021, according to the most recent data available from the tax agency, approximately triple the amount lost in 2019.

Cumulatively, were talking about nearly a half trillion dollars in income lost in five years between 2016 and 2021, Doti said, noting that the effects of taxable income loss compound over time.

Doti sat down with host Siyamak Khorrami to provide more details about the consequence of the state of the population decline and loss of businesses after being featured in EpochTVs Leaving California documentary.

Less taxable income means less revenue for infrastructure, social services, and government programs, according to economists.

Businesses are also fleeing in record numbers, and a survey conducted by Doti and Chapman University revealed that half of responding CEOs reported they were contemplating moving, with one-third already having plans in place to leave the state.

Strict environmental regulations and a lengthy permitting process are common complaints from business leaders, according to experts.

The need to bring down regulation was cited by CEOs as the No. 1 reason for leaving because it hamstrings operations, making it difficult to expand, Doti said. This needs to be dealt with expeditiously and with a high level of priority.

Jobs and businesses leaving the state fuel the loss of workers, exacerbating the economic impact by limiting and removing revenue streams from local communities, according to experts.

Significant loss of human capital and intellectual capacity is one of the most concerning aspects of the California exodus, according to Doti.

First theorized by Adam Smith in his book The Wealth of Nations, published in 1776, the idea that human capital is the greatest source of wealth for a state is based on the notion that well-trained, educated workers are most capable of producing the prosperity needed to maintain a sustainable, thriving economy.

Public education systems including the University of California and California State University are subsidized by the government in recognition of this value, and the loss of graduates to other states is detrimental to the future of the state, according to Doti.

If you lose them, you lost all that investment, he said. Younger people are thinking about forming families and buying a home, and in other states, they can find a starter home and a piece of the American pie.

With a current median California home sale price of more than $728,000, according to Zillowan online real estate listing companymany new graduates are priced out of the housing market, according to experts.

Population declines are expected to continue, as the problems facing California are significant, and solutions would require lawmakers to refocus their priorities, according to Doti.

Not only are they not focusing on the proper issues, theyre not going to the root cause of the problem, he said.

Lack of access to resources and housing boils down to high taxation and regulation, as less job creation and economic activity are the inevitable results, according to Doti.

If we can reduce taxes and regulation, people will stay, and we will have greater prosperity, he told California Insider.

We will begin to generate the kind of vital economy that can finally do something meaningful about the problems were facing: homelessness, crime, and an educational system, especially in the inner city, that is failing.
Democrats Warn That Congress Is Still Heading Toward a Shutdown Despite Agreement on Budget

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)

Democrats warn that Congress is still facing the threat of a shutdown at the end of the year, despite an agreement on the Federal budget. The agreement earlier this month between House Republicans and the Democrats was supposed to create a bipartisan framework for annual spending bills that would take a government shutdown off the table.

Congress may have avoided a federal default by voting to lift the debt ceiling two weeks ago, but another clash is expected in September when lawmakers must avert a government shutdown.

House Republicans are currently pushing appropriations bills that are below the levels to which President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) agreed in their deal, reported Government Executive.

McCarthy is under pressure from conservatives in his own caucus, who are angry at the generous concessions made out to the White House and the Democrats over the debt ceiling deal.

Democrats say this will lead to a second battle in Congress that may again risk a funding lapse this fall.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told Republicans to stick to the promises they made during the debt limit and budget negotiations.

We made a deal, and we will uphold our end of this deal, said Jean-Pierre said, and so they need to uphold theirs.

House Conservatives Demand Concessions After Debt Ceiling Agreement

Pressure from conservatives has forced House Republican appropriators to begin writing spending bills for Fiscal Year 2023 at levels below the threshold achieved in the debt ceiling pact between McCarthy and Biden.

The House Speaker has made it clear to his fellow Republicans that he will not allow lawmakers to put a flood of individual appropriations bills into a single omnibus bill and wants the House to consider each of the twelve spending bills one by one to avert a shutdown.

It may be tough for the House Republicans to pull that off since both chambers of Congress must find a common agreement to pass the omnibus bill by October 1.

Current funding is set to expire on Sept. 30, leaving open the possibility for a shutdown in the fall.

Although the deadline is three and a half months away, the debate over the federal budget is expected to be contentious.

McCarthy has yet to say whether he would agree to the House approving what are known as minibusses, which are any batch of appropriations bills that comprise all twelve spending proposals.

A minibus might include a group of any number of bills and is smaller than a standard omnibus package.

Battle Brewing Over Department of Agriculture Funding

Accusations by Democrats came to a head on June 13 at a markup of an Agriculture Department fiscal 2024 funding bill, during which Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee approved a measure that would revert spending to fiscal 2022 levels. The GOP-dominated committee ignored the Fiscal Responsibility Acts spending caps, which would essentially freeze government-wide spending at current amounts. The Fiscal Responsibility Act set a top-line spending capa ceiling, not a floorfor fiscal year 2024 bills, said Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), the chairwoman of the appropriations panel. That is why I will use this opportunity to mark up appropriations bills that limit new spending to the fiscal year 2022 top-line level, she said. House Republicans are likely to approve $115 billion in cutbacks of unspent previously approved funding, which includes nearly $8 billion from Agriculture and will reduce total government spending by 1 percent. Granger defended her decision to push bills below the Fiscal Responsibility Act level, which House GOP conservatives has already promised, both before and after the debt ceiling agreement was reached. The bill proposals will use the funding we already have, she said on June 14, and redirect for a vote in the House. Republicans on the committee noted that the spending bill cuts would deny the Biden administrations request for funding to hire 4,700 new employees at Agriculture. Biden previously warned that the level of cuts that House Republicans were seeking would cause tens of thousands of federal employees to face furloughs and potential layoffs, which would please many conservatives. Democrats Accuse House Republicans Of Backing Out Of Agreement
Ecuador Authorities Confiscate Pigs, Fighting Cocks From Prison

View of pigs confiscated by members of Ecuador's security forces in a high security jail, in Santo Domingo, Ecuador, in this image released on June 16, 2023 and obtained from social media. (Fuerzas Armadas del Ecuador via Twitter/via Reuters)

Ecuadorean security forces have confiscated pigs, fighting cocks, and more than two dozen bladed weapons, among other items, from a high-security wing of Bellavista prison in the city of Santo Domingo, the countrys military said on Friday.

Police and operatives of the SNAI prison authority were shown wheeling out two pigs from the prison in images shared by Ecuadors military in a message posted on Twitter.

The authorities also removed 12 fighting cocks, 26 bladed weapons, 16 electrical items, and other objects, they said in a tweet, without saying how the animals ended up there.

Ecuadors prisons are plagued by poor conditions and violence, the latter leading to the deaths of hundreds of inmates.
Ex-Long Beach EMT Faces 29 Years in Prison for Selling Fentanyl Resulting in Coworkers Death

Bags of heroin, some laced with fentanyl, are displayed before a press conference regarding a major drug bust, at the office of the New York Attorney General, in New York City, on Sept. 23, 2016. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

A former Long Beach, California, first responder was sentenced on June 14 to over 29 years in federal prison for selling fentanyl to two coworkers, which resulted in ones death, authorities said.

Cruz Noel Quintero, 43, of Long Beach, was found guilty in September 2022 on counts of distributing fentanyl resulting in death, possessing machine guns and unregistered firearms, maintaining a drug-involved premise, and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, according to a June 14 press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Quintero operated a reckless and callous drug trafficking business that repeatedly endangered peoples lives and ultimately killed [the victim], prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum.

Quinterowho previously worked as an emergency medical technician at a Long Beach hospitalshipped cocaine, methamphetamine, and other drugs across the country and distributed them out of a Long Beach residence, according to the indictment.

In May 2019, he sold a white powder, which he claimed to be cocaine, for $100 to a now former nurse in the parking lot outside the hospitals emergency room, authorities said.

The nurse and her partner, a volunteer firefighter, consumed the substance and both passed out, not knowing it was fentanyl, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. One of the victims later was pronounced dead.

According to the indictment, toxicologists testified that fentanyl was the only drug found in the victims blood, and doctors confirmed the death was due to fentanyl toxicity.

After it was determined Quintero sold the fentanyl to the nurse, authorities searched two residences in Long Beach with which he was associated and discovered 13 firearmsincluding two machine guns, two short-barreled assault rifles, and nine other guns, some of which were loaded, according to the indictment.

One of the locations, which he used as his base of operations, was scattered with equipment, including over 10 pounds of cutting agents and a hydraulic press for cocaine brick manufacturing, according to the court document.

Additionally, Quintero testified that he shipped cocaine and methamphetamine to drug dealers in Minnesota, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

For at least a year, [Quintero] shipped kilos of cocaine and pounds of methamphetamine out of state, and sold poor-quality, adulterated drugs to unsuspecting buyers, all while guarding his drug-distribution outpost in Long Beach with machine guns and short-barreled rifles, prosecutors said.

Quintero has been in custody since the fatal overdose.

He was sentenced to 352 months in prison by United States District Judge Christina A. Snyder.
Federal Judge Blocks Part of Indianas Ban on Gender Transition Procedures

Activists against the use of gender-transition treatments and procedures on minors demonstrate outside of Boston Childrens Hospital in Boston on Sept. 18, 2022. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction halting part of Indianas ban on gender transition procedures for minors, pending the outcome of a legal challenge.

U.S. District Court Judge James Patrick Hanlon, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, blocked the enforcement of provisions in the bill that prohibited puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone therapy for minors.

Hanlon also blocked the portion of the law that prevented doctors from discussing these treatments with physicians in other states.

Plaintiffs Lacked Standing

However, Hanlon allowed the ban on gender reassignment surgery to remain in place, writing in his ruling that the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge that ban because gender reassignment surgeries are not provided to minors in Indiana.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed the lawsuit on behalf of four minors, their parents, and a doctor, claiming that the new law violated federal requirements under the Medicaid Act and the Affordable Care Act, as well as the U.S. Constitution.

In his ruling, Hanlon acknowledged Indianas strong interest in enforcing democratically enacted laws and recognized the states reasons for regulating gender transition procedures for minors. Nevertheless, he determined that the plaintiffs had demonstrated a likelihood of success in showing that the law would violate their equal protection and free speech rights.

Still, Plaintiffs have carried their burden of showing some likelihood of success on their claims that [the law] would violate their equal protection rights under the Fourteenth Amendment and free speech rights under the First Amendment, Hanlon wrote in his ruling (pdf).

Entitled to a Preliminary Injunction

Hanlon concluded that the broad ban on gender transition procedures did not sufficiently align with the states interests, thus entitling the plaintiffs to a preliminary injunction.

Under the evidence available at this preliminary stage, there is not a close meansend fit between the States important reasons for regulating the provision of gender transition procedures to minors and [the laws] broad ban of those procedures, the ruling continued. So, when the States interests are weighed against the likelihood that Plaintiffs will be able to show that [the law] would violate their constitutional rights and the risk of irreparable harm, Plaintiffs are entitled to a preliminary injunction.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokitas spokesperson said in comments to The Hill that the state would defend its laws and fight for the children.

The Court openly acknowledges evidence showing the safety and effectiveness of puberty blockers and hormone therapy are uncertain and unsettled, the spokesperson said. It also recognizes that the State has shown there are good reasons for regulating gender transition procedures for minors.

Gender Transition Bill

The legislation at issue prohibits physicians or practitioners from providing gender transition procedures to individuals under the age of 18, even with parental consent. It also prohibits them from assisting or enabling others in providing gender reassignment to minors.

The bill defines gender transition procedures as any medical or surgical service that seeks to surgically alter or remove healthy physical or anatomical characteristics or features that are typical for the individuals sex, including the removal of breasts or genitals.

Republican Indiana lawmakers sought to enact this bill amid a national push by GOP-led legislatures to protect minors from the potentially irreparable harm they say these gender transition procedures can cause. However, opponents of such bans frame these bills as curbing LGBT rights.

The approval of the ban followed heated hearings in which opponents argued that such procedures reduce the risk of depression and suicide among transgender youth.

Proponents of such bans, including individuals who have regretted undergoing such gender transition procedures as minors, say they and their parents were pressured into consenting.

Recent reporting by The Daily Wire has raised questions about whether some health care providers are rubber stamping diagnoses of gender dysphoria. This diagnosis, which represents a person feeling distressed at their body not matching their gender identity, is needed for insurance coverage of transition procedures.

Indianas law, signed by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb on April 5, was initially scheduled to take effect on July 1. However, the preliminary injunction now prevents its enforcement until the legal challenge is resolved.
Fight to Repatriate Australian Women, Kids From Syrian Camp

A general view of the al-Hol displaced persons camp is seen in northeastern Syria on Feb. 17, 2019. (Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images)

A legal fight is on to repatriate eight Australian women and their 18 children from a refugee camp in Syria.

The group is being detained in the countrys northeast by the Autonomous Administration of North East Syria (AANES) and its defence arm, the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Its alleged the detention of the group is unlawful and questions are being asked about why successive federal governments have allowed some women and children to return and not others.

Save the Children launched the legal action in the Federal Court, claiming that without a formal decision the federal government had decided not to repatriate the latest group.

The groups chief executive Mat Tinkler visited the camp last year and in a statement to the court said it was no place for a child to live and grow up.

They are the wives, widows and children of suspected Islamic State fighters and are not being identified to protect their safety.

They are at great risk, Tinkler said.

Emrys Nekvapil SC, for Save the Children, said the AANES wanted foreign governments, including Australias, to repatriate their citizens from the al-Roj camp.

The women are all Australian citizens.

Eight children were returned to Australia in 2019, and in October last year, four women and 13 children were repatriated.

Thats an important feature of our argument because we say, in effect, why them and not the remainder, Nekvapil said.

Save the Children requested a decision from the federal government in May on the repatriation of the latest group.

They inferred from a lack of decision that the government had actually decided not to repatriate the women and children, and have asked the court to infer the same.

Their case includes evidence from experts who say detention of women and children is unlawful under international law, Syrian law and the set of rules under which AANES operates, and that repatriation can be done easily because the AANES wants it to happen.

The Commonwealth had not put its key issues in the case before the court ahead of a case management hearing on June 16.

Craig Lenehan SC said they were still giving close consideration to the legality of the detention and would nail our colours to the mast shortly.

Both sides hope to have the case heard as early as September, citing the potential destabilisation of the situation in Syria.

In a statement, Tinkler said the lawsuit was a regretful last resort after years of engaging with various governments.

The repatriations last October raised the remaining childrens hopes that they too would soon be out of harms way, Tinkler said.

Instead they feel they have been abandoned by their country and are losing hope for the future.

Tinkler said they were innocent children being punished for the alleged actions of their parents.

One of the children is now an adult, while a number of others have been born since their mothers were detained.
ULAN BATOR, June 16 (Xinhua) -- A tour bus carrying about 30 foreign tourists crashed on Friday afternoon in the northern outskirts of Ulan Bator, the Mongolian capital, authorities said.

Twenty-six Nepali tourists were sent to hospital for treatment after the accident, which occurred in the Songinokhairkhan District of Ulan Bator, local media reported.

Among the Nepali tourists, four suffered severe injuries and two were in serious conditions, the National Traumatology and Orthopedics Research Center said in a statement.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, the National Police Department said, urging drivers to comply with traffic rules to avoid accidents as the peak season of summer tourism is coming. 
A team of Ohio firefighters have uncovered a fascinating 118-year-old time capsule, buried inside the brick wall of an old fire station due to be demolished.

On May 24, the Marion Ohio Fire Department intervened in the demolition of its old Station One building to remove the sandstone cornerstone for preservation, with permission from the buildings private owner, Ted Graham. Using hammers and chisels, a small group of off-duty firefighters got started but stopped before an engineer arrived to supervise when they made an unexpected discovery: a small copper box concealed behind bricks in the wall.

Firefighters work to remove and preserve the sandstone cornerstone of the old Marion Ohio Fire Department Station One building on May 24. (Courtesy of City of Marion Ohio Fire Department)

Firefighters stumble on a time capsule during their preservation efforts of the old Marion Ohio Fire Department Station One building. (Courtesy of City of Marion Ohio Fire Department)

Firefighter Niles and Captain Redmon of Marion Ohio Fire Department carefully removed the box. The first time it has seen light since 1905, 118 years! the department posted on Facebook, explaining that the 8 x 4 x 4-inch copper box was soldered shut to protect its contents from the elements.

There are definitely items inside, some can be heard rolling around and the box has some weight to it, they wrote, teasing, So when are we going to open it?

The department sought guidance from the Ohio Historical Society on how to open the time capsule while preserving as much historical value as possible, and planned to reveal its contents in a public opening at Marions Central Station on May 31.

Firefighters display a time capsule discovered while preserving the cornerstone of old Station One of the Marion Ohio Fire Department. (Courtesy of City of Marion Ohio Fire Department)

Using tin snips to penetrate the copper container, the department revealed its well-preserved contents to an enraptured audience and was thrilled with what they found. The items heard rolling around were nine turn-of-the-century Marion Ohio Fire Department badges; the rest included an incredible set of historic paperwork pertaining to the fire station and its employees.

Among the boxs contents were the original lease for Station One to the city; an invitation to the Northwestern Ohio Volunteer Firemans Association Firemans Games in 1878; an agenda from the Second Annual Marion Fire Department Ball, dated April 24, 1905; and four Marion Daily Star newspapers from July of the same year.

The box also contained a roster of 1905 city officials and two rosters for members of the fire stations Hose Company One and Hose Company Two; a copy of the 1905 Merit Systems Rules for the hiring and promotion of firefighters; and a letter from former Chief McFarland dated July 20, 1905, the day the cornerstone was set, including the names of all firefighters employed at Marion fire stations and the Huber Manufacturing Company Fire Department at the time. All this they laid out for display before a captivated audience.

The firefighters display the contents of the time capsule during its opening. (Courtesy of City of Marion Ohio Fire Department)

The time capsule contained old fire department badges. (Courtesy of City of Marion Ohio Fire Department)

What an amazing find! the department posted, explaining that the items will be kept by the Marion County Historical Society while the new Station One building is constructed. They will eventually gain pride of place at the new station in a dedicated display case.

Excited netizens suggested that Marion Fire Department could pay it forward, with one person commenting, So cool! Hope the fire department incorporates a time capsule in their new building! The department confirmed in a reply that they plan to do exactly that, for the enjoyment of future generations.

An old photo of members of the fire department from over a century ago. (Courtesy of City of Marion Ohio Fire Department)

Old fire department documents were contained in the time capsule. (Courtesy of City of Marion Ohio Fire Department)

An old fire department equipment manual and roster were contained in the time capsule. (Courtesy of City of Marion Ohio Fire Department)

Old fire department contracts with both the city and a manufacturer were contained in the time capsule. (Courtesy of City of Marion Ohio Fire Department)

An old certificate from the early days of the fire department. (Courtesy of City of Marion Ohio Fire Department)

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Flag Day Celebration Commemorates Veterans at Risk of Suicide

Vietnam War veteran Amado Salinas (top C) and Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner (top R) join Angel Force USA, a Newport Beach-based nonprofit, on Flag Day at the Nixon Library and Museum to commemorate and advocate for U.S. veterans and first responders suffering from suicidal ideation and other mental health struggles, in Yorba Linda, Calif., on June 14, 2023. (Carol Cassis/The Epoch Times)

YORBA LINDA, Calif.Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner joined a local nonprofit on June 14 for Flag Day at the Nixon Library and Museum to commemorate and advocate for U.S. veterans and first responders suffering from suicidal ideation and other mental health struggles.

The scourge of veteran suicide is very real, Wagner said during the event. But we have the opportunity, every single one of us, to make a difference. If you see a veteran, see someone struggling, its real easy to ask a question. Its real easy to offer a helping hand. Its real easy to perhaps be the person who saves the life of someone who risked their life for you.

Spearheading the event was Angel Force USA, a Newport Beach-based nonprofit aimed at raising awareness of military suicides.

The event, titled Stop Suisilence, stems from the nonprofits goal of encouraging vets and other law enforcement suffering from mental health issues to open up about their experiences in an attempt to prevent further suicides among at-risk members, many of whom are said to be more likely to commit such acts by staying silent.

Since 9/11, more than 30,000 veterans have died by suicide, compared to 7,000 in combat, Angel Force USA Founder and President Anne Dunsmore said during the event. Thats a big ratio  Even one is not ok.

The event also served as a tribute to Vietnam War veterans. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the United States involvement in the war, which claimed the lives of nearly 60,000 U.S. military members, according to the National Archives.

The event, which included a luncheon and concert at the librarys replica of the White House East Ballroom, drew dozens of veterans, first responders, and their spouses and families. An empty chair was left for those who never made it home from war or who had taken their own lives.

Yorba Linda Mayor Pro Tem Tara Campbell, city Councilwoman Tara Lim, and former local U.S. Rep. Mimi Walters were also in attendance.

It is an honor and a privilege to be here in support of our troops, Walters said to the crowd during the luncheon.

Former Marine Corpsman and Air Force officer Louis Martin was among the four Vietnam vets who received recognition at the event for his service, alongside Albert Ruiz, Joe Castillo, and Steven Kemp.

According to Martin, such recognition was long overdue.

Many of us [Vietnam troops] were never recognized for our service when we came home, he told The Epoch Times. Back then the war was so unpopular, especially with all the protests. [Vietnam veterans] were really treated like dirt.

Martin, of La Habra, agreed with doing more to help veterans struggling after deployment. He recalled memories of his own hardship post-war.

When we came home [after the war] at Los Angeles International Airport, [anti-war] protests were so bad that we were ordered to take off our uniforms before our plane landed, Martin said. But [the protestors] still knew we were military from our haircuts. I had a college girl throw red paint on me and call me a Nazi pig. I said how dare you? It was horrible.

Such treatment, Martin said, was common and exacerbated suicide among many Vietnam vets during and after the war.

If we knew then what we know  we could have saved so many lives. We need to do more for veterans who are suffering, he said.
Florida Man Gets 5-Year Sentence for Assaulting Officer During Jan. 6 Breach

A protester hands off two stolen crutches outside the Lower West Terrace tunnel at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Special to The Epoch Times)

A Florida man was sentenced to nearly five years in prison on Friday for assaulting a police officer during the Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021.

Mason Joel Courson, 27, from Tamarac, Florida, received a 57-month imprisonment term after pleading guilty in November 2022, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia.

Courson and other protesters disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress, which was convened to verify and count the electoral votes for the 2020 presidential election.

Authorities said Courson was part of a mob that confronted law enforcement officials at the Archway and Lower West Terrace tunnel leading into the Capitol building. This is the location from which presidents emerge on their inauguration day.

Hundreds of protesters had gathered at the tunnel by 4:20 p.m., some of whom engaged in throwing or swinging various objects at officers. Among those in the tunnel was Rosanne Boyland, 34, of Kennesaw, Georgia, who died soon after.

Boyland entered the tunnel at 4:18 p.m.

Shortly after, pandemonium broke out after an officer deployed a chemical irritant gas that displaced the oxygen in the tunnel, forcing a stampede as protesters rushed to get air outside, witnesses said.

At 4:21 p.m., Boylands collapse was registered in police bodycam footage when a voice was heard shouting, Oh God, a womans down! Protesters spent around 10 minutes begging police to render aid to the fallen woman, but their pleas were ignored.

Within those 10 minutes, at 4:27 p.m., one protester, identified as Jack Wade Whitton, climbed over a railing and used a crutch to assault and kick an officer, according to the U.S. attorneys office. Two other protesters, one of whom was identified as Logan Barnhart, then joined in. They dragged the officer down the steps into the crowd.

Officer Assaulted

According to the U.S. attorneys office, Courson was positioned at the bottom of the steps and attacked the officer with a police baton while other protesters struck him with different objects. The officer sustained bruising and abrasions, the DOJ said.

Eventually, officers and medics from three police agencies worked for 15 minutes to try to revive Boylands lifeless body. She was one of four supporters of former President Donald Trump who died that day.

Courson was among nine defendants charged in this case, with four of his fellow defendants having previously pleaded guilty to the charges they faced. He was initially arrested in December 2021 on multiple charges.

In addition to his prison sentence, Courson has been ordered to serve 36 months of supervised release and pay $2,000 in restitution.

The arrests related to the violence at the Jan. 6 protests and Capitol breach have now surpassed 1,000 individuals across almost all 50 states, with nearly 350 individuals charged specifically with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

The Epoch Times has exposed an extensive amount of evidence, including video footage and official Capitol Police reports, that some law enforcement officers assaulted peaceful protesters unprovoked. All such officers were declared innocent after investigations, while other officers faced disciplinary measures for displaying friendliness toward the protesters.

Another Man Also Charged for Actions at Tunnel

An actor who has appeared in several popular television shows and movies was also arrested and charged last week for his alleged participation in actions at the tunnel leading to the Capitol building.

Jay Johnston, a 54-year-old resident of Los Angeles, was arrested and charged on June 7 on charges of interfering with law enforcement during the breach. While Johnston was observed entering the tunnel leading to the entrance at 3:05 p.m., he is not accused of entering the Capitol itself.

Authorities obtained surveillance footage showing an individual resembling Johnston participating in the incident. Flight records also indicated that Johnston had a round-trip flight reservation from Los Angeles to Washington in January 2021. Additionally, one of Johnstons acquaintances provided the FBI with a text message in which Johnston acknowledged being present at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

In still images from video, a man authorities say is Jay Johnston stands outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (FBI via The Epoch Times)

Video footage revealed Johnston allegedly taking possession of a stolen riot shield belonging to the Capitol Police, carrying it away from the officers, and subsequently handing it to another individual.

In charging documents, Johnston wrote that the news has presented it as an attack but added that it actually wasnt but kind of turned into that.

It was a mess. Got maced and tear gassed and I found it quite untastic [sic], he wrote.

Originally from Illinois, Johnston has appeared in various popular television shows and movies, including a recurring role as Officer Taylor in the series Arrested Development. Following allegations of his involvement in the events of Jan. 6, 2021, Johnston was reportedly banned from his voice-acting role on Bobs Burgers.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
Delegates opposed the resolution, demanding that language calling on governments to protect, promote and support breastfeeding be deleted.

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 2011 and 2016, only 40 percent of infants under the age of 6 months were being exclusively breastfed, worldwide.

Thanks to growing awareness of the science behind the breast is best slogan, breastfeeding rates in the U.S. have risen from a low of 24 percent in 1971 to 81 percent in 2016.

The global goal is to get 70 percent of infants exclusively breastfed for the first six months by 2030. To achieve that, the World Health Assembly introduced a nonbinding resolution in early 2018 to encourage breastfeeding and stress the health benefits of breastfeeding.

In a move that shocked the world, U.S. delegates opposed the resolution, demanding that language calling on governments to protect, promote and support breastfeeding be deleted.

The American delegation threatened countries with sanctions lest they reject the resolution. It was even suggested that the U.S. might cut its financial support to the WHO. Russia ultimately introduced the resolution.

Whats the optimal food for your newborn baby? Common sense would tell you that a mothers breast milk is as optimal as infant nutrition could possibly get, yet that factindisputable as it may seemis something that makers of infant formula have spent decades trying to sweep under the carpet.[1] Following the development of manufactured infant formula, mothers were told breastfeeding was unnecessary.

Formula offered greater freedom for busy moms, and the promotion of the obnoxious idea that breastfeeding in public is shameful fueled the transition, making more moms defer to the bottle rather than their breast. For years, women could even be fined for public indecency if caught breastfeeding in public. In 2018, Utah became the last state to enact laws protecting the rights of breastfeeding mothers by permitting nursing in public.[2]

As of April 2018, all 50 states must provide workplace protection for nursing mothers, however many suffer discrimination for needing time to express milk. In terms of nutrition, moms have, and still are, told theres no difference between bottle feeding and breastfeeding, yet nothing could be further from the truth.

There is very little similarity between the two, from a nutritional perspective. Unfortunately, marketing materials have a way of giving mothers the false idea that formula may actually provide better nutrition.

Now, even the pro-breastfeeding slogan breast is best has been usurped and turned into fed is best[3]meaning, as long as your baby is well-fed, it doesnt matter if its breast milk or formula. A recent bioethical argument in the journal Pediatrics even advises pediatricians its time to stop referring to breastfeeding as something natural.[4] How did we get so off course? You might as well argue against the naturalness of urination.

Only 4 in 10 Infants Are Exclusively Breastfed for 6 Months

According to a Jan. 2, 2018, report[5] by the World Health Organization (WHO) on infant nutrition, between 2011 and 2016, a mere 40 percent of infants under the age of 6 months were being exclusively breastfed, worldwide. Only 33 countries have breastfeeding rates higher than 50 percent, while 68 nations have rates below 50 percent.

Thanks to growing awareness of the science behind the breast is best slogan, breastfeeding rates in the U.S. have risen dramatically in recent decades, from a low of 24 percent in 1971[6] to 81.1 percent in 2016.[7]

The global goal is to get 70 percent of infants exclusively breastfed for the first six months by 2030, and to achieve that, the World Health Assembly, which is the decision-making body of the WHO, introduced a nonbinding resolution in early 2018 to encourage breastfeeding and stress the health benefits of breastfeeding.

The resolution stressed that decades of research show breast milk is the healthiest choice, and urged governments to rein in inaccurate or misleading marketing of breast milk substitutes.

US Government Backs Formula Makers

In a move that shocked the world, the U.S. delegates opposed the resolution, demanding that language calling on governments to protect, promote and support breastfeeding be deleted.[8] They also wanted to erase a passage calling on policymakers to restrict promotion of foods that can have adverse effects on the health of young children.

The global delegation was even more shocked when the Americans started threatening countries with sanctions lest they reject the resolution. It was even suggested that the United States might cut its financial support to the WHO. As reported by The New York Times:[9]

Ecuador, which had planned to introduce the measure, was the first to find itself in the cross hairs. The Americans were blunt: If Ecuador refused to drop the resolution, Washington would unleash punishing trade measures and withdraw crucial military aid. The Ecuadorean government quickly acquiesced  We were shocked because we didnt understand how such a small matter like breast-feeding could provoke such a dramatic response, said the Ecuadorean official  [A]t least a dozen countries, most of them poor nations in Africa and Latin America, backed off, citing fears of retaliation  We were astonished, appalled and also saddened, said Patti Rundall, the policy director of the British advocacy group Baby Milk Action  What happened was tantamount to blackmail, with the U.S. holding the world hostage and trying to overturn nearly 40 years of consensus on the best way to protect infant and young child health, she said. In the end, the Americans efforts were mostly unsuccessful. It was the Russians who ultimately stepped in to introduce the measureand the Americans did not threaten them  The final resolution[10] preserved most of the original wording, though American negotiators did get language removed that called on the WHO to provide technical support to member states seeking to halt inappropriate promotion of foods for infants and young children.The United States also insisted that the words evidence-based accompany references to long-established initiatives that promote breastfeeding, which critics described as a ploy that could be used to undermine programs that provide parents with feeding advice and support.

A Mothers Choice

A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) denied the agency had anything to do with the threats leveled at Ecuador, telling The New York Times the DHHS had sought to modify the original draft resolution[11] because it placed unnecessary hurdles for mothers seeking to provide nutrition to their children.

According to the DHHS, women may not be able to breastfeed for a variety of reasons and These women should have the choice and access to alternatives for the health of their babies, and not be stigmatized for the ways in which they are able to do so. This is an incredibly weak rebuttal, as encouraging breastfeeding and promoting its health benefits in no way diminishes a womans right or ability to opt for formula if she finds she cannot breastfeed.

Formula makers have also tried to distance themselves from the embarrassment. Still, while witnesses at the assembly meeting claim they saw no evidence of formula makers trying to wield their influence, theres no denying theyve spent a lot of money lobbying to protect their market share, which means minimizing the importance of breastfeeding.

According to a MapLight analysis,[12] the three leading formula companies, Abbott Laboratories, Nestle, and Reckitt Benckiser, have spent $60.7 million lobbying lawmakers in the United States over the past decade.

Lucy Sullivan, director of 1,000 Days, a mother and infant nutrition advocacy group, told The Atlantic,[13] What this battle in Geneva showed us is that we have a U.S. government that is strongly aligned with the interests of the infant-formula industry and dairy industry, and are willing to play hardball.

As is customary, the DHHS held stakeholder listening sessions with various industry groups prior to the World Health Assembly meeting, where the dairy, grocery, and infant formula groups all had their say about the proposed resolution.

What surprised everyone was how forcefully the U.S. delegates acted on the trade groups opposition, The Atlantic writes.[14] While it may have been more aggressive than usual, as you will see below, the U.S. has an embarrassing history of pushing the use of infant formula over breast milk.

Health Benefits of Mothers Milk

From a nutritional science point of view, theres simply no dispute that breast milk is the optimal food for newborns and young infants.[15][16] Breastfeeding also has a number of health benefits for the mother, and its the least expensive alternative. Below is a summary of some of the key health benefits for mother and child.

Infant formula, on the other hand, has been linked to an increased risk of infant death. In her paper, Marketing Breast Milk Substitutes: Problems and Perils Throughout the World, published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood in 2012, June Brady starts out by highlighting the U.S. governments shameful lack of support of proper infant nutrition, choosing instead to cater to the formula makers right to profit. She writes, in part:[17]

21 May, 1981 the WHO International Code of Marketing Breast Milk Substitutes  was passed by 118 votes to 1, the U.S. casting the sole negative vote. The Code arose out of concern that the dramatic increase in mortality, malnutrition and diarrhea in very young infants in the developing world was associated with aggressive marketing of formula. The Code prohibited any advertising of baby formula, bottles or teats and gifts to mothers or bribery of health workers. Despite successes, it has been weakened over the years by the seemingly inexhaustible resources of the global pharmaceutical industry  Currently, suboptimal breastfeeding is associated with over a million deaths each year and 10 percent of the global disease burden in children. All health workers need to recognize inappropriate advertising of formula, to report violations of the Code and to support efforts to promote breastfeeding: the most effective way of preventing child mortality throughout the world.

Benefits for the Baby

Natural immunity Breastfeeding initially provides passive immunity as antibodies from the mother are passed through breast milk to the infant.

Researchers have also found breast milk has a unique capacity to stimulate the infants immune system with long-term positive effects.[18]

Breastfeeding initially provides passive immunity as antibodies from the mother are passed through breast milk to the infant. Researchers have also found breast milk has a unique capacity to stimulate the infants immune system with long-term positive effects.[18] Reduction of blindness in preemies Retinopathy of prematurity causes blindness in 10 percent of severe cases occurring in premature infants.

More than half of children born before 30 weeks gestation are affected and the condition blinds 50,000 children worldwide. An analysis suggests the incidence of severe disease, and thus blindness, could be reduced by 90 percent if all premature infants were fed breast milk.[19] The researchers theorize the effect may be from the antioxidant and immune protective properties found in breast milk.

Retinopathy of prematurity causes blindness in 10 percent of severe cases occurring in premature infants. More than half of children born before 30 weeks gestation are affected and the condition blinds 50,000 children worldwide. An analysis suggests the incidence of severe disease, and thus blindness, could be reduced by 90 percent if all premature infants were fed breast milk.[19] The researchers theorize the effect may be from the antioxidant and immune protective properties found in breast milk. Reduction in sudden infant death syndrome In one study, breastfeeding reduced the risk of sudden infant death syndrome in children by 50 percent at all ages through infancy.[20]

In one study, breastfeeding reduced the risk of sudden infant death syndrome in children by 50 percent at all ages through infancy.[20] Improved cognitive development Babies breastfed for nine or more months exhibit greater cognitive development than those who have not been breastfed,[21] and researchers found babies exclusively breastfed exhibit enhanced brain growth through age 2.[22]

Babies breastfed for nine or more months exhibit greater cognitive development than those who have not been breastfed,[21] and researchers found babies exclusively breastfed exhibit enhanced brain growth through age 2.[22] Reduced risk of allergies In one study of over 1,200 mothers and babies, exclusive breastfeeding prevented the development of allergic diseases and asthma.[23]

In one study of over 1,200 mothers and babies, exclusive breastfeeding prevented the development of allergic diseases and asthma.[23] Skin-to-skin contactEvidence shows newborns placed in skin-to-skin contact with their mothers immediately after birth move in a physiologically stable way from being in the womb to their early newborn moments.[24]

Mothers also exhibit an increase in maternal bonding and behavior after experiencing skin-to-skin contact directly after birth. These benefits only continue to grow in the weeks following delivery.

Infants are less likely to cry, more likely to maintain their body temperature, and have more stable heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure during skin-to-skin contact.[25]

Protect and nourish gut microbiomeBreast milk contains complex sugars needed to feed beneficial gut bacteria known to influence how a childs body burns and stores fat.[26]

In one recent study,[27] infants who were exclusively breastfed had the highest levels of beneficial bacteria in their guts at the age of 3 and 12 months. Infants who were exclusively formula-fed had the least variety of bacteria, and had nearly double the risk of becoming overweight compared to exclusively breastfed babies. Those fed a mix of breastmilk and formula were at lower risk than those exclusively formula-fed, but they still had a 60 percent greater risk of becoming overweight than exclusively breastfed babies.

Promotes proper jaw alignment, lowering risk of speech impediments and likelihood of needing orthodontic work later in life All of these issues are more common among bottle-fed babies, as bottle feeding causes jaw misalignment and malformed palate.

All of these issues are more common among bottle-fed babies, as bottle feeding causes jaw misalignment and malformed palate. Reduced risk of death, higher intelligence, lower health care costs, and improved economic futureAccording to a series of studies on breastfeeding published in The Lancet in 2016:[28] Breastmilk makes the world healthier, smarter, and more equal  The deaths of 823,000 children  each year could be averted through universal breastfeeding, along with economic savings of US$300 billion. The Series confirms the benefits of breastfeeding in fewer infections, increased intelligence, probable protection against overweight and diabetes, and cancer prevention for mothers. The Series represents the most in-depth analysis done so far into the health and economic benefits that breastfeeding can produce.

Benefits for the Mother

Quicker recovery from childbirth The release of oxytocin during breastfeeding helps the uterus return to normal size and reduces postpartum bleeding.[29]

The release of oxytocin during breastfeeding helps the uterus return to normal size and reduces postpartum bleeding.[29] Reduced rates of breast and ovarian cancer  Breastfeeding may cut the risk of breast cancer in women who have had children[30] and women were 63 percent less likely to develop ovarian cancer when they breastfed for 13 months or more.[31] The risk of ovarian cancer appeared to decline with each passing month as women who breastfed for 31 months or more had a 91 percent lower risk of ovarian cancer than women who breastfed less than 10 months.

Breastfeeding may cut the risk of breast cancer in women who have had children[30] and women were 63 percent less likely to develop ovarian cancer when they breastfed for 13 months or more.[31] The risk of ovarian cancer appeared to decline with each passing month as women who breastfed for 31 months or more had a 91 percent lower risk of ovarian cancer than women who breastfed less than 10 months. Faster weight loss after childbirth During pregnancy your body automatically stores extra fat to provide food for your baby.

Producing milk burns approximately 450 extra calories each day, which helps mobilize visceral fat stores.

During pregnancy your body automatically stores extra fat to provide food for your baby. Producing milk burns approximately 450 extra calories each day, which helps mobilize visceral fat stores. Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease Women who breastfeed have a 10 percent lower risk of heart disease and stroke,[32] and the longer a mom breastfeeds, the greater the reduction in risk. Women who have normal blood pressure during pregnancy and breastfeed for at least 6 months are also at lower risk for heart disease years later, compared to those who never breastfeed.[33]

Women who breastfeed have a 10 percent lower risk of heart disease and stroke,[32] and the longer a mom breastfeeds, the greater the reduction in risk. Women who have normal blood pressure during pregnancy and breastfeed for at least 6 months are also at lower risk for heart disease years later, compared to those who never breastfeed.[33] Reduced risk of postpartum depression The release of prolactin and oxytocin while breastfeeding produces a peaceful and nurturing sensation.

Women who breastfeed enjoy a reduced risk of developing postpartum depression in the first four months of their infants life.[34]

The release of prolactin and oxytocin while breastfeeding produces a peaceful and nurturing sensation. Women who breastfeed enjoy a reduced risk of developing postpartum depression in the first four months of their infants life.[34] Bonding The close interaction during breastfeeding is just one way mothers experience a greater bond with their infant, which may extend years beyond infancy[35] and impact parenting.

The close interaction during breastfeeding is just one way mothers experience a greater bond with their infant, which may extend years beyond infancy[35] and impact parenting. Lower mortality ratesThe Lancet series [36] on breastfeeding also notes the lives of 20,000 mothers can be saved by implementing universal breastfeeding, largely due to the cancer protection breastfeeding affords.

Most Commercial Infant Formulas Are Loaded With Sugar

According to Nemours,[37] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates formula companies to ensure they provide all the necessary nutrients (including vitamin D) in their formulas. Still, commercial formulas cant completely match breast milks exact composition. Why? Because milk is a living substance made by each mother for her individual infant, a process that cant be duplicated in a factory.

While this may sound as though the FDA regulates, approves and assures nutritional quality and safety of baby formula, this is not the case. The truth is, FDA does not approve and regulate infant formula at all.[38] It does specify the nutrients that must be present in formula, but added ingredients and overall safety are left entirely in the manufacturers hands. The required nutrients are also not based on a comparison with actual mothers milk.

Importantly, the last thing an infant needs is sugar, yet baby formulas contain shocking amounts. Ive written numerous articles about the dangers of sugar consumption, including its ability to trigger glycation, disturb your metabolism, elevate blood pressure and triglycerides, cause weight gain, heart disease, and liver damage, and even deplete your body of vitamins and minerals.

Breast milk does contain sugars, but they bear absolutely no resemblance to processed corn-based sugars. For example, breast milk contains about 150 different oligosaccharidescomplex chains of sugars that are completely unique to human milk. These sugars are indigestible, and their primary purpose is to nourish healthy gut microbes, thereby optimizing your childs gut health and strengthening his or her immune system.

Infant formulas have also been found to contain all sorts of hazardous contaminants. Most recently, soy-based infant formula was found to be contaminated with glyphosate.[39] Soy-based formula is dangerous for a number of different reasons, and now you can add glyphosate contamination to that list.

In an article for GreenMedInfo,[40] Stephanie Seneff, Ph.D., discusses new evidence suggesting glyphosate not only disrupts your gut microbiome but also impairs peristalsisa feature that is exceedingly common in children with autism. It may also inhibit bile acid release by impairing gallbladder contraction, and many autistic children have very pale stool, suggestive of low bile acid levels.

Thirdly, many autistic kids have undigested particles in their stool, which suggests a lack of digestive enzymes. And, indeed, glyphosate affects your digestive enzymes, particularly trypsin, pepsin, and lipase. In all, the evidence implicating glyphosate as a significant cause or contributor to autism is mounting.

How Does Formula Compare to Breast Milk?

On Dr. Bill Sears website, [41] you can find a chart comparing the composition of breast milk and commercial infant formula, along with an article[42] in which he offers more detailed specifics on differences between individual nutrients.

The Weston A. Price Foundation has also published an excellent article on this topic, which contains the following summary. For a more in-depth understanding of what makes breast milk so superior to formula, I encourage you to read the full article:[43]

Infant formula is primarily composed of sugar or lactose, dried skim milk and refined vegetable oil which can include genetically modified components  Soy-based formula is made of soy protein, sugar and refined oils. Breast milk from a well-nourished mother is composed of hundreds of substancesover one hundred fats alone. Infant formula contains double the amount of protein that breast milk does, which promotes insulin resistance and adiposity  Additives to infant formula, such as iron, DHA, ARA and laboratory-made folic acid are all problematic. Heat damages the protein in formulas forming advanced glycation end products as well as compromising the nutritional value.

Indeed, research[44] published in 2011 found that when infants were switched from breast milk to commercial formula within the first year of life, their levels of advanced glycation end products (AGES) doubled, reaching levels found in diabetics. Many also had elevated insulin levels. AGES are formed during the processing of the formula, which uses high heat. Theyre basically sugar molecules that attach to and damage proteins in your body.

Not only do AGES build up in your body over time, leading to oxidation and speeding up the aging process, but they also promote inflammation, which in turn is linked to a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease. According to this study, infant formulas processed with high heat may contain 100 times more AGEs than breast milk.

Do You Need Help Breastfeeding?

While not all women will make the decision to breastfeed, the majority is able to produce more than adequate supplies of milk to breastfeed successfully. Since mothers are unable to measure the amount of milk being consumed by their baby, some believe they arent producing enough. However, when formula supplementation is used, it reduces your supply as the supply of milk is dependent upon the demand. In other words, the more your baby nurses, the more milk your body produces.

Nursing mothers need to stay well-hydrated, drink plenty of water, and seek optimal nutrition to supply the energy needed to produce milk. The first weeks and months are crucial to the process of establishing a strong milk supply. Your babys sucking instinct will be very strong directly after birth, so begin nursing as soon as possible.

Lactation consultants encourage you to place your baby to breast in the delivery room. This also helps release oxytocin to reduce postpartum bleeding and begin the process of returning the uterus to normal size.

The first milk produced is called colostrum, a thick, golden-yellow fluid that is gentle to your babys stomach and full of beneficial antibodies. Over the coming days and weeks your milk gradually changes color and consistency. Newborns need to nurse at least once every two hours for approximately 15 minutes on each side, but they dont adhere to a strict schedule.

When you accommodate feedings to the needs of your infant, youll find frequent feeding stimulates your breasts to produce increasing amounts of milk to keep up with the demand as your baby grows.

You may want to begin planning for successful breastfeeding before your baby is even born by taking a breastfeeding class while youre pregnant. La Leche League[45] is a terrific resource to contact for help whether you want to prepare beforehand or find youre having trouble breastfeeding once your baby is born.

Also find out whether your hospital of choice offers breastfeeding classes and lactation consultants who can help you. If it doesnt, you may want to select a hospital that offers greater support.

Healthy Options for Mothers Who Cannot Breastfeed

WestonAPriceFoundation-BabyFormula903.m4v from Weston A. Price Foundation on Vimeo.

Last but not least, if for whatever reason you cannot, or decide not to breastfeed, consider making your own baby formula using organic grass fed raw milk. In the video above, Sarah Popewho runs The Healthy Home Economist website and is a member of the Weston A. Price Foundations board of directorsdiscusses the differences between different kinds of milk, such as cows milk and goats milk, and why cows milk is actually preferable.

She then demonstrates how to make two different formulas, including a meat-based formula for infants with milk allergy. For written instructions of the recipes presented in this video, as well as a list of nutrition facts that compares these homemade formulas to breast milk, see the Homemade Baby Formula page[46] on the Weston A. Price Foundations site. However, a couple of caveats are in order:

Fermented cod liver oil is a recommended ingredient in Popes recipes, which may be dangerous for babies. Laboratory testing has revealed the product tends to be prone to rancidity, may contain added vegetable oils, and lack vitamin K2 and CoQ10.

The concentration of vitamins A and D can also vary significantly from one batch to another, as cod liver oil is not regulated or standardized.[47] Unless you can verify the purity of the cod liver oil, Id recommend using wild-caught Alaskan Salmon oil or krill oil instead. The Weston A. Price Foundations baby formula recipe suggests butter oil is optional, but Dr. Price himself recommended always pairing cod liver oil with butter oil, which contains vitamin K2 (MK-4). I recommend tweaking the recipe by making butter oil a requirement if youre using a certified pure fermented cod liver oil.

Originally published Jun 6, 2023, on Mercola.com

 References:

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What topics would you like to read about? Please let us know at health@epochtimes.nyc
The proud parents of a 12-year-old college graduate with a 4.0 GPA credit their daughters success to tenacity, homeschooling, and a ban on social media.

Roderick Currie, 37, and his wife Blanca, 40, are parents to pre-teen Fiona and her 3-year-old sister, Abigail. They currently live in Palmdale, California. Both parents immigrated in their teens, Roderick from Scotland and Blanca from Mexico, in search of success for themselves and their future children.

I think Fiona is a shining example of what can be accomplished with enough determination and perseverance, Roderick told The Epoch Times.

On June 6, Fiona graduated from a three-year program at Los Angeles City College with an associate degree in Studio Arts at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

(LR) Fiona, Blanca, Abigail, and Roderick Currie. (Courtesy of Roderick Currie)

Roderick and Blanca had known their eldest was advanced for her age when she was a toddler.

She learned to read and write very quickly, and she was especially talented when it came to music and art, Roderick said. She learned to play Mozart on the piano at the age of 4 without any lessons or any formal music instruction. She would watch piano tutorial videos on the iPad and be able to pick it up in no time. She also had an incredible ability, at a very young age, to look at a drawing or painting and replicate it on paper.

Roderick, who works in cybersecurity, and Blanca, a caregiver for disabled and elderly patients, enrolled Fiona at public school when she turned 5, but were disappointed by the schools inability to handle gifted students like her.

Fiona at her graduation. (Courtesy of Roderick Currie)

Fiona then joined a hybrid charter school program that allowed her to skip some grades. After attending fourth and fifth grade in a public elementary school, Fionas parents pulled her out and turned to homeschooling for answers.

We looked for resources online, and that is when we learned that the L.A. Community College District has a dual-enrolment program, Roderick said, adding that neither he nor Blanca had any plan for Fiona to complete a college degree at her age.

Fiona enrolled and started with a single college English class online in 2020, during the pandemic.

(Courtesy of Roderick Currie)

Sharing about Fionas first day in class, Roderick said: She was seated in front of the computer, with the webcam turned on when the professor began to introduce herself and asked the students to do their introductions.

We were watching off-camera from the doorway to make sure Fiona would be okay.  When it came to Fionas turn, the professor looked at her on the screen and said, Little girl, is your mommy or daddy taking my class? and Fiona just giggled and said, No, Im the student!'

Fiona proved to the professor and other students that age is just a number as she began to thrive in her English course. Before long, she was taking three to four college courses per semester besides her usual homeschool studies, completing 75 college credits and her Associate of Arts Degree in studio arts.

However, despite all her achievements, shes still a child, and her parents have worked hard to find the right balance between study and recreation.

The keen 12-year-old spends around six hours daily on her schoolwork, college course, and breaks. She takes weekends off, and when shes not studying she loves riding horses, hiking, video games, reading, building Lego sets, and drawing.

One of Fionas artworks. (Courtesy of Roderick Currie)

(Courtesy of Roderick Currie)

We believe that a child should constantly be challenged just enough to keep them engaged and learning and moving forward, but not overly challenged so that they become discouraged and lose confidence, Blanca said. We are also not afraid to be firm when needed; we make use of parental controls on Fionas computer and cellphone to protect her from the dangers of the online world, but also to keep her from becoming bogged down with distractions, such as social media.

Fionas parents set time limits and monitor her cellphone use to make sure her engagement is age-appropriate. Nobody in the family has a social media account.

It is my opinion that social media  exists to make us lazy and unproductive, Roderick said. When most other 12-year-olds are wasting countless hours on TikTok, Fiona is focusing on her studies and more productive hobbies, like enjoying the outdoors, or reading.

Fiona with her sister, Abigail. (Courtesy of Roderick Currie)

Roderick and Blanca had hopes that their daughter would choose a more academic route but later decided that Fionawho showed an interest in art from an early ageshould be able to choose her major. They are now proud of her for thriving in the subject she loves, and her teachers are full of high praise.

Roderick said: They say she is not afraid to participate in class and ask questions, she always completes her work on time, and she even helps other students when they are struggling.  The students were so supportive and they treated her like a little sister.

They really included her and made her feel like part of the college family.

While studying at L.A. City College, Fiona received the Presidents Award several times and made the Deans List every semester that she attended. She finished her degree as a straight-A student with a 4.0 GPA and is already on track to finish her second tertiary qualification, an Associate Degree in general arts by the end of 2023, and a third, in graphic design, by the end of 2024.

She will have completed three associate degrees by the time she turns 14.

(Courtesy of Roderick Currie)

At her graduation ceremony on June 6, Fiona was recognized by the college president in front of an audience of thousands for being the youngest-ever graduate in the schools 94-year history, here she received a standing ovation.

We believe that children can achieve anything when given the tools and the right support, Blanca said. As parents, it is our responsibility to recognize our childrens talents, and to nurture those talents so that our children can reach their full potential.

After completing college in 2024, Fiona plans to transfer to a university to continue her studies. She is considering the art programs at the University of Southern California, the University of California, Los Angeles, and Otis College of Art and Design.

Fionas goal is to become a digital artist or an animator, her dad said, adding that she has ambitions of working for one of the big animation studios.

(Courtesy of Roderick Currie)

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
IN-DEPTH: Greatest Risk to a Firefighters Health is Not Fire

A firefighter walks past the damaged house of Andrea Larry as it catches fire in Rolling Fork, Miss., after a tornado touched down in the area, on March 26, 2023. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) each year pays tribute to hundreds of fallen firefighters nationwide who lost their lives in the line of duty.

The 2023 Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial ceremony on Sept. 16 in Colorado Springs, Co., will honor 574 men and women who died or whose names were submitted to the IAFF between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2022.

Most of the fallen heroes who will be honored succumbed to one of the greatest threats they faced on the jobcancer.

Cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths in the fire service, according to IAFF. In 2022, three out of four, or 75 percent, of the names added to the memorial wall were fire service members who died from occupational cancer, the website states.

Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), launched the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer (NFR) for firefighters nationwide. The registry is the CDCs most significant effort to understand the cancer risks firefighters face on the job.

There are presumptive disability laws in each state that recognize that firefighters and other public service members have an elevated risk for certain diseases and are presumed to be job-related. The laws vary from state to state. (pdf)

Firefighters work to control a large fire in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook in New York City on Dec. 13, 2022. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Natalies Story

Natalie Hills husband, Cpt. Stephen Hill lost his life after a six-year battle with occupational cancer. The couple had been married for 17 years with two young children when he died on May 29, 2020, Natalie told The Epoch Times.

He was 42.

In May 1999, Stephen joined the Richardson Fire Department in Richardson, Texas, where he spent his career in the fire service.

In early 2014, Stephen was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS), a bone marrow disorder that required chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.

Among the causes of MDS is long-term exposure to environmental and industrial chemicals, according to the MDS Foundation website.

Natalie said less was known about the cancer risk for firefighters when Stephen joined the fire service, adding that proper decontamination protocols after a fire have gained attention in recent years.

A lot of departments are rolling [decontamination protocols] out, and sometimes the older guys who have been doing this for 30-40 years think, Im fine,' not realizing the importance of reducing exposure to the chemicals that are inhaled and absorbed through their skin, Natalie said.

In Stephens case, he was 15 years into his career when MDS struck. The following year he was diagnosed with a tumor near his sinus and brain. He was treated with radiation and chemotherapy.

Over the next few years, Natalie said Stephen had various skin cancers, including an aggressive form on his face, diagnosed in mid-April 2020, about six weeks before his death.

In early May of that year, Stephen was not doing well and was admitted to the hospital. At this point, Natalie, whose background is in human resources, suggested Stephen file a workers compensation claim for his cancer, which fell under the states presumptive laws for firefighters.

Stephens claim was approved after his death.

In Texas, there are 11 cancers, and other diseases, that fall under the presumptive laws for firefighters who have five years of paid service. The presumed occupational cancers include the brain, skin, stomach, colon, prostate, testis, rectum, multiple myeloma, malignant myeloma, renal cell carcinoma, and non-Hodgkins lymphoma per Texas code section 607. (pdf)

Natalie said she is thankful for the coverage workers compensation provided for her family.

She also said she advises others to seek help immediately from their fire association if they or a loved one receives any type of cancer diagnosis, whether it falls under the presumptive laws or not.

It is up to workers compensation to prove the cancer was not caused by occupational hazards, she explained. The fire association can provide assistance with applications and provide other resources.

If youre not sure if its covered, file [a claim] anyway, as you do not want to miss the cutoff [date], Natalie said. Timelines are incredibly significant with any diagnosis when filing workers comp claims, she continued, adding that the work-related illness or injury must be reported within 30 days.

Natalie said it is important for fire service personnel to enroll in the supplemental life insurance offered through the city and to keep the beneficiary information up to date.

God forbid something happens; your family will be grateful, she said.

These days, Natalie said she and her children are grateful for the time they had with Stephen, and she leans on her faith to see her through.

God has plans for everybody, and even though we may not understand it, its part of my story, Natalie said, adding that she knows God has plans for her familys future.

Forever Chemicals

Toxic chemicals known as per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, can be found in the water, soil, food, and air. This class of chemicals has been widely used in industry and consumer products, such as cookware, clothing, upholstery, food packaging, and more, since the 1940s, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

PFAS chemicals are found in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) used to extinguish liquid-based fires, such as those started by gasoline, oil, or other highly flammable liquids. AFFF foam was developed in the mid-1960s and has been used by the U.S. military and fire departments around the globe. (pdf)

These highly toxic chemicals are also found in turnout gear, also known as bunker gear, the personal protective equipment worn by firefighters.

Fort Worth firefighters making an entry into a single-story residential structure fire in Fort Worth, Texas. (Glen Ellman/Fort Worth FD)

Fort Worth Professional Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 440, President Michael Glynn, 48, told The Epoch Times that the health risks for firefighters today are far greater than they were 50 years ago.

Structures prior to the 1970s were built using heavy untreated timber, and homes were filled with more natural fibers, such as cotton.

We didnt have the plastics, the silks, polyesters, and synthetic materials found in homes built after that time, Glynn said, adding that newer construction fails more quickly, creating another layer of safety risk.

A structure fire today includes many types of plastics, treated wood, and other materials that contain PFAS that are inhaled and absorbed through the skin.

And the dangers continue long after the fire is out.

Toxic chemicals from the fire continue to transfer and off-gas from the firefighters bunker gear and other equipment, Glynn said. On top of that, their turnout gear is made from materials containing PFAS.

Traditionally, firefighters leave a fire call and return to the firehouse with their contaminated gear. They may get to shower if theres time, but when the next call comes in, they have to head out in the same gear.

Thousands of firefighter cancer lawsuits have been filed against turnout gear manufacturers. A study in the United Kingdom found that firefighters were 60 percent more likely to die of cancer than the general population. Researchers looked at medical records of firefighters in Scotland who were between the ages of 30 to 74 who died of cancer and other diseases and compared them to the records of the general population over a 20-year period, according to the report published in the journal Occupational Medicine.

In 2022, the IAFF and Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association warned firefighters to limit the use of bunker gear as a way to reduce continued PFAS exposure.

Theyre called the forever chemicals, and once we manufacture some of them, they last forever, they just migrate through different systems, University of Notre Dame physics Professor Graham Peaslee told CBS News in a 2022 interview. If theyre inhaled or ingested by humans, theyll end up in your body, and theyll stay there for years.

Peaslee had been studying PFAS in the environment when the wife of a firefighter diagnosed with prostrate cancer convinced him to analyze turnout gear.

The professor and his team looked at 30 different sets of turnout gear, including the outer shell, moisture barrier, and thermal liner.

We observed the PFAS. Theyre [in] high quantities. And they come off, Peaslee told CBS. The outer layer of this gear was really highly fluorinated, and the moisture barriers really highly fluorinated. Thats bad.

Culture Change

Some fire departments have pushed for firefighters to be provided with a second set of turnout gear, but it is expensive, and often, cities dont want to spend the money, Glynn said. Plus, a second set of gear is not necessarily the best solution because you could still end up with two sets of dirty gear.

Fort Worth firefighters battle a large detached shop fire with multiple vehicles and equipment in Fort Worth, Texas. (Peter Matthews/FWFD)

Many fire departments, including Fort Worth, are rethinking their decontamination protocols and trying to find ways to reduce health risks.

Traditionally, your [dirty] gear, especially your helmet, was a sign of a tough, busy firefighter, Glynn said. Its important for us to keep our gear clean and our helmets clean, so thats really been a change in the culture.

Fort Worth recently started a program to provide clean gear on the scene of the fire. Basically, a gear truck shows up, and the firefighter exchanges his dirty gear for clean gear before heading back to the firehouse.

Glynn said the program was not very popular at first, but he believes it is a good way to keep contaminated gear out of the firehouse, as well as making safer when a firefighter travels to a different station and needs to transport their gear.

He also said FWFD is providing firefighters with wipes to clean their faces, necks, hands, wrists, and other exposed areas as soon as they remove their gear. They are asked to clean their helmets and boots, as well.

Glynn said the department also encourages firefighters to wear their SCBAs (self-contained breathing apparatus) for longer periods.

Most departments require fire personnel to complete annual physicals, but the extent of the physicals varies by city. In recent years, FWFD started requiring more thorough physicals, and soon, it will be adding annual ultrasounds of the major organs, he explained.

Firefighting has always been a dangerous job, Glynn said. But now its dangerous for other reasons.
IN-DEPTH: Veterans Outrage Grows as LGBT Observances Crowd Out Military Holidays

U.S. Marine Veteran Victor Marx and some of his fellow veterans on a training mission in Montana. (Courtesy of Victor Marx)

Backlash is growing over what many see as national LGBT observances upstaging honoring United States veterans.

Pride Month has long followed Memorial Day, but U.S. Marine Corps veteran Victor Marx told The Epoch Times that this year was different, with a huge movement led by the government to swap out American flags for LGBT flags at military installations, including several Veterans Affairs facilities and cemeteries.

I truly believe we are at a place in this country where the statestarting with the Biden administrationis actually trying to turn LGBTQ+ into a religious cult, said Marx, who served several tours, including on the front lines in active combat against the ISIS terrorist group.

Now a minister, Marx is also the founder of All Things Possible, which provides trauma relief for veterans and civilians from militant countries. The 59-year-old likened the replacement of the symbol of America with a Pride flag to spitting in the face of veterans and families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty.

Terrence Hayes, press secretary for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, defended the flying of LGBT flags. In a statement released to The Epoch Times, he said its a symbol of VAs commitment to inclusion and as a tribute to the service and sacrifice of LGBTQ+ Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.

According to Hayes, more than 1 million United States military veterans are from the LGBT community.

An image on Facebook released by U.S. Marine Corps in celebration of Pride Month (Courtesy of The United States Marine Corps.)

Grooming of America

Carl Boyanton, with six uncles who served in World War II, has long been involved in laying wreaths and flags on the graves of veterans throughout Mississippi.

He told The Epoch Times he believes that infiltrating the military with LGBT flags and national observances is part of an effort to groom Americans to accept what he called the growing debauchery of a movement that has nothing to do with patriotism. He pointed to activities during Pride Month such as homosexual bondage shows and other hypersexualized, explicit conduct at events billed family friendly.

I respect all veterans, but Memorial Day and Veterans Day are about serving our country, not who you have sex with, Boyanton said.

Marx and other veterans who spoke to The Epoch Times said they believe that the gay community has been hijacked by a radical movement that no longer has anything to do with gay rights.

Gays Against Groomers is one of several organizations that have made similar assertions and decried Pride Month for taking precedence over honoring veterans.

It has to be said that it is absolutely atrocious that our community gets an entire month (and now season in many cases) dedicated to us, while the brave heroes who gave their lives to defend our nation get only a single day. We do not want the month. Give it to them, the group, which has protested drag queen shows and transgender procedures for children, wrote on Twitter.

In addition to Pride Month in June, October is designated LGBT History Month. There is also a Non-Binary Awareness Week, which starts on July 11, and International Drag Day (July 16).

Other LGBT days recently observed include Pansexual and Panromantic Awareness and Visibility Day (May 24); International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (May 17); and Lesbian Visibility Day (April 26).

In March, there was a National LGBTQ Health Awareness Week, and March 31 has been designated International Transgender Day of Visibility.

Coming up is Celebrate Bisexuality Day (Sept. 23), and the National Gay Mens HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (Sept. 27).

LGBT History Month features National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11), and International Pronouns Day on the third Wednesday of October.

In November, Veterans Day falls between Intersex Day of Remembrance (Nov. 8), and Transgender Day of Remembrance (Nov. 20).

Outrage over the growing LGBT commemorations has even reached the liberal East Coast.

Popular Boston conservative talk radio host Jeff Kuhner recently fielded calls from listeners angry over the growing number of national observances for the LGBT community.

They act like they fought at Normandy, Kuhner said.

At least 2,500 U.S. soldiers died during the Normandy invasion on D-Day.

A protester lights a cigarette on a burning American Flag while marching with pro-abortion activists in Washington on June 24, 2022. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Some veterans have decried the proximity of Pride Month to Memorial Day.

Memorial Day, which falls on Monday, is a solemn occasion dedicated to honoring the brave individuals who fought and sacrificed their lives for our country. Unfortunately, it seems that every year, this important day is overshadowed by the prominence of pride month, Army veteran T.J. Michaels wrote on Twitter.

In Mississippi on June 5, protests erupted when U.S. flags flying over the VA Medical Center and Biloxi National Cemetery were replaced with rainbow flags, an action that was authorized by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough.

Boyanton said a 24-hour police guard was posted to keep watch in the cemetery to protect the flag against vandalism.

He said he asked one of the officers assigned to guard the site what would happen if he were to burn a gay pride flag.

He told me if it was an American flag, he would have to stand down because I was exercising my First Amendment rights, but if it was a pride flag, it would be considered a hate crime and hed have to arrest me, Boyanton said.

Earlier this week, veteransincluding gay veteransgathered at the Walk of Honor site in Fresno, California, to protest the replacement for the first time of one of the three flags with an LGBT flag at the war memorial.

Established in 2017, the Walk of Honor site includes a memorial etched with 1,359 names of U.S. service members. Of them, 48 have a gold star next to their names that signifies that they were killed in action.

Until this year, the site had been marked, without interruption, by the POW/MIA flag, the American flag, and the Veterans Administration flag.

The replacement of a display of American flags and a giant pride flag at the White House to kick off Pride Month incited a firestorm of protests by veterans who also pointed out that the executive residence was unadorned for Memorial Day.

A flag swap at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy enraged at least one parent, who asked to remain anonymous. The private school, one of the most prestigious military training schools in the country, spoke with The Epoch Times but ultimately declined to comment.

Boyanton said the governments agenda to promote a sexualized special interest group is evidenced by the exclusion of other special interest groups.

May was Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, he noted.

I didnt see any Asian American and Pacific Islander flags flown at the White House or VA cemeteries.

Marx, who is still involved in military rescue operations in foreign countries, said he is worried that the government is intentionally emasculating the military.

Like the indoctrination going on in schools, the government, he believes, is targeting the youth that make up the military branches and the usual recruits to replenish the U.S. armed forces.

Marx pointed to an image the U.S. Marines recently posted on its social media pages of a row of rainbow-colored bullets strapped to a combat helmet.

We are celebrating indoctrinating young boys to become effeminate, he said. Thats dangerous beyond words.
Jan. 6 Prisoner Down 30 Pounds on Hunger Strike: Those Who Know Him Share Their Thoughts

Screenshot of Larry Brock Jr. from the video he recorded before surrendering himself to authorities. (With permission from Ann Brock)

A Jan. 6 prisoner who has gone on a hunger strike has already dropped 30 pounds.

In an emotional video, Larry Brock, Jr. begins his story with a heavy sigh.

I have always believed in the American people, and I still do. So you need to understand that I cannot accept the decision of this court. It is the action of a hostile and illegitimate regime against an American Patriot. So what can I do? I refuse to take up weapons against you. I love you too much. Ive offered my life for you, and thats what Im doing again. I will not eat a single meal as a political prisoner of this corrupt and illegitimate regime.

Brock, a retired lieutenant colonel with the United States Air Force, was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

On Jan. 8, 2021, he was indicted on six charges (pdf), including Obstruction of an Official Proceeding, one that carries a 20-year prison sentence. According to court documents (pdf), it was his ex-wife who called the FBI, saying she wasnt surprised to see him in photos of the protests.

Brock was subsequently fired from his job. He was arrested in Texas on Jan. 10, 2021. Conditions for his release (pdf) were set for Jan. 14, 2021. According to reports, Brock was sentenced to two years in prison on March 18.

Why at the Capitol?

In a video, he explains in his own words his reason for being there at the Capitol, saying, Our president asked us to be there. He said the reason why he purchased personal protection equipment to wear was because he knew of instances where members of BLM and ANTIFA had attacked Trump supporters, and he wanted to be personally safe. By the time he arrived at the Capitol, all of the bike racks and barriers had been removed, and there were about half a million people there.

Police begin lobbing munitions into the huge crown on the west front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)

After his trial, he learned that there were undercover Metropolitan Police Department officers there yelling, go, go, go.'

He then describes what he was and did after he entered the Capitol Building, admitting he tried to use a set of keys he found on a desk to open a locked door.

I wish I hadnt done that, he said. When the keys didnt work, he put them back on the desk where he found them.

He said there is a video that shows him acting to protect police. He didnt destroy anything or go through any barricades. He isnt part of any militias. He brought no weapons. He went to D.C. alone and had no association with anybody who was there.

The greatest measure of a mans intent are his actions, Brock suggests, and my actions that day were to protect police, were to peacefully and patriotically protest.

He then talks about how we now know there are 41,000 hours of surveillance footage, of which weve been told only 14 has been released.

Mom, Dad, Lowry, Ann, I love you guys. You raised me well. I choose to be a man of character. I choose my method of death. I know that what I am going to do is probably going to hurt you, and Im sorry. But some things are worth dying for.

Video Tapes of Jan. 6

For Brock, that thing is to get the tapes released to the American people.

This is a call to action. I welcome all my fellow J6 Political Prisoners to join me in this hunger strike, he wrote on his website, From Patriot to Political Prisoner, before surrendering himself to authorities. We are singularly focused. We DEMAND the release of all (high-resolution/high-quality) videos related to the events of January 6th, to the American People directly.

A week into his hunger strike, Brock said he was down 18 pounds.

He is now down 30 pounds.

Charles Burnham, Brocks attorney, says, Nobody should doubt that he is doing what he believes to be the right thing.

In the course of representing Larry I got to know not only my client but also many of the people close to him from the military and other parts of his life, Burnham told The Epoch Times. Not everyone agreed with his politics, but nobody questioned his courage, his patriotism, or his ethics.

Jason Segers is Brocks stepbrother.

Ive always looked up to my brother and hes always been important to me, Segers told The Epoch Times, saying he had a special bond with Brock and always tried to do things to make him laugh.

I always had a lot of respect for him and his pursuit of his military career, he said, noting how his big brother had fought in every war in the Middle East. Segers said hes very proud of him. Not just for his career as a fighter pilot but for his participation in the protests on Jan. 6.

Segers has always suspected that the violence that transpired on Jan. 6, 2021, was orchestrated and the governments treatment of those who participated in the protests, was all to ensure that the stolen election would not be reviewed further.

To treat a true American patriot hero like this is shameful, he said. I pray for him and I pray that he will get justice and the truth will come out.

People at the Save America rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Shao Lin/The Epoch Times)

Troy Porter is also a retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force. He is currently an airline pilot. Porter met Brock at the Air Force Academy in the fall of 1986.

Hes a fantastic human being. A man of unparalleled character and a man of principle, which is very rare. My dad told me when I was a kid that when you find a friend whos willing to take a bullet for you, hang on to them with both hands because its a rare thing, and there is no doubt in my mind that Larry Brock would take a bullet for me, Porter said.

His hunger strike is about releasing the videos. We all know that if all the videos were released that there would be no case against most of the prisoners. In some videos of the protesters, its debatable if they were actual protesters or plants. But there were people being violent against the police, and Larry stopped them. He was simply there to protest because he knew there was election fraud, and he walked into what many of us believe was a trap. His hunger strike is to get McCarthy to release the videos, which would certainly vindicate him and many of the January 6 protesters.

Porter said he spoke to his friend shortly before he turned himself in.

He was depressed. He never thought the country that he loves and served for so many years would turn on him, and I feel the same way. Im totally dumbfounded that the country would turn on him in such a manner when all he simply wants is to preserve liberty, he said.

What little liberty and democracy we have left in this country is what separates us from all the other countries in this world, and thats what he wanted to preserve. Now hes in prison for protesting for that. Hes hopeful that this hunger strike will bring light, not just to his situation but for all the imprisoned January 6 protesters.
Japan Raises Age of Consent to 16 in Overhaul of Century-Old Sex Crime Laws

Japans parliament on Friday passed new legislation that redefines nonconsensual sex as rape and raises the age of sexual consent from 13 to 16 in a major revamp of the countrys century-old sex crime laws.

The new laws outline eight acts that constitute a victims lack of sexual consent, including being assaulted while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or being intimidated by the perpetrator, Kyodo News reported.

The amendments will make filming and distributing peoples exploitative images without consent illegal and increase the statute of limitations for reporting rape from 10 to 15 years, according to the report.

Under the new laws, the age of sexual consent will be raised from 13 to 16, but there would be an exception for adolescents to engage in consensual intercourse with people less than five years older than them.

The latest amendment to the countrys age of sexual consent was the first since 1907 when the lowest legal age was set.

Japan first amended its penal code in 2017 to include harsher penalties for sex crimes, but the laws narrowly define rape as forcible sexual intercourse.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that rape victims in Japan were reluctant to come forward due to humiliation, citing a 2021 government survey that revealed only about six percent of men and women had reported an assault to the police.

Survivors have also described how police humiliated and revictimized them while taking their testimony and even tried to convince survivors to drop cases, said Susanne Bergsten, senior coordinator for HRW Womens Rights Division.

As many media outlets have reported, the legal threshold of assault and intimidation also excludes a large portion of cases that have led to acquittals, Bergsten said in a statement on June 14.

A 2017 report by the governments gender equality bureau showed nearly 60 percent of rape victims kept it to themselves.

In June 2019, sexual abuse victims and their supporters rallied in nine cities around Japan while holding flowers and placards with slogans such as #MeToo and #WithYou to protest against court acquittals of alleged rapists and urge reform of the nations anti-rape law.

The protest came after a court in Nagoya in March 2019 acquitted a father accused of raping his 19-year-old daughter. The judges concluded there was no evidence as to whether she had been unable to resist. The ruling was later overturned in 2020 by a high court which sentenced the man to 10 years in prison.

Japan Approves LGBT Law

Separately, Japans parliament passed a new law on Friday to promote understanding of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) communities in the country, but activists argue that doesnt provide any human rights guarantees.

Japan is the only Group of Seven (G7) nation that does not have legal protection for same-sex unions.

People attend the Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2022 Parade in Tokyo on April 24, 2022. (Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images)

The initial draft stipulated that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity should not be tolerated but was changed to there should be no unfair discrimination, which critics say may tacitly encourage some forms of discrimination.

Japans public broadly supports same-sex marriage, according to opinion polls, while local governments in most of the country allow same-sex partnership agreements that fall short of the rights guaranteed by marriage.

Some 70 percent of the nation allows same-sex partnerships, and surveys have found more than 70 percent of people are in favor of same-sex marriage, the activist group Marriage for All Japan said in a post on Twitter after the bill passed.

Despite the bill being watered down, some members of Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas ruling Liberal Democratic Party still broke ranks with party directives, boycotting, or walking out of Tuesdays vote in the lower house and the final vote in the upper house.

There have been crimes committed by impersonators in womens restrooms, former upper house president Akiko Santo told reporters after boycotting the vote in that chamber.

It would be a very serious problem if this bill passed and the trend became that it was normal to accept anything, she said.

Japan has come under pressure from other G7 nations, especially the United States, to allow same-sex marriage.

Reuters contributed to this report.
PARIS, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The French government will invest 300 million euros (329 million U.S. dollars) per year between 2024 and 2030 to boost the development of a new, more fuel-efficient engine as well as the design of lighter aircraft, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Friday.

During his visit to French aircraft engine manufacturer Safran, Macron said that France "must be the champions of ultra-sober aircraft."

He unveiled a series of measures to boost the development of low-emission aircraft, including 50 million euros in favor of emerging players and start-ups to develop small hybrid, electric, or hydrogen planes.

Another 200 million euros will be spent on the development of innovative biofuels, he said.

In 2021, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) member airlines agreed to commit to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The pledge brings air transport in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, the IATA said. (1 euro = 1.10 U.S. dollar) 
Japanese Street Performer Mr. Wally Deported After Being Interrogated for 2 Hours by Hong Kong Immigration

Mr. Wally: Hong Kong is no longer a place with freedom of speech

On June 12, Japanese street performer Mr. Wally, who had previously performed in Hong Kong from 2015 to 2020, wrote on Twitter that he was denied entry to Hong Kong and deported back to Japan after being interrogated for two hours by Hong Kong immigration officials upon arrival.

Mr. Wally wrote on Twitter that it was his first visit to Hong Kong in three years. Upon arrival at the airport, he was stopped by immigration officials and taken to another room where he was interrogated about his activities in Hong Kong from 2019 to 2020 for two hours.

He believed the Hong Kong government (HK Govt) was trying to eliminate visitors who had expressed democratic views or supported the anti-extradition bill movement in 2019. He suspects many foreign journalists and political figures who attempted to enter Hong Kong may have experienced the same situation and feel excluded.

After returning to Japan, Mr. Wally posted on social media in Chinese that Immigration told him that his denial of entry was because he had previously performed on the streets of Hong Kong, which he believes is a completely unjustified reason for rejection since he had visited Hong Kong 35 times since 2015 and was only visiting friends this time. He thinks the real reason was that he displayed a banner showing Hongkongers, keep going during his street performances in 2019 and 2020.

No more freedom of speech in Hong Kong, and everything has changed since 2020. He said on his Facebook.

He believes he may not have the opportunity to revisit Hong Kong. Still, he will forever cherish the memories of the city and the remarkable courage displayed by its people during the democratic movement.

He also said, Revolution by democratic demonstrations may not have come true, but your courage is deeply engraved in my heart and memory. Keep it up, Hongkongers! I love you guys and will always do.

Mr. Wally has performed on the streets of Hong Kong and displayed the slogan Hong Kong People, Keep Going many times.

In early 2023, a similar incident happened to another Japanese. Photographer Michiko Kiseki, who shot the 2019 anti-extradition bill movement and published a photo book, VOICE Hong Kong 2019, was also denied entry. On December 30, 2022, Michiko Kiseki was denied entry to Hong Kong International Airport and was deported to Japan the next day. When questioned by the immigration staff, she was repeatedly interrogated about her photo exhibition in Japan on the theme of the anti-extradition bill movement.
Journal Retracts Study of Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria in Youth

The study found social and medical transition associated with 'referral to a gender specialist'

LGBT activists and their supporters rally in support of transgender people on the steps of New York City Hall, Oct. 24, 2018, in New York City. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

An academic journal has retracted an article on young people whose parents believe they have developed gender dysphoria because of social contagion. The theory is known as rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD).

Its easy to study things that make people happy. Its much harder to study things that are bound to make at least some people unhappy, one of the studys authors, Northwestern University Professor J. Michael Bailey, told The Epoch Times in a June 16 interview.

Academia is in a really bad state right now with respect to what we should be doing, which is pursuing knowledge, he said.

The article can be read here. The June 14 retraction notice can be read here. Baileys website can be found here.

The studys first author, Suzanna Diaz, is pseudonymous.

That is not her real name. Suzanna Diaz is the mother of a child who she believes has rapid-onset gender dysphoria, Bailey said.

Controversial Paper

The peer-reviewed publication that retracted the paper, Archives of Sexual Behavior, is associated with the International Academy of Sex Research. Its published by Springer.

A group called the Center for Applied Transgender Studies wrote to Springer in May 2023 boycotting Archives over its current editor, University of Toronto Professor Kenneth Zucker.

With this letter, we are informing you that we will no longer submit to the journal, act as peer reviewers, or serve in an editorial capacity until Dr. Zucker is replaced with an editor who has a demonstrated record of integrity on LGBTQ+ matters and, especially, trans matters, their open letter states.

They cite his approval of Baileys recent article, saying that the paper raises serious concerns over research ethics and intellectual integrity.

The letter questioned that the study was not approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Bailey said thats partly because Diaz, though a concerned parent, has no institutional affiliation.

The paper itself notes that Baileys own IRB advised that publishing the results was likely ethical, provided data were deidentified. The body did not certify the study because Diaz had already gathered the data.

The decision to publish threatens the foundations of research ethics, as it could effectively allow researchers to circumvent IRBs by having an unaffiliated layperson collect data prior to the researchers involvement, the open letter from the Center for Applied Transgender Studies states.

There is no dispute that [non]-academics in the free world do not have to get permission of an IRB in order to conduct and publish a study, Bailey said.

The retraction did not mention IRB approval. Instead, it questioned whether participants had been made aware of how their responses would be used.

The participants of the survey have not provided written informed consent to participate in scholarly research or to have their responses published in a peer reviewed article. Additionally, they have not provided consent to publish to have their data included in this article, the retraction notice states.

Bailey disagrees. He elaborated on his objections in an appeal to top names at the publisher about the decision.

Informed consent means that youre supposed to inform participants what it is that youre studying, and get their consent, Bailey said.

These participants were parents who were concerned that their children have ROGD, and they were recruited through this website, Parents of ROGD Kids, with a survey that explained it was for parents who were worried about their kids. The last line of the survey said, if we get enough data, well publish the results on our website,' he said.

The retraction hinges on the fine distinction between consent to publish on a website and consent to publish in an academic journal.

Thats just ridiculous, Bailey said.

What They Found

The research was partly motivated by a strange trendan explosion in cases of gender dysphoria among adolescent girls.

Could social contagion be at play?

If so, it could mean the fast-growing transgender movement is, in Baileys words, a house of cards.

Diazs and Baileys study drew on more than 1,600 survey responses obtained between 2017 and 2021.

The survey found that three-quarters of those whose gender dysphoria began at a young age were female.

Pre-existing mental health issues were common, and youths with these issues were more likely than those without them to have socially and medically transitioned, the studys abstract states.

On average, gender dysphoric youth were also unusually intelligent and closer to their mothers than their fathers.

The paper looked into both social transitioningacting to live ones life as a different genderand medical transitioning, which is taking hormones or undergoing surgery.

The biggest predictor of both kinds of transition was if the parents had received a referral to a gender specialist, Bailey told The Epoch Times.

Ongoing Research

Despite the retraction and attendant controversy, Bailey is still hard at work.

He and other researchers are conducting a multi-year study of teenagers with gender dysphoria.

Well be trying to survey the youth as well as their parents, said Bailey.

Were going to try to get thousands of people and follow them up over five years.

He doesnt expect to get government funding for it.

We invite potential donors to support us, Bailey said.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Springer and Zucker for comment.
Lismore Mayor Slams Rollout of Flood Buybacks

The rollout of a home buyback scheme in the New South Wales (NSWs) flood-prone Northern Rivers is creating additional trauma for victims, Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg says.

Concern for those on the ground has been completely lacking from the program, which last week released mapping significantly reducing the number of homes expected to be initially eligible, Krieg told AAP.

The maps dont give any comfort to many thousands of my residents in Lismore, it only creates more confusion and more uncertainty, Krieg said on June 16.

These are people that sat on their roofs for eight hours, clutching their children, waiting to be rescued by civilians.

Only eight households have so far received funding through the scheme announced in October 2022.

Local mayors and MPs said this week it was taking too long for funds to be allocated through the $700 million (US$481 million) Resilient Homes Program, equally funded by the NSW and federal governments.

Premier Chris Minns said on June 16 it was important that homes, particularly in low-lying areas, had access to buyback funds, but not everybodys taking them up.

Krieg said thousands of residents, not just in Lismore but across the region, remained in the dark as to what they are eligible for through the scheme.

The NSW government has made 145 offers out of 1000 properties currently eligible for the buyback, with $90 million (US$61.8 million) of the funding pool committed.

Those 145 offers have been accepted, but in some cases homeowners can opt for a delayed settlement of up to a year if they wished to remain at their property until they find alternative accommodation, according to the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation.

This week, four Northern Rivers state MPs and seven local mayors called on the premier to deliver tranche two of the program to reduce uncertainty for communities still recovering from last years devastating floods.

Minns said he was open to expanding the program, but not while first round funding remained on the table.

Im more than willing to look at tranche two, but I want to make sure that weve spent tranche one first, Minns said.

More than 6400 households have registered for assistance through the program and Krieg said 17 months on from the disaster, 145 offers for buyback was not enough.

About 1100 applicants in the highest-risk areas were being prioritised for buybacks, the agency said, with another 340 offers to raise or retrofit homes also in the works.

Homes in all seven LGAs (local government areas) have been prioritised based on the greatest risk to life in most flood scenarios, with the most homes in Lismore prioritised, followed by Tweed, a spokesman for the program said.
Londons ExCel Centre Wins Test Case Over 16 Million COVID-19 Insurance Claim

Lawyers say ruling will affect 'hundreds of thousands of policyholders'

The Exhibition Centre London (ExCeL) has won a court case over 16 million of COVID-19 business interruption (BI) insurance claims, which its lawyers say will potentially allow hundreds of thousands of policyholders to make the same claim.

Pizza Express and a dozen of other businesses were also the winners in the six test cases, in which businesses sought insurance payment under their at the premises (ATP) disease policies for business closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the judgment handed down on Friday, Justice Richard Jacobs said the same logic behind a Supreme Court ruling two years also applies to ATP clauses.

In January 2021, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in a test case, which it brought against eight insurers on behalf of small and medium businesses.

In the landmark decision, judges agreed that each case of COVID-19 was a concurrent cause of the restrictions on nearby businesses, therefore, even if there was only one case of COVID-19 in the relevant radius before the restrictions were introduced, a policyholder should be covered for its losses.

The 2021 case didnt concern ATP policies.

A closed sign in a cafe window in London on March 17, 2021. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Insurers have argued the Supreme Courts analysis of causation shouldnt be applied to ATP policies because a radius clause is concerned with things which happen away from the premises and may spread towards them and that the ATP cause deals with things which happen at the premises and may spread away from them.

Jacobs dismissed the argument, saying he finds it difficult to see how a restaurant owners illness from COVID-19 should be considered a concurrent cause of the closure of the restaurant next door, but not the closure of his own restaurant.

The judge also dismissed other arguments made for the insurers, saying none of them was persuasive.

Stewarts, the law firm that represented the ExCel Centre, said Fridays ruling could potentially affect hundreds of thousands of policyholders.

In addition to its close link to the FCA test case, this is also the latest in a string of judgments relating to COVID-19 business interruption insurance disputes and decisions on the application of causation principles to insurance disputes more widely, the firm said in a statement.

The firm said the judgment provided some further finality, subject to any appeals, for issues left unresolved by the FCA test case and is therefore a helpful development for the insurance market and businesses across the UK.

It could potentially affect hundreds of thousands of policyholders based on previous FCA estimates as to the extent to which ATP cover was purchased, Stewarts said, urging policyholders who havent been able to secure insurance payout for BI losses to revisit their policy documents.

ExCels claims were against six insurance companies, including the Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance, Allianze, CNA, Aviva, Zurich, and Chubb. None of the companies immediately responded to The Epoch Times request for comment.

ExCel told the Financial Times (FT) on Friday that they were pleased the court had confirmed their understanding of the insurance policy.

And we hope that this ruling will also benefit other policyholders in a similar position, the statement reads.

Becky Rogers, head of property claims in Allianz commercial business, told FT the insurer needs to consider its position while working through how it is likely to impact those of [its] policyholders who have outstanding COVID-19 business interruption claims under disease at the premises clauses.
Profiles in history: An ongoing series of lesser known but significant figures who shaped our world

Good evening, everybody! This was the salutation Lowell Thomas (18921981) gave every weeknight for more than 45 years. Thomas was the voice tens of millions of people listened to on the radio to find out what was happening in the world. Lowell, however, didnt live his life behind the microphone. He lived more broadly than almost any person of the 20th century, and he broadcast his exploits and those of others whenever he got the opportunity.

Born in 1892, Lowell came into the world at the perfect time for harrowing adventure and incredible danger. After earning his masters degree from the University of Denver in 1913, Lowell became a reporter in Chicago, where he also pursued a law degree at the Chicago-Kent College of Law. His writings included rail travel, as well as investigative pieces.

He received a fellowship to continue his studies at Princeton in 1915, but that same year, he was drawn to the Alaska Territory to create what became one of his many travelogues. When he presented his travelogue lecture in Washington D.C. in 1917, Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane was in attendance and was so impressed that he offered Lowell an opportunity to conduct lectures for a domestic tourism campaign called See America First.

The same year, however, America would be off to see Europe as it entered World War I. Lowells political connections lent a different and more exciting opportunity. He was unofficially commissioned to venture to Europe and report on the war. The purpose was to provide propaganda and create enthusiasm and support for Americas involvement. Lowell met with numerous wealthy Chicago businessmen and raised $100,000 for the trip. He and his new wife, Frances, and cameraman, Harry Chase, left for France immediately.

Early in his career, Lowell Thomas went to all part of the globe to experience adventure. Lowell Thomas in Arabia, 1918. (Public Domain)

When they arrived, Lowell was taken aback and depressed by the trench warfare. When the chance arose to transfer to the Eastern Front where Sir Edmund Allenby, the British general, was leading the Allies toward Jerusalem, Lowell wasted no time. Little did he know, of all the travelogues and subjects he would cover, this moment would present him with his most consequential.

While on the Eastern Front, Lowell made the acquaintance of T.E. Lawrence, soon to be known around the globe as Lawrence of Arabia. He and Chase were invited to Prince Feisals desert camp, where they captured video and photography of the area, the people, and most importantly, a Brit bedecked as if he were an Arabian prince. He sent Chase back to the States to produce the film, while he went to Germany to witness the postwar revolution, in which he was nearly killed by gunfire.

Thomass first photo of Lawrence, taken in Jerusalem as they were introduced in the office of the Military Governor, Feb. 28, 1918. (Public Domain)

When the World War I images, especially that of Allenby and Lawrence, were shown to the West, specifically London and New York City, they were an instant sensation. Lowell continued his presentation circuit into Australia and New Zealand. He also continued his travelogue adventures with Chase into India, Malaya, and Burma to create his documentary Through Romantic India. Though Lowell made a large financial sum from the visual presentations, he soon decided it best to write down his adventures. These works, though based in reality, were often quite embellished. Of his more than 50 books, he wrote With Lawrence in Arabia, Raiders of the Deep, and Old Gimlet Eye: The Adventures of General Smedley D. Butler. Much of Lawrences fame and folklore is accredited to the efforts, whether with or without Lawrences blessing, to Lowell.

A dozen years after the armistice, Lowell began his 45-year relationship with the listening public of America. He began with CBS in 1930, switched to NBC in 1932, and returned to CBS in 1947, and continued his broadcasts until 1976, where people heard for the last time his nightly adieu of So long until tomorrow. He was also the voice of Fox Movietone News during the 1930s and 40s. At the end of the 1940s, he and his son Lowell Thomas Jr. traveled to Tibet to become the first to ever film the Dalai Lama.

Im not a journalist, but an entertainer, he once admitted, just as Bob Hope and Bing Crosby are entertainers. And he was handsomely paid for his entertaining renditions of the news, averaging approximately $400,000 annually.

Before Lowell died in 1981, he was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Gerald Ford. He also earned the Peabody Award for his multi-decade radio work. The organization fondly referred to Lowell as the twentieth-century Marco Polo. Lowell was also inducted into the Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 1966, and posthumously into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1989.

In 1959, the former president, Herbert Hoover, wrote to Lowell, stating, If I have to have a reincarnation, I would prefer it to be Lowell Thomas above all others. It would be an eternal life of adventure, of courage and of public service.
Maine Man Charged With Killing His Parents and 2 Others Indicted, Faces More Charges

Joseph Eaton enters the court for his arraignment in West Bath, Maine, on April 20, 2023. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald via AP)

PORTLAND, MaineA man charged with four counts of murder for allegedly killing his parents and two others in a series of shootings that shook Maine earlier this year has been indicted, officials said on Friday.

Law enforcement officials say 34-year-old Joseph Eaton confessed to police to the killings at a property in rural Bowdoin and injuring three people while shooting at vehicles on Interstate 295 in Yarmouth. He faces additional charges related to the highway shootings.

The bodies were found in Bowdoin on April 18, days after Eatons release from prison.

Eatons parents, Cynthia Eaton, 62, and David Eaton, 66, were killed along with their longtime friends, Bowdoin homeowners Robert Eger, 72, and Patti Eger, 62, officials said.

Soon after the bodies were discovered, police responded to gunshots fired at several vehicles more than 20 miles to the south on the busy highway in Yarmouth. Bullets struck a family in one of the vehicles, wounding Sean Halsey, 51; Justin Halsey, 29; and Paige Halsey, 25, police said.

Investigators work at the scene of a deadly shooting in Bowdoin, Maine, on April 18, 2023. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP Photo)

The indictment released Friday includes 16 charges in total, including nine counts of theft of a firearm and a count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. It states that he stole nine firearms from the Egers.

The indictment also charges Eaton with aggravated cruelty to animals and states that he killed Max, the Egers goldendoodle, in a manner manifesting a depraved indifference to animal life or suffering.

A Cumberland County grand jury indicted Eaton last week on 11 charges related to the highway shootings. Those charges include aggravated attempted murder.

Eaton was intending to cause multiple deaths when he fired the shots from the highway, the indictment stated.

Eaton is due in court in Bath on June 28 for a dispositional conference. He has been represented in the case by attorney Andrew Wright of Brunswick. Wright did not return a call seeking comment on Friday.

Eaton has been jailed since his arrest on April 18 near the chaotic scene along the highway, where traffic backed up as heavily armed law enforcement searched the area. He first appeared in court later that week, though he has not yet entered a plea.

Eatons parents were staying with their longtime friends after his mother picked him up from a Maine prison on April 14, where he served about two years for a sentence revocation after completing a sentence in Florida for aggravated assault, part of a long criminal history in Maine, Kansas, and Florida.

Police still dont know Eatons motive for the slayings. A criminal affidavit stated that an unsigned note found at the scene mentioned someone being freed of pain and that the writer of the note wanted a new life.

By Patrick Whittle and David Sharp
Man Charged with Carjacking, Police Pursuit in Fullerton

SANTA ANA, Calif.A 33-year-old Fresno man made his first appearance in federal court June 15 on charges of a carjacking that led to a police pursuit in Fullerton.

Deshawn Ricks was arrested Wednesday on a federal criminal complaint. He was ordered detained Thursday and scheduled for arraignment on July 3.

Police were dispatched to the carjacking just before 2:40 p.m. Wednesday in a parking structure at 122 E. Wilshire Ave., between Harbor Boulevard and Pomona Avenue, according to Fullerton police.

The victim told police she was sitting in her car when Ricks opened the door and ordered her to get out. When she refused, he used what she thought was a shank pressed against her back to threaten her again to get out or Ill stab you, police alleged. Ricks grabbed the victim by her body and hair, and he forcibly pulled her out of the vehicle.

Before he drove away, the victim grabbed her purse out of the car and then went to get help, police said.

Ricks allegedly began driving the stolen 2022 Mazda CX5 toward her and she said she had to jump out of the way before he fled, police said.

Police located the stolen vehicle at 2:49 p.m. and tried to stop the driver, but he refused, starting the pursuit, police said.

The suspect led police on a high-speed pursuit through the city that included veering into oncoming traffic, speeding, flashing through red lights, and striking a marked police vehicle, police alleged.

Ricks lost control of the vehicle, which was disabled by a squad car, ending the pursuit on wheels, police said. Ricks attempted to run away, but was quickly caught, police said. Officers found a foot-long metal stake-type object in the stolen vehicle.

Ricks has a criminal history that includes arrests for burglary, domestic violence, false imprisonment, pimping, threats, and possession of drugs for sale, police said. He was wanted for failing to appear for an arraignment in Fresno County in April for threats with intent to terrorize and exhibit a deadly weapon.
Man Convicted in Shootout at Minnesota Bar That Killed 1, Injured 15

ST. PAUL, Minn.A second man has been found guilty in a shootout at a bar in St. Paul, Minnesota, that left one person dead and more than a dozen people injured.

Terry Lorenzo Brown was convicted Wednesday of second-degree murder, four counts of attempted second-degree murder and illegally possessing a firearm, KARE-TV reported.

Prosecutors said Brown and Devondre Phillips began shooting at each other at the Seventh Street Truck Park Bar near downtown St. Paul on Oct. 10, 2021.

The Seventh Street Truck Park Bar in St. Paul, Minn., in June 2022. (Google Maps/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Marquisha Wiley, a 27-year-old bystander from St. Paul, was killed, and at least 15 others including Brown and Phillips were wounded, as bar patrons fled in panic.

Phillips was found guilty of eight counts of attempted second-degree murder earlier this year. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23.

Browns attorney, Stephen Grigsby, said during closing arguments that Brown fired in self-defense after Devondre Phillips shot at him, although it was only a fraction of a second before Brown returned fire.

Prosecutors said surveillance footage from the bar showed Brown advancing on Phillips with a gun in his hand as Phillips shot Browns friend in the stomach. Images showed Brown continuing to advance until the shootout between Brown and Phillips started.
McCarthy Threatens to Block Funding of Visa Waivers for Chile Over Linked Burglaries

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks at a press conference regarding a sharp rise in organized crime including home burglaries and robberies in the United States that are linked to Chilean nationals, in Santa Ana, Calif., on June 16, 2023. (Brad Jones/The Epoch Times)

SANTA ANA, Calif.House Speaker Kevin McCarthy threatened to use the congressional spending bill to block funding of a visa waiver program for Chile that has been blamed for a sharp rise in organized crime including home burglaries and robberies in the United States.

The rise in residential and business crimes is linked to a Chilean crime syndicate, McCarthy told reporters at a press conference on June 16 in Santa Ana, California, following a roundtable discussion with Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, law enforcement officials, and California-based Republicans in Congress.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (3rd R) speaks at a roundtable regarding a sharp rise in organized crime including home burglaries and robberies in the United States that are linked to Chilean nationals, in Santa Ana, Calif., on June 16, 2023. (Brad Jones/The Epoch Times)

Chile wont let the United States do criminal background checks on Chilean nationals entering the country on visa waivers even though thousands of Chilean nationals have been arrested for organized crime in America, McCarthy said.

Theyre sophisticated, McCarthy said. They dont come and break in the front door.

These criminals often enter homes from the second story and use cell phone jamming to turn off your WiFi so your home security doesnt work, he said.

They raid the house stealing the safe. They wear uniforms and camouflage outfits, he said. Then they work with China, putting the money back into South America.

Both McCarthy and Spitzer said the Biden administration has the power to exclude Chile from the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program that allows the citizens of 40 countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without a visa.

If its not fixed by next week, we will put it into our bill, McCarthy said.

Spitzer urged Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to declare Chile a high-risk country and temporarily suspend visa waivers until further review.

Chile is the only South American country that remains in the ETSA program. The rest have already been prohibited, he said.

He cited a June 14 letter from Juan Gabriel Valdes, the Chilean ambassador to the United States, indicating that more than 350,000 Chileans entered the United States last year.

Thats 10 percent of the Orange County populationwith no background checks, Spitzer said.

When county prosecutors arrest suspected criminals from Chile, theyre usually released without having to post bail and ordered to appear in court at a later date, but so far none of them have shown up, he said.

This is jeopardizing public safety. It is a disaster for our communities, and has permeated the country, he said. It is scaring the heck out of our population.

Holding an unclassified document called South American Theft Group Activities for September 2022, Spitzer said 211 Chilean nationals were arrested in the United States in that month alone. At the same time, Orange County saw an unprecedented number of home burglaries and robberies.

We were dealing with a large percentage of those home burglaries involving Chilean nationals, he said. What I found alarming about this document is at the bottom theres an admonition that I am allowed as a member of law enforcement to read and look at this document, but Im not allowed to distribute it to anybody, or face a violation of United States law and potential prosecution.

The document contains photographs of more than 400 Chileans whove been arrested in the United States in violation of the ESTA program, he told reporters.

Some of the Chilean burglars have worn ghillie suit camouflage to blend into the landscape, Spitzer said.

Theyre hiding in the bushes; theyre lying in wait; theyre watching us; theyre surveying us so they can go in and steal from us, and Im not putting up with it anymore, he said.

Briefings with the FBI and DHS on June 16 revealed the FBI has been concentrating on transnational gangs since 2018 and noticed an uptick in Chileans committing these crimes in 2019. Additionally, the FBI has a network of 750 members who are monitoring this program across the country, Spitzer said.

Ventura County has been documenting statistics of the crime and found that 3,000 individuals were referred to Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) for deportation in January 2022 alone.

DHS and the FBI have admitted the increase in crime is a pervasive problem in the United States, Spitzer said

Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.) said the FBI has tried to remove Chile from the ETSA program, but DHS hasnt approved the FBIs efforts to do so.

As a sanctuary state, she said, local law enforcement agencies in California are prevented from reporting these criminals to ICE.

Chilean gangs have expanded sophisticated criminal operations in many other states, including New York, Ohio, and Florida, she said.

Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) said Chilean criminals surveil homes for weeks in Orange County and burglarize homes of hundreds for thousands of dollars worth of goods they sell online or overseas.

They launder those funds through the Chinese crime syndicate, she said.

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) said similar burglaries are happening in Riverside County.

Unfortunately, these Chilean gangs have also been involved in burglaries throughout the Inland Empire, he said. So not only do we have a porous border, and they ineffective Sacramento to deal with crime in general, now we have Chilean gangs operating throughout the state of California and, indeed, throughout the United States.

Calvert said that as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, he will push to suspend the ESTA program for Chile.

Victims Shaken

An Orange County woman whose name was not released told reporters her home was recently ransacked and robbed.

On top of financial loss, she said, she has lost her sense of security, and sentimental items that can never be replaced.

At first, I was in shock. I could barely speak, she said. I felt invaded, violated, and unsafe in my own home, she said. I felt a sick pit in my stomach. I couldnt bear to be in our bedroom for several nights. In fact, I could hardly sleep.
NATO Takes Action to Protect Undersea Infrastructure as Senior Russian Leader Says Theyre Fair Game

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg delivers remarks to journalists as he arrives at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, on June 15, 2023 during a two-day meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC). (Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP via Getty Images)

NATO on Friday said it is taking action to protect undersea pipelines and cables, in what appears to be a response to a senior Russian leaders recent remarks that it would be fair for Russia to cut off undersea communications of its enemies.

Speaking at a press conference held at the military alliances Brussels headquarter, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia has the capacity to map, but also potentially to conduct actions against critical infrastructure off the coast of Europe.

This is about gas pipelines, oil pipelines, but not least thousands of kilometers of internet cables, which is so critical for our modern societiesfor financial transaction, for communications, he added. This is in the North Sea, in the Baltic Sea, but [also] across the whole Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea.

To address the threat, Stoltenberg said, NATO is establishing a new command center tasked to monitor threats and attacks on undersea infrastructure in NATO waters. The center will be opened in Northwood, a suburb of London.

Theres no way that we can have NATO presence alone [on] all these thousands of kilometers of undersea, offshore infrastructure. But we can be better at collecting information, intelligence, sharing information, connecting the dots, because also in the private sector is a lot of information.

Nord Stream Sabotage

Fridays announcement came two days after Dimitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russias Security Council and a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, blamed Western countries for the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, saying that theres no reason for Russia to not do the same in retaliation.

Now that the Western countries complicity in the sabotage of the Nord Streams has been proven, there should be no constraints, even moral ones, on us to prevent us from destroying our enemies seabed communications cables, Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel, reported state news agency TASS.

No one has yet to take responsibility for last Septembers attacks against the multi-billion-dollar underwater pipelines carrying natural gas from Russia to Germany. But Russia was quick to point the finger at the United States and its allies.

Sanctions are not enough for the West, they have switched to sabotage. Unbelievable, but it is a fact! Putin said days after the explosions during a speech at the Kremlin celebrating the annexation of four regions of eastern Ukraine. By organizing explosions on the Nord Stream international gas pipelines that run along the bottom of the Baltic Sea they actually started destroying European energy infrastructure.

Gas bubbles from the Nord Stream 2 leak reaching the surface of the Baltic Sea in the area show a disturbance of well over one kilometer in diameter near Bornholm, Denmark, on Sept. 27, 2022. (Danish Defence Command/Handout via Reuters)

The United States has denied involvement in the pipeline attacks, although Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged the incident presents a tremendous opportunity for European countries to quit Russian gas altogether.

Its a tremendous opportunity to once and for all remove the dependence on Russian energy and thus to take away from Vladimir Putin the weaponization of energy as a means of advancing his imperial designs, Blinken said. Thats very significant and that offers tremendous strategic opportunity for the years to come.

Those who speculate that the attack was the United States work also cited President Joe Bidens remark just before Russia launched its full-scale military assault on Ukraine. Speaking alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Biden claimed there would not be a Nord Stream 2 if war were to break out.

If Russia invadesthat means tanks or troops crossing the border of Ukraine again  there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it, he said, adding, I promise you, well be able to do it.

In February, investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published on his blog an article saying that the attack was carried out by U.S. Navy divers in a Biden-authorized operation. Hersh, who is best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting that exposed the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War, said his source has direct knowledge of the operational planning.

The White House has dismissed such claims, calling them utterly false and complete fiction.

More recently, in March, the New York Times and German newspaper Die Zeit reported that U.S. and European intelligence officials obtained tentative intelligence to suggest a pro-Ukrainian saboteur group could have been behind the attack on the pipelines.

German investigators, according to Die Zeit, believe that a group of five men and one woman carried out the undersea bombings, using a yacht from a Poland-based company owned by Ukrainian citizens. All six were understood to have used forged passports to hide their real identities. The German outlet also reported that intelligence indicates that a pro-Ukrainian group might be responsible for the attack, but German authorities have not yet found any evidence.
WASHINGTON, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Six people, including three children, were found dead after shooting and fire at a home in the U.S. state of Tennessee, media reported Friday, citing authorities.

The apparent murder-suicide happened at 9 p.m. Thursday local time in the unincorporated area known as Sequatchie, reported WTVC-TV, a television station in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Police officers responded to a shooting at the residence only to find the house on fire, according to the report.

A seventh person was hospitalized in Chattanooga with a gunshot wound, the report added, citing the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Marion County Sheriff Bo Burnett told the news outlet that "it's a domestic situation, evidently that has been ongoing for a pretty good while."

The remains of the deceased have been taken to Nashville, the capital city of Tennessee, for autopsies.

Burnett was quoted as saying by another local news outlet, Local 3 News, that Gary Barnett, who is one of the three adults found dead, is believed to have been the shooter who killed the other victims before taking his own life.

The two adult victims were identified as Regina Barnett and Britney Perez. Regina Barnett had got a restraining order against her estranged husband Gary about a month ago and Perez was visiting her mother Regina at the time of the incident, according to the report.

An arrest affidavit shows the order of protection was issued follow Gary Barnett's arrest in December 2022 for a domestic assault charge over an incident involving his wife. The arrest report also shows that Regina Barnett told deputies that her "soon to be ex-husband" Gary threatened to shoot her and her dog and verbally abused her, Local 3 News reported.

The case against Gary Barnett was still pending with a possible court appearance coming up on July 5, the report added.

Officials said an investigation into the rampage is ongoing. 
New Details Emerge on US Government Spying on Americans

Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Avril Haines testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee in Washington on March 10, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

New details have emerged on the U.S. government spying on citizens following the release of a bombshell report showing that intelligence agencies have bought vast troves of sensitive information on Americans from businesses that harvest peoples data.

Over the years, private data collection services have accumulated commercially available information (CAI), which encompasses highly-revealing data on millions of American citizens, including location, smartphone, and web browsing data.

While much of this commercially available data is anonymous, it can be deanonymized and used to identify people, according to a recent report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), released on June 9.

U.S. intelligence agencies have admitted to buying large quantities of this information and are able to tap it for valuable intelligence on unsuspecting Americans, per the report.

The report warned that a lack of standards and procedures around obtaining and handling this data by spy agencies poses risks to peoples privacy and even safety.

In a new development following the release of the report, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said that she has established a panel to make recommendations about how spy agencies can use this information.

Given the increasing volume of data that is commercially available, I established a Senior Advisory Group Panel on Commercially Available Information and asked them to make recommendations to the Intelligence Community (IC) regarding how and under what circumstances the IC should use commercially available information, and in particular, to reflect on the existing framework for ensuring the protection of privacy and civil liberties, Haines said in a June 14 statement.

Haines added that her officeand the intelligence community more broadlyare now considering the reports key recommendations and working to implement them.

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines speaks during a hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington on May 4, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Growing Threat

The report represents the first known attempt by the government to carry out a comprehensive assessment of how federal agencies obtain and use commercially available data on Americans, which is often collected without their knowledge.

In a way that far fewer Americans seem to understand, and even fewer of them can avoid, CAI includes information on nearly everyone that is of a type and level of sensitivity that historically could have been obtained only by targeted intelligence gathering capabilities, such as court-authorized search warrants, wiretaps, and surveillance, the report states.

Its publication follows a request by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) for Haines to review all commercial data purchases by intelligence agencies.

I appreciate that DNI Haines kept her word to stand-up this review group and then to publish the results of their work, Wyden said in a statement.

The report was authored by an advisory panel, whose identity has been redacted.

The key takeaway from the report is that commercially available information is an increasingly powerful asset for use in intelligenceand that it poses a growing threat to privacy, individual liberties, and even personal safety.

Even though commercially available information may be anonymous, the report warns that its often possible to deanonymize it and so identify the individuals it pertains to. This information could then be used to cause harm to an individuals reputation, emotional well-being, or physical safety.

If the data falls into the wrong hands, it could easily be used to facilitate blackmail, stalking, harassment, and public shaming, the report warns.

U.S. intelligence agencies were urged in the report to develop better policies and guardrails around the use of such data in order to address the growing threat that this practice poses.

Commercially available information is increasingly powerful for intelligence and increasingly sensitive for individual privacy and civil liberties, and the IC therefore needs to develop more refined policies to govern its acquisition and treatment, the report states.

While no specific policy recommendations were put forward, the report identified gaps, such as a lack of standards and procedures for acquiring and handling such data. It also flagged a lack of transparency, noting that the intelligence community does not even keep track of what commercially available information it buys on Americans.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) speaks during a hearing in Washington on June 30, 2020. (Susan Walsh/Pool/Getty Images)

Wyden urged stronger executive oversight of the acquisition and use of such data, while calling on Congress to establish safeguards.

This review shows the governments existing policies have failed to provide essential safeguards for Americans privacy, or oversight of how agencies buy and use personal data, Wyden said in a statement, adding that the current state of affairs means that there are few meaningful limits on government surveillance.

Congress needs to pass legislation to put guardrails around government purchases, to rein in private companies that collect and sell this data, and keep Americans personal information out of the hands of our adversaries, Wyden said.

The Epoch Times has reached out to ODNI with a request for comment and on Wydens call for new legal guardrails but did not receive a response by time of publication.
Oregons DMV System Caught up in Global Hack, Millions at Risk of Identity Theft

In this photo illustration, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) logo appears on a California driver license in San Anselmo, Calif. on May 9, 2017. (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Oregons Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) system has been hacked, putting millions of people at risk for identity theft.

Oregon DMV confirmed Thursday that the agency was hacked two weeks ago.

An estimated 3.5 million drivers licenses and identification card files were compromised.

DMV spokesperson Michelle Godfrey said the breach had extended to about 90 percent of the states drivers license and ID card files.

She advised the public to monitor credit reports for signs of fraudulent activity.We didnt have any information about what data may have been affected at that time, Godfrey said.

Its taken days of analysis to determine that the hack compromised the states drivers license and ID records.

Part of Global Hack

The hackers exploited a flaw in a popular file-transfer software called MOVEit by Massachusetts-based Progress Software.

The agency was among many organizations affected by the breach due to a global hack of the data transfer software MOVEit Transfer, the Department of Transportation said in a statement.

The hack hit numerous U.S. agencies, companies, and organizations.

Chief information officer Thomas Amato said the agency delayed informing the public out of security concerns and because we have been trying to put in place things to prepare Oregonians for this announcement.

Sensitive personal information on millions of drivers licenses and ID card holders was compromised.

I think for security purposes, were not going to discuss exactly what data points were potentially included in that file, Amato said. What were saying is if you have an Oregon drivers license ID permit drivers permit, you can assume that data associated with that credential has been compromised.

Louisiana Affected

Authorities said the breach has also affected anyone with that documentation in Louisiana.

Casey Tingle, a senior in the Louisiana governors office, said Friday that more than 6 million records were compromised while noting that number is duplicative because some people have vehicle registrations and drivers licenses.

The office of Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards confirmed that there was no evidence suggesting that the compromised data from the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles were sold or released.

U.S. officials described the cyberattack as an opportunistic, financially motivated hack that has not caused disruptions to agency services.

We cant just rely on technical and security data related to vulnerable [software installations, but also business relationshipscontracts, for exampleto really understand how bad this is, and how bad its going to get, Munish Walther-Puri, senior director of critical infrastructure at consultancy Exiger, told CNN.

On June 1, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a zero-day vulnerability alert that said the software had a vulnerability which could allow an attacker to take over an affected system.

In March, the Biden-Harris administration released the National Cybersecurity Strategy to secure and protect Americans from cyber-hackers.

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a similar roadmap protecting Californias database from getting breached.

Hackers steal our time, money, and peace of mind. Protecting our data is among the most important things we can do to prevent disruption to our daily lives and economy, Newsom said in a statement. We must do more to safeguard the states critical infrastructure, intellectual property, and status as one of the worlds leading economies.
Palestinian Leader Abbas Ends China Trip After Backing Beijings Suppression of Muslim Minorities

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas wrapped up a trip to China Friday after seeking economic aid and voicing support for Beijings repressive policies toward Muslim minorities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.

During his four-day visit, Abbas met with head of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Xi Jinping. The leaders then issued a joint statement endorsing Beijings domestic and foreign policies and repudiating Western concepts of human rights.

In the statement, the Palestinian Authority said issues regarding the CCPs policy toward Muslims in Xinjiang have nothing to do with human rights and are aimed at excising extremism and opposing terrorism and separatism.

That echoes Chinese propaganda surrounding the detention of more than 1 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities in prison-like detention centers on little or no legal groundsoften merely for having a relative studying abroad or downloading the Koran onto their phones.

According to estimates from researchers, the CCP has detained more than one million Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in internment camps in Xinjiang, where they are subjected to torture, rape, forced labor, and political indoctrination by the CCP.

In 2020, the Trump administration declared the CCPs repression of Uyghurs a genocide. The declaration was later echoed by nearly a dozen parliaments, including in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

The CCP says the widely-documented complex of heavily-guarded centers were intended to purge radicalism spread over the internet and provide vocational trainingand have now been shut down. Critics say many have been turned into prisons.

The CCP has campaigned furiously to counter the outside criticism, and in the competition for resources and markets, Arab states have almost never openly expressed concern over Beijings treatment of Muslims.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
People Up to Date With COVID-19 Vaccines More Likely to Be Infected: Study

People who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations are more likely to get infected, according to a new study.

Vaccinated people who received one of the updated bivalent vaccines had a higher risk of becoming infected when compared to people who hadnta group that included both vaccinated and unvaccinated peopleresearchers with the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio found.

The higher risk held even after adjusting for factors such as age and job location.

This study highlights the challenges of counting on protection from a vaccine when the effectiveness of the vaccine decreases over time as new variants emerge that are antigenically very different from those used to develop the vaccine, Dr. Nabin Shrestha and other researchers said.

The Omicron XBB subvariant became dominant in the United States in January. The bivalent vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer target BA.4 and BA.5, as well as the old Wuhan strain.

The study, published on the medRxiv server (pdf) on June 12 ahead of peer review, included 48,344 employees of the Cleveland Clinic, 47 percent of whom had evidence of prior infection. Employees were included if they were employed in the fall of 2022, when the bivalent vaccines first became available, and were still employed when the XBB strain and its lineages became dominant. The study covered Jan. 29 to May 10. People whose age and sex werent available were excluded.

Analyzing the vaccine effectiveness with a SimonMakuch hazard plot, the researchers treated each employee as not up to date. When a worker received a bivalent dose, they started counting as up to date. Employees stopped being counted if they were fired.

During the study period, 1,475, or 3 percent of clinic employees, became infected.

Being not up to date was associated with a lower risk of infection, with an unadjusted hazard ratio of 0.78 and an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.77. A hazard ratio of less than 1 means a smaller risk of infection.

Researchers didnt provide vaccine effectiveness estimates because they didnt calculate how many of the infected employees were unvaccinated, Shrestha told The Epoch Times via email. Most employees, 87 percent, had received at least one dose of a vaccine.

The Cleveland Clinic has been offering employees tests and vaccinations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The health care nonprofit started offering bivalent vaccine doses on Sept. 12, 2022, shortly after it was cleared by regulators and recommended for virtually all vaccinated people by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Up to Date

The CDC has defined up to date as receiving all recommended vaccine doses. The definition has changed multiple times during the pandemic. It was a primary series at first. Later, a monovalent booster was added.

As of April, being up to date for people aged 5 and older means having had one bivalent dose. For children aged six months to 4 years, it means two doses of Modernas or three doses of Pfizers vaccine. The latest update was made as authorities replaced the old vaccines with the bivalents, which had previously only been available as boosters.

The Cleveland Clinic researchers wanted to see whether people who meet the current definition of up to date were better protected than those who dont, given the lack of data for the bivalent vaccines, which were cleared without clinical trial data and to this day lack clinical trial efficacy estimates. The researchers previously found that the more doses a person receives, the more likely they are to get infected.

The finding that being up to date didnt equal better protection stems from the bivalent not being effective against the XBB lineages, the researchers said. The other reason, they said, is because the CDC doesnt formally recognize in its vaccination guidance the protection bestowed from prior infection, known as natural immunity.

A key point is that some people who werent up to date became infected with the Omicron subvariants BA.4, BA.5, or BQ, which helped provide them better protection against XBB, the researchers said.

It is now well-known that SARS-CoV-2 infection provides more robust protection than vaccination, they said, pointing to three studies, including one of their own. Therefore it is not surprising that not being up-to-date according to the CDC definition was associated with a higher risk of prior BA.4/BA.5 or BQ lineage infection, and therefore a lower risk of COVID-19, than being up-to-date, while the XBB lineages were dominant.

Strengths of the study include its large sample size and ability to examine the data in different ways, such as by date from vaccination and date from a positive test. Limitations included not being able to separate asymptomatic infections from symptomatic infections and, due to a low number of severe illnesses among the study population, the inability of assessing protection against severe illness.

Reactions

Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a former CDC health officer whos now a professor of public health sciences at the University of Southern Californias Keck School of Medicine, told The Epoch Times in an email that the limitations mean that the study does not tell us much at all.

These types of observational studies cannot adequately adjust for factors that cannot be measured. Thats why randomized controlled trials are the only way to make definitive conclusions, he said, also predicting that the study wouldnt pass peer review.

The authors have submitted the paper to a journal, Shrestha said.

Other experts said the findings indicate that the bivalent vaccines dont protect against XBB.

The article needs full peer review obviously but does suggest the bivalent COVID-19 vaccination does not offer protection against current circulating COVID-19 infection, Dennis McGonagle, a clinical professor at the University of Leeds School of Medicine, told The Epoch Times via email. The high rate of natural infection previously in this large cohort and natural upper respiratory tract immunity, that current vaccines cannot provide, and the likely limited effectiveness of the vaccine to new viral mutants likely has contributed to these findings.

The CDC didnt respond to an inquiry regarding whether the study would prompt officials to consider updating its up to date definition and why the agency has never recommended people with prior infection get fewer vaccine doses.

If you recently had COVID-19, you still need to stay up to date with your vaccines, its website reads.

Top U.S. officials, including the CDCs director, met in late 2021 to discuss the matter and opted against changing the recommended schedule, despite several outside advisers saying they should. Multiple CDC studies have found that protection from prior infection is superior to vaccination.

The CDC claims that the currently available COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and dying. Observational studies from the CDC and other entities have estimated that bivalent vaccines provide protection against hospitalization during the BA.4/BA.5 era, but that the protection quickly wanes.

Early data from the XBB era, presented this week by the CDC, show effectiveness against hospitalization turning negative after just 90 days. The Cleveland Clinic groups previous paper found negative effectiveness against infection over time. Protection against infection from similar bivalents used in some countries was just 25 percent during a time period mostly covering XBB, Qatari researchers recently reported. They couldnt calculate effectiveness against severe disease because none of the infected cases progressed to that stage.

It is often stated that the primary purpose of vaccination is to prevent severe COVID-19 and death, the Cleveland Clinic researchers said. We certainly agree with this, but it should be pointed out that there is not a single study that has shown that the COVID-19 bivalent vaccine protects against severe disease or death caused by the XBB lineages of the Omicron variant.

People may still choose to get the vaccine, but an assumption that the vaccine protects against severe disease and death is not reason enough to unconditionally push a vaccine of questionable effectiveness to all adults.

Natural Immunity

The researchers also looked at how protective natural immunity was. They found that the protective effect was higher for people who were infected by a recent Omicron subvariant when compared to people who were infected by an early subvariant or pre-Omicron strains.

The researchers didnt provide protection estimates for natural immunity against severe disease.

The Qatari researchers previously found that natural immunity from pre-Omicron strains didnt protect well against reinfection from Omicron. They were also unable to estimate protection against severe illness, although they found in a separate study that natural immunity remained strongly protective against severe illness after 14 months.
Poll Shows RFK Jr. With Highest Favorability Rating of All Presidential Candidates

Democratic Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks as Michael Smerconish hosts a SiriusXM Town Hall with Democratic Presidential Candidate RFK Jr. at The Centre Theater in Philadelphia, Penn., on June 5, 2023. (Lisa Lake/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

Dismissed as a longshot candidate by many political pundits, Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr. carries the highest net favorability of all 2024 presidential candidates, according to a recent poll (pdf) from The Economist/YouGov.

Kennedy was viewed favorably by 49 percent of the respondents, which translates to a net favorability rating of 19 points. He was seen as unfavorable by 30 percent.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, who is currently the frontrunner among Republican candidates, had 45 percent and 43 percent of the respondents view them in a favorable way.

Bidens net favorability rating was minus 7 while Trump had a minus 10 net favorability rating.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces his 2024 presidential bid and Democratic primary challenge to President Joe Biden in Boston on April 19, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/Epoch Times)

Three percent of the polls respondents were unsure of their opinion of Biden and Trump while 21 percent were uncertain about Kennedy.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott had the second-highest net favorability ratings of all candidates at 8 points.

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy was seen favorably by 26 percent and unfavorably by 19 percent. Scott was viewed favorably by 33 percent of the respondents, and unfavorably by 25 percent.

The poll was conducted from June 10 to June 13 among 1,500 U.S. adults and had a 2.7-point margin of error.

Bipartisan Support

Kennedy is drawing bipartisan support in the early stages of his campaign.

Poll results showed that Republicans and conservatives had more favorable views toward him than Democrats and liberals.

[Kennedy] is the only Democrat who can reach across the political spectrum, which means he can win in 2024, said Dennis Kucinich, the former Ohio congressman and two-time Democratic presidential candidate who is Kennedys campaign manager, to The Epoch Times.

Conservatives, liberals, independents, and libertarians are responding to this campaign because of the unique qualities of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and because there is an understanding he stands for unity, freedom, truth, and authenticity, Kucinich added. That is whats resonating with people.

Kennedy is the son of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy and late Sen. Ted Kennedy.

An environmental attorney and the founder of Childrens Health Defense, Kennedy is widely known for his outspoken stances about the dangers of the COVID-19 vaccines to some in the population who were forced to take them, and of vaccines in general.

Kennedy has widely talked about the negative impact of COVID pandemic lockdowns, and hes a vocal opponent of the pharmaceutical industrys influence on the government.

He is also a vocal opponent of Big Tech censorship.

He differs from President Joe Biden and progressive Democrats on multiple issues.

When asked about his stance on the Second Amendment, he said, I believe in the Constitution, and Im not going to take everybodys guns away.

I had two family members who were killed by gunfire, so I understand the anguish and the pain of losing a loved one to gun violence. We must figure out a way to deal with it, but talking about taking peoples guns away at this point in history is not a solution.

Kennedy also has a more conservative than liberal stance regarding the border crisis.

We have to stop the crisis at the border. We have to seal our borders. No nation can exist If you dont control [illegal] immigration, he told The Epoch Times.

Theres a lot of different options. The Israelis are using technology to control their borders and doing it very successfully because they have the same problem with African immigration. I want to talk to all the stakeholders before we develop a policy, but Im going to seal the border.

Meanwhile, his stance on abortion is one that aligns with the Biden administration.

I can argue theres nobody in this country that has worked harder for the rights of medical freedom and personal bodily autonomy than me, he said. That applies to the vaccines and abortion.

I dont think the government should be telling us what to do with our bodies and dictating for Americans what we can and cannot do in the first three months of pregnancy. Its a womans choice.

A Harvard Center for American Political Studies-Harris Poll released on June 16 showed Kennedy with 15 percent of support in a sample of the partys primary voters, and 21 percent of the participants said they have a positive view of him.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a press conference with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the East Room of the White House in Washington on June 8, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

Biden received 62 percent support in the survey, which was taken between June 14 and June 15 with 2,090 respondents. It is a collaboration of the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University and the Harris Poll.

A Sugar High

David Carlucci is a former New York state legislator and Democratic political strategist. He calls the support for Kennedy a sugar high that will eventually drop.

He is a name people think they kind of know. But once primary voters learn what he stands for, I dont think they will like him, Carlucci told The Epoch Times. His stances are out of line with the Democratic party. I dont think he will win a primary head-to-head against Biden.

Ohio-based Republican strategist Wes Farno believes that Kennedys poll numbers reflect the Democratic partys discontent about Bidens job performance.

Joe Biden can say what he wants, but the proof is what Americans feel every day, Farno told The Epoch Times. The economy is in bad shape, expenses are so high that many people are struggling who werent before, the country is divided, and there is a border crisis that is affecting not just the border states, but the entire country. None of that happened until Biden took office.

I do think that the Democratic party will do what it takes for him to be nominated, but when you talk to most Americans, they want a candidate who will deliver results, Farno added. Biden has shown he is not that person, so likely that is why a well-known name like Kennedy is getting attention.

Some Democrats believe that Kennedys early polling numbers will motivate another candidate to enter the partys primary, though the Democratic National Committee voted to offer its full support to Biden at its winter meeting earlier this year.

Carlucci believes that high-profile Democrats have been reluctant to enter the race because they dont want to damage the party or their base.

Trump has his former vice president running against him, and several Republicans running against him. Democrats are showing they are far more united than Republicans, Carlucci said. Noone is as strong as Joe Biden in the Democratic party right now. It would be damaging to a Democratic presidency and their own brand if other candidates get in the race.
Pregnant Woman Shot and Killed Was Owner of Seattle Restaurant Near Famed Market

A bouquet of flowers and a photograph sits on the corner of Lenora St. and 4th Avenue in Seattle on June 15, 2023 (Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times via AP)

SEATTLEA pregnant woman who was killed in what appears to have been a random shooting in downtown Seattle this week has been identified as the owner of a sushi restaurant near the citys famed Pike Place Market.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said on Twitter Thursday that his condolences go out to the family of Eina Kwon. Kwon, 34, was eight months pregnant when a man shot multiple times into her car Tuesday while it was stopped at an intersection near the Aburiya Bento House restaurant she owned with her husband.

The fetus was delivered at a hospital and but died soon after, according to a probable cause statement. The womans 37-year-old husband, Sung Kwon, was shot in the arm and treated at the hospital.

Eina was a leader in our community and business owner, running Aburiya Bento House with her family. What was supposed to be a joyful time for the Kwon family has turned into an unimaginable nightmare caused by senseless gun violence, Harrells statement said.

Harrell also said he spoke to Sung Kwon on Thursday.

He is a grieving but resilient father and husband who is grappling with unimaginable pain while recovering from his own injuries, Harrell said.

On Tuesday morning, a man approached the couples car, fired at the drivers side with a handgun and ran away, the probable cause statement said. Video from the neighborhood showed no previous interaction with the victims.

Police said they found a 30-year-old man who matched witnesses description soon after. Approached by officers, he raised his arms and said, I did it, I did it, according to police. Police said the man told investigators he saw a firearm in the vehicle and reacted by firing.

He was taken into custody, and a judge found probable cause to hold him on investigation of homicide, assault and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to a spokesperson for prosecutors. Charges are expected this week, The Seattle Times reported.

The shooting has led to an outpouring of grief for the Kwons, who also have a toddler.

Mourners have placed flowers and other remembrances at their now-shuttered restaurant, including Eunji Seo, the consulate general for the Republic of Korea in Seattle. A crowdfunding campaign to bring Eina Kwons family from Korea to the United States for her funeral has raised over $180,000.

The Kwons opened Aburiya, which serves traditional and fusion sushi, in 2018. The restaurant is popular with tourists and downtown workers seeking lunch deals.
Push to Stop Arms Race in Australian Federal Election Spending

Australian banknotes in Melbourne, on Nov. 7, 2017. (Paul Crocker/AFP via Getty Images)

Influential donors with deep pockets are having an effect on Australian politics as a report finds election spending has reached record highs.

Analysis by the Centre for Public Integrity, an independent think tank, found election spending had increased by almost 85 percent in the past two decades.

In 2022, spending reached a record high of nearly $440 million (US$302.4 million) and the top five individual donors contributed 70 percent of all donations.

The centre is calling for donation and spending caps to reduce the political influence of big spenders.

Unlike in New South Wales (NSW), Victoria and Queensland, there is no cap on Commonwealth political donations.

Geoffrey Watson SC, who sits on the think tanks board, feared Australian elections were becoming nothing more than auctions.

The biggest donors and the biggest spenders win the day, Watson said.

Money in politics is getting out of control.

A joint parliamentary committee has been investigating the 2022 federal election and potential reforms to election funding and donations.

The committees interim report is expected in coming weeks. The think tank said it represented an opportunity for parliament to fix entrenched problems in the system.

Addressing donation concentration, donor transparency and limiting incumbency benefits are among a wishlist of priorities the centre wanted the committee to address in its report.

This included real-time disclosure of donations over $1000 (US$687.3) and introducing a requirement to disclose electoral expenditure every three months.

Existing laws for federal branches of political parties only require donations over $15,200 (US$10,500) to be disclosed annually.

The centres analysis also found donor concentration was high across both major parties.

In 2021/22 the top five individual donors to the Australian Labor Party (ALP) contributed $205.4 million (US$141.2 million), or almost 35 percent of the total donations.

The top five donors to the Liberal National coalition contributed $118.8 million (US$81.7 million), or more than 22 percent of total donations.

Pratt Holdings Pty Ltd, owned by billionaire businessman Anthony Pratt, was the top donor for both the coalition and ALP in 2021/22, donating $1,712,000 (US$1,176,700) and $1,962,000 (US$1,348,500) respectively.

Other top ALP donors included the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union ($1,160,090 (US$797,300)), Maurice Blackburn Pty Ltd ($386,266 (US$265,500)) and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia ($310,330 (US$213,300)).

Mineralogy, owned by billionaire Clive Palmer, single-handedly funded the United Australia Party campaign with a nearly $117 million (US$80.4 million) donation.

The biggest donor for independent MPs Allegra Spender, Monique Ryan, Zoe Daniel, Sophie Scamps, Kylea Tink and Kate Chaney was Climate 200.

Melbourne Law School Professor Joo Cheong Tham said parliament had an opportunity to stop the arms race in election campaigns.

Reform in this area needs to be holistic, Tham said.

With caps in place we also need to limit the incumbency advantage and make public funding fairer.
Putin Confirms Russia Sent Nuclear Weapons to Belarus

A rocket launches from a missile system as part of a ground-based intercontinental ballistic missile test at the Plesetsk facility in northwestern Russia on Dec. 9, 2020. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed that Moscow has moved nuclear warheads to Belarus amid international condemnation of nuclear usage in the ongoing war against Ukraine.

As you know, we were negotiating with our ally, Belarusian President [Alexander] Lukashenko, that we would move a part of these tactical nuclear weapons to the territory of Belarusthis has happened, Putin said on June 16 while speaking at a Russian economic forum in St. Petersburg, Russia. The first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus. But only the first ones, the first part. But we will do this job completely by the end of the summer or by the end of the year.

The Russian president insisted that the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus will act as an element of deterrence to all powers who are thinking about inflicting a strategic defeat.

Nuclear weapons have been made to ensure our security in the broadest sense of the word and the existence of the Russian state, but we  have no such need [to use them], Putin said.

Its Russias first deployment of such shorter-range nuclear weapons outside of the country since the fall of the Soviet Union. These warheads could potentially be outside of the battlefield too.

In recent weeks, the Russian president has increasingly raised the possibility of using nuclear weapons as the war in Ukraine goes on.

Last autumn, the United States, France, and the UK warned Russia that if it used nuclear weapons in Ukraine, the trio would retaliate with a conventional strike. Beijing has also said the use of nuclear weapons in the war wont be accepted.

According to data from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Russia accounts for the largest number of nuclear warheads in the world. Out of the 12,700 warheads worldwide, 5,977 are Russias, followed closely by the United States 5,428.

Nuclear Warheads in Belarus

The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus was indicated by Putin in March, when he justified the move by pointing to the U.S. deployment of such weapons in European nations.

At the time, the United States had criticized Moscows move but stated that it wouldnt change its stance on strategic nuclear weapons, as there were no signs that Russia intended to use them.

Earlier this month, Putin revealed that the nuclear weapons would be deployed at special storage facilities in Belarus once theyre ready by July 7 or July 8. The control of such weapons will remain with Russia, he said.

The Belarusian president has said that the deployment of nuclear weapons in his country will boost its security.

[The deployment] was my demand. It wasnt Russia who imposed it on me. Why? Because no one in the world has ever gone to war with a nuclear power. And I dont want anyone to go to war with us. Is there such a threat? There is. I must neutralize that threat, Lukashenko said, according to Belarusian news agency BelTA.

Nuclear Treaty Limbo

Russias deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus comes as the United States has halted exchanging key information about its nuclear arsenal with Moscow after the Kremlin suspended its participation in the New START treaty in February.

The New START nuclear arms pact between the United States and Russia limits the number of nuclear weapons each nation can have. It also authorizes inspections of stockpiles and facilities as a safety measure.

As of today, Russia is suspending its participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty, Putin said in a national address on Feb. 23. Were not withdrawing from the agreement.  Were just suspending [our participation in] it.

In his address, he justified the suspension, saying Russia couldnt allow a U.S. inspection of its nuclear sites at a time when Washington and its NATO allies were seeking to defeat Moscow in the Ukraine war.

During a June 2 meeting of the Arms Control Association, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the Biden administration is seeking to move ahead with nuclear negotiations with Russia and China without preconditions.
Semi Had Right of Way in Horrific Manitoba Crash: RCMP

Flowers are seen on the side of the road where the Trans-Canada Highway intersects with Hwy 5 near Carberry, Man., on June 16, 2023, where a semi and a bus collided on June 15. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

The horrific crash in Manitoba that left 15 people dead happened when a passenger bus drove into the path of an oncoming semi truck on the Trans-Canada highway.

We have obtained video footage of the collision that was seized from the semi truck trailer, said RCMP Superintendent Rob Lasson. This video indicates that the bus entered the roadway where the semi trailer truck had the right of way, Lasson told a news conference the afternoon of June 16.

However, he cautioned it is too early to assign blame.

We are not assigning culpability or laying any blame at this time, said Lasson. We are merely stating the facts as we know them. The investigation is still ongoing with a lot of work to do.

Lasson said the video is from a dash cam mounted at the front of the semi, and investigators are trying to learn everything they can from it.

Extensive analysis is being done on the video before any further determinations are made, said Lasson. At this time we dont know why the bus proceeded into the lane  that is something that were going to continue to look into.

He added RCMP have spoken to the driver of the truck, although not to the driver of the bus, who is still in hospital, and have seized both vehicles involved for further investigation.

Were determining whether the semi had an event data recorder that will help us ascertain a number of critical pieces of information such as speed, exact coordinates, and the mechanical status of the vehicle, said Lasson. Investigators have also taken witness statements from passing motorists, which corroborate what RCMP saw in the video.

Lasson added the 10 people injured in hospital have all been identified, which means anyone else on board the bus is presumed deceased.

He said the age of people on the bus ranged from 58 years old to 88, with 19 women and six men. Six women survived the crash, and four men.

Shared Health, which is Manitobas health authority, said the 10 patients who remain hospitalized are being cared for at Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, and at Brandon Regional Health Centre.

Of those patients, six are in a critical care unit and four are being cared for in a surgical unit, Shared Health said in a news release.

Investigators have started the process of identifying the bodies of those killed, but it is going to take time.

Dr. John Younes, Manitobas chief medical examiner, said his office will use fingerprints, dental records, surgical history, and as a last resort DNA to help confirm the identities of those killed.

The worst possible outcome for us is to mistakenly identify someone and give wrong information to families, said Younes. He said if all goes well, they hope to have all the victims identified by the middle of next week. He said most of them suffered significant trauma, which makes a visual identification impossible.

Presently we have three investigators working full time on this case, trying to gather all the information well need to make the identification, he said, adding its the worst mass casualty event hes ever seen.

Lasson said a second support centre for the families of victims has been set up, this one in Winnipeg.

Last night, RCMP officers spoke to every single family. After hearing the emotions and concerns of the families, the RCMP has now set up a second family support center. So now we have one in Dauphin and one in Winnipeg, he said.

He added he is not sure how long the investigation will take but cautioned it could be months before police have learned all they can.

These investigations can actually take longer than three months  it depends on what we find. Were finding new information all the time, said Lasson.

The deadly crash happened the morning of June 15, near the town of Carberry in southwestern Manitoba.

RCMP said the semi was travelling east on the Trans-Canada Highway when it collided with the bus, which was heading south on Highway 5.

The bus was carrying mostly seniors from Dauphin on a day trip to a casino when the collision happened.

In Ottawa on Friday, a moment of silence for the crash victims was observed at the end of question period in the House of Commons.

The flag on the Peace Tower has been lowered to half mast in honour of the victims.

Lasson said it has also been a very difficult time for the RCMP officers involved in the case.

Our most heartfelt sympathies are with the families who have learned today that their loved one died in this horrific collision. Please know that the RCMP is here for you and we are grieving alongside you, he said.
Southern Baptists Reject Saddleback Churchs Appeal Over Ouster Due to Women Pastors

The Southern Baptist Conventiona Protestant Christian denomination with over 47,000 churches nationwiderejected Saddleback Churchs appeal this week to remain a part of it after the Orange County megachurch in Lake Forest, California, was ousted for having women in pastoral leadership roles.

In February, the conventions leaders voted to revoke Saddlebacks membership on the basis that the church has a faith and practice that does not closely identify with the conventions adopted statement of faith, as demonstrated by the church having a female teaching pastor functioning in the office of pastor.

In recent years, the church has appointed four women pastorsincluding Stacie Wood, wife of Pastor Andie Wood, who replaced Saddlebacks founding Pastor Rick Warren last summer.

Warren, who retired but is still an active member in the church, appealed the conventions decision during its June 13 annual meeting in New Orleans, asking members to agree to disagree when it came to women in leadership roles.

What we share in common is a mutual commitment to the infallibility of Gods word and the great commission of Jesus Christ, Warren said during the meeting. No one is asking any Southern Baptist church to change their theology. Im not asking you to agree with my church, Im asking you to act like a Southern Baptist, who have historically agreed to disagree on dozens of doctrines.

However, after Warrens appeal, 88 percent of the meetings attendees voted to oust the church, according to a press release from the convention.

In a press conference after the vote, Southern Baptist Convention President Bart Barber said women have broad participation in member churches, just not in certain positions.

Its just that when we read the Scriptures, we come to the conclusion that the office of pastor, which also means elder or overseer, that office is limited to men, Barber said.

In a statement previously emailed to The Epoch Times, Southern Baptist Conventions Executive Committee Chairman Jared Wellman said that the conventions guidelines state that while both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.

The guidelines further cite 1 Timothy 2:12, in which the Apostle Paul states, I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man.

Additionally, the convention voted on June 14 to pass an amendment to its constitution further clarifying its stance on female pastors, according to a press release from the convention.

The amendment would add that churches affirm, appoint, or employ only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture.

In addition to Saddleback Church, the convention also voted to remove a Baptist church in Kentucky for appointing female pastors. It also voted to remove another in Florida, which allegedly failed to investigate sexual assault claims.

In a video posted to YouTube on June 14, Warren said Saddleback will continue to be members of the California Southern Baptist Convention and of the Orange County Southern Baptist Association.

He also said there are about 2,000 churches nationwide that are a part of the convention that have women in leadership positions.

Theres far more [churches with women pastors] that are just being quiet about it  This is going to be an inquisition now, and its probably going to go on for 10 years  They cant just pick out Saddleback. They have to pick out a couple thousand now.
The U.S. Supreme Court surprisingly passed a major decision on June 8, which will now force states to consider race when apportioning their congressional districts, all being done under the banner of anti-racism. And in this decision, the Supreme Court officially struck down Alabamas electoral map for congressional districts, ruling that it was racially discriminatory.

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Texas Power Grid Warning: Demand Will Rise Considerably Amid Soaring Temperatures

Power lines are seen during a heatwave with expected temperatures of 102 F (39 C) in Dallas, Texas, U.S. June 12, 2022. Though the heat wave caused electricity use in Texas to reach an all time high, the power grid remained largely stable without major issues. (REUTERS/Shelby Tauber)

The Texas state power grid is anticipating higher demand due to rising temperatures, with the state predicted to see dangerous heat this weekend.

ERCOT has issued a Weather Watch June 15-21 due to forecasted higher temperatures and anticipated higher electrical demand, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the states power grid operator, said in a June 14 post on Twitter. The operators grid conditions remained Normal as of 01:00 p.m. EDT, with operating reserves at 6,094 MW. ERCOT manages the flow of electric power to over 26 million customers in Texas, representing roughly 90 percent of the states electric load.

The National Weather Service (NWS) of Houston/Galveston has issued a heat warning for Sunday, with many places expected to see temperatures of 100 degrees or more.

Dangerous Heat is expected on Sunday. Highs across SE Texas will reach the upper 90s, likely breaking triple digits. Heat Indices will near or exceed 112 degrees, the agency said.

The Houston Health Department has warned citizens about the high heat in the Texas region. 50 percent to 70 percent of outdoor deaths occur in the first days of working in hot conditions, it said in a June 17 post on Twitter. Build up #heatexposure. #Stayhydrated. Plan outdoor work for early a.m. or p.m.

Push for Renewable Energy

Texas has been facing issues with delivering a consistent electricity supply. In 2021, winter storm Uri left over 4.5 million citizens in the state without power. In 2022, ERCOT asked residents to conserve electricity on July 11 due to a predicted shortage in reserve capacity.

At the time, the agency had said that wind turbines were to produce less than 10 percent of their capacity. This combined with extreme heat and high demand, triggered ERCOTs conservation request to customers.

In an interview with The Epoch Times in July last year, David Blackmon, an independent energy analyst and consultant based in Mansfield, Texas, pointed out that Texas electricity supply problem came due to depending on unreliable energy like wind. He blamed Democratic policies for stifling oil and gas production.

Texas State Rep. Briscoe Cain (R) called wind farms a scam. Cain pointed out that federal production credits made wind farms too lucrative from an investment perspective. The Texas grid is largely powered by natural gas.

In March this year, GOP Senators unveiled nine bills aimed at limiting the construction of renewable energy projects in Texas while incentivizing investments in power plants fired by natural gas.

Improving Texas Grid Reliability, Power Outage

Earlier this week, ERCOT announced the launch of its ERCOT Contingency Reserve Service (ECRS), which is expected to support grid reliability as well as mitigate real-time operational issues so as to keep the supply-demand situation in balance.

As summer temperatures begin to rise across Texas and with high demand forecasted, we will continue to use all operational tools available, including implementation of new programs like ECRS, said ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas, according to a June 12 press release.

ERCOT will also execute previous sessions legislative reforms, such as our weatherization inspections, and well continue our reliability-first approach to operations, always prioritizing grid reliability.

Meanwhile, citizens in Texas are also currently suffering from power outages due to severe storms that have battered the region. According to data from Poweroutage.us, 149,174 customers in Texas were experiencing power outages as of 01:45 p.m. EDT on June 17.

Many roads were also blocked by some of the same downed trees that took down power lines, the Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) said in a June 16 update. SWEPCO services around 543,000 customers in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
Unanimous Supreme Court Ruling Eases Prison Sentences for Some Gun Crimes

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson poses for an official portrait in Washington on Oct. 7, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Some people convicted of gun crimes can spend less time in prison, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 16.

Sentences for certain gun crimes can run concurrently, the nations top court said in a unanimous decision, siding with the convict.

Congress could certainly have designed the penalty scheme at issue here differently. But Congress did not do any of these things. And we must implement the design Congress chose, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a Biden appointee, wrote in the ruling (pdf).

The case involves two subsections of 18 U.S.C. 924. Subsection (c) outlines offenses and penalties, and states that no term of imprisonment imposed on a person under this subsection shall run concurrently with any other term of imprisonment imposed on the person. Subsection (j), which was added more recently, outlines other offenses and corresponding penalties. It does not include language about forbidding concurrent sentences.

District courts generally have discretion as to whether prison sentences run concurrently or consecutively. Some laws forbid concurrent sentences in certain cases.

Efrain Lora, the person who brought the case, was convicted of aiding and abetting a person who is using or carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking or violent crime and who then causes the death of a person through the use of a firearm. Lora was also convicted of conspiracy to distribute drugs.

Lora and three others who trafficked cocaine murdered a rival drug dealer in 2002 in New York City over a dispute regarding territory.

When handing down Loras sentence, U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe, a George W. Bush appointee, cited a law that bars concurrent sentences for crimes that include one of the crimes for which Lora was convicted. He sentenced Lora to 25 years in prison for the conspiracy count, followed by five more years for the other crime. An appeals court affirmed the decision.

Lora argued that his sentences could have run concurrently, arguing that the aiding and abetting offense was not covered by the law Gardephe cited.

U.S. officials disagreed, arguing the lower courts got it correct. They said the Supreme Court should not review the matter.

All nine members of the court sided with Lora.

Subsection (c)s consecutive-sentence mandate applies only to the terms of imprisonment prescribed within subsection (c). A sentence imposed under subsection (j) does not qualify, Jackson, the newest member of the court, wrote. Subsection (j) is located outside subsection (c) and does not call for imposing any sentence from subsection (c).

Combining the two subsections would set them on a collision course; indeed, in some cases, the maximum sentence would be lower than the minimum sentence, she also said.

The ruling vacated the prison term and remanded the case for new sentencing.

Lawrence Rosenberg, part of the team representing Lora, cheered the ruling.

We are thrilled that the Court preserved the longstanding default of discretion in criminal sentencing, restoring courts discretion to impose either concurrent or consecutive sentences in this case and others like it, Rosenberg said in a statement to news outlets. The Courts decision to enforce the plain text that Congress enacted will help ensure that a defendants sentence fits both the crime and the individual.

The U.S. Department of Justice has not commented on the ruling and did not immediately reply to an inquiry on Saturday.

Erica Ross, a U.S. lawyer, had told the court that subsection (j) incorporated subsection (c) and should thus be treated as the same in terms of sentencing. But multiple judges questioned that premise.

Isnt the truth of the matter here that Congress just made a mistake? Justice Elena Kagan, an Obama appointee, said.
US, Japan, Philippines Pledge to Strengthen Trilateral Defense Capabilities

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard take part in a simulation during a trilateral maritime exercise with Japan and U.S. coast guards, 15 nautical miles off the coast of Bataan province, western Philippines, on June 6, 2023. (Jes Aznar/Getty Images)

The United States, Japan, and the Philippines have pledged to bolster their trilateral defense capabilities, including holding multilateral joint naval drills in the Indo-Pacific waters where tensions have risen.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan met with his Japanese and Philippine counterparts for the first time in Tokyo, Japan, on June 15 to discuss enhancing trilateral cooperation between their countries.

They discussed security challenges in the South China Sea and East China Sea, including North Koreas illicit nuclear and missile programs, and reiterated the need to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait.

In a joint statement, the three officials concurred that a free and open maritime order is crucial in the Indo-Pacific region, especially given unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.

They agreed to advance trilateral defense cooperation based on the recent progress between the Philippines and the United States through new Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites and between the Philippines and Japan in discussing reciprocal visits of military officials.

They planned to hold trilateral exchanges among their National Security Secretariats in the coming months to further expand cooperation and information-sharing.

Sullivan said the new trilateral framework is part of multiple alliances involving the United States in the Indo-Pacific region, including three-way cooperation with Japan and South Korea and the Quad security dialogue with Australia, India, and Japan.

I would say different groupings may have different points of priority and emphasis, but actually, what we are finding is the agenda is expanding because in a way the world is shrinking, he said after the meeting.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida received a courtesy call from Philippine national security adviser Eduardo Ano on June 15, in which Kishida expressed his desire for closer cooperation with the Philippines to tackle common geopolitical challenges.

Defense Ministers Talks

The trilateral talks came after the defense ministers of the United States, Japan, the Philippines, and Australia held their first quadrilateral talks on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defense summit on June 3.

The ministers discussed regional issues of common interest and opportunities to expand cooperation as they work towards a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to Japans Defense Ministry.

The move came amid Chinas increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea, which it claims almost entirely, and growing concerns over a possible escalation in Taiwan, which China views as its own and has vowed to conquer by force if necessary.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo earlier said his country would bear the brunt of any escalation of tensions in Taiwan, given its proximity with the island, which sits only 90 miles from the northernmost point of the Philippines.

Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo attends a press conference at State Department in Washington on April 11, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

Taiwan is literally next door to the Philippines, he said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) forum in Washington on April 10.

Our view is that not only would it affect the Philippines, but it would affect the entire region and could escalate to even something, you know, more dangerous, Manalo added.

The Philippines has granted American forces access to four new military bases, including a naval base, an airport in Cagayan province, and an army camp in Isabelaall located near Taiwanunder the EDCA accord.

But Beijing warned that expanded EDCA sites would seriously endanger regional peace and stability and drag the Philippines into the abyss of geopolitical strife and damage its economic development.

The Philippine Defense Department had reaffirmed its position of non-interference in the tensions between China and Taiwan, saying that its primordial concern was the safety of Filipinos living in Taiwan.

It reiterated that the Philippines decision to grant the United States greater access to military bases was aimed at bolstering its defense capabilities and was not directed against any country.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
US South Faces Long, Hot Holiday Weekend After Tornadoes

A dangerous heat wave that helped spawn deadly tornadoes in Texas and Florida threatened on Friday to bring more extreme weather to the South, prompting the National Weather Service to warn Americans to limit time outdoors over the long Juneteenth weekend.

At least four people were killed in twisters that touched down on Thursday in the panhandles of Texas and Florida, where flooding also forced almost 150 people out of their homes, officials said.

Power was out to nearly 500,000 customers in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi on Friday, according to Poweroutage.us.

A mix of high humidity and temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) could push heat index values above 115 in some parts of the South this weekend, National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Mosier said. The combination could cause atmospheric instability and create conditions ripe for more destructive storms.

Its just been very humid and muggy out, Mosier said. Youll end up getting strong gusts and large hail, and even with a few of these storms, you can get tornadoes as well.

The agency issued excessive heat warnings affecting millions of people in parts of southern Louisiana and Texas, saying the heat index could reach 110 degrees. South Florida and Mississippi were under heat advisories for Friday.

It recommended that people drink fluids to keep hydrated, stay in air-conditioned rooms and limit time in the sun.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the weather conditions on Friday morning, White House spokesperson Olivia Dalton told reporters aboard Air Force One while Biden traveled to an event in Connecticut. Afterwards, the president committed to offering federal assistance, she said.

The tornado that struck in the Texas Panhandle town of Perryton killed at least three people and injured dozens of others. Hundreds of homes, many of them in a trailer park, were damaged or destroyed.

In Pensacola, on Floridas Panhandle, a tornado downed power lines and toppled a tree onto a home, killing one person inside, Escambia County spokesperson Davis Wood said. Heavy rainfall also forced 146 residents to evacuate an apartment complex in the city of Warrington, he said.
We Know Whats at Stake: Manitoba Minibus Drivers Say Safety Paramount for Seniors

A scorched patch of ground where a bus carrying seniors ended up after colliding with a transport truck and burning on Thursday is seen on the edge of the Trans-Canada Highway where it intersects with Highway 5, west of Winnipeg near Carberry, June 16, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck)

For seniors in communities across Manitoba, minibuses or handivans are essential means of travel.

Without the use of the handivan as a service, there isnt much else for seniors who are in wheelchairs or walkers to be able to move around, said Justin Cicholski, manager of a non-profit handivan service in Neepawa, Man., a town about 190 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

Fifteen people on a handibus who were headed out on a day trip from a seniors centre to a casino were killed Thursday when it crashed with a semi-trailer truck near Carberry, Man.

The bus was carrying 25 men and women between the ages of 58 to 88.

Cicholski drives seniors and people with disabilities around in minibuses and minivans in the Neepawa area with Neepawa District Handi Transit.

He said a traffic light should be installed at the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 5, where Thursdays crash happened.

Greg Shaw, a driver with the Neepawa company, agreed its a busy intersection.

The scary thing is weve all made that trip. Weve all crossed that highway. We know how busy it is, Shaw said.

We know whats at stake.

Shaw, who was an emergency vehicle driver for 30 years before he got behind the wheel of a handibus, said the buses usually have an overseer or supervisor responsible for looking after the seniors on board.

That person makes sure passengers are buckled in with seatbelts or their wheelchairs are strapped to the floor. Nobody should be getting up or walking around, said Shaw.

Nothing is loose at all. Safety is just paramount.

Drivers operating buses in Manitoba require a Class 2 drivers licence, which allows them to drive around more than 24 passengers.

Kristy Rydz with Manitoba Public Insurance added that minibuses are also required to carry liability insurance of $2 million.

She said she did not have numbers available on how many minibuses are registered in the province.

Shaw said he maintains extra caution as a driver.

When you have vulnerable people riding with you, you go that extra step of being safe.

That means taking an extra second or two to check each way for oncoming traffic when passing through an intersection, he said.

Because were such small, tight-knit communities, we know the people who are riding with us, he said. Theres just a personal relationship.

Cicholski said he hires many retired people in their 60s to work as drivers because they can relate to their senior passengers and they can have a good time on the trips.

All the drivers have to go through health checkups every few years to make sure theyre fit to drive, he said.

The bus involved in the deadly crash was run by Quality Care Transit, a company licensed by the City of Dauphin. It organized the trip from the Dauphin Active Living Centre to Sand Hills Casino in Carberry.

The company extended its sympathies for the crash in a Facebook post on Friday. My heart aches for everyone that was involved, it said.

A social media post announced the launch of Quality Care in November 2022.

Most communities in rural areas have their own accessible transit systems run by local municipalities and towns and others are privately owned.

Dauphin and District Handivan Service has been working with its community for more than 38 years and has four vans operating in the city.

Cicholski said its hard to imagine the pain families of the bus crash victims are going through.

Because of the crash, he said, his bus company is making an immediate change to start registering emergency contacts for all passengers in case of an accident.

Hopefully, it never happens, he said.

But in the event that something does happen, we will have a list of everybody travelling with us.
Wearing Shirt Saying There Are Only Two Genders Not Protected Speech, Judge Says

School administrators were not infringing on a students constitutional rights when they ordered him to remove a shirt that said there are only two genders, a district judge ruled on June 17.

Massachusetts middle-schooler Liam Morrisons lawyers said the order violated his First Amendment rights to free speech and his Fourteenth Amendment rights to due process, but U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani said the violations have not been proven.

The school permissibly concluded that the Shirt invades the rights of others, Talwani, an Obama appointee, said.

Schools can bar speech that is in collision with the rights of others to be secure and be let alone, Talwani said, quoting from the 1969 ruling in Tinker v. Des Moines Indep. School Dist.

That means the administrators appropriately exercised their discretion when concluding the statement may communicate that only two gender identitiesmale and female are valid, and any others are invalid or nonexistent, and to conclude that students who identify differently, whether they do so openly or not, have a right to attend school without being confronted by messages attacking their identities, she added.

Talwanis ruling rejected a request from the boy for a temporary restraining order that would have stopped administrators from prohibiting the student from wearing the shirt at John T. Nicholas Middle School.

The case has not been thrown out and Talwani could ultimately rule in the boys favor.

Tyson Langhofer, senior counsel and director of the Center for Academic Freedom at Alliance Defending Freedom who is helping defend the plaintiff, said that the ruling was disappointing.

Public school officials cannot censor a 7th graders free speech by forcing him to remove a shirt that states a scientific fact, Langhofer told The Epoch Times via email. Doing so is a gross violation of the First Amendment and we will be appealing this ruling to the First Circuit Court of Appeals.

Lawyers for the defendants, which include acting principal Heather Tucker and Middleborough Public Schools Superintendent Carolyn Lyons, did not return an inquiry.

First Amendment expert Eugene Volokh said the ruling does not appear to be consistent with the Tinker ruling, which held that school officials in Iowa illegally ordered students to remove armbands amid protests against the Vietnam war. Lawyer Hans Bader, who is not involved in the case, said the ruling was wrong, noting that previous cases have upheld students rights to convey messages as long as they werent vulgar or likely to cause a disruption, including a ruling in favor of wearing a shirt that said Be Happy, Not Gay.

The judge suggested that the T-shirt interfered with other students right to attend school without being confronted by messages attacking their identities,' Bader said. But other courts have refused to recognize a right to attend school without being confronted by messages attacking ones identity, when the messages dont disrupt school, and dont involve independently tortious speech like libel, slander or intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Background on Case

Liam , 12, wore the shirt to school on March 21.

Tucker removed the boy from class and said other students had complained about the shirt. Tucker said the student could remove the shirt or that they could go to another room to discuss the matter.

In the other room, joined by a school counselor, the student asked what the problem was. Tucker reiterated the removal order but the student said he could not in good conscience remove the shirt. Tucker then called the boys father, who came to pick him up.

The following day, the father emailed Lyons to inquire why my son was removed from class and ultimately missed out on a day of class instruction.

Lyons said she supported what she termed as dress code enforcement. The content of the shirt targeted students of a protected class; namely in the area of gender identity, Lyons said.

Part of the dress code bars messages on clothing that state, imply, or depict hate speech or imagery that target groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, or any other classification.

Notified of a possible lawsuit, lawyers for the school district said that the district has, and will continue to, prohibit the wearing of a t-shirt by L.M. or anyone else which is likely to be considered discriminatory, harassing and/or bullying to others including those who are gender nonconforming by suggesting that their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression does not exist or is invalid.

Liam was later ordered to remove another shirt he wore to school that said, There are censored genders.

During a public hearing, the student decried what happened, noting that the school allows posters referencing gender, including one stating people should rise up to protect trans and GNC students, and a rainbow flag, which is used in support of gay and transgender people.

Liam decided to wear the shirt because he believes there are only two sexes, male and female, and equates the word gender with sex, according to his lawyers.

Some of the language from the school supports the view. For instance, the student handbook says at one point that all aspects of education must be fully open and available to members of both sexes and at another point says that sexual harassment is defined as  written materials or pictures derogatory to either gender.

Lawyers for the defendants said the plaintiff neglected to acknowledge that discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on gender identity is prohibited by Massachusetts law and that school officials have the responsibility by law to provide a safe and inclusive environment for all students.

By prohibiting Plaintiff from wearing the t-shirt, Defendants were properly upholding Massachusetts law and protecting the rights of all students to learn in a safe non-harassing, and inclusive environment, they said in their opposition to the request for a temporary restraining order.
Youre Likely Eligible for Part of a $23 Million Google Settlement

A Google sign is seen at the company's office in San Francisco, Calif., on April 12, 2023. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)

People who used Google search between 2006 and 2013 could be eligible for a portion of a $23 million settlement in a class action lawsuit against the Big Tech giant.

Google is accused of sharing users search queries with third-party websites and companies without their consent from Oct. 25, 2006, to Sept. 30, 2013, according to a notice of proposed settlement of the class action suit. (pdf).

While Google has not made any admissions of wrongdoing, it has agreed to enter into the settlement (pdf) to avoid burdensome and costly litigation, according to the Kroll Settlement Administration, which is involved in the proceedings. remove

The class action lawsuit is called In re Google Referrer Header Privacy Litigation, Case No. 5:10-cv-4809-EJD, pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

The court has a final approval hearing scheduled for Oct. 12, 2023, at the San Jose Courthouse.

Google did not immediately return a request for comment on the settlement.

What Does The Settlement Provide?

Under the terms of the settlement, Google will pay a total of $23 million in payments to settlement class members and their representatives, as well as attorneys fees and administration costs.

Also, Google will change its FAQ and Key Terms webpages to explain in detail the circumstances under which search queries are shared with third parties using referrer headers.

Who Is Eligible?

If you used Google search and clicked on a search link between Oct. 25, 2006, and Sept. 30, 2013, you are considered a settlement class member.

Additionally, the settlement class includes individuals who have the authority to bring forth any claims from the lawsuit on behalf of these Google search users, including representatives, heirs, administrators, and assigns.

How To Apply?

The only way to receive a payment from the settlement is to file a claim by July 31, 2023.

One way to file a claim is by registering obtain a class member ID on the settlement site. Once you have received a notification with a class member ID, you can use that ID to submit the claim form online.

Another way to take part is by printing out a physical copy of the claim form (pdf) and mailing it to In re Google Referrer Header Privacy Settlement, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391.

When submitting the claim, you will need to confirm that you conducted a search on Google and clicked on a search result between Oct. 26, 2006, and Sept. 30, 2013.

People with questions about the settlement and benefits can contact the settlement administrator through the toll-free number 1-833-512-2306 or email info@refererheadersettlement.com.

How Much Can I Get?

Individuals who submit an approved claim stand to receive approximately $7.70, based on the available data from the involved parties.

The final payout amount will be determined by the number of valid claims submitted.

The distribution of settlement payments will take place after the court grants final approval for the settlement and resolves any potential appeals.

A final approval hearing for this cases settlement is currently scheduled for Oct. 12, 2023. At that point, the court will consider whether to approve the settlement and will weigh any objections.

What If I Dont Submit a Claim?

Failure to take any action will result in non-receipt of a payment from the class-action settlement.

Additionally, by not participating, you waive your right to file a lawsuit against Google regarding the legal matters addressed in this case.

However, you may keep your right to sue Google if you exclude yourself from the settlement by submitting a written exclusion request (pdf) to the settlement administrator, settlement class counsel, and defendants counsel by July 31, 2023. If you exclude yourself from the settlement, you will not receive any money.

You also have the right to object to the settlement in writing (pdf) and still get benefits.

More details about the settlement and related proceedings can be found on an FAQ page posted online.
Registration in electoral rolls mandatory for students seeking admission in FY degree courses





Staff Reporter

While registering for admission to the first year (FY) degree of non-professional courses in colleges under Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU), students have to get their names included in the electoral rolls mandatorily. Also, they have to open academic credit accounts before finalising admission. The students must note that the university has announced that it would verify their names in the electoral rolls. RTMNU has announced the admission programme for first year in non-professional colleges for academic year 2023-24. With the registration process for first year admission starting on Thursday, the varsity has made it mandatory for the students seeking admission in the FY degree (UG) level courses in non-professional colleges to get enrolled in the general voters list first. As per the new norm, during registration for a FY course, a student has to upload relevant documents proving to have been an eligible Indian voter. It may be noted that the students have been facilitated for opening Academic Bank of Credit Account (ABC).

Dr Raman Madne, Deputy Registrar (Colleges) told The Hitavada, As per National Education Policy, students will get the credits for every activity. The credit points will be deposited in their ABC. There is a facility under the NEP whereby students can exit from one university to study other subjects in another university. Once, the ABC is opened, the credit points will be deposited in the ABC opened with their parent university. After preparing for getting registered in the electoral rolls and opening the Academy Bank of Credit Account, direct process of registration for admission will start. Detailed information is available on the website www.nagpuruniversity.ac.in. Students can register online till July 3, 2023, at the university or at the site by uploading the necessary documents. After taking the printout of the registration done, students will have to proceed to the respective colleges. Colleges have to conduct admission process as per the common timetable prepared by the university. They will prepare merit list of the students and publish it on their website. After admitting the students, colleges will have provide details on RTMNUs webportal by uploading the required documents. If students face any problem during the admission process, they may contact on helpline nos 8459343878 and 7972054980, appealed Dr Raju Hiwase, Registrar of the University; and Dr Raman Madne.
Liubomyr Vorona / iStock.com

Federal stimulus payments that were sent to U.S. households in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic have ended, but some states still offer financial relief in the form of one-time payments, tax rebates, tax credits, wealth-sharing funds and state income tax reductions.

See: 7 Cheap Dollar Tree Summer Items To Buy Early This Year

Discover: 3 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000

In some cases you might get financial relief totaling hundreds of dollars, while in other cases youll simply see a bigger refund at tax time.

Heres a look at various state stimulus and tax relief programs that could put more money in your pocket.

Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend

This dividend is paid to Alaska residents from investment earnings of mineral royalties. The annual payment allows for Alaskans to share in a portion of state minerals revenue in the form of a dividend to benefit current and future generations. Upcoming payments for some residents will be distributed on June 15, 2023, and July 20, 2023. Hit this link for more information.

California Middle Class Tax Refund

Under this program, eligible households will receive at least $200 and as much as $1,050 depending on their California adjusted gross income, filing status and whether they have a dependent, according to the State of California Franchise Tax Board. The majority of MCTR payments have been issued, though payments requiring additional review are still being processed. If you believe you are eligible to receive a payment and have not received it yet, call the customer support number listed in the contact information section.

Montana Tax Rebates

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed three state House bills into law to provide tax rebates for eligible Montana taxpayers. House Bill 192 provides a rebate for individual income taxes paid in tax year 2021. House Bills 222 and 816 provide a rebate for property taxes paid in tax years 2022 and 2023. Visit the Business & Income Tax Division site for more information.

New Mexico Tax Rebate

Earlier this year New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the state legislature approved rebates for New Mexico taxpayers as well as economic relief payments to New Mexico residents who are not required to file taxes. Payments include a refundable income tax rebate of $1,000 for married couples filing joint returns, heads of household and surviving spouses; and $500 for single filers and married individuals filing separately.

The rebates will be sent automatically to New Mexico residents who have filed a 2021 personal income tax return and are not declared as a dependent on another taxpayers return. Eligible residents have until May 31, 2024, to file the 2021 return if they have not already done so. Visit this Department of Taxation & Revenue site for more information.

Washington State Tax Credit for Workers

Eligible individuals and families can receive up to $1,200 back if they meet certain eligibility requirements. You can apply for the credit through Dec. 31, 2023. Among the items youll need are a copy of your federal tax return, your Social Security number or Individual taxpayer identification number, your address and personal information such as your date of birth, spouses name and children. For more info, go to the Washington Department of Revenue site.

Other State Programs

As previously reported by GOBankingRates, heres a look at other state stimulus programs where most payments have already been made but you might have a chance to still receive a payment if you havent already:

Idaho Tax Rebates : Idaho sent out tax rebates and Special Session Rebates in March and September 2022. Those payments have been completed for residents who filed their tax returns on time. However, for those who got extensions or filed later, rebates are continuing to be processed through the summer of 2023.

Illinois Income Tax Rebate and/or Property Tax Rebate : Oct. 17, 2022 was the last date that you could file for these rebates and most of the payments have been sent. However, the state Comptroller has indicated that payments will continue until all have been issued.

Maine Winter Energy Relief Payment : Payments commenced in January 2023 and have essentially been completed. However, if you qualify for a payment but have not received one, you still have until June 30 to contact the State Tax Assessor to prove your eligibility. Those who are approved may receive a rebate up until Sept. 30, 2023.

Massachusetts Tax Refunds: Massachusetts began paying out state tax refunds in November 2022, and those payments are essentially over. However, late filers have until Sept. 15, 2023 to get their returns in and still qualify for the rebate.

See: Experts Propose Tax Cap as Social Security Solution  Which Americans Would Be Most Affected?

Social Security: No Matter Your Age, Do Not Claim Benefits Until You Reach This Milestone

State Income Tax Decreases

Taxpayers in 22 states will pay lower income taxes this year and next year than they did in previous years, according to the Tax Foundation. Here are the states that have temporarily or permanently lowered the top marginal tax rate: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Stimulus Checks and Rebates in Every State  Do You Have $1,200 Coming Your Way in 2023?
Biparjoy: No lives lost despite destruction





AHMEDABAD :

1,000 villages in Guj without power; trees uprooted, houses damaged; at least 23 people injured

CYCLONE Biparjoy, which lashed Kutch-Saurashtra region of Gujarat, has left a trail of destruction as it damaged 5,120 electricity poles and rendered 4,600 villages without power even as the authorities said that no loss of human life has been reported. Power supply has been restored in 3,580 villages, while more than 1,000 others are still without electricity, officials said on Friday. Nearly 600 trees got uprooted and traffic movement on three State Highways came to a standstill due to damages and felling of trees, they said, adding that at least 23 people were injured as a result of the cyclone, which also left many houses damaged. Biparjoy (meaning disaster or calamity in Bengali) unleashed destructive wind speeds of up to 140 kmph and incessant rains as trees and electricity poles were uprooted, while seawater entered villages located in low-lying areas, officials said. Heavy rains lashed the entire Kutch district since the cyclone started making landfall near Jakhau Port from 6.30 pm on Thursday and the process continued till 2.30 am, they said.

No human death has been reported so far due to cyclone Biparjoy. It is the biggest achievement for the state. This was possible because of our collective efforts, State Relief Commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey said in Gandhinagar. More than one lakh people had been shifted to safer places before the cyclones landfall, he said. Asked about a cattle-rearer duo of father and son dying on Thursday while trying to save their goats stuck in a flooded ravine in Bhavnagar district, Pandey said that since the district was not cyclone-affected, their deaths were not counted as cyclone-related. The cyclone caused extensive financial loss to the State power utility - Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited - with 5,120 electricity poles getting damaged. They are being restored. As many as 4,600 villages were rendered without power, but electricity supply has been restored in 3,580 villages, he said. Work to restore power supply in the remaining villages is underway, but inclement weather is posing hurdles in the task, Pandey said. Three State Highways were closed as they suffered damages and saw felling of trees. A total of 581 trees were uprooted as per reports. As many as nine pucca and 20 kutcha houses were razed, and two pucca and 474 kutcha houses suffered partial damages, he said.

Sixty-five thatched houses were destroyed, and the Government was preparing an order for immediate compensation to those who have suffered losses due to the cyclone, the official added. Media, social service organisations, administration of eight affected districts and Central and State Ministers in-charge for different districts campaigned in their respective districts to ensure that rescue and relief operation was carried out with better coordination, he said. Inter-departmental coordination was also very good, with all of us receiving the guidance of the Chief Minister. He visited the State Emergency Operation Centre, interacted with the media and provided us guidance, he told reporters in Gandhinagar. It was this collective effort that led to the state achieving one of the highest numbers of over one lakh people relocated to safe places from villages close to the Arabian Sea. With improvement in the situation, the local district administration will begin shifting back those relocated to safer places, he said. Talking to reporters in Delhi, NDRF Director General Atul Karwal also said that not a single human life was lost after the cyclone landfall, but 23 people were injured and electricity supply was disrupted in about 1,000 villages.

There was no loss of human life because of the efforts of the Gujarat administration and other agencies that worked to ensure the least loss of life and property, he added. Of the 1,000 villages facing electricity disruption in the state, 40 per cent disruptions were in Kutch district alone as it bore the maximum brunt of the cyclone, Karwal said, adding that except Rajkot, no place is Gujarat is experiencing heavy rains. A total of 18 NDRF teams, equipped with pole and tree cutters and inflatable boats, are deployed in Gujarat to undertake rescue and relief operations. Five teams in Mumbai and four in Karnataka are actively deployed to respond to any situation that develops due to the cyclone on Friday, the DG said. The cyclone is now headed towards south Rajasthan and the NDRF has already positioned a team in Jalore (in that State) after consultation with the State Government as heavy rains may lead to a situation of flooding and people getting trapped, he added. The cyclone intensity has reduced from very severe to severe category hours after making landfall. The cyclone has moved north-eastwards and has weakened into a cyclonic storm and will become a depression by the evening over south Rajasthan, officials said.
Biparjoy weakens into deep depression; to enter Raj





NEW DELHI,

THE Very Severe cyclonic storm Biparjoy that hit Gujarat on Thursday night has now weakened to a Cyclonic storm and is presently centred 30 kilometres west-northwest of Bhuj, IMD Director Dr Mrityunjay Mohapatra said on Friday. Biparjoy has now weakened. It is in the category of Cyclonic Storm. It is now centred 30 kilometres west-northwest of Bhuj, he said. Biparjoy is moving in an East Northeast direction at a wind speed of 80-90 kilometres per hour (kmph) as of 8:30 am, he said. By evening, it will weaken to a Deep Depression with wind speed of 50-60 kmph or even 70 kmph, he added.

The northern parts of Saurashtra, Kachchh and adjoining areas of north Gujarat is receiving heavy to very heavy rainfall at present with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places, Mohapatra said on Friday. The storm will be heading towards the adjoining parts of Rajasthan from evening bringing heavy to very heavy rainfall in the region, he said. In south Rajasthan, rainfall will continue till Saturday he said adding that extremely heavy rainfall is likely at some isolated places in Rajasthan. It will bring heavy to very heavy rainfall in Rajasthan and extremely heavy rainfall in isolated pockets of Rajasthan, he said. The wind speed will reduce to 40-50 kmph or even 60 kmph when it reaches Rajasthan, he said.
CGs men in khaki cant upload pictures, reels on social media





Staff Reporter

Raipur,

Social Media remains a pivotal paradigm for exchanging information. While it remains an important advocacy tool to leverage the wisdom of the crowd, it can also spiral off into something humiliating and dangerous, if not participated intelligently and cautiously. Keeping this in mind, Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Juneja on Thursday shot a blanket internal advisory to all police units in the State, while laying down 20-point dos and donts for all the men in uniform of the State, while handling the social media accounts. But quite ironically, a copy of the circular, dated June 15, 2023, initiated towards the DGP by the Special Branch, one of the off-shoots of State Intelligence, situated at Civil Lines, got leaked on the social media itself. However, official sources asserted that the circular revising the social media policy was necessitated after a number of instances of police personnel, including senior IPS officers, uploading footage of themselves which were not in line with the seriousness of the nature of duty that the uniform service department has to handle.

Meanwhile, the advisory, first and foremost, has clearly stated that all the officials and personnel of Chhattisgarh Police have permission to use social media provided it strictly adheres to Chhattisgarh Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1956 (Amended), for Chhattisgarh Government Employees. Secondly, it says, when posting something on social media platforms or while sharing someones opinions, police personnel should clarify that the post is his/her personal opinion like an ordinary citizen and it does not reflect the view of the police department. Thirdly, no officer or personnel can share any official matters on social media that they have come to possess in their official capacity unless they have a go-ahead from their competent superiors. Sharing of any official documents, reports, note sheets, and applications on social media, sans official permission, should not be done at all and nor should anyone share any official work-related chat scripts, the advisory pointed out.

The advisory also expected that all the personnel will avoid posting their opinions in favour of or against any political party or political leaders. No police officials and personnel should discuss their own or their colleagues transfers-postings on social media. Policemen engaged in intelligence collection are particularly expected to strictly comply with this, it added. As per the revised guidelines, live streaming of events  sharing of videos and reels  of activity at the workplace, uploading videos or photographs in uniform which may be objectionable and not in tune with the authority that the uniform carries, has also been prohibited. Any violation of the prohibition could invite severe departmental action and disciplinary proceedings in consonance with the set rules. The new pointer also prohibits the cops or officials using slang or talking in foul language on social media, while it also bars them from sharing provocative or indecent videos on social media sites. No information regarding an ongoing case investigation, open case or sub judice cases can be shared on social media. Neither can the cops express their opinions on the above. Such information can only be shared by competent authority of the department through official press notes, reads another specific directive in the advisory. The police officials are also prohibited from endorsing use of liquor, weed or other banned substances on social media and glorifying addictions. The cops have also advised against highlighting any religion, caste, sexual orientation, or their personal biases through social media. Most importantly, the advisory have cautioned them against revealing the identities of any rape victims or juvenile delinquents on social media. It also warned them of not disclosing the identity of any criminal impending identification parade. The advisory also prohibited cops from endorsing any personality with shady past or criminal records. The officials can no longer vent out through social media owing to their personal animosity with their colleagues or higher officials.

They cannot share controversial opinions against any public figure or government officials and of government programs, schemes etc. Besides, they cannot share information regarding police procedures in their social media posts or share whatever line of investigation is being followed by the department in any case. The cops will not share any opinions on issues with neighboring countries or national security. The advisory also warned the cops from writing or posting anything on social media that goes against court directives or contempt of court procedures. They are also advised against sharing any self created or other reading material that might be instigating or provocative or may give rise to tensions within the society. Sources averred that the new guidelines were drafted after consulting the social media policies of police departments of other states apart from some top security and investigating agencies functioning directly under the Central Government.
Chief Justice of Delhi HC Sharma reminisces special bond with city





Staff Reporter

Chief Justice, Delhi High Court, Satish Sharma said that politeness is one of the basic qualities every advocate must possess while pursuing legal profession. Sanskardhani has blessed him with this most precious gift during his tenure here. Politeness helped him to achieve the present height in his success journey.

Chief Justice Sharma was addressing felicitation ceremony organised by High Court Bar Association on Friday. He further said that though justice has its limitations but the judges must have compassion and sympathetic attitude.

Sharing about his special bonding with Sanskardhani, Chief Justice Sharma said that wherever he went, he carried the rich culture and values he received in Jabalpur.

Administrative Judge in MP High Court, Sheel Nagu, Senior Advocate R P Agrawal, Anil Khare, Shailendra Verma, Additional Advocate General, HS Ruprah and Assistant Solicitor General, Pushpendra Yadav shared the dais. President, High Court Bar Association, Sanjay Verma and Secretary, Paritosh Trivedi extended gratitude towards Chief Justice, High Court for accepting their invitation to grace the ceremony. Office-bearers of Bar Association, including Prashant Awasthy, Ashish Tiwari, Vipulwardhan Jain and others were present.
NCERT justified in rationalising textbooks contents: UGC chief





NEW DELHI,

UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar on Friday slammed academicians objecting to the rationalisation of NCERT textbooks, saying there is no merit in their hue and cry, and asserted that carrying out revisions in content is justified. His remarks come a day after a group of academicians, who were part of the textbook development committees of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), wrote to the council demanding their names be dropped from books as their collective effort is in jeopardy. A couple of days ago also, a number of academicians and political scientists Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar had asked the NCERT to drop their names from textbooks over several substantive revisions of the original texts. In the recent past, the attacks by some academicians on the NCERT for revising the textbooks are unwarranted. There is no merit in the hue and cry of these academicians. The objective behind their grumbling seems to be other than academic reasons, University Grants Commission (UGC) chief Kumar said.

He said the NCERT is fully justified in carrying out rationalisation of its textbooks contents. The current textbook modifications are not the only ones carried out. The NCERT has been revising textbooks from time to time in the past too. The NCERT has repeatedly stated that the revision of textbooks originates from various stakeholders feedback and suggestions, Kumar said. As many as 73 academicians, including Vice Chancellors of central universities, NIT directors and IIM chairpersons, on Thursday termed the withdrawal of names over the NCERT textbook row a spectacle by some arrogant and self-interested people. The NCERT has also confirmed that it is developing a new set of textbooks based on the recently launched National Curriculum Framework for School Education and that current textbooks in which the contents have been rationalised to reduce the academic load are only a temporary phase, he said. As many as 73 academicians, including Vice Chancellors of central universities, NIT directors and IIM chairpersons, on Thursday termed the withdrawal of names over the NCERT textbook row a spectacle by some arrogant and self-interested people.

They also alleged that it was disrupting the much needed curriculum updation process. The dropping of several topics and portions from NCERT textbooks last month triggered a controversy, with the Opposition blaming the BJP-led Centre of whitewashing with vengeance. At the heart of the controversy was while the changes made as part of the rationalisation exercise were notified, some of the controversial deletions were not mentioned. This led to allegations about a bid to delete these portions surreptitiously. The NCERT had described the omissions as a possible oversight but refused to undo the deletions, saying they were based on the recommendations of experts. It had also said the textbooks were anyway headed for a revision in 2024, the year when the National Curriculum Framework kicks in. However, it subsequently changed its stand and said minor changes need not be notified.
NPS Privatisation Bharat Chhodo Yatra to reach city on June 18





Staff Reporter

We strongly oppose National Pension Scheme and privatisation process and NPS a part of privatisation process. Under the leadership of Vijay Kumar Bandhu, National President, National Movement for Old Pension Scheme, a nation-wide NPS Privatisation Bharat Chhodo Yatra will create a public movement against all these anti-employees policies. We appeal to the farmers, teachers, employees and other sectors to render their support to our movement, said Parmanand Daheria, National Secretary and Regional President of National Movement for Old Pension Scheme MP. Daheria was addressing a press conference called on Friday to inform about the Yatra which started from Champaran, Bihar, on June 1, 2023 and will reach Sanskardhani on June 18, 2023.

To offer warm welcome, a Torch Rally will be taken out at Bada Patthar Ranjhi and after passing through different places, it will culminate at Gokulpur community hall. The Central and State Governments stopped Old Pension Scheme and imposed National Pension Scheme in the year 2004 and 2005 respectively.Under NPS, teachers and employees get Rs 1000 to Rs 3000 as monthly pension after retirement, putting employees families under immense financial crunch. We demand to reinstate Old Pension Scheme, simultaneously, the service tenure should be counted from the first appointment date and then seniority would be decided accordingly.
Science aims to build sustainable, inclusive, equitable future with society: Prof Sharma





Staff Reporter

President of Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Professor Ashutosh Sharma, presiding over the opening session on the first day of the two-day conference of Science-20 under G-20, said that the goal of science, together with the society, is to build a more sustainable, inclusive and equitable future. Professor Sharma said that science and culture are interrelated. Culture determines the direction and limits of scientific research. Society does the work of giving importance to scientific research. In the current global environment, exchange of ideas, mutual understanding and alertness to social interests are important for co-operative and common development in the future. Representatives of the scientific community from G-20 countries, invited states and international organisations attended the conference on the theme Connecting Science to Society and Culture at Taj Hotel, Bhopal. Principal Secretary of Madhya Pradesh Science and Technology Department Nikunj Srivastava was present at the inauguration of the conference.

Professor Sharma mentioned about future challenges, environmental change, data inclusion, emergence of thinking machines etc. These challenges can be faced with global co-operation and activism of the society. He emphasised on the conservation of traditional knowledge of global cultures and their use in the development model. Development and universalisation of scientific thinking is essential for informed decision making. Globally, governments should make concerted efforts to promote scientific literacy. Efforts have to be promoted to motivate the next generation and provide opportunities to choose a career in the research field. Involve all components of society in scientific development: Prof Ahmed Najib Burhani: Professor Ahmad Najib Burhani from Indonesia called upon the global community to make efforts to increase the participation of all sections of the society, especially women, for inclusive scientific development. Professor Burhani said that traditional livelihood practices should be identified and appropriately used in the growth model for sustainable development. He mentioned the traditional Sasi method of fish farming by preserving the medicinal plants of Indonesia, traditional agricultural method and marine ecosystems. During this, he also mentioned the idea of Mahatma Gandhi Science without humanity is insignificant. Professor Burhani underlined the historical ties and solidarity between India and Indonesia.

The representative of Brazil, Professor Ruben Olivan, said that development policies should be made considering social problems as the basis. Recognition of traditional knowledge is important. Professor Olivan mentioned the efforts being made in this direction in Brazil. Working together is the greatest strength of humanity: Dr Rajagopal Chidambaram: Padma Vibhushan awardee Dr Rajagopal Chidambaram in his opening talk on the theme of the conference said that it is the responsibility of the scientific community to make efforts for the eradication of social problems. The scientific community should strive for problem solving research. One should keep trying without waiting for the assurance of successful results. He said that the biggest strength of humanity is to work unitedly. Global community can get rid of community problems only through mutual co-operation. Professor Chidambaram referred to the C-Flows technology prepared in collaboration with IIT Bombay for flood forecasting and management at IIT Delhi and Chennai to assist the Divyang.

Two theme sessions have been organised on the first day of the conference. These focus on science and technology for education and skills, law and governance, heritage and culture. The discussions will mainly focus on Frontier Technologies, Future Society and Artificial Intelligence for Society and Culture. In these sessions, subject experts will present their views on different topics. It is noteworthy that Science-20 is a science engagement vertical of the G-20, which was established in 2017 during the presidency of Germany. It includes the scientific academies of all G-20 countries. The G-20, being organised under the chairmanship of India, has Indonesia and Brazil as Troika members along with India. The main objective of the Science-20 Engagement Group is to provide consensus-based science-driven recommendations based on consensus to policy makers.
Union Minister Ranjan Singhs house vandalised in Manipur





IMPHAL/KOCHI :

UNION Minister of State for External Affairs R K Ranjan Singhs house in Imphal town was vandalised by a mob which also tried to burn it down, officials said. Security guards and firefighters managed to control arson attempts by the mob and save the Ministers house from being gutted on Thursday night, they said. The development comes after the burning of two houses, and clashes between the Rapid Action Force of Manipur and a mob in the heart of Imphal town on Thursday noon. The mob which roamed the town late on Thursday also clashed with security forces, officials said. Reacting to the developments, R K Ranjan Singh told PTI Video, I am trying to bring peace and stop violence since May 3 (when ethnic clashes began in the state)  this is all a misunderstanding between two communities. The Government has set up a peace committee, the process is on. Civil society leaders are sitting together. The Minister, who is in Kochi to attend a party event cancelled all programmes in Kerala to return home, stating, There was an incident at my residence in Manipur last night. He said, That (the house) is (from) my own hard-earned money. I am not corrupt. No one is corrupt in this regime. If this was something religious, then I am a Hindu.

The attackers were Hindus. So, this is not religious. This is a mob. Singh said the Government will talk to all communities and find a way out. Sound of firing could be heard in Imphal East district till the early hours of Friday as security forces fired numerous rounds of tear gas shells and mock bombs to disperse angry locals protesting the killing of nine civilians on Wednesday. Two protesters and one Rapid Action Force personnel were injured during the confrontation. The RAF constable was hit by a stone on his head, said officials. Protesters at Nongmeibung and Wangkhei blocked the main streets by piling up stones and construction materials and engaged in pitch battles with security forces, they said. Condemning the killing of nine people in the Khamenlok area of Manipur, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said search and combing operations are on by security forces to nab the culprits. Singh also asserted that his Government will safeguard the unity and integrity of the State and will not do anything which is against the interest of the people of the state.

Search and combing operations have been conducted at different places including Kurangpat and Yaingangpokpi by a team consisting of paramilitary forces and Manipur Police to nab the culprits and stringent actions would be taken against those involved in such heinous crime, he said in a statement on Thursday. The death of nine people in a gun battle outside a Kuki village has further embittered relations and led to mob violence elsewhere including in the capital of the state Imphal, where clashes erupted on Thursday and two houses were torched. The CM said search operations had been conducted in 41 villages of hill areas and 39 villages in adjoining valley areas. At least nine people were killed and 10 injured when suspected miscreants attacked a village in the Khamenlok area of the state in the early hours of Wednesday. More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in Manipur that broke out a month ago. The State has imposed a curfew on 11 districts and banned the internet in a bid to stop the spread of rumours in the state. Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipurs population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals - Nagas and Kukis - constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.
Varsities spared from implementing NEP at UG level for 2023-24





Principal Correspondent

HIGHER and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil has decided not to insist on implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) by State Universities at Under Graduate (UG) level in academic year 2023-24. However, it was made clear that autonomous colleges, deemed-to-be universities and PG courses will have NEP from current academic year. Earlier, the Maharashtra Government seemed adamant on implementation of NEP from this very year. In fact, Chandrakant Patil had convened a meeting on April 21, 2023, where he had asked universities to start the implementation process by April 30, 2023.

Committees were constituted to implement the measures mentioned in the NEP. Of the two committees constituted, one was led by Dr Ujwala Chakradeo, Vice-Chancellor of SNDT University, Mumbai, and another by Dr Ravindra Kulkarni, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Mumbai University (recently appointed as Vice-Chancellor of the same university).

The Dr Chakradeo Committee was given four tasks - to establish Group University or autonomous colleges that would confer degrees, to draft a roadmap to implement the principles of the NEP 2020, status of university to be given to the educational institutions which have completed 50 years of existence and set up Centres of Academic Excellence for teaching and learning.

The committees submitted their reports. The Higher and Technical Education Ministry had recommended certain changes in guidelines of NEP. The guidelines focussed on syllabus and credit system. Patil had asked universities to plan academic schedule and grading system accurately by taking necessary educational measures for the implementation of the New Educational Policy. Since the National Education Policy is comprehensive, skillful, characteristics of the policy, procedures and efforts being made by the Government to bring all elements in the education sector were discussed. In fact, Higher and Technical Education Department, under the leadership of Vikaschandra Rastogi, Principal Secretary, conducted workshops in universities to explain the content of NEP to be implemented.

According to highly placed sources in the Department, the universities took a long time in preparing for implementation. This higher official told The Hitavada, The Department convened several meetings where either Vice Chancellors or their representatives were called to give the presentations. But they gave excuses. The minister noticed these issues and he decided not to insist on implementation of NEP. Though it was not mandatory for UG level, all the autonomous colleges, deemed to be universities in State will have to go with the changes suggested by NEP from academic year 2023-24. Patil has warned universities to be ready to implement NEP from the academic year 2024-25.
WB Governor visits violence-hit Bhangore





KOLKATA :

WEST Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Friday visited Bhangore in South 24 Parganas district, which witnessed sporadic violence between supporters of rival political groups over nomination filing for the State panchayat elections. The Governor on Thursday said in a statement that victory in elections should depend on the count of votes, not the count of dead bodies.

West Bengal Governor Dr C V Ananda Bose on Friday said that political violence in the State must come to an end, after visiting Bhangore, where supporters of two political parties clashed a day before leaving five dead. The Governor said he has already discussed the situation with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the situation. Some undesirable incidents have happened in some parts of Bengal. I have made my inferences of them. No violence will be tolerated and we will have to end it, Bose told reporters after taking stock of the situation at Bhangore. Bose visited Bijoyganj market at Bhangore, which was the centre point of violence and spoke to the people and district police and administration officials.
Key Insights

Significant insider control over AME Elite Consortium Berhad implies vested interests in company growth

The top 3 shareholders own 53% of the company

Institutions own 24% of AME Elite Consortium Berhad

A look at the shareholders of AME Elite Consortium Berhad (KLSE:AME) can tell us which group is most powerful. We can see that individual insiders own the lion's share in the company with 60% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

With such a notable stake in the company, insiders would be highly incentivised to make value accretive decisions.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of AME Elite Consortium Berhad.

See our latest analysis for AME Elite Consortium Berhad

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About AME Elite Consortium 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 AME Elite Consortium Berhad does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. 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 AME Elite Consortium Berhad, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

AME Elite Consortium Berhad is not owned by hedge funds. Our data shows that Yook Kim Lim is the largest shareholder with 18% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 18% and 17%, of the shares outstanding, respectively. Interestingly, the bottom two of the top three shareholders also hold the title of Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board of Directors, respectively, suggesting that these insiders have a personal stake in the company.

To make our study more interesting, we found that the top 3 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 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 AME Elite Consortium Berhad

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. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

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 information suggests that insiders own more than half of AME Elite Consortium Berhad. This gives them effective control of the company. So they have a RM498m stake in this RM833m business. Most would be pleased to see the board is investing alongside them. You may wish todiscover (for free) if they have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 13% stake in AME Elite Consortium 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:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand AME Elite Consortium Berhad better, we need to consider many other factors. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for AME Elite Consortium Berhad you should be aware of, and 1 of them is a bit concerning.

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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Yellow alert for State following landfall of cyclone Biparjoy





Staff Reporter

After the hot weather, the people of State got some relief in temperature in day and nights because of drizzled at some places in State. At the same time the Meteorological officials issued warning of storm cyclone Biparjoy in MP where the people will experience heavy rains on June 18 or 19. There is a possibility of heavy rain in Gwalior and Chambal division, strong winds would blow at a velocity of 50 Km/h or more so due to this, the effect of heat wave will also reduce in the State. Light rain forecast in Neemuch, Mandsaur, Barwani, Ratlam, Jhabua and Alirajpur. At present, Gujarats Kutch is highly experiencing of the natural calamity named Biparjoy.

On Friday, Rewa, Narsinghpur, Shivpuri were the hottest. The temperature remained at 42 degrees Celsius or more. The maximum temperature was over 40 degrees Celsius in 17 cities of the State including Bhopal, Gwalior, and Jabalpur. Meteorologists say that pre-monsoon activities will continue in the State. There may be light rain in some places but the effect of strong heat will be seen in large parts day and night. IMD Bhopals senior meteorologist told that on or before June 19, the centre of the low pressure area related to the storm will be around North East Rajasthan. Due to this, there will be rain at some places in western Madhya Pradesh especially in Gwalior-Chambal division. There may be heavy rains in Gwalior, Datia, Bhind, Morena, Sheopurkalan. After this the effect will reduce. Senior meteorologist also told that Cyclone Biparjoy will reach Rajasthan likely by June 16, but it will be weakened or the pressure will remain low.

Due to the storm and Western Disturbance in Rajasthan, it will rain on 17, but heavy rain is expected on June 18 and 19. Pre-monsoon activity will continue in the State. Light rain may occur at a few areas, but day-night temperatures will rise in most parts. Nights will be warm in Tikamgarh, Chhindwara and Umaria. At the same time, the day temperature in most cities will remain at 40 degrees or more. Similar weather will prevail for the next two days i.e. 16 and 17 June. The weather may change from June 18. There will be light rain, but on June 19, there is a possibility of heavy rain with thunder, due to this there will be a possibility of temperature brings down in day and night.
African Equity Empowerment Investments (JSE:AEE) First Half 2023 Results

Key Financial Results

Revenue: R344.6m (up 22% from 1H 2022).

Net loss: R119.7m (loss widened by R119.3m from 1H 2022).

R0.24 loss per share (further deteriorated from R0.001 loss in 1H 2022).

All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period

African Equity Empowerment Investments' share price is broadly unchanged from a week ago.

Risk Analysis

It's necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with African Equity Empowerment Investments (at least 1 which is a bit concerning), and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



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Polianta Ltd bought a new stake in American Equity Investment Life Holding (NYSE:AEL  Get Rating) during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm bought 30,500 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $1,112,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of AEL. Citigroup Inc. boosted its holdings in American Equity Investment Life by 12.7% in the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 72,418 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,890,000 after purchasing an additional 8,175 shares during the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. boosted its holdings in American Equity Investment Life by 14.7% in the 1st quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 22,189 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $886,000 after purchasing an additional 2,837 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in American Equity Investment Life by 56.1% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 44,290 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,768,000 after purchasing an additional 15,909 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in American Equity Investment Life by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 13,317,782 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $531,512,000 after purchasing an additional 49,702 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Great West Life Assurance Co. Can boosted its holdings in American Equity Investment Life by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 72,804 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,985,000 after purchasing an additional 1,383 shares during the last quarter. 94.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling at American Equity Investment Life

In other news, Director Alan David Matula acquired 7,100 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 22nd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $35.50 per share, with a total value of $252,050.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 39,942 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,417,941. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.83% of the companys stock.

American Equity Investment Life Price Performance

Shares of AEL opened at $41.45 on Friday. American Equity Investment Life Holding has a fifty-two week low of $28.05 and a fifty-two week high of $48.37. The firms 50 day moving average price is $39.33 and its 200 day moving average price is $41.21. The company has a market cap of $3.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.62 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

American Equity Investment Life (NYSE:AEL  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The financial services provider reported $1.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.15 by $0.32. American Equity Investment Life had a net margin of 25.84% and a return on equity of 12.84%. The firm had revenue of $662.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $626.02 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.92 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 348.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that American Equity Investment Life Holding will post 6.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on AEL. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of American Equity Investment Life in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $50.00 price objective on shares of American Equity Investment Life in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of American Equity Investment Life from $39.00 to $44.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 10th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of American Equity Investment Life from $48.00 to $43.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Finally, Raymond James decreased their price objective on shares of American Equity Investment Life from $48.00 to $47.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 14th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, American Equity Investment Life has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $44.90.

About American Equity Investment Life

(Get Rating)

American Equity Investment Life Holding Company, through its subsidiaries, provides life insurance products in the United States. The company issues fixed index and rate annuities, as well as single premium immediate annuities. It markets its products through independent agents, including independent marketing organizations, broker/dealers, banks, and registered investment advisors.

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Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. (NYSE:BLX  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 282,000 shares, a growth of 55.1% from the May 15th total of 181,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 102,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.7 days. Approximately 1.0% of the companys shares are sold short.

Institutional Trading of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BLX. LSV Asset Management grew its stake in shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 972,198 shares of the banks stock valued at $15,750,000 after purchasing an additional 15,990 shares during the last quarter. Thomas White International Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. by 0.3% during the first quarter. Thomas White International Ltd. now owns 353,718 shares of the banks stock worth $5,510,000 after purchasing an additional 1,021 shares during the period. Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. grew its position in Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. by 13.0% in the 1st quarter. Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 307,465 shares of the banks stock valued at $5,343,000 after buying an additional 35,410 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers increased its stake in Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 42,209 shares of the banks stock valued at $734,000 after buying an additional 957 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 7.19% of the companys stock.

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Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. Stock Performance

Shares of BLX traded down $0.21 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $20.80. 129,942 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 97,308. The company has a market cap of $755.56 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.42 and a beta of 1.15. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. has a fifty-two week low of $12.58 and a fifty-two week high of $21.19. The stocks 50-day moving average is $18.97 and its 200-day moving average is $17.56.

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. Dividend Announcement

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. ( NYSE:BLX Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The bank reported $1.02 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $59.20 million for the quarter. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. had a net margin of 26.11% and a return on equity of 11.15%.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 4th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 3rd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.81%. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A.s payout ratio is currently 30.86%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company.

About Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A.

(Get Rating)

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A., a multinational bank, primarily engages in the financing of foreign trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. The company operates through two segments, Commercial and Treasury. It offers short and medium-term bilateral loans, structured and syndicated credits, and loan commitments; financial guarantee contracts, such as issued and confirmed letters of credit, and stand-by letters of credit; and guarantees covering commercial risk and other assets, as well as co-financing arrangements, underwriting of syndicated credit facilities, structured trade financing in the form of factoring and vendor financing, and financial leasing.

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Bank of New Hampshire reduced its stake in shares of Avery Dennison Co. (NYSE:AVY  Get Rating) by 12.4% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 670 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 95 shares during the period. Bank of New Hampshires holdings in Avery Dennison were worth $120,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of AVY. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS raised its holdings in shares of Avery Dennison by 6.6% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 11,078 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,927,000 after buying an additional 686 shares during the period. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can grew its stake in Avery Dennison by 28.5% during the 1st quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 46,710 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $8,530,000 after purchasing an additional 10,370 shares in the last quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Avery Dennison by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 12,732 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,215,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. grew its stake in Avery Dennison by 61.4% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 4,968 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $864,000 after purchasing an additional 1,889 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blair William & Co. IL grew its stake in Avery Dennison by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 8,215 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,429,000 after purchasing an additional 173 shares in the last quarter. 89.05% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Avery Dennison

In other Avery Dennison news, Director Julia A. Stewart sold 930 shares of Avery Dennison stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.99, for a total transaction of $160,880.70. Following the sale, the director now owns 15,962 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,761,266.38. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Avery Dennison Trading Up 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE AVY opened at $171.09 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $13.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.96. Avery Dennison Co. has a 12-month low of $152.88 and a 12-month high of $204.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $170.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $178.12.

Avery Dennison (NYSE:AVY  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The industrial products company reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.66 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $2.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.18 billion. Avery Dennison had a return on equity of 34.49% and a net margin of 7.77%. The businesss revenue was down 12.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.40 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Avery Dennison Co. will post 8.98 EPS for the current year.

Avery Dennison Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 21st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.81 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 6th. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.89%. This is an increase from Avery Dennisons previous quarterly dividend of $0.75. Avery Dennisons payout ratio is presently 38.99%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on AVY. StockNews.com began coverage on Avery Dennison in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Loop Capital decreased their target price on Avery Dennison from $208.00 to $201.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $210.88.

Avery Dennison Profile

(Get Rating)

Avery Dennison Corporation operates as materials science and digital identification solutions company. It provides branding and information labeling solutions, including pressure-sensitive materials, radio-frequency identification (RFID) inlays and tags, and various converted products and solutions. The company designs and manufactures a range of labeling and functional materials that enhance branded packaging, carry or display information that connects the physical and the digital, and improve customers' product performance.

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DNB Markets lowered shares of Boliden AB (publ) (OTCMKTS:BDNNY  Get Rating) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday, The Fly reports.

BDNNY has been the subject of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of Boliden AB (publ) from a neutral rating to an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. Handelsbanken raised shares of Boliden AB (publ) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, March 20th. Berenberg Bank lowered shares of Boliden AB (publ) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, May 19th. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Boliden AB (publ) from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group initiated coverage on shares of Boliden AB (publ) in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. They set an underperform rating for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $364.00.

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Boliden AB (publ) Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:BDNNY opened at $61.92 on Wednesday. Boliden AB has a 1-year low of $55.19 and a 1-year high of $92.60. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $69.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $76.47.

Boliden AB (publ) Cuts Dividend

Boliden AB (publ) ( OTCMKTS:BDNNY Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $1.78 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $1.91 billion for the quarter.

The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.8424 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 9.63%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 9th. Boliden AB (publ)s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.82%.

Boliden AB (publ) Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Boliden AB (publ) engages in the exploring, extracting, and processing of base metals and precious metals in Sweden, other Nordic region, Germany, the United Kingdom, the rest of Europe, North America, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Business Area Mines and Business Area Smelters.

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Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR  Get Rating) (NYSE:CNI) had its target price reduced by BMO Capital Markets from C$180.00 to C$177.00 in a research report released on Tuesday, BayStreet.CA reports.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. CIBC raised shares of Canadian National Railway from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and boosted their price target for the company from C$175.00 to C$185.00 in a report on Friday, May 5th. Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Canadian National Railway from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and boosted their price target for the company from C$161.00 to C$184.00 in a report on Thursday, April 6th. ATB Capital boosted their price target on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$175.00 to C$180.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 25th. Desjardins raised shares of Canadian National Railway from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$184.00 to C$192.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of C$169.03.

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Canadian National Railway Stock Performance

Canadian National Railway stock opened at C$156.99 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of C$103.99 billion, a PE ratio of 19.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a fifty day moving average price of C$159.66 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$161.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 81.35, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.58. Canadian National Railway has a 12 month low of C$139.40 and a 12 month high of C$175.39.

Canadian National Railway Cuts Dividend

Canadian National Railway ( TSE:CNR Get Rating ) (NYSE:CNI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 24th. The company reported C$1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$1.70 by C$0.12. Canadian National Railway had a net margin of 30.60% and a return on equity of 25.38%. The company had revenue of C$4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$4.25 billion. Research analysts expect that Canadian National Railway will post 7.7287018 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 9th will be given a $0.79 dividend. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.01%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 8th. Canadian National Railways dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.75%.

Canadian National Railway Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail and related transportation business. The company's portfolio of goods includes petroleum and chemicals, grain and fertilizers, coal, metals and minerals, forest products, intermodal, and automotive products serving exporters, importers, retailers, farmers, and manufacturers.

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Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH  Get Rating)s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $89.01 and last traded at $88.89, with a volume of 574646 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $86.97.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on CAH shares. UBS Group raised their price target on Cardinal Health from $93.00 to $97.00 in a research note on Sunday, June 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Cardinal Health from $90.00 to $93.00 in a research note on Friday, June 9th. StockNews.com started coverage on Cardinal Health in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating on the stock. Barclays lifted their target price on Cardinal Health from $80.00 to $85.00 in a research note on Friday, June 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Cardinal Health from $97.00 to $103.00 in a research note on Friday, June 9th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $88.79.

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Cardinal Health Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $23.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.76. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $83.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $79.00.

Cardinal Health Increases Dividend

Cardinal Health ( NYSE:CAH Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported $1.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.48 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $50.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $49.63 billion. Cardinal Health had a negative return on equity of 81.55% and a net margin of 0.23%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 12.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.45 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Cardinal Health, Inc. will post 5.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 3rd will be issued a $0.5006 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 30th. This is an increase from Cardinal Healths previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Cardinal Healths dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 113.79%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cardinal Health

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Cardinal Health by 19.9% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 770 shares of the companys stock valued at $59,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas increased its holdings in shares of Cardinal Health by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas now owns 4,021 shares of the companys stock valued at $304,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC increased its holdings in shares of Cardinal Health by 11.7% in the 1st quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,252 shares of the companys stock valued at $95,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. Gladius Capital Management LP increased its holdings in shares of Cardinal Health by 4.3% in the 1st quarter. Gladius Capital Management LP now owns 3,201 shares of the companys stock valued at $242,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Profund Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Cardinal Health by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 4,190 shares of the companys stock valued at $322,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.93% of the companys stock.

About Cardinal Health

(Get Rating)

Cardinal Health, Inc operates as an integrated healthcare services and products company in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It provides customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, physician offices, and patients in the home.

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StockNews.com downgraded shares of Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras (NYSE:EBR  Get Rating) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report released on Tuesday.

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras Stock Down 3.0 %

NYSE EBR opened at $8.01 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 2.03 and a current ratio of 2.05. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $7.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $7.26. The company has a market cap of $18.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 0.79. Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras has a one year low of $5.67 and a one year high of $10.39.

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Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced an annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 1st were issued a $0.0443 dividend. This represents a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 5th. Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobrass payout ratio is currently 5.80%.

Institutional Trading of Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras Company Profile

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. JGP Global Gestao de Recursos Ltda. acquired a new stake in shares of Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras during the 1st quarter worth about $257,000. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. increased its position in shares of Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras by 49.0% during the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 4,898 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 1,611 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its position in shares of Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras by 462.9% during the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,764 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 4,740 shares during the last quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras during the 4th quarter worth about $46,000. Finally, Citigroup Inc. increased its position in shares of Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A.  Eletrobras by 33.0% during the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 7,961 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 1,976 shares during the last quarter. 2.37% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

(Get Rating)

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA engages in the production and dissemination of electricity. It operates through the Generation and Transmission segments. The Generation segment refers to the electric power generation including hydroelectric, thermal, and nuclear power plants. The Transmission segment focuses on the transmission of electric power in Brazil.

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Everence Capital Management Inc. lowered its holdings in Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE  Get Rating) by 13.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 14,923 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 2,330 shares during the quarter. Everence Capital Management Inc.s holdings in Sempra Energy were worth $2,256,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its position in shares of Sempra Energy by 0.6% during the first quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 1,141,824 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $191,963,000 after acquiring an additional 6,246 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Sempra Energy by 780.0% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,804 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $302,000 after acquiring an additional 1,599 shares during the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Sempra Energy during the first quarter worth $782,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Sempra Energy by 3.6% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 668,646 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $112,411,000 after acquiring an additional 23,431 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. raised its position in shares of Sempra Energy by 77.4% during the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 13,575 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,276,000 after acquiring an additional 5,924 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.75% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on SRE. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on Sempra Energy from $169.00 to $166.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Sempra Energy from $150.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Sempra Energy from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Sempra Energy in a report on Wednesday, June 7th. They issued a buy rating and a $178.00 price objective for the company. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Sempra Energy in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Sempra Energy presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $168.63.

Sempra Energy Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of Sempra Energy stock opened at $148.20 on Friday. Sempra Energy has a 1 year low of $136.54 and a 1 year high of $176.47. The business has a 50-day moving average of $150.69 and a two-hundred day moving average of $153.77. The company has a market capitalization of $46.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.44 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.54 and a quick ratio of 0.51.

Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.76 by $0.16. Sempra Energy had a return on equity of 10.28% and a net margin of 14.47%. The company had revenue of $6.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.91 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 71.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Sempra Energy will post 8.99 EPS for the current year.

Sempra Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 5th will be issued a $1.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 3rd. This represents a $4.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.21%. Sempra Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 61.34%.

Sempra Energy Profile

(Get Rating)

Sempra Energy is an energy-service holding company, which engages in the development and operation of energy infrastructure, and provision of electric and gas services. It operates through the following segments: San Diego Gas and Electric Company (SDG&E), Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), Sempra Texas Utilities, Sempra Mexico, and Sempra LNG.

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Bank of New Hampshire trimmed its holdings in Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN  Get Rating) by 20.7% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 1,920 shares of the closed-end funds stock after selling 500 shares during the period. Bank of New Hampshires holdings in Franklin Resources were worth $52,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. RFP Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Franklin Resources during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Franklin Resources during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Franklin Resources during the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Arcus Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Franklin Resources in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, CVA Family Office LLC increased its holdings in shares of Franklin Resources by 131.5% in the 4th quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 815 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.47% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Franklin Resources Inc acquired 2,465,483 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, April 28th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $10.14 per share, for a total transaction of $24,999,997.62. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider now directly owns 4,955,483 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $50,248,597.62. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 23.40% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Franklin Resources Stock Performance

BEN has been the topic of a number of research reports. Evercore ISI dropped their target price on Franklin Resources from $27.00 to $24.00 and set an underperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Bank of America dropped their target price on Franklin Resources from $28.00 to $24.00 and set an underperform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Franklin Resources from $19.00 to $20.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on Franklin Resources in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and six have given a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Franklin Resources has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $24.55.

Shares of NYSE BEN opened at $26.97 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.09, a quick ratio of 2.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $25.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $27.48. Franklin Resources, Inc. has a one year low of $20.24 and a one year high of $34.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.25 and a beta of 1.26.

Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 1st. The closed-end fund reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.04. Franklin Resources had a return on equity of 11.21% and a net margin of 10.79%. The firm had revenue of $1.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.96 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Franklin Resources, Inc. will post 2.34 EPS for the current year.

Franklin Resources Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 29th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.45%. Franklin Resourcess dividend payout ratio is currently 72.29%.

Franklin Resources Profile

(Get Rating)

Franklin Resources, Inc is a publicly owned asset management holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the firm provides its services to individuals, institutions, pension plans, trusts, and partnerships. It launches equity, fixed income, balanced, and multi-asset mutual funds through its subsidiaries.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BEN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN  Get Rating).

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Bosideng International (OTCMKTS:BSDGY  Get Rating) and Moncler (OTCMKTS:MONRF  Get Rating) are both consumer cyclical companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends, earnings, institutional ownership and profitability.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Bosideng International and Moncler, as provided by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Bosideng International 0 1 0 0 2.00 Moncler 0 1 4 0 2.80

Moncler has a consensus price target of $54.80, indicating a potential downside of 22.84%. Given Monclers stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Moncler is more favorable than Bosideng International.

Dividends

Institutional and Insider Ownership

Bosideng International pays an annual dividend of $2.03 per share and has a dividend yield of 7.2%. Moncler pays an annual dividend of $0.10 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.1%. Bosideng International pays out 52.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Moncler pays out 23.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years.

12.2% of Moncler shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Bosideng International and Monclers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Bosideng International N/A N/A N/A Moncler N/A N/A N/A

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Bosideng International and Monclers top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Bosideng International N/A N/A N/A $3.90 7.20 Moncler N/A N/A N/A $0.42 167.51

Bosideng International is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Moncler, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Moncler beats Bosideng International on 6 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Bosideng International

(Get Rating)

Bosideng International Holdings Limited researches, designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes branded down apparel products, original equipment manufacturing (OEM) products, and non-down apparel products in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through four segments: Down Apparels, OEM Management, Ladieswear Apparels, and Diversified Apparels. It engages in the business of sourcing and distributing branded down and ladieswear apparels; and non-seasonal apparels, including branded menswear, school uniform, and children's wear. The company provides down apparel products under the Bosideng, Snow Flying, Bengen, etc. brands; ladies wear products under the JESSIE, BUOU BUOU, KOREANO, and KLOVA brands; and school uniforms under the Sameite brand. It also offers network consulting and e-business of down and non-down apparel; logistics and storage services; and brand design and development services, as well as operates as an advertisement agency. As of March 31, 2022, it operated 462 ladieswear retail outlets; 364 self-operated retail outlets; and 98 retail outlets operated by third party distributors. Bosideng International Holdings Limited was founded in 1976 and is based in Central, Hong Kong.

About Moncler

(Get Rating)

Moncler SpA designs, produces and distributes clothing for men, women and children under the Moncler brand name. It directly produces and distributes its own clothing and accessories collections through direct boutiques and exclusive department and multiband stores around the world. The company was founded by Rene Ramillon and Andre Vincent in 1952 and is headquartered in Milan, Italy.

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The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS  Get Rating) major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 9,000,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.73, for a total transaction of $105,570,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 51,676,439 shares of the companys stock, valued at $606,164,629.47. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Major shareholders that own more than 10% of a companys shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Monday, May 8th, Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 24,819,473 shares of The Goldman Sachs Group stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.61, for a total value of $536,348,811.53.

On Wednesday, March 22nd, Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 101,526 shares of The Goldman Sachs Group stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.43, for a total value of $652,812.18.

The Goldman Sachs Group Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:GS opened at $338.31 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $277.84 and a 12 month high of $389.58. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $330.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $343.13. The company has a market cap of $112.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.04, a PEG ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.41.

The Goldman Sachs Group Dividend Announcement

The Goldman Sachs Group ( NYSE:GS Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The investment management company reported $8.79 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $8.14 by $0.65. The Goldman Sachs Group had a net margin of 13.23% and a return on equity of 9.84%. The firm had revenue of $12.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.66 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $10.76 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 31.57 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 1st will be issued a $2.50 dividend. This represents a $10.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.96%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 31st. The Goldman Sachs Groups payout ratio is 35.60%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in The Goldman Sachs Group by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 9,478,109 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $2,786,361,000 after purchasing an additional 126,277 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in The Goldman Sachs Group by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,070,182 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $1,981,052,000 after purchasing an additional 22,635 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley raised its position in The Goldman Sachs Group by 40.0% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 5,936,351 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $2,038,425,000 after purchasing an additional 1,696,350 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its position in The Goldman Sachs Group by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 5,044,608 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $1,650,142,000 after purchasing an additional 144,177 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in The Goldman Sachs Group by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,764,509 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $1,396,236,000 after purchasing an additional 52,016 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 69.09% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Bank of America upped their price objective on The Goldman Sachs Group from $384.00 to $425.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 9th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on The Goldman Sachs Group from $420.00 to $390.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. UBS Group upgraded The Goldman Sachs Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $329.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, JMP Securities upped their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $460.00 to $470.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $389.17.

The Goldman Sachs Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc, a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions segments. The Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as secured lending, through structured credit and asset-backed lending and involved in resale agreements.

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StockNews.com lowered shares of inTEST (NYSEAMERICAN:INTT  Get Rating) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Tuesday morning.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. EF Hutton Acquisition Co. I initiated coverage on shares of inTEST in a research note on Wednesday, March 8th. They set a buy rating and a $22.00 price target for the company. Northland Securities raised their price objective on shares of inTEST from $25.00 to $28.00 in a report on Thursday, June 8th. Lake Street Capital raised their price objective on shares of inTEST from $19.00 to $26.00 in a report on Monday, May 8th. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of inTEST from a c+ rating to a b rating in a report on Friday, May 5th.

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inTEST Trading Down 5.6 %

Shares of INTT stock opened at $24.19 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $19.71 and a 200-day moving average of $14.53. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. inTEST has a 12-month low of $6.07 and a 12-month high of $27.17. The firm has a market cap of $269.23 million, a P/E ratio of 24.68 and a beta of 1.95.

Insider Buying and Selling at inTEST

inTEST ( NYSEAMERICAN:INTT Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The semiconductor company reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.08. inTEST had a net margin of 8.58% and a return on equity of 20.18%. The company had revenue of $31.92 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $30.79 million. Sell-side analysts anticipate that inTEST will post 1.14 earnings per share for the current year.

In other inTEST news, insider Scott Eric Nolen sold 7,597 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.14, for a total value of $160,600.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 23,249 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $491,483.86. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other inTEST news, insider Scott Eric Nolen sold 7,597 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.14, for a total value of $160,600.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 23,249 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $491,483.86. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Joseph W. Iv Dews sold 11,250 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.23, for a total transaction of $295,087.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 85,350 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,238,730.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 4.80% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of inTEST

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. raised its position in inTEST by 329.8% in the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 2,579 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $92,000 after purchasing an additional 1,979 shares during the period. UBS Group AG raised its position in inTEST by 28.4% in the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 3,748 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $78,000 after purchasing an additional 829 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in inTEST by 489,800.0% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 4,899 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 4,898 shares during the period. Barclays PLC purchased a new position in inTEST in the 1st quarter worth $154,000. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new position in inTEST in the 1st quarter worth $201,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 48.87% of the companys stock.

About inTEST

(Get Rating)

inTEST Corp. engages in the supply of precision-engineered solutions for manufacturing and testing across a wide range of markets including automotive, defense, aerospace, electronics, fiber optic, machining, medical, telecom, and semiconductors. It operates through the Thermal Products and Electromechanical Solutions (EMS) business segments.

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Orient Overseas (International) Limited (OTCMKTS:OROVY  Get Rating) saw a large decline in short interest during the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 400 shares, a decline of 20.0% from the May 15th total of 500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 6,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.1 days.

Orient Overseas (International) Stock Performance

OTCMKTS:OROVY opened at $66.68 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $88.33 and a 200 day moving average of $87.91. Orient Overseas has a 1-year low of $60.79 and a 1-year high of $175.00.

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Orient Overseas (International) Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 25th will be given a $22.75 dividend. This is an increase from Orient Overseas (International)s previous dividend of $12.85. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 24th. This represents a yield of 52.77%.

About Orient Overseas (International)

Orient Overseas (International) Limited, an investment holding company, provides container transport and logistics services in Asia, Europe, Australia, North America, and internationally. The company offers supply-chain management and distribution services; and containerised shipping services in various trade lanes comprising Trans-Pacific, Trans-Atlantic, Asia/Europe, Asia/Australia, and Intra-Asia trades.

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Quite a few insiders have dramatically grown their holdings in Associated British Foods plc (LON:ABF) over the past 12 months. An insider's optimism about the company's prospects is a positive sign.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

View our latest analysis for Associated British Foods

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Associated British Foods

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Non-Executive Director Emma Adamo for UK736k worth of shares, at about UK16.36 per share. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of UK19.26. While it does suggest insiders consider the stock undervalued at lower prices, this transaction doesn't tell us much about what they think of current prices.

While Associated British Foods insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. 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.

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. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Associated British Foods insiders own 0.6% of the company, currently worth about UK88m based on the recent share price. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Associated British Foods Tell Us?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Associated British Foods shares in the last quarter. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders own shares in Associated British Foods and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. 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 Associated British Foods 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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Polianta Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Ford Motor (NYSE:F  Get Rating) in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 100,800 shares of the auto manufacturers stock, valued at approximately $1,270,000. Ford Motor comprises about 0.6% of Polianta Ltds holdings, making the stock its 21st biggest holding.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Ford Motor by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 332,380,925 shares of the auto manufacturers stock worth $3,722,666,000 after buying an additional 4,518,888 shares during the last quarter. Snider Financial Group grew its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 100,345.2% during the 1st quarter. Snider Financial Group now owns 219,805,167 shares of the auto manufacturers stock worth $3,717,000 after purchasing an additional 219,586,336 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 69,911,885 shares of the auto manufacturers stock worth $811,452,000 after purchasing an additional 196,752 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 6.0% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 47,659,333 shares of the auto manufacturers stock worth $554,278,000 after purchasing an additional 2,689,124 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Ford Motor during the 4th quarter worth approximately $419,237,000. 49.68% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Ford Motor Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of F stock opened at $14.42 on Friday. The stocks fifty day moving average is $12.33 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.31, a PEG ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.54. Ford Motor has a fifty-two week low of $10.61 and a fifty-two week high of $16.68.

Ford Motor Announces Dividend

Ford Motor ( NYSE:F Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The auto manufacturer reported $0.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $39.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $37.42 billion. Ford Motor had a return on equity of 19.99% and a net margin of 1.75%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 21.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.38 EPS. Research analysts expect that Ford Motor will post 1.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 26th were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, April 25th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.16%. Ford Motors dividend payout ratio is presently 84.51%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. TheStreet raised shares of Ford Motor from a c+ rating to a b rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 2nd. Daiwa Capital Markets raised shares of Ford Motor from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $12.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 25th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Ford Motor from a hold rating to a buy rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $13.00 to $16.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 30th. Benchmark raised their price objective on shares of Ford Motor from $19.00 to $20.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Ford Motor in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ford Motor currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $14.78.

Ford Motor Profile

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Ford Motor Company develops, delivers, and services a range of Ford trucks, commercial cars and vans, sport utility vehicles, and Lincoln luxury vehicles worldwide. It operates through Ford Blue, Ford Model e, and Ford Pro; Ford Next; and Ford Credit segments. The company sells Ford and Lincoln vehicles, service parts, and accessories through distributors and dealers, as well as through dealerships to commercial fleet customers, daily rental car companies, and governments.

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Rolls-Royce Holdings plc (LON:RR  Get Rating) had its target price increased by Barclays from GBX 145 ($1.81) to GBX 156 ($1.95) in a report issued on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat reports. Barclays currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently weighed in on RR. Shore Capital reiterated a buy rating on shares of Rolls-Royce Holdings plc in a research note on Wednesday, March 15th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Rolls-Royce Holdings plc to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the stock from GBX 105 ($1.31) to GBX 200 ($2.50) in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an underweight rating and set a GBX 70 ($0.88) price objective on shares of Rolls-Royce Holdings plc in a research report on Thursday, March 9th. Finally, Berenberg Bank reissued a hold rating and set a GBX 100 ($1.25) target price on shares of Rolls-Royce Holdings plc in a report on Friday, February 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of GBX 119.20 ($1.49).

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Rolls-Royce Holdings plc Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of RR stock opened at GBX 151.20 ($1.89) on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of 12.66 billion, a P/E ratio of -1,000.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.24 and a beta of 1.68. The businesss 50-day moving average is GBX 150.48. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc has a 52 week low of GBX 64.44 ($0.81) and a 52 week high of GBX 239.70 ($3.00).

Insider Activity at Rolls-Royce Holdings plc

In other news, insider Wendy Mars acquired 1,220 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 7th. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 149 ($1.86) per share, for a total transaction of 1,817.80 ($2,274.52). In other Rolls-Royce Holdings plc news, insider Wendy Mars purchased 1,220 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 7th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 149 ($1.86) per share, with a total value of 1,817.80 ($2,274.52). Also, insider Angela Strank purchased 6,359 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, May 19th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 156 ($1.95) per share, for a total transaction of 9,920.04 ($12,412.46). Over the last 90 days, insiders purchased 15,949 shares of company stock worth $2,379,064. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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Nuveen Virginia Quality Municipal Income Fund (NYSE:NPV  Get Rating) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 7,000 shares, a decrease of 37.5% from the May 15th total of 11,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 20,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.3 days.

Nuveen Virginia Quality Municipal Income Fund Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE NPV traded down $0.05 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $10.77. The stock had a trading volume of 25,774 shares, compared to its average volume of 21,185. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $11.08 and a 200-day moving average of $11.46. Nuveen Virginia Quality Municipal Income Fund has a 12-month low of $10.62 and a 12-month high of $14.89.

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Nuveen Virginia Quality Municipal Income Fund Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a $0.034 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $0.41 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.79%.

Institutional Trading of Nuveen Virginia Quality Municipal Income Fund

About Nuveen Virginia Quality Municipal Income Fund

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NPV. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in shares of Nuveen Virginia Quality Municipal Income Fund by 19.6% during the first quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 6,220 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $71,000 after acquiring an additional 1,020 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in shares of Nuveen Virginia Quality Municipal Income Fund by 9.0% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 53,679 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $612,000 after acquiring an additional 4,446 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Nuveen Virginia Quality Municipal Income Fund by 48.6% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 44,438 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $507,000 after acquiring an additional 14,536 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Nuveen Virginia Quality Municipal Income Fund during the first quarter worth $158,000. Finally, Private Advisor Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Nuveen Virginia Quality Municipal Income Fund during the first quarter worth $396,000. 7.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

(Get Rating)

Nuveen Virginia Quality Municipal Income Fund is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc The fund is co-managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets of Virginia. The fund invests primarily in municipal securities rated Baa/BBB or better.

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William Blair started coverage on shares of Solo Brands (NYSE:DTC  Get Rating) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. The firm issued an outperform rating on the stock. William Blair also issued estimates for Solo Brands Q2 2023 earnings at $0.13 EPS, Q3 2023 earnings at $0.08 EPS, Q4 2023 earnings at $0.48 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $0.78 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $1.06 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Credit Suisse Group increased their price objective on shares of Solo Brands from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Solo Brands from $9.00 to $10.00 in a research note on Monday, May 8th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of Solo Brands from $9.00 to $11.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $9.00.

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Solo Brands Price Performance

Shares of DTC stock opened at $5.03 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 3.31 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The company has a market capitalization of $484.14 million, a P/E ratio of -167.67, a P/E/G ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 2.39. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $6.28 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $5.24. Solo Brands has a one year low of $3.39 and a one year high of $8.86.

Insider Buying and Selling at Solo Brands

Solo Brands ( NYSE:DTC Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.05 by $0.04. Solo Brands had a negative net margin of 0.38% and a positive return on equity of 11.30%. The firm had revenue of $88.21 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $81.46 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.19 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Solo Brands will post 0.65 EPS for the current year.

In other Solo Brands news, major shareholder Nb Alternatives Advisers Llc sold 6,255,595 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.00, for a total value of $31,277,975.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 627,286 shares in the company, valued at $3,136,430. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 4.93% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Solo Brands by 35.3% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 16,836 shares of the companys stock worth $121,000 after buying an additional 4,396 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Solo Brands in the first quarter worth $520,000. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Solo Brands by 3.2% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 309,347 shares of the companys stock worth $2,221,000 after buying an additional 9,457 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Solo Brands by 3.6% in the first quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 413,717 shares of the companys stock worth $2,970,000 after buying an additional 14,407 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP purchased a new position in shares of Solo Brands in the first quarter worth $122,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.25% of the companys stock.

Solo Brands Company Profile

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Solo Brands, Inc operates a direct-to-consumer platform that offers outdoor lifestyle branded products in the United States. The company provides camp stoves under the Solo Stove Lite brand name; fire pits under the Solo Stove brand name; grills, cook tops, and tools; kayaks under the Oru brand name; paddle boards under the ISLE brand name; and storage solutions for fire pits, firewood, and other accessories.

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StockNews.com lowered shares of BorgWarner (NYSE:BWA  Get Rating) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report released on Wednesday morning.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised shares of BorgWarner from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $49.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Monday, May 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on BorgWarner from $45.00 to $51.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 7th. Barclays cut their target price on BorgWarner from $62.00 to $58.00 in a research note on Monday, May 8th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on BorgWarner from $56.00 to $55.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on BorgWarner from $58.00 to $56.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, BorgWarner has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $52.73.

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BorgWarner Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE:BWA opened at $48.60 on Wednesday. The businesss 50 day moving average is $46.70 and its 200 day moving average is $45.85. BorgWarner has a 12-month low of $31.14 and a 12-month high of $51.14. The stock has a market cap of $11.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.88, a PEG ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

BorgWarner Dividend Announcement

BorgWarner ( NYSE:BWA Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The auto parts company reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.13 by ($0.04). BorgWarner had a return on equity of 14.85% and a net margin of 5.97%. The firm had revenue of $4.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.05 earnings per share. BorgWarners revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that BorgWarner will post 4.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 1st were paid a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.40%. BorgWarners payout ratio is 16.63%.

Insider Buying and Selling at BorgWarner

In other BorgWarner news, Director Alexis P. Michas sold 7,173 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.45, for a total transaction of $318,839.85. Following the sale, the director now owns 76,441 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,397,802.45. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other BorgWarner news, VP Stefan Demmerle sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.61, for a total transaction of $238,050.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 177,614 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,456,202.54. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Alexis P. Michas sold 7,173 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.45, for a total transaction of $318,839.85. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 76,441 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,397,802.45. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 12,383 shares of company stock valued at $566,697 in the last 90 days. 0.45% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BWA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of BorgWarner by 25.2% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 371,687 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $14,458,000 after purchasing an additional 74,902 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of BorgWarner by 86.7% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 22,086 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $859,000 after purchasing an additional 10,257 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of BorgWarner by 23.1% in the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 65,231 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $2,537,000 after purchasing an additional 12,257 shares during the period. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its holdings in shares of BorgWarner by 6.6% in the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 32,082 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $1,248,000 after purchasing an additional 1,987 shares during the period. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of BorgWarner by 1.8% in the first quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 46,314 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $1,802,000 after purchasing an additional 840 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 91.44% of the companys stock.

BorgWarner Company Profile

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BorgWarner, Inc engages in the provision of technology solutions for combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles. It operates through the following segments: Air Management, e-Propulsion & Drivetrain, Fuel Injection, and Aftermarket. The Air Management segment develops and manufactures products to improve fuel economy, reduce emissions and enhance performance.

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Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH lessened its position in shares of iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:IJR  Get Rating) by 3.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 35,258 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 1,350 shares during the quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OHs holdings in iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF were worth $3,409,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in IJR. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF by 118,698.9% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 738,286,464 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $69,871,431,000 after purchasing an additional 737,665,005 shares during the last quarter. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. purchased a new position in shares of iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at $309,689,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF by 9,021.6% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 2,119,864 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $2,795,000 after acquiring an additional 2,096,624 shares during the period. Cowa LLC increased its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF by 5,333.8% in the 1st quarter. Cowa LLC now owns 1,283,582 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,670,000 after acquiring an additional 1,259,960 shares during the period. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF by 18.5% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 6,349,891 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $685,026,000 after acquiring an additional 990,861 shares during the period.

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iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF Price Performance

Shares of IJR stock opened at $98.65 on Friday. iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF has a 1-year low of $86.40 and a 1-year high of $108.24. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $94.75 and its 200 day moving average price is $97.47. The company has a market cap of $68.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.11 and a beta of 1.15.

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF Profile

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF, formerly iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Index Fund, seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poors SmallCap 600 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of publicly traded securities in the small-capitalization sector of the United States equity market.

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UBS ETRACS Linked to the Wells Fargo Business Development Company Index ETN (NYSEARCA:BDCS  Get Rating) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $15.23 and traded as high as $15.31. UBS ETRACS Linked to the Wells Fargo Business Development Company Index ETN shares last traded at $15.23, with a volume of 14,900 shares.

UBS ETRACS Linked to the Wells Fargo Business Development Company Index ETN Stock Performance

The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $15.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $15.23.

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Key Insights

Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, Avingtrans' stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions

The top 9 shareholders own 51% of the company

Past performance of a company along with ownership data serve to give a strong idea about prospects for a business

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Avingtrans plc (LON:AVG), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 68% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Because institutional owners have a huge pool of resources and liquidity, their investing decisions tend to carry a great deal of weight, especially with individual investors. Therefore, a good portion of institutional money invested in the company is usually a huge vote of confidence on its future.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Avingtrans, beginning with the chart below.

Check out our latest analysis for Avingtrans

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Avingtrans?

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 Avingtrans. 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. 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 Avingtrans, (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 Avingtrans. Our data shows that Harwood Capital LLP is the largest shareholder with 13% of shares outstanding. With 7.3% and 6.0% of the shares outstanding respectively, BGF Investment Management Ltd. and Unicorn Asset Management Limited are the second and third largest shareholders. In addition, we found that Stephen McQuillan, the CEO has 2.0% of the shares allocated to their name.

On further inspection, we found that more than half the company's shares are owned by the top 9 shareholders, suggesting that the interests of the larger shareholders are balanced out to an extent by the smaller ones.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. While there is some analyst coverage, the company is probably not widely covered. So it could gain more attention, down the track.

Insider Ownership Of Avingtrans

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. 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.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

We can see that insiders own shares in Avingtrans plc. As individuals, the insiders collectively own UK12m worth of the UK137m company. It is good to see some investment by insiders, but we usually like to see higher insider holdings. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 11% stake in Avingtrans. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Private Equity Ownership

Private equity firms hold a 7.3% stake in Avingtrans. This suggests they can be influential in key policy decisions. Some investors might be encouraged by this, since private equity are sometimes able to encourage strategies that help the market see the value in the company. Alternatively, those holders might be exiting the investment after taking it public.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Avingtrans better, we need to consider many other factors.

Many find it useful to take an in depth look at how a company has performed in the past. You can access this detailed graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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ODIMEGWU ONWUMEREinvestigates UNESCO's projection that Nigeria will experience a decline in the number of spoken languages by 2025. The piece explores the accuracy of the forecast while highlighting the significance of preserving people's cultural heritage and traditions embedded in their native tongue

Nigeria is a nation with a plethora of tongues, encompassing an approximate range of 350 to 550 regional or native dialects dispersed among its nearly 250 ethnic communities.

Those who are in the know say these dialects, whether they are considered significant or not, are linked through diverse vernaculars. According to Ethnologue, an annual record on worldwide languages, Nigeria possesses about 517 separate dialects, but a significant portion of these have become extinct.

The UNESCO Atlas of the Worlds Languages in Danger determined that outside influences such as military, financial, spiritual, cultural, or educational demands can lead to a community's unfavorable view of their native language or an overall decrease in collective identity, ultimately leading to the extinction of a language.

As an example, parents may choose to raise their children in languages other than their mother tongue, with the intention of combating discrimination, achieving equal chances, and gaining financial advantages for themselves and their offspring.

Notwithstanding, professionals describe an "endangered language" as a language that is in danger of becoming obsolete as its speakers pass away or switch to using another language.

As an instance, the Igbolanguage is losing its status as the preferred means of communication for numerous Igbo individuals. The incidence of endangered languages is progressively on the rise worldwide, said language specialists.

Another illustration, many Nigerian children, particularly in urban areas, only communicate in English.

Additionally, speaking in local dialects or vernacular is prohibited in some households across the nation, and traditional facial markings have disappeared in certain regions.

Experts are anxious that even the Yoruba culture, which involves a junior lying flat on the ground to greet an elder, has become extinct, like a people without identity.

"Identity is closely linked to language. It has the ability to convey culture, which means that when someone loses their language, their culture is at risk.

Across the globe, individuals use their language for both personal and professional communication.

In Nigeria, many ethnic groups hold their native language in high regard," according to research conducted by academics from the Federal University of Technology and Federal Polytechnic Nekede in Owerri.

Worried by that, UNESCOcautioned Nigeria about the potential loss of its cultural heritage due to the trafficking of cultural artifacts.

The warning was reissued almost ten years ago, specifically on July 8, 2014, when Mr. Ayanwale Olayanju, the then UNESCO National Programme Officer on Culture, expressed concern in Abuja about the decreasing value of Nigerian culture.

"In the meantime, it has been reported that UNESCO predicted in 2006 that the Igbo dialect, which is spoken by more than 20 million people in South-East Nigeria, may become extinct within the next 50 years," said the report.

Dahunsi Akinyemi, a language instructor and the author of "Ede Yoruba ko Gbodo Ku" (Yoruba Language Must Not Die), expressed concern in 2017 that the Yoruba language may become extinct in 20 years or less.

He lamented that many Yoruba children are unable to pronounce "Mo je jeun'" (I want to eat) in their native language, likewise many children in the northern Nigeria who would prefer Arabic for Hausa.

Concerned by this issue, investigations have revealed that the local dialects are predominantly affected, and educators are exacerbating the situation in areas where students who comprehend the same dialect are in the majority.

The outcome of that was contained in reports from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation, as well as the opinions of language experts and linguists, saying, Approximately 29 less spoken languages in Nigeria have vanished, and 29 others are on the brink of extinction.

Additionally, the three major languagesof Nigeria, namely Yoruba, Igbo, and Ishekiri, are also facing the threat of endangerment.

Checks showed that educators enter classrooms and commence lessons in the English language. Experts indicate that students in junior secondary schools situated in Igbo-speaking regions are among the many young individuals in Nigeria and worldwide who are studying a language that UNESCO proclaimed would become extinct by 2025.

In 2013, EmmanuelAsonye, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of New Mexico, cited that the expression of its speakers and the corruption of the dialect were jeopardizing the language.

According to reports, some of Nigeria's "vulnerable" languages, which are spoken by many children but limited to certain domains, include Bade, Gera, Reshe, and Polci cluster, and Duguza languages, which are "definitely endangered" because children no longer learn them as their mother tongue at home.

Sources say the 1999Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not address the issue of national languages. However, Section 55 stipulates that the National Assembly's proceedings should be conducted in English, as well as in Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba, when appropriate arrangements have been made.

Nevertheless, this was not happening as legislative transactions in the National Assembly are still primarily conducted in English.

According to data: "Critically" endangered languages in Nigeria are those where the youngest speakers are grandparents or older, and they only speak the languages partially and infrequently.

These languages include Akum, Bakpinka, Defaka, Dulbu, Gyem, Ilue, Jilbe, Kiong, Kudu-Camo, Luri, Mvanip, Sambe, Somyev, and Yangkam.

As stated in the 2013 Journal of the Linguistic Association of Nigeria, "It is a reality that Igbo individuals recognize that they display a pessimistic demeanor towards their dialect.

This encompasses both the literate and illiterate community. It is actually paradoxical that those who refute UNESCO's forecast are among those who lack the ability to comprehend or inscribe Igbo - those who have not contributed to any scholarly works on Igbo language - those who confidently but unknowingly mutilate both Igbo and English language in their verbal and written communication."

In a comparable situation, Ohiri-Aniche, a commentator, cautioned that even though Igbo andYoruba, two out of three major Nigerian languages, have numerous adult speakers, they are classified as endangered languages in UNESCO's list.

It continued that in approximately 50 to 75 years, or two to three generations, the majority of Nigerian languages will be extinct and lost forever.

However, linguists who are concerned have criticized the attitude of Ndigbo, mainly, towards their language, supporting the implementation of a community-based strategy to conserve, revitalize, and advance the mother tongue.

They also suggest encouragingyoung people to converse, interpret, and compose in the language to prevent it from becoming extinct by 2025.

During the 2020 Umunri Colloquium on "Community-based Approach to Promoting and Sustaining Igbo Language" held in Enugwu Ukwu, Anambra State, the keynote speaker, Professor Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, highlighted that the indigenous language is among the languages that are highly endangered globally.

A Professor of African and Comparative Studies at ChukwuemekaOdumegwu-Ojukwu University, Igbariam, Anambra State, emphasized the importance of language in preserving cultural identity. He stated that when the majority of young people in a community stop speaking their native language, the language quickly deteriorates.

A language's demise results in the loss of valuable knowledge and intrinsic components of the spoken word, such as idiophones. Additionally, oral literature, songs, history, and culture are all lost. The people's identity and way of life are embedded in their language, making it the repository of their identity, the source said.

Chuma-Udeh stated that many native communities across the globe have consciously or unconsciously caused the loss of their cultural identity by disrupting the natural process of transmitting their traditional languages to future generations.

This is due to the pursuit of modernization, which has led to some self-centered motives such as adopting the colonizer's language as the official language after gaining independence.

Consequently, the majority of indigenous languages are now at risk of extinction, experiencing a widespread phenomenon referred to as "linguicide."

Every language reflects a distinct worldview with its own value systems, philosophies, and distinctive cultural elements, according to UNESCO.

A language's extinction results in the irreparableloss of the distinctive cultural information that has been preserved in it for ages. This includes information that may be crucial for the survival of not only its speakers but also countless others, such as historical, spiritual, and ecological knowledge.

Specialists therefore suggest that the Nigerian constitution must include extra measures to safeguard the survival and growth of indigenous languages in order to cater to the political, economic, social, scientific, and technological requirements of the nation.

Odimegwu Onwumere is Director, Advocacy Network on Religious and Cultural Coexistence (ANORACC). He contributed this piece via: [email protected]
An ex-Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo, has called on President Bola Tinubu not to release the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

Dokubo made this call on Friday when he visited Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Recall that since his re-arrest in 2021, the embattled IPOB leader has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). He is standing trial for terrorism.

While addressing journalists after meeting with President Tinubu, the Niger Delta leader said Kanu should face the law instead.

Releasing Nnamdi Kanu is rewarding criminality and rewarding gruesome murder of innocent people.

He should face the law for the actions and instigations he has carried out.

On security, I want to clearly say that there are full-scale wars going on in different parts of this country. In the South East, the IPOB/ESN is waging a full-scale war against the government of this country and many local governments, many communities are deserted, schools are closed, and hospitals are closed.

Dokubo, who also spoke about crude oil theft in the country, accusing the military of masterminding it, claimed that some powerful cabals operating from Abuja are involved in the crime

Dokubo, however, said President Tinubu has promised to investigate the allegations and also halt the trend.

He expressed joy that these powerful forces have now met their match in Tinubu.

The Niger Delta leader also volunteered to use his men to assist in tackling crude oil theft in Nigeria.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria has requested the World Bank approval of loans for the federal and state governments in Nigeria based on their ranking on the ICAN Accountability Index.

This was disclosed by the President, ICAN, Dr. Innocent Okwuosa, in Abuja when he paid a courtesy call on the Country Director of the World Bank, Mr. Chubham Chaudhuri.

In a statement, Okwuosa was quoted as saying, Corruption, unaccountability and poor public financial management are systemic within the Nigerian economic system. The UN sustainable development goals cannot be achieved under this socio-economic environment. Therefore, ICAN in its public interest mandate is positioned to play a vital role in the improvement of public sector financial management and accountability in Nigeria.

According to the statement, signed by the Assistant Director, Corporate Communications, ICAN, Mrs Bunmi Owolabi, noted that the ICAN Accountability Index has been acknowledged as having wider scope and better suited for Nigeria than similar initiatives like the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability and the States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Frameworks.

For the tiers of government to increase their performances in the ICAN-AI, it is important that financial data are made publicly available to facilitate easy computation of the Index by the Institute.
Daniel Bwala, a media aide to the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has berated the former Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo over his claims on oil theft against Nigerian security agencies.

It could be recalled that the ex-agitator, during his courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu at the presidential villa on Friday, linked oil bunkering in the Niger Delta to top Army, military, and Navy officials.

He argued that ordinary Nigerians could not afford the machinery required to connect pipes directly to oil heads to tap crude oil from the source except experts in the military.

Reacting to Dokubos allegations, Bwala stated that they were quite troubling.

In a post on Twitter, Bwala insisted that the agitators claims were made without investigative reports to back his stance.

Bwala wrote: Today Asari Dokubo visited President Tinubu and after the meeting, he went to the press room to address the press in what capacity I do not know.

Secondly he made blanket and outlandish claims without specific examples, facts, or investigative reports against the Nigerian army without qualification. This is troubling.
Immediate former Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, is expected in Sierra Leone this Saturday, to chair a 12-person Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) for the countrys elections.

Osinbajo has accepted the offer of the Commonwealth to lead the Observer Group constituted by its Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, to observe the general elections in Sierra Leone.

Confirming Osinbajos itinerary via his Twitter handle, his media adviser, Laolu Akande, said the former Vice President will be in Sierra Leone for the rest of the month

Akande wrote: Immediate past VP Osinbajo heads to Sierra Leone today as Chair of 12-person Commonwealth Observer Group for the countrys elections. Hell address Press Conf. on Monday & be in the country for the rest of the month. Later, the Osinbajo- COG will report on the elections credibility.

Reports have it that this will be the fifth time for a Commonwealth Observer Group to observe elections in Sierra Leone since the end of the civil war in 2002.
A renowned Ghanaian Naturopathic Professor, medical and science writer, author, and columnist, Prof. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu, a Bar student at the Gambia Law School, Banjul, will deliver an expert lecture on the need for National legislation on Traditional and Alternative Medicine in the Gambia. The event is scheduled for the 1st July 2023, at the Gambia College, Brikama, at Noon.

The programme is sponsored and under the auspices of the National Traditional Healers Association of The Gambia (TRAHASS). Prof. Nyarkotey has been championing the national legislation on traditional and alternative medicine in the Gambia since he arrived from Ghana to pursue his legal education at the Gambia Law School in 2022. He has succeeded in raising huge awareness of scientific natural remedies with his prolific writings in the national dailies.

He also petitioned the Minister of Health this year to take action on traditional medicine. His advocacy has paved the way for action to be taken on the development of national action on traditional medicine legislation.

The theme for the event is Legislative Regulation of Traditional and Alternative Complementary Medicine Practitioners in the Gambia: A Tool for Recognition in the Healthcare System.

For decades, traditional healers in the Gambia have been fighting for national recognition in the healthcare system but all their efforts proved futile. However, the emergence of Prof. Nyarkotey, a very renowned Naturopathic Professor and president of Nyarkotey University College of Holistic Medicine in Ghana, in the Gambia, to pursue his legal education at the Gambia Law School has resurrected the hope of traditional and alternative healers.

The conference will attract over 500 healers over the country and abroad to deliberate on the need for the importance of legislation in the Gambia.

Professor Nyarkotey, who is an aspiring Legal Practitioner in training as well at the Gambia Law School, believes that there is a huge potential for natural medicine in the Gambia if legislation is Fas tracked. He believes that his legal training at the Gambia Law School will open more opportunities for natural medicine across the continent of Africa and the world.

He avers that medicine is not competition. Hence, there is no need for conventional and natural healers to be at loggerheads. He calls for collaboration in the healthcare system.

Also, he explains that legislation will go a long way to enhance standardization. He cited how countries such as India, China, Ghana, South Africa, and many others are benefiting from Natural Healthcare.

Prof. Nyarkotey said natural healthcare tends to improve the economy with legislation. The Gambian Law School student, who has created a global niche for himself in the profession of Naturopathy and Holistic Healthcare, is engaging traditional healers in the Gambia, to see how to improve their services.

Prof. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu, who is also a well-known medical and science writer in Ghana, the Gambia, and the international level has created a niche for himself in the Ghanaian and global medical and science writing space with his prolific articles on natural medicines. He has produced some blockbuster scientific articles on the Gambian natural remedies which have generated public interest in recent times. He has also authored three books and seven academic papers as a student of the law in the Gambia

As a Professor of Naturopathic Healthcare and a researcher with interest in the legal aspect of Traditional and Complementary Medicines in the African sub-region, I aim to support the regulation of naturopathy and to assist in any way that I can.

The key to his achievement is setting up a University College to train Practitioners in Naturopathy and Holistic Medicine. Grandaunts of the college are eligible to sit for the Traditional Medicine Practice Council, Ministry of Health Professional Qualifying Examination in Ghana. The College is also an educational member of the World Naturopathic Federation (WNF).

With the support of his team in Ghana, developed Ghanas first ever National Occupational Standard in Naturopathy and Holistic Medicine at the Higher National Diploma(HND) and Bachelors level under the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET).

Prof. Nyarkotey Obu

Prof. Nyarkotey Obu, is the President of Nyarkotey University College of Holistic Medicine & Technology, Ashaiman, Ghanas first Natural Medicine university college dedicated to the promotion and advocacy of natural remedies.

He has won many awards in Ghana and on the international front such as the 40under40 Achievers Award in education(2019) and was inducted into the West African Nobles Forum as a young Noble at age 34.

He was conferred Professorship at age 34 becoming one of the youngest Professors in Ghana in recent times. In 2022, he was honored by the India Medical Association, JDN, Odisha, chapter with the title  Father of Modern Naturopathy in Ghana for shaping the science of modern naturopathy.
The Department of State Services [DSS] has stated that some persons and groups have been identified for planning to stage protest against the government and the intelligence security agency over the suspension and investigation of Mr Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

The DSS also claimed the groups intend to gather at different points in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and Lagos in the coming week with placards depicting the Service and government in bad light as well as calling for the immediate release of Emefiele.

In a statement issued on Saturday by Peter Afunanya, the DSSs Public Relations Officer, National Headquarters Abuja, the secret police described the planned protest as campaigns of calumny against it and the government.

The Service claimed it was mindful of orchestrations to infiltrate its fold for the purpose of using disloyal staff for subversive aims against its leadership, warning the plotters to desist forthwith from their plans.

The statement read: The Department of State Services (DSS) has identified persons and groups planning to stage campaigns of calumny against it and the Government over the suspension and investigation of Mr Godwin Emefiele.

Such groups intend to gather at different points in Abuja and Lagos in the coming week with placards depicting the Service and Government in bad light as well as calling for the immediate release of Emefiele.

The Service is, therefore, aware of a cheap propaganda aimed at demotivating and distracting it from professionally executing the onerous responsibilities assigned to it.

It has also noted the misleading commentaries, speculative narratives, storylines and videos being circulated in the social media by uninformed parties, critics and/or desperadoes.

It is mindful of orchestrations to infiltrate its fold for the purpose of using disloyal staff for subversive aims against its leadership. While these efforts are considered as hatchet jobs designed to distract, the Service warns the plotters to desist forthwith from their plans.

This is more so that the arrow heads are already under watch and will be apprehended when and if it becomes necessary.

It is instructive to state that the Service had granted the family of Emefiele, medical officials and appropriate persons access to him, right from the day he was taken in and long before the court order requesting so.

The Service implements Standard Operating Procedures on Suspect Handling and Investigation to the latter. It conducts its affairs transparently, professionally and respects the rule of law in compliance with democratic governance.

For the avoidance of doubt, it assures of its professionalism in the current matter(s) under its purview. It will, however, not be distracted or intimidated.
Nigerians have just elected a new leader. No matter our differences with Tinubu as a person, his character or our party affiliation; we should accord him the goodwill and benefit of doubt given to new leaders for the hope of a better country. Africans have had their share of bad leaders but Nigerians always have this optimistic view of new leaders, even the military ones: he go better. It could be an indication of how bad the situation had been before they came.

The first coup d'etat by Nzeogwu gave hope after condemning the corruption of our ten percenters". Some jubilation and humiliation followed while others watched until Nzeogwu was betrayed by his comrades. All the leaders were going to be eliminated. They spared certain leaders. A grave self-inflicted wound that led to counter coups. Nobody has monopoly on force, threats and deadly force without repercussions. It resulted in a false start.

By the time Gowon took over, people had been traumatized. Only the benefit of doubt remained. Gowon promised no victors, no vanquished at the end of the Civil War. We had a series of military and civilian governments after, with the wish that one of them would restore Nigeria to its glorious days and hope for Africas Regional Power. Nigeria has not recovered from the bad legacy of the horrible war.

Most new governments enjoy a honeymoon but a section of the Country wants to make sure Tinubu fails from day one. So far, in less than a month, Tinubu has impressed most of the people including those that did not vote for him in his Osun home state and his adopted state of Lagos. When you win an Election, the President must cater for those that voted for and against him. We don't have to agree on everything. But failure is not an option at this point.

Nevertheless, the Country must move on either by granting the aspiration of the people for a federated state or into confederated nations. The days of Unity Beggars are gone because people are weary and tired of blackmails. Nigerians still love one another but the noise of hate and uncompromised aspirations have confounded the Silent Majority ruled by extremists. Their goal is to get what they want by any means necessary without building bridges.

It has not stopped some of the Youths, especially those from the Eastern and Western part of the Country from going after one another on social media. It has not spilled onto the street and we all pray that it will never get to that point. The political rivalry is mostly manifested in the Western part of the country where people from different states have traditionally been elected into City councils, the House in the state and at the Federal level. Regardless of non-Native concentration in an area, it hardly happened outside the West.

Unfortunately, the opposition to the new President is mostly coming from the South-Eastern Youths. They are galvanizing support by threats and deadly force in their areas declaring curfew whenever they feel like. This menacing threat has not spread to other states. But in a country where many people are related one way or the other, including by marriage, many innocent folks are affected. It should not have gotten to this point 50 years after the Civil War.

When people believe and feel they have not been accepted into the mainstream, we must listen, no matter how serious or justified their grievance. The people and the country must move on while those aggrieved must ask for demonstration of goodwill from the President, not Interim Government. The people of Lagos and Osun states that voted against Tinubu have accepted the reality on the ground hoping for the return to a prosperous country. Brothers and sisters in other states must reconcile and join hands with other Nigerians.

Even when you disagree with a new President, during the honeymoon period, you can be constructive, not disagreeable. Take the case of floating the Naira, a simple problem of Demand and Supply. Nigerians depend on foreign currencies to buy necessary and useless unproductive items from overseas as if the Country's ability to print dollars and euros could meet demand. Instead of facing this reality: complicated, bogus and superfluous theories taught in world's famous universities including local ones are postulated as solutions.

Most politicians have been floating the naira when it was one to one under matured supervision to the point of 1 to 600 today; with no end to devaluation in sight. Though they do not make their income overseas, they exhaust the meager income made from selling natural resources. Though during the Election, the three Presidential candidates promised to end petroleum subsidies. They still attack Tinubu for doing so.

The same Western world that controls their currencies by manipulation of the market, preaches a free market to African countries in order to buy their natural resources cheap. Everyone is aware that no country can satisfy Africans demand for the currencies they cannot print. The last time Nigerian pound or naira had an appreciable value of one to one pound or one naira to one and a half US dollars; control exerted worldwide was in place in Nigeria.

It is universally insanity to continue floating your currency for over 50 years, and to keep on doing the same expecting a different result. No country in the world freely floats its currency but African countries are always given that advice in the name of the free market. Indeed, there is no free market. American politicians campaign on, made and manufactured in the USA. While Africans desire very little of what is manufactured or made in their own countries.

Western countries print money without Gold backing that are used to create demand for Western goods and services at their dictated prices. Whenever it's advantageous to their economy, their currencies are manipulated stronger or weaker to corner the market. Therefore, African currencies only get weaker, never stronger.

When Americans and European politicians realized that objective economists are threatening their advantageous relationship in the domination of world currency, they introduced Structural Adjustment to devalue the African currencies so that African natural resources can be bought for little or in exchange for "Foreign Aid". It was even more surprising that Western trained economists bought the Structural Adjustment urging Africans to adopt it to their detriment!

If Western countries railed on China for not playing fair by manipulating their currency in order to sell their manufactured products cheaply, it is pure hypocrisy to tell Africans with little world demand for manufactured goods and services to sell their finite land and natural resources cheap. African countries have little artificial manufactured goods the world demands and buy in exchange for their local currencies.

Farouk Martins Aresa @oomoaresa


Andaman Hotelier event returns to Phuket

PHUKET: Following a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Andaman Hotelier, the largest hospitality trade event held in Southern Thailand, returned yesterday (June 16).

tourismCOVID-19

By The Phuket News

Saturday 17 June 2023 12:38 PM

The event, which runs June 16-18, was officially inaugurated by Phuket Vice Governor Danai Sunantarod at the Convention Hall at Central Floresta in Kathu yesterday under the theme of Green and Innovation.

Mr Danai was joined by Maj. Gen. Seraphan Sirikong, Phuket Provincial Police Commander and a range of hotel group partners from the Andaman Sea region.

Also present for the opening ceremony was Sueksit Suwanditkul, President of the Thai Southern Hotel Association; Marisa Sukosol Nunphakdee, President of the Thai Hotel Association; Kanokporn Damrongkul, Domestic MICE Marketing Director from the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB); Thanet Tantipiriyakit, President of Phuket Tourism Business Association; senior representatives from the Patong Beach Hotel Association; Phuket Health Spa Association; Phuket Personnel Management Club; Phuket Thai Chefs Association; the Volunteer Chef Association Federation of Thai Chefs; and the Phuket Andaman Food and Beverage Manager Club

Andaman Hotelier 2023 will see a series of engaging competitions and seminars led by industry experts which will highlight new and innovative approaches that the hotel and hospitality industries can employ to respect and protect the natural environment.

Furthermore the interactive sessions will strive to develop and enhance the skills and standards of those working in the hotel and tourism sector to ensure Phuket offers a world class service overall to its guests.

Some of initiatives include academic seminars, fundraising programs, cocktail mixing contests and bartender and coffee baristas workshops and sessions focusing on Bringing Thai Fish to the World and the merits of wagyu Thai Beef. There are also sessions on best in class food safety measures, food waste reduction and sustainable hotel designs with more than 70 booths showcasing hotel-related good and services at reduced costs.

The event runs today and tomorrow from 10am to 9pm at the Convention Hall, Central Floresta, Phuket.
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
El Nino likely to propel rice exports

BANGKOK: Thai rice exports are likely to surpass 8 million tonnes this year, driven by higher global demand as countries rush to stock up to brace for the effects of the El Nino weather phenomenon, says Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit.

weathernatural-resources

By Bangkok Post

Saturday 17 June 2023 10:52 AM

Workers upload sacks of rice at a warehouse in Bangkok. Photo: Bangkok Post / File

He said the Philippines is expected to increase its rice purchases by 2-3mn tonnes, while Indonesia is expediting procurement of a substantial quantity of rice from both Thailand and Vietnam.

Iraq is expected to import around 1mn tonnes this year, on par with 2022, said Mr Jurin.

He said Vietnam is reducing its rice exports to ensure a sufficient domestic stockpile, shifting towards cultivation of fruit and coffee, eports the Bangkok Post.

The baht is weaker, which makes Thai rice exports more competitive, said Mr Jurin.

Last year Thailand shipped 7.69mn tonnes of rice, outperforming the ministrys target of 7.5mn tonnes.

The ministry set a goal of 7.5-8mn tonnes of rice shipments this year.

Crop prices are very good, Mr Jurin said.

The important agricultural crops with high prices are fragrant paddy, Pathum Thani fragrant paddy, white rice paddy and glutinous paddy rice. These four items all have prices higher than the state-guaranteed prices.

In a related development, he instructed the Internal Trade Department and the provincial commercial office in the southern region to work together with provincial governors to inspect and monitor the trading of fruit entering the market after receiving reports of collusion, attempts to stop purchases, and price manipulation of mangosteen and durian by traders.

Mr Jurin also ordered related authorities to take strict legal action against unscrupulous traders, according to both the Trade Competition Act and the Price of Goods and Services Act.
Singapore: Premature for any Asean talks with Myanmar

WASHINGTON, DC: Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said yesterday (June 16) that conditions were not yet right for Asean to open high-level talks with Myanmar on the countrys political situation.

politicsMyanmar

By AFP

Saturday 17 June 2023 09:55 AM

Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan (left) and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hold a joint news conference at the U.S. Department of State yesterday (June 16). Photo: AFP

We believe it would be premature to reengage with the junta at a summit level or even at a foreign minister level, Balakrishnan said when asked about a news report that Thailands military-controlled caretaker government had proposed talks.

Speaking in a joint press conference in Washington with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Balakrishnan said the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations had recently reaffirmed their stance.

We condemned the coup, and the ongoing violence against civilians, the instability in the country, the setback to national reconciliation, and the enormous impact on the economy, he said of the 2021 military takeover in Myanmar.

Unfortunately, its now more than two years. We havent seen any signs of improvement, Balakrishnan said.

The Irrawaddy, a Myanmar-focused news website operated in Thailand, said that Thailands foreign ministry proposed in a recent letter to host an informal ministerial meeting of some Asean members with Myanmar on Monday to relaunch engagement.

Balakrishnan did not reject all engagement with the Myanmar junta.

The key point is this. You do need everyone ultimately to sit down and negotiate, the Singapore diplomat said.

I dont know how long it will take. The last time it took 25 years for some form of democratic transition to occur in Myanmar. I hope it wont take that long, he said.

Blinken said the United States backs Asean efforts to resolve the violence that has seen 6,000 civilians killed since the February 2021, according to the Peace Research Institute of Oslo.

Its very important that we continue, all of us, to sustain the appropriate pressure on the junta and look for ways of course to engage the opposition in Myanmar, Blinken said.
Transformers gets a Beastly upgrade

The past few years have been a pretty frustrating time for fans of the Transformers franchise. After the success of 2018s Bumblebee many were expecting more Transformers films to hit cinemas  yet strangely it has taken five years to do so with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts finally arriving now. The good news is that it has been well worth the wait.

World-Entertainment

By David Griffiths

Saturday 17 June 2023 11:00 AM

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023). Image: IMDb

Set in 1994, this chapter in the franchise begins its story in Brooklyn. Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos  In The Heights) is a young man desperate for a job. The medical bills of his brother, Kris (Dean Scott Vazquez  9 Bullets), are rising by the day and with no work on the horizon he finds himself tempted to help a friend out with a car robbery.

Meanwhile, Elena Wallace (Dominique Fishback  The Hate U Give) is a young historian who loves the opportunity she has to work at a museum but is tired of the fact that her boss takes all the credit for her work.

Their lives cross paths though after Noah accidentally tries to steal a Transformer named Mirage (voiced by Pete Davidson  The Suicide Squad) and learns that a supernatural key needed by Unicron (voiced by Colman Domingo  Lincoln) to destroy planets like Earth, and he learns that Cybertron is on Earth and in the hands of Elena.

While Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen  Winnie The Pooh) devises a plan to get the key his team suddenly find themselves confronted by a group of Terrorcons led by the evil Scourge (voiced by Peter Dinklage  Game Of Thrones) who are hellbent on claiming the key for Unicron. Now Elena and Noah find themselves joining forces with the Autobots and several BattleBeasts, including Optimus Primal (voiced by Ron Perlman  Hellboy) and Airazor (voiced by Michelle Yeoh  Everything Everywhere All At Once), in a bid to stop the key from falling into the wrong hands.

True fans of the franchise will find some pros and cons with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. On the plus side is the fact that director Steven Caple Jnr (Creed II) and his team of writers have taken the plot away from the basic Autobot versus Decepticon battles and instead given the audience more of a look at the other types of Transformers that inhabit the universe. While some people may be scratching their heads at what the difference is between a Decepticon and a Terrorcon, others will be praising the film for its fresh approach especially with the BattleBeasts that look amazing on the screen.

But sadly, at the same time this becomes another Transformers film that awkwardly fits into the universe set up by the legendary Michael Bay. There is a rough nod given to Bumblebee during the film yet it also seems that Optimus and the other Autobots still dont trust humans, which is a bit of a plot hole. The events of this film also raise a lot of questions about some of the things said in 2007s Transformers, so maybe it would have been better if the producers had decided to make this one a stand-alone film or a reboot.

Still, there is plenty to like with this film. The action sequences are simplistic yet entertaining while the screenplay allows a lot of the human characters to be much more interesting than some have turned out to be in previous Transformers films. These characters seem to have a lot more heart and have been given interesting storylines that means that the audience find themselves caring what happens to them. Likewise, with some of the Transformers, each seems to be given more characterisation this time around meaning not only they are more likable, but the suspense is raised when their lives are in danger.

The characterisation included in the screenplay also gives Anthony Ramos the opportunity to step up and show Hollywood that he is ready to take that step as an action hero. Not only can he pull off the action sequences but is great in the dramatic parts as well. It would have been nice to see Dominique Fishback have to do the action sequences, but it was nice to see a plot where there wasnt a forced romance.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is a film that will be enjoyed by hardcore Transformers films and because of the reboot vibe is easily accessible to those who havent seen the other films. The film really hits its straps with its scene in Peru and it is great to see new life breathed into a franchise that certainly has more stories to tell.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is currently screening in Phuket and is rated G.

3/5 Stars

David Griffiths has been working as a film and music reviewer for over 20 years. That time has seen him work in radio, television and in print. You can follow him at www.facebook.com/subcultureentertainmentaus
A Boeing Dreamlifter sits on the tarmac at their campus in North Charleston, South Carolina

By Valerie Insinna

PARIS (Reuters) - U.S. planemaker Boeing slightly raised its annual 20-year forecast for new jetliner deliveries, propelled by the strength of the narrowbody market fueled by demand from low-cost carriers.

Boeing expects airlines will need to buy 42,595 jets from now until 2042, up from 41,170 planes in its previous 20-year forecast last year.

The latest projection -- released on Sunday ahead of the Paris Airshow -- is still lower than the 43,610 new jets that were predicted as part of the market outlook in 2021, when Russian aircraft demand was factored in.

Boeing expects that narrowbody jets like its 737 MAX or the A320neo family made by European rival Airbus will dominate aircraft deliveries, with 32,420 single-aisle jets delivered through 2042.

That demand will be driven by low-cost carriers, which are slated to double the size of their current fleets, said Darren Hulst, Boeing's vice president of commercial marketing, during a briefing with reporters ahead of the report's release.

Deliveries from now until 2042 are also expected to include 7,440 widebody planes, 1,810 regional jets and 925 freighters. About half of new jet deliveries will replace older models, while the other half will grow airlines' fleets, Boeing predicts.

"The end of the recovery has played out largely as we've expected, with a few different nuances and dynamics," such as a reduction in demand for regional jets compared to last year as interest in narrowbody planes grows, Hulst said.

Boeing expects the global aircraft fleet to almost double over the next 20 years, from about 24,500 jets in 2022 to 48,600 by 2042. Last year's outlook predicted a global fleet of 43,470 aircraft in 2041.

The company also raised its industrywide passenger traffic forecast growth rate slightly from 3.8% to 4%. And while the air cargo market is taking "a little bit of a breather," the estimated 3% annual growth in trade over the next 20 years will provide a tailwind for future demand, Hulst said.

"I think we'll again see how resilient the demand for air cargo is because it's consistently around 3.5% to 4% growth," he said.

Although Chinese air traffic remained depressed in 2022, Hulst said Boeing remains "very bullish" on China, which will make up 20% of the market, with the rest of Asia making up another 22% of demand.

Airbus, which published its own market forecast on Wednesday, also raised its delivery projections, estimating that 40,850 new jets would be handed over to customers through 2042.

(Reporting by Valerie Insinna; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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Brazil used the visit of a Chinese naval delegation on Friday to complain about alleged illegal fishing by Chinese vessels between the Brazilian and African Atlantic coasts.

The military entourage arrived on Thursday, with the visit expected to last two days.

Led by the Secretary of the PLA Navy Yuan Huazhi, the group also includes the Navy Deputy Chief of Staff Admiral Li Pengcheng; China's defence attache in Brazil, Zhang Linhong; and five other officers.

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The commander of the Brazilian Navy, Admiral Marcos Sampaio Olsen, and the chief of staff of the navy, Admiral Jose Augusto Vieira da Cunha de Menezes, hosted their guests in Brasilia.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was said to have arranged the visit just days in advance. Photo: AFP alt=Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was said to have arranged the visit just days in advance. Photo: AFP>

The meeting points to the resumption of bilateral defence talks, postponed since 2020 due to the pandemic. Sources familiar with the matter confirmed that the visit was brokered by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and arranged just days in advance - the reason no military agreement is likely to be signed.

The Brazilian military complained about Chinese fishing vessels leaving the African coast, sailing through Atlantic waters without being tracked, and engaging in illegal fishing, the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo reported.

So-called illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing occurs when foreign vessels fish illegally in the exclusive economic zone of other countries, defined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as the area up to 200 nautical miles off a state's coast.

Global Fishing Watch, a non-governmental organisation that promotes transparency in the fishing industry and helps government agencies fight illegal fishing, told the Post that up to one in five fish caught at sea are the result of IUU fishing, a market estimated to be up to US$23.5 billion a year

According to a report published by Investigative Journalism Reportika in February, Chinese vessels account for 60 per cent of all IUU fishing cases reported in 2021.

In addition, American University in Washington reported in October that the crime had led to the decline of fish stocks and the extinction of protected marine species in South America.

Besides economic losses and the consequences for the environment, Brazil is also concerned about regional security.

Filipe Porto, a fellow at the Brazilian Naval War School's Conjuncture Assessment Centre, said that the strengthening of Chinese military ties with African coastal nations, as well as alleged Chinese interest in building a naval base in Argentina to consolidate its presence in the South Atlantic, raised concerns by Brazilian military officers.

Admiral Marcos Sampaio Olsen, commander of the Brazilian Navy, hosted the talks. Photo: Wikipedia alt=Admiral Marcos Sampaio Olsen, commander of the Brazilian Navy, hosted the talks. Photo: Wikipedia>

The military doctrine adopted by Brazil, Porto said, provides for the protection of the region in partnership with the countries that share the Atlantic coast. Despite the unease, however, the Lula administration has pushed for greater engagement with China.

"The armed forces have the tactical and operational autonomy to patrol the area and detect crimes such as illegal and unregulated fishing, but the power to do something about it rests with the presidency," Porto said.

"The Brazilian military has a long tradition of alignment with the West, many officers have studied at American schools and may even take a more hawkish attitude towards China, but the Navy is the most pragmatic of the armed forces ... The IUU fishing [issue] will certainly be addressed diplomatically and militarily."

The Chinese embassy in Brazil sent a statement to the Post that China conducts fishing in distant waters following international laws and regulations and "adopting a zero-tolerance attitude towards illegal fishing".

The embassy also noted that Beijing had instituted voluntary moratoriums in certain parts of the high seas and that China is committed to "science-based conservation and sustainable use of international fisheries".

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.
California man sets out on 7,000-mile trip to Arctic Ocean  to honor veterans

Two adventure-seeking septuagenarians set out early Saturday on a 7,000-mile round trip from Cambria to the Arctic Ocean.

Jay Burbank of Cambria and South Carolina resident Charlie Enxuto will travel about 5,000 of those miles driving a 1931 Model A Ford, a slant-window town sedan converted to look like a U.S. Army Air Corps generals staff car from World War II. That includes 1,400 miles on the graveled Dempster Highway.

The men are 77 and 75 years old, respectively.

For the rest of the trip, from Cambria to Prince George, British Columbia, and back, the men will tow the antique auto in a 14-foot car hauler behind a Cadillac SUV.

The trailer also will provide a place to mount a Cascadia Vehicles rooftop tent for camping and room to carry filled fuel cans.

The back-up supplies arent optional.

There are long gaps without gas stations on the way to the edge of the continent at Tuktoyaktuk in the Canadian Northwest Territories, explained Burbank, who owns the vehicles.

The Model A gets about 15 mpg with a 10-gallon tank, he said, and the Caddy gets about 15 mpg with a 25-gallon tank.

Jay Burbank of Cambria will see about 1,400 miles of a 7,000 mile adventure from this drivers seat in his 1931 Model A town sedan, honoring veterans and raising money for alternative-education graduates. The trip will take him and friend Charlie Enxuto of South Carolina from Californias Central Coast through the U.S. and Canada to the Arctic Circle. Theyll trailer the antique vehicle the rest of the way. Kathe Tanner/ktanner@thetribunenews.com

SLO County man known for travels in antique vehicles

Burbank has lots of experience doing other long, international drives in the the 1931 Ford now known as Military Maxi and another, smaller Model A.

Since taking a 2001 trek through Germany, Switzerland, Austria and northern Italy, hes done antique car tours, runs and rides along the West and East coasts of the United States as well as 18 foreign countries, including Mexico, Canada and Australia.

Why travel from Californias Central Coast to the edge of the Arctic Ocean, partly in an antique auto?

For the beauty, the people and the adventure, doing something other people think is impossible, Burbank said, and to honor military veterans.

The idea started with a challenge, he said.

Jay Burbank of Cambria, at left, and Charlie Enxuto of South Carolina take a pause Friday, June 9, 2023, before they load Burbanks 1931 Model A town sedan, a cartop tent, fuel cans and more into the trailer before departing Saturday, June 10, 2023 for their 7,000-mile roundtrip adventure to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean. Theyll drive one-fifth of the journey in the antique vehicle on the graveled Dempster Highway. Pat Burbank

While on a Model A trip in Utah, Burbank told a man from Canada that Someday, Id like to do the Alcan Highway in Alaska, the Cambria man recalled.

Do you want to do an ordinary road like that or have an adventure? the Canadian asked, referring to the Dempster Highway to Tuktoyaktuk, above the Arctic Circle.

While Burbanks wife of 57 years, Pat Burbank, often accompanies her husband on his antique auto trips, shes bowing out of this jaunt.

The short answer is no, she said. Its a guys trip. Theyre going to be camping in bear country, and nobodys told me for sure that bears cant climb a ladder to a car-top tent.

Jay Burbank said he and Enxuto plan to protect themselves with a large supply of bear repellent spray and loud sound-emitting devices designed to repel aggressive wildlife.

Hes also taking a protective screen to keep gravel and rocks away from Military Maxis engine and windscreen.

Jay Burbank of Cambria, at left, and Charlie Enxuto of South Carolina begin loading Friday, June 9, 2023, up for their 7,000-mile roundtrip adven ture to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean. Theyll do one-fifth of the journey driving Burbanks 1931 Model A town sedan. That portion of the trip will be on the graveled Dempster Highway. Pat Burbank

Trip to Arctic Circle is tribute to veterans

Burbank is an Air Force veteran who served two tours in Guam and Okinawa.

He met Enxuto, who was in the U.S. Army, in 2007 on a small ship cruise of the Panama Canal and Costa Rica. The two immediately bonded over their shared passions for photography and travel.

Enxuto has accompanied Burbank on previous Model A adventures, starting in 2008 on a voyage that went from Cambria to Vancouver, British Columbia, across Canada and then to Mackinac Island, Michigan.

In 2019, Burbank repainted and reoutfitted his Model A so he could participate in a recreation of a military convoy a century earlier from Washington D.C. to San Francisco on a route now known as the Lincoln Highway.

On that trip, Burbank was approached by Tully Garrett, co-owner of the Launching Pad Drive-in on Route 66 in Wilmington, Illinois.

The son of a veteran, Garrett told Burbank how his father was wounded during the invasion of Iwo Jima and how the injured man played dead for two days as he lay on the black sand beach, hearing fellow Marines being killed.

I was so moved by the story that I asked Tully to sign Military Maxi with a Sharpie pen in honor of his fathers memory, Burbank said.

Jay Burbank, at left, and Tully Garrett of Wilmington, Illinois, pose in 2019 after Garrett signed his fathers name on Burbanks 1931 Model A, in honor of the mans military service, wartime injuries and experiences. It was the first of hundreds of veterans autographs Burbank has collected on the antique auto since then. Pat Burbank

Since then, Burbanks car has been autographed by or on behalf of 700 to 800 veterans. Hes lost count of how many names are there.

After names fill up a section of the vehicles exterior, Burbank puts a clear coat on it to preserve the signatures and protect them from sun and rain.

He plans to collect a lot more names on the trip to Tuktoyaktuk, which is dedicated to U.S. and Canadian veterans, especially those who served during wartime.

Maggie Cox is an organizer with Honor Flight Central Coast California, which takes veterans on free Tour of Honor trips to Washington, D.C.

About 700 to 800 signatures from U.S. military veterans adorn the 1931 Model A Ford town car that Jay Burbank of Cambria converted to look like a World War II Generals staff car. Kathe Tanner/ktanner@thetribunenews.com

Jay is one of those amazing veterans who is still giving his time and heart in service to others, Cox said. Hes working the Maxi project and raising funds, driving (Maxi) to Calabasas to honor a 97-year-old WWII vet, then bringing his special spirit on our trip to D.C. He is someone special.

Burbank went to Calabasas because the man hadnt been able to attend a pre-flight luncheon at which all the other Honor Flight vets signed Maxi.

He was so excited. His blue eyes were just sparkling, Burbank said of the man.

The car does such neat things to people, Burbank said.

Jay Burbank of Cambria, at left, and Charlie Enxuto of South Carolina take a pause Friday, June 9, 2023, before they load Burbanks 1931 Model A town sedan, a cartop tent, fuel cans and more into the trailer before departing Saturday, June 10, 2023 for their 7,000-mile roundtrip adventure to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean. Theyll drive one-fifth of the journey in the antique vehicle on the graveled Dempster Highway. Pat Burbank

Trip has special meaning for Cambria man

In addition to honoring veterans, the trip will serve as a fundraiser.

Burbank and Enxuto are collecting donations for scholarships given annually by Cambrias American Legion Post No. 432 to students at the towns Leffingwell High School..

The men hope to raise enough for an endowment that would fund at least four $1,000 scholarships per year for Leffingwell grads.

The continuation high school, which celebrated the Class of 2023 in a graduation ceremony on May 31?, serves the needs of alternative education students in Cambria, San Simeon and Cayucos, according to its website.

That cause has special significance for Burbank.

As a child and adolescent in the 1960s, Burbank dealt with undiagnosed dyslexic and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

He never graduated from high school, he said, and as a young man, he found it hard to concentrate or make friends.

With guidance, determination and grit, he began to bloom. In the military, Burbank developed skills as an aircraft mechanic working on Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers.

He went on to become a master wood crafter, metalsmith, photographer and warmly effective communicator.

In Cambria and as part of American Legion Post No. 432, he and his wife found a welcoming community and many devoted friends.

The retired couple devote their time now to giving back to that community and veterans.

To donate to the scholarship fund, go to legionpost432.com





To track the travelers adventures through the wilds, follow Pat Burbanks trip blog at jayspatsadventures.blog.
The Afghan Taliban government has been under global scrutiny and condemnation for not taking enough action against terrorism, especially by its initial benefactor, that is Pakistan.

But recently, dreaded terrorist Sanaullah Ghafari (designated a global terrorist) was killed in an operation by the Afghan Talibani forces. With a $10 million bounty on his head under the Rewards for Justice Program (U.S. Department of States programme for tipping information) and slammed in the 14th report of the UNs Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team as the most ambitious leader of the affiliate, does Ghafaris killing signify a change in the narrative and relief for the Pakistanis across the restive Durand Line? The short answer is No.

The fine print accompanying the antecedents of Sanaullah Ghafari shows that he is not from the Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (TTP) but instead from the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) faction which is Afghanistan-facing (unlike TTP which is Pakistan-facing), even though both reside in the scraggy swathes of Afghanistan.

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The principal aim of the TTP is to overthrow the existing Pakistani government by violence and establish a theocratic state (much like the Taliban government in Kabul), whereas ISKP has a more Pan-Islamic ambition with Khorasan as a suggested province of the core Islamic State (Caliphate).

The ISKP directly threatens and targets the existing Afghan Taliban state and wherewithal, while the TTP takes on the Pakistani armed forces and state assets, singularly.

The neutralizing of the socalled Emir of the ISKP and a high-value target in Sanaullah Ghafari shows the capability and intent of the oft-discredited Afghan Taliban forces, and it also simultaneously and tellingly suggests the obvious disinterest of the Afghan Taliban to take on the TTP to the chagrin of the Pakistanis.

While it is true that in recent times the ISKP had undertaken daring attacks on the diplomats of Pakistan, Russia, China etc., that was driven by the fact that these nations were trying to legitimise the otherwise pariahiased government of the Afghan Taliban, initially.

Thus the Afghan Taliban reneged from acting like a beholden, controllable or even extended arm of the much-bandied Pakistani Strategic Depth from the Rawalpindi General Head Quarters, and therefore resisted subsequent pressures from Pakistan to act on co-ideologically aligned TTP. Pakistan was horrified and hapless at the uncontrollable mutation of its own creation.

Ironically, ISKP seems to be brutally out-talibanising the Afghan Taliban to an extent that it could emerge as an inadvertent and common rallying point with the West (especially with the United States). The ISKP has been responsible for multiple bombings that have killed hundreds of Afghan civilians and even specifically targeted the vulnerable Shia community.

All this makes the ISKP the latest enfant terrible of Afghanistan, replacing even the Afghan Taliban. The ISKP was also a growing threat to neighbouring countries like Iran, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan (who have had a historical beef with the Afghan Taliban) after having conducted bloody attacks there.

Therefore, any action on the ISKP front (like the Sanaullah Ghafari incident) earns the Afghan Taliban unstated brownie points with its neighbours as also with potential donors in the West, whereas action against the TTP earns it ire from within, and at best, meaningless appreciation from the otherwise bankrupt Pakistan. There is simply no upside for the Afghan Taliban to act on the TTP, only a downside. Not so on ISKP  hence the selectivity of action.

This means that the bugbear of TTP for the Pakistanis is here to stay. With over 5,000 highly trained and motivated fighters in its ranks and millions of supporters across the lawless and tribal Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, it is of little surprise that the TTP has been able to conduct more than 100 terror attacks on Pakistani soil since the end of its ceasefire last year. The major reason for TTP to end the ceasefire had been totally local with the Pakistani government failing to reverse the merger of former FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Area) with the newly formed KP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) province. Again, unlike the ISKP agenda ~ the TTP agenda and grouses are wholly local and Pak-centric.

Misplaced bravado by Pakistani politicians with an eye on their own cadres with suggestions of political muscularity and even openly warning that they were open to strike against TTP hideouts across the Afghanistan border did not go down well with the Afghan Taliban.

Even the United Nations was to note the obvious when it said, The Afghan Taliban [do] not consider TTP a threat to Afghanistan, but rather as part of the emirate.

This is where the Pakistani conundrum and underestimation of the larger Talibani coaffiliation (Afghan Taliban and the TTP) exists.

The TTP phenomenon, besides thriving in tribal areas and populace with co-ethnicity and accompanying sensibilities (read Pathans) are aided immeasurably via their social media outreach that is preying on the failed state imperative, socio-economic morass and sheer desperation that has consumed the Pakistani narrative and its discredited establishment.

The Pakistani socio-economic distress is here to stay and that makes it fertile territory for the TTP agenda to extend beyond the invisible and unrecognised Durand Line, and ingress into the Punjabi heartland, as well.

The TTP ranks on Afghan soil also afford a priceless bargaining lever to the equally desperate Afghan Taliban government to seek their pound of flesh from the Pakistanis ~ historically and culturally, this sits well with societal dissonance between Islamabad and Kabul.

For the United States (euphemism for West), the Afghan Taliban (and its accompanying imperatives) is a fait accompli after having negotiated the terms of withdrawal, but the more globally ambitious ISKP is a pertinent threat that needs to be countered.

Paradoxically, the Afghan Taliban by taking on the ISKP may well be making a case for rapprochement by ostensibly taking on terror whilst leaving out the TTP from its menu card to the irritation of the Pakistanis.

Given the duplicitous role played by the Pakistani establishment in ousting the US/ NATO from Afghan soil and the limited reach and role of TTP, the selective silence of the Afghan Taliban on the TTP may well be overlooked. TTP is a mutation of a genie unleashed by the Pakistanis that has gone rogue.
At least one New York Times article called the boxes of secrets seized from former US president Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort bathroom reading. The columnist, Maureen Dowd, was referring to the fact that some of the classified documents that Trump refused to hand over were quite literally kept in the bathroom of a room known as the Lake Room. Trump has been indicted on 37 counts, over his handling of classified material. His indictment tells a story of an unhinged president holding on to precious state secrets.

It is ironic indeed to read where such important stuff was kept, not least because the US itself is incredibly nosy about other countries state secrets. Pakistani officials particularly those that helped during the US-led war on terror would be familiar with American zeal on this.

Many international capitals would tend to agree with this observation. If countries like Pakistan see the indictment as duplicitous because American officials have a great penchant for grilling lesser democracies, the more industrialised democracies that share their intelligence would be perturbed for the opposite reasons. Which one of their secrets, they would naturally wonder, were in the bathroom of the Lake Room at Mar-a-Lago within a few steps of everyone  from cooks and janitors to random wedding guests along with the actual members of the Trump clan.

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Indeed, the indictment makes for highly recommended reading for just this reason  boxes of secrets just piled up against the wall of a room almost anyone could get into and at any time. Indeed, it is an open question as to how many people got into the room; after all, it was widely reported that at least one alleged Chinese spy had visited Mar-a-Lago during Trumps presidency.

As the indictment prepared by the US justice departments special counsel Jack Smith said: The classified documents Trump stored in his boxes included information regarding defence and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries; United States nuclear programmes; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack.

The trick was this: Trumps valet Walt Nauta, who is named as co-conspirator, was allegedly ordered by Trump to move 64 boxes that had been flown from the White House to Mar-a-Lago to his residence. (As background information, it is useful to know that some of these highly classified documents were obtained by Trump during private presidential briefings in which such material is presented to the head of state. While there are special protocols that dictate whether the printed material can even be taken out of the room it was noted that Trump was fond of flouting these rules and taking various highly classified papers to the residence.)

In any case, when the Trump attorney assigned to the case came to inquire about the boxes and comply with the governments request that the former president turn over classified materials; he saw only some that had remained and thought that they were all that there were.

These are some of the reported details of what the former president faces. The political morass is yet another story. It is an open question whether Trumps legal troubles will impact him politically. Indeed, he remains the frontrunner in the Republican field for president 2024, despite the various indictments raining down on him. As Pakistanis know well, the arrests of political leaders ahead of elections can be a double-edged sword.

The rhetoric among diehard Trump supporters shows that many among their number want a civil war in which they see Trump as the whitesupremacist hero. The night before Trump appeared in court in Miami for his arraignment, a news channel was reporting that internet chatter among supporters of the former president was more violent than it had been, even though their numbers now appeared to be fewer than just before the Jan 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

The diehard groups are one part of the story; more problematic in terms of electoral politics are the armchair Trump supporters who believe that any and all charges against Trump, be they related to the classified material or worse ones expected to be linked to his inciting the violence that led to the events of Jan 6 are fake. Whether it be the US or Pakistan, the issue of wrongdoing by politicians remains a tricky one. A pessimistic appraisal would suggest that when institutions act in ways that undermine electoral politics, they set in motion a crisis of legitimacy that calls the foundational principles of democratic institutions into question.

After all, even actors acting on behalf of institutions  for example, the special counsel Jack Smith acting on behalf of the US justice department  have private political affiliations. Even though this is not supposed to impact their actions as officials of the state, in the eyes of Trumps supports their actions taint them irreparably.

These sorts of allegations in which no one is ever pure enough to do anything against a populist political figure are extremely dangerous for democratic institutions. When there are enough of them over a short period of time, it becomes exceedingly difficult for these democratic institutions to maintain their credibility in the eyes of the citizens whom they are supposed to serve and represent. Now, this test is going to play out in the US, which until very recently was in the business of building democracy at home. It seems that this exercise has not turned out as expected; it remains to be seen how this new test posed by a proto-fascist populist Donald Trump will pan out.
Guns, daggers, knives, bombs, bamboo poles, rods, bricks, sticks and stones  these are not weapons one generally associates with a democratic contest. Unfortunately, the election process in West Bengal has increasingly begun to be associated with these.

No sooner had the dates of the Panchayat Polls been announced on June 8 and the filing of nomination papers started on June 9, violence erupted in various places in the districts. The political clashes reportedly claimed, at last count, six lives. The injured included those who had their heads hit with rods, those who were thrown to the ground and bashed up with sticks, those who were knocked about and manhandled, those who were punched, kicked or slapped and the list goes one.

Political parties started the blame game.

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Ruling Trinamool is being accused by the Opposition parties of perpetrating the violence and engaging its goons to intimidate rivals with the intention of preventing them from filing nomination papers.

Trinamool is trying to derail the democratic process by unleashing violence on Opposition candidates, said CPIMs Mohammed Salim.

Trinamool has shot back with allegations that the Opposition parties are out to malign the Trinamool government. At a public rally West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that the process of filing nominations had been largely peaceful with only a few sporadic incidents of violence. She also blamed the incidents of violence on goons and distanced herself and her party from any culpability in clashes in certain areas.

The question that arises is why should even a single incidence of violence take place during the democratic process of elections? The images of physical violence from the districts  irrespective of which political party perpetrated it  captured and broadcast by television news cameras can be compared to scenes of battlefields and not an electoral contest.

While Banerjee claims, as she did in the same public rally and somewhat incredulously as it were, that West Bengal is among the states where the least amount of political violence takes place during elections, political analysts say that the power politics of this state has a history of violence. It could seem shocking that such conflicts reminiscent of combat zones would be associated with the democratic electoral process, observes Professor Biswanath Chakraborty, political scientist. However, if you look at the legacy of Bengal politics, you would find that violence is not always looked at askance. He points out that it was in Bengal that the Naxalite movement started and gained a certain degree of endorsement even though it was openly an armed struggle. says Chakraborty, That the means justifies the end was the principle that pitted the class enemies against each other, even if those means were violent, he says.

Chakraborty says that while this tradition is ingrained in the power politics of the state, the time has come to question this violence. Commenting on the earlier rural elections in the state, the Panchayat Polls of 2018, he says, It is almost unthinkable that we have no choice but to accept the results of elections which have not always been entirely free or fair.

The 2018 Panchayat Polls reported a large number of incidents of violence. Opposition parties had demanded the deployment of central paramilitary forces during the polling claiming that they would be a more neutral monitoring agent that the state police, which is under the state government. The demand was met and central forces were deployed.

This time too the Opposition had filed petitions in the Calcutta High Court seeking the courts reassurance that central forces would be deployed. Initially the Court had ruled that nine of the most sensitive districts would need to be provided central forces. Later, it was extended to all the districts.

Interestingly, the state government has contested that and filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court for a stay on that order. The state government has reasoned that the state police force is adequately equipped to monitor and conduct a free and fair election.

The Opposition, in turn is questioning the state government petition. BJPs West Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, asking for the centers intervention to ensure security during the polls. In the letter he stated, I would like to draw your attention to the review petition filed by West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief, Mamata Banerjee, against the recent Kolkata High Court order. The High Court had ordered the deployment of central forces throughout the state for the Panchayat elections, recognizing the need for a secure and impartial electoral process.
The Kerala High Court has granted interim protection from arrest to Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran in a cheating case involving controversial antique dealer Monson Mavunkal.

While considering an anticipatory bail application filed by KPCC president Sudhakaran, a single bench of Justice Ziyad Rahman AA on Friday directed the counsel for the police that no persuasive steps should be taken against Sudhakaran until the next hearing of the matter on June 21.

No coercive steps shall be taken against the petitioner till the next posting date. Post the matter on June 21, the court said.

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In his plea seeking anticipatory bail, Sudhakaran contended that there was no allegation against him in the First Information Report (FIR) which was registered by the police in 2021 based on a complaint received in 2018.

The Crime Branch, on 10 June 2023, issued a notice to Sudhakaran stating that they had received certain credible information and had reasonable suspicion regarding his involvement in the said crime. The Crime branch probe team asked Sudhakaran to appear before them on14 June.

However, the petitioner avers that he had certain pre-arranged priorities and consultations due to which he was unable to do so. He claims he had informed the Crime branch of the same vide a letter dated 13 June 2023, and sought another date to appear.

The Congress Kerala chief claimed in his plea that prima facie the notice issued to him to be present in person before the Crime Branch appears to have been for extraneous reasons and political compulsion best known to the police authorities.

Sudhakaran further said that the notice was issued under Section 41A of the Criminal Procedure Code, which gives the police powers to arrest the person whether he complies or not with the notice.

The Crime Branch wing of Kerala Police have on Monday named Congress Kerala chief K Sudhakaran as the second accused in the Monson Mavunkal fake antique fraud case. The probe team on Monday submitted its report to the Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate.

The plea claimed that Sudhakaran apprehends that the issuance of notice to him almost two years later is a ploy to drag him into the controversy and tarnish his social image which he developed after having served many years as a public servant.

He also argued that custodial interrogation was unnecessary as there is no substance in the allegation and no culpable element is made out against him.
On the much awaited reality show Bigg Boss OTT 2, Manisha Rani, a well-known social media influencer from Bihar, is poised to enthral fans with her distinctive blend of Bihari swag and cultivated intelligence.

Manisha Rani, who was born and raised in Bihar, exemplifies the vivacious spirit of her native region. She effortlessly exudes the essence of Bihari swag with her attractive personality and contagious enthusiasm. Manisha proudly displays the diverse cultural traditions of Bihar via her attire and demeanour. She wants to challenge misconceptions and promote the diversity and richness of her culture by participating in Bigg Boss OTT 2 and bringing attention to her lesser-known culture.

Growing up in Bihar, she witnessed the value placed on education and knowledge in her community. She hopes to show through her large social media following that intelligence can be developed through a variety of life events and interactions, and that ones upbringing greatly influences their intellectual development.



Manisha Ranis Career



Bihar-born Manisha Rani is a well-known online personality. Manisha has a large following on social media and was most recently seen on The Kapil Sharma Show. She holds a business degree and is from Mungar in Bihar. She began her career as a dancer and has also dabbled in modelling and lip syncing. Manisha is a YouTuber who rose to fame because of her TikTok videos.

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Manisha Rani has appeared on Dance India Dance before, but it was her social media posts in Bhojpuri that first gained her notoriety. On Instagram and YouTube, she is followed by more than 4 million people. She has a reputation for speaking truth to power, much like Archana Gautam. She is renowned for speaking her mind, like Shehnaaz.

Manisha has long wished to take part in Bigg Boss. She was actually considered a wild card entrance the previous year, but it didnt work out. Manisha relocated to Mumbai from Bihar the previous year. She has attended numerous events as a social media celebrity. She also attended this months IIFA awards presentation in Abu Dhabi as a special guest.



Manisha Rani will have more opportunities to display her skills and personality thanks to her official participation in Bigg Boss OTT 2. Millions of fans eagerly anticipate seeing her Bihari swag and brains on screen with Salman Khan as the shows presenter.

Bigg Boss OTT 2 will be the internet debut of the Dabangg star, who will host it. Along with Manisha, the show also stars Aaliya Siddiqui, Nawazuddin Siddiquis ex-wife, television actor Avinash Sachdev, and a few more well-known figures from Bollywood and social media.
Dr K Keshava Rao, leader of Telanganas ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi in Parliament, and a leading spokesperson of Opposition parties trying to unite against the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, had broken his 50- year-old relationship with the Congress Party in support of a separate State of Telangana, which has just celebrated its 10th anniversary. A member of the Rajya Sabha since 2006, Dr Rao was elected to the House for the third term in April 2020. A veteran political leader of Andhra Pradesh before its division, he was president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee for three terms, and a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). Familiar with political groupings and break-ups over his long political career, Dr Rao has been a sober participant in Rajya Sabha proceedings consistently, despite frequent clashes between Opposition and Treasury Benches in recent years.

Dr Rao, 84, has watched the Opposition trying to put up a united face against the BJP, and says the issue of Opposition unity is a perplexing paradox. On the one hand, he says, all parties stress its need, yet on the other, they grapple with its basics. It will thus remain elusive unless concrete plans are made, he says. According to him, there are two strong streams of thought. One stresses the need to unite all parties with a common goal to defeat the BJP/NDA; the second wants to involve people in this unity process, having seen the failure of Opposition fronts. The latter view is shared by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), he says. The key is finding a tall, acceptable leader to hold the fort together, he tells DEEPAK RAZDAN, in this interview.

Excerpts:

Q: How do you find the pace of Opposition unity for 2024 polls progressing?

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A: Fine. A strong and purposeful unity is growing steadily amongst non-NDA parties, despite their differences and perceptions. It may not always be demonstrative. They share a common goal of unity in diversity and are firmly committed to fight the divisive forces that operate in the name of religion. The expectations are high. One agrees that they do not often walk the talk; but share the sentiment strongly.

Q: What does the Karnataka result indicate?

A: Karnataka will have no impact on Telangana and many other regions. It has boosted the morale of Congress. Congress looks reinvigorated thanks to Bharat Jodo Yatra and now Karnataka.

Q: Was the boycott of the new Parliament building inauguration a high point of Opposition unity?

A: Why? Opposition has shown its unity and oneness on many occasions like Adani agitation, Red Fort Rally, etc. No doubt, Parliament event is important from the point of our democracy and constitutional frame work. According to our Constitution, Parliament means and consists of two Houses  Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and the President. Sidelining the President, in such a framework looks not only odd but violative of norms. It has nothing to do with any particular President personally. The criticism that since we did not vote for Mrs Droupadi Murmu, we had no right to talk of the President is nonsense. We voted for the office of the President, where the candidate had been different. And that is democracy.

Secondly, if we look to the President as part of the Executive, then we could have opted for the Speaker, and certainly not the Prime Minister, who represents only a part of the Parliament as Head of a majority group and executive.

All parties, except the ruling junta realized this democratic and constitutional principle and showed their solidarity in boycotting the Parliament event; not Parliament.

Q: Is the Congress doing enough to unite the Opposition?

A: Congress, according to me is just another party. And like any committed Opposition, it is putting its efforts to mobilize opposition unity. But the success of such unity will be productive only when we give regional parties prominence, as they enjoy bigger numbers.

Q:The Left had often given the philosophy for Opposition unity, how do you see its role now?

A: Left played its role well in the past. Today, it is not of much relevance, though respectful. Besides, they have never been in vanguard of opposition unity. In 1967, it was SVD governments, it was Ram Manohar Lohia who inspired unity.

Q: The stand of Mamata Banerjee and JD(S) stand is often not clear.Mamata skipped the Karnataka swearing-in, while JD (S) attended Parliament building function.

A: They have their own compulsions. But nonetheless, they are veering round on the point of unity. Particular issues or events should not determine ones commitment to unity and opposition to the ruling dispensation  BJP. They are isolated issues. And as I said that in spite of the differences in perceptions, they want to be one.

Q: NCP had disagreed with the demand for a JPC in Adani issue.

A: Unity is not uniformity. NCP stand on Adani falls under the above explanation.

Q:Aam Aadmi Party has grown with its Punjab victory, but the Congress is unable to accept this. Do you agree?

A: That is the problem with Congress Party. It needs to come out of its big brother mindset. It is a great party, but lacks leadership. I am confident that it will realise and fall in line soon. Q: The South is mostly fortified, but large northern States with Samajwadi, BSP are asserting strong identities. A: That is the reality. We need to contend with ones urge to maintain identity. But, it should not defeat the objective of unity. We need to work out strategies to overcome our shortcomings in the North. But the South, when read along with other parts (not north) like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal is a formidable block, which is mostly independent and may not feel all that happy with the Congress. But all these issues will be sorted out, given the time and purpose.

Q: Telanganas K Chandrashekar Rao, Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee are strong voices, but do you think a strong argument to say why Modi should go is missing?

A: Yes they are strong leaders without a challenge. KCR is invincible. But that is the story of all other regional parties. When we look from the lens of non BJP, we see that Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, J&K etc. are invincible. Next, it is for Congress to hold its own fort, not allowing Rajasthan issues to grow grave. The best way therefore is to evolve a right coordination. The nation is becoming averse to BJPs divisive ideology and functioning. It sees a danger to its pluralistic existence or diversity.

The slogan as to why should Modi go is well articulated by the growing Opposition unity. The need for opposition unity reflects it. Per se nobody is against any individual or party; it is what they represent or symbolize. India with its vast diversity seeks unity within it. It demands decentralised governance, true cooperative federalism, not centralisation. It is for a secular polity. The socio-economic disparities, as reflected in the rich-poor income graph demands a perfect social control, not unbridled privatisation. Non-BJP has become an agenda of the people, like antiCongressism of the late sixties.

However, it is true, that we need one acceptable leader to lead the present movement. This is on the mind of every party. Mr KCR, in particular, has been stressing this point with every leader that he has been meeting.

Q: What does Telanganas 10 years of development show?

A: Telangana has created a brand of its own, and stands as a model of development to the entire nation. Developing from being one of the most backward regions of the country, it now reaches the stage of one of the richest states, with highest per capita income of Rs 3.5 lakh, as against Rs 1.57 lakh nationally. It provides free power to farmers and weaker sections, potable tapped water to all households. In the medical and health sector, it holds pride of place, with 29 planned medical colleges and more than 34,000 beds in Government hospitals. With a whopping social welfare spending of more than Rs 50,000 crore per annum, it has many firsts and highest ranks in its kitty. The number of pensions for old-aged, widows, single women, beedi workers, marriage gift of Rs 101,600 as Shadi Mubarak/Kalyana Laxmi and double bed room houses to more than five lakh people in this period stand testimony to its commitment to social justice.

Its agriculture production is ranked second in the country, the area under cultivation is more than 1.6 crore acres, with irrigation covering one crore acres. It has built the worlds biggest multi-lift irrigation project  Kaleshwaram. In the field of education, it has pride of place with over 2,000 new residential schools for SC, BCs. Its unemployment labour index is amongst the lowest in the country. It has trebled its IT exports, nearing Rs 3 lakh crore, providing jobs to nearly nine lakh people. Its power generation has more than doubled with per capita consumption crossing more than 2000 units.

Above all, there is Telanganas leadership. KCR provides answers to all important needs and questions of the nation today. Rated amongst a couple of leaders to lead the nation and opposition unity, KCR is the best bet.

Q: Against the Congress, the entire Opposition could launch a movement on price-rise only; is public mobilization missing?

A: That was during the Emergency period. Same situation is slowly developing, with dictatorial overtones of the ruling junta. The present unity reflects the mobilization on that front in the given circumstances. A programme/ strategy of peoples movement against these undemocratic acts of the ruling party is need of the hour.
Pilibhits Chuka beach has emerged as Uttar Pradeshs newest tourist hotspot. As many as 23679 tourists including 23625 Indians and 54 foreigners have visited Chuka Beach so far this year.

The States Tourism Department is developing new centres with historical and other specialties alongside its existing tourist destinations. Special attention is being paid to meeting all of the needs of visitors in order to promote tourism in these locations.

The only beach in Uttar Pradesh was abandoned for years due to neglect on the part of previous governments. Tourists were reluctant to visit the beach for safety reasons. Chuka Beach gained popularity as a tourist destination as a result of publicity campaigns of the state government.

Students and teachers from different schools visited 42 times by private buses during the tourist session 20222023. About 23579 tourists went on 4337 jungle safaris during the tourism year.

There are three signature gates available for tourists near PTR Headquarters, Mustafabad and Lalpur. There is a water hut available for visitors, and they enjoy it very much. Motorboat Safari is operated in Sharda Sagar dam for tourists. Four homestays are being operated under the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said here on Saturday that the state government has decided to allot 33 per cent of all future ration depots to women in the state.

Interacting with the beneficiaries of self-help groups through audio conferencing, Khattar said self-help groups applying for ration depots will be given priority.

He said if a self-help group applies for contract for fish farming of panchayat land or pond, they will receive a 10 per cent discount on the auction amount. He also said that if the family income of a member of the self-help group increases by more than Rs 1.80 lakh, their ration card and Ayushman card will not be quashed for one year.

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The CM said 25 per cent of the shops allotted at the bus stand through lottery or any other means would be reserved for self-help groups. In the case of auctioned shops, self-help groups will receive a 10 per cent discount on the auction amount.

Khattar announced the establishment of a call centre in the office of the Haryana State Rural Livelihood Mission to provide various types of information to beneficiaries belonging to self-help groups.

He said while there were only 812 SHGs in 2014, the number has increased to more than 57 thousand in the last eight-and-half-years.

The CM said in 2014, there were 812 self-help groups in the state. Since assuming power in 2014-15, the government has focused on the development of self-help groups, resulting in the formation of 2,100 new self-help groups in the first year. Currently, there are a total of 57,376 self-help groups in the state.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday welcomed the decision of the Union government to waive off the prerequisite of No Objection Certificate (NOC) for using waters from Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) projects for irrigation and drinking water purpose.

The state government had been fighting to get back its rightful share, he said.

Earlier, to utilize the waters of BBMB projects, the state had to obtain NOC after undergoing many formalities, adversely affecting the interests of the people of the state.

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While applauding this catalyst decision, Chief Minister said, We never backed from advocating states rights in a just manner. So far, various projects were utilizing the natural resources of the state without paying much heed to the concerns and welfare of its citizens. The State has always contributed to the overall development of the country and has cordial relationships with other states, but Himachal should not be deprived of its legitimate rights. We will continue the crusade for states dividends further.

The state government has demanded increased royalty in hydel projects, he added.

The state was not provided free power as royalty, in BBMB projects, which include Bhakra Dam project, Beas Satluj link and Pong dam project. The state is only getting 7.19 per cent share of electricity in these BBMB projects, which is not sufficient enough, he said.

Similarly, Himachal Pradesh is entitled to free power at the rate of 12 percent only in Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) commissioned projects, he said, adding that the period of contract is also not fixed in these projects.

We had strongly presented its case with the Central Government for an increased percentage of free power and limiting the contract time to 40 years. The projects will be transferred to the state after the set term, said the Chief Minister.

The state government has set its eye on reclaiming Himachals rights especially in hydel power projects, he said, adding that the discussion regarding these demands was held with Union Power Minister, R K Singh on his state tour recently as well.

With the Centre governments positive response, the state is awaiting more favourable decisions, he said.
The Indian Army rescued about 3,500 tourists who were stranded at Chungthang in North Sikkim due to landslides and roadblocks, said an official release on Saturday.

According to the release, heavy torrential rains were witnessed in Lachen, Lachung and Chungthang valleys on Friday. Over 2000 tourists have been rescued till 3 pm on June 17, 2023. Efforts are on to restore the road connectivity, while the evacuation of tourists would continue, the release read.

Troops of Trishakti Corps, Indian Army and personnel of Border Roads Organisation swung into action and worked overnight in heavy rains and inclement weather to create a temporary crossing over the flash flood area to facilitate the rescue of tourists, the release stated.

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It further stated, Tents are being set up and medical aid posts have been set up. The tourists will be provided with all assistance until the route is cleared for their further journey.

Moreover, the tourists were extended help to cross over the river and were provided with hot meals, tentage and medical support.

Indian Army, while guarding the border in Super High-Altitude areas of the Himalayas, remains proactive in providing assistance to tourists and the local population.
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Saturday claimed that India would not have been partitioned if Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had been alive at that time.

Delivering the first Subhas Chandra Bose Memorial Lecture in the national capital organised by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), the NSA pointed out that Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah had said that he could accept only one leader and that is Subhas Chandra Bose.

India would not have been partitioned if Subhas Bose was there. Jinnah had said I can accept only one leader and that is Subhas Bose, Doval said.

He said that Subhas Chandra Bose wanted Indians to feel free like birds and never compromised for anything less than the independence of the country.

Doval further said that Bose not only wanted to free India from political subjugation but he also felt the need to change the political, social, and cultural mindset of the people.

Netaji said  I will not compromise for anything less than full independence and freedom. He said that he not only wants to free this country from political subjugation but there is a need to change the political, social and cultural mindset of the people and they should feel like free birds in the sky, the NSA said.

The NSA said that Netaji showed a lot of audacity at various stages of life and he even had the audacity to challenge Mahatma Gandhi.

But Gandhi was at the prime of his political career and when Bose resigned and came out of the Congress, he started his struggle afresh, Doval said.

I am not saying good or bad but there are very few parallels in Indian history and world history of people who had the audacity to sail against the current, Doval said, adding that Netaji was a lonely person and had no country supporting him except Japan.

The idea that came to his mind was I will fight the British, I will not beg for freedom. It is my right and I will have to get it. added the NSA.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday appealed to all citizens to make the conservation of water an integral aspect of their daily lives to accelerate the spirit of Jan Andolan.

During his address at the fourth National Water Awards at Vigyan Bhawan here, he also called for reinvigorating traditional water harvesting structures such as ponds through a renewed commitment to the 3Rs of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Congratulating the winners for their exemplary work in the field of water resources management, Dhankhar called upon all public representatives at the panchayat, state, and national levels to make water conservation a priority and lead by example.

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Drawing attention to Constitutional provisions such as the Directive Principles of State Policy and the Fundamental Duties that emphasise the conservation of water and environment, the vice president highlighted the transformational impact that government initiatives such as the Jal Jeevan Mission were having on the lives of ordinary citizens.

Noting that the conservation of water has always been an inalienable facet of Indias civilisational ethos, he said it was the responsibility of every citizen to ensure the wise use of natures gifts.

Natural resources utilisation has to be as per our optimum necessity, he said.

The Vice-President also inaugurated a short film featuring the animated character Piku, the mascot of the National Water Mission, to be telecast on Doordarshan for amplifying the message of water conservation.
The government on Saturday released the National Working Plan Code-2023 for the scientific management of forests and evolving new approaches.

The National Working Plan Code-2023 was released by Chandra Prakash Goyal, Director General of Forests and Special Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change on the occasion of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, organised by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) in Dehradun.

India is one of the few countries in the world that has a scientific system of forest management. The working plan is the main instrument through which the scientific management of Forests is being achieved in India.

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The National Working Plan Code which was first adopted in 2004 with a subsequent amendment in 2014 brought uniformity and acted as the guiding principle for the preparation of the working plan for scientific management of different forest divisions of the country.

The forests in India are being managed for a multitude of reasons like maintaining environmental stability, conserving natural heritage, checking soil erosion and denudation of catchment areas, checking the extension of dunes, increasing tree and forest cover with people involvement, increasing the productivity of forests etc.

Scientific forest management in India and the world is consistently evolving with new approaches, new technologies and innovations and it has become imperative to evolve ourselves to meet the essentials of forest management and the requirements of people who depended on it.

The National Working Plan Code will act as a guiding principle for state forest departments in preparation for the working plan for different forest divisions in the country. It deals in detail with the essentials of forest management planning, incorporating the principles of sustainable management of forests. This includes the extent and condition of forest and tree cover; maintenance, conservation and enhancement of biodiversity including wildlife, forest health and vitality, conservation and management of soil and water resources, enhancement of forest resource productivity, maintenance and enhancement of social, economic, cultural and spiritual benefits, and providing the appropriate policy, legal and institutional framework.

For the first time, the National Working Plan Code has prescribed state forest departments to engage in continuous data collection and its updation in a centralized database.

The Indian Forest Management Standard which is a part of this code, takes into account the diverse forest ecosystem in the country, while trying to bring uniformity in management.
The Energy Department of the Bihar government has been rapidly installing smart prepaid electric meters in Bihar. However, the new prepaid electric metering system has raised concerns regarding the fairness and transparency of electricity billings.

Many consumers have reportedly experienced erroneous meter readings and a lack of clarity in the billing process. With the transition to smart-prepaid electric meters, there have been instances of consumers unexpectedly losing access to electricity due to various reasons, such as technical glitches, and connectivity issues.

Abdur Rahman, a cart puller in Muzaffarpur, expressed his distress, saying, The power agency unjustly disconnected my electricity claiming a negative balance of Rs 4000. My one-year-old child is suffering in this scorching heat. I earn a meagre Rs 400 to 500 per day through my handcart. Now, I am left wondering, what can I possibly do? No one seems to be addressing my plight.

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A paralyzed old man Mr Gulaab, of Muzaffarpurs Faiz Colony, lives in his three-room house without an AC and other functional electrical appliances of high power consumption. Only fans and a few light bulbs adorn his house. He spoke to The Statesman, helplessly wailing, I dont understand what this smart meter is. I dont know to operate the smart meter application. My son lives abroad and its a struggle for me to arrange money for my medication. How will I pay for electricity? Before this new meter was installed, my monthly electricity bill used to range between Rs 600 to Rs 800, but now it costs me that much within a week. The new meter readings are running at an alarmingly high pace.

Kameshwar Prasad, a senior social worker, and a theatre artist, a resident of the Chakbasu area of Muzaffarpur said, Will the power sector and DISCOMs progress by fleecing the public? Will any progress be achieved through this smart meter that has caused such losses to people?

Last week, a bandh under Prepaid Meter Hatao Postpaid Meter Lagao Abhiyan in Muzaffarpur was organised in response to the irregularities in the smart meter. This bandh was organised by the Bihar Civil Society and further endorsed by the Muzaffarpur Auto Rickshaw Employees Union, North Bihar Chamber of Commerce, Om Sevadal, Sudama Nandi Foundation, Vande Mataram Vahini, and a few others.

What is a smart prepaid electric meter?

The smart prepaid meters are connected through a web-based monitoring system. According to EESL(Energy Efficiency Services Limited), a joint venture of four National Public Sector Enterprises  NTPC(National Thermal Power Corporation Limited), PFC(Power Finance Corporation Limited), REC(Rural Electrification Company Limited), and POWERGRID, set up under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, smart prepaid electric meters help to reduce commercial losses of utilities, enhance revenues and serve as an important tool in power Sector reforms.

When did the government of Bihar launch the smart prepaid electric meter?

In his budget address for the Energy Department delivered in the Bihar Legislative Assembly in 2019, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, the cabinet minister for energy, planning, and development for the state of Bihar, said. In view of the many benefits of smart pre-paid electric meters, there is a plan to replace the existing meters of all electricity consumers with smart pre-paid meters. Action is being taken to implement this scheme through the Central Agencies REC, PFC, and EESL.

In February 2021, EESL signed agreements with SBPDCL (South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited) and NBPDCL (North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited) for the installation of 2.34 million smart prepayment meters in Bihar as part of its Smart Meter National Programme.

Where do officials stand on the matter?

The Statesman tried to speak with the Energy Minister of Bihar Bijendra Prasad Yadav regarding the issues, but his private secretary informed that The Minister is currently unavailable as he is occupied with prior commitments.

Sanjeev Hans, Principal Secretary, Energy Department refused to comment on the matter of smart meters by saying Right now, I cant say anything.

The Statesman also contacted the Chief Engineer, Energy Department, Bihar Deepak Kumar regarding this issue. He said  There is a greater communication gap than the actual problem at hand. I will promptly investigate any issues brought to my attention by the public.

While explaining the issue of negative balance CE said When an old electricity meter is replaced, the outstanding balance is transferred to the new prepaid meter. This confuses the public as they wonder why the new meter still shows a pending amount, despite recharging it correctly and regularly.
CEOs are using return-to-office to fight an erosion of culturebut its a recipe for resentment if done wrong, warns workplace strategist

CEOs are increasingly issuing return-to-office mandates. They may well have legitimate reasons to require workers to return to their desksand see it backfire anyway.

After prolonged remote work, people are realizing that theres been this slow erosion of the culture of their organization, author and workplace strategist Erica Keswin said on Bloombergs The Tape podcast on Friday. A CEO said to me this week, The partys over. We are bringing our people back.

Venture capitalist Paul Graham recently tweeted that founders hes spoken with have changed their minds about remote work and are trying to get staff back to the office. Why were all these smart people fooled? he wrote. Partly I think because remote work does work initially, if you start with a system already healthy from in-person work.

But Keswin warned against bringing employees back in an ineffective or possibly damaging way.

I talk a lot about designing a day in the office thats worth the commute, she said. What we dont want is people coming in and no one from their team is there, and theyre on Zoom all day and theyre not seeing anybody. That creates what I call the recipe for resentment. They are mad.

Yet it can happen all too easily, especially if CEOs say employees must work in the office two or three days a week but dont specify which ones.

What happens is people come in and youre missing each other, theres no energy, Keswin said. And so youre not really getting the bang for the buck of bringing people in.

That might also make it more likely that employees simply ignore a return-to-office mandate. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz betrayed an annoyance earlier this year that workers had disregarded a request to come back to the office one or two days a week.

And some employees will simply not want to return to the office, period. Amazon recently saw an employee walkout over its return-to-office mandate, and workers at Google let their displeasure be known last week, as well. That's all the more reason to get a mandate right.

Keswin said shes seeing a big shift among CEOs, who are now saying, Lets do two days, three days, whatever it is, but these are the days, because what you want to do is create connection and energy.

She suggests leaders design days in the office or even moments that matter for people, where they feel connection. They might be centered around strategy meetings, learning and development (perhaps a lunch with a guest speaker), volunteer work for the community, or one-on-ones with managers. It depends on the company.

But whatever it is, says Keswin, lets think about the why. When we do come together, what are we going to be doing? And why is it better for us to do these five things in person?

It needs to be intentional, Keswin says, because, left to our own devices, were not connecting.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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Union Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has said the main highlight of the upcoming 9th edition of International Day of Yoga (IDY) on June 21 is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead a mass yoga demonstration at UN Headquarters, New York for the first time.

Nine years ago, Narendra Modi had proposed the observance of International Day of Yoga in 2014 at the same location.

In an interaction with The Statesman, Sonowal said this time around there are many firsts for the upcoming International Day of Yoga (IDY) of this year and preparations to commemorate the occasion (IDY) are in full swing not only in India but also across the globe.

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The main event for this years IDY in India will take place in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh on June 21 where Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar will be leading a mass yoga demonstration in the presence of Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and the Union Ayush minister among other important dignitaries.

On being as asked as to how the Ministry of Ayush intends to commemorate this years International Day of Yoga, Sonowal said the nation will host the G20 summit and also Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit this year. These events will give the International Day of Yoga-2023 an altogether different dimension and scale. The chosen theme for this years IDY, Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, has been envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he disclosed.

Sonowal said the ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (literally means the world is a single family) underscores the interconnectivity of all beings. This philosophy, he said, clearly applies to Yoga, which promotes health and wellness for all.

He informed that an elaborate plan has been drawn to celebrate the International Day of Yoga on a large scale. An Ocean Ring of Yoga will be created on June 21 with the help of the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, which will witness Yoga demonstrations at Indian naval ports, commercial ports and ships stationed at friendly countries, the Union Ayush minister said.

Further, Yoga demonstrations will also take place from the Arctic to Antarctica with countries falling on or near the Prime Meridian line will join the Yoga demonstration. The Yoga Day will be celebrated in the North and South Pole regions on Himadri  the Indian Research Base in the Arctic and Bharati  the Indian Research Base in Antarctica. Yog Bharatmala will be created, which will witness participation from Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, BSF, ITBP and Border Roads Organization.

Sonowal further said the ultimate objective of the celebrations is to achieve Har Aangan Yoga (Yoga at every household) by taking it to the rural and remotest areas. It is expected that more than two lakh villages will participate in the IDY celebrations.

He added that a 100-day countdown campaign launched by the Ministry of Ayush in March this year has contributed immensely towards gathering a massive momentum across cities.

This years theme for IDY Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam aptly describes our aspiration for  One Earth One Family One Future. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam has been the guiding light for the Indian heritage since time immemorial and our ethos and socio-cultural fabric are woven around it. I sincerely hope through the practice of Yoga the global community is able to find solutions to various current health challenges, he concluded.
Prominent socio-cultural, literary and media personalities in Kerala on Saturday came forward protesting against alleged media hunting of the state government.

In a joint statement, they said that the action of the Kerala Police against journalists for reporting stories and reading news and asking them to appear at the police station for questioning is anti-democratic and the denial of freedom of the press.

In the statement signed by 137 cultural leaders, they urged the Kerala Police to withdraw all the actions taken against Asianet News journalists Akhila Nandakumar, Abjod Varghese and Malayalam Manorama (Kollam) Special Correspondent Jayachandran Ilankat, who investigated and published a report on the corruption of Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited, unconditionally.

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The democratic civil society of Kerala is worried over the statements made by the ministers and the ruling party leaders in Kerala justifying the police actions against the journalists, they said.

The socio-cultural personalities said it is ironic that the same people who constantly criticize the misuse of investigative agencies against journalists by the Central government are threatening freedom of the press in the state they are in power.

The signatories to the statement include KG Shankara Pillai (Poet), C Radhakrishnan (Novelist), BRP Bhaskar (Senior journalist), B Rajeevan (Writer), Dr M Kunjaman (Economist), KC Narayanan (Journalist), MG Radhakrishnan (Journalist), MP Surendran (Journalist), Shihabuddin Poithumkadav (Writer) and Kalpatta Narayanan (Writer).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that in the last nine years of his government, numerous efforts have been made towards revitalising and honouring Indias glorious heritage, which deepened the bond between the countrys youth and its culture.

In a tweet, Narendra Modi shared articles, graphics, videos and information about the efforts made towards revitalising and honouring Indias heritage with a comment: We are proud of our rich and diverse culture.

However, he said this heritage, the collective wealth of the Indian society, hadnt received due priority under previous governments, neither in their policies, nor in their intentions. This is something that the prime minister sought to change, and he started to remedy it as soon as he took over the reins of the Government in 2014.

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Under the PRASAD Scheme, efforts were made to rejuvenate pilgrimage destinations and places of faith. Swadesh Darshan scheme was approved for the development of 15 thematic circuits in the country in a planned and prioritized manner  such as the Buddhist Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Ramayana Circuit, Sufi Circuit, Tribal Circuit etc.

To showcase Indias rich cultural heritage, the government launched Bharat Gaurav Trains. As a result of these initiatives, pilgrimage to religious centres has become easier.

The prime minister has taken the lead in renovating Indias iconic ancient temples. Under his watch, many spiritual centres like Somnath, Mathura, Ayodhya and Ujjain, are regaining their lost glory. Special attention has been paid to the holy city of Varanasi, and the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

In Ayodhya, Modi himself performed the bhoomi-pujan for the grand Ram Mandir and launched a rejuvenation project for the entire city. Multiple development projects are going on to enhance the pilgrimage experience for those visiting the Char Dham in Uttarakhand. After the abrogation of Article 370, the work of reviving Hindu temples in UT of Jammu & Kashmir has also started.

Modi has made huge efforts to promote and preserve the Buddhist culture and places associated with Lord Buddha. A Buddha Theme Park, where Lord Buddha taught his first sermon has been sanctioned at Sarnath. Kushinagar, the place of Lord Buddhas Parinirvana has been placed on the global map with an International Airport and Expressway connectivity. In Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Gautama Buddha, an India International Centre for Buddhist Culture is being established.

The prime minister has been a proponent of honouring the cultural heritage of Sikh Gurus, be it the celebration of auspicious occasions like the 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the 350th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the construction of the Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor or making Jallianwala Bagh a national memorial.

He has done unprecedented work to celebrate and showcase Indias tribal culture. The National Tribal Festival Aadi Mahotsav was launched to showcase tribal handicrafts, culture, traditions and food.

A searchable digital repository of tribal culture with more than 10,000 photographs, videos and publications has been set up online. Ten Tribal Freedom Fighters Museums have been sanctioned to acknowledge the heroic deeds of tribal people and exhibit the rich tribal cultural heritage of the region.

In the past nine years, 238 ancient artefacts, antiquities and relics stolen from India have been recovered and brought back. Compared to this, just 13 such items were recovered from Independence till 2014!

The prime ministers leadership was pivotal in Yoga getting global recognition. Today, the world celebrates the International Day of Yoga annually on 21 June. Similarly, 2022 was declared as the International Year of Millets by the UN on Indias request to highlight their importance and potential against fighting malnutrition.

To honour the legacy of nation builders, Modi inaugurated the 182-metre statue of Sardar Patel on 31 October, 2018. Named as the Statue of Unity, the statue was constructed to honour the legacy of Patel, who united 500 plus princely states of India and integrated them in independent India.
The minister remarked when asked to comment on an incident in Hyderabad where some women students alleged that they were not allowed to enter the examination hall in burqas at KV Ranga Reddy Degree College for Women

Telangana Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali has once again landed in a controversy over his intemperate remarks on women. He said that women wearing short dresses are in effect inviting trouble.

The minister made this remark when asked to comment on an incident in Hyderabad where some women students alleged that they were not allowed to enter the examination hall at KV Ranga Reddy Degree College for Women in burqas. The students had said they were allowed inside the examination hall only after taking off their burqas.

On this, the minister came up with an unsolicited opinion on how women should dress that too out of context.

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Our policy is absolutely secular  anybody can dress as one chooses to. But, nobody should dress like Europeans. And if one does, things may not go well. Our Hindu sisters wear their dresses with pallu covering their heads. We also have a good dress, we should honour that. More so, for women, if they wear less clothes, they are bound to face problems. Wear more clothes, and people will also relax, said the minister even as he assured that he would look into the matter.

Alis comments immediately went viral with right-wing Twitter handles questioning the BRS leaders, particularly party MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha, on what they thought of his comments. They asked how a party batting for 33 per cent womens reservation in Parliament could tolerate such remarks from the states home minister.

Ali, who is a two-time minister and was the only one to take oath with Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in 2018, is known for putting his foot in his mouth off and on.

When a veterinary surgeon was gang raped in 2019, he blamed the victim for calling her sister instead of dialling the police when she found herself stranded near the toll gate.

Whats more, during an investigation into the Jubilee Hills gang rape case, the home minister blamed modern gadgets like smartphones and WhatsApp for the wayward ways of the youth.
Tamil Nadu minister Senthil Balaji has been sent to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till June 23, 2023, in connection to an alleged money laundering case by Chennai Metropolitan Session court on Friday.

However, the court has also imposed certain conditions on the custody pertaining to Balajis health conditions. The accused cant be taken out of the Kauvery hospital. ED deputy director shall interrogate him at the hospital after taking into consideration of his treatment and after obtaining necessary permission from the doctors. ED deputy director shall interrogate him without any hindrance to his treatment. They should provide food and not use third-degree or any cruelty. No threat or coercion shall be made. Balajis family members are allowed to meet him. The accused shall be provided with the necessary security. ED deputy director is directed to produce the accused on June 23 by 3 pm via video conference and the petition is accorded accordingly, the Court said.

Senthil Balaji was arrested by the ED in an alleged money laundering case earlier.

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Meanwhile, citing Balajis health issues, the Tamil Nadu government said that his portfolios have been reallocated to two different DMK ministers.

While the electricity portfolio has been given to finance minister Thangam Thennarasu and Prohibition and Excise portfolio has been given to Housing and Urban Development Minister Muthusamy. Senthil Balaji will continue as minister without portfolio, the state government informed.

Following ED action against Senthil Balaji, CM Stalin issued a statement claiming that the DMK will not be intimidated by the BJPs threats and the people will teach the ruling party at the Centre a lesson in next years Lok Sabha elections.

Several opposition leaders have come out against BJP accusing it of unleashing federal investigating agencies for political ends.

He added that the DMK was firmly behind its leader and would mount a strong legal defence in the case.

The CM alleged further that the ED had tortured Senthil Balaji to such an extent during the interrogation that he suffered chest pains. Even after he said he was cooperating with the probe, he was pressured to the extent that he suffered chest pains, Stalin said on Wednesday.

Balaji broke down while being taken into custody by ED officials for questioning in an alleged money laundering case in the wee hours of Wednesday. After raiding his premises on Tuesday, the central probe agency questioned the DMK leader.
With the opposition parties terming the Vigilance Bureau notice to Managing Editor of a Punjabi daily Barjinder Singh Hamdard, as an attack on press freedom, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said that he will expose every Hamdard, headache (Sirdard) or cruel (Bedard) person for the embezzlement of public money.

In a statement, the CM said the Vigilance Bureau is calling an affluent person for swindling funds in the Jang-e-Azadi Memorial building. Mann said that he fails to understand how this investigation is an attack on the media.

The CM said it is a matter of accountability of Rs 200 crore used for the construction of a memorial in the name of great martyrs. Was money issued in the name of the media and if not, then what does the newspaper have to do with this, Mann asked.

I am not amongst those who touched the feet of Hamdard to save their skins, the CM said, adding that he will ensure accountability for single penny spent from the public exchequer.

The Managing Editor of Punjabi newspaper Ajit, Hamdard has been summoned by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) for questioning in the case related to the Jang-E-Azadi project at Kartarpur, Jalandhar.

The Jang-E-Azadi project, a venture of the Parkash Singh Badal government, was completed in 2016 at a cost over Rs 300 crore. Hamdard was the Member Secretary of the Jang-e-Azadi Memorial Foundation and chairperson of its Executive Committee.

He recently resigned from posts accusing the Aam Aadmi Party of tarnishing the memorials reputation by frequently sending police and vigilance teams there.

On 2 June, all opposition parties gathered at the office of the daily to express solidarity with Hamdard. They had termed the Vigilance notice as targeting of Hamdard and an attack on press freedom. The meeting was attended by senior members of Shiromani Akali Dal, Congress, BJP, BSP, Left parties, SAD (Sanyukt) and several other parties.
Industrial real estate picks up steam

The demand for industrial real estate has begun to pick up steam in recent months as foreign manufacturers are expanding their presence in Vietnam.

Foreign investors are hunting out industrial land lots to expand their operations in the country. Most of them operate in the electronics, semiconductors, textiles, and solar energy sectors.



Remarkably, Quanta Computer reached a deal with Nam inh Province in April to build a factory of US$120 million in My Thuan Industrial Park. Boltun Corporation and QST International Corporation followed suit with an investment of $165 million in Bac Tien Phong Industrial Park.



The quest for land lots was more arduous in the South as most of the lots in industrial parks had been occupied. Notably, the industrial parks in Binh Duong and ong Nai Provinces had reached 95 per cent in occupancy rates.



The rising demand for industrial real estate has given a big boost to the segment of ready-built factories. Many lessors in the North have taken one step ahead by building more ready-built factories to cater to the growing need for facilities.



Cold storage warehouses are another category of facilities coming back in favour recently. However, the supply of cold storage warehouses remains tight as their construction requires so high an initial outlay that few lessors can afford.



Thomas Rooney, Senior Manager of Industrial Services, Savills Hanoi, said Vietnam had spent around 5.8 per cent of its GDP on facilities. The effort significantly improved the country's trans-provincial ties.



Part of the money went to 12 projects of the North-South Expressway, whose construction began in January this year. The projects would go through 15 provinces and act as a catalyst for local economic growth.



The senior manager also said labour costs in the country were increasing but very slightly. Although the costs remained modest in comparison with those in other regional countries, the shortage of well-trained workers discouraged many investors.



He urged the Government to take active measures to expand its skilled labour pool, thereby staying on par with other regional countries in attracting investors.



He also said the Socio-Economic Development Strategy for 2021-2030 would serve the country well in improving access to education and training, but it takes time for the strategy to take effect. A better workforce can not be achieved overnight.



Trang Bui, Country Head of Cushman & Wakefield Vietnam, was concerned that the global economic instability and falling consumption would gradually dent the demand for industrial real estate, weighing on facilities for lease.



She forecast that the industrial real estate market would lose steam for the rest of 2023 as a result of the weakening demand. Lessees would become more cautious with money, leading to fierce competition in price among lessors.



She reckoned that the rent of ready-built factories would either level off or plunge owing to the surge in supply and drop in demand. However, the same doesn't go for land lots, whose rent would remain high regardless.
A China-based bank that's trying to de-dollarize global lending is now having trouble repaying its dollar debts, report says

Chinese President Xi Jinping. Reuters

The New Development Bank is having trouble finding dollar funds to repay debts, the Wall Street Journal said.

It was established by the BRICS bloc of nations to offer alternatives to dollar lending.

But its own finances were deeply reliant on Wall Street, which backed away after the Ukraine war.

A development bank established by the BRICS bloc of nations to reduce reliance on US dollar loans is having trouble finding dollars to repay its own debts, sources told the Wall Street Journal.

Based in Shanghai, the New Development Bank has largely ceased issuing new loans, the report said.

The institution came about eight years ago through the collective effort of the BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

It was meant to establish an alternative to US-dominated, dollar-based financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund and dovetailed with Beijing's efforts to erode the greenback's status. Its lending was aggressive, and committed loans climbed from $1 billion in 2017 to $30 billion in 2022.

But to provide capital to developing economies, the New Development Bank had to borrow from Wall Street as well as Chinese lenders. So despite its mission to de-dollarize lending, about two-thirds of its own borrowings were dollar-denominated, the Journal said.

But after Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, Wall Street backers were less willing to lend to a bank that was nearly 20% owned by Moscow.

At the same time, the appointment of Dilma Rousseff as the bank's new chief stirred controversy, given that she was previously impeached as Brazil's president. Next in line for the bank's presidency will be a Russian appointee.

Without its usual dollar support, the institution is servicing prior debt through more expensive borrowings. According to the Journal, the bank's first bond since the Ukraine war started was five times as expensive as prior loans. Taken out in April, it cost $1.25 billion.

The bank is also in talks with Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Honduras to become members and potentially provide more capital.

Still, the bank's challenge in attaining dollars earned it a Fitch Ratings credit downgrade last July. Meanwhile, the New Development Bank was told that interest on any new loans could quadruple, and the premium the bank charges its members to borrow has doubled, shrinking loan disbursements to a trickle, sources told the Journal.

And given China's own economic downturn, it's unlikely that the lender can expect much financial support from Beijing.

The lender told WSJ that there's "a considerable interest in bonds issued" through the bank, while its loan origination and liquidity remain strong.

The New Development Bank told Insider that Fitch upgraded its credit outlook to stable in May, adding that it held liquid assets of $11.4 billion as of December 31. And as for the $1.25 billion bond issued earlier this year, the bank said the rate spread was comparable to other entities with credit ratings of AA+ to AA.

Editor's note: June 20, 2023  This story has been updated to include the New Development Bank's comments to Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Our View: Thank you to good dads everywhere
China has not committed to stopping its companies from helping Russian military buyers breach EU sanctions, its top envoy to the bloc said on Friday.

Beijing's Ambassador Fu Cong made the comments after European Union diplomats agreed earlier this week to provisionally remove five Chinese entities from an export restriction list.

EU sources said they made that decision following a diplomatic commitment from Fu to exert pressure on the firms to stop re-exporting banned goods to the Russian war machine.

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But the diplomat told the Post and two other media outlets in an interview in Brussels that "the Chinese government did not commit [to] anything ... that's the bottom line".

"We understand the concerns of the EU in terms of trying to prevent the circumvention of the sanctions, meaning that some of the items from the European market might be re-exported to Russia and so ... according to their view, that needs to be resolved," Fu said. "We'll see what happens in the future."

EU ambassadors will convene on Monday and are expected to green-light the eleventh sanctions package on Monday, with the Chinese companies removed.

On Wednesday two EU diplomats said that the move was a test of whether Beijing was acting in good faith. Speaking on Friday, a diplomat said Fu's latest words were "surprising to say the least".

Fu said it was "good news" that the companies had been taken off, but refused to be drawn on what his government would do to ensure the trade was halted.

"We're glad that the Chinese companies have been removed from the list, and it shows that dialogue can work," said Fu, speaking on the sidelines of a Chinese business forum in the Belgian capital.

Eight companies based in mainland China and Hong Kong were on a draft list of entities accused of reselling European chips and microelectronics that can be used in high-grade weaponry, such as cruise missiles. Three remain on the list, but they were found to be effectively Russian entities operating out of Hong Kong, EU sources said.

The interview comes at a tumultuous time for EU-China relations. On Thursday, the European Commission told member states they should ban Huawei and ZTE from their 5G networks - the first time the bloc's secretariat has gone after the Chinese telecoms giants by name.

Fu said that ban was "purely out of some ideological and geopolitical considerations by the United States, and I'm sorry to see that European governments have yielded to the US pressure".

Fu Cong said "the Chinese government did not commit [to] anything ... that's the bottom line". Photo: AFP alt=Fu Cong said "the Chinese government did not commit [to] anything ... that's the bottom line". Photo: AFP>

Next Tuesday, commission chief Ursula von der Leyen's flagship economic security strategy will be unveiled in proposal form. It will not name China directly, but is expected to lay out high-level ways of "de-risking" Europe's ties with the world's second largest economy.

"The desire of the EU governments for a resilient supply chain" was understandable, Fu said, and warned against "conflating economic security with national security".

He called the potential for an EU-wide ban on China's two blue-chip telcos "quite concerning, because this might be a foretaste of a what de-risking may really entail".

"We have been saying that the EU side needs to clarify what they mean by de-risking. And here, this is a concrete example of using fabricated excuses to drive the Chinese companies out of the European market, and this is quite concerning really," Fu said, adding that there was "no evidence" that the companies provided a security risk.

On Thursday, EU industry chief Thierry Breton directly linked the move to wean the bloc off dependencies on China and Russia for energy and raw minerals with 5G.

"We eliminated our dependencies in other critical sectors, for example, on energy, in record time when many thought at that time it was impossible," Breton said. "The situation with 5G should be no different. We cannot afford to maintain critical dependencies that could become a weapon against our interests."

Fu said Beijing would "safeguard to the best of our ability the legitimate interests of the Chinese companies" but would not "predict any counter actions from our side".

Brussels is also looking at ways to restrict EU companies from investing in some hi-tech sectors of the Chinese economy, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and semiconductors.

Fu said it was "too early to talk about retaliating", but said he was "following the discussion on this issue very closely, with some concern".

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.
FILE - House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif. speaks to reporters outside his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 7, 2023. McCarthy's bid to appease Republican hard-liners and get the House moving again after a recent party rebellion on the floor has some Democrats warning of a difficult road ahead when it comes to passing legislation that will keep the government running. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  Speaker Kevin McCarthy's bid to appease Republican hard-liners and get the House moving again after a recent party rebellion on the floor has some Democrats warning of a difficult road ahead when it comes to passing legislation that will keep the government running.

Republicans teed up votes this past week on guns and on censuring one of former President Donald Trump's most prominent critics, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. Those votes helped get the House moving again, though the latter effort failed, with Schiff helped by some 20 Republicans.

The most consequential move of the week, however, was an announcement from GOP leadership that arrived with little fanfare. Republicans said they plan to pursue appropriations bills, which fund government programs and agencies, with less spending than the top-line numbers they agreed to in a deal with the White House last month. That compromise avoided what would have been an unprecedented federal default.

McCarthy argued that the numbers he negotiated with the White House amount to a cap and you can always do less. GOP Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, who leads the House Appropriations Committee, followed with a statement that said she would seek to limit nondefense spending at 2022 budget levels, saying the debt agreement set a top-line spending cap - a ceiling, not a floor.

The announcements delighted Republicans who had criticized McCarthy, R-Calif., and opposed the debt ceiling legislation because they felt that agreement allowed too much spending. But it drew immediate pushback from Democrats who say an attempt to circumvent the debt ceiling agreement's top-line numbers effectively guarantees a standoff with the Senate and White House and possibly even a damaging government stoppage when funding expires this fall.

It is a prelude to a shutdown  what they are engineering, said Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.

The emerging dynamic raises the potential for another round of economy-rattling brinkmanship in Washington just months after lawmakers narrowly avoided a damaging federal default.

Partial government shutdowns have become increasingly common in the modern era, with the longest coming under President Donald Trump as he demanded money for a U.S.-Mexico border wall. With President Joe Biden facing down the Republican-controlled House as he runs for reelection in 2024 and some conservatives openly dismissive of the damage a shutdown can cause, the spending fight appears nearly certain to escalate.

The tension created by the GOP's pursuit of more non-defense spending cuts was evident during hearings held Wednesday and Thursday of the House Appropriations panel.

Democrats accused House Republicans of going back on their word. Do you think any of us would have made a deal if we thought your 22 number was the deal?" said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md. "What kind of deal is that? What kind of respect for yourselves is that?

You knew that wasn't a ceiling, said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla. Traditionally, that's where we are starting. Caps are not ceilings in our world. They are a starting point and then we negotiate from those numbers we have agreed to. That's how it has always been.

But Republicans said McCarthy was clear during negotiations that spending had to come down from current levels.

We can try to fool the American people with smoke and mirrors and pretend, but the speaker was clear. We are in a debt crisis in this country, said Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md.

Under the debt ceiling agreement, the White House said nondefense spending was expected to be roughly flat in the next budget year and increase by 1% the following year. Defense spending would increase by about 3.3% next year and 1% the following year. The agreement to curb discretionary spending does not include programs like Medicare and Social Security, which are considered mandatory spending.

A few Republicans have urged leadership not to bend to a minority within the conference.

I think we've just got to be really careful not to allow, you know, a small portion of our conference to continually be chipping away at previously agreed upon issues, said Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark. That top-line number was agreed to in the (debt-ceiling bill.) They may not like it. They voiced their displeasure last week. They kind of shut the House down, but we've got work to do. We need to be doing it.

Republicans only have a five-seat majority in the House, which magnifies the power that a small bloc can have. It took just 11 members, mostly members of the House Freedom Caucus, to stall House votes on legislation in early June and send lawmakers home early. One of those 11, Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., said moving to 2022 spending levels for nondefense programs will be good for Republican candidates in next year's general election because that's what voters are demanding.

Democrats have no interest in cutting spending, Good said. They have to be forced to do so. We should have used the debt ceiling to force them to cut spending. We should use the appropriations process to force them to cut spending. We shouldn't fear a government shutdown. Most of what we do up here is bad anyway."

Many senators, Democrat and Republican, did not seem as concerned about the possibility of a shutdown.

This crowd that is giving McCarthy trouble is irrelevant for purposes of getting appropriations bills passed," said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. When it comes to appropriations bills, you have to create a coalition that doesn't include the Freedom Caucus.

In the end, I think we'll resolve these issues, said Sen. Susan Collins, the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Donations for ZachXBTs Legal Defense Reach $1M Target in Less Than Three Days

Support is pouring in from the cryptocurrency ecosystem to help blockchain sleuth ZachXBT in his legal defense against a defamation lawsuit.

For his defense, in what ZachXBT called on Twitter a classic David & Goliath story, the crypto detective turned to the greater community to help amass funds to pay attorneys, which could easily exceed $1m USD, he said.

Widely known for exposing scams in the crypto space, ZachXBTs plea for help did not go unheard. He reached that $1M milestone just three days after providing the ETH address for supporters to direct their donations.

The wallet he pointed to for donations held just over $1M spread across various digital assets including ETH, and stablecoins USDC, USDT, TUSD, and DAI, on Saturday afternoon New York time.

MachiBigBrother Claims

The suit was brought against ZachXBT by Jeffrey Huang, also known as MachiBigBrother, who said claims he played a role in orchestrating the embezzlement of some 22,000 ETH from Formosa Financial in 2018 are false.

The suit is a response to a heavily sourced medium article from June 2022 by ZachXBT, which details the alleged embezzlement as well as over ten failed pump and dump tokens and NFT projects Huang is said to have associated with.

Huang summarily denies the claims.

Community Rallies

Early on a number of notable blockchain projects and accounts pledged support in spirit and with donations.

About 20% of donations came from a anonymously created ZACH token, according to Tom Wan, research analyst at 21.co. ZACH token charges a 2% tax for anyone who trades the token on Uniswap V2, and sends the tax in ETH to ZachXBT's donation wallet.

Attorneys Stephen Palley, Jess Meyers, and the team at Brown Rudnick signed on to represent ZachXBT.

Were proud to represent Zach and will vigorously defend his right to speak truth to power, Palley said. We will litigate the substance of the plaintiffs claims in court, not on social media.

If the case does go to a settlement, ZachXBT may have no trouble paying it off as the legal defense fund continues to accrue donations.
Zion Capital is led by founders Jesse Ettlin and Lucas Mijares. Jesse was voted Nevada Countys Best Financial Advisor in 2022, while Lucas was invited to the Forbes/SHOOK Top Next Gen Advisor Summit, exclusive to only the top wealth advisors under 40 years old in the US. To schedule a complimentary consultation and experience the difference, please call 530-955-5402 or schedule online at zioncapital.io.
After making landfall in Gujarat's coastal areas, cyclone 'Biparjoy' has weakened into a "deep depression" and is expected to weaken further during the next 12 hours.

India Meteorlogical Department forecast in its latest tweet said that "Deep Depression (Remnant of Cyclonic Storm Biparjoy) at 05:30 hours IST of today, the 17th June, 2023 over Southwest Rajasthan adjoining Gujarat and Southeast Pakistan about 130 km northeast of Dholavira. To weaken into a Depression during next 06 hours.

Meanwhile, as an impact of the cyclone Rajasthan's Udaipur witnessed heavy rains causing destruction. Strong winds caused major damages to cars and properties. Electric poles were also damaged in the winds.

#WATCH | Rajasthan: Udaipur witnesses Cyclone 'Biparjoy' impact; glass fell from the second floor, and a car was damaged#CycloneBiparjoy pic.twitter.com/7uoAHMLSnO  ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) June 17, 2023

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Gujarat's Kutch and Jakhau Port to take stock of the situation in areas affected by cyclone Biparjoy. He will also hold meeting with CM and senior officers. HM will also conduct an aerial survey of affected areas.

He is also set to visit the shelter homes and meet people. He will then visit Mandvi and later will visit Swami Narayan temple in Bhuj.

#WATCH | Gujarat: Waterlogging witnessed in several areas of Mandvi following rainfall due to cyclone 'Biparjoy' pic.twitter.com/undXaNVFOO  ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023

Leaving a trail of destruction, the Arabian Sea cyclone ripped through Kutch and parts of Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Heavy rains lashed through Kutch district since the cyclone made its landfall on Thursday.

Several trees were uprooted in Bhuj, Kutch due to cyclone's impact. Several areas witnessed waterlogging in Mandvi following the heavy rainfall. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team carried out the clearance work on Friday.

At least 23 people were injured due to the cyclone impact, however, no lives were lost after its landfall, said the Director General of the NDRF Atul Karwal.

In the aftermath of the destruction, about 1,000 villages were facing electricity issues. Over 800 trees were uprooted and around 500 houses were damaged. The cyclone has also impacted the APM Terminals Pipavav Port operations adversely.

Over 1,100 teams are working to restore electricity in Kutch, Devbhumi, Dwarka, Jamnagar, Morbi, Rajkot and Porbandar. The forest department has also removed 581 fallen trees from the roads.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said that the big challenge ahead now was to restore life back on track. He also said that the NDRF and SDRF teams are working to improve the situation.

"We have been able to fight a big calamity without any casualty. NDRF, SDRF and other agencies worked tirelessly to mitigate any damage caused by the cyclone. This was possible under the guidance of PM Modi and Amit Shah....Now the big challenge is to restore and get life back on track, all the agencies will work on it now and we will soon achieve success in it too," he said.
It was after watching a mediocre Kathakali performance at Kakkad that the great Malayalam poet Vallathol Narayana Menon decided to establish an institution to protect the art form and its purity. With the help of personalities like Valiya Kunjunni Raja and diplomat Sardar K.M. Panikkar, Vallathol first formed a society in 1927. There years later, on November 9  his birthday  Vallathol launched Kerala Kalamandalam as a public institution, with six Kathakali students and two teachers  Koppan Nair and Kunju Kurup. Over the past nine decades, Kalamandalam has produced some of the finest Kathakali artistes.

Traditionally, women were not allowed to learn Kathakali  the male artistes used to perform the female characters. However, some women fought against all odds to learn the dance form. Mid-20th century onwards, a number of women studied Kathakali, but many could not be part of the mainstream. Nevertheless, Kalamandalam, which was established to preserve orthodoxy and tradition, remained an exclusively male-dominated bastion of Kathakali. It was only in the 2020-2021 academic year, that this prestigious institution ended its male-only tradition and welcomed four female students.

Kathakali is thought to have originated during the Bhakti movement. While it is not predominantly considered a temple art, its performances draw heavily from Hindu Puranas. Therefore, it was a departure from tradition when the institution admitted Saabri N., a 14-year-old female Muslim student, into its Kathakali (thekkan) course this academic year, almost like breaking its own established pattern.

On the enrolment day of the new batch, the girl wearing a hijab received blessings from renowned Kathakali artiste Kalamandalam Gopi. Saabri, the younger of the two children born to Nizam Ammaz and Anisha from Anchal in Kollam, Kerala, developed a deep passion for Kathakali through her experiences accompanying her photographer father. The Mahadeva temple in Agasthyacode, Anchal, near their house, hosts Kathakali performances regularly.

"I used to accompany my father to Kathakali performances to take photographs," Saabri told THE WEEK. Despite the late-night performances, young Saabri would watch them eagerly. "Since the age of six, she has been captivated by Kathakali," said Nizam.

While attending Edamulakkal Government Jawahar High School as a class 7 student, Saabri started taking Kathakali lessons from Kalamandalam Aaromal in Chadayamangalam. It proved to be a turning point. At Kalamandalam, students who enrol in class 8, have the opportunity to continue their studies for 12 years until they complete their post-graduation.

It's not just her admission to Kalamandalam that makes Saabri unique. Even her name has a story behind it. While photographing a bride, who was an air-hostess, at her wedding, Nizam took a liking to her name and eventually named her daughter after the bride.

'Saabri' is derived from Arabic and means patience. The 14-year-old understands that, just like her name, she will have to have the utmost patience and dedication to learn one of the most challenging dance forms.
Conflict-torn Manipur witnessed fresh incidents of violence as mobs clashed with security forces in Imphal, amid reports of automatic gunfire in Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts through Friday night. Officials stated that two civilians were killed in clashes.

Army, Assam Rifles and Manipur Rapid Action Force (RAF) held joint marches till midnight through the state capital to halt rioters from congregating. Multiple attempts were made to vandalise the homes of BJP leaders, and loot police armory. An attempt was made to loot weapons from Iringbam police station in Imphal West. However, no weapons were stolen, PTI reported. A mob clashed with RAF personnel on Friday evening after it had set a warehouse afire.

A mob of approximately 1,000 people tried to burn down buildings near the palace compound. RAF fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. According to reports, a mob of 200 to 300 people surrounded the BJP office a little after midnight at Sinjemai, and an Army column dispersed the crowd.

A mob also tried the set the house of BLP MLA Biswajeet on fire, but the crowd was dispersed by the RAF. The security forces also managed to thwart an attempt to vandalise the home of Sharda Devi, BJP (women's wing) president near Porampet in Imphal around midnight

Earlier on Thursday night, a house belonging to Union Minister RK Ranjan Singh was attacked and attempts were made to burn it down. Security guards and firefighters managed to control arson attempts by the mob and save the house of the minister. The minister, who was in Kochito attend a party event cancelled all programmes in Kerala to return home.

More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in Manipur that broke out a month ago.

-with PTI inputs
Ten opposition parties of Manipur led by the Congress on Saturday questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the continued violence in the northeastern state, while urging him to meet them and make an appeal for peace.

Addressing a press conference with other leaders, Manipur's three-time former chief minister O Ibobi Singh said they have sought a meeting with the prime minister and were awaiting his response before he leaves for his foreign tour on June 20.

The Congress leader said that the violence was continuing in the state since May 3 and the "silence" of Prime Minister Modi is "hurting" Manipur.

"There is a hue and cry everywhere, with 20,000 people, including women and children, taking shelter in camps. However, the prime minister has not yet expressed anything regarding Manipur. Is Manipur a part of India or not? If it is, why hasn't the Prime Minister of India spoken about it," he asked.

Congress general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh said the leaders of 10 opposition parties had sent an email to the prime minister on June 10 for a meeting with them but have not received any response.

He said the letter of request for a meeting with the PM has also been hand-delivered to the Prime Minister's Office on June 12.

Ramesh said when violence broke out in Manipur 22 years ago, the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had called an all-party meeting twice on the demand of all the parties.

Vajpayee had also appealed for peace then, he said, urging Prime Minister Modi to issue a similar appeal now.

"There is only one reason why Manipur is burning and it is the ideology of the RSS and the politics of the BJP. It is not just Manipur, other states of the north-east are facing huge issues. This is the time of dealing with all militant organisations," he claimed.

"Manipur was burning 22 years ago on June 18, 2001. State Assembly, Speaker's bungalow, and CM Secretariat were burnt and remained blocked for 3 and a half months.

"At that time Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister of India and on the demand of various parties, an all-party meeting was called twice and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee appealed for peace. Today people from 10 parties are waiting to meet PM Modi, but PM Modi is silent," he said.

Ibobi Singh said their intention is not to take political advantage. "We simply seek peace. Please help us," the former state chief minister said.

Five-time MLA of JDU Nimai Chand Luwang, who was part of the delegation that had met Vajpayee, said even after the visit of the Home Minister, the violence in Manipur continues unabated.

"The current BJP government has failed miserably in addressing the situation in Manipur. We want the prime minister to intervene and bring a solution to stop the violence in Manipur," he said.

Manipur PCC President Keisham Meghachandra said, "We, leaders of 10 like-minded political parties, have arrived in Delhi to secure an appointment with PM Modi, as he appears unconcerned about the issues plaguing Manipur."

Sources said that the Congress has convened a meeting of opposition leaders here on Monday if there is no response from the prime minister to their request.

The other leaders present at the press conefrence were JD(U) state president KSH Biren Singh, CPI state council secretary L Thoiren Singh, CPM's Kshetranayam Shanta, Trinamool Congress state convener Thokchom Inocha Singh, AAP coordinator Thingyam Vishwanath Singh, All India Forward Block leader KH Gyaneswar Singh, NCP's state president Soram Ikoyama Singh and Shiv Sena Shiv Sena (UBT) leader T Debanand Singh, along with a representative Revolutionary Social Party.

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said Manipur requires a political solution not a mere deployment of police and military to handle law and order as the Modi Government "is seeking to do".

"BJP CM Biren Singh has definitely failed miserably to handle the situation and any semblance of government has crumbled in the state.BJP National President J P Nadda maintains a stony silence' over Manipur as if nothing is happening," he alleged.

"Should the PM and Union Government not initiate a fresh dialogue with both ethnic groups? Do the victims of violence not require a direct healing touch from the PM and Union Government assuring them of support and rehabilitation?

"Is the Modi government even listening? Does the PM even care? Is GOI even concerned?" he tweeted.

Surjewala said the Modi government "should wake up and solve the issue in the nation's interest".

More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in Manipur. The state government has imposed a curfew in 11 districts and suspended internet services.
Over 30 people, mostly students have been killed at a school in western Uganda by rebels linked to the Islamic State group.

A statement released by the Police on Saturday said that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) carried out the attack on Friday late night on Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe.

The health condition of eight people remained critical, said the police.

ADF, a Ugandan group based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has pledged its allegiance to ISIL (ISIS) group.

Soldiers are pursuing the group who fled towards Virunga National park in the DRC, police added.

"So far 25 bodies have been recovered from the school and transferred to Bwera Hospital," national police spokesperson Fred Enanga said in a statement on Saturday.

A dormitory at the school was burnt and a food store was looted during Friday night's attack, he added.

Reportedly, several feared to have been abducted.

The attackers have fled towards Virunga National Park-Africa's oldest and largest national park home to rare species, including mountain gorillas, BBC reported.

ADF was accused of launching many attacks on the civilians in the recent years. Ever since Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, a US security ally, came into power ADF had opposed it.

In June 1998 , 80 students were burnt to death in their dormitories in an ADF attack on Kichwamba Technical Institute near the border of DRC. Over 100 students were abducted.

The ADF was created in eastern Uganda in the 1990s and took up arms against long-serving President, Museveni, alleging government persecution of Muslims.

After its defeat by the Ugandan army in 2001, it relocated to the North Kivu province in the DRC.

(With agency inputs)
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak joined the UK Home Office enforcement officials on a raid as part of a nationwide crackdown on illegal migration, which ended in the arrest of 105 foreign nationals from across 20 nationalities.

Sunak, 43, dressed in a bulletproof vest, attended one of the actions in Brent, north London, earlier this week to observe Immigration Enforcement officers at work as part of their day of action.

The British Indian leader has made cracking down on illegal migration one of his government's top priorities ahead of a general election, expected next year.

Illegal working harms our communities, cheats honest workers out of employment and defrauds the public purse as no taxes are paid, said UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

As the Prime Minister has set out, we are committed to tackling the abuse of our laws and borders. We know the prospect of black-market employment is a significant attraction for migrants considering making dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK. Operations such as today send a clear message that we will not stand for this, she said.

During the operation, which took place across the UK on Thursday, Immigration Enforcement officers arrested 105 foreign nationals found working without the right to do so during 159 raids on suspected illegal work establishments.

The arrests took place at commercial premises including restaurants, car washes, nail bars, barber shops and convenience stores. Suspects were arrested for offences including illegal working and possession of false documentation, with sums of cash also seized at some locations.

Of those arrested, over 40 were detained by the Home Office pending their removal from the UK, with the remaining suspects being released on immigration bail. It is also expected that a number of the arrests will result in a voluntary departure from the UK, the Home Office said.

This result demonstrates the dedication and professionalism of our officers to take action against immigration offenders, as well as employers who are not complying with the rules. Our enforcement teams are working around the clock to deter immigration offending and help protect the public, said Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at the Home Office.

Working closely with partners and agencies including the police and the National Crime Agency (NCA), we are tackling illegal work at every level. It is vital that we not only identify individuals in breach of immigration law but target the people smuggling networks behind this type of criminal activity, he said.

While offenders of over 20 different nationalities were found to be working without proper visa rights to be in the UK, the countries involved have not been identified.

The Home Office said the operation builds on the ongoing work by Immigration Enforcement officers to clamp down on illegal working, which is a key part of the government's approach to stopping the boats crossing the English Channel illegally. The operation is aimed at tackling illegal migration by breaking the business model of criminal gangs who use the offer of black market jobs as one way to draw people to the UK illegally, officials added.

In the first quarter of 2023, Immigration Enforcement teams claim they delivered 1,303 enforcement visits, a 57 per cent increase on the same period last year. And, since Sunak set out his plan in December last year to stop the boats crossing illegally into the UK, arrests are said to have doubled compared to the same period last year.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is attending a key party meeting to discuss the nation's economy and defence strategies. The party conference discussed foreign policy in changed international situation on Friday, reports said.

The enlarged plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee came as the United States sent a nuclear-powered submarine to South Korea in the allies' latest show of force against the North, which has ramped up its testing of nuclear-capable missiles to a record pace in recent months.

According to reports, the naval forces of the US and South Korea are planning to conduct joint exercises focused on sharpening their special operation and joint combat capabilities.

North Korea condemned the joint military exercises and called it 'invasion rehearsals'. Pyongyang is using US-South Korean drills as a pretext to ramp up its own weapons demonstrations. North Korea has test-fired about 100 missiles since the start of 2022, The Guardian reported.

During the first day of meetings, officials reviewed the country's economic campaigns for the first half of 2023, and discussed foreign policy and defence strategies to cope with the changed international situation.

The arrival of the USS Michigan in the South Korean port of Busan on Friday, came a day after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern seas in response to US-South Korean live-fire drills that took place near the inter-Korean border this week.

Weapons tested by the North this year include a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile designed to reach the US mainland, and various shorter-range weapons targeting South Korea and Japan.

Experts say Kim's aggressive weapons push has put further strain on North Korea's isolated economy, which was already damaged by decades of mismanagement, crippling US-led sanctions over his nuclear weapons programme, and pandemic-related border closures that reduced trade with China, its main ally and economic lifeline.

Thursday's missile firings were North Korea's first rocket activity since May 31, when a long-range rocket carrying the country's first spy satellite crashed off the Korean Peninsula's west coast.

South Korea's Defence Ministry said Friday that military search crews have salvaged what it believes is part of the crashed North Korean rocket. The debris was to be analyzed by the US and South Korean militaries. The ministry released photos of the white, metal cylinder, which some experts said would have been the rocket's fuel tank.

(With PTI inputs.)
Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan visited Iran on Saturday as part of measures to re-establish diplomatic ties between the country. This was the first visit of a senior Saudi official in over seven years.

The Saudi minister was received by his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian. The two ministers reportedly hailed the restoration of ties between the middle eastern countries, which was brokered by China.

Saudi Foreign Minister carried a message from the Saudi king to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the two were due to meet later Saturday. The visit comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Saudi Arabia earlier in June.

In March, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions.

Prince Faisal is expected to officially inaugurate the kingdom's embassy in Tehran later on Saturday. Until the mission is completed, the employees are working from a Tehran hotel.

Both nations reopened their diplomatic missions in recent weeks. The agreement to re-establish diplomatic relations was a major breakthrough brokered by China, lowering the chances of further conflict between Riyadh and Tehran, both directly and in proxy conflicts around the region.

Addressing a joint press conference, Al Jazeera quoted Amirabdollahian as saying, The Islamic Republic of Iran has never equated security with militarism, and considers security to be a comprehensive concept, which includes political, economic, cultural, trade and social dimensions between all the countries of the region.

Mutual respect, non-interference in the two countries internal affairs and commitment to the United Nations Charter will be at the centre of bilateral relations going forward, with an eye on securing the interests of both nations, bin Farhan was quoted as saying by the publication.

Iran has been blamed for a series of attacks in recent years following the United States' unilateral withdrawal from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.

One of those targeted the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil industry in 2019, temporarily halving the kingdom's crude production.

Relations between the predominately Shiite Iran and the majority Sunni Saudi Arabia have long been tense. The kingdom broke ties with Iran in 2016 after protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic posts there.

Saudi Arabia had executed a prominent Shiite cleric along with 46 others days earlier, triggering the demonstrations.

(With PTI inputs.)
Kolkata, Jun 17 (PTI) Leading manufacturer of power transmission and distribution structures Skipper Ltd on Saturday said it has secured cumulative orders worth Rs 1,135 crore for the design, supply, and construction of new transmission line projects for Powergrid Corporation of India, as well as tower and pole export supplies.

The export supplies will be made to Latin America, the Middle East, and north Africa, a company statement said without providing further details.

The company has a total order book of Rs 4,500 crore and aims at doubling its revenue to Rs 4,000 crore over the next three years.

These orders are a significant milestone for Skipper and reaffirm its position as a leading player in the power transmission and distribution industry, it added.
Billionaire mogul Elon Musk has denied allegations of owning Dogecoin (DOGE) wallets amid his ongoing class action lawsuit for market manipulation and securities fraud relating to the meme coin.

Teslas founder and CEO and, for a short while, the CEO of Twitter, is currently facing a $258 billion lawsuit for an alleged Dogecoin pyramid scheme. The court case claims Musk was part of a racketeering scheme to back the cryptocurrency.

According to a court filing submitted on June 7, 2023, Musk is accused of selling 1.4 billion Dogecoin, worth over $124 million. The records state two different wallets, supposedly belonging to the billionaire, offloaded the tokens.

Elon Musk, Tesla and SpaceX Hit With $258 Billion Dogecoin Lawsuit

This alleged profit-taking occurred during a two-day period in April (4-6), when Twitter replaced its classic blue bird icon for the image of Dogecoins logo, a Shiba Inu dog. Price aggregator Coingecko, however, pointed to a drop in the tokens price, from $0.095 to $0.085, during those two days.

Elon Musks attorney, Alex Shapiro, has denied these allegations, according to a letter obtained by The New York Post. You specifically allege, without basis, that the following wallets belong to [Musk], it reads. The sole basis for your claim is that these wallets sold Dogecoin at a time when, according to the Third Amended Complaint, prices were up.

A group of DOGE investors had already amended the lawsuit in late May, when they accused Musk with manipulative practices that pumped the tokens price. That filing accuses him of transparent cryptocurrency market manipulation, saying that Musk was exploiting his impressive Twitter following and subsequent appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live.

Dogecoin Investors Class Action Lawsuit Now Accuses Elon Musk of Insider Trading

Musk, the self-proclaimed Dogefather and Dogecoin CEO has not shied away from his favoritism of the meme coin. He has repeatedly taken to social media to tweet the token, garnering his recent encounters with the law.

Invented as a joke in 2013 for the cryptocurrency community to stop taking itself so seriously, the infamous meme coin has surged in popularity and in price. It currently is the ninth largest token by market capitalization on CoinGecko, trading hands at $0.06 with an astounding $8.7 billion dollar market cap.

Is Elon Musk Dogecoins mysterious whale or just a Twitter troll? Thats up for the judge to decide.
Manendragarh, Jun 17 (PTI) A protest was held in Chhattisgarh's Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur district on Saturday demanding a national ban on screening of the movie 'Adipurush' which protesters claimed is a conspiracy against Sanatan dharma.

A handful of members of 'Korea Sahitya Avam Kala Manch' reached a complex in Manendragarh town and staged a demonstration in front of a theatre screening the movie.

Manch member Anamika Chakraborty, who led the protest, said the name 'Adipurush' itself is misleading.

The film is based on Ramayana and Lord Ram was 'maryada purushottam' not 'Adipurush'. This film is sending a very wrong message to society and misleading our young generation. This movie is a plot against Sanatan Dharma," she alleged and demanded that screening of this movie be stopped in the country immediately.

Chakraborty alleged the manner in which the characters of Ravan and Lord Hanuman are portrayed in the movie was shameful.

Fronted by Prabhas, "Adipurush" has been panned on social media over its poor VFX and colloquial dialogues, with writer Manoj Muntashir Shukla under fire for Lord Hanuman's dialogues in the 'Lanka Dahan' sequence, among others.

The 3D multilingual film, also starring Kriti Sanon, Saif Ali Khan and Sunny Singh, was released across the country on Friday.

Earlier in the day, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had alleged an attempt was made to tarnish the image of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman in the movie and said the Congress government may consider banning it in the state if people demand so.
New Delhi, Jun 17 (PTI) Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor on Saturday demanded that the Censor Board temporarily bar screening of the film "Adipurush" until a re-examine of its "controversial" scenes and dialogues.

"Adipurush", a retelling of the epic Ramayana directed by Om Raut, was released on Friday.

"Adipurush" has been panned on social media over its poor VFX and colloquial dialogues, with writer Manoj Muntashir Shukla coming under fire for Lord Hanuman's dialogues in the "Lanka Dahan" sequence, among others.

Citing the public criticism, Kapoor requested Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur that the film's controversial scenes and dialogues should be re-examined.

In a tweet in Hindi, "Respected Anurag Thakur ji, film Adipurush is being opposed everywhere. Therefore it is requested that its controversial scenes and dialogues should be re-examined. The Censor Board should temporarily suspend its censor certificate and its exhibition should be banned till it is reviewed again."

Earlier in the day, the Aam Aadmi Party also criticised the film and accused the BJP of endorsing the film that insults Lord Ram, Goddess Sita and Lord Hanuman.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, AAP Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sanjay Singh read out some of the dialogues of the film and described them as a grave insult to Lord Ram, Goddess Sita and Lord Hanuman as well as the Hindu society.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday alleged an attempt was made to tarnish the image of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman in the movie "Adipurush" and said the Congress government may consider banning it in the state if people demand so.
Melbourne, Jun 17 (The Conversation) Researchers have created synthetic human embryos using stem cells, according to media reports. Remarkably, these embryos have reportedly been created from embryonic stem cells, meaning they do not require sperm and ova.

This development, widely described as a breakthrough that could help scientists learn more about human development and genetic disorders, was revealed this week in Boston at the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

The research, announced by Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz of the University of Cambridge and the California Institute of Technology, has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. But Zernicka-Goetz told the meeting these human-like embryos had been made by reprogramming human embryonic stem cells.

So what does all this mean for science, and what ethical issues does it present?

What did the researchers do?

Each of these synthetic human embryos is created from a single stem cell. Zernicka-Goetz described how her team grew the synthetic embryos to a stage of development called gastriculation, which is a stage just beyond the 14-day developmental mark for a human embryo.

The current legal limit to how long a human embryo can be permitted to develop in a lab is 14 days.

This is approximately the length of time from fertilisation of the egg to implantation in the uterine wall, if conception has taken place within a human womb.

So, synthetic embryos have  for the first time  been allowed to develop past this point.

Initially, the 14-day rule was both a moral and a practical limit; scientists didnt have the technology to keep embryos alive longer than this.

But the International Society for Stem Cell Researchs 2016 guidelines also suggested the 14-day limit was morally appropriate, as past this point the cells within the embryo begin to differentiate to form important body systems like the gut, brain and lungs.

The International Society for Stem Cell Researchs updated 2021 guidelines now say we should reconsider the 14-day rule, via public debate, to perhaps allow research on embryos later into development in some cases.

From what has been reported about Zernicka-Goetz and her teams research, the creation of synthetic human-like embryos is a significant advance.

Its further remarkable they seem to behave, in terms of development, like a human embryo would in some ways.

Zernicka-Goetz reported the human-like embryos began to develop placenta and yolk sacs, but not a beating heart or the beginning of a brain.

Despite the role of the placenta in pregnancy, and its importance to the health of mother and fetus, we know surprisingly little about this vital but temporary organ.

If it was possible to observe placenta in a lab via these synthetic embryos, this could yield valuable knowledge.

Moral quandaries

However, just as there are real possibilities for gaining knowledge from synthetic human-like embryos, there are also real moral quandaries.

One of these quandaries arises around whether their creation really gets us away from the use of human embryos.

Robin Lovell-Badge, the head of stem cell biology and developmental genetics at the Francis Crick Institute in London UK, reportedly said that if these human-like embryos can really model human development in the early stages of pregnancy, then we will not have to use human embryos for research.

At the moment, it is unclear if this is the case for two reasons.

First, the embryos were created from human embryonic stem cells, so it seems they do still need human embryos for their creation. Perhaps more light will be shed on this when Zernicka-Goetzs research is published.

Second, there are questions about the extent to which these human-like embryos really can model human development.

At the moment, animal models of similar synthetic embryos suggest they are not capable of developing into a full living being. Studies in mice and monkeys have so far shown that the synthetic embryos die a short while after being implanted into a females womb, which means they are not viable.

There could be significant limits to the usefulness of these synthetic embryos for learning about human developmental issues, if human-like synthetic embryos arent capable of developing into full human babies and do not form important body structures like a beating heart and a brain.

One of the reasons researchers want to use these embryos is for research into miscarriage and developmental anomalies. This is very important, but will these synthetic embryos be close enough to real human embryos to reveal useful answers? Scientists may still rely on the use of human embryos if we do need human embryos for the creation of these models, or there are research questions that these synthetic embryos cant address.

Is it morally permissable?

This leaves us with the important moral question about whether it is permissible to use human embryos for research.

Further, if the human-like synthetic embryos are capable of developing into full living beings, then we must consider whether it is morally permissible to create them just for research.

It could be that they are not currently capable of developing much further than the 14-day mark.

Scientists might decide that this is a problem that needs to be fixed, partly for practical reasons about the limits to their usefulness. Scientists might then fix these synthetic embryos so that they could continue to develop. However, this would create a huge moral quandary.

We should think carefully about whether it is ethical to create living human-like beings only to conduct research on them. (The Conversation)



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London, Jun 17 (PTI) King Charles III became the first British monarch in 30 years to ride on a horseback for his first Trooping the Colour parade on Saturday, which marks his official birthday celebrations in the UK.

Charles turned 74 on November 14 last year but Saturday is when the country celebrates its monarchs birthday as per royal tradition for the parade to be held in the summer months.

The centrepiece is the Kings Birthday Parade involving over 1,400 military officers together with 200 horses, over 400 musicians from 10 bands and corps of drums.

Joining him on horseback as the parade rode through the Mall to Buckingham Palace in central London were the King's son and heir, William  the Prince of Wales, his sister Anne  the Princess Royal, and brother Edward  the Duke of Edinburgh.

Following them in a horse-drawn carriage were the King's wife Queen Camilla, William's wife Catherine  the Princess of Wales, and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

This weekend marks the first Trooping the Colour parade since the passing away of Charles mother, Queen Elizabeth II, aged 96 in September last year. Known as a keen horse lover, she last rode on horseback for the annual parade in 1986.

The tradition of Trooping the Colour dates to the days when flags were used as rallying points on the battlefields and it was essential that soldiers recognise their own regimental flag colours.

Hence the Colours were trooped, or displayed, prominently regularly to assembled troops.

The regimental flag that was trooped in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers for the monarch was the King's Colour of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata Murty were among the special guests in the stands watching the parade, along with around 8,000 people with allocated seats around the parade square through a ballot, which around 250,000 people enter each year.

Following the ceremony, the royal family will head back to Buckingham Palace to gather on the balcony to watch an extended military flypast after the display on King Charles III's Coronation Day on May 6 had to be scaled down due to bad weather.

Around 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force will take part, including aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the C-130 Hercules on its final ceremonial flight, modern Typhoon fighter jets with a red, white and blue finale from the Red Arrows.
Islamabad, Jun 17 (PTI) Imran Khan would never be a key player in the national politics of Pakistan again, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said, hinting at the disqualification of the embattled former prime minister.

Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has been slapped with a slew of cases, ranging from terrorism to murder, since his ouster through a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April last year.

"He is a miscreant. He brought indecency into politics," Sanaullah told Geo News, adding that the 70-year-old Opposition leader will never be a key player in Pakistan's political scene again.

The federal government has repeatedly hinted that Khan could be disqualified for his alleged role in the attacks on key army and government buildings after his arrest on May 9.

The minister claimed that if the PTI thinks its vote bank will increase following the instances of violence on May 9, the party is living in a fantasy. "The people have seen their real faces. He's a 'scourge' upon the nation whose only agenda is to cause destruction in the country, he said.

On May 9, violent protests erupted after the arrest of Khan by paramilitary Rangers in Islamabad.

Workers from Khans party allegedly vandalised over 20 military installations and government buildings, including the Lahore Corps Commander House, Mianwali airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad.

The Army headquarters in Rawalpindi was also attacked by the mob for the first time.

Khan was later released on bail.

The violence elicited a strong reaction from the government and military with vows of acting against the culprits, leading to an ongoing crackdown against those involved.

Law enforcement agencies have arrested over 10,000 workers of Khan's Pakistan party across Pakistan, 4,000 of them from Punjab province.

Pakistan's National Assembly has adopted a resolution demanding that the perpetrators of the May 9 violence be booked under the stringent Army Act.

The crackdown launched after May 9 violent protests have thrown PTI into a deep existential crisis with dozens of key party leaders quitting the party recently.
Cairo, Jun 17 (AP) An airstrike in Sudan's capital Khartoum on Saturday killed at least 17 people, including five children, health officials said, as fighting continued between rival generals seeking to control the country.

The attack was one of the deadliest of the clashes in urban areas of Khartoum and elsewhere in Sudan between the military and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces.

There was no immediate comment Saturday from either side of the conflict on the strike, and it was not clear whether the attack was by warplanes or a drone. The military's aircraft have repeatedly targeted RSF troops and the RSF has reportedly used drones and anti-aircraft weapons against the military.

The fighting broke out in mid-April, capping months of increasing tensions between the leaders of the military and the RSF.

Saturday's strike hit the Yormouk neighbourhood in southern Khartoum, where clashes have centred in recent weeks, according to Sudan's Ministry of Health. The area houses a military facility controlled by the army. At least 25 houses were destroyed, the ministry wrote in a Facebook post.

The dead included five children and an unknown number of women and elderly people, and some wounded people were hospitalised, the ministry said.

A local group that calls itself The Emergency Room and helps organise humanitarian aid in the area, said at least 11 people were wounded in the strike. It posted images it said were of houses damaged in the attack and people searching through rubble. Other images claimed to show a wounded girl and man.

The conflict has plunged the African country into chaos and turned Khartoum and other urban areas into battlefields. The paramilitary force has occupied people's houses and other civilian properties since the onset of the conflict, according to residents and activists.

The clashes have killed hundreds of civilians and wounded thousands of others. More than 2.2 million people have fled their homes to safer areas inside Sudan or crossed into neighbouring countries.

Activists and residents have reported widespread looting in the capital. Diplomatic missions, including residences belong to the US Embassy in Khartoum, have been stormed and looted, allegedly by armed men wearing RSF uniforms. Almost all diplomatic missions in Sudan were evacuated in the first weeks of the war.

Looting was fairly extensive at some of the residences, the US Department of State told The Associated Press. The damage was discovered during routine checks of the residences. There is some damage to the structures and personal property.

Sexual violence, including the rape of women and girls, has been reported in Khartoum and the western Darfur region, which have seen some of the worst fighting in the conflict. Almost all reported cases of sexual attacks were blamed on the RSF, which hasn't responded to repeated requests for comment.

The Darfur city of Genena has experienced some of the worst battles, with tens of thousands of its residents fleeing to neighbouring Chad. The RSF and allied Arab militias have repeatedly attacked the city, especially areas of the non-Arab Masalit community, since late April, according to residents and activists.

The attacks intensified earlier this month. Volker Perthes, the UN envoy in Sudan, said last week that the fighting in Genena has taken on an ethnic dimension, with Arab militias and armed men in RSF uniforms showing :an emerging pattern of large-scale targeted attacks against civilians based on their ethnic identities.

On Wednesday, West Darfur Gov. Khamis Abdalla Abkar, who hails from the Masalit, was abducted and killed hours after he accused the RSF and allied Arab militias in a televised interview of attacking Genena. His slaying was blamed on the RSF, a charge the paramilitary force denied.

Martin Griffiths, the UN's top humanitarian official, decried the fighting in Darfur on Thursday, especially in Genena where trapped residents are living a nightmare.

Babies dying in hospitals where they were being treated; children and mothers suffering from severe malnutrition; camps for displaced persons burned to the ground; girls raped; schools closed; and families eating leaves to survive, he said.

Griffiths urged the international community to intervene to avert another cycle of violence such as the one Darfur experienced in the early 2000s when it was the scene of genocidal war.

Ethnic Africans rebelled, accusing the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum of discrimination. Former dictator Omar al-Bashir's government was accused of retaliating by arming local nomadic Arab tribes, known as Janjaweed, who targeted civilians. The Janjaweed later evolved into the RSF.

Darfur is rapidly spiraling into a humanitarian calamity. The world cannot allow this to happen. Not again, Griffiths said. (AP) PY

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Tehran, Jun 17 (AP) Saudi Arabia's top diplomat arrived in Iran's capital on Saturday, the latest step in the restoration of diplomatic ties between the two Mideast rivals, Iranian state media reported.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan was officially welcomed by his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Iran TV said.

He carried a message from the Saudi king to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the two were due to meet later Saturday, Iran TV said.

Later, Prince Faisal said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and King Salman officially invited Raisi to visit Saudi Arabia, according to the state TV broadcast of a joint news conference.

The visit comes after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Saudi Arabia earlier in June.

In March, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions.

Prince Faisal is expected to officially inaugurate the kingdom's embassy in Tehran later Saturday.

Until the mission is completed, the employees are working from a Tehran hotel, Iran TV said.

Both nations reopened their diplomatic missions in recent weeks.

The agreement to reestablish diplomatic relations was a major breakthrough brokered by China, lowering the chances of further conflict between Riyadh and Tehran  both directly and in proxy conflicts around the region.

Iran has been blamed for a series of attacks in recent years following the United States' unilateral withdrawal from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.

One of those targeted the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil industry in 2019, temporarily halving the kingdom's crude production.

Relations between the predominately Shiite Iran and the majority Sunni Saudi Arabia have long been tense.

The kingdom broke ties with Iran in 2016 after protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic posts there.

Saudi Arabia had executed a prominent Shiite cleric along with 46 others days earlier, triggering the demonstrations. (AP) VM
Charleston (US), Jun 17 (AP) Nikki Haley's husband deployed on Saturday for a yearlong stint in Africa with the South Carolina Army National Guard, a mission that will encompass most of the remainder of her campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

He's always been my rock, she said after a deployment ceremony for about 200 soldiers at The Citadel, a military college in Charleston. We have both lived a life of service, and so when he goes off to deploy, my support is completely with him. If I happen to be running for president, his support is completely with me. ... We will continue to stay in touch as best we can.

Maj. Michael Haley is being deployed as a staff officer with the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, which the National Guard says is providing support in the Horn of Africa.

The United Nations, where Nikki Haley served as Donald Trump's ambassador for two years, says that 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.

Last month, a high-level UN conference raised less than USD 1 billion of the more than USD 5 billion organisers were hoping for to help more than 30 million people in the Horn of Africa cope with the climate crisis and mass displacement after years of conflict.

Nikki Haley, who is also a former South Carolina governor, has been highly critical of President Joe Biden's performance as commander in chief. She has spoken out against his administration's efforts to expand diversity in the military, complaining they were weakening the force and hampering recruitment, though the Army has said that the real problem is that many young people do not see enlistment as safe or a good career path.

She has also pledged to make cuts in USD 46 billion in foreign aid to countries that she says hate America.

Michael Haley, the candidate's husband of 26 years, has been a constant at his wife's campaign events since she became a White House candidate. During his deployment, the campaign said the couple's college-age son, Nalin, will be taking over that role.

Nikki Haley frequently mentions her status as a military wife. Joining the Guard as an officer in 2006, her husband made his first overseas deployment January 2013, when she was midway through her first term as governor, and their children were age 10 and 14.

He left me as a single mom governor, but we're still married, Haley said during a recent campaign appearance in Greer, South Carolina. She went on to critique the Biden administration's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Citing the current deployment during a CNN town hall in Iowa this month, Haley called it the start of a yearlong prayer that they're effective and that they're strong and that they come home safely.

She has also referenced her husband's upcoming deployment in terms of the US Department of Justice's case against 2024 rival Trump on charges of mishandling classified documents, including national defence information.

Arguing that two things can be be true a the same time and echoing many Republicans' arguments that the DOJ and FBI have lost all credibility with the American people, Haley said on Fox News this past week that if this indictment is true, if what it says is actually the case, President Trump was incredibly reckless with our national security.

My husband is about to deploy this weekend, Haley went on. This puts all of our military men and women in danger, if you are going to talk about what our military is capable of, or how we would go about invading or doing something with one of our enemies.

On Saturday, Haley said her husband's service has in part framed her viewpoint on foreign policy and military strategy.

We don't want to go into a way that's going to put our men and women at harm's danger. They are going because Africa is a hotbed," Haley said. "We've always known that when our men and women go overseas, it's to keep us safe here at home. (AP) PY

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London, Jun 17 (PTI) Over 40 Indian-origin medics, business leaders and community champions are among those on King Charles IIIs first Birthday Honours List as the British monarch released by the UK government.

Dr Parvinder Kaur Aley, Director of Global Operations at the Oxford Vaccine Group, University of Oxford, has been honoured as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to vaccination during COVID-19.

Professor Prokar Dasgupta, Foundation Professor of Surgery, Kings Health Partners and Chair in Robotic Surgery and Urological Innovation at Kings College London has also been conferred with an OBE for services to surgery and science.

Among the British Indian business leaders honoured are Anuj Chande, Partner and Head of South Asia Business Group at Grant Thornton UK LLP, who receives an OBE for services to international trade and investment, and Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for Hina Solanki, founder of Sol Cosmedics for services to business and charity.

The list was released by the UK government in London on Friday night.

"This year's honours list is a testament to ordinary people who have demonstrated extraordinary community spirit, and I pay tribute to all those who have been recognised today," said Oliver Dowden, UK Deputy Prime Minister.

A total of 1,171 people have received an honour, of which 52 per cent are people who have undertaken outstanding work in their communities either in a voluntary or paid capacity and 11 per cent of the successful candidates come from an ethnic minority background.

Among some of the topmost honours is a knighthood for novelist Martin Amis, who passed away recently, for services to literature.

Also knighted is award-winning British filmmaker Stephen Frears. Fashion magazine Vogue editor Dame Anna Wintour and author Sir Ian McEwan join the elite Companions of Honour.

Among some of the other Indian-origin recipients of honours include OBEs for consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Anju Kumar for services to womens health and welfare in Wales; District Crown Prosecutor Varinder Hayre for services to law and order in London; and Sunand Prasad, Chair of UK Green Buildings Council, for services to regeneration.

Also receiving MBEs are Roma Bhopal, physiotherapist and specialist hand therapist, for services to physiotherapy; Bawa Singh Dhallu, lately Councillor and lately Mayor, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, West Midlands, for political and voluntary service; Violinist Jyotsna Srikanth for services to music; and Ritu Khurana, disc jockey and broadcaster, for services to music and broadcasting.

The list also covers around 10 British Empire Medal (BEM) recipients of Indian heritage, including Balvir Mohan Bhalla, founder Super Cool Friends Charity, for services to the community in Ilford, London Borough of Redbridge, particularly during COVID-19; Rekesh Chauhan, pianist and composer, for services to music, charity and mental health in the British Asian community, particularly during COVID-19; and Kailash Malhotra, Peer Educator Volunteer, Kidney Research UK, for services to kidney organ donation for minority ethnic groups.

We are both incredibly honoured and grateful to receive this award. We hope to continue serving the Birchwood community, as it brings us so much pleasure to help the people around us that we class as family, said postmasters Balbir Kaur and Kuldeep Singh Dhillon, who have both been awarded BEMs for services to the community in Birchwood, Cheshire.

The Kings Birthday Honours recognises people who have made achievements in public life and committed themselves to serving and helping Britain.

They are announced annually on the eve of the monarchs official birthday  which is celebrated with pomp and pageantry in June. Committees of independent experts meet to review nominations twice a year  and then a main committee decides and agrees on a final list, which was sent to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and then to the King to be officially awarded in his name.
Washington, Jun 17 (PTI) Top American lawmakers have issued a series of video messages welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his Official State Visit to the US next week and said they are eagerly looking forward to his address to the Joint Meeting of the Congress.

Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. They will host Modi at a state dinner on June 22. The visit also includes an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on June 22.

He will address an invitation-only gathering of diaspora leaders from across the country at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington on June 23.

This is a historic moment in the relationship between the two countries, the lawmakers said.

I would like to join the vibrant and important Indian American community in my home State in saying welcome to Washington DC Prime Minister Modi," said Senator Robert Menendez, Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"The Prime Minister's state visit is a significant moment in the US-India relationship, he said.

Menendez, who represents the State of New Jersey in the US Senate, hoped that Modi will have the opportunity to experience all the richness of the United States during his visit.

Whether it is the incredible architecture of the capitol dome or the deep generosity of the American people, I wish him well on his visit to Washington.

"From our trade and economic engagement to our security cooperation to our people, to people ties, the India-US relationship is critically important. We have made considerable strides in recent years, and I hope for even more in the future, Menendez said.

Congressman Gregory Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Relations Committee, said he warmly welcomes Modi on his upcoming visit to the United States. Given the consequential nature of the United States and India's relationship, I look forward to hearing from the Prime Minister during our joint meeting of Congress on his vision for India, for India's relationship with the United States, he said.

The US and India's partnership has only grown in importance over the course of the past 40 years, Meeks said, adding that the relationship has been strengthened by people-to-people ties with over four million Indian Americans, many of whom live in the city of New York.

"We can leverage this vibrant diaspora to enhance our cooperation and create greater opportunities for the people of our two great nations. As it has been said, the United States in the relationship will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century, he said.

Congressman Greg Landsman said Indias prime minister will be visiting America and the largest and oldest democracies will have a great opportunity to strengthen bilateral bonds.

"We share common threats and believe in common values. Looking forward to the arrival of Prime Minister Modi in Washington DC next week. India is a key partner in our efforts to strengthen democracy in the U.S. and around the world, said Congressman Don Bacon.

Eminent Indian American leader from New Jersey Dr Sanjay Gupta applauded Congressmen and senators for sending messages ahead of the State visit.

The fact that the Chairman US senate foreign affairs committee, Senator Menendez has gone out of his extremely busy schedule and, in a very short time request, in preparing a video with a great welcome message for PM Modi speaks highly about the recognition and importance of this historic visit by PM Modi, Gupta said.

I personally have not seen such a welcome before for any other world leader and this unprecedented gesture really speaks volumes about PM Modi's influence and outreach world-wide, he said.

Congratulatory messages and greetings for the Prime Minister have started pouring in from across the country.

Hello Prime Minister Modi, this is Delaware Governor John Carney. I want to take this opportunity to welcome you to the United States of America. I hope you enjoy your time here in Washington DC. This visit will serve as another way to strengthen India US economic and cultural relationship, he said.

The US and India have an important relationship and collaborate in diverse fields like medicine, technology, and sustainable growth, said Congressman Troy A Carter, adding that he looks forward to hearing the prime minister's address to the Congress. Governor Laura Kelly of Kansas described it as a historic visit.

Kansas has an important and growing relationship with the people of India. An ever-increasing number of Indian students attend our universities and our vibrant well established Indian American business community makes important contributions to our economy every single day.

"We Kansans join our fellow Americans in wishing you a productive time here in the United States. And we look forward to the opportunity to expand our already significant engagement with India in the weeks and years to come, she said.

Seattle Deputy Greg Wong said the city and region is a major hub in the economic ties between the two countries and home to a growing Indian diaspora community.

As we look to the future, we hope for even closer connections between the US and India, whether it's partnerships on technology, trade, or combating climate change, closer bilateral cooperation is key, he said.
FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen outside the Blackstone Group headquarters in New York City

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Blackstone Group's Scott Bommer, who oversaw its hedge fund unit's growth strategy Horizon platform, is leaving the company for health reasons, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Bommer, a former hedge fund manager, joined Blackstone in 2021 as a senior managing director when the company was overhauling its $81 billion Blackstone Alternative Asset Management hedge fund unit known as BAAM.

The Blackstone Horizon platform will now be run by an investment committee led by BAAM Global Head Joe Dowling, the sources said.

The Horizon platform, where Bommer, 56, was chief investment officer, was designed to tap into big themes by investing in fast growing public and private companies. It launched with roughly $2 billion in capital in July 2021.

A Blackstone representative declined to comment and Bommer could not be reached for comment.

The platform resonated with investors who committed capital quickly, making it one of Blackstone's successful new launches.

Before coming to Blackstone, Bommer ran hedge fund SAB Capital for 17 years investing in stocks, debt and mortgages.

Bommer was the first big hire brought in by Dowling, after he joined Blackstone in early 2021 to help overhaul the hedge fund unit. Bommer's resume fit Dowling's taste for hiring top staff who had experience investing money not just allocating it.

Horizon was set up to deliver big returns but performance has been challenged as the platform launched shortly before markets turned. Management pulled back on investments as stock markets tumbled in early 2022 and stopped short of making new investments.

Horizon is down 22% on the total fund since its launch, a person familiar with the numbers said. The fund has purchasing power of approximately $1 billion the person said.

Other hedge funds that pursue similar growth strategies also suffered losses. Last year Tiger Global Management lost 56% while Whale Rock Capital Management ended with a 43% loss, Reuters reported previously.

BAAM's performance however has been strong and despite last year's drop in stocks and bonds, 2022 marked BAAM's best return in years relative to market performance. The unit reported a net 4.1% gain compared with a 16.9% decline in a so-called 60/40 portfolio, which splits allocations between stocks and bonds and is typically used by institutional investors as a benchmark.

In the five years to 2021, when Dowling arrived, the unit trailed the strategy by an annualized -5.2%.

(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss; editing by Diane Craft and David Gregorio)
Latur, Jun 17 (PTI) Police personnel and volunteers were seen offering roses to traffic offenders instead of imposing fine in Latur city of Maharashtra on Saturday evening.

The traffic police conducted a road safety drive on the stretch of road between the railway station and Gandhi chowk.

Volunteers acting as traffic ambassadors' and police personnel distributed roses to motorcyclists riding triple-seat, car drivers not wearing seat belts and auto rickshaw drivers without uniforms. <br> In order to encourage people to follow road safety and traffic rules on their own, this Gandhigiri' (a term popularised by the film "Lage Raho Munnabhai") approach was adopted, an official said.

The Traffic police department, under the guidance of Superintendent of Police Somay Munde, recently launched an initiative where volunteers of various social organizations work as `traffic ambassadors' three or four hours a week to spread awareness about the importance of following rules, said inspector Ganesh Kadam.

They will soon be given special T-shirts and caps, said PSI Avez Kazi.
Thane, Jun 17 (PTI) A group of women allegedly threw ink at a woman office-bearer of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and manhandled her during a programme held in Thane city of Maharashtra, police said on Saturday.

The incident took place at Kalwa on Friday night, they said.

The victim in the alleged incident, Ayodhya Pol, who is the social media coordinator of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, lodged a complaint at the Kalwa police station. However, no first information report (FIR) has been registered so far in this connection, police said.

Talking to reporters on Saturday morning, Pol said she was invited to an event to mark Ahilyabai Holkar's birth anniversary celebrated recently.

"The organisers of the event had followed all protocols and the banner sent to me earlier carried the pictures of the leaders of Sena (UBT). But when I reached the venue, the banner there had photos of only the local corporator and mine," she said.

Pol said she was earlier told by the organisers that other leaders belonging to the Thackeray group, including Sushma Andhare and local MP Rajan Vichare, would attend the programme. However, none of them was present there. When she asked about it, the organisers gave evasive replies, according to her.

"When the function started and as soon as I garlanded the portraits of icons, a group of women rushed towards me, pulled my hair, slapped me and threw ink at me," she said.

She said she now feels that she was misled by the organisers to attend the event.

"I have attended several functions across the state with the leaders of Sena (UBT), but it is for the first time that something like this has happened and that too in the city that happens to be the home turf of chief minister (Eknath Shinde)," she said.

The incident has also brought to the fore the issue of women's safety, Pol added.

Police said investigation into the case was on.
Kanker, Jun 17 (PTI) Three police constables suffered injuries after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded during a training exercise at a jungle warfare college in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, police said on Saturday.

The incident took place on Friday when the training session was underway at the Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare (CTJW) College on the outskirts of Kanker town, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P said.

CTJW, a special training school to impart training with special emphasis on counter Naxal activities, was established in 2004 in Kanker, about 150 km south of Raipur, he said.

During the training, the IED exploded nearby trainees causing splinter injuries to three constables Shankar Lal (24), Lalit Pujari (25) and Khirendra Nag (23), he said.

The trio was shifted to the district hospital, the IG said, adding that their condition is said to be out of danger.
Dinhata/Kolkata, Jun 17 (PTI) The convoy of Union Minister Nisith Pramanik was attacked on Saturday allegedly by supporters of the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district, a charge the ruling party dismissed.

The incident occurred in the Sahibganj area when Pramanik attempted to visit the Block Development Office where scrutinising nomination papers for the upcoming panchayat polls was going on.

The minister claimed that he went there following reports of TMC activists "blocking the road to the BDO office and engaging in malpractices".

"When I attempted to visit the BDO office, my convoy was pelted with stones. Bombs were hurled at us. TMC activists beat up our party workers, and papers belonging to our candidates were destroyed. It is shameful that the police stood by as mere spectators," Pramanik alleged.

The union minister also claimed that BJP workers were prevented from entering the BDO office, citing Section 144 of CrPC, while "TMC activists were allowed to assemble outside" the office premises.

However, the TMC termed these allegations as "baseless".

He insisted that the scrutiny of nomination papers should be conducted in the presence of central forces to ensure transparency in the process.

Television footage showed clashes between activists of both parties, with crude bombs being thrown during the altercation.

Reacting to the incident, TMC leader and North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha accused the BJP of "instigating its workers to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in the state".

"The BJP is attempting to disturb the upcoming polls by creating unrest. The union minister, accompanied by central forces, tried to disrupt the scrutiny process. They are using central forces to spread fear," he claimed.

Widespread violence over the filing of nominations for the upcoming panchayat polls has left five people dead and several injured in various parts of the state.
Kolkata, Jun 17 (PTI) West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday evening paid a visit to Canning in South 24 Parganas district to take stock of the situation following the death of a Trinamool Congress activist during sporadic violence there over filing of nomination papers for the panchayat election, an official said.

Bose had paid a visit Bhangore in the same district, where three persons were killed in clashes between two political parties, on Friday.

The governor has said violence would not be tolerated and culprits behind the clashes will be brought to book.

At least five people were killed in West Bengal in clashes since last week over filing of nomination papers for the June 8 panchayat polls.
Agartala, Jun 17 (PTI) BJP president J P Nadda arrived here on Friday as he will address a mega rally in South Tripura to mark the completion of nine years of the NDA government at the Centre.

Nadda will attend the party's programme at Santirbazar school ground on Saturday.

Chief Minister Manik Saha, BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee and Rajya Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb welcomed Nadda at the airport here.

"BJP national president JP Nadda arrived in the state to address a rally to be organised to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modis nine years in power in Santirbazar of South Tripura district. We welcomed Nadda-ji," Saha said in a Facebook post.

BJPs northeast coordinator Sambit Patra arrived here earlier in the day and held a meeting with the chief minister over the party's programme on Saturday.

Security arrangements have been beefed up in the entire Santirbazar sub-division as part of precautionary measures, a senior police officer said, adding that more troops are being deployed around the venue.

Nadda ji is set to address the rally around 11 am. Besides, he will meet two influential families in Agartala as part of Sampark Se Samarthan. Naddji will leave the state on Saturday afternoon," a party leader said.
Aizawl, Jun 16 (PTI) The Mizoram government on Friday urged the Centre to expedite the release of funds to provide relief to over 11,000 displaced people from violence-hit Manipur, an official statement said.

The state government has sought Rs 10 crore as immediate relief for those who are currently staying at shelters in different parts of Mizoram since ethnic clashes broke out in the neighbouring state on May 3.

During the day, state Tourism Minister Robert Romawia Royte called on Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla in Delhi and urged him to sanction the fund at the earliest, the statement said.

Bhalla, on his part, told Royte that the Centre will soon sanction the relief package, it said.

During the meeting, Royte said that more than 11,000 people from Manipur, mostly women, children and elderly persons, are currently staying at shelters in Mizoram due to the ethnic violence in the neighbouring state.

The Mizoram government, NGOs and churches are providing shelters and food to the displaced people, he said.

Stating that Mizoram is in "dire need of the Centre's help", Royte said that the state government could face a crisis if the proposed relief fund is not provided to the displaced people.

He also urged the Centre to take measures for the restoration of peace in Manipur.

According to the Mizoram home department, altogether 11,503 people from Manipur have entered the state till Friday.

Of them, 8,634 people live outside the relief camps, while 2,869 have lodged in 35 camps set up by the government and villages, it said.

Kolasib district currently hosts the highest number of displaced people at 4,109, followed by Aizawl at 3,825 and Saitual at 2,809, the statement said.

The displaced people, who belonged to the Kuki-Hmar-Zomi-Mizo group, took shelter in 11 districts of the state.

The Kuki-Hmar-Zomi-Mizo community, collectively known as Kukis, share ethnic ties with the Mizos.

Two Mizoram districts- Aizawl and Saitual - share a 90 km-long border with Manipur's Churachandpur and Pherzawl districts.

At least nine people were killed and 10 injured when suspected miscreants attacked a village in the Khamenlok area of Manipur in the early hours of Wednesday.

More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in the state that broke out a month ago.

The government has imposed a curfew on 11 districts and banned the internet in a bid to stop the spread of rumours in the state.

Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals - Nagas and Kukis - constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.
Guwahati, Jun 17 (PTI) The Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress on Saturday demanded action against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his alleged links with a Manipur-based militant outfit.

They sought a "deeper investigation" by the police into the allegations against Sarma as he is holding a constitutional position in a border state.

The womens wing of the states main opposition party, led by its president Mira Borthakur Goswami, submitted a memorandum to the state director general of police in this regard.

It was reported in a section of the media that after his visit to the ethnic violence affected Northeastern state last week, Sarma met representatives of some militant groups from the Kuki community in Guwahati on Sunday night.

The state Womens Congress claimed that a leader of a Kuki militant group has written to the Union Home Minister that his outfit had helped the BJP in the 2018 Manipur assembly polls.

The claim made in this letter, which has not been officially disputed, is shocking and chilling, the state Mahila Congress said in the memorandum.

Earlier on Thursday, 12 opposition parties, including Congress, CPI, CPI(M), AAP and TMC, had demanded the arrest of Sarma under the NSA for his alleged links with Manipur-based militant groups from the Kuki community.

The parties had staged a sit-in protest here and condemned Sarma's "closed-door" meeting with leaders of some militant groups from the neighbouring state on Sunday.

No reactions could be obtained from the Assam Chief Minister, while the state BJP leaders refused to comment claiming that its central leadership was better positioned to speak on the matter.
New Delhi, Jun 17 (PTI) The Vishva Hindu Praishad on Saturday condemned the Karnataka government's decision to repeal the anti-conversion law introduced by the previous BJP regime and launched a mass protest against it.

In a statement, VHP general secretary Milind Parande termed the state government's decision as the culmination of Muslim and Christian appeasement and said its a blow to Hindu values.

He said the state government could have amended the law if there were any shortcomings in it.

But, it seems that the Congress government has bowed down before the illegal conversion gang. Their the pressure on the state government is clearly visible with its decision, the VHP leader charged.

Vishva Hindu Parishad strongly condemns this decision of the Congress government in Karnataka and resolves to launch a mass movement against this decision, Parande said.

Demonstrations were held at many places in the state in protest against the decision and this campaign is not going to stop, he added.
Chandigarh, Jun 17 (PTI) A couple alleged to be the kingpins of the multi-crore Ludhiana robbery incident has been arrested from Uttarakhand, a Punjab Police official said on Saturday.

Those arrested were identified as fugitive Mandeep Kaur and her husband Jaswinder Singh, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.

Police had earlier arrested six people in the robbery case and recovered Rs 5.75 crore from their possession.

Armed robbers had decamped with cash stated to be more than Rs 8 crore from the office of CMS Securities  a cash management services company  in Ludhiana's New Rajguru Nagar locality on June 10 after overpowering security guards.

In a tweet, DGP Yadav said, "Proud of @Ludhiana_Police & Counter Intelligence unit to solve the CMS Cash Robbery Case after arresting fugitive Mandeep Kaur @ Mona & her Husband Jaswinder Singh from #Uttarakhand. Kingpin of #LudhianaCashVanRobbery arrested in less than 100 hrs."

"Police teams used a professional & scientific approach to solve the multi-crore robbery," he added.
Months before JPMorgan Chase bought financial aid startup Frank, employees expressed disbelief when their CEO, Charlie Javice, told them to change the companys website to show it had more customers than it really did, according to the latest court filing from JPMorgan Chase.

It was January 2021, and Javice was meeting with an investment bank that she hoped would take Frank on as a client, JPMorgan Chase said in a June 15 Delaware District Court filing. The entrepreneur was preparing to sell Frank, the company she founded several years earlier. She told her team to change Franks public-facing customer numbers, which would impact the companys website and communications, to state that Frank had 4.25 million student customers, the court filing said. (Please change the HP, Javice Slacked on Jan. 19, 2021.) Javice justified the switch by telling certain members of her team that she had changed Franks reporting metricwebsite visitors would be treated as users, the court document said.

Franks junior employees were surprised by the change, according to Slack messages provided by JPMorgan Chase. Some of the Jan. 11, 2021, messages said: these look like Charlie numbers, "charlie is the king of finding magic numbers haha and do we really have 4.25M students?

The switch in the companys public numbers caused a groundswell of concern at the startup that prompted a Frank executive on Jan. 19, 2021, to ask Javice to please wait to change the figures, the court filing said. A month later, Javice told Olivier Amar, Franks chief growth officer, to pick what metrics look fantastic and that were gonna make numbers happy, according to a text exchange from Feb. 25, 2021.

Javice was the founder and CEO of Frank, a startup that sought to revamp the financial aid process for students. In September 2021, JPMorgan Chase acquired Frank for $175 million and more than a year later, in December 2022, ended up suing Javice for securities fraud. The bank claimed Javice lied about the number of customers Frank had; she hired an unnamed data science professor to use synthetic data to allegedly show the startup had 4.26 million unique customer accounts, according to JPMorgan court filings. In reality, Frank had about 300,000 customers, according to JPMorgan Chases version of events as spelled out in legal documents. The Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against Javice, while the Securities and Exchange Commission has also sued her.

Javice has maintained in various court filings that JPMorgan knew exactly what it was buying and still rushed to do the deal. She has denied the allegations against her and has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.

The June 15 filing from JPMorgan Chase is the latest in a court battle that has seen Javice, a former media darling, be repeatedly and publicly accused of fraud. In May, a Delaware Chancery Court ruled that JPMorgan Chase was legally obligated to cover Javices legal bills, Fortune has reported.

In March, Amar, who was also sued by JPMorgan Chase, filed a motion to dismiss, which triggered a stay on discovery. Javice has sought a partial, documents-only, lifting of discovery.

The entrepreneur has claimed that JPMorgan Chase has cherry-picked documents and used them to vilify her in the press and with regulators, according to a June 1 court filing from Javice. The Frank founder alleges that she has not had access to the evidence, including the documents and emails that JPMorgan Chase has publicized, that will exonerate her, the filing said. Defendants should not be put in a position of fighting the weighty allegations against them with their hands tied behind their backs, while the plaintiff and the press and the public freely comment and speculate on their culpability based on biased and unproven allegations before a single document has been produced, Javice said in the June 1 filing.

The bank, in a separate June 15 filing, provided 80 pages of exhibits that included the aforementioned slack texts and a Frank presentation from 2021 that stated the startup had 4.25 million students.

JPMorgan Chase is opposing Javices attempt for partial discovery. Instead, JPMorgan Chase wants full discovery, which would give the bank a chance to depose Javice and Amar, as well as third-party witnesses, like former employees who were told to change Franks public-facing customer numbers. Full discovery would also allow the bank to depose the data science professor Javice allegedly paid $18,000 to create synthetic data used to dupe JPMorgan Chase into buying Frank.

A Javice spokesman could not be reached for comment.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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New Delhi, Jun 17 (PTI) The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday slammed the BJP over its 'Vikas Yatra' in Delhi for holding it at a time when Manipur was racked with sectarian violence, and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to contain the situation there swiftly.

Addressing a press conference, AAP Chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar accused the BJP government of failing to control the situation in Manipur which has been in grip of tribal tension for more than a month.

Kakkar spoke about the burning of houses of Union Minister of State Rajkumar Ranjan and another female minister by rioters to indicate the escalation of tension in the state.

She said these incidents have "sparked widespread distress among the people of Manipur and raised serious questions about the ruling BJP's ability to maintain law and order in the region."

"In light of these distressing events, AAP demands immediate resignation of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh. It urges Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take swift action, provide clarity on the situation in Manipur, and take decisive steps to bring an end to the violence," she said.

Kakkar said the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar started his 'Vikas Tirth Yatra' on Saturday to woo the voters ahead of the 2024 general elections.

She also contrasted the BJP celebrating its nine years at the Centre with the arson and mayhem in Manipur.

"Several people's houses in Manipur have been burned down and it is believed that more than 50,000 people have had to leave their homes and find shelter elsewhere," she said.

She criticised the BJP's 'vikas model' saying everyone gets a taste of it when they go out to buy fuel or groceries or milk at an inflated price.

"Everyone has seen this vikas model in the nation, under which farmers, instead of getting right compensation for their crops, are caned by the central government's police," she said.

She also said that even the prices of medicines required by cancer patients have surged rapidly in the last couple of years.

"I would like to remind my friends in the BJP that the problems being faced by the citizens of the country will not vanish by just screaming 'Modi, Modi,'" Kakkar said.
Lucknow, Jun 17 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Saturday called SP leader Azam Khan responsible for the 2013 Kumbh Mela stampede saying the tragedy happened because of his incompetence.

Forty-two people had died in a stampede during the 2013 Maha Kumbh in Allahabad, now Prayagraj.

"A person who did not know the ABCD of Kumbh Mela was made the minister for Kumbh," Maurya said addressing at a conclave here.

"In 2012, I was an MLA, and in 2013, the Kumbh Mela was organised in Prayagraj. Akhilesh Yadav was then the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and he did not go to take bath. His 'uncle' Mohd Azam Khan was the urban development minister, and had the responsibility of organising the Kumbh.

"There was a stampede, and people lost their lives. Are people like these capable of running the government? A person who does not know what is the ABCD of Kumbh Mela, was made the minister for Kumbh," he said.

The BJP leader said that in 2013 even before Narendra Modi was declared the party's prime ministerial candidate he had vouched for him as the future winner.

The politician also said such is the success of the Modi government that his opponents are finding it hard to find a prime minister candidate.
Lucknow, Jun 17 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said his government has set a target to plant 35 crore saplings on August 15.

As he made the announcement, the CM called on all government departments, institutions, and all state residents to contribute to make the event a success.

According to a statement, the CM gave instructions for the massive tree plantation campaign in a meeting held at his official 5 Kalidas Marg residence.

More than 131 crore saplings have been planted in the state in the last six years with the support of the public, he said.

Adityanath said that according to recent reports, there has been an increase of 794 sq kms in the total green area of the state during 2015-2021.

Our target is to increase the total green area of the state from nine per cent at present to 15 per cent by 2026-27.

According to this target, we have to plant and protect 175 crore trees in the next five years, said the CM.

He also called for a state-wide environment protection campaign from July 1 to July 7.
Nagpur, June 17 (PTI) A 35-year-old man was beaten to death by a mob on suspicion of stealing a motorcycle in Nagpur city of Maharashtra on Saturday, police said.

The incident occurred in Kamptee area when the deceased, identified as Mohd Nasir, was standing near a motorcycle in the market area.

"A passerby suspected that Nasir was a thief and started assaulting him. Soon other people joined and thrashed the man. Some people rescued Nasir and took him to Juni Kamptee police station where he collapsed. Police rushed him to a hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival," the official said.

A case of accidental death was registered by the police and further investigation is underway.
Westerly, RI (02891)

Today

Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable.
Westerly, RI (02891)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds light and variable.
The Citroen C4 is the most satisfying car to own according to the annual Driver Power study from motoring magazine Auto Express.

The Mark 3 version of Citroen's C4, sold since 2020, scored 93.39 per cent in the poll of thousands of UK drivers, taking in issues such as reliability and build quality, ride and handling, fuel economy and running costs, servicing costs, practicality and space, comfort and value for money.

Runner-up in the 2023 poll is the Kia Sorento (Mk4 from 2020) with 92.44 per cent satisfaction.

On top: The Citroen C4 scored 93.39 per cent in the poll of thousands of UK drivers

The Lexus RX (Mk4  2015 to 2022) is in third place with 92.15 per cent, followed by the Dacia Duster (Mk2 2018 to present with 91.75 per cent) and the Subaru Outback (Mk6 01.73) with 91.73 per cent.

The survey also breaks down motorists' experiences into categories and classes of cars from superminis to SUVs.

New EV trail in Lakes for electric car drivers

Electric car drivers are being invited to explore some of the Lake District's most delightful destinations this summer on a new EV Trail.

The 74-mile route, including 50kW rapid chargers, takes in highlights of the UNESCO World Heritage Site such as Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere, Keswick and Ullswater.

EV trail: The 74-mile route, including 50kW rapid chargers, takes in highlights of the UNESCO World Heritage Site such as Windermere

It has been created by Cumbria Tourism for the Low Carbon Lake District initiative. Organisers say: 'Experiencing the numerous attractions is best done over a few days, or even a week, allowing the most sustainable enjoyment of the area's lakes, forests, mountains, castles and other historical locations.'

An additional 900 charge-points are to be installed with funding from the Department for Transport's Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) grant.

For more details, see visitlakedistrict.com
Misleading?: In America accusations are mounting of greenwashing

By 2026, ESG criteria  environment, social and governance  are set to determine how an astounding 27.5trillion worth of pension and other savings are invested worldwide.

The scale of this bet on cutting carbon emissions and ensuring that more companies become better corporate citizens, suggests that this is an opportune moment to ask whether the ESG funds to which UK investors have already committed their cash are fit for their purpose.

In America accusations are mounting of greenwashing  portraying polluting investments as planet-friendly.

Such is the backlash that Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida and a key pretender to the Republican presidential nomination, has banned any investment of state money in ESG on the basis that if you 'go woke, you go broke'.

Against the background of this culture war, most investors in the US, UK and elsewhere are simply seeking more clarity over how funds can meet their goals and provide decent returns.

In Germany the ire over the betrayal of greenwashing led to a police raid on DWS, the fund management subsidiary of Deutsche Bank, in the summer of 2021.

Disappointing performance is adding to the disaffection. Many funds have fared poorly because they shun stocks whose prices have been boosted by the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis.

Jason Hollands, of Bestinvest, says that the pariah sectors include armaments and oil and gas. ESG funds also routinely avoid defensive stocks, such as those in drinks and tobacco companies which have prospered during a flight to havens.

The recent outflows from these funds  304m was withdrawn in May  indicate that some investors are deciding that it is impossible to align profits and principles, despite the often glib assurances to the contrary from fund managers.

As someone who is taking a long-term bet on energy efficiency and security, renewables and sustainability through funds such as Fundsmith Sustainable Equity, Royal London Sustainable Leaders and SDCL Energy Efficiency, I would argue that these withdrawals should be a wake-up call for managers.

The Financial Conduct Authority and the Treasury are planning more oversight of every aspect of ESG funds, including the ratings systems. These reforms, on top of new Europe-wide regulations, must tackle greenwashing  and confusion.

'Go woke, you go broke': Florida's Republican governor Ron DeSantis has banned any investment of state money into ESG

For example, the definition of what is an acceptable investment can be baffling. Many funds have large holdings in the US tech titans. This is boosting returns, thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) excitement, but some investors will still wonder how on earth these controversial corporations are considered suitable.

The answer to this  which may or may not appear in the fund literature  is that a megatech's footprint may be low relative to its sales. If businesses use Amazon's cloud computing offer, this is vastly more energy efficient than running operations on their own premises.

Gemma Woodward, head of responsible investment at Quilter Cheviot, says that the causes of the confusion include the rush to launch funds and the proliferation of rating systems, each with its own methodology.

'Unfortunately, there is a real lack of understanding of what ESG actually means.'

She believes that the problems will start to be addressed by the Treasury's proposals to regulate the ratings providers and the FCA's plans to end greenwashing, which could produce a standardised approach.

But even then, it will be wise to ensure that a fund's holdings comply with your objectives. Hollands adds: 'People shouldn't be ditching their ESG funds if they invested for the right reasons  and understood what they were backing.

'In truth, if you put money into funds with a restricted investment universe, there will inevitably be periods where their performance deviates  potentially significantly  from wider markets.

'There's no reason why a well-managed ESG fund won't deliver sound long-term returns.'

If you would like to check whether your ESG funds back the causes that matter to you and have the potential for long-term growth, there are various sources of information.

Interactive Investor's ACE 40 pledges to be a list of 'greenwashing-free' best-buy funds for all preferences.

And If you have money in exchange traded funds (ETFs), whose constituents are based on a specially constructed ESG index, justetf.com has a wealth of data. The stampede to launch ESG funds was a cynical attempt to attract investors, particularly a younger clientele worried about global warming.

Fund managers should try to be models of good corporate behaviour and deliver on promises.
A large leveraged position in CRV tokens across major DeFi lending protocols has caught the attention of the space over the last few days.

A wallet known to belong to Michael Egorov, co-founder of the decentralized exchange Curve Finance, has outstanding debt of $60M in stablecoins secured by CRV worth $176M as of June 16.

Gauntlet Flags Risk Posed By $176M CRV Position On Aave

Egorov has collateralized his CRV on Aave, DeFis largest lending protocol, with nearly $8B in total value locked (TVL). While the position currently remains safe from liquidation, Gauntlet, a risk management firm, has recommended that Aaves governance freeze the CRV market on Aave V2. This would mean that neither Egorov nor anyone else can add any more CRV to be used as collateral on the platform.

CRV is down nearly 30% in the past month amid the rout in altcoins, which may have prompted the renewed concern over a longstanding position.

Gauntlet Flags Risk Posed By $176M CRV Position On Aave

The danger that Gauntlet is trying to mitigate is the potential for Aave to take on bad debt. This would likely happen if the price of CRV dropped to the point that the Aave protocol must liquidate the position, but isnt able to do so due to its sheer size.

Too Big To Liquidate

To liquidate a position on Aave, a liquidator must repay the borrowed asset, USDT in this case. They then receive the collateral, CRV in this case, at a discount.

The problem  Egorovs collateralized CRV in Aave V2 accounts for over 33% of the total circulating supply of the token. This means that if his entire position was to be liquidated, the liquidator wouldnt be able to sell the CRV profitably due to inadequate on-chain liquidity.

Indeed, attempting to sell 100M CRV on mainnet, equivalent to around a third of Egorovs position, would crater the price by 70%.

Gauntlet Flags Risk Posed By $176M CRV Position On Aave

Gauntlet cited reduced liquidity in CRV as increasing the likelihood of disorderly liquidations. The firm declined to comment further on their recommendation when contacted by The Defiant.

Actively Managed Position

Andrew Thurman, the former head of communications at data provider Nansen, doesnt think its likely that Egorov doesnt plan to pay back his debt, as some people suggested on Gauntlets forum post.

Michael has actively managed that position in the past, including at times paying down portions of the debt, Thurman told The Defiant over Telegram.

Egorov did not respond to an email from The Defiant requesting comment, but on-chain data show repayments of nearly $3M in the past day.

Gauntlet Flags Risk Posed By $176M CRV Position On Aave

Aiham Jaabari, the co-founder of Silo Finance, another lending protocol, also thinks the concerns around Aave being left with bad debt are a bit overblown. He thinks that while Gauntlets post may have been intended to minimize the risk exposure of Aave V2, other traders have pounced on the narrative in order to push down the price of CRV.

Supporting this theory, funding rates to short CRV skyrocketed on Binance this week, according to the well-known Twitter account DeFiMoon. Funding rates go up when more traders are entering a trade using a derivative called a perpetual swap.

Jaabari told The Defiant he spoke with Egorov on June 14 to talk about Silo. Ive been telling him, Hey, give us a shot.

Unlike Aave V2, where all assets are pooled together, Silo groups smaller groups of assets to be borrowed and lent against each other. Jaabari said Silo doesnt yet have enough USDT liquidity for Egorov to migrate his whole Aave V2 position to Silo.

Egorov also has other borrowing positions collateralized by CRV, worth over $10M on lending protocols Frax Finance and Abracadabra, according to DeBank.

Gauntlets concerns around leaving Aave with bad debt may have been inspired by a highly profitable trading strategy executed last year by Avraham Eisenberg, where the trader pushed down the price of CRV by borrowing the asset against a position of collateralized USDC.

Jaabari said that Eisenberg was trying to liquidate Egorovs position by pushing the price of CRV down, but ultimately didnt succeed. After they saw what happened to Avi, no one is doing this, Jaabari said.

The SEC charged Eisenberg with market manipulation in January.
A simulator pilot guides a jet along a ladder-like line, snaking through the valleys of north Wales.

The imaginary aircraft twists through O-shaped loops on the screen. 'It may look like a video game but actually it's a lot more than that,' says Jon Wiggall, a flight test manager at defence giant BAE Systems.

The simulator is part of a multi-billion-pound programme to deliver Tempest  the UK's next-generation supersonic stealth combat aircraft  by 2035.

Flight of fancy: First announced in 2018, the programme has since become a collaboration with Italian and Japanese defence industries

The project uses digital technologies to predict how the aircraft will operate and then makes tweaks to the design. The idea is to save time and money by identifying issues before it is actually built.

A real-life demonstrator will be in the air by 2027 before Tempest itself finally takes shape, replacing the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Engine maker Rolls-Royce has been testing advanced technology for the plane in Bristol while successful ejector seat trials have taken place in Northern Ireland.

First announced in 2018, the programme has since become a collaboration with Italian and Japanese defence industries. France and Germany are separately racing to build their own Typhoon successor.

I was invited to the cavernous 5 Hangar at BAE's base in Warton, Lancashire  whose origins date back to the Second World War  to see how the Tempest programme is taking shape.

The simulator mocks up the landscape of the 'Mach loop'  the series of valleys north of the Welsh town of Machynlleth, which for decades have been used as low-level training areas for ultra-fast jets.

Ten pilots, led by ex-RAF flyer Steve Formoso, have been putting Tempest through its paces electronically since March 2020, with 125 sorties lasting a total of 170 flying hours  but without worrying the sheep. 'It's a lot of fun,' says Wiggall.

It ensures the jet's systems will operate smoothly 'whatever your flying style'. Wiggall says: 'When you drive a car people can drive very smoothly or very aggressively. Pilots are very similar.

'You can get a pilot that's very, very smooth and gentle with the flying controls or you can get a pilot that's actually very sharp and aggressive, and rough.'

Any changes that would have taken weeks or months can now be done in days.

Wiggall says: 'Steve can do an evaluation on a Thursday and come back with comments. The engineers can make changes to the software and by Tuesday the following week those changes are incorporated and being evaluated.'

Elsewhere in the hangar, an assembly of machines that look like speakers at a rock concert, with flashing green lights and red LED number displays, sit next to glass cabinets housing an array of switches. These replicate systems that will sit within the aircraft.

In another room, bits of aircraft machinery called hydraulic actuators  representing parts of a wing and a fin  sit shielded behind glass. These parts, hooked up to digital versions of other parts, help engineers build up a picture of how the whole jet will operate. 'These actuators will think that they are actually flying,' says Wiggall.

Tempest: A test pilot in BAE's bespoke simulator

He says the project is working out as expected, but adds: 'I'm not going to say it's easy. It's challenging. But we're making it work.'

One key challenge is created by the stealth design, which involves embedding engines in the plane, hidden from view. That means a 10-yard long duct has to be built to carry air into the engine, but that risks producing organ pipe-like vibrations that could cause the motor blades to fall apart.

Engineers have designed a duct that stops that happening and they have tested it using complex computer models, thus avoiding the need for repeated trial and error.

It meant that when Rolls-Royce carried out full-scale tests hooking the duct to an aeroplane engine at its plant in Bristol  where decades ago Concorde engines were developed  it was proved to work. Much of the project is shrouded in secrecy. The Government has committed 2 billion, and 800 million is coming from private sector firms, including BAE and Rolls-Royce.

Fired up: A Rolls-Royce engine being put through its paces

The final cost has not been revealed and the timetable for getting to the end of the programme is under wraps. However, project managers seem confident of political support despite the state of the public finances and the approach of a general election.

Neil Strang, BAE's Tempest programme director, says: 'We have had a number of the shadow cabinet here, and the Cabinet, and all of them have warmed to what we are doing.' That is likely to be because the project is so important both to the economy and defence strategy.

Tempest employs 2,800 people across industry and the Ministry of Defence and, according to a report for BAE, will support an average of 21,000 workers a year developing and, later, servicing the aircraft between 2026 and 2050.

Replacing the Typhoon fills a giant hole as the jet represents 85 per cent of UK defence exports, BAE says. Air Commodore Martin Lowe, director of the programme for the MoD, says: 'One of the motivations for the UK is to develop a military capability over which we have freedom of action.'

He hopes the aircraft will inspire new generations in the same way that his own youthful ambitions were sparked by the prototype that later became the Typhoon.

'I had that poster on my wall when I was a teenager,' he says. 'It is probably half the reason I am sat here now. I'd like this supersonic demonstrator aeroplane to have the same impact on another generation that that had on me.'
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Alexandria LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Front Royal II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Front Royal LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Mechanicsville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Midlothian LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Richmond II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Richmond LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Winchester LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Arlington PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Auburn PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Bellingham PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Bremerton PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Burien PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Coupeville PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - 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Casper LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming  TCS LLC, Hospitalists Management Group LLC, Humedica, Humedica Inc., Hygeia Corporation, Hygeia Corporation Ontario, IEC Holdings LLC, IHD Holdings LLC, INOV8 Surgical at Memorial City LLC, INSPIRIS of Texas Physician Group, Illinois Independent Care Network LLC, Imagen Technologies Inc., Impel Consulting Experts L.L.C., Impel Management Services L.L.C., InTouch Pharmacy LLC, Indiana Care Organization LLC, Indiana Endoscopy Centers LLC, Inland Surgery Center L.P., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3001 S.A., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3600 Ltda., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo S.A., Inmobiliaria Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Inmobiliaria Vinamed Ltda., Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Alameda S.A., Inpatient Services P.C., Inpatient Specialists of California P.C., Inspiris, Inspiris Inc., Instituto Radium de Cammpinas Ltda, Inter-Hospital Physicians Association Inc., International Healthcare Services Inc., Inversiones Clinicas Santa Maria SpA, Ironman Holdco Inc., Ironman Intermediate Holdco LLC, Isapre Banmedica S.A., JPM Healthcare LLC, Johnston Surgicare L.P., Joliet Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Jordan Ridge Family Medicine LLC, Joyable Inc., Kansal Inc. A Professional Corporation, Knox Diagnostic Imaging Center LLC, Kokomo Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, LDI Holding Company LLC, LDI Management Services LLC, LGH-A/Golf ASTC L.L.C., LHC Group, La Esperanza del Peru S.A., Laboratorio ROE S.A., Laboratorios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Landmark Group Holdings LLC, Landmark Health Holdings LLC, Landmark Health LLC, Landmark Health NY IPA LLC, Landmark Health NY PO LLC, Landmark Health Technologies Private Limited, Landmark Health of California LLC, Landmark Health of Massachusetts LLC, Landmark Health of North Carolina LLC, Landmark Health of Oregon LLC, Landmark Health of Pennsylvania LLC, Landmark Health of Washington LLC, Landmark India LLC, Landmark Intermediate Holdings LLC, Landmark MSO LLC, Landmark Medical of Idaho PC, Landmark Medical of Massachusetts PLLC, Landmark Medical of Tennessee PC, Landmark Primary Care LLC, Laser Acquisition Holdings III LLC, Leehar Distributors LLC, Lemhi Ventures Fund I LP, Lemhi Ventures Fund II LP, Level2 Medical Services P.C. Alaska, Lexington Surgery Center Ltd., Liberty Anesthesia Services LLC, LifePrint Health Inc., LifeWell. Ltd. Co., Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization LLC, Limestone Medical Center LLC, Litomedica S.A., Logan Surgical Suites LLC, Lotten-Eyes Oftalmologia Clinica e Cirurgica Ltda., Louisville S.C. Ltd., Louisville-SC Properties Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook L.P., Lusiadas - Parcerias Cascais S.A., Lusiadas A.C.E., Lusiadas Algarve S.A., Lusiadas S.A., Lusiadas SGPS S.A., Lutheran Campus ASC LLC, MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Company, MCNA Health Care Holdings LLC, MCNA Insurance Company, MCNA Systems Corp., MD Ops Inc., MD-Individual Practice Association Inc., ME AHS UC LLC, MGH/SCA LLC, MHC Real Estate Holdings LLC, MIAMI SURGERY CENTER LLC, MSLA Management LLC, Main Line Spine Surgery Center LLC, Managed Care of North America Inc., Managed Physical Network Inc., Mansfield Endoscopy Center LLC, March Holdings Inc., March Vision Care IPA Inc., March Vision Care Inc., March Vision Care of Texas Inc., Marin Health Ventures LLC, Marin Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Marin Surgery Holdings Inc., Marlin Holding Company LLC, Maryland Ambulatory Centers LLC, Maryland-SCA Centers LLC, Massachusetts Assurance Company Ltd. PIC, Massachusetts Avenue Surgery Center LLC, McKenzie Surgery Center L.P., MedExpress Primary Care West Virginia Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care Alabama LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Inc. - Ohio, MedExpress Urgent Care Maine Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care New Hampshire Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach LLC, MedSynergies, MedSynergies LLC, Medical Clinic of North Texas PLLC, Medical Hilfe S.A., Medical Support Los Angeles Inc., Medical Surgical Centers of America Inc., Medical Transportation Services LLC, Melbourne Surgery Center LLC, Memorial City Holdings LLC, Memorial City Partners LLC, Memorial Houston Surgery Center LLC, MemorialCare Surgical Center at Orange Coast LLC, MemorialCare Surgical Center at Saddleback LLC, Mesquite Liberty LLC, Metro I Stone Management Ltd., Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of Tennessee, Midlands Orthopaedics Surgery Center LLC, Midwest Center for Day Surgery LLC, Mile High SurgiCenter LLC, Mississippi Medical Plaza L.C., Mobile Medical Services of New Jersey PC, Mobile-SC LTD., Modality Accountable Care Organisation Limited, Moen M.D. P.C., Mohawk Surgery Center LLC, Monarch Management Services Inc., Montgomery Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Monument Health LLC, Moore Orthopaedic Clinic Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Morris County Surgical Center LLC, Mt. Pleasant Surgery Center L.P., Multiangio Ltda., Murrells Inlet ASC LLC, Muskogee Surgical Investors LLC, Mustang Razorback Holdings Inc., My Wellness Solutions LLC, NAMM Holdings Inc., NPN IPA Washington PLLC, NSC Channel Islands LLC, NSC Greensboro LLC, NSC Greensboro West LLC, NSC Lancaster LLC, NSC Seattle Inc., NSC Upland LLC, Naperville Surgical Centre LLC, National Foundation Life Insurance Company, National Pacific Dental Inc., National Surgery Centers LLC, Navigator Health Inc., Nebraska Spine Hospital LLC, Neighborhood Health Partnership Inc., Netwerkes LLC, Nevada Pacific Dental, New Orleans Regional Physician Hospital Organization L.L.C., New West Physicians Inc., New York Proton Management LLC, Newton Holdings LLC, Niagara Hospitalist P.C., Nomad Buyer Inc., North American Medical Management California Inc., North Coast Surgery Center Ltd. a California Limited Partnership, North Dallas Surgical Center LLC, North Kitsap Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, North Puget Sound Oncology Equipment Leasing Company LLC, Northern Nevada Health Network Inc., Northern Rockies Surgery Center L.P., Northern Rockies Surgicenter Inc., Northern Utah Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Hills JV Partners LLC, Northwest Medical Group Alliance LLC, Northwest Spine and Laser Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Surgicare LLC, Northwest Surgicare Ltd. an Illinois Limited Partnership, OC Cardiology Practice Partners LLC, OCC MSO LLC, OSB  Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Lda., Omesa SpA, OmniClaim LLC, Oncocare S.A.C., One World Surgery, Ophthalmology Surgery Center of Dallas LLC, Optimum Choice Inc., Optum Bank Inc., Optum Biometrics Inc., Optum Care Inc., Optum Care Networks Inc., Optum Care Services Company, Optum Care of New York Management Inc., Optum Clinics Holdings Inc., Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings Inc., Optum Compounding Services LLC, Optum Digital Health Holdings LLC, Optum Direct To Consumer Inc., Optum Financial Inc., Optum Frontier Therapies Holdings LLC, Optum Frontier Therapies II LLC, Optum Frontier Therapies LLC, Optum Genomics Inc., Optum Global Solutions Colombia S.A.S., Optum Global Solutions India Private Limited, Optum Global Solutions International B.V., Optum Global Solutions Philippines Inc., Optum Government Solutions Inc., Optum Growth Partners Holdings Inc., Optum Growth Partners LLC, Optum Health & Technology Holdings US Inc., Optum Health & Technology Hong Kong Limited, Optum Health & Technology India Private Limited, Optum Health & Technology Servicos do Brasil Ltda., Optum Health & Technology Singapore Pte. Ltd., Optum Health & Technology US LLC, Optum Health Plan of California, Optum Health Services Canada Ltd., Optum Health Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Optum Health Solutions UK Limited, Optum Health and Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services LLC, Optum Inc., Optum Infusion Services 100 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 101 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 103 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 200 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 201 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 202 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 203 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 204 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 205 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 206 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 207 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 208 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 209 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 301 LP, Optum Infusion Services 302 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 305 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 308 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 401 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 402 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 403 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 404 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 500 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 501 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 550 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 551 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 553 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 554 Inc., Optum Insurance of Ohio Inc., Optum Labs Inc., Optum Labs LLC, Optum Life Sciences Canada Inc., Optum Management Consulting Shanghai Co. Ltd., Optum Networks of New Jersey Inc., Optum Operations Ireland Unlimited Company, Optum Oregon MSO LLC, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas Inc., Optum Perks LLC, Optum Pharma Services Holdings Inc., Optum Pharmacy 601 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 700 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 701 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 702 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 704 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 705 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 706 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 707 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 800 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 803 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 805 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 806 Inc., Optum Public Sector Solutions Inc., Optum Rocket LLC, Optum SCA CS JV Holdings LLC, Optum Senior Services LLC, Optum Services Inc., Optum Services Ireland Limited, Optum Services Puerto Rico LLC, Optum Solutions UK Holdings Limited, Optum Technology LLC, Optum UK Solutions Group Limited, Optum Venture Global Partners II LP, Optum Venture Global Partners LP, Optum Venture Partners II LP, Optum Venture Partners III LP, Optum Venture Partners LP, Optum Washington Network LLC, Optum Women's and Children's Health LLC, Optum of New York Inc., Optum360 LLC, Optum360 Services Inc., Optum360 Solutions LLC, OptumCare ACO New Mexico LLC, OptumCare ACO West LLC, OptumCare Clinical Trials LLC, OptumCare Colorado ASC LLC, OptumCare Colorado LLC, OptumCare Colorado Springs LLC, OptumCare Endoscopy Center New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Florida CI LLC, OptumCare Florida LLC, OptumCare Holdings Colorado LLC, OptumCare Holdings LLC, OptumCare Management LLC, OptumCare New Mexico LLC, OptumCare New York IPA Inc., OptumCare Portland LLC, OptumCare South Florida LLC, OptumCare Specialty Practices LLC, OptumHealth Care Solutions LLC, OptumHealth Holdings LLC, OptumHealth International B.V., OptumInsight Holdings LLC, OptumInsight Inc., OptumInsight India Private Limited, OptumInsight Life Sciences Inc., OptumRx Administrative Services LLC, OptumRx Discount Card Services LLC, OptumRx Group Holdings Inc., OptumRx Health Solutions LLC, OptumRx Holdings I LLC, OptumRx Holdings LLC, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio LLC, OptumRx IPA III Inc., OptumRx Inc., OptumRx NY IPA Inc., OptumRx PBM of Illinois Inc., OptumRx PBM of Maryland LLC, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin LLC, OptumRx PD of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx Pharmacy Inc., OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada Inc., OptumRx of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumServe Technology Services Inc., Oregon Healthcare Resources LLC, Oregon Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., OrthoNet Holdings Inc., OrthoNet LLC, OrthoNet New York IPA Inc., OrthoNet West Inc., OrthoNet of the South Inc., OrthoWest MSO LLC, Orthology Inc., Orthopedic Center of Palm Beach County LLC, Orthopedic Surgery Center of Palm Beach County LLC, Orthopro Management LLC, Ovations Inc., Owensboro Ambulatory Surgical Facility Ltd., Oxford Benefit Management Inc., Oxford Health Insurance Inc., Oxford Health Plans CT Inc., Oxford Health Plans LLC, Oxford Health Plans NJ Inc., Oxford Health Plans NY Inc., P2P Link LLC, PCCCV Inc., PHC Subsidiary Holdings LLC, PHYSICIANS DAY SURGERY CENTER LLC, PMI Acquisition LLC, PMSI Holdings LLC, PMSI Settlement Solutions LLC, POMCO Inc., POMCO Network Inc., PPH Holdings LLC, PPH Management Company L.L.C., PPH-Columbia Inc., PPH-Gardendale Inc., PS Center LLC, PacifiCare Health Systems, PacifiCare Life Assurance Company, PacifiCare Life and Health Insurance Company, PacifiCare of Arizona Inc., PacifiCare of Colorado Inc., Pacific Cardiovascular Associates Medical Group Inc., Pacific Casualty Company Inc., Pacifico S.A. Entidad Prestadora de Salud, Panama City Surgery Center LLC, Park Hill Surgery Center LLC, Parkway Surgery Center LLC, Patient Care Associates L.L.C., PatientsLikeMe, Patrimonio Autonomo Nueva Clinica, Payment Resolution Services LLC, Peninsula Eye Surgery Center LLC, Penzo Enterprises LLC, Peoples Health, Peoples Health Inc., Perham Physical Therapy LTD, Perimeter Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Pharmaceutical Technologies LLC, Physician Alliance of the Rockies LLC, Physicians Health Choice of Texas LLC, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland Inc., Physicians' Surgery Center of Downey LLC, Pinnacle III LLC, Plano de Saude Ana Costa Ltda., Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico Inc., Plus One Holdings Inc., Pocono Ambulatory Surgery Center Limited, Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes Multiestrategia, Polo Holdco LLC, Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Post-Acute Care Center for Research LLC, Practice Partners in Healthcare LLC, Preferred Care Network Inc., Preferred Care Network of Florida Inc., Preferred Care Partners Holding Corp., Preferred Care Partners Inc., Preferred Care Partners Medical Group Inc., PreferredOne, PreferredOne Administrative Services Inc., PreferredOne Insurance Company, Premier Choice ACO Inc., Premier Surgery Center of Louisville L.P., Premiere Medical Resources LLC, Presidio Surgery Center LLC, Prime Health Inc., PrimeCare Medical Network Inc., PrimeCare of Citrus Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Corona Inc., PrimeCare of Hemet Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Inland Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Moreno Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Redlands Inc., PrimeCare of Riverside Inc., PrimeCare of San Bernardino Inc., PrimeCare of Sun City Inc., PrimeCare of Temecula Inc., PrimeDoc St. Francis P.C., PrimeDoc of Richmond P.C., ProHEALTH Care Associates L.L.P., ProHEALTH Care Associates of New Jersey LLP, ProHEALTH Medical Management LLC, ProHealth Physicians ACO LLC, ProHealth Physicians Inc., ProHealth Proton Center Management LLC, ProHealth/CareMount Dental Management LLC, Procura Management Inc., Professional Coverage Services PLLC, Progressive Enterprises Holdings Inc., Progressive Medical LLC, Promotora Country S.A., Pronounced Health Solutions Inc., Prosemedic S.A.C., Prospero Benefits Management LLC, Prospero Care Management LLC, Prospero Management Services LLC, Providence & SCA Development LLC, Providence & SCA Off-Campus Holdings LLC, Providence & SCA On-Campus Holdings LLC, Providence & SCA Outreach Markets Holdings LLC, Pulse Platform LLC, QoL Acquisition Holdings Corp., R Cubed Inc., RABessler M.D. P.C., ROC Surgery LLC, ROCS Holdings LLC, RX Ricardo Campos Ltda., Rally Health Inc., ReMedics LLC, Real Appeal Inc., Redding Surgery Center LLC, Redlands Ambulatory Surgery Center, Redlands-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., Reliant MSO LLC, Reliant Medical Group Inc., Reliant Medical Group The Endoscopy Center LLC, Research Surgical Center LLC, Resonancia Magnetica de Colombia Ltda., Resonancia Magnetica del Country S.A., RightCare Solutions Inc., River Valley ASC LLC, Riverside Corporate Wellness LLC, Riverside Electronic Healthcare Resources Inc., Riverside Medical Management LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Meadowlands LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Newark LLC, Robert A. Bessler MD PLLC, Rockville Eye Surgery Center LLC, Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization Incorporated, Rush Oak Brook Surgery Center LLC, SC Affiliates LLC, SCA AHN JV Holdings LLC, SCA Alaska Surgery Center inc., SCA Athens LLC, SCA Austin Holdings LLC, SCA Austin Medical Center Holdings LLC, SCA Aventura Holdings LLC, SCA BOSC Holdings LLC, SCA Bloomfield Holdings LLC, SCA Cedar Park Holdings LLC, SCA Clifton LLC, SCA Colorado Springs Holdings LLC, SCA Community Service Foundation, SCA Cottonwood Holdings LLC, SCA Danbury Surgical Center LLC, SCA Denver Holdings LLC, SCA Development LLC, SCA Duluth Holdings LLC, SCA Duncanville Holdings LLC, SCA Duncanville MSO LLC, SCA ESSC Holdings LLC, SCA Englewood Holdings LLC, SCA Global One Holdings LLC, SCA Greenway Holdings LLC, SCA Grove Creek Holdings LLC, SCA Guilford Holdings LLC, SCA Hays Holdings LLC, SCA Health Value Enterprise LLC, SCA Heartland Holdings LLC, SCA High Point Holdings LLC, SCA HoldCo Inc., SCA Holding Company Inc., SCA Holdings Inc., SCA IEC Holdings LLC, SCA Indiana Holdings LLC, SCA Lutheran Holdings LLC, SCA Maple Grove Holdings LLC, SCA Mohawk Holdings LLC, SCA Murrells Inlet LLC, SCA Northern Utah Holdings LLC, SCA Northwest Holdings LLC, SCA Outside New Jersey LLC, SCA Pacific Holdings Inc., SCA Pacific Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Palisades Holdings LLC, SCA Pennsylvania Holdings LLC, SCA Pinnacle Holdings LLC, SCA Premier Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, SCA Providence Holdings LLC, SCA ROCS Holdings LLC, SCA Rockledge JV LLC, SCA Rush Oak Brook Holdings LLC, SCA SSSC Holdings LLC, SCA Sage Medical LLC, SCA Sage Medical MSO LLC, SCA San Diego Holdings LLC, SCA Skyway Holdings LLC, SCA South Ogden Holdings LLC, SCA Southwestern PA LLC, SCA Specialists of Florida LLC, SCA Specialty Holdings of Connecticut LLC, SCA Stonegate Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Surgicare of Laguna Hills LLC, SCA Teammate Support Network, SCA West Health Holdings LLC, SCA Westgreen Holdings LLC, SCA Woodbury Holdings LLC, SCA eCode Solutions Private Limited, SCA of Clarksville Inc., SCA-Albuquerque Surgery Properties Inc., SCA-Alliance LLC, SCA-Anne Arundel LLC, SCA-Applecare Partners LLC, SCA-Bethesda LLC, SCA-Blue Ridge LLC, SCA-Bonita Springs LLC, SCA-Brandon LLC, SCA-Castle Rock LLC, SCA-Central Florida LLC, SCA-Charleston LLC, SCA-Chatham LLC, SCA-Chevy Chase LLC, SCA-Citrus Inc., SCA-Colonial Partners LLC, SCA-Colorado Springs LLC, SCA-Connecticut Partners LLC, SCA-DRY CREEK LLC, SCA-Davenport LLC, SCA-Denver LLC, SCA-Denver Physicians Holdings LLC, SCA-Derry LLC, SCA-Doral LLC, SCA-Downey LLC, SCA-Dublin LLC, SCA-Encinitas Inc., SCA-Eugene Inc., SCA-First Coast LLC, SCA-Florence LLC, SCA-Fort Collins Inc., SCA-Fort Walton Inc., SCA-Franklin LLC, SCA-Frederick LLC, SCA-Freeway Holdings LLC, SCA-Ft. Myers LLC, SCA-GRANTS PASS LLC, SCA-Gainesville LLC, SCA-Gladiolus LLC, SCA-Glenwood Holdings LLC, SCA-Grove Place LLC, SCA-Hagerstown LLC, SCA-Hamden LLC, SCA-Hilton Head LLC, SCA-Honolulu LLC, SCA-Houston Executive LLC, SCA-IT Holdings LLC, SCA-Illinois LLC, SCA-JPM Holdings LLC, SCA-Kissing Camels Holdings LLC, SCA-MC VBP Inc., SCA-Main Street LLC, SCA-Marina del Rey LLC, SCA-Mecklenburg Development Corp., SCA-Memorial City LLC, SCA-Memorial LLC, SCA-Merritt LLC, SCA-Midlands LLC, SCA-Midway Management LLC, SCA-Mobile LLC, SCA-Mokena LLC, SCA-Morris Avenue LLC, SCA-Morris County LLC, SCA-Mt. Pleasant LLC, SCA-Naperville LLC, SCA-Naples LLC, SCA-New Jersey LLC, SCA-Newport Beach LLC, SCA-Northeast Georgia Health LLC, SCA-PORTLAND LLC, SCA-Palm Beach LLC, SCA-Palm Beach MSO Holdings LLC, SCA-Panama City Holdings LLC, SCA-Paoli LLC, SCA-Phoenix LLC, SCA-Pocono LLC, SCA-Practice Partners Holdings LLC, SCA-River Valley LLC, SCA-Riverside LLC, SCA-Riverside Partners LLC, SCA-Rockville LLC, SCA-Sacred Heart Holdings LLC, SCA-San Diego Inc., SCA-San Luis Obispo LLC, SCA-Sand Lake LLC, SCA-Santa Rosa Inc., SCA-Somerset LLC, SCA-South Jersey LLC, SCA-Sparta LLC, SCA-Spartanburg Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis LLC, SCA-St. Lucie LLC, SCA-SurgiCare LLC, SCA-Swiftpath LLC, SCA-VERTA LLC, SCA-VLR Holdings Company LLC, SCA-Wake Forest LLC, SCA-Western Connecticut LLC, SCA-Westover Hills LLC, SCA-Winchester LLC, SCA-Winter Park Inc., SCA-Woodlands Holdings LLC, SCAI Holdings LLC, SCLHS-SCA Holdings LLC, SCP Specialty Infusion LLC, SHC Atlanta LLC, SHC Austin Inc., SHC Hawthorn Inc., SHC Melbourne Inc., SJ East Campus ASC LLC, SRPS LLC, SSSC Holdings LLC, SVHS-SCA Florida JV LLC, Sacred Heart ASC LLC, Saden S.A., Sage Medical Prof. LLC, Salem JV Holdings LLC, Salem Surgery Center LLC, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy Inc., San Diego Endoscopy Center, San Diego Sports and Minimally Invasive Surgery Center LLC, San Francisco Endoscopy Center LLC, San Luis Obispo Surgery Center a California Limited Partnership, Sand Lake SurgiCenter LLC, Santa Barbara Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Cruz Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Helena Assistencia Medica S.A., Santa Rosa Surgery Center L.P., Santos Administracao e Participacoes S.A., Sanvello Health Holdings LLC, Sanvello Health Inc., Sanvello Health Limited, Scanner Centromed S.A., Seashore Surgical Institute L.L.C., Seisa Servicos Integrados de Saude Ltda., Senate Street Surgery Center LLC, Senior Benefits L.L.C., Serquinox Holdings LLC, Servicios Integrados de Salud Ltda., Servicios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Servicios Medicos Bio Bio Ltda., Servicios Medicos Ciudad del Mar Ltda., Servicios Medicos Santa Maria Ltda., Servicios Medicos Vespucio Ltda., Servicios de Entrenamiento en Competencias Clinicas Ltda., Serviclinica Inmobiliaria S.A., Serviclinica S.A. Ex Los Leones La Calera, Servisalud Inmobiliaria S.A., Servisalud S.A. Ex Los Carrera Quilpue, Shark Holdings P.C., Sierra Dental Plan Inc., Sierra Health Services Inc, Sierra Health Services Inc., Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company Inc., Sierra Health-Care Options Inc., Sierra Home Medical Products Inc., Sierra Nevada Administrators Inc., Sistema de Administracion Hospitalaria S.A.C., Small Business Insurance Advisors Inc., Sobam  Centro Medico Hospitalar S.A., Sociedad de Inversiones Santa Maria SpA, Solstice Administration Services Inc., Solstice Administrators Inc., Solstice Administrators of Alabama Inc., Solstice Administrators of Arizona Inc., Solstice Administrators of Missouri Inc., Solstice Administrators of North Carolina Inc., Solstice Administrators of Texas Inc., Solstice Benefit Services Inc., Solstice Benefits Inc., Solstice Health Insurance Company, Solstice Healthplans Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Arizona Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Colorado Inc., Solstice Healthplans of New Jersey Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Ohio Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Tennessee Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Texas Inc., Solstice of Illinois Inc., Solstice of Minnesota Inc., Solstice of New York Inc., Solutran LLC, Somerset Outpatient Surgery L.L.C., Sound Inpatient Physicians Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians Medical Group Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians of Ohio LLC, Sound Inpatient Physicians of Texas I Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians  Michigan PLLC, Sound Intensivists of Nevada RBessler M.D. PLLC, Sound Kenwood Hospitalists of Cincinnati Inc., Sound Kenwood Hospitalists of Cincinnati LLC, Sound Physicians Advisory Services Inc., Sound Physicians Alaska Hospitalist Group LLC, Sound Physicians Anesthesiology of Texas PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Arizona Inc., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Georgia P.C., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Kansas LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Kentucky PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Louisiana Inc., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Michigan PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Nevada Bessler PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Southern California P.C., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Texas PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Washington PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of West Virginia PLLC, Sound Physicians Holdings LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Arizona Inc., Sound Physicians Intensivists of Georgia PC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Virginia LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Washington PLLC, Sound Physicians Palliative Care of Maryland P.C., Sound Physicians Telemedicine Inc., Sound Physicians of Florida IV LLC, Sound Physicians of Georgia III P.C., Sound Physicians of Hawaii Inc., Sound Physicians of Idaho PLLC, Sound Physicians of Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians of Indiana LLC, Sound Physicians of Iowa PLLC, Sound Physicians of Kankakee Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians of Massachusetts II P.C., Sound Physicians of Massachusetts Inc., Sound Physicians of New Jersey LLC, Sound Physicians of New York PLLC, Sound Physicians of North Carolina PLLC, Sound Physicians of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians of Wyoming LLC, South Arlington Surgical Providers LLC, South County Surgical Center LLC, South Sound Inpatient Physicians PLLC, Southern California Medical Practice Concepts LLC, Southland Hospitalists P.C., Southwest Medical Associates Inc., Southwest Michigan Health Network Inc., Southwest Surgery Center LLC, Southwest Surgical Center LLC, Space Coast Surgical Center Ltd., Spartanburg Surgery Center LLC, Specialists in Urology Surgery Center LLC, Specialized Pharmaceuticals Inc., Specialty Benefits LLC, Specialty Billing Solutions LLC, Specialty Surgical Center LLC, Spectera Inc., Spectera of New York IPA Inc., Sports and Spinal Physical Therapy Inc., St. Cloud Outpatient Surgery Ltd. a Minnesota Limited Partnership, St. Cloud Surgical Center LLC, St. Louis Cardiovascular Institute LLC, St. Louis Specialty Surgical Center LLC, Stonegate JV Partners LLC, Stonegate Surgery Center L.P., Summer Street ASC LLC, SunSurgery LLC, Surgery Center Holding LLC, Surgery Center at Cherry Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Cottonwood LLC, Surgery Center at Grove Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Kissing Camels LLC, Surgery Center at South Ogden LLC, Surgery Center at St. Vincent LLC, Surgery Center of Boca Raton Inc., Surgery Center of Colorado Springs LLC, Surgery Center of Des Moines LLC, Surgery Center of Easton LLC, Surgery Center of Ellicott City Inc., Surgery Center of Fairfield County LLC, Surgery Center of Fort Collins LLC, Surgery Center of Lexington LLC, Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, Surgery Center of Maui LLC, Surgery Center of Mt. Scott LLC, Surgery Center of Muskogee LLC, Surgery Center of Rockville L.L.C., Surgery Center of Southern Pines LLC, Surgery Center of The Woodlands LLC, Surgery Centers of Des Moines Ltd. an Iowa Limited Partnership, Surgery Centers-West Holdings LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates, Surgical Care Affiliates LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates Political Action Committee, Surgical Care Partners of Melbourne LLC, Surgical Caregivers of Fort Worth LLC, Surgical Center of Greensboro LLC, Surgical Center of San Diego LLC, Surgical Center of South Jersey Limited Partnership, Surgical Center of Tuscaloosa Holdings LLC, Surgical Eye Experts LLC, Surgical Health LLC, Surgical Health of Orlando LLC, Surgical Hospital Holdings of Oklahoma LLC, Surgical Management Solutions LLC, Surgicare LLC, Surgicare of Central Jersey LLC, Surgicare of Jackson LLC, Surgicare of Jackson Ltd. a Mississippi Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Joliet Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Ltd. a California Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Minneapolis LLC, Surgicare of Minneapolis Ltd. a Minnesota Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Mobile LLC, Surgicare of Mobile Ltd., Surgicare of Oceanside Inc., Surgicare of Owensboro LLC, Surgicare of Salem LLC, Surgicenters of Southern California Inc., Symphonix Health Holdings LLC, T.M. Carr M.D. P.C., THE SURGICAL CENTER OF THE TREASURE COAST L.L.C., THR-SCA Holdings LLC, TeamMD Holdings Inc., TeamMD Iowa Inc., TeamMD Physicians of Texas Inc., TeamUP Insurance Services Inc., Tecnologia de Informacion en Salud S.A., Texas Health Craig Ranch Surgery Center LLC, Texas Health Flower Mound Orthopedic Surgery Center LLC, Texas Health Orthopedic Surgery Center Alliance LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Alliance LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Bedford LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Chisholm Trail LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Irving LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Las Colinas LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Preston Plaza LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Rockwall LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Southwest Fort Worth LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Waxahachie LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Willow Park LLC, The Advisory Board Company, The Alaska Hospitalist Group LLC, The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company, The Eye Surgery Center of the Carolinas L.P., The Intensivist Group of Langhorne LLC, The Lewin Group Inc., The Outpatient Surgery Center of Hilton Head LLC, The Polyclinic MSO LLC, The Surgery Center of Easton L.P., The Surgical Center of Connecticut LLC, Thomas Johnson Surgery Center LLC, Three Rivers Holdings Inc., Three Rivers Surgical Care L.P., Tmesys LLC, Topimagem Diagnostico por Imagem Ltda., Touchpoint Health Plan, Trails Edge Surgery Center LLC, Trauma Surgery Affiliates LLC, Travel Express Incorporated, Treasure Valley Emerald Properties LLC, Treasure Valley Hospital Limited Partnership, Tri-City Medical Center ASC Operators LLC, Tri-County Surgery Center LLC, Trinity Cardiovascular Care PLLC, Tufts Health Freedom Insurance Company, Tufts Health Freedom Plans Inc., Tuscaloosa Surgical Center L.P., U.S. Behavioral Health Plan California, UCSD Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, UCSD Center for Surgery of Encinitas L.P., UCSD Surgical Center of San Diego LLC, UCSD-SCA Holdings I LLC, UCSD-SCA Holdings II LLC, UHC Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, UHC International Services Inc., UHC of California, UHCG Holdings Ireland Limited, UHCG Services Ireland Limited, UHCG  FZE, UHG Brasil Participacoes S.A., UHG Holdings UK IV Limited, UHG Holdings UK V Limited, UHG Holdings UK VI Limited, UHIC Holdings Inc., UMR Inc., UPHT-SCA Holdings LLC, USHEALTH Academy Inc., USHEALTH Administrators LLC, USHEALTH Advisors LLC, USHEALTH Career Agency Inc., USHEALTH Funding Inc., USHEALTH Group Inc., USMD ASC IV1 LLC, USMD ASC IV2 LLC, USMD Administrative Services L.L.C., USMD Affiliated Services, USMD Holdings Inc., USMD Hospital at Arlington L.P., USMD Hospital at Fort Worth L.P., USMD Inc., USMD PPM LLC, Unidad Medica Diagnostico S.A., Unimerica Insurance Company, Unimerica Life Insurance Company of New York, Unison Health Plan of Delaware Inc., United Behavioral Health, United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A. Inc., United Group Reinsurance Inc., United Health Foundation, United HealthCare Services Inc., United Medical Park ASC LLC, United Resource Networks IPA of New York Inc., United in Advancing Health Equity Foundation, UnitedHealth Advisors LLC, UnitedHealth Group Employee Assistance Fund, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, UnitedHealth Group International Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, UnitedHealth International Inc., UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services LLC, UnitedHealthcare Benefits Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas L.L.C., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service Beijing Co. Ltd., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Global Medical UK Limited, UnitedHealthcare Inc., UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of America, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Designated Activity Company, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services Inc., UnitedHealthcare International Asia LLC, UnitedHealthcare International I B.V., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III B.V., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VIII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International X S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Parekh Insurance TPA Private Limited, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley Inc., UnitedHealthcare Service LLC, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits LLC, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arizona Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Colorado Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Florida Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Illinois Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky Ltd., UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New England Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New York Inc., UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oregon Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Utah Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Washington Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Rockies Inc., Unity Health Network LLC, Upland Holdings LLC, Upland Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Urgent Care Holdings Inc., Urgent Care MSO LLC, Urology Associates of North Texas P.L.L.C., VERTA MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLC, VPay Benefits Corporation, VPay Inc., VPay Intermediate Holdings LLC, Valley Hospital L.L.C., Valley Physicians Network Inc., Vascular Labs of the Rockies ASC LLC, Vascular Labs of the Rockies PLLC, Via Vitae MSO LLC, Vida Integra S.p.A., Vida Tres S.A., Virtua-SCA Holdings II LLC, Virtua-SCA Holdings LLC, Vivify Health Canada Inc., Vivify Health Inc., WESTMED Practice Partners LLC, Wake Forest Ambulatory Ventures LLC, Walnut Creek Endoscopy Center LLC, Walnut Hill Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Surgery Center LLC, Wayland Square Surgicare Acquisition L.P., Wayland Square Surgicare GP Inc., Waypoint Minnesota PC, WellMed Medical Management Inc., WellMed Medical Management of Florida Inc., West Coast Endoscopy Holdings LLC, WestHealth JV Holdings LLC, WestHealth Surgery Center LLC, Western Connecticut Orthopedic Surgical Center LLC, Westgreen Surgical Center LLC, Wilson Creek Surgical Center LLC, Winchester Endoscopy LLC, Winter Park LLC, Winter Park Surgery Center L.P., Woodbury Surgery Center LLC, XAS Infusion Suites Inc., XLHealth Corporation, XLHealth Corporation India Private Limited, divvyDOSE, divvyMED LLC, eCode Solutions LLC, gethealthinsurance.com Agency Inc., hCentive Inc., inPharmative Inc., naviHealth Care at Home LLC, naviHealth Coordinated Care LLC, naviHealth Coordinated Care SC P.C., naviHealth Holdings LLC, naviHealth Inc., naviHealth Michigan HBPC P.C., and naviHealth SM Holdings Inc..

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Vesuvius plc provides molten metal flow engineering and technology services to steel and foundry industries worldwide. It operates through Flow Control, Sensor & Probes, and Advanced Refractories segments. The company provides consumables and equipment, which includes binders, coatings, feeding systems, filtration and gating systems, melt shop refractories, metallurgical and pouring control systems, die dressings and coatings, melt treatment products, crucibles, and ceramics for the iron, steel, and nonferrous foundries. It also offers nonferrous metals, such as primary and secondary aluminum, molten metal systems, and moldable and other products, as well as refractory consumables, analysis, and precast shapes; and other metal and alloy including nickel, vanadium, titanium, ferro alloy, lead, tin, and zinc. In addition, the company provides mineral processing solutions, which includes cement and lime solutions, iron ore pelletizing and calcination products, and grains and powders; and hydro carbon solutions, such as process heaters, FCC units, hydrogen reformers, boilers, coke calciners, and thermal oxidizers, as well as sulphur, ethylene, and ammonia plants. It also offers power generation and incineration; glass products comprising artistic, display, float, hollow, and optical glass; glass tempering, and reheat and forming products; and solutions for solar multicrystal silicon ingots, thin film and cell processing, and feedstock. Further, it provides iron making comprising stack solutions, casthouse, and iron ladle; steel making, including melting; continuous casting; ingot casting; steel finishing, such as reheat furnaces, steal hot forming, and galvanized and electrical steel; and laser technologies. Vesuvius plc was formerly known as Vesuvius Technologies plc and changed its name to Vesuvius plc in October 2012. The company was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
Blackstone Secured Lending Fund is business development company and a Delaware statutory trust formed on March 26, 2018, and structured as an externally managed, non-diversified closed-end investment Fund. On October 26, 2018, the fund elected to be regulated as a business development company (BDC) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act). In addition, the Fund elected to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as a regulated investment company (RIC), as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). The fund also intends to continue to comply with the requirements prescribed by the Code in order to maintain tax treatment as a RIC. The fund's investment objectives are to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective primarily through originated loans, equity and other securities, including syndicated loans, of private U.S. companies, specifically small and middle market companies, typically in the form of first lien senior secured and unitranche loans (including first out/last out loans), and to a lesser extent, second lien, third lien, unsecured and subordinated loans and other debt and equity securities.
China Minsheng Banking Corp., Ltd. provides various financial products and services to individuals, small and micro-enterprises, corporate customers, government agencies, and financial institutions in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, and Others segments. Its deposit products include saving accounts, deposit certificates, contracted deposits, agreement deposits, call deposits, corporate term deposits, and corporate current deposits. The company also offers personal housing mortgage, individual automobile purchase, household composite consumption, home, medium and long term, and short-term working capital loans; micro-credit products for individuals; debit and credit cards; and safe deposit boxes. In addition, it provides payment and collection agent, and clearing services, as well as internet, mobile, and telephone banking services. Further, the company offers gross settlement; wages distribution agency and letter of guarantee; cash management; trade finance; industrial chain finance; individual forex settlement, forex remittance, travelers promissory notes, collection, individual deposit certificate, and guarantee letter products; and comprehensive credit granting, forex settlement and sale, financial product investment, and trust financing services. Additionally, it provides convenient finance, investment banking, and asset management services, as well as non-financial services in the education, business travel, traveler, art, luxury life, health, club, and isports areas. The company has branch-level institutions, business outlets, community sub-branches, and small business sub-branches. China Minsheng Banking Corp., Ltd. was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt - James Manning/PA Wire

Jeremy Hunt faces mounting opposition from regulators over plans to slash red tape in the City, damaging Tory hopes of a post-Brexit Big Bang 2.0.

Officials from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have argued against relaxing short-selling rules, despite the Chancellor pledging to ease regulations as a key part of his Edinburgh Reforms, the Telegraph can reveal.

The regulator is opposed to any material relaxation of the EU-era regulations. In recent roundtable meetings with City stakeholders, FCA officials disclosed that they want to retain key parts of the current rulebook, according to several people in attendance.

The officials argued that the Brussels-era regime allows the regulator to obtain a fuller picture of what happens in financial markets and helps it to become more data driven.

The regulators reluctance to overhaul the rulebook could put it at odds with the Treasury, which has signalled that it is intent on watering down rules in this area.

One source at the meeting said: We are seeing a split. The FCA is keen to maintain a lot of these rules, while the Treasury wants to present the current rulebook as EU overreach and is looking to cut red tape.

While we have yet to see any policy proposals, we have seen a direction of travel from the Government, which the FCA seems keen to pour cold water on.

Another person involved in the talks said: If you compare the FCA to the Treasury, there was more hesitancy from the regulator to reform these rules.

Any divergence on overhauling short selling rules could set the stage for a new spat between Government and financial regulators, which have been at loggerheads on several occasions in the last year.

Nikhil Rathi, chief executive officer of the Financial Conduct Authority - Hollie Adams/Bloomberg

In November, prime minister Rishi Sunak and Mr Hunt abandoned plans to give ministers the power to overrule City watchdogs in an embarrassing climbdown following a rare public backlash from the FCA and the Bank of England.

In December, as part of the Edinburgh Reforms aimed at turbocharging the Square Mile, Mr Hunt pledged to remove any unnecessary burdens which result from the EU regulation after Brussels short selling rules were brought onto the UK statute book after Brexit.

Short selling is when traders borrow shares they believe will fall in price, selling them, and then waiting for the price to drop before buying it back. The trader then pockets the difference. It is a strategy commonly deployed by hedge funds.

The practice has faced criticism from certain pockets of the City, with executives such as THGs Matthew Moulding blaming poor share price performance on aggressive short attacks.

Questions were also raised about the proximity of hedge fund managers to Liz Truss government, who netted millions from shorting the pound following her ill-fated mini-Budget.

The Treasury launched a call for evidence on reforming the short selling rulebook late last year, seeking views from market participants on how to tailor the rules to best suit UK markets. The consultation closed last month.

Industry views on reforming the rulebook vary significantly, with some stakeholders calling for minimal changes in their submissions, while others are proposing more radical reforms.

The Treasury has asked for views on changes to: reporting requirements; public disclosure rules; emergency intervention powers; and an exemption for market makers.

During the pandemic, the threshold above which traders are forced to report short positions to the regulator was lowered from 0.2pc to 0.1pc of issued share capital of a listed company.

It means a short-seller taking a position on a company worth 500m would have to spend just 500,000 to trigger disclosure rules.

It is understood that the FCA wants to maintain the threshold at 0.1pc, while market participants, including UK Finance and the Investment Association, want it raised following a significant increase in compliance and reporting burdens.

One person involved in the roundtable meetings said: The FCA signalled it was not interested in changing the private regulatory reporting threshold back to where it was.

The regulator also wants to keep its emergency intervention powers that would allow it to ban short selling during periods of volatility, which is opposed by several trade associations.

The FCA has not used those powers since the 2008 financial crisis.

A Treasury source said: HMT is still committed to reform. Were keen to understand the current functioning of the regulation and how it might be tailored to UK markets now were outside the EU.

We are still reviewing responses to the consultation so its hard to say where well end up at this point.

A spokesman for the FCA said: We support the Governments approach of seeking views on whether there should be reform of the short selling regime in the UK.

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.
Interfor Corp is a Canadian forest products company that operates in Canada and the United States. The company was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. It operates in British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, Washington State and Oregon. The company produces and sells wood products to North America, Asia and Europe customers. Interfor Corp commits to sustainable forestry practices and is recognized for its leadership in responsible forest management. In 2021, the company was named one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for the fifth year.

The current CEO of Interfor Corp is Daniel Kraft, who assumed the role in 2023. Kraft grew up around the forest products industry and has been a full-time manager at IFP since 1997. Under his leadership, Kraft intends to push IFP aggressively down a path of growth and diversification.

Interfor Corp has been experiencing solid financial performance in recent years. The company's profit margins have also been strong. Debt levels have increased. Interfor Corp's stock performance has been on the rise in recent years. The company's ownership structure has remained stable, with the founding family holding a significant stake.

Interfor Corp operates in the forest products industry, which has experienced consolidation in recent years. As a result, the industry is highly cyclical and is sensitive to changes in housing construction and consumer demand for wood products. The industry is also subject to regulatory and political issues, particularly concerning forest management practices and international trade.

Interfor Corp's primary competitors include Canfor Corporation, West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. and Resolute Forest Products Inc. The company's strong reputation for sustainable forest management practices distinguishes it from competitors. However, the industry faces challenges from a changing climate, leading to an increased risk of wildfires and disease outbreaks in forests.

Interfor Corp identified several opportunities in the coming years. First, the company invests in new technologies to improve manufacturing processes and reduce costs. In 2022, the company acquired a sawmill in Georgia, increasing its production capacity.

Interfor Corp faces several potential risks and challenges in the coming years. One key risk is the potential impact of climate change on forest health and productivity. The company may also face challenges from changes in government regulations related to forest management practices and international trade. Additionally, the cyclical nature of the forest products industry means that Interfor Corp may be vulnerable to downturns in demand or price volatility. Finally, competition from other companies in the industry, particularly those with lower cost structures, is another potential challenge for Interfor Corp.

Despite these risks, Interfor Corp has several strategies to mitigate potential challenges. The company focuses on sustainable forest management practices, which positions it well to navigate changing regulations and consumer preferences. It's also focused on operational efficiency and cost management, which will help improve its industry competitiveness. Finally, the company's focus on growth opportunities, such as product diversification and expansion into new markets, will ensure its long-term success.
Macquarie Group Limited provides diversified financial services in Australia, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through four segments: Macquarie Asset Management (MAM), Banking and Financial Services (BFS), Commodities and Global Markets (CGM), and Macquarie Capital. The MAM segment provides investment solutions to clients across various capabilities in private markets and public investments, including infrastructure, green investments, agriculture and natural assets, real estate, private credit, asset finance, equities, fixed income, and multi-asset solutions. The BFS segment offers personal banking products comprising home loans, car loans, transaction and savings accounts, and credit cards; and wrap platform and cash management, financial advisory, and private banking services, as well as investment and superannuation products. It also provides deposit, lending, and payment solutions and services to business clients. The CGM segment provides risk management, lending and financing, capital solutions, market access, and physical execution and logistics to corporate and institutional clients; and specialist finance and asset management solutions. The Macquarie Capital segment provides advisory and capital raising services. It is also involved in development and investment in infrastructure and energy projects and companies; and brokerage business, including equity research, sales, execution capabilities, and corporate access. Macquarie Group Limited was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.
Suzano S.A. produces and sells eucalyptus pulp and paper products in Brazil and internationally. It operates through Pulp and Paper segments. The company offers coated and uncoated printing and writing papers, paperboards, tissue papers, and market and fluff pulps; and lignin. It also engages in the research, development, and production of biofuel; operation of port terminals; power generation and distribution business; commercialization of equipment and parts; industrialization, commercialization, and exporting of pulp and standing wood; road freight transport; biotechnology research and development; and commercialization of paper and computer materials. In addition, the company is involved in the business office, production packaging, and financial fundraising activities; research, development, production, commercialization, and distribution of wood-based textile fibers, yarns, and filaments produced from cellulose and microfibrillated cellulose; and research and development of wood raw materials for the textile industry. Suzano S.A. was formerly known as Suzano Papel e Celulose S.A. and changed its name to Suzano S.A. in April 2019. The company was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Salvador, Brazil.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. operates as a research and education company worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Research, Academic, and Talent. The company offers scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, as well as related content and services to learned societies, individual researchers, other professionals, and academic, corporate, and government libraries. It publishes physical sciences and engineering, health sciences, social sciences, and humanities and life sciences journals; and provides a publishing software and service for scholarly and professional societies, and publishers to deliver, host, enhance, market, and manage their content on the web through the Literatum platform. In addition, it sells and distributes its products through various channels, including research libraries and library consortia, and independent subscription agents, as well as directly to professional society members, bookstores, online booksellers, and other customers. Further, it provides education publishing and professional learning products and services, including scientific, professional, and education print and digital books, digital courseware, and test preparation services to libraries, corporations, students, professionals, and researchers. Furthermore, it distributes its products through chain and online booksellers, libraries, colleges and universities, corporations, direct to consumer, websites, distributor networks, and other online applications. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. was founded in 1807 and is headquartered in Hoboken, New Jersey.
SL Green Realty Corp. is a New York-based real estate investment trust specializing in acquiring, developing, and managing commercial properties in the United States. With over 100 properties in its portfolio, the company primarily focuses on office, retail, and mixed-use properties in the New York metropolitan area and other key markets nationwide. SL Green was founded in 1997 and went public in 1997.

A seasoned management team leads the company, including Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Marc Holliday and President and Chief Investment Officer Andrew Mathias. Mr. Holliday has been with SL Green since its inception and has over 30 years of experience in the real estate industry. Before joining SL Green, he worked at Lazard Freres & Co., a leading investment bank. Mr. Mathias has been with the company since 2004 and has been instrumental in driving the growth of its portfolio through strategic acquisitions and development projects.

Over the past few years, SL Green has seen consistent growth in its key financial metrics, driven by demand for office space in the New York market. The company reported total revenues increasing yearly, driven by rental income and property sales. Earnings per share (EPS) have increased annually over the past several years. The company's profit margin is approximately 24% which has also increased. SL Green has also maintained a relatively low level of debt, with a debt-to-equity ratio lower than the industry average, which gives it the flexibility to pursue growth opportunities.

SL Green is currently trading at a price-to-earnings ratio below the industry average. The company's price-to-book ratio is in line with industry peers. These metrics suggest that the company may be undervalued relative to its peers.

Regarding market performance, SL Green's stock has had a volatile ride over the past few years, primarily due to uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the real estate market. However, the stock has been working to rebound from these issues, as investors remain cautious about the commercial real estate market outlook.

SL Green operates in a highly competitive industry, with numerous competitors vying for prime commercial real estate assets in key markets nationwide. The company's primary competitors include Boston Properties, Vornado Realty Trust, and Brookfield Property Partners. Regulatory and political issues, such as zoning laws and tax policy changes, can also impact the industry and SL Green's business operations.

Looking ahead, SL Green has several potential growth opportunities to drive future revenue and earnings growth. These include launching new properties in key markets, such as the recently completed One Vanderbilt skyscraper in Manhattan and potential acquisitions of new properties in attractive markets. The company may also pursue expansion into new markets outside its core New York market, such as Boston, Washington D.C., or Los Angeles.

However, many potential risks and challenges could impact the company's growth prospects. These include changes in consumer preferences, such as the continued shift towards remote work and reduced demand for office space, as well as regulatory changes and economic downturns that could impact the broader real estate market. Additionally, SL Green's portfolio is heavily concentrated in the New York market, which exposes it to risks associated with regional economic factors, such as changes in the local job market or real estate market conditions.
Key Insights

Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, Sonoco Products' stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions

51% of the business is held by the top 15 shareholders

Recent sales by insiders

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Sonoco Products Company (NYSE:SON), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. With 78% stake, institutions possess the maximum shares in the company. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

No shareholder likes losing money on their investments, especially institutional investors who saw their holdings drop 3.6% in value last week. However, the 20% one-year return to shareholders might have softened the blow. We would assume however, that they would be on the lookout for weakness in the future.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Sonoco Products.

View our latest analysis for Sonoco Products

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Sonoco Products?

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.

Sonoco Products already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Sonoco Products' earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Sonoco Products. The company's largest shareholder is BlackRock, Inc., with ownership of 12%. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 11% and 8.4% of the stock.

After doing some more digging, we found that the top 15 have the combined ownership of 51% in the company, suggesting that no single shareholder has significant control over the company.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. 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 Sonoco Products

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

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 less than 1% of Sonoco Products Company. Keep in mind that it's a big company, and the insiders own US$48m worth of shares. The absolute value might be more important than the proportional share. It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling.

General Public Ownership

With a 21% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Sonoco Products. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Sonoco Products better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Sonoco Products .

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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Devon Energy Corporation is an independent oil and gas company headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The company was incorporated in 1971 by John Nichols and his son J. Larry Nichols and later went public in August 2000. The company has since grown to be included in the S&P 500 and is one of the first energy companies to introduce resolutions requiring the company to monitor its impact on global warming. One time a major player in the global oil market, Devon has since sold off its offshore holdings in an effort to focus on US production and its transition to a lower-carbon future.

Devon Energy merged with WPX in early 2021 in an all-stock merger of equals. The new company is primarily engaged in the exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the US midwest. The company operates more than 5,100 wells in Oklahomas Delaware Basis, Eagle Ford Group, and the two locations in the Rocky Mountains. As of late 2022, the company laid claim to 1.625 million barrels of reserves including 44% petroleum, 27% natural gas liquids, and 29% natural gas. Daily production was running in the range of 300,000 BPD in petroleum liquids, 125,000 BPD in natural gas liquids, and 920 million cubic feet of natural gas.

Rick Muncrief, formally CEO of WPX, is now the head of Devon Energy. Mr. Muncrief comes to the table with more than 40 years of experience including 27 years with one of the US Big Three Oil Companies. WPX Energy (Williams Production and Exploration) brought properties in the Williston and Permian Basins to the combined company. Its proven reserves were roughly 527 million barrels of oil and equivalents. The company also owns and operates a midstream network of pipelines and storage facilities it uses to market and deliver its products.

Devon Energy Corporation has pledged to reduce its GHG impact to net zero by 2050. This will be done by a variety of methods that include improving efficiency and leakage, a reduction in flaring, and the electrification of its operations. Near-term goals include a 50% reduction in GHG by 2030 including a 65% reduction in methane release and a 100% reduction in flaring. The company is also focused on reducing its environmental impact by relying on recycled water wherever possible and plans to reduce freshwater usage by 90% in the most active areas. Total greenhouse gas emissions have been in decline since 2018 and fell 17% between 2018 and 2020 alone.
The following companies are subsidiares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.: 2235158 Alberta Limited, A.J. Amer Agency, AHC Digital LLC, AIX Limited, AJG Coal LLC, AJG Financial Services LLC, AJG Meadows LLC, AJG North America ULC, AJG RCF LLC, AJGRMS of Louisiana LLC, ARM RE Ltda., AVIATION INSURANCE SERVICES, AVRECO, Ace IRM Insurance Broking Group, Acumus Holdings Limited, Acumus Interco Limited, Acumus Ltd, Adams & Associates International, Adaptive Marketing LLC, Adco General Corporation, Advanced Benefit Advisors, Aequus Trade Credit, Affinity Marketing Group, Ahrold Fay Rosenberg, Aires Consulting Group, Alesco Risk Management Services Limited, Alize Limited, Allied Claims Administration Inc., Alternative Market Specialists, Altman & Cronin Benefit Consultants, American Freedom Carriers Inc., American Security Services Corp., American Wholesalers Underwriting Ltd, Andrew-Anthony Insurance Agency, Anthony Hodges Consulting Limited, Antrobus Investments Limited, AquaSurance, Argentis, Argentis Financial Group Limited, Argentis Financial Management Limited, Argus Benefits, Armstrong/Robitaille/Riegle, Artex (SAC) Limited, Artex Cedar Hill, Artex Corporate Services (Malta) Limited, Artex Corporate Services Limited, Artex Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Artex Holdings (Malta) Limited, Artex Insurance (Guernsey) PCC Limited, Artex Insurance (Tennessee) PCCIC Inc., Artex Insurance Brokers (Malta) PCC Limited, Artex Insurance ICC Limited, Artex Intermediaries Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Bermuda) Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Cayman) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Gibraltar) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Guernsey) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (International) Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Malta) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (UK) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions Inc., Arthur J Gallagher (Norway) Holdings AS, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AUS) Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Bermuda) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Illinois), Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Insurance Brokers of California Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher (Aus) Pty Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher (Bermuda) Holding Partnership, Arthur J. Gallagher (Life Solutions) Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher (U.S.) LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher (UK) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Asesoria S.A.C., Arthur J. Gallagher Australasia Holdings Pty Ltd., Arthur J. Gallagher Brokerage & Risk Management Services LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Broking (NZ) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Financial Services Professionals Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Group Quebec ULC, Arthur J. Gallagher Holdings (UK) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Latin America LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Management (Bermuda) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Real Estate Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services (Hawaii) Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services of Utah Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher School Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Service Company LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Services (UK) Ltd, Ashmore & Associates Insurance Agency, Atlantic Risk Management Corp., Atrex Insurance (Cayman) SPC Limited, Avantek Pty Ltd, Axe Insurance PCC Limited, BIS Insurance Services, Baker - Tillys employment benefits solutions, Ballard Benefit Works, Bankers Financial Benefits, Barmore Insurance Agency, Behnke & Co. Inc., Bellisle Pty Ltd, Belmont Associates Consultants, Belmont Insurance Holdings Limited, Belmont International, Belmont International Limited, Benefit Development Group, Benefit Management Group, BenefitLink Resource Group, Benefits Planning & Insurance Agency, Benefits Unlimited, Bennett & Shade Co., Bergvall Marine, Bergvall Marine A.S., Besselman & Little Agency, Big Savings Insurance Agency Inc., Blenheim Park Ltd, Blenheim Park Services Limited, Blue Holdings Pty Ltd, Blue Horizon Insurance Services, Blue Water Benefits, BluePeak Advisors, Blueleaf Consulting Pty Ltd., Bluewater Incorporated Cell Insurance Company, Bollinger Inc., Bollinger Insurance Services Inc., Bowen Miclette Britt & Merry of Arkansas Inc., Brendis & Brendis, Brim AB, Broker Benefit Services, Brokerage Professionals, Brown Hobbs & McMurray Insurance, Bultman/Bell Associates Inc., Burkwald & Associates, Burns-Fazzi Brock & Associates, Bushong Insurance Associates, C&B Consulting Group, CGM Gallagher Insruance Brokers (Trinidad & Tobago) Limited, CJM Solutions Inc., CMA Solutions LLC, Cairnstone Financial, California Insurance Center, Capital Bauer Insurance Agency, Capitol Benefits Group, Capsicum CRLA LLP, Capsicum Re Brasil Participacoes Ltda, Capsicum Re Latin America Corretora De Resseguros Ltda, Capsicum Reinsurance Brokers Bermuda Limited, Capsicum Reinsurance Brokers Miami Inc., Carefree Marketing Inc., Carpenter Cammack & Associates, Cashan & Co., Castle Insurance Associates, Centennial Insurance Agency, Charity First Insurance Services Inc., Charles Allen Agency, Charter Lakes Insurance Agency, Chris Schroeder Insurance, Christie-Phoenix, Cintran Claims Canada Limited, Classic Insurance Services, Cleaveland Insurance Group, Cohen & Lord Insurance Brokers, Cohn Financial Group, Coleman Group Holdings Limited, Coleman Holdings Limited, College and University Scholastic Excess Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Commercial Insurance Brokers, Complete Benefit Alliance, Complete Financial Balance, Complete Financial Balance Pty Ltd, Consolidated Casualty Specialties LLC, Construction Risk Solutions, Contego Underwriting Limited, Contego Underwriting Ltd, Continental Excess & Surplus, Convergence Risk Services Ltd, Copper Mountain Assurance Inc., Cornwall & Stevens Co., Corporate Benefit Advisors, Corporate Life Consultants, Countrywide Accident Assistance Limited, Coverdell & Company Inc., Coverdell Canada Corporation, Cowles and Connell, Craig M. Ferguson & Co., Crist Elliott Machette Insurance Services, Crombie Lockwood (NZ) Limited, Davis-Poston & Associates, Denman Consulting Services, Detlefs Johnson & Partners, DiBrina Group, Dickinson & Associates, Discount Development Services L.L.C., Discovery Benefit Solutions, Dodson-Bateman & Co., Donald P. Pipino Co. Ltd., E. S. Susanin Inc., EHE Holdings LLC, EHS Holdings Limited, Elantis Premium Funding (NZ) Limited, Elantis Premium Funding Limited, Elite Benefits Insurance Marketing Services, Employee Benefits Analysis Corp., Employee Benefits of The Carolinas, Encore Insurance & Bonding, Everett James, Evolution Risk Services Limited, Evolution Technology Services Limited, Evolution Underwriting Group, Evolution Underwriting Group Limited, Evolution Underwriting Limited, Excel Insurance Services, FYI Direct Canada Corporation, FYI Direct LLC, Farallone Pacific Insurance Services, Fenchurch Faris Limited, Fidelity Benefits & Insurance Services, Financial Profiles Inc., Finergy Solutions Pty Ltd, First Agency, First Iowa Insurance Agency, First Premium Inc., First Premium Insurance Group, Fish & Schulkamp, Fishermans Insurance Services, Foley Healthcare Limited, Fortress Financial Solutions Pty Ltd, Fortress Insurance LLC, Foundation Strategies, Fox Lawson & Associates, Franklin-Case Agency LLC, Fraser MacAndrew Ryan Limited, Friary Intermediate Limited, Fuller & O'Brien, G.S. Chapman & Associates Insurance Brokers, G.S. Levine Insurance Services, GBS (Australia) Holdings Pty Ltd, GBS Administrators Inc., GBS Insurance and Financial Services Inc., GBS Retirement Services Inc., GBS Specialty Markets LLC, GGB Finance 1 Limited, GGB Finance 2 Limited, GGB Finance 3 Limited, GGB Finance 4 Limited, GPL Assurance, GPL Assurance Inc., Gabor Insurance Services, Gale Smith & Co. Inc., Gallagher (Bermuda) Insurance Solutions Ltd., Gallagher - Grace/Mayer Insurance Agency, Gallagher Bassett Aires Inc., Gallagher Bassett Canada Inc., Gallagher Bassett Insurance Services Ltd., Gallagher Bassett International Ltd., Gallagher Bassett NZ Pty Ltd., Gallagher Bassett Services Inc. , Gallagher Bassett Services Pty Ltd., Gallagher Bassett Services Workers Compensation Victoria Pty Ltd., Gallagher Benefit Services (Canada) Group Inc., Gallagher Benefit Services (Holdings) Limited, Gallagher Benefit Services Inc., Gallagher Benefit Services Management Company Limited, Gallagher Benefit Services Pty Ltd, Gallagher Benefits Consulting Limited, Gallagher Bomford Couch Wilson, Gallagher Burgess, Gallagher Canada Acquisition Corporation, Gallagher Caribbean Group Limited, Gallagher Clean Energy LLC, Gallagher Communications Limited, Gallagher Community Clinic RPG LLC, Gallagher Consulting Ltda, Gallagher Corporate Services LLC, Gallagher Coyle, Gallagher CyberRisk, Gallagher Energy Risk Services Inc., Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC, Gallagher Holdings (UK) Limited, Gallagher Holdings Bermuda Company Limited, Gallagher Holdings Four (UK) Limited, Gallagher Holdings Three (UK) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (Barbados) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Kitts & Nevis) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Lucia) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Vincent) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers Jamaica Limited, Gallagher International Cash Management s.r.l., Gallagher International Holdings (US) Inc., Gallagher Investment Advisors LLC, Gallagher Inwest Group, Gallagher Koster, Gallagher Lambert Group, Gallagher Madison Risk & Insurance Services, Gallagher Mauritius Holdings, Gallagher Mississippi Brokerage LLC, Gallagher RE Colombia Ltda Corredores de Reaseguros SA, Gallagher Risk & Reward Limited, Gallagher Risk Group LLC, Gallagher Risk Placements Pty Ltd, Gallagher SKS, Gallagher Service Center LLP, Gallagher-Tarantino, Galtney Group, Game Day Insurance Inc., Gardner & White Corp., Gardner Marine Agency, Garza Long Group, Gatehouse Consulting Limited, Gault Armstrong Kemble Pty Ltd, Gault Armstrong SARL, Giles Group, Giles Holdings Limited, Giles Insurance Brokers, Gillis Ellis & Baker Inc., Goodman Insurance Agency, Grandy Pratt Co., Greenseed Alternative Mangaers Platform Ltd, Grossman & Associates, Group Benefits of Arkansas, Group Insurance Associates, Gruppo Marcucci, HLG Holdings Limited, HMG-PCMS Limited, HPF Investments LLC, HR Owen Insurance Services Limited, Hagan Newkirk Financial Services, Hagedorn & Company, Hardman & Howell Benefits, Harlequin Insurance PCC Limited, Hartstein Associates Inc., Healthcare Professionals Purchasing Group LLC, Healthcare Risk Solutions, Heath Lambert Group Ltd., Heath Lambert Limited, Heath Lambert Overseas Limited, Heiser Insurance Agency, Henderson Phillips Fine Arts Insurance, Herbruck Alder & Co., Heritage Insurance Brokers (CI) Limited, Hesse & Partner AG, Hesse Consulting, Hexagon ICC Limited, Hexagon Insurance PCC Limited, Hill Chesson & Woody, Hogan Insurance Services, Home & Travel Limited, Honour Point Limited, Horseshoe Corporate Services Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services (Cayman) Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services USA Inc., Horseshoe ILS Services UK Ltd, Horseshoe Insurance Advisors US LLC, Horseshoe Insurance Advisory Ltd., Horseshoe Insurance Services Holdings Ltd, Horseshoe Insurance Services Holdings US Inc., Horseshoe Management (Gibraltar) Limited, Horseshoe Management (Ireland) Ltd, Horseshoe Management Ltd., Horseshoe PCC Limited, Horseshoe Re Limited, Horseshoe Services (Cayman) Ltd, Horseshoe Services (Pty) Ltd, Horton Insurance Agency, Housing Authorities Services Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Human Resource Management Systems, I-Protect Underwriting Pty Ltd, IBIS Advisors, IBS Reinsurance Singapore Pte Ltd, ILS Fund Services Ltd., ISG International, ITI Solutions, Igloo Insurance PCC Limited, Independent Benefit Services, Independent Fiduciary Services, Ink Underwriting Agencies Limited, InsSync Group Pty Ltd, Inspire Underwriting Limited, Instrat Insurance Brokers, Instrat Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd, Instrat Integration Holdco Pty Ltd, Insurance Acquisitions Holdings Limited, Insurance Associates Inc., Insurance Dialogue Limited, Insurance Dialogue Ltd., Insurance Plans Agency, Insurance Plus Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Insurance Point, Insurance Risk Managers of Missouri Inc., Insure My Villa Limited, Insure Pty Ltd, Integrated Healthcare Strategies, InterNational Insurance Group, InterPacific Underwriting Agencies, Intermountain Financial Benefits, Interstate Insurance Underwriters, JPGAC LLC, James F. Reda & Associates, James R. Weir Insurance Agency, Jenkins and Associates, Joe E. Martin Inc., John P. Woods Co. Inc., Jones Brown, Jones Brown Group Inc., Jones Brown Insurance Solutions Inc., Joseph Distel, Joseph James & Associates Insurance Agency, Just Landlords Insurance Services Ltd, KDC Associates, KRW Insurance Agency, Kahl Insurance Services, Kaler Carney Liffler & Co. Inc., Kane Group - Insurance Management Operations, Kelly Financial, Kent Kent & Tingle and RBS, Keyser Benefits Corp., Kingspark Enterprises Pty Ltd, L&R Benefits, LSG Insurance Partners, Learn About Money Limited, Lewis & Associates Insurance Brokers, Leystone Insurance & Financial, Life Plans Unlimited, Lincoln Financial Management, Longfellow Financial, Lucas Fettes Limited, Lucas Fettes and Partners Limited, Lutgert Insurance, MA Underwriting Pty Ltd, MDM Insurance Associates, MG Advanced Coal Technologies-1 LLC, MGA Insurance Services, MRS Holdings Ltd., Madison Scott & Associates, Managed Healthcare Solutions, Mannequin Insurance PCC Limited, Marchetti Robertson & Brickell Insurance, Marine Insurance Service, Martin Gordon & Jones Inc., McDowall Associates Human Resource Consultants, McIntyre Risk Management, McLean Insurance Agency, McNeary, McPherson Benefits Group, McRory & Co., Mecacem Insurance SPC Ltd, MedInsights Inc., Melton Insurance Associates, Memberworks Canada LLC, Merit Insurance, Metcom Excess, Metzler Bros. Insurance, Meyers-Reynolds & Associates, Mid America Group, Midwest Surety Services, Mike Henry Insurance Brokers, Mike Henry Insurance Brokers Limited, Mike Henry Insurance Funding Limited, Miller Buettner & Parrott, Miller-Harrison Insurance Services, Milne Alexander Pty Ltd, Minvielle & Chastanet Insurance Brokers, Monument Insurance (NZ) Limited, Monument Llc, Monument Premium Funding Limited, Mortgage Insurance Agency, Murphy Consultants, Mutual Insurance Services, NationAir Aviation Insurance, National Administration Co., National Ethics Association, National Transportation Adjusters, Nelson/Monarch Insurance Services, Nicoud Insurance Services, NiiS/Apex Group Holdings, Nonprofit Insurance Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Noraxis Capital Corp, Nordic Forsakring & Riskhantering AB, North Alabama Insurance, Nourse Insurance Brokers, O'Gorman & Young, OAMPS (UK) Limited, OAMPS Gault Armstrong Pty Ltd, OAMPS Limited, OAMPS Special Risks Ltd, Offshore Market Placements Limited, Optimum Talent, Orb Financial Services, Orb Financial Services Limited, Osprey Insurance Brokers Limited, Oval Group, Oval Healthcare Limited, Oval Insurance Broking Limited, Oval Limited, Oval Management Services Limited, Oxygen Insurance Managers, P2 Group, PEN Insurance Management Advisors Ltd, PT IBS Insurance Broking Service, Pacific Insurance Agency, Palmer Atlantic Insurance, Palmer Atlantic Insurance Ltd, Palmer Atlantic Risk Services Ltd., Park Row Associates, Parkstar Enterprises Pty Ltd, Parmia Pty Ltd, PartnerSource, Pastel Holding (NZ) Company, Pastel Holdings Pty Limited, Pastel Purchaser (NZ) Limited, Pastel Purchaser Pty Limited, Pavey Group Holdings (UK) Limited, Pavey Group Holdings Limited, Pavey Group Limited, Pearson Dunn Insurance Inc., Pen Underwriting Canada Limited, Pen Underwriting Group Pty. Ltd., Pen Underwriting Limited, Pen Underwriting Pty Ltd, Persing Dyckman & Toynbee Inc., Personal Advice Services Pty Ltd, Petty Burton Associates, Pointer Insurance Agency, Portmore Insurance Brokers (Wilshire) Limited, Portmore Insurance Brokers Limited, Potter-Holden & Co., Powell Insurance Agency, Premier Insurance Services Inc., Premier Risk Services, Premium Finance Corporation, Preston-Patterson, ProSource Financial, Professional Agents Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Professional Claims Managers, Proinova AB, Proinova Agency AB, Pronto California Agency LLC, Pronto California General Agency LLC, Pronto Florida Claims LLC, Pronto Florida General Agency LLC, Pronto Franchise LLC, Pronto General Agency Ltd, Pronto General Agency Management LLC, Pronto Holdco Inc., Pronto Holding California LLC, Pronto Holding Florida LLC, Pronto Insurance Agency of Laredo Inc., Pronto Premium Finance LLC, Property & Commercial Ltd., Property Insurance Initatives Limited, Property and Commercial Limited, Protected Insurance Company, Protection Plan Association Inc., Protek Group Limited, Providium Consulting Group, Ptarmigan Underwriting Agency Limited, Ptarmigan Underwriting UK Limited, Purple Bridge Claims Management Limited, Purple Bridge Finance Limited, Purple Bridge Group Limited, Purple Bridge Investments Limited, Purple Bridge Online Services Limited, Purple Bridge Publishing Limited, Quantum Underwriting Solutions Limited, Quillco 226 Limited, Quillco 227 Limited, R. L. Youngdahl & Associates, R.G. Speno Inc., R.W. Scobie, RA Rossborough (Guernsey) Ltd., RA Rossborough (Insurance Brokers) Ltd, REGENCY Group inc., RGA Referencing Limited, RGA Underwriting Limited, RIL Administrators (Guernsey) Ltd., RJ Dutton Inc., RSM Insurance Services Limited, Reassurance Holdings Inc., Rebholz Insurance Agency, Reid Manson Ltd., Reimbursement Services, Rentguard Limited, Reward Management Limited, Reynolds & Rodar Insurance Group, Riley & Associates, Rio 587 Limited, Rio 588 Limited, Risk & Reward Group, Risk Management Partners Limited, Risk Placement Services Inc., Risk Planners, Risk Services (NW) Limited, Risk Services (NW) Ltd., Risk Solutions Group Limited, Robert A. Schneider Agency, Robert Keith & Associates, Roberts & Roberts Insurance Service, Robinson-Adams Insurance, Rossborough Healthcare International Ltd, Rossborough Insurance (IOM) Ltd., Rossborough Insurance Services Ltd. (Jersey), S. A. Freerks & Associates, SEG Insurance Ltd, SGB-NIA Insurance Brokers, SHILLING Ltd, SKANCO International, SMERI AB, SRS Underwriting Pty Ltd, Secure Enterprises Pty Ltd, Securitas Re, Sellers Group, Sentinel Indemnity LLC, Septagon Insurance PCC Limited, Shuford Insurance Agency, Sigma II Insurance Agency, Sinclair Billard and Weld Limited, Sobieski & Bradley, Solid Benefit Guidance, Spanjers Insurance Agency, Spataro Insurance Agency, Specialised Broking Associates, Specialty Risk, Stackhouse Poland, Stackhouse Poland Bidco Limited, Stackhouse Poland Group Limited, Stackhouse Poland Holdings Limited, Stackhouse Poland Midco Limited, Stackouse Poland Limited, Stanton Group, Stark Johnson & Stinson Inc., Steel Agency, Strata Solicitors Ltd, Strategic Health Plans Corp., Strathearn Insurance Brokers, Strathearn Insurance Brokers (Qld) Trading Trust, Strathern Insurance Group Pty Ltd, Strathern Integration Holdco Pty Ltd, Strathern Unit Trust, Strong Financial Resources, Summit Insurance Group, Sunday and Associates, Sunderland Insurance Services, Super Advice Corporate Services Pty Ltd, Taylor Benefits, Texas Insurance Agency, Texas Insurance Managers, The BeneTex Group, The Buchholz Planning, The Chapman Group, The Commonwealth Consulting Group, The Daniels Group Inc., The EHE Group LLC, The EHE Insurance Agency LLC, The Eagle Insurance Agency LLC, The Eriksen Group, The Forker Company, The Gleason Agency, The Great Lakes Agency, The HR Group, The Hawk Agency, The Human Capital Group, The Lance Group, The Levitt/Kristan Co., The MW Bagnall Company, The Old Greenwich Consulting Group, The Parks Johnson Agency, The Plus Companies Inc., The Presidio Group, The Producers Choice, The Rains Group, The Splinter Group, The Titan Group, The Treiber Group, The Woodsmall Companies Inc., Title & Covenant Brokers Ltd., Title Investments Limited, Tom Sherwin Insurance Agency, Total Reward Group, Total Rewards Group (Holdings) Limited, Towle Agency, Transwestern, Tri-State General Insurance Agency, Triad Insurance Agency, Triad USA, Tribeca Strategic Advisors, Trinder & Norwood, Trip Mate, Trissel Graham & Toole, Tropp & Co., Tudor Risk Services, Tyloma Holdings Limited, Uni-Care Inc., Unison Inc., Universico Group, Unoccupied Direct Limited, V2V Holdings LLC, VEBA Service Group, Vasek Insurance Services Limited, Velo ACU LLC, Velo Holdings Inc., Verbag AG., Vertrue LLC, Victory Insurance Agency, Vincent L. Braband Insurance, Vital Benefits, Voluntary Benefits Solutions, W. E. Kingsley Co. Inc., WM. W. George & Associates, Walker Taylor Agency, Welling Associates, Wesfarmers Insurance - Insurance Brokerage Operations, Western Benefit Solutions, White & Company Insurance, Whitehaven Insurance Group, William Gallagher Associates Insurance Brokers, William H. Connolly & Co., Williams Insurance Agency Inc., Williams-Manny Insurance Group, Winn & Company Insurance Brokers, Wischmeyer Benefit Partners, Woodbrook Underwriting Agencies, Woods & Grooms, WorkCare Northwest, Worksite Communications, Y. S. Liedman & Associates, YOA Capsicum Reinsurance Broker Limited, Zenor Limited, Zuber Insurance Agency, and e3 Financial.

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Dell Technologies Inc., founded in 1984, is a multinational computer technology company headquartered in Round Rock, Texas. The company designs, develops, sells, and supports personal computers, servers, data storage devices, network switches, software, and other related technologies. Consumers, small businesses, and large enterprises worldwide use Dell Technologies Inc.'s products and services.

Dell Technologies Inc. has achieved many key highlights and achievements throughout its history. In 2016, the company completed the most significant tech merger in history by acquiring EMC Corporation for $67 billion. Additionally, Dell has been recognized for its sustainability efforts, including being named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for several consecutive years.

Michael Dell is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dell Technologies Inc. He has been with the company since its inception in 1984, leading it through many changes and challenges. Jeff Clarke is the Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, responsible for global operations, customer support, and supply chain management.

Dell Technologies Inc. has reported healthy financial results in recent years. With average revenue in the billions of dollars and a 1 - 3% increase yearly for several years. The company's average gross profit margin stays between 25 to 35%. Depending on the year, Dell Technologies Inc. maintains debt levels either slightly below or above its current assets. Dell Technologies Inc.'s price-to-earnings ratio and price-to-book ratios are slightly below the industry average, indicating that Dell Technologies Inc.'s stock is undervalued compared to its peers. Dell Technologies Inc.'s stock performance has been strong recently but became volatile in Q1 of 2022 amid investor fears of a recession. Despite these issues, Dell Technologies Inc.'s stock price is still positive, over 80% in a five-year timeframe. Dell Technologies Inc.'s stock has also outperformed the broader market, with the S&P 500 increasing by approximately 60% over the same period.

Dell Technologies Inc. operates in the highly competitive computer technology industry. The industry is characterized by rapid technological advancements, changing consumer preferences, and intense competition. Dell Technologies Inc.'s main competitors include HP Inc., Lenovo Group Limited, and Apple Inc.

One trend that is impacting the industry is the shift toward mobile computing. Consumers are increasingly using smartphones and tablets instead of traditional personal computers. This trend has led to declining sales of personal computers and increased competition in the mobile computing space.

Another trend impacting the industry is the increasing importance of data privacy and security. Consumers are becoming more aware of the risks associated with data breaches and are demanding more secure devices and services. This trend has led to increased investment in cybersecurity by companies in the industry.

Dell Technologies Inc. has several potential growth opportunities. One area of focus is the Internet of Things (IoT). Dell Technologies Inc. has developed a suite of IoT solutions and services that help customers manage and analyze the data generated by connected devices. This market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years.

Another growth opportunity for Dell Technologies Inc. is the expanding market for cloud computing. The company has invested heavily in cloud infrastructure and services and has partnered with major cloud providers such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services. As more businesses move their computing infrastructure to the cloud, Dell Technologies Inc. is well-positioned to benefit from this trend.

Despite its many strengths, Dell Technologies Inc. faces several potential risks and challenges. One key challenge for the company is the ongoing decline in the personal computer market. As consumers shift towards mobile devices, sales of personal computers are likely to continue to decline. Dell Technologies Inc. will need to adapt to this changing market to remain competitive.

Another risk for Dell Technologies Inc. is the intense competition in the computer technology industry. The company faces competition from established players like HP and Lenovo and newer entrants like Google and Apple. To remain competitive, Dell Technologies Inc. must continue to invest in research and development and develop new products and services.

Dell Technologies Inc. faces potential risks from changing regulatory and political environments. The company operates in many countries worldwide, and changes in regulations or political instability in key markets could impact its operations. Dell Technologies Inc. may also face increased regulatory scrutiny regarding data privacy and cybersecurity issues.
Wells Fargo & Company is a multinational financial services company that has established itself as a prominent player in the global financial industry. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Wells Fargo operates in 35 countries and serves over 70 million customers worldwide. Its rich history and successful mergers and acquisitions have contributed to its significant global presence.

As a comprehensive financial services provider, Wells Fargo offers a wide range of banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer financial services. The company's mission is to satisfy its customers' financial needs and help them succeed financially. Wells Fargo aims to achieve this by providing exceptional service, acting with integrity, fostering diversity and inclusion, and contributing positively to the communities it serves.

Wells Fargo's extensive product and service portfolio caters to various market segments. The company serves individual consumers, small businesses, corporations, and institutional investors. Its key customers encompass a broad spectrum, ranging from everyday banking customers to high-net-worth individuals and large corporations. Wells Fargo aims to meet the diverse financial needs of its customers through personalized solutions and innovative offerings.

The company has achieved several notable milestones and received recognition for its contributions to the financial industry. Wells Fargo has been ranked as one of the "Big Four Banks" in the United States, alongside JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup. It is also recognized as one of the largest banks in the country by total assets, deposits, and market capitalization. Wells Fargo's commitment to delivering quality financial services has earned it a position among the most valuable bank brands.

Wells Fargo is led by an experienced and capable management team that guides the company's operations and strategic direction. The leadership team consists of individuals with diverse backgrounds and extensive finance, banking, technology, risk management, and customer service expertise. The Chief Executive Officer and President of Wells Fargo is Charles W. Scharf, who brings a wealth of experience in the financial industry. The management team also includes key executives such as Michael J. Santomassimo as the Chief Financial Officer and Scott Powell as the Chief Operating Officer. Each management team member contributes their professional background, accomplishments, and expertise to ensure the company's success.

Wells Fargo has demonstrated consistent financial performance over the years, driven by its diverse business segments and strategic initiatives. The company has reported steady revenue growth, reflecting its ability to attract and retain a large customer base. Wells Fargo's revenue metrics indicate its success in generating income through its various financial services and product offerings.

Earnings metrics illustrate the company's profitability and stability. Wells Fargo's focus on prudent risk management practices and diversified revenue streams contributes to its ability to generate sustainable earnings. Profit margin metrics showcase the efficiency of Wells Fargo's operations. The company's ability to manage costs effectively while generating revenue is key to maintaining healthy profit margins. Debt levels play a significant role in evaluating the company's financial position. Wells Fargo's management strives to maintain a conservative approach to managing debt, ensuring a strong balance sheet and financial stability.

Wells Fargo's valuation metrics are influenced by a range of factors, including its market position, financial performance, growth prospects, risk profile, and investor sentiment. Factors driving Wells Fargo's valuation include its brand recognition, customer base, diversified business segments, and ability to generate consistent earnings. Changes in investor sentiment, market conditions, and regulatory developments can also impact the company's valuation over time.

Investors closely monitor Wells Fargo's stock performance, assessing its ability to deliver value over the long term. The stock has had issues in the past due to news or events that have affected the company's share price, such as regulatory actions, the global pandemic, and strategic initiatives. These factors should be considered in analyzing its market performance.

Wells Fargo operates in the highly competitive financial services industry, which is subject to evolving regulatory frameworks and technological advancements. Understanding the broader industry in which the company operates is crucial to assessing its competitive positioning.

Wells Fargo competes with other major banks and financial institutions domestically and internationally. The company leverages its brand recognition, extensive product and service offerings, customer relationships, and technological capabilities to gain a competitive advantage. However, it also faces challenges such as regulatory compliance, changing customer preferences, and disruptive market forces.

Wells Fargo has identified several growth opportunities within its diverse business segments. The company aims to deepen relationships with existing customers, attract new customers and expand its presence in key markets. In consumer banking, Wells Fargo focuses on enhancing digital capabilities, improving customer experience, and providing innovative solutions to meet evolving customer needs. The company seeks to leverage its strong brand and customer base to drive growth and increase customer loyalty. In wealth and investment management, Wells Fargo aims to capitalize on the growing demand for comprehensive financial planning and advisory services. The company's expertise in wealth management positions it well to capture opportunities in an increasingly complex investment landscape.

As with any financial institution, Wells Fargo faces various risks and challenges. It is important to comprehensively analyze potential risks and challenges to understand their potential impact on the company's performance. Factors such as regulatory changes, cybersecurity threats, economic downturns, and reputational risks pose challenges to Wells Fargo's operations. The company has implemented robust risk management strategies, invested in technology and security measures, and enhanced compliance frameworks to mitigate these risks. Ongoing efforts to prioritize ethical conduct, transparency, and stakeholder trust are integral to managing risks effectively.
Mastercard Inc. is a leading technology company in the payments industry that provides payment processing solutions to businesses and consumers worldwide. Mastercard is one of the largest payment processors in the world by market cap and the number of payments processed.

Mastercard was founded in 1966 as Master Charge: The Interbank Card. The company was created to respond to the growing need for a secure and reliable payment processing system. In 1979, the company changed its name to Mastercard. Mastercard is in over 200 countries and territories and serves over 2.8 billion cardholders.

Mastercard operates on a business-to-business (B2B) model, providing payment processing services to financial institutions, merchants and governments. The company earns revenue primarily through transaction processing fees, cross-border fees and other value-added services. Mastercard's business is divided into four segments: domestic assessments, cross-border volume fees, transaction processing fees and additional revenue.

Mastercard's financial performance has been consistently strong in recent years, with revenue and earnings growth driven by increased transaction volumes and higher fees. Mastercard faces significant competition from other payment processing companies, including Visa Inc. (NYSE: V), American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) and PayPal Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL). However, Mastercard has maintained its position as one of the largest payment processors in the world due to its strong brand recognition, global network and innovative technology solutions.

Mastercard has consistently invested in innovative technology to enhance its payment processing solutions. One of the company's most significant innovations in recent years is Mastercard's tokenization technology, which provides a secure way to process payments without exposing cardholder data. Mastercard has also invested heavily in contactless payment technology, which has become increasingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mastercard has a solid commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability. The company has set ambitious goals to reduce its carbon footprint, increase financial inclusion and promote gender equality. Mastercard is also actively involved in philanthropic efforts, including the Mastercard Foundation, which focuses on advancing financial inclusion in Africa.

As with any company, Mastercard faces several risk factors that could impact its financial performance. One of the most significant risks facing Mastercard is the potential for increased regulation of the payment processing industry. Mastercard is also vulnerable to changes in consumer behavior, such as a shift away from traditional payment methods toward mobile payments. Additionally, Mastercard's business depends on the overall health of the global economy, which could be impacted by factors such as inflation, geopolitical tensions and natural disasters.
Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) is a multinational food processing and commodities trading company with a mission to unlock the potential of nature to improve the quality of life. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, ADM operates across six continents and offers a diverse range of products and services in the agricultural industry. The company's primary operations include oilseed processing, corn processing, agricultural services, and wheat milling. ADM's products are essential ingredients used in various consumer goods, including food, beverages, animal feed, and industrial products.

ADM serves many customers, including food manufacturers, livestock producers, energy companies, and traders. With a global network of over 450 crop procurement locations, ADM has established strong relationships with farmers and suppliers worldwide. The company's commitment to sustainability is evident through its efforts to promote responsible sourcing, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the efficiency of its operations.

ADM's leadership team comprises seasoned professionals with extensive industry experience. Juan R. Luciano serves as ADM's Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. Luciano has been with the company since 2011 and has been pivotal in driving ADM's growth and diversification. His background in agricultural commodities and his strategic vision has been instrumental in shaping the company's success.

ADM has consistently demonstrated strong financial performance over the past few years. The company reported revenues growing yearly, and net earnings for the same period also increased, indicating a stable net profit margin of approximately 3%. ADM's ability to generate solid revenues has been supported by its efficient operations, diversified product portfolio, and strong market presence.

ADM's valuation metrics indicate a reasonable valuation compared to industry peers. The company's price-to-earnings is below the industry average. This suggests that the market is pricing ADM's shares at a relatively attractive level based on its earnings. Factors driving the company's valuation include its diversified revenue streams, global footprint, and focus on sustainable practices. Recent investor sentiment has been positive, driven by ADM's solid financial performance and growth prospects.

In addition to positive market performance, ADM has experienced notable price movements and changes in trading volume due to various news and events. For instance, announcing strategic acquisitions or partnerships often generates investor enthusiasm and can lead to significant stock price increases. Conversely, adverse weather conditions affecting crop yields or changes in government policies related to trade and agriculture can impact ADM's stock negatively.

ADM operates in the global agricultural industry, which is crucial in feeding the world's population and meeting the growing demand for food, feed, and biofuels. Weather patterns, commodity prices, and global trade policies influence the industry.

ADM enjoys a competitive advantage through its integrated supply chain, an extensive network of processing facilities, and strong relationships with farmers and suppliers. The company's global reach enables it to access diverse sources of raw materials, manage risk effectively and provide customers with a reliable supply of high-quality products. Additionally, ADM's focus on sustainability and commitment to responsible sourcing aligns with changing consumer preferences and regulatory trends, positioning the company well for future growth.

ADM has identified several growth opportunities to drive future success. One such opportunity lies in expanding its specialty ingredients and nutrition business. The increasing consumer demand for healthy and sustainable food products presents an avenue for ADM to leverage its expertise in plant-based proteins, natural flavors, and functional ingredients. The company's recent investments in research and development have resulted in innovative product offerings that cater to evolving consumer preferences.

ADM aims to capitalize on the growing demand for renewable energy by expanding its biofuels and bio-based products portfolio. As governments worldwide implement policies to reduce carbon emissions, ADM's expertise in biofuel production positions it favorably to benefit from this transition.

Acquisitions and partnerships also represent growth avenues for ADM. By strategically acquiring complementary businesses or forming alliances with technology-driven startups, ADM can enhance its capabilities, expand its product offerings and access new markets.

Despite ADM's strong market position, several risks and challenges must be considered. One significant risk is the volatility of commodity prices, which can impact the company's profitability and earnings. Fluctuations in crop yields due to weather conditions, changes in global trade policies, and geopolitical tensions can influence agricultural commodities' supply-demand dynamics and pricing.

Regulatory and political factors also pose risks to ADM's operations. Changes in trade, food safety, and environmental standards and regulations can impact the company's ability to conduct business in certain regions. ADM must navigate these complexities while maintaining compliance and managing associated costs.

ADM faces competition from traditional agricultural players and emerging technologies in the plant-based protein and alternative ingredients space. The rapid pace of technological advancements and shifting consumer preferences require ADM to remain innovative and agile to stay ahead of the competition.
HSINCHU, Taiwan, June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The newly established Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in the UK has recently released the UK's National Semiconductor Strategy. Dr. Shih-Chieh Chang, General Director of Electronic and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) of Taiwan had an initial exchange with DSIT. During the exchange, Dr. Chang suggested that Taiwan can become a trustable partner for the UK and that the partnership can leverage collective strengths to create mutually beneficial developments. According to the Strategy, the British government plans to invest 1 billion pounds over the next decade to support the semiconductor industry. This funding will improve access to infrastructure, power more research and development and facilitate greater international cooperation.

ITRI offers consultation services for advanced packaging pilot lines, facilitates pre-production evaluations, and strengthens supply chain resilience.

Dr. Chang stressed that ITRI looks forward to more collaboration with the UK on semiconductors to enhance the resilience of the supply chain. While the UK possesses cutting-edge capabilities in semiconductor IP design and compound semiconductor technology, ITRI has extensive expertise in semiconductor technology R&D and trial production. As a result, ITRI is well-positioned to offer consultation services for advanced packaging pilot lines, facilitate pre-production evaluation, and link British semiconductor IP design companies with Taiwan's semiconductor industry chain. "The expansion of British manufacturers' service capacity in Taiwan would create a mutually beneficial outcome for both Taiwan and the UK," said Dr. Chang.

The British Office Taipei stated that the UK has been increasing collaboration with Taiwan on semiconductors over the last few years. In 2020, the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult (CSA Catapult) signed a memorandum of understanding with ITRI, paving the way for a long-lasting collaborative partnership. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is also focusing the Digital Trade Network in Taiwan to increase the UK's capability to support semiconductor trade and investment. Recognizing ITRI as a crucial driving force for Taiwan's semiconductor industry development, the British Office Taipei looks forward to more cooperation with ITRI for technological innovation, supply chain collaboration and stronger partnership.

Dr. Chang indicated possible collaboration that can be forged to align the goals of the UK's National Semiconductor Strategy and the positive impact to expect. ITRI, he suggested, can assist in establishing relevant pilot lines by introducing necessary resources to address existing gaps or offering consultation services covering design, packaging and testing prior to mass production. This would help reduce the UK's reliance on external suppliers and thus create job opportunities. To minimize the risk of supply chain disruptions, the linkage of Taiwan's complete semiconductor industry chain can significantly enhance the UK's resilience in the global market as more comprehensive solutions can shorten time-to-market for innovative products and accelerate overall industrial development.

Other than the collaboration with CSA Catapult on GaN semiconductor technologies, ITRI partnered with a renowned British semiconductor equipment manufacturer in 2021, resulting in achievements in areas such as HBLED, MEMS, Micro LED, silicon photonics, and nanoscale analysis. In the same year, ITRI worked with a leading British semiconductor IP manufacturer to jointly build a platform that assists startup companies in leveraging key patents to develop competitive new products. Based on the fruitful results, ITRI is set to expand its collaborative efforts with the UK in 2023, creating win-win opportunities for both sides.

About ITRI

Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is one of the world's leading technology R&D institutions aiming to innovate a better future for society. Founded in 1973, ITRI has played a vital role in transforming Taiwan's industries from labor-intensive into innovation-driven. To address market needs and global trends, it has launched its 2030 Technology Strategy & Roadmap and focuses on innovation development in Smart Living, Quality Health, and Sustainable Environment. It also strives to strengthen Intelligentization Enabling Technology to support diversified applications.

Over the years, ITRI has been dedicated to incubating startups and spinoffs, including well-known names such as UMC and TSMC. In addition to its headquarters in Taiwan, ITRI has branch offices in the U.S., Europe, and Japan in an effort to extend its R&D scope and promote international cooperation across the globe. For more information, please visit https://www.itri.org/eng.

(PRNewsfoto/Industrial Technology Research Institute)

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/itri-set-to-strengthen-taiwan-uk-collaboration-on-semiconductors-301853645.html

SOURCE Industrial Technology Research Institute
Shadow Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds - Jamie Lorriman

The Labour Party is said to have ended its boycott of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), in an early sign that steps to revive the UK lobby group may be yielding results.

Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds met with the new CBI head Rain Newton-Smith last week.

Both the Labour and Conservative parties had cut ties with the CBI in the wake of a sexual misconduct scandal.

The Financial Times cited a Labour party official as having described the meeting as positive and warm. Other shadow ministers have reportedly not yet been given permission to engage with the lobby group.

A Labour party source said: Jonathan and Rain met to discuss the changes the CBI are making. Labour have resumed staff level contact as per the Government and will continue to review political engagement as the CBI work to restore the confidence of their members.

It comes after Rishi Sunak earlier this month shied away from questions over whether the Government would re-engage with the CBI, saying there were matters at the CBI are for the CBI and for its members to work through.

Im sure they will work through that with their members and what it means.

The CBI has been battling to overhaul its image in recent weeks, after allegations emerged against managers of inappropriate touching and two claims of rape.

The City of London police are currently investigating individual claims.

Ms Newton-Smith has taken over as the CBI director-general after the exit of former head Tony Danker, following reports of an inappropriate comment he had made to a member of staff.

Mr Danker apologised for having made people uncomfortable, but has argued that he has become a scapegoat and is understood to be preparing to take legal action against the CBI.

The future of the CBI was, however, cast into doubt in recent weeks, after members were asked to vote over its overhaul plans.

The CBI ultimately survived the vote, and claimed it had received a strong mandate from its members. It later emerged that only 371 votes were cast out of around 1,200 members who were eligible to vote on plans to save the business.

Hundreds of large companies opted to boycott the meeting. Many companies, including John Lewis and NatWest, have already chosen to quit the business group.

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.
[June 16, 2023]

Zahid F Sarder Saddi Welcomes Letter by Six Members of Congress Urging US Gov't to Support Fair Elections in Bangladesh

WASHINGTON, DC, June 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the United States government focuses on the 2024 national election in Bangladesh, Zahid F Sarder Saddi, who is the Foreign Advisor to the Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, the Hon Begum Khaleda Zia, has issued a statement detailing his appreciation for a Congressional letter sent to Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken . Signed by US Representatives William R. Keating, James P. McGovern, Barbara Lee, Jim Costa, Dina Titus, and Jamie Raskin, the missive outlines their concern about the ongoing deterioration of the human rights situation in Bangladesh as elections approach in January 2024 and requests further details about the measures, steps, and indicators that the US government is taking to monitor and support human rights and fair elections in Bangladesh.

Photo: Six members of the United States Congress who issued a letter to Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken about free and fair elections in Bangladesh





Since early May 2023, Secretary Blinken and other members of Congress have been increasing their pressure on the Bangladeshi government, which has a documented track record of human rights abuses. The US State Department announced a new visa policy that will restrict the issuance of visas for any Bangladeshi individual, believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in Bangladesh. Congressmen Scott Perry, Bob Good, Barry Moore, Tim Burchett, Warren Davidson, and Keith Self sent an urgent letter to President Biden requesting that President Biden impose stricter individual sanctions, banning Bangladesh law enforcement and military personnel from participating in UN peacekeeping missions. Supportive statements were also issued by Counselor of the US Department of State Derek Chollet nd US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland .







Photo: Letter sent to Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken by US Representatives William R. Keating, James P. McGovern, Barbara Lee, Jim Costa, Dina Titus, and Jamie Raskin

The latest letter to Secretary Blinken outlines that repression in Bangladesh continues even as human rights activists continue their efforts to support a free election. In its annual Human Rights Report 2022, respected Bangladeshi human rights organization Odhikar documented 31 extrajudicial killings, 21 enforced disappearances, 68 deaths in jail, and 183 attacks on journalists committed by various law enforcement agencies including the RAB, Detective Branch, and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence.





Photo: Large gathering of American-Bangladeshis joined by Zahid F Sarder Saddi in front of the White House in support of human rights and democracy in Bangladesh

All six members of Congress request further information on how the State Department tracks reports of human rights violations committed by law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh, the indicators that it is using to evaluate any progress in reducing impunity for serious human rights abuses committed by these entities, and other measures and efforts being taken to support a free society in Bangladesh.

Photo: Human Rights Activist, Civil Society Leader and Bangladesh former Foreign Advisor Zahid F Sarder Saddi | US CONGRESS

I am deeply thankful for the concern of these Representatives , Secretary Blinken , and the US government about the ongoing violations being committed against Bangladeshis who are working for fair elections, says Zahid F Sarder Saddi . I look forward to working with more members of Congress across the aisle to bring back democracy in Bangladesh. As more global attention is paid to the human rights abuses committed each day, we will take back Bangladesh and have a society that is equal and includes all voices.

About  Zahid F Sarder Saddi



Zahid F Sarder Saddi is a prominent Bangladeshi politician, humanitarian, and advocate for Bangladesh and its people. He served as a Foreign Advisor to the three-time Prime Minister of Bangladesh, the Hon Begum Khaleda Zia. He was also appointed as a Special Envoy to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP. Zahid F Sarder Saddi works with several organizations and holds a special passion for helping the Bangladeshi community in the United States and around the world. He has been involved in the Bangladeshi American Society for over 25 years and works to carry the voice of Bangladeshi Americans to lawmakers. Zahid F Sarder Saddi is also a Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Bangla Times , a leading Bangladeshi English and Bangla language newspaper. Zahid F Sarder Saddi has received numerous accolades, including a humanitarian award for his work during the COVID-19 pandemic in helping to promote vaccine distribution to the Bangladeshi population.

To learn more about Zahid F Sarder Saddi, please visit www.ZahidFSarderSaddi.com or reach out to Zahid F Sarder Saddi at [email protected] .







Zahid F Sarder Saddi info at zahidfsardersaddi.com
Meta's New AI Speech Tool Is Ready-Made for DeepfakesSo It's Not Being Released

Meta continued its push into the increasingly crowded AI field on Friday, announcing the creation of a tool called Voicebox. It's an app for generating spoken dialogue with a variety of potential use casesbut it's also ripe for misuse, as Meta admits, which is exactly why the social media giant isn't releasing Voicebox to the public just yet.

Unlike previous voice generator platforms, Meta says Voicebox can perform speech generation tasks it was not specifically trained on. With text input and a brief audio clip for context, the AI tool can create a potentially believable chunk of new speech that sounds like whoever was featured in the source clip.

"Prior to Voicebox, generative AI for speech required specific training for each task using carefully prepared training data," Meta AI said. "Voicebox uses a new approach to learn just from raw audio and an accompanying transcription."

Introducing Voicebox, a new breakthrough generative speech system based on Flow Matching, a new method proposed by Meta AI. It can synthesize speech across six languages, perform noise removal, edit content, transfer audio style & more. More details on this work & examples   Meta AI (@MetaAI) June 16, 2023

Generative AI is a type of program that is capable of generating text, images, or other media in response to user prompts. Meta AI said that Voicebox can produce audio in six languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, Polish, and Portuguese, and can do so closer to how people speak naturally in the real world.

Meta suggests that the tool can be used to improve conversations across languages using tech tools, or to deliver more natural-sounding video game character dialogue. But Voicebox also looks like a faster and more economical way to create copycat "deepfake" dialogue, making it sound like someone (perhaps a public figure or celebrity) said something that they really didn't.

While it may be a breakthrough in AI development, Meta AI also acknowledged that potential for misuse, saying that the company has developed classifiers that distinguish between Voicebox creations and humans. Similar to spam filters, AI classifiers are programs that sort data into different groups or classesin this case, human or AI-generated.

Meta stressed the need for transparency in AI development in its blog post, saying that it is crucial to be open with the research community. However, the company also said that it has no plans to make Voicebox publicly available due to the potential to harness the tech in potentially negative ways.

"There are many exciting use cases for generative speech models, but because of the potential risks of misuse, we are not making the Voicebox model or code publicly available at this time," a Meta AI spokesperson told Decrypt in an email.

"While we believe it is important to be open with the AI community and to share our research to advance the state of the art in AI, the spokesperson continued, its also necessary to strike the right balance between openness with responsibility."

Instead of releasing the tool in a functional state, Meta has shared audio samples and a research paper to help fellow researchers understand its potential.

AI risks emerge

While artificial intelligence tools, specifically AI chatbots, have become more commonplace since the launch of OpenAIs ChatGPT last November, rapid advances in artificial intelligence have global leaders sounding the alarm about the potential misuse of the technology.

On Monday, the UN Secretary-General reiterated the need to take the warnings about generative AI seriously.

"Alarm bells over the latest form of artificial intelligence, generative AI, are deafening, and they are loudest from the developers who designed it," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at a press conference. "The scientists and experts have called on the world to act, declaring AI an existential threat to humanity on a par with the risk of nuclear war."

UN Warns of AI-Generated Deepfakes Fueling Hate and Misinformation Online

As concerning as the threat of global nuclear war may be, that likelihood remains in the realm of science fiction and Hollywood blockbusters. A more likely abuse of generative AI comes from scams targeting individuals using deepfake images and voices to trick victims out of money, for exampleor, as the UN said in a recent report, fueling hate and misinformation online.

A deepfake is an increasingly common type of video or audio content created with artificial intelligence that depicts false events, but is done so in a way that can be very difficult to identify as being faked.

In April, CNN reported that scammers used AI technology to clone the voice of an Arizona woman's 15-year-old daughter, claiming to have kidnapped the teenager and demanding ransom. And in March, an AI-generated image of former President Donald Trump being arrested went viral after being shared on social media.
[June 16, 2023] TELEPERFORMANCE DEADLINE ALERT: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. Reminds Investors that a Class Action Lawsuit Has Been Filed Against Teleperformance SE and Encourages Investors to Contact the Firm Tweet

Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized stockholder rights law firm, reminds investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Teleperformance SE ("Teleperformance" or the "Company") (OTCBB: TLPFY) in the United States District Court for the District of Idaho on behalf of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired Teleperformance American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") between July 29, 2020 and November 9, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Investors have until June 19, 2023 to apply to the Court to be appointed as lead plaintiff in the lawsuit. Click here to participate in the action. As the Teleperformance class action lawsuit alleges, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Teleperformance's growth in Core Services and Digital Integrated Business Services, which included content moderation services, had been achieved, in part, by requiring its content moderators to engage in inappropriate, traumatic, abusive, and potentially criminal activities; (ii) certain Teleperformance social content moderators had been trained with materials which included illicit images of child sexual exploitation; (iii) contraband images had been included in Teleperformance Daily Required Reading reports for its content moderation staff; (iv) Teleperformance had failed to safeguard child sexual abuse material and had potentially violated strict rules governing the handling of such materials, including rule relating to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children; (v) 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; (vi) Teleperformance had imposed unreasonable time and performance targets that compounded the occupational trauma suffered by its content moderators; and (vii) Teleperformance had failed to implement or maintain the working conditions represented to investors, including by subjecting Teleperformance'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.



On August 4, 2022, Forbes published an article entitled "TikTok Moderators Are Being Trained Using Graphic Images Of Child Sexual Abuse," revealing that Teleperformance had subjected its workers to unconscionable working conditions, including being "shown uncensored, sexually explicit images of children." On this news, the price of Teleperformance ADRs fell by nearly 5%. 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, the price of Teleperformance ADRs declined nearly 19%, further damaging investors.

If you purchased or otherwise acquired Teleperformance American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and suffered a loss, are a long-term stockholder, have information, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Brandon Walker or Marion Passmore by email at [email protected], telephone at (212) 355-4648, or by filling out this contact form. There is no cost or obligation to you. About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York, California, and South Carolina. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230616135255/en/

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[June 17, 2023] Molfix Bond with Love Secure Attachment Bond Program was Honored with The International CSR Excellence Awards in its 5th Year Tweet

Bond with Love Secure Attachment Bond Program of Molfix, which supports the happy and healthy development of babies and is a reliable companion of mothers with its innovative approach, was honored with "The International CSR Excellence Awards" LONDON, June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Molfix Bond with Love Secure Attachment Bond Program, developed by Molfix to improve the physical, social and psychological conditions for babies born prematurely or unhealthily to hold on to life, was found eligible for The International CSR Excellence Awards, which identifies and rewards the best social responsibility projects worldwide. More than 500 projects competed for the awards were presented at a ceremony that took place on June 16th at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Stating that they are proud and happy to receive another international award, Aysel Aydin, Hayat Global Vice President of Strategy and Marketing, said, "As part of the Bond with Love Secure Attahment Bond Program, which we have implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Health General Directorate of Public Hospitals and the Infant Mental Health Association in 2019, we have embraced more than 160,000 parents and provided trainings on "Secure Attachment Bond" to nearly 3,000 healthcare professionals. Our project, which allows more babies to hold on to life and receive treatment, has a very special place in our hearts. For this reason, it is a special pride for us that Bond with Love has been honored with another international award. As Hayat, issues based on social needs will continue to be our priority both today and in the future."



Since 2019, 160,000 parents in 31 cities were reached Through the Bond with Love Secure Attachment Bond Program, which was launched to raise awareness on secure attachment bond, home care after neonatal intensive care and infant development, and to provide vital equipment support such as incubators, ventilators and monitors to NICUs, 350 units of vital equipment support have been provided so far to 35 hospitals in 31 cities. In the scope of this program, 160,000 parents were trained by psychologists on the importance of secure attachment bond, home care after neonatal intensive care and child development. Furthermore, 3,000 midwives and nurses in the neonatal intensive care units were informed about "Communication with Parents" and "Child Development".

Bond with Love is in the earthquake zone in Turkey this year "Bond with Love Secure Attechment Bond Program" continues to support babies and their parents in 11 cities affected by the earthquake this year. In the scope of this project, vital equipments such as radiant heated beds, phototherapy devices, neonatal incubators, bedside monitors and nebulizers will be provided to the neonatal intensive care units of hospitals in Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Kilis, Diyarbakir, Adana, Osmaniye, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Adiyaman, Malatya and Elazig cities, while secure attachment bond trainings will be given to the earthquake-stricken mothers, midwives and nurses. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2104269/Molfix.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/molfix-bond-with-love-secure-attachment-bond-program-was-honored-with-the-international-csr-excellence-awards-in-its-5th-year-301853427.html

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[June 17, 2023] Adlai Stevenson School Student and Norwegian Scientist Launch "I Rescue a Child" Initiative Tweet

CHICAGO, June 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kennedy Molakal, a 17-year-old student from Adlai Stevenson School, together with Tom Goran Skog, a Norwegian scientist, has launched "I Rescue a Child", an innovative initiative that utilizes facial recognition technology and public involvement to combat child trafficking globally. "I Rescue a Child" combines Molakal and Skog's tech-savvy approach with their passion for protecting vulnerable children. This groundbreaking initiative leverages a custom-built mobile app, integrating facial recognition technology, and securely uploads photos of missing children to the cloud. Parents who have lost a child can visit any participating charity or college to submit essential information and photographs of their child. These pictures are then securely uploaded to the cloud database, transforming every smartphone user into a potential rescuer. By capitalizing on the influence of celebritie and public figures to raise awareness, this revolutionary model aims to engage every user to take action. If a user captures a photograph of a child seen begging on the streets or engaged in child labor, the image is uploaded to the cloud. If a match occurs, the child's parents, law enforcement, and local NGOs are immediately alerted, prompting immediate action.



Once fully operational, the project is projected to rescue over 300,000 children from the clutches of traffickers. Kennedy Molakal said, "My goal is to rescue one child at a time and bring joy back to their youth. It's an ambitious goal, but every child we save makes this initiative worthwhile."

Tom Goran Skog added, "The power of technology will enable every public to be an active savior of any trafficked child. We're giving the public the tools to be a part of the solution." The duo is actively seeking partnerships with NGOs, public volunteers, and social impact organizations to join them in this important fight against child trafficking. Several celebrities and social organizations have already extended support for the initiative. They hope this will impact and save at least 10% of the globally trafficked children. ALCOR Capital is one of the global corporate sponsors for I Rescue a Child. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/adlai-stevenson-school-student-and-norwegian-scientist-launch-i-rescue-a-child-initiative-301853667.html SOURCE ALCOR Capital Inc

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The GOP leader suggests that social justice advocacy & forgiveness hasn't helped to thwart the impact of rising lawlessness.

Take a look . . .



These crimes, Kobach said, are taking their toll on the Kansas judicial system.



Many of the cases do not get prosecuted, a huge number do not get prosecuted due to the lack of prosecutorial capacity at the county level, Kobach said.



With the number of thefts so high, police too are overwhelmed, Kobach told congressional members of the House Judiciary Committee.



Police departments only have a limited number of detectives, and if youve got a multiple number of stores getting hit multiple times each day, they dont have the capacity to investigate all of them, Kobach said.



Then, if a thief is arrested, theyre often back on the streets before the end of the day, the Kansas AG said.



Many courts are setting bail too low for the criminals, much lower than they have in the past, Kobach said.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Right now hottie Kim inspires our morning peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

Boozing Cowtown Weekend

Boulevardia kicks off in downtown Kansas City A sure sign of summer kicked off in downtown Kansas City on Friday! Thousands of Kansas Citians came out for what organizers call "The Kansas City Party."

Rock Chalk Dive Update

Kansas Department of Health and Environment lifts health advisory for Big Eleven Lake in KCK The alert was issued due to potentially harmful algae in the lake.

Justice Reconsidered Locally



Kansas City-area community reacts to Pittsburgh synagogue shooting ruling On Friday, a federal jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, found Robert Bowers guilty on all counts including murder and hate crimes.

Binge Drinking & Fine Dining

Memories of Southern France Inspire Westport Cafe's New Summer Menu - IN Kansas City Magazine Tucked between Monaco and the Franco-Italian border is the small, coastal town of Menton. Known for its temperate climate and renowned for its citrus-particularly the lemon, it's the hometown of Westport Cafe's new chef and inspiration behind the summer menu. Romain Monnoyeur, co-owner and longtime Westport Cafe executive chef, and new chef Thomas Milesi, collaborated...

Sound Of Cowtown Summer

Going 360: Examining the concert scene in Kansas City KSHB 41 is going 360 on Kansas City's concert scene, hearing from concertgoers, a venue executive, a venue owner and an artist from the area.

Social Media Diva Shares Life Lessons

Kim Kardashian Has One Major Regret In Life (And It's Not Her Sex Tape) Some might say that a leaked sex tape is quite a big regret, but there's another career move that Kim Kardashian regrets way more.

Prez Talks Free Money Tactics

Biden goes quiet on killing off the debt ceiling The president appears to have dropped his promise to explore the 14th Amendment, worrying some Dems wary of another battle in just a few years.

MAGA Rampage Redux

The 5 people Marjorie Taylor Greene is trying to impeach: Here's why she wants to oust Biden, others Marjorie Taylor Greene is trying to impeach President Joe Biden, Alejandro Mayorkas, Merrick Garland, Christopher Wray and Matthew Graves.

Americans Consider 2024

New poll reveals what voters think of Trump's federal indictment It was certainly a historic week as Donald Trump became the first ex-president to face charges in federal court. A new PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll helps explain how American voters view the former president. Amna Nawaz reports.

Calling Vlad's Bluff?!?

Putin says he's delivered nukes to Ukraine's neighbor. Hear what ex-CIA operative thinks At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russian president Vladimir Putin claimed that nuclear warheads have been delivered to Belarus, and reacted to NATO's call for Russia to begin negotiations on weapon reduction. Former CIA Chief of Russia Operations Steve Hall weighs in.

Far East Wants Super Weapon

China making 'science fiction' super warship, report claims: 'Big step forward' Chinese officials have not provided any timeline, but Rear Adm. Ma Weiming claimed the PLA has already developed the basic technology or will soon have it.

Old School Bump & Grind Endures

The Surprising Sex Lives of Seniors With rising rates of STDs, extramarital affairs, and "gray divorce," these aren't quite your great-grandparents' Golden Years. Here's what's going on after 50.

Still A Few Seconds To See It

How to see 5 planets line up in the sky on Saturday morning There's another chance to see five planets lined up in the sky. Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus and Mercury will appear together before sunrise on Saturday, weather permitting.

Weekend Weather Outlook . . .

FORECAST: Scattered showers, storms expected Saturday night Active weather returns to the area as we head into the weekend, but it will still be hot for at least the first half of it.

6ix9ine - Pa Ti is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
Aftermath report and ongoing faith community commitment to making new friends . . .



Lauren Weinhold, chief external affairs officer of Jewish Vocational Service (JVS), highlighted the importance of World Refugee Day in providing resources and showing support for Kansas Citys refugees.



The diversity and entrepreneurship, the multitude of gifts that refugees and immigrants bring to Kansas City is worth celebrating, she said. We as a city, we understand that our city is better with refugees and immigrants here. We are only as good as the diversity in our community.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Further strengthening in areas of mutual interest, in particular investments, defense cooperation, culture, and mobility

The 13th Round of Political Consultations between Greece and India took place in Athens, the Greek foreign affairs ministry said on Saturday, in the context of the steady strengthening of relations and following subsequent visits on both sides at the level of foreign ministers, it added, ANA reports.

During the consultations, which took place at the level of the secretaries general of the two countries' foreign ministries, several areas of bilateral cooperation were examined, as was the further strengthening in areas of mutual interest, in particular investments, defense cooperation, culture, and mobility.

Further fields of mutual strategic interest were also identified, such as the safety of maritime transport, while regional and global developments were also discussed.

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Nvidia is the top AI pick and the stock could jump 15% as demand has picked up since the chip maker's blockbuster earnings report, Morgan Stanley says

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Kim Kulish/Corbis/Getty Images

Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Nvidia to $500 and called the stock its "top pick."

Analysts said demand has picked up since the chip maker's blockbuster earnings report last month.

Nvidia is getting orders from customers who weren't thought of as major buyers until now.

Nvidia stock has more room to climb as demand has only picked up since the chipmaker's blockbuster earnings report last month, Morgan Stanley said.

Analysts raised their price target on Nvidia, which has blown away Wall Street with its artificial intelligence chips, to $500 from $450, representing 15% upside from current levels.

That's despite shares already soaring 200% year to date and joining a handful of other tech giants with a market cap of $1 trillion or more.

Morgan Stanley also named Nvidia its new "top pick," taking that moniker away from the previous holder, rival chip stock AMD. Analysts said Nvidia has more near-term upside, predicting it will be the only company that will beat estimates and raise its guidance this calendar year.

"The demand environment for AI training has continued to pick up since NVIDIA reported, with our industry contracts reporting daily new orders from customers that were not contemplated as major customers until now," the note said.

Last month, Nvidia increased its second-quarter revenue forecast to $11 billion, more than 50% above consensus, due to the growing generative artificial intelligence market. The company's AI chipsets help drive the technology behind OpenAI's ChatGPT and Alphabet's Bard chatbots.

Morgan Stanley said there has been a rapid shift in investment away from the traditional server infrastructure and toward AI infrastructure, calling Nvidia the "cleanest story in AI hardware."

"While we have been positive since upgrading the stock earlier in the year, we were nowhere near as optimistic as we should have been," analysts said.

Not only are existing customers accelerating their spending, but there's also strong spending coming from app developers, enterprise IT departments, and even governments, according to the note.

While the numbers may not be sustainable in the long term, Morgan Stanley still sees "higher capital intensity" through the next several years.

"Frankly, the commentary around these markets is more positive than anything we have heard in 29 years of covering semiconductor stocks."

Read the original article on Business Insider
By buying an index fund, investors can approximate the average market return. But if you choose individual stocks with prowess, you can make superior returns. For example, Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC) shareholders have seen the share price rise 78% over three years, well in excess of the market return (36%, not including dividends). However, more recent returns haven't been as impressive as that, with the stock returning just 56% in the last year , including dividends .

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 Omnicom Group

While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

Omnicom Group was able to grow its EPS at 3.9% per year over three years, sending the share price higher. In comparison, the 21% per year gain in the share price outpaces the EPS growth. This suggests that, as the business progressed over the last few years, it gained the confidence of market participants. It's not unusual to see the market 're-rate' a stock, after a few years of growth.

The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

We know that Omnicom Group has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? You could check out this free report showing analyst revenue forecasts.

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of Omnicom Group, it has a TSR of 100% 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

It's nice to see that Omnicom Group shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 56% over the last year. That's including the dividend. Since the one-year TSR is better than the five-year TSR (the latter coming in at 9% per year), it would seem that the stock's performance has improved in recent times. 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. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Omnicom Group (at least 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

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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There are no damaged objects in Kyiv as a result of today's missile attack.

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported this on Telegram, Ukrinform saw.

"There are no damaged objects or houses in Kyiv after the missile attack," Klitschko noted.

He clarified that explosions heard in the Podilskyi district were the result of air defense capabilities engaging incoming targets.

Read also: Germany handing Ukraine 64 missiles for Patriot systems

The Kyiv mayor thanked the air defense forces for their performance.

As Ukrinform reported, on June 16, Ukrainian air defense destroyed six Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, six Kalibr cruise missiles, and two reconnaissance UAVs.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, referred to the Russian missile attack targeting Kyiv during the visit of African leaders a signal that shows Russia's true intentions.

Photo: Kyiv City Military Administration
The United Kingdom will send an additional GBP 60 million ($77 million) to the Ukraine Support Fund.

This was reported by the press service of the UK government, Ukrinform saw.

UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has announced an additional GBP 60 million from the UK to NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP), bringing the UK's total contribution since February last year to over GBP 80 millioon.

NATO's comprehensive aid package for Ukraine has been in effect since 2016.

"The package provides secure communications; combat rations, fuel, medical supplies; body armour; winter clothing and equipment to counter mines and chemical and biological threats," the report said.

"This new contribution for NATOs Ukraine fund is part of our ongoing commitment to provide Ukraine with the equipment and training it need," said Ben Wallace.

As reported, the British government announced a package of military aid for Ukraine in the amount of GBP 92 million (almost $116 million) to improve the nations air defense efficiency.
Percy Pigs is one of M&S's bestselling brands and has seen many copycat versions over the years - JAMES DAVEY/REUTERS

When Fabios Gelato owner Fabio Vincineti received a letter last month telling him to stop calling his latest ice cream flavour Perky Pig, he was surprised.



Prior to his homage to Mark & Spencers pink sweets, Vincineti had turned Marmite, Guinness and Brothers Cider into ice cream flavours without incident. Marmite in fact retweeted a picture of Vincinetis love-it-or-hate-it ice cream.



But for M&S, the creation of Perky Pig hit a sore spot. The launch came just as M&S was stepping up a campaign against copycat versions of its best-selling products  most often Percy Pig and Colin the Caterpillar cake.



In a recent legal spat, the company took British sweets maker Swizzels to the High Court, claiming its Pigs Mugs sweets  first launched in 1996  were intended to be perceived by a significant proportion of the relevant public as mere imitations of Percy Pigs, which were launched in 1992.



The pair reached a settlement earlier this month in which Swizzels agreed to change the design.



A spate of copycat versions of M&Ss products have been launched by rival supermarkets and brands over the years  moves that Julia Catton, the mastermind of the Percy Pigs line, calls lazy.

My argument has always been, why cant you do something different? Theres always a place for newness and consumers want it, she told the Telegraph.

M&S is not taking the assault lying down. The retailer is stepping up its defence of its brands as chief Stuart Machin seeks to revitalise the high street stalwart by getting both clothing and food sales growing at the same time. Early results suggest the plan is working.



Food has always been a strong performer for M&S and managements attention has largely been focused on clothing. Yet it cannot afford to take its eye off the ball. Action such as the case against Swizzles is a sign that it is alert to threats.

Swizzels agreed to change the design of its 'Pigs Mugs' sweets (R) after M&S dragged it to court - CHP

M&S finds itself in trademark disputes more than other supermarkets because it has developed in-house brands that rival supermarkets would die for, says a grocery source.



The well-regarded own-brands are a legacy of the fact M&S only started selling branded products in its food stores in 2009.



For decades, it relied on designing its own unique products that could draw customers away from stores selling household names such as Heinz and Kelloggs. It lent heavily on innovation, developing its own brands to draw in customers.



Percy Pig is one of our hero brands and we own trademarks to protect it, the retailer said in a letter to Vincineti, sent the same day the ice cream went on sale.

We risk losing those trademarks (and more importantly to us, consumers will no longer be confident Percy Pig-branded products originate from M&S) if we do not take steps to stop others from using them without our permission.



Ms Catton, who started her career as an M&S food developer and was the creator of its Percy Pigs line, says coming up with something new and different is key.



At many of the supermarkets, it all becomes a lot of the same thing, says Catton, now a consultant. Theyre all selling Cadburys, so the question is how you differentiate from Waitrose or Tesco.



She says it is frustrating when other supermarkets launch their own, similar versions to M&Ss well-known characters.



Protecting its brands has only become harder with the expansion of Aldi, which is well known for developing its own products that look eerily similar to higher priced rivals.



M&S has accused the German discounter of launching knock-off versions of its Colin the Caterpillar cake and its Christmas glowing gin bottles. M&S reached a settlement deal with Aldi in the first case and won the second case. Aldi is appealing the light-up gin decision.

M&S settled a trademark dispute with Aldi over the latter's Cuthbert the Caterpillar cake which closely resembled Colin the Caterpillar

Rivals argue that cheaper versions of brands are in demand.



When customers buy a different version, theyre consciously buying the cheap ones, says one grocery source. If the demand is there, then well make a similar one to try to capture some of that market  and I think thats perfectly reasonable and competitive.



M&S has also been accused of copying ideas itself. Last year the retailer was accused of copying chocolate matches created by a small confectionery firm for Valentines Day. It ultimately partnered with the company and started selling the companys chocolate matches in store.



In 2021, the retailer faced criticism over a bacon naan recipe that was likened to a Dishoom recipe. It later urged Instagram followers to book tables at the restaurant group.

Theres no such thing as a new idea in retail, says Ged Futter, a former buyer for Asda who is now a consultant. Everybody is copying each other. Trends have got to come from somewhere.

At Fabios Gelato, Vincineti rebranded his Perky Pig ice cream as Henry Hippo in homage to a similar sweet developed by Lidl.

Fabios Gelato was forced to rename its 'Perky Pig' flavour ice cream after a letter from M&S demanded they stop using the name - Fabio Vincenti



The funny thing is, the sweets taste just as good, says Vincineti. And theyre a lot cheaper.



We normally make a couple of tubs for new ice cream flavours and once theyre sold out, theyre sold out. But the Henry Hippo ice cream is so popular that weve got it in there as a constant at the moment.



Were basically promoting Lidls products when we sell the ice cream  its all pretty clever from Lidl actually.



A spokesman for M&S said the company has a proud history as a leading innovator and for almost 140 years customers have turned to M&S for unique, original, quality products  conceived, created and developed by us working with our trusted suppliers and produced to the highest standards.



Enormous time, passion, creativity, energy and attention to detail goes into designing, developing and bringing a product to market and building its brand over many years.



Our customers have confidence in our products because they trust our quality and sourcing standards so we will always seek to protect our reputation for freshness, quality, innovation and value.

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 Swedish government has decided on a 12th support package to Ukraine, worth 250 million crowns ($23.7 million), that includes Ukrainian pilots test flying Gripen fighter jets.

Thats according to Reuters, Ukrinform reports.

It is noted that the bulk of the money would be channeled through one British and one NATO fund for the procurement of defense and military training equipment among other things.

Read also: Germany handing Ukraine 64 missiles for Patriot systems

In May, Sweden said it may allow Ukrainian pilots to test Gripen following inquiries from Ukraine about various kinds of aviation systems, repeating however that Sweden had no plans to send fighter jets to Kyiv.

As reported, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson announced that Ukrainian pilots would be able to undergo training on the Swedish-made JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets.
In the coming days, Canada will complete the delivery to Ukraine of thousands of assault rifles and a million rounds of ammunition, the allocation of which was announced in April.

This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Canada, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

The following previously announced Canadian donations will also be delivered in the coming days: 6,750 assault rifles; 1.1 million rounds of 7.62mm ammunition; 250,000 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition; and 70,000 rounds of sniper ammunition, the report says.

It is noted that Canada will continue to work with allies and partners to provide Ukraine with the military aid that it needs to defend itself.

As reported, the new package of Canadian military aid includes 21,000 small arms and 2.4 million rounds of ammunition. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced about new military aid package for Ukraine during Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal's visit to Toronto last month.

Photo: President's Office
The Danish government is ready to transfer F-16 fighters to Ukraine, but only if the United States, which produces these aircraft, approves this step.

That's according to Radio 4, Ukrinform reports.

Today, acting Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said that Denmark would support the transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine. But this will only happen if the United States, which produces the F16, approves.

"I want to say that I can't imagine that we would not support this. Ukraine needs aircraft. More than ever, if they want to fight external aggression. This also applies to Danish F-16 combat aircraft," Troels Lund Poulsen said in his speech.

Two days ago, the official said something completely different, stating that the Danish side had not made a decision to provide Danish fighters.

"The government has not yet made any decision on F-16 fighters," Troels Lund Poulsen said then.

Ukrainian pilots will soon arrive in Denmark, where they will be trained to operate and maintain F-16s.

The training will take place at the Skrydstrup base in Jutland, which Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen visited in May.

Denmark and the Netherlands are leaders in cooperation in training Ukrainian pilots. In total, Denmark has 43 F-16 combat aircraft, of which 30 are an active part of the military fleet. However, Danish F-16s are now replaced by more modern F-35 combat aircraft.

As reported, Denmark is ready to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters by providing access to its air base.

Denmark, together with the United States, Britain, and the Netherlands, announced the transfer of hundreds of air defense missiles and systems to Ukraine to help protect Ukraine's infrastructure and support offensive operations.

Deliveries of air defense missiles and ammunition have already begun, and the final delivery will take place in the coming weeks.
Representatives of more than 20 Japanese private sector firms may attend the international Ukraine Recovery Conference in London next week.

Sources close to the matter say the Japanese companies considering attendance include construction and medical firms. They have been recommended by the Japanese government or invited by the governments of Britain and Ukraine, NHK media outlet reports.

It is expected that the companies will offer help to remove debris and landmines or restore infrastructure such as bridges and irrigation facilities for farming.

Medical firms hope to provide remote healthcare services to cope with shortages of medical staff in Ukraine. Final arrangements are said to be ongoing.

Besides private companies, four government-backed organizations are also said to be considering attendance. They include the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Arrangements are underway for Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa to participate.

The United Kingdom and Ukraine will hold the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023 in London on June 21-22.

The conference will focus on mobilizing international support for the economic and social stabilization of Ukraine and the subsequent recovery from the consequences of the war, including through emergency aid for immediate needs and funding for the participation of the private sector in the recovery process.
Analysts with Texty.org.ua set an ambitious task  to compile a list of all agents of influence of the Putin regime, which reveal themselves in one or another activity in 19 European countries. On May 15, the authors updated the database for the third time, which now has more than 2,100 people.

These are both foreigners and Russians who live in Europe and can be used as instruments of influence of Russian special services. The project was granted an eloquent name  The Germs of Russian World.

The base included, for example, politicians who voted for pro-Russian decisions, expressed statements in support of Putin and the war, and called for the lifting of sanctions against Russia.

The functionality allows choosing a country, as well as a field of activity: politics, public activity, media, education / science, church, compatriots, political expert, culture, business, honorary consul, state propaganda, and sports. Currently, there are 19 countries in the database, of which 17 are EU members: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Germany, the Netherlands, France, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Greece, and Sweden. The other two are Serbia and the United Kingdom.

The study indicates that Putinism is trying to use migrants  compatriots as a tool for its operations in Europe.

For example, the Rossotrudnichestvo agency  a descendant of all Soviet services for working with emigrants  is de facto a cover in which agents of various intelligence agencies work, first of all, the Foreign Intelligence Service (FIS). Employees of the Russian houses or the Russian centers of science and culture, as the offices of Rossotrudnichestvo in European countries are called, are often employees of the FIS.

The base of The Germs of the Russian World included the current officers of the FIS: Pavel Izvolsky from the Berlin Russian House and Igor Zhukovsky in Warsaw; Dmitry Sokolov, the former head in Vienna, and Yevgeny Demin, the former deputy in Belgrade.

Earlier, analysts of the Robert Lansing Institute wrote about the affiliation of Daria Pushkova, the head of the Russian House in Paris, with the FIS. Elena Epishina, the head of the RCSC (Russian Centre for Science and Culture) in Bratislava, formerly worked as a military attache of the embassy, which is impossible without having a rank in the special services.

Rossotrudnichestvo coordinates, in particular, immortal regiments and other rallies that help promote the narratives of Russian propaganda through the creation of newsbreaks in the form of rallies and petitions, as well as the organization of conferences and roundtables.

As a result, rallies are organized with the participation of locals to promote Kremlin propaganda under the guise of historical truth. This platform is also used to develop business projects in the interests of the Kremlin and for scientific espionage.

The Danish newspaper Information provides one example in its investigation.

Artem Markaryan, head of the Russian House in Denmark, organized contacts with the Danish Technological University. Professors were invited to conferences dedicated to space and Arctic research, attended by representatives of Russian scientific institutions as well. As a result, Markaryan managed to get an employee of the Russian House to work at the university. Subsequently, several employees of the university of Russian origin were exposed as spies who had passed information about green technologies from a scientific institution and its partners  commercial companies  to the Russian special services.

Russia has a more or less formalized friendship group with almost every country  a bilateral trade and/or cultural association, often there can be several for one country. There are also associations at the regional level.

The practical tool of the Russian special services for penetration into the business world was the institution of honorary consuls, which was also analyzed by researchers in a piece Honorary Henchmen of the Kremlin. How does a Network of Diplomacy Implicated in Big Money Work?

The honorary consul is a special diplomatic status, which is received not by professional staff members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of a foreign country, but by local citizens of European countries. The appointment, however, takes place after approval by the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition to official documents and the ability to protect the rights of citizens of the represented state, honorary consuls receive diplomatic immunity, inviolability of correspondence, complicated procedures for searches of the premises, and the opportunity to use diplomatic license plates.

Honorary consuls are often serious businessmen from European countries or dishonest hustlers. The study proves that 34 acting honorary consuls represent Russia in 18 European countries. Another 17 had this status until recently, but with the beginning of the full-scale invasion, they either left their positions on their own, or were forced to stop this work due to the closure of the consulates by the host country. Former consuls often remain part of a pro-Russian network of shadow diplomacy.

For example, the honorary consul of Russia in Crete owns the largest Greek hotel chain Grecotel Nikos Daskalantonakis. Putin personally awarded Daskalantonakis the Order of Friendship for the development of Russia-Greece cooperation. This person is also a co-organizer of the Victory Day celebrations in Crete.

Many other consuls represent the big food business. For example, the consul in Greenland is Miki Jonas Brns, the owner of the largest fishing company of Greenland Polar Seafood. He inherited this position from his father. By the way, you can buy shrimp from Polar Seafood almost in every large supermarket chain in Ukraine. The consul of Russia in Burgos (Spain) is Pedro Ballve Lantero, one of the owners of the large international food holding Campofrio. In addition, the interests of Russians are protected by Hubert Bertsch, the head of the Bertsch corporation, a producer of equipment for the food industry (honorary consul in Vorarlberg, Austria). Another Austrian consul in Graz is Michael Pachleitner, head of the optics giant Michael Pachleitner Group.

The honorary consulate in Nuremberg was headed by Nicholas Knauf, the head of Knauf  one of the largest corporations for the production of building materials. Together with Wintershall Dea, another German company and a former partner of Gazprom, they, according to the media, actively helped supply the Russian army. By the way, one of the Knauf factories in Ukraine in Soledar was destroyed by Russian invaders.

A separate area is the promotion of Putinism through Russian studies. After Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, governments and civic activists in European countries began to look more closely at Russian schools and Ruscist associations. A certain number of such associations publicly condemned the aggression of the Russian army (partly with slips like we sympathize with all the victims  both Ukrainians and Russians, we will continue to carry the Russian language and culture as a way of interethnic understanding). A significant part continued to work to promote the Russian language, culture, and the Russian perspective. Every year, Russia invests in hundreds of conferences and competitions to promote Russian culture, which today cannot but go hand in hand with Russian neo-Nazism.

As for politicians, as we know, one of the points of support of Russian interests in Europe is political parties, usually either extreme right or extreme left. Some of them, like the League in Italy or Alternative for Germany, are outright Putinists. Others may publicly condemn the war and at the same time promote the idea of weakening sanctions or continuing economic ties with Russians despite the aggression against Ukraine.

Pro-Russian politicians were often invited to joint right- or left-radical forums sponsored, if not directly from the Russian budget, then by various patrons, like the main Orthodox oligarch Konstantin Malofeev.

The base also included fans of Putin and the quick ruble from various national and regional parliaments who came to the occupied Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk to attend conferences, festivals, roundtables, created mythical embassies of the LPR/DPR in Europe and promoted the idea of normality of political dialogue and business with terrorists and invaders in every way possible. Politicians from Germany, France, Bulgaria, Italy, and Greece were particularly active in attempts to recognize Crimea as Russian.

Among the media, Russia is openly promoted mainly by either conspiracy (alternative) or pro-radical (right and left) publications, which are notable for their general Eurosceptic and anti-American rhetoric and anti-government sentiments.

Moscow is also creating think tanks and civil society organizations in Europe. The most striking are the Institute of Democracy and Cooperation in France and the Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute in Berlin. For example, the Eurasian Observatory for Democracy and Elections, founded by Belgian activist Luc Michel, specializes in observing elections in unrecognized and undemocratic states, creating an illusion of their legitimacy.

Several journalists, such as Graham Phillips from the UK, Alina Lipp from Germany, Liu Sivaya from Spain, Fabrice Beor from Belgium, etc., specialize in spreading the truth about how the children of the Donbas were bombed.

The Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security spoke with one of the authors of the study, journalist Oleksii Nabozhniak.

Oleksii, what did your research reveal?

The networks of Russian influence are ramified and decentralized. We have identified at least 10 areas in which Putins supporters work. This means that control and monitoring of these areas should also be ramified.

We did not have the goal of inducing to include the persons on our list in the sanctions lists of Europe or Ukraine. But I was surprised to see that sanctions were imposed in Ukraine only against about 100 people from our list.

One of the criteria for entering The Germs of Russian World database was an illegal visit to Crimea and the temporarily occupied territories in the east of Ukraine. Observers at pseudo-referenda fall under the category of persons Ukraine imposes sanctions on. But we did not find many persons from this category in the NACP register as of the beginning of March 2023. And this may be the next step for the work of the very NACP.

As for European sanctions, perhaps a single action of their citizens will not be enough for them. But the question can and should be asked in the ethical plane and regarding the reputation of these individuals. The Russian attack unleashed a war that in certain aspects can be compared with the hostilities of World War II, so one cannot help the aggressor that violated the basic rules.

Our task was to record this list for history and if, in the future, these people appeared in new active operations on the part of Russia, it would be easier to expose their intentions.

What stories of agents do you recall?

Its hard to remember one story. Ill dwell on categories. I discovered a large network of Cossacks in Europe. A person lives an everyday life, but once a month, roughly, changes into a Cossack uniform, comes to congresses, Victory Day, and other activities. This is interesting because it is a paramilitary structure that has certain power attributes, whips, or perhaps even some weapons.

The discovery was that many great businessmen were honorary consuls of Russia. The owner of the largest hotel chain in Greece, the owner of Knauf. Russia invested a lot in regional self-government bodies. This can be seen in the example of Germany, Italy, when, in addition to the level of the national parliament, very active cooperation took place with regional lands that were associated with the construction of the Nord Stream.

Werent lovers of Putins Russia disappointed after the full-scale attack on Ukraine, like the romantics of Communism after the Soviet attack on Czechoslovakia in 1968?

Yes, some politicians switched sides and denied the pro-Russian statements that they had made before. They began to vote in parliament for anti-Russian initiatives. However, some German and Austrian parties remained within their positions. If a politician follows an alternative policy with a typical set  against the EU, NATO, and believes that the United States enslaved everyone  they continue following Russian narratives. They can sincerely believe to be on the side of the good, or that business relations with Russia are important for the economy of their region.

Was your project noticed in Europe?

The coverage of the English-language text in the first weeks after the release of The Germs in December last year was 3 times higher than that of the Ukrainian one. For example, in Belgium, journalists also asked themselves the question: who in our country supports Russia. Based on our data, as far as I know, the list of potential agents at least doubled. Several researchers from universities who study propaganda and disinformation have also requested that we provide them with an array of data. The topic was of interest to the Polish media, there were stories covered in the news, and now they will make a documentary story based on our project. It was our idea to encourage further detailed research.

When we presented this study to the European Commission and other foreign partners, they were surprised by the scale. Everyone knew that there were agents, but when they saw their number, everyone in their country on the infographic  it was a reason to think. Russian information operations in the world are a well-known fact, but when people see the scale, it motivates them to act and explore the topic further.

The number of points for each country corresponds to real data after the first revision of the database when 1,300 persons were recorded. Their location is random within the country. The third update of the database already featured more than 2,100 individuals.

In which countries are there a lot of Russian agents?

Germany, France, Italy, and the UK. These are countries with a large population, and therefore they account for many individuals.

What would be your advice toward solving the problem of Putins malign influence on Europe and the world?

The first thing is monitoring. To know where and how Russians work. Such bases need to be expanded. We found people from open sources who were mentioned in various studies, monitoring lists, such as, for example, observers over fake elections in the territory of occupied Ukraine. And how many more other hidden agents of influence there can be, or those who are ordinary members of organizations because in many cases, we included only managers in the list and did not consider other employees. The main thing is to understand the scale. This provides a vector for further effort.

Then we can go on to analyze which of these groups pose the greatest threats to the countries in which they are located. You can communicate with the authorities of the country to strengthen monitoring. There are counter-intelligence measures  the special services already know about this  what to do about it, how to neutralize the threat. The task of a society is to make others realize the malign influence of Putinism, its threats, and to encourage them to respond to this challenge.

What is the situation of the media in Europe?

There is a category of conspiracy and traditionalist media that often advocate anti-American rhetoric and support for Russia. These are often right-wing media and pro-communist leftists.

If we discuss the main media and journalism  we have not found blatant cases of unequivocal support for Russia in the major media. Although, of course, they can give a voice to dubious experts, with a position bordering pro-Russian and neutral, for world peace, which, in our conditions, hides a desire of the aggressor to regain strength.

Which politicians does Putinism engage, and how does it work?

Left, right, it doesnt matter. Their main goal is to create confusion and division within a country. They may be communists or ultra-nationalists. The more different the categories are, the better. This recruitment occurs not only directly through special services but also through the financing of political and public organizations and think tanks  both directly and through foundations, friendly organizations in the EU  so that it is not immediately possible to trace financial flows.

What other research can be done? What would you advise your fellow journalists?

If we talk about Russian agents of influence, there are countries that are not covered by our research. We did not consider Portugal, Luxembourg, Norway, the Baltic countries, Finland, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia, and Cyprus. Thus, firstly, a geographic expansion.

Secondly, one can explore connections that may be deeper. We just made a big list with a breakdown by country, industry, and reason for being on the list. In addition, you can look for deeper ties with Russia. We, for example, did not try to look for whether those foreigners who got into our base had business in Russia, or whether they were heads of enterprises owned by Russians. Soon, we will release a base of lobbyists for Russian business, and there is also something to work on in this direction.

And, of course, there are other regions. For example, there is Africa, where levels of influence are unknown and where media and political landscapes are not as transparent as in Europe, where more information can be found from open sources. There are Asia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the Americas  these are large regions where Ukraine needs to work to represent its position, to investigate the narratives of Putinism, and through whom they are spread.

Journalists have one tool  to cover, to refer a request, to find out what the authorities are doing to overcome the problem. Ukrainian communities of IDPs already know public Russian agents of influence. They often hold protests, rallies, and appeals. But we need to understand that it is necessary to record violations by Russians. Because if a person simply advocates the position in favor of Russia and Putin  this is not prohibited by law. But it is necessary to record that a person can be a source of risk.

Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security
Key Insights

Significant control over Marsden Maritime Holdings by state or government implies that the general public has more power to influence management and governance-related decisions

54% of the company is held by a single shareholder (Northland Regional Council)

Ownership research, combined with past performance data can help provide a good understanding of opportunities in a stock

Every investor in Marsden Maritime Holdings Limited (NZSE:MMH) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 54% to be precise, is state or government. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

Meanwhile, private companies make up 22% of the companys shareholders.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Marsden Maritime Holdings.

View our latest analysis for Marsden Maritime Holdings

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Marsden Maritime Holdings?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

We can see that Marsden Maritime Holdings does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. 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. 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 Marsden Maritime Holdings' historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Hedge funds don't have many shares in Marsden Maritime Holdings. The company's largest shareholder is Northland Regional Council, with ownership of 54%. This essentially means that they have extensive influence, if not outright control, over the future of the corporation. With 21% and 2.4% of the shares outstanding respectively, Ports of Auckland Limited and ANZ New Zealand Investments Limited are the second and third largest shareholders.

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. We're not picking up on any analyst coverage of the stock at the moment, so the company is unlikely to be widely held.

Insider Ownership Of Marsden Maritime Holdings

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

We can see that insiders own shares in Marsden Maritime Holdings Limited. In their own names, insiders own NZ$5.6m worth of stock in the NZ$207m company. This shows at least some alignment, but we usually like to see larger insider holdings. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 16% stake in Marsden Maritime Holdings. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Private Company Ownership

We can see that Private Companies own 22%, of the shares on issue. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company.

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. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Marsden Maritime Holdings you should know about.

Of course this may not be the best stock to buy. Therefore, you may wish to see our free collection of interesting prospects boasting favorable financials.

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 finance minister clarifies that the Shell Petroleum Company has decided to sell its shares to another international company.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-June 17th, 2023) Ishaq Dar, the Finance Minister, on Saturday assured that all necessary arrangements are in place for the repayment of loans to international institutions, ensuring that there was no risk of default.

Speaking to the media in Islamabad, Dar explained that the Ministry of Finance had been in contact with Chinese banks to facilitate early payments. He disclosed that a payment of $300 million was already made on Friday, with the remaining $1000 million payment scheduled to be made soon. Dar emphasized that Pakistan is fully prepared to meet its financial obligations to international organizations.

Furthermore, Dar clarified the situation regarding the Shell Petroleum Company, dismissing rumors of its withdrawal from Pakistan. He stated that the news was entirely inaccurate, emphasizing that Shell intends to sell its shares to another multinational company. The Finance Minister highlighted that Shell's business operations in the country will continue as usual, and the company's decision to sell its shares does not reflect any association with the current situation in Pakistan.
One of the points of the African peace initiative to resolve the Ukrainian conflict is the return of children to their homes, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Saturday

STRELNA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th June, 2023) One of the points of the African peace initiative to resolve the Ukrainian conflict is the return of children to their homes, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Saturday.

Ramaphosa presented a 10-point African peace initiative to resolve the conflict in Ukraine to Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg.

"Point eight ... it concerns the release of prisoners of war from both sides. A related issue concerns children who have been taken hostage in the conflict. These children need to be returned to where they came from, to their homes," Ramaphosa said.

Earlier on Saturday, Putin personally received and greeted the African delegates at the Konstantinovsky Palace to discuss the joint African peace initiative on Ukraine.

In November 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video message to the G20 summit that Kiev did not want to sign a peace agreement that would be against its interests and which Moscow would allegedly "violate immediately after the signing." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on Zelenskyy's statement, said that his words "absolutely confirm" Kiev's unwillingness to negotiate.
'Prospects for UBS are better than ever' - CEO Ermotti

ZURICH (Reuters) - UBS's Chief Executive sought to reassure Switzerland on Saturday over its new banking giant, created by the Swiss bank's historic takeover of former rival Credit Suisse.

"The prospects for UBS are better than ever," Sergio Ermotti wrote in an opinion piece published in the Swiss paper Tages-Anzeiger. "This also applies to the future of the Swiss financial centre and its important role in the Swiss economy."

Ermotti, who returned to the bank as Chief Executive in a surprise move shortly after the government orchestrated rescue of Credit Suisse was announced, addressed public concern over the size of the combined bank.

He said "there is no doubt that UBS is a large bank," but that the company's business model also contributes to creating wealth for Switzerland.

With the official closing of the deal having taken place on Monday, details of how the two banks, with a combined balance sheet of $1.6 trillion and a workforce of 120,000, will be integrated remain sparse.

"The question of what will happen to Credit Suisse's Swiss business also needs to be well thought through," he said.

(Reporting by Noele Illien, Editing by Louise Heavens)
Russia has legally transferred children from Ukraine as they were taken with the consent of legal representatives, and there was never any obstacle to their reunification with relatives, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday

STRELNA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th June, 2023) Russia has legally transferred children from Ukraine as they were taken with the consent of legal representatives, and there was never any obstacle to their reunification with relatives, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday.

"With regards to children: children are sacred. We took them out of the conflict zone to save their lives and health. No one wanted to separate children from their families. We took out entire orphanages, absolutely legally, because the heads of these orphanages were legal representatives," Putin said at a meeting with the African delegation at the Konstantinovsky Palace near St.

Petersburg.

Putin noted that the Russian authorities have never opposed the reunification of children with their families and said that their relatives are visiting them and there will never be any obstacles to it.

Earlier on Saturday, Putin personally received and greeted the African delegates at the Konstantinovsky Palace to discuss the joint African peace initiative on Ukraine.
For more than one-and-a-half centuries, the Juneteenth holiday has been sacred to many Black communities.

It marks the day in 1865 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, found out they had been freed  after the end of the Civil War, and two years after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

Since it was designated a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth has become more universally recognized beyond Black America. Many people get the day off work or school, and there are a plethora of street festivals, fairs, concerts and other events.

People who never gave the June 19 holiday more than a passing thought may be asking themselves, is there a right way to celebrate Juneteenth?

For beginners and those brushing up on history, here are some answers:

Is Juneteenth a solemn day of remembrance or more of a party?

It depends on what you want. Juneteenth festivities are rooted in cookouts and barbecues. In the beginnings of the holiday celebrated as Black Americans' true Independence Day, the outdoors allowed for large, raucous reunions among formerly enslaved families, many of whom had been separated. The gatherings were especially revolutionary because they were free of restrictive measures, known as "Black Codes," enforced in Confederate states, controlling whether liberated slaves could vote, buy property, gather for worship and other aspects of daily life.

Alan Freeman, 60, grew up celebrating Juneteenth every year in Houston, 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Galveston. A comedian who is producing Galveston's first Juneteenth Comedy Festival on Saturday, he has vivid memories of smoke permeating his entire neighborhood because so many people were using their barbecue pits for celebratory cookouts.

"It's where I began to really see Black unity because I realized that that was the one day that African Americans considered ours," Freeman said. "The one holiday that was ours. We didn't have to share with anybody. And it was about freedom because what we understood is that we were emancipated from slavery."

Others may choose to treat Juneteenth as a day of rest and remembrance. That can mean doing community service, attending an education panel or taking time off.

The important thing is to make people feel they have options on how to observe the occasion, said Dr. David Anderson, a Black pastor and CEO of Gracism Global, a consulting firm helping leaders navigate conversations bridging divides across race and culture.

"Just like the Martin Luther King holiday, we say it's a day of service and a lot of people will do things. There are a lot of other people who are just 'I appreciate Dr. King, I'll watch what's on the television, and I'm gonna rest,'" Anderson said.

What if you've never celebrated Juneteenth?

Anderson, 57, of Columbia, Maryland, didn't learn about Juneteenth until he was in his 30s.

"I think many folks haven't known about it  who are even my color as an African American male. Even if you heard about it and knew about it, you didn't celebrate it," Anderson said. "It was like just a part of history. It wasn't a celebration of history."

For many African Americans, the farther away from Texas that they grew up increased the likelihood they didn't have big Juneteenth celebrations regularly. In the South, the day can vary based on when word of Emancipation reached each state.

Anderson has no special event planned other than giving his employees Friday and Monday off. If anything, Anderson is thinking about the fact it's Father's Day this weekend.

What kind of public Juneteenth events are going on around the country?

There is a smorgasbord of gatherings in major cities and suburbs all varying in scope and tone. Some are more carnivalesque festivals with food trucks, arts and crafts and parades.

Are there special foods served on Juneteenth?

Aside from barbecue, the color red has been a through line for Juneteenth food for generations. Red symbolizes the bloodshed and sacrifice of enslaved ancestors. A Juneteenth menu might incorporate items like barbecued ribs or other red meat, watermelon and red velvet cake. Drinks like fruit punch and red Kool-Aid may make an appearance at the table.

Does how you celebrate Juneteenth matter if you aren't Black?

Dr. Karida Brown, a sociology professor at Emory University whose research focuses on race, said there's no reason to feel awkward about wanting to recognize Juneteenth because you have no personal ties or you're not Black.

"I would reframe that and challenge my non-Black folks who want to lean into Juneteenth and celebrate," Brown said. "It absolutely is your history. It absolutely is a part of your experience. ... Isn't this all of our history? The good, the bad, the ugly, the story of emancipation and freedom for your Black brothers and sisters under the Constitution of the law."

If you're struggling with how to mark the day, Brown also suggested expanding your knowledge of why the holiday matters so much. That can be through reading, attending an event or going to an African American history museum if there's one nearby.
Those who would deliver humanitarian aid to Haiti need to take into account the influence of heavily armed gangs who control large parts of the country, the president of a regional bloc said ahead of planned talks with the European Union next month.

"If anybody wants to deliver humanitarian assistance to Haiti, they have to come to terms with the gangs," Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and current president of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), said in an interview.

He did not give more details on how the gangs should be addressed.

Gonsalves will travel to Brussels for an EU-CELAC summit on July 17-18, expected to cover the volatile security situation in Haiti, where powerful gangs are driving a crisis that has displaced over 160,000 people, according to U.N. estimates.

Local activists are among those who have fled the violence while international aid organizations such as Medecins Sans Frontieres have shut down operations, saying they cannot guarantee the safety of their patients or staff.

"There are gang leaders who are also political operatives, who control important communities," Gonsalves said, warning that "you have to be careful you don't set about to engage with gangs in Haiti and provide some legitimacy to them."

Gonsalves said people with ties to gangs were likely present at talks between representatives of Haiti's civil society and government in Jamaica this week, at which Prime Minister Ariel Henry pledged to broaden the country's transition council to make the government more inclusive.

Henry has since October called for an international force to help police restore security and establish conditions for long-awaited elections, but no country has offered to lead such a force.

Meanwhile, Gonsalves said, Haitian migration is threatening security in neighboring Caribbean countries.

Gonsalves said his country could help Haiti run eventual elections, and once stability is established, countries would need to coordinate a "Marshall Plan" of foreign aid.

This would involve serious talks about reparations from France, Gonsalves said.

Haiti spent over a century paying France a costly "debt" as plantation owners demanded payment for property  including slaves  lost in the Haitian Revolution, often described as the world's first and only successful slave rebellion.
New harmful illicit drugs are inundating a flourishing market for traffickers amid violence and corruption hurting local communities across Europe, the EU's agency monitoring drugs and addiction said Friday.

The grim finding was part of the agency's annual report. It also said that drug users in Europe are now exposed to a wider range of substances of high purity as drug trafficking and use across the region have quickly returned to pre-COVID 19 pandemic levels.

Cannabis remains the most-used illicit substance in Europe, the agency found, with some 22.6 million Europeans over the age of 15 having used it in the last year. Cocaine seizures are "historically high" and new synthetic drugs whose effects on health are not well documented are worrying officials.

In 2022, 41 new drugs were reported for the first time by the agency.

"I summarize this with the phrase: 'everywhere, everything, everyone,'" said European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Director Alexis Goosdeel.

"Established illicit drugs are now widely accessible and potent new substances continue to emerge," Goosdeel added. "Almost everything with psychoactive properties can appear on the drug market."

Among the new popular substances, ketamine and nitrous oxide  so-called laughing gas  are raising concern over reported cases of bladder problems, nerve damage and lung injuries associated with users. Alongside the high availability of heroin on the continent, synthetic opioids are on the rise and have been linked to deaths by overdose in Baltic countries.

The report said the opioids situation in Europe is not comparable with the dramatic picture in North America, where overdoses caused by fentanyl and other opioids have fueled a drug crisis. But the agency warned that this group of drugs is a threat for the future, with a total of 74 new synthetic opioids identified on the market since 2009.

"We must make sure America's present does not become Europe's future," said Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs.

New cannabis products such as the cannabinoid HHC produce strong psychoactive effects and pose another source of concern, especially since they can be found legally in several countries from the 27-nation bloc due to legislation loopholes. France, for instance, only added it to the list of prohibited substances earlier this week.

Meanwhile, record amounts of cocaine are being seized in Europe, with 303 tons stopped by EU member countries in 2021. According to the report, 75% of that quantity was seized in Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain, with the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam now the main gateways for Latin American cocaine cartels into the continent.

The EMCDDA said the quantity of cocaine seized in Antwerp, Europe's second largest seaport, rose to 110 tons from 91 in 2021, according to preliminary data.

In addition, EU countries reported the destruction of 34 cocaine labs as well as large seizures of a precursor necessary to produce cocaine, confirming that "large-scale cocaine production steps take place in the European Union."

The expansion of the cocaine market has been accompanied by a rise in violence and corruption in the EU, with fierce competition between traffickers leading to a rise in homicides and intimidation.

In Belgium, federal authorities say drug trafficking is penetrating society at quick speed as foreign criminal organizations have built deep roots in the country, bringing along their violent and ruthless operations.

"Criminals use the profits from drug trafficking to buy people, buy police officers, and to buy murder," Johansson said. "Violence is growing in scale and brutality. In the past, criminals shot people in the leg as a warning, now they shoot them in the head."

In the Netherlands, killings hit ever more prominent people, while trafficking in Antwerp has led to a surge of violence in recent years, with gun battles and grenade attacks taking place regularly. In Brussels, the justice minister was put under strict protection last year following the arrest of four alleged drug criminals suspected of taking part in a plot to kidnap him.

"It's time to realize organized crime is as big a threat towards our society as terrorism," Johansson said.
Ugandan security officials say suspected members of the Allied Democratic Forces rebel group killed 41 students and left eight injured late Friday night at the Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe, in western Ugandas Kasese district, near the Congo border.



According to Ugandan security and district officials, other locals in the region were also killed. The rebels torched two dormitories in the school and looted a food store during the attack.

Muhindi Bukonjo Eriphazi, the district chairman, detailed the attack to VOA, saying, They killed 24 students and 17 other students bodies burned. Thats a total of around 41, we have eight causalities.

Eriphazi said the injured included six students, a teacher and an elderly woman who reported that her husband and mother-in-law also were killed. Three children are suspected of having been abducted. Two other survivors are at a nearby health facility.

"The wanainchi [ordinary citizens] were able to arrest two rebels who had knives, and one of them has been caught this morning at customs - Mpondwe. And this one, the wanainchi decided to put him out of action.

The Allied Democratic Forces rebel group is aligned with the Islamic State group, and previously carried out attacks in Uganda. The attack was carried out 2 kilometers from the Congo border and close to the Virunga National Park.

Defense spokesman Brigadier General Felix Kulaigye spoke with VOA about what authorities are doing now.

This is a signature of ADF. And the army has inserted a force to pursue so that we rescue those who are abducted. Secondly, the president has dispatched the minister of education to go and commiserate with the school community. And then the CDF [commander, defense forces] and commander, land forces, are going on the ground today to do an on-the-spot assessment.

This is the first ADF attack on a school in 25 years. In June 1998, the ADF attacked Kichwamba National Technical Institute in Kabarole district, killing 58 students. At the time, students had locked themselves in a dormitory to avoid being abducted and the rebels retaliated by setting the dormitory on fire. Close to 100 students were then taken.

The Allied Democratic Forces, whose founder Jamil Mukulu has been imprisoned since 2015, operate in the Rwenzuru mountains in Uganda and Congo. The group has been fighting against the Ugandan government since 1996.
Retail investors in International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. (LON:IAG) are its biggest bettors, and their bets paid off as stock gained 3.9% last week

Key Insights

The considerable ownership by retail investors in International Consolidated Airlines Group indicates that they collectively have a greater say in management and business strategy

46% of the business is held by the top 25 shareholders

Institutional ownership in International Consolidated Airlines Group is 18%

Every investor in International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. (LON:IAG) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. We can see that retail investors own the lion's share in the company with 57% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

As a result, retail investors were the biggest beneficiaries of last weeks 3.9% gain.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of International Consolidated Airlines Group, beginning with the chart below.

Check out our latest analysis for International Consolidated Airlines Group

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About International Consolidated Airlines Group?

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 International Consolidated Airlines Group does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. 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. 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 International Consolidated Airlines Group's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

International Consolidated Airlines Group is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Qatar Airways Limited with 25% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 12% and 1.5%, of the shares outstanding, respectively.

On studying our ownership data, we found that 25 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.

Insider Ownership Of International Consolidated Airlines Group

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. 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 suggests that insiders own under 1% of International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. in their own names. We do note, however, it is possible insiders have an indirect interest through a private company or other corporate structure. Being so large, we would not expect insiders to own a large proportion of the stock. Collectively, they own UK3.6m 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, mostly comprising of individual investors, collectively holds 57% of International Consolidated Airlines Group shares. With this amount of ownership, retail investors can collectively play a role in decisions that affect shareholder returns, such as dividend policies and the appointment of directors. They can also exercise the power to vote on acquisitions or mergers that may not improve profitability.

Private Company Ownership

We can see that Private Companies own 25%, of the shares on issue. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with International Consolidated Airlines Group , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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.

Join A Paid User Research Session

Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here
Latest developments:

Two volunteers, a man and a woman, were killed Saturday by a Russian missile strike on the Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine, said regional governor Oleh Syniehubov on the Telegram messaging app. The liberated area suffers from frequent shelling by Russia.

The British Defense Ministry said Saturday it is likely Russia has gained a temporary advantage in southern Ukraine because of the 20 additional attack helicopters it deployed that fire longer-range missiles against ground targets.

Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is expected to visit Moscow next week, the Interfax news agency reports.



U.S. President Joe Biden said Saturday his administration would not make it easy for Ukraine to join NATO, noting the war-ravaged nation must meet the same standards as other member states.



According to NATOs Membership Action Plan, candidate nations must make military and democratic reforms before they are considered for NATO membership.

Last week, Biden officials said the president was open to waiving the requirement for Ukraine, which this week launched a counterattack amid Russias war of aggression.

Biden noted the U.S. has done a lot to make sure Ukraine has the ability to coordinate militarily, Politico reports.

But when he was asked Saturday whether Ukraines path to joining the transatlantic alliance would be eased, he said no. Because theyve got to meet the same standards. So, were not going to make it easy.



Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Friday there is a "serious danger" the NATO military alliance could be pulled further into Russias war on Ukraine. He made those comments during a plenary session of Russia's flagship St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where he promoted Russias economy despite heavy international sanctions imposed because of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Western journalists were banned from the event.

African delegation

Putin welcomed a delegation of African leaders seeking to mediate a peace between Ukraine and Russia. The delegation met with Putin in St. Petersburg on Saturday after departing Kyiv.

The leaders from Senegal, Egypt, Zambia, Uganda, Congo and the Comoro islands as well as South Africa told Putin it was time to negotiate an end to fighting, which they said was harming the entire world.

The Kremlin downplayed any chances of meaningful talks with Kyiv, saying any peace settlement must take into account "new realities," but it said it is ready to listen.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the African leaders Friday he could not understand what could be gained from the delegations meeting with Putin.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in Kyiv the leaders had come "to share the African perspective" and saw talks with Russia as part of the mission.

However, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraines Presidential Office, told the Independent Ukrainian news agency Unian on Saturday that the African leaders' peace delegation was mostly interested in suspending Putin's arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court.

On March 17, the ICC, issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official allegedly overseeing the forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia. This means that Putin and Lvova-Belova can now be arrested in countries that have ratified the Rome Stature

Podolyak added that the real plan to end the war was Ukraine's 10-point peace plan, which Zelenskyy introduced at a G-20 summit meeting in November 2022.

The peace plan includes the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory, the establishment of a Russian war crimes tribunal, the release of all prisoners and forcibly relocated people, and the prevention of ecocide.



Nuclear weapons

Putin confirmed that Russias deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus has begun, reminding the West that it could not inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.

"The first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus. But only the first ones, the first part. But we will do this job completely by the end of the summer or by the end of the year," he said.

Speaking Friday at Russia's economic forum in St. Petersburg, Putin emphasized that he saw no need for Russia to resort to nuclear weapons, for now. He said delivering shorter-range nuclear weapons to Belarus, which could be used on the battlefield, was intended as a warning to the West about arming and supporting Ukraine.

The White House denounced Putins comments and said the U.S. had made no adjustments to its nuclear position in response to the rhetoric.

U.S. humanitarian assistance

The United States on Friday announced additional humanitarian assistance of $205 million for Ukraine that will provide critical support such as food, safe water, accessible shelter and more for Ukraine.

The U.S. response is advancing Ukraines overall security, economic recovery, energy security and capacity to cope with the humanitarian crisis created by Russias war. We welcome the contributions of other donors toward this crisis response and urge yet more donors to generously support the serious humanitarian needs in Ukraine and the region, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

The U.S. aid package brings the total humanitarian assistance for Ukraine to more than $605 million during fiscal year 2023. Since February 2022, the United States has provided more than $2.1 billion in humanitarian assistance for Ukraine.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Malian Foreign Affairs Minister Abdoulaye Diop on Friday called for the immediate withdrawal of the United Nations peacekeeping mission from his country.

Diop told the U.N. Security Council Mali wanted the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, or MINUSMA, the U.N. force in Mali, removed without delay.

"Minusma seems to have become part of the problem by fueling community tensions exacerbated by extremely serious allegations which are highly detrimental to peace, reconciliation and national cohesion in Mali," said the minister.

This situation is begetting mistrust among the Malian population and also causing a crisis of confidence between Malian authorities and MINUSMA," Diop told the council.

The West African country has faced an insurgency since 2012. The U.N. peacekeeping mission was deployed in 2013 but the instability continues.

Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
At last, help came for Vitalii Shpalin. From a distance, he spotted the small Ukrainian rescue boat traversing floodwaters that had submerged the 60-year-old's entire neighborhood after a catastrophic dam collapse in the country's embattled south.

He and others boarded with sighs of relief  interrupted suddenly by the crackle of bullets.

Shpalin ducked, and a bullet scraped his back. He felt one pierce his arm, then his leg. The boat's rescue worker cried into the radio for reinforcements. "Our boat is leaking," Shpalin heard him say. An older man died before his eyes, his lips turning blue.

Their vessel, taking civilians to safety in Kherson city across the river, had been shot by Russian soldiers in a nearby house, according to Ukrainian officials and witnesses on the boat.

"They (Russians) let the boats through, those coming to rescue people," Shpalin said. "But when the boats were full of people, they started shooting."

Massive flooding from the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam on June 6 has devastated towns along the lower Dnipro River in the Kherson region, a front line in the war. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of causing the breach.

In the chaotic early days of flooding, Ukrainian rescue workers in private boats provided a lifeline to desperate civilians trapped in flooded areas of the Russian-occupied eastern bank  that is, if the rescue missions could brave the drones and Russian snipers.

The boats have carried volunteers and plainclothes servicemen, shuttling across from Ukrainian-held areas on the western bank to evacuate people stuck on rooftops, in attics and elsewhere.

That window is closing. As floodwaters recede, rescuers are increasingly cut off by mud. And more Russian soldiers are returning, reasserting control.

Accounts of Russian assistance vary among survivors, but many evacuees and residents accuse Russian authorities of doing little or nothing to help displaced residents. Some civilians said evacuees were sometimes forced to present Russian passports if they wanted to leave.

Russia's Defense Ministry didn't immediately respond to requests from The Associated Press for comment about actions by authorities in the Russia-occupied flood zone, or about the attack on the rescue boat.

The AP spoke with 10 families rescued from the eastern bank, as well as with rescue workers, officials and victims injured on the rescue missions.

"The Russian Federation provided nothing. No aid, no evacuation. They abandoned people alone to deal with the disaster," said Yulia Valhe, evacuated from the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky. "I have my friends who stayed there, people I know who need help. At the moment, I can't do anything except to say to them, 'Hold on.'"

At least 150 people have been rescued by Ukraine from Russian-controlled areas in the risky evacuation operations, government spokesperson Oleksandr Tolokonnikov said. It is a small fraction compared with the nearly 2,750 people rescued from flooded regions controlled by Ukraine.

A local organization Helping to Leave, which helps Ukrainians living under Russian occupation to escape, said it received requests from 3,000 people in the occupied zone, said Dina Urich, who heads the organization's evacuation department.

"We will surely do everything we can, but we also cannot expose our people to danger," Tolokonnikov said.

"Russians keep threatening us and fulfilling their threats by shooting people in the back," he said.

Olha, another resident of Oleshky, said she had heard about the rescue missions, but didn't know how to get on a list.

"If we could, we would have done the same, but I didn't know how," she said, declining to give her last name for safety reasons.

Rescuers have often used information provided by relatives of those stranded. Military drone pilots have searched for people and plotted routes through the fast-moving waters laden with debris, while navigating around Russian troop positions.

They also have delivered water, food and cigarettes to people with a note "from Santa."

Valerii Lobitskyi, a volunteer rescuer, said shelling often derailed the missions. He has been shot at once, and on another occasion had to abort a mission to rescue an older woman after a close call with a Russian motorboat.

Every civilian evacuated from the eastern bank carried a harrowing tale of survival, of racing to relocate to higher ground. They described the initial scramble on the morning of June 6. Within hours, the water came gushing in, reaching their ankles and then submerging entire floors.

In Oleshky, many residents moved from the outskirts of town to the center, which sits on an elevated plain.

Valhe, who was rescued with her family on June 12, said neighbors and friends tried to save people themselves in the absence of an official rescue effort.

"I saw soldiers, I saw FSB workers (Russia's Federal Security Service), but no rescue service," she said.

One older man tried to flee the deluge by climbing a tree. But the winds were too strong. Valhe heard his cries for help, but knew that if she tried to approach him, she would perish in the current.

He told her, "My dear, stay put, don't follow me."

She watched him drown.

Shpalin said he lied to Russian soldiers when they tried to evacuate him to another area. He had heard from others who accepted the Russian offer that they were taken only to a nearby village and told they couldn't go further unless they agreed to obtain Russian passports.

Shpalin told the soldiers he wouldn't leave because he had lost his documents in the flood.

"I didn't believe them," he said.

When the Ukrainian rescuers found him, he was sheltering with other civilians on a sandy hill near a quarry in the village of Kardashynka.

The attack that wounded Shpalin on the evacuation boat on June 11 killed three civilians and injured 10 others. At least two police officers also were wounded. Kherson authorities and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff said Russian soldiers fired the shots.

Drone footage obtained by the AP shows gunshots being fired from a nearby summer home as the evacuation boat passes an estuary. The video's authenticity was confirmed by Tolokonnikov.

Serhii, 59, another evacuee on the boat, said that he saw Russian soldiers on the balcony of the house. They shouted something  "Move on," or "Don't move"  then fired, he said. Serhii, who would only give his first name because his family still lives in occupied territory, threw his body over his wife's to protect her.

Another evacuee, Kateryna Krupych, said she looked out the window on June 7 to find mucky water surrounding her home on the island of Chaika, in the gray zone between front lines. Houses floated by. She packed up her family's supplies and they left in a boat but got separated along the way. Eventually, they were all rescued by Ukrainians.

Krupych said the previous eight months under Russian occupation had been hard. Her family survived by relying on the kindness of neighbors who fled to Kherson city. They told her where to find the spare keys to their homes and leftover food supplies.

"It was mentally difficult when the (Russians) entered our island, when they terrorized us," she said. Russian soldiers frequently passed their home, she said, pressuring them to leave.

For Olha, still in Oleshky, the costs of the dam collapse continue to be revealed. Many houses are collapsing, she said, and she struggles to find drinking water and food. There is the risk of water-borne diseases.

Plus, "(Russians) can force-evacuate people  we are scared of this, we don't want to go to their territories," she said. "We don't want to be forgotten."
Saudi Arabia wants enhanced maritime security in the Gulf region as part of its rapprochement with long-time rival Iran, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said Saturday.

Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed in March, in a deal brokered by China, to end a diplomatic rift and reestablish relations following years of hostility that had endangered regional stability including in the Gulf, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon.

"I would like to refer to the importance of cooperation between the two countries on regional security, especially the security of maritime navigation  and the importance of cooperation among all regional countries to ensure that it is free of weapons of mass destruction," Prince Faisal said.

Speaking after talks with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian in Tehran, Prince Faisal also said the Saudi king and crown prince are looking forward to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi "accepting the invitation to visit the Kingdom soon, God willing."

Amirabdollahian said in a televised joint media event that security was vital for regional countries.

"Iran has never equated security with militarism but sees it as a broad concept including political, cultural, social, economic and trade aspects," he said.

The kingdom broke ties with Iran in 2016 after protesters attacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran in retaliation for Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf, through which a fifth of the world's oil passes, has become the focus for a standoff between Iran and the United States, which has increased its military presence in the region in recent years.

Iran has recently been trying to mend its strained ties with several Gulf Arab states.

Saudi Arabia's rapprochement with Iran has left Israel largely alone as it has sought to isolate Iran diplomatically.

The United Arab Emirates, which was the first Gulf Arab country to sign a normalization agreement with Israel in 2020, resumed formal relations with Iran last year.

Bahrain and Morocco later joined the UAE in establishing ties with Israel.
Airstrikes killed civilians and pummeled multiple parts of the Sudanese capital on Saturday, residents said, as warring military factions agreed to another cease-fire in a series that have failed to stop the violence.

Fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces is entering its third month with neither side gaining a clear advantage.

The war has displaced 2.2 million Sudanese and sent the war-weary Darfur region into a "humanitarian calamity," the United Nations has said. It has killed more than 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000, Sudan's health minister said.

Late on Saturday, the United States and Saudi Arabia said the two factions had agreed to a new 72-hour cease-fire that would begin on Sunday morning. Previous truces have not managed to bring fighting to a complete halt.

Airstrikes kill 17

The army has the advantage of air power in Khartoum and its neighboring cities Omdurman and Bahri, while the RSF has embedded itself in residential neighborhoods. On Friday and Saturday, the army appeared to ramp up airstrikes, hitting several residential neighborhoods.

In a speech posted by the army on Friday, General Yassir Al-Atta warned people to stay away from homes the RSF had occupied.

"Because at this point, we will attack them anywhere," he said to cheers. "Between us and these rebels are bullets," he said, appearing to dismiss mediation attempts.

The Khartoum health ministry confirmed a report by local volunteers on Saturday that 17 people including five children were killed in airstrikes in the Mayo area of southern Khartoum and 25 homes destroyed.

Unable to flee

The strike was the latest in a series of air and artillery attacks on the poor and densely populated district of the city where most residents are unable to afford the cost of leaving.

Late on Friday, the local resistance committee said 13 people had been killed by shelling in al-Lammab in western Khartoum, calling the neighborhood an "operations zone." Residents reported airstrikes elsewhere in southern and western Khartoum into the afternoon.

The RSF on Saturday said it brought down an army warplane in the Nile, west of Khartoum.

Plumes of smoke could be seen rising near fuel depots in Southern Khartoum, a resident said and video shared with Reuters showed.

Airstrikes in central and southern Omdurman continued from Friday into Saturday, impacting homes and killing one person, according to the local committee in the Beit al-Mal neighborhood.

Residents said three members of a family were killed in the Sharq el-Nil district after an airstrike on Friday.

In El Geneina, in West Darfur, more than 270,000 people have fled across the border to Chad, after more than 1,000 people were killed by attacks that residents and the United States have blamed on the RSF and allied militias.

A Chadian military source and a local official in Adre, Chad, where many of those fleeing have sought refuge, denied reports that Chadian soldiers had clashed with the RSF.

Chadian president General Mahamat Idriss Deby visited the area to witness the unfolding humanitarian crisis there and ensure the closure of the border, the presidency said.

Within Khartoum, the war has cut off the millions who remain from electricity, water, and access to health care. Residents have had to ration food. They report widespread looting.
China is sending more ships to Vietnams exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and the frequency and length of those trips, which have picked up since early May, is raising tensions in the South China Sea.

After a nearly monthlong incursion of a survey ship and its large entourage, more Chinese vessels are sailing through sensitive locations within Vietnamese waters. Vietnams EEZ extends out 200 nautical miles from the country's coast.

The presence of Chinese research, coast guard and civilian ships in these waters, in addition to harassing Vietnamese oil and gas operations, showcases Beijings push of contested claims in the resource-rich waters, experts say.

Hanoi rejects Beijings "nine-dash line," a map demarcation that China uses to claim near-total jurisdiction over the South China Sea, and that sentiment is apparently not limited to government officials.

"China thinks they are stronger, they are better, so they have the right to trespass anywhere they want in the East Sea even though they know it's illegal," a 26-year-old living in Ho Chi Minh City told VOA, requesting anonymity because of potential repercussions for discussing political matters and using the Vietnamese term for the sea.

"The conflict between Vietnam and China is a political hot potato," he said.

Ray Powell, who leads Stanford University's Project Myoushu on the South China Sea, told VOA last month that China's intrusion "has become routine."

"China wants to normalize it to the point that Vietnam no longer reacts or protests," he said.

On June 10, China's patrol ship Zhong Goo Yu Zheng 310 and a luxury passenger vessel, San Sha 2 Hao, sailed through Vietnam's EEZ near oil and gas fields close to Vanguard Bank, a Vietnamese outpost and flashpoint between the countries. In 2019, a China coast guard contingent and Chinese survey vessel operated around Vanguard Bank, resulting in a monthslong standoff between Vietnamese and Chinese coast guards and diplomatic outcry.

Vietnam, international backlash

"They spent about 30 hours in Vietnam's EEZ, mostly in and among its oil and gas operations," Powell wrote. "[It's] simply communicating to Hanoi that China has 'jurisdiction' over these waters."

This was far from the only recent incursion.

The world's largest coast guard vessel, China coast guard ship 5901, was active near Vanguard Bank on June 8.

China's coast guard ship 5403 was also operating near oil drilling initiatives in Vietnam's EEZ from May 23 to June 4.

In the most "heavy handed" intrusion since 2019, according to Powell, the Chinese research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 10 operated in the country's EEZ for nearly a month. From May 7 to June 4, the research vessel  flanked at times by as many as 12 ships  operated primarily around joint oil and gas operations led by Russian and Vietnamese firms.

Although countries are allowed through foreign EEZs, unauthorized surveys are not and are considered hostile if done without prior notice.

Oddities in Xiang Yang Hong 10's route pointed to Beijing's assertion of its disputed jurisdiction. During the four-week stretch, the research ship would go to China's Fiery Cross Reef, before returning to Vietnamese waters. Instead of taking a direct route, the vessel used a northeastern path that took it approximately 85 nautical miles away from Nha Trang, a city on Vietnam's south-central coast.

"It was just one more way that they showed they can cross Vietnam's EEZ whenever they want to, " Powell said. "There's no reason to go past there other than sending a message."

Beijing's aims, Hanoi's response

While intimidating energy exploration is the most obvious aim, it is seen as likely just part of Beijing's overall agenda.

"Exploring the deep South China Sea has become China's strategy for obtaining valuable information for economic development and military intelligence," wrote Vietnam-based researcher Van Pham, head of the nonprofit South China Sea Chronicle Initiative, which monitors maritime traffic.

China has been rotating research and survey vessels in foreign EEZs in the South China Sea consistently, Pham said. Coast guard ships also operate at sensitive locations in disputed territory "on a daily basis," Pham added, and the organization has observed Chinese fishing boats near Vietnam's oil and gas blocks.

Vietnamese fishermen are often caught up in the conflict. Between 2014 and 2022, 98 Vietnamese boats were destroyed by Chinese vessels.

Responding to China's intrusion is a tricky balancing act for Hanoi, said Nguyen The Phuong, an international relations lecturer at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance.

"Any small misstep on the Vietnamese side could escalate the conflict," Phuong said. "It is extremely difficult."

Call for 'respect'

At a May 18 press conference, Hanoi made a rare statement in response to the monthlong intrusion of Xiang Yang Hong 10.

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang urged China to withdraw the research vessel, coast guard and fishing boats and "respect Vietnams sovereignty and jurisdictional rights."

"Vietnam needs to be very careful on how to protect its sovereignty from the outside and from the inside how to manage nationalism in a way that it could not damage the state's legitimacy," Phuong said.

This discord is likely to increase.

"This will happen in the future again [and will be] much more intense," Phuong said.

For now, a 28-year-old Ho Chi Minh City native is confident the Vietnamese government is doing enough to maintain stability.

"The Vietnamese government will understand how to deal with these situations," he said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic. "I think the Vietnamese government is good at dealing with them to avoid war."
A Tunisian judge has barred radio and television news programs from covering the cases of prominent opposition figures accused of conspiring against state security in recent months, official news agency TAP said Saturday.

The order fuels concerns over rights in Tunisia since President Kais Saied seized extra powers in 2021, moving to rule by decree and then assume authority over the judiciary.

"The investigating judge of office 36 of the anti-terrorism branch issues a decision banning media coverage of the two cases of conspiring against state security," the court's spokesperson Hanan el-Qadas told TAP.

TAP later quoted Qadas as saying the order only concerned "audio-visual media" and was intended to keep details of the cases confidential and protect personal data of people involved.

Reuters was unable to immediately reach the spokesperson.

Judges have detained or opened investigations into more than 20 political, judicial, media and business figures with opposition ties over recent months, accusing some of plotting against state security.

The main opposition parties have decried the arrests as politically motivated and rights groups have urged Tunisian authorities to free those detained.

Neither the Interior Ministry nor the Justice Ministry have publicly commented on the arrests so far.

President Saied has described the detainees as terrorists, criminals and traitors, saying judges who free them would be considered as having abetted them.

The opposition accuses Saied of a coup for shutting down parliament in 2021, ruling by decree and writing a new constitution that was passed last year with low turnout to give him nearly unchecked powers.

They say he has dismantled the democratic system introduced after a 2011 revolution that also brought one of the freest media landscapes of any Arab country, in which press regularly reported criticism of the government.
Human Rights Watch and other rights organizations have urged U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix to publicly voice concerns about rights abuses by Bangladesh's security forces when he visits the south Asian country later this month.



Lacroix is set to visit Bangladesh on June 25-26 at the invitation of the countrys Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as a state guest. In Dhaka, he will attend a conference organized by the ministry.



Bruno Stagno Ugarte, the chief advocacy officer at HRW, said the security forces of Bangladesh  in particular, the Rapid Action Battalion have long been involved in serious human rights violations.



Lacroix should emphasize that if Bangladesh is to maintain its role as the top contributor of peacekeeping troops, it should appropriately apply the U.N. human rights screening policy, which requires governments, alongside the U.N. to ensure their nationals serving with the U.N. have not violated human rights laws, Ugarte said in a statement, which was released Monday.

Bangladesh is one of the largest contributors to U.N. peacekeeping missions. Currently, more than 6,000 personnel from Bangladesh's armed forces and police  including the Rapid Action Battalion, or RAB, a unit made up of army and police officials  are deployed in U.N. peacekeeping missions across different countries.

Meenakshi Ganguly, south Asia director of HRW, said there is a great risk that troops responsible for grave human rights violations in Bangladesh would be rewarded with a U.N. deployment.

Mr. Lacroix should publicly voice concerns to ensure there is adequate screening, particularly if anyone has been part of RAB, Ganguly told VOA.



While the authorities in Bangladesh deny that government forces were behind any human rights abuse, in December 2021, Washington imposed human rights-related sanctions on the RAB and six of its former and then-serving officers, saying they were responsible for hundreds of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.

Faulty screening policy



In Mondays HRW statement, chief advocacy officer Ugarte said the current screening policy of Bangladeshi personnel fails to ensure that Bangladeshi troops that have been involved in rights violations at home are not deployed with U.N. missions abroad.



In Bangladesh, systematic human rights screening by the U.N. is applied only at higher ranks and otherwise left to the National Human Rights Commission, which has limited purview over security forces. Bangladeshs weak enforcement of this policy reinforces a message that grave rights violations will not preclude one from service under the U.N. flag, presenting a moral hazard for the U.N., he said.



VOA reached out to the legal and media wing director of RAB, Khandaker al-Moin, seeking his comment on the issue but has not received a response. VOA also contacted via email the home ministry of Bangladesh. The ministry has not responded to VOA, either.



While reviewing the human rights record of Bangladesh, in 2019, the Committee against Torture, a U.N. human rights body, said in a statement it was concerned about reports that personnel that have served with the Rapid Action Battalion have frequently been deployed for service with United Nations peace missions.



The committee also recommended an independent vetting procedure, to ensure that no person or unit implicated in the commission of torture, extrajudicial killing, disappearances or other serious human rights violations is selected for service.

Referring to the statement of the committee, HRWs Ugarte said, The U.N. should require Bangladeshi officers to disclose previous deployments with RAB, then automatically bar anyone affiliated with RAB from U.N. peacekeeping.



When Lacroix visits Bangladesh, he should publicly commit to an enhanced human rights screening that addresses well-documented abuses by Bangladesh security forces, the governments failure to hold those responsible to account, and the threat they pose to the integrity of U.N. peacekeeping worldwide, Ugarte added.



Rights groups support



Several other rights groups have supported Ugarte on the issue.



Lacroix's visit to Bangladesh is potentially extremely problematic in its timing ahead of a crucial election in the country, Angelita Baeyens, vice president of international advocacy & litigation at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR) said.

The general election is to be held in Bangladesh at the end of this year. The last general election in the country in 2018 was marred by widespread allegations of rigging by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas ruling Awami League party.



Such a move could be misrepresented as a sign of complete trust by the U.N. of Bangladeshi security forces unless Mr. Lacroix both publicly and unequivocally states his concern over the continuing abuses by security forces in the country, Baeyens told VOA.

Hong Kong-based Bangladeshi rights activist Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman said Lacroix is visiting Bangladesh as a state guest at a time when the incumbent Sheikh Hasina government is accused of committing grave human rights violations for almost 15 years with blanket impunity.



As a responsible senior official of the U.N., USG (Undersecretary-General) Lacroix has an obligation to respect the International Bill of Human Rights. He should ensure that his U.N. portfolio is not being used by the Sheikh Hasina regime for strengthening her political power and validating the gross human rights violations that Sheikh Hasinas government is committing for retaining her illegitimate power.



It's a shame for the U.N. Peacekeeping Operations when they trust the murderers as peacekeepers."
Finding a business that has the potential to grow substantially is not easy, but it is possible if we look at a few key financial metrics. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think G8 Education (ASX:GEM) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on G8 Education is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.068 = AU$105m  (AU$1.8b - AU$253m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).

So, G8 Education has an ROCE of 6.8%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Consumer Services industry average of 8.6%.

View our latest analysis for G8 Education

roce

In the above chart we have measured G8 Education's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

How Are Returns Trending?

In terms of G8 Education's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 13% 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's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line.

The Key Takeaway

To conclude, we've found that G8 Education is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. And in the last five years, the stock has given away 46% so the market doesn't look too hopeful on these trends strengthening any time soon. Therefore based on the analysis done in this article, we don't think G8 Education has the makings of a multi-bagger.

On a final note, we've found 1 warning sign for G8 Education that we think you should be aware of.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive 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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Secretary of State Antony Blinken left Washington on Friday night for China. The trip, which was postponed after an incident in February over a suspected Chinese spy balloon, is being closely watched on Capitol Hill.

Blinken is expected to focus on the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the two countries and discussing regional security issues, climate change and the global economy. State Department officials also said the issue of illegal fentanyl trafficking to the United States would also be a prominent part of the talks.

Ahead of the trip, VOA Mandarin Service spoke with several U.S. lawmakers about their expectations for the talks, including what issues should be the top priorities for the bilateral dialogue.

The interviews have been edited for brevity and clarity.

VOA: Is this a good time for Secretary Blinken to go to Beijing?

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), chairman, House Foreign Affairs Committee: I guess there's never really a good time. I know [the Biden administration is] trying to use more of a charm offensive approach. We have to be a little careful, because when we go over there, that's a big concession on the part of the United States to China. So, I think it's good to have an open line of communication, have a hotline.

Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific: Obviously, the relationship is not at a great place right now. But I think it's important for both sides to continue to talk and communicate.

Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA), member, Foreign Affairs Committee: I think it's important to go. We have great differences. We have great competitions. But ultimately, we have to work in this globe together on issues where that's possible. And we won't have the possibility of improving that situation without having discussions.

VOA: What would you like Secretary Blinken to discuss with his counterparts in Beijing?

Young Kim (R-CA), chairwoman, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific: Our foreign policy towards China should be very, very clear in terms their surveillance of operations targeting in the United States, or their increased aggression towards Taiwan or other Indo-Pacific partners and human rights abuses. Those are not acceptable. China's treatment of its people, especially with respect to human rights violations, especially in the Xinjiang province and other areas, we're not going to be tolerating it.

McCaul: De-escalation of the tension in the Taiwan Strait is number one. Human rights issues, obviously. I'm working on export controls. I don't want to sell them technology, that they're going to turn around and use in their advanced weapon systems that then can be pointed against us in a future conflict.

Bera: Climate change, certainly global health security are two areas that are important to both of us. And certainly, maybe there's some areas around trade.

Keating: In terms of some of the military issues, trying to de-escalate there would be a smart move.

VOA: Are you optimistic China will work with the U.S. on issues such as climate change?

Bera: Not 100% optimistic, but I think it's important that we make the effort. I think it's important for both sides to continue to talk and communicate.

Kim: We hope that they will be able to cooperate with us, but you know, historically speaking, they have shown that they are not a reliable, trusting partner. At this point, Secretary Blinken should be able to make it very clear that we want China to abide by the same rules we expect other partners and allies in the Indo Pacific to.

Keating: I hope so. We all share the same planet. Climate change is real.
The current term of the U.S. Supreme Court is winding to a close, and in the next two weeks the justices are expected to issue nearly 20 opinions, some of them in cases guaranteed to stir controversy regardless of how the court rules.

Cases as yet undecided include a challenge to affirmative action in college admissions, a case that will determine whether a designer of wedding websites is allowed to decline to serve a gay couple, a challenge to President Joe Bidens decision to grant student debt relief to thousands of Americans, and a case that could determine how much latitude state legislatures have to unilaterally change election laws.

The court, on which its more conservative members hold a 6-3 majority, has handed down more than three dozen rulings in the current term, and not one has been decided by a 6-3 split along ideological lines. However, that could change in the coming weeks.

Affirmative action

Among the most closely watched items remaining on the docket are a pair of cases challenging the practice of using an applicants race as a factor in deciding who is granted admission to colleges and universities. Both cases were filed by the organization Students for Fair Admissions, one against Harvard University and the other against the University of North Carolina.

The case against Harvard charges that the school discriminates against Asian Americans by instituting a de facto quota on the number of people of Asian descent who are admitted. The plaintiffs claim that Asian students have a much lower chance of acceptance than Black and Hispanic students do, in cases where their academic credentials are identical.

The case against North Carolina challenges the schools use of students socioeconomic backgrounds as a factor in making admissions decisions, arguing that that metric is essentially a proxy for race.

The cases are similar in that each one poses the question: May institutions of higher education use race as a factor in admissions? They both ask the court to reconsider previous rulings that found the consideration of race permissible in college admissions, particularly the 2003 decision in Grutter v. Bollinger.

LGBTQ discrimination

Civil rights activists will be watching for the courts decision in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, which challenges a state law in Colorado barring businesses open to the public from discriminating against potential clients, including over sexual orientation.

The case arises from a graphic design firm, 303 Creative, whose owner wanted to begin offering wedding website design services. However, the owner, Lori Smith, opposes same-sex marriage on religious grounds and wanted to post an announcement on her companys website explaining her position.

Such a statement would have been illegal under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA), which Smith challenged in federal court. Her argument is that she is an artist, and that requiring her to design something to which she is morally opposed is a form of compelled speech.

The case is similar to a 2018 case, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, which successfully challenged the same law. However, the 2018 ruling was relatively narrow. In the 303 Creative case, plaintiffs are seeking a broader ruling invalidating CADA altogether.

Student debt relief

When he ran for president in 2020, one of Bidens big promises was to provide relief for the millions of Americans who carry student loan debt. After winning the election, the Biden administration announced that it would take executive action to forgive $10,000 worth of federal student debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 per year, with some people eligible for $20,000 in debt forgiveness.

The court has heard two cases related to the executive action. In Biden v. Nebraska, the state of Nebraska and five other states banded together to sue the administration, claiming that in announcing the forgiveness plan, the secretary of education exceeded his constitutional authority. The case was dismissed by a lower court, which found that the states did not have legal standing to sue, but the Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal.

In the case Department of Education v. Brown, the plaintiffs argue that the executive order should be invalidated because the decision amounted to an unconstitutional usurpation of Congress power to make laws. A lower court issued an injunction, barring the administration from taking action on the new policy before the case could be heard by the Supreme Court.

Independent state legislatures

When congressional districts were apportioned after the 2020 census, the state of North Carolina set about drawing a new congressional map for the 2022 elections. With Republicans in charge of the state Legislature, the resulting maps heavily favored the Republican Party. When the resulting map was challenged in state court, North Carolinas Supreme Court declared the map to be in violation of a free elections clause in the state constitution and directed that new maps be drawn.

The lawsuit Moore v. Harper challenges the basis of that ruling by asserting a novel legal proposition known as the independent state legislature theory. It holds that state legislatures have essentially limitless authority to write the rules governing elections within their borders, and that those rules are not subject to judicial review.

The theory is viewed as a fringe idea by many legal experts, but it has captured the imaginations of a number of Republican lawmakers across the country. As the country heads toward the 2024 elections, a ruling that supports the independent state legislature theory could give rise to a wave of restrictive new voting laws meant to affect the outcome of races that will determine who the next president will be, and which party will control the House and Senate.
Here's a summary of Uyghur-related news around the world from the past week:

Human rights groups urge US secretary of state to address China's abuses

Human rights organizations sent a joint letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging him to address China's human rights violations, particularly concerning the Uyghur population, ahead of his visit to Beijing.

The letter highlights recent instances of repression, including targeting Hui Muslims, imprisoning human rights lawyers and detaining individuals commemorating the Tiananmen massacre.

The groups call for a fresh approach and recommend supporting international investigations, releasing human rights defenders, seeking accountability for detained family members of U.S. citizens and promoting press freedom. Emphasizing the importance of prioritizing victims and ensuring justice, the letter underscores the need for action on China's human rights situation.

China opposes US inclusion of Chinese companies on Xinjiang abuse list

China has expressed strong opposition to the U.S. decision to include two additional Chinese companies on a list of entities accused of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry criticized the action, saying that it lacked factual basis and transparency. China vowed to take necessary measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.

The United States recently imposed an import ban on Ninestar Corp., a printer maker, and a Chinese chemical company.

AI tool flags Chinese products with ties to Uyghur forced labor on Temu

Tech firm Ultra has developed an AI-powered tool to identify products on the Chinese-owned digital marketplace Temu that may be linked to Uyghur forced labor in Xinjiang.

The AI tool analyzes shipping data to flag products connected to forced labor. The analysis discovered that products on Temu had nonindicative names and untraceable company information. However, when compared with the same products on China's Pinduoduo platform, they were traced back to companies in Xinjiang, located near Uyghur detention centers.

Ben Tzion, CEO of Ultra, suspects that Temu might be attempting to circumvent the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, and he emphasized the importance of accountability in such cases.

With over 50 million downloads, Temu ranks as the second most used digital marketplace in the U.S., following Amazon.

News in brief

The Chinese Embassy spokesperson in Washington has criticized a proposed U.S. bill that aims to expedite the asylum process for Uyghurs and has accused the United States of engaging in political manipulation under the pretext of human rights.

The bill, the Uyghur Human Rights Protection Act, was introduced by a bipartisan group in the House of Representatives and seeks to designate Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities in Xinjiang as priority refugees, facilitating their asylum applications in the United States. The legislation also aims to protect Uyghur refugees in other countries by urging diplomatic efforts to prevent their extradition back to China.

The U.S. government has recognized the treatment of Uyghurs as genocide, and representatives emphasized the urgent need to address the human rights emergency Uyghurs face.

The Chinese Embassy spokesperson dismissed the allegations as lies, while Uyghur advocates praised the bill for its protection of Uyghur rights and called for its passage.

Quote of note

This [the Uyghur Human Rights Protection Act] is critical in safeguarding the rights of the Uyghur people, especially those at high risk of refoulement. Decreasing the risk of deportation brings huge hope to the diaspora community, especially those seeking asylum in the United States.

- Dolkun Isa, president of the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress, to VOA
Cyclone Biparjoy knocked out power, uprooted trees and electrical poles, and tossed shipping containers around this week as it ravaged Indias western coastline.

Biparjoy means calamity in Bengali, and that is what it brought to Indias Gujarat state.

Brij Chauhan, a resident who returned home to Biparjoys aftermath, told Reuters, Everything has blown away.

About 100,000 people were evacuated before the cyclone made landfall. Weather forecasters had warned that the devastation would be thorough.

The Indian Meteorological Department also advised people to expect significant damage to houses, crops, roads and telecommunications networks.

Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel told Reuters, "We are trying to bring back normalcy as soon as possible. The state administration is working to help people get all the facilities like drinking water, electricity and medicine within a few hours.

Some information for this report came from Reuters.
The U.S. Supreme Court's most well-known decisions are decided on what is referred to as the court's merits docket. These include high-profile cases like Brown v. Board of Education, which outlawed racial segregation in schools, and the now-overturned Roe v. Wade, which established abortion as a fundamental right.

But many more of the court's activities happen on the much lesser-known emergency docket. University of Chicago law professor William Baude coined this less-transparent part of the court's work as the "shadow docket."

"It sounds very nefarious, but it actually describes something that's very long standing," says Josh Blackman, a professor of constitutional law at the South Texas College of Law Houston. "In some urgent cases, the courts can decide an issue quickly. They don't have oral arguments before the court. They don't have the usual six-month-long briefing schedule. Everything's done fairly quickly, sometimes in the span of days or even weeks."

Stephen Vladeck, a lawyer and author of The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic, says the shadow docket accounts for a big part of the court's work.

"By volume, the merits cases really are only about 1% of what the Supreme Court does and of the rulings the Supreme Court hands down," Vladeck says. "And the other 99%, which includes decisions whether or not to take up particular cases, includes decisions whether to intervene early in a case before it reaches the Supreme Court."

Unlike cases on the merits docket, shadow docket decisions are not accompanied by written briefs explaining the justices' reasoning.

"The typical order on the shadow docket is not signed. It has no explanation. It has no rationale," says Vladeck, a faculty member at the University of Texas School of Law. "These are really important things the Supreme Court is doing.  I think the way to make it accessible is to try to explain to folks exactly what the court is being asked to do, exactly what it's doing, and exactly which effects those rulings are producing."

An unsigned decision means that a majority of justices  at least five  agree with the order. Sometimes justices will write about whether they concur or disagree with the unsigned order. However, when they don't, it can be impossible to know where the justices stand on the issue.

John Yoo is a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. He clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in the 1990s, and says the shadow docket is like a preview of high court decisions to come.

"Someone in the lower court is saying, 'Please freeze the proceedings, because we might be losing and by the time we can get to the Supreme Court, we will be harmed irreparably. It'll be too late," Yoo says. "And so, with the emergency docket, what the court's essentially doing is it's freezing something in place because it thinks it's probably going to agree."

Traditionally, issues on the emergency docket were noncontroversial procedural matters and individual death penalty cases that did not have far-reaching impact. But Vladeck is concerned that, particularly during the Trump administration, the Supreme Court used unexplained orders more and more.

"It's a problem when the output of that secret, unexplained work is simultaneously, 1) producing massive effects in the real world and 2) in ways that are at least superficially inconsistent, ... where it doesn't seem like there's a neutral legal principle doing work so much as it seems like the partisan balance of the dispute is explaining the outcome," Vladeck says.

Yoo contends that increased use of the shadow docket doesn't favor conservatives or liberals, that it's just an accelerated way to challenge the government.

"It's not the court that really wants to do this," Yoo says. "I think it's litigants raising these kinds of questions in a faster way, more speedy way, than they used to. And I think the justices, if they had their druthers, would probably prefer that these cases not come up in this emergency rushed way."

During the Bush and Obama administrations, the federal government asked the high court for emergency relief a total of eight times. The Trump administration went to the court, and its new conservative majority, a total of 41 times.

Although the shadow docket was used quite often during the Trump presidency and the pandemic, Blackman says use of the emergency docket has slowed in the past couple of years.

"To the extent that there was a problem, I think that problem sort of faded," says Blackman, who feels Vladeck's concerns are overblown. "It became very salient again during COVID and Trump  these two once-in-a-lifetime phenomena that converged around the same time.  COVID has now, thankfully, faded [and President Joe] Biden doesn't use it as much."

There is further evidence that the court could be self-correcting.

Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh, both Trump appointees, have signaled their reluctance to perpetually use the shadow docket. While there have been calls for Supreme Court reform, a presidential commission appointed by President Biden did not recommend any.

"This is something that people propose over the years when they're angry at the Supreme Court," Yoo says. "But, in general, the best thing is just to leave things as they are. There doesn't seem to be any serious structural problem with the way the court is monitoring its docket and the way jurisdiction is being exercised."
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA  South Africa's police minister, Bheki Cele, and a delegation of senior police officials recently returned from a visit to China, where they discussed strengthening law enforcement collaboration.

The ministry is confident that the countrys crime problems can be better dealt with when we also step up smart policing. This is why the country is exploring all avenues in this regard including cooperation with Chinese law enforcement to assist in technological advancement, police ministry spokesperson Lirandzu Themba told VOA.

According to a police statement, the delegations five-day trip included visits to police stations in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, and engagements at China Peoples Public Security University, an elite training institution.

Members from SAPS (South African Police Service) specialized units such as the National Intervention Unit (NIU) and Special Task Force (STF) recently received combat and educational training and graduated from the university, the statement noted.

Minister Cele also met with China's minister of public security, Wang Xiaohong. High on the agenda was the establishment of a formal and rigorous policing exchange program of personnel capabilities and training between the two countries.

The two also discussed security preparations for the upcoming summit of the BRICS group of emerging nations. The summit is being held in Johannesburg in August and will be attended by Chinas president, Xi Jinping.

Environmental crimes, the collaboration to deal with violent crimes in South Africa through technological interventions, and the safety of nationals residing in both countries also featured high on the agenda, the statement said.

Wang will be working with South Africa on issues including Belt and Road security, crackdown on transnational crimes and law enforcement capacity building, reported Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

South Africa continues to struggle with violent crime. In the first three months of this year, there were 6,289 murders and the country has among the highest rates of rape in the world. Assaults and robberies have also increased compared to the same time period in 2022.

New research

The South African trip comes in the wake of a new report that details growing police co-operation between China and many African countries.

Between 2018 and 2021 over 2,000 African police and law enforcement personnel received training in China, said the report, published last month by The Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

China has supplied African countries with police equipment and also built police training schools, it said.

Chinas expanding public security frontlines and tactics in Africa have triggered debates about how much sovereignty African countries surrender by offering Chinese security agencies a highly permissive environment to craft a growing mix of security mechanisms within African countries, the study said.

South Africas ruling African National Congress received Chinese support during its fight against apartheid. The reports author, Paul Nantulya, said that many within the ANC share a basic anti-imperialist stance.

Asked if South Africas democratic system doesnt put it at odds with a one-party state like China when it comes to policing, Nantulya noted the ANC favors closer ties with China.

This is the wider political setting in which South Africa, which adheres to separation of powers, can prioritize getting policing tips from China, which comes from a tradition of absolute party control of the state and security forces, including police, he told VOA.

He added, the statement issued by the South Africans after the recent visit underscores the multifaceted engagement between the South African police and law enforcement agencies and their Chinese counterparts, which has been in operation since 2010 and was renewed in 2019.

It entails high level political exchanges (twice yearly), police training and capacity building, targeted language training, Chinese community policing forums, reciprocal visits to police stations and institutions and the training of South African police in Chinese police academies, he said.
It might be a federal holiday now, but three out of five Americans will still have to work on Juneteenth this year.

According to a recent OnePoll survey of 1,000 Americans, only 44% said they will have June 19 off from work this year in commemoration of Juneteenth.

Also known as Jubilee Day'' or Emancipation Day, Juneteenth marks the anniversary of the day that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were finally freed in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Over a century of local celebrations later, Juneteenth was first officially designated a state holiday by Texas in 1979, and in 2021 became the first new federal holiday in almost 40 years.

The campaign to make Juneteenth a national holiday rose to national prominence with retired teacher and activist Opal Lee, who in 2016 led a symbolic march from Fort Worth to Washington, DC in the hopes of gaining support from Congress.

Her efforts came to fruition when interest in the holiday surged during nationwide protests against police killings of Black Americans in the summer of 2020.

President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill into law declaring the day a federal holiday in 2021.

Of those surveyed, however, only 62% think Juneteenth should be considered a federal holiday in the first place.

In fact, almost half acknowledged they dont care about celebrating federal holidays as much as they care about getting the day off from work.

Although federal workers are paid and all non-essential federal offices are closed on federal holidays, public and privately-owned businesses are not required to follow these same guidelines.

Despite this, Juneteenth is one of the top five most frequently observed federal holidays, just above other summer holidays like July 4th (41%) and Memorial Day (42%).Only 33% of respondents get time off for the most recently declared holiday, Martin Luther King Day, which was not officially observed in all 50 U.S. states until 2000.

MOST FREQUENTLY OBSERVED FEDERAL HOLIDAYS IN 2023
A logo of Taiwanese chip giant TSMC can be seen in Tainan, Taiwan

Taiwan seeks closer EU ties in return for chip investment - minister A logo of Taiwanese chip giant TSMC can be seen in Tainan, Taiwan

By Philip Blenkinsop

(Reuters) - European countries should strengthen relations with Taiwan if they want continued Taiwanese investment in semiconductor production, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said during a visit to Europe last week.

Overseas investments by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker, need government approval, including for a potential factory in Germany.

Wu said the government was not placing conditions on investments by TSMC and it was for the company to decide if a project would make a profit.

Wu said Taiwan would not block investment in Europe, but there was a "philosophical issue" that a country wanting Taiwanese help needed to consider a broader picture of relations with Taiwan.

"I think that is something for us to think about," he said. "Even though we are not selfish in stopping TSMC making investment in other countries, we certainly hope that other countries who want to attract TSMC... can also think about the situation Taiwan is in."

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under its control. Taiwan strongly objects to China's sovereignty claims and says only the island's people can decide their future.

"If they can think along that positive line, the relations between Taiwan and European countries, major European countries, are going to be so much better than before," said Wu.

The minister asked not to disclose the country he was in, due to the sensitivity of his trip. Taiwan has no formal diplomatic ties with any European country except the Vatican and China warned Europe against official ties ahead of Wu's visit.

Wu did visit the Czech Republic and, according to sources, also travelled to Brussels, where EU and NATO headquarters are located.

Wu said EU leaders were clearer than before in calling for peace in the Taiwan Strait, the stretch of water between China and Taiwan, and preservation of the status quo and said the bloc should consider more cooperation with Taiwan, such as a bilateral investment agreement (BIA).

The EU included Taiwan on its list of potential BIA partners in 2015, but it has not held talks with Taiwan on the issue since.

"It's very challenging," said Wu, adding he was concerned it was being held hostage due to a frozen EU-China investment deal.

"We hope we can go ahead with it and we hope we can persuade the EU leadership to think about this in a positive way."

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Nick Macfie)
By Alice Clifford via SWNS

The reasons behind a "global crash" in insect numbers have been revealed by scientists.

The drop has a huge knock-on effect on pollination and also on animals that feed off insects.

Study author Dr. Florian Menzel from the Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution at Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, said: "Generally speaking, a decline in insect diversity threatens the stability of ecosystems.

"Fewer species means that there are fewer insects capable of pollinating plants and keeping pests in check.

"And, of course, this also means that there is less food available for insect-eating birds and other animals.

"Their continued existence can thus be placed at risk due to the decline in insect numbers."

A 2019 review found that populations of 41 percent of insect species are in decline globally, with one-third being threatened by extinction.

It estimates that the total mass of insects is dropping by 2.5 percent each year.

Now a new study blames the rise of agriculture, building development, climate change and the spread of invasive animals for causing the decline.

And ecosystems already deteriorated by humans thanks to trade and tourism are more susceptible to climate change.

With rising temperatures, insects are forced away from their natural habitats, putting them at risk.

Insects that have specialized to specific habitats are most at risk as they are more vulnerable to changes.

Also, invasive species can establish themselves easier in habitats damaged by human land use and displace native species.

With the drop in insects, these invasive species can thrive and increase, reducing insect diversity.

This has been seen in Brazil, where there has been an invasion of non-native insect- eating fishes that has caused a major decline in freshwater insects.

Dr. Menzel said: "In view of the results available to us, we learned that not just land-use intensification, global warming, and the escalating dispersal of invasive species are the main drivers of the global disappearance of insects, but also that these drivers interact with each other.

Not only does each specific animal suffer, elements of their habitat have also started to wane as a consequence.

The loss of bumblebee diversity has led to a decline in plants that rely on certain bumblebee species for pollination.

Dr. Menzel added: "It looks as if it is the specialized insect species that suffer most, while the more generalized species tend to survive.

This is why we are now finding more insects capable of living nearly anywhere while those species that need specific habitats are on the wane.

The researchers promote a particular approach for future research into insect decline.

Standardized techniques should be employed to monitor insect diversity across many habitats and countries.

They also propose the creation of a network of interconnected nature reserves so that species can move from one habitat to another.

If this was in place, less heat-tolerant insects would be able to migrate from areas where global warming is causing temperatures to rise to higher elevations or cooler regions.

They also suggest measures are needed to reduce the spread of invasive animal and plant species through globalized trade and tourism.

Dr. Menzel said: "This is another problem that has become extremely serious in the last decades."

"As evidence of an ongoing global crash in insect populations increased over the last few years, we decided it was time to publish this study.

Our aim was not to document insect population declines but to better understand their causes and consequences."

The study was published in the journal Biology Letters.
(The Center Square)  Former President Donald Trump made a fresh wave of criticisms Friday of the 37-count indictment filed against him and said the indictment should be withdrawn.

"They want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedom," Trump said in a video message posted to his social media platform Friday afternoon. "They are not coming after me, they're coming after you. I just happen to be standing in their way."

Trump also said the indictment should be immediately withdrawn and he should get an apology.

Trump also criticized former United States Attorney General William Barr, who has spoken out about the indictment in the classified documents. Trump said Barr was being paid to say bad things about him and said that Barr was angry because Trump fired him.

"Virtually everyone is saying that the fake indictment is about election interference and should not have been brought," Trump said. "Except Bill Barr, a disgruntled former employee and very weak person."

Also on Friday, Trump's attorneys in the documents case filed notice that they had gotten in touch with Litigation Security Group of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The former president's attorneys had not asked the judge to dismiss the case as of Friday afternoon.

U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, made the order Thursday to speed up the process that involves attorneys being cleared to get access to the classified documents.

The Litigation Security Group "is a team of security specialists available to be detailed to the Court to serve as Classified Information Security Officers to assist in the handling and protection of classified information. These CISOs serve in a neutral capacity providing advice and assistance to the Court and the parties in the handling of classified information," according to a U.S. Courts website.

Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday in a federal courthouse in Miami to 37 counts that allege he kept sensitive military documents, shared them with people who didn't have security clearance, and tried to get around the government's efforts to get them back. He is charged with 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information along with conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document or record, concealing a document in a federal investigation, scheme to conceal and false statements and representations.

Trump remains free on a recognizance bond without travel restrictions.

The 49-page indictment laid out the charges against Trump and Nauta. Trump was charged with keeping classified documents after leaving office and later obstructing the government's efforts to get them back. The indictment contains specific dates and times with to-the-minute details of where the documents were stored, where they were moved, and who was involved.

Among the records were 197 that contained classified markings, including 98 marked "secret" and 30 marked "top secret." The "top secret" designation means that unauthorized disclosure "reasonably could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage" to national security," according to the indictment. Trump turned those records over to the National Archives and Records Administration on Jan. 17, 2022, in response to demands from that federal agency.

On June 3, 2022, an attorney for Trump provided the Federal Bureau of Investigation with 38 additional documents with classified markings. And during a raid of Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8, 2022, the FBI recovered 102 additional documents with classified markings.

While the U.S. Secret Service provided security to Trump while he was at his Palm Beach property, Trump never told the agency that classified documents were stored there, according to the indictment. Mar-a-Lago hosted 150 social events  such as weddings, fundraisers and movie premieres for tens of thousands of guests from January 2021, when Trump left office, through the FBI raid on Aug. 8, 2022. Mar-a-Lago had about 150 employees during that time, prosecutors said in the indictment.

Prosecutors allege the documents belong to some of the nation's most secret agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, the National Security Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, the Department of Energy and the Department of State.

The documents contained information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of the United States and other allied nations, U.S. nuclear programs, plans for possible retaliation in case of an attack and potential U.S. vulnerabilities, according to the indictment.

Trump stored the boxes in several locations at Mar-a-Lago, his social club with 25 guest rooms in Palm Beach. The boxes that contained classified documents were stored in a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, an office space, his bedroom and a storage room, prosecutors alleged in the indictment.

The club was not authorized to store classified documents.

Prosecutors further alleged that Trump showed classified documents to people not authorized to see such records. In one case on July 21, 2021, at the Bedminster Club in New Jersey, Trump allegedly showed a writer, a publisher and two staff members classified documents. During the recorded interview, Trump said that the documents were "highly classified" and that could have declassified them while president, but could no longer do so after leaving office, according to the indictment. In August or September 2021, prosecutors allege Trump showed a representative of his political action committee a classified map of a country.

Trump is the first president to face felony criminal charges.

In April, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts in New York related to charges he paid hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels through a lawyer before the 2016 presidential election and covered it up as a legal expense before being elected president.
Photo: DC Comics

Warning: Many spoilers ahead for plot details of The Flash, in theaters today.

The Flash speeds into theaters this weekend and with it comes a celebration of DCs past, present, and future. From much-discussed cameos to references to DC movies and comic books, The Flash slows down just enough to make sure its audience catches most of them. But for those you might have missed, weve got you covered.

Son of Falcone

The Flashs opening chase scene sees Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) and Batman (Ben Affleck) going after Falcones son. Falcone is the mobster Carmine Falcone, who played a significant role in 2005s Batman Begins, where he was played by Tom Wilkinson, and in last years The Batman, in which John Turturro took over the role. In the comics, Carmine has two sons, Alberto and Mario. The film doesnt reveal which of the two theyre talking about but its a fun Easter egg for fans of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sales Batman: The Long Halloween (1996) and Batman: Dark Victory (1999), which saw Batman go up against the Falcone crime family.

Clark vs. the Volcano

Although we never quite see Henry Cavills face, his version of Superman does briefly show up. He can be seen on one of Alfreds (Jeremy Irons) monitor screens dealing with an erupting volcano. Supermans battle against the volcano may be a reference to the 1942 Dave Fleischer cartoon, Volcano, the eighth Superman short which saw the hero saving a small island community from an erupting volcano.

Wonder Woman Returns

Batman gets a last-minute save from Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), who catches the hero with her lasso of truth, forcing the Dark Knight to reveal some uncomfortable truths about himself. This marks the second cameo appearance from Gadot as Wonder Woman in a DCEU film this year; she also swooped in at the end of Shazam: Fury of the Gods.

Iron Heights

The prison where Barrys father Henry (Ron Livingston) is being held is Iron Heights, a famous location in the comics. Think of it as the equivalent of Batmans Arkham, a place where all his worst enemies, from Captain Cold to the Trickster, are contained. So far, the only member of The Flashs rouges gallery weve met in the DCEU is Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney) who appeared in Suicide Squad (2016) and The Suicide Squad (2021).

Graysons

The building across from Barrys apartment, which can be seen during his discussion with Bruce Wayne, is called Graysons. The name and the neon blue sign are a reference to Dick Grayson, the first Robin in the comic books who later became the hero Nightwing.

The Snyder Cut

The Flash treats Zack Snyders Justice League (2021) as canon, instead of the 2017 studio-mandated Joss Whedon cut. Two scenes that only appeared in Snyders version are referenced in the film. The first reference comes when Iris West (Kiersey Clemons) recalls how The Flash saved her from being hit by a car. The second one happens while Barry is talking to Bruce outside of his apartment; he mentions traveling back in time briefly during the climax of Snyders film.

Bag of Tricks

After Barry travels through time and accidentally changes his own reality, he and the younger version of himself explore Bruce Waynes (Michael Keaton) Batcave. Younger Barry finds a small velvet bag that laughs when you open it. This gag was used by the Joker (Jack Nicholson) in Batman (1989) after he falls to his death at the end of that film.

Flashpoint

Geoff Johns and Andy Kuberts comic book crossover Flashpoint (2011), which saw Barry travel back in time to stop his mothers murder, serves as a main source material for The Flash. Supergirls (Sasha Calle) backstory in the film is similar to Supermans in the comic, where he wasnt discovered by the Kents but captured by the government and kept out of the sun. The film references the comic again in the scene where Barry straps himself to a chair and purposefully tries to recreate the experiment that gave him his powers, which initially results in terrible lightning and chemical burns.

Crisis on Infinite Earths

While inside the Speed Force, the space that exists beyond time, the two Barrys see the worlds of the multiverse colliding with each other as the universe is reshaped. A similar event happened in Marv Wolfman and George Perezs comics series Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985) which saw the worlds of the DC multiverse collide and restructure into a single Earth. During this event, The Flash famously sacrificed himself to prevent the destruction of reality.

Faces of the Multiverse

Barrys trip through the multiverse features digital recreations of famed DC stars of the past. George Reeves and Christopher Reeves Supermen, Adam Wests Batman, and Helen Slaters Supergirl all appear on separate worlds. The black-and-white world of Reeves Superman also features a cameo from the original Flash, Jay Garrick. Garrick resembles Teddy Sears, who played a fake version of Garrick on The CWs The Flash, and was later revealed to be the villain Zoom. Nicolas Cage also appears as a version of Superman fighting a giant, alien spider, a reference to the canceled Tim Burton film, Superman Lives.

Batman sans Robin

When Barry Allen returns to his timeline, he finds reality still altered. His Batman is no longer played by Ben Affleck but by George Clooney, who of course infamously played Batman in Joel Schumachers Batman & Robin (1997). Clooney and Affleck are also friends and frequent collaborators, and the cameo both references their shared history and provides Affleck with an exit from the role of Batman.

Merman

After an alternate version of Aquamans father, Thomas Curry (Temuera Morrison), appears earlier in the film, Barry reconnects with Arthur Curry himself (Jason Momoa) at a bar during the post-credits scene. The drunken Aquaman falls face down into a puddle and decides to spend the night there rather than return to Barrys apartment across the street. Arthur will be seen again later this year in his film, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which will be the DCEUs last project before James Gunn reboots the universe.
There was a time when Batman fans rejected Keatons wiry energy, thinning hair, and modest stature, making his return in The Flash a kind of vindication. Photo: Warner Bros.

Im Batman, Michael Keaton declares in that old dramatic whisper, and the crowd goes wild all over again. Thirty-one years after the star of Tim Burtons Batman and Batman Returns hung up the cape and cowl, he has donned them anew for another DC superhero spectacular. Keatons caped crusader, brought out of retirement via the reliable sci-fi magic of time travel, plays a supporting role in The Flash. But that hasnt stopped Warner Bros. from making him central to the marketing with the iconic Bat symbol looming large on the poster and the trailers dominated by glimpses of the actor in his old battle garb, ritualistically uttering dialogue from a bygone era of comic-book movies. The roars of applause that greeted these scenes during coming attractions and advance screenings made it clear: Audiences have been dying to see Keaton back in black.

That excitement must be vindicating, on some level, for the star. Because it wasnt always this way. If you could go back in time, Barry Allen style, to the fall of 1988  during the lead-up to Batmans historic release  youd see some starkly different reactions to the idea of Keaton, of all actors, under the mask of comicdoms most beloved vigilante. Back then, Im Batman wasnt guaranteed to earn cheers. Judging from the general response to the casting, it might have easily provoked an annoyed retort: No, youre not!

When the news broke in 1988 that Keaton had nabbed the lead role in Burtons expensive, buzzed-about adaptation, fans werent just perplexed. They were outraged. This was before the internet gave every enthusiast an easy way to log their disdain at the click of a button. To make their disapproval heard, they had to put pen to paper. Warner Bros. is said to have received some 50,000 letters complaining about Keatons casting. Signed petitions also made the rounds. So vehement was this analog write-in crusade that major publications covered the backlash as breaking news, filling columns with incensed quotes from the everyday Bat aficionado. The Wall Street Journal even devoted its front page to the controversy.

Part of the skepticism stemmed from Keatons physical suitability for the suit, or lack thereof  the ways that he did not fit the typical profile of an action hero, even in his youth. He was five-foot-ten with a medium build and what comic-book writer Beau Smith described in that Journal story as a receding hairline and a less-than-heroic chin. A couple years earlier, Frank Miller had made Batman look like Clint Eastwood in his dazzling, dystopian graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns. Keaton, to put it mildly, struck a less imposing figure, especially compared to the more seemingly apropos stars, like Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson, who were both in consideration for the role before Burton and his producers settled on their unlikely leading man.

Michael Keaton in The Flash. Photo: Warner Bros.

But it wasnt just that Keaton didnt look the part. His sensibility seemed, to the average fan, all wrong for the caped crusader. It was the actors dramatic departure in the same years addiction drama Clean and Sober that allegedly won him the role  and won over an in-house skeptic, producer Michael Uslan. But audiences at that point knew Keaton primarily for his work in comedies like Mr. Mom and Burtons previous movie, Beetlejuice, in which the star played the title role of a prankster apparition much closer in anarchic spirit to Batmans archnemesis, the Joker. How was this cutup going to convince as a creature of the night, striking fear in the heart of hoodlums?

Concealed behind these complaints, like a secret identity protected by a mask, was the real insecurity that Keatons casting stoked. Putting a comic actor in the dark rubber duds seemed to hint that Burton would be taking a derisively parodic approach to Batman, playing him for laughs. Keaton had to shoulder the legacy of a fanbases lingering resentment toward what was then the most popular of Batman adaptations, the eternally campy 60s Adam West TV series that drained every drop of menace and danger from the mythos. Acclaimed 80s story lines like Millers and the disturbing Alan Moore one-shot The Killing Joke had reclaimed the superheros gravity, rescuing him from the frivolity of his previous live-action iteration. The concern was that Burton planned to walk that image rehabilitation back.

Such worries would prove unwarranted. Burton may not have been much of a comic-book fan, traditionally speaking, but his vision for Batman was much closer in spirit to The Dark Knight Rises than it was to Wests divisive tenure in the tights. Perhaps thats one reason fans came around to Keaton. Or maybe they just needed to actually see him in costume and in action. An early press still, showing off the cumbersome but cosmetically appealing Batsuit, is sometimes credited for turning the tide and assuaging some fears. So, too, is the films oddly music-free first teaser, a collection of shots and lines from the movie  including Im Batman  that went a long way toward convincing people that Burton wasnt going to reduce Batman to a wham-pow joke again, and that he had operatic aims.

The irony of fans changing their mind about Keaton is that he did, in a sense, end up bringing a comic element to Batman, or at least to his alter ego, the wealthy orphan with the secret nightlife, Bruce Wayne. The actor looks dashing enough in a tuxedo, wandering Wayne Manor during a charity gala. But from the moment Keaton opens his mouth, hes doing a certain eccentric shtick, playing Wayne not as a suave playboy but a fidgety neurotic whose immense, sheltering privilege has left him a little socially inept. Keaton, in other words, makes Wayne a rather likable weirdo  one of Burtons signature sympathetic misfits. Youre not exactly normal, are you? asks love interest Vicki Vale, which puts a fine point on it.

If theres a through-line in these instances of fan chilliness, its a masculine paranoia. Wasnt that the big issue with Keaton all along, that he wasnt macho enough?

Batman and Burtons weirder, nastier, superior sequel find light humor in a rich aristocrat trying to balance his life in the public eye with his crime-fighting duty. In the first film, we get amusing scenes like the first date between Wayne and Vale, sitting awkwardly down for dinner on opposite sides of a long table in a room he claims hes never entered before. Later, Keaton stammers through his attempt to explain who he really is, silently mouthing that same classic line when Vickis back is turned  a classic bit of screwball. Returns sidelines Wayne more, cutting his screen time in favor of the flamboyant villains. At the same time, the sequel would allow Keaton more room to be amusingly flustered, navigating a classic rom-com subplot in which Wayne and Michelle Pfeiffers Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman, tiptoe into a fledgling courtship while trading blows on rooftops.

Theres even a slight comedic quality to Keatons Batman. As much as Burton succeeded in framing him like a real threat, an almost vampiric force of ungodly vengeance in striking silhouette, he also found the faint humor in the superheros taciturn nature  through droll stares, silent reaction shots, and Keatons impeccable deadpan timing, somehow only enhanced by the stiff costume the actor had to endure for days on end. Hes borderline Chaplin-esque at times, a straight man at others; theres comic tension in the discrepancy between his poker-faced stoicism and the theatrical capering of Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, and their clowning, back-flipping goons.

What Keaton really brought to the part, though, was a human dimension. This is what the filmmakers saw in him. The image of Batman is a big male model type, but I wanted a guy whos a real person who happens to put on this weird armor, producer Jon Peters told the New York Times. Burton shared his vision, hoping for a star who could make dressing up like a winged beast look like a convincing psychological choice, not a merely juvenile one. Thats something a Hollywood he-man like Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of the actors floated by disappointed fans ahead of Batmans release, could have never delivered. And in a real way, Keaton laid the groundwork for the stars that took up the mantle after him, setting the live-action precedent of emphasizing the man as much as the Bat  of playing Bruce Wayne like a tortured soul, vanquishing his demons through psychodramatic cosplay.

Of course, the premature hate for Keatons casting would prove influential as well. Plenty of the actors successors in the role have faced their own gauntlet of initial doubt and disdain, only to be embraced once fans actually, well, saw the movies they appeared in. Our most recent Batmen, Ben Affleck and Robert Pattinson, both took their social-media licks. Louder still was the uproar over the casting of Heath Ledger as the Joker  a retrospectively boneheaded conniption fit with unmistakable undertones of homophobia, given Ledgers Oscar-nominated performance in Brokeback Mountain a few years earlier. In fact, if theres a through-line in these instances of fan chilliness, its a masculine paranoia. Wasnt that the big issue with Keaton all along, that he wasnt macho enough?

That the Bat-faithful would come to accept him in the role  and eventually, loudly bellow for his return  suggests that fans dont always really know what they want. They had to see the star in action to understand why he ultimately made sense as their adolescent hero, wiry energy and thinning hair and modest stature aside. Maybe theres a lesson here in not kowtowing to the diehards in advance. Give them what they dont know they want, and they might end up clamoring for it still, three decades later.
It all starts and ends with Rita Ora, doesnt it? In Carrie Fishers final movie, Wonderwell, not to be confused with Wonderwall, Ora stars as a fashion guru who needs a new model for her clothing line. That model? Our protagonist Violets (Kiera Milward) older sister Savannah (Nell Tiger Free).

Directed by Vlad Marsavin and written by William Brookfield, the film follows 12 years old Violet (Kiera Milward) as she tries to find something magical to do while her sisters modeling career takes off in Italy. She finds an enchanted forest where she meets Hazel (Fisher), a fabled witch that Violet was warned about. Fisher filmed the movie in late 2016, wrapping up just six weeks before her death  and subsequently taking seven years to finish. Producer Lee Rudnicki called Fishers final scene in the film a magical final curtain call for a very special actress. Wonderwell comes out on June 23, 2023.

Related
Photo-Illustration: Vulture

This list was previously published and has been updated for 2023.

Dont let the day off and the parties fool you. The legacy of Juneteenth  Juneteenth National Independence Day, Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Black Independence Day, if you will is much more than an opportunity to barbecue. In fact, its a day that ought to unsettle our comforts.

The history goes as follows: On June 19, 1865, more than two years after Abraham Lincoln manumitted all enslaved people in the Confederate states, Union Army general Gordon Granger announced the news of freedom to enslaved people in Texas, making them the last in the formerly Confederate South to get word of emancipation. The next year, beginning in the Black churches of Galveston, Texas, Juneteenth began as an observation and celebration of this belated end to bondage. The fine print: This commemoration of slaverys end is a lesson in how its power persisted.

In the two years since this Black Texan celebration became a federal holiday recognized by the Biden administration, concerns regarding the integrity of the holiday linger as corporations, institutions, politicians, and communities continue to determine their relationships to Juneteenth, its history, political appeal, and profitability. With the much disparaged Juneteenth ice cream, themed watermelon salads, decorations, and trademark wars behind us, this years Juneteenth controversies have primarily concerned the holidays institutional and representational life.

In the past few weeks leading up to June 19, a number of stories have appeared in the news surrounding Juneteenth conflicts. A South Carolinabased nonprofit organization received criticism for promoting a Juneteenth event banner in downtown Greenville that featured a white couple and described the holiday as an upstate celebration of freedom, unity, and love. Franklin, Tennessees alderman-at-large Gabrielle Hanson has met public scrutiny for a number of recent incidents including her call for the Nashville International Airport to withdraw its financial support from radical agendas, which included events like an upcoming Juneteenth festival in Franklin. Making matters even more dissonant, on June 13, the White House hosted a Juneteenth concert that included a wide range of guests, from Opal Lee, activist and grandmother of Juneteenth, to Coi Leray, bop star and daughter of Benzino. And on Juneteenth Day, CNN is hosting Juneteenth: A Global Celebration of Freedom. More than a mere example of the lengths organizations and politicians will go to erase history or pander to those who bear its mark, these spectacles reveal the ways that power overdetermines the terms of remembrance, representation, and redress.

This is why the holidays nationwide popularization, marketability, and federal recognition ultimately threaten the integrity of our Juneteenth observations. A day that ought to inspire radical resentment for lapses in liberation can easily become a symbol of captivitys circularity. This list of Juneteenth reads was curated to support the former rather than the latter. By reading these works closely, we can begin to understand what Juneteenth really means and what its observance demands of us.

Part I BEFORE 1863 If, as Toni Morrison has written, nothing highlighted freedom  if it did not in fact create it  like slavery, it would stand that our close reading of freedom must begin with the narratives of the enslaved. As they show us, it often took fugitivity (and, often, more and worse) to secure ones freedom from the formidable grasp of captivity.

Flight to Canada, by Ishamel Reed, and Beloved, by Toni Morrison Taking to fiction to confront the limits of and unmake our concrete understanding of slavery, the literary development of neo-slave narratives muddy the border between enslavement and emancipation through narratives that address the problem of self-possession. Reeds enslaved protagonist declares, Here I am, involuntarily, the comrade of the inanimate, but not by choice  I am property. I am a thing. Morrisons Sethe, a fugitive slave haunted by both slavery and freedom, understands that freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another. Though these novels often explore the harrowing conditions of the peculiar institution through humor (The devils country home. Thats what the South is, one of Reeds characters remarks) and haunting (124 was spiteful. Full of a babys venom. The women in the house knew it and so did the children, opens Beloved), they push readers to consider the psychic toll of slavery and how its material cost to the mind defies tone and time. Flight to Canada, by Ishmael Reed $17 now 29% off $12 $12 at Amazon Buy $17 at Bookshop Buy Beloved $17 now 47% off $9 $9 at Amazon Buy $16 at Bookshop Buy

Part II FREEDOM RINGS HOLLOW The social momentum that led to Juneteenths federal appropriation has transformed it into a festive footnote, a citation of American political progress that fails to ask what it means for the government to claim emancipation as a victory while many inheritors of slaverys legacy remain dubious, if not outright disdainful. After all, for those who had been enslaved in Union states, legal and literary word of emancipation would not come until later in 1865 with the ratification of the 13th Amendment. And what did the Texas proclamation matter to the enslaved people who were held in bondage in Indian Territories until 1866 (the same year Juneteenth celebrations began)? What do we make of slaverys resilience? How has it undergirded our freedom?

Scenes of Subjection, by Saidiya Hartman Explicitly concerned with the elusiveness of free ground, this groundbreaking text  to be reissued later this year by W.W. Norton with a new preface by Hartman, a foreword by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, and afterwords by Marisa J. Fuentes and Sarah Haley  sets the complex stage of terror under slavery and its influence on scenes of Black self-making in the 19th century. Calling us to consider the nonevent of emancipation in a country where freedom did not abolish the lash, Hartman frames the question of liberation on terms that center on the terrible spectacle of bondage that lingers in our discourses of redress, resistance, and individual rights. Scenes of Subjection, by Saidiya Hartman $18 $20 now 10% off $18 $18 at Amazon Buy $20 at Bookshop Buy

The Known World, by Edward P. Jones Joness historical novel follows Henry Townsend, a freeman born to former slaves, as he takes up the charge of liberty as a challenge to brutality. For Henry, freedom is best affirmed in contrast to the unfree, and thus, he dreams of running the perfect plantation  one that exceeds the standards set by the white enslavers who came before him: Henry had always said he wanted to be a better master than any white man he had ever known. He did not understand that the kind of world he wanted to create was doomed before he had spoken the first syllable of the word master. The Known World, by Edward P. Jones $18 $18 at Amazon Buy $17 at Bookshop Buy

On Juneteenth, by Annette Gordon-Reed The Black Texans who created the Juneteenth holiday did so as the celebration of the freedom of people they had actually known. As Gordon-Reeds work shows, this intimate and regional specificity cannot be severed from the celebration. Fusing memoir and rigorous research, the Texan author proposes a new telling of her states legacy, one which centers the significant influence enslaved Africans and their descendants have had on the political, geographic, and social shape of the Lone Star State. On Juneteenth, by Annette Gordon-Reed $16 now 38% off $10 $10 at Amazon Buy $16 at Bookshop Buy

Palmares, by Gayl Jones In this runaway-slave narrative set in Brazil, where slavery was not abolished until 1888, Jones conjures Almeyda, an escaped slave who takes leave of her Portuguese captors to join the historic 17th-century Brazilian maroon society that the book is named for  only to discover that some still occupy the position of slaves even among the maroons. Nobrega, one of those slaves of Palmares, remarks on the contradiction, I am not a free woman  I have no free ground to hold. Every ground I walk on is the same. Indifferent to the fate of Palmares, whose members faced constant threats of Portuguese land conquest and reenslavement, Nobrega remarks, Why should it matter to me if Palmares is no more? As Joness novel shows, the unbound possibility of slavery beyond the plantation and the narrative of emancipation in the U.S. can be neither settled nor singularly confined to Juneteenth. Palmares, by Gayl Jones $18 now 22% off $14 $14 at Amazon Buy $18 at Bookshop Buy

The Long Emancipation: Moving Toward Black Freedom, by Rinaldo Walcott The issue of freedoms lag is precisely what marks the narrative legacy of Juneteenth as precarious. Challenging the popular understanding of emancipation as a singular event that secured Black freedom, The Long Emancipation presents the issue on a global scale weighed by slavery and colonialism, in which the end of bondage could be said to be buffering at best. Posing the long emancipation as a more accurate description of the chasm between freedom and manumission, Rinaldo Walcott contends that, the conditions of Black life, past and present, work against any notion that what we inhabit in the now is freedom. The Long Emancipation: Moving Toward Black Freedom, by Rinaldo Walcott $25 now 12% off $22 $22 at Amazon Buy $28 at Bookshop Buy

Juneteenth, by Ralph Ellison An incomplete manuscript that was edited and published following Ralph Ellisons death, Juneteenth embodies the essence of unfinished business embedded in its title. Giving voice to a righteous skepticism about the holidays presumed meaning, the protagonist, a Black Baptist preacher, retorts in a sermon (at a Juneteenth gathering no less), Theres been a heap of Juneteenths before this one and I tell you therell be a heap more before were truly free! And though the scope of the novel is not centered on the observation of Juneteenth, its characters  a race-baiting, white-passing Black senator and the aforementioned preacher who raised him  live out the ambiguous legacy of emancipation through a complex melding of ambivalence, anguish, and ambition. Juneteenth, by Ralph Ellison $25 now 44% off $14 $14 at Amazon Buy $25 at Bookshop Buy Black Age: Oceanic Lifespans and the Time of Black Life, by Habiba Ibrahim Habiba Ibrahims 2021 book Black Age: Oceanic Lifespans and the Time of Black Life considers how through the various phases of transatlantic slavery, blackness ha[s] been dispossessed of time on various scales, from bodies to histories. Theorizing black untimeliness within the Black literary and film culture of the 20th and 21st centuries, Ibrahim explores representations of Black children, elders, vampires, ghosts, and more. In her reading of Jordan Peeles 2017 film Get Out, Ibrahim draws attention to the films Black protagonist, Chris, and the ways that dispossession collapses the distance between his childhood and adulthood. Noting the unaged quality of Blackness in literature and popular culture, Ibrahim examines the unruly time card of history through narrative. The book offers an analysis of Black time and its contingencies that is invaluable for our meditations on the legacy of Juneteenth. Black Age reminds us of the ways that anti-Blackness warps temporality. As we set out to celebrate a holiday that is indivisible from slaverys timeline of terror, books like this situate the afterlife of slavery as one marked by deadly delays, time-theft, premature death, and unaged precarity. Black Age, by Habiba Ibrahim $28 $28 at Amazon Buy $32 at Bookshop Buy

Part III BETWEEN EMANCIPATION AND LIBERATION Because the 13th Amendment to the Constitution grants the continuation of slavery through the language of penalty, no one has sharpened our collective critical eye toward the political economy that threatens emancipation like incarcerated Black writers and the stories of incarcerated people. It comes as no surprise that allegories and allusions to the structure of prison populate Black literary musings on emancipation across genre and form. Just as the prison (in figures of speech, fact, and fiction) points us to a contemporary language of slaverys afterlife, Juneteenth invites us to read emancipation more critically and celebrate the political conviction such a reeducation demands.

American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin, by Terrance Hayes It is not enough to love you. It is not enough to want you destroyed, Hayes writes in this collection of seventy poems concerned with themes of American politics as they secure his own implied and impending death. Embracing the language of assassination  a murder that, owing to the influential status of its victim, gives death new meaning  his poetics work to reconstitute the meaning of a land of the free predicated on deadly pursuits. Speaking to violence and capture as distinguishing elements in the formation and future of the U.S., the poet names a sense of confinement at the level of the nations literary form: an American sonnet that is part prison, part panic closet, a little room in a house set aflame. American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin, by Terrance Hayes $18 now 39% off $11 $11 at Amazon Buy $18 at Bookshop Buy

The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead In Colson Whiteheads novel, inspired by the horrifically unstable distinctions between school and prison for mid-century Black youth, the teenage protagonist, Elwood, shakes his head when he listens to a 1962 recording of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s sermon at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Los Angeles. On the record, the reverend declared, Throw us in jail, and as difficult as that is, we will still love you  We will wear you down by our capacity to suffer, and one day we will win our freedom. For Elwood, a Black boy abused at a racist reform school, this request for love prior to liberation is unfathomable: What a thing to ask. What an impossible thing. The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead $21 $25 now 16% off $21 $21 at Amazon Buy $25 at Bookshop Buy

Part IV IMAGINING FREER FUTURES Throughout popular culture, Black creatives have made use of the language of slavery and emancipation to address their fraught relationships to their identities and crafts in industries shaped by racial capitalism. From Prince writing the word slave on his face in 1993 during a contract dispute with Warner Bros. to Anita Bakers declaration on obtaining the masters to her albums that shed retired from the plantation, the issue of freedom has shown itself foundational to the conflicts faced by Black artists who look back as they try to help create new paths forward.

The Meaning of Mariah Carey, by Mariah Carey and Michaela Angela Davis Mariah Careys memoir features a comparison of her former Bedford marital home (a 33,000-square-foot mansion on 51 acres where she was plagued by anti-Black bigotry, constant surveillance, and emotional abuse) to the nearby Sing Sing Correctional Facility: No matter how prime the real estate, how grandiose the structure, if its designed to monitor movement and contain the human spirit, it will only serve to diminish and demoralize those inside. After Careys personal Sing Sing has burned to the ground, the R&B artist responsible for 2005s best-selling album The Emancipation of Mimi, declares, I have had to emancipate myself several times. Even the most glamorous among us cannot deny the glaring fault lines in our flimsy talk of freedom. The Meaning of Mariah Carey, by Mariah Carey and Michaela Angela Davis $14 $30 now 53% off $14 $14 at Amazon Buy $20 at Bookshop Buy
Netflixs gonzo sequel, starring Chris Hemsworth, is better than Extraction  a movie that definitely exists. Photo: Jasin Boland/Netflix

Watching Netflixs Extraction 2, I didnt really care about anything that happened to the characters onscreen, but I did find myself starting to feel for the films director, Sam Hargrave, who works overtime to lend this brick of a movie some semblance of imagination. A veteran stunt professional, Hargrave directed the first Extraction, which came out in 2020. Ive somehow seen that film twice and yet my memory of it is just a miasma of tedious head shots. The sequel certainly represents a step up from that effort. The kills, of which there are many, are infinitely more creative this time, even if the story and characters remain thoroughly forgettable.

It didnt have to be this way. I dont know what more Hemsworth has to do to demonstrate his considerable charm and comic timing  as evidenced in his outings as Thor, his scene-stealing cameos in the comedies Ghostbusters (2016) and Vacation (2015), and his layered, entertaining turn as the smarmy villain of last years Spiderhead (another Netflix production)  but the Extraction movies seem determined to use him in the most uninspiring way possible. As Tyler Rake, the series haunted Aussie black-ops mercenary, the actor is stoic, silent, and humorless. There is a reason for this: Tiny flashbacks throughout tell us that at the heart of everything Rake does is an attempt to make up for abandoning his young son on his deathbed. The film gives us just enough of this motivation to make that clear  and yet not enough for it to resonate in any meaningful way. All Hemsworth is asked to do is stare off into space. As a result, theres an emotional void where the movies heart should be.

But he can fight, and he can move, and Extraction 2 uses its stars physical abilities well  particularly in an extended, 20-minute-plus single-shot prison escape, beatdown, and chase that marks the movies high point. Of course, its not really a single shot. There are clearly digital stitches hidden amid all those whip-pans and dark shadows passing through the frame. And in some ways, this extended sequence represents the films shortcomings as well, as its creativity gradually curdles into tedium.

Lets talk about this for a bit. The setup of the sequence is simple. (Everything in this movie is simple.) Rake has agreed to help extract a woman, Ketevan (Tinatin Dalakishvili), and her two kids from a Georgian prison where they are being housed alongside her mobster husband, who wants his family by his side while he serves out his sentence. At first, the delirious camerawork following Rake and his wards through the bowels of the crowded, labyrinthine prison enhances their confusion, and the frantic pace accelerates as the various inmate gangs rise up and attack our heroes. Then we move on to a big, crowded prison-yard melee involving axes, guns, knives, shovels, grenades, and one movie star with a flaming arm. This section is genuinely uproarious. (Its a shame that most people watching Extraction 2 will have to experience this inside of their existential-content cocoons and not in a rowdy movie theater.) Alas, the one-shot sequence keeps going after that into a car chase, a train chase, and a helicopter chase, and after a while, whats happening onscreen ceases to matter, because it seems like the only thing the filmmakers care about is keeping this tired visual gimmick going. By the time the umpteenth black car is getting bazookad into oblivion, we can smell the desperation behind the camera.

These show-offy single-take sequences certainly have their place. My favorite film from last year (and maybe my favorite film of this young decade), Romain Gavrass Athena, was built partly around a series of so-called oners. But in Athena (also produced by Netflix), these sequences spoke to the exaltation and release of the storys central rebellion. They expanded the films metaphor, allowing one banlieue uprising to become a vision of a broader, warlike conflict. Athenas formal daring matched its thematic ambitions, in other words. If such connections exist in Extraction 2, I missed them. Mainly, its all just neat  impressively mounted and increasingly meaningless.

Still, thats not nothing. Hargraves directorial bravado and perverse imagination occasionally help transcend the generic story and characters. (The screenplay was written by Joe Russo, based on a 2014 graphic novel he created with his brother Anthony Russo and Ande Parks.) A guy gets pitchforked in the neck. Another gets his face plastered into a furnace before his hand is ripped in half. Then some other guy gets his head smushed with a dumbbell. At least one helicopter blows up real good. Theres a fight on a glass rooftop thats fun for about half a minute. You get your kicks where you can.

Certain action movies rely mainly on getting the viewer excited about the inventive stunt work and pyrotechnics onscreen with little care given to establishing any real emotional engagement. Extraction 2 cant quite pretend to be one of those, because it does try to move us  and mostly fails. But its clear that Hargraves interests (and skills) lie in the realm of staging gonzo action set pieces full of creatively garish violence. I cant wait to see what happens to him next. Tyler Rake, not so much.
Douglas Lamont - News Scan

People who mock ethical stances by businesses are just afraid of change, the boss of Tonys Chocolonely has said.

Douglas Lamont, chief executive at the chocolatier, which campaigns against slavery and forced labour in the chocolate industry, hit out at critics of the shift towards social purpose and green policies in business.

He said: People are exploring ways to talk about how we balance our responsibilities to people, profit, and the planet more effectively. And I think many people who are mocking these things are afraid of that change.

Everybody can say, oh, but youre still not doing X, Y, and Z. He said most of those people will have done nothing to go greener themselves.

Tonys Chocolonely - Features Scan

Social and environmental issues have become an increasingly important part of corporate life over the last decade. However, businesses have also faced claims of virtue signalling and focusing too much on social purpose rather than making money.

Hellmanns owner Unilever, for example, has been repeatedly criticised by stockpicker Terry Smith, from Fundsmith, over claims it focuses more on purpose rather than maximising shareholder value.

Authorities have also become suspicious that some companies are not living up to their ethical claims. The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) earlier this year launched an investigation into bogus green claims on supermarket products.

Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said in January: As more people than ever try to do their bit to help protect the environment, were concerned many shoppers are being misled and potentially even paying a premium for products that arent what they seem, especially at a time when the cost of living continues to rise.

Tonys Chocolonely chief Mr Lamont, who is also chair of the Better Business Act campaign, said a small number of cases were making the majority of ethical businesses look bad. The Better Business Act group campaigns to ensure every company in the UK aligns their interests with those of wider society and the environment, according to its website.

Mr Lamont said: The problem in the world is there are some people that say, well, lets just create a PR story... but [they] dont do things. And then that gets used as the norm rather than the exception.

He dismissed the idea that businesses should focus only on making money.

The idea that the role of companies is just to maximise profits and forget about the externalities, whether thats your employees, or whether thats the impact we have on the planet for me, were coming to the end of that era.

Tonys Chocolonely was founded by Teun van de Keuken, a Dutch journalist who wanted to raise awareness of slavery in the chocolate supply chain. Its bars  which are unequally divided to represent inequality in the industry  have become best sellers in the UK over recent years, increasing in sales by 23pc in 2022 according to Nielsen data in trade magazine The Grocer.

Mr Lamont became chief executive of the company in 2022. Prior to that he was chief executive of smoothie and juices brand Innocent.

The company said on Friday it had raised 20m (17m) from investors to help grow the business as well as to build out its separate bean sourcing company, Tonys Open Chain.

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San Casciano bronzes go on display at Quirinale.

Italy will display the trove of ancient bronze statues unearthed last year at the San Casciano thermal bath site in Tuscany in an exhibition at the Quirinal Palace in Rome.

Titled Gli Dei Ritornano (The Gods Return), the exhibition at Palazzo Quirinale will be open from 23 June to 25 July and again from 2 September to 29 October 2023.

The votive statues, dating to between the second century BC and the first century AD, emerged intact from the mud at the bottom of a Roman pool in the hilltop town last November.

The sensational discovery of the statues - representating divinities including Apollo and Hygieia, as well as emperors, matrons and ephebes - shed new light on the relationship between the Etruscans and the Romans.

A Roma, il palazzo del Quirinale ospita sino al 29 ottobre la mostra "Gli Dei ritornano". Esposti i bronzi di San Casciano dei Bagni, ritrovati di recente nel santuario termale etrusco e romano della localita senese. #IoSeguoTgr @TgrRaiLazio #22giugno @MiC_Italia pic.twitter.com/w2eSFcyQuu  Tgr Rai (@TgrRai) June 22, 2023

Archaeologist Jacopo Tabolli, who led the excavation project, hailed it as a discovery that would "rewrite history" about the transition from the Etruscan civilisation to the Roman Empire, adding that there was "no clear division between the two cultures".

The discovery at San Casciano dei Bagni made headlines around the world. Photo Palazzo Quirinale.

The public can visit the exhibition at Palazzo Quirinale on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with an entry fee of 1.50.

Reservation is required for the hour-long visit, with full visiting details on the Quirinale website.

Cover photo Culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano - Twitter
Blockbuster to hit cinemas in Italy on 12 July.

Rome will host the world premiere of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning - Part One at the Auditorium Conciliazione on Monday 19 June.

The movie, the seventh in the Mission: Impossible saga, was filmed in the Italian capital whose streets in the historic centre provided the back drop for numerous car chases.

The premiere at the venue near the Vatican is set to be attended by the film's cast including Hollywood star Tom Cruise, who plays the role of special agent Ethan Hunt.

Another video of #TomCruise filming #MissionImpossible7 car chases on Via Panisperna in #Romes Monti quarter. Footage by Tony Randell. pic.twitter.com/RJNnuKFqzQ  Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) October 7, 2020

The movie, directed by Christopher McQuarrie, also features Ving Rhames, Henry Czerny, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson and Vanessa Kirby.

The premiere will result in traffic restrictions and bus detours in the area around the auditorium on Via della Conciliazione on Monday.

Filming of the blockbuster began in Venice in February 2020, coinciding with the outbreak of covid-19, with production relocating to the UK before returning to Italy later that year.

Cover image: Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part I (Credit: Paramount Pictures).
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The scales are formally shifting on Body Mass Index, a measurement that has been the source of much scorn in recent years. The American Medical Association has now weighed in to say that doctors should look at factors beyond BMI to determine whether a patient is unhealthily obese. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Finally, medical science is looking beyond this nearly 200-year-old formula. It was devised not by a doctor, but by an astronomer. He used it to define what was normal  a normal based on White, 19th-century European men.

Now comes the tricky part: Shifting the way doctors and society define a healthy size  and ensuring people trying to lose weight can get the interventions they need.

BMI is someones weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters. That mathematical approach has been used to stigmatize and even misdiagnose a swath of the population. Its meant a skewed view of our nations health. And it has meant slapping an overweight or obese label on some people who are perfectly healthy, while overlooking others whose BMI is considered normal, but could use better guidance on exercising or eating healthy foods.

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Everyone has had personal experiences that illustrate the problems with BMI. I still cant shake the visceral reaction I had some years ago when a pediatrician began talking about her concerns about my kindergartners BMI. My daughter had stepped on the scale at the end of a summer where she treated mastering the monkey bars as her full-time job. The kid was ripped. Could the doctor not see that?

Yet pediatricians have leaned on BMI more and more over the years. A survey published last year found that by 2017, 95% of pediatricians were calculating BMI for their patients over the age of 2, compared to less than 40% of doctors in 2006. Many schools even added the measurement to report cards, despite no evidence that it influenced childrens weight.

Doctors time and energy would be better spent on other approaches to improving our nations health. As the AMA guidelines reiterate, BMI shouldnt be looked at in isolation. The data are murky around when BMI is and is not an indicator of someones chances of developing diseases like diabetes and heart disease, or their risk of dying younger.

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That doesnt mean those health risks dont exist, but it does mean that doctors should be using BMI alongside a more comprehensive list of health indicators. They should consider things like someones waist circumference, genetic risks for disease, body composition and their amount of visceral fat, or the fat that sits not just beneath the skin, but behind your muscles (people with an apple rather than pear shape typically have more visceral fat). The AMAs new position should help shift the conversations between doctors and their patients.

But we do need to consider that releasing ourselves from the confines of the dreaded calculation could also further complicate peoples ability to access interventions. BMI is often used as a cutoff for access to certain treatments, and we cant allow it to get even harder for people to access care they want and need, whether thats weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, bariatric surgery or behavioral interventions. Indeed, the AMA also stressed that given differences in body shapes and fat distribution across people of different races, ages and genders, BMI should not be used as a sole criterion to deny appropriate insurance reimbursement.

Given the increasing prevalence of obesity and the projected astronomical cost to the economy (with the caveat that these numbers are calculated based on BMI!), it makes perfect sense for doctors to discuss healthy habits. But the conversation should be focused on health, not math.

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More From Lisa Jarvis at Bloomberg Opinion:

 Hyped as a Depression Treatment, Ketamine Is a Mystery

 Theres No Such Thing as Generic Ozempic or Wegovy

 The FDA Should Liberate This Birth Control Pill

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Lisa Jarvis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering biotech, health care and the pharmaceutical industry. Previously, she was executive editor of Chemical & Engineering News.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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Overland Park-based Tiger Cool Express ceased operations after 10 years. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

New details have emerged about Tiger Cool Express financial health leading up to the companys abrupt closure on Tuesday.

A source familiar with the situation at the now-shuttered refrigerated rail shipping and logistics firm said Tiger Cool Express refinanced its equipment with Wells Fargo Bank a few years ago. The company had more than 700 53-foot temperature-controlled containers in its fleet, hauling produce, wine and frozen goods.

The company was doing well until last spring, when the refrigerated market blew a tire and volumes dropped significantly, which contributed to Tiger Cool Express falling behind on its loan payment to Wells Fargo, according to the source.

5-year ROTVI Reefer Outbound Tender Volume Index, which measures load tenders or requests from shipper to carrier for reefer loads (Chart: SONAR)

Since Tiger Cool Express allegedly broke its financial covenants with Wells Fargo over the missed payments, the bank requested that the leased equipment be returned, the source said.

On Friday, Wells Fargo spokesperson Melissa Eckmann confirmed that Tiger Cool Express is a customer but declined to share any details about the companys financial state.

Tiger Cool Express, which opened its doors in 2013, received $15 million from private equity firm Tiger Infrastructure Partners, which has offices in New York and London.





Emily Nevins, an executive assistant at Tiger Infrastructure Partners, said the private equity firm is aware of the situation at Tiger Cool Express but has no plans to issue a statement. Other executives at Tiger Infrastructure Partners did not respond to FreightWaves request for comment.

Tiger Cool Express executives, including Steve Van Kirk, CEO; Leslie Baird, chief commercial officer; and Theodore Prince, chief strategy officer, are also remaining silent about the closure of the logistics company. All three declined FreightWaves requests to be interviewed for this story.

One former Tiger Cool Express worker told FreightWaves that employees were fired during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday. The Kansas City Business Journal was the first news outlet to report on companys closure.

Expansion plan hits the skids

Two months after Tiger Cool Express hosted a media day on April 12 to announce the future opening of Tiger Tri-Cities Logistics Center in Wallula, Washington, which was slated to open this month, the company abruptly pumped the brakes on the project and shut down the logistics company.

The source who spoke to FreightWaves claims the company was going to be unable to pay its contractors for construction work on the intermodal terminal because of ongoing cash constraints.

Patrick Reay, executive director at the Port of Walla Walla, said he found out Tiger Cool Express was ceasing operations from various news outlets.

He said the ports only involvement is that it owns the rail line that would be utilized for the intermodal facility. He added that the port isnt involved on the operations side of things.

We are hopeful that new investors get involved and reconstitute the concept because its definitely a benefit to the Northwest, Reay told FreightWaves.

In December 2022, Tiger Cool Express signed a lease-purchase agreement to acquire the former Union Pacific Cold Connect warehouse, some property and to build an adjacent intermodal ramp in Wallula, Washington.

In a press release issued in January about the agreement reached between Tiger Cool Express and Union Pacific Railroad to create Tiger Tri-Cities Logistics Center, Prince said the facility has the potential to be a triple threat.

Tiger Cool Express Van Kirk was also quoted in the release about the project, stating, Despite our continued growth and fleet expansion, we realize that the Pacific Northwest offers transformational potential for our company.

Reay said the buildings had remained closed since May 2020, when Union Pacific announced it was shuttering its Cold Connect refrigerated division and its Cold Connect warehouses in Wallula, Delano, California and Rotterdam, New York, citing sluggish market conditions as a result of COVID-19.

In 2017, Union Pacific acquired Railex LLCs cold storage facilities and terminals. Railex raised $58 million through a public-private partnership in 2006 to fund its expansive infrastructure project to launch a cross-country refrigerated rail service.

One former Tiger Cool Express worker thought the company was on solid footing after the company announced the deal with UP. The ex-employee hopes that Tiger Cool Express management team and/or Tiger Infrastructure Partners issues a statement soon to explain what caused the logistics firm to fold.

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 here:

Union Pacific shutters operation of multimodal service Cold Connect

Truckers protest in LA after city ends hauling contracts over AB5

2 former employees charged with bilking $1.4M from carrier MH Group

The post Tiger Cool Express ceases operations amid financial troubles appeared first on FreightWaves.
If youve taken out a mortgage with ANZ Bank, theres a decent chance some processing of the loan occurred in the fast-growing city of Bengaluru in India.

The banking giant has close to 8000 staff in the city, who work on everything from helping to process applications for some loans or credit cards, to developing payment platforms, to conducting checks on new business clients.

ANZ has close to 8000 staff in Bengaluru (also known as Bangalore). Credit: AP

In the past, these sorts of hubs were largely call centres for foreign businesses such as ANZ. But these days, the banks offices in Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) focus on higher-skilled technology work. And key rivals to ANZ have followed it into the worlds most populous nation, saying it gives them access to a talent pool that will help them compete.

ANZ and Commonwealth Bank even have outposts with several thousand employees in the same location, which also hosts global giants such as IBM and Phillips. While Westpac does not have staff in the country, National Australia Bank last year opened a centre in Gurugram, a city near New Delhi.
Entomologists from the University of New South Wales and Western Australian Museum have discovered a stink bug species believed to be new to science during a two-week expedition near Esperance in Western Australia.

The bug, yet to be officially described and given a scientific name, is the size of a pea, has curved horns and bright yellow tusks and is remarkably well camouflaged on its host plant, a local hakea species.

It was discovered with the help of the Tjaltjraak (pronounced Tjarak) Rangers and senior cultural advisor Doc Reynolds at a place of cultural significance to the Wudjari people of the region.

They took us there just to show us that area and invited us to do some survey work there, said Dr Nik Tatarnic of the WA Museum, who discovered the bug alongside Dr Gerry Cassis, from the University of NSW.
The Gallagher issue should have been pursued, but it could have been done in a more measured way, one senior Liberal says. By Thursday evening, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton had booted Van from the party room, saying hed become aware of other allegations against the senator, setting journalists on a search to verify their existence. But the question remained why it had taken a crossbench senator to surface an allegation under parliamentary privilege for the Liberals to investigate one of their own when the allegations against Van were known by some within the partys ranks. With hindsight, clearly something more should have been done, but at the same time you cannot act on rumour and innuendo, the Liberal MP says.

For his part, Dutton said the Van allegations had not made their way to his door until Thorpe unleashed in the Senate. No, I didnt know about it. It was brought to my attention  not by the person against whom this alleged act was committed  it was brought to my attention by another party. Weve made contact with the individuals involved, and I think its appropriate that theres an authority that can deal with it, he told 3AW on Friday. In a round of media appearances on Friday morning, Dutton insisted he had acted swiftly in removing Van as he faced questions over who knew what and when of the allegations. But in what proved an understated theme of the week, women were once again losing control of their narratives amid an attempt to navigate a delicate balance of outing reprehensible behaviour while protecting the confidentiality of complainants.

As journalists worked to confirm the nature of the other allegations against Van, former senator Amanda Stoker identified herself on Thursday as one of the Liberal women at the centre, and indicated she had done so reluctantly because it was no longer tenable for it to remain private. In November 2020, Senator Van inappropriately touched me at an informal social gathering in a parliamentary office. He did so by squeezing my bottom twice. By its nature and by its repetition, it was not accidental, Stoker said in a statement. Former senator Amanda Stoker. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer She had confided in a senior female colleague at the time, she said  and confronted Van (who denies the incident)  but otherwise wanted the matter to remain confidential. On Friday, Dutton confirmed the existence of a third allegation of misconduct against Van of a similar nature and said he had handed the details to the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service, emphasising the third woman did not want to be identified. This is perhaps little comfort for the woman now facing a deluge of media interest and undoubtedly some expectation that she will join Stoker in putting her accusation on the public record.

Liberal backbench MP Bridget Archer, a survivor of child sex abuse, said she had found the tenor of the conversations in the parliament over the past week triggering, noting the chain of events had been kicked off by the leaking of Higgins private text messages to media outlets. It really is re-traumatising for a lot of people and very difficult to sit with, she said. Lidia Thorpe in the Senate on Thursday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen But she said she was hopeful that Duttons swift action while Thorpes allegations are investigated was a sign of a cultural shift in the building. I was somewhat heartened by the response that Peter Dutton made ... he has obviously taken that seriously and referred that for further consideration. I think that is a very important step, she told ABC Radio National.

As pressure mounted on Van to leave the parliament entirely, he issued a statement declaring he had been utterly shattered by the accusations and stunned that my good reputation can be so wantonly savaged without due process or accountability. Loading I will fully co-operate with whatever process Mr Dutton proposes to determine these matters as quickly and fairly as possible. While I understand the public interest is high, I will not be making any more public statements on the allegations until a proper examination of these claims is concluded, he said on Friday. Should Van withstand the pushes to oust him, the unique nature of the parliament as a workplace will be on display when he returns to the Senate as a crossbencher, moving to the same section of the chamber as Thorpe, his accuser. If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), Lifeline 131 114, or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636.
Anger at what, exactly? And is it directed against any particular person or party? The threshold question is why was federal parliament gripped by sexual abuse this week to start with? Loading Last week, Murdochs The Australian published text messages retrieved from the phone of Brittany Higgins, the former Liberal staffer who alleged in 2021 that shed been raped by another Liberal staffer, Bruce Lehrmann. She said hed raped her late at night in the office of the Liberal minister who employed both, Morrisons defence minister, Linda Reynolds, who remains in parliament. Lehrmann maintains his innocence. The messages, the authenticity of which have not been challenged, appear to show Higgins and her partner, David Sharaz, chatting in the days immediately before the bombshell news of Higgins rape claim was first published. In their chat, they are seen organising the media and political treatment of the forthcoming news. The messages implicate Labors Senator Katy Gallagher. Specifically, the leaked messages show that, four days before the news broke, Sharaz texted Higgins: Katy is going to come to me with some questions you need to prepare for  Shes really invested now ha ha.

Later that day, Sharaz messaged Higgins: Katy Gallagher messaged me. Shes angry and wants to help. Shes got the context. When Higgins asks to see the message from Gallagher, Sharaz replies: Yep! I gave her [Channel Tens The Project] interview for context. I hope thats okay? Shes not doing anything with it. But Im also happy to step out and let her talk to you if you want. Basically, I wanted her to get all the context because its so complicated. Higgins: Thats fine. Itll all be public pretty soon anyway haha. Other material from Higgins phone was published in recent days by Seven News and The Daily Mail. But its the Gallagher-related texts published in The Australian that became the centre of the weeks political recriminations. This is the first source of the anger Hendry is channelling  the leaking. The leak of the private text messages, says Hendry, is abuse of Higgins all over again. The leaking of Brittanys texts is particularly worrying because its linked to political gain and no regard for her wellbeing.

Who leaked the messages, and from where? Its unknown. But the contents of Higgins phone had been downloaded for the criminal trial of Lehrmann. So it had been given to the ACT police, the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, and lawyers for Lehrmann, at a minimum. None of the messages was used in the rape trial, so they were not disclosed as evidence or released publicly in any way. Loading Theres a real question of morality here, says Hendry. How far will these people go for political gain? The journalists who published it are equally complicit as the leakers for the bigger play  to damage the Labor government. This is precisely what the Liberal Party set about doing this week, all week. The Liberals seized upon the leaked messages to attack Gallagher, now Albaneses finance minister and the minister for women. Two years ago, Gallagher had told a Senate committee that no one had any knowledge of the Higgins accusations before the story broke publicly. She had misled parliament, the opposition claimed. And it had a case. Gallagher this week sidestepped the accusation by splitting hairs. She admitted she did indeed have a few days advance notice of the Higgins story. But, she said, that was not the accusation shed been denying two years ago. On that occasion, the Liberals said shed had two weeks notice. And that was the claim shed denied.

The pursuit of a minister for misleading parliament is standard scrutiny. The Liberals leadership argues that alls fair in love, war and politics. Labor, two years ago, used the Higgins case energetically against the Morrison government; the Liberals were merely returning the favour, they say. Loading The Coalition repeatedly pointed out this week that Gallagher, from opposition, had peppered the Morrison government with hundreds of questions over the Higgins case in question time, that Labors barrage against Linda Reynolds was so intense that, at one point, she collapsed on the Senate floor and had to take sick leave. So fairs fair, no? Janine Hendry says: I recognise Katy Gallaghers role and I recognise the accusation that she misled parliament. But I also respect her response that she felt the need to be a confidant of the information shes received. In terms of the treatment of the information, the weaponisation of the texts for political point-scoring, I lay that at the feet of the Liberal Party. There are lots of ways of scoring political points; but abusing women to do that is inappropriate.

The leak of Brittanys texts, and the response to those leaks, is abuse. There was zero respect for what she has gone through. Then opposition leader Anthony Albanese with March4Justice organiser Janine Hendry in Canberra. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The rape trial of Lehrmann was abandoned because of juror misconduct. Then prosecutors dropped the charges this year out of concern for the effect that another trial might have on Higgins health and welfare. The Liberals fired question after question over Gallagher and the Higgins case this week. And they were astonished when the attack backfired. The independent senator Lidia Thorpe accused a Liberal senator, David Van, of sexually assaulting her. Within 24 hours, two former Liberal legislators had phoned Peter Dutton to make similar complaints against Van. Dutton unhesitatingly expelled him from the Liberal party room. The Liberals had been hunting Labor scalps and were amazed to be handed one of their own.

On Friday morning, Van released a statement saying he was stunned that my good reputation can be so wantonly savaged without due process or accountability. Senator David Van is stunned that my good reputation can be so wantonly savaged. Credit: Nine News Hendry gives credit to Dutton for his decisiveness. But, on balance, she overall blames the Coalition for a disgusting fortnight. In that case, the Liberals have only managed to self-harm politically. Will that deter them from pursuing future advantage from cases of womens abuse? Hendry says that, on the evidence she sees, the people angered by these two weeks are not blaming only the Coalition but Labor as well. Anecdotally, from what I see, its been really damaging to politics in general. I cant help but wonder  will we see a mass exodus from the major parties to the independents and so-called teals? This is an effect that, in the commercial world, is known as a category killer. When one major firm attacks its competitor, both lose. The whole category suffers brand damage, with no winners.
Dubai: Iran is shipping the most crude in almost five years, fortifying its re-emergence on the geopolitical stage while posing risks for a fragile global crude market.

Exports have surged to the highest level since US sanctions were re-imposed in 2018, according to a range of analysts. The vast majority is flowing to China, as the worlds biggest importer scoops up cut-price barrels from the Islamic Republic.

An oil tanker docked at Bandar Mashahr, Iran in February appears to be taking on Iranian crude oil in violation of American sanctions. Credit: Planet Labs PBC via AP

Rebounding sales are the most tangible sign yet that Iran  while still reeling financially from years of isolation  is reasserting itself, having started to repair ties with regional rivals, fostered relations with Asias leading power, and even begun a tentative diplomatic engagement with Washington.

Yet the extra supplies are sapping confidence in an oil market weakened by faltering economic growth and cheap Russian cargoes, frustrating efforts by Irans partners in the OPEC+ alliance to put a floor under crude prices.
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Dublin, June 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "United Kingdom Air Source Heat Pump Market, By Process (Air to Air, Air to Water) By End Use (Residential, Hotels & Resorts, Gym & Spas, Education, Food Service, and Others), By Sales Channel, By Region, By Company, Forecast & Opportunities, 2018-2028F" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The United Kingdom Air Source Heat Pump Market is driven by rising awareness about the adverse effects of greenhouse gas, growth in infrastructure development to cater to the increasing population, along with various government schemes.



United Kingdom Air Source Heat Pump market has been fueled by the rising need for heat pumps brought on by the expansion of the residential and commercial building sectors as well as government subsidies for improving energy efficiency and lowering carbon emissions. Additionally, because residential facilities have more affordable heat pumps, the demand has increased.



Due to their great energy efficiency and low carbon emissions, several governments are attempting to enact energy conservation legislation. To organize, monitor, and create energy conservation policies as part of its energy efficiency policy, the U.K. government established energy efficiency offices.



Government Schemes are Driving the Market Growth



To lower carbon emissions in houses, the government revealed a USD 4.7 billion funding package as part of the Heat and Buildings Strategy. This funding package includes the boiler upgrade program. Heat pumps, which are more environmentally friendly than natural gas boilers, can be purchased for UK houses with government funding. For air source heat pumps, homeowners are eligible for government grants worth up to USD 6,050.



The Scottish government's "Home Energy Scotland" is a project to end fuel poverty in Scotland. The program provides interest-free loans to cover the upfront expenditures of renewable energy sources, including ground and air-source heat pumps. Through this program, one can receive up to USD 21,100 interest the consumers when they install devices with renewable energy. Depending on the type of renewable system chosen, one can also gain from a payback of up to 75%. These schemes from the government are encouraging consumers to buy more heat pumps which are fueling the market growth in the forecast period.



Initiatives from Companies are Fueling the Market Growth



To support the government, many companies are stepping forward and taking initiatives to install more heat pumps in the country; along with that, they are offering heat pump installations at a cheaper rate. For instance, British Gas offers both energy and residential services in the UK. To assist more of their clients in reducing their emissions, they have announced that they will be offering heat pump installations for USD 6,050. As a result, British Gas completed its first installation of an air source heat pump in 2022 as part of its British Gas rollout plan. Under the PH Jones brand, the parent firm of British Gas, Centrica, is currently putting in air source heat pumps in social housing, and they have already installed more than 1,500 units annually and are planning to install 20,000 units by 2025.



Energy Efficiency of Heat Pump Water Heaters Fuels Market Growth



One of the most efficient home heating systems available today is air-source heat pumps. Traditional boilers are 92% efficient. This means only 92% of the energy is utilized by the boiler to convert into heat generation for the house. Therefore, by using fossil fuels to generate heat, the consumer loses at least 8% of the energy. Older boilers may even lose 30% of their energy and have an efficiency of around 70%. On the other hand, heat pumps have an efficiency rating of over 300%, producing 3kW of heat energy for every kW of power used. Heat pumps are a preferable option when compared to fossil fuel options when it comes to the environment. Due to energy-efficient properties, consumers are shifting towards air-source heat pumps in order to save their electricity bill, due to which the market is expected to grow during the forecast period.

Report Scope:



In this report, United Kingdom Air Source Heat Pump market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends, which have also been detailed below:



United Kingdom Air Source Heat Pump Market, By Process:

Air to Air

Air to Water

United Kingdom Air Source Heat Pump Market, By End Use:

Residential

Hotels & Resorts

Gym & Spas

Education

Food Service

Others

United Kingdom Air Source Heat Pump Market, By Sales Channel:

Plumbers

Dealers & Contractors

Retail

Direct Sales

Online

Others

United Kingdom Air Source Heat Pump Market, By Region:

England

Scotland

Wales

Northern Ireland

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Research Methodology



3. Executive Summary



4. Voice of Customer Analysis (B2C Model Analysis)



5. United Kingdom Air Source Heat Pump Market Outlook



6. United Kingdom Air to Air Heat Pump Market Outlook



7. United Kingdom Air to Water Heat Pump Outlook



8. Market Dynamics



9. Impact of COVID-19 on United Kingdom Air Source Heat Pump Market



10. Market Trends & Developments

10.1. Evolution of Refrigerant

10.2. Growing Demand for Wi-Fi enabled Heat Pumps

10.3. Increasing Schemes from Government

10.4. Rising Awareness of Geo-thermal as Energy Source



11. Porter's Five Forces Model



12. SWOT Analysis



13. Competitive Landscape



14. Strategic Recommendations/Action Plan



15. About the Publisher & Disclaimer



A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes

Viessmann Climate Solutions SE.

Vaillant Group UK Limited

Daikin Airconditioning UK Ltd.

Hitachi Europe Ltd.

Robert Bosch UK Holdings Limited

NIBE Energy Systems Limited

Samsung Electronics (UK) Limited

Trane UK Limited

Aermec UK Ltd

Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xsgumc

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.

CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900




The West is poorer and its very good news, says top inequality researcher: There is no reason why for 2 centuries, people from the West shouldve been at the top

For Americans, a report saying inequality has dramatically fallen seems absurd. In the West, the gap between the rich and poor has been widening, and the middle class is gradually vanishing. But on a global scale, economic equality has improved to the highest level since the late 19th century, according to new research by one of the worlds foremost experts on the topic. Its very good news, he told Fortune.

Inequality in individual countries has been generally, in the last 30 years, up, economist Branko Milanovic said in an interview with Fortune about his findings. But global inequality at the same time has been going down. So these two things are not contradictory. Simply, global inequality depends on rates of growth of different countries.

Milanovic is one of the worlds foremost experts on global inequality, having previously served as the World Banks lead research economist and authored several books on the topic, including Worlds Apart (2005) and The Haves and the Have-Nots (2011). Currently a professor at the City University of New York, Milanovic has been a visiting scholar at several universities including Oxford, the London School of Economics, and Johns Hopkins. He published his findings in a large essay for Foreign Affairs titled The Great Convergence.

Milanovic measures inequality using the Gini coefficient, in which zero is perfect equality and 100 is total inequality. The worlds score was 60.1 in 2018, the most recent year for which data is available, down from 61.8 five years prior in 2013. The global Gini coefficient for each year is usually only calculated a few years later, because it requires over 130 countries individual income distributions.

As with so many features of the modern global economy, he says, you have to look at China to really understand it.

A story decades in the making

Global inequality began to fall two decades ago, when Chinas economy started to boom, Milanovic writes. Chinas explosive growth has been a main driver of the global inequality decline, partly because it's home to over 1 billion humans, nearly one-fifth of the world population. Its meteoric rise on the world stage has closed the chasm between the West and the rest of the world, according to Milanovic.

There are now more rich people in Asia than there were two decades ago. For the rich or middle class in North America and Europe, this means less purchasing power on a global scale. Especially for the Western middle class, luxuries like international travel or state-of-the-art tech will become increasingly unaffordable.

In his essay, Milanovic gives the example of a worker in Germany no longer being able to take a luxurious four-week tour of Thailand, and instead opting for a shorter or cheaper vacation. This is because as more people become wealthy globally, some people are displaced from the global middle or upper-middle class. The wealthiest Westerners will remain the worlds richest, but the middle earners will feel the squeeze of the changing global income distribution. A global economic balancing of the scales is finally eroding the Western hegemony, Milanovic said.

It's very good news. There is no reason why for two centuries, people from the West shouldve been at the top, he said. Now they will not be at the top, and I don't see that as a catastrophic outcome. I see it as a rather good outcome.

The current shuffling of the global wealth pyramid is the most significant since the Industrial Revolution, according to Milanovics research. Because the U.S. is the worlds largest economy, it would be very difficult if not impossible for it to match the rate of growth by Asian giants like China, India, and Indonesia. Even China is now so developed that it cannot maintain its previous pace.

All eyes turn to Africa

Of course, global equality does not benefit the populations of each country. In fact, the increasingly even distribution of wealth globally comes as inequality increases in certain Western societies, because now people of neighboring classes (like upper middle class and upper class) in the West belong to hugely different classes in the worldwide hierarchy. Several decades ago, the upper, upper middle, and middle classes in the U.S. were among the worlds richest, but thats no longer the case.

Whats interesting is that actually [falling global inequality] would reduce the real income of people in lower deciles in the West, Milanovic said. Even if nothing changes domestically, real incomes will become more polarized.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of U.S.-China relations, and Russias invasion of Ukraine make it difficult to forecast the future of global inequality, Milanovic said. However, the spotlight will likely shift from Asia to Africa. Because Chinas GDP has already significantly improved, it cannot continue to dramatically drive global inequality down, as such movement requires rapid economic growth.

Africa has the advantage of high birth rates, and thus a growing population and an expanding workforce, unlike the rest of the world, where birth rates are falling below replacement levels. Most African countries are also poor, meaning they have the potential to increase their wealth considerably and eclipse the growth rate of richer countries. However, Milanovic does not have much optimism for that scenario, considering that only six African countries have maintained a 5% growth rate for at least five years since 1950.

What is new is the discussion of the role of Africa, because Africa is the only continent with an increasing population, Milanovic told Fortune. In order to actually continue with the decrease in inequality, it will have to grow fast, but that's fairly unlikely.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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BERN TWP., Pa. - The historic, one-room Epler School house in Bern Township will reopen its doors Saturday, all thanks to an 8-year-commitment from the community.

Today's weekend's grand opening will feature guest speakers, along with a special partnership announcement with the Schuylkill Valley School District.

That starts Saturday, at 1 p.m. in the afternoon.
Why the chances of a government shutdown this fall are already on the rise

If anyone thought that the recent debt ceiling deal would mean any sort of reprieve from government spending brinkmanship, a deal cut this week by Kevin McCarthy has disabused those hopes.

To try and move past a rebellion among his most conservative members, McCarthy agreed to a plan whereby the House will propose additional spending cuts in the months ahead during budget talks. These cuts would be in addition to those agreed upon in the debt-ceiling deal Congress approved earlier this month.

The move all but guarantees that partisan spending fights will continue to be Capitol Hills main output in 2023, with Democrats immediately rejecting the idea and pledging to block it.

The months of fighting to come could have a host of consequences for a still fragile US economy even though a government default is now off the table until 2025.

The chaos could be destabilizing to markets; both a possible government shutdown and mandatory spending cuts are waiting at the end of the road if the gridlock continues into the fall and winter.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) at the U.S. Capitol on June 14. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

During a tense hearing this week, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said the recently enacted debt ceiling deal provided "a path to funding the United States government on time and with minimal drama. But she quickly added that the path appears to be gone now, saying if McCarthy persists and "we disregard the law of the land, we all but guarantee a shutdown in October."

Here are some of the major milestones to watch in the months ahead and some of the possible risks to the economy.

Phase 1: A messy appropriations process this summer

Much of the early focus will be on the House Appropriations Committee, led by Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX).

Her committee will be charged with passing 12 different bills in the months ahead to set spending across an array of government operations like agriculture, education, homeland security and many more. This process - which was agreed to as part of the debt ceiling deal - is the key first step in the overall budget talks.

The issue is that McCarthys agreement means those House bills are now set to be considered at a lower level based on fiscal year 2022 spending. The result is that House Republicans are now looking for about $120 billion in additional cuts to government programs beyond those that were agreed to in the debt ceiling deal.

Granger has said the Republican move is entirely legitimate and that the debt ceiling deal simply set a ceiling, not a floor on spending levels as Democrats on the panel like DeLauro have howled in protest.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, (D-CT) talks with Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) during a House Appropriations Committee meeting on June 14. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The Senate Appropriations Committee is led by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA). It and the House committee will proceed in parallel hearings this summer to put forth their own proposals at spending levels agreed to in the deal, setting up for a clash in the fall as both sides try to iron out the differences.

"The financial markets will have to watch this one," wrote Greg Valliere, the chief U.S. Policy Strategist at AGF Investments, in a note to clients this week of the drama to come.

For his part, Speaker McCarthy has brushed aside the chances of permanent gridlock, telling reporters this week "youve got to be more positive."

Phase 2: A possible government shutdown in the fall

The issue for plenty of observers is a possible government shutdown that could come on Oct. 1 without a bipartisan agreement. If the differences in approach between the House and Senate persist, the government could be faced with once again closing non-essential services this fall.

"Shutdowns often pressure equity markets, but only temporarily, as markets typically recover as soon as Washington emits signals of a deal to reopen the government," notes Brian Gardner, Stifel Chief Washington Policy Strategist, in his own note this week.

The political risk here, however, "is not currently priced into the markets" and could become much more front and center to investors and the economy in the fall if there are no signs of compromise on the horizon, he added.

During the government shutdown in 2013, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington and other National Parks were closed. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

In addition to a shutdown itself, there are an array of fiscal deadlines in the coming months and other important items on Congresss do list - from reauthorizing the FAA to the farm bill - that could get bottled up in a budget standoff. That chaos could spill into the broader economy.

Phase 3: Possible mandatory spending cuts on Jan. 1

If the gridlock remains unresolved this fall, attention will turn to an even steeper fiscal cliff awaiting Washington on Jan. 1, 2024.

The debt ceiling deal stipulates that if there is no overall budget deal in place by next year, discretionary government spending will be cut by 1%. Significantly, the cuts would be across the board and not only impact social programs but also hit defense spending as well.

Cuts of that type could be felt widely across the economy though lawmakers across the spectrum are likely to do everything in their power to avoid an outcome with such blunt cuts that would be felt from the Pentagon to places like the Department of Education.

But much remains to be seen in the months ahead with the most conservative members of the House for now clearly itching for another fight.

"We shouldn't fear a government shutdown," Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) told reporters this week.

Ben Werschkul is a 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
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Neighbors in East Allentown say they witnessed a police chase and gunfire.

There's not much police are telling us at this point. Both Allentown Police and the Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the officer-involved shooting incident.

Law enforcement officers from both agencies have been at two different scenes all night: one on South Third Street and the second on Carlisle Street.

Crime scene tape took over East Allentown, where neighbors - who live near Carlisle Street - report hearing gunshots, seeing a police chase, followed by a crash involving multiple cars, and then at least three ambulances.

"We did hear that there was a police chase, and there was shooting going on," said Helen, who did not wish to provide her last name.

Our camera captured a car involved in the incident with at least two bullet holes. Then, 69 News saw another red vehicle with damage, too.

Helen says it's unfortunate that people seem to have gotten more brazen. She says she hears gunshots in the area more often than in the past.

"Crazy. Everybody's above the law anymore," she said. "What if a stray bullet, you know, hit a child, a poor innocent kid?"

Helen says she would like to see more officers patrol in the area.

Police say that during a traffic stop, a trooper discharged two rounds from a handgun, striking the driver of the vehicle. The driver fled the scene, continuing onto South Carlisle St., striking other vehicles until it came to a stop.

Neighbors off camera said they saw people being transported by ambulances.

The driver was transported to the hospital for injuries as was a motorist who was struck by the driver.
Last August we met 29-year-old Isaiah Shields on Bank Street in Easton as he walked across America.

"I really, really like the look of Easton," said Shields.

Along the way, he made a lot of friends and covered a lot of ground.

"I walked 8613 miles, and it took me 497 days," said Shields.

Shields has a new adventure on track. He's now working across America.

"I've got quite a few skills as like a mechanic or handyman, so I just put out the word if anybody has any jobs done I'll do pretty much anything," said Shields.

His Facebook following did not disappoint.

"It's the bee business, you don't know what bees are going to do," said Ty Kelius, owner of TDK Contracting, a company that specializes in bee relocation.

Kelius and Shields spent the day rescuing a hive from a Jenkintown chimney and giving it a safe place to thrive.

Shields says working across America isn't just about meeting new people or learning cool things, like how to spot a queen bee. It's also an effort to raise money for his next adventure, walking across Europe.

"I'm gonna be doing the northernmost point to the southernmost point of the European continent, so Norway to Spain," said Shields.

Shields departs July 19 and will be posting about his adventures, that could one day be a book or a documentary.

"We're gonna be following him and encouraging him on his trip and living through his life vicariously," said Kelius.
i(x) Net Zero Plc (LON:IX.) insiders who purchased shares in the last 12 months were richly rewarded last week. The stock climbed by 22% resulting in a UK2.9m addition to the companys market value. Put another way, the original US$88k acquisition is now worth US$144k.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

View our latest analysis for i(x) Net Zero

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At i(x) Net Zero

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when CFO & Executive Director Jonathan Stearns bought UK72k worth of shares at a price of UK0.085 per share. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of UK0.14. Because the shares were purchased at a lower price, this particular buy doesn't tell us much about how insiders feel about the current share price.

In the last twelve months i(x) Net Zero insiders were buying shares, but not selling. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

i(x) Net Zero is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

i(x) Net Zero Insiders Bought Stock Recently

It's good to see that i(x) Net Zero insiders have made notable investments in the company's shares. Not only was there no selling that we can see, but they collectively bought UK88k worth of shares. That shows some optimism about the company's future.

Insider Ownership Of i(x) Net Zero

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. i(x) Net Zero insiders own about UK2.3m worth of shares. That equates to 19% of the company. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

What Might The Insider Transactions At i(x) Net Zero Tell Us?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. But we don't feel the same about the fact the company is making losses. Insiders likely see value in i(x) Net Zero shares, given these transactions (along with notable insider ownership of the company). So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. When we did our research, we found 5 warning signs for i(x) Net Zero (3 are concerning!) that we believe deserve your full attention.

But note: i(x) Net Zero 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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M&R Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT  Get Rating) by 52.3% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 163 shares of the aerospace companys stock after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. M&R Capital Management Inc.s holdings in Lockheed Martin were worth $77,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Lockheed Martin during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Okabena Investment Services Inc. bought a new stake in Lockheed Martin during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Mendota Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Lockheed Martin during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. bought a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin in the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Institutional investors own 75.18% of the companys stock.

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Lockheed Martin Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of Lockheed Martin stock traded up $3.25 during trading on Friday, hitting $459.20. The companys stock had a trading volume of 308,952 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,280,221. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.30. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $463.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $470.40. The company has a market capitalization of $116.29 billion, a PE ratio of 20.85, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.67. Lockheed Martin Co. has a 52 week low of $373.67 and a 52 week high of $508.10.

Lockheed Martin Dividend Announcement

Lockheed Martin ( NYSE:LMT Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The aerospace company reported $6.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.08 by $0.35. The company had revenue of $15.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.01 billion. Lockheed Martin had a net margin of 8.60% and a return on equity of 67.75%. Lockheed Martins quarterly revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $6.44 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Lockheed Martin Co. will post 26.76 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 1st will be paid a dividend of $3.00 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $12.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.61%. Lockheed Martins dividend payout ratio is currently 54.84%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LMT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Credit Suisse Group increased their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $510.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. StockNews.com raised shares of Lockheed Martin from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird lowered shares of Lockheed Martin from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $513.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $478.00 to $496.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin from $546.00 to $579.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $494.79.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lockheed Martin

In other Lockheed Martin news, EVP Stephanie C. Hill sold 2,391 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $490.84, for a total transaction of $1,173,598.44. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,604 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,186,547.36. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, EVP Stephanie C. Hill sold 2,391 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $490.84, for a total transaction of $1,173,598.44. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 12,604 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,186,547.36. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director John Donovan purchased 506 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 19th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $495.17 per share, for a total transaction of $250,556.02. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 2,830 shares in the company, valued at $1,401,331.10. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Lockheed Martin Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Lockheed Martin Corporation, a security and aerospace company, engages in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of technology systems, products, and services worldwide. It operates through four segments: Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT  Get Rating).

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Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:AMPE  Get Rating) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 446,900 shares, a decline of 40.3% from the May 15th total of 748,600 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 378,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.2 days. Currently, 3.2% of the companys stock are sold short.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Ampio Pharmaceuticals in a report on Wednesday. They set a sell rating on the stock.

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Institutional Trading of Ampio Pharmaceuticals

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of Montreal Can acquired a new stake in shares of Ampio Pharmaceuticals in the first quarter worth about $168,000. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ampio Pharmaceuticals by 0.4% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 13,996,074 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock worth $6,578,000 after buying an additional 61,269 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ampio Pharmaceuticals by 0.8% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 9,307,338 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock worth $4,375,000 after buying an additional 77,822 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Ampio Pharmaceuticals by 2.0% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,430,770 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,612,000 after buying an additional 66,375 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ampio Pharmaceuticals in the second quarter worth about $72,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 19.82% of the companys stock.

Ampio Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

AMPE traded down $0.01 during trading on Friday, reaching $0.26. 55,415 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 276,007. The stock has a market cap of $3.85 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.14 and a beta of 1.48. Ampio Pharmaceuticals has a fifty-two week low of $0.18 and a fifty-two week high of $3.11. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $0.25 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $0.27.

Ampio Pharmaceuticals (NYSEAMERICAN:AMPE  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 8th. The specialty pharmaceutical company reported ($0.26) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter.

Ampio Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc operates as a biopharmaceutical company. The firm engages in the development of therapies to treat prevalent inflammatory conditions. Its product pipeline includes new uses for approved drugs and new molecular entities for important therapeutic areas, including metabolic disease, eye disease, kidney disease, inflammation and sexual dysfunction and CNS disease.

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Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE:AWI  Get Rating) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,200,000 shares, a growth of 31.3% from the May 15th total of 914,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 462,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.6 days. Currently, 2.7% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on Armstrong World Industries from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Armstrong World Industries from $90.00 to $87.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. StockNews.com lowered Armstrong World Industries from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, June 12th. Credit Suisse Group reissued an outperform rating and set a $100.00 target price on shares of Armstrong World Industries in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Armstrong World Industries from $77.00 to $78.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Armstrong World Industries has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $83.63.

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Institutional Trading of Armstrong World Industries

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Armstrong World Industries during the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Armstrong World Industries in the 2nd quarter valued at $38,000. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 32.3% in the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,029 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $82,000 after buying an additional 251 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 89.9% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,272 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $115,000 after buying an additional 602 shares during the period. Finally, Dark Forest Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Armstrong World Industries in the 1st quarter valued at $124,000.

Armstrong World Industries Price Performance

NYSE AWI traded down $0.54 during trading on Friday, reaching $70.32. 419,109 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 427,821. Armstrong World Industries has a 1-year low of $62.03 and a 1-year high of $94.94. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $67.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $71.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 2.18. The company has a market cap of $3.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.10.

Armstrong World Industries (NYSE:AWI  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The construction company reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.06. Armstrong World Industries had a net margin of 16.32% and a return on equity of 41.94%. The company had revenue of $310.20 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $310.86 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.02 earnings per share. Armstrong World Industriess quarterly revenue was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Armstrong World Industries will post 4.86 EPS for the current year.

Armstrong World Industries Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 18th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 4th were given a dividend of $0.254 per share. This represents a $1.02 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.44%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 3rd. Armstrong World Industriess payout ratio is 22.82%.

Armstrong World Industries Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Armstrong World Industries, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and sells ceiling and wall systems in the United States, Canada, and Latin America. It operates through Mineral Fiber and Architectural Specialties segments. The company offers suspended mineral fiber, soft fiber, fiberglass wool, and metal ceiling systems, as well as wood, wood fiber, glass-reinforced-gypsum, and felt ceiling and wall products; ceiling component products, such as ceiling perimeters and trims, as well as grid products that support drywall ceiling systems; ceilings and walls for use in commercial settings; and facade and partition products.

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Ault Alliance, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:AULT  Get Rating) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 75,800 shares, an increase of 49.8% from the May 15th total of 50,600 shares. Currently, 6.4% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 36,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.1 days.

Insider Activity at Ault Alliance

In related news, Chairman Milton C. Ault III purchased 3,726 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $27.00 per share, for a total transaction of $100,602.00. Following the purchase, the chairman now owns 176,208 shares in the company, valued at $4,757,616. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Ault Alliance news, Chairman Milton C. Ault III bought 3,726 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $27.00 per share, for a total transaction of $100,602.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 176,208 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,757,616. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Milton C. Ault III bought 1,333 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, May 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $27.00 per share, for a total transaction of $35,991.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 177,542 shares in the company, valued at $4,793,634. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 12,712 shares of company stock worth $317,352. Insiders own 13.81% of the companys stock.

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Ault Alliance Stock Performance

Shares of NYSEAMERICAN AULT traded up $0.37 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $8.85. 54,550 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 30,317. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. Ault Alliance has a 1-year low of $8.48 and a 1-year high of $116.58.

About Ault Alliance

Ault Alliance ( NYSEAMERICAN:AULT Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 22nd. The company reported ($41.24) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $31.19 million for the quarter. Ault Alliance had a negative return on equity of 75.97% and a negative net margin of 152.00%.

(Get Rating)

Ault Alliance, Inc owns and manages a data center, and provides mission-critical products for the defense and aerospace, industrial, automotive, telecommunications, medical and biopharma, and textile industries. It operates through the following segments: GWW, TurnOnGreen, Ault Alliance, Crypto-Currency, Real Estate, Ault Disruptive, and Holding Company.

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Shares of Auto Trader Group plc (LON:AUTO  Get Rating) have received a consensus rating of Hold from the eight brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four 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 GBX 624.86 ($7.82).

Several research analysts recently weighed in on AUTO shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a neutral rating and set a GBX 630 ($7.88) target price on shares of Auto Trader Group in a research note on Monday, June 5th. Shore Capital restated a buy rating on shares of Auto Trader Group in a research note on Tuesday, June 6th. Finally, Barclays restated an overweight rating and set a GBX 725 ($9.07) target price on shares of Auto Trader Group in a research note on Thursday, April 6th.

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Auto Trader Group Trading Up 0.8 %

Shares of LON:AUTO opened at GBX 642.80 ($8.04) on Friday. Auto Trader Group has a 12-month low of GBX 479.80 ($6.00) and a 12-month high of GBX 681 ($8.52). The businesss fifty day simple moving average is GBX 626.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 594.83. The company has a market capitalization of 5.88 billion, a PE ratio of 2,563.20, a P/E/G ratio of 3.99 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a current ratio of 1.61, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.76.

Auto Trader Group Increases Dividend

Auto Trader Group Company Profile

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 24th will be given a dividend of GBX 5.60 ($0.07) per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 24th. This represents a yield of 0.89%. This is a boost from Auto Trader Groups previous dividend of $2.80. Auto Trader Groups payout ratio is currently 3,200.00%.

(Get Rating

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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Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK  Get Rating) had its target price boosted by Citigroup from $55.00 to $58.00 in a research report released on Wednesday, The Fly reports.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on BK. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $52.00 to $51.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Bank of New York Mellon in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $44.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $64.00 to $62.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $51.82.

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Bank of New York Mellon Price Performance

Bank of New York Mellon stock opened at $44.65 on Wednesday. Bank of New York Mellon has a 12-month low of $36.22 and a 12-month high of $52.26. The stock has a market cap of $35.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.13, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $42.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $45.69. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92.

Bank of New York Mellon Dividend Announcement

Bank of New York Mellon ( NYSE:BK Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 18th. The bank reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.09 by $0.03. Bank of New York Mellon had a net margin of 11.98% and a return on equity of 11.45%. The firm had revenue of $4.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.40 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.86 earnings per share. Bank of New York Mellons revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Bank of New York Mellon will post 4.74 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 28th were issued a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.31%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 27th. Bank of New York Mellons payout ratio is 46.84%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 97.1% in the 1st quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 609 shares of the banks stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Exos TFP Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in Bank of New York Mellon during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. MV Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Bank of New York Mellon by 38.3% during the 4th quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. now owns 747 shares of the banks stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares during the period. Glass Jacobson Investment Advisors llc acquired a new stake in Bank of New York Mellon during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Sandy Spring Bank acquired a new stake in Bank of New York Mellon during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.29% of the companys stock.

About Bank of New York Mellon

(Get Rating)

The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation provides a range of financial products and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Securities Services, Market and Wealth Services, Investment and Wealth Management, and other segments. The Securities Services segment offers custody, trust and depositary, accounting, exchange-traded funds, middle-office solutions, transfer agency, services for private equity and real estate funds, foreign exchange, securities lending, liquidity/lending services, and data analytics.

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Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:BIO  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 383,800 shares, a growth of 31.8% from the May 15th total of 291,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 195,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.0 days. Approximately 1.8% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Bio-Rad Laboratories Stock Down 0.7 %

NYSE BIO traded down $2.50 on Friday, reaching $376.56. 513,445 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 216,881. Bio-Rad Laboratories has a fifty-two week low of $344.63 and a fifty-two week high of $572.70. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $408.70 and its 200 day moving average price is $437.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 4.28 and a current ratio of 5.56.

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Bio-Rad Laboratories (NYSE:BIO  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The medical research company reported $3.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.24 by $0.10. Bio-Rad Laboratories had a positive return on equity of 4.10% and a negative net margin of 7.01%. The business had revenue of $676.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $689.28 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $4.94 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was down 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Bio-Rad Laboratories will post 14.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Insider Buying and Selling

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Credit Suisse Group boosted their price objective on Bio-Rad Laboratories from $640.00 to $680.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. StockNews.com started coverage on Bio-Rad Laboratories in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Bio-Rad Laboratories from $571.00 to $579.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Bio-Rad Laboratories in a research note on Friday. They issued an overweight rating and a $550.00 price target on the stock. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $627.25.

In related news, EVP Michael Crowley sold 500 shares of Bio-Rad Laboratories stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $379.39, for a total transaction of $189,695.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 6,040 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,291,515.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, CAO Ajit Ramalingam sold 198 shares of Bio-Rad Laboratories stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $368.30, for a total transaction of $72,923.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Michael Crowley sold 500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $379.39, for a total value of $189,695.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 6,040 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,291,515.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 17.06% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bio-Rad Laboratories

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Heritage Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Bio-Rad Laboratories by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Heritage Wealth Management LLC now owns 66 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the period. WASHINGTON TRUST Co increased its holdings in Bio-Rad Laboratories by 62.5% during the 4th quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co now owns 78 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. CI Investments Inc. increased its holdings in Bio-Rad Laboratories by 50.0% during the 4th quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 84 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Bio-Rad Laboratories during the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Raleigh Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Bio-Rad Laboratories by 138.2% during the 1st quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 81 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.35% of the companys stock.

Bio-Rad Laboratories Company Profile

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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 reagents, apparatus, and laboratory instruments that are used in research techniques, biopharmaceutical production processes, and food testing regimes.

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BlackRock MuniYield Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MYD  Get Rating) was the target of a large drop in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 12,600 shares, a drop of 22.2% from the May 15th total of 16,200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 86,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days.

Institutional Trading of BlackRock MuniYield Fund

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Karpus Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of BlackRock MuniYield Fund by 8.4% in the 1st quarter. Karpus Management Inc. now owns 2,771,068 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $29,789,000 after acquiring an additional 215,664 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley increased its stake in BlackRock MuniYield Fund by 32.2% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 2,064,779 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $21,494,000 after buying an additional 503,412 shares during the period. Guggenheim Capital LLC increased its stake in BlackRock MuniYield Fund by 7.1% during the 1st quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 935,006 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $10,051,000 after buying an additional 62,098 shares during the period. Fiera Capital Corp acquired a new position in BlackRock MuniYield Fund during the 4th quarter valued at about $4,695,000. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in BlackRock MuniYield Fund by 15.7% during the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 425,033 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $4,569,000 after buying an additional 57,629 shares during the period.

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BlackRock MuniYield Fund Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of MYD stock traded down $0.04 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $10.29. The stock had a trading volume of 72,800 shares, compared to its average volume of 92,958. BlackRock MuniYield Fund has a twelve month low of $9.47 and a twelve month high of $12.01. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $10.40 and a 200-day simple moving average of $10.59.

BlackRock MuniYield Fund Announces Dividend

BlackRock MuniYield Fund Company Profile

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a $0.0365 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.26%.

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BlackRock MuniYield Fund, Inc is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc The fund is managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. It invests in fixed income markets. The fund primarily in long-term investment-grade municipal bonds with a maturity of more than ten years. It is exempt from federal income taxes.

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Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 18,840,000 shares, a decline of 12.3% from the May 15th total of 21,490,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 8,080,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.3 days. Currently, 0.9% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Credit Suisse Group lowered their price target on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $78.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Monday, March 6th. They issued a hold rating and a $62.00 price objective on the stock. 51job reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $66.00 to $65.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $78.62.

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Bristol-Myers Squibb Trading Up 2.3 %

Shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock traded up $1.49 on Friday, hitting $66.16. 19,394,443 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,518,662. The firms 50-day moving average price is $67.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $70.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $138.99 billion, a PE ratio of 19.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.44. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a one year low of $63.07 and a one year high of $81.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 1.28.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement

Bristol-Myers Squibb ( NYSE:BMY Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.05 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $11.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.50 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 15.95% and a return on equity of 51.75%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.96 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Investors of record on Friday, July 7th will be given a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.45%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 6th. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio is currently 66.47%.

Insider Transactions at Bristol-Myers Squibb

In other news, EVP Rupert Vessey sold 50,385 shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.06, for a total value of $3,378,818.10. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 47,751 shares in the company, valued at $3,202,182.06. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Bristol-Myers Squibb

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 55,629 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $3,024,000 after purchasing an additional 956 shares in the last quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management boosted its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management now owns 39,915 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $2,872,000 after buying an additional 1,288 shares during the last quarter. Talbot Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 4th quarter worth about $4,482,000. Baron Silver Stevens Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 4th quarter worth about $316,000. Finally, Atlas Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 4th quarter worth about $276,000. Institutional investors own 75.51% of the companys stock.

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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UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH  Get Rating)  Stock analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q2 2023 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, June 13th. Zacks Research analyst D. Chatterjee now forecasts that the healthcare conglomerate will post earnings per share of $5.98 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $5.96. The consensus estimate for UnitedHealth Groups current full-year earnings is $24.90 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for UnitedHealth Groups Q4 2023 earnings at $6.00 EPS.

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UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 14th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.24 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $91.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $89.77 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 27.05% and a net margin of 6.16%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $5.49 EPS.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on UNH. Loop Capital lifted their target price on UnitedHealth Group from $590.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. They issued an overweight rating and a $591.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $592.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $610.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Raymond James reaffirmed a strong-buy rating and issued a $630.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Friday, April 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, UnitedHealth Group currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $592.68.

Shares of NYSE UNH opened at $458.39 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $426.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.96, a PEG ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.68. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $489.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $494.88. UnitedHealth Group has a 52-week low of $445.68 and a 52-week high of $558.10.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 27th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 19th will be given a $1.88 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 15th. This represents a $7.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.64%. This is a boost from UnitedHealth Groups previous quarterly dividend of $1.65. UnitedHealth Groups payout ratio is currently 30.18%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Andrew Witty sold 6,160 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.49, for a total value of $3,002,938.40. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 86,564 shares in the company, valued at $42,199,084.36. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,684 shares of UnitedHealth Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $488.46, for a total value of $822,566.64. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 8,675 shares in the company, valued at $4,237,390.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Andrew Witty sold 6,160 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $487.49, for a total value of $3,002,938.40. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 86,564 shares in the company, valued at $42,199,084.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 8,852 shares of company stock valued at $4,313,962 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.35% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Atomi Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the first quarter valued at about $1,817,000. Berkshire Asset Management LLC PA bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the first quarter valued at about $4,584,000. EP Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the first quarter valued at about $520,000. Golden State Equity Partners bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $836,000. Finally, Macquarie Group Ltd. grew its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 6.9% in the 1st quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 1,660,567 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $784,651,000 after purchasing an additional 106,527 shares during the period. 86.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated operates as a diversified health care company in the United States. It operates through four segments: UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx. The UnitedHealthcare segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services for national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; health care coverage, and health and well-being services to individuals age 50 and older addressing their needs; Medicaid plans, children's health insurance and health care programs; and health and dental benefits, and hospital and clinical services, as well as health care benefits products and services to state programs caring for the economically disadvantaged, medically underserved, and those without the benefit of employer-funded health care coverage.

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Shares of Brookfield Infrastructure Co. (TSE:BIPC  Get Rating) were down 0.9% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as 61.10 and last traded at 61.52. Approximately 28,691 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 64% from the average daily volume of 79,055 shares. The stock had previously closed at 62.07.

Brookfield Infrastructure Trading Down 1.9 %

The company has a 50-day moving average price of 61.13 and a two-hundred day moving average price of 59.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 1.23.

About Brookfield Infrastructure

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Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates regulated natural gas transmission systems in Brazil. The company also engages in the regulated gas and electricity distribution operations in the United Kingdom; and electricity transmission and distribution, as well as gas distribution in Australia.

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Canada Goose Holdings Inc. (NYSE:GOOS  Get Rating) has been given a consensus recommendation of Hold by the six ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $25.85.

Several research firms have commented on GOOS. UBS Group cut their price target on Canada Goose from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. Barclays downgraded shares of Canada Goose from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Finally, Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Canada Goose from $17.00 to $14.80 in a report on Thursday, May 18th.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Canada Goose

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Credit Suisse AG increased its holdings in Canada Goose by 27.1% during the 3rd quarter. Credit Suisse AG now owns 363,370 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,538,000 after acquiring an additional 77,376 shares in the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc increased its holdings in Canada Goose by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 227,765 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,048,000 after acquiring an additional 7,168 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can increased its holdings in Canada Goose by 34.7% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 454,851 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,106,000 after acquiring an additional 117,147 shares in the last quarter. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC increased its holdings in Canada Goose by 31.4% during the 4th quarter. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC now owns 639,783 shares of the companys stock valued at $11,395,000 after acquiring an additional 153,048 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ArrowMark Colorado Holdings LLC increased its holdings in Canada Goose by 35.2% during the 4th quarter. ArrowMark Colorado Holdings LLC now owns 3,144,398 shares of the companys stock valued at $56,002,000 after acquiring an additional 818,868 shares in the last quarter. 42.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Canada Goose Price Performance

Canada Goose stock opened at $17.12 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $18.15 and a 200-day simple moving average of $18.90. Canada Goose has a 12-month low of $14.51 and a 12-month high of $24.73. The company has a current ratio of 2.45, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82.

Canada Goose (NYSE:GOOS  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 18th. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $216.84 million during the quarter. Canada Goose had a net margin of 5.58% and a return on equity of 25.45%. Equities analysts expect that Canada Goose will post 1.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Canada Goose Company Profile

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Canada Goose Holdings Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and sells performance luxury apparel for men, women, youth, children, and babies in Canada, the United States, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company operates through three segments: Direct-to-Consumer, Wholesale, and Other.

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Cullinan Associates Inc. lifted its holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC  Get Rating) by 17.9% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 13,800 shares of the construction companys stock after buying an additional 2,100 shares during the period. Cullinan Associates Inc.s holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $2,368,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. CI Investments Inc. increased its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 956.3% in the 3rd quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 169 shares of the construction companys stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V. purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. General Partner Inc. purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. HBC Financial Services PLLC purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, New Hampshire Trust purchased a new stake in Vulcan Materials in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors own 90.08% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity at Vulcan Materials

In other Vulcan Materials news, CEO J Thomas Hill sold 4,695 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.79, for a total value of $947,404.05. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 80,039 shares in the company, valued at $16,151,069.81. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Vulcan Materials news, CEO J Thomas Hill sold 4,695 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.79, for a total value of $947,404.05. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 80,039 shares in the company, valued at $16,151,069.81. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Randy L. Pigg sold 560 shares of Vulcan Materials stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $202.44, for a total value of $113,366.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,707 shares in the company, valued at approximately $345,565.08. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 7,644 shares of company stock worth $1,529,014 over the last three months. 0.62% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Vulcan Materials Stock Down 0.8 %

A number of brokerages have issued reports on VMC. DA Davidson increased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $212.00 to $225.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 10th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $191.00 to $186.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 20th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. 92 Resources reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Friday, May 5th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Vulcan Materials from $210.00 to $225.00 in a report on Friday, February 17th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Vulcan Materials presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $208.08.

NYSE:VMC opened at $207.31 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.37, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $189.11 and a 200-day simple moving average of $181.52. The company has a market cap of $27.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.73. Vulcan Materials has a twelve month low of $137.54 and a twelve month high of $210.09.

Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The construction company reported $0.95 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.57 billion. Vulcan Materials had a return on equity of 10.36% and a net margin of 8.14%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.73 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Vulcan Materials will post 6.52 EPS for the current year.

Vulcan Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 9th. Investors of record on Friday, May 26th were issued a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 25th. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.83%. Vulcan Materialss payout ratio is currently 38.05%.

Vulcan Materials Profile

(Get Rating)

Vulcan Materials Co engages in the production of construction aggregates. Its products include crushed stone, sand, and gravel. It operates through the following business segments: Aggregates, Asphalt, Concrete, and Calcium. The Aggregates segment produces and sells asphalt mix and ready-mixed concrete primarily in its mid-Atlantic, Georgia, Southwestern, Tennessee, and Western markets.

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Eloro Resources Ltd. (CVE:ELO  Get Rating)s stock price traded up 5.4% on Friday . The stock traded as high as C$3.55 and last traded at C$3.50. 144,360 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 36% from the average session volume of 106,080 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$3.32.

Eloro Resources Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 3.75 and a current ratio of 2.82. The firm has a market cap of C$260.58 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -18.42 and a beta of 1.46. The companys fifty day moving average is C$3.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$3.46.

About Eloro Resources

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Eloro Resources Ltd. engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties. It explores for gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, tin, bismuth, indium, and other base metal properties. The company holds 99% interest in the Iska Iska project, a polymetallic property consisting of one mineral concession covering an area of approximately 900 hectares located in Potosi Department, southern Bolivia; and 82% interest in the La Victoria Gold/Silver project that consists of 16 concessions covering an area of 8,933 hectares located in the North-Central Mineral Belt of Peru.

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Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH grew its stake in shares of EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG  Get Rating) by 8.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 9,979 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after acquiring an additional 758 shares during the period. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OHs holdings in EOG Resources were worth $1,144,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of EOG. Ossiam lifted its position in shares of EOG Resources by 1,206.7% during the 4th quarter. Ossiam now owns 196 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 181 shares during the last quarter. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of EOG Resources during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Lumature Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of EOG Resources during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Kistler Tiffany Companies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of EOG Resources during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Delta Asset Management LLC TN acquired a new stake in shares of EOG Resources during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.40% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity

In other EOG Resources news, COO Lloyd W. Helms, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.87, for a total transaction of $579,350.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 149,689 shares in the company, valued at $17,344,464.43. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

EOG Resources Stock Performance

EOG opened at $113.41 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $66.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 1.54. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $114.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $120.30. The company has a quick ratio of 1.90, a current ratio of 2.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. EOG Resources, Inc. has a 12-month low of $92.16 and a 12-month high of $150.88.

EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The energy exploration company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.42 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $6.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.28 billion. EOG Resources had a return on equity of 30.34% and a net margin of 33.83%. The companys revenue was up 51.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.00 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 11.34 earnings per share for the current year.

EOG Resources Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 2.91%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 14th. EOG Resourcess payout ratio is presently 20.64%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Barclays cut their price objective on EOG Resources from $152.00 to $145.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. StockNews.com assumed coverage on EOG Resources in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Scotiabank upgraded EOG Resources from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and reduced their target price for the company from $150.00 to $145.00 in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Credit Suisse Group reduced their target price on EOG Resources from $160.00 to $155.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on EOG Resources from $167.00 to $158.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $148.17.

EOG Resources Company Profile

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EOG Resources, Inc engages in the exploration, development, production and marketing of crude oil and natural gas. It operates through the United States, Trinidad, and Other International geographical segments. The Other International segment includes China and Canada operations. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

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Everence Capital Management Inc. lessened its stake in Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW  Get Rating) by 7.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 16,389 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 1,350 shares during the quarter. Everence Capital Management Inc.s holdings in Illinois Tool Works were worth $3,990,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of ITW. Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its holdings in Illinois Tool Works by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 9,666 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,024,000 after acquiring an additional 348 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 4.2% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 9,070 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,899,000 after buying an additional 368 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 54.7% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,859 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $599,000 after buying an additional 1,011 shares during the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. boosted its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 9.9% during the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 2,407 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $504,000 after buying an additional 217 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 70.7% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 746 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $156,000 after buying an additional 309 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.83% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Randall J. Scheuneman sold 5,425 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $239.23, for a total transaction of $1,297,822.75. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 8,870 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,121,970.10. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.88% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Illinois Tool Works Price Performance

ITW has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Barclays reduced their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $205.00 to $203.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Illinois Tool Works from $250.00 to $227.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. StockNews.com raised Illinois Tool Works from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on Illinois Tool Works from $183.00 to $181.00 and set a sell rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Illinois Tool Works from $240.00 to $236.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $228.21.

Shares of NYSE ITW opened at $247.97 on Friday. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a 1-year low of $173.52 and a 1-year high of $253.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 0.84. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $231.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $230.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $75.36 billion, a PE ratio of 24.80, a P/E/G ratio of 3.72 and a beta of 1.10.

Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The industrial products company reported $2.33 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.98 billion. Illinois Tool Works had a return on equity of 92.13% and a net margin of 19.27%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.11 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Illinois Tool Works Inc. will post 9.65 EPS for the current year.

Illinois Tool Works Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.31 per share. This represents a $5.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.11%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 29th. Illinois Tool Workss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 52.40%.

Illinois Tool Works Profile

(Get Rating)

Illinois Tool Works Inc manufactures and sells industrial products and equipment worldwide. It operates through seven segments: Automotive OEM; Food Equipment; Test & Measurement and Electronics; Welding; Polymers & Fluids; Construction Products; and Specialty Products. The Automotive OEM segment offers plastic and metal components, fasteners, and assemblies for automobiles, light trucks, and other industrial uses.

Further Reading

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Shares of FinecoBank Banca Fineco S.p.A. (OTCMKTS:FCBBF  Get Rating) have received an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the six brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $16.95.

Several research firms have weighed in on FCBBF. UBS Group downgraded shares of FinecoBank Banca Fineco from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of FinecoBank Banca Fineco from an underperform rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of FinecoBank Banca Fineco in a report on Monday, March 27th. They set an overweight rating on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of FinecoBank Banca Fineco from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, March 22nd.

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FinecoBank Banca Fineco Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS FCBBF opened at $13.85 on Friday. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $15.00 and its 200 day simple moving average is $15.40. FinecoBank Banca Fineco has a 12-month low of $13.08 and a 12-month high of $13.96.

About FinecoBank Banca Fineco

FinecoBank SpA engages in the provision of banking, trading, and investing solutions. It offers multicurrency accounts, payment cards, mortgages and loans, and financial consulting services. The company was founded by Emilio Gnutti in 1979 and is headquartered in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

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Fosterville South Exploration Ltd. (OTCMKTS:FSXLF  Get Rating) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 10,400 shares, a growth of 30.0% from the May 15th total of 8,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 33,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days.

Fosterville South Exploration Price Performance

Shares of Fosterville South Exploration stock traded down 0.01 during trading hours on Friday, reaching 0.32. 3,100 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 39,091. The business has a fifty day moving average of 0.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of 0.36. Fosterville South Exploration has a 1 year low of 0.20 and a 1 year high of 0.58.

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About Fosterville South Exploration

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Fosterville South Exploration Ltd., a junior exploration company, engages in the acquisition and exploration of epizonal orogenic gold deposits in Australia. The Company's principal properties are the 100% owned Lauriston Gold Project covering an area of 215 km2; Golden Mountain Project, which covers an area of 102 km2; Moormbool Project comprising three granted licenses; and Providence Project that covers an area of 650 km2.

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Beulah Baptist Church in Culpeper County celebrated the eighth pastoral anniversary of Pastor Kenneth L. Pitts on June 10 at Germanna Community College in Culpeper. Pastor Pitts and first lady Marvis Baker Pitts, pictured, thanked the nearly 200 supporters in attendance.

Over the years, Pitts sermons have significantly impacted the community. His unwavering dedication to Gods Word, guided by the Holy Spirit, has touched many lives. He has led countless individuals to salvation, baptism and inclusion within the church. Under his leadership, members have completed numerous projects and recently installed a cemetery fence and sign and proudly displayed the American flag on the grounds. Additionally, Pitts has established an outreach ministry that provides fresh, nutritious food to the community.

Pitts remembers his mothers prayers during his childhood. With tears flowing, she anointed him with love and devotion and left a lasting impression on him. He believes her prayers are still being answered as he continues to serve as pastor at Beulah.
Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. (NYSE:ASR  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 92,200 shares, a decline of 28.2% from the May 15th total of 128,400 shares. Currently, 0.3% of the companys stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 63,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.4 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on ASR shares. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. from $215.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, March 30th. Finally, Barclays raised shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. from an underweight rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, May 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $255.00.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ASR. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. acquired a new position in Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund acquired a new position in shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. during the 4th quarter worth $40,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. during the 4th quarter worth $85,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. by 85.4% during the 1st quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 367 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $85,000 after purchasing an additional 169 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Addison Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. by 47.2% during the 4th quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 390 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $91,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 15.66% of the companys stock.

Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ASR opened at $297.18 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 3.24, a current ratio of 3.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. has a fifty-two week low of $179.01 and a fifty-two week high of $314.48. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $288.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $278.27. The company has a market cap of $8.92 billion, a PE ratio of 16.88, a P/E/G ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 1.09.

Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. (NYSE:ASR  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 24th. The transportation company reported $4.64 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.51 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $345.57 million during the quarter. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. had a net margin of 39.70% and a return on equity of 22.41%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. will post 20.44 EPS for the current year.

Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 30th were paid a $5.6528 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 26th. This represents a yield of 2.7%. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V.s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.86%.

About Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V.

(Get Rating)

Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. holds concessions to operate, maintain, and develop airports in the southeast region of Mexico. The company operates airports that are located in the cities of Cancun, Cozumel, Merida, Huatulco, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Villahermosa, Tapachula, and Minatitlan.

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Shares of HealthWarehouse.com, Inc. (OTCMKTS:HEWA  Get Rating) crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $0.17 and traded as low as $0.15. HealthWarehouse.com shares last traded at $0.15, with a volume of 13,350 shares traded.

HealthWarehouse.com Stock Performance

The businesss 50 day moving average is $0.18 and its 200 day moving average is $0.17. The company has a market capitalization of $8.13 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -15.00 and a beta of 0.15.

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HealthWarehouse.com (OTCMKTS:HEWA  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 11th. The technology company reported ($0.01) EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $5.28 million for the quarter.

About HealthWarehouse.com

HealthWarehouse.com, Inc operates an online and mail order pharmacy. The company markets a range of generic, brand name, and pet prescription medicines, as well as over-the-counter (OTC) medications and products. It sells its products in 50 states and the District of Columbia in the United States to focus on the out-of-pocket prescription drug market.

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StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of International Tower Hill Mines (NYSEAMERICAN:THM  Get Rating) (TSE:ITH) in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning. The firm issued a sell rating on the mining companys stock.

International Tower Hill Mines Trading Down 1.4 %

Shares of THM opened at $0.43 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $83.85 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -21.51 and a beta of 0.70. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $0.51 and a 200-day moving average of $0.53. International Tower Hill Mines has a 52 week low of $0.38 and a 52 week high of $0.75.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in International Tower Hill Mines stock. Virtu Financial LLC increased its stake in International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN:THM  Get Rating) (TSE:ITH) by 314.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 61,808 shares of the mining companys stock after purchasing an additional 46,910 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLCs holdings in International Tower Hill Mines were worth $26,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 55.34% of the companys stock.

About International Tower Hill Mines

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. is a mineral exploration company, which engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties. It holds the right to acquire interest in an advanced stage exploration project in Alaska, known as the Livengood Gold Project. The company was founded by Jeffrey A.

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IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima (NYSE:IRS  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 105,500 shares, an increase of 54.7% from the May 15th total of 68,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 58,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.8 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV bought a new position in IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima in the 1st quarter worth approximately $77,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC bought a new position in IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $58,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima in the 1st quarter worth approximately $135,000. Stokes Family Office LLC bought a new position in IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima in the 1st quarter worth approximately $204,000. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC bought a new position in IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima in the 1st quarter worth approximately $228,000. 17.11% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, June 2nd.

IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima Stock Up 6.1 %

NYSE:IRS traded up $0.41 on Friday, hitting $7.16. The stock had a trading volume of 176,651 shares, compared to its average volume of 85,744. IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima has a 1 year low of $3.16 and a 1 year high of $7.20. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $5.93 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $5.76. The stock has a market cap of $580.60 million, a P/E ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a current ratio of 1.65.

IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima (NYSE:IRS  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 8th. The financial services provider reported $0.92 earnings per share for the quarter. IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima had a net margin of 86.42% and a return on equity of 23.85%. The firm had revenue of $119.94 million during the quarter.

About IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anonima

(Get Rating)

IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones SA engages in the real estate business. It operates through the Operations Center in Argentina and Operations Center in Israel segments. The Operations Center in Argentina segment operates in the following segments: shopping malls, offices and others, sales and developments, hotels, international, and financial operations, corporate and others.

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Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:JMHLY  Get Rating)s share price rose 1.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $50.31 and last traded at $50.20. Approximately 9,437 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 37% from the average daily volume of 15,036 shares. The stock had previously closed at $49.55.

Jardine Matheson Price Performance

The firms fifty day moving average is $49.52 and its 200-day moving average is $50.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Jardine Matheson Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd. is a diversified Asian-based group with unsurpassed experience in the region. It holds interests directly in Jardine Pacific (100%) and Jardine Motors (100%), while its 85%-held Group holding company, Jardine Strategic, holds interests in Hongkong Land (50%), Dairy Farm (78%), Mandarin Oriental (79%) and Jardine Cycle & Carriage (75%) (JC&C).

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Oracle (NYSE:ORCL  Get Rating) had its target price increased by Jefferies Financial Group from $125.00 to $135.00 in a research report report published on Tuesday, The Fly reports.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on ORCL. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Oracle from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $130.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 12th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Oracle from $75.00 to $84.00 in a research note on Friday, March 10th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Oracle from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Oracle from $85.00 to $113.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 7th. Finally, KeyCorp upped their price target on shares of Oracle from $105.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Friday, June 9th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Oracle presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $115.21.

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Oracle Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of ORCL stock opened at $125.46 on Tuesday. Oracle has a 1 year low of $60.78 and a 1 year high of $127.54. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $101.29 and its 200 day simple moving average is $91.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $338.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 55.54.

Oracle Dividend Announcement

Oracle ( NYSE:ORCL Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Monday, June 12th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.09. Oracle had a net margin of 17.02% and a negative return on equity of 470.73%. The business had revenue of $13.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.74 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.31 earnings per share. Oracles revenue was up 16.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Oracle will post 4.49 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 11th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.28%. Oracles payout ratio is 52.29%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jeffrey Berg sold 4,866 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.31, for a total transaction of $609,758.46. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 207,409 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $25,990,421.79. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Oracle news, Director Jeffrey Berg sold 4,866 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.31, for a total transaction of $609,758.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 207,409 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $25,990,421.79. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Safra Catz sold 1,837,101 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.86, for a total value of $172,430,299.86. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,118,592 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $104,991,045.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 1,886,967 shares of company stock valued at $177,254,308. 43.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Oracle

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Clear Investment Research LLC bought a new stake in Oracle in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. NewSquare Capital LLC raised its stake in Oracle by 843.3% in the 1st quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 283 shares of the enterprise software providers stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 253 shares during the period. Steward Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Oracle in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in Oracle in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Oracle in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 40.96% of the companys stock.

About Oracle

(Get Rating)

Oracle Corporation offers products and services that address enterprise information technology environments worldwide. Its Oracle cloud software as a service offering include various cloud software applications, including Oracle Fusion cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP), Oracle Fusion cloud enterprise performance management, Oracle Fusion cloud supply chain and manufacturing management, Oracle Fusion cloud human capital management, Oracle Advertising, and NetSuite applications suite, as well as Oracle Fusion Sales, Service, and Marketing.

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Ameren (NYSE:AEE  Get Rating) had its price objective reduced by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $102.00 to $92.00 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday, The Fly reports.

AEE has been the subject of a number of other reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Ameren from $95.00 to $98.00 in a research report on Monday, May 8th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Ameren in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Mizuho reduced their price target on Ameren from $91.00 to $87.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 16th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Ameren from $84.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, 888 reissued an upgrade rating on shares of Ameren in a research report on Monday, June 12th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $93.50.

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Ameren Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE AEE opened at $84.08 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $86.04 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $86.42. The firm has a market cap of $22.08 billion, a PE ratio of 20.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.44. Ameren has a twelve month low of $73.28 and a twelve month high of $97.53.

Ameren Dividend Announcement

Ameren ( NYSE:AEE Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $2.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.95 billion. Ameren had a return on equity of 10.41% and a net margin of 13.34%. Amerens revenue was up 9.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.97 EPS. Analysts expect that Ameren will post 4.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 13th. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.00%. Amerens dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.43%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Michael L. Moehn sold 3,080 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.12, for a total transaction of $249,849.60. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 164,179 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,318,200.48. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other Ameren news, CFO Michael L. Moehn sold 3,080 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.12, for a total transaction of $249,849.60. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 164,179 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,318,200.48. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Fadi M. Diya sold 36,940 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.37, for a total value of $3,042,747.80. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 57,676 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,750,772.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.42% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ameren

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ameren in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Dark Forest Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Ameren in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Optiver Holding B.V. acquired a new position in shares of Ameren in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. New Hampshire Trust acquired a new position in shares of Ameren in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ameren in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.42% of the companys stock.

About Ameren

(Get Rating)

Ameren Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a public utility holding company in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois Electric Distribution, Ameren Illinois Natural Gas, and Ameren Transmission. It engages in the rate-regulated electric generation, transmission, and distribution activities; and rate-regulated natural gas distribution and transmission businesses.

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KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (OTCMKTS:KLMR  Get Rating) shares were up  on Thursday . The company traded as high as $0.25 and last traded at $0.25. Approximately 100 shares changed hands during mid-day trading,

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Price Performance

The businesss 50 day moving average price is $1.96 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1.74.

About KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

(Get Rating)

Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij NV engages in the provision of scheduled passenger air transportation services. It operates through the following business segments: Network, Maintenance, Leisure, and Other. The Network segment includes air transport of passengers and cargo activities. The Maintenance segment offers maintenance services including engine, component, and airfare maintenance.

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Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC cut its holdings in shares of iShares Aaa  A Rated Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:QLTA  Get Rating) by 12.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 24,955 shares of the companys stock after selling 3,669 shares during the quarter. iShares Aaa  A Rated Corporate Bond ETF makes up 0.6% of Lowe Wealth Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC owned about 0.15% of iShares Aaa  A Rated Corporate Bond ETF worth $1,194,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in shares of iShares Aaa  A Rated Corporate Bond ETF by 56.8% during the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 355,914 shares of the companys stock worth $16,147,000 after purchasing an additional 128,887 shares during the last quarter. Prudential PLC grew its stake in iShares Aaa  A Rated Corporate Bond ETF by 94.3% in the 3rd quarter. Prudential PLC now owns 28,450 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,291,000 after buying an additional 13,810 shares during the last quarter. ESL Trust Services LLC grew its stake in iShares Aaa  A Rated Corporate Bond ETF by 31.6% in the 4th quarter. ESL Trust Services LLC now owns 23,651 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,096,000 after buying an additional 5,681 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its stake in iShares Aaa  A Rated Corporate Bond ETF by 27.9% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 34,725 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,609,000 after buying an additional 7,579 shares during the last quarter. Finally, RKL Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in iShares Aaa  A Rated Corporate Bond ETF by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC now owns 110,734 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,130,000 after buying an additional 1,958 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares Aaa  A Rated Corporate Bond ETF Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of QLTA opened at $47.10 on Friday. iShares Aaa  A Rated Corporate Bond ETF has a 52 week low of $43.84 and a 52 week high of $50.04. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $47.29 and its 200 day simple moving average is $47.31.

iShares Aaa  A Rated Corporate Bond ETF Profile

The iShares Aaa  A Rated Corporate Bond ETF (QLTA) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund tracks a market-weighted index of dollar-denominated fixed-rate corporate bonds rated AAA-A issued by US and non-US corporations with maturities of at least one year.

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Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW  Get Rating) has received a consensus recommendation of Hold from the eleven analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $13.23.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on MPW shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Medical Properties Trust from $14.00 to $12.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. Credit Suisse Group reaffirmed a neutral rating and set a $11.00 target price on shares of Medical Properties Trust in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Medical Properties Trust in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. They set an equal weight rating and a $9.00 target price for the company. Bank of America lowered shares of Medical Properties Trust from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $10.00 target price for the company. in a report on Thursday, March 16th. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on shares of Medical Properties Trust from $14.00 to $12.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 5th.

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Medical Properties Trust Stock Performance

MPW opened at $9.19 on Friday. Medical Properties Trust has a 12-month low of $7.10 and a 12-month high of $17.36. The company has a current ratio of 2.15, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.50 billion, a PE ratio of 18.37, a P/E/G ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 0.95. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $8.37 and a two-hundred day moving average of $10.16.

Medical Properties Trust Dividend Announcement

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Medical Properties Trust

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 12.63%. Medical Properties Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 232.00%.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MPW. Register Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Sargent Bickham Lagudis LLC acquired a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 64.0% during the 1st quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 3,289 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 1,284 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 69.9% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,528 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,040 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nvwm LLC acquired a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.31% of the companys stock.

About Medical Properties Trust

(Get Rating

Medical Properties Trust, Inc is a self-advised real estate investment trust, engages in the investment, acquisition, and development of net-leased healthcare facilities. Its property portfolio includes rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, hospitals for women and children, regional and community hospitals, medical office buildings, and other single-discipline facilities.

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Two Republican candidates are running in this weeks primary for Stafford County treasurer.

One candidate, Heather Mitchell, is endorsed by current Treasurer Laura Rudy, who has held the office for 16 years and is not seeking reelection in November.

The other candidate, Mike Sienkowski, serves as deputy Commissioner of the Revenue and is endorsed by his boss, Commissioner Scott Mayausky.

According to his website, mike4stafford.com, Sienkowski has a bachelors degree in economics and a masters degree in accounting, both from the University of Mary Washington.

He has worked in the Commissioner of the Revenues office for 10 years and as an IT professional in the county for seven years before that and is involved in numerous community organizations such as the Fredericksburg Symphony Orchestra; Best Buds, a mentoring program that pairs Stafford County government employees with students from Stafford County Public Schools; and the Fredericksburg United Methodist Church.

If elected, Sienkowski will work to expand Commissioner of the Revenues office hours, improve internal controls, increase community engagement and customer service, and provide more online services, according to his website.

Mitchell currently works as chief deputy treasurer in Rudys office. Prior to that, she was a delinquent revenue collections agent, according to her website, mitchell4treasurer.com.

As a single mom, Mitchell worked three jobs to support her young daughter before marrying a Marine, whose military job took their family all over the U.S. and overseas for 23 years.

She has a certificate in accounting from Radford University and has met requirements for a Master Governmental Deputy Treasurer certification from the Treasurer Association of Virginia, according to her website.

She is running to ensure continued excellence in the Treasurers office, according to her website.

Stafford registrar Anna Hash said there is no Democratic candidates for treasurer and that Independent candidates have until 7 p.m. Tuesday to file paperwork to be on the ballot in November.

The primary election is Tuesday.

Republicans square off in 65th House District primary race Voters in Fredericksburg, southern Stafford County and a small portion of Spotsylvania Count

Republicans and Democrats have primary choices in 29th Senate District race Voters in North Stafford from both parties will have the opportunity to vote in a June prima
Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund, Inc. (NYSE:IIF  Get Rating) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 8,900 shares, an increase of 48.3% from the May 15th total of 6,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 28,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.3 days.

Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund Stock Performance

Shares of Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund stock traded up $0.07 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $21.24. The company had a trading volume of 41,459 shares, compared to its average volume of 35,433. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $20.14 and a 200 day simple moving average of $20.50. Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund has a 1-year low of $18.91 and a 1-year high of $25.79.

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Institutional Trading of Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund by 15.8% during the 3rd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 637,822 shares of the companys stock worth $14,842,000 after acquiring an additional 87,156 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its holdings in Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund by 16.8% during the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 588,331 shares of the companys stock worth $11,943,000 after acquiring an additional 84,828 shares during the period. Karpus Management Inc. grew its holdings in Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund by 13.7% during the 1st quarter. Karpus Management Inc. now owns 290,399 shares of the companys stock worth $5,651,000 after acquiring an additional 35,049 shares during the period. UBS Group AG grew its holdings in Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 140,812 shares of the companys stock worth $3,536,000 after acquiring an additional 827 shares during the period. Finally, Almitas Capital LLC grew its holdings in Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund by 129.5% during the 4th quarter. Almitas Capital LLC now owns 92,137 shares of the companys stock worth $1,870,000 after acquiring an additional 51,991 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 44.75% of the companys stock.

Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund Company Profile

Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund, Inc is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc The fund is co-managed by Morgan Stanley Investment Management Company. It invests in the public equity markets of India. The fund invests in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors.

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GoDaddy Inc. (NYSE:GDDY  Get Rating) CAO Nick Daddario sold 300 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.00, for a total transaction of $22,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 20,422 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,531,650. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Nick Daddario also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Friday, June 2nd, Nick Daddario sold 341 shares of GoDaddy stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.37, for a total transaction of $25,701.17.

On Tuesday, May 2nd, Nick Daddario sold 90 shares of GoDaddy stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.96, for a total transaction of $6,746.40.

GoDaddy Price Performance

GoDaddy stock opened at $74.90 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $73.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $75.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.57 billion, a PE ratio of 35.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.97. GoDaddy Inc. has a 12-month low of $64.65 and a 12-month high of $85.32.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GoDaddy ( NYSE:GDDY Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The technology company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.52 by ($0.22). GoDaddy had a net margin of 8.03% and a negative return on equity of 95.00%. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.41 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that GoDaddy Inc. will post 2.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on GDDY shares. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of GoDaddy from $100.00 to $98.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of GoDaddy in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada initiated coverage on shares of GoDaddy in a research note on Monday, June 5th. They set a sector perform rating and a $80.00 price objective on the stock. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of GoDaddy from $88.00 to $84.00 in a research report on Friday, May 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on shares of GoDaddy in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. They issued an outperform rating and a $95.00 target price for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $91.91.

Institutional Trading of GoDaddy

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new stake in GoDaddy during the third quarter valued at approximately $390,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of GoDaddy by 10.9% in the 3rd quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 6,039 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $428,000 after acquiring an additional 596 shares in the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its position in shares of GoDaddy by 243.3% in the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 197,750 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $14,016,000 after acquiring an additional 140,140 shares in the last quarter. Freshford Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of GoDaddy by 27.8% in the 3rd quarter. Freshford Capital Management LLC now owns 604,744 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $42,864,000 after acquiring an additional 131,684 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of GoDaddy by 17.5% in the 4th quarter. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,545 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $115,000 after acquiring an additional 230 shares in the last quarter. 97.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About GoDaddy

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GoDaddy, Inc engages in the provision of domain name registration and web hosting services. It provides website building, hosting, and security tools. It operates through the Applications and Commerce (A and C) and Core Platform (Core) segments. The A and C segment consists of sales of products containing proprietary software, commerce products and third-party email and productivity solutions.

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Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund (NYSE:NAC  Get Rating) was the target of a large drop in short interest during the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 17,800 shares, a drop of 22.6% from the May 15th total of 23,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 329,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.1 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NAC. Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. EWG Elevate Inc. bought a new position in Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund during the 4th quarter worth approximately $75,000. Captrust Financial Advisors bought a new position in Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $91,000. Nomura Holdings Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund during the 1st quarter worth approximately $110,000. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund during the 1st quarter worth approximately $119,000.

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Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund Stock Down 1.0 %

NYSE NAC traded down $0.11 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $10.66. The companys stock had a trading volume of 270,373 shares, compared to its average volume of 323,789. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $10.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $10.98. Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund has a 52 week low of $10.14 and a 52 week high of $13.02.

Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund Dividend Announcement

About Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund

The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a $0.036 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $0.43 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.05%.

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Nuveen California Quality Municipal Income Fund operates as a closed-end investment fund/investment trust. The fund seeks current income exempt from both regular federal income taxes and California personal income tax by investing its assets majorly in investment-grade quality municipal bonds. The company was founded on December 1, 1998 and is headquartered in Chicago, IL.

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Park National Corp OH decreased its position in shares of iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:LQD  Get Rating) by 52.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,635 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 10,525 shares during the period. Park National Corp OHs holdings in iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF were worth $1,056,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF in the first quarter worth about $917,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF by 36.8% in the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 199,030 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $24,071,000 after buying an additional 53,585 shares during the period. Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF by 19.3% in the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 35,975 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $4,351,000 after buying an additional 5,827 shares during the period. West Michigan Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF in the first quarter worth about $222,000. Finally, Easterly Investment Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF by 20.5% in the first quarter. Easterly Investment Partners LLC now owns 78,338 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $9,474,000 after buying an additional 13,338 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.51% of the companys stock.

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iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF Stock Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA:LQD opened at $107.69 on Friday. iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF has a 1 year low of $98.41 and a 1 year high of $115.07. The stocks 50-day moving average is $108.00 and its 200 day moving average is $108.19.

iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF Profile

iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the Markit iBoxx USD Liquid Investment Grade Index (the Index), which is a rules-based index consisting of liquid, the United States dollar-denominated, investment-grade corporate bonds for sale in the United States.

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Park National Corp OH increased its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO  Get Rating) by 12.4% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 26,367 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 2,906 shares during the period. Park National Corp OHs holdings in Altria Group were worth $1,176,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Symmetry Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 27.4% during the first quarter. Symmetry Partners LLC now owns 80,890 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,609,000 after purchasing an additional 17,392 shares during the period. M&R Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Altria Group by 46.0% in the first quarter. M&R Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,629 shares of the companys stock valued at $162,000 after acquiring an additional 1,143 shares during the period. Verity & Verity LLC grew its position in Altria Group by 5.0% in the first quarter. Verity & Verity LLC now owns 201,407 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,987,000 after acquiring an additional 9,643 shares during the period. Centre Asset Management LLC grew its position in Altria Group by 44.8% in the first quarter. Centre Asset Management LLC now owns 259,351 shares of the companys stock valued at $11,572,000 after acquiring an additional 80,238 shares during the period. Finally, GoalVest Advisory LLC grew its position in Altria Group by 7.9% in the first quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 24,750 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,104,000 after acquiring an additional 1,818 shares during the period. 58.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Altria Group Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of MO opened at $44.07 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $40.35 and a 12-month high of $51.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.67 billion, a PE ratio of 14.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.59. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $45.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $45.86.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

Altria Group ( NYSE:MO Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.19 by ($0.01). Altria Group had a net margin of 22.44% and a negative return on equity of 245.43%. The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.89 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.12 EPS. The companys revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.94 per share. This represents a $3.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.53%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. Altria Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 120.90%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have weighed in on MO. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $52.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Altria Group from $49.50 to $47.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Altria Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $44.67.

Altria Group Profile

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Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company provides cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; cigars and pipe tobacco principally under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco products and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; and on! oral nicotine pouches.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO  Get Rating).

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Shore Capital reaffirmed their house stock rating on shares of Petro Matad (LON:MATD  Get Rating) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Marketbeat.com reports.

Petro Matad Price Performance

MATD stock opened at GBX 4.20 ($0.05) on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of GBX 5.29 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 4.26. The company has a quick ratio of 16.91, a current ratio of 17.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The stock has a market cap of 46.62 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -15.50 and a beta of 2.52. Petro Matad has a 52-week low of GBX 1.60 ($0.02) and a 52-week high of GBX 7.10 ($0.09).

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About Petro Matad

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Petro Matad Limited, together with its subsidiaries, explores for, develops, and produces oil in Mongolia. It holds 100% interests in production sharing contract blocks, including Ongi Block V that covers an area of approximately 7,937 square kilometers; and Matad Block XX that consists of an area of approximately 218 square kilometers in Mongolia.

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Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (OTCMKTS:PIAIF  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 920,300 shares, a growth of 30.2% from the May 15th total of 706,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 168,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.5 days.

Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China Trading Up 3.1 %

PIAIF stock traded up $0.21 on Friday, reaching $6.78. 27,231 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 23,669. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $6.89 and a 200-day moving average of $6.92. Ping An Insurance has a twelve month low of $3.89 and a twelve month high of $8.19.

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Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China Company Profile

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Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. provides financial products and services for insurance, banking, asset management, and fintech and healthtech businesses in the People's Republic of China. The company's Life and Health Insurance segment offers term, whole-life, endowment, annuity, investment-linked, universal life, and health care and medical insurance to individual and corporate customers.

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Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB  Get Rating) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 4,602 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $166,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Retirement Financial Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of U.S. Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Hollencrest Capital Management purchased a new stake in U.S. Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. EWG Elevate Inc. purchased a new stake in U.S. Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its position in U.S. Bancorp by 46.9% during the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 673 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares during the period. Finally, AXS Investments LLC purchased a new stake in U.S. Bancorp during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. 71.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other U.S. Bancorp news, Director Alan B. Colberg bought 10,000 shares of U.S. Bancorp stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 21st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $34.14 per share, for a total transaction of $341,400.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 10,050 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $343,107. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, insider James B. Kelligrew acquired 16,260 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $30.59 per share, with a total value of $497,393.40. Following the purchase, the insider now owns 151,927 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,647,446.93. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Alan B. Colberg acquired 10,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 21st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $34.14 per share, with a total value of $341,400.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 10,050 shares in the company, valued at approximately $343,107. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders acquired 76,698 shares of company stock worth $2,446,082. Corporate insiders own 0.24% of the companys stock.

U.S. Bancorp Trading Up 0.5 %

U.S. Bancorp stock opened at $33.45 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $31.98 and a 200-day simple moving average of $39.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $51.28 billion, a PE ratio of 8.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.93. U.S. Bancorp has a 12-month low of $27.27 and a 12-month high of $49.95.

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 19th. The financial services provider reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.13 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $7.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.14 billion. U.S. Bancorp had a net margin of 19.21% and a return on equity of 16.70%. The companys revenue was up 28.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.99 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that U.S. Bancorp will post 4.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

U.S. Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Investors of record on Friday, June 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.48 per share. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.74%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 29th. U.S. Bancorps payout ratio is 51.06%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of U.S. Bancorp from $60.00 to $55.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 3rd. UBS Group cut shares of U.S. Bancorp from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, April 10th. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of U.S. Bancorp from $64.00 to $67.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. TheStreet cut shares of U.S. Bancorp from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of U.S. Bancorp from $55.00 to $49.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $49.84.

About U.S. Bancorp

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U.S. Bancorp operates as a bank holding company, which offers financial services including lending and depository services, cash management, foreign exchange and trust and investment management. The firm also offers mortgage, refinance, auto, boat and RV loans, credit lines, credit card services, merchant, bank, checking and savings accounts, debit cards, online and mobile banking, ATM processing, mortgage banking, insurance, brokerage and leasing services.

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Shares of Rogers Communications Inc. (NYSE:RCI  Get Rating) (TSE:RCI.B) have received an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the six ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $74.31.

A number of brokerages have issued reports on RCI. StockNews.com lowered shares of Rogers Communications from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 23rd. Desjardins downgraded Rogers Communications from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, April 3rd. Finally, Barclays started coverage on Rogers Communications in a research note on Monday, May 8th. They set an overweight rating on the stock.

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Rogers Communications Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of Rogers Communications stock opened at $43.97 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $22.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.78, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.52. The firms 50-day moving average is $47.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.86, a current ratio of 1.91 and a quick ratio of 1.85. Rogers Communications has a 1 year low of $36.23 and a 1 year high of $50.16.

Rogers Communications Increases Dividend

Rogers Communications ( NYSE:RCI Get Rating ) (TSE:RCI.B) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.78 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $2.84 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.71 billion. Rogers Communications had a return on equity of 19.36% and a net margin of 11.49%. As a group, research analysts expect that Rogers Communications will post 3.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 5th. Investors of record on Friday, June 9th will be paid a $0.37 dividend. This is a boost from Rogers Communicationss previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.37%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 8th. Rogers Communicationss payout ratio is currently 56.11%.

Institutional Trading of Rogers Communications

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Rogers Communications by 1.2% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 16,949 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $809,000 after buying an additional 205 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in Rogers Communications by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 7,289 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $413,000 after acquiring an additional 213 shares in the last quarter. Brinker Capital Investments LLC raised its holdings in Rogers Communications by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. Brinker Capital Investments LLC now owns 7,523 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $427,000 after acquiring an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. 44 Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Rogers Communications by 4.3% in the 1st quarter. 44 Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,549 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $257,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Rogers Communications by 6.2% during the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 4,672 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $217,000 after purchasing an additional 273 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.46% of the companys stock.

Rogers Communications Company Profile

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Rogers Communications Inc operates as a communications and media company in North America. It operates through three segments: Wireless, Cable, and Media. The company offers mobile Internet access, wireless voice and enhanced voice, device financing, device protection, global voice and data roaming, wireless home phone, bridging landline, machine-to-machine and Internet of Things solutions, and advanced wireless solutions for businesses, as well as device shipping services; and postpaid and prepaid services under the Rogers, Fido, and chatr brands.

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Central Asia Metals (LON:CAML  Get Rating) had its price objective trimmed by Royal Bank of Canada from GBX 245 ($3.07) to GBX 240 ($3.00) in a report published on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the mining companys stock.

CAML has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a GBX 265 ($3.32) target price on shares of Central Asia Metals in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Berenberg Bank reissued a buy rating and issued a GBX 320 ($4.00) price target on shares of Central Asia Metals in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th.

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Central Asia Metals Price Performance

Central Asia Metals stock opened at GBX 195 ($2.44) on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of 354.71 million, a PE ratio of 1,300.00 and a beta of 1.14. Central Asia Metals has a 52 week low of GBX 181.40 ($2.27) and a 52 week high of GBX 299 ($3.74). The firms 50-day simple moving average is GBX 206.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 241.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 4.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Central Asia Metals Dividend Announcement

Insiders Place Their Bets

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 27th were paid a dividend of GBX 10 ($0.13) per share. This represents a dividend yield of 3.98%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 27th. Central Asia Metalss dividend payout ratio is presently 13,333.33%.

In other news, insider Mike Prentis acquired 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 216 ($2.70) per share, for a total transaction of 10,800 ($13,513.51). In other Central Asia Metals news, insider Mike Prentis bought 5,000 shares of Central Asia Metals stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 27th. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 216 ($2.70) per share, for a total transaction of 10,800 ($13,513.51). Also, insider Gillian Davidson bought 10,119 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 22nd. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 198 ($2.48) per share, for a total transaction of 20,035.62 ($25,069.59). Insiders have purchased a total of 28,453 shares of company stock worth $6,088,722 over the last quarter. 7.12% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Central Asia Metals Company Profile

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Central Asia Metals plc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a base metals producer. The company produces copper, zinc, silver, and lead. It owns a 100% interest in the Kounrad solvent extraction- electrowinning operation located near the city of Balkhash in central Kazakhstan; and a 100% interest in the Sasa mine located in north Macedonia.

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Finding ways to add people to your farming operation can be a challenge, particularly as it relates to family.

Emotional stress combines with financial stress as families look to maintain relationships with the people they see the most. Giving each member of an operation a clearly defined role can be the best form of relief, said Larry Van Tassel, director of the Center for Agricultural Profitability at the University of Nebraska.

Too often family harmony can be disrupted when operating procedures are not clearly stated, Van Tassel said. You need to make an effort to develop some standard operating procedures before they are brought back home, especially if more than one child is on the farm and both have families of their own.

Northeast Iowa farmer Ryan Oberbroeckling and his wife joined his familys operation near Garnavillo in 2012 when he added River Ridge Pork, a pig feeding business. In 2020, they bought their first plot of land.

Ryan had been managing some of the livestock operations of their farm, and Kristen has been working as a seed salesperson to provide supplemental income.

Now, they are able to expand more on their own, but without the work with his family, it would have been incredibly difficult, he said.

They really helped us get started and get going, Ryan said. That first year, if it wasnt for round bales, we might have had a sinking boat right from there. But we all worked through it.

Oberbroeckling said seeing the effectiveness of adding to the operation with his pig-feeding business has given him ideas in case any of his children, still under the age of 5, eventually want to join.

I have no idea what they will end up doing, but if farming is what they want, well have a few ideas on how to get them started, he said.

Van Tassel said the most important thing about adding an operation or family member to the farm is to keep in mind some of the extra costs associated with more employees.

He estimates that giving an annual salary of $35,000, combined with insurance and other factors, would come out to be a $76,778 cost per year to the farm after factoring in taxes, health insurance, housing, utilities, any vehicles needed and other miscellaneous factors. The figure doesnt have to be excessive, but it needs to be enough, he said.

How much additional gross income will need to be created by the farm to meet these annual expenditures? he asks.

That will be the biggest factor in determining where an operation can add or cut back to bring a new member onto the farm. If the money is not immediately available or may take a while to materialize, You could have them work off the farm for a few years, gaining skills and experience to help the operation, he said.

If they are expecting to assume management of the operation in the future, finding a way for them to gain experience will help them be successful, he said.
Saxon Interests Inc. lowered its position in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:EEM  Get Rating) by 18.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 26,296 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 5,961 shares during the period. Saxon Interests Inc.s holdings in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF were worth $1,038,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in EEM. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new stake in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF in the first quarter worth about $146,000. AMI Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 5.7% during the first quarter. AMI Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,268 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $509,000 after acquiring an additional 605 shares during the period. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 62.5% during the first quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 65,005 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,935,000 after acquiring an additional 25,000 shares during the period. Moors & Cabot Inc. increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 14.5% during the first quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 8,965 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $405,000 after acquiring an additional 1,135 shares during the period. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 9.3% during the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 892,269 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $40,286,000 after acquiring an additional 76,229 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 82.29% of the companys stock.

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iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Stock Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA:EEM traded down $0.14 during trading on Friday, reaching $40.88. 40,001,895 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 30,716,532. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $39.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $39.36. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has a 12-month low of $33.49 and a 12-month high of $42.53.

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Profile

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, formerly iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund (the Fund), seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded equity securities in global emerging markets, as measured by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (the Index).

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KeyCorp started coverage on shares of SentinelOne (NYSE:S  Get Rating) in a research report report published on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. The firm issued a sector weight rating on the stock. KeyCorp also issued estimates for SentinelOnes Q2 2024 earnings at ($0.34) EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at ($0.30) EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at ($0.28) EPS, FY2024 earnings at ($1.26) EPS, Q1 2025 earnings at ($0.31) EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at ($0.30) EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at ($0.20) EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at ($0.17) EPS, FY2025 earnings at ($0.95) EPS and FY2026 earnings at ($0.87) EPS.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of SentinelOne from $18.00 to $16.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 15th. Needham & Company LLC restated a buy rating and issued a $19.00 target price on shares of SentinelOne in a report on Monday, March 13th. Raymond James cut their price target on shares of SentinelOne from $25.00 to $20.00 in a report on Friday, June 2nd. Stephens lowered SentinelOne from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $22.00 to $15.00 in a research report on Friday, June 2nd. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $18.00 price target on shares of SentinelOne in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have given a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $19.69.

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SentinelOne Stock Down 3.3 %

Shares of NYSE:S opened at $16.11 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.65 billion, a PE ratio of -11.50 and a beta of 0.54. SentinelOne has a twelve month low of $12.43 and a twelve month high of $30.00. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $17.33 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $15.79.

Insider Transactions at SentinelOne

SentinelOne ( NYSE:S Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 1st. The company reported ($0.15) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.17) by $0.02. SentinelOne had a negative net margin of 82.90% and a negative return on equity of 21.67%. The firm had revenue of $133.39 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $136.62 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.33) earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 70.5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that SentinelOne will post -1.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other news, CFO David J. Bernhardt sold 1,538 shares of SentinelOne stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.22, for a total value of $26,484.36. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 391,887 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,748,294.14. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CFO David J. Bernhardt sold 1,538 shares of SentinelOne stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.22, for a total transaction of $26,484.36. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 391,887 shares in the company, valued at $6,748,294.14. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Tomer Weingarten sold 12,468 shares of SentinelOne stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.89, for a total value of $223,052.52. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 932,496 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,682,353.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 379,291 shares of company stock valued at $6,594,324 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 5.93% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SentinelOne

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of S. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System grew its position in shares of SentinelOne by 3.5% during the first quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 142,050 shares of the companys stock worth $2,324,000 after buying an additional 4,830 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its position in shares of SentinelOne by 71.2% in the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 155,856 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,550,000 after buying an additional 64,830 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in SentinelOne by 30.7% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,176,548 shares of the companys stock valued at $51,969,000 after acquiring an additional 746,892 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC boosted its stake in SentinelOne by 106.5% in the first quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 4,926 shares of the companys stock valued at $81,000 after acquiring an additional 2,541 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its holdings in shares of SentinelOne by 8.8% during the first quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 814,887 shares of the companys stock worth $13,331,000 after purchasing an additional 66,197 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.18% of the companys stock.

About SentinelOne

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SentinelOne, Inc operates as a cybersecurity provider in the United States and internationally. The company's Extended Detection and Response (XDR) data stack that fuses together the data, access, control, and integration planes of endpoint protection platform, endpoint detection and response, cloud workload protection platform, and IoT security into a centralized platform.

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Jervois Global Limited (OTCMKTS:JRVMF  Get Rating) saw a significant decline in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 5,065,500 shares, a decline of 21.7% from the May 15th total of 6,465,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 500,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 10.1 days.

Jervois Global Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS JRVMF traded up $0.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $0.06. The company had a trading volume of 1,265,920 shares, compared to its average volume of 602,552. Jervois Global has a 1 year low of $0.04 and a 1 year high of $0.42. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $0.06 and its 200-day moving average price is $0.13.

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About Jervois Global

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Jervois Global Limited engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral properties. The company explores for cobalt, nickel, copper, and gold deposits. It holds 100% interest in the Idaho Cobalt Operations project located in the state of Idaho, the United States; the Sao Miguel Paulista nickel cobalt refinery in Sao Paulo, Brazil; and the Nico Young nickel-cobalt deposits in New South Wales, Australia.

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MPC Container Ships ASA (OTCMKTS:MPZZF  Get Rating) saw a significant decline in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 165,000 shares, a decline of 36.5% from the May 15th total of 259,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 4,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 34.4 days.

MPC Container Ships ASA Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of MPZZF stock traded up $0.01 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $1.95. 25,560 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,326. MPC Container Ships ASA has a 1-year low of $1.25 and a 1-year high of $2.71. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $1.72 and a 200 day moving average price of $1.71.

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MPC Container Ships ASA Company Profile

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MPC Container Ships ASA engages in the provision of container tonnage, with a focus on small to mid-size containerships. It is involved in the operation of a portfolio of container ships serving intra-regional trade lanes on fixed-rate charters. The company was founded on January 9, 2017 and is headquartered in Oslo, Norway.

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Smart Employee Benefits Inc. (CVE:SEB  Get Rating) passed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of C$0.30 and traded as high as C$0.30. Smart Employee Benefits shares last traded at C$0.30, with a volume of 11,100 shares traded.

Smart Employee Benefits Stock Up 1.7 %

The company has a current ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1,180.39. The firm has a market capitalization of C$52.63 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.00 and a beta of 1.66. The stock has a fifty day moving average of C$0.30 and a 200-day moving average of C$0.27.

Smart Employee Benefits Company Profile

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Smart Employee Benefits Inc, a technology company, provides business process automation and software solutions, and professional services in Canada and internationally. It operates through Benefits and Technology segments. The Benefits segment offers software solutions, services, and products that focuses on managing group benefit and wellness plans for corporate and government clients.

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Southern Copper Co. (NYSE:SCCO  Get Rating) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 6,740,000 shares, an increase of 19.7% from the May 15th total of 5,630,000 shares. Approximately 7.9% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,210,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 5.6 days.

Southern Copper Stock Up 0.4 %

SCCO traded up $0.28 during trading on Friday, reaching $74.44. 1,610,642 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,109,482. The stock has a market cap of $57.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 15.51 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 3.38 and a current ratio of 4.17. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $73.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $71.33. Southern Copper has a twelve month low of $42.42 and a twelve month high of $82.05.

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Southern Copper (NYSE:SCCO  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The basic materials company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.04 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $2.79 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.72 billion. Southern Copper had a return on equity of 33.71% and a net margin of 26.46%. Equities analysts expect that Southern Copper will post 3.98 EPS for the current year.

Southern Copper Cuts Dividend

Insider Transactions at Southern Copper

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 23rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 9th were given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 8th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.10%. Southern Coppers dividend payout ratio is currently 115.94%.

In related news, Director Bonilla Luis Miguel Palomino sold 500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.50, for a total value of $39,250.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 6,014 shares in the company, valued at approximately $472,099. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 1,500 shares of company stock worth $113,840. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Southern Copper

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its holdings in shares of Southern Copper by 200.6% during the second quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 4,179,899 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $208,201,000 after acquiring an additional 2,789,376 shares in the last quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. increased its stake in Southern Copper by 761.9% during the 1st quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 2,756,533 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $210,186,000 after purchasing an additional 2,436,727 shares in the last quarter. abrdn plc raised its holdings in Southern Copper by 134.8% during the first quarter. abrdn plc now owns 2,702,309 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $206,051,000 after buying an additional 1,551,189 shares during the last quarter. Empower Advisory Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Southern Copper in the first quarter valued at $93,254,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Southern Copper by 43.3% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,763,612 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $209,759,000 after buying an additional 835,044 shares during the last quarter. 7.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley downgraded Southern Copper from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $70.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. Barclays upped their target price on Southern Copper from $53.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Southern Copper from a neutral rating to a sell rating and upped their target price for the company from $65.00 to $66.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Southern Copper from $55.00 to $56.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Southern Copper in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $62.29.

About Southern Copper

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Southern Copper Corp. engages in the development, production, and exploration of copper, molybdenum, zinc, and silver. It operates through the following segments: Peruvian Operations, Mexican Open-Pit Operations, and Mexican Underground Mining Operations. The Peruvian Operations segment focuses on the Toquepala and Cuajone mine complexes and the smelting and refining plants, industrial railroad, and port facilities that service both mines.

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Sylvania Platinum Limited (LON:SLP  Get Rating)s stock price passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 96.20 ($1.20) and traded as low as GBX 79.17 ($0.99). Sylvania Platinum shares last traded at GBX 79.80 ($1.00), with a volume of 462,735 shares changing hands.

Sylvania Platinum Stock Down 0.4 %

The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 86.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 96.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 11.05 and a quick ratio of 15.92. The company has a market capitalization of 211.89 million, a PE ratio of 418.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.05 and a beta of 0.59.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Sylvania Platinum

In related news, insider Eileen Carr sold 13,811 shares of Sylvania Platinum stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 89 ($1.11), for a total value of 12,291.79 ($15,380.12). 11.63% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Sylvania Platinum

Sylvania Platinum Limited primarily engages in the retreatment of platinum group metals (PGM) bearing chrome tailings materials in South Africa and Mauritius. The company produces PGMs, including platinum, palladium, and rhodium. It holds interests in the Sylvania dump operations that comprise six chrome beneficiation and PGM processing plants located in the Eastern and Western Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex; and various mineral asset development projects, including Volspruit and Northern Limb projects located on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex located in South Africa.

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Ternium S.A. (NYSE:TX  Get Rating) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 346,400 shares, an increase of 20.2% from the May 15th total of 288,300 shares. Currently, 0.2% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 253,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.4 days.

Institutional Trading of Ternium

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of TX. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Ternium by 1,971.9% during the 1st quarter. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC now owns 663 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 631 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in shares of Ternium by 793.8% in the first quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 715 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 635 shares during the period. Penserra Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Ternium during the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC bought a new stake in Ternium in the 1st quarter worth $35,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ternium in the first quarter valued at about $37,000. Institutional investors own 10.41% of the companys stock.

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Ternium Stock Performance

NYSE TX traded down $0.05 on Friday, hitting $40.93. The stock had a trading volume of 86,602 shares, compared to its average volume of 182,401. Ternium has a 52-week low of $26.01 and a 52-week high of $45.81. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $40.33 and a 200-day moving average of $38.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a current ratio of 4.00.

Ternium Announces Dividend

Ternium ( NYSE:TX Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The basic materials company reported $1.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.93. The business had revenue of $3.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.67 billion. Ternium had a net margin of 8.68% and a return on equity of 9.84%. Terniums revenue for the quarter was down 15.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.95 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Ternium will post 6.12 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 5th were given a dividend of $1.80 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 4th. This represents a dividend yield of 6.9%. Terniums dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.72%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently weighed in on TX. Morgan Stanley raised Ternium from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $34.00 to $52.00 in a report on Monday, March 6th. Bank of America lowered shares of Ternium from a buy rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price target for the company from $56.00 to $47.00 in a research report on Monday, June 12th. Itau BBA Securities lowered shares of Ternium from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $40.00 to $49.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 9th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Ternium from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $47.14.

About Ternium

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Ternium SA engages in the production of flat steel. It operates through the Steel and Mining segments. The Steel segment includes the sales of steel products. The Mining segment involves in the sales of mining products, mainly iron ore and pellets. The company was founded in September 1961 and is headquartered in Luxembourg.

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Photo taken on April 7, 2021 shows the China-funded solar energy panels installed at a children's hospital in Gaza city. [Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua]

China has long been a pivotal and balanced country committed to international resolutions regarding the Palestinian question and the Palestinian people's rights.

BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping met with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Beijing on Wednesday, where both announced a strategic partnership between China and Palestine.

Abbas, who kicked off his four-day state visit to China on Tuesday, is the first Arab head of state hosted by China this year.

During their meeting on Wednesday, Xi put forward a three-point proposal for the settlement of the Palestinian question and voiced China's support for Palestine in becoming a full member state of the United Nations. He said China stands ready to play a positive role in assisting Palestine in achieving internal reconciliation and promoting peace talks.

Significant Meeting

This year marks the 35th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between China and Palestine. China is among the first countries to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization and the State of Palestine.

China has all along firmly supported the Palestinian people's just cause of restoring their legitimate national rights and worked for a comprehensive, just and durable solution to the Palestinian question at an early date, Xi said on Wednesday.

Workers transfer Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines in Salem village, east of the West Bank city of Nablus, March 29, 2021. China handed over a batch of donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines to Palestine to support its nationwide fight against the pandemic. [Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua]

Underscoring the significance of the meeting between the two leaders, Sun Degang, director of Center for Middle Eastern Studies at China's Fudan University, said China carried out the head of state diplomacy with Palestine in an effort to promote peace and development in the Middle East.

If peace between Palestine and Israel cannot be reached, the Middle East will not have sustainable peace, and regional reconciliation will be gravely jeopardized, he said.

Because of significant disagreements over security, Israeli settlement expansion and establishing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, U.S.-sponsored peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine have stalled since March 2014.

"After years of marginalization and the Israeli government's refusal to sit at the negotiating table to revive the peace process, the Palestinians are looking for a different approach from the international community towards finding a serious and quick solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," said Mazen Shamieh, former assistant minister for the Palestinian Foreign Ministry.

Strengthening ties with China will help Palestinians internationalize and mobilize more support for their cause, Shamieh said.

Frequent High-Level Exchanges

China and Palestine are good friends and good partners who trust and support each other, Xi said on Wednesday.

Over the past several years, high-level exchanges between China and Palestine have been frequent.

For 10 consecutive years, Xi has sent congratulatory messages to the special commemorative meeting in observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, and more than once he put forward China's proposals for resolving the Palestinian question, stressing the need to resolutely advance a political settlement based on the two-state solution and intensify international efforts for peace.

In July 2017, Abbas awarded the highest Palestinian medal to Xi for China's support for the just cause of Palestine and to pay homage to Xi himself.

This week's visit by Abbas is the Palestinian leader's fifth to China. The Palestinian leader also met Xi during the first China-Arab States Summit held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh in December last year.

In addition to high-level exchanges, China has often spoken up for Palestine, championed justice, and provided assistance to help ease humanitarian difficulties and reconstruction in Palestine.

Over the past years, China has completed dozens of assistance projects in Palestine, helping the latter build schools and roads. After the outbreak of COVID-19, China sent medical personnel and vaccines to Palestine to aid in the fight against the pandemic. China also frequently donated to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

A Chinese teacher speaks with Palestinian students in the Confucius Institute at Al-Quds University in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Feb. 22, 2020. [Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua]

Palestine, meanwhile, has adhered to the one-China principle and supported China's position on issues concerning its core interests.

Ahmed Rafiq Awad, a Ramallah-based political analyst, told Xinhua that China has long been a pivotal and balanced country committed to international resolutions regarding the Palestinian question and the Palestinian people's rights.

China has firmly supported Palestinian causes at the United Nations and provided selfless support to the Palestinian people, said Abbas Zaki, a Palestinian Fatah Central Committee member and commissioner for relations with Arab countries and China.

(Source: Xinhua)
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...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT CDT TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible. * WHERE...Portions of southern Illinois, western Kentucky and southeast Missouri, including the following areas, in southern Illinois, Alexander, Franklin, Hardin, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Perry IL, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Union and Williamson. In western Kentucky, Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Livingston, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken, Todd and Trigg. In southeast Missouri, Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Mississippi, Perry MO and Scott. * WHEN...From Midnight CDT tonight through Thursday morning. * IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - While rainfall from heavy rain and storms late tonight through Thursday morning will be around an inch with locally higher amounts, locations which experienced torrential rainfall this week have ground conditions susceptible to additional flooding. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding, and especially those who experienced flooding Tuesday night into Wednesday, should be prepared to take action should flooding develop. &&
Let your fiction grow out of the land beneath your feet, Willa Cather once wrote.

The famed literary artist first came to Nebraska at the age of 9, when her family settled in Webster County. Years later, she reflected on what it was like to first step foot in our great state.

My deepest feelings were rooted in this country because ones strongest emotions and ones most vivid mental pictures are acquired before one is fifteen, Cather wrote retrospectively.

As Nebraskans, we know the feeling Cather identified in her work. An intimate connection to the land is ingrained in each of us who spend our formative years on Nebraska soil.

Cathers novels, including O Pioneers! and My Antonia, give a taste of that connection to their readers. The pioneer spirit of Nebraska has been shared with people across our country, and our world, through Cathers work.

In 1962, Cather was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame, in recognition of her immense contributions to our state.

The talent and imagination immortalized in Cathers fiction will resound throughout Nebraska history and American history.

Last week, I was honored to join the rest of the Nebraska delegation in unveiling a new statue of Willa Cather that will remain in the Capitol for decades to come.

Each state is allowed two statues in the Capitol depicting figures central to the heart of its history. Four years ago, we added Chief Standing Bear to the ranks of those figures, and he is now joined by Cather. Willa Cather replaces a statue of J. Sterling Morton, the father of Arbor Day, which stood in the Capitol since 1937.

The bronze likeness of Cather clutches a walking stick as she stares out daringly at the road ahead. In her left hand are pages representing the writing that came to define her and her home state of Nebraska.

The history of every country begins in the heart of a man or a woman, reads the inscription beneath Cathers person, quoting from O Pioneers!

In my speech as Nebraskas Senior Senator at the unveiling ceremony, I pointed out that Cathers vivid, reflective writing has become synonymous with the pioneer spirit of Nebraska. Her fiction truly feels like it grew from the Nebraska soil.

Cathers artistic excellence inspires others with a love for Nebraskas land, including members of my own family.

At the ceremony, I shared that my sister-in-law, Nadine McHenry, painted a selection of paintings based on Willa Cather quotes years ago. Her art was chosen as part of the annual Willa Cather Conference organized by the Cather Foundation.

I am a Nebraska painter and my feet stand on the same prairie grasses that Cather stood on, Nadine wrote of her painting exhibition.

Willa Cather knew she was home when she saw, smelled, and felt those grasses.

Whenever I crossed the Missouri River coming into Nebraska the very smell of the soil tore me to pieces, Cather wrote as an adult.

Until her death in 1947, Cathers writing and her own spirit were inextricably linked to the open plains of our great state.

It was an honor to unveil this incredible statue in such a historic ceremony last week. May Cather lead many Nebraskans in unleashing their creative talents for the good of future generations.

Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.
For the past four months, Canadas political establishment and corporate media have been consumed with a vicious anti-China campaign, centered on lurid and unsubstantiated allegations from the intelligence agencies that Beijing interfered in Canadas 2021 and 2019 federal elections.

In addition to casting China as a nefarious, hostile power, this campaign has served to destabilize the trade union-backed Justin Trudeau-led federal Liberal government, so as to push it still further right. The government has adopted an anti-China Indo-Pacific Strategy developed in close consultation with the White House and routinely deploys Royal Canadian Navy warships alongside US vessels on provocative freedom of navigation missions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Yet the ruling class is flailing it for being insufficiently aggressive against Beijing.

In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the USS Chung-Hoon observes a Chinese navy ship conduct what it called an "unsafe Chinese maneuver in the Taiwan Strait, Saturday, June 3, 2023. The incident occurred as the American destroyer and Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal were conducting a so-called freedom of navigation transit of the strait between Taiwan and mainland China. [AP Photo/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Andre T. Richard/U.S. Navy via AP]

This reactionary, war-mongering campaign, is infecting all areas of public life. This includes the universities.

In recent months the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and government have intensified their efforts to compel the countrys universities to cease scientific cooperation with Chinese academics.

On May 3, Ontarios University of Waterloo announced it was shutting down its Joint Innovation Lab founded in 2018 with a $6.5 million donation from Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei. The laboratory had been working on 26 scientific research projects, staffed by 128 graduate students and post-doctoral researchers.

The following day, the Universities of Toronto, Calgary, and Saskatchewan as well as McGill and Carleton Universities declared that they too were ceasing any research cooperation with Huawei, citing national security concerns that Canadian research could end up in the hands of the Chinese military. No proof has ever been offered for such hysterical nationalist claims.

The project Novel Smartphone Application for Eye Disease Diagnosis and Therapy for Young Children was determined by CSIS to be a security risk. The director of the Joint Innovation Lab, computer scientist Tamer Oszu, commented to the Waterloo Record: Its hard to comprehend what national security risk there might be in a topic that studies computer assistance in diagnosing eye diseases in children.

The hysterical anti-China press campaign paints just the opposite picture. As in the case of the unproven allegations about Chinese election interference, vague allegations from CSISwhich has repeatedly lied to the courts about its activitiesare being presented as incontrovertible and demonstrating a present and growing threat. The Toronto Star announced the severing of the Waterloo/ Huawei relationship, citing only the fear of potential ties to the militaries or security apparatuses of foreign powers.

Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, the former chair of the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council which stewards more than $1 billion per year in research grants, could do little better, saying only that these risksleft entirely to the morbid imagination to enlarge uponare particularly related to Huaweis very close relationship with the Chinese military through its many employees who are military staff, as well as through collaborations with military scientists and engineers.

McCuaig-Johnston could not point to a single concrete instance of so-called Canadian research falling into the malign hands of the Chinese military, because there are no such documented instances. The state campaign against international scientific research is therefore simultaneously unscientific in its methods. Rather than shutting down China, it is shutting down projects initiated by Canadian graduate students and faculty.

These were research projects that faculty members wanted to do and the funding from the joint lab facilitated the research. Theres not a single project where Huawei came to us and said We want you to find someone to do this work for us, Oszu told the Record.

Vague concerns have been raised, and warnings made by CSIS about so-called dual-use technologies, including quantum computing, photonics, aeronautical and AI research. However, in no instance has a specific allegation of either copyright theft or technology transfer to the Chinese military been documented.

These draconian measures will halt collaborative research between Chinese and Canadian scientists in a host of engineering fields, including photonics, robotics, artificial intelligence, communications technology and aerospacefor starters. They are a bellicose attack on academic independence from state censorship, and on science itself.

The very notion that there exists such a thing as Canadian science is frankly absurd. Scientific research is by its very nature the result of the cumulative efforts of millions of scientists around the world, past and present. But that fundamentally social nature of science, and therefore also its necessarily international character, given the globalized means of production, is coming into direct conflict with the campaign of imperialism to re-divide the world.

In addition to smears and fear mongering, the CSIS campaign is characterized by an utterly Orwellian level of doublespeak in which official statements mean their exact opposite. Manal Bahubeshi, vice-president of research and partnerships at NSERC, could state without shame to the Globe and Mail, Our interest is really in supporting an open and collaborative research environment and supporting national and international partnerships, while in fact working to end such partnerships.

While scare-mongering about the potential for the Chinese military to benefit from jointly conducted research, neither CSIS nor its stooges such as McCuaig-Johnston have anything to say about Canadian spying operations directed against China or against the Canadian working class. Similarly, they are silent on the extent to which Canadas universities are being integrated into military research.

The Trudeau government banned Huawei and ZTE components from deployment in Canadas 5G cell phone networks in 2022 on the pretext that Beijing could use the companys products for spying. Yet the Canadian state reserves the right to listen to private phone calls and private emails, and vet the social media posts of the entire world. It is a member of the Five Eyes spying network, including the US, Britain, Australia and New Zealand, which, as Edward Snowden demonstrated, spies essentially on the entire population of the planetfrom leftist opponents of imperialism to Beijing and the heads of reputed allied government like Germany.

All of the bogus and cynical appeals to national security cover up the real, economic and profit interests of Canadian capitalism and imperialism in the business of developing new technologies in a period of capitalist crisis and war.

The states campaign to block collaboration with Chinese universities has developed over the past five years, closely following the implementation of similar measures in the United States. An early media supporter was the Globe and Mail. On May 26, 2018, an article entitled How Canadian money and research are helping China become a global superpower pointed to how the Canadian state is intervening to try to cut Chinese players out of rapidly growing high-tech economic sectors and thereby strengthening the hands of their North American competitors. Jim Hinton, a Waterloo patent lawyer, stated that Canada is missing out on that middle piecethe commercialization of innovation. Thats where the money is. We need to retain at least some ownership of what were subsidizing so that we can grow technology companies that own IP behind the technology...



In 2021, the federal government introduced a requirement for academics to undergo national security reviews if they were receiving funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. In February 2023, the government expanded this measure to all federal research funding bodies and pledged to stop all funding for projects involving academics with ties to Chinese military or state security institutions, which as defined by Ottawa includes many if not most Chinese research universities.



In January 2023, the Globe published two articles detailing the results of research provided to the Globe and Mail by US Strategic Intelligence company Strider Technologies into joint Chinese-Canadian scientific research projects that it alleged could benefit the Chinese military. The article effectively demanded an end to such research, again citing McCuaig-Johnston, who declared, The Peoples Liberation Army is not our friend and we should not be partnering with them.

Left out of the article was the fact that banning such collaborative research with China would reap fat profits for the financial backers of Strider Technologies, the provider of the research for the article, which was not run as a paid advertisement, though it should have been. Strider Technologies is backed financially by Koch Industries, through its Disruptive Technologies investment vehicle. Additional financial backers include: Valor Equity Partners, led by a former Tesla director; and One 9 dot ca, a venture capital investment firm led by former Canadian Armed Forces JTF2 sniper Glenn Cowan, which declares, nauseatingly, that it is funding and scaling business using precision military tactics. Microsoft is also a backer. Koch Industries has invested more than $500 million in Mavenir, which is attempting to compete with Huawei in the development of 5G telecommunications platforms.

But the demonization of Chinese scientists and investors is not merely a matter of immediate business considerations. The anti-China campaign is a central component of Canadian imperialisms preparations, alongside its US ally, to prepare for and wage war against Beijing. Its goals are to whip up an hysterical climate within the middle class to create a constituency for war, and legitimize vast spending increases on the military and intelligence services. These budgetary increases include a comprehensive modernization of the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD), a bilateral US-Canada continental defence network aimed at creating the basis for North Americas twin imperialist powers to wage a winnable nuclear war with China.

The absurd, lying campaign of Canadian imperialism against its geopolitical and economic competitors exposes for all to see the utterly reactionary nature of capitalist social relations, and the fetters placed upon all future human development by the private ownership of property and the nation state system. A socialist world revolutionof North American and Chinese workers alikeis required to put scientific research and human civilization back on the path of progressive development opened up by the Enlightenment and the industrial revolution.
With the Australian parliament and media dominated by sexual misconduct allegations and their fallout, there is scarcely any thoughtful or critical commentary in the press. Significant issues such as the protracted undermining of the presumption of innocence, the political character of the various scandals and the (reactionary) social forces involved are generally off limits. Superficiality and self-righteousness are the order of the day.

Guy Rundle [Photo: Penguin Books]

A rare exception was to be found in an article published on Crikey yesterday by Guy Rundle, one of the sites leading journalists. But, as if to drive home the point that no dissent from the official line will be tolerated, Rundles article lasted all of a few hours. Almost as quickly as it was posted, it was retracted, scrubbed entirely from Crikeys website and replaced with a hypocritical and censorious apology by unnamed editors.

The retraction does not indicate that the removal of the article was based on legal issues, which do often emerge due to Australias strict defamation laws. The apology asserted that Rundles piece contained factual errors, but the two cited were entirely open to interpretation, with no evident inaccuracy.

Instead, the article was condemned on the nebulous grounds of tone. The apology stated the tone of the piece did not meet Crikeys journalistic standards. The publication firmly believe[s] in promoting a space that publishes a plurality of views, and as editors we regularly publish opinion pieces that we may personally disagree with. But this piece doesnt fall into that category, and we regret publishing it.

Crikey did not say it, but the obvious reason for the cowardly self-censorship was a social media backlash to Rundles article. For much of the publications generally inner-city upper middle-class audience, MeToo and identity politics more broadly are articles of faith. Rundle, by offering any criticism, had committed an unpardonable sin. Despite the removal of his article, the social media campaign continues, including with calls for Rundle to be fired.

The contents of the article make clear why it touched a nerve.

The context is recent revelations contained in leaked text messages between former Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins and her partner David Sharaz, together with the audio of a five-hour meeting the pair held with producers of Channel Tens The Project television program.

The material, largely published by the Murdoch-owned Australian, makes clear that beginning in early 2021, Higgins and Sharaz conducted a well-planned media campaign, around Higgins allegations that she had been raped in the federal parliament almost two years earlier by another Liberal Party staffer, since revealed to be Bruce Lehrmann. The duo was also, it is now clear, in discussions with senior members of the then Labor Party opposition before the media blitz.

Brittany Higgins (right) with The Project journalist Lisa Wilkinson. [Photo: Instagram]

Higgins aired the sexual assault allegations in an interview broadcast by The Project on February 15. She did so before finalising a police complaint. The allegation was immediately weaponised by the Labor Party, which vaguely insinuated a cover-up of the incident by the Liberal-National Coalition government. Higgins was presented in the media as an exemplar of courage and heroism.

As Rundle wrote, whatever happened to Brittany Higgins, she, her partner and others were running a sustained, planned and strategised media campaign around her accusations.

This did not have any bearing on the veracity of her initial allegation. But, Rundle continued, shes not a capital-V Victim, as the now largely dispelled movement around her presented her to be Higgins and co. did what their role as political advisers trained them to do: they strategised with their assets to maximum advantage. The Higgins we see in leaked texts is capable of distancing herself from what she alleges to be a crime against her, and of considering the best placement of stories, sorting allies from enemies, and so on.

In one text message, shortly before The Project aired, Higgins allegedly wrote to Sharaz Hes about to be f..ked over. Just wait. Weve got him. She was referring to then Coalition Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Sharaz allegedly texted Higgins a month after the program was broadcast, Dont ditch me now youre famous, and We exude power. In another message, Sharaz wrote: Are you getting spotted? Are people noticing you? Anyone recognise you?

Rundle stated that the texts became our business and a matter of public interest when Higgins received a compensation payment from the incoming Albanese government in a stunningly rapid process, and with a price tag believed to be $3 million.

The Crikey apology identifies this sentence as containing the only two factual errors it points to in the article.

It states: Higgins lodged her claim in March 2022 while the Morrison government was still in office, and it was not settled until December 2022, seven months after the election of the current government. And further: There is no factual basis for the $3 million figure; Higgins has publicly said that figure was her initial claim but that the final figure was much lower than that.

That hardly refutes Rundles point. Higgins received the payment in a no-contest process with former Coalition government ministers barred from giving evidence. Rundle had noted Higgins claim that the payout was less than $3 million. But, as he pointed out, she has refused to state the actual amount received.

The payment was agreed by a Labor government whose senior representatives are now accused of having colluded with Higgins while in opposition. Rundle wrote there was a widespread perception that the process was rushed for political purposes, including to close the lid on any revelations concerning Labor involvement becoming a cause celebre.

In what were his most controversial comments, Rundle noted that Higgins allegations had never been proven in a criminal court. A trial collapsed last October, over juror misconduct. Significant discrepancies had emerged in Higgins account during cross examination.

Rundle wrote: Either Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins had a sexual encounter in Parliament House or they didnt. If they did, it was either consensual or it wasnt.

The branching lines of this decision tree favour Lehrmann, since in two of the three scenarios he is innocent of any crime (and has not been convicted or re-prosecuted for any crime). But the content of the allegations tips the balance concerning his reputation the other way. Thats an assessment of the culture, not of his case. If someone is accused of fraud, we are quite capable of keeping an open mind. Allegations of sexual crime weigh the other way.

Later, he wrote: The brutal, ugly and, lets face it, entrancing details coming out concerning this case are largely to do with whether Labor did or did not weaponise a serious matter in a cynical fashion, in a process drawing tightly together the Higgins push, progressive media stars and Labor. The suggestion that the accusation at the base of it all must be, can only be, true, is ludicrous.

Rundle outlined an alternative scenario, in keeping with Lehrmanns insistence that no sexual assault and, in fact, no sexual contact occurred.

We are supposed to pretend there is no possibility that this is the case. We are supposed to ignore the fact that this has occurred in a milieu of people who have chosen as their profession that of political adviser, whose prerequisite in our time is a willingness to lie cynically and strategically at every opportunity, Rundle wrote.

This was all too much for the censorious and self-obsessed MeToo supporters on social media. Junking the presumption of innocence? Destroying a mans life based on accusations that have never been substantiated in a court of law? Politicians exploiting serious allegations for political gain?

All of that and more is not only tolerated but often celebrated by these layers of the middle-class whose commitment to basic democratic rights and civil liberties eroded over the years as their wealth increased. But a single article, by a journalist, raising questions about a case that has dominated the press for years and even entertaining alternative hypotheses is beyond the pale. In its own way, the censorship of Rundles article underscores the point he was making.
The slanderous campaign against Roger Waters, driven by the imperialist powers, has gained a new stage in Brazil, where the musician will be taking his This is Not a Drill tour beginning in October.

Roger Waters performs in concert at Crypto.com Arena, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, in Los Angeles. [AP Photo/Chris Pizzello]

Last weekend, it was reported that the Minister of Justice of the Workers Party (PT) government, Flavio Dino, assured a member of the Supreme Court (STF) that Waters will be arrested if he wears a Nazi uniform at a concert in Brazil.

The conversation was reported to the O Globo newspaper by the STF justice Luiz Fux, who contacted Dino last Friday to pressure him to respond to a petition to prevent the musician from entering Brazil, signed by the vice president of the Israeli Confederation of Brazil (CONIB), Ary Bergher. It further demands that if Waters does enter the country, his concerts must be monitored by Federal and Civil Police agents ready to arrest him. According to O Globo, this is apparently what will be done.

The fraudulent motivation for this reactionary petition, which represents a virulent attack on free speech, was clarified by its author in an interview with another newspaper, Folha de Sao Paulo, in which Bergher stated that [Waters] is a Nazi who must be contained and arrested.

As in every other country where this vicious slander is being promoted, the persecution of Roger Waters in Brazil is based on a malicious attempt to turn reality inside out.

Throughout his long career, the 79-year-old founding member of the band Pink Floyd has consolidated his reputation not only as a brilliant musician, but also as a relentless campaigner against social injustice, war, and fascism. The use of a Nazi uniform in his performance which was also the pretext for the opening of an abusive police investigation in Berlin in late Mayis part of the performance of the song In the Flesh from the 1982 album and film The Wall. His portrayal of an insane dictator wearing such a costume has been going on for 40 years without any doubts ever being raised about its character as a savage denunciation of all forms of fascism, bigotry and oppression.

The claim that Waters is anti-Semitic is likewise a lie, based solely on his criticism of the Israeli government for its oppression and violence against the Palestinian population.

Waters is the target of these cowardly attacks because he has aroused the fury of the imperialist ruling elites by exposing the fraud of the official US-NATO narrative about the war against Russia in Ukraine, and by turning his popular world tour into a form of antiwar protest.

This smear campaign, officially supported by the imperialist government in Washington, has intensified in tandem with the escalation of the war by NATO through its long-planned Ukrainian counteroffensive. The effort to demonize Waters is part of a desperate attempt to silence any voice of opposition to this highly unpopular war.

The development of the smear campaign against Waters on Brazilian soil further reveals the contradictions of this authoritarian offensive to suppress all opposition to the war.

Waters last tour Brazil in 2018, in the midst of the presidential elections in the country, became a landmark political event. His performances aroused controversy, but never because they were associated with Nazism. Quite the contrary.

Sections of the massive audiences at his concerts in major Brazilian cities booed Waters when he characterized the future president, Jair Bolsonaro, as a neo-fascist and displayed the slogan #EleNao, chanted by supporters of the PT candidate, Fernando Haddad.

In an interview during his visit to Brazil, Waters explained his position on the Brazilian elections, saying, I know its none of my business, but I am against the resurgence of fascism around the world ... I would rather not live under the rule of someone who believes that military dictatorship is a good thing. I remember the bad days in South America, and the dictatorships, and it was ugly.

It is highly revealing about the nature of the movement against Waters that the protagonist of the petition to prevent his return to Brazil is a fierce supporter of the fascist former president. In 2018, Bergher was accused of breaking the bylaws of the Israeli Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Fierj), of which he was president, for declaring support for Bolsonaro on behalf of the group. He was also accused of having subsequently assaulted an 88-year-old member of the Federation who criticized his political misconduct.

Even more striking is the fact that the Lula government serves as a fundamental instrument for the advancement of this reactionary campaign. Dinos statement about Waters potential imprisonment caused astonishment among many PT supporters, who had illusions in the leftist character of this party.

Under pressure to provide clarification, Lulas Minister of Justice declared on Twitter that he had not yet received the petition about the apologia for Nazism that would happen in a musical show. Dino said that as soon as he receives it, he will analyze it based on the following premises: that administrative authority cannot impose PRIOR censorship and that in Brazil it is a crime subject to imprisonment from two to five years to use symbols for purposes of dissemination of Nazism. He concluded by stating that these norms apply to ALL and that determining what constitutes dissemination of Nazism.... OBVIOUSLY requires a case-by-case analysis.

Dinos evasive statement, in fact, only serves to intensify the threats contained in his conversation with Justice Luis Fux reported earlier by O Globo. He is basically warning that if Waters presents his well-known and acclaimed performance of In The Flesh in Brazil, he faces a serious threat of being hauled off the stage and going straight to jail.

Many of Dinos followers on Twitter, rubbing their eyes in disbelief at his answer, tried to explain to the former member of the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) and current representative of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) that Waters is no fascist. Unmoved, Dino tweeted again: I know who he is, and Ive known Roger Waters work for a few decades. I suggest you read the previous tweet... I think its quite clear about a serious position.

Any political figure with the slightest democratic sensibility would immediately seek to clarify that the accusations against Waters are totally unfounded and that freedom of speech is a right guaranteed in his country. But this is not the case with Dino, or the Lula government as a whole, not to mention Brazils pseudo-left parties, which have remained totally silent.

This episode reveals the completely fraudulent basis of these political forces claims to oppose war and fascism. Lula postures as an advocate of peace between Ukraine and Russia, and a critic of the NATO powers that foster its continuation. His real cowardly position, however, is exposed in his governments joining the noxious campaign of these same powers to vilify and persecute Waters, a leading international antiwar activist, going one better by threatening to jail him for his performances in Brazil.

The Socialist Equality Group (GSI) in Brazil calls on Brazilian youth and workers to take up the defense of Roger Waters. This struggle is central to the defense of the democratic rights of the working class, which are under attack in Brazil and around the world, and to the advancement of an international movement against imperialist war.

As the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (JEIIS) stressed in its March 20 antiwar event in Sao Paulo, this movement can only be built on an international basis, in opposition to all bourgeois parties like the PT, and oriented towards the independent mobilization of the working class and the overthrow of capitalism worldwide.
Last Thursday the board of the state-owned broadcaster Radio NZ (RNZ) announced a three-person panel had been appointed to review the stations editorial processes after it had published at least 16 stories about the Ukraine war falsely deemed to have had pro-Russian, or pro-Kremlin, edits.

Radio New Zealand building in Wellington

The panel includes media law expert Willy Akel as chair, Linda Clark, a former journalist and media law expert and Alan Sunderland, the former director of editorial standards at ABC News in Australia.

The board chairman, Jim Mather said the members boast a long history of editorial and legal expertise. The terms of reference will allow for rigorous scrutiny of the broadcasters editorial factors and processes that saw a staff journalist make inappropriate changes to Reuters and BBC reports, going back to last year.

The edits in question, far from being pro-Russian, in fact insert some rare uncomfortable truths in otherwise wall-to-wall barrage of pro-war propaganda which dominates the countrys jingoistic media. A McCarthyite frenzy is being whipped up now to intimidate any opposition to the US-NATO war and the Labour-led governments escalating involvement in it.

The staffer, Michael Hall, has been suspended from the stations digital department pending an employment investigation. He is victimised, vilified and regularly smeared as a rogue reporter: a Russian sympathiser and even an agent. Nobody in the media pack has dared defend him and the E tu trade union, which claims to represent media workers, has remained silent.

Speaking in his own defence, Hall explained that he had been working for RNZ basically from home. I subbed several stories that way over the past number of years, he told RNZs Checkpoint program. In fact since I started RNZ and I have done that for five years and nobody has tapped me on the shoulder and told me that I was doing anything wrong.

The furore began with a Reuters article posted on the RNZ website on June 9, which Hall had edited. He removed wording that glorified the 2014 coup in Ukraine as a revolution and inserted these sentences: The conflict in Ukraine began in 2014 after a pro-Russian elected government was toppled during Ukraines violent Maidan colour revolution. Russia annexed Crimea after a referendum, as the new pro-Western government suppressed ethnic Russians in eastern and southern Ukraine, sending in its armed forces to the Donbas.

A previous Reuters article in April had also been corrected by Hall to point out that Russia launched its 2022 invasion claiming that a US-backed coup in 2014 with the help of neo-Nazis had created a threat to its borders and had ignited a civil war that saw Russian-speaking minorities persecuted.

Amid a swirling atmosphere of anti-Russian mania, with media reports denouncing the situation at RNZ as a scandal, CEO Paul Thompson came forward to dismiss the Ukraine reports as pro-Kremlin garbage. He apologised to RNZs audience, the New Zealand public and the Ukrainian community, labelling the act inexcusable.

Thomson also briefed Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson, a prominent figure in the Maori radio network, who declared it was unprecedented for RNZ and he was comfortable with Hall being investigated. Thompson, who was recruited from Fairfax in 2013 to shake up the public broadcaster, is seizing the opportunity, with Labours connivance, to make a further lurch to the right.

Far from defending the stations reportage, let alone its editorial independence, board chair Mather declared the focus of the independent inquiry would be to restore public confidence in the broadcaster. In fact, a predetermined conclusion will now be manufactured to impose far-reaching censorship procedures at RNZ and to serve as a precedent across the entire media landscape.

Significantly, the furore over Halls editorial changes did not emerge from thin air: it originated in the United States.

The first complaint came via Luppe B. Luppen, a New York-based lawyer and well-connected Democratic Party supporter who has contributed articles to the Washington Post, Vanity Fair and Yahoo! News. Luppen and former White House correspondent for Yahoo, Hunter Walker, have co-written the forthcoming book The Truce: Progressives, Centrists, and the Future of the Democratic Party, based on interviews with key figures in the party.

In a November 17, 2018 article for Yahoo! News, Luppen lent support to Washingtons vicious persecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for allegations of sexual violence against women [a transparent frame-up] and his role in publishing hacked material from the Democratic National Committee, passed along by criminals who the U.S. intelligence community has concluded were agents of the Kremlin.

Assange has repeatedly denied the allegation of collusion with Russia, for which there is no evidence. He is now facing extradition to the US and the threat of life imprisonment for WikiLeaks publication of evidence of war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On June 9, Luppen tweeted a link to the June 9 RNZ/Reuters story and accused Reuters of publishing utterly false, Russian propaganda history of 2014. He later tweeted that a Reuters representative had reached out to him to explain that the changes had been made by RNZ.

The New Zealand publication Spinoff, in a hostile rebuke to RNZ, declared: It took a Twitter user in New York City to detect this indefensible editorial breach. But neither Spinoff nor the rest of the NZ media has investigated Luppens political connections or his motivations for objecting to statements about the 2014 Ukraine coup in a New Zealand publication.

It took no time for a political pile-on to erupt. Claiming this incident will not be isolated, Winston Peters, leader of the populist NZ First party and former deputy prime minister, unveiled an on-line petition demanding a Royal Commission of inquiry into media bias and manipulation. Also demanding a broader investigation, leader of the far-right ACT, David Seymour claimed additional RNZ articles about Israel-Palestine and Xinjiang in China had been edited.

Several media outlets wheeled out security analyst Paul Buchanan, who declared that he had been warning for years that New Zealand was being flooded by foreign disinformation and misinformation and that Russia was very, very good at spreading disinformation. Buchanan, regularly presented as an eminently suitable independent expert, is a former US intelligence officer who boasts having worked in Washingtons filthy operations in Cuba and Latin America.

Meanwhile, the purging of RNZ stories has begun with over 350 previous reports having been audited and 26 corrected. Thompson has promised that thousands more would be checked with a fine-tooth comb.

Some articles already subjected to correction include several on Israels killing of Palestinians, and another on the Netanyahu governments expansion of settlements on the West Bank. Halls relatively minor editsnow removedhad emphasised the Israeli governments far-right program and its defiance of international law.

A December 9, 2022 article on Mexicos granting of asylum to Perus ex-president Castillo also appears among the offending articles. A note explains that RNZ has removed Halls entirely correct statement that some are calling [Castillos removal from office] a constitutional coup.

Articles dealing with the war drive against China are also being censored. In an article published on March 16, headlined South Koreas president seeks closer Tokyo ties after latest North Korea missile launch, Hall had added that the US is stocking up [Taiwan] on weapons in anticipation of conflict with China. This accurate observation has now been deleted.

The expansion of media influence by far-right lobby groups, including the Ukrainian community, is being signalled. Invited to comment on the RNZ scandal, Israel Institute of NZ co-director David Cumin said edits sympathetic towards authoritarian regimes, including Russia, China, North Korea, Cuba and the Middle East, gave legitimacy to terror. Cumin claimed some edits were blatantly anti-Israel and distorted the realities on the ground in the Middle East.

Needless to say, no Palestinian spokesperson was given an opportunity to respond. The New Zealand Herald, which reported Cumins remarks, dishonestly presented the Israel Institute as an independent think tank, only later removing the reference. The Herald has a long record of accommodating to pro-Zionist bullying. In 2003 the paper sacked award-winning cartoonist Malcolm Evans over his cartoons critical of Israels repression of the Palestinians.

The manufactured RNZ furore presages a return to the reactionary atmosphere and methods of the 1950s anti-communist witch-hunts in the US; pre-determined investigations, show trials, forced confessions, victimisations and sackings. A re-writing of history is underway to position the media mouthpieces, which serve as propagandists for the ruling elite, to condition the population for a vast escalation of imperialist wars abroad and class war at home.
Work at UPS? We want to hear from you. Tell us what you think about the strike vote and the contract talks. All submissions will be kept anonymous.

Delivery truck outside UPS' Jefferson Street hub in Chicago, Illinois.

UPS workers in the United States have voted to authorize strike action at the logistics giant by 97 percent, according to a Friday press release from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The voting took place over the past week at locals around the country.

The margin reflects a fighting mood among rank-and-file UPS workers. They are determined to win better working conditions, end the exploitation of part-time workers and second-tier, hybrid drivers and beat back the companys demands for expanding Uber-style personal vehicle deliveries, among other key demands.

But the Teamsters bureaucracy is working deliberately to sabotage this determination. In the press release, they claim that the strike authorization vote gives the bureaucracy maximum leverage at the bargaining table.

In fact, the strike vote was slapped together at the last minute and structured in a way to deliberately suppress turnout. Instead of sending out voting packets to all 340,000 members at UPS, the union left each local to hastily organize the vote themselves. In some areas, polls were open only a few hours, and were only available at the local union hall. At the large Local 804 in New York City, polls were originally scheduled to be open only last Thursday and Friday, before they were suddenly extended for an extra two days without explanation.

In discussions with WSWS reporters at major UPS facilities in Louisville, New York City and Chicago, many workers, especially younger part-timers, reported not even being aware that a strike vote was taking place.

Significantly, no information on the voter turnout was released by the Teamsters. One insider, speaking with the WSWS before the results were released and on condition of anonymity, predicted that turnout would only end up being around 50,000 total voters, or 14.7 percent.

For months, the Teamsters bureaucracy under General President Sean OBrien has pledged to strike UPS by July 31, when the current contract expires, if a deal is not in place by then. This only means that it is determined to ram through a sellout deal before that deadline. A seriously-constituted strike vote, with adequate notice to workers and ample time and means to cast a ballot, would have served as a pole of attraction for workers opposition not only to the company, but to the Teamster bureaucracy, against whom there is deep distrust and anger after the union rammed through a pro-company deal in 2018 that a majority of workers had rejected. In fact, in 2018 the strike authorization vote was completed weeks earlier than the present vote, despite the fact that the union made no pretense that it might call a strike.

Over the past week, the union has bragged about a supposedly historic agreement reached in the talks to require air conditioning in UPS delivery trucks for the first time. UPS routinely removes AC from vehicles after purchasing them to cut costs, leading to multiple cases of heat stroke and even deaths among delivery drivers during summer heat waves.

But even according to the Teamsters own self-serving press release, in-cab air conditioning will only be provided in vehicles purchased in 2024 or later. Current vehicles will be only be given fans for the cabs, and air conditioning installed in the backs of trucks in the cargo compartments. Given that UPS routinely keeps trucks in operation for 25 years or more, this victory means that some drivers could still be without AC until 2050.

Until 2018, we were still driving models from 1988, 1992, one southern California delivery driver told the WSWS. Why did we still have them? Because they were cheap. They were impossible to drive, with stick shifts that were impossible to use. But even then, we only got rid of them in 2018 because of environmental regulations in California banning the use of diesel delivery trucks. Those regulations arent in force in the rest of the country.

People on social media are asking, okay, what did we give up in exchange for the AC? Theres something fishy going on here.

Chicago UPS workers: We deserve a lot more

The WSWS spoke to Chicago UPS drivers and warehouse workers at the Jefferson Street hub. Workers overwhelmingly spoke out in support of a strike to fight for higher wages, an end to the 22.4 two-tier driver system, and better working conditions.

A new UPS worker said, I just started two weeks ago. Im working to be a driver. I work as a loader. We make only $18 an hour. The cost of everything is going up in Chicago. We deserve a lot more.

I think its good were going to vote to strike, a young UPS worker added. Im going to vote yes because we need more hours. Im part-time. I get $18 an hour. I dont see my money Sometimes I come early, sometimes they send me home because they say they dont need anybody. Today we are working 6-10. Thats 4 hours. What can you do with that? Thats pocket money.

She added, We do need more hours and more pay and more days. I used to work for another company. We got paid more, and we got 40 hours a week. My check is like $176. Why does my check keep coming up short? I want to make $40 an hourthats a good wage to live in Chicago. Were just trying to make it now.

A UPS package car driver added, The old Hoffa administration pushed the contract through. We should have gone on strike in 2018. How were they going to allow something like that to pass? For the guys who work next to you to take a pay cut? An honest days work for an honest days pay why pay everyone different? Ive worked here for three years. We were exposed to COVID when the pandemic started. I caught COVID during work. I have no idea who I got it fromwe were exposed to everyone. A lot of drivers came down with it. And of course we got no hazard pay for putting our lives on the line. We need to go on strike now.

Two hybrid, or 22.4 drivers also spoke out against the two-tier system for delivery drivers. That 22.4 has got to go. Were both 22.4. Its the same as a regular driver but we get paid a little less. We get up to $10-15 less. We do the same work and get paid less than the full drivers. Its a two-tier system. One guy gets paid more. And we drive in hot trucks that are like an oven sometimes.

We shouldnt have 22.4s, another UPS package car driver said. And I voted yes to strike. I only worked here for 4 or 5 years. The 22.4 is the biggest thing for me. It doesnt seem fair. I was the last class that they made regular package car drivers. Everyone who came after me was a 22.4. At top scale the pay difference was $10 an hour. Its pretty big. Its a four-year progression. The first year or two it looks similar, but with each year of progression, the gap gets bigger.

He added, The 22.4s also dont get overtime protectionwhich is huge to me. I dont like mandatory overtime at all. I wish there was no overtime, or at least a gray period of eight hours. Its absurd the only time we can get an eight-hour day is if we ask for it it. We can only have two a month, and they never honor it anyway. Theyd rather just pay the penalty than accommodate it. UPS is also watching you [on camera] to see if you screw up. UPS is doing all this because its only about the money. Theres no other reason.

They do work thats effectively the same. Technically theyre supposed to do work inside. But Ive never seen that happen until very recently when the post-COVID volume returned to normalthen they started moving the 22.4s to do preload and stuff like that. But before that they were doing the exact same work.

Weve known a couple guys who passed out when it got really hot. They dont talk about that much. Management will say, stay hydrated. I just dont imagine UPS would have air conditioners either. Just like Amazon workers, we also pee in bottles. Sometimes its hard to find a place, especially if youre working an all residential route. You may not be able to find a place.

Another 22.4 driver at the Jefferson hub voted to strike and denounced the Teamsters unions capitulation to the corporations interests in the 2018 contract struggle. For us, the gap between 22.4 driver pay and regular driver pay is not fair, he said. Its not fair because were doing the same thing for less pay. I dont understand how they set the contract like that. The company makes a lot of money off that. I get paid $5 per hour less and I work 10 hours a day, so I already lost $50and thats one day. I could lose thousands a year compared to if I was a regular driver, and thats just me. Think of how many other drivers they have at this rate across the company.

How come they signed the new contract when we got less? I hope they take 22.4s out of the new contract. I started at $20.50, but the regular drivers started at $21. We got screwed. For the last contract, the regular drivers are raised $1 in the first year, and then $2 in the second and so on. And we were raised just $0.75 the first year, then $1.50 in the second. Thats unfair.

I dont understand how the Teamsters could sign a contract thats so unfair like that. They already knew it was so unfair to all the employees. I joined the union after the 2018 contracts were signed so I had no choice. I waited for 3 years for a new contract and I dont want it to be like the last one. This year, I realized this is a new contract so I have to say somethingeven if nothings going to change, I need to say something. I voted to strike yesterday. Hopefully theyre going to do something to change.

They compare us to Amazon workers to try to tell us were getting higher pay, but its still not enough. Were not forgetting were still getting paid less than regular drivers.

He agreed with the perspective that it would be effective to fight to unite the struggles of logistics workers, including expanding the fight to Amazon workers whom they are pitted against.
Colorado Springs City Council this week approved a resolution declaring the city's intent to issue millions of dollars in multifamily housing revenue bonds to build hundreds of affordable rental units in the Briargate neighborhood, despite concerns from residents about increased density, traffic and noise in the area.

"We absolutely need affordable housing in this community. It is the No. 1 issue  that and public safety are the top two things in this city that people care about," Councilwoman Nancy Henjum said during Tuesday's regular council meeting, before voting in support of the resolution.

The council voted, 7-2, with Councilmen Dave Donelson and Mike O'Malley opposed, to issue up to $40 million in private activity bonds to build 232 one-, two- and three-bedroom units in the Royal Pines Apartments, as the project is known. It is planned at the intersection of North Powers and North Union boulevards.

A staff presentation shows 80 units each could be built in two, four-story buildings across from each other, with another 72 units to be built in an adjacent four-story building.

About 15 people, most of whom work or are involved in the housing industry, spoke in support of the project and urged the council to use the bonds for the apartments they say will add much-needed affordable and attainable housing to the city's stock.

Briargate is an employment center, they said. The units will allow teachers, nurses, firefighters, medical assistants and other members of the "missing middle" to afford to live near their places of work. "Missing middle" earners are workers making 60%-150% of the area's median income but who struggle to qualify for market-rate housing.

Beth Diana, a spokeswoman for La Plata Communities, which developed the Briargate Master Plan, said the company supported the Royal Pines Apartments and issuing bonds to finance the project, because homes in that area typically sell above the citywide average home price.

"As we all know, there's a substantial shortage of affordable homes throughout the city. This is especially true in Briargate. Since we began development of Briargate (in 1995), every new home sold in Briargate has sold above the median price for Colorado Springs."

Randy Scott, who works with the Pikes Peak Housing Network, said more proposals like this one are needed throughout the city.

"Quality projects, well designed with rents below market value  these types of projects should be welcomed, not demonized, if we are to be an inclusive, welcoming community that can provide for all of its residents at all economic levels," he said.

About 15 people, most who live in nearby Pine Creek, said they were concerned about water availability; project density; lack of parking availability; that wildlife in the area such as Preble's meadow jumping mouse, elk, deer, mountain lions and others would be negatively impacted by the new development; and increased noise.

Pine Creek resident Steve Parrish said there are already 5,500 vacant apartments in Colorado Springs, according to apartments.com, an online apartment listing website, and more than 2,200 vacancies for apartments renting for less than $1,400 a month.

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"Do more apartments in Colorado Springs meet a city need?" he asked.

Residents said they were concerned about "lack of transparency" from the city. Several people said they were unaware of the project until recently, and many found out about it on social media.

"This lack of proactive communication with the neighbors is causing distrust in the overall process," resident Susan Forget said.

Resident Jim Blair said neighbors want to be a part of the development process and are eager to provide their feedback.

"We want to have  a grassroots type of process instead of having the city or Denver or (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) drive down affordable housing, telling us where it's going to be located. I think the residents of those communities have a say in this, and we have not had a say in this."

Planning and Community Development Director Peter Wysocki and Community Development Division Manager Steve Posey said they could not adequately address resident concerns, because developer DBG Properties of Portland, Ore., has not yet submitted a plan for the project.

A future development plan will outline the proposed building footprint, setbacks, land uses, traffic access, parking, easements and landscaping.

"That is the venue, if you will, for listening to comments about parking, building density, impacts on traffic," Posey said.

The issue before the council on Tuesday was about financing, Wysocki and Posey said.

"The first step today is really just notifying the city that the developer is interested," Wysocki told the council. "We're sort of reserving the capacity the city has of its private activity bonds for the future ..."

Eric Grodahl, a principal with developer DBG Properties, committed Tuesday to "going above and beyond what is required by the city" to notify residents and solicit and incorporate their feedback into the development plans.

"We're a long-term owner of everything that we build and develop, and for that reason (we) have an interest in being a good neighbor in every community that we go into," he said.
Forty Years Ago This Week: Colorado U.S. Sen. Gary Hart received a human rights citation from the Commission on International Jewish Affairs for his outspoken support of Soviet Jews.

Bobbie Towbin of the CIJA noted that nearly 400,000 Jews in the USSR were being denied exit visas and that the Democratic senator had worked diligently to open lines of communication with the Soviet Union so that the Jews would be allowed to emigrate.

The Soviet Union has a long history of anti-Semitism, Towbin said. The current Jewish population in the Soviet Union is being used as a bargaining chip. If they think they have something to gain in international relations, they will let the Jews emigrate. The Soviet Jews who want to leave that country are unlike the dissidents who publicly advocate changes in Soviet government. The Jews have done nothing illegal; they are pawns.

Towbin, a Denver resident, said that the Reagan administration didnt enjoy as good of relations with the Soviet Union as had Carters.

At least there was a dialogue without the rhetoric, Townbin said.

Hart was personally involved in trying to assist several Soviet Jews, including Professor Nahum Neiman, a 72-year-old scholar whod been trying to emigrate to Boulder where his daughter lived.

I have been working to make sure human rights are made a part of all talks between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, Hart told reporters.

During the congressional session, Hart had introduced a resolution urging Neimans release.

Thirty Years Ago: A World War II veteran and former commander of the Colorado National Guard, Ret. Brigadier General Felix Larry Sparks, spent much of the states legislative session at the capitol advocating for his organization; Parents UnitedNo Childrens Handguns (PUNCH), for gun-control legislation.

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Sparkss 16-year-old grandson had been shot and killed by a 15-year-old Adams County minor in a drive-by shooting.

I dont think any child should ever have a gun  except for legitimate, supervised sport shooting at managed shooting ranges, Sparks said.

Although a host of the gun-control bills had died during the regular session of the General Assembly, Sparks pledged he would return during the summer when an interim committee would begin discussing the problems of childrens access to firearms.

Sparks told The Colorado Statesman that he applauded the action taken by the Aurora City Council to limit juveniles access to firearms as a good start, but said strong state and federal laws were what was needed long term.

Cities have limited jurisdiction, Sparks said, and can do little more than make illegal firearms possession a misdemeanor. I dont anticipate a strong federal law as the National Rifle Association has a lot of money to spend in Congress.

Sparkss detractors often brought up the argument that ordinances like Auroras would not do any good because those who have the drive to get guns will still be able to do so. While Sparks admitted that might be true, there was no way of measuring how many shooting deaths  particularly accidental ones  might be prevented by strong statutes preventing them from falling into childrens hands.

To this end Sparks also supported legislation like a bill that had been sponsored by state Sen. Regis Groff, D-Denver, the previous legislative session that would have required parents to secure firearms so juveniles couldnt easily access or use them. In 1993, Groff had proposed four gun-control bills, which included a 10-day waiting period for buying a handgun, but none of the measures made it out of the Republican-controlled legislature.

Gov. Roy Romer had indicated to the press that he was considering calling a special session to debate the matter but was waiting to consult with legislative leaders.

Rachael Wright is the author of the Captain Savva Mystery series, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics and The Gazette.
Romanian filmmaker Cosmin Nicolaes Pyrrhic, a feature debut about an army veteran sent into a downward spiral after returning home from Afghanistan, took home the top prize Friday at the Transilvania Pitch Stop, the co-production forum of the Transilvania Film Festival. The Chainsaw Europe Post-Production Award comes with 25,000 ($27,400) in post-production services for the winning project.

Nicolaes war drama follows a veteran returning to her hometown on the Black Sea coast, where a harrowing discovery jeopardizes the process of coming to terms with her traumas and with a drifting society. The film is produced by Velvet Moraru of Bucharest-based Icon Production.

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Its a very character-driven, observational drama. Its inspired by a host of characters that Ive been researching  its real people and real experiences, Nicolae told Variety after the award ceremony. Im interested in marginalized characters and liminal spaces, and the way people reflect their surroundings and vice versa.

The film will reflect the experiences of immigrants from Southeast Asia, who make up a large part of the Romanian workforce but remain invisible to the broader society, as well as those of veterans returning from combat zones carrying all sorts of visible and invisible wounds, said Nicolae.

Researching their experience, many people abroad had no idea that Romania has soldiers in peacekeeper missions abroad, so it was important for us to take these stories and make them a little bit more visible, he added. Pyrrhic was also the winner of the CoCo Award for a Romanian or Moldovan project in development, which includes a five-day residency offered by the Connecting Cottbus Co-Production Market.

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Among the other awards handed out Friday in Cluj, the TPS Development Award in the amount of 5,000 ($5,500) from Romanian production and post-production house Avanpost went to The Life We Never Had, Bulgarian filmmaker Martin Markovs exploration of the fallout when a failed painter pursues an unnatural obsession. The film is produced by Victoria Mitreva and Vanya Rainova for Portokal.

The UPFAR-ARGOA Award in the amount of 3,000 ($3,300) went to Second Line, from Ukrainian director-producer Olga Stuga. Unfolding after Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, the film follows the filmmakers family as they scatter across Europe, forcing them to make impossible choices between a safe life and their duty before both society and themselves.

The award from Moldovas National Center of Cinematography in the amount of 1,500 ($1,750) went to Little Death, the feature directorial debut of Greeces Efthimis Kosemund-Sanidis, which tells the story of a debt-ridden young man who sets out to claim his inheritance from his long-estranged father. The film is produced by Greeces Yorgos Tsourgiannis for Horsefly Films and Romanias Anamaria Antoci for Tangaj Production.

The Villa Kult Development Award in the amount of 500 ($750) went to The Circle, from Moldovas Vareriu Andriuta, which follows a young detective sent to a remote village to investigate a mysterious death. The film is produced by Iulia Andriuta of Amprenta Films.

Lastly, the Drama Room  the dedicated TV strand of the Transilvania festivals industry arm  handed out an award for the first time for the best series project to take part in this years edition. The award, which includes a pilot development deal with Romanian broadcaster PRO TV, went to The Kids Are Alright, a coming-of-age drama from Bucharest-based scriptwriter and director Serghei Chiviriga. The show tells the story of a reckless foreign student whos sent home from boarding school, forcing his roommates down a dangerous path when they have to decide what to do with his hidden stash of weed and who to trust.

The Transilvania Film Festival runs June 9  18.

Pictured: Romanian director Cosmin Nicolae (left) and producer Ioana Moraru.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger may be back in politics.

The Terminator icon revealed during CNNs Whos Talking to Chris Wallace? that if eligible, he would run for president. Schwarzenegger was born in Austria and therefore cannot become the President of the United States; the actor did however serve as the 38th governor of California from 2003 to 2011.

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When asked by host Chris Wallace if he would run for president, Schwarzenegger replied, Absolutely.

Well, yes, of course, Schwarzenegger said. I mean, I think the field was wide open in 2016. And I think the field is open right now. I mean, think about it right now. I mean, who is there? There is really not a person that can bring everyone together.

He continued, Who is here today that people say OK, hes not too old or hes not too this or too that, or is that because its now a question about who do you vote against than who do you vote for?

Schwarzenegger added, Put me in because its, look  its a no-brainer. I see so clearly how I could win that election. I mean, its like me and California. And when I was, you know, running for governor, it was clear that people are looking for some new answer, not a right-wing or left-wing, but someone that can bring the nation together and doesnt see the other party as the enemyTheres just so many things that need to be done. And can be done. And what makes it so wonderful is because its doable. Its all doable, or at least its just people coming together and say yes, we can do it.

As for former president Donald Trumps chances at being reelected post-indictment, Schwarzenegger said, Im not worried about it because I dont think its going to happen. But I mean, thats just my thinking.

The Fubar star has previously criticized Trump, especially following his dig at Schwarzenegger hosting The New Celebrity Apprentice, the reality show that in part made Trump a household name.

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I hope youll work for ALL of the American people as aggressively as you worked for your ratings, Schwarzenegger clapped back at the then-President-elect in January 2017.

He added in 2019 after Trumps repeated harassment, I think he really  hes in love with me. Thats the reality of it. With Trump, he wants to be me.

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Carlos Santana has a powerful memory of meeting his second wife, Cindy Blackman Santana.

I was meditating and talking to God, and I said, I need a queen to come home to share this. Love is unconditional, and I need someone who loves me and grows with me, the rock icon told People in an interview published Saturday.

It wasnt long before he felt like his prayer was answered.

Next thing I know, here comes Cindy, the guitarist said. The way Cindy walked like a New York woman, filled with confidence. I was like, Damn.

Cindy Blackman Santana and Carlos Santana are pictured in 2014 in New York City.

Cindy Blackman Santana and Carlos Santana are pictured in 2014 in New York City.

Cindy Blackman Santana, a rock and jazz drummer, is his best friend, he told People.

Ive always been infatuated with strong women because my mother was like that, said the Smooth musician.

The pair married in 2010 after he proposed onstage in Tinley Park, Illinois, as the crowd cheered.

Carlos Santanas first wife was activist and author Deborah Santana, with whom he shares three adult children. They were married for 34 years but split up in 2007, citing irreconcilable differences.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Arnold." Netflix

"Arnold" director Lesley Chilcott told Insider how she got Arnold Schwarzenegger to open up like never before.

Schwarzenegger spoke candidly about his divorce from Maria Shriver.

He also opened up about his past infidelities in the Netflix docuseries.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a man whose mystique is as massive as the characters he's played on the big screen.

He became the face of bodybuilding in the 1970s before pivoting to Hollywood the decade after, making a name for himself as one of the founding fathers of the Hollywood action movie. Then in 2003, he made an unlikely move into politics as the governor of California.

With such a wide-spanning, larger-than-life career to dive into, director Lesley Chilcott faced a massive challenge when she agreed to direct a three-part docuseries for Netflix on the legend's life: How in the world would she be able to showcase the individual behind the icon?

Chilcott teamed up with producer Allen Hughes  who previously directed acclaimed docuseries about the personal sides of icons Dr. Dre (HBO's "The Defiant Ones") and Tupac Shakur (FX's "Dear Mama)  to successfully pull off the in-depth look at Schwarzenegger that is "Arnold," now streaming on Netflix.

Arnold Schwarzenegger won Mr. Olympia seven times. Jack Mitchell/Getty

Broken up into three chapters  "Athlete," "Actor," and "American"  Chilcott conducts over 40 hours of interviews with the star, stripping away the catchphrases and cigar-chomping egotism that Schwarzenegger has worn on his sleeve for decades to reveal a man who came from very humble beginnings in Austria and used an unshakable drive to conquer the world and become one of the most recognizable figures of the late 20th century.

"A friend of his put it best: Arnold sees around corners and I still don't know if he's following things or predicting things or setting things," Chilcott told Insider on the aura that surrounds Schwarzenegger. "That's a delicious mystery for a filmmaker to kind of unpack. Especially with someone like Arnold who spreads his catchphrases in a way that they can't be stopped."

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To get Schwarzenegger to stay on topic, Chilcott would 'keep asking the question until he gave a real answer'

Along with celebrating Schwarzenegger's triumphs, Chilcott said she wanted the docuseries to convey to viewers the hard work and determination he put into making his vision of becoming a success a reality.

Chilcott commends Schwarzenegger for keeping his word to agree to talk about any topic that came up in their conversations.

"I would keep asking the question until he gave a real answer," she said about bringing up sensitive topics. "And he was willing to go there and I think that partially has to do with where he is in his life. He was willing to show sides of him that he'd never shown before, but that was the biggest challenge."

"Arnold" director Lesley Chilcott. Andreas Rentz/Getty

"He's naturally a great storyteller and an entertainer," she continued. "I mean, even when I would ask him to go more in-depth or hit more on an issue, he would say, 'Lesley, why don't you just make the documentary longer so you don't have to keep asking me.'"

In fact, Chilcott said she did ask Netflix to expand the docuseries to four episodes, but the streamer passed.

Schwarzenegger also talks candidly about his childhood, which included abuse from his father, and how he was making millions before hitting it big in movies thanks to his business ventures, which included owning real estate around Los Angeles.

"Real estate, investing in art, those things really affected him," Chilcott said. "But when his voice was overdubbed in 'Hercules in New York,' the fact that he could wait and keep trying acting was because he had his mail order business, which had to do with bodybuilding. He literally had a closet with pamphlets in it. Checks would come in the mail and he would mail the pamphlets out."

So if acting didn't work out, does she think Arnold could have gone on to become a successful businessman?

"Probably but that's not Arnold," she said. "That's not his goal of combining his, as he says, Austrian discipline with the American sense of opportunity to conquer the world."

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, pictured at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage/Getty Images

Chilcott waited 6 months into filming to finally talk to Schwarzenegger about his divorce and infidelity

In "Arnold," Schwarzenegger talks in detail for the first time ever about his failed marriage to Maria Shriver and his infidelity, which included an affair with their housekeeper that led to the birth of a son. Chilcott did ask Shriver to be in the docuseries, but she declined. Shriver filed for divorce in 2011; it was finalized a decade later in 2021.

But these conversations were among the hardest to get on camera.

"It was a good six months in where I felt he was ready," said Chilcott. "It was a tough day for him and he was willing to go there and talk about all these issues and he was exhausted afterward."

Made over the span of two-plus years, Chilcott traveled the globe to track down Schwarzenegger. And when she couldn't get him on camera, she spent hours on the phone or FaceTime with him. Though Chilcott knew these chats may never make it into "Arnold," it was a way to bring a deeper connection between her and her subject.

So when it was time to talk about difficult topics face-to-face, there was an established comfort between them.

Chilcott also built trust by riding around with Schwarzenegger in an old tank he used to drive when he was in the Austrian army and showing up at his childhood home before filming to reorganize his bedroom so it looked like how it was when he was a kid.

Arnold Schwarzenegger filming in his childhood home in "Arnold." Netflix

"When you do a documentary, you have to earn a person's trust in order for them to go certain places. It's a process and he was very willing, but he wants other people to have fun as well," Chilcott said. "He doesn't want to be the only person having fun. So he would joke around with the crew. He would sit down and look at me with the cameras and go, 'Okay, what do you want to know?' He has this sense of humor that I think more than anything carries him through life."

But after spotlighting a man who lives in his own mythology  most of the interviews are done in his home where he is surrounded by movie memorabilia from his biggest hits, and he even reflects on his life while leafing through a giant book containing pictures of himself (which will actually be published soon by Taschen)  does she believe she ever met the real Arnold Schwarzenegger?

"That's why I did so many conversations on FaceTime and audio-only interviews," she said. "There's a shift in him when he's talking sincerely and relaxing. It's why I did the interviews at his house, where he's comfortable. It's why I go see his mini donkey and mini horse every morning before we started. We got there."

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A former employee at the Harvard Medical School morgue has been charged with selling human remains from donated bodies and allowing buyers to choose which parts they wanted, according to federal prosecutors.

The morgues manager, Cedric Lodge, was part of a massive nationwide network that bought and sold human remains stolen from the universitys medical school. From 2018 to 2022, Lodge and his wife, Denise Lodge, stole the corpses, removed parts such as the head, brain, skin, and bones, and sold them to their accomplices. They would also allow their buyers to come into the morgue and pick whichever parts they had their eye on.

One of the main buyers, Katrina Maclean, allegedly agreed to purchase two human faces for a total of $600. Prosecutors also stated Maclean kept the remains she purchased and resold them through her store, Kats Creepy Creations, which sells "creations that shock the mind & shake the soul" according to her Instagram page. A second buyer named Joshua Taylor sent more than $37,000 to Denise for body parts between September 2018 and July 2021.

Taylor had also added memos to his payments describing what he wanted. A payment for $1,000 came with a memo that read head number 7, and another for $200 that said braiiiiiins. The operation allegedly also involved buyers purchasing stillborn babies that were supposed to be cremated and returned to their families.

Some crimes defy understanding, Gerard M. Karam, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, said in a statement. The theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the very essence of what makes us human.

Two deans from Harvard Medical School told students in a statement that Lodge and his accomplices acted independently and no one else on campus knew of what was happening.

We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus  a community dedicated to healing and serving others, the deans wrote in their statement. The reported incidents are a betrayal of H.M.S. and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to H.M.S. through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research.

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One of the men involved in the trafficking ring, Jeremy Pauley, reached a plea deal in his case. According to CBS 21, Pauley will plead guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and interstate transportation of stolen property. Pauley had also purchased remains from Candace Chapman Scott of Little Rock, Arkansas, who was indicted in May.

Pauley could face up to 15 years in prison, a $500,000 fine, and three years of supervised release, as well as admit his guilt in open court.

The U.S. Attorney's office is working to reach out to contact the families of the victims affected by this case. Anyone who believes they or a family member may have been affected by this case is encouraged to call the Victim and Witness Unit at 717-614-4249 or email usapam-victim.information@usdoj.gov.
Gal Gadot is going from superhero to super spy in the action-packed first trailer for the international espionage thriller Heart of Stone.

Gadot was joined by co-stars Jamie Dornan and Alia Bhatt at Netflixs Tudum fan festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where the trio debuted the films first trailer. The footage features heart-stopping stunts, like Gadots Rachel Stone  an intelligence operative for a shadowy global peacekeeping agency  skydiving from a death-defying height.

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Stones steely demeanor and adrenaline-junkie habits are explained as her boss (Sophie Okonedo) warns, You know what you signed up for. No friends, no relationships What we do is too important. When governments fail, the only thing left is the Charter.

Stone and Dornans Parker are among the organizations highly-trained agents, who have no political leanings or national allegiances and are described as working together to keep peace in a turbulent world.

But when hacker Keya Dhawan (Bhatt, as the Bollywood A-lister stars in her first major Hollywood movie) steals the agencys most valuable  and dangerous  weapon (a technological core that gives the Charter its power, its heart, if you will), Stone sets off on an epic, globe-trotting adventure to save the day and clear her name.

Heart or no heart, Im coming for you, Gadot snarls into a cell phone as her own warning to Bhatt.

Directed by Tom Harper from a script by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder, the intense footage also features major action set pieces including a motorcycle chase through the Alps and cars speeding through the streets of Lisbon. Gadot is also seen flying through the air twice  first, paragliding off a snowy embankment and later, doing some extreme skydiving.

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Chance of success just plummeted, a Charter agent (played by Matthias Schweighofer) cautions while Stone performs the dangerous maneuver. Only because you have no imagination, she shoots back, as she manages to tumble onto her target.

In addition to bringing her action star skills (refined in Wonder Woman, and soon to return to the Fast and Furious franchise) to the table, Gadot also produced the film under her Pilot Wave banner with her producing partner and husband Jaron Varsano. Skydances David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger are also billed as producers, along with Mockingbirds Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn. Patty Whitcher, Harper and Rucka serve as executive producers.

Heart of Stone begins streaming on August 11.

Netflix nabbed worldwide rights to the project in 2021, marking another partnership between the streamer and Skydance, after teaming for The Old Guard with Charlize Theron, Ryan Reynolds 6 Underground and The Adam Project, directed by Shawn Levy. Gadot and Netflix have their own strong ties, with the superstar set to appear in two sequels to Red Notice, as the 2021 action comedy is one of the streamers most-watched movies of all time.

Watch the trailer below.

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Jennifer Anistons go-to collagen supplement has been recalled, due to potential material contamination.

In the report shared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Vital Proteins revealed that nearly 60,000 of its 24-ounce Collagen Peptides powder has been recalled. The recall, which was first initiated on 21 April, 2023, is due to the potential that pieces of one blue broken lid may be in one or more canisters.

The FDA also noted that this is a Class II recall, which is a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.

The potentially impacted product was shipped to different Costco stores in multiple states, including New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

On 28 April 2023, Costco also issued a letter to its customers about Vital Proteins initiating the recall. The wholesale warehouse specified that the potentially unsafe product was sold at stores between 17 April and 24 April 2023.

Vital Proteins has initiated a voluntary recall of a single batch code of this product due to a potential foreign material contamination, a representative for Vital Proteins said in Costcos letter. However, out of an abundance of caution, we are initiating this voluntary recall as consumer safety is our first priority.

On 16 June, Vital Proteins issued a statement to The Independent about its voluntary recall of the product. The brand specified that the recall only affects a batch of products produced for Costco in the United States, and not products made for the UK or non-US countries.

At Vital Proteins, the health and safety of consumers is our highest priority, the statement said. In April, out of an abundance of caution and our commitment to product quality and consumer safety, we initiated a voluntary recall of a single batch code of Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides  at a limited number of Costco locations in the United States  and worked with Costco to both notify their members who may have purchased impacted product, and remove any potentially impacted product from stores,

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The statement concluded: To date, no injuries have been reported in relation to this recall. No other retailers or e-tailers are affected by this recall, and no other Vital Proteins products are affected.

Since 2020, Jennifer Aniston has been the Chief Creative Officer of Vital Proteins. When taking on this new role, at the time, she also specified that shed been using products from the brand since 2016.

During an interview with the company in July 2022, she praised the powder-based product and noted that collagen, which provides protein to ones body, was a big part of her daily routine.

My go-to collagen routine is adding Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides in my morning cup of coffee or smoothie  so easy to use, she said.

The Friends star also acknowledged how this product has showcased the passion for health and wellness that shes had over the years.

I know that this topic can be overwhelming so through this campaign, I want to show simple ways to incorporate collagen into your daily life, she said. For me, its adding it to my morning coffee and replenishing after a workout, but there is truly an option for everyone.

Before the FDA revealed that the collagen supplement had been recalled, Aniston posted an Instagram about Vital Proteins. In the Instagram video shared on 9 May, she put some of the collagen powder in her mug, before adding her morning coffee and milk to it.

When contacted by The Independent, Costco declined to further comment. A representative for Aniston pointed to the statement from Vital Proteins
The Princess of Wales is known to pay deliberate tribute through her style choices at formal events

Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Kate Middleton

Kate Middleton had the perfect outfit choice at Trooping the Colour.

On Saturday, the Princess of Wales attended the first birthday parade held in King Charles honor. While Princess Kate, 41, has been part of the patriotic procession each year since marrying Prince William in 2011  with the exception of 2020 and 2021, when the event was scaled back greatly due to the COVID pandemic  todays event is special as her first as the Princess of Wales.

Princess Kate looked the part in a green dress by Andrew Gn and matching hat by Philip Treacy. Gn is a fashion designer from Singapore, and Kates choice was a clear nod to her husband Prince William's Earthshot Prize, which will hold its third awards ceremony in the Asian country in November.

Green also nods to her colonelcy of the Irish Guards and one of the colors of the flag of Wales. Kate and Prince William were named the Prince and Princess of Wales upon King Charles' accession to the throne in September  and with Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, in red at Trooping, the Wales family had an ultimate display of flag dressing!

Neil Mockford/Getty Queen Camilla, Kate Middleton

RELATED: See All of Kate Middleton's Trooping the Colour Outfits Through the Years

Kate completed the look with sapphire and diamond earrings that previously belonged to Princess Diana  a rewear from last year!  and pinned on the Irish Guards' special gold shamrock brooch.



The royal birthday parade takes on a new weight for Kate as honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards. The Irish Guards are one of the seven regiments of the Household Division of the British Army on display at Trooping the Colour, and King Charles made his daughter-in-law the ceremonial Colonel in December, three months after his accession. The position is a fitting tribute for the Princess of Wales, who has honored the regiment on St. Patricks Day for over a decade.

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In another first, Princess Kate and Queen Camilla joined the other royal colonels on the ground at Horse Guards Parade as the Welsh Guards presented their flag. In past years, both royal women would watch this part of the ceremony from one of the buildings surrounding the parade grounds.



Samir Hussein/WireImage Kate Middleton

It was a touching tribute for Kate to wear Diana's earrings at her first Trooping the Colour as the Princess of Wales. The royal has reached for her late mother-in-laws jewelry more frequently since becoming Princess of Wales in September, and most recently wore the Queen Mary's Lover's Knot tiara to the royal wedding of Jordan on June 1. The sparkler is famously a favorite of Kates for state occasions  just like it was for Diana. A few weeks before, Princess Kate also wore Princess Dianas South Sea Pearl Earrings to the coronation on May 6.

"I think we have seen lots of examples where the reference is very intentional and I think that Kate uses fashion to pay tribute to Diana in a very positive way," Bethan Holt, Fashion News and Features Director of The Daily Telegraph, previously told PEOPLE.



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In another connection, Princess Diana also wore green for her first Trooping the Colour as Princess of Wales in 1982.

Princes Kate also sported a gold shamrock brooch featuring an emerald in the center. The pin belongs to the Irish Guards and is loaned to the royal women who are associated with the regiment, The Court Jeweller reports.

Before Kate, it was worn by Princess Anne and the Queen Mother, and Kate often wears the piece when she celebrates St. Patricks Day with the regiment each year.



Chris Jackson/Getty Kate Middleton

RELATED: What Is Trooping the Colour? All About King Charles' Public Birthday Celebration

Kates latest look is a confident affirmation in her power-dressing parade since becoming Princess of Wales in the fall, which Holt describes as a whole new mindset.

"I think this is her power moment  she's easing into the Princess of Wales role and that promotion that she's had in such a beautiful way," the style editor previously told PEOPLE. "She's got this big new title, and she's dressing for that job."



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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex relocated to California after stepping back as senior members of the royal family in 2020

Karwai Tang/WireImage Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

King Charles' first Trooping the Colour as monarch was missing two members of the family: his son Prince Harry and his daughter-in-law Meghan Markle.

While members of the British royal family gathered in London for King Charles' public birthday celebrations and armed forces parade, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not join them.

Prince Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, relocated to her home state of California in 2020 after stepping back as senior members of the royal family.

Although the couple attended Trooping the Colour together in 2018 (just a month after their royal wedding at Windsor Castle) and 2019 (weeks after welcoming their first child, son Prince Archie), the event was scaled down in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

RELATED: King Charles Is Bringing Back a Trooping the Colour Tradition Not Seen Since 1986



Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Meghan and Harry returned to the United Kingdom in June 2022  for the first time with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet  for Trooping the Colour, which kicked off a four-day celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, marking her historic 70-year reign. They did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the flypast, which was limited to only working members of the family and their children last year. Instead, they watched the event from the Major General's Office, which overlooks the Horse Guards Parade, with extended members of the family.

This year, King Charles seemed to follow his mother's approach from the previous year and limit the balcony appearance to only working members of the family as well as his three U.K.-based grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Even Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's two children  Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex  did not join their parents this year despite appearing at both last year's Trooping the Colour and May's coronation balcony appearances.

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RELATED: Royal Family's Best Trooping the Colour Moments Over the Years  Including Prince Harry's Cheeky Face!

The June 2022 visit marked Princess Lili's first time visiting her dad's home country, as she was born in California the previous year. During the U.K. visit, Prince Harry and Meghan marked their daughter's first birthday with a backyard party at Frogmore Cottage.

Prince Harry has made several solo visits to the U.K. in recent months. In March, he made a surprise appearance at court in London to hear a legal case in which he and other prominent figures  including Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and Jude Law's ex-wife Sadie Frost  are suing Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, for illegal information gathering. It marked his first time in the U.K. since the funeral of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth in September, which Meghan also attended.

The Duke of Sussex traveled to London again in May to attend his father King Charles' coronation. However, it was a quick trip  shortly after the crowning ceremony, Harry headed to the airport to catch a flight back to California. The coronation on May 6 took place on his son's fourth birthday.

Harry was back again in early June when he appeared at the High Court of the Royal Courts of Justice in London to testify against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over alleged unlawful information gathering. He underwent a day and a half of cross-examination over the claim, which he launched in 2019.

ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images Prince Harry in June 2023

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Despite ongoing tensions, Prince Harry told PEOPLE earlier this year that he wants his two children to have meaningful relationships with members of his family.

"I've said before that I've wanted a family, not an institutionso of course, I would love nothing more than for our children to have relationships with members of my family, and they do with some, which brings me great joy," he said in an exclusive PEOPLE cover story surrounding the release of his memoir, Spare.

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Lakewood Democrat Kyra deGruy Kennedy formally kicked off her campaign earlier this month for the open House District 30 currently represented by term-limited House Speaker Pro Tem Chris deGruy Kennedy, who is her husband.

A veteran progressive policy advocate and nonprofit director, the 33-year-old Kyra deGruy Kennedy says she wants to bring her "lived experience and policy experience" to the state Capitol, where she says she's already helped pass more than 50 bills.

"I am lucky to be here," she says in a campaign video. "When I was 12 years old, I was the victim of a violent sexual assault. I attempted suicide, used drugs to numb my pain and ended up homeless. I'm alive today not because I'm stronger or smarter than anyone else, but because my family had the money to get me help. Even back then, I saw how systemic oppression works. A white kid like me got sent to a treatment center, while my Black and brown friends got sent to jail."

She told Colorado Politics she decided to devote her life to public service while working at her first job out of college, at health care clinic.

"When grant funding ran out, I had this uncomfortable, come-to-Jesus moment, where I found out that, if I actually want to be helping Coloradans (thrive), I have to do it though policy, not clinical care."

Since then, she's worked on numerous campaigns and ran twice for Lakewood City Council, losing both elections narrowly. She ran the government affairs department at Metropolitan State University of Denver, was a co-chair of the Collaborative Community Response Initiative program and most recently directed the Rocky Mountain chapter of Young Invincibles, a progressive non-profit that advocates for expanded access to health care.

"In order for patients to be at the center and thrive, there are social determinants we need to be addressing," she said. "How do we do better collaboration between departments, between state-level leadership and community-level leadership, and how do we make sure the funding mechanisms are bringing people together rather than solidifying silos that exist?"

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The Democratic-leaning district covers northeast Lakewood and Edgewater, roughly bounded by West 26th Avenue on the north, Morrison Road and West Yale Avenue on the south, Sheridan Boulevard on the east and Kipling Street on the west. The district's voters preferred Democratic candidates by an average 27.6-point margin in recent, benchmark elections.

Chris deGruy Kennedy won reelection to a fourth term last year over Republican nominee Russ Carter by a nearly 32-point margin.

Kyra deGruy Kennedy, who filed candidacy paperwork in early February, reported raising just over $20,000 through the end of March and had $15,317 on hand at the end of the quarter. According to the Colorado Secretary of State's Office, deGruy Kennedy was the top non-incumbent fundraiser for state office for the quarter.

Two other Democrats have launched bids for the seat: Lakewood City Councilor Rebekah Stewart and public school teacher Rhiannon Wenning. Wenning raised $1,300 in the same period and reported the same amount on hand. Stewart didn't get in the race until the start of the second quarter so hasn't filed a fundraising report yet.

Kyra deGruy Kennedy has amassed dozens of endorsements from current and former elected officials, including House Speaker Julie McCluskie, Assistant House Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, Senate Majority Caucus Chair Janet Buckner and her husband.

The candidate told Colorado Politics that she's heard people say it's unfair for her to be running for the seat held by her husband.

"It feels like a benefit that we have eight years of, frankly, very strong leadership experience in the House of Representatives that I can build on," she said, adding that she believes it's a benefit for district residents.
The post Netflix Details New Series 3 Body Problem from Game of Throne Creators, Shares Teaser: Watch appeared first on Consequence.

At its Tudum live show on Saturday, Netflix confirmed a January 2024 release date for the upcoming series 3 Body Problem. The eight-episode time-traveling sci-fi series was written by Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with Alexander Woo, and is based on the book series of the same name by Chinese author Cixin Liu.

As the shows official logline reads: A young womans fateful decision in 1960s China reverberates across space and time to a group of brilliant scientists in the present day. As the laws of nature unravel before their eyes, five former colleagues reunite to confront the greatest threat in humanitys history.

The confirmed cast for 3 Body Problem includes Jess Hong, Benedict Wong, Eiza Gonzalez, Jovan Adepo, Alex Sharp, John Bradley, Saamer Usmani, Liam Cunningham, Rosalind Chao, Jonathan Pryce, Marlo Kelly, Sea Shimooka, Ben Schnetzer, and Zine Tseng.

Legendary author and astronomer Carl Sagan narrates the opening of the new teaser trailer for the anticipated new series, saying The unknown troubles us. There are those who say we should not inquire too closely into who else might be living in that darkness. Watch the clip below for a first look at the highly anticipated series.

Netflix Details New Series 3 Body Problem from Game of Throne Creators, Shares Teaser: Watch

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Uzbekistani family drama Sunday, directed by Shokir Kholikov, was named best film of the 25th Shanghai International Film Festivals Asian New Talent section, which honors distinguished works by emerging regional filmmakers.

Sunday tells the story of an elderly couple living a peaceful life in a remote village, with their oldest son residing nearby and their youngest son working abroad. It depicts the conflicting dreams and dramas between two generations.

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The Asian New Talents jury awarded the best director prize two filmmakers: Kazakhstans Aisultan Seit for Qash; and Chinas Luo Dong won for May.

The best actor award went to 10-year-old Yue Hao, who plays the leading role in the Chinese film Day Dreaming. Best actress was given to Sorour Peyrovani, the lead of Iranian film 1.5 Horsepower.

Every film in the [in the lineup] is very insightful with mature technology. Also, the subject is contemporary, to express the in-depth thinking of society and humanity, said Aktan Arym Kubat, chair of Asian New Talent sections jury. I have encountered many difficulties but remain obsessed with filming excellent works. So, I really hope that the young and talented filmmakers like you could keep creating and contributing to the film industry. 

In their official joint statement, the Asian New Talent jury said, The new directors works are quite mature, and the subject matters are also innovative. They dont look like novices anymore.

Shanghais main competition jury, headed by legendary Polish filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski, will hand out the festivals top-prize Golden Goblet Awards on Sunday.

Shanghai Asian New Talent Section Awards

Best Film

Sunday dir. Shokir Kholikov (Uzbekistan)

Best Director (joint winners)

Aisultan Seit for Qash (Kazakhstan)

Luo Dong for May (China)

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Best Actor

Yue Hao in Day Dreaming dir. Wang Zichuan (China)

Best Actress

Sorour Peyrovani in 1.5 Horsepower dir. Rasool Kahani (Iran)

Best Screenplay

Chen Xiaoyu for Gone With the Boat (China)

Best Cinematographer

Davood Malek Hosseini for Cause of Death: Unknown dir. Ali Zarnegar (Iran)

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The votes have been cast, and after hundreds of readers weighed in, High Hopes Ice Cream has won The Stars title of Kansas Citys favorite ice cream spot of 2023.

The beloved walk-up window on Troost Avenue in Brookside was among five reader-nominated finalists, also including French Custard in Brookside, Pops Sweet Shop in Lenexa and Spring Hill, Betty Raes in Waldo and the River Market and Sylas & Maddys in Olathe.

The Star informed each finalist of our poll on Monday, and voting closed Wednesday night.

High Hopes is known for its creative flavors, homemade toppings and super-creamy texture that keeps our readers coming back for more.

More than half of the flavors at any one time are my favorite! raved reader Sarah of the West Plaza. Ask to try all the flavors  I havent found one I dont like.

Flavors our readers recommended include cinnamon honey, strawberry birthday cake, french silk pie, Mother Earth (blue spirulina with matcha-soaked ladyfinger crumbles), bourbon butter pecan, black sesame, the bacon-infused Local Breakfast and smores.

Recently added flavors include mixed berry lemon sorbet, mango chamoy frozen yogurt and the charcuterie-inspired Adult Lunchable.

Reader Mike Jeffries of Brookside also gave a shoutout to their homemade toppings, including puff pastry, strawberry shortcake crumble and an Oreo smores mix he called legitimately addictive.

But the tasty treats High Hopes offers are just part of what makes this spot a reader favorite. Others raved about the friendly staff, including owners Jamie Howard and Jonathon Tex Bush.

Everything is made using as many local products as possible and the owners are the best! reader Tiffany of Kansas City told the Star.

The owners are incredible! So friendly and just hard working. Love their little spot! added reader Alicia of Waldo.

We really appreciate all the support from friends, family and the community, Howard wrote in an email to The Star. There are so many great places to get good ice cream in Kansas City, and were very honored to be their favorite.

You can view all 20 local ice cream shops nominated by our readers here.

Do you have more questions about Kansas Citys favorite local businesses? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
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Quick: What is Harriet Tubman's most famous quote? You may think it's this one: I freed a thousand slaves; I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slavesexcept that quote has been proven false. Another question for you: Who was the first woman to lead a major military operation in the United States? The correct answer there is Tubman, one of the most famous conductors on The Underground Railroad.

Also known as General Tubman and Moses of her people, the historical icon bravely led dozens of enslaved Black people to freedom in the 1800s without ever getting caught, but many dont know she was also a Civil War spy and scout, a devout Christian, a nurse, a suffragist and a wife and mother who opened an elder care facility later in life.

Born Araminta Ross in Maryland in 1849, she was called Minty by those who knew her (shed later choose to go by Harriet, her mothers name). Some time after marrying a free Black man named John Tubman, Harriet decided to flee when she suspected that her owner was about to sell her and her two brothers. Her husband chose not to go, and her brothers wanted to turn back after seeing the ransom amounts. She made her way north on her ownwithout being able to read or write. She then returned to the South time and again to help others make the same journey.

Its unclear how many slaves Tubman led to freedom, but the number is likely somewhere between 70 and 90. To finance her trips, she would sometimes work as a cook (in places like Cape May, New Jersey). Shed typically ensure people made it as far north as Philadelphia, PA; however, after the passage of The Fugitive Slave Act, she made sure people reached Canada, settling there herself for a while.

When the Civil War broke out, she acted as a spy for the Union Forces. During the South Carolina Combahee Ferry Raid in 1863, she led about 150 African-American soldiers and helped free more than 700 enslaved people. Tubman did similar operations during the war until turning her attention to caring for injured soldiers. Afterwards, Tubman found it a challenge to be paid for her wartime work. She eventually received a pension due to her second husbands military service, but had to petition Congress about payment for her own considerable contributions.

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Tubman also enjoyed a family after the war; she married Nelson Davis in 1874 and that year the couple adopted a daughter, Gertie. Tubman also made a special trip to retrieve another girl, her niece Margaret, who bore a striking resemblance to Tubman and had mysterious beginnings. Some believe Margaret was Tubmans biological daughter. Later in life, Tubman established the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged; after she passed away from pneumonia in 1913, she received military honors at her funeral and was laid to rest at Fort Hill Cemetery in New York.

While she was alive, Tubman was the subject of two books by Sarah H. Bradford: Harriet, The Moses of Her People and Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman. And after her death, her popularity only grew. There are statues in her honor; not just one, but two National Parks have been named for her. Shes been the subject of a major motion picture and is slated to be the first Black person and first Black woman to appear on United States paper currency (eventually, and certainly by 2030), replacing President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill.

Because Tubman is remembered as such a towering, almost mythic figure, there are a number of quotes attributed to her over the years that couldnt have actually been said by the Underground Railroad operator herself (like the one above). However, here are 45 Harriet Tubman quotes that are believed to have been said by the legend herself.

45 Harriet Tubman Quotes

1. I grew up like a neglected weed  ignorant of liberty, having no experience of it. Then I was not happy or contented

2. Every time I saw a white man I was afraid of being carried away.

3. Slavery is the next thing to hell.

4. If a person would send another into bondage, he would, it appears to me, be bad enough to send him into hell if he could.

5. I have heard their groans and sighs, and seen their tears, and I would give every drop of blood in my veins to free them.

6. Now Ive been free, I know what a dreadful condition slavery is. I have seen hundreds of escaped slaves, but I never saw one who was willing to go back and be a slave.

7. We would rather stay in our native land, if we could be as free there as we are here.

Related: 75 James Baldwin Quotes That Tell The Story of Black America

Epics/Getty Images

8. "I would make a home for them in the North, and the Lord helping me, I would bring them all here."

9. I had reasoned this out in my mind; there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty, or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other.

10. For no man should take me alive; I should fight for my liberty as long as my strength lasted, and when the time came for me to go, the Lord would let them take me.

11. God's time is always near. He set the North Star in the heavens; He gave me the strength in my limbs; He meant I should be free.

12. When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven

13. There was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land.

Related: Here Are 50 Quotes to Better Understand Juneteenth

14. My home, after all, was down in Maryland, because my father, my mother, my brothers, and sisters, and friends were there. But I was free, and they should be free.

15. I said to the Lord, Im going to hold steady on to you, and I know you will see me through.

Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images

16. ..and I prayed to God to make me strong and able to fight, and that's what I've always prayed for ever since."

17. I was conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can't say  I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.

18. Oh, Lord! Youve been with me in six troubles, dont desert me in the seventh!

19. God wont let Master Lincoln beat the South until he does right thing.

20. Master Lincoln, hes a great man, and Im a poor Negro but this Negro can tell Master Lincoln how to save money and young men. 

21. Suppose there was an awful big snake down there on the floor. He bites you. Folks all scared, because you may die. You send for doctor to cut the bite; but the snake rolled up there, and while doctor is doing it, he bites you again. The doctor cuts out that bite; but while hes doing it, the snake springs up and bites you again, and so he keeps doing it, till you kill him. Thats what Master Lincoln ought to know.

22. Were rooted here, and they cant pull us up.

Related: 50 Audre Lorde Quotes On Intersectionality And Redefining Ourselves

23. "From Christmas till March I worked as I could, and I prayed through all the long nightsI groaned and prayed for ole master: 'Oh Lord, convert master!' 'Oh Lord, change dat man's heart!' 'Pears like I prayed all the time.

24. "I ain't got no heart to go and see the sufferings of my people played on the stage. I've heard 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' read, and I tell you Mrs. Stowe's pen hasn't begun to paint what slavery is as I have seen it at the far South. I've seen the real thing, and I don't want to see it on no stage or in no theater."

Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images

25. We was the fools, and the was the wise men; but we wasn't fools enough to go down the high road in the broad daylight."

26. To be sure, deep slumbers settle down upon them as soon as they are seated, which continue undisturbed till the congregation is dismissed; but they have done their best, and who can doubt that they receive a blessing.

27. Oh no, Missus; he does it for conscience; we was taught to do so down South. He says if he denies himself for the sufferings of his Lord an' Master, Jesus will sustain him."

28. "I think theres many a slaveholderll get to Heaven. They dont know no better. They acts up to the light they have.

29. I paid a lawyer $5 to look up the will of my mother's first master. He looked back sixty years, and said it was time to give up. I told him to go back further.

Related: 10 Books for Your Black History Month Reading List

30. "I'm going to Mr. 's office, and I aint going to leave there, and I aint going to eat or drink till I get enough money to take me down after the old people.

31. My people are free!

32. After that [the Fugitive Slave Act], I wouldn't trust Uncle Sam with my people no longer, but I brought 'em all clear off to Canada.

33. "The white ladies and gentlemen gathered round him, till I couldn't see Joe for the crowd, only I heard his voice singing, 'Glory to God and Jesus too,' louder than ever."

Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images

34. Why, the language down there in the far South is just as different from ours in Maryland as you think. They laughed when they heard me talk and I couldnt understand them no how.

35. I never see such a sightone woman brought two pigs, a white one and a black one; we took em all on board, named the white pig Beauregard and the black pig Jeff Davis.

36. Appears like my heart go flutter, flutter, and then they may say Peace, Peace, as much as they likes, I know its going to be war!

37. "I often think, Missus, of things I wish I had told you before you wrote the book.

Related: In Honor of Black History Month, 30 Black History Facts You May Not Be Aware Of

38. No, sir; the Lord's never mistaken! Anyhow I'm going to sit here till I get it.

39. "I just removed my father's trial to a higher court, and brought him off to Canada."

40. "I had my jubilee three years ago. I rejoiced all I could then; I can't rejoice no more."

41. "What did you say to me this morning? You said We hadnt got nothing to eat in the house and what did I say to you? I said Ive got a rich Father!

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

42. [If my services] do not place woman as man's equal, what do?

43. Now, Missus, don't you think this ole head that done the navigation down in Egypt can do the navigatin' up here in New York?"

44. "I ask of my Heavenly Father, that when the last trump sounds, and my name is called, I may stand close by your side, to answer to the call."

45. I go to prepare a place for you.

Next, 24 Inspiring, Joyful and Tear-Jerking Movies You Should Stream for Black History Month
The Securities and Exchange Commission and Binance have come to an agreement that will allow the cryptocurrency exchange to continue operating in the US until a lawsuit filed by the SEC earlier this month is resolved. The regulator sued Binance and founder Changpeng Zhao, better known as CZ, on June 5th, alleging the company had artificially inflated trading volumes, mixed and diverted customer assets and failed to restrict US investors from trading on Binance.com when they were supposed to stay on a separate US system.

After announcing the charges, the SEC sought to freeze Binances US assets. The regulator said the move was necessary to protect customer funds and prevent the company from potentially moving money abroad. Binance, meanwhile, argued an asset freeze would put it out of business in the US. On Tuesday, the judge overseeing the litigation ordered the two sides to come to a compromise that would safeguard customer assets.

In a court filing seen by The New York Times, the SEC said Friday that Binance had agreed to move all assets belonging to US customers stateside. Additionally, the companys US operation is prohibited from providing access or control of domestic assets or funds to Binances international operation or Zhao. Until the ligation is resolved, Binance.US is "solely" allowed to transfer assets to make payments for expenses or to satisfy obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business. Additionally, the exchange is required to create new customer wallets which its international employees cant access. The deal still needs approval from Judge Amy Berman  and wont resolve the SEC lawsuit even if its put in place.

Although we maintain that the SEC's request for emergency relief was entirely unwarranted, we are pleased that the disagreement over this request was resolved on mutually acceptable terms.



User funds have been and always will be safe and secure on all Binance-affiliated  CZ  Binance (@cz_binance) June 17, 2023

Given that Changpeng Zhao and Binance have control of the platforms customers assets and have been able to commingle customer assets or divert customer assets as they please, as we have alleged, these prohibitions are essential to protecting investor assets, the SEC said Saturday. Further, we ensured that US customers will be able to withdraw their assets from the platform while we work to resolve the alleged underlying misconduct and hold Zhao and the Binance entities accountable for their alleged securities law violations.

Zhao took to Twitter on Saturday morning to comment on the deal. Although we maintain that the SEC's request for emergency relief was entirely unwarranted, we are pleased that the disagreement over this request was resolved on mutually acceptable terms, he posted. User funds have been and always will be safe and secure on all Binance-affiliated platforms.

The SECs lawsuit against Binance is part of a broader crackdown by the watchdog against the crypto industry. At the end of last year, the agency accused FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried of carrying out an alleged multi-year scheme to defraud investors. One day after suing Binance, the SEC filed a complaint against Coinbase, the largest crypto trading platform in the US, alleging the company had failed to register as a broker, national securities exchange or clearing agency.
The Dolly Den was designed with bachelorette parties in mind. Bri Vail

Christina and Jordan Ledger own an Airbnb in Nashville, Tennessee.

They decorated the house to be inspired by Nashville stars like Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift.

It features a custom mural, themed wallpaper, neon signs, and a beauty bar.

Christina and Jordan Ledger were looking for a creative outlet when they purchased their first rental property in 2022.

The Ledgers own rental properties. Christina Ledger

Christina, 37, and Jordan, 39, are based in Chicago, Illinois, and as Christina told Insider, they don't get to express themselves often in their 9-to-5 gigs.

"My husband is in the dental industry, and I'm in technology PR, so on paper, we are boring," she said through laughter.

In the summer of 2022, they wanted to add something more creative to their lives, so the Ledgers decided to buy a rental property in Nashville, Tennessee, that they could list on Airbnb.

"This is a fun thing for us to be creative and not just stare at a 401(k) all day," Christina said. "We were excited about taking that money and doing something else with it that we could be excited about every day."

They bought the home furnished, but Christina knew she wanted to add a personal touch to the space at some point. They also bought two other properties in Arizona.

After nine months of ownership, Christina decided to turn the home into a whimsical bachelorette-party destination.

Christina Ledger wanted to make the house playful. Bri Vail

Christina said the house, which sleeps 12 people across four bedrooms, had a boho-chic feel when they bought it, which didn't feel quite right to her.

"It just felt very disconnected to Nashville," she said, particularly because Nashville is the home of country music  and a go-to destination for bachelorette parties.

To make the house fit the city, Christina decided to work with Bri West and Jordan Mcdonough of Somerled Designs, who specialize in rental properties, to revamp the space.

"From bachelorette parties to 40th birthdays to divorce parties, it's just a really feminine, fun spot to kick back with your friends," she said of how she wanted the space to feel.

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Named The Dolly Den, Christina pulled inspiration from musicians for the house.

The Dolly Den is full of color and nods to musicians. Bri Vail

Christina thought she could find a niche in the rental market by ensuring every part of her property fit the vision.

"I did a lot of research before thinking about moving forward and looked at a lot of properties that did similar things, and I felt like a lot of them were like 60% there," she told Insider. "They started something awesome and then some rooms were boring or they could have pushed it a little bit more."

Christina and the Somerled Designs team took a maximalist approach with the design of The Dolly Den, pulling inspiration from some of Nashville's legendary female stars for the aesthetic.

The home gets its name from the colorful living room, which features a multicolored wall mural made by Katie Tyler. A neon sign that says "Hello Dolly" sits atop the mural, bringing even more color into the space.

The statement wallpaper also incorporated Dolly Parton.

Dolly Parton is printed on the wallpaper. Bri Vail

The wallpaper featured a mosaic of photos of Dolly Parton in a pop-art style, creating a festive feel.

It also acted as inspiration for the colors of the rest of the room, which includes a pink couch, a blue checkered rug, and fun-shaped pillows.

The space also includes a nod to Christina and Jordan's dog.

The figurine nods to their dog. Bri Vail

The homeowners have a wiener dog, and they wanted to incorporate a nod to their furry friend in the house.

They placed a gold figurine in the house, and Christina hopes to put nods to their dog in their other properties.

The kitchen subtly nods to the song (and movie) "Breakfast At Tiffany's."

The kitchen is colorful too. Bri Vail

The kitchen is the simplest room of The Dolly Den, even though it's still colorful.

Christina decided to paint the lower cabinets blue, much like Tiffany & Co.'s signature blue boxes, dubbing it "Breakfast At Tiffany's."

Three of the home's four bedrooms honor a specific Nashville star.

The room nods to Taylor Swift's album "Lover." Bri Vail

For instance, Christina called one bedroom the "Love Story" room, and it pays tribute to Taylor Swift and her album "Lover."

The wall above the bed and the ceiling are painted like a sky at sunset in the same style as the artwork on the album cover. There is also a neon sign that reads "Lover" above the bed, and it's accented by floral lamps on each nightstand.

"Taylor Swift is just a gift to us all," Christina told Insider.

"The room is just timely fun," she added, speaking of Swift's Eras Tour.

Another bedroom nods to Carrie Underwood with its "Cowgirl Casanova" theme.

The room is a play on one of Carrie Underwood's songs. Bri Vail

One of Underwood's hit songs is "Cowboy Casanova," and Christina put a spin on the tune to fit the feminine vibe of the house.

A hot-pink, neon sign that reads "Cowgirl Casanova" sits on the mirror, so guests can see it while they primp.

Christina told Insider the Underwood-inspired room is her favorite in the house.

Christina Ledger loves the prints. Bri Vail

Christina said she particularly loves the multicolored prints of cowboy boots that cover the wall above the bed.

She found the prints online, and she decided an assortment of them would fit her vision for the room.

"I like a room to feel busy but not messy," she said. "I don't like a lot of dead space, so I just wanted this whole wall covered in these prints."

"You've got all the different color cowboy boots, and it's just a busy, cool room to me," she added.

There's also a "space cowgirl"-inspired room.

The colors fit the theme. Bri Vail

The room, which features a queen-sized bed, is full of shades of blue and purple, coordinating with a "space cowgirl" print.

The "Music Row Mash-Up" room pays tribute to Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus.

Pops of red brighten up the black-and-white space. Bri Vail

"My most creative one, I would definitely say, is the Miley-Dolly mash-up bunk room," Christina said of the bedrooms in the house.

Christina wanted the space to combine Parton and Cyrus' aesthetic, as Parton is Cyrus' godmother and the duo have performed together on multiple occasions.

The room has a black-and-white color palette, leaning into the performers' rock-and-roll edge.

The room also includes an additional vanity.

The vanity is practical. Bri Vail

Because Christina expects bachelorette parties to rent the home, she anticipates guests may struggle with counter space when they're getting ready to go out, though the home does have 3.5 bathrooms.

To make things easier for her guests, Christina and the Somerled Designs team added a vanity to the "Mash-Up" room, creating additional primping areas.

A black, floral wallpaper covers the wall the vanity sits against, making it even cuter.

The rooftop patio that sits off the "Mash-Up" room is also decorated in the same vein as the rest of the house.

The patio has multiple sitting areas for guests. Bri Vail

Christina told Insider that the Somerled Designs team helped her to incorporate "Instagrammable moments" onto the roof, particularly the pink neon sign that says "Let's Go Girls," nodding to Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman."

The vanity in the "Mash-Up" room also sits right inside the patio door, which Christina said was intentional.

"Some of my favorite moments when I think of trips with my girlfriends are when someone's taking forever to get ready and you're hanging out on the patio having a cocktail," she said. "The getting-ready station is right by those doors, so people can have that kind of in-and-out vibe."

Even the bathrooms in The Dolly Den are colorful.

The wallpaper in this bathroom nods to Shania Twain. Bri Vail

Christina wanted every room in the house to feel fun and whimsical, even the bathrooms, but she said the Somerled Design team ensured her big ideas would actually work.

For instance, she said she wanted to add colorful paint inside of the shower, but the team pointed out that could cause water damage.

"I can come at them with ideas to kingdom come, but they're really good about being like, 'We should scale back because that's not gonna bring you an ROI,'" Christina said.

Christina also decided to turn the garage into an additional lounge space.

The garage is now a party space. Bri Vail

Christina decided to transform The Dolly Den's garage because she believes her guests will make use of a fun room more than they would an actual garage, as many people don't bother renting cars when they travel to Nashville.

Now, the "Cowgirl Disco She Shed," as Christina calls it, features a ping-pong table, fun prints, a disco ball, and sparkly backdrops for photos.

The entrance to the house sits off of the converted garage, so the photo area is ideal for guests to quickly pose together before they head out into Nashville.

Christina told Insider that the transformation has made her property more popular.

The Dolly Den is available for rent on Airbnb. Bri Vail

The Dolly Den's redesign only took place a few months ago, but Christina said she's already seen an uptick in reservations since the project and has received "awesome feedback" from guests on the home's aesthetic.

As of Saturday, The Dolly Den sleeps 12 and costs $625 per night before fees, which would be $52 per guest. You can see the full listing here.

Read the original article on Insider
Dad who faked his own death TikTok

Let this story serve as a reminder to you  keep in touch with your dad, or else! Otherwise, you may end up like the family of a father in Belgium. When his family fell out of touch, he decided to rectify the problem in the most unhinged, petty way possible, and it's made him instantly famous  or maybe infamous  worldwide.

Belgian TikToker David Baertan, aka Ragnar Le Fou, staged his own death and then showed up to his own funeral in a helicopter.

No, this isn't just some TikTok stunt. Er well  it is a TikTok stunt, but it actually happened. Baertan, 45, enlisted his wife and children to help him make the stunt happen. They announced his death on social media, prepared a funeral, and gathered all his family together near his Liege, Belgium home to celebrate his life and send him off to the next astral plane.

But just as the funeral got underway, a helicopter swooped in. Inside was none other than the man they were all there to celebrate, Ragnar Le Fou himself. As you might guess, it caused quite an uproar at the funeral service.

RELATED: Woman Plans Entire Funeral For Husband Only To Learn He's Alive & Living With His Mistress Of 6 Years

Grief-stricken relatives were seen crying and embracing Baerten and each other, relieved to see that their beloved relative hadn't actually shuffled off this mortal plane after all, and Baerten says that reaction is precisely why he threw the whole prank together.

Baerten says he faked his death to 'teach his family a lesson' because they'd fallen out of touch and stopped inviting him to gatherings.

That's certainly one way to get the point across! Most of us at one time or another have been there  my Dad and I often quibble over who owes it to who to pick up the phone (sorry Dad, I'm trying!), and the older we all get and the more settled into our own lives we become, the hard it is to remember to keep the home fires burning when it comes to our extended family members and far-off friends.

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Baerten, however, isn't having any of that. In an interview with the UK's The Times newspaper, he said, "What I see in my family often hurts me. I never get invited to anything. Nobody sees me. We all grew apart. I felt unappreciated."

So, he decided to wake them up in pretty much the most unforgettable way possible. "I wanted to give them a life lesson," he said, "and show them that you shouldnt wait until someone is dead to meet up with them."

RELATED: Sisters Receive Backlash For Performing Viral TikTok Trend In Front Of Their Moms Open Casket

David Baertan faked death interview

Photo: TikTok

The stunt definitely worked, but not everybody is happy about it. Baerten has gotten a lot of blowback, but he's not backing down.

Baerten's friend Thomas Faut captured the moment when Baerten made his big helicopter entrance to the funeral  whereupon, in a moment of classic camp that will live on forever, Baerten hilariously said, "Cheers to you all, welcome to my funeral."

But hilarious as it was, what Baerten's family felt was a relief. "You had us," Faut wrote in the caption to his TikTok of the scene. "We love you, my friend. We are happy you are still among us." Other videos from the event showed Baerten's friends and family openly sobbing with relief that he was still with them.

RELATED: I Attended My Uncle's Funeral  And Found Out He Was My Father

David Baertan

Photo: TikTok

That is precisely what has made several people online turn on him. "Now we know why people didn't like him," one man commented on TikTok, while others called his prank "a pathetic stunt" and "just wrong." Others marveled that "the ego on this guy must be tremendous."

But for his part, Baerten isn't backing down. On his own TikTok page, he's been responding to his critics, including one who scolded him to "pay back the [$7,500 in funeral costs] people shelled out for your scam, then we'll talk about life lessons." "Nonsense," Baerten responded. "You're completely crazy."

RELATED: Mom Dances With Stillborn Baby In Viral Video Claiming It's A 'Coping Mechanism'

David Baertan

Photo: TikTok

And he posted a special dedication to all his friends and family doubling down as well. Over the classic 80s French pop song "Aimons-nous Vivants" by Francois Valery, which urges everyone to "love each other while we're alive" and not "wait for death" to make us show it, Baerten smirked knowingly to the camera, clearly aware that his message had been received.

Okay sure, maybe a simple conversation would have done the trick  and not caused his friends and family a moment of trauma and sadness in the process. But you gotta hand it to Baerten, nobody has ever sent the message to keep in touch quite so clearly. And with that, I'm off to set a calendar reminder to call my Dad on Father's Day. Thanks, Monsieur Baerten!

RELATED: Woman Explains Why She Said Nothing When Funeral Makeup Artist Mistook Her Husband For A Woman & Gave Him Full Glam

John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social media and human interest topics.

This article originally appeared on YourTango
(Photo credit: GdeBp / Getty Images)

A dog in Oregon, who fell 300 feet off a cliff in Ecola State Park, sustained minimal injuries after she was heroically rescued by members of the U.S. Coast Guard earlier this week. Dory, a German Shepherd, is safe and recovering at home with her owner.

How the dog fell from the cliff

The dog and her dad were hiking on a trail in Ecola State Park not long before 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 14. An unfortunate misstep led to the dog tumbling over a cliff and taking a vertical plunge of 300 feet to the rocky shores of Cannon Beach below. Miraculously, the German Shepherd remained conscious.

Once on the beach, the dog faced another problem. Waves were continually crashing against the shoreline and some even lapped against her. Although she was limping, the German Shepherd attempted to reach higher ground. The beach Dory plummeted to was inaccessible, except by water.

The daring U.S. Coast Guard rescue

Around 7 p.m., the Cannon Beach Fire Department issued an agency assist request. Not long after, the Air Station Astoria crew of five Coast Guard members was dispatched to help rescue the injured German Shepherd.

An Air Station Astoria MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew was tasked to respond. At around 8:20 p.m., the crew arrived and were able to hoist the dog to the owner at the Ecola State Park parking lot.  USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) June 15, 2023

The U.S. Coast Guard released footage of the daring rescue on their social media the following day. In it, you can see a crew member rappelling from a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter before swimming through perilous waves to reach the rocky shore. Once the first responder, Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Clayton Maidow, reached the beach, he determined the dogs state. Maidow declared her fit to be hoisted up in a rescue basket. He shared that the dog remained calm while being loaded into the receptacle.

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#BREAKING Last night, Wednesday, at around 7 p.m. Coast Guard Air Station Astoria rescued a German Shepard after she fell off a cliff and was injured in Ecola State Park. pic.twitter.com/xN5Lhzw8R0  USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) June 15, 2023

Maidow stayed sitting in the basket with the German Shepherd even after they reached the helicopter. The pilot, Lt. Jake Mullins, said Dory was scared, cold but very friendly and very docile, even noting [s]he put her head down in [Maidows] lap once the two were on board. Lt. Mullins further remarked, Ive been at this air station for nearly five years and have never seen anything like this.

How Dory the dog is doing since her 300 foot fall

Around an hour-and-a-half after the fall occurred, the dog and her human were reunited. Dorys dad immediately took the German Shepherd to the emergency vet. After which, the dog parent shared promising and almost unbelievable news with the Coast Guard crew who rescued his pooch. The dog did not sustain any broken bones. Correspondingly, Dory is expected to make a full recovery from her 300 foot cliff dive.

Other harrowing tales of dog rescues from Ecola State Park and beyond

The Oregonian reports that while this is the first dog that USCG crews have rescued since October of last year, they have been called to rescue 17 people in that time. The crews also note that, in previous rescue missions, dogs have typically been accompanied by their humans. This makes Dorys rescue unique. Where similarities can be drawn, however, is in the location where the German Shepherd was rescued. According to Oregon Lives coverage, Air Station Astoria has rescued at least five people from the spot where Dory was stranded.

Earlier this week, another dog was rescued at a state park in Connecticut after falling 34 feet from a tower. In that case, a dog mom called firefighters to rescue the pup from a brush-lined trail. The first responders worked diligently before carrying him to safety. While the dog thankfully  and quite astonishingly  did not sustain any life-threatening or internal injuries, he was in need of surgery for a torn ACL and injured carpus.

Keeping dogs safe on a hike

Hiking is a superb way to share your love of the great outdoors with your pup. Be sure to review trail etiquette tips before taking your dog out in nature with you. Its also best to keep your dog leashed, preferably in a supportive harness, and stick to dog-friendly trails. Make certain your dog knows basic obedience commands and, most importantly, reliably responds to the all important recall command of come. Additionally, dont forget to pack plenty of fresh water, treats, and food, along with anything else needed for the haul.

Its always smart to have your dog microchipped, especially in the event worst-case scenarios arise. Confirm your dogs collar has tags with their name and your up-to-date contact information in case you become separated. You can also purchase collars that have a space for you to insert a GPS tracking device. Some collars even come with GPS devices already built-in. Either way, both designs make it easy to find your dog using an app on your cell phone.

Lastly, be sure to check the forecast in advance of your hike. We recommend even checking it again at the start to verify weather conditions will remain ideal during your walk. If the weather is toasty where you recreate, consider purchasing a reflective vest, or either a cooling jacket or bandana, for your pup. Your dog may also benefit from dog shoes, depending on the terrain youre planning to traverse.

Happy trails make for happy tales

As we have learned from Dory and her agonizing experience, accidents can happen. Thats true no matter how closely you watch your dog or how diligently you prepare before an outing on the trail. Despite that, taking preventative steps to safeguard your dogs health, safety, and happiness are always worth the effort. At the end of the day, we all just want to do whatever we can to ensure a happily ever after for our own fur-ever friends tale (and that includes his tail, too).

The post Dog Rescued by Coast Guard After 300 Foot Fall From Cliff appeared first on DogTime.
The Department of Justice asked a Florida court to stop former President Donald Trump from releasing classified documents given to his legal team in its defense of his alleged mishandling of sensitive records.

Prosecutors claim some of that information is part of an ongoing investigation involving the 45th presidents alleged activities, according to The Hill. Information could pertain to people who havent yet been charged.

The protective order requests that discovery material in Trumps case shall not be disclosed to the public or the news media, or disseminated on any news or social media platform without approval from the court.

However, The Hill claims the DOJs filing indicates Trump would still have access to records he kept at his Mar-a-Lago estate, which was searched by federal agents in August. If the order is granted, the 31 documents being used in the case would be available to the 77-year-old defendant when hes accompanied by attorneys.

Defendants may take notes regarding Discovery Materials, but such notes shall be stored securely by Defense Counsel, the DOJ wrote.

Trump was arraigned in a south Florida court Tuesday on a 37-count indictment that includes violating the 1917 Espionage Act. The former president  whos also the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican party nomination  pleaded not guilty.

The outspoken former leader has used social media and cable TV appearances to claim hes the victim of a witch hunt while trying to turn the focus to his political rivals.

Fridays request from the DOJ will be reviewed by Judge Bruce Reinhart, who approved the initial search of Mar-a-Lago.

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PANAMA CITY BEACH  A retired firefighter captain from Georgia is dead after attempting to rescue two swimmers from the Gulf of Mexico.

According to a report from the Beach Police, 52-year-old Richard Alford of Lula, Georgia, drowned Thursday in Panama City Beach after he entered the Gulf to help two beachgoers who were fighting a rip current.

The incident occurred at Public Beach Access 75, which is located near Front Beach Road and South Vestavia Street.

The report states double red flags were displayed along the coast at that time, meaning the water was closed under penalty of a $500 fine. It also notes one beachgoer entered the water to help another who was struggling. Alford then jumped in to assist both. The two survived, but Alford did not.

"(Alford) jumped in the water to try and rescue two swimmers in distress, but unfortunately he paid the ultimate sacrifice," said Daryl Paul, beach safety director for Panama City Beach Fire Rescue. "When our units arrived on scene, he was submerged. ... It was really tough conditions."

Lifeguards pulled him ashore, where awaiting emergency medical crews began performing machine-assisted CPR. He remained unresponsive and was then transferred to a local hospital and pronounced dead.

Richard Alford, a 52-year-old Georgia resident, drowned Thursday after he entered the Gulf of Mexico to help two beachgoers who were fighting a rip current off the coast of Panama City Beach.

Paul said the incident proves how those who disregard double red flags put others in danger. It also shows how important it is for only trained lifeguards to attempt a water rescue.

PCB lifeguards patrol about 9.5 miles of the Gulf, either on ATVs, in trucks or by jet skis. At least one lifeguard also is stationed in both of the city's two lifeguard towers, which are located on each side of the Russell-Fields Pier.

"We are trained professionals, we practice in these conditions (and) we are ready for this," Paul said. "And before that, heed the flag warnings. ... Nobody should have been in the water in the first place."

Protecting the coast: Panama City Beach doubles number of lifeguards in the past few weeks

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Alford was a retired captain with about 20 years experience working for the Banks County Fire Department in Homer, Georgia. Information from the department notes he did not have any official open water training.

According to city leaders, neither of the people whom Alford attempted to help were ticketed for being in the Gulf under double red flags. Such citations are issued by code enforcement officers, all of whom were busy at that time writing tickets in other areas of the beach.

Paul said roaming lifeguards passed Access 75 multiple times before the drowning occurred to remind beachgoers to stay out of the water.

"Often times when we leave, they just get right back in the water," he said. "They don't heed the warnings, and so that's why it's so important to stress (for beachgoers) to pay attention to the flags (and) listen to the lifeguards.

"Someone else paid the price here. The two people who he went out to save (made) it to shore."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Former firefighter drowns off the coast of Panama City Beach
Summer travel season is kicking into high gear, and for many outdoor enthusiasts, this means prime hiking season. With 424 sites within the National Parks Service, covering more than 85 million acres across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories, there are no shortage of destinations to head to.

But if that seems overwhelming, Conde Nast Traveler has narrowed down the five most popular national parks for hiking, based on Google data spanning from 2004 through 2023. And with the top picks spread mostly across the countryfrom California to Montana, Utah, Colorado, and Virginiamost people won't even have to travel that far to visit one of these coveted locations.

Coming in at the number one spot is Zion National Park in Utah, located at the of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions. Of the park's 232 square miles, however, the most popular hiking spot is the 16-mile gorge called the Narrows, widely considered one of the most beautiful natural landmarks in the country. Carved into the earth by the Virgin River, the path is only about 2,000 feet deep and only 20 feet across in some places, and involves spending about 60 percent of the hike wading through the cold river.

Second is Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, which has 355 miles of trails that offer something for everyone, from crystal clear lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and glaciers to majestic mountains, rolling meadows, and wooded forests. Within the park, the most-searched hike is to Emerald Lake, a 4.1-mile out-and-back trail of moderate difficulty, that takes visitors by the picturesque Nymph Lake and Dream Like before reaching its destination.

Next up is Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana, along the CanadaUnited States border. Of the one million acres the park encompasses, visitors will find more than 130 lakes, over 1,000 different species of plants, and hundreds of species of animals. But don't sleep on this destination. Named for the colossal glaciers that carved the park a millennia ago, only 25 are remaining and scientists believe that nearly all of the ice patches will disappear by 2030.

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Fourth in popularity is Shenandoah National Park, encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. In addition to being the most accessible national park for the millions of Americans living on the East Coast, Shenandoah is known for being one of the most scenic segments of the Appalachian Trail with plenty of easy trails that are perfect for beginners. Come fall, it's also considered one of the best leaf peeping spots in the country.

Finally, there is California's Yosemite National Park, which paved the way for The National Park Service when President Lincoln signed a bill in 1864 declaring it to be federally preserved land. Set in a vast 1,200-square-mile patch of the Sierra Nevada, the park is filled with natural wonders, from the towering ancient sequoia redwoods to sweeping meadows, deep valleys and breathtaking glaciers. In addition to hiking, it's also a fantastic trail running spot, with options ranging from short and easy to steep and difficult, for every fitness level.

See the full list below and learn more about the hiking opportunities at each over on Conde Nast Traveler:
House Republicans coming to former President Trumps defense in the Mar-a-Lago documents care are turning their attention to the possibility of using congressional funding and oversight authority against the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Monday called to defund special counsel Jack Smith and his office  which is handling the Trump documents case  through the appropriations process.

This is a weaponized government attempt to take down the top political enemy and leading presidential candidate of the United States, Donald J. Trump. We cannot allow the government to be weaponized for political purposes, Greene said on the House floor.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) would not rule out subpoenaing Smith or asking him to testify as part of his focus on the weaponization of federal law enforcement agencies, telling reporters this week he is keeping all options on the table.

More House coverage from The Hill

But there is not yet widespread agreement on using spending authority to fight back against the ongoing Mar-a-Lago documents case.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Tuesday he had not heard calls to defund the FBI within the House Republican Conference. But he expressed support for eliminating funding for a new FBI building headquarters in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.

I understand the FBI loves to have a big new palace or something, but I dont think thats what the taxpayers want, McCarthy said.

McCarthy, though, expressed support for Jordans moves to probe Smith.

We have an oversight role, McCarthy said.

Earlier this month, Jordan requested that the DOJ provide more information about how Smith was appointed to the Special Counsel role and for information related to the August 2022 search warrant execution at Mar-a-Lago. Jordan cited testimony from a former FBI agent, who told the committees Republicans he disagrees with the approach to the raid.

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McCarthy referenced that testimony while defending Congresss oversight role and arguing President Biden was unfairly treated much better than Trump when classified documents were found in his garage.

Whats concerning to me that now raises a whole new question  was even the same way they handled this from the very beginning, not equal justice, not equal procedure? McCarthy said. Because its not me saying this. This is now the former  now retired, just recently  director of the local FBI office questioning the way they would handle this. And this was Jack Smith overriding them.

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The Department of Justice declined to fulfill Jordans document production and information requests.

Protecting the confidentiality of non-public information regarding investigations and prosecutions preserves the American peoples confidence in the evenhanded administration of justice by guarding against the appearance of political pressure or other improper attempts to influence Department decisions, Assistant Attorney General Carlos Felipe Uriarte said in a letter to Jordan on Friday, Politico reported.

Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 counts on Tuesday related to allegations that he violated the Espionage Act and obstructed justice by taking classified records with him after his presidency and then refusing to return them.

The backlash against Smith amid the Trump indictment adds to a longtime distrust of the FBI and DOJ among Republicans that grew out of Trumps presidential rise and special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into links between Russia and the Trump campaign.

(AP Photo/John Bazemore/Jose Luis Magana)

Even before the latest Trump indictment, many Republicans had been interested in cutting back on funding to the FBI and DOJ over alleged political bias.

Members have their concerns because we do see a weaponization of the DOJ. And so why would we fund a Department of Justice to a certain level, when what theyre going to do is use that money to do political targeting? Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said.

Greene brought up the possibility of cutting some FBI and DOJ funding in a meeting with a group of lawmakers that included hard-line conservatives, appropriators, and other ideological corners of the conference about government funding. The meeting followed a group of conservative members shutting down floor action in part due to anger about spending caps outlined in the debt limit compromise bill signed into law earlier this month.

Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), a House Appropriations subcommittee chairman, came out of the meeting saying that there is a lot of chatter about rescinding funding for a new FBI headquarters.

Thats in play right now, he added.

But Womack was skeptical about the prospects of eliminating any more FBI or DOJ funding.

We got some members in districts where they like their FBI, they like their federal programs, Womack said. I think we have to be careful that we dont get mad at the administration and take it out on the rank and file.

And one hard-line conservative Republican in the meeting pumped the brakes on calls to defund the DOJ.

I was in DOJ for 15 years, and I made the point that DOJ includes the Bureau of Prisons, includes DEA  includes all kinds of agencies that are really important in what we value, Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) said. And so we should be careful in how we describe that.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
On June 28, 1969, a riot at The Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York broke out. After years of harassment and abuse, the queer community took a stand against the discrimination and hatred perpetrated against them.

Particularly, Black and brown queer people and the trans community began the fight for equity for queer people across the United States. Stonewall, also cited as the first Pride, began a decades-long journey of inclusion and equity.

Now, almost 54 years later, Pride is celebrated across the world. On June 10, Sioux Falls celebrated Pride with a parade, festival and other events throughout the day. Thousands of people lined the streets for the parade and made their way to the festival after. It was an amazingly beautiful day, filled with love and celebration.

More: Beaudion: In Tuesday's election, the need for representation cannot be understated

This comes on the tail of the Human Rights Commission issuing a State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the United States. More than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills, with 75 being signed into law, were passed through state legislative bodies in 2023.

In South Dakota, the anti-trans bill HB 1080, banning gender-affirming care for minors, was signed into law. Now more than ever, Pride is critical to recognize and lift up.

Several Prides are happening across the state, including Brookings, Vermilion, Rapid City, Watertown, and Pierre. While it seems that certain lawmakers and local politicians want to see the queer community disappear, the celebrations happening across the state tell a completely alternative story. If youve ever been to a Pride celebration, youve seen the joy that radiates throughout the day. If you havent, theres plenty of time left to experience it.

More: Ingle: Queer people are not victims, we are a vibrant community

While we celebrate with parades, performances, singing and festivals across the state, we also remember that Pride is still protest. Queer people, especially those in the trans community, are still protesting and fighting for their basic rights.

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As thousands of people across the state celebrate, remember to let queer people know they are loved. We will not stop fighting, and just as we celebrate this year, we will continue to celebrate year after year.

Cody Ingle is the board secretary of the Sioux Falls Pride Equity Network. And this column is part of an ongoing series of perspectives, called "Speaking Truth to Power," written by voices from a cohort of community leaders and residents weighing in on social issues and current events in South Dakota. The goal is to elevate voices from a diverse group of individuals by challenging issues through different views to contribute to ongoing community conversations.

Editor's note: "Speaking Truth to Power" columns will now run monthly, given the 2023 legislative session has ended. For more information, email News Director Shelly Conlon at sconlon@argusleader.com.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Ingle: 'Pride' started as protest. It's still protest today.
Including a surprising nod to her husband Prince William.

Getty

Today's Trooping the Colour ceremony is not only the first birthday parade held in King Charles's honor, but also Kate Middleton's first as the Princess of Wales. And to celebrate the historical moment, Kate, of course, had the perfect outfit picked out for the occasion.



On Saturday morning, Princess Kate made her debut at the grand procession in a gorgeous green coat dress with a row of bold bejeweled buttons in the front by Singapore-born, Paris-based designer Andrew GN. Her unexpected choice in designer seemingly was a tribute to her husband Prince William, whose upcoming Earthshot Prize Ceremony will be held in Singapore later this year, while the color green was a nod to her new colonelcy of the Irish Guards (as was her gold Cartier shamrock brooch).



Kate completed her look with a matching Philip Treacy hat and sapphire and diamond drop earrings that previously belonged to Princess Diana. She pulled her sleek brunette hair back into a low-slung bun, and paired her smoky eye makeup with a soft pink lip.



Getty

Related: Prince William and Kate Middleton Are Reportedly "Resigned" to Staying in Their "Too Small" House

Additionally, the color green is a significant choice, as it is one the main shades of the Wales flag, which depicts a red dragon on a green field with a white background. Complementing their mom's emerald-colored dress, the Wales children  Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis  all included red details in their outfits, with George and Louis sporting red ties and Charlotte opting for a white long-sleeved dress with crimson-hued piping and a matching bow.

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Read the original article on InStyle.
Their journey to Sacramento began with different emotions.

Some embarked smiling, hoping for an opportunity for housing and work. Others wrestled with skepticism  with at least one not willing to sign a consent form handed to them hours before they were moved out of a Super 8 hotel in Deming, New Mexico.

But within minutes of arriving at their unknown destination, nearly all of the 36 migrants were in agreement: It was all a lie and trickery.

Two weeks after the state of Florida chartered two planes to take the Latin American migrants to Sacramento, many of the individuals aboard the flights are still questioning the reasons why.

On Friday, The Sacramento Bee spoke to four of the migrants  all from Venezuela. They shared several similarities in their stories, while also expressing hope for the possibility of a future life in Sacramento.

The migrants spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing violence and other reprisals for their presence in the capital region.

All four left behind family and immigrated to the U.S. with hopes for a better life. They each survived a treacherous, monthslong journey to get here.

Seeking asylum, they eventually found solace and work in El Paso, Texas, before being approached outside a migrant center by individuals who promised housing, jobs and immigration services.

One of the migrants recalled one of the individuals as a woman named Miranda.

The migrants were then driven about 100 miles to Deming, New Mexico, where the majority signed consent forms to participate in a voluntary transportation program funded by the state of Florida at the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis and contracted by Vertol Systems Co. Florida officials have taken responsibility for the flights, arguing the migrants signed these waivers and went willingly.

Three of the migrants said they did not comprehend the consent forms because they were in English. The fourth provided The Bee with English and Spanish versions of the document, saying he did not sign it despite pressure tactics from the organizers.

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All four went on to board the Sacramento-bound flights, which took place on June 2 and June 5.

Californias Attorney General Rob Bonta issued public records requests Wednesday to DeSantis office, as well as the Florida Division of Emergency Management, to continue to investigate the flights.

None of the migrants said on Friday that they knew Sacramento was the intended destination, nor had they even heard of the city before arriving. Some were told they would be sent to Los Angeles.

Each of them said they felt deceived.

I dont see it as just because we are human beings, said one of the men, a 34-year-old Venezuelan national. Human beings should be given consideration.

A migrant mother of three looks at running shoes Friday that were donated to the group in Sacramento after they were transported to the city from El Paso, Texas, on two plane flights by a Florida contractor. Hector Amezcua/hamezcua@sacbee.com

Fleeing their country

The four migrants fleeing Venezuela left for varying reasons.

One of the migrants, who is 40, made the trek in hopes of securing a higher-paying job to support his 11 children. In his home country, he earned about $20 a day.

My goal has always been to find work to provide for my family, he said, speaking in Spanish. I dont want my children to suffer.

He described the journey as strenuous, particularly seeing dozens of dead bodies while traveling the Darien Gap, Panamas treacherous jungle isthmus. Some days, the man recalled, he had to choose between eating or affording a bus ride. Other days, people helped him along his journey by offering money or food.

The entire journey took 62 days. He said that included two deportations, a kidnapping in Mexico and the death of two friends.

The dream ended for them there, he said.

Another migrant, a 33-year-old man, made the journey alongside his wife, leaving behind their 9-year-old son with a grandmother. They feared the boy would not survive if he came with them.

He said the couple immigrated because there was an order for his capture by the Venezuelan government for political reasons.

Their trek lasted roughly 45 days. He described multiple instances of going days without eating, at one point losing 40 pounds in a 15-day span. He and his wife also got separated for a few weeks before finally reuniting in El Paso.

The Venezuelan couple had been working in town for seven days when they were approached by four people  one of them named Miranda.

My first thought was to accept help, being true or not, he said.

They were able to board the flight together.

Gabby Trejo, executive director of multi-congregation religious organization Sacramento ACT, talks Friday with members of the group of migrants, left, that were flown to Sacramento from El Paso, Texas, on two flights by a Florida contractor. Hector Amezcua/hamezcua@sacbee.com

Arriving in Sacramento

Since landing in Sacramento, the four migrants have quickly become aware of the media attention and political discourse surrounding their circumstances.

They couldnt care less.

We arent involved in any politics here, said the 34-year-old Venezuelan migrant. We are immigrants. We dont know anything here, from how to take a train or get an Uber.

You think we know politics? he said Friday in a moment of frustration, recalling the ordeal.

But frustration has turned to action, the migrants said.

Theyve turned their attention to finding work, the main reason they traveled thousands of miles. At the moment, none can work due to their immigration status. All four have pending immigration court cases across the country.

A coalition of state and Sacramento County leaders and religious groups such as Sacramento ACT have helped connect the migrants with immigration legal assistance to resolve their cases without delay. They are also providing shelter and food.

But on Wednesday, more than four dozen immigrant rights groups sent a letter to Bonta, urging him to help the 36 migrants secure U visas to remain in the U.S. This status would allow for work permits, among other opportunities.

Only 31 migrants remain in Sacramento, with five being picked up by family and friends.

The four migrants who spoke to The Bee said they have no preferences for work, and would be open to any job that allows them to start making a living. They appreciate the help from the organizations assisting them since their arrival but look forward to when they can support themselves.

The only benefit of this situation is that we ended up in good hands. ... But you think we went through all that suffering to not work?
[Source]

A Korean mother arrested late last year for abandoning the dead body of her infant daughter inside a plastic kimchi container was sentenced to prison on Thursday.

Key details: The 35-year-old mother, identified only by her surname Seo, was handed her sentence of seven years and six months in prison at the Uijeongbu District Court in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, on Thursday.

A presiding judge who handed the sentence reportedly said in court that Seo doesn't appear to feel sincere remorse for the "heinous" crime she committed by leaving the corpse of her 15-month-old daughter inside the container.

About the charges: Seo was charged following her December 2022 arrest with abandoning and concealing the body of her daughter as well as violating the child welfare law by having left her daughter alone inside their home in Pyeongtaek, another city in Gyeonggi Province, on around 70 occasions from August 2019 to early 2020.

More from NextShark: S. Korean swimmer Hwang Sun-woo named Asian Male Swimmer of the Year

Seo and her ex-husband Choi, who was also arrested, were also charged with illegally accepting child support given by the government after the death of their child. They reportedly stated that the infant was living with a relative in the city of Pocheon.

How the infant was found: In October 2022, authorities discovered the child's corpse after the city government of Pocheon began looking into the living conditions, health and safety of children aged 3 and younger.

Seo and Choi's child was eventually found inside a kimchi container hidden inside a suitcase on the rooftop of Choi's parents' apartment building in Seodaemun District, Seoul.

More from NextShark: Father who was beaten and left for dead near Chicago Chinatown wakes up from coma

Authorities learned that the infant died due to negligence in January 2020. Choi was accused of placing the infants body inside the container.

Story continues

More from NextShark: YouTube Showcases Anna Akana, Steve Aoki, More API Creators Across Platforms for Heritage Month

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Bay Area Doctor Cannot Eat or Drink Because of the Lack of Masks
Percepto, a drone startup that is building a sizable business with its software and hardware for industrial drone applications, is today announcing a big round of funding to take its operations to the next level -- both literally and figuratively.

The startup -- headquartered in Austin, Texas, but founded and with roots in Israel -- has raised a Series C of $67 million, composed of around $50 million in equity and $16 million in debt funding.

And alongside this, the company is using the funding to also make public an important breakthrough it has had on the regulatory front. Percepto (not to be confused with the Israeli reputation management startup of the same name) has become the first industrial drone company to get a nationwide Beyond Line of Sight (BVLOS) waiver from the FAA in the U.S. This is significant not least because in the opinion of Dor Abuhasira, Percepto's co-founder and CEO, regulation -- not technology -- has been the biggest roadblock to the growth of the drone industry, something that has now started to change.

"I think that the biggest shift in the last few years has been around regulation," he said in an interview.

The waiver in essence means removing some of the friction Percepto and its customers faced: The startup will not need to get site-specific approvals from the regulator for deployments of its remotely operated drones when working with clients in areas of "U.S. critical infrastructure"; and these installations and operations will no longer require additional deployments of people or radars -- all of which will speed up rollouts, reduce costs and presumably drive more business Percepto's way.

The equity portion of the funding getting announced today has a number of strategic backers in it, alongside financial investors, which speak to what (and who) is fueling Percepto's growth.

As with the startup's $45 million Series B in 2020, Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT), the investment arm of the industrial giant, is leading this Series C, alongside new backers Zimmer Partners and a very large U.S. energy company that is not being named. U.S. Venture Partners, Delek US Holdings, Atento Capital, Spider Capital and Arkin Holdings -- all previous backers -- are also participating. It brings the total raised by Percepto to $120 million, and while the company is not disclosing its valuation, Abuhasira confirmed that it is an upround.

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The investors and customers -- named customers include Siemens Energy, Delek US, Koch Industries companies and ICL Dead Sea Works -- highlight the kind of work that Percepto has been doing and will continue to explore as it grows.

It has pinpointed an opportunity to provide monitoring and maintenance services to clients that have operations in remote or hazardous locations, or across wide areas that are populated with machines rather than humans.

Percepto's solutions include not just drones -- currently two models, the Max and the Max OGI -- but a cloud-based analytics platform that monitors equipment for faults and overall performance and provide other diagnostics that are harder (if not impossible) to collect efficiently through other means. Customers include businesses in sectors like oil and gas, energy, manufacturing and more.

The company's growth comes amid a lot of ups and downs in the drone industry.

At one end of the spectrum you have a lot of hope (and maybe some hype), in the form of very big funding rounds getting raised by drone startups, even in the current climate.

In addition to today's round from Percepto, two drone delivery companies, Wingcopter and Zipline, have also recently brought in hefty rounds, respectively $44 million and a whopping $330 million. Other industrial players like Verity have also recently raised decent rounds.

These numbers speak to a lot of optimism about the use cases of these devices in business, mission-critical scenarios that go beyond that of leisure (e.g., drones as remote-control toys) and lethal weapons (e.g., when they are being used in combat, for example in Ukraine, where they've been described as "redefining warfare"). Combat drones also have been seeing some significant funding, with Skydio, used by the Ukraine army, raising $230 million at a $2.2 billion valuation in February of this year.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are still a lot of economies of scale to be worked out, alongside that pesky regulation, to get to more sustainable economies of scale. Deployments in more dense landscapes such as urban environments highlight some of the remaining challenges in the market, including reliability of navigation, battery life and obstacle detection, but these remain issues also for those working in remote environments, as Percepto does.

So does the fact that with the lack of scale, a lot of drone companies continue to operate at a loss.

There is also the issue of how businesses in the connected areas of robotics and drones overall are evolving. When Percepto announced its previous round in 2020, it had just inked a big deal with Boston Dynamics to co-develop solutions with the robotics maker. That highlights another issue in the industry: Working together isn't necessarily as easy or as logical as it looks on paper, and sometimes there just isn't a market appetite for whatever the product of that partnership might be.

"We still work with Boston Dynamics, but that business hasnt exploded like drones has," said Abuhasira. He noted that Percepto these days aims to be more hardware-agnostic, with software that can work with "many different robotics platforms."

Notably, Chase Koch, who runs Koch Disruptive Technologies, notes that he sees Percepto less as a "drone" investment and more one in the area of robotics.

"We dont view Percepto as a 'drone' investment per se; we view this as using robotics  and today that is primarily drones  to improve the inspection process at industrial sites," he told TechCrunch. "When we looked at the industry, we saw several companies doing this because it addresses a real business need. But Percepto's end-to-end approach stood out to us as a differentiator. That diligence and process led to our conviction around Percepto."

Indeed, this is also why Koch does not think that Percepto's trajectory will necessarily follow that of other kinds of drone-based businesses, such as those pursuing a delivery play.

"There is no doubt that drone delivery is an exciting development, but we like the niche that Percepto has carved out as the leader in autonomous inspections of industrial sites," he said. "Their focus on automating the inspection process for industrial companies serves a critical need in the market, especially as operational efficiency and site monitoring take on increased importance. Percepto also demonstrates how industrial companies can combine autonomous systems and the expertise of human workers to drive value and improve safety and operational outcomes."
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It fits everything you need and looks so stylish while doing it.

Travel + Leisure / Daisy Rodriguez

When Im on vacation, the last thing I want is to be weighed down by a bulky purse  especially if Im going to be spending most of my days relaxing by the pool or on-foot exploring a new city. But, as over packers know, downsizing your go-to travel purse isnt an easy feat, so youll need something spacious, functional, and compact to ensure that you can carry everything you need for the day.

I used to think that such purses didnt exist, until I took a last-minute trip to Target ahead of a recent trip to Austin, Texas. After stocking up on travel-sized toiletries and impulsively buying some cute vacation outfits, I came across the A New Day Phone Crossbody Bag, and instantly knew it would be exactly what I needed.

Target

To buy: target.com, $20



With its 7-inch by 3.8-inch by 1-inch frame, the A New Day Phone Crossbody Bag comfortably fits my iPhone 11 Pro (which has a snap case) in its main compartment. But, if you're like me and always have your smartphone on-hand to capture pictures, reference GPS directions, or quickly look up fun restaurants and bars to try, then the main compartment can also be used to securely store things like room keys, cash, tickets, lipstick, and other small essentials.

There's also a handy zippered pocket along the side of the travel purse for extra storage opportunities, as well as three card slots so you don't need to bring your wallet along. For peace of mind, the A New Day Phone Crossbody Bag has a magnetic snap closure flap. It's also made with a durable and sleek faux leather material, which instantly elevates any outfit you pair it with. And, the travel-friendly bag has a 22-inch shoulder strap that can be worn on your shoulder or crossbody style.

Target

To buy: target.com, $20



I really only expected to use the A New Day Phone Crossbody Bag when I was at the pool  because I just wanted something to store my smartphone, room key, and sunscreen while I soaked up the sun  and it worked out great. It was so convenient to have everything I needed in one compact place, instead of the typical overpacked and heavy tote bag I'd usually carry.

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But, much to my surprise, it proved to be the ultimate travel companion for the entire trip, where the itinerary included getting a facial at the hotel spa, bike riding to Barton Springs, checking out local eateries, and thrift shopping. In fact, I actually found myself reaching for this minimalist purse over the normal-sized crossbody I'd packed and intended to use. And, it's become my go-to errand-running bag since it doubles as a wallet.

Target

To buy: target.com, $20



After perusing the shopper reviews it's racked up, it's clear that the A New Day Phone Crossbody Bag is a traveler-favorite purse  it's even been dubbed the "perfect little crossbody." One Target customer wrote, "I took this on a cruise to carry around the basics. I loved not having to lug around a purse. The cream color went well with all of my outfits." Chiming in, a second shopper said, "It can hold my iPhone 13 with a slim case in it. It is going to be my go-to for concerts or festivals where you dont need a lot and you dont want to carry a heavy bag when you're dancing."

And, a third reviewer added, "I purchased this to take on vacation to amusement parks and it was perfect. I was able to wear it on rides without it being in the way. Now I continue to wear it every day; I love that it fits my phone, cash, and cards, and [I love] that cool zipper on the side."

Trust me, you're going to be instantly won over by the A New Day Phone Crossbody Bag, and it'll probably become your new purse for everything. Grab one at Target before your next trip.

At the time of publishing, the price was $20.

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You didn't read that wrong: Dessert that looks like pasta.

You may not know that Germany has a booming ice cream culture. As soon as the sun peeks out from behind the clouds, Germans of all ages flock to their nearest Eisdiele (ice cream parlor) in search of a sweet scoop or two. The country is one of the top leading producers of ice cream in Europe, making it a more than 2 billion-euro industry. This passion has inspired many inventions over the years that go far beyond banana splits (like this sundae in the shape of a popular cartoon bee), but none are as beloved as Spaghettieis.

I know what you're thinkingspaghetti and ice cream? No, thank you. But I and many others grew up eating this playful sundae made to look like a saucy plate of pasta. In 1969, Dario Fontanella dreamed up this invention in his family's very own Italian ice cream shop in Mannheim, Germany. Inspiration struck on holiday after he ate a Mont Blanc dessert, made with whipped cream and strands of chestnut puree to resemble mountain peaks, and he set out to create his own frozen version.



After a few failed attempts using pistachio, lemon and strawberry ice cream to illustrate the colors of the Italian flag, Fontanella landed on vanilla gelato which looks like real spaghetti noodles. To this day, you can still visit his family's shop in Mannheim but luckily, Spaghettieis is now widely available and sold more than 30 million times a year in ice cream parlors across the country.



How Is Spaghettieis Made?

The sundae starts with a dollop of whipped cream topped with ice cream noodles that are extruded through a spaetzle press or potato ricer. Thanks to different freezing points between the two, the whipped cream center develops a crackly outer shell. German ice cream parlors have access to special extruding machines so they dont need to thaw theirs out the way that you do when making this at home. This is why I recommend pre-freezing the whipped cream slightly beforehand to get a similarly satisfying effect. Everything is then topped with a fresh strawberry marinara and some white chocolate parmesan shavings, making the illusion complete.



Nowadays, other versions of Spaghettieis exist like a take on carbonara which includes nuts, and swaps out the strawberry sauce for Eierlikoer, a custardy rum-spiked liquor. But nothing is as popular as the original combination.

Get the recipe for Spaghettieis, a Spaghetti-Inspired German Sundae

Tips For Making Spaghettieis
A Vermont man accused of murdering his mother during a fishing expedition off the coast of New England in a scheme to secure a multimillion dollar inheritance has died while awaiting trial, federal authorities said Thursday.

Nathan Carman, 29, was facing fraud and first-degree murder charges in connection to the death of his mother Linda Carmen. He was scheduled to go on trial in October.

Federal prosecutors on Thursday filed a motion to dismiss the murder-on-the-high-seas case against Carman, of Vernon, Vermont, noting the government had received information from the U.S. Marshal that Carman died on or about June 15, 2023.

Carman was discovered at 2:33 a.m. at the Cheshire County Jail in Keene, New Hampshire, where he was being held in federal custody, according to Doug Iosue, superintendent of the Cheshire County Department of Corrections. Iosue said Carman was the only occupant of the cell.

He didn't provide a cause of Carman's "unexpected and untimely" death, but said it is under investigation by the Keene Police Department and that the cause of death would be determined by the medical examiner.

A spokesperson for the Keene police declined comment.

Nathan Carman, rescued from a life raft after the death of his mother and the sinking of his fishing boat off the coast of Rhode Island, arrives at the U.S. Coast Guard station in Boston on Sept. 27, 2016.

Nathan Carman accused of killing mother, grandfather

Prosecutors accused Carmen of planning to kill his 54-year-old mother on a fishing trip off the Rhode Island coast in 2016. While his mother was never seen again and is presumed dead, Carman was found in a life raft days later by the crew of a passing freighter ship.

Carman had been long suspected by his family and others of killing his mother and shooting to death his grandfather, wealthy real estate developer John Chakalos, in 2013.

Police said Carman was the last person to see his grandfather alive and owned a semi-automatic rifle similar to the one used to kill Chakalos. But the rifle had disappeared.

After Chakalos' death, Carman received $550,000 as a beneficiary of bank accounts his grandfather had set up. Carman was unemployed and low on funds when he planned the fishing trip with his mother in 2016, according to prosecutors.

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Prosecutors alleged the deaths were part of a scheme to inherit an estimated $7 million of the $42 million Chakalos left to his four daughters.

A federal grand jury last May indicted Carman on eight charges accusing him in his mothers death as part of an effort to defraud insurance companies. The indictment accused Carman shooting his grandfather at his home in Windsor, Connecticut, but did not charge him with murder in his death.

The inheritance remains in probate court, where Carman's three aunts sued to block Carman from receiving any money from his grandfathers estate.

'I went under': Passengers recall terrifying moments when tour boat capsized in Lockport, NY

Family, attorneys saddened by news of death

Carman's family said they were stunned by news of his death.

"We were deeply saddened to hear of Nathans death this morning. While we process this shocking news and its impact on the tragic events surrounding the last several years we ask for your understanding and respect relative to our privacy," the family said through lawyer William Michael, Jr.

One of his lawyers, Martin Minnella, told the Associated Press that Carman appeared to be in good spirits when he last spoke to his defense team on the phone Wednesday.

We were meeting with some experts today over Zoom at 12 oclock. We were prepared to start picking a jury on Oct. 10 and we were confident we were going to win, Minnella said. Im just heartbroken because I wanted him to have his day in court.

The 32-foot fishing boat "Chicken Pox," owned by Nathan Carman, tied up in South Kingstown before its fateful trip to sea in September 2016. Carman modified the boat in ways that his insurance company said  and a judge agreed  rendered the craft unseaworthy.

Carman was found on a life raft a week after his boat sank with his mother on board

Carman's case has proven captivating since his dramatic rescue by a freighter crew a week after his 31-foot boat Chicken Pox vanished in September 2016.

That ill-fated journey was dissected at a trial before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. in 2019.

In testimony, Carman described discovering water in the bilge, turning the engine off, and asking his mother to pull in the fishing lines. He said the boat went under after he readied a life raft and grabbed survival gear. He did not place a distress call or alert his mother that they were in peril, he added.

But you didnt shout out to your mother to be prepared? McConnell asked at trial.

I didnt know the boat was going down until I was in the water, Carman answered.

I treated my mother like a passenger, Carman said. She was more of a problem than a solution.

Carman said he got into the life raft, which was equipped with 30 days of food, and called out for his mother but got no response. He was rescued, still aboard the raft, a week after he said his boat went down.

Carman filed an insurance claim weeks after the boat vanished. The insurers denied his claim after reviewing the case and Carman sued to recoup the boat's losses.

McConnell ruled in favor of the insurers in finding that it was Carmans own faulty modifications  including removing a bulkhead and trim tabs by drilling four half-dollar-size holes in the back of the vessel  that likely led to the boat's sinking. Carman denied that allegation.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Vermont man accused of killing mother in inheritance scheme dies in jail
YouTube Music and Cognizant workers strike outside Google's office in Austin, Texas. SUZANNE CORDEIRO/ Getty Images

Three workers for Cognizant filed an NLRB complaint against the firm and Google on Friday.

They allege they were let go as a union movement among Google contractors began to make inroads.

Google's contractors have been putting pressure on the company to provide better working conditions.

The Alphabet Workers Union has filed a new complaint on Friday with the National Labor Relations Board against Google and its contractor Cognizant on behalf of three contractors who lost their roles working on YouTube TV and now must find new jobs internally or risk being terminated.

The AWU alleges in the complaint that Google and Cognizant ended a YouTube TV project in order to squash unionization efforts among the contractors, who worked in the same Austin, Texas office as Cognizant contractors for another Google-owned unit, YouTube Music, that voted in favor of forming a union on April 26.

The day before on April 25, Cognizant workers were informed that Google had ended its YouTube TV contract and all 15 workers at the Austin office were notified they'd be let go unless they were able to find a different role at the company. One worker who spoke with Insider on the condition of anonymity says that the timing of the layoff notice just before the union vote was not coincidental.

But Google told Insider that it had ended its contracts with Cognizant before April 25, and it had been Cognizant's decision to notify workers the day before the union vote. Google also emphasized that because these were the employees of Cognizant, it's not a matter for the search giant.

"For well over a year, we've been managing our spend more effectively across dozens of our suppliers and vendors for Alphabet in the US and abroad, and any suggestion that contract changes are due to reasons beyond increasing our efficiency and cost savings is untrue," Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini said in a statement.

Mencini also said the company has "had many contracts with unionized suppliers and have no objection to Cognizant workers organizing or joining a union."

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Cognizant did not respond to a request for comment.

The NLRB ruled in March that Google could be considered a joint employer with Cognizant of certain contractors, which would require the search giant to negotiate with unionized contractors. Google and Cognizant are appealing that ruling.

In the complaint, the AWU alleges as the YouTube Music contractors' efforts to unionize gained momentum, Cognizant worked to prevent employees at other units from organizing. The complaint says that TV screens in the Austin office cycled through slideshows with anti-union talking points. Insider also previously reported that the AWU claims that Cognizant held meetings with YouTube TV contractors where they repeated anti-union talking points.

Cognizant previously described these meetings to Insider as regular staff meetings where employees were able to ask questions about the process. "Cognizant's view is that its employees should ask questions and should receive timely answers. They should have all of the facts," a Cognizant spokesperson said in April.

The AWU also alleges in this complaint that Cognizant's YouTube TV workers at other offices were offered opportunities to continue working with Google after the company ended the contract, whereas the Austin employees were granted seven-week severance, but not other work.

The worker who spoke to Insider said they decided to file Friday's unfair labor practices complaint because they "felt Cognizant was treating us unfairly since the beginning" including through perceived union-busting behavior, unclear return to office expectations, and the sudden dissolvement of their team.

Cognizant has previously disputed that its behavior was untoward, and said it was always clear with workers they would have to return to an office following the pandemic.

A Cognizant spokesperson previously confirmed that Google was winding down some projects with the firm, but that it would attempt to place workers in other positions internally. On the issue of return-to-office, Cognizant previously told Insider that employees had been given notice of its return-to-office intentions well in advance and that they could apply for other internal jobs that wouldn't require working in Austin.

Often called "shadow workers" because they are not always afforded the pay and benefits of the full-time direct employees, contract workers who support Google's vast array of services have become louder this year, holding rallies and, in certain places, working on organizing unions.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Famed author and New Jersey Hall of Fame inductee Carol Higgins Clark died Monday after a three-year battle with appendix cancer.

Clark, 66, was born in New York City and raised in Washington Township. The daughter of another famous author, Mary Higgins Clark, she got her start by helping her mother retype manuscripts. She credited the chore with helping her to understand writing.

Clark went to the all-girls private school Immaculate Heart Academy in Bergen County before continuing her education at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts.

Full of life, she attended the 45th anniversary reunion of her college graduation just weeks ago.

Her career spanned decades and included an 18-novel series starring Private Investigator Regan Reilly as the central character. Clark even teamed up with her mother for four novels.

Authors Carol Higgins Clark and her mother Mary Higgins Clark inside Mary's Saddle River NJ home on April, 2, 2008.

Many of her books were made into movies for television and she appeared in each one.

Her first novel was published in 1992, when she was 36. For that book, she was nominated for the 1992 Agatha Award and the Anthony Award for "Best First Novel."

Clark studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and has performed on stage and in films. She is also a successful voice actress and audio book narrator.

But writing was always her passion. She called it an integral part of her life and said in 2016 that continued to inspire her every day.

She was also involved in charity including Catholic Charities and Project Angel Food, an organization that prepares and delivers medically tailored meals to people living with serious illness as well as ACPMP, an appendix cancer research foundation.

There will be awake on Monday at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, according to her obituary. A Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday at the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, Queens, New York.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Carol Higgins Clark: NJ Hall of Fame author dies at 66
President Joe Biden's plan to fix a broken border just got the green light in Canada.

For months, Biden and his Canadian counterpart Prime Minister Justin Trudeau relied on their recently-hatched plan to restrict asylum seekers entering either country. But in Canada, the plan, a renegotiated Safe Third Country Agreement, faced a court challenge on the basis of whether the U.S. was in fact a safe country to return people due to its dysfunctional immigration system.

On Friday, Canada's highest court unanimously upheld in part that the agreement was safe to send asylum seekers back to the U.S., but the unanimous decision kicked back the issue of gender-based persecution, which the U.S. has not recognized in asylum claims, to a lower court.

More: What is title 42? What crossings at the Southern border look like now that the policy has ended.

The decision comes as liberal governments in both countries have sought to limit migrants amid mounting pressure from conservatives, while Biden has tried to walk a fine line on immigration  between opening legal pathways and border enforcement  in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greets President Joe Biden as he arrives at Parliament Hill, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Ottawa, Canada. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The agreement with Canada better aligns the northern border with the asylum process at the southern border after Biden ended the pandemic-era Title 42 policy, once invoked by former President Donald Trump, in May. At the same time, Biden implemented new measures to stem the flow of migrants. Now, for people seeking to enter the U.S. from Canada or Mexico, they must seek asylum in the first country they set foot in, either in Canada or Mexico.

We now have consistency between our policies at the northern and southern borders, Muzaffar Chishti, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, a U.S. think-tank, told USA TODAY.

Chishti called the agreement a Biden-Trudeau success, with negotiations occurring in 2022 that now largely survived Supreme Court of Canada scrutiny with Fridays ruling. Biden and Trudeau unveiled their agreement in late March, during Bidens first official visit to Ottawa, to clamp down on immigration in both countries.

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Still, the debate around immigration wont end especially as people flee from their homes in Venezuela, Haiti and other parts of Central and South America, said Christopher Kirkey, the director of the Center for the Study of Canada and Quebec Studies at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.

This Supreme Court ruling may say this agreement is valid and is consistent with the Canadian Constitution, but the truth is thats a bit of a snapshot, he said

This is going to continue to be a vexing public policy issue for Ottawa and Washington, he said.

More: Group of migrants bused to downtown Los Angeles from Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott says

FILE - In this Aug. 7, 2017, file photo, Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers greet migrants as they enter into Canada at an unofficial border crossing at the end of Roxham Road in Champlain, N.Y. A Canadian court on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, invalidated the country's Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States. Under the agreement, immigrants who want to seek asylum in Canada at ground ports of entry from the United States are returned to the U.S. and told to seek asylum there. But if they request asylum on Canadian soil at a location other than an official crossing, the process is allowed to go forward. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

What's the Safe Third Country Agreement between US and Canada?

The 2004 Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) allows the U.S. and Canada to turn away asylum seekers from either country because both were designated as safe countries to send people. Under the agreement, Canadian officials could return asylum seekers seeking to enter their country from the U.S., and vice versa.

For two decades, the agreement had a loophole that allowed asylum seekers to enter Canada from the U.S. via irregular ports of entry, such as at Roxham Road, a remote path in Upstate New York that passes forests and farms leading to Quebec. Roxham Road became a pathway for tens of thousands of people for two decades to cross into Canada, which led to upsurges in people crossing at the rural road from the U.S.

Why are migrants headed to the northern border?

The Trump administration enacted hardline immigration policies such as moving to end Temporary Protected Status, resulted in thousands of people  many from Haiti  heading to Canada for asylum. The waves of asylum seekers have shifted from continents and countries, though many have chosen to leave a backlogged U.S. immigration system that takes years to get in front of an immigration judge.

In contrast, Canada has been seen as more welcoming and easier to resettle in the diverse country of 40 million people.

Migrants gather in an informal camp in El Paso, north of the Rio Grande and south of the border wall near Gate 40, on May 5.

During Biden's visit to Canada, he and Trudeau announced they would tighten the agreement to turn away irregular crossings, forcing people to regular ports of entry to make their claims under limited exceptions allowing them to enter. Under the new deal, Canada agreed to offer 15,000 more people from Western Hemisphere countries to seek asylum.

The agreement took effect March 25 at midnight, a day after Biden and Trudeau announced their new deal, officially closing Roxham Road. However, the two countries signed the expanded policy a year ago, as early as March 2022, per U.S. Federal Register rulemaking.

In 2022, close to 40,000 people crossed into Canada from the U.S. seeking asylum, according to Royal Canadian Mounted Police figures. Experts have noted nearly all came via Roxham Road, into Quebec.

In 2023, crossings into Canada, nearly all through Quebec, totaled more than 4,000 each month. But by April, the first full month the new agreement took effect, it dropped to 85 people.

Early in 2023, the U.S. saw increases in people crossing from Canada near a remote stretch of border from New Hampshire to New York, prompting outcries from House Republicans who formed the Northern Border Security Caucus.

Observers have warned that the new agreement, in closing Roxham Road, will force people to make more dangerous treks into either country, much like the border with Mexico.

The numbers at the northern border are far fewer than the southern border. The 2022 fiscal year saw U.S. border agents encounter 109,000 people at the northern border, compared to 2.3 million at the southern border.

How was the agreement challenged?

Canadian immigrant advocates and some left-leaning politicians questioned whether the U.S. was indeed a safe country under Canadian law because of the American process to claim asylum and the conditions of immigration detention systems that migrants often face when theyre rejected from Canada.

Conservative Canadian politicians and officials in French-speaking Quebec, meanwhile, have sought to clamp down on border crossings. Quebecois officials have complained about the disparate burden their province faced in accommodating asylum seekers.

The agreement faced court challenges for violating the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by sending people to the U.S., which often places migrants in immigration detention or deports them to the country they fled. The Supreme Court of Canada heard oral arguments in October.

The Supreme Court holds the regulations designating the United States as a safe third country do not infringe refugee claimants rights to liberty and security of the person, the Supreme Court's brief read.

The court upheld the basis that the U.S. was a safe country, though allowed the appeal in part, which said refugee claimants may be exempted from return to the United States if their charter rights for liberty and security were at risk.

Families of asylum seekers are led into the Ramada hotel in Yonkers May 15, 2023. The families were being housed in New York City.

What else did the court decide on?

In the unanimous court decision, Justice Nicholas Kasirer wrote that designating the U.S. as a safe third country doesnt breach the charter. However, he did agree with the risk of detention of migrants returned to the U.S., and with some aspects of detention conditions. The court returned the issue of gender-based persecution, which advocates say the U.S. flouts international refugee standards, back to the lower federal court.

We have to ensure this is not a race to the bottom, said Maureen Silcoff, a Toronto immigration attorney who co-counseled to intervene in the case on behalf of the Canadian Association for Refugee Lawyers. We see in multiple countries and regions that the door is being sealed, but we have to act in accordance with international standards, not whats politically expedient at the moment.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) speaks on border security and Title 42 during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 11, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Biden restricts asylum claims at both borders

The updated agreement complements Biden administration policies at the United States other border, which has seen an influx of people seeking asylum, many from Venezuela and parts of South America.

In May, the U.S. ended Title 42, a public health law implemented by Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic to restrict people from entering the U.S., including with asylum claims.

For two years, Biden kept the policy in place before recently returning to prior immigration law that allows asylum seekers to present credible fears with asylum officers or before an immigration judge. The administration also now uses expedited removal for people who enter the U.S. without permission. Now, people seeking asylum are expected to use an app to schedule an appointment at ports of entry.

Eduardo Cuevas covers race and justice for the USA TODAY Network of New York. He can be reached at EMCuevas1@gannett.com and followed on Twitter @eduardomcuevas.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden's deal to keep migrants out of US greenlit by Canada court
One might be forgiven for expecting the past three-and-a-half weeks to have produced a healthy shakeup of the race for the GOP presidential nomination. Former President Donald Trumps leading contender entered the race, as did a former vice president and the only senator running. Oh, and Trump himself was indicted for allegedly jeopardizing the governments most closely held secrets.

And yet, the polls have barely moved.

Trump remains well ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis  both nationally and in the states that will vote earliest in the nominating process  according to independent polling. The other candidates remain far behind those two.

Post-launch bounces for DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence? Not according to the public polls. A bump for Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) after his official kickoff? Yes, but only enough to vault him to the mid-single-digits, roughly tied for third place with Pence and Scotts fellow South Carolinian, Nikki Haley.



And, most importantly, Trumps grip over GOP primary voters remains mostly unaffected despite his federal indictment last week on charges he absconded with classified documents from the White House. Nationally, Trump has been over 50 percent in the RealClearPolitics average since early April  following his other criminal indictment, in New York City  and the three polls conducted mostly or entirely after his second indictment show him between 51 percent and 53 percent.

The lack of movement between the candidates over an otherwise busy period suggests the race is, on the whole, stable. Trump leads DeSantis  whose support has faded somewhat since earlier this year  with the other candidates still vying for a toehold. And its likely to stay that way for next two months, until the first televised debate on Aug. 23.

Trump: Steady with Republicans, but trouble looms

The first Trump indictment  charges levied earlier this spring by a Manhattan grand jury in the hush-money case involving porn star Stormy Daniels  actually boosted Trump in the Republican primary.

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Thats not happening this time  at least not so far  though theres also no indication the federal charges Trump is facing in Florida are making Republican primary voters less likely to say they want him to be the partys 2024 nominee.



Trump leads DeSantis, his closest competitor, by at least 30 points in the three national polls conducted mostly or entirely after the news of the federal indictment broke. And hes narrowly above 50 percent in each of the surveys, from The Messenger/HarrisX (53 percent), Quinnipiac University (53 percent) and The Economist/YouGov (51 percent).

On the day of Trumps first indictment, he stood at 46 percent in the national RealClearPolitics average, with DeSantis at 30 percent. Within a week, Trump was over 50 percent. He now leads DeSantis, 52 percent to 21 percent.

But Trumps sustained strength in the GOP primary belies his tenuous position with the overall electorate. A new NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist College poll conducted after the indictment and released on Friday found a majority of registered voters want Trump to drop out of the race, and roughly half (49 percent) believe he broke the law, consistent with other surveys showing Americans broadly concerned about Trumps conduct.

DeSantis: Wheres the bounce?

DeSantis 9-point drop over the past two-and-a-half months is also evidence that the Florida governor hasnt seen much improvement since the late-May launch of his campaign. He was at 23 percent in the Quinnipiac poll this week, statistically unchanged from the 25 percent he registered in Quinnipiacs previous survey, which was conducted in the days just before his announcement.

In fact, DeSantis vote share in the RealClearPolitics national average today is identical to where it stood on May 24, the day he launched his campaign: 21 percent.

Of course, the nomination wont be decided by a simultaneous national primary, and DeSantis allies have been clear that theyre banking on a strong performance in Iowa, which will hold the first caucuses, likely sometime next January.

There hasnt been much independent polling in Iowa lately  the only recent poll in the RealClearPolitics database is from the Trump-friendly online outlet American Greatness more than a week ago  but other data streams suggest the DeSantis push in Iowa continues in earnest.

Never Back Down, the pro-DeSantis super PAC, is the leading spender on the Iowa airwaves this week, though North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgums campaign is a close second (and campaigns generally pay lower rates for advertising than outside groups like super PACs, meaning Burgums money is likely going further than Never Back Downs).



The field: Signs of life for Scott, Christie

Though Trump and DeSantis remain stagnant, there are smaller moves happening among the candidates fighting to emerge from the lower tiers.

Scott, who kicked off his campaign the same week as DeSantis, has seen an uptick in his polling. Hes averaged around 4 percent in national polls since his launch, and he hit 7 percent in an American Greatness poll in New Hampshire this week.

Other than the self-funding Burgum, Scott and his allied super PAC, Trust in the Mission PAC, have been the leading advertisers this week in New Hampshire.

Meanwhile, another candidate is also rising in the polls in New Hampshire: former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Christie, who launched his campaign last week at a town hall just outside Manchester, is banking on a strong showing in the first-in-the-nation primary state. And two polls this week had him in third or tied for third: He was even with Scott at 7 percent in the American Greatness poll, and he also hit 9 percent in a poll out of New Hampshire from the conservative website New Hampshire Journal on Friday.
Yee-haw! Come one come all to the greatest show in town!

That would be the current (as Im writing this) 10 politicians running for the GOP nomination for president. Count em, 10, which includes former President Donald Trump.

They range from the well-known and tested  former vice president Mike Pence, to the obscure  heres looking at you, Larry Elder.

Kendall P. Stanley

National Public Radio defined the field nicely:

As of now, the former president is running in a field that features no fewer than nine high-profile challengers. They include Mike Pence, a former vice president; four current or former governors: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson; Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations and also a former South Carolina governor; U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina; biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy; and conservative talk show host Larry Elder, an unsuccessful candidate for California governor.

While big, the 2024 field could have been much bigger. The partys 2016 class featured 17 candidates that filled two debate stages.

Several Republicans who had taken steps to prepare for a run in 2024 ultimately bowed out. They include former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton.

Of the group of nine, Pence and Christie have been critical of the former president, especially Christie who has been attacking Trump head on. Others have avoided annoying Trump in the hopes of what, Trump deciding he will pull out of the race and they will get his votes?

DeSantis has been making it out of single digit territory in polls looking at the 2024 race, but for the rest of the pack its single digit recognition and support.

But will things change

All of that was interesting as of June 8, but then down came the indictment in federal court against the former president in the classified documents case.

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On cue Mr. Trumps allies came to his aid, suggesting he was the target of a witch hunt.

Mr. Trump confirmed on his social media platform that he had been indicted. The charges against him include willfully retaining national defense secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, making false statements and a conspiracy to obstruct justice, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke to The New York Times.

I am an innocent man, Trump proclaimed, but its one thing to say it and another to prove it in a court of law.

When you go from I didnt take them, to I took them but I had a right to, to thats all the documents I have, to finding hundreds of documents that I did have after a subpoena was served doesnt sound like an innocent man, does it?

Certainly Trump is presumed innocent until proven guilty and many of his allies will continue to push the idea he didnt do anything wrong and is being hounded by an aggressive Department of Justice. They will almost certainly try to muddy the waters by bringing up Hillary Clintons emails and the fact that both President Joe Biden and former vice president Mike Pence also were found to have classified documents in their possession (which they immediately returned to the National Archives).

As political historian Timothy Naftali noted, however, Trump not only had a hard time with limits, he didnt respect them. And this is a case where he was told repeatedly that there were limits on his ability to keep materials and he said, I dont care.

And he pretty much has continued to say I dont care.

It is way too early to speculate on how and if the indictment affects the upcoming election and how the case will change how the nine so far other candidates handle Trump. If you come out in support of the former guy then why would voters choose you when they can put Trump back in office since he has been so persecuted.

If you dont support Trump then what are your chances of winning any of the primary elections?

As always theres Trump, front and center, airing yet once again his grievances.

 Kendall P. Stanley is retired editor of the News-Review. He can be contacted at kendallstanley@charter.net. The opinions expressed in this column are those of the writer and not necessarily of the Petoskey News-Review or its employees.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Kendall Stanley: Joining the field
A Lexington man was sentenced to a lengthy federal prison stint in connection with a gun charge.

The United States Attorneys Office said in a Friday afternoon release that Jerry Ward Galloway, 47, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Galloway, who also will have to do three years of probation after his jail time. There is no parole in the federal system.

The U.S. Marshal Services Fugitive Task Force arrested Galloway at a local hotel, according to the release. The officers had an outstanding arrest warrant for Galloway and, when they found him, he had marijuana in his possession, along with a gun and three magazines of ammunition, the release said.

Galloway was prohibited from having a gun because of a number of previous convictions, the U.S. Attorneys Office said, including convictions for burglary, financial transaction card theft and several counts of drug distribution.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshal Fugitive Task Force, and the Lexington County Sheriffs Department.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken departed for Beijing on Friday in a long-shot bid to reset the great power rivalry between the United States and China that seems on a bitter path to becoming a civilizational clash between democracy and autocracy.

The long-delayed trip, postponed by tensions over a Chinese spy balloon that flew over the continental United States, will mark the first visit to China by a Cabinet official since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. Blinken will seek to reestablish diplomatic and military lines of communication to "responsibly manage" the relationship between the two nations, according to a State Department statement announcing the trip.

But as Blinken meets with senior Chinese officials over the weekend, some are skeptical that there is any possibility of easing tensions  or even that it is a good idea.

In this file photo taken on July 8, 2022, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

At home, members of Congress and 2024 presidential candidates have increasingly labeled China as the biggest threat to the United States.

Nikki Haley, a former ambassador to the United Nations who is seeking the 2024 Republican nomination, wrote in a tweet on Friday that Biden "has utterly failed in his dealings with China."

"Now, he's sending Sec. Blinken to China to pursue a 'thaw,'" she wrote. "That's insane."

Others don't think so.

'The China relationship takes work'

Scott Mulhauser, who served as chief of staff at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing for Ambassador Max Baucus, said in an interview with USA TODAY "its pretty clear that, no matter the Administration or the moment, the China relationship takes work."

"That work involves balancing where we need to be tough and looking for ways to find solutions to broader global issues," he added. "That is no easy feat. But if anyone can do it, Tony Blinken can do it."

And while Blinken will stop in London on his way back from Beijing to attend the Ukraine Recovery Conference and shore up international support for Ukraine, for many American voters the perceived threat of China is of greater concern than increasing aid for Ukraine.

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Mulhauser, however, said that the Biden administration can accomplish both foreign policy goals.

"Successfully navigating the US-China relationship and supporting Ukraine in its fight for democracy are not mutually exclusive," he said.

Some European allies, meanwhile, have called for aggressive "de-risking" of the West's relationship with China  reducing dependence on Chinese exports including microchips and rare earth minerals  to avoid the type of dependence on Russian energy that gave Vladimir Putin major political leverage.

There are also calls on the West to "decouple" from China, if Beijing persists in menacing behavior, particularly in relation to Taiwan.

'Purely performative'

Craig Singleton, a China expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said in a statement to USA TODAY that Blinken's visit to Beijing is "in many respects, purely performative."

"Its outcome will bear very little significance on the downward trajectory of Sino-U.S. relations," Singleton added.

The trip to China has been in the works since November 2022, when President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a three-hour meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Blinken, the top US diplomat, originally planned to travel to Beijing in February, but the White House canceled his visit after it discovered the spy balloon. The balloon traversed the country before it was eventually shot down by a U.S. warplane off the South Carolina coast. Chinese officials, however, maintain it was a civilian airship used for meteorological research that was blown off course.

In the months since, U.S. officials repeatedly stated that Blinken hoped to reschedule his trip to China.

But during that same period of time, relations between the two countries have become increasingly fraught. Just two weeks after the U.S. shot down the spy balloon, Blinken met with Wang Yi, the most senior Chinese foreign policy official, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

Blinken said in a February interview with CBS News that there was "no apology" from Wang during their meeting in Munich.

"I made very clear to him that China sending a surveillance balloon over the United States  in violation of our sovereignty, in violation of international law  was unacceptable and must never happen again," Blinken said.

Biden takes aim

Biden also took aim at China during his State of the Union speech on Feb. 7, during which he singled Xi out by name.

"If China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country," Biden said, referring to the spy balloon incident. "And we did."

In his address, Biden claimed that since the start of his presidency, "democracies have become stronger, not weaker, autocracies have grown weaker, not stronger."

"Name me a world leader who'd change places with Xi Jinping," Biden added, his voice rising. "Name me one."

Tensions between the U.S. and China were further inflamed by two military incidents in more recent weeks. A U.S. Navy destroyer nearly collied with a Chinese warship in the Taiwan Strait days after a Chinese fighter jet flew directly in front of a U.S. Air Force plane over the South China Sea.

Few signs, however, pointed to the tensions cooling down before Blinken's arrival in Beijing.

During a Wednesday phone call with Blinken ahead of his visit, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said "it is very clear who is to blame" for deteriorating U.S.-China relations, according to a readout of the call from the Chinese foreign ministry.

Qin Gang "stressed that the United States should respect Chinas concerns, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop undermining China's sovereignty, security, and development interests in the name of competition," the Chinese foreign ministry's readout added.

But Mulhauser said that Blinken's visit amid souring relations should not be interpreted as a sign of weakness.

"Nobody thinks the Biden Administration is cozying up to China  just look at the policies from the South China Sea to new laws taking China on in even stronger ways economically," he said.

"The reality of this moment is that tensions are high and one of the ways you reduce tensions and reduce global risk is you engage and meet face to face to stand up for yourself, your values, and your country, Mulhauser added.

Previous coverage: China spy balloon gathered information from multiple military sites despite attempts to block it, report says

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Secretary Blinken visits China in bid to reduce tensions. What we know
jupiter's moon europa, its icy surface criscrossed by dark reddish-brown lines, against the blackness of space

The core of Jupiter's ocean moon Europa might have formed billions of years after the rest of it did, if indeed it has formed at all, a new study finds.

Europa , Jupiter's fourth-largest moon, is covered in an icy shell. However, researchers suspect that underneath its frozen crust, Europa hosts a saltwater ocean churning over its rocky mantle. It may possess "more liquid water than Earth," study lead author Kevin Trinh, a planetary scientist at Arizona State University in Tempe, told Space.com.

Previous research suggests that Europa may be habitable  for instance, seafloor volcanoes and hydrothermal vents may help deliver life-sustaining heat and biologically useful molecules into its ocean. In order to know whether such potentially life-supporting activity might take place on Europa, scientists must understand the nature of the Jupiter moon's interior and how it might have evolved over time.

"While Europa is famously known as a potentially habitable ocean world, over 90% of Europa's mass comes from rock and metal," Trinh said.

Related: Alien-life hunters are eyeing icy ocean moons Europa and Enceladus

After NASA's Galileo spacecraft reached the Jovian system in 1995, its analysis of Europa's gravity field suggested that Europa's interior, like that of Earth, is divided into a metallic core and a rocky mantle. Subsequent research often assumed that Europa's interior split into these layers as, or soon after, the Jovian moon formed.

Now, "to our surprise, we found that Europa may have spent most of its life without a fully formed metallic core  that is, if such a core exists at all," Trinh said.

A 2021 study that reexamined the Galileo data suggested that Europa might be less massive near its center than previously thought. This would then raise the question of whether it possesses a fully formed core.

One reason Europa might not have a fully formed core is that it likely formed at much colder temperatures than Earth did, due to the icy moon's greater distance from the sun. This means that, as Europa's building blocks came together, they may not have melted and separated into a metallic core and rocky mantle.

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Trinh and his colleagues developed computer models of how temperatures in Europa's interior changed over 4.5 billion years, assuming relatively low initial temperatures of minus 99 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 73 degrees Celsius) to 80 degrees F (26 degrees C).

The scientists found that, in about the first 500,000 years after Europa's birth, its ocean and ice shell may have formed as chemical reactions led water to gradually ascend from its mantle. Europa's metallic core, if it exists, would likely have started forming at least a billion years after the moon was born; heat from radioactive elements and tidal churning from Jupiter's gravitational pull may have melted the core slowly over Europa's lifetime.

Europa may still be gradually separating into multiple layers today, the researchers noted. The formation of a metallic core would help make Europa more habitable, "since metallic core formation could deliver a heat pulse to the rocky mantle," Trinh said.

NASA's planned Europa Clipper mission may help scan the Jovian moon's gravity to "improve our understanding of how mass is distributed inside Europa, which relates to the existence of Europa's metallic core," Trinh noted.
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Robin Little Wing Sigo, a National Indian Child Welfare Association board member and Suquamish Tribe member, stands in front of the Suquamish Veterans Memorial, Nov. 14, 2022, in Suquamish.
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A powerful storm rocked Danville on Friday afternoon, sending thousands into darkness, toppling trees and crushing vehicles at the hospital.

There were more than 6,200 customers with Danville Utilities without electricity early Friday evening.

Officials said in a social media post that the outages were scattered.

"There is considerable tree damage in the Colquhoun Street and Paxton Street area," the post stated. "A main circuit is out of service in the Schoolfield area."

Over in Pittsylvania County  an area also serviced by Danville Utilities  there was a main circuit out that serves Ringgold.

"Crews are working to clean up the damage and restore service," officials wrote in the post.

A lot of the trees snapped utility poles, adding to more problems to restore power.

Due to the damage, Danville Utilities reported it likely would not be able to get the lights back on for everyone by Friday night.

"Our crews will work through the night to restore service to as many homes as possible," officials wrote in an update. "We have requested the assistance of available municipal utility crews from North Carolina to expedite restoration of service on Saturday."

The National Weather Service in Blacksburg placed Danville under a severe thunderstorm warning at about 3:15 p.m. That's when the storm over Westover Hills was moving southeast at about 40 mph.

It warned the storm could produce winds of up 60 mph and quarter-size hail.

The weather service reported the wind blew out a window at Sovah Health-Danville.

Corey Santoriello, a spokesperson for the hospital, confirmed the facility did suffer storm damage, but no patients or staff were impacted.

At the hospital on South Main Street, two cars parked in the parking lot were crushed by fallen trees during the storm.

Lori King's red 2002 Mustang GT was heavily damaged and beyond repair.

The Danville resident, who works in the hospital's Simpson Building at the back of the parking lot on the other side of South Main Street across from the emergency room entrance, said someone knocked on her window at work at around 3:30 p.m. and told her trees had fallen on two cars.

Though she was uninjured, she said of the loss of her beloved car, "My feelings are hurt."

She had driven the five-speed manual vehicle for 14 years and loved its road performance. The 21-year-old car had just 136,000 miles on it, she said.

"This is the only Mustang I've ever had," King said. "It's fun to drive."

She also has a Lincoln MKZ, which she said she will use from now on.

"It's a nice car, but it's a little old lady car," King said. "I'll probably just drive that one and cut my losses."

Officials in Blacksburg also reported multiple trees down in Danville, especially along the area of West Main Street and Ballou Park.

Danville Community College closed campus early because of a power outage.

The storm moved into Caswell County, North Carolina, also triggering a severe storm warning there.

The weather service also reported "Numerous trees have been reported down across southern Henry County including the Martinsville area."
Tableta realme Pad 2 a debutat oficial, cu ecran de 11.5 inch, CPU Helio G99

Realme e un nume pe care il asociem mai degraba cu telefoane cu pret accesibil, decat cu tablete, dar da, au si asa ceva in portofoliu. Inclusiv una capabila de gaming, pe langa modelul de baza Realme Pad sau Pad Mini . Acum apare un Realme Pad 2, [citeste mai departe]
A Prime Minister Modi fan in Maryland, USA, who flaunts an 'NMODI' car number plate, said the PM is an inspiration to him, and he is eagerly waiting to welcome him to the US.

"I took this plate back in 2016, November. Narendra Modi is an inspiration to me. He inspires me to do something good for the nation, for society, for the world. PM Modi is coming here so I'm eagerly waiting to welcome him," said Raghavendra. Meanwhile, ahead of PM Modi's visit to the US, the Indian Tricolour was seen outside the White House, in Washington, D.C. on Friday.

Also read: Paytm FASTag User Charged Rs 9 Crore For NHAI Toll On Haryana Highway



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An Indian national residing in New Jersey, Jesal Nar, said, "It's really an honour and pride to see the tricolour. I go across the United States for my work purpose carrying a tricolour."

#WATCH | A 'fan' of PM Narendra Modi flaunts "NMODI" car number plate in Maryland, USA pic.twitter.com/AO5WRwdGoa  ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2023

PM Modi is all set for his first state visit to the US next week. From June 20-24. PM Modi will address the Joint Sitting of the US Congress and will also meet a number of American politicians, prominent citizens as well as noted personalities from the diaspora.

Meanwhile, on the South Lawn of the White House, practice for the ceremonial welcome of PM Modi is underway. Children were seen practising for the Indian PM's welcome ceremony.

PM Modi is visiting the US at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. The visit will commence in New York where the Prime Minister will lead the celebrations of the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations Headquarters on June 21. Recently, US Congressman Buddy Carter said the country looks forward to hearing Prime Minister Narendra Modi address a joint session of the US Congress.

"US-India relationship is very important. We are looking forward to hearing PM Modi address the joint session. PM Modi has served the people well," said Carter on PM Modi's visit to the US.

US Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith on the PM's visit to the US said: "Next week, we will be honored to have him (PM Modi) address a joint meeting of the Congress underscoring the significance of the relationship between the US and India." Smith said the bond between US and India is not just an alliance, it is a strategic and global partnership.
Ever since the disintegration of Soviet Union in 1991, nuclear weapons are being deployed outside Russia for the first time. Kremlin officially declared that it is going to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus within next three weeks. While the deal between Russian and Belarus was signed in last week of May 2023, there are several questions yet to be answered. Firstly, it is s unclear as to how many nuclear weapons are being deployed now. Secondly, what type of delivery mechanism with what ranges is being incorporated with these weapons and thirdly, how potent these nukes are. Although Kremlin categorically mentioned that these are tactical nukes and hence will have a comparatively lower yield of less than 50 Kilotons and they will not be capable to wipe off cities but with these limited capabilities too, they are enough to inflict fear into the spine of any enemy.

Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko announced that the nukes are already on move from Russia and special storage facilities in Belarus are now ready to keep them. Russian move of deploying nukes has once again refreshed the memories of Cold War where the entire world was threatened by the irresponsible moves of United States and Soviet Union. In September last year, Dmitri Medvedev, the former president and deputy Chairman of Russia's security council further fueled up the issue by saying that Russia has the right to defend itself with nuclear weapons if it is pushed beyond limits and that is certainly not a bluff. With the physical movement of nukes into Belarus, we know now that it was not a bluff. However since there are four nuclear capable countries in the region namely US, UK, France and Russia, this move can start a rat race if things are not contained in time and bring back horrifying memories of cold war when there were more than 7300 nuclear weapons deployed in Europe alone threatening to wipe off the humanity.

While analyzing recent events, we must ponder on the fact that if the Russian move is an action or a reaction? Kremlin has categorically mentioned two things in the past. First is that it is not the first one to deploy nukes outside its country and second is that by doing this, it is not breaching any nuclear proliferation treaty. Russian authorities claimed that while Russia is doing so for the first time in last 32 years, United States has been keeping its nuclear weapons in Europe continuously since 1950. Even when cold war was over and erstwhile USSR de-inducted its nukes from other countries, United States did not do so despite signing the treaty. Even today, it is keeping an unknown stockpile of nuclear weapons at six major NATO bases in Europe namely Kleine-Brogel in Belgium, Buchel Air Base in Germany, Aviano and Ghedi Air Bases in Italy, Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands, and Incirlik in Turkey. While US never disclosed the exact number of weapons stored at these sites, it is estimated that this number could be well beyond 100. These warheads are stored in WS-3 underground weapon storage vaults and their Permissive Action Link (PAL) codes remain in American control. Russia says that it is doing exactly the same by constructing special weapon storage facilities in Belarus which will remain in Russian control and hence not caused any breach to any nuclear or missile proliferation treaty.

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With a yield ranging from 0.5 Kiloton to about 50 Kilotons these tactical nukes will have a comparatively reduced effect and are targeted for military use only. Russia gained massive expertise on these tactical nukes in last thirty years and currently has more than 2000 such tactical nukes which are more than any other country. Russia has already placed 10 Aircrafts capable and modified to carry nuclear weapons to Belarus in March this year. Not only this, but Russia has already transported a large number of Iskandar tactical missiles to Belarus which are not only capable to carry tactical nukes but with its 500Km limited range, can reach important NATO bases in Europe too. The motive is to send a clear message in the Europe especially NATO allies.

Belarus shares its border with three NATO allies namely Poland, Lithuania and Latvia and with nuclear weapons stationed in its territory, it now has the capability to strike most of the NATO allies in Europe. Europe is sandwiched between Russia and US and will suffer the most in case of an escalation. With the ongoing Ukraine Russia conflict too, it is the Europe which got the maximum brunt on both economic and military fronts. During the cold war days too, it suffered most and in the coming times too, it will have tough scenarios to face. It has been mentioned a number of times earlier too that in case of any more escalation, Europe will be the ultimate loser. So, in order to protect itself, the onus lies on Europe to make efforts towards de-escalation of the situation before it goes out of hand.
NEW DELHI: The BJP on Friday launched an all-out attack against the Congress following its remarks on renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, saying the party's inability to accept the fact that there are leaders beyond "one dynasty" is a classic example of "political indigestion". The ruling party also slammed the Congress, saying they are suffering from "Modiabind" -- blind opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This came after the Congress called the renaming the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society (NMML) here as the Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society a "petty act" while asserting that legacies do not get erased by renaming buildings.

Reacting to the development, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said this shows the "low mentality and dictatorial attitude" of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as they can never reduce the huge contribution of Nehru, whom he described as the architect of modern India. "Those who do not have any history, they have gone to erase the history of others. The ill-fated attempt to change the name of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library cannot belittle the personality of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the architect of modern India and fearless guardian of democracy," Kharge said in a tweet in Hindi.

"This only shows the low mentality and dictatorial attitude of BJP-RSS. The petty-thinking of the (Narendra) Modi government cannot reduce the huge contribution of 'Hind ke Jawahar' towards India," he said. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Pettiness and vengeance, thy name is Modi. For over 59 years Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) has been a global intellectual landmark and treasure house of books and archives. It will henceforth be called Prime Ministers Museum and Society."



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"What won't Mr. Modi do to distort, disparage and destroy the name and legacy of the architect of the Indian nation-state. A small, small man overburdened by his insecurities is the self-styled Vishwaguru," he said. Hitting back in a series of tweets, BJP president J P Nadda said, "Classic example of political indigestion -- the inability to accept a simple fact that there are leaders beyond one dynasty who have served and built our nation."

Every prime minister has been given respect in the prime ministers' museum and the section relating to the first prime minister Nehru has not been altered, he said. The prime ministers' museum is an effort "beyond politics", Nadda asserted and alleged that the Congress lacks "the vision to realise this".

The NMML has been renamed nearly a year after the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya was inaugurated on the premises of the Teen Murti Bhavan. "In the PM Sangrahalaya, every PM has got respect. Section relating to Pandit Nehru hasn't been altered. On the contrary, it's prestige has been enhanced," Nadda said.

The Congress' approach to the issue is "ironical" considering the party's "only contribution is to erase the legacies of all previous PMs to ensure that only the legacy of one family survives", he charged. "For a party which ruled India for over 50 years, their pettiness is really tragic. It's also the reason people are rejecting them," Nadda said.

BJP national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sudhanshu Trivedi said the Congress is leveling allegations even though its leaders have not yet visited the museum to see how contributions and achievements of Nehru and those of his successors have been showcased in a much better way with use of technology.

He said the museum showcases the contributions and achievements of all the former prime ministers including Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao, Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh of the Congress. "I am deliberately taking the name of their own prime ministers. I can understand if they have some bitterness with Narasimha Rao. But, I want to know what is their problem with the achievements of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Manmohan Singh whose terms as prime minister have been showcased in an organised manner," Trivedi said.

"In their opposition to Prime Minister Modi, they are suffering from 'Modiabind'. They do not hesitate to even insult their own leaders," he charged. Trivedi reminded the Congress how the Modi government celebrated the 125th birth anniversary of Nehru in 2014 after the NDA came to power at the Centre. "I am surprised and a bit perturbed also (with the Congress' reaction in the matter)," he said and asked, "How many Congress leaders have gone there to see the Nehru Memorial."

He said the memorial of India's first prime minister at Teen Murti Bhavan was not in a very good condition. "It was gathering dust... The portion of Nehru ji's memorial has been reorganised in a much better way and it showcases his contributions and achievements with the use of advanced technology," the BJP leader added. In a series of tweets, former prime minister Chandra Shekhar's son and BJP's Rajya Sabha member Neeraj Shekhar said every prime minister, irrespective of party lines, has "got dignity and respect" with their contribution being highlighted in the PM museum.

This shows Modi's "statesmanship", he said. "Forget honouring prime ministers, Congress and their royal dynasty have insulted the prime ministers who do not belong to their dynasty. The treatment towards Narasimha Rao Ji will go down as one of the most shameful chapters of our political history," Shekhar charged. "My father, former PM Chandra Shekhar Ji always worked for national interest. He even worked with Congress but they never looked beyond one dynasty. Now, when PM Modi honoured prime ministers across party lines, Congress is getting agitated," he said, dubbing it as "horrible attitude" of the Congress.

Reacting to Kharge's remark, BJP's IT department head Amit Malaviya asked if Nehru's legacy is "so feeble" that it can't stand alongside other prime ministers, who have also served the country with "great commitment". "Or, is the Congress wary of Nehru's aura dissipating because it was built by erasing contributions of other leaders, several of them from the Congress?" he said in a tweet, adding, "The Congress must stop belittling the likes of Lal Bahadur Shashtri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose contributions are no less."

The culture ministry on Friday said in a special meeting of the NMML, it was resolved to change its name to Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society. The meeting was presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is the vice president of the society, it said.
IMPHAL: Former Army Chief Ved Prakash Malik said on Friday that the law and order situation in Manipur needs "urgent attention at highest level". Gen Malik (retd), refferring to a tweet by Lt Gen L. Nishikanta Singh (retd), tweeted: "An extraordinarily sad call from a retired Lt Gen from Manipur. Law & order situation in Manipur needs urgent attention at the highest level."

Gen Malik, who served as the 19th Chief of Army Staff from September 30, 1997 to September 30, 2000, tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah in his tweet.

Earlier, Lt Gen Singh (retd) tweeted: "I`m just an ordinary Indian from Manipur living a retired life. The state is now `stateless`. Life and property can be destroyed anytime by anyone just like in Libya, Lebanon, Nigeria, Syria, etc. It appears Manipur has been left to stew in its own juice. Is anyone listening ?"



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Referring to the tweet of Lt Gen Singh (retd), former Union Minister and Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted: "The PM is certainly not. He has time for all other things except reaching out to the distressed people of Manipur in thought, word and deed."

The devastating ethnic violence, which so far killed over 120 people and injured more than 400, began in Manipur on May 3 after a `Tribal Solidarity March` was organised by a tribal student body in the hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community`s Scheduled Tribe (ST) status demand.
Last year, eight IPS officers in Uttar Pradesh were transferred and promoted, including Amitabh Yash. Yash, who had previously held the position of IG, was appointed as the Chief of STF (Special Task Force). Today, he is renowned for his bravery and courageous acts in the line of duty. Recently, Uttar Pradesh Police encountered one of the seven culprits involved in the Umesh Pal murder case in Prayagraj. Amitabh Yash, as the ADG of STF, played a crucial role in this operation. With this accomplishment, his name once again resurfaced in discussions.

A Legacy of Fearlessness

Amitabh Yash, known for instilling fear in criminals, has had a close association with law enforcement since childhood. His father, Ram Yash, also served in the police force. Born in Bihar's Bhojpur district, Amitabh completed his education in Patna. He pursued his graduation at St. Stephen's College in Delhi and earned a master's degree in chemistry from IIT Kanpur. In 1996, he became an IPS officer of the UP cadre.



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Leading the Charge Against Crime

Amitabh Yash, as the head of the Special Task Force (STF), has successfully managed to curb the activities of ruthless criminals. Media reports frequently highlight his daring exploits, emphasizing his unique style of policing that sets him apart from others. He fearlessly takes charge and confronts criminals head-on. Those who dare to cross paths with Amitabh often meet their demise or end up behind bars.

Noteworthy Encounters

Amitabh Yash's encounters with criminals have been numerous, some of which include:

Elimination of Vikas Dubey and his gang members

Safeguarding Chambal Ghati by neutralizing the Nirbhay gang

Encountering members of the Daddua gang

Famous encounter with mastermind Vikas Dubey during the Bikru incident

A Formidable Tally

According to media reports, Amitabh Yash's encounter record exceeds 150 incidents. Criminals who cross paths with him often choose death over surrender. From 2017 to February 27, 2023, more than 50 criminals met their fate under Amitabh Yash's guidance.

Upholding Justice and Inspiring Change

Amitabh Yash's relentless pursuit of justice and unwavering commitment to his duty have left an indelible mark on law enforcement in Uttar Pradesh. His fearlessness has inspired a new generation of police officers to take bold action against crime, ensuring a safer society for all.
New Delhi: Political slugfest erupted in West Bengal as the State Election Commission and the state government, on Saturday, approached the Supreme Court against Calcutta High Court`s order for deployment of central armed forces throughout the state for the forthcoming panchayat elections. Approaching the apex court in this matter is a U-turn from the SEC`s earlier stand of abiding by the order of the Calcutta High Court. Late Thursday evening only, SEC Rajiva Sinha had said that he will abide by the Calcutta High Court`s order.



Reacting to the development, the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said that move by the state government and the SEC was planned well in advance and hence he too had filed a caveat at the apex court soon after the Calcutta High Court passed its order.



The state Congress president in West Bengal and veteran party Lok Sabha member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said probably on Thursday Rajiva Sinha had said that he will abide by the order of the Calcutta High Court because no clear instruction from the chief minister`s office came to him by then.

Also Read: Death Toll In West Bengal Panchayat Poll Violence Rises To Five



"Now with the instructions coming, he has taken a U-turn. The Calcutta High Court`s order has accepted the arguments of the opposition parties and hence the state government and SEC are approaching the apex court to stall deployment of armed forces," Chowdhury said.



Like Adhikari, Congress Lok Sabha member from Malda (South) Abu Hasem Chowdhury had filed a caveat at the Supreme Court on the same matter.



CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said that the office of the state election commissioner is just "acting as an extended arm of the state secretariat".

Also Read: BJP Leader Compares Bengal Violence With 'Russia-Ukraine War,' Warns Of Bloodbath



"Instead of taking independent decisions, Rajiva Sinha is acting as per the whims of the state government and the ruling party," he said.



Till the time the report was filed, there was no official version from Trinamool Congress. However, a senior member of the state cabinet said on condition of anonymity, that as per norms, the SEC should work in coordination with the state government with the latter updating the commission of the available security system.



"In this case, the Calcutta High Court gave direct instruction to the SEC to deploy central forces bypassing the state government. Probably that is why the commission and the state government have approached the Supreme Court," he said.



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New Delhi: The sangeet ceremony of Sunny Deol's son Karan Deol and Drisha Acharya was held at Mumbai's Taj Lands End on Friday (June 16) and the Deols assembled together under one roof to celebrate the occasion. Veteran actor Dharmendra Deol can't keep calm as his grandson Karan was getting married and he made sure to make the event special with his dance. The veteran actor was seen shaking legs with the groom-to-be on the occasion.

DHARMENDRA GROOVES AT GRANDSON'S SANGEET CEREMONY

Several images and videos inside the venue surfaced online. In one of the clips, the proud grandfather Dharmendra is seen grooving with Karan on 'Yamla Pagla Deewana'. Isn't it the cutest thing on the internet? Dharmendra can be seen dressed in a beige-coloured suit teamed up with striped tie. He posed for the paps.

Also Read: Anusha Dandekar Flaunts Toned Body In Bikini, Takes Internet By Storm With Sizzling Video

SUNNY DEOL DONS GADAR'S TARA SINGH'S LOOK AT ENGAGEMENT

Also Read: Sanjeeda Shaikh Stuns In Printed Bikini, Shares Photos With Daughter From Pool

Groom's father Sunny Deol arrived at the function donning his character Tara Singh's look from his iconic film 'Gadar'. He wore a grey kurta, patiala salwaar, brown blazer, and black shoes. He completed his ethnic look with a light brown turban.

Also Read: Man Thrashed Brutally On Camera By Prabhas Fans For Criticising Adipurush, Watch Viral Video

BOBBY DEOL, WIFE TANYA SERVE COUPLE GOALS

Bobby Deol and his wife Tanya stole the attention at Karan Deol's sangeet ceremony. The couple arrived hand-in-hand at the venue and looked adorable in ethnic outfits. The duo also gave a special performance at the sangeet ceremony. A video from the pre-wedding function went viral on the internet.

Sunny's cousin Abhay Deol also marked his presence at the function.

Karan and his fiance Drisha Acharya's wedding festivities began with a roka ceremony on Monday night and videos and pictures from the festivities are trending. The wedding festivities began with a roka ceremony on Monday night and videos and pictures from the festivities are trending.

A video of Sunny Deol dancing to the song Morni Banke from the 2018 film 'Badhaai Ho' is everywhere on social media. Brothers Sunny, Bobby and cousin Abhay Deol also posed together at the roka ceremony.

Karan and Drisha are all set to tie the knot on June 18. They have been in a relationship for a long time now.
New Delhi: In an incredible turn of events, Lucky Singh, the popular Instagram Fashion and Travel influencer, recently had the amazing opportunity to meet two music superstars, Badshah and Dino James, in Phuket, Thailand.

Lucky Singh, who has 1.2 million followers on Instagram, is well-known for his fascinating travel guide and reels, covering topics like fashion, lifestyle, automobiles, and, of course, traveling. Today Lucky Singh is a name that people know more as an Instagram Influencer, but now he is set to finally make a Bollywood debut.

Lucky Singh is also a Fashion Influencer, who introduces new fantastic styles and looks to his audience. But this time, he had an extraordinary experience in Phuket where he met none other than Badshah and Dino James. Lucky Singh's magnetic personality blended effortlessly with the immense talent of Badshah and Dino James, creating an atmosphere of excitement that spread throughout the entire island.



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Badshah, a trailblazer in the Indian music industry, has left an everlasting impression with his chart-topping hits. Known for his energetic performances and catchy beats, he has gained a massive fan base worldwide.

Lucky Singh's lucky meeting with this musical genius promises a thrilling collaboration that will surely captivate the fans of both artists.

Dino James, another musical maestro, has touched hearts with his soulful lyrics and heartfelt storytelling. His unique fusion of rap and melody has garnered him a dedicated following.
Crews from North Carolina helped Danville Utilities on Saturday bring the lights back on after Fridays ferocious storm snapped trees and power lines leaving 6,200 customers in the dark at the height of the outage.

The fierce winds also damaged homes and at least three vehicles.

By Saturday morning, Danville Utilities estimated that about only 500 customers were still without service, despite the online outage page reporting nearly 10 times that.

All of the main circuits were brought back in service by about 10 p.m. Friday. One circuit disruption occurred in the Schoolfield area and another was out in Ringgold.

With at least 16 broken utility poles  coupled with maneuvering around the extensive damage  it was a slow go to restore electricity for those still powerless.

However, multiple crews from North Carolina helped Danville workers with the hopes of replacing the poles Saturday.

Officials expected to have power restored for most  if not all  customers by Saturday.

The area of West Main Street in Danville was particularly hard hit. Limbs littered the landscape and some streets were completely blocked by fallen trees.

Some homes were damaged, including one at the intersection of Virginia Avenue and Avondale Drive. There a huge tree slammed into the back of a a home, dislodging bricks on the outside and crushing the roof area.

About two blocks over on Watson Street, parts of a tree landed on another home, poking holes in the roof.

The storm seemed to appear out of the blue, unleashing powerful winds, hail and rain before quickly moving out. Sunshine returned in only a matter of minutes as residents ventured outside to inspect the damage.

The National Weather Service in Blacksburg placed Danville under a severe thunderstorm warning at about 3:15 p.m. Thats when the storm over Westover Hills was moving southeast at about 40 mph.

It warned the storm could produce winds of up to 60 mph and quarter-size hail.

The weather service reported the wind blew out a window at Sovah Health-Danville.

Corey Santoriello, a spokesperson for the hospital, confirmed the facility did suffer storm damage, but no patients or staff were impacted.

At the hospital on South Main Street, two cars parked in the parking lot were crushed by fallen trees during the storm.

Lori Kings red 2002 Mustang GT was heavily damaged and beyond repair.

The Danville resident, who works in the hospitals Simpson Building at the back of the parking lot on the other side of South Main Street across from the emergency room entrance, said someone knocked on her window at work at around 3:30 p.m. and told her trees had fallen on two cars.

Though she was uninjured, she said of the loss of her beloved car, My feelings are hurt.

She had driven the five-speed manual vehicle for 14 years and loved its road performance. The 21-year-old car had just 136,000 miles on it, she said.

This is the only Mustang Ive ever had, King said. Its fun to drive.

She also has a Lincoln MKZ, which she said she will use from now on.

Its a nice car, but its a little old lady car, King said. Ill probably just drive that one and cut my losses.

Another vehicle was a causality to a falling tree near Watson Street.
New Delhi: Researchers have observed a surge of malware written for the Android platform that is attempting to impersonate the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT application to target smartphone users, a new report showed on Friday.





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According to researchers from Palo Alto Networks Unit 42, these malware variants emerged along with the release by OpenAI of GPT-3.5, followed by GPT-4, infecting victims interested in using the ChatGPT tool.Researchers have found two types of active malware -- one is a Meterpreter Trojan disguised as a "SuperGPT" app, and the other is a "ChatGPT" app that sends messages to premium-rate numbers in Thailand.Moreover, the report mentioned that the researchers uncovered a malicious Android Package Kit (APK) sample, which turned out to be a Trojanised version of a legitimate application.The legitimate application is an AI assistant built on the most recent version of ChatGPT. If exploitation is successful, the malicious version of this application allows the actor to gain remote access to an Android device.Another cluster of APK malware samples was also discovered by the researchers. On the surface, the malware appears to be displaying a webpage with a description of ChatGPT. However, this threat hides a sinister intent beneath it, according to the report.In addition, all of these APK samples use the OpenAI logo, which is frequently associated with ChatGPT, as their application icon, adding to the deceptive narrative that this application is associated with the ChatGPT AI tool.These APK malware samples are capable of sending SMS messages to premium-rate numbers in Thailand. Premium-rate numbers cost more than regular phone numbers and are used in exchange for some sort of service (e.g., users providing information).The business behind it collects the earnings, but this can also be abused to conduct scams and fraudulent activity, the report said.
New Delhi: Google Domains business is "winding down following a transition period," with Squarespace, a design-driven platform helping entrepreneurs build brands and businesses online, taking over the business and assets.





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Squarespace announced on Thursday that it "entered into a definitive asset purchase agreement with Google, whereby Squarespace will acquire the assets associated with the Google Domains business".This purchase includes "approximately 10 million domains hosted on Google Domains spread across millions of customers". The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the third quarter of 2023.While the majority of the benefits of this transaction will be realised in 2024 and beyond, Squarespace believes it will be significantly accretive to its business in terms of revenue and free cash flow over time."In keeping with our efforts to sharpen our focus, we have entered into a definitive agreement with Squarespace for the acquisition of customer accounts of the Google Domains registrar business," Matt Madrigal, Vice President and General Manager, Merchant Shopping of Google, said in a statement.Moreover, Google on its support page mentioned that the domain name registration and DNS delegation users will not be affected by the migration to Squarespace. Once they are a Squarespace customer, they will be able to manage additional services (as available) through their management console.
New Delhi: Alphabet's Google on Friday sued a Los Angeles man and his companies in San Jose, California federal court, claiming he created hundreds of fake business listings on its platforms and sold them to real businesses to lure in unsuspecting customers.

Fake reviews have been a recurring problem on internet commerce sites. Google said in a statement that it filed the lawsuit against Ethan QiQi Hu to "help put an end to these types of malicious schemes." (Also Read: Father-Mother Never Went To College, Now Son Runs Multi-Million Dollar Company: Read All About Zoho Founder Sridhar Vembu)

Hu did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Also Read: 10 Countries With Highest Egg Production - Check)



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Google's lawsuit said Hu creates sham businesses that appear in its search engine and Google Maps, using an "elaborate set of props" to verify them on video calls with the tech giant's agents.

The lawsuit said Hu keeps a tool bench as a prop to verify fraudulent listings for garage repair, tree cutting and plumbing, and essential oils for verifying fake aromatherapy and reiki therapy businesses.

Google said Hu buys thousands of fake positive reviews to make the businesses appear legitimate. He then allegedly sells the profiles as "leads" to real businesses in the same fields, which receive contacts from potential customers who reach out to the fake businesses.

Google said Hu created more than 350 false profiles bolstered by over 14,000 illegitimate reviews.

The lawsuit accused Hu of false advertising, unlawful business practices and violating Google's terms of service. Google asked the court for an unspecified amount of money damages and an order to block Hu's alleged misconduct.
Mumbai: Superstar Salman Khan's hosting mode is on. The 'Dabangg' star on Friday arrived at the sets of 'Bigg Boss OTT 2' for the reality show's opening ceremony. Taking to Instagram, the Bhaijaan dropped a picture from the sets. In the image, Salman is looking dapper in a cool t-shirt that he paired with a blue jacket and blue denims. The jacket has a silver touch to it. #BiggBossOTT2 @officialjiocinema," he captioned the post.

Earlier in the day, Salman briefly interacted with the media and shared what he has in store for his fans with the upcoming season of the controversial reality show.

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Interestingly, Salman's hosting stint on OTT comes a few months after he voiced his view at a recent event that OTT content should be subjected to examination, with the elimination of any content featuring vulgarity or nudity, and he emphasized the requirement for meticulous monitoring of such material.

Also Read: Salman Khan Makes Grand Entry On Double-Decker Bus Ahead Of Bigg Boss OTT 2 Premiere

At the press meeting of Bigg Boss OTT 2, Salman expressed similar sentiments."Main OTT pe bhi kuch aisa nahin hone dunga jo culture ke khilaaf hai (I won't let anyone do something that is against our culture).... I think guidelines have also been implemented on OTT which led to the content's improvement," he said.

Also Read: Dharmendra Shakes Leg At Grandson Karan Deol's Sangeet, Sunny Deol Dons Gadar's Tara Singh Look

Meanwhile, on the film front, Salman will be seen reprising his role in Maneesh Sharma's directed Tiger 3, alongside Katrina Kaif and Emraan Hashmi. The film will be released on Diwali, in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
New Delhi: Kriti Sanon is winning the hearts of the audience and critics alike for her portrayal of Sita in Adipurush. An exquisite blend of beauty, femininity, innocence, purity, poise, and strength, she is the perfect choice for Janaki. The actor is being lauded for her nuanced performance that portrayed Janaki beautifully.

Recently, the actress took to her social media to share her favorite scene from Adipurush and how the live audiences at the theatres are reacting to it. On the video, she wrote, "Jai Siya Raam! That reaction, One of my favourite scene...! "





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With Adipurush, Kriti, has not only once again proven her acting credentials but also catapulted herself to the big league of actors. For the actor who has proved her range with her powerful and nuanced acts in movies as diverse as Mimi, Bhediya, Panipat, Luka Chuppi, and Bareilly Ki Barfi, it is a fresh feather on the cap.

Up next, she will be next seen in 'Ganapath Part 1' opposite Tiger Shroff. She also has 'The Crew' and untitled next with Shahid Kapoor in the pipeline.
More than a month has passed but Manipur is far from being stable. Despite forces being deployed and several high-level meetings by Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah, the clashes only stopped for a brief period but then there have been sporadic incidences of violence. In a fresh incidence of clashes, two civilians were injured as mobs clashed with security forces overnight in Imphal town and attempts were made to torch the houses of BJP leaders. Days before, Union Minister RK Ranjan Singh's house was torched. Army, Assam Rifles and Manipur Rapid Action Force have been deployed in the state to halt rioters from congregating. More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in Manipur that broke out a month ago. The state government has imposed a curfew on 11 districts and banned internet services in a bid to stop the spread of rumours in the state.

Meitei and Kuki Community

Meiteis community account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and lives mostly in the Imphal Valley. On the other hand, tribals - Nagas and Kukis - constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts. Clashes first broke out on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

How Did The Clashes Begin?

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On May 3, members of the Kuki and Naga tribes launched a protest against the possible extension of their benefits to the dominant Meiteis. For over a decade, the Meitei community has been advocating for special privileges, and their cause received a boost last month when the Manipur High Court recommended that the government consider their demands and set a deadline of mid-May. As Meiteis constitute half of Manipur's population, granting them quotas would provide them with educational and employment opportunities currently reserved for Kukis and Nagas. Traditionally, Meiteis have resided in the more prosperous valley region of Manipur, which accounts for 10% of the state's area. This has granted them better access to employment and economic prospects. On the other hand, Nagas and Kukis inhabit underdeveloped hills. The developmental disparity that favours the valley over the hills has been a source of contention and rivalry between these ethnic groups.

What Triggered The Clashes?

Until recently, the different groups in Manipur coexisted harmoniously, but recent events have exposed old tensions. The border between Manipur and Myanmar stretches for nearly 400 kilometres, and the coup in Myanmar during 2021 resulted in a large influx of refugees into Manipur. The Kukis, who share ethnic ties with Myanmar's Chin tribe, caused concern among the Meiteis that they would be outnumbered by the arrival of these refugees. In a separate incident, the state government initiated a campaign in February to remove tribal communities from forested areas in the hills, claiming that they had encroached upon government land. This led to anger and frustration among the tribal people, who felt they were being forcibly displaced from their homes. This worked as a spark and the quota row added fuel to the fire leading to violence.
JUNAGADH: One person died apparently after being hit by a stone, while at least five police personnel were injured in Gujarat's Junagadh city after a group of people hurled stones and torched a vehicle to oppose the civic body's plan to raze a dargah to clear "encroachment", officials said on Saturday. The incident occurred on Friday night near Majevadi Darwaja in the city, during which the police lobbed tear gas shells and baton-charged the protesters to control the situation, and later rounded up 174 people, they said. The exact reason behind the civilian's death would be known after the post-mortem, but the police suspect that he died after being hit by a stone hurled by the mob.

"On June 14, the Junagadh Municipal Corporation issued a notice to a mosque near Majevadi Darwaja to produce documents regarding the ownership of land. Agitated over the notice, around 500-600 people gathered near the religious structure and blocked roads on Friday night," Superintendent of Police Ravi Teja Vasamsetty said.

Deputy SP of Junagadh and other staff, who were present at the site, tried to convince them. After nearly an hour-long deliberations aimed at finding a peaceful resolution of the matter and clearing the protesters' road blockade, some stones were thrown at the police staff around 10.15 pm, he said. Shouting slogans, some people, agitated over the notice to the dargah, charged towards the police personnel and tried to attack them, he added. Police lobbed tear gas shells and baton-charged to disperse the unruly crowd.



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Junagadh DySP, three sub-inspectors and two other police personnel were injured in the incident, but all of them are out of danger, he said, adding that a mob also set a vehicle on fire. "A civilian died and it appears that stone-pelting was the cause of his death. But we are waiting for a post-mortem report to know the exact cause. Police teams rounded up 174 people in a combing operation," Vasamsetty said. Police personnel are deployed in the area to avoid any further untoward incident and efforts to nab all those involved in the clash are being taken, he said.
Swati Meena, an IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh, is making headlines for her courageous battle against the mining mafia. She is among the many inspiring women in India who have become role models for everyone. Each year, amidst the thousands of candidates appearing for the UPSC examination, numerous young girls fulfill their dreams. Swati Meena, an upcoming officer, proves her mettle through hard work and surprises people with her work style. She belongs to the league of talented women officers, hailing from Rajasthan.

Swati Meena's journey as an IAS officer began with her successful completion of the UPSC examination. Her achievements have brought recognition to her parents and her village. Born in 1984 in the village of Burja in the Shrimadhopur Tehsil of Sikar district, Rajasthan, Swati's father is an RAS officer, while her mother used to run a petrol pump.

Swati started her early education in Ajmer, where her mother aspired for her to become a doctor. Swati decided to make her mother's wish her goal. However, when she was in the 8th grade, one of her maternal aunts became an officer. Witnessing the joy on her father's face upon her aunt's success, Swati determined that she, too, would prepare for the UPSC examination and become an officer for her father.



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Swati Meena completed her education and continued her preparation for the UPSC examination. Her father supported her throughout her studies, while her mother managed the petrol pump. From written exams to interviews, her father guided her every step of the way. Swati had set her goal since childhood, and at the age of just 22, she passed the UPSC examination. In 2007, she secured the 260th rank nationwide and became the youngest IAS officer in her batch.

After her selection, Swati Meena was allotted the Madhya Pradesh cadre. Later, she was posted in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh. During her tenure as the District Collector of Mandla, Swati took strict action against the mining mafia after receiving numerous complaints from various departments. Her resolute actions taught a lesson to the mining mafia.

Swati Meena got married on May 25, 2014. Her husband, Tejasvi Nayak, is also an IAS officer. Tejasvi Nayak, an IAS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, originally hails from Karnataka. While Swati was posted in Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh, at the beginning of her career, Tejasvi was posted in Katni. It was during this time that they met and became good friends. Eventually, their friendship blossomed into a marriage.

Swati Meena's journey is a testament to the fact that women are second to none. Her dedication and commitment to her work have not only brought pride to her family but have also made her a symbol of empowerment for women across the country. As she continues to take on challenges and fight against injustice, Swati Meena inspires others with her determination and unwavering spirit.
KOTA: A 21-year-old medical education aspirant from Bihar allegedly committed suicide here after failing to get desired marks in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) in two successive attempts, officials said on Saturday. Roshan (21), a resident of Samastipur district, was found dead Thursday evening by his brother Suman who also prepares for competitive exams in Kota but resides separately, they said.

Police said no suicide note has been recovered from Roshan's room in Mahaveer Nagar Police station area, but they believe he hanged himself from the ceiling fan apparently because he failed to qualify NEET-UG with good marks even at his second attempt. The NEET results were announced earlier this week.

Roshan and his brother Suman had been preparing for the entrance exam and living at separate locations in Mahaveer Nagar area, circle officer of the area DSP Harshraj Singh told. Roshan had gone to his uncles' place in Delhi and returned to Kota on Thursday morning after which he spoke to his mother, Singh said.

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Also Read: NEET-UG 2023: 19-Year-Old Maharashtra Student Ends Life Over 'Low' Marks

Later in the day, when his parents called, Roshan did not respond after which they asked Suman to go to his PG and check. When Suman reached there, he found his brother's body hanging from the ceiling fan in his room on the 3rd floor of the building, the CO said.

He was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead, the officer added. Roshan had been preparing for the NEET?UG for two years in Kota, and he scored 400 marks out of 720 in this edition of the NEET-UG, the officer said.

Police said they have lodged a case under section 174 of CrPC (enquire and report on suicide) to probe the incident. They said his family reached Kota Friday afternoon and the body was handed over to them after postmortem. This is the 12th case student suicide in Kota in the past six months. At least 15 students took to the extreme step in 2022.
It is indeed surreal to know and learn about all those individuals who make sure to follow the path of their dreams instead of only imitating the paths already trodden by other established names across industries of the world. These individuals are known throughout their journeys for the many courageous decisions they take in their lifetimes, only to eventually reach their desired success. Ace multiple business owner, and the head honcho of COGEF, Rizwan Adatia, emerged as one such incredible example of rags to riches story via his hardwork.

Rizwan Adatia, who belonged to a humble background, hailed from a family of nine members in Porbandar, Gujarat. Adatia learned from his self-employed father, Nuruddinbhai Babubhai Singwada (a groundnut seller) and his homemaker mother, the value of hard work, honesty, integrity and trust. He saw how his father worked day in and day out to provide for his family and still save some money. Every sibling made sure to support the family in some way, such were the values they were ingested with since the beginning, and thats what Rizwan learned from them as one of the youngest of all.

Help From Brother

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One of his brothers Ashique bhai, known for his sharp and intelligent mind, would support him often to fulfil his dreams. Rizwan, on the other hand, would always dream of becoming a self-sufficient and successful business owner.

Started career at a local grocery store

To fulfil the same, at a very young age, he began supporting a local grocery store owner while completing his studies. Working at the store, he gained several valuable experiences in the trade and developed his skillset for the same. He recalls how after a few years, it was Ashique bhai who encouraged him to move with him to Africa to learn the tricks of the trade and step foot in the world of business.

Went to Africa in 1986

It was August 1986 when Rizwan decided to take his first flight from Porbandar to Mumbai and then to Kinshasa, Africa, for a new beginning of his career and life. Since then, this self-driven, tenacious individual has never looked back.

Rizwan Adatia, after facing tons of struggles and challenges, with a positive outlook and attitude, always focused on coming up with solutions to every challenge he faced in his journey. This propelled him to become an influential leader and a powerful business magnate across Africa. Today, he is not just known for his highly successful businesses but, most importantly, for his compassion and empathy, which have helped him to bring to reality his dream in the form of his NGO, the RAF Global.

Chairman, COGEF Group

Today, as the Chairman of COGEF, Rizwan Adatia has expanded enormously with over 25 supermarkets in Mozambique, 105 shops, five factories, 38 warehouses, and offices in 8 Asian and African countries, with more than 3,500 employees (data as of 2019). He wants to help 10 million people by 2030 through his NGO. So far, they have positively impacted the lives of over 1 million.

Starting from Porbandar as a youngster with eyes full of dreams to landing in Africa, facing challenges, overcoming them all and becoming the Chairman of one of the largest and most talked-about private consumer goods groups, Rizwan Adatia, indeed, has come a long way.
New Delhi: The BJP on Saturday slammed the Tamil Nadu government over the arrest of its Tamil Nadu leader S G Suryah, alleging that Chief Minister M K Stalin has taken "revenge" for the arrest of his Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. Suryah was arrested by the police in Chennai late on Friday under sections of the IPC and the IT Act. Police sources said the action was based on a CPI(M) complaint against a social media post by the BJP state secretary.

Reacting to the arrest, BJP national spokesperson Tom Vaddakan told a press conference at the party headquarters here, "I call it a vendetta arrest. The chief minister has said in a statement after the arrest of Balaji that he will take revenge."

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested Balaji under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in an alleged cash-for-jobs scam in the state transport department when he was the transport minister in the AIADMK government during 2011-15. He later joined the Stalin-led DMK.



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Also Read: On Tamil Nadu CM Stalin's Warning, BJP Takes 'Platform Speaker' Dig

Vaddakan said the action has been taken against Suryah for his tweet about the death of a sanitation worker in Tamil Nadu, while Balaji was arrested "for his involvement in cash-for-jobs scam".

On the minister's arrest, the BJP spokesperson said, "This is not the case that we brought about. It was a case in which Chief Minister Stalin himself wanted Balaji to be arrested for corruption when he was in the opposition."

With Suryah's arrest, a message has been sent out that "if you raise any issue, then Stalin will strike," he charged. Vaddakan alleged that the Tamil Nadu Police has arrested Suryah for his tweet in a retaliatory action because Stalin is "worried that Senthil will expose him".

Also Read: What Is Tamil Nadu's Cash For Job Case? Who Is Senthil Balaji?

"Today, when Senthil is a minister in the DMK government, he has connection with the chief minister and a lot of expose is going to happen," the BJP spokesperson claimed.

"That is why he (Stalin) rushed to the hospital to meet the minister (Senthil).... He is worried that Senthil will expose him," he alleged.

"And worried he should be because his acts of omissions and commissions that he has committed jointly will take him to the place where he deserves to be," the BJP spokesperson said, adding, "this is a message to the Tamil Nadu chief minister that he should concentrate on governance".
Gal Gadot-starrer Heart of Stone has been making headlines for a long time as this project will mark the Hollywood debut of Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt. Currently, the entire team of Heart of Stone is in Sao Paulo to attend the Netflix Tudum 2023 event. The trio of Gal Gadot, Alia Bhatt and Jamie Dornan was seen having an amazing time together. In the latest post, Gal Gadot shared a video in which we can see her and her Heart of Stone co-stars Alia and Jamie Dornan having a gala time promoting their upcoming film as well as attending Netflix Tudum 2023. Oi Brasil! Thank for the warm welcome for #HeartofStone on our first day at #Tudum. See you tomorrow! #HeartofStone @netflix, the post read.

Gal Gadot fans can't keep calm

BRAZIL LOVES YOU, one fan commented. Another wrote, The most beautiful woman in the world.

The fans showered love on the actress and dropped comments on the post, making it go viral.

About Netflix Tudum 2023

Netflix Tudum 2023 is being held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, from June 16 to 18. The event will feature 100 Netflix stars and offer never-seen-before content from more than 45 series, films, and games.

About Heart of Stone

Tom Harper-directed Heart of Stone will be releasing on August 11 this year. The star cast is headlined by Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan and Alia Bhatt, who will be making her Hollywood debut with this film.
The Central Railway on Friday said 13 state-of-the-art nursing pods will be set up at seven major railway stations in its Mumbai division to create a comfortable space for breastfeeding women during their travel.

The Central Railway, in a release, said the nursing pods will be set up at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), Dadar, Thane, Kalyan, Panvel, and Lonavala stations.

Also read: Cyclone Biparjoy: 180 Train Services Affected In Western Railway Zone



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The nursing pods will have comfortable cushioned seating, a dedicated diaper changing station, a fan for ventilation, a light, and a dustbin for the hygienic disposal of soiled diapers, it said.

Citing that the lack of amenities for expecting and breastfeeding mothers only exacerbates their challenges, the Central Railway said each nursing pod will offer a range of amenities designed to enhance the breastfeeding experience for mothers and their babies.

A licenced service provider will be responsible for maintaining the nursing pods, and advertisements will be displayed on the walls of the pods to make them "economically sustainable," the railway release stated.

A nursing pod each will be set up at CSMT, Kalyan, and Panvel stations, while two each will be placed at Thane and Lonavala stations and three each at Dadar station and LTT, it stated. It said the pods will be set up under the National Initiative for Feeding and Resting Infrastructure for Stations (NINFRIS) policy.

"This strategic distribution aims to cater to the needs of breastfeeding women across the Mumbai division, which witnesses approximately 35 lakh daily commuters, with around 20 percent being women," the release stated.
In the past few years, online news has seen a rise in popularity across the country, with many joining in the line to launch their own portals or websites. While certain websites have proven to be highly lucrative and have garnered a substantial readership, several small and medium-scale news publishers continue to face challenges in establishing a strong presence among the wider audience in India. To address this concern, Google has launched a program to support local language publishers by providing training and funding opportunities to improve their operations and expand their outreach.

The program has been launched under the Google News Initiative (GNI), which is the tech giant's digital skills training program intended for guiding journalists and newsrooms in tackling misinformation.

Google Indian Languages Program

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As stated by Google, GNI's Indian Languages Program is meant for small and medium-sized local news publishers in India, which will support English and other Indian language publishers.

The company, through what it calls its "most diverse" technology program, will offer support in Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Malayalam, Gujarati, and Marathi languages.

Through this program, a specific pool of news publishers will be given training and funding to enhance their operations and increase their reach among readers. As a part of this, publishers would be trained to measure performance parameters like core web vitals and page speed and will be also guided on content formats, building additional revenue enhancement solutions, and mobile usability.

Additionally, they will receive consultations and technical implementation assistance to develop an exceptional user experience for their websites.

Publishers will also get an opportunity to take part in virtual workshops, guest talks, and Google-led sessions on website optimisation, YouTube, and data analytics.

Eligibility for the new Google News program

Any Indian-language news organisation registered in India with an operational website will be eligible to apply to Google's Indian Languages Program.

News organisations, including digital natives, broadcasters, and traditional media outlets, that have been in operation for a minimum of 12 months and employ at least 50 full-time staff members, are eligible to apply by June 30, 2023.
Anyone damaging energy facilities, transmission lines or equipment would face up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine under legislation approved unanimously by the N.C. House Wednesday.

The Protect Critical Infrastructure Act, which also passed the Senate in March with no opposition, was introduced in response to three shooting incidents at electric substations in North Carolina this past December and January.

The most disruptive of the attacks occurred at Duke Energy facilities in Moore County in early December when two electric substations were damaged by gunfire, leaving about 45,000 customers without power during a cold snap that sent temperatures below freezing.

The FBI and Moore County Sheriffs Office issued warrants in the days following the December attacks but no arrests have been made in those incidents or a similar one Jan. 17 on an EnergyUnited substation in Thomasville. A transformer was damaged in the Thomasville shooting but no customers lost power because of it, EnergyUnited said.

No one was injured in any of the North Carolina incidents, which came during a spate of similar assaults elsewhere in the U.S.

State government, Moore County and Duke Energy combined to offer a $75,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the Moore County attacks.

The FBI is offering its own $25,000 reward.

We are continuing to investigate all three attacks, a spokesperson in the FBIs Charlotte office said.

Sen. Tom McInnis, a Republican whose district includes Moore County, was the chief sponsor of the original Senate version of the bill, which declares it a Class 3 felony to knowingly and willfully destroy, injure, or otherwise damage, or attempt to destroy, injure, or otherwise damage, an energy facility or obstruct, impede, or impair the services or transmissions of an energy facility.

In addition to electricity, the legislation covers the transmission of fuels including natural gas.

Gov. Roy Cooper is expected to sign the legislation into law.

We must take steps to protect critical infrastructure that keeps electric power and clean water available in our communities, Sam Chan, the governors press secretary, said in an email to the Journal Thursday. This is one step the state can take to send a message to criminals that these irresponsible acts will not be tolerated and the Governor will review this legislation carefully.

Other North Carolina Class 3 felonies include second-degree forcible rape and forcible sex offense, first-degree kidnapping and embezzlement of more than $100,000. Sentences can range from 14 to 90 months.
GREENSBORO  Guilford County Schools is set to continue its pandemic-era practice of requiring 22 units to graduate, consistent across high schools, based on policy changes passed by the school board on Tuesday.

Before the pandemic, Guilford County Schools had different graduation requirements for students at high schools on a block schedule, versus students on a year-long class schedule.

District policy stated students needed 28 units to graduate at schools on a block schedule and 22 units at schools with a year-long class schedule.

That reflected the fact that students on a block schedule have the opportunity to take more courses than students on a year-long schedule, according to superintendent Whitney Oakley. However, when schools went remote due to COVID-19 in 2020, the district switched to requiring 22 units for all, without actually updating a relevant board policy to reflect that change.

On time graduation rates for Guilford County Schools hovered just below 90% from 2015 until 2021, when they rose to 91.4%. And in 2022, the districts graduation hit an all-time high of 91.8%, slightly topping the past years record.

When those results came out, both Oakley and former superintendent Sharon Contreras pointed to above-and-beyond efforts from teachers and principals to help students impacted by the pandemic as likely the biggest factor pushing up the graduation rates.

Another likely major factor, they said, is that the state extended the deadline for students to count as graduating within four years from July 15 to Aug. 6. That gave more students enough time to finish incomplete work or to do a credit-recovery course. Opportunities such as fifth quarter and learning hub initiatives gave students additional support to get up their grades.

The policy changes approved by the school board on Tuesday strike the language about the number of credits required, and instead just affirm that students will complete all course units required by the state and outlined in regulations from the superintendent. The state of North Carolina requires 22 units to graduate.

Oakley said Tuesday it makes sense, even with remote learning over, to keep block and year-long class schedule requirements the same.

Its consistent; its less confusing, she said. We have kids who change high schools  one will go from a block to a traditional and back.
An Outer Banks wild horse died of an apparent broken neck Thursday evening after an encounter with an aggressive stallion.

Around 5 p.m., witnesses in Carova saw a stallion chasing and trying to breed with the horse, a 12-year-old wild mare called Caroline.

The mare then fell to the ground and died nearly instantaneously, said Meg Puckett of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, which manages the herd of about 100 Spanish mustangs roaming the northern beaches in Currituck County.

The herd veterinarian performed a field necropsy and found that Carolines neck had been broken. She showed no other injuries or abnormalities.

Blood was taken and will be processed but we do not anticipate finding any abnormalities there either, Puckett said.

Carolines injury was in line with the behavior witnesses reported and appeared to be the result of natural wild horse behavior.

Carolines death should serve as yet another reminder of just how truly wild and dangerous these horses are, especially when hormones are involved, Puckett said.

Watch as two wild stallions kick and bite during brutal fight on Outer Banks road The brutal side of North Carolinas Outer Banks went on display when two wild mustangs began brawling in the middle of a road.
The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) County Assist Team (CAT) conducted a live fire training in the north valley of Helena.

The main purpose of this training exercise is to practice direct and indirect suppression in a planned event so firefighters can learn on-the-ground firefighting techniques, Incident Commander David Hamilton said. The training also provides the County Assist Team an opportunity to prepare for mobilization and coordinating with local, state, and federal partners.

At the training site, a Type 2 helicopter aided the ground crews with their mop-up and training tasks. The CAT Camp is a program that offers practical training to firefighters from the local, state and federal levels. The program includes hands-on training in wildland engine and pump operations, building fire lines, performing mop-up, managing aviation operations and handling incidents.

Removing a fire can be a time-consuming process, with the mop-up stage taking the most time. During this stage, the debris is mixed and stirred to get the dirt component into the heat. The objective is to eliminate the heat using wet or dry dirt. During the training, the dry mop process was used, which is necessary when water is not available. In late August's dry heat, mop-up takes longer, and pockets of heat will surface, requiring the process to continue. A substance called duff, which in this case is found in pine needles, presents an additional challenge. Duff must be dug through to reach bare mineral soil in order to prevent smoldering which can cause additional burning. It is crucial to ensure that no hotspots are left behind. Soil temperature is often checked by hand.

This is absolutely the most crucial part of the job, its the most tedious. There's no glory in this portion of the job, its kind of the lynchpin of making sure fires are out, A.J Angelo, Division Chief said.

During an active fire, firefighters locate an anchor point to flank the flames. The crew splits in half, with one group positioned on the right side of the anchor point and the other on the left side. Their goal is to surround the fire and cut off its fuel supply, preventing it from spreading any further. It's common for helicopters to drop water or retardant while firefighters on the ground clear away any remaining burnable material.

The DNRC CAT is an incident management team funded by the state to assist rural and local governments in dealing with emergencies such as wildfires. This help is provided when local government and assisting agency organizations are unable to cope with the situation due to limited resources.
BLOOMINGTON  Country music lovers and festivalgoers have been lining up in Bloomington for a weekend filled with award-winning and emerging artists.

The Tailgate N' Tallboys music festival is playing its second year in McLean County with over 20 artists ranging from country to rock 'n' roll. The event moved from Peoria to the Interstate Center at the McLean County Fairgrounds in 2022.

Wayne Klein, president of USA Concerts & Events, said it's a perfect venue for the festival, with plenty of space for stages, parking, and spots for attendees camping over the weekend.

"I love this location. I mean, if I could sign a 99-year lease I would," said Klein, who is from Washington. "The support we get from the community and all of our sponsors is amazing."

USA Concerts & Events, based out of West Peoria, produces and organizes the event alongside others with the same name in Clinton, Iowa, Auburn, Michigan, Rockingham, North Carolina, and Taylorville.

Klein said they are an independent promoter with a team of about eight people managing the shows and hundreds of others working as volunteers, emergency personnel and security throughout the festival.

"It gets a little hard sometimes with waves of people coming up here, but overall it's fun," said volunteer Peyton Dearing, from Morton. "Everyone's just excited to be here."

Dearing said volunteers are helping in different locations throughout the fairgrounds with parking, tickets and other jobs, but at the end of the night, some do get a chance to listen to a headlining act or attend after-parties.

Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe said events like Tailgate N' Tallboys bring economic benefits when visitors stay in local hotels, eat in local restaurants and enjoy what Bloomington-Normal has to offer.

Preliminary estimates indicate the event could generate about $2 million that will impact the local economy and help the community, Mwilambwe said.

"We definitely would like to get more people to come and live in Bloomington and recruit them for our various employers, and the best way for people to sample the community is experience it," Mwilambwe said. "When people come here for a festival or any other event, they get an opportunity to see what the city has to offer and visualize themselves living in the community."

Mwilambwe said he would like to see more festivals and events like this that could expand music genres and draw crowds from across the state.

Around 60,000 people attended last year's Tailgate N' Tallboys in Bloomington, and this year organizers are projecting about 50,000 people over the weekend, though more people will likely buy tickets the day or night of the shows, Klein said.

"The weather's gorgeous, so there can always be those last-minute ticket buyers," Klein added.

Matthew Whitehead said he drove all the way up from Abilene, Texas, with a couple of friends and an RV trailer to listen to Texas country music and see some of the modified trucks on display for the Ultimate Truck Show Experience.

"We go to a lot of truck meets and that's really the reason why we came here, because they added the truck meet to the music festival," Whitehead said. "We actually have another buddy who's driving up today after he saw videos from last night, so it's gonna be a fun weekend."

Jacob Baker and Adam Bonnet, from Indianola, Iowa, said they are both spending the weekend relaxing with their wives, and plan to catch artists like Jelly Roll and Nickelback perform this weekend.

"Seven years ago my wife was pregnant with twins and we were going to go to a Nickelback concert, but we didn't go, (and since) then we lost one of our kids," Bonnet said. "This is the closest event ... so it's a bit special for us to see him perform."

Rachel Wickman, along with her friends Kendra Haynes and Melissa Anderson from the Chicago area, said it was their first time at the music festival. They decided to set up a tent for the weekend and be around other people who were camping out.

"We came across it online on Facebook and we just decided to go, and here we are now," Wickman said. "I go camping a lot, and I think it's fun to meet new people over drinks and music."

They also planned to see Jelly Roll and Nickelback, and hoped to get good spots for Lainey Wilson's performance Thursday night, Wickman said.

"Everyone's here for the same reason, to have a good time and make new friends," Wickman added.

Klein said they will be announcing one of their headliners for next year's festival this weekend, and are already talking about possibilities for 2025.

"As long as we can pay our staff, make a little bit of money and put on an amazing show for people, that's what we're all about," Klein said. "Being a second-year festival, we're here to stay."

Klein said he recommends that people drink plenty of water before they arrive on the fairgrounds. Free water will be handed out during peak high temperatures throughout the day, he added.

For more information about Tailgate N' Tallboys, visit www.tailgatentallboys.com/bloomington.
DECATUR  The Revs. Jessie Bates and Rob Goodwin met for lunch and decided to start a ministry.

I got a vision from God to start a ministry that would exemplify Jesus' ministry, said Bates, who serves at Faith Community Center/Club Possibilities. And to put together 12 pastors and ministry leaders across the city just to develop street ministry because of all the disparities in the inner city, all the homicides and crime that goes on in the inner city.

The ministry, Decatur Outreach Ministry, is beginning its work with a free family vacation Bible school event in Fairview Park, which continues today from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with live music, activities for all ages, Scovill's Mobile Zoo, inflatables, food, ice cream and slushies, a Bible story and service projects.

Bates called on 12 leaders to start because Jesus had 12 disciples, but already has more than that: Goodwin, senior pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church; Shemuel Sanders of Shemilah Outreach Center; Bishop Wayne Dunning of Faith Fellowship Christian Church; Apostle Gregory Kirby, Come Unto Me Ministries; Linda George, God's Outpost; Hattie Jackson, social service liaison; Pastor Jameson Wheeler of Abundant Life Christian Center; Susan Ferre, secretary/treasurer of the ministry; Anthony Robinson; Andrea Gerhard, communications director and Kristin Harman and Erica Davies, children's ministry, all also of St. Paul's; Amy Novak, Abundant Life. The group is a mix of Black and white, denominations and skills.

Goodwin joked that the rest of St. Paul's staff was taken aback when he returned from that lunch with the news that the church was going to dive into Decatur Outreach Ministry and that this summer's vacation Bible school was going to be a cooperative venture with that ministry.

God really wants to put a ministry in the streets of Decatur that'll be here until Jesus returns, Bates said. The best way to do that is with pastors and leaders. That way if one pastor or leader had to fall out or resign or whatever, there will still be people left inside to reinstate another leader.

Jackson is in charge of the social service team, he said, and while they don't intend to offer social services themselves, Bates said, the team will be able to refer people to the right social service organization to meet their needs.

We're not trying to take on the responsibility of social services around the city because there are multiple agencies who can do that, Bates said. Our main thrust and our main focus is to get into the city and change the hearts of the people, and once that happens, we'll see a decline in homicide and other types of violence.

Goodwin said that during that lunch, he and Bates discovered their common passion for ministering to people in the inner city.

We decided this was something we wanted to do together, Goodwin said. We wanted to make sure it was a message of unifying people across racial and cultural differences and backgrounds and do something where we could go forward and transform the city together. We felt like we had the same passion, the same heart, though differing backgrounds, and God had put the same message on our hearts to go out and do this together.

Bates said he knows there are people who want to serve the community and don't know how to begin, and the hope is that the ministry can offer them that opportunity.

Plans are to have a large event for youth on July 29 and another family event on Aug. 12, and they'll make further plans once they've finished with those events.

We're going to have churches that don't usually work together working together to reach this community, Goodwin said. Instead of everybody being in pockets, let's do something together. That's where we're really going to see transformation.

A look back at Decatur-area churches People's Church of God Church of the Living God PGT Temple 2 First Presbyterian Church First Presbyterian Church First United Methodist Church First United Methodist Church First United Methodist Church Grace United Methodist Church Grace United Methodist Church Grace United Methodist Church Church of God Church of God Boiling Springs Road First Church of God in Christ United First Congregational Church
DECATUR  Planning this years Juneteenth celebration made Evelyn Hood lose some sleep.

A lot of hard work. Hard, hard, hard, hard, Hood, the executive director of the African-American Cultural and Genealogical Society in Decatur, told the Herald & Review. We was up late at night thinking, OK, is this going to work for us?

For the 29th year, it did.

Dozens of Decatur residents piled into Central Park on Saturday afternoon for the annual Juneteenth celebration, organized by Hood and the societys board of directors. For Hood, all the stress of planning is justified by the holidays significance.

Its really like African American freedom day, just like you celebrate the Fourth of July, she said. Because at that time, we were not free.

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. It dates back to June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, and announced that the states enslaved African Americans were newly freed.

This is when the slaves found out that they were free, said Ophal Dixon, president of the Big Sisters Federated Club Decatur chapter.

Dixon said she volunteered to help with Saturday's event  which featured a parade, guest speakers, food, vendors, music and even Abraham Lincoln and Harriet Tubman impersonators  largely because she wanted to show her support and respect for the Juneteenth holiday.

Saturdays celebration in the park was just one of a weekend full of Juneteenth festivities in Decatur. The African-American Cultural and Genealogical Society also hosted a Juneteenth gala at Richland Community College on Friday night.

On Sunday, the Devon Lakeshore Amphitheater will host a free Juneteenth event from 2 to 6 p.m. And on Monday, the Mobile Museum of Tolerance will be open outside the African-American Cultural and Genealogical Society and Museum with interactive lessons and videos for residents of all ages. The museum is at 235 W. Eldorado St.

Hood said the multitude of events helps strengthen Decaturs African American community.

Its a chance for us to fellowship, to get together, and then to also remember our history, she said.

For Wanda Dotson, it was also a chance to advertise and network.

Dotson, who sells handmade candles through her small business Candle Co., said she wanted to show other Black community members that you can be a small business owner, and the opportunity is there.

There can be more than one shirt vendor, there can be more than one candle vendor, but we support each other, she said.

Juneteenth has long been celebrated by Black Americans, and Decatur residents have publicly honored the holiday for nearly three decades now. But this year marks only the second that Juneteenth has been officially recognized as both a state and federal holiday in Illinois.

Hood said she hopes people continue to recognize the historic day.

Our ancestors always looked forward to being free. I wish that they could see what we can do now, what were doing now, Hood said. Things have changed. Its not perfect, but its so much better than years ago.

The history and significance of Juneteenth What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth commemorates the 1865 delivery of General Order #3 Chattel slavery in all states wasnt abolished until the end of 1865 Juneteenth celebrations originated in Galveston, Texas, starting in 1866 The first land to commemorate and celebrate the event was purchased in 1872 and is now a public park South Dakota was the last state to make Juneteenth a legal holiday Juneteenth has been celebrated in Mexico for more than 150 years The last enslaved people in the US werent adopted as citizens until 1885 Festivities became more commercialized in the 1920s during the Great Migration Juneteenth officially became a Texas state holiday in 1980 Juneteenth recognized as a federal holiday in 2021
As I told you last week, the staid and conservative Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicagos latest and more liberal ideas on taxes and crime reduction have caused some folks to sit up and take notice, including Illinois Senate President Don Harmon.

I think that the Civic Committee is approaching major problems with a very different perspective, Harmon said.

Harmon suggested the business groups recently hired president Derek Douglas as a possible reason for the change. Douglas is an African-American who worked for the Obama administration as Special Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs, and then the University of Chicago as Vice President for Civic Engagement and External Affairs.

Harmon also seemed impressed with how the Civic Committee was willing to put itself in the firing line, particularly on the crime issue and its insistence that Chicago must institute police reforms.

Crains Chicago Business and others have whacked the influential groups crime plan, which relies primarily on violence prevention, targeted investment and hiring, because it didnt specifically call for hiring more police officers. The group wants to reduce Chicagos homicide numbers below 400 a year within five years. Last year, 695 homicide victims were tallied by the citys police department.

A recent Crains editorial ended by saying that if the Civic Committee is going to issue a business-minded prescription on issues of law enforcement and reform  and if it is to truly reflect the sentiments not only of downtown businesspeople but their counterparts in neighborhoods hit hardest by violence  then it should also call for a fully staffed police force.

The Civic Committees most prominent member supporting its crime-reduction plan is billionaire James Crown, and he told me he didnt see the editorializing as hostility.

Instead, Crown said, its something we have seen along the way, which is people have got in their heads that this is the problem or this is what we need. And it's usually a very short phrase or answer. The problem is guns. The problem is jobs. The problem is the schools.

The frustration we have had in those conversations is theyre right, but it's not the whole answer. It requires many elements, many factors, some of which are immediate, some of which will take years before we have really addressed this problem satisfactorily.

As far as the specific criticism about additional police hiring, Crown said, There are people who will look at the understaffing of the police department relative to open positions or history and say that is a problem. And it might well be, and we're very supportive of the police department and want effective policing, and we may well join in the observation that Crains has been promoting. But there also is evidence that police departments with many fewer officers per 100,000 residents are very successful. Why?

Good question.

The Civic Committees President Derek Douglas was also asked about the Crains editorial and related attacks on WTTWs Chicago Tonight program: We were a little disappointed to see that, because the suggestion was as if we were against adding police, or increasing police, which we never said. What we said was the approach we want to take is to sit down with the leadership of CPD, sit down with the city, understand what is their strategy, what are their needs, how much do they want to grow and get behind that. So as opposed to us dictating, you need to do X, Y and Z, it was more of a collaborative approach to hear from the police themselves, Here's what we'd like to have, we'd like to add more of this, we'd like to add more of that, and then have the business community find ways to support it. So, it's just about the way you come at the issue.

Even with the somewhat conciliatory approach, its clear that things have changed.

Harmon is right. The Civic Committee has evolved from a standard businessperson group issuing standard businessperson demands which echoed standard pro-business publications, editorial pages and pundits, to taking a much more nuanced, holistic approach to actually solving very difficult, perhaps intractable problems.

Douglas, I think, said it best when he talked about a collaborative approach that focused on listening. There are way too many unilateral screamers on the crime issue in particular, and far too few people who want to take the time to listen, learn and collaboratively find a path forward.

While I dont know how long this approach will last (the Civic Committees membership being what it is), I wish them luck.
Proud Americans take full ownership of being a world standard-bearer for democracy, justice and equity. Our actions as well as our ideals ideally reflect that ownership and the pride in it.

But to fulfill that lofty goal, Americans also must be vigilant about acknowledging when weve stepped outside what is right and fair. There is no shame in righting a wrong and no shame in marking that a wrong has been corrected.

Monday, June 19, is the official federal holiday of Juneteenth, which is also celebrated in most states. Juneteenth celebrates the liberation of African Americans from slavery in the U.S. While President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, it was on June 19, 1865, that the news was delivered to Texas, informing 250,000 slaves of their freedom.

The 13th Amendment ended one of the worst atrocities in this countrys history. It deserves a national celebration. Much of Americas Black history has been misstated or distorted. Juneteenth is a step toward trying to redress that concern.

Juneteenth provides an opportunity to honor and recognize African Americans contributions, achievements and resilience throughout history. It celebrates their cultural heritage, traditions and those who fought for civil rights, social justice and equality. It highlights the diversity of African American experiences and acknowledges the enduring legacy of African Americans in shaping the United States. By acknowledging this history, society can work towards a more inclusive and equitable future.

Scholars take issue with the date, complaining that the 13th Amendment, which officially abolished slavery throughout the United States, was not ratified until December 6, 1865. Every state was then required by federal law to free its slaves.

The holiday is not exclusively for Blacks. Much of what weve been taught in our lives is a result of who is telling the tale, and there are large blocs of people who have not had seats at the table where history is written and disseminated.

The day can help us all grow as Americans. Giving historical context may help those who still struggle with the idea of Juneteenth.
With obstacles to the embattled Mountain Valley Pipeline falling away, its operators are attempting to pump new life into a proposed extension that would move a projected 375 million cubic feet of natural gas through the Triad daily.

Thats enough fuel to serve more than 2.2 million average U.S. homes for a day.

In a filing Thursday with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Mountain Valley requests an extension of a required Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for its planned 75-mile MVP Southgate Extension, now set to expire Sunday, through June 2026.

The proposed $500 million Southgate Extension would pick up where the Mountain Valley Pipeline stops in southern Virginia, run through the heart of Rockingham County and end in Alamance County.

But that can only happen with the completion of the main 303-mile Mountain Valley project, which paused in early 2022 when courts nullified a handful of environmental permits.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality emphasized the coupling of the two projects when it rejected water-quality permits for the Southgate project in August 2020.

In essence, it would be a pipeline from nowhere to nowhere incapable of carrying any natural gas, and certainly not able to fulfill its basic project purpose, while having no practical alternative, NCDEQ said in explaining its permit denial. Prior to incurring any impacts to North Carolina natural resources ... a level of certainty regarding the completion of the MVP Mainline pipeline is required.

Those prospects certainly changed last month when the stalled $6.6 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline  which would carry natural gas about 300 miles from the Marcellus shale fields in West Virginia across nearly 1,000 streams and wetlands before ending in Pittsylvania County, Virginia  was jumpstarted in a deal between President Joe Biden and Republicans to raise the federal debt ceiling.

The measure included a provision requiring fast-tracked approvals for the Mountain Valley, whose completion has been held up by regulatory hurdles and legal challenges.

The pact infuriated environmentalists, as does the resulting potential opening for the extension.

This Southgate pipeline is not in the public interest and the developers have not demonstrated its viability, Jessica Sims, field coordinator for the group Appalachian Voices, said Thursday. Its threats remain  from disproportionately impacting environmental justice communities along the pipeline route to endangering the waterways it would cross. Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate should not have a future.

The main pipeline project has been hit with dozens of water-quality violations and hundreds of thousands of dollars in related fines. Environmentalists insist theres no reason to expect anything different in North Carolina.

In its filing Thursday, Mountain Valley says it is expecting to complete and activate the mainline by the end of this year.

However, without the same fast-tracking considerations tied to the Mountain Valley, the Southgate Extension will face regulatory hurdles and almost-certain legal challenges.

The company declined to give a potential timeline for the extension.

Mountain Valley remains committed to the MVP Southgate project and continues to evaluate its options to help meet strong residential and business demand for affordable, reliable natural gas, spokesman Shawn Day said in an email to the Journal. There is no update or estimate for construction start or in-service dates available at this time.

Both projects have divided political leaders largely along party lines, with Republicans overwhelmingly in support of the pipelines and Democrats, including Gov. Roy Cooper, generally opposed.

Completing the Mountain Valley Pipeline will help bring a second interstate natural gas pipeline to North Carolina, N.C. Senate leader Phil Berger of Rockingham County said in an email to the Journal when asked about the project last year. Hopefully Gov. Cooper will reconsider his previous opposition to increased energy security and support this opportunity to lower energy costs and provide manufacturers and residents in North Carolina with reliable access to natural gas.

Republicans in the N.C. General Assembly have argued that relying solely on the existing Transco Pipeline  which also slices through the heart of the Triad  as a primary natural gas supply puts the states energy production at risk.

Democrats and critics of the projects, meanwhile, insist that new fossil fuel transmission lines will simply become costly stranded assets  paid for by utility customers  as North Carolina moves away from the use of fossil fuels that contribute to climate change and moved to renewable energy including solar and wind power.

The route

As proposed, the MVP Southgate would enter North Carolina in a southwest direction just west of Eden before taking a nearly 90-degree turn and passing near Wentworth and Eden as it heads southeast.

After crossing into Alamance County, the pipeline would curl around the north and east sides of Burlington, ending in Graham.
BEDMINSTER, N.J.  Just last week, former Vice President Mike Pence said he hoped federal prosecutors would not bring charges against former President Donald Trump. On Wednesday, a day after Trump was arraigned on dozens of felony counts related to classified documents, Pence described the allegations as a very serious matter."

I cannot defend what is alleged, Pence, who is challenging Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, said on CNBC. Later in the day, Pence faced pointed questions from a conservative radio host after refusing to say whether he would pardon Trump if given the chance.

Pence's evolving message highlights the high-stakes dilemma for Trump's Republican rivals, who are struggling to find a clear and consistent strategy to take on the frontrunner as Trumps unprecedented legal troubles threaten to dominate all other issues in the 2024 presidential contest.

Some Republican leaders this week demonstrated a newfound willingness to criticize Trump over the seriousness of the allegations, which include mishandling government secrets that he was entrusted to protect.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a former naval officer and Trump's top rival for the nomination, said that if I would have taken classified (documents) to my apartment, I would have been court-martialed in a New York minute.

But that was just a brief mention in a weekend speech at a North Carolina GOP gathering, during which he focused his censure on the Justice Department and the Biden administration.

Even the most aggressive challengers layered their criticism of Trump with attacks against the Justice Department  for bringing charges against him  that make it difficult at times to determine exactly where they stand on the former president.

And thats precisely the point, given Trumps continued popularity among GOP voters and his rivals' desire to dent his lead without alienating his base.

Indeed, most of Trump's competitors are making a risky bet  for now  that the weight of his extraordinary baggage will sink his reelection bid. They believe it will take time.

Trump's Republican opponents privately concede that his political strength is likely to grow in the short term, as GOP voters, key officials and conservative media leaders rally around him.

For example, Pastor Robert Jeffress, of the First Baptist megachurch in Dallas, initially declined to endorse Trump's 2024 bid but declared Tuesday night that the GOP's presidential primary was all but over.

I thought there would be almost a civil war in the Republican Party for the nomination, but that quickly turned into an unconditional surrender, said Jeffress, who mingled at Trump's post-indictment gathering at Bedminster, New Jersey. "People absolutely love this president, and I believe his base is going to turn out.

The Republican establishment tried and failed to reject Trump and his divisive politics for much of the past decade. This time the GOP faces the very real possibility that a man who was indicted twice and charged with dozens of felonies could become the partys standard-bearer in 2024.

Fighting that outcome, a powerful conservative voice is being raised for the first time.

The Koch networks political arm, Americans for Prosperity, has begun running online ads across Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina  the first three states on the GOPs presidential primary calendar  focusing on questions about Trumps electability in next falls general election against Biden. The new ads make no mention of his legal troubles.

Trump did a lot of good things as president," one of the ads says. But this time, he cant win.

Americans for Prosperity CEO Emily Seidel said her organization has talked to thousands of voters in key states to determine the most effective arguments to undermine Trumps political strength.

Based on the data were collecting, more than two-thirds of people who say theyre supporting Trump are also receptive to arguments that he is a weak candidate, his focus on 2020 is a liability, and his lack of appeal with independent voters is a problem, Seidel said. "That tells us that many Republicans are ready to move on  they just need to see another candidate step up and show they can lead and win.

The former president commands a big lead in early Republican primary polls.

As they test evolving messages on the campaign trail and in media appearances, none of Trump's top-tier competitors is running paid advertisements pointing to his legal troubles.

In Iowa on Wednesday night, GOP presidential contender Tim Scott declined to mention his recent comments that Trump's indictment represents a serious case involving serious charges when a voter asked about a weaponized Justice Department  a reference to Trump's insistence that federal prosecutors are targeting him to weaken his presidential campaign.

The South Carolina senator instead pledged to root out politics within the Justice Department if elected president. Americans must have a justice system where the lady of justice wears a blindfold. We cannot target Republicans and protect Democrats, he said.

Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration, told Fox News on Monday that Trump was incredibly reckless with our national security if the allegations in the indictment are true. On Tuesday, she repeated the pointed criticism, but also said shed be inclined to pardon Trump if hes convicted.

I think it would be terrible for the country to have a former president in prison for years because of a documents case, Haley said on the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton radio show.

Election advantages due to district mapping
Budget vote coming up Monday

CONCORD  The Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners are scheduled to vote on the Fiscal Year 2023-24 (FY24) budget at the Monday, June 19, Regular Meeting.

The $340 million proposed budget maintains a tax rate of 74 cents per $100 of assessed value. With that rate, owners of a $217,000 house (the median single-family assessed home value in Cabarrus), would pay $1,606 a year in county property tax.

The FY24 budget prioritizes the countys workforce, focusing on recruitment and retention. It also includes investments in building projects, education needs and more.

See the full budget rundown by visiting cabarruscounty.us and clicking Cabarrus County FY24 Recommended Budget in the featured section.

The official budget process began with an annual retreat for the Board of Commissioners and department representatives to discuss needs. Over the next several months, department requests were submitted, and budget workshops helped finalize the plan.

County Manager Mike Downs presented the recommended budget at the boards May Regular Meeting. During the presentation, Downs said the plan is informed by economic conditions, board priorities and strengths and opportunities identified through community and workplace surveys.

On May 18, the county hosted residents for Gov 101: FY24 Budget Breakdown, providing a chance to meet with department heads, leadership and elected officials and give input on the plan. A public hearing was held at the June 5 Work Session.

The new fiscal year begins July 1, 2023.

The June Regular Meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. on Monday, June 19, at the Cabarrus County Government Center (65 Church St. S.) in downtown Concord.

At the work session

Also, during the June Work Session, Commissioners:

Heard an update on the Rob Wallace Park phase 2B renovations from Assistant County Manager Kyle Bilafer. Bilafer shared that county staff had selected Ikes Construction to complete the project. Construction under this phase includes a playground, a large shelter with a restroom, a smaller shelter, a parking lot with 23 spaces and benches and grills placed throughout the area. Construction will start mid-July 2023 and is expected to last approximately seven months. Commissioners unanimously approved the recommended contract.

Heard a project update from Director of Design and Construction Michael Miller on the Emergency Equipment Warehouse and Information Technology Services (ITS) building and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) headquarters. Both buildings have seen significant progress over the last couple of weeks. According to Miller, the ITS buildings roof was completed, curb and gutter was installed and the dry wall has been hung and finished in the majority of the building. Over the next couple of weeks, the generator pad and the inside primer and paint will be completed. The ceiling grid will also be installed. At the new EMS headquarters, power has been turned on, the bathroom floor and wall tile were installed and paving started along Union Cemetery Road. In the next 30 days, site work outside the building will begin.

Heard a request from Cabarrus County Sheriffs Office Capt. Kevin Klinglesmith to retire K-9 Turbo. Turbo is the oldest K-9 at the sheriffs office, serving since 2016. According to Klinglesmith, the 8-year-old German shepard is suffering from a progressive heart disease. Upon board approval, Turbos last working day will be June 30 and he will be turned over to his handler, Deputy Stephanie Champlin.

Watch and follow county business

To watch the full agenda meeting, visit youtube.com/cabarruscounty.

Residents can watch all commissioner meetings on the Cabarrus County livestream at cabarruscounty.us, on YouTube (@CabarrusCounty) and on CabCo TV (Spectrum Cable Channel 22).

Stay updated on these and all County programs and projects by visiting cabarruscounty.us and following Cabarrus County at facebook.com/cabarruscounty and on Twitter @CabarrusCounty.
IT and Telecommunications industry veteran, Jason Brownlee, will start with leading technology provider, ASI Solutions, on June 19 to drive strategic growth in the ACT market.

Relocating back to Canberra after being raised in Young, Brownlee will be based in ASI Solutions Canberra office. He will serve as ACT Branch Manager for ASI Solutions and will be responsible for the general management of the Canberra office and lead operational and growth expansion in the region as part of its ACT growth strategy.

Prior to this appointment, Brownlee has held several strategic business development roles with major national and international organisations including Optus, Allcom Networks, Motorola Solutions and Telstra.

Nathan Lowe, Managing Director, ASI Solutions, said, Were excited to welcome Jason Brownlee to the ACT team. His experience in service delivery and consulting is a real asset for our local expansion in the region and we are confident that Jason will successfully deliver on our promise of elevating experience through technology for our ACT customers.

We have wonderful customers and vendors in ACT and it is great to have a strong leader joining the team locally to further build on our success in the market. With a renovation planned for our Belconnen offices and more growth planned, its an exciting time for our team!

Jason Brownlee said, I am excited to be working with ASI Solutions and I look forward to taking on the task strategic growth in Canberra, and the opportunities this will provide for our customers, both current and future, in the region. I cant wait to start meeting the extended team, customers, and partners locally.

Recently, ASI Solutions has been continuing to invest in the productisation and go-to-market strategy of its services across modern workplace, security and data analysis and automation, ensuring ASI Solutions continues in its role as a leading technology provider across Australia and New Zealand.
GUEST OPINION: Costs associated with energy consumption are particularly difficult for small businesses to control. Energy efficiency, or the practice of reducing energy consumption without affecting productivity or comfort, is a great way for small businesses to save money on their energy bills and have a positive effect on the environment. In this post, we will discuss some of the best practices for increasing the energy efficiency of small businesses in order to reduce their electricity consumption.

Small businesses can use energy-efficient lighting, upgrade to energy-efficient appliances and equipment, and put in place smart energy management systems, among other things. By adopting these strategies, small businesses can reduce their carbon footprint and save money on their electricity bills in the long run.

Benefits of Energy Efficiency

The UK government offers many incentives to encourage small businesses to become more energy efficient. These incentives can come in the form of grants, tax relief, and other financial benefits that make energy efficiency an attractive option for small businesses. Let's consider two of the most prominent benefits:

Saving money on utility bills is one of the biggest incentives for businesses of any size to adopt energy-efficient practices. Small businesses can save money on electricity costs and expand their bottom lines by cutting energy use. Small businesses can save money on maintenance costs by making their equipment and appliances last longer and taking steps to save energy. Energy efficiency not only saves money but also helps the environment. Small businesses can help create a more sustainable future by cutting their energy usage. Compliance with environmental regulations and an improved reputation as an environmentally responsible organization are two additional benefits that can result from small businesses adopting energy efficiency practices.

Energy Efficiency Strategies for Small Businesses

There are a number of things that small businesses could do to use less energy. These strategies can range from simple changes like replacing old lighting fixtures with more energy-efficient models to larger initiatives such as investing in renewable energy sources, which are excellent strategies to implement by small businesses that use a lot of electricity.

1. Switch to More Energy Efficient Lighting

By switching to energy-efficient lighting like LED bulbs, small businesses can cut their electricity costs by a lot. Light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs save money in the long run because they don't need to be replaced as often as incandescent bulbs and they last a lot longer.

2. Making Use of Energy-Saving Devices

Energy-saving devices, such as smart thermostats and power strips, can help small businesses reduce their electricity usage. Smart thermostats can change the temperature automatically based on how many people are in the house, and power strips can stop appliances from using electricity when they are not being used.

3. Incorporate Renewable Energy Sources

Small businesses can also get their power from renewable sources like solar panels and wind turbines. Even though the initial cost can be high, using renewable energy can help a small business save a lot of money on its electricity bills over time.

Using renewable energy sources can also make a small business look like it cares about the environment, which can bring in more customers who care about the same things. By investing in renewable energy, small businesses can also contribute to reducing their carbon footprint and combating climate change.

4. Use Government Incentives

Governments often offer incentives for small businesses that implement energy efficiency strategies. These incentives can include tax credits, grants, or rebates, which can significantly reduce the cost of implementing energy efficiency measures.

5. Track Energy Usage with Energy Monitoring and Tracking Systems

Small businesses can benefit from energy monitoring and tracking systems by keeping tabs on their power usage and learning where they can cut back. Small businesses can better manage their energy costs with the help of these systems, which give them real-time information about how much energy they use.

6. Energy-Efficient Appliances and Equipment

Small businesses can use less electricity if they replace their old appliances and equipment with ones that use less energy. Small businesses can save a lot of money on their electricity bills by using appliances and equipment that use less energy. Additionally, some energy-efficient appliances and equipment may qualify for tax credits or rebates, providing further financial benefits for small businesses.

7. Implement Energy-Saving Policies

Businesses can also save energy by turning off all lights, electronics, and other appliances when they are not being used. It makes a huge difference when you make use of natural light and keep thermostats at a constant temperature. Another policy that can be put in place is to encourage employees to take public transportation, carpool, or ride their bikes to work. This will help the business reduce its carbon footprint. These policies not only help save energy but also promote a sustainable and eco-friendly work environment.

8. Reduce Electricity Use Through Cloud Computing Technologies

Small businesses that adopt cloud computing and virtualization can drastically cut their energy consumption. By consolidating servers and decreasing the amount of hardware needed, these technologies help small businesses save money and the environment. Additionally, cloud computing and virtualization can also improve the efficiency and productivity of small businesses by allowing employees to access data and applications from anywhere, at any time, and on any device.

9. Energy-Saving Building Design Practices

Even smaller establishments can reap the benefits of employing energy-efficient building design principles. The use of insulation, energy-efficient windows, and ventilation with the help of the wind and sun are all examples of such measures.

10. Reduce Energy Usage with Demand-Side Management Programs

Demand-side management programs can help small businesses cut back on how much electricity they use during times of high demand. Some of these programs can give people rewards for using less energy at certain times of the day or year.

Conclusion

Energy-efficient appliances and equipment, energy monitoring and tracking systems, renewable energy sources, government incentives, and more can all help small businesses reduce their energy consumption.

Small businesses can save money and help make the world a better place by taking advantage of these programs and putting in place energy-saving measures. It's a win-win situation for both the business and the environment.
Clint Walker Community Content Coordinator Follow Clint Walker Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

When I decided I was going to write about Dad Movies, goodness knows I had plenty to choose from; everything from Die Hard, to Beverly Hills Cop and National Treasure all came up in a text thread I threw out to a friend asking for suggestions.

But if Im going to talk about movies dads love, there was only one real choice. Which is why, for Fathers Day weekend, I bring to you, The Hunt For The Red October, which, yes, did play here in Mattoon at the long gone Kerasotes Cinema 3.

Red October belongs to a genre of film it feels like we dont really have anymore: the hard-boiled political thriller, often based from a book. Which of course this was, taken from the pages of a Robert Ludlum bestseller. And goodness if even typing out the words Robert Ludlum doesnt make me feel all warm inside for some reason.

Oh wait, it was Tom Clancy? OK, you can all stop writing that email you were about to send me. Why did I think it was Robert Ludlum? Did they make any movies based on his books? Oh yeah  the Bourne series. And The Osterman Weekend, which on a continuum of portentous movie titles ranks somewhere between The Holcroft Covenant and The McMeacham Stratagem. I made one of those up.

Normally trying to recap any given movie in a paragraph is my absolute least favorite thing to do as a writing exercise, but the plot of Red October is so clockwork-perfect that doing so here is going to be a treat, at least compared to having to explain Speedtrap.

See, the Red October is a state of the art nuclear submarine equipped with a caterpillar drive that makes it all but undetectable. And everyones hunting for it because the Russians have told us its supposedly power-mad captain, Marko Ramius, is going to use it to launch a nuclear attack on the States. And were hunting for it because fresh-faced CIA analyst Jack Ryan shoots his mouth off at a briefing and convinces the defense department that Ramius is actually attempting to defect and the Russians are trying to get us to stop him from handing over such a high-value piece of technology.

I find it a little odd that this movie was sold as such a blockbuster. I always kind of figured it was a film whose reputation built over time via the numerous reruns my dad was always happy to see. But apparently the book, older than I thought, had time to generate a big enough fanbase among those who needed a read for the long flight, and the public appetite was still high for more of the newly middle-aged version of Sean Connery, re-introduced to the world via The Untouchables and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Although lets not forget Highlander, of course. As if someone ever could.

Also of note is the first real lead role for a lean, mean and ready for stardom Alec Baldwin, who gives the Jack Ryan character a refreshing Oh, please dont ask me to do this quality not totally unlike Indiana Jones; and Id be remiss if I didnt mention what I think is my dads favorite part of the movie, the USS Dallas, the closest submarine to the Red October, even though they dont quite know it yet. If only Ryan can get to them before they do something stupid. But how do you get a CIA desk guy onto a submarine in the midst of a military operation out in the middle of the Atlantic? Oh, please dont ask him do to that!

Theres tasty parts from all the day players too, from James Earl Jones as the mentor who has an unexpected hero moment I often quote out of context any time I need to take something out of my wallet; and the great Sam Neill as Connerys first officer, who makes the dream of driving cross country in a recreational vehicle, no papers required, sound like something to be proud of.

But again, Im sure my dads favorite is Scott Glenn as the severe but open-minded captain of the Dallas, who stares like grim death at poor sonar operator Jonesy who has to convince him that the computer is wrong and those earthquake sounds out there are actually a Russian submarine in their midst. I swear every time he finally looks over those single-bar glasses and says, Relax, Jonsey. You sold me, I exhale.

And because I know my dads reading this and hopes to see it mentioned, Ill quote another of his favorite lines, from that same character: All right, Mr. Ryan, we just unzipped our fly. See what a good dad movie can do to you?

One question remains: In the scene where everyones finally standing on the same bridge, are they all hearing the Russians speak English, or they all hearing Russian except for Ryan, whos translating, and us at home, who the producers stopped making read subtitles by the end of the first act? Ive literally gotten into arguments over this.

Dads and submarine movies; its a tale as old as time. There were others, of course. Crimson Tide, U-571, and, umK-19: The Widowmaker, I guess. I should ask him if he saw the one with Tom Hanks that came out during the lockdown.

And before everyone starts sending me even more nasty emails that I neglected to write a similar Moms Movie column, something which Im sure she noted as soon as she started reading this, Ill blame that on Mothers Day falling right in the middle of the Summer Movie Showcase.

Maybe this weekend I can also convince her that Back to the Beach actually is a Mom Movie. I meanthere was a mom in it, right?
MATTOON  Coles Countys third annual Juneteenth celebration brought the community together to learn through African music and dance.

Breathe & Movement African Dance Co., based in Chicago, joined the festivities on Saturday. Their performance brought crowd members of all races to the stage in Peterson Park to learn a traditional African dance.

Others participated from the sidelines, like Kinsey Romack, who learned the dance from where she and her friends were seated.

I feel like the more (the event) goes on, its important to have that and for it to grow. So that there is more culture for people to actually see, understand and also participate in. Because like with participating with the dances they had today, that was really important just so people interacted and also learned at the same time about the culture and also what went on and how it became able to have Juneteenth, Romack said.

June 19, the official state and federal holiday marking Juneteenth, is called so because on that day, in 1865, Union Troops marched into Galveston Bay, Texas, and informed the last group of enslaved people in the Confederate South of the Emancipation Proclamation, telling them of their freedom a full year and a half after it was granted.

Taneya Higginbotham, organizer of The RealiTea ProjecT Inc. and the Juneteenth celebration, was excited by the participation of everyone who came.

It was a great event. There were so many people represented today. My favorite part was the audience engagement. The African dancers came and they brought in the crowd and got everyone dancing. And it was just great, so I feel like it was a great success, Higginbotham said.

Along with the dance company, Decatur native Antonio Burton, known as Toni Picasso, gave a live art performance and had supplies set out for others to paint and draw.

Both performances attracted attendees to come to Juneteenth, organized by The RealiTea ProjecT Inc. and Faith Alliance for Racial Justice.

I was excited to see the performances and also learn more, Romack said. I also knew that some of the people that would be here like SACIS, PFLAG and CASA. And I also came for the art because I didnt know what they were having, so I was excited to see what they had.

This years celebration featured information and resource booths to spread information in the community.

Those with booths included Illinois Humanities, the Coles County Health Department, PFLAG (a LGBTQ+ support organization), CASA of East Central Illinois (a nonprofit for abused and neglected children), Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) for Better Birth, and Sexual Assault Counseling and Information Services (SACIS).

Free food was provided by Black-owned businesses Revival City Doughnuts, Zesty Wingz Chicken & Fish and Wood N Hog BBQ. Rural King also provided popcorn, water and chips.

Higginbotham is interested in community suggestions for next years celebration.

Im always thinking ahead for next years event, and I am seeking suggestions from the community about different things they would like to see at next years event, so stay tuned, Higginbotham said.

People can make suggestions by contacting the RealiTea ProjecT Inc. at 217-508-6031 or therealiteaproject@gmail.com, or through the Faith Alliance for Racial Justice or The RealiTea ProjecT Inc. Facebook pages.

Lee Enterprises' D. Jack Alkire contributed to this story.

10 notable Juneteenth celebrations across the US How Juneteenth is being celebrated across the US Juneteenth and Beyond Guided Tours - Galveston, Texas Opal's Walk for Freedom - Fort Worth, Texas Memphis Juneteenth Festival - Memphis, Tennessee Juneteenth Music Festival - Philadelphia Macknificent Freedom Fest - Fort Wayne, Indiana 52nd Juneteenth Street Festival - Milwaukee Las Vegas Juneteenth Festival - Las Vegas 7th Annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival - Columbia, South Carolina Omaha Freedom Festival - Omaha, Nebraska FABA Fest - Barbados
In the unlikely, but evidently possible event you encounter what appears to be an undetonated explosive while enjoying the summer weather  as a northern Illinois resident did last week  authorities encourage you to alert local law enforcement as soon as possible.

A sharp object protruding from the ground caught Lauren Intzekiotis eye as her son biked around their Lake County yard, she said, and she soon unearthed what Waukegan bomb squad technicians and responding police believe was a live and active anti-tank rocket, seemingly from the World War II era.

Police dont know how the round Intzekiotis discovered ended up in somebodys yard in unincorporated Antioch.

But however it got there, the Waukegan bomb squad believed the device could have seriously endangered anyone in its immediate proximity, according to Lake County sheriffs office spokesman Chris Covelli.

(The technicians) secured it from the scene and transported it to an area where they were safely able to detonate the device, Covelli said Friday. But based on their analysis, they do believe it had a charge. With that being the case and this device being as old as it is, its extremely unstable and certainly could have presented a danger to the homeowner.

Covelli said police believe that, most likely (the rocket) was at one point illegally possessed, obviously there long before the homeowner moved into her home.

Lake County Veterans Assistance Commission Superintendent Andrew Tangen saw reports and images of the discovery on local news reports, and he said Friday that the rusty, mud-caked rocket, looks like a German round, but it might not be.

As soldiers returned home from fighting in World War II and even the Korean War, Tangen said it was not uncommon for soldiers to bring war-related keepsakes, such as unused explosives or rifles, back home with them.

The guys who brought home the grenades, or the mortar rounds, or whatever they were, theyd put them in a box and then put them in their basement, Tangen said. But they were still active.

Decades later, the discovery of such materials has sometimes ended in catastrophe. A Lake County, Indiana, man was killed and his two children were seriously injured on May 20 when an old grenade exploded as they were sorting through their grandfathers belongings.

Any devices with unexploded ordnance remaining, Tangen explained, pose a huge risk of accidental detonation, particularly the older they are.

The longer a piece of munition, especially an explosive device is still around, the fuse and the safety mechanisms degrade, Tangen said. They rust, they wear down, they break down. And if you move it or you jostle it, itll just explode. (The device) could have been a war souvenir.

Intzekiotis said she saw this little metal tip sticking out of the ground, and that she didnt want her kids to step on it.

She did not know for sure at the time of the imminent danger it may have posed, so she took a photo of the rocket head and uploaded it into Google Images to see what it might be. A while later, she decided shed better call the police.

Google Images first pulled up yams, and I was like, Thats not a yam, she told the News-Sun on Thursday.

Intzekiotis surmised that after the removal of a section of overgrown brush, recent rains and the passing of many years, the rocket probably moved in the earth.

You find something weird and decide to call the cops instead of waiting to be blown up, Intzekiotis said.

Covelli agreed.

Were grateful that it didnt, and it worked out where it was able to be safely transported without the homeowner or anybody else being injured, Covelli added. We would encourage anybody, as unusual of a situation this is, that finds a device that resembles a weapon of war to immediately stop manipulating it and contact law enforcement and authorities so proper resources can investigate and safely remove the device.
CHARLESTON  Applications are now being accepted for Miss Coles County 2023.

Orientation will at 6 p.m., Monday, June 26, at the Charleston Moose Lodge. Girls ages 1721 that attend Charleston, Mattoon or Oakland schools, or reside in Coles County or attend Eastern Illinois University or Lake Land College, are eligible. Practice starts at 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 3, at the Charleston Moose Lodge.

There is also still time to sign up for Little Miss Coles County and Jr. Miss Coles County. Practices start Tuesday, June 20, at the Coles County Fairgrounds. Little Miss practice is from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and Jr. Miss practice from 6:30-7:30 p.m..

More information can be found at colescountyfair.com or you can email colescountyqueens@gmail.com with any questions.
Theres a new colorful addition to Winston-Salems Downtown Arts District.

The citys Human Relations/Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Department and volunteers completed a painting of the Progress Pride Flag on the north crosswalk at the intersection of Trade and Sixth streets on Friday.

The Progress Pride Flag consists of a six-color rainbow with arrow-shaped colors on the side. Black and brown represent LGBTQ people of color and light blue, pink and white represent the transgender community.

Eleanore Tebbetts, who serves as the citys human relations analyst for nondiscrimination ordinances, oversaw the event. The painting shared Trade Street with Art Crush, an art event that occurs every third Friday.

The painters used acrylic deck stain paint.

Im excited for Winston-Salem to have a visible symbol of the citys support of the LGBTQ community right here in downtown, Tebbetts said.

Tebbetts was joined by her close friend Bee Bube and Human Relations/DEI colleague Sherita Cain at 4 p.m. to chalk the design on the crosswalk.

With music blasting and traffic picking up from the surrounding Art Crush event, the three began painting at 6 p.m. Shortly after, volunteers began to pick up paintbrushes and contribute.

One of them was local business owner Fabio Sandoval. Sandoval, co-owner of the clothing store Off the Rack on Trade street, painted the light blue portion of the side arrow.

Im here to support, Sandoval said.

Patrick Quinn, another contributor, was just stopping by the vendors set up on Trade Street and said why not when told volunteers could help finish the flag.

It adds to the city, Quinn said. All-inclusive. Let everyone know.

The idea of painting the mural in the Downtown Arts District manifested over some time.

After House Bill 142, a compromise bill to the controversial House Bill 2 passed in 2016, ended in December 2020, North Carolina cities were allowed to enact local nondiscrimination policies related to employment and public accommodation. A major implication of these protections was protecting the LGBTQ community from discrimination.

With community support from groups such as the Non-Discrimination Ordinance Coalition, a local volunteer group of LGBTQ members, Winston-Salem passed those ordinances and established last year the NDO Subcommittee under the Winston-Salem Human Relations Commission.

The subcommittee made numerous recommendations to better serve the citys LGBTQ community. One of them was painting the Progress Pride Flag downtown.

Jake Gellar-Goad, a member of the subcommittee and a member of the Board of Directors for the North Star LGBTQ Community Center in Winston-Salem, said he hopes people will see this as a genuine gesture for making this a welcoming city.

I think its important that the city supports the LGBTQ community, Gellar-Goad said. He emphasized that real change comes from when a symbolic gesture is paired with policy.

Luke Peeler, a bystander who walked by with his partner Amar Dionne, said he likes the mural and saw it as something the LGBTQ community didnt want to lose. However, he still thinks more can be done for progress.

I think were kind of at a crossroads right now where were seeing a lot of representation that allows us to be bold, Peeler said. But, were still in a place where we dont have that much power to affect change. I think no amount of merch or company bagging really means much. The companies wont save us I think right now were learning that we have to use these visual nods as something for us to be more proactive.

The citys Human Relations/DEI department is responsible for the maintenance of the mural. Once a year, and more if needed, the city will close the area and retouch the painting.

PHOTOS: City employees and volunteers paint Progress Pride flag mural at intersection of Sixth and Trade Streets
An East Bend man is charged with stabbing another man to death, authorities said Friday.

The stabbing happened Thursday in the 4000 block of Prides Road in East Bend, the Yadkin County Sheriff's Office said.

When deputies arrived, they found Scott Anthony Murray, 48, of Boonville suffering from multiple stab wounds, the sheriff's office said.

Murray died at the scene.

Investigators then linked Dakota Shane Chambers, 27, of East Bend to the stabbing, the sheriff's office said.

Chambers was arrested at the scene and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Murray's death, the sheriff's office said.

Chambers was being held Friday in the Yadkin County Jail with no bond allowed, the sheriff's office said.

Chambers is scheduled to appear June 21 in Yadkin District Court.
A second wave of violent crime in the past 17 days engulfed sections of Winston-Salem Friday night into Saturday with 10 people being shot and wounded in apparently separate incidents.

Winston-Salem police have been looking for suspects in many shootings and robberies that occurred in the city since May 31.

Police are looking for suspects in the most recent crime spree, Police Chief William Penn Jr. said Saturday at the citys Juneteenth festival in downtown Winston-Salem.

Penn said he extremely frustrated that some of our victims are choosing not to cooperate. Some of them wont even tell us where it (the shootings) occurred.

The lack of the victims cooperation hampers our ability to take people off the street who are committing these violent acts, Penn said. If we have to work make cases without the victims copperation, then that is what we will do to keep the community safe.

Before the overnight violence, police were investigating incidents which included two homicides, several other shootings and 16 robberies, including two armed robberies.

Penn offered his condolences Friday to local residents who have lost loved ones to this senseless violence.

Since May 31, police have arrested violent offenders, seized 58 guns and brought 157 charges against people related to these crimes, Penn said.

The crimes since late May are unique and not related to each other, Penn said.

The safety of the community is not just a police problem, Penn said. This is a community problem, and it takes the community as a whole to work together to fix this problem.

City residents should call police when you see things, Penn said. We can be more effective in stopping a crime if we know about potential issues before they happen.

The ten people were shot and wounded Friday night into Saturday in southern and southeastern Winston-Salem. Two victims were in critical, but stable condition at a local hospital.

The other victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Police are investigating each shooting.

Another violent crime happened early Wednesday when a Winston-Salem man was robbed and shot in the citys northern section.

After officers responded at 1 a.m. to a reported shooting in the 5100 block of Old Rural Hall Road, they found Emmanuel Christopher Nickerson, 29, suffering from a gunshot wound outside a neighbors home, police said.

Nickerson was taken to a local hospital for treatment of his non-life threatening injuries, police said.

Investigators determined that Nickerson had just come home when he was approached by two suspects, police said. The suspects stole Nickersons vehicle and shot him.

Officers arrested two juveniles Wednesday night in connection with the robbery and shooting of Nickerson, police said.

The incident Wednesday came four days after two people were killed, including a teenager, and three others were shot in separate incidents during a violent Saturday night, June 10, in Winston-Salem.

The shooting deaths of Ethan Alexander Bain, 30, and Trevon Lajean Mitchell, 16, were the 26th and 27th homicides this year compared with 20 homicides during the same period in 2022, police said.

Police Lt. Chris Diamond, a police spokesman, said that investigators havent made any arrests in the two killings, and those cases are not related.

Officers found Bain, 30, of Rural Hall with a gunshot wound at 10:08 p.m. Saturday in a parking lot in the 2700 block of Reynolds Park Road.

Bain was at a party in the area when he became involved in an argument among several people, police said. Bain was shot while he was trying to leave.

About an hour later, police were called to an area near Ashley Crossing and Morgan Circle in the citys southern section after receiving several reports of gunfire and people being shot, police said.

Officers then found Mitchell, who lived in Kernersville, lying in a parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds, police said. Mitchell was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police found his brother, Nassia Lashawn Winfrey, 19, nearby with a gunshot wound to his leg. Winfrey was taken to the hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.

Investigators determined that Mitchell was visiting his brother at a nearby apartment. Mitchell and Winfrey then left to meet someone in a parking lot when gunfire erupted, hitting both brothers.

In addition to the deaths of Mitchell and Bain and the shooting of Winfrey, police were also called to a shooting at 11:19 p.m. Saturday at 2800 block of Patria Street, in the citys southern section.

Officers learned that the victim, Uriel Olmedo Salinas, 20, was taken to Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, where he was in critical condition after being shot in the neck.

Salinas was shot following an argument with another man, police said.

Christopher Flores Mendoza, 18, of South Main Street, was arrested Wednesday and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting serious injury and discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle, inflicting serious injury in connection with the shooting of Salinas, police said Thursday.

Mendoza was being held Friday in the Forsyth County Jail with his bond set at $150,000, police said.

The violence spilled into Sunday when a man showed up at 3 a.m. at Forsyth Medical Center with a gunshot wound to his right leg, police said. A robbery happened 3 hours after the shooting.

Derek Dejuan Anthony, 28, of Fairway Forest Drive, told police that he was at an after-hours party when he was shot.

Police responded at 6:32 a.m. to a reported robbery in a parking lot in an apartment complex in the 5400 block of Shattalon Drive.

When officers arrived, a woman told them that two young men approached her vehicle as she was preparing to leave. The men, who were armed with a gun, then stole the womans vehicle.

No one was injured.

Last Friday, police found the body of Aaron Lee Wood, who had been missing since 2019, at an old horse farm at 400 Everidge Road.

Officers later arrested Kenneth Evan Cox, 48, of Tobaccoville, in connection with the discovery of Woods body.

Woods remains were found at the 13-acre farm, where investigators had searched for five days. Operators of an excavator dug in several areas near a barn on the property.

An autopsy will be done to confirm the remains belong to Wood, 43, and determine his cause of death, Penn said at a news conference at the farm.

Police are treating the case as a homicide.

Wood was working on the property at the time of his death, Penn said, and investigators believe he was killed there.

Cox is charged with concealment of human remains from an unnatural death, police said. Cox was being held Wednesday in the Forsyth County Jail with his bond set at $1 million, the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office said.

Police responded June 4 to a reported shooting at the 1900 block on Francis Street.

Telly Andre Woods, 47, of Francis Street, suffered a gunshot wound to his groin at the 1900 block of Francis Street, police said. Woods was taken to Wake Forest Baptist for treatment for non-life threatening injuries.

The suspected shooter left the area, police said.

Police arrested a Winston-Salem man June 2 in connection with the shooting of another man at a Burger King restaurant.

Santonio Lorenzo McDuffie, 29, of Garfield Avenue, is charged with assault, police said.

The incident occurred around 2 p.m. at the restaurant on 2100 Peters Creek Parkway. An employee hid in the restroom after she heard that someone had a gun.

When officers arrived, they found Adrian Lamont Mcfadden, 27, of Williams Drive, with a gunshot wound to his leg in the restaurants parking lot.

Mcfadden was taken to Baptist, where he was treated for his injuries.

Investigators discovered that McDuffie went to the restaurant to confront McFadden about a previous incident involving the two men. A fight ensued, leading to McFadden being shot.

Winston-Salems recent flurry of violent crimes began during the early morning of May 31 when someone fired shots into a house, injuring a 7-year-old child and a 12-year-old juvenile, police said.

The 7-year-old child was shot twice and was in critical condition after undergoing surgery, police said.

Officers were dispatched to the 1900 block of East 24th Street at 12:15 a.m. to investigate gunshots reported by the citys ShotSpotter detection system.

Officers learned that someone had been shot. When officers arrived at a home on East 24th Street, they found the 7-year-old child who had been shot in the torso and the hand.

The child was taken to a local hospital and into surgery, police said.

The 12-year-old, who was also at the home, was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a hospital and released, police said. It was unclear whether the 12-year-old was shot.

Police didnt identify the victims by their names or their genders.

The shooting didnt appear to be a random act of violence, police said.

The recent violence is unacceptable, Police Capt. Amy Gauldin said.

(The Winston-Salem Police Department) is utilizing all available resources, embracing technology and working collaboratively with various community stakeholders to address this issue and enhance community safety, Gauldin said.

Gauldin is encouraging Winston-Salem residents to use the Text-A-Tip hotline to help the police with these investigations.
Seventeen students graduated Friday from the Winston-Salem Police Departments Youth Citizens Police Academy. The weeklong academy, which is open to middle- and high-school students, aims to improve relations between young people and police. During the academy, students learn about police training and operations as well as community-safety issues.
A wave of violence swept over the city late Friday and into Saturday as 10 people were wounded by gunfire, for reasons known and unknown, at various locations throughout Winston-Salem.

There is no correlation between the shootings, police Lt. R.T. Phillips said.

The first incident happened shortly before 11 p.m. Friday in the 2000 block of Dacian Street. When officers arrived, they found 28-year-old Aaryn Michael Glenn of Salem Springs Court and 32-year-old Antonio Levern Scales of Oak Ridge Drive suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians performed lifesaving measures on Glenn and Scales at the scene. Both men were taken to a local hospital, where they were in critical but stable condition late Friday night.

Investigators determined that Glenn and Scales were standing outside when a car drove by and, for reasons that arent clear, shot them. Glenn was struck in the chest and Scales in his left torso and upper right thigh.

Fast forward to 12:45 a.m. Saturday. Officers responded to 95 Waughtown Street where an argument involving several people erupted into a gun battle. Kimberly Monique Woodard, 23, of Thortons Way, and Artis Denard Johnson, 29, of Zuider Zee Court, were caught in the crossfire.

Woodard and Johnson were taken to a local hospital where they were treated for minor injuries.

Police would then spend the next several hours responding to violent incidents in southern and southeastern Winston-Salem.

At 1:15 a.m., 29-year-old Sedric Samone Myers, of Castletown House Drive, was at a party on High Point Road when a fight broke out. As Myers ran away, he was shot in the arm.

Ten minutes later, 29-year-old Alexis Hernandez, of Stokesdale, suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the chest during an incident in the 800 block of Utah Drive.

Three other gunshot victims arrived at the hospital where Hernandez was being treated  all related to the incident on Utah Drive.

Finally, just before 3 a.m., officers were investigating another shooting at Forsyth Medical Center when a 17-year-old male walked into the emergency room with gunshot wound to his leg.

The juvenile refused to provide investigators with details about how he got shot.
If you are feeling attacked by the North Carolina General Assembly, it is not without precedent.

Our news is filled with stories of actions restricting abortions, needlessly complicating voting, championing book bans, defining what educators can teach, supporting gender-based discrimination, gerrymandering districts and grabbing powers from the governor. Its enough to make you wonder what they consider liberty.

In this season of commencements heralding new beginnings  hopefully good ones  North Carolina seems to be revisiting a historic past we recently acknowledged with some shock but from which, it seems, we learned nothing. At least those in power did not, because they are plotting again to commandeer control of our democracy, finagling power by any means necessary to get their way regardless of what most citizens want. Weve seen this before.

Two years ago, North Carolinians observed the 250th anniversary of the War of the Regulation, when the elites of the General Assembly (yes, same name then) marched with the colonial militia under Royal Gov. William Tryon to punish the poorer and powerless citizens in the backcountry. The victims apparent offense was to petition their government to provide a better regulation of government agents and officials who were stealing from citizens. The wealthy, well-situated plantation owners and merchants of the coastal areas did not appreciate the backcountry farmers criticizing their betters.

Tryon marched the militiamen into the backcountry and defeated the Regulators at the Battle of Alamance on May 16, 1771. Afterward, the real tragedy unfolded for these North Carolinians, who thought they lived in a democracy. Tryon marched west beyond Hillsborough, terrorizing Regulator communities. Tryons men arrested residents, burned fields and homesteads, took horses and seized flour and beeves. Turning north near Salisbury, Tryon and all the leading men of the country marched prisoners to Bethabara and then back to Hillsborough. Tryon hurried through the trials of the prisoners in three days, his judges finding 12 men guilty of treason. On June 19, Tryon publicly hanged six North Carolina citizens.

In a later era after the Civil War, some other politically motivated North Carolinians, regarding themselves as the only true and worthy power, also cut their opposition out of the picture.

In 1870, State Sen. John Walter Stephens of Caswell County was a white man championing the freedoms and rights of the formerly enslaved Black citizens in a state only recently Reconstructed under a Congress wanting to punish the South. Bitterness over loss of the war and power, plus their presumptuous claim to societal privileges, gave rise to militant groups committed to restoring the social order they alone deemed right and proper.

The party of Lincoln and the abolitionists, and by 1870 also the party of the formerly enslaved, held political power in Caswell County and in most of North Carolina during Reconstruction. The party of the defeated white Confederates organized itself politically and held rallies such as one at the courthouse in Yanceyville, on Saturday, May 21, 1870.

While speeches and the rally continued in the courtroom, Sen. Stephens was lured aside for a private conversation. In a secluded room, eight men jumped Stephens and threw a noose around his neck. When Stephens refused to renounce his political views and his support for those causes, the extremists leader said Stephens must die. Two men forced Stephens down on the table while another stabbed him with a knife and then sliced the jugular vein in his neck. Another caught the blood in a bucket. The lifeless body of Sen. Stephens was tossed onto a woodpile in a corner, and the perpetrators returned upstairs, where they joined in the raucous cheers supporting their political opposition to Stephens party. Opposed to a democratic majority, once again a radical and vindictive minority had convinced themselves they were the true government of the state.

Across history, those grabbing power and thinking they know better than the majority have been a menace to American democracy. We could hope for new beginnings of ethical statesmanship in the halls of power in North Carolina, but history reminds us that we have seen unrepentant attacks on our liberty before.
In the fall of 1981, Bruce Springsteen was at his rental house in Colts Neck, New Jersey, writing songs and, often late at night, flipping through the channels to find something to watch on TV.

On one of those nights, Springsteen came across "Badlands," director Terrence Malicks 1973 film loosely based on Charles Starkweathers 1958 killing spree, during which the Lincoln garbageman brought along his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate.

That viewing triggered Springsteen to write a song about Starkweather and Fugate that became the title cut of "Nebraska," what I have long considered to be Springsteens best album.

"Its powerful to me when he steps up and says the same thing," said Warren Zanes, who interviewed Springsteen at length about the album. "At the level of storytelling and creating a voice, a view to go with the stories, he hit new heights with that. The first thing I loved about 'Nebraska' was its defiance  in 1982, that he would release something so against the commerciality and the production of the times. Then I got into the record."

Zanes, whose 80s band The Del Fuegos once shared a stage with Springsteen, used those interviews with Springsteen, his manager Jon Landau, recording engineers, record company executives and musicians like Roseanne Cash, Steve Earle and Dave Alvin to create his enlightening, compellingly readable new book "Deliver Me From Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteens Nebraska."

So, Warren, how did "Starkweather," as it was originally titled, become "Nebraska"?

"That happened when it went from the third person to the first person, when it went from being a song about Charles Starkweather to Bruce Springsteen speaking as Charles Starkweather," Zanes said. "If I was to pick any moment when Nebraska (the album) became Nebraska, it was when he went to the first person in that song.

"In the 70s with James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, songwriting was seen as more confessional. Here was Springsteen speaking from the electric chair. A lot of people involved in the craft of songwriting had this moment, You can do that."

"Nebraska" then became the albums title cut, opening the record of dark, sometimes violent character-rooted songs that, Zanes writes, took Springsteen back to his traumatic childhood growing up in Freehold, New Jersey.

But "Nebraska" didnt come out of any old memory of Springsteens, who would have been 8 years old at the time of Starkweathers killing spree and trial and could have heard of it on television or radio.

"He didnt give any sense of that," Zanes said. "It was really coming to him via Terrence Malicks film."

Thats borne out by the first line of "Nebraska," which replicates one of the first scenes in the movie that starred Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek as characters modeled on Starkweather and Fugate:

I saw her standin on her front lawn just a twirlin her baton/ Me and her went for a ride, sir  and 10 innocent people died.

The songs factual information, however, came from Ninette Beavers 1974 book "Caril," and an out-of-blue conversation with the KMTV reporter who was still working at the Omaha station more than a quarter-century after she covered the killing spree, trials and Fugates imprisonment.

There is another parallel between KMTVs coverage of Starkweather and "Nebraska." The station had just received the film cameras used to cover the case  and record Beavers interview with Fugate  weeks before the killing spree and didnt really know how to use them.

Sitting on the bed in the Colts Neck house, Springsteen recorded the songs hed written on a TEAC 144 4-track recorder, playing acoustic guitar, singing and adding a few instruments and lots of echo to create demo tracks for future band recordings.

But when it came time in mid-1982 to turn the songs from the demo into full E Street Band recordings, it didnt work, at least for the 10 songs released as "Nebraska."

"Its hard to get back to the place where you dont know as much," Zanes said. "By bringing the 4-track into his bedroom, he was creating that kind of content, making content before there were rules on how to create it.

"Early rock n roll, thats what we hear when we hear Elvis and Little Richard, its the sound of people who didnt know what they were doing and it was compelling. He didnt know how to use the 4-track, like the Omaha news crew didnt know how to use the cameras."

The cassette contained not only the tracks that became "Nebraska" but some of the songs that turned into "Born in the U.S.A.," the 1984 album that propelled Springsteen to iconic superstardom.

Those songs, like "Working on the Highway" and "Downbound Train" were recorded at the sessions that aimed to translate the "Nebraska" songs into the full band recordings. They were added to recordings of "Cover Me" and "Born in the U.S.A" and four other songs that didnt come from Colts Neck.

"I knew there was some overlap, I didnt know how much," Zanes said. "The first record came out in 1982, the second in 1984. So they made one, then a couple years later they made the other. Why wouldnt they have done that?

"Art is sloppy. Songs dont come out when you want them to. Recording doesnt work when you want it to. Thank God for that. 'Nebraska' wasnt released yet and Bruce had two-thirds of Born in the U.S.A. on the shelf. Thats wild."

The two albums occurred because Springsteen was determined to release the Colts Neck songs, which he carried around with him on the cheap cassette with no case.

"Theres every chance that Bruce Springsteen could have sat down the wrong way and crushed his next record," Zanes said.

After multiple efforts to get more professionally recorded versions of the songs, the decision was made to release "Nebraska" from the recordings on the cassette, which had been mixed on a water-damaged boombox.

That created a technological challenge to get the recordings off the cassette and make them sound "right."

"I imagine a corporate boardroom, with Springsteen, Jon Landau, (Columbia Records executives) Walter Yetnikoff and Al Teller and the E Street Band guys," Zanes said. "Theyre all standing around the edges of the table. In the middle of it is this cassette and nobody can figure this thing out, this rickety technology. ... To me, its become a symbol of when the analog era bumped up against the digital era."

"Deliver Me From Nowhere" serves as something of a supplement to "Born to Run," Springsteens best-selling 2016 memoir.

"I couldnt have done this book without him first writing his memoir," Zanes said. "He cut a door in the wall for me to walk through. 'Nebraska' comes and goes pretty fast (in the Born to Run book). Then it was that trip west and he bravely talks about having a breakdown. Then theres a gap and 'Born in the U.S.A.'

"That is where my book comes in. I didnt want to make it causal. But (I wanted) to look at what was destabilizing around Nebraska and what he would do before he became the Bruce of Born in the U.S.A.' Those two albums came at more or less the same time, but the Bruce Springsteen of those records didnt."

"Deliver Me From Nowhere" has received strong reviews. It will stand as an indispensable resource to understand Springsteen, and his music, all of which falls between "Nebraska" and "Born in the U.S.A."

But its also had another, surprising reward for Zanes.

"Writing books about music, the best outcome is that it pushes the reader back to the record," he said. "The book is in service to the music. I dont have a lot of contact with Bruce Springsteen. But he sent me a text, hed seen a piece I wrote for The New York Times, saying I went back and I listened to "Nebraska" from top to bottom.

"It was a great moment for me, to think that, for the guy who made it, it put it back in his head. Music is so mysterious; the maker can go back 40 years later and have questions about it."

"Deliver Me From Nowhere" has, however, another message to convey beyond filling in the history of "Nebraska" and turning readers back to Springsteen's best work.

"Today, my favorite thing (about the book) is for so many people to remember that music doesnt have to be perfectly played, be in perfect pitch and recorded perfectly to have a full life," Zanes said. "It should be a story that makes people go, I can go make a record with what Ive got on my laptop and nobodys going to stop me.

"Nebraska is sitting there saying, if youve got the right song and you sing it with real intention behind it, its going to go well. That message matters and I think it always will."

Bruce Springsteen's biggest Billboard hits The Boss' hits #26. 'Devils & Dust' #25. 'Working on a Dream' #24. 'Girls In Their Summer Clothes' #23. 'Tenth Avenue Freeze-out' #22. '57 Channels (and Nothin' On)' #21. 'Badlands' #20. 'Fire' #19. 'Prove It All Night' #18. 'Born to Run' #17. 'The Rising' #16. 'War' #15. 'Fade Away' #14. 'I'm Goin' Down' #13. 'My Hometown' #12. 'One Step Up' #11. 'Brilliant Disguise' #10. 'Tunnel of Love' #9. 'Human Touch/Better Days' #8. 'Born in the USA' #7. 'Glory Days' #6. 'Hungry Heart' #5. 'Cover Me' #4. 'I'm on Fire' #3. 'Streets of Philadelphia' (from 'Philadelphia') #2. 'Dancing in the Dark' #1. 'Secret Garden'
Lisa Bennett is no stranger to the impact Alzheimers and dementia have on family communications. She cared for her 93-year-old mother, who recently passed from Alzheimers disease. One of her sisters has Lewy body dementia, and many of her distant relatives live with Alzheimers.

When asked what the key is to communicate with loved ones with the disease, Bennett offers one essential reminder  meet them where theyre at.

If they say the sky is purple, then its purple, she said. Focus on helping them feel capable. If they go backward, go along but redirect them with positive memories from their past. Try to bring up past memories or their favorite activities from those times, like sledding or baking together.

For people living with Alzheimers, changes in communication vary and are based on the person and how far along they have progressed in the disease. Issues you can expect to see throughout the disease progression include difficulty finding the right words, easily losing a train of thought, difficulty organizing words logically, and relying on gestures more than speaking.

When it comes to ensuring you can meet your family member where they are, consider the following 12 tips:

1. Face them when you talk.

2. Speak with a smile.

3. Adjust the tone of your voice.

4. Slow down your speech.

5. Use simple language they understand.

6. Be clear and concise.

7. Let them set the pace of the conversation.

8. Give them time to think it through.

9. Allow them to get their thoughts out.

10. Do not interrupt them.

11. Repeat or rephrase information if asked.

12. Avoid insistence and try again later if needed.

In group settings when the environment can be lively and crowded, it can be overwhelming to an individual living with Alzheimers and dementia. It is important to know that you cant control memory loss. As Bennett said, You can only control your reaction to it. She recommends planning ahead.

Loud noise can fluster your family with Alzheimers and dementia, she said. If possible, try to turn lively settings into an activity for them. With my mom, wed have family story time, and my father-in-law loved it when we sang Johnny Cash.

Bennett shared other tips. For example, if they express a desire to go home, you can often put them in a quieter area for comfort, and always remember to keep visits short and manageable. But overall, know your loved ones reactions. My mother rubs her leg when she gets anxious. My sister paces. Know their triggers and find what calms them. It can be as simple as wanting to sit by their person.

While family history has provided Bennett with extensive experience communicating effectively with her loved ones, she also found support at the Alzheimers Association. She credited the free classes and support groups with where she is today.

I had to learn, she said. The care and support services have been so vital for my family. Dont be afraid to ask for help.

Care and support services

The Alzheimers Association Helpline is available to individuals and families 24/7 for around-the-clock care and support, resource and dementia information, speaking with a dementia expert or setting up care consultations: 1-800-272-3900.

The Nebraska chapter provides no-charge support, education/classes, support groups, training and other resources. For more information and to register for upcoming classes and support groups, visit alz.org/Nebraska or call 1-800-272-3900.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Child, Youth and Family Studies Department, in partnership with Nebraska AARP, the Nebraska Brain Injury Alliance and the Nebraska Caregiver Coalition, will host a public in-person screening of Unseen: How Were Failing Parent Caregivers and Why It Matters, Wednesday, June 28, from 6-8 p.m. at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N. 13th St.

This new documentary takes a candid look at the challenges of parent caregivers. Although the film follows the experiences of caregiving for a child with a disability, a panel discussion with local professionals and family caregivers after viewing the documentary will highlight the challenges for family caregivers in general.

Panelists will include:

Dr. Natalie Williams, translational research director of health psychology at the Institute for Rehabilitation Science and Engineering with Madonna Rehabilitation;

Terra Spiehs, Garst, mother of two children with complex developmental disabilities;

Gayleen Bradley, administrator at Orchard Park Assisted Living;

Dr. Julie Masters, professor and Terry Haney chair of Gerontology at UN-Omaha; and

Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln, District 27.

Tickets are free and required. Register at https://theross.org/events/unseen. For more information, email Sarah Rasby at srasby2@unl.edu.
Sometimes all it takes to try something new is the encouragement of a friend. Just ask two new cast members in Angels Theatre Companys First 
Behlen Mfg. Co., a manufacturer of metal products headquartered in Columbus, announced Friday it will close its Omaha facility as part of a strategic restructuring plan.

Assets from Behlen Technology & Manufacturing, 3838 S. 108th St., will be relocated to the companys Columbus facility, where the business will be consolidated with Behlen Custom Fabrication, according to a press release from the company. Employees of the Omaha facility are being given the option of transferring to Columbus.

The release says that the decision to close the Omaha facility comes in response to external factors that have necessitated a comprehensive evaluation of their product portfolio and manufacturing operations.

This consolidation will enable Behlen to enhance efficiencies, foster innovation, and maintain its high standard of customer service, the release said.

Once the Omaha locations assets are relocated to Columbus, the Omaha facility will either be re-purposed or sold, according to the release.

Todays announcement increases our focus on growing the Behlen Country, Behlen Building Systems, and Behlen International & Diversified Products business units, Tom Boal, CEO & president of Behlen Mfg. Co., said in the release. This will position us to remain competitive in fluctuating economic environments.

States where small businesses have the highest rates of survival States where small businesses have the highest rates of survival States in the Midwest had the highest 10-year survival rates
For five years in the late 1970s  Phil Ruhlman's formative years, you might say  he was a bartender at Misty's, the Havelock institution.

Ruhlman watched  and learned  as Bob Milton ran the iconic steakhouse, dreaming that someday he might follow the same path.

"I've always wanted to own my own steakhouse," said Ruhlman, the retired Gallup executive who now lives just north of Ashland in Sandy Point. "I'd want to run it the way that Bob Milton did it at Misty's  at the front door every night greeting people."

What started off as a way to accomplish that dream grew a whole lot bigger on Friday when a deal was finalized for he and two of his brothers  Matthew and Mark, one a contractor and the other in real estate  to buy 6 acres of land in downtown Ashland.

Oxbow Crossing, located at U.S. 6 and Silver Street, will feature a number of projects, including a 5,300-square-foot Bryan Health Physicians Network care center, an event center, a Runza drive-thru location, a meat market and  yes  Ruhlman's Steakhouse.

In addition, 48 apartment units will also be built by Red Line Development of Omaha.

Of the 19,000 square feet earmarked for retail, all but about 1,300 square feet have been spoken for, Ruhlman said.

"It kind of gives Ashland a new front door  a different front door," Phil Ruhlman said.

Oxbow Crossing doesn't come without its share of challenges  navigating water pipes that run from the Platte River near the project en route to Lincoln was a chief concern  or necessary cooperation from multiple municipalities.

"It took a lot of coordination," said Peter Hind, an architect at Lincoln-based Schemmer who said the large water pipes required some architectural finesse. "... We had to stay out of their easement completely."

There is at least 20 feet between the water pipes and each building, Hind said, mitigating any danger of flooding or other water damage.

"That was the beautiful thing of working with the city of Lincoln water department and really making sure that everybody, all of our contractors, understand exactly what we're doing."

Mark Ruhlman, a longtime commercial real estate agent now in Fort Collins, Colorado, worked with Lincoln attorney Kent Seacrest to arrange tax-increment financing for one of the few times in the city of Ashland's history, while also getting the industrial land rezoned.

But the project couldn't be finalized until one remaining homeowner agreed to sell her house to the Ruhlmans.

That deal wasn't completed until Matthew Ruhlman, the contractor in the family, built her a new house in Ashland and the Ruhlman family paid all expenses, including the move.

"We were able to take down that house," Mark Ruhlman said. "That was one of the last obstacles. Other people wanted that land, but she wasn't selling because she had nowhere else to go and live."

The city of Ashland, population 3,186, has had a renaissance of sorts in its downtown area in recent years, says Caleb Fjone, economic development director, adding that projects like Oxbow Crossing only add to that momentum.

"The city is excited about it. We're excited about it," he said. "This is going to enhance our whole town."

Ten years ago, getting a Runza there would have been a big deal. Today, it's Runza that will be celebrating its 91st store.

Ashland is a thriving community, and we are pleased to be part of the growth," said Donald Everett Jr., Runza's president, in a written statement.

Bryan Health expanding to Ashland fills a void in a place Fjone calls a "health care desert."

"The nearest ones are 30 minutes in any direction," he said, pointing toward Saunders County Medical Center in Wahoo to the north, Lincoln to the west and Omaha to the east. "It makes logical sense for Ashland to be adding this kind of facility."

It makes sense for Bryan Health, too, says Joe Mangiameli, president of the Bryan Physician Network.

"We are excited to bring Bryans trusted primary care to Ashland," Mangiameli said. "The Ruhlmans' vision of the Crossing made this such an easy decision."

Top Journal Star photos for June 2023
Vanessa Martinez was finishing preparations for her daughter's second birthday in September 2021 when her ex-boyfriend broke into her Mesa, Arizona, condo and shot her in the head as she frantically tried to shield their three young children.

Doctors had to remove a third of her skull, but Martinez survived.

She left the hospital facing a fight for custody of her kids, who'd been placed in state care after the attack. She needed a new place to live after much of the house was damaged in a standoff between police and her shooter. Her 4-year-old son needed trauma counseling.

Arizona has a state safety net  local victim compensation programs  for victims of violent attacks like Martinez. But she was denied help because she was behind on about $900 in court fines from unrelated incidents, including one dating back nearly a decade. Program officials told Martinez she could reapply if she got current with a payment plan, but every dollar she made was needed for things like finding a place to live, work scrubs for her home-care job, after-school day care  and the list grows.

Across the country, victims like Martinez are using their stories to advocate for changes to state victim compensation programs, where thousands of crime survivors turn for help with medical bills, relocation, funerals or other expenses. The programs disburse millions of dollars each year, but The Associated Press found racial inequities and other barriers in how claims are denied in many states.

Crime survivors have organized rallies, testified at legislatures and met with dozens of lawmakers  with much success.

Legislatures in more than half of U.S. states have passed measures to improve their programs in recent years. The changes vary widely: A victim's criminal history is no longer an automatic disqualifier in Illinois. The time limit to apply for help was increased from three to seven years in California. In Michigan, the cap on aid will nearly double to $45,000 this year and more people like caretakers of victims will be eligible for survivor benefits.

States have cut back on their denials to families based on the behavior of homicide victims and loosened requirements that crime victims must have cooperated with or reported the crime to police.

In Ohio, denials are no longer automatic for crime victims who have felony convictions or for surviving family if a murder victim had drugs in their system. Those reasons were used to deny help for a handful of victims in the 2019 mass shooting at a Dayton bar where nine people were killed and 17 others were wounded.

Dion Green was at the bar that night with his father, Derrick Fudge, who was killed. Green helped fight for the changes to Ohio's program after being denied help because his father had an almost 10-year-old felony conviction.

"I told them that I miss my father everyday, but the survivors, the people left here, are the ones still moving through their pain," Green said.

Changes have incrementally rolled through states over decades as more is learned about victimization. Mental health treatment wasn't a commonly covered expense when the programs started in the 1960s and 1970s, but now is widely covered. Pennsylvania passed a law to allow eligible victims access to counseling whether or not the program determined the victim contributed to their own victimization.

Sometimes, however, change runs up against institutional inertia.

Nevada doesn't require sexual assault victims to go to police as long as they report the crime to nurses or other health professionals. But a 2021 federal audit found 175 claims from those victims had been denied over a five-year period because of missing or incomplete police reports.

Nevada retrained staff after the audit, and revised the denials notifications sent to victims. Program officials confirmed that as of early 2023, none of those denied claims had been reopened. They declined an interview request from the AP.

"The consensus has been that the potential re-traumatization to victims of sexual assault is too great of a risk in contacting victims regarding their claims," program spokeswoman, Karla Delgado wrote in an emailed response.

In Ohio, Green recently helped a woman who had lost her children's father to gun violence start the compensation process by contacting a county representative. The woman was initially turned away because the victim had a previous felony record. Green helped her inform the official of the 2021 law change.

"It's the awareness part. People inside and outside the program need to know," Green said.

Christelle Perez sought an immediate attitude shift among staff when she took over as chief of the Illinois Crime Victims Compensation Bureau in May 2021. She wanted to stop decades of autopilot denials from holding up recently passed reforms.

"There was this culture of, 'How can we deny a claim?' because that's what the staff were instructed to do," Perez said. "I met with the staff and I told them that we are a service organization and it is our job to serve."

A similar mission realignment happened when New York's program changed from a five-member board that made inconsistent and sometimes subjective decisions to a division where staff received uniform training on how to decide claims. Elizabeth Cronin took over as executive director of the division in 2013  a few years after the shift  and has pushed to make sure the program operates equitably.

"My top priority was to identify marginalized communities, underserved communities and spend more time out in the community to find out what we aren't seeing and why we aren't seeing it," Cronin said.

Lenore Anderson, president and co-founder of the Alliance for Safety and Justice, which organizes victims to advocate for criminal justice reforms, has pushed program administrators for years to shift their focus from eligibility requirements to victim needs.

"It feels so obvious that the very least we can do when someone is hurt by crime and violence is ask, 'What do you need?' And the fact that that is completely counter to how these bureaucratic systems operate is shocking," she said.

Anderson said she's seen signs of change at the federal level, where the Justice Department's U.S. Office for Victims of Crime provides state programs with matching dollars that are tied to some regulations and a set of suggested guidelines. In a 2021 memo to state programs, the office encouraged states to add exceptions to police cooperation requirements.

Some victims advocates want the federal office to mandate changes to all programs as a condition for receiving federal funds to address the piecemeal map of state programs that dole out inconsistent decisions.

The office is in the process of overhauling compensation guidelines for the first time since 2001, with an "emphasis on equity and addressing programmatic barriers," according to an emailed statement from the department. But it's unclear how much of that new guidance will be mandatory. Green, part of an advocates committee giving input on those changes, said he's pushed the agency not only to take down existing barriers but mandate that states increase public awareness of their compensation programs.

At the state level, hundreds of advocacy organizations are working for reforms, and with more than 100,000 members, Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice is one of the largest. Bernice "Tammi" Ringo is one of those members.

After a lifetime living around Detroit, Ringo had plans to move to Alabama with her 23-year-old son Natalian to get him away from the crime she had feared most of his life. Those plans were shattered in 2019, when Natalian was fatally shot while sitting in his parked car in an enclave of Detroit.

Ringo applied for funeral and counseling aid. She was denied because the program said she could rely on life insurance instead. She appealed, and while the program overturned its initial decision, it denied her again, saying her son had committed misconduct related to his own murder. The state commission provided no details, Ringo said, and Highland Park police were little help.

Overwhelmed with grief, Ringo, 64, later spoke before the Michigan Legislature about the trauma of being told her son had somehow caused his murder.

"They put me through more hell," she said of the program denial. "I'm heavily involved because I couldn't leave and go to Alabama and take my son with me and  just start a new life."

After she and other victims testified, Michigan lawmakers passed legislation, set to go into effect in August, that makes numerous changes, including increasing money available to victims, eliminating police reporting deadlines and increasing eligibility.

Data are not available for the handful of states that passed recent sweeping reforms. But New Jersey, which overhauled its program rules in 2020, saw an immediate change.

In 2018 and 2019, Black victims accounted for about 44% of applications but received nearly 60% of the denials, according to data obtained by the AP. After the overhaul, that disparity dwindled, and by 2021 it had disappeared.

Martinez hopes that speaking at rallies supporting a bill that would fund a pilot trauma-recovery center in Arizona will lead to more people getting help. The model moves money to victims faster and has fewer restrictions, like those that disqualified Martinez.

"I didn't really get any time to heal even emotionally from what happened," Martinez said. "But I really feel like this is my life's mission to get this changed."

Cities with the fastest 'time-to-crime' rates for firearms Cities with the fastest 'time-to-crime' rates for firearms #40. New York City #39. Baltimore #38. San Jose, California #37. San Diego #36. Los Angeles #35. San Bernardino, California #34. Jacksonville, Florida #33. Tampa, Florida #32. Chattanooga, Tennessee #31. Wichita, Kansas #30. Tulsa, Oklahoma #29. Winston-Salem, North Carolina #28. New Orleans #27. Orlando, Florida #26. Chicago #25. Dayton, Ohio #24. Cincinnati #23. Miami #22. Indianapolis #21. Charlotte, North Carolina #20. Baton Rouge, Louisiana #19. Louisville, Kentucky #18. Las Vegas #17. Columbus, Ohio #16. Dallas #15. San Antonio #14. Philadelphia #13. Houston #12. Cleveland #11. Huntsville, Alabama #10. Mobile, Alabama #9. Milwaukee #8. Atlanta #7. Shreveport, Louisiana #6. Memphis, Tennessee #5. St. Louis #4. Phoenix #3. Columbia, South Carolina #2. Detroit #1. Richmond, Virginia
GREENVILLE, S.C.  As Ron DeSantis wrapped up a 12-stop campaign tour that began in an Iowa evangelical church and ended in a South Carolina convention center, dozens of pastors met backstage to pray for the presidential candidate. Later, to the 1,500 people in the auditorium, DeSantis closed out his speech with a paraphrased Bible verse: I will fight the good fight, I will finish the race, and I will keep the faith.

The governors religious rhetoric and hard-charging policies are at the center of his outreach to white evangelicals  an important voting bloc in the early GOP nominating contests. When it comes to his own Catholicism, DeSantis is more guarded, rarely mentioning his specific faith practices.

I dont think hes a wear-your-religion-on-your-sleeve kind of guy, said Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote, a conservative advocacy organization that hosted a fall rally for DeSantis.

Burch argue DeSantis policies are the true measure of his faith, from Floridas six-week abortion ban to a spate of laws targeting LGBTQ+ rights: Perhaps a good Scripture reference that may describe him is, By their fruits you shall know them.

DeSantis officially entered the race last month and is the leading alternative to former President Donald Trump. If the Florida governor captures the Republican nomination and takes on Joe Biden, two Catholic presidential candidates will face off for the first time in U.S. history.

Both have publicly clashed with Catholic bishops: DeSantis over immigration and the death penalty; Biden over abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. The current president, though, speaks often about being Catholic. He is known to wear a rosary and is regularly photographed attending Mass  in contrast to DeSantis, who is intensely private.

Hes nominally Catholic, according to a New York Times essay from the conservative writer Nate Hochman, who later joined the DeSantis campaign. Last year, Hochman wrote that DeSantis is politically friendly to conservative Christians. But he rarely discusses his religion publicly and almost never in the context of politics.

The campaign did not respond directly to questions about Hochmans essay or where the DeSantises go to church. A spokesperson for Never Back Down, the DeSantis super PAC, did not have information about his current church attendance.

Maria Sullivan, a DeSantis supporter, remembers worshipping regularly with DeSantis and his wife at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church when they lived in Northeast Florida. Hes a very low-key man, not looking for attention, just there with his family, she said.

Sullivan said she attended the baptism of DeSantis older daughter at the church. The parish also was a polling place in 2018 and where DeSantis cast his own ballot when he was first elected governor.

DeSantis grew up Catholic. He attended Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Dunedin, Florida, and his political memoir says he was expected at church every Sunday. His mother counts a nun and a priest among her siblings.

Its during the rare instances when DeSantis talks about trials that he gives his most revealing faith responses. He has spoken of the power of prayer in helping his family through his wifes breast-cancer diagnosis. In March, he agreed with the journalist Piers Morgan when asked if he leaned on his faith after his sisters death.

You start to question things that are unjust, like Why did this have to happen? DeSantis said. You just have to have faith that theres a plan in place, trust in God, theres no guarantee that youre going to have a life without challenges and without heartbreak.

In his stump speeches, though, DeSantis sticks to general God-and-country fare, occasionally referencing the Bible and often in ways bolstering his fighter persona, such as telling audiences to put on the full armor of God.

He deals in vague platitudes about faith  and he very much downplays his Catholicism, said Cary McMullen, the former religion editor of The Ledger in Lakeland, Florida.

In 1960, when anti-Catholic sentiment was more prevalent, then-candidate John F. Kennedy gave a landmark speech to a group of Protestant ministers, pledging he would not take orders from the Catholic Church if elected. DeSantis has already defied the Catholic hierarchy on policy.

In 2022, DeSantis attended Mass and met with most of Floridas bishops, who urged him to reconsider his objection to unaccompanied minors, which the Catholic Church cares for in one of its Florida shelters.

It was a frank exchange, said Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski, the highest-ranking Catholic official in Florida.

No political party is totally consistent with the gamut of our Catholic interests, Wenski said.

Biden makes a bigger deal of his Catholicism than DeSantis does, Wenski added, noting that it gives all us bishops heartburn because of his radical abortion stance.

After the Greenville rally, a group of four friends and former Trump supporters said DeSantis won them over.

Hes more palatable, said Tom OShields from Easley, S.C. Mr. DeSantis seems to have what those Christian voters are going to want without the baggage of Mr. Trump.

The 2024 presidential field, in the order they've announced Donald Trump, Republican Nikki Haley, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican Marianne Williamson, Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Democrat Larry Elder, Republican President Joe Biden, Democrat Asa Hutchinson, Republican Tim Scott, Republican Ron DeSantis, Republican Mike Pence, Republican Chris Christie, Republican Doug Burgum, Republican Francis Suarez, Republican Will Hurd, Republican
From alcohol to cigarettes, most adults have tried some form of recreational drug. Fewer people have experimented with prescription medication for recreational reasons, but certain areas of the country are experiencing a serious problem with opoid addiction. Other drugs like cocaine and LSD, are used sporadically among adults in the U.S.

Using data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive, the experts at HealthGrove, a health data site, ranked the 25 most commonly used recreational drugs. The substances are ordered by the increasing percentage of people age 12 and over who used the drug recreationally in 2015. In the case of a tie, the drug with a higher classification by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is ranked higher.

To collect this data, SAMHDA conducts the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in which they record use of illicit drugs, alcohol and tobacco in the U.S. population aged 12 or older. It is important to note that this data only includes recreational use of drugs, not proper medical use.

Drugs that are legal, alcohol and tobacco, have the highest recreational use. According to the survey, nearly one in five people over the age of 12 also used marijuana in 2015. As the drug becomes legal in more states, recreational use is likely to increase. Other Schedule I drugs (drugs determined to have no medical benefit by the DEA) including heroin and DMT had a recreational prevalence rate of less than 1 percent in 2015.

Note: Not all images in slideshow depict the exact drugs.
A former Nebraska State Patrol trooper was found guilty earlier this month of sexually assaulting a child in Douglas County, marking his third conviction for child sex crimes in the past year.

Brandon Dolezal, 26, is already serving significant prison time for child sex crime convictions  including child pornography, enticement and sexual assault  out of Sarpy and Scotts Bluff Counties.

In Douglas County, Dolezal initially faced six counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child and one count of child enticement. He pleaded no contest to two of the sexual assault charges and prosecutors dismissed the remaining counts. The charges stem from a 2022 incident in which Dolezal picked up a 15-year-old girl from Skutt Catholic High School and sexually assaulted her.

According to an affidavit, officers were called to Skutt to investigate a report of a missing student on Oct. 28, 2022. Officers were told that the 15-year-old girl had gotten into a pickup truck and left the area with a man, later identified as Dolezal.

The pickup returned to the schools parking lot, and a school administrator stopped Dolezal from leaving until police could arrive. Dolezal initially told officers that he was 18 years old and a senior at Millard West High School, according to a police report.

The girl told police that Dolezal had sexually assaulted her in the truck. She said they had been communicating through the social media app Snapchat and that he knew she was only 15 years old.

Dolezal had been placed on administrative leave from the Nebraska State Patrol in February 2021 after officials learned of investigations into his behavior. He was fired in March, and the first criminal charges were brought against him in Scotts Bluff County in May.

At the time of the Douglas County offense, Dolezal was out on bail for the Scotts Bluff County case related to child enticement and child pornography. He was convicted late last year on two counts of attempted enticement and four counts of possessing child pornography, and was sentenced in April to 40 to 56 years in prison.

Dolezal has also been convicted of first-degree sexual assault of a child for the rape of a 13-year-old girl in Sarpy County. He was sentenced in March to 20 to 40 years in prison for that offense.

Dolezal will be sentenced for the Douglas County assault in August. He faces a minimum of 20 years in prison and a maximum of life, in addition to the 60- to 96-year sentences he is already serving.
RACINE  The Racine Unified School District Board appears supportive of plans to build a new county juvenile detention center intended to offer full days of school.

During a May 15 meeting, RUSD Board members voiced encouragement for the Racine County Youth Development and Care Center, which county officials say will focus on mental health and education instead of punishment.

Im very excited to have the prospect of this building in our county, board member Theresa Villar said.

Board member Brian OConnell expressed enthusiasm as well.

I see this as a positive, OConnell said. While the details remain to be worked out, Im very encouraged.

The county intends to open the Youth Development and Care Center in January 2025.

The Youth Development and Care Center is estimated to cost $45 million. It will be located on a 29-acre parcel in Caledonia near the northeast corner of the Batten International Airport, 3239 N. Green Bay Road, along 3 Mile Road. The parcel has a large pond and wooded area to act as a buffer between the facility and nearby residential areas.

The development and care center will replace the youth detention center on the fourth floor of the Racine County Dennis Kornwolf Service Center, 1717 Taylor Ave.

It will have 48 beds for young people from Racine, Kenosha, Waukesha, Manitowoc and Washington counties. According to Hope Otto, Racine County human services director, the current youth detention center has 121 beds.

The new building will be a Type 2 juvenile facility. Type 1 facilities closely resemble prisons.

The new center is designed to have full school days with four classrooms and two industry and life skills classrooms, among other amenities. Otto said there will be a maximum of eight students per classroom.

The RUSD Board did not take any action regarding the center during its May 15 meeting, but county officials had requests that the board might consider at a future meeting.

They asked for four full-time teachers, one part-time gym teacher and career-focused courses similar to the Academies of Racine model at Case, Horlick and Park high schools.

We are hoping to be able to build upon the great work of your academies, Otto said.

County officials said RUSD community connectors, some of whom work at the juvenile detention facility on Taylor, will continue working at the new center.

According to the county presentation, 95% of youth in Racine County juvenile detention from 2018-22 lived in RUSD boundaries.

County Executive Jonathan Delagrave asked the RUSD Board to view the new development and care center like any other school in the district, because its that important.

Otto stressed the need for more learning space and time than the Taylor building can provide. She said there are quality courses at the juvenile detention center, but the facility is a very antiquated and old building that isnt conducive for programming.

The current building has limited education hours and only one classroom, which is absolutely insufficient, Otto said.

Board member Ally Docksey asked if teachers at the new youth center will need any unique skills.

Delagrave replied that enthusiasm and a willingness to work with children can make all the difference in the world to our youth.

What really makes a successful teacher in our secure youth center is their personality, maybe even more so than their educational background, Delagrave said.

Like Villar and OConnell, Docksey appeared receptive to the plans.

The facility looks like its going to be pretty fantastic and a much more welcoming environment for kids to hopefully be able to make some progress, Docksey said.

States with the highest number of college graduates living in poverty States with the highest number of college graduates living in poverty #51. New Hampshire #50. Minnesota #49. Virginia #48. North Dakota #47. Maryland #46. Nebraska #45. Iowa #44. Wisconsin #43. Connecticut #42. Indiana #41. Missouri #40. New Jersey #38. Kansas #37. Colorado #36. Alaska #35. Rhode Island #34. Michigan #33. Massachusetts #32. Pennsylvania #31. South Carolina #30. North Carolina #29. Washington #28. Ohio #27. Vermont #26. Kentucky #25. South Dakota #24. Tennessee #23. Georgia #22. Delaware #21. Idaho #20. Utah #19. Texas #18. Montana #17. Illinois #16. West Virginia #15. Maine #14. Arkansas #13. Oklahoma #12. Arizona #11. Alabama #10. California #9. Mississippi #8. Oregon #7. New York #6. Louisiana #5. Florida #4. Hawaii #3. Wyoming #2. New Mexico #1. Nevada
TOWN OF WATERFORD  Talks aimed at restoring relations between neighboring communities have produced a new proposed border agreement between the Town and the Village of Waterford.

Village officials are offering to ease the burden of annexation by sharing revenue and also to relax controls on land usage in the town, as part of a deal presented this week to their town counterparts.

Town supervisors are welcoming the proposal as a starting point in negotiations seeking to resolve longstanding acrimony between the two municipalities.

Waterford Town Board members want to hold a joint meeting with the Waterford Village Board to discuss the border deal.

I think its a starting point, Town Supervisor Robert Ulander said. Its moving forward  where it ends up, anybody knows.

The town of 6,500 people and village of 5,500 people have been sparring for years, mostly over the villages occasional annexation of town territory. Earlier this year, the village annexed a 65-acre farm whose owners needed the villages municipal services to entice developers to purchase the property.

Two years ago, the town lost a hard-fought campaign to incorporate as the new Village of Tichigan, which would have fortified the towns authority to block unwanted annexations. Village of Waterford leaders actively opposed the incorporation, and state regulators denied the towns petition to upgrade to a village.

Since then, the two sides have signaled a desire to stop squabbling and to find common ground as neighbors.

Village ambulance service returned to the town last fall under a deal designed to improve public safety in the region.

Town Chairman Tom Hincz, the main architect of the failed incorporation bid, then stepped down this spring. His successor, Teri Jendusa Nicolai, has reached out to village leaders to renew border agreement talks.

Village President Don Houston said the discussions with Nicolai have resulted in encouraging signs for a cooperative relationship. Noting that the new proposed boundary agreement is similar to past proposals from the village, Houston said he is willing to negotiate.

I look forward to working with the town, he said. Why wouldnt we?

The terms of the deal, as presented in a memo Monday from Village Administrator Zeke Jackson, include the village agreeing to share revenue with the town to compensate for losses from annexations. The village also proposes a blended street map to prevent service gaps, and an annexation plan to avoid awkward islands of town territory.

In addition, the village is offering to drop controls implemented in 2022 that prohibit the town from subdividing any parcel that is less than 20 acres in size.

If the town pursues any new incorporation effort, the boundary deal would be terminated.

Town Board members discussed the proposal Monday and decided to seek a joint meeting with the Village Board.

Town Supervisor Doug Schwartz said he wants to hear more details of the island annexation and the street plan. Schwartz said he is encouraged that discussions have reached the point where specific terms of an agreement are being shared.

We need to work together, he said of the two municipalities. It doesnt help anybody if were feuding.

Town Supervisor Tim Szeklinski said he recognizes some of the language from past village proposals. Szeklinski agreed that meeting and discussing details together would be a positive next step toward making a deal.

Its going to take time, he said. Its not going to happen overnight.

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By Lee Williams. June 15, 2023

House Republicans tried to stop the massive overreach by unelected bureaucrats at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who turned more than 40 million law-abiding Americans into felons overnight, but the normal operation of our Constitutional Republic has been perverted by a doddering old buffoon who would rather rule by imperial decree than submit to the normal checks, balances and separation of powers, which have proven so effective for nearly two-and-a-half centuries.

This week, the House passed H.J. Res. 44, which should have sent a strong warning to the Biden-Harris administration that Congress makes law, not ATF or the Executive Branch. The joint resolution would overturn ATFs final rule, Factoring Criteria for Firearms With Attached Stabilizing Braces, which was published in January. ATFs rule requires anyone who owns a pistol brace to permanently install a longer barrel, remove and discard the brace, turn it in to ATF, destroy the brace or register it under the National Firearms Act. Those who fail to comply risk federal felony charges.

Kudos to Congressmen Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) and Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) for sponsoring the joint resolution, but on Monday the White House announced that Biden would use his veto pen if it ever reached his desk, and a brief glimmer of hope for 40 million Americans disappeared.

For more than a decade the ATF had no problems with pistol braces, and issued several official letters stating that braced pistols were not short-barrel rifles and did not need to be registered under the NFA. But after Biden was elected, the ATF changed its mind, of course.

What were left with is an unconstitutional mechanism whereby ATF can now criminalize any firearm or accessory they want  even those in common usage  and Biden will block Congress from stopping the overreach [...] .....
1. Yes. Voters across the city filled the seat in the first place. Voters should decide again.

2. Yes. An election is much preferable to back-room decisions among council members.

3. No. The charter calls for the council to fill the vacancy by appointment. Follow the rules.

4. No. An election would be expensive, both for the city and for the potential candidates.

5. Unsure. An election seems more transparent, but its not the perfect answer.

Vote

View Results
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin attend the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding and joint news conference at the State Department in Washington, U.S. Feb. 3. Reuters-Yonhap



U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday supported South Korea's efforts to improve its relationship with Beijing in a phone conversation with his counterpart held ahead of his visit to Beijing this weekend, Seoul's foreign ministry said.



South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Blinken held a phone conversation earlier in the day and touched on various topics, ranging from Seoul's ties with Washington and Beijing to Beijing's relations with Washington and North Korea affairs, according to the ministry.



The ministry said Park delivered Seoul's support for Washington's efforts to responsibly manage its relationship with China in an unfavorable situation.



Blinken also said he supports South Korea's efforts to improve its ties with China in a "healthy and mature" way based on mutual respect, according to the ministry.






President pays working trip to Phu Quy island district

President Vo Van Thuong on June 17 attended a flag-saluting ceremony at a sovereignty flag pole on Phu Quy island, an island district of the south central province of Binh Thuan.









President Vo Van Thuong with officials, officers and people of Phu Quy island. (Photo: VNA)



The pole is one of the sovereignty flag poles built on outpost islands from the North to the South as part of projects launched by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Association of Vietnamese Students and the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV).



Later, President Thuong planted a bang vuong (square-fruit Malabar Almond) tree which symbolises the strong spirit, vitality, and unwavering love for the Fatherland, its seas and islands.



Also in Phu Quy island district, the President visited and presented gifts and over 1,000 national flags to local fishermen.



He also handed over gifts to officers and soldiers of Radar Station 55 of Battalion 292, Division 337 of the Air Defence - Air Force stationed on Phu Quy island.



Talking with the Party organisation, administration, officers, soldiers and people of Phu Quy island district, the State leader praised them for building Phu Quy into the first new-style rural district of Binh Thuan and the second island district nationwide to achieve the status.



The President stressed the need to clearly define the task of ensuring defence and security of and firmly safeguarding Phu Quy island as a top priority of the Party organisation, officers, soldiers and people of the island district along with economic development.



Phu Quy must implement well the task of the rear and an important transshipment point for Truong Sa and DK1 platform and serve offshore fishing vessels, he said.



Apart from stepping up the adoption of sci-tech in fishing, seafood preservation and processing, Phu Quy island needs to pay special attention to the development of tourism as a spearhead industry, offering diverse and quality tourism products and services that reflect the local unique identity, he said.
A Ukrainian serviceman of the 43rd Artillery Brigade works on a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000), towards Russian positions at a front line near Bakhmut, Donetsk region on June 15, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AFP-Yonhap



The fighting around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has been going on so long that even recently delivered Western weapons like the German Pzh2000 howitzer are showing wear and tear.



The city fell to Russian forces in May after an eight-month struggle that saw heavy casualties on both sides, especially among Moscow's Wagner mercenary force leading the assault.



But the fight did not end there.



With Bakhmut itself in Russian hands, Ukrainian units quickly changed tack, pressing forward on the northern and southern approaches to the town.



While elsewhere in Ukraine newly trained brigades equipped with NATO-supplied tanks prepared a broader counteroffensive, outside Bakhmut older, tired but battle-hardened units fought on.



Assault infantry brigades are now making slow but steady progress in the woods and fields around the city, backed by heavy artillery targeting Russian trenches and positions.



The 43rd Artillery Brigade is armed with the German-built Panzerhaubitze 2000, a self-propelled howitzer that looks like an outsized tank with a huge 155 mm gun.



Donated to Ukraine last year by Kyiv's western European allies, it has proved to fire more accurately at longer ranges than the country's previous Soviet-designed guns.



But fewer than 30 Pzh2000s have been delivered so far, and Ukraine's gunners have kept up a far higher rate of fire than the German engineers had bargained for.



Units like the gunnery team led by a young officer using the call sign "Pravda" have already set one howitzer back for servicing, and mechanics have to work hard to keep its replacement running.



The turret of the gun is pock-marked with shrapnel from a Russian shell that exploded among tree branches overhead, and the complex automatic loading system needs constant maintenance.



Like soldiers everywhere, Pravda's team  many of them trained in Germany  grumble about their kit, arguing it was designed for German roads, not Ukraine's muddy forests.



The group has had 10 days' leave each during more than a year of fighting  and of living in the trenches and bunkers they had to dig themselves.



"The quicker this ends the quicker we can go home. We will kick out the occupiers and go home, what else can we do?" said Pravda.



"I want to walk on paved roads again, but I might have forgotten how," he joked.





Ukrainian servicemen of the 43rd Artillery Brigade fire with 155mm self-propelled howitzer Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000), towards Russian positions at a front line near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, June 15, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AFP-Yonhap
Downtown Sparta now has two Japanese restaurants, with this weeks opening of Kazoku Bistro in the former The Villa Pizzeria and Restaurant location at 140 N. Water St. The Villa closed in March.

Matsumoto Ramen House, a Japanese ramen restaurant, opened nearby last July, at 106 N. Water St.

Kazoku Bistro opened Monday and is owned by A.J. and Tawnya Jewell and their friends Anthony and Abby Scholze.

A.J. had operated A.J.s Sushi Cafe for about two years inside the J-Mart Japanese/Asian Grocery store at 229 N. Black River St. in Sparta, which his brother Brian Jewell owns. The two brothers lived in Japan as children and their parents, Raymond and Chizuko Jewell, now live in Sparta. Raymond had been stationed at a U.S. Navy base in Japan, where he met Chizuko, who is Japanese.

A.J. has been a chef since 1988, mostly in Florida. He said he will continue to make some grab-and-go type items such as sushi rolls for his brothers grocery store.

Ive been trying for about a year and a half to find a location that would be best for what I wanted to do, A.J. said of the new full-service restaurant. I needed a full kitchen to be able to expand the menu and do the cooking that would be necessary.

Kazoku Bistro (kazoku means family in Japanese) has an extensive menu with such things as hibachi meals, sushi rolls, ramen and beef bowls, and desserts such as tempura ice cream, matcha creme brulee and dessert rolls. A.J. said the restaurant will use locally produced ingredients as much as possible.

The new restaurant has a bar, main dining room and tea room with Japanese decor. It also has many kinds of tea, as well as Japanese beer, wine and liquors, and Wisconsin craft beers.

A grand-opening celebration is planned for sometime in mid-July, Anthony Scholze said.

The bistros hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It eventually will be open on Sundays as well.

For more information, call 608-487-9696 or visit the restaurants Facebook page.

*** June 8 was the Black Forest Bistros last day open in Valley View Mall.

But owner Susan Grosz told me that she hopes to reopen the restaurant somewhere else sometime in the future. Thats why the closing is only temporary, she said.

Grosz, who was born and raised in Germany, opened the bistro featuring German cuisine in November 2020 in the former Burger Fusion Co. restaurant in the food court at the mall.

There is not enough business for us in the mall to cover our overhead/expenses, Grosz said in a post on the restaurants Facebook page.

Im open to all options, she told me, which could include such things as working as a personal chef, baker or cake decorator for the time being. Were open to catering, she said, and she plans to make bread for sale at various locations.

For more information, call or text Grosz at 608-518-8310 or visit the bistros Facebook page.

***

Meanwhile, the Gloria Jeans Coffees store in Valley View Mall will close at the end of June after 30 years, because its lease is up and its owner is retiring, according to a sign posted outside the store.

Its time to retire, store owner Al Miner told me last week. June 30 tentatively will be his last day of operating the store.

Miner said he has owned the local Gloria Jeans store for about 10 years, and has worked there for about 12 years. He encourages anyone who has a Gloria Jeans gift card to use it before the end of the month.

***

Samantha Berger and Francisco Cruz opened Premium Cuts Barbershop on June 6 in Suite 104 at 205 Green St. along Hwy. 35 in Onalaska. Its in the same building as the Fehr Law Office.

We specialize in fades, shaves, hot towels, beard trims, haircut art designs, eyebrow waxing and scalp treatments, said Berger, who likes to be known as Sam B in the barbershop. We do walk-ins and appointments, she said.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call Berger at 608-881-2783 or Cruz at 608-797-0626 or visit the barbershops Facebook or Instagram pages.

***

Chris Randles of the town of Onalaska, Darin Topel of the town of Shelby and former Holmen resident Matthew Isbell of Bella Vista, Ark., have started KayoeSUP, which Randles says specializes in providing guided river tours, lessons and rentals on inflatable paddleboards.

It operates from the La Crosse and Bella Vista areas and is a veteran-owned and operated business, Randles said.

We strive to provide the best instruction and experience possible, he said. With our fleet of inflatable paddleboards, we can come to where you want to paddle. Work outings and youth programming are available.

For more information, call 833-723-5426 or visit www.kayoesup.com or Facebook.
Police say they have a suspect in custody Saturday morning after a late-night drive-by shooting in downtown La Crosse.

Several people were injured and taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Police said a report of shots fired in the 100 block of South Third Street came in about 2 a.m. Saturday.

Police located a suspect vehicle early Saturday morning and made an arrest in the case. Police said they think the suspect involved acted alone.

Law enforcement said additional information would be released as it becomes available and encouraged anyone with information about the incident to contact the La Crosse Police Department at 608-782-7575 or provide an anonymous tip to La Crosse Area Crime Stoppers at 608-784 TIPS (8477) or online at www.lacrossecrimestoppers.com.

Police said first responders from the La Crosse Sheriffs Department, Onalaska Police Department, Campbell Police Department, UW-La Crosse Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, La Crosse Fire Department and Tri-State Ambulance assisted at the scene and in the investigation.

Officers and investigators are diligently working to investigate this incident. The city of La Crosse has a vibrant (nightlife) for community members and visitors to enjoy and socialize, said La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron. The actions of individuals, such as this, impact an entire community. These types of incidents will not be tolerated and those involved must be held accountable.
A Vernon County Sheriffs deputy fatally shot a man who drove off from a traffic stop with a deputy hanging from the mans vehicle, authorities said.

At about 5:55 p.m. Friday, deputies were sent to a residence near Highway 35 and Gianoli Road in Genoa for a welfare check. When deputies arrived, a man was leaving the home, and the deputies made a traffic stop a short distance away, the Wisconsin Department of Justices Division of Criminal Investigation said in a statement.

During the traffic stop, the man turned on his vehicle and began to drive away at high speed with a deputy hanging on to the side of the vehicle. A deputy fired and hit the man, who died at the scene, DCI said.

It was unclear in the statement if the deputy being dragged was the deputy who shot the man, and DCI could not be reached for clarification. DCI handles investigations of officer-involved critical incidents.

No officers were injured in the incident, DCI said.

Vernon County deputies were wearing body cameras during the incident, DCI said.

The Vernon County deputy who shot the man was placed on administrative assignment, per department policy, DCI said.
A Rock County jury on Thursday convicted a Beloit man of first-degree intentional homicide in the 2021 killing of another Beloit man, authorities reported.

Daemon M. Hanna, 27, was found guilty after a four-day jury trial before Judge John Wood in Rock County Circuit Court, Rock County District Attorney David OLeary said in a statement.

Hannas sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 8. At sentencing, Wood will determine if and when Hanna will become eligible for extended supervision on the mandatory life sentence, OLeary said.

On March 30, 2021, Hanna shot and killed a man as he left a residence in the 1300 block of West Grand Avenue in Beloit, OLeary said.
Question: I have an Ask the Trooper a Question question: Why are LOUD motorcycles allowed to operate on Minnesota highways?

Answer: Minnesota State Statute 169.69 states: Every motor vehicle shall at all times be equipped with a muffler in good working order which blends the exhaust noise into the overall vehicle noise and is in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and no person shall use a muffler cutout, bypass, or similar device upon a motor vehicle on a street or highway. The exhaust system shall not emit or produce a sharp popping or crackling sound. Every motor vehicle shall at all times be equipped with such parts and equipment so arranged and kept in such state of repair as to prevent carbon monoxide gas from entering the interior of the vehicle. No person shall have for sale, sell or offer for sale or use on any motor vehicle any muffler that fails to comply with the specifications as required by the commissioner of public safety.

The law does not specifically answer how loud a motorized vehicle can be, but it does say that a vehicle must have a good working muffler that prevents excessive or unusual noise. So any cutouts or bypasses, straight pipes or rusted out mufflers and exhaust with holes are illegal. After market mufflers, sometimes called glass packs or cherry bombs, can be an issue as they may produce a sharp popping or crackling sound.

Many counties and cities have local noise ordinances. A noise ordinance defines which sounds are and are not acceptable at any given time. So depending on where you live, I would check with the local authorities on their ordinances.

This law is frequently enforced, and we do our best to educate the public on traffic safety and equipment violations through education and enforcement.

You can avoid a ticket  and a crash  if you simply buckle up, drive at safe speeds, pay attention and always drive sober. Help us drive Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths.
GALESVILLE, Wis.  From classical chamber concerts to musical accompaniment of silent movies, the Old Main Cultural Center continues the legacy of one of the states first universities.

One of the things were trying to accomplish is getting people together to hear music, see art, learn about history and ideas, get people to talk to each other, said Jim Riley, Old Main arts committee chairperson.

The Galesville, Wisconsin, centers third floor concert space closed earlier this year because of structural concerns. The centers board is exploring options to reinforce a rafter without disrupting the second floor gallerys revolving exhibits featuring the work of local artists.

Music echoed throughout the halls of Old Main since its construction in 1862 as the main building of Galesville University, founded by local judge George Gale in 1859 as a co-educational, nonsectarian institution.

La Crosse was a lumber town, said Riley. It didnt feel the need for a university,

Ownership of the building and the focus of the school changed hands several times throughout the next 150 years; the third floor was added in the late 1870s by Gale College to provide military instruction to secure federal funding.

Today, the third floor is a dedicated concert space boasting a 1916 Steinway grand piano that attracts faculty from regional universities and established musicians from Serbia and Japan while offering unique opportunities to local student artists.

Weve had people in the third grade and weve had people with their doctorates perform here, said Riley. We have top-notch performers who should have larger audiences.

However, the draw of the small concert venue that only seats 80 people, said Riley, is the intimate space created between the audience and performers and the unique acoustics of the buildings limestone construction.

Center volunteers also maintain collections of historical photos and documents, a collection of antique keyboard instruments, and other displays showcasing local history  theres even a James Dean statue, an homage to Galesville-born Rebel Without a Cause director Nicholas Ray.

Artifacts of the various higher education institutions also point to the progression of churches in the area. When the city of Galesville purchased Old Main in 1995, the building had housed a Methodist university, a Presbyterian college later ran by the Norwegian Lutheran Synod and a Catholic novitiate.

The multi-denominational history pulls people together, said Riley, a former Methodist minister. The history also serves as a reminder that local history is not just about long-standing institutions, but the groups of people who have settled and left.

Getting those stories is important, said Riley. In Galesville and any small town, its not static. Its pretty dynamic. I see that with Old Main. Its more like a kaleidoscope. Something is always changing.
Everyone in Congressman Brad Finstads district should take note of the fiscal blueprint released by the Republican Study Committee on June 15.

Congressman Finstad lists his membership in the Republican Study Committee on his web page, so presumably he approves of this document, which proposes gradually raising Social Securitys full retirement age from 67 to 69 and proposes further subsidizing the private insurance companies that compete with Medicare.

Contrast this with the Democratic plan to shore up Social Security and Medicare by adjusting the income level at which high income individuals pay Social Security taxes and by negotiating lower drug prices with the big pharmaceutical companies.

It isnt well understood by many low- and middle-income taxpayers, but currently, high-income earners dont pay Social Security taxes on income greater than $160,200. Just adjusting this cutoff point to a higher level and giving the U.S. government more authority to negotiate lower drug prices with the big pharmaceutical companies would go a long way towards protecting the solvency of those programs.

Raising the retirement age to 69 may not seem like a big deal for people with physically easy jobs and who have always had their health insurance paid by their employers, but it is a big deal for people with physically hard jobs and with poor quality or no health insurance.

I hope Congressman Finstad is asked why he supports these kinds of benefit cuts every time he appears in public this summer.

Hubert Van Tol

Winona
The Lake Geneva Business Improvement District executive director is set to receive a pay increase.

Members of the Lake Geneva Business Improvement District Board unanimously approved, June 7, to increase Alexandria Binantis salary from $65,000 to $75,000.

The Business Improvement District Board conducted a six-month review on Binantis contract during an executive session, June 7, before approving the pay increase.

The board members are set to review Binantis contract again in November, in which she could receive bonus pay based on the Business Improvement Districts net revenue during that time.

Then we will argue out a bonus based on that, Spyro Condos, president of the Business Improvement District Board, said.

Binanti was hired as the Business Improvement Districts executive director Dec. 27, 2022, and she officially began working in the position Jan. 2.

As executive director, Binanti is responsible for helping to oversee the Business Improvement Districts operations and marketing its events and activities.

Binanti previously worked as the marketing and events manager for Visit Lake Geneva and the executive director Downtown Kenosha, Inc.

Condos said he is pleased with the work Binanti has done as executive director, so far. He said the Spring Wine Walk, which was held May 21, had a record attendance this year. The Wine Walk is hosted by the Business Improvement District.

Alex has done a great job on Wine Walk, Condos said. Weve never made that kind of money.

Binanti said she plans to continue to work to help promote the Business Improvement Districts events and to help attract more people to Downtown Lake Geneva.

Our goal with increase profitability is to reinvest in the community and make sure we have quality events and increase our beautification efforts, Binanti said. We want long lasting impacts not only for our visitors but also our locals to enjoy Lake Geneva.

Trolley money reallocated

The Business Improvement District Board members also unanimously approved to reallocate funding that they had budgeted for a trolley for other expenses.

The board members approved in December 2022 to budget about $70,000 to purchase a trolley for the city.

Officials from the Business Improvement District had proposed to purchase a trolley for the city to transport people to various locations throughout the community to help relieve Downtown parking issues and obtain additional revenue for the city.

Condos said city officials have since indicated that they are not interested in implementing a trolley program. City officials have expressed concerns about potential insurance costs and hiring staff to operate a trolley.

Theyre not interested. I mean it was a nice idea. Even Gage Marine had told me they were interested in getting a trolley, Condos said. We would have had two trolleys moving around town. It would have been charming, but theyre not interested in it. With that, we can use the money.

The funding is set to be used for software and office supplies, promotional materials and the Business Improvement Districts planned mural program.

Weve already allotted that it would be a $5,000 increase for software and office supplies to cover that shortfall, and it would be an increase of $10,000 for promotional materials so we can do the holiday open house, Maxwell Street Days and other marketing initiatives, Binanti said. Then it would be a $50,000 increase for the murals.

Mural program update

Also during the meeting, board member Aletha Salgado presented an update on the Business Improvement Districts planned mural program.

Salgado said she and other Business Improvement District representatives recently met with members of the Geneva Towers Board of Directors about possibly installing a mural on the west side of the Geneva Towers parking structure on Broad Street.

Nothing has been approved. Nothing is official, Salgado said. Once we kind of get that ironed out with them, then Im going to talk with the board so you guys can review the contract before we give it to the city attorney for review. They are open to it, so that makes a potential third wall.

Murals have been proposed to be installed on the side of the Christines Gift Shop Building, 858 W. Main St., and on the side Melges Real Estate building, 233 Center St., which is next to a Starbucks restaurant.

Representatives from the Business Improvement District plan to conduct a Murals in Motion event Sept. 27 through Oct. 1, which is set to include mural paintings, street vendors and possibly a pop-up alleyway dinner.

We want to bring aspects of all the arts into this event, Binanti said.

Salgado said she hopes to get Badger High School students involved with the Murals in Motion event and mural program program.

Were hoping to have a conversation with the high school as well as to have some of the high school students come down and paint some of the Downtown business windows as part of the event, Salgado said. Were trying to make it a truly immersive, artistic experience in our town. We have so many talented people in our area that we just want to highlight all their talent.

Binanti said several artists have expressed an interest in participating in the mural program.

Were working with renowned artists that are spending time in town, getting to know the vibe of the city, Binanti said. I had one artist spending the whole weekend just getting the feel of the lakefront path and the history.

Salgado said the Business Improvement is carefully planning the design for each mural.

Its super vetted. Its going through a rigorous process to figure out whats the best piece to put on each wall, Salgado said. Our thought process is that theres been a lot of work and time put into this. So the pieces of art are going to be well-planned, well-executed and long-standing pieces of artwork that we hope the community will join us in praising when theyre revealed.

Salgado said she is interested in talking to other business owners who might be interested in having a mural installed on the side of their building.

It has to be a building owner who is potentially interested in having a BID-funded mural painted on their wall, Salgado said. Really exciting things are happening. We are really pushing for this event to take place during the end of September.

Members of the city council approved an ordinance in September 2021 to allow murals to be painted or installed in the City of Lake Geneva.

The ordinance includes a definition of murals, rules and regulations for murals and where they may and may not be installed in the city.

Proposed mural designs must be approved by city officials.

The ordinance states that murals may be placed on side walls, rear walls, alley walls and any walls without frontage on a primary street.

Murals may be painted on previously painted brick, nondecorative concrete block or other nondecorative surfaces.

The ordinance also states that murals may not be installed on front facades, walls with historic details or decorative masonry work, fences, walls with wood siding, preventative boarding or above windows, cornices, awnings, doors or architectural elements.
NEW YORK (AP)  Check fraud is back in a big way, fueled by a rise in organized crime that is forcing small businesses and individuals to take additional safety measures or to avoid sending checks through the mail altogether.

Banks issued roughly 680,000 reports of check fraud to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, also known as FinCEN, last year. That's up from 350,000 reports in 2021. Meanwhile the U.S. Postal Inspection Service reported roughly 300,000 complaints of mail theft in 2021, more than double the prior year's total.

Early in the pandemic, government relief checks became an attractive target for criminals. The problem has only gotten worse and postal authorities and bank officials are warning Americans to avoid mailing checks if possible, or at least to use a secure mail drop such as inside the post office. Meanwhile, as the cases of fraud increase, victims are waiting longer to recover their stolen money.

Check usage has been in decline for decades as Americans have largely switched to paying for their services with credit and debit cards. Americans wrote roughly 3.4 billion checks in 2022, down from nearly 19 billion checks in 1990, according to the Federal Reserve. However, the average size of the checks Americans write rose from $673 in 1990  or $1,602 in today's dollars  to $2,652 last year.

"Despite the declining use of checks in the United States, criminals have been increasingly targeting the U.S. Mail since the COVID-19 pandemic to commit check fraud," FinCEN wrote in an alert sent out in February.

Checks are still frequently used by small businesses. Eric Fischgrund, who runs FischTank PR, a 30-person public relations firm in New York, had about 15 checks that were being mailed to him from clients stolen after they all went through the same Postal Service distribution center. Ten of them were successfully cashed by criminals.

The checks were stolen in March and Fischgrund became aware of the problem in April, when several of his clients who were never late missed payments. The Postal Service investigated and Fischgrund has recovered about 70% of the revenue, but some of the cases haven't yet been resolved.

According to the investigator on the case, the perpetrators used technology that melted ink in the "to" field of the checks so they could write in fake names. FischTank instructed all its clients to change their paper format because it was dealing with a check fraud issue.

Fischgrund said he'd never previously had an issue with check fraud in the nearly 10 years he has run his own business. Now he has a clause in invoices and new client contracts that asks for electronic payments only.

"I don't think we'll ever go back to asking for checks as an option," he said.

Today's check fraud criminals are not small operations, or lone individuals like the Leonardo DiCaprio character in the 2002 movie "Catch Me If You Can," counterfeiting checks from his hotel room and apartment. They are sophisticated criminal operations, with participants infiltrating post office distribution centers, setting up fake businesses or creating fake IDs to deposit the checks. "Walkers," or people who actually walk in to cash these checks, receive training in how to appear even more legitimate.

In one case in Southern California last year, nearly sixty people were arrested on charges of committing more than $5 million in check fraud against 750 people.

Criminals are getting the checks or identification information by fishing mail out of U.S. postal boxes, looking for envelopes that appear to be either bill payments or checks being mailed.

The most common type of check fraud is what's known as check washing, where a criminal steals the check from the mail and proceeds to change the payee's name on the check and, additionally, the amount of money.

Some criminals are going further and using the information found on a check to gather sensitive personal data on a potential victim. There have been reports of criminals creating fake entities out of personal data obtained from a check, or even opening new lines of credit or businesses with that data as well. This allows fraudsters to create new checks using old account data.

That's why check fraud experts are saying Americans should avoid sending checks in the mail or at least take additional safety steps to avoid becoming a victim.

"If you need to mail a check, do not put a check in your residential mailbox and raise the flag to notify the postman. Drop off checks inside a post office if you have to," said Todd Robertson with Argo Data, a financial data provider.

Banks, keenly aware of the problem, are increasingly watching for signs of fraud at branches and through mobile check deposit services, including large check deposits. They're training branch employees to take steps such as looking at check numbers, because checks are typically written in order, or noticing when a check is being written for a much larger amount than the customer's previous history would indicate. Banks also now deploy software at their branches that can tell how risky a check might be.

But those systems become moot if criminals are able to persuade tellers  often at the front lines for check acceptance  to look past any red flags.

"These fraudsters are much more aggressive than they were in the past, and they are pressuring tellers to override internal systems that might flag a potentially suspicious transaction," Paul Brenda, a senior vice president at the American Bankers Association.

Banks generally reimburse customers if they are victims of check fraud within days. However, due to the growing number of fraud cases, refunds have slowed down in recent months. In March, a trio of Democratic Senators asked the banking industry to be more prompt in reimbursing victims of check fraud whenever possible.

Another safety tip for businesses is to opt in to a bank's "positive pay" services with a business checking account. Positive pay means you pre-authorize checks for a certain amount as well as the check number, cutting down criminals' ability to wash the check and withdraw money for an amount that isn't pre-authorized.

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Think you're immune to cybercrime because you're young and tech savvy? Think again Who is most impacted by cybercrime? People under age 50 lost around $2.7 billion to internet scams in 2021 People in younger age groups are scammed at higher rates than those over 60 41% of people in their 20s reported losing money to fraud People in their 40s were the fastest-growing segment of online crime victims Adults under 40 were more than twice as likely to be the victims of social media scams
EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR SATURDAY JUNE 17, 2023

A Necessary, Shocking Outbreak of Peace

June 16, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)The LaRouche movement held a meeting of the International Peace Coalition on Friday, involving several dozen participants from a dozen nations, representing a growing number of labor unions, social movements, political and religious groupings. They brainstormed for two and a half hours on actions to be taken, in a process encouraged by Schiller Institute founder Helga Zepp-LaRouche. Regular follow-up meetings will be held to report back on steps taken and to plan future activity.

The peace effort got a boost Friday from the Global South. Seven leaders of African nations, including four Presidents, are on their peace tour to Ukraine and Russia, where they will be meeting with their counterparts to discuss the urgent world need for peace and an end to the economic mayhem caused by the continued fighting and disruption to world trade.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke Friday, June 16 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, addressing the great economic realignment taking place and the dangers of war. Despite, or perhaps because of the sanctions against it, Russia reports an economic growth rate of 3.3% in April, with an expected 2% growth overall for the year. Trade with Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) nations is 90% in rubles, while trade with China is 80% in rubles or in yuan. This means that the ugly international system, which was neocolonial in nature, has ceased to exist. Meanwhile the multipolar world order is being reinforced.

Russia is backing Egypts efforts to join the BRICS-Plus grouping, and Syria has announced that it will seek membership in that organization as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

China has issued a ten-year license for the operation of a new thorium molten salt nuclear reactor, which has the benefits of using a more plentiful resource than uranium, and not requiring water.

On the military front, while Putin insisted at the SPIEF that there is no present consideration of using nuclear weapons, even the act of normalizing discussion about their potential role lowers the threshold for their use, and should be avoided. The Russian President also told reporters earlier this week that NATO is wrong if it believes Russia will not enforce its red lines. After all, is the special military operation itself not a response to them crossing these lines?

And the red lines are being crossed, by support for military activities that were denied earlier in the war. U.S. weapons have now been used for attacks on civilians in Russia. As expressed in a recent Newsweek article: If Polish soldiers launching a self-proclaimed ground war in Russia isnt enough to rattle off the complacency, one shudders to think how severe of a shock would be necessary.

Lets not find out.

Organizing for peace is what is necessary. Join the LaRouche movement in doing so!
We present the last of three parts of the short story "Benito Cereno." It was written by Herman Melville.

As we told you in earlier parts of our story, rebel slaves seized the ship San Dominick off the coast of Chile. They killed many of its officers and crew. The captain, Benito Cereno, was ordered to sail to Senegal. But first, he was forced to take the ship to the lonely island of Santa Maria, near the southern end of Chile. There, it could safely get water and supplies for the long, dangerous voyage to Africa.

At the island, the rebels were surprised and frightened when they found an American ship anchored in the harbor. It also had stopped for water. Many of the rebels wanted to sail away. But their leader, Babo, opposed it. They had little water and food, and could not go far. Babo created a story to keep anyone from suspecting that the Spanish vessel was in the hands of rebels, and that its captain was a prisoner.

At first, Babo seemed successful. The captain of the American ship, Amasa Delano, visited the San Dominick. He suspected nothing, although surprised by the general disorder on board. He also could not understand the strange behavior of its captain, Benito Cereno. Later incidents, however, began to worry him. Captain Delano grew more and more suspicious. At one time, he even feared that his life might be in danger.

Twice, he caught the Spanish captain and his servant, Babo, with their heads together, whispering like two conspirators. It made Captain Delano wonder. Were they plotting to kill him and seize his ship? Who were these men, cut throats? Pirates?

Captian Delano grew nervous. Then, he was happy to see his whale boat off in the distance. It was returning with supplies for the Spanish ship. The sight of his boat calmed him. It made his suspicions and fear quickly disappear. He felt foolish for having had such dark thoughts.

Now, here is Shep O'Neal with the rest of our story, "Benito Cereno."

Captain Delano went down to Captain Cerenos cabin to cheer him up and say goodbye.

Better and better, Don Benito, he said as he entered the cabin, your troubles will soon be over. The American invited the Spanish captain to come aboard his boat for a cup of coffee.

Cerenos eyes brightened. But then the light in them died. He shook his head and said he could not accept the invitation. Captain Delano was offended. He was about to withdraw when Don Benito rose from his chair and took Delanos hand. The Spaniards hand shook. And he was too excited to speak. Delano pulled his hand away and turned, climbing back to the deck. His face was troubled.

Captain Delano could not understand Don Benito's actions. One minute the Spaniard was warm and polite. Then -- just as quickly -- cold and hostile. Captain Delano asked himself: Why did he refuse to join me? Why is he so unfriendly?

Captain Delano got to the deck and was about to step down into his boat when he heard his name. To his surprise, Don Benito was calling, coming quickly toward him.

Captain Delano was pleased and turned back to meet him. Don Benito warmly took his hand, with more energy and emotion than he had ever shown. But his excitement seemed too much for him, and he could not speak. Babo then came between the two men and put his arm around Don Benito to support him. Clearly, he wanted to end the meeting between the two captains.

Walking between the two men, Babo went with them to the walkway. Don Benito would not let go of Captain Delanos hand. He held it tightly across the servants body.

Soon, they were standing by the ships side, looking down onto the American boat. Its crew turned up their wondering eyes. Captain Delano did not know what to do as he waited for Don Benito to let go of his hand. He wanted to step down into his boat. But Don Benito still firmly held his hand.

Then, in an excited voice the Spaniard said: I can go no further. Here I must say goodbye. Farewell, my dear, dear Don Amasa. Go! Go! And he tore his hand loose. Go, and God protect you better than he did me. Go, Don Amasa, my best friend.

Captain Delano was deeply moved. He would have stayed for another minute or so, but he caught the eye of Babo. It seemed to say, This is bad for Don Benitos health. And so he quickly took the short step down into his boat with the continuing farewells of Don Benito, who stood rooted at the ships side.

Captain Delano sat down in the back of his boat, gave Don Benito a last salute, and ordered his men to push off. The boat began to move. Suddenly, Don Benito sprang over the side and came down at Delanos feet. And he kept shouting toward the Spanish ship. His cries were so wild that no one could understand him.

An American officer asked what does this mean. Captain Delano turned a cold smile upon Captain Cereno and said he neither knew nor cared. It seems, he added, that the Spaniard has taken it into his head to give his people the idea that we want to kidnap him. Or elseand suddenly Captain Delano shouted: Watch out for your lives! He saw Babo, the servant, on the rail above, with a dagger in his hand. He was ready to jump.

What followed happened so quickly that Captain Delano could not tell one incident from another. They all came together in one great blur of violent action and excitement.

As Babo came down, Captain Delano flung Don Benito aside and caught the rebel leader, pulling the dagger from his hand. He pushed Babo firmly down in the bottom of the boat, which now began to pick up speed. Then, Babo, with his one free hand, pulled a second dagger from his clothes and struck at Captain Cereno. Captain Delano knocked it from his hand.

Now, he saw everything clearly: Babo had leaped into the whale boat  not to kill him  but to kill Captain Cereno.

For the first time, he understood the mysterious behavior of Don Benito  a prisoner under sentence of death. He looked back at the Spanish ship and got a clear picture of what its captain had escaped.

On board the San Dominick, the shouting rebels were raising their axes and knives in a wild revolt. They stopped some of the Spanish sailors from jumping into the sea. A few, however, jumped, while two or three, who were not quick enough, went hurrying up the top-most wood arms.

Captain Delano signaled to his ship, ordering it to get its guns ready. When the whale boat reached his ship Captain Delano asked for ropes. He tied Babo, and had him pulled up on deck. A small boat was quickly sent out to pick up three Spanish sailors who had jumped from Captain Cerenos ship.

Captain Delano asked Don Benito what guns the rebels had. He answered that they had none that could be used. In the first days of the rebellion, a cabin passenger now dead had destroyed the few guns there were.

The Americans fired six shots at the San Dominick. But the rebel ship moved out of reach. Small boats were armed and lowered. Captain Delano ordered his men into them. And they moved out to capture the rebel ship.

The boats caught up with the San Dominick when it was nearly night. But the moon was rising, and the gunners were able to see where they were shooting. The rebels had no bullets. And they could do nothing but yell. Many of the rebels were killed and the San Dominick was captured.

After an investigation, Babo was found guilty of stealing a ship and of murder, and was hanged. Captain Benito Cereno never was well again and he soon died. So, ended the terrible story of the slave revolt aboard the slave ship, the San Dominick.

What do you think of this story? Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page.

Quiz - Benito Cereno by Herman Melville, Part Three Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

For teachers

This lesson plan, based on the CALLA Approach, teaches the strategy of using a graphic organizer to help understand the story.

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Words in This Story

incident  n. an event or something that happens

whale boat - n. a long rowboat with a bow at either end for easy maneuverability, formerly used in whaling

dagger - n. a sharp pointed knife that is used as a weapon

gunners - n. a soldier who operates a large gun

What do you think of this story? We want to hear from you. Write your comment in our forum below.
Reddit is a social media website where people with common interests can have conversations by posting comments, videos and images. Posts are grouped into communities, called subreddits, based on different subjects.

Thousands of popular Reddit communities, including groups about technology, gaming, and music, locked out their users recently in protest. People who organize the communities, called moderators, are protesting the companys plan to charge for access to its data.

Starting next month, Reddit said third-party app developers, people who make apps but do not work for Reddit, will have to pay for its application programming interface (API). It is a programming system that permits a data provider and end-user to communicate with each other.

Costly to developers

Reddit plans to charge developers that require higher usage limits $0.24 for every 1,000 API calls or less than $1 per user every month.

One such third-party app is the Apollo app. It is popular among Reddit users as a way to get content from the official Reddit page.

Apollo said that with their current usage, the charges would cost more than $20 million a year. And the developer added that the costly charges have made it impossible to continue offering the service.

Christian Selig, the creator of the Apollo app for Reddit, said that the service will close on June 30.

Why is Reddit making the change?

One of the reasons that Reddit is making the change is generative artificial intelligence (AI). Generative AI can create new content, like images, videos, music, text, or other forms of data.

Conversations on Reddit have a lot of data that can be used to train generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. While some of this data can be collected in an unstructured way, Reddits API makes it easier for companies to directly find and collect the data.

Reddit chief executive Steve Huffman told The New York Times in April that Reddits data is really valuable. And he said he does not want to give all of that value to some of the largest companies in the world for free.

Who is affected by the Reddit blackout?

Thousands of subreddits, including r/Music, r/gaming, r/science, and r/todayilearned, are protesting the move. They all have more than 30 million followers.

Unlike most other social media services, Reddit is heavily dependent on community moderators who police their subreddits for free to deal with offensive or illegal content.

And the moderators planned a blackout during which their pages will go private. That means millions of users will be left without access to those communities.

Huffman noted the anger among many moderators of Reddit communities. But he said the company cannot let companies use large amounts of its data for free and Reddit needs to be able to support itself.

Im Gregory Stachel.

Reuters reported this story. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

access  n. a way of being able to use or get something

app  n. a computer program that performs a special function

interface  n. a system that controls the way information is shown to a computer user and the way the user is able to work with the computer

generate  v. to produce (something) or cause (something) to be produced

blackout  n. a situation in which some kind of information are deliberately kept from the public

substitute  n. a person or thing that takes the place of someone or something else

_____________________________________________________________

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After co-founding the nonprofit news organization Wisconsin Watch in their family basement in 2009, longtime journalists Andy and Dee J. Hall are retiring.

Four veteran staff leaders will continue to guide editorial and business operations under interim executive director Barbara Johnson, the Wisconsin Watch board of directors said in a Friday announcement. The board will begin a search for a new CEO immediately.

Andy Hall, 64, who as executive director has overseen news and business operations since becoming Wisconsin Watchs first employee in January 2009, is moving June 30 to a role as co-founder at large, the nonprofit said.

He will assist the board and staff through Dec. 31, when he will retire from Wisconsin Watch after completing 15 years with the organization. During his tenure, Wisconsin Watch has grown from an initial budget of $160,000 to a nearly $2 million operation employing two dozen people, according to the nonprofit.

Dee J. Hall, 62, who as a volunteer managed interns for six summers before becoming managing editor in 2015, plans to leave the organization on June 30. Dee has run the daily news operations, serving as editor and reporter on more than 70 award-winning projects recognized in state, regional and national contests.

She also taught a popular UW-Madison investigative reporting class that collaborated with Wisconsin Watch on high-impact projects. Dee plans to take some time off while assisting the news team in a smooth transition, Wisconsin Watch said.

Andy told the board that before he leaves Wisconsin Watch, he plans to reflect on what his retirement might look like, beyond the obvious opportunities to spend less time on Zoom and more time camping, enjoying sunsets and get-togethers with family and friends. He will also consider opportunities to remain engaged in supporting and rebuilding local journalism.

Prior to establishing Wisconsin Watch, both Halls were reporters for the Wisconsin State Journal.

Dee and I worked intensively as journalists since we were in high school in the mid-1970s, so we have lived and breathed journalism with very few breaks, Andy said Friday. Our last vacation that lasted more than two weeks was in 2005. We are very excited about this opportunity to move into this new chapter of life.

Wisconsin Watch isnt just a dream or two people anymore. Its an institution that is here to serve the people of Wisconsin for decades to come.

What have people discovered this week in the State Journal's archive? Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Hugo A. Baerwolf (Aged 91) Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Mickelson / Overland Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Eva Reetz (Aged 70) Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Stuart R. Hagen (Aged 34) Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Walter J. Caspers, 1899-1979 (Aged 79) Marriage of Caspers / Fadness Obituary for Elizabeth Caspers, 1901-2002 (Aged 100) Obituary for Lena Gerber, 1895-1993 (Aged 97) Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Chas Hoffman (Aged 61) Obituary for Anna E. Pittsley, 1882-1961 (Aged 79) Elsie Ella Rubly Kurtz obituary Obituary House fire pg 2 House fire pg 1 James obituary Maym's obituary Kathleen A. (Bohen/Milligan) obit WI State Journal (Madison) 13 Dec 2009 pg 32 Sunday Marriage license newspaper Obituary for Aide Pierce, 1917-2003 (Aged 86) Oliver Stake Thomas F obituary Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Nova S. Lemke, 1915-2000 (Aged 84) Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Atchison / Bacon Another article about the murder Obituary for Mary K. Concannon (Aged 47) Same article at 101 years as they rannon the 50th anniversary of the Ardnt killing Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Eagle Dam Company formed. Office in Milwaukee incorporators: Leander Choate, George Gerry, Wm. H. Bradley (Ole Oleson was also involved) Obituary for Sandra B. Schneider Wisconsin Constitutional Convention reunion 3 July 1868 William Thurston dead after a weeks suffering from falling from steeple Marriage of Knipe / Jorgenson garter snakes released to control rats 1980 100 year retrospective Obituary for Wuestenberg (Aged 83) Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Gilbert E. Danz Gibby, 1918-2010 (Aged 91) Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Shaw as Hornbeck Obituary for Wanda M. Turk, 1910-2004 (Aged 93) Peter Shaws turn in Our Town Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Amelia Ganser (Aged 88) Marriage of McGraw / Tus-chen Robert Tuschen - obituary trinidad Marriage of Kieler / Donisi Claire (Thompson) Mannon 1st wife of Jesse James Schrofer Obituary for Renee R. Witkowski, 1928-2004 (Aged 75) Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Joseph H. Imhoff (Aged 81) Marriage of Imhoff / Cooper Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Florence Sorge (Aged 43) Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Deblare / Schultz Obituary for Robert W. McKeown, 1944-1978 (Aged 34) Arendsee-McKeown Engagement 1966 Arendsee-McKeown Engagement 1966 Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Neil F. Watson (Aged 47) Timothy Elbridge Thompson Obituary for Shirley L Novak, 1954-2009 (Aged 55) Obituary for Timothy E. Thompson (Aged 56) Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for John C. Maxworthy (Aged 60) William Morrissey obituary Clipping from The Capital Times Mrs William Morrissey will observe her 90th birthday on Thanksgiving Marriage of Fortney / Copus The William Morrisseys To Celebrate Golden Wedding Anniversry on 26 Jan 1938, Wed. Obituary for Cheryl Lu Tesnow, 1945-2021 (Aged 76) Sanborn Land Company / Sanborn & Company in court over misleading practices (More detailed version) Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of OWENS / PEDERSEN Obituary for Julianna Voigt (Aged 67) Sanborn Land Company in court for misleading practices Charles H. Russell (?) Mrs. Lena Fix Obituary 1961 Clipping from The Capital Times Arnold Emil Graser Obituary for Robert David Graupner, 1957-2021 (Aged 64) Obituary for Susie G. Olson (Aged 78) Irene Lingard Fosshage Obituary Bednarek_Isadore_obit Marriage of FIEDLER / Kamperschroer Bednarek_Isadore_obit Obituary for Roy Montgomery Marriage of Janzen / Knop Marriage of Janzen / Knop Marriage of Johnson / Hart Obituary for Glen R. Johnson, 1940-2004 (Aged 63) Obituary for Alice Schmelzer, 1922-1984 (Aged 61) Obituary for Rodney Allen Kube, 1945-2005 (Aged 60) Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Detweiler / Morris Obituary for Charles W. Wells (Aged 79) Obituary for Viola P. Blum, 1925-2021 (Aged 96) Obituary for Donald A. McEndree (Aged 74) Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Kolb / Hoerres Murderous Pistol Shot Resounded In Legislative Halls 111 Years Ago Today Marriage of Corinne / Beck FalLesL1928CapitalTimesSun22JanP20 Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Victor L. Gruber, 1958-1974 (Aged 15) Obituary for Joseph John Stevens (Aged 49) Obituary for Russell Martinson, 1923-2007 (Aged 84) David Arthur Keene Obituary Obituary for JOHN DEARDS Clipping from The Capital Times Wisconsin State Journal Oct 9, 1988 Margaret Adele Lietz Jeidy 1920-2007 Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal 1972-10-01 Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Etta Mae Clark weds-part2 Obituary for William Hammond (Aged 75) Etta Mae Clark Weds-part 1 William David Cheek Freed in Philippines Military Personnel liberated in the Philippines. Obituary for Patrick J. McCluskey (Aged 80) Obituary for Dale Monroe Ritter, 1929-2005 (Aged 75) Marriage of Stafford / Lease Obituary for Leo D : Dodge (Aged 72) Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Judith V. Siesen MADISON Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Patrick J. McCluskey (Aged 80) Samuel C Crowley - Death Notice - Madison Capital Times - 14 APR 1934 Grace Crowley - Death Notice - Madison Capital Times - 20 MAR 1934 Streetcar study in Madison Obituary for Joshua Richard Fischer, 1994-2000 (Aged 5) "Indians Protest" Marriage of White / Apple-ton Charles O Eaton died age 20 Marriage of Ryan / Wirig Marriage of Ryan / Wilbert Wedding Announcement 2 Wedding Announcement Sarah Wilbert Clarence Pittenger and Clarita Byrne marriage 1960 Marriage of Williams / Spalding Obituary for Richard E. Meyer, 1926-1999 (Aged 72) Obituary for Robert Clark (Aged 59) Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for A. Schaler Engagement announcement Ziegler/Hildebrandt 1965 Obituary for Ted Odell Brod Shearer, Kari & Scott - Son birth announcement Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for William T. Ace, 1915-1989 (Aged 74) Ted will resume work Clipping from The Capital Times Marriage of Ace / Neefe Obituary for Lyman Schulz Obituary for Steven G. Mulcahy, 1910-1982 (Aged 71) Marriage of Mulcahy / Midthun Obituary for Steven G. Mulcahy, 1910-1982 (Aged 71) Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Wedding of Neefe / Ace (1962) Unnamed Obituary Workman loses an eye Obituary for Charlotte Mulcahy, 1886-1976 (Aged 90) Mildred Long and Lyman Schulz married 22 Feb 1939 Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for MIDDLETON, 1914-1974 (Aged 59) Marriage of Hamilton / Johnson Marriage of Johnson / Hamilton Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Downs / Rolefson Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Hazel A. Booth, 1892-1978 (Aged 85) Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Gladys E. Richardson, 1920-1997 (Aged 77) Marriage of Loeffler / Odebrecht Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal o Chinese students Voice of the People written by two The Capital Times Madison, Wisconsin  Thursday, December 16, 1948 Milwaukee commuter rail Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Walworth commuter rail obituary of Evelyn Dummer Lake country limited Obituary Evelyn Dummer Marriage of Peterson / Broege Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Edward F. Lensmire - Obituary (Age 62) - 1929-1992 Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Cooper / Leamy Gordon Schefsky - Death Notice - 1943 Einbeck Bros. Bottling , Monroe WI contract dispute Einbeck Bros Bottling Company Obituary for Emeline Townsend Samuels Official commitment of Byron Culver May 1921 Obituary for Ingwell Peterson (Aged 54) Byron Culver Judicial Inquiry ordered and physicians appointed May 1921 Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Frances Lynch Obituary Obituary for Elizabeth Watson Franklin Lynch Obituary Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Bertha Thompson Lynch Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for John Hassberg (Aged 33) Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Emil Goyich, 1922-2001 (Aged 79) Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage notification Marriage of Cheryl Lynn / Stitz Obituary for Brian D. MARSHALL Rogers The Capital Times, Sat, 22 Dec 1934, Page 1 The Capital Times, Sat, 22 Dec 1934, Page 1 Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Taylor / Aimers Myrna Jeanne Hartsell Marriage of Martin / Bent Marriage of Van Metre / Litchy Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Dean Lloyd Harrison Obituary for George H. Schwartz Obituary for Carlyle R. Pearson Marriage of Pearson / Brown Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Anderson / Husrth Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Winfield LaBrosse Contourette 1951 1951 contour Ette 1951 Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Mary Pearson Obituary for Ardis Leonora Creydt Clipping from The Capital Times 27Feb1956 Obituary for Helen E. Pearson Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal 30Jul1953C Obituary for Lauralee Smith Obituary for Mary Jane Ritter Obituary for William Jacka II Obituary for Bush Kaiser Marriage of Brown / Woerpel Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal LSU Gets Foreman-Clark Trophy Obituary for Christopher J. Conrad Obituary for Thomas Edward Robbins 1978 Raymond Nonn Jr Obituary 2021 Laura Schulenberg Obituary 2013n Timothy Walkowski Obituary Obituary for John M. Dunn Obituary for Lloyd Charles Washburn WMONONA Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Mary- Louise Calkins BOSCOBELCINCINNATI Obituary for Jerry Krauss Marriage Licenses Obituary for John P. Ruka Principal: Attendance key to better report card obit LaFollette High Prom on Saturday Obituary for Robert H. Brown Trempealeau judge S. W. Button Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clara Sherman Obit Wisconsin State Journal Jul 05 1951 Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Annette Wilke and Erwin Mielke married Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Babel / Kismv Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Kisow , Raymond Sr. . Sr. Amundson-Burroughs engagement Obituary for Marguerite Carolyn Root WESTER Maude Obit Obituary for Sina Hanson Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Marriage of Hodgson / Hyland Marriage of Eichler / Hilde-brand Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal real 1991 Thurman Walkowski Marriage License Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Marriage of Showers / Kriel Newspaper death announcement Obituary for Leroy J. N. Murat Joshua J Schulz victim of fatal crash Marriage of Peer / Smith Marriage of Hanson / Murat Obituary for Jacob C. - Olson,-60 Olson Obituary for Karla J. Westphal Marriage of URen / Carey Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Delbert E. Privett Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Rosemarie A. Jeannotte Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for James William Kelly Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Pabst horse show 1916 Obituary for Nichola Nikki Johnson Marriage of BERNARDS / Valstad Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal St, Jerome's vows 1915 Obituary for Wilson Cape Obituary for Daniel M. Dirienzo Marriage of Jackson / Niedfeldt Chester Barrett death article Obituary for George E. Mohlmann Marriage of Ziegler / Adler Clipping from The Capital Times fsi_fancy_feast_MSN_19890430 Cora Drefahl Obituary Marriage of Bangs / Coyle Dickert/Gates wedding Marriage of Willi / Schiesser Marriage of Kelly / Schiesser Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal 26Aug1950C Obituary for William G. Foye Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Taylor Taylor 19Nov1940C Maj. S. J. Blencoe and Ham Station Maj. S. G. Blencoe re: Korea Madison Man Slays Wife, Self Clipping from The Capital Times Marriage of Tavlor / Derks Oscar dies Scenes of Double Tragedy (Freisleben murder-suicide) Oscar Naber death Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for John Victor Farron Obituary for Christine Mayland Clipping from The Capital Times Gabby Olson Obit Obituary for Sanford C Olson Obituary for Peterson Sam Peterson Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Ken Ole Swenson Obituary Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Minnie Obituary Minnie Obituary Obituary for Huebel Obituary for John Dosty Tennant WAUNAKEE Obituary for John E. Klahn Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Crowley, William Gene Jr. - obit Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Auction of land Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Auction of Jacob Weirich's land Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Jacob Weirich Jr. and Robbery Jacob Weirich Jr. and Robbery Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Theodore P. Esser obit - 1951 Obituary for Clemens F. Hellenbrand - 1951 Mrs. Henry Hellenbrand turns 80 on New Year's Day - 1950 Mrs. Adeline Grover (Rutgers) dies - 1950 Ernest Schmitz obit - 1950 Obituary for Terry George Monroe Florance Schwab dies of heart attack - 1949 George B. Acker obit - 1948 Mrs. Henry Hellenbrand (Lena Acker) turns 76 Mrs. Simon Kirchesh obit - 1947 Mr. Mrs. Norbert Maly (Anna Brabender) 53rd wedding anniversary - 1946 comic Boondocks author (Aaron McGruder) Obituary for Clayton L. Swenson Marriage of Miller / De Voy Clayton L Swenson 1939-1983 obit Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Catherine Carpenter Obituary for Earl W. Lawson Obituary for Fred Luhman Herodias Long, George Gardiner Clipping from The Capital Times Marriage of Bolar / Tobin Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Wedding of Swenson / Luhman (1924) Marriage of Swenson / Luhman (1924) Obituary of Dale Luhman Obituary for Otto W. Gumtow Jacob Maydole accident Jacob Maydole accident Lorenz & Anna Grass 50th wedding anniversary - 09-09-1872 WSJ Anna Olson Engelbretson obituary Matt Engelbretson (Matias Engebretson) Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Miss WI Teen USA 1999 Obituary for Marilyn Berg Marriage of Brunner / Berg Werner Gronenthal dies - 1919 Mathias Koellen obit, age 85 - 1961 Marriage of Ackerman / Brunner Marriage of McGowen / Fritsche Agnes K. Hallman, age 79 - 1981 (Bertha and Mathias Koellen sibling) - 1981 Joseph Walter Koellen obit, age 66 - 1976 Obituary for Mildred C. Brunner Edmund J. Koellen obit, age 72 - 1976 Obituary - Arthur C Osterhaus 1908-1985 Kremers get property in Springfield - 1883 Obituary for Arthur C. Osterhaus Mrs. Henry Dorn obit, age 64, 1951 Henry Dorn child killed in car crash - 1946 Dorns celebrate family gathering 1946 Four sons of Henry Dorn serve in WWII - 1946 Furloughs end for brothers Jerome and James Dorn - 1945 James J. Dorn gets combat badge - 1945 Henry Dorn obit, age 82, 1940 Mrs. Henry A. Dorn story about not locking bathroom window - 1933 Mrs. Joseph Dorn's 77th birthday - 1932 FO Lee Buried at Arlington Dorns celebrate family reunion - 1928 Obituary for Knut A. Rene K. Rene Obituary Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Ott, Fred W. obit. 2012 Obituary for Eckstein Eckstein Waunakee news - Nettekoven death, Gertrude Wipperfurth-Chris Brabender wedding - 1921 Waunakee briefs - Henry Brausen hotel, Peter Nettekoven dies - 1920 J. I. Nettekoven in Indian war - 1898 Mr. and Mrs. John Nettekoven sell Westport home, move to Fond du Lac - 1897 John Nettekoven and son buy Westport mills - 1890 Death of Elizabeth Nellen (Nettekoven) young - daughter of John Nettekoven) - 10-08-1887 WSJ Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Patrick C. Runkel Obituary for Duane Charles Dunn Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Mrs. Taylor dies, wife of Peter Baltes - 1915 Wisconsin State Journal, Madison, WI, 11 Jan 1985 Peter Baltes obit - 1917 Obituary for Louise Heitkamp Tilker Marriage Announcement Heitcamp / Tilker (1918) Obituary for Albert E. Tilker Obituary for Marion G. Holloway Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times The Loyal Legion Marriage of Fink / Boehnen Obituary for Jeanne Bloyer ad Ghostbusters the image features Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis * subject (Ivan Reitman film) Kalhagen - Landen Wedding Announcement Patricia Kalhagen Landen Wedding Photo Announcement Obituary Obituary for Edith M. Hull Andrew Kalhagen Obituary Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Death Notice for Chester William Wilson Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Earl Sugden article Oct 1941 Obituary for Louis J. Burtch Earl Sugden article Jan 1944 Earl Sugden article Sept 1932 Genevieve (Kelly) Burns obituary Helen Bunge Resigns Wisconsin State Journal 28 Oct 1969, Tue  Page 17 Helen Bunge, Honored, The Capital Times 03 Sep 1962, Mon  Page 19 Clipping from The Capital Times Marriage of Degenhardt / undefined Marriage Records Marriage Records Marriage of Virnig / Ezrow Crump, Research, fundraising campaign, Wisconsin State Journal 13 Jan 1961, Fri  Page 19 Margaret Crump Du Rose, obit, Wisconsin State Journal 21 Sep 2004, Tue  Page 3 Obituary for Albert C. Frazier Marriage of Luhman / Bohle Obituary for Wallace R. Bohle Bernard E. Fischenich dies at 88 - served in south pacific during WWII - 1997 Paula Fischenich dies at 78 - 1996 Feature on Ursula Fischenich by grandson Patrick Durkin - 1994 Mrs. Ed Durkin (Ursula Fischenich dies at 96 - did horse racing and stunt driving - 1994 Melvin and Evie wedding Announcement Obituary Kathryn A. Fischenich dies at 84 - 1989 Mrs. Adolph J. (Colette) Fischenich dies at 76 - 1987 Obituary for Russell C Sarbacker A lifetime of writer's block lifted/Doug Moe Obituary for Norbert Michael Maslowski Adolph J. Fischenich dies at 79 - 1987 Obituary of James Henry Smith Crazy Lenny still crazy p2 Crazy Lenny still crazy Holliibush-Mattioli marriage 1986 Obituary for Idell Betty Stanek YA Mattioli takes plea for battery charge Crazy Lenny calls it quits p2 Obituary for Kenneth V. Salverson Crazy Lenny calls it quits 2022 Marriage of undefined / Selgren Crazy Lenny expands Mattioli charged with battery 1996 Obituary for Glenn J. Smith Crazy Lenny on retail Marriage of Rydberg / Evachenko Marriage of Rydbere / McFarland Obituary for Howard V. Hughes Crazy Lenny p2 Crazy TV Lenny Mattioli sons sue for death Court upholds tv ads Mattioli ex-wife dies in plane crash 1985 Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Mattioli and American TV 1980 Mattioli sons sue airline 1988 Obituary for Arthur A. Donisch Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Donisch / Traille Obituary for Mary Lea Kempka Obituary for Wallace R. Smith Obituary for Wallace R. Smith Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal New TV network reaches Madison: Religious beliefs making airwaves Obituary for Einar Hanson Obituary for Ervin E. Christensen Obituary for Emma Jane Christensen Obituary for Matilda Seborg Obituary for John E. Hubert, aged 85 (1927-2013) Obituary for Hans B. Hoiberg John H. Ziegler dies at 75 - 1956 Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Evelyn Hoiberg marries Melvin Sveum Clipping from The Capital Times Richard Ushers Here from Abroad Mrs__John_H__Ziegler__Maria_Bollenbeck__dies_at_67___born_and_buried_at_Ashton___1951 Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Mrs. John H. Ziegler (Maria Bollenbeck) dies at 67 - born and buried at Ashton - 1951 Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of ELSNER / DVORAK Clipping from The Capital Times Kenneth Woodstock obituary Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Ferdinand Berg Obituary for Harold C. Bohne DEFORESTMADISON Marriage of undefined / Scott Obituary for Donald G. Raker Obituary for Gary D. Dvorak Marriage of Sanford / Rosa Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal VanKampen, Harold Jacob obit 2003 Obituary for Ruth Helene Sundby Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Death Notice Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary part 1 for Peter Ballweg Obituary part 2 for Peter Ballweg Obituary part 3 for Peter Ballweg Photo of Peter Ballweg Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Wedding announcement for Nancy Hensen & John Laubmeier Wedding photo of Nancy Hensen-Laubmeier Marriage of Young / Bunce Obituary for Robert E. Churchill SP vs Baraboo ftball 1967 SP vs Reedsbg ftball 1967 South Central ftball stats wk 6 1967 SP vs Wisc Dells 1967 South Central Ftb stats 1967 SP vs Portage ftball 1967 SP vs Kettle Mor ftball 1967 SP vs Bla Riv Falls ftball,1967 SP vs Viroqua ftball,1967 SP vs Wisc Hts bskb 1966 Marriage of Taylor / Kahl eee SP vs Midddleton bskb 1966 Larry campbell Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Edward Leon Soule Obituary Engagement Wendlandt-Harnack Page 4 - photo of Lt. David & wife with captured material Wisconsin State Journal Anton and Phoebe Moreth 50th Wedding Anniversary Evelyn Soule Irish Root Obituary Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Harry Bennett Obituary Mary Conlon against the Trail Blazers, 1994 Marty Conlon finds himself surrounded by Trail Blazers Cliff Robinson, Mark Bryant, Steve Henson, and Harvey Grant. Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Myrtle Mae Schaf Miller Obituary for Arthur Henry Westenberg Obituary for Violette M. Wirth Obituary for Erma Horn Marriage of Thompson / Weber Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Jack MADISONBOCA Schvid Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Hugh Gnatzig named head basketball coach at WW High School 7.7.1989 Obituary for Carolyn Springer Dalton Springer Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Pinned Under Car All Area Basketball 3.23.1970 Hugh Gnatzig 1st team Graham-Maase wedding announcement - Donald Maase and Sharon Hope Graham Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Patricia "Patty" (Dworak) Lundquist 1932-2007 Clipping from The Capital Times Aunt Joanne's graduation Obituary for Erwin W. Michaels Obituary for Dorothy Pile Schuerman Pile Hiawatha exhibition, Madison, Sept. 17, 1938 Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Strickland / Burnliam Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Gladys M. McClellan Obituary for Dol L Richard E. Doll Obituary for Lila M. Manthey New Missouri Tavern owners make own Apple Pie Liqueur - 2008 Missouri Tavern - Mae Mefford dies at 101 (2) - 2005 Clipping from The Capital Times Missouri Tavern - Mae Mefford dies at 101 (1) - 2005 Obituary for William Schwartz Missouri Tavern owner hits 100 (2) - 2004 Missouri Tavern owner hits 100 (1) - 2004 Ellmaurer and Stanton marriage license Missouri Tavern feature - Mae's Bar (2) - 2001 Missouri Tavern feature - Mae's Bar (1) - 2001 Raymond Churchill obit Jerry Doll married Elsie J. Lundin in 1955. new lung Pheasant Branch Creek Watershed group formed - 1966 Helen Hornburg Revels obit Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Doll, Jerry Obituary 2020-08-28 Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Elizabeth Comstock Westover Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal CHESS -- Wisconsin State Journal 26 Jun 2003, Thu  Page 1 Clipping from The Capital Times CHESS -- Wisconsin State Journal 30 Jun 1996, Sun  Page 51 Obituary for Janet L. Clarke Clipping from The Capital Times Marriage of Muller / Wartner Ltr dtd 6/28 from "N R" re trip to DC; ltr dtd 6/30 from "R" re same; Peck; Coon Obituary for Donald Burkhamer Meg Gaines - Law School Collaboration Wisconsin State Journal 25 May 2003, Sun  Page 70 Reserach at 75 -- The Capital Times 15 Oct 1999, Fri  Page 2 Comet not Charles V comet or comet of 1264 Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Ltr dtd 6/28 from Journal's DC correspondent "Monticello" reporting on arrival of 2d WI 5th and 6th WI regiments behaving very well (implicit comparison and criticism of 2d WI) Big comet Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of CONRAD / Muller Marriage of McDonald / McDonald Thomas Boyle, et als. appellants; Sat. 24 Sept 1853 [Wisconsin] Supreme Court Decisions Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Mary H. Flatman Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Reno H. Forsythe Jr. ad Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones wears a hat * art (Drew Struzan) subject (Steven Spielberg film) business (Paramount Pictures) Arthur S Koenig 2012 Obituary - Wisconsin Marriage of Stanek / Beyer Kadlec daughter born 1994 Edwin Kadlec III obit 1991 Marriage of undefined / Robinson Obituary for Bridget O' Neill Tierney Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Enrollment to Franklin School Grade 2A Obituary of Ella Louise Elvord Both announcement oldest son Hand Injury Birth Announcement - Wisconsin State Jourmal Nov. 8,1929 Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Lottery Ticket winner - Mega Million Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Bogart Runs for 8th District State Assembly Obituary for Arthur S. Koenig Don Wiswell obituary page 3 Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Don Wiswell obituary page 2 Don Wiswell Obituary paage 1 Bernetta Willams 60 yard dash win, 1980 Don Wiswell speeding ticket 1957 Don Wiswell advertisement Metropolitan Life Vi Wiswell at Mrs. Elmer Chapleau Shower Cleveland Browns Lawrence Johnson Big Ten Track Records 1976 Don Wiswell makes award for Pure Oil to Ada Manzer Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Lena Erickson Oren Obituary for Miaa Pearl C Leroux Obituary for Na-koma Joseph Feldman Marriage of Kleinheinz / Berg Obituary for James N. Malas Obituary for Bertha L. Schroeder Marriage of Peetz / Schroeder Claude Bell obit Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Marriage of Berg / Marshall Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Part two Part one Obituary for Charles Ed ward Bostwick Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Binger / Berg Obituary for Harland Abraham Legler Marriage of Mullen / Streicher Law that moves the western edge of Forest county townships into Oneida and Vilas Counties. Also reorganizes Forest County towns Obituary for Edwin A. Lisney Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Irene L. Nimm Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Mergen / Skifton Obituary for Mary Ripley Brigham Walter Adams dies 08May1935 Obituary for Janet Mae Grender Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Udia Sophornia Cornwall Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Hank 3k Marriage of BRIGHAM / ILSLEY Obituary for Emmett W. Hauth Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Donald Gerardo Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Albert Schewe's obituary Marriage of Lerdahlwere / Dobson Wisconsin State Journal, Sun, 14 Jun 1964, Page 40 1920 0902 Sophie 19th Jersey cow butter record CapitalTimes MadisonWI p3 Obituary for Claude M. Kirby The Capital Times, Wed, 18 Jan 1995, Page 20 Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Samuel Scorse The Capital Times, Mon, 28 Jun 1999, Page 12 Wisconsin State Journal, Thu, 10 May 2007, Page 5 Obituary Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal The Capital Times 09 Nov 1950 Shirley Brandemuehl and Delos Fry Virginia Swalheim - Klemp Virginia Swalhiem - Klemp Obituary for Virginia Mae Klemp Ginny Afred and Wencil Stanek Arlie Albert Stanek marry Obituary for Roger Vaughn Carter Obituary for Roy L. Myrlond Wencil M Stanek navy flier Wonder Bar Owner Gets $100 Fine Edward Stanek--son of Wencil. Crew of a flying fortress Marriage of Straka / Huzcn Obituary for George R. Straka John Pinson Dies Kara Donkle Birth Marriage of Clark / Rockne Francis Ryan obit Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Edith McBreen Clipping from The Capital Times Marriage of Lange / Reese Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Ramsey Eversoll Obituary for John George Lange George Obituary for Pearl E. Moffett Marriage of Bjornethun / Conner Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Marriage of Henter / Pernot Obituary for Waldemar O. Kropf Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary Obituary for Mary Ellen Hickey Obituary for MARTHA MARIA FENTON Obituary for Elizabeth B. Dorworth Obituary for Stanley J. Braith Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Aaron Jay Frosch Marriage of Franke / Franke Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Earl Henberger Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Foss / Hemberger Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary Capital Times Obituary Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Bobbie Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Wisconsin Badgers won the 1994 Rose Bowl Game Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Mrs. Alden White corresponding secretary of Madison Art Guild 1948 Schmidt Family Murders Schmidt Family Murders List of Madison Art Guild members 1949 Obituary for Max Gundlach KDWW photo painting, Sept. 1949 Schmidt Family Murders Clipping from The Capital Times Schmidt Family Murders Wisconsin State Journal Madison, Wisconsin Mon, Sep 25, 1944  Page 16 Schmidt Family Murders Schmidt Family Murders Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Lawry Lawry 315 Grand Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Battling book banning Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal 1 Obituary for Russell C. Hegg Obituary for Beverly Bernice Johnson Buzzettl Wedding Announcement Oimoen-McGraw Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal william Sundby Obit 1991 dnk cla 86ob 23mar98 h-jhn rdsbg Obituary for Jesse Wysong Engagement Jean Elizabeth Lottes/Charles Richard Healy Albert Muffley , 83 , diesat Edgerton Obit Donald Spaith marriage Casey Healy/Gail Spaith (son of Mrs. Jean Healy) Obituary for Wolfgang Maier Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Sadie A. Shong Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times dank reub 73ob 20sep94 f-jhn wi Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Wallace H. Lord Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Christopher Richard Albu Christopher Richard Albu Brereton Offaly Man Obit .1887 Wisconsin Obituary for Daniel Allen Kies Mother of 15 Was Always Able to Cope Marriage of Pundsness / Larson Obituary for Mary Helen Drucker Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Aunt Verna Wild daughter Vernice marriage announcement Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Aunt Verna Wild Family Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Nina M. Hawke Charles H. Rogers obit 1990 Madison, WI Marriage of Levine / Rlackman Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for A. C. Buckingham Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Gaby Presber Hanson's Honeymoon Anna Rutlin Gaulke obituary Part 2 1950 Anna Rutlin Gaulke obituary Part 1 Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal MP beats Belmont Jon Hoornstra engagement to Mary William H. Muehlenburg, Wisconsin State Journal, Madison, Wisconsin, Tuesday, November 25, 1952 Beth Hoornstra & Mike Kring marriage announcement Lois & Dave's marriage announcement Lynn Hoornstra's engagement to Bob Marion Levenhagen Boll obituary Jon Hoornstra's obituary Death of Dorothy Newhall Marriage of Adrian / Gobin Notice - Ingrid Swanson Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Herman F. Wessele Kills Himself Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Germaine L Tearney Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Judy Kay Madden & Thomas Harmsen Engagement Announcement Birchman GC Drink Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Oscar P. Probst Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Noyes Obituary for Harold Bowers Hannon Happenings 2 Obituary for Stuarta Barat Flynn Barat Obituary for Harry J. Leader Obituary for Nathan Paley Obituary for Kathryn Downs Marriage of Strand / McClain Obituary for Jena Poole Obituary Obituary Obituary for Eva Speidel Obituary for Isabelle Hough Marriage of Klanderman / Bell Wedding Announcement Wedding Announcement Koltes- Klein Wedding Wedding Announcement Wedding Announcement Marriage of Dahl / Balthazor Darien Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Robert Woiler Voight among state debate winners 1940 Obituary for Carol Louise Brussow Woller Obituary for Raymond B. Klais Obituary for George E. Giese Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary of Bertil Walter Johnson Marriage of Witte / Johnson (1976) Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Kittoe / DeWar Smoke-free Obituary for Thomas Hamilton Mad Marriage of Owen / Molenda Marriage of FRUTIGER / IRELAND Wedding of Witte / Kovacs (2012) Wedding of Witte / Kovacs (2012) Green Acres More About Green Acres Green Acres owners Ted and Amy Marriage of Brooks / Kerl Obituary for Miles David Drake Obituary for Richard Drake EK Johnston appointed in Wisconsin Emery Johnston and Donald Jones Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Frances Maier Dyer obituary Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Marriage of Howe / Henderson Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Clarence C. FORT Trieloff ATKINSON Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Wedding of Weis / Turk (1950) Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Anna Annie Owens Griffiths Obituary Wedding Announcement Wedding Announcement Clipping from The Capital Times Clipping from The Capital Times Wedding Announcement Wedding Announcement Obituary for Clark Van Galder Obituary for Robert J Wilson Marriage of Boatman / Anderson marriage announcement Engagement Announcement Engagement Announcement Wedding Anno Wedding Announcement c5Jun54 Marriage of Wentworth / Schwoerer Obituary for Gary William McClain Speer, Mrs. Mary Clipping from The Capital Times Obituary for Mary Isabel Noltner Obituary for Evelyn M. Schwoegler Obituary for Earl Langetieg Obituary for Clarence H. Bolton Marriage of Miller / Foster Jim and Pam marriage announcement Obituary for Harold J. Hering Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Julie Ramsey Brickley wedding report Bloody Harlan 2 The Capital Times August 12, 1938 Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Mary M. Dwars Obituary Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Marriage of Ysnke / Dwars Engagement Susan Wilke/Lt Wm C Christianson Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Obituary for Nancy Ramsey Obituary Obituary for Jennie Dell Feer-ick Clipping from The Capital Times John Ramsey obituary part two John Robbins Ramsey Jr. obituary part one Marcia Masters Hall article Nigger queen of the Hawaiian islands Obituary for Nicholus Ripp The Capital Times, 13 Jan 1967, Fri  Page 21 Obituary for George T. Wilshusen Obituary for Martin R. Karnmer Jack Albright is a Shriner? Obituary for Daniel Daniel Obituary for Hyacinth S. Kennedy Wedding Announcement Wedding Announcement Obituary of Anna Fjeld Ellestad Obituary for Miyoko Lanphear Jack Albright Varsity Club slot machines Obituary for Marjorie R. Lanphear Wedding Announcement Wedding Announcement Obituary for Florence E. Smith Obituary Obituary John Albright wins trespassing case! Wedding Announcement  Arentz-Smith Obituary for Patricia Ann Bottorff Obituary for Marcella A. Leibfried Sally Obituary Obituary for Emma G. Trachte Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Jeanne G. (Stanek) Deiotte Clipping from Wisconsin State Journal Clipping from The Capital Times Ron Larson's obituary. 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A Beloit man is facing multiple felony charges after police recovered a slew of drugs and a stolen firearm in his residence.

The 39-year-old man had multiple warrants, including one for delivering heroin in High Point, North Carolina. He also has 18 pending charges in Greensboro, North Carolina. He was wanted by Beloit police for felony fleeing and manufacturing/delivering cocaine.

Additional charges are pending after police recovered 45.53 grams of fentanyl, 63.65 grams of crack cocaine, 23.38 grams of heroin, 19.14 grams of marijuana, and two firearms, one of which was stolen, in a search warrant on the man's residence.

According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, a lethal dose of fentanyl is 2 mg.

The man will need to be extradited from Illinois to Wisconsin and North Carolina to face prosecution in each state, police said.

The Janesville and South Beloit Police Departments and the Wisconsin Department of Justices Division of Criminal Investigation assisted Beloit police in their investigation.
Dane County has become a sanctuary for transgender and nonbinary people, and Madison might soon follow suit.

The Dane County Board passed a resolution early Friday to become a sanctuary city. A similar resolution will be introduced at Tuesdays Madison City Council meeting.

Dozens of people spoke at the County Board meeting, including transgender individuals and allies. Some who supported the resolution talked about a growing number of incidents of hate against the transgender community and the need for support. The measure also faced opponents, some citing religious reasons and concerns over gender reassignment surgery, particularly for children.

AJ Hardie, program director for the Outreach LGBTQ+ Community Center, said Dane County is already a sanctuary in some ways, unlike his home state of North Carolina, which is passing anti-LGBTQ legislation.

I am overjoyed to see the Dane County Board take up this resolution, he said.

In Dane County, the sanctuary designation largely means showing support for the transgender and nonbinary communities.

The countys resolution and the citys proposed resolution mirror each other, and entail the following provisions for transgender and nonbinary people:

Protection from any legislation the state may pass penalizing seekers, providers, or proponents of gender-affirming care. The term gender-affirming care refers to puberty blockers, hormones and surgery.

Urging law enforcement to make enforcing such laws its lowest priority.

Dane County values its transgender and nonbinary residents and vigorously opposes measures that would allow legal violence toward trans people in accessing gender-affirming care or expression, the resolution states.

The vote supporting the resolution was 25-1 after a five-hour meeting, with Sup. Jeff Weigand, 20th District, voting against it. Sups. Tim Kiefer, 25th District, Dave Ripp, 29th District, and Patrick Downing, 30th District, abstained.

Many cities became sanctuary cities for undocumented immigrants in the last couple decades, meaning they supported the immigrants and limited cooperation with federal authorities seeking to deport them.

A growing number of cities have become sanctuary cities for the LGBTQ+ community in recent years.

LGBTQ+ sanctuaries seek to protect the rights of people in the LGBTQ+ community, safeguarding things like marriage equality and gender-affirming care from any legislation that would seek to criminalize them.

The Madison City Councils resolution has 14 sponsors including Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway.

ike the countys, focuses specifically on the rights of transgender and nonbinary people to gender-affirming health care. It also would require law enforcement to make the enforcement of laws imposing punishments on any person or organization that seeks, provides, receives or helps someone to receive gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers, hormones or surgery the departments lowest priority.

The mayor and City Council firmly state their commitment to protecting transgender and nonbinary individuals and believe that access to health care is a fundamental right and all people in Madison and the State of Wisconsin should have access to all health care, including gender affirming care, the resolution states.

The American Civil Liberties Union is tracking 491 anti-LGBTQ+ bills across the nation, none of which are in Wisconsin. The ACLU noted on its website that while not all of these will become law, they still pose a threat to the LGBTQ+ community.

Wisconsin has statutes in place prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation but does not offer protections against discrimination based on gender identity.

Data collected by the UCLA School of Law Williams Institute estimates that about 14,000 transgender people in Wisconsin lack employment protections based on gender identity, 6,000 are unprotected in education, 21,000 lack protections in public accommodations, and 19,000 lack protections in housing.

The City Council resolution notes a hostile environment within the state for LGBTQ+ individuals and seeks to create a haven from that.

Here's how legislation in every state affects trans youth Ranking states from most restrictive to the most protective for trans youth #51. Tennessee #50. Arkansas #49. South Dakota #48. Alabama #47. Mississippi #46. Oklahoma #45. Louisiana #43. Georgia (tie) #43. South Carolina (tie) #42. Texas #41. Missouri #40. Wyoming #39. Arizona #38. Idaho #35. Montana (tie) #35. Nebraska (tie) #35. West Virginia (tie) #33. Florida (tie) #33. North Carolina (tie) #32. Indiana #31. Kansas #30. Ohio #29. Kentucky #28. North Dakota #27. Utah #26. Pennsylvania #25. Iowa #24. Alaska #23. Wisconsin #22. Michigan #21. Delaware #20. Virginia #19. New Hampshire #18. New Mexico #17. Maryland #16. Hawaii #15. Rhode Island #13. Massachusetts (tie) #13. Minnesota (tie) #12. Illinois #10. Washington D.C. (tie) #10. Vermont (tie) #9. Oregon #8. Washington #6. Maine (tie) #6. New Jersey (tie) #5. Connecticut #4. Nevada #3. New York #2. California #1. Colorado Here's how legislation in every state affects trans youth #51. Tennessee #50. Alabama #49. South Dakota #48. Arkansas #47. Oklahoma #46. Mississippi #45. Louisiana #44. South Carolina #43. Texas #42. Georgia #41. Missouri #40. Arizona #39. Wyoming #38. Florida #37. Nebraska #36. Montana #35. Idaho #34. Indiana #33. West Virginia #32. Kansas #31. Kentucky #30. Alaska #29. Ohio #28. North Carolina #27. Utah #26. North Dakota #25. Pennsylvania #24. Iowa #23. Wisconsin #22. Michigan #21. Virginia #20. New Mexico #19. Delaware #18. New Hampshire #17. Maryland #16. Rhode Island #15. Hawaii #14. Minnesota #13. Massachusetts #12. Illinois #11. Washington #10. Oregon #8. Vermont (tie) #8. Washington D.C. (tie) #7. Connecticut #6. New Jersey #5. New York #3. Maine (tie) #3. Nevada (tie) #2. Colorado #1. California
Photo: DriveBC The Coquihalla may be bare and dry at the moment, but Environment Canada is calling for snow starting Sunday.

It may seem a little hard to believe given the heat wave the region has been going through, but Environment Canada issued a warning Saturday about snowfall on the Coquihalla and other Interior highways.

Forecasters are saying wet snow is possible over highway passes in the Southwest Interior over the next few days.

The weather statement has been issued for the Coquihalla from Hope to Kamloops, the Okanagan Connector from Merritt to Kelowna and Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton via Allison Pass.

The inclement weather is supposed to take place Sunday to Tuesday.

Wet snow or a mixture of rain and snow over the passes will create slippery conditions, the warning says.

A cold trough of low pressure will move over southwestern B.C. overnight, bringing precipitation and lowering snow levels. The snow level will lower to approximately 1,400 meters on Sunday morning and persist until Tuesday morning.

On Sunday, scattered flurries are anticipated over the Pennask summit of the Connector, while a mix of wet flurries and rain showers is possible near Coquihalla Summit, Allison Pass and Helmer Lake Summit.

Precipitation is expected to become more steady on Monday morning and continue through Tuesday morning.

The Connector will experience wet snow, while the other passes may have a mixture of wet snow and rain, resulting in slippery road surfaces.

Travellers are advised to exercise caution and drive at reduced speeds when encountering slippery road conditions," the warning says.

"Weather in the mountains can change suddenly resulting in hazardous driving conditions.
A man wanted for drug dealing in both Beloit and North Carolina was arrested this week in South Beloit, Illinois, authorities reported.

Jarman J. Heavy Green, 39, faced an arrest warrant for delivering heroin in High Point, North Carolina, and 18 pending charges in Greensboro, North Carolina, Beloit police said in a statement.

Green, who was wanted by Beloit police for felony fleeing and manufacturing/delivering cocaine, was arrested with the assistance of the Janesville and South Beloit police departments and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Beloit police said.

Additional charges are possible after a search warrant was executed on Greens residence on Eighth Street in Beloit that located two guns, one stolen; 45.53 grams of fentanyl; 63.65 grams of crack cocaine; 23.38 grams of heroin; and 19.14 grams of marijuana, Beloit police said.

A lethal dose of fentanyl is 2 mg, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Green will need to be extradited from Illinois to Wisconsin and North Carolina to be prosecuted, Beloit police said.
VOTING RIGHTS

They are part of a small, vanishing group who lived at the epicenter of the struggle for voting rights six decades ago, an era driven by segregation, violence and the yearning for equality that eventually led to laws bringing the U.S. closer to its promise of democracy for all its citizens.

They reflect on the times and their struggles, and why they are certain it all was worth it. Recently, a majority of the Supreme Court seemed to reinforce that view by siding with Black voters in a congressional redistricting case from Alabama.

Ten years ago this month, the court halted what many consider the heart of that landmark law  the ability of the Justice Department to enforce it in states and counties with a history of voter suppression. The stories from those on the front lines of history recount tragedy, racism, oppression and ultimately hope in seeing a president sign into law a measure designed to ensure equal access to the ballot and fair representation in the halls of political power  from city councils to statehouses to Congress.

Their voices echo across the past six decades, in searing debates over race, equal treatment and what it means to be an American citizen.

Andrew Young walked with Martin Luther King Jr., on the long road to equality and was with him when he died in Memphis in 1968. Seeing the continued attempts to chip away at voting rights, he knows there are more battles to be fought: "I never thought that the United States or anybody else would be perfect, but I thought we would be constantly getting better."

Luci Johnson was a teenager when she witnessed "one of the most historic occasions of the 20th century"  her father, former President Lyn-don B. Johnson, signing the law ensuring access to the ballot for people of color. If she could convey a message to Supreme Court justices as they consider another challenge to the Voting Rights Act, it would be for them to remember "what a privilege they all have with access to the voting booth. I would tell them to do all that they can to make liberty and justice a right for all Americans."

Joel Finkelstein was a young lawyer helping draft the document that became the Voting Rights Act of 1965, overwhelmed to be an accidental witness at the signing and yet unaware of the measure's magnitude. He remains hopeful, even as voting rights have been eroded over the past decade: "Somehow this country digs out of these messes with people who you never would expect would be there. Go look at 1860. We got Abraham Lincoln, a country lawyer, self-educated out of Illinois, and he became our greatest president, one of the wisest men we would ever have hold public office."

Stephen Schwerner lost a brother, murdered in Mississippi trying to register Black people to vote. Nearly 60 years after the Voting Rights Act was signed, he remains immensely proud of his brother, Michael "Mickey" Schwerner, but with a great sense of loss: "I don't think anybody in our family has ever gotten over it."

Norman Hill moved from the protests over civil rights to the organization and political clout of the labor movement, where he helped build a groundswell for voting rights. Now in his ninth decade, Hill said the fight must continue, "not just today, not just tomorrow but as long as we live and breathe."

Della Simpson Maynor was a teenager who pushed herself to the front of a protest in the small town of Marion, Alabama, and was terrified when police clubbed a pastor who was kneeling to pray. Police later struck her with a club as she tried to get away, and she would hear the gunshot from a state trooper that fatally wounded a young church deacon, Jimmie Lee Jackson. His death prompted a march starting in Selma, which would lead to one of the most violent days of the Civil Rights Movement, Bloody Sunday, when police beat protesters trying to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge: "Without Bloody Sunday, there would have been no voting rights. But without Jimmie Lee Jackson, there would have been no Bloody Sunday."
Before June ends, an ultraconservative U.S. Supreme Court is likely to strike down affirmative action in college admissions, a practice that has stood for decades. While equal justice advocates will be upset by the courts action, the demise of official affirmative action policies wont hurt Black or brown students as much as advocates fear.

Thats because the far bigger problem facing those students is the lack of preparation for college and the lack of funds to pay for a four-year degree. This is especially true for Black men, whose college enrollment dropped 14% from spring 2020 to spring 2021.

For those Black students who do enroll, retention rates are lower than those of white students. About 51% of Black students in public four-year colleges receive a degree over six years, compared to a national average of 68%.

OUR VIEW: Keep diversity efforts on campus Charleston shows the value of having a point person on campus, despite Vos insult

Though those statistics illuminate deeper problems, theyd hardly make the high court right if it decides to ban affirmative action policies. Those policies were enacted to try to help Black Americans gain ground after centuries of systemic, legally enforced racism. After generations of educational injustice, including laws that outlawed teaching enslaved people to read, it was obvious that the achievement gap couldnt be overcome without giving Black students a boost.

Even now, only 28% of Black adults over 25 have four-year degrees, compared to 42% of white adults and 61% of Asian-American adults, according to Pew Research. Affirmative action practices havent helped to close the gap very much  another reason why its demise wont be as detrimental as many fear.

Efforts to boost racial diversity have been practiced most enthusiastically at the nations most selective colleges and universities, including the Ivy League schools, which pride themselves on educating the nations leadership class. For students entering in 2020, Princeton enrolled a class in which Black people accounted for 15.5%, while Harvard, Yale and Vanderbilt all had 14%.

Those are also the schools that attract the most ambitious students and parents, leaving a lot of disappointment  and resentment  of affirmative action among that cohort. Princeton, for example, accepts about 4.4% of its applicants. If the school were lily white, most applicants still wouldnt get in.

Nevertheless, bitterness about rejections has helped to fuel the anti-affirmative action movement. Oddly, there is no broad movement against other practices that bestow favoritism, including legacies (students with a family member who attended the school). As Tamara Gilkes Borr writes in Slate, legacies are three times more likely  and the children of alumni 15 times more likely  to be admitted to elite schools.

To be clear, the Ivies and near-Ivies have never accepted students of any color who were unqualified to do the work. At most of them, race is one factor among many. Students typically submit essays and lengthy resumes full of accomplishments, from community service to school clubs, that weigh heavily in admissions. Black students may have slightly lower test scores, but they still graduate.

Meanwhile, many flagship state universities dont try very hard to recruit Black students. About 8% of the students at the University of Georgia are Black, though the state is 33% Black. About 12% of the students at the University of Mississippi are Black, though the state is 38% Black. Black students comprise about 12% of the student body at the University of Alabama, while Black people account for 27% of that states population. Black undergraduates account for less than 5% of the student body at the University of Michigan, while Blacks account for about 14% of the state population.

There is nothing to be done, though, but to prepare for a post-affirmative action world. The challenge lies in the high school years, when so many Black and brown students, especially young men, start to invest heavily in activities outside their studies. They need to be supported with tutors, with teachers who believe in them, with clear paths to postsecondary work. They need financial resources so they can stay in college once they enroll.

They may not attend Harvard or Princeton, but they can still get a college degree.
POPE FRANCIS

ROME  Pope Francis was discharged Friday from the Rome hospital where he underwent abdominal surgery to repair a hernia and remove scarring from previous operations, with his surgeon saying the pontiff was "better than before" his nine-day hospitalization.

Francis, 86, left through Gemelli Polyclinic's main exit in a wheelchair, smiling and waving and saying "thanks" to a crowd of well-wishers. He stood up to get into the small Vatican car awaiting him. In the brief distance before he reached the white Fiat 500, reporters thrust microphones toward his face.

The pope seemed to bat the mics away good-naturedly. "Still alive," Francis quipped when asked how he was doing. As he smiled and shook hands, his face looked wan and thinner than usual.

When a reporter asked for a comment about the sinking of a crowded migrant boat off Greece that claimed dozens of lives and left hundreds missing, he replied: "So much sorrow."

Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the surgeon who performed the pontiff's three-hour operation on June 7, was outside the hospital along with the crowd as Francis exited.

"The pope is well. He's better than before," Alfieri told reporters after he said goodbye to Francis and the pontiff got into the car.

Following the surgery and his recuperation, Francis will be "stronger," the doctor said.

The Vatican press office announced Francis would make his traditional Sunday noon appearance at an Apostolic window overlooking St. Peter's Square to greet the public, an engagement that lasts about 10 minutes.

His customary Wednesday morning general audience with thousands of faithful in the square "has been canceled to safeguard the post-surgical recovery of the Holy Father," the announcement said. The general audience lasts about an hour and includes a speech by the pontiff. Francis instead will meet Wednesday afternoon with Brazilian President Luiz Lula da Silva, the Vatican said.

Before he arrived home, Francis stopped to pray for 10 minutes before an icon of the Virgin Mary at the famous St. Mary Major Basilica. Tourists in the basilica excitedly snapped photos of the pontiff, who remained in a wheelchair as he prayed. Several people in the crowd outside wept as he left and headed for the Holy See hotel, where he lives in Vatican City.

He also stopped at a convent adjacent to the Vatican to greet nuns and then outside one of the walled city-state's gates to get out of his car to thank police officers who provided a motorcycle escort.
TALLINN, Estonia  President Vladimir Putin on Friday touted Russia's prospects at the country's main international economic forum despite heavy international sanctions imposed because of the war in Ukraine.

Western officials and investors steered clear of the year's St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which began Wednesday and continues through Saturday. For decades, the gathering has been Russia's premier event for attracting foreign capital, sometimes likened to the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland.

The Kremlin banned journalists from "unfriendly" countries, those that sanctioned Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, from covering the proceedings.

Putin also defended sending troops into Ukraine and repeated unfounded claim that Ukraine's government is a neo-Nazi regime, despite President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Jewish roots.

Meanwhile, a delegation of African leaders and senior officials in Ukraine on Friday sought ways to end the country's war with Russia and ensure food and fertilizer deliveries to their continent, though an air raid in Kyiv during their stay provided a reminder of the challenges they face.

Zelenskyy appealed to the group to ask Putin to free political prisoners, saying it could be an important part of their trip to Russia on Saturday.
An amendment tacked onto the Assembly's proposed stand-alone personal property tax legislation would eliminate property taxes for the Wisconsin Technical College System in favor of directing all tax dollars through the Legislature.

The amendment, proposed by Rep. John Macco, R-Ledgeview, passed out of the Ways and Means committee Thursday without an opportunity for public comment. The amendment would remove one of the Technical College System's revenue levers, making it largely dependent on state aid instead.

Representatives for Macco had not responded to requests for comment.

The Technical College System opposes the amendment, as President Morna Foy said in a statement it will remove local control that allows each of the system's 16 schools to pivot programming to fit the needs of its respective district. In 2022, it received $585 million in local taxes.

"The local operating levy is integral to the relationships between technical colleges and local businesses and the communities they serve," Foy said. "This local investment and engagement drive technical colleges' responsiveness to, and alignment with, the diverse needs of Wisconsin's workers, employers, and communities."

The amendment is attached to a bill that would eliminate the state's personal property tax. An outdated law predating Wisconsin's statehood, the personal property tax was used to fund the territorial government before the introduction of income or sales taxes.

But whether the original bill would become redundant remains to be seen. Part of the shared revenue bill, negotiated by Republicans and Gov. Tony Evers, would also eliminate personal property tax. Still moving its way through committee, the standalone personal property tax bill was written and introduced prior to the shared revenue bill.

The Technical College System receives $103 million annually in state aid and is expected to get a $9.4 million increase in the upcoming state budget, a fraction of its $75 million request to expand its capacity.

An April review from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, a conservative law firm and think tank, argued that Wisconsin's system of partially funding technical colleges through the levy contributes to the idea of taxation without representation because district board members are not elected. Districts do go to the voters to approve referendums to exceed their revenue limits.
The conflict in Sudan has displaced more than one million children, 270,000 of them in the Darfur region, the UN childrens agency (UNICEF) has said, warning more were at grave risk.

Fighting has raged in Sudan since mid-April between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

As well as the more than one million displaced, at least 330 children have been killed and more than 1,900 wounded, UNICEF said in a statement on Thursday.

Many more are at grave risk.

The United Nations agency said an estimated 13 million children were in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

Children are trapped in an unrelenting nightmare, bearing the heaviest burden of a violent crisis they had no hand in creating caught in the crossfire, injured, abused, displaced and subjected to disease and malnutrition, said UNICEF Sudan representative Mandeep OBrien.

It said the situation in Darfur, already scarred by a two-decade warthat left hundreds of thousands dead and more than two million displaced, was especially concerning.

The situation in West and Central Darfur, in particular, is characterised by active fighting, severe insecurity and looting of humanitarian supplies and facilities, UNICEF said.

Daglos RSF have their origins in the Janjaweed militias which former strongman Omar al-Bashir unleashed on ethnic minorities in the regionin 2003, drawing charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Its paramilitaries have been accused of carrying out the Wednesday killing of West Darfur state governor Khamis Abdullah Abakar hours after he made remarks critical of the paramilitaries in a telephone interview with a Saudi TV channel. The RSF has denied any responsibility.

The United Nations said compelling eyewitness accounts attribute this act to Arab militias and the RSF, while the Darfur Lawyers Association condemned the act of barbarism, brutality and cruelty.

All those responsible for this killing must be held to account including those who bear command responsibility, Jeremy Laurence, spokesman for the UN rights office, told reporters in Geneva.

The US State Department said the atrocities unfolding in West Darfur were primarily the work of the RSF and provided an ominous reminder of the regions previous genocide.

The United States condemns in the strongest terms the ongoing human rights violations and abuses and horrific violence in Sudan,

especially reports of widespread sexual violence and killings based on ethnicity in West Darfur by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied

militias, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

The atrocities occurring today in West Darfur and other areas are an ominous reminder of the horrific events that led the United States to

determine in 2004 that genocide had been committed in Darfur.

Miller said up to 1,100 civilians had been killed in the West Darfur state capital, El Geneina, alone.

While the atrocities taking place in Darfur are primarily attributable to the RSF and affiliated militia, both sides have been responsible for abuses, he added.

Now in its third month, the fighting has claimed more than 2,000 lives, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.

The International Organization for Migration says the fighting has driven 2.2 million people from their homes, including 528,000 who have fled to neighbouring countries.

With mediation efforts at a standstill after repeated abortive ceasefires, the fighting has raged on unabated.

In Khartoum North, just across the Blue Nile from the capital, the regular army carried out air strikes drawing anti-aircraft fire from the RSF, witnesses said.

Across the Nile in Omdurman, an air strike hit the Beit Al-Mal neighbourhood, killing at least three people and damaging several houses, the neighbourhood resistance committee said.

The RSF said the strike killed 20 people, some inside a mosque, and accused the regular army, which has a virtual monopoly of the skies,

of carrying out multiple strikes on residential neighborhoods. AFP

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ruled out the possibility of talks with Russia after a visiting delegation of African leaders urged both countries to de-escalate.

The diplomatic team came to Kyiv to voice the concerns of a continent that has suffered from the fallout of Russias invasion  in particular from rising grain prices  with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa insisting there should be peace through negotiations.

But Zelensky rejected that possibility during a joint press conference, telling reporters: I clearly said several times at our meeting that to allow any negotiations with Russia now that the occupier is on our land is to freeze the war, to freeze pain and suffering.

Shortly after the African leaders arrival, air raid sirens sounded across the country as Russian missiles were detected, forcing the delegates to take shelter in the capital.

Zelensky said the strike on Kyiv during the delegations visit was evidence that Putin either did not control his army, or was irrational.

Ramaphosa, however, took the barrage as evidence that both sides needed to stop fighting.

It is precisely that type of event that we saw today that makes us call for de-escalation, Ramaphosa said, quoting Nelson Mandela several times on the need for peace.

In a statement, Zelensky said he had called on the leaders to set out their views on how to stop the crimes committed by Russia, and how to work towards food security.

But first of all, we must restore the full force of the UN Charter and stop this brutal Russian aggression and free our land, he added.

The African delegation had gone first to Bucha, a town outside the capital that has become synonymous with alleged war crimes carried out by Moscow.

The group includes four presidents: Ramaphosa, Senegals Macky Sall, Zambias Hakainde Hichilema and Comoros Azali Assoumani, who also currently heads the African Union.

The leaders of Uganda, Egypt and Congo-Brazzaville pulled out of the visit at the last moment and sent representatives instead.

The talks came as Ukraine announced gains in a new counteroffensive, but Russian President Vladimir Putin renewed his claim that Kyivs forces stand no chance in the sectors where fighting has intensified.

Following Fridays attack on Kyiv, the Ukrainian Air Force said it had shot down 12 missiles, including six hypersonic ones.

There was no reported damage inside the city, but seven people including two children were wounded, the regional police said.

With what happened today, its very obvious also to the African leaders how sincere Putin is about stopping the conflict, said Peter Stano, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

Ukrainian officials were also quick to call attention to the strike.

Russian missiles are a message to Africa: Russia wants more war, not peace, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

The African leaders were set to travel on to the northwestern Russian city of Saint Petersburg and meet Putin on Saturday.

In our view it is important to listen very carefully to what both countries have to say, and tomorrow we are now going to listen to President Putin, Ramaphosa said.

Speaking at an annual economic forum in Saint Petersburg on Friday, Putin displayed little appetite for peace talks, announcing the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus while also calling Zelensky a disgrace to the Jewish people.

Russia first announced plans to station tactical nukes in its ally and neighbour in March, with Putin saying Friday that the first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus.

He said the weapons were meant as a deterrence to those who are thinking of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia.

Putin also told forum attendees he had a lot of Jewish friends who had told him that Zelensky is not Jewish, that he is a disgrace to the Jewish people.

Despite Zelenskys Jewish heritage, Moscow has justified its war with claims it needs to de-Nazify Ukraine.

Analysts, meanwhile, said the delegations mediating effort could hope to win some concessions from the Kremlin ahead of a Russia-Africa summit next month.

The African continent has been badly hit by rising grain and fertiliser prices as well as the wider impact on global trade since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.

This conflict is also affecting African countries negatively, touching on the livelihoods of 1.2 or 1.3 billion people on the African continent, Ramaphosa said.

African nations have been divided over their response to the war, with some siding with Ukraine and others remaining neutral or gravitating towards Moscow.

South Africa, for one, has drawn scrutiny for refusing to condemn the

offensive launched by Moscow.

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THE United States government has recognize the Philippines Bureau of Immigration (BI) for its unwavering commitment in combatting human trafficking.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said was told that the country has maintained its Tier 1 status for the eighth consecutive year in the US State Departments 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report.

The BI, as an active member of the DOJ-led Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking (IACAT), has played a crucial role in strengthening efforts to protect overseas Filipinos from the threat of human trafficking and labor exploitation abroad.

Tansingco cited the agencys dedication to safeguard the welfare of the Filipinos.

We will continue to protect our kababayans from this modern day slavery, he said.

The Bureau of Immigration remains steadfast in its commitment to fighting this crime and ensuring the safety and well-being of our citizens abroad, the BI chief added.

The report acknowledges the Philippine governments serious and sustained efforts in combating human trafficking, amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.



The Tier 1 ranking is the highest classification given by the US State department, indicating that a country fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is actively working to address the issue.



It reflects the Philippines commitment to preventing human trafficking, prosecuting offenders, and protecting victims.



In recent years, the BI has intensified its collaboration with relevant agencies and international partners to combat trafficking. Through the IACAT, the bureau works closely with law enforcement agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to formulate and implement comprehensive anti-trafficking strategies.



Recently, the BI was the first to raise alarm against a human trafficking scheme that victimized Filipinos, enticing them to work in pseudo-call centers abroad, only to end up working for a crypto scam ring.



This citation is a result of the joint effort of all members of the IACAT, which has been very active in combatting trafficking in all fronts. Despite the challenges, we will remain vigilant against new forms of trafficking targeting vulnerable Filipinos, Tansingco said.



Also tagged by the State department as Tier 1 were Australia, Canada, France, Singapore, United Kingdom, and the USA.

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Its always something on Grant Parks opening week.

Last year, sweltering temperatures and high winds made an obstacle course out of the festivals opening night. In other recent years, monsoon-level rains have deterred picnickers but never the inaugural festivities.

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In the 2023 installment of Grant Park Musicians vs. the Universe, the orchestra and chorus bundled up for unseasonably low temperatures in the 50s and 60s. But for audiences, the festivals two opening-week programs warded off the cold like a piping hot meal: a scattershot but satisfying orchestral opener on Wednesday and Dvoraks moving, underheard Stabat Mater on Friday.

The head chef was, as usual, Carlos Kalmar, leading the concerts amid a Title IX investigation into his behavior at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM), where he teaches. After that investigation was made public several weeks ago, the Grant Park Music Festival stood by its maestro, with festival CEO and president Paul Winberg telling the Tribune in a statement that CIMs ongoing investigation has thus far not found evidence that Carlos Kalmar engaged in any harassment.

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In the seated section of the Pavilion, subscribers appeared to stand by Kalmar, too. When he strode onto the podium on Wednesday, many rose for a full-throated standing ovation.

Conductor Carlos Kalmar receives applause from the crowd during the Grant Park Music Festival season opener in Chicagos Millennium Park on June 14, 2023. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Kalmar planned to leave his Grant Park post next season to focus on his CIM duties. If that all happens according to plan, doubtlessly the most-cited of his gifts will be his knack for tying together eclectic programs. Wednesday nights was such a concert, preceding Robert Schumanns Symphony No. 4 with a Saint-Saens violin concerto and once-recorded rarity by the late Chicago-born composer Robert Muczynski.

Muczynski composed that opening romp, Symphonic Dialogues (1965), the same year he decamped to Tucson to head up the University of Arizonas composition department, with which he remains most associated. But the piece, with jazzy syncopations and deliciously tart harmonies, endorsed greater appreciation of Muczynski around these parts, as did the orchestras supercharged performance. His centenary is approaching in 2029  presenters take note.

From there, beloved Grant Park concertmaster Jeremy Black stepped into his first solo spotlight in many seasons for Camille Saint-Saenss Violin Concerto No. 3. Black proved himself just as poised and understated a soloist as he is a concertmaster, playing with grace and alacrity if not heaps of personality. He especially soared in the middle Andantino, achieving a stirring, somewhat pastoral quality that was profoundly moving but never maudlin. Ensemble and soloist nicely put over the works finer-grained orchestrational detail, from the tremolos opening the work to a delicate string chorale in the third movement.

Violinist Jeremy Black performs during the Grant Park Music Festival season opener in Chicagos Millennium Park on June 14, 2023. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Black gamely reassumed his concertmaster perch for a striking Schumann. More sprawling symphonies have said less in more time, but Schumanns half-hour symphony  with four movements which melt into one another  is a masterwork of emotion and economy. Under Kalmar, it unfolded like a living, breathing organism while remaining well-meted from first to last. I can think of several Orchestra Hall performances this season which were not nearly so fresh and thoughtfully plotted. That achievement is all the more remarkable in the hands of a seasonal ensemble, whose members mostly hold full-time posts elsewhere.

The same goes for the Grant Park Festival Chorus. Given the great quartet of vocal soloists assembled for Dvoraks Stabat Mater, its high praise to posit the chorus might have been Fridays runaway stars, but that was patently true on Friday night. The tenors first entrance was deeply felt and iridescent, and chorus sopranos, with a limpid, straight-toned delivery in the upper reaches of their register, all but carried the later Virgo virginum praeclara movement.

The festival landed a most impressive get in tenor John Matthew Myers, who recently starred opposite Thomas Hampson and Renee Fleming in Opera de Pariss Nixon in China. He astonished from his thrilling entrance in Stabat Mater and kept listeners at the edge of their seats wherever he appeared, his voice a thing of poignance and power. Mezzo-soprano Siena Licht Miller was also an exquisite blend of vocal brilliance and profound depth, never more clear than in her solo in Inflammatus et accensus. Bass-baritone Joseph Beutel was vibrant and assured if not as fluidly emotive in Fac, ut ardeat cor meum, a movement which likewise could have been stewarded more sensitively by Kalmar at key moments, and soprano Olivia Boen  the daughter of orchestra members John Boen (principal horn) and Laura Miller (playing principal second violin for these performances)  was most brilliant at the sun-streaked top of her register.

The audience applauds for violinist Jeremy Black during the Grant Park Music Festival season opener in Chicagos Millennium Park on June 14, 2023. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Dvoraks Stabat Mater might be three times as long as Schumanns Fourth, but on Friday it largely winged by on the same interpretive winds which lofted the Schumann. And the orchestra deserves special kudos for faring as well as they did against the chill  one would have expected far more intonation woes than it actually faced on Wednesday and Friday. Oboist Mitchell Kuhn, who joined the orchestra last season, and clarinetist Dario Brignoli were standouts in this weeks programs, and the Grant Park brass sounded particularly eloquent, playing with notable finesse and sensitivity.

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Whether it feels like it or not, summer is here  and not a moment too soon.

Hannah Edgar is a freelance writer.

The Rubin Institute for Music Criticism helps fund our classical music coverage. The Chicago Tribune maintains complete editorial control over assignments and content.
Editors note: Calendar items must be submitted at least six days before an event. Items are only guaranteed to publish once prior to the event. To guarantee placement in the paper on a particular day, organizations can purchase an ad by calling 315-720-9694. Email all items to news@mcdowellnews.com.

TODAY

Roald Dahls Matilda The Musical Jr. opens this weekend. McDowell Childrens Theatre presents Matilda The Musical Jr. in the Greenlee Theatre at McDowell Arts Council Association (MACA), at 50 S. Main St., Marion. Performances will take place today, June 17; Sunday, June 18; Friday, June 23; Saturday, June 24; and Sunday, June 25. Friday and Saturday shows will start at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Certified American Sign Language Interpretation (ASL) services will be provided at the June 23 performance of Matilda. The musical is rated PG for thematic elements, exaggerated bullying and some language. Tickets are $12 with a $2 discount for students and seniors.

The Summer THRIVE Series, sponsored by the McDowell County Health Coalition, will be held today June 17, from 10 a.m. to noon in the Marion Community Building Park (191 N. Main., Marion). McDowell 4-H will be featuring a nature scavenger Hunt, veggie tasting and kid friendly crafts. For more information, contact Mcdowellcountyhealthcoalition@gmail.com or call 828-659-5289.

TUESDAY, JUNE 20

The Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League will offer a class about making a personalized key chain with instructor Lisa Hines. The class will be taught Tuesday, June 20, from noon to 2 p.m. The cost is $10 for AGS members, $20 for nonmembers, plus a $15 supply fee. Would you like to make a personalized key chain/ luggage tag for yourself or as a gift for someone else? Join Hines as she helps instruct and supplies everything needed to make this fun personalized item. To register, visit Arrowhead Gallery, 78C Catawba Ave., Old Fort, or call 828-668-1100.

FRIDAY, JUNE 23

The Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League will offer a class called Dutch Pour! with instructor Lisa Hines. The class will be taught Friday, June 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. The cost is $40 for AGS members, $50 non-members, plus $25 supply fee. Have you ever wondered how artists do the Dutch Pour technique? Now is your chance to learn. Hines will supply and teach you the paint mixture used in this technique as well as the technique itself. The minimum number of students is two and the maximum is eight. To register, visit Arrowhead Gallery, 78C Catawba Ave., Old Fort, or call 828-668-1100.

MONDAY, JUNE 26

McDowell Democrats will hold their monthly meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, June 26 at the Marion Community Building. The guest speaker will be Keith Buchanan, president of Connect McDowell. He will give a status report on broadband development in McDowell County and take questions. A meal will be served before the meeting. A small donation to offset costs is appreciated. McDowell Dems T-shirts will be available there and are just $20 each. Attendees are asked to help the Friendship Home For Women & Children by bringing a non-perishable food item for donation. For more information, visit at mcdems.com.

TUESDAY, JUNE 27

MATCH and Marion East Community Forum will host a Community Health and Resource Fair at the Marion Tailgate Market on Tuesday, June 27, from 3-6 p.m. The first 100 guests will receive a $10 gift certificate to be used at the Farmers Market. In addition to the Market Vendors, over 30 community organizations will be present. Free hot dog dinner and cleaning supplies will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call 828-659-5289.

FRIDAY, JUNE 30

The Glenwood High Alumni will have a dinner meeting on Friday, June 30, at 5 p.m. at Hook & Anchor. All high school attendees and teachers welcome. For questions, call Richard Buchanan at 828-460-2655 or Jeanette Jarrett at 828-460-9641.

TUESDAY, JULY 4

The Mountain Gateway Museum in Old Fort will have free ice cream scoops and watermelon slices, bluegrass music and a Ducky Derby at the annual Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social on Tuesday, July 4. The event will be held from 2-4 p.m. on the museums grounds at the intersection of Catawba Avenue and Water Street in Old Fort. This year, the museum welcomes the Old Fort Ruritan Club, which will be operating the Ducky Derby during the event as a fundraiser. Tickets for the Ducky Derby are being sold now. Each duck costs $3. To purchase a ticket, contact David Blackwelder at 828-925-2095 or Cathy Herron at 828-460-8164. Possum Creek, a local bluegrass band that leads a free music jam most Sunday afternoons at Mountain Gateway Museum, will perform on the museums front porch from 2-4 p.m.

Marions Independence Day Celebration is Tuesday, July 4. The parade will begin at 6 p.m. A special spot will be reserved at the beginning of the parade for Anything That Rolls. Skaters, bicycles and skateboards are welcome and are not required to preregister. Parade marshals will be McDowell County veterans. Fox and Company will perform at 6:30 p.m. Fireworks will be at 9:30 p.m. For more information, call 652-2215.
Two tourist attractions in or around McDowell County earned high honors in Blue Ridge Country magazines 2023 Best of the Mountains reader poll.

The issue containing this poll is available now in newsstands.

In the polls results, Linville Falls earned third place in the category of Favorite Waterfall while Linville Caverns won second place in the category of Best Caverns.

A little more information about the awards: Polling is conducted every five years with this years survey featuring 48 categories. A complete list of winners is presented in the 2023 July/August 35th Anniversary Issue of Blue Ridge Country, available on newsstands in mid-June, according to a news release.

Readers of Blue Ridge Country magazine have picked their favorite towns, attractions, activities and more in the 2023 Best of the Mountains reader poll.

Polling is conducted every five years with this years survey featuring 48 categories, including Favorite Waterfall, Best Country Store, Best Quirky Festival and Best Foodie Town, among many others.

Our readers know the Southern Appalachian region better than anyone, says Blue Ridge Country Editor-in-Chief Kurt Rheinheimer. We are so pleased to present their knowledgeable picks in our 35th anniversary issue.

Readers submitted their votes online over the course of two months, resulting in over 130 first, second and third place awards for the best cities, towns, attractions and activities from the mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.

We wouldnt be celebrating our 35th without our cherished readers and our loyal advertisers, says Associate Publisher Cynthia Bruggeman. Every issue highlights amazing destinations and the people, history and stories that make them unique. Our Best of feature in the summer mag is a snapshot of winners sure to provide year-long travel ideas and inspiration.

A complete list of winners is presented in the July/August 2023 issue of Blue Ridge Country, available on newsstands in mid-June. For single issue or subscription information, visit blueridgecountry.com/BestOf or contact Sarah Riddell at sriddell@leisuremedia360.com.

Blue Ridge Country is an award-winning bimonthly regional magazine with a readership of more than 175,000. The magazine covers the mountain regions of seven states and explores history, food, festivals, travel, the outdoors and the environment. Blue Ridge Country is produced by LeisureMedia360 in Roanoke, Va. LeisureMedia360 is the official publisher of the Virginia Travel Guide and many other publications, including The Roanoker, Virginias longest-running city magazine, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024, according to the news release.
A lawyer in the Missoula Office of the Public Defender who is being sued for fraud over allegations she filed illegal construction liens against a house is facing additional allegations  including that she took unauthorized possession of the house and rented it out to at least one of her own OPD clients.

Scotti Ramberg, defendant in the complaint, has not filed a response in court to the original lawsuit. She declined to comment in an earlier phone call and could not be reached by email late Thursday.

The Office of the Public Defender, where Ramberg has worked, confirmed Ramberg remains an employee but declined to comment on how the nature of the allegations might affect her duties at the agency.

As public defenders, we take seriously the obligation of those making allegations to bring forth proof of their claims, and we do not pre-judge individuals or situations based on unproven allegations, said Andrea Moore, OPD communications officer, in an email Thursday. This is what the justice system is for, and we would hope and expect that any individual that values fairness, equity and justice would feel similarly.

Ramberg is listed in the states salary database as employed by the Office of the Public Defender in 2023 at the rate of $41.63 an hour, or an annual salary of $86,590.

In the lawsuit, plaintiffs Joseph Bruno and Laura Knight, who own the property, allege Ramberg set up a couple of shell companies, filed illegal construction liens against the house around $109,000, and tried to force its foreclosure.

Bruno bought the house in late 2005 and lived there for many years until his brother died, according to the original complaint. Then, Bruno left for California, leaving the house vacant, the complaint said.

In addition to the invalid liens against the property, the amended complaint alleges Ramberg also applied for a homeowners policy through an insurance agency in Harlem, Montana, in February 2021.

Even though she had no legal ownership of the house, she presented to the insurance company otherwise and was granted a policy, said the amended complaint, filed June 12.

Then, in April 2021, Ramberg filed a claim against the fraudulent homeowners policy for apparent wind damage on the roof of the house, and the insurance company paid her $9,574, the lawsuit said. The money was paid for damage to a house she did not own.

The illicit policy Ramberg purchased expired in February 2022 and was not renewed, the lawsuit said.

The amended complaint also said in early 2021, Ramberg trespassed and took actual physical and unauthorized possession of the house, and she then leased it to at least one of her clients from the Office of the State Public Defender.

It is believed that Ms. Ramberg charged rent and earned revenues renting out the house to her own clients, the lawsuit said.

OPD declined to comment on whether the tenant was one of Rambergs clients at the agency.

Ramberg also leased the house to another tenant for roughly three months starting in July 2021, said the amended complaint. It said she provided that tenant with a key code to enter the premises and collected roughly $2,100 in rent, or $700 per month.

During this period, Ms. Ramberg removed personal property belonging to Mr. Bruno and discarded it, said the lawsuit. Again, Ms. Ramberg had no legal or actual ownership of the house.

The initial allegations were filed last month, and they outlined a series of actions involving Ramberg, a couple of shell companies, the homeowners association, and the HOA attorney Rufus Peace.

Peace, a lawyer, was admitted to the bar the same day as Ramberg and shares an address with Ramberg at least on paper.

SLR Holdings, one of the companies Ramberg registered with the Secretary of States Office, is also a defendant in the lawsuit; additionally, it lists John Does 1-10.

The initial complaint alleges Ramberg is using a couple of companies she registered to try to defraud the plaintiffs by filing illegal liens against the house. The HOA had filed a couple of liens against the property as well for unpaid water bills, and court records say the HOA assigned all the interest in the lien from 2020 to one of the companies Ramberg created.

In a separate proceeding, records show Ramberg tried earlier to illegally foreclose on the property. The court intervened.

The invalid liens and slander of title in the current lawsuit are preventing the rightful owners, the plaintiffs, from refinancing the house, taking out a line of credit against it, or any other transactions they should be able to make, said court documents.

The lawsuit asks the court to invalidate the liens and award damages and attorneys fees.

In the email, Moore said OPD supervisors investigate all allegations that would, if true, affect an individuals ability to effectively and ethically practice law. She also asked that Rambergs privacy be respected.

In consultation with our agency HR Department, OPD supervisors take appropriate corrective actions based on any proven violations of ethical rules or state or agency policy, Moore said.

OPD said public defenders take seriously an attorneys legal and ethical obligations, and agency attorneys, like all other licensed lawyers in Montana, are bound by the Montana Rules of Professional Conduct.

The rules call for ethical dealings, for example, and note a lawyer who commits fraud is subject to discipline. They also call for a lawyers conduct to conform to the requirements of the law in professional and personal affairs.

They state it is professional misconduct for a lawyer to engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.

OPD also is bound by agency and state policy regarding employee conduct and ethics, Moore said in an email.
Anna Christensen from Patton High School was honored in Raleigh on June 14 at the Legislature Building. She won the statewide North Carolina General Assembly Youth Art Exhibit Award for her painting titled Duality. A reception was held in the award recipients honor with her family and teachers, Robin Bias and Cassidy Upton supporting her. Anna had the opportunity to visit with Sen. Warren Daniel and N.C. Rep. Hugh Blackwell, pictured, of the Burke County District to discuss her artwork with them and for a photo opportunity session on the grand staircase. Her artwork will be on display in the Legislature Building on the North Side for the next year.
KAMPALA, Uganda  Suspected rebels attacked a school in a remote area of Uganda near the Congo border, killing at least 41 people in a late Friday night raid before fleeing across the porous frontier, authorities said. Thirty-eight students in their dormitories were among the victims.

Militants armed with guns and machetes attacked the school in the frontier district of Kasese, leaving some students burned beyond recognition and others shot or hacked to death, an area mayor said.

In addition to the 38 students, one guard and two residents of the local community in Mpondwe-Lhubiriha town were killed in the attack, Mayor Selevest Mapoze said. Uganda's military said the rebels also abducted six students to transport food looted from the school's store.

Lhubiriha Secondary School, co-ed and privately owned, is located just over a mile from the Congo border.

Authorities blame the massacre on the Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF, a shadowy extremist group.

The ADF has been accused of launching many attacks targeting civilians in remote parts of volatile eastern Congo, though it rarely claims responsibility. Villagers in the Congolese provinces of Ituri and North Kivu were victims of the group's alleged attacks in recent years.

Attacks on the Ugandan side of the border are rare, thanks in part to the presence of an alpine brigade of Ugandan troops in the region.

The school attack sent shockwaves in this normally peaceful East African country whose longtime leader cites security as a strength of his government. It is also a blow to the country's armed forces, who since 2021 deployed in parts of eastern Congo under a mission specifically to hunt down the militants accused of attacking the school.

Speaking to reporters near the scene of the attack, the commander of Ugandan troops in Congo told reporters that the rebels spent two nights in Kasese before carrying out their attack. He gave no further details.

When under pressure, ADF rebels "divert" their pursuers' attention by splitting into small groups that then launch violent attacks in other places, Maj. Gen. Dick Olum said, suggesting the latest attack was the rebels' attempt to ease battlefront pressure.

"A typical ADF signature," he said, "because this is pressure. They are under huge pressure, and that's what they have to do to show the world that they are still there, and to show the world that they can still do havoc."

The school raid, which happened about 11:30 p.m., involved about five attackers, according to the Ugandan military. Soldiers from a nearby brigade who responded to the attack found the school on fire, "with dead bodies of students lying in the compound," military spokesman Brig. Felix Kulayigye said in a statement.

Winnie Kiiza, an influential political leader and a former lawmaker from the region, condemned the "cowardly attack" on Twitter. She said "attacks on schools are unacceptable and are a grave violation of children's rights," adding that schools should always be "a safe place for every student."

The ADF has long opposed the rule of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, a U.S. security ally who has held power in this East African country since 1986.

The group was established in the early 1990s by some Ugandan Muslims who said they had been sidelined by Museveni's policies. At the time, the rebels staged deadly attacks in Ugandan villages as well as in the capital, including a 1998 attack in which 80 students were massacred in a town not far from the scene of the latest attack.

A Ugandan military assault later forced the ADF into eastern Congo, where many rebel groups are able to operate because the central government has limited control there. The group has since established ties with the Islamic State group.

In March, at least 19 people were killed in Congo by suspected ADF extremists.

Ugandan authorities for years vowed to track down ADF militants even outside Ugandan territory. In 2021, Uganda launched joint air and artillery strikes in Congo against the group.
SAINT-LOUIS-DU-SUD, Haiti  Mylouise Veillard was 10 when her mother dropped her off at an orphanage in southern Haiti and promised her a better life. For three years, Mylouise slept on a concrete floor. When she was thirsty, she walked to a community well and hauled heavy buckets of water herself. Meals were scarce, and she lost weight. She worried for her younger brother, who struggled even more than she did at the facility.

Its a familiar story among the estimated 30,000 Haitian children who live in hundreds of orphanages where reports of forced labor, trafficking and physical and sexual abuse are rampant. In recent months, Haitis government has stepped up efforts to remove hundreds of these children and reunite them with their parents or relatives as part of a massive push to shut down the institutions, the vast majority of which are privately owned.

Social workers are leading the endeavor, sometimes armed with only a picture and a vague description of the neighborhood where the child once lived. Its an arduous task in a country of more than 11 million people with no residential phonebooks and where many families have no physical address or digital footprint.

Theyre almost like detectives, said Morgan Wienberg, co-founder and executive director of Little Footprints, Big Steps, one of several nonprofits that help reunite children and families.

The social workers fan out through cities, towns and villages. They walk up hills, navigate mazes of tin-roof shacks and knock on doors. With a smile, they hold up a picture and ask whether anyone recognizes the child.

On occasion, social worker Jean Rigot Joseph said hell show children pictures of landmarks to see if they remember where they lived. If he locates the parents, hell first determine whether theyre open to reunification.

Like more than 80% of children in Haiti's orphanages, Mylouise and her brother are considered poverty orphans." Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, with about 60% of the population making less than $2 a day. When parents can't afford to feed their children, they temporarily place them in orphanages, where they believe they'll receive better care.

Roughly 30,000 children out of some 4 million nationwide live in about 750 orphanages across Haiti, according to government figures. Many were built after the 2010 earthquake that killed at least 200,000 people.

A 2018 report by Haitis Institute of Social Welfare and Research and others found that just 35 of 754 orphanages  less than 5%  met minimum standards and were allowed to operate. Meanwhile, 580 orphanages received the lowest score, meaning the government should order them closed.

In response to the report, Haitis government banned construction of orphanages and shut down existing ones. But closing orphanages can be dangerous. Government officials have been threatened or forced to go into hiding as owners seek to keep generous donations flowing from abroad; U.S. faith-based donors are the largest funders of orphanages in Haiti, according to Lumos, a nonprofit that works to reunite children in orphanages worldwide with their families.

There is no group or association that speaks on behalf of orphanages in Haiti since the vast majority are individually owned.

Homes are a necessity for children whose parents cannot feed them or protect them from violence, said Sister Paesie, who founded religious organization Kizito Family in Port-au-Prince. It houses and offers free schooling to some 2,000 children from slums.

The idea is to remove them from violence, she said, and parents are invited to visit.

Gangs control up to 80% of Port-au-Prince, according to the U.N., and have been blamed for a surge in killings and kidnappings, especially in areas where children at Kizito Family are from.

Reunification efforts have been successful in more rural parts of Haiti where gangs don't have as much control and families can grow their own food.

In rural southern Haiti, some 330 children are now living again with their families. When that day arrived for Mylouise, now 17, and her brother, they were so excited they ran out of the orphanage and left their sandals behind, recalled Renese Esteve, their mother.

They joined Esteve, her new partner, their new child and one other sibling in a one-bedroom home by the foot of a mountain where farmers grow corn, potatoes and vetiver, a plant whose oil is used in high-end perfumes.

Wienbergs nonprofit built Esteve the home as part of an effort to help support families after reunification.

Esteve said leaving children at the orphanage was painful, even though she visited them occasionally. During their visits, the kids told her they weren't doing well and asked for food. Esteve herself struggled to eat at home, thinking of her two children.

Sometimes I felt like killing myself, she said.

One day, startled at the weight they'd lost, she decided to pick up the children with the help of social workers. She was convinced they'd be better off in grinding poverty than at the orphanage.

Key to reunification efforts are mentors such as Eluxon Tassy, 32, who works with children living on the street, in orphanages or in transition preparing to return home.

I understand exactly what theyre going through, he said.

He was 4 when his mother dropped him off at an orphanage on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, where he lived for nearly 15 years.

Tassy's first priority when helping children navigate the transition back home is gaining trust and building confidence. He uses art and music, singing the alphabet with the younger ones.

Sometimes he has to explain the concept of a family and the importance of affection if a child doesnt remember his parents or has spent much time away from them.

In Esteves case, her children reconnected almost immediately with her. To celebrate, she cooked two meals that day: the traditional Haitian spaghetti breakfast, and later, rice and beans laden with a fish sauce.

It was easy, she said. We were a family again.

The price of a house the year you turned 25 The price of a house the year you turned 25 Homes continue to get more expensive 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
WASHINGTON  Speaker Kevin McCarthy's bid to appease Republican hard-liners and get the House moving again after a recent party rebellion on the floor has some Democrats warning of a difficult road ahead when it comes to passing legislation that will keep the government running.

Republicans teed up votes this past week on guns and on censuring one of former President Donald Trump's most prominent critics, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. Those votes helped get the House moving again, though the latter effort failed, with Schiff helped by some 20 Republicans.

The most consequential move of the week, however, was an announcement from GOP leadership that arrived with little fanfare. Republicans said they plan to pursue appropriations bills, which fund government programs and agencies, with less spending than the top-line numbers they agreed to in a deal with the White House last month. That compromise avoided what would have been an unprecedented federal default.

McCarthy argued that the numbers he negotiated with the White House amount to a cap and "you can always do less." GOP Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, who leads the House Appropriations Committee, followed with a statement that said she would seek to limit nondefense spending at 2022 budget levels, saying the debt agreement "set a top-line spending cap  a ceiling, not a floor."

The announcements delighted Republicans who criticized McCarthy, R-Calif., and opposed the debt ceiling legislation because they felt that agreement allowed too much spending. It drew immediate pushback from Democrats who say an attempt to circumvent the debt ceiling agreement's top-line numbers effectively guarantees a standoff with the Senate and White House and possibly even a damaging government stoppage when funding expires this fall.

"It is a prelude to a shutdown  what they are engineering," said Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.

The emerging dynamic raises the potential for another round of economy-rattling brinkmanship in Washington just months after lawmakers narrowly avoided a damaging federal default.

Partial government shutdowns have become increasingly common in the modern era, with the longest coming under President Donald Trump as he demanded money for a U.S.-Mexico border wall.

With President Joe Biden facing down the Republican-controlled House as he runs for reelection in 2024 and some conservatives openly dismissive of the damage a shutdown can cause, the spending fight appears nearly certain to escalate.

The tension created by the GOP's pursuit of more nondefense spending cuts was evident during hearings held Wednesday and Thursday of the House Appropriations panel.

Democrats accused House Republicans of going back on their word. "Do you think any of us would have made a deal if we thought your '22 number was the deal?" said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md. "What kind of deal is that? What kind of respect for yourselves is that?"

"You knew that wasn't a ceiling," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla. "Traditionally, that's where we are starting. Caps are not ceilings in our world. They are a starting point and then we negotiate from those numbers we have agreed to. That's how it has always been."

Republicans said McCarthy was clear during negotiations that spending had to come down from current levels.

"We can try to fool the American people with smoke and mirrors and pretend, but the speaker was clear," Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., said. "We are in a debt crisis in this country."

Under the debt ceiling agreement, the White House said nondefense spending was expected to be roughly flat in the next budget year and increase by 1% the following year. Defense spending would increase by about 3.3% next year and 1% the following year. The agreement to curb discretionary spending does not include programs like Medicare and Social Security, which are considered mandatory spending.

A few Republicans urged leadership not to bend to a minority within the conference.

"I think we've just got to be really careful not to allow, you know, a small portion of our conference to continually be chipping away at previously agreed upon issues," Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., said. "That top-line number was agreed to in the (debt-ceiling bill.) They may not like it. They voiced their displeasure last week. They kind of shut the House down, but we've got work to do. We need to be doing it."

Republicans only have a five-seat majority in the House, which magnifies the power that a small bloc can have. It took just 11 members, mostly members of the House Freedom Caucus, to stall House votes on legislation in early June and send lawmakers home early. One of those 11, Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., said moving to 2022 spending levels for nondefense programs will be good for Republican candidates in next year's general election because that's what voters are demanding.

"Democrats have no interest in cutting spending," Good said. "They have to be forced to do so. We should have used the debt ceiling to force them to cut spending. We should use the appropriations process to force them to cut spending. We shouldn't fear a government shutdown. Most of what we do up here is bad anyway."

Still, many senators  Democratic and Republican  did not seem concerned about the possibility of a shutdown.

In the end, I think we'll resolve these issues, said Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Photos: Scenes from historic speaker vote of 118th Congress
HARTFORD, Conn.  Kara Murphy, a transgender woman helping to organize the Union County Pride in a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina, is heartened to see Pride celebrations across the country, big and small, shining a spotlight on transgender rights this year.

When we look and see whos standing up for us, it kind of signals the strength of the movement, she said.

Whether it's transgender grand marshals at the massive New York City Pride parade or a photo display of transgender victims of violence at the much smaller festival in Hastings, Nebraska, many celebrations this June are taking a public stand against state legislation targeting transgender people.

Some Prides are putting transgender people front and center at events where they've often been sidelined because of a historical emphasis on gay and lesbian rights, along with the same sorts of prejudice and misinformation held by many straight, cisgender people about trans lives.

The growing number of new laws and policies, including restrictions on gender-affirming care, public bathroom use and participation in sports, has prompted Pride organizers to more fully embrace a segment of the LGBTQ+ populace that hasnt always felt included.

While trans activists have always been integral to steps toward greater LGBTQ+ rights, too often, the larger LGBTQ movement ignored or even actively erased the voices of trans and nonbinary folks, Kierra Johnson, executive director of the National LGBTQ Task Force, said in an email.

Uplifting trans voices and fighting for trans liberation must be at the forefront of our movement when the rights of transgender and nonbinary people are under a coordinated attack, Johnson said.

We are specifically standing by and being supportive of those who are transgender, because we understand that theyre under assault, that their rights are under assault," said Jonathan Swindle, organizer of Pride in Corpus Christi, Texas. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed legislation that would make Texas the most populous state to ban gender-affirming treatments for minors. At least 20 others have similar bans.

This year, Swindle said, steps to show solidarity include displaying the blue, pink and white transgender flag, offering Pride T-shirts in just pink and blue, involving trans advocacy groups at events, and offering resources for trans people, including legal help with changing gender designations.

Smaller events are also planned that bring people together, but Swindle said those won't be widely advertised because of security concerns and potential threats. This year, he said, the static in the air and the temperament is so much different from 2022, when Pride seemed more celebratory.

One transgender board member, he noted, abruptly resigned last month and deactivated their social media accounts because they didn't want to be in the public eye.

This year, it's like no, we have to fight through our messaging, as well as reach the young generation to help them understand that it's going to be OK, Swindle said. Yes, they're doing this, but we will be there. There are resources for you.

Prides across the U.S. are using the annual event, often held in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall rebellion in New York City  an uprising partly led by trans women of color  to highlight their support for transgender people.

Many are also supporting the drag community, which has also been the target of protests and legislation.

In Reading, Pennsylvania, Pride organizer Enrique Castro Jr. said that instead of a parade, a march dedicated to both the trans and drag-performer communities was planned. In addition to displays of flags honoring those communities, there will be a rally afterward at which Dr. Ashley Grant, a specialist in gender-affirming care, will speak and march with the group to her clinic.

The recent Pride in Hastings, a central Nebraska city of 25,000, was edgier than past years, acknowledged organizer Randal Kottwitz. With the theme Rise Up" and dedicated to victims of trans violence, it included a speech by state Sen. Michela Cavanaugh, who told the crowd, You are loved and you matter. She led the unsuccessful fight against legislation signed into law by Republican Gov. Jim Pillen that bans abortion at 12 weeks of pregnancy and restricts gender-affirming medical care for people younger than 19.

In New York City, where this year's Pride theme is Strength in Solidarity, organizers selected representatives of the trans community to be among the grand marshals of the June 25 parade. There are also plans to have a float carrying transgender people of color.

AC Dumlao, chief of staff for Athlete Ally, a group that advocates on behalf of LGBTQ and intersex athletes, and a transgender, nonbinary Filipino American, is one of the grand marshals. They welcome the attention at Pride this year.

Its really important for me to take this opportunity and attention to spotlight kind of what is happening across the country, said Dumlao, noting how nearly half of U.S. states have banned trans athletes from playing in school sports. With a draw of about 2 million spectators on hand, they said the often-televised parade is a great opportunity to spread the message that trans athletes have "always been here.

Murphy said the number of expected spectators at her Pride in North Carolina, planned for September, will be tiny in comparison with New York and won't include a parade  but that the message will be no less meaningful.

You can do so much just person to person, just walking around, meeting people at Pride," she said, noting how the festival becomes an opportunity for people to tap into an informal network of people who might know a therapist or doctor or have a trans child who is trying to make friends.

At this kind of a rural area, you dont get the big demonstrations. You get the little assistance, person to person to person to person, that kind of starts to add up," she said.

12 important moments in the history of the gay rights movement Early organizing Talking about transgender On the front lines Fighting back PFLAG is started Pride parades are born Winning elected office Pop culture representation Making noise Political action Same-sex marriage Supreme Court ruling
If you were looking for a silver lining in the cloud of smoke thats descended on New York as wildfires raged through Canadas forests, consider the effect a similar natural disaster in 2019 and 2020 had on the politics of climate on the opposite side of the world.

Australia has long had a reputation as a climate laggard. It vies with Indonesia and Qatar as the biggest exporter of coal and liquefied natural gas, and its leaders have spent decades blocking environmental action.

Former Prime Minister John Howard refused to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. His successor Tony Abbott once dismissed the science of climate change as absolute crap. Scott Morrison, the incumbent at the time of the 2019 fires, brandished a lump of coal on the floor of parliament to taunt the Labor opposition.

Just a few months before the start of the fire season, the countrys May 2019 general election was seen as having dealt a decisive blow against green policies. A perception that Labor was not supportive of the mining industry cost the party votes in regions dependent on digging up solid fuel, according to the partys post-mortem into the election. The party's post-election analysis was released in November -- just as the fires were hitting disastrous proportions. Fearful of being seen highlighting climate-related issues, Labor and the broader political-media class were largely silent on the fires at first, even as red smoke and floating ash cloaked Sydney.

The unmistakable devastation of the subsequent fire season, with its images of flame-ringed holiday towns and fears of health problems, changed all that. Polling done by the Australian National University in early 2020 found that confidence in the federal government fell by 11 percentage points over the bushfire period, while the number seeing the environment as a crucial issue rose 8 percentage points. Some 78% of the population had a friend or family who was directly exposed to the catastrophe.

Images of Morrison holidaying in Hawaii while the fires raged and being heckled by residents of Cobargo, a burnt-out town in the coastal hinterland southeast of the capital Canberra, became emblematic of his collapsing premiership. The 2022 election delivered the greenest parliament on record, with three new Green and six new climate-focused independent members of Parliament added to the 151-member governing House of Representatives. The new government in March passed a bill mandating emissions reductions of 43% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, the most significant environmental legislation in a decade.

That sounds like resounding evidence that the calamity affecting the U.S. in recent weeks should stiffen public determination to take action on global warming, even if subsequent elections and court rulings deliver victories for fossil-fuel interests. Dont get too excited.

For one thing, natural disasters can have a curiously value-free effect on voter behavior. Such events dont so much cause people to shift toward particular views, as punish whichever party is in power. That was bad for the climate-denialist government in Australia in 2019, but it also might be bad for the climate-focused government in the U.S. this year. An inept response would be likelier to do damage to the Biden administration than to its opponents, as President George W. Bush found after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The effects of disasters can also be limited and perverse. Though support for new coal mines in Australia fell from 45.3% to 37% after the bushfires, those who had backed the industry beforehand and were subsequently directly affected by smoke and fire were more, rather than less likely, to favor them. Gilmore, the Labor-held electorate where footage of Morrison being heckled went viral, saw a counterintuitive swing toward his party and is now the most competitive seat in the country.

Overlay the smoke maps of the northeastern U.S. on electoral outcomes, and its clear that many of the worst-affected bits of the country are in parts of New York and New England where Democratic politicians are already dominant. More purple regions such as Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan have also been affected, but with nothing like the hellish pollution settling over the Hudson.

A 2019 analysis of 73 separate studies on public opinion and climate experiences found that extreme weather only had a weak effect on peoples views, far less than traditional factors such as underlying partisanship. To the limited extent that natural disasters shape the environmental opinions of U.S. voters, it appears to mostly happen to skeptics who are directly affected. Voters in swing states, however, arent the ones breathing in soot right now.
A Houston Astros fan uses a hand fan to keep cool while waiting to enter Minute Maid Park for baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds Saturday, June 17, 2023, in Houston. (David J. Phillip/AP)

Communities from Houston to New Orleans opened cooling centers to bring relief as steamy hot temperatures settled across a broad swath of the U.S. South on Saturday, and beachgoers fled a waterspout that swept ashore on a Florida beach.

Gov. Greg Abbott, meanwhile, visited Perryton in the Texas Panhandle, where officials said more than 1,000 customers were left without electricity after a tornado killed three people late Thursday. The Perryton Ochiltree Chamber of Commerce said it would open a cooling center in the town of 8,000 people, about 115 miles (185 kilometers) northeast of Amarillo, to counteract the effects of the high temperatures that followed the storm.

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At times of events like these, Texans come together, Perry told reporters as he signed a disaster declaration that he said would trigger all the resources the state can bring to bear  to accelerate the ability to rebuild.

The Republican governor said he was shocked to see how much of the town had been destroyed and praised what he called non-stop heroic efforts by healthcare providers who he said treated 160 injured people at the local hospital that has just 25 beds.

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W. Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, warned that more severe weather was forecast for the area late Saturday, bringing rain, high winds and possibly more tornadoes.

The National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings through Saturday night along the Gulf Coast from Brownsville, Texas, to Houston. It said heat indexes ranging from near 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 Celsius) in Houston to near 120 F (49 C) at Brownsville and Corpus Christi in Texas. Cooling shelters were set up in cities along the coast and farther inland for residents left without electricity.

Whats really going is the humidity, said Allison Prater, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Fort Worth, Texas. Thats making the heat index, or the feels like temperature really skyrocket.

Prater said the air temperature Saturday in the Dallas area could reach 94 F (34 C), but high humidity would make it feel like 105 F (40.5 C).

The reason were having such heat is there is a lot of moisture being pulled up from the Gulf of Mexico, Prater said. Thats working with the warmer temperatures to induce  that feels like temperature.

Two women and an 11-year-old boy died when the tornado slammed into Perryton. On Saturday, authorities upgraded the intensity of the twister to EF-3, saying it packed winds of up to 140 mph (225 kph).

Ochiltree County Sheriff Terry Bouchard told KVII-TV in Amarillo that missing people had been located.

It dropped down right on top of Perryton, Bouchard said. Weve lost a lot of homes, businesses, rental properties. Theres just a lot of damage to our community and its going to take some time to get this cleaned up.

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Storm-related power outages were also reported in East Texas late Friday, ahead of a weekend promising sweltering days of high temperatures and high humidity.

In Louisiana, the National Weather Service projected daytime temperatures through Monday at about 94 F (34 C) with high humidity and heat index values as high as 112 F (44 C).

The City of New Orleans opened cooling centers and hydration stations and advised residents to take extra precautions if they were spending time outside by wearing lightweight and loose-fitting clothing, taking frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments, and drinking lots of water.

Entergy New Orleans and the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans suspended electricity shut-offs for delinquent accounts through Tuesday.

In Florida, city officials in Clearwater said in an email that a waterspout came ashore Friday afternoon sending beach-related items flying into the air and injuring two people from Kansas.

Authorities said the 70-year-old woman and 63-year-old man were treated for minor injuries at a local hospital. Their identities were not made public.

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The National Weather Service in Miami issued a heat advisory through 7 p.m. Saturday for most of the South Florida area, where the combination of heat and humidity was forecast to reach a feels like temperature of 105 F (40.5 C).

Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur, the service reported. The air temperature in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was expected to reach about 92 degrees (33 Celsius) on Saturday.

___

Associated Press reporters Ken Miller in Oklahoma City; Chevel Johnson in New Orleans; Curt Anderson in Miami; and Julie Walker in New York contributed to this report.
The opinion of the Napa Valley Register

The city of Napa is set to usher in its first Juneteenth  a holiday that commemorates the abolition of slavery in the United States  bringing with it a new milestone for inclusivity of a portion of the population that isnt always visible and may not always feel welcomed.

Blacks only make up 0.7% of the city of Napa, which is home to 78,315 residents according to U.S. Census data from 2022. This number may reflect why it has taken so long for cities in Napa County to hold events to celebrate the holiday. Napa follows American Canyon, which celebrates its second annual Juneteenth celebration this weekend.

Meanwhile, communities such as Vallejo, Richmond and Oakland have been marking the occasion for many years.

The downtown Oxbow Commons will be host to Napa's inaugural Juneteenth gathering, which will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. this Monday and include food, music and art.

On the surface, food, music and art are the cornerstones of many community events throughout the region. Napas Juneteenth differs from other events in that it will shine a light on history, according to JT Thompson, one of the organizers of the celebration.

Thompson was also instrumental in the development of Napa Countys annual Black History Month Celebration, which he started among family and friends in 2018, and then expanded out to the community a year later. Many of those same organizers are behind Napas Juneteenth.

We are trying to make it very similar to the Fourth of July but with a little more education, Thompson told our board this week. We will be celebrating, having fun with a little learning.

Despite being declared a federal holiday a few years ago, Juneteenth remains a mystery for many. But in many ways, and for many people, it is analogous to the feeling of freedom associated with the Fourth of July.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared a formal end to slavery in the United States. But it wasnt until nearly two-and-a-half years later, on June 19th, 1865, the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas got the news by way of the Union army troops that freedom had come at last.

The next year, Galveston commemorated that day as Juneteenth, a celebration of freedom. Since then, its been observed in scores of communities and states as a holiday, and officially recognized as a federal holiday in 2021.

Why is the holiday called Juneteenth? The name blends the month and the day this news reached the people of Galveston: June plus nineteenth is Juneteenth. Its also often called Emancipation Day or Freedom Day. Despite this history, Juneteenth should be celebrated by everyone, regardless of how they identify.

The vision for Napas event is one that welcomes everyone, with a special emphasis on families and their children. The larger goal, say organizers, is for Black people in the community to feel safe, welcomed and to connect with one another.

This event can help pave the way for people of all backgrounds living, working and visiting Napa to feel like they belong. Please show your support by attending.
Armenian-French cooperation will continue to strengthen. Nikol Pashinyan received French Ambassador

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Armenia ex-ruling party official Armen Ashotyan to remain in custody

Armenias Matenadaran museum and institute of ancient manuscripts has new director

Armenia PM follows road construction work in Ararat Province

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Armenia PM pays tribute to heroes who sacrificed their lives for Motherland
People walk through Lincoln Park along North Stockton Dr., near the location where five people were wounded in a shooting early Saturday morning. (Shanna Madison/Chicago Tribune)

A group of people were gathered Saturday morning in the Lincoln Park neighborhood when an argument started and someone opened fire striking five victims, Chicago police said.

The shooting happened about 4:40 a.m. in the 1900 block of North Stockton Drive, Chicago police said.

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At least three men got themselves to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where they were listed in critical condition. A 44-year-old man suffered wounds throughout the body, a 27-year-old man also was shot multiple times to the body, as well as a 31-year-old, police said.

A 23-year-old man who also suffered multiple wounds to the body, got himself to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center where he was listed in critical condition, police said.

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The fifth victim, a 17-year-old girl, suffered a wound to the buttock, and was taken in good condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

No one was in custody and detectives were investigating.
18:27

Olympic medallist Sakshee Malikkh and her wrestler husband Satyawart Kadian on Saturday insisted that their protest was not politically motivated and they kept mum for years despite facing harassment because the wrestling fraternity was not united earlier.

In a video posted on Twitter, Kadian said a false narrative was being created around their protest and they wanted to clear the air.

Country's top wrestlers including Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, accused outgoing Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment and intimidation.

Leaders from different political parties, including Congress' Priyanka Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik visited the protest site, extending their support to the wrestlers before they were removed from Jantar Mantar on May 28.

Kadian, sitting beside Malikkh, said rumours were being spread about their protest.

"Let me make it clear that our protest is not politically-motivated. We came (to Jantar Mantar) in January, and permission was taken by two BJP leaders seeking police permission," Kadian said and asked Malikkh to show the letter, seeking permission for protest.

It was written by former wrestler Babita Phogat and Teerath Rana, who are both associated with the BJP.

"This (protest) is not Congress supported. More than 90 per cent people (in wrestling fraternity) knew that for last 10-12 years, it (harassment and intimidation) has been going on. A few people wanted to raise their voices but wrestling fraternity was not united," he said.

Kadian, who competes in heavy-weight category, reiterated that their fight is against the WFI chief and not against the government.

Malikkh said they were silent for years because wresters were not united.





"You have seen that the minor has retracted her statement. Her family was intimidated. These wrestlers come from poor families. It's not easy to muster courage to take on a powerful man," the Rio Games bronze medallist said.

Kadian said the police brutality they faced on May 28 broke them. The police had detained them and pushed them into buses, an action that faced criticism from all quarters.

The wrestlers were booked for violating law and order as they marched towards the new parliament building without permission.

"Let me make it clear that the call for 'Mahila Samman Mahapanchayat' was made by the Khap leaders and we followed their order and faced police brutality. That broke us.

"We won so many medals for country and our dignity was being trampled. I can't explain in words what we went through.

"We then decided to immerse medals in (Haridwar) but one man from the tantra (system) grabbed Bajrang's arm and took him to a corner and made him speak with many (influential) people.

"If we had done that (immersed medals), there could have been violence. So, better sense prevailed. We gave the medals to coaches and parents.

"We were not in a mental state to understand if there's a conspiracy. We had gone their under stress. We have just wrestled our whole life, did not know how to handle (the situation).

"After that incident, we did not know who was on our side, who was part of the system. We met a lot of people but did not know whom to trust. We were advised to meet the Home Minister, we were told that we will get solution from there, so we put across our view point."

He also appealed to the Khaps, who they believe got angry with them, to not believe in rumours.

"If we have done something wrong, we apologise," he said and thanked everyone, who came out to support them.

Towards the end of the 11-minute long video, Kadian said,"The system takes advantage when 'we are not united'. If you are facing any sort of injustice, do raise your voice and stay united."

The police has filed a charge-sheet against Singh, charging him under stalking and sexual harassment offences. -- PTI
Myanmar FM to join Asean talks despite objections

The Asean bloc will hold informal talks with representatives of Myanmar's junta on Sunday. File image: Shutterstock

Myanmar on Saturday confirmed the country's foreign minister would attend controversial "informal talks" in Bangkok on the coup-hit country's political crisis, as Singapore warned that conditions were not yet right for Asean to re-engage the military junta at high-level meetings.



Myanmar has been in turmoil since a February 2021 military coup that ousted democratically elected civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi from office.



More than 3,600 civilians have been killed in the military's crackdown since the putsch, according to a local monitoring group, while the United Nations says more than one million people have been displaced by violence.



Late Saturday, the junta's information team confirmed that Myanmar Foreign Minister Than Shwe "was invited to a meeting in Thailand and he would go".



The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), which includes Myanmar as a member, has led so far fruitless diplomatic efforts to curb the bloodshed amid violent clashes between the military and anti-coup fighters.



The 10-country bloc barred Myanmar's junta from top-level summits over its failure to implement a five-point peace plan agreed upon two years ago.



Last week, Thailand's caretaker government proposed to host a two-day informal meeting of some Asean foreign ministers starting on Sunday.



"In consideration of several pressing factors, the time for dialogues is sooner rather than later," Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai wrote in an invitation letter.



Speaking in Washington on Friday, Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan raised concerns about the talks.



"We believe it would be premature to re-engage with the junta at a summit level or even at a foreign minister level," Balakrishnan said. (AFP)
Detectives launched a death investigation after the body of an unidentified man was recovered from the Chicago River Saturday morning on the North Side, Chicago police said.

Around 9:45 a.m. a body of an adult male was pulled from the river in the 1300 block of North Elston Avenue, police said.

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Detectives started an investigation pending autopsy results.
Pakistan is on the highest alert for disaster management, response, rescue and evacuation measures as the very severe cyclonic storm Biparjoy is set to make landfall on Thursday evening. Authorities have remained on high alert since the past 24 hours as emergency evacuation of thousands of families gains pace. Biparjoy is showing some sings of slowing down in pace and also took an expected curve, moving away from the country's Sindh province's provincial capital Karachi. However, the expected areas to get the first hit of the landfall are Keti Bandar, Badin and Thatta. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department's (PMD), the expected time for the cyclone landfall along with the wind speed also loosing some pace as it has fallen from 170 km per hour to about 120 to 140 kms per hour. "Cyclone Biparjoy has slowed down but core remains intense. It will not make a landfall before nightfall now," said Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman. "The cyclone was expected to landfall between Keti Bandar and India's Gujarat by evening," the PMD said. As per the latest update, the cyclone is about 210 km from Karachi, at least 225 km south of Thatta and about 145 km South-southwest of Keti Bandar. Pakistan Army, Rangers and rescue authorities have evacuated over 200,000 people so far. Rehman said that at least 72,000 people have been evacuated in the last 72 hours, adding that there is a possibility of another cyclone during July as well. "The widespread wind-dust/thunderstorm and heavy rain was likely in Sindh's Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas and Umerkot districts from June 15 to 17," a PMD alert said. "Sea conditions along Sindh coast may get very rough/high and rough/very rough along Balochistan coast." While authorities remain on tenterhooks as it braces to witness the landfall of Biparjoy, the estimates of the intensity of the cyclone remains unpredictable and unstable. "Directions of the cyclone were changing every hour. Its landfall period is variable and has moved further between June 15-16. We have at least 17 stations monitoring it," said Rehman. "Biparjoy was the most monitored storm in the world right now." Moreover, amid looming threat of the cyclone, heavy rainfall forecast, flight operations at Karachi, Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Sukkur have been directed to be suspended, if the air pressure crosses the threshold of 30 nautical knots. --IANS hamza/ksk/ ( 400 Words) 2023-06-15-15:36:02 (IANS)
Swedish political scientist and author of Pakistani origin, Ishtiaq Ahmed, said on Friday that as a democracy, Pakistan offers voting rights to its citizens, but the opposition rarely gets a chance to criticise the policies of the government. Ahmed was speaking at IIM Rohtak, where he was invited as a guest faculty for a panel discussion on 'Why good relationship is important for Pakistan for regional and global stability'. "There are certain laws that are against human rights which should change. Till these things continue to happen in Pakistan, the problems will persist," Ahmed said. Talking about forced conversion of minorities, the author said that the plight of minorities in India is better than Pakistan. However, he argued that India must strive hard to continue its tradition of openness. He also said that Pakistan must try to normalise its relationship with India. India's decision to go forward with the Non-Align Movement and its subsequent slow growth was a better alternative in the long run, he said. On the importance of language and culture in international relations, the author said: "Language along with culture is one of the most important aspects of international relations, and the relations built with language cannot be divided." He said that Pakistan had forced the use of Urdu on people, which resulted in confused social identity. "There is multiple news of China funding Pakistani infrastructure, but most of the internal details are not shared with people. China is giving loans to Pakistan at 8-16 per cent interest, which is very high. The relationship between Pakistan and China is not as good as it seems. Had the relations been good, China would have helped Pakistan given the crisis it is faced with now," Ahmed said. He also said that neither China, the US nor Saudi Arabia are offering any assistance to Pakistan to pull it out of the present crisis. Once the disputes between India and China are solved, supporting and helping Pakistan will become irrelevant for China. China helped Pakistan to support its own agenda -- trade -- and to have a second front open against India, he claimed. "India and Pakistan should together recognise the Line of Control as the official international border," Ahmed said. "Four wars have shown that this border cannot be altered drastically. The border should be opened, especially in Kashmir, and trust should be built between the two countries, he added. "India's leadership in the world is well established. It is emerging as a great power. India has all the potential to play an important role in world politics. It has a great opportunity with the G20 Presidency to go forward for peace and growth," Ahmed said. --IANS gcb/dan/arm ( 464 Words) 2023-06-16-18:14:01 (IANS)
Moving ahead with its probe, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday said that it has filed a charge sheet against 13 persons, including Sr Lankan nationals, in the India-Sri Lanka illegal drugs and arms trade case relating to attempts to revive the LTTE in India and Sri Lanka. The anti-terror probe agency said the charge sheet was filed on Thursday against the arrested accused for the illegal drug trade to fund, amass, and stash weapons for the revival of LTTE in India and Sri Lanka. The agency has named three Indians in the charge sheet -- Selvakumar M., Vigneshwara Perumal alias Vicky, and Iyyapan Nandhu, while the accused Sri Lankan nationals include C. Gunashekharaan alias Guna, and Pushparajah alias Pookutti Kanna, who allegedly ran a drug syndicate in the island nation and have been accused of working with Pakistani drugs and arms supplier Haji Salim, the man behind the narcotics trafficking in India and close to Dawood Ibrahim and the ISI. As per the agency sources, Salim mostly controls the drug syndicate from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan's Baloch areas. "The drugs were being sourced from Salim, who is suspected to be residing in Pakistan. The accused persons were using foreign WhatsApp numbers to carry out the clandestine trade," the NIA said in a statement. It also said that its probe had also exposed conspiracy to fund the revival of LTTE through drug trade. They were arrested at the Trichy Special Camp, the agency said. "Investigations had further revealed that the accused were using the proceeds of crime to live a lavish life. Several mobile phones with pre-activated Indian SIM cards were also seized from them along with various digital devices, documents relating to drug transactions, cash to the tune of Rs 80 lakh and nine gold bars. "The cash and gold were proceeds from the sale of narcotics and were being channelled through hawala networks between Chennai and Sri Lanka. Several transactions using Crypto platforms were also unearthed," the NIA added. Besides Guna and Kanna, the NIA has named eight other Sri Lankans in the charge sheet - Mohammad Asmin, Alahapperumaga Sunil Ghamini Fonseka, Stanly Kennady Fernando, Dhanukka Roshan, Ladiya, Vella Suranga, Thilipan, and Danarathnam Nilukshan. While Vicky and Nandhu were arrested in April this year, the others were arrested in December 2022. --IANS aks/vd ( 402 Words) 2023-06-16-21:26:04 (IANS)
Cinema halls across Kathmandu on Friday stopped the screening of 'Adipurush', a day after Mayor Balen Shah warned that no Indian movie will be allowed in the Nepal capital if the film based on the Hindu epic Ramayana does not correct the "mistake" about the birthplace of Sita. The Nepal Film Union has urged all the cinema halls in Kathmandu to stop showing 'Adipurush' and urged theatres outside the capital to release it only after assessing the security situation. In a tweet on Thursday, the Mayor said that in 'Adipurush', it is mentioned that "Sita is the daughter of India". He added that until this mistake will not be corrected in India and Nepal, no Indian movie will be allowed to be shown within the Kathmandu metropolitan city limit. The film is written and directed by Om Raut and produced by T-Series and Retrophiles. Shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu languages, the film has courted controversy in India as well. In a statement, Nepal's QFX Cinemas said: "Keeping the security of our viewers, QFX is not going to show 'Adipurush'... We are waiting for the government's decision. As soon as this issue is resolved, we will issue another notice and apologise for the inconvenience to our viewers." Nepal's Censor Board also decided to hold back permission to the upcoming Indian epic mythological film, based on the Hindu epic "Ramayana", for the same reason. Sita was born in Nepal's Janakpur and Lord Rama came and married her, as per the Ramayana. Besides Mayor Balen Shah, some sister organisations of various political parties have also protested against the film and warned that they will not allow the screening until the filmmakers correct the mistakes regarding the birthplace of Sita. This is not the first time that Mayor Shah ratcheted up the nationalist planks. Mayor Shah on June 8 placed the map of Greater Nepal in his chamber to counter the Indian "Akhand Bharat" map placed in the new Parliament building. The main opposition, CPN-UML has demanded to send a diplomatic note to India to protest the "Akhand" map. --IANS ag/ksk/ ( 359 Words) 2023-06-16-10:58:05 (IANS)
Pakistan Finance Minister Ishaq Dar continued with his "contradictory" approach with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), alleging that geopolitics was behind a stalled loan programme as global institutions wanted Islamabad to default like Sri Lanka and then enter negotiations. Testifying before the Senate's standing committee on finance, he once again stressed that the country would meet its obligations with or without the Fund's bailout package, Dawn news reported. He said no reason had been given by the IMF for the "unnecessary delay" behind the ninth review, which has been pending since November 2022. "IMF or no IMF, Pakistan will not default," he added. Dar made it clear that "Pakistan is a sovereign country and cannot accept everything the IMF demands", The News reported. He said that as a sovereign country, Islamabad should have the right to give some tax concessions. "The IMF wants us not to give tax concessions in any sector," he added. About the widespread rumours of default, the Minister claimed that geopolitics was aimed at forcing Pakistan to default. "Foreign hostile elements want Pakistan to turn into another Sri Lanka and then the IMF will negotiate with Islamabad," Dar alleged. However, he made it clear Pakistan would not become another Sri Lanka at all, The News reported. He said the Chinese understand that "politics is being played with Pakistan", so they rolled over deposits and re-financed the commercial loans. Earlier, they were also hesitant on moving ahead, he noted. "IMF or no IMF, there are difficulties but we will manage," he claimed. The IMF, he said, was delaying the revival of the programme and wasting time. "There are no valid reasons for delaying the 9th Review of the IMF, and the Fund staff approach is non-professional," he said and added that he had categorically refused to share the budgetary details with the IMF without completion of the pending 9th Review. However, when the prime minister instructed him after a telephonic conversation with the IMF MD, then he had to share the budgetary framework, The News reported. --IANS san/ksk/ ( 357 Words) 2023-06-16-11:10:02 (IANS)
The GST Council is scheduled to meet on July 11.

Chairman of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Vivek Johri said this while speaking to reporters at the sidelines of an event.

He further informed that the finance ministry may consider imposing countervailing duty on steel imports from China.

Johri added that a recommendation for the same has been received by the ministry and is under consideration.

Meanwhile the GST Council, headed by Nirmala Sitharaman, is also likely to consider the report of the Group of Ministers on online gaming, casinos and horse racing.

The report would be circulated to the states soon.

The ministerial panel had submitted its report to the GST Council in December last year, but the council is yet to take it up for consideration.

--IANS ans/shb/

( 189 Words)

2023-06-16-15:16:06 (IANS)
According to a report in Insider, citing sources, the company has also cut back open positions within its health unit "after troubles with a massive government contract".

Oracle was yet to comment on the report.

The news about layoffs at Lerner surfaced last month. Oracle had acquired healthcare records firm Cerner for $28.4 billion.

According to Insider, Oracle paused raises and promotions and "laid off thousands of employees in the unit" as recently as May after the acquisition closed in June last year.

The Cerner acquisition had brought in about 28,000 employees.

Oracle has "not issued raises or granted promotions, and, earlier this year, announced that workers shouldn't expect any through 2023".

Layoffs "affected workers across teams, including marketing, engineering, accounting, legal, and product", said the report, citing a former employee.

The Cloud major is developing a national health records database.

According to Oracle's Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Larry Ellison, the patient data would be anonymous until individuals give consent to share their information.

Ellison has assured that Oracle's database will anonymise all patient data.

Cerner is a leading provider of digital information systems used within hospitals and health systems to enable medical professionals to deliver better healthcare to individual patients and communities.

Oracle's new health records database will also involve the patient engagement system the company has been developing throughout the pandemic.

The Cloud major is also working on the patient engagement system's ability to collect information from wearables and home diagnostic devices.

--IANS na/ksk/

( 287 Words)

2023-06-16-10:04:02 (IANS)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged Agriculture Ministers from the G20 nations to deliberate on how to undertake collective action to achieve global food security. In his virtual address to the G20 Agriculture Ministers' meet, Modi said that ways must be found to build sustainable and inclusive food systems, focussed on marginal farmers. "We must find ways to strengthen global fertiliser supply chains. At the same time, adopt agricultural practices for better soil health, crop health and yield. Traditional practices from different parts of the world may inspire us to develop alternatives for regenerative agriculture," he said. The Prime Minister emphasised on empowering farmers with innovation and digital technology. "We must also make solutions affordable for small and marginal farmers in the Global South. There is also an urgent need to reduce agricultural and food waste, and instead, invest in creating wealth from waste." In the Global South, agriculture accounts for almost 30 per cent of the GDP, and over 60 per cent of jobs, Modi noted. "Today, this sector faces several challenges. The supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic have been worsened by the impact of geo-political tensions. Climate Change is causing extreme weather event more and more frequently. These challenges are felt most by the Global South," he highlighted. Focussing on the Indian farmers, he said that the country is promoting natural farming as well as technology-enabled farming. "Farmers all over India are taking up natural farming now. They are not using synthetic fertilisers or pesticides. Their focus is on rejuvenating the mother earth, protecting soil health, producing 'per drop, more crop', and promoting organic fertilisers and pest management solutions. At the same time, our farmers are proactively using technology to boost productivity," he concluded. --IANS ans/ksk/ ( 309 Words) 2023-06-16-11:24:02 (IANS)
PRNewswire Marlborough (Massachusetts) [US], June 17: Quantiphi, an AI-first digital engineering company, today announced that it has achieved Elite tier partner status from Snowflake, the Data Cloud company. As an Elite tier partner, Quantiphi can accelerate the digital transformation of its joint customers who can fully leverage the performance, flexibility and near-infinite scalability of the Snowflake Data Cloud. In the last few years, Quantiphi expanded its Snowflake operations globally, drove wider customer adoption, and delivered developments and innovations that enabled customers to maximize and mobilize their data using the Snowflake Data Cloud. As an Elite partner, Quantiphi will continue to build momentum and expand its offerings on Snowflake, specifically with capabilities using Snowpark, Snowflake's libraries and runtimes to securely deploy and process non-SQL code such as Python. Quantiphi's partnership with Snowflake and expertise in Snowpark will enable clients to garner greater value from their data investments using Machine Learning and AI to drive real business outcomes. "We are thrilled to be recognized as an Elite partner of Snowflake," said Bhaskar Kalita, Global Head of Financial Services and Insurance and Executive Sponsor, Snowflake Alliance at Quantiphi. "This tier up reflects our unwavering dedication to helping our clients harness the power of Snowflake's cutting-edge technology. As an Elite partner, Quantiphi will continue to work closely with Snowflake to explore new opportunities, provide comprehensive support, and stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving data landscape." "Our team is committed to delivering exceptional results and driving our clients' success through our expertise of the Snowflake Data Cloud and our proficiency in leveraging Snowpark's capabilities. We are particularly excited about the integration of Snowpark, as it opens up new possibilities for our clients to accelerate AI-powered innovation and gain valuable insights from their data" said Pronoy Roy who leads the Snowflake alliance for Quantiphi. Quantiphi's Snowflake alliance is supported by a dedicated team of over 115+ SnowPro Core, Advanced Architect, and Snowflake Sales certified professionals. The large pool of certified Snowflake experts have worked on over ten wins in the last six months and have actively collaborated with the Snowflake team to help customers thrive in a data-intensive, highly regulated, and competitive environment. Last year, Quantiphi was also present at the biggest data cloud event - Snowflake Summit in Vegas, Snowflake's Data Cloud World Tour in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Delhi locations to meet and help enterprise customers unlock new ways to tackle the most critical data initiatives. "At Snowflake, we are committed to building a vibrant ecosystem of partners who share our vision of transforming the way businesses use data. Snowflake's partnership with Quantiphi has been instrumental in helping our joint customers realize the full potential of our platform. As leading enterprises across the world take AI mainstream- in order to solve complex business challenges, we are excited about our partnership with Quantiphi, with their deep data and AI skills. We congratulate Quantiphi on achieving Elite partnership status and look forward to leveraging their deep expertise in AI/ML, data engineering, and analytics to drive innovation and value for our customers," said Dhiraj Narang, Director, Partnerships, Snowflake India. Quantiphi is an award-winning AI-first digital engineering company driven by the desire to reimagine and realize transformational opportunities at the heart of the business. Quantiphi solves the toughest and most complex business problems by combining deep industry experience, disciplined cloud, and data-engineering practices, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence research to achieve quantifiable business impact at unprecedented speed. We are passionate about our customers and obsessed with problem-solving to make products smarter, customer experiences frictionless, processes autonomous and businesses safer by detecting risks, threats, and anomalies. Together with partners and customers, we embark on a data and AI-led transformation journey that delivers impactful and measurable results. For more on Quantiphi's capabilities, visit www.quantiphi.com Media Contact: Hadley Mayes, hadley.mayes@quantiphi.com (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
PRNewswire Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 17: The looming water crisis calls for immediate attention and quick action. Around 54 per cent of the sub-continent is said to have turned into a water-stressed dust bowl with many rivers rapidly drying up. The situation has gradually reached an alarming level. Rivers that flowed throughout the year have become seasonal due to decreased water flow among the tributaries. Experts opine that by 2025, the country will face an acute water crisis if any preventive measures are not taken. To combat the situation, The Art of Living has been proactively working for a decade with a team of scientists, geologists, and many other experts, along with numerous volunteers, working together to revive river basins across India. Multi-pronged Approach Under the guidance of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the River Rejuvenation Projects team was formed to create a long-lasting solution to the groundwater crisis. The team does detailed research and analysis before implementing the solution at various levels. The multi-pronged approach consists of extensive community mobilization and capacity building, afforestation, construction of groundwater recharge structures, soil conservation measures, area and drainage line treatment, and sustainable agriculture. The methodology focuses on constructing Boulder Checks to reduce the runoff velocity of rainwater, Recharge Shafts in ponds for water conservation through rainwater harvesting, and tree plantation to reduce soil erosion & increase soil moisture. Recharge Wells along the suitable stream network accelerate the natural process of groundwater recharge, and Subsurface Dyke, as a barrier built below the ground in the active channel (permeable zone), prevents the base flow from flowing downstream and enhances the water level on the upstream side. The project contributes significantly to India's water security, rejuvenating 70 rivers and streams. A total area of 59.000 sq. km. has been under the influence, with work-in-progress in 8 states. Planted 7,00,000+ trees along the river basins and built around 95,000+ structures. The benevolence of the project has benefitted the lives of 3.45 crore people. There are innumerable examples of dried rivers/streams now flowing in full swing after the intervention of The Art of Living River Rejuvenation Project. Impact and Results in Various States of India The Art of Living has successfully revived The Naganadhi River in Tamil Nadu with the help of 44,000 women volunteers who worked diligently to make the uphill task possible. These women have revived a 366 sq. km catchment area by constructing 5,000+ recharge wells and 1,000+ boulder checks. The river, which was dry for about 50 years, today flows for more than 600 days. There have been praises about the effort, with the Hon'ble PM himself mentioning the work of these women in his telecast of 'Mann Ki Baat'. Kumudvathi, Vedavathi, Palar, and some partially covered river basins are being revived in Karnataka. The project has impacted 22 rivers and streams in the state and benefited 13,000+ villages. In Maharashtra, the team has rejuvenated 37 rivers/streams, built 23,600+ structures which have benefitted 20,75,000+ people and de-silted 2,39,00,000+ cubic meters in 27 districts influencing 941 sq. km. area. In Uttar Pradesh, the river rejuvenation work has benefitted 41 villages and changed the status of 2 blocks - Chamraua and Saidnagar favourably, as per the reports by Central Groundwater Board. In Andhra Pradesh, river rejuvenation has also started in Penna and Papagani river basins in the Cuddapah and Ananthapur districts. The Art of Living River Rejuvenation team has extended the water conservation work in Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan. The details of rivers shared above are only a few among the numerous river basins that are part of the success story of the River Rejuvenation Project by The Art of Living. The impact of the project has been tremendous on various fronts. It has increased groundwater levels, optimized crop production, increased soil fertility, and doubled farmers' income. It has helped to revive rivers, rekindle lives and rebuild hope. The Art of Living River Rejuvenation Project ensures that India is closer to recovering from the water crisis. The Art of Living is a non-profit, educational, and humanitarian organization founded by the world-renowned humanitarian and spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar aims to reach every corner of India and resolve the nation's water looming water crisis by reviving rivers. For more updates: Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/artofliving.sp/ Like us at: https://www.facebook.com/artoflivingsocialprojects Tweet us at: https://twitter.com/artofliving_sp Message us at: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/artofliving-sp Contact: Shamika Gandhi+91-9986557389shamika.gandhi@projects.artofliving.org (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Volunteers Michelle Drucker, left, and Laurie Hasbrook serve warm food bought and prepared by volunteers to Jean Apariao, right, and other migrants living in a shelter at Western and Touhy avenues in Chicago on June 16, 2023. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

The city is investigating after police were called Thursday night on volunteers serving food to asylum-seekers outside a temporary shelter at the YMCA in West Ridge.

The three volunteers said the shelters city-contracted security guards threatened and harassed them and told them to leave the premises before calling police as the volunteers passed out food to the migrants, who told them theyd only been served bread and apples inside the shelter.

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They have no warm clothing. People were shivering. They were ravenous, said Laurie Hasbrook, one of the volunteers.

Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Mayor Brandon Johnsons deputy chief of staff, told the Tribune on Friday there was an ongoing investigation into the incident, but couldnt comment further. The asylum-seeker shelters are manned day and night by Favorite Staffing, a contracted vendor that works to support management operations, according to a statement from the city.

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Favorite Staffing did not return emails or calls for comment. Chicago police confirmed that there was a service call at the shelter, but no reports were filed.

A group of migrants chat while eating food delivered by volunteers outside a shelter at Western and Touhy avenues in Chicago on June 16, 2023. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

The confrontation comes as volunteers across the city have raised concerns about the treatment of migrants staying in the nearly dozen city-run shelters. Migrants have complained about overcrowding, moldy and cold food and harsh sleeping conditions.

[ Overcrowding, cold food and uncertain futures a way of life for migrants in Chicagos shelters ]

On Monday, volunteers told the Tribune theyd been disappointed by the citys response at a meeting to their request to enter the temporary city-run shelters, following months of not being able to get inside the buildings that house the more than 10,000 migrants who have come to Chicago since August.

The city opened Daley College as a shelter this week, and there are plans to open a new respite center at the Gage Park Field House, Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, announced Friday. A shelter is also being considered for the field house at Broadway Armory Park in Edgewater, but Nicole Granacki, the chief of staff for Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, 48th, said a community meeting to discuss the plan wont be held until July.

[ Volunteers feel shut out of city meeting on migrants, meanwhile move is made to new shelter at Daley College ]

Hasbrook said she and the two other volunteers, Sorsha Urquiza and Michelle Drucker, drove to West Ridge on Thursday because they heard there were asylum-seekers staying in the YMCA who were cold and hungry. The three had been delivering food and clothing to migrants staying at a temporary shelter in the Leone Beach Park field house in Rogers Park, and decided to share the extra pan of food they had from Smack Dab restaurant with the migrants in West Ridge.

The YMCA facility features a chain link fence on Western Avenue, guarded by a city-contracted worker. When the women drove up, they were asked to leave, Hasbrook said.

A woman working for the shelter allegedly told the volunteers she was concerned for the safety of the migrants, saying that she worried that people might try to poison them, Drucker said.

But the women moved down the driveway, away from the fence, and began passing out meals.

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This upset staff at the YMCA, according to the women. As more asylum-seekers came out for food, staff at the shelter began taking photos of the womens license plates, Drucker said.

One guard gets in our face, saying hes going to call the police, Hasbrook said. They were just being bullies. It was ridiculous and threatening.

Volunteer Laurie Hasbrook, center, laughs with a migrant as Hasbrook and fellow volunteer Michelle Drucker, left, serve warm food bought and prepared by volunteers outside a migrant shelter at Western and Touhy avenues in Chicago on June 16, 2023. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Two squad cars with two officers each and a police wagon arrived, the women said. No arrests were made, but the officers waited until volunteers were finished, then left the premises, they said.

They were great, very calm, Hasbrook said. The officer had a conversation with us, and we just told him its a human right to eat.

A police officer on scene spoke Spanish, asking the migrants what they had eaten. They said they had only been given bread and apples at the shelter, Drucker said. A man wearing flip-flops came up to Drucker and asked for shoes, she said.

Drucker said she has worked in shelters and residential facilities. Theyve been told migrants dont need anything, that they should stop donating things, she said.

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I would love to be able to collaborate. Just to go into the parking lot, she said. It doesnt have to be welcomed in, just not pushed out.

nsalzman@chicagotribune.com

larodriguez@chicagotribune.com
PNN Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 17: Indian Scientist Dr Hemachandran Ravikumar has been appointed as the New Foreign Ambassador of The Royal Society of Biology, London, for his outstanding contributions in the field of Bio-Science, Microbiological Studies and Neuro-Science. Dr Hemachandran Ravikumar is the First appointed Indian Ambassador to serve as the Ambassador of The Royal Society of Biology. Previously on the 06th of April 2023 Dr Hemachandran Ravikumar Rsci MRSB(UK) has been conferred with the 'Registered Scientist Award-(Rsci)' by the Science Council Of the United Kingdom in association with the Royal Society of Biology (UK) for his indefatigable contribution to the field of Biology for "The Study of Memory Activities of the Cells in the Homo sapiens" and "Summarised Facts, Managements and Treatment Pattern for COVID -19" (Co-author: Co.sci.Mathunila Vissagan). His untiring contributions and continuous hard work in biology have earned him the world's most prestigious honour from the Royal Society of Biology (UK). The Royal Society of Biology is an eminent global body of dedicated researchers in biological sciences partnered with industries, Academia, Advising governments on policy and promoting the talent, collaboration, innovation, information and ideas that lead to great scientific advances. It acknowledges significant achievements by a professional for extraordinary contributions to the field of Biology and life sciences. The appointed Ambassadors have been bestowed the designation Ambassador of the Royal Society of Biology. This is a prestigious honour for an individual who has adjudged a prominent contribution to advancing the biological sciences. (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
PNN Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 17: Sharda Hospital is proud to announce its collaboration with Prima Vista- Richard Wolf Academy Germany, a renowned medical technology company. This collaboration aims to advance techniques and technologies for the care of patients around the globe. This leading Center of Excellence is the very first of its kind in India. The center was inaugurated by Vice Chairman, Sharda Hospital - Y.K Gupta & Pro-Chancellor, Sharda University and Medical Superintendent of Sharda Hospital - Dr A.K. Gadpayle. At the heart of this partnership is the establishment of the Center of Excellence, the country's first leading center dedicated to the service and training of Acute Bronchoscopy care skills in a dedicated ICU environment at Sharda Hospital. This center reflects our mission to "train the trainers and save the saviors" by focusing on enhancing skills and knowledge in critical care. "We are really proud of this collaborative effort and we truly believe in the vision of Acute Bronchoscopy skills as a potential game-changer in ICU care. Together, we are on a mission to serve human mankind through our dedication to this cause," said Dr Manish Bharti, Senior Consultant & Interventional Intensivist, Department of Critical Care Medicine at Sharda Hospital & The Expert, Key Intensivist on site and ISCCM President citation awardee. "Bronchoscopy in ICU patients is need of the hour. It has potential to change the outcome in sick patients. The new training centre at Sharda University is unique and 1st of its kind to train the intensivist for ICU bronchoscopy" said Dr Rajesh Chandra Mishra, immediate past president of Indian society of critical care medicine & The Expert, responsible for the Continuing Medical Education (CME) in India and neighboring countries and the Former President of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM)/ Chancellor ICCM. "The Bronchoscopy Research Centre at Sharda Hospital stands as a testament to international collaboration, bringing together German precision with the time-honored wisdom of India's intensive medicine veterans. Its mission, firmly grounded in education and knowledge enrichment, ensures the specialists of tomorrow are equipped with the necessary skills to enhance the efficiency of intensive care. Truly, a pioneer in its field." said Dr med. Thushira Weerawarna - The Expert, Initiator and Responsible for knowledge transfer who is also the Director of the Siloah St. Trudpert Hospital and Lung Center, Pforzheim Germany. One of the primary values of the research center is the unity and collaboration of medical professionals' experiences from Germany and India to improve patient outcomes. This collaboration aims to develop new treatments and technologies in Acute Bronchoscopy skills in ICU. With a team of highly qualified experts and a commitment to advancing the field of Critical Care medicine, the center is poised to make a significant contribution to the health and well-being of critically ill patients in India. The collaboration between Sharda Hospital and Prima Vista - Richard Wolf Academy Germany signifies a significant step towards enhancing patient care and revolutionizing the field of respiratory medicine. Through this partnership, we aim to drive innovation, knowledge-sharing, and skill development to benefit patients in both India and Germany. Established in 2006, Sharda Hospital is a state-of-the-art multi-super-specialty hospital located in Greater Noida, NCR. Spread across 9 acres, Sharda hospital has over 1200 beds and is equipped with all modern facilities and sophisticated equipment to provide comprehensive medical care at par with global standards. NABH accredited Sharda Hospital offers a broad spectrum of medical services from tertiary care, super-specialties, general specialties, advanced diagnostic and radiology services to critical care. Its highly qualified and experienced medical faculty and professionals offer expert care to patients from varied backgrounds with clinical excellence and compassionate patient connect. The associated medical college focuses on research activities and gives extensive training to medical students to continuously improve medical and healthcare practices in the country. www.shardahospital.org (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
PNN New Delhi [India], June 17: In a significant move, P.L. Tandon & Co, one of the oldest (established in 1941) and most renowned audit firms in North India with headquarters in Kanpur (UP), has joined hands with Valuecent Consultancy, global boutique consultancy firm with its headquarters in Gurugram (Haryana) and operations in Europe, United States of America and Middle east. It intends to give businesses and investors looking to invest in Uttar Pradesh in India, other parts of India and around the world access to top-notch assurance, consultancy and financial services. India is on the trajectory to become the worldwide economic powerhouse and One state is set to emerge as India's growth engine as it aims for the star. The emerging state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India has been influential in determining the ever-changing economic climate of the nation. The economy of Uttar Pradesh has been rising recently, and more investors are looking to ride the boat of the state's fast paced development. Businesses in a variety of industries, including Manufacturing, IT, Civil Aviation, Food Processing & Dairy, Handlooms & Textiles and Agriculture, want to invest in the state because of its benevolent laws and pro-active government efforts. UP is on track to contribute USD 1 trillion to the national GDP under the exceptionally talented leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Yogi is striving towards the realisation of this ideal by adhering to Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi's Sankalp Se Siddhi path of holistic development as Modi is resolved to march India to become a USD 10 Trillion Economy. CM Yogi Adityanath has accelerated UP's growth while enlisting the support of both domestic and foreign businesses. He is working around the clock to alter the situation by providing the best business climate supported by bureaucratic outreach and bolstering law and order in a state with the greatest amount of consumer demand. Since before India's independence, P L Tandon & Co has been a major player in the tax and audit sector thanks to its extensive experience and solid reputation. The firm has effectively evolved from being primarily focused on audits to diversifying its offerings to include valuations, taxation, corporate restructuring, business advice, and planning. The firm has also improved its processes throughout time, by substituting and modernizing into contemporary tools and technology. The 82-year-old legacy firm takes pride in upholding the highest moral, ethical and service standards. Businesses looking for advice in Tax regulatory, financial and assurance frequently turn to the firm because of its familiarity with the market, large network, and industry experience. P L Tandon firm has offices in Kanpur, Lucknow, Noida, Gurugram and Mathura. It aims to be present in over 10 cities in UP and over 15 cities in India. On the other hand, Valuecent is a well-known global consulting company with a track record of offering complete global solutions (global set up, international taxation, tax planning, transfer pricing, structuring etc.) and financial advisory services (corporate finance) to its clients all over the world. Valuecent is in a good position to navigate foreign investors and companies through Uttar Pradesh's complex tax landscape because of its in-depth understanding of international tax rules and regulations. Valuecent is a member of Top 15 Accounting Network Firm, ANTEA (which has presence in 350 locations throughout the world). Through this network Valuecent can service its clients in over 80 countries. CA Anil Agarwal, managing partner of P L Tandon & Co, commented on the association, saying, "We are delighted to associate with Valuecent, a leading international tax consultancy firm, to expand our business outside of India and to offer our clients unmatched and unparalleled experience of doing business in International Market. Our association is a perfect mix of Valuecent's global viewpoint and outreach with our local knowledge and network to provide our clients with the wise investment decisions in Uttar Pradesh and establish themselves more firmly in the expanding their businesses in India. CEO of Valuecent, Dr (CA) Vikas Chaturvedi, continued, "Our relationship with P L Tandon & Co intends to offer businesses and investors with top notch experience in audit and allied services in India. We are sure that working together would enable Uttar Pradesh's economy realise its enormous potential and open up new doors for both enterprises and investment." Businesses and investors may anticipate receiving sound advisory services which will enable them to take advantage of the growth potential in Uttar Pradesh. This is an important step in promoting the state's economic growth and prosperity and establishing it as a top investment location for companies throughout the world." (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Ace filmmaker Imtiaz Ali turned a year older on Friday. A day later, actor Diljit Dosanjh took to social media to wish him a happy birthday. Taking to Instagram, Diljit shared a picture from the sets of his upcoming film 'Amar Singh Chamkila' on his stories and wrote, "Sir Happy Happy Birthday Ji." 'Amar Singh Chamkila' marks Diljit and Imtiaz's first on-screen collaboration. The film also stars Parineeti Chopra in the lead roles. The makers have opted for a direct OTT release for their film. 'Amar Singh Chamkila' will stream on the OTT platform Netflix in 2024. The film presents the untold true story of Punjab's original rockstar of the masses, Amar Singh Chamkila who emerged from the shadows of poverty and rose to the heights of popularity in the 80s due to the sheer power of his music, angering many on the way, which finally led to his assassination at a young age of 27. The highest record-selling artist of his time, Chamkila is still regarded as one of the best live-stage performers that Punjab has ever produced. Talking about the film, director Imtiaz Ali said, "Making "Amar Singh Chamkila" on the life of the iconic music star of the masses has been a unique journey for me. I could not have asked for better actors than the immensely talented Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra to play in this film, especially since it involves some live singing. The film follows the crazed popularity of Chamkila's daring songs that society could neither ignore nor swallow. Having Netflix as a partner, I am humbled to take our story to millions of viewers not only in India but around the globe." Actor Diljit Dosanjh said, "Playing Amar Singh Chamkila has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life, and I am thrilled to be returning to Netflix with yet another exciting story. It has been a pleasure to work with Parineeti and the entire team that has worked extremely hard to bring this beautiful story to life. To be able to sing to Rahman sir's exemplary music was a meditative experience and I hope I have been able to do justice to his vision. Thank you Imtiaz bhajee for believing in me for this role." Actor Parineeti Chopra added, "It is a privilege to play Amarjot, Chamkila's singing partner and wife in this incredible film and I am truly grateful to Imtiaz sir for this opportunity. Sharing the screen with Diljit has been an immensely enriching experience. For me singing is a passion and to collaborate with the legendary AR Rahman has been a long awaited dream. With Netflix's global platform, I believe our film will touch hearts far and wide, allowing Chamkila's inspiring tale to resonate with fans worldwide." (ANI)
The animated romantic comedy film 'Elemental', which brings to life the mesmerising world of elements in a story of two strikingly opposite elements Ember Lumen (Fire) and Wade Ripples (Water), is work of people from several diasporas as more than 100 first and second-generation immigrants. The producer of the film, Denise Ream, shared that it is a work of many immigrants who spoke with the makers during the making. She also said that it is a "story about relationships between fire and water, and between parents and their kids". Set in a city that brings elements of different backgrounds together, 'Elemental' is demonstrative of the statement that opposites do indeed attract. Denise Ream, who is known for her work in Academy Award-winning films like 'Up', 'Cars 2' and 'The Good Dinosaur', the creation of the world of 'Elemental' was a work of people from several diasporas as more than 100 first and second-generation immigrants from Pixar came together to speak with filmmakers about their experiences. The 26th film from Pixar Animation Studios is creating fiery waves of recognition since its global premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival. The creation of this mystical world of elements was a big challenge for the movie's creative heads, particularly when personifying the elements and the details in animation that follow, such as the transparency of water or the burning of fire and the resulting light. Dishing on the emotional stories and elaborating on the behind-the-scenes situation, Denise said: "It's a story about relationships -- between fire and water, between parents and their kids and between all of us and our neighbours who might not look like us. It's part comedy, part family journey and part culture clash. "Most of us, wherever we are, come from somewhere else. There were so many emotional stories about what people went through to come here... their families' experiences. I don't think you can really explain the impact of something like that on a story," she added. Directed and co-written by Peter Sohn, 'Elemental' is set to release in Indian theatres on June 23, 2023 in English and Hindi. --IANS aa/pgh ( 365 Words) 2023-06-16-20:38:04 (IANS)
The incident took place at around 9 p.m. on Thursday at Pakhar Chowdaki village under Mandawar police station area of Dausa with the participants complaining of vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain.

As per information, Mahendra Bairwa, a resident of Pakhar village, got a government job as a teacher in Delhi recently and hence, organised a religious programme of Savamani in the village on Thursday.

Villagers were invited for a mass feast but shortly afterwards, they complained of vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain and were rushed to hospital in private vehicles and ambulances.

On getting information of the food poisoning, Dausa CMHO Dr Subhash Bilonia also reached Mahuva Hospital where sick people were being treated.

A medical department team also reached the spot to treat the sick and also sent food samples, including laddoos, puris, vegetables, and pulses, for examination.

Mahuva MLA Omprakash Hudla also reached Mahuva and Mandawar hospitals to know the well-being of the patients.

At present, the health of most of the sick people is said to be improving.

--IANS arc/vd

( 211 Words)

2023-06-16-22:42:03 (IANS)
The number of children diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes continued to rise in the year after the Covid-19 pandemic began, according to research. Another study, also being presented at ENDO 2023, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Illinois, US, showed that more pregnant women developed gestational diabetes during the Covid-19 pandemic than in the preceding two years. In the first study, researchers from Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, "hypothesised that in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, many factors including school shutdowns causing kids to be less active, snacking more often, or eating more unhealthy foods led to increased weight gain and more cases of Type-2 diabetes." The retrospective study found that among all new onset diabetes in youth, the relative proportion of Type-2 diabetes, in the first year after Covid was 24.8 per cent, in the second year was 18.9 per cent, and third was 32.1 per cent. The findings suggest that the increase may not be only due to pandemic-related restrictions and lifestyle changes. "The reasons for this are not completely known and need further evaluation; therefore, we must be vigilant and monitor our at-risk youth (those with genetic risk factors, obesity, less active lifestyles) and take them to see their doctors if signs of diabetes such as increased thirst and frequent urination arise," said Esther Bell-Sambataro, an endocrinology fellow at the Hospital. In the second study, a team from the University of Sydney in Australia looked at 14,663 pregnancies that took place in the two years preceding Covid-19, of which 6,890 happened in the first year, and 6,654 in the second year. "Gestational diabetes appears to have become more common during the Covid-19 pandemic due to both changes in the population and changes related to the pandemic, which has significant short-term and long-term impact for mothers and their children worldwide," said Yoon Ji Jina Rhou, from the varsity's Reproduction and Perinatal Centre. The researchers discovered statistically significant increases in pre-pregnancy body-mass index, obesity, and other risk factors for gestational diabetes, including those with South Asian ethnicity and a previous history of gestational diabetes. The analysis showed a progressive increase in the risk of gestational diabetes in the first and second-year pandemic periods. The incidence rose from 21 per cent pre-pandemic to 25 per cent in the second year. "This study highlights unrecognised implications of pandemics and pandemic-related measures on pregnancy outcomes and the need for initiatives to limit this impact in current and future pandemics," Rhou said. --IANS rvt/svn/ ( 426 Words) 2023-06-16-12:00:05 (IANS)
A mock drill was conducted at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Tripura to assess the preparedness of emergency services, airport director Kailash Chander Meena said on Friday. A simulated condition of an aircraft accident was created with the purpose of testing the plans and procedures that would come into effect during a real emergency, helping to identify the strengths and weaknesses of all emergency services, airport authorities said in a statement. "The simulation exercise aims to validate and enhance preparedness and response plans, procedures and systems for all hazards and capabilities. The main purpose of this simulated exercise was to check the response time of all emergency service providers in reviewing and assessing planning assumptions, procedures, operational plans and guidelines and standard operating procedures," it said. The mock drills also aim to assess and test interoperability between these plans and procedures. Airport Fire services and other stakeholders and agencies including State Fire services, State police, NDRF, and State health services were involved during the exercise. The Tripura Airport Director expressed his satisfaction over the successful conduct of the exercise and also thanked all the stakeholders for their participation in the exercise. Speaking to ANI, the Airport Director said, "A mock drill was conducted at Agartala airport. It is important to conduct such drills every two years. NDRF, CISF, state police, state fire service, state medical team and the fire rescue team of AAI participated in the drills. NDRF exhibited its expertise in the whole exercise that lasted one-and-half hours". He further said that during which the mock drill, the security forces identified a location and carried out the mock drill of extinguishing fire. He added, "We held a meeting for this yesterday, and today it was wonderfully done and was satisfactory. We identified a location and carried out fire extinguishing operation. AAI fire team noted down its timings. The whole exercise was closely monitored by the control room". (ANI)
The G20 Education Working Group meeting in Pune will hold discussions on bettering outcomes in consideration of literacy, numeracy, multilingualism, and also regarding capacity building of the teachers, the Secretary of School Education, Sanjay Kumar said on Friday. Speaking to ANI, Sanjay Kumar said, "The G20 4th Education Working Group will be conducted in Pune from June 19-21. There couldn't be a better place than this, because Pune has always been a primary centre of knowledge. Savitribai Phule opened the first school for women in 1848 in Pune only". He said that a conference with the State Education Secretaries will be held on June 17-18. "On June 17, there will be discussions on better outcomes in consideration with literacy, numeracy and multilingualism. The states will highlight the good work in this direction. Several experts will also give their suggestions at the event," he said. Sharma added, "On June 18, we will discuss on capacity building of the teachers. Several educational experts will participate in the event". The Secretary of School Education further said that the government is also looking forward to providing NCERT books in all languages. "In our schedule 8, we have 22 languages. We will provide books in all languages on NCERT's level. In some states, we already have books based on the local dialect," he further said. The 4th and final Education Working Group (EDWG) meeting under India's G20 Presidency is set to be held in Pune during June 19-21, under the theme of 'Ensuring Foundation Literacy and Numeracy, especially in the context of blended learning' and culminate with the Education Ministerial meeting on June 22, 2023. During the course of the 4th Education Working Group meeting, attendees will engage in dynamic seminars and enriching workshops, painting a vision of innovation in education. (ANI)
Colleen Kujawa's tour group takes in the landscape at Loch Achtriochtan during a stop in the Scottish Highlands in late May 2023. (Colleen Kujawa)

Im not a social superhero. Im friendly, but Im neither savvy nor successful at small talk. But I love connecting with people in a sincere way, especially when Im away from home. Its one of the best parts of the human experience.

When I went on vacation in England and Scotland recently, I spent the first part of my trip in London, but despite my hope of having conversations with people there, I came up mostly empty. Londoners are very much on the move and otherwise engaged.

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I was disappointed. Then I got on the wrong bus in Scotland.

I had registered in advance for a day tour of the Highlands through Rabbies Tours. Unbeknownst to me, there were two Rabbies minibuses at the Glasgow bus station that were going to follow the same course. The bus I lined up for was technically not the bus I was supposed to be on  when I saw a flicker of confusion on tour guide Jimmys face after I gave my name, that should have been a clue  but in the end, it felt like serendipity.

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The bus was filled mostly with a group of agricultural science students. I was seated across the aisle from their professor and chaperone, John Campbell. I asked him if they were from the States, and he informed me they were from New Mexico State University. He was at first a person of few words, and I also got little response when I spoke to one of the students, so I felt awkward and wondered if I should keep to myself. But I decided to persist with some questions, and I shared that I was from Chicago and worked for the Tribune when the professor asked.

He then peppered me with polite inquiries throughout our ride. We talked about newspapers and the push for digital subscriptions and what the world of journalism is like, and I got a sense of his personality  fatherly but not paternalistic, very supportive of his students and their self-determination  and the personalities of some of the students. I gained an appreciation for the grazing Hebridean sheep and Highland cattle because of the students oohing and aahing.

I also struck up a rapport with a masters student from the Czech Republic who seemed to be accompanying the New Mexico group. I didnt catch her name, but we ended up having a cheerful chat about minimalist shoes because she recognized my Lems waterproof boots and I recognized her Vivobarefoot shoes. Kindred spirits of footwear! At one point, I enthusiastically took off one of my boots so she could take a look inside.

A view of Oban Bay from a rocky beach in Oban, Scotland. Colleen Kujawa's tour group stopped there for a lunch break. (Colleen Kujawa)

As a favor, I took a photo of her with her camera as she posed near a mountain wed stopped at, and she explained that she and her brother create a photo calendar every year to give out to family at Christmas. She is part of a university program that bounces students around different countries to study and obtain worldly experience, and she had spent part of that time as a student in Scotland. I asked about the winters in Scotland, and she made me aware that theyre windy and wet but not too cold. (My pride over bravely withstanding bitter Chicago winters remains intact.) She asked Jimmy about every place we stopped at and shared her many observations of Scotland, and Jimmy declared she was more Scottish than haggis.

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Jimmy, a Glaswegian, was delightfully funny  his plentiful good-natured puns never wore thin  and disarmingly sincere. He brought a lot of historical and linguistic context to the places we visited. He made everyone feel at home. Everything he taught us fills several pages in my trip journal. (I will share that Loch means lake and Ben means mountain, as in Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond.)

When the bus returned to Glasgow and we all parted ways, I waved at everyone and told them it was a pleasure to meet them. They all waved and said the same.

I had other wonderful conversations during my three-day stay in Glasgow  a heartwarming chat with a local retired teacher and a spirited exchange with a barista who made me aware of a kinetic art show that I would have otherwise missed  and even a few in London when I returned, less jet-lagged, for the last few days of my trip, including a talk with a server who taught me the merits of sourdough bread.

I hadnt flown anywhere since 2014 because of ailing parents and a pesky pandemic. Thankfully, I found what I was looking for. The best part of traveling, wherever we may go, is connecting with people and place, especially at a time when so many of us may suffer from a sense of isolation.

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Ive come to appreciate how curiosity and attention to detail foster appreciation and affection. They transform.

Colleen Kujawa is a content editor who works with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
Officials said that the vegetable vendor was returning home on his motorcycle on Friday when two unknown bike-borne assailants allegedly intercepted him and opened fire at him leaving him injured. The accused also looted Rs 25,000 from the vendor and fled from the spot.

The injured vendor has been identified as Harishchandra, a resident of Ikgra Kothi of the Bakwar area in the Etawah district, they said.

"I am a vegetable vendor, and come to Mandi for my business. On Friday, when I was returning home, the bike-borne assailants opened fire at me and looted Rs 25,000," the victim said.

Upon receiving the information, the police reached the spot and started investigating the matter.

The injured victim has been admitted to the hospital, where he is undergoing treatment.

"The police brought the injured vendor, who was allegedly shot. He was earlier admitted to the district hospital, from where he has been referred to Saifai medical college, and is currently undergoing treatment," Shivam Rajpoot, a doctor at Etawah district hospital told ANI.

More details awaited. (ANI)
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) said that around 10,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are expected to be functional across the country by the end of the year. On Friday, CEO of PMBI Ravi Dadhich, in an interaction with media persons assembled at the Central Warehouse, Bilaspur, Gurugram said, "10,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are expected to be functional across the country by the end of the year." There are currently four warehouses in the country under Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), located at Gurugram, Chennai, Guwahati, and Surat, with the Central Warehouse at Gurugram being the largest. As part of the interaction, the media persons visited the different wings of the warehouse and were familiarized with the way the medicines are catalogued, the temperature and humidityconditions in which they are stored, and the end-to-end supply chain management systemimplemented under PMBJP. Dadhich further said, "Effective logistics is essential in offloading, and storage of medicines, else a lot of time will be lost in the delivery of medicines." Currently, PMBJP is providing 1800 medicines, as well as 285 surgical devices at highlysubsidized prices without compromising on quality. Highlighting the emphasis on the quality of medicines, Dadhich said, "Each batch of the drugs after its receipt at the warehouses is tested at laboratories accredited by 'National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) for ensuring the best quality. PMBI places the highest importance on the quality parameters and regularly conducts checks to ensure good quality of medicines." In the last nine years, the number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras under PMBJP has seen significantgrowth, with their numbers increasing by 100 times and the sales have also increased more than 170 times. In all, during the past nine years, total savings of approximately Rs 20,000 crores for the citizens have been possible due to this scheme. With an objective of making quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all,Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) was launched by the Department ofPharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India. Under this scheme, dedicated outlets known as Janaushadhi Kendras are opened to provide generic medicines. The government has adopted a franchisee-like model and individual entrepreneurs to apply for establishing and running PMBJP Kendra was undertaken. As of May 31, 2023, 9484 Janaushadhi Kendras are functional across the country. The productsunder PMBJP are sold at retail shops at 50 per cent to 90 per cent lower costs than branded medicines. (ANI)
Congress on Friday slammed the Centre over the deteriorating law and order in violence-hit Manipur after a mob set Minister of State for External Affairs R.K. Ranjan Singh's house on fire in Imphal. Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not speaking up on the issue, the grand-old party said the PM is too busy preparing for his US visit. In a tweet, Congress General secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Here is a Union Minister from Manipur lamenting the prevailing situation in his state. But the PM is still silent, too busy preparing for his visit to the US while Manipur continues to burn." His remarks came after Ranjan lamented the burning of his house and said that he was shocked as to how the law and order situation has deteriorated in Manipur. The Union Minister's house at Kongba in Imphal was torched by a mob late on Thursday night. Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said, "Manipur is burning. People are getting killed but the Prime Minister is too busy to talk on the issue. "On one hand Manipur is burning but the Prime Minister is silent. We demand that the government take immediate action over the law and situation in the north eastern state. A government which cannot handle the situation has no right to remain in power," Vallabh added. The Union Minister's house was earlier targeted on May 25 when thousands of people attempted to assemble in front of the residence, but were prevented by security forces. Police said the mob, which was demanding an early solution to the ethnic conflict, accused all the ministers and MLAs that they were not doing enough to end the crisis. On Wednesday, in a fresh incident of violence, assailants burnt the official residence of Manipur's Industry Minister Nemcha Kipgen in the Lamphel area in Imphal West district. Kipgen, the lone woman minister in the state, was not at home when the attackers burnt down her official bungalow. At least 11 people were killed and 23 others injured after suspected militants attacked the Khamelock village in Imphal East district late on Tuesday night. Officials said the death toll is likely to increase as several of the injured are said to be critical. --IANS aks/shb/ ( 399 Words) 2023-06-16-13:32:02 (IANS)
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said he suspected his former ally Hindustani Awam Morcha's chief Jitan Ram Manjhi of being a BJP's spy to extract information on Mahagathbandhan's moves. This is the reason why he pressured Manjhi to merge his party with JD(U) or leave the Mahagathbandhan, the JD(U)chief stated. Manjhi, he said, may have turned into a spy for BJP to know the plans of Mahagathbandhan especially the mega meeting of 17 opposition parties scheduled to be held in Patna on June 23. "The HAM leader (Manjhi) was in touch with Amit Shah and other BJP leaders and he was waiting for the invitation to participate in the mega meeting of Opposition parties on June 23. Had he attended the meeting, all our strategies discussed during the meeting would have been leaked to the BJP. Hence, we strictly asked him either to merge his party or leave the Mahagathbandhan. He left us and we have also accepted the resignation of his son," Kumar said after the swearing-in ceremony of Ratnesh Sada as a cabinet minister. "I was the one who made Jitan Ram Manjhi the chief minister of Bihar. Despite getting such a honourable post he was meeting BJP leaders. I knew about his activities and hence took a tough stand. "When Manjhi's son tendered his resignation from the cabinet, I accepted it and recommended it to the governor. The governor was not present on June 13 but he accepted it. We also named Ratnesh Sada as the new cabinet minister," Kumar said. Ratnesh Sada is a third time MLA of the party and I have known him since long. So, I called him on the same day on June 13 and asked him to take over the new responsibility," Kumar said. --IANS ajk/shb/ ( 310 Words) 2023-06-16-13:46:02 (IANS)
A police head constable, who was trying to stop illegal transportation of sand, was crushed to death in Narayanapura village in Karnataka's Kalaburagi district, police said on Friday. Acting on a tip-off about illegal transportation of sand, head constable Mysuru Chouhan and constable Pramod Dodmani went to Narayanpura village on bike at 10 p.m. on Thursday. The policemen chased tractor in which sand was being transported illegally and asked its driver to stop the vehicle, who did not stop and ran over their bike. Chouhan was crushed to death while Dodmani managed to escape with minor injuries. The accused had escaped from the spot after the incident. The Nelogi police have registered an FIR and are investigating the case. The police have taken accused Siddappa into custody and launched a hunt for another accused Sayibanna. Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RDPR), Information Technology and Biotechnology (IT and BT) Minister Priyank Kharge said: "I have spoken to the District Commissioner and Superintendent of Police and ordered an inquiry." Karnataka Minister M. C. Sudhakar said: "It is very shocking and we need to take serious action against those behind it. Justice will be served." Preliminary investigation revealed that the sand was illegally mined from river Bhima. Books are written in Kannada about the notoriety in the Kalaburgi region and revenge killings are reported very often from there. Before the Assembly polls in the state, an audio clip of an individual seeking "protection" of then MLA Priyank Kharge to carry out sand business had gone viral on social media. Priyank Kharge had flatly refused to help him and told him that he doesn't mind losing elections rather than supporting him. Sand from basins of the Bheema, Kagina, Mullamari, Bennethora and Kamalavathi rivers in Kalaburagi district's is in demand and its price is skyrocketing day by day. Main supply is made to Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh from the bordering district of Kalaburagi. --IANS mka/svn/ ( 335 Words) 2023-06-16-13:52:02 (IANS)
Amid loggerheads with the Centre over the latter's alleged refusal to provide rice for a free distribution scheme, the Congress government in Karnataka on Friday called for a protest to condemn the move. Addressing a press conference, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the Food Corporation India (FCI), which had earlier promised to supply the rice, has now written a letter refusing it. "This is an example of the practising of hate politics by the Central government. BJP has snatched the food of the poor. BJP is a party which indulges in betrayal of poor masses," he said. "The FCI had promised to provide 2.28 lakh metric tonnes of rice. They have gone back on their words. "The Congress party was voted to power by the poor people and the BJP wants to pursue hate towards them. We are being threatened by the Central government and we will fight it. The protest will get attention of the Central government and people towards the issue," he said. The Congress party has promised five guarantees. The debate is on whether the party will be able to fulfil these promises. "We have shown our commitment by giving in-principle consent to all the schemes in the first cabinet meeting," he said. When asked about the Chief Minister and cabinet ministers trip to New Delhi, Shivakumar stated that AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge had called them to the national capital on June 21. "Rahul Gandhi had also invited them. During the tour, the appointment of central ministers are sought. Let the BJP MPs cooperate with the Congress government and help the state to get the rice. We will seek their cooperation over the matter," he said. BJP National General Secretary C.T. Ravi had slammed the Congress government over its allegation and asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to show the FCI's commitment letter. Ravi stated that "if not a liar, then he should show the letter by FCI promising rice to Karnataka". "Let them stop making false allegations and provide the money to the people, they will buy the rice. The Centre has not sent a letter that they will send the rice so that the Congress government will project it as its scheme and then distribute it to the people." The Congress wants to provide 10 kg of rice to every member of a BPL card holder's family free of cost under the Anna Bhagya scheme. Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had stated that if the free rice is not given by July 1 as promised by the Congress government, the BJP will stage a protest across the state. Minister for Food and Civil Supplies K.H. Muniyappa stated that the state government is contacting the Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh governments to purchase the required amount of rice. He maintained that the first choice would be to make purchases from Central agencies as the cost will be less. --IANS mka/ksk/ ( 497 Words) 2023-06-16-14:02:01 (IANS)
The Calcutta High Court on Friday sought a report from the West Bengal government on alleged administrative failure to give proper protection to the candidates while filing nomination for the forthcoming state panchayat elections despite a definite court order on this count. On Friday, senior advocate of the court and the CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya informed the single-judge bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha that while the police was escorting a group of candidates for filing their nominations, one was shot dead in front of the police. "One of the assassins could not escape and he was informed that he was hired by the Trinamool Congress legislator from Canning (East) Saokat Molla at Rs 5,000. How could such a planned attack happen in front of police despite a clear instruction from the court to ensure necessary protection for all candidates?" Bhattacharya questioned. Thereafter, Justice Mantha observed that the court is quite worried about the lives of common people. "However, no concrete step to ensure that is visible. What is this happening? I thought that after all these an official FIR would have been registered by police at Bhangar Police Station. But even that did not happen. It is unimaginable. The state police had been unable to ensure protection even after a clear court order on this count,' Justice Mantha observed. Thereafter, he directed the state government to submit a report to his court explaining why the candidates were unable to file nominations despite clear orders from the court and why action should not be taken against those police personnel who failed on this count. --IANS src/shb/ ( 284 Words) 2023-06-16-14:08:06 (IANS)
Karnataka BJP on Friday once again lambasted the Congress government over its move to amend the anti-conversion law and drop all the stringent provisions introduced by the previous government. Speaking to reporters, BJP former DyCM R. Ashoka alleged that the Congress leaders are attempting to become ambassadors of religious conversions. The decision of the Congress government is only welcomed by the Archbishop. Has any other religious seer welcomed the move? Hindus are being converted on the pretext of medical treatment, education and through love jihad. The ideology of Congress is suitable to the ideology of Tipu Sultan (erstwhile Mysuru ruler). The decision has been taken to appease one section of society, he said. The people are thinking that the Congress could stoop to any level for votes. It appears that Congress wants to make Karnataka a mini Pakistan. When the BJP government brought the anti-religious conversion bill, barring the Popular Front of India (PFI) no one opposed. The BJP demands reversal of the move, he added. Commenting on the row over supply of rice, Ashoka charged that Karnataka In-charge of Congress Randeep Singh Surjewala thinks that he is the cabinet minister. Do you think the central government is in your pocket? If Congress proposes to sell Karnataka, should the central government give its consent? CM Siddaramaiah had shamelessly put the seal of Anna Bhagya scheme on the rice packets for which rice was provided by the central government, Ashoka maintained. In one year, this government will face bankruptcy. The people taking law into their hands. If Congress is not fulfilling the guarantees, it will lose power. The guarantees were not announced after taking consent by the central government. They are going to manage till the Lok Sabha elections and afterwards the infighting will take over, he said. --IANS mka/shb/ ( 315 Words) 2023-06-16-14:18:02 (IANS)
Vijay Yadav, the alleged accused who had killed gangster Sanjeev Maheshwari Jeeva in a courtroom in Lucknow on June 7, may be taken for a Narco test since he continues to dodge the police team interrogating him. The Lucknow police, which got three days police remand of Vijay Yadav from CJM court beginning June 15, has grilled him for hours but Vijay continues to mislead the cops about the mastermind of the murder. An Assistant Commissioner of police rank officer and Additional DCP rank officer grilled him while another team questioned the accused late till Thursday night. "He is not giving clear answers and we will have to put him to a Narco test to unravel the conspiracy that led to the murder. In a way, Vijay Yadav is behaving like the three assailants of Atiq and Ashraf Ahmad when it comes to giving information to the police," said a senior police officer. The police team is likely to take the accused to the hotel where he stayed and the place from where he got the lawyer's coat. Officials said that Vijay Yadav was asked about his entire background, since how long he has been running the gun racket and also his whereabouts in days prior to the murder but Vijay did not give concrete answer to any of the questions. He has also not spoken about the persons of other members of his team who were allegedly present in the court during the murder with a back-up plan. Another senior officer said that through their counterparts in Nepal they were verifying about the hotel where the accused worked. On June 7, Vijay Yadav had opened six rounds of fire on Sanjeev Maheshwari Jeeva who was brought for hearing in the courtroom. --IANS amita/shb/ ( 307 Words) 2023-06-16-14:36:05 (IANS)
Fifty years, six chief ministers, dozens of expert committee reports, international alarm over pollution threat to the Taj Mahal, Supreme Court and NGT interventions, yet the dream of a barrage over the Yamuna river in Agra eludes translation into reality. Ten BJP legislators, three MPs, a mayor with a hundred corporators of the municipal corporation, have failed to stir the Yogi Adityanath government to speed up the barrage project, hanging fire for decades. The politicians blame the bureaucrats who in turn blame the judiciary which waits for NOCs from environmental bodies. Like 'Alice in Wonderland', everything goes round and round, reaching nowhere. Agra north MLA Purushottam Khandelwal said he recently met the Chief Minister in Lucknow, who informed him that the government would actively pursue the case in the Apex Court. The local irrigation department says clearance is awaited from a committee of the central environment ministry. Interestingly, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath laid the foundation stone in 2017 for a rubber dam project 1.7 km downstream of the Taj Mahal. Earlier, two Congress chief ministers had also laid the foundation stones for the same project. The objectives of the project spelt out by the UP Irrigation Department stated: to create storage of water all the time in dry river behind the Taj Mahal, to recharge the ground water level, navigation (Nitin Gadkari in 2015 had announced launching of a ferry service for tourists from Delhi to Agra), water ponding near foundation of the Taj Mahal, beautification surrounding the Taj Mahal, providing a bridge/roadway alongwith proposed barrage for reducing the traffic density. Activist of Agra Vyatha Dr Sanjay Chaturvedi said: "The Chief Minister had announced on October 26, 2017, a decision to construct a barrage 1.5 km downstream of Taj Mahal. The project approved by the departmental chief engineers committee, will be 475 metres long, with two bays for navigation. The Archaeological Survey of India had asked for pond level of the barrage to be kept at 146 m, the safe level for the Taj and other monuments on the banks of Yamuna." Green Activist Devashish Bhattacharya said that presently, all the water of river Yamuna is diverted into canals at Hathini Kund. "From downstream of Hathini Kund water is released for the Okhla barrage in Delhi, and a small quantity for the Gokul barrage in Mathura. By the time the river Yamuna enters Agra district, it practically is reduced to a vast sewage canal carrying industrial effluents, sewage, all the garbage and stinking sludge from upstream cities. This highly noxious and toxic liquid called water is poisoning the underground reserves and could possibly be damaging the foundations of monuments along the banks," said River Connect Campaigners Harendra Gupta, Chaturbhuj Tiwari, and Jugal Kishor Pandit. Mathura got its Gokul barrage in 1997 without demanding it, however, Agra which needed water most in the river for the good health of the Taj Mahal and other monuments, as pointed out by Dr S Vardrajan, in 1978 and subsequently on several occasions demanded by MC Mehta, whose PIL in the Supreme Court triggered a series of drastic measures in the eco sensitive Taj Trapezium Zone, in 1993, has been the beneficiary of only promises, says river activist Padmini Iyer. Local citizens vehemently blame the BJP government in UP which they allege harbours a grouse or bias against Agra, for being a Mughal city, despite the fact that it's a BJP stronghold returning horde of MLAs, MPs and mayors, year after year. --IANS bk/dan ( 597 Words) 2023-06-16-15:02:08 (IANS)
Kazakhstan adopts visa exemption agreement for Vietnamese citizens

The Government of Kazakhstan has approved the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on visa exemption for citizens of the two countries.



The above decision is stipulated in the decree issued on June 13, 2023 and comes into force immediately.



The agreement states that valid national passport holders of each country with a validity of at least 6 months, will be exempted from visas to enter, exit, transit, and temporarily stay in the territory of the other country for a period of time not exceeding 30 days from the date of entry and not exceeding 90 days for each 180-day period.



If citizens plan to stay longer than this period of time, they will have to apply for a visa.



Deputy Prime Minister -Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Murat Nurtleu is authorized to sign the agreement on behalf of the Government of Kazakhstan.



Earlier, Minister Murat Nurtleu assessed that the signing of the agreement would help further strengthen relations between the two countries.
Spiro Agnew, center, is shown leaving court in Baltimore in 1973 after pleading no contest to a charge of income tax evasion. Agnew resigned from the vice presidency shortly after. (AP)

The news has been full of concerns about the fate of our republic following the indictment of former President Donald Trump. There have been questions about the politicization of criminal laws and the credibility of the judiciary, the polarization of the electorate and threats of violent domestic reaction.

But these concerns pale in comparison to the threat to the democratic system posed 50 years ago this summer, when it became shockingly clear that the country was being run by a president, Richard Nixon, and a vice president, Spiro Agnew, who were both simultaneously under criminal investigation for wholly unrelated conduct.

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What is now the controversy buzzword obstruction of justice was then the more mysterious buzzword nolo contendere. Where the first one refers to a provision of criminal law, the second refers to a rarely applied pleading device. And those distinctions make a difference.

For one involves criminal allegations involving a former president outside of power yet seeking a return to office. The other involves the criminality of those actually sitting in power  Agnew pleaded no contest to the criminal charge against him while serving under Nixon, who himself was under criminal investigation.

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And the countrys ability to survive the latter threat strongly suggests its ability to survive the former.

[ Editorial: Too much is at stake in Trump case for Judge Cannon to preside. She should recuse. ]

By summer 1973, the public was becoming more aware of Nixons possible criminal involvement in the Watergate scandal. The Senates Ervin Committee was receiving testimony from witnesses that was eroding public faith in Nixons repeated denials of culpability.

Much of the Watergate saga, and the incredible breadth of its illegality, is well known. But what is not well known is an equally compelling threat to democracy that arose apart from  but at the same time as  Watergate, and resembled more old-time Chicago politics than political skulduggery.

Agnew was a physically imposing yet politically unremarkable figure when selected out of obscurity to be Nixons running mate in 1968. Agnew had worked his way up the political ladder, starting with local Baltimore-area government positions and ultimately to governor of Maryland.

As vice president, Agnew assumed the limelight with a series of highly charged political speeches in which he colorfully challenged many of the leading institutions of the day viewed by Nixon as his enemies. Agnews use of phrases such as nattering nabobs of negativism and pusillanimous pussyfooters endeared himself to ultraconservatives.

All the while, the U.S. attorney in Baltimore was assembling overwhelming evidence of Agnews participation in a bribery scheme involving kickbacks from vendors doing business with local government. These payments began in the early 1960s and continued while he was vice president; some cash payments were actually made in the White House.

Early in 1973, Agnew informed the White House of the existence of the investigation. On Aug. 1, Agnew was advised by the U.S. attorney that he was a target of the investigation, and on Aug. 7, The Wall Street Journal reported the existence of the investigation. Agnew immediately denied wrongdoing.

The Agnew investigation proceeded simultaneously with a dramatic escalation in the Watergate investigation: public disclosure of a listening device system in the Oval Office and the efforts of special prosecutor Archibald Cox Jr. to subpoena the underlying tapes. Nixons refusal to provide those tapes pushed the country to what Republican Sen. Howard Baker of Tennessee referred to as the brink of a constitutional confrontation.

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Privately, Agnew began plea bargain negotiations with the Department of Justice. Publicly, he denounced the investigation as the efforts of small and fearful men who have been frightened into furnishing evidence against me.

Chicago Tribune Opinion Weekdays Read the latest editorials and commentary curated by the Tribune Opinion team. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >

The plea negotiations continued into early October, when the DOJ yielded on its demand for prison time to the overarching public interest in Agnew stepping down from office given the tensions of the ongoing Nixon controversy. The stakes were simply unprecedented. On Oct. 10, Agnew agreed to resign immediately and pleaded nolo contendere (no contest) to one felony charge of tax evasion.

[ Clarence Page: Trumps in trouble, and the lame excuses are flying ]

Gerald Ford peacefully succeeded Agnew as vice president, and the country survived the immediate crisis. Ultimately, Ford succeeded Nixon upon his Aug. 8, 1974, resignation, and again the nation survived the crisis. There was much joy in the knowledge that democratic principles prevailed through this unprecedented executive transition.

Yet there was  and should remain  overarching angst in the knowledge that for a period of almost two years the nation had been led by a president who was under active Senate investigation for a wide scope of allegedly criminal acts, while the vice president was under active investigation for accepting kickbacks during his term of office  a run-of-the-mill crook, as journalist and author Garrett Graff observed.

None of this is to diminish the significance of the concerns presented by the Trump indictment, for there is much to be concerned about. But it is to underscore the underlying strength and resilience of the American Constitution. Historys message is that the republic has been strong enough to overcome challenges that cut to its core principles.

For if the nation was able to survive the challenges of summer 1973, it certainly should be able to survive the challenges of summer 2023.

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Michael Peregrine is a Chicago attorney and was a volunteer for the Committee to Reelect the President in 1972 while at Oak Park High School.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
ULCCS is one of the oldest labour cooperatives in India owned and managed by workers and headquartered in Kozhikode.

All civil, construction and such works are now awarded to ULCCS without tender.

"ULCCS has now become the place where all the money that the CPI(M) raises through corruption is parked and all the profits from these ventures arrive at the door steps of Chief Minister Vijayan's house," said Satheesan.

ULCCS is today a very big player in the infrastructure sector as it is the agency which builds roads, government buildings and bridges as being a Cooperative society, according to Satheesan is able to get works and at times they get it without even submitting tenders.

--IANS sg/shb/

( 159 Words)

2023-06-16-15:12:04 (IANS)
War over supply of rice in Karnataka escalated on Friday with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah posting the commitment letter in the public domain as challenged by BJP National General Secretary C.T. Ravi. The development is being seen as a setback to BJP, which had decided to take up protest from July 1 regarding the matter. "C.T. Ravi had challenged us to show the commitment letter by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Here it comes. The intelligent voters have defeated the BJP in the elections for their irresponsible statements, lies and false propaganda," Siddaramaiah slammed. BJP leaders, including Ravi, should not support the central government's anti-people's stand which aims at snatching the food of the poor. They should pressure the central government to provide rice for the Anna Bhagya scheme. The scheme intends to provide 10 kilograms of free rice to all members of BPL card holders, he said. Notably, Ravi had slammed the Congress government for accusing the Centre of not providing rice to the state despite having sufficient stocks. He had asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to produce the commitment letter in this regard by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Speaking to reporters, the BJP reporters had stated if he is not "lying", then he should show the letter by FCI promising rice to Karnataka state. Let them stop making false allegations and provide money to people to buy the rice. The Centre has not sent a letter that they will send the rice so that the Congress government projects it as its scheme and then distributes it to the people. "You point fingers at the Centre for the task which you are unable to do. I expected Siddaramaiah to start making allegations after four or five months. But, he has begun already. You declared that the free rice scheme would be implemented from July 1 and now you blame the central government. You debit money into the accounts of BPL holders, they will buy the rice," he had reiterated. Congress has given a call for a state-wide protest against the Centre' move of refusing rice to the state. --IANS mka/shb ( 367 Words) 2023-06-16-16:56:03 (IANS)
A team of Gurugram police has arrested a gang of three people for allegedly extorting Rs 50,000 from a person, posing as a fake police officer and fake journalist, police said. One of the gang members was arrested on June 6, and is identified as Sunil. The accused duo has been identified as Mohit Kumar Tonk (29), the fake journalist, and Devkinandan (37) the fake police officer, a resident of Jaipur Rajasthan, who was arrested from Jaipur, Rajasthan. According to the police, the victim filed a complaint on June 4, that a person contacted him through a website and sought service from him. The suspect called the complainant to Cyber Park Sector-39, Gurugram, and made him sit in a Swift DZire car. The suspects then introduced themselves as policemen and journalist and threatened to send him to jail for committing a cyber crime, police said. The victim remained in the car, meanwhile, another person who introduced himself as a senior police officer, demanded Rs 1 lakh, the victim then transferred Rs 50,000 from his brother's account to the account mentioned by the suspects. The accused threatened the victim of dire consequences if he revealed the matter to anyone, and asked him to arrange the remaining amount. Following a complaint, a case was registered at the Sadar Police Station. During the police probe, the accused revealed that Mohit used to work as a tourist guide in Jaipur about 09 years ago, he went to work in a disco, where he met Ibrahim Sheikh, the owner of Tehelka channel. Due to his good command of the English language, he along with Ibrahim Shaikh started conducting sting operations on people of good status in Mumbai. It returned to Jaipur after the lockdown due to Covid in the year-2020, police said. Thereafter he made a plan along with Devkinandan and Sunil for extortion through various websites (Rentman, Scoca, LockEnto, Gigello, Massage-Republic, etc.), targeting their victim and calling them to take service. They would stay in one city for about 1 month and after committing the crime, they would go to another city and commit a crime there. "The accused have revealed that they have carried out hundreds of incidents in different cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Belgaum, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, etc. The suspect also revealed that when the victim came to know about the fraud done by them and fearing police complaints the accused used to compromise the matter after giving them some amount to the victims," Varun Dahiya, ACP (crime) said. --IANS str/kvd ( 431 Words) 2023-06-16-17:02:03 (IANS)
After a brief exchange of fire, the Delhi Police's Special Cell has nabbed a key member of infamous Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu Gang, involved in dozens of cases including murder, dacoity, assault, among others, an official said on Friday. The gangster is identified as Ravinder Ramdhari alias Kalu, a resident of village Juddi near Haryana's Rewari and he sustained a gunshot injury on his right foot during the exchange of fire. According to police, information was being received through reliable sources for the past few months that the members of Nandu gang are indulged in extortion, land grabbing and are collecting protection money in border areas of west, southwest, and south Delhi. It was also found by police that the syndicate is quite active in these areas and they are running a well-oiled extortion network. "On Thursday, specific input was received that Ravinder Ramdhari would come near Pandwala Mod in Chhawla area at around 10 p.m to meet his associate. Consequently, a raiding team was constituted and a trap was laid at and around Pandwala Mod," Special Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, H.G.S. Dhaliwal, said. At around 10.05 p.m., Ramdhari was spotted by police on a black bike. However, when police signalled him to stop, he immediately accelerated towards Kanganheri Link road from Pandwala Road, but his bike got skidded and he fell down. "Thereafter, he started running and also opened indiscriminate fire on the police team and continued to do so despite warnings. Thus, the police team also fired in self-defence, aiming at his legs and during the brief exchange of fire, Ramdhari sustained gunshot injury on his right foot and he was overpowered," said Dhaliwal. A bullet fired by the accused also hit the bulletproof jacket of Sub-Inspector Rishi Kumar Jha during the encounter. A semi-automatic pistol loaded with two bullets was recovered from Ramdhari. "He was immediately rushed to the Indira Gandhi Hospital for treatment and a case under relevant sections of law was lodged at Special Cell police station," said Dhaliwal. The official said that Ramdhari's crime life started at a very early age when he was involved in a gruesome daylight robbery which shocked the entire city of Rewari. "The dreaded acts of Ramdhari could be ascertained through a brutal murder in which he killed the victim with bricks and stones at village Bhagi in order to spread his terror. Further, he demanded a huge ransom from an affluent businessman of Dadri and threatened to kill him if the amount is not paid," said the official. During his stay in Bhiwani Jail, he came into the contact with Kapil Sangwan, who inducted him into his gang. "Recently, gangster Sangwan gave him the responsibility of Delhi-NCR extortion racket and he was tasked to collect protection money and to teach lessons to those who do not pay the amount," the official added. --IANS ssh/vd ( 492 Words) 2023-06-16-17:04:02 (IANS)
A family has accused Jaipur's Fortis Hospital of negligence during a heart surgery and claimed that the doctors left surgical scissors inside the body due to which the patient died. "After the operation, the patient's health continued to deteriorate and he died after 12 days. When the family reached the crematorium to collect the bones post cremation, they found surgical scissors," said family members. However, when the family contacted the hospital, they denied all allegations and said they were lying. The family of the deceased has now lodged a complaint against the hospital at the Jawahar Circle police station. Kamal, the son of Upendra Sharma (74), a resident of the city's Mansarovar area, has alleged in the complaint that on May 29, his father was taken to Fortis Hospital due to ill health. On May 30 at around 8.30 p.m., his father was taken for the operation. He was brought out of the operation theatre at around 1.30 a.m. in the night. He was discharged by the evening of May 31. The son alleged that the father's health started deteriorating two days after he was brought home. After talking to the doctors, they said that everything will be fine, but it will take some time. Meanwhile, on June 12, his health started deteriorating and he died at 8.30 p.m. The next day, the last rites were performed at the cremation ground at Maharani Farm. On the morning of June 15, when Kamal went to the crematorium to collect the remains, a pair of surgical scissors were found. Kamal says that these surgical scissors were found near the heart in the same direction in which the father was laid. Neerav Bansal, Zonal Director, Fortis Hospital, Jaipur, said that the family's claim is false, baseless and malicious. "We have all the post surgery reports and X-rays of the patient which confirm that there were no surgical scissors or any other foreign object inside the patient's body.A Fortis follows stringent protocols to ensure that such errors do not occur." Meanwhile under the instructions of state Health Minister Parsadi Lal Meena, a three-member committee has been former to investigate the matter. The committee will submit its report in three days. Apart from Director Public Health Ravi Prakash Mathur, Additional Director Hospital Administration Sushil Kumar Parmar and Chief Medical and Health Officer Jaipur II BL Meena have been included in the committee. --IANS arc/ksk/ ( 417 Words) 2023-06-16-08:26:01 (IANS)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday that there is no question of supporting the Congress in the state since the latter has joined hands with the CPI(M). "Congress has formed governments in several states. Now they are seeking our support against the BJP in the Parliament. We are ready to extend support to them to resist the BJP. But they should not seek our support in West Bengal, where they have joined hands with the CPI(M)," the Chief Minister said while addressing a rally at Namkhana in South 24 Parganas district on Friday. She also alleged that CPI(M), Congress and BJP have a clandestine understanding in West Bengal. "Their common goal is to finish all understanding and hence they have joined hands in a clandestine manner," Banerjee said. Without naming him or his party, the Chief Minister also accused All India Secular Front (AISF) legislator Naushad Siddique of working as a clandestine agent of the BJP. "Funded by the BJP, a breakaway minority group has created tension at Bhangar over nomination filing during the last couple of days. I am surprised by their audacity with just one legislator. They are trying to malign the image of West Bengal. It is because of Trinamool Congress that people from the minority community are safe in Bengal," Banerjee said. The Chief Minister also claimed that barring some stray incidents of violence, the overall process during the nomination filing phase for the panchayat polls had been quite peaceful. "Those who are claiming that there is no peace in West Bengal now, I want to ask them to recollect how it was during the CPI(M) rule," she said. Talking about her nephew and Trinamool Congress national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, the Chief Minister said: "I want to tell them that Abhishek has been involved in politics since the time when he was two years old. I had just returned home from the hospital with a bandage on my head after being beaten up by CPI(M) goons. I was narrating the entire incident to my mother and Abhishek, who was two years old then, was listening to the entire incident minutely." --IANS src/dan/arm ( 372 Words) 2023-06-16-17:50:06 (IANS)
This year's Deepotsav comes just before Ram Lalla is enthroned at the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram Temple.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that this Deepotsav would set a new record as last year 15.76 lakh diyas illuminated Ayodhya.

According to a state government spokesman, "this year 21 lakh diyas (earthen lamps) will be lit. Each ghat, mutt, temple, Surya Kund, Bharat Kund and every house will be lit up with diyas".

The Yogi Adityanath government has been organising Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya on the eve of Diwali every year since it came to power in March 2017.

Stressing on Ayodhya's importance for his government, the Chief Minister said: "At present, projects of around Rs 32,000 crore are underway in Ayodhya. In no city across the country are projects in such a large number underway."

He added that the entire world would be attracted to Ayodhya when Prime Minister Narendra Modi enthrones Ram Lalla at the sanctum-sanctorum of Ram Temple after 500 years.

The Chief Minister listed the ongoing development projects in Ayodhya. He mentioned upcoming international airport, railway station and other projects.

Yogi also took the opportunity to attack the opposition and said: "Earlier, there was no road, no train (connectivity) in Ayodhya. It used to take five -six hours to reach Ayodhya from Gorakhpur and Lucknow. Now, this journey is covered in one hour. People avoided taking Ayodhya's name six years ago. But this government is striving to ensure its overall development."

--IANS amita/ksk/

( 281 Words)

2023-06-16-08:36:02 (IANS)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has claimed that the opposition parties in the state are no match for the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). Stating that the YSRCP is the "heartbeat of the poor", he said that the threat from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP) in the next elections is not worth considering. Addressing a public meeting at Mallayapalem in Krishna district on Friday, the Chief Minister said that the opposition parties, which do not have even candidates to contest all 175 seats in the state, should not be equated with the YSRCP, which took birth from the aspirations of the people. The politics of YSRCP is linked with the people, while TDP and Jana Sena are depending on political gimmicks and mischievous and malicious campaign of their friendly media, he said, adding that YSRCP will take on the pack of political wolves alone in the next elections due in 10 months. "I do politics for the sake of people without depending on support from any other political party, whereas you do it to gain power to pursue the policy of plunder, stash and devour with the support of foster son, and friendly media," Reddy said while referring to TDP President and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. He also came down heavily on Jana Sena President Pawan Kalyan, who recently launched a Yatra on his special campaign vehicle 'Varahi'. Dubbing Pawan Kalyan as a package star, the Chief Minister said that the actor has dedicated his life to serving the TDP and is drawing immense pleasure from his Varahi vehicle. The YSRCP chief also mocked the actor-politician for his statement that he will enter the Assembly this time. "Fifteen years after forming his political party, the Jana Sena leader is unabashedly claiming that he would enter the Assembly after the next elections and no one can stop him," said the Chief Minister. He also made fun of Chandrababu Naidu's appeals to the people to give him another chance. "Naidu can't dare to seek votes for what he had done to the people as he has no achievements to his credit. Instead, he is seeking one more chance by giving false assurances and promising a golden future to them," he said, adding that Naidu has no morality to seek votes. "While Naidu didn't implement welfare schemes during his term and also opposed distribution of house sites to the poor in the CRDA region as he is anti-poor, the YSRCP government began introducing reforms in every sector within six months of coming to power," the Chief Minister said. He claimed that the YSRCP government has spent Rs 2.16 lakh crore on various welfare schemes in the last four years and brought revolutionary changes in most sectors. "Take the welfare benefits you have received as the yardstick and stand by me in the next elections as a sister, mother, father, grandfather and brother and ensure victory for YSRCP as I depend on you fully," he urged the people, saying they should not be misled by the false propaganda unleashed by the opposition. The Chief Minister also formally handed over to the beneficiaries 8,912 TIDCO (Township and Infrastructure Development Corporation) houses built in a single layout of 77 acres in the Gudivada Municipal limits at a cost of Rs 800 crore. He said the government is fulfilling its promise of handing over 300 sq ft TIDCO houses to the beneficiaries for just Re 1 each. Adjacent to the TIDCO houses, 7,728 house sites were allotted in an area of 178.63 acres for the poor and construction of 4,500 houses in the Jagananna colony is in progress, leading to habitation of around 16,240 families. Across the state, the government is giving away 300 sq ft TIDCO houses to 1,43,600 beneficiaries for just Re 1 each, spending a total amount of Rs 9,406 crore, while in the TDP rule, similar beneficiaries were asked to pay Rs 3,000 per month for 20 years, the CHief Minister said. --IANS ms/dan/arm ( 684 Words) 2023-06-16-19:50:05 (IANS)
Human rights activist and former University of Hyderabad professor, G. Haragopal, who, along with 151 others, were booked by the Telangana Police under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for alleged links with Maoists, said on Friday that they had no information why the action against them was taken. Haragopal, who served as Dean of School of Social Sciences at University of Hyderabad, wants Telangana society to respond as all those booked under UAPA fought for civil liberties and for statehood to Telangana. The activist also reminded Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao of his word during the Telangana movement that after the formation of Telangana, he will be in the forefront for civil liberties. "Doesn't he know about our work," Haragopal asked. He demanded that KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, rein in the police which "acts recklessly" and cautioned that if police is not controlled it would not be good for the Telangana government, which may have to pay a price in the next elections. The former professor of political science was reacting to the booking of a case under UAPA by Tadvai police of Mulugu district last year. The FIR, which was registered in August 2022, came to light on Thursday during the hearing of a bail petition of People's Democratic Movement's Chandramouli in another case. While opposing the bail plea, the police had told Ranga Reddy district court that Chandramouli was involved in several other cases. When the court sought the details, the police submitted the FIR, which has names of 152 people including Haragopal. University professors, students, women, farmers and civil rights activists have been named in the FIR. Police alleged that they were trying to overthrow the government at gunpoint by associating themselves with Maoists. The FIR alleged they were planning attacks on officials, destruction of government property, recruitment of tribal youth, terrorising innocent people and raising funds for the Maoists. Tadvai police claimed that their names were found in a diary seized on August 19, 2022 from a place where Maoists were holding a meeting. The police asked them to surrender but they fled into the dense forest. Kit bags, solar plates, water bottles, rope and a diary were recovered by the police. "Entire society knows who writes these names. There is no need for Maoists to write. Police include whatever names they want," said Haragopal, who was the interlocutor from the Maoists side when the rebels kidnapped Odisha's then Malkangiri District Collector Vineel Krishna in 2012. He doubted the police version about the Maoist meeting and wondered how all 11 Maoists could escape despite heavy presence by police. He pointed out that the police also included the name of Padmaja Shaw, former Professor of Journalism at Osmania University, who is not even present in public life. "Look how ridiculous this is. Justice Hosbet Suresh, who passed away two years ago, has also been named," the activist said, adding that the Maharashtra government had not named Suresh in the Bhima Koregaon case out of respect for the former judge of the Bombay High Court. Calling the police action of including the names a work of fiction, he said it was for the Telangana government to explain why the UAPA case was booked against them. "Can you book UAPA case just because names are there in a diary," asked Haragopal, who had also mediated during the hostage crisis in 1993 involving a Congress MLA, a IAS officer and four employees of Girijan Cooperative Corporation in Visakhapatnam. "Telangana government knows our work. I have been a teacher and working for civil liberties for 55 years but till now there was not a single case against me. People also know the work we have done during the Telangana movement," he added. "Those booked are all living with honesty. They are not corrupt and not degenerated. They are a moral asset for the society," he said urging the society to respond by demanding the government to withdraw the case. Haragopal said they all will sit together and decide their course of action in this case. --IANS ms/vd ( 693 Words) 2023-06-16-22:32:02 (IANS)
Few girl students who appeared for the Urdu medium degree examination on Saturday at KV Ranga Reddy College in Santosh Nagar, Hyderabad were allegedly asked to remove their burqa before taking the examination. Telangana Home Minister Mahmood Ali condemned the incident and assured that the necessary action will be taken against the perpetrators. However, he cautioned women from wearing short dresses. "Some Headmaster or Principal might be doing this but our policy is totally secular. People can wear whatever they want," Mahmood Ali said. "Nowhere it is written that a burqa can't be worn. We will take action," he added. "If you wear European dress, it will not be correct. We should wear good clothes, especially women," he said. He added, "For women, if they are in less clothing it might be a problem. People will be at peace if they wear more clothes." "College authorities forced us to remove our burqa before entering the examination center. They asked us to wear the burqa outside," one of the women students who came for the examination said. Few girl students who appeared for the examination at KV Ranga Reddy College alleged that the college management stopped them from appearing in the burqa. The college staff at the examination centre asked them to remove the burqa, they claimed. The girl students further alleged that in this confusion, they were prevented from appearing in the examination for about half an hour. While, some girl students took off their burqa and went to the examination centre. Following this incident, the parents of the girl students complained to Home Minister Mahmood Ali about this issue. (ANI)
Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, talks with Clayton Harris III following his speech during a pre-slating event for the Democratic Party, June 16, 2023, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

The Cook County Democratic Party met Friday for its second day of pre-slating, a traditional meet-and-greet that gives hopeful candidates the chance to make their pitches  and also often lays bare internal party rifts and past grudges.

Aside from judges seats, two key races are on 2024 ballots countywide: states attorney and circuit court clerk.

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Official party endorsements wont be made until August. Those come with assistance collecting petition signatures in the fall to make it on the 2024 primary ballot as well as countywide mailers as campaign season heats up.

Only one candidate presented for the wide-open states attorney position: Clayton Harris III, an attorney and lecturer at the University of Chicago who is running with the support of Cook County Board President and party chair Toni Preckwinkle.

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Outgoing States Attorney Kim Foxx, a Democrat, announced in April that she wont seek reelection next year after a bruising tenure as the countys chief prosecutor. She brought a slew of systemic reforms in the office, but also faced pushback over her prosecutorial policies during a rise in crime and became a national figure for her role in the Jussie Smollett scandal.

Preckwinkle said she anticipates that the campaign for states attorney will be a tremendous challenge for the party, and said she hoped fellow committee members support Harris.

It cant have escaped anyones notice that we have one candidate this morning for this job, she said. This is a tough job and I think he has the breadth of experience to take it on.

Foxx got treated pretty brutally for the work that she tried to do to reform our criminal justice system, Preckwinkle said, thanking Harris for being willing to take on this obligation, this responsibility, especially in light of what happened to the candidate we supported twice previously.

Harris focus as a U. of C. lecturer is public policy; his recent research examines parallels between the genesis of America policing through slavery in the 1600s and policing in the new millennium, according to his university bio.

Harris has held various roles across government, including as an assistant states attorney working in criminal appeals, narcotics and special prosecutions. Hes also been chief of staff at the Illinois Department of Transportation, general counsel for the Chicago Department of Transportation, an assistant to former Mayor Richard M. Daley and executive director for the Illinois International Port District. Harris received his law degree from Howard University and also has a degree in aerospace technology from Middle Tennessee State University.

Clayton Harris III greets Iris Martinez, left, as he walks to the podium to give a speech and answer questions at a pre-slating event for the Democratic Party on June 16, 2023. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

He pledged to focus on retributive justice, restorative justice and reformative justice.

I believe that prosecuting criminals is the focus of the office. Crime has levels, and while I do not believe that things such as retail theft are victimless crimes, I also do not believe that prison is necessarily the correct response to certain low-level crimes. I saw too much of this while I was an ASA in narcotics, and we cannot continue to throw away Black and brown bodies for addictions, conditions and a lack of expectations, he said.

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I understand the need to help first-time nonviolent youth offenders accept accountability for their actions while not reaching for sentences that will ruin their lives and weaken our communities, he continued. However, that being said, I do not believe that there should be a free pass for those who continuously flout the system and purposely avail themselves as noncontributing members of our society. The mission of the states attorney is to preserve the dignity and the best interest of the victims of crime.

Other candidates for the role are likely to emerge  petition passing does not begin until September and the primary election is not until March 19.

In the Circuit Court clerks race, faced with three candidates vying for the partys endorsement, members were clearly split. Long plagued by scandal during former Clerk Dorothy Browns long tenure, Iris Martinez won a four-way primary in 2020 to replace Brown.

Martinez did so without the partys endorsement, edging out their chosen candidate, Michael Cabonargi.

Iris Martinez, clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, walks to the podium to speak and answer questions at a pre-slating event for the Democratic Party, June 16, 2023. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Despite being spurned then, Martinez is seeking the partys backing now for a second term atop the office responsible for keeping track of filings in one of the worlds busiest court systems.

She pledged to improve on the inefficiencies that plagued the office and a history of botched tech rollouts. Martinez, a former state senator, has touted her offices compliance with federal hiring requirements as a key accomplishment, reducing a backlog of expungement petitions, and her role in passing a state bill to seal the records of victims of sex crimes.

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Several party members  including 12th Ward committeeman George Cardenas, Thornton Township committeeman Napoleon Harris and Maine Townships Laura Murphy  indicated they will back Martinez.

Its important that we support incumbents, Harris said, even when they challenge the establishment.

She took her turn when it wasnt popular. She had the courage to stand up against the party and run, and successfully run, Harris said. We have someone whos done the work, done the job, whos qualified, and were split. And I know a lot of people dont want to talk about it because theres a lot of tension in the room. But these are conversations we need to have here today.

Martinezs two challengers  Eira Corral Sepulveda and Mariyana Spyropoulos  argue Martinez has fallen short of her promises. A recent WBEZ investigation found during Martinezs tenure, the clerks office had been wrongly putting felonies on the records of people in some diversion programs, potentially putting employment and housing opportunities at risk. The office told the radio station in May it was working on a solution, and placed some of the blame on Chief Judge Timothy Evans.

Eirra Corral Sepulveda, a candidate for clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, at the pre-slating event, June 16, 2023. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

My desire to run for the office is embedded in my fundamental principle that public service is meant to help those that are in need, and those that are seeking help, Sepulveda told party members. As we have seen in the headlines, the office is mired in scandal and mismanagement, she continued, arguing Martinez has fallen short on technology upgrades that would have improved customer service. Sepulveda also alluded to a number of clerk employees accused of federal pandemic relief fraud. Martinez said Friday that she cooperated with an internal investigation into those employees.

Sepulveda served as Hanover Park village clerk between 2009 and 2020. She won a seat on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District that year, and has the support of Preckwinkle for the role.

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Mariyana Spyropoulos, a candidate for clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, following her speech at a pre-slating event, June 16, 2023. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Spyropoulos, an attorney and another MWRD commissioner, said the problems at the office are not limited to outdated equipment, employee morale and management issues.

Ive heard from attorneys and judges, and there are many issues with this office including systems being down, orders from judges not being processed in a timely manner, which can result in wrongful evictions as well as other challenges, people staying in jail for longer than necessary. I want to change that. ... By the way, the online case lookup system on the website has been down since Friday, June 5.

Separately on Friday, party members announced details to fill the vacant position on the Cook County Board left by Brandon Johnson after he won election as Chicago mayor. A selection committee narrowed down 19 applications to six, who will be interviewed by party members in the Foxboro Room of The Carleton of Oak Park Hotel this coming Tuesday.

Those finalists are a mix of Chicagoans and suburbanites. The district spans many West Side neighborhoods and suburban communities, including Oak Park. Finalists include Chicagoans the Rev. Ira Acree, Tommie Johnson, Zerlina Smith-Members and Tara Stamps, as well as Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins and Claiborne Wade, also of Forest Park.

Smith-Members has previously run for 29th Ward alderman and Cook County board president. Stamps has run for 37th Ward alderman. Whoever the committee selects will have to run in 2024 to retain the seat.

On the Republican side, former longtime Illinois House minority leader Jim Durkin was asked after the unveiling of a portrait of former GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner Monday whether hes considering a run for states attorney.

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Durkin, who stepped down from the Legislature this year and has lamented the partys rightward shift and embrace of former President Donald Trump, said hes not even thinking about it but added hes just interested in putting good people in the county office and make sure theyre doing their job right and holding criminals accountable.

Asked about any campaigns in his future, Durkin, of Western Springs, said: I live in Cook County and I would just say that Im going to do everything I can to make sure Cook County can be a safe county again down the road. So Im very concerned about whats happening in the city of Chicago and also throughout the suburban area. And so, I will just say that Im going to keep my eye on that. But Im enjoying my life as a private person.

Durkin is a former Cook County assistant states attorney.

Tribunes Jeremy Gorner contributed.

aquig@chicagotribune.com
STF recovered three semi-automatic pistols and one pipe gun along with 71 rounds of live cartridges and five magazines from the accused, added the police.

A case was registered at Suri Police Station under the Arms Act, of 1959 and further investigations are underway.

In an unrelated incident, West Bengal Police recovered bomb-making material in 24 Parganas' Bhangar on Friday following the recent violence during nominations for Panchayat elections. A total of seven bags filled with husk-like material were recovered.

Notably, West Bengal has witnessed violence at several places ahead of the upcoming panchayat elections in the state.

June 15, the final day of filing nominations for panchayat polls also witnessed continued clashes across various parts of the state, including an outbreak of violence at the Block Development Office in Birbhum's Ahmadpur, where crude bombs were reportedly thrown. However, as per the officials, no casualties have been reported in the incident.

Following the violence in the state a division bench of Calcutta High Court, led by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam, on Thursday directed the election commission in West Bengal to request the deployment of central paramilitary forces in all districts of the state within the next 48 hours, ahead of the upcoming panchayat elections in the state. (ANI)
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) organised a yoga programme in Srinagar in the run-up to the 9th International Yoga Day, which will be celebrated on June 21. SSB personnel participated with full enthusiasm in the programme. The aim of the programme was to popularise yoga to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression and to increase calmness and relaxation among all personnel. The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated worldwide annually on June 21 since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in ancient India. In his 2014 UN address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested the date of June 21, as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares a special significance in many parts of the world. Sashastra Seema Bal DIG, H. B. K. Singh, while talking to our reporter, said that we want to give a message on behalf of Sashastra Seema Bal to the people about the importance of doing yoga in our daily lives. Speaking with our reporter, Sashastra Seema Bal DIG, H. B. K. Singh said, We all want to give this message on behalf of Sashastra Seema Bal to the people about the importance of yoga in our lives and what the benefits of doing it are. Especially in our military lives, where we are stressed every moment, stay away from home, and face many difficulties, with the help of yoga, we can relieve our body from stress and get rid of many diseases. (ANI)
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him which 'toolkit' is he a part of as his government has ruined PSUs and snatched lakhs of government jobs. "By snatching lakhs of government jobs, ruining PSUs...Which toolkit is @narendramodi part of Doesn't the Modi government believe that PSUs are an important part of the country's economy?" a rough translation of Kharge's tweet in Hindi read. Sharing data and graphs in a video presentation attached to his tweet, the Congress chief said that the Modi government has done away with 3.84 lakh jobs from seven PSUs, decreased women's employment in the central government by 42 per cent and increased contractual or casual government jobs by 88 per cent. "Why Modi government snatched 3.84 lakh jobs from only seven PSUs? Why the jobs of women decreased by 42 per cent in the central government? Why Contract/Casual government jobs increased by 88 per cent?" he questioned on Twitter. Lambasting the BJP government over the 'Make in India' campaign, the Congress chief charged that the 'high voltage propaganda' of "Make in India" was only to 'enhance Modi's image'. "The high voltage propaganda of "Make in India" was only to enhance its image, what did the country get from it?" Kharge wrote on Twitter. The Congress and the BJP were recently engaged in a war of words over the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society as Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society on Friday. While the Congress president slammed the Centre's move describing it as the "cheap mentality and dictatorial attitude" of the BJP and RSS, BJP president JP Nadda hit back saying that it is a "classic example of political indigestion." (ANI)
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, on Saturday, paid a courtesy visit to Maharashtra Chief Minister Ekanth Shinde at the latter's residence in Mumbai. It added that Shiv Sena MP (Member of Parliament) Rahul Shewale was also present. Speaker Om Birla is on a one-day visit to Mumbai. On Friday, he arrived in the state capital and delivered the inaugural address at the First National Legislators Conference held at the Jio World Convention Centre. Birla on Friday said that uproar, sloganeering and adjournment of the House in a planned manner are not good signs for the country's democracy and that they diminish the dignity of democracy itself. Birla had lauded the initiative of holding the first-ever Legislators Conference and hoped that the discussions during its various Sessions would go a long way in empowering and strengthening our legislative bodies. He had observed that as the oldest, largest and most vibrant democracy in the world, India has always supremely upheld democratic systems. Democratic institutions, Birla recalled, have not only existed but have thrived and flourished in different regions in India for millennia. Drawing the attention of the audience to the democratic journey of 75 years of India's Independence, he had observed that the nation had made notable advancements and increased the scope of development in education, health, infrastructure, etc. which has had an overwhelming positive impact on the lives of the people. He said that legislative institutions have also similarly contributed to this momentous journey and they have evolved into strong representative institutions focused on public welfare. Yesterday, he inaugurated the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Innovation Expo. The Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Innovation Expo seeks to showcase Good Governance Models, Social Innovation and Innovative Development Models, Flagship Programs by State Governments, Institute, Individuals etc. (ANI)
"Only a Congressman should be our leader. But the current situation seems like we are being forced to accept Nitish Kumar as our leader", said Krishna in his letter to Kharge.

The PCC (Pradesh Congress Committee) added that Kumar has always been a staunch opponent of the Congress party but because of fewer Congress leaders in Bihar, they were forced to accept Kumar as their leader. Krishna also talked about the weak representation of the Congress party in Bihar.

"I will not accept Nitish Kumar as my leader as the national politics revolves around the Congress party as the main opposition", said the Congress leader.

Adding further, Krishna declared that he is resigning from the post of PCC delegate, Congress Spokesperson, and all the positions he has held in the party.

Significantly, Nitish Kumar, who has been an opponent of the Congress party, has been holding talks with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and leader Rahul Gandhi with a view to uniting the opposition ahead of the 2024 general assembly elections. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah's scheduled press conference at 5 pm in Gujarat's Bhuj on Saturday was pushed back to 7 pm. Earlier, on Saturday, the Union Home Minister arrived in his home state to survey the trail of devastation left in the wake of Cyclone 'Biparjoy'. Shah met the people of Kathda village in Mandvi while also interacting with personnel of the National Disaster Response Force in Kachchh district. Earlier, on Saturday, Shah visited Mandvi Civil Hospital and interacted with those affected by the extremely severe cyclonic storm. Shah, along with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, conducted an aerial survey of areas badly hit by the cyclone. Cyclone Biparjoy, which originated in the Arabian Sea and swept across the west coast of India, made landfall on Thursday night around 10 km north of the Jakhau Port in Kutch in Gujarat. A total of six National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams evacuated 127 civilians from Rupen Bandar Government Primary School and reshifted to NDH School Dwarka after Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall in coastal areas of the state on Thursday evening. According to NDRF, the evacuated civilians included 82 men, 27 women and 15 children. With a prediction of heavy rainfall for the next two days for Gujarat after cyclone 'Biparjoy' made landfall in the state, Western Railways on Friday decided to cancel, partially cancel the operation of a few more trains as a precautionary measure in the cyclone-prone areas. However, the cyclone weakened into a 'deep depression' and is further expected to weaken into a 'depression' in the next 12 hours, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in the early hours today. According to IMD, the cyclonic storm weakened into a 'deep depression' at 11:30 pm on Friday over Southeast Pakistan. "Cyclonic Storm Biparjoy weakened into a Deep Depression at 2330 hours IST of yesterday, June 16, 2023, over Southeast Pakistan adjoining Southwest Rajasthan and Kutch about 100 km northeast of Dholavira. To weaken further into a Depression during next 12 hours," IMD said in a tweet. Earlier, it was reported that several trees were uprooted in Bhuj, Kutch, due to the impact of the cyclone. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team carried out the clearance work on Friday. Strong winds and rain from cyclone 'Biparjoy' caused a power outage in Gujarat's Jamnagar district. PGVCL (Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited) teams were in action mode on Friday to restore the issue. Of the damaged property, 414 feeders, 221 electric poles, and one TC were made operational immediately. The power supply was restored in villages of Jamnagar district. A transformer at Kalavad taluka of Jamnagar was made functional promptly after the cyclone passed. NDRF Director General Atul Karwal on Friday said no loss of life was reported after Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall in Gujarat. "Twenty-four animals have died and 23 people have been injured. Electricity supply has been interrupted in about a thousand villages. 800 trees have fallen. It is not raining heavily anywhere except Rajkot," the NDRF DG Karwal said earlier. (ANI)
Vijay Yadav, the accused in the murder of gangster Sanjeev Maheshwari Jeeva will be produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in Lucknow, at the end of his three-day custody. The 25-year-old man Vijay Yadav aka Anand Yadav was arrested for allegedly killing gangster Sanjeev Maheshwari alias Jeeva. Meanwhile, in Chowk police station the police have deployed a heavy police force. According to the police, nothing new has come out; the police could not get any new clue from the three-day remand of the accused Vijay Yadav. Earlier on June 15, a court in Lucknow on Wednesday granted a three-day remand of the accused in Gangster Jeeva's murder case to the Wazirganj Police. The police, however, had sought a five-day remand from the court. Chief Judicial Magistrate, Harikesh Pandey, granted the remand starting from morning, 10:00 am, June 15 to the evening, 5:00 pm, June 17. Sources in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the UP Police to investigate the murder said that during questioning, assailant Vijay Yadav said that he was offered money to kill Maheswari from one Aslam, who he met in Nepal recently. Yadav claimed that Aslam's brother Atif, who is lodged in a Lucknow jail, had been "harassed" by Maheswari. Sanjeev Maheshwari alias Jeeva, a close aide of Gangster Mukhtar Ansari, was shot at Lucknow Civil Court on June 7. The officials later informed that Jeeva had succumbed to his injuries. Jeeva was accused in the murder of BJP leader, Brahm Dutt Dwivedi, in 1997 and was brought to the court for a hearing in connection with the case. He was involved with several infamous gangs and carried out several criminal activities for almost three decades. Later, he was an active member of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari. It was revealed that the assailant made his way inside the court campus, taking a lawyer's get-up. The Uttar Pradesh Police had registered charges against Yadav under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 and 307. (ANI).
The Delhi High Court has recently granted 45 days interim bail to hotel owner Ramesh Kakkar, accused in NDMC Estate officer Mohd Moin Khan murder case. The High Court has granted him relief on medical grounds. Khan was shot dead near his house in Jamia Nagar area on May 16, 2016. Justice Vikas Mahajan granted interim bail for 45 days after considering the application and medical report submitted by the jail authorities. Kakkar had sought interim bail for a period of 90 days on medical grounds. While granting relief Justice Mahajan noted, "From the medical record which has originated from the jail itself, it appears that the petitioner is suffering from heart ailment besides other ailment mentioned therein and there is a need for surgical intervention, thus, the petitioner has made out the case for interim bail." "Accordingly the petitioner is admitted to interim bail for a period of 45 days from the date of release subject his furnishing bail bond in the sum of Rs 20,000 and one Surety Bond of the like amount," Justice Mahajan ordered on June 15. The High court has imposed certain conditions including the accused shall not leave Delhi without permission of the court, shall attend the court hearing, provide his mobile number, shall not contact the witnesses or family members of the witnesses. The bench also clarified that at the time of surrendering the petitioner shall furnish record of the surgical procedures he had undergone during the period of interim bail. In the event of failure to furnish such record, no further indulgence shall be given by this court. Advocate Anand Mishra and Vandita Nain, Counsel for the petitioner argued that the State has taken the things too lightly for an officer who was murdered for denying bribes. It was submitted by the counsel for accused that he is suffering from certain medical conditions as borne out from the medical report furnished by the jail authority. He submitted that as observed in the medical report, the petitioner has to undergo Cholecystectomy Haemorhoidectomy and FESS Septoplasty Surgeries. The high court also considered the medical record which stated that patient is a case of CAD (Coronary Artery Diseases), RHD (Rheumatic Heart Diseases) Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus, CKD (Chronic kidney Diseases) COAD, AVR (Aortic Valve Replacement), anemia, IgA Nephropathy, for which he is under regular follow-up from doctor on duty/jail visiting Medicine SR/RML Hospital and inmate patient is persisting with complaints of on and off chest pain, breathlessness, abdominal pain, bronchial asthma and nasal bleeding.Further Inmate patient is advised for Cholecystectomy Haemorhoidectomy and FESS Septoplasty Surgeries after CAG(Coronary Angiography). An FIR was registered at police station Jamia Nagar under sections 302, 120B, 201, 411, 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act. A Charge sheet was filed by Delhi Police and the case is at the stage of prosecution evidence in Saket Court. Advocate Anirudh Malhotra appeared for accused and Anand Mishra appeared for the complainant. (ANI)
Asserting that Chhattisgarh Government may consider banning of movie 'Adipurush' in theatres in the state according to the public demand, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that the selection of words in the film's dialogues are "objectionable and of low-level". "Public is watching this and if a demand will be raised to ban the movie then it will be considered," CM Baghel said while speaking to media in Raipur on Saturday. Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party and other right-wing outfits for keeping their lips tight over controversy associated with the movie 'Adipurush', Baghel said, "First the photo of lord Ram and Hanuman were distorted and now, they (without naming anyone) are making them (character of lord Ram and Hanuman in the movie) to use such words, if current generation will watch it what impact will it put on them." He further said that in the films, such words have been used for lord Hanuman which are used by the Bajrang Dal. "Those, who shut theatres as well as set them on fire over minor issues, are silent nowadays, CM Baghel mocked (right-wing outfits with taking their name) and further elaborated that lord Hanuman (character in the movie) was made using such words which are being used by people of Bajrang Dal," the CM said. Coming down heavily on the parties that claim to be "custodians of religion", Baghel said, "This is highly objectionable and I strongly condemned it. I want to ask the people of the so-called political party, who claimed them as custodians of religion, are still silent on this issue." Chhattisgarh CM further said that the face of lord Hanuman is being showcased as an "Angry Bird" and added that neither our forefathers imagined Hanuman ji in this way nor society will accept this today. The CM further claimed that Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of the country asked Ramanand Sagar to make a Ramayan serial which became very popular among the masses. "Today, attempts are being made to control everything. Once Mumbai film city was not under anyone's control and made films on special events in the society, politics or social issues but a bid is being made to pressurize the industry in the name of 10 grams of Cannabis. As a result of the ongoing situation, film directors, actors and writers have to work as per the instruction of Delhi," he added. Helmed by Om Raut, and produced by Bhushan Kumar the film is based on the Hindu epic Ramayana and stars Prabhas as Lord Ram, Kriti Sanon as Sita, and Sunny Singh as Lakshman. In the movie, Saif Ali Khan is seen essaying the role of Ravan. (ANI)
A faded mural decorates a building in July 2020, in Cave-In-Rock near the southern terminus of Illinois 1, which loosely follows the entire east border of the state. (Paul Eisenberg/Daily Southtown)

Our 25th wedding anniversary was supposed to be marked with a gathering of friends and family, but like everyone else with grand plans during the summer of 2020, we had to do the pandemic punt.

Instead, Tonya and I returned to our honeymoon spot, a trip made possible by our nearly complete lack of resources after we got married in July 1995. With very little money and just a few days off work, we celebrated our nuptials back then with a couple of nights in a cabin on a bluff overlooking the Ohio River at Cave-In-Rock State Park in southern Illinois.

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It was great. A warm, sunny midsummer afternoon seemed made for sipping cold drinks and watching river tugs push barges slowly down the Ohio. Throw in some casual spelunking and a bit of river pirate history, and it was an excellent way to celebrate being hitched.

Amid the worldwide pandemic 25 years later, we had slightly more disposable income, a 17-year-old son, a better vehicle and farther to travel, but Cave-In-Rock once again became a great midsummer destination. We even rented the same cabin wed stayed in long ago. We had more time, too, so we took the scenic route.

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Cave-In-Rock is at the southern terminus of Illinois Route 1, the modern incarnation of the historic pathways connecting bustling southern Illinois cities such as Elizabethtown and Shawneetown with northern destinations including Danville and Chicago. In fact, on a honeymoon stop in Shawneetown, a proud docent related for us a story of how the Bank of Illinois, housed in a Greek columned structure that still stands, refused a loan to the nascent city of Chicago. The swampy backwater town along Lake Michigan wasnt worth the risk, it seems.

Illinois 1 begins at a boat ramp in Cave-In-Rock for a car ferry that is jointly subsidized by Illinois and Kentucky. (Paul Eisenberg/Daily Southtown)

The route that became Illinois 1, long ago was known by several other names. In Chicago, it was simply known as the State Road, a name that survives now as State Street. Though Illinois 1 was straightened and mostly follows Halsted Street theses days, its old route can still be puzzled out from modern maps.

Its why Vincennes Avenue heads southwest after it branches off from State Street at 69th Street in Chicago instead of southeast toward Vincennes, Indiana.

In Blue Island, Vincennes Avenue merges into Western Avenue, which turns into Dixie Highway near Dixmoor. When Dixie Highway merges onto Chicago Road in Chicago Heights, it officially rejoins Illinois 1.

A short road that connects Dixie Highway and Halsted Street in Chicago Heights still is officially called the Route 1 Cutoff, marking the spot where the state road diverges from its old path.

But that doesnt mean its identity crisis is resolved for points south. People in Chicago Heights, Steger, Crete and surrounding towns varyingly call it Dixie Highway, Chicago Road and Main Street, and for a short stretch between U.S. 30 in Chicago Heights and Sauk Trail in South Chicago Heights, it was part of the historical Lincoln Highway.

Confusing matters even more, the route was called Hubbards Trace in the era before motorcars. According to the excellent book The Dixie Highway in Illinois by the late Homewood historian Jim Wright, the route linked a series of trading posts established by fur trapper Gurdon Hubbard in the 1830s between Chicago and Vincennes, Indiana  an important regional commerce center in colonial times.

Its why so many versions of the path are still officially called Vincennes Road, including one south of Beecher that once again diverges from Illinois 1 before reuniting with the modern route in Momence.

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The Cave-In-Rock car ferry transports a semi truck and other vehicles across the Ohio River between Illinois and Kentucky in July 2020. The ferry is at the southern end of Illinois 1. (Paul Eisenberg/Daily Southtown)

Our 2020 trip included a journey across the Ohio River on a small car ferry at the very south end of Illinois 1, a nice way to cap off an interesting road trip that took us into the heart of small towns along the cusp of the Indiana border. It was a weird time to make such a trip. Besides the pandemic, it was just a few months before the presidential election and people seemed more divided than ever on just about everything.

We embarked with a bit of trepidation because of that, but nearly all the people we interacted with were nice, and few wanted to argue about politics or health care policy. Just as everything was going virtual, it was good to have that real life reminder.

The journey down and back up Illinois 1 also was a reminder of all the stuff we usually miss as we zoom back and forth on interstates, concerned only with our destinations.

For about 15 years earlier this century, the first weekend in June marked an annual celebration of the suburban stretch of Illinois 1. The Drivin the Dixie event united enthusiasts of history, classic cars, and those who were just looking for an interesting afternoon drive.

Though not officially dead, the event hasnt been organized since 2019, and its traditional weekend this year has come and gone.

The Louis S. Viverito Sidestream Elevated Pool Aeration Station in Blue Island is a great place to kick off an afternoon of exploration. (Ted Slowik / Daily Southtown)

But the great thing about a historic road is that exploring it is as easy as hopping into a car and going. And theres plenty to see along the way, even just in the south suburbs.

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Downtown Blue Island has a wealth of attractions, including thrift stores, great restaurants and excellent local beer. And the water aeration station along the Calumet River is a great jumping off point for excursions along the waterway.

Not far from the old Dixie Highway, prairie remnants in the Markham area are reminders of the legacy of the land and its natural history. If you know where to look, you can find the ancient shore of glacial Lake Chicago near the intersection of Dixie Highway and 175th Street in Homewood.

Another side trip offers a more stark vision from even longer ago, where Thorntons limestone quarry exposes the fossilized remains of a coral reef millions of years old.

Businesses and restaurants in all the towns along the way offer interesting eating and shopping opportunities and a few art architecture gems line the route, such as a Depression-era woodcut in the lobby of the Homewood post office and the art deco magnificence of Bloom High School in Chicago Heights.

Other reasons to drive the Dixie include famous frozen treats such as Italian ice in Chicago Heights or ice cream next to a giant Charlie Brown statue in Beecher.

While the historic Illinois 1 route is known by many names, its just one of many that can lead to an afternoon of fun. And if you dont watch out, it could lead you all the way to the Ohio River.

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Landmarks is a weekly column by Paul Eisenberg exploring the people, places and things that have left an indelible mark on the Southland. He can be reached at peisenberg@tribpub.com.
Reacting to the arrest of Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party state secretary SG Suryah, over his tweet critical of Madurai MP and CPI Councillor, party State president K Annamalai on Saturday said that "there was nothing offending in the tweet". Annamalai's remarks came after State BJP leader SG Suryah was arrested for his recent tweet on Communist Party of India (CPI) Councillor Viswanathan and Madurai MP Su Venkatesan. Suryah had earlier referred to an incident in which a sanitation worker from Madurai died on the job. He claimed that he was forced to work in faecal water and hence he developed an allergic reaction in his body. In the letter attached to his tweet, Suryah lashed out at Viswanathan for his double standards, for forcing the deceased sanitation worker to resort to manual scavenging despite being aware that it is prohibited by law. In the same tweet, Suryah attacked Madurai MP Venkatesan for his silence. "Your fake politics of separatism stinks worse than that cesspool, find a way to live as a human being, mate!" a rough translation of his tweet in Tamil read. Taking note of this, Annamalai said, "There's nothing offending [in the tweet]. Tamil Nadu stands number one in terms of deaths due to manual scavenging. Between 2018-22 the data given in the Parliament says that 58 people died during this time due to manual scavenging. The latest death is in Kandallur where a Communist Councillor has forced a person to get into a ditch and clean it. He [the person] got a lot of allergies and died in the hospital. Our [party] State secretary pointed this out. He also challenged Madurai MP, who talks about social justice, to talk about this incident. What is wrong in it?" He also said that the arrest and confining of BJP leaders is a batch of honour for them. "If Tamil Nadu CM believes arresting our leaders to bring fear into their mind, I would say it is a batch of honour for all of us. Because normally people go through this process they become very hardened leaders," Annamalai told ANI. The Tamil Nadu state secretary was produced before the Madurai court by the police on Saturday amid heavy security. Meanwhile, the BJP workers also held a protest outside Madurai Judges' quarters in Madurai to condemn the arrest of Suryah. Notably, the episode is drawing strong criticism against DMK from the BJP, which is alleging the ruling party of stifling the voice of the opposition. (ANI)
The deceased has been identified as Kapil Sharma, 51, a resident of Racquett Court Road, Civil Lines, the police said.

He was a small-time property dealer and incurred huge losses for which he was under a lot of stress, said police.

According to Delhi Police, On Saturday information from a security guard was received in Police Station Civil Lines that one unknown person is hanging on the tree inside the Kamla Nehru Ridge gate No. 16.

After receiving the information, the police team visited the site where it was found that the body of one person hanging from a tree.

Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) Team and crime team were called and the spot was inspected. The post-mortem of the deceased has been conducted. Further facts are being verified, said police. (ANI)
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday hit out at the BJP at the Centre over the prevailing situation in Manipur, blaming the unrest on the brand of politics of the saffron party and the ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), its ideological fountainhead. "There is only one reason why Manipur is burning. It is because of the ideology of the RSS and the politics of the BJP. Everything else is a diversion from this basic fact," he said. During a press conference at the All India Congress Committee Headquarters in the national capital, the Congress leader said 10 like-minded Opposition parties from Manipur on June 10 wrote to PM Minister Modi, seeking his intervention for the return of peace in the restive Northeast state at the earliest. "Since June 10, ten Opposition parties from Manipur have been waiting for an opportunity to meet the Prime Minister. They wrote to him on June 10, requesting a meeting but are still waiting. They are still hopeful that the PM will visit them before he leaves for the US," Ramesh said. Taking a further swipe at PM Modi for not responding to the request for a meeting with Opposition forces in the Northeast state, the former Union minister invoked late former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, recalling how he met an all-party delegation after violence had broken out for the first time in Manipur on June 18, 2001. "On 18 June 2001, Manipur was burning...Imphal was burning...The Speaker's house was set on fire and a blockade was enforced for three months. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the PM at the time and Opposition leaders had sought a meeting with him," the Congress leader said. Citing a newspaper headline, he added, "An all-party delegation met PM Vajpayee at the time. He urged people to maintain calm and help the administration restore normalcy. He also exhorted them to not give credence to rumours." Manipur Congress leader and former chief minister, Okram Ibobi Singh, and leaders of 10 other Opposition parties were also present at the press conference. "This is the time for peace and reconciliation. This is the time to deal decisively with all the militant groups," Ramesh added. As many as 9 people were killed and more than 10 injured in fresh violence in Manipur on Wednesday. The state government announced a further extension of the suspension of internet services in the state till June 20. On Wednesday, miscreants tried to burn down the official residence of Manipur minister Nemcha Kipgen in Imphal West. His home was partially burnt in the arson incident. Violence gripped Manipur on May 3 after clashes erupted during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest against the demand for the inclusion of Meiteis in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs). (ANI)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at renowned builders, CAs and others linked to slain gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and recovered Rs 17.80 lakh, the agency said on Saturday. The searches were carried out on June 14-15 at 10 premises in Prayagraj, Lucknow and Delhi, the agency said in a statement. "The said search action resulted in recovery and seizure of cash amounting to Rs 17.80 lakh, papers related to sale/purchase of properties, financial documents of company/firms, bank statements, mobile phones, laptops and other physical and electronic evidence to prove the offence of Money Laundering under sections 3 of PMLA, 2002. Physical and forensic analyses of seized evidence are ongoing," the release of ED stated. "ED initiated an investigation against Atiq Ahmed and his aides under the provisions of the Prevention Money Laundering Act, 2002 on the basis of crime RC lodged by CBI on the direction of Supreme Court on the allegation of kidnapping, extortion and assault against Atiq Ahmed and his men," they further said. Atiq Ahmed was a history-sheeter and runs a mafia gang that is involved in various crimes of serious nature for a long time. The agency further said, "Around 100 FIRs of crimes related to murder, extortion, land grabbing etc. were revealed to be lodged against him in various police stations." During the investigation, it was revealed that by indulging in criminal activities since 1989 and by usurping govt. and other people's land properties, Atiq Ahmed has amassed huge properties in his name, his family member's name and in the name of his associates and other benzamides, the release read. It is also pertinent to mention that searches under section 17(1) of PMLA were also conducted on April 12, 2023, and April 13, 2023, at the premises of various close associates of Atiq Ahmed which resulted in the recovery and seizure of cash Rs 84.68 lakh, gold bar of Rs 60 lakh, gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 2.85 crore, digital devices and various physical documents/records, the agency stated. Further investigation into the matter is underway. (ANI)
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday chaired a meeting with Central and State health agencies to discuss health-related issues arising due to flood ahead of the monsoon in Assam via video conference. The meeting assessed the arrangements put in place by the Central institutions and agencies of the State Government to ensure effective management of floods in Assam. "Union Health Minister Mandaviya highlighted the need for strong coordination between the Central and State health institutions for effective management of flood and any other emergencies. He underscored the need for preparedness of critical care equipment, oxygen, hospital beds as well as availability of clean drinking water in flood affected regions," an official statement said. He also emphasised preventive healthcare and greater awareness among the communities regarding vector borne and water borne diseases. The Union Health Minister urged the officials to work on a flood-management model to deal with the flood situation in Assam which is a recurring phenomenon. "He directed them to prepare an online database listing all the important information like availability of beds, oxygen and other health facilities to ensure efficient management of any health emergency," an official statement said. Union Health Minister also exhorted the officials to ensure that the Health and Wellness Centres are well equipped with required medicines, functioning medical equipment and other amenities. During the meeting he directed for training of all health workers at AB-HWCs so that they well equipped to provide requisite healthcare services critically required during such emergencies. "The ASHAs, ANMs, CHOs etc., should know their roles and responsibilities for any emergency. Advance training will ensure that they are effective in providing healthcare services during emergency flood management," he said. In the meeting, Avinash Joshi, Principle Secretary (Health), Assam informed that all necessary medicines are in adequate stock. Dy. Commissioners from the six districts of Barpeta, Kamrup, Cachar, Lakhimpur, Dima Hasao and Dibrugarh who joined the review meeting assured that they were regularly reviewing the preparedness to ensure effective management of any floods. "Dr Atul Goel, DGHS, MOHFW stated that their regional offices are in preparedness for supporting the state Govt. He added that team of specialists from AIIMS Guwahati and NCDC will be deployed for assisting the State whenever required," an official statement said. The Union Health Minister assured all support of the Centre for flood management in the state. (ANI)
Delhi's Patiala House Court has recently granted bail to a man who had applied for US Student Visa on a fake passport. He was caught through finger print record available with the US Embassy. Earlier also he applied for a visa in 2007 at US Consulate, Chennai. He was denied visa. His earlier record was still with the embassy and he had applied for a visa with a different name and different passport. The Vacation Judge Rajinder Singh granted bail to Palani Vel Manickan Neelankantan and said that the accused is stated to be a student and evidence is in documentary nature. "No fruitful purpose would be served by keeping in custody," court noted. The Vacation Judge granted bail to accused after hearing submissions by defence counsel Sanjiv Malik and additional public prosecutor. Advocate Sanjiv Malik argued that the accused was arrested on May 17. Delhi Police have taken eight days of remand and no further police custody was sought. Thereafter the accused has been remanded to judicial custody. The present case was registered on the complaint of US Embassy official at New Delhi on May 17, 2023. It was alleged that the accused had applied for a US student Visa. During scrutiny, it was found that he had applied for a Visa in December 2007 with a different name Sivakumar Manik Yam Neelankantan and with a different passport. His identity traced by the finger print record with the Embassy. It is alleged that in December 2007, the accused stated his date of birth as July 7, 1978 and place of birth as Secunderabad. While applying for visa in 2023, he stated his date of birth as July 7, 1985 and the place of birth was Hyderabad. During the investigation, Delhi police have also arrested two other accused Wilson Chaudhary and Nathela Prabhakar Rao. Chaudhary has other case against him. Both these accused also have been granted bail earlier. (ANI)
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday said the State government aims to provide good quality governance and is committed to doing whatever is best for the people. Shivakumar was addressing a press briefing after holding a meeting on Brand Bengaluru at Vidhana Soudha here. One of the main discussions was on the traffic in the city. "Today we had a meeting of all the stakeholders for a better Bengaluru, global Bengaluru. Today more than 42 important leaders of the industry cutting across various representations-- Education, Industries, Real Estate, Healthcare, and IT-- among others. They gave valuable suggestions on traffic management, elevated roads, tunnels, suburbs, parks, and lakes," DK Shivakumar said. He said that discussions were held on garbage, extending metro services, and Kaveri water among others. "We have decided we will form a committee again and there will be a second round of discussion and we will have a website open, through which a common man of the city can give their suggestions," he said, adding that the Congress government in the southern State aims to give good quality governance. Soon after the meeting, Shivakumar took to Twitter and said that the government's mission is to build a global Bengaluru. "Taking a major step in the effort to bring back the glory of Bangalore, a meeting was held with concerned officials on Brand Bangalore today at Vidhansouda. On this occasion, the plans to develop Bangalore were discussed. Our mission is to build Global Bengaluru through Brand Bengaluru and Better Bengaluru," Shivakumar's tweet, which is roughly translated from Kannada read. (ANI)
Delhi-based businessman Amandeep Singh Dhall has approached Delhi High Court challenging the trial court order dismissing his bail plea in a money laundering case related to the one pertaining to the now-junked liquor policy. A bench of Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju is scheduled to hear the bail plea on June 19. Recently, the trial court refused to grant bail to Dhall in both CBI and ED cases. Trial court Judge MK Nagpal, while passing the order, stated, "Prima facie evidence leads this court to form an opinion that the allegations made by prosecution against the applicant are serious in nature and he is not entitled to be released on bail even in this scheduled offences case of CBI." Amandeep Singh Dhall, an executive director of Brindco Sales Private Limited, was arrested on March 1 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the excise policy case. Later, in April, he was also arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the same case. According to the ED, Dhall, a Delhi-based businessman, allegedly conspired with other persons and is actively involved in the formation of policy and facilitating kickbacks to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its recoupment by the South Group through various means. According to the CBI, during the course of searches conducted at the premises of Dhall on August 19, 2022, certain incriminating documents related to the excise policy were seized and they show the involvement of the applicant in the commission of the alleged offences in the CBI case. Though he joined the investigation of this case on 10 different occasions and also provided some information and documents during the initial probe, he since failed to give any satisfactory reply or explanation on the oral and other documentary evidence which surfaced on record showing his involvement in the conspiracy and cartel, the CBI stated, adding that he was rightly arrested in this case and, thus, not entitled to be released on bail. The ED and the CBI have alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy while undue favours were extended to licence holders, licence fee was waived or reduced and L-1 licence extended without the competent authority's approval. The beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection. (ANI)
The ruling Trinamool Congress on Saturday hit out Union Minister of State Nisith Pramanik, who, the BJP claimed, had been attacked earlier in the day. The TMC accused the MoS of threatening a police officer seen purportedly in a video released by the party on its official Twitter handle. In the video shared by the TMC, Pramanik, clad in saffron attire accompanied by party workers, is purportedly seen engaged in a heated exchange with the police while pointing a finger at an officer. The incident followed a clash that broke out between TMC and BJP workers at the Sahebganj Block Development Office during the scrutiny of nomination papers for the July 8 panchayat elections. TMC lashed out at the minister, terming his behaviour "unacceptable". "It's disgraceful to witness Shri @NisithPramanik stooping so low and disrespecting the dedicated police force who put their lives at stake to protect us. Threatening a police officer on duty with words like "I will make you lick my shoes" is utterly despicable," read a tweet on the TMC's official handle. "This kind of behavior from a Union Minister of State is not just unacceptable, but a clear reflection of the deteriorating moral standards within @BJP4India, our police force deserves respect and gratitude, not such vile disrespect," the tweet stated further. Earlier in the day, the BJP's West Bengal chief Sukanta Majumdar alleged that a bomb was hurled at the Union minister's car. "A bomb was hurled at the car of Nisith Pramanik. The police here are literally helpless. (TMC MLA) Udayan Guha is standing there with his goons, numbering 1,000-1,500. They are snatching Form B (nomination paper) from the hands of our workers and the Election Commission and the state administration are sitting silent," he said. "If a minister can be attacked like that, one can only imagine the plight of the common man in West Bengal. Is Mamta Banerjee running the state or only resorting to a drama," Majumdar added. West Bengal has seen a significant uptick in incidents of violence ahead of the panchayat polls. with clashes reported around the filing of nominations, including an outbreak of violence at the Block Development Office in Birbhum's Ahmadpur, where crude bombs were allegedly hurled. However, according to officials, no casualties were reported in the incident. Visuals surface of crude bombs being hurled in the area. Police detained a few people in connection with the clash. (ANI)
Congress on Saturday stepped up the attack on BJP over unrest in Manipur and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "wake up" and "resolve the issue in the nation's interests". Party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "Manipur is an integral part of India and Modi government should wake up and solve the issue in nation's interest. He said why is not the PM apprising the nation of the steps his government will take to defuse the situation. "Why is PM not going to Manipur? Why is PM not taking stock of the explosive situation? Why is PM not taking all political parties into confidence as demanded by Congress GSO, Sh. K.C.Venugopal? Why is PM not apprising the Nation on steps his govt will take to diffuse the situation?", tweeted Surjewala. Congress functionary questioned Home Minister Amit Shah over his "silence" on the unrest in Manipur. "Is this not a gross intelligence failure and why is Home Ministry & Govt of India 'mum' on it?", Surjewala said in a tweet. "What is Sh. Amit Shah & GOI doing to lift the 'economic blockade' of NH 2, which is the life line for supply of all goods to Manipur? As Internet remains suspended, Is a tweet by HM Amit Shah enough as people suffer the worst recrimination owing to the economic blockade?", Surjewla further said in his tweet. Nine people were killed while more than 10 were injured in fresh violence in Manipur on Wednesday. The state government has further extended the shutdown on the internet in the state up to June 20. On Wednesday, miscreants tried to burn down the official residence of Manipur minister Nemcha Kipgen in Imphal West. His home was partly burnt. Violence gripped Manipur on May 3 after clashes erupted during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list. (ANI)
Lauren Intzekiotis and her son, Theo, point to where they found what authorities believe may be a World War II era anti-tank rocket in their yard in unincorporated Antioch on Thursday. A spokesperson for the Lake County sheriff's office said Friday the device still had a "live" charge. (Gavin Good (Lake County News-Sun))

In the unlikely, but evidently possible event you encounter what appears to be an undetonated explosive while enjoying the summer weather  as a resident in unincorporated Antioch did Thursday  authorities in Lake County encourage you to alert local law enforcement as soon as possible.

A sharp object protruding from the ground caught unincorporated Antioch resident Lauren Intzekiotis eye as her son biked around their yard, she said Thursday, and she soon unearthed what Waukegan bomb squad technicians and responding police believe was a live and active anti-tank rocket, seemingly from the World War II era.

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Police dont know how the round Intzekiotis discovered in the 25000 block of West Third Street in the Warriners Shores subdivision ended up in somebodys yard.

But however it got there, the Waukegan bomb squad believed the device could have seriously endangered anyone in its immediate proximity, according to Lake County sheriffs office spokesman Chris Covelli.

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 (The technicians) secured it from the scene and transported it to an area where they were safely able to detonate the device, Covelli said Friday. But based on their analysis, they do believe it had a charge. With that being the case and this device being as old as it is, its extremely unstable and certainly could have presented a danger to the homeowner.

Covelli said police believe that, most likely (the rocket) was at one point illegally possessed, obviously there long before the homeowner moved into her home.

Lake County Veterans Assistance Commission Superintendent Andrew Tangen saw reports and images of the discovery on local news reports, and he said Friday that the rusty, mud-caked rocket, looks like a German round, but it might not be.

The Lake County sheriffs office released this photo of what they say is a possible World War II-era rocket that was discovered in unincorporated Antioch. (Lake County Sheriffs Office)

As soldiers returned home from fighting in World War II and even the Korean War, Tangen said it was not uncommon for soldiers to bring war-related keepsakes, such as unused explosives or rifles, back home with them.

The guys who brought home the grenades, or the mortar rounds, or whatever they were, theyd put them in a box and then put them in their basement, Tangen said. But they were still active.

Decades later, the discovery of such materials has sometimes ended in catastrophe. A Lake County, Indiana, man was killed and his two children were seriously injured on May 20 when an old grenade exploded as they were sorting through their grandfathers belongings.

Any devices with unexploded ordnance remaining, Tangen explained, pose a huge risk of accidental detonation, particularly the older they are.

The longer a piece of munition, especially an explosive device is still around, the fuse and the safety mechanisms degrade, Tangen said. They rust, they wear down, they break down. And if you move it or you jostle it, itll just explode. (The device) could have been a war souvenir.

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Shortly after the scene at her home cleared Thursday afternoon, Intzekiotis said she saw this little metal tip sticking out of the ground, and that she didnt want her kids to step on it.

She did not know for sure at the time of the imminent danger it may have posed, so she took a photo of the rocket head and uploaded it into Google Images to see what it might be. A while later, she decided shed better call the police.

Google Images first pulled up yams, and I was like, Thats not a yam, she told the News-Sun on Thursday.

Intzekiotis surmised that after the removal of a section of overgrown brush, recent rains and the passing of many years, the rocket probably moved in the earth.

You find something weird and decide to call the cops instead of waiting to be blown up, Intzekiotis said.

Covelli agreed.

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Were grateful that it didnt, and it worked out where it was able to be safely transported without the homeowner or anybody else being injured, Covelli added. We would encourage anybody, as unusual of a situation this is, that finds a device that resembles a weapon of war to immediately stop manipulating it and contact law enforcement and authorities so proper resources can investigate and safely remove the device.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor of Delhi on Saturday asked the authorities to immediately commence the five-layered plantation of various flowering trees in the forest on the side facing the Sardar Patel Marg, an official statement said on Saturday. Delhi LG Saxena instructed the officials to plant trees in the forest near Malcha Mahal monument and its immediate vicinity by August 15. "The forest around the 14th century monument- Malcha Mahal, at the central ridge and its immediate vicinity is all set to get a facelift.The Lieutenant Governor, who planted trees near the gate leading to the monument built by Firoz Shah Tughlaq, directed that the plantation of trees of various varieties like Jacaranda, Gulmohar, Bougainvillea, Amaltas and Chinar should be completed by August 15," the official statement said. "During his visit, Saxena was informed that agencies concerned will do the facelift of the forest area facing the Sardar Patel Marg which is the main road that is traversed by visitors and dignitaries coming to and going from the National Capital, from the IGI Airport," it added. Delhi LG Saxena also asked for water bodies to be developed in the existing natural depressions in the ridge forest, which is spread over 3.5 hectare along the Sardar Patel Marg. On the occasion, Delhi LG Saxena also suggested that the plantation should be done in a grid pattern to provide the area with a colourful glimpse. (ANI)
Five persons have been arrested by the Gwalior police for making an attempt to kill the brother of the state Energy Minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar on Friday night in Gwalior, the police said. According to the police, the accused came in two cars and tried to kill him by running the car over him. Giving details the police said that the incident happened in a hotel near the Old Cantonment area of Gwalior after a total of six people under the "influence of alcohol" started to create a ruckus and tried to drive the car over the minister's brother. "The incident is of last night. Some people came near a hotel in the old cantonment area and started creating a ruckus under the influence of alcohol. When they were stopped by the hotel staff, they tried to drive the car and run over the brother of Pradyuman Singh Tomar," DSP Gwalior, Vijay Singh Bhadoria said. "Upon receiving the information the police reached the spot and arrested five of them. One of the accused managed to escape," he added. The police said that the CCTV footage present at the location is being examined for investigation and the preliminary probe suggests that the accused were drunk and had come to celebrate a birthday party. The Energy Minister Tomar also informed that the accused attempted to kill his brother three times by running the car over him and urged the police to find out the intention and person behind the incident. "Last night an attempt has been made to kill my brother by ramming the car over him three times. Some accused have been caught. I urge the police to get the result as the reason for the attack is not clear. We do not have any enmity with those people so we also want to know who is behind it," the Minister said. Further investigation into the matter is underway. (ANI)
Leader Of Opposition in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari hit out at Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the alleged attack on Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nisith Pramanik by TMC workers at the BDO office during scrutiny of nomination papers at Dinhata, Coochbehar on Saturday. LoP Suvendu Adhikari tweeted, "I condemn this dastardly act of the TMC goons who have attacked the MOS HMO India Nisith Pramanik for the second time in the last couple of months. Imagine if an Union Minister is not safe in WB, what is the condition of the general public and opposition candidates and party workers who are being attacked within the BDO Office premises where Sec 144 is imposed." Earlier West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar had also condemned the incident and said, "A bomb was hurled at the car of Nisith Pramanik, Police is literally helpless. Udayan Guha is standing there with his goons, with 1000-1500 people. They are snatching Form B from the hands of our workers. Election Commission and state administration are sitting silently. If a minister can be attacked like that, we can imagine what the situation in West Bengal must be. Is Mamta Banerjee running the state or doing drama." (ANI)
Special Operations Group (SOG) and the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) raided the outskirts of the Bauria police station area and recovered Rs 3 lakhs in fake Indian Currency Notes.

The accused have been identified as Sk Samir, 19 and Sk Arif 22.

"The accused were arrested and various counterfeit materials were seized," said police officials.

A laptop, printer scanner, lamination machine and some other materials were also seized from the accused SK. Samir's house.

"One laptop, printer, scanner, lamination machine and some other materials were found in his house with which the accused person used to counterfeit Indian currency notes. The said articles have also been seized," said officials.

A case has been filed under sections 489A/489B/489C/489D/120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Further details are awaited. (ANI)
Coming down heavily on the Director General of Police (DGP) Rajendranath Reddy for claiming that there is no increase in the crime rate in Andhra Pradesh, the TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh, on Saturday said that the State has already turned into the crime capital of the country. In a press note released during his Yuva Galam pada yatra on Saturday, Lokesh told the DGP to view the ongoing criminal incidents as an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer but not from the ruling YSRCP angle. "Only on Friday, you have certified yourself that there is no increase in the crime rate and that the law and order is completely under control. What about the setting afire of the 10th standard boy, Amarnath, so inhumanly at Uppalavaripalem of Cherukupalli mandal in Bapatla district by the local YSRCP worker, Venkateswara Reddy. Is it, not a crime," Lokesh asked and said that the only mistake that Amarnath committed was that he questioned Venkateswara Reddy for harassing his sister. At the Kallur campsite of Venkatagiri Assembly segment in Nellore district, Lokesh had an interaction with Yanadi community representatives. After hearing all their problems, the TDP national general secretary promised to sanction pucca houses for them immediately after his party forms the coming government. He also promised Rs 1500 as a monthly pension for women who crossed 18 years of age. When the farmers of Madanangaripalli and neighbouring villages in a memorandum complained that they are yet to get compensation for the lands that they lost for the Kaluvai reservoir, Lokesh said that the TDP will raise the issue on the floor of the Assembly in the coming session. "If this Government does not do justice to you, the coming TDP government will certainly do justice to you all," Lokesh told the villagers. Representatives from the Muslim community, SC and ST communities too met Lokesh and brought their issues to his notice. The TDP national general secretary promised them that soon after the TDP is back in power all their problems will be resolved. (ANI)
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Thursday that the robots were placed at Changi Airport's Terminal 4 beginning in April "to augment frontline police officers in conducting premises patrol," reports Bangkok Post.

More deployments are anticipated throughout the city of 5.6 million people, which requires technology to make up for absence of manpower due to its small population and low birth rate.

"The SPF plans to progressively deploy more patrol robots to augment police's operations across Singapore," the SPF said, without mentioning a timeline.

The police robots are equipped with cameras, sensors, speakers, a display panel, blinkers and a siren.

Officers in a situation room can see what's happening on the ground because of an extendable mast with a 360-degree camera, and also a two-way channel allows them to directly communicate with the public.

"The patrol robot is the latest addition to SPF's technological arsenal, capable of autonomous patrol and providing the police with an enhanced situational picture to enable better decision and sense-making," the police said.

According to the statement, the robots can "enforce a cordon or warn bystanders during an incident prior to the arrival" of human police using its blinkers, siren and speakers, the report said.

--IANS aj/kvd

( 235 Words)

2023-06-16-09:56:06 (IANS)
Data entry clerks, administration staff and customer service representatives will be most affected by AI, according to the report by IT recruitment firm Venturenix.

The report also highlighted the impact AI will have on diverse industries, like lawyers and translators.

"As AI applications penetrate into various industries, even traditional high-paying professions such as lawyers and translators are affected," said the study, according to South China Morning Post.

"Illustrators and content creators are also more likely to be replaced," it noted.

The huge popularity of ChatGPT has triggered fears of massive job eliminations.

Many Hong Kong companies are now asking employees in positions that previously did not require IT experience to learn to use ChatGPT, according to Venturenix.

According to global investment bank Goldman Sachs, nearly 300 million jobs could be lost to AI in the future globally.

A research report from Goldman Sachs predicted that AI could automate 25 per cent of the entire labour market but can automate 46 per cent of tasks in administrative jobs, 44 per cent of legal jobs, and 37 per cent of architecture and engineering professions.

Using large language models (LLM) like GPT-4, that powers ChatGPT, in data analysis costs less than 1 per cent of hiring a human analyst while turning in comparable performances, according to researchers from Damo Academy, the research arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, and Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.

The study highlighted the potential threat to job security amid increased adoption of generative AI.

The experiments showed that GPT-4 is also much faster than humans in completing the tasks.

In some cases, the AI model managed to surpass the human data analysts in terms of the correctness of the figures and analysis.

--IANS na/svn/

( 332 Words)

2023-06-16-11:08:02 (IANS)
Researchers found 'AI (particularly large language models, or LLMs) may alter the nature of their work. The study was published in Journal, 'Science.' Grossmann and colleagues observed that large language models trained on massive amounts of text data are becoming more capable of simulating human-like responses and behaviour. This opens up new avenues for testing theories and hypotheses about human behaviour at unprecedented scale and speed. "What we wanted to explore in this article is how social science research practices can be adapted, even reinvented, to harness the power of AI," said Igor Grossmann, professor of psychology at Waterloo. Traditionally, social sciences rely on a range of methods, including questionnaires, behavioural tests, observational studies, and experiments. A common goal in social science research is to obtain a generalized representation of the characteristics of individuals, groups, cultures, and their dynamics. With the advent of advanced AI systems, the landscape of data collection in social sciences may shift. "AI models can represent a vast array of human experiences and perspectives, possibly giving them a higher degree of freedom to generate diverse responses than conventional human participant methods, which can help to reduce generalizability concerns in research," said Grossmann. "LLMs might supplant human participants for data collection," said UPenn psychology professor Philip Tetlock, adding, "In fact, LLMs have already demonstrated their ability to generate realistic survey responses concerning consumer behaviour. Large language models will revolutionize human-based forecasting in the next 3 years. It won't make sense for humans unassisted by AIs to venture probabilistic judgments in serious policy debates. I put a 90 per cent chance on that. Of course, how humans react to all of that is another matter." While opinions on the feasibility of this application of advanced AI systems vary, studies using simulated participants could be used to generate novel hypotheses that could then be confirmed in human populations. But the researchers warn of some of the possible pitfalls in this approach - including the fact that LLMs are often trained to exclude sociocultural biases that exist for real-life humans. This means that sociologists using AI in this way couldn't study those biases. Professor Dawn Parker, a co-author of the article from the University of Waterloo, notes that researchers will need to establish guidelines for the governance of LLMs in research. "Pragmatic concerns with data quality, fairness, and equity of access to the powerful AI systems will be substantial," Parker said, adding, "So, we must ensure that individuals, groups, cultures, LLMs, like all scientific models, are open-source, meaning that their algorithms and ideally data are available to all to scrutinize, test, and modify. Only by maintaining transparency and replicability can we ensure that AI-assisted social science research truly contributes to our understanding of human experience." (ANI)
United Nations special rapporteur for Afghanistan Richard Bennett's report highlighted the discrimination against women and girls and said that there is a "systematic discrimination to which women and girls in Afghanistan are subjected," TOLONews reported. According to the report, between September 2021 and May 2023 over 50 edicts were issued regarding women and girls by the Islamic Emirate, which has "deprived Afghan women of the right to education, work, and participation in social and political life." "One of the most illustrative examples of the systematic discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan today is the relentless issuance of edicts, decrees, declarations and directives restricting their rights, including their freedom of movement, attire and behaviour, and their access to education, work, health and justice," the report read. Among the topics covered in this report are the issue of education, suicides, depression, forced marriages, and the sale of children in Afghanistan, according to TOLONews. "In their totality, the edicts significantly limit women's and girls' ability to engage in society, have access to basic services and earn a living," the report further stated. "We need women who are doctors, engineers, lawyers, and advocates for the rights of each and every person in this society," said Alamtab RAsouli, a women's rights activist. According to the report, a number of protesting women were released from the Islamic Emirate prisons under the condition of stopping the street protests. However, the Islamic Emirate called this report unfair and baseless and added that the Islamic and cultural values of Afghanistan have been ignored in this report. The Special Rapporteur and the Working Group interviewed a total of 79 Afghans (67 women and 12 men), of whom 63 (51 women and 12 men) were inside Afghanistan. They included human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, academics, entrepreneurs, teachers, students, social service providers and businesswomen. In addition, they conducted a survey of 2,112 Afghan women across 18 provinces in March 2023 and drew on the insights of a further 159 women focus group participants on the survey results in 11 provinces, as per TOLONews. Afghanistan's women have faced numerous challenges since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Girls and women in the war-torn country have no access to education, employment and public spaces. Taliban has imposed draconian restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly, and movement for women and girls. (ANI)
Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakashi Lekhi on Saturday participated in a Yoga session with diplomats and ministry officials, ahead of the International Day of Yoga on June 21. Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Amina J Mohammed, has said that she is looking forward to participating in the International Day of Yoga celebrations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the UN Headquarters North Lawn in New York on June 21. Taking to Twitter, Mohammed said, "Looking forward to participating in the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations @UN with Prime Minister @NarendraModi at the UNHQ North Lawn next week." PM Modi will start his first state visit to the US on June 20. The visit will commence in New York where the Prime Minister will lead the celebrations of the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations Headquarters on June 21. Earlier, UNGA President Csaba Korosi also expressed the same excitement. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Csaba Korosi stated, "I am looking forward to participating in the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations @UN with Prime Minister @NarendraModi at the UNHQ North Lawn next week." Earlier, on June 13, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, Shombi Sharp said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be leading the session of Yoga at the United Nations Secretariat in New York on June 21 this year. He said that it will be a "very big deal", adding that everybody in the world was quick to understand the importance of Yoga once International Yoga Day came into force."International Yoga Day which came into force, I believe in 2015 was supported by 175 countries very - very quickly. (ANI)
A view of the Pollat gorge with the Neuschwanstein castle, in background in Schwangau, Germany on June 16, 2023. German police are appealing for photos and videos of an attack near Neuschwanstein castle in which an American man allegedly pushed two women down a steep slope, killing one of them. A suspect was arrested following the attack. (Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/AP)

A woman killed in Germany this week after a man reportedly threw her and a friend down a ravine near the famed Neuschwanstein Castle was from Naperville, according to media reports.

The two women, identified as Eva Liu, 21, and Kelsey Chang, 22, of Bloomington, by the Daily Mail, were walking on a trail in Schwangau Wednesday when they were approached by a 30-year-old American man who offered to show them a hidden scenic lookout near the Marienbrucke, a pedestrian bridge that offers a view of the castle, Bavarian police said.

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The man, who is in police custody but not yet identified, steered them to an area where he attacked Liu, police said. When Chang attempted to stop him, he threw her down a 165-foot ravine. After attempting to sexually assault Liu, he threw her down the same steep slope, the report said.

In this image taken from video, a suspect is taken away by two police officers near Neuschwanstein castle in Schwangau, southern Germany, on June 15, 2023. (Eric Abneri/AP)

A mountain rescue team recovered the women, with Chang taken to a local hospital in serious condition and Liu transported by helicopter to another hospital, where she died the next day, police said.

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Police are holding the suspect as they investigate him on charges of murder, attempted murder and sexual assault, according to The Associated Press.

Liu and Chang were longtime friends, having graduated together from the Illinois Math & Science Academy in Aurora in 2019 and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in May. Both received degrees in computer science.

Liu had completed an internship at Microsoft as a software engineering intern last year and had been working as a teaching assistant for University of Illinois Engineering City Scholars program in Chicago, according to her LinkedIn profile.

The university issued a statement in response to the attack.

Our University of Illinois family is mourning the senseless death of Ms. Liu and the attack on Ms. Chang, Associate Chancellor Robin Kaler said.

People walk on the Marien-Bridge at Castle Neuschwanstein, a 19th century creation by Bavaria's fairy tale king Ludwig II and world renowned tourist attraction, is pictured in Hohenschwangau near Fuessen, southern Germany, on June 15, 2023. (Frank Rumpenhorst/AP)

Both had just graduated in May and should have been able to celebrate such an important accomplishment without the fear of such a tragic outcome. Our thoughts are with Ms. Chang as she recovers and with both of their families as they grieve.

The Math and Science Academy also released a statement: Eva was a dedicated, academically talented and involved student. ... On behalf of our administration, faculty and staff, we are saddened by this loss and we grieve for and with her family and loved ones. The loss of any student, particularly in such a tragic way, deeply hurts us all.

Eric Abneri, a recent business graduate from the University of Pittsburgh, witnessed the suspects arrest and said the man appeared to have scratches on his face.

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He did not say a single word. He didnt open his mouth; he didnt mumble, Abneri told the AP. He just walked with the police and that was it.

Abneri said he and friends reached the scenic overlook as a helicopter arrived. They watched rescuers lower themselves down to the victims.

Im honestly absolutely stunned someone is still alive from this. It is like falling from the top of an absolute cliff, he said.

A danger sign on the way to the Pollat gorge, near the Neuschwanstein castle, in Schwangau, Germany. German police are appealing for photos and videos of an attack near Neuschwanstein castle in which an American man allegedly pushed two women down a steep slope, killing one of them, Eva Liu, of Naperville. (Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/AP)

Abneri described it as a very, very difficult rescue because of those cliffs and because the helicopter came mere feet above the tree line at the top of the hill.

They did an unbelievable job, he said.

Neuschwanstein Castle, built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, sits in the foothills of the Alps on Germanys southern edge, a website for the attraction says. Construction began in 1869 but was never completed and never served as a home for the king, who died in 1886.

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It was later opened to the public and is considered one of Germanys most popular tourist attractions, visited by as many as 1.3 million people every year. Its said to have been the inspiration for various castles used in Disney movies and amusement parks.

The Associated Press contributed.
The UN children's agency has said it is holding discussions with the Taliban over "timelines and practicalities" for a possible required handover of its education programmes and that classes would continue in the meantime, TOLO News reported. TOLO News is an Afghan news channel broadcasting from Kabul. Aid officials said that the Taliban had signalled international organisations could no longer be involved in education projects, in a move criticised by the UN but not yet confirmed by Taliban authorities. As per UNICEF, it had received assurances from the Taliban's Education Ministry that its community-based classes, which educate 500,000 students, would continue while they discussed the matter. UNICEF's Afghanistan spokesperson, Samantha Mort, said: "As the lead agency for the education cluster in Afghanistan, UNICEF is engaged in constructive discussions with the de facto Ministry of Education and appreciates the commitment from the de facto minister to keep all ... classes continuing while discussions take place about timelines and practicalities." "In order to minimize disruption to children's learning, it is imperative that any handover to national NGOs is done strategically and includes comprehensive assessment and capacity building," she said. A Taliban spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Taliban's Ministry of Education has not publicly confirmed the policy. Taliban, which took power in 2021, closed most secondary schools to girls, stopped female students from attending universities and stopped many Afghan women from working for aid groups and the United Nations. International organisations have been heavily involved in education projects, and UNICEF made an agreement with the Taliban to run community classes before they took over the country, as per TOLO News. The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, on Thursday, said that nearly 16 million children in Afghanistan need urgent humanitarian aid, warning of a "children's crisis," Khaama Press reported. "In a country with almost 16 million children in need of protection and humanitarian assistance, in a country in which way too many kids are burdened with responsibilities way beyond their age, in a country where the children's rights are eroded every day, having a space like this offers the kids a respite, a safe and secure space where the kids can rest, can relax, can play and can make friends," UNICEF representative in Afghanistan, Fran Equiza said. (ANI)
World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan, Melinda Good, said that at a workshop over 100 experts from domestic and international banks, digital providers, international partners and civil society discussed ways to strengthen Afghanistan's payments system to help revive the private sector and create jobs, TOLO News reported. The World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan noted on Twitter that "a reliable and transparent system will help build confidence in payments and ensure that aid for the Afghan people goes to the Afghan people and helps the private sector, which employs many Afghans" according to TOLO News, an Afghan news channel broadcasting from Kabul. Mir Shikab Mir, an economist, said: "The banking crisis has significantly eroded people's trust in the financial sector and financial institutions, and it seems very difficult for projects that need electronic money transfers and aid for people to succeed easily." As per reports, around 30 World Bank projects are still unfinished, and the Ministry of Economy asked aid organizations, especially the World Bank, to invest in a large economic project in the country, according to TOLO News. Taliban deputy of the Ministry of Economy, Abdul Latif Nazari, said: "We ask the international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, to support the Islamic Emirate and the people of Afghanistan in the resumption of development projects, half-finished projects, as well as in connection with the creation of jobs and lowering the unemployment rate." Meanwhile, the Senate of Canada has passed a bill intended to unblock Canadian aid in Afghanistan without amendment. "We ask Canada to assist the people of Afghanistan, offer employment opportunities for the people of Afghanistan to work, and invest in agriculture, so that we can come out from the crisis," said Abdul Basir Taraki, an economist, as per TOLO News. The World Bank previously said that the outlook for the economy is steady due to the continuance of aid to Afghanistan and that it is expected that good output growth will continue over the next two years. (ANI)
Rehearsal by young musicians in the US is underway ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country. Srinath, a musician said: "I've been privileged to coordinate a huge cultural program inviting PM Modi to the US next week on June 21. So, we have about 25 different programs lined up, participated by over 15 different cultural teams representing various states and cultures, also representing the entire Indian culture, bringing that to the heart of DC on June 21." Another musician Raghu Pantulla, said: "We grew up singing patriotic songs in India. So when we moved here, now it is my 'Karma bhumi'. So it's a confluence of both the cultures that we're presenting today and on the great occasion of PM Modi visiting us, we are really proud of presenting this." Meanwhile, a Prime Minister Modi fan in Maryland, USA, who flaunts an 'NMODI' car number plate, said the PM is an inspiration to him, and he is eagerly waiting to welcome him to the US. "I took this plate back in 2016, November. Narendra Modi is an inspiration to me. He inspires me to do something good for the nation, for society, for the world. PM Modi is coming here so I'm eagerly waiting to welcome him," said Raghavendra. Also, ahead of PM Modi's visit to the US, the Indian Tricolour was seen flying high outside the White House, in Washington, D.C. on Friday. An Indian national residing in New Jersey, Jesal Nar, said, "It's really an honour and pride to see the tricolour. I go across the United States for my work purpose carrying a tricolour." PM Modi is all set for his first state visit to the US next week. From June 20-24. PM Modi will address the Joint Sitting of the US Congress and will also meet a number of American politicians, prominent citizens as well as noted personalities from the diaspora. (ANI)
North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Thursday, Seoul's military said, in apparent protest over a recent series of massive South Korea-US live-fire drills that ended this week. Shortly before the launch, a spokesperson for the North's defence ministry issued a statement denouncing what it called the "provocative and irresponsible" drills, Yonhap news agency reported. Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches from the Sunan area in Pyongyang between 7:25 p.m. and 7:37 p.m., and the missiles flew some 780 km each before splashing into the water. "The intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States are conducting a comprehensive assessment regarding (the missiles') specifics and the possibility of additional provocations," the JCS said in a text message to reporters. The JCS urged the North to immediately stop such missile launches, calling them "acts of significant provocation" that not only undermine peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, but also in the international community. "In close coordination with the US, our military will maintain a firm readiness posture based on its capabilities to respond overwhelmingly to any provocations," it said. The allies ended the fifth and last round of the Combined Joint Live-Fire Exercise, the first of its kind in six years, at the Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, just 25 km south of the inter-Korean border, on Thursday to mark the 70th anniversary of the bilateral alliance. More than 610 military assets were mobilised for the drills, including F-35A fighters and K9 self-propelled howitzers from the South Korean side, and F-16 fighter jets and Gray Eagle drones from the US side. The North's defence ministry accused the allies of escalating tensions, saying the drills warrant its "inevitable" response. "Our army strongly denounces the provocative and irresponsible moves of the puppet military authorities escalating the military tension in the region despite its repeated warnings and warns them solemnly," the spokesperson said in the statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. "Our armed forces will fully counter any form of demonstrative moves and provocation of the enemies," the official added. The latest launch also came as the South Korean military has been conducting an operation to salvage the wreckage of an ill-fated North Korean space rocket in the Yellow Sea. On May 31, the North fired what it claimed to be a satellite-carrying rocket, but it crashed into the sea due to the abnormal starting of the second-stage engine, according to the North's state media. The North last conducted a missile launch on April 13. It claimed to have fired a new solid-fuel Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile. Meanwhile, top nuclear envoys from South Korea, the US and Japan had phone talks to discuss ways to deal with the North's provocation, according to Seoul's foreign ministry. In the talks, Seoul's chief nuclear negotiator, Kim Gunn, and his US and Japanese counterparts, Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively, denounced Pyongyang's missile launch as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, and a threat to global peace and security. They also agreed to take strong counteractions against North Korea's provocations based on their strong security alliance. --IANS int/sha ( 542 Words) 2023-06-16-00:26:02 (IANS)
The top national security advisers of the US, South Korea, and Japan condemned North Korea's missile launches on Thursday, calling them "clear violations" of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. They also vowed stepped up efforts to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, Yonhap news agency reported, citing a joint statement released by the White House. "The United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea condemn today's DPRK missile launches," said the released statement, referring to South Korea by its official name. "These launches are clear violations of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, and demonstrate the threat the DPRK's unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs pose to the region, international peace and security, and the global non-proliferation regime," it added. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name. The joint condemnation came hours after Pyongyang fired two short-range ballistic missiles, following its failed attempt to launch what it claimed to be a military reconnaissance satellite on May 31. The security advisers stressed the need "for all countries to fully implement DPRK-related UN Security Council resolutions that are intended to prohibit the DPRK from acquiring the technologies and materials needed to carry out these destabilising launches." "The United States reaffirms unequivocally its ironclad security commitments to both Japan and the ROK," they added. The joint statement came as US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts -- Cho Tae-yong and Takeo Akiba, respectively -- in Tokyo for trilateral talks that largely focused on the threat posed by North Korea. Pyongyang said it will try again to launch a space launch vehicle carrying its first military spy satellite. The country is prohibited from acquiring or using any ballistic missile technology, including space launch vehicles, under UN Security Council resolutions. The national security advisers urged North Korea to engage in diplomacy, saying trilateral cooperation between South Korea, Japan and the US will "not be shaken by provocations". Later, a state department spokesperson echoed criticism of North Korea's latest missile provocation. "They demonstrate the threat the DPRK's unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs pose to the region, to international peace and security and to the global nonproliferation regime," department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a daily press briefing. In a related move, the US imposed sanctions on two China-based North Korean nationals earlier in the day for working to procure materials and funds for North Korea's illegal weapons development programmes. --IANS int/sha ( 426 Words) 2023-06-16-01:22:01 (IANS)
The move came hours after Pyongyang fired two short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday, resuming its missile "provocation" after a brief pause, Yonhap news agency reported.

"Today, the United States is designating two Beijing-based Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) nationals connected to the DPRK's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) procurement," Blinken said in a released statement, referring to North Korea by its official name.

"The DPRK's development of its missile programmes directly threatens regional and international security, and the United States will continue to take action to curtail activities in support of those programs," he added.

North Korea has launched some 80 ballistic missiles since the start of last year in what the state department has repeatedly called "blatant violation" of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Pyongyang fired two short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday (Korea time), about two weeks after its botched attempt to launch what it claimed to be a military spy satellite on May 31.

Those designated Thursday include Choe Chol-min, who, according to the state department, has worked with North Korean officials and Chinese nationals to "procure materials used in the production of DPRK missiles".

"He has also supported Second Academy of Natural Sciences (SANS) representatives to facilitate the importation of over a thousand DPRK workers into the PRC to unlawfully generate income abroad for the DPRK regime," the released statement said.

The department also designated his wife, Choe Un-jung, who is officially assigned to the North Korean embassy in Beijing.

"Choe Un-jung is being designated for being a North Korean person who has engaged in commercial activity that generates revenue for the Government of North Korea or the Workers' Party of Korea," said Blinken.

--IANS int/sha

( 322 Words)

2023-06-16-04:18:02 (IANS)
"I am absolutely sure that we will have a 'Bird Coalition' for the armed forces of Ukraine," Reznikov told reporters after the meeting, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

The partners told Ukraine about the start of the training for Ukrainian pilots and voiced their intent to build the "consortium of fighters" together, Reznikov said.

"It will start with F-16 jets with the Netherlands and Denmark, and will be joined by other countries," he noted.

The 13th meeting of the Contact Group on Defense of Ukraine in the Ramstein format took place earlier in the day in Brussels, Belgium.

--IANS int/sha

( 138 Words)

2023-06-16-05:14:01 (IANS)
As the violent conflict in Sudan has entered its third month, humanitarian situation across the country continues to deteriorate, UN relief chief Martin Griffiths said. Griffiths, UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, also warned that situation in Sudan's Darfur is spiraling into humanitarian calamity, reports Xinhua news agency. Some 1.7 million people are now internally displaced while close to half a million people have sought refuge outside Sudan, he said. Looting of medical and humanitarian assets continues on a massive scale and farmers are unable to reach their land, which further raises the risk of food insecurity, the UN official said and noted that there has also been a spike in reports of gender-based violence. "I am particularly worried about conditions in Darfur where people are trapped in a living nightmare," Griffiths said in a statement. In addition to dire humanitarian situations, inter-communal violence is spreading in Darfur, threatening to reignite the ethnic tensions that stoked the deadly conflict there 20 years ago, he said. He noted that the violence is hampering humanitarians' efforts, and urged parties to the conflict and those with influence to ensure the movement of humanitarian supplies and personnel from other parts of Sudan, as well as from neighbouring countries, to Darfur where close to 9 million people need assistance. "Darfur is rapidly spiraling into a humanitarian calamity. The world cannot allow this to happen. Not again," said Griffiths. Since the clashes first broke out on April 15 between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, at least 958 people have died, while 4,746 others injured, the Sudanese Doctors' Union said in its latest update. --IANS ksk/ ( 288 Words) 2023-06-16-12:58:02 (IANS)
The report issued on Thursday said that if a large enough number of hi-tech firms relocate, Israel's strong economic growth potential could be jeopardized, as the capital stock and labor market productivity could be permanently damaged.

It added that without a durable and politically sustainable solution, the high levels of uncertainty could significantly increase the price of risk in the economy. Consequently, financial conditions would be tightened and consumption and investment ultimately slowed, Xinhua news agency reported.

It also noted that the investment could be affected by the relocation of hi-tech firms which conduct cross-border activities, rely on international financing, and employ skilled and internationally mobile workers.

The report expected Israel's economic growth to slow to about 2.5 per cent this year as households purchasing power moderates and firms rein in investment.

--IANS int/sha

( 175 Words)

2023-06-16-06:58:02 (IANS)
Addressing a gathering here, Hun Sen said an armed gang simultaneously attacked two commune headquarters in Cu Kuin district of Vietnam's Dak Lak province on June 11, leaving several commune officials and police dead, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Now, this armed gang's members are on the run, and I'm concerned that they will possibly flee to Cambodia," he said.

He ordered the Cambodian armed forces in Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri and Kratie provinces to increase cooperation with the Vietnamese side to prevent the fugitives from crossing the border illegally.

Branding the armed gang members as terrorists, the Prime Minister added that the fugitives who fled to Cambodia would be arrested and sent back to Vietnam if discovered.

He also warned to shut down any international organisations in Cambodia if they granted refuge to those fugitives.

Cambodia and Vietnam share a 1,158 km border which runs from the tripoint with Laos in the north to Gulf of Thailand in the south.

--IANS ksk/

( 195 Words)

2023-06-16-14:38:04 (IANS)
A headstone marking Gary resident, Civil War veteran, and former slave John Eubank's grave lay on the ground at Oak Hill Cemetery in Gary on Friday, June 9, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

A worker uncovered more than just a broken 85-year-old headstone in Garys Oak Hill Cemetery recently.

Cracked off its base, the buried marker bears the name of a former Kentucky slave set free by his owners after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

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His somewhat Forrest Gump-like career in a Kentucky Black infantry unit was memorialized in a 17-volume Slave Narratives collection produced during the Great Depression by the Federal Writers Project, which provided work for unemployed writers.

Indiana University Northwest archivist Jeremy Pekarek discovered the story of John Eubanks while doing research for the upcoming Juneteenth holiday that commemorates the end of slavery.

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Indiana University Northwest archivist Jeremy Pekarek browses documents focusing on former slave, Civil War veteran, and Gary resident John Eubank's life on Friday, June 9, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

In his lifetime, John Eubanks witnessed a cavalcade of historical events and progress from inventions like the telephone, automobile, and airplane.

When Eubanks was born in 1839 in Glasgow, Ky., Martin Van Buren was the nations eighth president.

When he died at his sons home in Gary at age 98, Franklin Roosevelt was in the White House, the 32nd president. Eubanks cast his first presidential vote for Ulysses Grant, but his personal favorite was Teddy Roosevelt.

When Federal Writers Project field writer Archie Koritz, of Valparaiso, went to Eubanks Gary home in 1937, the former slave and Union veteran shared a fascinating story that only his family knew.

Archie Koritz, a 1928 Valparaiso University graduate, worked for the Federal Writers Project and interviewed John Eubanks in 1937 for the "Slave Narratives" collection. - Original Credit: Photo courtesy of Jeremy Pekarek (Photo courtesy of Jeremy Pekarek, Indiana University Northwest/HANDOUT)

Eubanks told Koritz he was given to Becky Eubanks at about age 6 as a wedding gift from her slave-holding family when she married Tony Eubanks. As was the custom, young John took the last name of his new owners. He grew up picking cotton barefoot and freezing in the winter.

Koritz wrote two narratives, one in the third person, and a second in the first person that quotes Eubanks in his own dialect.

During the interview, Eubanks daughter asked him if the Eubanks family mistreated him. He answered no.

Becky wouldn let Tony whip her slaves who came from her fathahs plantation. They ah my prophty, she say, an you caint whip dem. Tony whipt his othah slaves but not Beckys.

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Because Kentucky was a border state that leaned toward the Union, the 21-year-old Eubanks was released in 1863 after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Wearing his Civil War uniform, John Eubanks walks in an unidentified cemetery. - Original Credit: Photo courtesy of Jeremy Pekarek (Photo courtesy of Jeremy Pekarek, Indiana University Northwest/HANDOUT)

Tony Eubanks placed a condition on his release  he had to join the Union armys colored regiment so he wouldnt have to pay a fine for letting Eubanks run off.

Eubanks told Koritz he walked 35 miles to Bowling Green, Ky., where he joined a unit that was part of Gen. William Tecumseh Shermans regiment.

As part of the 108th colored infantry, Eubanks began Shermans famous march through Georgia but along the way, his unit was recalled and sent elsewhere.

In 1863, his Company K unit fought in Indiana when Confederate Gen. John Morgan began a raid on southern Indiana to rouse Confederate sympathies.

After heavy fighting by Black soldiers and other Union divisions, they forced Morgan into a retreat back to the south.

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In 1864, Eubanks was a member of the Black garrison based at Fort Pillow, Tenn., about 40 miles north of Memphis.

With 1,500 soldiers, Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest savagely attacked the 567 Union troops at the fort. During the battle, nearly 200 Black soldiers died and historians said the massacre became a rally cry for the former slaves and strengthened their resolve.

Eubanks recalled he was in several skirmishes but said never onct got a skinhurt.

Forrest went on to become the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan in 1867.

After the Confederacy surrendered, Eubanks remembered shouting and cheering in his unit. He said he was sent to load cannons on boats to be shipped up the river.

When he returned to Glasgow, he reunited with his mother and family who were freed.

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An entry in a historic Gary directory lists former slave, Civil War veteran, and Gary resident John Eubank's residence on Friday, June 9, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune)

Soon, he met his future wife Julia Lander who he married in 1866 at age 26. The couple had 12 children, including two who eventually moved to Gary.

Eubanks worked on a farm and then moved to Louisville to work in a lumber yard. In 1924, two years after his wife died, he came to Gary to live with family members.

After Congress passed the 15th amendment granting Black men the right to vote, Eubanks remembers casting his first vote for Ulysses Grant in 1872. He told Koritz he continued to vote in every election until old age halted him from walking to the polls.

By 1926, Eubanks was just one of three surviving Civil War vets of the Grand Army of the Republic living in Gary.

The headstone of Civil War veteran John Eubanks has been found, cleaned and returned to an upright position in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Gary. - Original Credit: Photo courtesy of Jeremy Pekarek (Photo courtesy of Jeremy Pekarek, Indiana University Northwest/HANDOUT)

Eubanks was the lone Civil War veteran honored in Garys Memorial Day parade in 1937, an era of rampant segregation as Blacks were banned from white schools and restricted in areas they could live.

He died a year later and family members buried him in Oak Hill Cemetery. His obituary listed 15 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren.

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IUNs Pekarek also tracked down Eubanks biographer, Archie Koritz, who graduated from Valparaiso Law School in 1928.

Koritz became a member of Young Democrats of Porter County and ran for a judgeship in 1940. He lived on Lincolnway in lodging thats now the Pour House, a brew pub.

Pekarek said he believes Koritz died in 1996 and is buried in McLean County, Illinois.

As the decades passed, John Eubanks gravesite became invisible, its once gleaming white headstone broken off and swallowed up by grass.

Patrick Cave, a member of the Valparaiso-based chapter of the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War, searched for Eubanks grave recently.

He found the approximate site from the cemetery office, but couldnt find the grave.

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A worker told him it had likely sunk after it cracked off its base.

A few days later, the worker unearthed the grave and placed a reflector on its site.

I had a bucket and brushes and I got some water and went down and brushed him off, said Cave, of Valparaiso.

He gave the worker a copy of an order from the government for the veterans headstone replacement. Its now temporarily standing and awaiting replacement.

Cave placed a medallion signifying Eubanks service in the Grand Army of the Republic and a U.S. flag stands above it.

Meanwhile, Pekarek is continuing his research on Eubanks that will be showcased during IUNs Juneteenth celebration.

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He found a descendent of Eubanks original Kentucky plantation family who lives in Georgia. Shes doing her own family research.

Her grandmother may have known John, said Pekarek who hopes to find some of Eubanks surviving family members who may still live in the Gary area. He would like to find memorabilia or stories about Eubanks.

There are a lot of gaps in his legacy that I want to build on, he said.

Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
The South Korean military has retrieved a sunken part of an ill-fated North Korean space rocket from the Yellow Sea, officials said Friday, capping a weekslong salvage operation hamstrung by poor underwater visibility, fast currents and other obstacles. It raised the wreckage, initially thought to be the second stage of the rocket, at 8.50 p.m. on Thursday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, amid expectations that a probe into it could shed light on the progress of the North's long-range rocket development program, reports Yonhap News Agency. On May 31, the North fired what it claimed to be the new "Chollima-1" rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite, "Malligyong-1", but it crashed into the sea due to the abnormal starting of the second-stage engine, according to its state media. On the same day, the South Korean military identified the wreckage when it splashed into the waters some 200 km west of the western island of Eocheong. But it dropped to the sea floor at a depth of 75 meters due in part to its heavy weight. The military initially assessed that the wreckage was about 15 meters long, half the length of the entire rocket -- a reason why expectations rose that an analysis of it could help elucidate how far North Korea's rocket technology has come. For the retrieval operation, the Navy deployed a group of specially trained divers and two salvage and rescue ships, the ROKS Tongyeong and the ROKS Gwangyang, as well as the ROKS Cheonghaejin submarine rescue ship and a P-3 maritime patrol aircraft. The retrieval process proceeded in phases. "Due to the potential dangers, we had technical advisers on board so that we could take necessary steps while observing the situation," a JCS official told reporters. "From the thickness of diving suits to other issues, we sufficiently took safety concerns into account." The salvaged part will be transported to the Navy's Second Fleet in Pyeongtaek, 60 km south of Seoul. South Korea and the United States plan to conduct a joint probe into it as agreed on during the allies' defense ministerial talks on the margins of an annual security forum in Singapore earlier this month. The South Korean military is continuing search operations for additional parts of the space rocket wreckage, according to the JCS. --IANS ksk/ ( 394 Words) 2023-06-16-15:02:07 (IANS)
Grossi's visit on Thursday, initially scheduled to begin on Wednesday, was delayed for security reasons, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Ukraine's Energy Minister German Galushchenko.

The IAEA chief said earlier he will travel to the ZNPP to assess the situation after the Kakhovka dam breach.

The Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam was destroyed on June 6, with Ukraine and Russia trading accusations over the attack on it.

The ZNPP, which has been controlled by Russian forces since March 2022, is located some 140 km northeast of the Kakhovka plant.

--IANS int/sha

( 132 Words)

2023-06-16-08:02:01 (IANS)
Chinese President Xi Jinping met Microsoft founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates here on Friday, and said the latter was his "first American friend I've met in Beijing this year". Xi applauded Gates and the Gates Foundation for their long-term work to promote poverty reduction, health, development and philanthropy around the world, reports Xinhua news agency. "At present, momentous changes unseen in a century are accelerating across the world. I put forward the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative to provide Chinese solutions to global challenges," he said. The President said that China as a large country with a population of over 1.4 billion, its "long-term stability and sustained development are major contributions to world peace, stability and prosperity". "China will consolidate its achievements in poverty alleviation, realise rural revitalization, and constantly improve rural health," Xi said. He said that China is ready to carry out extensive cooperation with all countries on scientific and technological innovation, and will continue to strengthen cooperation with the Gates Foundation in relevant fields, and will provide support and assistance to other developing countries within its capacity, he said. "The foundation of China-US relations lies in the people. We have always placed our hope on the American people and wish all the best for the friendship between the two peoples," Xi said. Gates spoke about the progress of cooperation with China and his vision for the future. He said that China has made remarkable achievements in poverty reduction and Covid-19 response, setting a good example for the world. He said that in recent years, the Gates Foundation's cooperation with China has made remarkable progress, and that accelerating innovation and development in the country is good for Beijing, developing countries and the world. "The Gates Foundation is committed to strengthening cooperation with China in the fields of innovation, global poverty reduction, public health, research and development of drugs, rural areas and agriculture, and spreading successful practices and technologies to other developing countries," the billionaire added. --IANS ksk/ ( 348 Words) 2023-06-16-15:50:03 (IANS)
Moody's Investors Service has warned that Pakistan's ability to secure loans from bilateral and multilateral partners will be severely constrained until a new programme is negotiated with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), local media reported. The credit rating company, in an issuer comment report, said: "Whether Pakistan will join another IMF programme may only become clear after elections, which are due by October 2023. Negotiations for any future IMF programme would also take some time, even if they succeed." It further warned that Pakistan is unlikely to access market financing at affordable costs, either from Eurobonds or commercial banks, in the foreseeable future, Geo News reported. In fiscal 2023, the government issued no Eurobonds and raised only Rs521 billion ($2.8 billion) from commercial banks, far short of the Rs 1.4 trillion target set in the fiscal year 2022-23 budget. The country's external debt repayment will remain high for the next few years, with about $25 billion of repayments (principal and interest) due in fiscal 2024, while foreign exchange reserves are very low at $3.9 billion as of June 2. "Pakistan's external funding prospects for fiscal 2024 and later are highly uncertain," Moody's said. "It is not guaranteed that Pakistan will be able to secure $2.4 billion from the IMF as budgeted", Geo News reported. The IMF has been in talks with Pakistan on the ninth tranche of a $6.5 billion bailout package since last year. The programme will expire at the end of June. Moody's said the government is considering rescheduling bilateral debts, but it does not plan to approach the Paris Club or multilateral partners to reschedule their debt. "Under our definition, a suspension of debt service obligations only to official creditors is unlikely to have direct rating implications," the rating agency said. "Indeed, such relief would increase the government's available fiscal resources for essential health, social and infrastructure spending." --IANS san/snv/ ( 325 Words) 2023-06-16-16:18:02 (IANS)
A 24-year-old Indian national, out on bail for cheating multiple students in a rental scam, has been sentenced to prison for attempting to flee Singapore by using his roommate's passport. Patel Dhavalkumar Chandubhai was sentenced to 14 months and 14 weeks' jail on Thursday after pleading guilty to five charges, including one under the Passports Act, The Straits Times reported. The other charges were related to the rental scam.In May 2022, Patel demanded a rental sum of S$500 from each of the four victims, who had come to Singapore to study and were looking for accommodation.He entered into an agreement with each of them to rent a room in the unit he was residing in. After receiving the amount, Patel left the unit on the pretext that he was travelling to Malaysia for a short trip and became untraceable. The victims were told by the landlord that Patel had not paid him their monthly rent and that he had been giving excuses to delay the payment. After the victims were asked to leave the unit, they lodged a police complaint against Patel. Police arrested Patel on May 29 at the Changi Airport while he was attempting to leave Singapore for India. He surrendered his passport and was released on bail on June 3, with conditions that he was not to travel out of Singapore's jurisdiction without the leave of the court. In March, when Patel's roommate informed him that he wished to purchase a new mobile phone, he asked him to bring along his passport. Patel then used his roommate's passport at an automated passport counter at Tuas Checkpoint in an attempt to leave the country on March 20. However, he was referred to an immigration officer after his facial, iris and fingerprint biometrics did not match that of the actual passport holder. Immigration officers later found a deleted photo of Patel's own passport in his mobile phone, and he was arrested, The Straits Times reported. "The planning and premeditation in the present case goes beyond the pale. (Patel) had laced his scheme with deception. He memorised (his roommate's) passport details... and produced a copy of (his) student pass. The irresistible inference is that of his careful and detailed preparation in committing the offence," Deputy Public Prosecutor Louis Ngia said in his submission before the court. According to Singapore law, using a foreign travel document that is not issued in one's name for travel or identification may lead to a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both. --IANS mi/ksk/ ( 441 Words) 2023-06-16-08:18:04 (IANS)
At least three people were killed and more than 75 others injured after a tornado ripped through a small town in the US state of Texas, leaving behind extensive damage, officials confirmed. The tornado hit Perryton, which has a population of around 8,500, at around 5.10 p.m. on Thursday evening, NBC News quoted Trent Hoffeditz, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Amarillo, as saying. Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher said that three people have been confirmed dead and that 75 to 100 had been seen at local hospitals. Ochiltree General Hospital CFO Debbie Beck told CNN that between 50 to 100 injured people have been treated in a Perryton hospital. Beck said the injuries range from "very minor" to "collapsed lungs, head injuries, and broken bones". No fatalities have been recorded, she said, adding that medics have been treating patients at the hospital without power. Beck said the tornado struck the northeast part of Perryton and went down a portion of Main Street, causing extensive damage to homes and businesses. The fire department and EMS were also hit and a trailer park sustained heavy damage, she added. In response, the state of Texas as well as cities and counties surrounding Perryton have started sending aid. Governor Greg Abbott's office and the state's Division of Emergency Management are mobilising resources, Representative Four Price said in a Facebook post. "TDEM is moving everything that way. Search and Rescue, medical, etc.," Price said, adding that multiple structures have been damaged and "the state is engaging additional medical help to triage". The Red Cross told CNN that it was also mobilising teams on the ground to support the people impacted in the tornado. The tornado was reported on Thursday as tornado watches covered northern and central Texas and a large part of Oklahoma because of severe weather moving through the region, according to the National Weather Service. Tornado watches remains for part of Texas. --IANS ksk/ ( 338 Words) 2023-06-16-09:08:03 (IANS)
Nine Egyptian nationals suspected of human trafficking were arrested by the Greek Hellenic Coast Guard in connection with the deadly shipwreck that occurred off the country's southwestern coast leaving at least 78 passengers dead. state media reported. All nine were among the survivors of the tragedy, according to the Greek national news agency AMNA. The latest press release issued by the Hellenic Coast Guard puts the number of survivors at 104, reports Xinhua news agency. It is yet unclear how many people were on board the fishing boat that sank in the early hours of Wednesday in international waters about 47 nautical miles off the town of Pylos in southwestern Greece. Greek authorities have not confirmed estimates reported in the media that up to 750 people may have been on board. Survivors said that they had departed from Libya and were heading to Italy, according to Greek national broadcaster ERT. The Hellenic Coast Guard was alerted by the Italian authorities and located an overloaded boat which rejected any aid, Nikolaos Alexiou, spokesperson of the Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Ministry, told local SKAI television on Thursday. Greek authorities did not try to intervene by force to lead the boat to a Greek port, fearing that could cause capsizing, he said. A sudden shift in weight as crammed passengers moved around may have caused the capsizing and sinking of the boat a few hours later, he added. A three-day national morning for the victims of the tragedy began in Greece on Wednesday evening. Greece and other Mediterranean countries have been at the forefront of the influx of refugees and migrants since 2015. The often deadly trips across the Mediterranean have so far claimed the lives of thousands, according to the UN Refugee Agency. --IANS ksk/ ( 304 Words) 2023-06-16-12:20:06 (IANS)
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Startup Hub, Government of India, together with FICCI organized a roadshow in Amsterdam to promote Digital Innovation Alliance (DIA) Initiative under G20 with the objective of promoting G20 DIA Summit being held from August 17-19, 2023 in Bengaluru. MeitY Startup Hub CEO Jitendra Vijay said that G20 Digital Innovation Alliance is an initiative launched under India's G20 Presidency by MeitY to bring together the startup ecosystem from G20 nations and the nine invited guest countries, according to an official statement. Today we are in the Netherlands because the Netherlands is also part of the EU system and one of the 29 countries that are participating in this program. So with the government of the Netherlands, we organised this meeting with the startups and the startup stakeholders of this country, he said. Vijay said that an interesting fact is that based on the interactions here with startups in the Netherlands, it is no surprise that quite a lot of these startup founders are of Indian origin. They may have come to the Netherlands for their education or for employment and because of the entrepreneurial spirit in them, some of them have gone out and created the startups in collaboration with the local partners. This is a wonderful testament to the world working together, where a person of Indian origin living in the Netherlands is collaborating with a local citizen to create an impactful startup, which can solve the world's problems. Out of six startups selected by the Netherlands Govt, four startup promoters are of Indian origin. Under the DIA initiative, six sectors like Agritech, Healthtech, Edutech, Fintech, Cybersecurity and Circular economy are selected for humanity's development. Each of the 29 governments is nominating a top startup in each of these six sectors. Therefore, 174 startups will participate inG20 DIA Summit scheduled from August 17-19, 2023 in Bengaluru. Mohit Mishra, an Indian-origin founder of Automicle which is one of the six startups selected by the Netherlands government to participate in the G20 DIA Summit, said, for us this is a fantastic opportunity, India is already a huge market. We are based in the Netherlands with a huge push across the globe for mobility as a service industry or integrated mobility or sustainable modes of mobility. Increasing access for people to sustainable modes of transportation is a large societal goal for us. We are just being part of it playing our role. That definitely makes us a very interesting startup to play its role in the ecosystem, driving sustainability goals for everybody, he said. Vijay, who is a professor here and created a start-up said that his startup is trying to solve a global water quality problem. The main innovation is the water quality monitoring device that measures water quality that is quite affordable and the data gets stored in a blockchain data lake. Jagan Vysyaraju, founder of a pan European startup Mixe. store said that we had built this platform technology to create efficiency in logistics and provide a homely experience to ethnic communities across Europe by providing diverse supplies. Vysyaraju said that we are also in discussions with some of the generalist apps for them to use Mixe's supply chain to bring South Asian goods over to Europe for their own stores. The company has also found particular interest from students on campuses outside of major urban centres, where students from India and Pakistan find it hard to get to shops which stock items from their home countries. This roadshow was organized on the sidelines of the Breakfast event organized by the Netherlands Point of Entry together with the Startup Liaison Network at The Next Web in the heart of Amsterdam on Friday. The event brought together start-ups, Investors, policymakers and internationally-minded entrepreneurs. As an operational unit of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, the Netherlands Point of Entry rolls out the orange carpet to ensure that you can hit the ground running. (ANI)
Greek City Times is a Greek lifestyle site.

The arrests have once again brought the spotlight back on Pakistan which has been the main spreader of jihadist terrorism across the globe.

Jihadist terrorism in Europe emerged in the 1990s. In many European countries, awareness of this new development took some time. In fact, the threat posed by jihadist terrorism was underestimated, overlooked, and often misunderstood.

Of all different kinds of political-religious terrorism, transnational jihadist terrorism is the most threatening one to Western values, interests and societies. This form of terrorism is the product of a combination of Islamist ideology and the idea of jihad, as per Greek City Times.

According to, Greek City Times, Pakistan-origin terrorists have been at the forefront of executing this form of terrorism. In September 2020, Europe felt a sudden jolt when arrest warrants were issued for fourteen Pakistanis in Italy in connection with the terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris.

It confirmed the growing presence of Pakistani radicals in Europe.

French authorities in December 2020 arrested four more Pakistani nationals who had prior knowledge of the attack. Ever since, Pakistani terror supporters have been under constant watch in the UK, Spain, Italy, France and Germany.

In another incident of Pakistan-origin terrorists planning a terror attack on European soil, Greek police arrested two Pakistani nationals in March 2023 who were allegedly planning mass-casualty terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets in the country. (ANI)
You are here: Business

Chinese authorities on Friday launched this year's promotional campaign for new-energy vehicles (NEVs) in rural areas in three locations -- east China's Wuxi, south China's Qionghai, and central China's Jingmen.

The activity will last from June to December, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), one of five government departments that launched the activity.

A total of 69 NEV models will be featured, said the MIIT. It called on NEV manufacturers and distributors to finalize sales policies and improve customer service systems.

Operators of charging facilities should also offer discounts on charging services, while e-commerce platforms should sell the cars online, the ministry added.

China has released a guideline to help people living in rural areas to purchase and use NEVs, with a focus on boosting the construction of charging infrastructure.

The country's NEV sales expanded 60.2 percent year on year to 717,000 units in May, and its NEV output totaled 713,000 units last month, up 53 percent year on year.




Pakistani government buildings and forces were attacked in the Balochistan districts of Panjgur and Kech, reported The Balochistan Post. According to reports, a bomb attack on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route at a Panjgur grade station targeted a vehicle of the Pakistani military. According to local sources cited by The Balochistan Post, the blast caused injuries to Pakistani forces and damage to one of their vehicles. Government representatives have not yet offered any response on this, though. The Balochistan Post publishes news and articles on developments that have a particular impact on Balochistan and its political and social aspects. Soon after the strike, several additional Pakistani military vehicles arrived at the scene and immediately surrounded the area. Later, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), an armed pro-independence organisation, claimed responsibility for the assault. According to BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch, the attack resulted in the deaths of two Pakistani army personnel and three injuries. On Thursday, a big group of armed men besieged a crash factory in Turbat, Kech district. Sources quoted by The Balochistan Post (TBP) claim that many armed men encircled the crash facility in Turbat's Gokdan area and set the vehicles and equipment on fire. There were no reports of any casualties, according to sources, who claimed the gunmen apprehended all the personnel there before warning them and releasing them. In another incident on Wednesday night in the Mand Tehsil of the Kech district, an unidentified terrorist set a Pakistani military camp that was being built on fire. Sources claimed that the camp's walls were destroyed, and the contents, including a vehicle, were all set ablaze. Sources confirmed that numerous security officers came to the site as the perpetrators fled the scene, but no casualties were reported in this attack. The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), another Baloch armed group, claimed responsibility for these two attacks in the interim, reported TBP. Such attacks on defence personnel and government employees are not uncommon in Balochistan. Earlier in April, armed men in Pakistan's Gwadar gunned down the brother-in-law of a former provincial minister as well as a senior police officer, Dawn reported. Abdul Qayyum Buledi was shot dead by men riding a motorcycle while he was sitting outside his home. "Qayyum Buledi died on the spot after receiving multiple bullet injuries," a Levies official said. He was the brother-in-law of Zahoor Buledi, an ex-finance minister of Balochistan. According to Dawn, the body was shifted to a nearby hospital. Zahoor Buledi had recently joined the PPP. In another incident, the chief of the special branch of police, Mohammad Rafiq, was gunned down in an attack while he was talking to a friend. (ANI)
The armed rebels, notably abducted six others, killing many, which included mostly students.

Military spokesman Felix Kulayigye told CNN that some of the victims died after being killed with machetes, while others lost their lives after having their dormitories set ablaze.

According to Uganda's military, some 20 members of the rebel organisation Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has ties to ISIS, assaulted the Lhubirira secondary school late on Friday.

Children between the ages of 13 and 18 attended the school, which is located in the town of Kasese along Uganda's border with Congo.

According to CNN, local authorities reported that of the fatalities, 39 were students and two were members of the local community.

Armed rebels of the ADF, which has ties to ISIS, attacked the Lhubirira secondary school in Mpondwe, along the country's border with the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday night, the police said.

Uganda Police Force Spokesperson Fred Enanga wrote on Twitter: "A dormitory was burnt and a food store looted."

The spokesperson said that Ugandan Police and the Uganda People's Defense Force were in "hot pursuit" of the suspects. (ANI)
A community of Tibetan Muslims is thriving in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar. Most of the Tibetan refugees, after fleeing to India six decades ago, have lived and practiced their Buddhist faith at this place, situated a few hundred kilometres from Dharamshala, Voice of America (VOA) reported. Srinagar, the most populous Muslim-majority region incorporates about 1,500 Tibetan Muslims. They have preserved its culture and traditions while endearing itself to its neighbours by, as well as, having opened restaurants serving an increasingly popular cuisine, reported VOA. Ahmad Kamal Zarief, manager of the Lhasa Restaurant on Srinagar's Boulevard Road, said young Kashmiris are extremely fond of Tibetan dishes like Momos, which is a type of stuffed steamed dumpling. "Most of our customers are Kashmiris," he said. He said further the restaurant was important to his father who opened this place in 1976. "My father treasured his Tibetan roots. Tibetan cuisine served as a gateway to his ancestral village, connecting him to his family and childhood memories. Through this restaurant, my father found solace in reliving those cherished moments," he recalled. VOA is part of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the government agency that oversees all non-military, US international broadcasting. A former principal of the Tibetan Public School in Srinigar, Amanullah Malik, said for the Tibetan Muslims, who fled after Chinese troops seized control of Lhasa following a failed uprising against Beijing in 1959, the journey to Kashmir was not so much an exodus as a return to their origins, according to VOA. Ages ago, the community's ancestors moved from Kashmir to Lhasa where they married Tibetan women and learned their language and hence formed a distinct community. "We enjoyed the freedom to practice our religion, build our mosque and conduct business without any hindrance," Malik said. Most of the newcomers inhabited Srinagar near the 18th-century Hari Parbat Fort, VOA reported, adding that the place has now become a thriving neighbourhood marked by many Tibetan restaurants and other signs of the residents' cultural roots. Moreover, intercommunity marriages have taken place between Tibetans and Kashmiris but are not so common. Nighat Qazi, in her 30s, married a Tibetan man and has three children. Qazi got married in 2011 and since she married outside her community, she faced resistance from her family. "Now my family and entire clan are happy and appreciate my decision. There should be more inter-community marriages," she said. Younger Tibetans may have given up hope of returning to their ancestral homeland, which they now claim to be under Chinese occupation. This attitude can certainly be seen in their way of living since they are adopting the customs and language of the Kashmiri people, reported VOA. "We will always reside in Kashmir, and that is an undeniable reality. Just observe the upcoming generation. They are unaware of being sent away. While they may possess Tibetan heritage, their behavior, language, and preferences are distinctly Kashmiri," said Malik, the former principal. Nevertheless, Zarief said, the Tibetans have preserved their national language, adding, "At home, we speak in our language, and it is one of the finest dialects of the Tibetan language." "Throughout our existence in Kashmir, we have never been harassed. Kashmiris are great hosts and have treated us well," Zarief said. (ANI)
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US, Bob Menendez, the Congressman from New Jersey, said on Saturday that in recent years India and the US have made "considerable strides" and he hopes for "even more in the future." PM Modi is set to travel to the US on an official visit and will be hosted by President Joe Biden at the White House. Bob Menendez, a senior Senator from New Jersey and chairman of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a short video address welcoming PM Modi to the US. "I would like to join the vibrant and important Indian American community in my home state in saying welcome to Washington DC Prime Minister Modi. The Prime Minister's state visit is a significant moment in the US-India relationship," he said in the video message. He also recalled the memories from his visit to India in 2019 saying the trip was not only a chance for him to meet with Indian civil society leaders, security and government officials in the country but also an opportunity to engage with India's history, culture and diverse religious traditions. "I saw India's biggest mosque. I saw the Akshar Dham Temple in Delhi. I spent a day at the Golden Temple, and I celebrated Gandhi's 150th birthday. I hope Prime Minister Modi will have the same opportunities to experience all the richness of the United States during his visit. Whether it is the incredible architecture of the Capitol Dome or the deep generosity of the American people, I wish him well in his visit to Washington," Menendez said in a personalised message to PM Modi. The US Congressman also highlighted "critically important ties" between India and US, including trade and economic engagement, security cooperation, and people-to-people relations. "We have made considerable strides in recent years, and I hope for even more in the future. My work on behalf of thousands of New Jersey citizens benefits greatly from my engagement with New Jersey's Indian American community, who contribute so much to our economy, culture, and security," the Senator added. Menendez also pledged to work even harder to bring India-US closer together and to make them both more prosperous in the years and decades to come. PM Modi will set off on his first state visit to the US on June 20. The visit will commence in New York where the Prime Minister will lead the celebrations of the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations Headquarters on June 21. After celebrating Yoga Day in New York, PM Modi will then travel to Washington DC where he will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House on June 22 and meet President Biden to continue their high-level dialogue. President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a State Dinner in honour of Prime Minister Modi the same evening, according to a release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). At the invitation of US Congressional Leaders, including Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy and Speaker of the Senate Charles Schumer, PM Modi will address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress on June 22. On June 23, PM Modi will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Bilnken. In addition to official engagements, the Prime Minister is scheduled to have several curated interactions with leading CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders. He will also meet members of the Indian diaspora. (ANI)
Ahead of his visit to China, United States State Secretary Antony Blinken spoke with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa on Saturday. In a statement, US State Department's spokesperson Matthew Miller said, "Secretary of State Antony J Blinken spoke today with Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa ahead of the Secretary's travel to the People's Republic of China." In the conversation with Yoshimasa, Blinken condemned North Korea's "unlawful ballistic missile" launch into the Sea of Japan and reaffirmed the United States' ironclad commitment to the defence of Japan. "Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Hayashi discussed the importance of sustained U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral cooperation on a range of regional and global issues, including economic development in the Indo-Pacific, and reaffirmed their continued support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he added. This statement came after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday. After the incident, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan has lodged a protest with North Korea over the missile launch, reported Kyodo News. He tweeted, "North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile. More updates to follow." Kishida added, "Dedicate maximum effort to gather & analyze information, & provide the public speedy & adequate information. Ensure the safety of aircraft, vessels, & other assets. Take all possible measures for precaution, incl. readiness for contingencies." Blinken also spoke with the South Korean Foreign Minister where he condemned the DPRK's continued unlawful ballistic missile launches and noted the need for China to use its influence to encourage Pyongyang to engage in serious and sustained diplomacy. "The Secretary reaffirmed the United States' ironclad commitment to the defence of the ROK. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Park discussed the importance of sustained U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral cooperation in advancing economic prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and in strengthening the rules-based international order. The Secretary thanked his counterpart for the ROK's support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Miller added in the statement. Blinken is all set to travel to China and the United Kingdom from June 16-21, the Department of State said in a statement. During his visit to China, Blinken will meet with senior PRC officials where he will discuss the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage the US-PRC relationship. (ANI)
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that the war in Ukraine has to end, Al Jazeera reported on Saturday. "This war has to have an end... It must be settled through negotiations and through diplomatic means," Ramaphosa said on Saturday in St Petersburg at the 18th-century Konstantinovsky Palace. He added his delegation, consisting of seven African leaders, "came with a very clear message: that this war has to be ended". Ramaphosa arrived in St Petersburg on Saturday in the Russian Federation for the continuation of the African Peace Mission to the Ukraine and Russia conflict. "This war is having a negative impact on the African continent and indeed, on many other countries around the world," Al Jazeera quoted Ramaphosa saying. Ramaphosa also laid out the 10 points of the African peace initiative that is seeking agreement on a series of "confidence-building measures" - even as Ukraine last week began a counteroffensive to push back Russian forces. Meanwhile, Putin reiterated his position that Ukraine and the West had started the conflict long before Russia sent its armed forces over the border in February last year. He said Russia had never refused talks with the Ukrainian side, which had been blocked by Kyiv. Putin praised the "balanced approach" of African countries towards the Ukraine conflict, reported Al Jazeera. "We welcome the balanced approach of African friends to the Ukraine crisis," Putin told the visiting leaders. "We're open to constructive dialogue with all those who want peace based on the principles of respect for each other's interests, as well as justice," Putin said. The Russian leader also said exports of Ukrainian grain under a deal ensuring its safe passage through the Black Sea were not helping to resolve Africa's problems with high global food prices - as only 3 per cent has gone to the poorest countries. Putin said the food crisis had been caused by the actions of Western countries, not by what Russia calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine. It is pertinent to mention that his arrival in Russia's cultural capital, follows constructive discussions with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine on 16 June 2023, according to the statement released by South Africa's President. (ANI)
Many Afghan refugees complained that they are facing difficult situations in Pakistan prisons. They said that they need the Islamic Emirate's help to address their problems and release them from custody, TOLONews reported. According to reports, dozens of Afghan migrants have been jailed in Pakistan over the past few weeks for not holding an up-to-date visa or residence document. An Afghan refugee said, "We hope that Islamic Emirate helps us to be released from jails in Pakistan so that we can return to our country and get rid of this miserable situation", as per TOLONews. TOLONews is an Afghan news channel broadcasting from Kabul. "We should be released from Pakistan prisons by the upcoming Eid. We have been in a difficult condition in prisons for a long time," said an Afghan refugee. Abdul Jabbar Takhari, the Consul of the Islamic Emirate in Karachi, Pakistan, said that the government of Pakistan should immediately release detained Afghan immigrants. "We ask them to stop arresting Afghan refugees especially those Afghans who travel to Pakistan for treatment purposes. They should be allowed to do their treatment. This is an important matter and it should be given special attention," Takhari added. Meanwhile, some refugee rights activists also said that Afghan refugees are faced with serious challenges in other countries. Asifa Stanikzai, a Refugee Rights Activist said, "The cause of most migrations, especially illegal ones, is cultural, economic, political and social issues. Therefore, migrants face all types of challenges such as robbery, being taken hostage, all types of sexual assault, and even death." This came after the Taliban-ruled Foreign Affairs department said last week that more than 1,000 Afghans who were imprisoned in Iran have been transferred to Afghanistan in recent weeks on the basis of an agreement between Kabul and Tehran, as per TOLONews. Last week, the Afghanistan embassy in Islamabad appealed to the Pakistani government to stop the arrest of Afghan refugees "as it can adversely impact bilateral relations between the two countries, reported TOLONews. The deputy spokesman requested that the Pakistani government stop the practice of detaining Afghan immigrants there and permit them to continue living there normally, according to TOLONews. (ANI)
15 injured after Baltimore bus crashes into cars, a building, police say

Authorities in Baltimore are investigating after police say a public bus crashed into multiple cars and a building Saturday, injuring at least 15 people.

Two of the injuries are possibly life threatening, police said in a news release. Before hitting the building, the Maryland Transit Administration bus crashed into two cars, according to a preliminary investigation.

Baltimore police said officers responded to a Maryland Transit Administration bus crash at about 10:20 a.m. Saturday.

The crash happened in Baltimore's Seton Hill neighborhood, west of downtown, WJZ News reported.

Baltimore City police, MTA Police, the Baltimore City Fire Department and building inspectors were at the scene of the crash Saturday afternoon, WBAL News reported.

How often do bus crashes happen?

No fatalities have been reported from the Baltimore crash, but fatal bus crashes occur many times per year in the U.S.

There were on average over 200 fatal crashes involving buses each year between 2015 and 2020, according to federal data.

Most fatalities were not of occupants of the buses, however. In 2019, 35 bus passengers died in crashes, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. In 2018, that number was 44.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Baltimore MTA bus crash involving cars, a building injures 15
3,000 Kansas Citians have had weed charges cleared, but still thousands of records to go

Circuit courts across Missouri have scrambled to expunge all nonviolent marijuana misdemeanor cases by this month to meet a deadline set by the amendment that legalized recreational use. But court officials say it will be a while before all eligible records have been entirely wiped clean.

Missouri is the first state to include an automatic expungement process in its legalization law, according to Jack Cardetti, a strategist that worked on the constitutional amendment. Activists who supported the amendment believe this process of clearing records will help more people participate in society, get better jobs and potentially enter into the marijuana industry themselves.

Clay County is one of the only counties to review and expunge all of its 1,500 plus misdemeanor marijuana charges on file. Across the four major Missouri counties that make up the Kansas City area, only 2,960 cases were expunged by the deadline.

This all takes some time, Jackson County Circuit Court spokesperson Valerie Hartman told The Star in January. We have devoted considerable resources from multiple departments to set up our processes. We are currently undertaking this major project and managing it with the staff that we have.

Clay County has expunged a total of 1,541 misdemeanor cases, the fifth-most cases expunged statewide. Jackson County has expunged 1,170 cases and Cass and Platte Counties have expunged 182 and 63 cases, respectively.

The expungement process outlined in the states constitution was intended to be somewhat of an automatic process where courtrooms review and expunge the records of any nonviolent marijuana offenses, with the exception of cases related to driving under the influence or selling weed to minors. The first June 8 deadline was for misdemeanor charges and other lower-level offenses, after which courtrooms will be responsible for expunging felony charges too.

We just started knocking them out, Clay County Circuit Court Clerk Lee Bucksath said. We knew that there was no need to wait and we knew we had a deadline coming up. So we just got in and processed what we were supposed to process.

Although Missouri courts have successfully expunged more than 46,680 charges, each county likely has more cases left to review and few resources to help manage such a large task.

How many more cases are left to expunge?

There is no concrete number for how many cases qualify for automatic expungement because some cases are filed simply as controlled substances. This makes things complicated, because it means that court staffers are reviewing all drug cases dating back to 1971 to make sure they find all qualifying marijuana cases eligible for expungement, according to Cass County Circuit clerk Kim York.

So we have to look at every single case that says controlled substance and review the documents to see if marijuana was the controlled substance or something else, York said, adding that Cass county has reviewed thousands of cases so far even though less than 200 required an expungement.

Older case files are likely not uploaded into state and county databases, which could make the review process even more difficult and time-consuming. In Jackson County, digital files only date back to 1993. That means the 16th Circuit court will have 22 years worth of print case files to review.

Its more complex and time intensive as we go back in time, Greene County circuit clerk Bryan Feemster said.

Once counties are finished reviewing misdemeanor cases, they will have to work quickly to review nonviolent felony cases by early fall. Those cases will include more serious charges including felony cases involving three pounds or less of marijuana.

The counties that have made the most progress on the expungement process include Buchanan, Greene, St. Charles and Phelps counties, which have each expunged more than 1,500 cases in time for the June deadline.

Green County has expunged the second most cases in the state, but Feemster said there are at least 16,000 more cases left to review and potentially expunge. There is no estimate available for how many Cass, Jackson and Platte counties have left. Clay Countys circuit clerk said he believes they have less than 1,500 more cases to review.

Freemster said that each case takes his team an average of two hours to review entirely. He estimates that the task will require upwards of 37,000 labor hours and around $1 million to pay for that labor before every eligible case in Greene County is expunged.

What about people still in jail?

Missourians who are in jail or prison for weed charges will not have their records automatically expunged, but they can file for expungement and have their cases reviewed and their records potentially sealed, according to the amendment that legalized recreational weed. People with charges of violent crimes, or whose offenses involved distribution to a minor or driving under the influence of marijuana, will still not be able to get those charges expunged.

Jackson County has filed 17 marijuana expungement petitions, the most in the state as of June 8. Clay County has filed four petitions for expungement, Cass County has one and Platte County has not filed any petitions yet. More than 100 petitions have been filed statewide. Its unclear how many of those people who petitioned have been granted expungement yet.
3 arrested, including 15-year-old, after loaded guns found hidden in teens bed, Newnan police say

A 15-year-old accused of committing an armed robbery was arrested after officials found him hiding out in a home in Atlanta.

According to an incident report obtained by Channel 2 Action News, the Newnan Police Department Drug/Vice Unit and Atlanta Police Department went to a home on Beecher Street SW in Atlanta after receiving reports that a suspect with active warrants for his arrest was hiding out there.

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The suspect was a 15-year-old known to have been involved in criminal activity in Newnan, specifically an armed robbery in April where one of the items he is accused of stealing was a firearm.

Police did not specify what other criminal activity the 15-year-old is accused of.

When officers entered the home, officials said they found the suspect lying on and within arms reach of an AR-15 and two handguns. Authorities confirmed that all firearms were loaded during the incident, and the AR-15 was in fire mode.

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Authorities asked the person who answered the door, Benita Smith, if they could search the 15-year-olds room. After doing so, officials said officers located two more assault rifles under his bed.

During the search, police also found several contraband items in Xavier Smiths bedroom.

According to the report, officers obtained a search warrant for the home, leading them to find the following items:

Glock 23 40 Caliber that was reported stolen during the armed robbery in Newnan. Glock 19 9MM American Tactical AR-15 HK 416 Rifle with magazine Anderson Manufactured AR-15 556 Mini Draco with magazine RUGER 9 MM handgun Freedom Ordinance AR-9MM Glock 19 with Conversation Device Glock 10 MM handgun 40-caliber Ammunition 223 Ammunition 556 Ammunition 556 Ammunition 10 MM Ammunition 22 Ammunition Glock 9MM tan gun box Assorted Ammunition Assorted magazines

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Authorities transported the 15-year-old to Coweta County to be booked. His charges have been released.

Benita Smith was charged with possession of dangerous weapons.

Xavier Smith was charged with possession of dangerous weapons and possession of marijuana.

The relationship between Benita Smith, Xavier Smith and the teen is unclear.

IN OTHER NEWS:
A parallel session of the Forum on Global Human Rights Governance held in Beijing, June 14, 2023. [Photo by Wang Yiming/China.org.cn]



This year marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, which emphasizes the importance of international cooperation in promoting global human rights development and governance. Several speakers at the Forum on Global Human Rights Governance, held in Beijing this week, advocated for worldwide collaboration in this domain.

Nathali C. Berrios Marrero, a lawyer with the Ministry of People's Power for Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, highlighted the significance of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, noting that "strengthening international cooperation for the benefit of human rights contributes to the realization of the purposes of the United Nations." She also praised the Global Development Initiative presented by China during the U.N. General Assembly in 2021 as a successful step in jointly promoting development.

Woo Su-Keun, chairman of the Korea-China Global Association, also stressed the importance of international cooperation in global human rights governance. He called for countries to recognize and respect different views on human rights while building on universal standards, stating that "international cooperation is very important so as not to be too biased toward human rights views in a specific region or country."

Woo suggested reorganizing and reforming systems of international human rights organizations, such as the U.N. Human Rights Council and Amnesty International, to better suit the current era. He also stressed the need for "strengthening human rights governance, an international system for protecting and promoting human rights."

Luo Yanhua, a professor at the School of International Relations at Peking University, discussed China's active advocacy and practice of international cooperation in the field of human rights.

China has proposed a draft resolution on "promoting win-win cooperation in the field of human rights" at the U.N. Human Rights Council on three occasions. Luo mentioned that China has joined 26 important international human rights treaties, including six core U.N. human rights treaties.

She also talked about China's other contributions to international human rights cooperation, such as hosting and institutionalizing the South-South Human Rights Forum, which provides a high-end platform for international human rights cooperation and exchange among developing countries.

Zhang Yonghe, executive dean of the Human Rights Research Institute of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, pointed out that China has consistently supported the enhancement of international cooperation in the realm of human rights and taken practical actions to encourage the development of global human rights governance toward greater fairness, justice, reasonableness and inclusivity, contributing Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions and Chinese strength.

The concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, as proposed by China, has become a significant component of the international human rights discourse system, Zhang said.

He further asserted that every nation has the right to independently choose its own path for human rights development and that the promotion of international dialogue and cooperation in the field of human rights should be stressed.
Up to 400 cadavers could have been used in the Harvard morgue's human remains trafficking scheme, lawsuit alleges

The Harvard Medical School. Charles Krupa/Associated Press

A man is suing Harvard and a morgue manager, accusing them of mishandling his mother's body.

The lawsuit alleges that up to 400 donated cadavers could have been involved in a black market scheme.

Earlier this week, the feds indicted Harvard's morgue manager on allegations of human remains trafficking.

As many as 350 to 400 human cadavers donated to Harvard Medical School were dissected and sold on the black market at the hands of the morgue manager, according to a lawsuit filed in Massachusetts on Friday.

The civil complaint, which aims to represent other families as part of a class-action lawsuit, is the latest development in the macabre saga of the Harvard morgue manager's alleged human remains trafficking scheme.

Federal prosecutors indicted Cedric Lodge earlier this week, along with his wife and four other people accused of conspiring to transport and sell human remains. The remains came from people who volunteered for Harvard's anatomical gifts program and agreed to donate their bodies for education, teaching, or research purposes.

But instead of being used by medical students, Lodge and his alleged co-conspirators trafficked in "heads, brains, skin, bones, and other human remains," according to a federal indictment filed Wednesday.

For instance, Lodge once sold two dissected faces for $600, the criminal complaint said. Another criminal defendant who worked alongside Lodge shipped human skin to a man in Pennsylvania and hired him to "tan the skin to create leather," according to the complaint.

Investigators also found financial records of the transactions, including one $1,000 payment labeled "head number 7" and a $200 payment described as "braiiiiiins."

The civil lawsuit was filed Friday by the son of a woman whose body was donated to Harvard for medical research following her death in February 2019. The complaint says Adele Mazzone's son recently received information that his mother's body was "one of the many donated cadavers mishandled at the HMS morgue."

One of Mazzone's daughters told NBC Boston she received ashes from Harvard Medical School, as per her mother's agreement with the school, but now questions whether the ashes are truly her mother's.

"We want to know what happened," she told the station. "We want to know how it happened, why it happened, why there weren't more security measures taken."

The lawsuit names both Lodge and Harvard administrators as defendants and says the school was negligent in hiring and supervising Lodge as the morgue manager.

"Harvard owed a duty of care to the families who entrusted it with custody of their loved one's deceased bodies by taking reasonable measures to ensure that the cadavers were properly handled and maintained for their intended purpose of scientific study and not improperly mishandled, dissected, and/or sold to third parties," the lawsuit said.

Lodge's attorney declined to comment on the lawsuit. Harvard representatives also declined to comment.

An attorney who filed the lawsuit against Harvard and Lodge also did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
Big Names

A large proportion of CEOs from a diverse cross-section of Fortune 500 companies believe artificial intelligence might destroy humanity  even as business leaders lean into the gold rush around the tech.

In survey results shared with CNN, 42 percent of CEOs from 119 companies surveyed by Yale University think that AI could, within the next five to ten years, quite literally destroy our species.

While the names of specific CEOs who share that belief were not made public, CNN notes that the consortium surveyed during Yale's CEO Summit event this week contained a wide array of leaders from companies including Zoom, Coca-Cola and Walmart.

The breakdown of beliefs is pretty striking: while 34 percent of the surveyed CEOs say they think AI could extinguish humanity in the next 10 years and an additional eight percent said the same could happen within the next five, 58 percent say they're "not worried" and that they don't think such a catastrophe will happen at all.

Ironically, 42 percent of the CEOs also said they think the risk of AI is overblown.

"Its pretty dark and alarming," Yale's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who conducted the survey during the virtual summit event, told CNN.

Over/Under

When it comes to the upsides of AI, the CEOs were still divided, though much less so than when asked about its dangers.

A mere 13 percent of those 119 CEOs said that they think the touted benefits of AI were overstated, while the remaining 83 said that they don't think AI's potential has been exaggerated. No surprises there  CEOs have been salivating for some time over AI's potential to save them money by streamlining workflows and, of course, replacing human workers with much-cheaper algorithms, even if those AIs are far from being up to human snuff thus far.

Overall, Sonnenfeld said that the CEOs he surveyed can be broken up into five camps: the "curious creators" who "are like Robert Oppenheimer, before the bomb"; the "euphoric true believers" who can only see the tech's good side; the "commercial profiteers" who "dont know what theyre doing, but theyre racing into it"; the "alarmist activists"; and the "global governance advocates."

"These five groups are all talking past each other," the Yale professor said, "with righteous indignation."

Given the alternating panic and push cycles we've seen from CEOs so far, we've gotta say we agree  and it's wild that the people who will be making the hiring, firing, and investment decisions regarding AI haven't yet come to anything close to consensus on it.

More on AI-happy bosses: Owner of Gaming Sites Fires Writers, Hires for "AI Editor" to Churn Out Hundreds of Articles Per Week
The 5 people Marjorie Taylor Greene is trying to impeach: Here's why she wants to oust Biden, others

In the last month, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., has introduced impeachment articles targeting President Joe Biden and four top officials, each alleging a smorgasbord of improprieties from "intentionally failing to secure our homeland" to "weaponizing the Department of Injustice.'"

An impeachment is the presentation of formal charges against a public official by the House; a trial on those charges is held before the Senate.

The Georgia Republican and Trump loyalist's impeachment push comes as pressure mounts around former President Donald Trump's legal woes. Trump  who was impeached twice by the House while president, but acquitted by the Senate both times  now faces charges in a New York hush money probe and a federal investigation into his allegedly improper retention of classified documents. Additional investigations are ongoing.

Here's what we know about the five Biden officials Greene wants to impeach.

President Joe Biden speaks at a chiefs of mission reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, June 13, 2023. The chiefs of mission are the principal officers, usually ambassadors, in charge of diplomatic missions and various U.S. offices abroad. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) ORG XMIT: DCSW109

President Joe Biden

Greene brought articles of impeachment against Biden on May 18, alleging he committed "high crimes and misdemeanors" in connection with his immigration policies. It's the sixth time she's introduced articles of impeachment against the president, none of which have been successful.

Greene alleges that Biden "deliberately compromised our national security" by purportedly failing to protect the southern border. She blamed Biden's "cancellation" of Trump's border wall extension for illegal immigration and the fentanyl crisis.

The White House immediately condemned Greene as "one of the most extreme MAGA members" in Congress and her impeachment effort as a "shameless sideshow political stunt."

MTG impeachment efforts Marjorie Taylor Greene wants to impeach Joe Biden. The White House called her push a 'stunt'

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during the daily news briefing at the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on May 11, 2023 in Washington, DC. Mayorkas took questions from reporters about the expiration Title 42.

Alejandro Mayorkas

Alejandro Mayorkas is the Secretary of Homeland Security, sworn in during February 2021. The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for overseeing border security, among other security facets, which Greene claims Mayorkas has failed to do in his role. She introduced impeachment articles against him on May 17.

Greene alleges that Mayorkas "aided and abetted the complete invasion of our country" and suggested he lied under oath about the Biden administration's control of the border. She cited a "record amount" of fentanyl seized at the border and slammed other Biden administration immigration policies.

Attorney general Merrick Garland speaks about the prosecution team leading the indictments againt former president Donald Trump.

Merrick Garland

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland oversees the Department of Justice and is the country's chief federal law enforcement officer. He was sworn in during March 2021. Greene brought impeachment articles against Garland for the second time on May 17.

Greene claims that Garland oversaw the "politicization" of the Justice Department, which she alleges disfavors conservatives. She further criticized Garland for overseeing the prosecution of Jan. 6 rioters  whom she called "overwhelmingly nonviolent"  but not "Antifa" or Black Lives Matter protestors, whom she called "terrorists."

When Greene last introduced impeachment articles against Garland, in August 2022 after the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago in connection with the Trump classified documents investigation, she said he did not "faithfully" execute his job to defend the U.S. Constitution. Garland had said during a press conference days earlier that "faithful adherence to the rule of law is the bedrock principle of the Justice Department and of our democracy. Upholding the rule of law means applying the law evenly, without fear or favor."

FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats, in Washington, DC, on March 8, 2023.

Christopher Wray

Christopher Wray was appointed director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation by Trump and sworn in during August 2017. During the Trump administration, he reported to former Attorney General Bill Barr, but now reports to Garland.

Greene claims Wray has helped execute the alleged weaponization of the justice system, turning the FBI into Biden's "personal police force." The laundry list of Greene's charges against Wray include the FBI's raid on Mar-a-Lago, investigations into anti-abortion activists following the reversal of Roe v. Wade and purported "protection" of Biden's son, Hunter.

Matthew Graves

Matthew Graves is the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, a role he assumed in November 2021. He has overseen the vast efforts to prosecute Jan. 6 rioters who invaded the Capitol after Trump claimed he had won the election. More than 1,000 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states and D.C. since the riot.

Greene alleges Graves is "systematically criminalizing political dissent at the behest of his handlers in the White House." She references Jan. 6 rioters without naming them, and cites a statistic that D.C. federal prosecutors declined to prosecute 67% of those arrested who would have been tried in D.C. Superior Court.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) ORG XMIT: DCCK104

Will GOP impeachment efforts prevail?

Most of the impeachment articles Greene brought against Biden and other top officials will not likely see a House vote, much less passage in the narrowly GOP-led chamber. The Senate, which would hold trials on the charges, is held by Democrats at a slim margin.

But efforts to impeach Mayorkas, the Homeland Security secretary, do appear to be advancing. Politico reported Wednesday that right-wing lawmakers are mounting an effort to get the votes to impeach the secretary.

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Az., who has also introduced articles of impeachment against Mayorkas, told Politico the coalition is "getting pretty darn close" to having the votes. However, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., has said Republicans "dont have the votes" to see the impeachment through.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Marjorie Taylor Greene is trying to impeach Biden, others. Here's why.
Here are 6 major US cities you can fly to directly from Sacramento International Airport

Sacramento International Airport flies direct to more than 15 states in the country  and thats not including the international nonstop flights to Mexico and Canada.

In early June, the airport announced it was adding non-stop flights to Toronto.

With summer just around the corner and travel on the rise, below is a full list of cities you can visit with no layovers involved, according to the airport website.

Below we break out prices for seven major cities you can fly directly to from Sacramento International Airport. A complete list can be found at the end of this story:

Direct flight to New York from SMF

Planning a trip to New York City?

You can fly direct to John F. Kennedy airport with Jetblue from Sacramento. The flight is roughly 5 hours and 21 minutes long.

Jetblue has flights to JFK starting at around $250 if you book two weeks in advance. If you book three weeks in advance tickets are even cheaper. Right now, there is a one way ticket from Sacramento to JFK, leaving July 10 for $149.

Direct flight to Seattle from SMF

If youre considering a trip to the Pacific Northwest, you can shop around with three different airlines for direct flights to Tacoma International Airport. The flight from Sacramento is roughly an hour and 50 minutes.

Sacramento airport offers direct flights with Alaska Airlines, Delta Airlines and Southwest Airlines. The most affordable tickets we found were through Southwest. Right now you can find a one-way ticket leaving from Sacramento July 22 for $95.

Direct flight to Las Vegas from SMF

Direct flights to Las Vegas are available with Southwest and Spirit Airlines. The trip from Sacramento into Harry Reid International Airport is roughly an hour and 15 minutes long.

You can snag a one-way flight with Spirit Airlines for $59 as early as June 18.

Direct flight to Honolulu from SMF

Nonstop flights are available to Honolulu from Sacramento through Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest. The flight takes roughly 5 hours and 35 minutes.

After a quick search on both airlines, Southwest has the most affordable direct flights into Honolulu, at $351 for a one-way ticket, leaving July 30.

Below are two other Hawaiian islands you can can directly fly into from Sacramento:

Kailua-Kona on either Southwest Airlines Maui on Hawaiian Airlines or Southwest Airlines

Direct flight to Austin from SMF

Curious about the Texas state capital?

You can fly directly from Sacramento to Austin with either Southwest or American Airlines. The flight takes roughly 4 hours and 50 minutes.

Southwest has one-way tickets starting at $270, leaving July 7.

Below are two other Texas cities you can directly fly into from Sacramento:

Dallas, Forth Worth International Airport, on American Airlines Dallas, Love Field Airport, on Southwest Airlines Houston Intercontinental Airport on United Airlines Houston, William P. Hobby Airport, on Southwest Airlines

Direct flight to Washington D.C. from SMF

Direct flights into the United States capital take roughly 4 hours and 56 minutes with United Airlines. You can find a one-way direct flight with United Airlines, leaving July 6, at $264.

Other non-stop destinations:

Below is a list of other cities you can fly directly from Sacramento airport, without having to factor in a layover to your travel itinerary:

Atlanta on Delta Airlines

Boise, Idaho, on Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines

Charlotte, North Carolina on American Airlines

Denver on Frontier, Southwest and United Airlines

Minneapolis on Delta Airlines

Nashville, Tennessee, on Southwest Airlines

Phoenix on American Airlines and Southwest Airlines





Portland, Oregon, on Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines

Salt Lake City on Delta Airlines and Southwest Airlines

St. Louis on Southwest Airlines

Spokane on Southwest Airlines

Newark, New Jersey with United Airlines

Merced on Boutique Air

San Francisco on United Airlines

Burbank on Southwest Airlines

Long Beach on Southwest Airlines

Los Angeles on either American Airlines, Delta, Southwest Airlines, or United Airlines

Ontario on Southwest Airlines

Orange County on Southwest Airlines and Spirit

Palm Springs on Southwest Airlines

Santa Ana on Southwest Airlines

San Diego on either Alaska Airlines or Southwest Airlines

Chicago, Midway International Airport, on Southwest Airlines

Chicago, OHare International, on United Airlines and American Airlines

International non-stop flights

Mexico

Cabo San Lucas, on Southwest Airlines

Guadalajara, on AeroMexico and Volaris

Leon, on Volaris

Mexico City, on Volaris

Canada

Vancouver, BC on Air Canada

Toronto, on Air Canada

Seasonal non-stop flights

Boston, Massachusetts on Jetblue

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.
A grandfather heading to church on Easter Sunday. A teenager, fresh off his nightshift sorting boxes at Amazon. A retired dancer, walking home after treating herself to a pedicure.

All were killed during a single week around Tampa Bay by what local and national leaders have declared a growing public health crisis. While most other rich nations are becoming safer, road deaths in America remain persistently high, especially in Sun Belt metros like ours.

There were 434 fatal crashes across Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties last year, according to preliminary statistics from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

The Tampa Bay Times reviewed police reports, court files and obituaries to piece together what an average week looks like for a region long gripped by reckless driving, busy roadways and threadbare public transit.

From April 17-23, 2022, drivers crashed at least 1,575 times in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, the Times found. On average, thats more than nine crashes an hour, every hour, for seven days straight. In 43 of those incidents, at least one person was seriously injured, records show. In eight, someone died.

That week, state data also shows:

More than three-fourths of crashes occurred during daylight hours, but half of all fatal crashes were at night.

Damage to property and vehicles cost about $10.3 million.

Half of the people killed were men on motorcycles, ranging from 26-61.

Half of crashes resulted in citations for driving infractions.

At some crash scenes, tidied and swept, you will find no trace of the carnage. At some, black lines of burnt rubber are left by drivers who hit the brakes too hard, too late. At others, a memorial marker, a circle of aluminum, inscribed with four words, offering both a command and a plea: Drive safely in memory

Here is a look at all the fatal traffic crashes during that typically deadly week.

Sunday, April 17, 2:55 a.m. A dark stretch of highway in unincorporated Pasco County

Under a full moon, a woman walks along the shoulder of U.S. 301, a commuter route carving through eastern Pasco, where master-planned communities are ever-encroaching on farmland.

Its unclear where 49-year-old Jennifer Smith is going. But through the fog and moonlight, the driver of a silver Dodge runs off the road and into Smith, police suspect. Her torso flies into the shoulder and her legs onto the highway.

Pasco sheriffs deputies arrive about ten minutes later. Only traces of the driver remain: A chunk of the front grille. Some paint chips.

The crash is among the first of 251 hit-and-run crashes this week.

Smith is pronounced dead at 3:12 a.m. Less than two hours later, a pickup barrels toward state troopers and deputies investigating the scene, almost hitting two. Ignoring commands to stop, the driver runs over Smiths severed legs.

After a pursuit, the driver is booked into jail and later pleads guilty to six felonies and two misdemeanors. He is not considered a suspect in Smiths death. Her traffic homicide case remains open.

Later that morning, a spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol, Sergeant Steve Gaskins, types out his first fatal crash news release of the week. Hes done so for thousands of fatal crashes in the 12 years he has been a Highway Patrol public affairs officer for seven counties in western Florida.

The sights, sounds and smells of a crash stay with you, he said recently. A burnt body has a very distinct smell.

Sunday, April 17, 10:42 a.m. A two-lane road in unincorporated Hillsborough

Later that morning, a delivery driver crisscrosses the far eastern reaches of Hillsborough County, which claims a higher traffic fatality rate than any other large county in the U.S.

Pastures dotted with grazing cattle stretch beyond the windshield of his white van.

Nearby, Vance Jarvis drives through the clear spring morning on his motorcycle, heading to church. Hes a hard-working man who brought his wife flowers weekly even after 29 years of marriage. The pair had moved from California to Florida because he wanted to be a hands-on grandpa.

Missing his next delivery address, the van driver makes a U-turn on the two-lane County Road 39. He turns left without using his turn signal, according to police records. Jarvis tries to pass the van on the left in a legal passing zone. The front of his motorcycle strikes the rear of the van, flinging him onto the roadway.

The delivery driver, uninjured, pulls over. At least four people call 911.

When Jarvis is placed on a stretcher, hes still wearing his helmet. A helicopter takes him to Tampa General Hospital, where he undergoes surgery to stabilize his neck. Staff pronounce him dead five days later  on his 62nd birthday. He is one of three motorcyclists killed this week in the three-county region.

The countys medical examiner rules his death accidental. The delivery driver is handed a civil penalty of $163. Hed received citations before: In 2016, at age 17, he was fined $268 and required to complete a four-hour driver improvement class for going 89 mph in a 60 zone. Last January, he was fined $278 for going 67 mph in a 45 zone.

Two weeks after her husband died, Karen Lord returns to the hospital to collect his blood-splattered helmet and sunglasses. She later files an auto negligence lawsuit against the driver and his employers.

She decides not to install a roadside memorial. I have to see the crash site every time I leave my house, she said. That in and of itself gives me heartache.

Sunday, April 17, 2:46 p.m. A busy intersection in Pinellas Park

A few hours after the Hillsborough crash, Matthew Wade, 38, heads south on 49th Street, a six-lane road lined with auto shops and chain restaurants. He loves being on his motorcycle, sun-soaked and slicing through the air.

An experienced rider, he had moved to Florida from Georgia the previous year for a sales job at a Clearwater Harley-Davidson branch. But now he drives through a red light at the intersection of 86th Avenue, which is flanked by a rental car location, a gas station and Dunkin Donuts.

He smashes into an SUV that is making a left turn on green. Police later say that Wades speed and alcohol consumption contributed to the crash. City firefighters take him to the hospital, where he dies.

Wade was a gifted athlete, a Little League star. He was a giving person, loved ones later said, including in death: his organs live on in the bodies of others.

He loved fiercely, said his brother Joshua.

Less than two blocks from the site of Wades death lives Bojan Skopljak, an ever-smiling Publix employee who would become a crash victim before the days end.

Sunday, April 17, 6:06 p.m. A highway entrance ramp in St. Petersburg

Shortly after 6 p.m. Skopljak, 26, rides his motorcycle through southern St. Petersburg and enters the northbound Interstate 275 entrance ramp from 54th Avenue South. Hed been drinking and riding with a group of motorcyclists through the evening.

Hed ridden this bend many times before, but this time he loses control. He skids off the road and hits a traffic sign before bouncing along the concrete barrier wall.

He and his bike topple over, plunging 28 feet to the road below, investigators conclude.

Skopljaks bike catches fire, causing damage that would make it impossible to determine if there were mechanical issues.

Hes pronounced dead at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg at 6:27 p.m.

Tuesday, April 19, 2:17 a.m. A much-feared stretch of U.S. 19 in Tarpon Springs, Pinellas County

It would be another day and a half before the next fatal crash, this one in north Pinellas County on a road so notorious that bumper stickers around here read: Pray for me, I drive on U.S. 19.

Alyssa Nelson, 24, drives home in her black Hyundai after a late shift at the bar. She passes through the perpetual day glow of 7-Elevens and storage facilities. Shed recently paid off her car and was looking forward to her aunts wedding in New Hampshire at the end of the week.

Coursing through her system is cocaine, MDA and Delta-9 THC, a blood test later determined. Her blood alcohol content is more than three times the legal limit.

She smashes into the rear of a Tarpon Springs police cruiser, parked in a southbound lane with lights flashing, for an unrelated traffic stop. Her car spins along the asphalt.

Shes taken from the mangled wreck 18 miles north to HCA Florida Bayonet Point Hospital, where shes pronounced dead.

At least two lanes of the road are blocked for hours as first responders collect strewn debris. Morning commuters inch past, gawking at the grisly maw as Nelsons car is towed away.

In cursive, the trinket on her keys in the ignition reads: Life is short, enjoy the ride.

Tuesday, April 19, 4:36 a.m. A red light at a highway intersection in unincorporated Hillsborough

Two hours later and 28 miles southeast, Daniel Florezs roommate drives him home from work.

Florez wanted to move to New York City. He wanted to be a professional boxer. The 19-year-old didnt see much of a future in Florida, so he took an overnight job sorting boxes for Amazon and began saving.

The pair drive through the darkness toward the Seffner home they rent with other high school friends. Traveling east on U.S. 92, they stop at a red light.

A man in a white Jeep Wrangler smashes into them from behind.

A Hillsborough Fire Rescue lieutenant pronounces Florez dead nine minutes later. He wasnt wearing a seat belt. Emergency medical services take Florezs roommate to Tampa General Hospital with serious injuries.

The Jeep driver, whose blood alcohol content tested at more than double the state limit, faces charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide.

The driver not only took my sons life away, he destroyed all our lives, Florezs mother, Cynthia Cole, said. Less than two months after Florezs death, his sister died from an overdose. Now, the pair of urns sit beside each other in her home. Holding on to the good times is helping her find strength, she said.

The Saturday before the crash, the family gathered in Coles Lake County home to celebrate the 16th birthday of her youngest daughter. That was the best night ever, she said.

This is how she will remember Florez: beaming from ear to ear, having used his first Amazon paycheck to buy his younger sister a set of speakers.

Thursday, April 21, 1:41 p.m. A crosswalk in Clearwater, Pinellas County

On Thursday, Marianne Meichenbaum, 80, decides to treat herself to a pedicure. She leaves her rental condo, which has a balcony with sea views where she and her husband of 58 years ate breakfast every morning, and steps out into the afternoon sun.

The eight-minute walk to the salon takes her past the Spanish restaurant where they liked to have dinner and across Gulf Boulevard, lined with palm trees hugging Pinellas Countys Gulf Coast.

The couple, parents of four and grandparents of seven, had been migrating to Clearwater for warm winters for two decades.

She leaves her appointment with newly painted toes and heads home. She pressed the flashing warning signals and stepped into the marked crosswalk. Before she could reach the other side, a red pickup truck hits her.

The driver, a 42-year-old man from Largo, tells police he saw the flashing lights but not Meichenbaum.

Law enforcement arrive 46 minutes later, including Sgt. Dan Negersmith, who oversees the Clearwater Police Departments traffic team. Meichenbaum had already been airlifted to Bayfront Hospital. All that remains on the asphalt is a pool of blood, some torn cloth and the spilled coffee shed been carrying.

Meanwhile, Don Meichenbaum had grown worried. His wifes online Pilates class was about to start and she still wasnt home. He calls her cellphone and an officer picks up. He arrives at the hospital moments after doctors pronounce her dead. His wifes hand is still warm. He holds it as she turns cold.

Meichenbaum left behind friends and family from Ontario, Canada, to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Florida. Her love of theater introduced her to her other families, as she liked to call them, cast and crew members she performed with across the country in her younger years, including the New York City Rockettes.

A Clearwater Police Department investigation did not reveal any criminal actions by the driver. He was issued $166 a traffic citation for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. His license was revoked for six months.

Meanwhile, Don Meichenbaum, an acclaimed professor and psychologist who studies traumatic bereavement, is left to wrestle with his wifes death.

Earlier that April day, hed given a lecture, asking his listeners to consider: How can people transform pain into something good? By the afternoon, he was grappling for an answer.

Friday, April 22, 11:29 p.m. A frenzied six-lane highway in Clearwater, Pinellas County

Patrick Moore and a friend were deciding whether to take their motorcycles for a spin. They often avoided Friday evenings, wary of distracted drivers. But theyd been working on a bike and wanted to see how it was running. They ventured out, the sky speckled with stars and the air heavy with moisture.

They stop at a gas station on Gulf to Bay Boulevard, a six-lane thoroughfare slicing through northern Pinellas County lined with fast-food joints and mobile home parks. Moore, 35, calls his girlfriend, Aimee Dunbar, on vacation in Chicago, to check in. I love you, she says and he echoes.

On the other side of Gulf to Bay, a 26-year-old woman is behind the wheel of a silver Jeep Cherokee, driving without insurance and a registration that had expired more than two months earlier, according to a crash report. In less than a decade shed racked up about two dozen traffic infractions, ranging from failing to wear a seat belt, speeding in a school zone and driving on a suspended license.

She makes a U-turn, hitting the front of Moores motorcycle as he travels east in the middle lane. Moores friend, Branden Milton, later tells officers Moore tried to move toward the curb just before the collision. It sends him into the air and onto the grass beside the asphalt.

Sgt. Negersmith is 4 miles north, at the scene of another crash, when the call chimes in over the radio. During his career, hed reported to hundreds of serious crashes. And now, here was another. He arrives as emergency services take Moore a few miles west to Morton Plant Hospital, where he dies from his injuries at 12:09 a.m.

The driver, uninjured, tells police she did not see any vehicles approaching when she made the U-turn. Shes charged with three infractions: driving without insurance, using an expired registration and attempting an improper U-turn.

Meanwhile, Dunbar misses Moores smiles and his zest for life. And she hates driving Gulf to Bay even more than before.

Times Data Editor Langston Taylor contributed reporting to this story.
7 details from King Charles' birthday parade that you may have missed

(Left) King Charles rides on horseback during the Trooping the Colour parade; (Right) The Princess of Wales and Prince Louis stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Chris Jackson/Getty Images; Karwai Tang/WireImage

The royal family gathered in London for Trooping the Colour on Saturday.

The event is also known as the king's birthday parade and has taken place for more than 260 years.

From Charles riding a horse to Kate Middleton's sentimental outfit, here are the details you missed.

Trooping the Colour, also known as the king's birthday parade, took place in London on Saturday.

The parade has been a royal tradition for more than 260 years and was held in honor of Queen Elizabeth II before her death in 2022. This year marked King Charles' first birthday parade as monarch.

This year's parade involved a military procession of more than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians, according to the royal website. It was attended by working members of the royal family, including Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their children.

There are many important details you may have missed, from Charles riding on horseback to Prince Louis' balcony antics.

Charles rode on horseback for his first Trooping the Colour as king, marking the first time that a reigning monarch has ridden at the parade since 1986.

King Charles on horseback at Trooping the Colour on June 17. HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)

Although Charles has ridden on horseback at previous parades, this year marks the first time he has ridden on horseback as monarch.

The last time a reigning monarch rode on horseback at the event was Queen Elizabeth in 1986, according to a Buckingham Palace press release.

Princess Anne also rode alongside King Charles, Prince William, and Prince Edward.

Princess Anne during Trooping the Colour on June 17. Rob Pinney/Getty Images

The Princess Royal wore her Royal Navy ceremonial uniform to ride horseback as part of her role as the Senior Colonel of the Household Division.

Anne had a similar role at her brother's coronation on May 6. After the ceremony, Anne supported Charles as his "Gold-Stick-In-Waiting," or the person the monarch entrusted with his personal safety. She accompanied Charles and Camilla's carriage as it made its way back to Buckingham Palace, and led 6,000 members of the military in the procession.

As Insider previously reported, she was the only member of the royal family to ride horseback after the coronation ceremony.

This year's Trooping the Colour also marked a first for Prince Edward. The king's youngest brother and now-Duke of Edinburgh rode horseback for the first time in the procession in his role as Colonel of the London Guards, People reported. Last year, he rode in a carriage with his wife Sophie and their two children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex.

Queen Camilla and Kate, Princess of Wales' outfits had special meanings.

The Princess of Wales and Queen Camila attend Trooping the Colour on June 17. Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Camilla wore a red silk coatdress by Fiona Claire in a nod to the Grenadier Guards' uniforms and a Philip Treacy hat, which was meant to resemble the guards' black bearskin hats, according to a live BBC News broadcast on Saturday. The Queen became colonel of the Grenadier Guards in December, Royal Central reported at the time.

Meanwhile, Kate wore a green coatdress and matching hat in honor of the Irish guards, the broadcast added. The princess became colonel of the Irish Guards in March, Sky News reported.

The designer of the dress is Andrew Gn from Singapore, which People magazine says may reference the third year of her husband's Earthshot Prize, which will hold its awards ceremony in that country in November.

The Princess of Wales' jewelry held a special meaning as well.

Kate Middleton during the Trooping the Colour parade on June 17. Karwai Tang/WireImage

Kate wore the same pair of diamond and sapphire earrings that she debuted at last year's Trooping the Colour event, according to People. The outlet reported that the jewelry previously belonged to Princess Diana, who wore the earrings on multiple occasions, including at the 1996 Met Gala.

The Princess of Wales also wore a shamrock brooch as another tribute to her role as honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards.

Prince Harry and Meghan were absent from the celebrations.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in their Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan." Netflix

Prince Harry and Meghan attended last year's Trooping the Colour, which was held in honor of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee. However, as Insider previously reported, they didn't appear publicly on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside other royals.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have continued to distance themselves from the royal family after stepping back as senior royals in 2020, though they were invited to King Charles' coronation in May. Harry attended the historic event, while Meghan remained in California with their children.

The number of royal family members who gathered on the balcony of Buckingham Palace was noticeably smaller than in previous years.

Prince George, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, Prince William, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince Edward, and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Colour on June 17. Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images

Following the military procession, a group of royal family members joined King Charles and Queen Camilla on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a flypast conducted by the Royal Air Force.

In years past, extended family members have been invited to join the monarch on the balcony. However, in 2022, Queen Elizabeth limited the photo op to just working royals.

King Charles is seemingly a fan of the slimmed-down balcony appearance. On Saturday, he was joined only by his wife; Princess Anne and her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence; Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh; and Prince William, Kate, and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

And Prince Louis stole the show during the balcony appearance  again.

Princess Anne, Prince George, Prince Louis, Kate Middleton, Prince William, and Princess Charlotte on the balcony at Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour on June 17. ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images

The 5-year-old has become known for his silly antics at royal events  he appeared to have a tantrum at the Trooping the Colour parade in 2022  and his appearance on Saturday was no different.

Louis looked unimpressed as he took in the crowds standing outside Buckingham Palace during the parade. But his mood quickly changed as he stood on the balcony. During the flypast, he saluted royal onlookers and pulled a few funny faces.

Read the original article on Insider
It brings us no pleasure to report this, but: the unholy union of SEO spam and AI-generated muck is here. And in this new age of mass-produced online garbage, reality seems to be headed right out the door.

Earlier this week, we stumbled onto a website called The Enlightened Mindset, which appears to be a dark vision of the AI-generated future of the web.

Among other causes for concern, there's no contact information, and the many thousands of articles in the site's sizable archive only date back to January 2023. Most importantly, of these thousands of published stories, the vast majority contain telltale signs of AI generation. The text is generic and lacks backlinks for sources, and the included pictures  a garbled, illegible mess of horrifying, hilarious, or otherwise bizarre images  often appear to be AI-generated as well.

So, in other words, a lot of red flags. But it actually gets worse. Upon closer inspection, the text of the site's AI-produced articles is often riddled with misinformation, including AI-fabricated quotes  which, concerningly, are often attributed to entirely real people.

Take, for example, a particularly nutty January 2023 blog we stumbled across titled "Is Hagrid Played By a Robot? An Exploration of the Possibility."

We should note that there's a remote kernel of reality in here. Though the late  and human  Robbie Coltrane played the beloved character, there was an animatronic Hagrid head used sometimes on the "Harry Potter" set. The article seems to do some legwork, including a quote from an apparent expert:

"There are also some drawbacks to using a robot in the role of Hagrid. For example, robots lack the emotion and nuance that a human actor could bring to the role. As Dr. Reuben Binns, professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Cambridge, points out: 'Robots may be able to mimic emotions, but they cannot feel them in the same way humans do. This means that they may not be able to convey the same level of emotion as a human actor.'"

At first glance, it's a fair assessment. Reuben Binns is also a real person, and the real Reuben Binns is, in fact, an AI researcher who specializes in machine learning, data protection, and the regulation of and by technology.

But as the real Binns confirmed to Futurism, though he doesn't necessarily disagree with this AI-generated quote, he never actually said it. Oh, and by the way, he works at Oxford. Not Cambridge.

"It was funny reading the quote itself, because, well, first of all, it gets my affiliation wrong," said Binns, when asked about the experience of being misquoted by an AI machine in published synthetic content. "I'm not a professor of artificial intelligence at the University of Cambridge, I'm a Professor of Human Centered Computing at the University of Oxford... although in the grand scheme of things, those two things, the title and the affiliation, are not that far apart."

"And then the quote itself," he added, "I don't disagree with it  I think I kind of agree with it."

Still, said Binns, if he were actually to weigh in on the topic of robot actors, he would have said something a bit different. And regardless of whether the quote is plausible, it doesn't change the reality that he never actually said it.

Indeed, the way the AI seems to have drummed up a reality-adjacent version of the researcher, and even supplied a fake quote based on this machine-dreamt character seems to mark a distinct, AI-driven loss of control over one's own public image. And unfortunately, the real Binns suspects the phenomenon might just be getting started.

"It's not unexpected," said Binns, positing that eventually, "this is gonna happen to loads of people. In a few years' time, this will not be an unusual experience for anyone whose name is on the internet somewhere."

"It'll just be part of life... your name not being something that you control anymore," he added, with "your public persona not being something you control anymore."

To that point, while digging through the Enlightened Mindset's vast archive, we found more cases similar to Binn's. These fabricated attributions primarily concerned academics, often with similarly jumbled titles and attributions, on occasion including nonexistent books or unwon accolades. (To use an example of a more public figure, Bill Nye has never won the Carl Sagan Memorial Award, nor the Stephen Hawking Award for Science Communication, nor has he been admitted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, as an Enlightened Mindset article titled "How Old Is Bill Nye The Science Guy? An Exploration" purports.)

Of course, it's not like Binns is being misquoted by an AI in a New York Times article. The Enlightened Mindset is clearly a trash fire.

But as far as the SEO of it all goes, the site is nothing to dismiss. According to data from Ahrefs, its URL has been backlinked over 70,000 times, and its domain authority rating hovers at a bad-for-a-real-website-but-good-for-spam 51.

It's also worth noting that Google appears to have recently cracked down on the spam site through manual means. Bing, on the other hand, has not. For many Bing searches, "Hagrid robot" and "Hagrid played by robot" both included, the spam site ranks in the first few resulting links.

The Enlightened Mindset's formula for success is one that other would-be AI spammers may well follow. From where we're sitting, it looks like someone bought the since-abandoned URL of a formerly reputable website  which gave the site some decent search juice from the get-go  and then filled that URL with thousands of pages of misinformation-laden AI-generated content for scale.

The internet is already full of spam, said Binns, "and [generative AI] is just going to supercharge that."

It underscores again that generative AI is very good at making things up, and very good at delivering those hallucinations confidently. And if you've had any kind of digital presence in the past few decades, generative AI systems are probably trained on you; somewhere, on a synthetic content-packed site like Enlightened Mindset or by someone's simple misuse of programs like ChatGPT and Bard, your control over your digital self might be slipping further away.

More on AI: Google Warns Employees about Using AI, While Promoting Its Own AI
The Naperville City Council needs to decide sooner rather than later how to allocate $13.3 million in federal COVID-19 relief money thats been sitting in city coffers the last few years, a senior city staffer is advising.

In a memo to the council, Finance Director Rachel Mayer is recommending the money be applied to capital projects approved in the 2023 budget.

The $1.9 trillion federal coronavirus relief package known as the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, included $350 billion in direct assistance to state and local governments that was intended to address the economic impacts of the pandemic on a local level and lay the groundwork for recovery.

Napervilles portion was $13.3 million, which was received in two installments of $6.65 million in May 2021 and May 2022.

Since then, the money has been held in a special revenue fund separate from other budgetary funds.

Over the past two years, Mayer said, the city has met with community groups, such as the Naperville Development Partnership, Downtown Naperville Alliance and Downtown Advisory Committee, to generate ideas for how the federal money would best drive reinvestment in the citys economy and further solidify Napervilles strong financial position.

While several potential projects have been discussed, none can be classified as fully vetted, shovel-ready projects capable of moving forward under the time constraints, she said.

Also because the $13.3 million is a one-time income source, fiscal best practice dictates it be applied to one-time expenses instead of creating new programs or services that would need a funding source in future budgets, Mayer said.

The U.S. Department of Treasury, which set rules for how the money can be applied, also established a timeline whereby all funds are obligated by Dec. 31, 2024, with final expenses paid by Dec. 31, 2026. Any unspent funds must be returned to the U.S. Treasury.

The recent negotiated bipartisan package to increase the U.S. debt ceiling raised the specter that unspent coronavirus relief money could be pulled if Congress chooses.

As part of the deal, some federal programs were required to return unspent ARPA funds, though the state and local program funding was not affected.

That said, the debt ceiling negotiation is a reminder that the rules and timeline for using these funds can be amended at the federal governments will, Mayer said.

Funding can be used to support public health, address negative economic effects, replace lost public sector revenue, provide premium pay to essential workers, or invest in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.

It is not be allocated to bolster reserve or rainy-day funds.

Mayer said it would be in the citys best financial interest to tell the U.S. Treasury how the money will be spent, beginning with the next required quarterly report to be filed on July 31, 2023.

By obligating the $13.3 million to capital projects, the city not only would comply with the allowable uses and timeline but satisfy reporting requirements to the U.S. Treasury, Mayer said.

In addition, she said because revenue to pay for those capital projects already was budgeted, the savings could offset the future borrowing needs for projects, such as upgrading Napervilles public safety radio network.

Road, bridge and water and wastewater infrastructure improvements are among the budgeted projects in 2023.

subaker@tribpub.com
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak - AP Photo/Alastair Grant

Britains largest banks have told the Prime Minister that Facebook-owner Meta and other American technology firms should contribute to refunds for people who are defrauded after using their websites.

Tech companies should take more responsibility for stopping scams from taking place on their social media sites, Rishi Sunak has been urged in a letter signed by banks including Barclays, HSBC UK, NatWest and TSB.

Estimates suggest that around 2,300 was stolen from consumers every minute last year.

The banks said that online fraud posed a strategic threat to the prosperity of the UK and impacts the credibility of, and confidence in, the economy and financial sector.

In the letter, sent earlier this month and first reported by Sky News, the bank chiefs said: It is having a material impact on how attractive the wider UK financial sector is perceived by inward investors, which as we know, is critical for the health of the City of London and wider UK economy.

The comments come ahead of the introduction of new requirements for banks that will force them to reimburse victims of fraud within five days.

Under the current system  whereby banks sign up to a voluntary code of guidelines  less than half of victims are able to get their money back.

The new laws will not cover cases where victims were found to have played a role in the fraud or where there is gross negligence.

The Financial Services and Markets Bill is currently making its way through Parliament, with reimbursement requirements to come into effect next year.

The banks, which also included building society Nationwide and Santander, said Britain had become a global hotspot for fraud and scams.

All companies in the fraud chain should be required to share responsibility for fixing the weaknesses and bear the financial consequences of failing to prevent fraud.

The comments come amid growing frustrations among banks for tech companies to do more.

Last week, TSB took aim at Facebook owner Meta, saying the social media company needed to take urgent action to protect those who use its platforms.

TSBs analysis also suggested that consumers will lose up to 250m on Metas social media sites and apps, which also include Instagram and WhatsApp, this year alone.

Separate figures from Lloyds have found that two thirds of cases of online shopping fraud start on Metas apps and sites.

Meta responded to the claims at the time by saying it has systems to block scams.

A spokesman said: This is an industry-wide issue and scammers are using increasingly sophisticated methods to defraud people in a range of ways including email, SMS and offline.

We dont want anyone to fall victim to these criminals which is why our platforms already have systems to block scams, financial services advertisers now have to be FCA authorised to target UK users, and we run consumer awareness campaigns on how to spot fraudulent behaviour.

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.
Defendant Peggy Jill Finley appears by video a preliminary hearing Jan. 19, 2023 in Sangamon County Circuit Court.

A Springfield paramedic charged with first-degree murder in the Dec. 18 suffocation death of Earl L. Moore Jr. in a case that has gained national attention is now free on bail.

Peggy Jill Finley, 45, of the 800 block of South Durkin Drive, was released from Sangamon County Jail around 8 p.m. Friday a jailer confirmed to The State Journal-Register.

Finley's bond was reduced from $1 million to $600,000 in a Fourth District Appellate Court ruling Friday. That was an amount Finley's attorneys, W. Scott Hanken and Mark Wykoff, had sought for her in previous motions denied by the circuit court.

More: Family of Earl Moore Jr. retains attorney Ben Crump to represent them

The ruling paved the way for Finley's family, friends and acquaintances to post $60,000, or 10% of the bond, on Friday.

"We're elated with the (Appellate Court) ruling," said Hanken, reached late Saturday morning. "We can now fight the case without her liberty being taken from her."

Hanken said he spoke to Finley just after her release from jail.

"She couldn't wait to hug her grandkids like everybody else," Hanken said. "She's working on clearing her name."

Hanken credited Sangamon County Circuit Judge Robin Schmidt and State's Attorney Dan Wright for their swift action once the decision came down Friday afternoon. That action ensured Finley's same-day release ahead of the Juneteenth holiday weekend, he said.

Finley won't be allowed to work as a paramedic as a condition of her bond.

Schmidt had previously denied Finley's motions for bond reduction, noting there was an "inherent risk" that neither Finley nor Peter J. Cadigan, 50, an emergency medical technician also charged with first-degree murder in the Moore case, would appear at future court dates.

Hanken had argued that the previous bond amount was "oppressive" and "unconstitutional" and that Finley, a former paramedic for LifeStar Ambulance Service, Inc., should be let out on a recognizance bond or have her bond reduced to $100,000.

Wright countered that the $1 million bonds for Finley and Cadigan were among the lowest of anyone accused of first-degree murder being held in the county jail.

The Springfield man, who is represented by Justin Kuehn of Belleville, remains in jail on a $1 million bond.

W. Scott Hanken, attorney for defendant Peggy Jill Finley, appears in court at a preliminary hearing for his client Jan. 19, 2023 in Sangamon County Circuit Court.

In its eight-page opinion, the three-judge panel stated that the circuit court "abused its discretion in denying (Finley's) motion to reduce bond."

The ruling also cited Finley's strong ties to the area, "indicating a low risk of flight" and that her financial condition "further makes it unlikely she will flee. The facts of the offense show defendant is not a danger to the public should she be released."

But even Hanken was surprised at the breadth of the ruling, which also took exception with the case, describing it as a hammer blow to the prosecution.

"While there were acts of violence on Moore, none were physically committed by defendant," the opinion noted. "Defendant did not assist in placing Moore on the gurney or tighten the straps around him, the two events the State alleges caused Moores death. The alleged accountability that harmed Moore was the result of defendants work as a paramedic."

The ruling, Hanken insisted, "sends a message, much like we've been arguing all along, that this case shouldn't be in criminal court. They echo our argument."

Hanken earlier this year called the of filing first-degree murder charges against Finley "a stretch" and that the state was trying to turn "an alleged medical malpractice into a crime."

Technically, Hanken said, Finley and Cadigan are co-defendants in the case because they've both been charged with the same acts.

Any severing of Finley from the case, he admitted, is "a work in progress."

The defense also hasn't received all of the discovery in the case, Hanken added.

Wright, in a text provided to the SJ-R earlier Friday, was unmoved as far as the case moving forward.

Sangamon County State's Attorney Dan Wright speaks during a press conference Tuesday Jan. 10, 2023 at the Sangamon County Building in which he said two emergency medical services workers will be charged with first-degree murder.

"There is nothing about the Appellate Court's reduction of Defendant Finley's cash bond from $100,000 to $60,000 that reflects upon the strength of the State's case against either defendant," Wright noted. "It certainly doesn't diminish our confidence in the case based upon the law and the facts contained in Illinois State Police investigation.

"This is simply a ruling limited to the issue of pre-trial bond made by the Appellate Court without a complete record of the evidence against the defendants. The Appellate Prosecutor's Office is reviewing all options to seek further review or reconsideration to ensure procedural and substantive accuracy of the Appellate Court's analysis.

"We are as committed as ever to seeking justice for Earl Moore Jr. and look forward to the opportunity to present all of the evidence to a jury for their application of the law to the facts as in the normal course of any criminal case."

Moore died of compression and positional asphyxiation, according to forensic pathologist Dr. John Scott Denton of Bloomington.

More: Adams sentenced to 14 months in prison for involvement in U.S. Capitol riot

Finley and Cadigan responded to Moore's North 11th Street home after being summoned by Springfield Police early on the morning of Dec. 18. The state has alleged that Moore was strapped tightly to a gurney and had his face slammed into the prone position, which is how he was transported to HSHS St. John's Hospital.

Footage from body cameras worn by three police officers was released to the public.

Finley and Cadigan, along with LifeStar, were named in a wrongful death lawsuit, also filed in Sangamon County court by noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

Finley and Cadigan each face 20 to 60 behind bars if convicted.

Hanken said Finley's being out of jail is "a game changer" with regards to preparation of the case, including spreading out the discovery in his office or viewing video on multiple platforms.

"Now if I have a question for her, you pick up the phone and ask her," he said. "We want to get to trial as soon as possible so she'll be found not guilty. It's sad she sat in jail this long."

Finley is next in court Aug. 2.

Peggy Finley and Peter Cadigan enter Sangamon County court for bond reduction hearing on Feb. 6, 2023

Contact Steven Spearie: (217) 622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Murder defendant Peggy Jill Finley was released on bond from jail Friday
Beijing Chinese-Foreign Translation & Information Service (CTIS) signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Publishing House of Electronics Industry (PHEI) on its overseas promotion and communication on Friday at the Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF). At the event, the overseas promotion of "Wuling: A Trailblazer in Automobile Manufacturing" began.

The Beijing Chinese-Foreign Translation and Information Service (CTIS) signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Publishing House of Electronics Industry (PHEI) on its overseas promotion and communication on June 16, 2023, at the Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF). [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

The publishing industry has become more internationalized in an era of globalization, said Wang Chuanchen, chief editor of the China Industry and Information Technology Publishing and Media Group Co., Ltd., In the past 40 years, the PHEI has leveraged its unique resources in the industry and information technology field to promote approximately 1,000 copyrights overseas. The cooperation with CTIS will explore a new model of international cooperation on publishing, with concerted efforts from authors and Chinese manufacturing enterprises, Wang added.

CTIS Chairman Yang Yuqian introduced the fruitful results of the CTIS in the publishing, translation, and overseas promotion of books. Based on the PHEI's advantages and achievements in the industry and information technology field, the two sides have initiated overseas promotion of the inaugural cooperation program  the book "Wuling: A Trailblazer in Automobile Manufacturing." More efforts will be made by the two sides to boost the overseas influence of the Chinese manufacturing industry.

Epitomizing the company Wuling's development, the book "Wuling: A Trailblazer in Automobile Manufacturing" will serve as a window for people all around the world to better understand China's manufacturing industry and China's stories, said Xu Feiyun, deputy Party secretary of SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile.

The author of the book Lin Xueping said that the international development of Wuling has set an example in establishing an overseas presence for Chinese manufacturing companies.
A New Armored Vehicle Is Coming to the Army. It Could Be a Game Changer for Light Units, Vets Say.

Army combat veterans are excited about the new tracked fighting vehicle unveiled by the service last week, which could give more units access to powerful guns in the field. They just want to make sure the service is ready to give those troops the spare parts and training needed to make sure soldiers can use them in firefights.

"When I was a commander in combat, I don't think I ever said no to more firepower," Lt. Col. John Principe of the Army's Command and General Staff College told Military.com in a phone call.

Unveiled June 10, the M10 Booker is the first specialized armored vehicle with a tank-sized gun to join the Army in decades, a tool for wars that the service hasn't prepared for since the fall of the Soviet Union, in which big units advance across a front that could be hundreds of miles long. The past 20 years of war in Afghanistan saw combat centered on valleys that were a dozen kilometers wide, while in Iraq, combat was mostly limited to cities after the invasion.

Read Next: Space Force Could Get a Guard Force and Part-Time Guardians, If House Lawmakers Get Their Way

Four former Army combat commanders spoke to Military.com about the M10. They expressed optimism, with a common caveat that much depends on how quickly and effectively the Army puts the Booker alongside infantry.

"To be most effective, we need to integrate the M10 Booker Combat Vehicle elements with the infantry elements that are most likely to employ them. Infantry commanders need to understand the capability, trust the capability, and understand its limitations," said retired Col. William "Bill" Ostlund during a phone interview. "Either you integrate them when they're available or you'll integrate them in combat, and it's a lot harder to learn and trust a capability when rounds are flying."

Ostlund, known in the Army for his command of the 173rd's 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry -- "The Rock" -- during Operation Enduring Freedom VII-VIII in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, also parachuted into Iraq in 2003 to seize an airfield. For that Iraq mission, the 173rd received several armored reinforcements by plane.

"We would have traded four M1s for eight M10s as the M10s could deal with anything in Iraq," he said.

Ostlund said it will be critical that the M10 Booker is delivered to units with the parts, mechanics and cash to keep the vehicles running, along with the green light for leaders to push use of the Booker in training. The Army is also going to have to make sure the M10 can take out other tanks, using something like the SABOT round.

"Having something that looks like a tank but is not a tank-killer is a problem for commanders," he added.

Other former infantry company commanders with experience in Iraq and Afghanistan were also optimistic about the M10 Booker's capabilities. "It's supposed to add firepower to light units when they need it," said Principe, who led a platoon of Stryker infantry in combat in Iraq and commanded a company with the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan.

But the Army will have to prioritize maintenance needs if the vehicle is going to be helpful to units.

"My biggest gripe with mechanized anything is what happens when the s--- breaks or rolls over," said former Capt. Matthew Adkins, who served as an infantry officer and also commanded with the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan. "And in combat, something is always breaking or rolling over. Always."

Retired Brig. Gen. Andrew Hilmes likes the M10's capabilities. "When properly employed, the BCV will help light formations rapidly mass combat power, penetrate a prepared defense, and 'harden' themselves when performing security operations," he said during a phone interview. "I'm eager to see how it performs; it will certainly help in a large-scale combat scenario."

The M10 will carry special significance for the service because of the Army's choice to name it in honor of two soldiers who shared the surname Booker.

Staff Sgt. Stevon Booker was killed during the "Thunder Run" mission into Baghdad amid heavy fighting in 2003.

"Steve was hands down my most seasoned, experienced and competent NCO in my unit, and possibly within the armored task force," said Hilmes, who was two tanks behind Booker during the mission that would take his life. "He'd spent a lot of time as a sergeant, as a tank gunner -- he scored a 1,000 on gunnery table eight -- and had dozens of training exercises under his belt by the time he pinned staff sergeant. He was brash, confident and totally dependable."

Hilmes said that it was a terrific honor that the M10 was named after Booker and that the staff sergeant's family appreciated the gesture.

"Steve's mother lost a son, and his sister lost a brother," Hilmes said. "Nothing can replace that, but they're thrilled to see his heroism honored like this."

The combat vehicle is also named after Pvt. Robert Booker, a World War II infantryman who earned the Medal of Honor.

The Army expects the Booker to be delivered in sufficient numbers to properly train troops by late 2025 or early 2026.

The government has contracted General Dynamics to build more than 96 M10 Booker Combat Vehicles, with hopes to eventually produce over 500 (though the final number may change). Eventually, the Army plans to maintain four battalions across four light infantry divisions.

-- Adrian Bonenberger, an Army veteran and graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, reports for Military.com. Contact him at adrian.bonenberger@monster.com.

Related: It's Not a Light Tank: Army Unveils New Armored Combat Vehicle
Attack helicopters are giving Russia the edge in the skies over southern Ukraine, says UK intel

A Russian Kamov Ka-52 helicopter at the Dubai Airshow on November 15, 2021. GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

The UK Ministry of Defence said Russia's attack helicopters gave Putin's forces "a temporary advantage."

The helicopters employ "longer-range missiles against ground targets," it said.

Of all the Russian Air Force's attack helicopters, the Ka-52 is perhaps the most widely used.

A new intelligence briefing has announced that Russia's use of attack helicopters has allowed Putin's forces to gain an advantage in the long-awaited Ukrainian counteroffensive.

According to the latest UK Ministry of Defence briefing, Russian troops have reinforced its attack helicopter forces, allowing them to gain "a temporary advantage in southern Ukraine, especially with attack helicopters employing longer-range missiles against ground targets."

Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) June 17, 2023

Per the briefing, new imagery depicts "over 20 extra Russian helicopters deployed to Berdyansk Airport, approximately 100km behind the front line."

Of all the Russian Air Force's attack helicopters, the Ka-52 is perhaps the most widely used. Russia is believed to have a force of 133 as of 2022.

A Royal United Services Institute report last year said Ka-52s helicopters have seen "more intensive use than the other fleets, both by day and especially at night, on all fronts in Ukraine."

Featuring an unusual coaxial rotor design and a side-by-side crew seating arrangement, Insider reported that it has been on the frontline and involved in the thickest fighting more than any other Russian attack helicopter since Russia's attack began in February 2022.

One of Russia's most modern helicopters, the Ka-52, entered service in 2011, and there are several variants. It has a ceiling of 18,000 feet and a top speed of 186 mph. It has ejection seats for its pilots  a rare feature for helicopters.

The Ka-52 can be armed with 4,000 pounds of rockets, missiles, and a 30 mm autocannon. Some variants also have a nose-mounted forward-looking infrared camera for targeting.

A Kamov Ka-52 Alligator helicopter during a military aviation competition in Russia's Krasnodar region on March 28, 2019. VITALY TIMKIV/AFP via Getty Images

Moscow regularly releases footage of Ka-52 operations, including with other helicopter gunships like the Mi-28 and Mi-24/35.

However, less armor means it is vulnerable to shoulder-launched missiles, like the US-made Stinger missile, and small-arms fire.

Last October, the British Ministry of Defence said that at least 23 Ka-52s had been shot down.

Read the original article on Business Insider
FILE - Julien James carries his son, Maison, 4, holding a Pan-African flag, to celebrate during a Juneteenth commemoration at Leimert Park in Los Angeles on June 18, 2022. Since it was designated a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth has become more universally recognized beyond Black America. For over one-and-a-half centuries, the Juneteenth holiday has been sacred to many Black communities. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

For more than one-and-a-half centuries, the Juneteenth holiday has been sacred to many Black communities.

It marks the day in 1865 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas found out they had been freed  after the end of the Civil war, and two years after President Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation.

Since it was designated a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth has become more universally recognized beyond Black America. Many people get the day off work or school, and there are a plethora of street festivals, fairs, concerts and other events.

People who never gave the holiday on June 19 more than a passing thought may be asking themselves, is there a right way to celebrate Juneteenth?

For beginners and those brushing up history, here are some answers:

IS JUNETEENTH A SOLEMN DAY OF REMEMBRANCE OR MORE OF A PARTY?

It just depends on what you want. Juneteenth festivities are rooted in cookouts and barbecues. In the beginnings of the holiday celebrated as Black Americans' true Independence Day, the outdoors allowed for large, raucous reunions among formerly enslaved family, many of whom had been separated. The gatherings were especially revolutionary because they were free of restrictive measures, known as Black Codes, enforced in Confederate states, controlling whether liberated slaves could vote, buy property, gather for worship and other aspects of daily life.

Alan Freeman, 60, grew up celebrating Juneteenth every year in Houston, 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Galveston. A comedian who is producing Galvestons first ever Juneteenth Comedy Festival on Saturday, he has vivid memories of smoke permeating his entire neighborhood because so many people were using their barbecue pits for celebratory cookouts. You could go to anyones house and be welcomed to join in the feast, which could include grilled chicken and beef and other regional cuisines  jerk meats, fried fish, Jamaican plantains.

Its where I began to really see Black unity because I realized that that was the one day that African Americans considered ours, Freeman said. The one holiday that was ours. We didnt have to share with anybody. And it was about freedom because what we understood is that we were emancipated from slavery. But, there was so many beautiful activities.

Others may choose to treat Juneteenth as a day of rest and remembrance. That can mean doing community service, attending an education panel or taking time off.

The important thing is to make people feel they have options on how to observe the occasion, said Dr. David Anderson, a Black pastor and CEO of Gracism Global, a consulting firm helping leaders navigate conversations bridging divides across race and culture.

Just like the Martin Luther King holiday, we say its a day of service and a lot of people will do things. There are a lot of other people who are just I appreciate Dr. King, Ill watch whats on the television, and Im gonna rest, Anderson said. I dont want to make people feel guilty about that. What I want to do is give everyday people a choice.

WHAT IF YOU'VE NEVER CELEBRATED JUNETEENTH?

Anderson, 57, of Columbia, Maryland, never did anything on Juneteenth in his youth. He didnt learn about it until his 30s.

I think many folks havent known about it  who are even my color as an African American male. Even if you heard about it and knew about it, you didnt celebrate it, Anderson said. It was like just a part of history. It wasnt a celebration of history.

For many African Americans, the farther away from Texas that they grew up increased the likelihood they didnt have big Juneteenth celebrations regularly. In the South, the day can vary based on when word of Emancipation reached each state.

Anderson has no special event planned other than giving his employees Friday and Monday off. If anything, Anderson is thinking about the fact its Fathers Day this weekend.

If I can unite Fathers Day and Juneteenth to be with my family and honor them, that would be wonderful, he said.

WHAT KIND OF PUBLIC JUNETEENTH EVENTS ARE GOING ON AROUND THE COUNTRY?

Search online and you will find a smorgasbord of gatherings in major cities and suburbs all varying in scope and tone. Some are more carnival-esque festivals with food trucks, arts and crafts and parades. Within those festivals, youll likely find access to professionals in health care, finance and community resources. There also are concerts and fashion shows to highlight Black excellence and creativity. For those who want to look back, plenty of organizations and universities host panels to remind people of Juneteenths history.

ARE THERE SPECIAL FOODS SERVED ON JUNETEENTH?

Aside from barbecue, the color red has been a through line for Juneteenth food for generations. Red symbolizes the bloodshed and sacrifice of enslaved ancestors. A Juneteenth menu might incorporate items like barbecued ribs or other red meat, watermelon and red velvet cake. Drinks like fruit punch and red Kool-Aid may make an appearance at the table.

DOES HOW YOU CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH MATTER IF YOU AREN'T BLACK?

Dr. Karida Brown, a sociology professor at Emory University whose research focuses on race, said theres no reason to feel awkward about wanting to recognize Juneteenth because you have no personal ties or youre not Black. In fact, embrace it.

I would reframe that and challenge my non-Black folks who want to lean into Juneteenth and celebrate, Brown said. It absolutely is your history. It absolutely is a part of your experience. ... Isnt this all of our history? The good, the bad, the ugly, the story of emancipation and freedom for for your Black brothers and sisters under the Constitution of the law.

If you want to bring some authenticity to your recognition of Juneteenth, educate yourself. Attending a street festival or patronizing a Black-owned business is a good start but it also would be good to make your mind better, Anderson said.

That goes longer than a celebration, Anderson said. I think Black people need to do it too because its new for us as well, in America. But for non-Black people, if they could read on this topic and read on Black history beyond Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, that would show me that youre really serious about growing in this area.

If youre struggling with how to ethically mark the day, Brown also suggested expanding your knowledge of why the holiday matters so much. That can be through reading, attending an event or going to an African American history museum if theres one nearby.

Have that full human experience of seeing yourself in and through the eyes of others, even if thats not your own lived experience, she said. That is a radical human act that is awesome and should be encouraged and celebrated.

WHAT ARE OTHER NAMES USED TO REFER TO JUNETEENTH?

Over the decades, Juneteenth has also been called Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, Black Fourth of July and second Independence Day among others.

Because 1776, Fourth of July, where were celebrating freedom and liberty and all of that, that did not include my descendants, Brown said. Black people in America were still enslaved. So that that holiday always comes with a bittersweet tinge to it.

IS THERE A PROPER JUNETEENTH GREETING?

Its typical to wish people a Happy Juneteenth or Happy Teenth, said Freeman, the comedian.

You know how at Christmas people will say Merry Christmas to each other and not even know each other? You can get a Merry Christmas from everybody. This is the same way, Freeman said.

No matter what race you are, you will absolutely elicit a smile if you utter either greeting, he said.

I believe that a non-Black person who celebrates Juneteenth ... its their one time to have a voice, to participate.

___

Tang, who reported from Phoenix, is a member of The Associated Press Race and Ethnicity team. Follow her on Twitter at @ttangAP.
The man accused of shooting at a couple on their way to work, killing a pregnant woman in the process, has been charged.

King County prosecutors officially charged Cordell Goosby with one count of first-degree murder and one attempted murder.

Tuesday, June 13th police believe Goosby ran up to Sung and Eina Kwons car and opened fire. Eina was hit four times and died as a result. The baby girl she carried for the last eight months sadly died as well. The reason hes facing one murder charge and not two is that its not known if the baby girl was a person in the legal sense when she died. Washington state determines if a baby is a person by the following common law detailed below:

The common law follows the born alive rule that prescribes that only one who has been born alive can be the victim of homicide. Causing the death of a fetus, whether viable or not, was not considered homicide at common law. If, however, the fetus was born and then died of injuries inflicted prior to birth, a prosecution for homicide could be maintained.

After she was shot, Eina was rushed to the hospital, and her baby girl was emergency delivered. Now investigators have to go back and ask the doctors the agonizing question if the baby girl was a person legally. If so, Goosby could face a second first-degree murder charge.

We watched her through her first pregnancy and we were watching this one, said Michael Bufano, co-owner of Gallery Mack.

That family is now broken.

Sometimes their son would come over - growing like a weed. Its hard to talk about, Michael said.

Michael owns Gallery Mack with his family. The whole Lenora and Western Avenue block is like a family too, he said. Michael saw Eina almost daily, shed bring him lunch and even made the food for his sons wedding. Another business owner, Michael Hoyle of Hoyle Hat Co. a few doors down said Eina was a magnificent human and even helped his friend who got into a crash outside of her restaurant. The same restaurant she and Sung came to the US with a dream to open.

A wonderful young struggling business. We all survived the pandemic together and they finally were able to hire people to help them out. Just people youd root for and wanted to have as friends and neighbors, Michael said

Court documents show the man accused in the killing, Cordell Goosby, had a stolen gun. Those same documents also said Goosby put his hands up and said, I did it, I did it on Tuesday when police arrested him. He told police then he has a history of mental health. The documents show he asked police if they could hear the intercom in the ceiling and walls during his interview with them. The King County prosecutors office said investigators are now working to see if they can add a second murder charge to Goosbys case.

She was totally sparkly totally fun to be around. Wouldnt charge me for a diet Coke every time I tried to pay her. Just a happy wonderful person, Michael said.

The greater Belltown and Seattle communities also felt the impact of Einas tragic death. A community organizer has put together a march for Saturday morning. Its to honor and remember Eina and her baby girl, but its also to show the community wants change.

I think the rest of the Asian American community, especially the Korean Americans, is we were just shocked, Susanna Keilman said. Shes behind Saturdays march. She added, So much has been sacrificed I think before you even get to the United States, and when you get to the United States you are hoping to live out your American Dream.

Susannas mom is also from South Korea. She said she needed to do more than grieve, thats why she put together the march. Itll start at 10:45 am, at 4th Ave and Lenora, where the shooting happened. Theyll have a moment of silence at 11 am, the same time gunshots echoed at that intersection three days ago.

We have city and state funding for homelessness. we have horrible policies that police officers literally have to walk past an open drug scene. Its all of the crime that came before this that emboldens criminals.

The march will end at the familys restaurant on Western Ave. and Lenora, Aburiya Bento House. Susanna hopes the effort will send a powerful message, and stop this from happening to another innocent family.

There are strength in numbers, but you and I, we should feel safe walking in Belltown. you and I should feel safe walking in our city. You and I should feel safe when we are alone, regardless of the day or time, Susanna said.
Better ties with the U.S. may be about one thing: China's struggling economy

HONG KONG  American attention has focused on spying revelations and high-level talks. But in China this weeks biggest news was a struggling economy rather than superpower relations.

A batch of disappointing data  headlined by record-breaking youth unemployment  suggested that an economic rebound prompted by the lifting of strict zero-Covid restrictions has lost momentum and left the country to confront long-term issues.

Calls for stimulus measures are growing just as Beijing is playing host to U.S. business leaders as well as President Joe Bidens top diplomat. Beijings apparent openness to easing tensions with Washington may be no coincidence.

A waste of time

In the first month after graduating from university, Cassie Sun applied for jobs at more than 200 companies, staying glued to recruitment apps from morning to night.

The first day I submitted applications to 20 companies, then no reply, said Sun, 24, who studied finance at a university in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin. I felt more and more anxious and applied to even more jobs every day, she told NBC News.

Though shes had a few part-time jobs and internships since graduating in 2021, none of them were related to her major. Now when she applies for jobs in finance, Sun said, hiring managers ask why she is a year out of school and still has no experience in the field.

I feel like companies only want two types of people: fresh graduates or people working for many years, said Sun, who is now thinking about going abroad. I dont apply for jobs anymore, it is just a waste of time.

Youth unemployment is a growing headache for China, the worlds second-largest economy. The jobless rate among people between the ages of 16 and 24 was a record 20.8% in May, official data showed Thursday, up from 20.4% in April.

A government survey in April found a record 1 in 5 young workers in cities were unemployed. (Mark Schiefelbein / AP)

Fu Linghui, spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, said many of them had not yet entered the job market, and that the employment situation would improve as the economy grows stronger.

But analysts said there was real cause for concern.

The economic outlook in China is very gloomy, said Sun Xin, a senior lecturer at Kings College London. The rebound was much weaker compared to what people anticipated or expected three to four months ago.

Friends and foreign investment

The economic headwinds come as China is actively courting overseas investors, even as U.S. and other foreign companies complain about an increasingly uncertain atmosphere.

A slew of U.S. business leaders have visited China in recent months, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday.

Youre the first American friend Ive met in Beijing this year, Xi told Gates, according to state media. Without giving details, the Chinese leader said China and the U.S. could both benefit from cooperation.

Beijings economic problems may give it greater impetus to stabilize its relationship with Washington, including during Secretary of State Antony Blinkens visit to China on Sunday and Monday.

Improving U.S. ties could help China generate more confidence among foreign investors and among domestic investors because geopolitical risks are indeed a major concern among everybody in the markets, Sun said.

The Biden administration has tried to keep expectations low for Blinkens trip, which was postponed in February after the discovery of a suspected Chinese spy balloon over U.S. territory, telling reporters there is unlikely to be any breakthrough. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Friday that the door for dialogue between the two countries was always open.

Beijing has accused Washington of fueling tensions by sanctioning Chinese companies, imposing export controls on key technology, vowing to work with allies against Chinas economic coercion and signing a new trade deal with Taiwan, a self-ruling democracy that Beijing claims as its territory.

Delaying graduation

Youth unemployment, however, is mainly a domestic problem that was made worse by the pandemic, said Mao Xuxin, principal economist at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research in Britain.

China has long had a structural mismatch between the number of college-educated workers and the number of suitable jobs available to them, he said.

And the number of university students has only increased, with the enrollment rate rising to almost 60% last year compared with 30% in 2012, according to the Ministry of Education.

Unemployment among Chinese youths jumped to a record 20.8 percent in May, the National Bureau of Statistics said on June 15, 2023, as the economy's post-Covid growth spurt fades. (AFP - Getty Images)

The pandemic has suppressed job creation even further while encouraging students to stay in school as long as possible, pursuing more advanced degrees.

Accordingly, the young generation find it more and more difficult to find their dream job or even full-time employment, Mao said.

In social media posts, new job seekers express their anxiety about the future with mock graduation photos that show them trashing their diplomas or lying face-down on the ground in despair.

Others are trying not to leave school at all, hoping to retain the appeal of a new graduate prized by increasingly popular and competitive public sector employers. Many see government jobs as less demanding and more stable in an uncertain and stressful time.

According to a survey of college students published last month by the newspaper China Youth Daily, almost three-quarters of respondents said they knew one or more people who had chosen to delay graduation. One of the most commonly cited reasons was so that they could keep their fresh graduate identity.

This year, instead of the classic hat-throwing, flower-holding, and joyful smiles, Chinese students opted for defeated poses (with many literally just 'laying flat'), apocalyptic backgrounds, or purely sarcastic shots where they are seen throwing their graduation thesis. pic.twitter.com/MhU5XBqMtR  RADII (@RADII_Media) June 13, 2023

At a job fair this month at a shopping center in suburban Beijing, a mostly young crowd inquired at booths for companies in insurance, real estate, packing and transport.

Zhang Bo, 22, is one of almost 11.6 million new college graduates entering Chinas labor force this year, an increase of 820,000 from 2022. He said the job market was difficult for newcomers like him.

On recruitment apps, he said at the job fair, many companies only read and do not reply to applicants messages. Or even if thats not the case, a job opening will close in one day or two after being released.

There are more job seekers fast on Zhangs heels. According to Chinese state media, this year a record 12.91 million high school seniors took the gaokao, a grueling two-day national exam that determines where theyll attend university, or if theyll attend at all.

Sun, the recent graduate, says she expects competition to become less intense as the government makes policy adjustments and Chinas population continues to decrease.

But that is of little consolation to her and her friends: Of her six roommates from university, who majored in different subjects, four of them have still not found jobs.

The pandemic really ruined the economy and impacted our generation negatively, Sun said. I feel like we are the generation that has been abandoned.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Americans are receiving high-speed internet from a $930 million grant

President Joe Biden announced $930 million in grants on Friday aimed at expanding access to broadband access in rural America. The Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure grants cover 35 states and Puerto Rico as part of the Department of Commerces program to bring high-speed internet access and large amounts of data across long distances.

Verizon, Spectrum, AT&T, and Optimum are among the 20 internet providers that have partnered with the White House on the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to bring high-speed internet access to people in need for $30 per month or less, but for qualifying households, there will be no cost. Individuals can check their eligibility and apply for the free service at GetInternet.gov.

Read more

These networks are the workhorses carrying large amounts of data over very long distances, Mitch Landrieu, the White House infrastructure coordinator, told AP News. Theyre the ones that are bridging the gap between the larger networks and the last mile connections, from tribal lands to underserved rural and remote areas to essential institutions like hospitals, schools, libraries, and major businesses.

In the programs biggest award, the Department of Commerce pledged $89 million to one Alaska telecommunications company to fund a supply of fiber-optic networks in parts of the state where 55% of residents have no internet. Another large grant, $73 million, is going to a California company, and $61 million is destined for a Michigan telco. Grant winners have five years to finish the promised broadband networks.

The are one piece of the designated $65 billion in funding to connect rural communities and retail broadband providers iout of the $1 trillion infrastructure bill Biden signed into law in 2021.

Middle mile infrastructure is the connective tissue that links the networks that serve homes and businesses, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Alan Davidson told AP News. NTIAs Middle Mile Program is a force multiplier for connectivity and will be essential to delivering a cost-efficient Internet for All. The volume of applications we received demonstrates the high demand for increasing middle mile capacity throughout the country.

The Department of National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced in an October press release that it had received more than 235 applications for the program, and is now behind the newest effort for the Internet for All grant which will reach 350 counties, according to officials.

Digital connectivity is central to expanding economic opportunity in communities across the country, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo said in a press release. This funding is a key piece of the Biden-Harris Administrations historic investments to increase access to high-speed internet for millions of Americans and provide more opportunities to fully participate in the 21st-century economy.

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President Joe Biden on Saturday called the Chinese spy balloon debacle embarrassing for the Asian superpowers leaders  while highlighting his hopes for productive talks as Antony Blinken embarks upon the first high-profile diplomatic trip to Beijing since the 46th president took office.

Speaking before boarding a plane to Pennsylvania on Saturday morning, President Biden told reporters that China has some legitimate difficulties unrelated to the United States.

And I think one of the things that that balloon caused was not so much that it got shot down, but I dont think the leadership knew where it was and knew what was in it and knew what was going on, the President said. I think it was more embarrassing than it was intentional. And so Im hoping that, over the next several months, Ill be meeting with [Chinese President] Xi [Jinping] again, and talking about legitimate differences we have  but also how ... to get along.

The already tense relations between the United States and China became further strained earlier this year when the US shot down what it said was a Chinese spy balloon flying over American soil. China persistently denied that the balloon, which was shot down in February over the Atlantic, had been used for spying.

Presidents Biden and Xi agreed to Secretary Blinkens trip at a meeting last year in Bali, but it was delayed by the balloon drama.

Secretary Blinken will be the highest-level American official to visit China since President Biden took office and the first secretary of state to make the trip in five years. He is expected to meet with Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Sunday, top diplomat Wang Yi, and possibly Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, according to US officials.

Yet prospects for any significant breakthrough on the most vexing issues facing the planets two largest economies are slim, as already ties have grown increasingly fraught in recent years, the Associated Press news agency reported. Animosity and recriminations have steadily escalated over a series of disagreements that have implications for global security and stability.

Speaking to the AP before Mr Blinkens departure, two US officials downplayed hopes for major progress and stressed that the trip was intended to restore a sense of calm and normalcy to high-level contacts.

Were coming to Beijing with a realistic, confident approach and a sincere desire to manage our competition in the most responsible way possible, said Daniel Kritenbrink, the top US diplomat for East Asia and the Pacific.

Kurt Campbell, the top Asia expert at the National Security Council, said intense competition requires intense diplomacy if were going to manage tensions. That is the only way to clear up misperceptions, to signal, to communicate, and to work together where and when our interests align.
President Joe Biden spoke before an audience of union members in Philadelphia Saturday in what was his first rally since he declared his bid for a second term and comes as his campaign engagements ramp up.

Biden begins his 2024 campaign in the same way he kicked off his run in 2020: in front of Pennsylvania laborers.

"I am a union man, period," Biden said at a union hall in Pittsburgh during his first rally in 2019.

And just as he did then, Biden is accompanying the rally with a roll out of union endorsements. The AFL-CIO, a federation of 60 national and international labor groups -- including the national teachers and government workers unions -- endorsed Biden on the eve of the rally. The federation, which represents 12.5 million workers, is hosting the rally.

"The President and Vice President are humbled to have earned this historic groundswell of support nearly 17 months before the 2024 election," Julia Chavez Rodriguez, Bidens campaign manager, said in a statement.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris (L) meet with labor union leaders in the Oval Office of the White House on February 17, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Pete Marovich/Getty Images, FILE)

Upon arriving in Philadelphia on Saturday, Biden received a helicopter tour of the collapsed portion of I-95 in Philadelphia and said "there's no more important project right now in the country" than rebuilding the highway.

The president said he's directed his team to "literally move heaven and earth" to get the rebuilding done as soon as possible and pledged federal assistance.

"The federal government got committed, we're going to reimburse 100% this phase of the work, and well over the first 200 days, and then after that, 90% of the work," the president said. "We'll be here until the end. We won't leave until it's finished."

PHOTO: President Joe Biden speaks at the Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia, on June 17, 2023, after an aerial tour of the Interstate 95 highway collapse. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

Biden leaned on labor groups in his run for the White House in 2020, earning back some Rust Belt blue-collar support Democrats lost in 2016 -- and these groups are prepared to use their vast political networks to turn out voters for the president once again.

Pennsylvania, the state Biden was born in, has not only played a significant role in the presidents political career, but also in national politics. Since 1920, candidates who won Pennsylvania were elected president 81% of the time, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.

"If Im gonna be able to beat Donald Trump in 2020, its gonna happen here," Biden said, launching his last campaign. Pennsylvania would later carry Biden across the finish line.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden talks about his proposed FY2024 federal budget during an event at the Finishing Trades Institute on March 9, 2023 in Philadelphia. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, FILE)

Bidens reelection campaigns activity has been slow since the president announced his decision nearly two months ago -- though the announcements timing was on par with the reelection campaign announcements of former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush.

But in recent days, the campaign has kicked into another gear. The president attended a fundraiser in Connecticut on Friday, with receptions in Maryland and California scheduled later in the month, while first lady Jill Biden had a fundraising swing through New York and California earlier this week. Biden also addressed environmental groups Wednesday and accepted their endorsement.

MORE: Low-key campaign launch fits Biden strategy for chaotic political era: ANALYSIS

The campaign trail is bound to be more demanding than last time. The COVID-19 pandemic allowed the Biden campaign to go virtual for much of 2020, with socially-distanced events in the final weeks of the race.

Biden, who would be 86 years old at the end of a second term, acknowledged in a February interview with ABC News David Muir that concerns about his age are "legitimate," though he said it was not a consideration for him. Two months later, on the day after his reelection campaign launched, however, the president said his age was a factor in his decision-making.

"I respect them taking a hard look at it," Biden said in April. "Id take a hard look at it as well. I took a hard look at it before I decided to run."

Biden instead wants voters to focus on the work hes done, centering his campaign on what he sees as his accomplishments and behind a message that Americans should give him four more years to "finish the job."

ABC News Amanda Maile contributed to this report.

Biden kicks off 1st reelection campaign rally after rolling out major union endorsements originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Biden: Im not going to make it easier for Ukraine to join NATO

President Biden on Saturday said he wont make it easier for Ukraine to join NATO, adding that the country at war with Russia has to meet the requirements to be a member.

They got to meet the same standards. So, Im not going to make it easier, Biden told reporters. I think theyve done everything relating to demonstrating the ability to coordinate militarily, but theres a whole issue of is their system secure? Is it non-corrupt? Does it meet all the standardsevery other nation in NATO does.

He expressed confidence that Ukraine will be able to join. The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are all members of NATO, as is Poland.

I think they will. I think they can, Biden said about Ukraine. But its not automatic.

His comments come after Biden has reportedly expressed that he is open to removing the Member Action Plan hurdle for Ukraine to join NATO, which requires countries that want to join the alliance make reforms militarily and democratically.

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a loss to Russia could ultimately force the U.S. to choose between the collapse of NATO or going to war.

According to the treaty organizations principle of collective defense, an attack on any member of NATO is considered an attack against them all.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Biden at the White House earlier this week, during which they discussed the war in Ukraine and their shared view for Sweden to join the alliance as soon as possible.

The next NATO summit is on July 11 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

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China has slashed the annual number of reported occupational disease cases by 58 percent in the past decade, but illnesses linked to working overtime and heavy pressure in the information technology and other emerging sectors have risen and pose fresh challenges, health authorities said on Thursday.

Wang Jiandong, deputy director of the National Health Commission's department of occupational health, said during a news conference that the annual number of reported cases of occupational diseases dropped to around 11,108 in 2022 from nearly 26,400 in 2013, signaling significant progress made in stepping up occupational health nationwide.

However, Wang said that the drop does not represent the whole picture of China's occupational health situation because a large number of small enterprises have failed to carry out comprehensive health examinations for their employees.

"Meanwhile, occupation diseases caused by working overtime, inappropriate working habits and mounting pressure at workplaces have become more prevalent, especially in the information technology industry and new forms of employment," he said.

Zhang Meibian, deputy director of National Institute for Occupational Health and Poison Control at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that ride-hailing drivers, delivery couriers and other workers engaged in new types of jobs shoulder intense workload and face time limits.

"Although they are at lower risk of suffering conventional occupational diseases, some of them are at higher risk of traffic accidents and long periods of manual labor, meaning that they are more likely to develop muscle or bone diseases, as well as psychological issues," he said.

Zhang said that health authorities have made easy-to-understand guidelines and advocacy materials on preventing common illnesses among them so as to improve their health awareness.

"Employers have also been encouraged to provide convenient tools, such as loading and hauling equipment, so as to reduce physical exhaustion of workers," he said. "We are also working on modifying the Law on Prevention and Control of Occupational Diseases and will include work-related diseases in the future."

China's catalog of occupational diseases, published in 2013, now contain 132 kinds of occupation illnesses belonging to 10 major types.

Since 2019, China has also stepped up monitoring of risk factors contributing to occupation illnesses, said health authorities.

For instance, Zhang said that free health examinations have been rolled out for workers at micro  and small companies in 500 county-level areas that contain serious dust hazards or have a large number of pneumoconiosis patients.

"Such work has helped accumulate data and promote early diagnosis and treatment of pneumoconiosis patients," he said."We have also provided guidance on improving occupational health management levels at small enterprises."

Wang Jiandong, from the National Health Commission, said that the falling number of occupational disease cases in the past decade has created some room for authorities to expand the catalog released in 2013.

"We have accelerated research on the feasibility of adjusting the catalog and will strive to release an updated version as soon as possible," he said.
Biden states he won't simplify requirements for Ukraine on its path to NATO

US President Joe Biden has said he opposes simplifying requirements for Ukraine on its path to NATO membership.

Source: Biden told this to reporters on Sunday, 17 June, before flying to Philadelphia, writes CNN, as reported by European Pravda

Details: When Biden was asked whether he would ease barriers for Ukraines NATO membership, he replied: "No. Because they gotta meet the same standards. So Im not gonna make it easier."

At the same time, the American president acknowledged that the Ukrainian army now meets the standards of NATO countries, but he expressed doubt about whether the Ukrainian security system as a whole meets the standards and whether it is corrupt.

Earlier, Axios reported that Biden supported NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's proposal that Ukraine does not need to implement the Membership Action Plan (MAP) to join the Alliance.

Politico also noted that more and more member states of the North Atlantic Alliance support the simplified accession of Ukraine, which provides for the rejection of the MAP, and this decision can be approved at the NATO summit in Vilnius.

At the July NATO Summit in Vilnius, Ukraine seeks to hear solid statements on the prospect of gaining membership in the North Atlantic Alliance, while criticising the decision of the 2008 Bucharest Summit, which is "grossly detached from reality."

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President Biden on Saturday spoke at his first political rally since he announced his reelection bid, warning a room of union workers that Republicans want to take jobs away from them.

The president flexed his muscle with unions after a slew of early endorsements came in the day prior. While he argued that he has workers backs  messaging that is shaping up to be a staple of his reelection campaign  he said that Republicans in Congress oppose his work so far.

Most want to get rid of it all. So weve got a fight on our hands and my question to you is simple, are you with me in this fight? Biden said. When Republicans come after what Ive done to try to get rid of all these clean energy investments, they try to stop the plan on infrastructure, they try to do these things.

Guess what, theyre coming for your jobs. Theyre coming for your jobs. Theyre coming for your future, the president continued. Theyre coming for the future youre building for your kids and your grandkids.

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The rally in Philadelphia was hosted by union members and about 2,000 workers were in attendance, shouting chants throughout the presidents speech of lets go Joe!, four more years!, and U-S-A!

I truly believe this countrys about to take off, Biden said. The investments weve made these past three years have the power to transform this country for the next five decades. And guess whos going to be at the center of the transformation? You, you, unions. Working people in this country.

In ten years, Americas going to look around and say my God, look what we did, look at the nations roads, bridges, airports and all the investments,' he added.

And, Biden warned that Republicans want to cut taxes for rich Americans by bringing back the Trump-era tax cuts, saying that workers will carry the burden if that happens.

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Top union group AFL-CIO backed Biden ahead of the rally on Friday, which is the earliest the AFL-CIO has ever voted to endorse in a presidential election.

And, 17 other key unions threw their support behind Biden on the eve of the rally, including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the American Federation of Teachers.

Biden, who touts himself as the most pro-union president in U.S. history, quipped that unions brung him to the dance, as he often does when speaking to big labor. He has been working to shore up those endorsements and solidify support from blue collar workers, many of whom connected with former President Trumps messaging in the 2016 election.

If the investment bankers in this country went on strike tomorrow, no one would notice. Think about this in a literal sense, Biden said on Saturday. But if this room didnt show up to work tomorrow, on Monday, the whole country will come to a grinding halt. So, tell me, tell me, who matters more in America?

He called back to his State of the Union address in February, mentioning that some Republicans jeered from the audience and yelled that it wasnt true that they wanted to cut Social Security and Medicare.

I never negotiated at a State of the Union before, yeah, thats a fact, he quipped.

He vowed to protect Social Security and Medicare, make big corporations and very wealthy pay their fair share and that no one making under $400,000 will pay more in taxes, which he has said throughout his presidency.

The president, who launched his reelection campaign in April, said he is looking forward to the campaign because weve got a story to tell, a record to run on. He has stepped up his campaign appearances recently, with a fundraiser in Connecticut on Friday evening and fundraisers in California early next week.

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Biden was joined in Philadelphia on Saturday by first lady Jill Biden and Pennsylvania Sens. Bob Casey (D) and John Fetterman (D), as well as Rep. Brendan Boyle (D).

Earlier on Saturday, Biden visited the Interstate 95 construction site in Philadelphia with the lawmakers and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D). A section along one of the countrys busiest interstates collapsed in a truck fire earlier this month and construction began this week on creating a new road surface by filling in what was an overpass.

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President Joe Biden on Saturday said his administration would not make it easy for Ukraine to join NATO, adding that the war-torn nation must meet the same standards as other member states.

Asked in a gaggle in Philadelphia about easing Ukraines path to joining the transatlantic alliance  likely in reference to the Membership Action Plan, a key obstacle in Ukraines efforts  Biden said: No. Because theyve got to meet the same standards. So were not going to make it easy.

According to the MAP, candidate nations must make military and democratic reforms before consideration for NATO membership. Last week, Biden officials said the president was "open to" waiving the requirement for Ukraine, which this week launched a counterattack amid Russias war of aggression.

Biden added that the U.S. has done a lot to make sure Ukraine has the ability to coordinate militarily.



Biden on Saturday also conveyed a hopeful outlook on U.S.-China relations ahead of Secretary of State Antony Blinkens trip to Beijing this weekend.

Blinken had been set to visit China in February but the trip was canceled after a U.S. fighter jet downed a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of the Carolinas.

Biden indicated to reporters that the balloon may not have been an intentional spying effort by the Chinese government.

I dont think the leadership knew where it was, and knew what was in it, and knew what was going on, Biden said. I think it was more embarrassing than it was intentional.

In addition to Blinkens visit, Biden indicated that he would meet with Chinas President Xi Jinping again over the next several months to discuss how to get along despite legitimate differences.

Upon arrival in Philadelphia, where Biden is scheduled to headline a rally with labor unions and overfly the site of the I-95 bridge collapse, the president was greeted by adviser Anita Dunn, Sen. Bob Casey, Rep. Brendan Boyle, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Sen. John Fetterman.

At a press briefing with the Pennsylvania officials following the aerial tour of the I-95, Biden said "there's no more important project right now in the country, as far as I'm concerned," and said he was directing his team "not figuratively, but literally, to move heaven and earth to get this done as soon as humanly possible."

Biden also committed that the federal government would "reimburse 100 percent" of the first phase of I-95 reconstruction, and then "90 percent" of the expenses thereafter.

Asked earlier whether he anticipated a contentious presidential campaign, Biden quipped: It depends on who the nominee is.
President Joe Biden's plan to fix a broken border just got the green light in Canada.

For months, Biden and his Canadian counterpart Prime Minister Justin Trudeau relied on their recently-hatched plan to restrict asylum seekers entering either country. But in Canada, the plan, a renegotiated Safe Third Country Agreement, faced a court challenge on the basis of whether the U.S. was in fact a safe country to return people due to its dysfunctional immigration system.

On Friday, Canada's highest court unanimously upheld in part that the agreement was safe to send asylum seekers back to the U.S., but the unanimous decision kicked back the issue of gender-based persecution, which the U.S. has not recognized in asylum claims, to a lower court.

More: What is title 42? What crossings at the Southern border look like now that the policy has ended.

The decision comes as liberal governments in both countries have sought to limit migrants amid mounting pressure from conservatives, while Biden has tried to walk a fine line on immigration  between opening legal pathways and border enforcement  in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greets President Joe Biden as he arrives at Parliament Hill, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Ottawa, Canada. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The agreement with Canada better aligns the northern border with the asylum process at the southern border after Biden ended the pandemic-era Title 42 policy, once invoked by former President Donald Trump, in May. At the same time, Biden implemented new measures to stem the flow of migrants. Now, for people seeking to enter the U.S. from Canada or Mexico, they must seek asylum in the first country they set foot in, either in Canada or Mexico.

We now have consistency between our policies at the northern and southern borders, Muzaffar Chishti, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, a U.S. think-tank, told USA TODAY.

Chishti called the agreement a Biden-Trudeau success, with negotiations occurring in 2022 that now largely survived Supreme Court of Canada scrutiny with Fridays ruling. Biden and Trudeau unveiled their agreement in late March, during Bidens first official visit to Ottawa, to clamp down on immigration in both countries.

Still, the debate around immigration wont end especially as people flee from their homes in Venezuela, Haiti and other parts of Central and South America, said Christopher Kirkey, the director of the Center for the Study of Canada and Quebec Studies at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.

This Supreme Court ruling may say this agreement is valid and is consistent with the Canadian Constitution, but the truth is thats a bit of a snapshot, he said

This is going to continue to be a vexing public policy issue for Ottawa and Washington, he said.

More: Group of migrants bused to downtown Los Angeles from Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott says

FILE - In this Aug. 7, 2017, file photo, Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers greet migrants as they enter into Canada at an unofficial border crossing at the end of Roxham Road in Champlain, N.Y. A Canadian court on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, invalidated the country's Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States. Under the agreement, immigrants who want to seek asylum in Canada at ground ports of entry from the United States are returned to the U.S. and told to seek asylum there. But if they request asylum on Canadian soil at a location other than an official crossing, the process is allowed to go forward. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

What's the Safe Third Country Agreement between US and Canada?

The 2004 Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) allows the U.S. and Canada to turn away asylum seekers from either country because both were designated as safe countries to send people. Under the agreement, Canadian officials could return asylum seekers seeking to enter their country from the U.S., and vice versa.

For two decades, the agreement had a loophole that allowed asylum seekers to enter Canada from the U.S. via irregular ports of entry, such as at Roxham Road, a remote path in Upstate New York that passes forests and farms leading to Quebec. Roxham Road became a pathway for tens of thousands of people for two decades to cross into Canada, which led to upsurges in people crossing at the rural road from the U.S.

Why are migrants headed to the northern border?

The Trump administration enacted hardline immigration policies such as moving to end Temporary Protected Status, resulted in thousands of people  many from Haiti  heading to Canada for asylum. The waves of asylum seekers have shifted from continents and countries, though many have chosen to leave a backlogged U.S. immigration system that takes years to get in front of an immigration judge.

In contrast, Canada has been seen as more welcoming and easier to resettle in the diverse country of 40 million people.

Migrants gather in an informal camp in El Paso, north of the Rio Grande and south of the border wall near Gate 40, on May 5.

During Biden's visit to Canada, he and Trudeau announced they would tighten the agreement to turn away irregular crossings, forcing people to regular ports of entry to make their claims under limited exceptions allowing them to enter. Under the new deal, Canada agreed to offer 15,000 more people from Western Hemisphere countries to seek asylum.

The agreement took effect March 25 at midnight, a day after Biden and Trudeau announced their new deal, officially closing Roxham Road. However, the two countries signed the expanded policy a year ago, as early as March 2022, per U.S. Federal Register rulemaking.

In 2022, close to 40,000 people crossed into Canada from the U.S. seeking asylum, according to Royal Canadian Mounted Police figures. Experts have noted nearly all came via Roxham Road, into Quebec.

In 2023, crossings into Canada, nearly all through Quebec, totaled more than 4,000 each month. But by April, the first full month the new agreement took effect, it dropped to 85 people.

Early in 2023, the U.S. saw increases in people crossing from Canada near a remote stretch of border from New Hampshire to New York, prompting outcries from House Republicans who formed the Northern Border Security Caucus.

Observers have warned that the new agreement, in closing Roxham Road, will force people to make more dangerous treks into either country, much like the border with Mexico.

The numbers at the northern border are far fewer than the southern border. The 2022 fiscal year saw U.S. border agents encounter 109,000 people at the northern border, compared to 2.3 million at the southern border.

How was the agreement challenged?

Canadian immigrant advocates and some left-leaning politicians questioned whether the U.S. was indeed a safe country under Canadian law because of the American process to claim asylum and the conditions of immigration detention systems that migrants often face when theyre rejected from Canada.

Conservative Canadian politicians and officials in French-speaking Quebec, meanwhile, have sought to clamp down on border crossings. Quebecois officials have complained about the disparate burden their province faced in accommodating asylum seekers.

The agreement faced court challenges for violating the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by sending people to the U.S., which often places migrants in immigration detention or deports them to the country they fled. The Supreme Court of Canada heard oral arguments in October.

The Supreme Court holds the regulations designating the United States as a safe third country do not infringe refugee claimants rights to liberty and security of the person, the Supreme Court's brief read.

The court upheld the basis that the U.S. was a safe country, though allowed the appeal in part, which said refugee claimants may be exempted from return to the United States if their charter rights for liberty and security were at risk.

Families of asylum seekers are led into the Ramada hotel in Yonkers May 15, 2023. The families were being housed in New York City.

What else did the court decide on?

In the unanimous court decision, Justice Nicholas Kasirer wrote that designating the U.S. as a safe third country doesnt breach the charter. However, he did agree with the risk of detention of migrants returned to the U.S., and with some aspects of detention conditions. The court returned the issue of gender-based persecution, which advocates say the U.S. flouts international refugee standards, back to the lower federal court.

We have to ensure this is not a race to the bottom, said Maureen Silcoff, a Toronto immigration attorney who co-counseled to intervene in the case on behalf of the Canadian Association for Refugee Lawyers. We see in multiple countries and regions that the door is being sealed, but we have to act in accordance with international standards, not whats politically expedient at the moment.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) speaks on border security and Title 42 during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 11, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Biden restricts asylum claims at both borders

The updated agreement complements Biden administration policies at the United States other border, which has seen an influx of people seeking asylum, many from Venezuela and parts of South America.

In May, the U.S. ended Title 42, a public health law implemented by Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic to restrict people from entering the U.S., including with asylum claims.

For two years, Biden kept the policy in place before recently returning to prior immigration law that allows asylum seekers to present credible fears with asylum officers or before an immigration judge. The administration also now uses expedited removal for people who enter the U.S. without permission. Now, people seeking asylum are expected to use an app to schedule an appointment at ports of entry.

Eduardo Cuevas covers race and justice for the USA TODAY Network of New York. He can be reached at EMCuevas1@gannett.com and followed on Twitter @eduardomcuevas.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden's deal to keep migrants out of US greenlit by Canada court
A lawsuit filed in Fresno County Superior Court last week by a Chowchilla agribusiness firm accuses Bitwise Industries of running nothing more than a classic ponzi scheme as one of its former co-CEOs scrambled to raise cash for the flagging company.

Its one of five cases pending in Fresno County courts against Bitwise, its former co-CEOs Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin Jr., and other company leaders in the wake of its apparent financial collapse at the end of May. The Fresno-based company provided technology apprentice training, web and software support for businesses and leased space in its buildings to technology entrepreneurs and other businesses.

Other cases pending in Fresno County Superior Court include one alleging violations of Californias WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act, which requires companies to provide 60 days advance notice of any mass layoffs or terminations. That complaint, filed on June 7, was filed as a class-action lawsuit.

Bitwise announced on May 29 that it was immediately furloughing all of its workers in California and nationwide, but didnt file any WARN notices in California or other states where it operates until Wednesday, when employees were notified by email that their jobs were being terminated permanently.

An additional lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Fresno accuses Bitwise and its leaders of also violating the federal WARN Act for advance notice of layoffs or terminations.

Neither Soberal nor Olguin, both of whom were fired from their positions as Bitwise co-CEOs on June 2, responded to a request from The Fresno Bee to address the lawsuits confronting them.

Court records indicate that no responses have been filed by Bitwise or other defendants in any of the pending lawsuits in either the local superior court or in the federal court.

The legal woes could keep adding up from investors and others  and might not stop at civil lawsuits.

I wouldnt be a bit surprised if there wasnt some kind of federal criminal investigation that follows as well, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer told reporters on Wednesday.

Agri-Capital lawsuit against Bitwise

Attorneys for Agri Capital Inc., a Chowchilla-based lender, allege that Soberal reached out to the lenders chief financial officer Jim Maxwell by email on April 25 and spoke by phone later that day to say that Bitwise urgently needed to raise $5 million by April 28, to repay tax credit refunds owed to another company.

Soberal allegedly told Jim Maxwell that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service had errantly deposited the (tax) credits into Bitwises bank account in 2023 when they should have gone directly to the other company.

Maxwell and his son, Brian Maxwell  manager of CA AG LLC  had both been investors in Bitwise-related companies since about 2019, the suit states.

Agri Capital agreed to loan Bitwise $1 million based on security agreements in which Soberal and Olguin pledged their shares in Bitwises parent company, BW Industries, as collateral, according to court documents. Additionally, CA AG provided a $500,000 loan to BW, for which then-BW president Bethany Mily pledged her company shares as security.

Less than three weeks later, on May 16, the lawsuit alleges, an associate of Jim Maxwell sought his opinion on a potential $2 million loan to Bitwise.

The associate stated that he was in communication with Soberal and the monies loaned would be secured by Soberals and Olguins personal stock shares in Bitwise, the complaint states. Those stock shares were the same shares which Soberal and Olguin represented and warranted to (Maxwell) would be pledged to them as collateral for their loan exclusively.

Additionally, the suit alleges that Soberal had earlier boasted that Bitwise had $65 million in cash in its bank accounts, but added that the money could not be used to repay the owner of the tax credits because another major investor, Goldman Sachs, required that Bitwise maintain that for liquidity purposes. In telephone call on May 29  the same day that Bitwise furloughed its entire workforce  the lawsuit states, Soberal told Maxwell that the $65 million was now mostly gone and had been used to repay other investors.

As it turns out, (Bitwises) business plan was nothing more than a classic ponzi scheme rooted in the fraud and deceit by which its top officers, with Board of Director endorsements, solicited money by crafting a false narrative of financial fortune and stability to lure in unsuspecting investors who believed in the companys mission, the lawsuit alleges.

The tax credits for which Soberal is accused of seeking loans to repay were the subject of a previous lawsuit in a federal court in New York. In that case, plaintiff 1861 Acquisition sued Bitwise and Soberal for fraud, alleging that the IRS had issued tax credit refunds of about $6.2 million as paper checks to Bitwise, and that Bitwise had deposited those into its bank account rather than forwarding the payments to 1861 Acquisition as called for in its contract.

The 1861 Acquisition federal lawsuit was settled on May 1, according to court documents in that case.

After learning about Bitwises other legal problems, the Maxwells, Agri Capital and CA AG issued a June 1 demand to Bitwise for repayment of their loans by June 8.

In addition to Bitwise Industries, Soberal and Olguin Jr., the Agri Capital lawsuit also names as defendants Mily and Bitwise board members Mitchell Kapor, founder of Lotus Development in the early 1980s and now a partner in Kapor Capital; Joseph T. Proietti, founder and president of investment firm BNP; former investment executive Paula Pretlow; and Ollen Douglass, a former executive with Motley Fool Ventures, CEO of consulting firm Hanover Street Advisors and interim president of Bitwise.

Bitwise board members Kapor, Proietti, Pretlow and Douglass are accused in the lawsuit of negligence and breach of duty in their supervision of Soberal, Olguin Jr. and Mily.

Given the multiple pending lawsuits against Bitwise  it should have been apparent to the Board defendants that Bitwises officers persistently engaged in a pattern of wrongful and fraudulent activity, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit seeks not only repayment of the $1 million Agri Capital loan and the CA AG $500,000 loan, plus interest, but also triple damages totaling more than $5 million.

Other pending lawsuits against Bitwise

NICBYTE LLC: Texas company NICbyte LLC filed suit on May 30 against Bitwise and associated entities over ownership of the former State Center Warehouse building on R Street in downtown Fresno as well as buildings in Oakland and Bakersfield. That case, filed in Fresno County Superior Court, asserts that NICbyte has a 95% ownership stake in the various properties.

Despite only having a 5% stake, the suit alleges that Bitwise borrowed almost $30 million in loans using the buildings as collateral, and also listed four of the five properties for sale without legal authority to do so. A Fresno judge issued a temporary restraining order on May 31, ordering Bitwise to cease efforts to sell the buildings and freezing bank accounts associated with Bitwise subsidiaries for each of the buildings.

An amended complaint was filed earlier this week, adding Soberal and Olguin Jr. as individual defendants in the case.

CATALYST COMMUNICATIONS INC.: Fresno-based marketing firm Catalyst Communications Inc. filed suit against Soberal and BW Industries on June 1, accusing Soberal of fraud and asking a judge for damages to freeze the companys bank accounts and turn over all financial books and records.

The lawsuit alleges that Soberal reached out to Catalyst CEO Mark Astone on May 10, 2023, to seek a $200,000 loan, based on representations that BW Industries was earning more than $200 million in annual revenue and had $65 million in cash in the bank.

The complaint also asserts that Soberals statements about Bitwises financial strength were false and intentional misrepresentations made in order to induce (Catalyst) to fund the $200,000 loan. Those representations, the complaint adds, constitute the type of willful and malicious fraud so as to justify an award of punitive damages .

FEDERAL CLASS-ACTION WARN LAWSUIT: A New York law firm filed suit in the U.S. District Court in Fresno on June 6 as a class-action case accusing Bitwise Industries, subsidiary AlphaWorks Technologies LLC, and Soberal and Olguin of violating the federal WARN Act requiring 60-day advance notice to workers of layoffs or terminations. It also alleges violations of California state labor codes and wage laws. The three lead plaintiffs include Bitwises director of operations in Buffalo, New York; a Maine resident working remotely and reporting to the Bitwise headquarters in Fresno; and a payroll and compliance accountant in Fresno.

CALIFORNIA CLASS-ACTION WARN LAWSUIT: Fresno attorney Roger Bonakdar filed a lawsuit on June 7 in Fresno County Superior Court as a class-action case on behalf of Bitwise employees, accusing the company, Soberal, Olguin Jr. and Bitwise board members of violating Californias WARN Act. It also accuses the company of other labor law violations including unfair business practices; failure to pay wages, to maintain acurate records or furnishing wage statements, and negligence.

The complaint asserts that over the objections of Soberal and Olguin Jr., the other four Bitwise board members  Kapor, Pretlow, Proietti and Douglass  met on about May 28 and made the decision to terminate all of Bitwises employees.

Apparently, to buy time, defendants had messaged the terminations as a furlough to both mislead the public and the Bitwise employees, Bonakdar wrote in the lawsuit.

On Wednesday, the same day that employees were told their jobs were being permanently terminated and more than two weeks after the company announced the immediate furloughs, Bitwise interim president Douglass sent WARN notices via email to employment officials in California and at least six other states of the mass layoffs.

CHASE CARTER AND JACKIE CARTER: Chase Carter of Madera County and Jackie Carter of Riverside County filed suit in February 2023 against Bitwise Industries, Soberal, Olguin and two other Bitwise officers, Landon Brokaw and Billy Atkins. The defendants are accused of breach of contract and fraud.

The lawsuit asserts that Chase Carter, with financial backing from Jackie Carter, founded a real-estate tech company called Listing Alert in 2018, and hired Bitwise to build a corresponding technology app.

The complaint alleges that Bitwise and its officers approached Chase Carter about entering a joint venture for ownership of the app in exchange for an investment of $2 million. But, the lawsuit adds, Bitwise and the defendants used a seven-month period to validate whether the app would be profitable to instead develop a plan to oust plaintiffs from the company in order to take 100% ownership of the company and Listing Alert and keep app profits for themselves.

As part of the joint venture, Chase Carter was offered a position as Listing Alerts business development manager, the lawsuit states, adding that Chase Carter was fired from that position in August 2021, less than a month before he would be able to exercise a 20% option in the new company to bring his stake to 44%. In addition, the suit alleges that the $2 million investment never materialized.
China's top legislature schedules standing committee session for late June

Xinhua) 10:06, June 17, 2023

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee in Beijing, capital of China, June 16, 2023. The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress will convene its third session from June 26 to 28 in Beijing. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, will convene its third session from June 26 to 28 in Beijing.

The decision was made on Friday at a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee, which was presided over by Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.

According to an agenda proposed at the meeting, lawmakers at the upcoming session will deliberate draft laws on the construction of barrier-free environment and external relations, as well as draft revisions to the laws on administrative review and protection of maritime environment.

Lawmakers will also deliberate a report on the central government's final accounts for 2022, an audit report on the execution of the central government's 2022 budget and other fiscal revenue and expenditure, and a report on coordinated regional development from the State Council.

Friday's meeting reviewed and passed a five-year plan for the 14th NPC Standing Committee on supervising the management of state assets from 2023 to 2027.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Sheng Chuyi)
This photo taken on June 14, 2023 shows the opening ceremony of the Forum on Global Human Rights Governance in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li Xin)



China has secured many outstanding achievements in promoting and protecting human rights, and has contributed wisdom to promoting global human rights governance, experts said at a Beijing forum on the topic this week.

The Forum on Global Human Rights Governance took place in the Chinese capital on Wednesday and Thursday, attracting more than 300 participants from home and abroad. At the event, participants held in-depth discussions on the practice of domestic human rights governance by China and its contribution to the international community.

Veronika Saraswati, China Study Unit Convenor of Centre for Strategic and International Studies of Indonesia, said she thinks highly of China's practices in promoting and protecting human rights. She said that China has accomplished remarkable feats in economic and social development while maintaining peace, laying a solid foundation for the protection of human rights.

"Among all the achievements that China has made, one that cannot be ignored is the historic resolution of absolute poverty," Saraswati said, adding that it not only makes a major contribution to the cause of global poverty reduction, but also provides inspiration for the eradication of poverty in other developing countries like Indonesia.

Peter Hediger, Swedish sinologist, historian and international security policy expert, said that China has pursued a successful foreign policy that benefits not only China but also many other countries, and this has helped improve the level of human rights in the world.

Hediger said that 30 years have elapsed since the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action, and despite all countries pledging to enhance cooperation and common development, there are still hegemonies that recklessly pursue their goals at the expense of others, and they have become a major source of instability in today's world.

Countering such trends, China's foreign policy has played a model role when it comes to the implementations of the goals set by United Nations, he said, adding that the fruits of such endeavors were in evidence recently when China successfully mediated the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

"We cannot talk about human rights without any action," said Saraswati, pointing out that some countries use "human rights" as a tool to attack and smear other countries, while China has been safeguarding and promoting the development of human rights with concrete actions.

Saraswati pointed out that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has played an important role in promoting global human rights progress. Taking the joint construction of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway as an example, she said the railway will effectively connect urban and rural areas and stimulate the vitality of local economic and social development.

"It is one of China's many concrete actions to safeguard and promote human rights," Saraswati said.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of China's proposal of the BRI. Stephen Brawer, Chairman of the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden, said he is convinced that the BRI is the pathway to peace, as well as true human rights in the proper sense of development and the elimination of global poverty.

"One crucial idea is the idea of the common good for all people," Brawer said, adding that this is where human rights and the BRI can come together to construct "a community for a shared future for mankind."
One might be forgiven for expecting the past three-and-a-half weeks to have produced a healthy shakeup of the race for the GOP presidential nomination. Former President Donald Trumps leading contender entered the race, as did a former vice president and the only senator running. Oh, and Trump himself was indicted for allegedly jeopardizing the governments most closely held secrets.

And yet, the polls have barely moved.

Trump remains well ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis  both nationally and in the states that will vote earliest in the nominating process  according to independent polling. The other candidates remain far behind those two.

Post-launch bounces for DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence? Not according to the public polls. A bump for Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) after his official kickoff? Yes, but only enough to vault him to the mid-single-digits, roughly tied for third place with Pence and Scotts fellow South Carolinian, Nikki Haley.



And, most importantly, Trumps grip over GOP primary voters remains mostly unaffected despite his federal indictment last week on charges he absconded with classified documents from the White House. Nationally, Trump has been over 50 percent in the RealClearPolitics average since early April  following his other criminal indictment, in New York City  and the three polls conducted mostly or entirely after his second indictment show him between 51 percent and 53 percent.

The lack of movement between the candidates over an otherwise busy period suggests the race is, on the whole, stable. Trump leads DeSantis  whose support has faded somewhat since earlier this year  with the other candidates still vying for a toehold. And its likely to stay that way for next two months, until the first televised debate on Aug. 23.

Trump: Steady with Republicans, but trouble looms

The first Trump indictment  charges levied earlier this spring by a Manhattan grand jury in the hush-money case involving porn star Stormy Daniels  actually boosted Trump in the Republican primary.

Thats not happening this time  at least not so far  though theres also no indication the federal charges Trump is facing in Florida are making Republican primary voters less likely to say they want him to be the partys 2024 nominee.



Trump leads DeSantis, his closest competitor, by at least 30 points in the three national polls conducted mostly or entirely after the news of the federal indictment broke. And hes narrowly above 50 percent in each of the surveys, from The Messenger/HarrisX (53 percent), Quinnipiac University (53 percent) and The Economist/YouGov (51 percent).

On the day of Trumps first indictment, he stood at 46 percent in the national RealClearPolitics average, with DeSantis at 30 percent. Within a week, Trump was over 50 percent. He now leads DeSantis, 52 percent to 21 percent.

But Trumps sustained strength in the GOP primary belies his tenuous position with the overall electorate. A new NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist College poll conducted after the indictment and released on Friday found a majority of registered voters want Trump to drop out of the race, and roughly half (49 percent) believe he broke the law, consistent with other surveys showing Americans broadly concerned about Trumps conduct.

DeSantis: Wheres the bounce?

DeSantis 9-point drop over the past two-and-a-half months is also evidence that the Florida governor hasnt seen much improvement since the late-May launch of his campaign. He was at 23 percent in the Quinnipiac poll this week, statistically unchanged from the 25 percent he registered in Quinnipiacs previous survey, which was conducted in the days just before his announcement.

In fact, DeSantis vote share in the RealClearPolitics national average today is identical to where it stood on May 24, the day he launched his campaign: 21 percent.

Of course, the nomination wont be decided by a simultaneous national primary, and DeSantis allies have been clear that theyre banking on a strong performance in Iowa, which will hold the first caucuses, likely sometime next January.

There hasnt been much independent polling in Iowa lately  the only recent poll in the RealClearPolitics database is from the Trump-friendly online outlet American Greatness more than a week ago  but other data streams suggest the DeSantis push in Iowa continues in earnest.

Never Back Down, the pro-DeSantis super PAC, is the leading spender on the Iowa airwaves this week, though North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgums campaign is a close second (and campaigns generally pay lower rates for advertising than outside groups like super PACs, meaning Burgums money is likely going further than Never Back Downs).



The field: Signs of life for Scott, Christie

Though Trump and DeSantis remain stagnant, there are smaller moves happening among the candidates fighting to emerge from the lower tiers.

Scott, who kicked off his campaign the same week as DeSantis, has seen an uptick in his polling. Hes averaged around 4 percent in national polls since his launch, and he hit 7 percent in an American Greatness poll in New Hampshire this week.

Other than the self-funding Burgum, Scott and his allied super PAC, Trust in the Mission PAC, have been the leading advertisers this week in New Hampshire.

Meanwhile, another candidate is also rising in the polls in New Hampshire: former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Christie, who launched his campaign last week at a town hall just outside Manchester, is banking on a strong showing in the first-in-the-nation primary state. And two polls this week had him in third or tied for third: He was even with Scott at 7 percent in the American Greatness poll, and he also hit 9 percent in a poll out of New Hampshire from the conservative website New Hampshire Journal on Friday.
Boston detectives seek publics help in finding 20-year-old man wanted for murder of Sharon woman

Boston detectives are seeking the publics help in finding a 20-year-old South Boston man who is wanted in connection with the murder of a Sharon woman in Dorchester in February, police said Saturday afternoon.

Stepheon Wells is wanted on a warrant for murder and gun charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Diva Ayuso, 32, of Sharon, who was found fatally shot in the area of 15 Fermoy Heights in Dorchester on Feb. 18, police said.

Wells was last seen in the area of South Boston, and he may have a firearm, police said.

Police described him as a Black male, standing approximately 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing about 125 pounds.

At about 8:46 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, Boston officers responded to a ShotSpotter activation at 15 Fermoy Heights in Dorchester.

Diva Ayuso, 32, of Sharon, who was found fatally shot in the area of 15 Fermoy Heights in Dorchester on Feb. 18, police said.

When officers arrived, they found Ayuso suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Anyone with information on this case is strongly urged to contact Homicide Detectives at 617-343-4470.

Community members wishing to assist in this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463).

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 Boston pastor is calling on Black fathers across Boston and the nation to step up on Fathers Day on Sunday and help curb violence in their communities.

The Rev. Eugene Rivers, the founder of the Violence Reduction Task Force, said hes challenging Black men to mentor Black youth in cities like Boston, which continues to grapple with street violence in neighborhoods.

We are appealing to black fathers across the country to step up, to support black mothers who are raising their children alone and to work in strategic partnerships with law enforcement to mentor and monitor black youth, Rivers said in a statement on Saturday. We are appealing to black men to join this movement to save the lives of our children.

Nearly all forms of gun violence have been rising among Black Americans, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The vast majority of gun deaths among Black Americans are gun homicides, and Black Americans make up the majority of gun homicide victims in the U.S.

On average, more than 12,400 Black people die from gun violence each year, with 15,548 such deaths in 2021 alonethe highest number on record, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research.

In the nations 20 largest counties, Black men ages 18 to 25 die from gun homicides at a rate nearly 19 times that of white residents, according to the CDC.

Rivers, a Dorchester pastor whose programs aim to get churches involved in curbing youth violence, also called for city leaders to address the gun violence in Boston neighborhoods in February.

Rivers is not alone in appealing to the citys Black community to stop the violence on Boston streets.

In April, The Rev. Kevin Peterson called on Bostons Black community to turn in guns after a man was shot dead in Roxbury.

We also call upon the Black community to cease fire. So far, the vast majority of murders this year have occurred in the citys Black community. This has to stop, Peterson said in April.

We are at a point within Bostons Black community where it makes sense that we call on all Black people who have guns in Boston to turn them into local churches, post offices or local police stations, Peterson said at the time.

Stepheon Wells is wanted on a warrant for murder and gun charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Diva Ayuso, 32, of Sharon, who was found fatally shot in the area of 15 Fermoy Heights in Dorchester on Feb. 18, police said.

Also Saturday, Boston Police made an appeal to the public to help find a 20-year-old South Boston man who is wanted in connection with the murder of a Sharon woman in Dorchester in February.

Stepheon Wells is wanted on a warrant for murder and gun charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Diva Ayuso, 32, of Sharon, who was found fatally shot in the area of 15 Fermoy Heights in Dorchester on Feb. 18, police said.

Wells was last seen in the area of South Boston, and he may have a firearm, police said Saturday.

At about 8:46 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, Boston officers responded to a ShotSpotter activation at 15 Fermoy Heights in Dorchester.

Just a shocking moment: Family of woman fatally shot at Fermoy Heights speaks out

When officers arrived, they found Ayuso suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, police said.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

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
Boston police seek help in locating suspect in connection to an auto theft in Allston

Boston police are seeking help in locating a suspect in connection to an auto theft in Allston.

According to Boston police, the alleged theft occurred on Sunday, June 11, at 254 Everett Street.

The suspect is described as a male wearing grey sweatpants, a blue sweatshirt, white sneakers and a grey under armour hate.

A dump truck/trailer was later recovered at the Wegmans in Westwood.

Police ask anyone with information to contact District D-14 Detectives at (617) 343-4256.

Community members wishing to assist in this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463).

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
I was in the crowd at Queen Elizabeth's last Trooping the Colour. It was unlike anything I've ever witnessed.

Mikhaila Friel at the Trooping the Colour parade at Buckingham Palace. Mikhaila Friel/Insider

I attended the Trooping the Colour parade at Buckingham Palace last year.

The parade celebrated the Queen's official birthday as well as her Platinum Jubilee.

I didn't know at the time that it would be the Queen's final parade.

In June 2022, thousands of people gathered at Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Colour parade in celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. I was one of them.

Mikhaila Friel at Buckingham Palace. Mikhaila Friel/Insider

Trooping the Colour, otherwise known as the monarch's birthday parade, also celebrated the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, which marked her 70 years on the British throne.

Prince Charles, the Queen, Kate Middleton, Prince William, and the Cambridge children on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images

The parade featured horses, soldiers, and members of the royal family who departed from Buckingham Palace and made their way down The Mall, a street that starts at the palace and ends at Trafalgar Square.

The parade route on the Buckingham Palace Mall. Google Maps/Skitch

I arrived at the The Mall just after 8 a.m., around two hours earlier than the parade was due to start. The place was packed, and some attendees I spoke to had been there since 6 a.m.

Other attendees brought their own chairs to sit on while they waited. Mikhaila Friel/Insider

I took my time deciding where to stand, admiring the many Union Jack flags and outfits that I spotted during my journey.

Attendees wore Union Jack capes. Mikhaila Friel/Insider

Some people were decked out in full costume, like this royal fan who wore a crown and a cape.

A royal fan dressed in a cape and crown. Mikhaila Friel/Insider

Others opted to wear the UK's national colors. This royal fan wore a red dress, a matching fascinator, a white belt, and a blue-and-white scarf.

A royal fan at Trooping the Colour. Mikhaila Friel/Insider

I found a spot near the end of the parade route, and waited there until the parade began shortly after 10 a.m. While it was a long wait, the crowd was cheerful, and some people spontaneously started singing the national anthem.

Mikhaila Friel at Trooping the Colour. Mikhaila Friel/Insider

More than 1,200 officers and solders from the Household Division and over 240 horses were part of the parade, according to a palace press release.

The Trooping the Colour parade. Mikhaila Friel/Insider

The parade went on for around an hour before Kate Middleton, her children, and Camilla appeared. It was difficult to get a close look due to the crowd, but I could tell it was them by the cheers that erupted around me.

I got a closer look at Prince William and Princess Anne, who passed us on horseback.

Prince William and Princess Anne at the Trooping the Colour parade. Mikhaila Friel/Insder

After the parade was over, the barriers were removed and the public were invited to watch a flyover with the Queen and the royal family, who looked on from the palace balcony.

The crowd walked towards Buckingham Palace to watch the flyover. Mikhaila Friel/Insider

While my view was slightly blocked by the police officers in front of me, I was much closer to the palace balcony than I had even anticipated getting.

My view of the palace balcony. Mikhaila Friel/Insider

Since the Queen didn't take part in the procession, everyone was eager to see her balcony appearance. I overheard one man get emotional as he told his son that this would likely be the last time they saw the 96-year-old at a milestone event.

The royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Mikhaila Friel/Insider

It turned out to be true, as Queen Elizabeth died at her Balmoral Castle estate in Scotland on September 8, 2022.

Queen Elizabeth II and her great-grandson Prince Louis on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on June 2. Samir Hussein/Getty Images

Read more: Queen Elizabeth II is dead at 96, bringing her unprecedented 70-year reign to a close

The event ended with a spectacular flyover in the UK's national colors.

The flyover. Mikhaila Friel/Insider

As King Charles celebrates his first Trooping the Colour as monarch this year, I can't help but look back at last year's event with nostalgia. I'm so glad I got to witness something that will go down in the history books.

Mikhaila Friel at the Trooping the Colour parade. Mikhaila Friel/Insider

Read the original article on Insider
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William, heir to the throne, has told the Sunday Times he wants to help end homelessness across the country and is planning to launch "a really big project" later this month.

In an interview, the Prince told the newspaper that his and his wife's Royal Foundation would be behind the project.

William, 40, is a long term supporter of charities aimed at ending homelessness, a cause which was close to his mother's heart. As a young boy, Princess Diana took him to a homeless shelter and he is the patron of two charities focused on the issue.

He said the project would provide "living conditions up and down the country that improve peoples lives who need that first rung of the ladder", according to the newspaper.

The Prince also suggested he would be prepared to build social housing on his land as a trial to see if it worked before scaling it up, according to the newspaper.

"Social housing. Youll see that when its ready. Im no policy expert, but I push it where I can," he is quoted by the Sunday Times as saying.

William took part in his father King Charles's first official birthday parade earlier on Saturday, riding on horseback to inspect soldiers with other members of the royal family.

(Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will ask entrepreneurs and businesses to step up investment in Ukraine at a conference next week to help it rebuild after Russia's invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will make a virtual appearance at the two-day event which starts in London on Wednesday, organisers said.

"Ukraine's bravery on the battlefield must be matched by the vision of the private sector to help the country rebuild and recover," Sunak will say, according to the text of his speech released by his office on Saturday.

"A financially stronger, technologically advanced Ukraine will bolster its ability to drive Russia back behind its borders," Sunak will tell dignitaries and company bosses at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, according to the statement.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also due to speak, as is European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen.

Britain and other Western allies have given the Kyiv government billions of dollars of assistance and weapons since Russia sent its troops over the border on Feb. 24 last year, in what Moscow called a "special military operation".

A new digital platform will be launched to connect Ukrainian and international companies to aid collaboration, the Downing Street statement said.

Another technology project will help Ukrainian and British entrepreneurs and businesses collaborate, and a 10 million pound ($13 million) fund will back low-carbon energy ideas in Ukraine, it added.

($1 = 0.7802 pounds)

(Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Crews work to install photovoltaic panels on racking at the Appaloosa Solar 1 project near Cedar City on Thursday, June 8, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

A man who grew up on a certified organic farm in California and was head of the North American division of a Norwegian renewable energy company called Scatec is growing solar fields in Utah, and in some unlikely places.

Luigi Resta, president of rPlus Energies headquartered in Utah, is described as a leading pioneer in his field when it comes to deployment of renewable energies in states like Utah and 16 others around the country that are either in place, or in pursuit.

When you go into these communities, you become part of the community and you are doing work that is going to last for 20 to 30 to 40 years. And it is important to understand that honesty, integrity and transparency is really critical, he said. I mentioned early on that I grew up on a farm and you know, farmers are really the true, sustainable cultivators, and they are multigenerational, and they look out for the land.

Restas approach to development is that to have repeat business in communities, there are key elements that have to be in play.

You have to be honest and have integrity and transparency both on the positive side and the difficult and challenging side.

Pioneering spirt

The Utah Red Hills project was the first project that we had in Iron County over utility-scale solar development. And Luigi obviously has been one of the pioneers in developing utility-scale solar in Utah. He was instrumental in helping develop some of the laws and amendments to the laws in Utah to help with economic incentives and opportunities and the ability to do large scale solar in Utah, said Reed Erickson, Iron County planner.

Related

Luigi Resta, president of rPlus Energies, poses for a photo at the Appaloosa Solar 1 project, which rPlus is currently building near Cedar City, on Thursday, June 8, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

Its all about location

Resta said the project of Utah Red Hills at 104 megawatts ended up being the largest in the country, for about 10 seconds, until another larger solar producer came online.

We built it in 2015, he said. Everybody was very ecstatic at the outcome and commitment, and as a result they invited us back, and we are building a second project in Iron County.

Utah Red Hills, in fact, was the first utility-scale solar project in Utah and paved the way for nearly 1 gigawatt of installed solar since then in the state.

Resta said it is all about building relationships, including with county commissioners, residents, and even schools.

It is an example of taking a thoughtful development that can really allow for continuous development, he said.

Erickson said Utah Red Hills was a breakthrough.

I think that (Resta) is one of the early pioneers to lead the way and has done a great job at setting an example for other developers to come and make similar projects, he said.

Iron County now has more than a dozen solar projects in development at 1,000 megawatts.

Weve had a couple of bigger (projects) since then, but weve got solar development now all over Iron County, and a lot of that is a result of being able to follow the pattern that he and his team set out with the first project that was done. You have to develop the confidence in it and a reassurance in the community with elected officials that allowed us to continue all of the other projects to follow after that, Erickson said.

Related

Resta said location, location and location is the key.

Thoughtful consideration of location is really important, especially with wind and solar, Resta said. Generally, if you have the option to move a project from one location that might be sensitive for visual impacts or cultural or environmental impacts to an area of lower impact, you should always choose the lower impact.

Restas company is now working on the 240-megawatt Appaloosa solar project in Iron County which is under construction and tied to a new scholarship fund of $120,000 that rPlus and its partners established for Southern Utah University students.

A relatively small portion of the the Appaloosa Solar 1 project, which is still under construction near Cedar City, is pictured on Thursday, June 8, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

Overcoming energy traditions in coal country

In 2021, rPlus energies completed the Graphite Solar project in Carbon County with a capacity of 105 megawatts of energy and hopes to break ground this year on the 400-megawatt Green River Energy Center in Emery County, which will include battery storage.

These are conservative, coal based communities, and when we started developing these projects, they were apprehensive at best and probably more in opposition because they viewed it, and to some degree rightfully so, as a direct assault on their kind of culture and economy.

Graphite Solar turned out to be a success, employing 100 workers during the construction phase at a time Resta said was the first year in 147 years they were not pulling any coal out of the ground.

We persistently sat down with them, talked to them, and we were working with the community, he said. They were able to understand this is a continuation of that identity as an energy community.

Resta said Graphite Solar is generating good tax revenue for the county in rural areas of the state that often struggle.

And the county is asking us to bring in additional projects, so that was a great example of difficult times, but how to remain part of that energy community and create jobs and economic diversity.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that more than half of the new electrical generating capacity that will come online this year will be from solar.

Developers, it said, plan to add 54.5 gigawatts of new utility-scale solar capacity for the power generation sector. Another 17% will come from battery storage, which is part of Restas Green River project and part of retrofit plans in Iron County.

Resta is also a key developer in the pumped storage hydropower generation field and has his eye on a project planned for Tooele County, part of his overall 40-project portfolio.

His company has 11 pumped storage projects in development, and of them, two have had their final license submitted to federal regulators for review.

Only five projects in the last 30 years have made it to this point, he said.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, sent a congratulatory letter to the 15th Straits Forum on Saturday.

Calling the Straits Forum an important platform for people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to broadly engage in exchanges and promote cooperation, Xi expressed his hope in the letter that the forum will constantly inject vitality into people-to-people exchanges and the integrated development across the Strait.

We will continue to respect, care for and deliver benefits to the Taiwan compatriots, promote cross-Strait economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation, and advance integrated development in various fields, he said.

Xi called for joint efforts to promote the Chinese culture and forge closer bonds.

He called on people from both sides of the Strait to work together to keep pace with the trends of history, safeguard the overall interests of the Chinese nation and contribute to the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and the cause of national reunification.

The 15th Straits Forum was jointly held by the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, Fujian provincial government and 82 institutions and organizations from across the Strait. The forum's main conference commenced on Saturday in the coastal city of Xiamen.




California cop hailed for saving dog who ingested fentanyl. Heres what he did for Wednesday

A Northern California police officer is being hailed by his department after he helped save the life of a puppy that had ingested fentanyl.

The dog, named Wednesday, could barely breathe and was struggling to survive when the owner brought the animal to the Yuba City Police Department about 9 a.m. Friday, authorities said in a social media post.

Police said the man was hysterically upset, telling officers that someone had given Wednesday the dangerous opioid.

Officer Steven DeNeef, who has been on the force since 2019, rushed to save Wednesday, reviving the dog with two doses of Narcan, an antidote for opioids that is standard issue for law enforcement in most California agencies.

The owner, Wednesday, and our department (are) extremely thankful and proud of Officer DeNeef, officials said.

DeNeef has demonstrated heroics before.

He was honored last year with an award after his quick actions saved a victims life in October. The award was given by Project Humanize, a nonprofit organization hosted by the Relentless Defender Foundation, with a mission to humanize the badge, and recognize acts of service by officers.

DeNeef was dispatched on a call of a reported stabbing, and the victim passed out as he performed a physical assessment to find stab wounds. The officer immediately began administering CPR until the person regained consciousness, according to Yuba City police.

DeNeef found several stab wounds on the victim, one of which was life-threatening. He expertly sealed the victims wounds and placed a tourniquet on the left arm, which medical staff confirmed ultimately saved the victims life, according to Yuba City officials.
Jodi McClay

The Temecula Valley Unified School District board, in the midst of a controversy over LGBTQ+ curriculum materials, has fired the districts superintendent.

The board voted 3-1 to fire Superintendent Jodi McClay from the Southern California district during a closed session Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Times reports. This is the same board that recently rejected an LGBTQ-inclusive textbook, with board members calling pioneering gay politician Harvey Milk a pedophile. No reason for McClay's firing was stated, but it may well be linked to the anti-LGBTQ+ uproar.

In their minds theyre doing something good, Allison Barclay, the only board member who voted against firing McClay, told the Times. But Jodi has been nothing but an exemplary leader in this district. She has led this district to where we are today.

McClay had worked in the district for 25 years. A coalition of former district officials wrote a letter expressing concern about her ouster, saying she has established and maintained a solid record of instructional excellence. She is a person of outstanding character and a leader of the most excellent caliber, the letter added.

In May, the board voted to reject a social studies textbook and curricular materials designed for kindergarten through fifth grade. It included mention of the LGBTQ+ rights movement but no mention of Milk, the San Francisco city supervisor who was the first out gay elected official in California and was assassinated by a fellow supervisor in 1978. The accompanying materials for teachers do mention Milk.

During discussion of the program, Board President Joseph Komrosky called Milk a sexual predator. Why even mention a pedophile? Komrosky said.

He was apparently referring to a relationship between Milk and Jack McKinley, which began when Milk was in his early 30s and McKinley was 16. When the two met in New York, the age of consent in that state was 14, and McKinley had turned 18 when the pair moved to California.

Komroskys remark drew criticism from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who tweeted that it was an offensive statement from an ignorant person. Newsom added, This isnt Texas or Florida. In the Golden State, our kids have the freedom to learn. Indeed, state law requires that public schools teach LGBTQ-inclusive history.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has denounced Komroskys statement as well, and the states Department of Education is investigating the district, although DOE officials havent said why.

Komrosky and the two other board members who voted to fire McClay, Jennifer Wiersma and Danny Gonzalez, are conservatives who were elected last year with the support of the Inland Empire Family PAC. The PAC endorses candidates who are against critical race theory as well as forced LGBTQ+ acceptance, the Times reports.

The Temecula board voted in December to ban critical race theory, an academic concept that informs higher education curricula but not whats taught in K-12 schools. The term, however, seems to be used by right-wing activists as a catchall for all lessons about the U.S. legacy of racism  lessons they say are divisive and induce guilt in white students.

One board member, Steven Schwartz, was absent from the Tuesday meeting, so he did not vote on McClays firing. Former Assistant Superintendent Kimberly Velez will become superintendent on an interim basis.
Candid photos of the royal family at King Charles' birthday parade

The royal family at Trooping the Colour at June 17, 2023. Chris Jackson/Getty Images, HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images

The royal family attended Trooping the Colour, the king's birthday parade, on Saturday.

King Charles joined the parade on horseback outside Buckingham Palace in London.

Meanwhile, Queen Camilla, Kate Middleton, and the royal children greeted crowds from a carriage.

Trooping the Colour, also known as the king's birthday parade, took place in London on Saturday.

King Charles III waves from the car as he arrives at Buckingham Palace for the King's Birthday Parade on Saturday. ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images

The parade has taken place annually for more than 260 years and involves a military procession of more than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians.

Guards of the Household Division arrive to take part in the King's Birthday Parade on June 17. HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images

Source: Royal.uk

This year marks Charles' first parade since becoming king, and he marked the occasion by riding on horseback  the first time that a reigning monarch has ridden at Trooping the Colour since 1986.

King Charles on horseback at Trooping the Colour on June 17. HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)

Charles was joined by his son Prince William, and his siblings Prince Edward and Princess Anne.

Members of the royal family arrive on horseback at Trooping the Colour on June 17. BBC News

Queen Camilla shared a carriage with Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, and her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

The Queen, Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis at Trooping the Colour on June 17. BBC News

Prince Louis appeared unimpressed as he took in the crowds that gathered outside Buckingham Palace.

The royal children at Trooping the Colour on June 17. HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images

But moments later, the young royal seemed overcome with laughter.

Prince Louis laughs at Trooping the Colour on June 17. Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images

Middleton was all smiles as they rode in a procession from Buckingham Palace and down The Mall.

The Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla attend Trooping the Colour on June 17. Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, shared a carriage with Princess Anne's husband Timothy Laurence.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and Timothy Laurence during Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023, in London, England. Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Once they arrived at Buckingham Palace, the royals headed up to the balcony to watch around 70 different types of aircraft take part in the celebratory flypast.

Prince George, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, Prince William, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince Edward, and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Colour on June 17. Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images

Source: UK Government

They also took time to wave to onlookers gathered in front of the palace who were waving Union Jacks and vying for glimpses of the royals.

The royal family gathered on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour on June 17. ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images

At one point, Louis seemed to take the balcony appearance very seriously and gave a salute, much to the apparent amusement of his parents.

Prince George, Kate Middleton, Prince Louis, and Prince William on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour on June 17. Chris Jackson/Getty Images

But in what's become somewhat of a tradition for the 5-year-old, Louis was also photographed pulling a few show-stealing funny faces.

Princess Anne, Prince George, Prince Louis, Kate Middleton, Prince William, and Princess Charlotte on the balcony at Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour on June 17. ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images

After the flypast, the royals departed the balcony, with Charles and his granddaughter Charlotte giving the crowds one last wave.

The royal family depart the Buckingham Palace balcony during the Trooping the Colour on June 17. Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Read the original article on Insider
Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren Price, center, at a City Hall news conference in April. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

For the record:

8:16 a.m. June 17, 2023: A photo caption in an earlier version of this article misspelled the name of Kahllid A. Al-Alim, a parent activist for Students Deserve. The caption also stated Al-Alim is president of the Park Mesa Heights Community Council. Al-Alim is no longer on the council.



Curren Price was sworn in for his third term on Los Angeles City Council last fall with a promise to mend rifts.

After leaked recordings had exposed Latino council members plotting to consolidate power in a conversation laced with anti-Black tropes, Price was a counterpoint  a veteran Black leader who had forged unity in his majority Latino district.

He is someone for me that embodies everything we need in this moment, said Councilmember Monica Rodriguez.

Seven months later, Price has been charged with perjuring himself by failing to disclose his wifes business dealings with developers whose projects he voted on, and with embezzling city funds by having his now-wife receive spousal health benefits when they were not legally married. Price called the charges "unwarranted."

Read more: Price faced scrutiny over votes tied to his wife. He's now charged over subsequent votes

In Prices district and among leaders of L.A.s Black communities, the charges have been a political earthquake, one heightened by the recent conviction and downfall of Mark Ridley-Thomas  long a power broker in the Black community  and lingering acrimony over how Ridley-Thomas was pushed out and his constituents went unrepresented for months.

The impact is very clear. Black electeds are dwindling exponentially. We will have no representation, no voice, no advocate to speak up on our behalf," said Pastor Xavier Thompson of Southern Missionary Baptist Church on West Adams Boulevard.

It definitely is a blow. It definitely is painful to see, said Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, whose legislative district envelops Prices.

Jones-Sawyer recalled being unable to get out of bed after Ridley-Thomas was indicted, feeling depressed  and now sees another official facing charges. You are looking at individuals who have dedicated their life to public service. When you look at their body of work and what they have contributed, it is a shame that it has come to this, he said.

Claudia Oliveira, chief executive of the DTLA Chamber of Commerce, near Crypto.com arena. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Its disturbing and heartbreaking that, for a city as diverse as Los Angeles, we only have two African American people left in council, said Claudia Oliveira, chief executive of the DTLA Chamber of Commerce, identifying herself as Afro-Indigenous Caucasian.

Prices third term representing the 9th District expires in 2026, but Oliveira and others immediately recognized the criminal charges could put the seat in play sooner. Price could resign or be removed from office if convicted, prompting a special election, or the City Council could appoint an interim caretaker or even a temporary voting member.

This is a big turning point, Oliveira said.

A sign hangs on a light pole near Curren Price's 9th District office as corruption charges were filed against the L.A. City Council member. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

The 9th District, which stretches from L.A. Live and the Convention Center south along the 110 Freeway toward 95th Street, has been represented by Black politicians since the 1960s.

It is home to the historic heart of the citys Black community along Central Avenue, but the areas demographics have shifted markedly. Today the district is four-fifths Latino and just 13% Black, although with the high number of young people and immigrants who are not eligible to vote, the share of Black voters nearly doubles to 25%.

There is a sense of Black loss or erasure across the district, said Manuel Pastor, director of the USC Dornsife Equity Research Institute and the co-author of the book "South Central Dreams."

Price, who was first elected in 2013 and last year trounced Dulce Vasquez, a Latina, by a 2-to-1 margin to win his third term, recognized those changing forces. He drew deep support from organized labor, had a staff that was overwhelmingly Latino, and rolled out programs like a Dia De Los Muertos event and an immigration clinic.

Still, many predicted Price could be the last Black politician to win in the 9th District. On the leaked audio, Councilmember Kevin de Leon refers to a future Latino leading the district as if it was demographically inevitable  with the earliest possible date in 2026.

Now, that choice of successor could come sooner.

The timing has moved up, Pastor said of Prices charges. This is accelerating a conversation that it would be nice to have a longer time to have, adding: Who is going to lead the district, who is homegrown, who has solidified ties between the Black and brown community?

Price has resigned from his committee seats, including his post as second in command to President Paul Krekorian, but not from office altogether. Krekorian has initiated the process of suspending Price, which would further sideline him while an interim appointee may run his office.

Marilyn Green, an activist and an at-large representative for Zapata King Neighborhood Council, urged a wait and see approach toward Price, whom she credited with helping to rebuild a nearby park and adding more police officers there.

He should be given a chance to prove himself  and we will stand behind him, Green said.

A sign sharing the history of Central Avenue stands in front of the 9th District office of City Councilmember Curren Price. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

But looking toward an interim replacement or another election for the post, Green was blunt: I, personally, will fight to have an African American replace him.

Jones-Sawyer, who is vying to be the next council member for neighboring District 10, would not say whether Price should step down. But looking to a process where a caretaker may serve in his place, he called for those on the City Council to listen to Price's constituents.

"We should not start from the top down, but the bottom up, and talk to the people who reside in that district and have an honest discussion about what they want and what they believe is best," Jones-Sawyer said.

It's a process that underscores a challenge for Black politicians in this historically Black district and beyond.

Being able to cross over is going to be the key to African Americans' power and success in the future," Jones-Sawyer said, noting that he is one of the few officials who represent a district where a super-majority of constituents are not his race or ethnicity.

Since our numbers aren't what they used to be," he said, "we have to represent all of Los Angeles and be that elected official that really understands the needs of the constituents they serve."

Among Price's constituents, collaborators and supporters, the charges against him triggered wariness, sadness and skepticism.

Alberto Tlatoa, who is active in a neighborhood council in the 9th District, called for his hasty exit: "I definitely think Curren Price should resign, because he sold out our community. Its not fair that we are the ones paying the price."

Kahllid A. Al-Alim, a parent activist for Students Deserve, has grappled with the announcement of charges filed against Councilmember Curren Price. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Kahllid A. Al-Alim, a parent activist for Students Deserve, said he considered it "paramount" for the City Council to have a Black person holding the 9th District seat in light of the leaked audio.

"This opens the door to lose Black leadership. Folks are going to lose trust in Black leadership within that very diverse council district," Al-Alim said.

The Rev. Norman Johnson, convener of South L.A. Clergy for Public Accountability, said he was "very much concerned" about Price and "how the council will decide to provide representation" to those who put him in office for three terms.

Many expressed doubt about the case against Price and differentiated the accusations against him from the other council members, such as Jose Huizar, who was indicted by a federal grand jury in an elaborate pay-to-play scheme involving developers and cash bribes.

Johnson called the timing of the charges curious.

Thompson, the pastor, said I cannot speak to the innocence or guilt of Curren Price. But it feels fishy. It feels targeted. It feels petty.

"Were a bit skeptical about the whole situation," said Edward Garren, who has lived in South L.A. since 2011 and said he and his neighbors hold Price "in an incredible amount of esteem."

Like when you find out a member of your family is in trouble, you dont really care whether the allegations are true or not  You feel bad," said Garren, who serves on the board of the Voices Neighborhood Council.

Many framed the charges against Price as a blow to the community and faith in government.

It won't just be Curren Price as an individual who will take the fall, but the people in our community," said Ronald Gochez, an organizer with Union del Barrio who was part of the crowded field running against Price in 2013. "I sincerely hope the charges are false."

For many residents, the feeling is simply that its happening again," coupled with fears that the district will go without representation at City Hall for a prolonged period, said Azusena Favela, a lifelong resident of the district who works in philanthropy.

Favela also worried about what might happen to neighborhood groups and residents who had built strong relationships with Price  and whether anyone could preserve or rebuild those deep ties.

How do you go back to those folks and really reinforce that they should continue to be active in their communities, active in voting? she said.

Times staff writer Emily Alpert Reyes contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hikers look down at the Pacific Ocean Brent Stirton / Getty Images

Welcome to The Check-In, our weekend feature focusing on all things travel.

Stay safe on the hiking trail

Hiking is a great way to spend time outdoors, learn more about flora and fauna and get your heart rate up. It can also be hazardous, even for those who have experience.

On Southern California's Mount San Antonio, more commonly known as Mount Baldy, more than 100 searches for lost hikers have been conducted on the mountain over the last three years. Because this 10,064-foot summit dominates the skyline around Los Angeles, it attracts people of all capabilities, and many of the missing hikers were skilled. "Nobody is going up there with any ill intentions," Eric Vetere, a commander of West Valley Search and Rescue, told the Los Angeles Times. "I think there's just a lack of awareness."

A hiking trail sign

John Greim / LightRocket via Getty Images

Every hiker should start their trek with a plan. Know where you're going and how you will get there, and check local weather conditions. Pack a bag with items you might need should you run into trouble, like a first-aid kit and multi-tool. Let a friend or relative know where you will be hiking and tell them what time you plan on being home, so they know to call law enforcement if you're not back by then.

It's important to dress in layers and wear appropriate footwear that fits well and has good traction. Also, bring a map and compass, so you don't have to rely entirely on a smartphone for navigation. Wesley Trimble, with the American Hiking Society, told NBC Right Now that GPS can use a lot of battery power, leaving hikers with a dead phone and no idea where they are. Cellphone reception can also be poor in dense forests and remote parks.

Hikers in the Muir Woods National Monument

Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images

Bring calorie-dense food and lots of drinking water  a minimum of one quart for every two hours you hike. The water in rivers and streams might look clean and fresh, but don't drink it; this could make you sick. If you see wildlife, do not approach the animal, and don't give it any food.

Hiking is more fun with friends, and it's also safer. When animals hear people talking, they tend to stay away, and if you get injured, one of your pals can stay with you on the trail while another goes to get help. A good way to avoid getting hurt is to stay on the trail. When you walk off the path or into blocked-off areas, it increases your chances of getting injured or lost.

If you do get lost, remain calm. "Do not immediately rush in the direction where you think the 'right' trail is," Jennifer Pharr Davis, the owner of the Blue Ridge Hiking Company, told The New York Times. She has developed a routine for coping with being in the wrong spot. "I always like to take a deep breath, sit down, eat a snack, drink water and then pull out all of my available navigation tools: guidebook, map, compass, GPS, etc.," she said. "I ask myself where and when I last remember being on the right trail, and then I use my available resources to make a plan to backtrack to that location."

Italian beaches are limiting how many people can visit per day

To combat crowds this summer, several beaches in Italy will be capping the number of people who can stop by.

In the small village of Baunei in eastern Sardinia, four beaches will have daily visitor limits, with reservations made at least 72 hours in advance through an app called Cuore di Sardegna. The largest beach, Cala Mariolu, will have a cap of 700 and start charging a $6.50 entrance fee. "Our land is mostly ragged tall cliffs where wild sheep and hawks live and just a dozen beaches so everyone flocks there, crowding those," Baunei Mayor Stefano Monni told CNN. "We can no longer afford thousands of daily sunbathers all squeezed in one spot as in the past. It's unsustainable."

Previously, up to 2,000 tourists a day visited the beaches, Monni said, and because Baunei is home to many protected animals and bird species, "limits must be set; otherwise, everything collapses."

The electric blue water at Cala Mariolu

Massimiliano Maddanu / REDA&CO / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Hotel chefs give their summer grilling tips

It's officially grilling season, and hotel chefs are sharing their tips for prepping and preparing the juiciest steaks and burgers on the block.

When using charcoal, make sure that the coals reach at least 500 degrees Fahrenheit before you start cooking. "Putting your grilled items on too soon will produce a gassy smell in your foods," chef Inder Suryawanshi of the JW Marriott Clearwater Beach said. You'll know the grill is hot enough when the charcoal is covered with a thin coat of gray ash and when you put your hand "about six inches above the grate. After three seconds, the [temperature] of the heat should force you to snatch your hand away." For a gas grill, preheat at the maximum temperature and then close the lid, waiting 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.

When making steaks, don't take the meat out of the refrigerator and immediately set it on the grill, Dmitriy Kakuschke, the executive chef at Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina at JW Marriott Nashville, said. Instead, leave the steak out until it reaches room temperature. "By doing so, you will get a more even result in the end," Kakuschke explained.

If using charcoal, create hot spots on the grill, and start cooking on the hottest part before moving the meat down to cooler areas. Remember the phrase "slow and low is pro" when grilling, and also keep from pressing down on the hamburger when it's cooking; this releases the juices, leaving the meat dry. Once your steaks are finished cooking, keep all of the juices inside by letting the meat rest for about five to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the cut. One of Kakuschke's favorite ways to finish a steak is by brushing it with red wine shallot butter, "because butter and wine makes anything better."

Upcoming events to add to your calendar

Gion Matsuri is Japan's biggest festival, and it has a rich history  the celebration dates back to 869. It takes place in Kyoto every July for the entire month and is famous for its two elaborate parades featuring jaw-dropping floats. So many people want to see the giant floats up close and attend the evening street parties that it can be hard to get hotel rooms in Kyoto the closer it gets to Gion Matsuri. If you can't find one this year, start planning now for 2024.

Floats in the grand procession during 2018's Gion Matsuri festival

The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images

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Chicago man gets 20-year sentence for sexual assault in Aurora just two days after being released from prison

A Chicago man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting someone in Aurora just two days after he was released from prison, officials said.

Joseph E. Baker Jr., 40, of the 4200 block of West Carroll Avenue, agreed to the sentence in exchange for a guilty plea to criminal sexual assault, officials with the Kane County States Attorneys Office said in a news release.

On Aug. 20, 2021, the victim gave Baker a ride from a home in Chicago to his mothers home in Aurora, prosecutors said. During the trip, Baker asked the victim if she was interested in engaging in sexual acts with him and she declined, according to the news release.

The victim had known Baker since she was a young child, officials said.

When they arrived at Bakers mothers home, Baker locked the victim in a room, refused to allow her to leave and sexually assaulted her, according to the release.

Baker had just been released from prison after he was convicted in 2012 of criminal sexual assault of a minor. He served a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence, but then violated the terms of his parole repeatedly and was returned to prison multiple times, officials said.

Baker must serve at least 85% of his new sentence, officials said.

mejones@chicagotribune.com
These City of Boise jobs pay at least $63k and up in annual salary, paid leave, benefits

The City of Boise is hiring for numerous full-time positions across several departments that pay at least $63,000 per year, including benefits such as healthcare, retirement plans and paid leave.

Thats just a bit more than Ada Countys average salary of $59,000, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. You can see what other city employees are making in the Idaho Statesmans salary database.

Applications must be submitted through the City of Boises career page, which requires applications to make an account or sign in through Facebook.

You can also sign up for job alerts through the city and will receive an email when a job opens under any of the 27 categories that you select to receive notifications for.

The following positions are available:

Chief Administrative Officer Legal

Salary: $122,500 - $128,500 annually

Type: Full time

Summary: The chief administrative officer legal serves as the principal advisor to the city attorney on civil legal issues. The position also provides advice, strategy and counsel to elected officials, department directors and city employees on legal matters throughout the city.

Qualifications: A Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school and 10 years of general legal representation, including one or more years of experience managing staff and attorneys. A valid Idaho state bar license or a license with reciprocity in Idaho is required.

Deadline: July 5, 12 p.m.

Strategic Water Resources Manager

Salary: $83,821 - $98,612 annually

Type: Full time

Summary: The strategic water resources manager will oversee the citys water resources program, including hiring, evaluating, promoting and assigning duties. The manager will address water quantity issues with water resource and environmental regulatory agencies, water utilities, the Public Utilities Commission and the Idaho Department of Water Resources.

Qualifications: Bachelors degree in water resources, hydrology, engineering, agriculture, natural resources management, environmental science or a related field. It also requires seven years of work experience demonstrating water and natural resource management knowledge.

Deadline: July 6, 12 p.m.

Attorney - Municipal

Salary: $85,000 - $93,000 annually

Type: Full time

Summary: Provides civil legal assistance to city departments, commissions, boards and divisions, and represents the city in civil rights, contract and tort cases. The municipal attorney will also offer legal advice to internal clients by drafting and reviewing contracts, leases, land transactions and other documents with potential liability for the city.

Qualifications: Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school and five years of experience in civil or criminal litigation, or municipal governance.

Deadline: June 26, 12 p.m.

Risk and Safety Coordinator

Salary: $79,259 - $83,921 annually

Type: Full time

Summary: Administers City of Boise safety, occupational health, risk mitigation and other programs to ensure compliance with city police and local, state and federal regulations. The coordinator will also conduct worksite inspections to identify workplace hazards and compliance with the regulations of city projects.

Qualifications: Bachelors degree in industrial safety, business or a health-related field.

Deadline: July 12, 12 p.m.

Senior Planner Subdivision/Current Planning

Salary: $72,500 - $81,000 annually

Type: Full time

Summary: The position is a technical specialist for subdivision applications and planning work, research, analysis and technical assistance on significant city projects. The technical specialist guides and trains associate planners on complex subdivision applications and advise the Planning and Development Services on land division issues.

Qualifications: A Bachelors degree in urban planning, architecture, public administration or a closely related field. Four years of experience in planning, zoning or public administration is also required.

Deadline: June 26, 12 p.m.

Associate Landscape Architect

Salary: $71,321 - $79,712 annually

Type: Full time, flexible remote schedule

Summary: The Associate Landscape Architect will coordinate landscape and construction projects for Boise Parks and Recreate, perform landscape architect work for the City of Boise parks and facilities, and review plans submitted by consultants, among other duties.

Qualifications: Bachelors degree in a field related to landscape architecture, urban planning or a similar field. Three years of landscape architecture experience and a working knowledge of design criteria for site amenities and landscape features are also required.

Deadline: July 10, 12 p.m.

IT Systems Analyst

Salary: $70,000 - $72,500 annually

Type: Full time

Summary: The IT systems analyst will support Boises public safety agencies, such as the police and fire departments. The analyst will configure, install and apply software patches and updates to department software, streamline the City of Boises applications footprint, troubleshoot technical issues, and develop and implement solutions.

Qualifications: Bachelors degree in information technology or a closely related field, and five years of professional experience in information systems.

Deadline: June 20, 12 p.m.

Payroll Supervisor

Salary: $64,500 - $72,000 annually

Type: Full time

Summary: The payroll supervisor oversees all aspects of the citys payroll operations, including supervising and processing payment of wages to all city employees, preparing special payroll and additional checks, and responding to payroll personnel questions on tax and payroll matters.

Qualifications: Bachelors degree in finance, accounting, business management or a related field, and three years of experience performing complex payroll processes.

Deadline: June 22, 12 p.m.

History Programs Manager

Salary: $63,365 - $70,819 annually

Type: Full time, flexible remote scheduling

Summary: The history programs manager works with the Arts and History team to plan, develop and execute the citys history lecture programs, exhibit development, research projects and public events. The manager will also conduct historical research to identify, conserve and interpret historic places around the city.

Qualifications: Bachelors degree in American History focusing on applied research or a closely related field. It also requires two years of experience coordinating historical programs, conducting history interviews, and developing and implementing project ideas.

Deadline: June 26, 12 p.m.

Communications manager
The city is investigating after police were called Thursday night on volunteers serving food to asylum-seekers outside a temporary shelter at the YMCA in West Ridge.

The three volunteers said the shelters city-contracted security guards threatened and harassed them and told them to leave the premises before calling police as the volunteers passed out food to the migrants, who told them theyd only been served bread and apples inside the shelter.

They have no warm clothing. People were shivering. They were ravenous, said Laurie Hasbrook, one of the volunteers.

Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Mayor Brandon Johnsons deputy chief of staff, told the Tribune on Friday there was an ongoing investigation into the incident, but couldnt comment further. The asylum-seeker shelters are manned day and night by Favorite Staffing, a contracted vendor that works to support management operations, according to a statement from the city.

Favorite Staffing did not return emails or calls for comment. Chicago police confirmed that there was a service call at the shelter, but no reports were filed.

The confrontation comes as volunteers across the city have raised concerns about the treatment of migrants staying in the nearly dozen city-run shelters. Migrants have complained about overcrowding, moldy and cold food and harsh sleeping conditions.

On Monday, volunteers told the Tribune theyd been disappointed by the citys response at a meeting to their request to enter the temporary city-run shelters, following months of not being able to get inside the buildings that house the more than 10,000 migrants who have come to Chicago since August.

The city opened Daley College as a shelter this week, and there are plans to open a new respite center at the Gage Park Field House, Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, announced Friday. A shelter is also being considered for the field house at Broadway Armory Park in Edgewater, but Nicole Granacki, the chief of staff for Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, 48th, said a community meeting to discuss the plan wont be held until July.

Hasbrook said she and the two other volunteers, Sorsha Urquiza and Michelle Drucker, drove to West Ridge on Thursday because they heard there were asylum-seekers staying in the YMCA who were cold and hungry. The three had been delivering food and clothing to migrants staying at a temporary shelter in the Leone Beach Park field house in Rogers Park, and decided to share the extra pan of food they had from Smack Dab restaurant with the migrants in West Ridge.

The YMCA facility features a chain link fence on Western Avenue, guarded by a city-contracted worker. When the women drove up, they were asked to leave, Hasbrook said.

A woman working for the shelter allegedly told the volunteers she was concerned for the safety of the migrants, saying that she worried that people might try to poison them, Drucker said.

But the women moved down the driveway, away from the fence, and began passing out meals.

This upset staff at the YMCA, according to the women. As more asylum-seekers came out for food, staff at the shelter began taking photos of the womens license plates, Drucker said.

One guard gets in our face, saying hes going to call the police, Hasbrook said. They were just being bullies. It was ridiculous and threatening.

Two squad cars with two officers each and a police wagon arrived, the women said. No arrests were made, but the officers waited until volunteers were finished, then left the premises, they said.

They were great, very calm, Hasbrook said. The officer had a conversation with us, and we just told him its a human right to eat.

A police officer on scene spoke Spanish, asking the migrants what they had eaten. They said they had only been given bread and apples at the shelter, Drucker said. A man wearing flip-flops came up to Drucker and asked for shoes, she said.

Drucker said she has worked in shelters and residential facilities. Theyve been told migrants dont need anything, that they should stop donating things, she said.

I would love to be able to collaborate. Just to go into the parking lot, she said. It doesnt have to be welcomed in, just not pushed out.

nsalzman@chicagotribune.com

larodriguez@chicagotribune.com
Seven years after a college student died in a car crash in Milton, a Fulton County jury ordered the city to pay his family more than $30 million dollars.

Josh Chang, 21, died in 2016 when his car swerved off Batesville Rd. and hit an empty, decorative planter on the citys property. The planter was made of stone, stacked around a tractor tire filled with dirt, according to the police report. Chang died before paramedics arrived.

The police report says Chang was going below the 45 mph speed limit at 38 mph. It also says that he was going just 19 mph when he hit the planter.

Its a death trap, attorney Chris Simon told Channel 2s Courtney Francisco.

Simon was part of the team of attorneys who sued the city on behalf of Changs parents. The city first asked a judge to dismiss the case due to sovereign immunity laws. A judge ruled the family can sue the city but asked the parties to mediate the case first.

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Simon said the citys insurance company refused to pay the family any portion of the $2 million dollars it had in coverage.

So, the case moved to a jury trial this week.

During the trial, the Chang family attorneys argued their son had a bright future as an engineer. He was Salutatorian of the class of 2013 at Woodstock High School. In 2016, he was a Senior at Yale.

People like him are the people out there working on curing cancer, said Chris Simon. Theyre designing the new lightweight airplane. Theyre making a real difference.

He had returned home to visit family and friends for Thanksgiving break when he crashed around 7:30 in the evening when his car ran off the road, possibly to avoid hitting an animal.

Attorneys argued if the planter was not on the side of the road, Chang would have had enough room to slide to a stop.

Plus, attorneys told the jury, the city has an ordinance requiring it to evaluate fixed objects in the right of way and remove hazards within 30 days.

They created a duty for themselves saying you shall take these out gives you the time and date to get it done, said Simon. Thats what they should have done years ago. Its awful that it took this to do it.

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Francisco called and e-mailed the City of Milton Friday to get a response, but did not hear back.

Simon said throughout the trial, they argued they didnt know the plater was an obstruction.

It took a jury just over an hour of deliberating to decide Chang was seven percent at fault, but Milton was 93 percent at fault. Court documents say Changs pain and suffering is worth $5 million and his life $30 million.

His family will get 93 percent of that.

Numbers like this make cities pay attention, and they make them get safer, said Simon.

He said Milton should put inspectors in place to evaluate their 70 miles of roadway for other dangers. He said other cities across the state will likely hear about this case and begin to do the same.

I guarantee you that across this huge state, there are other situations like this where something got built, and its almost a danger hiding in plain sight, said Simon.

The city can appeal the judges decision to allow the family to sue. That process could take about a year and a half, according to attorneys. That decision could move to appeal at the Georgia Supreme Court which could add on another six to eight months to the process.

The entire time, the jurys initial award would be accruing interest. Attorneys do not believe the initial $35 million would affect taxpayers but said over time, appeals could lead to a pinch.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
The family of a 14-year-old who was shot and killed by an Aurora, Colorado, officer accused the police department of releasing misleading information about the teen and withholding additional video footage.

On June 9, the Aurora Police Department posted two body-camera videos from officers involved in the shooting of JorDell Richardson. The teen died June 1 after he was shot once in the abdomen area by officer Roch Gruszeczka, authorities said.

Gruszeczka and his partner, officer James Snapp, were placed on paid administrative leave per the department's policy, a police spokesperson said Friday. They could not be reached at phone numbers listed for them, and the police union did not respond to request for comment.

JorDell Richardson, center, with his mother and brother. (Courtesy Siddhartha H. Rathod)

The body-camera videos show the officers chasing Richardson through an alley following an alleged robbery at a nearby store. They repeatedly order him to stop. In the video, Snapp tackles the teenager to the ground and Gruszeczka fires a single shot after yelling that Richardson had a gun. It was later determined that Richardson had a pellet gun, according to police.

Siddhartha Rathod, an attorney for the Richardson family, said in a statement Friday that the police department failed to release several other videos, including surveillance footage, and did not release body-camera video showing the moment officers realized Richardson did not have a handgun.

"Why Aurora believes it is appropriate to pick and chose what they release and hide other information from the public is unexplainable," Rathod said. "Especially in light of the fact that they showed still photos from surveillance cameras and appear to be cherry-picking what they want the public to see."

During a June 9 news conference, police Chief Art Acevedo acknowledged that there is additional footage but said it would not be released because of an ongoing criminal investigation.

In the two body-camera videos, which the police department posted on YouTube, Gruszeczka orders Richardson to stop running and at one point says he will Taser him. Snapp yells at Richardson to get on the ground and calls him an idiot, the video shows.

In the footage, Snapp tackles Richardson to the ground. Gruszeczka is heard in the video yelling "gun, gun" and orders Richardson to let go of the gun.

Im going to shoot your a--! Gruszeczka says in the video. Dude, Im going to shoot you! A single gunshot is fired by Gruszeczka.

Richardson is heard screaming out. He says he's sorry and asks to be taken to the hospital.

Im sorry. Im done. Help me. Take me to the hospital, he says. Get it. Get it. I cant breathe. Help.

As Gruszeczka calls for an ambulance, Richardson continues to speak. "They made me do it. I didnt know who they were. They made me do it," he says.

Richardson was taken to the hospital, where he died.

The foot chase was sparked by an alleged robbery at a store. Police said Richardson was with a group of teenagers who stole several boxes of vape canisters. In its initial news release, the police department referred to Richardson as an armed robbery suspect.

A store employee told investigators that Richardson raised his sweatshirt and displayed in his waistband a weapon," Acevedo said at the news conference. He said one person in the group told a shopper who came into the store that they could not leave.

The attorneys for the Richardson family have taken issue with how police have described the incident and accused Acevedo of "public disinformation campaign" to disparage the teen and protect his officers. They said the chief's statement was misleading and false.

"The Aurora community deserves a police department that is honest and transparent, rather than reflexively defending its officers," the attorneys said in a joint statement Thursday.

"The family of JorDell Richardson demands that all the body camera and surveillance footage be immediately released, and that Chief Acevedo apologizes to the family and community for his dishonesty and disparagement of JorDell," the statement says.

Acevedo did not immediately return a request for comment.

Two 14-year-olds were taken into custody on charges of false imprisonment and aggravated robbery. A police spokesperson said seven to eight teenagers were involved in the robbery, including five who went into the store and at least two who were in a stolen minivan. The vehicle was recovered unoccupied June 8, Acevedo told reporters.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
If you need someone to talk to before, during, or after pregnancy, the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline offers 24/7 free and confidential support in English and Spanish. The maternal health hotline can be reached via call or text at 1-833-943-5746. People in crisis can also dial 988, to connect with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

A Colorado newborn's mom was charged with the child's murder after police said she strangled the two-month-old baby before attempting to take her own life.

Anna Louise Englund's husband, Obajae "Christian" Clark, told police his wife had been sleeping in separate rooms from the rest of the family for fear of their safety before she took their young son with her last weekend and left the house.

Clark called officers about 4:30 p.m. Saturday for a possible mental health crisis when he discovered the two missing and said he was worried about Englund's wellbeing because she had a history with postpartum depression.

Officers were unable to locate Englund for six hours, but eventually made contact with her at a local hospital. Her child was taken into the hospital for treatment as she was taken into custody by police. Englunds son died a short time later.

After police collected swabbed her hands and collected her clothing for evidence, she was taken back to the hospital to treat a cut on the right side of her neck, stating she had caused the injury.

Englund later told officers she had made her way to the hospital because she had killed her child.

More: A mom is accused of killing her 3 kids. It sparked a national conversation about postpartum psychosis

Lack of sleep had become a normal occurrence in the weeks leading up strangling her son, according to court records. Because Englund believed she would not survive with the little sleep she was getting, she did not want her son to suffer in life like she had, the arrest affidavit shows.

As she paced around her house, Englund said she began to worry about all of the things that could happen to her child because the world was crazy. She also said she worried about what could happen to her son if she left him behind, the arrest affidavit stated.

While Clark was in the bathroom, she made an escape. A couple blocks away from her home, Englund strangled her baby to death and cut her neck with a steak knife she purchased from Target a couple days prior, according to the arrest affidavit.

Later that same day, Englund decided to make her way up to Denver to take her own life. Unsuccessful, she made her way back to Boulder to leave her belongings with her partner before she was sent to prison, the arrest affidavit stated.

After driving herself to the hospital, Englund contacted Boulder police in the parking lot. Englund acknowledged her actions were wrong but stated her lack of sleep had impacted her ability to function, according to the arrest affidavit.

Since May, Englund has been hospitalized twice because she was having a mental health crisis. Appointments to see a therapist were made, but she was unable to attend the appointments due to the sleep deprivation, according to the arrest affidavit.

Our hearts are with the childs family during this terrible and difficult time. This is a tragic situation, and we are thinking about the childs loved ones as they grieve all that has happened, Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said.

ICYMI: 'Ask for help': Stoughton dance teacher takes own life 9 days after giving birth to twins

Englund showed signs of postpartum depression, husband said

Englund's husband told police his wife has a history with postpartum depression.

About 1 in every 7 women can develop postpartum depression, according to- the National Institutes of Health, which can occur at the beginning of pregnancy or within four to six weeks after giving birth.

Postpartum psychosis is an even more rare and severe condition than postpartum depression and can "hijack the brain, perinatal psychiatrist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School Nancy Byatt told USA Today earlier this year.

Fewer than 5% of new moms experiencing postpartum psychosis engage in violent behavior such as infanticide, according to Postpartum Support International, a nonprofit organization educating the emotional changes in women during pregnancy and after pregnancy.

Symptoms can include feeling confused and lost, having obsessive thoughts about your baby, hallucinating or having delusions, sleep problems, paranoia and, at its most severe, making attempts to harm yourself or your baby. It can lead to life-threatening thoughts or behaviors and requires immediate treatment.

"With psychotic symptoms, that's when you get really concerned," Byatt said. "People may hear voices other people don't hear. They may see things other people don't see. They may hear voices telling them to hurt their baby. These are altruistic delusions."

While it is common for a new mom to experience a wide range of emotions after childbirth, feelings of sadness or tearfulness tend to decrease within two weeks of having the baby.

However, postpartum depression tends to last longer and severely impacts a moms ability to return to normal function and tends to affect the relationship with the infant, the NIH reports

Common postpartum depression symptoms

Depressed mood or severe mood swings

Crying too much

Difficulty bonding with your baby

Withdrawing from family and friends

Loss of appetite or eating much more than usual

Inability to sleep, called insomnia, or sleeping too much

Overwhelming tiredness or loss of energy

Less interest and pleasure in activities you used to enjoy

Intense irritability and anger

Fear that you're not a good mother

Hopelessness

Feelings of worthlessness, shame, guilt or inadequacy

Reduced ability to think clearly, concentrate or make decisions

Restlessness

Severe anxiety and panic attacks

Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby

Recurring thoughts of death or suicide

Source: Mayo Clinic

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colorado mom who strangled infant boy to death facing murder charges
The Center for First-generation Student Success, an initiative of NASPA and The Suder Foundation, recently announced Columbia State Community College as one of seventy-six new members of the First Scholars Network.

To be selected as a First Scholars Network member, Columbia State displayed a demonstrated commitment to networking and service experiences for support of the success of first-generation college students.

As a first-generation college graduate, I understand the value of a college environment that builds an underlying program of support for the success of the students, said Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president. Through this First Scholars program we see an opportunity to assess our support services for enhancement of student success for our first-generation students as well as all students.

Alla Mohammed received the Presidents Leadership Society medallion for completing all requirements of the leadership training program prior to graduation. Throughout the program, students attend a leadership retreat, enjoy exposure to the arts, participate in workshops and campus life, develop civic understanding and give back to the community through service. (Pictured, left to right): Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president and Alla Mohammed

Powered by the Center for First-generation Student Success, the First Scholars Network is a four-phase approach that allows institutions of higher education to advance student success through establishing communities of practice, gaining knowledge of resources, and establishing peer networks. More than 350 institutions of higher education have entered the Network, representing 49 states and the District of Columbia.

The Center is pleased to welcome Columbia State into the First Scholars Network, said Dr. Sarah E. Whitley, vice president with the Center for First-generation Student Success. Through the application process, it was evident that Columbia State is not only taking steps to serve first-generation students but is prepared to make a long-term commitment and employ strategies that foster an environment of success for this important population.

In this first phase of the First Scholars Network, selected institutions participated in the First Scholars Network Virtual Kick-off on June 2. As a Network Member, interested faculty and staff are afforded opportunities to engage with peer institutions also working to create environments that improve the experiences and success of first-generation students, and will participate in monthly calls, professional development, goal setting, blog development, annual reporting, and more.

After completion of the Network Member phase, institutions progress to the second phase, First-gen Forward, after which it becomes a First Scholars Institution. As a First Scholars Institution and a member of the Scholars Network, a customized approach to intentional institutional success support activities becomes central to the advancement of student outcomes.

Being named as a Network Member of the First Scholars Network is an exciting opportunity for Columbia State to join a dedicated community of professionals prepared to share evidence-based practices and resources, troubleshoot challenges, generate knowledge, and continue to advance the success of first-generation students across the country, said Dr. Kevin Kruger, president and CEO of NASPA. We are excited to see a groundswell of activity from the Class of 2023 Network Members and know Columbia State will be a significant contributor.

To learn more about the Center for First-generation Student Success, visit firstgen.naspa.org.

Columbia State is a comprehensive community college serving southern Middle Tennessee established in 1966 as Tennessees first community college, Columbia State has grown to five campuses including Columbia, Williamson, Lawrence, Lewisburg and Clifton. Columbia State was also named one of the Top 150 U.S. community colleges by the Aspen Institute for 2017 and 2019. Visit ColumbiaState.edu to learn more.The College System of Tennessee is the states largest public higher education system, with 13 community colleges, 27 colleges of applied technology and the online TN eCampus serving approximately 100,000 students. The system is governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Columbia State recognized for serving first generation college students
A well-known volunteer who transported people from dangerous areas in the oblast for free was beaten up in Kherson.

Source: Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of the Kherson Oblast Military Administration, in a video message; Kherson Police

Quote from Prokudin: "Yesterday, a well-known volunteer who transported people from dangerous areas of the Kherson Oblast for free was beaten up. They beat him viciously, attacking simultaneously, until he fell down, and [they] continued to kick him.

The attackers have already been identified. They are making money on passenger transport, taking advantage of the grief that our people have suffered during the Russian aggression. The police are dealing with the attackers, and criminal proceedings have been registered under Article 296.2 (hooliganism)."

Details: Prokudin stressed that the evacuation from Kherson Oblast is free of charge. He urged residents not to pay those who benefit from people's grief.

The Head of the Oblast Military Administration also posted a video of the volunteer being beaten up.

At the same time, the Kherson police reported that the volunteer was beaten in Kherson near the bus station.

The police found the information while monitoring local news.

"During the verification of the information, investigators of the Kherson District Police Department found that yesterday, 16 June, at about 16:00, a 42-year-old resident of the regional centre arrived with passengers at the intercity bus station. There, he was approached by a 35-year-old previously convicted resident of Kherson and another unknown man. A conflict broke out between the men over passenger transportation, which escalated into a car chase and a fight," the statement said.

The police noted that a few hours after the incident, the victim went to the hospital on his own, where he was diagnosed with multiple bruises on his head and body, and a bruised lower jaw joint.

At the same time, the man refused to write a statement on the fact of his beating. However, the police registered a criminal case.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The entrance of SeaWorld Abu Dhabi. Nick ElHajj/AP Photo

Amidst continuing controversy over its treatment of aquatic animals, the American amusement chain SeaWorld has opened a new park in the United Arab Emirates, its first outside of the United States.

SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, located in the UAE's capital city, is a $1.2 billion investment. While the park does not have any orcas, The Associated Press reported, there are large marine mammals such as dolphins and seals.

The new facility is part of a continuing push by the Orlando, Florida-based SeaWorld to improve its image "after years of criticism and allegations of animal cruelty," the AP reported. SeaWorld's choosing of Abu Dhabi is likely intentional  tourism in the city is increasing, with Abu Dhabi set to see 24 million visitors by the end of 2023, according to Emirati newspaper The National.

The opening of the Abu Dhabi park comes 10 years after controversy over SeaWorld peaked following the release of the documentary film "Blackfish." The film examined the life of Tilikum, a captive 12,000-pound orca that was involved in three fatal attacks on humans.

"Blackfish" concluded that orcas become more aggressive in captivity, and that Tilikum's behavior was partially because he'd been captive almost his entire life. John Hargrove, a former Orca trainer, told National Geographic he "saw the psychological and physical trauma that results from captivity."

SeaWorld has denied these assertions, but the film caused "visitor numbers to plummet across SeaWorld's three parks in the United States," the AP reported. In 2020, SeaWorld paid $65 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of lying to investors about the impact the film had on the park's profits.

As criticism over its captive orcas continued, SeaWorld ended its orca breeding program in 2016. Requests by AP journalists to tour the Abu Dhabi park were reportedly denied.

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With costs soaring, Gov. J.B. Pritzker to close enrollment for many in insurance program for immigrants

Gov. J.B. Pritzkers administration will close enrollment for a state-funded health insurance program for immigrants under 65 who are in the country without legal permission, and cap enrollment for those 65 and older, after ballooning costs forced last-minute compromises on the state budget.

The move drew a swift rebuke from Latino legislators and an immigrant health care advocacy group that blasted it as immoral and fiscally short-sighted.

The budget proposal Pritzker introduced in February included $220 million for the program, but by early May projections had swelled to $1.1 billion for the coming year as enrollment continued to outstrip expectations.

To close the deal on the states $50.4 billion budget, Pritzker struck a deal with the Democratic-controlled General Assembly that allocated $550 million for the program and gave his administration tools to control its cost. The second-term Democratic governor essentially agreed to assume the political liability for restricting access to the program after declaring a year ago that everyone, regardless of documentation status, deserves access to holistic health care coverage.

The changes, which take effect with the start of the states new budget year July 1, also include copays for emergency room and inpatient services when the state cant receive matching funds from the federal government.

Those already enrolled in the program will continue to receive coverage, the administration said.

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, which administers the program, announced the changes Friday after Pritzker earlier in the day signed into law a measure that granted the agency the authority to make changes to the program to rein in costs.

Healthcare and Family Services referred to the action taken Friday as a pause in new enrollments and said it hopes to resume new enrollments as soon as fiscally possible.

State Rep. Edgar Gonzalez of Chicago, who represents the Little Village neighborhood and serves as Latino Caucus whip for the House Democrats, said he was extremely disappointed in this course of action.

It doesnt just affect Latinos  it affects all of Illinois, Gonzalez, who voted in favor of the measure that gave the Pritzker administration the power to make changes to the program, said in a text message. You would think after years in a global pandemic that the state would understand firsthand what lack of health care does to vulnerable populations.

The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus issued a statement Friday urging those who are currently eligible for the program to sign up before the rolls are closed next month.

Created in 2020, the program originally provided Medicaid-style coverage to immigrants 65 and older who are in the country without legal permission or who have green cards but havent completed a five-year waiting period and are therefore ineligible for the traditional health insurance program for the poor, which is jointly funded by the federal government.

Since then, the program has been expanded twice, and it now covers those 42 and older.

Advocates and some Democratic lawmakers pushed during the spring legislative session to further expand the program to cover those 19 and older, though legislators put that effort on hold as it became clear that there were concerns about whether the state could afford to fund the existing program at its current level.

A statewide coalition that pushed for the program and its expansion denounced the changes in a statement Friday, saying the governor is turning his back on the communities he claims Illinois welcomes and aligning himself with anti-immigrant Republicans around the country.

Because of Gov. Pritzkers decision, there are people who will be forced to forgo cancer treatment, diabetes care, mental health care, and countless other kinds of necessary medical treatment, Healthy Illinois said in a statement. Todays move is immoral and fiscally short-sighted.

The group pointed to remarks Pritzker made after signing the state budget earlier this month in which he said, We save money when we invest in health care for undocumented immigrants.

The Latino Caucus on Friday made clear that its members have not given up on further expansion.

We were proud to fight to make Illinois the first state in the nation to offer Medicaid-like benefits to these communities, the groups statement said. However, this backslide is disappointing.

We will continue to fight for health care for all Illinoisans. Latino Caucus members have not given up  and will pursue closing the gap in coverage until we achieve health care for all residents.

Pritzkers office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the criticism.

As of June 7, there were 63,255 people enrolled in the program, including 14,594 people 65 or older, according to Healthcare and Family Services. There were 32,612 participants ages 42 to 54, the group that just became eligible last July 1.

Under the rules introduced Friday, sign-ups will be closed for those 65 and older if enrollment for the age group reaches 16,500.

People enrolled in the program will be on the hook for copays of $250 for inpatient hospitalizations and $100 for emergency room visits if the services they receive arent eligible for reimbursements from the federal government. There also will be a 10% coinsurance charge for outpatient services at hospitals or ambulatory surgery centers.

Among other changes, the new rules will require the Cook County Health and Hospital System, which has been paid through the program at higher rates than other providers, to reimburse the state for the difference in a method and amount as determined by the department.

From its launch in 2020 until June 7 of this year, the state spent a total of $726 million on the program, with more than $328 million, or about 45% of the total cost, going to the county health system, according to the state agency.

Cook County Health did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Chicago Tribunes A.D. Quig contributed.

dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
The man who sold counterfeit Percocet pills laced with fentanyl to a 16-year-old boy who swallowed them, overdosed and died in his bed in Crowley was sentenced on Tuesday to 12 years in prison.

Eric Herrera, 20, in September 2022 pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth to distribution of controlled substances to a person under 21. He was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Terry Means.

Herrera admitted he knowingly distributed the pills to a person identified in a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Texas as L.W. Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office records make clear the victim was Luke Wright.

The sale was arranged via Snapchat on Feb. 1, 2020, and the cash-pill exchange occurred outside Herreras girlfriends house.

After he purchased the pills, Wright and a friend stopped at a Whataburger restaurant before returning to Wrights house. Wright ingested two of the 10 pills he purchased. They played a video game, Call of Duty. In the morning, the friend found that Wright was not breathing.

Rachael Wright rushed into her sons room. The boys parents began CPR, she said in a 2022 interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

I called 911, Wright said. Im just screaming, My son is dead! My son is dead!

A forensic pathologist determined in an autopsy that the cause of Wrights death was fentanyl toxicity.

Herrera explained that after he got the pills from his dealer, he thought about breaking one in half and trying it with his girlfriend, but he decided not to because he did not know anything about them and was too scared to try them, Drug Enforcement Administration group supervisor Kevin Brown wrote in the complaint, describing an interview of the suspect.

In 2021, Herrera was charged in state court with theft of a firearm and aggravated assault. He is accused of breaking into vehicles near McCart Avenue and a brandishing a weapon at people who confronted him. The cases have not been disposed.
Chicago Cubs' Patrick Wisdom (16) scores on a double by Matt Mervis, next to Los Angeles Angels catcher Matt Thaiss during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 6, 2023, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

CHICAGO (AP)  The Chicago Cubs placed infielder Patrick Wisdom on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a right wrist sprain.

Manager David Ross said Wisdom has been dealing with the issue for about two weeks. But he aggravated the injury when he was playing left field on Friday and tried to make a diving catch on Anthony Santander's leadoff double in the sixth inning of a 10-3 win over Baltimore.

How serious? I don't think it's surgery, Ross said, but it definitely needs some medicine and some downtime.

Wisdom went 0 for 2 with two strikeouts before he was replaced by a pinch hitter in the bottom half of the sixth on Friday. He is 5 for 54 with 27 Ks in his last 18 games, but he leads the Cubs with 14 homers this season.

Ross said Wisdom will travel with the team to London for its two-game series against St. Louis next weekend.

He'll go to London with us, be able to work in the cage and hopefully it feels better, Ross said. We can get him to get some at-bats to get his rhythm and timing back.

"He's an important piece, especially the way he hits lefties, and you could tell yesterday he just wasn't himself still.

The Cubs also activated left-hander Justin Steele from the 15-day IL. Infielder Edwin Rios was reinstated from the 10-day IL and optioned to Triple-A Iowa.

Steele pitched five innings of two-run ball in Saturday's 3-2 victory over the Orioles. The 27-year-old pitcher was placed on the IL on June 3 with a left forearm strain.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Photo Illustration by Erin OFlynn/The Daily Beast/Getty Images, Reuters and @markeiglarsh/Instagram

As Broward County Assistant State Attorney Steven Klinger made his way from the prosecution table last week to start his opening statement to a packed courtroom, his opponent suddenly grabbed him by the forearm.

Mark Eiglarsh, the defense attorney for Scot Petersona former career law enforcement officer on trial for allegedly failing to confront the teenage gunman at the 2018 Parkland school shootinggot very close to Klinger to utter a few surprising words.

I said, Take a deep breath, youve got this. Youre going to do a great job. Dont worry. Dont you fear, Eiglarsh told The Daily Beast, explaining that he stopped his legal opponent because Klinger was stressed out.

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Eiglarshs gesture might seem unusual among courtroom foesafter all, Klinger was just about to tell the jury why they should convict Eiglarshs client. But for the lawyer, the outreach was just an example of the tools he promotes in his self-help 2019 book, Be Happy by Choice: Happiness Guaranteed or Your Misery Back.

I am trying to make everyone around me better too, believe it or not, he said. Every single morning I get out of bed, I ask my higher power, How can I be of service? How can I assist?

Born and raised in Miami, Eiglarsh served as a Miami-Dade County prosecutor for several years before turning to criminal defense. Throughout his career, he has been involved in several high-profile cases, including representing Dalia Dippolito, the Florida woman convicted of a failed murder-for-hire plot against her now ex-husband and who was infamously arrested on Cops. Eiglarsh has also been featured on HLN, CNN, E!, 60 Minutes, and The View. His latest job is defending Peterson, who has been dubbed the coward of Broward and who faces a maximum sentence of nearly a century in prison if convicted.

But after nearly three decades in a career dedicated to solving everyone elses problems, Eiglarsh said he began to look internally about why he was so unhappy. He had a demanding career centered on other peoples problems, one that left little time to deal with his own internal struggles.

I think all growth comes from pain. You know, when you have decades of challenges and you get tired of feeling everyone around you is going to dictate how you are going to feel. So I decided to figure out and study how I could take charge of my thoughts to be able to control how I feel and how I show up, he said. I am not perfect at it, but I am a lot better than I ever have been.

The self-discovery journey served as an inspiration for the book he wrote in 2019and his motivational speaking engagements since then. The Eiglarsh Happiness Systems detailed in his book, he said, are geared to helping readers find happiness and joy and abundance for better energy.

Since publishing his book in 2019, Eiglarsh said, he has started a motivational speaking program about his tools for choosing happiness. His personal website boasts that he has presented his keynote addresses to thousands with rave reviews. Among his speaking topics, according to this website, include: Happiness For Lawyers Guaranteed Or Your Misery Back, Decrease Stress, Increase Success, and Expanding Your Business by Expanding Your Mind.

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Mark has passionately made it his life mission to share with others how they can lead happy, healthy and successful lives, in spite of whatever challenging circumstances they may be facing, the website adds. His unique formula causes audience members to have reduced stress, increased sales and productivity, and better tools to assist in obtaining their goals. He dazzles audiences with his infectious enthusiasm, unique humor and heartfelt authenticity.

Eiglarsh said he is using his own tools while preparing for his case in defense of Peterson, whom prosecutors say did not follow his active shooting training when he remained outside the three-story Parkland school building for 48 minutes while Nikolas Cruz fatally shot 17 people inside.

And Eiglarsh even sent out an inspirational video ahead of his appearance in court.

Im here at the Broward County courthouse, where I am choosing on this Monday to change fear to excitement. Its the same energy, you might as well go with something that serves you well, the lawyer said in a selfie-style Instagram video inside the bustling government building. So today, its all about excitement. Enjoy your day, I hope you choose to have a wonderful day.

During an impassioned opening statement that set the internet ablaze last week, Eiglarsh insisted that Peterson is merely a scapegoat for law enforcement failures during the Feb. 14, 2018 mass shooting. (Gunman Nikolas Cruz was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole last year.) Peterson has pleaded not guilty to several charges, including child neglect and perjury.

Eiglarsh noted to The Daily Beast that over the past week, his team has seen some wins during cross-examination to prove how chaotic the mass shooting even wasand how his client was not merely just hiding out and ignoring his duties. Those wins, he said, have come after hours of preparation that often come at the expense of sleep. Still, he said, he remains dedicated to his meditation and self-reflection.

That said, Eiglarsh admitted his client is not immune to the emotions of being dubbed a coward after a long career as a law enforcement officeror the weight of knowing that his trial could have implications on police culpability during mass shooting events.

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Calling him a coward is probably the worst thing someone can do, Eiglarsh said. My spiritual tools are not going to convince him that shit is not being thrown at him. My spiritual tool is to say youre having shit thrown at you, you cant stop it, so its about how you react, having shit thrown at you.

Peterson, he said, is eager to take the stand and shut down allegations of wrongdoing, though it is not a practice Eiglarsh recommends for his clients because of the fear of cross-examination. So as the defense team decides whether it is wise to put Peterson on the standa choice Eiglarsh stressed is ultimately up to the former officerhis client is focusing on choosing happiness and putting his faith in his lawyer.

Scot does not hide his gratitude about what Im putting into this case. Everyday, Scot is saying what an unbelievable gift that I have and that he is so grateful that I am sharing my gift from him, Eiglarsh said. And that is not from a place of ego.

The prosecution is set to wrap its case against Peterson by next week. Then, the defense will have their turn in court, when they are preparing to call over two dozen witnesses to the stand before the trial concludes in August.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A Democratic congressman is pushing to allow reporters  and eventually lawmakers  to wear sneakers in the ornate and historic Speaker's Lobby

Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida, sporting a pair of kicks on the left, interacts with fellow Reps. Becca Balint of Vermont, center, and Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, right, during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing at the US Capitol on May 16, 2023. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Rep. Jared Moskowitz wants to end the ban on sneakers in the historic Speaker's Lobby, per Politico.

Moskowitz is pushing to curb the rule for reporters  and ultimately lawmakers  who enter the room.

A reporter told Politico that the ability to wear sneakers could help many reporters who are constantly on the run.

As a freshman lawmaker, Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz is still in the earliest stage of his congressional career.

But the Florida lawmaker, one of the biggest sneaker enthusiasts in the lower chamber, is pushing to give reporters and ultimately lawmakers  the ability to wear kicks in the historic speaker's lobby located off the House floor in what would be a dramatic change, according to Politico.

To enter the speaker's lobby, an individual isn't allowed to dress too casually, so wearing a pair of Nike Dunks  no matter how comfortable they may be for earnest reporters and lawmakers traipsing throughout the huge Capitol complex  isn't allowed.

And Moskowitz  a 42-year-old sneakerhead with a penchant for Air Jordans  is looking to relax the rules governing footwear in the speaker's lobby. The congressman on Thursday wrote to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in a bid to appeal to the California Republican over changing the longtime rule for reporters.

"Obviously, there is tradition here," Moskowitz told Politico in an interview. "This is the halls of Congress. We need to dress a certain way. But Congress is getting younger. Traditions change."

"No one is dressing like Thomas Jefferson anymore," he continued. "It doesn't mean we don't understand the seriousness of the place. But you can wear whatever suit you want or tie you want. It should be no different for the sneakers you want."

A reporter who spoke to Politico said that Moskowitz's push  if successful  could be a boon for the comfort of the many journalists who spend untold hours each week walking across the Capitol complex.

"The ban is not realistic and outdated. Reporters are on their feet all day, often on hard marble floors, and shouldn't have to sacrifice basic comforts in order to do their job," a reporter based on Capitol Hill told Politico.

"The rule is particularly targeted towards women, who largely do not have the same comfortable dress shoe options as men. I think we can still respect the historical institution we all work in while in our kicks," the reporter added.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A Democratic lawmaker is proposing an overhaul of the states public records laws that would restrict access to some records and force denials to go through a notoriously slow-moving agency.

The introduction of the legislation comes after top Democratic and Republican lawmakers have said they are seeking an overhaul of the states laws around access to public records.

The proposals, introduced Thursday, would limit requests from commercial businesses, change how records denials are challenged, exempt specific records from being disclosed and, in some instances, bar denials from being challenged, among other changes.

The wide-ranging proposals include some requests from local government groups  who have long sought changes to public records laws and say they will ultimately save taxpayer dollars. But it has also drawn criticism from public records advocates, who say the proposals could gut the publics access to transparency in government.

New Jersey's public records law has been widely criticized by advocates and faced legal challenges from the news media. Public access pales in comparison to other states, such as Florida. At a time when many news organizations face budgetary constraints, some records custodians deny requests without legal challenge or seek extensions that outlive the news value of requests.

The records law notably holds two different standards: The legislators who wrote the law are largely exempt from disclosure while the Executive Branch is subject to much greater disclosure. Nothing in the bills overhauling OPRA focus on opening state lawmakers to the same level of scrutiny as the Executive Branch.

In an interview, Assemblymember Joe Danielsen (D-Somerset), who is sponsoring the legislation, did not say directly whether the proposals were done in consultation with legislative Democratic leadership (Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin said last November it's time to have a happy birthday party and tell OPRA to grow up.).

Theres probably 50 authors to what has been dropped so far, he said. Im sure there's going to be a lot of amendments. Everyones got their fingerprints on this.

Public records advocates have been deeply critical of the proposal, which was introduced Thursday. Former Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg  who was a strong advocate for public records during her time in the legislature  called a proposal "outrageous" that would prohibit records denials from being challenged if a custodian deemed it would require government employees to do "research."

I am a great believer in transparency, she said in an interview. To see any kind of legislation move to close that down or undermine it is to me a huge step backwards. Not only for the press but for all other people who believe in open government. I think we should help expose moves like this before they move on their own steam.

Local government groups have long sought changes to the states public records laws. In a text message, John Donnadio, executive director of the New Jersey Association of Counties, said his group strongly support[s] limiting commercial requests and capping attorney fees  both items that are included in Danielsens proposal.

One of Danielsens measures, A5614, makes awarding attorneys fees for prevailing challenges optional  it is currently required if a plaintiff successfully challenges a records denial  and caps how much a plaintiffs attorney is paid from a government who broke the law to be no more than what the government pays its attorneys. The bill also proposes requiring a records denial to head to the Government Records Council  a body that the state Comptroller has said takes an average of 21 months to adjudicate requests  instead of the common route of Superior Court. Decisions from the GRC can be appealed to a state Appellate court.

In a statement, CJ Griffin  one of the states most high profile public records lawyers, who represents news organizations  said the proposals really gut OPRA. Capping attorneys fees would disincentivize attorneys from engaging in records challenges, Griffin said.

Think of all the landmark cases that made their way to the Supreme Court and have expanded transparency in this State  those won't happen anymore because the most skilled attorneys won't be able to take cases on a contingency basis, Griffin said in a statement.

Instead, the GRC will be hearing challenges by people acting pro se, fighting against a government agency with unlimited resources and an attorney who knows the law. That's the opposite of what the original authors of OPRA intended and the after effects will be that the state is far less transparent and more corrupt. The Legislature's recent hostility toward transparency has become increasingly alarming.

Danielsen said that limiting attorneys fees was in the best interest of taxpayers.

While the GRC could be slow, Danielsen said, it could be fixed with extra funding and adding more members to its board. The proposal would add $250,000 to the GRC to process complaints and expands the councils public members from three to seven. The current budget set aside under $500,000 for the council.

I'm all about a speedy review, speedy review and speedy decisions, Danielsen said. What we have right now is that we don't have any fast system.

Other proposals from Danielsen include:

 A5613, which would make requesters inform agencies if they intend to use the records for commercial purposes, such as selling or otherwise profiting off the records. Commercial requesters would be limited to two requests per month per custodian; penalties for not disclosing a record is used for commercial use includes financial penalties and being barred from requesting records for a year. News media, educational and government groups would be exempt from being considered a commercial requester.

 A5615 would allow courts to limit people from making records requests if it determines those requests over a period of time have substantially disrupted the operations of the public agency, or the custodian, or both. An agency must show it had complied with the law and made a good faith effort to resolve any issues related to the request. If passed, a court could limit  or in some circumstances eliminate  an agencys duty to respond to that requester in the future, but it could not exceed one year. There is no definition for what would be deemed a substantial disruption.

 And A5616 would make a number of changes limiting public access to records, such as exempting metadata; redacting telephone numbers and email addresses and social media accounts. Records related to how an individual gets government contracts or permits would be exempt from public disclosure.

Danielsen did not provide a timeline for when he expects the legislation to advance but said that changes to records laws should have been done 15 years ago.

Democrats, Republicans, anyone who is in elected office or runs an agency  everyone understands our [public records] law was poorly written. At a minimum it's outdated and antiquated. It has created boutique markets for people who utilize it for abuse, harassment and politics," he said.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said Saturday that while it was difficult having her husband deploy to Africa with the South Carolina Army National Guard, the assignment represents a moment of pride for the state and the country.

The official deployment ceremony for the brigade that includes Michael Haley took place Saturday afternoon at The Citadel military college in Charleston. The brigade is deploying to Africa in support of the United States Africa Command.

A person familiar with the deployment details told CNN that Michael Haley will likely remain deployed through the spring of 2024, which overlaps with much of the Republican primary nominating calendar. This will be his second active-duty deployment overseas  he previously served in Afghanistan as part of the South Carolina Army National Guard in 2013 when his wife was serving as the states governor.

Fathers Day is different this year, Nikki Haley told reporters after the ceremony, which she attended with other family members.

The former US ambassador to the United Nations said that she and her husband would continue to stay in touch as best as we can over the coming year and that she knew he would be supporting her presidential ambitions from afar.

Hes my rock. He always has been. But Ive been his as well. We have both lived a life of service. And so when he goes off to deploy, my support is completely with him. If I happen to be running for president, his support is completely with me. Two things can be true at the same time, she said.

The Haleys walk following the deployment ceremony in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 17, 2023. - Mic Smith/AP

Im just one of many military spouses that are watching their loved ones leave today. And we feel an amazing sense of pride. We feel an amazing sense of service. And we may feel an amazing sense of sadness, the former governor added. But at the same time, we could not be happier to see them going and doing what they, in their blood, are meant to do.

Nikki Haley earlier this week referenced her husbands upcoming deployment when she offered a rare rebuke of former President Donald Trump over his federal indictment for his alleged mishandling of classified documents. Trump was arraigned this week in a Miami federal court and pleaded not guilty to 37 charges, including 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information.

My husband is about to deploy this weekend. This puts all of our military men and women in danger if you are going to talk about what our military is capable of or how we would go about invading or doing something with one of our enemies, Nikki Haley said on Fox News.

She said that if the charges against Trump were true, then Trump was incredibly reckless with our national security. Her comments represented a sharp departure from the statement she had put out prior to the indictment being unsealed in which she characterized the move against Trump as prosecutorial overreach and vendetta politics, echoing the argument made by the former president as he attacks the justice system and denies any wrongdoing.

But the former UN ambassador said this week she would be inclined to pardon Trump if she were elected president because, she argued, the issue is less about guilt and more about whats good for the country. She criticized the Department of Justice, arguing it had handled this whole thing terribly.

When a reporter on Saturday tried asking Nikki Haley about her comments on potentially pardoning Trump, she said, Im not going to talk about Trump today.

Michael Haley has not been traveling with his wife as she campaigns in early nominating states such as Iowa and New Hampshire, but he was present at her CNN town hall in Iowa earlier this month, a day after the couple attended Republican Sen. Joni Ernsts Roast and Ride fundraiser in Des Moines.

The latter event was one of the campaign seasons first cattle calls  gatherings of large crowds of Republicans in states that vote early on the primary calendar  and was attended by almost all the 2024 GOP candidates, with Trump a notable absentee.

This story and headline have been updated with additional information.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
DeSantis Kicks It With Ex-Trump Ally In Nevada, Offers Drinks After 45's Alleged Food Fail

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis squeezed in time for beer and offered up a pint on the house as he joined a former longtime Donald Trump ally in the wake of the ex-presidents alleged food for everyone fail.

Trump, after his arraignment on Tuesday, made the free food offer at Miamis Versailles restaurant and reportedly left after about 10 minutes, leaving no time for anyone to eat anything, much less place an order, a source told the Miami New Times.

On Friday, DeSantis yelled out at a Nevada VFW posts bar and asked if any of the veterans wanted a draft on the house before sipping a beer with a number of the men.

Desantis trolls Trump by handing out free beer after Trump promised diners food and didnt pay for any. pic.twitter.com/yE2AmkCJvO  Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) June 17, 2023

The campaign stop occurred during a veterans appreciation happy hour in Reno featuring former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, a onetime avid supporter of Trump who now serves as a chairman of the Never Back Down political action committee that supports DeSantis.

Laxalt, who roomed with DeSantis during their time in naval officer training, was the co-chair of Trumps 2020 campaign in Nevada and a staunch backer of Trumps false voter fraud claims.

DeSantis later joined his family and Laxalt at the Reno Rodeo, where the crowd met him with cheers and applause.

Gov. DeSantis gets introduced to the crowd at the Reno Rodeo. pic.twitter.com/8J5qKaA8Kn  Musadiq Bidar (@Bidar411) June 17, 2023

The Laxalt-led, DeSantis-backing PAC also has other ties to Trump.

Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who launched the PAC this year, served in Trumps Department of Homeland Security, The Associated Press noted in April.

Related...
The Justice Department (DOJ) has responded to demands from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for information on the documents investigation into former President Trump.

Assistant Attorney General Carlos Felipe Uriarte sent letters  obtained by The Hill  to Jordan on Friday in response to requests he made for information about the August FBI search of Trumps Mar-a-Lago property for classified and sensitive documents taken there after his presidency ended and the staffing and scope of the probes that Special Counsel Jack Smith is leading.

Jordan asked Attorney General Merrick Garland in the original letter to provide information on which personnel are working on the case, the scope and the Mar-a-Lago search earlier this month.

The requests came after the release of a report last month from John Durham, a special counsel appointed during the Trump administration, that criticized the FBIs decision-making process for opening an investigation into alleged ties between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia.

The request on personnel also concerned the report from Durham. Uriarte noted that Durham is scheduled to appear before the Judiciary Committee next week, and the deputy attorney general plans to brief the committee after that.

On the personnel request, he also said staffing for Smiths investigations into the documents and Trumps role in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election have fluctuated over time based on their statuses and the resources needed.

He said the DOJ plans to issue a statement of expenditures in the coming weeks to detail the special counsels offices financial activity, including personnel compensation expenditures. It will include financial activity through March.

Uriarte said the statement will show expenditures for about 26 special agents who worked full time or part time on Smiths investigations in some capacity at some point. He added that additional agents have been used at times for specific, discrete tasks related to the investigations.

The assistant attorney general said on Jordans request for information on the scope of the investigations by Smith and Robert Hur  who is investigating the classified documents found at President Bidens office and residence  that their scopes were provided in the orders that Garland issued appointing them to their positions in November and January, respectively.

He included copies of those orders in his response.

Smith is authorized to investigate if any person or entity violated the law in relation to efforts to interfere with the transfer of power after the 2020 election or the certification of the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6, 2021, and to conduct the probe into the classified documents and other records and any efforts to obstruct the investigation, Garland said at the time he appointed Smith.

Uriarte said Jordans request asks for non-public information about an ongoing criminal investigation, and the DOJ has longstanding practices to protect that informations confidentiality to maintain the integrity of its work. He argued that disclosing this information could violate statutory requirements or court orders and interfere with the DOJs ability to gather facts, interview witnesses and bring criminal prosecutions.

Judgments about whether and how to pursue a matter are, and must remain, the exclusive responsibility of the Department, Uriarte said.

He pointed to the indictment against Trump as providing detailed information about the investigation and charges filed against him.

Rebecca Beitsch and Emily Brooks contributed reporting.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
'Don't talk to strangers.' Top scams on seniors for 2023 and how to defend yourself

mcdonough

PLAIN TWP.  Almost a century ago, the likes of Bonnie & Clyde and John Dillinger robbed banks, then made getaways by driving to the nearest state border.

But these days?

"You could be in your mother's basement and rob a bank in all 50 states," said Brian McDonough, an assistant U.S. attorney and elder justice coordinator for the Northern District of Ohio.

Evolving computer technology continuously breeds new criminal scams. Almost like a soup of the day, he told a group of about 135 people gathered at First Christian Church on Friday morning.

From 2017 through 2021, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center received 2.76 million complaints, which amounted to $18.7 billion in financial loss to victims.

And many scams target seniors.

McDonough was a featured speaker at the 12th annual "Justice for All: Protecting the Elderly & Disabled Seminar," hosted by Stark County Probate Court and Judge Dixie Park, along with the Stark Multidisciplinary Advocacy and Protective Resources Team.

He told stories about cases he's handled in the state's 40 northern counties; how his own father fell for scams; even how William H. Webster  who was a former federal judge, past director of the FBI and one-time CIA director  was targeted.

"If he can be a target, ... anyone can," McDonough said.

What not to search on Google: Steer clear of online scams by avoiding these 5 search terms

Phishing, vishing, smishing and pharming

His more than 90-minute "Fighting Back Against Elder Fraud: Top Scams for 2023" presentation explained a variety of scams, and offered tips on how to avoid becoming a victim.

The top-five frauds for this year, in order, fall within these general schemes: Business email compromise, romance scams, cryptocurrency, ransomware and tech support.

McDonough estimated that 70% of scams are initiated from outside the U.S. Criminals often try to mine personal data by phishing (through email), vishing (phone or VoIP), smishing (text messaging) and pharming (hacks of your computer).

"And they're very good at it," he said.

Criminals can easily make victims believe they are getting emails from their bank, or phone calls from hospitals or law enforcement, McDonough said. Seniors, he explained, are targeted because they tend to answer phone calls more than younger generations, and most importantly, they're more likely to have money to steal.

"Don't talk to strangers," he advised.

If it's important, the caller will leave a voice message.

How to avoid being scammed: Here's how to protect yourself from scammers

Reporting crimes can help catch criminals

McDonough has seen cases where wealthy seniors have lost $1 million and poor seniors have lost half their monthly income. He's witnessed everything from sextortion and lottery fraud to a church member who thought she was sending gift cards to her church pastor, so they could be used to help the poor.

"If anyone says pay with a gift card, that's a scam," he warned.

New twists on old scams will continue to make them even more convincing, McDonough warned.

For example, there's one where grandparents have been duped into handing over thousands of dollars, based on a phone call plea that one of their grandchildren has been arrested after an auto accident and needs bonded from jail.

"Now, with (artificial intelligence) ... that scam can (get really effective)," he said, describing how a teen's social media clips can be harvested by a criminal to create an entire vocabulary  in the teen's voice.

Sometimes, the best advice is to remain calm.

"Slow down and verify," McDonough said.

And one newer scam, which, he said, could wake him up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, is SIM swapping.

After gathering key personal information, the criminal contacts your cellphone carrier and gets them to switch your phone number to another SIM card, placed in the scammer's phone. It enables them to trample through the two-factor authentication many institutions now use, to access your money and even more data.

Too many victims, he said, are ashamed and embarrassed, so they never report being scammed. However, reporting and sharing information is key to catching scammers, he added.

Victims, McDonough said, don't have to sort out if it's a local, state or federal scam. He said they may simply call the National Elder Fraud hotline at 1-833-372-8311.

That's 1-833-FRAUD-11.

Reach Tim at 330-580-8333 ortim.botos@cantonrep.com.On Twitter: @tbotosREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian McDonough breaks down top scams of 2023
A dozen French police wounded in clashes with protesters opposing rail link in Alps

Activists take part in a protest against the Lyon-Turin rail link between France and Italy, in Les Chavannes-en-Maurienne

A dozen French police wounded in clashes with protesters opposing rail link in Alps Activists take part in a protest against the Lyon-Turin rail link between France and Italy, in Les Chavannes-en-Maurienne

PARIS (Reuters) -Twelve police were wounded on Saturday in clashes with demonstrators in France's Savoie department where a protest against a high speed rail project in the Alps turned violent, authorities said.

Some 2,000 protesters, including a roughly 300-strong dark-clad hardcore, were in the Maurienne Valley objecting to construction of a rail link including a tunnel between Lyon and the Italian city of Turin.

They threw rocks at riot police, who responded with tear gas, and one demonstrator was wounded, local prefect Francois Ravier told a news conference.

Association Les Soulevements de la Terre contested that figure in a Twitter post late on Saturday and said 50 demonstrators were wounded, including six who were hospitalised.

"The day is not over, we remain prudent and mobilised," said Ravier, noting a security presence would go through the night.

Interior minister Gerald Darmanin tweeted the police injury toll. Border checks turned up 400 objects, like knives and hammers, while 96 individuals known by security services were sent back to Italy, the officials said.

(Reporting by Mimosa Spencer; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Daniel Wallis)
TOMS RIVER - An East Orange man has pleaded guilty to biting a Toms River police officer while he was being taken into custody in July 2021, announced Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer on Friday.

Marquis Belnavis, 29, could be sentenced to spend the next seven years in state prison for his crimes, which also include cocaine distribution and heroin possession with intent to distribute, according to a statement from the Prosecutors Office.

Belnavis admitted to drug trafficking throughout Ocean County before state Superior Court Judge Kimarie Rahill, in addition to the charge of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. That assault conviction was the result of an incident on July 9, 2021, as police were arresting Belnavis during a traffic stop. Just before the vehicle he was in had been pulled over, Belnavis had been observed drug dealing while under surveillance by the Toms River Police Special Enforcement Team, the statement said.

As the police were placing Belnavis in custody, he attempted to flee the scene and bit one of the officers on the hand. He was ultimately taken to the Ocean County Jail in Toms River, but was later released on his own recognizance, according to the Prosecutors Office.

More law enforcement news: Brick man charged with animal cruelty after hoarding around 160 animals, cops say

Belnavis has admitted to selling narcotics in Toms River, Ocean Gate and Stafford  continuing to do so for more than a year after his initial arrest in 2021 when he attacked the officer, according to the Prosecutors Office.

Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke is handling the case on behalf of the state of New Jersey.

Contact Asbury Park Press reporter Erik Larsen at elarsen@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ man pleads guilty to biting Toms River police officer
In the annals of Florida politics, its often been the unwritten role of the attorney general to be the adult in the room, stepping back from the politics and propaganda to offer coolly composed reflections  often issued as official opinions, or requests to the Florida Supreme Court to weigh in on the legality behind a controversy.

Ashley Moody has apparently forgotten that history and mislaid her copy of the Florida Constitution. Shes increasingly likely to be seen on conservative TV channels spouting conspiracy theories and far-right talking points, including endorsements of efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and a long-running, wrongheaded investigation of a campaign to restore civil rights to former felons that is now part of the Florida Constitution.

Last week, however, Moody went further than ever before. In a rapidly babbled assertion made to Fox News personality Maria Bartiromo, she actually accused the Biden administration of conspiracy to allow deadly drugs like fentanyl to cross the southern border.

I believe at this point the Biden administration is coordinating with the cartels, she said breathlessly. Cartels are running things at the border. She described witnessing Border Patrol officials taking down fences and allowing people in, people Moody could apparently identify on sight as minions of murderous drug lords.

Thats a handy superpower, but not one Moody has previously claimed to possess.

Dimming her own light

The Fox News appearance was just one more disappointing performance from someone who first campaigned in 2018 as a sane, dispassionate political alternative to radicals on the far right. Her temperament is measured and her reflexes arent knee-jerk, wrote our sister paper, the South Florida Sun Sentinel. In its endorsement for the Republican primary that year, the paper praised her track record of standing up for people, tackling tough issues and showing some decorum.

That decorum is long gone. Increasingly, Moody has served as one of DeSantis loyal conduits of propaganda, embroidering his wild speculations with threads of pseudo-legal authority and adding her own unique twists.

Shes rarely rewarded or even acknowledged for this: Earlier this year, she tried to argue that Gov. Ron DeSantis wasnt personally responsible for an unprecedented attack on Floridas largest private employer  weeks after DeSantis released his book, featuring a chapter in which the governor described the campaign to yank away control of a special district that served the Walt Disney Companys fabled resort complex. With the governors own words standing against her, why did Moody even attempt to apply lipstick to that hog?

Its not the first time Moody has tried to trample reality underfoot. The worst move we saw was her willingness to lend the states legal firepower to an attempt to undo the results of the 2020 election, but a close second would be her attack on groups that campaigned to restore voting rights to former felons. The specific allegation: the Orlando-based Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, led by activist Desmond Meade, used secretive donations from Michael Bloomberg and others to pay off fines, restitution and other legal expenses in exchange for voting for Biden in 2020. That resulted in a 700-hour investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement finding the allegations to be  in the words of our Scott Maxwell  a steaming pile of bunk.

Or, in the drier words of the FDLEs conclusion: No evidence was developed to indicate that the FRRC directed any individual to vote for a specific political party as a condition of paying outstanding fees.

How much further will Moody go? Is she prepared to accuse Biden of beaming pornography directly into the brains of 11-year-olds, or injecting gender-altering drugs into the drinking-water supply?

There is so much more important work to be done, and in her increasingly short spare time, Moody still pays attention to it. Shes outspoken in her defense of victims of human trafficking. Shes helped extract billions from pharmaceutical megacorps who bear a real and significant responsibility for the fentanyl crisis and other deadly opiates. Shes providing Floridians with better defenses against consumer fraud.

But then she goes off again on Fox News. And all that work is overshadowed.

Floridians who chose Moody as the states top legal official deserve better. Moody is certainly capable of better. Floridians need her to be better. AG Moody, please take a look back at the person you presented to Florida voters in 2018. And then get back to being that person  full-time.

____

The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. Contact us at insight@orlandosentinel.com

____
When all else fails to explain American violence, blame a rapper and hip-hop music

Young Thug performs onstage on March 17, 2022, in Austin, Texas. Amy E. Price/Getty Images for SXSW

The day after the May 24, 2022, mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson promptly blamed the violence on rap music and video games.

Kids are exposed to all kinds of horrible stuff nowadays, the Texas Republican told Fox News on May 25, 2022. I think about the horrible stuff that they hear when they listen to rap music, the video games that they watch  with all of this horrible violence.

For Jackson and other critics, rap seems to explain criminal behavior and signal moral decline. In the eyes of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, rap might be something else as well  evidence.

Atlanta rappers Young Thug and Gunna were among 28 defendants charged under Georgias Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act in May 2022 with conspiracy and street gang activity.

They are now in jail in Atlanta awaiting trial.

In the indictment, prosecutors cite lyrics from Young Thugs songs as overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy.

Several tracks are quoted, including Slatty, on which Young Thug raps: I killed his man in front of his mama / Like fk lil bruh, his sister, and cousin.

Free speech has its limits.

The First Amendment, Willis explained, does not protect people from prosecutors using [lyrics] as evidence if it is such.

Scapegoating rap

Rap has long been used to conspicuously stereotype, caricature and reinforce mythologies about Black people. As a rapper and scholar, I wrote about this scapegoating in a chapbook, Rap & Storytellingly Invention, published with the peer-reviewed album I released in 2020.

Since the rise of hip-hop in the early 1980s, critics of rap sought to tie the music to violent crime.

One of the first targets was Run-DMC, the rappers from Queens, New York, given credit for bringing hip-hip to mainstream music and culture.

During the groups 1986 Raising Hell tour, police and journalists blamed its music for violence that occurred in towns it visited. At its show in Long Beach, California, gang violence in the crowd also was blamed on rap.

In the 1990s, politician and civil rights activist C. Delores Tucker became one of the most outspoken anti-rap voices, focusing her ire on Tupac Shakur and the gangsta rap subgenre.

The finger-pointing against rap  or some version of it  continues to this day.

The latest target is drill rap, a hip-hop subgenre that originated in Chicago and has since spread across the world.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams condemned drill rap on Feb. 11, 2022, after the murders of two Brooklyn rap artists, Jayquan McKenley and Tahjay Dobson.

Adams said the violence portrayed in drill rap music videos was alarming and that he would sit down with social media companies to try to remove the content by telling them they have a civic and corporate responsibility.

We pulled Trump off Twitter for what he was spewing, Adams said, yet we are allowing music, displaying of guns, violence. Were allowing it to stay on these sites.

Similar tactics have been employed in the past to shut down drill music.

London drill rappers have been targeted since 2015 by the Metropolitan Polices Operation Domain, a joint effort with YouTube to monitor for videos that incite violence.

Its as if politicians and police dont understand that the music emerging from these places is a reflection of crisis, not the source of it.

Tragic myths and realities

Despite the immense popularity of hip-hop, the culture and the music continue to be portrayed as a cultural wasteland in both subtle and explicit ways.

Worse, in my view, these harmful assumptions affect the ways ordinary people who experience tragedies are described.

The word rapper is used to conjure negative imagery. It leaves hollow expectations in its place, to be filled with the specter of death and the spectacle of violence. The person described by it becomes a boogeyman in the public imagination.

In the most unjust of circumstances, rapper has become a social shorthand for presumptions of guilt, expectations of violence and sometimes worthiness of death.

Such was the case with Willie McCoy. In 2019, the 20-year-old was killed by six policemen while he slept in his car at a Vallejo, California, Taco Bell. The officers claimed they saw a gun and tried to wake him. When McCoy moved, the officers fired 55 shots in 3.5 seconds.

While rap music appears to have had nothing to do with the tragic events of his death, descriptions of McCoy as a rapper were reported more prominently and consistently than the 55 shots police fired at him while he slept.

Even playing rap music might result in death. In 2012, a 17-year-old named Jordan Davis was shot and killed by a man who complained about the loud music Davis was playing in his car at a Florida gas station.

During the proceedings dubbed the loud music trial, Michael Dunn testified that the music Davis and his friends were playing in Davis car was thug music or rap crap.

Dunns defense depended on his victims being viewed as thugs by association with rap.

In jail, Dunn was recorded on the phone speculating whether Davis and his friends were gangster rappers. He claimed hed seen YouTube videos.

In describing these tragedies, the words rappers and rap music are code for Black and other, meant to elicit fear and justify violence. Theres no question in my mind that they would have been perceived differently if the words poets or poetry were used instead.

Made in America

Indeed, violence perpetuated by people who rap is as real any other American violence.

Young Thug, Gunna, or any other rapper accused of crimes are not exempt from accountability. But, in my view, assuming people are criminals simply because they rap  even if they rap about violence  is wrong.

Admittedly, throughout hip-hop history, rappers have constructed personas as antiheroes. Performances of masculinity, violence, intimidation, gun ownership and misogyny are meant to signal a kind of authenticity.

In her 1994 book Outlaw Culture, bell hooks included a chapter on gangsta rap. Hooks explained that the abhorrent behaviors scrutinized and highlighted in rappers are American values that people living and surviving here adopt.

In his December 1986 story on Run-DMC, Rolling Stone writer Ed Kiersh said out loud what many were thinking.

To much of white America, Kiersh wrote, rap means mayhem and bloodletting.

Perhaps.

But those who still seek to vilify rap might do well to focus on the sources of the crisis of violence in America rather than blaming the music that reflects it.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: A.D. Carson, University of Virginia.

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A.D. Carson 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.
Everything the royal family wore to King Charles' birthday parade

The Princess of Wales, King Charles, and Queen Camilla at Trooping the Colour on June 17. Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images, Henry Nicholls via Getty Images, Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The royal family gathered for the king's birthday parade in London on Saturday.

Charles III wore a military uniform that had a special nod to Queen Elizabeth II.

Meanwhile, Kate and Camilla wore outfits that paid tribute to different army regiments.

King Charles wore traditional military uniform that had a special nod to Queen Elizabeth II.

King Charles and Prince William ride on horseback at Trooping the Colour on June 17. HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images

King Charles and Prince William wore traditional Welsh Guards' uniforms and medals paired with black bearskin hats.

As per tradition, the monarch's uniform bears the cipher of their predecessor, and therefore Charles' uniform had Queen Elizabeth's cipher on it, according to a Buckingham Palace press release.

Princess Anne also wore traditional uniform.

Princess Anne, Princess Royal, on horseback at Trooping the Colour on June 17. HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images

Anne joined her family on horseback but wore a slightly different uniform. She wore a Ceremonial Uniform of the Blues and Royals, the press release added, as she is colonel of that regiment.

Anne's sibling, Prince Edward, also rode on horseback and wore full Ceremonial Guard Order of the London Guards, the press release states.

Camilla wore a red silk coatdress that paid tribute to the royal guards who were marching at the parade.

Queen Camilla leaves Buckingham Palace in a horse-drawn carriage being taken to Horse Guards Parade for the King's Birthday Parade on June 17. ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images

Camilla wore a red silk coatdress by Fiona Claire in a nod to the Grenadier Guards' uniform and a Philip Treacy hat which was meant to resemble the guards' black bearskin hats, according to the press release. The Queen became colonel of the Grenadier Guards in January, the press release added.

Kate Middleton wore a green coatdress and matching hat in honor of the Irish Guards.

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, travels down The Mall in a horse-drawn carriage during Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023. Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images

Kate's coatdress was designed by Andrew Gn and her hat was designed by Philip Treacy, a palace spokesperson confirmed to Insider.

The princess became colonel of the Irish Guards in March, Sky News reported at the time.

The royal children were also dressed up for the event.

The royal children at Trooping the Colour on June 17. Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images

Prince George, 9, wore a suit while Princess Charlotte, 8, wore a white dress and matching shoes. The youngest of the siblings, 5-year-old Prince Louis, wore bright-red shorts with a navy blazer and high socks.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, wore a cream dress and matching hat.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and Timothy Laurence during Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023, in London, England. Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The duchess wore a Beulah dress and Jane Taylor hat, a palace spokesperson told Insider.

She shared a carriage with Princess Anne's husband, Timothy Laurence, who wore a suit and top hat.

Read the original article on Insider
Ex-GM of NKY metal supplier, others charged in alleged scheme to steal for rival business

Editors note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified a person indicted in the case because of an error in the indictment. This report has since been updated.

The former general manager of a Northern Kentucky metal supplier is accused of carrying out a scheme to steal equipment and supplies from his employer for use at his own rival business, court records show.

In April, a Boone County grand jury indicted 68-year-old David Mersch of Florence on charges of engaging in organized crime, receiving stolen property and multiple counts of theft, court records show.

Five others were also charged: Mark Goetz of Edgewood, Jordan Maltaner of Edgewood, Tammi Jackson and her husband, Thomas Jackson, of Dry Ridge, and Curtis Prather of New Liberty.

They all appeared in court before Circuit Court Judge James Schrand for an arraignment Wednesday afternoon and pleaded not guilty.

The incidents happened from February 2021 to February 2023, according to the indictments.

Investigators say Mersch was using materials, tools and equipment stolen from his employer, Walton-based Boone Steel, at the site of his new business on Commercial Drive in Burlington.

Boone County deputies arrested Mersch in February after he tried to have the stolen items taken back to Boone Steel before other employees arrived at the workplace, a criminal citation states.

The deputies found a stolen trailer, welder and other equipment valued at more than $30,000 in Mersch's possession, the citation states, but he later admitted during an interview that $70,000 worth of material at the Commercial Drive property had been stolen from Boone Steel.

Mersch is the former operations officer for the Cincinnati offices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He was sentenced in January 2012 to four years in prison for accepting bribes from a construction company executive in exchange for awarding contracts to that company, federal prosecutors say.

He was hired by Boone Steel after his release from prison and was eventually promoted to general manager  the highest position in the company, according to a lawsuit filed in February by Boone Steel.

While in that position, the lawsuit states, Mersch conspired with Goetz and others to create and operate a competitor company dubbed "All In Steel" using labor, materials and equipment belonging to Boone Steel.

Mersch was fired in January after the company learned of suspicions that he was executing plans to start a rival business, the lawsuit states.

While the court documents reveal sparse details about what the other five defendants are accused of, Mersch and the others participated in crimes "with the purpose of establishing, maintaining or facilitating a criminal syndicate," the indictments say.

In court filings, Boone Steel described Maltaner as Mersch's "loyal lieutenant" and Prather as the person who worked on the shop floor and transported the stolen property to the Burlington business.

The Jacksons worked in the office and had control over order entry, invoicing and inventory, the lawsuit states.

Goetz is the only one not employed by Boone Steel, though the company's lawsuit claims he was the "money person" who funded the operation through "seed money" he obtained by selling a farm.

"Mr. Goetz is a successful businessman. He had no reason to nor did he participate in any criminal activity. The allegations against him are fantastical," Stacey Graus, the attorney representing Goetz, said in a statement to The Enquirer.

Mersch's attorney, Edward L. Metzger III, said the charges against his client are "baseless."

"The notion that Mr. Mersch engaged in some sort of 'criminal syndicate' is pure fiction," Metzger said. "He looks forward to being vindicated by a jury of his peers."

Prather's attorney declined to comment and court records did not list attorney information for Maltaner or the Jacksons as of Friday afternoon.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ex-GM of NKY metal supplier, others charged in alleged theft scheme
FILE PHOTO: Roxham Road, an unofficial crossing point from New York State to Quebec for asylum seekers in Champlain

By Anna Mehler Paperny

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's Supreme Court on Friday upheld a border pact under which Canada and the United States send back asylum seekers crossing the land border, finding the agreement does not violate asylum seekers' right to life, liberty and security of the person.

But it sent the case back to a lower court to determine whether the contested agreement violates asylum seekers' right to equal treatment under the law.

The ruling came as Canada was taking steps to more tightly manage its border with the United States. In March the two countries amended the Safe Third Country Agreement so it applies to the length of the 4,000-mile (6,440-km) land border, rather than just at formal crossings.

WHAT DOES THE RULING SAY?

The Supreme Court found that built-in "safety valves" that allow some asylum seekers to avoid being turned back in certain circumstances mean the agreement does not violate their right to life, liberty and security of the person under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

But the court also found an unaddressed question when it comes to whether the agreement violates equality rights.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The agreement stands and the case will return to federal court to determine whether the agreement violates asylum seekers' right to equal treatment under the law.

Refugee advocates claimed the agreement violates that right because they argue the United States is less receptive to refugee claims predicated on gender.

A lower court could find in favour of refugee advocates or the government, a decision that could be appealed either way. The case could wind up back at the Supreme Court, lawyers told Reuters.

WHAT PRECEDENT DOES THE RULING SET?

It could prompt courts to pay closer attention to challenges under the equal treatment section of Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, said lawyer Jamie Chai Yun Liew, who represented some of the parties intervening in this case.

"Now the court is saying, 'You should do the work.' ... By ignoring it, you're dismissing very important claims."

HOW HAVE MIGRANT MOVEMENTS CHANGED?

The expansion of the Safe Third Country Agreement is already having an impact on migrant flows into Canada. In March, Royal Canadian Mounted Police intercepted 4,173 asylum seekers on their way to file refugee claims in Canada after crossing irregularly. Last year, almost 40,000 people crossed into Canada between formal crossings to file refugee claims.

Between March 25, when the amendments took effect, and May 28, 618 asylum seekers crossed between ports of entry and were referred to the Canada Border Services Agency, according to agency figures. As many as 283 were sent back to the U.S., 247 were allowed to file refugee claims in Canada under exceptions to the agreement, and another 88 were being processed.

At the same time, the number of people caught crossing southbound into the United States spiked in March to 992 from 630 in February and stayed high in April, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol figures show.

The number of people apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol near the northern border in the first seven months of fiscal 2023, which began in October, is more than double the total for fiscal 2022, the figures show.

A Customs and Border Patrol spokesperson could not give a reason for the increase.

(Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; Editing by Denny Thomas and Jonathan Oatis)
Protest after grand jury clears police in death of motorist, in Akron

By Rich McKay

(Reuters) - Months after a grand jury declined to indict eight police officers in Akron, Ohio, who shot dead Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old Black man, his family is seeking at least $45 million in a federal lawsuit - $1 million for each bullet that hit him, the lawsuit says.

The case, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, says that excessive force was used, and sues eight officers, the City of Akron, Mayor Daniel Horrigan and Police Chief Stephen Mylett, alleging systemic misconduct and failures in the department.

Neither the police chief nor the mayor could be immediately reached by Reuters. A spokeswoman for the city told the Akron Beacon Journal that there would be no comment on the litigation from the city.

In a press conference on Friday, Bobby DiCello, the family's attorney, said that the lawsuit will begin to tell the "true story" of what happened to Walker that night.

"Jayland Walker's death has been mischaracterized as his fault," DiCello said.

The officers pursued Walker on foot after an attempted traffic stop in June 2022 and shot him dozens of times, including five times in the back, police officials said.

Police opened fire after mistakenly thinking Walker reached into his waistband for a gun, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said during an April briefing to announce the grand jury's decision.

"Only then did the officers fire believing Mr. Walker was firing again at them," said Yost, whose office was asked by local prosecutors to investigate the shooting.

Earlier, while driving his car with officers in pursuit, Walker had fired at least one shot at them, but he left the gun in the car when he fled on foot, Yost said.

State law allows officers to use deadly force against a deadly threat to themselves or others, he added.

Walker's death garnered national attention and roiled the city amid heightened tensions with police over the killing of another Black man, after a spate of such deaths across the United States.

This week, police in Minneapolis came under federal oversight after a Department of Justice (DOJ) review found routine use of excessive force against Black and Native American people, ending a two-year investigation prompted by the police killing of George Floyd.

In March, the DOJ found similar problems in the Louisville, Kentucky, police department, following the 2020 shooting death of Breonna Taylor.

Walker's mother, Pamela Walker, attended the press conference, breaking down in tears as she hugged her attorneys. She declined comment to Reuters when reached later by telephone.

The city has not released the names of the officers involved in Walker's shooting. A media lawsuit seeking the names of the officers is pending before the Ohio Supreme Court.

(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
FILE - A boat moves through the double lock system on the Erie Canal in downtown Lockport, N.Y., Aug. 24, 1993. A boat carrying 36 people capsized Monday, June 12, 2023, during a tour of an underground cavern system built to carry water from the Erie Canal beneath the western New York city of Lockport, police said. (AP Photo/Bill Sikes, File)

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday she wants the state to have regulatory authority over boats that operate in caves and similar waterways following a fatal tour boat accident in an underground water tunnel off the Erie Canal.

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation regulates commercial boats, Hochul's office said, but lacks authority to inspect those operating on non-navigable waters, like in the privately owned Lockport Cave.

The Democrat will propose legislation to close that loophole, her office said.

Earlier this week, a 65-year-old man died and nearly a dozen other passengers were taken to hospitals, mostly with minor injuries, when a flat-bottom boat with 29 people aboard flipped while inside the historic, human-made cavern system in western New York.

After the June 12 accident at the Lockport Cave, a human services agency confirmed that a similar incident had occurred during a 2015 outing for clients and staff.

"As we mourn the loss of life resulting from the boat crash in the Lockport Caves, my administration is proposing legislation to prevent future tragedies, Hochul said in a statement. The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has the tools to keep us safe and this legislation will ensure they have the legal authority to use these to keep passengers safe on boats in caves.
Father of murdered former Marine hope there will be justice for his son

The father of a former Marine allegedly killed by his ex-wife and her current husband believes there now will be justice for his son.

Dean Kraft was full of praise for state police investigators who led the probe into what happened to his son Steven Kraft, who lived in Marlboro and was 34 when he was last seen at the end of April 2020.

Federal prosecutors said on Thursday that Jamie Orsini, 36, and Nicholas Orsini, 35, had each been charged with one count of carjacking resulting in death and one count of conspiracy. They face possible maximum sentences of life in prison or death if convicted of the carjacking resulting in death charge.

Steven Dean Kraft

Dean Kraft is still reeling from hearing the police account.

"I was just flabbergasted," he said. "I couldn't believe two people could have that much hate for another person. It's like two or three horror movies combined into one."

Steven Kraft dropped off the two daughters he shared with Jamie Orsini at the Beacon home where the Orsinis lived at the time around 7 p.m. on April 28, 2020. Cellphone tracking data obtained by state police seems to suggest Kraft was murdered somewhere in that vicinity. He had two cellphones, one of which was later found in his car's console.

Kraft has never been seen since, and his body has never been found.

According to the federal complaint signed by state police investigator Joseph Merla, the Orsinis purchased a number of items that could have been used to dismember and burn a body, including a large paint tarp, duct tape, a Tyvek suit, boots, two 31-gallon steel trash cans, an angle grinder, odorless charcoal grates, an axe, a flame lighter and 16 bundles of firewood.

Surveillance footage purportedly showing Nicholas Orsini in a Newburgh gas station after he allegedly carjacked his wife's ex-husband Steven Kraft on April 28, 2020. Kraft was never seen alive again after that night.

Kraft's car was later found abandoned at the corner of Third Street and Carpenter Avenue in the city of Newburgh.

The complaint also outlines a complex effort by the defendants to cover their tracks, including using burner phones when they left home, and multiple trips to upstate Amsterdam, where Nicholas Orsini had family, and where the couple now lives.

Prosecutors have not said what the motive was for killing Steven Kraft.

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Ever since his son disappeared, Dean Kraft, who lives in Illinois, has lost touch with granddaughters Sesame, 15, and Sidney, 13. The Orsinis never responded to his phone calls or letters.

But Dean Kraft wants those girls to know, "I've never forgotten them, and I'll always love them."

Now he's preparing himself for what he expects will be a lengthy legal process as the Orsinis' case is heard in court.

But he is confident of a positive outcome.

"It's long overdue, but I believe justice will prevail," Kraft said. "I want justice for Steven."

Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record, Poughkeepsie Journal and The Journal News/lohud. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com or on Twitter @mikerandall845.

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Arrest of Steven Kraft's alleged killers relieves his father
Update: Liftoff of Falcon 9 with the SATRIA-1 satellite at 6:21 p.m. EDT, Sunday, June 18, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The first-stage booster landed on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean a short time later. Read our full post-launch story here.

Weather conditions around Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Father's Day should be mostly favorable for SpaceX's next Falcon 9 launch with a communications satellite for the Indonesian satellite operator PSN.

Forecasters with the Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45 said conditions on Sunday, June 18, should gradually improve from 60% to 75% "go" during the three-hour launch window, which extends from 6 to 9 p.m. EDT.

"(A) boundary should push south of the Space Coast by Saturday morning, creating a more normal summer pattern of coastal sea breeze development Saturday and Sunday," forecasters said in a report Friday. "Depending on localized convective interactions, the storminess should diminish through the launch window."

The main concerns for liftoff Sunday evening are cumulus and anvil clouds and a chance of lightning.

About eight minutes after liftoff, the first-stage booster will target a landing on a SpaceX drone ship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX's Starlink: Fourteen things to know about the satellite internet provider

Rocket launch schedule: Upcoming Florida launches and landings

Less impact on cruise ships and airplanes

During Sunday's launch window, three cruise ships are set to depart from nearby Port Canaveral.

Last year, a SpaceX mission with a flight path to the southeast was scrubbed when a cruise ship veered into an exclusion zone that extended south along the state's coastline.

But with Sunday's mission, the 230-foot rocket will fly directly east away from Launch Complex 40 over the Atlantic Ocean with exclusion zones that extend away from the coast but not to the south, which should help to avoid any conflict with the ships' scheduled departures.

This graphic issued by the U.S. Coast Guard shows the map of exclusion zones for a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. For this mission the rocket will fly a trajectory to the east over the Atlantic Ocean.

In an effort to create less impact on air travel, on Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced that back in April, it began reducing areas of no-fly zones around Florida's Space Coast for most launches.

"Sections of airspace to the north that had been traditionally closed for all launches can now remain open during most launches," the agency said in a release. "Based on risk analyses conducted for every launch and working with the U.S. Space Force and space launch operators, the FAA determined the existing airspace restrictions for most Florida launches were too large and could be safely reduced."

This graphic depicts newly altered no-fly zones to the northeast of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center in Florida, designated by the Federal Aviation Administration for most rocket launches. The reduction in closed air space is designed to reduce delays for commercial flights in and out of central Florida by upwards of 300 minutes and 1,500 miles.

According to the FAA, since April, zero flights were required to be rerouted during 10 of the 12 launches that featured the reduced no-fly zone.

This change mainly impacts commercial flights that travel northeast of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center. According to the FAA, the change should help hundreds of passengers to experience reduced flight delays.

When's the next launch?

Beyond Sunday's SpaceX mission, United Launch Alliance teams at the Cape's Launch Complex 37 are gearing up for the next-to-last launch of a Delta IV Heavy rocket before its retirement.

Liftoff of the triple-core rocket is set for liftoff at 3:29 a.m. EDT, Wednesday, June 21. The mission called NROL-68 will loft a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office.

Look for FLORIDA TODAY's live launch coverage to begin 90 minutes before the liftoff of both missions at https://www.floridatoday.com/space/.

For the latest, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.

Contact Jamie Groh at JGroh@floridatoday.com and follow her on Twitter at @AlteredJamie.

Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here.

Launch Sunday, June 18

Company / Agency: SpaceX for Indonesian satellite operator PSN

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

Launch Window: Between 6:04 p.m. and 9:02 p.m. EDT

Trajectory: Eastern

Weather: 60% "go" which improves to 75% "go" by the end of the window

Landing: Drone ship

Live coverage: Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space

About: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Satria communications satellite for the Indonesian government and the Indonesian satellite operator PSN from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Sunday weather OK for SpaceX Cape launch with less FAA restrictions
JIN DING/CHINA DAILY

At their third in-person Quadrilateral Security Dialogue on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 20, the United States, Japan, India and Australia reaffirmed their commitment to a "free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific" region. But no matter how they package it, the "Quad" is nothing more than a typical example of Washington's "clique diplomacy" to contain China and maintain its global hegemony.



The US revived the Quad in 2017 to serve its global strategy, especially its "Indo-Pacific" strategy. In fact, the US launched the "Indo-Pacific" strategy in 2017 with the core objective of containing China by strengthening cooperation with partner countries, shaping a favorable "Indo-Pacific" order, and maintaining its hegemony. In recent years, the Quad's efforts to contain China have become increasingly pronounced.

After the Joe Biden administration took office, the Quad was elevated from the ministerial level to the summit level, and its first (online) Quad Leaders' Summit was held in March 2021.The scope of cooperation within the Quad has expanded from military security to include fields such as the economy, science and technology, and biosecurity.

While its joint statement this year did not directly mention China by name, it was subtly targeted at China. It opposed any attempts to change the region's status quo by force, undermine its stability, or engage in unilateral actions in the Asia-Pacific region. Expressing "serious concern" over the militarization of disputed islets, the dangerous use of coast guard vessels, and actions that could disrupt other countries' maritime resource development activities, the Quad vowed to intensify its countermeasures against China's infrastructure development in the region.

Despite repeated denials from the four countries, the Quad still exhibits a strong "Cold War" undertone. As the leader of the Quad, the US' main goal is to rally allies and partner countries in the anti-China camp, and seek regional advantages through alliances and partnerships.

Similar to the Cold War, military and technology are the two important areas where the US uses the Quad to contain China. Since the revival of the Quad, military and security cooperation among the four countries has been steadily strengthening. For instance, the Malabar naval exercise has evolved from a bilateral military drill between the US and India to a trilateral exercise among the US, India and Japan and a quadrilateral naval exercise with the inclusion of Australia in 2020.

And in 2022, the Quad launched a new maritime security initiative called the "Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness", which currently is in pilot phase.

In the field of technology, the Quad has intensified its efforts to check China's technological advancement, by establishing a "Critical and Emerging Technology Working Group" and launching the "Semiconductor Supply Chain Initiative".The joint statement of the Quad also mentions critical and emerging technologies, meaning the grouping intends to become the leader in innovations and strengthen "supply chain resilience".

Apart from causing disruptions in the "Indo-Pacific" region, the Quad engages with countries outside the grouping in an attempt to lure them into its fold to contain China, thereby creating divisions in the region. The joint statement specifically mentions ASEAN, the South Pacific and the countries around the Indian Ocean, emphasizing the importance of the regional leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and pledging to further consolidate the Quad's relationship with ASEAN and expand cooperation.

The statement also promises to expand cooperation with Pacific island countries and the Indian Ocean Rim Association, as well as to increase investment and infrastructure construction, particularly laying submarine cables, in the Asia-Pacific region. Besides, it has announced initiatives such as the Quad Infrastructure Fellowships Program and Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience.

Recent years have also seen the US and Australia repeatedly undermine and disrupt underwater cable cooperation between China and other countries, while the Quad has said it will take measures to counter the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and pressure regional countries into making a "binary choice".

The Quad has been trying to create divisions and raise tensions in the region, posing a serious challenge to the regional order and security. Particularly concerning is the potential escalation of maritime tensions and increased risks of naval clashes due to the US' aggressive military activities in the region. In recent years, Quad member states have conducted frequent military drills and other activities in the South China Sea, with the US carrying out illegal air and naval reconnaissance and patrols.

The Quad has also conducted military activities with some ASEAN members and non-regional countries such as the United Kingdom and France in the South China Sea. These activities are likely to boost the military confidence of the countries that have disputes with China in the South China Sea, increasing the risk of maritime confrontations and undermining the relatively stable security environment in the region.

The establishment of the Quad Infrastructure Fellowships Program and the Quad's intensified efforts to disrupt supply chains and infrastructure projects targeting China make it even more difficult to develop a free, open and prosperous Asia-Pacific region.

And yet the US says it wants to improve relations with China and has no intention of challenging China. This is nothing but an effort to create a smokescreen which it believes will allow it to continue its anti-China activities without being noticed. The US is wrong, because even the dumbest person knows that it is not possible for the US to improve its relations with China while it strengthens its military presence in the region to counter China.

The Quad cannot prevent China's rise. While the four countries share the common goal of containing China, their specific interests and preferences vary greatly. In particular, India lacks the strong motivation needed to contain China and its position is different from the other three countries' on issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict. So it is unlikely that the Quad will turn into a solid US-led alliance.

Moreover, the majority of countries in the region are unwilling to take sides between China and the US. While Washington may have grand ambitions of containing China by using the Quad, it is likely to fall short of its objectives.

Therefore, the Joe Biden administration should seize the opportunity of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China on Sunday and Monday to change its short-sighted China policy, and commit to concrete actions that match the US president's statements that the US desires to cooperate with China for global good.
The FBI Says This Man Is A Terrorist  But He Says They Set Him Up

Ahmed Daoud holds a photo of his son Adel Daoud as a child.

Ahmed Daoud holds a photo of his son Adel Daoud as a child.

The FBI first began watching Adel Daoud in 2011 after he made comments online and posted violent material while he was in high school and living with his parents in a Chicago suburb. A year later, undercover agents initiated a conversation with the 17-year-old.

Daoud and the agents ended up in a parking garage later that year, where an undercover agent showed him a Jeep Cherokee that was filled with 1,000 pounds of fake bombs. Daoud reportedly parked the car outside of a bar in downtown Chicago, walked away and pressed a button that he believed would detonate the vehicle. He was arrested immediately.

His family believes the government entrapped an impressionable teenager and led him into a crime. There are also substantial questions about his mental health. He asserted at one point that cosmic aliens in the government were persecuting him.

After six years, his federal court case on charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, among other charges, was finally resolved after he entered into a plea agreement. The government asked for 40 years. A probation officer recommended 15 years. U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman gave him 16 years with 45 years of supervised release and mandatory counseling on violent extremism.

Coleman said that though Daouds actions could not be taken lightly, he continually did what teenage boys do, and that is to talk big. She called his incarceration for the first seven years of his adulthood, including witnessing a cellmates suicide, traumatizing.

But in March 2021, a federal appeals court took the extraordinary step of reaching into Daouds case and overturning his sentence, calling Colemans judgment substantively unreasonable. It ordered a resentencing by a different federal judge, which begins June 22.

The new sentencing could result in substantially more time in prison for Daoud, now 29, who is currently scheduled for release in 2026. Legal experts told HuffPost they were perplexed by the use of the so-called Rule 36 and the underlying message it sends to federal judges about who is in control over their cases.

Daoud maintains his innocence, telling HuffPost via email that he never had any intent for a violent plot.

I never planned to bomb anything before the FBI persuaded me using my religious beliefs and the fact that they talked to me until I trusted them, he said.

Imperfect Entrapment

While awaiting trial, Daoud was also charged with soliciting the murder of the undercover FBI agent involved in the sting operation  which was discovered through the use of a jailhouse informant who was paid $15,000 by the FBI  and for assaulting another inmate with a weapon.

His trial was delayed for years due to questions about his mental competence. In October 2012, his mother said her son was not the person with a complete mind. In court, Daoud spoke about conspiracies against him and said that lizard people and cosmic aliens were a part of the government. Before the sting, Daoud suggested using flying cars during a possible terrorist attack in conversations with the FBI.

In court, his mood fluctuated, at times jovial, smiling and waving to judges, and at other times distraught for making a bad name for the Muslim community.

Attorney Thomas Durkin, center, leads Adel Daoud's parents, Mona and Ahmed, through a Chicago federal courthouse lobby on Oct. 11, 2015.

Attorney Thomas Durkin, center, leads Adel Daoud's parents, Mona and Ahmed, through a Chicago federal courthouse lobby on Oct. 11, 2015.

In 2016, a judge temporarily declared him mentally ill and not competent to proceed to trial. Daoud was transferred to a psychiatric treatment facility. He was later diagnosed with schizophrenia, according to court documents, and was put on antipsychotic medication.

Two years later, the court ruled Daoud could be restored to competence with medication. That same year, Daoud entered an Alford plea  a type of plea agreement in which the criminal defendant admits there are sufficient facts to find them guilty but maintains their innocence. After his sentencing in 2019, his case was reassigned to U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly.

Daoud and his lawyer parted ways in 2022, and he is now representing himself with a standby counsel. The question of whether or not he is taking his medication remained a point of discussion, according to court documents, as recently as last year.

Daouds former attorney, Thomas Durkin, and his current standby counsel, Quinn Michaelis, declined to comment.

In an almost 150-page sentencing memorandum, Durkin argued that at every step of the way, law enforcement could have de-escalated the situation and chose not to, reflecting a binary terrorist or no attitude. For example, the FBI could have alerted Daouds family when they first noticed his comments online, Durkin said in a court filing, and warned him that the comments could lead to legal trouble. Durkin cited a similar case concerning a young woman who wanted to marry an Islamic State fighter  FBI agents met with her several times before charging her, giving her the opportunity to turn away from her plans.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Jonas declined to comment, noting that the case is ongoing.

More than 80% of the more than 1,000 total terrorism prosecutions since Sept. 11, 2001, involved a law enforcement sting, an informant or both, according to the Trial and Terror database, which was last updated this month. Illinois has had a total of 24 terrorism prosecutions since 2001, and 15 involved an informant.

In Daouds case, his attorneys argued that he had neither the ability nor the original intent to commit a crime without the help of those involved in the sting, referred to in the documents as imperfect entrapment.

Daouds interactions with the [agents]... show that it was the [agents] who first came up with the idea of a car bomb, before the FBI would go on to actually acquire the car, construct the fake bomb, and essentially do everything for Daoud, said Daouds defense team in a sentencing memorandum from April 2019.

Cases in which the defendant could claim entrapment have never resulted in an acquittal or dismissal in a post-9/11 U.S. court, according to University of South Carolina law professor Wadie Said, partially because of an assumption that Muslim men are predisposed to these kinds of crimes.

The reason why entrapment hasnt worked in a terrorism case is because, when you see a Muslim defendant, usually a young man, and you see that theyve been charged with terrorism, what does the average American think? said Said, who wrote a 2015 book on terrorism prosecutions. They think, Yeah, thats a terrorist.

But according to court filings, the government argued that the actions Daoud took toward detonating what he thought was a bomb were enough to show a predisposition toward violence. They cite, among other things, his interest in consuming content about terrorism, his conversations with an undercover agent about places they could attack, such as bars or malls, and his effort in planning out the attack along with the agent.

Daouds story could have had a different trajectory if it wasnt assumed by law enforcement that violence was inevitable, according to Kathy Manley, legal director of the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms, a nonprofit advocacy group focused on the repercussions of the war on terror.

Instead of giving them a gun with blanks and telling them to go try and shoot somebody so they can send them away for life  thats the sting operation model  they could give them services, they could look at what may be leading them in that direction and help, Manley said.

The Family Falls Apart

After the judge sentenced Daoud in 2019, the federal prosecutors quickly appealed that decision, calling on the federal court to step in.

People of any age can appreciate the seriousness of a plan to detonate a 1,000-pound bomb capable of killing hundreds, and the criminal justice system cannot countenance otherwise, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgia Alexakis in a 2020 brief.

The appellate court ultimately agreed, noting in its decision that the district courts sentence in his case fell outside the range of reasonable sentences. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit went on to say that the district court downplayed the extreme seriousness of the charges and sterilized Daouds offense conduct.

In November 2020, the appellate court vacated the federal district courts sentencing.

The government appeals that sentence on the ground that it was substantively unreasonable, the judges said. We agree. We vacate the sentence and remand for resentencing.

But the 7th Circuit court didnt just call for a new sentence, it used Circuit Rule 36 to assign a new judge to the case  a legal provision set by the 7th Circuit that allows it to modify or reverse a judgment and assign a new judge.

Erica Zunkel, the associate director of the Federal Criminal Justice Clinic, which represents clients charged with federal felonies and advocates for criminal justice reform, told HuffPost that, although she was not surprised that the government appealed the sentencing decision, it was rare for the higher court to weigh in so heavily and overturn the sentence.

Its the appellate court saying we disagree with what the judge said, Zunkel, a professor at the University of Chicago Law School, said. Our system would not work well if we are constantly second-guessing judges.

The judge knew the case inside and out. She heard a lot of evidence. She reviewed everything, she added. Its almost saying, We dont trust her to have this case anymore, so we are using that rule to say that a different judge has to look at this for a new sentencing, and thats very rare.

The underlying message is, we want a new judge to look at this anew even if its complex, Zunkel said.

Colemans office said it could not comment on pending litigation.

Ahmed Daoud, father of Adel Daoud, has attended every court date for Adel in the last decade.

Ahmed Daoud, father of Adel Daoud, has attended every court date for Adel in the last decade.

Ahmed Daoud, Adels father, has attended every court date for the last decade. He speaks to his son almost every day on the phone.

Ive been suffering for over 10 years, looking for justice, said Ahmed Daoud, an immigrant from Egypt who has lived in the U.S. for 40 years.

Ahmed firmly believes that his son was brainwashed by the government and that what his son needs is family and treatment, not a longer sentence.

I dont believe this rubbish, to kill people for no reason, he said.

The effect of Daouds case was swift. Ahmed, whod never as much as had a parking ticket, watched his life unravel.

At work, people were afraid of him. Ahmed, who once owned property and a car dealership, immediately lost his business. His customers stopped paying their debts, he said. One of his tenants said she would not deal with the father of a terrorist. In February 2015, Ahmed Daoud underwent heart surgery due to the mounting stress, he said.

The investigation also took a toll on his family, which has been broken up.

His other children moved out, afraid of being associated with their brother. His wife of 33 years divorced him because Ahmed spent most of their money on lawyers and was afraid the government would come after her next.

Thirty-three years, I never had a problem with my wife, he said. But she was scared.

As for his son, Ahmed said, his love is unwavering and he seeks solace in his faith that people will believe his truth.

My son was kidnapped from me, Ahmed said. Justice is what we want. Besides that, we dont need anything else.

Related...
Trooping the Colour parade to honour Britain's King Charles on his official birthday, in London

First 'Trooping the Colour' parade for Britain's King Charles Trooping the Colour parade to honour Britain's King Charles on his official birthday, in London

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's King Charles celebrated his first official birthday parade as sovereign on Saturday, riding on horseback to inspect soldiers in a ceremony that has been an annual event since 1760.

The parade, known as "Trooping the Colour", comes just weeks after Charles's coronation on May 6, another ceremony featuring soldiers marching in scarlet coats and bearskin fur hats in central London accompanied to music played by military bands.

By appearing on horseback Charles, 74, revives a tradition which his mother, Queen Elizabeth, gave up in 1986 when she was 60.

In what is the British military's annual tribute to the monarch, Charles was greeted by a Royal Salute, and carried out an inspection of soldiers in front of 8,000 spectators, followed by his son the Prince of Wales, his sister Princess Anne and his brother the Duke of Edinburgh also on horseback.

The Queen and the Princess of Wales followed in a carriage.

The colour, or regimental flag, which was trooped in the ceremony belongs to the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

Charles was then due to return to Buckingham Palace with his family where they will gather on the building's famous balcony to watch a fly-past of around 70 military aircraft and helicopters starting at 1200 GMT.

Clear skies mean crowds gathered along the route between the Mall and Horse Guard's Parade will see a full air display, including Typhoon fighters and Red Arrows, jets which were prevented from joining the coronation fly-past due to low cloud.

The C-130 Hercules will also take part, the transport plane's final ceremonial flight before being retired after almost 60 years of service.

Charles became king when his mother Queen Elizabeth died aged 96 in September. Trooping the Colour marks the official Birthday of Britain's monarch and is usually held in June. Charles's actual Birthday is Nov. 14.

(Reporting by Sarah Young, Editing by Louise Heavens)
Ezra Miller as The Flash in the 2023 film.

The newly released Flash movie has been in development for...quite a long time, having survived several regime changes that hit the DCEU and Warner Bros. overall. It was decided around 2017 that the film would effectively function as a swan song for the DCEU movies, so its general endpoint was always going to be as a refresh for whoever ended up taking control of the films down the line. But even the final film as its currently in theaters had a few different permutations to its ending, up to and including one of its final big cameos.



Spoilers for The Flash from this point onward.

Read more

After saving the multiverse from the mess he created, Barry Allen shows up at a courthouse for his fathers hearing and meets up with Bruce Wayne. But instead of Ben Affleck, the Bruce he meets is actually George Clooney, who previously played the character back in 1997's Batman & Robin. According to the Hollywood Reporter, this ending wasnt the only version shotin fact, its the third version of the movies conclusion, and one that only took shape back in January.



After a pair of screenings, the decision was made to deliver a fake out after Barry thought hed fixed everything. Having already gotten Keaton back for the main Batman, the filmmakers basically went, How many Batmen can we get? Thus, James Gunn and Peter Safran decided to try and get Clooney onboard. After watching a mostly finished cut of The Flash, the actor agreed, and the cameo was quickly shot in half a day on the Warner lot. WB managed to keep it secret by not screen testing it at all, and stopping just short of the actual reveal when the movie played at CinemaCon back in April. Press who attended screenings in early June were the first batch of people who saw the Clooney cameo, followed by its red carpet premiere days before the films release.

As for those other two endings, they basically went something like this. In its original version, Barry wouldve met with Keatons Batman and Supergirl (Sasha Calle) at the courthouse, indicating that he hadnt reset the timeline quite like he thought he had. This wouldve reversed their deaths from earlier in the film, and it was the ending that had been screen tested several times. In the second version, Supergirl wouldve been joined by Henry Cavills Superman and Gal Gadots Wonder Woman (the latter appeared earlier in the movie), while Keaton remained as Batman. In Supergirls case, this wouldve left open the door for Calle to return (since her solo film had already been junked), since the producers didnt want audiences last memory of the character to be her getting killed by General Zod.

Both of those endings, though, were prior to Gunn and Safran getting brought on to run DC Studios. When those two took over and other plans were made for DC movies, that resulted in the ending thats currently playing in theaters. As one insider reportedly told THR, Its rare that you have a movie in post-production that faces three separate regimes with three separate agendas. None of them were scrapped because of ill will, just different visions.

Thats quite a lot to lock down an official end for one movie, not helped by the fact that it had multiple people dictating what and who it was allowed to feature. Maybe those two alternate versions will show up in special features for the home release?

The Flash is now playing in theaters.





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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A southwest Florida couple has been charged with stealing more than $2 million in COVID-19 relief funds and using the money to buy boats, new businesses and other luxury items.

Timothy Craig Jolloff, 46, and Lisa Ann Jolloff, 56, made their initial appearances Friday in Fort Myers federal court on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and illegal monetary transactions, according to court records. Timothy Jolloff is also charged with one count of wire fraud.

According to a criminal complaint, Timothy Jolloff submitted false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Paycheck Protection Program loan applications in the spring of 2020 to the Small Business Administration, as well as a PPP approved lender. This caused the SBA and a PPP lender to approve and fund 11 disaster loans and six PPP loans, totaling about $2.14 million, prosecutors said.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

The Jolloffs then used the money to purchase three pontoon boats, real estate in Indiana, home furnishings, outdoor kitchens for their homes, a 2020 Polaris utility vehicle, jewelry and two dogs, investigators said. The couple also purchased a furniture business in Indiana and a landscaping business in Florida, which had no connection to the businesses for which the couple had obtained COVID relief funds, officials said.

Online court records didnt list defense attorneys for the Jolloffs.

The Paycheck Protection Program involves billions of dollars in forgivable small-business loans for Americans struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The money must be used to pay employees, mortgage interest, rent and utilities. It is part of the coronavirus relief package that became federal law in 2020.

The Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is designed to provide economic relief to small businesses that are experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. The Main Street Lending Program was designed to provide support to small- and medium-size businesses and their employees across the United States during the pandemic.

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The Fox News employee responsible for the controversial Wannabe Dictator chyron about President Joe Biden has parted ways with the network.

On Tuesday, during a segment about Bidens speech following Donald Trumps latest arrest, Fox News briefly flashed a chyron that read, in all caps, Wannabe Dictator Speaks at the White House After Having His Political Rival Arrested.

The chyron was taken down immediately and was addressed, the network spokesperson said in a statement to Rolling Stone.

On Friday, it was revealed that the responsible party, Alex McCaskill, had resigned from Fox News; McCaskill was a 10-year employee of the network and  surprise  a longtime producer of Tucker Carlsons show who remained at Fox News after that hosts acrimonious exit, the Associated Press reported.

On Carlsons Twitter program Thursday, he mentioned the incident without specifically naming McCaskill. First they scolded the producer who put the banner on the screen, Carlson said. Less than 24 hours after that, he resigned. He had been at Fox for more than a decade. He was considered one of the most capable people in the building. He offered to stay for the customary two weeks, but Fox told him to clear out his desk and leave immediately.

(McCaskill was also mentioned in former Fox News senior producer Abby Grossbergs lawsuits against the network that are on the verge of settlement.)

McCaskill confirmed his exit on social media, writing Today was my last day at Fox. Its been a wild 10 years and it was the best place Ive ever worked because of the great people I met. But the time has come. I asked them to let me go, and they finally did.

The White House has taken the high road in regards to the Fox News chyron, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre telling reporters Wednesday, There are probably about 787 million things that I can say about this. That was wrong  about what we saw last night  but I dont think Im going to get into it.

More from Rolling Stone

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The French TV channel TF1 released a report filmed at Russian military positions in the occupied territory without any mention of the wider context of Russia's war against Ukraine.

Source: European Pravda

Details: The story, with a duration of less than three minutes, was posted on the YouTube channel on 15 June, and was viewed by more than 130,000 users. In total, the channel has more than 230,000 subscribers.

The video includes footage of the road to the Russian positions, footage from inside the dugouts, brief comments from the Russian military about the ammunition and drones they are using against the Ukrainian military, and footage of them firing small arms.

The voiceover never once mentioned who is the aggressor in the war, nor did they mention any facts from the wider context, except that the Russian military expects a counteroffensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and has been preparing for it for a long time.

Background:

Last week, the scandal was caused by a video of the Hungarian government calling for the earliest possible peace in Ukraine. In the video, Crimea is shown as part of Russia.

After publicity and a demarche by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the video was changed, and the original clip with the "Russian" peninsula was deleted without explanation.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Gallen strikes out 7 as the Diamondbacks beat the Guardians 5-1 to end a 3-game slide

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen throws to a Cleveland Guardians batter during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 16, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

PHOENIX (AP)  Forget those questions about Zac Gallen's velocity. Arizona's ace can still bring it.

And he's still the Diamondbacks' best answer to a losing streak.

Cranking out mid-90s fastballs early, Gallen (8-2) struck out seven in six effective innings and the Diamondbacks ended a three-game losing streak by beating the Cleveland Guardians 5-1 on Friday night.

Raise the alarms, Gallen joked. I think we can put that to rest. I felt like the ball was coming out of my hand a little bit better, certainly feel a little bit of a semblance of how I wanted to feel.

The Diamondbacks bounced back from losing three of four to Philadelphia with a solid all-around game to kick off Cleveland's first series at Chase Field since 2017.

Gallen was sharp coming off a rare shaky start, giving up a solo homer to Jose Ramirez in the fourth inning and four singles.

Arizona took advantage of five walks by last-minute Cleveland starter Touki Toussaint (0-1) to take an early 2-0 lead. The Diamondbacks kept tacking on runs, finishing with five players who had an RBI and 11 hits.

Not bad for having to scramble after the Guardians replaced starters two hours before the game.

Its like a fumble. Theres theres 10 people jumping on the ball and coaches jumping on the ball to try and figure out what direction were going to go in, and start to spread the word get the message out," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "It happens. They just had to make a quick adjustment and we did a good job."

Gallen never felt right in his previous start, his velocity slightly down while allowing five runs in 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision at Detroit.

The right-hander returned to Chase Field, where he was 4-0 with a 1.69 ERA his last four starts.

Rocking a snakeskin belt against the Guardians, Gallen attacked the Guardians with fastballs early, setting up breaking balls that had them swinging at pitches in the dirt.

Gallen faced the minimum until Ramirez launched a solo homer to right in the fourth inning and and allowed two runners to reach second base. He walked none.

I read an article that they were worried about his velocity, Guardians manager Terry Francona said. I dont know what happened there because he was just fine. He knows how to pitch.

Toussaint got caught an early-morning flight from Omaha to start after right-hander Triston McKenzie was scratched due to right elbow discomfort.

The former Diamondbacks first-round draft pick  he never pitched for Arizona  struggled with control in his return to the majors.

Christian Walker one-hopped a run-scoring double off the wall in the first inning after a walk. Geraldo Perdomo made it 2-0 on a sacrifice fly after a walk and a bunt put runners on second and third.

Toussaint was lifted after three straight two-out walks in the fourth inning, saved from any more damage when Xzavion Curry induced an inning-ending groundout.

Touissant allowed two runs on three hits.

I'm a competitor so it feels good, Toussian said. I didn't go as long as I wanted to, but definitely a step in the right direction.

Pavin Smith had a run-scoring single and Corbin Carroll an RBI double off Curry in the sixth inning. Ketel Marte put Arizona up 5-1 with a run-scoring single in the seventh.

NAYLORS ARRIVAL

The Guardians designated catcher Mike Zunino for assignment before Fridays game, ending a brief stint that did little to shore up their shaky catching corps.

Zuninos departure likely clears the way for Bo Naylor to get a shot at sticking with the big league team.

The younger brother of Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor, Bo Naylor was Clevelands first round pick in the 2018 and appeared in six games the past two seasons. He hit .253 with 18 homers and 48 RBIs in 60 games at Triple-Columbus this season.

Naylor was out of Columbus lineup Friday night and the Guardians were down a position player against the Diamondbacks.

TRAINER'S TABLE

Diamondbacks: C Carson Kelly had the night off after playing three straight games following a long stint on the injured list with a broken forearm.

UP NEXT

Cleveland RHP Shane Bieber (5-3, 3.29 ERA) faces Arizona RHP Tommy Henry (3-1, 4.86) in the middle game of the series on Saturday.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
A 49-year old Merced man was arrested on suspicion of shooting into an apartment building, according to police.

Members of the Merced Police Department Gang Violence Suppression Unit arrested Lekxai Soulanone about 7:30 p.m. Friday, according to a Facebook post by the department.

Soulanone faces charges of shooting at an inhabited dwelling and firearm and probation violations.

The incident occurred Monday when officers responded to a report of a shooting at 314 W. 19th Street in Merced. The suspect, later identified as Soulanone  who police say is a known gang member on probation  fired several shots into the apartment building after a disturbance.

An arrest warrant for Soulanone was issued on Friday and officers located him in the 500 block of Granada Court in Merced. During a probation search, police said, a loaded 9mm handgun was located.

Soulanone was arrested on the warrant, and on suspicion of several firearm-related charges and for violation of probation and taken to the Merced County Jail. Soulanones bond is set at $400,000, according to jail records.

Merced police are asking anyone with any information regarding this crime to contact Officer Centeno at 209-388-7742 or CentenoA@CityofMerced.org.
Georgetown schools need to be held accountable for treatment of Blacks, local NAACP says

The NAACP chapter in Georgetown County is calling for the superintendent of the school district to be held accountable for what the chapter says is unfair treatment of Black students and administration.

President Deontay Winchester said June 16 that Superintendent Keith Price should be removed if nothing is done to address several incidents that have happened recently, including what led to two racial discrimination lawsuits filed against the district.

Winchester declined to comment on the lawsuits due to ongoing litigation, but said the chapter was aware of them.

Kristi Kibler, the districts director of communications, as well as the school systems superintendents office did not return a request for comment made by The Sun News on Friday afternoon.

False accusations, unfair hiring practices

A specific example Winchester used was a Black female middle school student falsely accused of vandalism and was suspended, compared to students who caused about $30,000 in damage who were sent to ISS, or in-school suspension  a slap on the wrist, he said.

For the female Black student who was suspended, he said no apologies were made from Superintendent Keith Price or other board members.

The school board is failing to hold the superintendent accountable, Winchester said.

Winchester also stated that the districts hiring practices were unfair, claiming that several Black applicants to administrative positions were being overlooked over white counterparts.

As for next steps, Winchester said the chapter wants to continue to inform the community of these incidents so they can make an informed decision when it comes time to cast a ballot.

We have to take care of all of our students, he said.

Lawsuits filed against Georgetown school district

Tonja Johnson, current assistant principal at Andrews Elementary School, is suing the district for her removal from her principal role at Maryville Elementary School in 2022.

Larry Odom, the current principal of Carvers Bay High School, is also suing the district and claims that he has been treated unfairly, disrespectfully, and as an inferior person, because he is Black, despite his education and performance on the job, according to the suit.

Carvers Bay High School was recognized as a school of excellence under the American College Application Campaign in 2021, under Odoms leadership. The campaign recognizes schools that increase the number of first-generation college students and students from low-income families.
 Flash

The United States needs to work with China to bring bilateral relations gradually to the track of stable growth, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Friday.

Wang made the remarks at a regular press conference in response to a briefing by U.S. officials on the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's upcoming travel to China.

China has reiterated on multiple occasions that China-U.S. relations should not be a zero-sum game where one side outcompetes or thrives at the expense of the other. The two sides should form a correct perception of each other's domestic and foreign policies and strategic intentions, respect each other, coexist in peace, pursue win-win cooperation, and explore the right way to get along with each other. This not only serves the interests of the two peoples, but also meets the common aspiration of the international community, Wang said.

"The United States views China as its 'primary rival' and 'the most consequential geopolitical challenge.' This is a major strategic misjudgement," said Wang, adding that there is competition between the two countries in areas such as economy and trade, but there should be no vicious zero-sum competition, still less should there be practices to contain or suppress one another in the name of competition and deprive China of its legitimate right to development.

"This is not 'responsible competition,' but irresponsible bullying. It will only push the two countries towards confrontation and create a divided world," he said.

Wang stressed that the United States needs to give up the illusion of dealing with China "from a position of strength." The two countries must develop relations on the basis of mutual respect and equality, respect their difference in history, culture, social system and development path and accommodate each other's core interests and major concerns, said the spokesperson.

Noting that the United States keeps emphasizing the need for dialogue and communication, building guardrails, and putting a floor under China-U.S. relations, the spokesperson said that China's door to dialogue and communication is open, and the communication between the two countries has never stopped. "The communication between the two countries needs to serve an actual purpose and help provide solutions. What is unacceptable is to ask for communication and meanwhile damage the other side's interests. One can't say one thing and do another."

"China again urges the United States to deliver on President Biden's positive statements, stop interfering in China's internal affairs and damaging China's interests, stop containing and suppressing China, and work with China to remove obstacles, create conditions and bring China-U.S. relations gradually to the track of stable growth," Wang said.

When asked about China's expectation for Blinken's visit, the spokesperson said that during the visit, the two sides will exchange views on bilateral relations and important international and regional issues of mutual interest, and China will make clear its position on bilateral relations as well as its concerns and resolutely safeguard its interests, he said.




Its getting hot. Heres how your kids can get free swim lessons in Fresno this summer

Fresno-area swim lessons are starting up just as summer temperatures are forecast to hit the upper 90s this weekend.

The City of Fresnos parks department is teaming up with Fresno Unified to offer a series of lessons at pools around the city for children ages three and up, according to a district media release.

The sessions are free for all Fresno Unified students and all Fresno residents under age 18.

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Where are the swim lessons?

Four Fresno Unified high schools will offer lessons in their pools:

Edison High School: 540 E. California Ave. (93706)

Hoover High School: 5550 N. First St. (93710)

McLane High School: 2727 N. Cedar Ave. (93703)

Roosevelt High School: 4250 E. Tulare Ave. (93702)

When do lessons start?

The first of the three sessions begins Monday. Each one will last two weeks.

Classes will run every half hour between 3 and 6:30 p.m. on weekdays.

How to sign your child up

You can register over the phone by calling 559-621-7529, or online by visiting www.fresno.gov/swimlessons.

You can also sign up in person by visiting the Dickey Youth Center at 1515 E. Divisadero St. on weekdays.

Water safety in the Fresno-area

Winter storms brought on high water levels and faster-than-normal currents this spring, making many Central Valley waterways too dangerous for swimming. Law enforcement agencies have pushed people toward community pools and a handful of local lakes as a safer alternative this summer for the time being.

A four-year-old boy and his eight-year-old sister, who Superintendent Bob Nelson claimed as Fresno Unified students, were found dead last month, having been swept away by the swift currents of the Kings River.

Nelson has urged families to pay special attention to water safety and swim lessons this year especially in response.

The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Learn about The Bees Education Lab at its website.
Christopher Gregory/Getty Images

What Donald Trump calls the most famous escalator in the world is not the grand one that descends from an upper mezzanine to the lobby of the tower he named after himself.

Everybody thinks its that one, a security guard said on Friday afternoon, exactly 8 years after Trump descended to a waiting mass of news cameras and announced he was running for president.

The misapprehension is understandable. The more impressive conveyance would be in better keeping with all that has happened since. One imbecile from Queens went on to change the whole country.

The guard directed a visitors attention to a lesser escalator that goes from the lobby to the food court below. The two-story indoor waterfall wall is without water as it undergoes repairs.

Pardon Our Appearance, read a sign at its foot.

The escalator itself was unchanged. And to ride down it was to recall the moment when Trump stepped from and smiled into the lens as a few dozen people cheered.

Wow. Woah. That is some group of people. Thousands! he exclaimed, telling a lie such as had long made him a joke in his hometown.

How could you take a guy seriously when the elevator buttons in this same building skip 10 numbers because it is only 58 stories, not 68, as he says? And to make it all the more ridiculous, some of the supposed thousands were actors earning $50 by answering a casting call for not a traditional background job to wear t-shirts and carry signs and help cheer him in support of his announcement.

And it was bad enough that he had once taken out a full page newspaper ad calling for the execution of the Central Park 5, who have since been exonerated. Here he was at his big announcement saying Mexico was sending rapists across our southern border.

But everybody in 2015 who thought he could not possibly win failed to take due note that Hillary Clinton made several visits to the Hamptons that summer, and none to Wisconsin. Trump himself voiced surprise at his victory.

School Boss Pro-Trump Rant Is Definition of Indoctrination

Do you believe this shit? he asked a buddy from Queens who called him the morning after the election.

To now ride the escalator from the food court back up to the lobby was to ascend from what transpired in 2015 to whatever might happen in the rest of 2023 and beyond. If we had been unable to foresee eight years ago that he would actually get elected, how can we accurately anticipate whats next? How will the indictments he now faces in New York and Florida play out? Will he also face charges in Georgia? Will he finally be held accountable? Or will those prosecutions catapult him back into the White House for a second, even more chaotic and lawless term? Will the divisions in the country reach a breaking point?

One of the few people who did accurately predict the 2016 election was Lou Nascone, who owns a window tinting business in Bayville, New Jersey, and was among the handful of unpaid everyday folks who attended the announcement. His crew had worked in Trump casinos in Atlantic City and somebody offered him a ticket to the Trump Tower announcement.

I wanted to go and listen to what he had to say, Nascone recalled. I was just tired the way everything is. It seems like every politician's a crook.

Nascone was surprised by the diversity of the crowd, not imagining that some of them were actors.

I looked around, there was every race, creed, and color person there, he recalled. Everybody was cheering for him. And I was like, This guy's gonna win.

He reported that his business fared well during the Trump years and his customers had seemed equally happy with the economy. He said that things have taken a downturn since Biden was elected and customers complain that everything is too expensive. He seemed open to the Republican narrative that minimizes the classified documents case.

I don't understand how everything is going the way it is, but it seems you have other people doing other stuff and they get a slap on the wrist and it's okay to do that, he said. You know, I'm sure that [Trump] didn't pack the boxes and carry the boxes. I've, I've never, never seen him actually carry stuff. But who knows how this stuff got there and whether it's such a big deal.

He went on, There's so much other stuff on other people, but it's like, Don't look over there. There's nothing over there. But over here it's major, you know, let's put him in prison for life.

Two actors who were apparently paid to attend the 2015 announcement were named in a complaint filed by the American Democracy Legal Fund with the Federal Election Commission. An Instagram photo of the two of them in Trump Tower showed them wearing white Make America Great Again T-shirts. One of them was holding a sign reading Make America Stronger. Neither responded to an interview request from The Daily Beast on the eighth anniversary. An association with a Trump fraud is apparently one kind of publicity actors are liable to eschew.

Friday marked the start of the long Juneteenth weekend, and the sidewalks surrounding the tower were crowded with tourists. But few ventured into the lobby, and fewer still took the free ride down the worlds most famous escalator.

For a time in the late morning, there was nobody in sight in the food court save for a security guard and a woman who stood behind the counter with the candies and ice cream offered by Trump Sweets. There was a hush absent even of the usually continual splashing of the water wall. And you could almost imagine that Trump's time was passing. If he has such a loyal following, why weren't parents taking their kids there to see and actually ride a bit of history?

But people had underestimated him in that very space eight years ago. And when you rode back up to the lobby, you gazed out at the street and remembered that he once said he could shoot somebody in the middle of Fifth Avenue and people would still vote for him.

The question that followed you from the lobby out into the bustle of everyday life was, What the hell is next?

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Republicans are warning the Biden administration against pursuing any agreement with Iran that would provide sanctions relief without approval from Congress, amid signs of progress in negotiations to contain Irans nuclear weapons program.

While President Bidens top aides are keeping quiet on any progress with Tehran, reports that U.S. and Iranian officials are looking to carry out deescalating actions as part of an informal agreement are infuriating GOP members.

I urge the Administration to remember that U.S. law requires that any agreement, arrangement, or understanding with Iran needs to be submitted to Congress, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote in a letter to Biden on Thursday.

American diplomacy with Iran is a partisan flash point that touches some of the most serious U.S. foreign policy issues, including support for Israel, pushing back on Russias war in Ukraine and confronting Chinas ambitions for global influence.

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And its a battle that Republicans are happy to stoke ahead of the 2024 election.

Republicans who celebrated former President Trumps withdrawal in 2018 from the nuclear deal with Iran have long-argued that Bidens pursuit of diplomacy with Tehran are limited under the terms of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 (INARA).

INARA was enacted with strong bipartisan support to ensure Congressional oversight of U.S. policy regarding Irans nuclear program, McCaul wrote.

This definition makes clear that any arrangement or understanding with Iran, even informal, requires submission to Congress.

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Bidens allies cast doubt on the INARA argument, but Republican and conservative hardliners are staking out their positions.

Iran is an adversary and a state sponsor of terrorism. Any back-door agreement here is an attempt to skirt congressional oversight, Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, tweeted on Thursday.

The Biden Admin is long-overdue to address reports of these misguided proximity talks with Iran, Senate Foreign Relations ranking member Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) tweeted.

Sanctions relief will only free up cash for the regimes support for Russia, terror proxies, and state-sponsored murder of its own citizens. Shameful.

Gordon Chang, a senior fellow with the conservative foreign policy think tank Gatestone Institute, and who is reportedly advising Florida Gov. Ron Desantiss (R) presidential campaign, slammed Bidens outreach to Iran as emboldening China.

The Biden Administration, by inking a new deal, is about to shovel billions of dollars to Iran. Yet that regime, with Chinas help, is destabilizing the Persian Gulf and North Africa, and both Tehran and Beijing say were an enemy. So why is Biden so intent on helping them? he tweeted.

The GOP alarm comes amid reports that the Biden administration is on the brink of an informal agreement with Tehran aimed at reining in some of Irans most dangerous behavior.

This includes Iran agreeing to limit its enrichment of nuclear-weapon fuel to 60 percent, below the 90 percent purity needed for a bomb. Iran would also halt lethal attacks on U.S. contractors in Syria and Iraq by its proxy forces, expand cooperation with international nuclear inspectors and hold back from selling ballistic missiles to Russia, the New York Times reported, citing Iranian officials.

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In exchange, the U.S. and partners could hold back strict enforcement of existing sanctions, allowing Iran some economic relief.

Such actions appear to be underway.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, while rejecting reports that the U.S. has reached an agreement with Iran over its nuclear program, confirmed that the U.S. had allowed Iraq to transfer to Iran $2.76 billion in backlogged gas and electricity payments, issuing a waiver for sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic.

We approved a transaction, consistent with previous transactions that have been approved, to allow Iran to access funds held in accounts in Iraq for humanitarian and other non-sanctionable transactions, Miller said Tuesday, adding such waivers pertain to humanitarian and other non-sanctionable transactions.

Other benefits for Iran reportedly include the U.S. and partners holding back from seizing Iranian-oil tankers, and not pursuing punitive measures through international organizations like the United Nations or International Atomic Energy Agency.

Another key priority for the U.S. is securing the release of Americans jailed in Iran.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani confirmed Monday that the U.S. and Iran had carried out indirect talks over exchanging prisoners.

If the other party shows the same seriousness and goodwill, this can happen in the near future, Kanaani reportedly said in a televised briefing.

And remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week proclaiming Israels right to counter Iranian threats regardless of smaller agreements is another signal that Washington and Tehran are reaching some sort of consensus.

Non-proliferation advocates argue that Republican and Democratic fighting over the strategy to address Irans malign behavior  its pursuit of nuclear weapons, support for terrorism and supply of weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine  undermines efforts to reduce nuclear weapons risk, in general, and casts doubt on America as a reliable broker.

Responsible members of Congress, Republicans or Democrats, should understand that it is in the U.S. and international security interests to communicate clearly and strongly to Iran that there are certain lines that must not and shall not be crossed regarding their advancing nuclear program, said Daryl Kimball, Executive Director of the Arms Control Association.

And Democrats, Republicans and independents should be united too, in that regard.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez speaks at the Time for Choosing series at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Thursday, June 15, 2023, in Simi Valley, Calif. Suarez announced that he will be joining the 2024 presidential race. | Michael Owen Baker, Associated Press

Florida is doing its part to produce presidential candidates. Joining two other GOP contenders  former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis  in the race of 2024 is Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.

Suarez announced his intentions during an appearance on Good Morning America Thursday.

Im running to be the president of the United States, and Im running against Joe Bidens America  an America where the poor get poorer, an America where America gets weaker, an America where if things dont change China will be the lone superpower. Thats what Im running for, he said, per The Associated Press.

Miami mayor joins a long list of Republican candidates

Suarez, the two-term mayor, is joining a large crowd of GOP candidates who are vying for the Republican nomination, including former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, as well as the two front-runners, Trump and DeSantis.

Politico reported that Suarez filed the paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday, a day after Trump was arraigned at a Miami federal court. In fact, he was in the courtroom during the arraignment.

On the indictment, he said that if we continue to have a conversation about the former president, then the former president will be the nominee, per ABC News.

But, he said, Republicans perceive an inequality in the justice system. I think the fact that were in a presidential campaign, and were seeing a former president be indicted multiple times, is something that Republicans view as partisan and problematic in a country like ours, in a democracy, Suarez said.

The mayor spoke out against DeSantis over Disney abandoning plans to build a $1 billion office campus in Florida.

(DeSantis) took an issue that was a winning issue that we all agreed on, Suarez told NewsNation in May, and it looks like now its something thats spite or maybe potentially a personal vendetta, which has cost the state now potentially 2,000 jobs in a billion-dollar investment.

He is the first local-born mayor of Miami, the second-most populated city in Florida, and the son of Xavier Suarez, the first Cuban mayor of Miami, elected in the late 1980s.

Suarez has been hinting at running for president since 2021. He recently admitted that jumping in such a race required a soul-searching process, while acknowledging his lack of name recognition: Im someone who needs to be better known by this country, he said in an interview with CBS News.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarezs tenure as mayor

During his tenure as mayor, he has often touted a historically low crime rate and technological developments, while vowing to protect the city from the effects of climate change.

Today we are proud to announce our ten-city national tour focused on evidence-based community solutions to tackle violent crime across America. pic.twitter.com/zD557yEYwO  Mayor Francis Suarez (@FrancisSuarez) January 19, 2023

In 2019, he wrote a New York Times op-ed with Ban Ki-moon, the former secretary-general of the United Nations, detailing Miamis fight against rising sea levels by raising buildings, improving drainage, and buying and demolishing properties in vulnerable areas.

That is why leadership, particularly from city governments like Miamis, is so important in driving investment in adaptation, the article said.

As for COVID-19, the mayor had canceled a few music festivals before the virus was reported in Miami. He contracted COVID-19 early on and recorded his experience for the public.

Im running for president because I think I have a different message than other candidates have, Suarez said on Good Morning America. Im generational  and not generational as a buzzword, but as someone who has implemented generational change to create prosperity in the city.
GOP Sen. Mike Rounds praises presidential candidate Tim Scott as 'the closest to a Ronald Reagan' in the 2024 race: 'None of us are ever going to be ashamed of supporting him'

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, left, speaks to Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testifies before a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing at the Capitol. Elizabeth Frantz/Pool via AP

Sen. Mike Rounds praised Sen. Tim Scott as "the closest to a Ronald Reagan" in the 2024 GOP WH race.

Rounds recalled comparing Scott to the GOP icon during an interview with The Washington Post.

Rounds and Sen. John Thune, both of South Dakota, are supporting Scott's presidential campaign.

Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, who has endorsed the presidential campaign of fellow Sen. Tim Scott, said that the South Carolina lawmaker is "the closest to a Ronald Reagan" of any Republican currently in the 2024 presidential race.

Rounds  who alongside fellow Sen. John Thune of South Dakota are the only Republican lawmakers in the upper chamber currently backing Scott  remarked that the South Carolinian brings a range of attractive qualities to the GOP field that are reminiscent of the conservative icon who occupied the Oval Office from 1981 to 1989.

Rounds and Thune worked with Scott on the Senate Banking Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, respectively, and both came away with an enduring admiration for their colleague, as Rounds expressed to The Washington Post. Their support of Scott is a significant departure from that of many congressional Republicans, who have either lined up behind former President Donald Trump or Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida  or have remained neutral.

"I think he's the right guy for the job, positive," Rounds said of Scott during a conversation with Thune. "He's the closest to a [new] Ronald Reagan, in terms of his excitement, his ability to communicate, his forward-thinking, his understanding of defense issues, his understanding of business."

"None of us are ever going to be ashamed of supporting him," Rounds added.

Read the original article on Business Insider
As his state faced a dangerous heat wave this week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a broad new law that will nullify a wide range of local regulations, including mandated water breaks for construction workers, beginning Sept. 1, according to The Texas Tribune.

The new Republican-backed law strips the ability of local municipalities to enact certain regulations in favor of state authority, ostensibly to provide statewide consistency. It covers a wide range, including other worker protections, environmental protections, housing protections and more.

Critics dubbed it the Death Star Bill. The president of the NAACPs Houston chapter, Bishop James Dixon, called it a threat to civil rights and human rights, according to local outlet KHOU11.

Among its supporters were several construction business associations.

Dallas and Austin currently require workers to be given at least 10 minutes to cool down and hydrate every four hours.

Abbott signed the legislation Tuesday. On Thursday and Friday, some areas of the state began setting new heat records, and others are expected to chart new highs as temperatures soar into triple-digits over the next several days.

Millions of people around the Houston region were issued an excessive heat warning on Friday, lasting through Sunday, with feels like temperatures potentially hitting 120 degrees. The National Weather Service also said that southern Texas and eastern Louisiana are at an increased risk of fires due to the heat, which will strain the states brittle power grid. Average temperatures in Texas have been rising for decades.

Texas is already the top state for worker deaths due to heat, according to the Texas Tribune.

The Tribune reported that heat-related deaths hit a two-decade high just last year when at least 279 people across Texas died by heat.

Related...
Group of 16 young people sue state for allegedly violating its own constitution: The state may have to change its policies

A group of 16 young Montanans looking to protect their homes natural beauty have joined with an environmental legal organization to sue the state for failing to provide a clean and healthful environment, as outlined in the state constitution.

The group filed the original complaint in 2020, claiming that by supporting the use of dirty energy, like coal, oil, and gas, the state is violating its own constitution. These forms of unrenewable energy are contributing to the overheating of our planet, which is worsening extreme weather events like wildfires, torrential rains, and severe droughts, putting our communities in jeopardy.

Legal experts say that this trial  which began on June 12 in the state capital and just reached its midway point  is one of the first constitutional climate cases.

This is the first that will get into the merits of climate change and what needs to be done, and how the state may have to change its policies, Michael Gerrard, director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School, told the New York Times.

The age of the group of plaintiffs covers a 16-year span. The oldest, concerned about her familys 7,000-acre ranch, where extreme weather has made it difficult to supply water to their land, was 18 years old when they filed the case. The youngest plaintiff was just two. The boy suffers respiratory issues, and his health is further threatened by recent wildfires and smoke.

A lot of this is just rooted in how many Montanans, including us, live life on an everyday basis, and how ingrained the wildlife and the land and nature is in who we are, said 18-year-old plaintiff Lander Busse, who grew up hunting and fishing just outside Glacier National Park.

The young Montanans are seeking for the state or court to acknowledge that dirty energy is causing climate change. The landmark case could not only provide a foundation for other climate cases across the country but could also ensure that climate change is at the forefront when Montana approves future industrial projects or climate laws.

In response to the case, the state hasnt said much. Despite the insurmountable evidence, the state argued that dirty energy sources are not driving climate change and denied that Montana is experiencing severe weather linked to rising temperatures.

It should be noted that Montana is currently the fifth-largest coal provider and the 12th-largest oil-producing state in the country.

No matter the outcome of the impending trial, the case is likely to be appealed to the state Supreme Court, according to the Seattle Times.

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A group of male students from DCPS earned over $600K in scholarships

Duval County Public Schools to recognize a group of young men who have earned over $600,000 in scholarships to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Each of these graduates are part of the 5000 Roles Models of Excellence program and were identified as Wilson Scholars.

They were offered scholarships ranging in value from $20,000 to $98,000 to attend either Clark Atlanta University, Benedict College, or Tennessee State University.

To qualify, students had to be college-bound seniors, be active participants in the program, and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Please join us in congratulating our #TeamDuval scholarship winners!

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For groups fighting U.S. opioid crisis, settlement money can be hard to come by

For groups fighting U.S. opioid crisis, settlement money can be hard to come by FILE PHOTO: America in the age of Trump

By Brendan Pierson and Disha Raychaudhuri

(Reuters) - Companies accused of fueling the U.S. opioid crisis have so far paid out more than $3 billion to compensate states, but has any of the money reached the people who need it? It depends where you live. Yes, if youre in Massachusetts; no, in Texas.

A series of landmark settlements since 2021 with top drug distributors, pharmacies and drugmakers including Johnson & Johnson set compensation at a total of more than $50 billion nationwide.

More than 900,000 people have died of drug overdoses in the United States since 1999, with opioids playing an outsized role, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. State and local officials have touted the settlements as providing desperately needed relief to communities hit hard by the crisis.

But when the money will be paid out, and who will get it, remains far from clear, Reuters has found. And many of those who have been working with opioid addiction for years, through a patchwork of non-profit treatment and aid organizations around the country, say they are still in the dark about how, and whether, their work will benefit, according to a series of interviews over the last several months.

Reuters reached out to all 50 states and the District of Columbia to ask whether they had a process for non-governmental organizations to apply for funding from the settlements. It also looked for information available online about funding applications.

Reuters received responses, or was able to locate information online, for 40 states and the District of Columbia. Of those, the news agency could only confirm that 16 had central, state-wide, publicly available processes for organizations to apply for funding.

Some of the remaining states, including Maryland and Illinois, said they planned to open an application process soon. Others offered no specific details about future plans. Arkansas has adopted a unique model; although the state does not have a funding application process, two thirds of its settlement money is going to a partnership of state and local governments, which does have such a process.

Among the states where money is already reaching organizations on the ground are Massachusetts, Kentucky and Arizona.

The need to get this money out the door and start making a dent in the crisis has never been greater, said Brandon Marshall, a professor of epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health who serves as an advisor to the committee overseeing Rhode Islands settlement. I dont quite understand why some states and jurisdictions are taking so long to even create a process. (Rhode Island is disbursing settlement funds through a rolling series of application processes targeted at specific kinds of interventions.)

In Massachusetts, which according to data from the state has received more than $129 million as of this month, funds have already begun flowing, some through a public grant application process.

According to a public summary released after a December meeting of the advisory council overseeing the states settlement, the state has allocated $3.4 million toward purchasing the overdose reversal drug naloxone, $1.2 million toward methadone treatment programs and $5 million toward organizations that provide long-term housing to people struggling with addiction. The state has also pledged $15 million to repay student loans for health care workers who deal with addiction treatment, and continues to evaluate additional grant applications.

I think Massachusetts is doing an outstanding job, said Julie Burns, CEO of RIZE Massachusetts, a non-profit that funds efforts to combat the opioid epidemic Their process has been very open. (RIZE itself has not received settlement funding.)

The fate of Texas's share, more than $270 million received to date beginning in December 2021, is less clear. The state legislature this year appropriated about $22 million for government agencies for 2024 and 2025, and has posted an online form for organizations to register as potential funding recipients.

But the state said it does not expect to open up grant applications until later this year or early next year.

"Texas spends funds wisely, not quickly," Chris Bryan, a spokesperson for the office of Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Glenn Hegar, said in an email, adding that the state was seeking to avoid fraud and abuse of the money. He also noted that the state legislature, which only meets every other year, was not in session in 2022, pushing decisions on spending into this year.

Lisa Ruzicka, a coordinator at Kansas-based addiction recovery non-profit Valley Hope Foundation, said that tracks her experience. While Valley Hope, which operates in seven states, has successfully obtained a grant from Arizona and been in touch with other states, it has been really hard to figure out how Texass grant process works, Ruzicka said.

Ive had a call in to the Texas attorney general for some time, and you just cant get anybody to give you answers, she said. The attorney generals office did not respond to a request for comment.

DIFFERENT STATES, DIFFERENT STRUCTURES

The opioid settlements stem from thousands of lawsuits brought by state and local governments around the country, beginning in 2017, against drug manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies - the largest such mass litigation on behalf of the public since states sued tobacco giants in the 1990s.

Most of the settlements were nationwide agreements, though some state and local governments opted out and struck their own separate deals. The settling companies include the three largest U.S. drug wholesalers, drugmakers Johnson & Johnson and pharmacy operators Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.

Most states share a significant portion of their total settlement funds with their city and county governments, which make their own independent decisions about how to spend.

The lack of clarity, so far, about how the money will be spent is reflected in the experiences of more than a dozen advocates and workers dealing with opioid addiction who spoke to Reuters for this story.

North Carolina has been widely praised for its transparency around opioid settlement funds, of which it has so far received more than $93 million, thanks to stringent requirements for local governments, which will receive 85% of the money, to report their spending decisions and an online dashboard where the public can track them. The states Department of Health and Human Services has already awarded more than $15 million in grants through a competitive application process.

Even there, however, the current state of settlement spending plans is not always clear. Associate director Lauren Kestner of the Charlotte-based Center for Prevention Services, which has been awarded an $800,000 state grant, praised the states approach overall but said some counties have yet to reveal much about their plans, and that organizations like hers have had to rely on established relationships with officials for information.

Those of us who have been able to get to the table have had to work to get there, she said.

Tricia Christensen, director of policy at Community Education Group, a regional organization covering Appalachia, also commended states like Massachusetts and North Carolina but said that in others  she named Mississippi and Alabama  addiction treatment workers on the ground have no idea whats happening.

A spokesperson for the Alabama Attorney General's office said the state's spending was up to the legislature, and that all of the funds would be used to fight the opioid crisis. Mississippi officials did not respond to Reuters inquiries for this article.

Mississippi  uniquely among the states  has pledged fully 70% of its $203 million share of the distributor and J&J settlement to a single recipient, the University of Mississippi Medical Center. It did not respond to a request for comment about how it planned to spend the money.

Another crucial part of the story is that settlement funds can be used for so-called harm reduction, such as providing clean syringes and test kits for fentanyl, which has not been allowed for federal government funding in the past. Even some conservative states, where harm reduction has been controversial, are becoming more open to the approach.

Harm reduction groups see the settlements as a chance to move from the margins to the mainstream, but in some parts of the country they may face an uphill battle.

For the first time were being told, you can do syringe services and you can use this money to do it, Marc Burrows of Challenges Inc, South Carolinas only harm reduction organization providing syringes, told Reuters in March.

But in May, the board overseeing the states opioid settlement denied a joint application by Challenges and a county health department to fund harm reduction efforts, without explaining its decision. The board did not respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York and Disha Raychaudhuri; editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Claudia Parsons)
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday met with a visiting delegation of African countries' leaders to discuss ways to bring peace to Ukraine, the presidential press service reported.

Comorian President Azali Assoumani, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Senegalese President Macky Sall, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, and Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, took part in the talks.

During the meeting, Zelensky presented the Ukrainian Peace Formula to the leaders of African countries, noting that it would help to restore the security of Ukraine and other states that were affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"Today, I saw the prospect of our joint work on specific points of the Peace Formula. Of course, I invited African states to participate in the Global Peace Summit, which we are preparing," Zelensky said.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed the issue of global food security, in particular the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the grain from Ukraine humanitarian program.

The leaders of African nations arrived in Kiev earlier in the day.
Cleveland Guardians' Triston McKenzie pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Saturday, June 10, 2023, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

PHOENIX (AP)  Cleveland Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie was scratched from his start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night because of right elbow discomfort.

Right-hander Touki Toussaint was to start Friday night's game after his contract was selected from Triple-A Columbus.

Cleveland also designated catcher Mike Zunino for assignment and optioned right-hander Cody Morris to Columbus.

McKenzies elbow issue is the latest injury setback for the right-hander, who missed the first two months with a shoulder strain. The Guardians have high hopes for the hard-throwing McKenzie, who went 11-11 with a 2.96 ERA in 30 starts last season.

With Cleveland potentially moving ace Shane Bieber before the trading deadline, McKenzie would move into the No. 1 spot in the rotation, assuming hes healthy.

Zunino has been a disappointment for the Guardians, who signed the 32-year-old catcher to a $6 million free agent deal in December to improve a spot that gave them little offensive production last season.

Zunino hit 33 homers for Tampa Bay in 2021 but missed much of last year after being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome in his left shoulder. Zunino batted just .177 in 42 games, striking out 61 times in 124 at-bats.

Backup Cam Gallagher hasnt been much better, and the Guardians started rookie David Fry in Thursdays series finale in San Diego. Fry hit his first major league homer and made several nice defensive plays.

The move with Zunino likely will clear the way for Cleveland to bring up catching prospect Bo Naylor, the younger brother of first baseman Josh Naylor.

___

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Gunman jailed for 18 years after sickening campaign to rid town of LGBT+ neighbours

File image: Man covicted for aiming to kill LGBT residents in Montana town (Getty Images)

A Montana man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after he shot at a womans house as part of a failed plot to clean the community of its LGBT+ population.

Chief US district judge Brian Morris handed down the sentence for John Russell Howald, a resident of Basin community in Montana this week.

Howald was convicted of shooting into a residence and attempting to shoot others with the intent of ridding a town of LGBTQI+ residents, a statement from the US justice department said.

The Montana man had fired shots from an AK-style rifle at a lesbian womans home in March 2020 and aimed to carry on to kill other LGBT+ residents in the town, prosecutors said.

He was armed with two assault rifles, a hunting rifle, two pistols, and multiple high-capacity magazines taped together to accelerate reloading.

Motivated by hatred of the LGBTQI+ community and armed with multiple firearms and high-capacity magazines, this defendant sought to intimidate  even terrorise  an entire community by shooting into the victims home trying to kill her for no reason other than her sexual orientation, said Steven Dettelbach, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

This defendant did something distinctly un-American by depriving her of her sense of safety, freedom and privacy all at once.

No one was injured in the attack and his plans were thwarted by local residents who were returning from a church.

The residents stalled him long enough for a sheriffs office deputy to reach and recorded Howald yelling and firing more rounds with the same rifle, as he yelled he intended to clean the LGBT+ community from the town.

When the deputy arrived, Howald pointed the AK-style rifle at the officer, nearly starting a shootout in downtown Basin, and then fled into the hills, firing at least one round as he went.

Assistant attorney general Kristen Clarke of the justice departments civil rights division said he set out to rid the town of all LGBTQI+ members by killing them.

He shot into the home of a lesbian resident, nearly killing her, with the hope of inspiring similar attacks around the country, she said.

John Russell Howald was convicted by a federal jury (Department of corrections)

Howalds sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release, the judge said, following a four day hearing.

Basin, with a population of just 267 people, is located between Butte and Helena in Montana.

Human rights activists have long been raising alarms over rising hatred against the LGBT+ population in the US with multiple mass shooting incidents reported targeting the community.

Several states have passed anti-LGBT+ laws, with the Human Rights Campaign, the countrys largest gay rights organisation, calling it a state of emergency.
Guns for domestic abusers? Skirts at school? A look at what may be next at the Supreme Court

WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court in coming weeks will hand down its final decisions on its closely watched docket, potentially upending affirmative action, President Joe Biden's student loan relief program and LGBTQ rights.

But even as the justices wrap up their work, they're also making decisions about the next term, which kicks off in the fall. The court may also announce whether it will hear significant cases involving guns, voting rights and other issues  adding to a docket already brimming with important disputes.

Here's a look at some of the appeals that may be on the horizon:

Should domestic abusers have access to guns?

Zackey Rahimi was involved in five shootings around Arlington, Texas, from late 2020 to early 2021. Police identified him as a suspect, obtained a warrant to search his home and found a rifle and a pistol. They also found a copy of a restraining order issued against him in 2020 after a physical fight with his girlfriend.

Rahimi is now appealing his conviction of violating a federal law, enacted in 1994, that prohibits Americans from possessing a firearm while they are the subject of a restraining order. He argues that the Supreme Court's landmark decision last year striking down a New York gun law means that the federal law also violates the Second Amendment.

A federal appeals court in Louisiana earlier this year sided with Rahimi and tossed his conviction. The appeal is an early test of the scope of the Supreme Court's ruling last year that made it more difficult for the government to impose gun regulations. In that 6-3 decision, the court ruled that gun prohibitions must be consistent with the nation's "historical tradition of firearm regulation."

In Rahimi's case, the federal appeals court said the law was a historical "outlier that our ancestors would never have accepted." The Biden administration appealed in May. The Supreme Court justices meet to discuss the case, U.S. v. Rahimi, on June 22.

Austin Ehlinger helps hold a banner during a Guns Across America rally at the state capitol, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013, in Austin, Texas.

'Fragile vessels': May a charter school mandate girls wear skirts?

Students and parents in Leland, N.C., have for years battled the Charter Day School over a uniform policy that requires girls to wear skirts. The reason for the policy, a school administrator told one of the parents, is that girls are "fragile vessels" deserving of "gentle" treatment by their male classmates.

Charter schools, created in part to foster innovation into public school systems, are privately run and publicly funded.

A federal appeals court last year ruled the dress code violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment and the school appealed to the Supreme Court in September. The Biden administration last month said it is supporting the parents, arguing that the justices should let stand the lower court ruling.

If the Supreme Court ignores that advice and agrees to hear the case, the decision could provide clarity about whether charter schools are subject to the same laws as other public schools , or act more like private entities. Although there are many differences in how states set up charter schools, a decision could have ramifications far beyond a dress code at a single school.

Courts are almost certain to wrestle with some of those same questions as they begin weighing the nation's first religious charter school, an online Catholic school approved by Oklahoma authorities this month.

The case is Charter Day School v. Peltier and the justices are set to discuss it June 22.

Vice President Kamala Harris listens as students from the Sela Public Charter School sing in Hebrew during Israel's Independence Day Reception in Washington, DC, on June 6, 2023.

A transgender woman housed with male prisoners

Kesha Williams, a transgender woman, spent six months in a Virginia prison on a drug-related offense housed with male inmates. Though officials initially assigned Williams to women's housing, they reassigned her when they learned she was transgender. For weeks she was denied her prescribed hormone medication.

Williams was also denied requests to shower privately and to have body searches conducted by female deputies.

She sued the county sheriff after her release, alleging in part that the treatment violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year became the first federal appellate court in the nation to rule that the landmark disability law protects people with gender dysphoria.

The county notes that the ADA denies protection for "gender identity disorders not resulting from physical impairments," which the county said means Williams is not protected. But the appeals court disagreed, finding that gender dysphoria does not fall under that exception.

If the Supreme Court grants the case, Kincaid v. Williams, it would likely decide whether transgender people receive protection under the ADA  including in contexts other than prison. The justices met privately to discuss the case Thursday.

ACLU march participants carry signs in support of rights for transgender people during the 2023 LA Pride Parade in Hollywood on June 11, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

'Racist taint.' Can a voting ban targeted at Black Mississippians stand?

The high court has for months weighed whether to grant a case involving a permanent voting ban on people convicted of certain felonies in Mississippi's constitution. The constitutional convention delegates who gathered in 1890 to include the ban were clear about their racist intent. The question for the Supreme Court is whether subsequent changes to the state constitution wiped away that "racist taint."

Eleven states, including Mississippi, don't automatically restore voting rights after convicted felons serve their prison sentences, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. But voting rights experts say that even among those states, Mississippi is an outlier because of how difficult it is for people to regain the right to vote.

The justices have been weighing the case, Harness v. Watson, for months. They were set to discuss it again on Thursday.

The Supreme Court on June 5, 2023.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Guns, dress codes, voting: Here's what may be next for Supreme Court
Hairy Bikers star Si King has opened up about the distressing moment he discovered Dave Myers had cancer.

Myers first publicly revealed his diagnosis on his and Kings podcast, titled Agony Uncles, in May 2022.

He told listeners he would be taking a step back from filming and attending food festivals throughout the summer.

Anyway Kingy, Ive got to come clean now, he said. I havent been too well recently and basically, Ive got to have some chemo, you know all this anyway, so this year is going to be a bit quiet for me.

Im not going to be filming, some of the festivals Im not going to be able to go to, some I may be OK but this years a bit of a write off for us.

The 65-year-old continued: I would love it if people respected my privacy and just let me get on with it and give Si and our team all the support they need, that would be great.

In a new interview with The Times, King revealed that Myers immediately called him after learning of the diagnosis.

I was driving. I had to pull over, he told the outlet on Saturday (17 June).

He continued: Its so distressing. Its very difficult to verbalise. Theres a sense of loss, but theres also that sense of hope, you know, knowing my mate as I do.

King called Myers a scrapper and a fighter, adding: But there were certain points that I thought, Wheres it going to go? What is happening to my friend?

Hairy Bikers stars Si King and Dave Myers (Bolton Food and Drink Festival)

He revealed that he stayed with Myers during his chemotherapy, which he says made his fellow chef very, very, very unwell.

King went on: And its funny, you know, when you see somebody you love so much in so much distress, its very hard to know what to do. My character and personality is naturally, I just want to fix it. I just want to fix it. I get very distressed when I cant.

The pair are set to reunite on-screen in an eight-part series titled The Hairy Bikers Go West, which will see them travel the west shores of Britain to experience a wide range of culinary surprises.

Speaking to The Mirror, Myers said of the new show: Its unbelievable to be back. Every breath I take now is just refreshing and fabulous. It varies really what food Ive been having.

He called it a huge step back to normality.

Dave Myers speaking about his chemotherapy on podcast Agony Uncles (Agony Uncles)

In September 2022, Myers said that he misses his famous beard after losing it while undergoing chemotherapy.

He said: I just miss having my beard  the feeling of it, because your skins different and all peachy. No, I want my beard back. Im alright with my hair  I think the bald head and beards the way to go for a biker.

Two months later, he thanked his doctors and nurses in Birmingham who helped his recovery, and rehabilitation staff who got me walking again.
Hate groups are targeting Californias LGBTQ+ youth. Here is how we can help them | Opinion

Its a scary time to be a part of Americas LGBTQ+ community. States are enacting transphobic and homophobic legislation aimed at controlling peoples lives and bodies. Children who never asked for their lives to be politicized must now grapple with the realization that some powerful people think their very existence is wrong.

California has long been seen as a refuge for people facing discrimination and persecution for simply living as their true selves. But lately, weve seen hate-filled efforts to erode that refuge. One bill currently in the legislature has become a target for anti-LGBTQ hate groups, and their opposition threatens to deny vitally needed mental health care to children.

Assembly Bill 665 by Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo (D-Los Angeles) would allow children ages 12 and older who are enrolled in Medi-Cal to receive outpatient mental health services without the consent of their parents. This has been the practice for children covered by commercial insurance plans since 2010 thanks to a law signed into effect by then-Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Opinion

Still, right-wing extremists have seized on the bill with a misinformation campaign. Theyve called mental health care state sanctioned kidnapping, and say the legislation would allow children who identify as transgender to be taken away from their parents without notice. This is patently false, and our legislators must not allow anti-LGBTQ extremists to threaten progress on mental health care for youth, especially when were experiencing a mental health crisis among our youth.

We know how dangerous anti-LGBTQ activists can be. Weve seen the rise in hate crimes and dehumanizing language. Carrillo and her staff have dealt with harassment and threats to their safety for simply attempting to provide children access to basic health care. But we know that AB 665 could be potentially lifesaving for youth who need it.

While AB 665 expands care access for all youth covered by Medi-Cal, the risks faced by youth who identify as LGBTQ+ illustrate how much is at stake. A 2022 national survey by The Trevor Project found that 45% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. The number was even higher for children of color, who are more likely to be enrolled in Medi-Cal.

Additionally, the survey found that fewer than one in three transgender and non-binary youth found their home to be gender-affirming. The sad reality is that many of these youth cannot count on their parents or guardians to get them necessary, life-saving mental health care.

Coming out to a non-supportive parent may be one of the most difficult and dangerous things our LGBTQ+ youth can do. And even youth with supportive families may find it necessary to coordinate their own care if their parents have multiple jobs and work long hours.

While we know mental health treatment can be game-changing for the kids who receive it, most do not have access in the first place. The Trevor Project survey found that 60% of LGBTQ+ youth who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it. By ensuring that our children have easier access to treatment, were providing a service they both desperately need and want.

AB 665 may be a small legislative change, but its become about so much more: Its about California standing up and fighting back against the extreme anti-LGBTQ activists who are trying to impose their bigoted and dangerous views on the rest of us. Its about protecting our children and giving them access to the care they deserve. Its about maintaining Californias role as a beacon of hope in a dark time.

We cannot back down, and we cannot give up. The stakes are simply too high.

Christine Stoner-Mertz is CEO of the California Alliance of Child and Family Services.
More than 25 million Americans were again under an excessive heat warning Saturday, with one of the nation's largest cities opening emergency cooling centers within libraries and other public buildings for vulnerable residents.

The National Weather Service on Saturday forecast heat indexes near Houston and San Antonio as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

The extremely hot temperatures "will likely tie or break records"  and would do so ahead of the official summer solstice on Wednesday, the weather service said Saturday.

Residents in Texas and Louisiana are being told to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun and check in on relatives and neighbors.

"This is dangerous heat," said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Michelle McLeod. "Some records are going to be challenged."

Some of the nation's largest cities will swelter through next week, including Houston and San Antonio, forecasters say.

Austin, Texas, and Corpus Christi, Texas, along with New Orleans and all of southern Louisiana will also feel the excessive heat and there's increased risk of wildfires being sparked in some areas, the weather service said Saturday.

Hot and dry conditions are expected Sunday through Thursday as an upper level high pressure system meanders over the region. Excessive Heat Warning and/or Heat Advisory conditions are expected during the afternoon hours each day. #wxstx #txwx pic.twitter.com/jL6Wc2dmiN  NWS Corpus Christi (@NWSCorpus) June 17, 2023

Houston's excessive heat warning

This week's excessive heat warning issued for Houston is the city's first in nearly seven years.

The temperature on Friday in Houston rose to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, with a heat index of 111 degrees. The temperature in Corpus Christi was also 95 degrees by Friday afternoon, but its heat index swelled to 119 degrees. Heat index values reflect how it actually feels outdoors by considering the temperature and relative humidity.

We do see these temperatures most summers. The thing thats different about this particular heat episode is that its earlier than we normally see it, said Tim Cady, a meteorologist with the weather service in Houston/Galveston.

Cady said a "really persistent" band of high pressure sitting over the south-central U.S. is to blame for the extremely hot temperatures.

It could be well into next week before we really see any relief from this, he said.

A Houston Astros fan uses a hand fan to keep cool while waiting to enter Minute Maid Park for baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds Saturday, June 17, 2023, in Houston.

Heat 'emergency plan' in Houston

Earlier this week, Houston launched a public health heat emergency plan, which included making all city libraries and other locations into cooling centers six days a week.

We all know Houston sometimes can be uncomfortably hot in the summer. I want everyone to understand this forecast calls for heat and humidity that is dangerous and potentially deadly for some of our vulnerable Houstonians, Mayor Sylvester Turner said this week.

Similar cooling centers have also been opened in Austin, Corpus Christi and Laredo.

How to stay safe from the heat

With the long Juneteenth holiday weekend, Cady said people should take precautions during the dangerous heat, including avoiding strenuous activity during the day and wearing light clothing.

Were really stressing heat safety this weekend, Cady said.

In general, unusually high temperatures should be taken extremely seriously, said Bianca Feldkircher, lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Phoenix.

There are various ways to stay safe in a heat wave:

It is important to limit any kind of outdoor activity during the hottest parts of the day, said Feldkircher. If you can avoid going outdoors during those times, try to put off activities until the morning or after the sun goes down.

Staying hydrated is also key to staying safe in heat waves. According to the Red Cross, on average, a person should drink approximately 3/4 of a gallon of liquids per day.

Eating foods that have a high water content, such as fruits and vegetables, can also keep you hydrated, said Feldkircher.

The Red Cross also advises to keep your home cool by doing the following:

Covering windows with drapes or shades.

Installing air conditioners and insulation around them.

Using window reflectors to send heat back outside.

Severe thunderstorms in Oklahoma, Arkansas

As a dome of hot, humid air lingers over much of Texas and Louisiana, thunderstorms are likely to form around it to the north, forecasters at AccuWeather reported Saturday.

Already this week, the intense thunderstorms "have bombarded areas" with damaging winds, hail and torrential downpours, meteorologists at AccuWeather said. Severe storms led to deadly tornadoes that killed a total of five people in the Texas panhandle, Florida and Mississippi.

Contributing: Olivia Munson, USA TODAY; Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Excessive heat warnings as heat wave hits Texas, Louisiana, NWS says
The new Hulu film Flamin Hot is the underdog story of a Frito-Lay janitor-turned-executive who against all odds made a name for himself and the popular Flamin Hot Cheeto.

Based on Richard Montanezs memoir, A Boy, A Burrito and A Cookie: from Janitor to Executive, the film is told from Montanezs (Jesse Garcia) point of view, growing up in East Los Angeles, his days as a cholo and getting into trouble, before settling down with his wife, Judy (Annie Gonzalez). When he becomes a janitor at the Frito-Lay factory and sees a chance for growth and opportunity, he and his wife create the Flamin Hot Cheeto.

What is the controversy behind "Flamin' Hot"?

Montanezs actual involvement in the spicy snack's creation has been up for debate. In 2021, a Los Angeles Times story disputed his claims that he invented the snack after they interviewed more than a dozen former Frito-Lay employees who had no recollection of Montanez's contribution.

At the time, Frito-Lay said in a statement that none of their records showed that Montanez was involved in any capacity in the Flamin Hot test market. The company continued, That doesnt mean we dont celebrate Richard () but the facts do not support the urban legend.

Brice Gonzalez, Annie Gonzalez, Jesse Garcia and Hunter Jones in

The film, directed by Eva Longoria, meanwhile, has been celebrated by its cast and crew.

It was also screened at the White House on June 15, with a White House spokesperson writing on their official Instagram that Flamin Hot is a movie that reminds us of the power of diversity and hope in America.

This Administration is honored to host the first ever public screening of a film focused on the Hispanic community at the White House, the statement continued.

In an updated statement from Frito-Lay to TODAY.com shared in June, the company says the film is Montanezs story, told from his point of view.

Montanez also told TODAY.com that really grateful to have his story shared and its an incredible feeling to know that my story is resonating with so many people.

So what is fact and what is fiction?

Was Richard Montanez really a janitor at Frito-Lay?

Yes, Montanez got his start as a janitor at the Frito-Lays Rancho Cucamonga factory in 1976 when he was 18 years old, per his website.

By 1990, he was recognized for his outstanding work ethic by former CEO of PepsiCo Wayne Callow.

Richard Montanez at the

Did Richard Montanez create the Flamin' Hot Cheeto?

By 1992, the Flamin Hot Cheeto was created but there are contradicting stories on who was the mastermind behind the red chip.

Flamin Hot shows Montanez and his wife mixing up the spice for what would be the hot Cheeto, with their second son being the taste tester. He then shared the final product with PepsiCo CEO Roger Enrico, who loved the idea and put the Flamin' Hot Cheeto into production.

While Montanez asserted he was the one to pitch the idea for the snack to a chief executive and has a paper trail to prove it, the L.A. Times report said he embellished his participation.

Who created the Flamin' Hot Cheeto?

According to the L.A. Times, a few people were involved in its creation. According to Frito-Lay, junior employee Lynne Greenfield was tasked with developing the new brand in 1989 and worked with a team to bring it to life.

Greenfield reached out to the company regarding Montanezs claims and they launched an internal investigation in 2018.

In November 2021, Frito-Lay said in a statement to the L.A. Times: We value Richards many contributions to our company, especially his insights into Hispanic consumers, but we do not credit the creation of Flamin Hot Cheetos or any Flamin Hot products to him.

However, the investigation did note that Montanez was involved in their Sabrositas product line, which is aimed at the Latino market and included Flamin Hot Popcorn and Lime and Chile Fritos.

While the film does not comment on the controversy, Variety reported that the filmmakers amended the script to acknowledge the work of a separate Frito-Lay division working on a spicy flavored snack. The film shows a group of people developing their own recipe in the Midwest.

Did Richard Montanez become a marketing executive at Frito-Lay?

The film shows Montanez getting promoted to Director of Multicultural Marketing after his creation becomes a success.

In real life, Montanez was able to climb the corporate ladder and became a machinist operator in 1977. He would eventually become the vice president of multicultural sales and community promotions across PepsiCos North American divisions.

He retired from PepsiCo in 2019 after 42 years of working for the company, which the film shares before the credits roll.

What does Frito-Lay have to say about the Flamin Hot film?

In a statement given to TODAY.com in June, a Frito-Lay spokesperson said, Flamin Hot is Richard Montanezs story, told from his point of view.

His contributions to Frito-Lay are highlighted throughout the film, specifically his insights and ideas on how to better serve Hispanic consumers and engage the Hispanic community, a legacy PepsiCo continues today, the statement continued. We are grateful to him for that, and hope people enjoy the film.

What does Richard Montanez have to say about the controversy and film?Montanez told TODAY that the negativity comes with the territory.

I guess its something that comes with the territory when a Mexican guy from the wrong side of the tracks triumphs, he said in a statement. Perhaps that success makes certain people feel uncomfortable, and I suppose they have the right to feel that way.

As for the films reception, he couldnt be happier.

Someone told me that the film has an audience score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, he said. Its an incredible feeling to know that my story is resonating with so many people. Im really grateful for that.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Images show how a Swiss Alps village narrowly escaped being wiped out by a massive rockslide that missed 'by a hair'

Picture taken on June 16, 2023 shows a view of Brienz, far-eastern Switzerland after a massive landslide that spared the village ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images

A large rockslide narrowly missed a tiny town in Switzerland, authorities said Friday.

The village of Brienz, which has less than a hundred residents, had previously been evacuated.

Some 50 million cubic feet of rock appears to have come down the slope on Thursday night.

An enormous rockslide narrowly missed a picturesque and tiny mountain village in Switzerland that had been evacuated last month due to the threat of rockfall.



Late on Thursday evening, rocks came tumbling down the collapsing Alpine mountainside and stopped just short of the settlement of fewer than 100 residents  only just leaving the settlement unharmed.

Somewhere between 42.4 and 53 million cubic feet of rock appears to have come down the slope on Thursday night, geologist Stefan Schneider said at a news conference, the Associated Press reported.

The rock missed the vacated village of Brienz, in eastern Switzerland, "by a hair," local authorities said in a statement, per The Guardian.

A Swiss village evacuated because of rockslide danger was spared "by a hair" when part of the mountain towering above the hamlet crashed down overnight, local officials said on June 16, 2023. ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images

"There is no indication of damage in the village, with the rocks mass having stopped just in front of the village," the statement said.

Rubble from the rockslide was nearly 40 feet deep, and an access road was completely buried under the debris, Christian Gartmann, a spokesman for the community, said on Friday.

"We are working on the assumption that this was not yet the end of it," he told local media, The Guardian reported.

Even so, local authorities were relieved with the outcome and said residents would likely be able to return.

"We can say that today is one of the best days since the evacuation," Daniel Albertin, the head of the local council, said, per the AP.

View of Brienz after a massive landslide that spared the village. ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images

Albertin said that a "great deal" of the mountain had come down, and yet nothing in the village was damaged, and no one was hurt.

Villagers will have to be "a bit patient," however, as authorities have to carry out "further evaluations before we can give them enough security to be able to move back to their village and continue living or working there," he added.

There is a growing risk of natural hazards in the country due to climate change, Swiss authorities said, including an increase in erosion because of higher temperatures, per Reuters.

Read the original article on Insider
By Maayan Lubell

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel could find acceptable an understanding between its arch-foe Iran and the United States if it includes rigorous supervision of Tehran's nuclear programme, a senior lawmaker said in comments aired on Saturday.

According to Iranian and Western officials, Israel's main ally Washington is holding talks with Iran to sketch out steps that could include limiting the Iranian nuclear programme.

These steps would be cast as an "understanding" rather than an agreement requiring review by the U.S. Congress, such as the 2015 accord abandoned in 2018 by then-President Donald Trump.

"It's not a wide-scope agreement, it's more like a small agreement, a memorandum of understanding, an M.O.U., and I think Israel can live with this if there is real supervision," Yuli Edelstein, head of the Israeli parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, told Channel 12's Meet the Press.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office declined comment on whether fellow Likud party member Edelstein's remarks reflected the views of the premier.

On Tuesday, before briefing the foreign affairs and defence committee, Netanyahu said in televised remarks: "Our position is clear. No agreement with Iran would obligate Israel, which will do everything required to defend itself.

"Our opposition to the deal - a return to the original (2015) deal - is working, I think."

"But there are still differences in outlook, and we do not hide these, regarding smaller agreements too. We have been stating our position clearly, both in closed and open sessions," Netanyahu said.

URANIUM ENRICHMENT

A core element of the possible understanding which remains unclear is the degree to which Iran would agree to rein in its uranium enrichment. Israeli officials in Netanyahu's circle have given potentially differing views on the issue this month.

Netanyahu's national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, said Israel didn't see as much "damage" in any new understanding as there was in the 2015 deal, but it was "poised" for any Iranian shift to more than 60% fissile purity.

"That would already be a clear acknowledgment that the uranium enrichment is for weapons needs," Hanegbi said in an interview published on Friday in newspaper Israel Hayom, referring to the 90% fissile purity required for a bomb.

But last week, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer - who accompanied Hanegbi to Washington talks about Iran - voiced misgivings about any "freeze" of current enrichment levels.

"It means that you reconcile with a higher level of enrichment in Iran. And we thought that was a bad idea then, and we think it's a bad idea today," he told the AJC Global Forum in Tel Aviv.

Having failed to revive the 2015 deal, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration hopes to restore some limits on Iran to keep it from getting a nuclear weapon that could threaten Israel and trigger a regional arms race.

The U.S. government has dismissed reports it is seeking an interim deal with Tehran, which denies seeking the bomb.

(Additional reporting by Dan Williams; Editing by David Holmes)
 Flash

At least one person was killed and five others were missing due to storms and floods caused by an extratropical cyclone in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, state authorities reported Friday.

Governor Eduardo Leite detailed on social media that a 23-year-old was killed in the city of Sao Leopoldo by electric shock in the middle of the floods, while five others were missing in neighboring municipalities.

At least 16 cities that form the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, capital of Rio Grande do Sul, are in a state of emergency due to flooding.

Landslides and floods have also caused the closing of more than 15 highways, while more than a dozen flights were canceled at the Porto Alegre Salgado Filho airport.

The effects of the cyclone were also felt in the neighboring state of Santa Catarina, where dozens of people had to be evacuated from several areas, according to reports from the Globo News network.
The City of Jacksonvilles Military Affairs and Veterans Department announced on June 12 that it had received a substantial boost in funding to support military investment in the region.

The state of Florida has granted the city a total of $1,088,000 through various programs aimed at bolstering defense infrastructure and advocacy initiatives.

Mayor Lenny Curry expressed his gratitude, saying, Throughout my time as mayor, my administration has been fully committed to supporting those who safeguard our freedom, and these grants will protect the families and jobs that are linked to local military installations. Id like to thank Governor DeSantis and the State for their support of these important efforts.

The Citys grants comprise three distinct sources:

The Defense Infrastructure Grant Program has allocated $500,000 to implement encroachment protection and compatible land use measures for Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Naval Station Mayport, and Outlying Field Whitehouse.

The Defense Reinvestment Grant Program has contributed $88,000, which will be used for federal advocacy efforts concerning Department of Defense budget priorities and decisions affecting Northeast Florida military bases, missions, and personnel.

The Florida Defense Support Task Force Grant Program has provided $500,000 to support encroachment protection and compatible land use initiatives for Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Naval Station Mayport, and Outlying Field Whitehouse.

Northeast Floridas defense industry plays a significant role in the local economy, contributing a staggering $14.3 million and supporting over 122,000 jobs.

Mayor Currys administration secured a total of $8,979,253 in grants from local, state, and federal sources during his tenure, which have been utilized to fund various programs, services, and advocacy efforts benefiting military personnel and veterans.

This recent influx of funding will enable the City of Jacksonville to reinforce its military infrastructure, promote the regions defense interests at the federal level, and ensure the continued growth and prosperity of the local military community.

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satellite with two solar arrays floating above earth in an illustration. the glow of the sun is visible at left

A deep-space telescope's search for potentially habitable exoplanets will get a stellar boost from a small satellite.

The James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST or Webb) far-reaching exoplanet search will receive some help from a much smaller satellite, which is optimized to look at star activity.

The $8.5 million cubesat, selected by NASA, is called Monitoring Activity from Nearby Stars with UV Imaging and Spectroscopy, or MANTIS.

The two spacecraft are complementary. Among its many tasks, JWST scrutinizes the atmospheres of rocky planets that may be host to life, such as its recent examination of an exoplanet in the TRAPPIST-1 system. MANTIS, meanwhile, will look at star activity such as flares after its expected launch in 2026.

Related: James Webb Space Telescope studies mysterious exoplanet with a possible watery past

The MANTIS spacecraft will look at the sky in ultraviolet light, including the most energetic set of wavelengths known as extreme ultraviolet. It will be the first to examine the sky in that range since NASA's Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer that retired in 2001, according to the University of Colorado Boulder.

The theory goes that rocky exoplanets with water on their surface may face extra challenges if they orbit a very active star, given the amount of radiation such planets would be exposed to. MANTIS aims to provide more data to refine that theory, across a year of observations from Earth orbit.

"We're going to be observing stars of all different types, including a range of masses and ages," Briana Indahl, a research scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder and principal investigator for the MANTIS mission, said in the statement.

"We want to understand how this flux of UV (ultraviolet) light coming from stars affects the atmospheres of planets, and even their habitability."

Related stories:

 James Webb Space Telescope reveals how galaxies made the early universe transparent

 James Webb Space Telescope discovers 717 ancient galaxies that flooded the universe with 1st light

 The 10 most Earth-like exoplanets

MANTIS will carry two telescopes into space: one optimized for lower-energy ultraviolet radiation, and a never-before-flown telescope type looking at the extreme ultraviolet range.

"For a lot of stars, this is going to be the first time we've seen what they look like in extreme ultraviolet," said David Wilson, a university researcher who leads the mission's science team, in the same statement.

MANTIS is adapting from technology on two other university cubesats: an exoplanet mission called the Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) that launched in 2021, and the Supernova Remnants and Proxies for ReIonization Testbed Experiment (SPRITE) that is scheduled to seek the leftovers of star explosions in 2024.

Once ready for science observing, MANTIS aims to help scientists learn how stellar energy affects the atmospheres of planets in the vicinity, especially for those planets that are close to Earth's size and may be habitable.
'The Holy Family,' by the 17th-century Spanish painter Bartolome Esteban Murillo. The Print Collector/Hulton Fine Images via Getty Images

The United States celebrates Fathers Day on the third Sunday of June. Many countries with a Catholic heritage, however, such as Portugal and Spain, have already honored fathers on March 19: the feast of St. Joseph, husband of Mary and patron saint of fathers.

Joseph is easy to overlook. None of his words were included in the Christian Bible. In Islam, the Quran omits him entirely, though it does include Jesus and Mary by name; in fact, it refers to Mary more than the Christian Gospels do. And while Catholic tradition gives the highest veneration to the Virgin Mary, it gives less emphasis to Josephs significance  there is even a joke that a Sunday school student thought Jesus parents names were Verge n Mary, after hearing her name so much more than his.

However, the Bible portrays St. Joseph playing a crucial role in the life of Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity. In Catholic culture, Joseph is still an important role model of fatherhood and faith.

Husband of Mary, father of Jesus  on earth

The bulk of the biblical descriptions of Joseph come from what are called the Infancy Narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, which describe Jesus birth and childhood.

According to the Gospels, Mary, a virgin betrothed to Joseph, conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit  and therefore Christians consider Jesus the Son of God. However, most Christians understand Joseph to be a true father in every way except biological, since Joseph was the legal father who raised Jesus.

As someone who studies Catholic beliefs about Mary, I have argued that interpreting their betrothal as a modern-day engagement is incorrect. The Jewish custom in that time period involved a two-stage marriage: first a legal contract of marriage, followed later by a party with the husband taking his wife into his home. This is shown in the Gospels: Joseph learned that Mary was expecting before she came to live with him, so he planned to divorce her; but an angel instructed him not to, and instead to take his wife into his home. Therefore, Joseph was already Marys legal husband at the time Jesus was conceived.

The Dream of St. Joseph, by the 18th-century Italian painter Stefano Maria Legnani. Sergio Anelli/Electa/Mondadori/Hulton Fine Art Collection via Getty Images

Some Christians believe that after Jesus birth, Mary and Joseph had several children together. The Gospels mention brothers and sisters of Jesus. However, Catholics and Orthodox Christians hold that these verses refer to other relatives, not actual siblings. Jesus taught that children have an obligation to support their parents, but when he was dying, he entrusted Mary to the care of his Apostle John, not a sibling.

Catholics believe Mary and Joseph had what the Catholic Church calls a Josephite marriage  that is, one that meets Catholicisms requirements for a true marriage, such as fidelity, but does not involve sexual intercourse.

Like any parent, Joseph had his challenges. At one point, for example, he and Mary lost track of the 12-year-old Jesus for three days while they were traveling. But in Catholic teachings, he models faithful fatherhood. Joseph provided for his family as a carpenter, and followed Gods instructions to care for them. He named and circumcised his son, presented him at the Temple in Jerusalem, and took him to the Temple on holy days when possible, all in line with Jewish law. Joseph also protected Jesus from Herod, the King of Judea who wanted to kill the child, by taking Mary and Jesus to safety in Egypt and then Nazareth.

Significance in Catholic cultures

For Catholics, Joseph is the second-greatest saint after Mary, because only she knew, loved and served Jesus more than Joseph. In 1870, Pope Pius IX declared Joseph the patron saint of the entire Catholic Church.

The Catholic liturgical calendar has two days just for him. Josephs primary celebration honors him as the husband of Mary, and takes place March 19. It is a solemnity  a global celebration requiring specific liturgies  and in some countries, Catholics are obligated to attend Mass. Many Italians celebrate the day with a St. Josephs Altar or Bread Table providing free food to all, as a way to thank the saint for his help.

May 1 is an optional feast that honors Joseph in his role as a worker. Pope Pius XII established this celebration in 1955 to give a Christian dimension to International Workers Day, also known as International Labor Day or May Day, and counter its Marxist roots.

Joseph also shares in the universal feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph on the Sunday after Christmas, as well as some local commemorations. For example, the Oblates of St. Joseph, a community of priests and religious brothers, celebrates Joseph and Marys wedding on Jan. 23.

Year of St. Joseph

In 2020 an American priest, the Rev. Donald Calloway, published a popular book called Consecration to St. Joseph. This guide encourages Catholics  many of whom traditionally devote themselves to Mary  to also consecrate their lives to Joseph, as their spiritual father. Calloway outlines a 33-day program to prepare readers for a ceremony entrusting themselves to Josephs care.

St. Joseph holds the infant Jesus and a lily, representing purity. Geoffroy/Hulton Archive via Getty Images

Afterward, Calloway wrote to Pope Francis and asked him to declare a Year of St. Joseph for the church. The pope has not spoken about whether this letter influenced him, but Francis did proclaim Dec. 8, 2020, to Dec. 8, 2021, the first-ever Year of St. Joseph, a time for Catholics to deepen their knowledge of the saint and to pray for blessings from God through Josephs intercession.

Francis wrote a public letter called With a Fathers Heart, which highlights Josephs paternal qualities, such as tenderness, courage, and being self-giving. Fathers are not born, but made.  Whenever a man accepts responsibility for the life of another, in some way he becomes a father to that person, Francis wrote.

Joseph is considered the patron of a happy death because the Bible implies that he died in the company of Jesus and Mary, before Jesus ministry and death. But in life, too, Catholicism sees Joseph as an encouraging ideal: a man who carried out his important role in the family with hope and joy.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: Gloria Falcao Dodd, University of Dayton.

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Gloria Falcao Dodd received funding from the Mariological Society of America in 1999.
A Grain Valley man is accused of felony murder, eluding police and driving under the influence in a Johnson County crash that left a 19-year-old fatally injured Thursday.

Johnson County prosecutors charged the alleged drunk driver, Uconn Coleman, 24, with three felonies and two misdemeanors. He was being held in the county jail on a $500,000 bond.

The crash happened around 1:35 a.m. Thursday. In a statement, the Merriam Police Department said an officer tried to pull over a vehicle that was being driven at high speed in the 5500 block of Antioch Road.

Police said a pursuit was not initiated. But seconds later, police said, the same vehicle crashed into a Honda Accord stopped at Antioch and Shawnee Mission Parkway.

The driver of the Honda, 19-year-old Benjamin Klecza, was taken to the hospital with critical injuries. He later died, according to prosecutors.

Reached by phone, Carl Cornwell, a defense attorney representing Coleman, said he first spoke with his client Friday after being assigned to the case. During that meeting, Cornwell said, Coleman sobbed after coming to realize that a person had died the crash.

It was very emotional, Cornwell said, adding that Coleman was very remorseful.
An Ohio-based pizza chain is opening its seventh location in the Kansas City area  this time in Overland Park.

Marcos Pizza, which offers pizza with a variety of toppings, as well as crustless pizza bowls, salads and subs, opened its third Johnson County location at 8930 W. 95th St. on May 20.

The newest Kansas City-area restaurant is taking over the former location of a Little Caesars Pizza.

The chain also has locations in Shawnee, Olathe, Blue Springs and Independence.

Franchise owner Rakan Dogum, once a regional director of operations for IHOP, lived half a mile from his restaurants current location. After falling in love with the area, he realized something was missing.

I thought they were in need of a good pizzeria locally, Dogum said.

Dogum said Marcos has won awards for its pizza at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. The chains website boasts that its one of the fastest growing pizza brands in the U.S., with over 1,100 locations.

The Overland Park shop is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Saturdays.

Orders can be made online at marcos.com.
A Chicago police sergeant has been acquitted of aggravated assault and felony official misconduct in a case involving a teenager he held in a prone position with his knee while off-duty.

Michael Vitellaro, 49, who has worked for the Chicago Police Department since 2000, escaped criminal justice after being found not guilty during a bench trial, attorneys Antonio Romanucci, Bhavani Raveendran and Javier Rodriguez, Jr., who represent the teen, said in a statement on Friday.

However, the statement added, he will not be able to escape our pursuit of justice in the civil courts.

Vitellaros attorney, James McKay, Jr., said in a statement that finding his client not guilty on all counts was the only ruling the Judge could make.

It was based on all the evidence presented in court and the Illinois law that applied to the case. Period, McKay told CNN. It was not, and cannot be based on any narrative promoted on social media by people who were not there that day.

McKay questioned the credibility of prosecution witnesses. The officers actions were reasonable and not forceful, he said, noting the teen was not injured and didnt get a scratch.

McKay added, Anybody who disagrees with the Judges ruling needs to read the law. The presumption of innocence and the burden of proof are not just words. Evidence matters. All criminal court judges in this country are required to base their decisions on the evidence presented in court and the law. They are not to be swayed by outside influences from social media.

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Paul Pavlus was quoted by CNN affiliate WLS as saying the video of the incident was horrible but that it doesnt come close to describing what happened.

Referring to Vitellaro, Pavlus said in court that at no time did I see an out-of-control, enraged individual, the station reported.

CNN has reached out to the Cook County States Attorneys Office for comment.

Vitellaro was charged with felony official misconduct and aggravated battery last August, weeks after video surfaced showing him holding the 14-year-old boy in the prone position with his knee in Park Ridge, according to police.

Vitellaro had gotten information his sons bike was stolen from the local library and then seen at a nearby Starbucks, according to a criminal complaint at the time.

The off-duty officer drove his son to the Starbucks where he saw his sons bike on the sidewalk. The complaint said he waited in his car to hopefully observe who had stolen the bicycle.

When the teen went to his sons bike, the video showed Vitellaro grabbing the boy and pushing him to the ground, the complaint said. He detained the teen by placing his knee on his back.

Video footage from Starbucks and other businesses in the area showed the teen was not the person who took the bicycle, according to the complaint.

The teen was crying and visibly upset later as he walked away from Vitellaro, who followed him, according to the complaint and video.

Attorneys for the teen in their statement said Vitellaros conduct shocked the community and decent people around the world.

Vitellaro assaulted a fourteen-year-old boy in broad daylight without cause and his treatment of our client was a clear overreach, an overreaction and an excessive use of force, said the attorneys, vowing to file a civil lawsuit.

We are quite disappointed that Judge Pavlus chose not to see Vitellaros conduct met the threshold for aggravated battery or official misconduct.

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What is Juneteenth? Everything to know about the Emancipation Day holiday coming this month

Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the Emancipation Proclamation in the United States, is this month.

Although Juneteenth was officially recognized in 2021 by President Joe Biden, making it the country's youngest federal holiday, it gained prominence in 2020 amid nationwide protests after Minneapolis man George Floyd and Louisville, Kentucky, woman Breonna Taylor were killed during encounters with law enforcement, USA Today reports.

Despite the recent popularity surrounding Juneteenth, many people may be unaware of when it is, its history or how to celebrate. As always, we have you covered. Here's everything to know about Juneteenth 2023.

What is Juneteenth?

Civil War reenactors participate in a Juneteenth celebration June 20, 2014, at the Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum.

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday, the History Channel reports.

On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared "that all persons held as slaves" in the rebel states "are, and henceforward shall be free." Enslavers were responsible for telling enslaved people they were free, but many ignored the order.

Texas was the last Confederate state to announce the proclamation on June 19, 1865, when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger informed a community in Galveston, Texas, that President Abraham Lincoln had freed enslaved people two and a half years earlier, per USA Today.

The first known Juneteenth celebrations began in 1866 and spread across the country as African Americans migrated to new cities.

When is Juneteenth 2023?

Juneteenth is observed annually on June 19, which is a Monday this year.

Where does the name 'Juneteenth' come from?

Juneteenth is a combination of "June" and "nineteenth." The holiday is also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day.

Black history: Freedom Center in national spotlight for new docuseries

How do people celebrate Juneteenth?

Joi Burton, Ms. Black Teen 2022, reads her spoken poem u0022My Black Is Beautifulu0022 at the 35th annual Juneteenth festival at Eden Park.

Juneteenth is typically celebrated with educational activities for children, parades, concerts, beauty pageants and readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, Steve Williams, president of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, told USA Today in 2020.

The official Juneteenth website also outlines several ways you can celebrate the new holiday in your workplace, community or home, starting with a reading of its history to learn how Juneteenth celebrations have evolved over the years.

Supporting Black-owned businesses and organizations is also one of the most important ways to observe Juneteenth.

Local event

A Juneteenth Celebration will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the downtown gazebo on Monday, June 19. There will be speakers, food from Ds Dogs, and music. This event is presented by The Black Interest Group of Lancaster, Destination Downtown Lancaster, Fairfield County Heritage Association, and The Fairfield County Diversity, Inclusion and Empowerment Fund.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What is Juneteenth? When is it? Everything to know about the holiday
Local civil rights leaders say its important for everyone to commemorate Juneteenth, fully acknowledge the history it represents and work to continue pushing for equity for Black people.

 Its important because we helped build the country, said Stephanie Bush Taylor, president of the East St. Louis nonprofit, Community Development Sustainable Solutions. Taylor is also chairperson of the Illinois Juneteenth Committee.

It is not about defecting or moving back to Africa. Its about getting the rights that have been long overdue to us today, she said.

Stephanie Bush Taylor, chairperson of the Illinois Juneteenth Committee and president of the East St. Louis nonprofit, Community Development Sustainable Solutions, speaks to the crowd during the Juneteenth/618 Day Celebration in East St. Louis on Saturday, June 17. Jimmy Jay Simmons/Jimmy Jay Simmons

Juneteenth commemorates the day - June 19, 1865 - when Union forces informed enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, about their freedom an announcement that came two years after President Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation.

Events marking what is now a national holiday - since 2021 - are being held throughout the nation, including in at least four metro-east communities. Organizers all over the country want everybody to know this is a holiday for everyone. Juneteenth is a part of American history. Black history is American history, including slavery.

Its not a holiday just for Blacks, said State Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Swansea. Its a holiday for every person who believes the peculiar institution of slavery was wrong and that the abolishment of slavery was the right thing to do, and that we are all created equal.

If you believe those things, thats why we celebrate it. Just like we celebrate the Fourth of July. Black people were still being enslaved July 4, 1776.

Retired Just ice Milton Wharton

Retired Illinois Fifth District Appellate Justice Milton Wharton said the national holiday is important.

It is important, particularly in todays socio-political climate, to have a national day emphatically recognizing that human slavery existed in America and that it was abolished through courageous efforts and sacrifices on the battlefield, in our presidency and legislatures, and publicly by abolitionists, Wharton said.

Although Juneteenth (6/19/1865) has particular significance in the state of Texas, it was the 13th Amendment, ratified 12/6/1865, that officially ended slavery in America, he noted.

Rev. Joseph Brown speaks during the ceremony kicking off the East St. Louis remembrance weekend at the St. Clair County Building. Tim Vizer/tvizer@bnd.com

The Rev. Joseph Brown, a Catholic priest and a professor in the Department of Africana Studies at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, said the meaning of Juneteenth has changed for him over the years.

I wasnt real happy that we would be celebrating a holiday that told Black people three years after they were freed, after the Civil War was over, that they were finally emancipated. the native of East St. Louis said. But, I have changed my mind about it because of scholarship I have read.

Now, I understand. Those Black people, those Black soldiers, who brought that news to them. The people had already known that, but it wasnt official until 1866, Brown said. Our Black communication network that went on back then already knew about it. But, they couldnt act like they knew it or they wouldve been in trouble.

Former State Rep. LaToya Greenwood said she believes people of all races should commemorate, and learn more about, Juneteenth and the history that goes with it.

When you learn more, you want to do better and recognize it and celebrate it. People like to say Black history, but Black history is American history, Greenwood said. Its a teachable moment and a day where we can honor our forefathers and ancestors. We have to thank them for all they went through to make it better for us.

 We are Americans. We come in many different skin colors, but we are Americans. We are proud to say we helped build the foundation of this country.







This years commemoration is also a call to action

The Juneteenth Wave of Freedom is the theme of the observance this year, according to Taylor. Its a call to action.

Were here to take responsibility in our freedom, she said. Were here to hold the state and the country accountable to what true equity, diversity and inclusion look like.

Another part of that call to action is for people to engage in the work of a newly formed state commission called the African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission, said Taylor, who was appointed as a member by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The commission was formed so we can actually uncover what wrongs were historically placed and continued to be placed on the black community. And, how can we actually repair that, Taylor said.

Its also important to make sure that the true history of Black people in America is taught in schools and included in textbooks, so its not swept under the rug or appropriated, Taylor said.

She noted that Pritzker signed legislation this year designed to prevent book bans in publicly funded libraries.

Others have money, history, and property that they leave for their children, Taylor said.  And with our history being usurped, hidden and overlooked, we are not getting those same opportunities. We need our children to know they are equally vested in this country.

 They need equal rights and opportunity so they know they are contributors, not just a worker or somebodys assistant in this place called United States of America.

People must apply consistent pressure on the government to fight systemic racism, she said.

Systemic racism runs like a machine. From what we see on the news, from what weve gotten out of our history books, all of it tells us its not for you, Taylor said. ... After a while you check out because youre wondering whens a conversation, when is love, when is equity going to be turning its face to you.

When is Lady Liberty gonna take its blinders off and really take a look at the fact we need equity. Were too busy trying to live and fight our way into a society that has historically marginalized us or told us we were less then.

Illinois State Senator Christopher Belt, Cahokia. Derik Holtmann/dholtmann@bnd.com

The c ontributions of Black Americans

Belt also noted that the contributions of Black people have left an indelible mark on the history of America.

In response to a question, he said he pledges allegiance to the American flag just like everyone else.

We have to keep hope alive that one day, it will mean one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, he said.  We are not there yet. You can see it in all of the discriminatory practices we have to deal with day in and day out. We gotta believe we are marching toward what the Pledge of Allegiance says.
Richard Wood, Silas Wilson, Fred Alexander.

They are the names of three men lynched during the turn of the 20th century in Leavenworth, Kansas. Their names and stories were remembered and honored this Juneteenth weekend at a ceremony in Leavenworth Friday evening.

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. All three lynching victims were Black men, according to the Kansas Historical Society.

Fred Alexanders story received widespread attention following his horrific lynching in Leavenworth on January, 15 1901 after he was accused of rape and murder. Alexander, a veteran of the Spanish-American war, was never given a fair trial for these claims, and instead was met with a mob of 8,000 who brought him to a gruesome death.

Like Alexander, Wilson and Wood experienced the same injustice from the Leavenworth community at that time, and also died by lynching. Members of the mobs responsible for their deaths never faced any criminal charges for their vigilante actions.

Todd Thompson, county attorney in Leavenworth, said people shouldnt take the law into their own hands in what they believe is justice, but which is really vigilantism.

Every person deserves to have equal justice, everyone deserves due process and that was something not given to these three men. That was robbed from them, Thompson said.

Thompson wrote a opinion piece for the Leavenworth Times about Silas Wilson, one of the lynching victims. In the column, Thompson told of the experience Wilson faced, detailing his charges and the injustice he faced from the Leavenworth community at that time.

Thompson said after hearing about the effort in Leavenworth to get a marker to commemorate the lynchings, including that of Fred Alexander, he looked into them all and found Silas story.

I felt that Silas Wilson was a narrative of someone I could write a bit more easily about, and lesser known than Fred Alexander.

This weekend, the community took time to honor and remember the injustice Alexander, Wilson and Wood faced over 100 years ago.

The Equal Justice Initiative hosted the event as a Historical Marker Celebration ceremony at the Bethel AME Church, where they unveiled the plaque created in honor of the three men.

If you dont remember the past it is doomed to be repeated, and something like this is absolutely necessary. For the community to remember  and as a community we dont repeat it and we stay vigilant about continuing to progress forward, Thompson said.

The Leavenworth community is also hosting several other events over the weekend to celebrate Juneteenth, including a twilight parade and festival with live music and games.
For much of the past two-plus weeks, many of the federal governments 60 witnesses described the horror when a gunman entered the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018 and killed 11 worshippers  the deadliest attack ever on Jewish people in the United States.

A federal jury convicted the gunman Friday on all 63 charges against him, including 22 capital charges. On June 26, the same jury will again hear horrible details of the massacre and what those losses mean to families, as it decides the fate of Robert Bowers.

Bowers was convicted of 22 crimes  11 capital counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death and 11 capital counts of use of a firearm to commit murder during and in relation to a crime of violence. He faces the death penalty or life in prison.

Testimony from prosecution witnesses included a 911 operator who listened to a victims last words before she was fatally shot, a survivor who said one of the people who was killed fell inches from her, a police officer who had to step over bodies while rescuing a wounded SWAT member, and a wounded woman who refused to leave her mother as her mom died.

A driver's license photo of Robert Bowers, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation. - PA Dep't of Transportation

Other witnesses included medical, firearms and computer experts.

During the trial, defense attorneys acknowledged Bowers was the shooter but said he wanted to stop the congregation from working with an immigration group, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. They said it wasnt an antisemitic attack.

The defense chose not to cross examine most people who testified and called none of their own witnesses. Bowers lawyers didnt speak with reporters as they left the courthouse Friday.

During the penalty phrase, The defense will put on more evidence, Caroline Polisi, a federal and white-collar criminal defense attorney, told CNN. They will try to argue that although he has been found guilty of these charges, he should not be given the death penalty.

Penalty phase testimony will be gut-wrenching

The president of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh said Friday that survivors have taken the witness stand to provide important testimony despite the immense difficulty of that task. They will continue to do so in the next phase of the trial, Brian Schreiber said.

We look forward to hearing the direct victim-impact testimony. They will be able to tell, in their own words, what that loss feels like, said Schreiber, who lost friends in the attack.

Schreiber did not take an official stance on a potential death sentence for the gunman.

Its going to be gut-wrenching, said Jeff Finkelstein, president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. Its going to reopen wounds that keep getting reopened for us here in our Pittsburgh community  not just the Jewish community, but this greater Pittsburgh region. And I just encourage everyone to seek the support that they might need.

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh has been providing support for those affected by the shooting through its 10.27 Healing Partnership program, which Schreiber said will continue to offer resources. The name of the program is a nod to the date, October 27, 2018, when the attack took place.

Finkelstein said he is very pleased with the verdict, adding he hoped evidence in the penalty phase will further emphasize the attack was indisputably an act of anti-Jewish hate.

CNNs Matt Meyer, Sabrina Souza and Eric Levenson contributed to this report.

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10-year-old Petersburg boy dies after being shot in apparently random gunfire

PETERSBURG  A 10-year-old boy was shot to death early Saturday morning, an apparent victim of random gunfire outside as he watched movies in his bedroom, his family and friends say on social media.

Police have released few details about the shooting, which happened shortly before 1 a.m. in the 200 block of Juniper Road.

However, family and friends posted on Facebook that the boy was in his room watching movies with a friend when it happened.

Police Chief Travis Christian said the child was not a target in the shooting, attributing it instead to what he called reckless gunfire in the area, which is in the Pecan Acres public-housing community.

The child was rushed to a local hospital where he later died.

The Facebook posts expressed shock and sadness over the tragedy.

Such a sweet boy with so much life to live. Fly high, sweet angel, one person wrote. Another was much more succinct in their grief.

Some straight bulls**t! she posted.

The victims father posted, I never thought this day was gonna come.

An investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Solvers at (804) 861-1212 or use the P3Tips app on a mobile phone.

This is a developing story.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Juvenile shot early Saturday in Petersburg has died, police confirm
KKK Members in Kentucky Pull Gun on LGBTQ+ Activists  Police Let Them Go

Man with hate symbols on his vest

Two alleged members of the Ku Klux Klan reportedly threatened people at a pro-LGBTQ+ rights rally in Kentucky on June 3  one of whom even pulled a gun on the small crowd.

Police on the scene in Corbin, however, didnt arrest them, according to a police report obtained by news site Raw Story.

The outlet reports that one of the men handing out KKK recruitment cards was identified in the report as Kenneth Hutton, 44. Hed previously worked for Corbins city government.

He quit about a month ago, Marlon Sams, Corbins city manager, told Raw Story.

The other man was identified as Clayton Segebart, 43.

In the call for service report, the Corbin Police Department detailed the situation. Both men live in London, a nearby city, according to the police document.

At 2:21 p.m., the report said, Male has gun out.

Its followed by a description of the gun: Ruger 9mm and Smith and Wesson.

A later entry stated, Both males that were there with weapons are 98, referring to the dispatch code that means leaving the scene. The site reports that though the police initially posted on social media that they had contacted the FBI over what happened, the post was later taken down.

The small rally held on June 3 was in protest of anti-trans legislation proposed in the Kentucky legislature. The group of about seven held the event in a local park.

The activists held signs in support of LGBTQ+ people. While they said they expected maybe some negative remarks, they didnt expect to be terrorized.

Trent Osborne, one of the organizers of the peaceful event, said that one of the men told him, I oughta burn you and that sign, according to the local newspaper the Times-Tribune.

That is when things began happening. I asked the person why he had his hand on his weapon when we only had signs, Osborne said.

He told Queer Kentucky, They flipped us off and proceeded to pull over and approach us as if planned.

Osborne added, They began spouting slurs and hateful slander. The f slur was said on multiple occasions when the two men approached, they each had their hands on their guns which were hidden in their pockets.

A video of what happened was posted online.

Another organizer, Jonas Ray, recalled that while the men were harassing the protesters, another person was telling them a story about having family members be scared to come out in the community.

Just to have that happening side by side, Ray told the Times-Tribune. Its so sad how much hate is here.

The third organizer, Ajay Anderson, said theyd received negative comments after the incident.

All three told the paper that law enforcement had been supportive of them after they expressed concerns about what happened.

The three activists are in the process of creating a nonprofit called Queer Appalachia.

A human rights march is planned for June 24 in Corbin, and local police recommended the organizers request police presence to ensure the attendees' safety after the June 3 situation.

My goal is that through all this somehow [is] to ensure that Corbin is inclusive to the point these people cant even be here anymore, Osborne said. Corbin needs to be so inclusive that the KKK has to leave.

Ray added: We want to make them uncomfortable because their hatred is unwelcome here.

In the weeks following the incident, flyers supporting the Trinity White Knights of the Klu Klux Klan have shown up in Corbin.

Parents take control of our schools, the KKK flyers read, according to Raw Story. Remove all filth from school libraries. Two gender policies. End the presence of men in the girlsroom.

They end with a recruitment pitch: Parents take your stand. Join the Klan.
Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian dictator, has said that the task of the aggressor country on the so-called"demilitarisation" of Ukraine has allegedly been largely fulfilled.

Source: Peskov in an interview with RT Arabic, according to TASS propaganda news agency

Quote: "Indeed, Ukraine was heavily militarised at the time of the beginning of its [special military operation, as the Russian Federation calls the war against Ukraine  ed.]. And, as [Russian President Vladimir] Putin said yesterday, one of the tasks was to demilitarise Ukraine.

In fact, this task is largely completed. Ukraine is using less and less of its weapons. And more and more it uses the weapons systems that Western countries supply it with."

Details: Peskov added that NATO countries led by the United States are increasingly "getting involved" in the "conflict", that is, in protecting Ukraine from the war of conquest started by the Russian Federation.

Quote: "The countries of the West, namely the North Atlantic alliance under the leadership of Washington, are increasingly  directly and indirectly  getting involved in this conflict. They intervene in this conflict and become a party to the conflict. Of course, this leads to the fact that the conflict is delayed in time. This leads to the fact that the situation in Europe becomes more tense and unpredictable. And, of course, this obliges Russia to apply more decisive measures to ensure the safety of people in Donbas and the security of the Russian Federation."

Background: On 16 June, Putin stated that "Russia has every right to consider the denazification of Ukraine one of its main goals."

On 13 June, Putin made a controversial statement concerning the objectives of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: he believes that they change and stay the same at the same time. Moreover, Putin added that the demilitarisation of Ukraine is still a "practical issue".

To justify the direct invasion of Ukrainian territory in February 2022, the Kremlin set the goal of "denazification and demilitarisation" of Ukraine. After that, the conditional "goals of the special military operation" to justify the war with Ukraine were repeatedly changed in the rhetoric of the occupiers.

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Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is accused of treason and spreading "false" information about the Russian army, stands inside a defendants' cage during his sentencing at the Moscow City Court in Moscow on April 17, 2023. (Photo by Handout / Moscow City Court press service / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / Moscow City Court press service / handout" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS (Photo by HANDOUT/Moscow City Court press service/AFP via Getty Images) - AFP

As a defence lawyer for high-profile critics of the Putin regime, Vadim Prokhorov is used to his clients meeting grim fates.

One was murdered outside the walls of the Kremlin. Another sentenced to 25-years in prison for criticising the war in Ukraine.

Their names - Boris Nemtsov, Vladimir Kara-Murza - stand as warnings to anyone who might dare challenge the Russian state.

But it was only last month that the 50-year-old barrister, a thick-set man with a furrowed brow and a shock of black hair, found himself, too, in the Kremlins cross-hairs.

Lawyer Vadim Prokhorov arrives to Moscow city court prior to a hearing in the trial of Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza on March 13, 2023. - The US Treasury announced sanctions on March 3, 2023, on three Russians over their involvement in what it called a politically motivated prosecution of Kara-Murza, a prominent Kremlin critic. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP) (Photo by ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images)Credit - ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP

He received a tip-off that, after the verdict in the Kara-Murza case, he could be arrested. So he decided to flee.

I realised they dont need me as a free man once the verdict is delivered, Mr Prokhorov told The Telegraph in a matter-of-fact voice.

Persecution for political views is old news for Vladimir Putins Russia - his opponents have been jailed, poisoned or shot just outside the Kremlin for the most part of his 23-year-long rule - but Russias invasion of Ukraine last year and a plethora of draconian laws that came in tow have turned Russian courtrooms into places of public condemnation, not unlike during the Soviet Unions Great Terror in the 1930s.

Last week, Lilia Chanysheva, an associate of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navlany, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years on charges of extremism.

This week Mr Navalny himself faces a new trial from his maximum security prison 250 km east of Moscow. He says the absurd charges could keep him behind bars for another 30 years.

The swift transformation of Russias corruption court system into a close replica of the Soviet show trials has surprised even its former victims.

Natan Sharansky, a prominent Soviet dissident who spent nine years in Soviet camps for advocating the right of Soviet Jews to emigrate, in an opinion piece for the Washington Post this week suggested Russias repressions these days are worse than what I endured under the Soviets.

Natan Sharansky , the one-time leading Soviet dissident who became a prominent Israeli politician - Heathcliff O'Malley

With Moscows barbaric aggression against Ukraine, Russia has experienced a quick return to almost Stalinist-era levels of repression, the 75-year old refusenik who served in the Israeli government in the 2000s wrote.

For years, Russian prosecutors tried to portray the defendants as common criminals and insisted there was nothing political about the charges against them.

These days, investigators go for Russias news censorship law that explicitly makes any expression of dissent a crime.

One of Mr Prokhorovs clients, Ilya Yashin, a young opposition politician, rejected calls to leave Russia in the aftermath of the invasion and pressed on with his popular YouTube channel speaking out against Russian atrocities in Ukraine.

Soon, he ended up in the dock and charged with discrediting the Russian armed forces, a new law that allows to go after everyone who questions the Kremlins narrative about the invasion.

Stunning change

Vasily Polonsky, a rare independent TV reporter who still covers political trials in Moscow, points to a stark change in how prosecutors present their arguments in clear-cut political cases.

The trials have not changed that much - its the prosecution that has changed, Mr Polonsky told The Telegraph from Moscow.

Prosecutors who speak in court these days present fully-fledged political speeches - there is much more of this now. This really is stunning.

The lead prosecutor in Mr Yashins case made no secret that the politician was being punished for his views.

While our soldiers are on the front and millions of people are supporting the troops, Yashin is helping the enemy, Sergei Belov told the court at a hearing in December as he questioned the politicians right to speak about Russias atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.

Russian legal professionals who are still largely allowed to carry out their professional duties fear that the Kremlin has been borrowing from the playbook of repression in neighbouring Belarus where lawyers became a target for persecution once all significant opposition figures were either jailed or in exile.

Charging a lawyer is a cumbersome affair because of their special status, and legal professionals before the war felt more or less secure.

But a few months before the invasion, Ivan Pavlov, a lawyer with a strong track record of handling treason and spying cases, had to flee Russia together with his team after it was declared an undesirable organisation, a discriminatory title fraught with criminal prosecution for anyone involved in their work.

Palliative care for clients

In June, prominent lawyer Dmitry Talantov was arrested and charged with discrediting the armed forces over a Facebook post, lashing out at Russian atrocities outside Kyiv.

Mr Pavlovs team are now working from abroad, consulting lawyers and families in Russia to draw on their vast expertise in treason cases.

We had to leave but we want to be useful and I dont see any other ways to be of help right now, Valeria Vetoshkina, one of Mr Pavlovs colleagues, told The Telegraph.

The work of Ms Vetoshkina of her colleagues in Russia these days is akin to palliative care when doctors and nurses are there to hold the patients hand, knowing full well they are going to die.

Mr Vetoshkina does not think lawyers work is useless despite the conviction rates, citing their right to see the client at high-security detentions centres like Moscows Lefortovo as they often serve as the only lifeline between the defendant and their family as prosecutors routinely deny requests for visits.

People are stuck there all alone, cut off from the rest of the world. Who is going to see them if not the lawyer? she said.

For now, that is all that has been achieved by the defence team for jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerskovich, who has been imprisoned in Lefortovo for three months.

The Kremlin has been punishing opposition activists and the most visible critics for years but it was Russias war in Ukraine that finally untied the Kremlins hands, turning political persecution into daily routine.

Everyone is at risk now

Not a day passes without a new case of ordinary Russians punished for their anti-war views.

On Thursday, a court in the north-western region of Komi convicted a 28-year-old school teacher of justifying terrorism and discrediting the Russian armed forces and sent him to prison for 5.5 years.

All Nikita Tuskhanov did was write several Facebook posts, calling last summers Ukrainian attack on the Crimean bridge a little birthday gift for Putler [sic].

In a case that shocked even those well-accustomed to political repressions, two young women, a director and a playwright, were locked up this month pending an investigation on suspicion of justifying terrorism. Their crime? Staging a play that drew on real-life stories of teenage girls lured to join the Islamic State in Syria.

Yevgeniya Berkovich, one of the suspects, wrote in a letter from jail published on Wednesday:

Im just a girl. I want to go home, get prosecco and a big steak. I dont want to be a poster girl!

To Mr Prokhorov, who has handled high-profile cases for two decades, these recent cases testify a clear attempt to evoke repressive practices of one of the darkest moments in Russian history:

Directors and playwrights have not been arrested since Stalin We as a country have travelled several historical eras back - all the way to the 1930s, and everyone is at risk now.

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(Bloomberg) -- The Labour Party has ended a boycott of the scandal-hit Confederation of British Industry in a sign of thawing relations between the lobby group and Westminster.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Jonathan Reynolds, Labours shadow business secretary, spoke with CBI Director General Rain Newton-Smith this week, according to people familiar with the matter. The conversation was first reported by the Financial Times, which said it took place online and was warm and positive.

Britains best-known business group is fighting for survival after dozens of large companies quit following allegations of sexual assault among CBI staff, including two women who said they were raped by colleagues. The government paused engagement with the CBI and hasnt indicated a willingness to resume high-level meetings.

Read More: CBI Sponsors Abandon Beleaguered Lobby Groups Annual Conference

Newton-Smith called for ministers to engage with the CBI earlier this month after members backed her turnaround plan, which involved hiring a chief people officer and appointing ethical advisers Principia. A former chief economist at the CBI, she returned after Tony Danker was sacked as director general for workplace misconduct unrelated to the more serious allegations.

While 93% of votes supported her plan for a reset, only 371 ballots were cast  about a third of the groups roughly 1,200 members.

After the vote, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters that matters at the CBI are for the CBI and for its members to work through.

The CBI declined to comment on the meeting with Reynolds.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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A sign welcomes people to Cool in El Dorado County, Calif. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

It's a decades-old pursuit that's been attempted, thus far, unsuccessfully  but a group of El Dorado County residents are hoping to finally get their shot at breaking free from California.

The new effort to separate from one of the largest states in the U.S. is brewing in one of its smallest counties. Located east of Sacramento, El Dorado County is home to fewer than 200,000 residents but includes such picturesque spots as south Lake Tahoe.

We all knew that our problem was representation, living in Northern California," said Sharon Durst, who is garnering support for El Dorado County to become its own state. "We dont have a voice. We dont have one representative  state or federal government  that lives in the border of El Dorado County.

Durst, 84, recently formed the Republic of El Dorado State group, which is working to collect signatures of support for their movement to see the county secede from California  ideally, without the approval of elected leaders in Sacramento. Durst's is an unusual plan for a campaign that's become almost cyclical over the years, with different factions and regions pursuing sovereignty  but one that law experts say doesn't include the necessary legal footing to succeed.

There have been more than 200 recorded attempts over the years to either break off from California or simply break up the Golden State, including recent ones by more conservative or rural regions. Officials in San Bernardino County  the largest county by geographic size  are studying the idea of seceding after voters requested the review last year; in 2018, a ballot measure  later deemed unconstitutional  was aimed at splitting California into three states; and other groups over the years have tried to divide the state into two parts or break off a section of Northern California.

Read more: In California's rural, conservative north, there are big dreams for cleaving the state

That last effort, which became known as the state of Jefferson movement, was one Durst found herself drawn to in 2015, joining the fight for 21 Northern California counties to separate from the state.

When that didn't work, Durst said she was ready to give up and simply enjoy her retirement  until she hatched her latest idea. She believes there's a way to use the U.S. Constitution and California history to directly appeal to Congress for El Dorado County's secession  bypassing lawmakers in Sacramento who have routinely shut down such efforts.

We think we have grounds to stand on the fact that El Dorado was actually a county before California was a state," Durst said. In a dissertation-like defense of her position, Durst details why she believes El Dorado County deserves to be its own state.

"It is impossible to believe that the men who wrote the Declaration of Independence would be of a mind to hold a people hostage to an oppressive state any more than an oppressive King," Durst wrote in the piece, which was posted on Substack last month.

Instead of focusing on the section in the U.S. Constitution that requires both congressional and state legislature approval to change any state's borders, Durst claims that as a designated county before joining California in 1850, El Dorado County could be considered under the purview of Congress as "other property."

Read more: 'California needs to do a better job': San Bernardino County will study seceding after voters' OK

That reasoning, though, lacks legal standing, said Jon Michaels, a UCLA law professor who focuses on constitutional law. He pointed out that being a county before statehood  which is the case for much of the East Coast and many other regions  doesn't alter the legitimacy of the state.

Changing any state's boundaries, per the Constitution, requires the approval of Congress and the state Legislature, no matter the grievances, Michaels said.

Its kind of one of these things thats like cathartic, maybe a symbolic thing," Michaels said, "but theres really nothing that could ever happen with this."

But Durst said the group's effort has already gained more support than she expected, especially so quickly. She first presented the plan in a May 24 meeting at a community hall, and it was picked up in the Mountain Democrat.

"It spread like wildfire, much to my surprise," Durst said. She said she and a small team started collecting signatures Thursday, with a goal of getting at least 60% of El Dorado County's registered voters  about 80,000 people  a threshold that will decide if they can move forward with presenting their plan to Congress.

"I have always thought that California was too big and too diverse to be one state," Durst said. "I'm so excited and thrilled by what has happened ... and we just [got] set up."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
This article was originally published in Stateline.

RICHMOND, Va.  Although a new Virginia law requires schools to inform parents when sexually explicit materials are used in the classroom, some districts are using that law as the basis to go further and remove certain books from schools altogether.

Book ban requests across the state often have cited the Virginia law, which was signed last year by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The law requires schools to ensure parents are notified of any instructional material that includes sexually explicit content and allows them to request alternative materials for their children.

But Virginia Republican state Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, who introduced the bill last year, said the law was never intended to be a pretext for book bans in school libraries and on classroom shelves.

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This is not about books, Dunnavant said. This is not about censoring. This is about collaboration and whats in the best interest of a child. And so, I was sorry to hear  that in some cases someone is using this bill in the wrong way.

Legislatures in other states, including Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah, have likewise passed laws aimed at giving parents control over or banning explicit sexual materials from classrooms. But school districts in many of the states with new laws are still figuring out whether that includes library books, books used in the classroom or both.

Kasey Meehan, who directs PEN Americas Freedom to Read project, said vague legislation and loose guidance in some states have a chilling effect on school decision-makers, who become overly cautious.

This is where we see legislation empowering local actors  or giving local actors  something to point to when they look to censor certain books, Meehan said.

Virginias law required the state Department of Education to create model policies for ensuring local school districts notify parents via email or in-person meetings when students may be using library books with sexual content to complete an assignment or during extracurricular academic programs. Parents also have the right to review the material and make decisions on what their students can and cant read.

But some Virginia school boards, like that of Hanover County Public Schools, are still nailing down the specifics of their own policies amid calls for bans.

At its May 9 meeting, the Hanover County School Board heard more than an hour and a half of public comments, many regarding its draft policy, with new rules determining how requests for book bans will be handled.

Within a few weeks following the meeting, one organization sent the board a list of more than 100 books it wanted removed from shelves. The list, provided to Stateline by Hanover County Public Schools, includes notes on sexual content, profanity, violence, drug use and more.

On June 13, the school board voted in favor of the new policy. Under it, material challenged for having pervasive vulgarity or sexually explicit content will be removed if the school librarian and principal agree. If not, the matter will be forwarded to the school board office, where a committee or designated officials will review it. The board also may at its sole discretion vote to remove any and all materials of its choosing from the library, classroom, school building(s) and or division.

The board voted to remove 17 titles that same night.

Less than an hour away in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, officials removed 14 titles from schools for sexually explicit content after a parent complained, in order to comply with the parental notification law, according to a memo from Superintendent Mark B. Taylor.

Taylor, who became superintendent last year, earlier this year had suggested eliminating libraries as a cost-reduction measure. He also ruled that the 14 books challenged by the parent as inappropriate be removed from school libraries.

The removed books will be kept in storage, according to the county. Spotsylvania County Public Schools teachers can also use these materials in the classroom with parental consent.

Our public school libraries contain roughly 390,000 books, Taylor wrote in a statement to Stateline. Books have apparently been added to our libraries for years based only on short summary reviews. This practice has left us with limited awareness of the contents of our public school libraries. Our lack of awareness of the sexually explicit content present in our libraries disables us from giving parents the advance notice and the choice to avoid such content that they are entitled to under the law.

The Spotsylvania County School Board voted 4-3 in May in favor of removing books it deemed sexually explicit. In response, the ACLU of Virginia issued a statement saying the county had misinterpreted Virginia law.

Unfortunately, the way Virginia code is written is so open-ended as to allow this kind of dangerous mission creep, Ashna Khanna, the ACLU of Virginias policy director, wrote. Until this poorly written code is repealed, other overzealous school boards may try to ban books that simply make them uncomfortable.

And last year in Virginia Beach, then-state Del. Tim Anderson, a Republican, filed suit with former GOP congressional candidate Tommy Altman to restrict two titles from being sold out of bookstores to minors on the grounds of a state obscenity law. A judge threw out the case after finding the law itself to be unconstitutional. (Anderson resigned his seat in April to run for the state Senate.)

While book bans have increased nationwide in the past few years, they have been a controversial issue for centuries, said Trisha Tucker, an associate professor of writing at the University of Southern Californias College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Knowing more about and sharing more about the actual changing narratives about children  about how they read, about whats dangerous for them  can help us realize that none of this is natural or universal, she said.

Last year, the American Library Association documented 1,269 attempts to censor over 2,500 unique library books and resources. Of these, 90% were part of requests to censor multiple titles at once.

Officials banned books last year in 138 school districts across 32 states, according to PEN America.

In the latest ban attempt that drew nationwide attention, a Miami-Dade County, Florida, school responding to one parents complaint restricted the poem The Hill We Climb, by Amanda Gorman, a Black poet who had read it at President Joe Bidens inauguration. The Republican-controlled Florida legislature passed a number of laws regarding books in schools, including one defining adequate instructional materials in K-12 schools.

The Florida laws have created confusion around book bans, causing some districts to keep books from shelves and critics to complain about decisions being made behind the scenes, the Miami Herald reported.

Addressing book bans in a news conference this June, Biden announced the Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights will appoint a new coordinator to address the growing threat that book bans pose for the civil rights of students. Efforts to ban books disproportionally single out titles about LGBTQ+ communities and communities of color.

In Connecticut, two Republican members of the Newtown Board of Education resigned in May after the board deadlocked in a 3-3 vote over whether to ban two books. Democratic lawmakers in the state recently proposed a bill that would allow municipalities to designate sanctuary libraries for banned or censored books.

Illinois this week became the first state to pass legislation effectively ending book bans in the state. The bill signed into law by Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker will block state funding for public schools and libraries that ban books. It takes effect in January 2024.

In Virginia, Eden Heilman, the legal director of the state chapter of the ACLU, said the legislation there remains problematic.

I think whats happening is  for example, in Spotsylvania  theyre misinterpreting Virginia code to empower themselves to take these bold, broad measures that arent authorized in the law, Heilman said.

Books taken off school shelves

Spotsylvania County, Virginia, officials removed 14 titles from schools for sexually explicit content after a parent complained, in order to comply with a recently passed law.

All Boys Arent Blue by George M. Johnson

Like a Love Story by Abdi NazemianDime by E.R. Frank

America by E.R. Frank

Sold by Patricia McCormick

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez

Beloved by Toni Morrison

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Looking for Alaska by John Green

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

This article was first published by Stateline, part of States Newsroom network of news bureaus that includes the Louisiana Illuminator. Its supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and Twitter.
When Samsung hosts its next Unpacked event in Seoul next month , the company is widely expected to announce a new Galaxy Z Flip device with a larger cover display. Now we have a better idea of exactly how much bigger the Z Flip 5s external screen could be when it arrives later this year.

An alleged marketing render shared by MySmartPrice (via The Verge ) shows a phone with a secondary display that covers most of the front of the device when you have it flipped closed. MySmartPrice didnt share the size of the cover display, but judging from the render, its significantly larger than the 1.9-inch one found on the Z Flip 4 . Additionally, it appears Samsung has found a more elegant way to shape the display around the Z Flip 5s main camera array than Motorola has done with the Razr+ .

Galaxy Z Flip 5 render

Naturally, a larger cover display would make it easier to frame selfies with the Z Flips main camera, but there are also some potential drawbacks. For one, a bigger secondary screen would impact battery life on the Z Flip 5 unless Samsung equips the phone with a higher-capacity battery. Its also worth pointing out that a small cover screen is part of the Z Flip 4s appeal. The minimal functionality it offers is a good way to partially unplug from the typical distractions that come with a smartphone while still having easy access to some information.

Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy Z Flip 5, alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 5, in late July. Well find out then if the companys latest foldable display flip phone has a bigger screen.
Xi meets with Bill Gates

Xinhua) 09:29, June 17, 2023

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation, in Beijing, capital of China, June 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation, in Beijing on Friday.

Xi applauded Gates and the Gates Foundation for their long-term work to promote poverty reduction, health, development and philanthropy around the world.

"At present, momentous changes unseen in a century are accelerating across the world. I put forward the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative to provide Chinese solutions to global challenges," Xi said.

Xi said that China is first and foremost focused on solving its own problems. He said that as a large country with a population of over 1.4 billion, China's long-term stability and sustained development are major contributions to world peace, stability and prosperity.

China will consolidate its achievements in poverty alleviation, realize rural revitalization, and constantly improve rural health, Xi said.

Stressing that China is committed to advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, Xi said China will never fall into a pattern of seeking hegemony, and will instead work with other countries to achieve common development and build a community with a shared future for humanity.

Xi said that China is ready to carry out extensive cooperation with all countries on scientific and technological innovation, and actively participate in and promote the response to global challenges such as climate change, the fight against the pandemic and public health.

China will continue to strengthen cooperation with the Gates Foundation in relevant fields, and will provide support and assistance to other developing countries within its capacity, he said.

"You're the first American friend I've met in Beijing this year," Xi told Gates, noting that people should travel and communicate more to increase their understanding as the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The foundation of China-U.S. relations lies in the people. We have always placed our hope on the American people and wish all the best for the friendship between the two peoples," Xi said.

Gates spoke about the progress of cooperation with China and his vision for the future. He said that China has made remarkable achievements in poverty reduction and COVID-19 response, setting a good example for the world.

He said that in recent years, the Gates Foundation's cooperation with China has made remarkable progress, and that accelerating innovation and development in China is good for China, developing countries and the world.

The Gates Foundation is committed to strengthening cooperation with China in the fields of innovation, global poverty reduction, public health, research and development of drugs, rural areas and agriculture, and spreading successful practices and technologies to other developing countries, Gates said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation, in Beijing, capital of China, June 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Sheng Chuyi)
A Baltimore City public bus crashed into two cars before hitting a building on Saturday, injuring an estimated 10 to 15 people, the Maryland Transit Administration said in a news release.

Around 10:20 a.m., patrol officers responded to the scene near where the bus had come to rest inside a building on West Franklin Street, the Baltimore Police Department said in a news release. Police said they found during their preliminary investigations that the bus crashed into a Lexus, before hitting a Nissan and then, finally, the building.

Vehicle Crash at North Paca at West Mulberry Street. Avoid area if you can. pic.twitter.com/MDGM7idTLR  Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) June 17, 2023

Somewhere between 10 to 15 people were transported to local area hospitals, the Maryland Transit Administration said in a news release. Their conditions were not known, the agency said.

Maryland Transit Administration Police said they were investigating the crash. Police told CBS News the cause of the crash was not yet known.

CBS Baltimore reported that responders from the fire department evacuated the building occupants. Officials told CBS Baltimore that occupants should be able to enter the building later this afternoon.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

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Armed rebels attacked a school in western Uganda, killing at least 41 people, mostly students, and abducting six others, Ugandan officials have said.

Some were hacked to death with machetes while others died when their dormitories were set on fire, military spokesman Felix Kulayigye told CNN.

About 20 members of the ISIS-linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group attacked the Lhubirira secondary school late on Friday, according to Ugandas military.

The school is situated along Ugandas border with Congo in the town of Kasese, and educates children between the ages of 13 and 18. Of the dead, 39 were students and two were from the local community, local officials said.

Authorities were still trying to extinguish the fire by Saturday morning. The military suspects more dead bodies may be found, but said there was no one still alive trapped in the school.

According to Kulayigye, there had been 62 people in the school during the attack.

Were commiserating with the families, and the leadership of the UPDF (Ugandan Peoples Defense Forces) are on the ground and have been deployed to protect the place, he added.

The United Nations condemned the attack. Those responsible for this appalling act must be brought to justice, a statement read.

Extending heartfelt condolences to victims and their families, Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for the immediate release of those abducted and reiterated the importance of collective efforts to tackle cross border insecurity between Congo and Uganda and restore durable peace in the area.

The spokesman for Ugandas military operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Major Bilal Katamba, told CNN the military is pursuing the suspects in the DRC and believes they are headed towards the Virunga National Park.

Major Dick Olum, commander of the UPDF operation in eastern DRC, said the rebels had spent two days in the town  where they were led and shown around by local residents  before the killings.

Everybody should be on the lookout, he warned residents in Kasese.

If you see someone you dont recognize, have him arrested. Please identify the youth that led the ADF here, he appealed.

Very crowded mortuary

Footage of the aftermath showed whole areas of the school cordoned off and armored military vehicles in the vicinity. Large crowds were also seen gathering on school premises.

Ugandan government officials led by State Minister for Higher Education John Muyingo visited the school on Saturday.

In a statement shared on Twitter, First Lady Janet Museveni said the government was providing support for the bereaved families during this trying time.

On behalf of the Ugandan government I extend heartfelt condolences to the families, students, staff of Lhubiliriha Secondary School and the broader community affected by this tragedy, she said.

We call upon everyone to offer prayers for the affected families and community while also urging vigilance to uphold the safety of our children in schools.

I remain confident that the UPDF, with divine guidance, will ensure those responsible face justice, she added.

An eyewitness who lost three cousins in the brutal attack, told CNN that the local mortuary is very crowded as victims rescued from the school continue to be treated.

I knew my relatives were at school, so when I heard about the incident, very early in the morning we rushed to the hospital and we found their bodies there, and the mortuary was very crowded, Clay Biromunane said.

Biromunane was in his bedroom around 300 meters away from the school when he heard gunfire erupt at around 10:40 p.m. local time.

Up to now people are up and down looking for their relatives, Biromunane said.

The 35-year-old said the community was very much surprised by the attack and said they had never experienced anything like it before.

Mapoze Slevest, Mayor of Mpondwe, similarly expressed surprise, telling reporters that Mpondwe was a good community with no rebels.

Based along the mountainous border between Uganda and the DRC, the ADF began fighting against the government after being founded in the mid-90s.

The group was sanctioned by the United States and the United Nations in 2014 for terrorist activities in the region, including attacks on children.

The US Department of Treasury denounced the ADF for targeting children in situations of armed conflict, including through killing, rape, abduction and forced displacement.

In January, the ADF was accused of detonating a bomb during a church service in the DRC, killing at least 12 worshipers.

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At least 38 children dead and others abducted in attack on Uganda school by Isis-linked group

File image: Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Isis linked militant group, has been responsible for several attacks in Congo in recent years (Getty Images)

At least 38 pupils and three adults have been killed in an attack on a school in Uganda by a rebel group linked to Isis, according to local authorities.

The attack took place at Lhubiriha school in the Kasese district in western Uganda, close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), police say.

The attackers burnt down a dormitory and looted food from the schools stores, national police spokesperson Fred Enanga said.

Some of the children were burnt or hacked to death while many other pupils, mostly girls have been abducted by the group, Major General Dick Olum from the Ugandan army told the media.

The attack took place on Friday night and the death toll was initially put at 25. Officials said later on Saturday that 41 bodies had been recovered, including 38 schoolchildren, one guard and two members of the local community who were shot outside the school.

Authorities were still trying to extinguish the fire by Saturday morning local time, officials said, and they feared more dead bodies would be recovered.

Bodies were taken to Bwera Hospital, officials say. Eight people still remain in critical condition.

. @FredEnanga1 "Last night, we registered a terrorist attack by the ADF rebels, on Lhubirira secondary school, in Mpondwe, that is located about 2 kms, from the DRC border. A dormitory was burnt and a food store looted. So far 25 bodies have been recovered from the school and pic.twitter.com/3WVfY2q9lz  Uganda Police Force (@PoliceUg) June 17, 2023

They have identified the attackers as being from a militant group called the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has sworn allegiance to Isis.

The military was in hot pursuit of the attackers to rescue the abducted pupils, a spokesperson said. Officials believe the ADF attackers were headed towards the Virunga National Park, the major said.

The ADF has been responsible for several attacks in Congo in recent years including killing 30 soldiers and three civillians in 2021.

The group has been active since the 2000s and largely consists of local rebel fighters from DRC claiming responsibility for attacks using an Isis flag. It was first publicly recognised by Isis as an affiliate in late 2018 after an attack on the armed forces of the DRC, according to the US state department.

According to the United Nations, there are more than 100 armed groups operating in the DRC.
A Ugandan People's Defense Force truck seen outside an attacked school. AFP via Getty Images

At least 40 people, mostly students, were killed during an attack on a Ugandan school by rebel forces linked to ISIS, officials said Saturday. The attack marked one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in the country's history.

The incident began when about 20 rebel soldiers from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked the Lhubirira secondary school in Mpondwe, a town near the Uganda border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The ADF, described by the Congressional Research Service as an "Islamic State affiliate," began attacking teachers and students who were inside the school's dormitories, officials said.

Many of the bodies recovered were found burned to death after ADF soldiers set the dormitories on fire, according to a statement from Ugandan military spokesman Felix Kulayigye. Some of the students were also hacked to death by the ADF with machetes, Kulayigye told CNN.

Of the deceased, 39 were students and two were local community members. Kulayigye told CNN there had been 62 people inside the school complex when the attack commenced. Another six people were also abducted and are currently being searched for, officials added.

The violence was widely condemned both domestically and internationally, with Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine tweeting his hope "that investigations can begin in earnest so that the perpetrators of this crime face justice."

The attack marks the latest in the continuing conflict between the ADF and a joint Ugandan-Congolese operation to eliminate them. The two governments have provided few details on the operation, though they have claimed to have weakened the ADF via airstrikes. Regional observers, though, told The New York Times they were doubtful the attacks have put much of a dent in the ADF, saying that the organization has "continued to wreak havoc in eastern Congo...where rebel groups have overseen a wave of massacres and widespread destruction for decades."

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At least 6 tornadoes touch down within past 2 days in northern Ohio

The National Weather Service tracked and confirmed at least six tornadoes landed in northern Ohio from Thursday to Friday.

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Several counties in Ohio dealt with widespread damage after at least six tornadoes touched down during a rainy and windy night, the National Weather Service said, according to WOIO.

The National Weather Service tracked an EF-0 tornado that touched down in Ashland County at 8:47 p.m. The peak wind speeds were up to 85 mph. No one was injured during the two minutes the tornado made landfall.

The second tornado struck the Point Place neighborhood in Toledo with an EF-2 at 6:06 p.m. Peak wind speeds were at 130 mph. The natural event seriously damaged a two-mile area before halting at 6:10 p.m.

A third tornado made landfall in Ottawa County. The tornado was designated an E-2 level and damaged five homes and seven barns, and killed 10 cattle at 6:49 p.m. The tornado lasted for nine minutes.

Although animals may have died, no people were injured during the natural disaster. A family living in the county witnessed downed trees and toppled barns throughout their yard. Windows were blown out during the high speed wind event.

The fourth and fifth tornado were found in Sandusky County. The tornadoes damaged buildings and structures after high-speed winds and hail pounded the estates.

The fourth tornado was labeled EF-1, which hit Rice Township at 6:57 p.m. on Friday.

The fifth tornado was labeled EF-0, which hit Bellevue about 15 minutes later.

There were no reported injuries or evacuations, Sandusky County Sherriffs Department Chief Deputy Edward Hastings said. Parts of the city were without power since 7 p.m. Thursday night.

The sixth and final tornado was an EF-2. It touched down in Monroeville, in Huron County, at around 7:49 p.m. The tornado downed powerlines and trees, causing about 3,000 people to be without power through the night and into the morning.




Only one top candidate for mayor would re-criminalize marijuana in Wichita. The others are fine with keeping marijuana laws out of the city code, and some favor statewide legalization.

After Mayor Brandon Whipples charge to decriminalize marijuana last year, City Council member Bryan Frye said this week that the issue will likely get another look if he is elected mayor.

Candidates Jared Cerullo, Celeste Racette and Lily Wu said they would not move to put marijuana cases back into the city court system.

Kansas is one of three states where possession of marijuana for any purpose remains illegal. Any proposed changes have been met with strong opposition at the Statehouse by law enforcement lobbyists and religious groups.

Marijuana policy was one of several key issues brought up by Whipples challengers at the Sedgwick County Republican Partys candidate forum Thursday. Whipple, a Democrat, was not invited and would not have been able to attend because he was in France for the Paris Air Show.

Frye honed in on marijuana when candidates were asked to name a city ordinance or regulation they would change.

I suppose one thing that I would want to consider is the lowering of the fines for marijuana, Frye said.



. I dont think that solved anything, he added, about the move to decriminalize.

Frye, in an effort to keep marijuana laws on the city books in September, proposed lowering fines for minor marijuana possession to $1. That motion failed with no support from the other six council members. They then repealed the citys anti-marijuana ordinances, meaning marijuana laws are no longer enforced in municipal court.

That just put our police and law enforcement in a tougher situation, Frye said. It is still illegal in the state of Kansas and still illegal in this country. And to put our officers at that risk of whether or not they should do that or not, they dont need  theres already too many gray areas for them. And that isnt fair, so I would probably reinstate that.

Cerullo, a radio news reporter and former council member, said he would push to add marijuana reform to the citys legislative agenda.

Were pulling people over and spending taxpayer money to enforce marijuana laws while our neighbors  Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma  are making millions of dollars in tax dollars off marijuana, Cerullo said after the forum. Were missing out on those tax dollars, and our state should absolutely make a change.

Racette, a retired FDIC investigator and Save Century II founder, said she supports legalizing medical marijuana in Kansas but disagrees with the way decriminalization was handled by Whipple. She said she would not support legalization for recreational use.

We cannot legalize it because theres no way when someones driving, and theyre high, to measure their blood or their THC content and tell if they are impaired or not, Racette said. So we cannot legalize regular use of marijuana. It wont work.

Wichita mayoral challengers Lily Wu, Celeste Racette, Bryan Frye and Jared Cerullo field questions from the Sedgwick County Republican Party on Thursday. Mayor Brandon Whipple was not invited to the forum.

Wu, a registered Libertarian, said after the forum that marijuana laws would not be a high priority for her because she would be focused on tackling other issues she has seen while working as a TV news reporter and anchor, such as hiring more police officers.

I really want to focus on things I feel like right now are pressing issues, and I dont want to divide this community, Wu said. I want to bridge people together, I really do. And I dont want to divide, and that issue (marijuana) can remain how it is right now and (the city should) just focus on the things that we really need to focus on. I dont want to make it an issue when right now its not an issue, and I dont want to make things that are not issues an issue.

Whipple has said he favors legalizing marijuana at the state and federal levels.

The push for reform at the city came after the council received a report that municipal court prosecuted 750 to 850 people a year for marijuana possession, disproportionately affecting Black Wichitans. The data showed Black residents make up about 10% of the Wichita population and 45% of the citys marijuana prosecutions.

Instead of prosecuting people for possession of marijuana, Wichita now invests in harm reduction strategies to help those struggling with addiction and focuses more resources on stopping violent crime and theft, Whipples campaign page says.

Whos running for mayor in Wichita? Heres an up-to-date list of candidates

Mayoral candidates make promises

The GOP forum was the first to host multiple candidates for the Aug. 1 mayoral primary election.

It gave the public, specifically local Republicans, an early glimpse at the contrasts between the candidates. City elections are nonpartisan, meaning party affiliation does not appear on the ballot, but local parties often participate in elections and throw support behind candidates. The local GOP has not yet endorsed a candidate.

Frye and Cerullo are Republicans. Racette and Wu, both first-time candidates for city office, recently changed parties. Wu switched from Republican to Libertarian in 2022, and Racette changed from Democratic to unaffiliated in 2021.

The moderator, Republican Chairwoman Deb Lucia, sought to press the candidates for a concrete answer about their top priorities. She asked them to name at least one initiative they could guarantee they would accomplish as mayor and explain how they would fund it.

Racette pledged to pass a revenue-neutral budget and guaranteed she would cut wasteful spending by City Hall  primarily through clawbacks from under-performing development deals  to offset future property tax increases.

The one initiative that Im going to guarantee is I will be the watchdog over your taxpayer money, Racette said. And by doing that, Im going to hold our property taxes to a revenue-neutral rate. I promise I will study the budget. I already know places where we have misspent or given away millions.

She said she plans to immediately start saving the city money by moving Visit Wichita and an Old Town police substation to the former Central Public Library downtown.

I will be the person you can trust in City Hall to watch your taxpayer dollars and spend them wisely, she said.

Cerullo guaranteed he would lead a charge to fire City Manager Robert Layton and hire a new manager. He also promised to improve the relationship between the Wichita Police Department and the mayors office.

The average tenure for a manager for a city our size is six to seven years, Cerullo said. Bob Layton has been here 14. It is time for a fresh face with fresh ideas.

Frye, who has been on the council since 2015, guaranteed a project that is already in the works: a new police substation to serve growing areas in west Wichita. The project is included in the citys capital improvement plan and would be funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act. He said the new substation will improve police response times.

Weve got a potential site identified that will not cost taxpayers any dollars, Frye said. So well be able to put the entire ARPA money towards the construction of this police substation.

Wu said she believes the job of mayor is to be the lead marketer for the city and suggested everyone get a bit more enthusiastic in their support of their hometown, a move that would be free of charge, she said.

One initiative that I can think of right off the top of my head  and doesnt cost any money  is that if each and every one of us becomes also a great ambassador for this community. You see, when someone asks me the question, Where are you from? I proudly say, Im from Wichita, Kansas. If we each were able to do that part, and share that same type of enthusiasm for all the good that this community provides, we can change the temperature of this community, and we can unite together. That is one of the key pillars that I have is building a united community.

Wu said the city should drop a requirement that Wichita police officers be U.S. citizens. That would allow legal permanent residents to apply for the police department, similar to the military, she said.







As a legal immigrant to the United States, I strongly believe that legal permanent residents should have that opportunity, she said.

Lower-profile candidates Shelia Davis, Thomas Kane and Julie Rose Stroud were not invited to the forum. The deadline to register to vote in the 2023 primary election is July 11.

Upcoming mayoral forums

If you know of candidate forums that should be added to our list, please send the information to tips@wichitaeagle.com.

6:30 p.m. June 26, SEIU headquarters, 3340 West Douglas, nonpartisan forum hosted by Sedgwick County Grassroots Democrats and Sedgwick County Democratic Women

6:30 p.m. July 17, Woodland United Methodist Church 1100 W, 15th St. North, hosted by Wichita Independent Neighborhoods

7 p.m. July 20, livestreamed and televised, hosted by PBS Kansas in partnership with KAKE News and The Wichita Eagle

What do you want to know?

Were gathering questions from Wichita voters before the Aug. 1 primary election for city and school board races. Tell us what you want to know by sending questions to tips@wichitaeagle.com.
A look inside Costcos multi-million-dollar pitch for new Tri-Cities store at Queensgate

Costco Wholesale revealed a rare glimpse into how big real estate deals are made when it submitted an offer this month to lease state-owned land in Richlands Queensgate area.

It would be the chains second Tri-City store.

The Issaquah-based warehouse club wants to lease 28 acres at the northwest corner of Kennedy Road and Truman Avenue, in the June 1 letter of interest signed by Bruce Coffey, corporate counsel.

The letter was obtained by the Tri-City Herald under Washingtons Public Records Act.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources previously confirmed negotiations with Costco after public documents obtained from the city of Richland this month showed it assessed potential traffic impact fees last fall for a Costco at Queensgate.

The state agency received Costcos offer letter on June 6 and negotiations are ongoing, Kenny Ocker, communications manager told the Herald.

A Costco spokeswoman declined to comment on the offer, citing the companys policy of not sharing details about new locations until about two to three months before they open.

The offer letter confirms Costco intends to build and operate a membership warehouse club and last mile delivery facility, as well as gas station at the Richland site.

Costco Wholesale wants to lease 28 acres at the northwest corner of the Kennedy Road and Truman Avenue intersection, according to a June 1 letter of interest.

Financial terms

Costco offered annual lease payments of $400,000 in the first five years of the proposed 55-year deal, rising to about $585,600 in Years 21 through 25.

As currently proposed, the offer would generate $12.2 million for Department of Natural Resources in the first 25 years.

A new lease rate would be set in Year 26 based on a new appraisal of the propertys value, followed by 10% increases in Years 36, 41, 46 and 51.

The triple net lease would make Costco responsible for all expenses, including maintenance and other costs such as leasehold excise taxes, which are paid in lieu of property taxes. At the current rate of 12.84%, it would generate about $1.6 million in taxes.

Costco requested the option to buy the property if Washington state law is changed to allow DNR to sell it.

The Benton County assessor values the property at $5.5 million, though as a public entity the state does not pay property taxes.

The Costco deal could be a significant source of revenue for DNR, which manages state-owned lands to benefit public schools.

Timber sales account for the majority of its revenue, but leasing commercial real estate brought in nearly $11.3 million in 2021, according to its most recent annual report. Total revenue topped $373 million.

Costco has offered to lease the state-owned former orchard land for 55 years.

Vinter Square retail strip

Costco proposes a 55-year deal for the property, which is behind Vintner Square, the retail strip mall anchored by Target on one end and Grocery Outlet on the other.

Proposed terms include an initial term of 25 years, with the option to renew for one 10-year term followed by four consecutive five-year terms.

Once a lease is negotiated, Costco will have a due diligence period to assess the sites suitability.

Costco Wholesale, the Issaquah-based warehouse club, wants to lease 28 acres at the northwest corner of Kennedy Road and Truman Avenue, according to its letter of interest.

That could lead to additional negotiations beyond the current ones. Notably, the letter indicates Costco will upgrade area roads and seek city help with that.

Costco will seek financial assistance from the City of Richland for the construction and/or improvement of the (roads), it said in its offer. If the city declines, it said it will preserve the right to recover its investment from future tenants who benefit from the infrastructure it builds.

The city released a short statement in response to a Tri-City Herald request for comment on its willingness to support road construction: The city does not know what Costcos plans are and weve not had discussions with them on this subject, it said.

Costco Wholesale submitted a letter of interest to lease 28 acres at Kennedy Road and Truman Avenue in Richlands Queensgate area for up to 55 years in June 1, 2023. The Washington Department of Natural Resources is negotiating lease terms.

Costcos Tri-Cities history

Costco operates a single store in the Tri-Cities, in Kennewick. It has long been rumored to be scouting for a second site to relieve pressure. It was expected to buy land in Pascos Broadmoor development area before talks reportedly broke down.

The city of Pasco is investing $40 million to bring utilities, roads and other infrastructure to the area, financed through taxes on the new development that will happen later.

Customers head to their vehicles with their purchases recently at Costco in Kennewick. Rumors are swirling on social media and around the Tri-Cities that a Costco will be building a new Pasco store.

A city official said Pasco still hopes to secure the second store, but is confident Broadmoor can succeed without it.

Costco has never commented on a second Tri-City store, but that hasnt stopped rumors from circulating about potential locations.

Its preferred location at Queensgate is the site of a former orchard, which was removed after the lease expired.

Richland rezoned the area that includes the Costco site for commercial, residential and public use in 2018. DNR advertised it to prospective tenants in 2020.

Richlands transportation impact fee estimate contemplated a 160,000-square-foot store and a 50,000-square-foot warehouse, along with a gas station and car wash.

Costco did not mention a car wash in the offer letter though it indicated it could build other commercial uses beyond the store.

Costco would generate an estimated 652 vehicle trips during peak hours.

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Gwen Schmidt was just 21 when she was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer. Doctors said her chance of survival was just 5%.

I was scared, completely terrified, said Schmidt, now 35. It was like everything that I had known up until that point was just gone almost in an instant.

Schmidt was like any other college student, dividing time among friends, studying and going to parties. After she noticed blood in her toilet, she went to the doctor and got the devastating diagnosis.

Cancer was once considered a disease of aging, but a 2020 study led by researchers at the Penn State Cancer Institute found that rates of all cancers among this younger age group have risen 30% since the 1970s.

Schmidt is one of over a million adolescents and young adults, ages 15-39, who are diagnosed with cancer every year worldwide, according to research. The number is expected to grow.

Gwen Schmidt during treatment. (Courtesy Gwen Schmidt)

Scientists arent sure why, but it's most likely connected to better screening, as well as lifestyle factors like obesity, lack of exercise and alcohol.

With improvement in cancer therapies, an estimated 86% of young adults diagnosed with cancer are expected to survive, according to the National Cancer Institute. That means more young people are dealing with the aftermath of the disease.

Once you finish the active treatment, like the surgeries and the chemotherapy, thats when the hardest part comes, said Schmidt, who survived through multiple operations, radiation and chemotherapy. Because then you have to sit with your new reality and figure out what that looks like now.

That reality can be an emotional and physical roller coaster. Research has found that young cancer survivors had a higher risk of 24 health problems, including heart failure, kidney and liver disease, hearing loss and even stroke. They also face unique challenges in navigating dating after cancer, school and careers  and potentially decades of nerve-wracking screenings and scans to determine whether the cancer has returned or whether lifesaving treatment has triggered other diseases.

A growing number of hospitals and cancer centers nationwide are launching programs targeted at adolescents and young adults. Patients in such programs get counseling, personalized screening and, most important, a much-needed sense of community with other young people.

Gwen Schmidt with her family. (Rebecca Ganellen)

Youre finally in a room with a bunch of people who just get it, said Schmidt, who is still a patient at the adolescent and young adult program at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago and returns every six months for scans. They understand the feelings, the fears and just the crazy roller coaster cycle that it is to be diagnosed as a young adult.

What its like dating after cancer

One of the most daunting aspects of surviving cancer as a young adult is getting back into the dating scene, especially when treatment has affected fertility, experts say.

How do I disclose this huge thing that happened to me to someone that I just started dating? asked psychologist Stacy Sanford, a co-director of the adolescent and young adult cancer program at Northwestern Medicine. In some relationships it can even cause conflict, because its hard being a caregiver, and some people arent equipped to do that.

Dr. Annah Abrams, a psychiatrist and the director of the adolescent and young adult cancer program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, advises young patients about how to talk to their dates about cancer.

It doesnt have to be the opening line when youre meeting someone and talking with them, she said. But on that second or that third date, if it feels like somebody that you want to connect with further, its going to be important to have that as part of your conversation.

For Schmidt, getting back into dating was terrifying. The chemotherapy and the surgery that kept her alive destroyed her ability to have a biological child.

I spoke to this guy, and I told him I cant have kids of my own, and he said, I cant continue dating you, because having biological children is really important to me, she said. I said OK, thanks for being honest with me.

She eventually met Noah, whom she married 10 years after the diagnosis. And with help from Northwestern Medicine, she had her daughter, Vivian, through surrogacy nine months ago.

Long-term risks from cancer treatment

Historically, there has been limited research on the long-term effects of young adult cancer survivors compared to other age groups, experts say. Health problems can develop years later, because the treatment required to survive can damage our organs, said Dr. Stephanie Smith, a pediatric oncologist and adviser to the adolescent and young adult cancer program at Stanford Medicine.

Changes in heart function, heart valve disorders, both related to radiation, as well as certain chemotherapies, can impact the function of the heart over time, she said.

Some young cancer patients, particularly those treated with the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, may experience permanent hearing loss because of damage to the inner ear, for example.

Radiation, which kills cancer cells and shrinks tumors, can, unfortunately, raise the risk of developing leukemia and breast, lung and pancreatic cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

Because of that, doctors at adolescent and young adult cancer centers are following a specialized set of guidelines developed specifically for young cancer survivors. They can include specialized testing of the heart or routine mammograms or colonoscopies, but at earlier ages than the rest of the population.

Ideally, the effects of treatment should be monitored for many years, Sanford said.

We hope they have many more decades to live.

Scanxiety

One of the biggest sources of distress for young survivors is spending the rest of their lives wondering whether the cancer will come back. Years of follow-up testing can trigger what some call scanxiety, and young adults diagnosed with cancer can be more prone to psychological distress than older adults with cancer, data suggests.

I knew there would be a recurrence, so I was almost prepared for it, said Schmidt, whose cancer has already come back five times. I would go into a scan thinking, OK, how many tumors will they find?

Sanford of Northwestern helps young survivors work through fear using a form of psychotherapy called acceptance and commitment therapy, in which she helps them with the uncertainty that their cancer might come back.

Suffering with the unknown is hard for people, and theres no real fix to that, Sanford said. Sometimes its about letting go of the unknown and focusing on whats right in front of you. Thats what we have the most control of.

It was initially hard for Schmidt, who has been in remission for six years, to celebrate the big wins in life or even plan events a year in advance.

I did not think I would be alive long enough to get married and start a family, she said. All of my dreams have come true.

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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
UPDATE @ 10:30 a.m.:

A man accused of killing a woman in Franklin is now in custody.

Franklin Police Department posted on their social media that Elijah Thomas was taken into custody.

Further information about where he was located or the charges he faces was not available.

We are working to learn more and will update as new information becomes available.

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INITIAL REPORT @ 4 a.m.:

A woman was shot and killed after a man ambushed her and her family near a Franklin apartment complex Saturday overnight.

Elijah Thomas, 26, of Hamilton, allegedly ambushed the victim and her family in the 100 block of Boulder Drive, near Emerald Edge Apartments, Franklin Police Lieutenant Brian Pacifico told News Center 7.

The suspect then proceeded to fire multiple shots towards the victim, which hit her and would eventually kill her. He fled following the shooting.

Franklin Police, Fire, and EMS were dispatched to the crime scene at 12:39 a.m. Medics immediately attempted life saving measures to save the victim, but were unsuccessful. She was declared dead at the scene.

Officers requested and employed K-9 units as well as an aviation team to find the suspect. However, they were not able to track the suspect down.

Franklin Police requested aid from the public to track the suspect.

Thomas was described as a black male, standing at five-feet and eight-inches. He is approximately 135 pounds and wore all black during the incident. He was believed to be heading towards the victims residence in Lebanon. The exact location was not disclosed to News Center 7.

The victim was reportedly visiting her sister who resided in the nearby apartment complex, Pacifico said.

After the shooting and the search for the suspect, additional medics were requested. Unconfirmed reports indicated that a person present at the shooting was grazed by a bullet and possibly required medical attention for non-life-threatening injuries.

The victims identity was determined, however it was not released pending all her next of kin were notified.

The Franklin Police Department led the investigation into the shooting.

We will update this story as it develops.
From a desperate place across the Atlantic, a suspicious message was sent in 2018.

"My name is Joel from Liberia, West Africa," the message read. "I need some assistance from you. Business or financial assistance that will help empower me."

Six thousand miles away, a stranger received the message and answered. Ben Taylor previously told CBS News that at first, he believed the message was from a scammer.

"I just wanted to go down this rabbit hole and see what were the tricks that they used to get people," he said at the time. "I took him for a scammer, but he showed me that there was a different side to him."

After receiving the message, Taylor befriended the stranger and worked to help him help himself. Taylor and Joel made a little booklet about his life, which was then sold online. Joel made hundreds of dollars, and Taylor even traveled to visit him and see the results of their partnership.

Ben Taylor / Credit: Steve Hartman / On The Road

Once their story was shared by CBS News in 2018, many tried to take advantage of Taylor. His inbox and spam folder blew up with supposedly desperate pleas for money. One message was from a woman in Cameroon, who said she needed money for reconstructive plastic surgery. The email that Taylor received had been circulating on the internet for years, and was even posted on a scam-reporting website.

Something about it intrigued Taylor, though.

"I've read into her story, and it felt like something I couldn't ignore," he said. "I did a lot of work to kind of get to the bottom of it."

As it turned out, the story was true. The woman, Chikaordery, had had a botched surgery as a child that left her with intermittent but excruciating stomach pain.

So, just like he had in 2018, Taylor flew to see the woman who had been written off by so many as a scammer. He showed her a new book that he wrote, whose sales would pay for her operation, titled "It Shall Come to Pass," which included Chikaordery's drawings and her life story.

Chikaordery had the operation, and Ben Taylor is now home from his second trip, halfway around the world, to help a stranger.

"It's just a lot of fun to see people be the hero of their own story," he said.

To contact On the Road, or to send us a story idea, email us: OnTheRoad@cbsnews.com.

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Before 20 children died in a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and before 19 students died at Robb Elementary School, the shooters turned their guns on family members. The man who shot his five children, wife and mother-in-law in Enoch, Utah, in January had previously been investigated for allegedly choking his daughter. Just Friday, prosecutors said an Ohio man killed his three sons with a rifle and shot his wife as his daughter ran to get help.

As rates of gun violence increase in the United States, experts have identified a disturbing, decades-long trend: There's a clear intersection between mass shootings and domestic violence toward family members.

More than half of mass shootings  those involving four or more victims  are "actually shootings of intimate partners and families," said April Zeoli, Ph.D., an associate professor and the policy core director for the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention at the University of Michigan. Zeoli studies the intersection of domestic violence, gun violence and policies aimed at curtailing both.

Even in cases where family members and partners are not killed, the perpetrators of mass shootings often have a history of domestic violence, she said.

"Taken together, around 68% of mass shooters either killed their family and intimate partners, or they have a history of domestic violence," Zeoli said, citing a study that looked at the links between domestic violence and fatal mass shootings between 2014 and 2019. Mass killings committed by a family member far outnumber public mass killings, according to a dataset compiled by USA Today, the Associated Press and Northwestern University. Such incidents are seven times more likely to take place in a home or other shelter  and one has occurred, on average, every 3.5 weeks for the past two decades.

"If we ask what mass killers have in common, we note that they are almost all men, and that they have a history of controlling and abusing their wives and girlfriends  and sometimes other family members  before 'graduating' to mass killings," said Lisa Fontes, Ph.D., a psychologist and senior lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the author of a book about overcoming controlling relationships, in an email to CBS News.

The connection between domestic violence and mass killings

In many cases, guns start as a way to control, coerce or threaten victims, experts told CBS News.

Firearms "are an ever-present tool of terror," Zeoli said. "We know that they're used to intimidate. They're used to coerce. They're used to threaten people ... and even when the gun isn't being actively used or threatened, it is there and the victim knows it can be used or threatened, and so that leads to increased stress and increased terror over and above what is present in a relationship with domestic violence that doesn't involve guns."

Zeoli said that when a male domestic abuser has access to a firearm, his female partner's chances of being killed "increase by fivefold." Research has not looked at the risks male partners face when a female domestic abuser has a firearm, she said.

A key problem is the easy availability of firearms, researchers said. In 2020, there were an estimated 433.9 million guns in the American civilian population, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which draws on multiple sources to publish firearm production reports. That's about a hundred million more guns than people.

Some states have begun working to protect victims of domestic violence and the public with extreme risk protection orders, also known as red flag laws, which can temporarily prohibit a person from owning or possessing firearms. A 2022 study worked on by Zeoli and Shannon Frattaroli, Ph.D., an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a member of the school's Center for Gun Violence Solutions, with other researchers, found that when people threatening a mass shooting named a potential victim, that victim was "very often a partner," Frattaroli said, or family members. The only targets threatened more often than intimate partners were K-12 schools and businesses.

Police officers in Newtown, Connecticut, watch over a blocked-off section of the street where the Sandy Hook school shooter killed his mother at her home before opening fire at the nearby school, killing 26, in December 2012. / Credit: Jared Wickerham / Getty Images

While that study only looked at threats of violence, real-world situations have shown similar connections. In addition to the shootings at Sandy Hook, Robb Elementary, and in Enoch, Utah, a man who killed nine co-workers at a rail yard in California in 2021 had an alleged history of domestic violence, as did the gunman who killed 50 at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in 2016. The man who killed 26 at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, the following year, had been court-martialed for assaulting his wife and stepson.

"If we look beyond domestic violence, which is usually considered violence against an intimate partner, we can see that an even larger number of mass killers practice at home  committing violence against family members before they strike out in public," Fontes said.

How does domestic violence escalate to a mass killing?

A violent relationship is most likely to turn fatal when women are in the process of separating from an abusive partner, said Walter Dekeseredy, Ph.D., a professor of sociology at the University of West Virginia and the director of the school's Research Center on Violence.

During that time, Dekeseredy said, there is a "sixfold increase in the risk of a woman being killed."

In the case in Enoch, Utah, wife Tausha Haight had filed for divorce from her husband just weeks before the family was killed.

"What echoes if you talk to any police officer, homicide detective, what echoes through the homicide data are the words 'If I can't have you, no one can,' and so the murder is like a murder of the separation itself," Dekeseredy said. "These guys, they just can't handle the women leaving."

A makeshift memorial sits outside a home in Enoch, Utah on January 5, 2023. The memorial honors the seven family members, including five children, murdered by a man who then turned the gun on himself. / Credit: George Frey / Getty Images

The fear of violence is a key part of why people may stay in abusive relationships, said Kirk Burkhalter, a professor of law at New York Law School and the director of the 21st Century Policing Project. Before his legal career, Burkhalter was an NYPD officer for over two decades, retiring as a detective. He agreed with Dekeseredy's assertion that the moment of leaving is the most dangerous part of an abusive relationship, and can lead to the violence that a victim has been threatened with becoming real.

"One reason why many people stay in abusive relationships  is the fear of violence," Burkhalter said. "The nature of abuse is such that it's not done because the abuser is trying to push the person out of the home. In many cases, or most cases, it's done because the abuser wants to exercise a continued level of control and power over the victim. And you can't do so if the victim leaves."

In domestic abuse cases, Fontes said, the perpetrators of violence have often "become increasingly threatening and controlling" in the time before their partner contacts law enforcement. However, an abuser "may discover that there are few to no consequences for his behavior, depending on the jurisdiction and how seriously they take domestic abuse," leading to an escalation.

"He may cross the line on protective orders. He may refuse to make court-ordered child support payments. His anger and sense of entitlement grow and are not contained," Fontes said.

Zeoli and Frattoroli both said that it isn't a surprise to researchers that a person who harms intimate partners or family members would then escalate to hurting strangers.

"There is something to be said for being willing to use violence against the people you love and also being willing to use violence against strangers," Zeoli said.

Do red flag laws help?

At the federal level, domestic violence is the only type of crime specifically referenced in federal firearm restrictions, Zeoli said. People under a current domestic violence restraining order and those convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence charge cannot purchase or possess firearms, she said, and some states have enacted their own versions of these laws. The impact of this legislation has been "statistically significant," Frattaroli said, especially in states where people with a domestic violence protection order cannot purchase or possess firearms.

In states with red flag laws or extreme risk protection orders, firearms can be confiscated in some cases. Fontes said that these laws, when they are enacted and enforced, have "made a huge difference."

"What this research suggests is that people are turning to the courts turning to extreme risk protection orders to use this tool to temporarily remove guns from people who are behaving in a way that suggests that they might be planning to commit a mass shooting event," Frattaroli said. States with rules that say someone with a domestic violence protection order against them cannot purchase or possess guns have reduced the number of murders of partners, she said.

While these efforts are working, they aren't necessarily foolproof: Red flag laws aren't always enforced properly, and a restraining order may not always be obeyed.

In Colorado Springs, a shooter killed five and injured dozens at Club Q, a popular LGTBQ+ nightclub. Previously, the shooter had made a bomb threat in El Paso County, Colorado, and according to arrest records from that incident, threatened to stockpile guns and expressed a desire to be "the next mass shooter." The defendant also threatened to kill their grandparents if they interfered in that, CBS News previously reported.

The county and sheriff's office had previously announced its opposition to the state's red flag laws, which had been enacted in 2019, CBS affiliate KKTV reported. Victims have filed notices they intend to sue the sheriff's office, alleging the violence "could have been avoided" if the sheriff's office had enforced the state's red flag law, according to KKTV.

Noah Reich, left, and David Maldonado, the Los Angeles co-founders of Classroom of Compassion, put up a memorial with photographs of the five victims of a weekend mass shooting at a nearby gay nightclub on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022, in Colorado Springs, Colo. / Credit: David Zalubowski / AP

While when a perpetrator of domestic violence is not supposed to have or be able to purchase guns, there are loopholes that can allow them to gain access. Even when red flag laws or protection orders are properly used, the person's guns are returned to them after the orders expire.

"I cannot even begin to describe to you the terror that many women live in when they have successfully separated from their abuser, and the police return guns to their abuser," Fontes said.

To really break the cycle between gun violence and domestic violence, Zeoli said the United States needs to look at longer-term answers, not just legislative solutions. That means working to prevent domestic violence in the first place, she said, and restricting access to guns nationwide.

"Firearm violence is preventable. We have research that suggests that there are these laws that work to prevent intimate partner homicide. There are other laws that work to prevent gun violence," she said. "This is not a situation where we can't make a difference, where we have to live with gun violence. We absolutely don't."

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New Maxar satellite images reveal damage after explosion at Kakhovka dam

On the night of June 6, Russian troops blew up the Kakhovka HPP, which had been under control for over a year

The new image was acquired on June 16 and shows in detail the current appearance of the destroyed dam.

Read also: Energoatom chief explains how Kakhovka dam explosion affects safety at Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant

While previously the dam area was completely flooded, the new images show that the water has already receded.

Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS

Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS

Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS

Russias troops invaded Nova Kakhovka more than a year ago. On the night of June 6, the dam was exploded from the inside. The water flow from the reservoir, which was close to its highest recorded water level, endangered over 80 towns and settlements, including the regional capital of Kherson, downstream on the Dnipro River.

Read also: Kakhovka dam destruction kills 10, 40 missing in two Ukrainian oblasts - Interior Ministry

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Russias attack on the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant the largest man-made environmental disaster in Europe in decades.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Mayo Clinic accused of placing academic freedom in jeopardy after suspending physician who criticized US agency during pandemic

Dozens of professors from Harvard, Yale, Columbia and other universities wrote a letter to the Mayo Clinic on Thursday protesting the suspension of a physician after he publicly criticized a federal agency.

Placing academic freedom in jeopardy is certain to tarnish Mayos reputation among the many who have always thought of Mayo as a beacon of scientific integrity, the professors wrote.

In a January CNN story, Dr. Michael Joyner, who is principal investigator on a government-funded study on convalescent plasma, said he was frustrated with the National Institutes of Healths bureaucratic rope-a-dope, calling the agencys Covid-19 treatment guidelines a wet blanket that discouraged doctors from giving what he considered a promising treatment to their patients.

Two months later, Mayo suspended Joyner for a week without pay, instructing him, in part, to discuss approved topics only with reporters and to stick to prescribed messaging. The letter warned him that a prescribed set of behavior changes must be immediate and sustained and that failure to comply would result in termination of his employment  as would any additional validated complaints from the staff, even if unrelated to the issues outlined in the letter.

This weeks letter from the 29 professors said that in persecuting one of its most senior and valuable professors, Mayo is sending a terrible message not only to its other faculty, but also to other institutions in academic medicine. Joyner, a professor of anesthesiology, has been with Mayo for nearly 36 years.

Mayo should be ashamed, tweeted Dr. Nicholas Christakis, a physician and professor at Yale University who signed the letter, describing Mayos letter to Joyner as 1984-level doublespeak.

Last week, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression wrote about Joyners suspension.

The Academic Freedom Alliance wrote a letter to Mayo on June 7 in which it called the disciplinary action against Joyner a direct attack on his academic freedom.

Andrea Kalmanovitz, a Mayo spokesperson, said in a statement to CNN that Mayo disciplined Dr. Joyner for treating coworkers disrespectfully and for making unprofessional comments about the NIHs regulation of convalescent plasma and that the Mayo Clinic supports academic freedom, as evidenced by the hundreds of interviews Mayo physicians, including Dr. Joyner, give each year.

Idiomatic language

In November, CNN contacted Joyner for a story about the use of convalescent plasma  an antibody-rich blood product from people whove recovered from Covid-19 - to treat immune-compromised patients infected with the virus.

Emails obtained by CNN indicate that Joyner received permission from a Mayo communications official before doing the interview.

In January, Joyner and his colleagues published a study showing that transfusions of convalescent plasma might help people with Covid who had weakened immune systems.

However, other studies have shown that convalescent plasma is not effective, and the NIHs Covid-19 treatment guidelines say theres not enough evidence to recommend either for or against the use of convalescent plasma in people with compromised immune systems.

Three times last year, Joyner and dozens of other doctors from Harvard, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Columbia and other academic medical centers wrote emails to scientists at the NIH, sending them research materials and asking them to revise the guidelines.

In his March letter to Joyner, Dr. Carlos Mantilla, chair of Mayos Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, referenced this part of the CNN story: Joyner said hes frustrated with the NIHs bureaucratic rope-a-dope, calling the agencys guidelines a wet blanket that discourages doctors from trying convalescent plasma on these people.

Mantilla wrote that Mayos public affairs team raised concerns about his comments in the CNN story and that this most recent situation sheds light on a negative and unprofessional pattern of behavior exhibited by you for some time. Your use of idiomatic language has been problematic and reflects poorly on Mayo Clinics brand and reputation.

Joyners attorney, Kellie Miller, told CNN that its pretty clear that use of idiomatic language would be a form of creative expression when discussing his own scholarship and research.

Suzanne Nossel, the CEO of PEN America, a human rights and free expression organization, said Mayos objection to Joyners idiomatic language seemed like an idiosyncratic complaint.

She said she wondered what might be next  whether Mayo might tell its scientists that they couldnt use metaphors or similes or analogies in their discussions with journalists.

To object to the mode of expression, or what phraseology is used, runs counter to the spirit of policy that purports to protect academic freedom and freedom of expression, Nossel said. [Joyner] should be able to communicate using the language and the phrasing of his choice.

The Mayo spokesperson, Kalmanovitz, said in her statement that Dr. Joyners comments about the NIH did not reflect the expression of a scientific or academic opinion, but instead were an expression of his personal frustration with the NIHs regulation of a therapy he had championed.

Criticism over story on transgender athletes

The disciplinary letter to Joyner also mentioned comments he made in a June 2022 New York Times article.

On June 19, the newspaper published an article about transgender female swimmers being banned from competing in high-level international competitions, which quoted Joyner as saying, There are social aspects to sport, but physiology and biology underpin it.

In his disciplinary letter to Joyner, the Mayo official wrote that your June 2022 comments in a NY Times article were problematic in the media and LGBTQI+ community at Mayo Clinic and that Mayo executives had met with Joyner and discussed your use of language viewed as inflammatory in this context.

On May 29, 2022, a few weeks before that article, the New York Times published a story about Lia Thomas, a transgender woman swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania. According to Joyners attorney, both the June article and the May article used quotes from a single interview he gave the newspaper in March 2022.

The first article discussed the debate over the role of testosterone in physiological development.

Testosterone is the 800-pound gorilla, Joyner said in that story.

On Twitter a few days later, Jennifer Winter, an LGBTQ advocate in Rochester, New York, asked Joyner whether he was intentionally trying to be transphobic by invoking imagery of a giant gorilla when talking about trans women in sports?

Joyner was speaking about testosterone. Hes not speaking about people, said Miller, his attorney. He was not speaking about any individuals or groups.

Mayos disciplinary letter to Joyner did not mention this May New York Times story.

Claims of behavior issues

The disciplinary letter stated that Joyner had failed to work consistently within Mayo Clinic guidelines related to media interactions and that colleagues had described your tone as unpleasant and having a bullying quality to it. One individual has asked to not work with you anymore because of your behavior.

Joyners attorney told CNN that Mayo has not given any examples of such behavior and that no examples are in his personnel file.

We have repeatedly requested examples of these allegations, and Mayo has not responded to our requests, Miller said.

Mikes personnel file has years of excellent evaluations and compliments to his collegiality and contributions at Mayo.

Mayos letter to Joyner also mentioned a 2020 disciplinary issue that involved compensation, according to both the Mayo spokesperson and Joyners lawyer.

Nossel, the PEN America CEO, said that when universities want to control a researchers speech, they will sometimes pile on with other unrelated complaints in what she described as a proxy reprisal.

She said that could serve to chill other researchers from speaking about their areas of expertise out of fear of being called out for anybody theyve ever offended or bothered.

CNNs Amanda Musa and John Bonifield contributed to this report.

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Mexico's National Institute of Migration (INM) rescued 129 migrants who were located in the back of a truck in Sayula de Aleman

Mexican officials find 129 migrants in truck amid heat wave Mexico's National Institute of Migration (INM) rescued 129 migrants who were located in the back of a truck in Sayula de Aleman

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican authorities found 129 migrants, mostly from Guatemala, crowded into a truck trailer in the eastern state of Veracruz, the National Migration Institute (INM) said in a statement on Saturday.

The migrants were crammed into a trailer in the midst of a heat wave in Mexico, where higher-than-normal temperatures have topped 45C (113F) in several states, including Veracruz, where the operation took place.

Immigration agents in late May had uncovered another 175 migrants further south, mainly from Central America, in Chiapas state. Another 300 people were stopped at a checkpoint in Veracruz in March.

Migrants fleeing violence and poverty in Latin America frequently pay smugglers in an attempt to pass through Mexico bound for the U.S. Some are forced to cross areas rife with drug violence, making them vulnerable to organized crime.

Among the travelers found on Friday were adults from Guatemala, Honduras, India and El Salvador, and 19 unaccompanied minors, the migration institute said. It added that the children will be put under state guardianship, while the others will be processed to determine their legal status in Mexico. Four suspected traffickers were arrested in the operation.

On Friday the commissioner of the INM, Francisco Garduno, had met with Guatemalan officials to discuss reparations for the victims of a deadly March fire in a migrant detention center in Mexico that claimed 39 lives, the INM said in a separate statement.

(Reporting by Lucinda Elliott and Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; Editing by Franklin Paul)
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, blasts Ron DeSantis over his endorsement struggles with Fla. GOP members of Congress: 'Not particularly a relationship guy'

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez on Friday said Gov. DeSantis isn't "particularly a relationship guy."

Suarez made the comment as he critiqued the governor's endorsement record among Florida Republicans.

While on "Fox & Friends," Suarez said that he was a "people person" who could connect with voters.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who on Thursday jumped into the 2024 presidential race, said in a recent interview that fellow White House aspirant and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis isn't "a relationship guy" as he sought to explain the governor's struggles with securing endorsements among the Sunshine State's plethora of GOP House members.

Suarez, a Republican who was first elected as the mayor of Miami in 2017, is now the third Floridian to enter the 2024 race for the White House alongside former President Donald Trump and DeSantis.

And in a Friday interview on the Fox News program "Fox & Friends," Suarez critiqued DeSantis  who jumped into the presidential race last month and is widely seen as the biggest threat to a Trump presidential renomination  over his political acumen in a race where GOP federal officials in Florida have by and large continued to support the former president's return to the White House.

"You know, the governor is not particularly a relationship guy," Suarez said on the program. "He doesn't have, from what I understand, a great relationship with a lot of our federal elected officials."

"That is why he lost, I think, 12 out of 13 [congressional] endorsements in his own state ... because he doesn't call people and he doesn't try to build a relationship," the mayor continued.

While Trump has earned the support of 12 out of the 20 House Republicans from Florida  including high-profile lawmakers like Reps. Matt Gaetz and Byron Donalds  DeSantis' sole Republican congressional backer from the Sunshine State so far is Rep. Laurel Lee, a former Florida secretary of state.

Suarez has not attracted much major support at the onset of his campaign but, in the interview, he sought to differentiate his leadership skills from DeSantis, remarking that he is a "people person"  a quality that some current and former lawmakers have said was lacking with the governor.

"You know, I'm very different," Suarez said during the Fox News interview. "Like I said, I'm accessible. I call people. I'm a people person."

"I love people and I look at them in the eye and shake their hands, you know, when I see them. So, that's never been an issue for me," he added.

Despite the criticism from some Republicans, DeSantis remains Trump's top competitor in the GOP race and has been embraced by conservatives across the country for his brash governing style in Florida.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A 19-year-old Michigan man accused of threatening a mass attack on a synagogue will make his second appearance in court this week after the FBI arrested him on Friday and discovered a cache of weapons at his home.

Seann Patrick Pietila, of Pickford on Michigans Upper Peninsula, was charged with one count of interstate communication of threats after posting antisemitic content on social media, prosecutors said. He appeared in court on Friday and a detention hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

According to prosecutors, Mr Pietila seemed inspired by mass shootings that included the 15 March 2019 mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand which left 51 dead and 40 injured, The Detroit News reported. Court documents outlined how authorities found makeshift plans for Mr Pietilas own event on the tragedys five year anniversary  15 March 2024  possibly targeting the Shaarey Zedek congregation in East Lansing, according to the AP.

The investigation began with a tip earlier this week that someone was making threats on Instagram to commit a mass killing, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court, the AP reported.

Officials said that a note was found in Pietilas phone mentioning Shaarey Zedek and the date of 15 March 2024, the Lansing State Journal reported.

The note continued: Me and Limey, Equipment: hand-made pipe bombs, molotovs, Two Stag-15s, 12 guage shotgun and two back up Glock 18s AND a Akm full auto conversion, the paper reported.

On the same day the teenager was arrested, another man was found guilty by a federal jury of attacking.a synagogue 350 miles away in Pittsburgh in 2018.

Robert Bowers was found guilty on all 63 counts he faced, which included hate crimes resulting in death and the obstruction of the free exercise of religion resulting in death. The ruling came more than four years after he killed 11 people during the Tree of Life synagogue attack.

On 18 October 2018, Bowers walked into the synagogue with an AR-15 and other guns and began firing at the congregants. The attack would become the worst anti-Semitic attack in US history.

In addition to the 11 people he killed, Bowers injured seven people, including five police officers who engaged him in a shootout.

In Michigan, Rabbi Amy Bigman of Shaarey Zedek told The Detroit News the synagogue had notified its congregation of 220 families after learning on Friday afternoon about the Pietila investigation from FBI agents, and that an arrest had been made and that person had been charged, the AP reported.

We wanted our congregation to know that federal, state and local authorities are aware of the situation that didnt happen because our law enforcement was on top of things, which we are thankful for, Bigman said.

If convicted, Mr Pietila faces up to five years in federal prison. The Independent has reached out to his lawyer.

US Attorney Mark Totten said on Friday that Mr Pietila was alleged to have communicated with others on social media and evinced a neo-Nazi ideology, antisemitism, glorification of past mass shooters, and a desire and intent to mimic past mass shooters or mass casualty events, according to the State Journal.

Mr Totten said he was incredibly grateful to the FBI for their swift action to identify and arrest Pietila, the AP reported.

Antisemitic threats and violence against our Jewish communities  or any other group for that matter  will not be tolerated in the Western District of Michigan, he said. Today and every day, we take all credible threats seriously.
Migrants speak out about journey to Sacramento, trickery before flight paid for by Florida

Their journey to Sacramento began with different emotions.

Some embarked smiling, hoping for an opportunity for housing and work. Others wrestled with skepticism  with at least one not willing to sign a consent form handed to them hours before they were moved out of a Super 8 hotel in Deming, New Mexico.

But within minutes of arriving at their unknown destination, nearly all of the 36 migrants were in agreement: It was all a lie and trickery.

Two weeks after the state of Florida chartered two planes to take the Latin American migrants to Sacramento, many of the individuals aboard the flights are still questioning the reasons why.

On Friday, The Sacramento Bee spoke to four of the migrants  all from Venezuela. They shared several similarities in their stories, while also expressing hope for the possibility of a future life in Sacramento.

The migrants spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing violence and other reprisals for their presence in the capital region.

All four left behind family and immigrated to the U.S. with hopes for a better life. They each survived a treacherous, monthslong journey to get here.

Seeking asylum, they eventually found solace and work in El Paso, Texas, before being approached outside a migrant center by individuals who promised housing, jobs and immigration services.

One of the migrants recalled one of the individuals as a woman named Miranda.

The migrants were then driven about 100 miles to Deming, New Mexico, where the majority signed consent forms to participate in a voluntary transportation program funded by the state of Florida at the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis and contracted by Vertol Systems Co. Florida officials have taken responsibility for the flights, arguing the migrants signed these waivers and went willingly.

Three of the migrants said they did not comprehend the consent forms because they were in English. The fourth provided The Bee with English and Spanish versions of the document, saying he did not sign it despite pressure tactics from the organizers.

All four went on to board the Sacramento-bound flights, which took place on June 2 and June 5.

Californias Attorney General Rob Bonta issued public records requests Wednesday to DeSantis office, as well as the Florida Division of Emergency Management, to continue to investigate the flights.

None of the migrants said on Friday that they knew Sacramento was the intended destination, nor had they even heard of the city before arriving. Some were told they would be sent to Los Angeles.

Each of them said they felt deceived.

I dont see it as just because we are human beings, said one of the men, a 34-year-old Venezuelan national. Human beings should be given consideration.

A migrant mother of three looks at running shoes Friday that were donated to the group in Sacramento after they were transported to the city from El Paso, Texas, on two plane flights by a Florida contractor. Hector Amezcua/hamezcua@sacbee.com

Fleeing their country

The four migrants fleeing Venezuela left for varying reasons.

One of the migrants, who is 40, made the trek in hopes of securing a higher-paying job to support his 11 children. In his home country, he earned about $20 a day.

My goal has always been to find work to provide for my family, he said, speaking in Spanish. I dont want my children to suffer.

He described the journey as strenuous, particularly seeing dozens of dead bodies while traveling the Darien Gap, Panamas treacherous jungle isthmus. Some days, the man recalled, he had to choose between eating or affording a bus ride. Other days, people helped him along his journey by offering money or food.

The entire journey took 62 days. He said that included two deportations, a kidnapping in Mexico and the death of two friends.

The dream ended for them there, he said.

Another migrant, a 33-year-old man, made the journey alongside his wife, leaving behind their 9-year-old son with a grandmother. They feared the boy would not survive if he came with them.

He said the couple immigrated because there was an order for his capture by the Venezuelan government for political reasons.

Their trek lasted roughly 45 days. He described multiple instances of going days without eating, at one point losing 40 pounds in a 15-day span. He and his wife also got separated for a few weeks before finally reuniting in El Paso.

The Venezuelan couple had been working in town for seven days when they were approached by four people  one of them named Miranda.

My first thought was to accept help, being true or not, he said.

They were able to board the flight together.

Gabby Trejo, executive director of multi-congregation religious organization Sacramento ACT, talks Friday with members of the group of migrants, left, that were flown to Sacramento from El Paso, Texas, on two flights by a Florida contractor. Hector Amezcua/hamezcua@sacbee.com

Arriving in Sacramento

Since landing in Sacramento, the four migrants have quickly become aware of the media attention and political discourse surrounding their circumstances.

They couldnt care less.

We arent involved in any politics here, said the 34-year-old Venezuelan migrant. We are immigrants. We dont know anything here, from how to take a train or get an Uber.

You think we know politics? he said Friday in a moment of frustration, recalling the ordeal.

But frustration has turned to action, the migrants said.

Theyve turned their attention to finding work, the main reason they traveled thousands of miles. At the moment, none can work due to their immigration status. All four have pending immigration court cases across the country.

A coalition of state and Sacramento County leaders and religious groups such as Sacramento ACT have helped connect the migrants with immigration legal assistance to resolve their cases without delay. They are also providing shelter and food.

But on Wednesday, more than four dozen immigrant rights groups sent a letter to Bonta, urging him to help the 36 migrants secure U visas to remain in the U.S. This status would allow for work permits, among other opportunities.

Only 31 migrants remain in Sacramento, with five being picked up by family and friends.

The four migrants who spoke to The Bee said they have no preferences for work, and would be open to any job that allows them to start making a living. They appreciate the help from the organizations assisting them since their arrival but look forward to when they can support themselves.

The only benefit of this situation is that we ended up in good hands. ... But you think we went through all that suffering to not work?
When Jose Medina was a kid growing up in Texas, teachers stopped him from speaking Spanish in their classrooms. And his parents stopped him from speaking English at home.

Medina never felt like he belonged. But years later, when he became a teacher himself, Medina says he unwittingly started doing the same thing.

I used to be the teacher that said to kids, Thats not the way that you say it. No se dice asi. Because thats what I was taught, Medina told CNN in a recent interview.

Medina says hed correct the way students and even members of his family spoke English or Spanish, and hed stop them from blending the two languages.

Now, the 52-year-old educational consultant and language researcher is trying to teach others to use a different approach. Hes working with school districts across the country to create and grow dual language programs that value home languages just as much as English. And hes gotten millions of views and likes on TikTok, and more than 131,000 followers on the platform, by sharing a message he wishes hed heard decades ago.

Speaking Spanglish is a superpower, Medina says. And its one he says hasnt gotten the attention it deserves, inside or outside the classroom.

Its something we need to embrace rather than be afraid of, he says.

Why he sees Spanglish as a strength

Medina says there are three ways Spanglish is spoken:

 Alternating between English and Spanish in a sentence.

 Using or creating words that mix Spanish and English, such as saying troca (combining the English word truck with a Spanish ending) or planching (combining the Spanish word planchar, which means to iron, with an English ending).

 Applying the syntax from one language to the other, such as saying, The car red is driving down the street. (In Spanish adjectives generally come after nouns).

Some of Medinas most popular TikToks celebrate examples of these combinations.

If you hear someone speaking in Spanglish, dont hate! Be envious  but in a good way, Medina says in one TikTok, arguing that multilingual people who speak in Spanglish are functioning at high levels of cognitive thinking as they mix and match words from their full linguistic repertoire.

Spanglish is not just a haphazard situation where someone is just mixing the two languages. Theres rhyme and reason and pattern.  Its a skill, Medina told CNN.

Since Medina posted his first video about Spanglish in May 2020, its been viewed more than 1.3 million times and garnered more than 300,000 likes on the platform. And hes continued to share his thoughts on the topic in numerous posts.

He shares his own experience as what he calls a linguistic oppressor in recovery, noting that teachers at school and parents at home are  like he once did  often unintentionally getting in the way of kids potential to learn and grow when they tell them to stop speaking Spanglish.

For years, Medina has been a prominent voice in bilingual education. His DC-area consulting company, Dr. Jose Medina Educational Solutions, advises school districts across the country. Hes the coauthor of widely used guidelines, hes a researcher and he trains teachers, too. But he says the TikTok videos he started making on a whim as a pandemic pastime have given him a chance to reach an even wider audience.

I have so many families and children that will reach out to me and say, Thank you  thank you for being yourself. Thank you for elevating Spanglish. Thank you for making me understand that a lot of this is not my doing, Medina says.

Another expert calls Spanglish the fastest growing hybrid language in the world

Medina isnt the only expert making a case for Spanglish.

Ilan Stavans, a professor at Amherst College, has been pushing for greater recognition of the phenomenons import for years.

Stavans says its impossible to know exactly how many people speak Spanglish, but theres no doubt millions in the US are regularly conversing in what he calls the fastest growing hybrid language in the world.

Stavans, author of the 2003 book Spanglish: The Making of a New American Language and Spanglish translations of several literary classics, such as Alicias Aventuras en Wonderlandia, says decades ago many reacted with surprise and anger when they learned about his work.

Now, he says, Spanglish is a much better understood and accepted part of American life.

But thats not to say it doesnt still have its critics.

Its very controversial, Stavans says, noting that his work on Spanglish has drawn opposition from some who think its use undermines English and Spanish.

But in spite of all those oppositional voices, Spanglish continues to develop quite fast, Stavans says.

Stavans traces the origins of Spanglish back at least 150 years, to the days after the Mexican-American War ended and vast swaths of Mexico became part of the United States. Now there are more Spanish speakers living in the United States than in Spain. By 2050, there could be more Spanish speakers in the United States than in any other country in the world. And with each new Spanish-speaking immigrant group that arrives in the United States, and each new generations exploration of their identity, Stavans says, Spanglish continues and evolves.

Its here to stay, Stavans says.

A memory of his teacher laughing still haunts him

But despite the deep roots of Spanglish in the United States, Medina says its use was frowned upon when he was growing up in El Paso, Texas, and he struggled to fit in.

My Spanish was never good enough for those in Mexico, but my English was never good enough for those here, he says.

In elementary school, he wasnt allowed to speak Spanish, the language he spoke with his Mexico-born parents at home, and his first-grade teacher even changed his name  without asking  from Jose to Joe.

He still remembers how humiliating that felt.

And hell never forget the way she laughed at him one day when he admitted he didnt know a word in a book shed just read to the class: napkin.

Even now, decades later, those memories sting  and theyve stuck with him.

He shares them in a childrens book about his life that some schools now use in dual education programs. In the illustrated book of poems, he describes his journey from being ridiculed in school to eventually becoming a school principal serving many students who were English learners like him.

The moment when his first-grade teacher laughed at him for not knowing the word napkin is depicted in a childrens book Medina wrote about his life, What You Say, You Do. Medina says that memory still stings decades later. - Courtesy Dr. Jose Medina

And he describes the message he told students on his first day as principal in a Texas elementary school: No matter what language they speak, they are welcomed and loved.

Many things have changed since his days as a student. But Medina fears in some US classrooms, children are still being crushed, just as he was in first grade, and hes doing everything he can to stop that from happening.

Were hurting kids when we dont actually leverage everything that they bring into the classroom he says.

And TikTok is just one of the tools hes using to push for change.

Teachers are listening to his message, too

Medina looks at a grid of nodding faces on his computer screen.

Hes just explained a key part of todays lesson on Zoom to a group of teachers from the San Elizario Independent School District outside El Paso.

His focus for this training session: the way students select the words they need from all the words they know in any language based on context.

Medina says he had a lightbulb moment years ago when he first learned about this concept, known as translanguaging, from a leading language researcher at the City University of New York.

That research, he says, led him to realize all the times hed been a linguistic oppressor.

Medina poses with educators after giving a keynote address at the Texas Association for Bilingual Education conference in Dallas, Texas. - Courtesy Dr. Jose Medina

For a long time, we really were under the misunderstanding that somehow I had like a monolingual person who speaks Spanish inside my mind next to a monolingual person that speaks English, and the two shall never meet, Medina says.

But today, Medina reminds the teachers from San Elizario that the language bubble inside a students mind contains a mixture of words they can draw from  from academic language often preferred in school settings to social language used to talk with friends.

We have Spanglish all over that bubble. And it is alive and ever-changing. And one language never begins, and the other never ends, Medina says. Its only schools that have taught us to separate language, because were so English-centered in the United States.

What he tells teachers to do when students use Spanglish

So what should teachers do if a student says a word in Spanglish, or other languages theyve learned to speak outside the classroom?

Support them, Medina says, by listening to what theyre saying and using it as a jumping off point to explore and explain how to say the same thing in other ways.

The Spanglish word doesnt have to be spit on or eradicated in order for that to happen.  It doesnt mean that we dont teach kids to navigate different registers, he says. It just means that we dont have to destroy the language of the home and the community in order to do that.

Susana Frescas, San Elizarios instructional programs administrator, says that philosophy has resonated with teachers in her district  and shes seen how much it helps students in the classroom.

Its just about respecting and validating.  Its not about, no, its not said like that, where the kids are afraid to even speak, she says. Its a kinder, gentler way.

He sees his first-grade photo as a reminder

As Medina continues his efforts to spread his message, he keeps his first-grade class photo in the signature of every email he sends, and puts it on the first slide of every presentation he makes.

Medina says he puts this photo of him as a first grader at the beginning of every presentation he makes. - Courtesy Dr. Jose Medina

To Medina, that picture of a little boy with a bowl haircut is a reminder of the trauma he suffered as a young student and how far hes come. Its also a reminder of how far the education system still has to go to make sure children are supported and encouraged to be who they are.

In his TikTok videos, Medina provides commentary in English and Spanish. Sometimes he sprinkles in words from other languages, too.

But Spanglish, he says, is the language of his heart. And now, hes proud to speak it.

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A Mississippi jail escapee was captured after a 3-week manhunt, authorities say. It's the jail's 6th escape within 2 months.

Local and federal authorities captured escaped Mississippi inmate Joseph Spring on Saturday, nearly three weeks after he escaped a jail through an air duct. Twitter/@TyreeSheriff

The second of two inmates who escaped a Mississippi jail last month has been captured after three weeks.

He was one of six inmates to escape the Raymond Detention Center within the last two months.

Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones conceded that the jail is "poorly built" and is being fixed.

One of two inmates who escaped a Mississippi jail last month was captured Saturday morning after "a brief vehicle encounter" with authorities, the Hinds County Sheriff announced.

Joseph Spring originally disappeared from the Raymond Detention Center on May 29, along with his fellow inmate Michael Lewis. Lewis was captured by deputies later that same day, but Spring led authorities on a nearly three-week manhunt before being captured in the west Jackson area, according to authorities.

Sheriff Tyree Jones told reporters last month that deputies noticed Spring and Lewis' disappearances after finding items and "what appeared to be blood" near the jail's fence. Deputies did a headcount and realized the two inmates were missing.

Jones acknowledged that the jail was "poorly built," and that escapes are a huge problem, according to CNN.

"We believe that they were able to get access to an air duct within the facility, which led to the exterior of the facility where they were able to go over a fence and escape," Jones said.

Just one month prior to Spring and Lewis' escapes, four other inmates escaped through breaches in a cell and the roof, according to NBC News.

CNN reported that of the four inmates who escaped in April, two have been recaptured, and two are dead.

Jones told reporters in a news conference last month that officials were rushing to fix some of the jail's structural defects, as well as add more staff to patrol the facility. He added that a new detention center is being built.

Read the original article on Insider
More than 70 letters containing a suspicious white powder were sent to Kansas state lawmakers on Friday, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) said.

The agency said in a post on its Facebook page that no injuries have been reported, but everyone should remain vigilant in handling their mail. The letters went to legislators and other public officials.

KBI agents are working with the FBI, local police and fire departments and sheriffs offices and the state Department of Health and Environment, Highway Patrol, Office of the State Fire Marshal and National Guard to respond to the letters.

Officials had initially reported that they were aware of more than 30 letters containing the powder on Friday but raised the number past 70 by Saturday.

Tom Day, the director of Legislative Administrative Services, told legislators that the letters had a return address of either Topeka or Kansas City, according to emails obtained by The Topeka Capital-Journal. He said the letters were given to the KBI and FBI.

A spokesperson for state Attorney General Kris Kobach (R) told the outlet that his office received a letter, while a spokesperson for state House Speaker Dan Hawkins (R) said his office did not receive a letter, but multiple members of his caucus did.

A spokesperson for Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) told the Journal that the governors office has not received any letter.

The investigation remains ongoing, officials said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
More Republicans want to take the fight to Mexicos cartels. Experts say its a bad idea.

A fringe idea to directly take on the Mexican cartels with the U.S. military is gaining some traction in the Republican party  even as critics warn that any unilateral action would endanger relations with Mexico and fail to alleviate the flow of drugs across the border.

Several leading Republican presidential candidates, including former President Trump, have backed unilateral military action in Mexico. At the same time, conservative lawmakers have introduced legislation to either authorize U.S. military action against the cartels or designate them as terrorist groups, a label that could pave the way for military force.

I will impose a full naval embargo on the drug cartels and deploy military assets to inflict maximum damage on cartel operations, Trump said in a 4-minute video this month filmed on the border.

Yet direct military action still has scant support among centrist Republicans in Congress, who argue there are more effective ways to address the cartels and stop the illegal trafficking of fentanyl and other illicit drugs that are killing Americans.

More Defense coverage from The Hill

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said military action sounds great in principle but would likely backfire.

What you end up doing is youre essentially declaring war against Mexico and it would have widespread ramifications, McCaul told The Hill. There are ways to deal with the cartels, including other operations not quite so public.

The debate has already strained an already fractious relationship with Mexico, Americas No. 1 trading partner.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador blasted the proposals for military action in his country earlier this year, saying his country was a free, independent, sovereign state that would not allow foreign government interference.

Stephanie Brewer, the director for Mexico at the Washington Office on Latin America, said some of the talk might be political rhetoric  but admitted she had a real concern about the discussions around military force in Mexico.

The way its being discussed normalizes what should be a very abnormal proposal, Brewer said. There are already consequences in the bilateral relationship just from the proposals that are out there.

Launching military operations against the cartels, who have operated in Mexico for decades, is not a new idea and related legislation has been introduced in the past.

But it appears to be attracting more GOP support along with rising concerns over fentanyl, which kills 150 Americans everyday. While the ingredients for the synthetic opioid are produced in China, much of production occurs in Mexico. Both countries have largely dismissed U.S. criticism over their roles in the epidemic in America.

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The cartels are also involved with smuggling migrants over the border, a leading concern for Republicans in the 2024 White House race. And many Republicans have sought to link the two issues, though research has shown migrants play a marginal role in the fentanyl trade.

Trump has floated the idea of military action against cartel operations before and as president privately discussed with aides several options to combat the criminal organizations, including with military strikes, according to Rolling Stone.

In his video from the border this month, Trump pledged to fight the cartels and argued the country has turned into hell due to President Bidens handling of the border.

He is not alone with that view in the crowded GOP presidential field.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said the cartels will cease to exist if he is elected president.

I will freeze their assets, I will build the wall and I will allow the worlds greatest military to fight these terrorists because thats exactly what they are, Scott said in a May speech.

FILE - Republican presidential candidate South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott speaks during a campaign event with the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women, Thursday, May 25, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Republican presidential candidate South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott speaks during a campaign event with the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women, Thursday, May 25, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley proposed sending in special forces to combat the cartels in what she said would be a similar method to addressing ISIS in the Middle East.

Either you do it or we do it, Haley said at a town hall in March, addressing Mexico. We are not going to let all of this lawlessness continue to happen.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the top candidate after Trump, has not explicitly endorsed military action but said last month we really need to hold the Mexican drug cartels accountable over migration concerns.

And Vivek Ramaswamy, a longshot for the GOP presidential nomination, said in May the U.S. should use our military to annihilate the Mexican drug cartels and finally end the supply-driven fentanyl crisis.

If a Republican takes the White House and the GOP also wins both chambers of Congress, there still appears to be limited GOP support for an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), which would be needed to conduct military operations without a formal declaration of war.

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks outside the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse, Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in Miami, before former President Donald Trump makes a federal court appearance on dozens of felony charges accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents and thwarting the Justice Departments efforts to get the records back. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told The Hill that we need to do all we can to block the cartels from endangering the U.S. but opposed military action.

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Ala.), who sits on the Senate side of the committee, declined to speak on any specific proposal but suggested another path.

The first way to combat the cartels in Mexico is to secure the border, he said.

Still, there is congressional support to get tougher on Mexicos government, which is largely seen in Washington as too corrupt and inadequate to combat the scourge of cartels. Mexico City launched an ongoing war on the criminal organizations in 2006 with little results, even with billions of dollars of support from the U.S.

Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) and Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) introduced legislation in January to create an AUMF against the cartels. The lawmakers equated the organizations to terrorist groups like ISIS and argued it was time we directly target them and go on offense.

More Mexico coverage from The Hill

Other legislation is more limited, seeking to designate the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations (FTO) and label fentanyl as a chemical weapon  but those moves could open the door for military action.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said his bill for an FTO designation will set the stage for military action if needed and explained it would put the cartels in our crosshairs.

An FTO designation might instead lead to non-military action, such as the prosecution of cartel supporters, but experts say the label would be misguided because criminal organizations operate differently than terrorist groups. A similar designation to label fentanyl a chemical weapon would also be misapplied, experts told The Hill.

Michael Lettieri, a senior fellow for human rights at the University of California San Diegos Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, said drug trafficking has a market motive and does not have a political motive, in contrast to terrorist groups.

The thing that actually makes drug trafficking work is corruption networks, which you do not go after with the military, Lettieri said. You go after [the cartels] with financial investigations and sanctions.

The Hill Elections 2024 coverage

Any military operation would be extremely difficult because there are dozens of criminal gangs in Mexico and several competing cartels, including powerful transnational crime syndicates such as the Sinaloa and Juarez cartels.

Mexicos more than decade-long war on drugs has also failed to achieve results and experts say the U.S. military would face similar obstacles.

Christopher Adams, a senior policy analyst focusing on homeland security at Rand Corporation, said cartels are decentralized and scattered across northern Mexico.

Adams said it would be difficult to disrupt these dispersed operations through airstrikes or special operations alone.

In addition, any military action taken would likely compound the migrant situation at the border, and any action taken without cooperation of the Mexican government could threaten the productive relationship [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] has with Mexican law enforcement, Adams told The Hill in a statement.

More widely accepted proposals to combat the drug trade are centered around stronger U.S.-Mexico cooperation, more public health initiatives and tighter gun control legislation, as cartels are generally armed with American-made weapons.

But tragic incidents involving the cartels have heightened emotions and fueled calls for action in the U.S.

In March, after four Americans were mistakenly kidnapped in Mexico by the Gulf Cartel, and two of the U.S. citizens died, some Republicans began clamoring to wipe out the criminal organizations.

Just days after the kidnapping, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said the deaths of 100,000 Americans every year from fentanyl is enough reason alone to authorize military force, backing the idea of special forces operations.

Whatever you would do to ISIS or al-Qaeda killing 100,000 Americans every year, thats exactly what our government should do to these cartels in Mexico, Cotton told Fox News at the time.

U.S. officials have repeatedly warned against unilateral military action.

Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Defense One forum in late March that he wouldnt recommend anything be done without Mexicos support.

Milley emphasized the problem was a law enforcement issue best done in cooperation with other nations and local governments.

Melissa Dalton, the assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs, said the U.S. could face steep consequences for the use of force.

We need to be clear-eyed about what some of the implications might be, she said at a March House hearing. I do worry, based on signals, very strong signals weve gotten from Mexicans in the past, concerns about their sovereignty [and] potential reciprocal steps that they might take.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
MQ-9 Night

A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone has conducted a landing on a remote dirt strip for the first time. Connected with the landing, the service also demonstrated the MQ-9's ability to carry small, but critical cargoes. This comes as the Air Force and others look for new ways to utilize the Reaper amid concerns about its vulnerability in higher-end conflicts, namely with a near-peer competitor like China or Russia.

The dirt strip landing took place on June 15 at the Nine Mile Training Center, just south of Fort Stockton, Texas, according to a recent Air Force press release. Members from 2nd Special Operations Squadron, 727th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, and 311th Special Operations Intelligence Squadron teamed up with airmen from 26th Special Tactics Squadron, for the test.

MQ-9 Reaper. USAF

Historically, General Atomic's MQ-9s have been launched and recovered via split operations. This involves a crew piloting the aircraft from a ground station in the continental United States, while another, more specialized crew, launches and recovers the drone via line-of-sight control links. Those specialist crews would also be required to electronically mark reference points on the runway using an actual Reaper. As such, MQ-9s were unable to self-deploy to airstrips where data hadnt been collected beforehand, and which did not have other supporting infrastructure setup. But this has changed in recent years and the MQ-9 now has the ability to operate from impromptu locations without its past localized control footprint.

The test at Nine Mile Training Center demonstrated how MQ-9s can be launched and piloted remotely entirely via beyond-line-of-sight satellite links. This capability  known as Automatic Takeoff and Landing Capability (ATLC)  is one the Air Force has been proving out for years now, with a milestone test taking place back in 2021. With the ATLC system, MQ-9s use their targeting pods and other sensors to generate reference points for automatic landing and takeoff capabilities from the air.

As part of the dirt strip landing test, the Air Force also exercised the MQ-9's ability to perform off the menu options, too. Here, the Reaper Express operational concept was tested, by which a travel pod was utilized to execute a critical resupply of the 26th Special Tactics Squadron on the dirt landing zone.

A MQ-9 Reaper rests inside a hangar at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, June 7, 2023. The attached travel pod allows combatant commanders to use the MQ-9 Reaper to deliver vital supplies in a confined area instead of relying on a cargo aircraft. U.S. Air Force photo by Maj. Doniell Mojazza

"We call it Reaper Express, which is essentially just using a travel pod to develop an operational concept of delivering critical items to austere locations using the MQ-9, said Col. Brian Flanigan, 2nd SOS director of operations. It may not be able to carry much, but what it can hold might be the difference between getting that critical aircraft part to an isolated airfield or bringing in a blood supply for casualties sustained during a base attack.

Of course, alternative means of resupply of critical spare parts, medical supplies, or even small arms amunition to austere locales is something the U.S. military has been looking into for years, and could be especially important during distributed future operations. Moreover, as The War Zone has noted in the past, transporting small payloads might prove critical in those, and other, contexts. Small drone shipments of 30 pounds or less are often enough to deliver critical emergency rations or, as Flanigan indicates, blood supply, which is perishable. The Navy has also claimed that when ships encounter problems as a result of logistics-related issues that leave them partially mission-capable or non-mission-capable, 90 percent of the time this can be resolved by the delivery of a component weighing 50 pounds or less. The exact weight of the travel pod the MQ-9 carried during the Nine Mile Training Center test remains unclear, however.

In order to access the remote dirt strip, 12th Aircraft Maintenance Unit from the 727th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron supported the test using Agile Combat Employment, or ACE, tactics, techniques, and procedures, the Air Forces press release notes. Broadly, ACE is designed to ensure that the Air Force is able to perform irregular deployments quickly from an expanded number of airbases around the globe. This includes remote locations, in the event that conventional airbases are put out of operation or otherwise held under threat. Rapidly moving from location to location is also part of this overall concept.

This initiative was significant in terms of refining maintenance ACE capabilities because it provided insight into how the aircraft handles landing in an austere environment, said Maj. Doniell Mojazza, 727th SOAMXS director of operations. This scenario both challenged and empowered 12th AMU maintainers to assess risk utilizing their expertise and innovation to ensure aircraft air worthiness and mission success.

In another recent validation of the drone's ability to operate from varied locales with ACE in mind, the Air Force operated an MQ-9 from a highway remotely during Exercise Agile Chariot. Landing the Reaper on the highway was conducted by the 2nd Special Operations Squadron (2nd SOS), part of the 919th Special Operations Wing at Duke Field, Florida. The MQ-9s takeoff and return flight from the highway was handled by the 65th SOS from Hurlburt Field, Florida. While specific details on the type of mission the MQ-9 took part in were not provided, Air Force officials underscored the drones growing ability to launch and recover from remote locations.

An MQ-9 Reaper lands on Highway 287 during Exercise Agile Chariot, April 30, 2023. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Carly Kavish U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Carly Kavish

Being able to operate MQ-9s from remote locations, particularly those without usable runways or adequate stretches of roads, would likely be significant during the distributed operations of the kind the U.S. could face in a conflict with a near-peer state like China or Russia. As the Air Force doesn't see the MQ-9 as being survivable in high-risk environments in future conflicts, expanding where these drones can operate from  and exploring new roles for them  is of high priority.

This capability [remote dirt strip landings] will be critical in tomorrows fight and nests perfectly with the Air Forces Agile Combat Employment concept that focuses on smaller footprints, distributed operations and increased survivability while generating combat power, said Flanigan. We are demonstrating what is possible when you leverage Citizen Air Commandos and our diverse backgrounds to take an existing capability like [Satellite Launch and Recovery] and apply it to the future fight.

As we outlined previously, there would be huge potential benefit for having MQ-9s being able to access multiple Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP)s in the Pacific without the need to transport specialized launch and recovery elements. This is particularly true in terms of fueling and rearming the drones from austere locales without runways or roads, rather than having them return to a fixed base. Indeed, the ability to quickly land and execute an engine running offload from remote locales could become a secondary or tertiary mission.

This provides options compared to waiting multiple weeks until intra-theater airlift can support [forward-deployed forces], Flanigan notes. Of course, using MQ-9s in this way doesn't remove the need for logistic chains, particularly given concerns over the drone's survivability.

An MQ-9 Reaper sits on the runway during sunset at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., Nov. 17, 2020. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Lauren Silverthorne

Being able to support ACE-focused operations from austere locales, particularly in an island hopping conflict in the Pacific, would be extremely valuable, too. Providing communications relay, collecting localized multi-intelligence, as well as kinetic defense for remote locations would also prove significant in the Pacific context. Here, the MQ-9s ability to provide long-endurance, medium-altitude surveillance  for which it was primarily designed  as well as its ability to have various types of podded systems bolted on could be used to even greater effect from very hard-to-reach island outposts.

How far the MQ-9's ability to operate from very remote locations, as well as transport small critical supplies, affects arguments over its operational relevance will only be revealed in time. While the MQ-9 seems to be entering the twilight of its career with the Air Force, the drone has received a number of critical upgrades of late  including new air-launched drone capabilities, additional sensors, self-defense pods, and other mission payloads.

https://twitter.com/GenAtomics_ASI/status/1668589062897139712?s=20

Yet even as the Air Force pivots to new forms of uncrewed aircraft with high degrees of autonomy, demonstrating the ability to operate MQ-9s from remote locations has wider significance, as new types may also be called upon to operate from austere locales during a major conflict. This could help inform more general concepts of operation in the future, filtering out to other services.

The MQ-9 is certainly making a case for itself as more advanced types are on the horizon, now adding cargo hack to its repertoire.

Contact the author: oliver@thewarzone.com
NC man arrested for role in Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol violence. Heres what feds say he did.

A 35-year-old man from the North Carolina mountains was arrested Friday after video showed him pushing with great effort against police during the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, prosecutors said.

Brevard resident Alan Michael St. Onge faces a felony charge of civil disorder and misdemeanor counts of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings, according to a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia.

St. Onge made his initial court appearance Friday in the Charlotte-based Western District of North Carolina, prosecutors said. St. Onge didnt return a phone message from The Charlotte Observer Saturday.

He is accused in court documents of helping breach a police barricade on the east plaza of the U.S. Capitol and repeatedly pushing with great effort against a police line in an entrance to the U.S. Capitol building known as the Lower West Terrace tunnel.

Minutes before St. Onge entered the tunnel, closed-circuit television footage showed another crowd member handing him a stolen U.S. Capitol Police riot shield as St. Onge stood near the mouth of the tunnel, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia said in a news release.

He held that shield for a moment and then set it down in the mouth of the tunnel, according to the release.

St. Onge left the tunnel about a minute later, only to return and join the shoving of police, prosecutors said.

Video shows him all around the U.S. Capitol grounds that day, according to the U.S. Attorneys office.

His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election, prosecutors said in the news release.

The FBI Charlotte and Washington field offices are investigating the case with help from the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department, according to the news release.

At least 29 North Carolinians have been federally charged in connection with the violence, during which thousands of supporters of Donald Trump attacked the Capitol to stop the transfer of presidential power.

At least seven people were killed and 140 police officers hurt.

Across all 50 states, at least 1,000 people have been arrested, including nearly 350 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, prosecutors said in Fridays news release.
I know what it means to have my faith tested. Eight years ago this week, I was a hospital chaplain in Dallas, Texas when I got the shattering news: My mother and two cousins were among nine people shot to death at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. They welcomed a stranger into their sacred space and were killed for no other reason than the color of their skin.

Since that terrible day, my life has completely transformed. I faced my loved ones killer at his trial and watched as he was sentenced to death. Traumatized and exhausted, I left my job in Texas and moved to be near my children in Charlotte. I published a book and now travel the country speaking about my experience.

However, the most important thing has not changed. My faith tells me that every human being has the potential for redemption and the death penalty is immoral. Thats why Im joining people of faith from across North Carolina in asking Gov. Roy Cooper to commute our states 136 death sentences to prison terms.

Rev. Sharon Risher

I am one of more than 300 leaders from all of our states major faith traditions who signed a letter asking the governor to use his power to reduce extreme sentences. A commutation is not a pardon, and it does not exonerate or excuse a person from punishment; a person could receive a commutation and remain in prison for life.

In this case, commutations would ensure that unjust and racist executions are never carried out in our names.

I was shocked when I learned that even though North Carolina stopped executing people in 2006, we still have the fifth largest death row population in the country. A disproportionate number of those people are Black, and more than half of them were sentenced by overwhelmingly white juries.

I also learned that since the 1970s 12 people have been exonerated from death row in our state, and 11 of them were people of color. They were sentenced to death despite being innocent. Considering the many inequities and errors of our criminal legal system, there are surely more innocent people who still sit on death row.

As a person of faith, I cannot stand by while innocent people are sent to death row and racism infects a system that determines who lives and who dies. Thats why I have joined with the N.C. Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, which in December, launched a commutation campaign led by people like me who have lost loved ones to murder. Now, people of faith and families who have experienced homicide are standing side by side to call for an end to North Carolinas death penalty.

I can tell you from difficult personal experience that the death penalty will not heal my pain or create a more just world. Instead of fighting for an execution, Im fighting for common sense gun laws that would prevent more people from being senselessly gunned down in churches and schools and countless other places. Gov. Cooper should do the same by focusing on public safety measures that work, and leaving behind a broken death penalty system.

I also speak openly about how my faith has led me to forgiveness. Forgiving my mothers killer has freed me from the grip of anger and grief. My loving memories of my mother are no longer clouded with hatred for her killer.

After such a terrible crime, getting to a place of forgiveness was a long and painful journey. Im not asking Gov. Cooper to go even half that far. Im only asking him to ensure that people on North Carolinas death row can live out their God-given lives in prison. With that action, he could send a message that North Carolina is ready to enter a new era in which killing does not masquerade as justice.

Rev. Sharon Risher is a speaker, author and spokesperson for Everytown for Gun Safety and Death Penalty Action. Her book, For Such a Time As This: Hope and Forgiveness After the Charleston Massacre, was published in 2019. She lives in Charlotte.
A coalition of white supremacist is plotting to disrupt the Juneteenth holiday weekend by plastering communities with hate leaflets, promoting a rancid documentary about a supposed white genocide.

But these neo-Nazis are also concerned that their intimidation may go unnoticed  and are calling on supporters to pose as concerned citizens, to call into local media outlets and report this awful expression of hate!

This self-reporting is meant to aggrandize  and draw outsize attention to  a fringe group of haters. Indeed, these neo-Nazis are already promising to exaggerate their impact. A June 15 Telegram post reviewed by Rolling Stone encourages white supremacist leafleters to embrace a strategy of overstating  i.e. lying. You know for a fact we did 10k [leaflets]? it reads, Tell them it was 100k.

The racist action  by white lives matter activists who are Big Mad about a holiday commemorating the end of Black slavery in the U.S.  is being orchestrated on Telegram, in coordination with a neo-Nazi group, the Goyim Defense League.

GDL is a virulently anti-semitic outfit thats notorious for plastering American neighborhoods with hate literature. That groups leaflet promoting the Juneteenth action whinges, in part:

DIVERSITY means fewer white people.

INCLUSION means exclusion of white people.

EQUITY means stealing from white people.

White supremacists have been plotting this action for weeks. The flyers direct readers to a film that can be viewed at an alternative streaming service. This documentary is a half-hour long mashup of cable TV footage of folks explaining the concept of white genocide  occasionally interspersed with footage of white people getting beat up. The web address of the film also includes the words black hate broadcast.

Loosely, the hateful, untrue white genocide conspiracy theory holds that a cabal of greedy globalists (read: Jews) is plotting to flood America and Europe with immigrants of color, in an effort to erode (and eventually extinguish) the political power of the dominant white Christian culture.

A pinned post on Telegram explains the dual aim of the Juneteeth leaflet drop. This is a White unity project, it says. But the post makes plain that racial intimidation is also a key component: We want to wake our people and scare our enemies. It concludes with a reference to the neo-Nazi trope of 14 words (concerning the need to secure a future for white people). 14 or nothing, it declares.

The organizers are hoping to stage a surprise, three-day flyering effort beginning June 17. The neo-Nazis are planning to move after sunset, to maximize fear. Posts about the event  on a public Telegram channel  ironically urge followers to keep opsec.

The post supposes that participants will be engaged in something historic: Imagine the seething from the enemy when they learn that this was accomplished by ALL of us together! But as the drop date approaches, organizers have seemed concerned that their efforts may fall flat.

And so they are urging a strategy for neo-Nazis to claim and provoke a reaction out of proportion to their numbers.

To help amplify the response to the hate flyers, the post calls on white supremacists to pose as concerned or offended parties. We shouldnt just leave it to NPCS to get the snowball rolling. (NPC is an gaming acronym for non-player-character, and refers to people uninvolved in the main action.) We should all consider making burner accounts, it suggests, and report this awful expression of hate!

It imagines participants posing as normie citizens to sound their alarm about the leaflets to local politicians, news outlets, churches, and affected local businesses. Call as if concerned, it directs, even offering some prompts like, Omg I found this as a tourist, and I just want everyone to be safe at the end of their shifts.

The post concludes with a note that callers should expect to be recorded and that soundbites are important. These supposed members of a master race misspell their native language, urging caution and discipline in EVERY SENTANCE YOU SPEAK.

The involvement of the GDL signals a likelihood for a measure of success. The hate group is active in distributing hate flyers that spread lies about Jewish people. Rolling Stone has previously written about GDLs banner drops in promoting Kanye Wests antisemitism, and its founders horrific practice of targeting kids on social media for clout and money.

Neither the filmmaker nor the leader of GDL responded to questions from Rolling Stone.

The planned hate-leafleting has caught the attention of at least one law enforcement agency that has previously clashed with the Goyim Defense League in South Florida where the neo-Nazi group is based.

Heads up: Some of the dumbest groups of weird losers in America are saying they plan to dump more hate flyers in our neighborhoods this Juneteenth weekend, wrote Mike Chitwood, sheriff of Volusia Country Florida on social media. Just remember this is all because they feel inadequate and small with no friends and no future and [are] probably not welcome in their own families homes.

Heads up: Some of the dumbest weird losers in America are planning to dump more hate flyers this weekend.



Just remember it's all because they feel inadequate and small with no friends & no future.



We will be out to enforce the law and stand up for all our residents & visitors pic.twitter.com/TWxowNqBM9  Mike Chitwood (@SheriffChitwood) June 14, 2023

Rest assured, the sheriff added, we will be out there to enforce the law and stand up for all our residents.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsoms (D) rising media profile in recent weeks has renewed speculation over his presidential aspirations.

Newsom seized on a fight with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) over the decision to fly several dozen migrants to the Golden State, threatening possible charges against Florida officials and labeling DeSantis a small, pathetic man. He also raised eyebrows earlier this week with a sit-down interview with Fox News Sean Hannity.

His aggressive media play comes amid heightened anxiety within the Democratic Party over President Bidens age and low popularity, raising the question of what exactly Newsom is aiming to achieve.

I buy that he supports the president, but I also think that he wants to be there in case, God forbid, there needs to be an alternative if something happens to the president or if somebody else mounts a challenge, I think hell be right there, said Democratic strategist Steven Maviglio.

I mean, [former Gov.] Jerry Brown gave him some advice in the news a few months ago, Hey, if you want to run, run, Maviglio said, adding, He hasnt taken that advice and feels he can sort of run a shadow candidacy, while also being the carrier of the message that Democrats want to talk about  It doesnt hurt him at all politically.

The Hill Elections 2024 coverage

While Democrats concede that Newsom likely has higher ambitions for the White House, some members of the party are pushing back at the notion that hes running a shadow campaign.

Even still, hes made appearances on the national media circuit this month, including with Politico, NBCs Today show and Fox Newss Hannity, raising renewed interest in his political future.

Some of that national spotlight has been used to go after DeSantis, a 2024 GOP presidential contender and former President Trumps chief rival, over several dozen migrants who were flown to California. Newsoms administration alleges that some of the migrants traveled to California under false pretenses, while the DeSantis administration has maintained they went to the Golden State voluntarily.

Newsom has slammed DeSantis over the situation and has suggested that kidnapping charges could be waged. And in recent days, hes used the national spotlight to go even further.

More Newsom coverage from The Hill

The California governor doubled down on his criticism of DeSantis in a recent interview with Politico. And during a one-on-one with Fox News host Sean Hannity that aired on Monday, he said he would agree to participate in a debate with DeSantis moderated by Hannity.

The Florida governor later responded to Newsoms challenge by saying the California governor should stop pussyfooting around and jump in the 2024 race.

Maviglio suggested that Newsoms attack-dog approach is actually helpful for Biden, saying that the California Democrat can speak in a way that Biden cant as president.

Bidens approach is what we saw on the debt ceiling bill was to try to  consolidate people. Biden cant lash out at Trump the way Newsom is. He cant lash out at DeSantis in the style and manner as DeSantis is, he explained.

FILE - California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., on March 16, 2023. Newsom announced Thursday, June 8, 2023, that he is proposing an amendment to the United States Constitution that would enshrine into law gun regulations including universal background checks and raising the minimum age to buy a firearm to 21, his latest foray into national politics. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., on March 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

Newsoms appearance on Hannity  his first appearance on Fox News in more than decade  even impressed some of his critics.

His interview with Hannity might have been the best Ive ever seen him. Normally, when Newsom engages in national politics, he tends to sound very bitter and very angry and somewhat divisive, said Dan Schnur, a former Republican strategist whos currently a professor at the University of California at Berkeley and University of Southern California.

But he came across very well in the Hannity interview to a point where Hannity actually showed him some significant respect, he added.

Meanwhile, Democrats say that Newsoms escalating attacks on DeSantis are also being applauded nationally, including in the Florida Republicans home state.

I think theyve been received by Democrats in Florida the same way theyve been received by Democrats across the country  extraordinarily welcome and well received, said Fernand Amandi, a Democratic pollster based in Miami who worked on both of former President Obamas presidential campaigns.

I think whats interesting is in the same way that Ron DeSantis is trying to portray his candidacy as Make America Florida. You see Gavin Newsom as the anti-DeSantis, in essence saying Make America California,' he added.

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Newsoms rising national profile comes as Biden vies for a second term in the White House. Recent polling has shown, however, that a majority of Americans  including members of his own party  dont want to see a second Biden White House run.

An NBC News poll released in April found 70 percent of Americans believed Biden shouldnt run for a second term, including more than half of Democrats (51 percent.) A majority of voters, 60 percent in that poll, also dont want to see Trump again, which included around a third of GOP respondents.

That poll also noted that of the 70 percent of respondents who didnt want a repeat Biden White House run, nearly half of them pointed to Bidens age as a major reason why they didnt want to see him running in 2024. Biden, who is 80, would be 86 years old when he leaves office if hes elected to another term.

But other Democrats are batting away speculation that Newsom has higher aspirations than the governors mansion right now.

President Biden and Vice President Harris are running a strong campaign focusing on the issues that matter most to the American people: jobs, the economy, and protecting American interests abroad. Democrats and the American people are fully behind them, said Michael Kapp, a Democratic National Committee member from California, in an email.

There are no ulterior motives behind Newsoms actions. He is doing his part to protect American and Californian values, lockstep behind President Biden and Vice President, he added.

Even if theres no shakeup within the 2024 Democratic primary, members of the party say they see Newsom as an asset to the national conversation on issues like immigration.

I think its refreshing to see him engaging so aggressively. I mean, certainly the governors of Florida and Texas have been very significant voices on the national stage for years. Its certainly appropriate for the governor of California to be as well, explained longtime Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg.

Though 2028 is a ways off, many Democrats hope theyll see him on a presidential debate stage soon.

If he does run one day, and I hope he does, the rest of the country will get to know him as we do. Hes never shied away from fighting back when our values are under attack and hes showing others what that could look like on a national stage, Shawnda Westly, former senior strategist and executive director of the states Democratic Party, told The Hill in an email.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley took a day off the campaign trail to participate in a personal experience familiar to many Americans.

Haley was in Charleston, South Carolina, on Saturday, not for retail politics in the early-voting state she also calls home, but to see her husband, Maj. Michael Haley, off for a year-long deployment starting this week to Djibouti in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Horn of Africa.

MORE: Nikki Haley's husband will be deployed to Africa for much of 2024 campaign

Members of the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade participated in a formal deployment ceremony at noon at The Citadel at the Military College of South Carolina, where Nikki Haley was among many military spouses in attendance to send off their loved ones. Michael Haley is one of approximately 200 soldiers in the South Carolina National Guard set to deploy.

As she took the stands for the ceremony, Haley blew a kiss to her husband, who was standing front row in formation with his unit.

Joined by her young adult children, Nalin and Rena, as well as Rena's husband, Joshua Jackson, Haley got a special shoutout in the program as the state's former governor. As she was walking down the bleachers to the field after the short ceremony, several people stopped Haley to chat and take photos before she walked down to the field to embrace her husband.

"It's so many mixed emotions. There's so much pride," she told reporters after the ceremony. "As a wife, a military spouse, this is when we start the year long prayer of making sure they go there, they do their job effectively, they do it in a way that's strong, and that they come home safely."

"I am just one of many military spouses that are watching their loved ones leave today, and we feel an amazing sense of pride. We feel an amazing sense of service. And we may feel an amazing sense of sadness. But at the same time, we could not be happier to see them going and doing what they in their blood are meant to do. And so we're proud," she added later on.

PHOTO:Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley hugs her husband Maj. Michael Haley following a deployment ceremony for his unit of the South Carolina National Guard unit on June 17, 2023, in Charleston, S.C. (Mic Smith/AP)

PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley walks with her husband Maj. Michael Haley following a deployment ceremony for his unit of the South Carolina National Guard on June 17, 2023, at Johnson Hagood Stadium in Charleston, S.C. (Mic Smith/AP)

The South Carolina National Guard called on officers earlier this year with Michael Haley's skill set to support the United States Africa Command or AFRICOM, and he answered the call, according to a person familiar with the deployment.

Nikki Haley's campaign says this is the first time a presidential candidate has had a spouse deployed during the campaign.

"Our family, like every military family, is ready to make personal sacrifices when our loved one answers the call. We could not be prouder of Michael and his military brothers and sisters," she said in a statement last month. "Their commitment to protecting our freedom is a reminder of how blessed we are to live in America."

PHOTO: In this March 13, 2023, file photo, Nikki Haley, who officially announced her candidacy from the Republican Party in the 2024 presidential elections, waves with her husband Michael Haley after a campaign event in South Carolina. (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images, FILE)

The deployment marks Michael Haley's second active-duty tour overseas since he joined the National Guard as an officer in 2006. He served in Afghanistan's Helmand Province as part of an agribusiness team in 2013, when his wife was governor of South Carolina.

"This deployment is the reason I joined the National Guard," he said in a statement to The Associated Press at that time. "The only thing that gives me pause is the yearlong deployment away from family. But in the end, I can't help but to think giving one year along with my fellow soldiers, as many have done before me, to secure a life of freedom for my family is well worth all that comes with it."

She often jokes about being a "single mom governor" on the campaign trail.

"He deployed while I was governor, so he left me as a single mom governor," she said earlier this year in Iowa. "And yes, we're still married."

MORE: Nikki Haley slams foreign lobbyists while accepting funds from them

Nikki Haley's husband has been an integral part of her campaign since she launched her presidential campaign in February, becoming the first major Republican to challenge former President Donald Trump. On the stump, she frequently criticizes President Joe Biden's abilities as commander-in-chief, often condemning how the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan, and shares her status as a military wife, saying she understands the call to serve.

"Last time this was tough this time it seems to be just as tough, but at the same time, for them, our job is to say all is good on the home front so that they can stay safe where they're at," Nikki Haley told reporters on Saturday.

"We have both lived a life of service. And so when he goes off to deploy my support is completely with him. If I happen to be running for president his support is completely with me, two things can be true at the same time. And so, we will continue to stay in touch as best as we can," she added.

PHOTO: In this April 6, 2023, file photo, Michael Haley talks with supporters during a campaign event for his wife, Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley, in Gilbert, S.C. (Meg Kinnard/AP, FILE)

PHOTO: Former US ambassador to the UN and 2024 Presidential hopeful Nikki Haley speaks about the economy at H&P Rig 488 in Stanton, Texas, on June 8, 2023. (Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images)

The couple, married for 26 years, met in college and have two adult children, Nalin and Rena.

During the last presidential election cycle, then-Democratic candidate for president Tulsi Gabbard left the campaign trail for two weeks in 2019 to report for a joint training exercise in Indonesia with the Army National Guard.

MORE: Nikki Haley officially launches her presidential bid: 'We're ready'

Michael Haley was the first first gentleman of South Carolina and has kept the acronym "fgosc" as his Instagram handle.

ABC News' Abby Cruz and Brittany Shepherd contributed to this report.

Nikki Haley blows kiss to husband at his National Guard deployment ceremony originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley wished her husband farewell at a ceremony on Saturday as he starts a yearlong deployment in Africa with the South Carolina Army National Guard.

Maj. Michael Haley, the husband of the former ambassador to the United Nations, is being sent as a staff officer with the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in the Horn of Africa.

The ceremony was for about 200 soldiers at The Citadel, a military college in Charleston.

Hes always been my rock, Haley said after the ceremony. We have both lived a life of service, and so when he goes off to deploy, my support is completely with him. If I happen to be running for president, his support is completely with me.

We will continue to stay in touch as best we can, she added.

Her husbands deployment was announced last month, just a few months into her bid for the GOP nomination for 2024. He is expected to remain deployed through the spring of next year  which will likely encompass most of her campaigning.

The area where Michael is being sent is experiencing its worst drought in four decades. More than 43 million people from Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya need help, and more than half of them do not have access to enough food.

Nikki and Michael Haley have been married for 26 years. He has consistently been present at rallies she has held so far during her candidacy. The campaign has said their son, Nalin, will take over the role Michael has served.

Haley has often mentioned her role as the wife of a member of the military. Michael joined the National Guard in 2006 and was first deployed overseas in January 2013, during Haleys first term as governor of South Carolina.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Maj. Michael Haley stands at attention during a deployment ceremony for his South Carolina National Guard unit on Saturday, June 17, 2023, in Charleston, S.C. Haley's yearlong deployment to Africa will encompass much of the campaign of his wife, former Gov. Nikki Haley, for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP)  Nikki Haleys husband deployed Saturday for a yearlong stint in Africa with the South Carolina Army National Guard, a mission that will encompass most of the remainder of her campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

He's always been my rock, she said after a deployment ceremony for about 200 soldiers at The Citadel, a military college in Charleston. We have both lived a life of service, and so when he goes off to deploy, my support is completely with him. If I happen to be running for president, his support is completely with me. ... We will continue to stay in touch as best we can.

Maj. Michael Haley is being deployed as a staff officer with the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, which the National Guard says is providing support in the Horn of Africa.

The United Nations, where Nikki Haley served as Donald Trump's ambassador for two years, says that 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.

Last month, a high-level U.N. conference raised less than $1 billion of the more than $5 billion organizers were hoping for to help more than 30 million people in the Horn of Africa cope with the climate crisis and mass displacement after years of conflict.

Nikki Haley, who is also a former South Carolina governor, has been highly critical of President Joe Bidens performance as commander in chief. She has spoken out against his administrations efforts to expand diversity in the military, complaining they were weakening the force and hampering recruitment, though the Army has said that the real problem is that many young people do not see enlistment as safe or a good career path.

She has also pledged to make cuts in $46 billion in foreign aid to countries that she says hate America.

Michael Haley, the candidates husband of 26 years, has been a constant at his wifes campaign events since she became a White House candidate. During his deployment, the campaign said the couples college-age son, Nalin, will be taking over that role.

Nikki Haley frequently mentions her status as a military wife. Joining the Guard as an officer in 2006, her husband made his first overseas deployment January 2013, when she was midway through her first term as governor, and their children were age 10 and 14.

He left me as a single mom governor, but were still married, Haley said during a recent campaign appearance in Greer, South Carolina. She went on to critique the Biden administrations chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Citing the current deployment during a CNN town hall in Iowa this month, Haley called it the start of a yearlong prayer that they're effective and that they're strong and that they come home safely.

She has also referenced her husband's upcoming deployment in terms of the U.S. Department of Justice's case against 2024 rival Trump on charges of mishandling classified documents, including national defense information.

Arguing that two things can be true at the same time and echoing many Republicans arguments that the DOJ and FBI have lost all credibility with the American people, Haley said on Fox News this past week that if this indictment is true, if what it says is actually the case, President Trump was incredibly reckless with our national security.

My husband is about to deploy this weekend, Haley went on. This puts all of our military men and women in danger, if you are going to talk about what our military is capable of, or how we would go about invading or doing something with one of our enemies.

On Saturday, Haley said her husband's service has in part framed her viewpoint on foreign policy and military strategy.

We don't want to go into a way that's going to put our men and women at harm's danger. They are going because Africa is a hotbed," Haley said. "We've always known that when our men and women go overseas, it's to keep us safe here at home.

___

Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will launch a new license and vessel registration system dubbed Go Outdoors North Carolina on July 1.

As the transition begins, the current system, called ALVIN, will be unavailable starting Tuesday, June 27 after 5 p.m. through 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 1.

For lifetime license holders, information along with a tutorial on how to obtain your seasonal information will be distributed by email in early July, the division said in a news release.

The permit hunt application system will be available in early July. Program participants will be notified by email when the system is ready, and a tutorial will be provided that demonstrates how to apply for permit hunting opportunities.

Some of the features that will be available through the new system include:

Set up an account and manage all of your license, permit, vessel needs.

View your license, permit hunt and vessel registration history.

View and print certifications, including hunter ed and boater safety.

Upload documents such as vessel registration documentation, forms, applications and birth certificates.

Purchase hunting, fishing and trapping licenses.

Apply for permitted hunting opportunities.

Digital licensing and big game harvest report cards.

Report big game harvests.

Sign up for auto renew to ensure your license doesnt expire.

Renew your vessel registration online.

Sign up for auto renew to ensure your vessels registration doesnt expire.

Apply for a new or transfer vessel registration online.

Track the progress of your registration application.

The commission will also launch the GoOutdoorsNorthCarolina mobile app July 1, where users can buy licenses, find sunrise/sunset times by GPS location, find places to hunt and fish nearby and report big game harvests, even when cell service is not available.
'Not automatic': Biden says U.S. won't support fast-tracked path for Ukraine into NATO

WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden said Saturday that the U.S. does not support a fast-tracked process for Ukraine to join NATO at the conclusion of the war.

Ukraine would need to meet certain criteria for NATO membership, Biden said, raising concerns about corruption in the country.

President Joe Biden listens as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks at the Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia, Saturday, June 17, 2023, after an aerial tour of the Interstate 95 highway collapse. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

"I think it will. I think it can, but it's not automatic," Biden told reporters as he prepared to leave for Philadelphia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants NATO member nations to commit to accepting Ukraine into the alliance when there is a resolution to the current conflict.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, in an interview with USA TODAY last week, said members agree that Ukraine will eventually be invited to become a member but consultations are still taking place.

Stoltenberg said that Ukraine, which is engaged in a counteroffensive against Russia, must first win the war. "Because unless they do that, there's no membership issue to discuss at all." He said that at an upcoming summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, he expects NATO nations to make "new decisions on concrete support" for Ukraine over the long term.

In an interview on Thursday, Zelenskyy issued a warning to American politicians and 2024 presidential candidates who have expressed skepticism about supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia.

"If Ukraine would lose, if Russia would occupy Ukraine, Russia will continue going toward Baltic countries, Poland, etcetera," Zelenskyy told NBC News. "They will start war with one of the NATO countries and at this moment the United States will have to choose the collapse of NATO or go to war."

Following a meeting of NATO Ministers of Defense in Brussels on Friday, Stoltenberg said the allies are working to establish a "new NATO-Ukraine Council," where Ukraine will be given equal standing with NATO countries.

The formation of a new council, however, falls short of the commitments sought by Zelenskyy from NATO leaders ahead of the military alliance's summit in Lithuania next month.

Biden said Saturday that Ukraine has demonstrated it can coordinate with NATO nations militarily but there are other issues the country would need to be resolved to be accepted into the alliance.

"Theyve got to meet the same standards. So I'm not going to make it easier," Biden said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Biden says no fast-tracked process for Ukraine into NATO
Before Thursdays Rainbow Story Time at the Salida library, I sent a link about it to my two adult daughters with a simple question: Would you bring a child to this event?

It was billed as a celebration of all types of love, rainbows, and LGBTQ+ pride. People opposed held signs outside. A quick internet search showed that a story about the event generated more than 400 comments and counting by Friday afternoon.

Library assistant Teddy Snyder leads children in a scarf dance during Rainbow Story Time in Salida on June 15, 2023.

My daughters, Shea and Brenly, were raised just down the road from the library, attending church and public schools, and both moved away years ago.

Opinion

At the risk of readers recognizing that my kids are better writers than their old man, here is a mashup of their responses to my question, lightly edited.

I would absolutely bring my child to it, and have already decided that drag story time at the library will be a regular part of our rotation of activities. No one is there to force children into being gay, or brainwash them into joining their agenda. Theyre simply spreading love and joy through reading and crafts.

Nobody would protest if it was `Hetero Story Time that only featured books about Christian, traditionally married folks. Every person has a right to exist, a right to love who they love, and a right to not feel silenced or threatened by the communities they serve. How would some feel if gay people were showing up outside their weddings or church services with signs?

I wouldnt want my kid to read about sex, between heterosexual couples or not. These stories are about families. Im glad (most of) the world has come to its senses: love is love, and a family built on a foundation of two loving, respectful partners  white or mixed, straight or gay  is going to be a family that raises children who do good in the world.

Teach them to be kind

I want to take my kid to drag story time because I want to raise him with an expanded worldview. Thats how hell come to be compassionate, educated, and comfortable with himself. He will inevitably encounter people whose life experiences differ from his  Im counting on it, even. If he knows how to treat them with kindness and an open heart, he will be able to make new friends, learn from them, and build a life full of pleasant memories. If he shrinks away from them in the fear that usually accompanies a lack of exposure to differences, hell gain nothing. I want my baby to have a life full to the brim of love and respect, and I want him to be the type of person who can bless others lives. Its not about teaching him to be gay; its about teaching him to be kind.

Could my baby end up gay or trans? Yeah. And I really dont think Rainbow Story Time is what will have caused it. In fact, all kids have an equal chance of finding they belong to the LGBTQ+ community, whether their parents are Berkeley Marxists or whether they stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. The difference between the kids who went to Rainbow Story Time and those who didnt could later be the difference between whether theyll hate themselves or not.

If you wanna talk God, Ill talk God. He put us here with the agency to choose our own paths. He asked us to love and respect one another. You may not get the point of Rainbow Story Time. You may find it repulsive. But nobody is forcing anybody to go. One of the easiest ways to love and respect our neighbors is to just let them be when you dont understand them.

To those who silently prayed throughout much of Thursdays delightful Rainbow Story Time, on the front row and on a bench outside: Thank you for not being disruptive. Multicolored signs on the wall said, Everyone is welcome here and Everyone belongs. Including you.

To my girls: Amen.
All 51 New York City Council seats are up for a vote in this years primary and general elections  and while most will prove cakewalks for the incumbents involved, some are shaping up to be competitive.

Usually, Council elections fall every four years, and the last round was in 2021. However, 2023 is different thanks to the 2022 redrawing of the Council map, which by law required another round of voting this year, starting with primaries June 27.

For the most part, redistricting didnt change much in terms of the basic makeup and Council district boundaries  many of them have similar contours compared to what they had before  but some districts have changed more significantly, which could make them more competitive than in previous years.

Early voting for all Council races began Saturday and will run through Sunday, June 25. After the primaries, voters will head back to the polls on Nov. 7 for the general election.

Here are the 10 races to watch out for as the votes start rolling in:

Central Harlem  District 9, Manhattan

Last months shock announcement that incumbent City Councilwoman Kristin Richardson Jordan would not seek reelection for this Central Harlem-based district created a vacuum that the three remaining Democratic candidates in the race have seized on.

The candidates squaring off in the Democratic primary are Inez Dickens and Al Taylor, both Assembly members who have been fixtures of Harlem politics for decades, as well as Yusef Salaam, a criminal justice advocate known for being wrongfully convicted as a teenager in the 1989 Central Park Five rape case.

Dickens has lined up plenty of support, including endorsements from the United Federation of Teachers as well as New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat and former New York Rep. Charlie Rangel, both considered king- and queen-makers of uptown politics.

Salaam, a political newcomer with lots of name recognition, has outraised and outspent both his opponents, though, raking in $75,787 and dishing out more than $200,000 on political spending once matching funds came into play, according to the latest campaign finance filings.

Giving each other a potential edge, Salaam and Taylor cross-endorsed each other earlier this month  meaning they are urging their respective supporters to rank the other in the No. 2 spots on their ballots.

Since this years elections are ranked choice, that could be important if no candidate wins an outright majority off the bat, at which point secondary choices will be added to the count until a single hopeful clinches 50% of the vote total.

Dickens netted perhaps an equally important endorsement this past Thursday, however, as Mayor Adams threw his weight behind her candidacy.

Bay Ridge, Coney Island, Bath Beach  District 47, Brooklyn

Thanks to redistricting, the general election for this Council district could result in a showdown between two candidates who are essentially incumbents  Councilman Justin Brannan, a Democrat, and Councilman Ari Kagan, who switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican after redistricting.

Before that can happen, Kagan will have to get through the GOP primary, which features two other candidates  Anna Belfiore-Delfaus and Avery Pereira. So far, Belfiore-Delfaus has raised about $12,500 for her run and Pereira has roped in nearly $8,000, according to the citys Campaign Finance Board, which lists both as participants in its matching funds program.

Kagan, though, is likely to prove a formidable opponent. Hes raised over $33,000, and, given his incumbency, is likely more familiar to voters in the area.

Kagan and Brannan have been sparring publicly in the months since Kagans political defection. Immediately after Kagan made that announcement, Brannan thumbed out a text to voters saying that Ari Kagan just sold you out. Later, in May, Kagan attacked Brannan for supporting a law that would create a new board to consider the release of Rikers Island inmates. Kagan, who vowed to focus on public safety, claimed the law could result in the release of 2,500 dangerous criminals.

Two years ago, Brannan squeaked out a victory against his Republican opponent, but he will likely prove a serious opponent for whoever it is hes facing in this years run. So far, hes raised more than $123,000 for his run  and since he doesnt have a primary opponent, its money he can devote entirely to the general election.

Bensonhurst, Sunset Park  District 43, Brooklyn

The redistricting thats now pitted Brannan and Kagan against one another in the 47th District also led to the creation of a district with a high proportion of Asian-Americans in Brooklyn.

Theres no incumbent running for the seat, and both Democrats and Republicans are running primary bids to win it.

On the Democratic side, theres Susan Zhuang, chief of staff to Assemblyman William Colton; Wai Yee Chan, a former staffer to Brannan; and Stanley Ng, who has pushed to keep testing for specialized high schools as the sole measure for admitting students.

All three candidates have positioned themselves as moderate Democrats and have vowed not to join the Councils Progressive Caucus if elected because of the groups mission statement calling for a reduction in the NYPDs size and scope.

According to the CFB, Ng and Zhuang have so far raised nearly $40,000 apiece and Chan has raised nearly $60,000.

The two Republicans running in this years primary are Ying Tan and Vito LaBella. Tan, who has raised only $19,000, recently called out Councilman Chi Osse for a remark some Italian-American colleagues found disparaging, and described his words as unacceptable. She has also argued that the citys right-to-shelter law and sanctuary city status should be rolled back.

LaBella, whose campaign site says hes has been elected to the Community Education Council twice, has raised even less, just over $4,000. The ex-cop came under fire last year after a video surfaced of him slagging Brooklyn. In the clip, which shows off the front yard of his West Harwich, Mass., summer home, he can be heard saying: I hate f---ing Brooklyn, I wish I never had to go back.

College Point, Whitestone  District 19, Queens

The fight for this northern Queens district, which is currently held by Republican incumbent Vickie Paladino, is likely to prove close come this years general election.

But before that happens, the Democratic favorite in the race, former state senator and City Council member Tony Avella, will have to get through the primary, where hes facing off against Christopher Bae, a prosecutor in the Queens DAs office, and Paul Graziano, a land-use specialist.

Avella is favored for several reasons. He has the backing of the Queens Democratic Party, has landed endorsements from several elected officials who are well-known in the district and hes raised more than $32,000 thus far. In the 2021 race for the seat, which was previously held by Councilman Paul Vallone, a Democrat, Avella lost to Paladino by only a few hundred votes.

And while Paladino, whos raised almost $54,000 so far, isnt facing her own primary challenge and now holds the power of incumbency in this years race, shes also made a series of political missteps during her short Council tenure that may prove costly.

Shes served as an apologist for Rep. George Santos, a serial liar whos now facing federal fraud charges, has weathered criticism from Avella over failing to disclose debt on required city filings, and was unseated from the Councils Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction for making remarks about the transgender community that many colleagues found offensive.

Throgs Neck, Morris Park  District 13, Bronx

This south-eastern waterfront Bronx district is one of the few in this election cycle where both parties are preparing for competitive primaries  before also expecting a hotly-contested general election.

On the Democratic side, incumbent Councilwoman Marjorie Velazquez is facing the most potent threat from local Community Board chair Bernadette Ferrara, a more centrist Democrat than Velazquez.

Velazquez has dominated fundraising in the race, raking in more than $60,000, according to her latest campaign filing.

But Velazquez caught heat from constituents  including Ferrara  after she threw her weight last year behind a rezoning of Bruckner Blvd. that is expected to bring more housing to a district where many oppose such developments.

On the flip side, Velazquezs backing of the Bruckner plan earned her an endorsement from Labor Strong, a coalition of the citys five most influential public sector unions, known for their ability to drive voter turnout.

The GOP primary, which is viewed as more competitive, features a showdown between George Havranek, Kristy Marmorato and Hasime Samantha Zherka. The Republicans, who are also vying for the Conservative Party primary nod, have all centered their campaigns on opposing the Bruckner rezoning, and will likely continue to highlight that should they face Velazquez in Novembers general election.

Sunnyside, Woodside  District 26, Queens

Democratic Councilwoman Julie Won has only one serious challenge in this years election cycle to concern herself with  a primary race against Hailie Kim, a democratic socialist who has so far raised $24,000 to Wons $86,000.

A win from Kim, who has vowed to forego political contributions from police unions, corporations and real estate interests, would almost certainly move the district farther to the left and would significantly expand socialists footprint from its base in Astoria.

Won has made some enemies since winning the seat after termed-out former Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer stepped down. She took heat for at first opposing a new development, which she later backed, and came under scrutiny after the Daily News revealed her husband-campaign manager used the N-word and other insensitive language on social media years ago.

Still, Kim is facing an uphill battle in a district that isnt as left-leaning as the neighboring one represented by Councilwoman Tiffany Caban, another democratic socialist.

But even if she loses, Kim could end up becoming a viable candidate in another race thats just around the corner  the contest for state Sen. Juan Ardilas district. Ardila, who has been accused of sexual misconduct, has not indicated he intends to step down, but will likely remain vulnerable to a primary challenge when hes up for re-election next year.

Hollis, Douglaston  District 23, Queens

Incumbent City Councilwoman Linda Lee was not up until recently viewed as facing a serious threat to her reelection  but some recent polling of her Democratic primary race may have changed that calculus.

Jeff Leb, a veteran New York lobbyist who runs several super PACs supporting mostly centrist Democrats, spoke with the Daily News earlier this month about independent polling one of his groups did in Lees eastern Queens district showing that her race is likely to be one of the closer ones in this Council primary cycle.

The most formidable challenger, Leb said, is Steve Behar, a former Council staffer who ran unsuccessfully for the same seat in 2021, losing to Lee.

To slow down Behars momentum, Lebs Future NYC PAC plans to spend $100,000 to promote Lees candidacy with mailers, robocalls, phone banking and radio and digital ads. Some of the cash will also go toward pumping out campaign material attacking Behar, who faced accusations of sexism and inappropriate language during his last campaign.

Community activist Rubaiya Rahman is also in the mix for the Democratic nomination in this district.

Lower East Side, Chinatown  District 1, Manhattan

Councilman Christopher Marte is facing primary challenges from three opponents  Susan Lee, Ursila Jung and Pooi Stewart  and in the battle for Chinatown and the Lower East Side, the incumbent is viewed as vulnerable.

Marte landed in hot water earlier this year after a staffer allegedly called a journalist a ct, as first reported by the Daily News. The staffer eventually resigned, but that controversy isnt the only weakness Marte has to worry about in the Dem primary.

Lee, a non-profit executive, is viewed as his top contender and has racked up several key endorsements, including nods from the citys biggest municipal workers union, DC 37, the Uniformed Fire Officers Association and the government watchdog, Citizens Union.

But she has so far taken in just over $40,000  less than half of the $88,000 raised by Marte, whos been endorsed by the United Federation of Teachers and Tenants PAC. Jung, who was active in her kids PTAs, has also raised slightly more than Lee, about $46,000. Stewart has raised roughly $21,000.

Helen Qiu, a Republican, is running on a public safety platform and is not facing any primary opposition.

Ocean Hill-Brownsville, East Flatbush  District 41, Brooklyn

Incumbent Councilwoman Darlene Mealy has represented this eastern-central Brooklyn neighborhood for the better part of the 21st century, first from 2006 to 2017, and then again since 2021, when she ousted freshman Alicka Ampry-Samuel in a major upset.

This time around, though, it might be Mealy looking at an upset.

Mealy, a Democrat, was initially not expected to face a primary challenger  but that changed recently when Isis McIntosh Green threw her hat in the ring for the Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, East Flatbush and Crown Heights-spanning district.

McIntosh Green is running to Mealys left, and that quickly earned her accolades from the Democratic Partys progressive wing. Shortly after announcing her run, the Working Families Party endorsed McIntosh Green, as did DC 37, the citys largest municipal union.

Mealy, meantime, has come under scrutiny from fellow Council members and constituents for having been absent for nearly half of the bodys legislative meetings this term as of mid-May, according to an analysis by City & State. McIntosh Greens campaign has also distributed a dossier to reporters highlighting that over the course of her more than 13 years in the Council, Mealy has only written six bills that became law.

East New York, Starrett City  District 42, Brooklyn

Like Mealy, incumbent Democratic Councilman Charles Barron has been a familiar face in this district for decades, holding the seat between 2002 and 2013 before being elected to it again in 2021 after a stint in the state Assembly.

Chris Banks, an East New York community leader, is hoping to topple Barrons reign in the 42nd District this year. He unsuccessfully challenged Barron in the 2014 election for a local state Assembly seat, but fell short.

In explaining why hes trying again, Banks told NY1 in a recent interview that Barron, a self-described radical socialist, isnt doing enough to foster productive partnerships with police and secure new affordable housing for local residents.

I think the longevity has hurt, he told the news channel of Barron. And in our situation, it has been an impediment to the progress of our district. And people get comfortable, they get complacent. They build political machines.

In addition to Banks, Jamilah Rose, a public relations writer, is running in this months primary for the 42nd District.
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Friday that an August election scheduled by Republican lawmakers that could make it harder for abortion rights supporters to amend the state constitution can proceed.

The ballot measure in the August election will allow voters to decide whether to raise the threshold of support required for future state constitutional amendments to 60%. Currently, just a majority is needed.

The ruling is a blow to reproductive rights advocates, who had filed suit to have the election nixed. Those advocates pointed to the fact that Ohio Republicans  only earlier this year  had enacted a different law that had effectively scrubbed most special elections in August from the states calendar, after officials called them overly expensive, low turnout endeavors that werent worth the trouble.

In their suit, reproductive rights advocates questioned why the standards would have changed so quickly and so dramatically. They suggested that Republicans in the state Legislature only reversed themselves on the issue because if the threshold measure is passed in August, it could prevent the approval of a proposed amendment in November to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.

But in its 4-3 decision, the conservative majority on the state Supreme Court sided with the GOP lawmakers. The court ruled that the August 8 election is entirely legal and constitutional, and legislators had the freedom and leeway to schedule the race.

The August election will also let voters decide whether groups trying to place ballot measures must obtain signatures from voters in all of Ohios 88 counties, instead of the 44 now required.

While the measure does not explicitly mention abortion, abortion-rights groups contend its placement and timing are designed to thwart efforts to secure abortion rights in the state.

If the threshold measure passes in August, then the proposed amendment in November to enshrine abortion rights would need 60% of voters to pass. If it fails in August, it would need just a majority.

Last month, Republicans moved to schedule the August election just weeks after reproductive rights groups in the state cleared several key hurdles on their path to get their abortion measure on the ballot in November.

Some Republican supporters  including Ohios GOP secretary of state, Frank LaRose  had maintained that holding August special elections isnt worth the tens of millions of dollars in costs.

These unnecessary off-cycle elections arent good for taxpayers, election officials or the civic health of our state. Its time for them to go, LaRose, who has said hes likely to run for U.S. Senate in 2024, testified during legislative hearings late last year.

But earlier this month, News5 Cleveland, a local Ohio television station, unearthed a clip of LaRose saying in May that the efforts to raise the threshold was 100% about keeping a radical pro-abortion amendment out of our constitution.

Following that report, LaRose spokesperson Rob Nichols defended his reversal, telling News5 Cleveland and other outlets that the secretary of state had consistently said we need to elevate the standard for amending our state constitution, whether its health care, minimum wage, casinos or any other special interest agenda.

Raising the threshold for passage of any future constitutional amendments would mark a major shift in the states procedures  the simple majority required to pass a proposed constitutional amendment has been in place in Ohio since 1912.

Meanwhile, the proposed November abortion amendment is designed to counteract Ohios heartbeat bill, which snapped into place immediately after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer.

That law bans abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for the health of the pregnant woman and in cases of ectopic pregnancies. It remains temporarily blocked by a state judge.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Olive oil prices are skyrocketing thanks to one deeply concerning issue: We dont know how this situation is going to end

A tumultuous climate has caused the price of olive oil to skyrocket  and experts warn that we shouldnt expect it to decrease any time soon.

Whats happening?

Olive farmers worldwide are feeling the pain of a rapidly shifting climate. Two hubs of the olive oil industry  Spain and California  are facing opposite conditions that make olives much more difficult to grow, resulting in price hikes that are slowing the demand in the United States, according to the Washington Post.

In Spain, the biggest producer of olive oil in the world, an unusually dry season has caused concern among growers.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food projects that Spain will produce only about 750,000 tons of olive oil in the 2022-23 season  less than half of last years 1.6 million-plus tons, according to the Washington Post.

This is primarily because there was the least precipitation in recorded history in April 2023 the country had only around one-fifth of its usual rainfall, according to Spains weather agency AEMET.

California, on the other hand, is experiencing record levels of precipitation, according to the Washington Post. As a result of unusual levels of rain and snowfall, olive plants are blooming later in the year than is typical, which makes the quality of this years crop much more difficult to predict.

Why is this concerning?

As weather patterns continue to shift, vital industries like agriculture become increasingly unstable, resulting in growers facing threats to their livelihoods. Consumers also must come to expect less reliable access to products they enjoy, and prices for certain goods will continue to increase as production becomes more difficult.

Right now our prices are high, but I dont see any reasons why theyre going to come down, economist John Cancilla said to the Washington Post.

We dont know how this situation is going to end, but the forecasts are not encouraging, Ximo Sempere, CEO of an olive company in Spain, told the Washington Post.

Whats being done about this problem?

To best adapt to a tumultuous climate, both producers and consumers must shift their expectations and habits.

For example, Ana Ortega, an olive oil producer in Spain, told the Washington Post that her company is attempting to sell alternative products like pomace oil that use different parts of the olive plant as the harvest remains unpromising.

Other companies like Zero Acre Farms are developing cool new ways of producing cooking oil that is less reliant on traditional farming processes.

There are also a number of ways that we can help reduce our carbon footprint and decrease our contributions to the dangerous overheating of the planet.

For example, we can change our transportation habits by riding e-bikes (or regular bikes), taking public transportation, upgrading to EVs, avoiding idling in our cars, and walking shorter distances to limit the exhaust our vehicles release into the atmosphere.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
One of the first Black Marines is seeking recognition decades after being wounded in World War II

Decades after Lee Vernon Newby Jr. was one of the first Black recruits to break the color barrier in the Marine Corps, he and his family are still fighting for recognition.

The 100-year-old and his four children want him to be honored with a Purple Heart for his service but so far, hes been denied one despite his extensive injuries.

I was over there serving the government, serving this country. They put me in harms way, but still they didnt give me the acknowledgment, Newby told CNN.

Newby, who now lives at a senior living facility outside of Detroit, was just a teenager when he fought in World War II. He says he felt fortunate to serve his country despite being one of the few Black people in the Marine Corps.

After being drafted, Newby was assigned to Montford Point, a segregated training facility in North Carolina.

A portrait of Lee Vernon Newby Jr. wearing his military uniform - CNN

Newby headed to the Solomon Islands for the Battle of Guadalcanal, as fighting took place between 1942 and 1943. During that time, Newbys family says he suffered fourth-degree burns after gasoline exploded in a hole. The burns covered more than 60% of his body, his family said.

All of a sudden, something hit me right in my chest. Just all of a sudden, it just burnt the clothes off of me, he said. When I hit the deck and got up, all the skin was just laying out.

Ellena Dione Newby-Bennette, one of Newbys daughters, said her father received medical treatment for several months and later was sent back into action. He wasnt 100% healed, she said.

Newby received an honorable discharge in 1946 and returned home, where he struggled with racism and Jim Crow laws, his family said. He found work as a janitor and chauffeur, and eventually started a family.

America is one of the greatest countries in the world, but I didnt get a fair deal, he said. Newby is still hoping it will change.

Siblings Christopher Lee Newby, left, and Ellena Dione Newby-Bennette, right, speak about their father Lee Vernon Newby Jr, one of the first Black Marines. - CNN

A family seeking a Purple Heart

Newby received a letter from President Joe Biden on his 100th birthday earlier this year, and he has been recognized by state and local officials. But last month, he received a letter from the Navy, telling him he is not eligible for a Purple Heart.

The rejection, Newby says, reinforced feelings that Black people have been getting a short deal.

The Purple Heart has specific criteria for when is awarded to US service members, and is limited to those who are wounded or killed in combat. It is described as one of the most respected military awards.

In the letter, shared with CNN, Navy officials said Newby is considered ineligible because he was not wounded at the hands of the enemy.

The letter states at the time, Newby was working with another service member who was attempting to kill rats by pouring gasoline from a cup down a hole next to a stump.

The unnamed service member threw the cup when it ignited and set Newbys clothing on fire, the letter said.

Newby and his family said they are planning to appeal the decision. Newbys daughters said their father doesnt recall that rats were involved and doesnt understand where that story came from.

The Pentagon further clarified the rules, noting there are two key conditions which both must be met for the Purple Heart to be awarded.

First, the wound must have resulted from enemy action. Second, the wound must have been of such severity that it necessitated treatment, not merely examination, by a medical officer. If the wound does not meet both standards, the Purple Heart may not be awarded, spokesperson Yvonne Carlock told CNN.

Newbys children said he experienced PTSD symptoms and they grew up listening to stories of enemy planes flying overhead bombs being dropped, and friends dying due to their injuries.

How much more of his heart did he have to give? More than half of his body was burned, said Newby-Bennette.

Newbys children hope their father and other Black Marines who did not live long enough to receive notoriety are honored for their service.

He deserves to have his due, Newbys daughter Jannise Newby said.

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One of Tri-Cities considers law to drive out illicit massage parlors and end sex for sale

Most women working at six Kennewick massage shops recently shut down by police investigations did not know they lived in the Tri-Cities after being flown here.

One had arrived in the United States within the last month and said she had a $10,000 debt to pay off. Others had IDs from New York, Texas and California.

Only one could speak English.

They denied they were living at the massage and reflexology businesses where they worked, but suitcases and food on site and a sink converted to a makeshift shower told a different story.

At four of the businesses raided in May investigators found evidence they believe indicated human trafficking of the women.

Thats the account Kennewick Assistant Attorney Laurencio Sanguino gave the Kennewick City Council this week as he proposed a new city ordinance to make it easier to shut down more illicit massage therapy and reflexology businesses and drive them from the city.

Richland, Pasco and West Richland may consider similar changes so that illegitimate businesses dont just move elsewhere in the Tri-Cities when Kennewick cracks down, he said.

The Tri-Cities ranks third in the nation as the most important region for massage businesses offering prostitution services in the United States, Sanguino said.

It has 31 possible businesses, 17 of them in Kennewick, he said.

In the May raid and shutdown of six businesses, those with the most aggressive practices and most complaints were targeted. But law enforcement believes there are more.

Joy Spa in Kennewick was recently shut down over allegations of violating license requirements, but no evidence that sexual services were being sold was found. Courtesy Kennewick city

The Kennewick City Council is expected to consider adopting the ordinance at its June 20 meeting.

The proposed ordinance is designed to be an efficient way to shut the businesses down, by giving police more oversight of them, making more than a single initial offense a gross misdemeanor with hefty fines and making owners ineligible to apply for a new city license to reopen.

Action could be taken under the proposed change at the city level rather than the more long-term actions of referring cases to federal prosecutors for investigation of human trafficking or county prosecutors for money laundering investigations.

The goal is to close down the businesses, Sanguino said.

Prosecution can be difficult if the cooperation of the women providing services is required, he said.

All of the women working at the six businesses recently shut down denied they were prohibited from leaving, he said.

Proposed new massage regulations

New regulations would include limiting hours to no later than 8 p.m.

The businesses shut down were open as late as 10:30 p.m., seven days a week, but basically operated around the clock since many of the women appeared to live on the premises and phone numbers were posted so people could call or text for an appointment at any time, Sanguino said.

A sign at one of the massage parlors recently shut down in the city of Kennewick. Courtesy Kennewick city

Lights would be required to be continuously on in the common areas and in all rooms where massage or reflexology services are offered, under the proposed ordinance.

The lighting requirement seems insignificant but its important because a lot of these businesses obviously dont operate with the lights on, Sanguino said.

The businesses must prominently displays a list of all services offered and costs.

Massage therapists or reflexologists must be at least 18 and each must be licensed or certified by the Washington state Department of Health, with their licenses or certifications displayed near the business entrance.

Each employee must carry identification so they can show the information to police or state or health district officials.

Registered business owners would be liable for violations.

The first violation could result in a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Each subsequent violation, including those that happen at the same time as the first violation, could be punished with a maximum sentence of up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.

In addition the person holding the city business license would have to give up their Kennewick-issued massage or reflexology business licenses if they are found in District Court to have violated the city code, and they could not reapply.

Kennewick police could inspect the common area during business hours to ensure that the new regulations are being followed.

Results of Kennewick raid

In the six massage businesses recently shut down in Kennewick, underage workers was not an issue, Sanguino said.

The women offering massages were in their late 30s to late 50s, although at least one advertised with stock photos of much younger women and teens, saying, Cute, young girls will have you relaxed and show you JOY.

Sanguino said employing more mature women likely was done to divert suspicion.

But had the new ordinance been in place when the six businesses were recently shut down, the owners could have been charged with gross misdemeanors.

Three businesses had the same massage therapy license posted, which was for a woman who was not at any of the businesses when they were closed, Sanguino said.

All were purportedly owned by women, but others were involved, Sanguino said. Those who came to hearings to revoke their business licenses were accompanied by men.

All six of the businesses allowed women who did not have massage therapy licenses to provide services, five had unlicensed practitioners working at the businesses and four offered sexual services, Sanguino said.

The nonprofit Mirror Ministries met with the women who were working at the closed businesses to offer then help and some accepted services, including a place to live and others just wanted to leave.
A onetime Trump ally says he 'doesn't see a path' for the former president to win swing state Nevada in the 2024 general election: 'Those voters are not coming back'

Former Nevada state Attorney General Adam Laxalt speaks at a rally for former President Donald Trump in Minden, Nevada. AP Photo/Jose Luis Villegas, Pool, File

Ex-Nev. AG Adam Laxalt dismissed Trump's chances of flipping Nevada in the 2024 presidential race.

Laxalt, a former Trump campaign chair in the state, is now backing Gov. Ron DeSantis' WH candidacy.

Trump lost Nevada in both 2016 and 2020, but Republicans think the state is winnable in 2024.

Even before former President Donald Trump jumped into the 2024 GOP presidential primary, his team had long eyed different roadmaps for a potential general election rematch against President Joe Biden.

In 2020, Biden flipped the key states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, pulling away support from many independents who had backed Trump in the 2016 election.

Trump also lost Nevada  one of the fastest-growing states in the country by narrow margins in both 2016 and 2020, which has given many Republicans hope that it is winnable for the former president.

But former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt, a onetime Trump backer who lost a close contest to Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto last fall and now serves as the chair of the Never Back Down super PAC aligned with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, told NBC News that he didn't see a way for the ex-president to win the state in the general election next year.

"Trump hasn't won Nevada the last two go-arounds," Laxalt told the news outlet. "I was a two-time Trump chair. I don't see a path for him to win Nevada in a general election. Those voters are not coming back."

In 2016, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won Nevada by 2.42% over Trump and Biden carried the state by 2.39% in the 2020 race, continuing a Democratic presidential winning streak that began in 2008 with then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's victory.

But the more recent presidential losses have been close enough to encourage Republicans to contest the state again in 2024.

Chris LaCivita, a senior advisor to the Trump campaign, criticized Laxalt for dismissing Trump's political viability in the Silver State.

"So Adam Laxalt, who lost the governor's race in '18 and lost the Senate race in '22, is lecturing President Trump?" LaCivita told NBC News. "That's the pot calling the kettle black."

Trump easily won the 2016 Republican presidential caucus in Nevada, when he was fresh on the political scene. And the Nevada Republican Party awarded all of its delegates to Trump in 2020.

But next year's Republican nominating contest is slated to be a primary instead of a caucus, which could give a boost to Trump's GOP challengers. The Nevada Republican Party has sued the state to restore the caucus system next year.

And DeSantis, who in the weeks since announcing his campaign has ramped up his appearances in front of likely Republican primary voters, is working to eat into Trump's existing electoral advantage among conservatives.

This weekend, DeSantis will attend Laxalt's annual Basque Fry, which draws in Republicans from across Nevada and can give nascent campaigns critical visibility in a state where both parties are looking to gain a long-term foothold.

Last year's midterm election results were emblematic of Nevada's competitive political nature.

In the same election cycle where Cortez Masto eked out a win in the Senate race, Republican Joe Lombardo unseated then-Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Rick Warren, founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Orange County, makes an appeal at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention on Tuesday to reinstate his church. The convention expelled Saddleback for ordaining women. (Peter Smith / Associated Press)

At their annual meeting in New Orleans this week, Southern Baptists doubled down on their crusade against female clergy. "Messengers" (delegates) of the nations largest Protestant denomination ratified the expulsion of two congregations  one of them Saddleback Church in Lake Forest  for condoning the ordination of women.

The venue was significant. In New Orleans in March 1967, Paul Pressler, a Texas judge, and a seminary student named Paige Patterson met at Cafe du Monde and, according to durable legend, strategized the conservative takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention. Fundamentalists within the denomination insisted its membership was on a slippery slope to theological liberalism by allowing women pastors and by refusing to affirm biblical inerrancy.

Read more: Southern Baptists turn their backs on O.C.s Saddleback Church over its female pastors

Although I contend that the term liberal Southern Baptist is an oxymoron, the conservative takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention in the '70s set in motion a purge of all vestiges of liberalism from the denomination. The fundamentalists, exploiting the powers of the denominations president, systematically began to populate church agencies and especially seminary boards with like-minded conservatives.

Many lifelong Southern Baptists still bear the scars of those purges.

Once the denominations agencies and educational institutions were locked down, the fundamentalists trained their sights on the supposed scourge of women pastors. Abandoning the bedrock Baptist principles of liberty of conscience and congregational autonomy, which vested the powers of ordination in local churches not the SBC, the new regime passed a resolution in 1984 that restricted women to work other than roles entailing ordination.

Read more: 'A very dangerous course': What Saddleback Church ouster means for Southern Baptists

A resolution isn't a commandment, however, and some congregations, asserting the Baptist principle of autonomy, refused to comply. Besides, even an inerrant Bible offers more than one way to interpret women's roles.

Saddleback Church went further than most. Founded in 1980 by Rick Warren, and one of the largest congregations in the denomination, Warren told me years ago that the church wore the label Southern Baptist lightly. They need us more than we need them, he said.

No longer, apparently. After Saddleback ordained three women and announced that a husband-and-wife pastoral team would replace the retiring Warren, the denomination found the church "not in friendly cooperation" with the SBC. Warren appealed the ouster at the annual convention in New Orleans.

Read more: Op-Ed: The Southern Baptists are having a come-to-Jesus moment

If doctrinal disagreements between Baptists are considered sin, we all get kicked out, he reminded the famously contentious Baptists, adding that the denominations doctrinal statement contains more than 4,000 words. Saddleback disagrees with one word, he said, speaking metaphorically. Thats 99.9999999999999 in agreement! Isnt that close enough?

The delegates roared back, No!

The issue of women serving in the pastorate, R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, told the crowd, is an issue of fundamental biblical authority that does violate both the doctrine and the order of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Read more: Q&A: Talking about the Southern Baptist sex abuse scandal with Pastor P.J. Tibayan

It's also an issue of fundamentalists' cultural fears.

As Joshua Abbotoy, a pastor whose congregation left the Southern Baptist Convention because it had become too liberal, told the New York Times, conservatives regard women pastors as an early harbinger of a raft of other changes, including questions about whether the human person is differentiated between two genders.

Another pastor suggested that permitting female clergy would soon allow the marriage of homosexuals, too, and then even allowing homosexuals to serve as pastors. Slippery slope.

As the New Orleans meeting ended, the Southern Baptists still hadn't fully grappled with a damning 2022 report detailing sexual misconduct among prominent figures within the denomination. But they overwhelmingly upheld the ouster of Saddleback and Fern Creek Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., where Linda Barnes Popham has served as pastor for 30 years.

Read more: Southern Baptists say denomination faces Justice Department investigation

The convention also for the first time approved an amendment to its constitution  taking the issue beyond a mere resolution: All congregations must have only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture. The amendment must pass two years in a row to go into effect.

Why is it, I wonder, that conservatives believe slippery slopes apply only to liberals? The sad history of the Southern Baptist Convention over the past four decades suggests that narrow, constricted readings of the Bible lead to anger, condemnation and exclusion, even abuse.

The Jesus I know said, Come unto me.

Randall Balmer, an Episcopal priest, teaches at Dartmouth College and is the author of "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America."





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A welcome sign for Utah State University is pictured on May 18, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News

In response to Gov. Cox is replacing every member of the Utah Board of Higher Education published on June 8, 2023, Gov. Spencer Cox has overlooked a key stakeholder in assembling the new Board of Higher Education: educators. The previous 18-member board had two former university faculty and administrators. The proposed 10-member board has none.

The success of any plan devised by the boards heavily depends on the implementation of policies by university and college professors and staff. The governors goal of want(ing) Utahs colleges and universities to be more aligned with workforce needs is worthy, but has limited chances for success if the board does not include a representative of the professoriate. Preparing students for the workforce requires meticulous and intentional design of major curriculum, courses, learning assessments and activities, and extracurriculars (such as internships and honors societies). Professors training and experience equips them to align university curriculum with a boards plan and to provide honest assessments of potential disconnects between the statewide vision and the realities of delivering public higher education.

Professors are the boots on the ground for the implementation of the states higher education policy, yet our perspective has no outlet in the new Board of Higher Education. Our insight and collaboration would greatly aid Coxs vision for improved higher education in Utah.

Zoe Nemerever

Murray
Orca attacks on boats aren't out of revenge, killer whale experts say. They're just having fun.

The rudder on this ship was damaged by killer whales. JORGE GUERRERO / Contributor / Getty Images

Killer whales have been ramming boats and ripping off rudders in the waters near southern Spain.

Insider spoke with three orca experts to better understand why these encounters are happening.

All the experts agree that while it might feel like an attack, these orcas just want to play.

European sailors first reported a spike in orca encounters off the coasts of Spain and Portugal in 2020. The interactions have continued to grow ever since and are happening every day, now.

The killer whales are not only ramming boats with their heads and ripping off rudders with their teeth, but they've also managed to sink three vessels so far this year.

"They clearly find a lot of pleasure in these encounters," Andrew Trites, director of the Marine Mammal Research Unit at the University of British Columbia in Canada, told Insider.

But Trites isn't talking about malicious pleasure, though it may feel like that for the people whose boats are taking a beating. Sailor Werner Schaufelberger described his encounter with orcas in May as "brutal."

"They're probably socializing, yucking it up with each other about their adventures without realizing the terror they're creating in their moments of joy," Trites said.

Trites is one of several orca experts Insider spoke with who all agree the orcas are just having a good time and probably don't have any ill will against the boats or humans on board.

This idea flies in the face of a darker theory that the orcas are attacking boats because of one traumatized killer whale named White Gladis who is taking revenge. And other orcas are imitating her behavior.

However, none of the experts Insider spoke with were convinced this was the case.

"I certainly think orcas are capable of complex emotions," Monika Wieland Shields, director of the Orca Behavior Institute told Insider. "But we just haven't seen anything like that anywhere else in the world. And we have given orcas plenty of reason to want to seek revenge on us."

Tilikum, the orca in Blackfish, has taken the lives of three people. Suzanne Allee/Magnolia Pictures

Shields points to the long history of humans harming the orca population, from shooting them at fisheries to the years of live captures in the '60s and '70s in which humans separated orca offspring from their families to display them in aquariums.

And yet, these situations haven't resulted in wild orcas attacking boats, Shields said. Orcas in captivity have attacked and killed humans, but there are no records of orcas killing humans in the wild.

The orcas are trying to play

According to Shields, orcas' natural curiosity and playfulness are likely the cause for these encounters and not revenge.

Orcas are very social and curious animals that often engage with their environments, Shields said.

In the Salish Sea off the coast of Washington, for example, it's not uncommon for orcas to play with crab traps, dragging them around for a few minutes or hours until they eventually lose interest, according to Shields.

"To me, that's really similar to what's going on in Spain," Shields said. "It's the same type of behavior, they might be thinking, 'Hey, there's this piece of equipment in my environment, I'm going to play with it for a while then move on.'"

Hanne Strager, a mammal marine biologist and author of the book "The Killer Whale Journals: Our Love and Fear of Ocras" agrees that curiosity is the likely cause.

In fact, Strager doesn't classify these encounters as "attacks," or attempts by the orcas to harm people and their property, but rather an example of orca exploration.

Cavan Images / Raffi Maghdessian / Getty Images

"I don't doubt that it feels like an attack for the people on the boat," Strager told Insider. "But from the orca's perspective, I don't think it's aggressive. Just because it feels and looks very dramatic to us doesn't mean it is dramatic for them."

Orcas find boats stimulating

Experts agree orcas are definitely targeting sailboats, but probably because there is something stimulating and exciting about "playing" with boats that causes them to repeat the behavior and teach it to others in their pod.

According to Trites, orcas might simply enjoy the sensation of ramming into boats.

"Orcas are very tactile and sensitive to touch," Trites told Insider. "In my research I've been struck by how often they touch each other and run into each other while swimming. It's just like with humans. We need to be touched."

Orcas might also be enticed by a boat speeding through the water and get a thrill out of chasing it, Trites said. In fact, the more people on a boat make a commotion or try to speed away, the more exciting the event is for the animal and the more likely they are to try to ram the boat again, Trites said.

"You can't outrun a killer whale," Trites said. "Just turn off your engine, let your rudder up, and become as boring as possible."

Playful, or not, this behavior could put orca lives at risk

While orca experts have good reason to think the animals are just being playful, ultimately, it's impossible to know what they're thinking.

Jason Edwards/Getty Images

And this uncertainty has people feeling uneasy, especially as these encounters become more prevalent and potentially dangerous for both people and orcas.

"I think tensions are escalating," Shields said. "And I think it's just a matter of time before a whale gets hurt or gets killed."

With better tracking of these incidents, hopefully, sailors can avoid high-risk areas and after enough "boring" encounters with boats, the orcas will eventually move on, Strager said.

Until then, Trites said it's important to remember these are endangered creatures who likely aren't out to hurt us.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The pandemic is done  so is remote work for Truist in Charlotte. Folks arent thrilled.

After being allowed to work remotely since the pandemic, employees of Charlotte-based Truist have been ordered back to the office, a spokesman confirmed Saturday.

Truist is Charlottes second-biggest bank by deposits. Truist and nine other Charlotte companies were named among the most trustworthy in April by Newsweek, The Charlotte Observer reported at the time.

As we return to a normal, post-pandemic working environment, we believe we do our best work when we have the ability to collaborate in-person, according to a statement provided to the Observer by Truist spokesman Kyle Tarrance.

We greatly value the feedback of our teammates, and were actively working to raise awareness of the numerous resources available to our teammates for important benefits like child care, parking assistance, commuter benefits and more, according to the statement.

It was unclear Saturday how many Truist workers have been working remotely, including hybrid weeks split between home and office.

Truist, Charlottes second biggest bank by deposits, is ending remote work for its employees.

Truist office-based and hybrid workers must return to the office by June 30, Observer news partner WSOC reported.

Employees were caught off guard after the company notified them of the return-to-office order, and some were in tears, according to the stations report.

While some banks have embraced hybrid work models, Charlotte-based Bank of America and others have emphasized in-office working, the Observer previously reported.

Bank of America updated its remote work policy last fall, including adding a provision allowing some in-office employees to work from home two days a week.
North Texas could see another round of severe storms Saturday evening with a possibility of large hail and damaging winds, according to the National Weather Service Fort Worth.

The storms are expected to develop along a dry line west of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and move toward the Interstate 35 corridor throughout the late afternoon and evening, NWS meteorologist Allison Prater said. A second round of storms from Oklahoma may move through overnight.

Saturday evening storms carry the potential for very large hail, damaging wind and even a few tornadoes, according to Prater.

Wash, rinse and repeat of what weve seen the last few days, she said.

The storms could arrive in the Dallas-Fort Worth area around 7 p.m, and the worst should be over by midnight when the storms will move east. Not everyone in North Texas will see rain or severe weather, but Prater cautioned that residents should remain weather alert throughout the late afternoon and evening hours and have multiple ways to receive warnings.

Parts of North Texas, including Fort Worth and Dallas, are under a heat advisory until Sunday evening. Saturdays high temperature is 93, but Prater said the heat index is closer to 106. High humidity continues to push the heat index up, causing it to feel hotter outside than the actual temperature.

A high of 100 is forecast for Monday, which would be the first 100-degree day this year for the Metroplex. Prater said that on average, temperatures dont reach 100 until July 1.

Prater urges residents to practice heat safety by drinking plenty of water; wearing light, loose clothing; minimizing time spent outside; and knowing the symptoms of heat-related illnesses.

The heat advisory for the Metroplex could be extended beyond Sunday evening, according to Prater. Other areas further south, including Waco and Corsicana, are under an excessive heat warning until Sunday evening.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the U.S. Congress on March 16, 2022. Sarahbeth Maney/The New York Times via AP

Since Russias war against his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has directly addressed the elected representatives of multiple countries in his quest for international support. These speeches have made explicit references to parallels between his countrys current plight and the particular historical experiences of these nations.

This strategy is one of many that Zelenskyy has employed to successfully build international support for Ukraine. As scholars of post-Soviet politics and the use of historical memory, we think Zelenskyys addresses help garner global support in three key ways: He evokes popular empathy for the Ukrainian people, enables foreign governments to assess their peoples interest in supporting Ukraine, and highlights the importance of territorial sovereignty to world peace.

References to historical parallels

Each of Zelenskyys speeches included historical references deliberately tailored to resonate with the people of the nation he was addressing at the time.

In his speech to the German Bundestag, for instance, he referred to the German people as standing behind a wall between freedom and slavery. That powerfully evoked the Berlin Walls division of post-World War II Germany into two countries, one aligned with the democratic West, and the other with the communist East.

He also reached farther back, referring to the historical responsibility of the German people, and making repeated references to the suffering endured by millions of Europeans during World War II because of the Nazi regimes aggressive territorial expansion and genocidal atrocities. These references might have been particularly potent given Zelenskyys own Jewish heritage.

When speaking to the Israeli Knesset, Zelenskyy compared the current suffering and forced migration of his people to the experiences of the European Jewish community in the 1930s and 1940s, including fleeing the Holocaust. Specifically he said the Ukrainian people are now scattered around the world. They are looking for security. They are looking for a way to stay in peace. As you once searched.

While addressing the U.S. Congress, Zelenskyy referred to the horrors of unprovoked aggression from hostile foreign forces at Pearl Harbor and on 9/11. He highlighted how these sudden and unanticipated attacks wreaked havoc on the lives of innocent people.

Finally, speaking to the British Parliament, he quoted one of Winston Churchills most memorable speeches, delivered at a time when Britain was threatened by, and successfully resisted, an expansionist power  Nazi Germany. Zelenskyy then added his own twist, saying We shall fight in the seas, we shall fight in the air, we shall defend our land, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight in the woods, in the fields, on the beaches, in the cities and villages, in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. And I want to add: we shall fight on the spoil tips, on the banks of the Kalmius and the Dnieper! And we shall not surrender!

Appeal to emotions

These historical parallels were intended to appeal to his audiences emotions, with the intent of inspiring popular empathy abroad. While politicians have long evoked history in their rhetoric, Zelenskyys use of history is distinct given its variety and intended audience. His goal was not to rally his own people, but to build an international coalition of support.

His historical references tapped into different sentiments in different countries  trauma in the United States and Israel, shame and guilt in Germany, pride in the United Kingdom. But the underlying goal in each instance was to compel the people of these countries to recall their own pasts so that they could sympathize with the pain and suffering of the Ukrainian people today.

In addition, his appeals prompted broader conversations in the media and among the public, revealing popular sentiment toward the conflict and allowing leaders to gauge reactions to the possibility of their countrys increased involvement. Where people were more receptive to Zelenskyys historical parallels, leaders could feel more confident that their policies supporting Ukraine would receive broad popular support.

The appeal of his message in Germany seemed clear when the Bundestags immediate transition to other matters of state following Zelenskyys speech drew public outrage. Since then, Germany has continued to increase its assistance.

Zelenskyys address to the U.S. Congress evoked concern and empathy for the Ukrainian people among both elected representatives and the public. Within hours of this speech, President Joe Biden announced an additional 0 million package of military support for Ukraine.

There was popular support for Ukraine among the U.K. public even prior to Zelenskyys speech. Leading up to the speech, the government was criticized for not doing enough to help Ukrainian refugees. Two days after the speech, the U.K. government announced an overhaul of the visa application process for Ukrainian refugees.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the British Parliament on March 8, 2022. House of Commons/PA Images via Getty Images

In contrast, Zelenskyys attempts to draw connections between the current situation in Ukraine and the Holocaust drew criticism from across the political spectrum in Israel. Israels support for Ukraine has been relatively muted and cautious. The poor reception of this historical analogy played into Israels reluctance to support Ukraine.

A key shared ideal

Perhaps Zelenskyys best rhetorical tactic was his appeal to the liberal ideals of the post-World War II order. By threatening Ukraines territorial sovereignty, Russia has also threatened a foundational principle of the largely peaceful era since 1945  a countrys sovereignty.

He used this shared value in different ways. For example, he reminded Americans when their territorial security was compromised and the British when theirs was preserved through resistance. But the goal was the same  to unite and mobilize international support behind his nation in an otherwise fractured global environment.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: Anil Menon, University of Michigan and Pauline Jones, University of Michigan.

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The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden is raising money again.

The commander in chief plans to accelerate his campaign cash dash after the White House paused overt political activity during debt-limit negotiations with Congress. That put his fledgling re-election campaign and the party a little bit behind the eight ball with the end of the second fundraising quarter coming June 30.

In recent weeks, Republicans have dominated 2024 election news  from former President Donald Trump turning indictments in New York and Miami into a rallying point for his base to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis touring early states.

But Biden will be hitting the hustings  and donors' wallets  harder over the next couple of weeks, according to a schedule of upcoming fundraising events provided to NBC News by a Democratic fundraising operative.

The Biden re-election calendar has 20 fundraisers planned in the last half of June, most of which will be headlined by Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris.

"The plan has always been to really push an aggressive fundraising blitz toward the end of the quarter," said a campaign official.

The still-skeletal Biden campaign apparatus has a joint fundraising agreement with the DNC and all of the state parties that are allowed to tap donors for more than the $3,300 contribution limit that governs the president's principal campaign committee.

On June 26, for example, top donors will be asked to pay $100,000 to sponsor the Harris-headlined DNC LGBTQ gala on Park Avenue in New York  a price that brings with it two "platinum" tables, passes to a VIP reception and an invitation to the photo line. A single seat at the dinner costs $1,500, and there are several giving thresholds between the top and bottom levels that are accompanied by various levels of access.

The ramp up is certain to haul in millions of dollars to support Biden and fellow Democrats, but it may not entirely put to bed the concerns of allies who worry that the debt-limit freeze on political events caused harm and that too much emphasis has been put on filling the DNC's coffers.

Some Biden loyalists have been particularly concerned about the absence of fundraising infrastructure for his official campaign treasury. There is no finance director in place. And even though Biden convened top donors in Washington when he announced his campaign in April, one longtime Democratic donor said he was "surprised" Biden has not put together a finance committee of heavyweight money-bundlers.

This donor pointed out that contributors can give hundreds of thousands of dollars to the DNC and its state affiliates while just $3,300 per donor per election  primary and general  can go to Biden under federal campaign finance limits. That is, big-dollar joint fundraising events benefiting the DNC and Biden's campaign are orders of magnitude more lucrative for the party than the candidate.

At the same time, Biden has put an emphasis on rebuilding the party infrastructure, and the DNC and its state counterparts can take on many of the tasks that have traditionally been handled by a campaign operation.

Biden was set to headline a fundraiser in Greenwich, Conn., on Friday, before taking a buck-mining swing through California on June 19 and 20th that will feature a reception with Gov. Gavin Newsom in Marin County, according to the schedule provided to NBC News. Later in the month  on June 28  he is slated to appear with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker in Chicago.

In addition to New York, Harris plans to make stops in Potomac, Md., New Orleans, Dallas and Denver over the next couple of weeks. First Lady Jill Biden and presidential sister Valerie Biden Owens are also signed up to raise money this month. Jill Biden travels to Nashville and Minneapolis for events on June 24, and Owens is on the marquee for a June 28 fundraising event in Wilmington, Del.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff is also slated to raise money, but details of his travel were not immediately available.

Biden's return to the campaign trail isn't limited to collecting checks. He plans to attend a rally Saturday in Philadelphia with labor unions, several of which announced their endorsements of him Friday.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Pennsylvania State trooper killed, another injured after shoot-out in Juniata County

A Pennsylvania State Police trooper is dead and another is injured after a shoot-out in Juniata County.

The incident began when Brandon Stine, 38, from Thompsontown, allegedly began shooting at patrol vehicles in the parking lot of the state police station in Lewistown at around 11 a.m. on Saturday.

State troopers caught up to Stine in Mifflintown Borough at around 12:45 p.m. Police say Stine began shooting at officers. He shot and heavily injured Lieutenant James A. Wagner.

Wagner, 45, was taken to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. He is listed in critical condition.

Authorities found Stine again at around 3 p.m. in the area of Swamp Road and Baumgardner Drive in Walker Township. An exchange of gunfire broke out between Stine and the troopers. During the exchange, Trooper Jacques F. Rougeau Jr., 29, was shot and killed. Stine was also killed during this incident.

Trooper Jacques F. Rougeau Jr. was shot and killed while responding to an incident in Juniata County.

Rougeau had been with Pennsylvania State Police since June 2020 and Wagner has been enlisted since Sept. 2002.

David Kennedy, the president of the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, released a statement after the incident, saying:

Pennsylvania has lost one hero while another fights for his life. The bravery of these Troopers and their loved ones will stay in our hearts forever.

Governor Josh Shapiro ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on Sunday in honor of Rougeau.

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A severe overnight storm in Northwest Florida Thursday night claimed the life of one person and left heavy damage across the area that residents are still cleaning up.

The storms grew intense early Friday morning as a flash flood emergency was issued across an area that included Pensacola, Florida. Portions of the city had received over 9 inches of rainfall by the time of the emergency's issuance, surpassing the old daily record rainfall of 4.12 inches set in 1985.

The storm turned deadly Thursday night when a tornado spun up in the area, sending a tree colliding into a nearby home. Escambia County Fire Rescue and emergency medical services responded to the call of a person trapped just after 8:30 p.m. CDT. However, the person was pronounced dead at the scene.

There were no other reported fatalities nor reported injuries within the city limit, Pensacola Fire Chief Ginny Cranor told AccuWeather Assistant Chief On-Air Meteorologist Geoff Cornish on Friday evening.

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Cranor compared the event to a 2014 flood event the city had experienced, saying Thursday's storm "has been to a similar level" as they had many people trapped in flooded cars in need of rescue.

On April 29, 2014, the heavens opened over Pensacola to unleash dousing rainfall that would mark the greatest calendar day total on record since 1879, according to the National Weather Service.

An estimated 15.55 inches of rain fell that day, a third of which fell in the hour between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. EDT on April 29. Over the course of 48 hours, an estimated 20.47 inches fell, placing the rainfall between a 1 in 100-year and 1 in 200-year event.

At least two fatalities occurred during the historic flash flooding, one of which was in Escambia County, Florida. The other was in Baldwin County, Alabama.

While the rain that fell Thursday night into Friday didn't scratch those totals, other areas around Pensacola came close, if not surpassed them. Gulf Breeze, a city in Santa Rosa County and a suburb of Pensacola recorded an astounding 17.03 inches and Warrington, located in Escambia County, recorded 15.23 inches.

With that said, the rainfall totals in Pensacola were anything but insignificant, especially as another round of rain took aim at the area Friday morning. In fact, it blew away the historical average for the entire month of June (7.32 inches).

"It's been a very long evening and a long day," Cranor said. "Our crews have been out working, performing damage assessments and just making sure that all of our roads and critical infrastructure are supported."

In addition to the flooding rainfall, the area also had "hours of terrible lightning," according to Cranor.

Data from LightningMaps.org, a community project that maps out lightning strikes across the United States, showed frequent lightning across northern Florida throughout the evening hours of Thursday, including in Escambia County where Pensacola is located.

Power outages were still high across Florida as 20,000 customers were without power as of Friday evening, according to PowerOutage.US. Over 3,700 customers without electricity were in Escambia County, with the rest scattered across the state. The outages are expected to wane as crews continue to clean up following the storm.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app.AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
LOS ANGELES  Pete Davidson has been charged with a misdemeanor count of reckless driving after crashing a car into a Beverly Hills house in March, authorities said Friday.

The Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office said the comedian and former "Saturday Night Live" star's reckless driving "resulted in his involvement in a serious collision into a home." No one was seriously injured, prosecutors said.

A representative for Davidson told NBC News there would be no further comment on the case.

The incident happened March 4 in a residential portion of Beverly Hills, where Davidson was contacted by officers after the collision, a Beverly Hills Police Department source with knowledge of the incident said.

Officers at the scene believed further investigation regarding his sobriety was not warranted by his appearance and behavior, the source said, adding that he was cooperative.

Police felt clear, however, that speed was a factor in the crash, according to the official.

The story of the reckless driving charge was first reported Friday by TMZ.

Davidson exited as one of the most popular cast members on NBC's "SNL" at the end of the 2021-2022 season and is starring in the Peacock series "Bupkis." NBC and Peacock are owned by NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.

The district attorney's office tied Davidson's incident to an increase in traffic fatalities, some of which have involved vehicles allegedly traveling too fast. "Reckless driving can have devastating consequences," the office said in its email.

An arraignment in the case is scheduled for July 27. Defendants in typical misdemeanor cases in California  with some exceptions  can usually have an attorney appear in their stead.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Pete Davidson is facing a misdemeanor reckless driving charge after allegedly crashing his car into a Beverly Hills home earlier this year.

The Los Angeles District Attorney's office announced the charge on June 16 in a statement.

According to the Beverly Hills Police Department, Davidson was driving a Mercedes the evening of March 4 in the Beverly Hills flats when his car jumped the curb, hit a fire hydrant and then crashed into a home. Police said the actor was driving the car with his girlfriend, Chase Sui Wonders, in the passenger seat when the incident happened.

No one was seriously injured in the crash, both BHPD and the D.A. confirmed. BHPD told TODAY.com that they did not believe drugs or alcohol was a factor in the crash and Davidson waited for police to arrive at the scene. They said he was cooperative and cordial.

Police viewed surveillance footage of the crash and determined speed to be a factor.

"We believe that Mr. Davidson engaged in reckless driving, which ultimately resulted in his involvement in a serious collision into a home," the D.A.'s June 16 statement reads. "We know that reckless driving can have devastating consequences. In 2022, traffic fatalities in Los Angeles have reached the highest levels seen in 20 years. This is an alarming trend that we cannot ignore. As a result, its crucial that we take all allegations of reckless driving seriously and hold those responsible accountable."

A spokesperson for Davidson did not respond to TODAY.com's request for comment.

Davidson is scheduled to be arraigned on July 27.

In a May interview with Nylon, Wonders opened up about how Davidson is often in the headlines but she tries to stay out of it.

We talk about everything, and we are very open with each other about everything, and it feels like whats happening in our relationship is very sacred, Wonders told the outlet. The first initial shock was super disorienting, but after that it just becomes ... its like a video game.

She added, It feels like another weird player came into the video game. I feel like Im still on my own path. My life hasnt changed that much.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
In Philly, union members say they don't care about Biden's age: 'I never heard someone who is Catholic say the pope is too old'

President Joe Biden speaks at a political rally at the Philadelphia Convention Center in Philadelphia, Saturday, June 17, 2023. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

President Joe Biden addressed union supporters in Philadelphia on Saturday.

Union members told Insider they are not too concerned about Biden's age or electability.

"I never heard someone who is Catholic say the pope is too old," one union member said.

PHILADELPHIA  Under another president, Jaysin Saxton might not have a job.

A shift supervisor at Starbucks, the 32-year-old was fired last year after speaking out about the effort to unionize his workplace. He was reinstated months later following a complaint filed by the National Labor Relations Board  stacked with new, pro-union appointees since 2021  with a federal judge ruling that his employer had illegally retaliated against him.

President Joe Biden and his administration have been allies and have given Starbucks workers "a platform, quite frankly," Saxton, who is from Augusta, Georgia, said in an interview, noting that organizers have been invited to the White House. "And because of that, we've been able to mobilize and fight for proposals that could greatly improve our lives."

Biden has largely governed as a friend of labor  its best friend in the years, if not ever, in the eyes of some union supporters. His appointments to the NLRB, which adjudicates disputes between companies and workers, have shifted power to workers. The board has sided not just with Starbucks organizers but has also recently declared that both non-disparagement and non-compete clauses are generally illegal.

Biden's path to reelection depends in part on touting those achievements and turning out union members in November 2024. It also runs through Pennsylvania, where the president spoke Saturday at a rally sponsored by the AFL-CIO, the country's largest union federation, which endorsed his reelection bid this week. Hundred of union members from across the country attended the rally.

"There are a lot of politicians in this country who can't say the word 'union,'" Biden said Saturday afternoon, supporters in colorful union merchandise cheering behind him. "You know I'm not one of them. I'm proud to say the word. I'm proud to be the most pro-union president in American history. I promised you I would be."

Biden needs unions  and Pennsylvania

This native son of Pennsylvania, born in Scranton 80 years ago, has now made no fewer than 10 official stops in the commonwealth since becoming president, and even more informal visits, including a jaunt this past April to the University of Pennsylvania, where his granddaughter, a student, put on an art show.

Biden's latest trip was all about politics and his own political future, which could well be decided by his state of birth. Pennsylvania, with 19 electoral votes up for grabs next year, is not just a bellwether but possibly the key to the White House. In 2016, former President Donald Trump won this swing state by about 48,000 votes; in 2020, the incumbent lost by more than 80,000.

But while Pennsylvania's Democratic Party has performed well in recent years, including the recent midterm elections, which are generally seen as a referendum on the incumbent president  winning the governor's office, sending John Fetterman to the US Senate, and taking over the state house for the first time in a decade  there are concerns among rank-and-file Democrats over whether Biden can repeat his 2020 performance.

Several union members who spoke to Insider tried to address concerns over Biden's age and dismal polling by speaking about the coalition that would propel him to a second term and what that coalition could achieve, emphasizing policy more than the man himself  and contrasting it with the cult of personality formed around some of his rivals.

A nurse from Queens, Mary Samaroo, pointed to the president's executive order, issued in April, that instructs the Department of Health and Human Services to consider minimum staffing requirements for medical facilities such as nursing homes. That would provide welcome relief, Samaroo, a member of the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, told Insider, describing a status quo where nurses are overworked and patients are denied adequate care.

"Pushing for this safe staffing will give us the ability to ensure that each patient gets the care that they need," Samaroo said. "If we all mobilize around him, he will be able to do what has to be done."

Although Biden can point to some major legislative victories already, including an infrastructure bill that will invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the state, he himself remains stubbornly unpopular, in Pennsylvania and elsewhere: He last enjoyed a favorable approval rating in August 2021, the month that US troops withdrew from Afghanistan.

A recent fall on stage has also served as a reminder of the president's advanced age. Trump, his chief Republican rival, is just three years younger and facing multiple felony charges after trying and failing to overturn his 2020 election loss. But, just over 500 days from the election, Trump is in a statistical dead heat to return to the White House.

The age question

Nora Dumenigo, an immigrant from Cuba who works as a cleaner at Miami International Airport, is supporting Biden "because he has helped us a lot in difficult moments," she said in Spanish, pointing to efforts earlier in his presidency to address the pandemic.

A member of the SEIU, she thinks he offers the best chance to improve pay and health care for laborers like her. Those supporting Trump or other Republican candidates, she argued, have lost touch with workers.

"They are people who are comfortable and who simply think about what benefits them, but do not think about what harms everyone else," Dumenigo said.

But what about his age? Biden would be 82 at the start of a second term, and his periodic trips and gaffes have been fodder for right-wing critics. At Saturday's rally, however, union members insisted it is not a concern  and that the discourse around it is an indictment of the times.

"I think, unfortunately, we live in a culture where we don't honor folks with more experience," Renee Dozier, an electrician from Boston and member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, or IBEW, said in an interview. "He is older, yes, but he has that experience, and he has the wisdom, and he has the discernment. And we need to honor that and use it while we have it."

Mike Brown, a security officer at a local community college and an SEIU member, said his vote was indeed based on the incumbent's long track record in public office. "I'm supporting Joe Biden because he's an advocate for the unions, and he fought for them even before he became president," he said. His age, he suggested, is an asset  and the discussions around it a distraction.

"I never heard someone who is Catholic say the pope is too old," Brown said.

Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com

Read the original article on Business Insider
Photos reveal drastic changes to Kakhovka Reservoir as water levels drop

What does the shallow Kakhovka reservoir look like now?

In the week-and-a-half since Russian troops blew up the dam, a significant amount of water has leaked out of the reservoir, as photos shared on a local news Telegram channel showed on June 16.

Read also: Cholera and e. coli discovered in water supplies after Kakhovka Dam destruction

The images here show what the shallowed Kakhovka Reservoir looks like now.

Kakhovka HPP explosion: what is known

During the night of June 6, Russian forces, which have occupied the town of Nova Kakhovka for over a year, exploded the dam, completely or partially flooding downstream cities and towns along the Dnipro River, including the regional capital of Kherson.

Read also: New Maxar satellite images reveal damage after explosion at Kakhovka dam

Ukraine began evacuating the population from the government-controlled west bank of the Kherson Oblast, while a catastrophe unfolded on the occupied east bank, which suffered much more from the flooding due its lowered elevation. As a result of the Russians' exploding the dam, there are dead and wounded, though the exact numbers are as yet unconfirmed.

The Prosecutor General's Office launched an investigation under the article of ecocide, and Ukraine appealed to the International Criminal Court.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the Russian attack on the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant the largest man-made environmental disaster in Europe in decades.

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
Podolyak: African leaders came to Ukraine to ask for suspension of Putin's arrest warrant

The African leaders' delegation that came to Kyiv on June 16 to present a peace plan was mostly interested in suspending Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's arrest warrant, Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukraines Presidential Office, said.

"There is one point that worries them and for which, I think, they came," he said on June 17.

"Trust comes in small steps: And let's make one of the points the termination of the ICC warrant issued for Putin's arrest, and this will symbolize such trust, and then we will move on to the next points," he recalled them saying.

On March 17, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official allegedly overseeing the forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia, meaning that Putin and Lvova-Belova can now be arrested in countries that have ratified the Rome Statute.

Podolyak also said the only real plan to end the war was Ukraine's 10-point peace plan, which Zelensky introduced at a G20 summit meeting in November 2022.

The peace plan includes the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory, the establishment of a Russian war crimes tribunal, the release of all prisoners and forcibly relocated people, and the prevention of ecocide.

Zelensky on Chinas peace plan: We have our own peace formula President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was not aware of the specifics of Chinas peace plan it wants to present on Feb. 24, adding that he is counting on the support of the Ukrainian peace formula, the European Pravda reported. The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa presented another ten-point peace plan of the African Peace Mission during his visit to Kyiv, Ukrinform wrote on June 16.

As the main points, Ramaphosa emphasized that the Russo-Ukrainian War must be settled, and peace has to be achieved through diplomatic means as soon as possible.

Ukraine's President Zelensky later responded, however, that talks with Moscow are possible only after a full withdrawal of Russian troops.

The third step, which the South African president listed at a joint press conference with Zelensky, was the de-escalation of hostilities.

As the fourth step, the sovereignty of states and peoples must be respected in accordance with the UN Charter.

The fifth component included security guarantees, the sixth was ensuring the export of grain and fertilizers, and the seventh was humanitarian assistance to the war's victims.

The eighth step was the exchange of prisoners and captives, including children.

The ninth named component was post-war reconstruction and the final tenth step was for Zelensky to better and further interact with the African countries.

South African president: Missiles do not work well to establish peace South Africas President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the Russian missiles that struck Kyiv on June 16 are not helping the peace efforts, Ukrinform wrote. The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek

The African peace delegation arrived in Kyiv on June 16. During the group's visit to Bucha, Russian forces launched 12 missiles against the capital and Kyiv Oblast, injuring four people.

A group of African countries now includes South Africa, Senegal, Egypt, the Republic of Congo, Uganda, Zambia, and Comoros announced the plan to visit Kyiv and Moscow for peace talks on May 22.

The leaders indicated they wished to "initiate a peace process" but agreed on increasing Ukrainian grain exports and easing shipments of Russian fertilizers.

Ramaphosa and other African leaders arrived in Kyiv on June 16, under the African Peace Mission, before visiting Moscow to meet Putin on June 17.

While the group was visiting the mass grave of civilians killed in Bucha, Russian forces launched an air strike against the capital and Kyiv Oblast. All six Kinzhal and six Kalibr missiles were shot down but the debris injured at least four people.

According to Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Russia was sending a message that it wants "more war, not peace."

Ramaphosa's spokesperson tweeted that the delegation "didn't hear the sirens or explosions" and that the "program is proceeding as planned."

At the press conference, Zelensky said that the attack showed Russia's "disdain for peace efforts and for all world leaders who are trying to protect the world from aggression."
Flag of Poland

Read also: Poland criticizes Germanys stand on Ukraines NATO membership

"The Sejm of the Republic of Poland fully supports Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations," Stefanchuk wrote.

Thank you for adopting a resolution in support of Ukraine's accession to NATO.

The document states that today Ukraine is defending not only its statehood, but also common values such as democracy and order based on international law. From a military point of view, Ukraine's accession to NATO will also be beneficial to the Western defensive alliance, the resolution says.

The document also stresses that the upcoming summit in Vilnius is crucial for NATO-Ukraine relations and should be a place for a debate about their future, and that the procedure for inviting Finland and Sweden to join the alliance could be applied to Ukraine.

Read also: NATO countries want Biden to accelerate Ukraines NATO membership  NYT

"The Sejm of the Republic of Poland will support efforts to strengthen political and practical cooperation between the alliance and Ukraine, and to build consensus on Ukraine's accession to NATO," Stefanchuk added.

The Ukrainian speaker also thanked Ukraines Polish friends and allies for their continued support for his country.

Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO member states would send a clear signal during the July summit in Vilnius that Ukraine's future lies with the alliance.

Also, according to media reports, U.S. President Joe Biden supports Ukraine's fast-tracked accession to NATO after the war.

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
Zoe Petersen, Deseret News

With former President Donald Trump facing legal troubles as he makes his third run for president, he has a familiar foil  Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, who does not mince words when it comes to the former president.

Last week, after news broke that Trump would be indicted related to his handling of classified documents, Romney said Trump brought these charges upon himself. Last month, after Trump was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation in a civil case, Romney said he is not fit to be president. Romney also voted to impeach Trump, twice.

Trump has called Romney, among other names, a failed presidential candidate. And Romney regularly comes under attack on social media by Trumps followers.

Although both are Republicans, they represent distinct approaches to the party, both in terms of style and substance, said Jason Perry, director of the University of Utahs Hinckley Institute of Politics.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., Tuesday, June 13, 2023, after pleading not guilty in a Miami courtroom earlier in the day to dozens of felony counts that he hoarded classified documents and refused government demands to give them back. | Mary Altaffer, Associated Press

On policy, Romney has a moderately conservative voting record. During his first campaign for the Senate, Romney said he agreed with Trumps domestic policy agenda. But during the Biden administration, Romney has shown a willingness to compromise, helping to pass an infrastructure bill and a gun safety bill.

Romney has also criticized Biden over his handling of the economy, immigration and his decision to cancel student loan debt.

Related

Trumps brand of Republicanism has been said to be more populist than traditional. He has criticized Republicans over their calls for entitlement reform, and regularly says hes taking on the countrys elites.

Recently, Trumps rival in the Republican primary, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, criticized him for his stance on abortion, after Trump said Floridas abortion law was too harsh.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, talks to members of the media after a roundtable discussion on the Jordan River Watershed and the Great Salt Lake at the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District in West Jordan on Friday, May 5, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Related

Even though their policy differences may not always be stark, Romneys decision to vote in favor of impeachment looms large for many Trump voters, Perry said.

Sen. Romney voted to impeach the standard-bearer for his own party, Perry said. And he did it as a matter of principle where he felt he should be, and there are very conservative members of the Republican Party who are not going to forgive that.

Their approaches matter, too, Perry said. Romney favors a more historical approach to lawmaking in the Senate, as he tries to reach across the aisle to build consensus on issues. On the other hand, President Trump is not that person, Perry said.

So who did Utah say represents them better  Romney or Trump?

It depends who you ask. Overall, more Utahns say Romney represents their political and policy preferences over Trump, with 44% choosing him compared to 31% who chose Trump, according to the latest Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll.

But among Republicans, 47% say Trump best represents them, while 39% say Romney, with 14% choosing other.

Younger voters, moderates and people with a college degree were more likely to say Romney was their standard-bearer, as were very active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Trump did better with Republican and self-described very conservative voters.

The poll was conducted among 798 Utah registered voters from May 22-June 1. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.46 percentage points.

Because the poll was conducted in late May, the responses do not reflect voters reactions to news of Trumps indictment over allegations he failed to turn over classified documents. Trump has defended himself by saying he believes he was allowed to keep the documents.

Last year, when this same question was asked, slightly more Utahns  51%  said they identified with Romney. But Trump also has lost ground in the state, with 37% of voters last year saying that he represented them.
President Biden causes confusion after appearing to sign off a speech on gun control with 'God save the Queen, man'

President Joe Biden speaks during the National Safer Communities Summit at the University of Hartford on June 16, 2023 in West Hartford, Connecticut. John Moore/Getty Images

President Joe Biden baffled people after ending a speech by saying, "God save the Queen."

Biden was speaking on gun violence reform at the National Safer Communities Summit in Connecticut.

The White House press office later said Biden was "commenting to someone in the crowd."

President Joe Biden left many perplexed after ending a speech in Connecticut on the importance of gun control with the unexpected sign-off, "God save the Queen."

Biden gave a speech on Friday at the National Safer Communities Summit in West Hartford, Connecticut, discussing the necessity of increased gun safety legislation.

The president ended the speech by noting that he could not shake hands with people in the audience due to an incoming storm.

"All right? God Save the Queen, man," he said.

"God Save the Queen," a famous turn of phrase in Britain, refers to the country's national anthem. It is now alternatively "God Save the King," after the country's long-reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth died last year and was replaced by her son, King Charles III.

Todd Gillman, the White House bureau chief for the Dallas Morning News, covered the speech and said that he and other pool reporters were unclear on what the president meant.

"Several of you have asked me why he might have said that. I have no idea. Other poolers likewise have no idea," Gillman wrote in a dispatch on Friday.

The phrase soon began trending on Twitter, with social media users questioning and criticizing what appeared to be a gaffe from the 80-year-old president.

The White House press office later said Biden was "commenting to someone in the crowd," per BBC News.

During his speech, Biden pushed for more robust gun control measures in the US  where deadly gun violence is rampant and unabated  expressing anger that shootings happen "every damn day" in the country.

The president, a self-proclaimed "gaffe machine," has been known to make some statements that leave people scratching their heads. Biden recently defended his presidential reelection bid, saying he has "acquired a hell of a lot of wisdom," Insider previously reported.

Biden would be 82 at the start of a second presidential term in 2025.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin assured the African delegation that his logic of the war against Ukraine is allegedly "flawless" from the point of view of international law and the UN Charter.

Source: Putin, at a meeting with leaders of African countries, according to Russian state-owned news agencies Interfax and TASS

Quote: "It was the Kyiv regime that unleashed this war in 2014. In accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, we had the right to provide assistance to them [pseudo-republics of Luhansk and Donetsk Peoples Republics  ed.], referring to the section on self-defence. Dear colleagues, this logic, which was set out, in my opinion and the opinion of my colleagues and experts, is flawless from the point of view of international law and the UN Charter. "

Details: According to Putin, Russia allegedly had the right to recognise the "independence" of the occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts in accordance with the UN Charter.

"These territories had the right to declare their independence. So, we had the right to recognise them. We did it. And then, having signed an agreement on friendship and interaction with them, we had the right to provide this assistance to them in full accordance with the UN charter," Putin said.

The Russian dictator also reiterated that Ukraine, not Russia, refuses "peace talks."

He even showed African leaders an initial draft agreement with Ukraine, which was being prepared in Istanbul in March 2022.

Putin also lied that Russia was allegedly absolutely legally "transferring" children from Ukraine, and never opposed their reunification with their families.

Before that, during his meeting with Putin, Senegal's President Macky Sall said that a peaceful dialogue between Russia and Ukraine should be built on the principles of the UN Charter.

"Yesterday, we were in Kyiv and gave our message, told President Zelenskyy about our good intentions and listened to him. I noted that the dialogue is not an excluded option, although the conditions were named and among them is compliance with the UN Charter," he said.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa put forward a plan for resolving the war, one of the points of which concerns children deported to Russia. "These children should go back to where they came from  to their homes," Ramaphosa said.

On Saturday, Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa,Macky Sall, President of Senegal, Ghazali Othman, Comoros president, Hakainde Hichilema, President of Zambia, and Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt, arrived in St. Petersburg to discuss the African "peace initiative" regarding the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine. In addition, the delegation included representatives of Uganda and Congo.

Background: The day before, 16 June, the African delegation visited Kyiv, where it took part in negotiations with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy criticised the rhetoric of African leaders who call Russia's war against Ukraine a "conflict" or a "crisis".

The president was also surprised that representatives of African countries emphasised their own grain and fertiliser crises, while avoiding to comment on the war in Ukraine  that is, constant Russian missile and artillery attacks, civilian and military deaths, ecocide, etc.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Dmitry Peskov, Press Secretary of the Russian president, has said that the Grain Initiative has no future, and Moscow sees no reason to continue it (the Black Sea Grain Initiative is an agreement brokered by the UN with Russia and Turkiye launched on 22 July 2022 to enable ships to transport grain from Ukraine  ed.)

Source: Peskov in an interview with Izvestia, reports Russian state-owned news agency Interfax

Quote: "It is hardly possible to predict any final decision here, we can only state that if we judge de facto from what we have [at the moment  ed.], then this agreement has no future."

Details: According to Peskov, the agreement provides for "cooperation between contracting states or associations."

"And so part of this job was done, and the second part, which concerned the Russian Federation, was never done," he said.

"Therefore, if we state what is apparent now, then, of course, there are no prospects, there are no grounds to prolong it. Because so far what was promised to us has not been done," Peskov said.

Earlier: Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Western countries of failing to comply with the Russian demands concerning the Black Sea Grain Initiative and said that Moscow was considering a withdrawal from the agreement.

In mid-May, despite Russia's threats to withdraw from the agreement, the Black Sea Grain Initiative was extended for another two months.

Later, it was revealed that Kyiv could allow the transit of Russian ammonia through Ukrainian territory if it received guarantees from Russia and the UN that the Black Sea Grain Initiative would work without any obstructions.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






President Joe Biden speaks during a political rally in Philadelphia on Saturday, June 17.

President Joe Biden speaks during a political rally in Philadelphia on Saturday, June 17.

PHILADELPHIA  Speaking on Saturday to more than a thousand union members in his first campaign rally of the 2024 election cycle, President Joe Biden celebrated the work that hes done to create union jobs and warned union members about the dangers of him not winning a second term.

After walking onstage to Whitney Houstons rendition of Higher Love, Biden waxed lyrical about his kinship with labor unions, noting that wife Jill Biden, a teacher, is a member of the National Education Association and grew up in the Philadelphia area.

It feels good to be home, he said.

A lot of politicians in this country cant say the word union. Im not one of them. Im proud to say the word. Im proud to be the most pro-union president in American history, Biden said, prompting chants of four more years.

Biden went on to enumerate the many policy wins that he has helped deliver for organized labor, including infrastructure legislation, a relief bill that helped fund public sector jobs, a climate bill that is spurring domestic clean energy manufacturing, and his support for organizing rights. Under Biden, the National Labor Relations Board has been especially active in adjudicating fights for union recognition and punishing violations of labor law by employers.

Biden also touted his success defending Social Security and Medicare from cuts during the recent debt ceiling negotiations in Washington. If given a second term, Biden promised to push forward with what he called Bidenomics  a progressive alternative to trickle-down economics that focuses on promoting domestic manufacturing and correcting inequities in the tax code, such as the carried-interest loophole that enables super-rich finance executives to pay a 20% tax rate.

Its about time the super-wealthy started paying their fair share, he said.

Former President Donald Trump and others from the growing field of Republican hopefuls vying to take on Biden were notably absent from the speech. Biden did not even hint at any specific candidates.

He instead treated the Republican effort to unseat him as a monolithic threat to working peoples interests. He warned the boisterous group of assembled union members  clad in Biden 2024 T-shirts in the colors of their individual unions  that Republicans could undo his renewable energy investments and other initiatives that are supporting union jobs.

Theyre coming for your jobs, he said toward the end of his remarks. Theyre coming for your future. Theyre coming for the future ability of your kids and grandkids, he added.

Weve got a fight on our hands, Biden said. And my question to you is simple: Are you with me in this fight?

The audience cheered in affirmation.

Indeed, the self-selecting crowd of politically active union members from across Pennsylvania didnt need much selling on Bidens presidency.

Bliss Allen, a Lansdowne resident who is participating in the Laborers International Union of North America pre-apprenticeship program for young people from marginalized communities, said he was impressed with the infrastructure bill.

To see him, in this presidency, spend the money dedicated to actually getting our infrastructure  its not something that right now hes going to be recognized for, but its something that America is making, Allen said. To see now, OK, cool  Im actually a part of this now.

Kevin Niewinski, a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers from South Philadelphia, told HuffPost after the rally that he appreciated Bidens call to make wealthier people pay their fair share.

I feel like the working mans got a shot now, a fair shake, Niewinski said.

Prior to the rally, Biden was briefed by Pennsylvania Democratic officials on the collapse of part of Interstate 95 in northeastern Philadelphia and took an aerial tour of the damage. In his speech to union members, Biden promised that the federal government would provide all the resources necessary for a speedy rebuilding of the critical transportation artery.

Saturdays rally was part of a show of force from the Biden campaign and key Democratic interest groups.

The AFL-CIO, the 12.5 million-member federation of labor unions that organized the rally, endorsed Biden on Friday, which it said is the earliest that the federation has ever endorsed a presidential candidate and is nearly a year earlier than when it endorsed Biden in the 2020 election cycle. A number of individual unions also announced their endorsements that day. And earlier this week, an array of environmental groups announced their support for Bidens reelection bid.

With labor unions, it brings people together across party lines, and so we can be in an issues-based frame out there at the community level, and really getting people on board, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler told a group of reporters after the rally.

In 2016, Trump won a larger-than-normal share of union members, leading Democratic-aligned unions to redouble their efforts to reach out to members about the stakes of having a Democrat in the White House. Memories of that race are still fresh in the minds of union leaders.

Theres some support among our membership for Donald Trump. I think its waned over time, Shuler said, before making an apparent reference to recent criminal charges facing Trump. As these legal troubles continue to surface, I think people are asking themselves, Who do we want out there fighting for us?

Bidens recent legislative wins and Democrats strong performance in last years midterm elections succeeded in quieting doubts about how Bidens age might affect the 80-year-olds performance in the general election.

But polling still shows that many Democratic voters do not want him to run again. And the anti-establishment campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has attracted double-digit support in some early primary polls.

A White House official present at Saturdays rally declined to comment on Kennedys bid.

Asked whether the coordinated show of support from labor and other liberal groups was designed to shore up Bidens weakness with the Democratic base, Shuler insisted that it was solely due to his status as a uniquely dedicated champion for organized labor.

Whats there to talk about when you have the most pro-union president, whos standing up, fighting for us? she asked.

The policies reflect it, his Cabinet reflects it, his regulatory approach reflects it.

So, how is Biden more pro-labor than former President Barack Obama?

Theres some subtlety because he is from the top sending the message to every aspect of the administration  that unions and building from the middle out and the bottom up is the priority, Shuler said, noting that organized labor now has an official representative in the Department of Commerce, historically a hub for business interests.

And so it has actually taken hold in every aspect of the administration in a way thats deeper than ever before.
Hi, lovely people, and welcome to Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch's regular newsletter that highlights the top news in tech over the past week (or so). If you haven't already, sign up here to get WiR in your inbox every Saturday.

Most read

Reddit's CEO lashes out: Reddit CEO Steve Huffman is not backing down amid protests against API changes made by the platform, Ivan writes. In interviews with The Verge, NBCNews and NPR, Huffman defended business decisions made by the company to charge third-party apps, saying that the API wasnt designed to support these clients.

Subreddits go dark: In related Reddit news, more than 300 subreddits, including popular ones like r/aww, r/music r/videos, and r/futurology, went dark -- preventing users from accessing them -- indefinitely after a large protest against Reddits API changes ends on June 14. Over the last several days, (June 12-14), thousands of subreddits have joined in solidarity to protest Reddit's aforementioned API changes, which will potentially shut down many third-party apps.

Twitter evicted: Twitter owes three months rent to its Boulder, Colo., landlord, and a judge has signed off on evicting the tech giant from its office there, court documents show. Since its takeover by Elon Musk, Twitters business has more or less fallen into disarray, and there have been numerous reports of unpaid bills.

Carvana comes crashing down: Carvanas big rally is now looking more like a blip on the radar, Harri and Alex write. The company has secured billions in equity and debt financing since launching in 2013, and it's bought a couple of startups  namely, Car360 and Adesa. But through it all, the company has yet to record a real profit.

Ransomware gang lists victims: Clop, the ransomware gang responsible for exploiting a critical security vulnerability in a popular corporate file transfer tool, has begun listing victims of the mass-hacks, including a number of U.S. banks and universities. The Russia-linked ransomware gang has been exploiting the security flaw in MOVEit Transfer, a tool used by corporations and enterprises to share large files over the internet, since late May.

Check skin conditions with Google Lens: Googles enhancing Google Lens, its computer vision-powered app that brings up information related to the objects it identifies, with a useful new feature. Lens can now surface skin conditions similar to what you might see on your own skin, such as moles and rashes -- working from an uploaded photo.

Minimum wage for NYC delivery workers: New York City has established a new minimum wage for food delivery workers who deliver for platforms like Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub and Relay. It should be a historic win for gig workers, but Rebecca writes about how both delivery workers and companies are unhappy with it.

YouTube lets more users monetize: YouTube is lowering the requirements for creators to get access to monetization tools under the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). Specifically, the company is expanding its shopping affiliate program to U.S.-based creators who are already a part of YPP and have more than 20,000 subscribers.

Audio

TechCrunch's podcast collection is the gift that keeps on giving -- although this writer might be a little biased. Equity was off this week, but The TechCrunch Podcast revisited Inside Startup Battlefield, the four-part series that takes you behind TechCrunchs Startup Battlefield competition.

Found, meanwhile, featured Amy Brown, the co-founder and CEO of Authenticx, a Midwestern startup that helps insurance companies and medical organizations extract data from their call centers using AI.

And on Chain Reaction, Patrick Kaminski, the director of digital innovation for web3 and metaverse at LOreal, and Manon Cardiel, head of strategic planning and partnerships within web3 and metaverse at LOreal, spoke about their experiences in the burgeoning blockchain space.

TechCrunch+

TC+ subscribers get access to in-depth commentary, analysis and surveys  which you know if youre already a subscriber. If youre not, consider signing up. Here are a few highlights from this week:

Corporate America makes bets on AI: Hype or not, the potential of AI has tech companies enamored, and businesses large and small have begun betting heavily on efforts that leverage AI in some fashion to spur their growth to new heights. Alex and I investigate.

Small VCs have a diversity impact: Smaller funds -- especially those that have $50 million or less in assets under management -- are helping to usher in a new wave of diversity within venture capital. As Dominic writes, the latest crop of investors stems from historically overlooked or marginalized communities that are setting up funds and then investing back in those funds.

Approaching building AI in healthcare: Rebecca writes about how some founders are approaching AI in healthcare with the appropriate amount of caution, considering the ethical implications of their startups' technologies before deploying them widely to customers.
The Cook County Democratic Party met Friday for its second day of pre-slating, a traditional meet-and-greet that gives hopeful candidates the chance to make their pitches  and also often lays bare internal party rifts and past grudges.

Aside from judges seats, two key races are on 2024 ballots countywide: states attorney and circuit court clerk.

Official party endorsements wont be made until August. Those come with assistance collecting petition signatures in the fall to make it on the 2024 primary ballot as well as countywide mailers as campaign season heats up.

Only one candidate presented for the wide-open states attorney position: Clayton Harris III, an attorney and lecturer at the University of Chicago who is running with the support of Cook County Board President and party chair Toni Preckwinkle.

Outgoing States Attorney Kim Foxx, a Democrat, announced in April that she wont seek reelection next year after a bruising tenure as the countys chief prosecutor. She brought a slew of systemic reforms in the office, but also faced pushback over her prosecutorial policies during a rise in crime and became a national figure for her role in the Jussie Smollett scandal.

Preckwinkle said she anticipates that the campaign for states attorney will be a tremendous challenge for the party, and said she hoped fellow committee members support Harris.

It cant have escaped anyones notice that we have one candidate this morning for this job, she said. This is a tough job and I think he has the breadth of experience to take it on.

Foxx got treated pretty brutally for the work that she tried to do to reform our criminal justice system, Preckwinkle said, thanking Harris for being willing to take on this obligation, this responsibility, especially in light of what happened to the candidate we supported twice previously.

Harris focus as a U. of C. lecturer is public policy; his recent research examines parallels between the genesis of America policing through slavery in the 1600s and policing in the new millennium, according to his university bio.

Harris has held various roles across government, including as an assistant states attorney working in criminal appeals, narcotics and special prosecutions. Hes also been chief of staff at the Illinois Department of Transportation, general counsel for the Chicago Department of Transportation, an assistant to former Mayor Richard M. Daley and executive director for the Illinois International Port District. Harris received his law degree from Howard University and also has a degree in aerospace technology from Middle Tennessee State University.

He pledged to focus on retributive justice, restorative justice and reformative justice.

I believe that prosecuting criminals is the focus of the office. Crime has levels, and while I do not believe that things such as retail theft are victimless crimes, I also do not believe that prison is necessarily the correct response to certain low-level crimes. I saw too much of this while I was an ASA in narcotics, and we cannot continue to throw away Black and brown bodies for addictions, conditions and a lack of expectations, he said.

I understand the need to help first-time nonviolent youth offenders accept accountability for their actions while not reaching for sentences that will ruin their lives and weaken our communities, he continued. However, that being said, I do not believe that there should be a free pass for those who continuously flout the system and purposely avail themselves as noncontributing members of our society. The mission of the states attorney is to preserve the dignity and the best interest of the victims of crime.

Other candidates for the role are likely to emerge  petition passing does not begin until September and the primary election is not until March 19.

In the Circuit Court clerks race, faced with three candidates vying for the partys endorsement, members were clearly split. Long plagued by scandal during former Clerk Dorothy Browns long tenure, Iris Martinez won a four-way primary in 2020 to replace Brown.

Martinez did so without the partys endorsement, edging out their chosen candidate, Michael Cabonargi.

Despite being spurned then, Martinez is seeking the partys backing now for a second term atop the office responsible for keeping track of filings in one of the worlds busiest court systems.

She pledged to improve on the inefficiencies that plagued the office and a history of botched tech rollouts. Martinez, a former state senator, has touted her offices compliance with federal hiring requirements as a key accomplishment, reducing a backlog of expungement petitions, and her role in passing a state bill to seal the records of victims of sex crimes.

Several party members  including 12th Ward committeeman George Cardenas, Thornton Township committeeman Napoleon Harris and Maine Townships Laura Murphy  indicated they will back Martinez.

Its important that we support incumbents, Harris said, even when they challenge the establishment.

She took her turn when it wasnt popular. She had the courage to stand up against the party and run, and successfully run, Harris said. We have someone whos done the work, done the job, whos qualified, and were split. And I know a lot of people dont want to talk about it because theres a lot of tension in the room. But these are conversations we need to have here today.

Martinezs two challengers  Eira Corral Sepulveda and Mariyana Spyropoulos  argue Martinez has fallen short of her promises. A recent WBEZ investigation found during Martinezs tenure, the clerks office had been wrongly putting felonies on the records of people in some diversion programs, potentially putting employment and housing opportunities at risk. The office told the radio station in May it was working on a solution, and placed some of the blame on Chief Judge Timothy Evans.

My desire to run for the office is embedded in my fundamental principle that public service is meant to help those that are in need, and those that are seeking help, Sepulveda told party members. As we have seen in the headlines, the office is mired in scandal and mismanagement, she continued, arguing Martinez has fallen short on technology upgrades that would have improved customer service. Sepulveda also alluded to a number of clerk employees accused of federal pandemic relief fraud. Martinez said Friday that she cooperated with an internal investigation into those employees.

Sepulveda served as Hanover Park village clerk between 2009 and 2020. She won a seat on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District that year, and has the support of Preckwinkle for the role.

Spyropoulos, an attorney and another MWRD commissioner, said the problems at the office are not limited to outdated equipment, employee morale and management issues.

Ive heard from attorneys and judges, and there are many issues with this office including systems being down, orders from judges not being processed in a timely manner, which can result in wrongful evictions as well as other challenges, people staying in jail for longer than necessary. I want to change that. ... By the way, the online case lookup system on the website has been down since Friday, June 5.

Separately on Friday, party members announced details to fill the vacant position on the Cook County Board left by Brandon Johnson after he won election as Chicago mayor. A selection committee narrowed down 19 applications to six, who will be interviewed by party members in the Foxboro Room of The Carleton of Oak Park Hotel this coming Tuesday.

Those finalists are a mix of Chicagoans and suburbanites. The district spans many West Side neighborhoods and suburban communities, including Oak Park. Finalists include Chicagoans the Rev. Ira Acree, Tommie Johnson, Zerlina Smith-Members and Tara Stamps, as well as Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins and Claiborne Wade, also of Forest Park.

Smith-Members has previously run for 29th Ward alderman and Cook County board president. Stamps has run for 37th Ward alderman. Whoever the committee selects will have to run in 2024 to retain the seat.

On the Republican side, former longtime Illinois House minority leader Jim Durkin was asked after the unveiling of a portrait of former GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner Monday whether hes considering a run for states attorney.

Durkin, who stepped down from the Legislature this year and has lamented the partys rightward shift and embrace of former President Donald Trump, said hes not even thinking about it but added hes just interested in putting good people in the county office and make sure theyre doing their job right and holding criminals accountable.

Asked about any campaigns in his future, Durkin, of Western Springs, said: I live in Cook County and I would just say that Im going to do everything I can to make sure Cook County can be a safe county again down the road. So Im very concerned about whats happening in the city of Chicago and also throughout the suburban area. And so, I will just say that Im going to keep my eye on that. But Im enjoying my life as a private person.

Durkin is a former Cook County assistant states attorney.

Tribunes Jeremy Gorner contributed.

aquig@chicagotribune.com
Mississippi Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who is seeking his party's renomination for lieutenant governor, responds to a newspaper publisher's question during the Mississippi Press Association annual meeting in Flowood, Miss., Friday, June 16, 2023. Hosemann faces State Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, in the party's primary. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

FLOWOOD, Miss. (AP)  Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and state Sen. Chris McDaniel, the fellow Republican trying to unseat him in a primary challenge, each sought to burnish their conservative credentials in speeches at the Mississippi Press Association convention on Friday.

Hosemann, of Jackson, is seeking reelection for a second term as the states second-highest-ranking official. Hosemann served three terms as secretary of state before winning the lieutenant governors race four years ago. McDaniel, of Ellisville, is a four-term Mississippi legislator who has lost two races for U.S. Senate in the past decade, including a bitter 2014 election that he refused to concede.

In Mississippi, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected separately.

Public education funding, the rate at which to lower the state's income tax and efforts to shrink the size of government featured prominently in both Republicans' speeches.

Hosemann portrayed himself as an austere steward of the state's economy, saying that Mississippi's Republican leadership has run the state like a business, a line he often deploys on the campaign trail. Hosemann said he oversaw a 12% reduction in the state's debt and that the state has shed 2,300 state employees since he was elected in 2019.

We're in the best financial condition we've ever been since 1817," Hosemann said. "We are poised for greatness. We are going to be competitive on every front, and I think we have laid the predicate for this.

McDaniel, as he has since he launched his campaign in January, cast the primary race as an intraparty battle between a staunch conservative and an incumbent who has allowed Mississippi's Republican-dominated Legislature to shift too far to the left. Accusing Hosemann of being more inclined to be a Democrat than a Republican, McDaniel vowed to push the Senate to the right if he were to preside over the chamber.

Im standing to fight for what I believe in one last time, McDaniel said. "I've never understood why anybody would fear balanced budgets or the fact that people have to be empowered as opposed to collectives. That's the conservatism I want."

The candidates' approaches to lowering the state income tax emerged as a flashpoint in the speeches.

McDaniel said Hosemann has failed to fully eliminate the state income tax, which he said puts Mississippi at a competitive disadvantage against states like Florida and Texas. Hosemann said he supports an incremental approach to lowering the income tax so lawmakers wouldn't have to raise the sales tax to compensate for lost revenue.

During the 2022 session, legislators enacted a plan to reduce the state income tax over four years  Mississippis largest tax cut ever. That reduction starts this year. Legislation favored by Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn to eliminate the income tax died during the 2023 legislative session.

In his speech, Hosemann touted a teacher pay raise and a $245 million investment in public education. McDaniel said he would fight against woke culture in schools by supporting a "parental bill of rights.

The lieutenant governor presides over the 52-member Mississippi Senate, appoints senators to committees and names the committee leaders.

A third Republican running in the primary, Tiffany Longino, did not appear at the event Friday. The lone candidate running in the Democratic primary is D. Ryan Grover, whose campaign website describes him as a small business owner. He also did not speak Friday.

Party primaries are Aug. 8, with runoffs Aug. 29. The general election on Nov. 7, with runoffs Nov. 28.

___

Michael Goldberg is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/mikergoldberg.
Roundup: Suspect reportedly crashes into sheriff's SUV during TO pursuit, more news

A Ventura County Sheriff's patrol vehicle.

Here's a roundup of recent incidents and announcements from Ventura County agencies:

Suspect collides with sheriff's vehicle during chase on Hwy 23

A man was arrested on suspicion of felony evading after his car allegedly crashed into a Ventura County Sheriffs patrol vehicle during a pursuit Friday morning on northbound Highway 23 in Thousand Oaks, authorities said.

The suspect, 27, complained of pain and was briefly taken to Los Robles Regional Medical Center after the arrest, said sheriffs Capt. William Hutton. Hutton did not have the mans hometown.

A patrol sergeant reportedly saw the man driving his Kia sedan in a suspicious manner shortly after 4 a.m. near Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Lombard Street, Hutton said.

The sergeant closed in on the car, but the suspect reportedly accelerated at high speed onto the northbound 23, launching a pursuit, Hutton said. The pursuit went on for about 6 miles.

The suspect then reportedly made a U-turn on the highway and tried to drive southbound in the northbound lanes, Hutton said. The sergeant tried to block the cars path.

The sedan and the patrol vehicle, a Chevrolet Tahoe SUV, collided. The sedan ended up in the center median of the northbound highway near Sunset Hills Boulevard.

The suspects damaged Kia was towed from the scene. Authorities found burglary tools inside the car. The suspect was also arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor possession of burglary tools. He was booked into Ventura County jail with bail set at $50,000, jail records showed.

The sheriffs patrol vehicle had damage on the passenger side. The highway remained open despite the crash, Hutton said.

The sheriffs office is conducting the criminal investigation while the California Highway Patrol is investigating the collision, he said.

Jurors find guilt in brake-tampering case

Pedro Galindo

Jurors found a Simi Valley man guilty of felony assault with a deadly weapon for cutting the brake line of his ex-girlfriend's car in 2020, prosecutors said.

Pedro Gonzalez Galindo, 56, was found guilty Monday in Ventura County Superior Court. Jurors also found he was guilty of misdemeanor vandalism. Galindo admitted to the special allegations that the crime involved great violence and he engaged in violent conduct that posed a serious danger, the Ventura County District Attorney's Office said in a news release.

In October 2020, Galindo severed the brake line of his former girlfriend's car while it was parked in a Ventura parking structure, prosecutors said. The woman noticed yellow liquid near one of the tires when she returned several hours later. She also noticed the brakes weren't responding normally.

Ventura Police Department investigators looked through surveillance video, witness statements and 140 "invasive" texts Galindo sent to the woman, prosecutors said, then secured physical evidence with a warrant search.

Deputy DA Stephanie Horlick, a member of the DA's domestic violence unit who prosecuted the case, said in a statement the defendant would be held accountable for "placing the victim and the public in serious danger."

Sentencing is scheduled for the morning of July 20 in courtroom 25. Galindo remains in county jail custody without bail.

Oxnard police seize 100 pounds of fireworks

Oxnard police seized about 100 pounds of illegal fireworks during a warrant search Thursday, authorities said.

Authorities seized about 100 pounds of illegal fireworks during a warrant search Thursday afternoon, the Oxnard Police Department reported.

Officers with the department's neighborhood policing team served the warrant around 1:45 p.m. in the 1600 block of Monet Court. The site is in a residential neighborhood northwest of the intersection of South Rose Avenue and Bard Road.

The search had been prompted by information about possible sales of illegal and dangerous fireworks, authorities said. Slightly more than 100 pounds of such fireworks were found, according to police.

The stash included mortar fireworks that shoot into the air and explode, officials said. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of possessing dangerous fireworks.

All fireworks, even so-called safe-and-sane varieties, are illegal in Oxnard, police officials said. Citations carry a fine up to $1,000.

As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, law enforcement agencies around Ventura County are reminding residents that fireworks aren't allowed anywhere except in the city of Fillmore, where safe-and-sane fireworks are sold leading up to the holiday.

Oxnard residents can report fireworks on the city's fireworks cell phone line at 805-307-6308, the police department's fireworks hotline at 805-394-5884 or via email at fireworks@oxnardpd.org. Be sure to have the address or intersection and other details. Residents are asked not to use 911 to report fireworks.

Items may be updated.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: Sheriff's patrol vehicle hit during TO pursuit, more news
Russia has doubled the number of trained dolphins defending its Black Sea fleet from Ukrainian attacks, says report

A dolphin is seen in the Black Sea, Lazurne urban-type settlement, Kherson Region, southern Ukraine (September 22, 2020) Volodymyr Tarasov/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images

Russia appears to have doubled the number of trained dolphins defending its Black Sea fleet.

The dolphins at the naval base in Sevastopol are trained to detect Ukrainian special forces divers.

Russia's dolphins have an "inherent advantage," as "no one can out-swim a dolphin," one expert reported.

Russian forces have doubled the number of trained dolphins defending its Black Sea fleet in the Crimean peninsula against Ukrainian attacks, according to analysis by Naval News.

The Russian Navy has previously used militarized dolphins to protect its naval base at the harbor of Sevastopol, Insider reported last year, as a means of preventing Ukrainian undersea operations from sabotaging Russian ships.

Satellite imagery at the time captured by Maxar Technologies shows two pens containing the trained dolphins.

Satellite images of Sevastopol and the dolphin pens at the entrance to the Sevastopol Bay Satellite image 2022 Maxar Technologies

The number of dolphins being kept at the port has recently doubled from three or four to six or seven, H I Sutton, an expert on submarine and sub-surface systems and technologies, wrote for Naval News this week.

This comes after several drone attacks targeting Russia's ships in the area, as Ukrainian forces launched their recent counteroffensive in the long-running conflict.

Sevastopol is a major port and headquarters of Russia's Black Sea fleet in Crimea. The Black Sea peninsula was invaded by Russian forces and illegally annexed by Putin in 2014.

The animals are trained to defend against Ukrainian special forces divers  or combat swimmers  who might try to invade the base.

The dolphins have an "inherent advantage," as "no one can out-swim a dolphin," Sutton reported. Dolphins can reach speeds of 37 mph.

Russia's military has operated a trained marine mammal program in Sevastopol since the Cold War, according to the US Naval Institute.

Marine animals in these programs, including dolphins and beluga whales, are trained to find combat swimmers and detect mines, according to Sutton.

US Navy Marine Mammal Program members demonstrate the capabilities of a dolphin in the Port of Corpus Christi on May 15, 2009. US Coast Guard/PO Renee C. Aiello

"Our specialists developed new devices that convert dolphins' underwater sonar detection of targets into a signal to the operator's monitor," a source told Russian news agency RIA Novosti last year, per The Telegraph.

The US Navy has also trained marine animals for military service, as well as in Sweden and possibly Israel and North Korea, per the Naval Times.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Consequences of Russian shelling in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, June 16, 2023

During the day, Russians fired 75 times at civilian settlements in Kherson Oblast, the local administration reported. Some 314 shells from artillery, mortars, Grad were fired, and strike drones were launched. The Russian military hit residential areas of the settlements.

Two people were killed and 25 others were wounded in the Russian attacks.

In the city of Kherson, where the enemy fired 44 shells, the buildings of educational, administrative and trade institutions were damaged.

In Mykolaiv Oblast, the aggressor shelled the port area of Ochakiv. There were no casualties. Also in the evening, enemy shelling was recorded in the waters of the Ochakiv community. There were no wounded there either, said regional governor Vitalij Kim.

Read also: Russia attacks Ukraine overnight again, Kryvyi Rih attacked for second time in 72 hours

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Russians once again attacked the Marhanets community and Nikopol. As a result of enemy strikes, private houses and outbuildings were damaged, gas pipelines and power lines were broken.

An 81-year-old man died from his injuries. A 78-year-old woman was also injured: she sustained a shrapnel wound and was hospitalized in moderate condition, the regional administration reported.

In Zaporizhzhya Oblast, according to the local authorities, the enemy struck 99 times at 20 localities over the past day.

In particular, Russian forces attacked Huliaypole three times using UAVs, carried out 16 multiple rocket launcher attacks on Novodanylivka, Olhivske, and Charivne, and 78 artillery attacks on Orikhiv, Huliaypole and other frontline settlements. Another 15 civilian infrastructure facilities were destroyed as a result of the enemy's actions.

In Donetsk Oblast, the Russians shelled nine localities yesterday, including Kostiantynivka, Krasnohorivka, Kurakhove, Avdiyivka and others. According to the regional governor, four residential buildings, an outbuilding, two stores and a school were damaged. One person, a resident of Toretsk, was killed.

Read also: Rescuers search for survivors after 10 killed, 32 injured in devastating attack on Kryvyi Rih apartment block

In Luhansk Oblast, Russians opened fire along the entire frontline. Novoselivske, Stelmakhivka, Nevske and Bilohorivka came under artillery and mortar fire. The enemy made 113 attacks over the last day, firing 526 shells.

In Kharkiv Oblast, the aggressor fired artillery and mortars at the border and frontline settlements of Kupyansk, Kharkiv and Chuhuyiv districts of the region over the past day. Private houses and outbuildings were damaged.

A 36-year-old civilian man was wounded and hospitalized in the village of Dvorichna in Kupyansk District as a result of shelling, the regional authorities report.

On the afternoon of June 16, the enemy also attacked Kyiv Oblast with various types of missiles and drones, including Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles. All targets were shot down by air defenses.

However, six people, including a child, were injured as a result of falling debris in one settlement in Kyiv Oblast.

More than 30 private houses and outbuildings were also damaged. Three private houses were destroyed. In addition, as a result of falling fragments, forest areas and grass cuttings caught fire. The fires were eventually localized.

In Sumy Oblast, 10 mortar and artillery attacks (40 explosions) and small arms fire (10 machine gun bursts) were recorded at night and in the morning along the border areas. According to preliminary data, there were no destructions or victims, the regional administration reported.

In Chernihiv Oblast, eight attacks were recorded over the day: with mortars, artillery, and unguided aerial missiles. All of them were in the Novhorod-Siverskyi district. In a village of Semenivka community, a fire broke out in the residential area due to mortar shelling, four outbuildings burned down and a house was damaged. There were no victims.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Russian anti-tank missile strike on car claims lives of two volunteers in Kharkiv Oblast

A civilian car hit by a Russian missile

The Russians fired a guided anti-tank missile from the Kornet anti-tank missile system towards the village of Huriiv Kozachok in the Bohodukhivskyi district, where the civilian car was heading.

Read also: Russian forces shelled rescuers in Kherson during evacuations, damaging critical evacuation vehicle

The deceased volunteers were residents of the town of Zolochiv  a 52-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman.

Russian forces have targeted ten oblasts of Ukraine in the past 24 hours, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries.

Read also: Details of the storming and successful liberation of Neskuchne - an interview with a soldier

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A Russian drone was detected in Kyiv Oblast so the air defence forces were activated

A Russian drone has been detected in Kyiv Oblast so the air defence forces are operating.

Source: Kyiv Oblast Military Administration; Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Quote from Kyiv Oblast Military Administration: "An unmanned aerial vehicle has been detected in the airspace. Air defence forces are tracking their target down."

Details: The Kyiv Oblast Military Administration urged residents to stay in shelters and other safe places during an air-raid warning.

Before that, the Air Force reported that the movement of an unspecified type of UAV was observed in the North.

An air-raid warning was issued in Chernihiv and Kyiv oblasts, but not in the city of Kyiv.

Later, Serhii Popko, Head of Kyiv City Military Administration, reported that "the movement of an unspecified type of unmanned aerial vehicle was observed on the northern outskirts of Kyiv; air defence system operation may be taking place in the oblast."

At 18:46, an all-clear was given in Kyiv Oblast, with the air-raid alert on for almost two hours. However, the alert was also issued in Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava oblasts and some other regions.

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During the past day, the Russians deployed artillery to attack the Marhanets hromada [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories  ed.] and Nikopol.

Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration

Quote: "The enemy continues to bombard the Nikopol district incessantly.

The Marhanets hromada and Nikopol were again under artillery fire."

Details: As a result of the shelling, a utility company and eight houses have been damaged in the city. In addition, outbuildings and power lines have been damaged.

Lysak reported that the woman who was injured on the evening of 16 June was hospitalised. Doctors assess her condition as serious.

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Aleksandr Malkevich

Since 2018, Malkevich has been a member of the close circle of the leader of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and under his coordination has created media projects around the world to spread pro-Kremlin content, the SBU noted.

Read also: Former Ukrainian MP, collaborator and traitor, killed in strike on Kherson hotel

The channel launched by Malkevich began broadcasting in occupied Kherson using the seized premises of Ukraines public broadcaster UA:PBC (Suspilne). The TV channel was used to spread fake news about the situation at the front, the situation in Ukraine, as well as to support the sham referendum on the accession of Kherson Oblast to the Russian Federation.

Read also: Kherson TV company accused of working with Russian occupation

The suspect reportedly received the full assistance of local Moscow-appointed governor Vladimir Saldo and the "Minister of Information Policy of Kherson Oblast", collaborator Yevgeny Brykov. Ismail Abdulayev, a propagandist of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" and former head of the pro-Kremlin Oplot TV channel in temporarily occupied Donetsk, became the head of the TV and radio company.

During the liberation of Kherson, the staff of the TV channel left the city together with the Russian army, moving to the east bank of the Dnipro River.

Abdulayev and six other subordinates of Malkevich were also charged by the SBU.

The suspects are currently hiding in the temporarily occupied part of southern Ukraine. If captured and convicted, they could face up to 12 years in prison.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Consequences of the Russian terrorist attack on the Kakhovka HPP

The residents of Kherson Oblast were rescued by the Special Operations Center A, together with their colleagues from the Armed Forces, State Emergency Service, State Security Service, and other security and defense forces, the SBU said.

Read also: UNICEF launches mobile groups to help victims of the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam

Ukrainian soldiers also delivered food and medicine to flood victims using drones.

The SBU reported that Russian forces fired on one of the special forces groups that was evacuating civilians. But the enemys position, which was set up on the roof of a residential building, was immediately destroyed by an artillery strike.

Read also: New Maxar satellite images reveal damage after explosion at Kakhovka dam

"Every day, we move forward for the sake of those who are waiting for liberation!" the SBU statement reads.

And we are doing everything to make the yellow and blue flag of Victory fly over every Ukrainian city again.

During the night of June 6, Russian forces, which have occupied the town of Nova Kakhovka for over a year, blew up the hydroelectric station dam, completely or partially flooding downstream cities and towns along the Dnipro River, including the regional capital of Kherson.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Russias attack on the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant the largest man-made environmental disaster in Europe in decades.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as of June 14, more than 3,000 people have reported flooded homes to law enforcement.

Read also: Sweden sending 250 mine detectors to search for landmines scattered after Kakhovka dam flooding

A total of 3,761 people have been evacuated from Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
After a controversial decision by a Miami Lakes public school to bar elementary students from reading three books and the poem read at President Bidens inauguration, the Miami-Dade School Board wants to require schools to alert board members and district staff when a complaint results in the reassignment or removal of a title.

In many districts, including Miami-Dade, when a book or title is challenged, only a school-level review committee is required to determine whether a book should remain on shelves. It does not require objections or decisions be known to district-level staff or board members.

The proposal, brought by board member Steve Gallon III, seeks to change that. The updates, according to Gallon, would improve transparency around certain decisions.

As a board member, I was somewhat miffed to learn about an issue through the media that created a public firestorm and a national embarrassment and debacle, Gallon said at a school board committee meeting Wednesday. Are we still wading in the waters of ambiguity and allowing a Pandoras Box to continue to open without us as a board taking some action regarding this issue?

READ MORE: Miami-Dade K-8 bars elementary students from 4 library titles following parent complaint

The proposal, which the board is expected to discuss at its monthly board meeting Wednesday, comes after the school district faced national backlash following news of four titles being removed from elementary access and restricted to middle school students at Bob Graham Education Center, a K-8 school in Miami Lakes, after one parent complained.

One of the titles was The Hill We Climb by young Black poet Amanda Gorman, now 25, who recited the poem at the inauguration of President Joe Biden on Jan. 20, 2021. Her poem celebrates the United States not as a perfect union, but as an unfinished nation that yearns for equity and inclusion. An excerpt reads:

Somehow weve weathered and witnessed

a nation that isnt broken,

but simply unfinished.

The other titles were: The ABCs of Black History, Cuban Kids and Love to Langston.

The district has maintained the titles were not banned, but moved to a different part of the library. On Wednesday, at a School Board committee workshop, Superintendent Jose Dotres reiterated that no policies were violated.

Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz also defended the decision, saying the process worked.

A parent has the right to make a complaint. But the process was put into effect and it worked where they deemed the proper placement of the books. And the students still have access to it at the right level. And no books were banned, he said in an interview with WLRN.

The Miami Heralds reporting revealed the restrictions. The Washington Post later reported that elementary students would have to prove they read at the fifth-grade level to get the books. Many educators and literacy organizations argue the restrictions limit access to younger students.

Board members caught off guard

Much of the conversation Wednesday centered around board members frustration about learning about the incident in the media and feeling caught off guard by the news.

Many board members reiterated that no one made a mistake, staff followed district policy and that the proposed revisions to the policy werent meant to lambaste district employees for the decisions that led to the public outcry. Rather, they said, they wanted to improve transparency and communication within the district.

The proposal also requires the district to provide related training to staff who address title challenges, such as a rubric or guideline when determining if a title is appropriate. Those policy provisions, Gallon argued, were not implemented properly, and he referenced the woefully deficient form and the confusion surrounding what is considered appropriate.

READ MORE: People are frightened. Floridas book rules cause a chilling effect in Miami-Dade schools

Lawmakers this year expanded on the controversial Parental Rights in Education law that, among other things, makes the process of objecting to books and instructional materials easier. Critics of the law argue its vaguely written and doesnt provide sufficient guidance on what is or isnt age-appropriate.

This whole issue of age appropriateness, are we talking about readability, are we talking about understanding, are we talking about content? What are we talking about?, Gallon asked fellow board members.

READ MORE: Poet speaks up after Miami-Dade school bars elementary students from reading her poem

Roberto Alonso, School Board member for District 4, where the K-8 center is located, said he believes every parent has a right to express their concerns about a title, but he questioned how a decision that happened months ago all of a sudden come to light in the media and how did the media find out about this?

Dotres said the information was released through a public records request. Florida law requires much information that affects the community be open to inspection by the public and the media.

Board member Mary Blanco said shes not of the opinion that she needs to micromanage everything, but being aware of what was coming down would have been appreciated.

For her part, Chairwoman Mari Tere Rojas said its imperative that [the board and district] have an open line of communication with the stakeholders, including parents and teachers, but also the media.

I found out about this like the rest of you, she told board members of learning about the news in the media. So anything we can enhance [the process] as we move forward is extremely important and beneficial to everyone and thats what I believe this item is doing.
Scientists discover lithium replacement that may revolutionize EV batteries: 99.7% efficient after over 400 hours of use

Maryland is already famous for its crabs  but researchers at the University of Maryland are looking to give that distinction an entirely different meaning.

A team of scientists at the schools Center for Materials Innovation found that crustaceans like crabs and lobsters contain a chemical in their shells called chitin, which can be used to power batteries when combined with zinc.

Crustacean shells packed with this chemical are typically thrown out en masse by restaurants that have no other use for them. But researchers believe this waste could serve as a powerful resource in the search for more sustainable batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries, the common kind found in most of our cellphones and laptops, can take hundreds of thousands of years to break down after theyre used up  not to mention the devastating environmental impact lithium extraction has on our planet.

But these shellfish batteries are biodegradable and can decompose in soil after just five months, leaving behind zinc, which can be recycled.

The University of Marylands study also found that chitin-zinc batteries were 99.7% efficient after over 400 hours of use, as reported by The Guardian, and that these batteries could likely be produced cheaply at scale.

As the world transitions away from dirty energy sources, like methane gas and coal, itll need tons of cheap and environmentally friendly batteries. Crustaceans could provide a solution, especially in hopes of lessening our reliance on lithium-ion batteries.

Speaking with The Guardian, Graham Newton, a professor of materials chemistry at the University of Nottingham who studies sustainable battery technology, was cautiously optimistic about the discovery.

When you develop new materials for battery technologies there tends to be a significant gap between promising lab results and a demonstrable and scalable technology, Newton, who is not affiliated with the Maryland study, told the outlet.

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Captive-born Scottish wildcats were released into a national park in Scotland this month as part of a European project aiming to save the elusive species.

Its a really exciting milestone, Helen Senn, the project lead for the Saving Wildcats initiative, told CNN about Thursdays news. Senn added that the wildcats are on the brink of extinction.

Three feisty Scottish wildcats.

Three feisty Scottish wildcats.

The Scottish wildcat, also known as the Highland tiger, is a tabby-striped feline thats stockier and about a quarter larger than the typical domestic housecat. Native to Great Britain, the cats now only roam wild in northern and eastern Scotland.

The animals almost went totally extinct last century due to hunting and habitat loss. Though their population has started to grow again, they currently face another major threat  interbreeding with feral domestic cats, resulting in a kind of hybrid feline.

A wildcat named Torr and her kitten in an enclosure at a breeding center.

A wildcat named Torr and her kitten in an enclosure at a breeding center.

In 2019, the International Union for Conservation of Nature declared that the wild population of Scottish wildcats was no longer viable, estimating that the number left could be as low as 30. The Saving Wildcats program, led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, was set up shortly after this assessment with the aim of breeding and releasing more wildcats.

Now, conservationists have begun the process of freeing 22 captive-born wildcats at undisclosed locations within the nearly 1,500-square mile Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands, according to a statement from RZSS. The releases are taking place privately because of the sensitive nature of the species, but researchers will be tracking them via GPS collars.

A wildcat at a conservation center.

A wildcat at a conservation center.

We hope that this project will pave the way for the full recovery of Scotlands last remaining native cat species, Senn said in the statement.

Though the cats caretakers have worked to prepare them for life in the wild, Senn noted that life is tough for wild carnivores and the sad reality is that some of the wildcats that we release will not survive.

But, she added, we also know that inaction will result in extinction.

Related...
Secretary Blinken visits Beijing as tensions grow between U.S. and China: Why it matters

Secretary of State Antony Blinken departed for Beijing on Friday in a long-shot bid to reset the great power rivalry between the United States and China that seems on a bitter path to becoming a civilizational clash between democracy and autocracy.

The long-delayed trip, postponed by tensions over a Chinese spy balloon that flew over the continental United States, will mark the first visit to China by a Cabinet official since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. Blinken will seek to reestablish diplomatic and military lines of communication to "responsibly manage" the relationship between the two nations, according to a State Department statement announcing the trip.

But as Blinken meets with senior Chinese officials over the weekend, some are skeptical that there is any possibility of easing tensions  or even that it is a good idea.

In this file photo taken on July 8, 2022, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

At home, members of Congress and 2024 presidential candidates have increasingly labeled China as the biggest threat to the United States.

Nikki Haley, a former ambassador to the United Nations who is seeking the 2024 Republican nomination, wrote in a tweet on Friday that Biden "has utterly failed in his dealings with China."

"Now, he's sending Sec. Blinken to China to pursue a 'thaw,'" she wrote. "That's insane."

Others don't think so.

'The China relationship takes work'

Scott Mulhauser, who served as chief of staff at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing for Ambassador Max Baucus, said in an interview with USA TODAY "its pretty clear that, no matter the Administration or the moment, the China relationship takes work."

"That work involves balancing where we need to be tough and looking for ways to find solutions to broader global issues," he added. "That is no easy feat. But if anyone can do it, Tony Blinken can do it."

And while Blinken will stop in London on his way back from Beijing to attend the Ukraine Recovery Conference and shore up international support for Ukraine, for many American voters the perceived threat of China is of greater concern than increasing aid for Ukraine.

Mulhauser, however, said that the Biden administration can accomplish both foreign policy goals.

"Successfully navigating the US-China relationship and supporting Ukraine in its fight for democracy are not mutually exclusive," he said.

Some European allies, meanwhile, have called for aggressive "de-risking" of the West's relationship with China  reducing dependence on Chinese exports including microchips and rare earth minerals  to avoid the type of dependence on Russian energy that gave Vladimir Putin major political leverage.

There are also calls on the West to "decouple" from China, if Beijing persists in menacing behavior, particularly in relation to Taiwan.

'Purely performative'

Craig Singleton, a China expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said in a statement to USA TODAY that Blinken's visit to Beijing is "in many respects, purely performative."

"Its outcome will bear very little significance on the downward trajectory of Sino-U.S. relations," Singleton added.

The trip to China has been in the works since November 2022, when President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a three-hour meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Blinken, the top US diplomat, originally planned to travel to Beijing in February, but the White House canceled his visit after it discovered the spy balloon. The balloon traversed the country before it was eventually shot down by a U.S. warplane off the South Carolina coast. Chinese officials, however, maintain it was a civilian airship used for meteorological research that was blown off course.

In the months since, U.S. officials repeatedly stated that Blinken hoped to reschedule his trip to China.

But during that same period of time, relations between the two countries have become increasingly fraught. Just two weeks after the U.S. shot down the spy balloon, Blinken met with Wang Yi, the most senior Chinese foreign policy official, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

Blinken said in a February interview with CBS News that there was "no apology" from Wang during their meeting in Munich.

"I made very clear to him that China sending a surveillance balloon over the United States  in violation of our sovereignty, in violation of international law  was unacceptable and must never happen again," Blinken said.

Biden takes aim

Biden also took aim at China during his State of the Union speech on Feb. 7, during which he singled Xi out by name.

"If China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country," Biden said, referring to the spy balloon incident. "And we did."

In his address, Biden claimed that since the start of his presidency, "democracies have become stronger, not weaker, autocracies have grown weaker, not stronger."

"Name me a world leader who'd change places with Xi Jinping," Biden added, his voice rising. "Name me one."

Tensions between the U.S. and China were further inflamed by two military incidents in more recent weeks. A U.S. Navy destroyer nearly collied with a Chinese warship in the Taiwan Strait days after a Chinese fighter jet flew directly in front of a U.S. Air Force plane over the South China Sea.

Few signs, however, pointed to the tensions cooling down before Blinken's arrival in Beijing.

During a Wednesday phone call with Blinken ahead of his visit, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said "it is very clear who is to blame" for deteriorating U.S.-China relations, according to a readout of the call from the Chinese foreign ministry.

Qin Gang "stressed that the United States should respect Chinas concerns, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop undermining China's sovereignty, security, and development interests in the name of competition," the Chinese foreign ministry's readout added.

But Mulhauser said that Blinken's visit amid souring relations should not be interpreted as a sign of weakness.

"Nobody thinks the Biden Administration is cozying up to China  just look at the policies from the South China Sea to new laws taking China on in even stronger ways economically," he said.

"The reality of this moment is that tensions are high and one of the ways you reduce tensions and reduce global risk is you engage and meet face to face to stand up for yourself, your values, and your country, Mulhauser added.

Previous coverage: China spy balloon gathered information from multiple military sites despite attempts to block it, report says

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Secretary Blinken visits China in bid to reduce tensions. What we know
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, shakes hands with Singapores Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan after a news conference at the State Department, Friday, June 16, 2023, in Washington. Blinken will now make a trip to China. | Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to visit Beijing this weekend to discuss U.S.-China relations during a time of heightened tensions.

The State Department said Blinken would visit with senior officials in Beijing to speak about the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage their relationship, as well as bilateral issues of concern, global and regional matters, and potential cooperation on shared transnational challenges.

We look forward to having a series of meetings with senior officials in Beijing, building on the engagements that weve had with the (Peoples Republic of China) since President Biden and President Xi met in Bali late last year, Blinken said at a press conference Friday with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

Blinken said the trip has three objectives: to establish open and empowered communications about challenges, misperceptions and avoiding miscalculations; advance the interests and values of the U.S. and its allies; and explore opportunities for cooperation on areas of common interest, like global economic stability, illicit synthetic drugs, climate and global health.

Intense competition requires sustained diplomacy to ensure that competition does not veer into confrontation or conflict, he said. That is what the world expects both of the United States and China.

Blinken spoke with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang by phone earlier this week. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said they spoke about maintaining open lines of communication and a range of bilateral and global issues.

Miller said Blinken made clear the U.S. would continue to use diplomatic engagements to raise areas of concern as well as areas of potential cooperation.

Related

Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., a member of the bipartisan House Committee on China, told NPR he hopes the U.S. and China can again have regularized communication.

There needs to be a time when were just having a regularized communication between, again, the two most powerful countries in the world, Kim said. What I hope we can get out of this is reestablishing some type of military-to-military channel, at least. Ive seen way too many circumstances in my time in national security where just an incident or an accident or a misunderstanding can completely flare up and get out of control.

Related

The trip to China will be Blinkens first as secretary of state as well as the first visit to China by a top member of the Biden administration, according to NPR. Blinkens earlier planned visit to China was rescheduled after the U.S. shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon in February. In his State of the Union address earlier this year, President Joe Biden said the U.S. was seeking competition, not conflict with China, and that the U.S. would work with China where it could advance American interests.

After his stop in Beijing, Blinken will head to London for the Ukraine Recovery Conference where hes expected to meet his counterparts from the U.K., Ukraine, and allied nations.
Secure bathrooms to 'not a spy': Here's how the GOP is defending Trump

Republicans must once again decide whether, and how, to defend former President Donald Trump against his legal troubles.

Last Friday, the Justice Department unsealed its bombshell 37-count indictment against Trump, laying out the U.S. government's argument that Trump lied, schemed and tried to hide classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence after he'd left the White House. He is the first former U.S. president to face federal charges.

While some Republicans have stayed silent  or even condemned Trump's actions  many have rushed to his defense, often coming up with creative ways to insist that the Justice Department should not prosecute the former president.

Trump is accused of breaking seven laws and charged with 37 felony counts.

Here's how some in the GOP are defending Trump:

The bathroom was secure

Florida Rep. Byron Donalds: There are 33 bathrooms at Mar-a-Lago. So dont act like its just in some random bathroom that the guests can go into.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy: Is it a good picture to have boxes in a garage that opens up all the time? A bathroom door locks.

The federal indictment alleges that Trump stored classified documents "in various locations around Mar-a-Lago, including in an office space, his bedroom and the particularly unconventional storage areas of a bathroom and a shower.

The indictment even featured a color photo of more than two dozen boxes on the bathrooms marble floor.

This image, contained in the indictment against former President Donald Trump, shows boxes of records stored in a bathroom and shower in the Lake Room at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. Trump is facing 37 felony charges related to the mishandling of classified documents according to an indictment unsealed Friday, June 9, 2023. (Justice Department via AP) (Justice Dept. via AP)

And while most bathroom doors do lock, they usually lock from the inside.

Trump's not a spy

The WSJ Editorial Board: However cavalier he was with classified files, Mr. Trump did not accept a bribe or betray secrets to Russia. The FBI recovered the missing documents when it raided Mar-a-Lago, so presumably there are no more secret attack plans for Mr. Trump to show off.

Fox News host Mark Levin: Theres not one syllable of evidence in here that any information under the Espionage Act was passed to any spies, to any enemies, to any foreign countries  not one.

Sen. Lindsey Graham: Espionage charges are absolutely ridiculous. Whether you like Trump or not, he did not commit espionage. He did not disseminate, leak or provide information to a foreign power or to a news organization to damage this country. He is not a spy. Hes overcharged.

Thirty-one of the 37 charges against Trump stem from the Espionage Act of 1917. The indictment accuses Trump of illegally retaining documents that detail some of America's most closely guarded secrets and "endeavoring" to obstruct the governments efforts to retrieve them, among other charges.

Stealthy government spies like the ones seen in Hollywood thrillers are charged under the Espionage Act, but so too is an individual who willfully retains national defense information and then fails to return it to the government officials when they attempt to recover it.

Trump could declassify anything he wanted

Rep. Beth Van Duyne: As President, Trump could declassify anything he wanted.

Many of the former president's defenders have maintained that Trump could declassify anything as president, and Trump himself has claimed that he declassified the documents.

Youre the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying its declassified, even by thinking about it, Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity in September 2022.

But the indictment argues that Trump knew his administration did not complete the standard declassification process, and it accuses Trump of having shown the documents to people without security clearances, including a book author.

See as president, I could have declassified it, Trump was heard saying on a recording. Now I cant, you know, but this is still a secret.

What about Biden?

McCarthy: We have a sitting president who possessed classified documents dating back decades to his time as vice president and as a senator. Yet he is now weaponizing the federal government to go after his leading political opponent. Where is the equal justice under the law?

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz: The press is having a field day of saying there were documents in a bathroom at Mar-a-Lago. Well, gosh, last I checked Joe Biden had classified documents in an unlocked garage next to his antique Corvette and its an absolute double standard.

Some of the former presidents supporters have drawn comparisons between his handling of classified information and that of President Joe Biden, but experts say the cases are markedly different.

Bidens lawyers discovered a small number of classified documents in a closet at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington, the presidents special counsel said, and the White House counsels office notified the National Archives the same day.

In Trumps case, the National Archives notified his staff in May 2021 that some documents appeared to be missing. It was not until January 2022 that Trump and his staff shipped 15 boxes of documents back to the archives, which discovered that they contained classified documents. The FBI later obtained information that Trump had more government documents before issuing a subpoena for their return.

An August search at Mar-a-Lago later revealed that more than 100 classified documents remained on the property, ultimately leading to the charges against the former president.

Hillary Clinton was let off the hook

South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace: Hillary Clinton used a hammer to destroy evidence of a private email server and classified information on that server and was never indicted. The same standard should apply to everyone, including Donald Trump.

Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert: Yesterday, Hillary Clinton had the nerve to sell merchandise as she gloated about Trump being indicted. The two-tiered justice system in our nation is completely out of control. Hillary has committed more crimes than just about anyone and here she is selling hats and laughing.

The FBI investigated Clinton for months over her use of a private email server as secretary of state to determine whether she mishandled classified information.

In 2016, James Comey, who was then FBI director, said that Clinton was extremely careless in her handling of classified information but that no reasonable prosecutor would bring a case against her and that her actions did not rise to the level of criminality or warrant charges.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at a press preview of an art installation entitled

But Trump has now been charged with mishandling classified documents and attempting to obstruct the governments efforts to retrieve them, which experts say are more serious allegations than Clinton ever faced.

The Biden administration is exacting revenge on Trump

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley: We are seeing for the first time in American history ... a sitting president of the United States try to throw his opponent into jail.

Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs: We mourn yet another example of the weaponization of our govt against its people. We will use every process, every court, every legislature, every state, every local, every voice, and every law, to restore our nation. We are Americans and we will prevail, if God is willing.

Some Trump allies have repeatedly claimed that the indictment of the former president on criminal charges is evidence of Biden's Justice Department persecuting its chief political rival.

Biden, intent on signaling the Justice Department's purported independence from politicking, has not commented on the indictment, and he has also instructed his staff to refrain from speaking out publicly against the former president.

Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Jack Smith, the former chief prosecutor for the special court in The Hague, as a special counsel presiding over the two investigations into the former president, saying the move was in the public interest because both Trump and Biden are candidates in the next election.

Trump called the attorney generals decision appalling and a horrendous abuse of power.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
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China's space station is a busy place these days.

New footage released by China's human spaceflight agency shows the Tiangong space station in its new configuration following a series of arrivals to and departures from the orbital outpost.

The Tianzhou 5 cargo spacecraft undocked from Tiangong on May 5, freeing up a docking port for the next supply mission. The Tianzhou 6 cargo spacecraft  packed with supplies, scientific experiments and propellant  then launched for Tiangong on May 11. The mission was a precursor to the arrival of the station's next inhabitants.

Related: Facts about China's Tiangong space station

image of china's tiangong space station with earth in the background against the blackness of space.

China launched the Shenzhou 16 crewed mission on May 30, sending three new astronauts, including the country's first civilian, to Tiangong for a five-month-long mission. They took over control of the space station from the Shenzhou 15 crew, who then returned to Earth on June 4.

Finally, Tianzhou 5 completed its free flying mission and docked with Tiangong once more on June 5. The freighter will be filled with waste from Tiangong before being deorbited at a later time.

The newly released video shows the Shenzhou 16 spacecraft docked at the radial port of the docking hub of the space station's Tianhe core module. The cargo airlock hatch of the Mengtian lab module can be seen through the panoramic camera outside Mengtian.

RELATED STORIES:

 China launches 3 astronauts to Tiangong space station on Shenzhou 16 spacecraft (video)

 China's space program: Latest news and photos

 China's Shenzhou 15 capsule lands safely with 3 Tiangong space station astronauts (video)

The Shenzhou 16 crew, consisting of commander Jing Haipeng and crewmates Zhu Yangzhu and payload specialist Gui Haichao  China's first civilian in space  are set to carry out a range of tasks during their time aboard Tiangong. They will complete the installation of large extravehicular application facilities, including a radiation biological exposure experiment payload, and other components and apparatus for experiments to be installed on the exterior of the Mengtian module.

The trio are also scheduled to study novel quantum phenomena and conduct experiments related to the verification of general relativity and the origins of life. They will also deliver a live science class as part of planned outreach activities.

The Shenzhou 16 astronauts are the fifth crew to visit Tiangong, and the second since the completion of the three-module outpost in November 2022.
Severe weather guide: Heres how to track power outages in Central Florida

Severe weather alerts can happen any day, any time of the year.

With storms building up across Central Florida, residents can experience power outages.

Here are ways to track power outages when the lights go out, depending on your electricity provider:

FPL

Click here for an outage map for FPL

OUC

Click here to check OUCs map.

You can also contact them by calling 407-423-9018

Duke Energy

Click here to see Duke Energys Florida outage map.

You can reach Duke Energy at 800-769-3766.

Read: Hot and stormy start for Fathers Day weekend

KUA

Click here for a live outage map

You can report an outage to KUA by texting Out to 877-582-7700.

SECO ENERGY

Click here to see live power outages in the area

You can contact SECO at 352-793 -3801.

Winter Park Electric Utility

Click here for a Winter Park Electric Utility power outage map.

To report a power outage, please call 877-811-8700.

Read: Fathers Day 2023: 9 gift ideas to make this day memorable





Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
The significance of Queen Camillas hat at Kings first Trooping the Colour

King Charles IIIs first Trooping the Colour is underway at the House Guards Parade, as the new monarch is joined by the royal family to commemorate his official birthday.

This years ceremony marks the first time a monarch has joined the parade, featuring hundreds of soldiers, on horseback since the late Queen Elizabeth rode on her favourite horse Burmese in 1986.

Charles is accompanied by the Prince of Wales William, Princess Anne and Prince Edward on horses gifted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

William and Kates children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales in a carriage.

According to the BBC, which is broadcasting the ceremony live, Camillas red silk dress reflects the heritage of the Grenadier Guards  one of the most senior infantry regiments in the British empire.

She was appointed Colonel of the Grenadier Guards last December, taking over from the disgraced Prince Andrew. The Duke of York was stripped of his military titles after he was accused of sexual assault by Virginia Giuffre, a victim of convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

He has vehemently and continuously denied these claims. In February last year, Andrew reached a multi-million pound out-of-court settlement with Guiffre.

BBC presenter Huw Edwards noted Camillas dress was designed by Fiona Clarke and was inspired by the uniform of the Grenadier guards.

NEW: The Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, and Queen Camilla during Trooping the Colour today.



: Victoria Jones pic.twitter.com/3LzTm8ova4  Princess of Wales News (@HRHPWales) June 17, 2023

She completed the outfit with a hat by Philip Treacy, a node to the guards bearskin with a grenade forming up to the feather plume, Edwards added.

Camilla (Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales opted for an all-green outfit, as she paid tribute to the Irish Guards.

Kate took over as the new Colonel of the Irish Guards from William last December, as he was appointed Colonel of the Welsh Guards.

After the parade, the royals will return to Buckingham Palace to watch the march-past and military flypast.

The Royal Air Force on Saturday tweeted that 70 aircrafts from the Royal Navy, British Army, and RAF will fly through the skies at 1pm.

Highlights from the ceremony will be broadcast on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 6:10pm this evening.

The Trooping the Colour ceremony is a royal tradition that dates back to the 18th century, when it was reportedly first performed during the reign of King Charles II in 1748.

Follow live updates from Charles first official Birthday Parade here.
Winnetka Park District Director of Parks and Maintenance Costa Kutulas informed the Park Board at its June 7 meeting of plans to take 10 soil boring samples across both Elder and Centennial beaches in order to gather information for the planned rebuild of the area.

The samples, according to Kutulas, are part of the process and are needed to move forward with the project. The sampling will go down 60 feet below the sand and is expected to take about 10 days.

Testing would cost $46,300 and is included in the soft costs that have already been budgeted for the project.

Commissioner Colleen Root questioned the need for samples to be taken at Centennial since there arent plans to do large scale building into the beach in line with phase one of the project. Kutulas explained that if, in the future, the Park Board chooses to continue on into phases two or three, those samples will be needed.

This data will never change, Commissioner Warren James said. The sand might but the composition of the sub-grade materials is valuable data, now and forever.

He said the data will be used by engineers on the project to ascertain how deep sheet piling would need to be driven into the ground for stability.

My only problem with this is we told the public we are working on Elder, Root said. Much of this could change depending on what happens with the property exchange agreement. That comment references a possible land swap with billionaire Justin Ishbia, who owns several houses near the beaches, including one between Elder and Centennial.

There are improvements to Centennial in phase one of the project, mainly a round offshore breakwater and fencing for the dog beach as required by Cook County.

Commissioner Cynthia Rapp expressed concern about the rising amount of the soft costs of the project, saying with contracts already approved she worries funding will run short. New Board President Christina Codo said that even though the board has entered contracts, it isnt paid out all at once.

We have room within the contracts that weve signed that we have not yet expensed, Codo said. This (the samples) is an immediate cash expense and the contracts are definitely contracted future expenses but were not paying them out tomorrow.

No official vote was made during the meeting as the item was not included in the agenda, but the board did OK going forward with the sampling saying it would vote in favor of the proposal at a yet-to-be-scheduled special meeting before July 20. Kutulas said the proposal wasnt received in time to include on the budget and with such a large time span between meetings, he hoped to get a sense of the boards thoughts.

James said because the board only meets once a month during the summer months, it causes a timing issue. The June 7 meeting was also moved up from the originally scheduled June 15 meeting due to scheduling conflicts.

I want to be respectful of the community. I wasnt intending to make this a point of controversy, Kutulas said. Im open to whatever needs to be done. I just want to be mindful of the timeline trying to work toward getting the beach open, getting the project ongoing, trying to get things started next year potentially.

Justin Ishbia, owner of the property at 261 Sheridan and several properties south of Centennial, has offered to work alongside the Park District to shore up the bluff at the property line. Ishbia plans to remove the timber retaining wall and replacing it with steel sheet piling. Doing so, according to Kutulas, could cause the portion of the wall owned by the Park District to fail. Ishbia has offered to place steel sheet piling behind the portion of the timber wall owned by the Park District to support it.

Kutulas spoke with Village Engineer James Bernahl who OKd the plan from Ishbias team and Warren said the solution is practical and if it isnt done, there will be a gap between Ishbias property and the Park Districts that would need to be filled.

The Army Corps of Engineers and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources both informed Kutulas the project would be out of their jurisdiction and no permits would be required. Matt Wright, founder of Red Barn Design & Engineering, who is working on the Park District project, approved the plan saying it is a no brainer since the improvements would come at no cost to the Park District.

Its a gift that comes with no strings and that will be documented, Codo said.
President Joe Biden, local fire departments and Boston-area residents and their families are remembering nine firefighters killed in the line of duty during a massive hotel fire more than five decades ago.

Saturday marked the 51st anniversary of the Hotel Vendome fire on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston on June 17, 1972.

Nine firefighters died in the Back Bay blaze, which remains the largest Line-of-Duty Death incident in the history of the Boston Fire Department, according to the Boston Fire Historical Society. Eight firefighters were also injured.

RIP Brothers. Remember them, the sacrifices of their families & our public safety family, the Cambridge Fire Department said in a tweet on Saturday morning.

Hotel Vendome Fire, Boston: Remember those nine brave Boston Firefighters who died in the line of duty fighting the fire in the Hotel Vendome, June 17, 1972, Boston Box 4-1571.

RIP Brothers. Remember them, the sacrifices of their families & our public safety family. pic.twitter.com/4PhkDMmImM  Cambridge Fire Dept. (@CambridgeMAFire) June 17, 2023

In a letter dated Saturday, Biden joined Boston-area residents in honoring the memory of the fallen firefighters from this historic fire.

When a fire broke out in the iconic Hotel Vendome, the brave firefighters of the Boston Fire Department raced to the scene, saving lives and working to contain the blaze, Biden wrote in a letter to the department shared by Boston Fire Commissioner Paul Burke on Twitter. For nine members, this would be their last alarm. The sacrifice they made in service of the people of Boston will always be remembered.

In his letter, Biden praised firefighters for running toward danger to save lives. The fallen firefighters who died after responding to the Hotel Vendome fire left behind families forever changed by their loss, the president wrote.

No words can fill the voids that these men left in the hearts of their loved ones, Biden wrote. As fathers, sons, husbands, brothers, and friends, their loss was felt deeply by their families and their communities. Their deaths were made even more tragic by the fact that they gave their lives on the early morning of Fathers Day, leaving behind 8 widows to take care of their children without their fathers.

On Saturday, a group of people gathered at a memorial for the nine fallen firefighters on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, where they laid a wreath with red-and-white flowers to remember the fallen.

The memorial, located not far from the site of the tragedy, was dedicated in 1997 on the 25th anniversary of the fire, according to the Boston Public Library.

Today, the BFD gave remembrance to the 51st year since the Hotel Vendome Fire where we lost 9 firefighters. Several family members & friends of the lost came from near and far to share a humbling moment.  never forgotten, the Boston Fire Department said in a tweet Saturday afternoon.

Saturday marked the 51st anniversary of the Hotel Vendome fire on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston on June 17, 1972. Nine firefighters were killed when the entire southeast corner of the building collapsed without warning, burying 25 firefighters and a ladder truck in a pile of debris.

Saturday marked the 51st anniversary of the Hotel Vendome fire on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston on June 17, 1972. Nine firefighters were killed when the entire southeast corner of the building collapsed without warning, burying 25 firefighters and a ladder truck in a pile of debris.

Saturday marked the 51st anniversary of the Hotel Vendome fire on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston on June 17, 1972. Nine firefighters were killed when the entire southeast corner of the building collapsed without warning, burying 25 firefighters and a ladder truck in a pile of debris.

Saturday marked the 51st anniversary of the Hotel Vendome fire on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston on June 17, 1972. Nine firefighters were killed when the entire southeast corner of the building collapsed without warning, burying 25 firefighters and a ladder truck in a pile of debris.

Saturday marked the 51st anniversary of the Hotel Vendome fire on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston on June 17, 1972. Nine firefighters were killed when the entire southeast corner of the building collapsed without warning, burying 25 firefighters and a ladder truck in a pile of debris.

Saturday marked the 51st anniversary of the Hotel Vendome fire on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston on June 17, 1972. Nine firefighters were killed when the entire southeast corner of the building collapsed without warning, burying 25 firefighters and a ladder truck in a pile of debris.

Few people were in the Hotel Vendome when the fire broke out on that day, due to significant renovations underway at the historic hotel, according to the Boston Public Library. Originally built in 1871 as a luxury hotel, the building was being converted into a mixed-use condominium and commercial building when the fire broke out.

Fire crews responded to the hotel at 160 Commonwealth Ave. on a Saturday afternoon, after a worker noticed a fire between the third and fourth floors around 2:30 p.m. and alerted the fire department, according to the Boston Public Library.

A total of 16 engine companies, five ladder companies, two aerial towers, and a heavy rescue company responded to the 4-alarm fire, which had been largely brought under control by 4:30 p.m., according to the Boston Public Library.

Today, the BFD gave remembrance to the 51st year since the Hotel Vendome Fire where we lost 9 firefighters. Several family members & friends of the lost came from near and far to share a humbling moment.  never forgotten pic.twitter.com/Bnw1EmQWPg  Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) June 17, 2023

Around 5:30 p.m., several crews were cleaning up when the entire southeast corner of the 7-story building collapsed without warning, burying 25 firefighters and a ladder truck in a pile of debris, according to the Boston Public Library.

Many firefighters operating in the upper floors were trapped in the pile of rubble that ensued, the Boston Fire Historical Society states on its website.

A Special acknowledgement for the 51st anniversary of the Hotel Vendome Fire pic.twitter.com/EgBV6DuOxP  Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) June 17, 2023

Officials later determined the cause of the fire to be a combination of factors, including structural deficits in the building caused by the removal of a load-bearing wall during renovations in 1890, which were exacerbated by the addition of a heating and ventilating duct in 1972, the fire itself, and the millions of gallons of water used to bring it under control, the Boston Public Library said. A court later determined that no one living was responsible for the collapse.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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A local activist was arrested Saturday after allegedly attempting to go after Pittsburghs mayor during Juneteenth celebrations.

Multiple sources confirm activist Will Parker, who ran for County Executive, was arrested after he allegedly assaulted a Pittsburgh police officer in an effort to confront Mayor Ed Gainey.

Court documents say Parker tried to get Gaineys attention while the mayor was marching in the Juneteenth parade on Centre Avenue, offering what appeared to be a handshake. Gainey allegedly acknowledged Parker but did not shake his hand and continued walking down the street. Parker then grew upset and began shouting at the mayor and followed him down the road.

Parker allegedly began addressing Gainey as Mayor Goofy and screamed that he was not black.

An undercover detective stepped in and told Parker he needed to give Mayor Gainey more space and that he was being disorderly. Parker allegedly ignored the detective and continued to be disorderly.

Another detective observed Parker elbowing and shoving people close to him. The detective told Parker not to continue elbowing people and court documents say Parker responded by saying, I will elbow you too. Police say Parker then shoved the detective. In response, Parker was knocked to the ground with a leg sweep and handcuffed.

Parker is charged with aggravated assault and disorderly conduct.

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Embattled Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price, who also serves as president pro tempore, presides over a council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

With the fate of yet another Los Angeles City council member up in the air after criminal corruption charges, a group of his constituents said they are clear on the path forward: Curren Price should resign.

In front of the gates of Prices district office in South Los Angeles, a small crowd of about a dozen rallied Saturday to demand the council veteran step down. They said they had already felt sold out by Price, whom they accused of favoring developers over his constituents during his three terms in office. Felony charges this week alleging Price had a financial stake in development projects he voted on had cemented that belief, they said.

We are here today to ask Curren Price to resign from his position as he deals with his legal challenges, said Adriana Cabrera, a longtime activist who twice ran against Price to represent the citys 9th Council District. While the community was here, trying to survive, he was stealing money from the public  and that is a reflection for many of us of how it's felt living in this community with his leadership.

Cabrera was flanked Saturday by roughly a dozen people holding signs decrying the corruption they say permeates City Hall: South Central is not for sale, read one such sign. Renuncia Curren Price Hoy read another  Curren Price resign today.

A small crowd gathered Saturday morning outside the district office of Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren Price to demand his resignation. The call for Price to step down comes days after the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office filed corruption charges against Price. (Rebecca Ellis / Los Angeles Time)

The Los Angeles County district attorneys office charged Price on Tuesday with 10 counts of embezzlement, perjury and conflict of interest, making Price the fourth council m ember in three years to face corruption charges. Prosecutors say Price ran afoul of the states conflict-of-interest laws by voting on projects developed by companies that had ties to his wife. They also allege he received tens of thousands of dollars in medical benefits from the city for the woman who is now his wife before they were married.

Price has denied the charges and called them unwarranted.

A longtime Black leader in a majority Latino section of the city, Price has represented the South Los Angeles district since 2013. Supporters of Price have responded to the allegations of corruption by pointing to his track record as a stalwart advocate for organized labor and low-wage earners.

Prices district includes some of the city's most impoverished neighborhoods. During his time in office, the council member has pushed to raise the income of low-income constituents by supporting a citywide $15 minimum wage, helping to legalize street vending and advocating for a pilot program to put money directly into the bank accounts of struggling families. Alberto Retana, president and chief executive of Community Coalition, a South L.A-based nonprofit, recently called Price a champion for working class Angelenos.

But speakers at Saturdays news conference traced some of the ills of the neighborhood  evictions of long-term residents, rising rents, police violence, too little green space and too many potholes  to the alleged corruption of Price, whom they accused of neglecting the neighborhood.

We live in this community, we walk through our streets, we know that there's something wrong, we know that the council member is not prioritizing the needs of our community, said Cabrera.

Alberto Tlatoa, a community organizer from South Los Angeles, said he felt Price had been too focused on large development projects over his tenure on the council that had little benefit for lifelong residents of the area.

I have lost faith in a lot of our elected officials, he said.

Like the others in attendance Saturday, Tlatoa said the best path forward was for Price to step down. If he resigns, the council has the power to call a special election for his replacement.

Price has resigned from his committee seats, but remains on the council. Council President Paul Krekorian has started the process of suspending Price, though he has also urged council members to weigh the real world consequences of his suspension.

If convicted of a felony, Price would permanently lose the seat.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
SpaceXs 14-year-old recruit says his mom will drive him to work until hes old enough to get a license

Kairan Quazi became the youngest graduate of Santa Clara University this week. Lisa Robinson/ Santa Clara University

Kairan Quazi, who's only 14, has landed a job at SpaceX as a software engineer for Starlink.

He'll still need his mom to drive him to work until he's old enough to get a license himself.

Quazi told Insider he wants other companies to be aware of "biases" in their hiring policies.

Kairan Quazi may have landed a job at SpaceX as a software engineer  but he's still going to need his mom to drive him to work.



The 14-year-old will start working at Elon Musk's company in the Starlink division next month after he became the youngest graduate of Santa Clara University this week.



Quazi told Insider: "My mom's going to have to drop me off until I can start driving."

He added that he's "really excited" to start his job after he moves from Pleasanton, California to Redmond, Washington with his mom in July.



He said he didn't "feel any pressure" to continue being a high-achiever because his family "never really cared" about his grades  but that he was learning at a pace that felt right for him.



"I really enjoy the stuff I'm working on, I'm very passionate about it," Quazi said. "I've never felt like I was forced into it. It's something that I'm really excited about, especially with the work I'll be doing at SpaceX."





Kairan Quazi and fellow graduates at their ceremony this week. Lisa Robinson/ Santa Clara University





SpaceX appealed to him because it overlapped with his "utilitarian desire" to work on technology that can serve humanity for the greater good.

The Bangladeshi-American has already interned at Intel Labs as an artificial-intelligence research fellow and spent four months as a machine-learning intern at the cyber-intelligence firm Blackbird.AI.



He believed both companies and SpaceX had one thing in common: no disconnect between their leadership values, and their recruitment policies.

"I really hope that by telling my story it can help leaders, if only a few, reevaluate the different biases within their hiring processes, and hopefully open the door for more neurodiverse people like myself," Quazi said.



The young graduate said many tech companies state values on their websites, but that they "doesn't necessarily translate" to their policies.

Quazi's LinkedIn account was restricted on Tuesday as the minimum age required to use the platform was 16 years old, the company told him in a message that he posted on Instagram. He said it was "very frustrating" and a "significant career detriment" as he found out about the SpaceX role through LinkedIn.

He also said that most social media companies required users to be 13 or older so they could sell targeted ads  something he thought was "very antiquated."

Teenagers are allowed to work full-time, per federal labor laws.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Special counsel asks judge to keep Trump from disclosing evidence in classified documents case

Special counsel Jack Smith on Friday asked the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's classified documents case to impose a protective order over the evidence in the case.

The protective order is meant to ensure that neither Trump nor codefendant Walt Nauta, his presidential valet, disclose sensitive information obtained during the discovery process, where prosecutors will show the defense what evidence it has amassed during their investigation.

MORE: Trump rejected his lawyer's effort to propose settlement in classified documents case: Sources

Trump was charged on Tuesday with 37 criminal counts related to his handling of classified materials, after prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information ranging from U.S. nuclear secrets to the nation's defense capabilities.

The special counsel's motion said the materials include "sensitive and confidential information," including personal identifiable information, information that reveals investigative techniques, non-public information relating to potential witnesses, and personal information contained on electronic devices and accounts.

Notably, the special counsel also said the materials include "information pertaining to ongoing investigations, the disclosure of which could compromise those investigations and identify uncharged individuals."

PHOTO: FILE - Walt Nauta takes a phone from former President Donald Trump during the LIV Golf Pro-Am at Trump National Golf Club, May 25, 2023, in Sterling, Va. (Alex Brandon/AP, FILE)

The filing said the special counsel had spoken with attorneys for Trump and Nauta, who had no objection to the imposition of a protective order.

Judge Aileen Cannon referred the motion to a federal magistrate assigned to the case, Bruce Reinhart, for consideration.

MORE: Judge in Trump criminal case issues protective order to prevent sharing of evidence

The proposed language of the protective order, which is largely standard, says that evidence turned over to Trump and Nauta is to be used "solely in connection with the defense of this case, and for no other purpose, and in connection with no other proceeding, without further order of this Court."

The proposed order would also prevent the defendants from disclosing any of the evidence to the public. A similar order was sought and issued last month in New York City, where prosecutors said they were concerned that Trump would post to social media evidence in a separate case involving a hush payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Trump has denied all wrongdoing in both cases.

Special counsel asks judge to keep Trump from disclosing evidence in classified documents case originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The Historic Penn Center, the former school for freed slaves on St. Helena Island dedicated to promoting Gullah-Geechee history and culture, has hired a new executive director after a long search.

Dr. Robert L Adams Jr. will succeed Interim Executive Director Bernie Wright. Wright was hired after interim director Marion Burns, the Penn Board President, died in July 2021.

Adams will start work July 1.

Dr. Robert L Adams Jr.

His hiring comes at a critical time in Penns 161-year-old history, said Deloris Pringle, chairwoman of the Penn Center Board of Trustees.

Penn is in the process of trying to preserve its historic buildings and also increasing funding to develop its programs.

Designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 1974, today the not-for-profit works in the areas of education, community development and social justice.

With this appointment, Penn Center will implement impactful initiatives that address community well-being, social, economic, and environmental challenges facing Gullah Geechee communities today, Pringle said in a news release.

Adams, a Bangor, Maine native, was raised in military institutions across the South and earned a masters degree in sociology from the University of Florida and a doctorate in anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin. He has worked extensively in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, and North America.

He previously served as the senior vice president of Programs at the National Education Association Foundation in Washington, DC, overseeing the Foundations grant programs. He also served as executive-on-loan/Interim Chief Operating Officer at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta.

His career in nonprofit management, philanthropy, fund development and global networking makes him an ideal choice as Penns executive director, Pringle said.

Adams said he honored to leaded the Penn Center, which he described as a hallowed institution and a living laboratory of Black freedom.

Historian John Hope Franklin once described Penn Center as the most significant African American organization in the country. It was established in 1862 by a group of churches and abolitionists from Pennsylvania as a school to educate newly freed slaves. It was named after William Penn, a Quaker who founded the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The 50-acre campus is located on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The Civil Rights-era leader used the campus as a retreat in the 1960s.
Disbarred attorney Tom Girardi, shown in 2014. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)

The Tom Girardi scandal appeared poised to claim two more legal careers Friday as the State Bar of California initiated disbarment proceedings against the disgraced trial attorney's son-in-law and another lawyer at his once-vaunted firm.

Agency prosecutors are seeking to strip the licenses of former Girardi Keese litigators David Lira, who is married to Girardis daughter, and Keith Griffin, one of last lawyers to flee the crumbling firm two years ago.

Disciplinary notices filed in State Bar Court accuse both of misappropriating funds and other misconduct related to the firms representation of the families of airline crash victims killed in a 2018 crash off the coast of Indonesia.

Revelations about money missing from the Lion Air settlements led to the collapse of Girardis firm in 2020, scrutiny of his troubled history with client funds, his disbarment last year and a federal indictment earlier this year accusing him and Lira of wire fraud charges. Both have pleaded not guilty.

The State Bar case against Lira and Griffin alleges that they helped him conceal from their clients, Indonesian widows and orphans, that millions in settlement money had arrived into a firm trust account, but that it was not flowing on to the clients.

The State Bar of California initiated disbarment proceedings against Tom Girardi's son-in-law David Lira, above, and another lawyer at Girardi's once-vaunted firm. (Christopher Weber / Associated Press)

Lira is accused of issuing checks totaling $2.7 million from an account holding the Boeing money to pay individuals and entities that were unrelated to the client families. Prosecutors allege that both men were aware that Girardi was lying to clients about the money but did not inform them.

Liras attorney did not return messages seeking comment.

Ryan Saba, an attorney for Griffin, said, We are going to contest the allegations.

Keith was not a signatory of the client trust account nor did he have any access to any bank accounts. The real villain here is Tom Girardi, he said.

Both Lira and Griffin had worked at the firm for two decades but have insisted that they had little insight into its finances because it did not operate like a traditional firm. Girardi was the sole owner and though he gave lawyers the title of partner, they were his employees and had no power over how he ran the firm.

Lira, 63, left the firm about six months before it shuttered. He has testified that he fought with his father-in-law about the airline money before his resignation. Griffin, 51, remained until just before the firm stopped operating and has said he told the Indonesians to sue Girardi for legal malpractice before he left.

In their filing, State Bar prosecutors also alleged that both lawyers lied to the federal judge overseeing the airline case. Griffin is accused of giving false testimony at a 2021 hearing in Chicago where he denied making lulling statements to an Indonesian client seeking answers about his settlement money.

Lira is accused of lying in the same hearing when he testified that the airline case was the only Girardi Keese settlement he knew of in which money was delayed for a month and a half or more. Prosecutors claim Lira knew of several other instances, including payouts held back from a burn victim and residents of a polluted Riverside neighborhood suing for toxic contamination.

Lira is also accused in a separate case of misappropriating $369,000 from a 2014 settlement stemming from a collision between a car and a California Department of Transportation dump truck that killed two people.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Step inside and hear the stories of Bulls Tavern, a fixture in downtown SLO for 90 years

Walk into Bulls Tavern and you might see a college student tossing back a Bull Sweat shooter  a fiery blend of Bacardi 151, Wild Turkey whiskey, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.

The drink is a sort of a right of passage on a 21st birthday, according to Bulls Tavern owner Billy Hales.

Or you might find a longtime regular, nursing their favorite cocktail and swapping stories with the bartender.

During graduation season, especially this weekend as crowds descended on San Luis Obispo for two days of Cal Poly commencement ceremonies, youre sure to see college students and their parents sipping an early-morning toast ahead of the festivities.

Any and all are welcome at the venerable fixture of downtown San Luis Obispos bar scene, and even today, after nearly a century, Bulls Tavern is where the new and old collide.

Joel Jandel mans the door at Bulls Tavern on Friday, June 16, 2023, the night before Cal Polys graduation weekend. The bar has been a fixture of San Luis Obispos downtown scene since the 1930s. Laura Dickinson/The Tribune

Bulls Tavern owner started there as a janitor

Even with twenty-somethings blasting pop songs on the jukebox, the bar looks like it belongs in an old western film.

A bulls head mounted to the wall watches over the patrons, and a vintage Budweiser sign stained with cigarette smoke reminds them of the buildings history.

Back in the 1930s, ranchers rode their horses into the tavern to order a drink  often trailing dust, cigarette smoke and a string of profanity behind them.

At least thats how the stories go, Hales said.

Billy Hales, owner of Bulls Tavern in San Luis Obispo, started at the bar as a janitor when he was a Cal Poly student in the 1980s. Laura Dickinson/The Tribune

While Hales studied history at Cal Poly in the 80s, he got a job as a janitor at Bulls Tavern. He eventually took up bartending and served beers and cocktails to folks whod been drinking at Bulls since the 1930s.

They kinda had that blue-collar, old-timer vibe, Hales said. This was the place of their first drink with their dad. It was a working mans bar back then.

Even back in the 80s, college students swarmed the bar in the evenings, just as they do now. But during the day, the tavern belonged to the longtime regulars.

Hales remembers serving Jack Lucas, a calloused regular who was at the bar almost as often as Hales was.

Every day, Lucas stood in the same place at the end of the bar to order a Budweiser and a shot of well bourbon. Hed drink about five of these over the next five hours, Hales said.

One day he was standing down there, and the floor had gotten so tired in the bar that he fell through the floor, Hales said with a chuckle.

Lucas caught himself on the bar, and the bartenders pulled him out of the hole without any issue, Hales said. This was before the building was retrofitted, Hales added. The floor is perfectly sturdy now.

Bulls Tavern was originally located next door at 1032 Chorro St., which is now home to San Luis Taqueria. Hales moved the bar to 1040 Chorro St. sometime around 2016, he said.

Billy Hales, owner of Bulls Tavern in San Luis Obispo, started at the bar as a janitor when he was a Cal Poly student in the 1980s. Laura Dickinson/The Tribune

Bulls Tavern beginnings

The taverns namesake, Albert Bull Tognazzini, took ownership of the bar after prohibition ended.

According to his obituary, Tognazzini bought the second liquor license in San Luis Obispo County. A 1938 address book lists him as the owner of the bar, back when it was called Budweiser Tavern.

The History Center of San Luis Obispo County has an archive of records on the Tognazzini family, including the address book and Albert Tognazzinis obituary.

Owner Albert Bull Tognazzini poses in front of Bulls Tavern during the 1940s. Back then, the San Luis Obispo bar was known as Budweiser Tavern. Courtesy of the San Luis Obispo County History Center

Back in the early 1900s, in an earlier incarnation, the tavern was owned by Budweiser. Anti-trust laws, however, required the company to sell the bar to a local, Hales said.

During prohibition, the bar went dormant for awhile and the space was used as a dress shop, according to Hales.

Legend has it that the original building had an entrance to an underground tunnel network for prohibition-era bootlegging. The tavern has a basement, but Hales never found the tunnel.

Hales said its important to him to preserve the taverns history. When he moved Bulls to its new location, he brought the original bar and mounted it to the wall of the new building, he said.

We took great care to make sure this all came off in one piece, Hales said, gesturing to the bar behind him. The wooden shelves hold everything from liquor bottles to a bull figurine wearing sunglasses.

Billy Hales, owner of Bulls Tavern in San Luis Obispo, started at the bar as a janitor when he was a Cal Poly student in the 1980s. Laura Dickinson/The Tribune

We definitely try to protect the integrity of what the bar was, and the people come back and can still capture that nostalgia either from their days at Cal Poly or when they were a kid, Hales said.

On a recent afternoon, before the college crowd arrived, Bulls Tavern played host to a handful of regulars known to the bartender by name.

Among them was local pharmacist Brian DeLorme, who said you can meet all types of people at Bulls Tavern, from gig workers to tourists to students.

Expect the unexpected as far as customers go, DeLorme said. A group of literally anyone could come walking in. It could go from being as quiet as it is now, you know, four or five patrons, to 50 within moments.

Regular Brian DeLorme poses with his namesake, The Brian, at Bulls Tavern in June 2023. The cocktail appears on the menu as a Mandarin Mule, made of Absolut Mandarin Vodka on the rocks with ginger beer and a dash of lime. Stephanie Zappelli

DeLorme has been a patron of the bar for at least five years, he said. He enjoys the cocktails, the people and the environment, but most of all, he appreciates the bartenders.

Theyre genuine. They bust their ass. The place could literally have 50 people and thered be one bartender  and they will run the show, DeLorme said. Everyone will get a drink in a timely fashion, no matter how crowded. Thats extremely rare.

DeLorme even invented a cocktail at Bulls Tavern, known by the bartenders as The Brian. The cocktail appears on the menu as a Mandarin Mule, made of Absolut Mandarin Vodka on the rocks with ginger beer and a dash of lime.

DeLorme described the character of Bulls Tavern as seasoned but always willing to allow anyone to walk through those doors, he said. Everyones welcome.
You cant keep the Spirit of Lake Murray down.

The 80-foot yacht that once sailed the waters of the Midlands biggest body of water became a recognizable sight to many people as it regularly ferried paying passengers on pleasure cruises across the lake for more than a decade, until it finally went out of service in 2019.

But when a new group of owners purchased the boat with plans to relaunch it, the Spirit sailed again  or was at least tugged from its retirement dock in Leesville to a new home near Ballentine to be refurbished. The fans that the yacht rental had built up over the years noticed.

Social media filled up with pictures and people saying why is the boat moving? said Rick Crout, one of four partners who plan to relaunch the Spirit of Lake Murray for a new series of cruises this month. There are so many people who say, I got married on that boat, I had my anniversary on that boat.

Along with partners Norm Agnew, Steve Price and Tyler Ryan, Crout is working to upgrade the Spirit to make it a more modern and enticing option for parties that want to enjoy the lake from a luxurious vantage point  without having to purchase a yacht themselves.

Co-owners of The Spirit of Lake Murray, Rick Crout, Norm Agnew, Tyler Ryan and Steve Price, at the boat on on Monday, June 12, 2023. Once renovated, the ship will be available for parties and other events on the water.

For now, the nearly 30-year-old Spirit is in dry dock in a cove near Ballentine, where shes receiving a top-to-bottom overhaul. A new paint job is being applied while old saltwater damage from the boats time in Florida is remedied.

Once thats done, it can float on freshwater for years without getting that kind of damage, Ryan said.

Inside, the partners are adding a new bar and kitchen space, re-configuring the main gathering space to accentuate the forward view off the bow (the windows of which were previously behind the bar). Elsewhere, the deck will now be open air right off of a VIP area. Even the onboard bathrooms are getting an upgrade to make them more handicapped accessible.

Once completed, the ship will be able to hold around 100 people, Ryan said. The new Spirit of Lake Murray should hit the water in July, as soon as it receives its certificate of inspection from the Coast Guard.

The Spirit of Lake Murray plied these waters from 2001 to 2019 when it was owned by Ken Colton. It was hauled up the interstate from Charleston in pieces, coming from its former life when it was operated by a hotel in Jacksonville. The yacht became a favorite way for day-trippers to view the lake in style or host events on the waves.

The Spirit of Lake Murray is under construction on Monday, June 12, 2023. Once renovated, the ship will be available for parties and other events on the water.

Ryan said the group will host ticketed cruises around the lake while also renting the Spirit out for private events.

If you want to go out at 7:45 a.m. on a Sunday for a bar mitzvah, well crank it up, Price said.

One benefit to the business the partners see is that the Spirit will now depart from a small cove near Ballentine, just minutes from Interstate 26, than from its previous marina near Leesville, on the opposite side of the lake from Columbia.

To get to Leesville from Columbia, you would have to drive an hour, Ryan said. This is really the closest location to where most people will be coming from.

Agnew said the proximity to the interstate will also give the business a boost. With Interstate 26 right there, youll have more people coming locally and potentially from outside the area, he said.

The Spirit of Lake Murray is under construction on Monday, June 12, 2023. Once renovated, the ship will be available for parties and other events on the water.

Price will be the general manager operating the house side of the business, overseeing the small service staff on board. Crout will be the master captain and Ryan the first officer, while Agnew will bring his experience working on his familys rental cruise, the Southern Patriot, which overlapped with the Spirits time on the lake.

I know theres enough call for a boat out here, said Agnew, noting Lake Murray has been without those kind of rental options since the Spirit left the water four years ago. So when Rick said he wanted to buy (the Spirit), I knew there was a market for it.
A Bellingham woman committed to a state psychiatric hospital in 2015 after she was acquitted by reason of insanity of killing her husband and infant son has been released from supervision.

Whatcom County Superior Court Judge Lee Grochmal approved the unconditional release petition for 51-year-old Erin Lee Jordan, nee Agren, at a hearing earlier this month. The unconditional release means Jordan will no longer be under the supervision of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and will have no further legally required treatment or court obligations.

Jordan was indefinitely committed to Western State Hospital, the state psychiatric hospital in Lakewood, in December 2015 after the court acquitted her by reason of insanity of two counts of first-degree murder for the mid-July 2015 shooting deaths of her husband, 59-year-old Michael Jordan, and their 1-year-old son, Miles Jordan.

While the judge at the time found that there was proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Jordan committed the killings, he also found that because of the symptoms of a severe mental illness, Jordan was unable to tell right from wrong in regard to the murders of her husband and son.

From December 2015 until May 2021, Jordan was receiving treatment and living at Western State Hospital. The court granted her a conditional release from the hospital in May 2021, allowing her to be released back into the community. Jordan moved to an apartment in Pierce County and has been residing there since.

Its hard to set aside what Ms. Jordan did, but everyone knows that this was caused by mental illness. Judge Grochmal watched Ms. Jordan progress through her treatment plan for several years which made the courts decision easy, Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Richey said in a statement provided to The Bellingham Herald about Jordans unconditional release.

Jordans defense attorney, Stephen Jackson, declined to comment about Jordans release or on her behalf.

Erin Jordan appears in Whatcom County Superior Court at the Whatcom County Jail on Aug. 10, 2015. In December, Jordan pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to two counts of murder in the first degree for killing her husband and 1-year-old son. With her is Whatcom Public Defender Jon Komoroski.

Shooting death details

Shortly after 3:30 p.m. on July 19, 2015, Whatcom County Sheriffs officers responded to a home in the 5000 block of Noon Road for a welfare check.

A Realtor who had come to do an open house that day heard a woman calling for help from a second-story bedroom. After kicking in the door, which was locked from the inside, the man found Jordan on the floor with a gunshot wound to her chest.

He also found Michael Jordan and Miles Jordan in the bed, both who had suffered fatal gunshot wounds, according to court records.

Jordan was taken to the hospital for treatment, where she later admitted to a sheriffs detective that she had shot her husband and son while they slept. Jordan told the detective she had planned on shooting her husband and son for two days before doing so, the court records state.

Jordan also admitted that she had shot herself. She had been in the house with the bodies for at least two days prior to the real estate agent finding them, court documents show.

House at 5056 Noon Road on Monday, July 20, 2015, where a real estate agent found Lummi Nation School teacher Michael David Jordan and his 17-month-old son dead and Jordans wife, Erin Jordan, shot in the shoulder.

Jordan told the sheriffs detective that she had been stressed, depressed and overwhelmed by all of the recent changes in her life and said she believed that people were stalking her and her family. Jordan told the detective she saved Michael and Miles by doing what she did, the court records state.

A Ruger .22-caliber handgun and three spent shell casings were found in the bedroom with Jordan, her husband and their son, court records show.

Jordan was diagnosed with post-partum psychosis with delusions of impending doom and paranoia, major depressive disorder recurrent with psychotic features and delusional disorder with paranoia.

No longer a danger

On May 18, 2023, Jackson, Jordans defense, filed a petition requesting an unconditional release for Jordan.

In the petition, Jackson wrote that Jordan has demonstrated over the past several years that she can maintain long-term mental stability without any symptoms or oversight. He said Jordan had shown that she is not a danger to herself or others and that there is not a substantial likelihood of committing criminal acts that jeopardize public safety or security, according to court records.

Ms. Jordan has shown that she is a success-story, and someone who can resume living independently, without the oversight of WSH, Jackson wrote. The record is clear  while Ms. Jordan does suffer from mental illness, she does not pose a danger to others.

Court documents state that Jordan had fully regained and maintained her sanity over several years and that her symptoms of her mental illness have been in sustained remission since she began receiving proper treatment.

In a November 2022 forensic risk assessment, a clinical psychologist wrote that around the time of the shooting deaths, Jordan experienced situational and interpersonal stressors that she had difficulty managing and began experiencing symptoms of psychosis. As this continued, she experienced significant psychiatric decompensation. In the context of acute psychotic symptoms, she engaged in violence resulting in the death of her husband and infant son by firearm.

This file photo shows a sign near the main entrance of Western State Hospital, the largest psychiatric hospital in the state, in Lakewood, Washington.

Since her commitment to the state psychiatric hospital and subsequent release back into the community however, the psychologist wrote that Jordan has followed all of her obligations, medication and treatment requirements, remained behaviorally and psychiatrically stable, utilized her resources and support network and has been living in the community successfully. While experiencing several stressors, Jordan was able to cope appropriately, problem-solve and did not experience psychiatric decompensation, the court records state.

Provided Ms. Jordan remain adherent with medications, address any recurrent symptoms of depression and/or psychosis, manage stress appropriately, and maintain a supportive social network, her risks for engaging in acts of violence in the community in the context of unsupervised discharge appear to be adequately mitigated, the documents state.

Support for her release

A report from DSHS dated March 13 assessing Jordan and her request for unconditional release showed that Jordans treatment team, the state hospitals forensic risk review board and the state DSHS Secretarys designee, all supported Jordans request for unconditional release.

A public safety review panel designated by law to assess and review risks related to recommendations for release or changes in supervision for people found not guilty by reason of insanity did not support Jordans request for unconditional release.

The panel, which convened and reviewed Jordans case in February, wrote that it recognized Jordan had been living successfully within the community for the past two years and said it commended her on her reintegration efforts.

However, the Panel would like to see a more prolonged period of supported community transition, the court records state.

The panel recommended that Jordan remain on conditional release to demonstrate her ability to deal with life in the post pandemic society.

In a personal letter submitted with her petition for unconditional release, Jordan wrote that she has maintained remission of her mental illness for several years and has remained committed to relapse prevention since her release to the community.

Jordan wrote that she has been consistent with her medication and recognized that this was a lifelong commitment for her. She said she practices health stress-management skills, has healthy boundaries in her interpersonal relationships and has regular psychiatric care that she intends to continue with for life, court documents state.

Since her release to the community in May 2021, Jordan received a scholarship and completed a certificate program from the University of Washington in Womens Entrepreneurial Leadership and is beginning a certificate in editing program at UW in the fall. She wrote that she has plans to pursue a masters degree in English after, with long-term goals of becoming a freelance editor working with writers, according to court records.

Jordan previously received a bachelors degree in education and spent 18 years working as a certified teacher in California, Taiwan and El Salvador. She also worked at the Lummi Nation School for two years before quitting to raise her son full-time, The Herald previously reported. Her teaching credentials were permanently revoked in Washington and California in 2016, according to court records.

Extremely tragic situation

At Jordans court hearing on her petition for unconditional release last week, Richey, the prosecutor, said it was clear Jordan was impacted by mental illness at the time she committed horrendous crimes.

In the eight years that have followed her commitment to the state hospital, Richey said Jordan has taken steps to improve her mental health and work toward her release. He said there have been no complaints made about Jordan during the time she has been living in the community.

He said Jordans care team evaluated her progress, deemed that she no longer poses a danger to the community and that her treatment, which includes medications, has been successful.

On the other side of the coin, the Public Safety Review Panel is not yet convinced. The PSRP recognizes the efforts Ms. Jordan has made and that she has not posed any dangers since treatment began. But the PSRP is concerned that not enough time has passed to really prove that she will not pose a danger in the future. How much time should pass before the PSRP is comfortable with her treatment teams stance? Richey said, adding that it was hard to argue against her release.

She has done all that we have asked of her. Prosecutors are naturally cautious people, but I cant adopt the cautiousness of the PSRP in this situation. Based on the recommendations of her treatment team, I support that Ms. Jordans restrictions be removed, Richey said.

Grochmal, the judge, said this was not the first hearing for Jordan that she had handled, referring to her approval of Jordans May 2021 conditional release from the psychiatric hospital to the community.

Grochmal said since that time, Jordan proved she continued to take care of her mental health and has addressed any risks surrounding community safety or the potential that she will commit another violent crime.

After reviewing all the evidence, Grochmal said she was convinced that Jordan had met the burden of proving that she had earned an unconditional release. Jordan has shown by a preponderance of evidence that she is not likely to commit a violent offense and that there is no danger to the community, Grochmal said.

I expect (Jordan) will continue with her mental health treatment for the rest of her life for her own benefit and for the benefit of those in the community. This was an extremely tragic situation and nobody knows that better than Ms. Jordan and the family members who were involved in this unfortunate event, Grochmal said.

I wish that there had been help for her mental illness sooner and I wish that someone had recognized it sooner and that help had been available for her and this could have been avoided. But Im glad to see that shes now gotten the help she needs and I dont think were going to have any problems in the future.
FILE - Pope Francis is flanked by Jesuits' superior general Arturo Sosa Abascal, left, after presiding a mass on March 12, 2022. Pope Francis Jesuit religious order said Thursday, June 15, 2023 it has expelled a prominent Slovenian priest from the congregation following allegations of sexual, spiritual and psychological abuses against adult women. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

ROME (AP)  The head of a religious art and culture center founded by a disgraced Jesuit priest came to his defense Saturday after he was expelled from the Jesuit religious order following allegations of sexual, spiritual and psychological abuse against adult women.

Maria Campatelli, director of the Rome-based Aletti Center, said the claims against the Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik were defamatory and unproven and amounted to a form of mediatic lynching against the Slovene priest and his art center.

The Jesuits announced this week that Rupnik had been ordered expelled from the order June 9 because of stubborn refusal to observe the vow of obedience. The Jesuits acted after Rupnik had been accused by several women of sexual, spiritual and psychological abuses over a 30-year period.

Until the case exploded publicly late last year, Rupnik had largely escaped punishment, apparently thanks in part to his exalted status in the church and at the Vatican, where even the role of Pope Francis in the case came into question.

Rupnik is one of the most celebrated religious artists in the Catholic Church, whose mosaics decorate churches and basilicas around the world, including at the Vatican. The Aletti center trains artists in his mosaic style to work on the commissions and also runs an editorial house that sells artistic reproductions, coffee table books and calendars.

In a letter on the centers website Saturday, Campatelli accused Rupniks Jesuit superiors of releasing partial information about the case. She said Rupnik had actually requested to leave the order in January and that other Jesuit priests at the Aletti center had made similar requests because of their overriding distrust of superiors in their handling of the case.

She accused the Jesuits of essentially concocting the disobedience violation, by ordering Rupnik to transfer to a Jesuit community in Lombardy three months after he had requested to leave the order. She said the transfer order thus merely provided the "prerequisite for a disobedience which in fact occurred. An email request seeking comment from Rupniks superior wasn't immediately returned.

The Rupnik scandal exploded in December when Italian blogs and websites reported that consecrated women had complained for years about abuse by him, only to have their claims discredited or covered up by Rupniks Jesuit superiors. The case posed a problem for the Vatican and the Jesuits because of suspicions that the charismatic priest received preferential treatment by the Holy See, where a Jesuit pope reigns and Jesuit priests are in top positions at the sex abuse office.

After the allegations erupted, the Jesuits reluctantly admitted Rupnik had been declared excommunicated in 2020 for having committed one of the gravest crimes in church law  using the confessional to absolve a woman with whom he had engaged in sexual activity  but had repented and had the sanction quickly removed.

The next year, Rupnik was accused by nine women of having sexually, psychologically and spiritually abused them in the 1990s at a community he co-founded in Slovenia. Even though the Jesuits recommended a church trial, the Vaticans sex abuse office refused to waive the statute of limitations and declared the crimes too old to prosecute.

That outcome underscored how the Catholic hierarchy routinely refuses to consider spiritual and sexual abuse of adult women as a crime that must be punished, but rather a mere lapse of priestly chastity that can be forgiven, without considering the trauma it causes victims.

Part of the dilemma was that Rupnik still had plenty of supporters, especially at the Aletti center, as evidence by Campatellis vigorous defense of him. The Jesuit investigator who first uncovered the alleged victims claims, Bishop Daniele Libanori, has lamented in correspondence that Rupniks supporters had tried to discredit the accusers by questioning their mental health.

Campatelli blasted the Jesuits for what she said was their decision to favor a media campaign based on defamatory and unproven accusations (which exposed Fr. Rupnik and the entire Aletti Center to forms of lynching), as opposed to providing the press with correct information based on acts and documents in their possession, demonstrating a different truth from what was being published.

She said that Rupnik remained firm in his desire to leave the order and would continue to "live this moment in discernment and ecclesial communion.
CRANSTON  A 58-year-old man who was free on bail on charges stemming from a 17-hour standoff with police in North Providence last year was arrested early Saturday morning for allegedly robbing a bank in Cranston the day before.

Police arrested Gino Rotondo at a self-storage unit at 950 Phenix Ave. after learning that he might be there, according to Cranston's police chief, Col. Michael J. Winquist. Rotondo was held overnight and was set to be arraigned by a justice of the peace on a charge of second-degree robbery. He is also wanted by the Coventry police for shoplifting and violation of a no-contact order, Winquist said in a news release.

The suspect has a lengthy history, including illegally possessing firearms and refusing commands from police, which made this swift and safe apprehension especially significant, Winquist said.

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Rotondo was arrested last July on firearms and drug charges after he and his wife, Rachel Lombardi, barricaded themselves in a house in North Providence, prompting police to issue a shelter-in-place order to neighbors. More than 17 hours after the standoff began, they were coaxed out by a SWAT team and surrendered peacefully.

According to North Providence police, the incident began after Lombardi was assaulted by an acquaintance while Rotondo was out. When Rotondo returned, he asked the man to come back to the house and then took a single shot at him with a gun and missed, police said.

Rotondo was released from the Adult Correctional Institutions on April 23 after posting bail for the charges that resulted from the standoff, according to Winquist.

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The robbery occurred Friday afternoon at the Citizens Bank branch at 1030 Park Ave., which is a few blocks from Rotondos residence at 38 Leslie St. The suspect passed a note to a teller demanding cash, then left the area with an undisclosed amount of money on a blue BMX-style bike, Winquist said. No weapon was shown and no one was injured during the robbery, he said.

Surveillance camera footage showed the suspect to be a white male, approximately 6 feet tall and of thin build, Winquist said. Police recognized the suspect to be Rotondo based on prior contact with him.

After getting an arrest warrant, members of the Cranston departments Special Reaction Team, along with the East Providence SWAT Team and the Rhode Island State Bomb Squad, searched his home.

At the same time, police learned that Rotondo might be sleeping at the self-storage unit, Winquist said. He was arrested there by two detectives after being found with a small amount of cash and clothing that matched what was seen in the bank surveillance photos, according to Winquist.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Bank robbery charges filed against suspect in North Providence standoff
Medium, small cities embark on development path with local characteristics

Xinhua) 09:50, June 17, 2023

This aerial photo taken on Oct. 21, 2022 shows Daoyun Lou, an octagonal Tulou earthen building compound in Raoping County of Chaozhou, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

GUANGZHOU, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Tales of fast growth in China are often heard about when speaking of metropolises like Shanghai and Shenzhen with strong economic foundations, regional advantages, and policy supports, among others.

However, the Chaoshan region, mainly including Chaozhou and Shantou cities in south China's Guangdong Province, tells a different story of medium and small cities carving out a path in high-quality development, with emphasis on local characteristics.

CULTURAL RELICS

The government of Chaozhou City takes full advantage of local cultural relics to boost tourism as a pillar industry.

With a history of over 850 years, Guangji Bridge in Chaozhou is one of China's four famous ancient bridges, the other three being Lugou Bridge in Beijing, Zhaozhou Bridge in Hebei Province, and Luoyang Bridge in Fujian Province.

Guangji Bridge, out of the ordinary, has a part that is connected by boats as a pontoon. When the part is open, a channel is formed for ships to cross, a special case in the history of bridges in China.

The bridge was opened to the public in 2007 after a thorough restoration with various pavilions set up on it for showcasing cultural relics of local characteristics, mostly intangible cultural heritages, such as embroidery, wood carving, and ceramics.

Delicately sculpting a piece of wood, Chen Jia, a young wood carving artist, said that she started with an interest in studying this art and is now devoted to the "life-long work" of inheriting this intangible cultural heritage.

Likewise, Lin Chugang was meticulously showing his skills in Chaozhou embroidery. He combined fashion elements like cartoon and game characters with traditional embroidery art to cater to modern life and young generations.

Zhong Min, director of cultural relics conservation of Chaozhou, said that the Guangji Bridge has become a window for demonstrating the city, which provides a platform for various intangible cultural heritages and fuels local industrial development.

During the week-long Spring Festival holiday in January this year, over 2.85 million visits were made by tourists to Chaozhou, up 44.1 percent year on year. Of the total visits, 93,748 visits were made to Guangji Bridge, up 217.73 percent from a year ago, according to official data.

CHARMING TEA

Dancong tea is a special type of Oolong from Fenghuang Mountain, Chaozhou. Dancong literally means "single bush" or "picked from one tree," known to mimic different fragrances of flowers and fruits naturally.

The local government has exerted efforts to cultivate Dancong into quality products now labeled as a high-end tea brand. Tea plantations in Fenghuang Town cover an area of nearly 80,000 mu (over 5,300 hectares), yielding about 8 million kg of Dancong tea a year and an output value of over 2.16 billion yuan (about 302.99 million U.S. dollars).

Chen Zhengsheng, a tea grower in Fenghuang, contracted with the local government to plant tea in a woodland of 400 mu in 1998, which now yields over 5,000 kg of tea and earns 1 million yuan every year.

The income was much lower before because of dated planting methods, he said, noting that annual professional training thereafter has helped tea growers learn scientific disease prevention and control, production, and management.

To further integrate tea plantations with local culture and tourism, the local government, jointly with enterprises, has organized tea-themed competitions, auctions, endorsements, and exhibitions, and built featured homestay hotels.

Based on the tea plantation, more will be done to strengthen the brand power of Dancong, and extend Dancong's influence to nurture other brands of tourism and local cuisine, said Cai Shufeng, Party chief of Fenghuang Town.

DIGITAL MANAGEMENT

Huaxu Tech company in Shantou City benefits a lot from digital management, which highly facilitates making an inventory. The company gives each item a unique ID and turns managing large amounts of goods into managing data.

Lin Zhihan, Huaxu's general manager, said that it takes only hours to finish checking hundreds of thousands of goods with digital management, which is needed days before, and the real-time data of quantity and location cuts down cost and time of trans-regional dispatch.

The reason businesses in Shantou are willing to seek digital management lies in the advanced communication infrastructure. Shantou is one of the three Chinese cities with a landing station for international submarine cable, an advantage for more efficient data transmission.

Financial enterprises require the time lag of data to be shortened to within one millisecond. So, faster data transmission is conducive to establishing a cross-border settlement platform, said Zhu Xiang, general manager of China Unicom's Shantou branch.

The Shantou city government has implemented policies to promote the digital economy. The city has built 8,244 5G base stations to cover the city proper, counties and towns. The industrial added value of the new generation electronic information technology increased by 15.1 percent year on year in 2022.

(Web editor: Xue Yanyan, Sheng Chuyi)
The suspect in the 2022 shooting death of a Bibb County sheriff's deputy was indicted Friday on multiple charges, according to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall.

Austin Patrick Hall of Shelby County faces three counts of capital murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle.

More: 'Tragic and heartbreaking': Leaders mourn death of Bibb County deputy

The charges stem from a shooting on June 29, 2022, that resulted in the death of 32-year-old Bibb County Sheriffs Deputy Brad Johnson and the wounding of Johnson's partner, Deputy Chris Poole.

July 08, 2022; Montevallo, AL, USA; Deputy Chris Poole, who was shot in the same incident that claimed the life of Bibb County Deputy Brad Johnson, pays his respects during Johnsons visitation at the University of Montevallo Student Activity Center. Gary Cosby Jr.-The Tuscaloosa News

Authorities said the two deputies were chasing a suspect in a stolen vehicle when the man fired at the deputies in rural Bibb County. Hall was identified as the suspect and captured the day after the shooting when he was found hiding inside a tent.

Hall had been released early from prison under good time incentives, despite escaping from a work release center in 2019. Hall served less than four years of a nearly 10-year sentence for theft, according to state records.

The circumstances of Johnson's death spurred the Alabama Legislature to pass a bill that cut the sentence reductions an inmate can earn for good behavior.

Republican Sen. April Weaver, who was a friend of Johnsons and lives yards from where he was fatally shot, proposed the legislation.

The bill, named the Deputy Brad Johnson Act, was signed into law by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey in April.

A Bibb County grand jury indicted Hall after the Attorney Generals Special Prosecution Division, in partnership with the Bibb County District Attorneys Office, presented evidence.

Marshall's office said that if convicted, Hall faces the death penalty or a sentence of life imprisonment without parole for each of the three charges of capital murder. He faces a sentence of 10 to 99 years if convicted of the attempted murder charge and two to 20 years if convicted of the charge of discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle.

Reach Ken Roberts at ken.roberts@tuscaloosanews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Suspect could face death penalty in killing of Bibb County deputy
Texas lawmakers took a step in the right direction this session to keep students with disabilities safe at school, advocates say, but they didnt go as far as theyd hoped.

A bill that prevents school police and security guards from placing students in handcuffs or subduing them with pepper spray passed both chambers and moved on to Gov. Greg Abbotts desk, where it awaits his signature.

But a higher-priority proposal that would have barred school personnel from using the most dangerous types of physical restraints against students passed the House and died in conference committee.

It was a disappointing session, said Steven Aleman, senior policy specialist with the advocacy group Disability Rights Texas.

Texas No kids in cuffs bill awaits Abbotts signature

Senate Bill 133, authored by Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, bars school resource officers and security guards from physically restraining students in fifth grade or below, or using Tasers or chemical irritants like pepper spray to subdue them unless the student poses a serious risk of harm to the student or another person.

The measure, known by some as the no kids in cuffs bill, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

A separate bill, House Bill 133, would have barred school personnel from using prone and supine restraints, techniques that place the student either face-down or face-up on the floor. Advocates for students with disabilities say those techniques are especially dangerous, because they can cut off the airways. In 2020, George Floyd died while being restrained in a prone position by Minneapolis police officers.

The restraint bill, authored by Rep. Mary Gonzalez, D-El Paso, never got a committee hearing. Representatives voted to add the ban on prone and supine restraints as an amendment to the no kids in cuffs bill, but it was removed later in conference committee.

As it stands, regulations regarding prone and supine restraints in Texas schools are murky.

The states education code bars school personnel from using the techniques in most circumstances, although it lays out no penalties for violating that ban. A separate section of state law states that districts may use those maneuvers in emergency situations.

Advocates say the lack of an outright ban allows districts that use those techniques regularly to claim they only do so in emergencies.

Special education grows in Texas after federal investigation

Gonzalez said she was proud to see the restraint proposal pass out of the House as an amendment to the Senate bill, but disappointed it didnt become law. But she acknowledged that such proposals often take years to make it to the governors desk.

Gonzalez, who has a sister with Down syndrome, said its especially important now that the state enacts policies to support students with disabilities because of the growing number of students identified for special education programs.

Since the 2017-18 school year, the state has added more than 200,000 students to its special education programs, according to Texas Education Agency data. Thats a 44% uptick over the five years before.

That growth comes after a U.S. Department of Education investigation concluded in 2018 that Texas violated federal law by effectively capping the number of students who received special education services each year. State education officials were more likely to monitor or intervene in districts where more than 8.5% of students were in special education programs, investigators found.

That investigation was prompted by a series of reports published by the Houston Chronicle in 2016. Following the federal investigation, Abbott ordered TEA to take immediate corrective action.

Gonzalez said she heard pushback from school officials who were concerned about liability issues that could result from her bill. But she said theres a way for the state to support districts while still ensuring that schools are safe for the most vulnerable students.

She said she isnt yet sure whether she will refile the bill in its current form, but said she still hopes to see a ban on prone and supine restraints become law.

The bill became an issue because kids actually died, she said. And so we have to be responsive to that.

Fort Worth ISD student died after prone restraint

On March 1, 2021, a student in the Fort Worth school district died following a restraint that would have been banned under Gonzalezs bill. Xavier Hernandez, 21, was a student at Boulevard Heights School and Transition Center, a school for students with disabilities. Hernandez had autism and schizophrenia.

A school staff member who was involved in the restraint told police that he and another employee held Hernandez face-down on the floor, pinning his arms to the floor because he sometimes bit his own hands while he was being restrained. When school staff noticed Hernandezs lips were turning blue, they called 911, and paramedics rushed him to John Peter Smith Hospital, where he died.

The now-former school staff member, Toras Hill, told the Star-Telegram last year that teachers at Boulevard Heights had an understanding that Hernandez would need to be restrained anytime he got up to run out of the classroom, because they didnt know where he would go. Teachers and other staff generally restrained him two or three times a week, Hill said, usually by pinning him on his stomach. Hill said he was unaware the restraint technique was prohibited in the states education code.

Later that year, the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office determined that Hernandez died of the combined effects of physical restraint and chlorpromazine, an antipsychotic medication thats sometimes used as a sedative for aggressive behaviors in children and teenagers.

Disabled students restrained disproportionately nationwide

According to a 2020 report by Disability Rights Texas, 91% of the students who are restrained in schools across the state have disabilities, while students with disabilities make up only about 10% of the states overall enrollment.

Students with disabilities that more severely affect their behavior, like autism or emotional disturbance, are most likely to be restrained, according to the report.

Texas is roughly in line with the rest of the country in terms of how often it restrains students with disabilities, according to federal data: about 80% of students who were restrained nationwide during the 2017-18 school year had individualized education programs stemming from a disability. Thats the most recent year for which U.S. Department of Education figures are available.

Aleman, the Disability Rights Texas policy specialist, said the ban on prone and supine restraints was the organizations top priority for the session because it would have barred districts from using some of the most dangerous restraint techniques against students. While it was encouraging to see the proposal pass the House as an amendment to the Senate bill, he said, it was disappointing to see it fail to reach the governors desk.

Still, Aleman said the passage of the no kids in cuffs bill will be helpful. Its important that police arent allowed to take such extreme measures against young students except in the direst of circumstances, he said. The bill could also represent a stepping stone to broader regulations governing how school personnel restrain students, he said.

If were establishing best practices, were law enforcement, that certainly, I think, sets the stage for setting best practices for educators, as well, he said.

At a press conference at the beginning of the legislative session, parents of Texas students with disabilities described viewing video footage of their children being physically restrained at school. Jeanna TenBrink, a mother from the Houston area, said she saw teachers and paraprofessionals holding her daughter, Leah, face-down on a bathroom floor with her arms behind her back as the girl struggled to breathe. Leah, who was 16 at the time of the press conference, is autistic and mostly nonverbal, meaning she was unable to tell her mother what was happening at school, TenBrink said.

Tatiana Alfano said an administrator at the GOALS Learning Center in the Round Rock school district threw her son Quintin into a wall in a seclusion room before he and another staff member placed him in a prone restraint. Austin CBS affiliate KVUE-TV aired surveillance footage in October showing the administrator grabbing Quinton as he tried to leave the room and throwing him back into the room, where the teenager hit his head on the wall and fell to the floor. During the press conference, Alfano said she worries that there are many more cases that have never come to light.

With over 100 restraints reported every month by our ISD alone, whos to say that those restraints are being performed safely and ethically? she asked.

Abbott has until Sunday to sign or veto SB 133, the no kids in cuffs bill. If the governor takes no action, the bill takes effect immediately.
The son of a woman whose body was donated to Harvard Medical School for research purposes filed a class-action lawsuit on Friday on behalf of all families who believe their loved ones body parts were mishandled by the schools former morgue manager.

The lawsuit filed in Suffolk Superior Court in Boston said the class could include the families of up to 400 donated cadavers. It alleges negligence, breach of duty and infliction of emotional distress.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 2 Pennsylvanians charged in alleged network of buying, selling human remains stolen from Harvard

Before Adele Mazzone died in February 2019, she arranged to donate her body to the medical school for research, according to the lawsuit. Her ashes were returned to her family in April 2021, but her son, John Bozek, of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, thinks that his mothers body was one of those desecrated at the morgue.

Plaintiff brings this class action on behalf of himself and all other similarly situated individuals whose family members donated and entrusted their deceased bodies into Harvards custody for medical research and academic study and whose cadavers were then mishandled, dissected, and/or sold by the HMS morgue manager, the suit says.

A Harvard spokesperson said via email that the university had no comment on the lawsuit.

When someone loses a loved one, sometimes the only thing they can latch onto, is that their loved ones remains are going to be used for an important scientific purpose, Jeff Catalano, a partner at Keches Law Group, which is representing Bozek, said in a statement.

Harvard owed a duty of care to the families who entrusted the school with custody of their loved ones donated bodies, he said.

Medical schools like Harvard have a duty to ensure donated remains are handled properly and with decency and to ensure they are used for their intended purpose of scientific study, he said.

In a message posted on the schools website Friday entitled An abhorrent betrayal, deans George Daley and Edward Hundert called the theft of body parts morally reprehensible.

We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus  a community dedicated to healing and serving others, the deans wrote. The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research.

The former morgue manager, 55-year-old Cedric Lodge, his wife and three other people are facing federal criminal charges. Harvard said Lodge was fired May 6.

According to prosecutors, the defendants were part of a nationwide network of people who bought and sold remains stolen from Harvard Medical School and an Arkansas mortuary.

Lodge sometimes took the body parts  which included heads, brains, skin and bones  back to his Goffstown, New Hampshire, home, and some remains were sent to buyers through the mail, according to the criminal case. Lodge also allegedly allowed buyers to come to the morgue to pick which remains they wanted to buy, authorities said.

No attorney was listed for Lodge in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and unspecified damages.

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'These things get closer and closer to home' says rabbi from synagogue that faced threat

EAST LANSING  A day after the FBI arrested a man who officials say planned a violent attack on East Lansing's Congregation Shaarey Zedek, the synagogue held a Saturday service and celebrated the work of a retiring administrator.

It made for laughter, prayer and yet another reason for the congregation to gather and, for a little while, not think about what might have happened had the FBI not acted so quickly, said Rabbi Amy Bigman. She added that, in the Jewish tradition, good things should be celebrated.

"I think people are relieved to know that this person is in custody," she said "Im sure that some people are nervous and might not come to the synagogue, which is understandable. ... Its stressful, theres no doubt about that. And its scary to live in this world where antisemitism has been on the rise for so long."

Rabbi Amy Bigman

The Anti-Defamation League, a national organization that fights antisemitism, reported that in 2022, antisemitic incidents "surged to historic levels," with 3,697 incidents across the country  a 36 percent increase over 2021. The average of 10 antisemitic incidents each day was the highest level since the organization started keeping records in 1979.

"Knowing that antisemitism is out there is something that comes with being a Jew," Bigman said. "As we've watched it over the past couple of years, it's hit close to home a number of times."

She mentioned the January 2022 incident in Texas when a man took four people hostage at Congregation Beth Israel during its Saturday morning services. Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, a Lansing native whom Bigman knows, was among the hostages.

"These things get closer and closer to home," Bigman said.

Congregation Shaarey Zedek Saturday, June 17, 2023.

U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Lansing, is among the state and federal officials whom Bigman said she has reached out to in the past 24 hours. On Saturday morning, the congresswoman Tweeted out a statement.

"Once again, antisemitism & extremism have reared their head in MI & the 7th district," she wrote. "Thanks to the dedicated law enforcement, FBI, & U.S. attorneys who used some complex investigative work to identify and arrest this man before this threat cost lives.

"The rabbis of our East Lansing & Lansing synagogues are leading their congregations with steady hands, and the mayor & local law enforcement have jumped into action to ensure the community feels safe."

In a statement on Friday, the ADL commended the efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement for their quick investigation and arrest. It added the arrest and news of the plans coming on the same day as the conviction for the person who carried out the 2018 massacre at Pittsburg's Tree of Life synagogue is "especially disturbing."

"It should be noted that (Saturday) is the anniversary of the shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston," the statement continued. "There is a through line between that attack, Pittsburgh and the ideology espoused by the suspect in Michigan."

Seann Pietila, 19, of Pickford, was arrested on Friday and charged with transmitting a communication containing a threat to injure another, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Court records indicate he faces up to five years in federal prison and up to three years of supervised release if convicted. He's scheduled for a detention and preliminary hearing on June 22 in federal court in Grand Rapids.

Federal officials released this photo of a phone in connection with a criminal case on Friday, June 16, 2023.

He moved to Pickford in early June but told federal law enforcement that he previously lived in East Lansing with his mother. He attended Lansing's Eastern High School during the 2020-2021 school year, according to court records.

He communicated with others on social media and expressed a Neo-Nazi style ideology, antisemitism, suicidal ideologies, according to court records. He glorified past mass shooters and expressed a desire to mimic mass shootings.

Law enforcement searched his home and found a rifle, handgun, shotgun, ammunition for the weapons, "various knives and bladed instruments, scopes and firearms accessories" plus masks, tactical gear, a red and white Nazi flag and military manuals on sniper and survival skills, according to court records. A search of his phone also revealed a note that listed Congregation Shaarey Zedek, the date March 15, 2024, and a list of explosives and weapons.

Antisemitic threats and violence against our Jewish communities  or any other group for that matter  will not be tolerated in the Western District of Michigan, U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said in a news release. Today and every day we take all credible threats seriously. Im incredibly grateful to the FBI for their swift action to identify and arrest Pietila.

Congregation Shaarey Zedek Saturday, June 17, 2023.

Bigman said she's grateful for federal, state and local authorities for investigating and making an arrest.

She said she's also grateful for the support received from the East Lansing Police Department, other rabbis, members of the Lansing-area interfaith community and more.

"Jewish tradition is that we are all made in Gods image, regardless of religion or gender or anything," Bigman said. "We are all human beings and thats how we should treat each other, as human beings."

Contact reporter Matt Mencarini at 517-377-1026 or mjmencarini@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattMencarini.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Rabbi of threatened EL synagogue says congregation is 'relieved' arrest made
A police officer from Augusta has been arrested for how she responded to an active shooter situation.

Angelika McDonald, 40, of the Thomson Police Department, was charged by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation with violation of oath of office, false statements and writings, and tampering with evidence.

This was in regards to a shooting on May 20 at a block party on the 500 block of Knox Street in Thomson, according to GBI Spokesman Nelly Miles via a news release. McDonald was off-duty but present at the time of the shooting. She left the scene and was later called to duty to assist with the incident. McDonald allegedly provided false information about the shooting to GBI agents and provided instructions to a witness on how to conceal evidence.

The agency has determined that McDonald did not fire a weapon at any time.

As of Friday, she was booked in the McDuffie County jail.

Augusta Eats: Fast food or healthy food? At Southern Salad, they're the same thing

'It just takes over': Augustans fighting back against invasive plants at local parks

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Thomson police offer from Augusta arrested by GBI for shooting report
A traveling statue honoring Harriet Tubman made its South Carolina debut earlier this month and will be on display in Beaufort before taking a route the very woman it honors did 160 years ago.

The nine-foot tall bronze statue is titled The Journey to Freedom and depicts Tubman protecting and leading a child slave to freedom. It was sculpted by North Carolina artist Wesley Wofford.

It can be found on display outside of the Lowcountry Tourism Commissions Frampton Plantation House Visitors Center, until July 30, according to the commissions executive director Peach Morrison.

The way shes placed here, she looks like shes running into the forest, Morrison said. Hiding, getting this slave from the field and taking them to freedom. Its beautiful, powerful. I get goosebumps just talking about it.

The Journey to Freedom depicts Tubman protecting a child slave and guiding them to freedom.

On its way the statue will follow the real Tubmans route crossing the Combahee River over the Harriet Tubman Memorial Bridge on Highway 17, which honors her role in the Combahee Ferry Raid of June 1863.

Now on a southern leg of its journey, the statue has traveled up and down the Eastern United States, from Alabama to Rochester, NY. As the statue travels, its strapped to the back of a flatbed 18-wheeler for all interstate travelers to see.

Its just such a strong and vibrant symbol of resilience and grit and the things that Harriet had to deal with, the things that the African Americans had to deal with, Morrison said.
The Princess of Wales picked an all-green outfit for Charless first Trooping the Colour parade as King, subtly paying tribute to Dianas legacy.

The official birthday celebrations of Britains new king have just concluded, after the royal family enjoyed a military flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

The proceedings began around 10:30am on Saturday morning (17 June) when Charles became the first monarch to join the parade on horseback since his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, rode on her favourite horse, Burmese, in 1986.

Along with Charles, Prince William, Princess Anne, and Prince Edward were also on horseback. Queen Camilla rode in a horse-drawn carriage with the Princess of Wales, and Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte.

Both Camilla and Kates outfits were chosen to reflect their new military titles since December 2022. The Queen, who was appointed Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, wore a red dress and black hat that reflects the heritage of the infantry regiment.

Meanwhile, Kate opted for an emerald green dress designed by Singapore-born designer Andrew GN as a nod to her being appointed honorary Colonel of the Irish Guard.

She accessorised with a gold, Cartier shamrock brooch, which Kate previously wore during St Patricks Day celebrations with the Irish Guards this year.

Kates outfit was just as much a tribute to the regiment as to her mother-in-law.

According to a report by People, Diana also wore green during her first Trooping the Colour ceremony as Princess of Wales in 1982.

The 41-year-old princess completed her look with a Phillip Treacy hat, and sapphire and diamond drop earrings that belonged to Diana.

Interestingly, Kate wore the same earrings for Queen Elizabeth IIs final Trooping the Colour ceremony last year.

(PA)

For the Kings coronation ceremony last month, Princess Kate chose pieces of jewellery in honour of both Diana and the late Queen, who died in September 2022.

She picked a glittering three-strand diamond necklace, the George VI Festoon Necklace, which was among Elizabeths prized pieces, for the occasion.

Kate paired that with pearl and diamond drop earrings that were part of Dianas jewellery collection.

The peoples princess was photographed wearing the same earrings on multiple occasions, including at the Coronation Banquet of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan in November 1990, and during a royal visit to Pakistan.

The Trooping the Colour ceremony is a royal tradition that dates back to the 18th century, when it was reportedly first performed during the reign of King Charles II in 1748.
Thousands gathered to watch King Charles in his first Trooping the Colour as monarch in a Birthday Parade that marked the first time a reigning monarch has ridden in on horseback in over 30 years and culminated in a spectacular flypast.

Charles, 74, was flanked by his son, William the Prince of Wales, and siblings Prince Edward and Princess Anne, who all rode horses gifted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police  bringing back a tradition enjoyed by his mother, the late Queen, who rode in the annual parade until 1986.

Senior royals, including the Princess of Wales and her children, later gathered the balcony of Buckingham Palace where they waved to well-wishers on The Mall who sang the national anthem and gave three cheers to the monarch.

But as usual, it was Prince Louis who stole the show. The five-year-old royal fan favourite was photographed pinching his nose, pulling funny faces, and playing with his hair as he accompanied his siblings Prince George and Princess Charlotte, en-route to the military parade commemorating his grandfathers first official birthday as sovereign.

Edwards wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, and Princess Annes husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy James Hamilton Laurence, were also present for the ceremony.

Notably absent were the Harry and Meghan, after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were reportedly not invited. Prince Andrew, his daughters princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburghs children, Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex, were also not present.

Queen Camilla and Princess Kate ride in an open-top carriage down The Mall as part of the King Charles first Trooping the Colour as monarch (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte during the Trooping the Colour ceremony (PA)

When he arrived at the parade ground, King Charles was greeted with a royal salute after which he inspected the assembled 1,400 troops.

The central part of the parade features a battle flag  or the Colour  being displayed and marched past troops and the monarch. This is a ceremonial reenactment of the way regimental flags were once displayed for soldiers on the battlefield to provide a crucial rallying point if they became disoriented or separated from their unit.

A different flag is trooped each year and this year the Colour was the Kings Color of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

Prince William was appointed Colonel of the Welsh Guards in December 2022, with Kate taking over from him as Colonel of the Irish Guards.

Princess Kate picked an emerald green dress by Singapore-born designer Andrew Gn to match her new military title. She also subtly paid tribute to Williams mother Diana, who wore green for her first Trooping the Colour as Princess of Wales in 1981.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence arrive in a horse-drawn carriage on Horse Guards Parade (AFP via Getty Images)

The Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh, King Charles III and the Princess Royal depart Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Colour ceremony (PA)

After Charles inspected the troops at House Guards Parade, the family returned to Buckingham Palace before assembling on the balcony for what is typically a showstopping aerial display.

This year, however, the flypast was even more impressive, as 70 aircrafts took part on Saturday, including Spitfire and Hurricane fighters from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. The ramped up display made a welcome return to royal celebrations, having been scaled down due to bad weather at the Kings coronation in May.

The display also 18 typhoon jets arranged in a formation that read CR  Charles Rex which is Latin for king  to the cheers of the royal family and thousands of spectators.

Thank you to all who took part in todays celebrations!  pic.twitter.com/iT34P7JkOe  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 17, 2023

The Red Arrows, as the Royal Air Forces aerobatic team is known, then painted the sky the colours of Britains flag, as the King and Queen thanked the royal fans for their support.

Before leaving the balcony, Prince Louis gave the crowds a two-handed wave, just as he did at his grandfathers coronation, as fans on Twitter crowned him the star of royal engagements.

The Trooping the Colour ceremony is a royal tradition that dates back over 260 years to the 18th century, when it was reportedly first performed during the reign of King Charles II in 1748.

Additional reporting by wires.
NEW YORK  Donald Trump has renewed his request to move the Stormy Daniels hush money case to federal court, where the drawn-out legal saga began  and hes confident his legal arguments will get him off the hook.

The beleaguered former president, who could potentially pardon himself if the case was moved and he wins the 2024 presidential election, argued in new filings that he should be tried in federal court because he was president when the alleged crimes occurred.

Manhattan Federal Court is the appropriate jurisdiction for this case, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche argued in legal papers  adding that the case was brought solely due to the political motivation of the Manhattan District Attorney.

The case brought by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg  which Blanche called nonexistent  hinges on federal, not state, campaign finance laws, as made evident by both the federal jurisprudence and the New York State election board.

Bragg, whose office says Trump shouldnt be shielded from state prosecution, has charged Trump with committing 34 felonies during his first year in the White House by reimbursing his fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen for a $130,000 payment to porn star Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Bragg says Cohens payment to Daniels was an illegal campaign contribution  and that Trump tried to hide the nature of the payments by classifying them as legal fees.

Bragg alleges that Trump falsified business records to hide the fact the payments violated state and federal election laws  and that the falsification of records constitute a felony under New York law.

The money was meant to better Trumps chances in the 2016 election by buying Daniels silence about their alleged extramarital tryst, Bragg has charged.

Trumps lawyers contend there was no underlying crime and he shouldnt have been charged with felonies.

Blanche said the allegations are an exclusive federal concern that shouldnt go forward before a jury in lower Manhattans state courthouse, where Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges in April.

Trumps legal team has identified multiple arguments they could make in federal court, Blanche said.

Judge Alvin Hellerstein is expected to hear arguments from the district attorney and Trumps lawyers later this month.

If Hellerstein lets Trump move his case, the hush money saga will return to the federal courthouse where it first played out in 2018 when the Manhattan U.S. Attorney prosecuted Michael Cohen. Manhattan assistant district attorneys could still present the case, Braggs office says.

The feds implicated Trump in Cohens case but didnt charge him under Justice Department guidance against indicting a sitting president.

In his tell-all book released last year, former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman revealed that Trumps Justice Department brass tried in vain to get any mention of Trump erased from Cohens case, and tried to get Cohens conviction wiped.

Berman said former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, who fired him, sought quash all of his offices probes into various Trump associates and focus instead on investigating Trumps political enemies.

Cohen is expected to be the Manhattan DAs star witness at Trumps hush money trial.

But he didnt play the same role in the feds hush-money case. After his arrest, federal prosecutors offered Cohen a cooperation agreement for a more lenient sentence. But the deal never materialized because Cohen wouldnt come clean about all the crimes hed witnessed.

Cohen wound up getting three years imprisonment for campaign finance crimes and other offenses the late Judge William Pauley described as a veritable smorgasbord of fraudulent conduct.

On Friday, Manhattan Federal Judge Jesse Furman denied Cohens third effort to cut short his three-year term of supervised release, taking the side of prosecutors who strenuously objected.

Describing Cohens memories of his case as rose-colored  his lawyers argued hed provided meaningful assistance to the government  the feds said they remembered it differently.

The Government previously delineated many of Cohens lies that undermined his attempts at cooperation, and pointed to Cohens repeated attempts to downplay his own conduct after his guilty plea, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Roos wrote.

Prosecutors said Cohens public remarks show he has continued to evade responsibility.

Cohen falsely wrote in a book he authored that he did not engage in tax fraud, that the tax charges were all 100 percent inaccurate, and that he was threatened by prosecutors to plead guilty, the feds wrote in court papers.

(While) Cohen is free to write and say what he wants, he cannot simultaneously distance himself from his conduct on cable news, while cloaking himself in claims of acceptance of responsibility in court filings.

Cohen could not be reached for comment.
Trump says Long live the King in rant about Fox a day after Biden said God save the Queen

Donald Trump and Joe Biden made strange royal references this weekend.

In a rant on his Truth Social page on Saturday, Mr Trump referred to himself as The King in an extended, somewhat inscrutable metaphor about the relationship between him and Fox News.

Well, its happened, just as I predicted, Mr Trump wrote. The Golden Goose that was so beautiful is being slaughtered by Fools. MAGA has left Fox for more promising prairies. Long live the King. The only solution for Fox News is to bring back Trump Allies and MAGABacking No Personality Ron DeSanctimonious has been a disaster.

Mr Trump has been fuming at the conservative news network for years, after Fox was early in (correctly) calling the key battleground state of Arizona for Joe Biden during the 2020 election.

Things only escalated during the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit against the network, in which embarrassing internal communications showed top Fox anchors and leadership questioning or outright mocking Donald Trump and his election-related conspiracies.

Why is Rupert Murdoch throwing his anchors under the table, which also happens to be killing his case and infuriating his viewers, who will again be leaving in droves - they already are, the former president said on Truth Social. There is MASSIVE evidence of voter fraud & irregularities in the 2020 Presidential Election. Just look at the documentary 2000 MULES and you will see large scale ballot stuffing caught on government cameras, or votes cast without Legislatures approval, or just recently, the FBI/Twitter Files Scandal. RIGGED!!!

Mr Trump wasnt the only one with a monarchy moment in recent days.

The US president was speaking at a gun control event in Connecticut when he ended his speech with 'God save the Queen, man'.



More videos https://t.co/ysedGvYg96 pic.twitter.com/s95OVKV0Ko  Sky News (@SkyNews) June 16, 2023

On Friday, speaking before the National Safer Communities Summit in Connecticut, Mr Biden ended a speech about gun violence with the phrase, God Save The Queen.

Mr Biden, who often speaks of his pride in having Irish-American heritage, is usually more known for making headlines by being slightly sceptical of the British monarchy.

Last month, during a fundraising event in New York, the president said he visited Northern Ireland for the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in April to make sure the Brits didnt screw around.
Since its inception in 2007, Tumblr has served as a countercultural hub. Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

When tech billionaire Elon Musk made a deal to acquire Twitter in April 2022, many Twitter users threatened to shut down their accounts and migrate elsewhere online.

Tumblr  a microblogging platform launched in 2007 long known as a laboratory for social justice causes and burgeoning fan cultures  became one contender.

However, many Twitter users proposing a migration to Tumblr seemed to be those who had abandoned the site only a few years prior.

In 2018, Tumblr content deemed sexually explicit  or NSFW  was banned. The controversial policy led to a mass exodus from the site, the so-called Tumblr apocalypse.

Both as a communication researcher and early era user of Tumblr, Ive contemplated the sites unique place in internet culture. And in the years following the NSFW ban, Ive seen many try to make sense of Tumblr as a platform on the cusp of a comeback or a vestige of a bygone era.

And yet, long overshadowed by social media platforms like Facebook and Snapchat, Tumblr continues to resist easy answers to what it is and could be.

From blue hellsite to hell in a handbasket

Since its inception, Tumblr has served as a countercultural hub for women, queer folks, young people and marginalized communities. At the same time, it has long dealt with issues such as recurrent bugs and functionality problems, bullying, hate speech and the glorification of self-harm, leading some users to term it the blue hellsite.

In spite of that, Tumblr remains a home to art, fandom, memes and social critique. This is partly due to the flexibility of the main user interfaces. Both the individualized blogs and real-time feeds display an array of original and re-blogged media, ranging from written posts to videos. In allotting greater control over how users presented themselves online  through, for example, pseudonymity and relaxed content moderation  Tumblr stood out as a bastion for creative expression.

This approach contributed to its explosive growth, which crested in 2013 and 2014 when Tumblr claimed users spent more time on the site than Facebook and Twitter.

Tumblr founder David Karp meets with President Barack Obama in 2014 at a high point for the social media platform. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Such openness also facilitated the rise in NSFW content that became a core part of Tumblrs identity. For the user base, access to queer, feminist and alternative representations of sex and sexuality was meaningful, leading to self-exploration and community building for vulnerable groups such as LGBTQ+ youth. And for those who produced their own NSFW content, Tumblrs leniency meant income.

The embrace of NSFW content  a rarity for social media platforms  was even endorsed by its founder David Karp, who once characterized Tumblr as an excellent platform for porn.

In 2013, after Yahoo acquired Tumblr, there was concern that the platform would tighten its content policies. However, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer promised Tumblr users that little would change.

Events that followed, however, would transform Tumblr.

First, in 2017, Verizon Communications bought Yahoo. Later that year, Karp left the company. Then, in early 2018, a federal law called FOSTA-SESTA passed, which made website operators like Verizon liable for sex trafficking or sex work carried out on their platforms. That November, Apple Store removed the Tumblr app after child sexual abuse material was found on the site. Weeks later, Tumblr announced a ban on NSFW content that went into effect on Dec. 17, 2018.

But that same month, Vox reported that the NSFW ban was underway well before the Apple Store controversy. The objective: to sell more ads.

Tumblrs various parent companies have long tried to monetize a platform historically resistant to traditional advertising. The ban became a way to attract companies hesitant to advertise alongside pornography.

This move was transparent to many Tumblr users, who claimed that Verizon was repackaging its profit motive as a crusade to protect children.

Ive researched how, in response to the NSFW ban, pockets of resistance emerged, ranging from boycotts and petitions to scathing critiques and memes. The policy, at its core, was a battleground for a deeper power struggle between platform owners and users.

The disconnect between how the two sides envisioned the platform ended up being mutually destructive. While Tumblrs user culture was irreparably damaged, its corporate side also suffered, experiencing massive drops in site traffic. In 2019, Verizon sold Tumblr to Wordpress owner, Automatic, for US million  a fraction of the .1 billion Yahoo had paid for it .

The end or a new beginning?

While clashes over site policy persist to this day, Ive started to see talk about Tumblrs possible resurgence.

Even before Musks Twitter announcement, the platform seemed to be making strides in regaining public interest and relevancy.

Theres been the hype around the Dracula Daily newsletter, which percolated on Tumblr in May 2022. Fan cultures for newer shows like Euphoria and Succession have also flourished on the site. And in meme culture, Tumblr humor  typified by a dry, absurdist and self-deprecatory wit  continues to circulate widely online.

But Tumblrs resurrection seems to rely primarily on a youth culture in the grips of nostalgia for the early 2010s. What has been termed Tumblrcore  a 2010s subculture with a particular media taste, internet experience and soft grunge style  is a recent addition to the trend. Its renewed popularity was affirmed earlier this year with Vogues coverage of the 2014 Tumblr Girl aesthetic.

Tumblr, then, like the defunct video sharing platform Vine, has become a touchpoint for young people who grew up on the internet and have emotional ties to its cultural history. As companies like Facebook struggle with the Gen Z demographic, Tumblr has, for some of them, emerged as an attractive vintage alternative  comparable to the return of disposable cameras among young people.

The TikTok roadblock

But alongside these glimmers of regeneration, Tumblr faces two key obstacles.

The first is the ascent of TikTok. Though also prohibiting NSFW content, TikTok has imported many of Tumblrs cultural features  from discourses around sexuality and social justice to the promotion of pro-anorexia content and bullying. With TikTok as the beating heart of online youth culture, Tumblr is pushed further to its edges.

The second is Tumblr itself. While fighting to increase site traffic and earn ad revenue without driving users away, the NSFW ban, like a vengeful spirit, continues to haunt Tumblr. One need only look at responses to Tumblrs tweets in the wake of Musks acquisition announcement. Representing the loss of once-prized community values, the ban, for many, became an emblem of the broken social contract between users and ownership.

And so contradictory forces shape Tumblrs standing. On the one hand, the memory of Tumblr keeps it alive in popular culture. At the same time, the underbelly of this memory  the part consumed by unresolved wrongs and resentments  seems to stop short any growth that could lead to a true renaissance.

Beyond platform life and death

The peculiar case of Tumblr shows how classifying platforms as dead, dying or alive can be limiting. Such a frame often operates according to a capitalist logic in which growth means life and stagnation signals death.

Dwelling somewhere in between surge and stasis, Tumblr serves as a reminder that platforms are not just profit-driven businesses but gathering places with rhythms and cycles of their own. They are also cultural artifacts that, in moving through the collective imagination, take on different shapes and functions.

Attention to the in-between reveals a more complex relationship between users, platforms and owners. It is here the savviness of social media users is on display. Though platform owners wield unilateral power and control, users are increasingly equipped with an arsenal of resistance tactics, including exodus or migration. The rise of this untethered user  one who takes a nomadic approach to digital life  may pose an unexpected threat to digital intermediaries.

Tumblr is a case in point. And yet, in its new phase of existence, it remains a vibrant space for communication, culture and laughs. Its home at the margins should instead push us to imagine an internet free from the belief that bigger is always better.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: Jeanna Sybert, University of Pennsylvania.

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Jeanna Sybert 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.
TUNIS (Reuters) - A Tunisian judge has barred radio and television news programmes from covering the cases of prominent opposition figures accused of conspiring against state security in recent months, official news agency TAP said on Saturday.

The order fuels concerns over rights in Tunisia since President Kais Saied seized extra powers in 2021, moving to rule by decree and then assuming authority over the judiciary.

"The investigating judge of office 36 of the anti-terrorism branch issues a decision banning media coverage of the two cases of conspiring against state security," the court's spokesperson Hanan el-Qadas told TAP.

TAP later quoted Qadas as saying the order only concerned "audio-visual media" and was intended to keep details of the cases confidential and protect personal data of people involved.

Reuters was unable to immediately reach the spokesperson.

Judges have detained or opened investigations into more than 20 political, judicial, media and business figures with opposition ties over recent months, accusing some of plotting against state security.

The main opposition parties have decried the arrests as politically motivated and rights groups have urged Tunisian authorities to free those detained.

Neither the Interior Ministry nor the Justice Ministry have publicly commented on the arrests so far.

President Saied has described the detainees as terrorists, criminals and traitors, saying judges who free them would be considered as having abetted them.

The opposition accuses Saied of a coup for shutting down parliament in 2021, ruling by decree and writing a new constitution that was passed last year with low turnout to give him nearly unchecked powers.

They say he has dismantled the democratic system introduced after a 2011 revolution that also brought one of the freest media landscapes of any Arab country, in which press regularly reported criticism of the government.

Saied has denied staging a coup, saying his actions were legal and needed to save Tunisia from chaos and corruption.

(Reporting by Angus McDowall; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
From childrens books to historical nonfiction, unlock the power of Black history and storytelling this Juneteenth.

Whether youre celebrating this Juneteenth outside at block parties or practicing well-deserved Black restfulness, this weekend, were honoring our Black ancestors freedom.

Although the White House recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday in 2021, this moment in African-American history was largely excluded from most school curriculums for over a century. As threats against the teaching of critical race theory increase across the nation and the list of banned books by Black authors continues to grow longer, it is fundamental that we not only preserve but celebrate Black history. Telling our true stories is our best defense.

Set your mind and pages free this Juneteenth Booklist (Photo: Ton.l)

Books allow you to see the world through the eyes of others, Black British writer Malorie Blackman once told The Guardian. Reading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone elses shoes for a while.

So whether youre seeking to deepen your understanding of this pivotal moment or simply looking to immerse yourself in compelling narratives, we invite you to explore the pages of thought-provoking memoirs, animated childrens books, gripping novels, and revelatory nonfiction works that weave together the triumphs, struggles and indefatigable spirit of the African American experience. Weve compiled some recommended reads in our gallery below.

Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth  Alice Faye Duncan (Thomas Nelson, 2022)

This childrens book recounts the story of Black activist Opal Lee. After learning most Americans did not share her knowledge of Juneteenth, Lee dreamed of seeing everyone celebrate the holiday she so loved. Telling the true story of the grandmother of Juneteenth, this book is bound to inspire your little ones to see their dreams come true.

The First Ladies  Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (Berkley 2023)

Telling the story of The First Lady of Struggle, Mary McLeod Bethune and her friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, this novel dives into an alliance that redefined civil rights and racial allyship. An incredible bond that has never been thoroughly explored in fiction or nonfiction, Benedict and Murray reveal this singular friendships impact on history.

Black People Breathe  Zee Clarke (Ten Speed Press, 2023)

In this mindfulness guide for racial healing, Clarke shares exercises, breathwork practices, and meditative tools centered on healing from and surviving racial trauma. In addition to guiding readers, Clarke shares her own experiences so that whether you are coping with police brutality, racial profiling, microaggressions, or even imposter syndrome, you can find solace within the pages.

What Is Juneteenth?  Kirsti Jewel and Who HQ (Penguin Workshop, 2022)

Written for middle school readers, What is Juneteenth? reflects on the importance of the newly recognized federal holiday and addresses the United States complex and tragic history of slavery and racial discrimination.

Justice Rising:12 Amazing Black Women in the Civil Rights Movement  Katheryn Russell-Brown (Viking Books for Young Readers, 2023)

This childrens book highlights the stories of twelve women who were pivotal to the Civil Rights Movement but have frequently been left out of most history books and class discussions.

Can We Please Give the Police Department to the Grandmothers?  Junauda Petrus (Dutton Books for Young Readers, 2023)

In this childrens book, Petrus imagines a radically joyous world in which police arent in charge of public safety but rather community-based safety and mutual aid. With grandmothers at the center of this optimistic vision, the book allows families to explore conversations about police and social responsibility in a digestible way.

Charleston: Race, Water, and the Coming Storm  Susan Crawford (Pegasus Books, 2023)

Written by a former special assistant to President Obama, this critical analysis chronicles the history of Charleston, South Carolina, from protests to hurricanes. Threading science, history, and the generational stories of Black Charlestonians, Charleston: Race, Water, and the Coming Storm gives readers a new perspective on the historic city.

A Right Worthy Woman  Ruth P. Watson (Atria Books, 2023)

Take a journey to Virginias Black Wall Street in this novel based on the true story of Maggie Lena Walker. As the daughter of a formerly enslaved woman, Walker made a name for herself as the first Black woman to establish and preside over a bank in the United States.

In Our Shoes: On Being a Young Black Woman in Not-So Post-Racial America  Brianna Holt (Plume, 2023)

Blending personal memoir with astute cultural analysis, In Our Shoes artfully employs the lens of pop culture and author Brianna Holts firsthand encounters to deconstruct the pervasive stereotypes and preconceived notions young Black women face in America.

A is for Aretha  Leslie Kwan (Kokila, 2023)

Highlighting Black women musicians who have revolutionized the industry, this ABC book allows young readers to learn not only their alphabet but also the women who have forever impacted the culture.

A Flag for Juneteenth  Kim Taylor (Neal Porter Books, 2023)

A Flag for Juneteenth shares the story behind the celebration of the first Juneteenth through the lens of a young girl, making it digestible for readers ages 4-8. According to the publisher, each illustration in the book is embroidered, adding a remarkable tactile experience for young readers.

Going Down Home with Daddy  Kelly Starling Lyons (Peachtree, 2019)

Set at a little boys family reunion, this childrens book showcases a much-treasured celebration of Black history and culture while emphasizing the enduring importance of family.

Symbols of Freedom: Slavery and Resistance Before the Civil War  Matthew J. Clavin (NYU Press, 2023)

This historical nonfiction work explores the surprising story of how American symbols inspired enslaved people during their fight for true freedom.

The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church  Rachel L. Swarns (Random House, 2023)

The 272 goes beyond the surface of religion as we know it, not only revealing the profound tale of how slavery propelled the expansion of the American Catholic Church but illuminating the lives of the enslaved individuals whose coerced toil played an instrumental role in constructing the nations largest religious denomination.

Benjamin Banneker and Us: Eleven Generations of an American Family  Rachel Jamison Webster (Henry Holt and Co., 2023)

A family reunion sparks a genealogical journey as relatives reconnect, transcending the boundaries of color, culture, and time and igniting profound conversations, and illuminating the significance of their shared history.

Build A House  Rhiannon Giddens (Candlewick, 2022)

Grammy Award-winning artist and 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner Giddens tells the tale of a resilient, enslaved family who uses music to sustain their spirits. Giddens discusses the history behind this book and more on theGrios Writing Black podcast.

Ed Mitchells Barbeque  Ed Mitchell, Ryan Mitchell, and Zella Palmer (Ecco, 2023)

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AccuWeather forecasters say that a change in the weather pattern will occur in the coming days across portions of the Northeast and Great Lakes that will allow warmth to build in some locations.

A feature bringing damp weather to parts of northern New England gradually tracked eastward away from the coast on Sunday, giving residents a reprieve from the recent rain and thunderstorms. Meteorologists say that another feature will slowly build southward from Canada and take its place.

"As a storm departs into the Atlantic to start this week, high pressure will move back in from Canada. This zone of high pressure will tend to dominate the pattern for much of the week as a sprawling disturbance settles across the southeastern United States, leading to several days of generally dry conditions," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist La Troy Thornton.

In addition to drier weather for most across the mid-Atlantic states and New England, temperatures are expected to trend a few degrees higher Monday as the high pressure takes over and pushes westward over the Great Lakes. Locations such as Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., are forecast to have temperatures climb into the mid-80s to near 90s Fahrenheit for Monday - roughly 3-6 degrees above the historical averages for mid-June.

Residents in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Baltimore, Maryland, and a few locations in northern Virginia could even approach the 90-degree mark on Monday as this pattern takes hold of the region. If this occurs, this will mark the second time this month that Baltimore-Washington International Airport records a 90-degree day, following the new daily record high temperature of 97 F that was reached back on June 2.

However, conditions will not be as warm by Tuesday in both Philadelphia and the nation's capital, as daytime temperatures are expected only to reach the lower 80s F. Even spots farther south around Charlotte and Durham, North Carolina, will notice a cooling trend by Tuesday, transitioning from the 80s F to the mid-70s F as the controlling feature of high pressure nudges westward.

Throughout this week, drier and noticeably warmer conditions will be the central theme from the Dakotas to parts of northern New York on eastward to Maine. While many locations will climb into the middle to upper 80s F for most of the week, a swath of the Midwest could observe multiple days reaching into the lower 90s F as Mother Nature's thermostat is cranked up.

"A wide swath of territory could be in line for substantial warmth, with temperatures likely approaching 90 F in places such as Lansing, Michigan, from Tuesday to at least Thursday and highs around 90 F possibly even reaching Bangor, Maine, Thursday and Friday," Thornton said.

Thornton added that historical average high temperatures are right around 80 F in Lansing this time of year and only in the mid-70s F in Bangor. The upcoming temperatures represent values well above both cities' highest historical averages.

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A northward bulge in the jet stream will linger over the Great Lakes throughout much of the week, AccuWeather forecasters say. This pattern indicates that this summer warmup will stay for several days as high pressure remains locked over the region.

In addition to the warmth building across the Midwest and the interior Northeast, forecasters are concerned that this pattern could circulate wildfire smoke and hazy skies southward from Ontario and Quebec, Canada. As steering winds churn clockwise around the zone of high pressure and pull areas of smoke southward into Michigan and portions of northern New York, the results could range from hazy sunshine to reductions in both air quality and visibility.

On Saturday, hazy skies were observed across much of the Northeast and the Ohio Valley as upper-level smoke spread across the region. As a result, unhealthy air quality levels were recorded in cities like Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

Forecasters say that hazy sunshine may even be noticed this week in portions of the upper Ohio Valley and parts of the mid-Atlantic region.

AccuWeather long-range forecasters have been closely monitoring how the weather pattern will trend by the end of the month, stating that the dome of high pressure about to grip the Midwest will likely hold on through next weekend. Additional days without rainfall in this region will only worsen drought conditions. Currently, parts of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio are facing moderate to severe drought levels, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

By the end of the month, storms could begin to ramp up across the Plains and Midwest, bringing a much-needed return of moisture. A pattern featuring cold fronts swinging southward from central Canada into the East Coast could even bring storms to the Northeast during the last week of June.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin

Rabbi Azman expressed his pride in Zelenskyy in a comment to UNIAN on June 16, stating, I am personally proud of President Zelenskyy for not fleeing, and for doing everything possible to help the Ukrainian people.

And its not just me. I believe the entire world is proud of him.He also denied that neo-Nazis were in power in Ukraine  a frequent false charge by the Kremlin  stating, In Ukraine, there are honorable people who defend their homeland.

Read also: Jewish New Year in War-Torn Ukraine

Renowned Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Pinchuk also came to Zelenskyys defense, declaring, Today, the Russian dictator called the president of our nation a disgrace to the Jewish people. I am a Ukrainian citizen, I am Jewish, and in my interactions with Jews from around the world over the past several years, I have only heard positive feedback about Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to Pinchuk, his counterparts express pride in the president, and Jews from various countries genuinely admire him. And its not about his nationality; its about Zelenskyy embodying the fight for freedom. Freedom is one of the core values of the Jewish people, Pinchuk added.

Pinchuk said that the election of a Jew as president in Ukraine vividly demonstrates the fundamental difference between a free, democratic Ukraine and the anti-Semitic Russian empire.

The Jews of Ukraine are an integral part of the Ukrainian people, Pinchuk said.

Read also: From the archives: Kremlins mouthpiece RIA publishes Russian fascist manifesto

They bravely fight on the front lines, sacrificing their lives and contributing to Ukraines imminent victory. Regardless of what the Jewish friends of our enemy say, whom he has not yet named, their names are likely to be found on international sanction lists.

On June 16, Putin, referring to comments from unnamed Jewish friends, labeled Ukrainian President Zelenskyy a disgrace to the Jewish people.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Ukraines counteroffensive against Russian forces has not yet gained the momentum that some overly optimistic observers anticipated. So far it feels like the prelude to a more expansive act.

Offensive operations so far have yielded modest gains in the southern regions like Zaporizhzhia with multi-layered Russian defenses proving tough to crack. The area is seen as a major target for Ukraine as it would mean breaking Russias land-bridge between annexed Crimea and eastern Donetsk.

But there are also signs that Ukrainian forces are spreading their bets, looking to pare back Russian gains around Bakhmut and exploiting what they perceive as vulnerabilities elsewhere in the east.

Rather than a display of overwhelming force that concentrates newly-formed brigades in one direction, the Ukrainians appear to be trying to pull Russian units in different directions, working out which might be weak or exploiting lines separating different battalions.

On Thursday, an adviser to the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys office, Mykhailo Podolyak, said the first goal was to wipe out as many Russian draftee units as possible and increase the psychological pressure on the Russian army.

At the same time, he said, Ukrainian units are testing to see which areas are the weakest.

This has included fresh assault operations around Bakhmut designed to force the Russians to send more units to defend a city they took more than six months to destroy and occupy. On Friday, the commander of Ukrainian Land Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said the Russians continue to move some of the most combat-ready units to the Bakhmut direction.

Perhaps more surprisingly, there are indications that the Ukrainians are on the front foot near the city of Donetsk, long a frozen line of contact, and further south around what has been the equally static but highly kinetic Vuhledar front.

The Ukrainians have the luxury of picking areas to attack; the Russians must try to defend a meandering front-line nearly 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) long, with some units that have already been mauled and patched up.

Still it is a formidable task: in the south especially, Ukrainian forces must conduct a frontal assault against deeply prepared defensive positions, and critically they lack air superiority. The Russians have had months to fortify defenses here; there was never a chance that the Ukrainians would make the sort of lightning advances they enjoyed in Kharkiv last fall.

Destruction in the city of Bakhmut after hostilities on June 1, 2023. - Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine/Getty Images

The Institute for the Study of War also cautions that its far too early for take-aways.

Ukraine has not yet committed the vast majority of its counteroffensive forces and Russian defenses are not uniformly strong along all sectors of the front line, it said this week.

Matthew Schmidt, associate professor of national security at the University of New Haven, agrees there are more questions than answers at this early stage.

Are the Russians reacting strategically? Are they moving troops and supplies as though they see the current focus of the fighting as the main thrust? he says.

Only a quarter or so of the total Ukrainian force is apparently engaged, what are the rest doing? Are the Russians confused about where theyll be used?

The Ukrainians will be hoping that the Russian military command under Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov, now in direct command of forces in Ukraine, will get some calls wrong.

As Mick Ryan, a former general in the Australian armed forces observes: There is an old saying that when your enemy is making mistakes, dont get in their way. For some time, Gerasimov has shown an aptitude for making strategic mistakes, not least with the ill-conceived initial assault in February 2022.

Ukrainian soldiers lie on a roadside during training for an operation near Bakhmut on June 1. - Valentyna Polishchuk/Global Images Ukraine/Getty Images

So far the Russian approach to defending their lines in the south appears to have worked relatively well, with the Ukrainians losing mine-clearing tanks and other armor that have become prey to artillery and aerial attack as they try to break through. Available open-source video suggests high use of anti-tank munitions is taking a toll on Ukrainian front-line units.

A first [Russian] echelon of forces repels or slows attacking forces before a second echelon of forces counterattacks against any enemy breakthrough, says the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

One Ukrainian officer has acknowledged the challenge, writing that While obstacles can be effectively bypassed using mine-clearing vehicles, bulldozers, mine plows, and other engineering equipment, it becomes challenging to do so with the presence of drones which provide real-time data to enemy artillery and aviation.

Its worth noting that Russian units in one heavily-contested area  belonging to the 58th Combined Arms Army  are among the most effective in the military.

After a lackluster performance to date, the Russian air force may be a critical factor in the weeks to come, says Matthew Schmidt, associate professor at the University of New Haven. That will depend on whether they are effectively employing glide bombs. Are their rotary aircraft able to safely operate? In other words, is their Air Force back in the mix because theyve learned how to counter Ukrainian air defense measures?

A Russian service member stands guard at a checkpoint near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Russian-controlled Ukraine on June 15. - Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters

A senior Ukrainian officer acknowledged to CNN Friday that Russian air strikes and artillery were making it hard to advance.

Their aviation works in waves, as it was in Vietnam, Afghanistan. Continuously, all day long, they work either by helicopters or by airplanes and they work all day, a deputy battalion commander with the Separate Territorial Defense Brigade told a CNN team near Zaporizhzhia.

He also underlined Ukraines lack of aerial assets.

Aviation support is sorely lacking, he said.

Ukrainian units in the area have had to adapt, often breaking down into smaller groups that are less easily detected.

Russian servicemen stand guard near the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on June 15. - Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty Images

Schmidt says the Ukrainians will have to learn fast. Are troops learning the tricks they need to successfully breach Russian lines so they can teach and lead the next wave of the offensive? This learning effect is crucial to the success of the main thrust of the counteroffensive.

The Ukrainian commander told CNN, We are advancing, knocking the enemy out of positions, not as quickly as we would like, but we are moving forward. In places, the enemy is already panicking, throwing reserves [in] here.

If this is true and widely replicated, Russian forces may be pulled in too many directions to sustain a coherent defense.

Early Days

For sure, the Russians have learned some hard lessons in nearly 18 months of conflict. Russian military bloggers, who are frequently critical of the militarys performance, have commended the use of electronic warfare capabilities that have disrupted Ukrainian communications and targeting, because precision-guided munitions require GPS coordinates.

The Institute for the Study of War said this week that its unclear if continued successful Russian EW tactics are a result of superior capacities or improved Russian employment of these systems, but theres some evidence that they have become a priority target for the Ukrainians.

But a lot of what matters in the coming weeks will depend on events far from the front lines. Ukrainian targeting of rear positions  command centers, ammunition and fuel dumps  will impact Russian capabilities, as will the decisions and survival of mid- and senior officers on both sides.

Mick Ryan, who also writes the blog Futura Doctrina and follows the conflict in detail, says that if they can limit fuel and ammunition availability for Russian combat forces, the Ukrainians will restrict Russian responses to their tactical or operational penetrations and constrain the mobility of Russian reserves.

Nor will we able to see the counteroffensive evolve in real time. There will be scraps of information, geolocatable video thats often several days old, but secrecy will be paramount for both sides. Added to which, as one Ukrainian officer says: Operational success isnt just capturing positions, but also maintaining momentum and advancing after breaching enemy defenses.

Where that momentum develops will be the story of Ukraines initiative to wrest control. How far it develops may well change the path of the conflict and influence how it ends.

Foreign policy veterans Richard Haas and Charles Kupchan suggest that by the time Ukraines anticipated offensive is over, Kyiv may also warm to the idea of a negotiated settlement, having given its best shot on the battlefield and facing growing constraints on both its own manpower and help from abroad.

Even if the West steps up its military assistance, Ukraine is poised to fall well short of vanquishing Russian forces, they say.

Others say that Ukraine has no option but to deliver a stunning blow to the Kremlin that ultimately includes regaining Crimea (or at least turning it into purgatory for the Russians).

While some observers see this as a dangerous fantasy, others argue that only such a humiliation will dissuade the Kremlin from a fresh bout of aggression.

Bottom line: few would contend that this is the last battle.

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, has said that if the offensive succeeds in expelling Russian forces from Ukrainian land, It will be the last. If not, there will be more. If our weapons supplies get cut off, Ukraine will just shift to lower intensity war.

Fred Pleitgen and Vasco Cotovio contributed to this story

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(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden said he wouldnt support easing barriers for Ukraine to join NATO, saying the war-torn country has to meet the same standards as other nations in the transatlantic alliance. Theyve done everything related to demonstrating the ability to coordinate militarily, but theres a whole issue of, is their system secure? Biden told reporters as he prepared to board Air Force One. Does it meet all the standards everyone, every other nation in NATO, does? I think it will. I think it can. But its not automatic.

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Heads of state and senior officials from seven African countries were meeting on Saturday with President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, a day after their talks in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Russia and Ukraine are vying for backing from Africa, which along with the rest of the developing world has been disproportionately impacted by the war and related disruptions to food supplies. About half of Africas 55 nations have supported UN resolutions condemning Russias invasion; others have sought to remain non-aligned. Putin also planned to hold a bilateral meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Kyivs troops made gains on at least three fronts on Friday as they press on with whats expected to be a lengthy counteroffensive in the east and south. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Mailer said Ukraine had advanced as much as 2 kilometers in the south. Ukraines defense ministry repeated its urgent call for high-precision, long-range weapons.

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Nuclear Weapons Belarus

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday confirmed for the first time that tactical nuclear weapons have already been deployed to his vassal state of Belarus. That makes good a promise he made in March that he would deploy such weapons there. You can read more about that in our coverage here.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Putin said the deployment was a reminder to the West that his country cannot be defeated.

https://twitter.com/BloombergTV/status/1669752809548394503

"As you know we were negotiating with our ally, (Belarusian President (Alexander) Lukashenko, that we would move a part of these tactical nuclear weapons to the territory of Belarus - this has happened," said Putin, according to Reuters.

"The first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus. But only the first ones, the first part. But we will do this job completely by the end of the summer or by the end of the year."

The admission comes as a warning to NATO after additional military aid was pledged to Ukraine during the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting earlier this week in Brussels, Belgium.

"...It is precisely as an element of deterrence so that all those who are thinking about inflicting a strategic defeat on us are not oblivious to this circumstance," said Putin, according to Reuters, which said the Russian leader was using a diplomatic term for a defeat so severe that Russian power would be diminished on the world stage for decades.

Putin added that negotiations to reduce Russia's vast nuclear arsenal, the world's largest, was off the table, Reuters reported.

"Just talking about this (the potential use of nuclear weapons) lowers the nuclear threshold. We have more than NATO countries and they want to reduce our numbers. Screw them," said Putin.

His comment came days after Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said his country already had "rockets and bombs" from Russia "three times more powerful than the ones used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki" Japan by the U.S. during World War II.

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1668901477824249857

Putins comments were immediately condemned by the White House on Friday.

As we've said before, we believe this kind of nuclear rhetoric is highly irresponsible," Principal Deputy White House Press Secretary Olivia Dalton told reporters aboard Air Force One Friday. "There's just no room for it. It is highly irresponsible. And I would just reiterate, as we've also said in recent days, we've seen no indication nor reason to adjust our nuclear posture at this moment in time."

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said the Biden administration does not believe Russia is preparing to use those weapons.

"Well continue to monitor the situation very closely and very carefully," Blinken said at a news conference with Singapores foreign minister at the State Department. "We have no reason to adjust our own nuclear posture. We dont see any indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon. The President said again this week that we remain committed to the defense of NATO  every inch of its territory  so that is our north star and were very focused on that."

The prospect of nuclear cooperation between Moscow and Minsk first appeared last June, when Putin announced the transfer of nuclear-capable Iskander-M missiles to Belarus. In that announcement, Putin quipped that some of Belarus fleet of Su-25 Frogfoot attack aircraft could be upgraded to carry tactical nuclear weapons. Belarus inherited a number of tactical nuclear weapons, as well as 81 SS-25 Sickle road-mobile ICBMs when the union collapsed, but later returned their stockpile to Russia.

https://twitter.com/georgewbarros/status/1639685753834729472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1639685753834729472%7Ctwgr%5Eb2729e410d8533518c764b1267112b7ae7a857b7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_\u0026ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2Fukraine-situation-report-russian-nukes-ready-to-deploy-to-belarus-this-summer

Before we head into the latest news from Ukraine, The War Zone readers can catch up on our previous rolling coverage here.

The Latest

On the battlefield, Ukraine has no chances for success in its ongoing counteroffensive, Putin said Friday at SPIEF, according to the official Russian TASS news agency.

"Another [Ukrainian counteroffensive] attempt is being made at the so-called Vremevka bulge [in western Donetsk Oblast near the Mokri Yaly River] and the enemy is attempting to attack in several sectors with several units supported by five tanks and there is also an attempt in the Zaporizhzhia area with the support of two tanks and several armored vehicles," Putin said in response to questions.

"As soon as they [Ukrainian troops] approached the first line, they lost several tanks. A battle is underway there right now," Putin said.

"I believe that the Ukrainian armed forces have no chances for success there and will have no chances. The same is true about other [frontline] directions. I have no doubts."

Ukrainian troops have sustained heavy casualties, Putin said, citing what TASS said was the latest data.

"Indeed, their losses are very high, even more than 10 to 1 compared to the Russian army. This is fact," Putin said.

"As of today, the Ukrainian army has lost 186 tanks and 418 various armored vehicles," the Russian leader said, without giving exact figures on personnel casualties, explaining that the data should be given by the defense ministry.

"Let me repeat: the main thing is that there are no successes in any of the directions. The enemy has had no success as reported by the military," Putin said.

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1669709262694629377?s=20

Ukraine, however, is claiming partial success in ongoing offensive and defensive operations while working on changing plans in its fight in and around Bakhmut.

Our troops are operating in the conditions of the enemy's air and artillery superiority, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Friday on her Telegram channel. In the directions where we are on the defensive, not a single position has been lost and the enemy has not been able to advance.

https://twitter.com/TheStudyofWar/status/1669809956051189760

In the east, the Defense Forces of Ukraine are conducting both defensive and counteroffensive actions, she said. Here, the enemy is trying to dislodge our troops from their occupied positions, is conducting assault operations in several directions at once, in particular on Lyman in northern Donestk Oblast.

In and around Bahkmut, the overall intensity of hostilities decreased somewhat, said Maliar. Our troops are carrying out offensive operations in separate areas, occupying dominant heights and forest strips with the aim of gradually displacing the enemy from the approaches to Bakhmut. The enemy is making every effort to stop the offensive actions of our defense forces.

https://twitter.com/DenysDavydovUA/status/1669357144280555520?s=20

The Russians have a significant number of forces, which [they] continue to build up, moving additional units from other directions to the Bakhmut direction.

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1669557943170105344

But the commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces offered a slightly different take.

Despite action across the front lines stretching from northern Donetsk to central Zaporizhzhia oblasts, the fighting in and around Bakhmut remains tense, said Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Despite the advance of our troops in the south and the loss of territory and settlements in this direction, the enemy continues to move some of the most combat-capable units to the Bakhmut direction, combining these actions with powerful artillery fire and strikes by assault and army aircraft on the positions of our troops, Syrskyi said, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministrys Telegram channel.

At the same time, we continue to conduct offensive actions in separate directions... Realizing this, the enemy units put up a desperate resistance.

As a result, Syrskyi said it is clear that our plans need periodic adjustment and clarification. This is what my work in the army is now dedicated to.

He did not offer details.

https://twitter.com/Flash_news_ua/status/1669778971486027807

Meanwhile, on the southern portion of the front lines in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, our troops are conducting active offensive actions in several directions at once, said Maliar.

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1669778932952956947

Practically in all areas and directions where our units advance in the south, they have tactical success, she said.

Ukrainian forces gradually move forward. As of now, up to two kilometers in each direction. The process of consolidating our troops continues in some liberated positions and settlements.

In the Berdiansk and Mariupol directions, the enemy is withdrawing troops from other directions and increasing firepower. In addition, our troops face continuous mining of fields.

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1669510350683901952

The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee wants the Pentagon to spend not less than $80 million in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget for the procurement of Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missiles for Ukraine.

That would represent more than 10 times the $7.3 million allocated for the Lockheed-Martin made ATACMS in the U.S. Army budget plan submitted by the White House earlier this year.

The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee wants the Pentagon to spend at least $80 million to procure Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) for Ukraine.

In his chairmans mark introduced earlier this week, U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Alabama) is directing the Pentagon to use Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds to pay for the ATACMS. Thats a pool of money set aside to make future purchases, as opposed to pulling things off the shelf.

The committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing to the congressional defense committees, not later than December 31, 2023, on the progress of using USAI for the procurement of and availability of ATACMS to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the chairmans mark reads.

(Chairman's Mark)

The mark, however, is merely the document the chairman wants to present for further vote and it is unknown at this point whether the ATACMS line item will make it into the final National Defense Authorization Act or how much the Pentagon or White House will push back against it.

It is clearly a political statement of support to give Ukraine a much-needed weapon it has long requested to hit Russian logistics nodes and other targets deep behind the lines in occupied territory, including Crimea. ATACMS are a ground-launched short-range ballistic missile that can be fired from suitable U.S.-provided M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, and M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) launchers that are already in Ukrainian use.

So far, President Joe Biden has refused to sign off on providing Ukraine with ATACAMs - which can hit targets at about 200 miles away - over concerns about further escalate the situation with Russia. Thats despite repeated assurances from Kyiv that it wont use US.-provided weapons on Russian soil.

However, questions were raised about that commitment after images emerged last month showing U.S. armored vehicles used in an attack inside Russias Belgorod Oblast by members of two self-proclaimed anti-Putin Russian partisan groups.

https://twitter.com/JulianRoepcke/status/1661315398220886016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1661315398220886016%7Ctwgr%5Ee8b3ac4d8e252c731d675725799d15c2e7a19b06%7Ctwcon%5Es1_\u0026ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2Fukraine-situation-report-white-house-investigating-u-s-vehicles-used-in-raid-into-russia

While those groups claim they captured the vehicles from the Russians who captured them from Ukrainian troops, both the Pentagon and White House are currently investigating that situation, each saying the weapons provided to Ukraine are only meant for use on Ukrainian soil.

https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1661429558816505860?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1661429558816505860%7Ctwgr%5Ee8b3ac4d8e252c731d675725799d15c2e7a19b06%7Ctwcon%5Es1_\u0026ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2Fukraine-situation-report-white-house-investigating-u-s-vehicles-used-in-raid-into-russia

Though NATO wont discuss Ukraine joining its ranks during the upcoming summit in Vilnius, the treaty alliance is working on a plan to give Kyiv greater representation.

We are also working to establish a new NATO-Ukraine Council, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday.

The council will be a body of 31 Allies and Ukraine equal, sitting around the table with the same rights and the same possibilities to consult, and also make decisions together if we find that the right thing to do, Stoltenberg. And then hopefully also soon, then, 33 when Sweden becomes a member. So that's a different type of working together politically, and will bring Ukraine closer to NATO in political terms.

The goal "is to have the first meeting of the new council in Vilnius, with President Zelensky, Stoltenberg said. We all agree that Ukraine has already moved closer to NATO over the past decade. We agree that NATO's door is open. That Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance. And that it is a decision for Allies and Ukraine to make. Russia does not have a veto.

Ukraine, however, is not a big fan of the concept, preferring full membership instead.

"Ukraine's position is clear," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Thursday in a tweet. "Creating the NATO-Ukraine Council without taking a strong step toward membership is like providing a tank without a gun. NATO needs Ukraine as an Ally, not just a privileged partner."

https://twitter.com/DmytroKuleba/status/1668999587955081217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1668999587955081217%7Ctwgr%5E45e34a4ac613c65613d726dbc4990ab8232c1cad%7Ctwcon%5Es1_\u0026ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fenglish.nv.ua%2Fnation%2Fukrainian-fm-skeptical-about-nato-ukraine-council-without-step-toward-membership-50332119.html

During a press briefing in Brussels Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin deflected a question about whether the U.S. is considering offering Ukraine a so-called Israel model long-term security agreement.

The concept, raised earlier this week by The New York Times, would be akin to the 10-year-long security commitment Israel has with the United States.

Administration officials are pushing the idea to Congress, according to the Times. The motivation would be to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin that U.S. security assistance to Ukraine will not cease. It would also be aimed at heading off some of the episodic political debates about how much aid to commit to Ukraine in the next six months or a year.

I won't speak to any type of security arrangement at this point in time, Austin told reporters Friday. What I've been focused on, what I remain focused on is making sure that we're providing Ukraine the security assistance that it needs to be successful in this fight and it's really important that we and our partners that are fighting the fight remain focused on this.

The U.S. and Ukraine, he added, will have a bilateral relationship with Ukraine going forward, as you would imagine. The people who will hammer out those kinds of arrangements are talking to each other. But again, my focus remains on making sure we get the right kinds of security assistance to Ukraine so they can be successful. And I think this is a really critical time point in time on the battlefield.

https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense/status/1669693939002253313

Germany will "immediately" provide Ukraine with a further 64 guided interceptor missiles for Kyiv's Patriot air defense systems, according to the German N-TV outlet.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced the donation Friday during the second day of the meeting of NATO heads of department in Brussels. This is "a very important sign of sustained support for the successful efforts of the Ukrainian armed forces to ensure air defense, especially now in this special phase of the war," he said, according to N-TV.

As Russia continues to bombard Ukrainian cities, especially Kyiv of late, Ukraine is burning through its stocks of Patriot interceptors. So far, Ukraine has two Patriot batteries, one from the U.S., the other a combined German-Dutch system. Another five are expected to be delivered by the end of next year, which you can read more about here.

https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1669698019070029828?s=20

Speaking of attacks on Kyiv, a delegation of African leaders visiting the Ukrainian capital was ushered into air raid shelters after another Russian missile and drone barrage.

Russian President Vladimir Putin builds confidence by launching the largest missile attack on Kyiv in weeks, exactly amid the visit of African leaders to our capital, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Friday in a Tweet. Russian missiles are a message to Africa: Russia wants more war, not peace.

https://twitter.com/DmytroKuleba/status/1669630367882461184 https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1669655660403752961?s=20

The peace delegation, made up of leaders from South Africa, Senegal, Zambia, the Comoros and Egypt, met Ukrainian Defense Ministry (MoD) representatives ahead of talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Reuters reported.

After meeting with Zelensky, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the effort was at the beginning stages and that the African nations are "prepared to participate in further engagement."

https://twitter.com/cyrilramaphosa/status/1669758584614268928?s=12\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A

The leaders are also scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Saturday and, "with Kyiv and Moscow courting the Global South, see a chance to mediate in a war that has hit African countries by disrupting grain and other food supplies," Reuters reported.

In a massive combined air attack on Kyiv, Russia launched six Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles, six Kalibr cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraines capital, Serhiy Popko, head of the KMVA, said on Telegram Friday.

All were shot down, the Ukrainian Air Force claimed.

https://twitter.com/KpsZSU/status/1669643196429631488

There is a claimed Ukrainian capture of another Russian antique, this time a Russian T-54 tank, a variant first seen on the battlefield back in April, which you can read more about here. The Soviet Union built the first T-54 prototype in 1945 and the first example of the T-55 was completed in 1956. Most variants of both types are extremely similar visually and today the two designs are generally considered part of a single family, as you can read more about here.

https://twitter.com/warfrontline/status/1669775600574234624?s=12\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A

Russian Telegram channels say Putin's forces are using these old tanks as self-propelled artillery.

https://twitter.com/ralee85/status/1669844170633281538?s=46\u0026t=WGR8ATVuYlDW934sMHUUhQ

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), is one of several segments of Kyiv's national security apparatus with its own drone units. You can see one of its First Person Video (FPV) drones blowing up a Russian BMP-3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1669393615099920414?s=20

One of Ukraine's biggest challenges during this counteroffensive has been the large amount of Russian mines planted over the past year. Images and videos emerging from the battlefield have shown Ukrainian armor destroyed and damaged after running over mines.

To help counter that, Ukraine is using U.S.-donated M58 MICLIC (Mine Clearing Line Charge) systems, which shoot a 350-foot long line containing 5 pounds per linear foot of C-4 explosives. This video below shows several MICLIC in use at once in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. But the systems have also been used as a strike weapon, including in urban areas, to devastating effect.

https://twitter.com/2uwmp/status/1669623515580882946?s=12\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A

And finally, for a few pleasant moments anyway, the sounds of war were replaced by the purr of a kitten on the lap of a Ukrainian soldier.

https://twitter.com/thefeyd/status/1669760986859880449?s=12\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A

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
Ukraine takes initiative but needs weapons with range up to 200 km  Ukrainian Defence Ministry

Ukraine is seizing the initiative in the war, and Russia is on the defensive, but to gain victory, it needs long-range high-precision weapons with a range of up to 200 kilometres, the countrys Deputy Defence Minister Volodymyr Havrylov has said.

Source Ukrainian MoD, citing Havrylov

Quote from Havrylov: "Ukraine is seizing the initiative  Russia is on the defensive, but to build up, it [Ukraine] needs weapons with a range of up to 200 kilometres...

We are implementing all our military plans in line with our estimates. The main thing in modern warfare is to have situational awareness to know the enemy's situation and to be able to deliver precision strikes over long distances.

In other words, to have a weapon capable of hitting the enemy at a range of up to 200 kilometres."

Details: He pointed out that Ukraine is on the way to getting aircraft that will defend its skies from Russian missiles.

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While the world was gripped by the horrendous flood that hit Ukraine's southern Kherson Oblast after Russian forces destroyed the massive Kakhovka dam over the Dnipro River on June 6, fearless volunteers and regular Ukrainians spent no time doubting they had to step up again.

Many rushed directly to the site of the disaster to help rescue those trapped in the catastrophic flood zone, as well as deliver drinking water, first aid, and food to those who decided not to evacuate. Others sheltered rescued pets or donated money and goods to those affected.

"We did not spend a second hesitating whether to go to Kherson or not," Argisht Darchinyan, the head of Kryvyi Rih-based non-profit Viking, told the Kyiv Independent.

The team behind the Dnipro-based foundation "Reconstruction of Ukraine" also rushed to help the flood-hit region.

"We joined forces with several other charities to have a bigger team working there," says the charitys head Illia Odyntsov.

The challenging evacuations from the flood-hit area have been mainly conducted by Ukrainian first responders and volunteers, while none of the major international organizations, such as the UN or International Committee of the Red Cross, have sent missions to help.

Amid the threat caused by the strong current of cold water and Russian shelling, locals, volunteers, and rescuers have been working almost non-stop, shoulder-to-shoulder, to help eliminate the outcomes of one of Russia's most horrendous war crimes in Ukraine.

What are the consequences of the Kakhovka dams demolition? The destruction of the Kakhovka dam can lead to serious humanitarian, ecological, economic, military, and legal consequences. The demolition was carried out by Russian forces in southern Ukraine in the early hours of June 6. And its among the most dramatic violations of the Geneva Conventions in The Kyiv IndependentIgor Kossov

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported on June 12 that due to the flooding caused by Russia's destruction of the dam, 10 people have died, and 42 are considered missing, including seven children.

As of June 17, 28 settlements in Kherson Oblast remained flooded, according to Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. Eleven of them are located on the Ukrainian-controlled west bank of the Dnipro River, and 17 on the Russian-occupied east bank.

According to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, 3,761 people have been evacuated from flood-hit Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts as of June 14.

"With everything happening in Ukraine  we have to be united," says Darchinyan. "Anyone in Ukraine can become a victim of Russia. The enemy does not pity any of us."

"So whether it's Kherson or Kryvyi Rih, we need to go and help. No one will do it but us," he adds.

Volunteers, assemble

Darchinyan and two other volunteers from his non-profit left for Kherson in the early morning of June 6. The tough mission to save as many lives as possible began as soon as they arrived.

"These people have lost everything. It's hard to describe the horror they have witnessed," Darchinyan says.

People waited for evacuation on the balconies and on the rooftops, with some spending days waiting to be saved, the volunteer says.

"I will never forget that frightened look on the children's faces. Many of them were very hungry and thirsty, very exhausted.

Darchinyan's non-profit rescued 23 people and 30 pets from Kherson and the settlements nearby in the first week. Throughout his time in Kherson, Darchinyan says he felt a "strong sense of unity and synergy" among the volunteers working there: "We helped each other a lot."

Bulgarian Petya Petrova, who volunteers for the well-known Ukrainian animal rights organization UAnimals, says their rescue team went to Kherson shortly after learning about the dams demolition on June 6.

Petrova says their hotline received a lot of requests on the first day to rescue animals in the flood-hit areas. But they did not have a motor boat at first, crucial for rescuers considering the strong current.

Volunteers rescue animals in the flood-hit Kherson Oblast following Russia's demolition of the Kakhovka dam on June 6, 2023. (UAnimals/Facebook)

Rescuers had to use a rubber boat on the first day of their mission, preventing them from reaching all the places where their help was needed, Petrova says. They then started collaborating with other volunteers who were better equipped and forwarded them some of the requests for help.

"I think that is the right way to do it because whoever can go and save animals should do it," Petrova says. "Time mattered so much. We realized we had to work together to really provide help."

The head of the Kyiv-based non-governmental organization Petro and Mazepa, Dmytro Pidturkin, agrees with Petrova. He says that the State Emergency Service workers also forwarded requests about animals to rescue to volunteers and were "happy to get their help."

According to Pidturkin, first responders welcomed their help especially when cats needed to be rescued since they knew "how badly they could bite." Pidturkin says he experienced it himself.

"One Kherson cat, which I caught right out of the strong current of water, decided to bite my arm. I had a high fever for almost two days, and I still dont have full mobility in my arm," he says.

Despite his injury, he continued working at the site because there was a strong need "to save lives."

Odyntsov says most volunteers and nonprofits working in Ukraine now "have similar values." When the disaster occurred in Kherson Oblast, they knew that unity would be the key to successful missions there.

Odyntsov's foundation cooperated with four other charities, both local and Dnipro-based, to collect, sort, and deliver the aid  mostly drinking water, food, hygiene products, and portable chargers  across Kherson and nearby settlements as fast as possible.

Dnipro resident Illia Odyntsov takes a selfie during one of the rescue missions in the flood-hit Kherson following Russia's demolition of the Kakhovka dam on June 6, 2023. (Illia Odyntsov/ Facebook)

During such delivery missions, they have also worked with the State Emergency Service and local police, Odyntsov says.

"I was surprised that all of the rescue workers and police officers collected the phone numbers of those who asked for their help and tried to find every item that they asked for," Odyntsov says.

"I saw them even buying cigarettes for the people at their own expense. Although it was not the first thing people needed, they brought it too," he adds.

"Everyone was just so concerned about them (the affected)," Odyntsov says.

The State Emergency Service, along with President Volodymyr Zelensky, have thanked volunteers for their help.

"We are grateful to all the volunteers and citizens who join and help us," the head of the State Emergency Service civil protection department told Ukrainian TV.

I thank every rescuer, military and police officer, local communities and international organizations currently operating in Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts, all our volunteers  each and everyone who helps save people, animals, and life in general in the disaster zone, Zelensky said.

A volunteer carries a dog during an evacuation from a flooded area in Kherson on June 8, 2023, following Russia's demolition of the Kakhovka dam. (Photo by Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images)

All help is priceless

Not only volunteers and first responders supported those affected by the flooding. Locals and regular Ukrainians have stepped in too.

Serhii Yeremenko, a 45-year-old dog trainer from the village of Bilozerka, just 18 kilometers from Kherson, says he has rescued seven dogs and helped many of his fellow residents to evacuate from their flooded homes. Some of the dogs he saved remain at his home until today.

The dogs were almost drowning and were suffering from hypothermia when Yeremenko found them.

He knew that after staying in the dirty water for some time, they had a high risk of getting sick with enteritis or distemper. He contacted local volunteers to help him get medicine and vaccines for the dogs.

His phone didnt stop ringing, Yeremenko says, adding that he didn't expect so many calls.

"The issue is solved now. I have all the medicine needed."

Serhii Yeremenko poses for a photograph holding a batch of vaccines for the dogs he had rescued froom flooded areas in his native Bilozerka village in Kherson Oblast. (Maryna Zinevych/Facebook)

On June 11, UAnimals reported that schoolchildren from Kyiv had donated over 500 kilograms of pet food for the animals in the flood-affected Kherson Oblast.

"Local residents, their cats, and dogs were very grateful for the support," the organization wrote on Facebook.

Pidturkin says his organization often arranges events to provide low-income pet owners with dog and cat food all over Ukraine.

Last Saturday, they planned a similar event in Pryluky, a town in Chernihiv Oblast. To Pidturkin's surprise, the event was canceled when the organizers invited people to join it: They all refused, saying that "it would be better to send pet food to Kherson."

"These are the regular elderly people from Pryluky It's priceless," he says.

As of June 17, the flood water level in Kherson Oblast has decreased to 1.32 meters, suggesting that the toughest rescue missions have likely already passed. But first responders, volunteers, and locals continue working there to help eliminate the fallout of the horrific flooding.

"People who did not leave their homes have already started to clean up the surrounding areas," Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on Telegram on June 16.

"Once again, I admire the resilience of Ukrainians," he wrote.

"This tragedy has once again shown the consolidation of us as a nation," says Pidturkin.

Saving lives from Russias flood: Inside inundated, shelled Kherson Since Russias full-scale war began, first came eight months of terror under occupation, then came seven months of intense shelling across the river, then came the river itself to Kherson. Over 24 hours after Russian forces destroyed the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant and its massive The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell

Note from the author:

Hi! Daria Shulzhenko here. I wrote this piece for you. Since the first day of Russia's all-out war, I have been working almost non-stop to tell the stories of those affected by Russias brutal aggression. By telling all those painful stories, we are helping to keep the world informed about the reality of Russias war against Ukraine. By becoming the Kyiv Independent's patron, you can help us continue telling the world the truth about this war.
Russian troops

Russias objective in invading Ukraine may have been to occupy the entire Ukraine, with the intention of getting Ukrainians to engage in conflict against NATO member countries, Yermak wrote.

Read also: European Parliament calls for NATO to invite Ukraine to join alliance

He said out Russias territorial ambitions extend to NATO member countries, including the Baltic states, which the enemy considers part of the former USSR.

He highlighted the similarity between Russian propaganda rhetoric towards Ukraine and that towards the Baltic countries, noting that this dangerous narrative has persisted since 2014.

The Head of the Presidential Office emphasized that Ukraines membership in NATO would put an end to the Kremlins territorial ambitions, and cited Finland as an example. He mentioned that Russia had also threatened Finland with weapons, but Helsinki joined NATO this year.

Read also: Ukraine de facto serving as NATOs eastern flank as the whole country waits for clarity

Yermak said that if the world hesitates regarding Ukraines membership in the alliance, Russia will continue to consider Ukraine as a target for occupation in order to strengthen its resources for a confrontation with NATO, which would then become increasingly likely.

We all need to think ten steps ahead today. And in this geopolitical chessboard, one swift and important decision can strengthen security for decades, Yermak said.

In a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Kyiv on April 20, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraines membership of the alliance faces no barriers to making political decisions.

Stoltenberg acknowledged that all countries agree on Kyivs eventual inclusion in the bloc, but the current focus remains on Ukraines ongoing struggle against Russias full-scale war.

Ukraine is anticipating specific proposals and decisions on security guarantees from NATO at the upcoming Vilnius Summit in July 2023.

Read also: Polish parliament passes resolution backing Ukraine's NATO membership

However, Politico reported on June 8 that, five weeks prior to the summit, Western allies have yet to reach a unified position on the security guarantees requested by Ukraine.

Zelenskyy stated that he sees no point in participating in the NATO summit in Vilnius if Ukraine does not receive a clear signal regarding its membership.

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
Ukrainian military expert says advance against Russian forces is too sluggish, urges decisive action

Ukrainian soldier near the liberated Neskuchny, June 13, 2023

The current military operations conducted by the Ukrainian Armed Forces are deemed necessary due to the coercion by the Russian Federation and its Armed Forces, said Yakubets.

Where we advance by one or one-and-a-half kilometers, those are indeed successes. However, when we progress by 100-300 meters, it essentially amounts to a standstill.

Yakubets said that covering a distance of 100 to 300 meters entails crossing or overcoming half of the neutral zone, which, according to him, extends from 300 to 500 meters in certain directions.

Read also: Ukrainian counter-offensive is only just starting, military expert tells NV

Strategically, I am deeply concerned about this issue because if we persist in advancing at the current pace, we will inadvertently be playing into the hands of the Russian Federation, which will have detrimental consequences for us, the expert said.

He pointed out that sluggish progress results in increased casualties, and the cost of gaining every next hundred meters or kilometer becomes steeper.

Therefore, it is imperative for our military and political leadership to carefully consider these issues, assess the advantages and disadvantages, and muster the courage to take decisive actions, Yakubets said.

The military expert also said that the Russians, by compelling the Ukrainians to advance slowly, have successfully moved forward with their plans. And now they are also advancing in certain directions.

In such a tandem, it will take us decades to liberate our territories, he said.

A resolute deployment of units, formations, and subdivisions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is imperative to achieve the operational objective of attaining a boundary depth ranging from eight to 100 kilometers behind enemy lines.

Read also: Details of the storming and successful liberation of Neskuchne - an interview with a soldier

This resoluteness would disrupt the enemys entire defense system, including their operational-strategic defense, setting it into motion. As it starts moving, the enemys resistance diminishes ,since they abandon prepared positions, fire zones, adjust artillery placements, and alter logistical routes... It is precisely during this moment that the progress of our troops becomes most effective.

He also said that advancing by 1,200 meters signifies the capture of a strongpoint at the platoon level within the first echelon.

In other words, we have successfully breached the enemys first echelon, specifically the company of the first battalion. We havent reached the second echelon yet.

However, when we break through the battalions of the second echelon within a brigade, we dismantle and annihilate the brigade, propelling us into the operational-tactical depth. This progress takes us not only into the operational depth, but even further into the tactical depth.

Read also: The road is strewn with the bodies of Russian soldiers  Photo report from recently liberated village in Donetsk Oblast

The Ukrainian militarys General Staff announced on June 16 that Ukrainian units have successfully conducted offensive operations in the following areas:

Novodanilivka-Robotyne (towards Tokmak, Zaporizhzhya Oblast)

Levadne-Staromayorske (on the border of Zaporizhzhya and Donetsk Oblasts)

East of the settlement of Stupochky in Donetsk Oblast, displacing Russians from their occupied positions

In the Vuhledar area, the Ukrainian Armed Forces achieved success in certain areas.



Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Malyar stated that over the past week-and-a-half, Ukrainian forces have advanced more than three kilometers in the eastern direction.

She also reported that during the first week of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Ukraines losses were significantly lower than those of the Russian forces.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraines ongoing successful counter-offensive on the front lines may ultimately lead to a decisive defeat for Russia.

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
Ukrainian Security Service's Special Forces post video of them evacuating people from occupied territories under cover of artillery

The Ukrainian Security Services Special Group Alpha has posted a video of them evacuating Kherson Oblast residents from the occupied and flooded territories, killing the Russian soldiers who were shooting upon the convoy.

Source: SSU

Details: The report notes that the officers of the Special Group Alpha, together with counterparts from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the State Emergency Service, the Special Operations Forces and other security and defence forces, have been evacuating people trapped on the left-bank part of Kherson Oblast since the first days of the tragedy.

They also delivered food and medicine using drones.

The video shared by the SSU shows the Russian troops firing upon one of the special forces groups evacuating civilians.

However, a Russian position set up on the roof of a residential building was immediately destroyed by an artillery strike.

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The alleged drug operation included Dunn, Webb, and other employees. Peter Dazeley/Getty Images Yuri Kriventsoff/Getty Images

Two United Airlines employees have been charged for their alleged roles in a drug-selling scheme.

They were accused of making at least $10,000 a week stealing weed from checked bags and selling it.

Officials said the operation dates back as far as 2020.

The Justice Department charged two United Airlines baggage handlers, alleging they participated in a years-long scheme to sell marijuana stolen out of passengers' bags.

Ramp cargo agents Joel Lamont Dunn and Adrian Webb were charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance for their part in a scheme that prosecutors said dates back to at least 2020 at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), The San Francisco Standard reported.

According to the complaint filed on June 9, Dunn and Webb made as much as $10,000 a week selling marijuana that they stole from departing passengers' checked luggage with the help of at least three other workers.

A confidential source close to the alleged scheme told law enforcement that they were paid $2,000 each shift to help steal the cannabis from travelers' bags and load it into 15-20 gallon black trash bags about twice each week.

Prosecutors named Dunn as the leader of the operation, and Webb was labeled as his "right-hand man" who gave directions when Dunn was not around. The amount of weed, per the complaint, was more consistent with distribution than personal use.

Attorneys for Dunn and Webb did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. As of Saturday afternoon, no trial date had been set.

Federal agents began investigating the pair after they were robbed at gunpoint in the airport's parking lot in June 2021. Video surveillance footage from the day of the crime show the pair moving black trash bags, "consistent with the marijuana theft scheme," out of the airport with the help of other employees, according to the complaint.

In October 2022, officials said they intercepted two individuals performing a similar act with a large plastic bag and boxes at SFO. The pair, who were often seen with Dunn and Webb, were found to be carrying 30 pounds of marijuana, per the criminal complaint.

Neither SFO nor United Airlines immediately responded to Insider's request for comment.

Although weed is legal in California, it remains illegal at the federal level. It's against federal laws to fly with cannabis, but those caught with it in a California airport rarely face severe consequences, defense attorneys told SF Gate.

In 2017, SFO employees told SF Weekly that they didn't confiscate "a personal use amount" of marijuana from passengers.

Read the original article on Business Insider
United Airlines plane clips another plane on ground at Logan Airport

A United Airlines plane clipped the tail of another plane Friday in an incident in an airline parking area within Logan International Airport, a Massport spokesperson said.

The incident happened around 7 p.m. when United Airlines Flight 369 was traveling at a low speed and made contact with a parked Delta Airlines plane.

No one was injured, according to the spokesperson.

United said the 128 customers and six crew members were able to deplane normally at a gate, adding that customers will be rebooked onto other flights.

A Delta spokesperson said the customers and crew on Delta Flight 1657 were not injured and they are working to get passengers to their final destinations.

This is the second time this year a United aircraft has been involved in an incident at Boston Logan.

Back in March, a United flight departing for Newark clipped another United flight that was set to depart for Denver as it was pushed back from the gate.

United planes make contact at Bostons Logan Airport days after close call on runway

The incident remains under investigation.

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
UPS workers authorize the right to strike: What could this look like in a world more reliant on deliveries than ever?

A UPS delivery driver wheeling a load of boxes is reflected on the truck on Friday, May 12, 2023, in New York. More than 340,000 unionized United Parcel Service employees, including drivers and warehouse workers, say they are prepared to strike if the company does not meet their demands before the end of the current contract on July 31. | Bebeto Matthews, Associated Press

On Friday, UPS union workers voted 97% in favor of a strike that could start Aug. 1 if the company does not meet negotiations set by the Teamsters union, according to CNN. If a UPS strike ensues, it would be the largest employer strike in U.S. history  and could result in considerable consequences in a world increasingly reliant on deliveries.

The news: The results do not mean a strike is imminent, UPS said in a statement, via The New York Times, stating that it is confident it will come to an agreement with union workers. The vote just means that labor leaders will have the ability to call for a strike if negotiation isnt met within their set time frame.

The last time UPS workers went on strike was in 1997, according to The Associated Press, which said that a UPS strike in 2023 could be far more disruptive, especially since many Americans rely heavily on companies such as Amazon to supply their households.

Related

The bigger picture: The looming strike and contract negotiations have mountainous implications for both the U.S. labor movement and the economy, The Washington Post reported, given that Teamsters negotiations have raised standards for working conditions for employees all across the U.S.

A strike could have devastating consequences for an economy that is increasingly reliant on its delivery infrastructure, the Post said, given that 6% of the countrys gross domestic product is transported via UPS each year.

Who are the Teamsters, and what do they want? The Teamsters are a union that represents freight drivers and warehouse workers, per USA Today.
The US Coast Guard has seized more than 14,153 pounds of cocaine worth more than $186 million, according to a news release.

Authorities said the drugs were intercepted during nine separate cases in international waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Bales of illegal narcotics, worth an estimated $186 million in, are offloaded off US Coast Gurd Cutter Bear (WMEC 901) in Miami, Florida, June 16, 2023. - Petty Officer 3rd class Eric Rodriguez/US Coast Guard

Twelve suspected smugglers were also apprehended and face prosecution, according to the release.

The contraband offloaded today represents the professional expertise and dedication of U.S. defense and law enforcement agencies working together to combat the flow of illicit drugs through the Caribbean Region into the United States, Lt. Peter Hutchison, duty enforcement officer at Coast Guard District Seven said in the release. This teamwork is imperative to the identification, interception, and seizure of vessels engaged in illicit trafficking and a testament to the hard work of these crews.

Globally, both cocaine production and demand have jumped dramatically over the past two years, according to a United Nations report released in March. Interceptions by law enforcement agencies around the world have also risen, with a record of almost 2,000 tons of cocaine seized in 2021, according to the report.

CNNs Isabel Rosales and Kelly Murray also contributed to this report.

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ATACMS missile launch

Read also: US Congress resolution urges Biden to provide ATACMS missiles to Ukraine

"Of the funds authorized for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) elsewhere in this Act, the committee intends that no less than $80 million be used for the procurement of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) for the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the bill by the House Committee on Armed Services reads.

At the same time, according to the document, the Pentagon chief is instructed to brief the congressional defense committees no later than Dec. 31, 2023, on the progress of using the allocated funds for the purchase and availability of ATACMS for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Read also: Zaluzhnyis US adviser explains why Ukraine needs ATACMS missiles and F-16 fighters

On June 14, Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, said that Washington's change in rhetoric regarding some military assistance to Kyiv depends on a large set of factors. This also applies to long-range ATACMS missiles.

On May 30, U.S. President Joe Biden said that the issue of providing Ukraine with U.S. ATACMS missiles is "still in play." A resolution calling on Biden to provide the missiles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been tabled in the U.S. Congress.

Earlier, the Department of Defense said that the provision of UK Storm Shadows to Ukraine did not affect Washington's position on long-range missiles.

At the same time, U.S. congressmen continue to urge Biden to provide Kyiv with longer-range weapons.

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
US judge orders Enbridge to shut down portions of Wisconsin pipeline within 3 years

By Clark Mindock

(Reuters) - A U.S. judge has ordered Canadian energy company Enbridge to shutter portions of an oil pipeline that runs through tribal land in Wisconsin within three years and to pay the tribe nearly $5.2 million for trespassing plus a portion of its profits until the shutdown is completed.

U.S. District Judge William Conley issued the order on Friday in Madison. The judge's action came just over a month after the Bad River Band told him an immediate shutdown was needed following heavy spring rains that eroded a riverbank protecting the pipe. The pipeline carries 540,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada through the Great Lakes region.

An Enbridge spokesperson said on Saturday the company plans to appeal the judge's order.

In the ruling, Conley said a sudden shutdown could lead to oil shortages and price hikes in the United States, adding that "given the environmental risks, the court will order Enbridge to adopt a more conservative shutdown and purge plan."

Enbridge said in court filings ahead of the judge's action that a hasty shutdown of the pipeline was unnecessary and would cause "extreme market turmoil." The company has proposed re-routing the pipeline around the tribal reservation, but has not received federal approvals to do so.

Representatives for the tribe did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The tribe has said a breach in the pipeline along the 12-mile (19 km) segment that runs through the reservation could pollute important fishing waters, wild rice habitat and potentially underground aquifers.

The tribe sued Enbridge in 2019, arguing that riverbank erosion threatened a "looming disaster" that warranted removal of the pipeline and saying that the company no longer had a legal right to operate on the property after pipeline easements allowing it to use the land expired in 2013.

Conley ruled last year that the pipeline was trespassing on the land but stopped short of ordering a shutdown due to public and foreign policy concerns. The judge in November said significant erosion that could cause a rupture was unlikely, but told the parties to develop a shutdown plan anyway.

(Reporting by Clark Mindock in New York; Editing by Will Dunham)
US-made MaxxPro mine-resistant armored fighting vehicles 'are almost indestructible,' Ukrainians say

Ukrainian soldiers train on a US-supplied MaxxPro armored fighting vehicle. Carl Court/Getty Images

US-made MaxxPro vehicles "are almost indestructible," a Ukrainian fighter told The Times.

Ukraine's 68th Jaeger Brigade used the vehicle to escape heavy Russian gunfire earlier this month.

It has a "V-shaped" hull that helps deflect blasts from mines or improvised explosive devices.

US-made MaxxPro mine-resistant armored fighting vehicles are proving crucial in Ukraine's fight against Russian forces, according to a report by The Times.

Earlier this month, soldiers from Ukraine's 68th Jaeger Brigade became stranded as they tried to push forward in the village of Blahodatne.

While some were killed as they attempted to flee, others escaped in a MaxxPro armored fighting vehicle, despite being under heavy fire.

"The MaxxPros are like a red rag to the Russians, they target it with everything they have," Stepan, a Ukrainian fighter, told The Times. "But they are almost indestructible."

One of the vehicles was hit by shelling and another by mortars, but "everyone inside survived. They truly saved our soldiers' lives," Stepan said.

The MaxxPro was initially built to help protect soldiers in Iraq from improvised explosive devices, according to Navistar Defense, the manufacturer of the vehicle.

It has a "V-shaped" hull that helps deflect explosions away from the crew, and it is designed "to withstand ballistic arms fire, mine blasts, IED, and other emerging threats." It also has room for one gunner, per Navistar.

The vehicle has a seating capacity for 12 personnel. Its single turret houses a 7.62 or 12.7 mm machine gun.

Last year, the US announced that it would send 200 vehicles to Ukraine as part of a military aid package.

Mine warfare

Ukrainian soldiers. John Moore/Getty Images

While the MaxxPro may prove invaluable as Ukrainian forces try to avoid Russia's minefields, the troops still face a casualty-inducing military challenge.

Ukraine claimed last weekend it had made advances in villages in the country's southeast Donetsk region, including in Blahodatne, Reuters reported.

But it is facing formidable obstacles, including Russia's complex defense systems in southeastern Ukraine, comprised of razor wire, anti-tank obstacles, and deadly minefields, Insider recently reported.

In the days after the liberation of Blahodatne, the 68th brigade suffered "hundreds" of casualties, a battlefield medic told The Times.

"Most of them are from mines and shelling," he said, adding that there were "minefields everywhere."

Mine warfare has played a significant role on both sides of the conflict.

Ukrainian forces have fired the Remote Anti-Armor Mine System, a US-made artillery round that lays anti-tank mines in flight, Insider recently reported.

There have also been reports of Russian casualties as they "withdraw through their own minefields."

Read the original article on Business Insider
US Open: Rickie Fowler stars again to take solo lead at halfway stage

Rickie Fowler will take a one-shot solo lead into the weekend at the US Open following another strong performance at Los Angeles Country Club on Friday.

After he and Xander Schauffele broke the record for the lowest single round score ever shot at the major on Thursday, an eight-under 62, Fowler shot 68 in the second round to pull away from his compatriot.

The 34-year-old, chasing his first major title, holds a one stroke advantage over American Wyndham Clark, who starred yet again to leapfrog tied-third Schauffele into solo second.

Ten-under overall at the halfway stage, Fowler equaled the record for the lowest opening 36-hole score at the tournament, matching Martin Kaymers effort in 2014.

It was a rollercoaster round for the world No. 45, who raced out of the blocks with three consecutive birdies. Yet after shooting just two bogeys in his opening round, the five-time PGA Tour winner shot six on Friday, including four across a seven-hole stretch after the turn.

Being in the lead is nice, but it really means nothing right now, Fowler told reporters.

Im looking forward to continuing to challenge myself and go out there and try and execute the best I can.

Clark, after missing the cut in both of his previous starts at the major, followed up his opening round 64 with a 67, shooting just one bogey in a composed display to soar into the weekend.

The 29-year-old is comfortably on course to beat his best-ever major finish, a top-75 finish at the PGA Championship in 2021.

Clark putts on the 11th hole. - Matt York/AP

McIlroy keeps major dream alive

An electric finish from Rory McIlroy kept the Northern Irishman within striking distance of ending his nine-year wait for a fifth career major.

Two-over par at the turn, the 2011 champion rattled off six birdies across his last nine holes to finish three-under and head into the weekend two shots behind Fowler and tied with Schauffele, who shot an even-par 70.

No one wants me to win another major more than I do. The desire is obviously there, McIlroy told reporters.

I feel like Ive showed a lot of resilience in my career, a lot of ups and downs, and I keep coming back. And whether that means that I get rewarded or I get punched in the gut or whatever it is, Ill always keep coming back.

McIlroy is chasing a fifth career major. - Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

McIlroy was a whisker away from a walk-off ace when, having started from the 10th hole, his 9th tee shot trickled agonizingly past the cup.

A few inches to the left and the 34-year-old would have become already the fourth player to hit a hole-in-one at the tournament, after defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick made it a hat-trick earlier in the second round.

The defending champion joined Frances Matthieu Pavon and American Sam Burns in finding the 15th hole in one swing, even if he didnt immediately realize it.

The Englishman struggled to continue the momentum of the first hole-in-one of his PGA Tour career however, double bogeying two holes later and finishing the day at one-over par overall.

I feel like if I can get the driver going I can shoot a really good score, but could not drive it worse at the minute, Fitzpatrick told reporters.

Mickelson, Spieth and Thomas crash out

American Harris English sits alone in fifth at seven-under overall, one shot ahead of Australias Min Woo Lee and compatriot Dustin Johnson, who rebounded well from a disastrous quadruple bogey at the second hole to card even-par for the round.

Definitely didnt get the day started off how I envisioned it starting today, Johnson told reporters.

But to battle back and get it back to even par for the day and 6-under for the tournament, still right in the mix going into the weekend, definitely proud of the way I came back and finished off the round.

Six-time major champion Phil Mickelson and former US Open champion Jordan Spieth headlined a host of big names that failed to progress to the weekend, with the cut line falling at two-over par.

Yet while both only missed out by a single stroke, two-time major winner Justin Thomas endured a truly torrid two days in California, shooting 73 and 81 to finish 14-over par, that tied for the tied-fourth worst score of the 156-player field.

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US to send satellite data to Canada to help detect wildfires

FILE PHOTO: Flames reach upwards along the edge of a wildfire as seen from a Canadian Forces helicopter in Quebec

(Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Defense began sending real-time satellite and sensor data to Canadian authorities on Friday, technology it said would help more quickly identify new fires as that nation endures one of its most destructive early wildfire seasons.

The U.S. has already dispatched more than 600 firefighters to Canada to help battle the flames. President Joe Biden, who has linked wildfires to climate change, said U.S. officials were monitoring air quality and aviation delays.

"Starting today, DOD personnel will analyze and share real time data derived from U.S. satellites and sensors and convey it via a cooperative agreement between the U.S. National Interagency Fire Center and the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre," U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adam Hodge said in a statement.

He said the Biden Administration was also deploying additional U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), USDA Forest Service (USFS), and state wildland firefighting personnel and equipment to Canada.

Canada is suffering through its most destructive start to wildfire season, with about 4.8 million hectares (48,000 square kilometers) already burned, an area larger than the Netherlands.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Stephen Coates)
A Ventura County sheriff's deputy was dismissed from his post last year after it was discovered that he had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in custody, according to a newly released report. (File photo)

A Ventura County sheriffs deputy was dismissed from his post last year after it was discovered that he had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in custody, according to a newly released report.

Tyler Ebell, a former senior deputy with the Ventura County Sheriffs Office, received notice of his dismissal last November, documents first obtained by the Ventura County Star show.

The agency began investigating Ebell after receiving a tip from another employee, according to a statement released by Sheriff Jim Fryhoff on Friday. The department did not provide more information citing a pending lawsuit.

According to the department's notice, Ebell neglected his duty when he allegedly fraternized with a woman who was in custody at the Ventura County Jail and had a sexual relationship with her after she was paroled.

Ebell had been promoted to senior deputy in November 2020. A few days before his promotion, security footage at the jail captured him talking with the woman in the booking area, and he reminded her to be discreet about their interactions, according to the report.

When deputies at the jail questioned Ebells behavior, he pulled rank and lied that the woman  identified by the Star as Nastaza Schmidt  was working as his informant, the report states.

Ebell allegedly deposited $1,585.00 into Schmidt's inmate account, smuggled books, food, and other items into the jail for her, and paid $5,000 for her bail when she was released.

According to the report, Ebell allegedly spoke with Schmidt by phone on a recorded line for hours while she was in custody and he was on duty.

The report cites at least one incident of unreported domestic violence in which Ebell allegedly pushed Schmidt, requiring her to receive medical care outside the jails facilities.

Ebell also allegedly listened in on her phone calls from jail and used official Ventura County databases to monitor her contacts with law enforcement and track court activity. The report said he drove Schmidt around in his work vehicle while he was on duty.

Two off-duty deputies spotted Ebell and the woman at a Ventura restaurant on Dec. 30, 2021, just months after she had been released from jail.

This type of behavior and criminal sophistication is often expected by inmates, but not from any member of the department, the report stated.

The department charged Ebell with dishonesty, corrupt use of official authority and influence, inexcusable neglect of duty, and acts incompatible with public service.

Ebells lawyer, George Tourkow, said in an email that his client vehemently denies the allegations and cant comment further on pending litigation.

Ebell appealed his dismissal on Dec. 28 in a Skelly hearing, a pre-disciplinary meeting for public employees, according to sheriffs spokesperson Captain Dean Worthy. Ebell resigned the next day.

Schmidt was booked Sept. 16, 2020, and was in jail for about a year awaiting a trial for alleged identity theft and possession of drug paraphernalia and burglary tools. According to the report, Ebell was an "active participant" in her arrest.

Schmidt died Feb. 28 at age 34 in Thousand Oaks during a burglary attempt at a self-storage unit. Officials said she collapsed while running away after the unit's owner appeared. An autopsy revealed she had ingested a lethal amount of methamphetamine, and she might have suffered a heart attack as she fled.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy argued that former President Obamas remarks on the positions of many minority candidates in the Republican Party is part of a toxic ideology among liberals.

Obama said in a podcast interview with former White House senior adviser David Axelrod released on Thursday that a tendency exists among Republicans who are Black or another racial minority to validate America and say everythings great and we can all make it.

The former president was asked about South Carolina Sen. Tim Scotts (R) messaging on race in the presidential election, and Obama criticized the optimistic tone, saying candidates must have a plan for how do we address crippling generational poverty that is a consequence of hundreds of years of racism in this society.

Ramaswamy weighed in on the remarks in an interview on Fox News, slamming what he said is a liberal narrative that people of color are not allowed to deny that systemic racism exists.

There is a toxic philosophy on the left, Ramaswamy said. I [described] this in my book Woke Inc. several years ago, which says that the color of your skin predicts what youre allowed to say about this country, that you cant say systemic racism doesnt exist if you have Black or brown skin.

He said predicting someones views based on their skin color is racist, and he rejects that. The 2024 candidate said he is disappointed in Obama and believes his comments set a poor example for the country.

But you better believe thats why its important for folks like me or Tim Scott or Nikki Haley, for that matter, to speak our minds openly, Ramaswamy said. And from my heart, I commit to doing that throughout the rest of this campaign trail. I think its going to be unifying for the country.

Scott is one of the only Black candidates in the race  aside from conservative radio host Larry Elder  and the only Black Republican senator. Haley and Ramaswamy are both Indian American.

Ramaswamy has railed against an emphasis on diversity during his presidential campaign, arguing that the focus should be on bringing people together to unify them as Americans instead of separate groups.

He said in the interview that the countrys strength does not come from its diversity but from what unites people across the diversity.

Scott hit back at Obamas remarks in a statement on Thursday, arguing that Democrats are trying to deny the progress that the country has made to stay in power.

The truth of MY life disproves the lies of the radical Left. We live in a country where little Black and Brown boys and girls can be President of the United States, Scott said. The truth is  weve had one and the good news is  we will have another.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Sacramento County authorities sought to calm fears of a rise in violence against Asian Americans in Little Saigon at a town hall Thursday night following at least two daytime strong-arm robberies in south Sacramento that were caught on video last month.

At the town hall, which was attended by about 100 people, Sheriff Jim Cooper said that the robberies involved vicious assaults and that the Sheriffs Office has always taken these crimes seriously and (committed) the maximum amount of resources to track down these people. But he also said that the public videos of the crimes have contributed to a perception that there is more violence than there really is.

Sometimes it seems like there are 10 robberies and youre really hearing about one robbery 10 times, Cooper said.

A Sheriffs Office chart shown to attendees counted 28 robberies between Jan. 1 and May 31 in the area around Stockton Boulevard and Florin Road, which serves as a cultural hub with many Vietnamese and Chinese businesses. According to sheriffs officials, there were 90 robberies in 2022 and 56 in 2021.

Authorities noted that robberies tended to happen during the daytime in business parking lots. According to Cooper, thieves targeted women and the elderly, following victims before snatching high-value items from victims. They urged residents to be alert of their surroundings, avoid shopping alone, avoid carrying purses and avoid wearing jewelry to prevent becoming a victim.

At least one robbery case was being pursued as a hate crime, Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho told attendees.

In that case, Ho and Cooper said, investigators said that one suspect sent a text message indicating they were targeting Asians with a racial slur prior to the robbery, providing evidence of animosity in their mind that motivated them to commit that specific crime.

Provable hate crimes are a fraction of typical robberies, both men said. But even in crimes of opportunity, the victims Asian identities may have played a role, said Ho, a former Vietnamese refugee.

I believe that Asians have been targeted because theres a perception that we dont call the police, that we wont work with the government, that we carry cash on us, that we are weak, that we dont speak up and stand up, he said. Honestly that needs to change and we need to change that perception.

The Sheriffs Office has arrested suspects in a large percentage of the reported cases, Cooper said. While the time taken for an arrest to be made varies by case, technology like security cameras installed by local businesses and a trailer camera that allows for license plate identification have made cases quicker to solve, Cooper said.

The town hall was co-hosted by the Stockton Boulevard Partnership, which represents around 400 businesses in the corridor. The partnerships executive director, Frank Louie, previously owned a restaurant in the area for 28 years. He said after the town hall that he appreciates the work the Sheriff and D.A. are doing.

When they were able to share crime stats over that seven-year period, seeing that the crime trend was spiraling downward, it just shows that theyre being more proactive in addressing these crimes of opportunity in the area, he said. It speaks volumes to their leadership.

Louie also noted that local businesses and community members have been very proactive versus reactive about safety. According to Louie, the partnership spends most of its budget employing a private security firm to patrol the area between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. seven days a week. The group also hosts regular Cops and Coffee events to bolster relationships with law enforcement.

Community safety efforts have also included educating seniors on how to not be victims, Louie said, though persuading them to change habits can be difficult.

My mom is 90 years old, shes been in this country for 70 years. I kid you not, even with her son telling her Mom, use your credit card, she wont do that, Louie said. Shes all in favor of carrying her little cash to the grocery store.

Of course, we talk about law enforcement getting people who committed the crime, but also ... its really connecting the community and letting the community know we will not be silent, that we will be there to protect each other and we will be here to work together. said Rejie Baloyos, executive director of Asian Resources Inc., a community organization run out of the neighborhood.

Jonathan Lan is the owner of Pegasus Bakery and Cafe, outside of which a robber took a purse from a 54-year-old woman and dragged her to the floor while escaping in a car in May. The incident was captured in a widely-shared surveillance camera video.

Crime and anti-Asian hate during the pandemic caused half his employees to quit, he said. But he also feels that things are getting better, and he said he appreciates Hos shared background with residents in the area.

I think generally if we work together, we can make a better and safer community, Lan said. We see Sacramento, Elk Grove, this area as our home. We are not going back. Im not gonna move to Canada just to avoid crime. Crime is everywhere. It depends how we face it.
Want to help migrants and refugees in L.A. and California? Here are organizations you can support

Roberto Calderon, left, and Ronson Chu, right, load food into a car at St. Margaret's Center. Catholic Charities of Los Angeles assists newly arrived immigrants in learning English, obtaining education, navigating legal matters and training for jobs. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott didn't exactly give California a heads-up before moving 42 migrants, including eight children, from his state to Los Angeles this week.

Nevertheless, when the migrants arrived at Union Station, they found organizations ready to help them, including the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights. Jorge-Mario Cabrera, the coalition's director of communications, was a partner in the city's activated Emergency Operations Center that helped coordinate the response.

Organizations throughout the city and county of Los Angeles have plenty of experience aiding displaced or newly arrived refugees and immigrants. Often a family's first point of contact and constant support system, these groups provide such services as legal aid, vocational training, financial aid and housing assistance.

These organizations are always looking for help from the public to continue providing services.

Here is a list of Los Angeles and California-based organizations that need donations and volunteers.

Read more: Texas sends busload of 42 migrants to Los Angeles

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights works to advance the human and civil rights of immigrants and refugees, offering immigration legal services at a low cost. Its programs include legal services for students at 14 community colleges and four California State University campuses, support for families facing deportation, legal assistance for victims of crime, and support for people in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The coalition accepts support through one-time or recurring financial donations. You can also financially support a specific program, such as the Wise Up! Scholarship Fund, which advances educational opportunities for underserved immigrant youths, particularly students who are in the country without authorization.

Immigrant Defenders Law Center

The Immigrant Defenders Law Center, Southern California's largest deportation defense nonprofit, offers full-scale deportation defense, legal representation, legal education and connections to social services to approximately 3,000 detained or non-detained adults and children annually.

You can support the center by providing in-kind donations, such as gift cards to Walmart or Target, school supplies, packaged snacks, backpacks and transportation cards. The nonprofit is also accepting monetary donations and volunteers.

Read more: After seeking asylum, families at this California shelter take their first steps in the U.S.

Pars Equality Center

The Pars Equality Center delivers social and immigration services in Farsi and Dari in Southern California. Pars' case managers connect families to community resources, communicating with partner agencies to ensure that clients have the support and referrals they need to navigate social, medical and government systems in this country.

Case managers make referrals to healthcare, mental health counseling, health screenings and low-cost clinics. They also help clients locate housing, schedule medical appointments, fill out CalFresh applications, enroll in schools and accomplish other tasks.

You can support Pars' work by making a financial donation to the organization in general or one of its specific programs, such as those that pay for free legal representation, scholarships, vocational training and computer classes.

It's also accepting volunteers who can help provide English language tutoring and computer training, visit isolated seniors and assist with immigration legal services.

Mirys List

Mirys List is a Los Angeles-based organization that supports newly arrived refugee families with temporary housing, emergency supplies and rides to appointments. When family members go to their first home, apartment or motel room, Mirys List staff will meet them and create a list of necessary supplies that is then compiled into an online wishlist.

You can support Mirys List by donating a wishlist item, becoming a volunteer or making a monetary donation. Volunteer opportunities include a wishlist maker, translators (the highest need is for people who speak Arabic, Pashto and Dari), and a welcome helper who aids in sorting, packing and distributing supplies by mail to new arrivals.

Read more: Column: California is targeted by Ron DeSantis' latest human sacrifice

International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee, which has offices in Northern California, Los Angeles and San Diego, provides humanitarian aid and relief the moment refugees arrive at the airport. Committee case workers and volunteers welcome the individuals or families and assist with their transition by ensuring they have a furnished home; help with rent; access to healthcare, affordable food, English language classes and education for the children; community support; and legal services to gain legal residency and citizenship.

In addition to supporting refugees in the area, the organization also works with asylees, special immigrant visa holders and survivors of human trafficking.

You can help the International Rescue Committee by making a monetary donation or purchasing an item off its Target or Amazon wishlists. You can also put together a box of necessary items, such as a welcome kit (body wash, deodorant, towels and toothbrush), new baby kit (car seat, diaper cream and baby lotion) and a back-to-school kit (backpack, pencils and a notebook). For the full list of items and kit options, look at the organization's Los Angeles-specific website.

International Institute of Los Angeles

The International Institute of Los Angeles provides comprehensive services to newly resettled individuals and families, including temporary housing, health screenings, community orientations and assistance finding employment and child care. Its currently coordinating the arrival and resettlement of Afghan refugees in Southern California.

The organization has historically been funded through government contracts; however, the increase in demand pushed the group to call on private support from the community.

You can help by making a financial donation or signing up to be a volunteer; the organization is in need of legal professionals, Dari and Pashto interpreters and translators, and high school-age volunteers. Teenage volunteers can join a group of youth that supports refugee teens build and maintain personal connections while they transition to this new chapter of their lives.

Newcomers Access Center

The Newcomers Access Center empowers refugees and immigrant families in San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties to become independent by offering services such as health and wellness workshops, translation, employment opportunities, driving instruction and more.

There are a variety of ways to support the organization's work, such as making a financial contribution, donating a used vehicle or donating used items.

The center has partnered with the ACTS Thrift Store at 232 E. Foothill Blvd. in Pomona to accept gently used items that will be put on the shelves for refugees to purchase. Put all your donated items into a box with a printed NAC/ACTS flier taped to it. When the store receives the donation, it gives the center credit, and the center gives vouchers to refugee and immigrant families so they can purchase the items with the vouchers.

Read more: California officials urged to help migrants flown to Sacramento secure visas for crime victims

Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Service

The Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Service is a nonprofit, nonsectarian organization that offers refugees resettlement assistance, employment placement and immigration legal aid, as well as referrals to housing, education and health screening resources. Its a program of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and the Southern California-based affiliate of Episcopal Migration Ministries.

To assist in meeting refugees basic needs, including household and personal supplies, the nonprofit welcomes financial contributions via a secure portal on its website. Its also seeking leads to available housing for individuals or families.

Catholic Charities of Los Angeles

Catholic Charities of Los Angeles provides services to assist newly arrived immigrants in learning English, obtaining education, navigating legal matters and training for jobs that will provide at least a living wage. Most clients seeking immigration services are coming from Afghanistan, Central America, Iran, Iraq, Mexico and Syria.

It offers programs such as refugee resettlement, immigration services, immigrant rights advocacy and a temporary skilled worker center.

You can support these programs and the Catholic Charities clients by giving a financial donation that goes toward hygiene and comfort kits, case management, groceries, rental assistance and more.

The organization is also accepting applications for volunteers. Volunteers deliver food to the homebound elderly, tutor children, assist the food pantries or answer phones.

Read more: Column: Will conservative Catholics decry Florida's Sacramento migrant dump?

Central American Resource Center of Los Angeles

The L.A.-based Central American Resource Center offers legal support for asylum seekers, unaccompanied immigrant minors and other immigrants and their families, while also supporting community-led immigrant advocacy and organizing efforts, such as the National Temporary Protection Status campaign.

Through its legal services program, the Resource Center offers no-charge consultations for most cases, including DACA and naturalization applications. The charges for consultations and follow-up services that are not free are deeply discounted in comparison with private immigration attorneys' fees.

The organization welcomes monetary donations or volunteers to assist with such things as fundraising, English instruction, outreach and citizenship classes; for a complete list of the jobs and descriptions, visit the organization's website.

Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay

Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay offers a resettlement program that has long focused on refugees who have experienced persecution based on their religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. The majority of refugees it works with are Afghans who served as translators or provided support services for U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.

You can support the organization by gathering your family, friends or faith group to be volunteers for a welcome team. The teams generally consist of four to eight members and are matched with a refugee family to provide support, such as driving them to appointments, assisting with their job search and helping enroll kids in school.

Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay is accepting a variety of donations, such as home items, monetary contributions, gift cards and items on the organization's Amazon wishlist. Needed home items include small dressers, coffee tables, shoe racks, area rugs and small kitchen tables; a complete list of items can be found online.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Putin is facing an unprecedented armed rebellion led by Russia's Wagner Group leader. These are the 7 key players in the crisis.

Putin is facing an unprecedented armed rebellion led by Russia's Wagner Group leader. These are the 7 key players in the crisis.

Vladimir Putin is facing an unprecedented armed rebellion from Russia's Wagner Group leader.

Russia's war in Ukraine has led to infighting among several of the country's key players.

These are the seven people you need to know.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing an unprecedented armed rebellion from Russia's Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, his former close ally.

Fighters from the mercenary group entered Russian from occupied Ukraine on Saturday and claimed to take control of several military sites.

The Russian president called the apparent mutiny a "betrayal" and vowed Russia would defend itself and mutineers would be punished.

The events are a dramatic escalation in an ongoing feud between Prigozhin, the leader of the mercenary Wagner Group, and Russian military leadership.

The war in Ukraine has also exposed complex relationships and jostling rivalries between some of Russia's key players, which include army generals, politicians, and warlords.

This is everything you need to know about the most influential people of Putin's inner circle.

Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin. LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

At the helm of the war in Ukraine is, of course, Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

A former KGB agent, Putin has served as either president or prime minister of Russia since 1999.

During this time, he has consolidated his all-powerful position by crushing any political opposition, restricting the media, and centralizing power.

Putin's forces began the war when they invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, under the baseless pretext that Russia's neighbor needed to be "demilitarized and de-Nazified."

While all-out war broke out last year, the conflict technically began in 2014 when Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.

Reports have suggested that the Russian leader has become increasingly isolated and lives in an information vacuum surrounded by a tight inner circle of yes-men.

Military analysts speculate that as long as he is in power, Putin will not give up his goal of taking over Ukraine. And it is unlikely that he will relinquish control in Russia anytime soon.

Yevgeny Prigozhin

Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian tycoon with ties to Putin, has risen as a key player in the conflict because of his role as founder of the mercenary Wagner Group.

His relationship with Putin began after he set up a catering business in the 1990s that received lucrative government contracts, earning him the nickname "Putin's chef."

He only admitted to being the founder of Wagner in September of last year. Prior to the war in Ukraine, it had been widely seen as a de-facto private military service for the Kremlin.

Prigozhin notoriously recruited convicts to join the fight in Ukraine, and the controversial paramilitary group has played a key role in the fighting, particularly around the highly-contested city of Bakhmut.

In recent months, the firebrand Wagner chief has become embroiled in a public feud with Russia's top officials, particularly Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and top General Valery Gerasimov.

He has criticized them by name for not supporting his fighters with what he believed to be the required amount of weaponry and kicked up a fuss over who should take credit for Russian war victories.

He has also spoken scathingly about Russia's elite for protecting their children from being drafted into the war  and he even made a rare dig at Putin.

The feud took a significant turn on June 24, when scores of Wagner fighters left occupied Ukraine to enter southern Russia and claimed to take control of military sites in what appeared to be an armed mutiny.

Prigozhin has long been a close ally of Putin, but his rising influence and increased vitriol toward Russian leadership appear to have led the president to distance himself.

The feud has also led to speculation that Prigozhin could have political ambitions of his own, which he has denied.

Sergei Shoigu

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Russian Defence Ministry/Vadim Savitsky/Handout via Reuters

Russia's Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu is known as Putin's right-hand man and one of his most loyal henchmen.

There was a time when Shoigu, who has been defense minister since 2012, was a popular public figure in Russia and even touted as Putin's potential successor.

He was also known for his cozy hunting and fishing trips with the president to Siberia.

However, his position appears to have weakened since the invasion of Ukraine began  which he had played a key role in planning and is now overseeing.

Russia's failures in Ukraine might have undermined his decades-long ascent to the top rungs of power and have led to claims of a rift between him and Putin.

There have been constant rumors that Shoigu will be ousted, but he has held onto his post so far.

If Russia fails in Ukraine, experts say Shoigu and Russia's military leadership would become the scapegoats.

In an ongoing power struggle, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has repeatedly attacked Shoigu and Russia's military establishment.

Shoigu oversaw the invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014 and also played a crucial role in Russia's intervention in Syria in 2015.

Sergei Surovikin

Colonel General Sergei Surovikin. AP/Pavel Golovkin, File

Sergei Surovikin was appointed to oversee the war in Ukraine in October, arriving with the reputation of being a ruthless general accused of targeting civilian infrastructure in Syria.

Nicknamed "General Armageddon," Surovikin was supposed to turn the tide in the war but lasted just three months in the role.

During his short tenure, he oversaw the aerial bombardment of critical infrastructure in Ukraine, as well as Russia's forced retreat from the city of Kherson, which it had occupied in the early months of the war.

In January, he was demoted to serve as one of three deputies to his successor Gen. Valery Gerasimov.

Some experts noted that Surovikin's demotion was likely a political move rather than a punishment for failure.

Putting Gerasimov in charge could have been a move from Putin to increase the Russian army's authority amid an ongoing power struggle with Wagner chief Prigozhin.

The outspoken Wagner leader often praised Surovikin while criticizing Gerasimov and Shoigu.

Gen. Valery Gerasimov

Russia's Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. Murat Kula/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Russia appointed Gen. Valery Gerasimov, Russia's top general, to oversee the war in Ukraine in January.

He and Shoigu are widely seen as being two of Putin's most loyal followers.

Gerasimov replaced ruthless general Sergei Surovikin, inheriting what several experts described as a "poisoned chalice" following repeated Russian humiliations on the battlefield.

Gerasimov had been a key architect of the invasion of Ukraine, along with Shoigu, but appeared to have remained at arm's length during the early part of the war.

When the formidable Russian army failed to easily crush Ukraine, as it had been expected to, Gerasimov was personally blamed by many of Russia's nationalist war bloggers.

Now, he could be first in the firing line if Russia fails.

It was also a move that fits in the Kremlin's playbook to delegate responsibility and protect Putin from blame, experts say.

Gerasimov, who has served as head of the Russian army since 2012, played key roles in Russia's campaign in Syria and its annexation of Crimea.

Sergey Lavrov

Sergei Lavrov. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Russia's top diplomat, is often described as the Kremlin's mouthpiece.

He is considered to be an experienced and skilled diplomat, having joined the foreign ministry over 50 years ago and working through the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

However, his credibility has suffered in recent years as he has been tasked with defending some of Russia's increasingly hawkish and controversial actions.

Despite his long tenure, Lavrov is not a part of Putin's inner circle and has reportedly largely been sidelined from decisions regarding Ukraine  despite continuing to be forced to defend the invasion.

Ramzan Kadyrov

Ramzan Kadyrov. REUTERS/Chingis Kondarov/File Photo

Warlord Ramzan Kadyrov is the president of the Chechen Republic and is known for his unswerving loyalty to the Russian president.

Nicknamed "Putin's attack dog," Kadyrov has sent thousands of Chechen soldiers to help support Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Their impact on the battlefield is unclear, with observers saying their role appears to be more of a public relations exercise that suits both Kadyrov and the Kremlin.

Kadyrov started out as a Chechen rebel, but eventually switched sides and fought with the Russians in a war that helped boost Putin to the presidency.

In return, the Kremlin has helped Kadyrov maintain power in Chechnya and has reportedly turned a blind eye to human rights violations in the area, human rights groups say.

Kadyrov has also openly feuded with Wagner chief Prigozhin. While the pair hold similar positions  commanding troops but not having a formal military position  they have disparaged one another in the ongoing jostle for power.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Washington State Ferries will start its summer sailing schedule on Sunday, June 17.

Changes include late-night service for the #2 boat on the Mukilteo Clinton route. And theres an extra roundtrip overnight Friday into Saturday on the Edmonds Kingston run.

Also, passengers on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route will want to look at modifications to the daily 4-boat service.

Good morning! Our summer sailing schedule starts Sunday, 6/18. The change in season will bring modifications to our daily 4-boat timetables on our #Anacortes/#SanJuanIslands route.

(1/2) pic.twitter.com/bA5YctG3tZ  Washington State Ferries (@wsferries) June 16, 2023




Hello, friends of the Short List! I'm Nicole Fallert, filling in for John Riley. This weekend is Father's Day, a time to rest and connect with the people in our lives who care for us. I can't wait to give my own dad his gift (a fabulous list of book recommendations I've curated!) and spend the day outdoors together.

Let's get into it. Here's a look at a few outstanding reads from USA TODAY this week.

Distracted students and stressed teachers: More than three years after the COVID outbreak began, some children are thriving, but many others remain severely behind. This reality means recovering from COVID could be more costly, time-consuming, and difficult than they anticipated, leaving a generation of young people struggling to catch up.

US students are rowdier than ever post-COVID . Plus, a spike in outbursts, fidgeting, and nonstop chatter in classrooms coincides with a national mental health crisis.

Whats specifically alarming educators is the high rates of students missing vast stretches of their learning time  a month, two months, or even half of the school year.

Here's how parents can better understand how their kids perform academically and how to support their progress better.

 In Iowa Republicans  both voters and leaders alike  will reckon with former president Donald Trump's second indictment in a year and decide whether a candidate with mounting legal concerns can still effectively lead the GOP and take back the White House.

 Will the US have to choose between the collapse of NATO or going to war? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy raised this question less than four weeks before a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, where support for Ukraine will be a central topic on the agenda for the military alliance. President Joe Biden is also expected to announce increased security guarantees for Ukraine ahead of the summit in July.

 A 2021 wave of suicides that swept over Alaskan military bases have receded after commanders required troops to get counseling, the Pentagon added therapists and living conditions improved. But the Pentagon wants to do more to improve soldiers' mental health.

 For some LGBTQ+ travelers, gay cruises have offered a kind of haven on the seas. While early cruises catered primarily to gay men and lesbians, the market has grown in recent years, with more options aimed at a more diverse array of queer travelers.

 Monday is Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the day news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Texas in 1865. Although Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation became effective Jan. 1, 1863, some holders of enslaved people didn't give them the message that they were free.

There are more must reads below! See you next week.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Your weekend must reads
African leaders on a visit to Ukraine

When Russia invaded Ukraine, as the West united in horror against Vladimir Putin, many African nations opted either to take a neutral stance or even support the Kremlins aggression. Earlier this year, Eritrea and Mali voted against a UN motion calling for Russia to withdraw its troops, while a dozen African countries abstained.

South Africas official policy of neutrality has in practice appeared to favour Moscow, as it has engaged in joint naval exercises with Russia. Even a close partner of the West, it seemed, could not be convinced to come into the fold. Such actions have undermined any sense that the world is united against Putin. The war has risked entrenching divisions between the West and the developing world.

Yesterday, however, seven African leaders, including President Ramaphosa of South Africa, visited Ukraine. The trip was not without controversy, but it raises hopes that these nations can be brought on-side. Indeed, as they walked the streets of Kyiv, the leaders were confronted with the brutal reality of war: explosions hit the city and air-raid sirens blared.

African governments could play a crucial role as non-aligned arbiters. They have an interest in stemming the flow of Wagner Group mercenaries to their continent, while Ukrainian grain exports are essential to feed their people. But it will take a more sophisticated approach from the West, playing catch-up diplomatically with leaders who have become accustomed to Chinese and Russian support. Now is the moment to convince them that the territorial integrity of nations is in everyones interest.

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.
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty/Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken is slated to arrive in China on Sunday for a long-awaited trip that has been postponed for months over spiking tensions between Washington and Beijing. But current signs from both capitals suggest that the Biden administration might not be able to walk away with a win anytime soon.

Blinkens original trip was called off in February, days after the Chinese government flew a spy balloon over the United States, an incident which sent U.S.-China relations into a tailspin.

Officials from the Biden administration and from Chinese President Xi Jinpings administration have been hosting a flurry of meetings since then trying to patch things up. And although the trip is back on, Biden administration officials have already been working to temper expectations about what the United States might be able to get out of it, as a whole slew of other issues have threatened to send the relationship into further freefall in recent days.

They say time heals all wounds. But for the U.S.-China relationship, time only seems to expand and exacerbate lists of grievances. Just in the last several days, new concerns about China using an outpost in Cuba to spy on the United States have spilled out into the open, following reports from The Wall Street Journal and Politico. Blinken himself confirmed some of the concerns, noting China upgraded its intelligence collection facilities in Cuba in 2019.

Chinas military moves have unsettled the relationship, too. A Chinese warship recently cut off a U.S. Navy ship in an incident the Pentagon has called an unsafe maritime interaction, forcing the American destroyer to make some maneuvers in order to avert a collision. Last month, a Chinese fighter pilot shot in front of a U.S. reconnaissance plane in an aggressive maneuver, forcing it to fly through the Chinese aircrafts wake turbulence.

What the U.S. National Security Community Is Getting Wrong About China

These unsafe interactions raise the risk that one or both sides will make dangerous miscalculations, Biden administration officials say. One of the Pentagons primary concerns right now is about working to strengthen the guardrails against conflict with China in the coming days, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said this week.

But complicating matters is the fact that Chinese military officials have gummed up some communications channels with the Biden administration, U.S. officials say, ballooning the risk that misinterpretation could drag the United States and China into a more serious conflict.

The close calls are not an isolated incident: Unsafe Chinese confrontations like it have been stacking up in recent months, according to a recent tally from Indo-Pacific Command officials. Chinas military has increased its destabilizing military activity near Taiwan on a near daily basis, the U.S. Secretary of Defense warned in remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue this week.

One of Blinkens top goals for his meetings in Beijing is to reestablish communication channels with the Chinese to prevent miscalculation from growing into conflict, senior Biden administration officials said.

Blinken is expected to meet with senior Chinese officials to secure this goal, Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said on a call earlier this week.

Touch and Go

Not only will it be Blinkens first visit to Beijing since the spy balloon incident, it will also mark the first trip to Beijing for a U.S. Secretary of State since 2018, making it a key test of the Biden administrations approach to China at a time when Xi is increasingly leaning into military aggression and coercion.

If history can serve as any guide, the Biden administrations first senior-level meeting with Chinese officials in Alaska in 2021 devolved into chaos and finger-pointing over human rights.

The White House is not confident it will be able to pull it off.

This is not a visit in which I would anticipate a long list of deliverables coming out of it, Kurt Campbell, the deputy assistant to the President and Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs, told reporters on a call this week.

The sober assessment on possible outcomes for the trip has raised questions about why the Biden administration is going through the trouble of sending Blinken at all.

Despite the growing tensions, the Biden administration recognizes that its necessary to run the traps on diplomacy even when disagreements crop up, Jacob Stokes, a former national security aide to Biden and former acting special adviser to the vice president for Asia policy, told The Daily Beast.

Were trying to move towards a framework for the relationship where we continue to have diplomacy even as we have these areas of disagreement, Stokes said. Theres always going to be something thats happening that we disagree about.

Chinese official rhetoric about the relationship has been stern and ominous at best in recent days.

In a possible preview of what some meetings may look like in China, Chinas Foreign Minister Qin Gang warned Blinken this week that the United States ought to stop interfering in Chinas internal affairs, according to Chinas Foreign Ministry.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has been warning his country to prepare for escalating tensions.

We must be prepared for worst-case and extreme scenarios, and be ready to withstand the major test of high winds, choppy waters and even dangerous storms, Xi said at a recent national security meeting.

U.S. officials acknowledged they heard that Beijing was interested in putting the relationship on ice, but said there is still room for optimism.

Weve heard from unofficial interlocutors just a few months ago that China was giving up on diplomacy with the United States, Campbell said on the call. Weve seen other signals of late that suggest that they recognize that diplomacy with Washington is still important.

Although Blinkens trip has been hanging in the balance for months, diplomacy hasnt dried up entirely. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with the Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi, in May. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai met with Chinas Minister of Commerce. Kritenbrink met last week with Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu in Beijing.

Privately, Chinese officials have said they want to stop the downward spiral in the relationship, according to the assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

Regardless, Blinken has a trip agenda ahead of him with no good answers, said Derek Grossman, a former daily intelligence briefer to the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and to the assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs.

Chinas not really in the mood or prepared at all to offer any types of concessions, Grossman told The Daily Beast. What to do about the status of Taiwan? What to do about Chinas expansive claims over the South China Sea, threatening its neighbors throughout the Indo-Pacific, human rights violations? Theres no real kind of negotiating out of those things.

Keep Your Enemies Close

Some wins could come from conversations about climate change cooperation and work on counternarcotics to tamp down on the fentanyl crisis in the United States, which U.S. officials say Blinken will bring up.

But working out next steps on those issues is nothing to hang your hat on, Grossman cautioned.

Youre really kind of grasping at straws if these are the things that are going to maintain some sort of productive partnership, Grossman said.

One of the possible outcomes of the trip may be more meetings between Chinese and American officials, Campbell hinted.

We expect a series of visits in both directions in the period ahead, Campbell said.

Team Bidens First Big China Meeting Descends Into Chaos

But at this point its not even clear if even key communications channels will be opened as a result of the trip, according to Stokes. Biden administration officials working on this know what its like to be undermined by Chinese communications, or lack thereof, in times of crisisand are likely working to moderate expectations for the outcomes of Blinkens visit, Stokes said.

People like Kurt Campbell and Dan Kritenbrink have been there in earlier instances where one of a few things happenedeither China withdrew its participation in certain communications channels because of an incident China didnt like or when there was a crisis they would try to call and no one would answer on the other end of the line, Stokes told The Daily Beast. Theyve been burned before.

Even though there are no clear wins ahead at the moment, the meetings are likely to serve as significant intelligence-collecting opportunities to help inform senior leadership on how their counterparts are thinking.

Even discussions with your worst enemies are discussions that you can learn from and that you can use for future negotiating positions, Grossman said.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Why doctors used to think drilling into people's skulls could treat mental illness

Over 40,000 lobotomies were performed in the US before they were replaced by antipsychotic medication. National Library of Medicine

Lobotomies used to be a horrific way that doctors tried to treat patients with mental illness.

Doctors thought those with mental illness had abnormal neural connections so severing them may help.

More than 40,000 people got lobotomies in the US before the practice fell out of favor in the 1950s.

Howard Dully got a lobotomy at age 12.

"By some miracle, it didn't turn me into a zombie, or crush my spirit, or kill me," he told NPR in 2005 as an adult. "But it did affect me deeply."

Lobotomies are one of the most criticized medical procedures in history.

For some  including Dully, who received his procedure from famed lobotomy advocate Walter Freeman  they did more harm than good.

"Freeman's operation was supposed to relieve suffering. In my case, it did just the opposite," Dully told NPR.

Different doctors performed lobotomies differently, but one of the primary approaches was to drill a hole in the side of the skull to access the brain. You can see an example of this in a video from the National Institutes of Health.

What is a lobotomy?

A lobotomy, aka leucotomy, is a surgical procedure that severs neural connections in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain that controls cognitive function.

In the mid-20th century, some scientists believed people with mental illnesses had abnormal neural connections that caused their symptoms. So interrupting nerve fibers that connected the prefrontal cortex to other parts of the brain was thought to be therapeutic.

Doctors thought that severing certain connections in the brain could help treat mental illness. National Library of Medicine

Lobotomies were performed starting in the mid-1930s and throughout the '40s to treat everything from schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety to ulcerative colitis and intractable pain.

They were also a solution for overcrowded psychiatric institutions to treat and discharge patients to keep costs down.

But lobotomies often caused more problems  and sometimes resulted in epilepsy, personality defects, chronic headaches, seizures, permanent disability, or even death.

By the 1950s, lobotomies were on their way out, but not before doctors performed over 40,000 of them in the US alone.

The first lobotomy that started it all

Antonio Egas Moniz introduced the modern lobotomy in Portugal in the mid-1930s. His first patient was a 63-year-old woman with depression, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, and insomnia.

Two months after the procedure, a different psychiatrist evaluated the woman and reported that "the patient's anxiety and restlessness had declined rapidly," researchers recounted in the Singapore Medical Journal.

Lobotomies, which the Nobel Committee at the time considered one of the most important discoveries ever made in psychiatric medicine, spread to Europe and North America, where scientists developed their own modifications.

As a result, lobotomies had a variety of techniques, and two primary methods among them were the open method and the transorbital method, said Mical Raz, professor of history at the University of Rochester and author of the book "The Lobotomy Letters: The Making of American Psychosurgery".

With the open method, the surgeon made an opening in the skull with drilling tools, like a surgical instrument with a cylindrical blade called a trephine, to reach the brain.

The transorbital method involved insertion instruments  like an orbitoclast for breaking through the thin layer of bone  through the patient's eye sockets.

What was wrong with lobotomies

It's impossible to know how many lobotomies, if any, were truly successful in treating patients' mental health conditions because of doctors' questionable definition for what "success" looked like.

A drill, shown on the right, is cranked by hand to help doctors access the patient's brain. National Library of Medicine

"Psychiatric outcomes were  and often still are  judged by patients' reintegration and functioning in society," Raz said.

For example, Freeman, the American neurologist who introduced and popularized lobotomy in the US, partly based the success of his procedures on the patients' social adjustment after the operation rather than their psychiatric situation.

It didn't matter if a schizophrenic patient continued to have hallucinations and delusions. The lobotomy was considered a success as long as they were able to work or manage a household.

Moreover, the popular press was said to publish articles sensationalizing so-called successful procedures. Meanwhile, the scientific literature largely lacked critical analysis and objective documentation of patients' variable reactions to lobotomies.

A couple of experts also brought attention to how lobotomies only seemed to make it easier for caregivers to manage their patients, questioning its benefit as a medical treatment.

In addition, some patients were lobotomized without informed consent.

Why surgeons stopped performing lobotomies

It wasn't until the discovery of the first antipsychotic drug, chlorpromazine, that the use of lobotomies started to die down.

By 1954, about 2 million patients in the US had already received chlorpromazine, ushering in the era of medications as psychiatric treatment.

"Lobotomies were replaced by the advent of effective psychiatric drugs, which enabled behavioral control of difficult patients and made the drastic step of lobotomy seem unnecessary," Raz said.

Drugs were also often the safer, cheaper, and more effective option compared to lobotomy.

Although some lobotomies were still performed worldwide  albeit in much lower frequency  up until the 1970s, Raz said the 1950s was essentially the end of the lobotomy era.

The last known lobotomy in the US occurred in 1967, which resulted in the patient's death.

Today, lobotomies remain legal in the US, but regulations vary across states. Some states like California and Tennessee have heavy restrictions, but others like Colorado and Delaware have little to no regulations, researchers documented in a survey.

Read the original article on Business Insider
WINTERGREEN  A Wintergreen police officer was shot and killed Friday night after responding to an emergency call about an assault in Wintergreen Resort, per a press release from Virginia State Police. Three other people, including the suspect in the shooting, were injured in the incident.

Shortly after 10 p.m. Friday, a call came into the Wintergreen Police Department that an adult male had assaulted two other adult males at a residence on Arrowood Lane, the release said. After calling police, the two injured males fled the residence on foot. Police said that both are being treated at UVA Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries.

Virginia State Police, investigating the incident at the request of the Wintergreen Police Department, said that it appears the first Wintergreen Police Officer to arrive at the residence located the adult male suspect in the nearby woods and a struggle ensued. During the confrontation, the officer was shot and died at the scene, per police.

Thirty-one year old Mark Christopher Wagner II of Stuarts Draft was the officer killed, according to a Facebook post by Dennis Russell, Wintergreen Police chief.

"Chris asked for and worked the midnight shift. Whenever you saw Chris in the daylight, he wore dark dark sunglasses, and would crack a smile or two," Dennis wrote in the post. "Chris was dedicated to his job and whenever called for extra duty he was ready, willing and able."

Wagner was a 2010 graduate of Spotswood High School. He'd been with the Wintergreen Police since August 2020 after seven years with the Massanutten Police Department, where he started as a gate attendant and then became an officer after graduating from Central Shenandoah Criminal Justice Academy in May of 2019.

The male suspect was taken into custody without further incident by Wintergreen Police and the Nelson County Sheriff's Office, the release said. The male suspect was suffering from a non-life threatening injury and was transported to UVA Medical Center for treatment.

The officer's department-issued firearm was recovered at the scene in the woods. The investigation remains ongoing at this time, the release said.

More: Illegal fees? Augusta County animal shelter issue more than just local barking

More: Old Augusta County house named to state's historic landmarks register

 Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Wintergreen police officer shot and killed during confrontation
Woodward and Bernstein didn't bring down a president in Watergate  but the myth that they did lives on

U.S. President Richard Nixon at a White House lectern reading a farewell speech to his staff following his resignation on Aug. 9, 1974. George Tames/New York Times Co./Getty Images

In their dogged reporting of the Watergate scandal, Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncovered the crimes that forced Richard Nixon to resign the presidency in August 1974.

That version of Watergate has long dominated popular understanding of the scandal, which unfolded over 26 months beginning in June 1972.

It is, however, a simplistic trope that not even Watergate-era principals at the Post embraced.

For example, the newspapers publisher during Watergate, Katharine Graham, pointedly rejected that interpretation during a program 25 years ago at the now-defunct Newseum in suburban Virginia.

Sometimes, people accuse us of bringing down a president, which of course we didnt do, and shouldnt have done,Graham said. The processes that caused [Nixons] resignation were constitutional.

Grahams words, however accurate and incisive, scarcely altered the dominant popular interpretation of Watergate. If anything, the intervening 25 years have solidified the heroic-journalist myth of Watergate, which I address and dismantle in my book Getting It Wrong: Debunking the Greatest Myths in American Journalism.

Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward, left, and Carl Bernstein on March 1, 1974, Washington, D.C. David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

Impact exaggerated

However popular, the heroic-journalist myth is a vast exaggeration of the effect of their work.

Woodward and Bernstein did disclose financial links between Nixons reelection campaign and the burglars arrested June 17, 1972, at headquarters of the Democratic National Committee, in what was the signal crime of Watergate.

They publicly tied prominent Washington figures, such as Nixons former attorney general, John Mitchell, to the scandal.

They won a Pulitzer Prize for the Post.

But they missed decisive elements of Watergate, notably the payment of hush money to the burglars and the existence of Nixons White House tapes.

Nonetheless, the heroic-journalist myth became so entrenched that it could withstand disclaimers by Watergate-era principals at the Post such as Graham. Even Woodward has disavowed the heroic-journalist interpretation, once telling an interviewer that the mythologizing of our role in Watergate has gone to the point of absurdity, where journalists write  that I, single-handedly, brought down Richard Nixon.

"Totally absurd.

So why not take Woodward at his word? Why has the heroic-journalist interpretation of Watergate persisted through the 50 years since burglars linked to Nixons campaign were arrested at the Watergate complex in Washington?

Glosses over intricacies

Like most media myths, the heroic-journalist interpretation of Watergate rests on a foundation of simplicity. It glosses over the scandals intricacies and discounts the far more crucial investigative work of special prosecutors, federal judges, the FBI, panels of both houses of Congress, and the Supreme Court.

It was, after all, the courts unanimous ruling in July 1974, ordering Nixon to surrender tapes subpoenaed by the Watergate special prosecutor, that sealed the presidents fate. The recordings captured Nixon, six days after the burglary, agreeing to a plan to deter the FBI from pursuing its Watergate investigation.

The tapes were crucial to determining that Nixon had obstructed justice. Without them, he likely would have served out his presidential term. That, at least, was the interpretation of the late Stanley Kutler, one of Watergates leading historians, who noted: You had to have that kind of corroborative evidence to nail the president of the United States.

The heroic-journalist myth, which began taking hold even before Nixon resigned, has been sustained by three related influences.

One was Woodward and Bernsteins All the Presidents Men, the well-timed memoir about their reporting. All the Presidents Men was published in June 1974 and quickly reached the top of The New York Times bestseller list, remaining there 15 weeks, through Nixons resignation and beyond. The book inescapably promoted the impression Woodward and Bernstein were vital to Watergates outcome.

More so than the book, the cinematic adaptation of All the Presidents Men placed Woodward and Bernstein at the decisive center of Watergates unraveling. The movie, which was released in April 1976 and starred Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, was relentlessly media-centric, ignoring the work of prosecutors and the FBI.

The book and movie introduced Woodwards super-secret source, Deep Throat. For 31 years after Nixons resignation, Washington periodically engaged publicly in guessing games about the sources identity. Such speculation sometimes pointed to W. Mark Felt, a former senior FBI official.

Felt brazenly denied having been Woodwards source. Had he been Deep Throat, he once told a Connecticut newspaper, I would have done better. I would have been more effective.

The who-was-Deep-Throat conjecture kept Woodward, Bernstein and the heroic-journalist myth at the center of Watergate conversations. Felt was 91 when, in 2005, he acknowledged through his familys lawyer that he had been Woodwards source after all.

Its small wonder that the heroic-journalist myth still defines popular understanding of Watergate. Other than Woodward and Bernstein, no personalities prominent in Watergate were the subjects of a bestselling memoir, the inspiration for a star-studded motion picture, and the protectors of a mythical source who eluded conclusive identification for decades.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters.

It was written by: W. Joseph Campbell, American University School of Communication.

Read more:



W. Joseph Campbell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The first time the public heard Jane Does voice was from behind a thin piece of black cloth during an ethics hearing at the Idaho Statehouse.

That curtain, the anonymity, taking the tunnels into the building  it was all meant to keep her identity as much a secret as possible as she testified about what she said was a sexual attack by a then-Republican legislator.

Despite the lawmaker, Aaron von Ehlinger, being found guilty, nothing about how that hearing or the subsequent criminal trial played out was on Does terms. She was doxxed, chased through the halls of the Capitol and stalked at her home.

Two years later, Doe decided to tell her story in her own way.

On May 26, her voice could be heard across the country on an episode of This American Life, the mega-popular radio program and podcast that reaches more than 4.4 million people each week. The 74-minute episode charted at No. 1 in Apple podcasts, according to analytic website Chartable.

Doe recounted her time as a 19-year-old legislative intern in 2021, when she was a victim of von Ehlinger, who forced her to perform oral sex at his Boise apartment after they had dinner. The Idaho Ethics and House Policy Committee found von Ehlinger guilty of conduct unbecoming a legislator, and he resigned before a vote was taken to expel him.

A 12-person jury found him guilty of rape last August, and a judge sentenced him to up to 20 years in prison.

This American Life, known for its compelling first-person stories, allowed Doe to walk the audience through the events as she experienced them. The Idaho Statesman looked at the details revealed in the show, including some new information.

Jane Doe testified from behind a black curtain for the Legislatures ethics committee. Darin Oswald/doswald@idahostatesman.com

Who is Jane Doe?

In the episode, Doe, who continued to use her pseudonym, became a three-dimensional person to the public for the first time as she shared details about her life.

The 21-year-old Hispanic, multigenerational Idahoan has a membership at a local trampoline gym, teases her siblings with fart jokes and loves nerding out about the state Legislature.

She became the first teenage mother to work at the Legislature as part of the Idaho State Page Program, an experience she loved so much that she returned as an intern the following year.

I felt like I was walking on gold, Doe said on the episode. Literally (of) my entire family, Im the first one to ever work for the government.

Doe said she became interested in government after learning about the criminal justice system as a domestic violence shelter volunteer. She eventually began working the night shift at the shelter for $8 an hour while interning at the Capitol.

It was a sense of duty to domestic violence survivors, she said on the show, that convinced her to come forward about von Ehlinger, despite fearing that doing so would ruin her life.

Im reporting that because thats what a good Samaritan does, Doe said. Thats what you do. Thats what youre supposed to do. And so  being a domestic violence, sexual assault advocate myself  what would I be telling a different 19-year-old who got assaulted by a legislator?

Jane Doe becomes sexual assault test case

Doe didnt know when she told her Capitol supervisor about the rape that she would end up serving as a test case for the Legislatures new sexual assault reporting guidelines.

Under those guidelines, her supervisor was required to pass the report to higher-ups, according to This American Life.

The attorney generals office notified police while the House of Representatives launched an ethics committee investigation headed by Rep. Sage Dixon. The show pointed out that Dixon, a Republican representative from Ponderay who runs an electrical contracting business, had no training on how to conduct a sexual assault investigation.

This American Life obtained a transcript of an interview in which Doe was asked to tell the committee members privately what happened. When she got to the part about von Ehlinger climbing on top of her, Dixon stopped her, saying that maybe the committees getting uncomfortable, too, according to the show.

You made me relive a horrible experience and just tell me youre uncomfortable by it, Doe said on the show. I was so hurt.

For the public hearing, Does attorneys requested that she be able to testify remotely and that her voice be disguised. The AGs office denied the request. Dixon told This American Life that he didnt know about those requests and would have been open to them. In retrospect, he didnt think having her testify publicly was worth the trauma it caused.

Im very sorry if we increased that trauma, or that we did, because it never was our intent, Dixon said. I know each one of those members feels very strongly that she was wronged and wanted to protect her, but just due to our inexperience, things didnt come out maybe as cleanly as they could have.

After the hearing, Doe left her Capitol internship and took a job cleaning homes. She started failing college classes, lost 20 pounds and began having panic attacks, she said. People would show up to harass her at her apartment, and others would recognize her name in public and ask whether she was Jane Doe.

Her identity was supposed to remain anonymous, but it became somewhat public after von Ehlingers lawyer sent it to reporters and far-right outlet Redoubt News published it. Rep. Priscilla Giddings, a far-right ally of von Ehlingers, then shared that article on social media and in an email newsletter, in which she called Doe a honey trap who was part of a liberal smear job in a #MeToo witch hunt.

That act got Giddings removed from a legislative committee in November 2021 after she faced an ethics review. Jane Doe eventually sued Giddings, von Ehlinger and the Legislature. The suit against the Legislature was dismissed after a settlement. Doe recently dropped her lawsuit against Giddings and von Ehlinger as well, telling KTVB that she feared it would take too high of an emotional toll.

Nobody would talk to me. Nobody would even look at me in the eye anymore, Doe said, referring to her time still working after the sexual assault. I went from smiling and waving to everybody to nobody would look at me. And so then thats when I was really like, dang, they hate me. Like everybody in that Statehouse just hates me.

In the intervening years, the Idaho Legislature has not created any new sexual assault investigation procedures, sexual harassment policies or anti-fraternization rules, according to the show.

This American Life said the ethics committees only significant change afterward was to strengthen confidentiality protections so anyone who releases a victims name could face consequences. The committee has also created a new rule that would allow the Legislature to cover the legal fees of legislators accused of sexual misconduct.

Former Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, R-Lewiston, answered questions under oath during an Ethics and House Policy Committee hearing at the Legislature. Darin Oswald/doswald@idahostatesman.com

Hearings, trial cause distress

The ethics and criminal hearings were so traumatic for Doe that she said she had thoughts of suicide.

When Doe stood up to leave the ethics hearing, she was supposed to exit through a private door. In her distress, she pushed through the wrong one and found herself in a public hallway. She screamed and started running, pursued by von Ehlinger supporters and a local KBOI reporter, all filming her.

I broke. I broke. I screamed. I screamed a lot, Doe said. Like screaming how much I was going to kill myself. All I wanted to do was get to the top of the building.

She said she tried to get to the rotunda balcony to throw herself off it. Her lawyers blocked her, and she collapsed to the ground.

The criminal trial was also difficult. On the stand, Doe could barely speak. Finally, she pushed her chair back and once again ran out of the room. She ran across Front Street, then Myrtle, she said, as she tried to get to a bridge to jump.

She said police caught up with her and brought her to the ground.

It was like nine different officers on me, and I was just on the floor, Doe said. I was just screaming and hitting my head over and over.

As this was happening, she noticed her attorney nearby on his hands and knees, crying. Doe said the sight was painful enough that she stopped for a moment.

During this brief pause, the police put a full body restraint wrap, a helmet and handcuffs on Jane, Miki Meek, the episodes host, said on the show. They put her in a squad car and transferred her to a hospital for psychiatric care. She spent three days there.

Fourth District Judge Michael Reardon sentenced former Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger to a total of 20 years in prison, with at least eight fixed, meaning he wont be eligible for parole until 2030. Sarah A. Miller/smiller@idahostatesman.com

Doe dreams of future in politics

Doe explained to This American Life that she has come a long way. Shes been working at her stepfathers plumbing company but has recently revived her dream of going into politics.

She said she hopes to start by getting on a PTA and then City Council, and finally, state government.

Im going to be a lawmaker, Doe said. I will never have shame walking into that building anymore. Going forward, hell no. Hell no. Im a multigeneration Idahoan. My mother is here. My siblings are here. My son is here. Im here. No way youre going to oust me. I pay my taxes. This is our building.
If You've Ever Wondered How High-Profile Moms 'Do It All,' Here's Your Answer

Celebrity moms seem to have more hours in their day than the rest of us. They appear to be loving parents with highly successful careers and tidy homes. Somehow they manage to find time for socializing and self-care, too.

You wonder how youre barely holding it together while these moms are getting it all done  and then some. Theres an essential but under-discussed key to their success at home and at work: great child care.

Recently, a few high-profile mom have peeled back the curtain to bring this conversation to light.Stars like Chrissy Teigen, Busy Philipps and Kaley Cuoco thanked their nannies and other caregivers on social media for allowing them to work and be the kind of parent they strive to be.

Grateful for all the people who make it possible for me to be the best mother I can possibly be, Teigen wrote on Instagram on Mothers Day. I am endlessly thankful for your presence in this home and all our lives. we love you.

The same day Philipps wrote: I wouldnt have made it this far as a mom and a human without the incredible women whove helped me show up for my kids as my best self. Their love and care for my kids has allowed me to go to work and travel with the knowledge that the two humans most important to me will be taken care of.

Danielle Weisberg, co-founder and co-CEO of the digital media company theSkimm, shared a similar message in a June 5 Instagram post, writing that without her fantastic child care, There is no way I could work the way I do  the hours, travel, mental space, stress, etc.  and still try to be the mom I want (/try) to be.

Her familys support system includes a nanny they adore, relatives who live nearby and a part-time babysitter on the weekends. In the post, Weisberg called her care team the backbone of my ability to work and still feel like a human (on good days).

Weisberg was inspired to talk about this after one of her followers commented, I dont know how you do it all, in response to a picture she posted of her sons watching her on the Today show.

It hit me. I wasnt transparently sharing what my day-to-day really looks like because if I did theres no way they could think that I was doing it all, Weisberg told HuffPost. I certainly dont feel like I am. The truth is no one can do it all. And I certainly dont want to perpetuate the myth that you can or feel like you should have to.

Its impossible to have a discussion about child care in the U.S. without talking about the exorbitant cost. Child care is a necessity for working parents, but many cannot afford it, which pushes people (mostly women) out of the workforce. And yet child care providers are incredibly underpaid and undervalued, as Stephanie Schmit, a child care expert at the Center for Law and Social Policy, told The New York Times.

Recent proposed federal legislation included funding for child care costs, paid family leave and universal pre-kindergarten. But those provisions were cut from the final bill.

Though some companies offer backup child care, on-site day care and strong parental leave policies, these benefits are the exception, not the rule. More support for families is needed.

Why Being Transparent About Child Care Matters

In the comments on Teigens, Philipps and Weisbergs posts, many women wrote how grateful they were to see caregivers being recognized for the integral yet often behind-the-scenes role they play in families.

Amber Noelle, a career nanny and host of the podcast A Nannys Life, told HuffPost that these posts make her unbelievably proud.

On one hand, Im immensely proud of the work we do to both support and empower parents through parenthood, Noelle said. More importantly, I am so proud of parents who are transparent enough to acknowledge that raising tiny humans requires a village.

Highly visible parents opening up about what it takes to keep their households running helps to normalize asking for help, hiring support and delegating some responsibilities, Noelle said.

Allison S. Gabriel is a professor at Purdue Universitys Mitchell E. Daniels Jr. School of Business who studies women in the workplace. She said being transparent about child care arrangements is so critical to help make the invisible visible.

Often we look to high status or successful people with families, and we may have a knee-jerk reaction that they are just superhuman and able to do it all, she told HuffPost. But the reality is it takes a lot of support to raise a family and develop ones career.

But The Onus To Talk About Child Care Shouldnt Be On Women

Historically, moms have been the ones tasked with care-taking duties. And even women who work outside the home today are usually responsible for figuring out child care arrangements.

Moms are also the ones expected to be forthcoming about the support they have. This is a double standard, given that men also benefit from the child care providers in their lives.

It is fantastic that women are giving recognition to their care teams, but it is often because we still have societal norms where we ask questions of women such as, Who watches your kids when youre working? or How can you juggle work and family? Gabriel said.

We often dont ask these questions of men, despite the fact that they are likely to also be benefiting from having support behind the scenes, she added.

Carly Zakin, Weisbergs business parter at theSkimm, pointed to an article she read recently with a headline that insinuated women were hiding the fact that they have help  from nannies to housekeepers to chefs, she told HuffPost.

And I had this reaction that this is something youd never call men out for. Because historically they have leaned on their wives to handle all the child care and housekeeping responsibilities. It really made us stop and think about how women have been shamed and made to feel guilty if they cant handle balancing their careers with having a family and managing the household.

Its not that women are hiding the support they have, Zakin said, its because no ones talking about it.

Moms are often caught in this double-bind. Either they try to manage work, kids and the household stuff on their own and end up totally overwhelmed, or they get support and feel guilty that they couldnt hack it alone.

Weisberg said shes been on both sides of the equation.

I have fallen into two buckets. The first is not having enough of the right support or resources and then feeling the overwhelming weight of responsibility and anxiety because of it, she said. The other is feeling guilty or ashamed of the amount of support that I have and then feeling like Im not doing it all and Im cheating. Neither of these are good. And its not what I want others to feel.

For change to happen, its crucial for dads to be a part of the child care conversation, too.

The more women and men talk about the complexities of child care  and how challenging it can be  the better, Gabriel said, in order to nudge organizations to offer much-needed child care support for their employees.

Weisberg and Zakin are hoping to start an open dialogue about child care within their community and beyond.

We need it as a society, and it hasnt been made accessible,they said. The more transparent we all are, the more we can stop feeling guilty for needing help and start seeing that for women to stay in the workplace, its largely unsustainable unless we have some type of child care support.

Related...
Zelenskyy calls on African leaders to get behind Ukrainian peace formula

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The Ukrainian leader was speaking during a press conference in Kyiv on June 16 with the leaders of South Africa, the Comoros Islands, Egypt, Zambia, and Senegal, who came to Ukraine the day before with a peace initiative.

I am grateful to the participants of our meeting for their support of the principle of territorial integrity of states and the protection of nations from aggression, Zelenskyy said.

Read also:

Today, I saw the potential of our collaborative efforts on specific aspects of the peace formula. Naturally, I have extended an invitation to African countries to participate in the upcoming Global Peace Summit, for which we are diligently preparing.

Zelenskyy expressed his determination to attract as many countries as possible to the Global Peace Summit and ensure its prompt and successful organization, despite acknowledging there were inherent challenges in doing so.

During the G20 Summit in November 2022, Zelenskyy presented a comprehensive peace formula consisting of ten key points. These points encompass the restoration of Ukraines territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all detainees, the establishment of a tribunal to hold those responsible for the aggression accountable, as well as guarantees of security for Ukraine.

Read also: South Africa accused of supplying weapons to Russia

In a subsequent address to the Council of Europe in late March, President Zelenskyyspecifically called for a peace summit focused on addressing Ukraines situation to be held in a European capital.

Meanwhile, China, Brazil, the Vatican, and representatives from African countries are actively vying to present their own peace plans for Ukraine.

On Feb. 24, 2023, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs unveiled a comprehensive peace plan aimed at resolving the ongoing war in Ukraine. The plan comprised twelve points, which included the establishment of a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, the revival of peace negotiations, the cessation of unilateral sanctions against Russia, the smooth functioning of the Black Sea grain corridor, nuclear safety measures, and a commitment to renouncing nuclear weapons.

On April 30, Pope Francis announced the Vaticans intention to establish a peacekeeping mission dedicated to ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

However, detailed specifics of the mission have yet to be disclosed to the public.

Meanwhile, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil on May 10 expressed interest in mediating peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. He said that he had already engaged in discussions regarding this initiative with the leadership of both China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Read also: Zelenskyy talks with South Africa's president over alleged weapon supplies to Russia

Previously, Lula da Silva urged the United States to halt its military assistance to Ukraine, emphasizing the need for the United States and the European Union to engage in peace discussions.

On May 16, leaders of African countries put forward a new peace initiative for Ukraine. It involves initiating negotiations with Russia, even if the occupying forces do not withdraw from Ukrainian territory.

Zelenskyys Office emphasized that Ukraine is open to considering all peace formulas proposed by other countries, but only the Ukrainian formula can actually be implemented.

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
Zelenskyy is example of courage for Ukraine and world  Jewish Confederation of Ukraine to Putin

The Jewish Confederation of Ukraine has responded to an insult made by Vladimir Putin, the dictator of the aggressor country, who called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "a disgrace to the Jewish people".

Source: website of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine

Quote: "Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a leader who has shown an example of courage to his people and to the world.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a hero not only to the Jewish people, but to the entire political Ukrainian nation, which of course includes Jews. We are proud of the unwavering resilience of our President, who defends the democratic values, freedoms and peaceful rights of Ukraine and our citizens."

Details: It is also noted in the confederation's statement that there is no "neo-Nazism" in modern Ukraine, especially at state level, as Putin claims.

In addition, the confederation has pointed out that, in particular, domestic anti-Semitism is one of the lowest in Europe, and after 24 February 2022, it has been virtually non-existent in Ukraine.

Regarding the false accusations against Ukrainians of Holocaust crimes, the confederation reminded the Russian dictator that Ukraine is the fourth country in the world in terms of the number of righteous among the nations (people who saved Jews during the Holocaust): 2,691 people, according to Yad Vashem. According to Ukrainian researchers, there are more than 15,000 righteous Ukrainians. They are responsible for saving hundreds of thousands of Jewish lives.

"It was namely under President Volodymyr Zelensky that the Day of the Ukrainians who rescued Jews during the Second World War was established. It is celebrated at the state level on 14 May," the statement mentions.

The Confederation has shown a photo of the Menorah at the Drobytskyi Yar memorial on the outskirts of Kharkiv, where the Nazis shot about 20,000 prisoners at the Kharkiv ghetto during the Holocaust.

"The photo was taken right after the russian shelling on March 26, 2022," the Confederation stressed.

Background:

The chief rabbi of Ukraine, Moshe Azman, has responded to Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir Putin said that "his Jewish friends" call President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "a disgrace to the Jewish people".

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Zion National Parks Pride festivities are proof that the show must go on.

Zion National Parks Pride festivities are proof that the show must go on.

ZionNationalParks first Pride was everything its organizers set out to make it: A vibrant celebration of queer life set to the serene backdrop of Southern Utahs red and green canyons and a powerful act of resistance.

The event was hosted on June 15 by the Gays of National Parks, an organization that honors and protects the relationship between LGBTQ+ people and various parks. The celebration included performances and a parade, during which attendees volunteered to clean up the park.

During the parade, attendees volunteered to clean up the park, picking up trash along the way.

During the parade, attendees volunteered to clean up the park, picking up trash along the way.

While traversing nature has not always been the safest activity for visibly queer people, these national parks continue to provide space for them to gather and find solace and inspiration in these protected lands, as a rep put it in a press release about the event. And as our country continues the attempt to police queer bodies, keeping public spaces safe for everyone is crucial.

Among the organizations that participated in the events festivities were The Southern Utah Drag Stars, a collective of drag performers currently amidst a legal battle against St. George City, Utah.

Mitski Avalox, CEO of Drag Stars of Southern Utah, center, at Zion National Parks first Pride in Utah.

Mitski Avalox, CEO of Drag Stars of Southern Utah, center, at Zion National Parks first Pride in Utah.

In an effort to blot out this treasured form of queer expression, the city reportedly denied the organization a permit for a family-friendly drag show they hoped to host at a local park, arguing that the Drag Stars violated an obscure, rarely enforced ordinance. However, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)has stepped in to assist in filing a discrimination lawsuit against the city of St. George.

Zion National Parks Pride festivities prove that the show must go on, especially when that show makes bigots uncomfortable. A post on the joyful celebration from the parks official Instagram yielded a copious amount of homophobic comments  and a couple of amazing ones. I am so happy to see all the bigots say they wont be going to Zion anymore! It will be so nice to not have to share the trails with your hateful selves, leaving your trash all over. Good work, NPS, for finding creative ways to solve the overcrowding problem! Happy Pride! posted one user with the handle @mjmeszaros.

Community groups that attended included Encircle House, Pride of Southern Utah, Equality Utah, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon Parashant, Zion, Pipe Spring National Monument and Black Lives Matter, among others.

The loneliness epidemic is twice as pronounced in the LGBTQ community, said Dr. Hitesh Tolani, founder of the Gays of National Parks.

The loneliness epidemic is twice as pronounced in the LGBTQ community, said Dr. Hitesh Tolani, founder of the Gays of National Parks.

LGBTQ spaces have been diminishing over the last 10 years, resulting in the loneliness epidemic becoming twice as pronounced in the LGBTQ community, said Dr. Hitesh Tolani, professor, organizer and founder of the Gays of National Parks. With time spent in nature being a known way to help with loneliness, public lands like national parks are underutilized resources for addressing the loneliness epidemic.

Related...
BEDFORD  Three years after the Winoa USA business closed in Bedford, eliminating 38 jobs, the towns Economic Development Authority has its sights on purchasing the shuttered 60,000-square-foot facility and training a new crop of workers that will bolster the local workforce.

Jonathan Buttram, chair of the EDA, spoke on those efforts before Bedford Town Council on June 13, outlining the goals and strategies of the plan to buy it and set up a training ground operation for metal fabricator workers and other skills. The Roanoke and Lynchburg region ranks in the top 10 in the nation for metal fabrication businesses.

The Roanoke-Lynchburg region has a serious deficit in skilled labor that they need to sustain the local metal fabrication industry, Buttram said. Its a big deal for this region  metal fabrication.

Buttram told council workforce development is a major focus in the state and a vocational school that specializes in metal fabrication is an endeavor that will attract companies and make Bedford a destination for bridging the gap in training needs for employers.

Our solution is to create a first-of-a-kind regional workforce development center consisting of teaming with public and private industry partners in the development of a first-class teaching facility, Buttram said.

Central Virginia Community College is highly excited about the effort and the plan also is on Virginia Techs radar, Buttram told council. He said there is no such facility in the region for industry-specific training, which is shouldered by companies, some of which operate in conditions that are dangerous for newcomers not familiar with those settings.

The hands-on training will be highly beneficial for teenagers who have just graduated from high school and other workers looking to get into the industry and work with machines, Buttram said. The facility on 16 acres on Abrasive Avenue in Bedford is positioned to cater to Roanoke and Lynchburg, he said.

You almost feel obligated, to tell you to the truth, to make this into a regional training center for both of the two largest cities in southwest Virginia, and thats what we are going to do  Buttram said, adding the EDA hopes to own the building after Aug. 1. Its a big asset for the EDA.

Mary Zirkle, the Town of Bedfords planning and community development director, said the town and EDA look forward to the Bedford Metal Workforce Training Center being a transformative project for Bedford.

This asset and what it becomes will service the workforce pipeline in both the Roanoke and Lynchburg regions, and we hope even on a national level, Zirkle said.

Buttram said the facilitys location in close proximity to a proposed Amtrak station for Bedford is beneficial for leveraging Richmond lawmakers for a new train station that would allow prospective workers to come to the town.

The EDA has been awarded $100,000 to develop a master plan for the project, which Buttram said is targeted for summer 2024, and the authority will do further work to secure funding and seek out industry partners.

I look at this center as like a spring in the middle of a desert, Buttram said. If we can start producing able-bodied employees that know how to do things, companies will come here because we will be a source of talent. Companies like that.

The goal of filling up Bedford Countys business and industrial parks also will benefit from the project, he said. The building also lends itself to being used as a foundry, according to Buttram.

There is no commercial skill foundry that is dedicated to training and research, Buttram said. All foundries are production only.

The EDA has received a letter of support from the American Foundry Institute and Virginia Tech also is supportive of the foundry idea, Buttram said. The authority also has heard the U.S. Navy is in need of tens of thousands of metal fabrication workers and foundry-related training is a big part of that, he said.

I think its a big thing for Bedford to be able to see if we can get this thing off the ground, Buttram said. Its not something we have to do  this is something we want to try to do.

The town received just more than $316,000 to support restoration of a brownfield site at the former Winoa steel foundry, the governors office announced in October.

Brownfields are defined in the governors news release as properties in which redevelopment or reuse is complicated by the presence of hazardous materials, pollution, or contaminants. The grant money provided through the commonwealth is to help remediate these sites so they can be safely cleaned up, restored and made ready for use of something new, usually under the umbrella of economic development.

The former Winoa USA plant will be cleaned of the black dust that has been stuck to walls and other parts of the structure since the 1970s, left over from the foundry process, Zirkle said in October.

Buttram said the EDA didnt want to see the Winoa foundry site become a vacant warehouse and the authoritys goal is to be a proactive body and not just a reactive one. He added the project also ties in well with another major economic development goal: the addition of a business-class hotel next to the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford.

Council voted to authorize an agreement for the hotel project with a developer just minutes before Buttrams presentation on the Winoa facility plans.

Bedford Town Councilor Bruce Johannessen said he is glad the workforce training facility project is moving forward.

We are located in a great place between two cities, Johannessen said. It cant help but be a good thing for the Bedford area to be involved in this.

Vice Mayor C.G. Stanley said the training facility turning out trades workers in areas such as welding and electrical is good for area employers.

Its a big demand. It will bring people into Bedford, Stanley said. This is much needed.

Councilor Robert Carson said the D-Day Memorial in town draws thousands of tourists each year and some of those people think about moving to Bedford.

We have to have something to offer, Carson said. We have to be willing to take a chance on things that we think is going to bring people in.
A Wintergreen Police Department officer was killed Friday in an incident involving three other injured men, including a suspect involved in the shooting, according to a Virginia State Police news release.

The incident began after 10 p.m. Friday when an emergency call came into the Nelson County resort communitys police department about an man having assaulted two other men at a residence on Arrowood Lane, the release said. After calling police, the two injured men fled the residence on foot, according to police.

Those two individuals are being treated the University of Virginia Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries, police said. At this stage of the investigation, it appears the first Wintergreen Police Officer to arrive at the residence located the adult male suspect in the nearby woods and a struggle ensued, the release said. During the course of the struggle, the officer was shot and died at the scene.

The male suspect, who police did not immediately identify in the release, was taken into custody without further incident by Wintergreen police and the Nelson County Sheriffs Office. The suspect suffered a non-life threatening injury and was taken to the UVa Medical Center for treatment, the release said.

Wintergreen Police Chief Dennis Russell requested the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations Appomattox Field Office to investigate the fatal shooting.

The officers department-issued firearm was recovered at the scene in the woods and the investigation remains ongoing, the release said.

A post from the Wintergreen Police Departments official Facebook page identified the slain officer was Mark Christopher Wagner II. The departments page described Wagner as a dedicated officer who served the Wintergreen community with honor and answered his final call by laying down his life for the people he swore to protect and serve.

Wagner, 31, was a 2010 graduate of Spotswood High School and lived in Stuarts Draft. Chris is survived by his immediate family and the men and women who were his Wintergreen Police family, the departments post said.

Wagner started his career at Wintergreen in August 2020 and previously served with the Massanutten Police Department, according to the Wintergreen department. He graduated from the Central Shenandoah Criminal Justice Academy in May 2019 and was tasked with working the midnight shift, the departments post said.

Whenever you saw Chris in the daylight, he wore dark sunglasses, and would crack a smile or two, the departments post said. Chris was dedicated to his job and whenever called for extra duty he was ready, willing and able. His love for the badge was evident and his commitment to the community was undeniable.

An avid outdoorsman, Wagner spent much personal time hiking and photographing nature, according to the department.

Chris is remembered for always going out of his way to cheer others up and his infectious laugh was loud and echoed throughout the office, the departments post said.

Wagner was the agencys TASER and BolaWrap instructor, the post said. His father, holding back tearful emotions, remarked he was like Batman and was reminded of recently gifting his son a Batarang, a throwing weapon used by the DC Comics Superhero character, to go with all the tools he carried on his belt, according to the post.

Chris Wagner, Wintergreen Police Officer ID#15, was and always will be a hero, the department wrote.

The Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police recommends all Virginia law enforcement officers shroud their badges in Wagners honor the day of funeral services, according to a post the departments Facebook page.

The VACP expresses our sincerest condolences to Chief Dennis Russell and the Wintergreen Police Department and the family and friends [of] Officer Wagner, the post said. Our prayers are with them at this most difficult time.

A fund has been set up in Wagners memory: in interested in giving the link is is: https://fundthefirst.com/campaign/fallen-officer-mark-christopher-chris-wagner-ii-wintergreen-police-department-va-h3a90i.

Nelson County Board of Supervisors Chair Jesse Rutherford, on his personal Facebook page Saturday, joined multiple law enforcement agencies across the state in addressing Wagners death in the line of duty.

Today is a sad day for Nelson County, Rutherford wrote. Please be in prayer for our Wintergreen Police and law enforcement community.
On the afternoon of June 1, Daniel Scott Meadows was shot dead after an encounter with an Amherst County Sheriffs deputy on the side of U.S. 60 near the intersection of Sandidges Road.

Meadows mother, Kathryen Lee, of Gypsum, Kansas, just wants to know why it happened.

According to Virginia State Police, the Amherst County Sheriffs Office received a 911 call from a landowner near the intersection of U.S. 60 and Sandidges Road about a man, identified as Meadows, trespassing around that area. Meadows stopped his pickup truck at the intersection and the landowner called to report him acting very erratically while loitering at the intersection, police have said.

A deputy, whose name authorities have not released, arrived at the intersection and approached Meadows, a news release from state police said. Meadows pulled out a machete and confronted the deputy, the release said. The deputy shot Meadows, who died at the scene despite life-saving measures, police said in the release.

The deputy, who was not injured, is on administrative leave while state police are investigating, the sheriffs office has said.

In a phone interview, Lee said she believes Meadows, 40, was unjustly killed and will go to her grave thinking that.

Lee said based on her speaking with the medical examiner Meadows was shot three times in the chest.

Maj. Eric Elliott, of the Amherst County Sheriffs Office, said in a June 12 email he does not have any comment at this time about claims of excessive force by Meadows family. The case is still being investigated by the Virginia State Police, Elliott said.

Lee, who traveled to Amherst County in the aftermath of the shooting and has since returned to Kansas, said she believes her son was broken down on the side of the road. She said Meadows, who goes by Scott, was laid back and starting a fight was not in his character, and she cant envision him going after someone with a machete.

Scott wasnt a violent person at all, Lee said.

Lee said Scott was living in that area of Amherst County near where the shooting occurred and wasnt loitering. She said she believes the officer could have done more to diffuse the situation if there was a conflict.

Theres a lot of questions, Lee said. I cannot get answers.

A Virginia State Police spokeswoman said the deputy involved in the shooting was not equipped with a body camera and deferred further comment to the sheriffs office. Elliott, in an emailed response to a request from The News & Advance and New Era-Progress for body camera footage, provided a policy on body cameras but did not comment on if any footage could be provided.

Lee said she and her daughter spoke with Elliott and did not receive any footage of the incident. I want whatever anyone has got, she said, adding she wants to know the results of the investigation.

Scott worked on vehicles, had previously worked as a plumber and was a free spirit who loved to fish and be on the water, Lee said.

He was kind of quiet. He was very happy-go-lucky. He rolled with the punches, Lee said. He was just a great guy.

Scott also loved his dog Chewy, she said. He would have turned 41 on July 3, she said.

Scott was a big fan of exploring new places and lived his life to the absolute fullest without regret, according to his obituary.

Natasha McLean, Scotts sister, described him as a happy, laid back, kind person.

He wouldnt hurt anybody ever. He had a smile that lit up a whole room, McLean said. He loved kids so much. He would have been a great dad.

McLean said she wants to know why the incident escalated.

Its all unsettling, McLean said. It just doesnt make any sense.

Lee asks anyone who may have come into contact with Scott on June 1 to contact Virginia State Police and report anything they may have seen.

McLean said, based on her understanding, Scott was under his truck working on the vehicle that day on the side of the road and didnt have shoes or a shirt on.

He wasnt hurting anybody, McLean said. He should have been left alone.

Virginia State Police have provided no further details on the incident.

A VSP spokesperson said when the state police Bureau of Criminal Investigations Appomattox Field Office concludes the investigation, the findings will be turned over to the Commonwealths Attorney for review and adjudication. Amherst County Commonwealths Attorney Lyle Carver said he has requested Amherst Circuit Court Judge Michael Garrett to appoint a special prosecutor to assist state police in the review.
NAMI Southwest Iowa will host the Ride 4 Resilience and Recovery bike ride on Saturday, June 17.

In its third year, the Ride 4 Resilience and Recovery bike ride aims to raise awareness and funds to support individuals on their journey towards resilience and recovery. Participants can explore the scenic Wabash Trace, a picturesque trail between Council Bluffs and Shenandoah.

A pancake man breakfast will be held in conjunction with the ride, running from 7 to 10 a.m. at the Iowa West Foundation Trailhead Park in Council Bluffs.

Our collaboration with the Pancake Man Breakfast elevates the Ride 4 Resilience and Recovery to a whole new level, Chris Adcock with NAMI Southwest Iowa said in a news release. Participants can embark on a memorable bike ride along the Wabash Trace and indulge in a scrumptious breakfast that adds an extra element of joy to the event. We are excited to bring together community members, cyclists and pancake enthusiasts for a day of resilience, connection and fun.
Five African leaders seeking to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine arrived in Kyiv on a peace mission on Friday (16 June) as the Ukrainian capital city was rocked by explosions and the blaring of air raid sirens.

Last month, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had indicated that his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, had agreed to host this peace mission made up of six African leaders. Headed by Ramaphosa, the delegation includes Azali Assoumani, African Union chairperson and President of the Union of Comoros and leaders from Zambia, Senegal, and Egypts prime minister, has arrived in Ukraine as part of an African peace mission. At least two explosions rocked Kyiv and air raid sirens also blared as the visit began, the latest in a series of twists as the mission gets underway.

The leaders who are expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday and then travel to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Saturday (17 June), took cover in a bomb shelter. The peace mission could propose a series of confidence-building measures during initial efforts at mediation, according to a draft framework document seen by the media. The objective of the mission is to promote the importance of peace and to encourage the parties to agree to a diplomacy-led process of negotiations, the document states. Its measures could include a Russian pullback, removal of tactical nuclear weapons from Belarus, suspension of the implementation of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant targeting Putin, followed by a potential ceasefire, accompanied by negotiations between Russia and the West, according to the document.
The European Unions landmark Carbon Border Adjustment mechanism (CBAM) will push producers to decarbonize, yet make it harder to do so, because it is a poorly designed policy that can end up doing more harm than good, according to a latest study published by African Arguments that also suggests that the CBAM policy could cut Africas GDP by $25 billion.

Two experts in the field  Faten Aggad of the African Climate Foundation and David Luke of the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa at London School of Economics  have recently conducted a study into the CBAM policy. The official aim of the regulation, which will enter into force in its transitional phase in October 2023, is to reduce the risk of so-called carbon leakage, they say but in reality it will lead to EU-based companies to relocate their emissions-intensive operations to countries with weaker climate policies. The CBAM is intended to avoid this by ensuring that the carbon price of imports is equivalent to those produced in the EU. It is also hoped the CBAM will motivate foreign producers to reduce their carbon emissions to make their exports to the EU more competitive.

Yet, despite these lofty objectives, a study by the UNs trade and development body UNCTAD that modeled the effects of CBAM found that the policy would reduce global emissions by a mere 0.1% (at a carbon price of $44/tonne) to 0.16% (at a carbon price of $88/tonne). The new study by Aggad and Luke has found that CBAMs economic repercussions will be far-reaching  and most strongly felt in Africa, with some of the continents least developed countries  including Gambia, Mauritania, and Mozambique  projected to be especially hard-hit accordingly. To that end, they caution that the CBAM creates a catch-22 situation for African countries [because] it forces economies to decarbonize to access EU markets but, at the same, further limits their access to finance to make this transition. African Arguments is a pan-African platform for news, investigation and opinion.
With Russia now considering a withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal and with its offer of no-cost delivery of grains and fertilizers to friendly African countries, Moscow seems to be recalibrating its African strategy, says a recent Geopolitical Handbook titled Putins African Dream and The New Dawn published by Modern Diplomacy.

While Russian president prepares to review the fate of a deal permitting the safe Black Sea shipment of food and fertilizer from Ukraine, African leaders currently (16 June) on a peace mission in Ukraine and Russia are likely to propose an unconditional grain and fertilizer deal to Putin to fight hunger in Africa. This development, along with, for example, Putins promise of no-cost delivery of grains and fertilizers to Nigeria and Kenya, are part of Moscows strategy of soliciting full-fledged support for its special military operation in neighboring Ukraine by offering a carrot to selected African countries, according to the Putins African Dream study. Without mincing words, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently emphasized that Moscows shipment of fertilizers to Nigeria free of charge was intended to alleviate poverty and support needy African countries in the light of its special military operation in Ukraine and Western imposed sanctions that have driven up commodity prices.

As the world is changing and external players are also adopting strategic models to engage with Africa, the continent has the opportunity to gain from no-cost deliveries of whatever from Russia, the study argues. But the reality nowadays is that African leaders are choosing development partners with funds to invest in the economy. Perhaps, the best strategy for Moscow is to forge mutual collaboration with the local fertilizer industry in Nigeria, notably with the continents largest fertilizer plant recently opened in the West African country by Africas richest businessman Aliko Dangote. According to World Fertilizer magazine, Dangote plans exports from the plant to Brazil, which relies heavily on Russia for imports of fertilizer, and also to the major markets in sub-Saharan Africa. With delivery of free fertilizer to Nigeria, Moscow is only recalibrating its African strategy, the study notes. Nigeria absolutely does not need free fertilizer from Russia. Regarded as Africas economic powerhouse, the country rather appreciates Russias participation in corporate projects such as Ajeokuta Steel Plant located in Ajeokuta, Kogi State.
LINCOLN  Omaha philanthropists Barbara and Wally Weitz have made a $25 million gift commitment to invest in strategic priorities and leadership at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and redevelop a historic building at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis, according to a press release.

The Weitzes have pledged $19 million to UNO and $6 million to NCTA through the University of Nebraska Foundation.

The Weitzes gift was made as part of Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our Universitys Future. The campaign is a historic effort to encourage at least 150,000 benefactors to give $3 billion to support University of Nebraska students, faculty, academic and clinical programs and research to address the needs of the state.

Student Success and Activity Center at NCTA

At NCTA, the couples gift will support a $12 million project to create the Student Success and Activity Center on campus. The Weitzes challenge gift will be matched by $6 million in other private funding, with work to begin after fundraising is complete. Donations may be made online at secure.nufoundation.org/ onlyinne?give?sitename=ncta.

It took visionaries to create this rural arm of the University of Nebraska over a century ago, and now the Weitzes are the visionaries who are helping to lead us into the future, said NCTA Dean Larry Gossen, Ph.D. We are truly overjoyed to receive a gift of this magnitude to allow our campus to evolve with a new Student Success and Activity Center. It will be an awe-inspiring gathering place to be proud of  for students to study together, have social events, and, most importantly, an accessible dining hall. It will draw in students living off-campus and generate the energy and excitement our students need to feel a sense of belonging.

The gift to renovate and expand The Barn, originally built in 1917, will be the single largest monetary donation ever received by NCTA.

This campus in Curtis charmed me after my first visit to attend graduation, Barbara Weitz said. It is a seemingly small but remarkably important part of our commitment to bring resources, faculty and students to improving our agricultural knowledge and workforce in Nebraska. NCTA is a too well-kept secret south of North Platte.

The gift was inspired by a desire to promote workforce development in the agriculture sector and improve educational opportunities in rural Nebraska.

At NCTA, we are teaching agriculture in the field at the collegiate level, with the latest technology and practices in our academic programs, Gossen said. These include agronomy, animal science, ag education, equine industry management, ag mechanics, irrigation technology, agribusiness and veterinary technology. Improvements to campus facilities are included in NCTAs master plan and are central to our enrollment goals to grow from under 300 to 500 students in the next 10 years.

Gifts to University of Nebraska Omaha

At UNO, the couples gift will create the Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund and establish the Barbara and Wally Weitz Endowed Chair in Higher Education Leadership.

It is thrilling to be a part of a place that is doing the kind of things that are happening at UNO, Barbara Weitz said. This institution, and the University of Nebraska as a whole, are incredibly valuable because of the education they provide and for their importance to the economy of the state. We must have well-educated citizens for Nebraska.

UNO Chancellor Joanne Li said she is humbled by the gift.

On behalf of UNO, thank you for making this smart investment in our university, she said. This sends a signal to our faculty and staff that you believe in the work they do, as well as UNOs strategic focus on improving the economic and social mobility of our students. This gift is significant, and it means a great deal to our campus.

The Weitzes designated $14 million of their gift to create the Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund, to be awarded to strategic UNO priorities that may benefit from new investment. The funds purpose is to elevate particularly good programs to nationally recognized ones while addressing critical areas of need in Omaha and the state of Nebraska.

UNO will have discretion in how to use these funds. We have trust in the people doing the work to come up with the best ideas for our students and the community, Wally Weitz said.

From 2024 through 2029, the UNO chancellor will annually ask for proposals. An evaluation committee, made up of senior faculty, will then review the proposals based on criteria that include how well a proposal addresses a campus priority, the nature of the need being addressed and the likelihood of success.

Truly, this gift is an investment not only in UNO, but also in the entire Omaha community and the state of Nebraska, Li said. The Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund will support our faculty to dream big and realize opportunities to make the future of Nebraskas teaching, working and learning a reality. All projects supported through this funding will be selected with an eye toward how they strengthen our community as a whole.

The Barbara and Wally Weitz Endowed Chair in Higher Education Leadership, supported by a $5 million gift, is the first endowed chair in higher education leadership to be attached to a chancellors position in the University of Nebraska System.

The endowed chair, to be awarded to the UNO chancellor, will aid in the recruitment and retention of top leadership at the university.

The gift will be invested permanently in the endowment and provide an estimated $200,000 in annual distributions to support the UNO chancellor and her/his strategic priorities.

We are living in a time of immense change and opportunity, requiring skilled, strategic leadership from people who not only deeply understand the issues, but can set a bold vision for the future and inspire others to come along, University of Nebraska System President Ted Carter said. The Barbara and Wally Weitz Endowed Chair in Higher Education Leadership will help to ensure UNO always has strong leadership to move the university and the Omaha community forward.
In 1966, the good people of Nebraska had grown tired of paying high property taxes. They collected the needed signatures on a ballot initiative and they put the question on the November ballot. By a margin of 50.89% to 49.11%, the people of Nebraska passed a constitutional amendment that did away with the State Property Tax.

At that point in time, the state property tax was nearly the only source of revenue for all forms of government in Nebraska, including the state government. When the first session of the 50th Legislature met the following January in 1967, they began the session without any revenue to run the state of Nebraska. The newspaper editorial pages at the time were filled with predictions of doom. Many described the situation as a crisis for Nebraska.

The Republican governor, Norbert Nobby Tiemann, introduced two bills that created the state income and state sales tax. Opposition to the income tax was so fierce, the hearings for the bills took days as the line of people to testify stretched around the block. For the first time in history, the Nebraska Republican Party did not endorse a sitting Republican governor for re-election. They endorsed his primary challenger instead. The resulting political battle during the primary so wounded Gov. Tiemann, he lost the general election to the Democrat J. James Exon.

Today, 56 years later, we find ourselves in a similar situation. High property taxes are strangling the No. 1 industry in our state and people are sick of it.

Family farms and ranches are going bankrupt trying to pay their property taxes. People and businesses are fleeing Nebraska or not moving here in the first place because of it. In the seven years I have had the honor of representing the 43rd District, the Legislature has not had the votes to pass substantial property tax relief.

This year, the Legislature passed a major education funding reform with LB 243. It created an Education Future Fund starting with $1 billion, with more to be added in the years to come. It increased public school funding by over $300 million. Schools that didnt qualify for state aid before (the vast majority) will now get $1,500 per student. The Legislature also implemented a limit on annual school spending growth to 3%.

I believe since the Legislature has finally passed a bill that provides more revenue for public schools, Nebraskans should expect school districts to ask them for less revenue in the form of property taxes. As Nebraskans receive their annual property tax valuations, they should keep this in mind. The deadline for protesting their property valuation is June 30.
Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer

On Monday, thousands of the largest communities on Reddit went private, effectively removing themselves from the site. In an instant, Reddit became less interesting and useful. Remarkably, so did Google: As one of the internets biggest searchable repositories of content made by humans, including millions of user-generated questions and helpful answers, Reddit, which was started in 2005 as a link aggregator with the goal of being the front page of the internet, has become part of the search engines core infrastructure.

The blackout was organized in protest of Reddits plan to charge developers for access to its data, which could have the effect of killing a range of tools and apps used by Reddits volunteer moderators and some of its most devoted users and contributors. Reddits position is that third-party apps, including popular Reddit browsers like Apollo that aim to improve the experience of using the site, cost the company money while undermining its business model and functioning as competitors  echoing Elon Musks justifications for a similar move at Twitter earlier this year. In the process of becoming a pillar of online life, Reddit never turned a profit. Now, its leadership needs that to change, and theyre running out of patience.

In a leaked memo addressing the uproar, CEO Steve Huffman assured staffers that like all blowups on Reddit, this one will pass as well, and that it hadnt had a significant revenue impact. As the blackout has stretched on  some communities reopened after two days as they had initially planned, but many have remained closed  his tone has hardened. In an interview with the Verge, Huffman began by describing Reddit as a platform built by its users and compared it to a city: Were a platform and tech company on one hand, but on the other its a living organism, this democratic living organism, created by its users. Pressed on the protest over the new API policy, though, he quickly turned: Thats our business decision. And were not undoing that business decision. By the end of the conversation, he had left the city behind entirely:

90-plus percent of Reddit users are on our platform, contributing, and are monetized either through ads or Reddit Premium. Why would we subsidize this small group? Why would we effectively pay them to use Reddit but not everybody else who also contributes to Reddit? Does that make sense? These people who are mad, theyre mad because they used to get something for free, and now its going to be not free. And that free comes at the expense of our other users and our business. Thats what this is about. It cant be free.

In an interview with NBC News, Huffman accused volunteer moderators of subverting the true will of Reddits users, who he suggested increasingly sympathize with his position. He called the protesting moderators the landed gentry of the platform, the people who get there first get to stay there and pass it down to their descendants, and that is not democratic.

Mr. Huffman is stretching in a variety of directions here. Reddit is not a feudal government, or a city in any sense; neither is it ultimately democratic, as he frequently suggests. Its an advertising- and subscription-supported web service that also depends on free content and unpaid labor from its users. It is, substantially, in the same business as Meta, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok  giving people something to use mostly for free in exchange for their monetizable time and attention.

But Huffmans mixed metaphors do tell a story. As similar as its underlying business model may be, Reddit feels different from its social-media competitors and contributes something different to the internet around it. Rather than prioritizing individual profiles, it emphasizes communities and their posts; rather than presenting its users with simple chronological feeds or overwhelming them with algorithmic recommendations, it relies heavily on user feedback to rank content in the form of upvotes and downvotes. To a greater extent than most large platforms, Reddit allows and expects its groups to moderate themselves. Unlike its feed-based peers, it is clearly descended from a smaller, more fragmented era of the web, in which people with shared interests and enthusiasms found each other on forums and contributed out of a sense of, well, community.

As Alex Pareene writes at Defector, Reddits function as a sort of forum-of-forums has contributed to a funny reputational trajectory, from merely embarrassing but occasionally amusing, to actively harmful, to  mainly by accident  essential. Ill add to this a brief structural account. Reddit started as an aggregator with voting and comments, which made it a good place for a limited number of people to find and chat about links. As an aggregator, though, it was seen by some of its smaller established peers  and forum users elsewhere who felt they had a claim over internet culture, for example 4chan  as slow and sort of parasitic. As Reddit grew, its communities started to function in self-sustaining ways, becoming, in many cases, the de facto or simply last remaining spaces for forum-like communication. As a much larger and more effectively monetized internet grew around it, though, Reddits position was flipped: Rather than aggregating content from the rest of the web, it became a place from which original material was aggregated  by commercial publishers, sure, but also by Facebook users looking for something funny to share with their friends. Or by Google, in its attempts to serve honest and relevant how-to guides or product recommendations from an increasingly polluted web.

From the distant historical perspective of a 90s or 2000s forum moderator or avid user, the Reddit of today might sound like a pretty depressing destination: a link aggregator that replaced and flattened the webs independent communities into a single template owned by one company. But place it next to the other places people started spending most of their time online in the 2010s and it looks like a civic institution in comparison. It may not be ideal, but Reddit is a place where people build spaces with shared norms to talk about stuff they want to talk about. Its not the feed.

The experience of feed-based social networks is primarily about the individual. In addition to endless streams of content, they provide their users with personal feedback and validation, or opportunities for notoriety or fame, in exchange for their contribution and engagement. Their most devoted users, whose presence helps keep others around, are driven to cultivate brands  to see their followers as customers  in all but explicit marketplaces for attention.

Reddits most devoted users, however, are up to something a bit different. Sure, theyre producing content for upvotes, maybe, but usually under pseudonyms, and to no commercial benefit. Its possible some of its moderators are on power trips as they contribute workweeks of time to keeping their communities usable. Its plausible that some of its third-party developers see Reddits API as a loophole they can profit off of, rather than a tool they can use to meet a clear demand from other Reddit enthusiasts who want a little more control over how they use the platform. Mostly, they just stubbornly continue to arrange themselves in communal ways, to communal ends, in a manner that  if not quite selfless or civic-minded  serves members own interests.

A majority of Reddit users dont post much, if at all. Reddit is a site they browse or a resource they encounter in Google searches. Its volunteer moderators are a rare and idiosyncratic breed. But Reddit has always struggled to make money because its leadership seemed to understand that aggressive attempts to monetize would make its most active and valuable (and obsessive and defensive) users, the ones inclined to provide and filter and organize its content, less likely to feel like theyre there for each other, more cognizant of the firm thats overseeing the whole operation, and more likely to see their contributions as unpaid labor for a corporation. Reddits leaders were afraid of alienating these devotees, rightly I think, and now theyre either not or have bigger things to worry about.

This has contributed to a sense of confusion in Reddits rhetoric about what sort of conflict its in with its moderators and users. Is this a labor dispute? Sort of! Except nobodys getting paid. Is this a democratic process? Sure, except everyone knows it can be overridden. Are app developers doing a service developing software for Reddits most devoted users? Yes. Or are they scammers? Also, apparently, yes. Are moderators insignificant weirdos who are power mad and holding the site hostage? Some are  so how about a coup or two to depose them.

In that conversation with the Verge, Huffman inadvertently offered more clarity:

We allow the protests. We dont have problems with protests. I think its important. Thats part of the democracy. Its part of the democratic part of Reddit. But the users are not in support of it now. Its like a protest in a city that goes on too long, and the rest of the citizens of the city would like to go about their lives.

Protest, democracy, citizens? Sure, whatever. This is a boss talking, unable to pretend that hes anything else. This is a tech CEO who has praised Musks transformation of Twitter as reaffirming. Reddit, like any commercial platform, is only a community until its owners need it to be something else. Huffman is obviously right that Reddit will survive this protest, which was triggered by niche concerns among a subset of users. But, in time, it will have to confront the question that has haunted it since the very beginning: Did Reddit become invaluable despite its inability to make money? Or because of it?
Illustration: Zohar Lazar

Time collapses into itself in a place like this.

If youve been to one, youve been to them all, give or take an insurrection. The crowd is not representative of humanity and not representative of the voting public. It is a carnival for those with several hours to kill in the middle of a workday. The unemployed, the retired, the superfans, the super-freaks, and the super-curious. A tour bus pulled up to the corner to release dozens of star-spangled elderly people from Orlando, hunched over walkers and carrying banners and flags and assorted paraphernalia that read TRUMP and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN and 45 and SAVE AMERICA AGAIN and I STAND FOR THE FLAG, I KNEEL FOR THE CROSS.

I heard my name. Not something I especially wanted to hear in this crowd, if Im being honest. Sup, Olivia? It was Anthime Gionet, a far-right personality known as Baked Alaska. Id last seen him in 2016 when he was chasing me around a press conference in Las Vegas to harass me on his livestream. Since then, he had documented his unlawful occupation of the Capitol on January 6, a crime for which he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 60 days in federal prison. Ive got this primal aversion to being followed around by unstable men, and as I tried to shake Baked Alaska, he told me and his viewers not to worry, he wouldnt troll me this time.

Across the lawn, I saw another familiar face. Bob Kunst, a longtime activist and Trump supporter I first encountered in Cleveland in 2015 outside the first Republican debate, the one where Trump refused to pledge his support for the eventual nominee and accused Megyn Kelly of having blood coming out of her wherever. Back then, Kunst would wear a shirt that resembled the COEXIST logo but in fact read INFIDEL and hed carry around a rubber Hillary Clinton mask, which he sometimes donned to complete the look. Today, he seemed a lot older and a little more understated, seated on a folding chair on the grass with a hand-drawn sign that read, DISHONEST DESANTIS, THE PROBLEM NOT THE ANSWER. He dismissed the charges against Trump as a distraction, merely the latest tactic from the Establishment to keep him from power. Kunst was concerned with existential threats to the Republic coming from China and elsewhere, and he did not much care about the particulars of Trumps alleged wrongdoing, since, as he sees it, Trump is the only one who has any chance against Americas adversaries.

This being the great outdoors, a few feet away, a live rooster roamed among the forest of television cameras and a man waved a dead pigs head aloft on a spear.

And whos to say what year it is anymore? In the Starbucks across from the courthouse, a group entered in shirts that read BLACKS FOR TRUMP 2020.

Meanwhile, Trumps motorcade took off from Trump National Doral and snaked through the streets of downtown Miami. A camp parade of police hogs and big SUVs flashed under the billboards for personal-injury attorneys  1-800-FL-LEGAL and STEINGER, GREENE & FEINER GOT ME $800K (RESULTS BASED ON THE UNIQUE FACTS OF EACH CASE)  into hordes of fans and haters lined up in 90-degree heat and 69 percent humidity to catch a glimpse of the days spectacle and, if they were feeling contemplative, grapple with the legitimately dire situation the American Republic now faces.

On the eve of his 77th birthday, the former president and current 2024 GOP front-runner arrived at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Courthouse as a criminal defendant facing 37 federal charges for mishandling classified materials cribbed from the White House and stashed haphazardly in odd corners of his Palm Beach estate and for the alleged obstruction of the investigation into the matter.

Special counsel Jack Smiths 44-page indictment detailing the governments case against Trump and an aide, Walt Nauta, was made public earlier in June, weeks after Trump was first indicted and arraigned in New York on separate charges related to hush-money payments made by his campaign during the 2016 election.

A few feet away, a live rooster roamed among the forest of TV cameras and a man waved a pigs head on a spear.

In photos included as evidence, boxes and boxes of documents are stored in the basement, on the ballroom stage, and, most memeably, in a bathroom at Mar-a-Lago. Another shows a box overturned, its highly sensitive contents spilled onto the floor.

The materials included information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries; United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack, according to the indictment. The irony was rich and obvious. This from the law and order president, the guy who wanted to Lock her up! over emails. The federal charges, including that Trumps actions violated the Espionage Act, carry with them the threat of serious jail time, which Jonathan Turley, a conservative legal scholar, called a terminal sentence.

In the courthouse on Tuesday, Trumps lawyer told the judge, Your honor, we most certainly enter a plea of not guilty. Throughout the proceeding, Trump sat stoically, his arms crossed, as Smith stared him down.

The SUVs emerged from the garage under the courthouse to roars from the crowd. Motorcycles revved. The caravan lingered. Members of Trumps entourage rolled down their windows to snap photos of the scene. Trump traveled with his deputy communications director for his presidential campaign, Margo Martin, whom Fox News mistakenly identified as his third wife, Melania. As the motorcade began rolling, a man dressed in a black-and-white-striped prison uniform and holding a sign that read LOCK HIM UP jumped in front of the vehicles and was tackled by Secret Service.

The crowd followed into the streets. On a speaker, a man began to chant, We have to put Jesus back in the classrooms! We have to put Jesus first if we want to save America! Even for those of us disagreeing with the prescription, it was hard to argue with the idea that the country is in a real fix. Not long ago, all this would have felt over-the-top in a political satire: the story of a former president  and political cult leader of sorts  whose flagrant misconduct left the Justice Department with no reasonable choice but to act, but also a story about the state prosecuting the likely presidential nominee of one of the countrys two main parties, functionally Americas political opposition leader. There are many countries in the world where opposition leaders are prosecuted. They tend to be places with very serious political problems. Or, as a New York Times editorial from the calmer days of 2007 had it: Putting political opponents in jail is the sort of thing that happens in third-world dictatorships.

Watching the generic courthouse circus, I found it easy to forget about the remarkable particulars of the circumstances. Trump is seemingly on track to either be elected president or go to prison for the rest of his life. But because nearly every day of the past eight years the pundit class has cried rapture, most people dont seem capable of feeling different, or acting differently, this time. The specifics do not interest them. The facts do not sway them. Their allegiances are practically religious. As the event wrapped up, a man in a MAGA hat recorded a TV interview a few feet from me. I love him, he told the host, because I love him. So the show goes on.

Later, Fox News ran a mocking supercut of liberal pundits referring to Tuesdays events as sad. But even if youre inclined to absorb any Trump misfortune with utter glee, surely the dark implications of whats transpiring cannot be lost on you.

A short drive away, the crew stopped at Versailles, a legendary Cuban restaurant. There, supporters sang Happy Birthday to the defendant-candidate. Trump came close to a laugh. Some birthday, he said.

The members of his legal team are expected to fight the charges on technicalities, searching for a foothold to argue that prosecutors working for the special counsel engaged in misconduct with the grand jury or during interviews with Trumps lawyers. In particular, they will dispute as evidence the damaging notes and recordings collected from Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran, which the New York Times characterized as a roadmap for the prosecution. For his part, Trump is fighting these charges with the familiar cry Witch hunt! and with his claim that the Espionage Act, which he has mocked as antiquated (Wasnt meant for this, he said), could not possibly apply to him because the documents belonged to him when he took them and belong to him now, statements that are categorically false.

Hours later, at his private club in Bedminster, Trump said, This day will go down in infamy. The story of his arraignment was a story of political persecution carried out by corrupt President Biden, he said. Threatening me with 400 years in prison for possessing my own presidential papers, which just about every other president has done, he said. The Espionage Act has been used to go after traitors and spies. It has nothing to do with a former president legally keeping his own documents. As president, the law that applies to this case is not the Espionage Act, but very simply, the Presidential Records Act, which is not even mentioned in this ridiculous 44-page indictment. (The act states that when a president leaves office, these records become the property of the Archivist of the United States.)

As Trump spoke, he was egged on by staff and donors in town for a candlelit fundraising dinner the campaign claims raised $2 million. As this crowd broke into Happy Birthday, Trump looked on approvingly. Great birthday, he said. Nice birthday, isnt it? Nice birthday, wonderful birthday. They were saying, Happy Birthday. I was with Eric and Laura and the kids  Happy Birthday, Grandpa. And I said, Oh, great. I just got charged with, they want 400 years, approximately. If you add them all up, a fake 400 years. Oh, thank you, darling. Thats so nice. Its a wonderful birthday. But were going to make it into the greatest birthday of all. Well make it into the greatest of all. I will.
Since Juneteenth became an official federal holiday in 2021, more people have learned about the piece of history they didnt know they were missing.

The holiday to me personally means independence, said Henrietta Crittenden-Snipes, the chairwoman for the Opelika Housing Authority. It was a time that my ancestors were finally free. On the flipside, even though were free, it took years. So I cant forget that part. Even though they were free on paper, they were not really free.

The Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, but it wasnt until 1865 that the last enslaved people in Texas were actually told and freed.

While more cities are beginning to hold celebrations in honor of the day that officially marked the emancipation of slavery in the United States, Snipes said the City of Opelika has been celebrating the holiday since 2012. She said Opelika was probably one of the first in the state of Alabama to celebrate it.

The city-led celebrations began in Opelika because of Snipes and her 44-year-old daughter, Jacquetta Allen-Ward.

Snipes, 67, said shed never heard about the holiday until her daughter learned about it during a summer cultural program when she was 13 years old. Ward told her mother about what shed learned and together they sat down to do some research. After discovering the history behind Juneteenth, they started to tell everyone about it.

She always said as a little girl that one day she wanted to have a Juneteenth celebration here, Snipes said.

After her daughter graduated from college, thats exactly what they did.

Starting in 2012, they organized the first city-run event in Opelika. About 25 people attended the first event, but Snipes said its continued to grow over the years.

The first celebration involved an educational component and a march from Greater Peace Baptist Church to Bandy Park. Snipes also had Carolyn Shelton, a nationally known chef from Louisiana, come to teacher etiquette to local children. Shelton was one of Continentals first Black flight attendants.

For the annual events that followed, Snipes invited former college and professional athletes to attend and mentor the local children. Over the years, thereve been a few changes to the event, but the basis remains the same. Its a time for camaraderie and unity.

The main thing that we encourage is unity. Thats been a continuous theme from the very start to now. We talk about unity, Snipes said.

They had to take a few years off because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Snipes and the City of Opelika started celebrating again afterwards. In 2021, when Juneteenth became a national holiday, Snipes said they were in downtown Opelika getting ready for the Juneteenth event when the news was released.

I was ecstatic because that was one of the things we actually advocated for throughout, Snipes said.

Mayor Gary Fuller gave a speech with the announcement and Snipes said everybody in attendance cheered.

My daughter and those who have been there from start were like its been very much worth the effort, so its grown and grown, Snipes said.

Over the years, she said the celebration has grown to include a more diverse group of people and families. She also said the fire department and police department has also been very supportive.

This year will be the first time the City of Opelika will be working with the City of Auburn to coordinate Juneteenth events together. Snipes said the two cities are part of one community, so it was a great idea to combine efforts and, again, show unity.

Snipes said theres still more work to do to educate people about Juneteenth. She still runs into people who dont know what the holiday is about, but she believes progress will continue since it became a national holiday.

Thats the importance of it being a national holiday. I think thats going to educate people a lot, but I still think its going to be a time process for everybody to know and to appreciate the holiday for what it really is, she said. In this area, its been well received and well supported by several businesses, our city and both mayors. Everybody has just been very supportive.

Photo gallery: Juneteenth celebrations this weekend in Opelika and Auburn
Saxophonist Maria Elena Rios accused Tenoch Huerta of stealthing, gaslighting, victim blaming, and leading Poder Prieto as a cult through a letter shared on her Twitter. She didn't hold back.

Elena and Tenoch met at Prieto Festival in December 2021 and started a short-lived relationship until March last year at a gathering of human rights activists in Quintana Roo (The Mayan Riviera). She fell in love just to find out later that he seduces the women he invites to join his organization.

The fact that it was a consensual relationship in the beginning, does not determine that everything will continue to be so at all times because removing a condom without a warning, IS A CRIME, it's sexual assault ...

An actress founder of Poder Prieto told her that she was sorry for her, that he was like that but he was trying to change. She also told her that he did it to her too but she understood it was just a lay. The actress is more than likely Maya Zapata.

Sister, you were the new one in the group, let's just say you have to go through with it

Source, Source and my little knowledge of her case and experience traveling my country.

Tenoch also uses his fame and connections to keep young actresses he invites to join his group silent.

It's not cool what he did to you, but I'm just starting out in acting; Tenoch and Maya can recommend me.

Tenoch, you know that it is very difficult to talk about the violence you caused.



 Because i am in the middle of pursuing justice through the legal process of attempted femicide.



 In Mexico the violence you caused has not yet been legislated.



You took advandage of this. pic.twitter.com/ZIXg2B5tr9   i  (@_ElenaRios) June 17, 2023

Her entire statement makes Poder Prieto and Tenoch Huerta sound like a potential Sergio Andrade/Gloria Trevi group, and the fact that the pedophile guy from Glee was also accused of stealthing is weirdly coincidental.





On September 9, 2019, Maria Elena Rios was attacked with acid outside her home by men hired presumably by the son of her ex-boyfriend, a former Mexican politician and businessman. The son is still at large and her former partner awaiting trial. Maria Elena is still afraid her ex-boyfriend will be released because of corruption. In Oaxaca the state she and her attackers are from, men still put a pot with a hole at the door of their house if the bride is not a virgin and fathers can sell their preteen daughters legally because the state recognizes their right to follow their customs and habits.
There is something in the air: a pushback against the charge to net zero, come hell or highwater.

Yesterday, Shell said it would stabilise its production; Exxon Mobil, separately, said they didnt think society would bear up to the sacrifices necessary to hit net zero by 2050. Others in government have expressed scepticism about the cost of that process, not least when under-developed nations are unlikely to be in any great hurry to close up the cheap energy production which is a) making them rich and b) powering a vast increase in living standards.

We have written many times in City A.M. that the cost of going green is more significant than people realise, even in an environmental sense. Indeed, in many ways  as Ed Conway, whose book Material World comes out today, has made clear  hitting net zero targets will require a sizable plundering of the raw materials that many believe should stay firmly in the ground. The amount of copper required in todays generation of wind turbines is no joke. On the financial side, the hit to household budgets and living standards could well be dramatic.

Net zero by 2050 is, of course, the product of political grandstanding. Its a noble and worthy aim but its fundamentally arbitrary. Far better would be for governments, diplomats and campaigners to mirror the pragmatism we are starting to see from the big energy majors, who have dumped the hairshirt and are now being honest about the fact that  despite their desires to go green  society wants cheap reliable energy and it wants it now.

In the UK, the road to a greener future goes through the energy companies and the City of London. The capital is already a European hub for green finance and will remain in pole position for some time. Governments would be better to set aside the net zero cheerleading and instead look realistically at what the energy mix might be in a few years time.

By CityAM

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
With extreme weather events such as drought or flooding becoming more common due to climate change, countries around the world are looking to innovative solutions for water management.

Water scarcity captured global headlines last summer, as Europe experienced its worst drought in 500 years and Chinas Yangtze River reached record low levels, derailing hydropower operations. Elsewhere, widespread flooding affected Nigeria, India, Pakistan and other parts of the world.

Due to population growth, climate change and the rise of water-intensive clean energy technologies, the gap between renewable water supply and demand is expected to reach 40% by 2030, according to US investment bank Morgan Stanley. The UN estimates that drought could affect over three-quarters of the worlds population by 2050.

However, progress is being made, with the percentage of the global population with access to safely managed drinking water at home rising from 70% to 74% between 2016 and 2020, and an estimated 107m people gaining access in 2020 alone.

Thanks to new government strategies, public-private initiatives and improvements in monitoring technologies, emerging markets are modernising their water-management and distribution networks while working to limit waste, and conserve and augment existing sources.

Monitoring technologies

In water-constrained areas, reducing water loss  also known as non-revenue water (NRW)  is typically more cost-effective than supply augmentation. New technologies such as smart meters and sensor networks can help limit loss and mitigate potential contamination.

Smart meters offer an internet-of-things solution to NRW by monitoring water distribution and usage, helping to identify inefficiencies and instances of leakage and theft. Market analyst firm Transforma Insight estimates that 700m smart water meters will be deployed globally by 2030. Related: Bacteria Breakthrough Could Simplify Rare Earth Element Processing

Founded in 2017, Egyptian start-up Pylon offers subscription-based smart metering as a service to water and energy companies in Egypt and the Philippines, with plans to expand in Africa and South-east Asia. The company, which raised $19m in a seed funding round last year, leverages smart-grid infrastructure to help its clients reduce water losses by an estimated 22%, enough to serve 40m people per day.

Sensors can also play an integral role in improving sanitation efforts by identifying potential contaminants.

US-based water monitoring technology company Virridy, for example, aims to use investment from a June 2022 $5.5m Series A funding round to develop water E-coli sensors. The company already operates a network of satellite-linked borehole water monitors to boost drought resilience in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Uganda.

Outdated or insufficient infrastructure is a major driver of NRW, with emerging markets losing some 45m cu metres daily to leakages from ageing distribution networks, according to the World Bank.

In 2022 Manila Water, the water services company responsible for the Philippine capital, reduced NRW to 12.7%, well below the World Bank standard of 25% and on a par with NRW levels in Japan and Western Europe. The company used a combination of modern metering and infrastructure repairs, with strong communication networks with local stakeholders allowing for quick responses to leakages or theft.

In addition to limiting municipal NRW, addressing inefficiencies in irrigation systems is an important step towards ensuring global water security. With roughly 70% of global water usage dedicated to agriculture, improved monitoring and more sustainable agriculture practices in emerging markets are helping to boost food security around the world.

Conservation strategies

Ensuring universal access to and sustainable management of clean water and sanitation by 2030 is the focus of UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6. To help organise global efforts for sustainable water management into actionable commitments, the first UN Water Conference in 50 years was held in New York City in March 2023.

On a national scale, a number of countries have prioritised management of water supplies in recent years, with both government plans and new financing arrangements seeking to ensure improved water access.

In December 2022 Vietnams prime minister approved a water resources planning scheme for 2021-30 that includes the goals of reducing water loss in supply activities to 10%, and increasing clean water access rates to 95-100% for urban areas and 65% for rural areas by 2025.

Saudi Arabia, which has the worlds third-highest per capita water consumption behind the US and Canada, aims to reduce its usage by 43% by the end of the decade, in line with Saudi Vision 2030. In early 2023 the Kingdom announced the tendering of six wastewater treatment projects under public-private partnership (PPP) schemes to help upgrade the countrys infrastructure and reduce NRW.

In order to improve water access, countries such as Saudi Arabia have invested in desalination plants, especially as the industry attempts to reduce its carbon footprint and commodify wastewater.

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Financing is central to the success of water-management projects, with the OECD estimating costs of $1trn per year, or 1.21% of global GDP, to achieve SDG 6. Beyond government expenditure, performance-based contracting offers a key financing opportunity, incentivising companies based on their record for reducing NRW.

Ho Chi Minh City  Vietnams most populous urban area, which is at risk of flooding and freshwater scarcity  has effectively utilised this contracting model to upgrade its water distribution and sanitation infrastructure, saving the city an estimated 122m litres of water daily.

In March 2023 global investment company Metito and British International Investment, the UKs development finance institution, announced the launch of the Africa Water Infrastructure Development platform, which aims to fund sustainable water projects across Africa and boost the continents overall water security. The platforms first asset, a 40,000-cu-metre-per-day bulk surface water treatment plant in Kigali, Rwanda, provides 25% of the citys potable water supply and is the first PPP-run plant in sub-Saharan Africa outside of South Africa.

By Oxford Business Group

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
TALLINN, Estonia  President Vladimir Putin touted Russia's prospects Friday at the country's main international economic forum despite heavy international sanctions imposed because of the war in Ukraine.

Western officials and investors steered clear of this year's St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. For decades, the gathering has been Russia's premier event for attracting foreign capital, sometimes likened to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The Kremlin banned journalists from "unfriendly" countries from covering the proceedings.

Meanwhile, a delegation of leaders and senior officials from Africa sought Friday to end Ukraine's war with Russia and ensure food and fertilizer deliveries to their continent, though an air raid in Kyiv during their stay provided a reminder of the challenges they face.
A 29-year-old Omaha man currently on supervised release following a two-year term in federal prison for possessing child pornography was federally indicted again this week on the same charge  for a different case.

Thomas Janes pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography involving prepubescent minors in 2019. He became involved in a Homeland Security investigation after uploading child pornography images to a website that had been taken over by law enforcement in 2015, when Janes was 20.

A subsequent search warrant revealed that he possessed over 600 videos and 1,700 images of child pornography. He was indicted in 2018, and, in 2019, he was sentenced to two years in federal prison and five years of supervised release following the prison sentence.

Janes was released from prison in August 2021. As part of his supervised release conditions, he was barred from possessing any device with internet access capabilities unless approved and monitored by the probation office.

But when probation officers saw Janes on March 9 of this year, they noted that he had a tablet, two laptops, three hand-held gaming devices and a smartphone  none of which were approved by the probation office, and all of which were connected to the internet. His supervised release was revoked in April, and he has remained in custody since then.

On Wednesday, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Janes with one count of possessing child pornography involving prepubescent minors. The indictment alleges that he possessed the material on and before March 9, indicating that the material was on the devices located by probation officers.

If convicted, Janes could face additional prison time. While there is no mandatory minimum prison sentence for a first-time child pornography possession conviction, there is a 10-year mandatory minimum for repeat offenders.

Janes was also a licensed teacher, according to a 2019 document from the Nebraska Commissioner of Education. He was licensed to teach science in middle and high schools, and voluntarily surrendered his license after his conviction. Its unclear if he was ever employed at any area schools.

He will appear in federal court next week for an initial appearance.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of June 2023
LINCOLN  A Lincoln mother has filed a civil lawsuit against Lancaster Countys chief deputy sheriff, who hit and hospitalized the womans 9-year-old daughter as she rode her bike in northwest Lincoln last month, according to new court filings.

In a suit filed Thursday, Tiarrah Motons attorney accused Chief Deputy Ben Houchin of driving his Dodge Ram pickup truck too fast for conditions May 10, when he crashed into 9-year-old Janiece Moton near West Jennifer Street and Northwest Eighth Street around 8:15 p.m.

Motons attorney, Vince Powers, also accused Houchin of failing to yield the right of way, failing to keep his truck under proper control and failing to keep a proper look out in the moments before the crash, which left Janiece hospitalized and diagnosed with multiple skull fractures, a brain bleed, a fractured shoulder, an injured knee and road rash on various parts of her body.

Houchin, who was off duty and driving his personal truck, told investigators he was driving around 20 mph in the moments before he struck Janiece, who was not wearing a helmet, according to the crash report filed in the incident.

The posted speed limit on West Jennifer is 25 mph.

Powers, a prominent attorney in Lincoln who has won costly injury verdicts in crashes before, said in Thursdays filing that the Motons had incurred medical expenses of an unknown amount that are likely to continue to stack up.

And, Powers said, Janiece has suffered past, present and future pain, inconvenience, humiliation, suffering, mental anguish and permanent loss of earning capacity.

Powers didnt specify an amount, but the family is seeking a judgment that will fairly and justly compensate the girl for her injuries and medical costs.

Houchin, who has not commented publicly on the crash, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Friday. He nor his attorney had filed a response to the suit as of Friday afternoon.

Reached by phone in May, Houchin declined to comment on the crash itself, saying he wanted to keep his response to the incident personal and not conflate it with his role as chief deputy sheriff.

Thursdays filing comes just over a month after the crash, which put one of Lancaster Countys top law enforcement officers under investigation, left the Motons in shock and shook Tiarrah Motons confidence in local law enforcement, she said then.

In the crash report, Lincoln Police Investigator Nicholas Vest said Houchin was driving his Ram 1500 east on West Jennifer Street when he glanced down at his radio as he proceeded through the roads intersection with Northwest Eighth Street on Wednesday, crashing into Janiece, who was riding her bike south on Eighth Street.

The chief deputy, who told investigators he had looked down for a split second to change his radio station, told police that the girl came out of nowhere and that he never saw her approaching the roadway, according to the crash report.

There are no stop signs on either side of the three-way intersection.

Nine days after the crash, the Police Department announced that Houchin would not face criminal charges for his role in the collision.

Police dont suspect drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash, Police Chief Teresa Ewins said. Investigators did not test Houchin for either drugs or alcohol, according to the crash report.

For Tiarrah Moton, the Police Departments failure to give Houchin a field sobriety test  along with comments she heard from officers at the scene, who seemed to be trying to make excuses for Houchin  called into question law enforcements response to the collision, she said in May.

The mother of five said, at first, she didnt care that Houchin was a sheriffs deputy. But by the end of last week, when she said she hadnt heard an investigative update from the Police Department and hadnt heard an apology from anyone at the Lancaster County Sheriffs Office, her attitude had changed from understanding to angry.

They promised a few phone calls that have still  today, two days later  have not been made, she said then. They have not kept those promises.

A week after the crash, when LPD announced that Houchin would not be cited, Sgt. Chris Vollmer, a department spokesman, said efforts to contact the mother of the child by our staff have been made and are documented in our case file. He did not say whether police had actually spoken to Moton since the crash.

Police sought video evidence as part of their investigation, Vollmer said, but ultimately didnt find any. Vollmer said many residents who utilize Ring-style doorbell cameras dial back the sensitivity to avoid the cameras being tripped every time a car drives by.

In a statement issued in May, Sheriff Terry Wagner said he was saddened to hear of the crash and wished Janiece a quick and speedy recovery.

Wagner said the early information from the Sheriffs Offices internal investigation into the crash suggested Houchin did not violate any agency policies. The sheriff said he stopped at the scene, rendered aid and had cooperated with police.

As a parent myself, I cannot imagine the distress this has caused for the childs parents and family, Wagner said. I know that this event has also been difficult for Chief Deputy Houchin, who also has young children of his own.

In a brief phone interview Friday, Powers, Motons attorney, said he agreed that the crash wasnt criminal but said it caused significant injuries that will be permanent.

Thats what the civil justice system is for: compensating people who are injured, he said.

He said Janiece had a medical checkup Thursday and is still recovering, adding that everybody involved hopes she improves.

It was a tough deal, he said. It is a tough deal.

Powers said part of his rationale for filing the suit Thursday was the county and citys response to a public records request his office filed seeking reports, emails and texts, 911 recordings and communications between the Sheriffs Office and any third party regarding the crash.

Powers said the county intended to charge him more than $100 per hour to gather the records he requested, which he now plans to seek as a part of the discovery process in Motons suit of Houchin.

The county wanted some extraordinary amount of money, so Ill just file a lawsuit and issue a subpoena, he said. Its counterproductive for government bodies to stonewall open records (requests).
Remi Tinubu

The ambition of Senator Oluremi Tinubu, lawmaker representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, to become the Deputy Senate President in the 9th National Assembly may not materialise as her husband, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), is opposed to the move.

According to Daily Independent findings, Tinubu is more interested in Lagos State producing the incoming Speaker of the House of Representatives, a position Femi Gbajabiamila, the incumbent Majority Leader of the House of Reps, is seriously eyeing.

Credible sources said it was impossible for Lagos State to produce both the Deputy Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the same dispensation.

Tinubus efforts to ensure Gbajabiamila emerges the speaker in the current dispensation hit a brick wall when the lawmakers, in concert with their colleagues in the Peoples Democratic Party (APC), elected Yakubu Dogara, the incumbent speaker, to lead them.

Speaking on the latest development, our source, an elected member of the House of Representatives, said Tinubu was leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that what happened in June 2015 when the National Assembly elected their leaders did not repeat itself.

Yes, the desire of Senator Oluremi Tinubu for the Deputy Senate President position is real, given her experience as a ranking female lawmaker, but it is also clashing with the desire of her husband to ensure Lagos State produces the speaker of the House of Representatives.

It is likely that the APC will zone the speakership position to the South-West as they did in 2015, and our preferred candidate is Femi Gbajabiamila, the current Majority Leader.

Asiwaju (Tinubu) is not really keen about his wife becoming the Deputy Senate President as this may jeopardise his desire to have Gbajabiamila occupy the position of speaker.

Another party chieftain also said Tinubu had not discussed the issue of Senator Oluremis ambition with them, adding that it is not feasible.

He is more interested in Lagos producing the speaker. As it stands, Remi Tinubus ambition to become Deputy Senate President is not feasible, the party chieftain said.

In a related development, Prince Tony Momoh, a former Minister of Transport, on Tuesday said President Muhammadu Buhari would not interfere in the process of choosing leadership positions in the incoming National Assembly.

Speaking with Daily Independent, Momoh, one of the national leaders of the ruling APC, said it was unfair for anyone to try to decide for the legislative arm of government its leaders when, by the constitution, they were an independent arm of government.

He said: The fact is, there are three arms of government: the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary. Each has its own internal operations and operates independent of the other.

There is the tendency for each one to aspire, develop, or evolve a personality of its own.

In the National Assembly, you have all the parties coming together to make laws for the country.

In the making of that law, they have their own ways of choosing their leaders. Nobody can impose leaders on them because, historically, imposed leaders never last.

In 1999, when we came in as the ruling party (I was in PDP then), we had a preference for the late Chuba Okadigbo as Senate President.

Unfortunately, someone that the then president, Olusegun Obasanjo, wanted emerged as president of the Senate.

His name was Evan Enwerem. But because the lawmakers didnt want him, it was just a matter of time before Okadigbo came.
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State has congratulated former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, on his appointment as Special Adviser on Security to President Bola Tinubu.

The Governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Humwashi Wonosikou, emphasised that considering the insecurity challenges in Nigeria, the appointment of Ribadu by President Tinubu as Special Adviser on security is highly significant and supported by many, especially, the people of Adamawa State.



Governor Fintiri declared that the confidence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Mallam Ribadu is a clear indication of his recognition of the managerial skills and great professionalism Ribadu has shown in the various positions he has held, both within and outside Nigeria.

According to the governor, At a time of great change, and facing the challenge of tackling security concerns, the decision to appoint Ribadu, a former EFCC Chair, is highly significant and supported by many especially the people of Adamawa State.

Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, celebrating Nuhu Ribadu as a great son of Adamawa State, expressed that his commitment to the growth and development of Adamawa and Nigeria is very much acknowledged and appreciated.

Fintiri declared: Having worked closely with him, I can testify of his deep passion for the country.

The Governor urged Ribadu to utilise his wealth of experience on the security of the country in performing his duties. He was of the view that at the time the nation is going through many challenges, the office remains the beacon of hope for the people.
The immediate past Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong has assured the people of the State that President Bola Tinubu is passionate about the State.

Lalong said that he is working with the President to ensure that Plateau takes its place in playing a key role in national politics.

The former Governor stated this on Thursday in Abuja when former Commissioners of the State who served under him, paid him a visit in his private residence.

My interest now for the development of Plateau remains very paramount. My

immediate focus now is to see how Plateau can be given its rightful place in national politics under the government of President Bola Tinubu who is passionate about Plateau, Lalong said.

He Continued: I have played my part in serving the people of Plateau with the support and collaboration of my Commissioners. I am satisfied that my administration was not self seeking or one that focused on self enrichment, he said.

The former Commissioners who were led by the immediate past Commissioner of Information and Communication, Hon. Dan Manjang said they were in Abuja to reaffirm their loyalty to Lalong.

He told Lalong that they were on a visit to once again thank him for the opportunity to serve the people of the State under his leadership, describing the period as a memorable experience that they will not forget in a hurry.

We enjoyed working with you because you did not only appoint us to serve, but supported us and respected our views towards government policies and its implementation.

You trusted us and never refused to listen to us whenever we needed your attention. You are an uncommon leader whose humility is second to none. You did so much despite the challenges you passed through yet some people castigated and maligned you because of politics. But it is gratifying to note that people are already missing you in Plateau less than a month since you left. Indeed it is true that you never know what you have until you lose it.

We will remain loyal to Lalong not because of political convenience but because he has shown capacity to lead without seeking personal gains. Rather, he is always working for the good of the people. He said already.

The legacies of Lalong are speaking loudly for him across the State despite the fact that he is out of office Manjang said.

Lalong however described their visit as heartwarming and said he cherished working with them under an atmosphere of peace, intelligent discourse and commitment to impact the lives of the people.

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The story of the visit was sent to our correspondent by the Media Aid to the former Governor, Dr. Makut Simon Macham.
By Kingsley Omonobi  Abuja

The Nigerian Navy, Friday night, reacted to the allegation made by Niger Delta leader and ex-agitator, Asari Dokubo who allegedly spoke with some journalists after meeting President Bola Tinubu behind closed-doors at the Aso Rock Villa and claimed that cases of oil theft in the South South region were traceable to the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Navy.

Dokubo insisted that the military is at the centre of oil theft saying, we have to make this very clear to the Nigerian public that 99 per cent of oil theft can be traced to the Nigerian military, the Army and the Navy especially.

Responding to the allegation, Nigerian Navy spokesman, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan challenged the ex-militant to reveal the names of officers involved in crude oil theft noting, the allegation against the military is spurious and unguarded.

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Commodore Ayo-Vaughan said oil thieves were angry because the land, maritime and air component of the Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe as well as other operations in the South  South zone of the country have sustained the efforts to deny oil thieves avenues to sabotage the economy through ongoing Operation Dakatar Da Barawo and sustained a relatively safe and peaceful environment for business activities to strive in the region.

If Asari Dokubo is seeking some form of relevance and he alleges that there are cabals of military personnel who are involved in crude oil theft, let him bring the names.

Nobody is afraid of getting the names of those involved in crude oil theft. You can not make such serious allegations and think that we just sweep it down the carpet, there will be an official response from Defence Headquarters on this matter.

The Chief of Defence Staff does not condone that, nor does the Chief of Naval Staff under whom I serve.

The Nigerian Navy as an organisation is actively involved in the fight against crude oil theft and the resources in the Niger Delta. So, for anybody to say there is a cabal of military officers, the only simple thing is bring the evidence, bring the names., he stressed.
Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on Friday ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to grant the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, access to his lawyers and family.

The judge granted the order following an oral application by counsel to the CBN governor, Joseph Daudu (SAN), in a suit marked: FCT/HC/CV/6450/23.

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the DSS, and its Director-General were listed as respondents in the suit.

The agency arrested Emefiele a few hours after President Bola Tinubu suspended him from office last week.

Daudu informed the court that he wrote letters to the DSS on June 14, for the purpose of taking further instructions from the CBN governor but the agency snubbed the application.

READ ALSO: Falana demands Emefieles transfer to EFCC for investigation on economic crimes

But the counsel for the DSS, I. Awo, dismissed the claim.

He said the agency would comply with the courts order and grant Emefieles family members and lawyers access to him.

He also requested for extension of time for the respondents to file their respective responses to the originating motion.

The court granted the prayers.

Justice Muazu, thereafter, adjourned the matter till June 20 for hearing in the substantive suit.

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A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to grant the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, access to his lawyer and family members.

Justice Hamza Muazu, who gave the order on Friday, June 16, declared that the embattled Emefieles access to his lawyer and family members was his constitutional right.

The ICIR, on June 10, reported that the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Emefiele over some investigative reasons.

Emefieles arrest was confirmed by the public relations officer of the DSS, Peter Afunaya, in a tweet posted on the DSS official Twitter handle on Saturday, June 10, few hours after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspended and directed him to hand over the affairs of his office to the CBN deputy governor, Operations Directorate, Folashodun Shonubi.

Since Emefieles arrest, the DSS has not been granting him access to his lawyers and family members, according to his counsel, J. B. Saudi.

Saudi told the court that the DSS had failed to respond to his letters requesting access to his client for the purpose of taking further instructions from him.

But counsel to the DSS and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), I. Awo Esq, said that the DSS had not rejected such requests.

Iwo assured the court that the secret police would abide by the court order and allow the listed lawyers and family members to visit Emefiele.

The AGF did not oppose the application.

Iwo requested an extension of time to file his clients respective responses to the originating motion.

The court granted the request and ordered, The lawyers of the applicant shall have access to the applicant immediately. And regularly at a reasonable time, pending the determination of the application.

The court adjourned the suit to Tuesday, June 19, 2023, for hearing in the substantive suit.




The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Kogi State, Dino Melaye, told the presidential election petition tribunal on Friday that the final results of the February 25 election was wrongly computed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Melaye, who is the 22nd witness presented by the PDP, stated this during the hearing of the petition filed by the party and his candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to challenge President Bola Tinubus victory in the election.

Led in evidence by the petitioners lead counsel, Mr. Chris Uche (SAN), Melaye told the panel that he was PDPs National Collation Agent during the election.

He identified himself as a businessman and a politician.

The witness said the presidential results announced by INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, were wrongly computed and that he refused to sign such.

READ ALSO: <a href="https://www.ripplesnigeria.com/melaye-slams-pdp-co-contestants-over-allegations-of-unfair-guber-primary-election/>Melaye slams PDP co-contestants over allegations of unfair guber primary election

The former Kogi West senator added that he walked out of the national collation centre before the end of the process in February when he discovered fraudulent activities at the centre.

Melaye, who was cross-examined by INECs lawyer, Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), said most PDP agents across the country did not sign the Form EC8As presented from the polling units.

He alleged that results brought to the national collation centre by state electoral officers were at variance with the results recorded in the state.

When asked to give the actual scores garnered by Atiku in the election since he claimed the results were wrongly computed, the witness said he did not calculate the figures directly but computed them through his statistician.

The tribunal adjourned proceedings till June 19.

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By Izunna Okafor, Onitsha

A group, the Wikimedia Foundation, has organized a training for secondary school teachers in Anambra State, on how to use Wikipedia as a resource for various knowledge-based exercises and educational-related endeavours.

Tagged Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom, the month-long program, which its opening ceremony held at the Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha, attracted teachers from different secondary schools across the state.

Addressing the participants, the Certified Lead Trainer, Mrs. Oby Ezeilo said the event was aimed at helping secondary school teachers to develop vital media and information literacy skills for the 21st century, which, she said, would enhance their capacity to teach and impact knowledge on the students, among other benefits.

She explained that Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom programme was an initiative and flagship education programme of the Wikimedia Foundation, adding that it will also assist teachers and students to improve their ICT skills, content writing skills, and reading culture.

It will provide them with an alternative format for learning new things outside the regular school curriculum, while improving Wikipedia. The program also addresses teachers research skills, such as the ability to make sense of information, the ability to verify, evaluate, and sift reliable information from information chaos, and the ability to use the information to create new knowledge.

By tying Wikipedia to the components of UNESCOs Media and Information Literacy (MIL) framework, it assists instructors to understand and use Wikipedia as a learning tool. In addition, this training will help to bridge the digital gap by encouraging collaboration among teachers and students and foster better relationships, she said.

While noting that they target to train over one thousand teachers, Mrs. Ezeilo also gave a brief background of Wikipedia and its uses, while urging everyone to take good advantage of the initiative.

She said: Wikipedia is a free online multilingual encyclopedia written and maintained by a community of volunteers through open collaboration and a wiki-based editing system. It is the largest and most-read reference work in history. It is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, an American non-profit organization, funded mainly through donations.

Since its creation on January 15, 2001, Wikipedia has grown into the worlds largest reference website attracting over a billion visitors every month. Generally, Wikipedia helps different communities to tell their story, document its struggles, achievements, history, heroes etc. It has given humanity access to a great pull of reliable information and created a platform for every single person to have access to free knowledge.

To support education and learning, Wikipedia initiated the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom Program. This is a professional training program designed for teachers. It helps them to integrate Wikipedia as a learning tool into their classrooms.

Speaking on some of the gaps they filled through the training, a Co-trainer in the program, Achukwu Onyinye Jane, said the participants who did not initially know how to use Wikipedia, were taught what Wikipedia entails, and how the principles of Wikipedia can help curb misinformation and fake news.

On further significance of the training, she added that The use of Wikipedia will encourage students to critically analyze the information they find and consider multiple perspectives on a topic. It enables teachers and students to look for neutral and well-supported information.

On her own part, another facilitator of the program and Certified Wikipedia Trainer, Dr. Ngozi Osuchukwu, who harped on the need for government to partner the initiative to improve effective teaching and learning, also called for collaboration among teachers through sharing of ideas and resources; even as she also called for a more supportive and conducive learning environment for both teachers and students.

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It appeared yesterday that the Nigerian military may be lurching towards an angry showdown with former Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, over his allegations that 99 percent of oil theft and bunkering in the Niger Delta region are being carried out by the armed Forces, particularly the Army and the Navy.

While the Defence Headquarters and the Nigerian Army are yet to react to Dokubos indictment, the Nigerian Navy has asked the ex-militant leady to be ready to substantiate his claims of military officers involvement in crude oil theft with names and other facts.

Dokubo made the weighty allegations against the military yesterday while addressing State House correspondents after meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the presidential villa, Abuja.

He alleged that the Army and the Navy intimidate operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) who, by status, are the ones mandated to guard the oil pipelines.

The allegations are coming two weeks after Tinubu ordered Service Chiefs and heads of security and intelligence agencies to crush perpetrators of oil theft, saying his administration would not tolerate the menace.

Speaking during his maiden official meeting with the Service Chiefs and intelligence heads penultimate Thursday at the presidential villa, the president had also warned that, insecurity would not bring Nigeria to her knees on his watch, while other countries are busy recording achievements in key sectors of their economies.

Speaking with journalists yesterday in Aso Rock after his meeting with President Tinubu, Dokubo alleged that there are notorious naval commanders who are known to be kingpins of oil theft and bunkering activities.

He said even if one billion contracts are awarded to everybody in the Niger Delta to stop oil theft and bunkering, it would not work because of kingpins who are fully armed by the Army and the Navy.

He noted that he has volunteered to end the menace knowing that he will be fully protected by the Tinubu administration.

Dokubo said, The Army and the Navy intimidate the Civil Defense who are, by status, the people who are supposed to guard these pipelines. They receive a lot of money from NNPC, PCL and the IOCs and just across the corner, you will see a Houseboat; a few meters from the House boat, you will see an oil bunkering refinery tapping directly from oil well ends.

It is very pathetic now. What is happening in the Niger Delta in the past eight years was unprecedented in the history of oil production anywhere in the world.

The vandals do not only attack the pipelines; they have migrated from the pipelines and have gone directly to the oil well heads and they take directly from the oil well heads. They set up haphazard facilities they call local refineries and artisan refineries. This is a crime against humanity because the livelihood of the people is being totally destroyed.

And every meter you see a naval houseboat or an army house boat stationed. So, the main culprits are the Army and the Navy. And there are notorious naval commanders who are known to be kingpins of these bunkering activities.

Even if they give one billion contracts to everybody in the Niger Delta, because these military men are armed from the Army and the Navy nothing will happen.

Dokubo further hinted that because President Tinubu has promised to take decisive action to end oil theft, he has volunteered to assist.

He continued: The President has promised to take decisive action to make sure that this does not continue and that it is brought to an end. It is very shameful.

So, I had volunteered to help, to assist and to do the things that are necessary to put a stop to this evil that is being perpetrated against the people of the Niger Delta, the oil community and the whole of Nigerians.

Dokubo also alleged that it is an act of blackmail for the military to say that they have insufficient armaments to deal with insecurity when they are forfeiting their weapons to insurgents.

According to him, while this has continued to fuel the insurgency,

Nigeria is currently going through a full-scale war in different parts of the country.

He added that he has continued to render mercenary services to the federal government to keep all parts of the country safe for citizens to be able to travel and go about their businesses safely

He stated: On security, I want to clearly say that there are full scale wars going on in different parts of this country. In the South East, the IPOB/ESN is waging a full-scale war against the government of this country and many local governments, many communities are deserted, schools are closed, and hospitals are closed.

In the same vein, in Niger, in Zamfara, in Plateau, in Kaduna, in Yobe and Borno, we are only talking about Boko Haram. Boko Haram is just a tip of the iceberg. Theres a full-scale war going on and the blackmail of the Nigerian state by the Nigerian military is shameful. They said they do not have enough armament and people listen to this false narrative. They are lying. They are liars. I repeat, they are liars because Im a participant.

I am a participant in this war. I fight on the side of the government of the Nigerian State in Plateau, in Niger, in Anambra, in Imo, in Abia and in Rivers States and in Abuja. Today youre travelling to Kaduna on this road; it is not the army that makes it possible for you to travel to Abuja, or travel to Kaduna, vice versa. It is my men, employed by the government of the Nigerian State stationed in Niger.

Today you travel to Baga, you go to Shiroro, you go to Wase. We have lost so many men in all these engagements. We dont even have 1 percent of the armament deployed by the Nigerian military and we have had resounding success. So, this blackmail must end. They have enough resources to fight. Instead of fighting, they are busy stealing; they are busy making the government to spend unnecessarily.

Dokubo also called for the prosecution of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, arguing that his release would fuel impunity.

During EndSars, Nnamdi Kanu was walking free. What did he do? He poured petrol on the flames of EndSars. Now, he has been caught. What of the people who have died? This is a criminal. He should face the law.

Releasing Nnamdi Kanu is rewarding criminality and rewarding gruesome murder of innocent people. He should face the law for the actions and instigations he has carried out, he added.

Be Ready To Substantiate Your Claims With Facts, Names, Navy Fires Back

But in a swift reaction, the Nigerian Navy yesterday challenged Asari Dokubo to substantiate his claims of military officers involvement in crude oil theft with names and other facts.

The director of Information, Naval Headquarters, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, said the Nigerian Navy has seized crude oil products worth over N70 billion from illegal artisanal refineries run by the Niger Deltans.

He said, In April last year, because of the fall in revenue to government as a result of heightened oil theft, the Nigerian Navy activated operation Dakata Da Baro which is still running up till now and even before then, there has been operation Delta Safe which is a Defence Headquarters operations led by a Nigerian Navy Rear Admiral.

The Navy has demonstrated every will to stop crude oil theft and it was actually brought to a minimal level in the Niger Delta because the Niger Deltans are the ones that vandalise pipelines. They siphon oil; they have artisans; they have illegal artisans refineries and weve gone after them. As we speak now we have seized to the tune of more than N70 billion worth of crude oil/finished products from those refineries.

So a lot has been going on and I will only say that it is most unfortunate that such spurious, unguarded utterances can be made. What the Navy has been doing is enormous and it is only required at this stage that such allegations should be substantiated with names and facts.
Mohammed Abdulkarem from Yemen poses for a photo with a grass grid he made in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, June 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Xie Jianwen)

YINCHUAN, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Standing on top of a sand dune, Mohammed Abdulkarem from Yemen overlooked a green belt in the Baijitan national nature reserve in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and marveled at China's efforts to combat desertification.

"It's hard to believe the oasis right down there used to be a desert. As a country in the Arabian Peninsula, my country also needs to protect people from threats of desertification, and I saw good examples here," said the 29-year-old.

The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought falls on Saturday. The Ningxia Medical University organized a tour on Friday to mark the day, inviting about 30 international students to visit Baijitan.

Feeling sand and dust picked up by the hot summer wind blowing on their face, Abdulkarem and his schoolmates from countries including Thailand, Zimbabwe, and Pakistan were told that the 60-km-long and 30-km-wide man-made forest in Baijitan plays a function of blocking windblown sand from Maowusu, one of China's major deserts. The oasis, however, was once a barren land known for "no birds in the sky and no grass on the ground" back in the 1950s.

Over the past 70 years, with the unremitting efforts by local people and volunteers, 680,000 mu (45,333 hectares) of trees have been planted, raising the local forest coverage rate to 41 percent. The afforestation has curbed the expansion of the Maowusu Desert and has become a miracle in the history of sand control in the world.

"Anti-desertification is always a global theme, and we want to highlight the significance of ecological protection to our students," said Shan Bin, head of the university's school of international education. "We also want them to know China's resolutions and contributions in building a beautiful earth for all human beings."

With help and instructions from local professionals, Abdulkarem still felt it hard to make a straw checkerboard, which is a local method to prevent the sand from moving.

"It's really strenuous and challenging, and I'm quite encouraged by the spirit of sand controlling year after year. I'd never known that straws could be used to fix sand, which is cheap and works really well," he said.

Rueang Ngam Namrin, 27, from Thailand, was not familiar with blowing sand and dust in a desert.

"If we don't preserve this land, the sand will be blown to threaten cities and rivers," she said. "It's complicated and new for me, and I didn't know that deserts could be so harmful."

The students also visited the Museum of Baijitan, which records the history of how locals conquered desertification and preserved the ecosystem. The reserve is now home to 311 species of wild plants and 129 species of wild animals, according to the latest data.

"This trip is really rewarding. I see the great effort China has made to protect our planet, and it's worth the world learning," said Davis Munashe from Zimbabwe, who took many pictures along the tour. 
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has ordered the Director General, Department of State Services (DSS) to grant access to lawyers and family members of the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele to see him.

Justice Hamza Muazu of the court made the order upon an oral application by counsel to the Emefiele, Joseph Daudu (SAN) with Michael Aondoakaa (SAN) in suit marked No: FCT/HC/CV/6450/23.

Listed as respondents are the attorney general of the federation (AGF) and director general of DSS.

The enrolled order dated June 16, 2023, reads: The lawyers of the applicant shall have access to the applicant immediately. and regularly at reasonable time, pending the determination of the application.

In his submission, Daudu informed the court that he had written letters to the respondents particularly on June 14, 2023, for the purpose of taking further instruction from him, but the DSS had refused to respond to the application.

Responding, counsel to the second and third respondents I. Awo informed the court that the DSS does not have the penchant for refusing such a request and that it was wrong to do so.

Awo assured that he was certain the security service would abide by the order of court and grant access to the listed lawyers and family members of Mr. Emefiele to see him, while counsel to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation did not oppose the application.

Meanwhile, counsel to the DSS as well as the AGF requested for extension of time to file their respective responses to the originating motion which was granted and the suit was further adjourned till June 20, 2023 for hearing of the substantive suit.

Godwin Emefiele was taken into custody by the DSS hours after President Bola Tinubu suspended him from office.
FORMER Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, has accused the Nigerian military of being directly involved in oil theft within the region.

Dokubo told State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Friday, June 16, that ordinary Niger Delta citizens, who are often held accountable for such actions, lacked the resources and will to carry out such activities.

He promised to work with other groups to completely stop the massive oil theft happening in the region.

Myself and my brothers have assured the President that there will be zero oil theft and vandalization in the Niger Delta. Were going to walk with an NPPCL and the IOCs to make sure that oil tapped is brought to zero, he said.

According to the former militant leader, there are some powerful groups operating from Abuja who are involved in the unprecedented oil theft over the past eight years, adding that they have now met their match and would be sent to prison.

Dokunbo revealed that President Tinubu has promised to investigate allegations of huge oil bunkering by notorious naval commanders.

The military is at the centre of oil theft and we have to make this very clear to the Nigerian public that 99 per cent of oil theft can be traced to the Nigerian military, the Army and the Navy especially, he said.

He also accused the military of intimidating the Civil Defence Corps detailed to safeguard the pipelines and the oil wells, adding that they received a lot of money from NNPCL and IOC.

Dokunbo also stated that the manner in which the oil thieves had gone about their criminal activities had stripped the people of the Niger Delta of their livelihood, and it is a crime against humanity.

He described it is an act of blackmail for the military to claim lack of adequate weapons to address the security challenges in the country, accusing them of surrendering their weapons to the insurgents, thereby fuelling insurgency in the country.

He said, The blackmail of the Nigerian state by the Nigerian military is shameful. They said they do not have enough armament and people listen to these false narratives. So this blackmail must end. They have enough resources to fight.

Dokunbo stressed that releasing the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, would not ease the tension in the South-East. Rather, he argued, it would fuel impunity.

During EndSars, Nnamdi Kanu was walking free. What did he do? He poured petrol on the flames of EndSars. Now, he has been caught. What of the people who have died? This is a criminal. He should face the law.

Releasing Nnamdi Kanu is rewarding criminality and rewarding gruesome murder of innocent people. He should face the law for the actions and instigations he has carried out, he said.




National vice chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Mohd Lukman, has again descended verbally on the partys national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, saying the latter was running the party like a garrison commander in Army barrack without the inputs of members of the National Working Committee (NWC).

As a result, he said the governing party had become a mere shadow of its boisterous self, with the day-to-day administration of the national secretariat and key decisions involving party activities taken at the discretion of the national chairman.

In a statement he issued in Abuja on Friday titled, Rebuilding the APC to Reform Nigerian Politics: Task Before President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Lukman accused Adamu of treating NWC members like his appointees.

The former director-general of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) said: The sad reality is that the APC as constituted today is only a shadow of itself, with a national chairman who is highly unaccountable and runs the affairs of the party more like a garrison commander.

He relates to his colleagues in the NWC just like his appointees. In their name, he meets other leaders of the party and seeks to manipulate party decisions to suit personal vested interests that are only known to him.

Recall the shameful attempt to impose Sen. Ahmed Lawan as the consensus presidential candidate of the party. In all the so-called consultations he claimed to have had with other leaders of the party on the matter, perhaps except for the National Secretary (Iyiola Omisore), no member of the NWC was either informed of the details of the consultations or invited.

Similarly, the NWC was never invited to consider any proposal being negotiated. It was only on June 6, 2022, ahead of the June 8, 2022 National Convention, that Sen. Adamu invited the NWC to inform members that a consensus presidential candidate in the person of Sen. Ahmed Lawan had been chosen. Members were not even given the opportunity to comment on the matter.

The national vice chairman appealed to President Tinubu to embark on reforms of the APC, cautioning that if the current situation was not nipped in the bud, the NWC could snowball into oblivion like the previous eras of Adams Oshiomhole and Mai Mala Buni.

Lukman continued: With the election of leaders of the 10th National Assembly concluded on Tuesday and the victory of the nominated candidates of the APC for the two chambers, President Bola Tinubu, being the leader of the party, needs to prioritise rebuilding the APC to reform Nigerian politics so that our political parties are developed to grow beyond being mere election vehicles.

As it is now, the management of the party is limited to the discretion of the national chairman, and when it is convenient, he involves members of the National Working Committee.

In a few cases, Adamu gets the NWC to legitimise his decisions when the APC constitution only assigns administrative responsibility of implementing decisions of superior organs such as the NEC, National Caucus and National Advisory Council to the NWC. So far, powers of superior organs of the party have been illegally usurped by the National Chairman and, by extension, the NWC.
As many as five out of the seven University of Jos (UNIJOS) students abducted on Monday have regained freedom, The Nation reports.

Kidnappers stormed the rented hostel out of the University Campus when they were reading for the ongoing examinations and whisked away the seven to an unknown place.

The abductors, according to parents, demanded some ransom before their children can be released.

It was learnt after negotiations with the kidnappers, an undisclosed amount was agreed, which was said to have been delivered by one of the parents who volunteered.

Following final agreement, he kidnappers released five out of the seven students, leaving two with them.

The source further hinted after the money was collected, the kidnappers seized the phone of the ransom-bearing parent.
All members of the National Youth Service Corps have cause to rejoice, as N30,000 new allowance is about to be implemented.

NYSC members

Director-General, National Youth Service Corps, Shuaibu Ibrahim, has said the scheme will communicate to corps members when the payment of N30,000 new allowance would take off, TheNation has reported.

The DG stated this on Friday at a workshop/ training on Freedom of Information Act for Desk Officers of the NYSC in Abuja.

When he was asked when the payment of N30,000 allowance for corps members would take -off, the DG said: They will be communicated accordingly, please.

The DG said the workshop is aimed at consolidating on the successes recorded by the scheme regarding the use of the FOIA.

Ibrahim said that the scheme had grappled with challenges, which were occasioned by apparent lack of knowledge of our policies and operations by a section of the public.

He urged Nigerians to familiarise themselves with the NYSC Act so as to understand better, the operations of the scheme and its role.

Ibrahim said: Since the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act in 2011, the NYSC has been in the forefront of ensuring total compliance with the provisions of the Act.

The NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, noted that the scheme had FOI community development service groups for corps members who assist in sensitising members of the public on the FOI Act.
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By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said the Student Loan Bill, which President Bola Tinubu signed into law is capable of sending many students out of school.

On Monday, the president signed the bill saying it is a fulfillment of one of his campaign promises.

Many, including critics of his government, had hailed him for matching his words with action.

But in a chat with newsmen, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU President, said the law might have an adverse effect on millions of prospective students who rely on tuition-free higher institutions of learning to acquire knowledge.

He said: A country where more than 133 million are living below the poverty line and you want to introduce tuition fees? It will be counterproductive.

Every Nigerian should know what is going to happen next and there may likely be another bill waiting for signature that will introduce tuition fees. If the bill indicated that the loan is to pay tuition fees and there are no tuition fees in Nigerian universities, then what is your next approach?

Osodeke said the bill is not new, revealing how the union rejected it when former President Muhammadu Buharis administration brought it up.

He, however, noted that the union is yet to have access to the accurate copy of the law signed by Tinubu, adding that there was need to get and study it.

We have said long ago, in 2017, to President Buhari when they came up with the issue of tuition fees, that every student will pay N1 million and we said you cannot put that in our agreement and you cannot use that to negotiate with us and with the nature of the country we have today, there is no way that will work.

What will happen is that the majority of students whose parents cannot afford it will pull out of school in anger and you know what that means, they will fight the society back.

A professor at the University of Abuja, Ben Ugwoke, said going by the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, no public institution pays tuition fees. That is, all public institutions in Nigeria are tuition-free.

However, due to underfunding, the governing councils or boards of these public institutions are permitted by the laws establishing the institutions to determine appropriate charges and levies that students should pay to cover specific costs.

The bill signed into law does not abrogate the various acts of the National Assembly establishing the public institutions which enable them to levy students appropriately. The new students loan act did not in any way abolish the current or future regime of charges students of public institutions in Nigeria currently pay.

Let me hazard a guess that the new act has laid a formal basis for the various governing organs of the public institutions in Nigeria to levy higher charges on students, he said.

According to him, To the naive, it means relief but to my mind, I think it means higher charges are on the horizon for students.

For Professor Nasiru Medugu Idris of Nasarawa State University Keffi, Tuition fees will remain the same or even higher. This is because the students loan will strictly be for the purpose of tuition fees. So no abolition of tuition fees in Nigerian universities.

He said parents might think that it is a kind of relief for them but actually this is not because students living expenses per semester are very huge.

Schools tuition fee maybe 10 to 20 per cent of students expenditure per semester. Therefore parents and students should not celebrate the signing of the act for now until they have accessed the loan first, he said.

Meanwhile, when Daily Trust contacted the Federal Ministry of Education to clarify clause 3 of the act, via a text message to the Permanent Secretary, David Adejo, through the Director of Press, Bem Ben Goong, the director said the ministry will address a press conference on Wednesday to clarify all issues and as such had no comment.

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The Nigerian Army has reacted to the recent allegations made by former Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, regarding the involvement of certain military officials in oil theft in the region.

POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Dokubo voiced these claims during a visit to President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Friday.

Reacting, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, emphasised that the Nigerian Army has been actively combating illegal oil bunkering, oil theft, illegal oil refining, and other related crimes in the Niger Delta with notable success.

Nwachukwu highlighted the positive outcomes resulting from these interventions, including a significant increase in daily oil production. This achievement stands in contrast to the previously declining output.

The Armys spokesperson asserted that the Nigerian Army maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of compromise by its troops and will not tolerate acts of economic sabotage.

He assured that any individuals involved in such activities, once identified, will face appropriate consequences within the military.

The Nigerian Army has been vigorously engaged in the fight against illegal oil bunkering, oil theft, illegal oil refining, and other sundry crimes in the Niger Delta. And this has yielded positive results as evident in the increase in daily oil production per barrel from an abysmally dwindling output in the past. The Nigerian Army has zero tolerance for any compromise on the part of our troops and will not condone such acts of economic sabotage. No black sheep will be spared if identified, stated Nwachukwu.
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Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president, claimed on Friday that the terrorist organizations founders told him that poverty and unemployment were what inspired Boko Haram members to commit crimes during the early stages of the North-East struggle.

However, he cautioned that if the nearly 20 million children who are not in school are not immediately addressed, they will serve as a breeding ground for future members of Boko Haram.

The former President made this assertion on Friday at the launch of a book titled, Pillars of Statecraft: Nation-building in a changing world authored by his daughter, Dr Kofo Obasanjo-Blackshire, at an event in Lagos.

In response to a query from a member of the audience about why recent government measures had become more political than people-centered, he stated that one of the main issues facing the nation was the search for scapegoats for its difficulties.

He stated further, During the early days of Boko Haram, when the man who started the movement was said to have been killed, I said I wanted to meet with the members of the group to talk to them and know what they wanted.

I met with their representatives and found out that they needed nothing but a better life for themselves. Can we blame them for wanting a better life for themselves?

READ ALSO: Obasanjo backs quest to support 25,000 Nigerians in business annually

They said they believed in Sharia Law. I told them that Sharia was not a problem in Nigeria. It is part of our constitution.

According to the former president, some of the members of the insurgent group told him that they went to school but had no jobs.

He added, Do we blame them if after four years, they have no jobs? Are they not entitled to a livelihood? This boils down to one of the Ps of nation-building  politics  which talks about governance and leadership.

If that (leadership) is not properly taken care of, every other thing will go haywire, he said.

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READ ALSO: Obasanjo praises IGP Baba at National Daily Awards night

We must ask, What do we do with our people? How do we raise and value them? How do we value them?

We have over 20 million out-of-school children. Google how many countries in the world have less than 20m. That doesnt worry us? Are you thinking there will be no Boko Haram tomorrow?

Those are the foundations of your Boko Haram tomorrow. That should be our concern. We should not say it is externally induced. Is poverty also externally induced? Poverty is the conscious, unconscious choice of our leaders. If we say no; it would be no. If we say yes; it would be yes, Obasanjo explained.

In July 2009, the Boko Haram uprising began in Bauchi and spread to other northern states, leaving hundreds of followers, Nigerian law enforcement officers, and civilians dead.
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Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has insisted that some supporters of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, popularly known as Obidients are naive while playing the script of some political actors.

Soyinka stated this on Friday during a question-and-answer session at the launch of his book titled The Putin Files: Excursions around the Ideology of Pain, the latest in the popular Interventions series in Lagos.

He said long before the election, some people had schemed to tilt the country towards having an interim government.

That tendency had been apparent even before the election, he said.

So some of those who thought they were being radical, were being mumu (foolish), and playing the script of others.

The Nobel laureate said that he knew that after his statement on Friday, a mob of Obidients would again launch an attack against him online by opening what he described as their dictionary of abuses , adding that he would be happy to face them.

READ ALSO: Opposition have infiltrated Obidient movement, Obi replies Soyinka

They can go back to the internet, open their dictionary of abuses and start all over again, I will come back and tell them that you are mumu (foolish). You were not playing your script, he said.

Soyinka in an interview with Channels Television before the February 25 presidential election said that if Obi lost the election, it would be his followers who lost it for him.

This led to an outrage with Obidients lashing out at him on social media and on some mainstream media.

But responding to the Obidients disparaging comments against him, Soyinka through a statement titled, Fascism on course said the seeds of incipient fascism in the political arena have evidently matured.

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He added, It would appear that a record discharge of toxic sludge from our notorious smut factory is currently clogging the streets and sewers of the Republic of Liars. It goes to prove the point that provoked the avalanche exactly!
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Niger Delta leader and former agitator, Mujahid Asari Dokubo, has advised President Bola Tinubu not to succumb to pressure from certain quarters to release detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu who is standing trial for treason among other allegations.

Dokubo told State House correspondents after he met President Bola Tinubu behind closed doors at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Friday that releasing the IPOB leader will escalate tension in the South-East.

He said: During EndSars, Nnamdi Kanu was walking free. What did he do? He poured petrol on the flames of EndSars. Now, he has been caught. What of the people who have died? This is a criminal. He should face the law.

Releasing Nnamdi Kanu is rewarding criminality and rewarding gruesome murder of innocent people. He should face the law for the actions and instigations he has carried out.

READ ALSO: Tinubu holds consultative meeting with Asari Dokubo at State House

Speaking further, Dokubo alleged that the bulk cases of oil theft recorded in the oil-rich region are traceable to the Army and Navy.

The military is at the centre of oil theft and we have to make this very clear to the Nigerian public that 99 per cent of oil theft can be traced to the Nigerian military, the Army and the Navy especially, he said.

He noted that he pledged his support to the Federal Government to bring oil theft to zero, believing that the Tinubu-led administration would fish out the culpable elements in the military.

Dokubo said oil theft and security framed his nearly two-hour discussion with the President.

The blackmail of the Nigerian state by the Nigerian military is shameful. They said they do not have enough armament and people listen to these false narratives. So this blackmail must end. They have enough resources to fight.